The Guns or Butter Nazi Economy

The Guns or Butter Nazi Economy A study of how Hitler and the Nazi regime handled the German economy has two dominant themes: after coming to power during a depression, how did the Nazis solve the economic problems facing Germany, and how did they manage their economy during the largest war the world has yet seen, when facing economic rivals like the US. Early Nazi Policy Like much of Nazi theory and practice, there was no overarching economic ideology and plenty of what Hitler thought was the pragmatic thing to do at the time, and this was true throughout the Nazi Reich. In the years leading to their takeover of Germany, Hitler didn’t commit to any clear economic policy, so as to widen his appeal and keep his options open. One approach can be seen in the early 25 Point program of the party, where socialist ideas such as nationalization were tolerated by Hitler in an attempt to keep the party unified; when Hitler turned away from these goals, the party split and some leading members  (like Strasser) were killed to retain unity. Consequently, When Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, the Nazi Party had different economic factions and no overall plan. What Hitler did at first was to maintain a steady course which avoided revolutionary measures so as to find a middle ground between all the groups he’d made promises to. Extreme measures under extreme Nazis would only come later when things were better. The Great Depression In 1929, an economic depression swept the world, and Germany suffered heavily. Weimar Germany had rebuilt a troubled economy on the back of US loans and investments, and when these were suddenly withdrawn during the depression the Germany economy, already dysfunctional and deeply flawed, collapsed once more. German exports dropped, industries slowed, businesses failed and unemployment rose. Agriculture also began to fail. The Nazi Recovery This depression had helped the Nazis in the early thirties, but if they wanted to keep their hold on power they had to do something about it. They were helped by the world economy beginning to recover at this time anyway, by the low birth rate from World War 1 reducing the workforce, but action was still needed, and the man to lead it was Hjalmar Schacht, who served as both Minister of Economics and President of the Reichsbank, replacing Schmitt who had a heart attack trying to deal with the various Nazis and their push for war. He was no Nazi stooge, but a well-known expert on the international economy, and one who’d played a key role in defeating Weimar’s hyperinflation. Schacht led a plan which involved heavy state spending to cause demand and get the economy moving and used a deficit management system to do so. The German banks had tottered in the Depression, and so the state took a greater role in the movement of capital – borrowing, investments etc. – and put low interest rates in place. The government then targeted farmers and small businesses to help them back into profit and productivity; that a key part of the Nazi vote was from rural workers and the middle class was no accident. The main investment from the state went into three areas: construction and transportation, such as the autobahn system which was built despite few people owning cars (but was good in a war), as well as many new buildings, and rearmament. Previous Chancellors Bruning, Papen and Schleicher had started putting this system into place. The exact division has been debated in recent years, and it’s now believed less went into rearmament at this time and more into the other sectors than thought. The workforce was also tackled, with the Reich Labour Service directing the young unemployed. The resu lt was a tripling of state investment from 1933 to 1936, unemployment cut by two-thirds (Nazi faithful were guaranteed jobs even if they weren’t qualified and if the job wasn’t needed), and the near recovery of the Nazi economy. But the purchasing power of civilians had not increased and many jobs were poor. However, Weimar’s problem of a poor balance of trade continued, with more imports than exports and the danger of inflation. The Reich Food Estate, designed to co-ordinate agricultural produce and achieve self-sufficiency, failed to do so, annoyed many farmers, and even by 1939, there were shortages. Welfare was turned into a charitable civilian area, with donations forced through the threat of violence, allowing tax money for rearmament. The New Plan: Economic Dictatorship While the world looked at Schacht’s actions and many saw positive economic outcomes, the situation in Germany was darker. Schacht had been installed to prepare an economy with a large focus on the German war machine. Indeed, while Schacht didn’t start off as a Nazi, and never joined the Party, in 1934, he was basically made an economic autocrat with total control of the German finances, and he created the ‘New Plan’ to tackle the issues: the balance of trade was to be controlled by the government deciding what could, or couldn’t be imported, and the emphasis was on heavy industry and the military. During this period Germany signed deals with numerous Balkan