The Massacre in El Mozote as Told by Mark Danner Essays

The Massacre in El Mozote as Told by Mark Danner Essays The Massacre in El Mozote as Told by Mark Danner Paper The Massacre in El Mozote as Told by Mark Danner Paper The Massacre at El Mozote as told by Mark Danner takes place El Salvador. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. It shares borders with Guatemala and Honduras. El Salvador is divided into 14 departments and El Mozote is a village in one of the Departments called Morazan. According to the author, the Salvadoran Civil War 1979-1992 was a conflict waged by the Military led Government of El Salvador and coalition of left-leaning militias or guerillas called the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN). The FMLN was supported by peasants and indigenous Indian people. The United States supported the El Salvador Military government. The tensions between the classes, the halves and the halve-nots are therefore represented by the two warring factions. The harrowing events in Mark Danner’s Massacre at El Mozote investigates and questions three central issues; the Massacre, the role of American Policies in the region during the Cold War and the executive cover-up of the events as Propaganda. One of the concerns is what responsibility (if any) did the U. S. government have for the massacre at El Mozote? El Mozote was â€Å"uniquely† different from most villages because it had resisted the Liberation Theology taught by left-leaning Catholic Priests and according to the author was â€Å"as as stronghold of the Protestant evangelical movement† (pg 19) . The villagers of El Mozote had their own chapel and referred themselves as born-again Christians and as Danner states were known for â€Å"their anti-communism† (pg 19). The villagers of El Mozote did not support the guerillas. According to Danner the Massacre at El Mozote takes place when American trained Salvadoran Armed forces called the Atlacatl Batallion arrived at the village and began systematically killing men, women and children by various means such as torturing, hangings, decapitation, and shooting. The U. S government was responsible for the massacre at El Mozote for a plethora of reasons. First, The Reagan administration was well aware of the geopolitical consequences of ceding El Salvador to â€Å"communist subversion in the hemisphere† (pg 40). Also, the growing presence of the Soviets and Cuba in Nicaragua escalated the cold war and in order to ‘draw the line† the Reagan administration â€Å"doubled economic aid for El Salvador to a hundred and forty four million dollars† (pg 40). According to Danner, â€Å"the priorities of American Policy in El Salvador had become unmistakable† (pg 41). Second, The American government was â€Å"opposed to dispatching American combat forces to Central America† (pg 22) and in order to prevent another Nicaragua, Congress agreed to â€Å"reform† the Salvadoran Army by financing, training and arming its troops to fight the FMLN. As Danner notes, â€Å"the Americans had stepped forward to fund the war, but were unwilling to fight it†. Third, the Monterrosa led Atlacatl led batallion through American funding descended in El Mozote with â€Å"the latest M-16’s, M-60 machines guns, 90 millimeter recoilless rifles, and 60- and 81 millimeter mortars†(pg 39) and with a list of names massacred an entire village because â€Å"communism was cancer†(pg 49). The U. S. government was clearly responsible for the Massacre at El Mozote because without the funding, supporting, and training of El Salvador troops the war would have been tilted in the guerillas favor as they had managed to hold the disorganized army in certain areas. In contrast to neighboring departments El Mozote and its inhabitants of born-again Christians did not fit in as guerilla sympathizers. In fact, the training at American hands is questionable because the manner in which the massacre is carried with soldiers tying ropes on trees, using machetes, slitting throats of innocent villagers is not a tactic of warfare I believe America utilizes. The Cold War was about ideology and the El Salvador Army believed it was â€Å"killing Salvadorans who were sympathetic to the insurgents† (pg 53). The El Salvador Army with the support of American resources violated the rules of war in killing an entire village â€Å"without trial or investigation, simply because of the political sympathies of some of their number† (pg 53). The killings carried out by the Atlacatl Batallion in El Mozote were not justice but a contravention of Human Rights. The massacre was reported by Washington Post and the New York times as told to them by Rufina Amaya Marquez, a witness of what had occurred at El Mozote. The response by the American government to news of the massacre was first denial and then portrayal of those reports as â€Å"Propaganda† by â€Å"journalist advocates† sympathetic to the guerillas cause. As the author notes, the geopolitical stakes in Central America and ensuing debate in congress did not leave the White House many options albeit cable reports and first witness accounts of the massacre in El Mozote and La Joya. According to Howard Lane, the Public Affairs Officer in the Embassy, the American Embassy was well informed as to who was orchestrating the killings especially after the murder of Archbishop Oscar Romero as he said Mass (pg 28). The first reports from radio Venceremos estimated Atlacatl as having â€Å"massacred a thousand peasants and various amlets and villages†(pg 87) but according to Danner the commandates believed â€Å"that many hundreds had died†(pg 87). The U. S government clearly shares responsibility for the Massacre at El Mozote because as the author notes ‘it was congress that voted the money that paid for the American guns and helicopters and military advisers† (pg 90) with the false pretense of putting an end â€Å"tort ure and murder of Salvadoran Citizens† (pg 90) with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. I believe the American response to news of the Massacre as inadequate because of the massive cover-up by both Deane Hinton, The United States Ambassador to El Salvador and White House. Deane Hinton had recently taken up the post and â€Å"Credibility at the embassy was a special concern† (pg 116) and according to Greentree, Hinton was â€Å"the guy who sets the standards† (pg 116). Nonetheless, Greentree as junior officer â€Å"provided the reporting that would enable the government to deny† the massacre at El Mozote despite his belief that the Embassy was under immense pressure. The Embassy was aware of the massacre but responded to the news of the massacre by suppressing â€Å"what was inconvenient† which was the truth of what had happened. As Greentree states, â€Å"the guerillas were trying to make us look as bad as possible† (pg 104). Moreover, on his way back from the refugee camp McKay was of the impression something horrendous had transpired and alluding to Morazan stated â€Å"the fear was overriding and we sensed it and we could tell that that fear was not instilled by the guerillas† (pg 108) as proof of a killing had taken place. The justifications given for the cover-up of the massacre by the American Government is akin to being a complicit in the Human Right violations of the villagers of El Mozote. Also, as Danner notes, â€Å"the cable supplied†¦arguments that they might find useful in impeaching the press accounts of El Mozote† (pg 117). The remarks by McKay show the length the U. S. government went to discredit the numbers reported in Washington Times â€Å"as pure Marxist propaganda devoid of foundation† (pg 126). The American government could deny any Human Right violations had occurred in the hands of American trained Atlacatl as long as â€Å"the overwhelming number of deaths is never legally accounted for by clear or coherent evidence† (pg 125). In the end, the Human Right organizations, Americas Watch, and Amnesty International reports were attacked, smeared and painted as fabrications â€Å"without historical reference†(pg 124). I am of the believe that Congress and White House under the leadership of President Ronald Reagan did not want to be seen as losing the Cold War with Russia’s recent foray into Afghanistan. As a result Congress did not scrutinize the Certification the President sent them to show that El Salvador was complying with â€Å"internationally recognized Human Rights† and Congress rather than side with the truth shirked its responsibility even when the choice was clear a massacre had occurred at El Mozote.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Review

