Speech Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Discourse Class - Essay Example Then again, unlawful activities give no advantage to the administration, however sanctioning will get duties and help control the tasks too. â€Å"It is assessed that pot is the biggest money crop in California, with yearly incomes drawing nearer $14 billion. A 10% pot expense would yield $1.4 billion in California alone. A genuine maryjane financial improvement package!† (Klein, Joe, 2009; â€Å"US Policy on Drugs†, n.d.; Wolff, Madeline, 2009) 1. â€Å"Cannabis being utilized as a treatment returns to China in 28 BC. Head Shen-Nung endorsed cannabis for: beriberi, clogging, female shortcoming, gout, intestinal sickness, stiffness, and missing mindedness† (â€Å"Marijuana Uses - Marijuana as Medicine†, 2009) Saad, Lydia. â€Å"U.S. Backing for Legalizing Marijuana Reaches New High.† Gallup.com. 19 October 2009. 17 November 2009. Wolff, Madeline. â€Å"Legalizing cannabis can diminish wrongdoing, increment income for state.† sundial.csun.edu. 2009. 17 November 2009.

What is America Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is America - Assignment Example Truly, America invests heavily of being the world’s social blend whose general public is made out of workers from everywhere throughout the world who longed for better life. The social changes it experienced from the Civil War to Martin Luther King are a piece of America’s glad past that it battled to end oppression and segregation. America became what it is today a direct result of these conditions. It turned into the most extravagant nation on the planet and the most innovatively advance in light of the changing points of view its resident contributed. It is likewise off base to sum up that America is a social desolate as how Badurillard depicted America in his book. The fact of the matter is most remote from his perception on the grounds that a significant number of the most broad exhibition halls on the planet are found in America, for example, the Smithsonian Institute, MOMA scratch. I accept that Badurillard’s appraisal of America doesn't mirror the verifiable and social facts about the nation. Besides, it tends to be contended that the history and culture of America as a country presents its peopl with the chance to act and carry on in a way that Badurillard finds contemptible. Accordingly, I accept that the conditions and position that America winds up in is because of the amalgamation of recorded and social occasions that the nation has experienced since

The Tweet That Changed My Life

The Tweet That Changed My Life I never asked for this. I stumbled into minimalism serendipitously, haphazardly, not knowing what I was looking for. The year was 2009, early autumn. As the leaves resisted their change in color, my dying mother resisted the division of cancer cells in her body. But they metastasized beyond her lungs to other vital organs and, eventually, her brain. A month after she passed, my marriage ended abruptly, and I didnt know which way was up anymore. All I knew was that I wasnt happy. I had worked unimaginably hard for more than a decade, chasing happiness around every bendâ€"but the faster I ran, the further away it was. As my twenties twilighted, I went searching for answers, looking for anything to help me figure it all out. At that point, any answer wouldve sufficed. Then in November 2009, a single tweet changed my life: someone I followed on Twitter, which I hadnt used much up to that point, shared a link to a video from a young Midwesterner named Colin Wright. Dont ask me why, but for some reason I felt compelled to click the link. Colin had an interesting story. He, too, had been unhappy with the status quo, tired of slaving 70-plus hours a week as a faceless cog in the wheel. But, unlike me, Colin had taken action to rid himself of his discontent: hed walked away from his career and decided he could work for himself. He decided he could pursue his passionsâ€"traveling the worldâ€"while making less money. He said this transition was easy for him, because he was a minimalist.  I didnt have a clue what minimalism was, and I certainly didnt have the desire to leave Ohio and travel around the world as a peripatetic writer, but when I heard him talk about his newfound freedomâ€"how minimalism allowed him to focus on the most important things in his lifeâ€"I immediately said, Im in.  I spent the next eight months simplifying my life, shedding the vast majority of my material possessions, though it wasnt always easy. As the saying goes, the things we own end up owning us. Over time, we become our things, our possessions become a part of usâ€"part of our identity. But I didnt let that stop me: I knew a more meaningful life was out there, so I kept simplifying, questioning my stuff, forcing myself to give less meaning to my things and more meaning to my health, my relationships, and the most important areas of my life. By the time the summer of 2010 arrived, Id drastically simplified the way I live. I was still working 70 hours a week, but I had more time to focus on my passion:  writing literary fiction. Since I was 22, Id wanted to write fiction. For