Advanced Critical Writing The WritePass Journal

Advanced Critical Writing Introduction Advanced Critical Writing ). Alcohol is undoubtedly a public health issue and is involved in a high number of road traffic accidents and anti-social activities such as assault, as well as being associated with a number of chronic diseases including alcoholic liver disease and a range of cancers (Rehm et al., 2009; Schà ¼tze et al., 2011). Furthermore, the economic cost can be devastating with alcohol-related injury costing the National Health Service (NHS) around  £2.7 billion a year, based on 2006 to 2007 figures (NHS, 2011). Therefore, the Government should indeed feel some responsibility to tackle and reduce these figures if at all possible. The author argues that such a strategy as minimum unit pricing for alcohol will be an infringement on the British people, a violation of the free market economy and will cause moderate and responsible drinkers to pay for the â€Å"crimes of a few.† However, the author later contradicts themselves saying that â€Å"boosting the cost [of alcohol] isn’t going to stop me drinking, it’s going to just leave me out of pocket.† Here, the author has gone from the extreme and dramatic to an almost mocking of the proposed policy. It becomes unclear whether the author truly believes that the policy would severely affect the innocent or whether it would simply leave people short of a few pounds at the end of the month. This type of contradictory writing can also been seen elsewhere in the article. For example, the writer opens the article with a murky and sinister scene using evocative words and phrases such as â€Å"swarming†, â€Å"staggering† and †Å"teenagers hunched over a bottle of Frosty Jacks.† This use of language suggests that the author is disgusted and repelled by binge drinkers and the open consumption of cheap alcohol on British streets. However, the author quickly goes on to denounce Government attempts to tackle the problem as a â€Å"crazy idea†, once again sending out a mixed message to the reader. The author also argues against the claim that an increase in prices for drinks with a high alcohol content will put off the type of people who buy such drinks purely to achieve a state of drunkenness, namely individuals suffering from alcoholism. The author asks â€Å"isn’t it their choice to drink alcohol?† and suggests that it is unacceptable to hurt the average person financially by trying to price such individuals out of the alcohol market. This an extremely reductionist viewpoint, meaning that the author of the article is reducing the plight of an alcoholic to the result of just â€Å"their choice† rather than taking into account the plethora of reasons that can lead an individual down the destructive road of alcoholism, such as homelessness, debt or abuse. Such a view-point is potentially damaging as Spanagel (2009) has warned that a reductionist view of the causes of alcoholism can stand in the way of a better understanding of the underlying pathological p rocesses involved in such addictive behaviour. The author goes on to claim that implementation of a  £0.45 minimum unit price for alcohol is the result of the Government’s attempt to try and make revenue from people who can afford a price rise but are just inconvenienced by it. This is an extreme accusation and the author has failed to take into account the evidence that suggests otherwise. Namely that such a policy could have a positive effect on public health and the economy.   Using a price-to-consumption model using various data sources and based on 54 population sub-groups classed as harmful, hazardous or moderate drinkers, Purshouse et al. (2010) estimated that a  £0.45 minimum price unit for alcohol would reduce alcohol consumption by 4.5% and avoid 1,970 alcohol-related deaths.   A recent systematic review found that a price increase of alcohol by around 10% would lead to a reduction in consumption of alcohol by around 5% (Wagenaar, Tobler and Komro, 2010). Both of these studies have provided strong evidenc e that a minimum unit pricing strategy with alcohol would be effective in reducing hazardous alcohol consumption. Further strengthening the argument in favour of minimum unit pricing are doubts that other attempts to reduce alcohol consumption will be far from successful. In a recent editorial, McKee (2012) highlighted that the three main â€Å"lines of attack† for tackling hazardous drinking consist of marketing, pricing and availability. Marketing and restrictions on availability are difficult to control, especially due to the lobbying power that many companies within the alcohol industry possess (McKee, 2012), and education-based interventions have been shown to be ineffective (Anderson, Chisholm and Fuhr, 2009) Therefore, pricing appears to be potentially the most effective and most easily manipulated element that the Government can utilise to tackle hazardous drinking. However, in addition to the positive effects that a minimum pricing policy has been predicted to have, there were also a number of drawbacks. For example, an increase in type 2 diabetes in young women was predicted due to a loss of the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption