How to buy a car Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to buy a car - Essay Example Know what car you would like to buy. Check out the internet and brochures about their technical specifications if they suit your preference and your needs. Check your budget for the car you would be purchasing. After browsing on the internet and many car brochures, be sure to have that money that would require you to own the car of your choice. You can then go to the store where your chosen car is available. Approach a car dealer to assist you with your purchase. Your car dealer would introduce a lot of options that would confuse you. Get straight and state your preferences and budget so that the dealer can easily assess the car for you. As you would be paraded with the many fancy cars in their showroom, get back to the reason why you are buying the car so that you will not be confused. If you have chosen the car, check out the technical specifications to make sure they suit to your needs and qualifications. Don’t be afraid, ask for test drives. You have to have a first hand e xperience with the car before purchasing it to make sure that it would be the car for you. If you have some doubts, try another one that you think might be better. In choosing the car for you, you have to be sure with everything. If you found the one, make sure it is worth it. Settle the payment methods with your car dealer and arrange for the papers and shipment of your

The European Constitution and the Irish Constitution Assignment

The European Constitution and the Irish Constitution - Assignment Example It is a basic fact of the European Union and use of the European Convention as law that each member state of the Union must deal with internal strife and dissidence in accordance with nationalistic attitudes. Ireland in particular is dealing with these stresses because of its sheer youth as an independent nation, and because of the young age of the Irish Constitution the country wishes generally to stay the course when it comes to human rights laws and follow the Constitution to the letter instead of incorporating the use of the European Convention. Irish citizens are having difficulty managing with both an accepted and celebrated Constitution and a supranational doctrine that was put in place for exactly the same reasons. Factors like strong nationalism, European unrest as a unified state, and the belief that established practises are indeed better than the newer ideologies are all contributing to the fact that Ireland will never fully accept European Convention rules over its own Constitutional rights and policies. Authors and leading experts on the subject concur that despite the best intentions of the European government, Ireland is destined to follow its own regulatory path. Regardless of international opinion, however, Ireland seems to have unofficially decided that its own Constitution does hold higher prestige than any European Convention ruling. The Constitution of Ireland When the Republic of Ireland gained its freedom from the United Kingdom in 1922, the new nation drafted the Constitution of the Irish Free State, a document that would last until 1937 when the Constitution of Ireland was drawn up. According to certain researchers, there were two main reasons for the change: its affiliation with the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the fact that since its adoption so many amendments had been made it was difficult to understand1. The Anglo-Irish treaty was created during the Irish Civil War that broke out as the tensions between Great Britain and the Roman Catholic Irish population were at breaking point. In an attempt to quell the violence and still keep Ireland within the realm of the English monarchy, the United Kingdom offered up a treaty proposal that it hoped the angered Irish community would accept: ultimately the Britain would be disappointed at the outcome. The new Constitution was drawn up so that those important amendments could be brought up to date and written in accordance with the modern goals and ambitions of the relatively new state. The Constitution was written in both the Irish and the English languages; the content focused on establishing an Irish nationalist spirit, granting citizenship to its residents and those with parents born in the country, establishing the capital city in Dublin and working within a democratic political system2. The rights and provisions claimed by the Constitution were of great importance to its drafters and continue to be important in today's Ireland. Like all new nations, Ireland was proud to

Personal experience at Real Estate Development and Investment Essay Example for Free

Personal experience at Real Estate Development and Investment Essay It was either to be a blessing or cursing. I had just come from the university as a fresh graduate. Job insecurity is a thing that sends chills of tremor down the spine of each graduate. Thank goodness this never happened with me but a new challenge was ahead. The firm which I was operating was quite meticulous in its activities; was I to be their down fall as an omen of failure. No certainly I must work breath out of me to sustain or even improve if there was anything to improve. The workplace was the carrot to reward my personal and professional development or a cane to spank my etiquettes. This was what I was up to when I joined the Real Estate Development and Investment, in Chicago. In customer care office, there were new and old problems which were brought to our attention by the clients. This is when I recognized the question which was posed to me during the interview. The question was what I would do if the length of my tie varies interchangeably during the course of wearing it. Certainly here I was dealing with two anti-parallel problems brought forward by the clients. There were those who wanted new residential houses while there were those in pursuit of selling their houses. With time, I believed that my solid performance would improve. I remember the day a client came complaining we have delayed to find a potential buyer of her house. The lady was pugnant and cantankerous in her behavior. Not a single answer she would hear. I was perplexed because I was new and such an answer would only be averting from attending her problems. Certainly, customers are kings and should be attended to regardless on who first dealt with him/her. After all will s/he have to go home and wait till who attended him/her come? No this would be suicidal to the business. So here I was juxtaposed between a rock and a hard place. The information which I had acquainted myself with was the only arrow in the quiver. Now I had to give an answer for unfamiliar situations and conclusion on the problem raised by the client. To start with I answered that there was already a willing buyer but what he was offering was meager amount and thus we never saw the need to inform her. This was after realizing from her pass that the lady came from California. It was plausible that the house was in Chicago and not California and apparently the cheapest house was selling at $ 210,000. Therefore, by excusing the house was bargained at $ 110,000, the lady will accept that certainly this was cheap and not worth to inform her of such a buyer. Luckily, it turned that what I had said was the case although I had not dome an empirical enquiry on what had happened. Form this is learnt that it’s appropriate to give wrong information than no answer