No More Hiroshima and Slough Poem Comparision Essay Example for Free

No More Hiroshima and Slough Poem Comparision Essay There can be no doubt that â€Å"Slough† and â€Å"No More Hiroshima’s† share a large collection of differences. However, they additionally have similarities. The poem â€Å"Slough† written by John Betjeman and is expressing his hatred for the place. This becomes apparent from the beginning when he ask for â€Å"friendly bombs, come fall on slough. † The satirical humour and juxtaposition of â€Å"friendly† and â€Å"bomb† are ironic and portray a dark image of the place, and this is continued throughout the poem with words such as â€Å"Death†, and â€Å"Hell†. Moreover, the imagery of the poem is ferocious and ghastly which greats a sense of negativity towards Slough. The poem â€Å"No More Hiroshima’s† by James Kirkup shares a similarity with Slough due to the aspect of war. No More Hiroshima’s is constructed around the reconstruction of the city Hiroshima’s after having nuclear bombs released on it. Furthermore, both poets are infuriated by the cities. No More Hiroshima’s begins with the tourist arriving at the station, â€Å"At the station exit, my bundle in hand† this already creates a sense of the poet coming off the train being confused at how busy the station is and how he was expecting to see huge inspirational memorials, however he was astonished and disappointed to see no memorials and compares it to any ordinary Japanese town. The poet in Slough wishes for slough to be obliterated as it says â€Å"come bombs, and blow to smithereens† whereas the No More Hiroshima’s poem doesn’t wish for the place to be wounded as the poet still sees Hiroshima as a precious place but it has just been used in the erroneous way due to commercialization of the demolished city. Consequently I believe this portrays a sense of negativity and is extremely idiosyncratic from the poet Betjeman and this continues throughout the whole poem. In the poem No More Hiroshima’s the poet doesn’t present any characters In a clear manner. Therefore he can talk about the place in a more general manner. Conversely in Slough the poet introduces characters as he feels he has to take his emotions out on the people not the city as it says for example â€Å" and get that man with double chin, who’ll always cheat and always win, who washes his repulsive skin In women’s tears,† the poet here is vehement that the people are additionally a cause for the failure of Slough whereas the in No More Hiroshima’s there isn’t blame on the people.

Gambling in Finland Essay Example for Free

Gambling in Finland Essay Gambling, betting, lottery, poker in Finland; there is plenty of choice. In Finland, slot machines are practically everywhere. Some are prohibited for persons under 18 years old, others for children under 15 years. The Finns like a lot the lot (even if the jackpot is much lower in compared to other European countries) and they are a people who like to play poker, especially online. Moreover, in almost all places, not just in casinos, you can play roulette or blackjack. In Finland, there are two casinos (one in Helsinki and one in the Aland Islands), almost 20 000 slot machines and fifty plants such as racetracks where you can do live betting. And do not forget the nearly 300 locals or restaurants with tables where the Finns test themselves maybe watching a game of football or hockey or taking a break from the dance floor. With reference to what I have explained I think that given the numbers reported about the popularity of gambling in Finland it is obvious that this affects actively the life of Finns every day, and in my opinion, it influences negatively, every bets will be destined to lose, this creates a chain reaction, because every personal relationship, family and work will be influenced by mood of the gambler. According to the latest prevalence study (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health/Taloustutkimus 2007) over the last 12-month period, 3.1% of the population (130,000 persons) were classifiable as having gambling problems. Over the same period, 1% of the population (42,000 persons) were classifiable as probable gambling addicts (with a SOGS score of at least 5 points). It follows that I have only analyzed the situation from the point of view of the gambler, but to understand why gambling is so much sponsored in Finland we should consider the benefits (only in economic terms) of the revenues from the game. The state has a monopoly on betting and the whole system is managed by four companies: RAY, Veikkaus Oy, Oy Fintoto and PAF. The main peculiarity of gambling in Finland Is that the revenue from betting and gambling are invested in non-profit organizations related to the world of sport, education and culture. I think this is the only positive aspect regarding the gambling! Because this type of policy is beneficial, and socially useful and consequently that can be shared by people. To put the topic more simply I compared Finnish Gambling situation with the Italian one. Italy has come a long way from totally prohibiting all gambling activities, to legalizing some of them under certain conditions. The main reason why the Italian government adhered to strict rules was the desire to avoid the possible negative effects associated with the industry. The following amendments liberalized the market in 2006: * Legalisation of real-money skill games and betting exchange * Opening of the Italian gambling market to operators from EU and EFTA countries (on condition they meet certain requirements) * Opening of the new license tender that was supposed to rearrange the network of offline betting establishments and also providing possibility for online gaming operators to offer their services on a legal basis. The Italian government has put in place in recent years maneuvers that liberalizing more