Themes of Fear in Batman Begins Essay Example For Students

Themes of Fear in Batman Begins Essay I believe the main theme of the film, Batman Begins, is fear. The movie uses fear to show how it could affect the way people live and think. It shows how fear can take control of a human being, destroy them completely, and potentially destroy a society. It also shows how a person can instead take control of fear, this is what frees people, because without fear we can do almost anything. The characters that represent these effects of fear are Batman and Dr. Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow). Each of them are exposed to extensive amounts of fear to start their lives. We will write a custom essay on Themes of Fear in Batman Begins specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Fear that was cause by criminals, both Batman and Jonathan lost their parents to criminals. At first the fear affects them both similarly, but in the long run the effects are completely different. The difference is their ability to control the fear, and the way they used the fear. Batman used his fear to fight crime and save innocent people to better Gotham while Jonathan used fear to kill criminals, create more criminals, attack innocent people, and ultimately attempt to destroy Gotham. Their control of fear is what resulted in them acting in these completely different ways. Batman controls his fear enough to maintain a sane way of thinking, resulting in him being able to tell right from wrong, and villains from innocent people. He lives by rules, which include the inability to kill someone. These rules separate him from the villains, other low lives, and the league of shadows whom he learned his skills from. This makes sure he really is making a difference in the world. Then there’s Jonathan who can’t tell apart the good from the bad because of his lack of control of fear. Which enables fear to control him and potentially drive him to try to obliterate all of Gotham. This is what turns him into Scarecrow. Jonathan so strongly wants justice for what happened to his parents that he goes on a rampage of killing people, and destroying the city. This results in havoc throughout Gotham. This is a complete and utter fail to distinguish good from bad, fueled by a large want for justice. Most would ask, how could fear drive you to doing these things? It is a proven fact that extremism comes from fear. Some examples are obese people and terrorists. Obese people go to extreme lengths and potentially starve themselves to lose weight, while terrorists give up their lives and perform horrendous attacks on innocent people in fear of their god. Batman controls his fear, Jonathan doesn’t, which results in fear controlling him and eventually creates extremism. Fear is also used in the drug that Scarecrow uses to surface peoples’ biggest fears. Scarecrow uses this drug to make people feel how he feels inside. We can relate this to the fact that Bruce Wayne (Batman) uses the bat suit to fight crime so he can make criminals fear the bat as he fears bats. Though Batman can control his fear, he is also susceptible to this drug. Everyone controls their fears to some point but everyone still fears someone or something. Even if it’s something that’s never brought up or never comes to mind, it’s still there. The immunity of fear is impossible. Like the fear drug did to Gotham, fear could destroy a society in today’s world through violence and chaos. Violence is created by fear and violence results in chaos, this is what can and will destroy a society. Violence will tear apart a political structure because violence harms the people, and the political structure is supposed to keep the people safe. In other words, if the people aren’t safe, the political structure and wellbeing of society aren’t safe. The fear drug shows what would happen if people became overtaken by fear and panic. The movie suggests that it would totally obliterate a society. .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 , .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 .postImageUrl , .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 , .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688:hover , .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688:visited , .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688:active { border:0!important; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688:active , .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688 .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7d482c772b50e678c1317a67748c3688:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Star Wars and Odyssey Comparison Paper Essay ExampleBatman Begins does a great job of using fear to show how it could affect humans and society on a small and large scale. On a small scale, it could completely change a person, their morals, and their lifestyle in a good or bad way. On a larger scale its way more devastating, completely destroying civilizations and societies. Jonathan (Scarecrow) was pushed by fear, but not all criminals have the same motivation. A lot of criminals are more brutal than Jonathan, a lot of criminals just want to see the world erupt in chaos, potentially destroying society. This makes you think, what would happen if someone with a good bit of power was to become like Jonathan? What would happen to society? Would we put an end to it or would we let it eat us alive from the inside out? Well never know until it happens. We can look at historical events that somewhat relate to this though. For example, what Hitler did to the Jews and surrounding countries, and what Pol Pot did to Cambodia. Both these campaigns were put to a stop so we can almost assume that if it happens again the same results will come forth. Only time will tell.

