Is the economic development of developing countries more important than protecting the environment?

Economic growth is always the attention focal point to every country especially developing ones. On the other hand, economic growth has a huge impact on protecting environment whilst protecting the environment also impacts the economic growth. Although, economic developments will cause huge impact to the environment, it will also enhance the economic structure of a country but also improve the quality of people’s life.


A concern for rapid population growth needed a rapid rate of economic development but they will have to face natural crisis, especially climate change pollution. As the trend of population in developing countries is on the dramatic rise, more tension was created for the government to solve. As a result, the government must find solution to fasten the growth rates of economy. Those solutions include extracting natural resources such as coal, natural gases and oil. A case in point, China is one of the largest producers of coal because coal is the main source of its electricity production. According to World Coal Association (World coal association, 2013), China is the largest coal producers which accounted for more than 50% (3549 Million tons) of the world’s total coal production in 2012 (7831 Million tons). This factor has assisted in the increasing trends of employment and reduction in poverty. On the contrary, there were many disasters recorded in the region. As stated by Greenpeace “Coal is the main source of climate change pollution” (Greenpeace, n.d). Climate change pollution included air and water pollution. Air pollution resulted from the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and Nitrogen (NO2) from burning coal for electricity production and industries, which caused fresh air problem in most of the biggest cities in this country, meanwhile China has already accounted 7 cities of the top 10 cities that currently has air issue(Morrison, 2013). At the same time, clean water crisis for the Chinese are on the rise due to safe water has polluted by the mining wastes and other industrial wastes. As stated by Nina Brooks from Arlington Institute (n.d), 70% of China’s rivers and lakes are polluted and 90% of ground water in the cities is too polluted to drink, as a result several hundred of million Chinese are confronting with clean water crisis. Economic development is, indeed, helping the country to respond with its basic need of the growing population but it also creates other problems particularly air and water pollution.


Environmental protection is only holding back the country’s economic though, the nation itself will also have to confront with environmental issue. The industrialized world’s emphasis on green issues holds back developing countries from making use of naturally available resources that can profits them economically. It is often hypocritical or rational that developed countries tries to put a halt to any progression by developing countries. Therefore, they can still be the world dominant and secure their power stability. For instance, United States, Japan and the EU, which are strong at economic, has all agreed to ban all China’s export of rare earth elements due to green issues (Andrews-Speed, 2012). Nonetheless, China’s plan on exporting these bizarre elements have succeed for 2 years since 2010 and in 5 years more, this plan can help to reduce their poverty rate and increase the employment rate (Andrews-Speed, 2012). As stated by Andrews-Speed (2012), China has failed this case against the other three nations, which then forced China has to stop the exportation in 2012 and only use the elements in their country. However, local Chinese have confronted with several problems themselves such as “…poisonous gases, acidic and radioactive water, and mine tailings which damage waterways, land and health” and “Poor health and safety standards at mines, especially lung diseases and cancer” (Andrews-Speed, 2012). Environmental issue is sometime can be a reason put a country’s development to a halt.


In conclusion, to fulfill a country’s demand the government have to make a trade-off decision which can be painful as both having the huge impact on the nation’s situation. Nonetheless, to be able to catch up with other countries development, economic should be a factor to consider as a first choice as many developed countries have practiced this. Especially, developing countries that needed natural resources to speed up the nation’s development to compete with other on the international stage, though they have to face with green issues.






References:

· Coal Statistics. (2013, August).Retrieved from: http://www.worldcoal.org/resources/coal-statistics/. [Accessed: 07/December/2013]


· The Impacts of Climate Change in China. (n.d.).Retrieved from: http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/campaigns/climate-energy/problems/impacts/. [Accessed: 07/December/2014]


· Morrison, W. M. (2013, September 05). China’s economic rise: History, trends, challenges, and implications for the United States. Retrieved from: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33534.pdf. [Accessed: 07/December/2014]


· Brooks, N. (n.d.). Impending water crisis in China. Retrieved from: http://www.arlingtoninstitute.org/wbp/global-water-crisis/457. [Accessed: 07/December/2013]


· Andrews-Speed, P. (2012, March 30). The rare earth case against china at the wto: Who wins?. Retrieved from: http://www.transatlanticacademy.org/blogs/philip-andrews-speed/rare-earth-case-against-china-wto-who-wins. [Accessed: 08/December/2013]

