Iconostasis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Iconostasis - Essay Example ... This arrangement, however, differs in the finer churches in Greece, Russia, Turkey and the East where the iconostasis is adorned with a wealth of paintings. In those churches, aside from the two requisite pictures, the iconostasis is covered with pictures throughout. On the royal door, there is always the Annunciation. The Annunciation is the revelation made by the archangel Gabriel to Mary, the mother of Jesus indicating that she would conceive a child, the Son of God. In addition to the Annunciation there is often a depiction of the four Evangelists. On each of the other doors there are generally pictures of St. Michael and the archangel Gabriel. Beyond the deacon's door there is usually the saint to whom the church is dedicated. Additionally, at the opposite end there is either a picture of St. Nicholas of Myra or that of St. John the Baptist. Depicted above the royal door, there is a picture of the Last Supper and directly above that picture there is often a large picture of Jesu s sitting on his throne with a crown and adorned in priestly clothing much in the image of a High-priest. At the pinnacle of the iconostasis there is a large crucifix which represents the source of salvation for believers and on either side of it, there are pictures of the Virgin Mary and St. John (Wikipedia, n.d.). In extremely elaborate iconostasis, the pictures are arranged in rows across the entire length of the iconostasis. The bottommost row contains the pictures previously described while the second row generally contains pictures commemorating the fundamental feasts of the Church such as the Nativity, Annunciation and Transfiguration. The third row generally contain pictures of the Prophets of the Old

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics Essay

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics - Essay Example Another proof of the theory is that coal deposits usually associated with tropical areas are also found near the North Pole, and that signs of glaciations are evident in the plains of Africa. A third proof is the presence of fossils of exactly the same species during the prehistoric times are located on the earth in the spots where one would find them if the Continental Drift Theory were true. (Sant, 2010) Wegener’s explanation for the Continental Drift Theory is the â€Å"centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the earth† and â€Å"the ‘tidal argument’ based on the tidal attraction of the sun and the moon† (Sant, 2010). In short, Wegener hypothesized that either or both the rotation of the earth and the pull of the tides caused the continents to drift. However, he did not have any explanation for how exactly the continents were able to move. He met with opposition from fellow scientists who said that the centrifugal and tidal forces were too wea k to to move continents (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). However, the reasons for the opposition were perhaps because there was a great anti-German bias in the 1910’s and that his work was discredited because his training was more on astronomy and not geology. (Sant, 2010) Theory of Plate Tectonics (Theory, Evidence) The Plate Tectonics Theory originated in 1915 as an answer to the weaknesses of the Continental Drift Theory (Glasscoe, 1998). However, by the 1960’s, the theory has been widely accepted by scientists. The one principle on which the Plate Tectonics Theory lies is that â€Å"both continents and ocean floor form solid plates, which ‘float’ on the asthenosphere [and thus move]† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). The asthenosphere is the molten, viscous liquid rock on which the plates move and is the one causing all the movements of both seafloor and continent. (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011) Evidence for the Plate Tectonics Th eory include fossils of similar species found in continents that have now separated as well as evidence provided by paleoclimate studies which reveal signs of glacier formation in parts of the world that are now geographically separated (Glasscoe, 1998). Another evidence is the age of the crust. In Plate Tectonics Theory, â€Å"the farther away you travel from a ridge, the older the crust is, and the older the sediments on top of the crust are† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). This is one fact that the Continental Drift Theory was not able to account for. If all land masses separated from Pangaea, then the land must be as old as each other, but how come the ages of these land masses are different from each other? (â€Å"Tectonic Plates,† 2011). Thus, the Plate Tectonics Theory is more plausible than the Continental Drift Theory. Characteristics of Tectonic Plate Boundaries (Divergent Boundaries, Convergent, Transform Fault Boundaries, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Mount ain Building) Based on the Plate Tectonics Theory, plates are created through â€Å"rifting† or the separation of a continental crust leading to the formation of a â€Å"diverging plate boundary.† The formation of the divergent plate boundary occurs in four steps. First, the rift valley begins to expand from the pressure coming from the asthenosphere. Second, two continental plates result from the continuous expansion of the rift valley with the molten rock continually pushing the crust apart. Third, water collects in the middle forming a sea. Fourth, the

