Arithmetic

Number System Absolute Values, Order of Operations Fractions and Percentages Ratio and Proportion Sequences and Series

Language and human identity - 1466 Words

TOK Essay Language is a powerful tool for mankind by hearing speeches or learning in schools makes us believe that we got knowledge through language where in fact it is not always true only by a stronger ability in language could change peoples perspective. It is not just how people communicate it is the way for mankind to see the world in different perspective of different perceptions that are influenced by emotions and cultures. According to BBC.co.uk â€Å"It’s estimated that up to 7,000 different languages are spoken around the world. 90% of these languages are used by less than 100,000 people. Over a million people converse in 150-200 languages and 46 languages have just a single speaker!†. Lifestyles, beliefs and culture limits the†¦show more content†¦It is proven how language is very important as how my uncle is effected with it, he was a Muslim but as he lives on an environment where majorly are Christianity he is influenced by them and decided to switch religi on as he join an affair in a church on sunday. As globalization has given the world a big impact religion might not control the world as there are atheism that are believed by a group of people who do not believe in the existence of God and religion. They are not effected by speeches and all of that kind as religion are believed by majority of human being in the world and that atheism are still existing by now. Atheism was founded on 16th century and Murray-O Hair is one of an Atheist president of America which uses again the power of propaganda and speeches which generated through language therefore language controls the world even in religious aspects wether or not it is believed or not. Debates are still going on and religion is one of the hot topics around the world. Debate tells which is true or not by using the power of language and strong evidence. Reasons are taken from the most logical information people get as how they perceive information. This happens to me a lot in school life usually in an exam where i face certain question that is hard to answer where i should construct the most logical knowledge i can write and explain that could beShow MoreRelatedLanguage And Cultural Identity Essay958 Words   |  4 PagesHow language is important in Maintaining cultural identity Over the last few decades, the relationship between language and cultural identities have become a preferred topic in learning the importance of language in maintaining cultural identity. The question that keeps popping up concerns, the role of language in keeping these social aspects. For instance, how language is important in maintaining cultural identity when people migrate from one nation to another. Perhaps, when people immigrate toRead MoreLanguage Identity : A Cultural Sense Of Identity1235 Words   |  5 PagesShapeshifting As humans in society we continually shapeshift into the identities that resonate with us most. People often feel the sense of belonging from one identity, while another identity can feel completely foreign to them. In my lifetime, I have always felt connected to my religious identity, however the ability to feel a connection to a language identity has always felt absent. Having the ability to identify with the bilingual community, or even more strongly within the various ranges ofRead MoreWilliam Carlos Williams Philomena Andronica And Gertrude Stein s Identity1431 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Carlos Williams â€Å"Philomena Andronica† and Gertrude Stein’s â€Å"Identity, a poem† are both visually and tonally very different texts. However, Stein and Williams have both used similar approaches to literary form in their poems as can be seen in their non-traditional approach to meaning generation and rejection of grammatical convention. The poems also both show an interest in the notion of identity and it’s fluidity, although Stein employs repeated images in her investigation whilst WilliamsRead MoreLanguage Fits Over Experience Like A Straight Jacket1176 Words   |  5 PagesBritish novelist William Golding once stated, â€Å"Language fits over experience like a straight-jacket.† As human beings, we feel the constant urge to express and communicate, in hopes of making sense of the world around us. However, language is limiting, restrictive, and confining. It attempts to place infinitely complex experiences into a finite number of words. The significance and essence of human experience is lost through our words, because language simply cannot express our thoughts and emotionsRead More Linguistic Stereotypes Essay1109 Words   |  5 PagesLinguistic Stereotypes Language is a method in which individuals communicate in order to get their opinion across to the listening party. Language is the tool which ideas can be conveyed in various ways. Typically, language is referred to verbal communication, however, it ranges to all methods of communication i.e. sign language. Linguistic stereotypes are an existent form of discrimination. Since, languages are criticized and mocked due to the connection between language and cultural characterRead MoreWe Are Killing our History Essay1107 Words   |  5 PagesWhat do you think of when you think of identity? Is it culture, race or language? When I identified someone’s identity, I will focus on his or her appearance and language. According to the identity’s definition, identity means the qualities and attitudes a person or a group of people have, that make them different from other people. During recent few decades, there are a lot of immigrants arrive to the United States. Some people try to change their life habit and accent to integrate into AmericanRead MoreThe Father Of Modern Linguistics, Edward Sapir, Characterized1682 Words   |  7 PagesThe father of modern linguistics, Edward Sapir, characterized language as â€Å"purely human and non-instinctive†, for unlike our innate ability to walk, such a hominid mechanism of complex thought-expression is a learned skill achieved through culture. This exclusively human ability is essential to one’s core identity, as explored by Chicana cultural theorist Gloria Anzaldua in How to Tame a Wild Tongue, in which she recalls being rejected for her native bilingual tongue by native Mexicans and WhiteRead MoreAnalysis Of Lee s Speech On Self Identity1280 Words   |  6 PagesSelf identity is, perhaps, society s most important component. It’s the element that differentiates each and every individual from a collective group to create diversity. In a metaphysical sense it answers the question â€Å"Who am I?† for each individual. Despite the fact that self identity is one of the building blocks of the human psyche, it is not permanent nor solid. Decreased social interaction and doubt of one’s role in society are two of the most common cases for a loss of self identity, whileRead MoreLanguage And The English Language1333 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Is Language powerful?† It certainly is, but is it powerful to an extent that effaces any possibility of controlling it? The answer to this question varies from perspective to perspective, but in order to give a more solid response to this question, we have to acknowledge that the importance of comprehending the influence of language is critical because it is one of the most essential things in humans’ lives, which automatically makes it a topic of major relevance. This paper will be focused on theRead MoreThe Roots Of Identity And Denial1279 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is identity? The definition as a person’s own sense of whom they are, which their past defines them. Identity is very important in our society, no matter your social status. I can attach identity to belonging to something or a place. As a human race, we feel the need to belong to a group or place. Because belonging to a group or place, give us the s ense of identity. Countries are no exception, their course of history and culture created a unique identity for themselves. Their cultures involves;

Inferno - Dan Brown - 1253 Words

