The Symbol of the Heart in The Floating Opera Essay -- Floating Opera

The Symbol of the Heart in The Floating Opera  Ã‚      The heart is the dominant symbol in The Floating Opera, more important even than the symbol of the showboat of the novel's title. From beginning to end the book is richly populated by references to the heart on both a literal, physical level, and a figurative, symbolic one. In the first case, literal references are made to Todd's heart condition. In the second case, the heart plays two symbolic roles; not only does it serve as a symbol of Todd's emotional and non-rational side, but the frailty of Todd's heart serves as a correlative for the fragility of all human life. This paper will examine several examples from The Floating Opera that demonstrate this multi-levelled usage of the heart. Hearts make an early appearance in the text, in the very first chapter, when Todd describes his heart condition; a "kind of subacute bacteriological endocarditis"1. This condition predisposes Todd towards myocardial infarction (heart attack), and consequently Todd writes, "What that means is that any day I may fall quickly dead, without warning - perhaps before I complete this sentence, perhaps twenty years from now."2 Although this may seem to be a purely literal device, Barth is using Todd's heightened awareness of the delicateness of his own life as an exaggerated symbol for the vulnerability of all human life. This early focus upon the heart continues due to the centrality in the novel's plot of Todd's decision to kill himself, and his subsequent "change of mind". At the core of this decision to suicide is Todd's realisation that his life has been governed by his heart (his emotions), despite his best efforts to live by will, reason and intellect: "My heart was the master... ...when Froebel had Parnassus in his pan?"8 This quotation is demonstrative of both the inability of reason to overcome emotions - the very problem which Todd has grappled with for much of his life, and which lies centrally in The Floating Opera - and also of Todd's acute awareness of that inability. This, like so many of the "facts" in the narrative, has both a symbolic and a literal meaning, and shows the extent to which the heart and what it stands for permeate the fabric of the entire novel. Bibliography Barth, John, The Floating Opera and The End of the Road, Anchor Books, New York, 1988. Endnotes 1 Barth, John, The Floating Opera and The End of the Road, Anchor Books, New York, 1988, p. 5. (All subsequent page numbers refer to this book.) 2 p. 5. 3 p. 226. 4 p. 49. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 p. 124. 8 pp. 94-5      

Against Illegal Downloading Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Peer Pir

Against Illegal Downloading At the dawn of the internet, many things such as books and text became obsolete, due to insufficient monitoring of internet activity and sites. Individuals were able to gain free access to books and publications that normally needed to be bought, or required a fee. This is something that has caused problems for booksellers and publishers. Now, as technology advances, it also begins the decline of music, software, and television industries—but something can be done before it’s too late. Illegal downloading is a problem that affects us all, either directly or indirectly. Many people do not take it too seriously. They have not realized that it is an epidemic; like a disease that keeps growing as people become more knowledgeable about computers and learn more about how software runs. People openly burn music CDs and download music and movies for friends who in turn give it to their friends; it’s a never-ending cycle on illegal practices. The problem started when Nap ster came out and should have ended when it was shutdown. Unfortunately, not enough has been done to stop the illegal transfer of files. It’s time someone takes full action and ends this detrimental offense.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Napster is a company that developed the so-called peer-to-peer technology that lets people search and retrieve music files directly from one another's personal computers. When Napster first came out, millions of internet users worldwide were illegally downloading and distributing copyrighted music, videos, images, and software for free. After being vilified by the entertainment industry, which claims that Napster and any similar programs could make piracy of almost any digital work unstoppable, and many court battles, Napster was ordered by court to be shutdown in 2000. The technology has been praised as a revolutionary development for the Internet—unaware of the problems that would arise from such practices. However, the termination of Napster was not enough, months later, dozens of new, like programs were being developed and used. And since Napster, not much has been done to stop these latest downloading programs. Although there was a period where the Recording Industry Association of America (the RIAA), an organization that investigates the illegal production and distribution of sound recordings, went after a few users, including a twelve year old ... ...ement a chip into the motherboards to scan and analyze people’s online activities. The motherboard is the main system component of computers and all the hardware such as hard drives, video cards, sounds cards and anything else that you connect to your computer must be run through the mother board. So essentially all your activities could be monitored—especially the transfer of large files, such as songs and movies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As explained above, illegal downloading is a great problem affecting the entertainment industry and could soon be an even bigger problem for consumers. Downloading copyrighted material illegally is just as unlawful as stealing from a store or someone’s personal item. To prevent shutting down businesses and industries, internet pirates must be stopped and actively sought after. So if one is downloading material illegally take in to mind what harm it can do to and who is being hurt in the process. Free does not mean that it’s moral or fine; one must analyze and see the consequences of such actions before they continue—otherwise, it could be the end of something great because people were stealing and driving companies out of business, with no force stopping them.

