The Effects of Literary, Spiritual and Scientific Concerns on Bodegones and Still Life Paintings during the Spanish Golden Age

Introduction Still paintings and bodegones were very popular during the Spanish golden age. Still paintings and bodegones are artistic works that are at times characterized by inanimate representations. During the Spanish golden era, they were usually portrayed by the arrangement of objects in such anesthetic manner. Unlike those of the rest of Europe that portrayed pleasure, luxurious and flamboyant lifestyles of plentitude, the Spanish still paintings and bodegones had moral and economical cost cutting elements (Thacker, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of Literary, Spiritual and Scientific Concerns on Bodegones and Still Life Paintings during the Spanish Golden Age specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This was because of the major influence of spiritual and scientific concerns of the time which in turn affected the much fancied literature works. The backgrounds were made in a geometrically design ed blocks. Economic management, budgeting and cost cutting as emphasized in the society of the time were reflected in the paintings. The Portrait of Pope Innocent X Diego Velà ¡zquez did this Painting. The painter had been mainly influenced by religion in his early paintings and was done when the Spanish painter visited Italy. The painting reflected the respected and charismatic leader of the Catholic Church. The painting mainly represented the head, which had been expertly drawn using the aesthetic variety of the combinations of the crimson curtain. Due to the influence of the church, other artists redrew the painting in imitative style numerous times and Diego’s fame rapidly spread all over Italy. Before making the painting Diego had to prove that he was capable of painting the image of the pope with success. He was required to first paint the Pope’s closest associates which he did with success and hence allowed to make this portrait. The portrait is considered by m any as one of the finest and most surreal painting ever to be made. For an artist to be permitted an audience with the Pope, he had to be very renowned and widely acclaimed. For all artists, it was a life long dream to paint the pope. During this time, the church had a widespread influence on all sectors. The portrait was preserved where it continues to fascinate those who get a glimpse at it. Still life with Lemons oranges and a rose This masterpiece, which is still at display at the Norton Simon Museum, is a classical representation of the scientific and spiritual influence on the paintings of the Spanish golden era. The background is silhouetted against pitch darkness being illuminated by a kind of glaring dazzling unearthly light. It portrays the images as if they are in three dimensions though they are in two dimensions. Zurbaran, the artist behind the awesome painting, is best remembered for his classical paintings of spiritual figures. He was fond of painting saints and his p aintings depicted the saints’ devotion, dedication, and visions(Walther Suckale, 2002).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many critics have interpreted this still life image of lemons oranges and a rose to represent innocence and virginity. The citrons are said to be paschal fruit, chastity suggested by the blossoming appealing oranges, the rose and the cup filled with water as a symbol of life full of abundant, unconditional love and purity. The arrangement of the items is in such way they have been closely linked with the votive Christian offerings on an altar. Deus Pictor During the Spanish Golden Era, the notion that the Virgin Mary at the time of her conception had been exempted from the original sin was the dominant controversial topic. In Deus Pictor by an anonymous painter the concept of Immaculate, non-physical sexual Conception is clearly represented. The setting of the painting is set in heaven. God the Father has been depicted to take the form of an old bearded man and it is from this old man that rays of light are seen to originate, piercing through the cloud straight into the virgin. The virgin is contained in an eggshell and the finger of the creator is seen to pierce through the egg touching on the virgin The finger of God theme, which still circulates the modern world, is seen to be what the artist is implying about in this painting. The finger of God is said to work and perform wonders of which is what the artist portrays in the painting. The virgin is represented as a will and work of God of which the phrase the begotten son seem to imply here. The painting is a clear representation of the widespread influence of the church and the emphasis on appealing literature works. The virgin is portrayed as having a direct connection with heaven, a notion upheld up to date and people plead to the virgin to mediate on their behalf especially the Cath olics. This painting is also a symbol of how the virgin is divinely created and her conception a supernatural phenomena. This painting’s representation of the virgin as having direct link with heaven also represents the people’s high regard of the virgin and the notion of Immaculate Conception. Bodegon of Sanchez Cotan Sanchez was the main person behind the establishment and popularization of Spanish still life, which came to be popularly referred to as bodegon. In his painting, he masterfully illustrates the depiction of simple fruits and vegetables. He uses the scientific geometry to portray some as hanging from above while others appear leaning on the window. The background is darkened with all objects standing in asymmetrical equilibrium stature. The forms are arranged, scrutinized, and set in such a scientific evaluation that they take a mystic quality.