Congress And The Presidency Essay -- Political Science

The president is the foreign policy leader for the United States with an important political, military and economic role in the international arena. If there is collision between the president and congress, can congress restrain the president in foreign policy making? The era of globalization has witnessed the growing influence of a number of unconventional international actors, from non-governmental organizations, to multi-national corporations, to global political movements. Traditional, state-centric definitions of foreign policy as "the policy of a sovereign state in its interaction with other sovereign states is no longer sufficient. Several alternative definitions are more helpful at highlighting aspects of foreign policy traditionally neglected. The first views foreign policy as "those external goals for which the nation is prepared to commit its resources". By focusing on what a country does rather than what it says, this pragmatic definition usefully separates a country's rhetoric from its true intent and its material capabilities. However, lack of action can also constitute a policy-the policy of an isolationist state is defined by its very unwillingness to commit resources. A second conceptualization of foreign policy is as "the range o f actions taken by varying sections of the government of a state in its relations with other bodies similarly acting on the international stage...in order to advance the national interest". Notable here is the recognition that governments do not act as monolithic, static entities, and that non-state actors may at times be as influential as states. However, the assumption that governments always know what is in the "national interest" and always rationally work towards its realiza... ... President's interests. The number of Vice Presidents who have later become President suggests that this concern may not be entirely incomprehensible. The enormous amount of infighting and politics between (and within) departments should not be underestimated. Factions are formed, rumors spread, information leaked, and consensuses forged. When making decisions, each department "will tend to concentrate on acquiring information that protects and advances its own interests or its view of the national interest". This inevitably leads to oversimplification and a favoring of men and women of action rather than deep, strategic thinkers, whose voices tend to get lost in the fray. One of the attributes of a good President is the ability to recognize and rectify imbalances in his administration. Failure to do so can lead to an unrepresentative and irresponsible foreign policy.

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five

Kurt Vonnegut has written something that has captured the imagination of generations. His novel is entitled â€Å"Slaughterhouse Five.† This novel has put into use what the literary world call as dark comedy, also known as black comedy. Dark comedy is basically a sub-genre of comedy that has satirical elements. This sub-genre typically tackles serious topics like death, war, rape, and the likes with wit and humor. I have selected three scenes of which Kurt Vonnegut displayed his talent in using dark comedy to hook his readers. The first scene that I’ve picked is that where the arguable protagonists Billy Pilgrim and the unlovable fat soldier Roland Weary were captured by enemy troops. Those enemy troops who had captured them were not regulars. They were merely using equipment collected from dead soldiers. When the novel was first read by the public, they could have just thought that this was fiction. Maybe they weren’t aware that this is a reality in war. Equipment from the dead is considered free rations since there will always be shortages in wars. What the author had done here is that with all the dark comedy packed into this novel, he had squeezed in bits of reality. The dark comedy there is that as readers we were caught off guard that we were already laughing at something that is brutally happening in reality. It could also be that the author is in favor of stripping the dead off their possessions since those things would only be beneficial to those who are still alive. The next dark scene that I’ve picked is where the Valencia, the overweight wife of the arguable protagonist Billy Pilgrim, died because of carbon monoxide poisoning. She was already on her way to see his husband. Then the unfortunate happened, or Kurt Vonnegut’s dark comedy made it happen, she died of carbon monoxide poisoning inside her car. The author had constructed the scene as if the death of Valencia didn’t invoke sad emotion at all. Again, I believe that the function of this is to show what is happening in reality. We don’t need statistics to prove that there are countless wives out there who are left by their unfaithful husbands. But then, this dark humor could also be targeted to those who have eating and weight issues. The author may have wanted to show that most overweight bring the problem upon themselves because just like Valencia, they can’t stop eating. This could be the author’s answer to why are there such a number of miserable people in this planet. It is because we cause our own problems. The last dark scene that I have chosen is when the prisoners of war were assigned to the dreadful task of digging up the graves for a lot of dead bodies after the town of Dresden was bombed. It was such an awful sight that one of those who were digging the graves threw up from the bad smell. He threw up so bad that he died. Again, there is no word that can perfectly describe the scene than dark comedy. The author had beautifully used the elements of dark humor, wit and irony. It is such an irony that the ‘dead’ is in a sense free from the toils of being alive and stuck in a war. That scene also shows that people can be pushed to do even the things that they won’t imagine themselves doing. Anyone will succumb when there is a gun pointed to you and your loved one’s. All in all, the author had used dark comedy as a hook that has kept his readers turning the pages. Dark comedy also evokes a certain weird combination of the effects of entertainment and disgust. Work Cited Vonnegut, K. Jr. Vonnegut, J. Slaughterhouse Five. NY: Tandem Classic Books. 1999.

