American Civil War in the West - 1863-1865

American Civil War in the West - 1863-1865 The Tullahoma Campaign As Grant was conducting operations against Vicksburg, the American Civil War in the West continued in Tennessee. In June, after pausing in Murfreesboro for nearly six months, Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans began moving against Gen. Braxton Braggs Army of Tennessee at Tullahoma, TN. Conducting a brilliant campaign of maneuver, Rosecrans was able to turn Bragg out of several defensive positions, forcing him to abandon Chattanooga and driving him from the state. Battle of Chickamauga Reinforced by Lt. Gen. James Longstreets corps from the Army of Northern Virginia and a division from Mississippi, Bragg laid a trap for Rosecrans in the hills of northwestern Georgia. Advancing south, the Union general encountered Braggs army at Chickamauga on September 18, 1863. Fighting began in earnest the following day when Union Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas attacked Confederate troops on his front. For most of the day, fighting surged up and down the lines with each side attacking and counterattacking. On the morning of the 20th, Bragg attempted to flank Thomas position at Kelly Field, with little success. In response to the failed attacks, he ordered a general assault on the Union lines. Around 11:00 AM, confusion led to a gap opening in the Union line as units were shifted to support Thomas. As Maj. Gen. Alexander McCook was attempting to plug the gap, Longstreets corps attacked, exploiting the hole and routing the right wing of Rosecrans army. Retreating with his men, Rosecrans departed the field leaving Thomas in command. Too heavily engaged to withdrawal, Thomas consolidated his corps around Snodgrass Hill and Horseshoe Ridge. From these positions his troops beat off numerous Confederate assaults before falling back under the cover of darkness. This heroic defense earned Thomas the moniker The Rock of Chickamauga. In the fighting, Rosecrans suffered 16,170 casualties, while Braggs army incurred 18,454. Siege of Chattanooga Stunned by the defeat at Chickamauga, Rosecrans retreated all the way back to Chattanooga. Bragg followed and occupied the high ground around the city effectively putting the Army of the Cumberland under siege. To the west, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was resting with his army near Vicksburg. On October 17, he was given command of the Military Division of the Mississippi and control of all Union armies in the West. Moving quickly, Grant replaced Rosecrans with Thomas and worked to reopen supply lines to Chattanooga. This done, he shifted 40,000 men under Maj. Gens. William T. Sherman and Joseph Hooker east to reinforce the city. As Grant was pouring troops into the area, Bragg numbers were reduced when Longstreets corps was ordered away for a campaign around Knoxville, TN. Battle of Chattanooga On November 24, 1863, Grant began operations to drive Braggs army away from Chattanooga. Attacking at dawn, Hookers men drove Confederate forces from Lookout Mountain south of the city. Fighting in this area ended around 3:00 PM when ammunition ran low and a heavy fog enveloped the mountain, earning the fight the nickname Battle Above the Clouds. At the other end of the line, Sherman advanced taking Billy Goat Hill at the north end of the Confederate position. The following day, Grant planned for Hooker and Sherman to flank Braggs line, allowing Thomas to advance up the face of Missionary Ridge in the center. As the day progressed, the flank attacks became bogged down. Feeling that Bragg was weakening his center to reinforce his flanks, Grant ordered Thomas men to move forward to assault the three lines of Confederate trenches on the ridge. After securing the first line, they were pinned down by fire from the remaining two. Rising up, Thomas men, without orders, pressed on up the slope, chanting Chickamauga! Chickamauga! and broke the center of Braggs lines. With no choice, Bragg ordered the army to retreat back to Dalton, GA. As a result of his defeat, President Jefferson Davis relieved Bragg and replaced him with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. Changes in Command In March 1964, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Grant to lieutenant general and placed him in supreme command of all Union armies. Departing Chattanooga, Grant turned over command to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman. A long-time and trusted subordinate of Grants, Sherman immediately made plans for driving on Atlanta. His command consisted of three armies which were to operate in concert: the Army of the Tennessee, under Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson, the Army of the Cumberland, under Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas, and the Army of the