Saturday, January 25, 2020

Analysing The Impact Of Terrorism On Kenya Tourism Essay

Analysing The Impact Of Terrorism On Kenya Tourism Essay The U.S. Department of State defines terrorism as premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience. Likewise, as terrorism against tourists often involves international citizens, international terrorism is defined as terrorism involving citizens or the territory of more than one country. WHY DO TERRORISTS TARGET KENYA? Geographic location, poverty and unstable neighbours are some key elements that have contributed to past terrorist attacks faced by Kenya. Kenyas unique geographic location acts as a passageway from the Middle East and South Asia to East Africa and beyond. Therefore, Kenya had to cater for the many activities that would now exist because of this pathway so an extensive seaport was constructed as well as two international airports, one in Mombassa and one in Nairobi along with rail, road and communication infrastructure. With these additions, travel and entry into and around Kenya is quite easy and usually obscure due to its penetrable borders coupled with its surrounding neighbours and unmonitored coastline. In particular, the Arabs in Kenya that occupy the coastal areas are closely linked to the Arabs in the Middle East as they both share a common religion and language. This has made it quite convenient for terrorist to blend into the community. For these reasons, Kenya is a preferred choice for terrorist to strike. DISCUSSION ON TERRORISMS IMPACT ON THE HOSPITALITY TOURISM INDUSTRY IN KENYA (25 MARKS) Tourism, one of the foundation blocks of Kenyas economy, constitutes 25% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and has been adversely affected by the repercussions of terrorism. Firstly, the influx of tourist to Kenya can be estimated to over 500,000 visitors each year. Europe and the United States of America (USA) represent Kenyas traveller generating region with 70% of the market being Europeans (Switzerland, Italy, Belgium France and Britain account for the bulk of tourists). In addition, visitors come from Japan, Asia, Scandinavia, and other African countries. USA, Germany, Great Britain and some other countries, upon receiving the news about the terrorist attacks on Kenyas US Embassy in Nairobi, immediately issued travel advisories to their citizens and imposed travel bans to refrain travel to Kenya as it was deemed unsafe. Moreover, the extensive media coverage of the attacks particularly focused on Kenyas vulnerability to terrorism severely tarnished its image. These responses lead to a decline in travel to Kenya and some neighboring countries as travelers feared the spillover of the terrorist attacks. For example, tourism businesses were terribly affected by the travel warnings. Tourism brought in US $500 million in annual revenue and was losing at least $1 million everyday due to the decline in tourism. ( ) Consequently, Kenyas tourism industry was paralyzed. Kenya suffered a decrease in tourist arrivals. This had a ripple effect on all sectors of the industry. The cancellation of leisure trips and business conferences were rapidly on the rise. Kenyas reputation plummeted and this lead to the loss of its competitive value. Kenya was no longer an option to be considered for vacation or investment. Tourism catered to the employment of 500, 000 Kenyans ranging from tour operators, tour guides, travel agencies, safari driver, dancers, hoteliers, restaurateurs, small business operators to airport and airline personnel. Subsequently, there was a significant increase in unemployment as many Kenyans lost their jobs. Employees that were still employed received salary cuts. For instance, at the Carnivore restaurant; all of the 330 staff had their salaries reduced, including Dunford the chairman (National Geographic 2010). The bombing of the US Embassy had a massive impact on Kenyas infrastructure. The Embassy was stationed at the crossroads of two streets in Nairobi, adjacent to the Ufundi Building and the Co op Bank Building. The explosion destroyed these three buildings and other buildings and amenities within a two to three block radius.( ) The rubble consisted of broken glass from windows, window frames, furniture and fixtures, concrete block walls, cars, buses, electric poles, street lights and the list goes on. The transportation sector within Kenya suffered major setbacks as the streets were seriously damaged and likewise vehicles. Additional problems surfaced as resources (medical) were delayed as it was difficult to get in and around Nairobi. Access was restricted to rescue and emergency personnel. Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, was known for its many tourist attractions but these business operations declined as a result of the bombing. With the loss of power and telecommunication, tour oper ators, travel agencies and hotels were unable to update their websites or communicate with potential visitors who would usually book their reservations, tours or tickets online. Another hindrance to Kenyas tourism industry in light of the terrorist attacks is the slump in foreign direct investment (FDI). Investors were inclined to nullify their FDI in Kenya due to some of the shocks felt by the terrorist attack such as the direct destruction of infrastructure, the rise of operating costs due to an increasing need of security measures, and the rise of recruiting costs due to missing incentives to work in