Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Globalization What Would Karl Marx Think Essays

I. With this quote from Capital I, Marx is talking about the components required for the development and perpetuation of capitalism. The main components of this quote are centralization, the cooperative form of the labor process, and the transformation of instruments of labor. Centralization has a long history and grew out of the feudal period. The cooperative form of the labor process has to do with the social character of capital, involving many workers and machines in various geographic locations. The transformation of instruments of labor refers to the fact that machines themselves are not capitalistic, but can be converted into capital, depending on how they are utilized. All of these components contribute to the existence†¦show more content†¦Marx explains in Chapter 26 how serfs became â€Å"Free labourers, in the double sense that neither they themselves form part and parcel of the means of production†¦nor do the means of production belong to them.† The positive freedom that this excerpt refers to was that the workers became free to choose their exploiters. The negative freedom was that they became separated from the means of production. They no longer owned what they produced. In essence, the peasants lost their land and their ability to survive economically. The freshly unemployed were forced to embrace capitalism. In terms of centralization, land previously owned by the peasants became concentrated in the hands of a few large landlords, which was the prelude to the formation of the working class. Marx says that this system of centralization and expropriation developed on an â€Å"ever extending scale.† By this, he means that the transformation of the feudal system led to a more modern form of capitalism in which there was continuation of centralization and the creation of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. The cooperative form of the labor process came about soon after the abolition of the feudal system and the creation of a new group of wage-laborers. In contrast with the feudal era, there was a considerable amount of scientific and technological innovation which involved a geographically connected division of labor. ThisShow MoreRelatedThe Drawbacks Of Globalization920 Words   |  4 PagesYou either hate it or you love it. Globalization. Has its benefits and has its drawbacks. Do the benefits overturn the drawbacks? Benefits include the spread of new culture, jobs, diversity, as well as careers. It improves the global economy, expands knowledge of foreign cultures, and free trade equals a happy economy. Drawbacks of globalization include, taking jobs away from locals, people move country to country wherever they can make the most money and leave the poorer countries which in turnRead MoreThe Three Principles Of The People968 Words   |  4 Pagesthe overthrow of one imperialism by another imperialism; what survived was still imperialism.† Sun Yat-Sen’s other criticism of cosmopolitanism is that it directly rejects the significance of nationalism. And in order for a country to progress socially, economically and politically, its citizens must unite through nationalism. Also, the â€Å"conquering people† who take over the â€Å"subject people† cause the latter to lose their ability to think autonomously and smaller races and cultures are absorbed intoRead MoreThe Effects of Modernization1188 Words   |  5 Pagesencompass modernization are urbanization, secularization, bureaucracy and developments in technology. Karl Marx had the theory the industrial revolution was a communist revolution. He agree with other theories by Tonnies and Durkheim when it came to the brake down of small communities and the division of labor and the rational world view as Weber had. In my perception of Marx theory is that the rich and powerful use bureaucracy and capitalism to shape society until conflict changes theRead MoreKarl Marx And Max Weber1003 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Karl Marx and Max Weber both made tremendous contribution on the development of Sociology. Their studies and theories still have significant meaning for modern sociologists to explore the social world. As Weber are born after Marx about several decades, his theories are influenced by Marx to a great extend so that Weber finds much common ground with Marx. Their conceptions about religion,capitalism, social class and power are in some ways compatible. The aspects of their study areRead MoreKarl Marx s Theory Of Capitalism And Communism2258 Words   |  10 Pagesstate that Karl Marx, born in 1818 and died in 1883, is one of the founders of sociology, seeing as Marxism was named after his theories and thinking. (Biography) However he also developed and constructed many theories when talking about the economy, philosophy and history and is best known as a communist (Biography). A great part of his life was used writing two of his well-known books, Das Kapital, written in 1867 (Marx , 2012: xii), and The Communist Manifesto, written in 1848 (Marx and EngelsRead MoreWal Mart : The Exploitation Of Capitalism And The Importation Of Capitalistic Values Essay738 Words   |  3 Pagesthe globe. It must nestle everywhere,settle everywhere.† Such a statement echos Karl Marx s fears of the exportation of capitalism and the subsequent importation of capitalistic values. If one were to take into account previous statements of Marx s work with regards to how the bourgeois find themselves unable to satisfy their hunger for profits, then it comes as no surprise that a corporate entity such as Wal-Mart would also be driven to expand into overseas markets. Wal-mart however does this notRead MoreApple Manufacturing in China Essay1877 Words   |  8 Pagesabuses foreign workers as well as harming mid-wage jobs of consumers in the U.S. Many different lenses can be used to further analyze the structures, relationships and interactions that characterize this phenomena. Figu res such as C. Wright Mills, Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels, Pierre Bourdieu, Immanuel Wallerstein and Leslie Sklair. The Sociological Imagination was the work in which C. Wright Mills introduced the study of society: sociology. Grasping large scale social trends lends a greater understandingRead MoreThe Theory Of Social Life1581 Words   |  7 Pagesand it is these interpretations that form the social bond. These interpretations are called the â€Å"definition of the situation† (Crossman). For example, why would young people smoke cigarettes even when medical evidence points to the dangers of doing so? Studies find that teenagers are well informed about the risks of tobacco, but they also think that smoking is cool, that they themselves will be safe from harm, and that smoking projects a positive image to their peers (Crossman). The symbolic meaningRead MoreExploitation or opportunity1293 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Article #1 Do you think that the low-wage factories of the multi-national corporations, located in countries such as China, Bangladesh or Mexico, represent exploitation or opportunity? Every exploitative relationship begins with an initial inequality that makes the taking advantage possible. In exploitative relationship the rich get richer and the poor fall further behind. - Robert Mayer Exploitation, in this case economic exploitation, can be defined as using somebody s labor, but in returnRead MoreRelationship Between Personal Troubles And Public Issues Essay1315 Words   |  6 PagesThe first chapter begins with a question; what is sociology? According to the book, sociology is the scientific study of human social relationships, groups, and societies. Basically, this science focuses of humans and their relationships, unlike the other sciences. It’s crazy to think that a science would even focus on how we interact. This is called social embeddedness, how different forms of human behavior shapes our social relationships. For example, politics, if one of your best friends says

