The Mysterious Life of J.D. Salinger

J.D. Salinger is considered by many to be one of the most mysterious writers of the 20th century. Really, what could be more unusual and curious than a writer who publishes a bestselling novel and then leaves all kinds of public life, leaves in seclusion, almost never gives interviews and never publishes anything. For fifty years afterwards Salinger remained a mystery and a living legend for those impressed by his breakthrough novel The Catcher in the Rye. It is only natural – people like inexplicable mysteries, and Salinger’s life was sure one of them. Recently released documentary Salinger, however, tries to cast its own glance on this secret and, probably, reveal some aspects of Salinger’s life that weren’t known before. It is very important to understand that Salinger’s works and his unusual behavior have led to the appearance of cult following. Nevertheless, when we usually use this term we simply mean that a book or a movie is outstandingly popular and has some extremely devoted fans who seem to be much more aware of the fictional world than the real one. In case of Salinger it acquired even more intensive forms: for many people he turned into a kind of deity, and any attempt to make his image look more well-rounded and realistic are met with extreme prejudice. It is probably what awaits Salinger. While paying due respects to the legacy of one of the most famous American writers of the last century, it tries to give answers to the questions that have been harrowing people for decades: Why Salinger left the world to live in seclusion? Why did he stop publishing? What was he writing all these years? What was happening behind the walls of his house in Cornish? And maybe, just maybe, after watching this documentary movie some people will get an opportunity to see Salinger as somebody less of a supernatural being, more human than considered previously. Maybe it will give another explanation than a simply â€Å"He was too good for this world to live in it†. In fact, it is not the first work that debunks the image of Salinger as a saint. Salinger, however, gives this whole story a new angle, it allows people to perceive the twofold aspect of Salinger’s nature: as a writer and as a person with his own flaws and peculiarities that make him all the more unique.

The Advantage And Disadvantages Of Being An Instrument

Being stubborn has its advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that it leads to being dedicated for everything you start. In middle school, specifically in fifth grade, band class and being able to learn an instrument is first introduced to students. Many people sign up, trying out instruments until they find one they enjoy. I, along with a handful of other people in my grade, joined a year late. Not only was I a year late, but I also missed sign ups again, and joined a few months into my sixth grade year. My first choice was percussion, but because I was so late, I was not able to join the percussion if i wanted to reach up to the level my classmates were at. So I tried out on flute, saxophone, and clarinet, and instantly fell in†¦show more content†¦It wasn’t until about a month in that my band director told my class that there was a solo piece needed on an instrument no one played in our band. She had asked if anyone wanted to learn the instrument and the mu sic. The room was quiet and stayed quiet until another clarinet player asked, â€Å"What instrument is it?† â€Å"An oboe.† Everyone started laughing. We had never even heard of this. While it seemed everyone else just had brushed it off after having their laughs, I was intrigued. It amazed me that there was more than just the basic 7 instruments we had first heard of. So, reluctantly, I raised my hand. I was expecting her to be excited that someone had offered. Instead, she looked at me with worry in her eyes and said, â€Å"Are you sure? You might want to keep working with the clarinet.† I didn’t let that change my mind. I nodded my head and she said, â€Å"Okay, I ll bring it in tomorrow.† That night, I went home and researched everything I needed to know. From how to care for the reed, how to clean it properly, and how to play it. I was ready. I was excited to tell my parents. When I told them, they had almost the same reaction as my band director. They told me I should focus on the instrument I had now. I told them I wanted to learn a different instrument and that I was dedicated on playing it in the concert. That week, I practiced every night. I learned the do’s and dont’s, the ups and downs, everything that I needed to know. Every band class, IShow MoreRelatedSurgical Robots And The Field Of Surgery1632 Words   |  7 Pageshave a promotional role rather than a practical role. However, robots are being used in many small surgeries and the extent of robots in the medical world is still evolving (Lanfranco, Castellanos, Desai, Meyers, 2004). To genuinely understand this futuristic technology, the advantages, the disadvantages, the current and the future roles of surgical robots should be observed. Surgical robots have numerous advantages in the medical field. 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Interviewing Leaders