terrorism prone regions. ( ). This further contributed to the loss of revenue specifically for tourism development initiatives. An important issue on the agenda of Kenyas government to combat terrorism is now the introduction of more security. The notion about safety is not confined to the citizens of Kenya alone but is extended to the tourist as well. For this purpose, government spending had to be diverted from productive investment designed to promote growth, eradicate poverty and sustain tourism development. ( ) Expenditure on high tech security equipment such as surveillance cameras, metal detectors and screening machines had to be implemented as strategies to counteract terrorism. Kenyas financial costs continued to escalate in aftermath of the terrorist attack as more funding was required for the cleanup, restoration and reconstruction of the infrastructure, buildings and other amenities destroyed in the blast including tourists facilities. As an illustration, Similarly, another expense incurred is that of extensive advertising to attract more and new tourists to Kenya. This strategy was employed to portray Kenya as a once again safe place and to neutralize the negative media attention received after the bombing. Apart from the above mentioned negative effects of terrorism on Kenyas tourism industry, some positive effects were identified. With the decrease in tourist arrivals to Kenya, domestic tourism was being promoted. Locals provided a portion of revenue needed to sustain some tourism businesses. Likewise, a new must see tourist attraction was developed. The August 7th Memorial Park was constructed on the site where the US Embassy was once situated. This memorial was built to commemorate the lives that were lost and represents a tribute to the courage of the several thousand others who have had to cope with permanent injury and/or the loss of loved ones. It is a place where people come to reflect, remember and relax. ( ) With regard to the Kenyas transit route region, terrorism is no exception. The airline industry was also hit hard after the terrorist attack on the US Embassy. Cancellation of flights Merging of airlines to survive Closure of some airlines Job cuts Loss of revenue Increase security surveillance Cruise ships no longer include Kenya on their route Increase cost of ticket to visit country with terrorism DISCUSSION ON KENYAS RESPONSE TO IMPACT OF TERRORISM (20 MARKS) There is a need for the development of an anti-terrorism legislation in Kenya: following the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Kenya the government recognized that there were no adequate measures in place to deal with such acts and therefore the need to develop and implement legislation to deal with terrorism was essential. According to Kenyas Counter Terrorism committee, the Government on two occasions made attempts to implement such laws with the Suppression of Terrorism Bill in 2003 and the Anti-Terrorism Bill in 2006 respectively. However, both bills failed to be introduced to parliament. (Google 2010) There is also a need for revamped management policies to be set in place for Kenyas border line and costal security control. (Google 2010) also stated that the need for heightened security is vital in these areas, for example: the border between Kenya and Somalia poses a great threat to Kenyan nationals and tourist due to fact that Somalia has been without a government of over sixteen years and is known to be politically unstable. This can be done by putting measures in place such as; heightened security checks for persons entering Kenya through Somalia, denial of entry for suspicious entrants and denial to unnecessary travelers especially during the peak tourist seasons. Proper execution of security in these areas may allow tourists to feel safer and therefore increase overall tourist visits to Kenya. The tourism board of Kenya could try to mitigate some of the negative impacts of the past terrorism attacks on the country by recreating a new image for the destination. Though terrorism would ultimately have a devastating impact on any country being affected, repositioning Kenya in the minds of tourists and other tourists destination by focusing on the positives rather than the negative aspects of terrorism can aid in the process of moving forward. An example of this is the use of the US Embassy bombing as a memorial site where locals and tourists can visit. There needs to be a crisis management portfolio that distinguishes terrorism from other forms of crisis. It should also outline in detail the measures that should be implemented before and after such a crisis. Then the portfolio should assist in painting a clear and clutter free process that should be followed after an act of terrorism to facilitate a timely recovery for Kenyas image. Because terrorism has so severely tarnished the image of Kenyas tourism product it is very crucial that only specified and highly qualified individuals should address the public and medias issues. Therefore, the portfolio will also outline all individuals that should be involved in this process with clearly defined roles and objectives. The tourism board of Kenya could try to mitigate some of the negative impacts of the past terrorism attacks on the country by creating a new image for the destination. Though terrorism would ultimately have a devastating impact on any country being affected, repositioning Kenya in the minds of tourists and other tourists destination by focusing on the positives rather than the negative aspects of terrorism can aid in the process of moving forward. An example of this is the use of the US Embassy bombing as a memorial site where locals and tourists can visit. With repositioning in mind the tourism board can also shift some of their attention to local tourist by packaging their offerings in such a way that would be attractive to the local population.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Nectar In A Sieve & Don’t Be Afraid Gringo

