Water Resource Should Be Nationalized free essay sample

Water resources are sources of water that are useful. The world is fast running out of usable water. Anthropogenic activities are depleting and polluting this finite well spring of life at a startling rate. The present ineffective management of water ignores the potential of conservation and embraces the chimeric alternative of increasing supply. Degraded watersheds, drying local pond systems, shrinking canal networks, and wetland degradation as a result of anthropogenic activity and climate change relegate water to the status of â€Å"scarce commodity. The ever-increasing stress caused by population growth and concomitant increased agriculture and industrial demands for water has created an apparent scenario of water shortage that requires augmentation. The assessed needs could be met with more efficient utilization of intra-basin resources, except in case of Cauvery and Vaigai basins where limited water transfers could take place by transferring water from Godavari River. Despite this report, plans were floated to combat water deficits by conveying surpluses to water deficient locations. We will write a custom essay sample on Water Resource Should Be Nationalized or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Various political parties and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members in Tamil Nadu felt that linking river water resources could enhance the realization of water needs. These political pressures pushed the proposal forward, leading to Supreme Court direction to the government of India demanding that the government take steps to interlink certain major rivers of the country by the year 2012, spelling the beginning of the â€Å"Interlinking of Rivers Project†. WHAT IS NATIONALIZATION OF WATER RESOURCES? The rivers flowing from the north to south are not hundred per cent utilised by the individual states efficiently. Because some state may need water and some may not need depending upon the geographical location, requirement, agriculture etc. So the unused water from these rivers are directed to the sea. So what the government has planned is to nationalize the rivers by constructing a water channel from north to south , like how the national highways are there in our country , we will have the water highway routes in the form of the channels. INTERLINKING OF RIVERS: All ancient civilizations over world were born, bred, flourished and advanced by the river banks. Rivers are, therefore, an integral part not only of human existence but the very existence of life on our planet The Earth. Indian culture owes its supremacy to the rivers which are the life and blood of the nation. That is why they are worshiped as goddesses all over the country. Role of rivers in human life and now in national development, progress and prosperity, development of agriculture, science, technology or industry is beyond description. In olden days when there was no problem of overpopulation water resources provided by these rivers were sufficient for the population living by the banks. But with the ever increasing burden of population and multiplicity of demand for water for various purposes ranging from agricultural needs to industrial needs and for generation of power judicious utilization of this natural resource has become an absolute necessity. India is a country with vast population with extremes of climate, different topography, varied types of soils, annual rainfall ranging from 5 cm to more than 1000 cm. ome parts facing the havoc of floods and other parts thirsty for rain drops. Hence a scheme for effective and efficient management of water resources was prepared which envisages interlinking of 37 national rivers through 30 links across 9600 km with 32 connecting dams. The apex court of India has issued a directive to the government of India to interlink these rivers within a period of 10 years. The gov ernment on its part has set up a task force under former power minister, Suresh Prabhu to build national consensus, work out detailed plans and to see that the entire work is completed by the year 2016. In view of the director general of National Water Development Agency (NWDA) the interlinking of rivers should be based upon- INTER-BASIN TRANSFER: Inter-basin transfer is an outstanding example of effective and efficient management of water resources on the basis of need of the people; Interbasin transfer or transbasin diversion are (often hyphenated) terms used to describe man-made conveyance schemes which move water from one river basin where it is available, to another basin where water is less available or could be utilized better for human development. The purpose of such designed schemes can be to alleviate water shortages in the receiving basin, to generate electricity, or both. The national water development agency (NWDA) has estimated that the project would cost Rs. 5, 60,000 cores at 2002 prices. The project Inter basin transfer aims to deliver 173 billion cubic meter of water through a 12,500 km maze of canals which would irrigate 34 million hectares of land and would supply drinking water to 101 districts and five metro cities. THE NWDA HAS DIVIDED THE INTERLINKING OF RIVER PROJECT INTO TWO PRIMARY COMPONENTS: 1. THE HIMALAYAN COMPONENT PROPOSING A CONSTRUCTION OF 14 CANALS: The project intends to link the bramaputra and its tributaries with the ganga and the ganga with the Mahanadi river to transfer surplus water from east to west. The scheme envisages flood control in the ganga and brahmaputra basins and a reduction in water deficits for many states which is estimated to cost Rs. 3, 75, 000 core. 2. THE PENINSULAR COMPONENT WITH A PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION OF16 CANALS. River interlinks are envisaged to benefit the states of Orissa, Karnataka,Tamil nadu,Gujarat,Pondicherry,and maharastra. he linkage of the Mahanadi and Godavari rivers is proposed to feed the Krishna,pennar,cauvery,and vaigai rivers. Transfer of water from Godavari and Krishna entails pumping 