to the client as it would appear rude. Barely a week was not over and there was a crisis. The manager who assisted me to secure the placement at Real Estate Investment Development was linked to a corruption scandal in the organization. So bad for those were affiliated to him. The company decided to pay them prior to sacking them. I merely escaped the crack of whip which was lashing over the innocent and those assumed to be guilty. It was a hectic time trying to convince the management that I was not involved in the graft. Were it not for the quality work that I was delivering to the customers, I would have disappeared together with the rest. The customers complained bitterly of losing an agile and kindhearted official. Besides, everything I did was in accordance to the stipulated rules of the company. Other worker also considered me friendly and my latency was shown through teamwork. Jackson, whenever we meet considers that I came to replace him; therefore it was better not to have considered my request. However, we find ourselves laughing at the idea it was like a substitution reaction which we had earlier learnt in organic chemistry. The firm was behaving like alkanes; it functions by substituting what it previously had. The week days were exceptionally busy for me. I had to equip myself with the current changes in business trends. Changes that are inevitably setting in with advent of technologies were eyesore to the conservatives but an impetus to the radical. At lunch break, fifteen minutes I would spare to browse in the internet and peruse on books so as to keep abreast with changes taking place. My food I would take as if I was in a food eating competition. Two to three spoons were enough to summarize the heap of food lying before me. It was quite symbolical that for any firm to succeed must seize the opportunities as they come just as I was gulping at the food. In the afternoon long queues of people I would find awaiting me as if I was God and on mission to rescue them from Satan. In this case the Satan was financial issues. It was crystal clear that less time was required for each client and at the same time ensuring that a comprehensive and satisfactory answer is given. Most clients were eager to know the factors which they should put into consideration while investing in real estates. Though the factors appear to be obvious, I had to put them in a way they appear new to the client’s ear. To start with, I would give a preamble of what a good investment would include while enlisting the factors to consider. Through this short encounter with customers, there was what I would call ‘resonance transfer of information’. I would make sure the client and I resonate at the same frequency and phase. Anything beyond my scope I would simply seek the information over it for the customers. Real Estate Investment Development was like the components of the table salt how they complement each other. During the course of my internship, I was also experienced the leadership vacuum which arose after summary dismissal of my friend. Jackson even though he had a lot of wiles which led him to rub the management the wrong side; he had the potential to handle any difficulties which emerged. For example, there was no one who was directly responsible for the transactions of the business. The Real Investment Development was using other firms to do their advertisement and the profit leapt was divided according to the proportion of their contribution. The number of new customers dwindled since they feared joining a corporation where you don’t know who is really in control. Collective responsibility cannot fully be trusted since there vices such as sabotage still exist. Attempts to increase the number of directors only increased the cost of management and had little change if any. At Real Estate Investment Development, the number of ladies was more than the number of gentlemen. This though was not meant to be a problem turned out to be a problem. A competition arose among the ladies over men. The dressing code was the most affected. The skirts were shortened by quite a large number. Some were the length of a bow-tie and others were as transparent as a crystal. As if this was not the only problem, the shoes were irritating to the ears as they tried to attract the attention of the men. It was a wake up call of sort, trying to wake men from the cocoon of fleeing form ladies for lack of wooing words. The administration tried to address the problem of Lorita but this never changed the situation. Moreover, the number of absentees increased due to feministic issues which are inevitable. At first I thought the problem was not to affect me. My belief is that a seed needs decomposing materials to germinate. In this case, I was the germinating seed and the ladies the decomposing materials. In the office I was located at the corner at the desk and a lady was located opposite to my desk. This is where the drama started. The way she sat was embarrassing. Thighs ajar and a finger placidly put between the slit on her skimpy dress. This sometimes made my brain go blank as I found myself carried into nitty gritty of even knowing the weekly series of her knickers. This lass was quite provocative besides teasing her wanton eyes and leg theatrics as a seductress lady. At one time she made the boss to suspect there was a beef as she was mostly found reeling on my desk with her merely chest protruding forward. The last experience which I cannot forget was the amount of work. The work was quite exhausting. The number of clients attended to were quite many and the number of staff was a few. All days we were busy searching from the internet for information, replying some emails from clients or discussing with the clients in the office. Within a month my weigh had decreased by two kilograms the exact figure stipulated by physician for the AIDS sufferers. In fact I had to be examined to know my status.

homelessness Essay -- essays research papers

All over America, there are people wandering the streets without a home. These individuals are seen as a crowd, a separate collective existence. They are called the homeless, as if that defines who they are, but we too often neglect to add the unspoken word in that title: people. It seems today that the more fortunate citizens of America who have a roof over their heads have forgotten their innate responsibility to watch over those in this world whom are incapable of caring for themselves. Tragically, â€Å"thirty to fifty percent of the homeless have severe mental illnesses† (Torrey 1). These individuals live life in such a way that few people in this world could possibly even begin to compare their hardships. The fact that they survive completely independently, most without the medication they need, is bewildering. The problems resulting from the lack of attention given to the homeless who are mentally ill can be solved through the establishment of better health clinics, an d stricter laws involving patient care. If more clinics were to be established specializing in the mental health of the homeless, then the attention could be given to them that they need. E. Fuller Torrey, author of â€Å"The Homeless Mentally Ill Should Be Forced To Receive Treatment† describes the habits and reasons for the incredible amount of mentally ill homeless: â€Å"They sleep, importune strangers, gesture to imaginary accomplices, shout angrily at the wind, forage through cans, and sit quietly with glazed ey...

