Discourse on Tamil Tigers Ideology Essay Example for Free

Discourse on Tamil Tigers Ideology Essay â€Å"I would prefer to die in honour rather than being caught alive by the enemy† (Towards Liberation 83). V. Prabakaran, leader and founder of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), said this during an exclusive interview with the magazine the â€Å"Sunday. † This statement represents how most Tamil Tigers feel about their fight for freedom. Tamil Tigers are dedicated to dying in battle rather than being caught by the enemy (Sri Lanka military). The Tamil Tigers were founded in May 1979 and they were defeated on May 18, 2009. They are still active, but they are no longer officially recognized as a terrorist organization because they don’t have a base and their leader is dead. They are a national separatist group in Sri Lanka whose ideology can be traced to Marxism, Leninism, and nationalism. The Tamil Tigers are a terrorist group that has been fighting the Sri Lanka government for independence. They are also known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE. The armed conflict between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government is one of the longest ones in Asia. The LTTE’s first attack was on a military troop transport that killed thirteen soldiers. This sparked riots against the Tamil people, which in turn, caused many youths to join insurgent groups against the Sri Lankan government. The LTTE at one point had a navy and an air force. They also had a special unit called the Black Tigers, which was a suicide unit based solely on suicide attacks. The navy has sunk 30 Sri Lankan ships, including 29 small inshore vessels and one freighter. The air force tigers had at least four aircraft, but all of them are destroyed either from suicide missions or being shot down. The Black Tigers have carried out between 100 to 200 missions with over 330 members being killed. The Tamil Tigers believe in Marxism. They want a socialist and classless society with equality for â€Å"everyone†, but Muslims and Sinhalese people. In fact, the LTTE has committed several massacres against Muslims and Sinhalese people. Their most notable attack on Muslims is the Kattankudy mosque massacre which occurred on August 4 1990. LTTE soldiers raided four mosques during prayer and killed 147 Muslim men and boys. It appears the Tamil Tigers want a Marxist society, but only for the Tamil people. Several times in the LTTE’s history they have evicted Muslims and Sinhalese from their land and either killed them or forced them to leave. Since 1985, the LTTE has forcibly occupied 35,000 acres of Muslim-owned land. This is what the Tamil Tigers believe Marxism is; equality for one group and not the others. Just as the LTTE believe in Marxism they also believe in a similar ideology called Leninism. The main concept the LTTE believe in from Leninism is that a nation has a right to secession and statehood (Towards Liberation 64). Lenin once said, From their daily experience the masses know perfectly well the value of geographical and economic ties and the advantages of a big market and a big state. They will, therefore, resort to secession only when national oppression and national friction make joint life absolutely intolerable and hinder any and all economic intercourse. In that case, the interests of capitalist development and of the freedom of the class struggle will be best served by secession (Towards Liberation 70). Lenin said this in his essay The Right of Nations of Self-Determination and the Tamil Tigers included it in one of their press releases. The Tamils believe that they should be able to secede from Sri Lanka and make their own independent state. They feel that their population is large enough to have their own state. They also believe that they will have the economic stability to function as a nation. The Tamils wish to create a state in north and east Sri Lanka, but the Sri Lanka government won’t allow them to. One reason they won’t allow them to create a state is that region is to rich in resources to give up. In addition to Marxism and Leninism, the LTTE also believe in nationalism. This is probably their strongest belief, where most of their roots as a terrorist organization come from, and what they are fighting for. To be specific, the LTTE believes in a specific type of nationalism called Tamil nationalism. Tamil nationalism is the concept that the Tamil people have a right to create an independent and self-governing state, specifically in North and East Sri Lanka. (See map on last page) As you can see from this map, the majority of the people living in the area the Tamil people want to make a state are Tamil. There is one district where ninety-five percent of people living there are Tamil. That means ninety-five percent of people living in that district want to break away from Sri Lanka. The area shown on blue in the map is roughly the area that the LTTE controls. The majority of the people in those districts, excluding the thirty-four percent and eighteen percent districts, support the LTTE. The concept of Tamil nationalism began in the 18th century under British control when Tamil Hindus tried to counter Protestant missionary activity. Later in the 20th century, the Tamils realized they were a minority ethnic group and began to believe they should have their own country. At first, the Tamils tried to get equal representation in the government along with other minorities, but it never happened. Since this did not work, Tamil terrorist groups, like the LTTE, formed. The insurgent groups formed to fight for Tamil nationalism. All in all, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are a national separatist group based in Sri Lanka. Their ideology has roots in Marxism, Leninism, and nationalism. The Tamil Tigers have been recognized by 32 countries as a terrorist organization. They believe in the Marxist idea of a classless society, the Leninist idea of a nation’s right to secede, and nationalism.