nations to exchange goods for goods, enabling Germany to keep foreign currency reserves and bringing the Balkans into the German sphere of influence. The Four Year Plan of 1936 With the economy improving and doing well (low unemployment, strong investment, improved foreign trade) the question of ‘Guns or Butter’ began to haunt Germany in 1936. Schacht knew that if rearmament continued at this pace the balance of payments would go crippling downhill, and he advocated increasing consumer production to sell more abroad. Many, especially those poised to profit, agreed, but another powerful group wanted Germany ready for war. Critically, one of these people was Hitler himself, who wrote a memorandum that year calling for the German economy to be ready for war in four years’ time. Hitler believed the German nation had to expand through conflict, and he wasn’t prepared to wait long, overriding many business leaders who called for slower rearmament and an improvement in living standards and consumer sales. Quite what scale of war Hitler envisioned isn’t certain. The result of this economic tug was Goering being appointed head of the Four Year Plan, designed to speed rearmament and create self-sufficiency, or ‘autarky’. Production was to be directed and key areas increased, imports were also to be heavily controlled, and ‘ersatz’ (substitute)  goods were to be found. The Nazi dictatorship now affected the economy more than ever before. The problem for Germany was that Goering was an air ace, not an economist, and Schacht was so sidelined that he resigned in 1937. The result was, perhaps predictably, mixed: inflation had not increased dangerously, but many targets, such as oil and arms, had not been reached. There were shortages of key materials, civilians were rationed, any possible source was scavenged or stolen, rearmament and autarky targets were not met, and Hitler seemed to be pushing a system which would only survive through successful wars. Given that Germany then went head first into war, the failures of th e plan soon became very apparent. What did grow were Goering’s ego and the vast economic empire he now controlled. The relative value of wages fell, the hours worked increased, workplaces were full of the Gestapo, and bribery and inefficiency grew. The Economy Fails at War It’s clear to us now that Hitler wanted war, and that he was reformatting the German economy to carry out this war. However, it appears that Hitler was aiming for the main conflict to start several years later than it did, and when Britain and France called the bluff over Poland in 1939 the German economy was only partially ready for the conflict, the goal being to start the great war with Russia after a few more years building. It was once believed that Hitler tried to shield the economy from the war and not move immediately to a full wartime economy, but in late 1939 Hitler greeted the reaction of his new enemies with sweeping investments and changes designed to support the war. The flow of money, the use of raw materials, the jobs people held and what weapons should be produced were all changed. However, these early reforms had little effect. Production of key weapons like tanks stayed low, due to flaws in design negating speedy mass production, inefficient industry, and a failure to organize. This inefficiency and organizational deficit were in a large part due to Hitler’s method of creating multiple overlapping positions which competed with each other and jostled for power, a flaw from the heights of government down to the local level. Speer and Total War In 1941 the USA entered the war, bringing some of the most powerful production facilities and resources in the world. Germany was still under-producing, and the economic aspect of World War 2 entered a new dimension. Hitler declared new laws – the Rationalization Decree of late 1941 – and made Albert Speer Minister of Armaments. Speer was best known as Hitler’s favored architect, but he was given the power to do whatever was necessary, cut through whichever competing bodies he needed, to get the German economy fully mobilized for total war. Speer’s techniques were to give industrialists more freedom while controlling them through a Central Planning Board, allowing for more initiative and results from people who knew what they were doing, but still kept them pointed in the right direction. The result was an increase in weapons and armaments production, certainly more than the old system produced. But modern economists have concluded Germany could have produced more and was still being beaten economically by the output of the US, USSR, and Britain. One problem was the allied bombing campaign which caused massive disruption, another was the infighting in the Nazi party, and another was the failure to use the conquered territories to full advantage. Germany lost the war in 1945, having been outfought but, perhaps even more critically, comprehensively out produced by their enemies. The German economy was never functioning fully as a total war system, and they could have produced more if better organized. Whether even that would have stopped their defeat is a different debate.

