Saturday, April 25, 2020
Women In Combat Essays - Aerial Refueling, Women In Combat
Women in Combat The idea of women in combat is not unusual anymore. They should be able to hold combat positions beacause although physical strength matters, the military still needs the intelligence that women can bring. Also, banning women from the combat hurts their military careers. Although women account for only ten percent of the enlisted personnel (Time, 8/21/95/ Pg. 31), they are still a major part in the armed forces. Their performance recently has generated support from Congress and the public for enhancing the role of females in the military. During the Persian Gulf War, women were sent to the Middle East to fly helicopters, service combat jets, refuel tankers, and load laser-guided bombs. Their performance has led the world to realize that women are extremely useful in combat. Defense secretary Dick Chaney said "Women have made a major contribution to this [war] effort. We could not have won without them." Leaders in the field agreed. The Gulf War had the largest deployment of women in the armed forces in history. These women encountered the same risks as the men they served with. Twenty one females lost their lives (Holm, Women in Combat: The New Reality, pg. 67-68). In the Persian Gulf, there were no exact positions and all areas were equally vulnerable, so the idea of safe havens for women was not really applicable. By many armed forces policies, females are banned from combat jobs and units, but in the Persian Gulf War females were assigned to battleships, aircraft carriers, and marine support groups dug into the desert. From their experience in the Persian Gulf, military women have earned the right to be treated as equals with men and not as protected individuals. In spite of their record as able combat personnel, there are laws and policies that restrict women in the United States Military from serving in positions that require them to engage in direct combat. Women in the Air Force and Navy are barred from aircraft and vessels that have a chance to be exposed to combat. The official, established policies of the Army and Marine Corps exclude women from combat (Snyder, pg. 75-76). These policies prohibit women, on the basis of gender only, from over twelve percent of the skill positions and thirty-nine percent of the total positions offered by the Department of Defense. Such policies excluding women from combat need to be repealed by Congress. The Fourteenth Amendment's "Equal Protection Clause" insures every citizen "the equal protection of the laws." Although the clause is not applicable to Federal government, the Supreme Court said the Due Process Clause in the Fifth Amendment prohibits the federal government from making unreasonable classifications. Therefore the set laws and policies that exclude women from combat not only violate the Fifth Amendment, but also deny women their fundamental right to engage and excel in their chosen occupation. There have been many court cases involving women in combat over the years, although there has never been a case directly challenging the constitutionality laws and regulations banning women from combat. In the case of Frontiero vs. Richardson, the court rejected the idea that "man is, or should be, woman's protector or defender," which in actuality, put women not on a pedestal, but in a cage. In Satty vs. Nashville Gas Co., the decision stated that gender does not determine who is able to perform capably as a soldier. In the case of Schlesinger vs. Ballard, it was realized by the Supreme Court that the combat exclusion hinders the abilities of women to gain the experience needed for promotion within the military. The combat exclusion puts women wishing to obtain qualification for high-level positions at a disadvantage, because leadership training is usually acquired in combat-type positions. Although many females are not eager to go into combat, there are women who can and want to do the job. In a time where technology takes over battle lines and brains might be more important than brawn, a reason to exclude women is non-existant. By: Megan Craven, Jennifer Kopper, Stacey Rohrer Sources: Time Magazine, Aug 21, 1991 p.31. Holm, Jeanne, Women in Combat: The New Reality, pg. 67-68. Snyder, Kathy L. "An Equal Right to Fight." Women In Combat Essays - Aerial Refueling, Women In Combat Women in Combat The idea of women in combat is not unusual anymore. They should be able to hold combat positions beacause although physical strength matters, the military still needs the intelligence that women can bring. Also, banning women from the combat hurts their military careers. Although women account for only ten percent of the enlisted personnel (Time, 8/21/95/ Pg. 31), they are still a major part in the armed forces. Their performance recently has generated support from Congress and the public for enhancing the role of females in the military. During the Persian Gulf War, women were sent to the Middle East to fly helicopters, service combat jets, refuel tankers, and load laser-guided bombs. Their performance has led the world to realize that women are extremely useful in combat. Defense secretary Dick Chaney said "Women have made a major contribution to this [war] effort. We could not have won without them." Leaders in the field agreed. The Gulf War had the largest deployment of women in the armed forces in history. These women encountered the same risks as the men they served with. Twenty one females lost their lives (Holm, Women in Combat: The New Reality, pg. 67-68). In the Persian Gulf, there were no exact positions and all areas were equally vulnerable, so the idea of safe havens for women was not really applicable. By many armed forces policies, females are banned from combat jobs and units, but in the Persian Gulf War females were assigned to battleships, aircraft carriers, and marine support groups dug into the desert. From their experience in the Persian Gulf, military women have earned the right to be treated as equals with men and not as protected individuals. In spite of their record as able combat personnel, there are laws and policies that restrict women in the United States Military from serving in positions that require them to engage in direct combat. Women in the Air Force and Navy are barred from aircraft and vessels that have a chance to be exposed to combat. The official, established policies of the Army and Marine Corps exclude women from combat (Snyder, pg. 75-76). These policies prohibit women, on the basis of gender only, from over twelve percent of the skill positions and thirty-nine percent of the total positions offered by the Department of Defense. Such policies excluding women from combat need to be repealed by Congress. The Fourteenth Amendment's "Equal Protection Clause" insures every citizen "the equal protection of the laws." Although the clause is not applicable to Federal government, the Supreme Court said the Due Process Clause in the Fifth Amendment prohibits the federal government from making unreasonable classifications. Therefore the set laws and policies that exclude women from combat not only violate the Fifth Amendment, but also deny women their fundamental right to engage and excel in their chosen occupation. There have been many court cases involving women in combat over the years, although there has never been a case directly challenging the constitutionality laws and regulations banning women from combat. In the case of Frontiero vs. Richardson, the court rejected the idea that "man is, or should be, woman's protector or defender," which in actuality, put women not on a pedestal, but in a cage. In Satty vs. Nashville Gas Co., the decision stated that gender does not determine who is able to perform capably as a soldier. In the case of Schlesinger vs. Ballard, it was realized by the Supreme Court that the combat exclusion hinders the abilities of women to gain the experience needed for promotion within the military. The combat exclusion puts women wishing to obtain qualification for high-level positions at a disadvantage, because leadership training is usually acquired in combat-type positions. Although many females are not eager to go into combat, there are women who can and want to do the job. In a time where technology takes over battle lines and brains might be more important than brawn, a reason to exclude women is non-existant. By: Megan Craven, Jennifer Kopper, Stacey Rohrer Sources: Time Magazine, Aug 21, 1991 p.31. Holm, Jeanne, Women in Combat: The New Reality, pg. 67-68. Snyder, Kathy L. "An Equal Right to Fight."
