Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Film Of The Cage Directed By Coco Fusco And Paula Heredia

The documentary The Couple in the Cage directed by Coco Fusco and Paula Heredia consists of a video record about performance art in 1990s and a 1930s Hollywood film. In the video record, two performance artists dress up as indigenous from Gulf of Mexico and are declared by the guide that they cannot speak English (CIC). They come to some cities such as Chicago, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, New York City in U.S., Madrid in Sydney and Sydney in Australia (CIC), and they are put themselves in a big cage for visitors to watch and interact with. All their clothes and make-up makes them look like real natives: The male wear masks and clothes with pattern of tiger skin; the woman’s face is shaded by colorful painting and wear grass skirt exposing most of her body. In the cage, the woman dance with pop music, wear glasses and they curiously fiddle with TV sets, keyboards and cassette recorder which are all innovations from 20th century. At the same time, the visitors are charged to t ake photos with the couple and are interviewed to talk about their opinions. Some criticize that it is inhumane to confine the couple for displaying while some have no opinion about it. What is surprising is that the natives are actors who study the audiences more than the audiences study them. The alternating Hollywood black-white-silent depicts the scene that Indians constrained in the cage are exhibited to whites. The spectators look the Indians up and down, which is very similar to the scene in the

Monday, December 23, 2019

antigone - 987 Words

Pre-AP English 6 February /2013 Aristotle’s Tragic Hero In order to fulfill the requirements of a tragic hero, a hero or a heroine must have certain characteristics. For example, they are required to be a member of royalty, be neither completely good nor completely bad, they have to be responsible for their own downfall due to a hamartia and lastly they need to realize their mistakes and accept their consequences. In Antigone, there are two main characters that fit the criteria of a tragic hero, but only the protagonist, Antigone meets all of the conditions. Antigone meets the second requirement of a tragic heroine, by fulfilling the criteria of being neither entirely good nor completely bad. In the opening of the play, Antigone†¦show more content†¦She believes that her, â€Å"blasphemy of my birth has followed me†( iv, 44). By her using this quote, she reveals that if it weren t for her being born into incest, her family wouldn’t be cursed as they are. Furthermore, she argues, â€Å" No more, Ismene. You are alive, but I belong to death† (ii, 146). This Quotation reveals Antigone accepting her consequences that she has to die due to her act. Furthermore, realizing that his judgment was unwise Creon changes his mind from the harsh punishment of public stoning to her being locked in a cave with a limited amount of food. Antigone shows she is accepting her consequence by responding, â€Å" Then let me go, since all your words are bitter, and the very light of the sun is cold to me. Lead me to my vigil, wher e I must have neither love nor lamentation; no song, but silence† (iv, 282). This quote reveals that Antigone no matter what she did took her consequences and realized that burying Polynieces was all worth it. Overall, we see Antigone fulfilling her requirements of accepting her consequences of what she did. From the time she was caught to the time she was given her sentence, she never denied nor took back what she had done. Although both Creon and Antigone fulfill the requirements of being a member of royalty, being neither completely good nor bad, being responsible for their own downfall due to hubris and lastly recognizing their own hamartiaShow MoreRelatedAntigone By Sophocles Antigone1525 Words   |  7 Pagesnothing that the gods demand† (1349-1350). Sophocles’ Antigone takes place in a trying time for the city of Thebes, when Oedipus, their king, and most of the royal family have died, and Creon has just been appointed the new king. Throughout the play, Creon tries on his power as the new ruler, and seems to believe that the gods will not be angry with some of his choices as king, even though they directly violate the divine law. However, in Antigone, when there is a conflict between the divine law andRead MoreThe Choices Of Antigone And Sophocles Antigone1560 Words   |  7 Pagesthat Antigone and Creon face in Sophocles’ Antigone differ, their decisions often end up pitt ed against each other’s, inviting comparison. Since I am juxtaposing the characters’ degrees of rightness, I believe that the rightness of the reasoning, not just their ultimate stances, should be examined. The entirety of his or her argument, not just the conclusion, must be taken into account. I’ll also note that my perspective of rightness could and does conflict with that of the gods in Antigone and SophoclesRead MoreCharacterization of Antigone in Sophocles Antigone2448 Words   |  10 PagesSophocles’ tragic drama, Antigone, presents to the reader a full range of characters: static and dynamic, flat and round; they are portrayed mostly through the showing technique. In â€Å"Sophocles’ Praise of Man and the Conflicts of the Antigone,† Charles Paul Segal takes the stand that there are two protagonists in the drama (which conflicts with this reader’s interpretation): This is not to say that there are not conceptual issues involved in the characters