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Review John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men is a touching tale of the friendship between two men set against the backdrop of the United States during the Depression of the 1930s. Subtle in its characterization, the book addresses the real hopes and dreams of working-class America. Steinbecks short novel raises the lives of the poor and dispossessed to a higher, symbolic level. Its powerful ending is climactic and shocking to the extreme. But, we also come to an understanding of the tragedy of life. Regardless of the sufferings of those who live it, life goes on. Of Mice and Men Overview Of Mice and Men opens with two workers who are crossing the country on foot to find work. George is a cynical, irresolute man. George looks after his companion, Lennie, and treats him like a brother. Lennie is a giant man of incredible strength but has a mental disability that makes him slow to learn and almost child-like. George and Lennie had to flee the last town because Lennie touched a womans dress and hed been accused of rape. They begin to work on a ranch, and they share the same dream: they want to own a piece of land and farm for themselves. These people, like George and Lennie, feel dispossessed and unable to control their own lives. The ranch becomes a microcosm of the American underclass at that time. The climactic moment of the novel revolves around Lennies love of soft things. He pets the hair of Curleys wife, but she gets scared. In the resulting struggle, Lennie kills her and runs away. The farmhands form a lynch mob to punish Lennie, but George finds him first. George understands that Lennie cannot live in the world and wants to save him the pain and terror of being lynched, so he shoots him in the back of the head. The literary power of this book rests firmly on the relationship between the two central characters, their friendship and their shared dream. These two men are so very different, but they come together, stay together, and support each other in a world full of people who are destitute and alone. Their brotherhood and fellowship is an achievement of enormous humanity. They sincerely believe in their dream. All they want is a small piece of land that they can call their own. They want to grow their own crops and breed rabbits. That dream cements their relationship and strikes a chord so convincingly for the reader. George and Lennies dream is the American dream. Their desires are both very particular to the 1930s but also universal. Triumph of Friendship Of Mice and Men is a tale of friendship that triumphs over the odds. But, the novel is also extremely telling about the society in which it is set. Without becoming dogmatic or formulaic, the novel examines many of the prejudices at the time: racism, sexism, and prejudice towards those with disabilities. The power of John Steinbecks writing is that he treats these issues in purely human terms. He sees societys prejudices in terms of individual tragedies, and his characters attempt to escape from those prejudices. In a way, Of Mice and Men is an extremely despondent novel. The novel shows the dreams of a small group of people and then contrasts these dreams with a reality that is unreachable, one they cannot achieve. Even though the dream never becomes reality, John Steinbeck does leave us with an optimistic message. George and Lennie do not achieve their dream, but their friendship stands out as a shining example of how people can live and love even in a word of alienation and disconnectedness.