gambling, even to decrease the volume of illegal betting. On the contrary gamblers have moved from illegal gambling to a legal one, to the detriment of the game controlled by organized crime, only for a short initial period. According to the Report of the Parliamentary Anti-Mafia Commission published in 2011 , when the illegal gambling became legal criminal organizations have transfer their activities. Besides gambling is becoming one of the major sectors of interest for large criminal organizations: the expansion of legal gambling has not reduced, but powered illegal gambling especially in the field of money laundering, making it much easier to pass large flows of money through the internet. So even if the Italian gambling situation is a sensitive issue for the government, unfortunately so far the state has not found the appropriate measures to reduce the problems resulting from it (organized crime, gambling addiction of the people, people?s debts for bets). In brief, the gambling definitely brings money in the trade balance of the state, but we must not forget that there are factors worthy of attention more than economic benefits! As I said, gambling ruins peoples status, it follows that the Government should be much more cautious in taking such a free gambling decision, in addition it is a very delicate subject and wrong choices can affect the lives of many people!

Newspaper Tool To Promote Malaysia Government Propaganda Media Essay

Newspaper Tool To Promote Malaysia Government Propaganda Media Essay 1. Introduction During the pre-election, the election candidates usually will choose appropriate media as their major election tools to disseminate their asserted statements for changing government policies and convey their main purpose of gaining the ruling power from opposition parties, which may sway the voters decision of balloting. So what is media? Why does media so important during the pre-election period? The word of media is included the whole host of modern communication systems, for example cinema, television, newspapers, magazines, advertisements, radio, and interactive multimedia. These developments depend on the use of industrial technology to produce, send and receive message. Country information From the overview coaches and trainees that like working journalists will need to do some intensive research before they arrive in an unfamiliar country. It is enormously beneficial to have a basic understanding on the country. That included their demographics, culture and history, as well as the current political situation and their media environment. This information is important in setting the context for the specific election. They also need to know about the specific conditions of the election. We will able to country information thought todays internet system and also some country-specific guidebooks. Besides that, the local governments websites will also present some basic information on the countrys population, economic conditions and health standards to educational levels. In examining guidebooks, we also can look for information such as life expectancy and number of citizens of voting age, extent of literacy, different ethnic groups, religions and languages, and urban and r ural populations. These are factors to consider in guiding media coverage of an election campaign because they identify important groups of voters, challenges to voter education, and regions or issues which otherwise might be neglected. However in Malaysia, the Sultan is elected by hereditary state rulers to serve a 5-year term. Prime Minister is designated by parliament. In the Senate (Dewan Negara), 44 members are appointed by the monarch to serve 3-year terms and 26 members are elected by the state legislatures to serve 3-year terms*. In the House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat) 222 members are elected by direct popular vote to serve 5-year terms. Political context Political background Election is about few political parties are competing with each other for the popular support and power, so it is essential to know the basic facts about the political history of the country. There may be facts or events which play a symbolic or special role in the parties campaigns because of how they are perceived by the voters. Information such as the date of the countrys independence, major internal and trans-boundary conflicts, and the names of former heroes or villains, who may become an issue or rallying point in the campaign, should be identified. These kinds of considerations also apply in the case of referenda. Other factors to examine include the pattern of stability of previous governments, and the role of the army or other forces, or foreign interventions in the duration of past governments. Beside that, the structure of government and leading figures like presidency, parliamentary democracy, monarchy, and so on. Current political landscape Beside that, the current political landscape or immediate context on the election is an essential knowledge for coaches to know. They need to learn what key issues arose during the term of Coaching Manual for Media Support during Elections. For example, the country information, and the previous government works; on how they were handled and whether they caused this election. Coaches should know the names of the main political parties, their central ideologies and leaders, and relative strength and popularity. This kind of information aids coaches in assessing whether election reporting is balanced. Other factors that under consideration are include the extent of democracy, the strength and activity of civil society in public life, the courts and authorities respect for the rule of law and human rights, extent of corruption and lawlessness, and the economic or political disparity between identity groups. In addition to media reports and country profiles, organisations such as Human Ri ghts Watch and Amnesty International, Freedom House, the International Crisis Group, and the United Nations Development Programmes human develop meant indicators can provide such assessments. Coaches will also usually find the reports and staff of international observer teams monitoring the election to be helpful and well-informed. For Malaysia, it is a country which is seem to be a long and drawn out struggle to what is now some resemblance of a democratic nation much like its neighbours Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor (admittedly East Timor isnt a direct neighbour but its in the hood).   