and most of the reductions in harm would have been seen in chronic disorders in the over 45s, limiting the positive effect on the health and well-being of younger people (Purshouse et al., 2010). Furthermore, the figures produced by Purshouse et al. (2010) were based on a time period 10 years after policy implementation, suggesting that the benefit of a minimum pricing policy could be a long time coming. These drawbacks could be seen to support the author’s claim that the Government would use a minimum pricing strategy primarily to increase their income, seeing as though implementation of the policy would be limited in its immediate and overall beneficial effects on public health. Furthermore, alternatives to minimum pricing such as increasing tax on alcohol, have also been found to decrease levels of alcohol consumption (Elder et al., 2010). However, the existence of potentially equally as effective strategies for tackling hazardous drinking does not automatically suggest a conspiracy by the Government to reap more revenue through a minimum pricing strategy. The author of the article disagrees with the claim that alcohol fuels crime and with the figure that intoxicated people are involved in causing around 5,000 avoidable crimes every year. However, it is well documented that alcohol is prolifically involved in crime. From 1998 to 1999, 70% of crimes were found to have involved alcohol (Home Office, 2001), with alcohol being a component in up to 70% of all stabbings and beatings, 40% of domestic violence incidents and 50% of child protection cases (Alcohol Concern, 2000). These figures are highly disturbing and the author’s credibility is severely damaged in denying belief in such figures. The author ends the article with a rhetorical question by asking whether we would want â€Å"to live in a free country where people live as their consciences tell them† or whether we want to try and â€Å"control the behaviour of the poor by pricing them out of activities that we disapprove of?†   A similar use of rhetoric can be seen throughout the article. For example, the author suggests that the next stage after minimum unit pricing may be an increase in theatre tickets to reduce the number of â€Å"poorer, less educated people who might talk during the show.† This is an example of hyperbole where the author is exaggerating in order to manipulate their audience and create a strong emotional reaction. Through the use of rhetoric, the author will hope to encourage their audience to ‘come round’ to their way of thinking. However, the article would be far more persuasive if the author were to use more facts and empirical evidence to support their v iews. In conclusion, the article is well-written in terms of persuasiveness and in using rhetoric to create a strong emotional reaction in the audience. However, the author too often makes statements that contradict current empirical evidence without justification, which damages the credibility of the source.   References Alcohol Concern (2000) Britain’s Ruin: Meeting Government Objectives via a National Alcohol Strategy. London, UK: Alcohol Concern. Anderson, P., Chisholm, D. and Fuhr, D.C. (2009) Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of policies and programmes to reduce the harm caused by alcohol. Lancet, 373, pp. 2234-2246. Elder, R.W., Lawrence, B., Ferguson, A., Naimi, T.S., Brewer, R.D., Chattopadhyay, S.K., Toomey, T.L. and Fielding, J.E. (2010) The effectiveness of tax policy interventions for reducing excessive alcohol consumption and related harms. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 38(2), pp. 217-229. Home Office (2012) The Government’s Alcohol Strategy. London, UK: Home Office. Home Office (2001) Fighting Violent Crime Together: An Action Plan. London, UK: Home Office. Kuntsche, E., Rehm, J. and Gmel, G. (2004) Characteristics of binge drinkers in Europe. Social Science and Medicine, 59, pp. 113-127. McKee, M. (2012) Minimum unit pricing for alcohol – the case for action is overwhelming. European Journal of Public Health, 22(4), pp. 451. NHS (2011) Statistics on Alcohol: England, 2011. London, UK: The NHS Information Centre. Purshouse, R.C., Meier, P.S., Brennan, A., Taylor, K.B. and Rafia, R. (2010) Estimated effect of alcohol pricing policies on health and health economic outcomes in England: an epidemiological model. Lancet, 375, pp. 1355-1364. Rehm, J., Mathers, C., Popova, S., Thavorncharoensap, M., Teerawattananon, Y. and Patra, J. (2009) Global burden of disease and injury and economic cost attributable to alcohol use and alcohol-use disorders. Lancet, 373, pp. 2223-2233. Schà ¼tze, M., Boeing, H., Pischon, T. et al. (2011) Alcohol attributable burden of incidence of cancer in eight European countries based on results from prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal, 342, d1584. Spanagel, R. (2009) Alcoholism: A systems approach from molecular physiology to addictive behaviour. Physiological Reviews, 89(2), pp. 649-705. Wagenaar, A.C., Tobler, A.L. and Komro, K.A. (2010) Effects of alcohol tax and price policies on morbidity and mortality: a systematic review. American Journal of Public Health, 100, pp. 2270-2278.

