Month: March 2015

‘‘All war is a symptom of mans failure as a thinking animal’’- John Steinbeck

So what would the world be like without war?

In the world today we have to deal with countless issues, and a major issue is war. The act of war has several consequences; lives are lost, families hearts are broken and economies demolished. What happens to the ordinary citizens who don’t wish to be involved in the war? No positives can come from conflict. I want to make clear to you how unnecessary war is, and express the collateral damage in battles. In addition, how can conflict be evaded? Can’t you have a say and try to put an end to war once and for all?

First and foremost, it must be said that the most devastating thing about war is the amount of deaths that occur during combat. World War Two had an estimate of 40,000,000 to 85,000,000 deaths. These numbers are unavoidable. To think that millions of people risked their lives, for what cause? When talking of war, the ends do not justify the means. No gain could counteract all the extermination that happened during the war. Also, technology is advancing every day, and knowing that there was an uncountable amount of massacre seventy years ago, then I dread to think of the bloodshed that could materialise in a world wide war with the new face of warfare. We need to put an end to war immediately! All countries have weapons which can cause destruction, hence this may cause an end to the world.

Additionally, a substantial issue faced because of war is terrorism. One of the worst terrorist attacks was on the Twin Towers on the 11th of September 2001 which scarred America. There has been many conspiracies on who planned the attacks but many people believed it was caused by Al-Qaeda, a global militant organisation. These terrorist attacks triggered a war which lasted for thirteen years which could have been avoided. The pain and suffering of the September 11th attacks was an atrocious tragedy. However, as a result of entering a war, this only sequenced more death. If we make it evident that war is nothing other than demise and torment then it would be tragic, truly unthinkable to know that we could have prevented so much agony that happens in the world.

There are plenty of wars that have developed and are currently occurring. The civil war in Syria hasn’t only just affected the fighters but the vulnerable mothers and innocent children, they have unfortunately been involved in the chaos which is happening in their country. The war is currently in its fourth year, people’s lives have been destroyed and eradicated. The civilians of Syrian civil war are losing faith the longer that the war goes on and they are starting to believe that their problems will never be resolved. We must not forget the children which have been injured because of the napalm strikes plus theere is no medical attention to help them recover. Syrian families have fled to other countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey in an attempt to escape the violence. Eye witness accounts from The Guardian shows what it is really like for the people of Syria, ‘2am shells start to crunch east of the capital, and Hassan and her four children are wide awake to the familiar sounds of bombs falling on buildings and the empty road below’. This puts into perspective what everyday life is like for adults and children living in a country during battle.

Furthermore, people have participated in conflicts because of the influence of political leaders, especially dictators. Political leaders have an enormous impact on the decisions made for their country, due to the power and control they possess through being in control of their own countries destiny. Stalin and Hitler are great examples of dictators as they wanted to exert world domination by any means necessary. The Syrian civil war was caused because of  President Bashar al-Assad’s forces responding to nationwide protests with violent crackdowns. The conflict gradually morphed from popular protests to an armed rebellion and since, the crackdowns Bashar al-Assad has shown what a brutal dictator he is, and with the stockpile of chemical weapons under al-Assad’s control. Nobody will know what will happen next in this ever-evolving situation.

To conclude, war shows that the people of society have lost civility. There is other ways to resolve problems rather than through hostility and violence. Leaders should come together and settle disputes fairly and diplomatically, not through the acts of pain and suffering on others. The peace treaty after World War One is an exceptional example of this. It put an end to the war and meant that countries could start recovering and rebuilding. War is not required, it only results in loss of life, economic depression, health problems and aggressive competition. I believe the world would be a much better place if war wasn’t around, but to answer the question what would the world be like without war? Well I hope I live to find out.

Dear Editor of The Guardian,

I am writing this letter to you today to express my views in response to the article which was recently published about teenagers. I was outraged. It was not only disappointing, but very offensive to read the comments made by Jonathan Franzen along with others. The comments portray an abysmal perspective on the younger generation. Miss Samantha Taylor makes clear that she disagrees with the statements raised. Personally, I feel these inaccurate accusations made about young people must be corrected, and I along with the younger community will help to conquer these judgements. Although the information concerning online privacy is very useful, it must be made available to more people so they have an understanding of the damage that could transpire. I wish to provide a perspective from a teenager’s point of view with regards to the recent editorial so that I can dispel any misinterpretations.

Firstly, Jonathan Franzen states that teenagers are unable to socialise face-to-face because there is too much socialising online amongst teenagers. However, the article conveys minimal evidence. What he says about teenagers and their digital lives is an attempt to trigger deterioration of the reputation of the younger generation. He claims that ‘online socialising is creating a shallow and trivial culture’, but the man has no right to say that teenagers have little depth and are of no value. The declaration might consider teenagers to be a disgrace. Nonetheless, with reference to the evidence provided, it suggests that Franzen doesn’t recognise that people are evolving. There is not a problem with using social media and I believe that Jonathan Franzen is blatantly targeting the younger generation. Moreover, from his section of the article, it will have an influence on how people look at teenagers. Franzen unfairly uses the younger generation as scapegoats, and the sole reason for them to ostensibly be unable to socialise face-to-face.