Write a case comment on Bowman v Fels [2005] EWCA Civ 226, [2005] 1 Essay

Write a case comment on Bowman v Fels [2005] EWCA Civ 226, [2005] 1 WLR 3083 - Essay Example First, it summarizes the pertinent facts of the case. Second, it identifies the relevant legal issues raised in the case. Third, it analyzes the relevant legal issues raised in the case. Fourth, it critically makes considerations on the legal issues raised in the case. The English courts distinguished the two separate types of LPP. Legal advice is the first type of LPP, which protects the communication between lawyers and their clients. Second, litigation privilege that protects the information and documents created with the intention of litigation (Hostettler 2009, pp. 82). Furthermore, litigation privilege covers documents and advices given to by third parties. Historically, litigation privilege is the first form of LPP that the English courts recognized. The first time ECJ dealt with LPP was in a case involving AM & S v Commission. Ability of the commission to have access to communication between an undertaking, which it suspected of anti-competitive behavior and its lawyers, was the main concern of the case (Jones & Newburn 2007, pp. 102). The case maintained that written communications exchanged between an independent lawyer and his customer, made for the purpose and interest of the client’s rights of defense had privilege. A directive in 1991 significantly influenced the LPP of the community because it placed a wide-range of limits on the protection accorded to the lawyers and their clients. Consequently, controversy arose during Directive’s drafting process and its last amendments. In Order bar, the ECJ reviewed the legality of Article 2 a (5) of the 1991 Directive. Based on the review of the directive’s legality, some group of legal professionals have the obligation to inform competent authorities of any act likely to indicate attempts of money laundering. In addition, the directive compels legal professional to avail to the relevant authorities all required information upon their request. Article

Living As If God Does Not Exist Essay Example for Free

Living As If God Does Not Exist Essay Since ancient times, alongside society’s development is the widespread proliferation of the religious consciousness of mankind. Although primitive small-scale societies had always been depicted as animists and polytheists, the concept of the High God is a common theme that has already been discovered. Studies of ancient societies have revealed in the belief of a Supreme Being, although this was also coupled with worship of lesser spiritual entities since the Supreme God seems distant and uninvolved in daily concerns of men. Compared with modern men, people of the ancient past were mainly agricultural communities. They are basically more aware of their natural surroundings and the different forces which affect his sustenance and survival. Many of these forces are beyond his control and understanding. Early man was therefore more inclined to acknowledge the existence of a Great Being who is responsible for the existence of the world and the one who is in complete control over all. Worship, whether to God or lesser spirits, has often been closely associated with receiving favour and positive results, or to ward off negative conditions like sickness. But current mode of attitudes and perspectives that pervade modern men has increasingly being held under the spell of beliefs that exclude God and the invisible world from the realm of reality and day to day living. Such an approach to life however, is not entirely exclusive in modern times. This was already present in the distant past where there were critics of religious beliefs for instance among some of the ancient Greek philosophers and the Roman Lucretius; in India, where most see it as a rich place of religious practices, materialism has already flourished at the time of the Buddha and for many centuries afterward which basically rejected all belief in a transcendent world; and in China, rationalist Confucianism often involved a rejection of religious doctrine. But these protests against the existence of and reliance of a Supreme Being or of spirituality in general, are only sporadic and never gained majority allegiance during its time. But this is now greatly pronounced in the modern period than ever before, since the powerful restatements of atheism and agnosticism have found a wide success in acceptance and following. The rise of the scientific discoveries and inventions, as well as the increase of intellectuals has made it more ideal to reject the existence of God and other religious values. Man sees himself as the ultimate controller of his destiny, as he experiences more control of the things that affect him. As greater understanding of the world around him is achieved, man sees a greater lack of importance in relying on an unseen and somewhat ‘distant’ God. Modern man is also pressed with many concerns. The large masses of manual workers that were born of out of industrialization in the big cities of northern Europe have caused them to become