Power over Peoples Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Power over Peoples - Essay Example Western Imperialism or ‘the expansion of Europe’ manifested itself in two phases: the Old Empires of the 16th century, and the New Imperialism of the mid 19th centuries. Technology counts as one of the major contributing factors to the success of the western imperialism mostly in the New Imperialism as it advantaged the Europeans and their associates, making them succeeded in controlling many states of the globe. They could travel over long seas in steamships and boats, travel and transport widely by use of railways, conquer more states because they had better armor, and lastly their development in medicine saw them withstand such in the different cultures they embarked on. Technology here refers to the extensive ability that humans can acquire from the use of environmental energy and materials in doing what the body cannot do on its own. When technology changes for the better, or advances, it is referred to as superior technology, superior in that it gives one powers mo re than nature, such as using a machine to travel farther, and faster. Technology favored the Western Imperialism as they had two main sources of innovation that is culture and the competitive nature of the West. Culture enabled them to rule over nature through scientific experiments and research. The competitiveness of the western states made each state to strive for gain of advantage over the other in a bid to control more of the outside world than other states. Historians have long tried to define some occurrence in the Western Imperialism without much success. The myth in it is that the New Imperialism spread so fast in less time, and was more successful than the Old Imperialism. Did the use of fast growing technology facilitate the success of the New Imperialism in a shorter time than did the Old Empires? In addition, did the impact of imperialism force the affected to react by innovating means of survival? From Chapter 1: Discovery and conquering of the Seas Headrick (2010) ex plains the mastering of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans, revealing that the move was not for exploration. Rather, it was due to the quest of religious, commercial, and military dominance over other cultures. He uses Portugal to elaborate the onset of nautical innovations that saw it rise to form an empire of the Indian Ocean. At first, it was so unlikely for Portugal to raise to such heights, owing to its approximate population of a million people, most of who were fishermen and farmers, and its lack of resources that made it a poor state. In addition, it appeared unstable because of its ever-in-war status with North African Muslims and the Castile (Headrick, 2010). However, they defied these odds and went on to acquire their empire status, a first in Europe, powered by some factors such as the urge of Christians to fight Muslims even after leaving Portugal that made them find means of pursuing them. Then there was the craving for gold and spices, both of which led to them inventing navigation and ships. To add to their success was Henry the Navigator, son of King John I, an explorer and soldier who trained people in map-making and navigation. He is responsible for the success of the Portuguese in sailing to the African West Coast to defeat the Muslims, spread Christianity, and establish new trade routes (Headrick, 2010). The English and Dutch later joined in exploring the Asian coasts and offered stiff

