Kuwaits Parliamentary Democracy

Kuwait's Parliamentary Democracy Kuwait The Ruling al-Sabah Family The al-Sabah family has been ruling over the region since 1756, when it emerged as the most powerful clan among the al-Utub tribal grouping. The tribe had migrated from the Saudi heartland to escape famine. Unlike other ruling families on the Arab Peninsula, the al-Sabah family didn’t seize power by force so much as accede to it by consensus, in consultation with other clans and tribes. That non-violent, deliberative characteristic has defined Kuwaiti politics for much of the country’s history. Kuwait gained its independence from Britain in June 1961. The 50-seat Assembly was established by Kuwait’s November 1962 constitution. Next to Lebanon’s parliament, it is the longest-serving all-elected legislative body in the Arab world. Up to 15 legislators may serve as both lawmakers and ministers. The emir appoints cabinet members. Parliament does not confirm them, but it can vote no confidence in ministers and veto government decrees. No Parties There are no officially recognized parties in parliament, which has it benefits and drawbacks. On the beneficial side, alliances can be more fluid than in a rigid party system (as anyone familiar with the strictures of party discipline even in the U.S. Congress can attest). So an Islamist might join forces with a liberal on any given issue quite easily. But lack of parties also means lack of strong coalition-building. The dynamics of a parliament of 50 voices are such that legislation is likelier to stall than move forward. Who Gets to Vote and Who Doesnt Suffrage isn’t anywhere near universal, however. Women were given the right to vote and run for office only in 2005. (In the 2009 parliamentary election, 19 women were among the 280 candidates.) The 40,000 members of Kuwait’s armed forces may not vote. And since a 1966 constitutional amendment, naturalized citizens, who account for a considerable portion of Kuwait’s population, may not vote until they’ve been citizens for 30 years, or ever be appointed or elected to any parliamentary, cabinet or municipal post in the country. The country’s Citizenship Law also gives government wide latitude to strip citizenship from naturalized Kuwaitis (as was the case with thousands of Palestinian Kuwaitis following Kuwait’s liberation in 1991 from Iraq’s invasion. The Palestine Liberation Organization had backed Iraq in the war.) Part-Time Democracy: Dissolving Parliament Al-Sanah rulers have dissolved parliament whenever they thought it challenged them too aggressively or legislated too poorly. Parliament was dissolved in 1976-1981, 1986-1992, 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2009. In the 1970s and 1980s, dissolution was followed by long periods of autocratic rule and strictures on the press. In August 1976, for example, the ruling Sheikh Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah dissolved parliament over a dispute between the prime minister (his son, the crown prince) and the legislature, and ended press freedom, ostensibly because of newspaper attacks on Arab regimes. Crown Prince Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah, in a bit of a hissy fit, complained in his exit letter that â€Å"cooperation between the executive and the legislative branches is almost absent,† and that deputies were too quick with â€Å"unjust attacks and denunciations against ministers.† Namely, himself. In reality, parliament was dissolved over tension related to the Lebanese civil war, which involved the PLO and other Palestinian factions, and its effects on the large, restive Palestinian population in Kuwait. Parliament wasn’t reconvened until 1981. In 1986, when Sheik Jaber was himself the emir, he dissolved parliament because of instability trigfgered by the Iran-Iraq war and falling oil prices. Kuwaits security, he said on television, â€Å"has been exposed to a fierce foreign conspiracy which threatened lives and almost destroyed the wealth of the homeland.† There was no evidence of any such â€Å"fierce conspiracy.† There was plenty of evidence of repeated and angry clashes between the emir and parliament. (A plan to bomb Kuwait’s oil pipelines was uncovered two weeks before the dissolution.)

