Campaign Finance Reforms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Campaign Finance Reforms - Essay Example The purpose of this Act was to make campaign finance transparent. This was followed by a prolonged period of silence and restraint in this area. In the year 2002, the need for introducing reforms in campaign finance surfaced again. This led to the coming into existence of Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (Nielsen 43). This Act assured that the private donors are not able to donate much money to the political parties and political contestants that are not legally regulated by the Federal Election Commission. This was indeed a big step towards reforming campaign finance. Still, there were some aspects of this reform that happened to be controversial in a legal context (Nielsen 43). This led to a Supreme Court ruling in the year 2010 in the famous Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission case, which declared this act to be unconstitutional (Nielsen 59). This Supreme Court verdict once again increased the role played by the corporate money in the American democracy. Thereby this ver dict has generated much public disapproval. This has indeed increased the need for more campaign finance reforms. It is a known fact that collecting campaign finance is a task that takes much time and attention of the Congress men. This diverts their attention from the real issues faced by the country. The politicians are greatly dependent on the private donors for campaign finance. Thereby, this increases the clout of the corporate and private donors in the American political system (Schier 41).

Howard Markel and Frederick Crews Argument about Freud's Cocaine Dream Essay

Howard Markel and Frederick Crews Argument about Freud's Cocaine Dream - Essay Example Therefore, the essay is about Howard Markel and Frederick Crew’s argument about Freud's cocaine dream. Argument According to Markel, Freud thought that the application of cocaine in medical research and solution to human problems would enhance his reputation as a pioneer in medical anthropology (17). However, with increase in addiction, he questioned the safety of cocaine in medical application. Precisely, the addiction and subsequent overdose of the drug filtered and tarnished Freud’s reputation as a medical researcher (Markel 22). Furthermore, Markel indicated that Freud had no explanation for the increase in addiction and should have reconsidered his recommendation for the use of cocaine in healing the medical problems (25). Despite the general agreement among the scholars that taking cocaine actually relieves the patients of depression and other psychological problems, it prolonged use would lead to addiction that affects the health of an individual. As a result, Fr eud’s recommendations on its medical use could not offer solution to the patients’ problems, but created drug addiction that is not easy to solve (Markel 49). Fredrick Crew wondered how Freud could justify the use of one drug to cure the addiction of another. In fact, he claimed that this was not practical as the consequences of drug use would lead to a similar addiction and subsequent abuse (Markel 77). According to Karch, â€Å"It is important to understand that death from acute cocaine toxicity is a relatively rare event, essentially only seen in ‘body packers’ or ‘body stuffers’ who find themselves exposed to massive, multigram quantities of cocaine. Otherwise, the only cocaine users likely to become seriously ill or die are the chronic users† (2007). ... ocaine’s recommendation shows that he had not done research on the future of this drug on the users; therefore they were not acceptable (Markel 182). He dissented from the claim that Freud’s ideas had resulted to the cure of the psychosomatic ailments such as depression, emotional conflict. Instead, he pointed out that such ailments results from the day-to-day occurrences and solving them would mean satisfying the human needs, including food, shelter, and other social well-being (247). Indeed, this would alleviate the problem of dug addiction, during the search for a medical solution to the human psychological disorders. In addition, the scholars showed that the people with behavioral problems are under the influence of drug addiction might not have sufficient proof, but merely a dream (Markel 266). In other way, they argued that Freud’s psycho-analysis might be the best solution to solve drug addiction cases as opposed to the application of another stimulant dru g such as cocaine, which has far-reaching negative impacts on the user’s health (Markel 281). In the pretence of growth and civilization, Freud did not believe that the drug users are suffering from the impacts of superstition or past behavior (Markel 293). Mostly, the causes of such actions and continuous problems associated with drug usage are by chance. However, Crew assets that the discoveries that Freud made, should form the basis of further research on the application, without discrediting them at first sight (Markel 299). He indicates that the theories and other useful findings could be developed to provide better solution to the human problems, which characterize the modern society. As well, the scholars denoted that the anesthetic use of such drugs had more disadvantages than the anticipated

Why Do Sunnis (Taliban) Hate Shias Essay Example for Free

