900,000 Iraqis Killed in Repression and War

900,000 Iraqis Killed in Repression and War Casualty counts in Iraq have generated a war of their own. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health published a study that estimated that in the 18 months following the American invasion in 2003, 100,000 more Iraqis died than would have been expected had the invasion not occurred. The study sparked controversy over methodology. It wasnt adding up body counts from bombs and bullets but surveying households about births and deaths that had occurred since 2002, verifying the cause of death through certificates only when possible... which wasnt often. When the same team updated its study in 2006, the death toll was up to 654,965, with 91.8 percent caused by violence. Conservative organs like The Wall Street Journal went nuts, charging that, because the study was funded by the liberal activist George Soros, it was not credible. (Where the Journals editorial page gets its logic is one of the great enigmas of the age). Saddam Hussein and the Death Toll in Iraq The well-documented Iraq Body Count site was putting the figure at one-sixth that of the Johns Hopkins study, though it was relying exclusively on verifiable press, government or non-governmental organizations reports. There comes a point though when casualty figures reach such a level that debating higher or lower numbers becomes an exercise in churlishness. Of course, theres a difference between 700,000 and 100,000 dead. But is that to say that a war thats caused 100,000 dead is somehow, in any possible way, less horrific or more justifiable? The Iraqi Ministry of Health produced its own casualty count of Iraqis killed as a direct result of violence not by survey  or estimates but by verifiable deaths and proven causes: At least 87,215 killed since 2005, and more than 110,000 since 2003, or 0.38% of the Iraqi population. One of the Journals strange and utterly meaningless comparisons in its 2006 editorial discrediting the Johns Hopkins count was that fewer Americans died in the Civil War, our bloodiest conflict. Iraq's Death Count Equivalent in the United States Heres a more telling comparison. The proportion of Iraqis directly killed in the war would amount to 1.14 million deaths in a country with a population the size of the United States a proportional figure that would exceed any conflict this country has ever known. In fact, it would be almost equivalent to the sum total of all American war casualties since the War of Independence. But even that approach understates the extent of suffering of the Iraqi population because it only looks at the last six years. What of the death toll under Saddam Hussein? 23 Years of Slaughter Under Saddam Hussein In the end, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning John Burns wrote in The Times a few weeks before the invasion, if an American-led invasion ousts Mr. Hussein, and especially if an attack is launched without convincing proof that Iraq is still harboring forbidden arms, history may judge that the stronger case was the one that needed no inspectors to confirm: that Saddam Hussein, in his 23 years in power, plunged this country into a bloodbath of medieval proportions, and exported some of that terror to his neighbors. Burns proceeded to estimate the arithmetic of Saddams brutality: The largest number of deaths during his reign is attributable to the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988). Iraq claims to have lost 500,000 people during that war.The 1990 occupation of Kuwait and the ensuing Gulf War caused 100,000 deaths, by Iraqs reckoningprobably an exaggeration, but not by much: the 40-day bombardment of Iraq before the three-day ground war, and the massacre of escaping Iraqi troops on the highway of death make the estimate more credible than not.Casualties from Iraqs gulag are harder to estimate, Burns wrote. Accounts collected by Western human rights groups from Iraqis and defectors have suggested that the number of those who have disappeared into the hands of the secret police, never to be heard from again, could be 200,000. Add it up, and in three decades, about 900,000 Iraqis have died from violence, or well over 3% of the Iraqi populationthe equivalent of more than 9 million people in a nation with a population as large as that of the United States. Thats what Iraq will have to recover from over the next decadesnot just the death toll of the last six years, but that of the last 30. Staring at the Abyss As of this writing, the combined combat and non-combat deaths of American and Coalition soldiers in Iraq, since 2003, total 4,595a devastating toll from the western perspective, but one that must be multiplied 200 times to begin to understand the extent of the devastation of Iraqs own death toll. Analyzed that way (since the cause of the violent deaths is not, to the dead and their survivors, nearly as relevant as the fact of the deaths themselves) even the Johns Hopkins figures become less relevant as a point of dispute, since, by focusing only on the last six years, they underestimate the breadth of the carnage. If the Johns Hopkins methodology were applied, the death toll would climb well above 1 million. One last question bears asking. Assuming that 800,000 Iraqis lost their lives during the Saddam Hussein years, does even that justify killing an additional 100,000, supposedly to be rid of Saddam? He who does battle with monsters needs to watch out lest he in the process becomes a monster himself, Nietzche wrote in Beyond Good and Evil. And if you stare too long into the abyss, the abyss will stare right back at you. Nowhere has that been more true, in this young and morally stunted century, than with Americas monstrous battle in Iraq.

