Comparing Japan and Russias Response before 1914 Essay Example for Free

Comparing Japan and Russias Response before 1914 Essay In the early 19th century Russian rulers did anything in their power to keep the French plague from infiltrating Russia. The French Plague was a gradual move towards freedom and a more influential say in government. Russia avoided the French Plague by a period of isolation and oppression of their people. Japan also had a long period of isolation. The Japanese believed in the Mandate of Heaven or that there culture was the best. Because of their ethnocentric culture, only one Japanese port, Nagasaki, was open to traders once a year. During the late 19th century, both Russia and Japan were forced to make reforms and modernize by industrialization. They both had to do so rapidly because of Western interference and the Wests increasing power in trade. During the early 20th century, Russia and Japan had managed to reform, industrialize, and make sufficient changes to build powerful nations, although they still couldnt compete with the Wests supreme military and technological strength. The industrialization process for both Russia and Japan began during the same time period because of this they both shared many similar industrial responses, but also contrasted in many ways. Both Russia and Japan had some common characteristics, which explained how they kept independent from Western interference for such a long period of time. The two nations both new that learning from outsiders could profit them and not necessarily destroy their culture. Industrialization was easy for them because they followed a system of borrow and improve from other countries. Through Japans Tokugawa shogunate and Russias tsarist empire, both nations improved their political success. Instead, they used the state to pay for changes that in the West was backed by private businesses. In both Russia and Japan their rulers received more power. By emancipating the Russian serfs and the peasant class, both nations had a large labor force. Besides similarities there were also many differences in both nations responses to industrialization. Women were treated very differently in both Russian and Japanese societies, in society and in the home. The education of their people was another contrast because in Japan the literacy levels were higher. In Japan, market forms were more extensive going into peasant agriculture. As Russia possessed more land they automatically had more natural resources then did Japan. Japan and Russian responses to government reform was also a major factor of industrialization. The similarities between Russia and Japan were many. Russia and Japan were able to industrialize so easily because of past imitation experience. Japan copied from China and Russia from the Byzantine Empire. Japan took the Confucian system from China and other scientific and medical knowledge. Russia borrowed its bureaucratic rule from Byzantium. They felt that taking from other cultures would not destroy their own. During industrialization, both Japan and Russia managed to keep their own cultures and religions despite their increased borrowing from the West. In the West private businesses backed entrepreneurs, where as in Russia and Japan the entrepreneurs were provided for by the state because of lack of technology and resources. Russian landlords happily took advantage of Western markets for grain, they increased their exports by tightening the labor obligations of the serfs. Russias agricultural society was based on serf labor. The Crimean War fought on the Black Sea between the Ottoman Empire, Britain and France against Russia. The loss was a huge blow to Russia whom realized that they needed to drastically improve their technology and their military. Tsar Alexander II knew that the only way to develop a mobile labor force to industrialize was to free the serfs. The emancipitation of the serfs in 1861 fulfilled Russias need for cheap flexible labor. Japan similarly needed a larger labor force to industrialize. In Japan the peasants whom were kicked off their land moved to cities to work in factories. The samurai, who were replaced by technology and armies, became another part of the labor force when they were no longer provided for by the state. In both nations the political power was centralized. The tsar appointed zemstvoes, or local political councils that regulated roads, schools and other regional policies. The zemstvoes undertook important inquiries into local problems. They owed the tsars complete and utter loyalty. In Japan in 1871 when the new Meiji government took over they abolished feudalism, replacing the daimyos with a system of nationally appointed prefects. Prefects are district administrators who are picked from different regions. The prefects like the Russian zemstvoes owed complete loyalty to the emperor. The Meiji rulers began to widen the power of the state to effect social and economic change. Another similarity was that both Russia and Japan improved their military.  Russias officer corps was reformed by promotion by merit and newly organized essential services. Peasants were able to be recruited and they learned new skills from their military service. In Japan a stronger military unit replaced the samurai with weapons, advanced technology, and a high sense of organization. Industrialization was part of the greater process of change. The trans-Siberian railroad connected European Russia with the Pacific Ocean. The railroad directly expanded Russias coal and iron sectors. The Railroad also fueled the export of grain to the West, which became necessary to earn foreign currency for advanced Western machinery. As a result of the railroad, Siberia was opened to development and brought Russia into a more active Asian role. Factories began to be built in all cities by the goods that were transported by the railroad. In Japan also there was attention focused on making the conditions necessary for industrialization. State wide railroads were built across the country and rapid steamers connected the islands. Agricultural output was raised by new methods to feed the people of the growing cities. There were also many differences in Japan and Russias response to industrialization. The literacy rates in Japan were much higher then that of Russia. Japan followed the Confucian teachings. Commoner schools or terakoya provided reading, writing, and the basic Confucianism to ordinary people. During the mid 19th century over 40% of all men were literate and about 15% of women were too. There were also Dutch study schools in all the major cities teaching the students to throw out Chinese influence and to adapt the Wests. Where as Russias educational reforms werent as progressive and were very limited. Schools were spread out unevenly although there were some attempts for a state sponsored education. Womens position both in the home and in society varied between the two nations greatly. Women in Russia had a chance to get a greater education and some even progressed far enough to get jobs in medicine. In Russia during the 1860s-1870s, women started taking more control over the home scene particularly in urban work areas. In Japan, womens position in society was  the exact opposite. Women were treated as inferior while the men were honored. Women were also forced to work in sweatshops or were sold into service by farm families. Russian and Japanese reforms in government were also different. For Russia to reform the government against the tsars there were many revolts and in Japan it was mostly agreed upon. Most high-class business people wanted to have a greater say in government in Russia, they wanted to enact liberal reforms. The intellects, or intelligentsia, became very active when the educated youth started some revolts. The anarchists of Russia wanted to destroy all forms of government, especially the tsarist autocracy. The anarchist radicals soon resorted to violent means of getting their point across, resulting in terrorism. . As a result, many revolts and acts of violence persisted in order to gain reform and to abolish the czarist regime itself, Russia, as a nation was severely unstable. This resulted in the creation of the Duma, or known as the Russian national parliament. Japans approach to government reform was different. They reformed in a more or less gradual and peaceful way. Meiji rulers traveled to discover up to date political reforms. In the year 1884 they constructed a conservative nobility, with former nobles and Meiji leaders would run a House of Peers (modeled after Britain). The bureaucracy was opened to talent by civil service examinations. Finally in 1889, the constitution was passed allowing Japans emperor limited power in the Diet, the new parliament. Parliament could advise government but not directly control it. Finally, Russia and Japan responses to industrialization differed because of the natural resources they possessed. Russia contained abundant amounts of coal and iron, both necessary for industrialization such as trains of the time. Russia naturally had more resources because of the amount of land under Russian rule. By 1900, Russia had  surged to fourth rank in the world in steel production and was second to the United States in the petroleum production and refining. Where as Japan and was dependent on the West for there industrialization needs. This was a disadvantage for Japan their success depended on the world trade market. The beginnings of industrialization in Russia and Japan, contributed greatly to the Worlds trade market and cultures. Both Russia and Japan modernized in there own unique way, Russia with revolutions and Japan with their nationalistic reforms. Without their rapid industrialization and influence on world affairs, today as we know it wouldnt be the same.