largely alienated from the faith of their fathers. It is both the social and intellectual forces which have thus combined to promote a widespread practical atheism. There are mainly anti-religious ideologies of modern man which has come to influence modern day thinking. First, was the growth of liberal humanism that principally influenced the western world. This philosophy is rooted in the scepticism of the eighteenth century; it received a greater momentum from the religious controversies of the nineteenth century. Second, was the spread of German type of atheism which were popularized by the writings of Feuerbach, Marx, and Nietzsche. Nietzsche even pronounced the death of God in one of his writings. He announced the death of God, as man is ‘awakened’ to the ‘reality’ that God is only a creation of the human mind. Today’s society is very much influenced, although mostly indirectly, by the banner of humanism that fiercely denounces the existence of God and His requirements. Humanism passionately proclaims that the acknowledgement of God is a declaration of war against life, against nature, against the will to live; and that Christianity is the formula for every slander against this present world and guilty of proliferation of ‘lies’ of a world beyond or afterlife. Out of this, came the atheistic Communist ideologies, which for some time in the past, has pronouncedly divided the world. Then, there were also the philosophical movement known as Existentialism, which ironically had Christian origins through the work of Kierkegaard, has nurtured within it a newer type of atheism, popular since the Second World War. Such a deluge of assault on the Christian faith would seem overwhelming and puzzling to those who profess faith in it. God and Christianity seem to have often called down upon strong denunciations. But it is not entirely out of reason. There has been the spectacle of inter-denominational strife, the growing cynicism towards the authenticity of those who were key figures of the Christian faith as against their extravagant lifestyles, memory of persecutions, and the political conservatism of many Christians all these must be taken into consideration. However, what could be considered a more major reason for rejection is because of the more common association of Christianity with Puritanism. There have, indeed, always been pronounced ascetic elements in the Christian experience, although they are considerably less than in most other of the world religions. It can be said though, that Puritanism and ascetism obviously have important place in certain kinds and phases of different religions. Puritanism demands the population at large to conform to it. Central to the Christian belief is the submission to the Supreme Being, and His instructions. The world, as symbolized by Nietzsche, continuous to express a strong reaction against such beliefs. God and his laws are often received as restrictive, since man’s experience show that he possess desires and instincts which often goes in conflict to what God approves, and must therefore contend with it for most of his time. For most men, this seems to constitute a kind of conspiracy to confine human self-expression and freedom. It is not surprising then, to see an abundance of decay in wide areas of society, since unwillingness to submit to God’s authority is more appealing in order to gratify the self. God is therefore seen as an enemy against the fulfilment of the desires and plans of the self. In addition to this, many simply suspect that those â€Å"kill-joy† Christians, do make those impositions on others condemning jollification and gaiety, as an unconscious repressions and anxieties which stems from Freudian influence. The rejection of the divine and supernatural is not just a mere intellectual scepticism about the truth of God and Christian beliefs; it has also been an emotional rebellion as well. Social factors have contributed. As we have seen, the dislocations caused by industrialism in many Western countries, have produced the alienation of much of the working masses from Christianity. In addition, social forces have brought a distrust of the older forms of authoritarianism. This was already demonstrated between the World Wars, the rejection of being ruled by a higher force. Moreover, this has been heightened after the war where many younger folks have opportunities of work and spending that often creates a sense of being relatively independent. This new found independence rewards man’s desire to be the sole controller of his own life. Such an attitude was already displayed since man’s creation. Self-rule, the rebellion against God’s authority has become the norm. With this development, the traditional forms of Christian teaching and preaching and the presentation of the ethical side of Christianity as something fixed and God-given have not had a widespread effectiveness. What is more popular in many folks of today’s generation is the adherence to anti-authoritarianism and which continuous to stimulate anti-Church feeling, even to the political level. Various advocacies that are being presented with much militancy and following today (i. e. same sex-marriage) run in complete opposition to God- declared laws. It is therefore not an unexpected condition that those who support such advocacies