The Haitian Revolution - 1975 Words

It is no secret that the Caribbean fails to get the credit it rightfully deserves. One is taught to embrace the history of the United States and Europe. However, when told to recite the names of Caribbean legends, the room becomes silent. It is rare that one is taught the impact that the Caribbean has made all over the world. This is a shame because one of the most important events transpired in the Caribbean. In a small colony by the name Saint Domingue, which is currently known as Haiti, a slave rebellion that resulted in many causalities shook the world. This rebellion is called the Haitian Revolution. The Haitian Revolution is one of the largest slave revolts that have ever occurred. Finally fed up with oppression, severed rights under†¦show more content†¦Although the Haitian Revolution was influenced by the French Revolution, the idea of a black resistance was nothing new. The practice of marronage, a runaway slave, was so old that one’s textbook was not able t o go back that far. Black rebellions existed all throughout the Western Hemisphere, however, they failed to make a huge mark in history like the Haitian Revolution. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was passed on August 26, 1789, in France which stated, â€Å"The representatives of the French people, constituted as a National Assembly, and considering that ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole causes of public misfortunes and governmental corruption, have resolved to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, inalienable and sacred rights of man: so that by being constantly present to all the members of the social body this declaration may always remind them of their rights and duties; so that by being liable at every moment to comparison with the aim of any and all political institutions the acts of the legislative and executive powers may be the more fully respected; and so that by being founded henceforward on simple and inconte stable principles the demands of the citizens may always tend toward maintaining the constitution and the general welfare.† (Hunt 77-79). This created a lot of controversy. The French are expressing the importanceShow MoreRelatedThe Revolution Of The Haitian Revolution1385 Words   |  6 PagesThe Haitian Revolution is one of the most effective and swift Slave revolts of all time. The causes of the Haitian Revolution were quite simple and was similar to any other kind of slave revolt. Many ideas carried around by slave traders at the time such as treating slaves as property, using social/racial classes, and oppressive control ultimately tipped the slaves over the edge. Ideas of independence also sparked the revolution, and one key inspiration to the cause was The French Revolution. ThisRead MoreHaitian Revolution : The Revolution1199 Words   |  5 PagesHaitian Revolution: The Haitian Revolution was led by Toussaint L’Ouverture from May 20, 1743 to April 7, 1803. It has been described as the largest and most successful slave rebellion. The rebellion was initiated in 1791 by the slaves. In the end, they had succeeded in ending slavery and French control on the colony. The Haitian Revolution consisted of multiple revolutions going simultaneously. The Haitian Revolution existed from 1791 to 1804. It was important because Haiti is the only country whereRead MoreThe Haitian Revolution And The American Revolution1365 Words   |  6 PagesAtlantic World. In a time that can be called an era of revolution, the Atlantic World faced a multitude of uprisings. The American Revolution in 1765 would be the start of the age of revolutions, and would later inspire the revolutions of other countries across the Atlantic, such as the French Revolution in 1789, the Haitian Revolution in 1791, and later the Latin American Revolutions during the early nineteenth century. The events of these revolutions created shockwaves across the Atlantic that wouldRead MoreHaitia n revolution Essay1149 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1791 revolution broke out in the French colony of Saint Domingue, later called Haiti. The Haitian Revolution resounded in communities surrounding the Atlantic Ocean. One of the wealthiest European outposts in the New World, the Caribbean islands western third had some of the largest and most brutal slave plantations. Slave laborers cultivated sugar, coffee, indigo, and cotton, and they endured horrible death rates, requiring constant infusions of slaves from Africa. In 1789 roughly 465,000 blackRead MoreThe Haitian Revolution Of 17911317 Words   |  6 Pages The Haitian Revolution To say that all men are born and created equally is an understatement to say the least. Speaking morally, yes. But in reality, no. Especially if you are someone of African descent lost in the diaspora. Case in point, the Haitian Revolution. Holding someone against their will and forcing them into slavery