of Creon and Antigone. But the issues areRead MoreAntigone Summary771 Words   |  4 Pagesunburied to rot. Antigone was dejected with Creon’s ruling and decided to bury Polynices herself. She tried to enlist Ismene to help her, but Ismene was to afraid. Antigone furiously continued with the plan on her own. A sentry discovered Antigone and brought her to Creon. Ismene was also brought to Creon and confessed that she had helped Antigone with the burial rites of Polynices. Antigone stopped Ismene and told her not to admit to an act that she had not committed. Antigone took sole responsibilityRead MoreAntigone2454 Words   |  10 PagesAntigone– The Characterization Sophocles’ tragic drama, Antigone, presents to the reader a full range of characters: static and dynamic, flat and round; they are portrayed mostly through the showing technique. In â€Å"Sophocles’ Praise of Man and the Conflicts of the Antigone,† Charles Paul Segal takes the stand that there are two protagonists in the drama (which conflicts with this reader’s interpretation): This is not to say that there are not conceptual issuesRead More Antigone Essay1318 Words   |  6 PagesAntigone Essay In any story or piece of literature, there will always be the main characters to fill the pages with incessant adventure. The characters whose names appear on almost every page and the characters whose actions the story revolves around. However, a story will also always have its minor characters. These are the characters that contribute heavily to the plot, yet arent mentioned quite as often and are underestimated regarding their importance in the story. In the Greek masterpieceRead More Antigone Essay3001 Words   |  13 PagesSUBJECT Antigone is a play about a woman who disobeyed the Kings order to not bury her brother. The play was written by the famous Greek tragedian, Sophocles, in 441 B.C. The story took place in the city of Thebes and the time period is not mentioned. The main characters introduced in the play are of Antigone, Ismene, Creon, and Haemon. The primary focus was centered on Antigone and the consequences she faces after breaking the Kings orders. In the beginning, the author introduced Antigone and herRead MoreAntigone by Sophocles622 Words   |  3 PagesIn the playwright Antigone by Sophocles, the characters reveal their values while exposing a life lessons through their actions, dialogue, thoughts ,and effects on others. Antigone starts with two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, being killed at battle. Creon, the king of Thebes, declares that Eteocles’ death will be honored and Polyneices’ dishonored. He instead will lay unburied to become the food of animals. When the play opens, Antigone takes Ismene, Antigone and Ismene are sisters of the deadRead MoreEssay on Antigone1426 Words   |  6 Pagesimprudent judgments will ultimately suffer from the consequences of their actions. In Sophocles Antigone, these prejudices notably surface in the form of paternalism as demonstrated through Creons government, highlighting the importance of gender roles throughout the play. Therefore, analyzing the motif of gende r roles and its effect on the definition of justice through the perspectives of Ismene, Antigone, and Creon enables the audience to understand how Sophocles macroscopic analogy to humanitysRead MoreAntigone by Aristotle1684 Words   |  7 PagesAntigone Life has a way of becoming complicated. Problems between friends, foes, and even family members develop everyday for people of all walks of life. It is part of human nature to disagree, cause conflict and fight for what we believe in even if that means stepping on someone else’s toes along the way. Aristotle had thoughts on complication dating back to 335 B.C when he wrote Poetics- the earliest surviving work of dramatic theory. In it he analyzed tragedies and theorized that every tragedy

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The present situation in iraq Free Essays

The Iraq’s general condition, including economic and political condition is bad[1]. During the years Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, there was a great dramatic fall of its economy. It was mainly due to the war Hussein aggressively started against Kuwait. We will write a custom essay sample on The present situation in iraq or any similar topic only for you Order Now    When US and British troops motivated in invading Iraq, which soon caused his defeat, its economic condition became even poorer. Sending powerful armed forces to fully disarm the Iraqi President Hussein was a big historical success but its remnants were a nightmare. The damage caused by the war made the entire population suffer. Everyone faced the same very difficult conditions. Lots of resources, agricultural and other land areas have been damaged. Recently, it appeared on the news[2] that there is a vague clue of reconciliation in Iraq. It says, â€Å"Leaders of the main factions have haggled over issues behind closed doors and urged Parliament to pass some conciliatory measures.† Although there is a temporary ceasefire, still the Iraqi leaders, as well as their supporters in the greater Middle East, have so many unfinished settlements on peace agreement. Seeing the present situation in Iraq, the answer to the question regarding new opportunities in the country is indistinguishable. By year 2006, Iraq is fourth[3] on the rank of the greatest oil reserves in the world. While, the current state of DWI is in Syria and in China, having oil reserves of 2.5 billion barrels and 18.3 billion barrels, respectively.