The Decay Of Ancient Civilization And Mohammed And...

Introduction There have been several, non- definitive reasons attributed to the decline/ fall/ end of antiquity i.e. the Greco- Roman world. The purpose of this essay is to outline the several reasons that led to the decline. The essay attends to two essays, namely The Decay of Ancient Civilization and Mohammed and Charlemagne by Michael Rostovtzeff and Henri Pirenne, respectively to reason the end of antiquity and the beginning of middle ages. The essay is divided into two sections and discusses the reasons provided by Michael Rostovtzeff, followed by the reasons provided by Henri Pirenne. In the process of summarizing, the essay also lays down commonalities between the possible causes as discussed by the two historians and any differences in their reasons. The Decay of Ancient Civilization by Michael Rostovtzeff Michael Rostovtzeff, unlike Pirenne, denies the direct continuation of the Greco-Roman world and discusses several reasons for the above. Rostovtzeff discusses four primary reasons for the fall and decline of antiquity. The four primary reasons are political, social and economic, intellectual, and spiritual. The remaining section on Rostovtzeff will discuss the reasons in detail, which follows: Political: In his discussion of the political reasons behind the decline of the ancient world, Rostovtzeff denies the class war as the only reason for the decline of antiquity. He also negates the idea of a single, better race that over came the Greco-Roman world.

Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 926 Words

The decision whether to legalize marijuana, the third most popular drug in America is still a very debatable issue today. Some supporting arguments for legalizing marijuana include that the drug is not any more harmful than alcohol or tobacco if used in moderation, there are medical benefits of certain use, police and court systems would be freed up, it would create a source of additional tax revenues, the FDA could regulate quality and safety, less people would be subject to lifelong criminal behavior due to arrests associated with marijuana that trap people in the system, and the plant also has several industrial/commercial uses, over 25,000 products can be made from crop. Opposing arguments include that marijuana is a stepping stone/gateway to harder drugs eg. heroin and cocaine, driving and other dangers would increase, and that it would increase the chance of kids gaining access to the drug at an early age (Messerli, 1). To go back into a little bit of marijuana s history, it wasn t until the 1920 s that marijuana smoking became a noticeable occurrence. Many marijuana establishments started to emerge in major cities and were not a concern to authorities at that time, marijuana was not illegal and there seemed to be no societal threat as there was no disturbance to the community from people using marijuana. However, by the end of the 1920 s and early 1930 s the perception of marijuana usage changed. Even though millions of people had never heard of the plant,Show MoreRelatedShould Marijuana Be Legalized?849 Words   |  4 Pageswhether marijuana should be legalized. Around 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use. In the state of Illinois, medicinal use of marijuana has been passed on April 17, 2013. Since January 2014, patients are able to obtain marijuana with a doctor s recommendation. The new debate is whether marijuana should be legalized for the general public as a recreational drug. Although some believe that marijuan a is harmless, and that it has beneficial medicinal uses, marijuana shouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1715 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana in Society Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel â€Å"high† or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). Like mostRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1489 Words   |  6 Pagescannabis plant or marijuana is intended for use of a psychoactive drug or medicine. It is used for recreational or medical uses. In some religions, marijuana is predominantly used for spiritual purposes. Cannabis is indigenous to central and south Asia. Cannabis has been scientifically proven that you can not die from smoking marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized to help people with medical benefits, econo mic benefits, and criminal benefits. In eight states, marijuana was legalized for recreationalRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1245 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana is a highly debatable topic that is rapidly gaining attention in society today.   Legalizing marijuana can benefit the economy of this nation through the creation of jobs, increased tax revenue, and a decrease in taxpayer money spent on law enforcement.   