The Fruitless Pursuit of The Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II Essay exa

The Fruitless Pursuit of The Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II I. Introduction: â€Å"Glinting orange through the green creepers, the Kombi family's mud-hut is barely visible now. Alphonse Kombi was murdered by militiamen in February. His wife, Bimosa, watched them eat his heart before they raped her, neighbours say. The trauma drove her insane. Two of the Kombis' four children had already died of malnutrition. Then, a fortnight ago, a distant relative came to collect the two survivors - an emaciated eight-year-old and four-year-old†¦ ‘I have come to try to prevent these ones from dying," said Mr Kiyana, pointing to the two boney forms slumped on the ward's concrete floor. With their skin drawn tight over fragile bones, the children's ages and their sexes were almost impossible to guess.’† 1 One can easily associate suffering with tragedies in third world countries like the story above. However, suffering is not only the physical abuse of victims; suffering is the psychological, emotional, and physical pain experienced by any being. This distress is not only a result of everyday activities, such as conversations that may or may not happen, suffering is a continuous presence despite what one may do to eliminate it. I believe that suffering is endless. Despite the efforts of influential men like the Dalai Lama or Pope John Paul II, suffering will still exist in several forms. If it was even possible to end the genocides that are taking place in countries like Tibet or Cambodia, suffering would still occur in my life, as I am separated from the ones I love or in my neighbor’s lonely and miserable life full of material prosperity. Therefore, although the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II have done much work towards this ultimat... ...it symposium. (United States of America: Fordham University Press, 1999) 34. 10 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 126. 11 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 114. 12 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 124. 13 Davidson, Richard J. Visions of compassion : Western scientists and Tibetan Buddhists examine human nature. (Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002) 149 14 Piburn, Sidney, The Dalai Lama, a Policy of Kindness (New York: Snow Lion Publications 1990) 49. 15 United Nations. Dept. of Information. Pope John Paul II at the United Nations (New York : Dept. of Public Information, United Nations, 1980) 31 The Fruitless Pursuit of The Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II Essay exa The Fruitless Pursuit of The Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II I. Introduction: â€Å"Glinting orange through the green creepers, the Kombi family's mud-hut is barely visible now. Alphonse Kombi was murdered by militiamen in February. His wife, Bimosa, watched them eat his heart before they raped her, neighbours say. The trauma drove her insane. Two of the Kombis' four children had already died of malnutrition. Then, a fortnight ago, a distant relative came to collect the two survivors - an emaciated eight-year-old and four-year-old†¦ ‘I have come to try to prevent these ones from dying," said Mr Kiyana, pointing to the two boney forms slumped on the ward's concrete floor. With their skin drawn tight over fragile bones, the children's ages and their sexes were almost impossible to guess.’† 1 One can easily associate suffering with tragedies in third world countries like the story above. However, suffering is not only the physical abuse of victims; suffering is the psychological, emotional, and physical pain experienced by any being. This distress is not only a result of everyday activities, such as conversations that may or may not happen, suffering is a continuous presence despite what one may do to eliminate it. I believe that suffering is endless. Despite the efforts of influential men like the Dalai Lama or Pope John Paul II, suffering will still exist in several forms. If it was even possible to end the genocides that are taking place in countries like Tibet or Cambodia, suffering would still occur in my life, as I am separated from the ones I love or in my neighbor’s lonely and miserable life full of material prosperity. Therefore, although the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II have done much work towards this ultimat... ...it symposium. (United States of America: Fordham University Press, 1999) 34. 10 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 126. 11 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 114. 12 Cutler, Howard and the Dalai Lama, The art of happiness : a handbook for living (New York : Riverhead Books, 1998) 124. 13 Davidson, Richard J. Visions of compassion : Western scientists and Tibetan Buddhists examine human nature. (Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002) 149 14 Piburn, Sidney, The Dalai Lama, a Policy of Kindness (New York: Snow Lion Publications 1990) 49. 15 United Nations. Dept. of Information. Pope John Paul II at the United Nations (New York : Dept. of Public Information, United Nations, 1980) 31

Causes of International Conflict

Competing territory Is an Important cause of Internal conflict. An example Is the conflict over border between China and India In 1947. When India gained Independence from Brilliant, It Inherited the frontier drawn by the British; while China protested that It had not agreed to the frontier. It was difficult to have a clear border between the two countries because much of their frontier lies in the inaccessible Himalayas.In 1958, China announced that it had built a road on the Assai Chin plateau, which was one of the disputed territories, and the Indian government retested. Tensions worsened when fighting broke out in the disputed territories, which eventually led to a war. War ended quickly but issues are not resolved. Also, numerous border incidents have broken out. They then signed an agreement to address the border issue reasonably. The conflicts occur because the territories are claimed by the two countries.Control over certain tracts of land can be important to a country especi ally If It concerns its defended and national pride. As such, some countries may attempt to extend territorial control by taking over territories which do to belong to them, which may result In conflicts due to territorial disputes. Both countries will not be able to accept the action taken by the other country and they will need to take a harder stance against the other country. This often ends up in using military means and disputes to fight for the territories.Therefore, competing territory causes internal conflict. The two other factors that will lead to internal conflict is the competition over scarce resources and ideological differences. The competition over scarce resources Is a factor that leads to Internal conflict. For example, Iceland and Britain were In conflict over fishing grounds in the sass. Iceland has few natural resources and depended on the fishing Industry for Its survival. Fishes are very important to Iceland because the country depend a lot on fish for surviv al. 70% of Iceland's export is fresh fish and fish products.Therefore, it is important to maintain sufficient fish stocks in the seas around Iceland. Fishermen from European countries like Britain were overfeeding around Iceland, leading to the decrease in fish stocks and making Iceland felt that its nation interest were threatened. Iceland sought help from the United Nations which extended Iceland's fishing ground boundary, such that no country can fish within Iceland's boundary without permission. However, British refused to comply because they think that it was not their problem or fault.When Britain refused to acknowledge the new boundary, Iceland cut Its diplomatic ties with Britain, until an agreement was signed later on. The world's natural resources such as land, water, OLL and fish are unequally distributed. As such, some countries have more of these resources while others have less. Countries with fewer resources may use force to gain more, especially if these inflicts may arise. In this case, Iceland had to react as their livelihood was affected and they had to ensure their own survival. This concerns its country's survival, economic growth and national pride.Both countries will not be able to accept the action taken by the other country and they will need to take a harder stance against the other country. This often ends up in using military means and disputes to fight for the resources. Therefore, competition of scarce resources causes internal conflict. Ideological differences are different values and beliefs among countries that may cause conflicts. Countries pursuing different ideologies can come into conflict if they see that their ideological beliefs are threatened.For example, North Korea and South Korea fought a war in 1950 because they believed in different ideologies. North Korea, which believed in Communism, invaded South Korea which believed in democracy. The United Nations defended South Korea in fear that communist ideologies would be spread to South Korea. The war only ended when an agreement was signed and a demoralized zone was created. Ideological differences has causes both countries to not be able to accept the action as well as the values and beliefs oaken by the other country and they will need to take a harder stance against the other country.This often ends up in using military means and disputes to fight for the beliefs and values of their own country. Therefore, ideological beliefs causes internal conflict. Competing of scarce resources is a more important factor than ideological differences in causing internal conflicts. Scarce resources has a bigger impact than ideological differences for a country. This is because the scarce resources may be vital for the survival of a country. In the case of Iceland-Britain conflict, Iceland's was pendent on the fishing industry for its economic needs.As the livelihood of the Islanders would be threatened if fish stocks decrease, they were willing to risk clashes with Britain in order to protect their national interests and ensure their survival. Conflicts over ideology are less important because it does not affect the survival of a country directly. On the other hand, the natural resources that a country has would promote economic growth and allow a country to develop. Therefore, competing of scarce resources is more important than ideological differences.