Top 10 Ways to Waste Time in College

Top 10 Ways to Waste Time in College College life is hard. As a student, you most likely balance your classes, homework, finances, a job, friends, a social life, a relationship, cocurricular involvement, and ten million other things all at the same time. Its no wonder, then, that you may need to just spend time, well, wasting time now and then. But how can you tell if youre wasting time in a productive or nonproductive way? 1. Social Media Productive uses: Catching up with friends, socializing, connecting with family and friends, connecting with classmates, relaxing in a fun way.Nonproductive uses: Gossiping, snooping out of boredom, obsessing over old friends or partners, getting information out of jealousy, trying to start drama. 2. People Productive uses: Relaxing, hanging out with friends, socializing, getting to meet new people, engaging in interesting conversations, experiencing new things with good folks.Nonproductive uses: Malicious gossip, looking for people to hang out with because youre avoiding a task, feeling like you have to be part of the crowd when you know you have other things to do. 3. The Internet Productive uses: Doing research for homework, learning about topics that are interesting, catching up on current events, looking into academic opportunities, looking for employment opportunities, booking travel to visit home.Nonproductive uses: Stumbling around just to keep boredom at bay, looking at sites you werent interested in in the first place, reading about people and/or news that have no connection or impact on your time in school (or your homework!). 4. The Party Scene Productive uses: Having fun with friends, letting yourself relax during the evening, celebrating a special event or occasion, socializing, meeting new people, building friendships and community at your school.Nonproductive uses: Engaging in unhealthy behaviors that impede your ability to do things like homework and going to work on time. 5. Drama Productive uses: Getting help for your friend or yourself during a time of need, connecting a friend or yourself to other support systems, building and learning empathy for others.Nonproductive uses: Making or being involved with drama that is unnecessary, feeling the need to fix problems that arent yours to fix and that cant be fixed by you anyway, getting sucked into drama simply because you were at the wrong place at the wrong time. 6. Email Productive uses: Communicating with friends, catching up with family, contacting professors, exploring job or research opportunities, dealing with administrative offices (like financial aid) on campus.Nonproductive uses: Checking email every 2 minutes, interrupting work every time an email comes in, emailing back and forth when a phone call might better suffice, letting emails take priority over other things you need to do at your computer. 7. Cell Phone Productive uses: Communicating with friends and family, dealing with timely matters (like financial aid deadlines), calling to solve problems (like bank errors).Nonproductive uses: Texting every 10 seconds with a friend while trying to do another task, using your phone as a camera/video camera all the time, checking Instagram at bad times (in class, in conversation with others), always feeling like its the priority instead of your task at hand. 8. Movies and YouTube Productive uses: Using to relax, using to get into a mood (before a Halloween party, for example), just hanging out with friends, socializing, watching for class, watching a clip or two for fun, watching videos of friends or family, watching impressive feats or performances, watching snippets on a topic for a paper or project.Nonproductive uses: Getting sucked into a movie you didnt have time to watch in the first place, watching something simply because it was on TV, watching for just a minute that turns into 2 hours, watching videos that add nothing to your own life, using as an avoidance from the real work you need to do. 9. Video Games Productive uses: Letting your brain relax, playing with friends (near or far), socializing, learning about new games while meeting new people.Nonproductive uses: Losing sleep because youre playing too late at night, playing for too long when you have homework and other work to do, using video games as a way of avoiding the realities of your college life, not meeting new people because youre alone in your room playing video games too much. 10. Not Getting Enough Sleep Productive uses (are there really any?): Finishing a paper or project that took longer than expected, engaging with other students about something so exciting its worth missing a little sleep over, meeting a scholarship deadline, doing an activity instead of sleeping that truly enriches your college life.Nonproductive uses: Staying up too late on a regular basis, missing so much sleep that you arent functional during the time you are awake, having your academic work suffer, having your physical, mental, and emotional health suffer from lack of sleep.