The Definition of Ethnicity in Sociology

The Definition of Ethnicity in Sociology In sociology, ethnicity is a concept referring to a shared culture and a way of life. This can be reflected in language, religion, material culture such as clothing and cuisine, and cultural products such as music and art. Ethnicity is often a major source of social cohesion as well as social conflict. The world is home to thousands of different ethnic groups, from the Han Chinese- the largest ethnic group in the world- to the smallest indigenous groups, some of which include only a few dozen people. Almost all of these groups possess a shared history, language, religion, and culture, which provide group members with a common identity. Learned Behavior Ethnicity, unlike race, is not based on biological traits, except in the case of ethnic groups that recognize certain traits as requirements for membership. In other words, the cultural elements that define a particular ethnic group are taught, not inherited. This means that the boundaries between ethnic groups are, to some degree, fluid, allowing for individuals to move between groups. This can happen, for example, when a child from one ethnic group is adopted into another, or when an individual undergoes a religious conversion. It can also happen through the process of acculturation, whereby members of a native group are forced to adopt the culture and manners of a dominating host group. Ethnicity should not be confused with nationality, which refers to citizenship. While some countries are largely composed of a single ethnic group (Egypt, Finland, Germany, China), others are composed of many different groups (United States, Australia, Philippines, Panama). The rise of nation-states in Europe in the 1600s led to the creation of many countries that are still ethnically homogenous today (the population of Germany, for example, is 91.5 percent German). Countries that were founded as colonies, on the other hand, are more likely to be home to multiple ethnicities. Examples Different ethnic groups do not use the same criteria to define group membership. While one group may emphasize the importance of a shared language, another may emphasize the importance of a shared religious identity. For example, French Canadians are an ethnic group for whom language is paramount. It is what connects them to the French colonists who first settled Canada in the 1600s and what distinguishes them from English Canadians, Scottish Canadians, and Irish Canadians. Other aspects of culture, such as religion, are less significant when it comes to defining who is and is not French Canadian. Most French Canadians are Christians, but some are Catholic and others are Protestant. In contrast, religion is an essential part of ethnic identity for groups such as the Jews. Unlike French Canadians, Jews do not define themselves based on a single shared language. In fact, Jewish communities throughout the world have developed a variety of different languages, including Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), Judeo-Arabic, and Judeo-Aramaic (not to mention the many Jews who speak English, French, German, or any other of the worlds many languages). Because ethnic groups are self-defined, it is important to remember that no single aspect of group identity (language, religion, etc.) can be used to sort people into one group or another. Flashpop / Getty Images Race vs. Ethnicity Unlike ethnicity, race is based on physical traits that are inherited, such as skin color and facial features. Racial categories are broader than ethnic categories. Today, for example, the U.S. Census divides people into five racial categories: white, black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native,  Asian, and  Native Hawaiian  or Other Pacific Islander. Modern scientists regard race as a social construct, and racial categories, like ethnic categories, have changed over time. What Is My Ethnicity? Because ethnicity is more of a cultural practice than a science, you probably grew up understanding your own ethnicity in a way that tests will never be able to measure. The food you ate, the traditions you practiced, and the language(s) you spoke are all essential aspects of your ethnic identity. If you are interested in learning more about your exact ancestry, you can do so using a variety of DNA testing services. DNA Testing for Ethnicity DNA testing- available through services such as 23andMe, MyHeritage, and LivingDNA- allows people to explore their genealogy using their genetic information. Examining DNA can reveal information about a persons ancestry and ethnic background. While the principles of DNA testing are sound, the private companies that offer this service through home-testing kits have been criticized for their methodologies. Sheldon Krimsky, a scientist at Tufts University, says that these companies don’t share their data, and their methods are not validated by an independent group of scientists. Since each company uses a different database of genetic information, Krimsky says the tests can only give an indication of probabilities: The results are in no way definitive; instead each company uses common genetic variations as the basis for saying the  The popularity of DNA testing for ancestry has also generated concerns about data privacy.