[4] In comparison, Iraq has 115 billion barrels of oil deposit. With this much amount of difference, it is very tempting to venture any oil business in the area. It’s clear to have a predictable rise on the DWI revenue if it would have its development in Iraq. This would also give out opportunities to workers to have better compensation. However attempting to expand market share in Iraq would be too risky. Sending groups of people to work for the company in a particular chaotic place is very unethical. This is the primary reason United States law and U.N Sanctions barred any entry of business in Iraq. If DWI would insist to put in their business in the country, they would have to seek support from the US government first. Another option would be to have dealings with country’s parliament. Even if DWI would have settled with the US government or the parliament issues of Iraq, there is still no guarantee of a long-term settlement because the situation among them is even not fixed yet. Lots of deliberation is still going on among Iraqi leaders, and also between the Iraqi leaders and the US government as well. Thus any business dealings with the country these days are still unreliable. The best suggestion would be to wait for the time when there would be a secured peace in Iraq. References: Kjeilen, Tore. (Copyright 1996-2008). Looklex Encyclopedia. â€Å"Iraq: The Iraqi Republic†. Retrieved April 07, 2008 from http://i-cias.com/e.o/iraq.htm. Mahdi, Kamil A. (2003). Iraq’s Economic Predicament. United Kingdom: Ithaca Press. Nafzinger, Wayne E., Frances Stewart, and Raimo Vayrynen.(2002).War, Hunger, and Displacement: The Origins of Humanitarian Emergencies  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New York: Oxford Press. [1] Kjeilen, Tore, â€Å"Iraq: The Iraqi Republic†, Looklex Encyclopedia,http://i-cias.com/e.o/iraq.htm, Accessed 07 April 2008. [2] Taken from â€Å"Overview: The Iraq War† The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/ref/timestopics/topics_iraq.html#1, Accessed 08 April 2008. [3] Based from â€Å"Greatest Oil Reserves by Country, 2006†, HighBeam Research, LLC.  © Copyright 2005, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0872964.html, Accessed 08 April 2008. [4] Mentioned in â€Å"Syria:Energy and power†, http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Syria-ENERGY-AND-POWER.html, Accessed 08 April 2008. How to cite The present situation in iraq, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Economic Policy and Global Government Asian Nations

Question: Discuss about theEconomic Policy and Global Government for Asian Nations. Answer: Introduction Most of the Asian nations have witnessed rapid growth in the post-independence phase especially so in the last four decades or so. Amongst these nations, China leads the pack as it has completed transformed through a slew of economic reforms and at the present boasts its economy as the second largest economy in the world after only the USA (Yueh, 2010). The annual growth rate witnessed by the Chinese economy over the last three decades has been almost 10% which is phenomenal (IMF, 2012). While, a significant amount of praise for this stupendous growth goes to the opening up of the Chinese economy and related reforms, but it is imperative to analyse the role of macroeconomic policies in this regard. These macroeconomic policies assume an even more critical role in the wake of globalisation where the happenings in the economies of the other nations tend to have a significant impact on the Chinese economy (Bardhan, 2010). This impact needs to be understood in the wake of the export orie nted nature of the economy and hence its dependence on the overall global demand besides the domestic demand. In view of the above background, the aim of the current paper is to present the economic policies of China along with the measures taken by the government and other responsible authorities to maintain the macroeconomic stability in the country. Besides, the role of this macroeconomic stability to growth has also been analysed through the medium of the given paper. The national economic policy in context of China is under the control of the State Council which tends to set out the economic agenda over the long term and formulate the five year plan, which capture the goals in relation to the level of industrialisation, urbanisation and liberalisation of market that the country seeks to achieve in the medium term. This plan serves as a key tool for the fulfilment of the long term agenda of the government. The State Council frames the priorities and objectives of the plan along with the broad contours on how to achieve the same but the implementation of the same is left to the government agencies working at the central and local level (Qiang and Hu, 2014). In this regards, it is noteworthy that State Council does not limit to only developmental goals in the various five year plan but also tend to include the macroeconomic goals. This particularly includes target related to inflation, money supply coupled with GDP growth. The fact that these are fi xed by the State Council ensures that synchronization is maintained between the objectives to be met and the likely economic indicators. Additionally, since certain economic indicators tend to be counter balancing like growth and inflation, hence a delicate balance needs to be maintained between the two so that the long term national objectives can be met in an efficient manner (Ballantyne, Garner Wright, 2013). Therefore, annual