me, literature did something magical that no other art form could do: it allowed an exchange of consciousness between the author and his characters and the reader. I was spellbound by this exchange: it created an emotional resonance that made me want to participate, to create, to write. So at 22, I started tinkering around with fiction, writing whenever I could, whenever a free moment presented itself, cobbling together stories of lives far more interesting than the banality of my own corporate-driven existence. In June 2010, a year before I turned 30, I decided to take a week off work and stay with a friend in Brooklyn, a week in which I planned to sort through things and determine the right direction for my life. A day before I left Ohio, I saw another tweet from Colin. He was back in the states for two months, and he wanted to know if anyone had a smartphone he could use. I did. He asked me to mail it to New York City, where he would be for the next week. Hey, I thought, Ill be in New York, too. Lets do lunch. It just so happened that Colin was starting an indie publishing company (an early iteration of Asymmetrical Press), and I wanted some advice about publishing my fiction. Id been writing for seven years, and Id become quite good at it, but all I had to show for it was a two-inch-thick stack of rejection letters from scads of literary agents. In New York, Colin and I had lunch. He liked my writing, and so he offered me an idea: he said I should start a blog and see what happens. I dismissed this idea at firstâ€"I was completely ignorant to the whole nonfiction genre. So I sat on the idea, not paying it much mindâ€"at first. Then in October 2010, a year after my mother died, my best friend, Ryan, began noticing a marked difference in my attitude. For the first time in a long time, I was happy. Life wasnt perfect, and I still wanted to change a shedload, but I was happy and it showed. I shared with him what Id done over the last year to simplify my life, showing him Colins blog, as well as some interesting insights from Leo Babauta, Joshua Becker, Courtney Carver, et al. Just as I had a year earlier, Ryan unearthed the freedom that minimalism brought to his life. Together, we were able to sculpt an interesting story from our newfound, purpose-driven lives. He understood I was passionate about writing, and I knew he was passionate about helping people change, so we decided to document our journey into minimalism online, adding value to other peoples lives. The rest is history, as it were, although that history is the most exciting part. Clueless and fumble-prone, we launched this website, The Minimalists, on December 14, 2010. Over the next year, something astonishing occurred: people actually found value in our words, so they shared our essays with their friends and loved ones. Our site grew, and, thanks to some incredibly kind people, we were featured all over the web. We left our six-figure corporate jobs and published four books, including my first fiction book, all four of which received phenomenal praise and ended up becoming bestsellers. And now, even though  I dont have a college degree, Im teaching an online writing class to help people who want to learn from my years of writing experience. Most important, Ryan and I have been able to contribute beyond ourselves: minimalism has allowed us to shed the excess so we can live intentionally and contribute to others in a meaningful way. And that is the most fulfilling part of this entire journey. All this, the result of a single tweet. You never know what small decision will lead to great change. I cant imagine what my life would be like if I hadnt leapt down the rabbit hole that day. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.

Hard Cover vs. Hard Drive Essay - 1227 Words

Hard Cover vs. Hard Drive Will Electronic Publications Ever Replace the Book? At one time our world was strictly an oral culture. We recited stories, kept records stored in our memories. When writing was invented did we suddenly stop speaking to one another or remembering facts? Of course not. At any given moment we can recall, from memory, names, dates, and places that we have committed to memory. When the printing press was invented, did we stop writing by hand? Again, no. So, why would we stop reading a book just because we have access to the World Wide Web? All previous information technologies of language, rhetoric, writing and printing are technological in themselves (Landow 218). These technologies—writing, speaking,†¦show more content†¦For these books the Internet makes life much easier. If, however, what you want is a story: an engaging novel with plot twists, vivid characters, and a story you can relate to, you may be reluctant to jump on your computer—I understand. Stories such as these are meant to be read while curled u p on a chair sitting next to a roaring fireplace, but who has the time for that anymore? The Internet novel could very well become the book on the go. Therefore, anywhere that you have Internet access, which is growing by the minute, you have your book their waiting for you. Electronic publications have not only increased access to text, they