The Failure of Napoleon?s Russian Campaign :: essays research papers fc

Napoleon Bonaparte was seemingly invincible. Under his command, the Grande Armee had conquered much of Europe, and was viewed by others as an austere foe. Though despite all this, Napoleon made a fatal mistake: he entered Russia. Of the 600,000 troops that reached the Russian border, only 100,000 made it out (Moore, Online). Through the Russian Campaign the seemingly indomitable man of Napoleon began to crumble at the base, and after numerous fatal errors, the foundation fell. Napoleon’s Russian Campaign of 1812 resulted in failure. Napoleon unleashed his armies to Russia in June of 1812. The initial reason for the start of the Russian Campaign was that of desertion (Bloy, Online). This became evident when Czar Alexander I of Russia left the Continental System. While hurting Britain’s economy, the Continental System also hurt Russia’s. Soon enough, Napoleon sent over 600,000 troops to Russia, hoping to straighten out the czar (Burnham, Online). The czar seemed not to be worried, and readily commanded two Russian armies to protect their country. The initial attacks against the Russians were relentless, and the two armies were readily overwhelmed. On June 24 the two Russian armies retreated, under the command of General Barclay de Tolly and General Bagration (Moore, Online). The Czar Alexander was cunning, and instead of directly confronting the Grande Armee, he would always retreat. This greatly irritated Napoleon, who pressed on further and further, deep into Russia (Sparknotes, Online). However, t his process of enticement and retreat seemed to be working, as the battle-hungry Napoleon kept on proceeding. Knowing that they could not win a fight by force, the Russians were cunning and traded space for time with the French. By this time, the Russians had developed the â€Å"scorched-earth† policy, which was the destruction of one’s own land (Burnham, Online). Whenever the Russians would retreat, they would burn all the land behind them. This greatly angered Napoleon, mainly because one of his most formidable strategies in war was using the land of the enemy for his own resources (PBS, Online). Napoleon had gravely underestimated the Russians. The gravest threat to the Russian forces was a direct, large-scale confrontation with Napoleon’s army, but such a colossal battle was surely inevitable. Despite the constant retreating, the Grande Army did engage the Russians in one significant conflict: the Battle of Borodino. The Russians, under the control of General Mikhail Kutusov, assembled massive defensive positions in await for Napoleon’s army.