This country experiences significant problems domestically with extremes in poverty and wealth.   There are seemingly an endless string of problems with labour and workers rights, as well as significant issues with deforestation and continued infringements on human rights.   What makes 2010 significant for Malaysia is that despite its apparent problems, the most significant of them being the domestic political turmoil, there appears to be progress towards better transparency? However the problems for the incumbent leadership really are about domestic issues and how to keep their country from quickly sliding backwards after years of relatively steady economic growth albeit underpinned by the International Mon etary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. With growing extremist populism in politics taking root even in the moderate political parties, the country faces growing isolation as other countries attempt to work to resolve Western sentiment of the region being riddled with terrorism, extremist organisations and terrorist training camps.   There are many unresolved problems between different ethnic groups, especially involving Malaysian Chinese. The media environment The first priority is to identify the principles of the countrys media freedoms and regulations. Coaches must then determine the practical realities of these freedoms and regulations. In some countries there may be wide-ranging protection for media freedoms in the constitution or in legislation but the freedoms are much abused or ignored by authorities or journalists in daily life. Media regulations among the essential media regulations to examine are: Constitutional guarantees for a free press: Do they exist in law? Do the courts protect them effectively against government or other interests harassment, intimidation, assault? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Media regulation bodies (press councils and radio-television regulators): What powers do they have? Are they independent of government? Are they free of corruption? Do they defend media freedoms? Do they fairly discipline irresponsible media? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Content restrictions: Are there laws which censor what the media can report or offer as opinions? Who imposes these restrictions? Is there an appeal to the courts? Are there laws against hate speech? Is criminal libel used to suppress published criticism of government? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Internet: Is it widely available? Is it regulated or censored? Is it influential? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ownership restrictions: Is media ownership determined by government, by law, or by free market competition? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Journalist registration/accreditation: Is there any law defining who can be a journalist? Who administers the law? Is this law used to restrict free expression? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Broadcast media: How is it regulated? Is licensing conducted fairly? Is public or state broadcasting treated differently than private broadcasting? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Are there Access-to-Information laws? Are they effective? Are they blocked by secrecy laws, political interference or bureaucratic obstruction? Firstly, newspaper is the best way to research because it is a regularly scheduled publication containing news, information, and advertising, has emerged as one of the important media throughout the entire world. However, its multifunctional purpose has caused it to be manipulated in many forms. In Malaysia, the most obvious manipulation towards newspaper is in the form of political view. Political parties especially the ones who act as the rulers of the country are continuously taking advantage in the name of veto power to use newspaper as the primary tool to promote their propaganda. (Media Stereotyping: Reporting War and Terrorism, 2007). As a definition, propaganda stands for a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus possi bly lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda. It is proven as it is used in the ancient times; the Roman Empire published Acta Diurna, or government announcement bulletins, around 59 BC, as ordered by Julius Caesar. (Acta Diurna, 2010). Looking back during the National Election campaign in 2008, the Barisan Nasional governments launched their massive political campaign through the means of newspaper and other forms of media to sell out their propaganda in order to influence the minds of the citizens to vote for them. To make things easier, they are the rulers of this country and thus, no one can put the barrier on them on what-so-called restriction of press. The determination of press freedom is on their hands. However, in the campaign, they suf fered the most humiliating defeat in the history of Malaysia as they lost five states to the opposition sides, Pakatan Rakyat; Kelantan, Kedah, Perak, Selangor, and Penang. How could it happen? This situation lied on several factors. The non-government newspapers played their role in publishing news on the truth behind every promise made by the governments sold out to the society during the election campaign. This actually worked out as citizens realised that they could not be continuously cheated off by the fake promise. It can be said here that propaganda does not always work the way it should. Currently, the issue of the concept of 1Malaysia is another case regarding the manipulation of newspaper by the authorities to promote their propaganda. The introduction of this concept has been massively spread out to the mass audience via various kinds of mass media including newspapers. The spreading out can be classified as successful as everyone is talking about 1Malaysia now. However, the concept, introduced by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, is still on the surface and the truth behind it is hidden from the acknowledgement of the public. 