A contrast between Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' and the film Essay

A contrast between Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' and the film version directed by Franco Zeffirelli 1968 - Essay Example In the play, Romeo is in the process of recovering after being jilted by Rosaline (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 155). A rejected lover’s instinctive reaction is to find another love as soon as possible, and Romeo does this, becoming amorously involved with Juliet. The movie however does not depict or refer to Rosaline at all, thereby not laying the foundation as to why Romeo became involved with Juliet. The second difference is discernable in the portrayal of the lovers’ mood during the marriage scene. In the play, Romeo and Juliet are both in a serious mood, which is reflected by the way they speak (in Act II, Scene 6, Line 6 Romeo remarks that the Friar’s holy words were solemn enough to join his hand with Juliet’s in marriage. In the same scene {Lines 33/34 (http://www.tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/romeo_juliet/full.html)}, Juliet declares that her love for Romeo has grown so much that she is not able to estimate even half of its rich value). In Zeffirelli’s movie the marriage scene is frivolous, with Romeo and Juliet shown kissing, cuddling and giggling all through it. The third difference is apparent in Juliet’s chamber during her funeral scene. In the play, although the Friar knows that Juliet is in fact not dead, still he maintains a deadpan expression throughout the funeral scene, properly condoling the Capulet family, telling them to dry their tears and prepare to bring Juliet’s body to the church for the last rites to be dispensed (Act IV, Scene 5, Lines 68-86 {http://www.tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/ romeo_juliet/full.html}). In the movie, the Friar almost lets out the secret that Juliet is not dead by being unable to control a giggle; luckily none of the mourners notices what would seem to them a strange act on the part of the holy man (Zeffirelli, Franco. â€Å"Romeo and Juliet {1968}).† The last difference lies in the final scene when the real funerals of Romeo and Juliet take place. In the play, the Montague and Capulet families bury

Emotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emotion - Essay Example Motivational and emotional processes give rise to a natural gift n the environment known as interaction. [2] Motivation is the desire, the willingness to do something, it is an experienced emotion. In order to understand motivation well its relationship with emotion should be understood. A person living goes through emotions when he/she achieves or does not achieve something in live. The emotions help the person to experience the benefit that was brought through achievement and the disadvantages of the lack of achievement. In emotion there is a hidden tendency to avoid something that is harmful and also has a motivational factor towards things that benefit them and lead them to act. Motivation minimizes the fear of existence and gives a feeling of safety, security and avoids fear. In order to obtain something in life you really wanted, you need to be highly motivational and not thinking about others opinion of it and aiming at it to win. [1] Somatic Theories: It lies under biological approach and was established in 1884 by William James. In this theory he states that a changed situation leads to the bodily changes which results in emotional experience revealing stirring facts about the perceptions. For example, encountering a bear in the woods results in the heart beating faster producing adrenaline. This adrenaline results in the emotion of fear rising. Cannon-Bard Theory: it also lies under the biological approach a... by James (as mentioned above) but he criticizes that the bodily changes does not just give rise to an emotion but they motivate the person to act upon it. Therefore on an encounter with a bear, fear raises and due to this emotion the person is motivated to move away from the place of danger by running away as fast as he can. Schaster's Theory: It lies under the cognitive approach and was established in 1962 by Schaster. In this emotion is thought to be the part of physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. In this respect some experiment were conduct on varied arousal on the introduction of adrenaline as the participants were put in different situations. In this the cognitive along with the release of adrenaline in the participants or a gesture together motivation the participant into a response. For instance, when there an encounter with the bear, the adrenaline is released and the heart starts to beat at a faster rate showing that the sight of the bear is a danger and resulting in the fear arising and the person running away from the endangered area. [3] Conclusion Emotion is a spontaneous response that arises in a person due to the change in the situation resulting in the feeling of fear, happiness, anger and rage being displayed which in turn motivates the person to take action relating to the emotion. Work cited: 1) Abdulla Zarqa. "What's Your Motive" [Internet], Available at , Accessed on July 21, 2007 2) "Emotion" [Internet], Available at , Accessed on July 21, 2007 3) "In search of emotion: A brief historical review" [Internet], Available at

Can terrorism be defeated Discuss in terms of both the military and Essay

Can terrorism be defeated Discuss in terms of both the military and non-military responses to the threat - Essay Example These conflicting opinions are now in the process of ripening and it is hoped that it will not be long before they find their application in practical terms. Discussion Older theorists have proposed that terrorism can be defeated if certain principles are followed. Terrorists often win because we respond to terrorism the way terrorists want us to respond. If our response is not in accordance with the terrorist's will, they fail to achieve their objective. So, it should be realized that the choice is ours. If we can learn to refuse to act upon the will of terrorists, we can hope to defeat terrorism, although we cannot always prevent it (Fromkin, 1975). Such ideas have dominated the minds of intellectuals of the past, but keeping in mind the present scenario of the world, we can infer that such ideas are far from reality. The previous two decades have seen a rise