Theories Of Why The Cold War Ended

Theories Of Why The Cold War Ended The Cold War was a term coined by George Orwell in 1945 that refers to the, Extended worldwide conflict between communism and capitalism that is normally taken to have begun in 1947. The end of the Cold War came about through two measures, the first being no friction remaining between the USSR and the USA and the second being the collapse of the Soviet Union. There are four main international relations theories that aim to shed light on the reasons for the Cold War coming to a halt. The first theory, put forth by liberal thinkers, examines the role of world leaders in ending the war. The second theory holds economic pressures on the USSR, due to competition with the USA, culpable for the end of the Cold War. The third theory illustrated by realists analyses the contribution of internal factors leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the final theory illustrates the peace through strength thesis  [3]  . I believe that all the theories are strongly linked with each other; h owever it was due to the decisions made by the world leaders that the Cold War ended. The theory that Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan played a central role in ending the Cold War has been put forth by Liberal theorists. President Reagan, through popular belief, is seen as the individual that accelerated the process which led to the end of the Cold War. Margaret Thatcher quoted in one of her speeches, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for fighting and winning the Cold War it is Ronald Reagan deserves the most credit  [4]  . Reagan used an upfront and confrontational method in dealing with the, the evil empire  [5]  . Reagans aim was to win the arms race against the USSR in order to restore US supremacy in the global society. Furthermore Reagan increased the military to a scale that is unrivalled in U.S. history. In 1982 defence spending rose by 13% and then 8% in each successive year; Reagan also poured millions of dollars into the development of the nuclear stealth bomber trident submarine. Thirdly Reagan issued the Reagan Doctrine which stated that assistance would be sent to any anti-communist insurgents and governments. This build up of arms and effort to halt soviet influence in the third world was used to put pressure on the USSR. This pressure forced Gorbachev to address the Politburo on a change of strategy, regarding the United States, and also hold talks with Reagan in Geneva and Reykjavik. Gorbachev realised that the USSR could not keep up with the United States and therefore in order to maintain Soviet security, Gorbachev decided to desert the arms race and instead focus on reforming the Soviet economy. This Soviet policy was known as Perestroika  [6]  . Additionally Gorbachev recognized that soviet control over the empire in Eastern Europe was costing immense amounts of money each year (approx. $40 billion  [7]  ). Thus he put an end to the Brezhnev doctrine, which meant that countries could now leave the Warsaw Pact without any repercussions from the Soviet Union. Consequentially the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the USSRs power and inf luence, was torn down by unopposed protesters. Gorbachev intended to reform communism but he could not hide from the fact that the USSR simply could not compete with the USA on economic and military grounds. Thus when no hostility remained between the two super powers due to the reasons stated above, the Cold War came to an end. As a result of the actions on the part of Reagan and Gorbachev the Cold War came to an end. Economic issues areseen as a core factor in ending the Cold War. The Soviet Union entered the 1990s with the possibility of economic collapse around every corner. This fear of economic collapse paired with the steadily declining economy is posed as another theory as to why the Cold War ended. The burden imposed upon the Soviet Union due to hegemonic competition with the USA had escalated to a level at which the USSR could no longer compete. Reagans Strategic Defence Initiative caused the USA to take a lead in the arms race thus leaving Gorbachev and the USSR with limited options. As mentioned above, Gorbachev saw a great need to reform the Soviet economy. This was because the immense military spending, of the Soviet Union, was resting on the back of a broken economy. Secondly the United States was benefitting immensely from its imperialist expansion whereas the Soviet Union was making catastrophic losses with its expansion causing a economic deficit. As the USSR could not produce as many goods and therefore Soviet exports, to Eastern Europe, began to rapidly decline and the reliance on imports began to increase; this led to a trade deficit in the economy. Additionally all consumer products, such as clothes and shoes, produced within the