Principles of War, Clausewitz and Jomini Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Principles of War, Clausewitz and Jomini - Essay Example It is worth noting that Clausewitz work very dialectically constructed; continuously, Clausewitz follows his declarations with sound arguments, which are intended to strengthen the principle being advanced (Clausewitz 1976). Clausewitz work presents warfare as an act of politics and emphasizes on the element of war as being more an economic, a psychological, and a political contest. Therefore, in terms of strategy, Clausewitz work and theories is more relevant compared to the theories by Jomini. Clausewitz works advances arguments mostly for the superiority of using defense. A clearer element of Clausewitz work is its exploration of the use of popular and partisan opinion. Therefore, the contrasting aspect of these two war theorists is that, for Jomini, his work was concerned more about maneuver, a war-fighting function widely used in the 19th century battlefields. On the other hand, Clausewitz work was in its outlook, strategic and mainly focused on the art of war. In short, the elements of Jomini’s work were offensive and maneuver kind of war, whereas the elements of Clausewitz work was characterized mostly by chance, violence, and reasons as the key elements. These theorists of war each emphasized certain warfare principles. We first look the principles advanced by Jomini. First, we must realize that the warfare principles advanced by Jomini, now referred to as Jominian principles were mostly designed for wars that were fought earlier under very different views about wars and circumstances. One of the principles of war that Jomini emphasized was the â€Å"line of operation.† According to him, this was an essential warfare principle, which he categorized as topographical barriers, i.e., natural lines of operation. He referred to this as the strategic choices and territorial lines, i.e., how and where to fight. He referred to this as â€Å"maneuver lines.† In addition, Jominian principles of warfare were mostly centered upon the key argument that an effective and successfully war had to adhere to strategy controlled by several consistent principles (Jomini 2008). These principles focused more on the massing of forces, the off ensive, and attacking an enemy force that is weaker at a very decisive point. In comparison to Clausewitz, Jomini looked at war in terms of clarity and simplicity. He viewed war in heroic and personal terms. Clausewitz considered warfare to be a complex, tragic affair that is always under the threat of escaping human control. Clausewitz viewed the war subject in a manner consistent with the eighteenth century Romanticism. The main principle of war that Clausewitz work advanced was that the art of decision-making and war defied the habit

Going to College Essay Example for Free

Going to College Essay Going to college really does open a new chapter in everyone life, the beginning of new friendships, opportunities and growth. As a college student, a new student will be introduced to new areas of interest, broaden his vision of possibilities, establish and accomplish goals, develop lifelong friendships and define him or her in ways that he can imagine. Anyone on Earth already asked, or will ask himself where he would be in 10, 20 or even 30 years down the road. It is hard enough imagining what his life is going to be like in a year or two. Questions like â€Å"Where do you want to be today, tomorrow and in the future? † might be hard ones for young teenagers, who just graduated from high school. Attending college will help anyone answer those questions, develop a realistic plan for accomplishing his goals, and equip him with the knowledge and skills he will needs to see his goals through to the end. We usually assume that a college degree is necessary when it is not actually. We can also noticed that, because we place so much emphasis on degrees, people who have not attended college think of themselves badly, and this lack of self-confidence can really impede their success. There are some people for whom the college is actually not the best way to learn. However, a college education is an opportunity for everyone to learn what he loves. A new student can actually take the time to enjoy learning what he is truly passionate about. If he is interested in a variety of things and he is not sure where to focus, he can take his time to try them all. Nobody should look at college as a long-term contract that he is not going to be able to get out of once he starts. Anyone should feel like he needs to decide on a major area of study before starting college. College is a time for everyone to test himself, explore his interests, see what the possibilities are, and to see what he can achieve. Most other students attending college are going to be in the exact same boat. There are also a variety of resources, provided by most universities, to help anyone through college, including academic advisors, professors accessible on campus, tutoring academic support, full-time counseling staff and more. While the prospect of attending college may seem a bit daunting and even suffocating, a graduated high school teenager should not forget that he will still get to live his life. He will be able to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities, social groups, maintain a job, or even pursue a career while completing his studies. He may even find that college ends up being much more enjoyable and fulfilling than he ever expected. There are additional reasons as to why it is important to go to college. When students experience a post-secondary education, they have the opportunity to read books and listen to the lectures of top experts in their fields. This stimulation encourages students to think, ask questions, and explore new ideas. So, â€Å"why should you go to college? † The reasoning does not begin and end with the job aspect. A good education is beneficial from many different viewpoints. If any teenager is still asking himself why he should go to college, it is important to remember the significant amount of opportunity available for college graduates. The global economy is becoming increasingly more competitive, and in order to give him the best chance for a well-paying job, he must first understand the importance of college education. Attending college provides students with the knowledge and experience they are unable to receive from a secondary education, and finding a way to fund a higher education now can pay off in a huge way in the years to come.

