Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions Essay -- Turkmenistan Turkme

Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions In October 2001, the Central Asian country Turkmenistan celebrated its tenth year of independence. Formerly the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (T.S.S.R), Turkmenistan gained its sovereignty with the collapse of its communist counterpart, the Soviet Union in 1991. However, there is much to be questioned about the status of the â€Å"democratic† republic which operates Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan functions as a government who has elected a lifelong dictator, supported the Taliban regime of Afghanistan, and allows no political opposition in any â€Å"democratic† function. Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea and the nations of Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The land is mostly desert, giving little agricultural support to the Turkmen economy. Turkmenistan’s main industries include oil, petroleum, cotton, and textiles, all of which they export. More than 85 percent of the working population, however, works in agriculture. Most other resources are imported from surrounding countries, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States. A current goal of Turkmenistan to generate more revenues is to build a transnational pipeline transport infrastructure to pump gas and oil through to Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan. Exporting gas and oil from Turkmenistan has given the nation an economic advantage over its former Soviet counterparts, making Turkmenistan the nation who rose the fastest to its feet after gaining its independence. Or so Turkmenistan says. Economic analysts outside the former republics of the Soviet Union tend to disqu alify these claims based on the methods the Turkmen government has used to declare itself financially stable. The United States Department of... ...he communist spirit that was supposedly died with the fall of the U.S.S.R. and its counterparts, making relations between Turkmenistan and any country worth questioning. If Turkmenistan would consider revoking the lifetime term of their president and start abiding by their constitutional laws, the nation could one day lose its communist traditions and flow into the transnationalist blending of the world that is beginning for the more well-established countries of the world. Bibliography Central Intelligence Agency. www.cia.gov Embassy of Turkmenistan: United States. www.turkmenistanembassy.org Library of Congress. www.loc.gov Mandelbaum, Michael. â€Å"Central Asia†¦ And the World.† New York, Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1994. Rashid, Ahmed. â€Å"The Resurgence of Central Asia: Islam or Nationalism?† Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1994. Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions Essay -- Turkmenistan Turkme Turkmenistan: A Nation of Contradictions In October 2001, the Central Asian country Turkmenistan celebrated its tenth year of independence. Formerly the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (T.S.S.R), Turkmenistan gained its sovereignty with the collapse of its communist counterpart, the Soviet Union in 1991. However, there is much to be questioned about the status of the â€Å"democratic† republic which operates Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan functions as a government who has elected a lifelong dictator, supported the Taliban regime of Afghanistan, and allows no political opposition in any â€Å"democratic† function. Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea and the nations of Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The land is mostly desert, giving little agricultural support to the Turkmen economy. Turkmenistan’s main industries include oil, petroleum, cotton, and textiles, all of which they export. More than 85 percent of the working population, however, works in agriculture. Most other resources are imported from surrounding countries, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States. A current goal of Turkmenistan to generate more revenues is to build a transnational pipeline transport infrastructure to pump gas and oil through to Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan. Exporting gas and oil from Turkmenistan has given the nation an economic advantage over its former Soviet counterparts, making Turkmenistan the nation who rose the fastest to its feet after gaining its independence. Or so Turkmenistan says. Economic analysts outside the former republics of the Soviet Union tend to disqu alify these claims based on the methods the Turkmen government has used to declare itself financially stable. The United States Department of... ...he communist spirit that was supposedly died with the fall of the U.S.S.R. and its counterparts, making relations between Turkmenistan and any country worth questioning. If Turkmenistan would consider revoking the lifetime term of their president and start abiding by their constitutional laws, the nation could one day lose its communist traditions and flow into the transnationalist blending of the world that is beginning for the more well-established countries of the world. Bibliography Central Intelligence Agency. www.cia.gov Embassy of Turkmenistan: United States. www.turkmenistanembassy.org Library of Congress. www.loc.gov Mandelbaum, Michael. â€Å"Central Asia†¦ And the World.† New York, Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1994. Rashid, Ahmed. â€Å"The Resurgence of Central Asia: Islam or Nationalism?† Karachi, Oxford University Press, 1994.

