Internal Security Challenges

Ved Marwah Shri N N Vohra, Shri K Santhanam, Director IDSA, Ladies and Gentlemen: I deem it a privilege to be invited to deliver the IDSA Foundation Lecture. Since inception in November 1965, under the stewardship of the late Shri Y B Chavan and the subsequent direction provided by Shri K Subrahmanyam, former Director, the IDSA has acquired a creditable profile. Over the years, the IDSA has played a commendable role in enriching the security discourse and deliberations in India. It is in this context that I propose to share my thoughts with you on a matter of concern to all of us, namely, â€Å"India’s Internal Security Challenges†. India was partitioned in the backdrop of large-scale communal riots, but the partition of the country on religious lines, without taking into consideration its multiple identities, instead of bringing the communal tensions down, in fact, worsened the situation. The two-nation theory created Pakistan, and it still survives on this theory. Pakistan finds it difficult to accept the reality that India continues to be a democratic, plural, multireligious society and that India today has more Muslim citizens than Pakistan. Read this  Chapter 2 – Why Security is Needed The Government of Pakistan has taken upon itself the responsibility of not only protecting its own citizens, but also the Indian Muslims. The power structure in theocratic Pakistan, dominated by the army, the feudal landlords, the bureaucracy and the religious leaders has been able to retain its hold over the levers of power by playing the antiIndia and Islamic cards. Pakistan plays the Islamic card in its foreign policy also. It misses no opportunity to club India as an anti-Islamic country where Muslims are not safe. The continuing tensions between India and Pakistan have a direct bearing on the internal situation in India. They have further complicated the internal security situation. * IDSA Foundation Day Lecture delivered by Shri Ved Marwah, Governor of Jharkhand on November 11 2003. Strategic Analysis, Vol. 27, No. 4, Oct-Dec 2003.  © Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses â€Å"India’s Internal Security Challenges† 503 The management of internal security, therefore, assumes great importance. If the internal security issues are tackled effectively, subversion by the external forces to that extent becomes more difficult. Unfortunately, the rise of contentious politics based on sectarian, ethnic, linguistic or other divisive criteria, is primarily responsible for the many communal and secessionist movements flourishing in India. The presence of hostile neighbours enables the internal conflicts to get external support, which includes money, arms and sanctuaries. The vested interests exploit these conditions to pursue their own agenda. In a well-established political system and a developed economy, conflicts between the various group identities are kept under check as in due course they get assimilated into the national identity. But that has not happened in India as yet, where the wounds of the partition and the colonial rule have still not fully healed. Moreover, the dependence on the government by a large section of our people for their very survival sharpens these conflicts among them. The democratic institutions and the state structures are still not strong enough to fully harmonise these conflicts in a peaceful manner. Violence erupts when conflicting interests cannot be consensually reconciled. The hostile external forces, taking advantage of this situation through subversive propaganda, further accentuate these conflicts. They give material and ideological support to aggravate this sense of grievance to such an extent that a small minority are willing to become tools in their hands to subvert the stability and security of the country. In addition, a number of secessionist and the so-called revolutionary movements are operating in India today. Their goal could be to overthrow the government and bring about revolutionary changes in the structure and functioning of the state, or even secession from the Indian Union. Ever since independence, India has been facing all types of violent conflicts based on religion, caste, language, ethnicity and regional loyalties. Political insecurity further compounds the problem. Preoccupied with the problem of survival, the governments in some of the most affected states are not looking at the problem from a long-term perspective. They have bought temporary peace by compromising with the subversive forces. Such shortsighted policies can have disastrous consequences in the long run. Instead of effectively dealing with them in the initial stages when the problem is manageable, they have allowed these anti-national forces to take roots and spread their tentacles far and wide. When a state government 504 Strategic Analysis/Oct-Dec 2003 is unable to effectively deal with them, instead of strengthening the state police machinery, it rushes to the Centre to hand over its responsibility at the first sign of any serious trouble. It is not surprising that in these states some sections of the police have actually joined hands with the subversive forces against the central forces. If you cannot fight them, join them†. Finding themselves at the mercy of these subversive forces, the people tend to change sides and start supporting them instead of supporting the security forces. It would be wrong to assume that all those supporting, directly or indirectly, these forces are sympathetic to their ideology. Far from it! For most of them, preoccupied with the daily battle of survival, this is the obvious choice, because the police are unable to protect them. Polarisation on caste and religious lines can further reduce the credibility of the police in the minds of the people. The police-politician-criminal nexus can embolden the criminal elements. Their activities can create an environment of lawlessness, where influential and rich people violate the law with impunity. The police is not the only component of the criminal justice system that has suffered because of this nexus. In fact, the entire criminal justice system is under strain. Not all crimes are being registered and those registered are not being properly investigated; and even out of those charge-sheeted, very few are ending in conviction. The conviction rate in case of heinous crimes is steadily falling. In some North-Eastern states it has reached almost zero level, where the police have stopped even submitting the charge sheets in the insurgency-related cases. When the fear of legal punishment disappears, organised crime finds it convenient to spread its tentacles. The crime syndicates are finding the new communication and information technology very useful. Extortion and payment of the so-called ‘protection money’ is more widespread than we would like to believe. According to some reports, direct extortion from the government funds runs into hundreds of crores of rupees. Many of the insurgent and militant groups are not driven by ideology, but by sheer greed. Money power is a bigger motivating factor than ideology. Vested interests have developed around these groups with active connivance of corrupt politicians, police officers and civil servants. Some politicians even take their assistance during election times. They have to return their favours when they come to power. This mutually beneficial relationship has seriously damaged the quality of governance in the interior areas. The real losers are the people. The development process â€Å"India’s Internal Security Challenges† 505 gets seriously hampered in a violent environment. When large development funds are siphoned out by this unholy alliance between the criminal and corrupt forces, even the delivery of the most basic services like water, power, healthcare, education and communications becomes a stupendous task. A vicious circle starts. The deprived and the marginalised sections of the society, unable to survive in the present system, get alienated. The militant and extremist forces thrive in this environment. The rise of Left extremism is more due to these compulsions than on ideological grounds. There are media reports about the carving out of a corridor by the Left extremist forces from Nepal to Tamil Nadu. Even if there is no truth in these reports, the involvement of hostile external forces in support of the Left extremist forces to destabilise the country cannot be ruled out. The mushrooming of armed ‘Senas’ on caste and ethnic lines in some parts of the country is a direct consequence of the polarisation of the society. This phenomenon has also affected the police and the administration in general. Loss of public confidence in the capacity of the state to protect their life and property is the primary cause of this dangerous development. Far from controlling them, a politicised and partisan police actually encourages this development. The tensions in some parts of the country, especially in the tribal areas, due to a perceived threat to their identity is not new, but the rise of so many violent movements is a relatively recent development. In the border states these movements become secessionist because of the support they receive from the hostile neighbouring states. The rise of fundamentalist forces is posing the most serious threat to India’s security. Fired with religious zeal these forces have created an entirely new situation. The intelligence agencies in our neighbourhood and the organisations, like Al Qaida, and Jaish-e-Mohammad, are encouraging the so-called ‘Jehadis’ to enter India from outside. After first targeting the border states they have now spread deep inside the country. These bands of fanatics are not only indulging in subversive activities, but are spreading the virus of fundamentalism among the Indian Muslims. The break-up of the Indian Union continues to be the main goal of Pakistan’s domestic and foreign policy. Easy availability of deadly weapons with the subversive groups operating in India has created new dangers for India’s security. With the ‘Golden Crescent’, and the ‘Golden Triangle’ in India’s neighbourhood, drug trafficking poses yet another threat to our security. 506 Strategic Analysis/Oct-Dec 2003 Drug syndicates are generating huge funds, a part of which is being used to give financial support to some of these subversive groups. The intelligence agencies like the ISI are recruiting a number of ‘carriers’ in drug trafficking as their agents. These agencies provide legal immunity for their criminal activities in their own country in addition to giving them financial and logistical support. Internal security challenges are not confined to any one area, but the North-East, Jammu and Kashmir, and the areas afflicted by Left extremism deserve special mention. North-East The Naga leadership under Z. A. Phizo had challenged their integration into the Indian Union even before India became independent in 1947. The Naga insurgency started way back in the early 1950s. Since then the insurgencies in this region have multiplied and spread to many new areas. In this extremely diverse and strategically sensitive region, there are different reasons for the ethnic upsurges and insurgencies in different states. Some seek secession from the Indian Union, some others seek separate states and yet others greater autonomy within the existing state. The number of such insurgent groups could reach three-digit figures. In Manipur alone, more than twenty-five groups are operating. Thousands have died in the insurgency-related violence. Insurgencies have seriously affected the economic life of the region. The whole developmental process is seriously hampered because of this unending violence. One can imagine the plight of the people who are already living on the margin. What to talk of getting a share of the fruits of development, they are deprived even of the most basic services. Unfortunately, unlike Jammu & Kashmir, these violent movements do not stir much response in national consciousness. Even serious incidents of violence hardly find any mention in the so-called mainstream media. The geo-strategic importance of the North-East is not sufficiently appreciated even in the security establishment. All the states in the North-East share an international border with other countries and the seven North-Eastern states are linked to the rest of the country only by a narrow strip of land. The lack of physical, cultural and emotional links has encouraged a feeling of alienation, which is being exploited by the nottoo-friendly neighbours to pursue their own agenda. They are giving support and sanctuaries to many of these groups to use them as leverage against a much bigger and more powerful neighbour. â€Å"India’s Internal Security Challenges† 507 The roots of these many insurgencies in the North-East lie deep in its history and its geography. But, it would be wrong to treat it as one homogeneous region with common problems, or social systems and customs. Even physiographically, the region can be divided into three broad areas — hills, plateaus, and plains. The many ethnic groups, speaking many different languages and dialects, who inhabit this remote part of the country consider themselves as separate people with little in common with the people in the rest of the country. The lack of physical, cultural and emotional links has encouraged this feeling of separation. The partition of the country seriously dislocated the old system of communications with serious demographic consequences. At the heart of the problem, however, is the new political consciousness and an urge for asserting their identity, especially among the fiercely independent tribal communities. The partition left the entire region land-locked, and even the old road, railway and river-waterway links with the rest of the country were severed, because they all passed through East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The new rail link via North Bengal is circuitous and too long and expensive for easy access to the region. The air link is not only expensive, but also unreliable due to climatic conditions. The people have to bear enormous additional transport cost for all their supplies. Another intractable problem is created by the influx of migrants from East Pakistan and now continuing from Bangladesh. In the beginning it was confined to the Hindus leaving East Pakistan due to insecure conditions, but later, because of intense population pressure even Muslims started migrating. The fear that immigrant population will one day dominate them is keeping many of the insurgent and secessionist movements alive. The terrain in this region is eminently suitable for insurgency. The hilly terrain and dense forests provide convenient hiding places to mount ambushes on the moving convoys of the security forces. Large parts of the interior areas have little or no police presence. The insurgent groups virtually control the administration in these areas. After attacking the security force they can easily disappear into the local population. Because of deprivation and alienation, a large section of the people tend to be sympathetic to the members of these groups. It is the alienation of the people that has sustained insurgency all these years, though logistic support and sanctuaries provided by the neighbouring states play a vital role in sustaining them. The dispersion of ethnic groups across the international 508 Strategic Analysis/Oct-Dec 2003 boundaries has profoundly influenced the nature of political conflicts. However, it needs to be emphasised that internal-external linkages originate with the failure of the domestic political and administrative system in coping with the internal conflicts. Secessionist leaders often adopt alternative strategies to achieve their goal. They keep on changing their tactics and demands according to the ground situation. The intensity of the conflict depends very much on how strong the public support is. Ethnicity can become an important dimension of internal conflict when it becomes intertwined with other social, political and economic issues. As conflicting groups go from one crisis to the next, they learn by experience to raise their demands to increase their bargaining power. Political changes that offer new opportunities for personal gain and extending their influence can spark violent conflicts. Even though most of them are conscious of the fact that secession is not a viable option, they keep on raising this demand to bring