Let There Be Light free essay sample

Think about the light for a long second. The vast majority would state that they feel more secure in the light. you can see everything, youre increasingly mindful of your environmental factors. While the vast majority grew up being frightened of the dim, hurrying from the light-change to the bed to get away from the beasts that would come out of their wardrobes, it would be implausible to consider somebody fearing the light. The light is open, glad, warming. The principal thing that individuals do in the morningâ€other than turn off that irritating humming thing that the vast majority call a caution clockâ€is flick on the light. There’s not at all like a radiant day to light up a disposition or spare your power bill. There’s no mystery; nothing standing by to jump. A portion of good daylight can carry light to any situationâ€unless you have a sun-consume. Murkiness feels alarming, unapproachable without light. We will compose a custom paper test on May There Be Light or then again any comparative subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Nobody needs to wander out alone operating at a profit chasm, particularly in a new spot. You don’t comprehend what could be prowling around the following corner that you turn; you don’t know where your foot may fall. It’s not prescribed or desirable over movement around evening time when there’s an iridescent way to take by day. Notwithstanding, very similar things that make light so alluring are similar reasons that the vast majority willfully meander into the haziness. The regularly asked, marginally funny inquiry that has been posed summed up everything. â€Å"Does a light discharge light, or does it suck darkness.† Light appears to do pretty much that: expel the haziness. In the light, there’s no spot to cover up, no spot to shield your flaws. The way that people around us appear to be incognizant in regards to our indecencies gives us a shroud of solace. Nobody needs to dare to the murkiness, recollect? No one’s ready to overcome the obscure for enough time to find what we’re stowing away. A great many people, when they’re being genuinely legit with themselves, are hesitant to uncover their imperfections, securely covered up in the shadows of their obscurity. There’s more that you can pull off concealed in the obscurity. With no light, there’s no fact, no real way to demonstrate that what you think exists truly does. Mankind searches out the light while living in the murkiness. We are a flawed race. As the platitude goes â€Å"I’m just human.† We search out the imperfections in others while continually attempting to conceal our own. However, just when we step out into the light would we be able to see each other clearlyâ€virtues and indecencies. We should uncover ourselves for genuinely knowing others.

A Guide to a Painless Undergrad Econometrics Project

A Guide to a Painless Undergrad Econometrics Project Most financial matters offices require second-or third-year college understudies to finish an econometrics extend and compose a paper on their discoveries. Numerous understudies find that picking aâ research topicâ for their requiredâ econometricsâ project is similarly as troublesome as the undertaking itself. Econometrics is the utilization of measurable andâ mathematical theoriesâ and maybe some software engineering to monetary information. The model beneath tells the best way to use Okuns lawâ to make an econometrics venture. Okuns law alludes to how the countries yield itsâ gross household item is identified with work and joblessness. For this econometrics venture control, youll test whether Okuns law remains constant in America. Note this is only a model task youll need to picked your own subject however the clarification shows how you can make an effortless, yet educational, venture utilizing a fundamental measurable test, information that you can undoubtedly acquire from the U.S. government, and a PC spreadsheet program to gather the information. Assemble Background Information With your theme picked, start by social occasion foundation data about the hypothesis youre testing by doing aâ t-test. To do as such, use theâ following function:â Yt 1 - 0.4 Xt Where:Yt is the adjustment in the joblessness rate in rate pointsXt is the adjustment in the rate development rate in genuine yield, as estimated by genuine GDP So you will appraise the model: Yt b1 b2 Xt Where:Yt is the adjustment in the joblessness rate in rate pointsXt is the adjustment in the rate development rate in genuine yield, as estimated by genuine GDPb1 and b2 are the parameters you are attempting to appraise. To assess your parameters, you will require information. Useâ quarterly financial dataâ compiled by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which is a piece of the U.S. Division of Commerce. To utilize this data, spare every one of the records exclusively. On the off chance that youve done