White Bread Essay -- Observation Essay, Descriptive

White Bread The plastic wrapper of a loaf of Wonderbread’s D’Italiano white bread is colored brightly with the primary colors one associates with childhood and kindergarten playroom activities. The swirling script lettering of the word D’Italiano makes the bread seem somehow more special than bread packaged with ordinary block lettering. On both ends of the shiny, clear wrapper, boldly colored round dots resembling bright balloons are arranged upon a blazing red background, conveying the joy and happiness the bread would bring to any sandwich and my fifteen-year-old life. Once, the bread represented a hopefulness and freshness that I hoped my life would someday acquire. However, the bread also served as a painful reminder of the dismal nature of our empty, barely paid for apartment that my single mother, sister, and I shared. The bread symbolized both the good and bad aspects of that particularly intense period: on the one hand, the potential to be just like any other kid my age, but on the other, all the things our small family lacked and my inadequacy at being what I considered normal. Growing up in New Jersey, my sister and I were raised without a father in the house throughout most of our childhood. My uneducated mother always held at least two jobs to provide the barest essentials such as a roof over our heads and food in the kitchen. She was usually employed as a waitress or bartender, which meant late hours for her and a lot of time alone for my sister and me. During my early teenage years, I remember coming home from school on most days with a teenager’s typically ravenous appetite. However, I usually found our kitchen disappointingly void of any kind of snack food. Although the refrigerator contained mai... ...sister’s lovely face greeting me at the terminal gate, all my negative thoughts vanished, and I raced to hug her. During the visit, my mother and I went grocery shopping together at the same store I had frequented as a young teenager. The excursion seemed mostly uneventful until I spied the loaves of D’Italiano bread piled atop the shelves in the bread aisle. For a moment, I was transported back to that empty apartment where I had endured the most unhappy times of my childhood. The irony of the situation was that I was reliving the past while standing with my mother. She picked up a loaf and tossed it into the cart unaware of the profound effect the bread had on me. She turned to me and said, â€Å"You said you were hungry. Would you like me to fix you a tuna sandwich when we get home?† Stunned, I could only reply, â€Å"Yes, that would be fine,† and we moved on.

6 Months Later :: essays research papers

6 Months Later Now that Lennie is out of the way, I guess that I can actually do something with my life. But, It's been 6 months since leaving the farm and I still don't have a job. Oh, here's a sign. A mentally handicapped hospital needs an attendant. I can do that, and it pays well too. $150 a month. "At that rate, I'll be able to get that land soon enough. Ain't that right," I asked Candy? "We sure are," he replied with enthusiasm. As we stepped into the complex, the first thing I saw was the reception desk with a young, pretty, receptionist sitting behind the desk, polishing her nails. Lennie would have enjoyed watching her I pondered. She asked us what we wanted, and I told her that we were just here to find out 'bout the job. After getting a quick overview and job description, I was ready to work right away. Candy was also lucky enough to get hired as a nurse for $100 a month. I stepped into the bedroom and I saw about 25 kids sitting around a middle-aged man, listening to a story. As I stepped in, the story teller stepped over to me and told me what I had to do. Educate them and talk to them. That was it. I was getting paid $150 just to teach a group of handicapped kids. I sat down next to the story teller, Bob, and I looked around and carefully observed them. As I did this, I could see Lennie's face flashing in my mind. What was happening to me. Why couldn't he just leave me alone. I survived through my first day of work, reluctantly. The hospital also provided housing. That night, I had the most horrible dream of my life. I could see Lennie petting hundreds of rabbits, one at a time. But he was crying and screaming in rage. The rabbits were dying. "George, why do they die? Don't let them die George, please. Can I still tend the rabbits? I know I done a bad thing," exclaimed Lennie. I got up, screaming. "Lennie, please leave me alone, please," I asked. It was silent. Nobody was awake. I looked like a complete nut with all those kids, including Candy, staring at me. Candy just went back to sleep. He was the only one that could understand the pain that I was going through. This happened to me several nights after the first nightmare. Each one would consist of rabbits, lots of them, and Lennie.