have even created new ways to view and interpret literature, not to mention new ways to write it (Landow 223). Some would argue that electronic publications leave little room for the ‘true author’—the Hemingway’s and Thoreau’s that write in secluded cabins, scratching novels on loose paper—but I disagree. Internet authors, while more common that those published in book form, may be in fact be held to a higher standard. The true author is not leaving the picture, as some fear, but is now expected to continuously paint it. Authors are evolving into constant suppliers of new content; they are reporters and advisors as much as they are writers (Pang 349). The downside to amateur web publications is that the works may not be as well edited as those found in book form, but more often than not theShow MoreRelatedBuilding a Gaming Computer1125 Words   |  5 Pages Building a gaming computer may be an intimidating endeavour, but in all actuality with a little hard work anyone can be a whiz at putting together a gaming computer. Why build a custom gaming PC? Well it’ll save money, and give the builder a great experience. It’s always fun to learn how different things work. The price of a top of the line retail gaming computer runs from two thousand on up to five thousand dollars and beyond, a monitor alone could cost one thousand dollars. The two types of gamingRead MoreAnalysis of four types of conflict in John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath, man versus man, man versus nature, man versus society, and man versus himself.1463 Words   |  6 Pagesof conflicts: man vs. himself, man vs. society, man vs. nature, and man vs. man. In the case of The Grapes of Wrath, man represents the Joad family as a single unit. They experience conflict within the family itself, with the society they are coming from as well as the one they are going to , and with nature and the elements. The man vs. man conflict is usually just a more specific example of one of the other areas of conflict. The most prevalent conflict in the novel is man vs. society. The firstRead MoreThe Human Growth Associated With Each Lifecycle Group1331 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstand the human growth associated with each lifecycle group. There are eight age groups with each has its own stage of development and related tasks. 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As the group exchanged ideas I felt inspired to develop my qualities philosophies into something you could implement to improve your quality program today! This might sound familiar – a 100+ point quality form that covers everything from how to answer the phone to the number of times you should use the customer’s name. Line by line the agent is told all the ways they could improve with a final â€Å"pass/fail† score. As Ladona Stork discusses in her article, Why YouRead MoreCarrot or the Stick or Neither?894 Words   |  4 Pagesway? It is a hard question to answer without being in the situation, but after thinking about it and researching historical methods I think I know. I would not fight for patriotism or glory I would fight for the guy next to me and for my own life. More towards fighting for the men around me. The best way to motivate men has always been important throughout all of warfare. So many ways have been devised over the years to motivate troops. In the article Why do Soldiers Fight covers nearly all ofRead MoreEvaluation and Marketing Recommendations for in-N-Out1690 Words   |  7 Pageschicken, fish, or salads. It’s famous for the drive through service. The restaurant menu is quite simple which is easy for people to make the consume decision. And they have the secret menu as â€Å"Animal Style† to satisfy customers’ wants and needs. The food is more fresh than McDonald’s because they cook the burgers after order, however, it extends customers waiting time. Their customer ages are mainly over 14 years old. McDonald’s customer ages can cover all the range due to the happy meal and playgroundRead MoreThemes Of Death Of A Salesman1286 Words   |  6 Pagesopportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. According to Willy Loman, the American dream is correlated to someoneâ€℠¢s likeability, as opposed to someone’s work ethic. The term â€Å"American dream† has become a phrase that is now attached to the play such that readers interpret it as Miller’s only impactful theme. In fact, by saying that the play is solely explained by the American dream, we create a blanket that covers up all of the other, more concrete and narrowlyRead MoreObjective of Sales Management1146 Words   |  5 Pagesand failure of the entire enterprise. Ultimately top management is accountable for supplying an ever increasing volume of socially responsible products that final buyers want at satisfactory prices. Generally, objectives of sales-management have to cover various sales-functions, in an integrated manner. These objectives are to be expressed, as far as possible, in measurable and quantitative terms, and should also be realistic and achievable. Since, there is more than one objective; these should be

Essay on Religious Tradition of Nirvana in Hinduism and...