The relationship between core and periphery nations can be observed by looking at the experiences of the people in the books, â€Å"Nectar In A Sieve† by Kamala Merkandaya and â€Å"Don't Be Afraid Gringo† by Media Benjamin. In both the books Rukmani and Elvia narrate the changes caused by the various stages of capitalism brought by Great Britain in India and by the United States in Honduras respectively. The core periphery relations between these countries lead to many societal problems and these two women deal with these problems, especially the issues pertaining to land and education. In both Rukmani and Elvia's case land was the most important resource required for producing staples, which was used as a source of revenue and food. Education, in this context refers to the level of awareness people had about the influence of core countries on the peripheral nations and how the people viewed this dependency. Rukmani and her family lived under a feudalistic system and the arrival of the British tannery resulted in segregated industrialization in a rice farming village which led to family disintegration, abuse of power and land and to a minor decrease in feudalism. It also led to a shift from peasantry to proletariats. Elvia lived in a semi-feudalistic system in Honduras with highly unequal distribution of land and wealth. The whole of Honduras, including various institutions like the Government and the church were under the influence of the U. S who with their political and economic influence used Honduras for the extraction of resources and also for its own political security in the North American continent. In â€Å"Nectar In A Sieve† Rukmani was married to a tenant farmer called Nathan who worked on rice fields and earned his livelihood by selling his harvest to the landlord. He did not have his own land and so whatever he earned went towards paying for the rent on land. Most of the villagers there, including Nathan were tenant farmers who produced for their own basic needs and not for the market. The village put up a leather tannery in Rukmani's village whose arrival led to segregated industrialization and also to a change in feudalism. Rukmani and the whole village's life were affected, as their village became a â€Å"growing town† (Merkandaya 50) The tannery owners bought the land from the landlords and paid good prices for it. This segregated industrialization weakened the unification of the village and caused great turmoil for everyone, especially Rukmani and her family. It disintegrated her family by creating a need for her sons to go work in the tannery. The expansion of the tannery also led to a loss in user rights as many people, including Rukmani and her family was kicked off the land they used to live on for years, with nowhere to turn to. Thus they were forced to go to an urban city and become proletariats. Arrival of colonialism in the village led to capitalism, while keeping the feudalism intact. Though both systems worked simultaneously, capitalism slowly outdid feudalism as the tannery â€Å"grew and flourished and spread†(51), it got the power and became economically prosperous which allowed the expansion of the tannery. Capitalism in the village changed some of the villagers from peasants to semi proletariats as they started working in the tannery. On the other hand the cost of living went up and so did the level of poverty due to partial urbanization. The tannery extracted the resources using cheap and surplus labor and repatriated the profits for capitalistic accumulation and deprived the village of if. In â€Å"Don't Be Afraid Gringo†, Elvia Alvarado talks about the lives of the â€Å"campesinos† living in Honduras. She was a poor peasant living in a rural village and belonged to a very poor family that could never own land. Most of Elvia's life revolved around social work and helping the fellow campesinos who were facing harsh times due to the influence of the core. Elvia was proactive and resisted to changes brought about by the powerful elite of their society. So her primary job was to recover land which rightfully belonged to the campesinos but was in the hands of a few elite who were using it for their own benefit. Education as described later in the essay created awareness about the injustices done by the powerful elite and helped in her fight for recovering land for the campesinos. The campesinos depended on land, as it was the primary source of food and revenue. Staples produced in Honduras were exported to the U. S markets at very low prices. The U. S had also monopolized capital by bringing technology into Honduras but this was only being used to extract resources. This resulted in unemployment as automated machines as in the case of the banana companies replaced manual labor. Honduras was under a semi feudal mode of production with an unequal distribution of land. Although capitalism was present in urbanized areas, most of the land was under feudal control with peasants