Legalization of Marijuana Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Drug Histo

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For decades the marijuana prohibition has been violating individual’s rights, but scientific research has proven that marijuana has therapeutic uses and is harmless compared to other drugs. Therefore, marijuana should not be considered a dangerous drug and should be legalized. The prohibition of marijuana did not end with crime; nonetheless, it is responsible for the imprisonment of thousands of its users. The government’s campaign against marijuana has also created cultural factors that make the use of marijuana socially unacceptable. However, it should be up to each individual to decide if he/she wants to use marijuana whether it is for pleasure or for therapeutic reasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The legalization of marijuana has been strongly debated since the 1920s and 1930s, when it was first recognized as a dangerous drug, and tabloid newspapers popularized exaggerated stories of violent crimes allegedly committed by immigrants intoxicated by marijuana (Grinspoon, Marihuana Reconsidered 118). In 1937, the Marihuana Tax Act was signed to prohibit the use of marijuana because marijuana supposedly caused violent crimes, â€Å"sexual excess,† addiction, and led to the use of harder drugs (Grinspoon, Marihuana Reconsidered 118). In the 1970s, the government created the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) to study the effects of marijuana (Weir 26). The NIDA published many claims concerning marijuana use, but they did not have evidence to support their claims (Weir 26). This misinformation and the government’s campaign against marijuana made the legalization of marijuana impossible. Marijuana is a harmless drug, but it has not been legalized because people believe most of the anti-marijuana claims. Research studies have proven that marijuana helps the individual experience a sense of well being, relieves fatigue, stimulates the appetite, and induces a feeling of mild stimulation (McDonough 50). Another advantage of marijuana is that experienced users can control the degree and quality of the intoxication by â€Å"coming down† when it is necessary to perform (McDonough 50). Marijuana does not cause sexual excess because daily use of marijuana has not been found to alter testosterone or other sex hormone levels like alcohol use, which lowers testosterone levels (Grinspoon, â€Å"Whither Medical Marijuana† 28). Marijuana is not an addictive drug. National epidemiological sur... ...ugh it is harmless and has medical uses (â€Å"NORML Report on Marijuana†). Over ten million people use marijuana regularly even though it is illegal, which clearly shows that the government’s anti-marijuana campaign has been useless (â€Å"NORML Report on Marijuana†). The government should stop spending scarce federal funds on the campaign against marijuana, and use that money to conduct more research so that the Food and Drug Administration can approve the legalization of marijuana (Grinspoon, â€Å"Whither Medical Marijuana† 27). No amount of research is likely to show that marijuana is as dangerous as tobacco and alcohol because marijuana is a harmless drug. If marijuana had official medical uses, then people would be more likely to accept it. Also, the legalization of marijuana would be regulated so it would not be a threat to society and its users. There are many people who need the legalization of marijuana for medical reasons, but people who us e it for â€Å"fun† also have a right to use it without fearing to be arrested. Marijuana should be legalized for all citizens in the United States, and it should be up to each individual to decide if he/she wants to use marijuana, not the government.