THE STRuggle for the american curriculum Assignment

THE STRuggle for the american curriculum - Assignment Example This paper intends to provide a vivid description about the Kliebard’s four interest groups and insight about the organization, which are sorted out by the four groups. Furthermore, the study also reflects about the socio-political and the economic factors, which greatly influence the organization being sorted. Correspondingly the paper further compares and contrasts about Dewey’s notions about the organization of the curriculum. Kliebard Four Interest group of American Curriculum Theory American curriculum theory signifies a hypothetical correlation keen to inspecting and affecting educational programs. Each of the interest groups embodies strength for an altered selection of knowledge and values adapted from the culture and different curriculum. Kliebard basically identifies four interest groups in the struggle to control or modify the subject organization of the American curriculum. The name of the interest groups are humanist (mental disciplinarians), social efficie ncy, child study (develop mentalist), and social meliorates (Kliebard, 2004). Concerning the historical data in the year 1890s, the theory related to mental discipline or humanist believed in the abilities of the students to develop psychological reasoning. Furthermore, it has also been observed that in this particular group the education system was not planned for social improvements in itself but for the systematic progress of mental power. The humanists viewed schools as instruments for taking the traditional values, susceptibilities, and cultural acmes that has been associated with the Western civilization. Although it formerly justified this large- skills curriculum the best process to train mental facilities. In this era humanists have maintained old-style subjects on the basis of their intrinsic value as carriers of cultural tradition. The second group based its knowledge on the evolving study of child development, which controlled them to reject faculty psychology and provid ed an insight that effective training must be provided to children with diversified learning capabilities and competencies at different levels of growth stages. This group requires a child-centered program that would plan not only to match the skills of children at each stage but also to excite their interest and motivate them towards the curriculum. Another group reflects Social meliorism which believes that study is a tool to change society for betterment. This tool is based on the power of individual’s intellectuality and the skills to improve through education. The future of the people is not fixed by gender, heredity, socio-economic status or any other issues (Kliebard, 2004). â€Å"Social efficiency educators† were directing to design a curriculum that would improve the social value of each individual in the society. This theory believes that society could be organized by the effective application of the American’s curriculum. Students should know their ro le within the societal context. This theory introduces high and vocational schools for the students and also introduces learning activities, which will assist in overall societal development. The effective curriculum for the society will inculcate smaller strategies for establishing advance learning concept for the society to grow (Kliebard, 2004).