Dada vs. Walter Benjamin What Value Does Dada Have in...

------------------------------------------------- Unit 7. ------------------------------------------------- Dada Vs. Walter Benjamin: What value does Dada have in context of Walter Benjamins The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction? ------------------------------------------------- Martin Hannon ------------------------------------------------- Martin Newth ------------------------------------------------- B.A. Photography, Year 2. ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- I have often been attracted to both the visual aesthetic, critical standpoint and to some extent the theory of artists Hannah Hoch and Kurt†¦show more content†¦Although Walter Benjamin and Dada are contemporaneous, by the time Benjamin wrote his essay (1936), Dada was being purged from Germany by the political events concerning Hitler and the Nazi party, which considered Dada degenerative art. The year after the essay was published Dada was included along with many other forms of modern art in their Entartete Kunst (degenerative art) exhibition, which aimed to defame modernism as a conspiracy against German decency: Schwitters fled to Norway the same year, likewise, Walter Benjamin (being an assimilated Jew) had left Germany in 1932. For this reason, it is important to remember political context when examining Benjamins essay. ------------------------------------------------- He discusses his concerns with film are that ‘Quantity has now become quality’, that ‘the masses are looking for distraction whereas art calls for immersion’ and warns us that ‘reception in a state of distraction, which is increasing noticeably in all fields of art and is symptomatic of profound changes in apperception, finds in film its true means of exercise’ ------------------------------------------------- ‘Mankind, which in Homers time was an object of contemplation for the Olympian gods, is now one for itself. It’s self-alienation has reached such a degree that it can experience its own destruction as an aesthetic pleasure of the first order. This is the situation of politics which Fascism is rendering aesthetic. Communsim responds by politicizing

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Albert Camus Political Writing and Career - 958 Words

