Commentary All the Kings Men Essay Example for Free

Commentary All the Kings Men Essay We left the bay, and lost the salt, sad, sweet, fishy smell of the tidelands out of our nostrils. We headed north again. It was darker now. The ground mist lay heavier on the fields, and in the dips of the road the mist frayed out over the slab and blunted the headlights. Now and then a pair of eyes would burn at us out of the dark ahead. I knew that they were the eyes of a cow-a poor dear stoic old cow with a cud, standing on the highway shoulder, for there wasn’t any stock law- but her eyes burned at us out of the dark as though her skull were full of blazing molten metal like blood and we could see inside the skull into that bloody hot brightness in that moment when the reflection was right before we picked up her shape, which is so perfectly formed to be pelted with clods, and knew what she was and knew that inside that unlovely knotty head there wasn’t anything but a handful of coldly coagulated gray mess in which something slow happened as we went by. We were something slow happening inside the cold brain of a cow. That’s what the cow would say if she were a brass-bound Idealist like little Jackie Burden. The Boss said, â€Å"Well, Jackie, it looks like you got a job cut out for you.† And I said, â€Å"Callahan?† And he said, â€Å"Nope, Irwin.† And I said, â€Å"I don’t reckon you will find anything on Irwin.† And he said, â€Å"You find it.† We bored on into the dark for another twenty miles and eighteen minutes. The ectoplasmic fingers of the mist reached out of the swamp, threading out from the blackness of the cypresses, to snag us, but didn’t have any luck. A possum came out of the swamp, threading out from the blackness of the cypresses, to snag us, but didn’t have any luck. A possum came out of the swamp and started across the road and might have made it, too, if Sugar-Boy hadn’t been too quick for him. Sugar-Boy just shaded the steering wheel delicately to the left, just a fraction. There wasn’t even a jounce or twitch, but something thumped against the underside of the left front fender, and Sugar-Boy said, â€Å"The b-b-b-b-bas-tud.† Sugar-Boy could thread a needle with that Cadillac. At about the end of that eighteen minutes and twenty miles, I said: â€Å"But suppose I don’t find anything before election day?† The Boss said, â€Å"To hell with election day. I can deliver Masters prepaid, special handling. But if it takes ten years, you find it.† We clocked off five miles more, and I said, â€Å"But suppose there isn’t anything to find.† And the Boss said, â€Å"There is always something.† And I said, â€Å"Maybe not on the Judge.† And he said, â€Å"Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption and he passeth from the stink of the didie to the stench of the shroud. There is always something. Two miles more, and he said, â€Å"And make it stick.† And that was all a good while ago. Color Key: Simile Characterization Imagery Personification Jack Burden, the narrator of the novel, has a request by the Boss to dig into Judge Irwin’s past â€Å"and make it stick.† The journey of finding something on him builds Jack’s character and foreshadows the death of some of his friends. As they are coming back from the visit to Judge Irwin’s house, they encounter cows on the road. Jack Burden looks into the burning eyes of â€Å"a poor dear stoic old cow† whose skull was of â€Å"blazing molten metal,† and Jack says that the cow is â€Å"a brass-bound Idealist like little Jackie Burden† like a slow thought in her brain. Jack Burden questions the visit to Judge Irwin’s house thinking that there was no sin made by him and identifies himself as an idealist. Because of Jack’s long relationship with the judge, he questions if there is really anything to find about him. The Boss convinces him that â€Å"Man is conceived in sin and born in corruption and he [passes it] from the stink [of the diaper] to the stench of the shroud. There is always, something,† leaves and says â€Å"And make it stick.† The last paragraph shows that the future of the book is foreshadowed to the reader with Jack saying, â€Å"And that was all a good while ago.† It all shows that Jack Burden is certainly not a weak character because he eventually does find something on the judge like the Boss said. The dirt that he found stuck so good that it was great for Robert Penn Warren to put the conclusion in the beginning of the book.

