Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Advancements of Tourniquets in the Iraqi War Essay Example for Free

Advancements of Tourniquets in the Iraqi War Essay Background of the War The name of the Second Gulf War has often been referred with the Iraq War, which has begun from March 20, 2003 and is still deteriorating lives of millions of people in the Iraqi region of the world. In the year 2003, invasion of Iraq was led by the United States of America, and this war is still ongoing, which has affected the world adversely. Development of weapons of mass destruction was one of the main rationales that were presented by the government of the George W. Bush, as well as, his supporters in the form of different Democratic and Republican parties. (Danchev, pg. 62-65) According to the Bush government, allies and interests of the United States posed a threat from the development of abovementioned weapons by the Iraq. In the year 2003, it was claimed during the State of the Union Address by the President George W. Bush that there was no time to wait for the imminence of the threat from the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. However, such weapons were not found by the United States after the invasion of the Iraq. In order to support the decision of the Bush’s government, connection was made between the al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein by the citing of their claims. (Murray, pg. 71-73)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another reason for the invasion of Iraq   Ã‚  given by the George W. Bush was the democracy in the Iraq, which was necessary for the development, as well as, stability of the country due to the abuse that was being done by the government of the Saddam Hussein in the Iraq in terms of human rights before the invasion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many forms have been observed in the casualties of the war in Iraq since March 2003 until present. In addition, great variation has been noted in the available information, as well as, its accuracy and validity regarding the occurrence of different types of incidents that have resulted in different types of casualties in the Iraq.   Even in the great variation, it is confirmed that the Iraq War has deteriorated and terminated thousands of lives and damaged houses and habitats of many lives in the region. One of the reasons of this deterioration was the opposition and criticism of the war by a number of experts, professionals, critics, and even the Americans. A range of serious health issues, as well as, mental disorders has been reported by many veterans of the Iraq War in the United States forces. Tumors, migraines, blood in urine, muscle pains, dysfunction of the sex, and a number of issues have been reported by the coalition forces in the Iraq. In this regard, utilization of radioactive depleted uranium has been found to be causing the abovementioned health issues and disorders in the coalition forces, which cannot be stopped during the war. Thus, the Iraq War has provided a number of serious losses to the United States government. (Murray, pg. 99-100) (Abrams, pg. 101-111) Over nineteen thousand casualties have been suffered by the military of the United States, as the fourth year started on March 19, 2006 during the war in Iraq. All these casualties included a broken leg, or a broken arm, which created a sense of fear and opposition in the Iraqi, as well as, American civilians. A number of American soldiers were sent to their homes with one leg, or one hand that changed their lives from their scratch. A soldier, who used to protect the country, now can look in the sky and dream of doing the same, while sitting on his wheel chair. This was the condition of many soldiers in the United States. (Danchev, pg. 50-52) This resulted in the hatred towards the Bush government, and towards the decision of sending American soldiers in the Iraq. (Abrams, pg. 91-101)   To help this kind of dreadful situation, the US Army started to provide their troops with a special kind of tool, a Tourniquet, which was designed to help the soldiers to save a limb thus saving their lives. What are tourniquets? To explain in simple words, a tourniquet is a piece of cloth and a stick, which is used to stop the flow of blood if a person faces emergency. These simple types of tourniquets were used in the 18th century. The exact and modern definition of a tourniquet is a device that works on the principle of compression and uses pressure to be applied on the wounded limb that blocks the circulation of blood in the specific area and prevents the flow of blood for a certain period. (Klenerman, pp. 33-36) With the advancement of technology and research, various types of tourniquets were introduced. Modern surgical types of tourniquets are being very popular because of their convenient mode of operation and availability. There are two types of tourniquets being used, one of the types uses a cloth or a piece or rubber and the other make use of gas to apply pressure. The number of limb-deprived soldiers was increasing day by day; to help solve this problem the US Army widened the use of tourniquets. (Abrams, pp. 40-44) Before the discovery of the highly effective tourniquet, the soldiers were using the basic field expedient tourniquet, which uses a cloth and stick to help control the flow of blood.   