Envisioning America & What Caused the Pueblo Revolt Essay - 8

Envisioning America & What Caused the Pueblo Revolt - Essay Example I myself have been witness to some of those distressing racial atrocities and have seen murderous intent of few white who had applied Jim Crow Rules against the blacks. I still feel ashamed of the stunted mentality of those people who reveled in the killings of another human being! America was discovered by Spanish explorer, Columbus in the 16th century, who had developed good relations with the native Indian population. But the early 17th century saw the process of colonization by the British settlers who had brought shipload of African slaves as bonded labors to work on plantation and elsewhere. Jamestown in Virginia became the first place for British settlement followed by colonies in Massachusetts and eastern seaboard in the later part of the century. They also tried to exploit the Native Americans with respect to labor and sea faring activities. The indentured labor consisting of European workers, worked as bonded laborers who were freed after several years so as to pay-off their passage to a new country. The slaves worked in labor intensive tobacco plantations along with Native Americans who later refused to work because they were afflicted with diseased like tuberculosis etc. which were brought by the settlers. Turn of the century saw the raced based slavery becoming a full fledged tradition with Africans and non whites becoming slaves for life. Control over the blacks became the main concern of the white because of the rebellion from the natives. The British Crown delegated the power to the companies who administered in their behalf with rules and regulations. The natives, on the other hand, did not believe in subjugation and rebelled against any revenue imposed by the settlers. I had a fat black lady as my governess who was not only very loving and funny but she was also ferociously protective of me. I remember that once when my parents had to leave in emergency, my Joan, my governess took me to her place for

National music of China, Indonesia and Brazil Essay

National music of China, Indonesia and Brazil - Essay Example This "National music of China, Indonesia and Brazil" essay outlines the historical reasons for the national music's uprising. The idea of nationalism was first based on divisions between the German, Italian or French style, most which was seen in the image of the nation. However, this became more prevalent in the 1800s and 1900s, specifically because of the national agenda and political approach. Many leaders were searching for an identity which closed the doors to trade and other aspects of country interference, specifically to gain power over those within the country. Others were trying to shape the image of the nation, specifically so it would produce pride among those in the nation and increase the cultural and production. This led to the main aspects of national pride which were reflected in the music. The concept of patriotism which was pushed by the political leaders and society was followed by several composers experimenting with music and trying to find different ways of exp ressing what was occurring within the society. Composers such as Bartok were renowned for going into the fields and moving into the early fields of ethnomusicology. Folk songs from villages would be recorded then transferred into the classical styles within the nation. Other regions of the world followed this format, specifically with the folk music, combined with the contemporary idioms that were within each of the countries. Countries were able to keep their identity and heritage while associating the different concepts to modern and contemporary styles. This was followed with the continuous nationalism that experimented with modern sounds but announced that the movement of technique was specifically for a region. For instance, the concept of Impression, led by Ravel, was based on the French contemporary aspects in society. These several movements then redefined the approach to nationalism and the way in which it was associated with culture and society (Grosby, Leoussi, 55: 2007). Defining Contemporary Nationalism There are several elements which create a sense of nationalism in society and the contemporary approach which is a part of the music created. This is not only based on the idea of folk music and the presentation of one type of music presenting a country. The definition of nationalism has transcended into defining a country by the sounds which belong to a specific country and create an understanding of the artists which are in this region. This began with the contemporary approach to the modern compositions, which included the French Impressionism. While this wasn’t French, different techniques and theories led several to the belief that it belonged to this region. The ideal wasn’t only associated with the definitions of what it meant to be national through folk music, but also included the several techniques used. Instrumentation, distinct sounds, approaches to the culture and creating a sense of diversity within a given region

The Effects of Human Mobility :: Traveling Mobility Technology Essays

The Effects of Human Mobility The effect of human travel has been twofold on the course of human history. It has served to transfer technologies, and it has also served to facilitate the spread diseases. There are examples of how technology travels from one culture to another all over the place, from the readings and movies we watch to things that we surround ourselves with everyday. Most of these technologies serve to make the lives of humans easier or more fun, but there are some inventions that have served to only destroy or make others lives worse. In some cases the technology’s originally intended usage was preserved, but in others the technology is used in different manners. An example from one of the first readings from this class is the Chinese invention of gunpowder. Originally it was used for religious purposes, but once the technology spread west through human travel, Europeans used the gunpowder and invented guns and ammunition. Once guns were invented, though, their use has not been altered. T hough there are many different models, and types of guns, they all operate under the same principles and for the same purpose. As I was trying to think of other examples of transfer of human technology through travel the movie â€Å"The Gods Must Be Crazy† came to mind. I know that this movie doesn’t represent real life, and might not be based on a true story, but it shows an example of how technology from one culture can influence and change another. The basic premise of the movie is that a pilot is flying his plane over the African bush lands, and drops his Coke bottle out the window. The bottle falls into the hands of a tribe of bushmen who still live a relatively primitive lifestyle. The Coke bottle serves many different uses for them. This glass bottle is harder than most things that they had access to, and its mouth and base are circular. Eventually everyone in the tribe wanted to use the bottle for their own purposes. The drawback was that there was only one bottle, so everyone in the tribe begins to fight over it. The rest of the plot is irrelevant, but what I have retold so far serves to illustrate how human travel influences the spread of technology. It also illustrates that the use of one culture’s technology in another culture may not be the originally intended purpose.