Petrarch and Wyatt Compared

In the world of poetry, imitation occurs at every turn. Many poets will take an original form of poetry and copy the style. This can be said about Sir Thomas Wyatt who attempts to mimic Petrarch's form; when the symbols, tone, images, rhyme, and setting in Wyatt's poem â€Å"Whoso list to hunt† are compared to Petrarch's Rime 190 it becomes apparent that he failed to embody the essence of Petrarch in his writing. Symbolism plays a large role in most poems. â€Å"A pure-white doe in an emerald glade/Appeared to me, with two antlers of gold† (Petrarch lines 1-2) is a perfect example of symbolism is poetry. Petrarch is not actually talking about a white deer with golden antlers, he's talking about a beautiful woman with golden hair. Wyatt also uses a deer as a symbol: â€Å"Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind† (Wyatt line 1) a hind is a deer and Wyatt is also using the deer as a symbol for a woman. This is the first similarity, or imitation, between Wyatt and Petrarch. The second symbolism the two poems share is the collar around the doe's neck. In Petrarch's poem it says â€Å"I spied on her neck, â€Å"No one dares touch me†,/Graven in topaz and diamond stones,/†For Caesar wills I should always run free. † (Petrarch lines 9-11). In Wyatt's poem it says: â€Å"And graven in diamonds in letters plain/There is written, her fair neck round about,/†Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am,/And wild to hold, though I seem tame† (Wyatt lines 11-14). The two are similar only in the idea of a collar and Caesar. Petrarch's doe's collar claims she is free while Wyatt's doe's collar claims she is property. Although many strive to assimilate famous poets, sometimes they fall flat. Such is the case of Sir Thomas Wyatt's attempt to parallel Petrarch's tone. In Petrarch's Rime 190, the tone is reverence towards a woman's purity and beauty in the lines â€Å"A snow white doe in an emerald glade/To me appeared, with antlers soft of gold† (Petrarch lines 5-8). Wyatt's tone is more of sexual desire for an unavailable good looking woman who isn't necessarily pure: â€Å"Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind† (Wyatt line 1) hints that this woman is chased by a large amount of men for her looks (also hinting that she isn't pure); â€Å"But as for me, helas! I may no more† shows Wyatt's sexual desire for this woman and his disappointment in her unavailability to him. Petrarch's woman is a pure and beautiful woman while Wyatt's is a sexy, impure temptress. Another aspect Wyatt did not compare to Petrarch is visual imagery. Petrarch has a very beautiful way of using visual images which he proves with the lines one through four: â€Å"A snow white doe in an emerald glade/To me appeared, with antlers soft of gold,/And leapt two streams, under a laurel's shade,/Near sunrise, in the winter's bitter cold. (Petrarch lines 1-4). The closest visual image in Wyatt's version is â€Å"And graven in diamonds in letters plain† (Wyatt line 11) which is still very far away from being good visual imagery. Rhyme is a defining point of Petrarch's poetry with a rhyme scheme of abba abba cde cde. Wyatt kept the rhyme scheme of the octave but changed the sestet to cdd cee. â€Å"There is written, her fair neck round about,/Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am,/And wild to hold, though I seem tame. (Wyatt line 12-14) is an example of the changed rhyme scheme. Wyatt also resorted to eye-rhyme which is also shown in the quotation for the words am and tame. Petrarch's poems held firm to the original rhyme scheme of abba abba cde cde and each rhyme is a complete rhyme rather than Wyatt's lazy eye-rhyming. Petrarch's rhyme scheme, however, is almost always only visible in the Italian form and it loses rhyme scheme when translated into English. Una candida cerva l'erba/Verde m'apparve, con duo corna d'oro/Fra due riviere, all'ombra d'un alloro,/Levando ‘l sole, a la stagione ascerba† (Petrarch line 1-4) this Italian passage from the poem follows the abba format of rhyming with perfect rhymes which his whole poem follows without using a single eye-rhyme. The setting of Petrarch's Rime 190 is beautifully described in the very first stanza: â€Å"A snow white doe in an emerald glade/To me appeared, with antlers soft of gold,/And leapt two streams, under a laurel's shade,/Near sunrise, in the winter's bitter cold. (Petrarch lines 1-4). The reader automatically knows that the poem takes place in a forest with two streams. On the other hand, Wyatt's poem has no setting to show for. There are almost no descriptive aspects of his poem. After analyzing these five aspects of poetry, it becomes clear that Wyatt's imitation of Petrarch only goes so deep. Wyatt merely used Petrarch's ideas but failed to perfect Petrarch's unique and beautiful language; where Petrarch shows beauty, Wyatt shows nothing. Wyatt took a pure form and warped it into something not as good as the original.

