Legalizing Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Legalizing Marijuana - Essay Example Against the national average of 44.5%,British Columbia has a fair share of 52.1% and the lower then average percentage that is reported in the province like Prince Edward Island (36.5%) Through it may sound bizarre to us but the legalization of Marijuana not only help in controlling black marketing and subsequent war and law& Order impasse, it will help the federal government to get a considerable revenue in terms of tax that is to be levied upon. In economic perspective, it gives a good profit and the government should en cash out of that. In his well researched article, Dr Gieringer has cited the price advantages of Marijuana. The facts are amazingly simple. The ounce of fine tea costs $2, the pipe tobacco costs in between $1.25 to 1.5 while the Marijuana costs something in between $5 including labor cost. The same Marijuana, via clandestine drug market, costs any thing in between $150 to $400 per ounce. No wander, this high margin attracts the elements in crime circle, providing the leeway to full fledged gang war. The economic benefits can be pegged up to a staggering $18-19 Billion. Perhaps one of the most exhaustive reports of its kind The Le Deng Commission Report of 1972 has covered the entire gamut of... The facts are amazingly simple. The ounce of fine tea costs $2, the pipe tobacco costs in between $1.25 to 1.5 while the Marijuana costs something in between $5 including labor cost. The same Marijuana, via clandestine drug market, costs any thing in between $150 to $400 per ounce. No wander, this high margin attracts the elements in crime circle, providing the leeway to full fledged gang war. The economic benefits can be pegged up to a staggering $18-19 Billion. 2.The Le Dang Commission Report Perhaps one of the most exhaustive reports of its kind The Le Deng Commission Report of 1972 has covered the entire gamut of the problem. Tabled as "The Report of the Canadian Government Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs, 1972". Le Dang Report still happens to be the frame work of modern Canada Legal system. Retrieved on November,26, 2009, from : http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/ledain/ldctoc.html(3) Le Dang Report still happens to be the frame work of modern Canada Legal system. Exhaustive in nature, the report covers every related aspect which includes-patterns of social history in Canada and USA. The first use (in mid 30) ,World War II scenario where Marijuana effectively penetrates into middle class to University campus till 1971-72. The extensive chemical analysis and side effect analysis of Barbiturates have also taken place in lucid manner. The most significant part is the national and international law. Canadian law acts in tune to the international law - Single Convention of Narcotic Drugs, 1961. The Canadian Narcotic Law complies all specification of these laws and the Canadian laws have also been framed as per the same stringent norms.Through the annals of time, the situation has

Should the US have dropped the bomb on Hiroshima Essay

Should the US have dropped the bomb on Hiroshima - Essay Example After three days allied forces used another bomb which dropped on Nagasaki, which easily killed 37000 people and injured 43000 people who also consequently died in the following days1. The bombings were intense, and were soon followed by the surrender of Japan to USA on August 14, 1945. These bombings were the first in history and till date is the only time when nuclear power has been used in the whole world2. Japan and the Atomic bombings Japan was devastated after the bombarding of US on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the after effects of which were seen through a number of years. Apart from heavy destruction, the bombs resulted in a lot of human loss, people suffered from Gamma radiation which caused instant deaths in just 2 seconds of the explosion, others died from burns as a result of the fires which were caused by the explosion along with mechanical injuries which were caused by the falling of debris resulting from the collapse of buildings. Many who did not die instantly after the e xplosion, suffered injuries from radiation and consequently died in the following days. ... The United States president, Truman provided a justification to the US citizens that the bombing was to save the lives of US citizens and to impress the Soviet Union from playing a role in the war and further making the war last many more days and even years. It was also argued that Japanese had demonstrated a very brave fanatical resistance in surrendering and so without the bombings it would have been nearly impossible for them to surrender. On an event of being asked that there should have been first a demonstration of the nuclear bomb over an unpopulated area to warn Japan and to force it to surrender, Truman said that it would have been a very risky decision to waste one bomb when there were only two available. Another justification in the favor of the bombings provided by the United States was that the two targeted cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, would have been destructed in any case with the use of fire bombs which were already being used in the war. Therefore, they justify t hat the use of the nuclear bombs did not cause more destruction than that from the fire bombings on Japan. The use of nuclear power has always been criticized, therefore, US states that they used the bombs also in order to fear people from the use of it in the future. Nagasaki and Hiroshima already had to be destroyed during the prevailing war and so the use of bombings also saved the life of US citizens, did not harm Japan more than the already predicted outcome of war and also prevented the future use of nuclear power by the rest of the World. The bombs use also ended the war quickly, which in any other scenario was not possible. In the result of the bombarding, the Soviet Union got intimidated by the US and USSR dropped the idea of demanding a joint

World Trade Organization (WTO) impacts agriculture Research Paper