Why Do Sunnis (Taliban) Hate Shias Essay Taliban the worlds most extreme and radical Islamic organization that inspires fascination, controversy, and especially fear in both the Muslim world and the West has been brought into sharp focus in Ahmed Rashids book Taliban. This enormously insightful book gives an account of Talibans rise to power, its impact on Afghanistan and the Central Asian region. The book also analyzes the wider regional and geopolitical implications of the Talibans advent to power and the role that Taliban has to play in oil and gas companies decisions. The author also discusses about the changing attitudes of various countries like America and Saudi Arabia towards Taliban and its effects on Afghanistan. The word Taliban has been derived from the term talib, which means a student of an Islamic seminary. These seminaries have existed for thousands of years and Islamic boys have gone to these schools to study the Koran, Islamic law, in order to become preachers. The Taliban took this name because it is a symbol of Islam, and a symbol of doing good, and bringing people around to an Islamic viewpoint, and imposing law and order. It was a name that was initially welcomed by the Afghan people. To understand the enmity between the Hazaras and Iran and the Taliban it is very important to clarify here that the Hazars and Iranians are Shias while the Taliban are mostly Sunnis. And for me, the main reason why the Taliban hate Hazaras and Iran and why Iran and Hazaras hate Taliban is because of the one mentioned above. The enmity between the Sunni Pashtuns and the Shia Hazaras goes a long way but the Taliban brought a new edge to the conflict for they treated all the Shias as hypocrites and beyond the pale of true Islam. The earliest clashes between the Shia Hazaras and the Sunni Pashtuns can be traced all the way back to 1893 about 100 years before the creation of the Taliban. Pashtun king Abdul Rehman, who initiated the first anti-Hazara program, killing thousands of Hazars, moving thousands more to Kabul where they lived as serfs and servants, and destroying their mosques (Rashid 68). The first most important event that soiled the reputation of the Taliban in  the eyes of the Hazaras, and their main patron Iran was the controversial death of the Hazara leader, Abdul Ali Mazari while in Taliban custody. Masud, the Mujaheddin leader launched a surprise attack against the Hazaras, sending tanks into Kabuls southern suburbs, smashing the Hazaras and driving them out of Kabul. In desperation the Hazars cut a deal with the advancing Taliban, yielding their arms and their positions to them. But while in the custody of Taliban the Hazara leader died. The Hazaras contest that he was pushed out of a helicopter, because he tried to grab a rifle when he was being taken to Kandahar as a prisoner. But the Taliban continue to deny their involvement in it and continue to say that it was an accident. The death of Mazari, accidental or intentional was one of the first events that soiled the reputation of the Taliban in the eyes of the Hazars (Radhid 35). There have been numerous clashes between the Hazaras and the Taliban. Probably one of the most significant clashes that took place between the Hazaras and the Taliban was in 1997. Malik who was the second in command to Dostum betrayed Dostum when a feud broke out between them. Malik went to the Taliban and asked them to help him oust Dostum. This was just the opportunity that Taliban had been waiting for. Together with Dostum and his few accomplices Taliban attacked Dostum on 19 May 1997. This created an unrest within his ranks, and soon a group of 2500 heavily armed Taliban men entered Mazara. The Taliban troops, most of whom had never been to the north before, arrogantly started disarming the fierce Hazara troops, took over mosques where they declared the imposition of the Sharia law, shut down schools and drove women off the streets. This of course created a lot anti-Taliban feeling amongst the Mazars. On 28 May 1997, when a squabble broke out because group of Hazaras were resisting disarmament, hell broke out. First Mazars Hazaras then the rest of the population rose in revolt. Untrained in street fighting and not knowing the maze of city alleyways, the Taliban were easy victims as they drove their pickups drove right into dead ends. Within 15 hours some 600 Taliban soldiers were massacred and 1000 more were at the airport as they were tried to flee. Soon Malik organized his troops and then took control of four northern provinces, which the Taliban had captured. The remaining Taliban troops were either shot dead or buried in mass graves. Encouraged by this, Masud recaptured the territory that had  fallen to the Taliban just a week before. Thousands of more Taliban were either killed or captured. Meanwhile the Hazaras, spurred on by the Mazar victory also counter attacked, breaking the nine month Taliban siege of their homeland, Hazarajat. It was one of the worst defeats of the Taliban with over 3000 casualties, killed or wounded, and some 3600 men were taken as prisoners (Rahid 58-59). This sort of massacre of the Taliban left a permanent dent in the minds of the Taliban and made them even more anti Hazaras than they already were. The Taliban responded to this brutal massacre of their forces, in 1998. It was on 12 July when it all began, the Taliban swept northwards after sweeping Dostums forces. They later moved on as they bribed the Uzbek officials who were guarding the western road into Mazar, leaving the 1500 Hazara force susceptible to a sudden attack. It came in the