Questions: 1.What you Perceive this persons Leadership Styles, Behaviours, Traits? 2.How he/she uses Power and Influence Tactics to make him/her an Effective Leader? 3.Whether the person changes his/her Leadership in various situations. 4.Ask your Chosen Leader to describe his/her Leadership Style, Behaviours, Traits and his/her use of power and Influence Tactics, whether and how he/she changes his/her leadership in various situations. 5.What have you learnt about the Complexities of Leadership and Comparing what theory says and what you found i.e. do your findings support the Theories covered in the Course? 6.Given what you have found, how might your own Leadership Practice be improved as a result of undertaking this Assessment? Answers: Introduction Leadership is defined as a procedure that helps in influencing others for accomplishing the objective of an organization. It plays a significant role in a competitive business world for achieving the stability as well as success of the organization. It is one of the ability of an individual, which helps in motivating, influencing as well as enabling other towards the effectiveness as well as success of an organization (DuBrin 2015). Absence of proper and effective leadership might have negative impact on the organization, which can further hinder the organizations success. According to Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee (2013), proper leadership within an organization helps in maximizing the productivity, helps in reducing the turnover as well as assists in promoting a positive culture within the company. Therefore, presence of proper leadership is very much important. Background information on Marn Yaw With reference to interview question 1, Marn Yaw have been in a leadership position with GPS for close to ten years. During his service, he have received numerous awards for his contributions towards the company. As a subordinate of Marn Yaw for three years, I have established a close working relationship with him. As such, my observation and findings from the actual interview may correlate. Observation 1.Leadership Styles, Behavior and Traits of the Marn Yaw Marn Yaw is considered as an effective and successful leader due to his leadership styles, behavior and traits. It is observed that Marn Yaw follows participative style of leadership, which helps in valuing the input of various team members as well as peers. This leadership style helps in boosting the morale of the employees in the organization as they were asked to make proper contribution in the decision-making procedure in the organization (DuBrin 2015). He follows this type of leadership for making some specific changes within the organization. For instance, in 2014 our department was required to adopt a new enterprise system. Prior to this, Marn Yaw garnered feedbacks from the team before incorporating the feedbacks into implementing the system. The style is advantageous for the organization, as the staff of the company does not face any problem in accepting different types of policies as well as decisions. Marn Yaw not only focuses on his personal goals but also on the ambition of the organization. It is observed that there are number of characteristics as well as goals that help in categorizing Marn Yaw as an effective as well as successful leader. In my observation, he uses consultative approach while communicating with employees of the organization in order to get their suggestion. Marn Yaw has the capability to analyze various requirement of the organization properly. He not only recognizes the requirements but also develops proper requirement so that the organization can flourish. He helps in providing enthusiastic as well as creative encouragement by arranging various types of programs within the organization. Marn Yaw organizes three to four team building activities per year for our department. These programs not only encourages the employees but also motivate them towards their work (Lussier and Achua 2015). 2.Use of power and Influence Tactics for making an Effective leader Marn Yaw uses power and influence tactics to make him an effective leader. In my observation, he uses different influence as well as power tactics at different time. He uses rational persuasion tactic by providing some facts, data as well as logical arguments to the employees in order to convince them from his point of view. This is one of the most important influence tactic used by him. He mainly focuses on various values, emotions as well as beliefs of the staffs with an inspirational appeal for supporting various course of action (Fairhurst and Connaughton2014). This appeal is very much effective for the employees for making them creative as well as enthusiastic. I observed that Marn Yaw also uses exchange tactics to benefit the employees who in return also benefit the organization. He helps other employees when they asked for help. It is identified that personal appeal are quite effective for the employees. The Regional Manager uses legitimate power (Komives and Wagner 2016). This tactics is dependent on compliance with proper laws, rules and regulations. According to Shapiro and Stefkovich (2016), power is defined as the ability of an individual for influencing the actions of other individuals as well as groups. It is considered as the potential influence of the leader. Marn Yaw holds a high position in the organization and with the help of his position, it is identified that he holds legitimate power. He is the person who takes ultimate decision about various performance appraisals as well as employment. On the other hand, it is stated by Fairhurst and Connaughton (2014), that referent power is considered as one of the ability of a leader for influencing its subordinates due to their loyalty, friendship, desire for gaining acceptance. Marrn Yaws willingness as well as friendliness helps him to listen to the problems of the employees. Due to his approachable characteristics, employees feel free in trusting him. Marn Yaw uses influence tactics for making the employees feel good about him. For instance, he motivates employees, helps them when they need help, communicate with them properly and pays attention towards their problem. This characteristic is very much effective as the regional manager of organization is very much honest, infrequent as well as intended. 