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of Literary, Spiritual and Scientific Concern s on Bodegones and Still Life Paintings during the Spanish Golden Age specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The painting by Sanchez portrays the objects, which is the vegetables and different fruit types, in the painting to be independent of one another and isolated. The isolation provides for the revelation of the aesthetic nature of each object. The painting is able to reveal to the audience the most common fruits and vegetables of the time. Just like the other Spanish still image paintings, this classic painting by Sanchez depicts the scientific method used at the time for the preservation of foodstuffs. Food was hang and allowed to dangle so as to prevent them from rotting. This is a common feature of the classical Spanish golden age paintings as this was the science of the time. The Portrait of Philip IV Diego Velazquez painted the magnificent portrait of the art loving monarch, King Philip IV. This immediately earned him favour in th e eyes of the king and consequently he was appointed as a court painter, which was a prestigious post. His post enabled him to have access to even the royal works and collections. He was also able to access the works of the legendary artist, Titan. These works by Titan exerted the greatest influence on his later paintings. However, limited scientific innovations and advancement made the images made create an illusion of reality. This though at times remarkable, owed to the qualities of light as the source could not be diversified like can be done today using the reflective nature of light. The drawing of the king’s portrait enabled him to travel all over Europe as a collector of fine art for the royal family when the king was interested at adding his existing collection. He became a close friend of the king, which eventually led to him influencing greatly on the decisions of the king. It was also at his trip to Italy on an official mission for the king that he made the portra it of the Pope. The Pope was a very influential individual both spiritually and politically. Since the scientific advancements of the time did not afford him sophisticated brushes, he is said to have used the long handed brushes. The Pope was very intrigued and impressed by the dazzling and admirable portrait that Diego was subsequently admitted to the church owned academy of St Luke. This was a great honour to Diego who was also hosted at the congregation of the famous Virtuosi of pantheon. Scientific and Literature’s Effect on the Paintings Science and technology has affected the character of human beings throughout history. The Spanish golden age is characterized as an era that was experiencing renaissance after the dormant Middle Ages. Though not significant, scientific endeavours were still evolving. The images painted during that era especially the still images had common characteristics. Foodstuffs are painted dangling to illustrate the main preservative methods of the time. (Wilder, 2007)Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The buildings and architectural designs of the time directly affected the art industry. There was also the desire to decorate the large buildings erected. Since there were no cameras for pictures, paintings were the major decorative tools. The monarch had established the art department, which had even the art court. Painters got resources from the state to decorate the newly built structures with beautiful piece of art. Painting was recognized by the state with funds set aside for painting expenditures. Painting requires beautiful colours for an exemplary piece of art to be produced. Colours inventory and production was the work of science. The colours produced by scientific methods were the only one available for use and thus the artistic products were partially determined by science. Unlike in other European countries, Spanish economics emphasized the need for saving and people shunning flamboyant lifestyle. Therefore, the painting found in Spain did not depict luxurious wasteful, pleasure loving lifestyle. Poems and other literature art were very influential during the Spanish golden age. Poems were recited to the nobles and in public functions. Paintings to aid poets in their expression of ideas became a very popular. Poetry was a lucrative occupation and thus artists who associated themselves with literature works got hefty rewards. This thus attracted many artists The Church’s Patronage and Influence During the Spanish golden era, the church was the most influential