The Pentagon made every possible effort to provide every soldier present in Iraq with a standard tourniquet. The tourniquets were saving lives and the lives were stopped from being wasted unnecessarily. Data indicated that the soldiers that were not using the tourniquets and were not equipped with the tourniquets died, in a way, unnecessarily. In the year 2005, a newly designed tourniquet named as â€Å"The special operations Forces Tactical Tourniquet† (SOFTT) was issued to the soldiers in Iraq. This type of tourniquet was designed to be used using a single hand so that the soldier is able to apply the tourniquet all by him without needing any help. The SOFTT replaced the field expedient method. The field expedient method was also proving itself beneficial but SOFTT was even better. The number of casualties was also decreasing because SOFTT was also helping to save time. The SOFTT was reported to be very effective and useful in injuries that were hard to reach. The strap of SOFFT can be released completely and can be rethreaded; this allows it to be applied on limbs that are trapped. The SOFFT makes use of two latches, one is needed to provide effective use for the tourniquet while the other provides ability for securing the limb after the tightening..In order to use the SOFFT it is needed to be slide up on the limb and the pulling of the tail right after application. In order to be secure the screws must be tightened. The device remains in use until the bleeding is stopped. During these times another invention by US Army institute of surgical research came forth, which was the â€Å"Combat Application tourniquet† .This type uses a system of windlass with an internal band that provides pressure to the wounded limb. After tightening, the windlass is to be locked when the blood flow is stopped. A strap made of Velcro is then used to keep the windlass in place. The Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) was tested in 2004 at the US Army institute of surgical research with the other eight tourniquets available in the â€Å"Tourniquet off† .It was marked as the most effective tourniquet and it topped the list . It was easy to use hence it was recommended for use in the army. CAT was placed on the top of the â€Å"TOP 10 GREATEST INVENTIONS THIS YEAR† by the Army in 2005. Before SOFFT and CAT were introduced, the tourniquets were being used but they included the conventional cravat and stick types’ .The soldiers during their training periods were taught to use the conventional types that belong to the American civil war period. An unfortunate incident, proving the significance of tourniquets occurred with an Army medic who was climbing to reach the helicopter in Baqoubah in Iraq when suddenly bullets seared through his left thigh. As he lay beside his helicopter, he took hold of a tourniquet inside his pocket and immediately slide it on to his wounded thigh and the tourniquet worked efficiently in stopping the bleeding. Hence, the device, which was once considered extremely low tech, ended up saving yet another life in this high tech world. (Klenerman, pp. 65-66) If USAISR had not created such an invention, there would have been no effective tourniquet. Tourniquets are still being used widely and they are proving to be functional when it comes to saving lives, since there is no useful device available on the battlefield to save lives. There is a great deal of increase in the use of tourniquets during the Iraq war. The tourniquet, which has gained immense popularity, is the CAT and is still in use by the soldiers until date. The CAT was also made available for use for the civilians. In case of extreme traumas, CAT can be used as a lifesaver. (Taliaferro, pp. 22-25) Now, the Army doctors state that the use of tourniquets in the battlefield cannot be dispensed and they are striving to design even better and modern tourniquets to facilitate self first aid on the battlefield. Conclusively, we have discussed that a device that works on the principle of compression and uses pressure to be applied on the wounded limb that blocks the circulation of blood in the specific area and prevents the flow of blood for a certain period has been referred as a tourniquet. It is a hope that this paper will help the students, professionals, and experts in the better understanding of the tourniquet, as well as, its significance in the Iraqi war. References Alex Danchev. (2005). the Iraq War and Democratic Politics. Routledge (UK). Irwin Abrams. (2003). the Iraq’s War and its Consequences. World Scientific. Leslie Klenerman. (2004). the Tourniquet Manual. Springer. William Hay Taliaferro. (1972). Medicine and the War. Ayer Publishing. Williamson Murray. (2003). the Iraq War. Harvard University Press.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods Essays -- Qualitative R