in the tendency to control terrorism using the military approach. The idea of intervening within states for the resolution o f military conflicts appeared prominently in the international scenario in the early 1990s, when in the Gulf war and later in Cambodia the international community played its role (Snyder, 2008). Subsequent years have seen a surge in such military measures and a collective effort on part of many countries to contain terrorism and limit it to its origins. They have, however, resulted in a growth of terrorist activities across the world, let alone stopping its spread. Our recent experiences of waging war against terrorism have only made us realize some bitter realities of the life. Most modern discoveries in neuroscience, anthropology, human evolution and paleoethnology have favored the idea that Homo sapiens are not inclined towards killing others of their own species. The similarity between a 'killer in uniform' and a 'killer without uniform' is striking. Both have to be fed with 'hatred' in the process of de-humanizing them, during which they are trained to overcome their natural te ndency to allow others to 'live' (Ram & Summy, 2008). Such discoveries have led us to believe that the military approach is, in fact, not the solution to the problem of terrorism. Theorists of insurgency have focused on the element of preserving public sympathy during military actions to gain benefit after takeover of states. Similarly, an indirect approach to contain insurgency, which is termed the 'hearts and minds' approach, emphasizes the need to gain public support by political means (Snyder, 2008). Such observations have favoured the non-military approach for the solution of terrorism. Democracy is considered by some to be the solution for terrorism. This may be true in some cases, but again it has its own limitations. In many European states where democracy is the rule, a number of terrorist groups have emerged, which not only fail to comply with the norms of democracy for their own expression but also use democracy as a tool to augment their deleterious activities (Snyder, 2 008). Such observations have led us to believe that perhaps, the non-military approach is too 'soft' for terrorism oriented mentality. So, the lesson learnt during war on terrorism is that terrorism cannot be defeated; instead, it can only be attenuated, reduced and controlled to some degree. Unrealistic hopes of completely sweeping

Effects of Mass Media Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Effects of Mass Media Worksheet Essay What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century?| The major developments in the evolution of mass media during the 20th century included the radio, television, and communication gadgetry, such as personal computers, cable TV, DVDs, DVRs, direct broadcast satellites, fax machines, cell phones, smartphones, and PDAs.For a large part of the 20th century, televisions and radios where stationary devices. More recently, devices such as, laptops, ipads, and smartphones allow people to view magazine articles, radio programs, songs, TV shows, and movies, from almost any location they want. On the Internet, multiple images, texts, and sounds are digitally reproduced and transmitted globally. These devices are constantly being update to provide consumers with the newest technologies possible. The Internet and social media, such as Facebook and e-mail are other large developments in the evolution of mass media. In fact, Facebook alone has more than 500 million users worldwide. Social media allows people from all over the world to connect through ongoing online conversations, share stories and interests, and to produce their own media content. This also gives people the choice to upload photos and homemade videos, and share them with others around the world.The media convergence has allowed media marketers to consolidate multiple media services such as, cable connections, phone services, television transmissions, and Internet access, under one corporate umbrella. For example, when a company owns more than on media outlet they can have a reporter or producer to create multiple different versions of the same story for multiple media outlets. This helps companies to manage resources and maximize profits. How did each development influence American culture?| The rapid development of cable television and the Internet have caused traditional leaders in communication to lose some of their control o ver information. For example, ABC, CBS, and NBC lost some of their audience to other networks, like MTV, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Comedy Central, and radio talk shows. Internet Bloggers have become a large factor in the news as well because blogging allows anyone to speak  their mind at any time. The Internet and social media are changing the ways in which we absorb and interact with the media culture. Sending letters through the mail has, to some, become a thing of the past, as e-mail has become the quickest way to send communication to one person or a group of people in a matter of seconds. In addition, several repressive and totalitarian regimes have had difficulties with controlling messages sent through the borderless Internet.Along with these types of developments, we have also seen differences in the types of content that is put on news shows, television shows, video games, radio shows, and the Internet. From personal problems to dangerous stunts, this type of content has consumers worried about the overwhelming amount of information now available. Research indicates that there is a connection between aggression in children and violent games and entertainment shows. According to Campbell (2012), â€Å"children, who watch nearly forty thousand TV commercials each year, are particularly vulnerable to marketers selling junk, food, toys, and â€Å"cool† clothing†. The evolution of mass media has come a long way, but it plays a controversial role in society. | Resource Campbell, R., Martin, C.R., Fabos, B (2012) Media culture: An introduction to mass communication (8th.) New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Mass Media Effect On Promoting Copycat Mass Murders Media Essay