Assessing The Ethical Foreign Policy Makers Politics Essay

Assessing The Ethical Foreign Policy Makers Politics Essay Kant states that we are rational beings; we can free ourselves from the casual necessity of the ordinary world of feelings and inclinations, and can follow the pure moral law, given by reason alone. The debate of means and ends is deeply involved in ethics and ethical foreign policy. Academics suggest that means and goals should be judged by the same set of ethical principles. Often actions that states undertake for a particular purpose can be ethical or unethical. Ethics can be defined as a complete and coherent system of convictions, values and ideas that provides a grid within which some sort of actions can be classified as evil, and so to be avoided, while other sort of actions can be classified as good, and so to be tolerated or even pursued  [1]   If ethics involves a choice between what is morally right and what is morally wrong, the possibility for ethical actions in foreign policy has proven in the past to be quite limited. Ethical foreign policy What passes for ethical standards for governmental policies in foreign affairs is a collection of moralisms, maxims, and slogans, which neither help nor guide, but only confuse, decision  [2]  . DEAN ACHESON Foreign policy is the area of politics that seeks to bridge the boundary between the nation state and its international environment. It refers to decision and actions that involve relations between an independent actor and other actors in the international arena  [3]  . The essential aims of foreign policy are the promotion of safety and prosperity. Sometimes domestic, international and regional actors and factors limit this aims. It has been argued by analysts that morality sits poorly to political action. This is due to the fact that is not always possible to make the best choice, and often the chosen one could be quite far from what is considered the best possible in the political world. Analysts suggest that an ethical foreign policy could be acceptable if: The procedure of the decision- making meets the demands of democratic decision-making. The consequences of the policy alternatives should be more useful than any alternative options examined. The human rights should not be violated. Idealists, Realists, Pragmatists The idealist school of thought states that ethics should govern all relationships. Furthermore, they argue that morality should not be taken in consideration only in domestic political life and ignored where other nations are concerned. Realists such as Machiavelli and Hobbes argue that the state of war is unavoidable in the world politics. The ethical problem of a separation between action and the notion of justice was central to the thinking of Machiavelli. In The Prince, he offers some immoral advice to the new prince: he must know when to act as a beast, how to look only to appearance, how not to be good. Machiavellis ethics consists in recognizing that the existence of human beings is burdened with conflicts  [4]  . Realists sustain that ethics is cultural and therefore variable and controversial. Pragmatists enunciate that foreign policy cannot be based on an absolute ethical ore unqualified national interest foundation. It must be factor in both but not totally reliant in one or another. The Doctrine of Double Effect and decision-making The principle of double effect states that we are responsible of those consequences of our acts which are both anticipated and intended  [5]  . This principle relies on the fact that states are allowed to carry out certain measures conscious from the fact that the measures have possible negative consequences. This Doctrine has later on combined to the Just War tradition related to the humanitarian military interventions. We are aware that is not ethical to attack non-fighting civilians, but according to the tradition it could be that states can attack morally even though the damages to the non-fighting parties can be anticipated. The moral value is determined by the actors intentions and motives. Nevertheless, it is quite difficult to determine the motives. If we take the example of the US attacking Iraq we cannot draw a line between the interests and the real motives, we do not know if the US wanted to free the people from the dictator or to ensure oil supply. Decision-making and evaluations of their consequences are often uncertain. Actors should evaluate better the consequences of their actions, for example, they should consider the effects of a war that could lead to environmental issues , to violence, that often is directed towards civilians and to the development aid which can lead to corruption of the administration. Often actors ignore such considerations in the pre- decision- making process. Decision-making and ethical evaluation remains an issue. In a representative democracy, citizens elect and authorize decision-makers to make decisions for the state to make decision on their behalf. They estimate how the state is promoting national interest; the foreign policy decision- makers represent their morals especially during the election process. Arnold Wolfers states that foreign policy decision making is not beyond moral judgment but rests on moral choices  [6]  . The National interest A democratic definition of the national interest does not accept the distinction between a morality-based and an interest based foreign policy. Moral values are simply intangible interests  [7]  . JOSEPH S. NYE JR. Democratic governments use strategic deceptions by justifying them with the concept of national interest. The division between what is in the national interest and what can be morally justified is often questionable. The national interest is the taking-for-granted base line for foreign policy within all the major parties ( Diana Francis CCTS REVIEW 33). It is a slippery concept, used to describe as well as prescribe foreign policy. It covers five crucial areas of foreign policy: Security, autonomy, welfare, status and prestige and economy. When we speak about national interest we almost always mean the common good of the members of political communities organized as sovereign states not the common good of nations that is, imagined communities of people united by ethnicity, language, history, culture, mythology or kinship (Anderson 1991)  [8]  . The phrase the national interest masks exactly which values leaders are attempting to promote and which they are willing to sacrifice   [9]  . Morgenthau considered as the ultimate realist philosopher, equated interest defined as power  [10]  . He argues that; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦There is a misconception, usually associated with the general depreciation and moral condemnation of power politics that international politics is so thoroughly evil that it is no use looking for moral limitations of the aspirations for power on the international scene. Yet, if we ask ourselves, what political leaders and diplomats are capable of doing to further the power objectives of their respective nations and what they actually do, we realize that they do less than they actually did in other periods of historyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [11]   In the last decade, western government policy-makers have considered ethics shifting away from the realist approach, where the national interest was the basis of policy-making. This policy shift has meant that the declarations of ethical foreign policy emanating from the governments of leading world powers are often uncritically taken at face value and assumed to be simply the right thing to do (The Guardian, 27 March 1999). The drive to act in the interests of others, rather than in purely national interests, can be seen in the justifications for a host of new policy initiatives including major international involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, former Yugoslavia, East Timor and Sierra Leone in recent years.  [12]  For many commentators, the new, ethical nature of international foreign policy was given clearest expression in the international communitys support for military intervention in the 1999 Kosovo war  [13]  . The US intervention against Afghanistan in 2001 was framed using an ethical language underlying that the US was caring of others and was not pursuing its national interest. George W. Bush described the bombing of Afghanistan as an action of generosity of America and our allies in the aid of oppressed people of Afghanistan(Bush 2001). The US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld stated that the military action was following previous US-led interventions in Kuwait, Northern Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia and Kosovo, for the purpose of denying hostile regimes the opportunity to oppress their own people and other people he continues adding that We stand with those Afghans who are being repressed by a regime that abuses the very people it purports to lead( Rumsfeld 2001). David Chandler argues that western governments justified their military action to remove the Afghan regime, after September 11, through the condemnation of human rights record of the Taliban government, Tony Blair stated that; Look for a moment at the Taliban regime. It is undemocratic. That, goes without saying. There is no sport allowed, or television or photography. No art or culture are permitted Women are treated in a way almost too revolting to be credible. First driven out of university; girls not allowed to go to school; no legal rights; unable to go out of doors without a man. Those that disobey are stoned (Blair 2001). Tony Blairs statement shows again that the US and UK dont give other solution that military intervention. This was a further hint behind ethics, without taking in consideration the consequences on human rights. According to Mary Robinson ethical goals, like human rights protection are held to be moral duties and therefore the responsibility of everyone ( The Guardian, 23 October 1999) The ethical dimension Non- violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages  [14]   -Thomas Alva Edison On May 1997, the Labour government returned into power in Britain. An immediate change of the new government was the disclosing of the Mission Statement for the FCO. The Statement reads: The Mission of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is to promote the national interests of the United Kingdom and contribute to a strong international communityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ We shall pursue that Mission to secure for Britain four benefits through our foreign policy, the four benefits being security, prosperity, the equality of life and mutual respect. We shall work though our international forums and bilateral relationships to spread the values of human rights, civil liberties and democracy which we demand for ourselves (FCO, 1997a) Robin Cook (Foreign Secretary) seen as the initiating champion of ethical foreign policy strengthened the launch of the Statement: The Labour Government does not accept that political values can be left behind when we check in our passports to travel on diplomatic business. Our foreign policy must have an ethical dimension and must support the demands of other peoples for the democratic rights on which we insist for ourselves. We will put human rights at the heart of our foreign policy. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office ( Ethics and foreign policypg 15-16) Cook made the arms trade an issue. He made the following commitment in 17 July 1997 during his speech; Britain will refuse to supply the equipment and weapons with which regimes deny the demands of their peoples for human rightsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(FCO, 1997c) It was evident that such a policy might have consequences for British prosperity. Prosperity and mutual respect in the Mission Statement are described as a product of national interests. This could bring to the result of a trade-off between the two benefits, in other words one benefit could be scarified in order to achieve the other. Interests is associated with prosperity and ethics with mutual respect. This is the reason why potential conflicts between an interest -based foreign policy and a ethically conducted one are caused. For a long time during his career as Foreign Secretary it was difficult to divert the closure that ethical discussions will be adapted only if they were cost free. Cook allowed arms deals to proceed , the sale of Hawk jets and armoured vehicles to Indonesia are an example that ­ breached any possible notion of ethical exports and respect of human rights. In this case Britain has failed to act as a good citizen because it has placed selfish economic advantag e prior to human rights concerns  [15]  . He did, eventually, resign over Iraq, but he never pointed to the ethical contradiction inherent in being prepared to attack another country on the pretext that it had acquired weapons of mass destruction while his own country had them in abundance and was not honouring its NPT treaty obligations to get rid of them  [16]  . In the Blair government, militarism was the favoured mean of action and used as rhetoric of justification. The air attacks on Serbia and Kosovo and the international occupation of the latter were presented as an ethical intervention that are been morally justified. This justification has been used as a reference point for the later justification of the bombardment, invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. Tony Blair has argued that it is vital for Britain to have war fighting as part of its way of being in the world. Peacekeeping, he says, is not enough. War fighting is an important element in our diplomac y. But the tone of moral rectitude is ever present  [17]  . The word foreign discourages an ethical approach and is inimical to it. For the British government necessity was the mother of morality. The use of the epithet dimension during the labour government was a wrong move as it has attracted public attention. Unlike previous governments the Labour government created the context for the development of human rights although it has failed in many occasions to live up with these, the labour government had the courage to attempt an ethical dimension to the foreign policy but failed to achieve this. Conclusion To conclude sovereignty is a value. As governments represent a hope and solution for citizens they should pursue an ethical foreign policy. This can aim at a moralizing state behaviour but cannot establish perfection because moral actions are obviously limited by the fear of war and economic collapse, these bring the sates to act in order to prevent threats considering less morality. Before undertaking any kind of actions government need to have a deep expertise of the case and to be morally aware. We can end agreeing with Hoffemann who stated that: the ethical dimension cannot be taken into consideration as todays states are not ready to commit Hara-kiri.