Ohio, under Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield. The Campaign for Atlanta Moving southeast with 98,000 men, Sherman first encountered Johnstons 65,000-man army near Rocky Face Gap in northwest Georgia. Maneuvering around Johnstons position, Sherman next met the Confederates at Resaca on May 13, 1864. After failing to break Johnstons defenses outside the town, Sherman again marched around his flank and forced the Confederates to fall back. Through the remainder of May, the Sherman steadily maneuvered Johnston back towards Atlanta with battles occurring at Adairsville, New Hope Church, Dallas, and Marietta. On June 27, with the roads too muddy to steal a march on the Confederates, Sherman attempted to attack their positions near Kennesaw Mountain. Repeated assaults failed to take the Confederate entrenchments and Shermans men fell back. By July 1, the roads had improved allowing Sherman to again move around Johnstons flank, dislodging him from his entrenchments. The Battles for Atlanta On July 17, 1864, tired of Johnstons constant retreats, President Jefferson Davis gave command of the Army of Tennessee to the aggressive  Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood. The new commanders first move was to  attack Thomas army near Peachtree Creek, northeast of Atlanta. Several determined assaults struck the Union lines, but were ultimately all repulsed. Hood next withdrew his forces to the inner defenses of the city hoping Sherman would follow and open himself up to attack. On July 22, Hood  assaulted McPhersons Army of the Tennessee  on the Union left. After the attack achieved initial success, rolling up the Union line, it was stopped by massed artillery and counterattacks. McPherson was killed in the fighting and replaced with  Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard. Unable to penetrate the Atlanta defenses from the north and east, Sherman moved to the west of the city but was blocked by the Confederates at  Ezra Church  on July 28. Sherman next decided to force Hood from Atlanta by cutting the railroads and supply lines into the city. Pulling almost of his forces from around the city, Sherman marched on Jonesborough to the south. On August 31, Confederate troops  attacked the Union position  but were easily driven away. The next day Union troops counterattacked and broke through the Confederate lines. As his men fell back, Hood realized that the cause was lost and began evacuating Atlanta on the night of September 1. His army retreated west towards Alabama. In the campaign, Shermans armies suffered 31,687 casualties, while the Confederates under Johnston and Hood had 34,979. Battle of Mobile Bay As Sherman was closing in on Atlanta, the US Navy was conducting operations against Mobile, AL. Led by  Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, fourteen wooden warships and four monitors ran past Forts Morgan and Gaines at the mouth of Mobile Bay and attacked the ironclad  CSS  Tennessee  and three gunboats. In doing so, they passed near a torpedo (mine) field, which claimed the monitor USS  Tecumseh. Seeing the monitor sink, the ships in front of Farraguts flagship paused, causing him to famously exclaim Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead! Pressing on into the bay, his fleet captured CSS  Tennessee  and closed the port to Confederate shipping. The victory, coupled with the fall of Atlanta, greatly aided Lincoln in his reelection campaign that November. Franklin Nashville Campaign While Sherman rested his army at Atlanta, Hood planned a new campaign designed to cut the Union supply lines back to Chattanooga. He moved west into Alabama hoping to draw Sherman into following, before turning north towards Tennessee. To counter Hoods movements, Sherman dispatched Thomas and Schofield back north to protect Nashville. Marching separately, Thomas arrived first. Hood seeing that the Union forces were divided, moved to defeat them before they could concentrate. Battle of Franklin On November 29, Hood nearly trapped Schofields force near Spring Hill, TN, but the Union general was able to extricate his men from the trap and reach Franklin. Upon arriving they occupied fortifications on the outskirts of town. Hood arrived the following day and launched a massive frontal assault on the Union lines. Sometimes referred to as the Picketts Charge of the West, the attack was repulsed with heavy casualties and six Confederate generals dead. Battle of Nashville The victory at Franklin allowed Schofield to reach Nashville and rejoin Thomas. Hood, despite the wounded condition of his army, pursued and arrived outside the city on December 2. Safe in the citys defenses, Thomas slowly prepared for the upcoming battle. Under tremendous pressure from Washington to finish off Hood, Thomas finally attacked on December 15. Following two days