Ã‚  Many people would outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, fast food, gambling, and tanning beds because of the harmful effects they have on members of a society, but this is the United States of America; the land of the free and we should give peopleRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1010 Words   |  5 PagesThe legalization of marijuana became a heated political subject in the last few years. Twenty-one states in America have legalized medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only states where marijuana can be purchased recreationally. Marijuana is the high THC level part of the cannabis plant, which gives users the â€Å"high† feeling. There is ample evidence that supports the argument that marijuana is beneficial. The government should legalize marijuana recreationally for three main reasonsRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1231 Words   |  5 Pagesshows the positive benefits of marijuana, it remains illegal under federal law. In recent years, numerous states have defied federal law and legalized marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use. Arizona has legalized marijuana for medical use, but it still remains illegal to use recreationally. This is absurd, as the evidence gathered over the last few decades strongly supports the notion that it is safer than alcohol, a widely available substance. Marijuana being listed as a Schedule I drugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1350 Words   |  6 Pagespolitics in the past decade would have to be the legalization of marijuana. The sale and production of marijuana have been legalized for medicinal uses in over twenty states and has been legalized for recreational uses in seven states. Despite the ongoing support for marijuana, it has yet to be fully legalized in the federal level due to cultural bias against â€Å"pot† smoking and the focus over its negative effects. However, legalizing marijuana has been proven to decrease the rate of incrimination in AmericaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1145 Words   |  5 PagesLegalizing Marijuana Marijuana is a drug that has been actively used for centuries. This drug can be traced back to 2737 BC by the Chinese emperor Shen Nung. He spoke about the euphoric effects of Cannabis and even referred to it as the â€Å"Liberator of Sin.† Since early on, marijuana was seen as a medicinal plant that was recommended for medical uses. Marijuana is currently in schedule I, which means that physicians are not allowed to prescribe it in the United States (Hart, Ksir 2013). This drugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?997 Words   |  4 PagesLegalize It: The Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana Should marijuana be legalized? Many Americans have been asked this question or have heard some type of news about the issue. Marijuana is commonly known as cannabis which refers to the dried up hemp plant cannabis sativa, even though marijuana is a plant and has no chemical additives it has been a tropic of controversy for many years but nowadays it is in the spotlight more than ever. For centuries, marijuana has been used by people throughout theRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesSHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGALIZED? Marijuana is a drug that has sparked much controversy over the past decade as to whether or not it should be legalized. People once thought of marijuana as a bad, mind-altering drug which changes a person’s personality which can lead to crime and violence through selling and buying it. In the past, the majority of citizens believed that marijuana is a harmful drug that should be kept off the market and out of the hands of the public. However, a recent study conducted

How Stalin Became a Leader of Russia Free Essays

How and why did Stalin win to be the leader of Russia? Stalin’s manipulative personality Joseph Stalin was known to have a manipulative personality. He was persuasive, educated, determined however also arrogant (due to his role as General Sectary). Also Lenin is rude as Lenin said in his testament â€Å"Stalin is too rude†. We will write a custom essay sample on How Stalin Became a Leader of Russia or any similar topic only for you Order Now After Lenin died during the struggle for power Stalin was reasonably quiet at the beginning. This makes him sly and sneaky because we get the impression he is up to no good. Stalin also lied about the date of Lenin’s funeral to Trotsky. This meant that Trotsky didn’t ttend the funeral which made Trotsky look really bad and disrespectful. Lying about the funeral date makes Stalin look cunning and his personality doesn’t seem like a nice person. However these factors aided him to become future leader of Russia. Stalin’s choices of policies (NEP and socialism in one country) During the beginning of the struggle for power after Lenin died Stalin formed an alliance with Zinoviev and Kamenev in 1923, this was purely to keep Trotsky out of power. However in early 1925 Zinoviev and Kamenev split from Stalin, he Joined with Bukharin instead because Stalin said he was in favour of NEP. Zinoviev and Kamenev were removed from the party because they were against NEP. However in 1928 Stalin ended his alliance with Bukharin and rejected NEP; he had more communist ideas which appealed to young communist followers which helped him win the vote in 1929 which meant he won and became the leader of Russia. During the beginning of the