National Action Plan NAP The Implementation Mechanism of Implantation Achievement and Failures - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2079 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/03/18 Category Analytics Essay Level High school Tags: Failure Essay Did you like this example? Pakistan has been targeted of an intense layer of terrorism and bomb attacks for last 10 to 18 years. But it abruptly increases after 9/11. Bomb attacks on government and public institutions, military personals and line enforcement agencies and offices of various organizations and suicide bomb attacks had become order of the day. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "National Action Plan NAP: The Implementation Mechanism of Implantation Achievement and Failures" essay for you Create order Which compel the government to carry out military operation in various parts of the country operation Al-Mizan, operation Rah-e-Haq, operation Zalzala, operation black thunderstorm, operation Raah-e-Raast operation sher dil, operation Rah-e-Nijat, operation Koh-e-Safaid and operation Zarb-e-Azab, operation Khyber I and II (Karachi operation I and Karachi operation II) costing over $123 of billion. The terrorism layer not only suffered Pakistan economically but it also created a sense of disability, chaos, and fear and sense of Horror in the country among mob/ general masses, apart from law and order situation in the country. Pakistan is a country badly affected by acts of terrorism, threatening Pakistan’s law and order situation, human rights, damaging basic infrastructure and economic opportunities. And once Pakistan was about to be declined the most unsafe state in the world. Pakistan is facing the menace of terrorism, which is eroding the social structure, economic developments and political system. The immediate costs of terrorist acts are loss of human lives, destruction of property and infrastructure and depression of short-term economic activity apart from immense economic loss and economic pressure or burden on the country. This include war on terror launched by security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and federally administrated tribal area (FATA) having borders shaved with Afghanistan and resultant displacement of some three million people from their homes. As a part of this layer of terrorism, the terrorist attacked army public school on army run school at Peshawar killing over 140 innocent student, which were claimed by the terrorist outfit Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (Taliban movement of Pakistan TTP) was ostensibly a game changer the heart rending and soul piercing Peshawar tragedy took place that much hyped political consensus against terrorism. There are some events in the history of nations when all segments of society, irrespective of their differences came together and unite for a common purpose. Same event was repeatedly happened in Pakistan when on 16th December the tragic massacre in Army Public School Peshawar brought the entire nation on one page. All the political parties, both from government and opposition benches, military leadership civil society and people at large from all walks of life expressed their design of wiping out terrorism from country once and for all. This unprecedented unity and national consensus is significant, because all stakeholders of the safe for the first time collectively declared terrorism in all etc. forms and manifestations including that organized on the basis of religion and sect as the principal national security threat to Pakistan. This bleak and grief attack crowned into mourn and sorrow not only Pakistani nation, but also the international community. It united the whole nation under single slogan toe rush and wiped out terrorism from the county all party’s conference was called in Peshawar, in which the civil, political and military leadership after a long consideration and discussion framed a mechanism to count terrorism. Although several operation as mentioned were underway in sere veal parts of the country, but there was no fixed and functioning mechanism, to counter terrorism hill date. So all the political parties and civil military leadership agreed upon a 20 points to counter terrorism. Which is called national action plan (NAP). 1. Methodology The research is mainly of descriptive nature as the main concern is to specifically examine the national action plan. I have used journals, article, magazines and newspaper’s for eh collection of data above mention source is called secondary data. Which is used for this research? 2. Title of the study My research title is national action plan the achievement and failure. 