everything effectively, you should see something that resembles thisâ fact sheetâ from the BEA, containing quarterly GDP results. Once youve downloaded the information, open it in a spreadsheet program, for example, Excel. Finding the Y and X Variables Presently that youve got the information record open, begin to search for what you need. Find the information for your Y variable. Review that Ytâ is the adjustment in the joblessness rate in rate focuses. The adjustment in the joblessness rate in rate focuses is in the segment marked UNRATE(chg), which is segment I. By taking a gander at section A, you see that theâ quarterly joblessness rateâ change information runs from April 1947 to October 2002â in cells G24-G242, as per Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. Next, discover your X factors. In your model, you just have one X variable, Xt, which is the adjustment in the rate development rate in genuine yield as estimated by genuine GDP. You see that this variable is in the section checked GDPC96(%chg), which is in Column E. This information runs from April 1947 to October 2002 in cells E20-E242. Setting Up Excel Youve recognized the information you need, so you can process the relapse coefficients utilizing Excel. Exceed expectations is feeling the loss of a great deal of the highlights of increasingly complex econometrics bundles, yet for doing a basic direct relapse, it is a valuable instrument. Youre likewise significantly more liable to utilize Excel when you enter this present reality than you are to utilize an econometrics bundle, so being capable in Excel is a helpful ability. Your Ytâ data is in cells G24-G242 and your Xtâ data is in cells E20-E242. While doing a straight relapse, you have to have a related X section for each Ytâ entry and the other way around. The Xts in cells E20-E23 don't have a related Ytâ entry, so you won't use them. Rather, you will utilize just the Ytâ data in cells G24-G242 and your Xtâ data in cells E24-E242. Next, compute your relapse coefficients (your b1â and b2). Prior to proceeding, spare your work under an alternate filename so thatâ at whenever, you can return to your unique information. Once youve downloaded the information and opened Excel, you can ascertain your relapse coefficients. Setting Excel Up for Data Analysis To set up Excel for information investigation, go to the toolsâ menu on the highest point of the screen and discover Data Analysis. If Data Analysisâ is not there, at that point youll have toâ install it. You can't do relapse investigation in Excel without the Data Analysis ToolPak introduced. Once youve selected Data Analysisâ from theâ toolsâ menu, youll see a menu of decisions, for example, Covariance and F-Test Two-Sample for Variances. On that menu, select Regression. Once there, youll see a structure, which you have to fill in. Start by filling in the field that says Input Y Range. This is your joblessness rate information in cells G24-G242. Pick these cells by composing $G$24:$G$242 into the little white box next to Input Y Rangeâ or by tapping on the symbol close to that white box at that point choosing those cells with your mouse. The second field youll need to fill in is the Input X Range. This is the percent change in GDP information in cells E24-E242. You can pick these cells by composing $E$24:$E$242 into the little white box next to Input X Rangeâ or by tapping on the symbol close to that white box at that point choosing those cells with your mouse. In conclusion, you should name the page that will contain your relapse results. Ensure you have New Worksheet Ply chose, and in the white field adjacent to it, type in a name like Regression. Snap OK. Utilizing the Regression Results You should see a tab at the base of your screen called Regression (or whatever you named it) and some relapse results. On the off chance that youve gotten the capture coefficient somewhere in the range of 0 and 1, and the x variable coefficient among 0 and - 1, youve likely done it effectively. With this information, you have the entirety of the data you requirement for examination including R Square, coefficients, and standard mistakes. Recall that you were endeavoring to appraise the catch coefficient b1â and the X coefficient b2. The catch coefficient b1â is situated in the line named Intercept and in the segment named Coefficient. Your incline coefficient b2â is situated in the line named X variable 1 and in the segment named Coefficient. It will probably have a worth, for example, BBB and the related standard blunder DDD. (Your qualities may contrast.) Jot these figures down (or print them out) as you will require them for investigation. Dissect your relapse results for your research paper by doingâ hypothesis testing on this example t-test. Despite the fact that this venture concentrated on Okuns Law, you can utilize this equivalent sort of philosophy to make pretty much any econometrics venture.

