The History of the US and Cuba

The US and Cuba marked the beginning of their 52nd year of broken relations in 2011. While the collapse of Soviet-style Communism in 1991 ushered in more open relations with Cuba, the arrest and trial in Cuba of USAID worker Alan Gross strained them once again. Background In the 19th Century, when Cuba was still a colony of Spain, many southern Americans wanted to annex the island as a state to increase American slave territory. In the 1890s, while Spain was attempting to suppress a Cuban nationalist rebellion, the United States intervened on the premise of correcting Spanish human rights abuses. In truth, American neo-imperialism fueled American interests as it sought to create a European-style empire of its own. The United States also bristled when a Spanish scorched earth tactic against nationalist guerrillas burned out several American interests. The United States began the Spanish-American War in April 1898, and by the middle of July had defeated Spain. Cuban nationalists believed they had achieved independence, but the United States had other ideas. Not until 1902 did the United States grant Cuban independence, and then only after Cuba had agreed to the Platt Amendment, which roped Cuba into Americas sphere of economic influence. The amendment stipulated that Cuba could not transfer land to any foreign power except the United States; that it could not acquire any foreign debt without U.S. approval; and it would allow American intervention in Cuban affairs whenever the U.S. thought it necessary. To speed their own independence, Cubans added the amendment to their constitution. Cuba operated under the Platt Amendment until 1934 when the United States rescinded it under the Treaty of Relations. The treaty was part of Franklin D. Roosevelts Good Neighbor Policy, which attempted to foster better American relations with Latin American countries and keep them out of the influence of rising Fascist states. The treaty retained the American rental of the Guantanamo Bay naval base. Castros Communist Revolution In 1959 Fidel Castro and Che Guevara led the Cuban communist revolution to overthrow President Fulgencio Batistas regime. Castros ascent to power froze relations with the United States. The United States policy toward Communism was containment and it quickly severed ties with Cuba and embargoed trade the island. Cold War Tension In 1961 the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) orchestrated a failed attempt by Cuban emigres to invade Cuba and topple Castro. That mission ended in a debacle at the Bay of Pigs. Castro increasingly sought aid from the Soviet Union. In October 1962, the Soviets began shipping nuclear-capable missiles to Cuba. American U-2 spy planes caught the shipments on film, touching off the Cuban Missile Crisis. For 13 days that month, President John F. Kennedy warned Soviet first secretary Nikita Khrushchev to remove the missiles or face consequences - which most of the world interpreted as nuclear war. Khrushchev backed down. While the Soviet Union continued to back Castro, Cuban relations with the United States remained cold but not warlike. Cuban Refugees and the Cuban Five In 1979, faced with an economic downturn and civilian unrest, Castro told Cubans they could leave if they did not like conditions at home. Between April and October 1980, some 200,000 Cubans arrived in the United States. Under the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966, the United States could allow the arrival of such immigrants and avoid their repatriation to Cuba. After Cuba lost most of its Soviet-block trading partners with the collapse of Communism between 1989 and 1991, it suffered another economic downturn. Cuban immigration to the United States climbed again in 1994 and 1995. In 1996 the United States arrested five Cuban men on charges of espionage and conspiracy to commit murder. The U.S. alleged they had entered Florida and infiltrated Cuban-American human rights groups. The U.S. also charged that information the so-called Cuban Five sent back to Cuba helped Castros air force destroy two Brothers-to-the-Rescue planes returning from a covert mission to Cuba, killing four passengers. U.S. courts convicted and jailed the Cuban Five in 1998. Castros Illness and Overtures at Normalization In 2008, after a prolonged illness, Castro ceded the presidency of Cuba to his brother, Raul Castro. While some outside observers believed that would signal the collapse of Cuban Communism, it did not happen. However, in 2009 after Barack Obama became president of the U.S., Raul Castro made overtures to talk to the United States about foreign policy normalization. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the 50-year American foreign policy toward Cuba had failed, and that Obamas administration was committed to finding ways to normalize Cuban-American relations. Obama has eased American travel to the island. Still, another issue stands in the way of normalized relations. In 2008 Cuba arrested USAID worker Alan Gross, charging him with distributing U.S. government-purchased computers with the intent of establishing a spy network inside Cuba. While Gross, 59 at the time of his arrest, claimed no knowledge of the computers sponsorship, Cuba tried and convicted him on March 2011. A Cuban court sentenced him to 15 years in prison. Former United States President Jimmy Carter, traveling on behalf of his Carter Center for human rights, visited Cuba in March and April 2011. Carter visited with the Castro brothers, and with Gross. While he said that he believed the Cuban 5 had been jailed long enough (a position that angered many human rights advocates) and that he hoped Cuba would quickly release Gross, he stopped short of suggesting any type of prisoner exchange. The Gross case seemed capable of halting any further normalization of relations between the two countries until its resolution.