3. Research Questions Although the Pak army has conducted the numbers of military operations than why nation action plan needed. What we achieved because of national action plan. What we lost in national action plan. Tool of data collection This research is based on secondary sources e.g. newspaper, article book’s statistical bulletins. 1.2 Objectives To determine the need for NAP that why a mechanism like NAP became necessary in spite of many ongoing military operations. Were the military operations insufficient and ineffective? To determine what is NAP (National Action Plan) and what are its elements. To study the mechanism of implementation of NAP and institutions involved in its implementation. And also its expense or boundary. Scorecard of NAP (To study the effectiveness of NAP). What lop holes and Weaknesses were involved with its implementation and does it fail or succeeded in combating terrorism? What should have been done to make it effective and successful and what should be done to avoid such accidents in future. To study achievements and weakness in national action plan with an overview of what so far happen under NAP and what actions and steps are taken by concern authorities in pursuance of NAP. 1.3 Significance of the Study After the origin of national action plan the countries politics revolved around it. The Government of PML (N) became totally dependent on Army for its survival and Army got enormous power and authorities over various aspect and affairs of the state. The political parties and leaders alleged the government for limiting the national action plan into specific area and targeting certain specific political parties and people by using NAP, For some political parties and leaders NAP was a devised instrument for targeting political opponents of the government on the other side government totally negate it, and suppose it as an instrument to counter terrorism therefore its study and analysis is significant. It is important to know NAP and its elements, that what is NAP and what is it for?. The focus of my study is to know NAP and its elements in its basic form and its purpose. There is lack of consensus over the mechanism and target of NAP among the political parties and leaders. To study the effectiveness, ineffectiveness and achievements under NAP is of great importance to get the people out of ambiguity. The twenty points agenda as devised by the civilian and military leadership with in collaboration to each one in order to counter the terrorist activist been curbed action plan resultantly the terrorist a hack on Peshawar army public school. But since the national action plan had constituted or established, from that very time it has been criticized by defend circles belongs to various walks of life due to the some ups and down being found in mentionable assure thing (NAP). So, therefore the research paper as preened by the researcher held, and vied to critically evaluate and scrutinized it’s achievement has been made so far through this (NAP) by law enforcement agencies, and the flaws or chemists as raised in proposed plan had also highlighted that what extent the national action plan had proved effective or ineffective. To counter terrorism in the country and also the challenges as being faced by the various relevant state inabilities due to their such policy or strategy in order to formulate all-encompassing counter-terrorism policies to root-out effectively the extremism, radicalization and sectionalism. Janjua 2016 (A Critical Analysis and Evaluation of the NAP’s Pitfalls Say’s) Along with the few achievements as repaved throng the national action plan (NAP) by the also having some serious flaws and misters. Under the (NAP) and national and counter terrorism association (NACTA), the anti-terrorism institutions and has not achieved any major objectives since form the inception of (NACTA) no significant efforts have been made to achieve or make active the almost inactive (NATA) under the protection of the (NAP) (Janjua, 2016). Asad Ullah Khan (January 06-2017) (is NAP Really Working?) Civilian and military government stands as a sign of success and progress over past few years. The military has conducted many operations and tried their best to minimize the strength (number) of their cops/soldiers in the no go arrears successfully their performance can be estimated and gauged from the decrease of almost 50 parent in violence related casualties and accidents in Pakistan between 2012 and 2016. At the national level, these efforts have gained immense public support which clearly reflects, that Pakistani society is trying to come out of this mess. Last but not least, national action plan needs some