World Trade Organization (WTO) impacts agriculture - Research Paper Example The aim of the WTO and the agreements is to assist exporters, importers, consumers and producers to conduct international trade. The outcome is essentially assurance as producers and consumers feel that they have security in supplies and a range of options of products, services and raw materials. As a result of accountability in the economic world, international trade is peaceful and prosperous as the WTO settles trade disputes by interpreting commitments and agreements made by member states. This paper will examine various areas of trade such as international and domestic trade, discussing different elements that influence both forms of trade. The essence of trade is to benefit both consumers and sellers in a mutually beneficial relationship (Mankiw, 2011). Compare and contrast free trade and protectionist theories   Economists continue to argue on the issue of protectionist theories and free trade. These arguments are complex, but the underpinning controversy is even greater. Fre e trade refers to a strategy through which a government allows imports and does not interfere with exports. This is through the application of import tariffs or export quotas or subsidies. Free trade allows both trading partners to gain from trade. This is because, under free trade, the prices of goods and services emerge from the forces of demand and supply (Mankiw, 2011). In addition, free trade allows resource allocation on account of demand and supply. Free trade enables counties to acquire greater levels of production and consumption, which they can obtain in isolation. In case of perfect competition, free trade allows optimal, global resource allocation. This essentially means that free trade allows trading countries to achieve equality in their marginal production transformation rates (OECD, 2000). Theory on free trade suggests that free trade facilitates income increments and equitable distribution of income among countries (Lambert & McKoy, 2009). Free trade differs signifi cantly from protectionist theories since the latter allows the determination of the allocation of products and services amongst trading nations on the basis of different price strategies. The different price strategies amongst trading partners emerge from government interventions in the market. Here, governments intervene by adjusting prices or instituting supply restrictions. Essentially, under protectionist theories of trade, government interventions either increase or decrease the cost of products and services to producers and consumers. Protectionism involves the establishment of trade barriers such as currency restrictions with regard to international trade, taxes, import quotas and other subsidies offered to domestic industries. The essential purpose of protectionist theories is to protect domestic industries from losses incurred in unstable marketplaces (Giovanni, Bohman, Carter, & McCalla, 2007). Consequently, governments also establish non-tariff barriers. They include: the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which intervene in markets, hence producing artificial prices. These are prices not set by the natural mechanisms of demand and supply. Moreover, protectionist theories deter equilibrium in countries’ marginal production transformation rates by establishing differences between international and domestic prices of goods (Mankiw, 2011). In essence, this means that protectionist theories produce suboptimal allocations of factors of production, as well as lower global real income than free trade would produce. Protectionism reallocates income, which would not occur under free trade since income reallocation would mean one

Cyber-bullying Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cyber-bullying - Research Paper Example This is also done through text messages and emails which are forwarded throughout the social circuit. Another form of cyber bullying is sexting which is getting popular with the increase in use of mobiles phones that have imbedded cameras in them. Generally this is common with girlfriends sending pictures to their boyfriends via multimedia messages. But what these teenage girls do not realize is that there are legal implications to this. After break ups these boyfriends can use these pictures to blackmail or embarrass the sender. Cyber bullying is a psychological disturbing form of social cruelty among young people (Jaishankar 2011). Cyber bullying is increasing at a high rate with the increase in the use of technology like cell phones and computers. The ways in which bullying can take place are also increasing because young children who have access to technology invent various ways to harass other young children. Social networking sites also give a forum to these cyber bullies as it is a safe medium through which they can easily commit the crime of cyber bullying without the fear of being caught by the other person. In spite of all this social networking websites cannot be held accountable for any kind of hate speech that is posted on their websites. Cyber bullying has increased the number of suicides committed by teenage boys and girls. Some of these youngsters cannot take in the embarrassments and harassments they are being subjected to and hence fall prey to this act. The mention of cyber bullying now brings about a debate of how strongly governments should act against cyber bullying and whether new acts of laws be implemented against it or not as most of the culprits involved are juvenile. Many states in America have already implemented laws against cyber bullying. The state of Missouri had no made against the crime of cyber bullying until the suicide of a 13 year old girl Megan Meier in 2006. It was then that the state realized that it cannot persecute th e culprit because cyber bullying was not against the law at that time. It was after this incident that Missouri legislature and governor passed a new law that cyber bullying is unlawful harassment by electronic means of communication. This new law also requires the schools and colleges to make a written policy to report any such harassment, which includes not only cyber bullying but other kinds of felonies as well like stalking, to the local police. Now this crime is a class A misdemeanor. According to this new law the act of cyber bullying remains a class A misdemeanor unless 1) committed by a person twenty-one years of age or older against a person seventeen years of age or younger; or 2) the person has previously committed the crime of harassment (â€Å"Internet law-Missouri Governor signs cyber-bullying bill into law†. Web. 2008). After the case of Megan Meier, Missouri was not the only state that took this under consideration and made new laws in order to prevent people from getting harassed in this way. Under this law the offender is penalized if he or she is caught harassing or recklessly frightening an underage. Cyber bullying is a crime which is generally committed by young people mostly teenagers, and are committed against teenagers as well. The under eighteen children come under the juvenile category so are tried more leniently then the adults. The laws for juvenile offenders are much