In this paper, I will define quantitative and qualitative research methods and provide examples in the context of social issues which will hopefully provide insight into how this methods are properly applied. Social issues are very broad and diverse and are usually made up of factors or consequences which directly or indirectly affect a person or many members of a society and are considered to be problems, controversies or both and are related to moral values, therefore their immediate social environment may become vulnerable in some respect which may also effect several individuals environment and in turn society. There are two methods of approaching study of the world; deductive and inductive (L. Osburn, personal communication, August 11, 2011). Quantitative research uses a deductive reasoning also known as top to bottom or (top down approach) starting with a theory, then the hypothesis, followed by observation and finally confirmation , going from the general to the more specific. Quantitative methods use numbers and statistics to show the results of the research exercise and mainly are concerned with mathematics and statistics. In quantitative research there are levels of measurement being firstly nominal which are names of things followed by ordinal sequence of things, interval where the sequence has equal distance between each item, and ratio where there is a true zero (Alston & Bowles, 2003, p. 7-9). Quantitative research is the oldest form of research; it is incredibly formal, stemming from positivism paradigm, or the outside looking in approach. The method is about trying to establish cause and affect relationships between variables. This method can be considered non biased as the researcher isn’t us... ...or hindrance? Outcomes of social work student placements. Australian Social Work, 58(3), 301–312. doi:10.1111/j.1447-0748.2005.00222.x Barria, L., & Roper, S. (2010). The Development of institutions of human rights: A comparative stud. Palgrave Macmillan: New York. Faherty, V. (2008) Compassionate Statistics applied quantitative analysis for social services. Sage Publications: California. Research methods knowledge base, deduction and induction the web centre for social research methods. Retrieved from: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/dedind.php Coster, P., & Woolf, A. (Eds.).(2011). World book: South Africa’s Anti-Apartheid Movement, (pp. 56-57). Arcturus Publishers: Chicago. Stevenson, H. (1995). Relationship of Adolescent Perceptions of Racial Socialisation to Racial Identity. Journal of Black Psychology. DOI: 10.1177/00957984950211005

Monday, January 13, 2020

I’M Black You’Re White Who’s Innocent Essay

Summary: This paper is based on an article called â€Å"I’m Black You’re White Who’s innocent† by Shelby Steel. The article takes a position that is against affirmative action because it takes the independence away from people of color. The article â€Å"I’m Black, You’re White, Who’s Innocent?’ is an analysis of the black and white racist situation that America has been facing. It is a claim to the fact that both the groups have created the racist situation. Some whites accept that the racist attitude that enforced slavery was due to the fact that whites in ‘innocence’ felt they were superior to blacks. The pursuit of power-convinced them they were entitled to it. Once convinced it was easy to believed in innocence. Conversely, they were morally secure in their actions which led to centuries of subjugation. Their power was derived from the innocence, and that is why Steele called it ‘innocence is power.’ Thus, racial struggle becomes the struggle of innocence. In the 1960’s more whites began to realized they were not so innocent and so began the loss of power. With that realization there seem to be a transfer of power to black people, as they became the ‘innocents’. Guilt, shame, innocence, and power all became integrated to leaving behind the factor we call racism’. Shelby Steele is an English professor and widely read author who taught at San Jose State University for 20 years before taking a position as a fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Steele claims that affirmative action is a double-cross of black Americans and he loathes affirmative action. Affirmative action presents a sense humiliation; a Faustian bargain presented to minorities, for the hypocrisy and shameless self-congratulation it brings out in its white supporters. Steel believes the victimized self-image of blacks, slows individualism, initiative, and diminishes one’s sense of possibility, while contributing to the demoralization of this ethnic group. In many ways Shelby Steele, makes a strong case against affirmative action . One testament of this, according to Steele is the good will of the whites towards the blacks whose effect can’t be seen until years later when it shows to be more harmful than beneficial. In the 1960s, whites were confronted with their racial guilt and blacks for the first time blacks felt empowered. In this stormy time, white absolution and black power coalesced into virtual mandates in the law. In the later 60s and early 70s these mandates escalated from simple anti-discrimination enforcement to social engineering by means of quotas, goals, timetables, set-asides, and other forms of preferential treatment. This shift was due to the white mandate to achieve a new racial innocence and the