The word nirvana is heard pretty often. For example, people might say theyve achieved nirvana when theyre really happy or they might talk about going to nirvana as an eternal reward after death. Then, of course, there’s the rock band who adopted the term Nirvana with a certain amount of irony. Furthermore, the word is fully imbedded in the modern vocabulary. But in reality, to most people in ¬ the Western world, religious nirvana is a total mystery. Both known religious traditions Hinduism and Buddhism focus on liberation from the endless cycle of rebirth and death and the suffering that comes with that cycle – known as samsara. However, there are important distinctions in how the two traditions view this liberation. Many associate†¦show more content†¦On the surface, the Noble Eightfold Path ideals are incredibly vague and theyre open to almost any interpretation. Buddhist sects view them differently, but generally follow the path by approaching the world wi th patience and joy, compassion, and contemplating the universe through meditation. The fundamental goals are to foster meditation (dhyana), morality (shila), and wisdom (prajna). The Buddha traveled all over India and attracted many disciples. After Buddha’s death, 500 of his closest disciples formed a council and created a canon of Buddha’s words. It is believed that the physical appearance of a being has a direct connection to a person’s spiritual attainments. Nirvana is believed to be the final ending of suffering and is a state beyond the cycle of birth and death. Buddhism’s liberation from samsara is known as nirvana which literally means blowing out or extinction, like quenching a flame. In Buddhist teaching, humans are bound to samsara through the flames of anger, ignorance and desire. So when one attains nirvana, one quenches anger (which focuses on the past), ignorance (which focuses on the present) and desire (which focuses on the future). In Buddhism, humans escape life and death by quenching all the anger, ignorance and desire while the physical body may still be alive. This is why Buddhists speak of rebirth rather than reincarnation. Nirvana is

Deception Point Page 23 Free Essays

It appeared the astrobiologists had been right, Tolland thought. ET is a bug. Rachel’s legs felt weak beneath her. We will write a custom essay sample on Deception Point Page 23 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"I can’t†¦ believe it,† she said, turning the fossil in her hands. â€Å"I never thought†¦ â€Å" â€Å"Give it some time to sink in,† Tolland said, grinning. â€Å"Took me twenty-four hours to get my feet back under me.† â€Å"I see we have a newcomer,† said an uncharacteristically tall Asian man, walking over to join them. Corky and Tolland seemed to deflate instantly with the man’s arrival. Apparently the moment of magic had been shattered. â€Å"Dr. Wailee Ming,† the man said, introducing himself. â€Å"Chairman of paleontology at UCLA.† The man carried himself with the pompous rigidity of renaissance aristocracy, continuously stroking the out-of-place bow tie that he wore beneath his knee-length camel-hair coat. Wailee Ming was apparently not one to let a remote setting come in the way of his prim appearance. â€Å"I’m Rachel Sexton.† Her hand was still trembling as she shook Ming’s smooth palm. Ming was obviously another of the President’s civilian recruits. â€Å"It would be my pleasure, Ms. Sexton,† the paleontologist said, â€Å"to tell you anything you want to know about these fossils.† â€Å"And plenty you don’t want to know,† Corky grumbled. Ming fingered his bow tie. â€Å"My paleontologic specialty is extinct Arthropoda and Mygalomorphae. Obviously the most impressive characteristic of this organism is-â€Å" â€Å"-is that it’s from another friggin’ planet!† Corky interjected. Ming scowled and cleared his throat. â€Å"The most impressive characteristic of this organism is that it fits perfectly into our Darwinian system of terrestrial taxonomy and classification.† Rachel glanced up. They can classify this thing? â€Å"You mean kingdom, phylum, species, that sort of thing?† â€Å"Exactly,† Ming said. â€Å"This species, if found on earth, would be classified as the order Isopoda and would fall into a class with about two thousand species of lice.† â€Å"Lice?† she said. â€Å"But it’s huge.† â€Å"Taxonomy is not size specific. House cats and tigers are related. Classification is about physiology. This species is clearly a louse: It has a flattened body, seven pairs of legs, and a reproductive pouch identical in structure to wood lice, pill bugs, beach hoppers, sow bugs, and gribbles. The other fossils clearly reveal more specialized-â€Å" â€Å"Other fossils?† Ming glanced at Corky and Tolland. â€Å"She doesn’t know?† Tolland shook his head. Ming’s face brightened instantly. â€Å"Ms. Sexton, you haven’t heard the good part yet.† â€Å"There are more fossils,† Corky interjected, clearly trying to steal Ming’s thunder. â€Å"Lots more.† Corky scurried over to a large manila envelope and retrieved a folded sheet of oversized paper. He spread it out on the desk in front of Rachel. â€Å"After we drilled some cores, we dropped an x-ray camera down. This is a graphic rendering of the cross section.† Rachel looked at the x-ray printout on the table, and immediately had to sit down. The three-dimensional cross section of the meteorite was packed with dozens of these bugs. â€Å"Paleolithic records,† Ming said, â€Å"are usually found in heavy concentrations. Often times, mud slides trap organisms en masse, covering nests or entire communities.† Corky grinned. â€Å"We think the collection in the meteorite represents a nest.† He pointed to one of the bugs on the printout. â€Å"And there’s mommy.† Rachel looked at the specimen in question, and her jaw dropped. The bug looked to be about two feet long. â€Å"Big-ass louse, eh?