Inferno â€Å"Seek and ye shall find† Publishing details: 14.05.2013 Transworld Publishers –London First published in Great Britain in 2013 by Bantam Press – an imprint of Transworld Publishers. Inferno (2013) is a breathless race-against-time thriller by America’s renowned author Dan Brown. Dan Brown was born in a family of three, brought up by a great mathematics teacher and a church organist, his parents in New Hampshire, USA. Brown was raised on a prep school campus where he developed a fascination for science and religion which paved way for the art of writing as these themes eventually formed the backdrop for his books. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Philips Exeter academy. Dan Brown is the of â€Å"The Da Vinci code,† one of†¦show more content†¦The only hint is a high-tech biohazard container, and inside, an optical device that projects the â€Å"Map of Hell† – Botticelli’s Abyss of Hell, inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy. Swiss Billionaire transhumanist, Dante fanatic, and genetic research genius Bertrand Zobrist, is said to have had the mind of a futurist, eyes that could see down the road in ways few othe rs could even imagine. He had created an apparently deadly plague to be released the very next day as he was obsessed with the global population explosion. The story gradually triggers the hyper button of the reader by questioning if Robert Langdon and his saviour, the attractive young blonde genius Dr. Sienna Brooks find the location and stop Zobrist’s plan to release the virus before it is too late? As usual Brown’s hero, Langdon has to decipher various clues, codes, and cryptic symbols to find the location where Zobrist had planned to release his deadly disease. â€Å"Dearest God, I pray Mankind will understand the gift I leave behind. My gift is the future. My gift is salvation. My gift is Inferno.† Brown’s books are often famous for wonderful details, and intricate view of the artistic world and for science-religious correlated facts. Inferno is not an exception as it fits into the mould in a beautiful manner. Brown beautifully portrays the artistic works of Renaissance and Medieval European art - many of the usualShow MoreRelatedInferno: A Bleak Depiction of the Future591 Words   |  2 PagesInferno, a chillingly grim picture of a potential future, is a wonderful piece of satire. The novel depicts a bleak world in the very near future of a human race on the brink of extinction. Through most of the novel, writer Dan Brown methodically tricks readers into believing the wrong things until the tense climax and the sudden realization of wrong hypotheses. Furthermore, the dismal predictions he projects of our fragile world seem hell-bent on becoming true. With scintillating wit, he takes onRead MoreDan Browns Inferno: A Bleak Depiction of the Future1088 Words   |  5 Pag esDan Brown’s Inferno, a chillingly grim picture of a potential future, is a wonderful piece of satire. His views on overpopulation take a surgically-precise stand on what statistics predict to be true. In fact, his novel has no thematic connection to Dante’s classic work of the same name; although allusion is made to it, the real topic is overpopulation. The novel depicts a bleak world in the very near future of a human race on the brink of extinction. Furthermore, the dismal predictions he projectsRead MoreThe Great Human Tumor : Earth s Human Overpopulation Crisis1357 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Human Tumor: Earth’s Human Overpopulation Crisis The best-selling novel by â€Å"DaVinci Code† author Dan Brown â€Å"Inferno† has a plot that is driven by the human overpopulation crisis. Brown depicts a mad scientist that believes he can rid the world of the majority of its health and environmental issues by simply purging the world of two-thirds of its population. But is the assertion brought forth by Brown’s antagonist that far from the truth? When we look at the effects of human overpopulationRead MoreDantes3100 Words   |  13 Pagesservants Caliban and Ariel, and his daughter, raised only on her father’s stories, on that enchanted island in the lonely sea. August 20, 2015 2.2.13 Practice: Revision Strategies In Dante’s Inferno, justice is not a merely cruel and unusual punishment designed to elicit cheap shock from onlookers. Inferno portrays God’s justice as springing from primal love, and thus is conditioned with compassion, however difficult it may be to recognize. Dante ensures the concept of contrapassor, which translatesRead More Serial Killers Essay2354 Words   |  10 Pagesconfidence, but few friends he had then were fond of him. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ted Bundy was not a man who didnt have anything going for him. At age 25, Bundy had received a BA in psychology and served as a campaign aid to Washingtons governor, Dan Evans. Bundy as educated, articulate, likable, witty and industrious, a politically active young lawyer in the making (Markowitz, p. 3). Not long after a wealthy sweetheart broke off with him, young attractive women in the Seattle area began turningRead MoreSerial Killers --2477 Words   |  10 Pageslacked self confidence, but few friends he had then were fond of him. Ted Bundy was not a man who didn#8217;t have anything going for him. At age 25, Bundy had received a BA in psychology and served as a campaign aid to Washington#8217;s governor, Dan Evans. Bundy as educated, articulate, likable, witty and industrious, a politically active young lawyer in the making (Markowitz, p. 3). Not long after a wealthy sweetheart broke off with him, young attractive women in the Seattle area began turningRead MoreThe Bible Tell Us And The Beginning Of The World2583 Words   |  11 Pagesits generous, open-handed, and magnanimous nature. This is what being in a relationship really means: You need to have faith. Sharing feelings, emotions, finances, thoughts, words, and actions enable you to spend some quality time with your partner. (Dan Gallagher). This makes you feel complete in your own world of two people. When you share, you connect. When you connect, then the relationship begins. When someone believes in you when someone motivates you, inspires you, strengthens you, then youRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12166 Words   |  49 Pagesresonances. In addition to the aforementioned Christian parallels, the story also suggests Dante, the Italian author of the epic Divine Comedy. The dog, the hunter, and even the descent down the stairs at the end of the story parallel incidents in Dantes Inferno. A Worn Path is finally a simple story, though. Weltys short tale of an old womans journey to get medicine for her grandson is valuable simply as that, and the starkness of its simplicity is too often undervalued. That very simplicity gives itRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12173 Words   |  49 Pagesresonances. In addition to the aforementioned Christian parallels, the story also suggests Dante, the Italian author of the epic Divine Comedy. The dog, the hunter, and even the descent down the stairs at the end of the story parallel incidents in Dantes Inferno. A Worn Path is finally a simple story, though. Weltys short tale of an old wo mans journey to get medicine for her grandson is valuable simply as that, and the starkness of its simplicity is too often undervalued. That very simplicity gives it

Research Paper on PTSD free essay sample

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) is a disorder that occurs in people who have suffered through a traumatic event. Such as sexual abuse, natural disasters, war, etc. These people then go through three different types of symptoms; the first is called re-experiencing where they relive the event through nightmares, flashbacks and bad thoughts. Then there’s the second set of symptoms which are called avoidance symptoms where they do things like avoiding an area where the event occurred or somewhere that reminds them of that event, getting a strong sense of guilt, depression, worry or becoming emotionally numb, not being able to remember the event or losing interest in things that they once enjoyed doing. Then there is the third set of symptoms called hyperarousal symptoms which include having angry outbursts, trouble sleeping, being easily startled and feeling on edge(â€Å"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder† 1). PTSD can occur in anyone and it is something that is becoming a major disorder in today’s society with the Iraq/Afghanistan wars that have been going on since 2001. There has been a lot of research done on it to prove that PTSD is actually real and that it is affecting more and more people, especially war veterans, and going untreated. Review of Research: There was an experiment that was done by 7 doctors who have M. D. s and Ph. Ds. They did a random, controlled experiment on a small group of active service members with the goal of comparing which treatment for PTSD has better