Socialism: What is the Ideal?

As a Salesman myself, I feel that I can relate to Death of a Salesman, to the extent of understanding what the job entails. In this essay, I shall depict the effects that socialism had on the characters of Death of a Salesman. I will include the social struggle of society, the contradictions involved, and the ideas of success, the character’s goals, and Willy’s downfall. I shall also include how Socialism has affected the real world and our nation’s society. Willy Loman’s world enticed him to become something he was not. Society placed a burden upon Willy’s head, of which he could not bare. But he was agonized by his awareness of being in a false position, so constantly haunted by the hollowness of all he had placed his faith in, so aware, in short, that he must somehow be filled in his spirit or fly apart, that he staked his very life on the ultimate assertion† (Miller 1594). Miller’s statement implies that Willy was in such a rut, knowing that he could not afford to pay for his appliances or even for his automobile, that he risked everything to succeed. The government however, in Willy’s world, defined what succeeding really is. Socialism means the substitution of governmental judgment for that of the individual and for individual ambition as well† (Myers 3). Willy’s ambitions involved obtaining a new career closer to his family and being able to afford all of his material objects. â€Å"Committed himself so completely to the counterfeits of dignity and the fake coinage embodied in his idea of success that he can prove his existence only by bestowing ‘power’ on his posterity, a power deriving from the sale of his last asset, himself† (Miller 1594). It is clear that the government played a major role in creating those ambitions. Biff’s social struggle included living up to his father’s expectations, of which his father did not necessarily approve of, until the end of the playwright. The government as a whole decided what was acceptable in society, and what was not, which is true to this day. Society has demanded a great deal from its inhabitants for thousands of years, especially in the United States. We soak up the governments and large corporation’s idealism everyday through nearly every source of entertainment we consume. A good example of true socialism would be a class-system, such as in central Asia, specifically China and India. For many years the Chinese and Indians have accepted a socialistic way of life, judging and ranking their citizens merely by blood-line and skin-color. For instance, both countries considered lighter (paler) skinned individuals as having a higher status compared to darker-skinned individuals. Therefore, even today, the sales of large amounts of skin-lightening creams exist in the Asian market. The largest contradiction I have come to understand is that exerting too much effort into an ideal ultimately ends in disaster. We witness this by examining Willy Loman. He, as a salesman, has an extremely stressful lifestyle. He ponders as to what he will do about his son Biff, and how he will be able to afford his bills. His lust for existence drove him mad, and eventually became the exact thing that invoked his demise. The ideas of success vary between characters in Death of a Salesman. Happy understood success as being able to provide for his family, more than merely financially. He always made statements on how him and Biff would open a sporting goods store, and be successful. Willy’s idea of success, in my opinion, was confirming his existence in society as a hard-working, honorable American. He however, drove himself mad as life-events spiraled downwards. Biff pursued to do something with his life, making his father happy in the process. Biff provides evidence of struggle by suggesting â€Å"When all you really desire is to be outdoors, with your shirt off. And always to have to get ahead of the next fella. And still – that’s how you build a future† (Miller 1429). That statement defines a key point in the story, because it symbolizes how each character yearns to get ahead and be successful. Miller’s playwrights were heavily influenced with Socialism, as Helge Nilsen states, â€Å"Human beings are sacrificed to economic interests in ways that are not only immoral, but even criminal in nature† (1608). That statement suggests that Miller purposely set each character up, in order to have a certain Socialistic ideal embodied within their personalities. Biff, however, has begun to rebel against his father’s ideas and to feel his way towards different standards, meaning those that Miller associates with the socialist society† (Nilsen 1609). The value of success is very difficult to measure. Each and every individual has their own understanding of success, as did Biff, Happy, and Willy. Society, for the most part, has labeled success as obtaining financial well-being. If someone were to be well off financially, then they are considered successful to the majority. Socialism has embedded that concept in our minds, from childhood to the present day. The socialist mentality is usually also an atheistic mentality, where atheism is understood not so much as the disbelief in God as the hatred of God – an attitude as precarious logically as it has been destructive in practice† (Kimball 16). That statement indicates that Socialism is equivalent to brainwashing an individual’s values. Willy’s goal in life, in my opinion, was to be successful enough to instill the correct ideals in his children’s mind, and to also recognize his own existence. Biff’s situation, in Willy’s mind, was a major conflict in his life. Without Biff becoming successful and making something out of his life, Willy would not exist and live up to his own ideals. Biff’s goals however, were filled with confusion and insecurity. Biff exclaims, â€Å"I’ve always made a point of not wasting my life, and every time I come back here I know that all I’ve done is waste my life† (Miller 1429). From that statement, I presume that Biff would like to fulfill his father’s request of not wasting his life. We witness that towards the end of the playwright, when Biff begins to sob and then embraces Willy. That moment in the play contributes a large amount to the irony towards the moral of the play, to exist is to meet one’s ideals. Willy’s realization however, brought upon his demise. Death of a Salesman’s overall plot and theme brings out a powerful message to today’s society. In our country today, individuals do not necessarily seek certain prospects out of pure joy, but rather out of financial greed. For example, class-systems still exist to this day in some countries, and diminish the value of overall life for the less fortunate. The ultimate downfall of Willy was that he consumed himself of his true values. His urge to make money and be a great salesman drove him wild. He did not realize what Biff was attempting to do until it was too late. As Nilsen stated, â€Å"But Biff continues his attempt to break through to his father’s feelings and establish a genuine connection and respect between them. Hence his plaintive cry: ‘Pop, I’m nothing†¦I’m just what I am, that’s all’† (1611). Since Biff did not abide by the socialist ideals of the time, Willy was determined to correct it. I believe Willy could not handle the pressures of life, and therefore ended up where he did. In this essay I have written about the effects of Socialism on the characters of Death of a Salesman. I described the effects social struggle, contradiction, ideas on success, their goals and Willy’s ultimate downfall. Writing on this topic was quite interesting, because it made me open my eyes on the current situations of our nation. Overall I believe Socialism is expressed greatly in this playwright, and that it teaches the reader that certain ideals such as financial prosperity are not always the answer to life.