Violence in Secondary Schools and Colleges in Britain Essay

Violence in Secondary Schools and Colleges in Britain - Essay Example It is common to read in the newspapers and hear through other people that a teenager has been stabbed in the eye and the head by a fellow of 15 years old at school; we also hear and read about pupils that suffer cuts and bruises in a school/college attack or that are slashed across the face with a pencil sharpener; students mugging other students for their cash and mobile phones, and the list is long. The truth is that this issue has been raised some years ago. The police usually said that the incidents reported where not related to racial disputes. However, this need to be confirmed as usually ethnic groups is also part of the problem. In 2006, Ministers decided to change the law to provide teachers with the legal right to discipline unruly pupils and restrain children using reasonable force. In May 2005 the British government announced the creation of a task force (Curtis:2005) where experts heads and teachers would have to consider a national code of behaviour, and to set minimum standards expected by schools, parents and pupils, in order to tackle poor behaviour. Also, a new offence of "allowing a child to be found in a public place during school hours without good cause" to make sure parents keep track of their children was established, and the controversial right of parents to appeal when a pupil was excluded for more than five days was backed as well (Macleod:2005). The whole initiative represented a new move to construct a "culture of respect" in the classroom. However, as we have already seen, reforms have made little impact. Colleges started to take different measures like installing metal detectors in hundreds of secondary schools in an effort to dissuade pupils from carrying knives and dangerous weapons; increasing guards and security; introducing cameras; among others. The introduction of these cameras was important as by this measure some students were caught red-handed like for example in the act of stealing a purse or breaking the windows of the classroom, or vandalising cars in the school area. The question from now on is the following: How can we improve the current situation For the question raised we can think of many important measures that can be adopted. For example it is necessary to establish norms for behaviour for students. Students can be asked to set penalties and enforce rules. Also it is imperative to encourage parents to talk with teachers about the progress of the child, to engage in a closer relationship with the school authorities, and to learn how to recognize the warning signs of violence either at home or with their peers as they will surely reproduce later in the school environment. For teachers it is also important to recognise the signs of violence as soon as they occur and to stop them immediately. They can report immediately

Medical Precision Systems Human Resources Management Case Study

Medical Precision Systems Human Resources Management - Case Study Example "A share is a unit of ownership. When you own a share you become a part-owner (shareholder) of a company and you will have the right to: receive any dividends paid on each share that you own; receive a copy or summary of the company's annual report A performance management culture exists at MPS and appraisals, remuneration, and promotions are highly performance based. Artley and Stroh (2001, p. 5) reports, "All high-performance organizations, whether public or private, are, and must be, interested in developing and deploying effective performance measurement and performance management systems, since it is only through such systems that they can remain high-performance organizations." For fifteen years MPS has been employing a total quality management (TQM) program. Ten employees are on a team and they elect their leader. Group, or team, leaders hold feedback sessions and report what they gather to the senior production managers. (Beardwell and Holden, 2001, p.742.) A great deal of time, effort, and money is involved in providing excellent training in teamwork, people skills, and job education. Along with all of this training, company benefits, and a caring staff MPS also offers recreational facilities, sports, and social events for its employees. The company has strong values and a clear vision and it lives up to its mission statement, "MPS-working for the health of America". (Beardwell and Holden, 2001, p.742.) In the early 1990s MPS took its business worldwide and expanded into Europe, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and France. The strategy had to be adjusted as the company was now global and the system had to cater to global commitments and developments. Although business on the production and marketing side were going well Last Name 3 and the United Kingdom subsidiary in Bath and the Swedish subsidiary in Uppsala experienced steady growth, the overseas HRM experienced many difficulties. Reports revealed there was much potential for the French subsidiary. ((Beardwell and Holden, 2001, p. 742.) The company faced some disadvantages of going global and the lack of success with HRM that other firms run into. These include, as listed on 03 October 2003 by easterangel-ga (a blogger on Google Answers): -Flexibility and change in mindset: Cultural taboos or sensitivities of the market -Level of commitment -Organizational structure: Ensure multinational legal compliance such as labeling, packaging, product safety, and liability laws) -Language barriers MPS's HRM worked for its home-based parent company but did not do quite as well with its subsidiaries. Expatriate managers exerted strong controls over employees in different countries based on goals in financial and production terms, which were set by the parent company, did not give the local subsidiaries much input. They did not have much say in business activities. (Beardwell and Holden, 2001, p.742.) Keeping unions out or making sure that their influence was kept to a minimum were the