1Malaysia conce pt is still blurred and confusing. Everybody seems to accept the propaganda without realising the effects on them. The most obvious effect that will someday happen is that it harms and destroys the special rights enjoyed by the bumiputra especially Malays. Before things turn from worst to worse, Pakatan Rakyat try to stop the citizens from getting carried away by the cheat through the only medium they are able to; newspapers owned by them. Is it going to work? Conclusion In this research, there are three main problem statements that are aimed to be found out. The first problem statement is that newspaper is being used as the primary tool to promote Malaysia government propaganda. The matter that is about to be conveyed is the advantage enjoyed by the government to simply use their veto power to spread their propaganda. Newspapers like Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, New Straits Times and many others are owned by the government. The question is that are these puppets being manipulated to do the promotion on behalf of the Barisan Nasional government neither directly or indirectly to set up the minds of the society. The second one is that the use of newspaper as a medium of spreading government propaganda is effective and giving impacts to the society or it is either occurring the other way around. The governments are the ones who act as the gatekeeper to all media including print media like newspaper. They pick what to publish and eliminate news that i s risky to harm them. The question whether it is totally effective or not in manipulating the citizens minds will be answered in the findings of this research. Last but not least, the opposition-own newspapers are also playing their role in revealing the hidden truth behind every propaganda of the ruler of this country and how effective their messages in setting up citizens minds? Newspapers like Suara Keadilan and Harakah are owned by the opposition sides. This research will reveal whether they succeed in showing the truth behind the propaganda of the government in the high-risk situation of do-or-die as there is a very high possibility that the government will misuse their power in stopping these kinds of newspapers to continue showing their true colours. Harvard-style for List of References

Introduction to Santería :: Santeria

Introduction to Santerà ­a Santerà ­a, sometimes referred to as La Regla Lucunmi, originated in West Africa in what are now Nigeria and Benin. Santerà ­a is, however, not purely a West African religion; it has many ties to European Catholicism. Because of this correlation, there is no exact year for the formation of this religion. The closest date available for the founding of Santerà ­a is between the 1700's to about 1870 – the period of the slave trade. The slave trade brought many people that practiced this particular religion to the shores of Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Trinidad as well as many other Caribbean countries. Not only were the slaves' bodies brought over. Their souls, culture, and religion were brought to the Americas as well. In the early years, when the slaves had just begun arriving, there was a great deal of pressure placed on them, by the European plantation owners and missionaries, to convert to Catholicism. Despite these attempts by the plantation owners, Santerà ­a was still openly practiced, and the number of practitioners was increasing. Since in performing openly their religion many harsh beatings and punishments were administered, the religious followers tended to incorporate many Catholic elements into their religion. One factor that helped to make the two religions look similar to the plantation owners was that many of the orishas, the primary gods, shared many of the same physical characteristics that the Catholic saints possessed. This made the slaves appear to be practicing Catholicism although they were practicing their native, African religions. Believers of Santerà ­a place their faith in the orishas. The orishas are not as powerful or as omnipotent as their predominant God, Olodumare, or Olorun. Olorun is the source of ashe, the spiritual energy that makes up the entire universe, all life and all things material. The orishas are the spirits or gods that interact with humans by controlling nature and attending to the daily needs of the religion's followers. They are approachable and can be counted on to come to the aid of followers by guiding them to a better life, materially as well as spiritually. In other words, they are emissaries of God. Furthermore, each orisha possesses a distinct personality. Communication between orishas and humankind is accomplished through ritual, prayer, divination and offerings (ebo). Depending on the particular orisha that they wish to please, santeros use certain colors and certain animals and play particular drumbeats during their rituals. The music is of great importance because it helps to coax the orisha into "mounting" or possessing the priest.