Genocide - Case Study: Holocaust, Holodomor and Khmer Rouge

Genocide

For a person who went through the time of the annihilation when they hear the term “Genocide”, it can cause shiver and shake their hearts. One would never forget the history of this mass extermination of human kind, which still recorded within them like scars on their hearts. Genocide, a term that didn’t exist until the end of World War II, can be described as an act of extermination of human kind. In other words, it refers to the use of violence crimes to a particular group to eliminate them from the contemporary international stage. According to Cambridge dictionary (Third Edition), the term Genocide referred to “the murder of a whole group of people, especially a whole nation, race or religious group”. There are many terms used to describe the word genocide and each individual also has their own ways of describing it too. These acts of mass killing have occurred throughout the world at different time. As specific actions have happened like the Holocaust which is a mass destruction of Jewish in Europe and Holodomor that is the annihilation of Ukrainians by starvation. Meanwhile, Khmer Rouge regime that is classified as auto-genocide, the extermination of a country’s citizens by its own people or government, has happened in Cambodia during 1975 till 1979 (n.a, n.d).


The worst act ever recorded in human history was the Holocaust which was also known as the mass annihilation of Jewish people in Europe continent led by Adolf Hitler after he became the chancellor of Germany. After the World War I, Germany was humiliated by the Versailles Treaty, which reduced its armed forces and had to pay reparations for the allied powers (n.d, 2010). On 30 January 1933, Adolf Hitler won a significant number of votes in the elections which then was named as the chancellor of Germany and have helped Germany improved their reputation back on the international stage. Hitler was born and raised in an Anti-Jewish community, therefore so much hatred against Jews were built in his mind. Hitler strengthened his own party which was known as the Nazis and published propaganda to manipulate the Germans’ mind. All Germans supported Hitler’s campaign of “The Jews are our misfortune!” against Jews. As a result, it made them regarded the Jews as inferior to their race. Impressively, in just a year the Nazis turned into dictatorship and started to isolated the Jews by forced them to live in “Ghetto” where there is not enough food supply, cannot travel across the border and have to wear a yellow star to identify themselves (n.d, 2010). On 9th November 1938, the attacks on Jews became severe as many Jews were evacuated to concentration camps in which they are forced to work and poisoned to death there (n.d, 2010). Soon after, in 1940, the Nazis took over Europe which was also at the same time as the beginning of the World War II. Meanwhile, in 1941, Hitler established “the final solutions” which aimed to accelerate the killing progression. There were 3.5 Million Jews were killed in 6 different concentration camps, while around 30,000 Jews killed each day (n.d, 2010). By 1945, the defeat of Germany in the World War II led to the end of the Holocaust. As a result, the lives of 6.5 million people were taken with only around 70,000 Jews survived living in fear (n.d, 2010). Until today that nightmare remained the most painful and aching memory of the Jews.


Another one of the world top massacre occurred in Ukraine from 1932-1933, which was known to the rest of the world as Holodomor meaning “Death by starvation”. Although, before achieving its independence in 1991 Ukraine had always been ruled by foreign governance; never had it been into greater tragedy than being ruled by Soviet Union. Under the control of none other than Joseph Stalin and his hangmen, an estimated number of million Ukrainian was taken within just one year. It started when the Ukraine became one of the republics of Soviet Union during the period of Lenin. After his death, Stalin came into power with the goal of eliminating other ideology except communism and the thought of expanding Soviet Empire by forcing nations under its control such as Ukraine to provide fund for it industrialization by making sale of grain and other foodstuff to the world (Wynnyckyj, 2007). In 1928, he came up with an agricultural program in which compelled Ukraine people to give up their own property made it state-owned property. In 1929, with the fear of people resistance, he first eliminated Ukrainian socialists and either arrested or killed intellectual people in hope that if those people died no one would be against him anymore. However, regardless of what he did, many peasant farmers still refused to do what Stalin brought up; therefore, he branded those who were skeptical of his idea as enemy and he became determined to terminate them (n.a, n.d). He forced them to leave their home to remote areas with neither food nor shelter regardless of what those people say. The complete dictator, Stalin only focused on increasing the productivity of Ukraine and selling it abroad. He oppressed workers to work day and night without providing them enough food to survive in order to ensure that the product quota met the demand needed. This brutal man taught a lesson to Ukrainians by making them experience the worst ever of man-made famine (n.a, n.d). He eliminated any person, even children, who tried to take any food from the working field; moreover, he even blocked the transport of food supply from one village to another (Wynnyckyj, 2007). Even though Ukrainian were perishing from hunger, the West were not aware that the occurrence of Holodomor since Stalin used media to deny this fact and continue to export the million tons of grain which were more than enough to save those people lives (n.a, n.d).