body in almost all sectors. Due to his exemplary painting of the Pope, the Pope who was residing in Italy instructed the papal nuncio all the way in Madrid Spain to support and aid Diego using all means possible in his quest of becoming a knight. Consequently, on returning to Spain, the artist was appointed to the office of chamberlain despite fierce opposition by members of nobility. The appointment guaranteed him a handsome lucrative salary with his residence adjacent and connecting with the royal palace. In return, Diego used his prestigious post to advance the careers of other artists like that of his close family members. He is said to have helped his grandchildren and son-in law tremendously in an effort to polish their skills. Velazquez is known to have been greatly influenced by religion. In fact one of his paintings depicting of a scenario of Mary and Martha in advocacy of self sacrifice that has been used in the description of the life of a nun. The portrait was used to show that apart from serving diligently, a nun has also a contemplative meditative life. Due to religion, most of his paintings revealed the spiritual empathy the great artist employed in explaining the nature of people. His paintings were thus intended to make the audience engage in reflective, logical analysis if one was to arrive at the intended message. The church at the time can be termed as having been the superpower. The church like the state used art to express and represent its teachings and the belief in the spiritual nature of humankind was emphasized. The birth of Jesus Christ was stressed to be a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. During this period, which in history is referred to as the Middle Ages or medieval epoch, the Church was both respected and feared (Bailey, 1913). It was both spiritually and legally binding with a huge army to enforce its decisions. The church was thus not to be opposed. If one was disgruntled, then it was advisable to keep it to oneself than be in conflict with the church as one was to be executed or excommunicated. This authoritarian nature of the church is one of the main reasons for the split of the Protestants. Since the church was very influential especially in Spain, it is automatic that most of the artists were Roman Catholic faithful and their faith led them to painting mostly about spiritually approved images. In Spain, unlike some of the European countries, obscene art was rare as was portrayed as going against the religious teachings. Those paintings that were pleasing and admired by the church resulted to big and lucrative rewards. The fame, of the artist with the finest piece of work according to the church, skyrocketed and saw more contracts and respect. The influences of the church in the destiny of an artist, attracted many artists in painting spiritual events in an effort to earn a favour in the eyes of the church. Conclusion In the epoch of the Spanish golden age, the church, scientific endeavours and literature were the three most influential factors of the time. These fields affected how people thought and any activities in these areas were prioritized. The paintings made in epoch of the Spanish golden era, are held with high regards in the contemporary modern world and the artists of the time are considers the giants of painting and have become inspiration figures of modern art. Scientific use of geometrical calculations and alignments is evidenced in most of the paintings of the t ime (De Armas, 2004). The science of time was closely related with the church. The church and science of the time held the notion that the earth was the centre of the solar system. Therefore, most of the paintings about the universe put the earth at the centre. Primary Reference List Bailey, T. Twelve great paintings: personal interpretation. New York: The Prang Company, 1913, PP 37-46. De Armas., A. Writing for the Eyes in the Spanish Golden Age. New Jersey: Rosemont Publishing Printing Corp, 2004, PP 150-180. Thacker, J. A Companion to Golden Age Theatre. Woodbridge: Tamesis, 2007 PP 108- 130. Secondary Reference List Walther, F., Suckale, R. Masterpieces of Western Art: A History of Art in 900 Individual Studies. Bonn: Taschen, 2002, PP 198- 220. Wilder, B. Art History For Dummies. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2007, PP 167- 207. This essay on The Effects of Literary, Spiritual and Scientific Concerns on Bodegones and Still Life Paintings during the Spanish Golden Age was written and submitted by user Adrianna Houston to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Rosie Project Discussion Questions