struggle for power he was neither left not right wing (of communist ideas, all members of communism were left wing) – Stalin stayed in the middle. By doing this he didn’t seem like a threat to anyone as he slowly crept up to have power. Stalin’s use of General Sectary Stalin being General Sectary he was able to promote his followers but also demote and even fire people who opposed him. In my opinion without his General Sectary post many of his rivals who were in the power struggle wouldVe defeated Stalin early on. He allied himself with whoever seemed strongest at that point and because he was General Sectary he had authority to spy on people using secret police and another murder not Just the person who had opposed him, but also their whole family. Lenin almost predicted that Stalin’s role of General Sectary is a bad thing because he has too much power â€Å"Stalin has unlimited authority concentrated in his ands† Also as he was General Sectary this made him popular with the communist followers because he had a big role in the communist party. Stalin’s use of Lenin’s legacy Betore Lenin died ne nad written a testament about Stalin, Trotsky, Bukharin, Zinoviev and Kamenev. In the testament Lenin hadn’t said any good things about Stalin. Lenin said negative things such as â€Å"l am not sure whether Stalin will always be capable of using that authority with sufficient caution† and as seen in future events Stalin didn’t use his role of General Sectary properly, he used it to promote his followers and fire his opponents. He also used it as an excuse to murder which isn’t acceptable. l suggest the comrades think about a way of removing Stalin from that post and appointing another man in his stead being more tolerant, more loyal, more polite, and more considerate to the comrades† Lenin suggested that Stalin should be removed from his General Sectary post, if he was he may have not become leader of Russia at all? However Stalin kept his post as General Sectary. All of the members of the communist party decided to keep Lenin’s testament a secret because Lenin had said bad things about all of them so it would be a better idea not to tell the public. At Lenin’s funeral Stalin spoke about Lenin which is strange, because Lenin and Stalin never got along. Stalin had an argument with Lenin’s wife before Lenin had died. Because Stalin had spoken at Lenin’s funeral this makes people respect Stalin more, and he gained more popularity. Stalin’s opponent’s weaknesses TROTSKY In Lenin’s testament Lenin described Trotsky with outstanding ability, very able and intelligent. However he was very arrogant and there was an element of mistrust. Trotsky decided to stay on his own during 1923-24 which also made him weaker. He ecame an enemy of Stalin and Stalin lied to him about the date of Lenin’s funeral which then meant Trotsky was unable to turn up which made him very unpopular. He was also very ill which meant that he missed important meetings. BUKHARIN Lenin described Bukharin as very popular and likeable. However he wasn’t fully communist and his commitment must be questioned. During 1923-24 Bukharin was in the right wing (of communist ideas) but he didn’t play a big role in the struggle for power. However he teamed up with Stalin during 1925. Bukharin became an enemy of Stalin in 1928 and delayed Bukharin’s plane so he missed an important meeting. However he was still considered the favourite of the party until he arranged a secret meeting with Zinoviev and Kamenev, Stalin found out and told everyone so Bukharin became unpopular because people couldn’t trust him which weakened him greatly. ZINOVIEV AND KAMENEV Zinoviev and Kamenev were described as too cautious because they didn’t play a big role in the October revolution. This means that their commitment must be questioned. They allied with Stalin very early on in 1923 however they ended their alliance with Stalin at the end of 1924 because they no longer wanted NEP and ntended to become more industrialised. However they became unpopular because they challenged Bukharin’s authority in 1927 (this is when Stalin and Bukharin were together). A vote proved this which made them weaker. They were never re-elected after that vote and feared Stalin and Bukharin more than Trotsky. However they made an alliance with Trotsky and were in favour of left wing communism (world revolution). Because of this the three of them were expelled from the party. This weakened them the most, they were re-admitted after they publicly apologised but Stalin only used Zinoviev and Kamenev for their tactics. How to cite How Stalin Became a Leader of Russia, Papers

A world without bees free essay sample