Reno

Reno Reno re ´no , city (1990 pop. 133,850), seat of Washoe co., W Nev., on the Truckee River; inc. 1903. Tourism has been the major industry since gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931. With its resort facilities, night entertainment, and casinos, Reno is a year-round vacation spot and convention center. It became famous for the quick divorces and marriages that take place there under Nevada's liberal laws. The city's activity has resulted in its slogan the biggest little city in the world. Reno is one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities. It has an international airport and serves as a distribution and warehouse center, where commercial goods can be stored tax-free for nearby manufacturing plants. Concrete, automated gaming systems, Western buckles and accessories, beverage dispensers, and plastic and metal products are manufactured. There is alfalfa processing and mining for gold and silver. The site was once a popular campsite beside a ford on the Donner Pass route to Californ ia; in 1860 a bridge was built. The name Lake's Crossing was changed to Reno when the Central Pacific RR arrived in 1868 and the town was laid out. In the 1990s officials began deemphasizing gambling; one result was the building of the National Bowling Stadium. Reno is the seat of the Univ. of Nevada, with its school of mines museum and Desert Research Institute. Other museums include the Nevada Museum of Art, an automobile museum, and science and historical museums. The city is also the headquarters for the Toiyabe National Forest. Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, and other recreational areas and state parks are in the vicinity. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography

The Human Psyche Has Molded Modern Film Today Essay

Connections: -How Carl Jung’s study of the human psyche has molded modern film today? Carl Jung, throughout film in both our modern age today and film that dates back to the 1900’s we see glimpses and flashes of Jung’s study. However to the simple viewer, or should I say the average viewer these glimpses of Jung’s study are easily missed or mistaken for nothing more than a good idea or just another schizophrenic movie. Therefore for my connections piece I have chosen to have a closer look and analyse several films through the eyes of Carl Jung; specifically looking at his theory of the Jungian Archetypes and how these are each represented in film. The four films that I will be critically analysing are Black Swan directed by Darren Aronofsky 2010, Fight Club directed by David Fincher 1999, The Double directed by Richard Ayoade 2013 and The Machinist directed by Brad Anderson 2004. One thing that all these films have in common is their direct correlation with the Jungian Archetypes, where we see the shadow and persona struggle in a battle for transc endence; to achieve self enlightenment or self happiness. Carl Jung was born on July 26, 1875; it was not known then, but this young child was destined to become arguably the greatest psychologist to date, and his theories were going to change the world as they knew it. Carl Jung had come up with the idea of Jungian archetypes, this is where he theorised that we all are comprised of three different people within ourselves. TheseShow MoreRelatedThe Media and the Decline of Critical Thinking2599 Words   |  11 Pages The role of the media in our society has increased dramatically in the last one hundred years. We have gone from taking weeks to send a message a thousand miles away, to being able to send a message instantly anywhere around the globe. The effects this has had on information being exchanged over many different forms of media is staggering. The question that has come to be asked over the years, is what effect has this had on us. Media not only influences the way we see world events suchRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagesabout Ennis Edmondss Rastafari: From Outcasts to Culture Bearers is that it correctly traces the connection between the emergence of Rastafarianism and the history of resistance and black consciousness that has been part of the Jamaican experience for years. The truth is that there has always been a committed Jamaican counter- culture that celebrates and sees redemption in Africa and rejects the European values that have oppressed a society. But prior to the advent of popular culture and especially

What Is an Extensive Margin

Extensive  margin refers to the range to which a resource is utilized or applied. For example, the number of people working  is one measure that falls under the heading of  extensive margin. By definition... split the overall level of work activity into the number of individuals in work and the intensity of work supplied by those in work. This reflects the distinction between whether to work and how much to work at the individual level and is referred to, respectively, as the extensive and intensive margin of labour supply. At the aggregate level the former is typically measured by the number of individuals in paid employment and the later by the average number of working hours. - Blundell, Bozio, Laroque By this definition, you can (roughly) categorize extensive margin as how many resources are employed as opposed to how hard (intensively, even) they are employed.  This distinction is important because it helps to separate and categorize changes in resource usage.  In other words, if more of a resource is used, its helpful to understand whether this increase is because more resources are put to work (i.e. extensive margin increases) or because the existing resources were used more intensively (i.e. intensive margin increases).  Understanding this distinction likely has consequences for proper policy response.  Its also helpful to note that such a change is often due to a combination of changes in extensive and intensive margin. In a slightly different interpretation, extensive margin can be thought of as, for example, number of hours worked, whereas intensive margin in this interpretation would refer to the level of effort exerted.  As it relates to the production function, extensive margin and intensive margin can be thought of as substitutes to some degree- in other words, one could produce more output by either working longer (extensive margin) or working harder or more efficiently (intensive margin).  This distinction can also be seen by looking at a production function directly: YtAtKtÃŽ ±(etLt)(1−Î ±) Here, changes in L (amount of labor) count as changes in extensive margin and changes in e (effort) count as changes in intensive margin. The concept of extensive margin is also crucial in analyzing world trade.  In this context, extensive margin refers to whether a trading relationship exists, whereas intensive margin refers to how much is actually traded in that trading relationship.  Economists can then use these terms  to discuss whether changes in the volume of imports and exports are due to chenges in extensive margin or intensive margin. For more information and insight,  you can  contrast extensive margin with  intensive margin. (Econterms)  Ã‚   Terms related to Extensive Margin: Intensive margin Source THE ROLE OF EXTENSIVE AND INTENSIVE MARGINS AND EXPORT GROWTH, NBER Working Paper. Labour Supply Responses and the Extensive Margin: The US, UK and France, Draft 2011.