Modernization Essay Example for Free

Modernization Essay As we begin to ponder the future of modernization, and the possible consequences that are apt to occur, perhaps we should first revisit the definition of modernization. To this end we can start by saying that modernization is thought of as a concept that states that the development of societies can be considered as a standard evolutionary pattern that has a tendency to stimulate growth. It can also be considered as the concept that refers to the process where society goes through several stages, including industrialization, urbanization, and various other social changes, that tend to completely transform the lives of individuals. One must first take into consideration that modernization, taken in-and-of- itself, should not be considered either good or bad. Modernization is not limited to the geographical bounds of the United States but actually affects people worldwide, and has wide ranging effects including politically, socially, economically, and environmentally throughout the entire populated world. Of course, as in most things, there are positive aspects of modernization as well as several consequences. Perhaps it could be posited that Industrialization began the social changes in the United States society that could be referred to as the modernization of the United States. Although there were many changes before industrialization they were perhaps not as wide-ranging or as monumental. For the purposes of this discussion we can say that modernization refers to the changes of social patterns since the time of the industrial revolution (Macionis, J. J. , 2011). These changes are going to continue, so that we can have better and more efficient technology. Our buildings are even being built to endure certain circumstance based on location. We have advanced so much there would be no reason to take a step back now. We are finding more and better ways to improve our everyday lives and makes things easier for an everyday commute. We have changed the way we think and treat people as well. Since we are a more diverse society people don’t judge each other based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. The way we treat others in the workplace and sexual harassment has changed also sexual harassment is now a serious crime and has consequences. Modernization is a world-wide trend. We often use conference calling for business meetings in foreign countries. Most countries now have access to the World Wide Web as well. Countries are looking for ways to modernize and adapt to the new technology we have available. There are societies and religions that do not believe in modernization such as the Amish. In some societies socialization has become closer among residents while others societies have grown further apart. Schools are adapting to other cultures and standards. Education is changing as well as work ethics and duties. Countries want to find new ways to expand and progress. Japan and China are two countries that have shown major modernization in the last few decades. All countries can benefit from the progression of modernization. Modernization helps to societies as well as has its negative aspects. We will discuss the negative effects later. Technology blends with our society and traditions are often lost. With more technology we find less need for backbreaking labor and many jobs are replaced with machines. Modernization has even affected our environment with pollution. There are positive aspects to modernization as well. As mentioned before the technology helps in the workplace by making things more efficient, faster, and less costly. Modernization has also change the way be build. Many of our buildings are now modernized and more appealing to onlookers. We can now see other parts of the world just by searching the internet. We can socialize with others that are across the globe without leaving our homes. Modernization has led to social, political, economical, cultural changes, and more. We have brought change in society in numerous ways. Modernization has helped to legalize same-sex marriages, abortions and other things that were considered forbidden before. Some fear with the advance in modernization that we may lose sight in religious values. The great thing about modernization is more people are thinking for themselves, and fighting for what they believe in. A study done in china had found that people in underdeveloped areas where more likely to get lung cancer because of smoking in their homes and using solid heat to cook and heat. The study found it was better on their health to live in a more modernized society. The wood and coal used to make their heat and warm their food was also a cause of lung cancer. So modernization, even though it has also caused pollution in the past, can also help us to become more environmentally friendly. This study shows that we are learning from our mistakes and making better choices to make a better future. Modernization has its good qualities as well as its bad. Technology will continue to advance and societies will continue to adapt. We will continue our want and need for something faster, better, and more efficient than the technology we already have. Countries will continue to compete with each other to come out with the latest technology and best advancements. We will continue to accept new trends, ideas, and values. Some traditions will diminish though we will have new advancements to take their place. The U. S. alone has grown to accept new things such as same sex marriage, rights to vote and more. With as advance as we have become worldwide there is no reason for modernization to stop where it is. We can always learn new things, make new things and come together as better communities. We can also learn to adapt and make better choices for our environment to ensure a healthier world for generations to come.