† Corky said. Rachel nodded, dumbstruck, as she pictured lice the size of bread loaves wandering around on some distant planet. â€Å"On earth,† Ming said, â€Å"our bugs stay relatively small because gravity keeps them in check. They can’t grow larger than their exoskeletons can support. However, on a planet with diminished gravity, insects could evolve to much greater dimensions.† â€Å"Imagine swatting mosquitoes the size of condors,† Corky joked, taking the core sample from Rachel and slipping it into his pocket. Ming scowled. â€Å"You had better not be stealing that!† â€Å"Relax,† Corky said. â€Å"We’ve got eight tons more where this came from.† Rachel’s analytical mind churned through the data before her. â€Å"But how can life from space be so similar to life on earth? I mean, you’re saying this bug fits in our Darwinian classification?† â€Å"Perfectly,† Corky said. â€Å"And believe it or not, a lot of astronomers have predicted that extraterrestrial life would be very similar to life on earth.† â€Å"But why?† she demanded. â€Å"This species came from an entirely different environment.† â€Å"Panspermia.† Corky smiled broadly. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"Panspermia is the theory that life was seeded here from another planet.† Rachel stood up. â€Å"You’re losing me.† Corky turned to Tolland. â€Å"Mike, you’re the primordial seas guy.† Tolland looked happy to take over. â€Å"Earth was once a lifeless planet, Rachel. Then suddenly, as if overnight, life exploded. Many biologists think the explosion of life was the magical result of an ideal mixture of elements in the primordial seas. But we’ve never been able to reproduce that in a lab, so religious scholars have seized that failure as proof of God, meaning life could not exist unless God touched the primordial seas and infused them with life.† â€Å"But we astronomers,† Corky declared, â€Å"came up with another explanation for the overnight explosion of life on earth.† â€Å"Panspermia,† Rachel said, now understanding what they were talking about. She had heard the panspermia theory before but didn’t know its name. â€Å"The theory that a meteorite splashed into the primordial soup, bringing the first seeds of microbial life to earth.† â€Å"Bingo,† Corky said. â€Å"Where they percolated and sprang to life.† â€Å"And if that’s true,† Rachel said, â€Å"then the underlying ancestry of earth’s life-forms and extraterrestrial life-forms would be identical.† â€Å"Double bingo.† Panspermia, Rachel thought, still barely able to grasp the implications. â€Å"So, not only does this fossil confirm that life exists elsewhere in the universe, but it practically proves panspermia†¦ that life on earth was seeded from elsewhere in the universe.† â€Å"Triple bingo.† Corky flashed her an enthusiastic nod. â€Å"Technically, we may all be extraterrestrials.† He put his fingers over his head like two antennas, crossed his eyes, and wagged his tongue like some kind of insect. Tolland looked at Rachel with a pathetic grin. â€Å"And this guy’s the pinnacle of our evolution.† 25 Rachel Sexton felt a dreamlike mist swirling around her as she walked across the habisphere, flanked by Michael Tolland. Corky and Ming followed close behind. â€Å"You okay?† Tolland asked, watching her. Rachel glanced over, giving a weak smile. â€Å"Thanks. It’s just†¦ so much.† Her mind reeled back to the infamous 1996 NASA discovery-ALH84001-a Mars meteorite that NASA claimed contained fossil traces of bacterial life. Sadly, only weeks after NASA’s triumphant press conference, several civilian scientists stepped forward with proof that the rock’s â€Å"signs of life† were really nothing more than kerogen produced by terrestrial contamination. NASA’s credibility had taken a huge hit over that gaffe. The New York Times took the opportunity to sarcastically redefine the agency’s acronym: NASA-NOT ALWAYS SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE. How to cite Deception Point Page 23, Essay examples

What were the obstacles to the Unification of Germany by the beginning of 1848 Essay Example

What were the obstacles to the  Unification of Germany by the beginning of 1848 Essay Germany in 1848 was an almost unrecognisable place compared with Germany of today and even by the Germany of 1890, the main reason for this is not geographical, because its borders are not that different from 1848, or economically but political, Germany was not a Federal Republic but a group of 39 separate autocratic states ruled by Princes, Kings and even other countries unwilling to lose power and so unification was not even considered as an option at this time.It was not just rulers of the states that opposed German unification, there were a great many other obstacles, which I will discuss, therefore the forces against Unification greatly outweighed the forces of nationalism driving it. So you cannot simply describe Germany as a nation but more of a group of countries grouped by language and geography.Also the political sway of Austria and Prussia prevented even the publication of statements calling for unification, many modern historians consider the Vormà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rz period as a time when nationalism and liberalism in Germany were suppressed by the German rulers, most notably Austria. With the suppression of Nationalism and Liberalism, the cause for a united Germany could never be expressed publicly and gain support, exactly as people like Prince Metternich wanted.Germany in the period prior to Vormà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rz had been decimated by the forces of post revolutionary France, only a coalition of Britain, Prussia and Russia could defeat arguably one of the greatest historical figures of all time. Due to this life in Germany changed dramatically, the people of southern Germany for example were united under the Confederation of the Rhine, the French legal and social system were completely different to the feudal laws imposed by previous overloads also Austria