To What Extent Have Uk Prime Ministers to Become ‘Presidential’?

In the UK, there is hot debate as to whether the Prime Minister is actually a President. Tony Blair’s decision to go to war in Iraq is one of biggest examples in recent history of this theory as he did it because he thought it was right. However, some still say that the Cabinet is where the true power lies. One example of the growing tendency of the UK Prime Minister’s to be more ‘Presidential’ is how the growth of spatial leadership has become more prevalent in recent years. Prime Ministers now tend to distance themselves from Cabinet and be their own ruler of government.They also tend to get entire ideologies named after them such as Thatcherism or Blairism (after Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair). Prime Ministers also tend to be more ‘with the people’ than with their party. In conjunction with this, personalised election campaigns are becoming more common during General Elections. More and more focus is heaped upon the party leaders (for exa mple, David Cameron versus Gordon Brown rather than the Conservatives versus Labour) and they become a sort of brand image.Closely related to this is the fact that Prime Ministers are now claiming personal mandates on their own personal election success rather than a party mandate. However, Cabinets still hold an enormous amount of power over their Prime Minister. Prime Ministers require the support of their ministers or they risk a party revolution and replacement. For example, Margaret Thatcher lost the support of her Cabinet in her third term and was eventually replaced by John Major. This shows how much power Cabinet can wield over Prime Ministers.Also, the Prime Minister’s power is linked to the backing of the so-called ‘unsackable’ ministers in Cabinet. These ‘unsackable’ ministers are ‘unsackable’ as they have their own little faction in the party behind them to support them in any issue over their ability. For example, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown did not have the best personal relationship but Gordon Brown had a cadre of support behind him and his skills as Chancellor of the Exchequer was respected so he was an ‘unsackable’ minister.This continues to show that the Cabinet has power over the Prime Minister and can sometimes force their hand on certain matters. Overall, Prime Ministers do tend to have more power than before. This does coincide with the theory of Presidentialism but it would be wrong to say that the UK is a Republic and not a Parliamentary Democracy. The Cabinet still wields power over government proceedings and the Prime Minister. Therefore, there is a certain extent of ‘Presidentialism’ but not enough to call it decisive at all.