euthanasia1 essays

euthanasia1 essays The option of self-deliverance for the terminally ill person is the ultimate civil liberty. Over the past twenty years major controversy has spawned over the issue of euthanasia: a persons right to die. The American courts have been burdened with determining whether or not the Constitution gives the American people the right to allow others to take their lives, and have failed to come up with a definitive answer. There are several aspects to suicide and the law, but we are only going to discuss a few of them. First of all we will examine why anyone would want to take their own life and decipher the differences between a rational suicide and an irrational suicide. Secondly we will look at ways assistance has played in the area of suicide. Next, we'll look at what the constitution says and see if any of the states have allowed suicide. Finally, we'll study some of the cases that have been brought before the American courts. Suicide has become a big part of American society; year after year more people are taking their own lives for many different reasons. A lot of philosophers have broken down all the reasons of suicides into two different categories, rational suicide and irrational suicide. A rational suicide has been given five basic criteria that usually must be met for the person's act to be considered rational. The five criteria which a person must show for their suicide to be considered rational are, "the ability to reason, realistic world view, adequacy of information, avoidance of harm, and accordance with fundamental interests." Another opinion of rationality of suicide is, "it is the best thing for him from the point of view of his own welfare-or whether it is the best thing for someone being advised, from the point of view of that person's welfare". People have to characterize suicides because a lot of times they don't understand what that person is going through so by grouping them and plac ing crit...

Business Employment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Employment Law - Essay Example As it appears, all other employees apart from Mark agreed to work overtime. In his submission, Mark indicated that he was not under any contractual obligation to work overtime. This infuriated Rebecca who decided to take the matter to the manager. However, it is also indicated that there was always bad blood between the two employees, and this seemed to be an opportunity to settle the scores. The dismissal of mark from the work is unacceptable and therefore he has the right of appeal. While the law provides the employers with the prerogative to dismiss employees for gross misconduct and without warning, the case of Mark is different. Firstly, the company should have let the employees know of the staff shortage. Secondly, such employees ought to have been requested to offer themselves for overtime work to compensate for losses incurred due to such shortage of employees. As it stands, the request to have Mark work beyond his normal hours appears to be an ambush. In addition to that, th e manner in which the information was passed to him is also wanting. It is vital to note that employees just like employers, have their personal rights1. On that material day for instance, Mark had an appointment with his girlfriend. He made such arrangement because he had not been informed of any changes by his boss. Therefore, it seems that the company suffers from lack of good communication and relationship with the employees. Thirdly, the dismissal is unjustified based on the fact that when Mark was employed, he signed a contract that indicated the time that he was to be in the job. His decision however mean it may seem to be was justified. There was no prior complaint that he failed to provide quality work because of incompetent or any other factor. It therefore seems that he was a dedicated person who understood his rights well. It seems that the management failed to conduct its independent investigations to ascertain the allegations2. Relying on the information provided to th em by a fellow employee was wrong since there could have been other reasons which could have prompted Mark to take the decision he did. Even if this was a gross misconduct according to the management, law requires that investigation is carried out. For instance, it is indicated that Rebecca and Mark had a malfunctioned relationship which affected their communication. It is therefore possible that this was a malicious act meant to punish Mark by dismissing him. She may have passed communication to other employees about the overtime work and failed to let Mark know in advance. The management therefore was in contravention of the statutes guiding dismissal. There are various unfair grounds through which one may be dismissed. They include lack of good reason, being asked for flexible hours and also if one refuse to work overtime. From the case, it is outright that the firm did not have objective grounds to dismiss Mark. He was dismissed immediately even though he was innocent. He had a right to choose either to work or not. Employees have their flexible time which they may choose to offer or not. Depending on prior communication with the company, employees may choose to comply or refuse. From the above mentioned facts, it seems that Mark is entitled to make a claim of unfair dismissal and get remedies. The law gives him the right to make such a claim through a trade union3. Some of the methods that would be used to address this issue may include mediation and