Oedipus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oedipus - Essay Example Questioning the prophecies foretold in Oedipus’s life only lead him to disaster. The metaphor of blindness and sight in Oedipus The King suggests that the ability to see the truth of one's situation can have tragic results. This idea is evident when the traits, motivations, and language of each character are examined. Character Traits of Oedipus Oedipus is a man who gives importance to his head than his heart. Tragedy befalls him when he tries to alter the fate. Oedipus hears an Oracle prophecy hinting he will kill his father and marry his mother. He believes Corinth’s royal couple to be his parents. Hence, he simply stays out of Corinth to avoid causing any trouble to them. Even as a young man Oedipus believes he could change the fate through logical actions and science. But, the all powerful almighty just leads him out of Corinth only to kill his biological father Laius on the way (Oedipus Greek Mythology, 2004). Oedipus’s traits are revealed early in the story when he acts without discretion to banish the plague from his country. Oedipus’s intentions are good. But, his haste and over confidence simply makes him take one wrong decision after another. He kills Laius in a crossroad unnecessarily for a petty fight without thinking about the consequences. A person in his position would consider twice about handling people of his parents age. But, Oedipus blindly kills a man of his father’s age and marries a women who is aged enough to be his mother. He doesn’t give a second thought about anything and acts instinctively. Oedipus’s Greatest Motivation Oedipus's act of solving the Sphinx’s riddle makes him a headstrong man. He believes he can solve the mystery about his life without the help of the Gods. Oedipus’s motivation comes largely from this single victory. He cherishes it throughout the life as his own accomplishment without understanding it was yet another trap prepared for him to make him marry his biological mother Jacosta. He does not understand, questioning too much about ones fate will only lead to disaster. He turns blind to the several clues thrown before him about the murderer of Laius until the final confrontation with the Shepherd. Similarly, when Teiresias refuses to answer his questions, he unjustly accuses Creon for plotting against him. Though Oedipus occurs as an adult man throughout the play, his actions are childlike, immature and adamant almost all the time. His adamant nature is a result of his over confidence. It makes him take hasty and baseless decision which hurt others often. Oedipus’s Interactions with Teirsias Teiresias is a very important character in the story of Oedipus. He is a wise man who can actually see the future. He too is blind. Sophocles the author of Oedipus, the King purposely made the wise man blind to stress the metaphor. He is forcibly bought into the court of Oedipus as he does not wish to reveal fate's horrible game throu gh his mouth. Teiresias is insulted and threatened in various ways by Oedipus. But, Teiresias bears all of them humbly, knowing well the life of Oedipus is finished the moment he opens his mouth. Gifted with amazing prophetic power he does not bow to any threat. His unflinching courage makes him challenge two mighty kings without any compromise. Teiresias's dedication to truth and unshakable belief in Gods is his greatest motivation. The words spoken by Teiresias are as follows. â€Å"To twit me with my blindness--thou hast eyes / Yet see'st not

Manipulation in Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay

Manipulation in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray  Ã‚        Ã‚  "I do not think that one person influences another, nor do I think there is any bad influence in the world," Oscar Wilde uttered when under trial (Hyde 353). Although this statement may be true, one of Wilde's most famous works shows a great deal of the effects of people shaping one another, causing one to wonder about Wilde's sincerity in that statement. The Picture of Dorian Gray shows variations on the existence and purposes of influence, displaying two types of personal influence: obvious manipulations such as that of Lord Henry upon Dorian and that of Dorian over Sybil Vane, and those that are more often overlooked such as the more subtle manipulation of Dorian over Basil, of Dorian over Lord Henry, and in the interaction between Dorian and his portrait. Wilde demonstrates the many possible impacts made in these two categories, proving that there is more to a relationship than an outside viewer may perceive, and eventually leading the reader to the unavoidable morbid end ing of the book, in which the characters meet their own pathetic ends, with Dorian Gray committing what could be considered a ghastly suicide. Taking into account Wilde?s own life of controversial relationships, this book is especially poignant in its autobiographical suggestions. Dorian Gray is first described as a naà ¯ve and attractive young boy, with a striking resemblance to Adonis, having the physical description of a Greek god. The beauty and innocence of youth cause him to be quite attractive, and the fact that he is unaware of the power of this beauty is even more appealing. Dorian?s beauty is the source of Basil Hallward?s obsession, which peaks in the act of Hallward painting Do... ...rinceton University Press, 1967. Twentieth Century Criticism, Volume 41. Pages 353-60. Shewan, Rodney. Oscar Wilde: Art and Egotism. The Macmillan Press Ltd, 1977. Excerpted in Twentieth Century Criticism, Volume 41. Pages 374-84. Spivey, Ted. R. "Oscar Wilde and the Tragedy of Symbolism," The Journey Beyond Tragedy: A Study of Myth and Modern Fiction. Copyright 1980, Board of Regents of the State of Florida, University Presses of Florida, 1980. Twentieth Century Criticism, Volume 41. Pages 501-2. Summers, Claude J. "In Such Surrender There May Be Gain: Oscar Wilde and the Beginnings of Gay Fiction, " Gay Fiction: Wilde to Stonewall, Studies in Male Homosexual Literacy Tradition, Continuum, 1990. Excerpted in Twentieth Century Criticism, Volume 41. Pages 398-401. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Oxford University Press, New York. 1994