Camus’s Political Writing/Career Through his political writing, Camus expresses a variety of philosophical ideologies that are in many ways similar to those expressed in â€Å"The Stranger.† In the writing, Camus explores various ideas that are reflective of how society appears to him. * 1943 Joined a French resistance called the â€Å"Combat† who opposed the Nazis. Had an underground newspaper; Camus became the editor, under the name â€Å"Beauchard,† criticized French collaboration with the Nazis †Now the only moral value is courage, which is useful here for judging the puppets and chatterboxes who pretend to speak in the name of the people...† – written in the newspaper The content usually tried to convince people to act with strict moral†¦show more content†¦2. People should â€Å"carefully weigh the price that they must pay† and Camus is debating the idea of whether through world war, conflicts will actually be resolved once and for all; that if even after â€Å"several generations of sacrifice,† they will not come closer to a world society. In â€Å"The Stranger,† Meursault shows utter indifference to the man he had murdered. He did not consider the possible consequences before he shot the man, and simply instinctively kills the Arab without much consideration for what he himself would end up as. Camus explores the idea of existentialism; the role that man plays, and that he is responsible for his own actions, in the midst of a meaningless and empty world. From the ideologies expressed in â€Å"Neither Victim nor Executioner,† it seems as though Camus purposely made Meursault blind towards weighing the price h e would have to pay upon murdering the Arab, and thus places focus on the process of his realization. The war can be thought of as a parallel to the physical fight that Meursault and the Arab engaged in; the ultimate conflict was not solved through murder and physical action. Society still remained the way it was, and instead of Meursault changing the views of society, he was instead forced to submit to it. * Camus wrote for â€Å"L’Express,† from 1955-1956. This was a French magazine that opposed the war in Algeria, and also the use of torture. Similar to this, â€Å"Reflections on the Guillotine†Show MoreRelated Albert The Absurd Camus Essay1071 Words   |  5 PagesAlbert The Absurd Camus â€Å"Albert Camus is one of the most likeable and approachable of the mid-twentieth-century French authors† (Brosman 10).This is quite a compliment for Camus, but most would agree. In France, Albert is known for his many books, two which have made the French best-sellers list. His works are often read and studied in French secondary-school class rooms, introducing a countless number of students to his pieces each year. Camus also holds the high honor of receiving the NobelRead MoreThe Plague By Albert Camus2232 Words   |  9 PagesNon-American Author Research: The Plague by Albert Camus The Plague by Albert Camus is a novel that forms themes around human suffering, greed, and religion. Although, most of the cultural points in this novel are based off of the authors own traditions and culture, the major things to focus on are the differences between history, culture, and religious beliefs between the novel and Oran, Algeria. In Camus’s story, the community of Oran is thrown into panic due to a plague spreading throughoutRead MoreExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 Pagesamp; Phenomenology * Existentialist Philosophers * ------------------------------------------------- Absurdism * The idea of the  absurd  is a common theme in many existentialist works, particularly in  Camus. Absurdity is the notion of contrast between two things. As Camus explains it in  The Myth of Sisyphus: * The absurd is born out of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world. * This view, which is shared by  Sartre, is that humanityRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Harold Pinter s The Room 9709 Words   |  39 Pagesfame rests on not only his popular dramas but also on his political activism which is rooted in his concern for people and their condition in realms which can be termed as social, professional or political. In fact it can be said that many of his works starting from the early comedies of menace to the later overtly political plays run parallel to his political activism in the delineation of abuse of power in familial, social and political sphere and its somatic and psychosomatic impact on the modernRead MoreDaydreams and Nightmares: Paradoxical Melancholy and Sally Bowles in Christopher Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin2773 Words   |  12 Pagesthe right to vote and yet abortion and contraception were deemed to be illegal, both by the Catholic Church and the Communist Party in France. Albert Camus violently reacted to de Beauvoirâ₠¬â„¢s The Second Sex, particularly in her conceptualizing of the woman-mother in relation to men. In The Force of Circumstance (1968),de Beauvoir points out that even Camus accused her of â€Å"making the French male look ridiculous†. In Isherwood’s novel Sally becomes distinctly delusive after her aborted pregnancy. ItRead MoreAlice Malsenior6001 Words   |  25 Pagesnotably in her campaign against ritual genital mutilation of young women, a practice still institutionalized in many parts of the world, as well as the fight for equal rights for African Americans. Her writing has been praised around the world, increasing its profound impact on literature, social and political areas of American life. Moreover, Walker’s turbulent childhood in addition to growing up during an era where African-Americans like herself were fighting for freedom, increased her dedication to becomeRead MoreViolation Of The Maxims Of Cooperative Principle7912 Words   |  32 Pagesthe interpretation of what people mean in a particular context and how the context influences what is said. It requires a consideration of how the speakers organize what they want to say and under what circumstances. It also focuses on the social, political and ethical aspects of linguistic production. It shows forth the assumption that analysis is fruitful to understand a text and it enhances our appropriation, comprehension and understanding of the text. Literature is a linguistic work of art. With

