Racism Essays (1212 words) - Racism, Discrimination, Hatred

Racism RACISM TODAY...Everybody jumped on him, beat the hell out of him... Everybody was hitting him or kicking him. One guy was kicking at his spine. Another guy hitting on the side of the face... He was unconscious. He was bleeding. Everybody had blood on their forearms. We ran back up the hill laughing... He should have died... He lost so much blood he turned white. He got what he deserved (Ridgeway 167.) The skinheads who performed this random act of racial violence in 1990, had no reason to brutally beat their victim other than the fact that he was Mexican (Ridgeway 167). Racism is objectively defined as any practice of ethnic discrimination or segregation. Fortunately, racial violence is steadily declining as the turn of the century approaches. Now a new form of racism, covert racism, has recently sprung from the pressures of political correctness. This new form of racism, although slowly declining, still shows signs of strong support (Piazza 86). Covert racism assumes a form of civil disobedience against politically correct thought and speech. Essentially, covert racism is a hidden racism, or a racism not easily detected (Piazza 78). Racism is still strongly prevalent in today's society (Gudorf 3). The three different basic forms of racism, open racism, violent racism, and covert racism all express forms of hatred towards distinct ethnic groups (Bender 47). These basic forms of racism, although different in form, all have the same main purpose, to promote racism. Open racism expresses freedom of racial thought and speech. Open racists promote their views through strictly persuasionary tactics. This form of racism is allowed in our society because of the First Amendment. Open racism is currently almost nonexistent and steadily declining, because it is considered politically incorrect and socially unacceptable. Violent racism promotes racism through violence, fear, and persuasionary tactics (Leone 49) This form of racism is not protected by the First Amendment because it promotes violence to express its ideas. Unfortunately many violent racial groups claim they do not promote violence, and therefore these groups are protected by the First Amendment because not enough sufficient evidence exists to prove their violent intent (Ridgeway 123). Covert racism expresses ideas of racism in disguised forms; sometimes the covert racist is not even aware of the fact that he is racist. Racism, it is asserted, is no longer blatant: people nowadays are reluctant to express openly their dislike of and contempt for minorities, indeed are not prepared to express publicly a sentiment that could be interpretted as racist. Racism, it is said, is subtle: it is disguised, kept out of sight (Enrlich 73) The suggestion that there is a new racism--a racism that has a new strength precisely because it doesn't appear to be racism--deserves serious consideration (Piazza 66). Avoiding minorities on the street and denial of a public benefit to a minority which would be awarded to a white are examples of covert racism. Since it is no longer politically correct to openly express one's racist views, people therefore favor disguised, indirect ways to express their bigotry (Piazza 68). Covert racism is the most abundant form of racism in our society today. What causes racism? Unfortunately, the answer is much longer and detailed than the question. The three main causes for racism are: racism has become part of our heritage, right-wing racial and political groups, and pride in one's own race. Practically since the dawn of man's existence man has undoubtedly noticed differences between races. Racism's presence throughout the formation of our culture is quite evident (Tucker 17). Frequently throughout history the ethnic group with the most power has assumed that its race and culture are superior to others. The same incident even occurred in America with the introduction of slaves. Throughout American history, racism has been strongly prevalent. Racism's roots lie deep within the foundation of our society (Tucker 19). These roots undoubtedly are the source for a great many of the racist groups and covert racism ideas found throughout our society. Extremist social and political groups, particularly those advocating right-wing policies of racial inequality, promote racism as well. These groups serve as the epitome of racial thought and speech (Ridgeway 10). The following represent various racist groups found