Separation Anxiety Disorder Symptoms and Treatment

Separation Anxiety Disorder Symptoms and Treatment In this proposal we will be discussing on anxiety disorder and a treatment on the client based on a case study. In current era, the most common psychiatric illnesses affecting both children and adults are anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder is a serious mental illness. Those who are affected with this disorder are most likely to have the feelings of excessively frightened, distressed, or uneasy during situation in which most other people would not experience the same feelings. Besides, this disorder is composes of various type of disorder such as panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, separation anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (Ken Duckworth, 2012). There are several causes for this disorder such as environmental factors, medical factors, genetics, brain chemistry, substance abuse, or a combination of these (Crosta, 2009). If a person who is experiencing this disorder, they are most li kely to exhibit several symptoms such as the feeling of excessive fear, obsessive thoughts, nightmares, problem sleeping, shortness of breath, nausea, muscle tension and dizziness (Katz, 2012). However, these symptoms vary depending on the type of disorder. In this particular case study, we will be looking in depth on separation anxiety disorder. This disorder will affect both a person in any stages of life from childhood to adolescence and even adulthood. Besides, if one is diagnosed with this disorder, they might pose several symptoms such as trouble sleeping when separated from a specific person, excessive worry about losing major attachment figures and repeated nightmares involving the theme of separation. Client description Client is a female, age 50. She is a retired housewife. She does not have any medical history or psychological disorder in her first degree relative. Client is also very attached to her husband. Whenever her husband would take her out for a meal or a trip out, she would become excessively distress and worry that something might happen to her husband and fear that she might lose her husband in the event of an accident or some disaster that might fall upon her husband. Besides, whenever her husband have to make business trips and will be away for a few days, she would find it very difficult to sleep. Her excessively distress and fear of losing her husband has cause the married couple housebound. In addition her extreme inactivity had also left her physically weak as well as emotionally withdrawn. The reason she came to seek help from the counselor is that she fear her current situation is jeopardizing her relationship with her husband. Counselor’s analysis and assessment on the client’s condition The new DSM-5 (2013) has proposed a set of official diagnostic symptoms and signs for separation anxiety disorder. In order for a client to be classify as a patient of this disorder, one must exhibit several symptom which are (a)Persistent and excessive worry about losing major attachment figures or about possible harm to them, such as illness, injury, disasters, or death. (b) Persistent and excessive worry about experiencing an untoward event (e.g., getting lost, being kidnapped, having an accident, becoming ill) that causes separation from a major attachment figure. (c) Persistent and excessive fear of or reluctance about being alone or without major attachment figures at home or in other settings. (d) Persistent reluctance or refusal to sleep away from home or to go to sleep without being near a major attachment figure. As for the client, her major attachment figure is her husband. She projects these symptoms while her husband is out or separated from her husband. Therefore, clien t is most probably experiencing separation anxiety disorder. Goal The Goal of this treatment is to improve the client security feelings towards her husband whereby the client separation anxiety disorder would be reduce and that she will be able to become functional again in her daily activity. Journal review A study was conducted by Zimmermann, Wittchen, Hofler, Pfister, Kessler and Lieb (2003) to find the relationship between primary anxiety disorder and the development of subsequent alcohol use disorder. This research is done using the cross-sectional method by using a baseline and 4 years follow up data from the EDSP-study, a prospective community survey of adolescents and young adults aged 14-24 years old. Total follow-up participants are 2548. In this research, DSM-IV anxiety disorder, alcohol use and