My dear friend Free Essays

string(40) " the Basic Law of Government by decree\." I hope you are enjoying your stay in the United States and that you are receiving a good education.   I have been giving a lot of thought recently to the problems of our kingdom and the possible alternatives to the rule of the House of Saud.   I have so few opportunities and liberties here that I feel that moderate Islamists may do a better job of governing our country than the princes. We will write a custom essay sample on My dear friend or any similar topic only for you Order Now    Let me try to explain how I feel. Like many of our generation, I have had trouble finding work.   During the oil boom of the 1970’s, employment was more secure and the government was able to grant extensive welfare benefits to citizens of the kingdom.   More recently, however, the economy has stagnated.   In 1998, for example, we had 27% unemployment! I feel that the economy is suffering due to our reliance on oil.   Despite the fabulous wealth it brings to the country, the oil industry can only employ a certain number of people.   Since oil is essentially the only thing that our country produces, it is the only sector that provides large-scale employment other than the government itself, which is dominated by the royal family and its network of friends and cronies. Despite all the wealth gained from oil, the royal family Has not invested the wealth into other sectors of society; instead, it has used the oil wealth to enrich itself, purchase vast quantities of weapons from the Americans, and buy loyalty from the population by providing free social services.   Despite all this wealth, however, our country has not given greater freedoms to its citizens. Our kingdom has always relied on an alliance between the al-Saud family and the radical Wahabi clerics.   One of the king’s central roles is the custodian of the two holy places (Mecca and Medina).   The clerics give the king legitimacy, and in return the kings lavishly fund the clerics’ mosques, schools, and charity organizations. I feel that this alliance is bad for our country.   Our country needs to be freer.   Both the royal family and the Wahabi clerics are opposed to greater freedoms for us, the average citizens.   Both groups benefit by denying power to other people.   I have come to feel that the Saudi-Wahabi alliance is bad for us as Saudi citizens, because it denies us basic freedoms.   It is also bad for the world as a whole, because it leads to terrorism. Many Wahabis have turned against the Saudi royal family, declaring that it is not sufficiently Islamic.   They feel that the government is too corrupt, too decadent, and too friendly with America.   Osama bin Laden is the most infamous Saudi who has taken this position.   Even though he attacked America, bin Laden’s primary enemy has always been the Saudi royal family, who he feels are bad Muslims who do not deserve to be the custodians of Mecca and Medina. The threat to the Saudis from its radical citizens became clear shortly after I was born.   This was a major turning point in the history of our country.   When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August of 1990, many feared that he would turn on Saudi Arabia next.   Osama bin Laden told King Fahd that he would battle Saddam Hussein’s forces with the fighters he had trained and fought with in Afghanistan during the 1980’s during the war with the Soviet Union. King Fahd rejected bin Laden’s offer, which probably wasn’t very realistic any way.   Instead, the king turned to the Americans for protection.   Huge American armies came to Saudi Arabia and used our country as a base from which to attack Iraq and liberate Kuwait.   Even though Saddam Hussein could no longer threaten Saudi Arabia, the decision to allow the American military into the kingdom infuriated many radical Islamists. I must say that, as a proud and independent man, I would like to defend my own country rather than have the Americans do it.   I don’t wish the Americans any harm, it’s just that I don’t want to rely on them and ideally I would like their military to leave our land.   Many people, however, feel much more strongly about this than I do, and they began attack the house of Saud for allowing Americans into Arabia. As my generation grew, we saw the government come under attack from radicals who wished to overthrow the regime.   Throughout the 1990’s these radicals, including al-Qaeda, attacked sights in Saudi Arabia that were associated with the government or the American military.   We now have a confrontation between the House of Saud and the radical Islamists, but I don’t feel that either group is able to govern our country effectively. Although I disapprove of the Saudi royal family, just as Osama bin Laden does, I also totally disapprove of bin Laden’s goals and tactics.   Basically I feel that the Saudis are far too conservative.   Bin Laden feels that they are not conservative enough!   The most amazing thing about the Saudis is that their allies, the Wahabis, are the people they have to fear most. For years, the royal princes funded Wahabi mosques and schools and charities around the world.   They knew that some of these groups used the money for terrorist activities, but there was a sort of unspoken agreement that the Islamist terrorists would not target Saudi Arabia itself.   