Understanding Communities and Ecosystems

Understanding Communities and Ecosystems Biologists have a system for not only distinguishing the animals, plants, and environments (habitats, communities) that make up the natural world but also for describing the complex interactions and relationships between them. The classification is hierarchical: Individuals belong to populations, which together form species, which exist within communities, which in turn thrive within specific ecosystems. Energy flows from one organism to another through these relationships, and the presence of one population influences the environment of another population. All in the Family A community is defined biologically as a set of interacting populations. It is often used to describe the dominant species within a certain area, say, the community of salamanders that lives along the banks of a mountain stream. A community is also the physical environment in which those salamanders thrive- commonly known as a habitat- in this case, a riparian community. Additional examples would be a desert community, a pond community, or a deciduous forest community. Just as organisms have specific properties that make them unique, such as size, weight, age, sex, and so forth, so too do communities. When conducting their studies, biologists and other scientists make note of the following characteristics: Diversity, or the number of species in the community. A community can also be described as being either densely or sparsely populated as a whole.Relative abundance, which refers to the abundance- or lack thereof- of a species within a community with respect to the abundance of all the other species living in that community.Stability, or how much a community changes or remains static over time. These changes can occur because of internal or external factors, or a combination of both. The members of the community can remain stable and thrive in spite of the changes impacting their environment, or they can be ultra-sensitive to even the slightest changes. Community Relations The relationships between populations in a community are varied and may include both positive, negative, and mutually beneficial interactions. Examples of community-level relationships include competition (for food, nesting habitat, or environmental resources), parasitism (organisms that survive by feeding off a host organism), and herbivory (species who depend upon consuming local plant life to survive). These relationships often lead to changes in the genetic makeup of the population. For example, one or another genotype may be more successful due to certain community processes. The System as a Whole An ecosystem can be defined as all the interacting components of the physical and biological world. Thus, an ecosystem can encompass multiple communities. Keep in mind that drawing a line around a community or an ecosystem is not a clear matter either. Communities blend together, and there are gradients throughout nature, from one habitat to another- for instance, the oases that exist within desert environments, or the forests that line ocean shorelines in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Scandinavia. We can at best use the concepts of communities and ecosystems to organize our study and understanding of the natural world but are far from being able to assign exact boundaries to these concepts.

Critical review of Nokia case support Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical review of Nokia case support - Essay Example The project, which covers the aspect of elderly population in Finland, primarily, focuses on the rural areas, since the country’s population is more rural oriented (89% of the territory dominated by the rural areas in Finland). Besides, decreasing the dependency ratios of the elderly people within the rural municipalities, the project also aims to facilitate in the delivery of better health services and assuring a sustained economic growth. The project, which includes both a literature review on the issue, and an evaluation of the present conditions through discussions, questionnaires, and interviews, will help us to understand the subject matter better by giving us a clear insight into the Finnish health care system, and the use of the technological innovations within this sector. The research question, suitably framed, takes into account the elderly population and the medical services in rural Finland, examines the entire field of medicine and innovative technology. The basi c motivation behind this project is the viability of the Health book, is an â€Å"easy to use online medical networking service aimed at senior citizens, communities, hospitals and doctors† (Nokia Corporation Case for Support, 2011, 3). The elderly population living within rural communities will benefit from this online health service by getting direct access to medical and social support without having to go out of their houses. The hypotheses that says ‘quality performing telecommunication connections and broadband accessibility make it possible for people in rural areas to live and work despite long distances’ (ibid, 4) is measurable both qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitatively the data can be collected through theoretical studies of books, journals, and articles on the relationship between improved health care facilities, and innovative technologies and communications. Quantitatively, it is possible to measure the outcomes and implications through the different performance indicators, assessment tests, patient surveys, discussions, interviews, and questionnaires with people in the medical sector and patients, which allows the reader to get a complete overview of their opinions and views, on the present situation and future implications of the issue. Thus, the proposed form of methodology that takes into account both qualitative and quantitative methods, is suitable for this project. The proposed form of data collection makes the project viable, as it aims to explore the variables where the structures will be related to the activities and digital platform of the HealthBook (online medical networking service). The results will then be referred to the â€Å"accessibility and user friendliness of the platform for both elders and medical professionals† (ibid, 11). Lastly, the results would be measured, based on Donabedian’s guidelines (1980), and compared with the results of the preceding health care, thus, providing a clear picture of the present results and the future implications. 2. a. What is the likelihood of the project making a substantial advance in our understanding and knowledge of the subject area?   b. How strong is the impact statement; how will impact be achieved?   The project has chances of making a substantial improvement in the comprehension of the subject are

