United States and Israel Essay Example for Free

United States and Israel Essay The Israeli government, unlike the United States, is a multiparty Parliamentary Republic. It runs as nonfederalist government and acts as the central government in Jerusalem. The ultimate authority does not lie in the Constitution like most democratic countries nor the executive branch. The ultimate authority in Israel is the legislative branch—the Knesset. The country has no written Constitution. Government activities and policies are guided by the basic laws passed by the Parliament. The government has three main branches: the executive, the legislative or the Knesset and the judiciary. Unlike a democratic state, these three branches of the government do not hold equal powers. The President has limited power and is not even elected by the people. The President is elected by the Knesset and may serve for a maximum of two terms, each having five year duration. He serves as head of the state but only holds ceremonial functions such as opening the Knessets first session and receiving diplomatic representatives from other countries (MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia n. pag. ). The judiciary on the other hand decides cases and sees to it that justice is met. The legislative on the other hand is the most powerful body of government. They create the law and control all government processes. It is composed of 120 members who serve on a four year term. Its main function is to determine the members’ confidence in the government. A vote of no confidence is enough to topple the government, however, in Israels history, a vote of no confidence has only happened once—1990 (Jewish Virtual Library n. pag. ). The election process in Israel is not as liberal as in the United States. National elections in Israel happen once every four years and on the municipal level, once every five years. All Israelis who are 18 years old and above have the right of suffrage. However, unlike in the United States where specific individuals are voted for, the Israelis are only allowed to vote for a party. Every party that desire to run for the elections comes up with a list of their candidates and the people choose which list they prefer. The number of candidates from a party that would enter the House of Representatives or the Knesset is proportional to the percentage of votes received by the list. So representation in the Congress is dependent on party support and not really on individual support. In the United States, representation in Congress is not dependent on a certain party list. For someone to claim a seat in the US Senate, he must be at least 30 years old, and resident of the state where he is elected, among others, for the House of Representatives, he must be a resident of the District where he was elected. The US Constitution provides that the Senator and the Congressmen represent the cause of the people within their sector, the members of the Knesset on the other hand do not share the same responsibility. They were not voted to represent a certain district or state, they were voted to create the basic laws for the country and hold the greatest power in the land. In the United States, the powers of Congress are determined by their Constitution. In Israel, the powers of the Knesset are determined by the representatives themselves, the Declaration of Independence and the basic laws of the land (Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia n. pag. ). The citizens in the United States participate freely in the political process as they are granted such right by their Constitution. The Israelis do not enjoy the same right because the Knesset controls the political process. They create the law and give the people limited rights to meddle in the political process, even the Executive branch and the judiciary have limited powers when it comes to the countrys political affairs. Due to the lack of Constitution that will protect their rights, the people of Israel do not have an access to an established and equitable system rule of law. They only have access to the basic laws which were created by the Knesset. This kind of law does not guarantee protection at all times because they are still subject to the whims and caprices of the Knesset. They can easily be abolished and replaced anytime unlike if they have a Constitution, they will have greater rights because it will take a more rigorous process before this law can be amended. A Constitution provides the basic rights of every citizen and equalizes the power of everyone. No one in the Constitution has more power as compared to the other and the implementation of rights provided therein is not subject to the caprices of the law makers. Its stability makes the people more secure that their rights will be protected at all times. The United States, having a Constitution of its own, the people have an access to an established and equitable system of law. However, the absence of a Constitution does not mean that all the rights of the people are already unavailable. The people of Israel exercise the freedom of expression and belief. There is no law that attempts to filter the news that the media conveys, in fact, freedom of the press is deeply enjoyed by communicators. The Declaration of Independence mentions the principle of freedom of expression and secured in the basic law created by the Knesset. Public scrutiny is prevalent in Israeli news. Before 1993, media outfits were government owned but the government decided to change this policy and opened it for private ownership. There are around thirty daily newspapers in Israel, half are written in Hebrew and the other half are written in other languages (MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia n. pag. ). The media in Israel enjoys the same freedom as the media in the United States. They can report on all aspects and can freely criticize the failings of the government. Arab journalists in Palestine or the Middle East do not enjoy the same rights. The country also hosts people a rich mixture of religious groups and each religion has its own school, councils and courts that decides on domestic issues such as marriage and divorce (Jewish Virtual Library n. pag. ). The Israelis also enjoy the freedom to assemble and to associate. They are not prohibited by the government to air out their sentiments to government policies through rallies and protests (Jewish Virtual Library n. pag. ). Socially, Israelis also enjoy freedom. They provide full equality for women they are not discriminated as compared to other Arab countries. They also recognize the differences of sexual orientation. Unlike most societies, homosexuality is not a sin in Israel. People are respected the way other people express themselves or perceive themselves to be. There is also no discrimination in jobs. The Israeli Arabs can be employed to menial jobs and even as Supreme Court Justices (Jewish Virtual Library n. pag. ) In terms of purchasing private property, the government does not restrict its purchase. Contrary to the speculations of some journalists, an Arab or a Jew may buy private property in Israel. There is no discrimination as to race or belief. However, the government prohibits the purchase of state land or those that are owned by the state to both Arabs and Jews. The prohibition is applicable to all. Some journalists and analysts, however, believe otherwise (Middle East Quarterly n. pag. ). Works cited â€Å"Fact Sheets† n. d. Jewish Virtual Library 11 May 2008 http://72. 14. 235. 104/search? q=cache:oI9BaF-Sxd4J: www. jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/talking/36_liberal. html+freedom+to+assemble+and+associate+in+Israelhl=tlct=clnkcd=3gl=phclient=firefox-a â€Å"Israel† n. d. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 11 May 2008 http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761575008_8/Israel. html â€Å"The Israeli Government—How Does it Work? † n. d. Jewish Virtual Library. 11 May 2008 http://72. 14. 235. 104/search? q=cache:d_6PPHEkj0sJ:www. jewishvirtuallibrary. org/jsource/Politics/how_govt_works. html+The+Israeli+Government+How+Does+It+Work%3Fhl=tlct=clnkcd=2gl=phclient=firefox-a Safian, Alexander. 1997 December. â€Å"Can Arabs Buy Land in Israel? † Middle East Quarterly. http://72. 14. 235. 104/search? q=cache:1bvrvPsLhg4J:www. meforum. org/article/370+private+property+purchase+in+Israelhl=tlct=clnkcd=1gl=phclient=firefox-a â€Å"US Congress† n. d. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 11 May 2008 http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761554908_2/Congress. html â€Å"US Government. † n. d. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopeda. 11 May 2008 http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_1741500781/United_States_Government. html