Bail to Jail

Richard Singer covers in his book â€Å"Examples & Explanations: Criminal Procedure II: From Bail to Jail† almost everything that can be legally relevant in the judicial process following the arrest of the possible suspect or future convict. Exhaustive and extremely well-documented, the book covers important aspects in the mechanism ranging from bargained pleas and charging decisions to sentencing and appeals that may follow the jury decision.One of the most important positive aspect we may point out in this book is the courage the author has to include deeply debated legal subjects we are dealing with nowadays. Certainly, in a time of global war with terrorism, new and out of place measures for the democratic civilizations may seem out of place. We are not referring only to the increased measures of national security, but also to controversial issues such as Guantanamo Bay.Given the fact that, on one hand, in the global war against terror, we may consider that almost anything goes and that, on the other hand, significant abuse on human rights were marked by numerous party there, we may consider that deciding to deal with these cases and to explain them is actually a tough and courageous decision on the part of any author. However, Richard Singer does just that. He is not afraid to approach such subjects and his book is very present in today’s reality. From enemy combatant cases to Guantanamo Bay, everything is approached here.In many ways, we feel that this book covers every relevant detail in traditional topics related to post-arrest procedures, including relevant post-trial actions. Further more, as a student, one can only find that the book is written so as to fit the needs of a student. In this sense, we see, for example, that the general approaches to different legal actions and concepts are always followed up by different sets of exercises, each completed with explanations and answers. As a student, one always finds this helpful as it pract ically prolongs the explanations in the book, applying them to learned theory.Relating to the different chapters, this book includes opinions on â€Å"early decisions about the defendant, charging decisions, the grand jury and alternatives, evidence disclosure, pleas of guilt and bargained pleas, the jury, double jeopardy, assistance of counsel, sentencing, and appeals and collateral attack† , only to mention some of them. It is difficult to select the most useful or interesting aspect in this book. The main quality we may find is that it is professionally written and that the approach of a professional is felt throughout the book.Additionally, even if the background is scientific, the approach is often close to the reader, with useful testing features and the capacity to involve the reader in study. Given the difficulty of the subject, this is often something to appreciate: an approach that is likely to reach better the reader is often preferred. Bibliography 1. Barnes and N obles Review. On the Internet at http://btobsearch. barnesandnoble. com/booksearch/isbnInquiry. asp? z=y&btob=Y&isbn=0735550638&TXT=Y&itm=2