Company law has failed to provide a solution to excess pay Essay

Company law has failed to provide a solution to excess pay - Essay Example It can be seen that the remuneration committee has a great role to play in as far as maintenance of the appropriate level of the directors’ remuneration is concerned. The directors’ remuneration is mainly comprised of the following: salary, bonus, stock options, restricted share plans, pension among other benefits. There is a close link between agency problems that shareholders have in managing the directors. Berle and Means in case of the The Modern Corporation and Private Property (1932) have identified some problems that are caused by separation of ownership as well as control in US companies around the 1930s. They realised that big companies had share ownership that is dispersed which entitled the board of directors to exert control over the company instead of the actual shareholders. If the directors run the company for their own benefit, this can cause significant problems since they may end up awarding themselves large pay packages as well as benefits. Thus, in order to resolve this crisis, the role of the remuneration committee has been put under spotlight by the Greenbury Report and The Code. The Greenbury Committee was established after widespread public concerns were raised over the excessive amount of money paid to directors of both quoted newly privatized companies. When this code was published in 1995, it specifically dealt with the question of directors’ pay and the bulk of its recommendations were made from the earlier Cadbury Report. The Greenbury Report has recommended that directors’ pay should be linked to the company’s performance. It also tries to address the problem of rewarding directors who have failed to run the company but at the end of the day get away with handsome benefits. The main aim of the remuneration committee is to prevent the directors from deciding their own levels of remuneration. The Greenbury Report has recommended that the

Diversity in early childhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Diversity in early childhood - Essay Example But in a very typical Australian context, some of the major areas that diversity can easily be identified are in the areas of attitudes and believes towards religious beliefs of people. This is said without a doubt of acknowledgement that Australia is a multi-practicing religious nation. Regardless of the fact that there is the freedom of worship enshrined in the constitution of the country, there continues to be the sharing of different attitudes and beliefs towards the religious practices of other people who do not belong directly to our own religions. In my experience with a class of very young early childhood students in a school that was different from where I usually worked, where I had gone to undertake my practice, I came to realize that our Australian society would be better created if issues of religious misconceptions and religious discrimination are dealt with right at the early stages of the development of the children. Diversity Experience with Kids My experience was su ch that I had gone to the school to undertake my practice wearing a headscarf, which is known in our religious parlance as hijab. The wearing of the hijab has several religious connotations that make it compulsory for every virtuous woman to have on. As part of its religious significance, the hijab or headscarf represents a veil which denotes the separation of man or the world from the creator, who is God (Wagner, 2006). However, the community I had gone to teach, being dominated as an Anglo Saxon community seemed not to be too familiar with the use of the hijab. Most of these kids in my class who had fair skin looked at me as belonging to a totally different sect of practice that they were so unfamiliar with. Initially, not many of them wanted to approach me at all. The situation even expanded to include most of their parents and other curious colleague teachers. With time however, some of the kids mustered courage and started approaching me as a normal person because my resistance to continue using the hijab and yet go about my duties normally proved to them that I was just as a normal person as they were. Indeed, some of these kids were even bold enough to ask me about why I was wearing the headscarf, questioning me by asking, â€Å"Where is your hair?† Some colleague teachers did same, as well as some parents. I used this as an opportunity to explain the religious connotation of the hijab to the kids and the need for them to accept diversity. Personal Reflection On a personal note, I believe that Australia stands to be a better place for the future for us all if the need to incorporate the teaching and learning of diversity, especially religious diversity at an early stage in children is taken more seriously. As the saying goes, the children are the future of the country. If these kids who are the future of the country are well vest in issues of religious and ethnic differences, some of the little scuffles and riots that arise from religious and eth nic confronts will be a thing of the past (Brophy, 2002). Indeed, most of the diversities that are experienced by us as people are those that we do not grow up to pick or decide on. There are others that cannot be changed entirely. Example of those that we pick up at very early stages of our lives is religious diversity. Ethnicity is also an example of diversity that we cannot change for another. These are reason that no