results, TAU or VR-GET. The experiment procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board and an independent medical monitor. It was conducted at U. S. Navy medical facilities in San Diego and Camp Pendleton and followed all federal and military guidelines in the treatment of Service Members and research participants(McLay 224). The experiments and patients both were aware of what was going on in the experiment, had to sign consent forms that said they were allowed to leave at any time knowing that they would not receive active duty pay and that they were participating willingly and then the patients signed up for VR-GET or TAU and there was an equal  amount of patients in each type of treatment(McLay 224). The abbreviation TAU means treatment as usual which means that the service members go through normal treatments for PTSD like prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, substance rehab, inpatient services or a combination of them(McLay 225). And the abbreviation VR-GET means Virtual Reality-Graded Exposure Therapy which is as it sounds. It is a virtual reality simulation that allows the patient to experience their traumas and phobias in a controlled environment and also be monitored by equipment that measures their response to their surroundings in the virtual reality they’re experiencing. The therapist during this VR simulation can also increase or decrease the stressing factors of the environment based off the patient’s response to what they’re experiencing(McLay 223). The experimenters hypothesized that â€Å"patients with combat-related PTSD would be more likely to experience clinically significant improvements in VR-GET than treatment as usual(TAU)(McLay 224). † To participate in the experiment the patients had to have CAPS scores of 40 or higher and then their medical records were reviewed. CAPS is the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale. The experiment was conducted over a 10 week period with a follow up assessment 10 weeks after the experiment ended and it was considered a success if the it showed a clinically meaningful improvement, which means 30% or greater, reduction of PTSD symptoms with CAPS(McLay 224). They then went through their experiments and were assessed after the 10 week period. The results showed that of all 10 participants who had participated in the VR-GET, seven of them showed a 30% or greater improvement in CAPS and of the 10 who participated in the TAU treatment only one of the returning nine showed a 30% or greater improvement on the CAPS (1 did not show up to complete the post assessment until later)(McLay 226). The results show that the VR-GET treatment works better than the TAU treatment by a significant amount. Though the researchers said that this should also be based off the patient’s needs since everyone responds to treatments differently and that there will probably be no â€Å"one-size-fits-all approach† due to the fact previously stated. A research team of 5 that conducted a PTSD survey on soldiers with amputated limbs or spinal injuries in a rehabilitation facility in Sri Lanka. The treatment for soldiers in the war in Sri Lanka is more physically based then mentally and it is a known fact that there is a higher risk of PTSD in soldiers who have been in battle(Abeyasinghe 377). PTSD is prevalent in about 30% of war veterans, male and female both( Abeyasinghe 377). The study was one of the first done in Sri Lanka since no one has thought to do it previously and was carried out in 2009. They used a questionnaire that was based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; the questionnaire was made based on the Impact of Event Scale and PTSD symptom scale(Abeyasinghe 377). The questionnaire was translated into Sinhala and it was pre-tested in other injury groups and then from that, they refined the questionnaire to fit their needs and gave that to the spinal injuries and amputees(Abeyasinghe 377). The research they did was a cross sectional study, which means that they used different people who had similar interests to the study, and then got willing participants to take part in the research. The results showed that of the 96 participants, 40 of them indicated a diagnosis of PTSD(Abeyasinghe 378). That means that 41. 7% of participants were diagnosed with PTSD and are not being treated for it and would not be if they had not taken the survey to find out. They did this study with Vietnam veterans and soldiers who went to Afghanistan and found that 30% of those soldiers also had PTSD and were not being treated for it until afterwards also(McLay 379). This study shows that even though we give our soldiers the medical attention they need, they are not getting all of it and that should be fixed. There was an experiment done about the medical research done on twins, combat exposed and non-combat exposed, along with comparing previous studies of PTSD to their medical research. They used PTSD patients and a control group. For the twins they are using the ones who have PTSD and the ones who do not and then comparing their MRIs(Pitman 772). The MRIs show that the combat exposed twin who has PTSD have an enlarged hippocampal area and that the combat unexposed twin had a high risk factor for PTSD because the twin had PTSD. Their hippocampal area was also enlarged when compared to the control twins who had no PTSD and a low risk factor(Pitman 772). The article goes through every part of the brain and compares the scans of the combat exposed and combat unexposed twin groups, control and experimental, comparing the area of study, like the prefrontal cortex. They used previous neuroimaging literature that stated that the prefrontal cortex reduces in size with PTSD and did sMRIs to find that patients with PTSD had a reduced volume in their rostral(pregenual) vmPFC and in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex(dACC). Which is the area of the brain that corresponds to Brodmann area and can also be called anterior mid-cingulate cortex(Pitman 772-773). It goes through every biological aspect you could think of and speculates off of the research previously done to the medical tests they have conducted to show how PTSD affects the brain, hormones, genes, and animal studies. Then their conclusions at the end to tell you how this will help future medical treatments of PTSD. There was a study done about how the medical drugs that have been developed for PTSD are very lacking in the ability to help PTSD patients. Records show that patients who receive pharmacological treatments like SSRIs paroxetine and sertraline barely ever exceed 60% and even less patients(20-30%) achieve clinical remission(Bailey 221). Even placebo-trials of other medications for PTSD have failed and recent studies of medications that are approved have failed to show desired results in patients(Pitman 222). The article is basically going over the effects of the drugs that are usually used to treat PTSD like noradrenergic, serotonergic, endogenous cannabinoid and opioid systems along with hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and then from figuring out what works with these and what does not, a possible future pharmacological intervention that could actually work and show results(Pitman 222). They then go into detail of each drug, explaining what it is made up of and how it does and does not work in relation to PTSD, including studies that have been done previously, charts, references to other works and explanations for the large words and confusing terminology. The conclusion of the article states that biological markers alone are not sufficient by themselves, especially since treatment is limited to symptom management rather than fixing the biological cause(Pitman 227). Since there is not one drug that works specifically for PTSD, by using existing knowledge and research they can come up with treatments that relate to PTSD(Pitman 227). To conclude, there is a lot of research done on PTSD, statistics, experiments, biological aspects, pathophysiological aspects and so much more. PTSD is a very new field of study in medicine and it is not known where it comes from exactly, whether its genes or just the body’s coping mechanism for events to stressful for the mind but either way it is something that is increasing in the world’s population with wars, natural disasters, physical/sexual abuses, etc. and it needs to be addressed. More and more people are suffering without a way to fix it and it is taking a toll on the mental health of the population. Works Cited

Originality Imitation and Copyright Essay Example