black mandate to gain power. In my opinion I believe Steel was saying that whites were trying to clear their guilt by repairing the damages from the past by allowing black the appearance of more access to white societies basics rights†¦ such as being able to get a good job , better educa tion and better housing. Conversely, many years later it allowed racism to fester within society causing more harm than good. One example Shelby Steele used was the rate of job advancement. He attributes the differences between black rates of advance and those of other minority groups to white folks’ pampering. Most blacks, Steele claims, make it on their own as voluntary immigrants have done–were they not held back by devitalizing programs that presented a picture of one’s self as as somehow dissimilar to and weaker than other Americans. The claim remains that progress depends upon recognition of black-white sameness. Steele argues, black America has adopted a model of morals in which it preserves the legacy of slavery and segregation in order to keep white America feeling guilty. I completely disagree with that comment because I feel that black people only want those would be oppressors to understand that it has been a struggle and by remembering where we have been will prevent things from going back that way. The oppression of blacks in the United States was the worst case of oppression in human history, and not discounting the American Indian. At the end of such a period, the formerly oppressed get busy building a new nation, and they develop a nation-building ethic. Those ethics value individuals who sacrifice for the good of the group and work hard to develop the talent and skills necessary to close the achievement gaps that naturally exists at first between the liberated groups and their former oppressors. Unlike other historical cases, blacks remain in the same society with their former oppressors. As white America faces past inequalities, they buffer it by making promises to eradicate poverty through large-scale federal programs. Steele does not dismiss the legacy of slavery and persecution, and the economic and social subordination of black people as a responsible force leading to affirmative action in the first place. If anything, he argues that affirmative action, is society’s repayment. Steele argues loudly that over the long run policies based on racial preference serve only to prolong the social and economic disparity between whites and minorities. His position is that blacks will have to lift themselves out of poverty by dint of hard work, perseverance, and patience. Some blacks would disagree with that comment, but I for one believe that is the only way. reveling in self- pity will get you nothing and nowhere fast. In his essay he states that today, most racism exists in the heads of people. They perceive themselves such that they become the perception. A white man sees a black and is immediately reminded of his guilt. The black remembers his innocence and the two combine to form a relationship that is ‘perceived’. Actions are based on imaginary perceptions prolonging the condition. The ‘victimization’ criteria that the blacks are so fond of is not an escape, rather, it is a bargain made that has recuperations that no one ever thought possible. The blacks in their victimization have become slaves to the guilt of the whites and thus, are still oppressed. The bargain they made was a necessary one at the time yet, today it chains the two segments of society in bonds of slavery making the bargain one that Steele calls ‘Faustian’. Seemingly powerful, it actually takes from them the power to be independent. It makes them lack the initiative to aim for something more than that which is handed out by the whites. I’m black, you’re white, who’s innocent? Race and power in an era of blame By Shelby Steele Retrieved June 1, 2012 http://www.harpers.org/archive/1988/06/0023431

Sunday, January 5, 2020

The State of Nature in Hobbes´ Leviathan - 1062 Words

In his text, Leviathan, Hobbes argues that the generation of all states ,regardless of what type of state, comes from the need to escape a common fear among all men. In other words, there is generally no great difference between one type of state from the other in terms of the ends that such states seek to achieve. The generation of all states, ,principalities or republics, comes from the common fear of what Hobbes dubs â€Å"the state of nature† (54). The state of nature is essentially life in an anarchic society without a government where every man is free to act upon his own desires, passions, appetites, and aversions without a law to regulate them (43). Life , is thus, a â€Å"war of every man against every man† because the law that prevails is one of self-preservation, survival, and maximization of self-interests (54). The ultimate goal under such a state is to escape it and the only way to do so is through the generation of a social contract between all men. The essence of this contract can be summarized in two points: firstly, that all men give up their equal predisposition to kill one another and/or rule one another. Secondly, that all men transfer their rights and their collective goal of