Religion Is Incompatible With Modernity Theology Religion Essay

Religion Is Incompatible With Modernity Theology Religion Essay As a cultural condition, modernity colors religions perception in various ways. Popular modernization theorists such as Daniel Bell and Karl Marx have asserted that the result of economic development is persistent cultural changes. However, other scholars such as Samuel Huntington and Max Weber have argued that cultural values are an autonomous and enduring influence on society. Religion, which is the broad cultural heritage of society, leaves an imprint on values, which endure in spite of modernization. This paper presents a discussion the impact of religion on modernity. Discussion What is modernity? A traditional meaning of this term refers to the social conditions that resulted from the rise of industrialization. Certainly, the term modernity is normally used to describe the social patterns that accompanied the Industrial Revolution, which commenced in mid-eighteenth century in Western Europe. Therefore, modernity is the process of urbanizing, industrialization, increasing use of new and scientific technologies, and social, cultural and political changes, which have accompanied these developments. Though popular scholars such as Marx and Bell predicted the decline of religion because of modernity, it is important to note that religion or spirituality has not faded. In the twentieth century, modernization was broadly viewed as distinctively Western processes, which societies in non-Western countries could follow as they deserted their conventional cultures, and incorporated ethically à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“superiorà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ and technologically Western ways. However, in the second half of the twentieth century, non-Western societies surprisingly surpassed their Western role models in significant elements of modernization (Dawkins, 2006 pp. 167). For instance, East Asia achieved the highest rate of economic growth in the world. Japan led in consumer electronics and automobile manufacturing, and had the highest life expectancy globally. Presently, few scholars would attribute ethical superiority to the West, and economies of Western countries are no longer believed to be the model for the globe. With regard to secularization, secular simply means without religion. Individuals who are non-religious live secular lives. Secular government runs along humanistic and rational lines. In democratic nations, this is the norm. People, who make up the government, have the freedom to whatever religion they want, as is the population. In a multi cultural world, because of this freedom, there is a requirement for authorities not to cause divisions by identifying itself with a certain religion. Secularism is the belief that religion should be a personal, private, and voluntary affair, which does not impose on others. Thus, secularization is the process of things becoming more secular. The Western world has witnessed this standard come to dominate civil and political life. Because religion causes issues, it retreats from the public sphere because individuals choose to meet in peace in neutral terms. Secularization theory is a sociology theory that argues that religion retreats when the soci ety advances in modernity. Scientific and intellectual developments have undermined the supernatural, paranormal, spiritual and superstitious ideas on which religion relies for its authenticity. There are three forms of secularization: privatization of religion, social differentiation, and the decline of religion. According to secularization theory, as contemporary society advances, it will become more secular and religion will in turn become hollow. Ever since the emergence of science in the seventeenth century, scholars have asserted that religion might be in a permanent decline, while others have proposed to intelligence and science are anathema to spirituality or religious faith. Bruce (1992 pp. 78) asserts that though contemporary church membership is dropping, religious belief is still strong. One aspect of conventional secularization theory is that one widely questioned fact among modern religion sociologists is the claim that modernity leads to the decline of religion. Rather than withering away, organized religion has a large presence in many parts of the modern world (Thompson, 1992 pp. 148). Whereas participation in churches has sharply fallen in many modern societies in Europe, the picture is still complicated. In the 90s eighty one percent of the British, and forty percent of Italians attended church at least once a week. In the U.S, a modern society, approximately forty percent attend church on a regular basis. Secularists have tried hard to explain this theory. Is Secularization occurring in Britain? If being a secular nation means keeping religion out of education and public life, then it is evident that Britain is not a secular nation. The Church of England, which can be dated from the seventh century, predates Britain itself. Although the influence of Christianity in formal ways in public life is less that it previously was, it is still apparent. The presence of prayers in the English Parliament, church legislation passed by parliament, exercise of patronage by the Lord Chancellor reveals that religion is still very much tangled in British national life. This demonstrates that the Christian religion is largely part of British national life. The afro mentioned can also be observed at the local level. Secularism is just not about removing religion from national life. It is rather about removing it from public life (Ruthven 2004 pp. 167). Numerous Anglican churches still hold countless civic services and in some places, they are actively involved in local life, for example when selecting Bishops and so on. This reveals the observation of many people involved in the selection process, which the Bishop does and should play a notable role in symbolizing the Church in public matters. Another notable area where Britain shows that it is not a secular state is in education. Almost all of the primary schools in Britain are Church of England schools. In addition to this, the high number of public schools has Christian foundations. Latest statistics reveal that at least seventy two percent of the British refer themselves as Christians. That is almost three-quarters of the overall British population. But, these statistics do not prove much, it is possible to have a country where all of its population is of one religion, but the state is secular. Because the Christian religion is deeply entangled in national life in Britain, the statistics are quite relevant. However, it should be noted that relatively few people in Britain have altogether opted out of religion; atheists are rare. Additionally, although it has been observed that there can be little doubt about trends, Beyer (1994 pp. 104), asserts that by the twenty first century, believers in religion are highly likely to be only found in small numbers likely resisting global secular culture. The U.S is a secular country both in its government and most of its private sector. The population in the United States is still mostly Christian, yet by any ballpark figure, secular Americans make up a larger section of the public than any religious minority. Still, secularists do not start to exert influence exerted by religious institutional; whether they represent large Christian denominations or small minorities such as Judaism. In the United States, the reason as to why secular groups have little influence in states governed by Christian fundamentalists is scientifically clear, but the issue of why secularists are