early hours of 8 August 1998, when the Hazara force found them to be surrounded. They fought till their ammunition lasted and then it happened. Taliban soldiers entered Mazara on an unsuspecting public. What followed was a brutal massacre, as the Taliban took revenge of their losses from the previous year. The killing went on for days. The Taliban went on a frenzy, killing and shooting everyone they saw including children and women. Then the Taliban went into the houses of Hazaras and massacred entire families. Bodies were not given proper burial and were left to rot for days on the streets. Although it was impossible to get a correct body count but it was estimated that 5000 to 6000 people were killed in the massacre (Rashid 72-73). Once in control of the north the Taliban aimed to cleanse the north of the Shias. Shias were given three choices convert to Sunni Islam, leave for Shia Iran or die. All prayers services that were conducted by the Shia in mosques were banned. The Taliban governor general of Mazar, Mullah Niazi declared The Hazaras are not Muslims and now we have to kill the Hazaras. Wherever you go we will catch you. If you go up we will pull you down by your feet; if you hide below, we will pull you up by your hair. This clearly shows us that the hate between the two main groups of Muslims had reached a new level which was based on pure hate and abhorrence (Rahid 74). The Talibans brutal treatment of the Shia Hazaras made Iran which is a Shia country very anti-Taliban. Iran became very critical of the Taliban and tried to stop their movement at every step. They supported anti-Taliban alliances and started interfering in the politics of Afghanistan. They funded many leaders and many kings who were anti-Taliban in a desperate attempt of restricting Talibans advancements. Iran declared publicly that it would support any anti-Taliban alliance and appealed to Russia, India and the Central Asian states to help them also. In fact Iran was flying 22 flights a day to Mazar carrying arms. The reaction of this sort of support of Iran to any anti-Taliban alliance was that the Taliban officials were furious and accused Iran of supporting the opposition and grew even more hostile to Iran (Rashid 61). One of the most significant events that permanently damaged the reputation of the Taliban before Iran was the fall of Baimyan. Taliban occupied Baimyan and destroyed nearly 2000 year old Bhudda statues there. Iran responded to this by organizing a military exercise of some seventy thousand men, backed by guns and tanks along the Iran-Afghanistan border. This was followed by some 200,000 Iranian troops that were placed along the Iran-Afghanistan border. The Taliban also mobilized some 5000 fighters to prevent the Iranian invasion. Tensions between Iran and Taliban subsided when the UN Security Council sent Lakhdar Brahimi and met Mullah Omar (Rashid 76). In conclusion, I would like to say that Taliban has been a very interesting and fascinating book. In the end everyone comes out looking bad, in this book. Every nation, every economic faction, and every ethnic group acts purely out of short-term self interest without worrying about the people of Afghanistan, whose lives they were damaging. The United States firstly supports Taliban and then tries to eliminate them because they had lost interest in the Taliban regime and it no longer served their (United States) propose. Even Iran interfered in the life and politics of Afghanistan because they wanted to save the Shias there. They never really cared for the other factions of the Afghan population. Even Pakistan and Saudi Arabia interfered in Afghanistan because they wanted to protect the interests of the Sunnis there, and even they did not care about any other factions of the  Afghan population there. I think that before we can even start thinking of a secular and a peaceful Afghanistan, it is very important for all outside governments to stop interfering in the life and the politics of Afghanistan. I think that another reason why Afghanistan is so intolerant of other religions and cultures is because they are forced to be intolerant of other religions and cultures. Like the Sunnis have to be intolerant of the Shias and be brutal to them otherwise they will not be able to impress the Pakistan and the Saudi government which will result in a cut of their donations. For once the people of Afghanistan should once feel that they are independent and that they do not have to work under some government. Also, while I do say that there should be no foreign influence in the politics and the life of Afghanistan, I would also say that foreign governments have to make an honest effort to develop Afghanistan. Governments have to see to it that they make sure that they are developing entire Afghanistan and not just the people they support, because then it will lead to the same situation that we have right now. The whole of Afghanistan needs to feel united; and if only one group develops and the other does not then it will lead to enmity and jealousy between the two groups. Also, by being economically self-sufficient Afghanistan will not be susceptible to foreign influence because they will not be dependent on other countries for aid and loans. And if Afghanistan is not developed then it will lead to a big black hole which will just reach out and take the whole world with it. Which can range from illegal trade across the borders to cheap drugs on American streets to the bombings of the WTC.