alcohol use disorders were assessed with the Munich-Composite-International-Diagnostic-Interview (M-CIDI). The outcome of this research shows that anxiety disorder such as panic attack significantly predicts the persistence of combined abuse or dependence. However, since this research is carried out using a cross-sectional method, this research does not permit distinction between cause and effect. Another study was conducted by Sareen, Chartier, Paulus, Stein (2006)to investigate the relationship between anxiety disorder and illicit drug use. The researchers obtain and compare their data from two contemporaneous surveys which is the National Comorbidity Survey and the Ontario Health Survey-Mental Health Supplement. These surveys were design during the 1990s. From that data, the researchers came to a conclusion that all the anxiety disorder, except social phobia with fears limited to speaking situations was significantly associated to illicit drug use. However, the result of this research might be ineffective due to the surveys that the researchers used. Since the surveys are design during the 1990s, results of this research might not be accurate as the survey is antiquated. Another relevant study was conducted by Lipsitz, Martin, Mannuzza, Chapman, Liebowitz, Klein, Fyer (1994) to investigate the relationship between retrospectively reported childhood separation anxiety disorder and adult anxiety disorder. All the 252 outpatients in the anxiety disorder research clinic participated in this research whereby there are 104 men and 148 women and aged from 18 to 58. From this research, it is learnt that patients with retrospective reports of childhood separation anxiety disorder were positively associated with lifetime adult anxiety disorder. In other words, suggesting that childhood separation anxiety disorder could be the marker of lifetime vulnerability of multiple anxiety disorder. However, the outcome of this research is based on 252 participants. It is insufficient to cover the wide population in the society to provide a more accurate result. Another research was conducted by Iverach, O’Brian, Jones, Block, Lincoln, Harrison, Hewat, Menzies, Packman, Onslow (2009)to explore the prevalence of anxiety disorder among adults seeking speech therapy for stuttering. There were 92 adults who were eligible for this research out of the total 10641 participants. Out of the 92 adults, 72 are males and 22 are females whom aged from 18 to 73 years old. The outcome of this research shows that the prevalence of any anxiety disorder for adults seeking speech therapy for stuttering was significantly higher than matched controls. However, the outcome of this research is limited to 92 participants and the amount of males out ratio the females which might cause a biased results. By looking into the case of the client, the Cognitive Behavior Therapy would be the intervention model used as it will be the most appropriate and effective way of treating the client. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is known as the talk therapy, to help client to change their behavior and thinking patterns that would affect their emotional and physical health conditions among adults, young adults and children (Cherry, 2005). The diagnostic assessment that will be used is the Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire(ASA). This is a self-report questionnaire developed by Manicavasgar (2003). This questionnaire is to evaluate adulthood separation anxiety symptoms (from 18 years of age) and it includes 27 items. All the questions in this questionnaire is a 4 point Likert type questions where 0 indicates â€Å"this has never happened† and 3 indicates â€Å"this happens very often†. Besides the principal components, analysis reveled a coherent construct of adult separation anxiety with high internal consistency (Cronbachs ÃŽ ± = 0.95) and sound test-retest reliability (r = 0.86; P Treatment Planning Treatment will be held twice a week for the first month, and once a week for the following months with an hour per session in the counselling room. A total of six months course will be given to help client to improve from her current condition. In every treatment session, client is required to imagine of a moment with her husband no matter if it is positive or negative moment. Counsellor will need to observe and take note on what the client is trying to convey throughout the session, and try to discuss the problem with the client. At the end of the six months counselling session, if the client shows a positive effect of decreased in the level of separation anxiety, then the treatment proposed is effective and the following treatment will be continued with the current treatment that is used. On the other hand, if the client shows a negative effect, increasing or show no changes in the level of separation anxiety, after receiving the six months treatment, the treatment would then need to be stopped and alter to another way that suits the client. Another alternative treatment if the treatment fails is family therapy, where it includes the participation of the client’s husband and family members to support her (Ponton, 2014). By doing this, the client will feel the sense of secure provided by the family, and counsellor might also identify the contributing factor of the disorder in the client.