1200 cusecs of water over a crest of about 116 meters. Interlinking the ken with the Betwa, Parbati, Kalisindh, and Chambal rivers is proposed to benefit Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The river links to cost Rs. 1, 85, 000 cores. It is plann ed to transfer 141 km3/yr through peninsular India and 33 km3/yr Himalayan links essentially for redistribution in the Ganga basin and to Western India. Only small volume of water can be transferred from the Brahmaputra basin. Thus in totality 1660 km3/yr of development water resource can be created which can take care of any exigencies. THE BENEFICIARIES OF RIVER LINKING: The politically important consideration for drawing up the river linking plan was the emergence of major national and transnational industries and rapid urbanization in many of the ‘low water availability’ natural regions of the west and south. It was purported also to help the commercial farming lobby for sugarcane. A case of ‘mortgaging the nation’s future for a miniscule affluent population. The plan is aimed at ending the flood problems of the Gangs and Brahmaputra and at the same time solving the drought problem in southern India by diverting surplus water of the snow-fed rivers to the rain fed Peninsular river. Help prevent floods in north and east, drought in south and west of the country. India depends heavily on monsoon. Interlinking will help irrigation, which in turn will help increase the crop yields by making farmers less dependent on monsoon and ensuring a year long water supply. These worlds bring an extra 35 million hectares under irrigation whereby per capita food grain consumption would be doubled in spite of the increase in population. This interlinking of rivers will provide food security to the country. Additional 34,000 k. w. electricity will be generated against the present 24,000 k. w. I. e. it will be more than doubled. This would give an impetus to the industrial sector as well. It will not just be a linking of rivers but a linking of lives. It will promote national integration. River transports is not only cheaper but also a non-polluting transport alternative. This has been a success in Europe. Experts suggest that even canals can be used for moving cargo between the states. Interlinking of rivers will generate employment opportunities all over the country especially in agriculture sector, power, transport and construction works. This project alone can enhance the GPD by 4%. Above all migration from rural areas will reduce which would reduce congestion in urban areas. Decentralization of industries would be a natural phenomenon with the availability of water and power. HURDLES IN INTERLINKING OF RIVERS: Undoubtedly, interlinking of rivers would provide innumerable facilities and comforts but certain hurdles are bound to arise in the implementation of the project. In the first instance many canals will pass through national parks and sanctuaries and many people may be displaced by the building of dams and canals. The construction of reservoirs and dams may swallow up the natural habitats of wild life and the ecology of the country may be subjected to unknown consequences. Large areas under forests may be submerged under water. According to some scientist’s monsoon rains come all over the country at one and the same time, hence interlinking rivers may cause floods. Then rivers like Ganga and Brahmaputra are international rivers, hence consent of adjacent countries like Nepal and Bangladesh would be a necessity for the completion of the project. Country is already facing a dispute over sharing of Kaveri river water. Further conflicts may arise between the states on the issue of sharing of water between them. Dams tend to sometimes aggravate he condition of floods They cause water logging and soils become saline and unsuitable for crops if floodwater from the east is transferred to other areas the biodiversity of these regions will be affected; the plants growing in these regions will die, many animal and bird species that live there will become extinct. the severe drought during summer in many parts of the country is due to mismanagement of water and not because a lack of it. Steps should be taken to conserve water at the local level instead. Finally financing of the project will not be so easy. FUDAMENTAL OBJECTIONS TO RIVER LINKING: 1. Linking of rivers violates the natural laws governing the life support system, and natural dynamics; and discounts the bounties provided by river systems. 2. The loss of flood plains and spill basins by human interference has caused devastating floods. River linking shall enhance this situation. 3. Man-made dams, reservoirs, and artificial lakes that are to be project ingredients would rob the rivers of their energy potential. 4. In fact, stupendous energy would be needed for the rivers to jump over the natural water divides and topo-barriers. . Rainfall and water availability is regulated by the monsoons, resulting in a highly bimodal annual river flow and moisture regime with consequential seasonal lows (droughts) and highs (floods). River linking shall certainly aggravate both droughts and floods by superimposition of the situation in each of the linked rivers. 6. Such linkages could possibly be thought of in more temperate latitudes with a more homogeneous annual moisture/flow regime. However, the Soviet experience of river diversion has even then been catastrophic, resulting on the devastation of the Aral Sea. . A river is not a mere flow channel, but a holistic system encompassing the whole basin — water divide, catchment, valley and outflow point. Any alteration shall affect the whole system and even induce microclimatic changes. 8. Inestimable loss of natural biodiversity, wild cultivars and plant gene banks shall inevitably follow river linking to disrupting the regional food chain operation. 9. Monsoonal rainfall on the degraded catchments shall cause excessive siltation-related problems in the linking systems. 