of assaults, Hoods army crumbled and dissolved, effectively destroyed as a fighting force. Shermans March to the Sea With Hood occupied in Tennessee, Sherman planned his campaign to take Savannah. Believing the Confederacy would only surrender if its capacity for making war was destroyed, Sherman ordered his troops to conduct a total scorched earth campaign, destroying everything in their path. Departing Atlanta on November 15, the army advanced in two columns under  Maj. Gens. Henry Slocum  and Oliver O. Howard. After cutting a swath across Georgia, Sherman arrived outside of Savannah on December 10. Making contact with the US Navy, he demanded the citys surrender. Rather than capitulate,  Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee  evacuated the city and fled north with the garrison. After occupying the city, Sherman telegraphed Lincoln, I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the City of Savannah... The Carolinas Campaign and the Final Surrender With Savannah captured, Grant issued orders for Sherman to bring his army north to aid in the  siege of Petersburg. Rather than travel by sea, Sherman proposed marching overland, laying waste to the Carolinas along the way. Grant approved and Shermans 60,000-man army moved out in January 1865, with the goal of capturing Columbia, SC. As Union troops entered South Carolina, the first state to secede, no mercy was given. Facing Sherman was a reconstituted army under his old adversary, Joseph E. Johnston, who seldom had more than 15,000 men. On February 10, Federal troops entered Columbia and burned everything of military value. Pushing north, Shermans forces encountered Johnstons small army at  Bentonville, NC on March 19. The Confederates launched five attacks against the Union line to no avail. On the 21st, Johnston broke off contact and retreated towards Raleigh. Pursuing the Confederates, Sherman finally compelled Johnston to agree to an armistice at Bennett Place near Durham Station, NC on April 17. After negotiating surrender terms, Johnston capitulated on the 26th. Coupled with  Gen. Robert E. Lees  surrender on the 9th, the surrender effectively ended the Civil War.

3 Most Common Reasons Women Have an Abortion

3 Most Common Reasons Women Have an Abortion For some, its an inconceivable act, but for others, abortion seems to be the only way out of an unplanned pregnancy and an impossible-to-negotiate future. Numbers show that nearly one in four U.S. women will choose to have an abortion before age 45. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a handful of studies over the years have indicated consistently similar answers from women who identify why theyve chosen to have an abortion. The top three reasons these women cite for not being able to continue their pregnancies and give birth are: Negative impact on the mothers lifeFinancial instabilityRelationship problems/unwillingness to be a single mother What is the rationale behind these reasons that would lead a woman to terminate a pregnancy? What are the challenges and situations women face that make giving birth and raising a newborn an impossible task?   Negative Impact on the Mothers Life Taken at face value, this reason may sound selfish. But a pregnancy that occurs in the wrong place at the wrong time can have a lifelong impact on a womans ability to raise a family and earn a living. Less than half of teens who become teen mothers before age 18 graduate from high school. College students who become pregnant and give birth are also much less likely to complete their education than their peers. Employed single women who become pregnant face an interruption of their jobs and careers. This impacts their earning ability and may make them unable to raise a child on their own. For women who already have other children at home or are caring for aging relatives, the reduction in income resulting from pregnancy and subsequent birth may bring them below the poverty level and require them to seek public assistance. Financial Instability Whether shes a student in high school, paying her way through college, or a single woman earning just enough to live independently, many expectant mothers lack the resources to cover the staggeringly high costs associated with pregnancy, birth, and childrearing, especially if they do not have health insurance. Saving for a baby is one thing, but an unplanned pregnancy places an enormous financial burden on a woman who cannot afford to care for an infant, let alone pay for the necessary OB/GYN visits that will ensure healthy fetal development. Lack of adequate medical care during pregnancy places the newborn at a higher risk for complications during birth and in early infancy. The cost of average hospital birth is approximate $8,000 and prenatal care provided by a physician can cost between $1,500 and $3,000. For the nearly 50 million Americans who do not have insurance, this would mean an out-of-pocket expense of $10,000. Thats if things go well and if its a single, healthy birth. Problems from pre-eclampsia to  premature birth  can send costs spiraling. If those births are included in the average, a birth can cost well over $50,000. According to a 2013 study published by advocacy group Childbirth Connection and reported in  The Guardian, the U.S. is the most expensive place in the world to have a birth.   