The Many Benefits Of Vegetarianism Essay - 1242 Words

Michael Durand Mrs. Bessie Pre-AP English II December 9, 2016 The Many Benefits of Vegetarianism â€Å"A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral† is an eye opening statement said by Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy shows us that the killing of animals is one of the main reasons why being vegetarian is the right thing to do. Not only is being meat-free the animal-friendly thing to do, but it also promotes many favorable health aspects. With this in mind we can dictate that a vegetarian diet is the most beneficial and morale diet because of the positive effects it has to an individual’s health and the positives it entails towards the health of the environment and the health of animals. A vegetarian is an individual who doesn’t consume meat or, sometimes certain animal products. Although there are many different types of vegetarian diets the overall idea is the same: to avoid meat, primarily beef and poultry. Vegetarians do this for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is to gain the many positive health effects that are promoted (â€Å"Vegetarianism in America†). â€Å"The positive health aspects that vegetarians receive is a larger amount of vitamins C and E, dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, and phytochemicals such as carotenoids and flavonoids† (â€Å"Becoming a Vegetarian†). These nutrients gained might not sound that important, but in realityShow MoreRelatedThe Pros of Being a Vegetarian1127 Words   |  5 PagesPros of Vegetarianism. Vegetarianism, is it just a fad, or will it continue to cultivate and grow more mainstream than it is today? All signs are indicating that it will, indeed, continue to grow. â€Å"As many as 3.2% to 6% of the U.S. adult population is a vegetarian† (Parker 1). If one loves life, why not try vegetarianism? Having a vegetarian diet not only saves animals, but also improves health and uses less of our planet’s diminishing resources. The earliest known practice of vegetarianism was inRead MoreShould Vegetarianism Be A Vegetarian?943 Words   |  4 Pages Vegetarianism is defined as the practice of having an absence of meat and sometimes by-products of animal slaughter from one’s diet. Typically, vegetarianism consists of not eating anything that has a beating heart. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, only around five percent of the United States’ population are vegetarians and sustain the meatless diet. The United States Department of Agriculture states that vegetarian diets can meet the recommended dietary needs of an averageRead MoreThe Benefits Of Vegetarianism : The World s Outcry For Meat Eating1316 Words   |  6 PagesThe Benefits of Vegetarianism: The World’s Outcry for an End to Meat Eating For many people, meat is a scrumptious food that offers many benefits to one’s health. It offers many nutrients such as proteins and essential fatty acids, while also being more readily available than ever before. Consequently, over 101.1 kilograms of meat is consumed per person every year in developed countries as a result (Clarke, 4). It is clear that meat is a very popular food, and that is no surprise considering ourRead MoreThe Ethical Implications Of Vegetarianism1614 Words   |  7 Pagescontroversy over the topic. The reasons that vegetarianism has grown into a controversial topic are mostly the human beliefs and health reasons associated with it. Vegetarianism has been around since as early as the seventh century B.C.E.. The civilization was the Indus Valley Civilization, they practiced tolerance towards all living things. Several Indian cultures and various religions (such as a ahimsÄ ) also practice non-violence towards animals (â€Å"Vegetarianism†, Wikipedia.com). This used to be the soleRead MoreVegetarianism Vs. Vegetarian Diet936 Words   |  4 Pagesoften vary according to culture, religion, and personal preference. People often use different diets as a way to manage their weight or improve their overall health, both vegetarianism and flexitarianism are diets that are commonly adopted in order to improve health. Vegetarianism is typically practiced as lacto-ovo vegetarianism which means that milk products and eggs may be consumed although meat, fish, and meat byproducts are not. A flexitarian diet is less easily defined because it consists mainlyRead MoreThe Main Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Arguments867 Words   |  4 Pagestotal benefit and reducing negatives. In Peter Singer’s essay, Utilitarinism and Vegetarianism, he argues that people who follow and apply the principles of utilitarianism should ultimately become vegetarians and that vegetarians should follow utilitarianism. This paper will review and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments in Singer’s essay. In his essay, Singer brings up key ideas that give insight to the readers as to why they should follow utilitarianism and vegetarianism. HeRead MoreIs Vegetarianism Really A Healthy Diet?1652 Words   |  7 PagesVegetarianism is becoming more and more popular among people in our days, particularly realizing what harm can bring the meat that people eat. According to the article Preface to Are Meat-Based Diets Bad for the Planet? by Ed. Amy Francis, â€Å"Those who believe that vegetarianism has a positive effect on the environment argue that the massive production of animal products for human consumption can lead to land degradation, water and air pollution, and even a change in climate. Academic research indicatesRead MoreIs Vegetarianism A Vegetarian?920 Words   |  4 PagesVegetarianism Humans are classified as omnivorous, which means they can eat anything, and their diet can include fruit, vegetables, grains, and meat. The history of vegetarianism goes back to 2,500 years, some ancient civilizations depended on a vegetarian diet because meat was not available (Vegetarianism). In India vegetarianism remains today as an ethical issue as well as a part of the Hindu religion. Today in the United States, there is a reverent percentage of the population are firmly vegetarianRead MoreThe Health Benefits Of Vegetarianism1448 Words   |  6 PagesThe health benefits of vegetarianism is one of the principal reasons why people decide to transfer into this new lifestyle. The practice decreases the chance of many illnesses. As vegetarianism provides an abundance of fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals, the typical vegetarian has a great amount of white blood cells, strengthening the immune system. This reduces the chance of diseases because the white blood cells fight the disea ses caused by pathogens. The white blood cells destroy these organismsRead MoreVegetarianism, A Healthier Way of Life1410 Words   |  6 PagesVegetarianism; A Healthier Way Of Life In today’s society, one in which obesity is hugely prevalent and cancer incidents increase exponentially compared to the fewer numbers of past generations, we must open our eyes to the frightening truths about our unhealthy lifestyles. Our lifestyle choices not only cause damage to the human body but to the environment as well. One of the largest factors relating to the general decline of people’s health as well as contributing to the decline of the environment