Roddenberrys Vision of Epistemology :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The television series Star Trek: Deep Space 9 takes place on a space station where different planet's cultures, morals and religious values collide. These differences cause the conflicts that form the basis of the stories. Some people in these cultures lead very nominalistic lifestyles, while others are more realistic and extremely devout in their beliefs in their Gods. These differences can be seen in episodes such as â€Å"In The Hands of the Prophets,† â€Å"The Abandoned,† or â€Å"Life Support.† The struggle between nominalism and realism has been a familiar idea on earth ever since the theme of a God was introduced. This same struggle will always exist forever unless there is some definitive proof of God. The more realist ideas of Descartes and John Locke assist in one's understanding of Star Trek's themes. Descartes and Locke's epistemological philosophies are reflected in the philosophical aspect of Gene Roddenberry's ideal society.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Star Trek's creator, Gene Roddenberry has had a huge effect on the philosophical beliefs reflected in the show. Most episodes are a direct mirror image of his thoughts. Since he was a teenager, Roddenberry strongly questioned the validity of religion and became an atheist in â€Å"The Humanist Interview,† he said â€Å"religion was largely nonsense — largely magical, superstitious things. In my own teen life, I just couldn’t see any point in adopting something based on magic, which was obviously phony and superstitious.†i When commenting on his first experiences doubting religion. His views on religion first appeared on Star Trek: The Original Series when he refused to have a chaplain aboard the starship Enterprise. Since that early point, Roddenberry rarely addressed the issue of religion. Deep Space 9, the first series that he did not produce, developed episodes using religious themes. Although Roddenberry did not directly influenc e this series, his beliefs about realism and nominalism still applied in the episodes. Even though Roddenberry was a humanist, he did not completely reject all religions or the people who followed them. Tolerance was one of his best traits, and it was projected in Deep Space 9, through the large diversity of species and religions and the deep personalities of their members. Even though most species did not believe in each others religions, they were still able to learn from each other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While the religions found in Star Trek are fictional, they still contain value, both to the other characters on the show as well as to the viewers.