That figure, coupled with the cost of raising a child from infancy through age 17 (estimated at over $200,000 per child), makes giving birth a terrifying proposition for someone who is still in school, or lacks a steady income, or simply does not have the financial resources to continue a pregnancy with adequate medical care and give birth to a healthy baby. Fear of Being a Single Mother The majority of women with unplanned pregnancies do not live with their partners or have committed relationships. These women realize that in all likelihood they will be raising their child as a single mother. Many are unwilling to take this big step due to the reasons described above: interruption of education or career, insufficient financial resources, or inability to care for an infant due to caregiving needs of other children or family members. Even in situations involving women cohabitating with their partners, the outlook for unmarried women as single mothers in discouraging. Among women in their 20s living with their partners at the time of birth, one-third ended their relationships within two years. Other Most Common Reasons for Abortion Although these are not the primary reasons women choose abortion, the following statements reflect concerns that play a role in influencing women to terminate their pregnancies: I dont want more children or Im done with childrearing.Im not ready to become a mother or not ready for another child.I dont want others to know about my pregnancy or that Im having sex.My husband/partner wants me to have an abortion.There are problems with the health of the fetus.There are problems with my own health.My parents want me to have an abortion. Combined with those reasons previously cited, these secondary concerns often convince women that abortion - albeit a difficult and painful choice - is the best decision for them at this time in their lives. Reasons for Abortion, the Statistics In a study released by the Guttmacher Institute in 2005, women were asked to provide reasons why they chose to have an abortion. Multiple responses were permissible. Of those who gave at least one reason: 89 percent gave at least two72 percent gave at least three Nearly three-quarters said they could not afford to have a baby. Of those women who gave two or more answers, the most common response - inability to afford a baby - was most frequently followed by one of three other reasons: pregnancy/birth/baby would interfere with school or employment.reluctant to be a single mother or experiencing relationship problems.done with childbearing or already have other children/dependents. Women specified these reasons that led to their abortion decision  (percentage total will not add up to 100, as multiple answers were permissible): 74 percent felt having a baby would dramatically change my life (which includes interrupting education, interfering with job and career, and/or concern over other children or dependents).73 percent felt they cant afford a baby now (due to various reasons such as being unmarried, being a student, inability to afford childcare or basic needs of life, etc.).48 percent dont want to be a single mother or [were] having relationship problem[s].38 percent have completed [their] childbearing.32 percent were not ready for a(nother) child.25 percent dont want people to know I had sex or got pregnant.22 percent dont feel mature enough to raise a(nother) child.14 percent felt their husband or partner wants me to have an abortion.13 percent said there were possible problems affecting the health of the fetus.12 percent said there were physical problems with my health.6 percent felt their parents want me to have an abortion.1 percent said they were a victim of rape.0.5 percent became pregnant as a r esult of incest. Sources Finer, Lawrence B. Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives., Lori F. Frohwirth, Lindsay A. Dauphinee, et al., Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37(3):110–118, The Guttmacher Institute, 2005. Glenza, Jessica. Why does it cost $32,093 just to give birth in America? The Guardian, January 16, 2018. Jones, Rachel K. Population Group Abortion Rates and Lifetime Incidence of Abortion: United States, 2008–2014. Jenna Jerman, The Guttmacher Institute, October 19, 2017. Wind, Rebecca. Why Do Women Have Abortions? The Guttmacher Institute, September 6, 2005.