and Prussia lost power when Napoleon was Emperor of France, they did not want to lose that power again so they repressed calls for unification by people who had been ruled by France and saw the power of a united state.I have outlined some points to consider but there are a many more to understand what were the obstacles to German unification at the beginning of 1848.One of the main obstacles towards German unification by the beginning of 1848 was Prince Clemens von Metternich, Metternich was a Rhinelander who came from a noble family but he devoted his services to the Austrian crown and excelled at what he did with no hint of modesty. He believed he could secure the control of Austria over the Confederacy and maintain the Status Quo. He made every step to crush nationalism he said to Tsar Alexander I of Russia, It is true that I do not like democracies. Democracy is in every case a principle of dissolution, of decomposition. This demonstrates that the foreign minister of Austria, one of the most powerful positions in central Europe, condones democracy and therefore one of the fundamental drives for unification, if a unified Germany could not elect its own rulers it would be no bett er than being controlled by France like in the early 19th century, therefore Metternich because of his opinion of democracy and his position was one of the major obstacles to German Unification, this also shows that Metternich was strictly against liberalism which gave people more rights, a proposal that would directly threaten Austrias position, if people had the choice they would obviously choose to elect representatives to govern because many states had tyrannical autocrats as leaders who had treated them badly, again as liberalism is a fundamental part of unification it could not be expressed while Metternich was in power.Also Metternich knew if there was going to be a revolt for a unified Germany it would come from the educated middle classes e.g. students, lawyers, teachers like it did in France in the 1780s. In order to stop the cause of unification developing he exaggerated the importance of students and the murder of Kotzebue this enabled him to take action against National ism, this actions consisted of the Carlsbad Degrees which enforced strict censor rules on the press and prevented groups of students from forming political societies as well as this he arrested Nationalist leaders. This again shows that he was an obstacle to unification at the beginning of 1848 after what he had ratified in the Carlsbad decrees.Also Metternich distrusted the German Confederation making any constitutional changes because it could threaten the status quo Metternich so wholeheartedly believed in. Each state in the German Confederation were not represented in person by the monarch but by ambassadors who were essentially educated middle class men. Metternich knew that any constitutional changes could give the Confederation more power therefore essentially creating a united German Assembly and therefore taking power from the Autocratic state governments, which Austria was one. Through the Assembly prominent middle class people would gain power, again similar to revolution ary France, and the status quo would be dissolving fast. To combat this Metternich publicly condoned constitutional reform of any sort. This meant that the Confederacy could not enact these constitutional chances because its president, Austria was against them. Without a single German government Unification was not viable and by stopping this Metternich was again putting another obstacle in the way of Unification at this time.Metternichs actions could be interpreted as the thoughts of the Habsburg Empire because Metternich was appointed by the Habsburg monarchy and if his views had been different from the king than he wouldnt have been foreign minister for as long as he was. This shows that if the largest and most powerful country in the Confederation did not want unification than it would use its influence to prevent it which it did through Metternich because what Metternich did was not to promote his own self interests but to secure the power of the Habsburg dynasty.Metternich was clearly one of the biggest obstacles preventing unification at the beginning of 1848 because of the policies he had enacted and the influence he had due to his position. It could be said that as long as Metternich was foreign minister than unification would be nearly impossible because Metternich would block any movement towards it, this shows how intelligent Metternich was and how unswerving the desire of the Habsburgs was to maintain power.Another obstacle to the unification of Germany at the beginning of 1848 was the concept of Particularism. Most people who lived in the area we know as Germany today held more loyalty to their individual states rather than the concept of a greater Germany. For example the people of the Rhineland- Westphalia, held a strong sense of identity towards the region they inhabited and they were proud to be called Rhinelanders. There was no such nationality as German, you could be a Rhinelander or a Prussian but never a German.Also the culture and histor y of each state varied although ethically they were all Germanic and spoke German there were differences some considerable e.g. Religion, most of south and west Germany were Catholic and the North was mainly Protestant. Also some areas were richer than others, the Rhineland and Saarland regions were quite rich because of natural resources and others were poorer because they did have not have as many resources.Finally, Liberalism varied from state to state some states such as Wà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rttemberg and Baden gave their peoples constitutions and even a limited parliament but Austria and Prussia refused to even consider a constitution let alone a parliament.Germany could be divided by the lines of the