is wrong. To force an unfair and unjustified debt upon a people for fighting for their freedom and winning is double wrong and equally as bad as slaveryRead More The Haitian Revolution Essay2474 Words   |  10 Pageseffects of the Haitian Revolution have played, and continue to play, a major role in the history of the Caribbean. During the time of this rebellion, slavery was a large institution throughout the Caribbean. The success of the sugar and other plantations was based on the large slave labor forces. Without these forces, Saint Domingue, the island with the largest sugar production, and the rest of the Caribbean, would face the threat of losing a profitable industry. The Haitian Revolution did not justRead MoreSuccess of the Haitian Revolution1897 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿The Success of the Haitian Revolution The Haitian Revolution was the result of a long struggle on the part of the slaves in the French colony of St. Domingue, but was also propelled by the free Mulattoes who had long faced the trials of being denoted as semi-citizens. This revolt was not unique, as there were several rebellions of its kind against the institution of plantation slavery in the Caribbean, but the Haitian Revolution the most successful. This had a great deal to do withRead MoreFrench Revolution vs. the Haitian Revolution762 Words   |  4 PagesThe French Revolution vs. The Haitian Revolution A revolution is a shift, a turning point, a change in government. A revolution usually occurs when the majority of a nation is frustrated with the economic, political, or the social situation of their country. Two very interesting revolutions were the Haitian and the French revolutions. While the Haitian and French revolutions took place in close proximity to one another, the cause for the revolutions and results were quite different. The politicalRead MoreFactors Responsible for the Outbreak of the Haitian Revolution2143 Words   |  9 PagesCaribbean was the Haitian Revolution. This School Based Assessment (SBA) is aimed at identifying the main causes and effects of the Haitian Revolution. Another aim off this school Based Assessment is to seek to find out why most slave protest and rebellions failed to destroy the system of slavery. Factors that were responsible for the outbreak of the Haitian revolution Class division was a major factor, which contributed to the outbreak of the Haitian Revolution. In St Domingue, thereRead MoreLouvertures Efforts as Leader of the Haitian Revolution Essay775 Words   |  4 PagesThe Haitian Revolution was time of hectic blood shed war. Toussaint Louverture was the leader of the Haitians out of slavery and free from the Spanish. The colony of St. Domingue was a slave island, where slaves would work to make goods to be sent to Spain in return for nothing. The people were treated harsh and done wrong but by the efforts of Louverture they will become free. Louverture was the leader of the revolution but failed to complete his duties because of capture Jean- Jacques Dessalines

Rise Of Superpowers After WWII Essay Example For Students

Rise Of Superpowers After WWII Essay It is often wondered how the superpowers achieved their position of dominance. It seems that the maturing of the two superpowers, Russia and the United States, can be traced to World War II. To be asuperpower, a nation needs to have a strong economy, an overpoweringmilitary, immense international political power and, related to this, a strong national ideology. It was this war, and its results, that caused each of these superpowers to experience such a preponderance of power. Before the war, both nations were fit to be described as great powers, but it would be erroneous to say that they were superpowers at that point.To underezd how the second World War impacted these nations sogreatly, we must examine the causes of the war. The United Statesgained its strength in world affairs from its status as an economicpower. In the years before the war, America was the worlds largestproducer. In the USSR at the same time, Stalin was implementing his?five year plans to modernise the Soviet econ omy. From thesesituations, similar foreign policies resulted from widely divergentorigins. Roosevelts isolationism emerged from the wide and prevalent domestic desire to remain neutral in any international conflicts. It commonly widely believed that Americans entered the first World War simply in order to save industrys capitalist investments in Europe. Whether this is the case or not, Roosevelt was forced to work with an inherently isolationist Congress, only expanding its horizons after the bombing of Pearl Harbour.He signed the Neutrality Act of 1935, making it illegal for the United States to ship arms to the belligerents of any conflict. The act also stated that belligerents could buy only non-armaments from the US, and even these were only to be bought with cash. In contrast, Stalin