Originality Imitation and Copyright Essay Zigkeyeah Collier CMST-223 Kovalcheck December 2, 2010 Originality, Imitation, and Copyright â€Å"He who imitates must have a care that what he writes be similar, not identical†- Petrach, Le familiari, XXIII (14thc) The foundation of the copyright law is built on the principle and idealistic American value of originality. Recognized as a Western ideal and value in the 18th century, originality is culturally constructed and accepted, but not truly defined, as an aspect of a created work that is deemed new or novel and is distinguishable from reproductions, copies, or other derivative works. In law, originality has become an important legal concept with respect to intellectual property, where creativity and invention have manifest as copyrightable works. Therefore, the institution of the copyright law protected originality by deeming a piece of work to be paramount while reducing all derivatives to copies or imitations. However, the extent of protection that the copyright law carries is limited, for the copyright law does not protect ideas, themes, or subject matter, only craftsmanship or form (Alfrey, 2000). As a result, under the law two identical pieces of work are able to claim protection, provided the effort behind each work is discernibly independent of one another. There is no statutory definition of infringement, just as there is no statutory definition of originality. However, copying, even if unintentional, can still surmount to a conviction of infringement. Proof must then â€Å"rely on circumstantial evidence, which requires scrutinizing the manner and sequence in which the artist worked† (Alfrey, 2000). We will write a custom essay sample on Originality Imitation and Copyright specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Originality Imitation and Copyright specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Originality Imitation and Copyright specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In other words, the perpetrator must supply sufficient evidence showing that no intention was made to copy the â€Å"essential quality of a particular work† causing an unfair advantage of effort of work from the predecessor (Alfrey, 2000). Yet the legality aspect of originality does not linger on similarities and differences in artistic merit, but focuses solely on the illicit reproduction and replication of style and form. The legal system differentiates imitation from copying by delineating the two into separate actions. Petrarch an Italian scholar, poet, and â€Å"Father of Humanism† best compares the two forms of action in his piece Le familiari when he writes: â€Å"He who imitates must have a care that what he writes be similar, not identical . . . and that the similarity should not be of the kind that obtains between a portrait and a sitter, where the artist earns the more praise the greater the likeness, but rather of the kind that obtains between a son and his father . . we (too) should take care that when one thing is like, many should be unlike, and that what is like should be hidden so as to be grasped only by the minds silent enquiry, intelligible rather than describable. We should therefore make use of another mans inner quality and tone, but avoid his words. For the one kind of similarity is hidden and the other protrudes; the one creates poets, the other apes. † (Petrach, Le familiari, XXIII) Imitation is distinguishable from copying in that it allows the imitator a certain amount of freedom to move in any artistic direction desired as long as he does not directly quote from the from a specific piece of work without acknowledgement. In contrast, the action of copying is a form of direct reproduction with little to indistinguishable differentiation from the original piece of work. The ancient philosopher, Plato, created a mythical being he called the simulacrum (Plato, 1984). Found within the lowest ring of in the hierarchy of the arts of producing a work, the simulacrum is able to re-image itself, in an attempt to double any figure it chooses. The simulacrum, however, is not able to completely model or replicate itself exactly like the first figure, but only able to portray a â€Å"distant semblance†, so that the doubled figure seemingly looks copied but is different or imitated and thus corrupted (Striphas, 2009). Although the simulacrum does not replicate an exact copy of the first figure, its false portrayal creates a blurring of the boundary lines separating the definitions of what is considered original and by default what is regarded as a derivative, resulting in the questioning of what truly constitutes a work as original and if originality is able to exist. The 2000 Harry Potter trademark and copyright infringement case entitled, Scholastic, Inc. , J. K. Rowling, Time Warner Entertainment Company, L. P. . Nancy Stouffer, best exemplifies the contested problems the figure of the simulacrum can cause when determining originality, yet also show how the concept of simulacra can be used in the legal realm to support the copyright law and intellectual property rights. The Scholastic, Inc. et. al. v. Stouffer case began in August of 1999, when Nancy Stouffer and her lawyers requested that she receive compensation from Scholastic Inc. , the American publisher for the Harry Potter series by J. K . Rowling. She alleged that many of the physical attributes of Harry Potter as well as terminology presented throughout the book, such as the word â€Å"Muggles† were â€Å"willfully borrowed without permission, or copied, from her own books entitled the Legend of Rah and the Muggles which had been published in 1988 or a decade earlier (Stouffer, 2001). Stouffer then argued that she was the only one who held ownership rights to the word â€Å"Muggles† and therefore was the only one who could license it (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2000). Although it seems reasonable that Stouffer would be the one to file suit, in November of 1999, it was Scholastic, Inc. that filed a case against Nancy Stouffer, in order to get a â€Å"declaratory judgment that they had not infringed and are not infringing any of†¦Nancy Stouffer’s copyrights or trademarks† (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2000). Strategically, this made Stouffer the defendant and required that she bear the burden of proof, and it was Stouffer that had to present evidence declaring that her works were the original and not the simulacrum and therefore required protection of original ownership under the law. To build her defense, Stouffer presented six key pieces of evidence each having copyright dates of 1988 and older while also showing a title with the lucrative word, â€Å"Muggle† and pictures of her character called, Larry Potter, which had a very strong resemblance to Rowling’s Harry Potter (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2000). Stouffer’s case seemed solid, except she lacked one important piece of evidence that showed J. K. Rowling â€Å"willfully† copied her work and violated her intellectual property rights (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2000). This is important because only structural replication, not ideas and themes, are protected under the copyright law and are accepted as infringement in cases of right to intellectual property. Seemingly, Stouffer’s defense case was solid; however, Scholastic’s team of attorneys implemented the idea of simulacra to denounce Stouffer’s evidence as fraudulent and corrupt. The team showed through several feats of incredible engineering that the words â€Å"The Legend of† and â€Å"the Muggles† were printed in ink and through technology that was only available in 1991 or later. They also found that an advertisement found in a magazine that Stouffer had presented as evidence was a reconstructed version of the original ad, which Scholastic’s attorneys presented to the court. The advertisement endorsed a book entitled â€Å"Rah† instead of â€Å"The Legend of Rah and the Muggles† which was on the falsified version Stouffer presented. Lastly, they discredited photocopies and a paragraph from a book mentioning the name of the alleged Larry Potter, by again proving that the inks used in the photos were not produced until sometime after 1991 or 1992 (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2000). The Plaintiffs had not particularly shown that Rowling’s work was original, but had successfully unveiled the simulacrumatic nature of Stouffer’s work deeming it unoriginal as well. This resulted in the court decision that the â€Å"Plaintiffs’ publication, distribution, and exploitation of the Harry Potter books do not violate any of Stouffer’s intellectual property right. Stouffer is permanently enjoined from making false representations to third parties indications that she owns all right in the â€Å"Muggle† and â€Å"Muggles† trademark and copyrights, indicating that plaintiffs have violated her intellectual property rights†. Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2002) Yet, what is most interesting about the case is that Stouffer had some legitimate evidence that in 1992, she had successfully contested for trademark registration for the word â€Å"Muggle†, in 1986, she had copyrighted and illustration of a Muggle character, and i n 1987 she copyrighted a song called â€Å"Muggle-bye† which was placed with the book â€Å"Rah† (â€Å"’Harry Potter’ book lawsuit†, 2000). Unfortunately, the court dismissed this evidence after learning that Stouffer not only failed to register the word with the federal trademark office until February of 2000, but also that Rowling acquired her term â€Å"Muggle† from an English slang word, meaning â€Å"easily-fooled† (Bone, 2000) and Stouffer had acquired her term â€Å"Muggle† from a nickname which she oftentimes called her son (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2002). Again, the court does not care so much about ideas or themes in context, but the craftsmanship, acquisition, and form of the content. Since both women had crafted the term â€Å"Muggle† from different perspectives, the court decided that the word could have no since of specific origin and therefore void of any sense of originality, so even Scholastic, Inc. could not trademark the word. There are many other instances outside this case where the word Muggle appears (Thomas, 2000). So in the absence of an origin, all the instances where the word â€Å"Muggle† can be found can be deduced as all the same†¦but different (Striphas, 2009). The copyright law cannot be based on absolute uniqueness, but must recognize originality in terms of â€Å"firstness in order† to separate two works that seem identical or â€Å"substantially similar† (Gaines, 1991). In the scholastic case, the origin of the word Muggles were so dissimilar that a judgment in firstness in order could not be rendered. Therefore, simulacra, or the idea of imitation, should have business in the legal realm since it only causes confusion and problems, but from the aforementioned case of Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer the simulacra does not always have to operate outside or against the law but can be used as an â€Å"instrument to secure exclusive property claims as well† (Striphas, 2009). Originality, if it exists at all, is not an absolute; its identification is subject to a scale of relative values and knowledge, it is conditional to time and place. It must be measured against its imitators. However, the development of the idea of individualism elevates the value of originality and, at the same time, blurs its definition (Alfrey, 2000). Individualism has continually encumbered many generations of artists and creators with the increasingly elusive search and goal of achieving originality. As more ideas and their expressions are generated with each passing year, originality becomes more rare and imitation more present with the use of precedent becoming more insistent and inescapable. Works Cited Alfrey, Penelope. Petrarchs Apes: Originality, Plagiarism and. MIT Communications Forum. MIT, 2000. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. . Bone, J. Magical Authors Go to War on Custody of Muggles. The Time (2000). Lexis-Nexis. 18 Mar. 2000. Gaines, J. â€Å"Contested Culture: The Image, the Voice, and the Law. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1991. â€Å"‘Harry Potter’ book lawsuit: â€Å"Legend of Rah and Muggles† author claims trademark violations†. Burden of Proof. 5 Jul. 2000. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. . Petrarch, Le familiari, XXIII, quoted in Gombrich, E. , â€Å"Norm and Form: Studies in the Art of the Renaissance†. Phaidon Press, 1966. Scholastic, Inc. , J. K. Rowling, and Time Warner Entertainment Company, L. P. v. Nancy Stouffer. 99 Civ. 11480 (AGS), 124 F. Supp. 2d 836 (S. D. N. Y), 2000. Scholastic, Inc. , J. K. Rowling, and Time Warner Entertainment Company, L. P. v. Nancy Stouffer. 99 Civ. 11480 (AGS), 221 F. Supp. 2d 425 (S. D. N. Y), 2002. Striphas, Ted. Harry Potter and the Simulacrum: Contested Copies in an Age of Intellectual Property. Critical Studies in Media Communication 26. 4 (2009): 295-311. Thomas, I. â€Å"CNN is Mugged by the ‘Muggle Affair. ’† Slate. 21 Jul. 2000. Web. 01 Dec. 2010 .

Portia in Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice

Portia in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' Portia in Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice is one of the Bards most beloved characters. The Love Test Portias fate is determined by the love test her father gives to her suitors. She is unable to choose her own suitor but is forced to marry whoever passes. She has wealth but has no control over her own destiny. When Bassanio passes the test, Portia immediately agrees to divest all her riches, property, and power over to him in order to be his loving and dutiful wife. She is passed from one man’s control- her father’s- to another- her husband’s: As from her lord, her governor, her king.Myself and what is mine to you and yoursIs now converted: but now I was the lordOf this fair mansion, master of my servants,Queen oer myself. And even now, but now,This house, these servants and this same myselfAre yours, my lord’s (Act 3 Scene 2, 170-176). One wonders what is in it for her... other than companionship and, hopefully, love? Let’s hope that her father’s test really is foolproof, in that the suitor is proven to love her through his choice. As an audience, we know the lengths to which Bassanio has gone to win her hand, so this gives us hope that Portia will be happy with Bassanio. Her name is Portia, nothing undervaluedTo Cato’s daughter, Brutus’ Portia.Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth,For the four winds blow in from every coastRenowned suitors, and her sunny locksHang on her temples like a golden fleece,Which makes her seat of Belmont Colchis’ strand,And many Jasons come in quest of her (Act 1 Scene 1, 165-172). Let’s hope Bassanio is not just after her money but, in choosing the lead casket, we are to assume he is not. Character Revealed We later discover Portia’s true grit, resourcefulness, intelligence, and wit through her dealings with Shylock in court, and many a modern audience might lament her fate at having to go back to court and be the dutiful wife she promised to be. It is also a pity that her father did not see her true potential in this way and, in doing so, he may not have determined his ‘love test’ necessary but trusted his daughter to make the right choice off her own back. Portia ensures that Bassanio is made aware of her alter ego; in disguise as the judge, she makes him give her the ring that she has given him. In doing so, she can prove that it was she posing as the judge and that it was she who was able to save his friend’s life and, to and extent, Bassanios life and reputation. Her position of power and substance in that relationship is therefore established. This sets a precedent for their life together and allows the audience some comfort in thinking that she will maintain some power in that relationship. Shakespeare and Gender Portia is the heroine of the piece when all the men in the play have failed, financially, by the law, and by their own vengeful behavior. She swoops in and saves everyone from themselves. However, she is only able to do this by dressing up as a man. As Portia’s journey demonstrates, Shakespeare recognizes the intellect and abilities that women have but concedes that they can only be demonstrated when on a level playing field with men. Many of Shakespeare’s women show their wit and cunning when they are disguised as men. Rosalind as Ganymede in As You Like It is another example. As a woman, Portia is submissive and obedient; as the judge and as a man, she demonstrates her intelligence and her brilliance. She is the same person but is empowered by dressing as a man and, in doing so, she hopefully gains the respect and equal footing she deserves in her relationship: If you had known the virtue of the ring,Or half her worthiness that gave that ring,Or your own honour to contain the ring,You would not then have parted with the ring (Act 5 Scene 1, 199-202).