10. Careful scrutiny of the state of environmental health of various rivers should have been first made before clean rivers are linked very filthy rivers. 11. River linking shall inevitably lead to an alteration of the seasonal water availability pattern; and the possibility of upsetting the evapo-transpiration balance. 12. An inevitable change in the cropping pattern from excessively irrigated lands after river-linking shall cause a major increase in methane and other gases that contribute to global warming. 13. Land degradation shall also be inescapably aggravated. 4. The colossal estimated cost will surely jeopardise the national economy for decades and force diversion of funds from the more essential needs of the vast majority of rural poor. 15. The inter-state and international ramifications of shared riparian systems would certainly open the floodgates for a civil war situation and serious discord with India’s neighbours. Not only is any such proposal for inter-basin transfe rs totally repugnant to all natural and economic logic, but shall alter the subcontinent’s geographical configuration. In the ultimate analysis, the proposal shall signal the death knell of our river systems that provide the principal source of sustenance; and encompass social, cultural and religious traditions. INTERLINKING MAJOR RIVERS WILL REDUCE FARMER SUCIDES: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) hasdrawn out a blue print for implementing the project with the help of images collected from the Remote Sensing and Cartosat satellites launched by it in 2007 and 2008. Though the UPA government which came to power in 2004 had included the inter linking of peninsular Indian rivers as one of the top priorities in its Common Minimum Programme nothing was heard about it afterwards. India and Pakistan are locked in water war over the construction of power projects on Jhelum on their respective territories. Snow-fed rivers like Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra, which originate in the Himalayas, and their tributaries are perennial. They continue to flow throughout the year. During monsoons, they tend to overflow and inundate large flood prone areas and cause loss of ife, livestock, crops and property. Rain-fed rivers like Luni in Rajasthan remain dry for most part of the year because the rainfall is scanty in that area resulting in drought like conditions. The volume of water in the west flowing rivers of Central Highlands, Narmada and Tapti is directly proportional to the amount of rainfall received during the monsoon season. Hence, there is a always an elem ent of uncertainty in availability of water. To the North of the Vindhyas, the Malwa Plateau and the Chhotanagpur Plateau of Jharkhand are comparatively better placed as they are drained by steady Ganga and Yamuna. But due to the absence of adequate river valley projects a large quantity of water wastefully flows into the Bay of Bengal through Ganga-Brahmaputra delta. In the peninsular region too, the rainfall is uneven, While the Western Ghats receive high rainfall, the Eastern’ Ghats receive very less. States like Tamil Nadu lie in the r tin shadow area and get little rainfall from advancing South West monsoons. The East flowing rivers of the Deccan Plateau-Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery drain this area. SEASONAL RIVERS OF THE SOUTH: To overcome the problems of flood and drought a whopping Rs. 5,60,000 crore river linkage project has been envisaged. The perennial and often inundating rivers of the north will be connected with the dwindling: and rather seasonal rivers of -the south through a network of canals so that the former are stopped from overflowing and the latter are regularly replenished, curbing floods and famines at the same time. The project will also ensure regular, adequate and timely supply of water to all parts of the country for agriculture, industry and consumption. Of the three big Himalayan rivers, Indus has been left out because there is a natural connectivity in the shape of its tributaries like Sutlej, Beas and Jhelum which drain and well cater to the needs of the Indian part of the Indus basin. Water from Brahmaputra shall flow into Ganga. Two main headwaters in the ,Himalayas the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda join at Devprayag and flow as Ganga thereafter. It enters Northern plain at Haridw ar. â€Å"Yamuna joins it at Allahabad. Yamuna, in turn, is joined by its tributaries like Chambal, Sind, Betwa and Ken. Sone joins Ganga directly and Damodar joins its distributor Hooghli. As the Ganga river system drains the States of Haryana, Southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand’ and major parts of West Bengal many times its water falls short of the required quantity. Linking Ganga with Brahmaputra shall solve this problem. Brahma- putra carries ‘a tremendous volume of water. When it enters India at Namcha Barwa the undercutting done by this powerful river is of the order of 5;500 meters. With the eastern States receiving heavy rainfall during monsoon, season the danger’ of floods looms large in many areas of Assam and Bihar almost every year. The linkage will mean diversion of . excess water from Brahmaputra into Ganges ,and this problem of floods shall be taken care of automatically. Ganga will be connected to Mahanadi and Godavari. This, will boost agriculture in the States of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Godavari will be further linked to Krishna, Pennar and Cauvery replenishing their depleting, waters. It will help Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and many parts of the Eastern ghats and the rain shadow areas of the South which get little rainfall from the advancing monsoons. This will bring smile on the faces of the farmers of the’ South many of which committed or contemplated suicide due to crop failures. This may also solve the dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over sharing of Cauvery waters. Narmada will flow into Tapi helping mainly the farmers around Satpura range. Yamuna will flow into Sabarmati which, in turn, will be linked to Luni. It will benefit many areas of Gujarat and the desert state of Rajasthan. Thar desert of today may become the prosperous Sahara in future, who knows?