Cultural Determinants of Terrorism Essay

Orchestrated objectives within well-organized terrorist groups suggest that principles of organizational psychology apply to terrorist organizations, under the cultural influence of each one (Borum, 2004). There is much cause for optimism in understanding terrorist organizations, for as Alder and Gunderson (2008) write, â€Å"Luckily, we have learned that global complexity is neither unpredictable nor random† (p. v). The call for research has never been more pressing. Introduction â€Å"Terrorism is an elusive subject, evading precise political, jurisprudential, and cultural definition† (Oliveri, 2008, p. 49). It depends upon the definition of ‘terrorism’. â€Å"With over 100 definitions, this is not an easy task; there is no common understanding of what constitutes ‘terrorism’; no clear and universally acknowledged definition actually exists† (Franks, 2007, p. 2). The definition Munger (2006) proposes that is used for this paper is, â⠂¬Å"Culture is defined as the set of ‘inherited’ beliefs, attitudes, and moral strictures that a people use to distinguish outsiders, to understand themselves and to communicate with each other† (p. 131). The distinguishing characteristic of ‘them’ and ‘us’ is perhaps the fundamental belief generated within cultures that makes terrorism towards others possible. Whether viewed in terms of extremist Muslim culture or right-wing American culture, cultural identity supports the conflict of ideologies. Ward (2008) says, â€Å"Terrorism has taken the academic world by storm† (p. 248). The Psychology of Terrorism only became a legitimate academic study in 1982; â€Å"terrorism is far from a new phenomenon, traceable to the French Revolution and the Nihilists of 19th Century Russia† (Franks, 2007, p. ). Undoubtedly, it goes much further into the annals of history than the 19th Century, â€Å"the concept of terrorism had no meaning in history until the modern era† (Bratkowski, 2005, p. 764). Prior to modernity, terrorism was so much a part of daily culture it was normal behavior, without a specific word for it. In fact, for most of Christendom, â €Å"humankind has always provided a justification for killing and instilling terror in fellow humans† (p. 764). It is only recently that most cultures have placed a label of immorality on selective murder to achieve political or cultural ends. Our species has a protracted history and prehistory of terrorism. One might wonder why terrorism has â€Å"taken the academic world by storm†. Insights from Psychology â€Å"Terrorist violence most often is deliberate (not impulsive), strategic, and instrumental; it is linked to and justified by ideological (e. g. , political, religious) objectives and usually involves a group or multiple actors/supporters (Borum, 2004, p. 17). Since terrorist objectives originate within multinational organizations, principles of organizational psychology apply to all terrorist organizations, under the cultural milieu of the organization in question. What is now certain is that terrorism is not a psychopathological aberration, as was originally thought in psychoanalytical circles (Crenshaw, 1992). Terrorist organizations are composed of clear-headed individuals, often with advanced university degrees. Merari (1991) collected empirical data on suicide bombers, and found that psychopathology is almost never a factor in a terrorist’s profile. In fact, â€Å"prevalence of mental illness among samples of incarcerated terrorists is as low as or lower than in the general population† (Borum, 2004, p. 34). This is a clear indicator that we are dealing with psychologies of organization, and not groups of crazed sociopaths. Survival of the organization, a tenet of organizational psychology, has clear implications for the terrorist mindset (Post, 1989), even though â€Å"research on the psychology of terrorism largely lacks substance and rigor. While cultural factors are important, much study remains. â€Å"Future research should be operationally-informed; maintain a behavior based focus; and derive interpretations from analyses of incident-related behaviors† (Borum, 2004, p. 3). The main problem with such a venture might be that terrorists are not giving interviews or taking surveys. Borum points out that â€Å"there is a broad spectrum of terrorist groups and organizations, each of which has a different psychology, motivation and decision making structure† (p. 5). This further underscores the need to be on guard against the ‘stereotypical terrorist organization’: there is none. In a terrorist organization, â€Å"two key narcissistic dynamics are a grandiose sense of self and ‘idealized parental imago’. If one can’t be perfect, at least one can be in a relationship with something perfect† (Borum, 2004, p. 9). Association with a world figure such as Bin Laden satisfies this need; this can lead us back to US culture: promulgation and amplifying worldwide terrorism, via the news media. Bin Laden often makes the evening news, and every time he does, his ‘world stature’ is elevated, especially in the min ds of his followers. It the name Bin Laden was unknown, how much less effective would al-Qaeda become? Media has some degree of culpability, if not complicity in promulgating terrorism worldwide by providing free publicity to organizations and their cause. According to Paul Marsden (CPM, 2001, p. 1), â€Å"the amount of media coverage devoted to these events, by television networks and newspapers, correlates positively with the rise in subsequent `copycat’ events. This is darkly consistent with the substantial body of evidence for suicide contagion – the idea that suicides beget suicide. † If distraught teenagers copy Columbine style shootings, how much more are suicide attacks from terrorist cells encouraged by watching the evening news? Unintentionally but effectively eulogizing angry teens and terrorists alike hold moral implications for the major news media, which need addressing by society. Organizational Psychology provides some insight: if a culture perceives it is losing its ability to contribute its share to the world stage, conflict will result (Rahim, 1986; Katz ; Kahn, 1978). Considering that entire cultures may feel they are losing their ability to contribute because of intervention of external cultures upon their own culture is likely one requisite to the creation of worldwide terror organization formation. Cultural factors of extremist Muslim society While