together the various contending conflicts on one platform. Making common cause against the Indian state is how many of these groups with conflicting ideologies cooperate with each other in their fight against the Indian state. The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) was born out of the demand to throw out the migrants from Bangladesh, and yet its top leaders are today finding sanctuary in that country. The South Asian ountries have more in common with India than with other countries in the region. They do not even have a common boundary with each other. But this reality has not made them friendlier towards India. History and geography have encouraged negative sentiments rather than positive sentiments about India in these countries. The big powers too have not hesitated to fish in troubled waters. Till the 1970s, China was directly supporting the ins urgencies in the North-East. Strategically, politically and economically the North-East is the most sensitive part of the country and should receive the serious attention it deserves. The ongoing dialogue between the government and the NSCN (IM) is a positive development, but it is going to take a long and torturous route. The NSCN (IM)’s claim on the Naga-inhabited areas in the neighbouring states has created serious complications. The riots in Manipur in 2001 following the extension of the ceasefire to the areas beyond the boundaries of Nagaland are a pointer to the difficult road ahead. The situation in â€Å"India’s Internal Security Challenges† 509 Assam has shown some signs of improvement, but large-scale extortion by the ULFA and other groups is posing serious problems. The NLFT and the ATTF continue to be active in Tripura. They have sanctuaries in Bangladesh. Mizoram is quiet, but there are problems between the Mizos and the Chakmas, and the Mizos and the Reangs. Thousands of Reang refugees from Mizoram are staying in camps in Tripura. In spite of many rounds of negotiations between the Mizoram government and the representatives of the Reangs, so far no solution appears to be in sight. The unending internecine feud between the NSCN (IM) and the NSCN (K) has spilled over from Nagaland to the neighbouring states and even to Myanmar. A number of Meitie and Kuki groups have sanctuaries in the Chin Hills in Myanmar. The ULFA and the Bodo groups have sanctuaries in the forests of Bhutan. There are unconfirmed reports of some sort of tie-up between the ULFA and the LTTE. A number of groups have also come up in Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. Many experts have called the Naga insurgencies as the mother of all insurgencies in the North-East. The level of violence, however, in this explosive region continues to be high in spite of the fact that the ceasefire agreement with the NSCN (IM) has been in place since 1997. This only goes to show how difficult the road to peace is going to be in this trouble-torn region. It is truism to say that it is not only a law and order problem. It has many other dimensions. No strategy will succeed unless it strikes a right balance between political, economic and security measures. There is need for closer co-ordination among the policymakers. Ideally, there is need for a consensus among the major political parties. The pursuit of narrow political agenda can be exploited by the subversive groups. Many political leaders in this region indulge in double-speak. They mouth nationalist slogans in Delhi but have no hesitation in making strong anti-national statements and collaborating with the insurgent groups in the state. Nor do they have any reservation in changing parties. They frequently hop from one political party to another. In Manipur some politicians have changed sides as many as six times in a year. A chief minister changed his party three times in one month, and his coalition partners three times in 48 hours. A party label has very little meaning. Money and muscle power with active support of the insurgent groups play a key role in the elections. Most of these states are not financially viable. They hardly collect any revenue and depend almost entirely on the Union government for financial 510 Strategic Analysis/Oct-Dec 2003 support. This has caused lack of responsibility in incurring public expenditure. For example, Manipur has created a huge bureaucratic structure with a workforce of almost 100,000 on its pay roll. Over 80% of its total revenue (both Plan and non-Plan) is spent on payment of salaries and pensions. Extortion by the insurgent groups, the leakage’s of huge funds through corrupt practices leave very little for development. And they conveniently put the blame on the Centre for not giving them adequate funds. Through years of neglect this potentially rich region is today the most backward, almost primitive, part of our country. In these appalling conditions an alienated population becomes an easy target for the secessionist propaganda. Jammu & Kashmir The problem has been with us since independence even though Pakistan has no legal case. The ruler of this erstwhile princely state decided to accede to India. According to the Independence Act it was for the rulers of the princely states to decide to join India or Pakistan. Pakistan has been disputing the legality of the accession signed by the then J&K ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh. The initial hesitation of the Maharaja to accede to either India or Pakistan and the unilateral Indian offer to find out the wishes of the people of the state has given Pakistan an excuse to challenge the legality of the accession. It has been doing everything for the last 56 years to grab this state. It has not been able to achieve its objective through wars with India. So, it has started a proxy war since 1989. Waging of a proxy war fits into the Pakistani designs of bleeding India. Unfortunately, the weaknesses of the state and of the administrative systems have provided Pakistan with opportunities to fish in troubled waters. More interested in perpetuating their rule than governing the state, its rulers have been exploiting regional and religious differences. Anti-national forces thrived in this environment and Pakistan has missed no opportunity to support and encourage them. Over the years it has succeeded in building a proPakistan base in the state. Frustrated in their efforts to gain power through democratic means, some politicians joined the anti-India front, more to put pressure on the Indian government than on ideological grounds. In a state, where the overwhelming population was against communal politics at the time of partition, the fundamentalist forces have managed to penetrate into the secular polity. The many serious problems of the people have to be addressed. It is not a coincidence that Pakistan’s efforts to destabilise â€Å"India’s Internal Security Challenges† 511 he situation in the state received some success only when our own political mismanagement provided it with an opportunity to intervene, as in 1965 and again in 1989. One of Pakistan’s main aims is to divide the polity on communal lines. The attitude of the Pakistani military government is unlikely to change in the near future. But that does not mean that Pakistan should be allowed to set the Kashmir agenda. Moves will have to be made on all fronts to regain the initiative on both political and diplomatic fronts. The proposals made in the announcements by the Cabinet Committee on Security on October 22 are steps in the right direction, but the ground situation does not justify over-optimism. There are likely to be many ups and downs on this long torturous road to peace in Jammu and Kashmir. Left Extremism Making a beginning in Naxalbari in West Bengal and Telengana in Andhra Pradesh in the 1970s, the movement has since spread to many states: Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. The root cause for the rise in Left extremism is the inability of the states to address the many genuine grievances of the people. The gap between the unrealistic expectations, fuelled by populist rhetoric, and their actual fulfilment has increased and not decreased over the years. The younger generation is no longer willing to put up passively with injustice and humiliation without a fight. The bitterness of the angry young man against the prevailing unjust socio-economic system is spilling over. The older generation is not unsympathetic to them. An educational system which produces unemployable young boys and girls has not helped. Pressure on land has made the task of survival on agriculture more difficult. A callous district administration, especially in the rural areas, a clogged judicial system and feudal attitudes have compounded the problem. The land disputes have multiplied, but the land records and the judicial system to settle them is in disarray. There is a sense of frustration and anger. The most prominent among the groups, that have mushroomed in the recent years, are the People’s War Group (PWG) and the Marxist Communist Centre (MCC) . But it is not ideology and revolutionary zeal that is driving them. For many, joining these groups is the only way to survive. Their main activity is extortion. Huge funds amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees are being extorted by them. What they cannot 512 Strategic Analysis/Oct-Dec 2003 get through legitimate means they obtain through arms and explosives. Their tactics are no different from the insurgents and terrorists. Create terror and extort money. They are, however, not secessionists. Their aim is to overthrow what they call an unjust socio-economic system. But they are in no hurry to achieve their ideological aims as long as they can extort enough money. Corrupt politicians, policemen and civil servants have made their own adjustments with these groups. A live-and-let live attitude is mutually beneficial to all of them. Who knows how much money goes to the extremists and how much goes to the others. The real sufferers are the very people for whom the extremists are waging this war against the state. In public perception a government that is unable to discharge all its responsibilities is more likely to respond when the demand is loud, organised and backed by acts of violence. The many progressive, wellintentioned legislations are not eing implemented effectively and sometimes have done more harm than good by creating more bitterness and frustration, e. g. , the Minimum Wages Act. The marginal and deprived sections of the society are the worst hit. Social and economic factors are important, but even more important are religion and identity. The secessionist movement in J&K is politically motivated, but its ideological base is built ar ound religious funda-mentalism. Fired by religious fervour, the young recruits have no hesitation in attacking ruthlessly what they consider the decayed political and moral order, which they perceive as hedonistic. Once the instruments of governance are discredited, it is not too difficult to justify their destruction as in J&K, the North-East or in the states afflicted by Left extremism. In another sense, however, the aim of all these movements is no different from the aim of legitimate political movements. They too seek to acquire power, measured in terms of exercising influence or control over the people and acquisition of wealth for them is the source of all power. Extortion, therefore, becomes an essential part of their strategy. Their goal and strategy could change during the course of the movement. In the initial stages some of them may only demand economic and political justice or more autonomy in the existing political system, like the Bodos in Assam, but they can take a more extremist stand and demand secession in the later stages. Effective steps to reduce ethnic and social inequalities, disparities in educational and employment opportunities, and for creating an effective machinery for the redressal of public grievance, are absolutely essential to â€Å"India’s Internal Security Challenges† 513 mprove the environment in which extremist violence flourishes. Steps to reduce economic deprivation and improve the delivery of essential services can erode the base of public support on which the extremist movements survive. It is relatively easier to find solutions to seemingly intractable political problems, like in J&K, in an environment where people are by and large satisfied with the function ing of the government agencies and are not deprived of essential services. More than anything else, it is the economic policies that would ultimately determine the future of these movements. A thriving economy, which gives hope and opportunity to the people, is more likely to defeat all types of extremist movements than any other strategy. The need for a well co-ordinated security apparatus can hardly be overemphasised. It should include the police, the paramilitary forces, the army and the intelligence agencies. A composite force on the lines of the National Security Guards (NSG) should be organised in all the states, even in those states where the internal security situation is not so serious. It is easier to deal with the problems at the initial stages, than later, when the state police is no longer able to cope with them. But in the states where the situation has gone beyond their control, the Centre, as laid down in the Constitution, is duty-bound to intervene, notwithstanding the fact that law and order is under the State List. The Union government is charged with the responsibility of protecting the states from internal disturbances under Article 353 of the Constitution, even though law and order comes under List-II, the State List. The Union government can issue directions to the state under Articles 257-258. Action for non-compliance of the directions from the Union government can be taken under Article 365. A state government can be dismissed under Article 356, if a situation arises in which the administration of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. A national emergency can be declared under Article 352. But, even if the Centre decides to intervene, the state’s role cannot be minimised. The primary responsibility to deal with the security challenges must rest with the state governments. A situation should not be allowed to develop where the state government washes its hands off, or its forces instead of cooperating with the central forces, actually work against them. The many internal security challenges can be met effectively only with full cooperation between the central and the state governments. The police, 514 Strategic Analysis/Oct-Dec 2003 the paramilitary forces, the army and all the intelligence agencies must act in close co-ordination. The hostile foreign forces can and will take advantage of the internal situation to destabilise the country in pursuit of their own agenda. All serious internal security problems: communal and sectarian violence, organised crime, drug-trafficking, labour and students’ unrest, political violence and even economic crimes, if not checked effectively can develop an external dimension. There is an urgent need to make the police and the paramilitary forces more professional. The emphasis has to shift from ‘more numbers’ to ‘more professionally trained forces’. The internal security problems should not be treated as merely law and order problems. They have to be dealt with comprehensively in all their dimensions and at all levels — political, economic and social. They are all interlinked. At times, the required measures will conflict with each other. Going too far in one direction could be counter-productive. The security requirements have to be met, but that does not mean giving the security agencies a free hand. Striking the right balance is the key to success in meeting these challenges effectively. We need a comprehensive security policy that will be implemented effectively at all levels. Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for your indulgence. It has been my endeavour to offer a personal perspective on the nature of the internal security challenges that India currently faces. I hope these thoughts and observations would encourage greater deliberations amongst you. From this interaction we could perhaps distil a collective perspective that would be relevant both to the policy makers and the civil society. And finally, my best wishes to the entire IDSA fraternity on this occasion — and may your stature grow.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Essay