assessments are carried out to rework the inflation and growth targets so that this delicate equilibrium could be maintained which becomes essential in the wake of a globalised economy which is more prone to global shocks. It is significant to note that China does not follow a monetary policy based on inflation targeting since inflation in China is not a fixed target and tends to be highly variable in accordance with the economic conditions and thus are periodically reviewed and determined by State Council (Ballantyne, Garner Wright, 2013). Another key aspect that falls within the ambit of the State Council is the determination of the managed float regime in context of the exchange rate. This has become even more significant post 2005 when it was decided that China would migrate from a fixed exchange rate against the USD to a more market linked and determined exchange rate but the process was to be carried out only gradually so as to ensure that export sector and i ndustrialisation was not adversely impacted (Hu, 2010). Additionally, the State Council also exhibits control over certain key sectors so as to ensure that long term objectives are not only met but the underlying development is also sustainable and proceeds in a socially desirable manner. This is most clearly evident through the active interference in the property market which regulates the prices so as not to hamper the construction activity and simultaneously ensure that affordable housing demand is met so that the people could actively contribute to growth of the nation (RBA, 2012). While, the State Council is the apex decision making body in term of laying down policy objectives, the implementation of the same is carried out by a host of government agencies. The PBC or Peoples Bank of China along with SAFE (State Administration of Foreign Exchange) are collectively responsible for the implementation of the policy related to exchange rate. In order to manage the exchange rate and also the supply of money in the economy, it is imperative that appropriate capital controls are erected on the flow of foreign capital (IMF, 2012). This has become significant in the last two decades when Chinese economy has opened up in a big way and has attracted significant chunk of investment in the form of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment). In order to manage the impact of this foreign money inflow and outflow, the PBC acting as the central bank uses various tools available in the monetary policy to achieve the objectives fixed by the State Council. It is noteworthy that without this stability lent by the PBC, the exchange rate movements would adversely impact the export competitiveness of China considering the huge inflow of foreign capital into China (Yueh, 2010). Further the government both at the central and local level are responsible for making the expenditure in line with the government priorities that are defined by the State Council. While the majority of the revenue is collected by the Central government, the local government has a fair share in the expenditure. In the expenditure of the local government, a fair share goes into infrastructure spending besides social security and education. In terms of the various investment projects to be pursued a critical role is played by the NDRC or National Development and Reform Commission. The public investment forms a crucial component of the fiscal policy and includes the sizable investments that are made in the state owned enterprises which have a significant role to play in the Chinese economy. From the above discussion, it is apparent that the macroeconomic framework are highly interconnected and integrated under the aegis of the State Council which ensures that all the various levels move towards a common goal (Turner, Tan Sadeghian, 2012). The stupendous growth shown by China was initiated through the reforms initiated in 1978 which during the initial phase of three years had an adjustment period during which centralised policies were introduced post which the economy had opened up gradually to foreign investments. Therefore, it found itself in a perfect position to cash in on the various outsourcing opportunities presented by the Western developed economies and gradually started strengthening the manufacturing industry. Besides, in order to fuel development of industries, infrastructure was the key focus which also attracted a plethora of FDI (Qiang Yu, 2014). During the 1990s, China witnessed export led growth which was highly concentrated towards the US. In this process, a strong enabling role was played by the macroeconomic stability led by a fixed currency exchange rate coupled with investments in the development of the enabling infrastructure. However, this increasing interaction with the outside world particula rly the West had adverse implications for stability and growth which was apparent during the Asian currency crisis of 1997. China was not much impacted by this crisis as the contribution of foreign money in China was mostly in the form of FDI which was comparatively more stable than hot money or FII (Foreign Institutional Investors) money (Bardhan, 2010). However, the growth in exports did slow down and also FDI inflows dropped. As a result, the Chinese authorities in order to sustain the growth focused on the weakness in the internal financial system which was reeling under the mounting debt of bad loans and an overdependence on US as a trade partner. Further, during the dot com bubble, in order to support the economy, there