Nursing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 51

Nursing research - Essay Example In line with this, patients were given the opportunity to participate in their provision of care, which improved communication between members of staff, and between members of staff and their patients. In order to achieve a successful implementation of this change, it was essential to ensure that the hospital used principles of planned change to improve the chances of this planned change’s success. In line with this, the hospital relied on the principles of monitoring and reinforcement of planned change in order to ensure that the planned change was successful. In support of the importance of these two principles of planned change, Keele noted, â€Å"Continued monitoring and reinforcement of the practice change is important for sustainability† (237). Through implementing a process whereby the unit nurses supervised the handing over process in their units, the hospital ensured that there was an efficient way of monitoring the planned change. On the other hand, it is important to point out that the hospital held weekly meetings whereby nurses’ behavior regarding handing-over was reinforced with nurses discussing the challenges they faced while playing their

Demonstrate how to carry out a patient-centred systematic assessment Essay

Demonstrate how to carry out a patient-centred systematic assessment of a patient with palliative care needs & use your findings - Essay Example Symptom management plan which is comprehensive involves a number of considerations. These are: An in-depth and holistic assessment Based on the assessment, there should be identification of the probable based on the assessment The execution of the intervention The continuous evaluation of the measures of intervention Effective management requires various things. These include: i. Amalgamated approach: this involves symptom assessment which is multidimensional. For instance, in the case of the management of pain, may require both patient education on how effectiveness of relation, and opioid. This is helpful as it teaches the patient the method of relieving oneself from anxiety. ii. The specific and targeted approach: this is directed to find out the exact factors contributing to the problem of a specified problem. For instance, pharmaceutical agents could be required to investigate various causal factors to a specific disease or ailment. iii. A tailored approach: this method is suite d for some circumstance. For example, a patient who does not have caregivers or adequate financial capabilities may have to get support from other caregivers. Evaluation It is very vital for one to investigate and find out the level of the underlying symptoms and to determine the progress of the disease. This is important as it helps in determining whether the disease can be reversed or if one is advancing to the terminal stage of their illness. The investigation may be done purposefully to: alleviate the root cause of a symptom and deliver one from the effects of the symptom. Patient Issues related to Symptom assessment and management plan There are various issues with different patients, which may affect the assessment. There this paper presents an elaboration of literature review, which singles out the interconnection of of areas focus in relation to the pain one is undergoing. These include communication, the spiritual life of a patient, and their relationships. Relationships an d Communications Health practitioners and hospitals should conduct and facilitate individual patient support to empower patients to talk effectively health professionals any other person. In addition to this, heal professionals should be trained adequately to enable them to learn the dynamics of communicating to patients, their informal caregivers and how they can communicate with other professionals. The major issue of concern that has been of concern all along is the importance of communication among and between various groups of persons involved. For instance, patients, health care professionals and the informal caregivers. For the case of patience, good communication, trust, and planning are the major concepts in the control of major symptoms that may have been found to develop in a patient. Patients should constantly be assured of wellness not sufferance and disaster after the treatment. The patients should be told of the side effects that are related to some diseases and treat ments. The fear that may engulf a patient about a specific treatment like cancer should be attended to and well addressed. The type of relationship that exists between a patient and health professionals matters a lot in the health improvement of a patient. The type of rela

Life And Times Of Alexander The Great Essay -- essays research papers