Educational Technology Essay -- Computers Schooling Essays

Educational Technology Education is probably the most important thing in life that someone can obtain. There are many levels of education. These levels begin at Kindergarten and Pre-K and continue on through grade school, junior high school, high school, and undergraduate colleges if so chosen. Then the possibility of graduate school is in the interest of some student and is required for better pay and even in some career fields. Education has undergone many changes over the past 2 decades at all levels. Many of the changes have undergone due to the increasing number of technological advancements in the ways teachers educate and the ways that students learn. The greatest technological achievement to enter the educational realm has been the creation of the PC. One of the first PC to be used in the classroom for educational purposes was introduced by Macintosh. The Apple computer, I can remember, was the first computer I used in grade school. On this PC, students were introduced to 2 dimensional computer programs designed to enhance the mind of students and introduced student to concepts that could be applied in the classroom. With the computer, a number of students could have a hands-on activity that was fun and designed to be fun while working on assignments. The floppy disk was black and was actually floppy. John Sculley wrote an article about computers and their effect on education. The article was publishe d in September of 1988 in T H E Journal (Technological Horizons In Education). The abstract read: â€Å"The effectiveness of computers in schools has been demonstrated, and business, government, and education must now work together to further the integration of technology and education. It is necessary to identify when a... ...ool. Dec. 2002 v42 i4 p4. WD & S Publishing Multimedia Schools. Helping them do it at Home. Mary Alice Anderson. March-April 2003. v10 i2 p19. Information Today, Inc. The Science Teacher. Field Trips online: Investigating water quality through the Internet. Bruce H. Munson. Jan. 2003. v70 i1 p44-49. Telephony. Going to school via Fiber. John Price. May 9, 1988 v214 n19 p28. Telephony Publishing Corp. 1988. T H E (Technological Horizons In Education) Journal. Applications: Online system speeds admissions process. Elizabeth Greengield. Nov.1990 v18 n4 p43. Information Synergy Inc. 1990. T H E (Technological Horizons In Education) Journal. CD-Rom: New Technology with promise for Education. Dennis F. Tanner. August 1988 v16 n1 p57. Information Synergy Inc. 1988 Picture Copywright: http://www.microchip.com/index.asp