will reject God’s authority and existence. God’s ‘in-existence’ would mean that man can do whatever seems right in his own eyes. Truth and right is therefore relative. Also, aside from the agnostics and anti-religious atheism, are those within the so-called Christian societies, are a large number of people who simply do not attend church or religious ceremonies (Smart, pp. 558-573). They are not necessarily lacking in religious belief, but nevertheless they do not feel themselves called upon to belong to any religious organization. They are people who live in a large, gentle twilight zone between religiousness and agnosticism. They have inherited much of the humanist movement, but they do not share the intellectual presuppositions. They include many, therefore, who, when asked, profess belief in God or more vaguely in a Power which controls the cosmos. But they are not convinced of actively participating in worship of such a Being as something essential of one’s existence. They are not inclined to pray, seek God, read the Bible, though they might possibly do so in times of stress or great danger. They are, for the most part, alienated from the fellowship with God and the fellow believers. They are aware of the differences of teachings in different denominations, and are thus mistrustful of dogma. They have no wish to deny God’s existence outwardly, but they do not desire to seek and know Him. They have reverence for a Creator; but they feel that God is distant and detached. They respect Christian moral values, but they reject Puritanism. They do not have much sense of sin, but they admire saintliness. They are worried by death, and they hope to live for a better afterlife. But the division between heaven and hell they do not feel. Such people far outnumber the committed atheists and the explicit agnostics. For many members of society today, science possess greater prestige derived from the practical benefits of technology and the awesome mumbo-jumbo surrounding the expert, has superseded that of religion. The current civilization can be depicted in such a state. Although the blatant atheists and agnostics have been relatively few, the influence of their thinking has been formidable. Despite the ‘advancement’ in knowledge, man has generally been ignorant of God and His ways. What is generally esteemed as ‘wise’, those who reject God, does not see the pointlessness of their argument. Creation itself speaks as a witness to His superiority and existence. What is evident in creation is the presupposition of a Creator. If the world and the universe came out of chaos, scientific discoveries show that everything in it has a purpose and held with much order, which could not basically flow in congruence with the ‘accident’ theory. Also, the amazing functions of the human body, also defy such a premise that man was created by chance. For man to reject his Creator and His authority is one of the most miserable and worse thing that has occurred to man. Man indeed is very much in need of redemption from the futility of his own way of thinking. Reference: Smart, Ninian. (1984). Contemporary Religious Experience. The Religious Experience of Mankind. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons

If We Were Superheroes Philosophy Essay

If We Were Superheroes Philosophy Essay I always grew up looking up to superheroes, I loved super heroes. They saved the world more than once and always had a solution for a problem, but what they never do is give up, something that we as teenagers and adults still havent learned. Just imagine, what Saturday mornings would look like if our superheroes gave up? Someone would say LOOK! A HUGE asteroid the size of TEXAS is hurling toward Earth! Help us Superman and he would say I seem to be having a difficulty day-you see global warming has caused the hole in the ozone to release kryptonite and I am just not up to it! Nowadays if we encounter any problem that we feel we cannot endure, our 1st option is to give up and quit. Author Johnny James said, in his book Never Give UP à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We must have a strong determination to persevere unto the end. The race is not to the swift all the time, nor is the battle to the strong. When it seems as though there is no need in even trying again, this is the time that we should never g ive up. In order for us not to quit we must first look at why we quit, some asteroids that do come our way and some super spidey solutions to help ourselves from making this decision. As a freshman, high school was going to be very different. New people, new school, and new challenges to face, being called a fish, bullied and the list goes on and on but I was unaware of the circumstances where my only option given, was to quit. I clearly remember close friends of mines telling me that I wouldnt be able to do well in debate. My first response was very rude including a couple of colorful words that could easily get me disqualified. Yet, I realized that the answer was not to quit, but to try even harder and try to accept that there is room, room for improvement. Quitting would only stop me from growing. So, I tried harder and did improve tremendously, and I had a great year. Even though Im nowhere near the best, I smelled a sense of accomplishment in the air