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Abortion. Don’t Do It Women get abortions all over the world, and there are several reason why they get them. What they don’t know is that they’re hurting themselves. They’re hurting another human being. Scientist did a study and it shows that the fetus can feel pain while being aborted. A women should not get an abortion, because they are killing a being that didn’t ask to be here,the fetus can feel pain , it can cause post traumatic stress disorder, and other bodily issues. The fetus that is being aborted had no choice on whether or not it wanted to be here or not. Since it’s not right to murder someone outside of the womb, how is murdering an infant, a person inside the womb any different? The fact of the matter is it’s not. Abortion is murder that goes unnoticed by the law. It takes away a defenseless life that probably could’ve been a great asset to the world. Alot of people don’t know that the fetus can feel pain. Some doctors tell the patient that the fetus can’t feel anything.Truth is the fetus can feel every bit of it, and getting an abortion causes a violent a...

Animal Welfare Research Paper

Feeding a Pitbull It is suggested that pitbull owners feed their pets the foods that have what the breed requires in nutritional value. The dog food should contain nutrient sources that are similar to that found in their native lands that their ancestors ate. The requirements for a pitbull are a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Many dogs are taken to the vet because of nutritional related problems. If the dog is not getting the proper nutrients that their diet requires they can suffer from dry/itchy/flaky skin, hot spots, yeast infections in the ears, or thyroid-liver-kidney problems.The best diet for the pitbull is one that the owner makes fresh, using quality ingredients, without preservatives. Preparing home cooked meals for a dog can be less expensive than buying the average all-breed or any-breed pet food. Native foods for this breed would have been yellow corn, soy meal, rice, venison and fish. Recommended foods for this breed would be food s that contain soy, corn, brown rice, beef and poultry. This breed needs a high fiber and low carbohydrate diet. Avoid feeding this breed foods with a high fat or high starch content.Do not feed this breed any supplemental vitamin C, such as ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, or ascorbal Palmitate because these can cause kidney and liver damage to the breed. The best food for your dog is real food, not people food, but food like real chicken, turkey, beef, bison, venison, lamb, fish, some fruits and vegetables, occasionally yogurt and eggs. Vitamins and best sources Vitamin A Palmitate Vitamin B-1 Thiamine Hcl & Yeast Vitamin B-2 Riboflavin & Yeast Vitamin B-6 Pyridoxine Hcl & Yeast Vitamin B-12 Cyanocobalamin & YeastVitamin D D-activated Sterol Vitamin E dl-alpha tocopherol acetate Niacinamide Biotin Folic Acid D-Calcium Pantothenate Para Amino Benzoic Acid Minerals and best sources Calcium Bone Meal Copper Gluconate Iodine Sea Kelp Iron Ferrour Fumerate Magnesium Magnesium- Gluconate Manganese Manganese-Gluconate Phosphorus Bone Meal Potassium Potassium-Gluconate Zinc Zinc-Gluconate Habitat There is no such thing as a natural habitat for domesticated dogs such as the terrier breeds, and it would be easier to describe the places where they couldn’t and would have a hard time surviving.Extremely cold places and extremely warm places with no shade can really do some harm to this breed. The basic cage size for an American pitbull terrier would be 36 inches long, 23 inches wide, and 25 inches high. The metal cages are preferred because they can be folded down and stored away when they are not in use. The metal cages also give the dog a 360-degree visual of their surroundings. The plastic cages are more for the puppies and for transporting the dogs. Health Care Hip dysplasia is a serious problem in pitbulls.There were x-rays done of 480 pitbulls and 22% were found to have hip dysplasia. Elbow dysplasia is another serious problem in pitbulls . There were over 100 pitbulls that were x-rayed and 14% were found to have elbow dysplasia. This is the 15th worst rate in 82 breeds. Other orthopedic diseases in pitbulls are luxating patella and osteochondritis. American pitbull terriers have the 4th highest rate for hypothyroidism in 140 breeds. Vets are seeing heart disease in an increasing number of dogs in this breed. Skin problems are very common in this breed and can range from allergies to demodectic mange.Tumors and cancer are also a serious concern with this breed. Eye disease is also very common and can include progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, and entropion. Inherited deafness can occur within pitbull puppies that have a lot of white on their heads. Depending on the gender of your dog there are many pro’s and con’s to getting these dogs spayed or neutered. Female Pro’s * Spaying prevents the nuisance of heat periods * Spaying prevents uterine infections * Spaying prevents false pregnancies * Spaying prevents real pregnancies Spaying offers partial protection against breast cancer * Spaying prevents cancer of the uterus and ovaries * Spaying may mean lower licensing fees Female Con’s * Spaying doubles the risk of obesity * Spaying increases the risk of the deadly cancer called hemangiosarcoma * Spaying triples the risk of hypothyroidism * Spaying is a major surgery and requires general anesthesia * If done at the wrong age, spaying increases the risk of hip dysplasia, ligament rupture, osteosarcoma (bone cancer), and urinary incontinence Male Pro’s Neutering may mean lower licensing fees * Neutering reduces leg-lifting * Neutering reduces dominance and aggression * Neutering reduces the risk of your dog being attacked by other male dogs * Neutering helps re-focus your dogs’ attention from other dogs to YOU * Neutering reduces sexual behaviors * Neutering calms you dog around unspayed females * Neutering reduces the risk of prostate disorders * Neuter ing prevents testicular cancer * Neutering reduces the risk of perianal fistula Neutering helps prevent your dog from breeding Male Con’s * Neutering triples the risk of obesity * Neutering increases the risk of a deadly cancer called hemangiosarcoma * Neutering triples the risk of hypothyroidism * Neutering increases the risk of geriatric cognitive impairment * If done at the wrong age, neutering increases the risk of hip dysplasia, ligament rupture, and osteosarcoma (bone cancer) Restricted Use: The American Pitbull Terrier breed is one of the most mistreated and misunderstood breed of dog there is.Because of this misinterpretation of the breed many counties, even states, have banned this breed. This is why there are so many of them euthanized or put in kennels. Many people are afraid of this breed because of stories on the news about a dog attack and they automatically assume that it was a pitbull that did it but in reality it was either a golden retriever or a german shep herd that caused the attack. Pitbulls were not bred to be attack dogs, they were bred to be work dogs and then got bred to be family dogs and they are terrific family dogs.

Florence The Center of Early Italian Renaissance Art

Florence, or Firenze as its known to those who live there, was the cultural epicenter for Early Italian Renaissance art, launching the careers of many prominent artists in 15th-century Italy. In a previous article on the Proto-Renaissance, several Republics and Duchies in northern Italy were also mentioned as artist-friendly. These places were quite serious in competing with one another for the most glorious civic adornment, among other things, which kept a lot of artists happily employed. How, then, did Florence manage to grab center stage? It all had to do with five competitions among the areas. Only one of these was specifically about art, but they were all important to art. Competition #1: Dueling Popes In most of the 15th-century (and 14th-century, and all the way back to the 4th-century) Europe, the Roman Catholic Church had the final say on everything. Thats why it was of major importance that the end of the 14th-century saw rival Popes. During what is called the Great Schism of the West, there was a French Pope in Avignon and an Italian Pope in Rome and each had different political allies. Having two Popes was intolerable; to a pious believer, it was akin to being a helpless passenger in a speeding, driverless automobile. A conference was called to resolve matters, but its outcome in 1409 saw a third Pope installed. This situation endured for some years until one Pope was settled on in 1417. As a bonus, the new Pope got to re-establish the Papacy in the Papal States. This meant that all of the (considerable) funding/tithing to the Church was once again flowing into one coffer, with the Papal bankers in Florence. Competition #2: Florence vs. the Pushy Neighbors Florence already had a long and prosperous history by the 15th century, with fortunes in the wool and banking trades. During the 14th century, however, the Black Death wiped out half of the population and two banks succumbed to bankruptcy, which led to civil unrest and the occasional famine coupled with episodic new outbreaks of the plague. These calamities certainly shook Florence, and its economy was a bit wobbly for a while. First Milan, then Naples, and then Milan (again) tried to annex Florence—but the Florentines were not about to be dominated by outside forces. With no alternative, they repulsed both Milan and Naples unwelcome advances. As a result, Florence became even more powerful than it had been pre-Plague and went on to secure Pisa as its port (a geographical item Florence had not previously enjoyed). Competition #3: Humanist or Pious Believer? Humanists had the revolutionary notion that humans, purportedly created in the image of the Judeo-Christian God, had been given the ability for rational thought to some meaningful end. The idea that people could choose autonomy hadnt been expressed in many, many centuries, and posed a bit of a challenge to blind faith in the Church. The 15th-century saw an unprecedented rise in humanist thought because the humanists began writing prolifically. More importantly, they also had the means (printed documents were new technology!) to distribute their words to an ever-widening audience. Florence had already established itself as a haven for philosophers and other men of the arts, so it naturally continued to attract the great thinkers of the day. Florence became a city in which scholars and artists freely exchanged ideas, and art became more vibrant for it. Competition #4: Let us Entertain You Oh, those clever Medici! Theyd begun the family fortune as wool merchants but soon realized the real money was in banking. With deft skill and ambition, they became bankers to most