fighting for land which was taken away from them. The government did not â€Å"do anything to make the campesino's life any easier. â€Å"(Benjamin 25) The rural areas did not have god transportation and bringing the harvests to the markets was very difficult. Campesinos without land worked â€Å"as day laborers, either for a landowner or for another campesino†(Benjamin 20) for minimal wages. U. S using its influence on the Honduran government and the local elite extracted some precious resources like coal and precious gems and the profits associated with them were never reinvested in Honduras. The U. S also used Honduran land for maintaining regional security. Using Honduras strategic position in Central America, they established military bases and sent troops to Honduras to help government maintain internal control. The societal issue of education brought about by the core periphery relationships in both Rukmani and Elvia's life, in this context deals with the level of awareness both women and their respective societies have about the influence of core nations and their dependence on them. Although Rukmani was semi literate and could read and write, she was not well versed with what was happening around her. She was a very passive resistor and never offered any resistance to the development of capitalism. She foresaw the implications of capitalism by the arrival of the tannery and the dependency associated with it. Therefore she wanted to give all her children education because she knew education was the only thing that could make her children realize the effects of dependence on core. Her suffering along with the suffering of the other villagers shows the lack of awareness they had about the harmful effects of the British colonization. Elvia only received proper schooling till the second grade and so she was basically illiterate but she always had the inclination to learn. As she grew up, she became aware of the harmful effects of Hondurans' dependency on the U. S and how capitalism from the part of the U. S in Honduras was robbing the resources out of Honduras. Although she never had proper schooling, the eagerness to learn about the current affairs made her more and more inquisitive. Elvia took some courses with the church and then started working as a social worker that traveled to different places and created awareness about general issues pertaining to their lives and society. She also took some courses from the Agrarian Reform Institute, which greatly improved her writing skills. Later on in her life, when the church also influenced by the Honduran government that was under the influence of the U. S reduced the support to her group, she became independent and began educating and organizing the campesinos to fight for their rights. She began recovering land that belonged to the campesinos but was in the hands of the elite. Her knowledge of the Agrarian Reform Laws helped her fight with the government for the injustices done to the campesinos. She was thus able to recognize monopoly capitalism by the U. S as being the cause of poverty in Honduras. Looking at the argument presented in this essay it can be seen that both Rukmani and Elvia's lives were greatly affected by the effects of core periphery relations and they faced great problems with issues of land and education.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Net Neutrality Today - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2319 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/04/11 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Net Neutrality Essay Did you like this example? On September 30, 2018 California Senate Bill 822 was signed into law. The law effectively established statewide net neutrality laws modeled on federal regulations which were overturned by the FCCs Restoring Internet Freedom Order in December of 2017. This is yet another step in an ongoing battle to establish laws that would prevent Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from discriminating against data from specific sources in an online environment. Net neutrality continues to be an evolving concept, and despite broad support from the public, the United States government has had difficulty establishing long-term solutions within the current legal framework. Principles of Network Neutrality The origin of the term network neutrality is widely attributed to Tim Wus 2003 article Network Neutrality, Broadband Discrimination. In his prescient opening line, Wu (2003) states that: Communications regulators over the next decade will spend increasing time on conflicts between the private interests of broadband providers and the publics interest in a competitive innovate environment centered on the internet (p. 141). In the United States, these conflicts have resulted in various regulatory frameworks and court challenges, and the debate is constantly changing. This discussion has many aspects (technological, economic, intellectual freedom, political etc.), and the future of net neutrality is still very much undecided. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Net Neutrality Today" essay for you Create order The definitions of net neutrality vary widely. Wu (2003) had originally focused mostly on internet architecture and application restrictions, rather than throttling or bandwidth prioritization. However, network neutrality has mostly come to focus on regulating discrimination of content providers, end users or services by internet service providers (ISPs) (De Diego Martin, 2016, p. 5). Much of the recent debate has focused on a definition of net neutrality that specifically prohibits ISPs from slowing down, speeding up, or blocking internet traffic based on where it is coming from, where it is going, or who owns it (White, 2014, p. 152). Net neutrality focuses on the interactions between three groups, the operators (ISPs), content and application providers (often internet companies such as Google, Amazon, Apple, etc.), and internet users. One of the main concerns in regards to net neutrality is the concentrated power of the ISPs. There are a very limited number of ISPs available, and most users have very limited, if any, choices for broadband internet service providers (Guo, 2017, p. 131). ISPs operate in a near-monopolistic state and arguably represent a private power that cannot be checked by market competition or consumer choice (Rahman, 2018, p. 1651-1652). This concentrated private control over critical infrastructure is a legitimate concern and opens up many opportunities for exploitative practices (Rahman, 2018, p. 1650). Net neutrality fears are in nt ungrounded, as cases of ISPs using their power to throttle or favor specific services have already occurred, such as the case of Comcast asking Netflix to pay f or faster service (Gustin, 2014), or its intentional throttling of BitTorrent (Kravets, 2008). The public is seen to widely support net neutrality as a concept. A recent poll showed that 83 % of Americans opposed repealing net neutrality regulations, largely regardless of political party (University of Maryland Program for Public Consultation, 2017). However, net neutrality does have its detractors, who argue that these regulations take money away from ISPs who would reinvest these funds to improve overall bandwidth and access. ISPs also argue that a so called dumb pipe system in which all data is treated equally will mean they are completely left out of decision making processes and lose their powers to shape internet progress (De Diego Martin, 2016). Economic arguments are an important part of the debate. The Internet Association estimates that the internet was responsible for 6 % of U.S. GDP in 2014 (Siwek, 2015). The capital involved is extremely large and battles between ISPs and content providers have been ongoing for years. Network usage has been steadily increasing f or years, but fees for service have often not risen as rapidly, making additional income from fees on content providers appealing to ISPs (White, 2014, 152). Net neutrality laws prevent ISPs from maximizing their profits and ISPs have fought hard through lobbying and legal battles to prevent any type of regulation. The FCC largely cited neoliberal ideas of broadband access as a self-regulating market that could effectively police itself when removing the most recent net neutrality regulations (Berghel, 2017). The near-monopolistic nature of ISPs makes this less highly unlikely. Even if multiple providers are available in an area, individuals are often locked in by contracts that make simply switching between ISPs difficult. Competition is largely unlikely to increase, as the infrastructure and capital investment in starting a broadband company is prohibitively high. Additionally, research has shown that it is largely economically advantageous for ISPs to discriminate against content providers, even as competition increases (Guo, 2017). It would be naive to think that these corporations would not take actions that increased their own profits, and would willingly self-police their behavior if given free reign. Additionally, while ISPs argue that net neutrality inhibit innovation, the opposite is largely true. By not discriminating against content providers, net neutrality largely operates as an anti-monopoly tool itself by making sure that all content providers are treated equally. If content providers were forced to pay ISPs for bandwidth, it would ensure that only the large, financially dominate companies would have the capital to do so effectively stifling market competition and entrepreneurship (Rahman, 2018, 1656). Of course, the issue is rarely as simple as opponents or proponents make it out to be. The idea of an early platonic internet that was completely neural is largely a myth, and the end-to-end principles used to frame net neutrality are largely obsolete in regards to modern internet architecture (Pisantry, 2016, 131). Some forms of traffic management will always be necessary for optimizing networks, maintaining security, and managing congestion (Belli, 2016, 16). Its important when discussing regulations that differentiation is made between necessary and unnecessary traffic management based on what is reasonable. If nothing else, as Wu (2003, 156) has pointed out, regulations can serve an informational/educational function as a gentle reminder for broadband providers to air on the side of their better natures and focus on the public good. Network Neutrality and Intellectual Freedom Many discussions on net neutrality focus on technical and economic aspects; however the issue is also crucial to intellectual freedom and individual rights. The American Library Association (2018) succinctly stated the ties between net neutrality and intellectual freedom in their affirmation of net neutrality as an intellectual freedom issue. In part they state that: Net Neutrality guarantees the right to distribute and receive ideas without limitation or