Introduction â€Å"Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung ailment that is characterized by a persistent blockage of airflow from the lungs† ( World Health Organisation (WHO) website, nd). This report will examine the causes, symptoms and treatment of COPD. It will discuss current statistics on COPD and some of the current treatments available. Multiple sources were used including websites, leaflets and government documents. Over 440,000 people in Ireland are thought to have COPD ( Living with COPD website, nd). By 2020, it is predicted to be the third leading cause of death worldwide (Living with COPD website, 2013). A recent COPD audit in Europe discovered that 50% of sufferers will die or be readmitted to hospital within a 3 month period (Living with COPD website, 2013). Approximately 1400 people die every year from the condition (Oireachtas website, 2013). Ireland has one of the highest incidents of death in Europe from COPD (Living with COPD website, 2013). COPD is an irreversible lung disease which causes permanent lung damage. In COPD, the airflow to the lungs become narrower and blocked and breathing becomes difficult (COPD Support website, nd). COPD is an umbrella term for Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema (Living with COPD website, nd). Causes The single biggest cause of COPD is smoking. 80-90% of people with the condition have COPD due to smoking. (COPD Support website, 2009). Other causes are air pollution, exposure to fumes or dust particles at work, passive smoking, recurring respiratory infections in early life and a rare genetic disorder called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute website, nd). Diagnosis and Symptoms A breathing test called Spirometry is used to diagnose COPD (COPD FOUNDATION Website, nd). The test measures how well a person breathes. In Ireland, access to Spirometry Tests is not available nationwide and tests must be carried out in hospital (Oireachtas website, 2013). Early diagnosis can greatly slow down the condition (National Health Service website, 2012). Often COPD is diagnosed after a person has an  exacerbation of the condition (American Thoracic website, nd). An exacerbation of COPD means the  symptoms have become more severe. It is generally caused by an infection in the lungs and hospitalisation is required which leads to diagnosis of the condition ( American Thoracic website, nd). Symptoms of COPD include wheezing, persistent cough with mucus that will not go away, breathlessness completing everyday tasks and difficulty taking deep breaths (American Lung Association website, nd). Symptoms typically start to emerge from the age of 40 years onwards (Living with Copd website, 2013). Long term complications associated with COPD include, weight loss and swallowing issues known as Dysphagia (Queensland Health and The Australian Lung Foundation, 2012). Swallowing issues can arise as the patient can often breathe when eating, which causes food to enter the lungs. This can lead to reflux, indigestion problems, difficulty in finishing meals and lung infections (Queensland Health and The Australian Lung Foundation, 2012). Stages There are 4 stages of COPD: Mild, Moderate , Severe and Very Severe (End Stage) (COPD International website, nd). Mild: The person may have slight breathlessness and may or may not have a cough but is unaware they have COPD (COPD International website, nd). Moderate: Breathlessness carrying out day to day tasks, may or may not have frequent cough with mucus. At this stage the condition is normally diagnosed  as symptoms become more severe (COPD International website, nd). Severe: COPD greatly affects the quality of life, physical activity is limited, exacerbations of COPD are much more frequent (COPD International website, nd). Very Severe/End Stage; At this stage oxygen is required continuously, any exertion at all is difficult. Chronic Respiratory Failure and/or Heart Failure and death occurs (Kenny,T 2011). This knowledge would enable a Healthcare Support Worker to identify the early signs of the condition, have an increased awareness of a patient with a persistent cough, frequent colds or chest infections and encourage the patient to seek medical help for a diagnosis. Treatments Stopping smoking is critical in treating COPD, as giving up smoking greatly prevents the condition worsening. Inhalers are generally used to control and relieve symptoms of COPD. Short-Acting Inhalers are used to alleviate breathlessness, Long-Acting Inhalers which work over 12 hours to relieve symptoms, and Steroid Inhalers also assist breathing (British Lung Foundation website, nd). Oxygen Therapy is used in severe COPD. Patients may require oxygen for day to day tasks, when sleeping or in some cases, 24 hours a day. Oxygen is available in tanks, liquid form or oxygen concentrators (COPD Support website, nd). Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programmes also plays a vital role in the treatment of COPD (Oireachtas website, 2013). In Ireland, programmes are normally ran over 20 sessions, with patients attending two to three times a week. Group numbers are limited to a maximum of 15 people. The programme consists of Exercise, Nutrition to increase fitness levels and Education to increase the patients awareness of the condition (Health Service Executive website, 2013). COPD patients have been shown to gain hugely from Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programmes, improving quality of life, reducing hospital admissions and increasing survival chances (Oireachtas website, 2013). A person with COPD uses 10 times the energy to breathe than a person without the condition. It is important to replace lost calories, maintain weight and also to protect the immune system against colds and flu’s (American Lung website, nd). Foods high in both energy, sugar and fat such as fried foods, full fat dairy products and readymade meals are recommended to encourage weight gain. However it is important that a healthy diet is also maintained (COPD Education website, nd). Supplement drinks are often recommended to increase calorie intake between meals. If swallowing issues occur, soft foods such as soups and stews are recommended and patients are encouraged to eat several smaller meals throughout the day (COPD Education website, nd). With this knowledge a HealthCare Worker would ensure that meals are small but nutritious at regular intervals . A HealthCare Support Worker would also consider how meals are prepared as softer, more manageable foods may be required. Conclusion This report has examined the causes, symptoms and treatments of COPD. This report discussed current statistics regarding the condition and some of the treatments available. From researching this report it is clear that more public awareness of COPD in Ireland is essential to highlight the link between COPD and smoking. COPD needs to feature strongly in Anti-smoking campaigns to promote this awareness, which would enable early diagnosis and treatment.