was a devaluation of the currency to enhance the export competitiveness even though China ran a huge capital and trade surplus. However, this was brought about by the stringent capital controls exhibited by the PBC (Turner, Tan Sadeghian, 2012). This coupled with increased focus on domestic demand enabled the Chinese economy to grow at the turn of the century. Arguably, the biggest challenge to Chinese economic growth came from the global economic crisis which plummeted global demand and led to reduced liquidity in the global market. However, through the government support led by the State Council, China was abl e to emerge from this crisis (Wen, 2013). The management of the exchange rate to fuel economic growth during the last decade is apparent from the graph shown below. It is apparent that at the turn of the century, there was no appreciation of the Chinese Renmindi so as to provide support to exports. However, fuelled by a bounce back from 2004 onwards, in late 2005, there was an appreciation of the economy which continued to the beginning of the crisis. Further, during the economic crisis, there was no appreciation of the Renmindi in a bid to provide support to the economy. However, the process of appreciation commenced from 2010, when there was a bounce back in the global economy backed by the government stimulus. Hence, it is evident that the exchange rate has played a key enabling role for economic growth as China becomes more exposed to global shocks (Ballantyne, Garner Wright, 2013). The contribution to the GDP during the last decade also highlights the support of the macroeconomic stability in the overall economic growth as shown below. The above graph clearly indicates that from 2004 to 2007, the contribution of net exports to the GDP swelled. Further, during these years, the domestic consumption also boomed while the investment growth remained relatively constant. In 2008, there is a drop in GDP growth due to drop in net exports and consumption growth fuelled by the global financial crisis. As a result, in 2009, there was a spurt in investment primarily by the government so as to provide stimulus to the economy on the lines of Keynesian economics (Bardhan, 2010). This eventually tapered down as consumption and net exports showed signs of recovery. Therefore, it is apparent from the above graph that the government policy tends to be in line with the demands of the economy which has ensured that economic growth remains sustainable. This is also reflected in the inflation and unemployment figures which have remained stable as suitable measures have been undertaken in an integrated manner so as to provide a facilitati ng environment to the economic growth (Yueh, 2010). Based on the above discussion, it is apparent that the underlying policy making framework that has been existing in China is exceptionally integrated in a hierarchical manner which ensures that the effort of all involved agencies and authorities is directed towards common goals. In this regards, while the State Council decides on the policy objectives and provides broad contours about the same, the implementing agencies like the PBC along with the state operated enterprises and also the government at various levels ensures that the same is implemented so as to achieve the targets offered by the State Council. While achieving the stated developmental goals, both economic and social, a key importance is offered to the macroeconomic stability which is apparent from the fact that decision in this regard is undertaken by the State Council and not left to the PBC to decide. Besides, with the opening up of the economy, it has become more susceptible to influence from external shocks and the refore prudent measures have been undertaken in the past so as to ensure that the economic growth remains sustainable. This has been demonstrated in the aftermath of the Asian currency crisis along with the global financial crisis. On the basis of the same, it may be fair to conclude, that indeed for China, the macroeconomic stability has proved to a significant contributory factor to economic growth. References Ballantyne A, Garner M Wright M 2013, Developments in Renminbi Internationalisation, RBA Bulletin, June, pp 6574. Bardhan, P 2010, Awakening Giants, Feet of Clay: Assessing the Economic Rise of China and India, 2nd eds., Princeton University Press; USA Hu X 2010, Exchange Rate Regime Reform and Monetary Policy Effectiveness, Available online from https://www.pbc.gov.cn/publish/english/956/2010/20100804100116452770088/20100804100116452770088.html (Accessed on November 29, 2016) IMF (International Monetary Fund) 2012, Country Chapter: Peoples Republic of China, in Annual Report on Exchange Rate Arrangements 2012, Available online from https://www.imfareaer.org/Areaer/Pages/Reports.aspx (Accessed on November 29, 2016). Qiang, G Yu Y 2014, The Wealth of China: Untangling the Mystery of the World's Second Largest Economy, 2nd eds., CN Times Book, Shanghai RBA (Reserve Bank of Australia) 2012, Box A: Chinas Residential Property Market, Statement on Monetary Policy, February, pp 1416. Turner G, Tan N Sadeghian D 2012, The Chinese Banking System, RBA Bulletin, September, pp 5363 Wen J 2013, Report on the Work of the Government, Address to the First Session of the Twelfth National Peoples Congress, Available online from https://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-03/18/c_132242798.html (Accessed on November 29, 2016). Yueh, L 2010, The Economy of China, 3rd eds., Edward Elgar Publishers, London