'The Rosie Project' Discussion Questions In some ways, by Graeme Simsion is a light, fun read for book clubs that need a break from heavy books. Simsion does, however, give groups plenty to discuss about Asperger syndrome, love, and relationships. Hopefully, these questions will help you have fun discussing the book. Spoiler Warning: These questions contain details from the end of the novel. Finish the book before reading on. Discussion Questions Dons character is both more aware of some dynamics (social, genetic, etc) and also very oblivious to some of these. Take, for instance, when he is giving the lecture on Asperger syndrome and he says, A woman at the rear of the room raised her hand. I was focused on the argument now and made a minor social error, which I quickly corrected.The fat woman- ​an overweight woman- at the back? (10)What are some other examples of this kind of behavior that you remember from the novel? How did this add humor?The reader is supposed to understand that Don has Asperger syndrome. If you know anyone with this diagnosis, did you think it was an accurate portrayal?There were several times in the novel when Don misses the social rules, but the case he makes for his side is very logical. One example is the Jacket incident (43), when he does not understand that jacket required means suit jacket and tries to argue all the ways his Gore-tex jacket is superior. Did you find this, and other times l ike it, amusing? What were some of your favorite scenes? Did hearing his perspective make you rethink social conventions? (Or consider using the standardized meal plan?) Why do you think Don is so drawn to Rosie? Why do you think Rosie is drawn to Don?At one point, Don says about one of the father candidates, Apparently he had been an oncologist but had not detected the cancer in himself, a not-uncommon scenario. Humans often fail to see what is close to them and obvious to others (82). How does this statement, about people failing to see what is in front of them, apply to the different characters in the novel?Why do you think Don was so successful at selling cocktails? Did you enjoy this scene?The novel mentions that Don struggled with depression in his early twenties and also talked about his strained relationship with his family. How did he cope with these issues? Are he and Rosie similar in the ways they deal with hard parts of their past?What did you think of Gene and Claudias relationship? Was Genes behavior humorous or frustrating to you?Did you think it was believable in the end that Don would be able to see from the Deans perspective, the pe rspective of the student who cheated, Claudias perspective, etc? Why or why not? Did you guess who Rosies real father was? Which parts of the Father Project did you like the most (the basement confrontation, the bathroom escape, the trip to the nursing home, etc)?Graeme Simsion is publishing a sequel to The Rosie Project in December 2014- The Rosie Effect. Do you think the story could go on? Would you read the sequel?Rate The Rosie Project on a scale of 1 to 5.

Reading strategy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reading strategy - Term Paper Example A learner needs to survey the book or the article before reading it. A learner need to carry a quick over view of the article in an attempt to get the general overview and idea the author intends to communicate (Van Blerkom, 2009). This will help the reader to have some knowledge on all what the article or the book is all about even before embarking on serious reading of the article. Second step applied in this system of reading is the formulation of a question. A learner needs to formulate a key question he or she will be addressing before he engages herself in reading the article or section. For example, a heading like â€Å"sensory adaptation† can be changed to a question like â€Å"what is sensory adaptation†. Formulating questions force a reader to think about what they are reading about (Allen, 2008). It makes a reader to try to predict what the author main point will be. This gives the reader an ample time during the entire reading process as he or she is in a position to easily note down the key point from the article or the book she is reading. The learner after formulating the question, then he or she need to carefully go through the content of the article. This will help him, or her to get the crucial information that will help her in answering the question he or she had formulated in the second stage (Van Blerkom, 2009). As the learner tries to read the article in search of answers to the questions he had formulated before, he or she become actively involved in the text material. After going through the article, the learners need to recite the answer to the question they had formulated at the early stage. The learners need to record the answers using their different words. The learner should not necessarily look at the text they are reading as they recite the answers. If the learner finds it difficult to recall part or all the answers, then they need to glance over the section they were reading again (Allen,

Comparing West German Women and East German Women's Economic and Research Paper