of present-day Europe, amassed staggering wealth, and were known as the pre-eminent family of Florence. One thing marred their success, though: Florence was a Republic. The Medici could not be its kings or even its governors—not officially, that is. While this may have presented an insurmountable obstacle to some, the Medici were not ones for hand-wringing and indecisiveness. During the 15th-century, the Medici spent astronomical sums of money on architects and artists, who built and decorated Florence to the total delight of all who lived there. The sky was the limit! Florence even got the first public library since Antiquity. Florentines were beside themselves with love for their benefactors, the Medici. And the Medici? They got to run the show that was Florence. Unofficially, of course. Perhaps their patronage was self-serving, but the reality is that the Medici almost singlehandedly underwrote the Early Renaissance. Because they were Florentines, and that was where they spent their money, artists flocked to Florence. The Artistic Competition Florence ushered in the 15th-century with what wed now refer to as a juried competition in sculpture. There was—and is—an enormous cathedral in Florence known as the Duomo, whose construction began in 1296 and continued for nearly six centuries. Adjacent to the cathedral was/is a separate structure called the Baptistery, whose purpose, obviously, was for baptisms. In the 14th-century, the Proto-Renaissance artist Andrea Pisano executed a pair of immense bronze doors for the east side of the Baptistery. These were modern wonders at the time, and became quite famous.Pisanos original bronze doors were so successful that the Florentines decided it would be a great thing entirely to add another pair to the Baptistery. To that end, they created a competition for sculptors (of any medium) and painters. Any talented soul was welcome to try his hand at the assigned subject (a scene depicting the sacrifice of Isaac), and many did.In the end, though, it came down to a competition of two: Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti. Both had similar styles and skills, but the judges chose Ghiberti. Ghiberti got the commission, Florence got more impressive bronze doors, and Brunelleschi turned his formidable talents to architecture. It was truly one of those win-win-win situations, a great new development in art, and another feather in Florences metaphoric cap. There were five competitions that thrust Florence to the forefront of the cultured world, which subsequently launched the Renaissance to the point of no return. Looking at each in turn, the five impacted Renaissance art in the following ways: The Church, stabilized and unified once again under one Pope, provided artists and architects with a seemingly endless supply of subject material. Cities and towns always needed new or improved churches, and churches were always on the lookout for better works of art with which to adorn themselves. Important persons were forever passing on, and they required the appropriate final resting places (elaborate tombs). Florence coveted the finest of these churches and tombs.Florence, having proven itself at least equal to its neighbors, was not content to rest upon its laurels. No, Florence was determined to out-do everyone. This meant building, decorating, and embellishing what was already there, which meant plenty of gainful employment.Humanism, which found a welcoming home in Florence, gave some major gifts to the arts. First, nudes were once again acceptable subject matter. Secondly, portraits no longer had to be of saints or other Biblical figures. Portraits, beginning in the Early Re naissance, could be painted of actual people. Finally, the landscape, too, crept into fashion—again, due to the fact that humanist thought was broader than strictly religious thought.The Medici family, who (literally) could not spend all of their money if they tried, funded all sorts of artists academies and workshops. The better artists that came and taught attracted even more talent until you could hardly swing a cat, as they say, without hitting an artist. And, since the Medici were keen on glorifying Florence, artists were kept busy, paid, fed, and appreciated... just ask any artist what a happy situation this is!Finally, the door contest made it possible, for the first time, for artists to enjoy fame. That is, the heady, dizzying personal sort of fame we usually reserve for actors or sports figures in the present day. Artists went from being glorified craftsmen to veritable celebrities. Small wonder that Florence launched the careers of Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Donatello, Masaccio, della Francesca, and Fra Angelico (to name but a few) in the first half of the 15th-century alone. The second half of the century produced even bigger names. Alberti, Verrocchio, Ghirlandaio, Botticelli, Signorelli, and Mantegna were all of the Florentine school and found lasting fame in the Early Renaissance. Their students, and students students, found the greatest Renaissance fame of all (although well have to visit with Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael when discussing the High Renaissance in Italy. Remember, if art of the Early Renaissance comes up in conversation or on a test, paste a small (not too self-satisfied) smile on and confidently mention/write something along the lines of Ah! 15th century Florence—what a glorious period for art!