Polarization In The Political System Essays - Fanaticism

Polarization in the Political System On Tuesday, November 14, 1995, in what has been perceived as the years biggest non-event, the federal government shut down all "non-essential" services due to what was, for all intents and purposes, a game of national "chicken" between the House Speaker and the President. And, at an estimated cost of 200 million dollars a day, this dubious battle of dueling egos did not come cheap (Bradsher, 1995, p.16). Why do politicians find it almost congenitally impossible to cooperate? What is it about politics and power that seem to always put them at odds with good government? Indeed, is an effective, well run government even possible given the current adversarial relationship between our two main political parties? It would seem that the exercise of power for its own sake, and a competitive situation in which one side must always oppose the other on any issue, is incompatible with the cooperation and compromise necessary for the government to function. As the United States becomes more extreme in its beliefs in general, group polarization and competition, which requires a mutual exclusivity of goal attainment, will lead to more "showdown" situations in which the goal of good government gives way to political posturing and power-mongering. In this paper I will analyze recent political behavior in terms of two factors: Group behavior with an emphasis on polarization, and competition. However, one should keep in mind that these two factors are interrelated. Group polarization tends to exacerbate inter-group competition by driving any two groups who initially disagree farther apart in their respective views. In turn, a competitive situation in which one side must lose in order for the other to win (and political situations are nearly always competitive), will codify the differences between groups - leading to further extremism by those seeking power within the group - and thus, to further group polarization. In the above example, the two main combatants, Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich, were virtually forced to take uncompromising, disparate views because of the very nature of authority within their respective political groups. Group polarization refers to the tendency of groups to gravitate to the extreme of whatever opinion the group shares (Baron & Graziano, 1991, p.498-99). Therefore, if the extreme is seen as a desirable characteristic, individuals who exhibit extreme beliefs will gain authority through referent power. In other words, they will have characteristics that other group members admire and seek to emulate (p. 434). Unfortunately, this circle of polarization and authority can lead to a bizarre form of "one-upsmanship" in which each group member seeks to gain power and approval by being more extreme than the others. The end result is extremism in the pursuit of authority without any regard to the practicality or "reasonableness" of the beliefs in question. Since the direction of polarization is currently in opposite directions in our two party system, it is almost impossible to find a common ground between them. In addition, the competitive nature of the two party system many times eliminates even the possibility of compromise since failure usually leads to a devastating loss of power. If both victory and extremism are necessary to retain power within the group, and if, as Alfie Kohn (1986) stated in his book No Contest: The Case Against Competition, competition is "mutually exclusive goal attainment" (one side must lose in order for the other to win), then compromise and cooperation are impossible (p. 136). This is especially so if the opponents are dedicated to retaining power "at all costs." That power is an end in itself is made clear by the recent shutdown of the government. It served no logical purpose. Beyond costing a lot of money, it had no discernible effect except as a power struggle between two political heavyweights. According to David Kipnis (1976, cited in Baron & Graziano, 1991), one of the negative effects of power is, in fact, the tendency to regard it as its own end, and to ignore the possibility of disastrous results from the reckless use of power (p. 433). Therefore, it would seem that (at least in this case) government policy is created and implemented, not with regard to its effectiveness as government policy, but only with regard to its value as a tool for