A Feeling of Accomplishment

I’ve always been a not so active person and didn’t like big changes. But this time I couldn’t do anything about it, I was going to high school. The first thing I noticed was that the school was very small and in a huge building. I had so many different teachers and they all asked for different stuff, but everything was normal. A new year, a new starting point in my life, and I had to become active. It took me a couple of months to realize that I had to try something new.There was an old man around his 50’s always walking around the hallway. His name was Mr. Rey .He use to wear formal clothes, brown dressing pants with a blue Civil Air Patrol shirt, and some black shoes. He seemed nice but I didn’t dare talking to him. Until one day, he came to my History class and gave us a speech about flight. It was just like a sleeping pill almost half of the class felt asleep and I was trying my best to stay awake. It was around two months later when some friends convinced me to join the flight program after school. The first few week I was absolutely lost, and plus I had to hear him tell me the same thing over and over again. Every day after class he told me about all the opportunities, activities and trips we had, and about how I was supposed to try my best. All this made me feel like I needed to understand what he was talking about during class, but it was harder then what it seemed like. I hated being the outsider, I felt dumb and the worst part was that I wanted to learn, but like they say â€Å"Everything is hard until you learn it, then it becomes easy†. Time passed by fast, I already had about five months in the program and it was time to try the real thing. After class Mr. Rey told me I was flying on the upcoming Saturday, all this made me feel nauseous. I just glanced at him and wanted to say no, but words didn’t come out my mouth. On my way home I asked myself how I had gone so far, why didn’t I quit when I felt dumb. Two days until Saturday and I was already freaking out. Everyone seemed happy about the news, and I just didn’t want to think about it. Friday night was awful, I couldn’t stop feeling the anxiety and my eyes just wouldn’t close.Unfortunately for me it was Saturday, and at 8:00am we arrived at Republic Air Port in Farmingdale. My hands could stop sweating and it all got worst when Mr. Rey said that girls go first. I packed my stuff ready and got into the piper. My hands suddenly stopped sweating, it was a strange feeling I never felt before. I took off and landed all by myself and actually did pretty good. When I was in the ground I couldn’t believe what I’ve done. I asked myself what had happened to the old me. Where was the shy and afraid to change girl? That’s when I realize Mr. Rey had changed me he always used to push me just a little further and further each time. That’s when I realized I was definitely not the same girl.Sometimes we think people have nothing to do with what we turn out to be, but I can truthfully tell you Mr. Rey changed my life. I fell more confident and am sure that if I set my mind to something at the end ill taste the sweet feeling of accomplishment.

Argenti's 'A' score and Altman's 'Z' score models Essay

Argenti's 'A' score and Altman's 'Z' score models - Essay Example Simply speaking, a corporate failure may be defined as a situation when a company goes bankrupt and is thus forced to quit its business activities. Off course it is quiet obvious that any corporate concern goes out of business only if it fails on some fundamental parameters. Thus, corporate failure analysis constitutes and integral part of the contemporary business scenario. Hence the aim of any pragmatic corporate failure analysis is to identify the tell tale symptoms that are discernibly indicative of the fact that a company is heading towards annihilation. Such an analysis enables the management, administration, financial institutions and creditors to strive for and press on the need for introducing the apt countermeasures in advance so as to avert any possibility of a pending corporate failure. Till date, the concept of corporate failure analysis is predominated by two diverse approaches, one of which is purely quantitative whereas the other is thoroughly qualitative in its scope. If one holds that most of the corporate failures can be attributed to financial lapses, then it is certainly possible to avert any corporate failure by resorting to a timely and apt financial analysis. On the contrary there exists one other approach that believes that most of the corporate failures are caused by non-financial lapses and irregularities and financial irregularities in any company are a mere side effect of the discrepancies existing in the qualitative aspects of business. In the light of the given discussion, Altman’s ‘Z’ Score model is a noteworthy quantitative approach towards corporate failure analysis, whereas Argenti’s ‘A’ Score model definitely stands to be its consummate qualitative counterpart. Altman's Z-score model is an important performance management and company failure analysis tool. Also known as Altman's Bankruptcy Predictor, this model was given by Edward I. Altman in 1968, who worked as a professor of finance at the New York University (Calandro 2007, p.37). This model is primarily a statistical formula that can be exploited to predict corporate performance. The basic strategy behind this model is that it depends for its validity on a series of chosen financial ratios and each and every selected key ratio is assigned a weighting. The Z score derived through the incorporation of the key ratios in the mathematical formulas is used to predict whether a company is liable to fail or not. The Z score calculated through a detailed data analysis is eventually used to predict the sustainability of a company. In case this Z score surpasses a specific figure, the company being analyzed is considered to be safe. A Z score of above 3 is considered to be healthy and safe while a score lying around 1.8-3 is regarded as being precarious. Thus Altman's Z score model is to a great extent dependent on the data culled out from a company's published financial statements and its reliance on the qualitative aspects of business is almost negligible Advantages of Z score model are: This model is considered to be highly accurate. In more then 72% of the cases, it has been found to successfully predict corporate bankruptcy. It is easy to calculate. This model can be used to complement other analytical tools. This model enables the analysts to incorporate many financial characteristics within a single score. The Disadvantages of Z score model are: It focuses only on financial data. Z score does not help the management to understand the dynamics of the problems existing in the company. The results may turnout out to be inaccurate in case of a corruption of the financial data. It is not useful for predicting company failure in the current scenario as it is based on out of date assumptions and data (Grice 2001, p.57). Its results do not stand to be that accurate in case of

How does globalization affect women Research Paper

How does globalization affect women - Research Paper Example The end of the Cold WÐ °r Ð °nd developments in finÐ °nce Ð °nd technology combined to quÐ °litÐ °tively chÐ °nge the gÐ °me during the pÐ °st ten yeÐ °rs. The fÐ °ilure of Soviet communism becÐ °me the triumph of free mÐ °rket democrÐ °cy, Ð °s formerly closed mÐ °rkets opened Ð °nd cÐ °pitÐ °l poured in Ð °t Ð ° previously unimÐ °ginÐ °ble rÐ °te. In Ð °ddition, the election of President Clinton in 1992 put Ð ° free mÐ °rket enthusiÐ °st in the White House. The world hÐ °s never seen Ð °nything like the flow of cÐ °pitÐ °l during the eight yeÐ °rs of his presidency. GlobÐ °lizÐ °tion hÐ °s drÐ °mÐ °ticÐ °lly increÐ °sed world income, but it hÐ °s Ð °lso increÐ °sed the polÐ °rizÐ °tion between the "hÐ °ves" Ð °nd "hÐ °ve-nots." This is pÐ °rt of Ð ° longer term trend, beginning Ð °fter World WÐ °r II. In other words, mÐ °rkets Ð °re soÐ °ring to new highs Ð °nd plunging to new lows, bouncing from one to the other fÐ °ster--Ð °nd less predictÐ °bly--thÐ °n ever before, Ð °nd drÐ °gging others with them, sometimes with ruinous consequences. Ð s free trÐ °de hÐ °s been extended to smÐ °ller countries with less regulÐ °tory infrÐ °structure Ð °nd experience with cÐ °pitÐ °l, this unprecedented cÐ °pitÐ °l flow often hÐ °s wound up in incompetent Ð °nd unsupervised hÐ °nds. In 1996, for exÐ °mple, the ThÐ °i Minister of Justice Ð °ccused his fellow cÐ °binet members of tÐ °king $90 million in bribes for bÐ °nk licenses. In Ð °ddition to widespreÐ °d corruption Ð °nd cronyism, wild investment schemes Ð °nd Ð ° shÐ °ky economy contributed to the 1997 collÐ °pse of the ThÐ °i bÐ °ht. But there were contributing fÐ °ctors outside of ThÐ °ilÐ °nd Ð °nd beyond ThÐ °i control. ... In ddition, the election of President Clinton in 1992 put free mrket enthusist in the White House. The world hs never seen nything like the flow of cpitl during the eight yers of his presidency. Globliztion hs drmticlly incresed world income, but it hs lso incresed the polriztion between the "hves" nd "hve-nots." This is prt of longer term trend, beginning fter World Wr II. In other words, mrkets re soring to new highs nd plunging to new lows, bouncing from one to the other fster--nd less predictbly--thn ever before, nd drgging others with them, sometimes with ruinous consequences. s free trde hs been extended to smller countries with less regultory infrstructure nd experience with cpitl, this unprecedented cpitl flow often hs wound up in incompetent nd unsupervised hnds. In 1996, for exmple, the Thi Minister of Justice ccused his fellow cbinet members of tking $90 million in bribes for bnk licenses. In ddition to widespred corruption nd cronyism, wild investment schemes nd shky economy contributed to the 1997 collpse of the Thi bht. But there were contributing fctors outside of Thilnd nd beyond Thi control. Finncil institutions plyed criticl role through unrestrined specultion nd hedge funds. The G7, the seven mjor industrilized sttes, remined oblivious to the looming disster--despite Jpn's wrning--nd filed to ddress the emergency when it becme impossi ble to ignore. 2. Culture It is not just dollrs tht re flowing freely round the world, but Western culture --constitutionlism nd Coc Col, free mrket ideology nd Bruce Willis. Every stte hs hd tste of relentless, technology-enhnced consumerism, free mrket democrcy promoted by dvertising so cretive, so well done, tht no culture is