discrimination via the internet. Without the protection of Net Neutrality, tiered access limits diversity and blocks ideas and opinions. Additionally, it creates an internet in which only the companies that can afford to pay more for prioritized access can get their content through to consumers. Allowing ISPs to determine which speech receives priority access and which speech can be delayed, or even blocked, based on commercial and financial interests impairs intellectual freedom. This leads inevitably to censorship of voices without economic or political power. Here we see that one of the major issues with a non-neutral network is that we see another way for capital to buy a louder voice. This speaks to Gramscis ideas of hegemony and the role capital plays in intellectual freedom as discussed by Raber (2013). In a system in which payments must be made to have content favored, capital will be a strong driver of speech. Even Verizon has conceded that net neutrality is a free speech issue. In the 2014 case that overturned the FCCs 2010 Open Internet Order, Verizon argued that net neutrality infringed on their free speech rights and that regulating bandwidth was a form of speech (Verizon v Federal Communications Commission, 2014). This acknowledgement that broadband data is speech only underlies the importance of having regulations that prevent its suppression. If more money buys better data transmission, we see yet another system in which the voices of the marginalized are suppressed. We can think of net neutrality acts as nondiscrimination laws that allows marginalized and nonprofit voices to be given equal weight in the online environment (Cox, 2018, 14). As Buchannan (2013) discusses, freedom of expression and access are both critical issues when discussing intellectual freedom in an online environment, and ISPs have control over both, making regulations all the more important. Net Neutrality Rules Today From the early origins of net neutrality concepts it was clear that self-regulation by internet providers was not a viable method to maintain net neutrality (Wu, 2003). There are many questions about how to best regulate net neutrality. Who should be responsible for regulating? How much regulation is necessary? What is the governments statutory authority for regulation? These questions have been heavily debated in recent years, and the government has still yet to come with agreed upon answers to these questions. The FCCs attempts to regulate ISPs rely heavily on Progressive Area ideas of public utilities that have been adapted to the uniqueness of modern telecommunications (Rahman, 2018, 1648). As early as the expansion of railroads, there has been worry about how best to control private control of infrastructural goods. Early regulations of railroads began at the state level, developing a patchwork of regulations, but it was clear that their interstate nature would require federal intervention. As monopolis became a greater concern, the federal government began to develop antitrust laws, corporate governance, and the public utility model as forms of controlling concentrated private power. As new forms of communications such as telegraph and telephone networks developed, the government began to use these established tools to regulate these services through common carriage requirements and limits on vertical integration (Rahman, 2018). The Communications Act of 1934 was the first major legislation regulating telecommunications networks. The next significant legislation would not come until the Telecommunications Act of 1996. While, the Communications Act of 1934 essentially let ATT operate as a regulated monopoly, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 tried to enhance both competition and interconnectivity. It imposed common carrier requirements for telecommunication networks that prohibited discrimination against networks and required that all carriers have a physical connection to each other (Rahman, 2018, 1647-1649). The overall authority of internet regulation by the federal government lies in their authority to regulate interstate commerce. More specifically, the FCC derives its regulatory power from the Commerce Act of 1934, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Hanna, 2018, 80). The Telecommunications Act of 1996 made a distinction between telecommunication lines, which are classified as a Title II service, and internet access provided by these lines, which were classified as a Title I information service. As broadband service came to prominence it was also classified under the information service Title I designation. In the 1990s, the internet was seen more as a luxury good than a vital communications service and therefore was not classified under the stricter Title II classifications that would hold it to common carrier restrictions (Rahman, 2018, 1651). The 2011 FCC Open Internet Order attempted to establish net neutrality regulations outside of the Title II common carrier requirements, but the order was struck down in Verizon v. FCC (2014). In this case, the D.C. Circuit Court determined that the FCC did not have the authority to establish anti-discrimination requirements since broadband was not covered under common carrier requirements (Verizon v Federal Department of Communications, 2014). In response the 2015 Open Internet Order formally reclassified broadband internet from an information service to a telecommunications service, which falls under Title II common