Compare And Contrast The Way Plath Presents The Speaker’s Fears In Thre

Compare And Contrast The Way Plath Presents The Speaker’s Fears In Three Of The Poems That You Have Studied Sylvia Plath writes poems that are thoughtful and intriguing. They have clever and subtle suggestions that leave her poems open for interpretation by the reader. Her poems mainly have themes with either an odd or disturbing nature. The three poems I have chosen to compare and contrast are; â€Å"Mirror,† â€Å"Bluebeard† and â€Å"The Arrival of The Bee Box.† In the three poems there are several different moods that are shown throughout. In â€Å"Bluebeard† the speaker remains in control all the time, she is defiant and makes her own choices in stating, â€Å"I am sending back the key;† she is rejecting him and it is always her option whether or not to. However throughout â€Å"Bluebeard† the speaker’s tone remains constant and never changes unlike in â€Å"The Arrival of The Bee Box† in which her disposition changes constantly. At the beginning of the poem the poem begins with the speaker describing the box calmly â€Å"I ordered this, clean wood box† this creates a pleasant image even though it is a â€Å"box of maniacs.† The box is full of something very dangerous. If the box were to be opened then the speaker would be unleashing hundreds of bees and yet she describes the box as being something pleasant instead of ominous and foreboding. Then as the poem progresses the speaker becomes obsessed and fascinated with the box and is unable to leave it, absorbed by the power that she possesses over the bees. â€Å"It’s like a Roman mob,† could be referring to the fact that the emperor in ancient Rome had complete control over the lives of the many people and she now could similarly let all the bees, â€Å"die, I need feed them nothing, I am the owner.†... ...oughts in the poems, it is definitive and final. The many stanzas allow Sylvia Plath to change the speaker’s mood and thoughts in each stanza. This, along with the language used which is awkward and difficult to read, has the desired effect of reflecting her feelings of confusion. She seems to be trapped between her feelings of obsession and fear of the box she knows she can not open. This is similar to the myth of Pandora’s Box where the woman knows she can’t open the box as there is danger in it and yet is somehow strangely drawn to it In general Sylvia Plath is successful in her endeavour to portray the fears of others in her poems. She is very skilful at writing about real feeling and involving her life in her poems to help incorporate real life situations into them. And by involving her fears into the poems this helps many people to relate to them.

Foreign Nations Intervention in Civil Wars Essay

The events in history had seen many civil wars that took place in various parts of the world. Civil wars are defined as â€Å"violent conflict between organized groups within a country† (Fearon, 2006). Being the case, it is questionable as to why foreign nations intervened with such kind of domestic affairs. The intervention of foreign nations entails a specific reason or agenda in their part, which is the main cause as to why they participate in the civil wars of other countries. Foreign nations intervention in civil wars are notably observable in three events in the past namely the civil wars in Korea in the 1950s, Vietnam Civil war in the 1960s, and the Afghanistan Civil War in the 1980s. Civil War The meaning of civil war explains that it should only involved the citizens of a particular nation. The conflicting groups that are existing within the country could be two or more militant groups fighting with each other. The source of disagreement could also come from the political tension among the existing government and some civilian groups that does not agree with how the government runs things and implement policies. James D. Fearon (2006) supported this definition of civil war when he argued that civil war pertains to violent conflicts among organized groups found within a country. The reasons behind such disagreement could be attributed to the struggle over the position of power in the government, one group’s separatist objectives, or a particular policy implemented by the government that caused friction and division among its citizens. An armed combat would only be considered as a civil war when there are 1,000 dead that also leads to a high amount of rural insurgencies although not intensely violent or disturbing. Furthermore, Fearon emphasized that political goals is the primary characteristic of a civil war, if ever there are other motives such as vengeance or hatred then it could not be considered as such. 1950s Civil Wars in Korea The Korean civil war could be attributed to the different the ideological beliefs between North and South Korea. North Korea adheres to communism while on the other hand South Korea believes in democracy. Due to this difference, the division of Korea took place that separated them between the communist North and the democratic South. Korea used to be owned by Japan but it has been separated into occupational zones after the event of the World War II. The United States of America accepted the defeat and act of surrender by the Japanese in Southern Korea. Similarly, the forces of the Soviet Union also did the same act in the northern part of Korea. What seems to be a temporary division becomes permanent when the Soviet Union aided in establishing a communist rule in North Korea while the United States make sure that they supported the South Korea through financial and military aid (â€Å"Korean War†, n. d. ). On 25 