I don’t know why our government ever trusted these people, but the terrorists broke the agreement and began to attack the royal family. So, my friend, our government has failed to diversify the economy beyond oil, it has failed to give more rights and liberties to its citizens, and it has used oil wealth to try to buy off radical groups, but this strategy has predictably backfired.   These are very serious grievances to have, wouldn’t you say? Perhaps an example of the royal family’s idea of â€Å"reform† will illustrate my grievances.   In 1992, King Fahd enacted the Basic Law of Government by decree. You read "My dear friend" in category "Essay examples"   The law spelled out the nature of the government.   The government was a hereditary monarchy, a model that was popular centuries ago in Europe.   The king would serve as head of state, head of the council of ministers, and commander in chief of the armed forces.   In addition, the king appoints all ministers as well as all members of a new body, the consultative council. Here are my problems with this attempt at reform.   Firstly, the Basic Law was enacted by decree of the king; the Saudi people had absolutely no role in devising this law.   Secondly, the law simply spelled out what was already known; the Saudi family, especially the king, has all the power in Saudi Arabia. The consultative council was supposed to represent a move towards greater representation, but I feel that it only illustrated the king’s arrogance.   Firstly, the council is appointed by the king, so we can assume it is made of up people who he knows will agree with him.   Secondly, the council â€Å"consults†; the king is in no way bound to follow its advice.   So not only is this council not representative of the Saudi people, it doesn’t even have any authority!   This is not the kind of reform we need; this is not reform at all. My friend, our country has no constitution, no bill of rights, no independent courts or media, and no direct representation for its citizens in government.   This is not the type of country I wish to live in.   Here is what I feel must be done. I do not have any illusions about how long and hard the transition to democracy can prove to be.   We have seen our neighbor, Iraq, torn apart by civil war and anarchy after its repressive government was thrown from power.   If the Saudi government disappeared overnight, I fear that our country could very well suffer from these same curses.   For this reason, a violent overthrow of the government would not be a good idea.   Iraq has shown us that dictatorship is preferable to anarchy, because at least dictators can prevent massive terrorist attacks. The answer does not lie in violent overthrow of the Saudis, and it also does not lie in radical Islamists.   We are all Muslims here, it is true.   Islam was born in Arabia.   The prophet lived and died here.   Mecca and Medina are here.   We are the very cradle of Islam.   However, we cannot allow radical Muslims to take power from the Saudis. I have simple desires, my friend.   Like most people on earth of every race and religion, I want simply to live my life in freedom and dignity and be able to provide for my loved ones.   We have seen that radical Islamists, even though they claim to share our religion, are merchants of death only; from everything I have seen, it seems clear that they are more interested in killing people, mostly fellow Muslims, than they are in governing. As much as I dislike the Saudis, I know deep down that radical Islamists would be worse.   They would likely be even more violent and repressive towards the people than the Saudis are.   The most radical Islamists wish to return Arabia to a 7th century state of â€Å"purity†.   They feel that this is the ideal environment for Muslims.   They wish to recreate a world before oil, a world before mass communication and entertainment, a world before America.   This is a very dark wish.   We should not be naà ¯ve about what radical Islamists would do to our country should they ever gain power. The solution, I feel, lies with moderate Islamists.   Islam must be the focus of any reform, because the mosque is the only power center of any substance other than the Saud family.   There is no independent civil society here because of all the restrictions on speech and political participation.   The mosque is the only place that people can freely gather and organize. As I said above, friend, we are Muslims, and any reform in our land must be Islamist to some degree; it is inevitable.   The important aspect then is to ensure that reform is directed through moderate clerics rather radical Islamists.   We need Muslim leaders to direct the push for reform, but not the Muslims who wish to turn back the clock by 13 centuries! My vision of a government of moderate Islamist clerics and scholars has many components.   Firstly, they would stop trying to buy off radical groups and start adopting a more moderate interpretation of Islam than the Wahabis.   This new government would recognize that when you give arms and funding to radical groups, these groups will inevitably turn on you. As we know, friend, our land is the heart of Islam, and any government we have will be responsible for maintaining the sacred places and providing for all the Muslims who make the yearly pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca.   