The Roots and Origins of Islamic Terrorism Essay Example for Free

The Roots and Origins of Islamic Terrorism Essay Since the 1970s terrorism against the US has been growing and on September 11th it became apparent that terrorism will be a major problem the US will face in the years ahead. The question this essay seeks to explore is: what is terrorism and what are some the causes of this anti-US terrorism? In order to find the causes of anti-US terrorism, this essay will research various academic works in an effort to find some explanations of what causes anti-US terrorism. I will examine a couple different hypothesis that try to explain the causes of terrorism, but my research I plan to argue that anti-US terrorism is rooted in political and social movements by angry Islamic fundamentalists who believe using non-conventional tactics are the most rational way to fight the US and the western powers. Terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaeda, do not see diplomacy with the US as an option to voice their demands because they see the US as a superpower that is unwilling to listen to their demands and also because most of the Arab governments are friends with the US. Because diplomacy is not an available option and there is an inability to formally fight the west militarily, terrorists groups have chosen to use non-traditional tactics to fight the west. Research into this issue is very important for political research because terrorism has become a major security issue for the US and other countries around the world. Also, research into the causes of terrorism is important because it is a tactic that non-state actors can and will be using the years ahead as a form of leverage against the US and the West. In my conclusion I will present some possible solutions how terrorism can hopefully be stopped in the future. Defining terrorism as one definite thing is not an easy task, but generally terrorism is considered to be non-conventional form of warfare that individuals or groups can use to fight for their agenda, whether it is a political, social, religious and/or economic cause. Terrorists use many non-conventional ways of fighting such as car bombs, keeping people hostage, and in some cases hijacking air planes. As a ‘weapon of the weak’, terrorism is deployed by groups to gain media attention and visibility as the first step in gaining ‘name recognition’ within the international community. (Nacos 1994). Through the publicity generated by their violence, terrorists seek to obtain the leverage, influence and power they otherwise lack to create political change on either a local or an international scale. The traditional laws of war do not apply  to terrorism, partly because terrorist groups do not abide to treaties on war, and also because terrorist groups use fear as their form of leverage, which is why it is okay for them to kill innocent people. In cases of groups such as Al-Qaeda killing innocent people is not considered a bad thing because to them there is a religious justification. Power has always played a crucial role in the international system and based on this principle we can believe that the struggle for power has a major influence on the decision of terrorist groups to commit acts of terrorism. (Sobeck Braithwaite 2005) In a study by David Sobek and Alex Braithwaite the two researchers hypothesize that as political, military, and diplomatic capabilities become concent rated into American and allied hands, the amount of terrorism directed against Americas interests will increase as a way to counter balance this power. Because terrorists are non-state actors they do not have access to conventional forms of fighting or the diplomatic channels that states use to resolve their disputes, they must use non-conventional forms of fighting. The choice to employ terrorist activities arises rationally from the environmental context within which these groups find themselves in, in that terrorism is the most cost-effective way for the terrorists to accomplish their goals. (Ajami 2001) The United States’ predominant position in the world affects the decision of terrorist groups to launch terrorist attacks against US interests internationally. As the United States becomes increasingly dominant, the amount of terrorism directed against it is likely to increase. Terrorism is seen by the terrorists as a counter-balancing mechanism. (Sobeck Braithwaite 2005) Increasing American dominance limits the ability of groups with revisionist views of the international system, such as that of the Palestinians, to be h eard, let alone changed. (Sobeck Braithwaite 2005) The options available for these groups to act are diplomacy, perhaps through a NGO or their home state if they are willing to listen, or terrorism, which is intended to create an instant response (Most Starr, 1989) From these choices, terrorist groups choose strategies that they see as rational that will maximize their expected outcome. (Sobeck Braithwaite 2005) This means that the decision to engage in terrorism relates directly to the expected efficacy of an action and the likely payoffs received if it is successful. For example the terrorist activities of 9/11 cost Al-Qaeda roughly 400,000  dollars and nineteen lives were lost in the process, but the outcome of causing thousands of deaths, several billion dollars of damage, and most importantly creating fear in the minds of millions of people world-wide was a very ‘cost-effective’ decision by Al-Qaeda to put world spotlight on their anti-US