Pressure Groups Essay

Pressure groups can influence political decisions in many ways. Pressure groups represent a particular issue/issues and tries to put pressure on the government to change laws concerning their specific interest. This can take place in several different ways but methods used by insider pressure groups are different to the ones used by outsider pressure groups. Outsider pressure groups keep their independence from the government. Because of this these pressure groups are not bound by the same code of conduct as insider pressure groups and have more freedom to protest in ways, which the Government would not approve of. Direct action is a method often used by outsider pressure groups to pressurise the Government. The types of direct action used are often illegal and dangerous. For example the Animal Liberation Group went to a mink farm and let the minks out and have also picketed laboratories and thrown stones at those who work there. Outsider pressure groups that wish to become insiders are more likely to obey the law when they are protesting so they have more of a chance of establishing links with the government and be given the insider status. However insider pressure groups tend to be subtler and clever in the way they apply Pressure to the government. Insider pressure groups tend to have an expertise in their area of interest and are able to research their issues very effectively. Insider pressure groups tend to have contacts with Government Officials and Civil Servants who they are able to use to get information. Civil Servants will also use the investigations carried out by these pressure groups to improve Bills. Because insider Pressure Groups spend a lot of time researching issue’s that they are concerned about and discuss them formally then they gain respect from the government and are more able to influence decision makers. Although insider and outsider groups use different methods to influence the government the main way is to try to get publicity for their cause and to get the public on their side. Sending letters to newspapers, marching through the streets, giving Demonstrations, leafleting and holding public meetings does this. Some pressure groups will collect signatures for a petition, which they then send to an MP to try and persuade him to bring the issue up in parliament. Margerat Ewing brought up the issue of the dumping of Nuclear waste at Dunraye in parliament to help a pressure group concerned with the problem. In the Scottish Parliament there is a special Petition Committee which investigates petitions and informs the Minister to which each petitions concerns. This an effective way of pressure as it means that the Scottish Executive will be able to find out problems and will be able to see how many people want a change in legislation to solve this problem. Pressure groups influence political decisions by using the media for publicity, using government officials and civil servants and in some cases using illegal methods to try to pressurise the Government.

Analysis of newton’s second law lab

Law Lab The first lab we did for chapter 4, Newton's Second Law, dealt with the relationships between force, acceleration, and mass. Our goal was to verify Newton's Second Law that says force is equal to the mass multiplied by the acceleration. Our procedures included setting up the lab according to the directions and collecting data as someone moved the cart that we set up forward and backward in two settings – with additional mass and without additional mass.For the part where we had to attach mass, we observed that the mass can be rotated sideways as we did our data collecting, so we decided to fix its position with tape, which did not affect the significant digits of the mass. After we were done with both trials, we showed linear relationships for both the force vs†¦ Acceleration graphs. In our first trial, we had a . 629 keg cart and an equation of F=O. AAA+O. 1289; in our second trial, we had a 1 . 143 keg cart with the added mass and an equation of F=l . AAA-1. 075 . In the equations, F represented force and a represented acceleration.We observed in the equations that he slope of the graphs were equal to, ignoring the insignificant digits, the mass of the cart used in the corresponding trials. The data were viable; the observations that we had made perfect sense to us since we knew that force is equal to mass times acceleration. The y-intercept, however, was unexpected; y Intercepts were not present in the second law of Newton. The Increased/decreased force then, I presumed, must have been caused by discrepancies made from minor friction caused by the wheel of the cart. Experiments regarding these y-landscapes should also be Interesting future experiments.