We must also, however, understand that many Muslims look to Arabia for inspiration and Arabia therefore must be responsible with its influence and must not support radical and violent groups who kill in the name of our great religion. More moderate clerics are the best candidates to lead the new Arabia for many reasons.   They are educated and have experience with leadership and organization in the community.   Because of this experience, we can be confident that the clerics will be competent as stewards of the state.   Equally as important, they are respected by the society.   One of the many lessons we have learned from Iraq is that a new government must be made up of people with deep roots in the communities they represent. The first task of a more moderate government would be to write a constitution.   This is an extremely important step, as I’m sure you have learned by visiting the United States.   An Arabian constitution would be much different from the American one, of course, but the concept is the same.   Laws and rights must be enshrined by a binding document rather than being up to the whims of a king. An Arabian constitution might make more room for religion than the American one does, for example, or grant fewer individual rights to citizens, but it would serve a very important function.   It would represent a power greater than the king.   It would provide a list of things that the government cannot do.   These would include such elementary abuses as arrest without warrant or charge, torture, and suppression of media.   For the first time in Arabia, there would be a limit on the powers of the government. This may perhaps seem like a very limited step, but imagine what a large one it would be for our country!   Arabia today is ruled as the property of a single family; the country itself is named after the al-Sauds!   Can you imagine if the United States was called â€Å"Bush America†?   This is no way for a country to be run. I hope the friends you are making in America understand that Arabia will never be like America.   However, I believe that some American ideas, combined with moderate Arabian intellectuals, offers the best hope for our country.   Be well, friend. Sources Cleveland, William L.   A History of the Modern Middle East, second edition.   Boulder: Westview Press, 2000. Hiro, Dilip.   The Essential Middle East: A Comprehensive Guide. New York: Carol Graff Publishers, 2003. Husain, Mir Zohair.   Global Islamic Politics, second edition. New York: Longman, 2003.       How to cite My dear friend, Essay examples

My dear friend Free Essays

string(40) " the Basic Law of Government by decree\." I hope you are enjoying your stay in the United States and that you are receiving a good education.   I have been giving a lot of thought recently to the problems of our kingdom and the possible alternatives to the rule of the House of Saud.   I have so few opportunities and liberties here that I feel that moderate Islamists may do a better job of governing our country than the princes. We will write a custom essay sample on My dear friend or any similar topic only for you Order Now    Let me try to explain how I feel. Like many of our generation, I have had trouble finding work.   During the oil boom of the 1970’s, employment was more secure and the government was able to grant extensive welfare benefits to citizens of the kingdom.   More recently, however, the economy has stagnated.   In 1998, for example, we had 27% unemployment! I feel that the economy is suffering due to our reliance on oil.   Despite the fabulous wealth it brings to the country, the oil industry can only employ a certain number of people.   Since oil is essentially the only thing that our country produces, it is the only sector that provides large-scale employment other than the government itself, which is dominated by the royal family and its network of friends and cronies. Despite all the wealth gained from oil, the royal family Has not invested the wealth into other sectors of society; instead, it has used the oil wealth to enrich itself, purchase vast quantities of weapons from the Americans, and buy loyalty from the population by providing free social services.   Despite all this wealth, however, our country has not given greater freedoms to its citizens. Our kingdom has always relied on an alliance between the al-Saud family and the radical Wahabi clerics.   One of the king’s central roles is the custodian of the two holy places (Mecca and Medina).   The clerics give the king legitimacy, and in return the kings lavishly fund the clerics’ mosques, schools, and charity organizations. I feel that this alliance is bad for our country.   Our country needs to be freer.   Both the royal family and the Wahabi clerics are opposed to greater freedoms for us, the average citizens.   Both groups benefit by denying power to other people.   I have come to feel that the Saudi-Wahabi alliance is bad for us as Saudi citizens, because it denies us basic freedoms.   It is also bad for the world as a whole, because it leads to terrorism. Many Wahabis have turned against the Saudi royal family, declaring that it is not sufficiently Islamic.   They feel that the government is too corrupt, too decadent, and too friendly with America.   