revision / review not in terms of new policy options. But in terms of political will to implement the available options on ground. For serious implementation of all the twenty (20) points of the plan, these points must be subdivided into plans and directives for implementation, so that a tussle in institutions on implementation is avoided. Only military have power is not a final solution to curb the menace of violent extremism in Pakistan. There is an extremely serious and urgent need to establish a national narrative based upon a mix of hard and soft power known as smart power to stabilize the society, namely provide sustainable peace and progress to the terror-victim areas in long-term The Peshawar attack occurred amid a four-month political crisis, begin in mid-august 2014 in which the newly elected prime minister and serving chairman of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the cleric political and leader of Pakistan Awami Tahreek Dr. Tahir ul- Qadri led large demonstrations demanding of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation and parliaments dissolution because of the alleged and controversial election and were demanding for construction or formation of judicial commission to probe the election. Weakened by these the Pakistan Muslim league (Nawaz) PML-N government became more dependent on the other opposition parties (PPP, PML a and other) and coalition parties (QWP, JUI and other) and military for survival. The military’s almost complete control over national security and counter terrorism policy should be seen in the light of its continual encroachment into civillian off airs since restoration of democracy in 2008. (www.southasiancews.com, October 27, 2009.) The national action plan (NAP) prepared by the all parties conference in consolation with the military. The 16th December 2014 attack in Peshawar claimed by the Tehreek-e-Talban (TTP) was ostensibly a game changer. A week later, the Pakistan (Muslim league Nawaz) unveiled a new counter-terrorism strategy, the twenty point national action plan (NAP) with prime minister Nawaz Shairf and Army chief Raheel Sharif vowing to forget all terror groups without any distinction. Six months later and continued terror attacks, the NAP looks far more like a hostile conceived wish-list devised for public consumption during a moment of crisis than a coregent strategy. The meeting addresses the other tasks and responsibilities assigned down to the military and intelligence agencies and took decision regarding their implementation. The national action plan empowered the military the performing institution. The legal authority awarded to the military seriously undermines the judiciary this over stepping would be detrimental to the cause of both the institutions. Whereas there was the need that the actions plan, should have come-up with ideas to correct the delays in dispensation of justice, and the development of modalities and procedure to deal with corruption. After inaugurating the â€Å"NAP† on 24 December, the Sharif government implemented two major elements of the military without delay lifting the predecessor government’s 2008 moratorium on the death penalty, and passing on 6 January 2015 the 21st constitutional commandments empowering special military courts to dry all terrorists, and suspects, including civilians. Thus the military with immense powers started their action to implement â€Å"NAP† under the prescribed and described principles eradicating and exterminating all the hurdles and obstacles, which were posed in its path either from civilian government or from other groups, the military openly condemned the barriers and hurdles, even it alleged and criticized the government for so many times for planning hurdle in taking away â€Å"NAP† to its logical and to act upon it in its read soul. At the military’s reservation over National action plan since the NAP has been launched. NAP has been launched. As the attack on Army public school was a question mark lied on ongoing continued military operations in the same way despite the launch and swing of mechanism and set of actions against like national action plan another attack of the same type on Bacha Khan university Charsadda, and later on attack on Quetta hospital west creating an another question mark on national action plan (NaP) furthermore the bomb attack on a park in Lahore is another question mark lied on the implementation of NAP without any distention.

Manipulation in Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray

Manipulation in Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray I do not think that one person influences another, nor do I think there is any bad influence in the world, Oscar Wilde uttered when under trial (Hyde 353). Although this statement may be true, one of Wildes most famous works shows a great deal of the effects of people shaping one another, causing one to wonder about Wildes sincerity in that statement. The Picture of Dorian Gray shows variations on the existence and purposes of influence, displaying two types of personal influence: obvious manipulations such as that of Lord Henry upon Dorian and that of Dorian over Sybil Vane, and those that are more often overlooked such as the more subtle manipulation of Dorian over†¦show more content†¦Dorian is introduced to Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Henry Wotton seems at the beginning of the novel to be the most corrupting character in the book, being the catalyst of Dorian Gray?s change in character, or realization of true character. Wotton is a cynical character, and is somewhat of a hyp ocrite, as Hallward rightly says (paraphrasing Charles 2nds epigram), You never say a moral thing, and you never do a wrong thing (4). For all his talk, Lord Henry remains a married man who chooses a life as a spectator rather than a carouser (Miller 385). From the instant of their acquaintance, Lord Henry causes an instantaneous difference in Dorian. Lord Henry lives vicariously on the emotions and experiences of other people (Shewan 376). Lord Henry awakens in Dorian feelings and thoughts Dorian has never had before, and Dorian feels overcome with awe. When asked about his negative influence on people, Lord Henry says, There is no such thing as a good influence, Mr. Gray. All influence is immoral?Because to influence a person is to give him one?s own soul? (17). Dorian immediately develops an attachment to Lord Henry, one which Henry claims will be everlasting. Jeffrey Meyers explains, If Hallward is the masochistic creator of Dorian?s aesthetic glorification, Wotton (who manipula tes the vanity stimulated by the portrait) is the sadistic catalyst of his moral degeneration(372). In fact, Ted Spivey claims thatShow MoreRelatedThe Picture Of Dorian Gray1423 Words   |  6 Pagestrifling individuals. This reading of the quotation relates to Oscar Wilde’s book, The Picture of Dorian Gray, since the association of negative influences from individuals seems to be the downfall of Dorian Gray. Dorian Gray is a character that was misguided throughout his adulthood because of his surroundings and affiliation with individuals, which is the blame in his, loss of innocence. The presence of a witched portrait of Dorian, takes on his mischievous actions and the deteriorated appearanceRead MoreOscar Wilde s The Picture Of Dorian Gray1998 Words   |  8 PagesRackshana Sithirasenan Mr. Cimetta ENG4U1-01 24 November 2014 Dorian’s Pursuit Towards Hedonism Dorian Gray once told Henry The soul . . . can be bought, and sold. It can be poisoned, or made perfect (Wilde 213). Likewise, it would not be beneficial for one to sacrifice their soul with an exception of exchanging it in order to attain perfection. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray explores the themes and ideologies of Hedonism and Aestheticism. Hedonists believe that pleasure is the mostRead MoreOscar Wide s The Picture Of Dorian Gray914 Words   |  4 PagesOscar Wide’s The Picture of Dorian Gray illustrates Basil Hallward’s portrait as a primary catalyst for the fluctuating personality of Dorian Gray. As Dorian gazes at the portrait of himself, he is upset that even though he will continue to age and wrinkle, the portrait will always remain young, beautiful and unaltered. Upon multiple readings of The Picture of Dorian Gray deconstructive textual analysis suggests that there are always new interpretations of the image of the painting. â€Å"UltimatelyRead MoreExamples Of Aestheticism In The Picture Of Dorian Gray1284 Words   |  6 PagesOscar Wilde was one of the most famous writers in the history of England. He lived in the 19th century and was one of the major contributors to the Aesthetic movement. He was a spokesperson for aestheticism. He tried his hand at various literary activities. He was an Irish playwright, novelist, essayist and poet. He refined his ideas about the importance of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of duplicity, beauty and decadence. He incorporated all these vital characteristicsRead MoreThe Pursuit Of Self Discovery2522 Words   |  11 Pagesmez Dr. McCollister ENGL 3314 April 4, 2015 The Pursuit of Self-Discovery: A Psychoanalytic look at The Picture of Dorian Gray When one hears the title The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde a flash of Faustian images such as villains, tragedy, and worldly pleasures might come to mind. The reader might recall Lord Henry Wotton as the Mephistophelian presence of the novel, and his epigram that â€Å"All influence is immoral†¦because to influence a person is to give him one s own soul† (Wilde 19-20)