was by necessity interested in European affairs, but only to the point of concern to the USSR. Russian foreign policy was fundamentally Leninist in its concern to keep the USSR out of war. Stalin w anted to consolidate Communist power and modernise the countrys industry. The Soviet Union was committed to collective action for peace, as long as that commitment did not mean that the Soviet Union would take a brunt of a Nazi attack as a result. Examples of this can be seen in the Soviet Unions attempts to achieve a mutual assiezce treaty with Britain and France. These treaties, however, were designed more to create security for the West, as opposed to keeping all three signatories from harm.At the same time, Stalin was attempting to polarise both the Anglo-French, and the Axis powers against each other. The important result of this was the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact, which partitioned Poland, and allowed Hitler to start the war. Another side-effect of his policy of playing both sides was that it caused incredible distrust towards the Soviets from the Western powers after 1940. This was due in part to the fact that Stalin made several demands for both influence in the Dardane lles, and for Bulgaria to be recognised as a Soviet dependant. The seeds of superpowerdom lie here however, in the late thirties. R.J. Overy has written that ?stability in Europe might have been achieved through the existence of powers so strong that they could impose their will on the whole of the international system, as has been the case since 1945?.?At the time, there was no power in the world that could achieve such a feat. Britain and France were in imperial decline, and more concerned about colonial economics than the stability of Europe. Both imperial powers assumed that empire-building would necessarily be an inevitable feature of the world system.German aggression could have been stifled early had the imperial powers had acted in concert. The memories of World War One however, were too powerful, and the general public would not condone a military solution at that point. The aggression of Germany, and to a lesser extent that of Italy, can be explained by this decline of imp erial power. They were simply attempting to fill the power vacuum in Europe that Britain and France unwittingly left. After the economic crisis of the 1930s, Britain and France lost much of their former international ezdingas the world markets plummeted; so did their relative power. The two nations were determined to maintain their status as great powers however, without relying on the US or the USSR for support of any kind.They went to war only because further appeasement would have only served to remove from them their little remaining world ezding and prestige. The creation of a non-aggression pact between the Soviet Union and Germany can be viewed as an example of imperial decline as well. Stalin explained the fact that he reached a rapprochement with Germany, and not one with Great Britain by stating that ?the USSR and Germany had wanted to change the old equilibrium? England and France wanted to preserve it. Germany also wanted to make a change in the equilibrium, and this com mon desire to get rid of the old equilibrium had created the basisfor the rapprochement with Germany.?The common desire of many of the great European powers for a change in the world state system meant that either a massive war would have to be fought; or that one of the great powers would need to attempt to make the leap to superpower status without reaping the advantages such a conflict could give to the power making the attempt. Such benefits as wartime economic gains, vastly increased internal markets from conquered territory, and increased access to resources and the means of industrial production would help fuel any nations drive for superpowerdom.One of two ways war could have been avoided was for the United States or Russia to have taken powerful and vigorous action against Germany in 1939. Robert A. Divine, holds that ?superpowerdom gives a nation the framework by which a nation is able to extend globally the reach of its power and influence.?This can be seen especially as the ability to make other nations (especially in the Third World) act in ways that the superpower prefers, even if this is not in the weaker nations self interest. The question must then be raised, were the United States and Russia superpowers even then, could coercive, unilateral actions taken by them have had such significant ramifications for the international order? It must be concluded that, while they were not yet superpowers, they certainly were great powers, with the incredible amount of influence that accompanies such status. Neither the United States nor the Soviet Union possessed the international framework necessary to be a super power at this time. It is likely that frameworks similar to Nato or the Warsaw Pact