A world without bees: what is causing pollinator declines in the Northern hemisphere and what are the potential implications for South Africa? † The decline of all major pollinators in the Northern Hemisphere, such as bats, butterflies and especially bees are likely to result in negative implications around the globe including South Africa. Bees are the most commonly chosen pollinators around the globe although there are many other capable insects. As early as the 1900’s, colony collapses have occurred and have been documented in the Northern hemisphere. From 1972 there has been a dramatic increase in the number of colony collapses and a very significant decline in the number of maintained colonies. These statistics suggest that an economic downfall may soon take place and there shall be very negative impacts on the biodiversity and food sources if no preventative actions are taken. Bees are vital contributors to pollination. Pollination is the transfer of male pollen to the stigma, which is the female part of the flower, with this fertilization takes place. This natural ecosystem service is vital for human societies and is the first step in having successful seed and fruit production by a plant. Once a plant has been successfully pollinated and fertilization has taken place, fruit and seeds develop and grow. Bees play an important role of pollinating flowers and plants. It is estimated that one third of Human food supply depends of pollination, most of which is accomplished by bees. Pollinators, such as bees, provide ecosystems and society with food sources such as seed crops, fruit, vegetables and nuts. The common Honeybee pollinates on average 130 crops alone. If an increase of Colony Collapse disorder continues and we do not take preventative actions soon, then essential food product supplies will decrease and in turn, the price of these products will increase. As an explanation to Colony Collapse Disorder, around the world bees have been disappearing rapidly, in some instances beekeepers have lost 90-95% of their hive. Colony Collapse disorder (CCD) was first noticed in the US whereby entire bee colonies simply died out with unexplainable circumstances. In the winter of 2006/2007 alone, US lost approximately more than a quarter of their 2, 4 million bee colonies, accounting to tens of billions of bees died out due to CCD. This loss resulted in an 8 to 12 Billion dollar effect on US agricultural economy. These current events in pollinator decline indicate that a sixth major extinction of biological diversity will soon take place. Many different reasons for this pollinator decline have been put forward but none have been proven to be a definite cause. Some have been proven to be contributory factors, such as insecticides, pesticides, genetically modified crops, disease, loss/destruction of habitat, pollution and over-harvesting. It is strongly believed that the primary contributor to this significant decline in bee colonies around the globe is a result of the wide spread use of pesticides and insecticides. These insecticides, used as commercial agrochemicals, go through very thorough testing procedures to ensure that they will not cause a harmful effect on the environment. However the information that these safety assessments reveal more often than not originate from the very companies that manufacture and sell these chemicals. For years various companies have been reporting that their products are perfectly safe for use in flowers that rely on bee pollination, and claim that their products would have no harmful effect on bee colonies. Independent scientists have published their research and are in common agreement that the results suggest otherwise. It has been identified that the main insecticide/pesticide called â€Å"Neonicotinoids†, a concoction of various chemical products, used by various large corporate manufacturers and is a chemical that has been among the most widely used pesticide because of its supposedly harmless effect. Countries including South Africa are amongst their many users. Another theory that contributes to the to the increase of Colony collapse Disorder and pollinator decline is the fact that there are more Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), simply bees love pollen and the theory is that hese modified pollens are detrimental to creatures such as bees. New Genetically Modified crops have now been designed to be immune to any pesticides or insecticides, this resulting in an increase in the usage of these chemicals. Genetic modification of a plant in turn leads to the genetic modification of that flowers pollen, when this pollen becomes genetically modified, the bees then go malnourished because th ere are no longer enough nutrients in the modified pollen for the bees to feed off. Bees then die of illness due to the lack of nutrients and die of diseases, mostly in the digestive system, due to hard material, in the digestive tract system, that has been ingested from Genetically Modified pollen. It has been proven that if a bee visits Genetically Modified Organisms, that bee will have severe digestive problems and this can result in death. As well as these GMO’s, disease is also a proposed problem within the bee colonies, there are certain mites that are known to spread disease amongst the bee population. Although this is a major concern and contributory factor of colony decline, many beekeepers have pointed out that due to the rapid decline in bee colonies, this cannot be targeted as the main cause. With regards to Horticulture, pollinator decline causes many potential implications. Horticulture and many garden plants need the process of pollination and if they do not receive this