Why You Shouldnt be Too Nice at Work

Why You Shouldnt be Too Nice at Work It always pays to be a nice person. Almost always. Some people who are genuinely (or un-genuinely) â€Å"too nice† are less likely to be taken seriously, and less likely to stand up for themselves or others- even in cases where such action would be just. Perhaps you’ve also heard the phrase â€Å"nice guys finish last.† While that’s not necessarily true, there are certain situations in which you should curb the niceties and just concentrate on effective communication. Here are a few reason to keep in mind.1. Give, Give, Give, and Never GetIf you consistently give more than you’re asked, and take very little in return, rather than be lauded for your generosity, people will start to get accustomed to this being the pattern. You’ll get none of the thanks and you may even come to resent the imbalance.2. Quid Pro QuoIf you up your niceness level too much, you might find yourself expecting a similar level of niceness out of everyone around you. Whe n this fails to materialize, you might grow a little peeved.3. You’ll Be Like an ATMPeople will start coming to you only when they need something, which can be extremely alienating. You’ll feel like a doormat- like you’ve become a tool to help others succeed, while achieving very little for yourself. You may even attract needy people, like a magnet.4. You’ll Project WeaknessYou might be perceived as weak, particularly if you never say no to anyone. If you’re always doing favors and putting others first, people will not only come to take advantage of you, they will also just assume you have no control over what you will and won’t agree to. They might come to mistrust you for this.5. You Won’t Take Care of YourselfSometimes it’s important to say â€Å"no† to others so you can say â€Å"yes† to yourself. Remember self care? Yeah, that’s not just something you make sure others do to reach their ideal fulfillmen t. No one can make sure you’re taken care of but you. And if you aren’t getting your own needs met, you might become needy in return with your friends or family.6. You’ll Seem InauthenticIf you just automatically are generous and nice and kind, then it might not seem like true generosity, niceness, or kindness. Make sure that when you’re being super nice or going above and beyond that you really mean it. Be friendly when it’s deserved. Pick up slack when it’s equitable to do so, not just an expectation.7. You Won’t ContributeConstructive criticism is extremely important, between  both friends and colleagues. If you’re so nice that you’re reluctant to give anything but praise, then chances are you’re letting people down. Focus more on helping the team succeed, rather than on being well-liked- and too nice to give honest feedback.

Immigration and Asylum Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Immigration and Asylum Law - Essay Example In the House of Lords decision in Islam (A.P.) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department and Regina v. Immigration Appeal Tribunal and Another Ex Parte Shah (A.P.) [1999] 2 W.L.R. 1015 (Conjoined Appeals), Lord Steyn set out a four point criteria that one claiming refugee or asylum status must meet. He opined that under Article 1A(2) of the Refugee Convention, an asylum seeker must be able to prove that, firstly he/she has a well founded fear of persecution; secondly, that the reason for persecution is as a result of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion; thirdly, that he/she is not within the country of his/her nationality; and fourthly, that he/she is either unable or unwilling to lay claim to protection from his/her country of nationality due to the fear of persecution. Consequently, having a well founded fea... Another decided case that buttresses the argument set out in Lord Steyn opinion is Januzi v. Secretary of State for the Home Department and Others [2006] UKHL 5. In Januzi Lord Bingham held that the use of the provision "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted " in Article 1A(2) of the Refugee Convention constitutes a causative condition upon which all the other conditions for claiming a refugee status hinge on. Thus a person claiming refugee status can claim to be persecuted because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, but if this fear is not a well-founded one, the claim to refugee status would be denied. In the Islam and Regina cases (cited above) for instance, two Pakistani women - Islam and Shah - had left their native country of Pakistan to the UK and were seeking asylum due to fear of persecution because of being part of a particular social group. Both of them had been physically abused by their husbands and had been accused of infidelity, a crime that carried the penalty of being flogged publicly or being stoned to death under Shariah Law. The two women had also received threats from neighbours after they fled from their husbands' homes and sort refuge with family members. In establishing whether the Islam and Shah had a claim to asylum due to a well founded fear of persecution, Lord Steyn quoted from an Amnesty International Report on the human rights abuses of women in Pakistan. The report stated inter alia that: ". . . several Pakistani laws explicitly discriminate against women. In some cases they allow only the evidence of men to be heard, not of women. In particular, the Evidence

Consent and capacity to treatment in medical law of an adult Essay