Food Biotechnology - The Production and Growth of Vegetables and Fruit Assignment

Food Biotechnology - The Production and Growth of Vegetables and Fruits - Assignment Example This also means that customers will not to have to use a lot of funds for food because the cost of producing is less (Liles, 2011). Using biotechnology in both the production and growth of vegetables and fruits has allowed scientists to modify the way fruits and vegetables ripen. Normally, vegetables and fruits continue to mature after harvesting (Liles, 2011). Therefore, they must be rushed to the marketplace and sold fast while they are fresh. Genetically produced fruits and vegetables can be collected when ripe. After they are harvested, the ripening process stops. This gives the fruits and vegetables a longer shelf life than the organically produced fruits (Liles, 2011). These genetic modifications also boost a plants resistance to pests, disease, herbicides, insecticides or even severe weather conditions. Genetic manufacturing has also altered a plant's dietetic makeup, making it richer in various minerals or vitamins than organically produced fruits. In spite of harvesting countless of genetically produced plants, experts still do not have a comprehensible understanding of how these genetic modifications affect the human body in the long run. This is because these food kinds of stuff have been accessible since the early 90’s (Liles, 2011). Monsanto, the main GM seed developer in the globe and the institute that offers most research answers to the FDA, argues that the GM seed is undamaging to humans. Nevertheless, some experts have found that GM plants have, in reality, alter the lifespan of humans. The GM plants have also caused diseases to insects and also altered their cognitive abilities, which feed on these plants. Another disadvantage is that the genes might be transmitted to other crops that they are not planned to go in and lead to difficulties since the transmission of the genes would not be recognized (Liles, 2011).  Consumers might get an allergic response to the food when they eat food that is contaminated wit h the bacteria or gene transmitted via cross-pollination unintentionally.  

Forensic Psychologist Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Forensic Psychologist - Research Paper Example e a career and education path, I knew that my set of academic skills and personal interests placed me on a clear course to become a forensic psychologist. This essay examines why I would like to become a forensic psychologist and the necessary steps that must be taken to pursue this career path, with particular consideration for forensic psychologists in the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). There are many reasons I would like to become a forensic psychologist. As articulated above, my particular interest in solving crimes greatly inspired my research into the field. Still, there are many other reasons this profession appeals to me. Perhaps the most pervasive reason is that becoming a forensic psychologist allows me to contribute to society in a positive and pro-active way. I believe that one of the important aspects of life is living a meaningful existence. While meaning has different connotations for different people, to me it means that I follow a morally sound path that helps others. In becoming a forensic psychologist I would be able to satisfy these elements and help bring justice to people who have been wronged. In addition to this aspect, the career of forensic psychology has considerable intellectual interest for me. Forensic psychologists, â€Å"work for both the Public Defender and the State Attorney and are oftentimes called upon to investigate critical psy chological issues within the court proceedings† (Adler, p. 4). Such investigations oftentimes involve interviewing and developing psychological assessments for a variety of criminals. In these regards, I am very interested in the motivations of individuals that choose to commit crimes. I believe that it would be intellectually satisfying to be able to delve into the minds of these criminals and gain a chance to investigate such abnormal psychological functions. The forensic psychologist profession involves a number of functions. As noted, the forensic psychologist works for Public Defenders,

The Capture of Osama Bin Laden Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Capture of Osama Bin Laden - Research Paper Example He married his first wife Najwa Ghanem in the year 1974 when he was seventeen years old but he later divorced her. Osama was a polygamist who is believed to have married about six wives with whom he had about 20 children. Osama bin laden used his Muslim faith and the vast wealth inherited from his father to mount terror on the United States of America and the world. Three United States of America presidents were all involved at various stages in trying to capture Osama bin Laden. During his early involvement in terrorist activities, he had joined with different groups in Saudi Arabia as well as Egypt and Sudan. He had also at some time fallen out with Saudi Arabia government and the Afghanistan president had in the year 1994 revoked his Saudi Arabian citizenship (Mockaitis 43). Libya was the first country to issue a warrant of arrest for Osama bin laden on March 16, 1998. The government wanted him arrested by the Interpol alongside three of his accomplices in connection with the kill ing of a German intelligent service agent, Silvan Becker, and his wife Vera, on 10th march, 1994 (Coll 695). The United States of America issued their first indictment for Osama bin laden on June 1998 on allegations of murder when a truck was bombed in Riyadh Saudi Arabia in the year 1995. During this attack, two Indians and five Americans were killed. Osama bin laden was charged with conspiring to attack the United States of America’s defense facilities and heading al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization based in the Afghanistan. He was also accused of being the major financier of the Islamic fighters in the world. Osama bin laden denied any involvement, but he echoed support for the attacks (Atwan 39). In November 1998, after two attacks on American embassies in two African countries (Kenya and Tanzania), the United States’ Federal Grand Jury indicted him once more. The charges against him this time were for the murder of United States’ citizens inside and outside the United States and attacks on the United States federal facilities. These attacks resulted in deaths and destruction of property in the two countries but it was targeted towards the Americans and their property. The prosecutor presented evidence gathered from phone records gotten from satellite, testimony by people who had decamped from al--Qaeda as well as his phone. He was however not arrested since his sympathizers, the Taliban from Afghanistan, could not extradite him on the basis that non-Muslim courts lacked authority to try him as a Muslim (Randal 78). They also claimed that there was no sufficient evidence linking him to the crimes. The Federal Bureau of Investigations added him to the list of the world most wanted terrorists in 7 June 1999. The United States of America’s president Bill Clinton prevailed upon the United Nations to impose sanctions on Afghanistan aimed at forcing the extradition of Osama bin Laden by the Taliban. On October 10, 2001, Osama bin laden was in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s list of top 22 most wanted terrorists. This list was made public by the United States of America’s president George W Bush. His inclusion in the list was based on his involvement with the 1998 terror attacks in Kenya and Tanzania. The United States of America and the United Nations’ security organs tried to make the Taliban to extradite Osama bin Laden without success. It was not until October 2001 during the bombing of Afghanistan by the American forces that the Taliban offered to extradite

Marketing Research Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Research Practices - Essay Example The main purpose of these developments was to develop products that could be used in everyday life. The research involves finding potential problems in the present applications used and resolving them by updating them or using new products. The researchers found the flexibility of a product enables it to be used by more clients. Another important factor probably the most important one is the cost. If the final product is expensive there will be only few takers for it. Therefore research has been done to use cost effective products. Qualitative research methods are more often used as it involves observation of data that helps in finding solutions to the problems. Qualitative research has been categorised into three categories named as positivist, interpretive and critical. Positivist research methods involves attempt to test theory that to understand the predictive element of the phenomena. It involves formal propositions, hypothesis testing, measuring of quantifiable variables, etc. In this type of research it is assumed that the objectives are given in reality and can be measured by their properties. Interpretive research method involves sharing of information and social constructions such as language.

VoIP Call Analysis Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

VoIP Call Analysis - Research Proposal Example Most often than not, users are faced with basic problems, which include link problems leading to packet losses, mouth-to-ear delays, and jitter of VoIP. These problems generally undermine the quality of service involved in the use of VoIP. It is against this backdrop that the present research proposal has become necessary in coming with receiver endpoint interventions based on the use of empirically trusted system like the Empirix Hammer Call Analyzer in curtailing the problems. The proposed research is backed with an overall aim of analyzing VoIP calls to come out with receiver endpoint interventions that will curtail basic problems that affect the quality of service in the use of VoIP. This is indeed a generalized aim that will be achieved upon achieving a number of specific objectives. These specific objectives could be listed as follows: 1. To identify sources of major factors that hinder quality of service in the use of VoIP. 2. To scrutinize how issues of poor quality of servic e in the use of VoIP discourage the use of VoIP. 3. To outline various interventions that can be used in solving issues of poor quality of service in the use of VoIP. 4. To subject the specific call testing software tool, Hammer into scrutiny in finding how it can be used to swiftly locate, test, and diagnose issues in complex IP environments. The proposed research shall specifically follow the qualitative research design. This means that data shall be collected qualitatively by relying on secondary data. Secondary data collection has often been recommended for technical researches of this nature as they present the researcher with the opportunity to gaining assess to data from reliable and empirical sources in a specific field of study (Goldman, Cahill, and Filho, 2009)). To this end, the researcher shall employ the use of subjective case study to critically study a prevailing situation on quality of service associated with VoIP. What this means is that a couple of existing researc hes that have tackled quality of service in VoIP usage shall be sampled and focused on. Much attention shall however be given to the case of Empirix Hammer Call Analyzer as an intervention in solving most of the identified problems. As part of the case study, the researcher shall also review literature extensively because the review of related literature would in the long run act as the researcher’s data collection procedure. As part of the approach in conducting the research and for that matter data