The Old System - 1050 Words

Saul Bellow, The Old System ‘The Old System is, by no means a simple story. Even though at first sight we are blinded by the superficial facts, after reading it a couple of times the simplicity of the action reveals its hidden features. It is a story about the integration of the Jewish in the American society; it is also a story about life and death but, above all, it is a story about emotions. Regarding structure, the story is told in third person by a narrator who tells the events as seen or remembered by a character. The language used by Bellow is simple. The major part of the story is formed by many short and, sometimes, incomplete sentences and phrases. However, those few words are enough to understand what is going on: Winter.†¦show more content†¦In that sense, we can see that all the characters are affected by the change. None of them remains impassible to the changes; even though they respect and keep their costumes, they cannot prevent some things to change: the synagogue loses its purely Jewish character and it acquires the American Christian style and even the rabbi is not ‘orthodox enough for Isaac who insists on holding on to the old traditions. Every character has a different way of undergoing the process. Some adapt and some refrain from getting ‘Americanised. Isaac and Tina are a very good example of this. Tina, and Isaacs relatives in general, on the one hand, keep the old immigrant style (321) and do not do much to integrate and succeed in the new country. Isaac, on he other hand, tries hard to succeed but, at the same time, he would never sacrifice his costumes because of his goals. On the contrary, the better he does, the more traditionalist he becomes. This opposition, however, does not only appear between characters but also within them. Isaac, for example, represents the encounter of two worlds. He works hard to adapt to the new society however he cant leave his culture behind, he integrates in society but, at the same time, he becomes more and more isolated because of his character. The past, and life itself, are other important themes here because the story is build upon memories and images of the past which areShow MoreRelatedThe Old Private Pension System1012 Words   |  5 PagesThe old private pension system was created in the 1920’s and expanded throughout the 30’s and 40’s (McDonnell). Private pensions were considered one of the three income sources for retired elderly. Originally, private pensions had defined benefits. The employer and employee would agree to a percentage of salary that the employee would receive from the company annually during retirement. Contractually obligated, this placed the liability onto the employer. Estimates say that employees could receiveRead MoreThe Transition Between The Old System And The New System865 Words   |  4 Pagesthe new system. We have also put in place a plan for the go live date where staff will have to use both systems in case there is a problem. Lastly we have identified all of the ri sk associated with the transition and created plans accordingly as well as a detailed timeline of milestones and due dates for the overall project and on the smaller group level. Critical Time Consuming The most critical time has been identified as the transition between the old system and the new system. DuringRead MoreFederal Old Age Insurance System1035 Words   |  5 PagesIn august 14 1935 a social security act as established as system to help with old age benefit, benefit for accident victims, unemployment insurance, aid for independent mothers and children, and physically handicapped. Before this bill was passed the support of the elderly was a local, state and family problem rather than federal. The suffering caused by great depression allowed numerous proposals for a national old age insurance system. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed to the congressRead MoreImmune System Of A 3 Week Old Infant778 Words   |  4 PagesPatient 1 : A 3-week-old baby is brought into the urgent care clinic with a fever of 101.4 degrees F. Without hesitating or assessing the infant, the physician orders a complete blood count (CBC), a urinalysis, blood cultures, and a lumbar punctur e. a. Describe the immune system of a 3-week old infant. The immune system of a 3-week old infant is immature with limited antibody production. â€Å"A system of active transport facilitates the passage of maternal antibodies into the fetal circulation to protectRead MoreDiscrimination Against The Age Old Caste System788 Words   |  4 Pagesphysical appearance, ethnicity, social class, wealth etc. If you have been treated unfairly because of who you are, it may lead to unlawful discrimination. The age-old caste system is one of the main causes for social inequality in India. It has contributed in keeping a large portion of the country s population backwards. The caste system resulted in lot of evil actions because of its rules. Society was divided into strict compartments and those belonging to the higher castes exploited the lower casteRead MoreOld Age Security And Modern Welfare System998 Words   |  4 PagesOld age security has long since become a basic building block in any modern welfare system. Likewise it has long since become a standard element in the battery of expectations held and shared by citizens towards society. Pension systems are the vehicles by which these expectations are catered for. Their effectiveness and reliability are extremely important to individuals as well as societies. [] As reported by the Public Health England (PHE), individuals in the UK are expected to live longer thanRead MoreNew And Old Powers Of The United States Government System Essay1011 Words   |  5 PagesJavier Cangas Mrs. Carney Government 1113 11 October 2016 New and Old Powers The United States government system is a well developed system to watch over the nation and maintain order. Citizens of the country argue that the Government is out to get them or somehow some way not doing what is right. I myself cannot say what exactly the government is doing right or wrong. Throughout my life I have had many great amenities as every tax paying citizen should have the right to. That being said, I amRead MoreOld System Of Management Based Largely On Empirical Data1731 Words   |  7 Pagescircumstances, it has become necessary to radically change the model of production management, the implementation of other organizational structures, reporting lines, strict observance of technology, precision assignments, reasonable incentives, and so on. Old system of management based largely on empirical data could not provide most of these aspects.Absence of knowledge of the organization of production processes, the optimal sequence of operations and modes of operation of equipment, technical and other standardsRead MoreElectronic Banking, An Automatic Delivery Of The New And Old Banking System1021 Words   |  5 PagesElectronic banking is an automatic delivery of the new and old banking system of products and services to the customers.They give the service by the electronic and interactive communication channels. Financial institution customers, individuals or businesses are included by the E-Banking system which allows the system to access the account and also transact the business to obtain information about financial products through a network which is public or private by including the internet.[1]. ForRead MoreBurn: Respiratory System and 18-year-old Female College890 Words   |  4 PagesCase Study 2: Burns Situation: You are working the day shift on the medical-surgical unit in a small district hospital. Your assignment includes an 18-year-old female college student, admitted the previous night. She was caught in a house fire and sustained burns over 30% of her body surface area, with partial-thickness burns on her legs and back. 1. The client is undergoing burn fluid resuscitation using the standard Baxter (Parkland) formula. She was burned at 0200 and admitted at 0400

APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants. Assume

Question: Discuss about the Ethics for Professional Accountants Assume. Answer: Situation 1 It may seem that Section 120-1, APES 110 may be violated but on close scrutiny it becomes clear that there is not violation of the code. This is because it is highly likely that the two investors in the limited company may not be aware of each other. As a result, there is no conflict of interest since there seems be no relation between the business interest of Able and Marshall. Hence, Able can continue to provide audit services to Marshalls company without any loss of independence. Situation 2 As per the relevant details, Baker offers to the new client a proposal by which the taxpayer could pay a substantial amount of tax in the previous year tax filings. This aspect has been overlooked by the client but Baker demands a 50% of the total tax saving as fee for this which is agreed to the by the client. Clearly, the behaviour of Baker is in violation of professional behaviour in line with section 150. Additionally, it is imperative that the member must not be overly driven by fees which are being violated here as the model guidelines for fees charged for the services provided as highlighted in Section 240 of the APES ethics code are not being followed. The firm must have internal policies with regards to the fees specifying the maximum fee chargeable which would act as a safeguard in the given condition (APES, 2010). Situation 3 As per, Section 150-2, the members while marketing and promoting themselves must not make tall claims about the services and prices which cannot be verified. However, Contel releases an advertisement in the newspapers promoting the services offered by claiming that his firm is engaged with the largest 6-8 financial firms with regards to offering audit services and also makes claims about the average audit fee charged by the firm to be lowest in the city. Clearly, these claims can be verified objectively and assuming these claims are true, there is no violation of APES 110 code (APES, 2010). Situation 4 In order to avoid loss of objectivity and conflict of interest, it is advisable that public accountants do not engage in any particular business that does not go well with the professional services that they may offer. In the given case, even though Tan also has a loan business while offering professional services, but still there is no conflict of interest as Tan does spend any time with the loan business and also there is segregation of staff members (APES, 2010). Situation 5 Since Elbert has not realized that the mutual fund company in which she owns substantial shares has increased their investment in the largest audit client of hers, hence there would be threat to the independence of the auditor i.e.Elbert and thus leads to violation of 120-1 of APES ethics code. This is because there is a potent conflict on interest in the given case since during the audit if there are irregularities and Elbert gives a qualified remark in the audit report, then the stock price of the company would tumble which would have adverse effect on the valuation of Elberts share in the mutual fund company whose valuation would also go down. Thus, it is highly likely that Elbert in the given case would issue a unqualified audit report. Hence, Elbert should be required to make an undertaking that she does not have any direct or indirect ownership in the company to avoid the conflict of interest and hence act as a safeguard to prevent the situation from arising (APES, 2010). Situation 6 In the given situation, there is the threat of self review and familiarity in accordance with Section 200 of APES 110 code which tends to result in compromised actual independence. This is because Finigan is not only acting as the auditor but also as the offer book keeping services and tax return. Additionally, she seems to have a very close relation with the client which leads to the violation of Section 120-1 of the APES ethics code. In this case, there is a possibility that audit risk is high especially the detection risk since Finigan would audit the financial statements and other records prepared under her own guidance.In this regard, the audit firm should have a strict internal policy whereby the same person should not be responsible for providing both auditing and accounting services thus acting as a safeguard in such situations (APES, 2010). References APES (2010), APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, APESB Website, [Online] Available at https://www.apesb.org.au/uploads/standards/apesb_standards/standard1.pdf [Accessed April 27, 2017]