How Technology Has Changed Our Lives Essay

Technology has altered our lives significantly in 20 years. It has advanced in many things like phones, computers, television, science, etc. Devices I think devices have improved the most in 20 years. In my opinion, I feel it has made our lives more independent. It enables us to wonder about things further, and then become curious and Google it. For example, when we aren’t sure of what to do (for school projects, DIY jobs) we can just pull up a site such as Ask.com, Answers.com and get instant help. Devices also have several reminder, alarm, note and calculator applications, making you stress-free. The internet now allows shopping lovers to purchase everything, from pencils to penthouses. And when you’re on the go, you’ll never be bored with games and book applications. Education Education has changed a lot too, and you might not notice it. If a kid is doing geography, they can access sites like Google Earth and explore the world in 3D. They are now able to access websites for checking homework, reminders, and important events. Teachers hardly ever use blackboards now, thanks to the new touch sense screens called SmartBoards. And for homeschooled kids ,they get just the same education as regular schooled kids. They can log on to online programs where they have lessons from real teachers via voice calls. Now a teacher is not limited by the number of chairs in her classroom. One teacher can teach 100 kids at a time. Medicine In the field of medicine, technology has truly saved millions of lives. Doctors have found cures to so many diseases, which were otherwise at one time fatal. Doctors can study the human body so very closely now, with things like CT scans and x-rays. With CT scans, doctors can examine everything in the human body to determine a certain problem that the person may have. Doctors have also developed more antibiotics, which are mandatory when a person is sick. These are just a few of the reasons how technology has changed our lives in 20 years. Read more:Â  Technology Improving Our Lives

Mozart and the Whale Reaction Paper - 980 Words

Mozart and the Whale is loosely based on the true story of two people with Asperger’s syndrome, and tells the story of how they developed a relationship and eventually married. Nearly the entire cast is composed of characters with disabilities who have been joined together as a support group by the main character, Donald. Donald has Asperger’s syndrome and forms the group so he can have friends. Isabelle, who also has Asperger’s Syndrome, joins Donald’s group and the two have a lot in common. Most of their similarities come from Asperger’s Syndrome - they never know what to say, they yell out inappropriate comments, they share a love for animals, and both have strong preferences. They struggle to sort out their differences, most of which†¦show more content†¦Isabelle’s disability keeps her from seeking employment; she accepts that she will not fit in. I think this might be a common feeling among people with disabilities. After being rejected by employers, and even peers, and not feeling comfortable in social situations, it must take a lot of effort to consider seeking employment. Relationships and Romantic Life One of the main aspects of this movie is how these people with Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism deal with relationships. The support group was formed by Donald because he had no friends and no social life. The people in the group enjoy being around people like them and who are accepting of their eccentricities.This illustrated how difficult it must be to not only have a disability, but one in which there is such difficulty in understanding other people and relating to them. I work at Reedley College, and I have often seen groups of students from our Workability III program spending time together during lunch, or in the same campus club. I think they seek each other out because they have experienced similar issues with social acceptance, and because they feel they can be themselves without feeling uncomfortable. The message conveyed about friendship was both positive and negative. People with disabilities seek friends and emotional support just lik e everyone else. The positive message is they found each other to provide that support. The negative aspect is they had to seek each other for that