Practical Guide of Programmer Control System

Question: Discuss about the Practical Guide of Programmer Control System. Answer: Introduction The goals and objectives of a business can only be achieved by putting proper focus on the implementation of a strategy in order to attain competitive advantage over other businesses. Nowadays, customers access the services provided by businesses anytime, anywhere with the help of internet enabled activities. The increased number of users accessing the same service subsequently results in the slowing down of the servers and data centers because high-end computers cannot always accommodate such increased number of users (Thampi, et. al., 2012). After a point, peak overload is reached which need to be handled significantly. In order to handle the issue, the upgradation of computers is required continuously such that the users and system are not disrupted by the upgrade. Autonomous hardware systems are made through the use of architecture for working as a single unit for upgradation of systems. This architecture is often termed as distributed system (Electrical Technology, 2017). It is a system with the help of which single function is performed by multiple computers. In this architecture, different machines handle a single program which is further subdivided into different parts. The problems are solved by the way of establishing communication between the machines and therefore networking is the key to this architecture. The way in which services are distributed from a central source is known as client-server architecture and can also be regarded as the basis of distributed computer systems. The service is provided by a single server and communication is established with the server by multiple clients for consuming its products. Different jobs are allocated to clients and servers in this architecture. The service requests from clients are responded by the server as a part of its job while the data provided in response is utilized for performing the tasks as a part of clients job. This assignment focuses on the implementation of client server application in java language for an electronics company. Administrator and employees will be the users of this system. Problem The problem comprises of the requirement to develop an application in which the server receives the request of the clients and accomplish them on clients behalf. On the other hand, the client performs the tasks of handling customer queries, logging customers, viewing gadget related information along with making required changes in gadget- price entities and calculating costs (Duke Computer Science, 2017). An additional function related to the change and update of customer details will be added for allowing the users to change their login details. Therefore, a solution is created in the form of execution of client/server application. Suggested Solution The solution will comprise of the implementation of client/server application which will perform the programs functions but will be managed by separate parts: The Client- Menu system will be displayed by this part that represents the functions that the system executes. The function will be selected by the user on the basis of menu and the same will be forwarded to the system (Career Bless, 2017). The Server- The client requests are received by this part of application along with the messages of clients for determining the selected function. After this, execution of the function takes place along with communication of its status to the client (Calvert Donahoo, 2011). The application will be developed with the help of Java programming language using Netbeans 7.4 Integrated Development Environment (IDE) tool. Socket connected communication will be implemented by this program (Live Code, 2017).The architecture used to organize the system is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 Architecture of Distributed Computer System Design Flowchart of system A flowchart represents the flow of various situations and decisions in a system with the help of shapes and symbols (Alison, 2017). The main processes of the flowchart are server and client. The processing of requests is shown to be a part of server while the client allows user to choose a number shown by the menu system for providing additional inputs to be processed by server. Figure 2 Flowchart of Gadgets Service Engine application Sequence Diagram Sequence diagrams are helpful for representing