and thought to ponder, why do people give up? The answer was pretty simple. The reason why we quit is simply because of the fact that we think we are unable to survive the circumstances ahead of us, but the stren gth to fight is inside of us. We just refuse to unleash the beast and let the green hulk take over. Instead, we sit there like people who have nothing better to do than to eat in front of their televisions and decide that the rest of the world doesnt exist. As Frank Lloyd Wright had once said I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen. The 2nd riches man in the 1900s once said, It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities. Superheros have taken their responsibility and fulfilled it to its fullest extent. However we choose to dodge our efforts and decide to stop trying. Walt- Disney was turned down 302 times before actually being financed, and look at the success that Walt Disney has reached today! One of the greatest men in history, Albert Einstein didnt do great at first either. Albert Einstein did not speak until he was four years old and didnt read until he was seven. His teacher described him as mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams. He was expelled and refused admittance to Zurich Polytechnic School. The University of Bern turned down his Ph.D. dissertation as being irrelevant and fanciful. Imagine what would have happened if he did give up? You must believe in yourself-even if all those around you doubt you and in your ability to rise from within the insanity in which your life now finds itself and to stand tall against the obstacles and challenges within your life-and you will conquer all that you believe cannot be conquered and all that which you believed you had lost within your life. When we give up, we are a failure. Giving up on everything you have is going to leave you with nothing at all. In the same book I mentioned before; Author Johnny James stated once again, Those who give up in the race are never rewarded because quitters are never rewarded for quitting. Like the superheroes had a solution for every problem, there are some super spidey things we can do not to quit and truly achieve. Author Christine McGogy, in her aricle6 ways to never give up, gives us six step-by-step instructions, on how to not give up. The first thing to do, is keep an open mind, when you keep an open mind, you allow yourself to be open to more ideas, Once you say, I quit you basically are closing off your mind from any more ways to getting closer to your end result and having any breakthroughs. The 2nd step is trials and errors, you have to remember that you made an effort and tried, if you didnt like your result, you should try to change your actions, to get a better result. The 3rd thing to do is to is to realize that the questions, are the answer, When you run out of ideas its time to start asking [yourself] question Questions such as what can I do differently or what else can I do to improve myself. For extra effectiveness, try writing the question(s) down. Ask yourself the questions before you go to sleep at night and often times the answers will come the next day as your brain had time to think about it while you were sleeping! the 4th step is Guidance, Who can help you? Is there somebody that has already achieved the same goal? Find them and ask them what they did to get there. Asking doesnt cost anything. And guess what, chances are these people werent always doing great at first. The difference is that they kept going however small the action seemed at the time. Once you have the determination to persist until you get what you want, you will become more confident in yourself as well. She also reminds us that according to the 5th step, to make sure we arent making up excuses to stop ourselves from making this decision. And last, but not least, Picture it! In order for your goal to actually be a reality, can force you to zoom past your comfort zone, but keep focusing on the benefit of your goal to push yourself further along. Take a minute whenever you feel overwhelmed and DREAM about your goal! I have personally thought about quitting speech and debate because of many reasons, but when I sit back and think about my dreams, it just encourages me to try even harder. Walt Disney always said, If you can dream it, you can do it! Problems come and go in life but we, like the superheroes, should face our problems and find a solution no matter how big the problem is. By giving up we dont unleash the beast within, instead we unleash the wimp within. We hide and runaway-thinking things will be better, but they always end up following us, wherever we go. Superheroes are the coolest, smartest, and most wise people you can ever find. Despite them not being real, they give us real guidance. They do the most extraordinary things and teach us great lessons, some ranging from believing in you to never quitting. I encourage you to always keep an open mind and never give up There are a million reasons for you to quit, but if you can find one reason not to quit, dont make the decision. Some asteroids will come our way, but they wont destroy my Saturday morning, in stead my Saturday morning will be about my dream, my hopes, and ultimately my will, my will to never give up; even in the hardest of times.