Soviet Union were being sent to the army which forced consumers to rely on imports for their daily needs. Hence the pressures of the market economy continued mounting on the Soviet Union. Gorbachev realized that the race against the United States simply wasnt worth continuing and consequently chose to negotiate terms of a peace settlement with the USA. It is clear that there are several links present between the two theories discussed to this point; therefore it can be argued that the economic factors led world leaders to end the Cold War. Internal factors, especially public opinion, had a major contribution to the end of the Cold War. The internal factors that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and ultimately the end of the Cold War, were largely due to Gorbachevs actions. When Gorbachev came to power in March 1985  [8]  his first orders of business were accepting the realities of the atrocities against the public under Stalin and addressing the widespread corruption of several Soviet leaders. This acceptance of problems led to the alienation of the public and thus caused the government to lose legitimacy. Furthermore the disastrous war in Afghanistan, which was draining the soviet economy and causing social unrest, led the public to lose faith in their government. They felt as though the Soviet Union would not develop a strong economic foundation under Gorbachev and thus wouldnt be able to compete with the USA. Several historians believe that Gorbachev unleashed too many reforms at inappropriate timings whi ch opened a floodgate that ended in the collapse of the USSR. The most relevant reform in this context is glasnost  [9]  which gave Soviet citizens freedom of speech and expression. The Soviet public began openly criticizing the government, issues of economic backwardness, inefficiency and shortages were openly discussed. The message from the Soviet public was clear, they wanted change. Historian Dr. Crockett once said, Once given rein, the direction of the newly released force of public opinion could not necessarily be controlled  [10]  . This quote clearly illustrates the immense amounts of damage the glasnost policy had on the Soviet government. It can be said that once the Soviet government had lost the support of their public they could no longer afford to focus all their resources on external conflicts and were forced to reallocate their resources to solve internal conflicts. Ultimately the turn of public opinion in the Soviet Union caused it to crumble, thus leading t o the end of the Cold War. The peace through strength thesis is, a doctrine, issued by Ronald Reagan, that military strength and a system of alliances is primary or necessary for peace  [11]  . This theory is predominantly a realist one. In previous paragraphs the build up of the United States military has already been covered in great depth therefore this paragraph will focus on the role of the wests military alliances. Heading into the 1990s the west had built up a solid network of alliances. The USA attracted economically disadvantaged countries by offering them aid and arms in return for alliance. Furthermore the USA took a leading role in creating the North Atlantic Trade Organisation (NATO) whose primary purpose was collective defence in response to an external attack and in the case of the Cold War it also served to contain communism. The countries allied to the West, encircled the USSR in a cordon sanitaire which is defined as a quarantine line  [12]  . The system of alliances additionally serv ed to deter the Soviet Union from creating conflict. These systems of alliances have proven to be successful due to the fact that there has not been a World War since April 4, 1949  [13]  , when the treaty was signed. In 1989 George Bush said, Containment worked because our alliances were and are strong  [14]  . It can be argued that the wests persistent efforts to quarantine the spread of Communism paired with their massive alliance system, served to overwhelm the Soviet Union forcing them to accept peace rather than risk a third world war. One can argue that the economic backwardness, public opinion and the peace through strength thesis are the factors that led to end of the Cold war and ultimately the collapse of the Soviet Union. However I believe that these three theories are weak on their own and must therefore rely on the all encompassing theory of world leaders to find their foundation. It was Reagans confrontational methods that led Gorbachev to sign peace agreements with the United States and it was Gorbachevs reforms that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Thus on both fronts the Cold War ended largely due to the involvement of world leaders. I believe the liberal argument of world leaders ending the Cold War is the most convincing and is the locomotive that drives all the remaining theories.