Do The Right Thing Essay

Do The Right Thing Essay Do the right thing is one of the best films made by Writer, Director, producer, and star Spike Lee in 1989, which explored the issue of biasness and discrimination of the African-American area of New York city called Brooklyn. This movie was nominated for 2 Oscars Awards and other and it won 11 other awards in that time. The movie was released at the same time when hip-hop culture like songs, music video, fashion and etc was hit. Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Osie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edison, Giancarlo Esposito, and John Turturro make the character alive in the movie. This film is successful to present the gap between the regular life of various African-American peoples and community that are opposed. The several artiest of the movie represent various ethnicities of African-Americans mentioned serious personal, social, economical and controversial issues about the residents and other businessmen like Sal and Korean Shop Owner as neighbourhood characters. Producer, Director Spike Lee plays as a Mookie, a Pizza Delivery Boy, who keeps going back and onwards between Sals pizza and the neighbourhood area, eventually finding him in the focus of a problem in the film. He is lazy and irresponsible person. Sal, the Italian-American man, who owned Sals Famous Pizzeria in the center of the same place for 25 years. Sal has two sons, Pino and Vito. Pino is an angry young boy who has narrow minded feelings for the customers and next son Vito, whos friends with the irresponsible delivery man of Pizzeria, Mookie in the movie. There are lots of important characters in the movie Do the right things who made movie better. One of this is The Mayor, who is an alcoholic elder. Mother Sister, who always sits in her window whole day and watches outside; Radio Raheem, a very big man who walks up and down on the street with his big Sound system that look like extra-large even for him. He wears a metal finger ring on his 4 finger for both sides that says LOVE on one hand and HATE on the other hand. The first dialogue of the movie starts with Wake up, wake up, wake up .. this was telling on microphone by a Radio worker and DJ Mr. Senor Love Daddy. Likewise there is a Korean shopkeeper; Smiley, looks like a dementia and who always sells hand-made postcards of the only photo of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X together. In the movie, there is no any strong character of female artist in comparison of the male artist even though its starting from the strong dance of female character on Fight the Power. There is a Mookies sister Jade, who is always trying to get her brother Mookie to face up to his responsibilities, and Tina, Mookies girlfriend and mother of his infant son. There is a place in the Sals Pizza Shop called Wall of Fame; Lots of pictures of different people are placed there, where no African American peoples are included. That make angered for African American people although Sal himself think about his shop as the center of the neighbourhood and feels pleasure for having food place for the African-American neighbourhood. In that area it is very hard to find the business owned by African-American, only Sal and the Korean Grocery shop owner, who take the big money from the community. According to the main plot of the story, There is a boy whose name is Buggin Out, who always wants Sal to put up some pictures of black people at the side of the Sals pizzerias Wall of Fame, in the end of the movie that boy becomes the cause for the movies climax with violence blasts in and around the Sals Famous Pizzeria over the same issue of Wall of Fame. At the night time, A big group of African-American People with Radio Raheem is enter into the pizzeria, while pizzeria was already closed but Sal opens to them because he wants for more business. Radio Raheem always make louder sound on his sound system, Here in pizzeria, he makes its sound louder as well. They are doing force to put the picture of black people in wall of fame, but Sals refusing to put the picture of black. Sal telling to make the sound lower inside the pizzeria but Radio Raheem is not doing like that. All the black people are being aggressive. In the same situation, Sal became anger with his Music System and he broke that sound system of Radio Raheem then after Radio Raheem and other black people been aggressive. They did attack to the Sal, ÂÂ ­Police came and they arrest that black people who are doing attack and crucially hitting them as a result Radio Raheem killed. Big crowed of black people are giving pressure and telling Mokie to Stay Black. Then Mookie throws a trash on the Sals Famous Pizzeria towards the front glass and break all then that crowd of the black people make damage everything in Sals Pizzeria and its burned down. The movie was shotted on one of the hottest and longest day of the summer, which is start with the energetic and dazzling dance on the song of Fight the Power on the very hot bright and colourful background. But in the later this song Fight the Power only played when the Radio Raheem appears. From the viewers eye Do the Right Thing raises some questions like what is the appropriate way for society to deal the ethnic discrimination in that area (America) which is shown in the movie? Is that the right thing which has been done by Mookie in the film? Should it be done by the dialogue, understanding and positive way without any violence or only violence is only the right thing. There are the people with only one aspect. In the movie the African American People think they can do everything because they are more in numbers. I think its the quite poor things in the movie. In the summary, this movie comes closer to reflecting the current state of racial relations in America than any other movie of that time. There is no doubt about the originality and power of the movie. This movie must be watched by all. I think, it is still appropriate in the world today.