pollination they will no longer produce seeds or fruit. However, the public can help by not using detrimental pesticides/insecticides and can plant flowers that bees like and are attracted to. Humans benefit from the relationship between plants and bees because as a result, this mutualism produces a variety of fruits and vegetables that are vital for our survival. When you walk into a grocery store there is a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to choose from that have benefitted from the relationship between these two organisms. Without the help of bees you would not see the vast varieties of fruit, such as apples, that are available in South Africa, for example, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Pink Lady and Royal Gala are a few of many different types of apples that are available on our stores and are always in constant supply. This constant supply of fresh produce is achieved by bees. When a Honeybee finds an apple tree that is in flower, the bee will remain on the same tree in order to collect as much nectar and pollen as possible. It has been discovered that cross-pollination occurs when bees move from one tree to another. If some of the Honeybees in a hive are visiting a certain variety apple tree and others are visiting a different variety, there is a good chance that both types of pollen will be on the bodies of most of the bees in the hive. Cross-pollination can occur when a honeybee has obtained pollen on its body from another bee visiting a different variety of apple tree flower, for example when a honeybee that has Red Delicious pollen on its body, which it obtained from other bees in the hive, is visiting Granny Smith apple flowers, the Red Delicious pollen will be deposited on the first few of the Granny Smith flowers visited and those flowers will have a good chance of becoming apples. Pollen must be transferred from one flower to another to ensure that the plant will produce fruit and seeds so that new plants can be produced. This shows how bees and plants benefit from each other and how as a result of their mutualism, plants can mature and grow. As a result of this pollinator decline, there are very harmful implications on the countries agriculture. Although food resources that are in the grass family are pollinated by the breezes and do not require insect pollination, most root or above ground crops rely on pollination to mature and can only be harvested once they have been through the process of pollination. If this process were to disappear, by pollinator decline, these plants would not be able to grow and produce fruit, vegetables, nuts or seeds, therefore this decline of bees will result in the decline of worthy agriculture and will put an end to the countries constant supply of fresh produce. It is imperative to have this supply of fresh produce as one gain nutrients and minerals that are essential for survival. This will be a national and global effect. Another distressing fact is that the crop production industry in the Western Cape relies on approximately 90% of the total number of managed colonies to provide the pollination that is required to produce enough crops that are on demand. This means that in order to receive the most essential food sources, society relies on a large number of pollinated fruits and vegetables, which in turn indicates that the food we put into our mouths daily relies on a large number of bees doing their job. In addition to agricultural effects of pollinator decline, this decline also has many implications on South African Economy. Since the late 18th century the Western Cape region in South Africa has been famous for its wine, brandy and fruits and exports, these products around the globe. With over 100ha of cultivated vines, the Western Cape region has been labelled the ninth largest exporter of wine in the world and is also well known for its fruit and fruit related products. Ceres fruit juice originated in the town of Ceres in the Western Cape and is now a major exporter of fruit juices around the globe and especially to North America, Europe and Asia. In addition to Ceres fruit juices, Appletiser, a popular sparkling fruit juice sold nation and global wide, originated from all production is based in the town of Elign in Western Cape. This shows that still dominating exporting industries in the Western Cape, with just over 47% of all products being exported being agricultural products. South Africa’s largest export markets continue to be European countries. This agricultural exporting industry produces income of roughly 21. 5 million Rands annually which in turn provides many South Africans with employment and steady income. Pollinators are the sole providers for this income and are vital in order for fruit trees and vineyards to develop and grow because without pollination there would be a major agricultural as well as an economical loss that would put or food resources in short supply and leave many South Africans unemployed. A world without bees would have a catastrophic impact on the world as we know it today. Without these vital pollinators, agriculture, biodiversity and the world’s agricultural economy would cease to exist.