the changing aspects of object- oriented designs and denote the manner in which objects interaction take place in a system with the help of time sequence ranging from top to bottom. Such diagrams are helpful for representing the dynamics (Smart Draw, 2017). Activity Diagram Activity diagrams are helpful in the creation of models of processes which represent the working of things in a business environment. It performs the function of assisting the workflow in a less intellectual mode (Source Making, 2017). Input and Output Design of GSE The programs design is centered on two main processes that are performed at the same time. The sequence of passing messages comprises the operations which are utilized as inputs and outputs. Socket is utilized by both the processes using same number (Saternos, 2014). The main interacting processes are following: Server- This process includes processing of request from the client in message form. The message comprise of a string which includes the following: Menu Number - from 1 to 7 based on the selection. Data- the data comprises either of the string or a sequence of strings joined by hyphen (-). Data forwarded by server and client will then analyze the individual array elements when it faces an encounter with hyphen. Client- The display of the menu system along with the options numbered from 1 to 7 marks the start of the process (Proctor, 2017). The requirements of the problem statement are the basis of these options. The details of the process are as follows: Selection of the number from 1 to 7 is made by the user from the menu displayed. The sequence of additional data along with the number is forwarded to the server in the form of string message as follows: "1-"+GSECustID+"-"+GSECustPassword "2-" "3-"+strGadgetCode+"-"+strGadgetName+"-"+strGadgetPrice "4-"+strDelGadgetCode "5-"+strUpdateGadgetCode+"-"+GadgetCode+"-"+GadgetName+"-"+GadgetPrice "6-"+updGSECustID+"-"+newGSECustID+"-"+newGSECustPassword+"-"+newGSECustName "7-"+strBuyGadgetCode+"-"+GadgetQuantity Server sends a message with one of the following reply: Error message Results of the process After the proper execution of the options process and the display of the message on the clients end, the user is given an option to continue or exit. Program Testing This part represents the screenshots taken from programs execution. The requirements of the problem statement are tested for compliance with the help of menu options and execution of the program (School of Informatics. 2017). References Alison. 2017. What is a System Flowchart?, [Online]. Available at: https://alison.com/topic/learn/44675/what-is-a-system-flowchart [Accessed on: 3 January 2017]. Calvert, K. L. and Donahoo, M. J. 2011. TCP/IP Sockets in Java: Practical Guide for Programmers, Morgan Kaufmann. Career Bless. 2017. Java Program to Send a Message from Client to Server and Receive a Response Back Using Socket Programming, [Online]. Available at: https://www.careerbless.com/samplecodes/java/beginners/socket/SocketBasic1.php [Accessed on: 3 January 2017]. Duke Computer Science. 2017. Sockets and Client/Server Communication, [Online]. Available at: https://users.cs.duke.edu/~chase/cps196/slides/sockets.pdf [Accessed on: 3 January 2017]. Electrical Technology. 2017. What is Distributed Control System (DCS)?, [Online]. Available at: https://www.electricaltechnology.org/2016/08/distributed-control-system-dcs.html [Accessed on: 3 January 2017]. Live Code. 2017. How to communicate with other applications using sockets, [Online]. Available at: https://lessons.livecode.com/m/4071/l/12924-how-to-communicate-with-other-applications-using-sockets [Accessed on: 3 January 2017]. Proctor, R. 2017. Sockets: Basic Client-Server Programming in Java - By Rick Proctor, [Online]. Available at: https://edn.embarcadero.com/article/31995 [Accessed on: 3 January 2017]. Saternos, C. 2014. Client-Server Web Apps with JavaScript and Java: Rich, Scalable, and RESTful. "O'Reilly Media, Inc.". School of Informatics. 2017. A Theory of Program Testing - A Grand Challenge for Computer Science?, [Online]. Available at: https://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/dts/funding/testing.html [Accessed on: 3 January 2017]. Smart Draw. 2017. Sequence Diagram, [Online]. Available at: https://www.smartdraw.com/sequence-diagram/ [Accessed on: 3 January 2017]. Source Making. 2017. Activity Diagrams, [Online]. Available at: https://sourcemaking.com/uml/modeling-business-systems/external-view/activity-diagrams [Accessed on: 3 January 2017]. Thampi, S. M., Zomaya, A. Y., Strufe, T., Calero, J. M. A. and Thomas, T. 2012. Recent Trends in Computer Networks and Distributed Systems Security. Springer.