A Holographic Interpretation of the Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

A Holographic Interpretation of the Scarlet Letter Comprehension of anything requires a framework already in place in order to place it in out sphere of reference. Especially those that are "fuzzy" or difficult to nail down. The brain and the atom are not fully understood, but by comparing functions, structures, and similar operations to known items or concepts one can obtain a hold on the unknown and even extrapolate unknown processes from known ones. (For example, the brain is similar to a computer. They both have memory, input/output, and similar structures-transistors to synapses.) This technique works with literature and a deeper understanding a grasp of a book's meaning becomes possible. The Scarlet Letter can be viewed through an understanding of the operation and production of holograms. First, an understanding of the holographic process is needed before any comparisons are possible. First and foremost a hologram requires a source of coherent wave- like energy. The second is a recording medium of extremely high resolution to record the microscopic interference patterns of light. The third major requirement is utter stability and freedom from vibrations. As for producing an actual hologram, here is described a two-beam transmission holograph. (So named because viewing it requires shining the same coherent light back through it) The laser is placed on a platform in the sand and a mirror directs the light diagonally across the table. A beamsplitter divides the beam into two parts. One goes to a mirror that directs the light through a spreading lens onto the photographic plate at an angle. The other beam is bounced off a mirror and through a spreading lens onto the object to be holographed. The table is allowed to settle and an exposure made. The light from the first beam, called the reference beam, and the reflected light from the object combine to produce microscopic inte rference patterns through constructive and destructive interference. Since light is a wave, when two coherent beams intersect depending on their phase they either add or subtract strengths forming areas of lightness and darkness that are captured by the photographic plate. After development the hologram is viewed with light from the same laser at the same angle as

English Term paper -- essays research papers

1984 is a novel of great influence. The novel illustrates many concepts of life in the future through the knowledge of the past. The descriptive theories within the novel are familiar in basic context when we look into the society of today. The author George Orwell has projected an image of the future through the knowledge of his lifetime, which is not far off reality. The novel talks about the social movement to a world of unbearable proportions, which takes the idea of security to the limit. A feeling of helplessness is bestowed upon the people as the government scrutinizes their every move. The government has created a society of fear, and people automatically fall into line for they cannot escape the eyes of Big Brother who is watching them. Many of the major concepts outlined in detail in the novel are applicable to life in the twenty-first century. The author has defined concepts for several areas, which he perceived the world would progress towards. Orwell’s prophecies as illustrated in the novel 1984 are fulfilled in today’s society. One of the major prophecies that Orwell outlines in his novel is the idea of the telescreen which can watch anyone at any time this is a reality in today’s society. One of the major connections that Orwell makes about the telescreen of 1984 and today’s society is that you could spy on people. The telescreen might be the most closely compared to microphones and cameras, but there are also many other devices that can be easily used for spying. Within the area of the telescreen anyone could be watched as well as heard, which closely links to the surveillance of today, except people are a little more naive. â€Å"Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, so as long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment.†(Orwell, 6) The notion that â€Å"Big broth er is watching you† from the novel is not that far off. In fact cameras are being installed all over the place for security reasons, but you do not know who is watching you and what kind of personal information you are giving away. â€Å"No matter how far our contemporary world may seem to 1984’s Oceania, any suggestion of government surveillance of its citizens--from the thre... ...clearly outlines several theories of his within the novel, which have come true in modern day. George Orwell’s first prophecy is about a piece of technology, which we can quite easily relate to modern day because it is quite like a television or a communication device such as a camera or microphone. This was important since it was one of the main ideas of his novel, relating to spying, and it has become quite prominent within our society as well as in the novel. Next the author outlines the type of government, which is quite overpowering, which again in co-ordinance with the telescreen presents one of the main ideas in the plot of the novel and is quite emphasized. The type of governance described is in effect in some countries around the world today. Finally the author has described in detail the use of a new language that has become useful for brainwashing, and government propaganda. This language can be related to today as we have created a new language of our own for s pecial purposes and there are places that deal with a double languages, just as in the novel. The concepts that this novel introduces are so realistic that it has influenced many around the world for many years.

