To what extent can some problems in Middle Eastern politics be blamed Essay

To what extent can some problems in Middle Eastern politics be blamed on colonial or imperial intervention - Essay Example he colonial and imperial powers.2 This essay therefore seeks to assess to what extent the currently witnessed problems in the Middle East can be traced to the colonial periods. It takes into account that despite that fact that colonial rule in the Middle East ended many years ago, the tendrils of its legacy evokes the currently domestic problems in those states.3 This paper unearths the political institutions, systems and governing policies instituted by the colonial and imperial powers as a way of assessing the root causes of the modern problems in the colonized states in the Middle East. Baxter and Akbarzadeh noted that the so called â€Å"Middle East† was largely a westernized invention, right form its leaderships style to its forms of governance inclusive of the territorial boundaries.4 After the First World War, the colonial masters- Britain and France - drew arbitrary boundaries which later were developed to give birth to the current Middle Eastern countries. At first the colonizers-the British and the French barely noticed that their arbitrary created boundaries sliced through cultures and to a greater extend forced antagonistic tribes into one national bed.5 The created boundaries were intentioned for easy control of the colonized by the colonizers. The structure of the Middle East states, created by the colonial powers had a bigger share to blame for the turmoil political atmosphere in the region. This is because the British and the French organized their colonies to consist of disparate groups who had no previous history of being governed as one entity.6 A good example of such states created from disparate groups is the current Iraq which was formed as a product of merging three Ottoman provinces that had little factors in common. This lack of commonality created lines of political weaknesses in their merger as one entity. Put differently, the European and Soviet imperialist created perilous situations that in one way or another encouraged and flamed

Leisure of the basis of culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leisure of the basis of culture - Essay Example I would therefore, recommend this book to all people who live to work and do not work to live. This will challenge them to take a break, and ponder on the beauty of life, which is not found in their work, but in meaningful leisure. I agree with all the claims made by Pieper in this book, as these are instances I experience every day, happening to me and to the people around me. Today, there is hardly time for leisure, as most people use every bit of their time in moneymaking activities, in order to live a comfortable life, which they have prioritized. Pieper does not condone this kind of lifestyle, but instead argues that people should find value in life by setting aside time for leisure, as it is also an important component of living. When talking about leisure and emphasizing its importance, Pieper was not portraying himself as a hedonist, as he talked about a different kind of leisure, and not what most people, especially the youth know about leisure. I agree with Pieper’s view of a different kind of leisure. Today, when someone mentions the word â€Å"leisure,† what rings in the minds of most young people is drinking, partying, dancing, watching television, and going for holidays, among other such entertainment. Pieper considers leisure to be that peaceful time a person has rest and finds time to pray, time to appreciate nature and all existence, time to make scientific discoveries, time to write music and literature, time to study a favourite topic, and time to produce art work. According to Pieper’s definition of leisure, one might understand that leisure is doing what a person loves doing most. However, these activities must add value to a person’s being. As opposed to entertainm ent, such as dancing, the real leisure does not lead to exhaustion or monotony. Pieper was right on this. From my personal experience, I can attest to this. I love reading educational and