The End of The Storm :: Free Essays Online

The End of The Storm I've heard it said that an institution is the sum of it's parts, but I prefer to think of it as the average of them. My high school, Campbell Hall, was a great school not because of the fact that it had a large number of great faculty members and students, but because it had an eclectic mix of great people. Campbell hall has a diverse mix of forward thinking people being lead by one of the most regressive and closed minded men I have ever met, the Reverend Canon Thomas C. Clark. When I arrived at Campbell Hall in ninth grade I knew that it was Episcopalian, and being a person who is never quite happy with one religion this scared me a little. But I soon found out that chapel included services for Jewish high holy days, Ramadan, and any other religious holidays that were celebrated by the student body. I was extremely impressed with this. But I soon found out that the Administration was not as tolerant as the chaplain in charge with these services. My first problem with Reverend Clark was when, in ninth grade, a friend of mine's older sister was asked to leave school because she was pregnant. I was too young to truly appreciate the lack of compassion shown for this girl then, but I was old enough to know that this was not the right way to handle the situation. My first true confrontation with Reverend Clark was when four people in my twenty-two person sophomore English class were caught cheating on an exam. The high school principal got to the bottom of it and punished the guilty accordingly. A week later my class found out that Reverend Clark had decided to make an example out of these four by suspending the entire English class for a day in hopes of making any future cheaters fear the wrath of their peers as well as that of the administration. Well myself, my class, and the entire student body were not very pleased with this decision, so we decided to show up to class on the day of our suspension anyway. Clark caved in, and we all went to class. But the event which truly confirmed my abhorrence of Reverend Clark was when my friend Andrew wrote a stunning essay for his A.P. English class on the confusions of growing up gay. The End of The Storm :: Free Essays Online The End of The Storm I've heard it said that an institution is the sum of it's parts, but I prefer to think of it as the average of them. My high school, Campbell Hall, was a great school not because of the fact that it had a large number of great faculty members and students, but because it had an eclectic mix of great people. Campbell hall has a diverse mix of forward thinking people being lead by one of the most regressive and closed minded men I have ever met, the Reverend Canon Thomas C. Clark. When I arrived at Campbell Hall in ninth grade I knew that it was Episcopalian, and being a person who is never quite happy with one religion this scared me a little. But I soon found out that chapel included services for Jewish high holy days, Ramadan, and any other religious holidays that were celebrated by the student body. I was extremely impressed with this. But I soon found out that the Administration was not as tolerant as the chaplain in charge with these services. My first problem with Reverend Clark was when, in ninth grade, a friend of mine's older sister was asked to leave school because she was pregnant. I was too young to truly appreciate the lack of compassion shown for this girl then, but I was old enough to know that this was not the right way to handle the situation. My first true confrontation with Reverend Clark was when four people in my twenty-two person sophomore English class were caught cheating on an exam. The high school principal got to the bottom of it and punished the guilty accordingly. A week later my class found out that Reverend Clark had decided to make an example out of these four by suspending the entire English class for a day in hopes of making any future cheaters fear the wrath of their peers as well as that of the administration. Well myself, my class, and the entire student body were not very pleased with this decision, so we decided to show up to class on the day of our suspension anyway. Clark caved in, and we all went to class. But the event which truly confirmed my abhorrence of Reverend Clark was when my friend Andrew wrote a stunning essay for his A.P. English class on the confusions of growing up gay.