Trophosperic Ozone :: essays research papers

The source of the tropospheric ozone The tropospheric ozone has two major sources. One is intrusion from the stratosphere. Most of ozone in the atmosphere is in the stratosphere and created from solar UV radiation. The stratospheric ozone sometimes flows into the troposphere by the upper layer trough and cut-off low activities. Some part of ozone may subside in the troposphere directly by the Hadley circulation or the Brewer Dobson circulation. Another source is production from photochemical reactions. Ozone is produced from relatively longer-wavelength solar radiation under NOx and non-methane hydrocarbons rich environments. These photochemical reactions possibly bring about photochemical smog in urban area. http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~wt2y-ttm/what.htm The characteristics of the tropospheric ozone About 8 % of the total column ozone is in the troposphere. The tropospheric ozone also plays an important role in the atmosphere. 1) Ozone is a green house gas and possibly contributes to the global warming. 2) Ozone is harmful for human being and crops in the troposphere. 3) Ozone oxidizes many chemical substances in the troposphere, and controls tropospheric chemistry. The trend of the troposheric ozone Some global monitoring stations show the increase of ozone in the troposphere. It may be a big problem, because if tropospheric ozone increases, it might damage to human beings and many crops, and fairly contribute to the global warming and change the tropospheric chemistry. If the tropospheric chemistry changes, the nature of pollution and acid rain might change. But not all monitoring stations show the increasing trend. We have to monitor the tropospheric ozone at many suitable observation points. This also has the mean to study influence of human activities on Nature. Causes of ground-level ozone Other culprits-besides car and truck exhaust-are gas lawn mowers, over-filling and topping-off a gas tank, which allows vapors to escape, and leaking fuel, which react with sunlight and heat to produce ozone. Alternatives that reduce air pollution and ground-level ozone include using native plants for landscaping rather than a lawn, using an electric or push mower, limiting planting areas for lawns, carpooling and public transportation. Effects on people with preemptive respitoary problems Ground-level ozone can cause flare-ups of asthma, chronic bronchitis, other lung diseases and cardiorespiratory illnesses. Symptoms may take days to appear following exposure. Ground-level ozone can decrease lung function and cause chest tightness and coughing. In addition, ozone and microscopic particulates, small enough to be inhaled into the lungs and "sticky" enough to attract pollens and other allergens, can contribute to asthma and allergy attacks, and make other lung diseases more severe.

The American Dream in What’s So Great About America and Stupid White Me

The American Dream is so many different things to so many different people. While other countries around the World would like to argue that Americans’ only aspiration is to become infinitely wealthy, Dinesh D’Souza claims that it is not wealth that Americans want. He believes that it is simply a better life. Michael Moore too acknowledges Americans’ ambition, especially his own, to create a better life for themselves. These two views of the American Dream come from very opposite Americans, but it is their differences that make their ideals so beautifully unique. To begin the comparison between these two authors, I will first examine Moore’s ideology. As it is obviously stated in the title of his book, Moore is not exactly subtle person. He voices his contempt of what has become the American Dream through his own story of an underpaid and underappreciated pilot. Moore disgust for the pilot’s situation when he crudely utters, â€Å"Never, ever let someone fly you up in the air who’s making less than the kid at Taco Bell.† (Moore, 48) Moore, of self-admitted wealth, sympathizes with men that collect food stamps. These pilots, as well as the rest of Americans, are being robbed of our American Dreams by corporate minions that have been stockpiling income for the last, â€Å"two decades.† (Moore, 50) These same CEO’s and other suits are the greed at the tops of huge corporations that, with the absence of Clinton, have had a field day with ripping off Americans by and large through tax shelters, off-shore s ubsidies, and other means of defrauding the American Public. Moore drives this point home when he attacks Mercedes Benz tax dodging of emissions fines as a blatant tactic, â€Å"so that rich people could drive around big, fancy cars and ruin people lungs.† (Moore, 53) Although he admits to living among the rich people, Moore points out that the government too is among those that are flushing away the American Dream, because tax audits have increased among the less paid in American society. Moore reveals that his true vision of the American Dream is the success of people who have, â€Å"played by the rules, gave their heart and sole and first marriage to their company.