Consent and capacity to treatment in medical law of an adult - Essay Example 41, 2008). When the law talks about the capacity, it involves the maturity level and understanding and despite that a patient cannot be considered as having lack of capacity only because he made an unwise decision which does not fulfill his own best interests. According to the law, capacity cannot be the regarded as the decision which is reasonable and sensible to another person, perceptions may vary (Coyne, p. 64, 2005). People who have capacity can make their own decisions unless it is proven that they lack capacity. Disability is not a factor which indicates the lack of capacity; in fact a disable person can well take his own decisions without the assistance of anyone else. But in some cases, a person with a disability may require assistance to clarify the issues and understand the choices to ensure and enable autonomous decision making, but the other people may not always find other people’s decisions rights (Jackson, p. 601, 2002). For this, the law says that it cannot be assessed that the person is making a right decision or not, but what should be determined is that the decision is not ‘bad’ and whether it shows the lack of capacity in the person to make decisions or not. ... 171, 2004). Clinical incapacity is not permanent. The people who are severely depressed, intoxicated, comatose, agitated or impaired otherwise lack the capacity to make their medical decisions but for the time being. Later, they may retrieve their capacity. Where a patient has the ability to make a decision, the doctors should assess it (Herring, p. 202, 2012). People with dementia require the evaluation of the person’s level of judgment and memory before proceeding with the medical care. The law says that if the doctors find the person lacking capacity, they may turn to a close relative or friend or anyone appointed by the person to make decisions on his behalf (Wong, p. 445, 1999). However, these kinds of cases where the decisions are made by substitutes for the people who cannot make decisions for themselves are rarely brought into the court. But, if the patient himself objects to the medical decision taken or to the determination of him clinically lacking capacity, it can be brought to the court. The doctors are ordered not to go against the person’s will unless it is declared that he is legally incapacitated (Sturman, p. 963, 2005). Once the capacity is determined, the patient’s consent is equally important. Adults are more commonly categorized in this group and they make their own health decisions. Every adult has the right to accept or refuse medical treatment (Pozgar, p. 320, 2011). In general situations, a doctor asks for the consent of the patient before treating them. This suggests that the patient should be legally able to give his consent. If the patient is under guardianship, his decision will not be made by himself (Appelbaum, p. 1838, 2007). The patient must be mentally able to permit the medical

Discuss How the Passage Contributes to the Portrayl of Faustus as a Tragic Hero Essay Example for Free

Discuss How the Passage Contributes to the Portrayl of Faustus as a Tragic Hero Essay Discuss how the passage contributes to the portrayal of Faustus as a tragic hero, paying particular attention to Marlowe’s use of language. Marlowe uses language in the passage from Act Five, Scene One to portray Faustus as a tragic hero, his use of the techniques; enjambment, metaphors and rhythm show this portray. Marlowe uses enjambement to show Faustus as a tragic hero because he now regrets his choice to sell his soul this is shown in line 86-87, ‘whose sweet embracing may extinguish clean these thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow’ although Marlowe has written these as an attempt to blackmail Mephistopheles, the use of enjambement makes the line sound rushed which makes it sound more like a desperate plea thus showing how much Faustus regrets his decision, since this is near the end of the play this is suggesting that Faustus fears eternal suffering rather than actual remorse. Faustus asks for Helen to come to him to be his ‘paramour’ this suggests that Faustus is using his sexual desire in order to ‘shut out the truth that he cannot face’ again showing his fears of eternal suffering this shows Faustus as a tragic hero because he now regrets selling his soul to Lucifer and he can do nothing to stop his fate. Marlowe uses metaphors in order to show Faustus as a tragic hero as he shows Faustus’s desire to win back his soul even though he will not prevail. In line 95, ‘her lips suck forth my soul. See where it flies! shows Faustus desire to be free as flying is used as a connotation for freedom however the line also foreshadows the ending of the play as he is dragged in to hell, showing that Faustus is a tragic hero as he desires control over his soul again but will not be triumphant. The line 102-103 ‘yea I will wound Achilles in the heel and then return to Helen for a kiss’ is a metaphor used to show Faust us’s desire to win in the battle with Lucifer. Marlowe uses Achilles who had one weakness to show Faustus’s struggle and his desire to regain control of his soul in order to avoid eternal suffering thus depicting Faustus as a tragic hero. Marlowe uses rhythm of the play to show how quickly Faustus’s fate approaches him. In lines 98-99 Marlowe uses the image of a fast paced war to show Faustus will not win the battle for his soul ‘I will be Paris, and for love thee instead of Troy shall Wittenberg be sacked’ Faustus compares himself to Paris who was defeated in the battle of Troy, this foreshadows the ending of the play as it is Faustus who loses the battle for his conscience as it is now too late to repent. Marlowe also uses enjambement in this line to show the fast paced rhythm the way one line tumbles into the next shows time speeding up showing Faustus as a tragic hero. Marlowe uses certain techniques in language in order to portray Faustus as a tragic hero as he cannot change his fate even though he wishes to through enjambement, metaphors and rhythm.