5 Easy Activities for Teaching Point of View

5 Easy Activities for Teaching Point of View The perspective from which a story is told is called  its point of view.  Understanding point of view helps students effectively analyze literature,  improves their critical thinking skills, helps them  understand the author’s purpose, and increases their ability to recognize potential bias. Types of Point of View First person: The main character is telling the story. Uses words such as I, we, and me.Second person: The author is telling the story directly to the reader. Uses words such as you and your.Third person: The author is telling the story, but is not part of it. Uses words such as he, she, and they. Some third-persons narrators are all-knowing, but others have limited knowledge. Types of Point of View Children’s books can make an excellent option for teaching point of view for all grade levels because they often offer concise examples. The three main types of point of view are: First person. A  first person point of view story  is written as if it is being told by the main character and  uses words such as I, we, and me. Two examples are Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, or I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt. Second person. A story told from the second person point of view puts the reader in the action by using words such as you and your. It can be found in titles such as The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone or If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. Third person. Stories written in third person show an outsider’s point of view using  words such as he, she, and they. Books written  in third person  include Stephanie’s Ponytail by Robert Munsch or Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman. There are two different ways third person books may be written:  omniscient and limited. Sometimes, third person point of view  is broken  down further to objective point of view in which the author acts only as a narrator. This style is prevalent in many fairy tales.  Ã‚   In a book using omniscient point of view, the author writes from an outsider’s point of view but  offers  the perspective of multiple characters.  Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey is one example. A third person limited point of view tale is written  from an outsider’s perspective, but the reader only follows the story based on what the main character knows. Harold and the Purple Crayon  by Crockett Johnson or  Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban are two  examples. Using a Point of View Anchor Chart Anchor charts are visual aids to helps students work more independently. As an instructor teaches a lesson, the core concepts and relevant facts are added to the chart. The completed anchor chart provides students with a resource to which they can refer if they have difficulty remembering the steps or concepts of a lesson. A point of view anchor chart reminds students of the different point of view types with keywords and phrases and examples of the pronouns used to indicate each type. For example, a student reading If You Give a Mouse a Cookie reads the line, â€Å"If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the glass of milk, he’ll probably ask for a straw.† He sees the keyword â€Å"you† that indicates that the author is addressing the reader. Based on the anchor chart keywords, the student  identifies the book’s point of view as  second person. Point of View Scavenger Hunt Help students become adept at correctly identifying point of view with a scavenger hunt. Visit the library or bookstore or provide a wide assortment of children’s books in the classroom. Give students a sheet of paper and a pencil. Instruct them to work on their own or in small groups, searching for at least one example (and listing its  title and author) of a book for each point of view type. Pronoun Perspective This hands-on activity will  help students gain a more concrete understanding of the three main points of view. First, divide a whiteboard into three sections: 1st person, 2nd person, and 3rd person. Next, select one student to perform an everyday activity, such as making a sandwich. The student will narrate each step using first-person pronouns as he completes it. For example, â€Å"I am placing two slices of bread on a plate.† Write the student’s sentence in the 1st person column.  Then, choose other students to restate the same sentence in 2nd and 3rd person, writing their sentences in the appropriate column. Second person: â€Å"You are placing two slices of bread on a plate.† Third person:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"He is placing two slices of bread on a plate.† Repeat the process for all steps of making a sandwich. Point of View Flip Help students understand how point of view changes a story. First, read or tell the traditional story of  The Three Little Pigs.  Discuss with students how the story would  change if it were being told in first person by  one of the pigs or the wolf, rather than being told in third person.   The third pig wouldn’t know anything that  happened before his brothers arrived, breathless, at his door. Is he relieved that he can help his brothers? Angry that they led the wolf to his house? Proud that his home is the strongest? After your discussion, read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, which relates the tale from the wolf’s point of view. Comparing Points of View Another way to help students understand point of view is to choose a book that tells the same story from multiple points of view, such as Voices in the Park by Anthony Brown. (Older students may enjoy using  Wonder by R.J. Palacio for this activity.) Read the book. Then, use a Venn diagram to compare the differences and similarities of the events based on two or more characters’ points of view.