Mentioning about genocide, as Cambodians we cannot forget about ours, which was known as The Khmer Rouge Regime. The Khmer Rouge was the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 and its era was one of the worst annihilations. It caused the sorrows that engraved in the hearts of every Cambodian. All of this began because of Pol Pot who was inspired by the idea of communism and hated capitalism (Walker L., 2012). At that time, Cambodia was in the Lon Nol’s regime. Lon Nol, an ambitious man, was blinded by the US dollars and it resulted in big gap between the rich and the poor in Cambodian (Walker L., 2012). Due to his poor leadership, there were a lot of corruptions and angry citizens. King Sihanouk decided to form a group of army to fight against Lon Nol back for his crown, called “Khmer Rouge” leaded by Pol Pot. With King Sihanouk’s popularity, more and more army forces increased and formed up to support and fight for King Sihanouk. Pol Pot saw this as an opportunity to enlarge his army by asking people to join with him to disliking Lon Nol’s action, he took an advantage to betray King Sihanouk and overtook the crown. Cambodia soon faced a civil war between Lon Nol, who was supported by the US and Khmer Rouge with the assistance of the North Vietnam (Walker L., 2012). By the end of the Vietnam’s war, US withdrew from the involvement of the war. At the same time, they stopped sending aid to Lon Nol, which make him slowly losing the war with the Khmer Rouge (Walker L., 2012). By 1975, Khmer Rouge won the war against Lon Nol and took control over Phnom Penh. The war has finally ended and people were overfilled with joy, yet little did they know that the real catastrophe just began. At that same day, they started evacuate people from Phnom Penh by using excuses such as “cleaning the city” (Walker L., 2012). People trusted the fail excuse and began moving from the city to the provinces and that was where their nightmares came to life. With the fear of people rebellion, day-by-day educated people were taken away and executed by Pol Pot. For those who feared death, they obeyed and worked day and night with insufficient food. In 1979, Three years eight months twenty days of pure torture it’s finally come to an end. In the result of this heartless period, about two millions Cambodians were killed and for those who had survived this madness some struggle with metal problems from this tormented experience (Walker L., 2012). Some still have nightmares every night and wake up in terror as they thought they are still in suffering time. Khmer Rouge cause a great agony toward Cambodia as whole and it will forever scar us no matter what.


Genocide is, indeed, an ultimate weapon to eliminate an ethnic group from the contemporary world, which resulted in the death of millions of innocent people, particularly the Holocaust that happened in Europe, Holodomor in Ukraine, and Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. All these history are being remembered every year to remind people that Genocide did exist and wanted all of us to stay away from the same path. Being a mastermind behind all these tragedy, one should be ashamed of them as all human being are rightfully to live and not any individual can force or can putting a halt to anyone’s right regardless of their race or ethnic.


References :


· Wynnyckyj, O. A. (2007). Teaching the Holodomor (Ukrainian Genocide)
[Accessed: 16/Feb/2014]


· Melnyk, M. (2011). A Curriculum Guide for Teaching Genocides with a Focus on the Holodomor, the Famine Genocide in Ukraine
[Accessed: 16/Feb/2014]

· The holocaust: An introductory history. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/history.html [Accessed: 16/Feb/2014]

· Walker, L. (2012). World without genocide: Cambodian genocide. Retrieved from http://worldwithoutgenocide.org/genocides-and-conflicts/cambodian-genocide
[Accessed: 16/Feb/2014]


· Cambridge Advanced Learner Dictionary, 3rd Edition, Version 3.0, Released 2008.

· Encyclo: Auto-Genocide, (n.d). Retrieved from: http://www.encyclo.co.uk/define/autogenocide
[Accessed: 16/Feb/2014]

French Revolution - A Brief Explanation

French Revolution - A Brief Explanation



I. Introduction
France revolution was a period social and political upheaval in France from 1789 to 1799 which is greatly affected the modern histories and society. It also marks as monarchy declining and movement to democracy. France’s government was under the ruling of Louis Auguste de France also known as Louis’ XVI. Under his weak leadership, the French government fell into bankruptcy. The crop failures have food shortage making people in the country starving but the price of the bread which is main supply and do not have enough supplies to handle demand and rumors spread in country that the king and queen were responsible for this problem. As the rumor spread nation-wide, citizens started to revolt against their government, especially those who are in the third estates who were heavily oppressed by the King’s system of the government. This essay will examine the causes of the French Revolution and its actions toward real democracy in France.

I. The Causes of French Revolution
There are many factors that led to the rise of the French Revolution but there were four main factors that are the three estates and unfair taxation, the age of enlightenment, King Louis XVI leadership and the financial problem.