History of Jazz from 1970-1990 Essay

American jazz has been studied from many perspectives. The musical form itself, its origins and evolution, and the artistes who perform it have become subjects for a large body of scholarly and critical literature. Jazz is one of the oldest types of music, with origin since the 1400s. This essay focuses on jazz from 1970-1990, and on other aspects within the same period. Section I Since 1970, jazz music took a new direction from the previous one, which was characterized by wide experiments using new electric instruments. Major styles that were introduced include jazz fusion, pop fusion and jazz rock. Jazz fusion, can be defined as an art form that can be called jazz as it does not compromise the qualities of melodic, harmonic, rhythmic and formal considerations of the early masters, but seeks to develop them on new directions. (Jazz history timeline) On the other hand, pop fusion, can be defined as a simple dance style, with fewer improvised solos, in form of simple songs, a streamlined version of jazz fusion, which offers much less variety in rhythmic and harmonic structures. Don Ellis was one of the greatest performers of the time. He innovated bands and played the trumpet as well as other electric instruments successfully. Since he was constantly experimenting with different electric instruments, he was able to produce many albums; all completely different from one another. Don’s contribution to music was large. In the late 1960s, he studied Indian rhythms, creating the Hindu Orchestra, comprising of three string bases and three drummers. His band was composed of eight brasses, five woodwinds, and six rhythms were amongst the most successful bands of the period. He was an imaginative jazz lover, and his use of many instruments and electric devices are a testimony that he was a genius. (Jazz history timeline) Maynard Ferguson also played jazz-rock from1970 to 1990. He maintained this style until 1990, when he changed to the bop style. His contributions to famous soundtrack themes are legendary, an example being the main title theme from the T. V series â€Å"Star Trek. † At about the same time, Miles Davis started experimenting with electric instruments; he also played at the CBS studios. Robert Moog invented Moog synthesizer, causing a great sensation in New York. The Moog synthesizer was used in reproduction of music by the great Baroque masters before it was discovered by the jazz movement. One of the reasons why the music changed in the 1970s was because the free jazz movement of the 1960s had encouraged a more daring approach to instrumental innovations. This saw the innovations and experimentations with electric musical instruments in the early 1907s. This period also saw a diversity of opinions created within the jazz ranks, concerning the instruments. (Jazz resources) Electrified instruments offered fuzz phasers for guitars and basses, electric pianos and clavinets, as well as ring modulators and echoplexes for wind instruments. However, jazz musicians that were used to the acoustic instruments rejected these new electrical instruments, assuming that their electric effects were an interference with the natural talents that were inherent with acoustic musicians and instruments. Many musicians were lured to cross over and to compete with the jazz-rock performers, who were successful in producing and selling their music to a large number. In the 1980s, the emergence of modern key board technology produced a fragmented style, which had a great appeal on the masses. In many ways, it resembled the swing era in terms of popularity, and shared some of the characteristics. (Timeline of trends in music) Pop-fusion style became popular; it was a simple dance style, with fewer improvised solos, but in simple song form. It was a streamlined version of jazz fusion, as it offered much less variety in rhythmic and harmonic structures. Melodies were simple, and emphasized on repetitive vamps, highly dependent on the effects of the studio. It doesn’t maintain the musical intensity of the early jazz-fusion masters, such as Miles Davis and Chick Corea. However, credible jazz musicians who have continued to cross over and back again, to and from the mainstream tradition continue to play it. Studio technology, which includes overdubbing use of the Musical Instrument Digital Process with synthesizers and programmed samples from drum machines, characterize pop-fusion as in jazz-fusion. Pop-fusion was a synthesized style that is highly simplified musically with expended vamps and limited emphasis on improvisation. Vamps were used with little variation compared to fusion of the 1970s; however, Latin rhythms are a major influence. (Jazz history timeline) There is a major difference between pop-fusion and true jazz-fusion. This can be illustrated by the fact that most musicians who are hired on an individual basis report to the gig. Many times, they meet other musicians with whom they will play with for the first time. Trained jazz musicians know the basis jazz literature repertoire which comes from fake books. With knowledge of tunes, and basic chord interpretations they can play just about anything, and to the average listener, the band will sound like a group that has been together for a long time. However, a standard means of operation for musicians is to often create tunes on the spot through standard progressions, like the blues form, vamps or riffs. Many pop-fusion groups depend on their equipment for musical effects rather than on their own creativity, and thus often sound like simple jam sessions with a repetitive vamp, a standard bridge, and little variation. The harmonic progressions remain basically simple, with statistic