Benjamin Netanyahu - Joint Session of Congress Speech 2015

Binjamin Netanyahu Third Speech to a Joint Session of Congress delivered 3 March 2015, Washington, D.C. Speaker of the House, John Boehner, President Pro Tem, Senator Orrin Hatch, Senator Minority Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, House Minority, Leader Nancy Pelosi, and House Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy I also want to acknowledge Senator, Democratic Leader, Harry Reid Harry, it’s good to see you back on your feet. I guess it’s true what they say: You can’t keep a good man down. My friends, I’m deeply humbled by the opportunity to speak for a third time before the most important legislative body in the world, the U.S. Congress. I want to thank you all for being here today. I know that my speech has been the subject of much controversy. I deeply regret that some perceive my being here as political. That was never my intention. I want to thank you, Democrats and Republicans, for your common support for Israel, year after year, decade after decade. I know that no matter on which side of the aisle you sit, you stand with Israel. The remarkable alliance between Israel and the United States has always been above politics. It must always remain above politics. Because America and Israel, we share a common destiny, the destiny of promised lands that cherish freedom and offer hope. Israel is grateful for the support of American of America’s people and of America’s presidents, from Harry Truman to Barack Obama. We appreciate all that President Obama has done for Israel. Now, some of that is widely known. Some of that is widely known, like strengthening security cooperation and intelligence sharing, opposing anti-Israel resolutions at the U.N. Some of what the President has done for Israel is less well known. I called him in 2010 when we had the [Mount] Carmel forest fire, and he immediately agreed to respond to my request for urgent aid. In 2011, we had our embassy in Cairo under siege, and again, he provided vital assistance at the crucial moment; or his support for more missile interceptors during our operation last summer when we took on Hamas terrorists. In each of those moments, I called the President, and he was there. And some of what the President has done for Israel might never be known, because it touches on some of the most sensitive and strategic issues that arise between an American president and an Israeli prime minister. But I know it, and I will always be grateful to President Obama for that support. And Israel is grateful to you, the American Congress, for your support, for supporting us in so many ways, especially in generous military assistance and missile defense, including Iron Dome. Last summer, millions of Israelis were protected from thousands of Hamas rockets because this capital dome helped build our Iron Dome. Thank you, America. Thank you for everything you’ve done for Israel. My friends, I’ve come here today because, as Prime Minister of Israel, I feel a profound obligation to speak to you about an issue that could well threaten the survival of my country and the future of my people: Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons. We’re an ancient people. In our nearly 4000 years of history, many have tried repeatedly to destroy the Jewish people. Tomorrow night, on the Jewish holiday of Purim, we’ll read the Book of Esther. We’ll read of a powerful Persian viceroy named Haman, who plotted to destroy the Jewish people some 2500 years ago. But a courageous Jewish woman, Queen Esther, exposed the plot and gave for the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against their enemies. The plot was foiled. Our people were saved. Today the Jewish people face another attempt by yet another Persian potentate to destroy us. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei spews the oldest hatred the oldest hatred of anti-Semitism with the newest technology. He tweets that Israel must be annihilated. He tweets. You know, in Iran, there isn’t exactly free Internet. But he tweets in English that Israel must be destroyed. For those who believe that Iran threatens the Jewish state, but not the Jewish people, listen to Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, Iran’s chief terrorist proxy. He said: If all the Jews gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of chasing them down around the world. But Iran’s regime is not merely a Jewish problem, any more than the Nazi regime was merely a Jewish problem. The six million Jews murdered by the Nazis were but a fraction of the 60 million people killed in World War II. So, too, Iran’s regime poses a grave threat, not only to Israel, but also to the peace of the entire world. To understand just how dangerous Iran would be with nuclear weapons, we must fully understand the nature of the regime. The people of Iran are very talented people. They’re heirs to one of the world’s great civilizations. But in 1979, they were hijacked by religious zealots religious zealots who imposed on them immediately a dark and brutal dictatorship. That year, the zealots drafted a constitution, a new one for Iran. It directed the revolutionary guards not only to protect Iran’s borders, but also to fulfill the ideological mission of jihad. The regime’s founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, exhorted his followers to export our revolution throughout the entire world.1 I’m standing here in Washington, D.C. and thedifference is so stark. America’s founding document promises life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Iran’s founding document pledges death, tyranny, and the pursuit of jihad. And as states are collapsing across the Middle East, Iran is charging into the void to do just that. Iran’s goons in Gaza, its lackeys in Lebanon, its revolutionary guards on the Golan Heights are clutching Israel with three tentacles of terror. Backed by Iran, Assad is slaughtering Syrians. Backed by Iran, Shiite militias are rampaging through Iraq. Backed by Iran, Houthis are seizing control of Yemen, threatening the strategic straits at the mouth of the Red Sea. Along with the Straits of Hormuz, that would give Iran a second choke choke-point on the world’s oil supply. Just last week, near Hormuz, Iran carried out a military exercise blowing up a mock U.S. aircraft carrier. That’s just last week while they’re having nuclear talks with the United States. But unfortunately, for the last 36 years, Iran’s attacks against the United States have have been anything but mock, and the targets have been all too real. Iran took dozens of Americans hostage in Tehran, murdered hundreds of American soldiers, Marines, in Beirut, and was responsible for killing and maiming thousands of American service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. Beyond the Middle East, Iran attacks America and its allies through its global terror network. It blew up the Jewish community center and the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires. It helped Al Qaida bomb U.S. embassies in Africa. It even attempted to assassinate the the Saudi ambassador, right here in Washington, D.C. In the Middle East, Iran now dominates four Arab capitals: Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut and Sanaa. And if Iran’s aggression is left unchecked, more will surely follow. So at a time when many hope that Iran will join the community of nations, Iran is busy gobbling up the nations. We must all stand together to stop Iran’s march of conquest, subjugation, and terror. Now, two years ago we were told to give President Rouhani and Foreign Minister Zarif a chance to bring change and moderation to Iran. Some change. Some moderation. Rouhani’s government hangs gays, persecutes Christians, jails journalists, and executes even more prisoners than before. Last year, the same Zarif who charms Western diplomats laid a wreath at the grave of Imad Mughniyeh. Imad Mughniyeh is the