Essay --

Architecture without Architects Throughout time, the Roma settlements were perceived as 'the unknown' that might put at risk 'the known'. Therefore they are shoved to the edges of cities, as well as of society we live in. They become the slums we want to get rid of, by reshaping them according to our own expression of living. The examples of designs for Roma settlements were carried out using our techniques and regulations, without recognizing an imminent need for 'different'. The 'different' within a formal Modernist architecture was challenged through the means of various movements that were searching for alternative architectural practices. A relevant example is of the artist-architect Constant Nieuwenhuys, that took an interest in the organization of a Gypsy camp - that later became his first models in a series of maquettes of an utopian city prototype called 'New Babylon' - one shared residence, with moveable elements that allow for an-ever changing layout to respond to the inhabitants' needs; a symbol of temporality and an architecture that would instigate a transformation of daily reality. In this way, the Gypsy camps and the nomadism itself encouraged to explore new extents of architectural practice. Another example is of the architect Georges Candilis who designed a Gypsy settlement at the periphery of the French town of Avignon: "It was a very hard problem. The notion of ownership is entirely different in these people. The houses are inhabited in turn by different families. My design comprised four rings of 20 apartments each, a school and a social/cultural center. In the end, after 20 years without maintenance, these buildings fell to ruins and were torn down." His last statement appeared to reveal the temporality of mo... ...ovide a more pleasing atmosphere for the whole community. The installation at the Venice Biennale, and its later award of the Golden Lion, unveils that the architecture community is ready to contemplate the experience of Torre David, as an opportunity to learn and apply the acquired knowledge into daily practice and understanding. Coming back to the topic of Roma, we are facing the paradox - to focus not on how to reshape Roma habitation according to our way of living, but rather how to learn from them and even apply some of their practices to our formal living. What did seem repulsive or disturbing might turn into positive practical lessons of temporality and change, flexible habitation, recycling and community life. 1 Rory Stott, www.archdaily.com, 07.02.2013 2 Installation by Urban Think Tank, Justin McGuirk and Iwan Baan, Venice Biennale of Architecture 2011/2012

Raising My Voice by Malalai Joya

The book I studied is â€Å"Raising my voice† by Malalai Joya. This is the extraordinary story of the award winning Afghan woman who dares to speak out. She was born in Western Afghanistan. Three days after she was born, a soviet-backed coup changed her life forever. Within a year, Afghanistan was an occupied country, and she says â€Å"since then war is all we Afghans have known. † (p. 7, 2009) Her childhood was spent in refugee camps in Iran and Pakistan. Her family were forced to leave Afghanistan to avoid the war. This was not a welcoming experience. â€Å"Afghans were seen as second-class humans by the Iranian government. (p. 19, 2009) Her father who was a Doctor was forced to do difficult jobs for very low wages, simply because he was an Afghan and not Iranian. Her family spent four years living in terrible conditions as exiles in Iran. â€Å"About 85,000 Afghans were squeezed into filthy, over-crowded camps. We were neglected and forgotten, where we baked in the heat of the day and shivered at night. † (p. 20, 2009) Malalai’s father believed so strongly in the value of education, even for girls, so to him, what was even worse than these living conditions were the fact that there were no schools in these camps. Afghan children were not allowed to attend Iranian schools and for this reason, her family decided to leave Iran and move to Pakistan. It was in Pakistan, that Malalai first attended a school. The school was the only school that allowed Afghan female refugees to attend. Malalai really enjoyed her classes and immediately valued the importance of education. In 1992, when Malalai was fourteen, her family moved back to Afghanistan. However, it wasn’t long before she would move back to Pakistan because it was far too unsafe to live in Afghanistan. â€Å"Young girls were being abducted, raped and killed by roaming gangs. (p. 30, 2009) â€Å"At night, armed fighters of criminal mujahideen groups would often walk right into people’s homes. All the children were locked in a bedroom with the light off and told to remain silent. We were terrified, but we could not cry out as we listened to these men yelling and turning things upside down around the house, taking whatever they pleased. † (p. 31, 2009) Malalai used to listen to the radio with her father. There were regular reports about the intifada in Palestine, and how their children were bravely fighting against the