could have been developed, but such infrastructures would have necessarily been on a much smaller scale, and without influence as the proposed Anglo-American (English speaking world) pact was. At this time, neither the United States nor Russia had developed the o verwhelming advantages that they possessed at the end of the war. There are several factors that allowed them to become superpowers: apreponderance of military force, growing economies, and the creation of ideology-backed blocs of power. The United States, it seems, did not become a superpower by accident. Indeed, Roosevelt had a definite European policy that was designed from the start to secure a leading role for the United States. The US non-policy which ignored Eastern Europe in the late thirties and forties, while strongly supported domestically, was another means to Roosevelts plans to achieve US world supremacy. After the war, Roosevelt perceived that the way to dominate worldaffairs was to reduce Europes international role (vis-?-vis the United States, as the safest way of preventing future world conflict), the creation of a permanent superpower rivalry with the USSR to ensure world stability.Roosevelt sought to reduce Europes geopolitical role by ensuring the fragmentation of the continent into small, relatively powerless, and ethnically homogenous states. When viewed in light of these goals Roosevelt appears very similar to Stalin who, in Churchills words, ?Wanted a Europe composed of little states, disjointed, separate, and weak.?Roosevelt was certain that World War Two would destroy continental Europe as a military and economic force, removing Germany and France from the stage of world powers. This would leave the United States, Great Britain, and the USSR as the last remaining European world powers. The Happiness of Others Essay?The decisive period of the century, so far as the eventual fate of democracy was concerned, came with the defeat of fascism in 1945 and the American-sponsored conversion of Germany and Japan to democracy and a much greater degree of economic liberalism?.?Such was the result of America attempting to spread its ideology to the rest of the world. The United States believed that the world at large, especially the Third World, would be attracted to the political views of the West if it could be shown that democracy and free trade provided the citizens of a nation with a higher ezdard of living. As United States Secretary of State James F. Byrnes, ?To the extent that we are able to manage our domestic affairs successfully, we shall win converts to our creed in every land.? It has been seen that Roosevelt and his administration thought that this appeal for converts would extend into the Soviet sphere of influence, and even to the Kremlin itself. The American ideology of democracy is not complete without the accompanying necessity of open markets. America has tried to achieve an open world economy for over a century. From the attempts to keep the open door policy in China to Article VII of the Lend-Lease act, free trade has been seen as central to American security. The United States, in 1939, forced Great Britain to begin to move away from its imperial economic system. Cordell Hull, then Secretary of State, was extremely tough with Great Britain on this point. He used Article VII of the Lend-Lease, which demanded that Britain not create any more colonial economic systems after the war. Churchill fought this measure bitterly, realising that it would mean the effective end of the British Empire, as well as meaning that Great Britain would no longer be able to compete economically with the United States. However, Churchill did eventually agree to it, realising that without the help of the United States, he would lose much more than Great Britains colonies. American leadership of the international economythanks to theinstitutions created at Bretton Woods in 1944, its strong backing forEuropean integration with the Marshall Plan in 1947 and support for the Schuman Plan thereafter? (both dependent in good measure on American power) created the economic, cultural, military, and political momentum that enabled liberal democracy to flourish in competition with Soviet communism. It was the adoption of the Marshall Plan that allowed Western Europe to make its quick economic recovery from the ashes of World War II. The seeds of the massive expansion of the military-industrial complex of the early fifties are also to be found in the post war recovery. Feeling threatened by the massive amount of aid the United States was giving Western Europe, the Soviet Union responded with its form of economic aid to its satellite counties. This rivalry led to the Western fear of Soviet domination, and was one of the precursors to the arms-race of the Cold War. The foundation for the eventual rise of the Superpowers is clearly found in the years leading up to and during World War II. The