June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea through a surprised attacked that caught the South Korean army as well as a small number of U. S. forces off guard that makes their invasion of the capital city of Seoul easier. Just a couple of days after this invasion the United States of America push for a UN resolution that would give military aid to South Korea. In line with this, President Harry Truman through this resolution worked under the United Nations â€Å"police actions† towards the North Korean invaders (â€Å"Korean War†, n. d. ). The influence of the United States had reversed the situation, the South Korean forces together with the U. S. forces attacked North Korea. Nevertheless, this decision of invasion stimulated other parties to intervene. In the late 1950, the forces of the communist China also made their presence felt in the war, which resulted in a violent and bloody armed combat (â€Å"Korean War†, n. d. ). According to the Naval Historical Center (2001), this violent dispute lasted for more than three years. Eventually, the war ended in 1953 when the United States and North Korea end the war by signing a cease-fire agreement. However, this agreement continued to divide North and South Korea at almost the same geographical portion. The participation of foreign countries like the United States of America and China symbolizes the vested interests of these two nations. One of the important things that have to be considered in this situation is the fact that the cold war is already being felt during this time. The competition between the concept of democracy that is led by the U. S. and the idea of communism through the leadership of the Soviet bloc is observed through this civil war in Korea. The United States supported South Korea because they deem that not doing so would result for the north to annex them into their communist ideology. In the same manner, the Soviet Union gives aid to North Korea because of they did not want this territory to be under the U. S. influence. Even other communist countries like China also intervened in the situation in order to support North Korea. This assertion is proven when the Korean War was considered as the start of the hot, violent, and expensive cold war (Naval Historical Center, 2001). The reported casualties in this civil war amounted to the death of 55,000 American troops. This war was deemed as a â€Å"limited war† because of the goal of the United States to merely protect South Korea from being invaded by the communist North. The U. S. had no intention of defeating the enemy and in this case the villains are North Korea together with the other countries that support communism (â€Å"Korean War†, n. d. ). 1960s Vietnam War The Vietnam War is also another example of a civil war wherein the intervention of foreign countries has been observable. This war also exemplified how conflicts within a country was aggravated due to the interests of others. In line with this, this civil war also exemplified how the Cold War is taking place during that time. The origins of the Vietnam War took place in 1954 when the Vietnamese Nationalist and the Vietminh army that was led by communists defeated the French at Dienbienphu. The French were forced to established North Vietnam as a communist while leaving South Vietnam as non-communist. However, this did not sit well with the United States of America especially after President Harry Truman supported France in maintaining its Indochina colony, which composed of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam through economic and military aid. The U. S. government led by President Dwight D. Eisenhower decided to established a nation as well as a political machinery in South Vietnam. He created a government that replaced the French and also deployed military advisers in order to train the army of South Vietnam. Furthermore, the U. S. also instructed its Central Intelligence Agency to apply psychological warfare towards North Vietnam (Rotter, 1999). The administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson had fully committed the country into war when the Congress allowed the Tonkin Golf Resolution, which paved the way for the continuous air bombing of the U. S. to South Vietnam. This action confirmed that the United States was indeed at war (Rotter, 1999). The succeeding president, Richard Nixon, implemented the idea of Vietnamization wherein he ordered the withdrawal of American troops that gave South Vietnam a greater role in the battle for this civil war. However, he made the effort to weaken North Vietnam by deploying American forces in Cambodia to demolish the supply bases (Digital History, n. d. ). During 1968 to 1973, diplomacy was utilized in attempts of ending the war. In January 1973, an agreement were made that resulted for the U. S. withdrawal in Vietnam and the released of U. S. prisoners. Eventually, in April 1975 Vietnam was united as one country when South Vietnam surrendered to the North (Digital History, n. d. ). The intervention of the United States in the Vietnam War is an effort to combat the driving force of communism in the world, which is the North Vietnam’s government led by Ho Chi Minh. For the Americans, the enemy is communism because this ideology defy everything the U. S. upholds. The idea of freedom, human rights, free trade, and most especially the concept of democracy are violated by communism. This effort to combat communism is clearly seen when President John F. Kennedy supported the counterinsurgency war wherein he sent 400 Green Beret soldiers in order to trained the South Vietnamese how to fight and eventually