Mass Media Effect On Promoting Copycat Mass Murders Media Essay This research paper highlights on the ways that the mass media has encouraged the copycat murders. The copycat effect is used in reference to the situation for which a sensational publicity about the violent acts of murders or suicides causes the tendency to result in more of similar effects through imitation. The Media influence or media effects are terms used in media studies, in psychology, communication theory and in sociology in reference to the theories concerning the ways in which the mass media affect the way in which the audiences think or behave. The critiques of the influences of media suggested that media can weaken or delimit an individuals capacity in acting autonomously by connecting the world to the individuals and reproducing of self-images of the society, this characteristic of media is ascribed as an influence which is reminiscent of the telescreens, These Include all the kinds of media namely; the newspapers, TV, Radio, Internet and the Books. . The media generates information in a networked setup, it then publishes the information using the articles, videos, and the photos to the consumers, this influences the individuals ability to interpret the delivered information while at the same time it potentially influences the unrelated cultural and the personal beliefs, basing on the propaganda model. The Mass media content which is created for the newsworthy events and the untold stories have consequences on the consumers and culture can also be influenced. The media has a strong social and cultural impact upon the society. This is due to its ability to reach a wider audience with strong and influential messages. The Television broadcasts have a lot of control over the content delivered to the society depending on the number watching and the times in which the same content is viewed. The internet creates the space for diverse political opinions, social and the cultural viewpoints and a higher level of consumer participation. The process of agenda-setting is almost the unavoidable section of news gathering in the large organizations which are stakeholders of the mass media. The media is not a crude agent of propaganda, but it organizes the public understandings by providing the overall interpretations that are preferred by, and in most cases it is least challenging especially to those with the economic power. News coverage of violent crimes serves the public interest, depending on how much coverage is necessary if it is necessary to cover every violent crime and the level of detail. (McCombs Shaw, 1972) The coverage of crimes in the society can be a valuable tool in decision making. If the Individuals are properly informed, they can make rational decisions basing on their personal safety. In case the population has been misled, may it be intentionally or not, depending on the nature of the crimes, and the rarity or commonality of the said crimes. When the coverage is an endless repetition of the apparently meaningless tragedies, then it causes a numbing effect on the population. The public interest may be the justification for the coverage of the mass murders, but in reality profit is the real motivation, since the mass media are in the business of making money and therefore the mass media cannot ignore mass murders. The allegations the mass media unintentionally promotes the mass murder is a serious one. Hence the mass media determine the appropriate level of coverage and it is necessary to cover every such crime. There is need for the media to devise the methods for discouraging the shoot your way to temporary fame which encourages copycat murders. It is evident that this problem has not been adequately addressed in the existing works on the media ethics. Literature Review A review on a number of the recent works in this field have suggested a trend the general problems of psychological and economic harm caused by inaccurate or unethical mass media reporting has been considered in great depths, However the very severe form of harm which is the unintentional encouragement of copycat murders has not been specifically discussed. A Noted author and the cultural behaviorist Loren Coleman explores how the medias over-saturated the coverage of the murders, suicides, and the deadly tragedies made an impact on the society. This is The Copycat Effect-the phenomenon in which violent events spawn violence of the same type. He recognizes the emerging patterns of the Copycat Effect, how to deal with and counteract the associated consequences as individuals and as the culture. Loren Coleman translates the academic research on the copycat effects an understandable form in which He brings the imitation of violence to reality through the detailed case studies and the pe rson-centered examples, such as the sensationalized reporting on suicide, sniper sprees, suicide via the airplane, suicidal cults, the post-office killings, and the teenage suicide. The media is largely in a state of denial on how its coverage on the death incidents contributes to the violence and destruction of lives in the society. Loren Colemans in The Copycat Effect examined the major news events, which were encouraged and promoted by the mass media, and those which get repeated in lesser-known incidents which were covered primarily by the local news. Klaidman Beauchamp (1987, pp. 93-123, pp. 201-7)) discussed the issues on journalistic-induced harm, but only with respect to the damaged reputations and the business losses. Pointed to the problems of the news organizations which created the news events, including the problems international terrorism, they did examine the possibility that the journalists efforts can play a part in causing a specific murder. Lambeth (1986) provides a thorough theoretical model in addressing the ethical issues on journalism, However, he fails to address the problem of media-induced harm. Hulteng (1981, pp. 71-86) sampled out the ethical codes of a number of the American newspapers; he reprinted the complete text of codes of the ethics for the Associated Press Managing Editors, the American Society of the Newspaper Editors, and the Society of the Professional Journalists. All these ethical codes address the issue of harm and balance in a very general way but do not directly discuss how the coverage of a particular criminal act can lead to the copycat crimes. The news media is supposed to satisfy both the obligation of accurately informing the public about the nature of the societys murder problems, and the obligation of the stockholders to keep the circulation up. The inevitable public boredom with the coverage of the meaningless little