Policy Agenda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Policy Agenda - Essay Example Agenda setting can be a compound phenomenon. Indeed, the dominant metaphor in modern agenda-setting studies has been the "garbage can model of choice," in which streams of troubles, policies, and politics flow autonomously until the right combination of them guided to a "policy window" in which decisions can be made (Kingdon 1997, Baumgartner and Jones 1993, 2002). as these concepts were developed in studies of agenda setting in the United States, one should be cautious in pertaining them to other polities, particularly since parliamentary democracies typically feature more specific party policy commitments, better executive-legislative dexterity, and greater stress on less overtly visible interest group-executive contacts, amongst other things. In short, most other liberal democratic polities perhaps lean more toward the organization end of what has been called "organized anarchy" than does the United States. This is not to refute that there exists a "policy primeval soup" (Kingdon 1997) in each. though they use overlapping terms, there is not complete agreement amongst analysts about the major concepts, extent, and processes of agenda setting. generally, the agenda-setting literature can be separated into two major theoretical approaches, which resemble the pluralist and elitist schools of thought (Petracca 1990). The pluralist loom emphasizes the role of the public, interest groups, and the media in emergent the political agenda (Downs 1972). In contrast, the elitist approach to agenda setting sees the main initiatives coming from government officials as well as policy communities; other elements mainly act as veto groups (Kingdon 1997). Perhaps as the research stems from a U.S. base, neither orientation rates political parties extremely in the agenda-setting process. Cobb, Keith-Ross, and Ross ( 1976) give a bridge across these two approaches by positing three models of agenda setting outside inventiveness, mobilization, and inside initiative. The first is mass to elite, t he subsequent elite to mass, and the third elite to elite only. Major element of agenda setting is the procedure of problem identification/problem structuring of the policy issue. How a policy issue is prepared and identified in this initial stage will settle on the direction and content of the public discourse and the proposed solutions as it moves through the residual

Philosophers Matrix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Philosophers Matrix - Essay Example Through education, the individual is able to develop skills that enable him to be able to modify the environment he is in, in order to suit his demands. Therefore according to this theorist, through learning, the learner is able to acquire new behavior through the process of conditioning. Bode came up with the theory of cognitivism and he considered the patterns of learning as being a critical feature that led to change of behavior among individuals. He saw the memory system as being an active system that was organized in order to be able to process information. The knowledge processed played a vital role in learning. According to this theorist, learning is brain based and the ability for the brain to be able to differentiate between the wrong and right enables them to learn faster. This explains why in the learning institution we have students who tend to understand faster than the others. Rules and general principles that will guide the process are formulated by the learner. This enables the learner to become vital in the practical world real context. Learners are introduced to culture by more skilled members. The teacher acts as the facilitator who gives guidelines to be followed by the students and they are allowed to consult where they get stuck. The teacher encourages the learners to discover principles and new skills for themselves. It is through the skills that they are able to construct knowledge and solve the daily realistic problems. Transformative learning theorists argue that it is through the process of constructing and appropriating new ideas that one can understand the meaning and experience of the world (Ileris 82). One can only effect change through the process of reference as it is through such frame that we are able to define the views of the world. The fact that teachers are likely to insist on the idea of learning new skills, learners engage themselves more in classroom

Creons Downfall Essay Example for Free