Neil Postman Responses Essay Example

Neil Postman Responses Paper Part I On page 11, Postman quotes Niels Bohr as saying, The opposite of a correct statement is an incorrect statement, but the opposite of a profound truth is another profound truth. What does this statement mean? Do you agree with it? Why or why not? Opposition creates two points of view and provides a stronger meaning for both sides. A correct statement, â€Å"I like ice cream,† is opposed by the incorrect statement, â€Å"I don’t like ice cream. If I only observe the correct statement, I have no reason to justify my liking of ice cream, but if I am challenged with the incorrect statement, I am forced to consider why I like ice cream—I like it because it’s cold, sweet, and creamy. A profound truth, deep and unyielding, cannot be proven false; therefore, the opposition to it can only be another profound truth that acts as any opposition would, creating another point of view that provides a force to clarify or strengthen both truths. When one can find greater clarity in opposing truths, it allows one to gain perspective to widen and justify one’s own beliefs. I agree with Postman’s claim, â€Å"it is better to have access to more than one profound truth†¦to hold comfortably in one’s mind the validity and usefulness of two contradictory truths is the source of tolerance, openness, and most important, a sense of humor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1996, p. 11). I consider Economic Utility, a profound truth that defines the purpose of education to â€Å"prepare children for competent entry into the economic life of a community† (Postman, 1996, p. 27). To oppose it, I consider the profound truth of Consumership that defines the purpose of education to provide students with the means to acquire goods. What does the former mean without the latter? It means simply that students should have jobs when they finish school. What does the latter mean, without the former? It means simply that students should be able to purchase goods when they finish school. When I considered both in opposition, Economic Utility became more about contributing to the productivity of the community, being able to provide the goods and services necessary for the well being of family and neighbors. We will write a custom essay sample on Neil Postman Responses specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Neil Postman Responses specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Neil Postman Responses specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Consumership became more about individuals consuming goods for the sake of independent wealth. â€Å"The similarity between this god [of Consumership] and the god of Economic Utility is obvious. † (Postman, 1996, p. 33). First glance reveals this much, but observing the opposition of the profound truths, reveals much more of the truth in each of them. I would agree with Bohr’s statement because I value the opportunity to observe differences in points of view, and to explore meanings beyond face-value. It is the recognition of another profound truth as the opposition to another that allows me to do this. If I accept a profound truth only because I’m told that it is a profound truth, I have not gained any perspective to make that profound truth worth following. Opposing it is the only way to create meaning in it for me. Part II Later on that page, Postman states, Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly better to have one profound truth, one god, one narrative, than to have none. Postman admits that all gods are flawed. Why is it better to have a flawed god than no god at all? I would analogize Postman’s view of a flawed god to being dropped in a forest with nothing but a compass. The compass is minimal, and hardly useful without a map. It doesn’t tell you where you are, where you came from, or where you’re going. It is flawed in many ways, especially if we hold it to the standard to which we have grown accustomed—the GPS device. Despite its flaws, the compass is a resource, something that provides orientation and ensures that the wanderer isn’t merely traveling in endless circles. While a compass can’t promise that the wanderer won’t be lost, it still affords him a sense of direction by which he may somehow choose a path to lead him out of the forest. Without orientation, North, South, East and West have no meaning. Without a god, right and wrong, good and bad, love and hate have no meaning. When faced with a choice or decision, we weigh the options with a sense of what our god expects and are able to align the outcomes with the goals we seek. Not having a god generates internal conflict whereby any decisions made would be arbitrary, void of meaning, or irrelevant. Even if a narrative places one in hell, it is better to be there than to be nowhere. To be nowhere means to live in a barren culture, one that offers no vision of the past or future, no clear voice of authority, no organizing principles. † (Postman, 1996, p. 12). Gods are necessary to give us reason and purpose for doing what we do. While a flawed god may sometimes have us confus ed or misguided, we can still count on that god to have at least created enough meaning in our lives to give us the ability to re-organize or find a new god. Consider a hypothetical story: If I were following the god of Science and were to discover its flaw in that too many of its progressions were made by accident, I may be at a loss for what my purpose is if scientific discovery occurs as often by chance as it does by decisive action. How is Science to guide my choices if every choice is just as likely as it is not to move me forward? I am not completely lost if I discover this flaw and abandon the god of Science, for the god of Science has already shown me that, even if discovered by accident, there is reason for why things