melodies. There has not been much room for creativity within the infrastructure of the tune, nor does there appear to be ample opportunity for improvisation. The improvisations, like the vamps, are standard fare with clinched links and bass lines. Jazz fusion, on the other hand, usually presents a much higher standard, with extremely gifted sidemen. In this kind of music there is nowhere to hide. Much planning and rehearsal are usually obvious, because of the musical dimensions of the material. The compositions are generally much more involved, with intricate harmonic schemes, subtle rhythmic changes, and fresh melodies that demand an original and creative approach to improvisation. Section II  In the period between 1970 and 1980, there were changes in the industrial structure, labor power, and indicators of inequality were evident. The counties where the bargaining power of workers vis-a-vis their employers, was greater and counties with more favorable geographic locations in the national political economy did have better social economic conditions. Of the industrial sectors in America, the manufacturing sector experienced the relatively largest growth with the percentage of the employed labor force in this sector, expanding from 14% in 1970 to 16% in 1980. These employees provided sufficient labor to the industries, enabling the sector to improve and produce more goods, not only for sale in the American market, but also in the other markets. Most of the labor came from the poor families. It comprised of freed slaves, Hispanic immigrants, and the low class Americans. Peripheral employment decreased slightly, mainly due to declines in extractive, textiles, and apparel employment. In the late 1970s, there was an improvement in economic inequality, and hence poverty declined from 17% in 1970 to about 13% in 1980. At the same time, there was inequality between the whites, and the blacks. Several Acts had been passed in the 1970s to bring slave trade to an end. The war against slavery was almost over in 1980; blacks were not being discriminated as they were before. In the same period, cities like New York have already started developing. It attracted big crowds in jazz concerts. Hollywood was also catching up, due to the fact that most movie stars resided there and that most movie producers shot their movies in such cities. Kolchin) Although it is not always true, it does not seem reasonable to suppose that governing is easier when a country’s economy is growing in real terms, and its status and power abroad are in ascendant. Both applied in the case of the United States 1942 and 1965. Between 1965 and the 1980s, American International economic and foreign policy influence experienced relative decline. Since the early 1980s, this trend has continued, although there was something of a res pite in the late 1890s. There is no question that the management of the economy and the exercise of military and diplomatic power abroad were more likely to be difficult during periods of relative decline or when there is little consensus on management of the economy or on America’s role abroad. The Vietnam War was the first major demonstration of the limits to American military power, and it effectively broke President Lyndon Johnson, and led another, President Richard Nixon to commit a series of illegal acts, including the secret bombing of Cambodia and the unauthorized surveillance of opponents of the war. At the end of the period (1970-1990), the United States had improved communication and spread of government responsibilities, making the whole society much more centralized. Information started being disseminated by the four major television networks (NBS, CBS, ABC, and Fox), by the news services, and by the syndicated columns of major newspapers and cable TV networks. The introduction of network usage was another step that facilitated nationalization trends. Economically, the society became more centralized, with giant corporations providing the same goods and services uniformly throughout the country. The activities of the government were centralized, and Washington increasingly became the focus of political activity. The state and the local government became more interdependent with the federal government in the same period. This also applied to corporations, small businesses and almost all those interests in society affected by federal government spending, regulation and arbitration. Among the Mexican Americans, Mexican folk customs and practices existed both inside and outside of the immigrant families. Traditional folk songs and music from their homeland served as popular forms of entertainment. Family celebrations usually included some form of musical entertainment. Some families afforded to hire a small group of musicians, who played a variety of musical styles, including jazz. Religion played a key role in the life of the Mexican Americans. A majority of the Mexican immigrants were Catholics, but blended specific cultural practices with the traditional catholic beliefs and rituals. At the level of every citizen, the church exerted a tremendous force by shaping every aspect of society from birth to death. Their deep relationships with each other and their deep faith in Catholicism was a way to comfort themselves due to the sufferings most of them faced with the authorities. Family gatherings in the backyard, Neighborhood Park, or at some other location for a celebration usually included story telling. As another immigrant communities, the oral tradition provided immigrants with a connection to their homelands. Their oral literature included Mexican tales called â€Å"cuentos†, legends, and children’s stories. Ghost stories were also popular and included a moral