Refutation Definition and Examples

Refutation Definition and Examples In rhetoric, refutation is the part of an argument in which a speaker or writer counters opposing points of view. Also called  confutation. Refutation is the key element in debate, say the authors of The Debaters Guide   (2011). Refutation makes the whole process exciting by relating ideas and arguments from one team to those of the other (The Debaters Guide, 2011). In speeches, refutation and confirmation are often presented conjointly with one another (in the words of the unknown author of Ad Herrenium): support for a claim (confirmation) can be enhanced by a challenge to the validity of an opposing claim (refutation). In classical rhetoric, refutation was one of the rhetorical exercises known as the  progymnasmata. Examples and Observations Refutation is the part of an essay that disproves the opposing arguments. It is always necessary in a persuasive paper to refute or answer those arguments. A good method for formulating your refutation is to put yourself in the place of your readers, imagining what their objections might be. In the exploration of the issues connected with your subject, you may have encountered possible opposing viewpoints in discussions with classmates or friends. In the refutation, you refute those arguments by proving the opposing basic proposition untrue or showing the reasons to be invalid...In general, there is a question about whether the refutation should come before or after the proof. The arrangement will differ according to the particular subject and the number and strength of the opposing arguments. If the opposing arguments are strong and widely held, they should be answered at the beginning. In this case, the refutation becomes a large part of the proof . . .. At other times when the opp osing arguments are weak, the refutation will play only a minor part in the overall proof. -Winifred Bryan Horner, Rhetoric in the Classical Tradition. St. Martins, 1988 Indirect and Direct Refutation Debaters refute through an indirect means when they use counter-argument to attack the case of an opponent. Counter-argument is the demonstration of such a high degree of probability for your conclusions that the opposing view loses its probability and is rejected...Direct refutation attacks the arguments of the opponent with no reference to the constructive development of an opposing view...The most effective refutation, as you can probably guess, is a combination of the two methods so that the strengths of the attack come from both the destruction of the opponents views and the construction of an opposing view. -Jon M. Ericson, James J. Murphy, and Raymond Bud Zeuschner,  The Debaters Guide, 4th ed. Southern Illinois University Press, 2011An effective refutation must speak directly to an opposing argument. Often writers or speakers will claim to be refuting the opposition, but rather than doing so directly, will simply make another argument supporting their own side. This is a fo rm of the fallacy of irrelevance through evading the issue. -Donald Lazere,  Reading and Writing for Civic Literacy: The Critical Citizens Guide to  Argumentative Rhetoric. Taylor Francis, 2009 Cicero on Confirmation and Refutation [T]he statement of the case . . . must clearly point out the question at issue. Then must be conjointly built up the great bulwarks of your cause, by fortifying your own position, and weakening that of your opponent; for there is only one effectual method of vindicating your own cause, and that includes both the confirmation and refutation. You cannot refute the opposite statements without establishing your own; nor can you, on the other hand, establish your own statements without refuting the opposite; their union is demanded by their nature, their object, and their mode of treatment. The whole speech is, in most cases, brought to a conclusion by some amplification of the different points, or by exciting or mollifying the judges; and every aid must be gathered from the preceding, but more especially from the concluding parts of the address, to act as powerfully as possible upon their minds, and make them zealous converts to your cause. -Cicero, De Oratore, 55 BC Richard Whately on Refutation Refutation of Objections should generally be placed in the midst of the Argument; but nearer the beginning than the end. If indeed very strong objections have obtained much currency, or have been just stated by an opponent, so that what is asserted is likely to be regarded as paradoxical, it may be advisable to begin with a Refutation. -Richard Whately, Elements of Rhetoric, 1846)​ FCC Chairman William Kennards Refutation There will be those who say Go slow. Dont upset the status quo. No doubt we will hear this from competitors who perceive that they have an advantage today and want regulation to protect their advantage. Or we will hear from those who are behind in the race to compete and want to slow down deployment for their own self-interest. Or we will hear from those that just want to resist changing the status quo for no other reason than change brings less certainty than the status quo. They will resist change for that reason alone. So we may well hear from a whole chorus of naysayers. And to all of them, I have only one response: we cannot afford to wait. We cannot afford to let the homes and schools and businesses throughout America wait. Not when we have seen the future. We have seen what high capacity broadband can do for education and for our economy. We must act today to create an environment where all competitors have a fair shot at bringing high capacity bandwidth to consumers- especial ly residential consumers. And especially residential consumers in rural and underserved areas. -William Kennard, Chairman of the FCC, July 27, 1998 Etymology: From the Old English, beat Pronunciation: REF-yoo-TAY-shun