Knowledge is power Essay

â€Å"A man without knowledge is like an idol† –Nidhi So knowledge is life and it gives power to human being which makes him different from the other living organism Knowledge according to Oxford dictionary is ‘’Facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject’’ â€Å"No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire.† ― L. Frank Baum. The Lost Princess of Oz, so the greatest treasure of life is knowledge It is only by knowledge we can discern between right and wrong. If an animal kill a human being we say it’s because it has no knowledge but if a human being kills a human being then he or she is punished as human being has the knowledge that he should not kill other human beings Abhimanyu was the son of Arjuna and Subhadra. Subhadra was the sister of Sri Krishna. He use to tell her of the war techniques once when Abhimanyu was still in th e womb. He was telling her of how to break the challenges of chakra-vyuha but she dozed off but While Subhadra dozed off, Abhimanyu continued to carefully follow Sri Krishna’s narrative of the Chakra-vyuha. But, after talking for some time and not receiving any response from Subhadra, Sri Krishna realised that she was savouring a sweet nap. Sri Krishna, who had at that time come up to the seventh step of the Chakra-vyuha, gave up his narration and returned with Subhadra to the palace. The unfortunate Abhimanyu could never obtain the technique of breaking all the circles in the chakra-vyuha, but whatever he had heard Sri Krishna say, he carefully preserved in his memory. He grew up to be a brave, handsome young man. Many years later, during the Mahabharata war at Kurukshetra, the Kauravas set up a Chakra-vyuha and challenged the Pandavas to come forward and break it. However, only Arjuna knew the technique of doing so but he was fighting elsewhere. At that stage, to save the honour of the Pandavas, Abhimanyu came forward and offered his services for the task of breaking the chakra-vyuha. Despite his incomplete knowledge of the technique he entered the grid and overcame one circle after another until he came to the seventh one, the breaking of which he had no knowledge. Brave and ambitious he was but in vain as he had no knowledge. By this we can come to the conclusion that knowledge is power and half  knowledge can be dangerous We have to be careful in this world when we live as we read about Abhimanyu there are many people with this half knowledge and it can be very dangerous that even it can put our life in risk Mahatma Gandhi says of â€Å"Seven Deadly Sins and one among that is Knowledge without character Man has to spend his life to acquire knowledge but it should be to save the world and not to destroy it as for example nuclear energy is good for man use but if it is used for war it can end ruin the whole world in frac tion of seconds, as the dropping of nuclear bomb during second world war has its pain even today in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Knowledge plays an important role in all spheres of human life and activity. It is a powerful factor which helps man to attain success, power and position in life. There is no doubt that physical strength and money are instruments of power. A man who is physically strong or whose purse is full commands power over others but the power of knowledge is still greater. Knowledge directs his actions and enables him to find the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. It helps him overcome his weakness and faults and face dangers and difficulties with courage and confidence. It gives him mental, moral and spiritual advancement. Besides this, it is through knowledge that man has gained mastery over nature. Man is physically weaker than many animals. He cannot run fast as fast as a panther. He cannot see as far as an eagle can. His sense of smell is weaker than that of a dog. He cannot carry as heavy loads as some beasts of burden do. He cannot fight tigers and lions with his bare hands. Yet he has managed to become the most powerful creature on earth. His po wer comes from knowledge. Those who have wide-range of knowledge and experience can capture power and influence. The possession of knowledge gives them a distinct advantage over the semi educated people. Half knowledge is regarded as ‘the curse of god’ and also it is worse than ignorance. He explored land, water and space by virtue of his knowledge. Man has made progress in all fields starting from science, technology to arts etc. Knowledge gave man the feeling of strength and power. Knowledge develops human faculties. It leads to the excellence of the mind. It enables one to give sound judgment. Education and knowledge are desirable for democracy. We should try to spread the knowledge base in all fields in the masses. In Indian rural scene, the knowledge levels about family, school education, problems of woman. child rearing and other social issues are very  poor. Illiteracy and social backwardness combine to put the rural masses at the receiving end. Lack of knowledge leads to poverty and absence of methods of productivity and economic prosperity. This vicious cycle continues. Restraint, tolerance, understanding and capacity to manage affairs come with knowledge. If knowledge is imparted to our rural children, youth, women and men, they would emerge as the major social power. There is no end to the gaining of knowledge, It is only the foolish man who thinks he knows everything. Modern knowledge is very intricate and wide is scope The soldier, the man of the sword, thought he was the master; but he was really in the hands of the priest, the man of the pen. The pen was mightier than the sword. It was the same in ancient India. The learned Brahmins were for ages the real rulers of Indian States. They dominated the lower, ignorant castes; and their knowledge enabled them to manage the Rajas and Maharajas. Knowledge is not the property of the rich. No class has its monopoly over it. Anyone who perseveres in this endeavour may excel the others. It is not a thing to be bought with riches. Like wealth or beauty, it does not drop in value by time. Knowledge is power because all the power in the world owes to it. The power of knowledge has proved its supremacy over everything. As a whole, nothing benefited the mankind more than knowledge. A giant ship engine failed. The ship’s owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure but how to fix the engine. Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a young. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom. Two of the ship’s owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed! A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars. â€Å"What?!† the owners exclaimed. â€Å"He hardly did anything!† So they wrote the old man a note saying, â€Å"Please send us an itemized bill.† The man sent a bill that read: Tapping with a hammer†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. $ 2.00 Knowing where to tap†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. $ 9,998.00 Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort makes all the difference!