The Effects of Schizophrenia on the Brain Essay - 901 Words

The Effects of Schizophrenia on the Brain Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects one to two percent of people worldwide. The disorder can develop as early as the age of five, though it is very rare at such an early age. (3)) Most men become ill between the ages of 16 and 25 whereas most women become ill between the ages of 25 and 30. Even though there are differences in the age of development between the sexes, men and women are equally at risk for schizophrenia. (4) There is of yet no definitive answer as to what causes the disorder. It is believed to be a combination of factors including genetic make-up, pre-natal viruses, and early brain damage which cause neurotransmitter problems in the brain. (3) These†¦show more content†¦This was discovered when tests indicated that many patients better results with medications that affect the serotonin as well as the dopamine transmissions in the brain. (6) New test and machines also enabled researchers to study the structure of schizophrenic brains using Magnetic Resonance Imagery (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). The different lobes of affected brains were examined and compared to those of normal brains, showing several structural differences. The most common finding was the enlargement of the lateral ventricles, which are the fluid-filled sacs that surround the brain. The other differences, however, are not nearly as universal, though they are significant. There is some evidence that the volume of the brain is reduced and that the cerebral cortex is smaller. (2) Tests showed that blood flow was lower in frontal regions in afflicted people when compared to non-afflicted people. This condition has become known as hypofrontality. Other studies illustrate that people with schizophrenia often show reduced activation in frontal regions of the brain during tasks known to normally activate them. 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Analysis of Endgame Free Essays

Modernism is not mere representation to a period of time but it also represents a life style, way of thinking, different perspective to things, and rebel creation of art against previous schools. Therefore we will try to define this movement and present its characteristics especially in literature. Through wandering at Modernism we will take Endgame as an example of the absurd theater that written by Samuel Beckett and we will explain how it embodies the characteristics of Modernism, language, style, and so forth. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of Endgame or any similar topic only for you Order Now Modernism is cultural movement that reflects certain changes not only in the arts (literature, drama, painting, music, sculpture, dance, architecture) but in sciences such as physics, chemistry, and so forth. Modernist production rose after World War to break tradition, beliefs, principles, and rules, â€Å"this break includes a strong reaction against established religious, political, and social views†. Therefore Modernism refuses a single way of looking at world and obvious separation between â€Å"right and wrong, good and bad, and hero and villain†. Modernists rebelled against Victorian ideals†. They emphasized humanism over nationalism and how humans were part and responsible to nature, plus â€Å"they challenged the idea that God played an active role in the world†. So this leads them to the concept or notion that â€Å"no person or thing born to specific use† thus they challenged any assumption that point to presence meaning and purpose behind world events. The term â€Å"modernism† includes significantly â€Å"experimental arts† in addition to its rejection for any â€Å"traditional style and conventions†. Its technique is characterized by â€Å"the disruption of chronological linear plot in fiction , the use of fragmentary images and dense allusions in poetry, and the abandonment of realist or naturalist characterization and dialogue in drama†. All these features will be useful in analysis Endgame as an absurdist theater. Endgame â€Å"tends to support the superficial view that people and things are meaningless, without significance†. In comparison between Modernism and conventional drama such as Realism and Naturalism we will find extreme differences between them. Realism in literature was part of a wider movement in the arts to focus on ordinary people and events. Realists tries to portray real life at the period of time (French revolution). It uses technique that represents real speech, action, events and clear emotions. Realist works are characterized by traditional narrative and real story that has real characters, events and conflict. Naturalism is a literary movement which â€Å"characterized by the application of scientific determinism to literature†. It depends on assumption that is real exists in nature. â€Å"Realism and Naturalism are often linked due to its emphasis on realistic people in realistic settings, featuring ordinary people struggling against unseen