Digital Cash Can Never Work Essay -- Money Internet Businesses Essays

Digital Cash Can Never Work The continued growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web is making a means of secure, on-line monetary transfers a necessity. This growth requires that companies and individuals be able to transact business safely across Cyberspace. Without incentive, in the form of increased revenues, businesses and individuals will lack the financial incentive to continue investing in the Internet. Without continued investment, the Internet will never reach its potential to dramatically change, and hopefully improve, the way that we live our lives. Fortunately, the push for digital cash is already underway. The only question is, regardless of whichever of these payment systems succeeds, will the transaction be truly anonymous or not? [FN1] The major concern of those opposed to non-anonymous digital cash is a loss of privacy. This is a legitimate concern, although exaggerated by fear of a "Big Brother" type state. The spending of cash has never been anonymous. A cash transaction, whether it be at a store, with a vendor, or just on the street, always involves two parties. In all of these transactions the payee and the payer meet face to face as the cash is exchanged. The privacy that people feel during these types of cash transactions stems, not from cash being a truly anonymous payment system, but from the anonymity of society itself. In a society built of large metropolises, anonymity is achieved by not knowing everybody else rather than not being able to find out who they are. If someone tries to pass off counterfeit money to a shopkeeper, regardless of that individuals anonymity because the shopkeeper doesn’t know them, the shopkeeper has the recourse of calling the police and being able to give a descript... ...where information is power, deleting all information represents an absolute loss of control and safety because information protects us all. [FN 1] For a discussion of the various payment methods proposed and the entities involved see: Udo Flohr, Cash, checks and coupons are all going digital. Here are the technical underpinnings of tomorrow’s legal tender, Byte, June 1996. On the Internet at: http://www.byte.com/art/9606/sec7/art1.htm; and A. Michael Froomkin, Flood Control on the Information Ocean: Living With Anonymity, Digital Cash, and Distributed Databases, 15 U. Pittsburg Journal of Law and Commerce 395 (1996). On the Internet at: http://www.law.maimi.edu/~froomkin/articles/oceanno.htm#xtocid583121 [FN 2] David Chaum, Achieving Electronic Privacy, Sci. Am., Aug. 1992, at 96. On the Internet at: http://ganges.cs.tcd.ie/mepeirce/Project/Chaum/sciam.html

Azt Pricing Decision Essay

In 1986, Burroughs-Wellcome Company introduced the first major breakthrough against acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). It was the life-prolonging drug AZT. The product has turned out to be very successful for the company and, largely because of AZT’s success, Burroughs-Wellcome’s profits have doubled in the three years ending in 1988. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to expand the authorization for the drug’s usage to those who are infected with the AIDS virus, but not yet showing signs of serious illness. The estimate of the size of this market is hundreds of thousands rather than the tens of thousand who are currently sick with AIDS (1988). The controversy over the drug centers on its price. AZT costs about $8,600 for a year’s supply for each patient (lowered from $10,000 in 1987). Critics in the gay, medical, and legal communities contend that Burroughs-Wellcome executives are â€Å"corporate extortionists.† Some believe that the company has already made too much money at the expense of the sick. The price is so far out of reach of indigent and moderate-income people that the federal government had to step in with subsidies of millions of dollars. Burroughs-Wellcome defends it pricing practices by stating that its profit margins (in the 50-70 percent range) are in line with those companies introducing new drugs. They contend these high returns are necessary to finance research and recoup the millions of dollars invested in developing the drug. They initially gave the drug free-of-charge to as many as 5,000 AIDS patients and spent $80 million on a new plant. Additional criticism revolves around the actual development of the drug. The Wall Street Journal stated, â€Å"But Wellcome’s moral position is undercut by its relatively minor role in the creation of AZT.† Researchers at the Michigan Cancer Foundation, from West Germany, and at the National Cancer Institute are credited with the major discoveries that led to AZT. Nevertheless, Wellcome performed toxicology, pharmacology, and animal studies before AZT was given to the first human volunteer. It also financed the big clinical trial and bankrolled the give-away to the patients in the initial experiment. Wellcome is under pressure to cut its price. The government is attempting to institute a â€Å"reasonable price† clause where an unduly high price could trigger a government order for a company to open its books. Any company found in violation could be sued for breach of contract. Congress is also studying AZT and one Congressman wrote the company contending that the original price rationale (achieving a decent return on investment during a short product life) no longer exists as the drug has been on the market for three years and the market is growing for the product.