† (Moore, 55) Certainly success is anything but guaranteed in any competitive Capitalistic society. This competition is what makes America thrive. However, Moore feels that it is not Capitalism fault, as much as it is... ...ti-patriotism. I see his aggressive style as his way of embracing our democracy and forcing it to make our country better in any way it can. What he is saying is to refuse mediocrity in our own government. I too believe we should always be striving to make our country better. It is this reason that I call D’Souza naà ¯ve. Our government did not become what it is over night. It has been hundreds of years of fight and struggle from people like Moore that pushed America through her weaknesses, like segregation, racism, injustice, etc.. D’Souza touches on this idea somewhat when he quotes V.S. Naipaul’s notion that Americans believe in an individual’s potential for, â€Å"perfectibility.† (D’Souza, 85) Because of our government, more directly its rule by the people, this perfectibility should also be extended to our every political ideal. Even though I admire D’Souza and his blind love for America, I agree that Moore’s head is in the right direction. Works Cited D’Souza, Dinesh., What’s So Great About America (Washington, Regnery Publishing, 2002). Moore, Michael. Stupid White Men and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation. New York: Regan/ HarperCollins, 2001. The American Dream in What’s So Great About America and Stupid White Me The American Dream is so many different things to so many different people. While other countries around the World would like to argue that Americans’ only aspiration is to become infinitely wealthy, Dinesh D’Souza claims that it is not wealth that Americans want. He believes that it is simply a better life. Michael Moore too acknowledges Americans’ ambition, especially his own, to create a better life for themselves. These two views of the American Dream come from very opposite Americans, but it is their differences that make their ideals so beautifully unique. To begin the comparison between these two authors, I will first examine Moore’s ideology. As it is obviously stated in the title of his book, Moore is not exactly subtle person. He voices his contempt of what has become the American Dream through his own story of an underpaid and underappreciated pilot. Moore disgust for the pilot’s situation when he crudely utters, â€Å"Never, ever let someone fly you up in the air who’s making less than the kid at Taco Bell.† (Moore, 48) Moore, of self-admitted wealth, sympathizes with men that collect food stamps. These pilots, as well as the rest of Americans, are being robbed of our American Dreams by corporate minions that have been stockpiling income for the last, â€Å"two decades.† (Moore, 50) These same CEO’s and other suits are the greed at the tops of huge corporations that, with the absence of Clinton, have had a field day with ripping off Americans by and large through tax shelters, off-shore s ubsidies, and other means of defrauding the American Public. Moore drives this point home when he attacks Mercedes Benz tax dodging of emissions fines as a blatant tactic, â€Å"so that rich people could drive around big, fancy cars and ruin people lungs.† (Moore, 53) Although he admits to living among the rich people, Moore points out that the government too is among those that are flushing away the American Dream, because tax audits have increased among the less paid in American society. Moore reveals that his true vision of the American Dream is the success of people who have, â€Å"played by the rules, gave their heart and sole and first marriage to their company.† (Moore, 55) Certainly success is anything but guaranteed in any competitive Capitalistic society. This competition is what makes America thrive. However, Moore feels that it is not Capitalism fault, as much as it is... ...ti-patriotism. I see his aggressive style as his way of embracing our democracy and forcing it to make our country better in any way it can. What he is saying is to refuse mediocrity in our own government. I too believe we should always be striving to make our country better. It is this reason that I call D’Souza naà ¯ve. Our government did not become what it is over night. It has been hundreds of years of fight and struggle from people like Moore that pushed America through her weaknesses, like segregation, racism, injustice, etc.. D’Souza touches on this idea somewhat when he quotes V.S. Naipaul’s notion that Americans believe in an individual’s potential for, â€Å"perfectibility.† (D’Souza, 85) Because of our government, more directly its rule by the people, this perfectibility should also be extended to our every political ideal. Even though I admire D’Souza and his blind love for America, I agree that Moore’s head is in the right direction. Works Cited D’Souza, Dinesh., What’s So Great About America (Washington, Regnery Publishing, 2002). Moore, Michael. Stupid White Men and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation. New York: Regan/ HarperCollins, 2001.