“Life of Pi” Analysis

Life of Pi: The Importance of Storytelling What is the importance of storytelling? What are stories for? In the novel Life of Pi, Yann Martel considers these questions as he writes about a boy who survived in a lifeboat with a Bengal Tiger. Martel elaborates on the theme of storytelling as a coping mechanism. â€Å"That’s what fiction is about, isn’t it, the selective transforming of reality? The twisting of it to bring out its essence? † Martel writes this within the first few pages of the Life of Pi, and this idea is carried throughout the novel.He goes into vivid detail of an unbelievable story of Pi and Richard Parker stranded on a life boat together, however it is not until part three that the reader learns that the story they first think to be true is in fact a fictionalized version of an animal-less story. Pi twists the reality of the last 227 days to cope with what has happened to him since the sinking of Tsimtsum. It is a more efficient way for Yann Mart el to bring out the essence of Pi’s story through fiction.Martel twists the reality of the humanistic story to bring about the animalistic essence of Pi in a better light, and in this better light Pi is able to deal with the tragedy and be able to move past it. Pi also finds himself through religion or rather, three religions; Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. He is guided by curiosity and through his fascination of God he learns many stories that guide his morals and actions throughout life. With this, Pi takes on many overwhelming issues and questions that he has to deal with.These religions use many variations of one Story to show other life lessons, and although the details contradict each other, Pi chooses to believe in their similar essence. In doing this, he is coping with and responding to his philosophical search. For example, when the three religious leaders meet, they begin to disagree. The Priest argues that Hinduism believes in multiple gods whereas his religion , Christianity, only believes in one, so therefore Hinduism should not be a religion Pi should practice. In response to the noisy quarrel in the street, Pi refutes, â€Å"All religions are true.I just want to love God. † Earlier in the novel, when Pi is atop the hill with Father Martin and hears an unpleasant story, he explains, â€Å"I asked for another story, one that I might find more satisfying. Surely this religion had more than one story in its bag—religions abound with stories. † Pi found the first story displeasing and to cope with this, he asks for another one. In the end, Pi turns it around and now questions Mr. Chiba and Mr. Okamoto, â€Å"So tell me, since it makes no factual difference to you and you can’t prove the questions either way, which story do you prefer?Which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals? † and they both state that the story with the animals was the better story. Through the storyte lling of the adventures of Pi and Richard Parker, Martel shows a tragedy in a more human light because it is easier for one to cope with the hurt of a different living creature than it’s kin. Instead of sharing the horror of his mother’s head flying into his arms, Pi tells the Japanese officials of Orange Juice dying in a fight, because his mother is more important to him than an orangutan.Yann Martel uses symbolism in his novel within the prominent stories to convey the importance of storytelling. Martel wants to show that storytelling is a way of life for Pi, within his religions, and his tragedy. Pi is able to see religion in a more abstract and meaningful light, which he does in his tragedy as well. He uses this as a coping mechanism, so he may be able to understand the essence behind the reality of what happened to him and, to some extent, the significance of life.On a larger scale, Martel is saying that the importance of storytelling in general is to cope with th e all encompassing question of the â€Å"meaning of life†. The stories of religion and faith try to tackle this question through the twisting of reality. Zooming in on a microscopic level of life, Martel shows that stories can help one cope with tragedy because hearing a â€Å"better† story can help one understand the more factual story. An altering of the truth can make the meaning of almost anything more understandable and bearable to explain or hear.