Second American Revolution

A revolution is a sudden, drastic change that can occur politically, economically, or socially over a certain period of time. â€Å"Government, at least here in the States, is split into several branches. In order for us to use our arms to overthrow it we would have to experience a situation in which all three branches were in cahoots with one another and refused to keep each other in line† (Erick 1).In the article â€Å"Time for a New American Revolution,† Richard Winchester asserts that the United States may be â€Å"ripe† for a new revolution because of the issues that exists in his article, such as the fact that fifty-six percent of voters viewed the federal government as a threat to individual rights. Although the United States may be ready for a new revolution, since its citizens are afraid to take such a big risk, it will not. â€Å"From slavery to women's rights, from religious life to voting, American attitudes would be forever changed† (U.S. Hist ory. org).All kinds of different religious beliefs are accepted throughout the United States, while in the past (specifically the 18th century) people were prosecuted and banished for not wanting to be a part of the Anglican Church which was originally established in England. Citizens of America have plenty to be grateful for, but instead they refuse to open their eyes to see how far their country has come. In 1789 the first President of the United States was a white man.In 2008, a the first black man and the first white woman ran for office, with victory in the hands of Barack Obama, the black man. [ I want the previous two sentences with the years to be more concise and clean. Figure out how u wanna do that] Before American independence, and even afterwards, blacks would be punished for even glancing at a white woman. In those days, the tension between the races was palpable, blacks and whites They were at the bottom of all the social classes which were very distinct. They were de termined by heredity and quality.â€Å"One observer wrote in 1747 that â€Å"a reasonable man is always happy if he has what is necessary for him according to his condition [his place in the social order], that is to say, if he has the protection of the laws, and can live as his father lived before him: so that one of the essential things to the good of a nation is being governed in one constant and uniform manner†Ã¢â‚¬  (Angelfire. com).Women were also not allowed to own jobs that involved labor or intellectual thinking. They were forced to stay at home and raise children to be the best  human beings they could be. Today’s women are evolved; they are attempting to take up such jobs as being the president. [ can be formed better]. Eventually uprisings began when women began to speak up against it. This was just one of many protests that took place before the revolution. [ need to make it more specific but the information should be short. ] The Boston Massacre was o ne of the well-known events that involved patriots expressing their anger towards British soldiers but resulting in the death of only patriots.In the current form of government, protests are encouraged in the first amendment, known as the freedom of speech. They are privileged with the right to speak their minds. America is not ready for a second revolution. All this freedom would be lost and they are not willing to risk that. [why is America not ready for a revolution, explain it better. Maybe use that citizens sentence to explain it better. Use a sentence to show that with all the progress they have made so far, they shouldn’t be trying to overthrow the government, thereby jeopardizing the great progress they have accumulated over centuries of conflict.]Economically, the United States cannot afford a second American revolution. As the first one, we are still in debt for wars and will continue to be for many many years. Tax rates are likely to rise just as it did in the eigh teenth century. With the same reactions as the citizens in the late 1700s, people get angry. When people get angry, they end up committing foolish actions that result in horrid consequences. â€Å"When the Colonists became upset at such taxation without sufficient representation in Parliament, they began to rebel.In return, the British passed the Declaratory Act and d a series of acts later known as the Intolerable Acts, all designed to punish and reshape the colonial governance system to make it easier for the British to reign in† (dickinson. edu). Maybe in several decades a second revolution will form, but as for now the U. S. is not ready. Americans, lazy, no-good, homo sapiens who depend on