possibility of the existence of superpowers arose from the imperial decline of Great Britain and France, and the power vacuum that this decline created in Europe. Germany and Italy tried to fill this hole while Britain and France were more concerned with their colonial empires. The United States and the Soviet Union ended the war with vast advantages in military strength. At the end of the war, the United States was in the singular position of having the worlds largest and strongest economy. This allowed them to fill the power gap left in Europe by the declining imperial powers. Does this, however, make them Superpowers? With the strong ideologies that they both possessed, and the ways in which they attempted to diffuse this ideology through out the world after the war, it seems that it would. The question of Europe having been settled for the most part, th e two superpowers rushed to fill the power vacuum left by Japan in Asia. It is this, the global dimension of their political, military and economic presence that makes the United States and the USSR superpowers. It was the rapid expansion of the national and international structures of the Soviet Union and the United States during the war that allowed them to assume their roles as superpowers. BibliographyAga-Rossi, Elena. ?Roosevelts European Policy and the Origins of theCold War? Telos. Issue 96, Summer 93: pp.65-86. Divine, Robert A. ?The Cold War as History? Reviews in American History. Issue 3, vol. 21, Sept 93: 26-32. Dukes, Paul. The Last Great Game: Events, Conjectures, Structures. London: Pinter Publishers, 1989 Le Ferber, Walter. The American Age: US Foreign Policy at Home andAbroad 170 to the Present. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 1994. Morrison, Samuel Elliot. The Two-Ocean War. Boston, MA: AtlanticLittle, Brown, 1963. Overy, R.J. The Origins of the Second World War. New York: LongmanInc, 1987. Ovyany Igor. The Origins of World War Two. Moscow: Novosti PressAgency Publishing House, 1989. Smith, Tony. The United States and the Global Struggle for Democracy,in Americas Mission: The United States and Democracy in the TwentiethCentury (New York: Twentieth Century Fund Press, 1995) 1995Strik-Strikfeldt, Wilfried. Against Stalin and Hitler. Bungay,Suffolk: Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press), 1970.End Notes1. Overy R.J. The Origins of the Second World War (Longman: NewYork) 1987 p.7 Overy pp. 88-89 2. Overy p .8 3. Ovsyany, Igor. The Origins of World War Two (Novosti PressAgency: Moscow) 1989 pp. 31-34. 4. Overy p. 70 5. Overy p. 85 6. Overy p. 89 7. Overy p. 91 8. Aga-Rossi p. 81 9. Divine, Robert A. The Cold War as History Reviews inAmerican History, Sept 93, vol 21. p. 528. 10. Aga-Rossi, Elena. Roosevelts European Policy and theOrigins of the Cold War Telos Summer 93. Issue 96 pp. 65-66 11. Aga-Rossi p. 66 12. Aga-Rossi p. 69 13. Aga-Rossi p. 72 14. Aga-Rossi p. 73 15. Aga-Rossi p. 77 16. Aga-Rossi p. 70 17. Divine p. 528 18. Aga-Rossi p. 80 19. Aga-Rossi p. 68 20. Aga-Rossi pp. 74-75 21. Aga-Rossi p. 79. 22. Aga-Rossi p. 83. 23. Tony Smith, The United States and the Global Struggle forDemocracy, in Americas Mission: TheUnited States and Democracy in the Twentieth Century (New York:Twentieth Century Fund Press, 1995) 1995 24. Dukes, Paul. The Last Great Game: Events, Conjectures,Structures (Pinter Publishers: London) 1989p. 107. 25. Le Ferber, Walter. The American Age: US Foreign Policy atHome and Abroad 170 to the Present. (W.W. Norton Company: New York) 1994 p. 417-418. 26. Tony Smith, The United States and the Global Struggle forDemocracy, in Americas Mission: TheUnited States and Democracy in the Twentieth Century (New York:Twentieth Century Fund Press, 1995) 1995

Pythagorus Of Samos Essays - Ancient Greek Mathematicians, Ascetics

Pythagorus Of Samos Pythagoras of Samos Pythagoras of Samos is often described as the first pure mathematician. He is an extremely important figure in the development of mathematics yet we know relatively little about his mathematical achievements. Unlike many later Greek mathematicians, where at least we have some of the books which they wrote, we have nothing of Pythagoras's writings. The society which he led, half religious and half scientific, followed a code of secrecy which certainly means that today Pythagoras is a mysterious figure. We do have details of Pythagoras's life from early biographies which use important original sources yet are written by authors who attribute divine powers to him, and whose aim was to present him as a god-like figure. What we present below is an attempt to collect together the most reliable sources to reconstruct an account of Pythagoras's life. There is fairly good agreement on the main events of his life but most of the dates are disputed with different scholars giving dates which differ by 20 years. Some historians treat all this information as merely legends but, even if the reader