many in the West view extremist Muslim terrorism as irrational behavior by deranged individuals, â€Å"it is perfectly possible to understand terrorism as a rational decision problem, if we accept the premise that culture matters† (Munger, 2006, p. 132). â€Å"Islamic societies, not exclusively, but perhaps to a greater extent than most other nations, are committed to an idea of the perfectibility of humans in societies, through moral education and imposition and enforcement of moral law (Sharia) based on the Quran† (p. 142). This religious adherence adds a great deal of resistance to compromise from outside cultures, and bolsters the extremist elements within Islamic society. Much of the cultural foundation of extremist Muslim culture is their unique interpretation of the Quran: â€Å"The contemporary terrorist mentality and culture, which are rooted in absolutist, either-or, good-and-evil world views, resist efforts to negotiate. Accommodation, bargaining, and mutually acceptable compromise are not envisioned as possibilities within many terrorists’ mental framework† (Smelser ; Mitchell, 2002, p. 1). It appears that once a terrorist organization is established, the only ways to eliminate it is either when they accomplish their objectives, to destroy them, or to take away their reason to exist, which will allow Skinnerian extinction to follow over time. The ‘destroy’ method is problematic and costly: how does one destroy an ideology? Islamic terrorists are well-connected using technology; their geographic locality is literally everywhere and nowhere. Culturally-attuned uses of information technology† are a major source of cross-cultural influences in the creation and sustaining of terrorist organizations (Bailey ; Grimaila, 2006, p. 534). Terrorist organizations are expert in spreading and sustaining their ideology around the world. Once indoctrinated into a group, people will generally follow orders, no matter how extreme or violent, as long as the individual perceives that the order was issued from the appropriate authority (Milgram, 1965). Cultural influences caused normal students at Stanford to transform into ‘merciless prison guards’; once given the role and the authority, al-Qaeda recruits mold easily to orders from Bin Laden. Not only do they have a physical authority, which relieves their individual conscience from objecting, but also they further believe that Allah Himself sanctions Bin Laden and themselves in their efforts to establish Sharia law throughout the world (Bailey ; Grimaila, 2006). There is substantial agreement that the psychology of terrorism cannot be considered apart from political, historical, familial, group dynamic, organic, and even purely accidental, coincidental factors† (Borum, 2004, p. 22). Borum also states, â€Å"Significant differences [exist] both in, 1) the nature and level of aggression in different cultures, and 2) aggression can be environmentally manipulated; both findings that argue against a universal human instinct [of violence]† (p. 12). Diamond (20 04) argues that environmental influences are paramount in understanding why cultures are the way they are. The Fertile Crescent, once the cornerstone of agriculture, became radically altered once all the forests were clear-cut, leaving mostly a barren desert environment. It is interesting to note that the foundation cultures which harbored the seeds of al-Qaeda all come from this former environmental paradise. Therefore, while culture probably has the most influence on the creation of terrorist organizations in the short term today, environment certainly has a large degree of impact over the long term, and might have a large impact in the short term via militaristic or political manipulation. For many critics, global or ‘hyper’ terrorism has become an ultimate expression of acutely depressed geopolitical chaos† (Ward, 2008, p. 252). Geopolitical chaos produces environments ripe with opportunity for recruiters toward the cause of terrorism. Without addressing and rectifying the chaotic areas of the world, it is highly doubtful, that global terrorism will end. Cultures th at feel oppressed or depraved on the world stage may rise in rebellion against the oppressing culture(s), with or without religious dictate. Muslim culture is producing the lion’s share of high-visibility terrorists in the world today (Borum, 2004). One way to understand Muslim culture as it relates to the creation of terrorism is to look at Hofstede’s dimensions. Generally, Islamic countries have large inequalities of status, forming a small ruling group, and a large ruled group with limited power. Hofstede (2001) shows, those Arab cultures have large Power Distance (PDI) (80) and Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) (68). When these two Dimensions are combined, it creates a situation where leaders have virtually ultimate power and authority. It is not unusual for new leadership to arise from armed insurrection – the ultimate power, rather than from diplomatic or democratic change† (Borum, 2004, p. 44). Virtually the only method available for the downtrodden in Arab society to express their need for change is by armed insurrection. This is a valuable insight into the cultural creation of Arab-based terr orism, possibly the most important one. Naturally, from the ‘terrorists’ point of view they are not terrorists at all but â€Å"freedom fighters†, fighting with their only available means to enact positive change. Does this mean efforts at establishing democracy in Muslim states are likely to fail? Cultural roots run deep, and are resistant to change by outside cultures (Weiten, 2004), so the question of democracy introduced and established by Westerners is a highly speculative venture. Finally, take the case of a female suicide bomber. It was originally assumed that the young woman who committed this act was â€Å"innocent, ignorant, and of questionable morality† (Brunner, 2007, p. 961). It is difficult for Westerners to imagine otherwise. Subsequent interviews revealed that she was educated, showed no signs of emotional disturbance, and was â€Å"as highly intelligent and more independent than other girls in her society, but still fully within the range of normal† (p. 961). The key point is that she was â€Å"fully within the range of normal†, according to the culture that she grew up within. By not understanding her culture, Western culture had labeled her â€Å"innocent, ignorant, and