lesson at the end. Escamilla and Kathy) The more time the Mexican Americans spent in the United States, the more they began to make some degree of transition to speak English. For most Mexicans, those who came during the first major wave of immigration, and those who arrived recently, the acquisition of English often originated with the development of code-switching, a process through which a person uses their primary language, in this case, Spanish, with a sprinkling of English words. Mexican immigrants often changed certain English words to â€Å"sound like† a Spanish language version. English words like â€Å"market† and â€Å"sweater† were changed to â€Å"marqueta† and â€Å"suera† respectively. However, the Mexican immigrants from middle or upper class are less likely to use words such as these. In addition, to using an intermingling of Spanish and English and hybrid English-Spanish words, another common practice among Mexican Americans is involves the usage of grammatically incorrect Spanish. Mexican Americans show clear signs of linguistic and cultural assimilation over generations, tough it is gradual. (Mexican American history) Section III In 1970s, there was a major shift in the American societal and cultural values. Despite the great evolutions that were happening to the music, the concert band connection to American history diminished significantly outside of educational settings. Fewer television and broadcasts of concert bands were aired to the point where television broadcasts ceased altogether. Popular stars of the American popular culture had either started dying or losing their popularity, and being replaced by folk artistes, R&B singers, and rock bands. As a musician, my professional life would revolve around efforts to compose songs that would be competitive enough to attract enormous crowds. Making collaborations with famous musicians would also be a good way to market myself. I could also ask good song writers to write good songs, with the aim of attracting huge crowds and making more fans. Since some of the most famous musicians had stopped singing due to old age, the 1970s would have been a great time to make an impression to the jazz lovers. Marketing would also be an important aspect, although the radio and television stations were not be relied upon satisfactorily in the early 70s. However, in the late 1970, an appearance of rock artistes dominated television, radio, record sales, and therefore the American consciousness. American musicians were faced with a new reality. Marketing strategies that promoted these new stars changed too. As people moved from the cities to the suburbs, urban culture, including fine arts events, their venues, and audiences were siphoned away to the suburbs for convenience sake. As a musician, keeping up with the changes in the music industry would have been an important thing to do. I would come up with new and innovative ways to market my self, just as the other musicians. Since most people were moving to the rural areas, holding concerts at places where fans could assemble would be a great way to get attention from the crowds. As this period was characterized with revolutionalising music, it would also have been important to change or to evolve my music, to match the likes of the people at the time. (The history of jazz music) Section IV Through studying the history of jazz, I have learnt that every music genre undergoes evolution.  I’ve learnt that the social history of jazz involves two interrelated, yet analytically separable phenomena. One is the external dynamic, in which the development of jazz has been shaped and even contained by the larger world of entertainment. The tendency toward discrimination in studio hiring practices is an example of containment. In this sense, jazz is music shaped and molded by the mass media, in particular the worlds of radio broadcasting and phonograph record studio. Nowadays, Most Americans first hear something called jazz on a record or over the radio. While it is true that what they hear is probably not ‘pure’ jazz, it is a modified version of the real thing. (History of Jazz) Since the production of records and radio broadcasting is motivated by the desire for profit, the most widely disseminated jazz is closer to ‘easy listening’ and to rock than to modern chamber music. I have also learnt of some of the factors affecting or constraining the development of jazz music, and the musicians who play it, some of them are large scale, global, while others are small scale. Jazz musicians, like everyone else, have to make a living. While they are doing that, they are expected to extend and re-create the form itself. But there is the risk involved in attempting to create art in a popular context, the risk of losing one’s audience if the music goes beyond what the audience understands. This sets up a tension between the acts of performance and act of recreation. This tension is more evident in jazz, because it is the kind of music where creation or composition usually occurs during performance. I love listening to rock music, and through this course, I have learnt that it has gone through several transitions. Some of the styles that were used in the early seventies are being used today. The course has enabled me to notice the similarities in the dancing styles, similar ways of composing and the dressing mode of rockstars of today and those of the past. Nowadays, some rock stars prefer using black and white pictures on their music videos, just as it was in the past, although that was due to the absence of color TVs. Generally, I would say that studying jazz has been an eye-opener; that even when listening to music, I should be keen to notice small details, such as its evolution.