European Union Relations with the Russian Federations Essay

The EU (European Union) is an economic and political union form by 28 member states and the countries are primarily located in Europe. The union has developed differently and varying relations with its different members. Russia is one of the countries that make the union. Russia-European affairs are the intercontinental relationships between the Russian federation and the European Union, which is the largest bordering state to the east. The EU is the largest trading partner of the Russians. The Russian Federation and the European Union are major partners in a number of key spheres, including economy, energy, internal and external aspects of security. However, the relation between the two parties has been found wanting. The cooperation and Partnership union between Russia and EU has been the framework of the EU-Russia relations since 1997 and regulates the political and economic  relations between the two parties (Ross, 2004). Despite there being a long history of the relationship between the Russian Federation and European Union members, the current state of the relations have raised eyes on the future of the cooperation between the two parties. In the year 201, the then Swedish prime minister invited the Russian president and one of the discussions was the possibilities of the Russia nation joining the EU establishment. However, this looks to be a too far away reality as Russia, is not ready to follow the specific rules that are set by the EU for its members. Russia’s economy is on a rapid growth and they do not want to take on the EU laws’ and set of rules they use. Their social and political status is not exactly favorable either (The U.S. and Europe Diverge on the Crimea Crisis, 2014). In recent times, the relationship between the two parties has been brought into a sour one as the ‘2013 Vilnius Summit’ connecting the European union establishment with the countries to its east neighbors saw what  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThe Economist’   termed as â€Å"raw geopolitical contest† and wasn’t seen in Europe since coming to an conclusion of the Cold War. Russia tried to convince its â€Å"near abroad† nations to unite into its newly established ‘Eurasian Union’  instead of signing any contract with the European countries. The Russian administration under leadership of President Putin achieved a lot in persuading Armenia and Ukraine to stop their discussions with the EU and in its place commences talks with themselves (Ross, 2004).  Nonetheless, the EU pinnacle leadership went forward with Moldova and Georgia discussions and in turn resulted to agreement with the EU community in spite of Russia’s resistance. Conversely, these divisions led to extensive remonstrations of the Ukraine that finally brought down the Ukrainian president this year (Lavrov, 2013). Subsequent to the fall down of the famed pro-Russian regime in Ukraine, ‘Crimea 2014’ the Russian Federation commenced on a military intervention by putting up its military which was in ‘Crimea’, in addition to the ones on the Ukrainian boundaries. This action has greatly been faced with condemnation as EU leaders have viewed it as a raid. The current divisions between the two parties are believed to have a story and commenced sometimes back. The current hype of the crises is believed to have grown over time. The developed has brought along a strained relationship between Russia and EU. After accomplishing a number of victories within the country, such as: pacifying Chechnya, dealing with the oligarchs, and the avoiding of Russian breakdown, President Putin has focused attention during his 2nd term to foreign policy matters. The president engaged in a more and more revisionist strategy, with the main aim of rebuilding the country as well as its immediate nei ghborhood. These developments included standing up to Western dominance and pressure wherever possible (Ross, 2004). Not unexpectedly, the Russian revisionism has led an ever more opposed relationship with Europe and the United States. The EU and United States are believed to develop their own interest and strategies in Russia’s geo-strategically significant neighborhood, ranging from Eastern Europe to the Caucasus and Central Asia. Indeed, from a western point of view, the list of Russian treacheries is now legion: on Kosovo, Russian support for Serbia is seen as a major obstacle to peace in the Balkans; in the Caucasus and Central Asia, Russia has checked Western oil interests and reversed Western attempts to promote political reform; and in Moldova and the Ukraine, Russia has acted as a counter-balance to European influence. Moreover, all of this has been paired with Russia’s tendency to ignore existing treaties, revise its economic contracts and repudiate internationally respected norms (Shevtsova, 2010). There are numerous areas that have resulted to the strained relation between the EU and the Russians. For example, politically, the Russians has repudiated the OSCE and Helsinki Norms, disrespect of Council of Europe commitment and also breaching of Vienna Convention. Economically, the Russians failed to respect contacts, challenge of Energy Charter Treaty and disregard for WTO