mostly ignored by the President is more complicated. The United States demonstrates that the impact of religion on national life is simply not one of formal engagement. The customs and laws of countries are not draw from a vacuum due to the fact that law makers are individuals themselves and thus, normally reveal the values of those around them. When the individuals of a country have been severely shaped by a certain religion, the values of that particular religion will in general, be echoed in the national life. In the United States, the influence of Christianity has been felt in spite of the contrasting degrees of separation of the state and the church. However, to a large extent, this situation is changing. There is an increasing observation that Christian ethics are been abandoned. In this context, Christians will wish to influence the life of the country and those around them. In Britain, this appears to be largely accepted due to the nature of the Church to the state. On the other hand, in the United States, a region where Christ ians are more in numbers and actually more aggressive, the opposition of their views is not on certain issues, but on the very notion of Christians influencing national life with secularists disputing that it is unconstitutional (Bruce, 1992 pp. 137). Also, no secular institution can affect the lives of its sympathizers and members to the scale that churches can. This is somewhat about the social pressure and partly about money, which binds church members together as a population. No secular group can claim special authority in attempting to convincing secular Americans to support a certain position. However, during trying times, such as during the terrorist attacks of 9/11, there is strong religious unity. For example, immediately after this attack, shocked political enemies gathered together for prayer at a National Cathedral, including a Muslim imam who even read verses from the Koran. But, it did not take long for the tender feelings of tolerance and togetherness to be replaced by hostility and division. Some policymakers and leaders embraced Samuel Huntingtonà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s argument that the West was busy in a clash of civilizations with Islam (Gray, 2003 pp. 289). On the other hand, secularists embraced the idea that the world was split between dangerous religionists and secularists. Secular scholars have hoped and predicted for years that as our societies become more advanced, religion would become less significant. However, while the last decade has inspired countless challenging discussions about the link between democratic societies and religious communities, it has also proven that religion decline is not inevitable in modern society. Trust in religious leaders and institutions as well as secular institutions have declined. However, Americans still continue to value religion with about eighty percent telling pollsters that religion is a significant part of their lives. And the relocation of religious immigrants to America and Britain has shown that Western societies are by no means a civilization in which religion is imperceptible. What is more, many conflicts are occurring in modern societies over religion: banning of hijab in French schools, debates over teaching evolution in schools, and so on. Nevertheless, when focusing on such conflicts, we normally miss a fascinating fact. In the face of modernity, old religious traditions are not fading away. Instead, they are acclimatizing and forcing modern societies to adapt to them. According to the conventional view, major universal features of modernity tend to wear away religious faith. Rationalization and industrialization have often been mentioned as forces that would divide the world. However, it is not evident that churches and other religious institutions can thrive in highly rationalized and industrialized societies. At times, urbanization coincides with the decline of religion, but it is regularly linked with church growth, and in various parts of the globe, the megacity has generated the mega church (Beyer, 1994 pp. 87). Another major element that corrodes religious faith is mass entertainment. No country has a lot of mass entertainment than the U.S; however, it does not seem to have led to any clear decline in church attendance. Just like in Britain, Sunday in the United States has become a day to watch football or shopping day. In the U.S, the great secular holiday is the Super Bowl Sunday. There are also other indications. Many Americans prefer to get buried or married without any kind of religious ceremony. At education institutions, such as universities, departments dedicated to the study of secularism are starting to be established. Books written by authors who are atheists are bestsellers. And there is still little uncertainty that religious groups still wield a lot of influence in American public life and politics, particularly in major parties. Another element of modernity that seems to corrode religion is the pluralism of modern societies. Sociologists have regularly argued that pluralism corrodes religion; the existence of so many religions challenges the plausibility of religious faith. However, pluralistic societies contain numerous people with strong religious belief. But, we all know that pluralistic societies contain numerous people with strong religious beliefs and if this was not false, then pluralistic societies could not exist. According to a recent study, evangelicalism in America positively thrives on pluralism due to the fact that living in a pluralistic society causes evangelicals to sharpen their different religious identities. Norris Ingle-hart (2004, pp. 245) asserts that post-modernity with its expressive consumerism and individualism, challenges tradition religion. Some types of religion appear to blossom in a post-modern environment. This is most noticeably true in Pentecostal and charismatic forms of evangelicalism that strike in with easy-to-read individualism of post-modernity. Still, there is no strong evidence that science is a key agent of secularization. According to a 1996 survey, roughly forty percent Americans believe in a personal god. Science is not a secularizing force. But, a factor that appears to closely correlate with secularization is the western style higher education. Though Americans are known for their religiosity, there is compelling evidence that social elites are rather highly secularized. Still, in the United States and Western Europe, individuals with a higher education are more likely to be keenly involved in churches than people with little education (Cohen Kennedy, 2000 pp. 154). It is notable that none of modernityà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s universal features can explain the reason why some areas of the modern world are more highly secularized than other areas. The effect of these features is dependent on the particular context that they operate. Additionally, global factors are poor predictors of secularization, and religious decline can only be explained with reference to independent variables present in societies that are highly secularized. Beyer (1994 pp. 178) asserts that modernization essentially leads to a decline of religion, in the minds of people and in society. Conclusion When evaluating the role of religion in modern societies, it is crucial to address secularization. There is a lot of pressure exerted to make Britain a more secular nation. However, Britain retains a strong Christian basis in education and public life. On the other hand, the population in the United States is still mostly Christian, but secular Americans constitute a larger segment of the public than any other religious minority.

