Suchergebnisse

Following an overview of the history & structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) & its role in international geopolitics, NATO's success as a instrument of international peace is evaluated using a Kantian three-pronged conceptualization of peace: democratization, codependence established through economic interaction, & joint membership in international institutions. Reasons behind Hungary's fervent desire to become a part of this "extraterritorial institution of the world hegemony"& its acceptance into NATO in 1998 are chronicled & the issue of Hungarian sovereignty vs independence is considered, drawing on an archival analysis of Hungarian reactions to NATO membership & official NATO publications. The role of the Magyar militia & its key pro-NATO position is discussed. The notion of NATO as a "process" & Hungary as a "space of opportunism" is also explored. References. K. Hyatt Stewart

Although H. G. Adler wrote extensively on the Holocaust, his voice has been excluded from the discussion of the Holocaust following Adorno's pessimistic analysis. The reasons for this exclusion lie in Adler's aesthetics, ethics, & method, examined here based on his biography, his works, the Adorno-Adler correspondence, & the way in which scholars treat other voices in their books on the topic. Against Adorno's fallacy of negativism, Adler argued for the sovereignty of ethical values, human rights, & democracy. His poetry during his time in the concentration camps shifted to an inner perspective & a protest against inhumanity. His method in examining the Holocaust -- scholarly documentation, an objective style, intellectual analysis, & an ethical viewpoint -- was highly unfashionable in British & American sociology at the time. Adler's novels Eine Reise ([A Journey] 1962), Panorama (1968) & Die unsichtbare Wand ([The Invisible Wall] 1989), all representing Auschwitz but with complementary methods, are discussed. M. Pflum

Adopted in Apr 2004, UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (UNSCR 1540) obliges all member states to take steps to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), particularly by nonstate actors. The primary mechanism for ensuring the nonproliferation (& eventual elimination) of chemical weapons is the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), enacted in Apr 1997. The provisions of this convention are outlined & member states' obligations under it in accordance with UNSCR 1540 are reviewed. Potential impacts of the CWC on the global chemical industry are considered & provisions incorporated into the convention to counter some of its limitations in curtailing the nonlegitimate manufacture, distribution, & use of certain chemicals are analyzed. K. Hyatt Stewart

The paper provides an overview of the most important technical requirements for railway infrastructure as regulated by the standards proposed by the European Union. More precisely, the paper gives an insight into the following Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) requirements: track gauge, axle load, train length, electrification and speed. In addition, each parameter is illustrated by a practical case where appropriate.

Discusses the cultural & political significance of gangsta rap in contemporary Los Angeles, CA. Contrary to the image of black masculinity presented by actor Bill Cosby in the 1980s, gangsta rap has popularized a vastly different conception of black masculinity characterized by poverty, violence, & greed. Although originally a peripheral phenomenon, gangsta rap's thematic of defiant, lower-class, gang-related, black ultramasculinity has infiltrated mainstream popular culture. Although white culture has accepted, at least partially, the profitability & misogyny of gangsta rap imagery, it is suggested that the majority of listeners, both black & white, are not familiar with the personal experience & history underlying this culture. Drawing on the work of Jean Baudrillard, gangsta rap is cited as a form of hyperreality whereby the lines between fiction & reality are continually blurred & challenged. Despite an initial inclination toward political posturing, it is concluded that contemporary gangsta rap has abandoned political discourse, a trend that parallels the decline of political activism in mainstream culture. 19 References. T. Sevier

This chapter considers the impact of US foreign policy on North-East Asian security, with a special emphasis on analyzing the reactions of China & Japan to the Bush Doctrine, & the strategic relations between the three great powers in the region. The article also addresses the two most recent regional security issues, the North Korean nuclear crisis & Taiwan.

"This essay describes the situation of religion in Hong Kong. Particular attention is paid on its social role in the community. Starting in the 19th Century, Hong Kong transformed from a rural region dominated by traditional Chinese culture to a modernized, globalized and value pluralistic society. It also underwent a process of colonization and de-colonization. It is an interesting issue how various types of religion adapt to this rapidly changing social and political environment. The following section introduces the historical background of Hong Kong. Section III provides a brief sketch of the ethical situation of this society. It is intended to set the stage for the analysis of the situation of religion and its social role in the society in sections IV and V. The historic process of de-colonization in the 1980's and the 1990's has big impact on religion. Section VI discusses how various types of religion are affected by this political change and how they respond to it." (author's abstract)

China's transition to a culturally pluralistic market economy has spawned a burgeoning entrepreneurial class. However, this class & its culture are diverse & heterogeneous. This chapter focuses on their distinctive class & occupational characteristics, social & political values, & differences among entrepreneurs themselves. Three particular groups of entrepreneurs are studied closely -- the "self-made," the bureaucratic, & the technical subclasses -- to demonstrate their remarkable socioeconomic diversity despite many common occupational motives & goals. 9 Tables, 38 References. K. Coddon