treats it in this way, being such an early record it is of historical importance. Pythagoras's father was Mnesarchus ([12] and [13]), while his mother was Pythais [8] and she was a native of Samos. Mnesarchus was a merchant who came from Tyre, and there is a story ([12] and [13]) that he brought corn to Samos at a time of famine and was granted citizenship of Samos as a mark of gratitude. As a child Pythagoras spent his early years in Samos but travelled widely with his father. There are accounts of Mnesarchus returning to Tyre with Pythagoras and that he was taught there by the Chaldaeans and the learned men of Syria. It seems that he also visited Italy with his father. Little is known of Pythagoras's childhood. All accounts of his physical appearance are likely to be fictitious except the description of a striking birthmark which Pythagoras had on his thigh. It is probable that he had two brothers although some sources say that he had three. Certainly he was well educated, learning to play the lyre, learning poetry and to recite Homer. There were, among his teachers, three philosophers who were to influence Pythagoras while he was a young man. One of the most important was Pherekydes who many describe as the teacher of Pythagoras. The other two philosophers who were to influence Pythagoras, and to introduce him to mathematical ideas, were Thales and his pupil Anaximander who both lived on Miletus. In [8] it is said that Pythagoras visited Thales in Miletus when he was between 18 and 20 years old. By this time Thales was an old man and, although he created a strong impression on Pythagoras, he probably did not teach him a great deal. However he did contribute to Pythagoras's interest in mathematics and astronomy, and advised him to travel to Egypt to learn more of these subjects. Thales's pupil, Anaximander, lectured on Miletus and Pythagoras attended these lectures. Anaximander certainly was interested in geometry and cosmology and many of his ideas would influence Pythagoras's own views. In about 535 BC Pythagoras went to Egypt. This happened a few years after the tyrant Polycrates seized control of the city of Samos. There is some evidence to suggest that Pythagoras and Polycrates were friendly at first and it is claimed [5] that Pythagoras went to Egypt with a letter of introduction written by Polycrates. In fact Polycrates had an alliance with Egypt and there were therefore strong links between Samos and Egypt at this time. The accounts of Pythagoras's time in Egypt suggest that he visited many of the temples and took part in many discussions with the priests. According to Porphyry ([12] and [13]) Pythagoras was refused admission to all the temples except the one at Diospolis where he was accepted into the priesthood after completing the rites necessary for admission. It is not difficult to relate many of Pythagoras's beliefs, ones he would later impose on the society that he set up in Italy, to the customs that he came across in Egypt. For example the secrecy

Asian Heritage essays

Asian Heritage essays In The Accidental Asian by Eric Liu, Liu is faced with the complexity of his heritage. Liu is a second-generation Chinese American. Throughout Lius essays he speaks of the disadvantages of being an Asian American and how in his life he dealt with it. Liu also speaks of his family and their values of keeping their heritage alive without his parents being overbearing and discriminating towards Lius choices in life. In Eric Lius The Accidental Asian, Liu speaks of Chineseness which he says ... is not a mystical, more authentic way of being; its just a decision to act Chinese(pg. 10). It seems in the novel that Liu is not questioning whether he is Chinese or American or one more than another, I feel Liu is while being both Chinese and American he had such a hard time accepting or questioning the Chinese qualities more than the American ones. Liu was what his parents called an ABC, an American-born Chinese(pg.43), Liu had seen himself as a social immigrant when he was younger. Since Liu was a child he was faced with the burden of sometimes feeling left out due to his physical appearance and characteristics being not like others around him. Liu was not ashamed of being Chinese but he wished sometimes that things would be easier for him like the others in his school. When Liu was twelve he realized the bowl cut he was so used to for the past eleven years was now out of style. Liu was now in an era in the 1980s where feathered hair was the way to go and Lius hair was the straight wiry kind that would not be apt to be brushed back with the likelihood of staying. So one day his friend dared him to shave it off and he did Liu felt that he had managed, without losing face, to rid myself of my greatest social burden(pg.42). Liu also had to struggle with the fact that to girls in his school which were mostly all white he was only the funny, cute, sweet friend&...