Acquaintance Rape - 3225 Words

Running Head: ACQUAINTANCE RAPE Acquaintance Rape: It Could Happen To Anyone Abstract Anyone can be a victim of acquaintance rape. It does not matter if the victim is male or female, old or young; it can still happen. Just by being at a party full of friends or even going on a date with a significant other, everyone is at risk. It is never the victims fault. There is no possible way to know when or to whom it will happen. Acquaintance Rape: It Could Happen To Anyone We are taught â€Å"don’t get raped†, rather than â€Å"don’t rape.† Rape is defined as an act of sexual intercourse without legal consent (Harrison, 1996, p. 1). The word rape is derived from the Latin word rapere, meaning to steal, seize, or carry away (Katz amp; Mazur,†¦show more content†¦22). Many people believe that the women could have prevented the rape if they knew who the attacker was. The truth is there is no way to determine who is going to get raped; only the attacker knows. Most people have a â€Å"gut feeling† when it comes to new people, and many just push it aside until something bad happens, and then the feeling comes back again. If a woman goes on a date or is with friends and they get that â€Å"gut feeling† again, then it could possibly end badly. People do not know what is going to happen to them every second of their lives. There is no way to know who it will happen to or when it will occur and by whom. An even ing planned with friends could all go awry without any warning. A victim usually doesn’t think that someone they know would even consider raping them. So the attacker is to blame because they are the ones who planned it. In a relationship, if the significant other says ‘no’ it is still considered rape if the attacker proceeds. Most people don’t think that rapes occur between people in a relationship. Men have been taught that women resist sex to avoid looking â€Å"promiscuous† by indulging in casual and indiscriminate sexual relationships. Men think that women will always say â€Å"no† even if they really mean â€Å"yes†; many women want a strong dominant leader, some men take advantage of this. Sex to men can become an addiction which can cause them to thrive after it. Sex may become a need instead of a pleasure. If aShow MoreRelatedEssay about Acquaintance Rape2625 Words   |  11 Pagesone would assume a rape to take place. When people think about rape, they usually think of a stranger with a knife hiding in the bushes. He waits for a woman to walk by and then attacks. However this is far from the truth. The majority of victims are raped by individuals th ey know or who are acquaintances. This type of rape is known as â€Å"acquaintance rape.† Eighty percent of all rapes are, in fact, acquaintance rapes. (CallRape) One kind of acquaintance rape is called â€Å"date rape,† in which a man andRead MoreAcquaintance Rape And The College Social Scene1595 Words   |  7 PagesAcquaintance Rape and the College Social Scene In Acquaintance â€Å"Rape and the College Social Scene,† the authors, Sally K. Ward, Kathy Chapman, Ellen Cohn, Susan White and Kirk Williams, main purpose was to report on a study they performed of the cases of sexual assaults at a specific college campus. The article provides estimates of the rate of acquaintance rape, recounting the situations surrounding the acquaintance rape, and people working toward making policies against this type of aggressionRead MoreAcquaintance Rape Victims: To Blame or Not to Blame?585 Words   |  2 Pages Acquaintance rape victims: to blame or not to blame? There is presently much controversy regarding acquaintance rape victims and their level of culpability. Benevolent sexists promote the belief that these individuals can actually be blamed for their experiences because they adopted behaviors that were sexually immoral and that influenced the perpetrators to go through with their plans. Barbara Masser, Kate Lee, and Blake M. McKimmies article Bad Woman, Bad Victim? Disentangling the EffectsRead MoreDifferent Crime Scripts Of Acquaintance And Decision Making Processes Adopted By Offenders1534 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough largely unreported, sexual offending by adult acquaintances is a highly prevalent crime (Silva, 2004). This review will look at how crime scripts , through a rational choice perspective, aids in the situational prevention of crime. Furthermore, it will analyse the literature concerning this crime, identifying the modus operandi and decision making processes adopted by offenders, defining the different crime scripts of acquaintance rape illustrated in previous empirical literature. This reviewRead MoreThe Harmful Effects of Rape Essay1076 Words   |  5 Pagesidea of rape is a scary thought. Rape is defined as a type of sexual assault, usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person’s consent (Kelland, 2011). Rape is a demoralizing crime that can leave the victim with lasting negative psychological affects. This paper will discuss the different types of rape, the cause and effects with rape and the harm rape can cause to its victims. When most people hear the word â€Å"rape†, theyRead More Rape Culture Essay1625 Words   |  7 PagesRape Culture Many of the attitudes, beliefs, and mistaken ideas about rape have been with us for centuries. By looking at myths, such as â€Å"women ask for it,† and â€Å"it would do some women good to get raped,† from a historical perspective, lead us for better understanding how they evolved. Women are still seen as the property of men, are protected as such. Men and women are still taught to occupy very different roles in today’s world. Men are usually more aggressive, and women are seen as passiveRead MoreAquaintance Rape Essay667 Words   |  3 PagesAquaintance Rape There are many types of rape. A very important type of rape is acquaintance rape. According to a researcher named R. Lance Shotland, there may be five kinds of acquaintance rape: beginning, early, relational, rape within sexually active couples (RSCA) with battery and RSAC without battery. They are described both in terms of length of the relationship and previous sexual activity. The first type of acquaintance rape is the beginning date rape. This form of rape happensRead MoreLiterature And Film : Crimes And Punishment : Literature Film, True Crimes1630 Words   |  7 Pages Date Rape Tami B. Eikelboom Arizona State University MLS 598 Crimes Punishment: Literature Film, True Crimes Professor Angela Giron While rape among acquaintances has undoubtedly occurred for many centuries, the phenomenon now known as date rape was not named until 1982, when Mary Koss, a feminist and professor of family and community medicine at the University of Arizona reported the results of her study on a new and unusual type of sexual aggression which she termed dateRead MoreThe Increasing Need to Reform Rape Laws771 Words   |  3 Pages Rape is one of the most widespread and ubiquitous violent crimes facing America, making laws regarding rape and the judicial processing of rape increasingly important. The judicial process itself deters both rape reports and rape convictions. Not only does the judicial processing or rape cases itself deter reports and convictions, but it also has a negative impact on the moral and mental well being of the victims who decide to pursue their cases. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest NationalRead MoreMarital Rape Essay1195 Words   |  5 PagesSociety’s view of rape is that it only occurs at night to women in dark alleys by men they have never seen or met before. In reality there are two types of rape in which the victim knows the attacker. One of these is known as Acquaintance rape and the other being marital rape. All forms of rape have long term impacts on the victims, for a victim of acquaintance rape they can feel especially shameful if the attacker was a relative or superior at school or work. For victims of marital rape the assaults