John Locke’s Influence on United States Government

John Locke and American Government John Locke is one of the most influential writers and political philosophers in history. On top of that he is most likely the most influential in the forming of the American constitution. Many of the ideas that Locke had formed were used in the creation of the United States Constitution. He left an abundance of thoughts and ideas on human understanding, religion, economics, and politics that still influence the structure, environment, and operation of public administration today. One of Locke’s most noted ideas is his concept of the separation of powers. This concept was the most influential on the structure of American government. The idea behind it was to make sure that no branch of government would attain too much power. This was done through a system of checks and balances in which each branch of government had the power to override another branch in case they did something wrong. The affect this had on American government created the structure that we see today between the Judicial, Legislative, and executive branches. Another one is very well known ideas was the idea of natural rights. The natural rights were rights that every citizen had obtained upon being born. These rights included life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness. Locke had said that these rights should never be able to be taken away by the government. He believed that it was the government’s job to protect these rights of the citizens instead of take them away. Locke had also believed in the consent of the governed. He believed that a group of people could not be governed unless they given consent to the government. Through this he questioned whether monarchy is legitimate if it is not chosen by the people. This led to the idea known as the social contract, in which the government protected the people’s natural rights in exchange for the people’s consent to be governed. John Locke himself had said, â€Å"every man being, as has been should, naturally free, and nothing being able to put himself into subjection to any earthly power, but only his own consent†. John Locke greatly influenced the structure of American government that we have today. Without John Locke and his ideas our government would be completely different and it is possible that the American Revolution would have never happened.

My Favorite Hobbies

Movie is one of my biggest hobbies. Each film has its own beauty, therefore, it’s really hard for me to pick one to be the movie that I like the most. However, according to some films I have watched recently, it is nothing but ‘the pursuit of happiness’ which has great influence on me. The beautiful relationship between father and son is the thing that makes me like it. ‘The pursuit of happiness’ tells us the story of a father and his little son. After a fail investment, the father – which was acted by Will Smith – loses everything: his wife, his house, his money. The only thing that helps the man keep on living is his little son. The whole movie describes those worst days of his life. No money, no place to live, the two men even have to sleep in a public rest – room. I really like the way the main character protects his son, the way he fights against fate and the way he gets back his life. Thanks for the director – Gabriele Muccino – ‘the pursuit of happiness’ has a happy ending. Will Smith is famous for action films but this time, he shows the audience a new appearance. Rarely can I see such a wonderful movie about relationship between father and son like this. It is a bit embarrassing but I still have to admit that I cried when watching this movie. If you are the type of people who like movies about family, you should not miss ‘the pursuit of happiness’. I have many hobbies,such as reading,swimming,and watching TV. But reading is my favourite hobby. I like reading for three reasons. First of all,books introduce me to a new world,which is colorful and without time and space limit,Though reading,I can trace back to ancient Egypt,the cradle of human civilization. It can bring myself to the United states,a glamorous land I have been longing to visit. Secondly,reading can better myself by showing me a new horizon. In the past years,most of my knowledge has been obtained form books. I have learned form many people by reading about their ideas on science,politics,life and society. Thirdly,reading the gap between my dream and my goal. In order to succeed in my career in the future,I must keep reading,thinking and practicing. Reading has become part of my life. Every day,I spend some time reading books,newspaper and magazines. At night,I can hardly go to steep without a novel in my hand.