aggression of Israeli troops. She asked her father, â€Å"Why are we not from Palestine, where the children are so brave? † He replied â€Å"If that’s the way you feel, why don’t you think about becoming like a Palestinian in your own country? † (p. 39, 2009) I think this was what made Malalai go into politics and fight for her country. â€Å"This had a deep impact on me. I thought about what he said for days. I wanted to work to end what was going on in Afghanistan, and perhaps my father was showing me the way. † (p. 30, 2009) In 1998, Malalai joined the Organisation for Promoting Afghan Women’s Capabilities (OPAWC) as a full-time social activist. After living in exile for sixteen years, she returned to Afghanistan for her job to teach girls in defiance of the Taliban. This job came with a risk. However Malalai accepted the risk involved and adopted the surname Joya to protect her family’s identity. â€Å"Teaching at an underground girls’ school was a dangerous job, but I never considered giving it up. I felt it was a great injustice that Afghan girls were being denied an education. The Taliban wanted to keep them in the dark, because any time a group is denied education it is harder for them to know their rights and to fight for them. (p. 56, 2009) Upon Malalai’s return to Afghanistan, she had to learn to wear the burqa as this was a requirement from the Taliban. â€Å"I didn’t like it. Not one bit. It’s not only oppressive but it’s more difficult than you might think. You have no peripheral vision because of the netting in front of your eyes. And it’s hot and suffocating under there. The only useful thing about those long blue robes was that they could be used to hide school books and other forbidden objects. † (p. 44, 2009) Men had to grow thick beards as long as a â€Å"clenched fist†. (p. 3, 2009) according to the rules of male grooming. Books other than the Quran were forbidden. Television, movies, and recorded music were also illegal. The Taliban considered practising any other religion un-Islamic so they made it a crime. They would blow up or scrape off the faces of any other religious statues, paintings or photographs. In the Summer of 2001, Malalai was named the director of OPAWC in Western Afghanistan so she had to move back to where she was born. â€Å"We were just getting re-established when, on the night of September 11th, the radio broadcast some horrifying news. Within days everyone knew that there would be a war. † (p. 57, 2009) America started dropping bombs on Afghanistan daily, killing the lives of innocent people. The Taliban was replaced by the Northern Alliance. In 2003, the OPAWC opened a health clinic which was run by Malalai, again her safety was at risk as this was illegal. This health clinic soon expanded into an orphanage. Throughout the history of Afghanistan, whenever the country faced important reforms or changes in government, tribal elders and other leaders have assembled in a traditional gathering called a Loya Jirga. In 2003, the United Nations was called in to oversee elections to a Loya Jirga. At the age of twenty-five, Malalai decided to get involved in the new political process in Afghanistan. â€Å"I had come to know first-hand their extreme suffering-especially that of women. I felt that our people needed their voices to be heard. † (p. 71, 2009) â€Å"I was determined to help put an end to the rule of the warlords and fundamentalists, and I knew the great majority of Afghan men and women shared this aim. I did not understand at the time how this decision would change my life forever. † (p. 2, 2009) Malalai was the winner of this Loya Jirga. The second Loya Jirga Malalai attended; she was shocked and appalled to see warlords and other well known war criminals there that had made Afghanistan the war ridden country that it is. So in her speech she spoke of this. â€Å"My criticism of all my compatriots is why you are allowing the legitimacy and legality of this Loya Jirga to come into question due to the presence of those criminals who have brought our country to this state. Why would you allow criminals to be present here? They are responsible for our situation now! † (p. 3, 2009) During her speech, she was asked to stop and she was escorted out of the Loya Jirga. That night, men came to a place where they thought Malalai would be staying to rape and kill her. Luckily, she was not there. Even though Malalai did not return to the second day at the Loya Jirga, her name was making headlines around the world. In 2005, at the age of twenty-seven, she was the youngest person to be elected to the new Parliament. Since then, she survived numerous assassination attempts and continued to press the cause of those who elected her. Whenever Malalai spoke in Parliament, her microphone would be cut off. My days in Parliament were always stressful and lonely because I was constantly being attacked and insulted. Sometimes I would raise the red card on my desk in protest, or even walk out in disgust. † (p. 153, 2009) In 2007, in a television interview, Malalai criticised the criminals and warlords