terrorist mastermind who spilled more American blood than any other terrorist besides Osama bin Laden. I’d like to see someone ask him a question about that. Iran’s regime is as radical as ever, its cries of â€Å"Death to America,† that same America that it calls the â€Å"Great Satan,† as loud as ever. Now, this shouldn’t be surprising, because the ideology of Iran’s revolutionary regime is deeply rooted in militant Islam, and that’s why this regime will always be an enemy of America. And don’t be fooled: The battle between Iran and ISIS doesn’t turn Iran into a friend of America. Iran and ISIS are competing for the crown of militant Islam. One calls itself the Islamic Republic. The other calls itself the Islamic State. Both want to impose a militant Islamic empire first on the region and then on the entire world. They just disagree among themselves who will be the ruler of that empire. In this deadly game of thrones, there’s no place for America or for Israel, no peace for Christians, Jews or Muslims who don’t share the Islamist medieval creed, no rights for women, no freedom for anyone. So when it comes to Iran and ISIS: The enemy of your enemy is your enemy. The difference is that ISIS is armed with butcher knives, captured weapons, and YouTube, whereas Iran could soon be armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs. We must always remember I’ll say it one more time the greatest danger facing our world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons. To defeat ISIS and let Iran get nuclear weapons would be to win the battle, but lose the war. We can’t let that happen. But that, my friends, is exactly what could happen, if the deal now being negotiated is accepted by Iran. That deal will not prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. It would all but guarantee that Iran gets those weapons, lots of them. Let me explain why: While the final deal has not yet been signed, certain elements of any potential deal are now a matter of public record. You don’t need intelligence agencies and secret information to know this. You can Google it. Absent a dramatic change, we know for sure that any deal with with Iran will include two major concessions to Iran. The first major concession would leave Iran with a vast nuclear infrastructure, providing it with a short break-out time to the bomb. Break-out time is the time it takes to amass enough weapons-grade uranium or plutonium for a nuclear bomb. According to the deal, not a single nuclear facility would be demolished. Thousands of centrifuges used to enrich uranium would be left spinning. Thousands more would be temporarily disconnected, but not destroyed. Because Iran’s nuclear program would be left largely intact, Iran’s break-out time would be very short about a year by U.S. assessment, even shorter by Israel’s. And if if Iran’s work on advanced centrifuges, faster and faster centrifuges, is not stopped, that break-out time could still be shorter, a lot shorter. True, certain restrictions would be imposed on Iran’s nuclear program and Iran’s adherence to those restrictions would be supervised by international inspectors. But here’s the problem. You see, inspectors document violations; they don’t stop them. Inspectors knew when North Korea broke to the bomb, but that didn’t stop anything. North Korea turned off the cameras, kicked out the inspectors. Within a few years, it got the bomb. Now, we’re warned that within five years North Korea could have an arsenal of 100 nuclear bombs. Like North Korea, Iran, too, has defied international inspectors. It’s done that on at least three separate occasions 2005, 2006, 2010. Like North Korea, Iran broke the locks, shut off the cameras. Now, I know this is not going to come a shock as a shock to any of you, but Iran not only defies inspectors, it also plays a pretty good game of hide-and-cheat with them. The U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA, said again yesterday that Iran still refuses to come clean about its military nuclear program.2 Iran was also caught caught twice, not once, twice operating secret nuclear facilities in Natanz and Qom, facilities that inspectors didn’t even know existed. Right now, Iran could be hiding nuclear facilities that we don’t know about, the U.S. and Israel. As the former head of inspections for the IAEA said in 2013, he said, â€Å"If there’s no undeclared installation today in Iran, it will be the first time in 20 years that [Iran] doesn’t have one.†3 Iran has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted. And that’s why the first major concession is a source of grave concern. It leaves Iran with a vast nuclear infrastructure and relies on inspectors to prevent a breakout. That concession creates a real danger that Iran could get to the bomb by violating the deal. But the second major concession creates an even greater danger that Iran could get to the bomb by keeping the deal, because virtually all the restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program will automatically expire in about a decade. Now, a decade may seem like a long time in political life, but it’s the blink of an eye in the life of a nation. It’s a blink of an eye in the life of our children. We all have a responsibility to consider what will happen when Iran’s nuclear capabilities are virtually unrestricted and all the sanctions will have been lifted. Iran would then be free to to build a huge nuclear capacity that could produce many, many nuclear bombs. Iran’s Supreme Leader says that openly. He says, Iran plans to have 190,000 centrifuges, not 6,000 or even the 19,000 that Iran has today, but 10 times that amount 190,000 centrifuges enriching uranium.4 With this massive capacity, Iran could make the fuel for an entire nuclear arsenal and this in a matter of weeks, once it makes that decision. My long-time friend, John Kerry, Secretary of State, confirmed last week that Iran could legitimately possess that massive centrifuge capacity when the deal expires. Now I want you to think about that: The former sponsor The foremost sponsor of global terrorism could be weeks away from having enough enriched uranium for an entire arsenal of nuclear weapons and this with full international legitimacy. And by the way, if Iran’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile program is not part of the deal and so far, Iran refuses to even put it on the negotiating table well, Iran could have the means to deliver that nuclear arsenal to the far-reach corners of the Earth, including to every part of the United States. So you see, my friends, this deal has two major concessions: one, leaving Iran with a vast nuclear program; and two, lifting the restrictions on that program in about a decade. That’s why this deal is so bad. It doesn’t block Iran’s path to the bomb; it paves Iran’s path to the bomb. So why would anyone make this deal? Because they hope that Iran will change for the better in the coming years, or they believe that the alternative to this deal is worse? Well, I disagree. I don’t believe that Iran’s radical regime will change for the better after this deal. This regime has been in power for 36 years, and its voracious appetite for aggression grows with each passing year. This deal would wet appetite would only wet Iran’s appetite for more. Would Iran be less aggressive when sanctions are removed and its economy is stronger? If Iran is gobbling up four countries right now while it’s under sanctions, how many more countries will Iran devour when sanctions are lifted? Would Iran fund less terrorism when it has mountains of cash with which to fund more terrorism? Why should Iran’s radical regime change for the better when it can enjoy the best of both world’s: aggression abroad, prosperity at home. This is a question that everyone asks in our region. Israel’s neighbors Iran’s neighbors know that Iran will become even more aggressive and sponsor even more terrorism when its economy is unshackled and it’s been given a clear path to the bomb. And many of these neighbors say they’ll respond by racing to get nuclear weapons of their own. So this deal won’t change Iran for the better; it will only change the Middle East for the worse. A deal that’s supposed to prevent nuclear proliferation would instead spark a nuclear arms race in the most dangerous part of the planet. This deal won’t be a farewell to arms. It would be a farewell to arms control. And the Middle East would soon be crisscrossed by nuclear tripwires. A region where small skirmishes can trigger big wars would turn into a nuclear tinderbox. If anyone thinks anyone thinks this deal kicks the can down the road, think again. When we get down that road, we’ll face a much more dangerous Iran, a Middle East littered with nuclear bombs and a countdown to a potential nuclear nightmare. Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve come here today to tell you we don’t have to bet the security of the world on the hope that Iran will change for the better. We don’t have to gamble with our future and with our children’s future. We can insist that restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program not be lifted for as long as Iran continues its aggression in the region and in the world. Before lifting those restrictions, the world should demand that Iran do three things: First, stop its aggression against its neighbors in the Middle East. Second Second, stop supporting terrorism around the world. And third, stop threatening to annihilate my country, Israel, the one and only Jewish state. Thank you. If the world powers are not prepared to insist that Iran change its behavior before a deal is signed, at the very least they should insist that Iran change its behavior before a deal expires. If Iran changes its behavior, the restrictions would be lifted. If Iran doesn’t change its behavior, the restrictions should not be lifted. If Iran wants to be treated like a normal country, let it act like a normal country. My friends, what about the argument that there’s no alternative to this deal, that Iran’s nuclear know-how cannot be erased, that its nuclear program is so advanced that the best we can do is delay the inevitable, which is essentially what the proposed deal seeks to do? Well, nuclear know-how without nuclear infrastructure doesn’t get you very much. A racecar driver without a car can’t drive. A pilot without a plan can’t fly. Without thousands of centrifuges, tons of enriched uranium or heavy water facilities, Iran can’t make nuclear weapons. Iran’s nuclear program can be rolled back well-beyond the current proposal by insisting on a better deal and keeping up the pressure on a very vulnerable regime, especially given the recent collapse in the price of oil. Now, if Iran threatens to walk away from the table and this often happens in a Persian bazaar call their bluff. They’ll be back, because they need the deal a lot more than you do. And by maintaining the pressure on Iran and on those who do business with Iran, you have the power to make them need it even more. My friends, for over a year, we’ve been told that no deal is better than a bad deal. Well, this is a bad deal. It’s a very bad deal. We’re better off without it. Now we’re being told that the only alternative to this bad deal is war. That’s just not true. The alternative to this bad deal is a much better deal a better deal that doesn’t leave Iran with a vast nuclear infrastructure and such a short break-out time; a better deal that keeps the restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in place until Iran’s aggression ends; a better deal that won’t give Iran an easy path to the bomb; a better deal that Israel and its neighbors may not like, but with which we could live, literally. And no country no country has a greater stake no country has a greater stake than Israel in a good deal that peacefully removes this threat. Ladies and gentlemen, history has placed us at a fateful crossroads. We must now choose between two paths. One path leads to a bad deal that will at best curtail Iran’s nuclear ambitions for a while, but it will inexorably lead to a nuclear-armed Iran whose unbridled aggression will inevitably lead to war. The second path, however difficult, could lead to a much better deal, that would prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, a nuclearized Middle East, and the horrific consequences of both to all of humanity. You don’t have to read Robert Frost to know. You have to live life to know that the difficult path is usually the one less traveled, but it will make all the difference for the future of my country, the security of the Middle East and the peace of the world, the peace, we all desire. My friends, standing up to Iran is not easy. Standing up to dark and murderous regimes never is. With us today is Holocaust survivor and Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel. Elie, your life and work inspires to give meaning to the words, â€Å"never again.† And I wish I could promise you, Elie, that the lessons of history have been learned. I can only urge the leaders of the world not to repeat the mistakes of the past: not to sacrifice the future for the present; not to ignore aggression in the hopes of gaining an illusory peace. But I can guarantee you this: The days when the Jewish people remained passive in the face of genocidal enemies, those days are over. We are no longer scattered among the nations, powerless to defend ourselves. Weve restored our sovereignty in our ancient home. And the soldier who soldiers who defend our home have boundless courage. For the first time in 100 generations, we, the Jewish people, can defend ourselves. This is why This is why, as Prime Minister of Israel, I can promise you one more thing: Even if Israel has to stand alone, Israel will stand. But I know that Israel does not stand alone. I know that America stands with Israel. I know that you stand with Israel. You stand with Israel because you know that the story of Israel is not only the story of the Jewish people but of the human spirit that refuses again and again to succumb to history’s horrors. Facing me right up there in the gallery, overlooking all of us in this august chamber is the image of Moses. Moses led our people from slavery to the gates of the Promised Land. And before the people of Israel entered the land of Israel, Moses gave us a message that has steeled our resolve for thousands of years. I leave you with his message today: Chizku ve’imtzu, al tiru ve’al te’artzu m’pneihem. â€Å"Be strong and resolute, neither fear nor dread them.†5 My friends, may Israel and America always stand together, strong and resolute. May we neither fear nor dread the challenges ahead. May we face the future with confidence, strength, and hope. May God bless the State of Israel and may God bless the United States of America. 1 Ruhollah Khomeini cited in Hoffman, B. (1988). The contrasting ethical foundations of terrorism in the 1980s. The Rand Corporation. 2 Statement by IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano on 2 March 2015 confirmed: The Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement. However, the Agency is not in a position to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities. (Source: iaea.org) 3 Former IAEA Deputy Director for Safeguards Olli Heinonen, as quoted in the Wall Street Journal, 1 March 2013 4 Statement by Ruhollah Khomeini on 7 July 2014: Our officials say we need 190,000 SWU. Perhaps this is not a need this year or in two years or five years, but this is the countrys absolute need. (Source: uk.reuters.com) 5 Quoted from the first part of Deuteronomy 31:6. The entire passage, a parting exhortation from Moses to the Israelites just prior to their entry into the Promised Land, reads as follows: â€Å"Be strong and resolute, neither fear nor dread them, because G-d your Lord is the One who is going with you, and He will not fail you or forsake you.