“Nature and the Physical World”

Most common attitudes and behaviors today on nature greatly evolved during the Romantic Era. Before, in some European countries, people don’t usually celebrate any occasion related to nature. But today’s society, because Romanticism evolved, it greatly affects our perspective and approach towards nature. When talking about nature in the Romantic Era, Rousseau is an important figure. He is the man who loves to be associated with nature. He would usually walk and explore nature related sites, climb mountains, and just simply communicate with nature. Rousseau is man of sensitivity, mood and even paranoia. In his time, he explored the agonies of love and the sentimental aspect of it. Love is the most popular feeling celebrated in the Romantic Era. This is known before as a relationship between two individuals and up to now; we use this as a common definition of Love. As we all know, when we encounter Romanticism, it reflects European society. Before, Europe is surrounded by tragic happenings, emotions not being expressed freely, and places where usually killings would take place. But now, it is safer, less hazardous, and even very much beautiful to explore. Mountains and forest or deep woods are no longer places to be afraid of. Instead these are places that are awesome to commune with nature and to be enjoyed and pondered on. Storms on the ocean are now being used as one of the most interesting subject on paintings, musical tones, poems, and writings. Before, things such as ocean storms, lightning, deep woods or mountain views are often being feared. No one would dare to draw closer to these things in fear of losing their lives. Another reason is the supernatural beliefs of people that these things were left unexplored. In the Romantic Era, romantics did not just arouse the sensitivity of emotions, but also it aroused the sensitivity to nature. People have come to realize that communicating with nature could improve one’s lifestyle and belief. Nowadays, people would explore nature and its wilderness, and they usually feel the overwhelming calmness and relaxation that it provides. It has proven that the shift in attitude towards nature is powerful and really can offer long-lasting serenity and positive perception within self. Another important figure during the romantic era is William Wordsworth. Romantic Era in poetry is centered with man’s relationship with nature and the fascination of man with Mother Earth. For Wordsworth, the definition of Romanticism is the passionate relationship towards nature and its wonder and wilderness. In his time, the word â€Å"pantheism† was stated. Because Wordsworth made to reflect his naturalistic attitude in his works, modern Pantheists described it now that God is called life of all, nature, earth and the universe. Pantheists have deep admiration and respect of all living things around us, even the forces outside the earth or in the universe. But Wordsworth did not focus mainly on these things. What he focused on is the appreciation and love for beauty and exquisiteness of Mother Earth and nature. Wordsworth, just like Rousseau, would often go for walks, exploring the beauty of life around us. He would also climb mountains and the most common is his paying attention to the things related to nature that an ordinary individual would often miss in his everyday life. What he often witnessed when he is outdoors, was the overall feeling of calmness and serenity in times of agony and loneliness. We could tell that the love, peace and comfort that Wordsworth is getting from nature is actually the feeling we get every time we call for God. In the Romantic Era, we could probably come across an identical observation, because during this time Industrialization is also emerging and became one of the most attended things by people. Probably, just like Wordsworth, people would also love to go out of the city and search for peace and quietness in one place; just like what Mother Nature provides. These things were what poetry is during these times and even up to now. People tend to find a place where they can relax and be away from all the hard works, materialism, and aristocracies. A place where they can celebrate life and enjoy living as a free individual. In Wordsworth time, nature as described to provide these things would not probably be accepted; for a reason that during these times Church controls almost everyone and everything. Maybe people have tried but it was not socially accepted and anyone who must have caught doing this was branded as deviating from what society’s norm is dictating. Rousseau and Wordsworth, as well as some other Romantic poets and figures, have only one inspiration; Mother Nature and all the living things surrounding us. The paintings, poems, pictures and writings done during these times will probably make us realize how important it is to be away, even for sometime in the materialistic world. These things will also be our heaven in seeking comfort, peace and calmness within ourselves. Jut like poets and figures in the Romantic Era, we will perceive nature as the only thing that will give us no worries no matter what we lose, no matter what the circumstance is. It is the only thing that others cannot get from us, because it will just stay within us; in our hearts and in our minds. References: http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/hum_303/romanticism.html http://www.customessaymeister.com/customessays/Poetry/3389.htm   