3.Changes in leadership Style in various situtations Marn Yaw changes his leadership style in various situations. He uses Pacesetting leadership style when the team members are motivated as well as skilled (Hackman and Johnson 2013). In this type of leadership, his behavior helps in overwhelming the team members of the organization. He changes his leadership style when there is need of mobilizing the team towards a specific objective. In that situation, he uses authoritative style of leadership, which leads the employees of the organization to focus on the goals as well as objectives of GPS. This leadership style is not suitable when the leaders work with team of experts. Being a Regional Manager of Global Procurement Services, he works as a coaching leader within the organization. He also uses affiliative style of leadership when there is need of an emotional bond in the organization. This style of leadership helps in bringing a feeling of both bonds as well as belonging (Hoch and Kozlowski 2014). Marn Yaw also uses this style when stress is generated within the department. At time of crisis, he switches his leadership style to coercive as it helps in demanding immediate compliance. This style of leadership is very much helpful in controlling problems when everything fails. Marn Yaw utilizes democratic style of leadership when he wants to buy ownership of a plan, decision as well as goals of the organization. It can be observed that Marn Yaw uses different type of leadership styles in different situation for achieving best possible outcomes. According to our lectures, it is integral that an individual must have a mix of leadership style for accommodating different scenarios and this mix style of leadership can be applied in reality. 4.Interview The interview process is conducted in order to review a deeper understanding and various characteristics as well as behavior of the Marn Yaw. There are a total of 15 interview questions, however, not all the feedback gathered from the interview were included in this portion. I have selected the questions that are pertinent to the assignment, and the full list of questions and responses are included in the appendix of the report. Leadership Style, Behavior and Traits of Marn Yaw From the interview, Marn Yaw affirmed that he uses participative style of leadership. He mentioned during the interview that this style of leadership helps in offering his employees a chance to provide their opinions during important decision making .The use of participative style of leadership helps in bringing a string feeling of association among the team members creating good relations between employees and me. Allowing employees to contribute their opinions will also create a positive workplace environment. Through his experience, he noticed that participative leadership style also helps in motivating the employees of the organization which in turn assists in reducing HR cost of the organization. He also believes that a leader should never be complacent in their attitude. Marn Yew added that he valued every employee in the organization. Without them, the organization will not be able to operate smoothly. As confirmed in my observation, he is a relationship-oriented behavior lead ership style. Power as well as Influence Tactics of Marn Yaw Marn Yaw uses various power as well as influence tactics that is advantageous for both the organization and for the staffs. Rational persuasion tactic was utilized by me along with the data, facts and information to convince the team members within workplace. For example, in order to improve the performance at workplace, I have created a line graphs to demonstrate the unites of people along with their performance based on target. I have shown the graph for unit/person for last 2 years and also shown the forecast for next 2 years with the same categories based on current headcounts and current volume. I always lead my team in staying at front and consistently reinforces the members with the philosophy of both actions and words. Also, I believe that ultimate goal is the key of developing others. Therefore, I always provide the learning opportunities and share the feedback as per their work performance. Moreover, facilitate solution is always use to insulate the team members at the work place. In order improve the team performance, I constantly integrate several strategies as well as actions to create value for my team members. Leadership Style Change with Situation Lussier and Achua (2015) cited that improvement is anything that takes time to execute. On the other hand, Hackman and Johnson (2013) opined that one leadership style cannot be effective in any given situation. However, I have participative and transformational leadership style that helps me in changing and adjusting situation. When the members of the team are motivated as well as skilled already, I used transformation leadership style to ensure the success for ongoing project. When I see that the organization requires a new vision then I switch my leadership style to authoritative as this type of leadership assists in mobilizing the team towards a particular objective that mainly helps in focusing on various end goals of the organization. Characteristics of a Good and Effective Leader According to him, an effective leader must have certain basic, visionary characteristics for managing various situations within an organization. An effective leader must be a risk taker so that they can handle any difficult situation without recognizing the failure. This characteristic is very much important in an effective leader for