The Templars were certainly adept at making money even though they Essay

The Templars were certainly adept at making money even though they existed as part of the church - Essay Example Over the time, Templars amassed huge money and property, first as donations and then through their commercial dealings and political machinations. The Templars owned lands in France, Portugal, Scotland, England, Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, Aragon and Hungary (Baignet & Leigh 1991, 43). To a great extent the position of the Church as a primary spiritual guide to the kingdoms of Europe, eventually passed on to the Templars, in practice if not in theory. The Templars who came into existence to serve the Holy See and to establish the writ of the Church in the Holy Land, in the later days emerged as a parallel power centre to the Catholic Church, which though professed allegiance to the Church, in practice did not hesitate to assiduously indulge in unscrupulous dealings and arrangements. Thus the Templars undermined the political hold and power of the Church over the Christian kingdoms of Europe. Since the times of Christ and the apostles, the true strength of the Church had been its message of love and austerity. However, Templars initiated various steps that diluted the very essence of the message of Christ. In 1153-4, the Templars in England attempted a translation of the Old Testament into the vernacular (Baignet & Leigh 1991, 44). This translation sounded like a chivalric romance, very unlike the simplicity and piousness of the original work. One could certainly conclude that Templars must have attempted many other such unknown translations, which were explicitly worldly and compromised the crux of Christian dogmas. Also, though knowing that usury was abhorrence to the Church, Templars arrogantly indulged in financial operations and transactions, hiding their rapaciousness under the garb of â€Å"semantics, euphemism and circumlocution (Baignet & Leigh 1991, 48)†. So, the biggest damage that Templars inflicted on the Catholic Church was by being the living examples of the distortion and pollution of both the Word and the Way. The lifestyle, business and politics of Templars must have definitely disheartened and discouraged the lay believers, who were earlier attracted to the sobriety and humility of the Church. No doubt, the very existence of Templars was a visible mockery of the Christian values. Both, owing to the military and temporal power of the Templars and their massive financial clout, the feudal lords and the kings and queens of Europe became more than vulnerable to their influence. The sovereigns not only relied on Templars for safety and military assistance, but also hired Templars to collect taxes. Templars in turn, exhibited such a savagery and ruthlessness in their operations that they conveniently surpassed the excesses of their political customers. One other reason, the sovereigns became a toy in the hand of Templars was because of their need to procure loans. Hence, Templars’ alliance with the Mammon, proved more effective and utilitarian than the piety and poverty of the Church. Not to mention, the Crus ades which were initiated with much religious zeal and fervor, in a way weakened the Church in the sense that from being Holy Wars, they eventually degenerated into cheap Witch hunts. The

Answer question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Answer question - Essay Example One key aspect of Christian struggle or Jihad is, show love to others and practice non-violence. Jesus said â€Å"Love your neighbor† and what’s more â€Å"love your enemies† as seen in Luke 6:27. Also Matthew 5:9 says blessed is the peacemaker. Therefore, Christians should struggle in fighting for peace and unity, even if one has to embrace sworn enemies. Similarly, the Quran demands that Muslims struggle against use of violence but make peace and speak well of others even if they are non-Muslims (Quran 17:53-54 and Quran 2:256). Another major element of Jihad in Christianity struggle is to ensure they do not pay back evil for evil as written in Romans 12:17. In a similar way Quran 4:9 asks Muslims to refrain from fighting back. Moreover, Christians should strive to eliminate evil in the society and from humanity. Many instances in the Bible such as in Exodus 22: 18-20, Exodus 32: 27-28 and Numbers 31:1-18 allows punishment of evildoers in the very harsh way Just like Jihad in Islam that aims at clearing evil in the society. Many other elements of jihad or struggle such as defending of faith, strive to keep doing good, to struggle for the later kingdom and life after death among other things as found in Quran are evident in the Bible. From above perspectives, jihad is an all religions phenomenon of struggling in battle against selfishness, godlessness and injustice. In essence, Muslims and Christians share a similar â€Å"Jihad†. That of love for humanity, searches for knowledge, non-violence and perfection of the souls (Considine