Additionally, American comedian Louis CK along with scientist and writer Susan Greenfield both proclaim that ‘mobile phones and social networking sites such as; Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat will stop teenagers development of empathy’. These things are the preferred channels of basic communication between youngsters and their friends. Technology is advancing every day, and the usage of electronic devices is becoming more consistent but is not only used by the younger generation. According to the survey by the Pew Research Centre in 2014, it conveys that 89% of people aged 18-29, and 82% of people aged 30-49 also use social media. This data undeniably advocates that not only are teenagers use social networking, but people from older generations are also. Therefore it is ambiguous to suggest that these individuals are targeting the teenage community.

Furthermore, the view expressed by Louis CK who believes that ‘digital communication controls teenagers lives’ is a remark once again intended to destabilise young people, not to mention continue to set a negative opinion on them. There are many great advantages that come from teenagers using social media, positive activities can be expressed on the internet to assist the youth. Additionally, Youtube is a great example as it allows people to post videos and receive feedback. These things are a great addition, which can give the younger generation confidence for them to prosper in the future. Also the internet is an immense and uncomplicated way to communicate with family and friends if it is difficult to meet them face-to-face. Not to mention, you can easily share unforgettable moments on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Let’s not forget, Susan Greenfield implies that kids are turning into emoticon-addled zombies, unable to connect, unable to form a coherent thought or even make eye contact, this view is far from the fact. If you come to my school then you will see that teenagers interact perfectly well and are more than capable of engaging in conversation and we are nothing like zombies.

Finally, I want to make clear that the concerns raised on online privacy and safety is very important, and was a great addition to the article. People and teenagers don’t fully understand the consequences of what can happen whilst being online. Based on the numbers that John Henley provided, it is distressing from a teenagers point of view to see that young people, similar to myself are posting information which anybody can see. Hence this conveys a lack of awareness, and the younger generation don’t think of the long term impact from leaks. People, not only teenagers, must be acquainted with the threats and damages that can occur online because personally, the data that was included in the section was very disturbing and pessimistic.

In conclusion, Jonathan Franzen, Louis CK and Susan Greenfield present young people as apathetic, utilising newspapers to influence how people view teenagers. These claims are extremely controversial, and we must come together and challenge these false allegations. I am someone who uses social networking, but it doesn’t stop me from socialising face to face, and I share the same energy and emotion as someone who doesn’t use social networking. So I hope you’re able to take these things onboard and confront these invalid assumptions on me and the rest of the teenage population.

Yours sincerely,

Jack Noone

Rotating the rusty handle gently open, Jason Bourne’s footsteps echoed throughout the apartment, but no one was there as he entered. Broken glass smothered the surface of the floor, the sofa, tipped upside down and shredded, like a savage animal had chased its prey through the apartment. Bourne’s thoughts were with the prey at this moment. He was aware what had happened. Exploring the rest of his apartment with severe caution, he expected to find the other rooms in similar condition. As he was about to set foot into his bedroom he was distracted by a substance which he caught out of the corner of his eye. The first reaction of Jason was to close his eyes and come to terms with what he had just seen. Taking large strides, edging closer towards the bathroom door with increased eagerness, Bourne was vulnerable like never before. Was he deceived?

Shock rushed through Bourne’s body as he noticed the door was covered in blood. He examined the entire door; back, front, hinges and handle whilst being immensely attentive to not come into contact with the sickening dark red blood. The immediate instinct was to think of the worst case scenario, it was his wife’s blood, Maria. He then gained a sudden burst of energy as he realised he found himself in a desperate need to find his phone. Proceeding to the kitchen where he remembered he left his mobile phone on the kitchen table, Bourne tried to control his nerves. Delicately lifting the phone off the worn out wooden walnut table, he then slumped himself against the freezer door and began calling.

A dialling tone was all that rang around Bourne’s head. His mind was feeling like a tempest inside; was he a part of some horrific nightmare that he will never awaken from? He started to traverse the room constantly walking from the window to the door, again and again. The screams inside Bourne’s head were unbearable. Inconveniently an idea struck him that he wished had come sooner, thinking to himself why didn’t I think of that before? There wasn’t time to think, awful thoughts were still bouncing around his head. Maria’s work place! This had to be the answer, she’s works at a hotel in Chicago, precisely twenty minutes away from the apartment. Tapping the eleven digit number hurriedly, he anxiously waited for someone to answer.

A voice, the receptionist at the hotel, started to advertise the hotel but he was immensely quick to cut her off and ask about Maria. However, the women at the hotel informed Bourne that she left early to go home and indicated it was a family emergency. Lost for words he didn’t even acknowledge the woman, everything seemed like a blur, a confusion. There was a piece to the puzzle missing, yet he had no idea what it was. Bourne eased down onto the floor, placed his head in his hands, closed his eyes and prayed that he would wake up from this cataclysmic, torturous nightmare. Something made miniscule contact with the back of Bourne’s head, but it was felt significantly by Bourne as everything in his mind was amplified. A deep voice, definitely a male, uttered orders at him ‘don’t do anything rash or aggressive otherwise I will put a bullet through your head and then your wifes’.

She’s alive! The idea made him ignite inside, but how long will it be until she isn’t living? The clock was ticking, time was dying on Bourne, but he couldn’t risk anything. Something had to be done, and swiftly, but he couldn’t jeopardise everything as not only his life was on the line. He was awkwardly seated on the floor, legs tied together, hands tied behind him along with a gun directed at the back of his vulnerable skull. He couldn’t put a face to go with the suspicious voice, the mystery man then demanded he wanted ten thousand dollars in cash. Bourne was definitely unable to dispense that kind money. A confident Jason Bourne calmly replied ‘’You won’t be getting that money and your gonna die today’’ but the man laughed sarcastically. One gunshot, then another…