in Parliament, â€Å"If the Afghan Parliament continued on its current path, people would soon call it a zoo or a stable. † (p. 170, 2009) However, Malalai specified that this comment was intended for the criminals and warlords and were not intended for the MPs who were real representatives. This part of her statement was left out when it was aired on television and it made her sound like she was criticising the whole Parliament which in turn is the nation because the Parliament is the ‘house of the nation. ’ â€Å"This programme ended up defaming me in the eyes of the Afghan people while giving my enemies in Parliament ammunition to use against me. † (p. 171, 2009) Malalai was suspended from Parliament for ‘insulting the institution of Parliament. ’ Protests and rallies were held worldwide to get Malalai back into Paliament. The support Malalai received was astonishing. Even some of my fellow parliamentarians have approached me to discreetly tell me that they support me, but they cannot do so publicly. † (p. 178, 2009) However, Malalai’s banishment from Parliament has meant her message has been spread worldwide. â€Å"Although I am no longer able to stand up in Parliament and raise my voice for justice, my enemies have accidently given me a gift. Because now my message is being carried further than ever before, and the cause of my people is heard all over the world. † (p. 188, 2009) The war is still continuing in Afghanistan to this day. She is not confident about this changing since Obama has been elected. He and his foreign policy advisors do not appear to have learned from the past seven years-the course they are pursuing will only push the region into a wider war and more destruction. † (p. 249, 2009) â€Å"Today we live under the shadow of the gun, and with the most corrupt and unpopular government in the world. † (p. 253, 2009) Malalai has done a lot for her country and people and has no regrets. â€Å"I would never want to take back any of the speeches I have made, nor any of the statements I have issued denouncing the corrupt and violent men and women who use and abuse their power to keep Afghanistan in their grip. (p. 267, 2009) I truly believe Malalai has made an unforgettable mark in her country and she believes this also. â€Å"You can kill me, but you can never kill my spirit. † (p. 270, 2009) I think Malalai diagnoses what is wrong with the strategic decisions being made by society throughout her life very accurately and very bravely. All her life, she has gone against what the rulings of Afghanistan have suggested is correct in order to fight for what she personally believes is correct. Malalai leads the reader to consider new strategic directions not just for the individual but also for society as a whole. The majority of the people in Afghanistan especially women are just followers, even if they do not agree with something. Malalai was brave enough to go against this from a very young age. She was fortunate to be part of a family who treated boys and girls the same and luckily her father knew the value of education so made sure she went to school. Without education she would not have the knowledge or power to be the woman she is today. She wanted to give this opportunity to other Afghan girls, so she went against the Taliban to do this through her teaching with the OPAWC. She also went against the Taliban by opening a health clinic and an orphanage. This showed what a genuinely caring person Malalai was and that she was willing to risk her life to help strangers. Malalai is the first person not to mention first woman to stand up in the Loya Jirga and speak about the warlords and criminals the way she did. In her 2007 television interview, I think she is very brave for saying the things she said, however, I feel that maybe the words she used were not correct. She maybe should have been more professional as she should have remembered her role as a parliamentarian; however I think she spoke that way because she was so passionate about this subject and I do not believe these comments should have led her to be banished from Parliament, if anything she should have just been suspended. Through reading the whole book, speaking the way she did may have been the best route to take as all her other efforts seem to be unnoticed and although it resulted in her being banished from Parliament, she gained international recognition so that she can spread her views further than just Afghanistan. I do find Malalai’s arguments and story convincing, because I think Afghanistan is a much oppressed country and a sexist country. I agree that the way the warlords have run the country have led it to destruction and war. It is wrong that women are forced to wear the burqa. Nobody should be denied of an education and anyone who can justify raping and killing young girls should not be ruling a country. In my own personal strategy in life, I believe in standing up for what I believe is right. You can achieve your goals if you have the right knowledge, strategy and will power to do so-as long as you know you are right.