Chinese Economy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinese Economy - Research Paper Example of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations (Import/Export License System, 2008). International organizations have displayed keen interest in investing in China, notwithstanding its restrictive policies. China has displayed good business sense in spite of its negative political rhetoric. 400 of the top fortune 500 companies have invested in China. Cheap labor and improved working conditions appear to spur economic radiance. However, it is good to keep fingers crossed. Economic gains have yielded little political reforms. In case flight of foreign capital starts taking place there will be problems of unemployment and uncertainties in finance (Overall Evaluation of WTO Entry's Influence on China). While on the subject, it is also pertinent to remember China's growth is spurred by exports. Its domestic market may find it very difficult to survive should exports come down significantly or vanish altogether. For the moment, China faces little competition in the manufacturing sector, thanks to its political ideologies. China's imports and exports "China's major exports consist of machinery and transport equipments constituting to nearly half of the total exports. Another major portion of the exports comprise of textile, rubber and metallurgical products constituting to 18%. Chemical products, food, mineral and fuel materials made of up 10% of the total exports. There is an exponential increase in the machinery and transport equipments segment of the exports from a mere 5% to 47% in 2007" (China exports by category of commodities, 2010). "For year 2007, machinery and transport equipments made up the majority of the imports, accounted for USD 412 billion or 43% of total import volume. Next major imported products were chemical products which took 11.3%; mineral and raw material accounted for 11.0%; and textile, rubber and metallurgical products were 10.8%" (China imports by category of commodities, 2010). China's reputation as the number one manufacturer of world products today has enabled it capture myriad markets from all over the world, notably the United States (US) and the European Union (EU). Corporations in the US and the EU who found their fortunes dwindling in their own countries rose like the proverbial phoenix by establishing their enterprises in China. China's Economic System China's new-found euphoria as a major contributor may also prove to be a setback in certain quarters. As socialist economy, China observes the "rule-of-the-thumb" and cannot digest the principles of

World War I Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

World War I - Research Paper Example However, suffice it to say that within this particular author’s understanding, the First World War was fought under the most horrific conditions imaginable. Ultimately, the reason that so many different countries became embroiled in this conflict had to do with the alliance structure that existed within Europe time. Ironically, the structure of the alliance system was engaged as a means of preserving the peace; allowing lesser powers to ally with great powers as a means of ensuring that conflict would not break out. However, as was seen, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Bosnia-Herzegovina ignited the so-called â€Å"tinderbox† of the Balkans; dragging in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russia, France, Germany, the United States, and a litany of other actors. Sadly, the horrors of the first world war are not constrained to the years 1914 through 1918. Instead, many scholars and authors have argued that the repercussions of the First World War did not truly conclud e until 1945. This is due to the fact that the peace accords for the First World War and the Treaty upper side created a situation in which a resurgent Germany would attempt to shake itself from the shackles of financial hardship and national disgrace that the treaty of Versailles had affected upon

The impact of New tech used in WWII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The impact of New tech used in WWII - Essay Example Six days later, on May 20, the German forces reached the coast, ultimately cutting off the BEF along with a huge number of Allied troops. Knowing this, the Germans headed north to capture the Channel’s ports before the Allies could effectively evacuate. On May 24, Hitler strongly urged General von Rundstedt to continue on with the attack. Von Rundstedt held his army west and south of Dunkirk, using his infantry group to finish the BEF. This attack was assisted by intense support from the Luftwaffe, and the next day, General Lord Gort, the commander of the BEF decided to evacuate his troops from northern France. Given the designation ‘Operation Dynamo’, this evacuation began in the perimeter around the port at Dunkirk. Agreed upon by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Vice President Admiral Bertram Ramsay, they planned the evacuation effort. With strong urging from Ramsay, Operation Dynamo was to be implemented by a fleet of naval destroyers, merchant ships and s ome 700 other ships, which consisted of yachts, lifeboats, fishing vessels, anything that floated on water. Admiral Ramsay asked the public sector to help out in this rescue, and he was not disappointed. In many cases, civilians risked life and limb to cross the Channel and rescue troops. The original idea was for 45,000 men to be rescued in a two day span, because they already anticipated German advances would end the rescue operation. They abandoned nearly all of their heavy artillery, but over the course of those first two days over 25,000 men were rescued. The Royal Air Force did their best to keep the German’s Luftwaffe away from the Channel, which definitely helped. Operation Dynamo rescued over 332,000 men from Dunkirk, even in spite of a Luftwaffe attack during the evacuation process. Although the media played this out to be a â€Å"miracle of deliverance†, as Churchill referred to it, it is important to note that there were over 400 Luftwaffe pilots dropping b ombs at Dunkirk and causing heavy casualties. Although 332,000 men were saved, thousands lost their lives at the Battle of Dunkirk. In the Battle of Dunkirk, the hypothesis given can and does ring true in some instances. It is true that the Germans used new technology, in the form of their Panzers and the Luftwaffe, to gain control at Dunkirk. However, the Germans also used the aspect of attrition to their advantage, because they knew that they outnumbered the British troops, as well as were able to take full advantage of the lackadaisical feeling that had overcome the British troops over the months of phony war. Continuing in the theater of the given hypothesis, improved old technologies did become decisive for the British and French troops. The old technology was simple: call upon your fellow man, and he will answer your call. If it weren’t for Ramsay making that call to the British people to help in the rescue effort, chances are very good that they would not have rescued the numbers of men that they did. Using fishing boats and yachts for rescue, although that is not what they were built for, they answered the call anyway. The Battle of Dunkirk would likely not have been called a â€Å"miracle†, as many more men would have died. Another viable circumstance is that Hitler ordered his Panzers to stop, and leave Dunkirk to the Luftwaffe. This may have been a mistake on Hitler’s part, but it is a mistake the ended up saving thousands of lives. So, although it is slight, the