Eulogy for Son :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Son William was a very special person. His good qualities are endless. Since he was just a child, I always remember William sticking up for the family. When his sister, Lisa, was a baby, William would sit outside her room with a mask and cape on ready to rescue her in case she started crying. And, if William’s father or I were making too much noise, he was always quick to fly downstairs and tell us to keep quiet so not to disturb his little sister. That’s just the kind of person William was. He was a hero to all of us. As I look out into the crowd, I can’t help but see just how many lives William has touched. As a psychiatrist, but more importantly as a friend, William was able to come to the aid of those in need. He was a shoulder to lean on, always willing to lend a hand to help someone out, always willing to listen to someone’s problems and take the time to help resolve them. It would take me an eternity to list off all the special ways William has made a difference in my life. Whenever I was upset, whenever I needed someone, William’s sense of humor cheered me right up. No one can feel sad when William is around. I’ll always remember William as a person who was constantly finding humor in life no matter what the occasion. He was so full of life. It’s hard to imagine how I’m going to go a day without speaking to him because he’d call me every single day. I know he was a very busy man, but he would never forget to take the time to call me to see how I was. It’s the little things like that I’ll never forget about him. Although William’s death was sudden and came as a shock to all of us, I know in my heart he would not want for us to spend forever grieving. Rather, William would want us all to remember our favorite moments we spent with him. So, if you would all just take a quick minute or two to think about a happy time shared with him†¦ William’s life was far too brief, but he was able to accomplish many things.

Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Essay

Some people believe the history of corrections shows continuous movement toward more humane treatment of prisoners as society has progressed. In the beginning punishments for prisoners were considered a corporal punishment which was whipping, beheading, dismembering, torture or even death. There was fines, dispersion of property were common which was more common than the physical torture. Execution was the economic and corporal punishment as the estate was forfeited. The economic and physical sanctions have given way of imprisonment less depreciation in the liberty of parole and probation. When there are thousands of crimes incarcerated throughout the United States, the ethical treatment of prisoner’s rights must be analyzed. Throughout the years many modifications have been made to accommodate inmates and preserve their basic human rights. Have we as a society done enough regarding the ethical treatment of prisoners or have we made their lives in prison too easy that it is no longer a punishment for them? There are many people in the United States who have strong feelings of what is right and wrong and fall on both sides of this question. Utilitarianism is the belief that moral rules should be choices made by a society to promote the happiness of its members Mosser (2010). Through the utilitarian view the argument could be made that these prisoners are being treated to good and not good enough. Utilitarianism gives an understandable, theoretical foundation for moral decision making. Prior to coming to a decision upon a course of action, the utilitarian is asked to consider its effects on the entire population over an infinite period of time Mosser (2010). One problem with this method of decision-making is that many people might not agree with the premise that maximization of happiness should be the basis for morality. An example of this is an eye for an eye; if you kill someone in my family then I will have your life. In earlier history like the cowboy era this is how criminals were treated. Now, this is no longer accepted in our society. Our society’s ethical values have changed. For hundreds of years, prisoners had no rights. That is until 1909 when the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that although convicts have lost their freedom; they do have civil rights Davenport (2009). During this era, institutions were legally immune in state and federal courts from lawsuits, also called the hands-off doctrine, wardens ran their facilities as they felt necessary and were not held accountable for the conditions that existed in their facility Davenport (2009). Prisoners were beaten regularly and denied the basics such as food, medical care, and protection from staff or other inmates. These types of incidents continued for many of years. In the 1960’s several legal avenues opened for prisoners. Prisoners would now have the ability to have their grievances heard in state and federal courts. One of the major changes that enabled this is the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment; another is the civil rights provisions of Section 1983 of Title 42 of the U. S. Code Davenport (2009). The Eighth Amendment asserts that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted Davenport (2009). The cruel and unusual punishment clause was not intended for prisoners; rather the focus was on punishment outside the law. The clause also did not apply to state