Natural Resources And The Politics Of Middle East Essay Example for Free

Natural Resources And The Politics Of Middle East Essay Oil production in the Middle East has not only been a subject of geology or exploiting the lowest-cost field. Where exploration is performed and what fields are developed has been influenced as much by political as by economic factors. Until the late 1960s oil production and exports from the region significantly reflected the major western oil companies’ need to cope with the demands of the different governments in the Middle East, all of whom wanted to see more oil produced in their territories in order that they could get more revenue. The oil companies were as well concerned with the political stability of the regimes in the oil-exporting countries, the dependability of supply, the likelihood of the nationalisation of oil company facilities, demands over royalty levels and pressures to make use of and train local nationals. In view of the fact that then, what gets produced where and exported has depended on political and economic muscle within OPEC which efficiently determines country quotas. Iran was the first country in the Middle East in which oil was exploited with test production starting in 1903 and a key discovery in 1908. Under Reza Shah the country was politically stable, and the oil concession agreement which was signed with D’Arcy in 1901 on very positive terms was to run until 1994. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which afterwards turns into British Petroleum, was founded in 1909. Oil was not discovered in Iraq until 1927, however by that time Persian production was well established, plus a slow growth of demand, reflecting the fragile state of the international economy at the time, intended Iraqi oil exploitation was restricted in these early years. (Mohamed Rabie, 1992). Which oil fields were developed as well reflected rivalries in Middle Eastern interests between the major western powers. Britain, through the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, had a virtual monopoly of exploration in Iran, consequently the United States had little choice however to look to Saudi Arabia on the other side of the Gulf, the one area that had not come under European imperial influences. In the 1930s the oil fields of the eastern province were opened up, plus the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) was formed by a consortium of leading United States oil companies. It was ARAMCO that developed the Ghawar and Safaniya fields in the Dhahran area which were to prove to be the largest and most dynamic in the entire world. ARAMCO carries on to account for most Saudi Arabian oil production and exports, although it was nationalised in the 1970s and the role of the American associate companies is now restricted to specialist support and marketing. There was huge resistance to attempts to take over the oil concessions awarded to western multinational oil companies. Conflicts between the oil companies and host-country governments over revenues date back to the 1920s and 1930s when oil started to be exploited in noteworthy quantities, however it was the Iranian government which was the first to demand control of production. After Dr Musaddiq consolidated his power as prime minister in 1952 he set up the National Iran Oil Company, a state-owned entity, to take over Iran’s oil from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. This aggravated a two-year boycott of purchases of Iranian oil by the major western oil companies. Purchases were merely started again when Musaddiq was overthrown and terms were agreed which were satisfactory from the viewpoint of the oil companies. (John Page, 1999). In the meantime the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company had changed its name to British Petroleum. It was to focus on developing the oil fields of the Emirates on the Arab side of the Gulf, where the rulers were much more co-operative. It was this new orientation and the co-operation with Shell, the Anglo-Dutch company, which were to consequence in the major developments in Kuwait, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and ultimately Oman. The increasing importance of the Arab Emirates as oil suppliers was not so much a reflection of the quality of their oil or relative cost factors, to a certain extent what mattered was the political environment and the security of oil supplies. Iran, and subsequently Iraq, had their exploration and production curtailed on account of their political intransigence. The beneficiaries were the Arabian Peninsula states that had their oil fields developed and exploited to a greater extent than might otherwise have been the case on the basis of geological decisions alone. (Nora Bensahel, Daniel L. Byman, 2003).