bringing various kinds of changes within the organization. It has been analyzed that Marn Yaw has self-control is an essential characteristic of a good and effective leader. The ability to stay calm helps in managing the situations appropriately. The leaders must have a caring nature so that they think about the individuals who are working under him. Motivation is other important characteristics that must be present in an effective leader for motivating staffs of the organization so that they can take risks as well as challenges for the success of the organization. Thinking on a single topic or issue for finding clarity is one of the main characteristic of a successful leader, which is present in him. Marn Yaw also has the ability to concentrate on work for extended period by removing distractions. Skills and Traits that make Marn Yaw an Effective Leader There are number of characteristics as well as behavior that help in categorizing him as an effective leader. Marn Yaw is a good communicator. He is able to provide high level of information to the staffs of the organization so that they can focus on various goals and objectives of the company. Marn Yaw recognizes various developmental requirement of the organization so that the organization can flourish well. He also provide enthusiastic as well as creative encouragement by arranging various types of programs within the organization. The program not only encourages the employees but also motivate them towards their work. Conclusion of the Interview It can be concluded from the overall interview that the characteristics, behavior as well as trait of the regional manager helps in making him an effective as well as successful leader. The theory of trait states that people are either born or made with some of the qualities that make him a good leader. Marn Yaw uses power as well as influence tactics for benefitting both the employees as well as the organization. He manages various situations by changing his leadership style and it has been analyzed that changing his leadership style not only helped him in becoming an effective leader but also benefits the organization. 5.Complexities of Leadership I have found many complexities in the leadership style. It is quite difficult for me to switch my leadership style as per the situations. It is very much complex for an individual to behave differently in different situations by motivating the employees of the organization properly. However, after undertaking this assignment, I learnt that it is essential for one to have various leadership style in various situation as one style does not suit every situation or employee. To be able to be a successful leader, we need to learn how to adapt the given situation at that point of time. The complexity leadership theory helps in offering new perspectives for overcoming various complexity constraints within the organization. The theory helps in illustrating the key limitations of complexity. It is analyzed that the theory of complexity helps in offering a significant way for perceiving as well as engaging the management of complex behavior. The leaders help in addressing the most complex, soc ial, environmental challenges that are faced today. I have also identified that it is very much difficult to manage different traits of power as well as influence effectively. Different types of influence traits are not present within an individual. Maintaining various influence as well as power traits for benefitting both the organization and its employees is quite difficult task. I have found that I must improve my thinking skills for dealing with various complexities of leadership. I need completely new approach for becoming leaders in order to deal with various level of change that is occurring. 6.Methods for Improving the leadership Style I have found that my leadership style needs to be improved quite a lot after undertaking this assessment. It is significant to improve my leadership as it not only makes me an effective as well as successful leader but also helps in minimizing the problems that I am facing in dealing with various situations. In my research on effective and successful leaders, I found that successful leaders share similar characteristics. Some of the common characteristics are excellent communication skills and the ability to resolve conflict. These are the following characteristics that I found it appropriate for me to improve on my leadership styles as well as skills in becoming an efficient and successful leader. The methods include: Improving Communication Skill: I have to improve my communication skill as proper communication skills helps me in specifically communicating with the staff of the organization about the vision, goals, objectives as well as expectations of the organization. It also improves my ability of listening people. To become an effective communicator, I have to strive to improve my verbal, non-verbal listening skills. Listen to employees: I have found that listening properly to the employees with open mind helps me in reacting decisively. I have found that the characteristics must be present in a leader as it helps them in becoming a role model for other employees of the organization. Work on inspiring others: Motivating as well as inspiring others is one of the significant factors of a leadership. Therefore, I have realized that presence of this trait in me is very much important as I can use this trait in staying focused and can make my employees feel valued as well as happy. Maintain positive attitude: I have found that it is very much significant to have a positive attitude within me. People or employees of the organization will get attract towards a positive leader. Positivity