Project proposal Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Project proposal - Dissertation Example 3. Objectives: †¢ Determine Chinese students’ evaluations of themselves in student placement; †¢ Find out Chinese students' weaknesses in student placement performance from their perspective and their mentors’; †¢ Combine research data with employer's need to develop Chinese students' performance in the placement; †¢ Put forth recommendations for Chinese students to improve their performance in advance placement class. 4. Context: Ask any hospitality manager what their greatest challenge is, and they will probably reply, â€Å"Finding and keeping employees.† For many recent college graduates, who will have the job is the people with good degree and hourly work experience. - Jack E. Miller A Chinese student who has working experience abroad has greater chances of being hired when they apply for a job in China. These working experiences are also a good opportnity to practice English and understand the industry that he wants to be affiliated with . Moreover, the placement experience is helpful in the final year study, which can help the student link the theories with practice for better appreciation of what has been learned. This study is about Chinese students’ evaluations of themselves during placement experiences. ... 5. Literature Books: Colin, B & John P, W (2002). The Power of Experiential Learning. London: Kogan Page Limited Chapter 2 of this book explores experiential learning, which includes its definition and learning from mistakes. This may be used to discuss the benefits of placement. Jack E, M & John R, W & Karen, E (2001). Supervision in the Hospitality Industry. 4th ed. Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The book is about first-line supervision. It introduces the responsibilities of supervision and their role in the hospitality industry. Moreover, it shows some information about what international students may learn from the placement. Mary L, T (2001). Human Resources Management for The Hospitality Industry. 2nd ed. Florida: Thomson Learning Inc. Training is an important and necessary part of placement, and in chapter 6, the hospitality orientation and training programmes introduced the reasons of training and what is training. Chapter 12 presents multiculturalism in the hospitality work place. Peter, A and Judy, S (1992). Managing Work Experience. Kent: London and New York. This book presents the educational purpose of placement and the ambiguous role of the student, the process of placement management and assessment and also included an outline of the Sheffield project which shows the terms 'visiting tutors' and 'placement tutors' refer to members of staff from the students' academic course who are responsible for the supervision of individual students during the placement period. Stipek, D. J. (1988). Motivation to learn: From theory to practice. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. It has been asserted by this author that there are factors which are not directly related to a student’s intellectual ability which contribute to his

Environmental Protection Essay Example for Free

Environmental Protection Essay Environmental protection is an increasingly pressing issue all over the world. Ozone depletion, green house effect, global climate changes or global warming, etc, are the main issues in environment. Recent years, many countries and various organizations have paid more attention into environmental protection. A treaty about global environmental protection was discussed by 192 nations in Copenhagen in December 2011. But I fell every individual on this earth should make sacrifices to prevent environment changes. Yes it is the need of the hour. We should protect the world for the future generations. Why? It is because of mans greed he has the once beahtiful earth into a rubbish of Earth. He has increased his numbers to terrible proportions, has caused the death of hundreds of species of animals, has robbed and destroyed the planet in his search for fuels; now he stands, like a violent, spoilt child, delighted at the speed of his rise to power, It is he who is on the edge of the final mass destruction and of killing all the life which exists in the solar system. The Earth is our home but much of it is dirty and dying. Rapid industrial development caused a lot of ecological problems. They are: air pollution, water pollution, growth of population and shortage of mineral resources. Air becomes polluted with Cars, trucks, buses, airplanes, factories and plants send burnt gases into the air. The production of electricity causes not only air pollution but acid rains and global warming. Because of acid rains the Earth losses twenty million acres of tropical rainforests every year. This means the extinction of thousands of species that live there, for example tigers. Only 67 thousand tigers remain. Tigers are hunted and killed for their body parts. Ozone layer is destroyed too and the dangerous rays get through the atmosphere causing skin cancer and other diseases. Most of the air pollutants directly affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems Nitrogen dioxide and ozone also effect the respiratory system, irritate the eyes, nose and throat and headaches. Carbon monoxide is able to displace oxygen in the blood which in turn can result in cardiovascular and neurological effects. Lead affects bone narrow, impairs liver and kidney function, causes neurological damage and also causes mental retardation in children. Oceans are vital for the life on Earth. We need to protect it. They provide homes for millions of plants and animals, provide people with food and help regulate the climate. But now they are a big dumping ground for tons of toxic waste. Most big cities pour their waste into seas and rivers. Water pollution is due to mixture of dirt, sewage and industrial waste , increased use of fertilizers and insecticides that seep through the earth and pollute the ground water As a result, there are numerous health problems like dysentery, cholera and paratyphoid fever. Noise pollution is yet another problem that the researchers say causes ulcers, abortions, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension besides several mental disorders. Checking of environmental pollution has been absolutely necessary. if it is not checked, the earth will become a graveyard. So we must give due attention to protect it from our own abuses. We must have balanced and planned industrial growth in order to check thin pollution. Towns and cities should be planned very carefully and stress should be given on planting of more trees. I would like to dwell on practical measures which must be taken in order to improve the ecological situation: -the factories must be removed from cities; -have balanced and planned industrial growth -purifying systems for cleaning and trapping harmful substances must be widely used; -green zones must be created by planting more trees. -almost everything is recyclable today recycling is a great way to reduce waste. We need clean air to breathe and pure water to drink. So we have to prevent disposal of toxic waste and nuclear tests. I feel formal education programmed should be provided and implemented for the environ ­mental protection We need to conserve resources like water by planting rain water harvest in our houses Earth is the only planet endowed with a beautiful environment for man to live We should pass it on to our future generation as their legacy. Protect our earth today for our children tomorrow.

