Osama Bin Ladens Strategy Essay Example for Free

Osama Bin Ladens Strategy Essay What were Osama bin Laden’s intended strategies in response to the â€Å"Arab Spring and why did he consider it a formidable event?† In response to the revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protest (both non-violent and violent) throughout the Arab world, Osama Bin Laden wanted to reevaluate how Al-Qaida as a whole conducted their operations within the Muslim world. Osama Bin Laden viewed Al Qaeda’s in ability to attract followers as a weakness, â€Å"He believed that a media campaign should be launched to incite people who have not yet revolted and exhort them to rebel against the rulers†, (Lahoud et al. 2012, 3). By avoiding joining political parties and focusing on combat operations, for example in Afghanistan the Taliban were â€Å"weakening† the United States which had a negative effect on the United States ability to assist leaders in the Muslim world with combating the Arab Spring, (Lahoud et al. 2012, 3). Osama Bin Laden viewed the Arab spring, which was sweeping across the Muslim World causing riots and protest as a time filled with great opportunity because of the effect it was having on Governments such as Tunisia and Egypt. â€Å"At the time he was writing, the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt, Zein al-`Abidin bin `Ali and Husni Mubarak had fallen. Bin Laden was convinced that their fall was bound to trigger a domino effect, and â€Å"the fall of the remaining tyrants in the region was inevitable†, (Lahoud et al. 2012, 48). Explain Osama bin Laden’s relationship with regional jihadi groups at the time of his death. Senior Al Qaeda leadership held mixed feelings in regards to how to deal with regional jihadi groups. These regional groups were likely attracted to Al Qaeda after its much successful attack on September 11, 2009. While some Al Qaeda leadership felt that regional Jihadis should not be accepted into Al Qaeda, other leadership felt that only be including regional insurgents could Al Qaeda grow it’s numbers. â€Å"Bin Laden represented a third position, as he wanted to maintain communication, through his own pen or that of his inner circle, with â€Å"brothers† everywhere, to urge restraint and provide advice, without granting them formal unity with al-Qa`ida†, (Lahoud et al. 2012, 11- 12). Explain how King and Taylor describe the radicalization process for the purposes of their study, and why their study focused on the radicalization of homegrown jihadists. King and Taylor describe the radicalization process as one, which requires more than point of view to  understand. This is why King and Taylor conducted analysis of all five radicalization models at one time in order to understand the process of radicalization. By comparing each method King and Taylor were able to note similarities and difference amongst the methods. The study focused on â€Å"homegrown Jihadists† because of the current threat towards the west as a result of radical ideology produced by terrorist organization such as Al Qaeda, (King and Taylor, 2011). Why do King and Taylor take the position that basing counter-terrorism or counter-radicalization strategies on models that have not been empirically validated can be misleading and risky? In addition, why do King and Taylor take the position that the narrative promoted by jihadists is amenable to empirical research? King and Taylor believe the understanding and process of radicalization cannot be narrowed down to one method because the reason behind one individuals path towards terrorism may differ from another, (King and Taylor 2011, 616). Also, King and Taylor believe insurgents use propaganda to their benefit. For example, by leading Muslims to believe the West is attacking not only Muslim countries but also Islam itself they are able to instill into Muslim that they must defend their fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. This is one method that is used in describing the early stages of the Radicalization, as described by the NYPD, (King and Taylor 2011, 617). What conclusions do King and Taylor reach, regarding their study of radicalization of homegrown jihadists and what recommendations do they make regarding future research? At the conclusion of their research, King and Taylor decided that each method provided important information in regards to their own respected method. â€Å"When brought together, however, the commonalities and discrepancies between these models offered even greater insights, which may be used as a guiding framework for future research concerning homegrown jihadi radicalization†, (King and Taylor 2011, 617). The conclusion primarily focused on three factors which King and Taylor label as â€Å"contributing factors† to the radicalization process, reaction to group relative deprivation, management of identities and lastly personality characteristics, (King and Taylor 2011, 617-618). Along with these three factors King and Taylor suggest further research also focused on the internet and how it leads to ra dicalization and also the Jihadi narrative and its ability to influence homegrown jihadists, (King and Taylor 2011, 618)