War Monologue free essay sample

What Really Matters in the End? In life there will be a point where life tests you. Your beliefs and morals are what makes you decide your path. But what if the right path was to take your own life. The crack of gunshots, bombs were whistling past missing by inches, bullets were spraying over my head. Bodies were dropping around me. I stood, I fired. The line between life and death was blurred. The realisation of being where I was at the time never sank in. My face was wet, I couldn’t understand why or how. I struggled to see past the tears in my eyes. It struck me, I gasped for air. I was crying. I realised what I just saw. The man that had my words written in stone, I promised him that I would always be there. It was my brother lying there hit. I was on the ground screaming, blood weeping through my hands, I pushed the wound down, more blood pushed out. We will write a custom essay sample on War Monologue or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I felt his heart beat in my own hands. His chest had been blown open. I had my brother’s blood on my hands, I had the enemy’s blood sprayed on me. It was at this moment I realised there was no difference in colour. There was no real difference in the way we fought, the way we spoke, the way we lived. I was laying there bathed in bright red in the middle of the fighting field. My ears were ringing, everything stopped, and no one was firing. I looked around; I saw my own Comrades standing there firing, at what? Men that were just hiding in the shrub, they were after something, someone, but not to kill. They wanted to evade the war but thrived for the justice of their people. Oblivious to what they were after, I stood up ready to scream. But what? The only thing that set the line between us and ‘them’ was we spoke a different language. They would not understand a word I would say, they were merely a less developed race, and what were they now? ‘They’ were not firing, we were. I called my men off, I stood out from the refuge leaving the stream of vivid red. It was then when I felt the ache in my thigh, I was hit. We had waited hours for them to fire back. They fired at the man next to me, but didn’t do the last shot to kill him off. Then I realised the shot was meant for me. I was the one they were after I was the sole reason they were attacking, and we fought back. It was my fault that my brother got hit, if he’d only stood back and didn’t protect me. I fell. I didn’t feel pain, I only felt sadness for what my brother’s fate held. The years of my training kicked in. Think tactics, I went carefully through the situation. Then it made sense. They punctured my thigh. They wanted me alive. I tried to concentrate but all I could hear was firing, my men running. I knew everything about my country, they needed me. I was the key to bringing my great country down. I knew what awaited me, mental and physical torture. They needed the secrets that I knew about my country. My loyalty was great, the only way they would get anything would be to physically torture me. But they wouldn’t kill me. I knew this because it was me who tortured men. Then it occurred to me, a month ago I was worrying over the things that mattered in life; the bills, booking vacation, renovating the house. But in a month the scale changed drastically I was worrying about my brother dying in my arms, how I was going to avoid being captured, avoid being tortured, how to stop the massacre. Then it occurred to me. If I was no longer here, they would have no source of information to infiltrate. I would not have to grieve my brother’s suffering I could join him in the end. I wondered what really matters in life. But dying committing a suicidal act to protect my country, in the end will I realise the meaning of life and what really matters? To me what really matters is having a good reason for why people do things. It’s basic but it covers everything from the small things; going to work every day, to support your family. The reason for arguing, you are standing up for what you believe is right. The reason I will die is to protect my nation’s secrets for without them the country can never be brought down. I now know what really matters to me, it is to always take the right path. I grabbed the gun, I took my last breath. I left the world to the sound of a crack.