position. (Sobeck Braithwaite 2005) The desire to counter-balance the US and west and remove from the Middle East a long with belief that it possible has caused the creation of many terrorist groups since the 1970s. This anti-western feeling had been around for a long time, but the creation of Israel and the growing amount of western influence in the region really sparked terrorist movements in this time period. Groups such as Hezbollah, a Lebanese group that has been around since the 1980s, have realized that using non-conventional warfare, such as blowing up the US Embassy in Beirut, can be a way to fight and neutralize the conventional military superiority of a superpower. (Cannistraro and Giraldi 2007) This action seemed to be a victory for Hezbollah as US and French forces withdrew from the country after the bombing. This act of removing western countries using terrorism inspired other terrorist groups to try to fight Western influence in their home countries and to fight western countries in their homeland as see n by the attacks of 9/11 and the bombings in Madrid. It is a common misperception that terrorists are insane and not rational actors because they use tactics such as suicide, but this is not necessarily the case. Marc Sageman, a former CIA officer, studied the rationality of terrorists and found that the popular depictions of brainwashed or poor and uneducated terrorists are generally not true. He profiled 382 terrorists and his work reveals that terrorists are more likely to be normal, well-educated types with families and good professional-level jobs. (Sageman 2002) Most are middle or upper class and not poor, young, single, and/or deluded. (Sageman 2002) Only a small percentage had any religious education, and many, more than 70 percent, had some university education. (Sageman 2002) Sageman concluded that Al Qaeda and its associated groups are generally composed of men who are very well educated, well off, and stable. According to Vincent Cannistraro and Philip Giraldi terrorists act as they  do not because they are crazy but beca use they believe what they do will bring about change to the global political status quo. Terrorists see terrorism as a way to create power where there is none or to consolidate power where there is very little. (Hoffman 1998) For the global Salafist terrorists, the objective is to put an end to corrupt Arab regimes, replacing them with theocracies, and to bring and end to western influence from Muslim lands. For the regionally based groups such as Hamas, the purpose of terrorism is national liberation from occupying powers e.g. Israel. (Cannistraro and Giraldi 2007) It can also be argued that even though acts of terrorism are universally condemned, they stimulate media coverage of an issue and provide an opening for moderate organizations to ask the public to consider the legitimacy of what the terrorists are fighting for as a separate issue from the tactics the groups use i.e. it can be argued that the terrorism in Israel has increased awareness of poor conditions of the Palestinian people. (Adamson) Along with being a political movement, terrorism has now also become a sociological phenomenon in parts of the Muslim world and in the west. In parts of the Middle East terrorists groups begin to form when members of the society feel upset with their home government for working with the US or other reasons that make them feel outcast i.e. economic reasons, feeling less dignified than people of the west, etc. It usually takes a charismatic leader to take the frustration of the many outcast people and channel it into a movement. In the words of Eric Hoffer, it is usually â€Å"an externalizing hatemongering leader† who â€Å"manipulates the slime of discontented souls.† (Hoffer 1989) Terrorist group leaders, such as Osama Bin Laden, are considered to be a therapist for the group and they blame an external cause for their difficulties of the group and righteously justify aggression against the believed source i.e. the US. (Robins Post, 1997). Once members are recruited in to these groups, there is a clear fusing of individual identity and group identity, particularly among the more radical elements of each organization. This is true both for the Islamist terrorists of Hamas as well as Al Qaeda and the global Salafi jihad. (Post 2005) For members of these terrorist groups ‘success’ within the community is defined as fighting for ‘the cause,’ which can be thought of as political, social,  and religious growth of the groups beliefs. As young men adopt this view of success, their own self image becomes more intimately intertwined with the success of the organization. (Post 2005) With no other means to achieve status and ‘success,’ the organization’s success becomes central to individual identity and provides a â€Å"reason for living† for group members. (Post 2005) As an individual’s identity succumbs to the organization, there is no room for individuality, meaning no individual ideas, identity, and decision-making. At the same time self-perceived success becomes more and more linked to the organization This creates a cycle where group members have a direct need to increase the power and prestige of the group through increasingly dramatic and violent operations because this will increase their own perceived ‘success’ (Post 2005) This fusion with the group seems to provide the necessary justification for their actions and loss of responsibility to the individual. Guilt or remorse by the individual is not tolerated because the organization