forces over which they have no control. Realism and Naturalism differs insomuch that Realism focuses on literary technique whereas Naturalism focuses on a specific philosophy†. Through our presentation for the characteristics of Modernism, we will give an example from Endgame that is written by Samuel Beckett. This play belongs to the absurdist theater â€Å"Absurd is that which is devoid of purpose †¦ Cut off from his religious, metaphysical, and transcendental roots, man is lost; all his actions become senseless, absurd, useless. † Eugene Ionesco. Modernism as style of writing refers to new techniques to communicate the ideas or notions that are presented. One of its features is static, stripped action and dialogue and periods of silence. So it rejects any traditional styles and convention by â€Å"its adoption of radically innovative and often complex, difficult forms†. This is embodied through Endgame. Endgame as the title describes an ending already known in the last part of a chess game, when there are very few pieces left and its masters always study how they guaranty themselves victory through maneuver their enemy into certain position. The play begins with ambiguous Clov’s words that stresses on ending â€Å"Finished, it’s finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished†. The traditional development of events that involve a beginning and end of a story rejected through absurd theater. Therefore â€Å"The play is not divided into acts or scenes, there is no interval†, thus there is a sense of repetition, some words and phrases return but they are never the same, e. g. â€Å"pain killer†, â€Å"there’s no more pain killer†. The repetition of words, the static movement and the general atmosphere point to that nothing will be changed, â€Å"the implication is that the characters live in an unchanging, static state. Each day contains the actions and reactions of the day before, until each event takes on an almost itualistic quality†. Endgame is one-act ply with four characters that divided into two pairs, Hamm and Clov who placed the major roles, Nagg and Nell who not appear at first but throughout the play we will discover that they are Hamm’s parents. The sitting for End game is a bare room with two small windows situated high up on the back wall. Hamm seated in wheelchair and he is covered with a sheet. There are two dustbins that Nagg and Nell’s lodging. There is along ladder which Clov needs it to look at through windows that high and narrow, the right one looks out over the earth and the left one looks out over the sea. HAMM (wearily): Quiet, quiet, you’re keeping me awake. (Pause. ) Talk softer. (Pause. ) If I could sleep I might make love. I’d go into the woods. My eyes would see†¦ the sky, the earth. I’d run, run, they wouldn’t catch me. (Pause. ) Nature! (Pause. ) There’s something dripping in my head. (Pause. ) A heart, a heart in my head. (Pause. NAGG: Do you hear him? A heart in his head! (He chuckles cautiously. ) NELL: One mustn’t laugh at those things, Nagg. Why must you always laugh at them? NAGG: Not so loud! NELL (without lowering her voice): Nothing is funnier than unhappiness, I grant you that. But— This part of the dialogue presents some features of Modernism. Nagg and Nell live in static place (two dustbins) from the beginning to end. They make superficial dialogue between each other that represents unconventional situation and action. As for Hamm, cannot leave his wheelchair nevertheless he is the master and Clove with his mechanical movement is the servant, P. S Clove is the only character who moves on his legs. It also presents the relationships between Hamm and Clov, Nagg and Nell, and the four among each other. The first relationship that embodied by Hamm and Clov represents master/slave and father/son needs, Hamm cannot live without Clov’s help because of his inability (blind and disabled), in other hand, Clov needs survival that Hamm provides him. Nagg and Nell’s presence in two separated dustbins make them unable to contact with each other but comfort each other, they ‘popping up their heads to call for food† that become ‘a dog biscuit’. The absurd theater also characterized by use of gestures and mime that mixed with quite silence â€Å"pregnant pauses†. Beckett focuses on using mime and gesture to portray the unspoken desires of his characters, and the ways of death dominates our thoughts. Hamm’s disability to move from his chair and see by his blind eyes point to that he already died because he cannot do anything to himself only through Clove. How to cite Analysis of Endgame, Essay examples

Who Made the Mistake free essay sample