Three Estates and Unfair taxation:
Before the revolution, the French society was divided into three different estates. The first estates consisted mostly of clergy and were only made up about 0.3% of the French total population at the time, they owned about 10% of the land and they did not have to pay any taxes even if they are in the group with the wealthiest people in France (n.a, 2014). Next, the second estates were mostly aristocrats; they made up of 1.5% of the total population and owned 20% of the land (n.a, 2014). They did not have to pay the taxes too and they often had peasants to work on their property land and made them pay to use their land or mills. Lastly, the third estates consisted of 98.2% of France’s population and were mostly made up of the middle class and peasants namely doctors, lawyers, bankers, soldiers, merchants and priests. The majority of which are peasants and they owned very little land which were often abused by the first and the second estates. They have to pay many types of taxes particularly, Tithe is the taxation of their salary which they have to pay 1/10 of their salary, Corvée was a tax on using the land that they have to pay every few days, Taille that is the tax on income tax, Aide was a tax on bottle of wine, Gabelle was a tax on salt, and Feudal dues which are the taxes for the local landlord (n.a, 2014). The poorer they are the more they have to pay their taxes on different reasons and those taxes were sent to the aristocrats and fund in war.


The Age of Enlightenment:
At the beginning of 1700s, the enlightenment period started when a time where there was a huge change in the way of thinking in the people. People started to questioning and investigating the logic behind theory and challenged the nobles as the people started to believe in a secular society and many areas were affected namely politics, arts, literature, science and, especially, religion (n.a, 2014). People are readily to accept the change and they started to create their secular customs, laws and adapt to the reality. Hence, the people started to have a new view on the political system as they demand their government to change form absolute monarchy to democracy when all most citizens wanted to have equal share of power (n.a, 2014).


King Louis XVI leadership:
France was under the leadership of King Louis XVI, holding the absolute power in the system of absolute government he was thought to be chosen by god and no one could doubt his skills (n.a, 2014). Conversely, King Louis XVI was a weak and indecisive king also he did not care about his citizens that he would spent most of his wealth to maintain his extravagant lifestyle, he built a magnificent palace of Versailles just for his indulgence. His wife, Queen Antoinette, was also irresponsible and spent most resources for buying clothes and indulged her life. Due to his weak leadership, the second estates took the advantage by gaining more land and power over the peasants and demand more taxes from them.


Financial crisis:
As King Louis XVI’s leadership weakened, the French government falls into bankruptcy and facing serious financial crises in 1978. The inefficient and unfair tax system placed serious burden to those who cannot pay which is the third estates. Moreover, the French invest a lot of resources to aiding the Americans fighting for their independent from the British during the American Revolution, the long lasting war with England the overspending of the royal family (Brainard J., n.d).






II. The French Revolution

From the bad leadership of King Louis XVI, financial crisis in France, the enlightenment ideas, and the three estates and unfair taxation have make the people especially those of the third estates wanted to change their ways of leadership hoping the get a better life and equal share in the government which supposedly known as democracy.


Tennis Court Oath
After the Third Estate has gained no place and no seat in the meeting of Estate General, they start to establish their own national assembly as their legislative body. In this new national assembly the representative from the unprivileged class, each receives one vote. However, this national assembly was earlier only joined by the Third Estate; later on the other Estate which included the First and Second Estate also joined the Assembly. Nevertheless, finding that King Louis XVI has locked them out of their usual meeting hall and bad weather that causes a big rain; they started to find themselves a new place for a meeting which led to the event of Tennis Court Oath. The National Assembly had moved to the tennis court of Old Versailles street. Moreover, Monier, one of the delegates has proposed that the entire member must make the vow that they will not disperse and attend the every meeting in the tennis court until they could establish a new constitution of the kingdom. On June 20, 1789 the proposal was a success and the later named Tennis Court Oath was promptly written and immediately signed by 577 (Koeller D. W., 2001). By hearing the declaration the king ordered them to disband, but they refuse and declared that “We are here at the will of the people . . . and . . . shall not stir from our seats unless forced to do so by bayonets." (n.a, n.d).


National Assembly
After the declaration of forming the national assembly, it has established a new constitution for the kingdom created a historical and influenced document which is the declaration of rights of men. In this declaration they had given each and everyone in the country many freedom in a total of 17 articles such as the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and “Libertè, egalitè, fraternitè” which mean the liberty, equality and brotherhood which used until today (n.a, n.d). Furthermore, the national assembly resolves most of the major crisis which occur in the French society; priest was employed by the national assembly and they seize the church land and putting it under the control of the constitutional of the clergy (Kreise S., 2014). By putting the church under control, the national assembly has required clergymen to vow for the new constitution. Unfortunately many were refused and arrested. In addition, rumor has spread all over the country that the king would use force to destroy the revolution and it had led to other chaos which is the storm of bastilles (n.a, n.d).