carrier requirements. The changes were upheld in United States Telecom Association v Federal Communications Commision and United States of America (2016). In this case, the D.C. Circuit Court determined that broadband service does in fact satisfy the statutory definition of a telecommunications service (US Telecom Assn v FCC 2016). These changes were reversed when new FC C leadership under the Trump Administration passed the Restoring Internet Freedom Order, which once again changed broadband service from a Title II to Title I carrier in December of 2017 (Restoring Internet Freedom Order, 2017). Californias Net Neutrality Laws Within hours of Californias passage of their net neutrality law the Justice Department filed suit against the state (Finley 2018). The Justice Department is attemtping to make the case that California has no authority to regulate ISPs. At the heart of this are two primary legal issues. First, the interstate nature of the internet means only the federal government should be able to regulate it (Finley, 2008). Second, the FCCs Restoring Internet Freedom Order included a specific clause which prevented any state or local governments from imposing rules that the FCC specifically repealed (Restoring Internet Freedom Order, 2017). This presents an interesting case, because when repealing the Open Internet Order the FCCs primary argument was that they did not have the proper authority to impose net neutrality regulations, but also claiming that they had to sole authority to ban anyone else from imposing net neutrality regulations (Romm, 2018). This effectively means that according to the FC C, there is no agency who currently has the authority to regulate data discrimination. While the California legislation may be a positive good for the citizens of California and net neutrality in general, it is highly unlikely the courts will find that California had the authority to pass such legislation. Regardless of what the FCCs authority to prevent others from establishing net neutrality regulations is, it is a near certainty that the interstate nature of the internet will mean that Californias regulations do not stand. The internet should clearly be regulated as interstate commerce and no legal cases in United States history have ignored the Commerce Clause and favored states over the federal government when interstate commerce is involved (Rash, 2018). Additionally, while good-intentioned, a state-by-state patchwork of net neutrality regulations is far from ideal for anyone involved. In the end, all that may come of Californias attempts at establishing state level net neutrality laws is keeping the debate alive in the courts and in the public eye. The past decade has shown us a framework for how net neutrality laws could function reasonably to protect intellectual freedom in an online environment through modified common carrier regulations. While we are currently operating in a regulatorily non-neutral environment the California case has shown that the debate is far from over.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

The Negative Effects Of Marijuana - 861 Words

Marijuana is sweeping the nation. How might this affect people’s everyday lives? Is the progression on legalization a good thing or a bad thing? In order to answer that, the people must first consider the health effects of the consumer and the economic effects of the nation. Marijuana could have both positive and negative effects on the health of the user and the economy. While marijuana does indeed have some health benefits, it also has many adverse health effects and can lead to several social discrepancies. Some of the negative health effects are risk of addiction, slowed brain development, slowed cognitive functions, slowed motor functions, potential cancer, nausea, and a possible link to mental illness. Some of the†¦show more content†¦The first benefit that is worth considering is that Opiate related deaths decrease in areas where marijuana has been legalized and regulated. â€Å"Both the US and Canada are currently dealing with an increase in addiction and death from fentanyl, oxycodone and other opiates. Two large studies have shown about a 25% decrease in deaths from opiate overdose associated with the legalization of medical cannabis and the availability of dispensaries†. (Mitchell) The reason this study is so important and significant is because the accusation stating that marijuana has become a gateway drug has become common knowledge. This study proves the adverse effect of that opinion. Another health benefit that stems from marijuana use is pain reduction. â€Å"Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have found that medical marijuana users experience significant pain relief and function with only minor side effects, according to a new study†. (NewsRx Health) Another factor to consider when discussing the matter of legalization is the economic change that could potentially occur as a result of this. Some of the obvious economic advantages of legalized marijuana are involving tax revenue, job opportunities, and decriminalization. â€Å"The marijuana economy is booming and could hit $44 million by 2020 if current trends continue. The business of legalShow MoreRelatedNegative Effects Of Marijuana977 Words   |  4 Pagespick up bad habits. â€Å"Marijuana is dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the Cannabis Indica plant. The plant contains large amounts of a mind-altering chemical THC and other