Curriculum Unit: Stereotypical Images of African Americans in Televisio

Curriculum Unit: Stereotypical Images of African Americans in Television and Movies * Narrative * Lesson Plan * Lesson Plan * Lesson Plan * Notes * Films * Television Shows * Children’s Reading List * Teachers Bibliography Abstract: This curriculum unit will provide elementary school teachers with a framework to begin to help their students understand and define a stereotype. Recognize common stereotypes and stereotypical themes in film and television and illustrate some damaging effects perpetuating stereotypes through behavior. Finally, how to constructively deal with others stereotyping them. To Guide Entry The practice of racial stereotyping through the use of media has been used throughout contemporary history by various factions in American society to attain various goals. The practice is used most by the dominant culture in this society as a way of suppressing its minority population. The Republican parties use of the Willie Horton image in the 1988 Presidential campaign, is a small example of how majority groups have used racial stereotyping in the media as a justifiable means to an end. The book Unthinking Eurocentrism by Stam and Shohat supports this notion when they write â€Å"the functionality of stereotyping used in film demonstrates that they (stereotypes) are not an error in perception but rather a form of social control intended as Alice Walker calls â€Å"prisons of image.†(1) The modern usage of the word stereotype was first introduced in 1922 by American journalist Walter Lippman in his book Public Opinion. The major thesis of this book is that in a modern democracy political leaders and ordinary citizens are required to make decisions about a variety of complicated matters that they do not understand. â€Å"People believe that their conceptions of German soldiers, Belgian priests, or American Klu Klux Klansman for example are accurate representations of the real members of those classes . . . the conception in most cases is actually a stereotype acquired by the individual from some other source other than his direct experience.†(2) Historically the â€Å"other source† people developed racial stereotypes were from literature and then radio. In 1933 Sterling Brown the great black poet and critic, divided the full range of black characters in American literature into seven categories; the contented slave; the wretched freemen: t... ...A-Team Good Times Little Rascals That’s My Mamma to top Children’s Reading List Bogle, Donald. Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks. New York: Continum, 1989. Braley, Daniel; and Daniel, Katz â€Å"Racial Stereotypes of One Hundred College Students.† Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 1933. to top Teachers Bibliography Bogle, Donald. Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks. New York: Continuum, 1989 This books reveals and gives a historical perspective on the various incarnations of black stereotypes in American cinema. Cripps, Thomas. Black Film as Genre. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1978. This book attempts to explain â€Å"what is a black film† and critiques six examples of the genre. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., â€Å"TV’s Black World Turns—But Stays Unreal†, New York Times (November 12, 1989): 66-67. In this article Dr. Gates reveals how despite the success of television shows such as â€Å"The Cosby Show† stereotyping of blacks on T.V. is still prevalent. Guerrero, Ed. Framing Blackness: The African-American Image in Film. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1993. The book chronicles blacks misrepresentation in American films.