Comparing West German Women and East German Women's Economic and Social Statuses Before and After Unification - Research Paper Example Restrictive policies especially the race of women in economic field and family positioning has formed a fundamental base into study of human rights. Like many world countries had assumed their government bureaucracies, Germany was languishing in self destruction and struggle for self actualization. The contrasting policies have shaped the current Germany society, which forms the thesis of this research paper. East versus West Germany women: before and after unification Introduction Four decades (1949-1989) after Second World War, Germany was split into two countries. This period brought unequalled experiences concerning the effect of policies and institution on gender and work between the two states (Ruspin, 2002). The communist Germany Democratic Republican (GDR) of the east, and the Western Federal Republic (FRG-Federal Republican of Germany). Just like the division in the country, the two sides had diverse philosophies. This paper explores the contrasting policies of the East Germany- a side, which lived in socialistic domain of a central economy, communist employment, and embracing family welfare. For the western side, this research further clarifies on the conservatism approach they embraced. A controlled welfare for the people, a multiparty congress, and market economy was what defined this side of Germany. This division had far-reaching consequences not only in the state affairs, but also the family was as well affected. While West Germany confined their women into selective rules, the Eastern counterpart valued and recognized paid labor for both genders. In this respect, the Western side had confined working into men alone (Fasang, 2011). Work discrimination was highly evident affecting women to a larger degree. One extend of socialist dictatorial political system with a planned economy and the pluralist democratic system operating in a market economy, their social status was not that valued. The decade is fiercely characterized by effects it caused to family and the women in particular. For example, the paper analyses how family life in East Germany was affected by cultural heritage of the bourgeois family, unyielding labor policy and the free socialist society. Despite their policies embracing a considerable modernity and gender equality, freedom was still limited. Gender equality, integration on occupations and the division of labor at home was more

A Campaign Plan for Release of Rolling Stones` Hardcover Book 50 Essay

A Campaign Plan for Release of Rolling Stones` Hardcover Book 50 - Essay Example The band records sale of a minimum of 200 million globally (Heinlein, 2009). Creative Industries create a noteworthy attraction from the millions of anticipating fans who pause as customers. This prompts the need for a marketing strategy for the tour that will be conducted by, The Rolling Stone. There is a pending need for the record companies to study and understand the marketing situation and utilize the opportunities. Unlike products, marketing music industry requires the singer to produce music that he likes and ignore the music strategy. This is because such music ends up inspiring the audience. The campaign aims at understanding the marketplace where the art is sold, the objective of the band, the strategy to be used to achieve the objectives, and the target population. How the strategy will be achieved, the staff hired to carry out the task, the allocation of funds into stages also proves paramount. The need to evaluate the steps ensures that the staffs are working towards the achievement of the goals (Hadley, 2001). The rolling stones opportunities and risks originate from the external environment. The external environment affects any business setting and is unavoidable. The opportunities come from fame acquired in various parts of the worlds such as Europe, North American around the 1960s British attack. The band was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in the year 1989, ranked by the critical acclaim and popular consensus and critics as the world’s finest rock and roll band. The band records various releases in various countries such as; United Kingdom with twenty-two studio albums; the United States, where they recorded ten live albums; amongst others. The band’s album, sticky fingers released, in the year 1971 preceded eight string with sequencing studio albums culminating to position one in the united states (Scott and Scott, 2011).

The Australian Wheat Board Scandal

The Australian Wheat Board Scandal Introduction This essay will discuss the primary organisational structure and causes of the Australian Wheat Board scandal, hereafter referred to as AWB. This was a scandal of global magnitude, whereby AWB paid substantial monetary bribes to Iraq officials in blatant non-compliance of the regulations set out in the Oil-for-Food programme; which was established by the United Nations. Moreover, this essay will discuss the evidence presented in the Cole Royal Commission, an enquiry established to investigate the conduct of several Australian companies in relation to the oil-for-food program; AWB a governmental organisation was the foremost organisation under scrutiny. This essay will also examine the regulatory failures that facilitated corruption at the Governmental level to occur, and which remained predominantly unfettered for a protracted period. Incidences of governmental and corporate corruption and deviant behaviour, which often involve considerable numbers of active or passive participants, are seldom the result of opportunism alone, but are far more often insidious and methodical by nature. The AWB case is a clear illustration of governmental