Medical Claims Examiner or Claims Officer Training and Development Needs

Prepared By: Solomon Sawerh PetteyOrganisation: Osu Klottey NHIS Location: Osu, Accra – Ghana Medical Claims Examiner orClaims Officer| training & development| | | | INTRODUCTION Significant achievements have been made at arresting potential claim related challenges which threatened NHIS sustainability, but the claims still continue coming in fast with increased work load. The uses of technology and claim officers to effectively manage claims also continue to advance with meaningful results.This document therefore aims to use a scientific management approach to determine the training and development needs of claims officers, which can further enhance the effective and efficient management of claims. Case in Point Claims officers need to have certain knowledge, skills and abilities to examine medical claims effectively. The question is: what is the current capacity gap of knowledge, skills and abilities? The work of medical claim examination and approval are critical and comple x and this lends support to the question above.The research aims to determine the training and development needs of claims officers by examining levels of education, professional background and prior knowledge of claims vetting and ways to determine the impact of training. Focus will be on the claim officers’ perspective of needs, best approach to close capacity gaps, and better enhancement of NHIA activities towards the improving upon the performance of claim officers.About 70% of NHIS claims have been projected to be processed electronically, but leveraging technology in terms of claims management will not adequately address the capacity deficit, unless the manpower is well equipped to contribute meaningfully towards the rrealization of the company’s strategic goals. Approach Benchmarks Challenge of expenditure Traditional methods versus JUST-IN-TIME training and development for practical knowledge Continuum of learning/E-learning Tailored Programs / Health Insurance Training Institutions / International AssociationsSAMPLE CONTENT: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY PROGRAM (P) Basic outline of programs which can be designed to prepare participants to meet the challenges of health care revenue cycle management including insurance reimbursement and accounts receivable management, with strong emphasis on clinical knowledge needed to analyze the content of medical records for optimal reimbursement P 1, Medical Aspects of Claims – describes the anatomy and physiology of the human body, as well as disorders and treatment of the various body systems.P 2, Basic Pharmacology – introduction to the basic study of drugs, therapeutic uses, dosage and actions. P 3, Health Insurance Law – provide an understanding of the insurance policy as a legal contract – aspects of statutory law, case law, and common law as they pertain to claim administration. P 4, Claim Administration – administration of claims under health insurance c ontracts (both individual and group), including investigation and cost control techniques.P 5, Management of Claim Operations – application of management theory to the operations of claim departments, including the management functions of planning, controlling, organizing and leading. P 6, Foundations of Insurance Marketing and Customer Service – marketing principles and functions, customer service concepts and strategies as integral aspects of health insurance Foundations of Excellence| Details/courses| | Anatomy and Physiology and Introduction to Human Disease | | Presentation Techniques, Advanced Composition, Diversity in Society| |Foundations of Health Professions| | | Applied Information Technology| | Medical Terminology and Introduction to Health Careers| | Major| | | Accounting Foundations | | Administrative Procedures or Medical Office Applications| | Health Record Content| | Health Care Management Foundations| | Procedural and Diagnostic Coding| | Introduction to Health Care Reimbursement Systems and Reimbursement Applications | | Claims Management Practicum| | Health Care Law and Ethics|

Suppression of Individuality in Radioheads, Fake Plastic...

Suppression of Individuality in Radioheads, Fake Plastic Trees Fake Plastic Trees criticizes how modern society stifles individuality and forces people to swallow idealized conceptions of how life should be. The whole song centers on the idea that humans, either through their own fallibility or through societys relentlessness, easily and obliviously mold their lives according to the unspoken standards they set on themselves. The result is a shallow, artificial, fake plastic living that perpetuates itself and destroys uniqueness. The first two verses, which reveal the tragic consequences of pretense, evoke feelings of despair and pointlessness. The image of a woman watering a plastic money tree is heavily shadowed by shades†¦show more content†¦Its very unnatural to change yourself or survive in a place that offers no room for personal development. Its also frustrating (for the few people who choose not to fill this mold) to put your heart into something artificial. She lives with a broken man A cracked polystyrene man Who just crumbles and burns The second character introduced provides an example of the absolute deterioration of a person who has unsuccessfully tried to fill his niche in society. Descriptive phrase like broken and cracked polystyrene paint a picture of a crumbling, wrecked mold victim to external undoing. Years of adhering to society have cracked the mans resolve and razed his spirit, leaving him useless and non-contributing (a message about communism, perhaps? hehe). He used to do surgery For girls in the eighties But gravity always wins The next verse is a specific criticism of facades. The eighties marked the heyday of cosmetic surgery, ushering in a genre of image obsession and appearance alteration. For many people, plastic surgery was a panacea to lifes problems, a way of handling the aesthetic imperfections that society places so much negative emphasis on. But changing how you look is only a superficial way of feeling better about yourself, so its not surprising that Yorke associates this form of surgery with artificial gain.