Feminist Issues in The Handmaids Tale Essay -- Feminism Feminist Wome

Feminist Issues in The Handmaid's Tale      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Handmaids Tale, by Margaret Atwood, can be classified as a distopic novel. The Republic of Gilead in The Handmaids Tale is characteristic of a distopia in that it is not intended as a prediction of the future of our society, but rather as a commentary on current social trends. Atwood has created this nation by isolating what she might consider the disturbing aspects of two diametrically opposed factions of our society (namely the religious right and radical feminism) as a theory as to what would happen if these ideals were taken to an extreme. Because she points out similarities in the thoughts and actions of the extreme religious right and certain parts of the feminist movement, some critics have labeled The Handmaid's Tale as anti-feminist. I would like to discuss the specific parts of the novel that lead to this opinion, and then discuss whether I believe this novel was intended as or can be seen as an attack on feminism.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue of pornography is one of the most significant in the Republic of Gilead. Pornography has become illegal and is used as a generalized illustration of the many perceived societal problems before the theocracy gained power. While receiving training at the hands of the Aunts the handmaids are repeatedly shown violent pornographic videos to demonstrate how much better off women are in this time as opposed to previously. Offred's experience of watching these videos is intertwined with her memories of her mother and her participation in anti-pornography riots and magazine burnings.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By placing these instances side by side Atwood shows that pornography is a point at which two extremes of society (here feminist and religio... ...feminism. By taking this view we can see that Offred could be considered a feminist and that people involved in women's right's movements over changing times may come to represent completely different values than they did originally (which explains the occasional overlap of feminist and religious movements, assuming that religious ideals are static). Freedom from subjugation is at the heart of all feminist movements, regardless of what form they take.    References Leavitt, JW, Brought to Bed: Childbearing in America, 1750-1950. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1986. Moore, Pamela, Atwood, Margaret: The Handmaid's Tale. Boston, MS: Houghton Mifflin, 1986. Wertz RW, Wertz DC, Lying-In: A History of Childbirth in America. New York, NY: Free Press, 1977. www.wsu.edu:8000/~brains/science_fiction/handmaid.html www.med.upenn.edu   

What Three Qualities Do You Think Are Most Necessary for a Good Parent

Nowadays people say that not everyone is capable of upbringing a child. Parenthood, which used to be a natural status for almost anyone, is now the source of long debates among couples and a very profitable field to writers and publishers. First of all, a good parent should be a good listener, a person who understands what his or her child needs. Parents that listen are supportive people who put aside their high expectations and will keep their ears open for their young offspring, ready to advise no matter what. Secondly, patience must characterize every person who is bringing up children. That means that we must be ready to forgive the mistakes of the inexperienced , young children and that we must help them not with violence , arguing and patronizing but by drawing the line, setting the right example and being steady and consistent. Finally, I believe that parents ought not to consider their children as an expansion of themselves. They should not be egocentric and they should find the courage to accept their children’s choices and reactions not as a battle but as if their children are showing them the way to how to be a better parent, teaching them the important values of equality and mutual respect. In conclusion, I think that to be a parent is a life-changing experience and a huge responsibility. After all, the children of today are the parents of tomorow and they should be given the right example to follow later at life. Thalia Procopiu Director of Studies 2011, Greece

Obama Care Paper - 1322 Words

19 April 2011 What can be done to help health care cost? The main cause for the healthcare reform bill is the rising cost of health insurance for the American citizens. From the 1960s to the 1980s healthcare spending went from $28 billion to $255 billion. By the beginning of 2000, healthcare spending increased to $1.4 trillion. The United States economy has slowly declined due to several factors, the cost of health care is one. Presidents, state representatives, hospital and insurance executives, and economists have tried to attack this huge deficit. There are several things that can be done in order to reduce rapidly increasing health care spending. Some actions that could benefit the United States economy is the stop of wasteful†¦show more content†¦Hospitals also provide unnecessary and expensive care to those patients that are on life support. Discuss options with those patients and make sure they are aware of the cost they are willing to leave their family to deal with. Helping hospi tals cut those expenses is another important action to take. A patient suffering from one or more major illnesses may depend on several different doctors to help them. These doctors usually never talk to one other. The patient’s medical bills are stacking up because doctors are running the same test over again. With the doctors not communicating, it means that there will be extra treatments, double prescriptions and more of the same test. Patients should make sure their doctors talk to each other and know which test have been given and the results of the test. A person can also keep their own medical records for their personal files. Doctor offices will charge anywhere from $10 to $100 to transfer medical records. There are some offices that do not charge if patients request a copy of their medical records. Another major way to cut cost individually will just be for every citizen to take better care of themselves. It does not take much for a person to eat better and to do mi ld exercising in order to reduce their individual healthcare bills. Also, many common illnesses can be treated with over the counter drugs. Do notShow MoreRelatedThe Affordable Care Act Essay1152 Words   |  5 PagesTo what extent should the Affordable Care Act â€Å"Obama Care†, be the responsibility of the Federal government, and not the burden of the state under the guidelines of Federalism? In the past years down to 2008 we the people have heard conflicting arguments about the Affordable Care Act, also known as â€Å"Obama Care†. Obama Care is a health insurance plan ran by the federal government. 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