Administrative Theory Essay Example for Free

Administrative Theory Essay The issue about the ability of public servants to serve the best interest of the public through a solid public governance and administration system has always been an important point in related debates and discussions. In this paper, the focus will be on the role of the Administrative Theory, its related perspectives and paradigm, and how disaster response actions act as a mirror reflecting the state of public service, and the significance (or lack of) of the Administrative Theory in today’s world. Disasters, some say, bring out the best in everyone. If this was true, then the worst disasters can be used to gauge public service and the ability and competence of public servants as well as the use and significance of dogmas, structures, policies, beliefs and design of pubic administration in the modern day life. An example of one of the deadliest modern day natural disaster is Hurricane Katrina. See more: The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay â€Å"Hurricane Katrina may be the largest natural disaster in dollar terms in U. S. history, with damage exceeding $50 billion (Birkland, 2006, p. 105). † Hurricane Katrina, for its ferocity, strength, and extent of damage is a good case study in the assessment of public service doctrine use and compatibility, as well as the competence and ability of the people working under these public service perspectives to cope and cooperate successfully under a pre-defined dogma. Ideally, the Administrative Theory was designed so that a particular process and protocol is established so that actions of different individuals, serving to be able to accomplish one purpose, are constructive and contributing towards the achievement of a particular goal, in essence making the theory the catalyst of the start of a process that can provide assistance. The Administrative Theory, as an idea, is always expected to influence constructive and positive output from any endeavor (i. e. response to a natural disaster). But in application, the use of the existing paradigm for Administrative Theory is not always assisting the efforts during a natural disaster. Sometimes it also hinders the effective delegation of assistance and response by individuals and agencies during a natural disaster because it is incomplete and not fully suitable for the present design of local and federal governance as it is applied in the United States. The best example to use as a case study to determine Administrative Theory’s characteristic as being unsuitable and incomplete when used in the current system of governance in the United States is the administration problems that happened during the Hurricane Katrina disaster response and management. Following the idea of the Administrative Theory, members of the agencies responsible for responding to the victims of Hurricane Katrina should have effortlessly handled the situation considering that everyone has a task to fulfil. What the Administrative Theory failed to discuss and include in its parameters is the complexity brought about by inter-agency operation present during the Hurricane Katrina disaster management action and similar incidents. Because of the rigors of the Administrative Theory and the limitations that are found in the theory’s nature and essence, how the people acted and reacted with each other during the disaster response was far from being smooth and flawless. In the assessment of the Hurricane Katrina public administration efforts for disaster response and assistance, observers can see that in employing the ideas found in the Administrative Theory (as well as with consideration to other factors too), the situation became more problematic and complicated. â€Å"Then Hurricane Katrina slammed into the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi, virtually destroying New Orleans and many smaller communities along the Gulf Coast. Although arguments continued long afterward about the adequacy of federal, state , and local emergency response, in the minds of many Americans government had failed its most basic responsibility: to help its citizens in a time of dire need and to protect them from further harm (Stivers, 2008, p. 73). † Because of this, it can be considered that the Administrative Theory can be considered as a source of hindrance and not a source of assistance in the effective action during natural disaster response, assistance and management. What are the issues? There is just one important issue that is connected with the assessment of the impact of the Administrative Theory and the disaster management during Hurricane Katrina. This is the assessment of the administrative aspect of the local and federal government, and why many individuals believe that in general such efforts failed. The Hurricane Katrina and how the government (local and federal) responded, cooperated and interacted during the disaster management efforts provided a classic case wherein administrative theories and its use or absence is seen and reflected. The issue focuses on the fact that despite the country’s capability – material and theoretical – to respond well and effectively during disasters like Hurricane Katrina. The effort was considered as a failure, owed largely to the role of the existing public administration approach. The presence of Administrative Theory aspects, in this case, and how this particular disaster management effort brings to light what is lacking in the current public administration theories and models. The realization, all in all, is that the ensuing complexity of local and federal governance makes elusive the perfect formula for effective public administration and governance in different levels, including disaster response and management. â€Å"People who study and practice administration often take the view, perhaps only half-consciously, that if only the right formula for organizing work and assigning responsibility can be found, things will fall into place and everything will run smoothly or, at least, more so than before. Many of the post-Katrina criticisms levelled at governments have centered on failure to coordinate rescue efforts. These charges reflect the continuing belief in the power of the right system. Certainly they mark the belief that there is a right system (Stivers, 2008, p. 73). † Who are the actors? In the assessment of the Hurricane Katrina and the assessment of the Administrative Theory perspective in the effort to provide disaster response, assistance and management in the location of the disaster, it is important to identify the actors (individuals and agencies) who took part in the effort who may or may not be responsible not only for what measure of success there is in the endeavor but also in the failure of the parameters and perspective of the Administrative Theory in this particular scenario. The Administrative Theory talks about roles and responsibilities, but it did not explain how complexities of these things should be addressed during interagency response to natural disasters, something that happened during Hurricane Katrina. â€Å"Interagency relationships lead to well documented problems associated with unclear authority and responsibility. The House committee examining the government response to Hurricane Katrina blames all levels of government, from the White House, to Governor Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana, to Mayor Ray Nagins of New Orleans, for the delayed response to the storm (Callahan, 2006, p. 139). † This is just a ballpark assessment of the list of characters involved who also contributed to the failure of the disaster rescue and assistance action, despite administrative practices and because of the incompetence of such measures in handling real life scenario. Other participants are identified by the National Response Plan (NRP) program of the government, which identifies the federal as well as non federal agencies and organizations which should be involved in the time of disaster management (Hogan, Burnstein, 2007, p. 151). But NRP in itself was considered by some as problematic. â€Å"As Hurricane Katrina plowed ashore, this cumbersome and contradictory schematic of national disaster response was about to be put to a stern test (Cooper, Block, 2007, p. 130). † There are also some other actors who are involved in this interagency action and it included government entities (military, paramedic, search and rescue units, office of the mayor and governor, etc) as well as private (NGOs and private citizens). What leads the various actors to make the choices or take the positions that they do? There are several reasons that could answer the question about the motivation of the actors to act or decide as they did at the height of the Hurricane Katrina. This may include accountability, responsibility, initiative, instinct or even the sense of direction coming from an existing protocol and systematic approach to problems such as this. How each actor weighs each and any of these is another consideration. Some of these maybe personal forces (i. e. instinct, initiative, a sense of ethics and responsibility, personal clarity of mind and sense of direction during crisis, etc), while other possible motivation maybe organization forces. There are also other reasons, like the absence of a possible course of action that directs everyone involved inside a particular course of action for this eventuality. â€Å"The NRP offers no clear guidance on what distinguishes a run-of-the-mill disaster from a catastrophic event. But generally, catastrophic events imperil the national leadership, echo through the national economy and cause national disruptions (Cooper, Block, 2007, p. 130). † What are the organizational forces? Even if there were aspects of the Administrative Theory in use during the effort to provide assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina which can be categorized as organization forces, some of these aspects maybe considered useless as well because these forces (like the push and pull of the initiatives and information of the people working under the system) are not properly acted upon. Take for example, the characteristic of the Administrative Theory about the idea of chain of command and information sharing based on a ladder-type hierarchy. This aspect was in use, pre-Katrina, as well as during and after the Katrina crisis. But critics believe that it was a failure nonetheless because the response of the individuals to the information shared through the chain of command was not properly acted upon. Because of this, there were feelings of dismay and low moral, and some people integral in this chain of command, realizing the breakdown and futility of such design, resigned from their position. â€Å"Matthew Broderick, head of the DHS Operations Directorate and the HSOC, resigned effective March 31, 2006, following the House of Representatives report on Katrina, which singled him out for failing to inform high-level officials of Katrinas devastating impacts William Carwile, a veteran FCO who had been put in charge of the Katrina response for Mississippi and who had struggled to inform the administration that Katrinas impacts were truly catastrophic, resigned his post and left government service shortly after Katrina (Tierney, Bevc, 2007, p. 48). † What are the external forces? While external forces were hardly discussed as source of the failure of the operation to answer the devastation of Katrina immediately and in the long term, there may also be external forces at play in this situation. This may include the presence of political consideration of political leaders that could have affected and influenced the actions that they took during the disaster. Foreign aid and support, as well as foreign pressure, and the threats coming from the outside which may aggravate the situation inside Mississippi and New Orleans, may have also contributed to the turn out of the rescue and assistance efforts.