The Successes of Progressive Era Reformers - 800 Words

The Successes of Progressive Era Reformers The Progressive movement was very influential in many ways to early twentieth century America. Businesses became safer, and much more respectful towards their employees. Society accepted moral changes, and became safer communities. The government was affected by the Progressive movement becoming much more democratic, and caring more for the needs of its people. The Progressive movement was successful in reforming American business, society and its government policies in many different instances. The Progressive movement was based mainly on the improvement of human nature and businesses were treating many workers badly. Many muckrakers worked to end the terrible conditions that many workers†¦show more content†¦Progressives knew of the terrible conditions that many laborers were going through in factories and workplaces across America, and they rose up to the challenge of fighting against them. While Progressives reformers worked for change in many different areas, the impro vement of society was one of their most important goals. In terms of society, Progressive reformers wanted to focus on three specific areas. These areas were education, sanitation in tenements or housing, and conservation of the environment (heritage.org). Progressives wanted education to be based on hands on learning, and that experience is the best teacher (Hayes). John Dewey and some others created a form of Progressive education that was based on teaching young kids how to live along with other knowledge (Hayes). Sanitation for many of the crowded tenements in urban areas was lacking (Caswell). Muckraker Jacob Riis looked to change this and with the publishing of his book How the Other Half Lives (1890), New York and some other states began to pass building safety codes such as the New York State Tenement Housing Act (Caswell). The conservation movement that commenced because of the Progressive party would not have been successful without Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt and John Muir together were able to alter the public’s view of American lands (memory.loc.gov). Roosevelt worked together with Congress to pass many acts that preserved America’s beauty such as the American Antiquities ActShow MoreRelatedUnit 8 DBQ904 Words   |  4 PagesCameron  Richter   Period  0   Unit  8  DBQ   Prompt:  Evaluate  the  effectiveness  of  Progressive  Era  reformers  and  the  federal  government  in   bringing  about  reform  at  the  national  level.  In  your  answer  be  sure  to  analyze  the  successes  and   limitations  of  these  efforts  in  the  period  190 ­1920.      The  Progressive  movement  was  an  effort  to  cure  American  society  of  many  of  the  ill   ideals  that  had  developed  during  the  later  parts  of  the  19th  and  the  early  20th  centuries  because   of  the  growth  of  industry.  Although  great  cities  and  businesses  developedRead MoreProgressive Era Reformers Essay1001 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica the reformers of the Progressive Era and the Federal Government were effective bringing about reform dealing with reforms to improve the social disgrace of the working conditions, the enthusiasm to be a nation of self-governed people, and the individual interests of presidents despite limitations in the rulings of court cases, the application of reforms reached, and the varying effectiveness of presidents. Reformers looking to improve the working conditions of the progressive Era made significantRead MoreThe Progressive Era Of The Gilded Age1465 Words   |  6 Pagesconsequences. Industrialization of the United States had indirectly tarnished the Gilded Age, and now that this era was coming to an end, reformers were left to clean up the mess. Hence, the Progressive era was born. The Progressive movement was based in the urban middle class and focused on the improvement of society, the economy, and politics. Yet, the movement was not unified. Each reform group of the era had a separate goal that they would focus on. Each president also had a separate vision of nationalRead MoreThe Progressive Era Of The 19th Century1463 Words   |  6 PagesMaya Stepansky Mr. Meyer Progressive Era DBQ Toward the latter part of the 19th century, bustling America, in response to the trends of industrialization and urbanization that characterized its Gilded Age, began its new century by entering into a new historical/political epoch that came to be known as the Progressive Era. This distinctive period in history (spanning from the 1890s through 1920) found progressives seeking to use the American federal government as a means of change through socialRead MoreThe Progressive Era 938 Words   |  4 PagesThe Progressive Era was a time period between the years 1900-1920 and it marked a time in American history in which society was bursting with enthusiasm to improve life in the industrial age by making political and social changes through government action that ultimately led to a higher quality of life for American citizens. Progressives were known for their beliefs in limiting the power of big business, strengthening the power of the states, and were advocators against corruption an d social injusticeRead MoreComparing the Approaches of the Progressive and Populist Movements893 Words   |  4 Pages20th century the progressive movement and populist movement were groups and organizations getting together to resolve social, economic, and political problems occurring in the United States. Both movements had different approaches to what was more important and how to deal with problems. Progressivism was mainly for the betterment of cities while populism is for agrarian section of farmers. First of all there were social failures and successes between the populist and the progressive. During the progressiveRead MoreHow FDR Transformed Progressive Ideas880 Words   |  3 PagesThe progressive party promotes quite an aspiration, engaging political, social, and economic reform. Ted Roosevelt and his supporters triggered a debate about the future of America. Milkis shows this political battle and revisits a time when a party was swallowed by its leaders goals. These goals were kept and then emerged mass democracy. Milkis shows the members of the Progressive Party as activists led by TR who dedicate their program to direct democracy, civic duty and rights. Men whoRead More The Progressive Era Essay798 Words   |  4 Pagesfelt that all power rested with the politicians and businessmen. Reformers known as Progressives attempted to undo the problems caused by industrialization. The Progressive movement sought to end the influence of large corporations, provide more rights and benefits to workers, and end the control possessed by party leaders. At the national level, Progressivism centered on defeating the power of large businesses. The Progressive Era was a period in American history in which improving working conditionsRead MoreTheodore Roosevelt s The Progressive Era Essay1543 Words   |  7 Pagesof a very liberal period in American history. This new ‘Progressive Era’ was mobilized largely by the middle class as an attempt to put an end to the problems created by the period of excess that was the Gilded Age. Believing that big bus iness was ruining democracy, and assuming a moral obligation to shield the poor and downtrodden from corrupt capitalists, the Progressives commenced an era of sweeping reforms. From the outset, the Progressive movement targeted domestic issues such as political machinesRead MoreAp Exam Essays1660 Words   |  7 Pages1775–1783. 3. Analyze the ways in which controversy over the extension of slavery into western territories contributed to the coming of the Civil War. Confine your answer to the period 1845–1861. 4. Analyze the roles that women played in Progressive Era reforms from the 1880s through 1920. Focus your essay on TWO of the following. †¢ Politics †¢ Social conditions †¢ Labor and working conditions 5. 5. Explain the causes and consequences of TWO of the following population movements