The Effects of Civil War in Kurdistan

Pshtiwan Abdulla Oct 30, 2010 Writing composition Mr. Gray The Effects of Civil War in Kurdistan Generally talking about war will remind us lots of incredible actions that have been happened to many nations. Civil war is one of the most pernicious wars that brings calamity to a nation. As many other countries, civil war in Kurdistan left many incorrigible issues which some of them still exist. Some of these problems are huge obstacle in the way of development in Kurdistan. Gaining supremacy and disclaiming each other between the two dominant parties were the factors to befall this ruinous war.During the civil war, Kurdish people were encountered many social, economical and political crises. Some of the negative effects that Kurdish civil war had were, dividing the Kurdish government, leaving native soil, losing countless of people, creating instability of economic growth and coming external interferences. Dividing the government into two parts in Kurdistan was one of the biggest trou bles that harmed people. In that time, Kurdistan was divided into two governments, Sulaimani government and Hawler government, that each of them had its own conditions and rules.Having two antagonist local governments facilitated the way for doing some crimes and criminal actions. For example, if a man who had committed a sin or robbery in one of the regions, he could escape there and stay in the opposite region without any threat. The governments were not judging anyone who had done a fault in the contrary government. Furthermore, some families had no chance to stay in a part that their party had left, so thousands of families were forced to leave their homes and businesses. Immigration and leaving motherland was another dreadful affects that civil war left.Young generation, who is the dynamic force in all societies, left their country and settled in European countries. Thereupon, Kurdistan lost the majority of its superlative class, and it was one of the weakest points of the prog ression of Kurdish society. Losing their home and businesses because of the war pushed people to immigrate and leave their birthplace. In that time, almost all families had lost a son or a member of their family, and parents believed that sending the rest of their sons to overseas countries would save them. Many of the migrants were killed in the borders and drowned in the European seas.Some of these immigrants still have no citizenship and any valid answer to stay there. Thousands of people in both sides were involved in the war, and it was the cause of killing a myriad number of people. Losing this massive number of people especially young people is still a giant barrier to unifying both regions. Even though, the two previous governments are unified now, but it is still obvious that each party governs its own region. Besides, it created enmity among families, and some of them are waiting for an occasion to revenge each other.Fourteen years after war, some families scare of return to their locations, and they still live in some cities where are not belong to them. Another big effect of losing this people is that a vast number of children lost their fathers and grew up in orphan hood. They were the first victim of civil war because many of them ran into poverty; they gave up their education and had to work to help their families. At that time, Kurdistan was a battlefield, and it was an insecure region to economic investments. Businessmen and industrialists were scared to run their business because there was no warranty to save their assets.Also, because of instability and insecurity, foreign manufacturers and Businessmen were scared to investment in Kurdistan. Commerce between Kurdistan and neighbor countries was the only trade that Kurdish tradesmen were doing. Most of these trades were contraband that people were running in the borders. Furthermore, some of the private and public industrial units were demolished. For example, the powerhouse of Dukan which wa s giving the electricity for almost twenty cities was disabled by one of the two parties. Having lots of military checkpoints between the cities was another impediment that was harming the merchants.Also, misspending an immense amount of public money and using it to buying armaments was another factor that decreased the growth of economic in Kurdistan. Civil war facilitated many ways to coming external interferences into Kurdistan. Foreign countries especially neighbor countries had many negative impacts on Kurdish politics. They interfered almost in every area such as economy, security, social affairs and politics. For example, during the war in 1996, PDK requested Iraqi central government to send its troops to Kurdistan and fight against PUK.After that, in the same year, PUK demanded Iranian government to help them in fighting against PDK. Raising the rate of overseas intervenes got a point that Iranian spies terrorized thousands of members of Iranian Kurdish political parties who have settled in this part of Kurdistan. Overall, civil war in Kurdistan had many negative impacts on Kurdish people, and there were many tragedies that will never be forgotten in the peoples’ memory. Economical, political and social crises were the difficulties that faced Kurdish people during the civil war.Facing lots of hardships created numerous of problems that some of them are irremediable and still exist. The civil war was the most effective cause to evolve many dreadful and harmful actions. Brothers against brothers and losing a limitless number of young people are an injury that still has many injurious influences on Kurdish society. Bisecting government, leaving home, losing people, instability and exterior interferences were the effects that civil war left, and they damaged many achievements that Kurdish people had achieved.

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