immoral†, overlooking key factors with which to fully understand why a mentally stable young woman would commit such an act, and more importantly, to be able to deal realistically with the rise of extremist terrorism through a lack of cultural understanding. Cultural factors of the United States There is a cultural precedence of powerful nations to label other nations as ‘evil’: a threat to ‘civilization’ (Ivie, 2005). In the U. S. , â€Å"this is a very old cultural theme, deeply ingrained into the political psyche† (p. 56). This cross-cultural mindset of powerful nations is one part in the creation of terrorists in weaker cultures, a type of self-fulfilling prophecy: the call to destroy the ‘barbarians that threaten democracy’ is an ancient one; Greece and Rome had similar ongoing open-ended campaigns against terrorists, as does the U. S. today (p. 55). The main trouble with an open-ended campaign is that it never ends†¦ another cultural perception that needs adjustment on the world stage in order to arrive at peace in the world. Looking at the cultural history of the US, the ‘savage’ has always been the object of distain and genocide, in order to ‘make way for civilization’ (Ivie, 2005). The genocide of indigenous peoples of the North American continent is well documented, even using biological terrorist tactics of germ warfare; giving ‘gifts’ of small-pox laden blankets to Indians without acquired immunity against devastating disease (Diamond, 1997). Oliverio (2008) writes, â€Å"It was also a matter of common sense that the Aryan race was superior. This taken-for-granted reality of Aryan superiority led to the extermination of millions of American Indians, millions of African slaves bound for America, and countless indigenous cultures throughout the world† (p. 21). Powerful cultures that label weaker cultures as savages are a powerful impetus to the creation of terrorism. It is a recent habit of the American Right to wage war against abstractions (Comaroff, 2007, p. 381). The line between metaphorical and real war, blurred beyond recognition, gives rise to such cultural terms as ‘the war against drugs’, ‘the war against poverty’, ‘the war against illegal immigration’ (Sherry, 1995), and has become the standard of cultural mind-set in America today. Again, the US has a â€Å"militarized world-view extended to declaring metaphorical wars on disease, crime, engaging in ‘trade wars’ with foreign competitors, and fighting ‘culture wars’ with one another† (p. 58). â€Å"Culture wars† is the main point in question: how can peace ever prevail if acts of war against culture prevail? Even the Olympic Games that followed 9/11 became a forum for the core Bush Doctrine (Falcous ; Silk, 2005). How does the reduction of civil liberties fare with the response to terrorism? â€Å"Not allowing college professors to speak out against governmental policies associated with the war on terror† (Crowson ; DeBacker, 2008, p. 296) is one form of right-wing authoritarianism that many Americans think needs implementation. A disturbing trend of loss of personal freedoms that some associate with fascism. Taken as a whole, US domestic and foreign policy regarding oil consumption, and support for oppressive regimes, is set aside in deference to critical scrutiny of individual behavior and the forms of ‘moral lassitude’ associated with a culture of dependency† (Hay ; Andrejevic, 2006, p. 344). So at least part of the U. S. cultural mindset is about securing its own economic interests at the expense of decency and fairness on the world stage. Many people think that the U. S. would never have bothered with Iraq if they had no strategic oil supplies, especially in the Middle East and Europe. This belief can only inflame world tensions further. Understanding cross-cultural inter-dependencies A surprising interdependency, regards the Bush Administration itself. According to Kellner (2004), not only Jihadists are responsible for ‘spectacular acts of terror’, but also both Bush administrations. They deployed â€Å"Manichean discourses of good and evil which themselves fit into dominant media codes of popular culture; that both deploy fundamentalist and absolutist discourses† (p. 41). This is extremely similar to the â€Å"contemporary terrorist mentality and culture, which are rooted in absolutist, either-or, good-and-evil world views, resist efforts to negotiate† (Smelser ; Mitchell, 2002, p. 1). The Bush administration openly declares its refusal to communicate with terrorist organizations or states, which is absolutist. We know that incentives flourish within such organizations (Munger, 2006). Incentives usually take two forms: 1) recruit members that are prone to obey and please within a cultural setting (e. g. collectivist rather than individualist cultures), and 2) â€Å"Create a set of incentives that reward loyalty, by giving access to excludable near-public (â€Å"club†) goods† (p. 131). Mohammed Atta reportedly was â€Å"at a strip club spending a lot of money, shouting anti-American slogans, and left a copy of the Quran before he left† (USA TODAY, 2001, p. 1). This incident seems to have fallen under ‘club goods’ instead of operational funds, because it was the night before the hijackings, and such excessive cash was no longer needed. This says nothing of the influence U. S. culture had on Atta, a devout Muslim going to a strip club, one day before he â€Å"meets Allah†. There is no such thing as a ‘terrorist state’, in the absolute sense. Triandis, Bontempo, Villareal, Asai, and Lucca (1988) have shown that national cultures never equate to individual or subgroup cultures, so while a totalitarian governing body may indeed be a terrorist organization, the general populace can in no way be held accountable for the actions of a few. It is a stereotypical mistake to label an entire country as terrorist. It is important to realize that â€Å"both differences and similarities in behavior occur across and within cultures; psychological processes are characterized by both cultural variance and invariance† (Weiten, 2006, p24). Regrettably, â€Å"quite a few nations are culturally reasonably homogeneous† (Hofstede, 1998, p180), and this may mean that a few nations may be mostly extremist in their outlook. Discourses from the Bush administrations paralleled closely to speeches given by Hitler, Pope Urban II, and others: â€Å"an appeal to a legitimate power source external to the speaker; an appeal to the importance of