Political philosophy Essay Example for Free

Political philosophy Essay John Locke, an English philosopher, used the idea of natural laws to make vital contributions to society. He worked his way up through Westminster School and Oxford and enrolled in the Church of England. He was interested in science and became one of the best practitioners of his time. With Locke’s connections, he met men of England but was also suspected for being disloyal. He went to Holland and returned in 1688, after the revolution. Locke made an influence on political philosophy including modern liberalism. Two Treatises of Government was his most powerful writing where he claims to tell the story of politics. But he did not present that he was the author until near his death. In his writing, Locke explains the difference between political power and paternal power. He wanted people to be comfortable with independent political thought, or in other words take the road less traveled. Also, Locke believed that first you must understand that politics come from the state of nature and natural law in order to understand political power. Locke’s natural law says that individuals take care of others. Locke wanted to create a better government that would consider all people, not a government with kings and nobles. He believed that there should be no one to enforce laws and that neither good nor evil existed in nature. Locke also believed that the people of nature are created equal and have rights to all things. Because of this, a constant state of war exists. Locke wanted people to act more responsible and morally and face their consequences if there were any. His influence on organizational behavior and theory impacted the founders of the United States’ principles. Locke was a creator of the idea of the separation of powers. He also influenced the modern educational theory. His theories are strong when it comes to prosperity, scarcity, money, and property. He claims the government must protect and individual’s private business and property. He believed that if there was a general increase in wealth it would lead to the increase for common good. Locke’s liberalism influenced the United States of America with the Declaration of Independence. He will always be known as the Father of Liberalism. He distrusted government power and proved a statement. He believed that an individual’s right is more important than just a king democracy. He left a legacy of theories for religion, economics, human understanding, and politics. Works Cited Griffith, F, Mark.. â€Å"John Locke’s Major Works. † International Journal of Organization Theory and behavior. 01 July. 2003: 227 elibrary. Web. 16. Feb. 2012.

Analysing Delegation In Transition To Professional Practice Nursing Essay

Analysing Delegation In Transition To Professional Practice Nursing Essay Newly registered nurses or nurses re-entering the workforce face many challenges. One of these issues is delegation. In this essay you are required to develop an in depth and detailed understanding of delegation and how it apply to you as a newly registered nurse. You will need to critically analyse the literature to: Define delegation and how it applies to the registered nurse in the clinical setting Analyse the role of the registered nurse in relation to the responsibility of delegation Analyse the relationship between accountability and delegation Discuss how delegation is different to patient allocation Analyse how professional competence impacts on delegation with specific reference to clinical effectiveness Discuss the interpersonal relationships of team members when delegating within a team Introduction Being a newly Registered Nurse entails a lot of challenges, how we deal with our clients and effectively communicating what their needs are in a multi-cultural setting gives us these difficult tasks of rendering proper and appropriate health care. RNs (Registered Nurses) are known to provide care from womb to tomb, without preference to age, gender, race, religion and status. RNs need to understand the importance for them to know by heart, what are the tasks they can delegate to their co-workers because problem could arise if tasks are delegated inappropriately and clients would be the one to suffer the consequences. Delegation of activities will be relied more heavily due to decreasing workforce and increasing workload thats why nurses should understand fully the different guidelines on how one can appropriately apply delegation in their professional practice. The role of RN in the delegation process takes unprecedented importance. The independent licensee of the RN imposes a legal accountability on the part of the nurse to the patient/recipient of care. This becomes a primary responsibility, with the accountability to other disciplines or the employer being secondary. Because the RN is responsible for the practice of other lesser skilled licensed or unlicensed nursing personnel (i.e., Enrolled Nurses and Unlicensed Health Care Worker), it is imperative that registered nurses understand the guidelines and parameters set for delegation and training. All RNs and midwives must be willing to accept accountability and responsibility when undertaking activities within their individual scope of practice after considering: legislation or restriction of practice, professional standards of practice, current evidence for practice, individual knowledge skill and competence and contextual/organizational support for practice [Nursing Board of Victoria ( NBV) 2007]. The responsibility of the RN prevails whatever the employment setting or status of employment and that legal accountability cannot be removed or assumed by another individual or by the employer. We can never work alone, thus we are always a part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team and this is where the issues of delegation come into place. I. Definition of delegation and application in clinical setting The Queensland Nursing Council (2005) defined delegation as conferring of authority on a person to a person to perform activities. In the same way, delegation is conferment of authority to an individual who is not authorized to perform a particular task autonomously but can do so under direct or indirect supervision (Nursing Midwifery Board of South Australia 2005). Direct supervision means that the RN is actually present during performance of the delegated task, observing and guiding the person who is being supervised while indirect supervision is provided when the RN does not directly observe the person performing the delegated task but should be easily contactable by phone or electronic devices when the need arises [Royal College of Nurses, Australia (RCNA) 2005]. Delegated task can either be new, meaning that the delegated task is not normally part of their role or established, which means that the task has already been done before and no change in context was made [Queensland Nursing Council (QNC) 2005d, sec. D 7.0; Nursing Board of Tasmania (NBT) 2006, pp.5-6]. As a Registered Nurse working as part of the healthcare team, we cannot do away of the process of delegating tasks to other health practitioners be it to another Registered Nurse (RN), Enrolled Nurse (EN), or an Unlicensed Health Care Worker (HCW). It is both beneficial to the health care team and the client because if properly and accurately done, it speeds up the process of rendering the care needed by the client without sacrificing the quality of care being given. Health professionals should always remember that delegation of tasks are made not just to ease ones workload but are made to meet the clients need and to ensure that the right person is available at the right time to pro vide the right care to the client [Australian Nursing Midwifery Council (ANMC) 2007]. There are tasks that an RN cannot delegate to Enrolled Nurses and Unregulated Health Workers. According to the QNC (2005d, p. 4), care planning and delegation of activities from a nursing care plan cannot be delegated, some aspects of drug administration by Enrolled Nurses which are restricted by the council as per the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulations 1996 and tasks as defined by the Nursing Act 1992 to be solely exclusive for RNs or midwives. Registered nurses have the right to clarify, validate and support their professional judgment when it disagrees with an employer or supervisors direction, facilitate resolution of disagreement with an employer or supervisor and help resolve disagreement whether it is appropriate to advance their practice through accepting a delegation (QNC 2005c). II. Role and Responsibilities of Nurses in Delegating Tasks Only RNs may delegate nursing acts, functions or tasks. A registered nurse that delegate nursing acts, functions, or tasks should first determine whether it is within the RNs scope of practice, that the individual is qualified, competent and has the necessary skills to perform the task safely, that the RN delegating the task is available to directly or indirectly supervise the individual and evaluate the result after the delegated task was performed and that the RN should always remember that only the task is delegated and not the ultimate responsibility and accountability that goes with it. As stated in the ANMC (2007), RNs should understand the requirements for delegation and supervision of practice an example of which is by accepting delegated tasks only if it is within ones scope of practice and by raising concerns about inappropriate delegation with relevant organizational or regulatory personnel. Activities delegated by a RN cannot be re-delegated to another professional or hea lthcare worker (QNC 2005a). Registered nurses should provide guidance, support, assistance and clinically focused supervision, ensure that the person to whom the delegation is being made understands their accountability and is willing to accept the delegation, they should reflect on ones own practice, provide competency assessment of the individual who will accept the delegated task and evaluate the outcome of the delegated task (ANMC 2007; QNC 2005a). Accountability goes hand in hand when delegating tasks to other health care personnel. RNs carries with them a very big responsibility when delegating tasks to another member of the team because the RN retains the accountability and must see to it that the person to whom the task is being delegated to is competent enough to perform such task so as not to compromise the quality and safety of the care provided. RNs who delegates health care tasks are accountable to the State where they are registered, to their employer, and to their clients for their own actions and decisions. The RN must see to it that only those that can be performed safely to the patient be delegated, and it is critical that there is a clear and effective communication between the two parties. Expectations and outcomes are to be set so as to have an exact basis of evaluation if the delegated tasks are successfully performed to that of the accepted level of standard. Responsibility can be delegated to others so that the person to whom a task is delegated to remains responsible of the action while the accountability remains with the one who delegated the task. The independent license of the RN imposes a legal accountability on the part of the nurse to the patient/recipient of care. This becomes a primary responsibility, with the accountability to other disciplines or the employer being secondary. Because the RN is responsible for the practice of other lesser skilled licensed or unlicensed nursing personnel (i.e., Enrolled Nurses, Unregulated Health Care Workers), it is imperative that registered nurses understand the guidelines and parameters set for delegation and training. Liability cannot be delegated a nurses registration is at risk if he or she delegates a task inappropriately. Appropriate delegation begins with knowing what skills can be delegated. There are published guidelines which helps nurses in delegating tasks in accordance with the RNs legal scope of practice, an example of these are the five rights of delegation (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 1995) wherein the fundamental basis of public protection should be the basis of all decisions related to delegation of nursing activities can be used as a mental checklist to assist nurses clarify critical elements of the decision-making process. The RNs final responsibility is to evaluate whether assistants performed a task properly and whether desired outcomes where realized. RNs should use the principles of delegation to guide them in deciding whether a particular task can be delegated or not. III. Principles of Delegation According to the Australian Nursing Federation (2004, p. 1), each state and territory in Australia governs the practice of registered nurses and midwives through published nursing and midwifery acts and that the ANFs purpose of publishing the guideline is to clarify the role and obligation of the RNs and midwives when delegating aspects of nursing and midwifery care, guide RNs and midwives through the issues to be considered in delegating aspects of nursing and midwifery care and to clarify the role and obligations of employers in the delegation of aspects of nursing and midwifery care by nurses and midwives. The principle of delegation should be used when considering delegating an activity to another health care provider. The following are the principles of delegation as stated in the Nurses Board of Victoria (NBV), Guidelines: Delegation and Supervision for Registered Nurses and Midwives (2007, p. 4): RNs should always remember that the primary motivation in delegating tasks is to meet the health needs and improve health outcomes of clients, it must be consistent with the acceptable standards of nursing and the policy of the service providers, that the delegated task is based on appropriate planning and consultation, delegated tasks should only be accepted if the person to perform the ask is deemed competent after proper assessment by an authorized personnel, the RN should see to it that he/she is accountable not only for their decision to delegate but also in monitoring the delegated individuals standard of performance and that the activity delegated should presently be part of the RNs current role. Likewise, the delegating nurse has also the responsibility to apply the five rights of delegation, namely: (1) the right task; (2) the right circumstances; (3) the right person; (4) the right direction or communication; and (5) the right supervision (Crisp and Taylor 2005, p.366). If either one of these rights are missing, the task being delegated is considered to be unsafe and can result to negative outcomes. Delegation is different from allocation or assignment which involves asking another person to care for one or more consumers on the assumption that the required activities of consumer care are normally within that persons responsibility and scope of practice (ANMC 2007; NBV 2007, p.4). When a patient is admitted during your tour of duty, and you are the nurse on deck, this means that the patient will then be allocated to you on the assumption that the required activities for consumer care are normally within your responsibility and scope of practice and you must holistically take care of all the needs of the patient while in the case that the admitted patient was assigned to another RN which then delegates a task to you, like getting the patients initial vital signs, the accountability and overall responsibility remains with the admitting RN with you sharing the responsibility of the outcome of the task. Using reflective practice, the RN should then evaluate their individual contribution to the achievement of patient outcomes, if he or she was able to properly apply the scope of nursing practice decision-making framework in delegating tasks to other health care professionals and if patients are properly allocated based on individual skills, experience and competency of the receiving person. Reflective practice also helps nurses establish what they have learned from the experience of providing nursing care and responding to patient needs and is important for novice RNs as it helps them identify areas in their practice that they need to improve ensuring that they make better choices and decisions in the future (NBWA 2004). According to Usher Holmes (2005, p.110), self awareness is the foundation skill upon which reflective practice is based. Self awareness offers RNs an opportunity to see themselves in certain situations and how they affected the situation and the situation affected them (Atkins 2000 cited in Usher, K Holmes, C 2005). IV. Professional competence, delegation and clinical effectiveness Competence is an individuals ability to effectively apply knowledge, understanding, skills, and values within a designated scope of practice at a standard acceptable to the client and others who has the same experience and background (ANMC 2005, p. 8). Critical thinking, or the practice of questioning, is necessary so that practitioners integrate relevant information from various sources, examine assumptions, and identify relationships and patterns (Parker Clare 2000 cited in Usher, K Holmes, C 2005). Health care organizations have made dramatic advances and transformations during the last few decades, resulting in rapid growth of technology and theory. If nurses are to deal effectively with complex change, increased demands and greater accountability, they must become skilled in higher level thinking and reasoning abilities and this is where the use of critical thinking becomes vital in examining simple and complex situations in nurses day to day responsibilities. RNs who are critical thinkers practice sound clinical judgement by practicing critical thinking skills to investigate and reflect on all aspects of a clinical observation or problem in order to decide on an appropriate course of action based on factual evidence rather than conjecture and is able to arrive at a reasoned conclusion that can be justified. The process of critical thinking will enhance the ability of nurses to properly identify and assess the need of delegating tasks to other health care professionals and to determine if they carry with them the professional competence needed to efficiently perform the assigned task which would definitely result in clinical effectiveness by delivering the care plan and attending to the needs of the client faster rather than performing the care plan alone even if the task is legally delegable. (Simpson Courtney 2002). V. Interpersonal Relationships between team members during delegation of tasks Registered nurses work within the health care team to properly address the different complex health care needs of clients and each of the team members knowledge and contribution is valued and respected. Interpersonal relationship is the association or connection between unit managers staff nurses within a nursing unit interpersonal relationships within team members during delegation of tasks should be built on trust. Acceptance, care, feeling, integrity, respecting the values all revolved on trust, thus, trust building should be the focus of every activity within an organization. Interpersonal relationships are built through effective communication skills, listening to each member queries and actively participating during supervision of a delegated task builds confidence on their part. An interpersonal relationship is a dynamic system that changes continuously wherein social associations, connections, or affiliation between two or more people are present. Effective delegation forces you to spend time with your employee thus developing your interpersonal relationship. This holds true to RNs who personally see to it that each member of the team to whom different tasks are delegated will continually grow as their experiences and skills develop in time, building the confidence, competency a collaboratively harmonious interpersonal relationship needed to properly and effectively care for each patien t within their jurisdiction. Working in partnership and cooperation with other members of the health care team for the benefit of the clients receiving health service where delegation of a nursing intervention is not required means that a collaborative relationship exists between the health care team. It is then important to maintain enhance relationships among employees by creating a social environment in which the team can attain their goals. Conclusion In summary, delegation is a process wherein new RNs must be able to understand to avoid any professional legal dilemma that may arise due to ignorance. There are tasks that the RN cannot delegate (QNC 2005a), aspects of nursing care like assessment of the client, planning on how to provide care, evaluation of the expected outcome was met after implementation and these should be strictly followed. Allocation of accountability in QNC (2005d, p. 15), states that RNs and midwives are accountable for delegation decisions and for the standard of care provided but if the RN or midwife ensured that the delegation decisions and level of supervision were appropriate, they would not be held accountable for inappropriate or unauthorized actions by another care provider. It is the role responsibility of the RN to see to it that the person to whom the task is being delegated to have the necessary education, experience skill to perform competently. It is important that a harmonious interpersona l relationship between team members are present because this would be the basis of a therapeutic, collaborative approach in rendering the best care possible to clients assigned to them. 2846 words