How Will Our Future Be? Essay -- essays research papers

How Will Our Future Be? The way the future is heading seems to be very clear but as before things may change. The time to come will never reveal itself until it has actually been. From this point of view I will try to describe the way I see the future coming our way. One of the major aspects when discussing the future is how will the law be handled and how power will be dealt with. Will we be able to decide for us self what we want to do with our lives and will the right of every individual be respected, as written in the constitution. There is no way I could be forced to believe otherwise. Our society today is made to decide if every citizen in Denmark should have some sort of card that you used for multiple things. Your health-insurance, driver's licence, personal identification and many other things. Some people say that this is the beginning to the completely government controlled society where your every move is followed by the administration. The year is 2096. We are standing in the airport near Copenhagen. A lot of people are walking by with their net-agents. A small computer-program that has been trained to inform you on all the things that you find interesting. To identify themselves they have their citizen-card plugged into the device. An agent is calling our net-computer. He wishes to inform us about all the activities in Copenhagen today but of course only the ones he knows we might be interested in. The agents are a very handy invention which was created in t...

Indira Gandhi Essay

The period in history usually considered to have begun with the first use of the atomic bomb (1945). It is characterized by nuclear energy as a military, industrial, and sociopolitical factor.Also called atomic age. The Nuclear Age Began When The US Detonated The First Atomic Bomb On June 16, 1945, America detonated the first atomic bomb, starting the atomic age and the biggest arms race in the world. Although the first attempts to make atomic bomb initiated in Nazi Germany they weren’t successful until the US president Franklin D. Roosevelt in cooperation with the British government authorized the â€Å"Manhattan Project† in order to research about production of atomic bomb. A group of top scientists of the time worked for the project with the distinguished physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer being the head of the group. They succeeded to make the first atomic bomb in the US which was detonated in what is now called Trinity in New Mexico. Perhaps at first it was believed that the US would not use that lethal weapon against the mankind but soon people of two big cities in Japan fell victim to America’s atomic bombs. On August 6, 1945, a bomber in US Air Force 509th Bomb Squadron called Enola Gay- which is now kept in a museum in Washington- left a US base in the south of Pacific Ocean and detonated an atomic bomb named â€Å"Little Boy† over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The direct and the indirect death toll caused by this bombardment are estimated to exceed 140,000. This however was not the end as three days after Hiroshima bombing, another atomic bomb, called the â€Å"Fat Man† killed 73,000 and injured 74,000 people in Nagasaki, Japan, not including those who later were found to be the victims of the bombing. Of course there was another bomb made in the Manhattan Project which was never used. Oppenheimer regretted his participation in the Manhattan project after a while and began to speak against nuclear arms, and thus was removed from the project. His regret was of no use though. The Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb on August 29, 1949, with the help of Oppenheime r’s friend, Klaus Fuchs. To keep its superiority in the arms race, the US began the research for making hydrogen bombs and could successfully detonate it in November, 1952. No country has so far used nuclear arms for military purposes except for the US. There is however concerns over some countries possessing nuclear arms, especially as some of them have refused to sign the Non-Proliferation of  Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT). â€Å"[Until September 9, 2009] there are over 20,000 nuclear weapons around the world. Many of them are still on hair-trigger alert, threatening our own survival,† said Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in the Annual DPI/NGO Conference. 18,500 of these bombs were made by the US and Russia. All five permanent members of the UN Security Council –America, France, Russia, China, and Britain- have atomic bombs and have been recognized as nuclear powers in the NPT. The NPT recognizes the countries that owned or detonated nuclear bombs or arms before January 1, 1967 on the condition that they would gradually be disarmed and destroy all their atomic bombs. The museum sketches the history of the nuclear age, which started with the first atomic bomb test in the New Mexico desert in 1945. For a hundred years of war, culminating in the nuclear age, military technology was designed and deployed to inflict casualties on an ever-growing scale.