reinformcement essays

reinformcement essays What is the role of the reinforcement? Reinforcement refers to a procedure or consequence, which increases the frequency of the behavior immediately preceding it. If the behavior is already occurring at a high frequency level, then the reinforcement maintains the behaviors frequency. If the consequence of the behavior makes the behavior occur more often or maintains it at its current rate, then the consequences are considered reinforcing. These reinforcers strengthen the behavior and make it more likely that the behavior will occur at some future point. There are two different types of reinforcement. Positive reinforcement refers to consequences, which follow a behavior and act to strengthen that behavior. For example, reinforcement for completing all of a students assignments may be that they get a free period at the end of the week to work on a project they would like to do, such as art. Negative reinforcement refers to the removal of a consequence, which serves to increase the frequency of the particular behavior. An example of a negative reinforcement might be that a student gets detention for getting caught cheating on a test. The detention serves as a negative reinforcement to keep the student form doing the same thing in the future. Punishment and negative reinforcement are often confused. They differ, however, in that punishment is the presentation of an aversive event or removal of a positive reinforcement that results in the decrease in the frequency of a particular behavior. Extinction involves the cessation of reinforcement of a response. An example of extinction would be that you are having trouble in your biology class. You dont understand what the professor is saying during lectures and you are not sure what he wants from you on exams. You already have 2 Ds on the exams. Three times you try to see him during office hours and every time he is not there. Eventually you stop try ...

The Pros and Cons of Biofuels

The Pros and Cons of Biofuels There are many environmental benefits to replacing oil with plant-based biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel. For one, since such fuels are derived from agricultural crops, they are inherently renewable- and our own farmers typically produce them domestically, reducing our dependence on unstable foreign sources of oil. Additionally, ethanol and biodiesel emit less particulate pollution than traditional petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuels. They also do not have much of a net contribution of greenhouse gases to the global climate change problem, since they only emit back to the environment the carbon dioxide that their source plants absorbed out of the atmosphere in the first place. Biofuels Are Easy to Use, but Not Always Easy to Find And unlike other forms of renewable energy (like hydrogen, solar or wind), biofuels are easy for people and businesses to transition to without special apparatus or a change in vehicle or home heating infrastructure- you can just fill your existing car, truck or home oil tank with it. Those looking to replace gasoline with ethanol in their car, however, must have a â€Å"flex-fuel† model that can run on either fuel. Otherwise, most regular diesel engines can handle biodiesel as readily as regular diesel. Despite the upsides, however, experts point out that biofuels are far from a cure for our addiction to petroleum. A wholesale societal shift from gasoline to biofuels, given the number of gas-only cars already on the road and the lack of ethanol or biodiesel pumps at existing filling stations, would take some time. Are There Enough Farms and Crops to Support a Switch to Biofuels? Another major hurdle for widespread adoption of biofuels is the challenge of growing enough crops to meet demand, something skeptics say might well require converting just about all of the world’s remaining forests and open spaces over to agricultural land. â€Å"Replacing only five percent of the nation’s diesel consumption with biodiesel would require diverting approximately 60 percent of today’s soy crops to biodiesel production,† says Matthew Brown, an energy consultant and former energy program director at the National Conference of State Legislatures. â€Å"That’s bad news for tofu lovers.† Of course, soy is now much more likely to be grown as an industrial commodity than as an ingredient for tofu! In addition, the intensive cultivation of crops for biofuels is done with the help of large amounts of pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers. Does Producing Biofuels Use More Energy than They Can Generate? Another dark cloud looming over biofuels is whether producing them actually requires more energy than they can generate. After factoring in the energy needed to grow crops and then convert them into biofuels, Cornell University researcher David Pimental concludes that the numbers just don’t add up. His 2005 study found that producing ethanol from corn required 29 percent more energy than the end product itself is capable of generating. He found similarly troubling numbers in the process used to make biodiesel from soybeans. â€Å"There is just no energy benefit to using plant biomass for liquid fuel,† Pimentel says. The numbers might look quite different, though, for biofuel derived from agriculture waste products which would otherwise end up in a landfill. Biodiesel has been manufactured from poultry processing waste, for example. Once fossil fuel prices rise back up, those types of waste-based fuels might present favorable economics and will likely be developed further. Conservation is a Key Strategy for Reducing Dependence on Fossil Fuels There is no one quick-fix for weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels and the future will likely see a combination of sourcesfrom wind and ocean currents to hydrogen, solar and, yes, some use of biofuelspowering our energy needs. The â€Å"elephant in the living room† that is often ignored when considering energy options, however, is the hard reality that we must reduce our consumption, not just replace it with something else. Indeed, conservation is probably the largest single â€Å"alternative fuel† available to us. Edited by Frederic Beaudry.