others, will never think to plan such a thing even if there was a chance at a revolution.When they are given a once in a lifetime opportunity they throw it out the window after realizing how much work and effort would be needed to make it successful. Pre-revolutionary times were filled with hardworking, diligent crowds. Products were hand made and sold all around the world. In this age everything is made by machinery. This decade will be sluggish; along with the next. As said before, The Unites States of America is not, nor will it probably ever be, ready for a dramatic change like a revolution.Unfortunately, the U. S. does not reside with wise, political leaders from the late 18th century like Thomas Paine to lead and motivate people through a revolution. â€Å"Thomas Paine joined the army as it retreated from New Jersey to Philadelphia. On the way he began to write a series of sixteen pamphlets called The American Crisis that urged Americans to tough it out and keep fighting † (The Crisis). Without the help of Paine, Americans most likely would not have succeeded in the revolution.He became their conscience that taught them right from wrong, inspired them, and helped them realize their future if they did not try to separate and win their independence fro m Britain. â€Å"Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but â€Å"to bind us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER,† and if being bound in that manner, Is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth† (The Crisis). In the current America, you can no longer find someone willing to take responsibility of others and thousands of citizens in need of help.The wealthy people are not struggling; therefore, do not care to have a revolution. The middle class people are unsure about their place in society. Even thought they would like to be a part of the upper class they also do not want to take such a big risk because they are already surviving without a revolution. Thus leaving only the poor class. Some poor people do not have ambition. Without ambition they have no goals set. They are waiting for someone to lead them and convince them what a difference they can make like Thomas Paine told the Whigs.â€Å"The b lood of his children will curse his cowardice, who shrinks back at a time, when a little might save the whole, and made them happy† (The Crisis). Until then, absolutely nothing will happen. Although Americans act like they want a revolution, they just want a sense of secureness. They are terrified of the idea of them losing their rights, freedom and equality. Feeling as if they’re independence is coming to an end, they would do anything drastic to prevent it even though acting now would be considered too late. Looking over Winchester’s article, his polls do not necessarily mean a revolution.â€Å"Before concluding that the U. S. is ripe for revolution, consider the following: First, these polls do not prove the public is ready to overthrow the old regime; they only hint at that. Second, polls are like a snapshot; they freeze public opinion at the time they're conducted; things may change dramatically in short order. Third, change a poll question's wording or con text and the results may be very different. Fourth, successful revolutions almost never occur spontaneously; they require leadership, especially individuals who can mobilize millions by their charisma.Even with a Samuel Adams, a Patrick Henry, or a Martin Luther King, Jr. , a revolutionary movement will not draw majorities to its banner† (Winchester 2). â€Å"How Ripe Are the Seeds of Revolution? | Dave Hodges – The Common Sense Show. † Dave Hodges The Common Sense Show. WordPress, 21 Mar. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Meckler, Mark. â€Å"The Second American Revolution Has Begun – Rasmussen Reportsâ„ ¢. † The Second American Revolution Has Begun – Rasmussen Reportsâ„ ¢. Rasmussen Reports, 23 July 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Tashman, Brian.â€Å"Joyner: ‘Get Ready for a Second American Revolution'† Right Wing Watch. Right Wing Watch, 8 June 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Walker, Bruce. â€Å"Obama and the Second American Revolution. â⠂¬  Articles:. American Thinker, 4 July 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Winchester, Richard. â€Å"Time for a New American Revolution? † Articles:. American Thinker, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. â€Å"12. Societal Impacts of the American Revolution. † Societal Impacts of the American Revolution [ushistory. org]. Independence Hall Association, 2008-2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.