Osama bin Laden is the most infamous Saudi who has taken this position.   Even though he attacked America, bin Laden’s primary enemy has always been the Saudi royal family, who he feels are bad Muslims who do not deserve to be the custodians of Mecca and Medina. The threat to the Saudis from its radical citizens became clear shortly after I was born.   This was a major turning point in the history of our country.   When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August of 1990, many feared that he would turn on Saudi Arabia next.   Osama bin Laden told King Fahd that he would battle Saddam Hussein’s forces with the fighters he had trained and fought with in Afghanistan during the 1980’s during the war with the Soviet Union. King Fahd rejected bin Laden’s offer, which probably wasn’t very realistic any way.   Instead, the king turned to the Americans for protection.   Huge American armies came to Saudi Arabia and used our country as a base from which to attack Iraq and liberate Kuwait.   Even though Saddam Hussein could no longer threaten Saudi Arabia, the decision to allow the American military into the kingdom infuriated many radical Islamists. I must say that, as a proud and independent man, I would like to defend my own country rather than have the Americans do it.   I don’t wish the Americans any harm, it’s just that I don’t want to rely on them and ideally I would like their military to leave our land.   Many people, however, feel much more strongly about this than I do, and they began attack the house of Saud for allowing Americans into Arabia. As my generation grew, we saw the government come under attack from radicals who wished to overthrow the regime.   Throughout the 1990’s these radicals, including al-Qaeda, attacked sights in Saudi Arabia that were associated with the government or the American military.   We now have a confrontation between the House of Saud and the radical Islamists, but I don’t feel that either group is able to govern our country effectively. Although I disapprove of the Saudi royal family, just as Osama bin Laden does, I also totally disapprove of bin Laden’s goals and tactics.   Basically I feel that the Saudis are far too conservative.   Bin Laden feels that they are not conservative enough!   The most amazing thing about the Saudis is that their allies, the Wahabis, are the people they have to fear most. For years, the royal princes funded Wahabi mosques and schools and charities around the world.   They knew that some of these groups used the money for terrorist activities, but there was a sort of unspoken agreement that the Islamist terrorists would not target Saudi Arabia itself.   I don’t know why our government ever trusted these people, but the terrorists broke the agreement and began to attack the royal family. So, my friend, our government has failed to diversify the economy beyond oil, it has failed to give more rights and liberties to its citizens, and it has used oil wealth to try to buy off radical groups, but this strategy has predictably backfired.   These are very serious grievances to have, wouldn’t you say? Perhaps an example of the royal family’s idea of â€Å"reform† will illustrate my grievances.   In 1992, King Fahd enacted the Basic Law of Government by decree. You read "My dear friend" in category "Essay examples"   The law spelled out the nature of the government.   The government was a hereditary monarchy, a model that was popular centuries ago in Europe.   The king would serve as head of state, head of the council of ministers, and commander in chief of the armed forces.   In addition, the king appoints all ministers as well as all members of a new body, the consultative council. Here are my problems with this attempt at reform.   Firstly, the Basic Law was enacted by decree of the king; the Saudi people had absolutely no role in devising this law.   Secondly, the law simply spelled out what was already known; the Saudi family, especially the king, has all the power in Saudi Arabia. The consultative council was supposed to represent a move towards greater representation, but I feel that it only illustrated the king’s arrogance.   Firstly, the council is appointed by the king, so we can assume it is made of up people who he knows will agree with him.   Secondly, the council â€Å"consults†; the king is in no way bound to follow its advice.   So not only is this council not representative of the Saudi people, it doesn’t even have any authority!   This is not the kind of reform we need; this is not reform at all. My friend, our country has no constitution, no bill of rights, no independent courts or media, and no direct representation for its citizens in government.   This is not the type of country I wish to live in.   Here is what I feel must be done. I do not have any illusions about how long and hard the transition to democracy can prove to be.   We have seen our neighbor, Iraq, torn apart by civil war and anarchy after its repressive government was thrown from power.   If the Saudi government disappeared overnight, I fear that our country could very well suffer from these same curses.   For this reason, a violent overthrow of the government would not be a good idea.   