The Storm of the Bastilles
To start with, the Paris condition was so poor for the common people. The price of bread went high and the supplies were short due to the lack of good farming. So on July 14th, 1789 a mop, which consists most of the craftsmen and the salesman decided to fight back and attack the Invalids to steal the weapons but there were powder weapons founded there, so they determined to attack the Bastilles, which was a largest prison where the prisoners and the powder weapons existed (n.a, 2014). When the guards stood against the mob, first, they tried to defense, but later the guards were ordered to open the fire and kill hundreds of people. Meanwhile, the guards also were getting weak and they need for the rescue teams to come but the rescue teams decided not to fight against the mob and the guards surrendered. That night, the mob (800 people) destroyed the bastilles and freed the 7 prisoners (n.a, 2014).


The Great Fear
The great fear was created by the widespread rumors from a rural area, which stated that the nobles had ordered to march through the villages and destroy the peasant’s new plants. In response, the peasants went crazy and started to attack the nobles’ castles and burn, robe, steal and kill the nobles and noble’s properties (n.a, 2014). As mentioned above, the nobles’ population was only 2% while the population of peasants was more than 97% out of the population (n.a, 2014). So as rewarded, the nobles were killed cruelly, some was cut the head and hang it in the town. So in fear the nobles and clergy surrendered and gave up their Feudal dues, Serfdom, the Tithe, Hunting and fishing and Personal privilege (n.a, 2014). In one night f 4th of August, the feudalism was completely destroyed.


Napoleon Bonaparte
As feudalism ended in France collapsed, the King was also not in safety as the other two estates also helped the third estate to make revolution. As a result, the king and his royal family were all executed by the people in France in 1973 which marked as the reign of terror. The system of absolute monarchy in France has ended and now France is in two major problems namely the new form of government to choose and the economic crisis resulted from the revolution. However, Napoleon Bonaparte came to the restructure the French’s government and the period marked as the Modern Republic of France. Financially, the government was still bankrupt; but, economically, the directory government was benefiting from the country‘s conquests abroad. Under the greatness of Napoleon, the loots of grain have been poured to France from the conquered territories (Smitha F. E., 2009). For political term, it was not like economic. After the election was held in 1797, the Conservatives won a substantial number of seats in the parliament (Smitha F. E., 2009). As there were some arguments among the deputies in the parliament whether to return to the constitutional monarchy of remains the republic. Napoleon was in Egypt and decided to leave his armies without the permission from the Directory. Later, Napoleon and his two Directors got the victories over the conservatives to save the republic. After, the Directory of government system was replaced by the three-man provisional government (Smitha F. E., 2009). This means that at Roman Empire, there were two consuls; but, this time France had three consuls to rule the nation.


III. Conclusion
Whenever the suppression, impoverishment and economic crisis happen, it will be mass movement seeking for the changes. France was just no exceptional. In the pre-revolution, people were often suppressed by the aristocracy and live in the hard condition from the natural disadvantages. They could not produce the farming products and subsequently faced the starvation throughout the society. Furthermore, people lost the confident in the monarchy institution that had initiated the hardships to the country by aiding to American Revolution and long last war of Anglo-France war. This had forced France into financial crisis. In mentality, we cannot overlook the Age of Enlightenment that brought the new value and idea to the people. This revolution had the significant influence to the rest of the world. Years after, many countries followed France in declaration of constitutional monarchy or even republic.






References:


Brainard J. (n.d.). The French Revolution. . Retrieved July 17, 2014, from http://historywiz.com/frenchrev.htm

N. A. (2014). French Revolution: Causes of French Revolution. Retrieved July 17, 2014, from http://www.historytuition.com/world_history/french-revolution/the-estates-general.html

Koeller, D. W. (2011). The Tennis Court Oath. . Retrieved July 20, 2014, from http://www.thenagain.info/WEBCHRON/westeurope/TennisCourt.html

N.A. (n.d). The Tennis Court Oath: HistoryWiz. Retrieved July 20, 2014, from http://www.historywiz.com/tenniscourt.htm

Kreis, S. (2014, April 19). Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. . Retrieved July 22, 2014, from http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/declaration.html

Smitha, F. E. (2009). The French Revolution. . Retrieved July 19, 2014, from http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h33-fr.html