makes an individual happier as well as at the same time it helps in providing courage so that one can work well with proper responsibilities. Gain knowledge about various styles of leadership: It is very much important for me to analyze the advantages of various leadership styles for identifying the most appropriate leadership style. Proper information about leadership style is quite important for managing various types of situation that can occur in an organization. Advocate creativity: I have identified that intellectual simulation is the most required authentication for leadership skills. Therefore, I have to increase my creativity, which can be enhanced by managing various challenges or problems of the organization. Well disciplined: Being disciplined, is one of the mandatory quality of a leader .Though I poses good vision as well as ideas I have to became much more disciplined for executing the plan of the organization effectively. Self-discipline also helps in educating other, which in turn helps in enhancing the leadership skills. Handle Conflicts: I have to know how to handle difficult situations for resolving conflicts. I have to work hard for managing various situations with a positive attitude. Handling various types of problems helps organization to flourish. With reference to interview question 15, Marn Yaw mentioned that his mentor has helped him tremendously in shaping who he is today. As such, in the course of improving on my leadership, I hope that I will be able to find a similar mentor that will be able to guide me personally to further my growth. Conclusion: From the above observation and interview with Marn Yaw, it has been understood that in order to be an effective leader combination of exceptional traits, discipline attitude and significant behavior is most important. In addition, from the analysis of literature review and mentioned theories, it is identified that styles of leadership are changed based in the circumstances. Moreover, in order to gain the collaboration and compliance of followers, power processed by the leaders complements is potential aspect. In the work place, better teamwork can be done by creating a strong and committed relationship between the leaders and followers. Apart from that, it is also understood that to improve these skills mentioned above, I am planning to undertake professional leadership training courses and workshops. It will be beneficial for me as I will gain insights and knowledge on how other leaders behavior, traits and leadership styles enable them to be a successful leader. References: Avolio, B.J. and Yammarino, F.J. eds., 2013. Introduction to, and overview of, transformational and charismatic leadership. InTransformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead 10th Anniversary Edition(pp. xxvii-xxxiii). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Boezeman, E.J. and Ellemers, N., 2014. Volunteer leadership: The role of pride and respect in organizational identification and leadership satisfaction.Leadership,10(2), pp.160-173. Cameron, K.S., Quinn, R.E., DeGraff, J. and Thakor, A.V., 2014.Competing values leadership. Edward Elgar Publishing. Careau, E., Biba, G., Brander, R., Van Dijk, J.P., Verma, S., Paterson, M. and Tassone, M., 2014. Health leadership education programs, best practices, and impact on learners' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors and system change: a literature review.Journal of Healthcare Leadership,6, pp.39-50. ?erne, M., Jakli?, M. and kerlavaj, M., 2013. Authentic leadership, creativity, and innovation: A multilevel perspective.Leadership,9(1), pp.63-85. Day, D.V., Fleenor, J.W., Atwater, L.E., Sturm, R.E. and McKee, R.A., 2014. Advances in leader and leadership development: A review of 25years of research and theory.The Leadership Quarterly,25(1), pp.63-82. Dinh, J.E., Lord, R.G., Gardner, W.L., Meuser, J.D., Liden, R.C. and Hu, J., 2014. Leadership theory and research in the new millennium: Current theoretical trends and changing perspectives.The Leadership Quarterly,25(1), pp.36-62. DuBrin, A.J., 2015.Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills. Nelson Education. Fairhurst, G.T. and Connaughton, S.L., 2014. Leadership: A communicative perspective.Leadership,10(1), pp.7-35. Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., and McKee, A. 2013.Primal leadership: Unleashing the power of emotional intelligence. Harvard Business Press. Hackman, M.Z. and Johnson, C.E., 2013.Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press. Harris, A., Day, C., Hopkins, D., Hadfield, M., Hargreaves, A. and Chapman, C., 2013.Effective leadership for school improvement. Routledge. Hoch, J.E. and Kozlowski, S.W., 2014. Leading virtual teams: Hierarchical leadership, structural supports, and shared team leadership.Journal of applied psychology,99(3), p.390. Johnson, C.E., 2013.Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow. Sage Publications. Komives, S.R. and Wagner, W. eds., 2016.Leadership for a better world: Understanding the social change model of leadership development. John Wiley Sons. Lussier, R.N. and Achua, C.F., 2015.Leadership: Theory, application, skill development. Nelson Education. Nohria, N. and Khurana, R. eds., 2013.Handbook of leadership theory and practice: An HBS centennial colloquium on advancing leadership. Harvard Business Press. Renz, D.O., 2016.The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership and management. John Wiley Sons. Shapiro, J.P. and Stefkovich, J.A., 2016.Ethical leadership and decision making in education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge. Verba, S., 2015.Small groups and political behavior: A study of leadership. Princeton University Press.