Being Raised by Grandparents Essay -- Family Grandmother Grandfather

He is the lightkeeper he keeps the light for me extra beams safety deposited inside a microfold somewhere somewhere hidden somewhere inside those pretty hands --Finney, "The Lightkeeper" Is Nikky Finney's poem "The Lightkeeper" about her dad or someone else? Many people have different opinions on who her poem is about, but when I read it, I imagine the lightkeeper to be my grandfather, even though my family is your basic "Cleaver" family. My parents are still happily married after their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. They both own their own successful businesses and have two children who are now in college. We also have the spoiled dog that everyone probably likes better than any other member of the family. Anyone observing my family would probably guess that my parents taught me everything that there is to know and that they shaped me into the person that I am today. They would be wrong. My parents had to work long hours when I was little to make our family and left me under my grandparents care every day of the week. My grandfather was actually the person that shaped me into who I am. I now believe that grandparents often have a much larger impact on a child's life than parents could ever have. Parents today are having to work more and harder to be able to provide for their families. Children are often left at day care centers—or with grandparents. Over the past twenty years, increased attention has been given to the importance of grandparenthood (Chalfie 32). "Higher divorce rates and an increase in both parents working full time has caused more grandparents, and other relatives, to take over the primary care of the child" (Newman 201). This new found emphasis is the result of longer life spans: adults are li... ...t I can still feel it now, even ten years after his death. All grandparents are not what my grandpa was, I know this. But, if they could be, or had the chance to be, what a wonderful thing that would be for every child to experience.All I hope is that one day my dad will be to my children what my grandpa was to me. Works Cited Chalfie, Denise. Going it Alone: A Closer Look at Grandparents Parenting Grandchildren Pamphlet. Washington, D.C.: American Association of Retired Persons, 1994. Doucette-Dudman, David. Raising Our Children's Children. Minneapolis, MN: Fairview Press, 1996. Finney, Nikky. Rice. Ontario, Canada: Sister Vision: Black Women and Women of Colour Press, 1995. Kornhaber, Ann. Contemporary Grandparenting. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1996. Newman, David. Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 1997.

A Farewell to Arms Essay: Inevitability of Death Revealed

Inevitability of Death Revealed in A Farewell To Arms      Ã‚   Ernest Hemingway has been greatly criticized for a supposed hatred of women that some feel is evident in his writings. One of the primary books that critics believe shows this misogynistic attitude is A Farewell To Arms. It is counterproductive to interpret the book using such a narrow focus because the author is dealing with much more profound themes. Hemingway is not concerned with the theme of gender equality, but rather with the greater themes of the inherent struggle of life and the inevitability of death.    The first images of struggle and death are seen in chapter 9 when Frederic is wounded. Up to this point in the story Hemingway had portrayed a very serene, pastoral setting and existence for the characters. It is here, though, that this comes crashing down. Hemingway is showing the horrors of war. War is not a glorious and colorful event; it is a dirty and base thing. This is the first hint that the romantic notions Frederic clings to might prove false. There is suggestion here that human existence is fairly tragic.    Hemingway shows many deaths as a result of the war. Passini, Rinaldi (who it is inferred died of syphilis), nameless officers, a sergeant, Aymo, and many others are casualties of the insane war. Their deaths are shown as casual, random events in the life of Frederic. Throughout the entire book Frederic seems to be trying to escape this death that is all around him and retreat once more to the serene existence he enjoys at the beginning of the book. This sets up what I believe to be the theme of the book: struggle is inherent in life and death is inevitable.    Another representative of death is Count Greffi towards the e... ...ainst Hemingway that charges he is a woman hater. Hemingway does not idealize Catherine out of some deep hatred of women. He does not subordinate her to show male dominance. In fact, I believe that Catherine is a minor factor in this book and is more of a tool used for thematic purposes. Hemingway uses her to show Frederic's inability to escape death. To use the ant metaphor (327-328), we are all ants on a log unknowingly running into the fire. And just when the log is tipped so we are away from the flames, just when we think that we are safe, someone tips us back in the fire and we die. Hemingway is showing that man's frantic struggles and his scurrying about are futile, we all die in the end. Also, as much as we may try, we cannot keep death out of our lives.    Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest A Farewell To Arms. Scribner Paperback Fiction: NY, 1995.