Creons Downfall Essay It is clear that Creon’s tragic flaw was his pride, arrogance and beliefs of a leader that cause his downfall. His downfall began when he denied the burial of Polyneices and was firm when he condemned Antigone for her objection to his law. Creon represents the laws of the land and the divine ruler of society. He remains loyal in upholding his laws and trying to overpower the laws of the gods, until the end when he realizes that the divine laws are stronger than his own. His regards for the laws of the city cause him to abandon all other beliefs. He feels that all should obey the rules set forth by him, even if other beliefs, moral or religious, state otherwise. This is proven when he says, â€Å"As long as I am King, no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man. But whoever shows by word and deed that he is on the side of the State-he shall have my respect while he is living and my reverence when he is dead† (pp. 40) This proves that no one should disobey his rules even if the people that he rules for thinks his morals are wrong. But no one wants to speak out or stand up to Creon because they all fear him and afraid to loose their life going against his words. Creon showed his stubbornness by not wanting to be proved wrong because of pride. He did not want to listen to the people of Thebes who tried to tell him that Antigone did the right thing, but for fear of him, they could not really say anything. Creon thought by making an example of Antigone’s execution, everybody would get scared and won’t try to break his laws. He abused his power by thinking that he can change or break the laws of the god’s and not allowing other people to break his laws. He did not want to burry Polyneices’ body, but one of the god’s law was that every human deserves to be buried after death not depending on what that certain person did in his lifetime. Creon caused fear among his people by making a public announcement that nobody is allowed to burry Polyneices. He said that the state of Thebes consists of only him, and that there are no other laws than his. The major actions that Creon took to cause the downfall of Thebes are that he did not want to burry Polyneices nor did allow any body to do it. He broke the burial law of the god’s and punished Antigone for following their laws. The people of Thebes knew that Creon made a mistake but still were too afraid to speak up. Antigone thought that she should get honored for that what she did, but Creon did not think that way. Conclusion The downfall of Thebes was caused by Creon’s stubbornness and abuse of power. He thought by being King he can do whatever he pleases and have everything going his way. Creon’s role as a King made him believe that he has the right to brake the laws of god’s and makeup his own. He caused the corruption of Thebes by trying to measure his powers with the powers of the god’s which Teiresias foreshadowed that it won’t have a good ending. References Antigone: Creon’s Flaws. Dec 2004.

Microsoft: Trust or Antitrust? :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument

Microsoft: Trust or Antitrust? "Oh, come on, just trust me." Those six simple words have been the pleadings of many when, for whatever reason, they find themselves in a situation, where others don't give their actions or claims any credibility. They have nothing left to fall upon, except the hope that they can be thought of as trustworthy, and that others are willing to give them an opportunity. This is the situation Microsoft has found itself in, and in response, they have launched "Trustworthy Computing," a campaign to help gain credibility and respect in the marketplace. Why, you might ask, is a company that controls 90 percent of its market worried about public perception? Why would such a major influence in the computer industry shut down production of new software, in an attempt to correct countless errors? Why did Bill Gates hire Wieden and Kennedy, the advertising agency that gave us such things as the Nike Swoosh, to change Microsoft's public image? It is because the people at Microsoft have realized that consumers use their software not because they want to, but because they have no other choice. As I sit here writing my paper in Microsoft Word, listening to a CD play in Windows Media Player, surfing the internet for sources in Microsoft Internet Explorer, all parts of my Windows XP setup, it might seem that Microsoft has itself entrenched in my life and that of the computer industry. Yet, the powers that be at Microsoft aren't just sitting around watching their MS Office licensing fees come in, they've sounded the alarm. "There must have been a moment of crisis, either they were feeling insecure, or Microsoft was putting pressure on them," Erik Adigard, a former consultant for Microsoft, suggests. The root of the problem may be, as Sara Basse observed, "Programmers and system designers are often overconfident too, and do not give enough thought to the potential consequences of errors or poor design." Those oversights are the reason that Microsoft shut down most of its production of programs, and instead shifted resources to correct bugs and errors in pre-existing programs. One might then, wonder why Microsoft has sold programs with errors, and instead of taking the time to correct the mistakes of past versions, they have moved on to completely new concepts. It appears that Microsoft has gotten the message from its consumers. They have begun unprecedented disclosures of their codes to their competitors, so that they are better able to integrate their programs into Windows.