Norms. This in turn has led to the rise of opposition from the European members and the United States hence straining their relationship. The much published hype of the European frustration with Russian policies has been predominantly noticeable in three areas: (a) the Russian effort to divide the European Union by utilizing divide and rule strategies, (b) Russia’s move in setting itself up as an option to the EU in the familiar neighborhood and, (c) Russia’s own turn away from democracy and domestic reforms (Lavrov, 2013). In its relation with the Europe, the Russians have off late looked to undermine the unity between themselves and the European Union through engaging into bilateral relations which are meant to play to its natural power merit. This means that, the Russians have dismissed the European commission and in turn sidelining it terming it as inflexible and very little importance. Moderately, the Russians have been trying to build relationships with specific European powers such as Germany, France, and Italy. The Russian president has tried and regularly made it in building close and pleasant relations with the leaders of these nations and Russia’s state-controlled energy industry has build up some of its more important partnerships with German, French, Portuguese and Italian businesses (Lavrov, 2013). However, at the same time, Russia has variably overlooked or punished some European nations, mainly amongst the latest member state, that have shown them to be overtly critical of Russian policies (Shevtsova, 2010). Amongst others, Russia has interrupted its oil supplies to Latvia in 2003 and Lithuanian in 2006 for â€Å"technical reasons†; boycotted Polish meat exports; levied export tariffs on the sale of timber to Sweden and Finland; and it has turned a blind-eye to the harassment of Estonian and British diplomats, in 2007 and 2008 respectively, after high-profile disputes with these countries. The history of these developments has in turn resulted to the EU viewing the Russian as a threat to the unity of the EU members. This has in turn acted as catalyst to sour relations that have developed between the two parties. In addition, the current development has been seen as to have gone beyond repair as the two parties have been destined for eternal conflict (Ross, 2004). Internal Divisions Concerted Russian attempts to open up European separation and the lack of European Union unity, have split the EU into two schools of reflection on the correct way to be adopted in reference to how the relationships with Russia should advance. On one side, one school of thought has regarded Russia as a prospective partner. The group known as ‘friend of Russia’ which has countries such as; Germany, France, Italy, Greece. Spain among others has held to a policy that favors a close dialogue connecting the Russians and the EU as well as supporting economic cooperation as they have supported that this will and is the only chance for influencing Russians foreign policy behavior (Lavrov, 2013). On the other side of the Russian-EU relation, there is the â€Å"Russia realist† group. This contains nations such as, UK and numerous of the fresh member states of Eastern and Central Europe. These nations, have argued for a more forceful foreign policy approach, arguing that â€Å"they know Russia better† and that Moscow only understands the language of power and force, and in turn have turned to be the Russian opposes and hence redefining the EU Russia relations. The increasing pressure of this group is reflected in the escalating criticism of Russia from formerly â€Å"pro-Russian† countries such as Germany. Indeed, Germany is currently split between the more overtly â€Å"anti-Russian† Angela Merkel and her more â€Å"pro-Russian† coalition partner. Should Germany shift more pronounced towards the â€Å"Russia realist† camp, this might well tip the balance of power within Europe towards this group (Shevtsova, 2010). The inability of the EU to pursue a unified line towards Russia undermines its ability to develop a pragmatic relationship with this important country and over the last 15 years, the different elements of the EU have acknowledged this problem. The diversity of interests within the EU continues to undermine its ability to formulate coherent and practical solutions. There is a greater urgency for some states (those with common borders or who depend significantly on Russia for energy imports) to develop relations with Russia, while other states simply have different priorities. This makes real progress in EU-Russia relations to a certain extent dependent on which member governments presides over the European Council at a given time (Europe’s Risky Russian Energy Habit, 2014). Moving into new relationship between the Russian and European Union Looking into imminent elimination of the immediate obstacle into the negotiation of a new partnership between the two parties, the road has to better relations has looked once again promising. Officials have vowed for more punitive international actions aimed at Russia economy. United States President at a news meeting in Asian country (South Korea) believed he and other leaders from the European nations would consider sanctions against the Russian country