Life and Times of Alexander the Great Introduction Alexander the great made an impact on world history that few individuals can profess to have done. He ruled all of the known world, and one of the largest empires ever. His men were the first westerners to encounter tales of the Yeti. They even discovered and classified new types of flora and fauna, such as the red mold that grew on their bread while they were in Asia, and made it appear as if it were bleeding. He expanded the Hellenist sphere of influence to the farthest reaches of the globe. When the king of Greece visited the British colony of India around the turn of the century, the colonial government had some native Indian dances displayed for him. He was shocked when he immediately recognized the dances as the same harvest dances that his fellow Greeks performed near Thessalonika. This was the breadth of Alexander's influence on hundreds of different cultures around the world. Throughout the whole of Europe, Asia, and North Africa, stories of this great man have been handed down from generation to generation throughout the centuries. In many cases Alexander has even taken on a superhuman aura, and many unbelievable legends have been based on his life. When Julius Caesar visited Alexandria, he asked to see the body of the greatest warrior of all time-Alexander the Great. Such was Alexander's reputation, able to impress even the powerful Caesar. He was, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable men that ever walked the face of this Earth. And this is the story of his life. The Life and Times of Alexander the Great The story of Alexander the Great is one of courage, genius, and great accomplishment; but it is also somewhat of a bittersweet one, ending with his tragic death during the prime of his life, at thirty-two. Alexander was born to Philip II of Macedon and Olympias, his principal wife, in 356 BCE, mpic Games. Just three years earlier, Philip had ascended to the throne after the death of his older brother, Perdikkas1, and named the city of Philipi after himself. Shortly thereafter, at the age of twenty, he met Olympias at a religious ceremony on the island of Samothrace. Olympias was of the Mystery Religions, and... ... Alexander had at last learned his lesson and began trusting Philip. Philip, though had finally had enough of Ptolemy and the rest of Alexander's friends meddling in Alexander's business, and exiled them from Macedonia "sine die". In Alexander's twentieth year, Philip was ready to begin his conquest of Persia and Asia Minor, but first he had to cement Epeiros's allegiance to him by marrying off Cleopatra (his only daughter from Olympias) to King Alexander of Epeiros. At daybreak the wedding procession began. Twelve of the Greek deities led the procession with Philip following close behind. A man posing as a guard gained access to Philip's entourage and stabbed Philip in the side before anyone could stop him. This man, later identified as Pausanias, had a horse prepared for a quick departure, but as fate would have it, he tripped over a bush, and was transfixed with a spear before he was able to rise to his feet. But there was no helping Philip- he was quite dead. Alexander was a firm believer in the saying, "The king is dead,

Mill’s View of Lower/Higher Pleasures

Mill is a utilitarian philosopher who lives by the Greatest Happiness Principle, in which there is a clear distinction between both lower and higher pleasures. Though thoroughly explained, one must also question the justification of these pleasures. Many of these beliefs leave the reader hanging on the edge, with further questions that need to be answered. What is the exact distinction between the lower and higher pleasures? And how are higher pleasures measured as most valuable? How clearly is Mill’s view of lower and higher pleasures justified? Mill, unlike some utilitarians (Epicureans), believes that there is an immense distinction between higher and lower pleasures. Lower pleasures, according to Mill, are those based off of sensations. â€Å"Few human creatures would consent to be changed into an of the lower animals for a promise of the fullest allowance of a beast’s pleasures†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Mill, Self-Love 506) Both humans and animals are capable of experiencing these pleasures, but what Mill believes is that only Humans are capable of the higher pleasures, and therefore no intelligent human being would chose to become an animal incapable of these more valuable pleasures. The lower pleasures are based off of sensations in which include things such as our five senses: taste, hearing, touch, sight and the sense of smell. One will experience these pleasures multiple times daily, thus reducing the amount of satisfaction one feels when experiencing a lower pleasure. Mill believes that animals and human beings both share similar experiences when it comes to the lower pleasures, but that only human beings are capable of the higher pleasures. How one measures the justification of the distinction between the lower pleasures and the higher pleasures is based mostly on opinion. It does make sense that since human beings are most definitely superior in the intellectual field that in order to achieve a greater value of happiness one must experience the higher pleasures, but who says that animals are not capable of any of the higher pleasures? â€Å"†¦to the love of power, or the love of excitement, both of which really do enter into and contribute to it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Mill, Self-Love 507) Now, I