Governments and corporations Essay

There was no question of ownership of oil, water and other resources freely available in the environment before governments and/or private companies claimed ownership of these resources with the pronouncement that they would process and distribute these resources fairly. Poverty is a result of unfair distribution of resources. Moreover, environmental degradation ensues when governments or corporations are too greedy for immediate profits to consider the environmental impact of their business decisions. Surely environmental degradation accompanies loss of life. On the other hand, sustainable development is defined as â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs† (â€Å"Adaptation to Climate Change in the Context of Sustainable Development†). The United Nations Economic and Social Council reports the following as an illustration of the ill effects of unsustainable development: †¦[The] rate of agricultural production growth at the global level has been about 2. 3 per cent between 1970 and 1990 and thus has exceeded population growth so that per capita supplies of food have increased. However, wide regional disparities remain: the situation improved greatly in East Asia but worsened in sub-Saharan Africa. There still remain large numbers of under-nourished people in developing countries†¦ The relentless exploitation of the natural resource base to achieve an increased level of agricultural production has resulted in increased natural resource scarcity and environmental degradation (â€Å"Promoting Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development†). The following case of the Aral Sea sheds greater light on the fact of natural resources being exploited when governments and/or corporations refuse to consider the trade-off that the concept of sustainable development is built upon. Situated southwest of Kazakhstan, northwest of Uzbekistan, and east of the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea is presently a salt lake. Until the 1970s, the Aral Sea was the world’s fourth largest lake, fed by the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers (â€Å"Aral Sea†). When the dictator Josef Stalin rose to power in 1941, and right up to his death in 1953, he desired to make the Soviet Union self-sufficient in cotton, which is used for both gunpowder and clothing. Hence, the successors of Stalin during the 1960s and 1970s allowed an unlimited amount of irrigation water to be tapped from both the Amu Darya in the south and the Syr Darya in the northeast – to quench the thirst of the cotton fields (â€Å"Dike Built To Revive Aral Sea; Soviet-Era Policies Turned World’s Third-Largest Lake into Saline Hazard†). According to environmentalists, cotton grown in a desert is sure to result in immense wastage of water. On the other hand, smaller quantities of water may be used to produce abundant food. Moreover, it has been claimed that the Uzbeks use a rather wasteful procedure to irrigate their cotton from the Amu Darya. Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the independence of its republics, the government of Uzbekistan has continued its old ruinous policy, as cotton happens to be the principle hard-currency earner for the landlocked republic in west central Asia. Hence, the world’s fourth largest lake that once supplied approximately fifty thousand tons of fish every year or one hundred pounds of fish per acre has lost a staggering ninety percent of its volume. And, this has happened in the past half century alone. Most of the fish in the Aral Sea have died because the water has turned too salty to be inhabitable (â€Å"Dike Built To Revive†). The Soviet policy of using unlimited water from the rivers that fed the Aral Sea has been referred to as a bad one because the successors of Stalin, and now Uzbekistan’s government, failed to take into consideration the science behind dried former sea beds. As though the death of fish is not a big deal, a dried former sea bed also spawns dust storms spreading salt, pesticides and fertilizers. This is exactly what happened in the case of the Aral Sea, as the area’s already fragile semi desert was ultimately damaged, turning its people into some of the unhealthiest on the planet. Here, anemia figures top ninety percent (â€Å"Dike Built To Revive†). Of course, the Aral Sea disaster is a typical illustration of governmental policies gone astray. Then there are corporations that refuse to consider that the natural environment is built on cause-and-effect relationships just like business management. In early September 2006, a toxic waste dumping scandal of truly globalized proportions came to light in the Ivory Coast. The Probo-Koala, a tanker chartered by the London-based shipping company, Tranfigura, set off from Amsterdam carrying four hundred metric tons of petrochemical waste to dump in Abidjan, the port city of the Ivory Coast (Vidal; â€Å"Ivory Coast Toxic Tanker Impounded by Estonia†). Tranfigura informed the Amsterdam Port Services that the waste was absolutely â€Å"conventional† (Vidal). However, it was later discovered that the waste contained hydrogen sulfide, which happens to be a poisonous gas, smelling as rotten eggs (â€Å"Ivory Coast Toxic Tanker†). At least ten people lost their lives in the weeks immediately following the incident in the Ivory Coast (Vidal). Moreover, seventy five thousand people sought medical treatment with complaints of nausea, nose bleeds, breathlessness, vomiting, diarrhea, skin damage, headaches, and swollen stomachs (Vidal; â€Å"Ivory Coast Toxic Tanker†). Undoubtedly, if the corporation responsible for sending toxic waste to the Ivory Coast had been conscientious to begin with, lives would have been saved. Even so, maximization of profits is the goal of all producers. Depending on the moralities of their owners and managers, they may or may not believe in the need to behave ethically. Unfortunately, many for-profit businesses around the globe are known to engage in unethical practices, which is the reason why the government must step in to regulate markets and the practices of various business ventures when it is believed that doing so would be of benefit to society. Governments have the right to charge corporations for the damages they inflict upon people and their environment. Then again, as the example of Aral Sea shows, even governments may fail to understand that the environment, like business, is built on cause and effect relationships. As expected, governments that make bad policies or wrong choices may only profit in the short run. In the long run, everyone must pay for faulty policies. Those who are subjected to such governments have to pay through the disastrous effects of bad policies on an immediate level. Their fault seems to be that they did not protest soon enough the bad policies of their governments. Regardless of whether they are able to do so, the fact remains that unbridled profit seeking behavior at the expense of the environment costs lives. Works Cited â€Å"Adaptation to Climate Change in the Context of Sustainable Development. † United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Division for Sustainable Development. 8 May 2009. . â€Å"Aral Sea. † The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004. â€Å"Dike Built To Revive Aral Sea; Soviet-Era Policies Turned World’s Third-Largest Lake into Saline Hazard. † The Washington Times (1 Oct 2005), p. A08. â€Å"Ivory Coast Toxic Tanker Impounded by Estonia. † Environmental News Service. 28 Sep 2006. 8 May 2009. . â€Å"Promoting Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development. † United Nations Economic and Social Council. 11-28 Apr 1995. 8 May 2009. .