similar compounds† (Anonymous, 2017). Marijuana is popular, and it can be made into edibles. As of today, in United States of America, age or pregnancy does not have an effect anymore. People are choosing to high over their families, leaving the kids with birth defects and health issues. Marijuana affects brain developmentRead MoreNegative Effects Of Marijuana1612 Words   |  7 Pages What is marijuana? What is it made of? Why is cannabis still illegal in certain states? Why does marijuana have so many names? Where do the names come from? What is the marijuana culture and how do they celebrate? How is marijuana beneficial? All these questions roaming through people’s mind. Cannabis is a green mixture of the dried, shredded leaves and flowers of Cannabis sativa. People usually smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints or cigars called blunts, or in a pipe, orRead MorePositive And Negative Effects Of Marijuana705 Words   |  3 PagesMarijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. In 2015, more than 11 mil-lion young adults ages 18 to 25 used marijuana in the past year. The drug has both positive and negative effects. Both physical and mental. Living up to full potential is something any person strives to do. Choosing to use marijuana at a young age might not be the best choice to a grow-ing brain. The big difference between adults who smoke and young adults who smoke is young users still have a developingRead MoreNegative Effects Of Marijuana1903 Words   |  8 PagesAmong teens and adults marijuana is the number one drug used for medical and recreational use. Marijuana was not legalized by the states in the U.S. until recently, but it has been in use since the 1970’s. Although, marijuana has been legalized for only a couple of years, the issues of marijuana are becoming a larger epidemic. Many people have the misconceptions that marijuana will not have the same effects as other drugs or even such as tobacco, but after an abundance of research, scientist discoveredRead MoreThe Negatives Effects of Marijuana on Teenager880 Words   |  4 PagesThe Negatives Effects of Marijuana on Teenager What is Marijuana? The marijuana affects the brain development on teenager. Also affect the function at school, work, and social life of the teenagers. The marijuana increases the risk of mental health issues. The sadistic show that the used of marijuana increase every years. Marijuana affects the teenager and also their families. According to National Institute of Drug Abuse, Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves, stemsRead MoreNegative Effects Of Marijuana1903 Words   |  8 PagesAmong teens and adults, marijuana is the number one drug used for medical and recreational use. Marijuana was not legalized by the states in the U.S. until recently, but it has been in use since the 1970’s. Although, marijuana has been legalized for only a couple of years, the issues of marijuana are becoming a larger epidemic. Many people have the misconceptions that marijuana will not have the same effects as other drugs or even, such as tobacco, but after an abundance of research, scientist discoveredRead MoreThe Negative Effects of Marijuana2471 Words   |  10 PagesMarijuana has the reputation of giving users a high when smoked, eaten, or inhaled through vaporization. The chemical that causes the feeling of euphoria is called Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). When smoked or ingested, th e THC rapidly passes through your lungs or stomach, then your bloodstream, and to other organs in your body. When it finally reaches your brain, the THC targets specific brain cells called cannabinoid receptors (Harding, 2013). These receptors are especially found in partsRead MoreMarijuana Has A Negative Effect On Your Health1728 Words   |  7 PagesI believe that cannabis has a negative effect on your health. Now I’m fully aware that a portion of the world’s population truly believe that cannabis is nothing more than a harmless drug that is used for nothing more than recreational use and will not have any long-term effects on your health, but I want you to ponder on the thought of my statement and why I might believe that cannabis has a negative effect on your health. First what is cannabis? according to drugs.com cannabis also known as â€Å"CannabisRead MoreEthical Issues : Weed And Medical Marijuana1148 Words   |  5 PagesKevin Noh Professor Ericka Scott English 100 11 April 2016 Ethical Issues: Weed Marijuana has been consumed ever since the human civilization started. However, according to Zimmermann (2014), large amounts of research on medical marijuana started around the early 1970s. Through articles and videos on the Internet, social media, and even school, people are becoming more aware of the presence of medical marijuana. Even children are being informed through D.A.R.E. programs offered in many elementaryRead MoreEssay on Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana557 Words   |  3 Pageslegalization of marijuana is a very debatable subject, some people think it is bad and should be illegal, and some people think it is good in some ways if used properly. It should be legal because it has few negative effects, it serves other purposes than getting people stoned, and it is better than other drugs. Many advocates say â€Å" Marijuana is a common drug used by many people.†(Sandra) A lot of people think marijuana has numerous amounts of negative effects on the body. Marijuana helps the body