know for a fact that my dog is very capable of being excited. All he does is run around the entire house multiple times after showing him five seconds of love. So if the love of excitement contributes greatly to a higher pleasure with a greater value of happiness, then at least some inferior species must be capable of experiencing these higher pleasures. â€Å"It is better to be a human being satisfied than a pig satisfied. † (Mill, Self-Love 507). Mill has never experienced the life of one of the â€Å"lower animals†, and therefore cannot be one hundred percent sure of his opinion. The only way to justify Mill’s answer would to conduct an experiment in which involves observing the animals’ actions and reactions. Did you know dogs have around 100 facial expressions? Now if a dog is capable of having more facial expressions than a human being, how can one come to the conclusion that dogs are incapable of any of the higher pleasures? â€Å"If I am asked what I mean by difference of quality in pleasures, or what makes one pleasure more valuable than another, merely as a pleasure†¦. Of two pleasures, if there be one to which all or almost all who have experience of both give a dedicated preference, irrespective of any feeling of moral obligation to prefer it, that is the more desirable pleasure. (Mill, Self-Love 506) What he is trying to explain is that if one of the pleasures takes precedence for the majority of the people who experienced both pleasures, without being chosen because of certain natural feelings and/or based off of the person’s morals, then that is the pleasure in which holds the greatest value. One question a critic might ask would be why not trust your moral obligat ions or your feelings? And what instinct are we to base our decision off of if we are not to trust our own feelings or morals? Mill’s view on the greatest valued pleasure is clear, but he does not explain what one should base his or her decision on. â€Å"†¦the pleasures of intellect, of the feelings and imagination, and of moral sentiments, a much higher value as pleasures than to those of mere sensation. † (Mill, Self-Love 506). Basically, only human beings have the overall brainpower to experience these â€Å"higher pleasures†. These higher pleasures do not occur as often, which then indicates that higher pleasures are more valuable, as their occurrence are significantly more rare than the lower pleasures. Most utilitarian writers, including Mill, place supremacy in mental pleasures over bodily pleasures because of their circumstantial advantages, and in regards to safety are much less risky when it comes to injury and whatnot. But one must consider the following: What about athletes? Models? Stuntmen or professional weight lifters? An individual who is perusing a career in which is physically dominated might consider physical pleasures and achievements to be of a greater value of happiness than mental pleasures. One would only assume that Mill and other tilitarian writers consider pleasures of intellect to be of greater value, they are philosophers. What they enjoy doing is exploiting their thoughts into words to share with the rest of the world; that is what keeps their motor running strong each and every day. â€Å"A being of higher faculties requires more to make him happy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Mill, Self-Love 507). Mill in his eyes is justified by this due to the fact that he believes t hat humans are the only living beings capable of higher pleasures on Earth, so therefore a human being must have these higher pleasures because of their need for a greater value of happiness. But on the contrary, if a being of a lower faculty requires less to be happy, then the lower pleasures should be just as valuable to the inferior species as the higher pleasures are to the more capable beings. Who says that the other animals on this planet are inferior beings to humans anyways? How does one measure superiority? It all depends on the individual’s opinion. Someone like Mill might believe that mental capability and capacity are the most accurate units of measurement when it comes to who is the top dog. But just because human beings are more capable than animals mentally, it does not mean that we are the superior beings. If one were to measure superiority in the aspect of happiness, then one would have to believe that the lower species are most superior. Every living being on planet Earth is on the pursuit of happiness, and if lower species receive more satisfaction from the lower pleasures, then the beings we think to be inferior are much better off than we are. Since human beings are so much more capable mentally, then they are also more prone to be unhappy, as the lower pleasures are taken for granted since they do not provide enough happiness for one to be as satisfied as the other animal species. Mill believes in a clear distinction between the â€Å"lower and higher pleasures†, and that only humans are capable of the higher pleasures. One must question just how justified Mill is in his beliefs, as he has never experienced life as a â€Å"lower animal†. Who says that the higher pleasures only include those associated with the mental world?