The Frightful Abuse of Human Rights

Violence or education as forms of oppression carried out by political groups in Latin America is a reoccurring theme as seen in Argentina and Cuba from earlier essays. Government sponsored â€Å"cloaks of fear† take over the nation and keep the common citizen subdued as seen in Argentina. The process of educating the common person so that he/she would not only understand, but be able to participate in political affairs was a major force in the Cuban revolution. In the 1980's, Central America saw both violence and education used as political devices to promote or prevent political change. The most common and horrific form of oppression in Central America is violence. Violence can be used to eliminate political competition as seen in El. Salvador â€Å"In November 1980 Alvarez and five top associates were killed by government forces, an act hat eliminated an entire cadre of reformist politicians† (Skidmore & Smith: 350). Another example of eliminating a potential threat to the government can be seen in the movie â€Å"Men With Guns†. In this movie a religious leader (Bishop Romero) with some control of people and their political thoughts was considered dangerous by the El. Salvadorian government. Therefore he was assassinated by the military in an attempt to silence his voice and maybe even spread fear throughout the country as others feared what would become of them if they spoke out against the government. This imposement of fear, was another method of using violence to prevent political change. Argentina is the most dominant example of government created ‘fear' as a weapon against the voice of the people. The acting government or Junta, randomly kidnapped citizens and offered no reason for their actions. In many cases the kidnapped (disappeared) were tortured and killed, their bodies and explanations for what happened never found. The actions of the Guatemalan government during its politically unstable period are a clear example of using violence and fear to repress change as seen in Skidmore and Smith (1997: 357) â€Å"One feature of this entire period†¦ was the frightful abuse of human rights. Paramilitary death squads most notoriously Mano Blanca and Ojo por Ojo, carried on a murderous campaign against political dissenters. No fewer then 80,000 people were killed or â€Å"disappeared between the 1960's and 1990†. Because people feared that if they spoke out against the government they would face death/torture, many would-be activists sat quietly as the government did whatever it wanted. The only weapon against this ‘cloak of fear' was to bring in the help of outside nations and expose the atrocities being committed. For example this is what the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo were famous for. They petitioned at a time nobody else would leave their house and they brought the attention of the United Nations and other human rights groups to the current situation in Argentina. However in the case of Guatemala, the government continues their oppression until they see fit to stop it themselves as illustrated by Skidmore & Smith (1997: 357-358): â€Å"The government bore at least indirect responsibility for these killings, but world wide protests did not bring much respite†¦By the mid-1980s the Guatemalan military judged their campaign against the Marxist Guerrillas successful enough to allow the election of a civilian president†¦ Under a patina of electoral democracy, the military force continues to predominate in Guatemala†. Violence does not have to be only used as a form of oppression. Violence is sometimes used as a form of combating represent by groups of revolutionary solders. These groups of indigenous (local) solders combine to fight for their political and social rights are called Guerillas. Guerillas and guerilla tactics are spattered all throughout the history of Central America. They live in the mountains or jungles and rely on the locals for food, recruits, and information. Guerillas typically share the same ethnic background and social class, these are the chains that link them together. They use violence and military strategy to combat the unjustness or oppressing governments. Another form of oppression in Central America is education and lack of it. Much of Central America is poverty-stricken and underdeveloped (Skidmore & Smith: 1997), this leads to a lack of literacy. By not having the ability to read and understand what is going on politically in their country, the common citizen lacks the knowledge necessary to participate in political affairs. Domineering governments do little to educate the common citizen because doing so would/could make them a dangerous adversary as seen in Hammond (1998: 15) â€Å"To acquire knowledge is to acquire power, or at least it is a necessary first step. Popular education fosters specific skills, personal growth, and critical consciousness among the poor and oppressed. Learning empowers poor people because they prove they can do something they were always told was beyond them†. Education can also be used as a weapon against oppression, as discussed in the book Fighting to Learn. Hammond (1998: 61) describes meetings between solders and their leaders where they discussed political issues and current events. Another issue often stressed in these meetings was the need to spread propaganda and knowledge into civilian communities. Educating the common people can produce many effects, all useful in combating an oppressive government regime. Knowledge and education expose people to multiple views of common issues, therefore allowing them to decide for themselves what is right and wrong. This creates a sense of political and social awareness that combined with the desire for change and the willingness to use violence can be an explosive combination in the fight against oppression.