Eharmony Case Study Essay

In the new world of making a name for yourself, one of the most important characteristics of human culture has begun to be lost. Love, relationships, marriage, etc. have all begun to be swallowed by the notion that in order to be successful in this world, your full attention, time, and money must be put into your career. Before the 20th century, life was simple and universal. Men â€Å"brought home the bacon† while women stayed at home washing dishes, cleaning the house, raising children, and cooking meals. Most married a stayed married. Divorce was highly frowned upon and therefore never happened. However in the turn of the century, the age of technology and equal rights activists have brought a large change in the way our society is run today. Nearly half of all marriages now end in divorce and very few last more than four years. Not all of this is due to the selfishness and desire to stray from monogamy as most would think. Much of it has to do with the fact that people are so consumed with being all they can be and not putting in the time required to have that special connection with another human. Harmony was created to provide a way for members of society to easily meet potential significant others and â€Å"date† over the internet while not sacrificing time in their workplace. The initial response of the public was wary. People felt embarrassed that they had to use technology to find that special someone rather than go out and do it on their own. However, soon the site began to catch on. eHarmony’s marketing technique focused on finding marriage rather than relationships and advertised other users who had great success with the site. The success stories proved that eHarmony was the top site for finding long-term, committed relationships and marriages. Other sites, such as Match and Yahoo Personal, established themselves as successful dating sites however both lacked the number of successful marriages. To compete with eHarmony, Match introduced Chemistry, which mimicked eHarmony and was focused on producing marriages. Also in response to the growth of eHarmony, Yahoo Personal introduced a Premier option which also was focused on being more personal in the hope to produce more marriages. Now the central problem for eHarmony has begun. eHarmony established itself as the leading matchmaking company but with competitors threatening to take market share, the company needed to find a way to preserve its reputation and remain the top matchmaking website for long term relationships. Industry Environment Beginning with Internal Rivalry, eHarmony faced a lot of competition within the industry. The most notable competition rested in pricing. There were hundreds of dating sites on the web pertaining to many different types of people. Some were broad and inviting for everyone, others specific to only a certain demographic whether it be race, religion, and/or even marital status. Along with these dating sites, were social networking sites but these proved to not generate much competition. Some sites had membership fees while others were free. The free sites were generally not as well run and were not successful in creating long standing relationships. However the fact that they were free forced membership sites such as Match and eHarmony to bring down the price of their subscription fees. With hundreds of matchmaking sites on the web, one would think that it would be an easy industry to enter. However, each year approximately 850 different sites attempted to join the industry and quickly failed or failed to ever gain a profit. eHarmony, Match, and Yahoo Personal had made names for themselves and it was going to be very difficult to gain market share without a lot of capital, advertising, and marketing. Going along with new entrants, there were also very few substitutes in the industry. Harmony established itself as the leading long-term Matchmaker and only Yahoo Personal and Match had the resources to compete. Within eHarmony, supplier power was relatively low. The company grew to only 230 employees and half of which worked in customer service. The studies and surveys done by the company were simple and only involved researching couples. Therefore supplier costs were low and substitutes were readily available. On the flip side, Buyer power became very high for eHarmony. Harmony offered a service to ameliorate dating and have a better chance at finding that â€Å"special someone†. Consumers saw confidence in that by joining eHarmony they would quickly and easily find someone they could marry. Strategy in the Environment eHarmony’s strategy worked out very well for its targeted customers. The matchmaking industry is very difficult to cover because there are so many different cliques within it. How do you create a site that satisfies the wants and needs of every individual looking for love? You can’t. Sexuality, race, religion, personality, monogamy, long term, short term, family, age, and appearance are just a fraction of the characteristics needed to be considered for an online dating site. eHarmony focused its strategy on what it felt would be the largest group of buyers without taking on every single characteristic that would go into a relationship. Heterosexuals looking for a long-term relationship leading to marriage are the buyers eHarmony is looking for. The personality profile and guided communication were the backbone of eHarmony and were relied on most to matching singles together. Harmony felt that these tests and strategy would only apply to this demographic so many applicants to the site were denied for various reasons such as homosexuality, being married, and having more than three divorces. Many felt that eHarmony was discriminating against these certain people however with all the research eHarmony had done, the same amount of research would need to be completed for all other demographics and could potentially harm the idea that eHarmony was a site to find marriage not a site to find an affair. However, new competitors, like Chemistry, used this to their advantage by advertising eHarmony’s rejections and saying that they were 100% accepting. eHarmony had no response to this but instead should continue to defend its position as the leading matchmaking company for long-term relationships. As long as it stays on top, it can retain its customer loyalty and therefore prevent Chemistry from gaining much market share. eHarmony will also likely expand into new countries to drive costumer growth and if it does so quickly it can gain popularity before its competitors who will likely do the same thing.

DNA Definition and Structure

DNA is the acronym for deoxyribonucleic acid, usually 2-deoxy-5-ribonucleic acid. DNA is a molecular code used within cells to form proteins. DNA is considered a genetic blueprint for an organism because every cell in the body that contains DNA has these instructions, which enable the organism to grow, repair itself, and reproduce. DNA Structure A single DNA molecule is shaped as a double helix made up of two strands of nucleotides that are bonded together. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogen base, a sugar (ribose), and a phosphate group. The same 4 nitrogen bases are used as the genetic code for every strand of DNA, no matter which organism it comes from. The bases and their symbols are  adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). The bases on each strand of DNA are complementary to each other. Adenine always binds to thymine; guanine always binds to cytosine. These bases meet each other at the core of the DNA helix. The backbone of each strand is made of the deoxyribose and phosphate group of each nucleotide. The number 5 carbon of the ribose is covalently bonded to the phosphate group of the nucleotide. The phosphate group of one nucleotide binds to the number 3 carbon of the ribose of the next nucleotide. Hydrogen bonds stabilize the helix shape. The order of the nitrogenous bases has meaning, coding for amino acids that are joined together to make proteins. DNA is used as a template to make RNA through a process called transcription. The RNA uses molecular machinery called ribosomes, which use the code to make the amino acids and join them to make polypeptides and proteins. The process of making proteins from the RNA template is called translation. Discovery of DNA The  German biochemist Frederich Miescher first observed DNA in 1869, but he did not understand the function of the molecule. In 1953,  James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin described the structure of DNA and proposed how the molecule could code for heredity. While  Watson, Crick, and Wilkins received the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material, Franklins contribution was neglected by the Nobel Prize committee. Importance of Knowing the Genetic Code In the modern era, its possible to sequence the entire genetic code for an organism. One consequence is that differences in DNA between healthy and sick individuals can help identify a genetic basis for some diseases. Genetic testing can help identify whether a person is at risk for these diseases, while gene therapy can correct certain problems in the genetic code. Comparing the genetic code of different species helps us understand the role of genes and allows us to trace the evolution and relationships between species