murders makes this an impossible act to balance. The media coverage on some murders in the sensational manner has been customized in many events. The editors justify this time-honored tradition basing on the economic considerations and in light of the major roles. The editors need to figure out the many innocent lives that will be sacrificed in order to boost the circulation, or promote the political agendas. These mass media studies suggest that that there is need for standardized means in which a kind of crime violence should be given the attention proportionate to its size, in relation to the its magnitude, and base on the importance of its victims. The Violent crimes of all types should be highlighted, in a relative way to other causes of suffering, which are proportionate to the social costs. Meyer (1987, pp. 155-156) points to the problem of the unbalanced reporting of the health and safety issues in the mass media causes the wild and inaccurate notions on the relative risks of various causes of death. He gives an example where a surveyed group of the greatly underestimated deaths caused by the emphysema, relates to the deaths by homicide. Meyer described one of the studies carried out by researchers at the University of Oregon, in which it was found that the pictures formed inside the heads of the people who were interviewed tended to be influenced by the spooky, violent world of the newspaper content as compared to the real world. It is important that the studies recognizes how the misleading portrayal of the real world can become an artifact of the popular morbid curiosity, that the newspapers must satisfy or lose in their circulation, this reflects what Meyer terms as, The Distorting Effects of the Perceptual Models. In brief, the journalists through the mass media enhance certain assumptions in their work. They make use of the facts which do not fit into the journalists perceptual model that tends to be downgraded in its importance or ignored. This study bases on the facts which include the statistical analysis, even at the most basic level, but the primary liberal arts orientation given to the journalists comes to the forefront takes the precedence. (Meyer, 1987, pp. 48-50) David Lesters (1989) study titled, Media Violence and Suicide and Homicide Rates. He summarized the two reports extracted from the National Coalition on the TV Violence. The first report asserts that there exists a negative correlation between the suicides and violent, media related issues, and a positive correlation in relation to the homicide at the same time. The second report asserts somehow similar, which does not statistically signify the relationships between the best-attended films, suicide and the homicide. Lesters shows that the National Coalition on the TV violence is not an objective source, Lester did not attempt to analyze the methods used, or critically evaluate the significance of these reports. There are serious problems that prove or disprove the causal relationships that exist between the television entertainment and the violent behavior; therefore there is no reason to assume that the television news provides the easier opportunity for such research. Methodology This research employed a web based survey in gathering data on the Media influences and promotion of the copycat murders. I analyzed news coverage of the mass murders in Time and the Newsweek for the period ranging 1984-91 for the evidence of the disproportionate, coverage of certain categories of mass murder in a manner that influenced the occurrence of the subsequent incidents. I used this design in order to trace the root of copycat murders and at the same time justify the hypothesis which assumes that copycat murders are accelerated by media influences.. The instrument was divided into two parts; The Descriptive Analysis, which describes the influences of media in the individuals ability to commit a crime as a result of the interests developed from the media highlights.. The Critical Analysis, which assesses the extent to which the American based print media, perpetuates the copycat murders. This involved the analysis of two main Newspapers, the Times and the Newsweek based on their modes of reporting the violent criminal incidences. Sample description and selection the copycat murder cases In this research work the random sampling procedure was used in the process of data collection on the copycat murders, this was due to the nature of the topic which required many sources of information concerning the influences of mass media on copycat murders. The contexts for the study were based on the distinctive nature of the internet. Data was collected in the process of evaluation of the influences of the mass media and the mode in which the copycat crimes. Results    Table 1 shows the data gathered on the different types of murde , it is clear that the arson mass murderers and the knife mass murderers received relatively very little attention from the Time and the Newsweek. The data shows that, there is a very large discrepancy between the amount of coverage that given to the arson mass murders, and the mass murderers involving the guns exclusively. The fire arms leads with a factor of almost nine times as much coverage as seen from the comparison between the coverage given to the exclusive firearms mass murderers and to the arson mass murderers. Murderer Month/Year Dead Newsweek sq. in. Newsweek Sq. Inches/Dead James Huberty Jul-84 22 157.50 7.16 Sylvia Seegrist Nov-85 2 0.00 0.00 William Bryan Cruse Apr-87 6 0.00 0.00 David Burke Dec-87 43 57.75 1.34 Robert Dreesman Dec-87 7 0.00 0.00 Ronald Gene Simmons Dec-87 16 78.75 4.92 Richard Wade Farley Feb-88 7 0.00 0.00 Laurie Wasserman Dann May-88 2 54.00 27.00 Patrick Purdy Jan-89 6 370.34 61.72 Joseph T. Wesbecker Sep-89 8 52.50 6.56 James E. Pough Jun-90 9 0.00 0.00 George Hennard Oct-91 24 78.75 3.28 Firearms Murders 152 849.59 5.59 There is a large discrepancy that exists; however, this is because of the many articles which mentioned Patrick Purdys crime. But even with the exclusion of all coverage of Patrick Purdys crimes (there is still a very charitable assumption on the data by the Time and Newsweek, in consideration of the centrality to the Wesbeckers actions of the Times coverage), the square inches per dead body for the firearms mass murderers is still more than 5 times the coverage when it comes to the arson mass murderers. This dramatic difference