The Arms Industry and International Security

Around the world, and across all societies, modern armed conflicts include the use of modern weaponry especially the small arms. The small arms are a class of small firearms that are cheap and available to most participants of armed conflict.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Arms Industry and International Security specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The pricing of fire arms particularly from Asian manufacturers makes them available to all people at war. In addition, the presence of unscrupulous arms dealers in who sell firearms in unconventional ways has led to acquisition of guns by groups that have little control over the use of the arms (Cukier et al 22). Arms manufacturers and dealers may promote security of nations by selling firearms to countries with stable governments. The arms ensure stability of the government and prevent minority revolts from perpetrating chaos and anarchy in an otherwise peaceful env ironment. However, a dilemma emerges where the governments of peaceful regions do not record any significant use of the firearms. In this case, the firearms in possession of the government do not wear out or get lost in any military confrontation. The governments then cease to be viable customers of the arms industry (Deng and Zartman 31). Under enormous pressure to flourish, the arms manufacturers and traders turn to conflict zones for promising arms market. It is, however, arguable whether the arms trade fuels the ferocity of a conflict which has already started. The world has known conflict in the whole history of mankind. Wars and barbarian character of the people involved in armed conflicts existed even before the invention of firearms. In this regard, there is a possibility that the modern firearms trade has increased the mortality rate or the economic deterioration that come about with every major armed conflict (Diamond 43). In addition, the modern arms can be considered sim ilar to the firearms of the past in that they cause the same effect in the wars they are used in. The modern firearms are obviously more deadly that the weapons that were used in past warfare and their use inevitably leads to more grave consequences. However, the desire of human beings to wage wars and propagate armed conflicts has been present in the society throughout history, and has only subsided in the modern times due to adoption of new age ideologies of coexistence and the value of peace and human life (Spitzer 30).Advertising Looking for essay on political culture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apart from repercussions of armed territorial conflict, another problem directly linked to the arms industry is the internal insecurity. The availability of small arms to petty criminals and organized criminal gangs has ensured their survival and ability to endure the adversity of the security forces. The bigger percentage of the local crime in most countries involving fatal assaults includes the use of a firearm from a prominent gun manufacturer (UNIDIR 16). Moreover, the larger percentage of the guns present in the civilian population is channeled to the user through irresponsible arms dealers. Arms dealers and the arms manufacturing industry, thus, play a critical role in propagation of violence and the variety of problems that afflict the world security (Stohl and Grillot 25). The governments’ failure to control the activities of arms dealers continues to fuel conflicts and propagate brutal dictatorial rule in developing countries particularly in Africa. Relatively new arms manufacturers especially in South Africa and Egypt sell arms to undocumented users within the continent affected by a myriad of armed conflicts the arms trade is a necessary component for survival of legal governments, but the designated end user of all guns sold determines the ability of rogue individuals and groups to per petrate unnecessary violence. The moral and political aspect of arms industry can be analyzed from several perspectives. The arms business is a lucrative venture for some of the developed countries in the west. These countries sell arms to the less developed countries with a unstable political environment without considering the serious security problems that these weapons pose. On the contrary, the developed countries concentrate on proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which could pose a danger to their own security. Currently, the weapons of mass destruction pose less significant danger to civilian life since their application and effects are not of any important political significance. The results of application of such weapons are likely to be massive destruction with no political gain. People with greed for power use small arms to facilitate their ends. In accumulation of firearms in a country with questionable, political integrity is likely to cause a grave humanitari an crises in case of the collapse of the prevailing government. Moreover, arms industries are located in developed countries in the west and the Far East and have a capability of controlling the arms trade. A paradox emerges where these countries export weaponry including military aircraft and naval war equipment to war torn regions while the domestic applications of these weapons are nil.