The elements of a conflict of the Soviet-Afghan war Research Paper

The elements of a conflict of the Soviet-Afghan war - Research Paper Example All types of conflicts, be they political, economical, social or ethical, have stemmed because of the occurrence of the war itself. It would be imperative, therefore, to study the causes of the war so that the basis of the conflicts can be analyzed. The Soviet occupation of the Afghan territory had a myriad of reason, including political as well as economic factors. It started with the Soviet interest in the natural mineral deposits of Afghanistan, including the huge stores of natural gas that were discovered not long before the occupation (Assifi, 1982/83). There were also hopes of finding other minerals like coal, iron, and oil (Assifi, 1982/83). Afghanistan, although a land-locked country, holds a key position geopolitically due to its placement on the map (Assifi, 1982/83). The Soviets could make their way to the Indian Ocean, and into the neighboring territories, such as Pakistan, which many believe to be next on the Soviet’s war list (National Review, 1987). To make matt ers easier, the Soviets had, two years prior to the official occupation, installed a pro-communist regime in the Afghan government (Assifi, 1982/83). The major players of the war were of course the USSR and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (Assifi, 1982/83). USSR, a communist force rising in the world against the capitalist Western giants like the United States posed a serious threat to the Western world (National Review, 1987). ... ly made their way into their homeland owing to the cooperation of the pro-communist regime installed in the country a couple of years back (Assifi, 1982/83). The population itself was divided into different sects and groups, which made the freedom fight slightly ineffective (Lamothe, 2004). The major parties that influenced the war were the Jamiat-i-Islami, Hizb-i-Islami, Mujahideen, and the Taliban (Lamothe, 2004). Individuals such as Ahmad Shah Massoud (Lamothe, 2004) also played pivotal role in the Afghan resistance against the Soviet invasion. Apart from the key players of the war, several countries took part in the resistance against the invasion although not directly becoming a part of the war. Such states are said to play a supportive role in the conflict. Pakistan was one of major supporters of the freedom fighters (Chapman, 1982). It couldn’t help getting involved in the war, though, given its geographical closeness to the Afghan territory. Also, it was believed that it was the next target of the Soviets (National Review, 1987), who had apparently greater aims than just occupying Afghanistan. Therefore, Pakistan fought the invasion politically and with manpower. It provided a constant supply of trained soldiers, called Mujahideen, to the Afghan freedom fighters, most of whom were Pashtun and of Afghan nationality (Lamothe, 2004). These soldiers were trained in military and religious camps all along the border of the two countries, and a huge fraction of these camps were funded by the United States government (Chapman, 1982). Pakistan, suddenly, was very prominent on the world map due to its geopolitical role in the conflict (Assifi, 1982/83). It also provided health care facilities to the wounded soldiers, both on the battlefield and on its own land among

AMERICAN LITERATURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

AMERICAN LITERATURE - Essay Example For this, he makes 2 rhetorical parallels: one is between some of his listeners and the wicked Israelites, and the other is between them and the narrator. The first one clarifies the Biblical metaphor of a sliding foot, that is, a state of being constantly exposed to God’s anger and protected only by His â€Å"meer Pleasure† (Edwards and Smolinski 5). The second one is a widely used public speaking technique: the indirect speech from the part of those people whom a speaker wants to influence. Edwards describes the arguments of the unconverted people the following way: Almost every natural Man that hears of Hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own Security†¦ every one lays out Matters in his own Mind how he shall avoid Damnation, and flatters himself that he contrives well for himself, and that his Schemes won’t fail. (Edwards and Smolinski 9-10) This way, the speaker identifies with the unconverted listeners or even with all of his listeners, even the converted ones, who behave not piously enough. The identification is negative: those who â€Å"are out of Christ† (Edwards and Smolinski 12) are the protagonist of this narrative, and their function as a protagonist is not to be a positive example but rather to show how awful are the consequences of the absence of certain positive actions. This type of texts is widely used in Biblical narratives (Bratcher). As for the antagonist in the plot, there is a controversy that does not permit to state plainly that this is God. As Bratcher points out, God is always present in Biblical narratives as the central character. In this story, God is impersonated and shown in action: infuriated, He is holding sinners over the pit of flames. Still, this does not mean that God is seen as an equal part on the literary playground of Edwards’ text. He is an objective power beyond human rich, the power that has unquestioned influence on the world around a nd has a superior capability of self-control (as God in this sermon keeps from wreaking His wrath). This status of the figure of God is in line with Enlightenment deism: for the thinkers like Samuel Clarke, John Toland, Anthony Collins, and even John Locke, God’s power and will is prior to ethic systems; hence, this is Him who dictates the right behavior (Bristow). From this ethical perspective, the antagonist of unconverted human beings in â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God† is their own liability to â€Å"fall by themselves† (Edwards and Smolinski 4), their â€Å"Wickedness† (Edwards and Smolinski 7). This situation is close to inescapable, as human beings are seen as naturally inclined to wickedness. They have responsibilities, while God is not responsible for anything (Edwards and Smolinski 9). The only way to influence this terrible condition, that is, to become a part of agreement with God (thereby attaining at least some promises from Him) is to accept the existence of Christ as an embodiment of â€Å"the Promises of the Covenant of Grace† (Edwards and Smolinski 11). â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God† is also a refined argument; alongside the powerful metaphoric pattern, it has a list of reasons that have to prove that non-Christians really have no alternative. Two Enlightenment trends of the sermon have already been mentioned. One is its deism: for Edwards, conversion to Christianity is a natural act, the one that is justified by the world order. He frequently uses