corporate culture and demonstrates a plethora of systemic regulatory and policy failures, all of which further influenced and defined the AWBs decision-making process and unethical posture. Lastly, the aforementioned material will be discussed commencing with a brief summary and literature review, and a comprehensive case analysis in order to demonstrate the ubiquitous nature of this particular type of Governmental crime, which sits under the broad ambiguous umbrella of white-collar crime. Brief Summary Contemporary society in a globalised world demonstrates an almost overwhelming abundance of criminal activity in particular pertaining to white-collar crime; however, numerous researches demonstrate that not all crimes and criminals are dealt with in the same manner (Chambliss, 1989). In fact, on closer examination, research has suggested that there is an innate tendency for specific crimes and criminals to be positively overlooked, typically these being crimes of the powerful, (Ditton, 1977; Box, 1983; Chambliss, 1989; Muncie, 1996) .primary example is that of the AWB scandal. The questionable Utilitarian approach of seeking the greatest good for the greatest number of people (Kay 1997) found to be assumed by the AWB and its Board, is analysed in the Cole Enquiry Report. The Cole Report stimulated awareness to the fundamental deficiencies in both corporate governance and culture, which play a significant function in permitting or precluding the occurrence of unethical conduct (Kay, 1997). Furthermore, the inaction demonstrated by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade hereafter referred to as DFAT, and the Australian Federal Government in investigating claims against AWB further highlights the systemic failures that permitted AWBs unethical behaviour to prevail (Gibson, 2000). The key causes of, and major influences on unethical behaviour determined from the Cole report are: -The AWB organisations strong profit driven demand to meet financial or business objectives, and the promotion of tolerance for illegal/criminal acts (white-collar crime) (Overington, 2006) -A culture of getting the job done, where corrupt acts are justified under the proviso that the greatest good will be achieved for the company (Overington, 2006) -A lack of control mechanisms and moral agents in both corporate and public sector governance (Overington, 2006) -The implication of privatisation of Australian rural entities (Bartos, 2007) -Policy and Regulatory design and the lack of adherence and implementation (Bartos, 2007) -Governmental oversight of wheat growing monopoly, international monopolisation (Bartos, 2007) -Conduct of foreign policy misconduct United Nations Oil-for-Food-Program International Trade Sanctions )Bartos, 2007) One crucial aspect to be considered is that Australia is a signatory to both the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Officials in International Business Transactions. Australias interpretation of the aforementioned United Nations Convention is The Criminal Code Amendment (Bribery of Foreign Public Officials) Act, referred to as the Bribery Act, which is the Australian Parliaments legislative implementation of the latter convention Literature Review It is common knowledge that conventional criminals consider it normal to utilise any instrument or weapon to perpetuate a crime, therefore, it would also seem normal for organisations to utilise the organisation itself to acquire money from victims by way of its deviant misbehaviour (Harris Hartman, 2002). These victims are varied and may be customers or the members of the organisation themselves (Harris Hartman, 2002). This is a prime example of what is referred to as the organisational weapon the organisation is for white-collar criminals as the gun or knife is for conventional criminals (Wheeler and Rothman, 1982, cited in Punch, 1996). Harris and Hartman (2002), state that an organisations culture consists of the values, norms, and attitudes of the people who intrinsically make up the organisation. Moreover, the stated values demonstrate what is important; whereas norms reveal expected behaviour; attitudes expose the mind-set of individuals (Hall, 2006). Therefore, organisational culture informs people what is important in the organisation, expected behaviours, and how to observe things (Hall, 2006). Culture is a part of organisational life that influences the behaviour, attitudes, and overall effectiveness of all members of an organisation (Gibson et al, 2000). Further to this, Daboub Coulton (2002) stressed the importance of organisations selecting business partners who share a comparable commitment to both the social and environmental practices and ethical commitment of the company. They further stated that this would assist in ensuring that the organisation is not placed in compromising situations due to unethical acts perpetrated by those companies with whom they have working associations (Daboub Coulton, 2002). Robbins (2000) argued that todays global business environment can lead to such problematic associations, and stated the need for organisations to take a fervent pro-active stance to further ensure that the codes of conduct under which they