are. Up until now, I have aligned my decisions with the path of discovering reason, but that past can still orient me on a new path, should I choose a new god to follow, say The Spaceship Earth. The Spaceship Earth god leads me to consider how my actions affect the planet. However, I would know very little about how those actions affect the well-being of the planet had I not known any of the scientific reasons for the current state of the planet. Despite the flaws in the god of Science, I was able to find reason and purpose in a new god because of my orientation with the god of Science. I could still have adopted a new god without having a former god, but the point to make is that even if the god chosen to follow is flawed, it still serves to create an origin and give us a sense of direction for our future. Therefore, it is better to have a flawed god than to have no god at all. Part III Postman describes several false gods. Technology is one of them. Why does Postman believe that technology is a god? What is flawed about the technology god? Can the technology god still be a god that serves? Why or why not? Be sure to think about the difference between a god that serves and something that serves but is not a god. A god is a story that â€Å"tells of origins and envisions a future, a story that constructs ideals, prescribes rules of conduct, provides a source of authority, and above all, gives a sense of continuity and purpose. † (Postman, 1996, p. 5). Having spawned from the Science god, the story of our origins would be shared as â€Å"Probably an accident† (Postman, 1996, p. 9). Of our future, the god of Technology suggests that our â€Å"Our destiny is to replace ourselves with machines† (Postman, 1996, p. 0). Postman believes that those who follow the path of the technology god â€Å"must shape their needs and aspirations to the possibilities of technology. † (1996, p. 10). With this statement, he assigns authority to the god of technology. These represent just a few of the ways that Postman defines technology as a god. The god of Technology is flawed be cause as it has come to be, the god of Technology has primarily served us with an influx of information, but has given us little purpose for the information acquired. Technology seems to have only increased the rate at which information is sent and received, but has not given us much use for the information. Technology has served us â€Å"the radio and the Victrola†¦16-millimeter film†¦closed-circuit television, then 8-millimeter film, then teacher-proof textbooks. Now computers. † (Postman, 1996, p. 50). It was at one point thought that these developing technologies would one day replace teachers, and that vision may have been realized if it were ever the purpose of schools to simply disseminate information. Postman reminds us of the more important functions of our schools—teaching socialization, responsibility, and civility. He emphasizes that the nature of computers places students in isolation, the exact opposite of the environment that we envisioned for our schools. The technology god cannot be a â€Å"god that serves,† for it doesn’t serve us with reason and purpose. Though we may let our lives revolve around technology, we don’t let it dictate matters of true value. Instead, we use it as a tool to assist us in making decisions that are served by other gods. I would deem technology as something that serves but is not a â€Å"god. As Postman restates Alan Kay’s sentiments, â€Å"any problems the schools cannot solve without computers, they cannot solve with them. † (1996, p. 45). If Technology were a god to serve, it would lead us with greater direction and provide us with deeper insight to solve the problems we face. Instead it serves us wi th the means to acquire the information we need to solve our problems. The technology itself doesn’t orient us toward the decisions that have to be made—technology is just a tool to serve us. Part IV How would Postman classify the difference between a flawed god and a false god? Do you agree with the distinction that Postman makes? Why or why not? A flawed god could be any god, as Postman remarks, â€Å"all gods are imperfect† (1996, p. 11). A false god is one that guides its believers toward an unjustified end. It has its followers driven by a common belief in a goal that is not certain to be realized. The primary difference is that a flawed god can provide means that direct one toward a justified end, while a false god provides means that lead to a dead end. I understand Postman’s subtle distinction between flawed and false gods, but don’t agree that the two are worth distinguishing. Postman makes little distinction between the two, but despite the differences he does point out, I don’t see the rationale in making a point to distinguish the two. In either case, they both have the potential to serve us in some way or another. If all gods are flawed, and even if some are false, being able to identify any god for one’s own sake is worthwhile in creating meaning in one’s endeavors. Whether flawed or false, the determination that a god inspires has the capacity to set its followers in an â€Å"auto-drive† mentality that blinds them from the flaws or falsehoods that may be observed by others. While a bystander might be able to perceive the bumps along the path or the void at the end of the path, the followers who have committed themselves to the god will be so determined as to not notice what’s wrong until further down the path. Regardless, people will find direction and motivation. Even if followers fall upon the misgivings of their gods, the result is not necessarily tragic, as discussed above in Part II. After all, it is better to have a god, flawed or false, than to have none at all. Resources Postman, Neil. (1996). The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School. Vintage Books, New York, NY.