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Arms Industry and International Security specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The control of the trade in conventional arms is difficult to establish since the weaponry is usually accepted standard weaponry that is necessary for national security unlike the weapons of mass destruction that can only be used for destruction. The purchase of arms to ensure national security is given priority over the more important domestic security for the civilian population. Increased arms trade has always resul ted into grossly adverse humanitarian conditions (Maze et al. 7). Recently, the arms manufacturing and trade have been shifted from the control of the authorities to private entrepreneurs. The capitalist policies the entrepreneurs thrive on compel them to sell their weaponry to any willing buyer of the product. The arms dealer does not make a consideration of the effects of the weapons in the societies where the weapons are going to be used. To worsen the security situation, some governments have offered credit facilities to arms dealers to expand their trade. In addition, the government controlled the trade, such that the end user of the weapons was determined under the influence of the authorities. In this essence, the government of the purchasing nations and the selling nations was promoting arms proliferation for use in armed conflicts. The armed conflicts obviously degenerated to poor security and grave humanitarian crises. Since arms trade is an important aspect of security si tuations in many countries, the government is usually a major player in the manufacturing and sale of weapons. In Africa, which is the continent that is affected by most of the arms trade, there are few manufacturers of arms who are concentrated in South Africa. Small arms industries in Africa differ with similar setups in the rest of the world. To avoid the risk of small arms getting into the hands of illegal groups and criminals, and people with malicious intent, the governments of the concerned countries closely monitor the arms industry in African countries. The chances that a weapon manufactured in Africa got into the hands of criminals are very slim. Most illegal guns in Africa have been manufactures in other continents, and are channeled to the market through illegal trade. Some of local gunsmiths in areas affected by armed conflicts produce guns without any license. The illegal manufacturers are capable of producing guns of an industrial standard. Armed militia and criminals acquire the guns through illegal trade with the manufacturers. Smuggling of firearms across borders by illegal traders is also common in many parts of Africa (Dizard and Andrews 27).Advertising Looking for essay on political culture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The end of the major world conflicts such as the World War and the Cold War marked the beginning of smaller kind of conflicts that relied on small arms. It is during this period that the developed nations have exported large numbers of weapons to the poorer states without minding the conflict that these weapons fuel. Wars provide a period of intense manufacturing by gun industries but do not necessarily mean more profit for the gun manufacturers. However, most of conflicts around the world have been preceded by accumulation of armaments, which obviously come from the arms manufacturers. Governments constantly support the arms industry in order to develop more sophisticated weaponry, and this indirectly fuels conflicts around the world (Malcom 28). In addition, developed countries have offered arms deals to less equipped countries in orders to obtain political favors such the consent to put up military bases in the said countries. The arms provided to the countries cannot be effectiv ely monitored to ensure that they are not used in any unconventional manner that causes unnecessary breach of security. The sale of arms has gradually shifted to the developing nations due to increasing conflict in those countries. Combined social, economic, and political pressure in these countries has often led to armed conflicts. Moreover, the presence of a large number of weapons and ammunition has also fuelled armed conflicts for a protracted period. Proliferation of arms by the third world countries was encouraged by the Cold War largely. The communist countries supplied a great deal of arms to their spheres of influence while the western capitalist countries supplied weapons to the third world countries that embraced the capitalist ideology. This competition fuelled wars especially in Vietnam, Angola and Korea (â€Å"Small arms survey 2006† 14). The shipment of weapons to the countries was because of the intent of the leaders of the western block and the eastern block to influence the outcome of the war without committing any military personnel to the conflict. In the late twentieth century, the world superpowers manufactured and sold weapons to the countries of the Far East and Asia in a bid to gain control of the oil producing nations of the continent. The two leading antagonists in the Cold War armed the fighting factions in the Arab world in order to gain control the oil producing regions of the continent. A sudden end of the Cold War had also other adverse effects concerning the arms trade. Stockpiles of weapons that the Soviet Union had accumulated in anticipation of a major confrontation with the United States were now useless (Forsberg 20). The Russians sold the arms to any buyer at any price to recover the money spent on arms during the cold war. The influx of weapons into these countries resulted into periods of high insecurity as opposing factions in the recipient states fought one another in a bid to control mainly the oil reserves in their territories. In the twenty first century, the purchase of weapons by the third world powers declined as the ideological influence that had been fuelling conflict subsided (Kafi 17). One can make an analysis of the history of firearm trade and manufacturing and conclude that several factor contributed to the proliferation of weapons in areas of conflict. Most of the reasons for proliferation of the firearms have been economic ends. A symbiotic relationship exists between the manufacturing and sale of weapons, and the state of insecurity and war. Where the weapons have been used in full-blown warfare, the manufacturing and sale of weapons seem to play a minor role in propagation of the war. In other words, the war seems to draw the arms dealers into lucrative a trade that the arms dealers cannot ignore (Malcom 18). One can make a conclusion that the manufacture of weapons