operate are transparent, implicit and adhered to by their associates (Robbins, 2000; Daboub Coulton, 2002). Furthermore, the political influence on large governmental or privatised organisations and the desire not to over-regulate can also be very influential. Politicians are mindful of the detrimental effect that heavy regulation can have on businesses that are often generous economic contributors. The will of governments not to introduce laws that hinder corporate activity is evidenced by the lack of substantial powers and penalties (specifically prison terms) available to regulatory bodies, the lack of resources available to enforce those provisions already available and governments commitment to regularly review any legislation that may impact adversely on competition. Case Analysis The United Nations Oil-for-Food program involved not only companies but also governments; however, various activities by the Howard Government were outside the provisions of reference of the Cole Enquiry, which was fundamentally sanctioned to examine the actions of the companies specifically mentioned in the 2004 United Nations report on the Oil-for-Food program. Furthermore, Cole was unable to examine the extent to which government policy during that period encouraged or discouraged bribes from the AWB, or equally as to whether Australian Government Ministers should have enquired further, especially considering that warnings were received that something was inappropriate, or indeed how the government managed its relationship with the AWB throughout this protracted process. To illustrate further, Henry Bosch former chairperson of Transparency International Australia and also one of Australias most experienced business regulators, argued that somebody, somewhere must have known what was going on. Bosch stated to the Ethical Corporation that he suspected, that the executives involved in winning contracts were a bit less careful than they should have been regarding the status of payments being demanded. The AWBs justification for this deviant and criminal behaviour was to argue that it simply was not aware of the payments. Moreover, numerous critics pointed out that it was virtually impossible for government Ministers and various other officials to not have known, especially due to the fact that the fees paid to the contractors selected by Saddam Husseins bureaucrats would have been noticeably and remarkably high, in fact, the AWBs responses plainly raised far more questions than answers. Further to this, the Cole Enquiry argued that the AWBs structure was primarily to blame, for example; the company was responsible for the marketing and exporting of one of Australias major export commodities. Moreover, all Australian wheat exports passed through the offices of the so-called single-desk export authority, which was heavily vested in the AWB. The single-desk export authority was established in 1915 to assist Australian wheat growers to get their produce to global export markets, therefore dealing with the AWB was a major factor for all businesses involved in Australias powerful expansive wheat growing sector. In addition to this, Iraq was a massive market and there was a need for the organisation to justify its often-criticised monopoly on Australias global wheat exports, particularly in the face of strong competition from the United States and other suppliers. Numerous critics observed that, since the AWB was privatised in 1998, and consequently listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) in 2001 the AWB had noticeably become far more extreme than its former bureaucratic culture might have previously endorsed. Furthermore, a United Nations report on October 27, 2005 established that the Australian Wheat Board (AWB) had paid $US221.7 ($AU300) million in bribes to the Iraqi Government between 1999 and 2003 under the United Nations Oil-for-Food program (Whitton 2007). Through this mode of immoral and illegal behaviour, the AWB defrauded their shareholders out of their financial investments and profits as well as causing irreparable damage to Australias trade reputation globally. Further to this, the United Nations report on the inquiry into corruption in the Oil-for-Food Program, led by Paul Volcker, revealed that 2200 companies participating in the program were misappropriating funds from the United Nations accounts to redistribute them to the Iraqi government but none of the magnitude of the AWB. Moreover, the AWB was a company with a high profile and facing a serious legal problem, therefore the AWB was obviously likely to draw attention from both the Australian and worldwide public and media (Lukaszewski, 1997). Consequently, with the release of the report and mass media and public attention (Mackey, 2002), the AWB was obviously facing a dire crisis. Due to this in February 2006, the AWB managing director Andrew Lindberg resigned after demonstrated outrage throughout the press and collective Australian wheat growers. The AWB scandal has left an indelible black mark on the AWBs reputation throughout the world, and puts into question how reliable it was and how well suited it was to represent and market nearly all of Australias wheat to the