Wednesday, November 27, 2019

COLD WAR

COLD WAR When World War II in Europe finally came to an end on May 7, 1945, a new war was just beginning. The Cold War: denoting the open yet restricted rivalry that developed between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, a war fought on political, economic, and propaganda fronts, with limited recourse to weapons, largely because of fear of a nuclear holocaust. This term, The Cold War, was first used by presidential advisor Bernard Baruch during a congressional debate in 1947. Intelligence operations dominating this war have been conducted by the Soviet State Security Service (KGB) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), representing the two power blocs, East and West respectively, that arose from the aftermath of World War II. Both have conducted a variety of operations from large scale military intervention and subversion to covert spying and surveillance missions. They have known success and failure. The Bay of Pigs debacle was soon followed! by Kennedy's deft handling of the Cuban missile crisis. The decisions he made were helped immeasurably by intelligence gathered from reconnaissance photos of the high altitude plane U-2. In understanding these agencies today I will show you how these agencies came about, discuss past and present operations, and talk about some of their tools of the trade. Origin of the CIA and KGB The CIA was a direct result of American intelligence operations during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized the need to coordinate intelligence to protect the interests of the United States. In 1941, he appointed William J. Donovan to the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) with headquarters in London. Four departments made up the OSS: Support, Secretariat, Planning, and Overseas Missions. Each of these departments directed an array of sections known as 'operation groups'. This organization had fallen into the disfavor of many involved in the federal ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Free Essays on The Triangle Of International Relations In Asia

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF ASIA "This is the only region in the world where so many combinations and permutations of two- three and four- and even two plus four or three plus three- power games can be played on the regional chessboard with all their complexities and variations." introduction The concept of strategic geometry comprises the notion that that the interactions and interconnections between a number of political actors within a particular system of international relations, either global or regional can be seen in terms of geometric patterns of strategic configurations. It can be a case of simple geometry, in which A interacts with B: but in a more complex system such as that of Asia, with the presence of more than one major actor, each with their distinct, sometimes conflicting political agendas, the interaction between A and B will be likely to affect C or influenced by C. The concept of an international ‘system’ itself implies that events are not random, and units within the system are interrelated in some patterned way. This ‘patterning’ maybe envisaged or conceptualized as patterns of strategic geometry. Any attempt to analyze the transition from a Cold War system of international relations to a post Cold War one, will incorporate an analysis of the general nature of the system itself, in this case the system of international relations in Asia; of the actors involved and their respective roles; how changes in the political environment and in specific policies of the actors shape the evolution of a new system; and finally the nature of the new system with its own actors, their new roles, and new concerns. The concept of strategic geometry enables us to understand these changes in the political dynamics from one system to another, in our case the transition from the Cold War to the post Cold War era, by serving as an analytic tool. If we view the international relations of Asia, more and the interactions ... Free Essays on The Triangle Of International Relations In Asia Free Essays on The Triangle Of International Relations In Asia INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF ASIA "This is the only region in the world where so many combinations and permutations of two- three and four- and even two plus four or three plus three- power games can be played on the regional chessboard with all their complexities and variations." introduction The concept of strategic geometry comprises the notion that that the interactions and interconnections between a number of political actors within a particular system of international relations, either global or regional can be seen in terms of geometric patterns of strategic configurations. It can be a case of simple geometry, in which A interacts with B: but in a more complex system such as that of Asia, with the presence of more than one major actor, each with their distinct, sometimes conflicting political agendas, the interaction between A and B will be likely to affect C or influenced by C. The concept of an international ‘system’ itself implies that events are not random, and units within the system are interrelated in some patterned way. This ‘patterning’ maybe envisaged or conceptualized as patterns of strategic geometry. Any attempt to analyze the transition from a Cold War system of international relations to a post Cold War one, will incorporate an analysis of the general nature of the system itself, in this case the system of international relations in Asia; of the actors involved and their respective roles; how changes in the political environment and in specific policies of the actors shape the evolution of a new system; and finally the nature of the new system with its own actors, their new roles, and new concerns. The concept of strategic geometry enables us to understand these changes in the political dynamics from one system to another, in our case the transition from the Cold War to the post Cold War era, by serving as an analytic tool. If we view the international relations of Asia, more and the interactions ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Allemande by Yo-Yo Ma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Allemande by Yo-Yo Ma - Essay Example I think this piece really highlights the ability of the cello, which has an amazing range and can carry a melody extraordinarily well, and I think that Yo Yo Ma plays it with aplumb. Probably my favorite song in this entire playlist. Adagio Sosenuto by Daniel Barenboim This piece is performed on solo piano, a work with significant romantic overtones that recall the original composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. It has a very slow tempo, which builds towards subtle mini-climaxes throughout which peak the emotion without ever going over the top. It is clearly in a minor key, and is incredibly invocative of sadness and melancholy. The song is driven throughout by a repeated three note riff that has only minor variations throughout, and then is punctuated by all the other music performed, bringing it into incredibly sharp focus. The music has a hesitancy to it, which makes it feel that every note has to push through a barrier before it is allowed to be heard by the audience, and that though ea ch note is soft it has a force to it that allowed it to break through the hesitation. The variations of the three note riff that flows throughout the composition gives the piece an interest that persists throughout and allows it to capture an audience’s interest and keep it focused on this song for long periods of time. I think this is an amazing song and is incredibly compelling. Its best feature is probably its emotional power, which creates an incredible amount of feeling in the listener, removing them from the time and space of the experience and into a more emotionally compatible one. Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson This is a pop song with overtones of several other genres. One of the major genres that it recalls is funk, especially through being carried by a bass line, though it is incredibly danceable with a fast, four-four tempo that would keep people moving while listening to it. The instrumentation can be hard to make out, because a lot of it sounds like it might either be synthesized or heavily processed prior to being heard, but as is fitting for a funk-influenced song, the most prominent instruments are bass, staccato guitar and drum kit, with Michael Jackson’s amazingly distinct and interesting voice layered on top. This song seems to have several vocal tracks, especially in the chorus where it sounds like Michael Jackson harmonizes with himself. His signature falsetto is used to great effect, heightening the emotional appeal of the climax of the song, along with samples of real-world sounds (such as police sirens) heightening the stressful narrative the song carries forward. Despite having mostly repetitive music, this song is able to build a rich soundscape with a wide variety of textures. Viva La Vida by Coldplay This is a orchestral pop-rock hybrid song. This song is defined largely by its incredible amount of forward momentum, provided largely by short bursts of cello and bass drum that strike every beat of this four-four so ng. This forward momentum is carried further by perpetually adding more instruments on top of one another as the song progresses. It starts with a simple cello, then adds a bass drum to that to complete the main, almost train-like forward thrust of the song. Organ, piano, violin, viola, and even timpani are all then added on top of this as the song progr