Essay --

Tyler Harbaum World Religion Reverend Larry Wood 16 December 2013 Cessation of Suffering vs. the Will of the One God There are a variety of differences between Judaism and Buddhism. To list a few of the major ones; Jews do not concern themselves with Dukkha (the truth of suffering), they do not concern themselves with Sammudaya (the truth of the origin of suffering), they do not teach Nirodha (the truth of the cessation of suffering), and they do not teach Magga (the truth of the path to the cessation of suffering); and Jews do not have an entirely uniform belief in reincarnation. Also, I will cover what little I could turn up on the interactions of Buddhists and Jews. Buddhism’s main focus is the understanding and cessation of suffering. There are four main teachings on suffering; Dukkha, Sammudaya, Nirodha, and Magga. The central importance of suffering in Buddhist philosophy has caused some observers to consider Buddhism to be a pessimistic philosophy. However, the emphasis on suffering is not intended to present a pessimistic view of life, but rather to present a realistic prac... Essay -- Tyler Harbaum World Religion Reverend Larry Wood 16 December 2013 Cessation of Suffering vs. the Will of the One God There are a variety of differences between Judaism and Buddhism. To list a few of the major ones; Jews do not concern themselves with Dukkha (the truth of suffering), they do not concern themselves with Sammudaya (the truth of the origin of suffering), they do not teach Nirodha (the truth of the cessation of suffering), and they do not teach Magga (the truth of the path to the cessation of suffering); and Jews do not have an entirely uniform belief in reincarnation. Also, I will cover what little I could turn up on the interactions of Buddhists and Jews. Buddhism’s main focus is the understanding and cessation of suffering. There are four main teachings on suffering; Dukkha, Sammudaya, Nirodha, and Magga. The central importance of suffering in Buddhist philosophy has caused some observers to consider Buddhism to be a pessimistic philosophy. However, the emphasis on suffering is not intended to present a pessimistic view of life, but rather to present a realistic prac...

Idiots movie friendship analysis

Having a chance to watch the movie entitled, The 3 Idiots, made me change what I see and think of about life. It changed who I am now, and it changed how I live my life. It's very an inspirational movie and it really gives us different moral lessons about different aspects in life. Dealing with a career, friendships, professors, problems and most importantly family. After watching this movie, all I can say is, â€Å"All is Well. † This movie really made me hit me on my head real hard to finally realize how life would be fun without thinking too such of the problems.The concept of movie is very well conveyed to the audience who watched it, of course it really shows how one would deal with life. Dealing with career is quite hard. I mean, thinking on which road to take: what your parents want for you to make them happy, or what you really want to make you happy. It's hard to choose between those but all you have to do is to choose whatever you will not regret at the end, and whic h can really make you happy in the end. Dealing with professors. All professors are different in their own. And we have to at least understand and give respect.Since, they are our professor, they are Just there to guide us to be successful in the road we've took. Dealing with problems. They say, â€Å"Suicide is a permanent solution for a temporary problem. † Yeah, it's true, nowadays, people tend to commit suicide because of the problems in life but it is a murder to commit suicide. It's a sin to kill yourself. Life is full of choice and it all depends on you whether to be happy of not. Dealing with Family. They are the ones who guides us in almost every road we take and we should never ever fail them 'cause we know they are the only ones who can ally help us stand to be more successful.Dealing with friends. This movie is really all about friends. Friends are the ones who could really help you change yourself and become stronger more than ever they will help you in a way tha t you will never ever forget. After watching 3 idiots, Vive realize these things and it is a really great movie to show to everyone and be inspired in their life and think of positive things. This movie will help you be an optimist and see life on a brighter side. His movie is quite funny, and it will not get you bore. It will make you laugh till you cry and will make you cry and touch your hearts.