Boeing 717 Airplane †Double Narrative Creative Writing Story

Boeing 717 Airplane – Double Narrative Creative Writing Story Free Online Research Papers Boeing 717 Airplane Double Narrative Creative Writing Story An airplane (Boeing 717) that loosing every single connection with the ground control, avoided from being crashed into another plane (Boeing 777) in a half of a second. 717s account: Come in Boeing 717, come i†¦.. that was the last words that Eric Kingston, the pilot of this new Boeing 717 heard from the ground control center, before he realized that the communication line is dead, and also his radar. This, and the fact that it was a very cloudy, and dark night, made him completely unaware of his environment- he was totally blind. What happened? asked a panicked voice. It was Cris- his secondary pilot. I don’t know, it seems like we lost the connection to the ground control, and our radar is dead too. He paused but I don’t think we are in problem, the guys down there are good, Im sure they will fix it in no-time he said to calm Cris down, but it did not seem to effect. We are going to die, arent we? asked Cris quietly. No we are not! Relax; everything is going to be okay. After all, Kingston is 55 years old and he is a pilot for nearly 35 years. But Cris was only 21 years old and it was his first flight. He remembered how he didnt want to take Cris with him he is too young Bill! Im not taking him! What am I, a babysitter? he said only two hours ago to Bill Collins- his superior. Relax Eric, he wont do anything to you, but he needs the practice. Kingston knew that he cant argue with him- only because they were friends Collins informed it to him, otherwise, he wouldnt even tell him this until the flight itself. Okay, Ill take him- but if I wont like something that he may do, Im throwing him off. I knew you will agree, I think you will like the kid said Collins with a smile. Like I had a choice, Kingston thought sadly. A sudden roar brought him back from his thoughts. What happened? yelped Cris. Probably one of the passengers got sick, relax. He said. But he himself couldnt. Something happened, he thought. He tried to contact with the ground. Nothing. He tried some more buttons. Still nothing. Then he saw it- a huge silver metal object was approaching toward him very fast, very very fast. He saw it like in a dream, everything suddenly become very slow and clear. A flash of light- he saw his wife and daughter in front of him, another flash- he saw his first flight, another- his wedding, another- his last birthday- he saw all of his life flashes before his eyes. Then, like a warm up of an engine, there was a huge explosion, he heard someone scream, he felt his head knocking into something hard and then it all went dark. What happened? these were the first two words that came out of Kingstons mouth when he woke up 15 seconds afterwards. He felt like he was run over by a car, and was shivering in his seat. It cant be death- he thought. Then he understood. Apparently, Cris grabbed the wheels in the last second and save his, Kingstons and another 100 passengers lives. But the plane was still out of control, and was flipping in the air like a peace of paper in a tornado. Kingston was able to return the plane to his normal position, and all he was able to hear before he said thank you to his secondary pilot and passed out again, was a great applause behind the door. 777s account: Come in Boeing 717, come in†¦. No answer. Come in Boeing 717, come in†¦. Still no answer You are approaching in our course too fast Boeing 717, change course. I repeat- change course Silent. What in the name of god are they doing? asked in astonishment Arthur Present- the main pilot of Boeing 777. I don’t know sir, it looks like they are not going to change their course soon replied his assistant. It was true- the 717 was flying straight toward them. Maybe it’s a problem with our radar sir. Maybe Should I change our course? he asked. No, I have direct orders about the course, stay on it. Yes sir It was indeed very cloudy and dark night, and neither the pilot, nor his assistant suspected that the 717 is completely blind, and it is not going to change its course soon enough. The last few seconds were vital- it was only then when they realized that the 717 was not going to change course at time. They saw the plane in front of them too late to react. The crash was unstoppable. Then the 717 turned sharply, but not sharply enough to avoid some scratches. Or more- before anyone of them was able to understand how lucky they were that the 717s pilot has good instincts, Present began to loose control. We have a fuel leak! shouted the assistant Hold tight! This is going to be very nasty! shouted Arthur through the roars of the back engines. They flipped in the air, as they were starting to dive into the sea- an infinite body of black, scary and unknown water. To imagine the sound of metal that has 500 passengers, weights about 300,000 kg, has 170,000 liters of fuel and 60 meters of wing span, hitting the ocean from 35,000 feet in a speed of 970 k/ph + the gravity force, you need to be there- but almost nobody that was there survived. Neither did them. Research Papers on Boeing 717 Airplane - Double Narrative Creative Writing StoryNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Hockey GameMind TravelThe Spring and AutumnHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionBringing Democracy to AfricaPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHip-Hop is Art

102 Proposal and 2BR02B Professor Ramos Blog

102 Proposal and 2BR02B Quick Write Quick Write What is a problem, local, personal, or national, that you would like to write about? Come up with a few. Proposal Intro Lets go over the  proposal prompt  for the first essay. Brainstorming Lets come up with a big list of problems we can possibly write about. 2BR02B Solution The proposal asks that we define a problem and come up with a solution that we can implement to the problem. It is important in critical thinking to think thought the decisions. If you come up with a solution, you have to think of the implications it will have. Will it lead to problems in the future? While we may not be able to predict with certainty if it will cause problems, we can think through it and anticipate some possible negative outcomes. Obstacles to Critical Thinking The topic is too controversial. The topic hits â€Å"too close to home.† Personal experience with topic. The topic disgusts you. Begin Research Begin researching the problem you are thinking of writing about. Find at least one source to use for your first essay that helps you to define the problem. Do not assume that the problem is real! Question your assumptions and find proof from a reliable source.