The objectives of this case are to find out the culprit and for the culprit to be punished in order to avoid future reputation of the same event. 3. 4 IDENTIFYING THE AREAS OF CONSIDERATION IN THIS CASE The problem in this case is that jean wants to know the culprit in order for her to punish the person involved to avoid any similar case in the future, but the plant manager regards this as not important if the culprit has realized her mistake, but on the other hand, Jean Safari thinks its important for her to find out the person, and take an action against her. Jean Safari is a UNIVERSALIST and believes in INDIVIDUALISM also meaning she is concerned about the rules of the firm and the person involved should be punished individually, but the plant manager and the remaining workers are PARTICULARIST and they believe in COMMUNATALISM, they believe in the relationship they have with one another and they work as a group which makes them COMMUNTALIST in nature. UNIVERSALIST: In Universalist culture, the rules apply equally to the whole †universe† of members, regardless of relationships General rules, codes, values and standards †What is good and right can be defined and always applied† In a Universal society such as the U. S. , rules and contracts are developed which can apply in any situation. There is a belief that what is good or true can be discovered, defined, and applied to every situation. Because of their Universalist approach, in a business situation Americans will want to rely on a contract to communicate the terms of an agreement and to define the relationship between the parties. PARTICULARISM: Particularism is based on logic of the heart and human friendship. China is a particularistic culture where people look at relationships and circumstances in a specific situation to decide what is right. For the Chinese, the legal contract communicates a starting point for an agreement. As circumstances change so too should the terms of the agreement. For the Chinese, the situation and the particular individuals involved are what define relationship. INDIVIDUALISM: Individualism is a theory maintaining the political and economic independence of the individual and stressing individual initiative, action, and interests also conduct or practice guided by such a theory. Individualism places great value on self-reliance, on privacy, and on mutual respect. Negatively, it embraces opposition to authority and to all manner of controls over the individual, especially when exercised by the state. As a theory of human nature, individualism holds that the interests of the normal adult are best served by allowing him maximum freedom and responsibility for choosing his objectives and the means for obtaining them. COMMUNATALISM: Communitarianism is an ideology that emphasizes the connection between the individual and the community. That community may be the family unit, but it can also be understood in a far wider sense of personal interaction, of geographical location, or of shared history. 3. 5 PROPOSING THREE ALTERNATIVE COURSE OF ACTIONS ST ALTERNATIVE: The first alternative would be to use PUNISHMENT (SUSPENSION) because if the culprit is being suspended from work he would not be paid for those days that he wont be around because it would be considered he is not working for the main time he would not be around this would help in disciplining of other workers in the organization and it would avoid further mistakes and lack of concentration and new employees would be watched th oroughly and all the existing workers would help the new ones and get them on track to do the new job. nd ALTERNATIVE: The second alternative could be CONSIDERATION, the culprit could be considered so as to allow the worker with the impression he would not repeat the same mistake again. The advantage of this is the worker would be happy to work in the firm knowing that the firm considered him and this also would motivate him/her and other coworkers but also consideration might also have a negative effect, if the workers know that they are always considered when they make a mistake every worker would make a mistake and would expect to be considered employees will develop a sense of rebellion in response to punishment rather than seeing it as a deterrent to a particular activity. rd ALTERNATIVE: The third alternative should be WARNING a culprit could be seriously warned not to attempt doing such offence again and if he repeats it a serious action would be taken against him/her I this way the culprits and the other co workers would be very careful in their dealings in the firm, the disadvantage of this might be, some workers would not adhere to the rules and regulations of the firm knowing that the highest thing that can happen would be a warning letter. 3. 6 CHOOSING AND RECOMMENDING THE BEST SOLUTION The best solution to this case is WARNING and SUSPENSION because if the culprit is warned she would not repeat such offence again in future since it would be clearly stated that if the offence is done again a serious action would be taken, if the culprit is punished this would make other workers scared and some might even leave the organization which would be at the risk of the organization in general, and also if the worker is suspended this would bring a huge difference in the attitude of workers in the organization since they know that a serious action would be taken against them therefore they would be more careful when they are doing the job.