overseas marketplace. In addition, the AWB was sued for AU$1 billion in compensation by collective wheat farmers in North America for alleged, bribery and other corrupt activities to corner the grain markets internationally (news.com.au, 2006). The effect of the scandal resulted in Iraq refusing to purchase wheat from the AWB and the consequential loss of a substantial overseas market for Australian wheat growers. In an attempt to minimise damage to the Howard Governments reputation, Prime Minister Howard launched an official enquiry in November of 2006, into the payment of bribes by the AWB Ltd, formerly known as the Australian Wheat Board, to the Saddam Hussein regime, this enquiry essentially produced a whitewash report designed for several key purposes. Foremost, was the need to clear Prime Minister John Howard and his leading ministers of any political and/or criminal responsibility pertaining to the payment of bribes to Iraqi bureaucrats. Another critical concern was to fend off United States agricultural interests that were demanding the dismantling of the AWBs wheat export monopoly as part of a ruthless trade war. To illustrate further, it was absoloutely paramount for the Howard government to prevent any examination of the motives behind Canberras participation in the U.S occupation of Iraq. Therefore, in an obvious act of scape-goating, enquiry Commissioner Cole singled out 11 former AWB executives and one ex BHP executive for blame, and the possibility of criminal prosecutions. Sanctioned by the Howard government the mass media immediately did its best to assist this diversionary exercise by dubbing these 12 individuals the dirty-dozen in newspaper headlines around the country, demonstrating the great measures that politicians will take to cover their corruption. Howards use of Cole, a trusted lawyer who had previously conducted a witch-hunting enquiry against building workers on behalf of Prime Minister Howard wreaks of the unfettered abuse of governmental power. It was therefore not surprising that Cole attributed the payment of nearly $AU300 million in bribes under the United Nations 1996-2003 so-called Oil-for-Food-Program solely to a handful of 12 individuals. Moreover, Cole stated that these 12 individuals deviant corrupt behaviour developed from a closed culture of superiority and impregnability within the organisation, which had been produced by the AWBs 67-year monopoly and stronghold over all Australian wheat exports. In addition to this, Cole stated that it was obvious that the AWBs unethical policy in Iraq was to do whatever is necessary in order to retain the $AU500 million in annual wheat sales, and further stated that was precisely what the Howard Governments policy was at the time. The substantial and comprehensive documents tabled at the Cole enquiry confirm that the AWB, which was a government agency up until 1999 and then subsequently privatised continued to operate and receive Canberras protection, almost as a virtual arm of the Howard Government throughout the lead-up to the March 2003 U.S. led invasion of Iraq Conclusion The AWB scandal raises significant questions and concerns pertaining to the Australian policy-making processes and the attitudes of the government ministers involved.

Irony :: essays research papers

The Ironies of 1984 The novel 1984, by George Orwell, has many examples of irony throughout it. The two major types of irony: verbal irony and situation irony, are demonstrated again and again in this novel. In the following essay I will discuss these types of ironies and give examples of each from the book. The first type of irony is verbal irony, in which a person says or does something one way, but the true meaning is the opposite. One of the first example of this irony is discovered when the main character, Winston Smith, uses the "Memory hole" to deposit things—one would think that this would be where things are remembered ("Memory"), but it’s actually an incinerator. The next example of irony comes when you learn about the departments of Government in Oceania. The Ministry of Truth is actually the maker of lies for the history books, the Ministry of Love discourages love, and the Ministry of Peace is actually quite violent. The final example of verbal Irony can be seen in the name of the leader of Oceania, "Big Brother." The concept of a big brother is one whom is older and wiser and helps the "littler siblings"—this not the case with 1984’s Big Brother. The Big Brother in this novel completely watches over every m ove a person makes keeping them controlled with fear. The next type of irony is Situation irony, which is when a character or a sequence of events appears to be headed one way, but it ends up as the opposite of what was thought. One example of this is Winston’s general health. From the beginning of the book, it is shown how horrible his health is and is continually getting worse and more difficult, but as Winston gets involved with Julia then he begins a metamorphosis into a more healthy person. Another major example is the betrayal of many of the people whom Winston thought were his friends, such as Mr. Charrington and even O’Brien- -who both worked for the Thought Police.