does not express it. This is intensified among Islamist groups who feel they have a moral obligation to the cause and a religiously sanctioned justification for their actions e.g. Jihad (Post 2005). In Europe and in the US terrorist groups have formed from a different social phenomenon. When Marc Sageman did his detailed study on 382 terrorists, he found some interesting information about the origins of many Al-Qaeda terrorists. Sageman found that the average al Qaeda–type terrorist has traveled, frequently studied in the West, and that many terrorists developed their radicalism while they were studying or working in the West. (Sageman 2002) He discovered that most terrorists entered into the jihadi cause from the bottom up, meaning that they volunteered and were not actively recruited. Sageman explains that these terrorists frequently drifted into radical mosques as an act of cultural assertion, often because they felt homesick or alienated from the dominant Western culture. Once there, they joined cliques or friendship groups of the like-minded people also searching for a new identity. (Sageman 2002) According to Sageman, â€Å"The groups are characterized by a sense of anomie, their social and political alienation eventually being attributed to the decadence, corruption, and immorality of the West.† The next step for these outcast individuals is to  join an organization that is doing something to combat and roll back the western values. Sageman concluded from his study that it is the â€Å"alienation arising from the misguided multiculturalism that treats Muslims like a group needing to be protected that creates its own sense of victimization.† (Sageman 2002) Another explanation that some might give to explain terrorism is that it is a psychological disorder that is caused by a pneumopathological consciousness that involves the construction of an imaginative â€Å"second reality† where terrorism has intended and magical effects. (Cooper 2005) This belief that terrorism is caused by a second reality says when individuals, who out of necessity exist within commonsensical or â€Å"first† reality attempt to live within the imaginative or fantasy-based second reality and characteristic frictions between the two arise. With respect to modern terrorism, the chief conflicts are between religious or spiritual realities and their symbolization and the realities of unfavorable living conditions in the Middle East relative to countries of the West. The tension between the first and second reality is brought to life by the perverse logic of this second reality that interprets murder as self-sacrifice according to this theory. (Cooper 200 5) No matter how pragmatically destructive these acts of political violence may be in commonsense terms, for the people existing imaginatively within a second reality, they â€Å"are sanitized by virtue of the fact that they are religiously symbolic. They are stripped of their horror by being invested with religious meaning.† (Juergensmeyer 1996) Of the different academic works I have looked into, this theory that terrorism is caused by a psychological disorder seems to be the least plausible. The problem with the theory is that it is not possible to test the psychological dysfunctions of the terrorists partly because of an internal belief in this theory that the terrorists are able to live in the ‘first reality.’ Also since other researchers such as Marc Sageman have done case studies that show that terrorists are rational and normal people, there is strong evidence that contradicts this theory. This theory does not take into account the strong evidence put forth by the other works I have  researched that convincingly explain how terrorism is a rational way for the terrorists to fight the west of social and political reasons. While it is true that some terrorists groups are fighting in the name of religion, most terrorists groups have used religion as a justification and cover up for doing violent acts that are politically and socially motivated. Overall, this belief that terrorism is caused by a pneumopathological consciousness does little in supporting my hypothesis. Some of the articles I read gave me support for my hypothesis that terrorism is caused by political and social forces. â€Å"The Long War† by Vincent Cannistraro and Philip Giraldi was one of the articles that supported my hypothesis. The general theme of the article was that social alienation from the West, revenge for previous blood debt, a desire to put an end to corrupt Arab regimes and replace them with theocracies along with bringing about a retreat of the West, particularly the United States, from Muslim lands is what causes terrorism. Also â€Å"Victim of Success† by David Sobeck and Alex Braithwaite supported my hypothesis because it explained terrorism as political maneuver by groups like Al Qaeda to counter balance the military and political superiority of the US. An article that supported my notion that terrorism also has social motivations was the case study of terrorists my Marc Sageman, which explain how social alienation by Muslims living in the west cau ses these groups to feel hatred toward the west and act on their feelings. With a better understanding of the political and social causes of terrorism better efforts should be made by US foreign policy makers to tackle these root causes. It will be difficult to stop Muslim extremists from feeling outcast from their home governments, but better efforts need to be made by people living in the west to understand Islam