Organization Culture Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organization Culture - Case Study Example According to the report findings the CCO is tasked with the responsibility of protecting the culture of the organization as it undergoes growth and development. The growth of a company reduces the number of activities that can be controlled directly by the management. Therefore, it is reasonable to appoint someone who can make sure the organizational culture does not deviate from the foundational values and beliefs that facilitated success and growth of the organization.As the study stresses a Chief Cultural Officer in this organization would be responsible for setting the tone for communication. The organization has a diverse workforce with people from different backgrounds. The COO would be expected to monitor communication and liaise with the Head of Human Resource on how to improve effectiveness.   The COO would also be tasked with the responsibility of defining the goals of the organization and aligning all the departments. This is a very crucial responsibility because the org anization was started to achieve specific goals.   Success and greed can make organization members to deviate from the principles and values of the organization. Ensuring the goals of the organization are remembered is necessary. It is also an opportunity to make new employees understand the importance of being motivated by the mission and vision of the organization. The COO should explain these goals to gain their support.

Buddhism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Buddhism - Research Paper Example Buddha taught people that awakening and enlightenment comes through self realization and it has nothing to do with one’s beliefs and ideals. After Buddha’s death, his followers spread his teachings to distant places and Buddhism appeared as a new religion in Asia; today it is the fourth largest religion of the world (Fisher ). Siddhartha Gautama was born to King Suddhodana of Shakya near Nepal in 583 B.C. His mother died soon after giving birth to Siddhartha. It was predicted by one of the holy men of Suddhodana’s court that Siddhartha will be a great conqueror or a great spiritual leader in future; his father was delighted to hear this because he wanted his son to be a great conqueror. Siddhartha spent his early life in his palaces in great luxuries; he was being trained to become a great prince and conqueror, therefore, his father kept him away from the realities of life and the disturbing thoughts of any religion. Siddhartha Gautama went out of his palace for the first time at the age of 29. He was amazed to see the life of people living outside the palace as he observed an aged man, a sick man and a corpse during his journey. The bitter realities of life greatly aggrieved him and the prince started to think about the truth behind this life. Siddhartha started to take journeys out of his palace; during one of such experiences he saw an ascetic. He was told that ascetics are people who leave the worldly life in search of the divine truth. Impressed by the life of ascetics, Gautama decided that he would start searching for the realities of life on his own (Armstrong). Gautama along with his five disciples started off their journey in pursuit of truth of life by visiting the renowned religious scholars of that time (Serinity). After months of learning of almost every known religion of the time in that area of the world, Gautama was not satisfied as a lot of questions remained unanswered in his mind. Therefore, he and his five disciples deci ded that they will search for enlightenment themselves through physical suffering and meditation. A series of physical sufferings which included extreme fasting, holding of breath and enduring great pain taught Gautama about the suffering and pain in the life of human beings. Gautama has already experienced a life of great pleasures at his palace; therefore, at this stage he had personally experienced both extremes of life. However, he wanted to find out a middle way, a life to end the sufferings of people. During one of his rounds of meditation, Gautama recalled his childhood experience when his mind achieved a state of deep peace and satisfaction. This made him realize that the reality of life can be found out by achieving peace of mind. At this point he decided to end fasting because he felt the need of energy in his quest for reality of life. But when Gautama ended his fast, his companions thought he has ended the quest to find the truth of life and abandoned him. After this, he continued his pursuit of enlightenment through long meditations and soon achieved the peace of mind he wanted and, thus, he believed himself to be enlightened because he found out the reality of life (Serinity). During the immediate period which followed his enlightenment, Gautama did not want to teach whatever he had learned about life because he thought that the