river Maine, West-East, and Elbe, North-South, these were rough dividing lines between each region. You could clearly see the regional differences in 1848, they are still visible today but not as clearly. Also, Germany is the 2nd largest country in Europe so it would have been difficult t o traverse in 1848 so for example an average man from Danzig, Prussia, would not easily be able to see Aachen in the Rhineland, this emphasized the social and cultural differences because when a person from another reason visited they would have seemed foreign to most of the populous.It was not just the Princes and Kings of these 39 states that wished to preserve their independence, it was almost everybody in that state. Remember that independence doesnt have to just mean political independence; many people in these states would wish to preserve their cultural and social independence from chance. Even if the ruler of the state was a tyrant the population would still maintain loyalty to him because it was expected and traditional, it was rare that a ruler of German state would have to make concessions to the people at this time.The majority of German speaking people were uneducated peasants who cared about their village, their crop and their overload and not really considering the in ternal politics of the German Confederation, it would be naive to conclude that peasants did not understand the political climate of the time, but they would care to preserve their village, family and cultural identity. On a grand scale the majority of Germans wished to preserve the status quo at this time, this benefited Austria and Prussia because their power was not threatened as long as the status quo was preserved.Particularism was an obstacle to German unification because if Germany was unified many regional identities would be replaced with a national identity, this is not what the majority of people wanted because many peasants were bound by traditional and not educated in the benefits of a unified society. Furthermore, Germany was only critically linked by the German language, and only similar in terms of culture and social policies, so it would be difficult to unite a nation based on a single common bond.Up until the Congress of Vienna in 1815 there were over 300 German st ates each with their own princes or rulers, autocrats, now in the Vormà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rz period (1815-48) there were now 39. The number of autocrats were getting smaller and with revolutions in France and other places, autocracy was becoming more difficult to maintain. The rulers of the 39 states were reluctant to lose any power what so ever, the quote the only threat to those in power, is losing it this epitomised these princes position in 1848. They had seen increased liberal and national movements and it worried them because these forces had already overthrown a powerful monarchy, France, and now it threatened them. There are many examples to prove this assumption. Firstly, the Habsburgs rule a large area of Europe almost completely autocratically and they did not want to lose any power to the middle classes, Metternichs actions demonstrated this because he represented the Austrian crown, also Austria was one of the Great Powers of the 19th century, they were one of the signatories of the Congress of Troppau, which aimed to depose governments which had usurped a monarch. This demonstrates that the Austrian monarch was determined to preserve autocracy in not just Austria but in Europe.The Hohenzollens, rulers of Prussia, worked with Austria in peaceful dualism and they had the same approach to Nationalism as Austria. The Hohenzollens had built up a powerful power base, economically and militarily, Prussia controlled the Rhineland and Silesia and next to Britain and France had one of the finest and disciplined military force in Europe because they copied the French military system and then Von Blucher and Wellington defeated Napoleon once and for all at Waterloo (1815). Through this, Prussia was now almost equal with Austria in terms of influence and power, the Hohenzollens had ruled Prussia through its rise and they would not want to be overthrown by a revolutionary government after their achievements, so like Austria they signed the Congress of Troppau also un like Austria they relaxed their feudal system a bit in order to beat Napoleon but the side effect of this was to give peasants more freedom which made them more loyal to the Hohenzollens.Princes and Rulers were an obstacle to unification in 1848 because they were reluctant to lose power, they had lost it when Napoleon conquered them but they regained it and they did not want to lose it again. This made unification extremely difficult because in order to unify Germany 38 rulers out of 39 would lose the majority of their power because they would have to yield to one king instead of answering to no-one. This was not a concept any of the rulers wanted because who would rule Germany? if it was Prussia, then Austria would not be pleased, if it was Austria, then Prussia would not be happy and if it were neither both would be unhappy, this is a clear reason why Germany could not unite in 1848 because no ruler was willing to lose power.I have mentioned the Carlsbad Decree and the Congress of Troppau in contexts of how they were used but by just existing they were obstacles to German Unification in 1848. The Carlsbad Decrees were signed by many German state under pressure from Austria, these decrees were an obstacle because no media could support unification and without the press the cause would not grow also students are known for being politically active and in history it is seen many times this group dictating internal politics, France 1780s and the failed counter-revolution of the 1830s, what the Carlsbad decrees did was to stop these political groups from meeting and forming there own movements, which