Iraq has shown us that dictatorship is preferable to anarchy, because at least dictators can prevent massive terrorist attacks. The answer does not lie in violent overthrow of the Saudis, and it also does not lie in radical Islamists.   We are all Muslims here, it is true.   Islam was born in Arabia.   The prophet lived and died here.   Mecca and Medina are here.   We are the very cradle of Islam.   However, we cannot allow radical Muslims to take power from the Saudis. I have simple desires, my friend.   Like most people on earth of every race and religion, I want simply to live my life in freedom and dignity and be able to provide for my loved ones.   We have seen that radical Islamists, even though they claim to share our religion, are merchants of death only; from everything I have seen, it seems clear that they are more interested in killing people, mostly fellow Muslims, than they are in governing. As much as I dislike the Saudis, I know deep down that radical Islamists would be worse.   They would likely be even more violent and repressive towards the people than the Saudis are.   The most radical Islamists wish to return Arabia to a 7th century state of â€Å"purity†.   They feel that this is the ideal environment for Muslims.   They wish to recreate a world before oil, a world before mass communication and entertainment, a world before America.   This is a very dark wish.   We should not be naà ¯ve about what radical Islamists would do to our country should they ever gain power. The solution, I feel, lies with moderate Islamists.   Islam must be the focus of any reform, because the mosque is the only power center of any substance other than the Saud family.   There is no independent civil society here because of all the restrictions on speech and political participation.   The mosque is the only place that people can freely gather and organize. As I said above, friend, we are Muslims, and any reform in our land must be Islamist to some degree; it is inevitable.   The important aspect then is to ensure that reform is directed through moderate clerics rather radical Islamists.   We need Muslim leaders to direct the push for reform, but not the Muslims who wish to turn back the clock by 13 centuries! My vision of a government of moderate Islamist clerics and scholars has many components.   Firstly, they would stop trying to buy off radical groups and start adopting a more moderate interpretation of Islam than the Wahabis.   This new government would recognize that when you give arms and funding to radical groups, these groups will inevitably turn on you. As we know, friend, our land is the heart of Islam, and any government we have will be responsible for maintaining the sacred places and providing for all the Muslims who make the yearly pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca.   We must also, however, understand that many Muslims look to Arabia for inspiration and Arabia therefore must be responsible with its influence and must not support radical and violent groups who kill in the name of our great religion. More moderate clerics are the best candidates to lead the new Arabia for many reasons.   They are educated and have experience with leadership and organization in the community.   Because of this experience, we can be confident that the clerics will be competent as stewards of the state.   Equally as important, they are respected by the society.   One of the many lessons we have learned from Iraq is that a new government must be made up of people with deep roots in the communities they represent. The first task of a more moderate government would be to write a constitution.   This is an extremely important step, as I’m sure you have learned by visiting the United States.   An Arabian constitution would be much different from the American one, of course, but the concept is the same.   Laws and rights must be enshrined by a binding document rather than being up to the whims of a king. An Arabian constitution might make more room for religion than the American one does, for example, or grant fewer individual rights to citizens, but it would serve a very important function.   It would represent a power greater than the king.   It would provide a list of things that the government cannot do.   These would include such elementary abuses as arrest without warrant or charge, torture, and suppression of media.   For the first time in Arabia, there would be a limit on the powers of the government. This may perhaps seem like a very limited step, but imagine what a large one it would be for our country!   Arabia today is ruled as the property of a single family; the country itself is named after the al-Sauds!   Can you imagine if the United States was called â€Å"Bush America†?   This is no way for a country to be run. I hope the friends you are making in America understand that Arabia will never be like America.   However, I believe that some American ideas, combined with moderate Arabian intellectuals, offers the best hope for our country.   Be well, friend. Sources Cleveland, William L.   A History of the Modern Middle East, second edition.   Boulder: Westview Press, 2000. Hiro, Dilip.   The Essential Middle East: A Comprehensive Guide. New York: Carol Graff Publishers, 2003. Husain, Mir Zohair.   Global Islamic Politics, second edition. New York: Longman, 2003.       How to cite My dear friend, Essay examples