the national culture under attack; the construction of an evil enemy; and an appeal for unification† (Graham, Keenan, ; Dowd, 2004, p. 213). Kellner (2004) feels that â€Å"the disparity between the vast amount of information freely available to all through multimedia sources, and the narrow vision presented on the major news media via television is a travesty†, and a major cultural factor responsible for the deployments of the Bush administrations’ controlled mass media (p. 61). While arguments that ‘freely available news sources from uncontrolled sources’ might suggest this no longer to be a cultural factor, culture by nature takes time to change, and most Americans probably place more credence in the evening news than the newer Internet sources (Kellner, 2003). Another example of how cross-cultural misunderstandings regularly occur between nations: â€Å"when one cultural message sender transmits information to another culture, chances of accurate transmission are reduced† (Alder ; Gunderson, 2008, p. 72), and when nations or organizations refuse to send information between cultures as both the Bush administration and the al-Qaeda organization currently do, virtually no chance of accurate transmission occurs. Stalemate results and wars go on, indefinitely; clear contributors to terrorism. Perhaps nowhere is the question of terrorism more complex than in the European Union: â€Å"European counterterrorism culture is a difficult concept due to the fact that the regional level of analysis encapsulates a range of different national cultures. Europe has always been a rich mixture of various cultures, and ‘terrorism’ is a culturally charged term† (Rees, 2007, p. 220), hence the difficulty in consensus. Conversely, in China, we could expect to find a unified definition of terrorism under the centralized government (Diamond, 1997). While China is suspect of â€Å"using the post-9/11 discourse of counterterrorism to cloak their own domestic priorities† (Rees, 2007, p. 224), most of their counterterrorism efforts are likely to gain support with the Chinese public as being in the accord of the countries best interest: China being a collectivistic nation. â€Å"Terrorists focus their recruitment where sentiments about perceived deprivation are deepest and most pervasive† (Borum, 2004). This helps us to understand why American involvement in Iraq actually helps create recruitment opportunities for al-Qaeda. Destroyed economies, infrastructure, and family support (via killed family members), create extreme deprivation, desperation to right cultural wrongs, and enrage cultural dictates for retribution (Borum, 2004). It even gives insight into where al-Qaeda might be concentrating recruitment efforts in America. For youth torn between two cultures in a foreign land, identity crisis may result from exposure to the foreign culture, and the chiasm between their parent’s cultures: â€Å"radicalism offers simple answers to the big questions they are grappling with† (Ongering, 2007, p. ). The human tendency to stereotype will easily adapt to simple answers rather than grapple with difficult questions (Weiten, 2004). Extrapolated, it may be easier to recruit a terrorist, than to prevent a person from taking up the cause in the first place. Does cultural pressure on a subgroup help to create violent extremists? Muslim communities in America, â€Å"Not only had their religion being p resented incorrectly, but its adherents were being equated with terrorists† (Baker, 2006, p. 302). Considering the degree that Muslim communities in the Western world are subject to intensified scrutiny, and even unwarranted acts of violence against them by US citizenry (Ward, 2008), a good assumption is that many young Muslims will adapt an extremist ideology in response to cultural threat (Sirin ; Fine, 2007), and some of those extremists will turn terrorist. It seems to be a never-ending spiral escalation of one cultural assault upon the other: the ‘Crusades’ continue†¦ It is a real ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg? ’ question. Which side began this milieu of cultural attack and counterattack? Perceptions run the gamut: â€Å"The terrorist presents a story of heroism and necessary sacrifice. The counter-terrorist presents a counter-narrative of defiance and vengeance, replacing the image of the martyr with that of inhumanity, even bestiality† (Ward, 2008, p. 254). We reminded again of weaker cultures as ‘savage’, and as we have come to see, cross-culturally, nothing could be further from the truth from both extreme perspectives. Another cultural misunderstanding that may have helped to escalate tensions is the perception that the Muslim community in America did not stand up in unison and denounce the acts of 9/11 as atrocious. This initial silent response interpreted by many Americans as tantamount to condoning such acts of terrorism (Munro, 2006). Paradoxically, this lack of public outcry may have been the result of Muslim culture itself, with the majority of Muslims feeling that it was obvious that they had nothing to do with the attacks, and therefore no reason to take a public stand (Munro, 2006). A form of ‘vigilante counter-terrorism’ develops in American culture, which gives rise to anti-Muslim sentiment and acts of violence (Johnson, 2003). One probable contributing factor is termed: â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome† (Pipes, 2006). The perpetrator, â€Å"for all outward appearances, a young Muslim man, well adjusted to Western society, considered friendly; one day, without warning, he acted out an independent Jihad, which injured nine students† (Pipes, 2006). Such unforeseeable and unpredictable behavior influences non-Muslims to stereotype many Muslims as having the same potential toward â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome†. This of course creates an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust between cultures: how can you tell who the enemy is just by looking at them? Discussion There is no cultural ‘quick fix’ to this pervasive problem confronting the modern world. â€Å"The general policy approach has to be adaptive, opportunistic, and multisided. The conventional problem-solving logic so attractive in American culture—find a problem and then fix it—is of limited utility, and a longer term, more contextualized approach is necessary† (Smelser et al. , 2002, p. 4). For instance, the Global War on Terror (GWOT) as espoused by