does not necessarily mean occurrence of an armed conflict in the areas in which these weapons are used. It has been seen that most of the purchases of the weapons by states with stable governments are intended for maintenance of peace and guarding of the sovereignty of the country. However, the accumulation of weapons leads to a protracted military confrontation in case of a future crisis. Desire by some countries to gain economic advantage pushed them to selling weapons to states that had questionable political integrity without investigating or ensuring that the weapons were to be used for an appropriate cause (Malcom 2002). Another observation is most of the weapon’s manufacture that occurred in the twentieth century was initiated and financed by the antagonistic world powers fighting for superiority of their economic, social and political ideologies. The phenomenon is manifested in the conflicts that occurred in the third world countries in the height of the cold war. The supply of the weapons used in conflicts was not a result of the demand by the conflict, but the protracted conflicts were a result of the supply of free arms supplied by the influential western and eastern superpowers (Brennan 9). Another observation indicates that the manufacture and sale of weapons influence the state of domestic security. Manufacture and sale of more weapons result in heightened domestic insecurity. This is because the proliferation of weapons by civilians leads to higher tendency to commit crime (World Council of Churches 2001). Furthermore, acquisition of the firearms by civilians occurs because of thee irresponsibility of the manufacturing companies when handling sales of the weapons. Privatization of the arms industry has increased competition for market making competitor weapons manufacturers result in rogue means of gaining advantage in the market (Hughes and Lai 10). Due to the sophisticated nature of criminal and villain activity, it is not possible to cease manufacture and sale of firearms or weapons. Accumulation of a reasonable amount of weapons keeps the world powers in balance and, thus, a minimum amount of weaponry has to be maintained for the sake of sovereignty. In this regard, if measures are taken to ensure that the weapons manufacturers sell their weapons through proper secure channels, the case of insecurity due to the activities of the arms industry can be contained (Gerdes 15). Although the arms industry is primarily a business venture, it comes with a responsibility to control the identity of the end user of their products, as they are lethal commodities. In addition, the government should control the industry to rein capitalistic tendencies from overtaking the responsibility of the arms industry to be mindful of the nature of the market for their weapons. The arms industry cannot be categorized as normal business enterprise subject to the market forces alone, since their goods need a high degree of accountability (Laurance 24). It is disputable that firearms are a product in high demand. However, this demand has to be sa tisfied partially for the sake of peace and security. If the weapons manufacturers seek to satisfy every person’s needs, then, anarchy, violence and general insecurity is likely to prevail in the world. In conclusion, arms, in whatever form, generally contribute to insecurity in the world. If arms were not presented at all in the society, then violence would be much less scale and peace would prevail (Madariaga 32). The other conclusion is that arms are not a normal commodity subject to normal mechanisms of the market and, thus, their sale must be governed by special rules. Works Cited Brennan, Sean. Treaty. Annandale. N.S.W.: Federation Press, 2005. Print. Cukier, Wendy, and Victor W. Sidel. The global gun epidemic: from Saturday night specials to AK-47s. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Security International, 2006. Print. Deng, Francis Mading, and I. William Zartman. Conflict resolution in Africa. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1991. Print. Diamond, Jared M.. Guns, germs , and steel: the fates of human societies. NY: W.W. Norton Co., 1999. Print. Dizard, Jan E., Robert M. Muth, and Stephen P. Andrews. Guns in America: a reader. NY: New York University Press, 1999. Print. Forsberg, Randall. The arms production dilemma. Cambridge (Mass.): the MIT press, 1994. Print. Gerdes, Louise I. Gun violence: opposing viewpoints. Framington Hills, Mich.: Greenhaven Press, 2011. Print. Hughes, Christopher W., and Yew Meng Lai. Security studies: a reader. London: Routledge, 2011. Print. Kafi, Sharif A. Illegal small arms and human insecurity in Bangladesh. 2nd ed. Dhaka: Bangladesh Development Partnership Centre, 2005. Print. Laurance, Edward J.. The international arms trade. New York: Lexington Books, 1992. Print. Madariaga, Salvador de. Disarmament. NY: Coward-McCann, inc., 1929. Print. Malcolm, Joyce Lee. Guns and violence: the English experience. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2002. Print. Maze, Kerry, and Sarah Parker. International assistance fo r implementing the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects: findings of a global survey. New York: United Nations, 2006. Print. World Council of Churches. ‘Report of the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects’, 2001, p. 3879. Small Arms Survey. Small Arms Survey 2006: Unfinished business. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print. Spitzer, Robert J. The politics of gun control. 2nd ed. NY: Chatham House Publishers, 1998. Print. Stohl, Rachel J., and Suzette Grillot. The international arms trade. Cambridge: Polity, 2009. Print. UNIDIR, UN. European action on small arms and light weapons and explosive remnants of war: final report. Geneva: UN, UNIDIR, 2006. Print. This essay on The Arms Industry and International Security was written and submitted by user Shaniya O. to help you with your own studies. 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