achieving peace and security to a sovereign office that can achieve these goals by upholding the social contract through fear, punishment, and consent (76). It is the mixture of these two points that generates the Hobbesian Leviathan or the state whose head is the sovereign office andShow MoreRelatedThomas Hobbes State of Nature in Leviathan Essay1433 Words   |  6 Pagesthat grew from them. However, in Thomas Hobbes Leviathan we see a departure from this inequality. The argument of people being equal and the state of man that he develops from that belief are central not only to his own theory but to the world of political science today. It is his examination of people being equal, followed by the state of nature and war, and finally his look at various laws of nature that lead a natural path to his political solution. Hobbes assertion that all people are equal isRead MoreThomas Hobbes State of Nature in Leviathan Essay847 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to the view Thomas Hobbes presents within the selected passaged in the Leviathan, we live in a narcissistic society where man’s condition is primarily driven by ego and where the achievement of personal goals is deemed paramount. Within the State of Nature that is, outside of civil society we have a right to all things ‘even to one another’s body’, and there would be no agreed authority to ensure the moral grounds of our decisions. 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As stated earlier, his most famous piece of work, â€Å"Leviathan† was a platform through which Hobbes expressed his ideas of how an ideal state ought to look like. The term â€Å"Leviathan† is used in the Bible in the book of Job, where the creature is describedRead MoreDefinition Of Human Nature In Hobbess Leviathan1191 Words   |  5 PagesHobbes’ conception of human nature as detailed in Leviathan is largely influenced by his first-hand experiences in 17th century England. As detailed in lecture, Hobbes’ life was characterized by constant fear, which reached its apex during the English Civil War. During the conflict, he saw a society with no clear sovereign power ripping itself apart in a state of absolute war. Published at the end of the War, Hobbes’ Leviathan details his thoughts on the importance of a clearly defined sovereignRead MoreThe Leviathan Vs. H obbess Ideal Society910 Words   |  4 PagesIn contrast to Locke, many believe Hobbes’ political philosophy is rather pessimistic and cynical. Hobbes’ Leviathan argues that civil peace can only be achieved by the establishment of a commonwealth through the social contract. Unlike Locke’s democracy ruled by the majority, Hobbess ideal society is ruled by a sovereign power that’s only duty is to protect the commonwealth, he says that the sovereign needs absolute authority to ensure the common defense. He uses the example of an artificial personRead MoreThomas Hobbes Philosophical Political Piece1317 Words   |  6 PagesThomas Hobbe s philosophical political piece The Leviathan argues that society functions most effectively if all state and commonwealth is delegated by an all powerful sovereign, and that without it we are in a state of chaos, otherwise titled by Hobbes as the state of nature (Thomas Hobbes, 2002, p. 181). I will argue that it is not possible to acknowledge what life is like in the state of nature without fully acknowledging that life in the state of nature leads to an all-powerful sovereignRead MoreThomas Hobbes s Views On Human Nature And His Ideal Government1540 Words   |  7 PagesThomas Hobbes describes his views on human nature and his ideal government in Leviathan. He believes human nature is antagonistic, and condemns man to a life of violence and misery without strong government. In contrast to animals, who are able to live together in a society without a coercive power, Hobbes believes that men are unable to coexist peacefully without a greater authority because they are confrontational by nature. â€Å"In the nature of man†, Hobbes says â€Å"there are three principal causesRead MoreJohn Locke And Thomas Hobbes886 Words   |  4 Pagesand Thomas Hobbes. In, Leviathan, by Thomas Hobbes, and in, The Second Treatise of Government, by John Locke different theories of political legitimacy and definitions of the state of nature are described. The following paragraphs analyze multiple different points that are imperative to understanding these political theories. In the reading, Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes discusses what human existence is in the state of nature and the state of war. As it is described, the state of nature explains howRead MoreHobbes And The Natural State Of Nature Essay1514 Words   |  7 PagesThomas Hobbes political philosophy lies in his delineations of two distinct conditions which men can reside in; the state of nature, and the commonwealth led by a sovereign, otherwise referred to as the Leviathan. In order to illustrate how the former state gives way to the latter, Hobbes constructs a perception of nature in which the lives of men are riddled with ambiguity, fear, and distrust. He proposes, then, that the optimal civil society is not constructed by embracing the natural state of man