combat the communist guerrillas of North Vietnam (Rotter, 1999). Furthermore, Rotter (1999) also argued that the United States believes in the domino theory wherein if ever a particular country in a region would adhere to communism then other nations would also follow suit just like a falling domino. This is the exact idea the U. S. wanted to prevent, which is why they participated in the Vietnam War because they deem that if the whole Vietnam would follow communism then eventually the other countries in Southeast Asia would also do the same. In relation to this, another reason is the objective of the U. S. for other countries to follow the path of democracy and identify themselves as member of the free states. The U. S. efforts in doing so was seen when the U. S. gave economic and military aid to France in order to maintain its Indochina colonies. They also used the same idea of the domino theory that if countries would see the development of France and its colonies then eventually they would chose democracy instead of communism. 1980s Afghanistan Civil War The experienced of Afghanistan during its civil war in the 1980s is also similar to the events that took place in Korea and Vietnam. Foreign countries also intervened in this civil war. This involvement of other countries could be seen through the events of the war wherein their contribution to the armed combat also signifies their own interests in doing so. The Afghanistan civil war started when the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) assassinated the first president of the country, Muhammad Daoud. The succeeding government led by Muhammad Taraki a member of the PDPA implemented policies that are very communist in nature. The resistance in this kind of policy resulted in a bloody civil war. From the start, the Communist Soviet Union supported the PDPA through economic and military aid. The PDPA party was also experiencing conflict between two rival factions that are after the control of the government. Taraki was overthrown by Amin, which threatened the Soviet Union because this new leadership might pave the way for the Afghanistan to lean towards the United States. This is the reason why the Soviet Union invaded the country. Amin was executed by the Soviet forces and was later on replaced by an Afghan Communist government led by Babrak Karmal, which acted as a puppet administration. Other foreign countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and China supported the Afghan Mujahadeen or holy warriors who were against the government established by the Soviet Union. The intervention of other nations aggravated the conflict. Eventually, by 1988 the dragging armed combat as well as the tensions in the Soviet politics pressed Moscow to adhere to the Geneva Accords of 1988. This agreement entails the Soviet army to leave Afghanistan in February 1989 (Lee, 2007). The incidents that took place in the Afghanistan civil war clearly shows why foreign countries participated in this kind of war. Due to the own interests of the Soviet Union to prevent the increasing number of free states that would follow the idealism of the United States, they decided to invade Afghanistan. They assassinated Amin, who they suspected sided with the United States. In the same manner, the United States and other countries gave aid in terms of monetary as well as military equipment to the Afghan Mujahadeens to helped in their efforts of overthrowing the puppet government that was controlled by the Soviet Union as well as an effort to prevent the further spread of communism in Asia. The above mentioned civil wars only proves that foreign intervention took place in order to further the objectives and accomplished the goals of countries who involved themselves in this war. The United States of America and the Soviet Union are clear examples of countries that utilized the conflicts happening in other parts of the world to sustain their own interests. It is important to understand that these countries were the main actors who intervened because of the on-going Cold War happening between them during those times. Cold War was characterized by indirect aggression towards each other, which is clearly established by these two countries by simply supporting or aiding conflicting parties within a civil war. The main idea was for the United States to support parties that are against communism and for the Soviet Union to do the same by giving aid to those that are in favor of the communist idea and are against the free state the United States are fighting for. In all of these, it is proven that intervention indeed becomes a means to pursue and accomplished the vested interests and objectives of other countries. References __________. Learn About the Vietnam War. Retrieved June 28, 2008, from http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/modules/vietnam/index. cfm. __________. Korean War. Retrieved Jully 10, 2008, from http://www. asianinfo. org/asianinfo/korea/pro-korean_war. htm. Fearon, J. D. (April 2006). Civil War. Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Retrieved June 28, 2008, from http://fsi. stanford. edu/news/ civil_war_definition_ transcends _ politics_ 20060410/. Lee, R. A. (2007). The Afghan Civil War. Retrieved June 28, 2008 from http://www. historyguy. com/afghan_civil_war. html. Naval Historical Center. (2001). The Korean War, June 1950 – July 1953. Retrieved June 28, 2008, from http://www. history. navy. mil/photos/events/kowar/kowar. htm. Rotter, A. J. (2001). The Causes of the Vietnam War. Retrieved June 28, 2008 from http://www. english. uiuc. edu/maps/vietnam/causes. htm.