Introduction
As the global position of the United States as the dominant power in the world order deteriorates, China is quickly closing the gap with fierce economic competition. Despite China is the closest economic and military competitor the United States is presently concerned with, China’s recent fortunes do not necessarily have to galvanize a wresting hegemonic transition between world powers. This is because although China’s successes could herald a reorientation of the world order from a Western-centered one to an Asian-centered one, it is important to consider that China does not just compete against the United States alone, it also faces a Western-centered system that is characterized by transparency, integration, and rules and regulations with powerful political implications. read more…
Introduction:
Civil obedience under the regime of Bashar al-Asad in Syria is demanded through a combination of legitimacy and coercive reinforcement. Voluntary compliance to the regulations of the regime is produced through a system of symbolic manipulation and regulation of political discourse which atomizes the Syrian population and alienates each from one another, preventing them from becoming politically active. Coercive reinforcement is applied to assist this insulation process and prevent any transgressions from gaining momentum and affecting substantial change or damaging the power-system of the regime. read more…
After the Second World War the United States experienced a huge economic expansion as technology developed exponentially – providing faster and more efficient means of production – and yet still remained uninhibited by governments and environmental activists as the cry of the United States rang out the banner of capitalism and the free-market system. This was a time that facilitated many great environmental catastrophes, before the EPA was established in 1970, one of which greatly affected the Northeast: the Hudson River contamination with PCBs. read more…
The philosophies of Marx and Locke are surreptitiously similar, as their fundamental assumptions appear to coincide rather harmoniously. These assumptions hold that power is maintained by the people and can be demonstrated through consolidation of numbers. In Locke’s writings this comes across as the first proposition of modern democracy, while in Marx’s writings it was interpreted as the seeds that spawned socialism. The differences are that while Locke centers his ideas around political sovereignty, Marx lived during the unique time of the industrial revolution and therefore addresses the issue of economic sovereignty and exploitation. read more…
We humans are a strange breed. We’re strange because we have the presence of mind to question with the intent of comprehension. We expanded the scale on which this function operated from simpler concepts that affect daily life to existential proportions that incorporate the ‘all’. In doing so we discovered ‘missing pieces’ that became barriers to any solid conclusions, hence man’s oldest questions (What’s the meaning of life? Why are we here?) still remain unanswered, though they are often supplemented with faith which is an inane product of fear and weakness. A dog doesn’t question why it’s a dog, what it means to be a dog, where dogs came from or where they’re going (in the conceptual sense, not the literal), and if it wouldn’t be better off dead than alive. We humans are weak and stupid in that sense, yet at the same time strong and infinitely wise to question. It’s as if we’re collectively putting a puzzle together and several pieces fell of the table. Some try to supplement their own pieces, but most can tell they don’t quite fit. Others give up or choose to ignore it, and are content to stare at an unfinished puzzle. But I think the majority of people are afraid of what we might discover by completing the puzzle: that we are infinitely insignificant, or scrupulously significant are both frightening thoughts. read more…
Eliot Stier
Writing About Literature
Professor Read-Davidson
6 December 2010
A Critical Interpretation of Existentialism in “The Collector” by John Fowles
Contemporary social and moral problems that plague us are the source of misunderstanding and miscommunication in The Collector. The novel is existential literature that hypothesizes the connection of humanity in spite of the wildly different variations in perception. Fowles attempts to illuminate these social and moral problems for his readers so that they may gain broader perspectives and eliminate behaviors that result in these problems from their lives. The Collector has a unique style that incorporates a dual-narrative from different perspectives and defies a consecutive time structure. Initially, we assume one voice is right and one voice is wrong, one good and one bad, one true and one fake. We don’t allow ourselves to trust the voice of Clegg because we assume his psychological disorder, while we accept Miranda’s voice as the truth because she is the apparently sane victim of his cruelty. read more…
The dichotomy illustrated between Prospero and Sycorax is based solely on the principle that Prospero’s magic originates from books, and the source of Sycorax’s power is unknown. Sycorrax’s power stems from the natural world, something Prospero has entirely lost touch with, so he labels her a witch. In stigmatizing Sycorax he creates a binary opposition through which he can maintain control over Ariel, Caliban, and everything that happens on the island. Prospero’s character in this play is a representation of the master of fate. It is he who decides what will happen in the future because he possesses the books of magic. Such was the position of Great Britain during the time this play was written. It was in the era of emerging colonial imperialism that Britain forced its inhuman policies on weaker divided states under the banner of progress and democracy. The problem that arises as a result of this is that the imperial forces consider themselves somehow chosen to bring about change yet they are no different in essence from the very people they abuse. If Prospero’s books of magic spells had been in anyone else’s possession it would effectively neuter Prospero, and make the new owner the master of fate. We have yet to see whether the new owner would use his advantage to benefit himself or humanity as a whole. We also are shown a clip of what happens when imperialism goes unchecked in the form of Caliban. Caliban is hardly considered human and is forced to work for nothing which results in his constant cursing of Prospero and seething anger which violently takes form when he attempts to rape Miranda. The importance here is that the methods by which we live our lives are not as relevant as how we exercise power when we are entrusted with it. read more…
British Imperialism and the Present Attempt of the USA to bring Democracy to Iraq in Inventing Iraq: The Failure of Nation Building and a History Denied
Eliot Stier
HIST210
Professor Maher
12 November 2010
The United States has come dangerously close to following in the footsteps of the British imperialists of the 1920s. It must be understood that democracy shall never arrive and be accepted in Iraq unless it occurs organically within its own borders. We have seen the failures of nation-building time after time, especially in Iraq where we are still blind to the true nature of the state. The political structure of the state is woven into society and is the source of its violent control; but at the same time all its problems. read more…
One pronounced theme in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is the recurring question of what makes a human a human. Is it his beating heart? Is it his conscious mind? These are functions meticulously imitated by the androids leaving the reader questioning. In fact the only testable difference between man and android is a bone marrow analysis. The only biological difference between them is that androids only live to four years. This poses ethical questions to the advancements in developing sciences like cloning: the attempt to copy a human. Advances have been made in the area to the point where we are now able to clone live sheep successfully, and animal protein for food, although the processes are thoroughly expensive. How much longer before humans are able to clone themselves, and how would such a development affect society? I fear – and I believe Philip K. Dick would agree with me here – that the human race would treat human copies as somehow less human, whether or not it could be proved. The problems would be identical to those represented in the novel. However I don’t think Dick’s argument is against progressive technology as much as a social observation and a warning. Are we to believe that android technology would ever develop to that extent? What purpose would it serve? Imagine the families who have lost someone that would pay for the dead to be replicated from remaining DNA. Imagine the clones that would be harvested for organs, and the other potential medical benefits that would arise from cloning. I think the more appropriate question is how can we prevent our culture from ever pursuing such goals. Mankind’s natural state is curiosity, therefore the arrival of such a world is inevitable. We can only hope that by then our society would have evolved sufficiently to be able handle the ethics of the matter. read more…
Eliot Stier
10/04/2009
Promiscuous Reading
King Lear’s Redemption
In this essay I will show that Lear is redeemed at the end of King Lear. Through his journey he learns valuable lessons and his overall character develops. He finds who is loyal to him, who loves him, and who wants him dead. He realizes he has behaved like a fool, and regrets it until his death. read more…