Cause and Effect of Closing Schools Essay

Abstract The consequences of closing schools effects families, teachers, and communities. Misty will explain the effects of schools closing. The effects can be hard on some families and communities. What is affected by closing schools? Closing schools affect families in many ways in one case a charter school closed with only 10 weeks of school left. This school was the George Town, Del charter school. This left the families of this school with a decision on what to do and where to send their children. The transition to others schools or learning environments can be even tougher on the children (Sack,Joetta L,Education week 02774232, 2002,vol 21 issue 38). Families have to make decisions on whether to send their children to a public school or to a private school. The consequences of closing schools do not just affect parents and children it also affects the teachers. A teacher will have to find a new job teaching at a new school. He or she may also have to move in order to have that new job. When a school closes it also affects the communities. The community day care centers, recreational group, and busing route around will be affected. and boundaries will have to be redrawn around surviving school(Shepperd, Robert, Maclean’s, 00249262, 11/09/98 vol. 111, issue 45).closing schools can hurt communities because it can force people to move out of smaller communities into larger ones and the smaller communities can lose money. References Sack,Joetta L.,Education Week 02774232, 2002,Vol 21 Issue 38.Retrieved from academic source database. Sheppard, Robert, Maclean’s, 00249262, 11/09/98, Vol 111, Issue 45.Retrieved from academic source database.