would eventually call for unification of Germany. Also these decrees imprisoned key leaders of the unification movement, this stopped more people being convinced that unification was a good idea because if the leaders were imprisoned they could not spread their ideas.The Congress of Troppau stopped unification more critically because any group that threatened a kings authority would be under threat from Austria, Prussia and Russia. Ultimately for Germany to unify it would need to take power from kings and princes and therefore would risk attack to restore a monarchs power. So just existing the Congress of Troppau stopped nationalism dramatically because it threatened to overthrow any group that gained power over a monarchy. This made a Germanic monarchs power almost untouchable and made a nationalist revolt pointless because if it succeeded in overthrowing a king it would be crushed and the king restored.The Diet and the Confederation (Bund) were created to link the German states into a loose alliance but thy also were an obstacle to German Unification at the beginning of 1848.The main reason I believe this is firstly because the Bund was set up as a military alliance and no where in its creation did it aim to unify German. It was meant to keep the individual German states secure against foreign invaders, mainly France, also the Bund was headed by Austria and because of this Austria would make the Bund oppose to unification because of her influence. It would be easily to say that because every state was part of the Bund, Germany was partially united, this is simply not true because the Bund made Austria the guardian of the German states and it was not an assembly to govern Germany. The Diet was an obstacle to unification in 1848 because its name diet refers to a council of nobles in Frankish this had not changed in 19th century Germany, the Diet was indeed a council of nobles all unwilling to lose power so would oppose any move for a unified Germany.The Confederation the successor of the Holy Roman Empire, Voltaire once described the Holy Roman Empire as, it was neither Holy, Roman or an Empire. This is partly true its actions and policies did not directly help the church and religion in the Empire was divided between Catholicism and Protestantism, in no way was the Holy Roman Empire Roman because Rome had never been part of it or any of its Emperors Roman and it wasnt an Empire because it did not directly control any of the states in it, but besides this it did benefit the Habsburgs who gained massive influence because of it, the Habsburgs were always elected Emperors so the Holy Roman Empire secured Austrias position as the head of the German States, the Confederation was the Holy Roman Empire in all but name, Austria still headed it under a presidency and all German states were part of it. It was an obstacle because it reminded the German States that Austria was the leader of the states and it was still powerful, with Austria oppose to unification every other power in the Confederation would follow Austrias lead, not just because they disagreed with unification but because they would be foolish to come into conflict with the Habsburgs, so while Austria was oppose to unification was impossible.Another obstacle to German Unification in the beginning of 1848 was the power of Austria and Prussia, I ha ve already said why they were so powerful, these two states worked in a state of peaceful dualism but there cannot be dualism in a united Germany because then it wouldnt be united so for Germany to unite one or both would have to yield. This was not likely because Austria believed she had the God given right to dominate the German States and Prussia had become almost as powerful as Austria so it would refuse to yield to a equal power due to these attitudes Germany would never unify unless something changed, the Seven Weeks War is the changing force, but in 1848 there was no changing force, no driving force for either to unite no common enemy except unification, no similarities except language. In my opinion this is the main reason why unification did not occur in the Vormà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rz period, because if they had united then many other German States would follow their lead and join them, but because they were so powerful it was never going to happen.To conclude, the obstacles to Ger man unification at the beginning of 1848 were Metternichs thoughts, actions and views as one of the most powerful men inGermany he could have encouraged unification but he resisted it wholeheartedly therefore he was an obstacle. Also regional Particularism was another reason why German could not unite in 1848, most German were loyal to their individual states rather than the idea of a German nation also they were very proud of their regions and would not easily give up their identities and regional differences prevented unification because many regions were completely different from others. The ruling classes of Germany prevented unification because neither the aristocracy or the rulers were willing to lose power and hand it to another king they did not appoint. The Carlsbad Decrees and the Congress of Troppau were obstacles because they silenced nationalist an liberalist movements in public therefore preventing them to gain enough support for a German unification.The Confederation prevented German Unification because it secured Austrias position and did not promote unification, but the main obstacle to German unification was the rivalry between Austria and Prussia, neither would yield to the other and neither wished to unite because they could lose power. If you asked an ordinary German in 1848 he would say that he could not see a unified Germany in the near future because of the obstacles but unknown to him it was closer than he thought just 30 years off, so with all these obstacles what changed in 30 years?