was shown by Plotting the square inches per dead body mass media coverage on the selected murderers incidents as shown below. Plotting of the firearms mass murder coverage against time also showed some interesting results, as shown in Figure 2. In this case, the mass murder coverage rose dramatically with the crimes committed by Laurie Wasserman Dann and Patrick Purdy There is a sudden dived back from high to very low levels especially during the pre-Dann levels with the Wesbecker incident. The Time newspaper which is more prone to the coverage of the firearms mass murders before Dann and Purdy, was the noticeably restrained of the two magazines as seen in its coverage of the mass murders from Wesbecker and onwards. There is a unique relationship pertaining the Time seen from the connection between their coverage of the Purdy, and the Wesbeckers bloody rampage? Discussion The cases analyzed included the following; On January 17, 1989, a homosexual prostitute who was also a drug addict with a very long history of the criminal offenses and mental disturbance, Patrick Purdy, directly to the Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California. He firebombed his car, entered a playground during the recess time carrying a Chinese gun, a semiautomatic version of the full automatic AK-47), he shot to death five children, wounded 29 other children and the teacher, then shot himself in the head using a 9mm handgun. The Initial coverage of the Purdys crime was relatively restrained, where only the essential details were reported. The Time paper gave Purdy just part of a page in the first issue after the crime titled (Slaughter in a School Yard, 1989). The Newsweek gave a single page titled Death on the Playground, and pointed to the four prior attacks on the school children, it started with the Laurie Dann. The Newsweek included Purdys photograph in its article. Newsweeks article (Baker, Joseph, and Cerio, 1989) quoted the authors of a book with the content on mass murder: Theres a copycat element that cannot be denied. A week later, Patrick Purdys name had received a lot of attention, and consequently his fame increased. At one point the front cover of the Time openly showed the AK-47 and the AR-15 which were crossed, beneath the outline of the U.S. which was stylized into a jawless skull, and titled, Armed America. Inside, the George Churchs The Other Arms Race, (1989) this occupied almost 6 ½ pages, opening with Patrick Purdys name. Consequently the articles referencing Purdy or his criminal act continued to appear in Newsweek and Time for several months. Within the same year, On September 14, 1989, Joseph Wesbecker who was a disabled employee of the Standard Gravure Co. in the Kentucky entered into the printing plant similarly carrying the AKS and a 9mm handgun. A reminiscence of Purdys scenario, the Wesbeckers actions were shortly detailed by the UPI wire service stories, particularly the William H. Inmans which was titled Wesbeckers rampage is boon to gun dealers (1989a): The most important fact is how the news coverage of the Purdys crime influenced Wesbeckers actions, and eve the identification of the weapon of choice for such an act of savagery. ( Inman, 1989) The police investigated this incident and at Wesbeckers residence, they found the manuals on weapons and an article published on February 6 issue of Time magazine devoted to the mass killers, including the one on Robert Sherrill, who slaughtered 14 people in the Oklahoma post office three years ago, and another one on Patrick Purdy, who killed five children with the AK-47 assault rifle in the Stockton, Calif, in January 1989. The same AK-47 was the main weapon used by Wesbecker. It is obvious that Joseph Wesbecker was not a healthy and well-adjusted person driven to commit his crime as a result of the sensational news coverage. The Time newspaper might have been responsible for having indirectly caused the horrible crime; this temptation could have been avoided. The editors of the Time might have foreseen the high probability for this kind of coverage promoting the copycat crimes. In analyzing of the data, this research paper based on two related issues: The level of the coverage that was given by the print media, the Time and Newsweek where certain crimes appeared to encourage the unbalanced people, who were seeking a lasting fame, by copying these crimes as we seen in Joseph Wesbeckers 1989 homicidal rampage. The analysis of the quantity of the press coverage which was given to the mass murder as in the case of the Newsweek and especially the Time which gave the undue attention to the particular type of mass murder, hence to the detriment of the public safety. Conclusion There are some positive effects from the mass media portrayals of the violence murders, according to a study the print and television have significant effects on the copycat murders some news reports have the major effects of promoting the copy cat violence and the killings. Therefore study conclude that the reporters are in need of some kind of guide on how the violence murder should be reported so as to avoid the potential negative effects that emanates from the mode of reporting to the public. There is the need to develop a journalistic style guide to determine the type of information which is recommended due to the potential positive or the negative effects. (Cairns, 1990, Price, Merrill, Clause, 1992, Wood, Wong, Chachere, 1991) The mode coverage of crime incidences in the society forms a very valuable tool in an individual decision making. The properly informed Individuals, can make rational decisions basing on their personal safety. If the population has been misled, be it intentional or not, it depends on the nature of the crimes, and the rarity or commonality of the said crimes. If the coverage involves an endless repetition of the apparently meaningless tragedies, it can cause a numbing effect on the population. The mass media generates information in a network, then the collected information is published using the articles, videos, and the photos to the consumers, this has the influences the individuals ability to digest the delivered information while at the same time it potentially influences the unrelated cultural and the personal beliefs, basing on the propaganda models. The Mass media content is created from the events and the untold stories which have effects on the consumers and their cultural orientation.