the Bush Doctrine includes toppling ‘rogue nations’ as part of the effort to thwart terrorism (Borum, 2004). Focusing on ‘nation rebuilding’ of states, that are otherwise subject to deterrent, rather than on organizations that transcend geographic localities and are not subject to deterrent, is a lack of proper cultural understanding of the issues, and will lead to further cultural misunderstandings. It makes sense that if powerful cultures do not make accusations against weaker cultures not understood, or interfere in the sovereign rights of weaker nations, that a large amount of terrorism will fail to manifest by lack of unwanted cultural impetus from foreign powers. One of the biggest troubles seems to be, that powerful countries can arouse their masses which are â€Å"easily pressed into service to rally the nation, quell dissent and effectively inoculate the public against any alternative perspective† (Ivie, 2005, p. 56), the main point being to limit any alternative cultural perspectives as being legitimate relative to one’s own ‘superior’ cultural perspective. This is error. â€Å"An increasingly militarized culture of fear† (p. 9), such as is dominant in the US today, and which has been developing over many decades, cannot reduce the threat of terrorism in the world. Indeed, Muslim culture dictates that retribution be demanded when a family member is taken. Each errant US bomb inevitably creates more ‘terrorists’ (Borum, 2004), cultural ‘deviants’ are created that never would have existed otherwise. Rumors and hundreds of websites have sprung up claiming that FEMA has erected hundr eds of internment camps on American soil is a disturbing part of the changing culture in America today. A Google search of ‘American internment camps’ will pull up hundreds of unsubstantiated claims of such camps, including specific locations; further highlighting the cultural atmosphere of increasing paranoia. Finally, what can help prevent Muslim youth in the U. S. from taking a violent path? According to Sirin and Fine (2007)â€Å"Research that the successful integration of both one’s own culture and the dominant culture, leads to more positive developmental outcomes†¦whereas marginalization, that is disengagement from both cultures, is associated with mental health problems for immigrant youth† (p. 52). Society certainly would do well to address issues of marginalization, in order to help prevent future â€Å"Sudden Jihad Syndrome† (Pipes, 2006). Conclusion While this paper has focused mainly on US and Muslim extremist involvement, state and non-state respectively, it is important to remember that many other states and organizations exist whic h perpetrate terror. Terror is a two way street, with few exceptions. Perhaps the ultimate defense against terrorism is to understand the cultural and cross-cultural causes of it, and with proper knowledge, address the issues at hand. We must avoid stereotypes at all costs, because â€Å"Nearly all terrorists are extremists, but most extremists are not terrorists† (Borum, 2004). â€Å"Long-term orientation versus short-term orientation† (Franke, Hofstede, ; Bond, 1991) may provide insights into which culture holds greater strength in the GWOT. U. S. culture demands immediate results, and has little tolerance for long term strategies, while extremist Islamic culture is bond by the vision of Mohammed, and is prepared to sacrifice for centuries if need be (Borum, 2004). Fortunately, unnecessary warring between cultures may diminish substantially as one of the biggest single benefits of cross-cultural understanding and application of organizational psychological research (Brislan, 1983). â€Å"It is argued that we now live in an age of ‘hyperterrorism,’ where the nature and scale of terrorism has reached a new level, and that the question of ‘How to deal with international terrorism is quickly becoming the defining issue of our age’† (Ward, 2008, p. 248). It is imperative that we make every effort to understand the cross-cultural determinants of terrorism, regardless of cost. Additionally, â€Å"terrorism is a discourse that affects all our lives, and the collateral argument that terrorism somehow validates the occasional abrogation of so many of our most cherished legal principles, is something that should concern all of us† (p. 249). Hogan (2006) offers: â€Å"Due to the logistical and analytical challenges of cross-national comparisons, studies to date have concentrated largely on single nations† (p. 64). While much work remains, understanding the vast scope of cultural interdependencies that help create terrorism is an extremely complex task yet must be undertaken if we are to come to terms with global terrorism. As Hostede (1998) states, â€Å"constructs are products of the mind with which we attempt to understand and predict human behavior in an infinitely complex world†, and all constructs are flawed to some degree. In an infinitely complex world, we will never entirely eradicate terrorism in its many manifestations. Our best hope to eradicate the bulk of organized terrorism is through scientific understanding and conscientious application of rational solutions, freed from cultural bias. â€Å"Culture lies entirely on the â€Å"nurture† side of the ledger, as against â€Å"nature†, or truly nherited traits† (Munger, 2006, p. 134). Solutions to the specter of terrorism will manifest through understanding and responding to such cultural nurture. This paper has posited that understanding other cultures can help to reduce tensions between cultures, which give rise to terrorism and counterterrorism conflicts. As Munger (2006) points out, â€Å"a shared understanding of something that identifies insiders, and excludes outsiders because they do not share this understanding† (p. 133), is perhaps the fundamental commonality between conflicting sides. If we can short-circuit this exclusionary identity concept, by education and promulgate understanding by either, or both sides, and act upon it with responsible communication between parties, then perhaps modern terrorism as we know it will eventually end. It may take many years, because established terrorist organizations are not open to compromise (Smelser ; Mitchell, 2002), but such efforts may play a large part in helping to prevent future recruitment, and help eliminate the need for terrorist organizations within the cultures that originally spawned them; losing their luster they slowly fade from existence.