Essay on Descartes - Meditations - 1640 Words

In the Meditations, Rene Descartes attempts to doubt everything that is possible to doubt. His uncertainty of things that existence ranges from God to himself. Then he goes on to start proving that things do exist by first proving that he exists. After he establishes himself he can go on to establish everything else in the world. Next he goes to prove that the mind is separate then the body. In order to do this he must first prove he has a mind, and then prove that bodily things exist. I do agree with Descartes that the mind is separate from the body. These are the arguments that I agree with Descartes. In his six Meditations, only four contain his argument about corporeal things and establishing himself as a thinking thing.†¦show more content†¦Say one imagines x, imagining x equals understanding x plus being aware of x by his judgement. Descartes says that a triangle can be imagined, but a chiliagon (thousand-sided figure) can only be understood. A peculiar sort o f effort is required to imagine, beyond what is required to understand. Now he attacks the notion of bodies existing. He says, The way of thinking that I call ‘sense give us a reason to think bodies exist? Descartes attacks this the answer of this question in three ways: to repeat what was formerly believed and the grounds for them, to consider why they were brought into doubt, and to determine what must now be believed. Regarding the first point, a long list of beliefs is given: my body, pleasurable effects, appetites, primary and secondary qualities, and different bodies. He then goes on to say that since it seemed impossible that they came from himself, it remains that they came from other things, and the only kind that to his mind are those which resemble the ideas themselves. He also says the ones own body seems in a privileged position, in that one can never separate ones self from it, and it is the seat of appetites, feelings, pleasure and pain. There is no evident c onnection between feelings of hunger and the nourishment of bread. HeShow MoreRelated The Meditations by Rene Descartes1003 Words   |  5 PagesIn Descartes’ Meditations, his goal to prove the existence of things could only be accomplished if he was logical, clear, and correct in his thoughts and writings. The most important issues he noted were the threat of being deceived and the potential of being incorrect in his judgments, both of which would lead him into error. Error exists as a problem that individuals encounter on a regular basis, and it also exists as a focal point in Descartes’ Meditations. Descartes defines error as â€Å"a privationRead More Descartes - Meditations Essay1649 Words   |  7 Pages In the Meditations, Rene Descartes attempts to doubt everything that is possible to doubt. His uncertainty of things that existence ranges from God to himself. Then he goes on to start proving that things do exist by first proving that he exists. After he est ablishes himself he can go on to establish everything else in the world. Next he goes to prove that the mind is separate then the body. In order to do this he must first prove he has a mind, and then prove that bodily things exist. I do agreeRead MoreEssay on Descartes Meditations1018 Words   |  5 PagesDescartes Meditations Descartes meditations are created in pursuit of certainty, or true knowledge. He cannot assume that what he has learned is necessarily true, because he is unsure of the accuracy of its initial source. In order to purge himself of all information that is possibly wrong, he subjects his knowledge to methodic doubt. This results in a (theoretical) doubt of everything he knows. Anything, he reasons, that can sustain such serious doubt must be unquestionable truth, andRead More Descartes Meditations Essay2147 Words   |  9 PagesDescartes Meditations In Descartes’ meditations, Descartes begins what Bernard Williams has called the project of ‘pure enquiry’ to discover an indubitable premise or foundation to base his knowledge on, by subjecting everything to a kind of scepticism now known as Cartesian doubt. This is known as foundationalism, where a philosopher basis all epistemological knowledge on an indubitable premise. Within meditation one Descartes subjects all of his beliefs regarding sensory data and evenRead MoreEssay on Descartes Meditations1153 Words   |  5 PagesDescartes Meditations The way Descartes chose to write this piece literature captivated me. Descartes was a very intelligent man who wanted to make sense of the world he lived in. The format he used was unusual. It seems to me that he may have used this format, which is a replication of the book of Genesis in the Bible, to have a deeper and more profound impact on the reader. There are many similarities between Descartes Meditations and the first book of the Bible, Genesis. ForRead MoreDescartes Meditations On First Philosophy1961 Words   |  8 PagesIn Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy, I will be considering if Descartes resolution to the â€Å"dreaming argument† seems acceptable to trust. The First Meditation is where the â€Å"dreaming argument† is first mentioned and then gets resolved later in the Sixth Meditation and the Objections and Replies. I will be touching on the idea that our experiences could be dreaming experiences based on personal experiences an d thoughts I have had regarding this topic. Then I will go on to explain how it isRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Descartes Meditations1698 Words   |  7 PagesDescartes Meditations is said to be the beginning of Western Philosophy. His writings are still greatly referred to to this day, and he is most famous for his quote â€Å"cogito ergo sum† which translates to â€Å"I think, therefore I am.† Each of Descartes’ meditations are followed by objections from other theologists and philosophers, and thereon followed by replies from Descartes. Some objections are made stronger than others, for example, Thomas Hobbes, and it could be doubted whether or not DescartesRead MoreThe Meditations By Rene Descartes1384 Words   |  6 PagesRenà © Descartes main goal in the Meditations is to establish that one exists and that a perfect God exists. However, he first argues that the idea that everything perceived around one could be false because the senses are sometimes decei ving. In the first Meditation, Descartes introduces skepticism and brings forth a method of doubt in which he evaluates his beliefs, and questions whether they are true or false and why they should be doubted. He presents various hypothesis that prove there is reasonRead MoreDescartes Meditations Of First Philosophy857 Words   |  4 PagesChristopher Joao Philosophy- 201 Mr. Jurkiewicz 4 March 2016 Descartes’ - Meditation #2 Rene Descartes was a French philosopher born in 1596. He is considered by many the father of modern philosophy and continues to have tremendous influence in the philosophical world to this day. The book, Meditations of First Philosophy, consist of six meditations and describes one meditation per day for six days. In meditation two, he claims that we have better knowledge of our own minds than of the physicalRead MoreAnalysis Of Descartes s The Meditations Essay1580 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout the Meditations, Descartes successfully establishes methodical doubt about math and all sensory information, however, his answer to the doubt cast by the Evil Demon ploy does not fully relieve the dilemma of skepticism that his intense application of doubt has brought forth. Ultimately, Descartes is unable to satisfactorily answer the Evil Demon doubt because his argument does not prove that God’s existence would not prevent the serious errors in judgment and perception caused by t he Evil