and the problems Muslims in the Middle East face. Also people in the west need to do a better job of helping Muslims living in the west to assimilate into western society so they do not feel social alienation. A lot of this social tension between Muslims and the west can possibly be fixed with better education of Islam in schools and less negative depictions of Muslims and the Middle East in the media. The political causes of terrorism will be a little bit more difficult to fix. It is not likely that the US will lessen its power, but the US could try to do more to change its policy that affects the millions of Muslims living in the Middle East. First, the US should stop this double-standard of promoting peace in Isreal, while at the same time giving full support militarily and economically to the Israeli government, which doing very little to help the Palestinians. Next, the US should try to stop supporting Arab governments which are very oppressive towards their people. Although it is unlikely, the US and US companies should try to reduce their presence in the Middle East because we are clearly not welcome and many of the people living in the area think we are exploiting them while also corrupting their way of life with our more liberal social values. Also what the US should do to help stop terrorism is to increase the legitimacy of using diplomacy in the region because doing so would make terrorism not the most rational option for these angry groups. The implications of US foreign policy in the Middle East are very important if we want to see terrorism come to an end. It is unfortunate that the Islamic fundamentalists had to resort to using terrorism to fight for their political and social causes, but if the US does more to understand their needs and frustrations of these peoples and also act on this information, then hopefully we will see an the end of this era of terrorism. References: Adamson, Fiona B. (2005). Globalization, Transnational Political Mobilization, and Networks of Violence. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, retrieved November 5, 2007, From Academic Search Premier database Ajami, F. (2001). The Uneasy Imperium: Pax Americana in the Middle East. How did this happen? Terrorism and the new war. Public Affairs Reports, Retrieved November 11, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database Cannistraro,Vincent; Giraldi,Philip.(2007). The Long War Mediterranean Q., (Duke University Press) Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Cooper, Barry. (2005). Terrorism and Globalization. Perspectives on Global Development and Technology. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Hoffer, E. (1989). The true believer: Thoughts on the nature of mass movements. Harper and Rowe Perennial Library. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Juergensmeyer, Mark (1996) The Worldwide Rise of Religious Nationalism. Journal of International Affairs. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Most, B. and Starr, H. (1989). Inquiry, logic, and international politics. University of South Carolina Press. Retrieved November 11, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Nacos, B. (1994). Terrorism and the Media: From the Iran Hostage Crisis to the Oklahoma City Bombing. Columbia University Press. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Post,Jerrold M. (2005). When Hatred Is Bred in the Bone: Psycho-Cultural Foundations of Contemporary Terrorism. Polit.Psychol. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Robins, R Post, J (1997). Political paranoia: The psychopolitics of hatred. New Haven: Yale University Press. Retrieved November 11, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Sageman, Marc. (2002). Understanding Terror Networks. University of Pennsylvania Press. Retrieved November 5, 2007 from Academic Search Premier database Sobek,David Braithwaite,Alex (2005). Victim of Success: American Dominance and Terrorism. Conflict Management and Peace Science. Department of Political Science, Louisiana State University Department of Political Science, Pennsylvania State University Retrieved November 11 2007, From Academic Search Premier database

Functions of Enzymes in Metabolic Reaction

Functions of Enzymes in Metabolic Reaction Enzymes have a fundamental role in all metabolic reaction that occurs in all living organisms. Enzymes are proteins which has the ability to bind to substrates and break substrate into products. In most cases, enzymes act as catalyst as they aid the reactants to come closer by using their active sites. In this essay I will be reviewing the structure and function of a serine protease known as subtilisin and I will analyze the different techniques used by different researchers to define the structure or functions of Subtilisin. Subtilisin is found in various forms such as Carlsberg and BNP. All three enzymes are from different origins, however they have similar primary structure although, their tertiary structures are completely different. Subtilisin BPN is an extracellular protease enzyme of a spore forming organism Bacullus Amyloliquelaniens. This enzyme contains a single peptide chain of amino acid containing 275 residues with no disulphide bridges or SH group. The subtilisin BNP contains 8 right handed ÃŽ ± helical segment these regions are (Alden et al, 1970). Many distortion has been observed due to the standard helix. The longest helix contains a number of residues such as Ala 223 to Histidine 238 which runs all the way from the top of the