Computer Task Group, Inc vs Brotby Essay Example for Free

Computer Task Group, Inc vs Brotby Essay In 1995 William Brotby was hired by Computer Task Group, Inc. (CTG) as an information technologies consultant. Upon hiring, Brotby had to sign an agreement stating that he would be restricted to work for any CTG customers if he left the company. No more than two years later, Brotby left CTG and began to work for one of CTG’s customers known as Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. CTG, plaintiff, filed a suit against Brotby, defendant, in a federal district court alleging breach of contract. During the production of discovery, Brotby refused to fully respond to CTG’s interrogatories, never gave truthful answers, filed unwarranted motions, made flimsy objections, and never disclosed all of the information that CTG sought. Brotby was fined twice by the court and was issued five separate orders ordering him to cooperate. Because of Brothby’s continuous refusal to cooperate, CTG eventually filed a motion to enter default judgment against him in 1999. The court granted the motion; however, Brotby appealed to the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Is continuous refusal of the defendant to produce discovery enough to warrant a default judgment by a federal district court? The federal district court granted CTG’s motion to enter a default judgment. The U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the judgment of the lower court. Therefore, the appellate court held that â€Å"in light of Brotby’s horrible record of discovery abuses† and his â€Å"abiding contempt and continuing disregard for the court’s orders,† the lower court properly exercised its discretion in entering a default judgment against the defendant. The Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37 allows the district court to enter a default judgment against a party who fails to comply with an order demanding discovery. In addition, the district court must weigh five factors in order to appropriately decide if a sanction of default for noncompliance with discovery is grounds for dismissal. These five factors are: â€Å"(1) the public’s interest in expeditious resolution of litigation; (2) the court’s need to manage its ocket; (3) the risk of prejudice to the opposing party; (4) the public policy favoring disposition of cases on their merits; and (5) the availability of less drastic sanctions. † When a court order is violated, the first and second factors will favor sanctions whereas the fourth will challenge the order. With regards to the first factor, Brotby’s actions were deliberate; he intended his actions to be as they were. Moreover, in determining whether abolishing sanctions are appropriate in Brotby’s case is reliant on the third and fifth factors. Brotby violated court orders by failing to produce sufficient and factual documents, and by failing to pay one of the fines. These deceitful tactics delayed the litigation process while burdening the court, and prejudiced CTG. Brotby failed to produce documents ordered by the court, and most of what he did submit came after discovery. The withholding of important information and the time delay is sufficient prejudice towards CTG. There are three factors considered in deciding whether the district court adequately considered lesser sanctions: â€Å"(1) explicitly discussed the alternative of lesser sanctions and explained why it would be inappropriate; (2) implemented lesser sanctions before ordering the case dismissed; and (3) warned the offending party of the possibility of dismissal. † The district court judge appropriately considered the alternative of lesser sanctions by ordering Brotby to comply with CTG’s discovery request five times and imposing two lesser sanctions against him. However, Brotby never responded and therefore it is appropriate to discard lesser sanctions if the court anticipates continuous false misconduct. Brotby also had continuous awareness that his unwillingness to cooperate would eventually result in a default judgment against him; the judge warned him to â€Å"stop playing games† if he wanted to stay in the game. Therefore, the two monetary sanctions, five orders ordering him to cooperate, and repeated warnings proved enough notice that Brotby’s continued failure to comply would result in default.