prisoners. The Supreme Court heard very few cases in this era. In the 1960’s, the Supreme Court began to incorporate the Bill of Rights to state laws. This meant the cruel and unusual punishment clause now included prisons and prisoners. Prisoner’s then began to file suits to change the way prisons operated, citing cruel and unusual punishment, inadequate healthcare, demanding more access to courts and due process. People who are employed in the justice system have to exhibit strength of mind and body to prove they are worthy to be in charge of those who may be a danger to society. This fact alone places these individuals in a position of power, and without a personal and professional code of ethics to live by; this power could be taken out of context. This could lead to damage within the system, as well as out on the street. For these people must make moral decisions everyday. A personal set of ethics can often be hard to define. Ethics are not on a person’s mind as they make various choices throughout the day. When a person sub-consciously makes one judgment or another, they are not aware that ethics plays a role in the decisions that are made. In examining ethical egoism and utilitarianism my personal view is definitely closer to utilitarianism than ethical egoism. Utilitarianism is an exceedingly, even extremely demanding moral view for most people. If we have a duty to always bring about the best outcome, than any time we can increase the well-being of others, we have a moral duty to do so. I believe it is morally better to help the most people at a time than to serve the self interest of one person. The thousands of crimes incarcerated throughout the United States had their day in court and are now housed in a penal institution to serve out their sentence. As a society we have passed ethical laws to protect the prisoners against harm from others and to make sure they are treated with respect. Through the eyes of utilitarianism arguments are made that these prisoners are being treated to good by some and not good enough by others. Regardless of which theories or ethical beliefs a person chooses to believe in they must follow the law or they could end up as a prisoner in the United States. Those in the justice system sworn to protect prisoners can not choose to follow their own beliefs but they must follow the laws and regulation set forth before them. Ethics as a form of intellectual inquiry does not provide answers to moral questions. People with beliefs about right and wrong do. Societies are built upon those beliefs. As we have analyzed the ethical treatment of prisoners with theories of ethics we can argue that society’s views of right and wrong coincide with reality, are representative of the objective moral order, and encompass the will of the people with regards to their treatment. Davenport, A. U. (2009). Basic criminal law: the constitution, procedure, and crimes (2nd Ed. ). Upper Saddle River: Pearson

No Place to Go Essays - 1389 Words

Homelessness is viewed as a social problem of our society because people consider it to be an undesirable condition. It’s something that most people don’t want to see or think about. Our communities share a social responsibility to find ways to eradicate homelessness. The article, Helping the homeless get off the streets, takes the functionalist approach to eradicating homelessness, in addition to this approach; the Symbolic Internationalist Perspective would be a beneficial addition to the solution of homelessness. The field research method needs to be used to experience homelessness first hand. The homeless are thought to have caused their own troubles (Kendall, 2010. p. 39). But anybody in society can fall prey to homelessness at†¦show more content†¦The homeless also have a hard time securing employment because of the lack of a â€Å"permanent residence† or â€Å"identification† (Killiam, Joe 2008). The homeless can’t go to a job interview if â€Å"they are wearing the same clothes they had on yesterday† (Killiam, 2008). You also need a â€Å"permanent address and phone† to be able to get a job (Killian, 2008). The problems continue to mount against the homeless and it continues to keep them in their cycle of poverty. The article, Helping the homeless get off the streets, represents the Functionalist Perspective, which comes from the works of Auguste Comte, the founder of sociology. Comte believed that society was like the human body. Each part interrelated and assigned to perform different tasks that maintain society as a who le (Kendall, 2010.p.8). The different functions within the societal body would be the social institutions, education, families in the community and our government (Kendall, 2010.p.8). Each function works in different ways to provide stability and to make sure social needs are met within the community (Kendall, 2010.p.8). In the article, Helping the homeless get off the streets, states that Jehan Benton, Director of Guilford County’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness, is working with other entities within the community to coordinate resources to educate and rehabilitate the homeless. Jehan Benton and the other entities within the community are using the Functionalist PerspectiveShow MoreRelatedWhat Is The Best Place To Go To France917 Words   |  4 PagesReason i want to go to england and france Almost everyone want to to go on a break or just travel and have fun and relax. 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