The Bacchae Essay -- essays research papers

In The Bacchae, Euripedes portrays the character of Pentheus as an ignorant, stubborn, and arrogant ruler. These character flaws accompanied with his foolish decisions set the stage for his tragic downfall. Pentheus' blatant disregard to all warnings and incidents, which prove that Dionysus is truly a god, lead him to his own death. In the end, his mistakes are unforgiving and his punishment is just.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the play, the audience cannot help but feel merciless towards Pentheus. In his opening scene, Pentheus does not heed the warnings bestowed upon him by Teiresias and Cadmus. Before Pentheus even meets Dionysus, Teiresias offers him wise advice: 'So, Pentheus listen to me. Do not mistake the rule of force for true power. Men are not shaped by force. Nor should you boast of wisdom, when everyone but you can see how sick your thoughts are. Instead, welcome this God to Thebes. Exalt him with wine, garland your head and join the Bacchic revels'(19). Cadmus carefully tries to persuade his grandson by adding, 'For even if you are right and this God is not a God, why say it? Why not call him one? You have everything to gain from such a lie'(20). Pentheus shows no respect for the elderly or their wisdom by replying, 'Go! Run to your Bacchic revels. I want none of your senile folly rubbing off on me!'(21). This response alone reveals a great deal about his disposition. He will not let any 'old fools' tell him what to do. However, it is ironic that Pentheus' rejection of the advice of these 'old fools' proves to be his first step towards his fatal end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next scene brings Pentheus and Dionysus face to face. Pentheus starts the conversation thinking he has the upper hand because he has more power over the situation. 'Untie his hands. Now I have him in my net, no amount of agile tricks can help him slip away' (25). However, it is clear to the audience that Dionysus is in control. He is provoking Pentheus by responding with quick, saucy remarks. 'Those who look for filth, can find at the height of noon' (28). Pentheus becomes frustrated. He needs to feel in control so he begins to hurl threats at Dionysus, 'I'll throw you in my dungeon.' Throughout this scene, Dionysus drops numerous hints that he is indeed the son of Zeus, 'He (Dionysus) is here now. He sees what is being done to me' (29). He for... ...gh. He has given Pentheus numerous warnings and opportunities to obey and worship him. Pentheus, due to his exceeding incompetence, has overlooked all of them. Because of his refusal to conform, he deserves punishment and it is a fate the audience has come to welcome. Dionysus now takes control over Pentheus and his all his actions. He humiliates Pentheus by dressing him in women's dress and parading him throughout Thebes. Dionysus then leads him up to Mount Cithaeron where he is caught spying on the Bacchae by his crazed mother, Agave. She proceeds to tear him to shreds with her bare hands. This is the end for Pentheus, and ultimately, due to his constant ignorance, a just death. Although the punishment may seem rather harsh, the audience is appeased by Pentheus' death. Pentheus is incapable of making any sensible decisions. His arrogance and controlling nature is apparent in every action and choice he makes. Pentheus rejects so many hints and opportunities to realize Dionysus' real identity. In his refusal to pick up the signals, he accepts his fate: death by the hands of his own mother. It is almost as if his death, through his refusal to act sensibly, is a form of suicide.