especially at this time the Ukraine crisis are worsening (The U.S. and Europe Diverge on the Crimea Crisis, 2014). One of the measures that have been taken by the EU and the west is the introduction of sanctions, and implementing financial and visa limitations on almost 30 Russians and Ukrainian officials (Europe’s Risky Russian Energy Habit, 2014). Ukraine  amplified its bank rates  in an effort to guard its economy from the chaos generated by aggressive objections and Russia’s forces involvement in Crimea (Shevt sova, 2010). The economic relation connecting the US, European Union, and the Russia is unbalanced the approach from the United States and US towards the Russian county is different. The main reason behind the disparity has been laid to the fact that, the euro-zone has only just come out from its own catastrophe, and observers say it may wary of hastily ending connections with such a influential financially viable associate. Its dependence on gas out of Russia would also feed concern. In contrast, the United States, is weaning itself off Russia’s power supply and its trade connections is much less entangled (Europe’s Risky Russian Energy Habit, 2014). Conclusion In summary, the relationship between the Russian federation and the European Union cannot be said to good or healthy. However, it can’t be said to be have ended despite the growing animosity and unrest between the two parties. With the current state the relationship between the two can be said to be headed to forever conflict. Despite Russia being more into the EU than the Asia, the country has embarked on establishing itself in the economic front as well as in terms of political aspects. EU consent against individuals and Russian officials, introduced in March, may have accelerated this trend or widening the gap between the two parties. But real financial endorsements against Russia the so-called â€Å"phase three† have not been triggered yet meaning there is still a lot that remains when the relation between the comes into the play. References Great Britain., & Great Britain. (2008).  The European Union and Russia: Report with evidence :14th report of session 2007-08. London: The Stationery Office. Ross, C. (2004).  Russian politics under Putin. Manchester [u.a.: Manchester Univ. Press. Shevtsova, L. (2010).  Putin’s Russia. Washington DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Lavrov, S. (2013). State of the Union Russia- EU: Prospects for Partnership in the Changing World.  Journal Of Common Market Studies,  516-12. doi:10.1111/jcms.12047 US, EU impose sanctions after Crimea moves to join Russia. (2014).  Regional Today, 3-4. The U.S. and Europe Diverge on the Crimea Crisis. (2014).  Stratfor Geopolitical Diary, 13.Europe’s Risky Russian Energy Habit. (2014).  Bloomberg Businessweek, (4372), 16. 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orld Trade Organization Essay

On November 30, 1999, major governments met at a World Trade Organization (WTO), ministerial meeting at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington. During this meeting an enormous public protest took place in the streets of Seattle. The protestors were representing human rights groups, students, environmental groups, religious leaders, labor rights activists and members of numerous other groups. The groups were not only from the United States, but had come from all over the world. All of these people were peacefully protesting the practices of the WTO in the name of free trade. The protestors stated that the WTO upheld trade practices that allowed child labor, low wages and environmental destruction. The WTO justified these practices in the name of free trade. Tens of thousands of people were in Seattle to protest peacefully, and the protests did start peacefully, but they did not end that way. A small number of anarchist groups were in Seattle to cause civil disobedience and acts of vandalism and property damage. These groups conducted deliberate acts of vandalism on corporate offices in Seattle. The Seattle Police Department did not have the number of officers, even with help from other departments, to handle the number of protestors. The officers used pepper spray, tear gas, stun grenades and eventually rubber bullets to try to unblock congested city streets. Some of the anarchists fought back by breaking windows and vandalizing storefronts. Dumpsters were pushed out into intersections and they were lit on fire and tires on police cars were deflated. The National Guard was finally called in, but did not get to Seattle until the next morning. Once the WTO packed up and went home, the protestors packed up and went on their way. When the meeting finished, businesses had suffered millions of dollars in damage and lost sales, over 500 people were arrested. No deaths were attributed to the protest and no one was seriously injured. There was controversy over city response and the Seattle police chief resigned. The anarchist protestors felt the protest was a success. Before the Seattle Protest, there was almost no mention of anti-globalization in the U. S. media but the protest had forced the media to report on why anyone would oppose the WTO. Good or bad, the message of the protestors was broadcast to the world.