Justifying the Iraq War :: Politics Wars Middle East Bush Iraq Essays

The ensuing war between the United States and Iraq has been a topic of controversy for several years now. Citizens of America have been divided since the war began and continue to cluster in groups that either fully support or have no support for President Bush and this ongoing war. Many would like to know who is right and who is wrong. Is this war with Iraq justifiable, or has America jumped into something that could have possibly been avoided? To answer these questions a comparison should be made between the characteristics of this war and those that constitute a just war. Just war is a term which implies that a certain war is acceptable and justifiable based on certain conditions. The conditions for having a just war include those which must be visible before a war can be declared (Jus Ad Bellum) as well as those that must be followed during a war (Jus In Bello). Some of the conditions that are necessary before war is declared include having a just cause for war, having the right intentions for war, and having no other alternative but war (1). Once engaged in a war other criteria apply such as the acts of war must be aimed those doing wrong and not at innocent civilians, prisoners of war should be treated humanely and with respect, and finally that there be no torture of any kind to soldiers of the opposing army. If these characteristics are put up against the United States and their strikes on Iraq, there is absolutely no way that the just war theory could classify this war as being just. The primary criterion for any war to be labeled as a just war is for that war to be declared for a just cause. The United States clearly did not have any such cause for launching a war against Iraq. The Bush administration’s newly proposed doctrine of pre-emption declares the right to initiate strikes against states that are deemed to be future threats against the US (2). Under the rules of just war, just cause is described as self defense against an attack in order to preserve innocent life, not pre-emptive strikes against possible dangers. The fact is, is that although the idea of attacking a nation that does not pose a threat today, but may pose one in the near future is as old as war itself, it completely goes against the precedents set forth by the just war theory(2). Justifying the Iraq War :: Politics Wars Middle East Bush Iraq Essays The ensuing war between the United States and Iraq has been a topic of controversy for several years now. Citizens of America have been divided since the war began and continue to cluster in groups that either fully support or have no support for President Bush and this ongoing war. Many would like to know who is right and who is wrong. Is this war with Iraq justifiable, or has America jumped into something that could have possibly been avoided? To answer these questions a comparison should be made between the characteristics of this war and those that constitute a just war. Just war is a term which implies that a certain war is acceptable and justifiable based on certain conditions. The conditions for having a just war include those which must be visible before a war can be declared (Jus Ad Bellum) as well as those that must be followed during a war (Jus In Bello). Some of the conditions that are necessary before war is declared include having a just cause for war, having the right intentions for war, and having no other alternative but war (1). Once engaged in a war other criteria apply such as the acts of war must be aimed those doing wrong and not at innocent civilians, prisoners of war should be treated humanely and with respect, and finally that there be no torture of any kind to soldiers of the opposing army. If these characteristics are put up against the United States and their strikes on Iraq, there is absolutely no way that the just war theory could classify this war as being just. The primary criterion for any war to be labeled as a just war is for that war to be declared for a just cause. The United States clearly did not have any such cause for launching a war against Iraq. The Bush administration’s newly proposed doctrine of pre-emption declares the right to initiate strikes against states that are deemed to be future threats against the US (2). Under the rules of just war, just cause is described as self defense against an attack in order to preserve innocent life, not pre-emptive strikes against possible dangers. The fact is, is that although the idea of attacking a nation that does not pose a threat today, but may pose one in the near future is as old as war itself, it completely goes against the precedents set forth by the just war theory(2).