molecule thought the molecules and to the other end. The other 6 helical segments lie approximately parallel to the longest helix (Alden et al, 1970). Subtilisins are example of serine protease these are found in every organism that exists. There are several examples of serine protease enzyme and one of them is alpha-Chymotrypsin which is one of the known enzymes in the Trypsin family. The Trypsin and the subtilisin are believed to have evolved as they have similar mechanism of action even though they are not detectably related. Subtilisin is a bacterial protease, however Trypsin including ÃŽ ±-Chymotrypsin, Trypsin and Elastase re from mammalian origin. These are the known enzymes to have evolved convergent because they have similar active sites and catalytic mechanisms but has no similarities in terms of sequence or conformational homology. The two known types of subtilisin are BNP and Carlsberg; both have similar polypeptide chain, but there are segments on the chain where a number of residues has either been replaced or deleted. According to Emil (1966), BPN consist of peptide chain of 275 amino acids residues, however Carlsber g enzyme contains only 274 amino acid residues. As mentioned in this paper, the chain is only different by 83 residues which may lead to the question why they are different . Furthermore, the similarities and differences between BNP and Carlsberg suggest there have been deletions which have caused both of these enzymes to evolve in different ways. These enzymes are believed to be serine protease enzymes which means they all originate from the same source and due to evolution these enzyme has been converging away from each others path and both enzyme adapted in its environment in order to survive. This resulted subtilisin to be present in bacteria and ÃŽ ±-Chymotrypsin is found in the mammalian pancreas. This now brings us to the point that ÃŽ ±-Chymotrypsin and Subtilisins having the same catalytic mechanisms. This suggest that both Trypsin family and subtilisin family originates from source. Serine proteases are highly specific enzymes as they use His, Ser and Asp part of their active site. The main characteristic of a serine protease is that they have a unique Ser residue of exceptional reactivity that forms a covalent bond with some of the substrates or inhibitors (Creighton J). In both Trypsin and subtilisin shows many similarity and both contains the particularly highly reaction serine residue which can be specifically phosphorylated by other substrate such as isoprophylfluorophosphate (Alden and Wright, 1970), sulphonated and acylated using different enzymes. Further, research was carried out to find out the protonotic equilibria exhibited by both of these enzymes. The enzymatic similarity between the two different serine protease could be the involvement of a Histidine residue as it has been mentioned in most literature. Previous studies suggested that tertiary structure of ÃŽ ±-Chymotrypsin and subtilisin contains hydrogen bonding involvement in the Enzyme-substrate complex (Polgar and Bender, 1969). The Kcat for hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate by BPN depends on a group with a pK of 7.2, which presumably was Histidine (Alden and Wright, 1970). Studies were carried out to determine the structure of the enzymes by Neidhart et al (1988) and they successfully refined the structure of Carlsberg. The structure was refines at 2.5 Ã… resolution using X-ray crystallography. Wright et all (1969) found out that subtilisin BNP possesses the catalytic triad, arrangement of active site including Aspartate, Histidine, and serine residues characteristic of the Trypsin family. Further study carried out by Robertus et al (1972), demonstrated that the arrangement and characteristics of the active site is identical for both BPN and other member of the Trypsin family, which means the peptide around the active site were highly conserved. In contrast, the overall peptide chain folding of subtilisin BPN reassembles those in the Trypsin family. Thus the relationship between BPN and mammalian Trypsin family of enzymes have been classified as a case of convergent evolution (Robertus et all, 1972). The catalytic triad consist of the residue Asp 32 , His 64 and Ser 221. This supports the charge relay hypothesis and the catalytic triad is the most important part of the serine protease as it helps the enzymes to work effectively. Subtilisin also contains calcium binding loops which contains abut 75-81 residues which is identical in both type of subtilisin (Neidhart et al, 1988). Subtilisin and ÃŽ ± Chymotrypsin both are highly specific as they only bind to specific substrates. For example, proflovin is a good competitive inhibitor for ÃŽ ± Chymotrypsin is inefficient against subtilisin. And oppositely subtilisin has a good competitive inhibitor 4-(4aminophenylaze)-phenylarsonic acid, where as it doesnt interact with Chymotrypsin at all (Alden et al, 1970). Despite the Histidine residue in the active site, some specific inhibitors still bind to the active site by acylation of the Histidine of the Chymotrypsin; however they do not react with subtilisin. There are differences between subtilisin and Trypsin; subtilisin does not contain any disulphide bridges, but Chymotrypsin has five and Trypsin has 6 which suggest that trypsins are more cystine rich. So apart from the surrounding area of the serine 221 in subtilisin, these two classes have no resemblance from each other as far as the primary sequence is concern (Alden et al, 1970).