Definition and Examples of Propaganda

Propaganda is a form of psychological warfare that involves the  spreading of information and ideas to advance a cause or discredit an opposing cause.   In their book Propaganda and Persuasion (2011), Garth S. Jowett and Victoria ODonnell define propaganda as the deliberate and systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist. Pronunciation: prop-eh-GAN-da Etymology: from the Latin, to propagate Examples and Observations Every day we are bombarded with one persuasive communication after another. These appeals persuade not through the give-and-take of argument and debate but through the manipulation of symbols and of our most basic human emotions. For better or worse, ours is an age of propaganda.(Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson, Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion, rev. ed. Owl Books, 2002) Rhetoric and Propaganda Rhetoric and propaganda, both in popular and academic commentary, are widely viewed as interchangeable forms of communication; and historical treatments of propaganda often include classical rhetoric (and sophistry) as early forms or antecedents of modern propaganda (e.g., Jowett and ODonnell, 1992. pp. 27-31).(Stanley B. Cunningham, The Idea of Propaganda: A Reconstruction. Praeger, 2002)Throughout the history of rhetoric, . . . critics have deliberately drawn distinctions between rhetoric and propaganda. On the other hand, evidence of the conflation of rhetoric and propaganda, under the general notion of persuasion, has become increasingly obvious, especially in the classroom, where students seem incapable of differentiating among the suasory forms of communication pervasive now in our heavily mediated society. . . .In a society where the system of government is based, at least in part, on the full, robust, give-and-take of persuasion in the context of debate, this conflation is de eply troubling. To the extent that all persuasive activity was lumped together with propaganda and given the evil connotation (Hummel Huntress 1949, p. 1) the label carried, persuasive speech (i.e. rhetoric) would never hold the central place in education or democratic civic life it was designed to. (Beth S. Bennett and Sean Patrick ORourke, A Prolegomenon to the Future Study of Rhetoric and Propaganda. Readings in Propaganda and Persuasion: New and Classic Essays, ed by Garth S. Jowett and Victoria ODonnell. Sage, 2006) Examples of Propaganda A massive propaganda campaign by the South Korean military drew an ominous warning from North Korea on Sunday, with Pyongyang saying that it would fire across the border at anyone sending helium balloons carrying anti-North Korean messages into the country.A statement carried by the North’s official news agency said the balloon-and-leaflet campaign by the puppet military in the frontline area is a treacherous deed and a wanton challenge to peace on the Korean Peninsula.(Mark McDonald, N. Korea Threatens South on Balloon Propaganda. The New York Times, Feb. 27, 2011)The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda.A Californian corporation has been awarded a contract with United States Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US armed operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, to develop what is described as an online persona m anagement service that will allow one US serviceman or woman to control up to 10 separate identities based all over the world.(Nick Fielding and Ian Cobain, Revealed: US Spy Operation That Manipulates Social Media. The Guardian, March 17, 2011) ISIS Propaganda Former US public diplomacy officials fear the sophisticated, social media-borne propaganda of the Islamic State militant group (Isis) is outmatching American efforts at countering it.Isis propaganda runs the gamut from the gruesome video-recorded beheadings of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff to Instagram photographs of cats with AK-47s, indicating a comfort Isis has with internet culture. A common theme, shown in euphoric images uploaded to YouTube of jihadi fighters parading in armored US-made vehicles captured from the Iraqi military, is Isis’s potency and success. . . .Online, the most visible US attempt to counter to Isis comes from a social media campaign called Think Again Turn Away, run by a State Department office called the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications.(Spencer Ackerman, Isiss Online Propaganda Outpacing US Counter-Efforts. The Guardian, September 22, 2014) The Aims of Propaganda The characteristic that propaganda is a form of mass media argumentation should not, in itself, be regarded as sufficient for drawing the conclusion that all propaganda is irrational or illogical or that any argument used in propaganda is for that reason alone fallacious. . . .[T]he aim of propaganda is not just to secure a respondents assent to a proposition by persuading him that it is true or that it is supported by propositions he is already committed to. The aim of propaganda is to get the respondent to act, to adopt a certain course of action, or to go along with and assist in a particular policy. Merely securing assent or commitment to a proposition is not enough to make propaganda successful in securing its aim.(Douglas N. Walton, Media Argumentation: Dialectic, Persuasion, and Rhetoric. Cambridge University Press, 2007) Recognizing Propaganda The only truly serious attitude . . . is to show people the extreme effectiveness of the weapon used against them, to rouse them to defend themselves by making them aware of their frailty and their vulnerability instead of soothing them with the worst illusion, that of a security that neither mans nature nor the techniques of propaganda permit him to possess. It is merely convenient to realize that the side of freedom and truth for man has not yet lost, but that it may well lose--and that in this game, propaganda is undoubtedly the most formidable power, acting in only one direction (toward the destruction of truth and freedom), no matter what the good intentions or the goodwill may be of those who manipulate it.(Jacques Ellul, Propaganda: The Formation of Mens Attitudes. Vintage Books, 1973)