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Antigone Versus Socrates in the Crito essays
Antigone Versus Socrates in the Crito essays Sophocles play Antigone illustrates the conflict between obeying human and divine law. The play opens after Oedipus two sons Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other in a civil war for the throne of Thebes. Oedipus brother in law Creon then assumes the throne. He dictates that Eteocles shall receive a state funeral and honors, while Polyneices shall be left in the streets to rot away. Creon believes that Polyneices body shall be condemned to this because of his civil disobedience and treachery against the city. Polyneices sister, Antigone, upon hearing this exclaims that an improper burial for Polyneices would be an insult to the Gods. She vows that Polyneices body will be buried, and Creon declares that anyone who interferes with his body shall be punished. This is where the conflict begins. Thus the theme of this play becomes the priority of unwritten law. The question is whether duties to the gods are more essential then obedience of the state and law. Creon calls the rottin g of Polyneices body an obscenity because he believes that burial of the dead is a necessity of human law and not of a citizen. . There is no compromise between the two both believe in the absolute truth of their obedience. Antigone believes that the unwritten and natural law supercedes any form of human written law. Honor and a principled responsibility to gods and family are given equal weight in her self-defense. She says that she fears, not men's condemnation, but penalties from the gods if she does not act The painful evils that beset her life (the loss of mother, father, and brothers) make death a gain in her eyes By contrast, if she had left her mother's son unburied, she would have grieved She expects to win glory for her gesture to the gods. Antigone displays the characteristic trait of pride in the way she justifies and carries out her decisions. She is obstinate in h...
Sunday, March 1, 2020
Martin Van Buren Biography and Presidency
Martin Van Buren Biography and Presidency Martin Van Burens Childhood and Education: Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782 in Kinderhook, New York. He was of Dutch ancestry and grew up in relative poverty. He worked at his fathers tavern and attended a small local school. He was finished with with formal education by the age of 14. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1803. Family Ties: Van Buren was the son ofà Abraham, a farmer and tavern keeper, andà Maria Hoes Van Alen, a widow with three children. He had one half-sister and half-brother along with two sisters, Dirckie and Jannetje and two brothers, Lawrence and Abraham.à On February 21, 1807, Van Buren marriedà Hannah Hoes, a distant relative to his mother. She died in 1819 at 35, and he did not remarry. Together they had four children: Abraham, John, Martin, Jr., and Smith Thompson.à Martin Van Burens Career Before the Presidency: Van Buren became a lawyer in 1803. In 1812, he was elected a New York State Senator. He was then elected to the US Senate in 1821. He worked while Senator to support Andrew Jackson in the Election of 1828. He held the seat of New York Governor for only three months in 1829 before becoming Jacksons Secretary of State (1829-31). He was Jacksons Vice President during his second term (1833-37). Election of 1836: Van Buren was unanimously nominated to be President by the Democrats. Richard Johnson was his Vice Presidential nominee. He was not opposed by a single candidate. Instead, the newly created Whig Party came up with a strategy to throw the election into the House where they felt they could have a better chance of winning. They chose three candidates who they felt could do well in particular regions. Van Buren won 170 out of 294 electoral votes to win the presidency. Events and Accomplishments of Martin Van Burens Presidency: Van Burens administration began with a depression that lasted from 1837 until 1845 called the Panic of 1837. Over 900 banks eventually closed and many people went unemployed. To combat this, Van Buren fought for an Independent Treasury to help ensure the safe deposit of funds. Contributing to his failure to be elected to a second term, the public blamed Van Burenââ¬â¢s domestic policies for the 1837 depression, Newspapers hostile to his presidency referred to him as ââ¬Å"Martin Van Ruin.â⬠à Issues arose with British held Canada during Van Burens time in office. One such event was the so-called Aroostook War of 1839. This nonviolent conflict arose over thousands of miles where the Maine/Canadian border had no defined boundary. When a Maine authority tried to send Canadians out of the region, militias were called forward. Van Buren was able to make peace through General Winfield Scott before fighting began. Texas applied for statehood after gaining independence in 1836. If admitted, it would have become another slave state which was opposed by the Northern states. Van Buren, wishing to help fight against sectional slavery issues, agreed with the North. Also, he continued Jacksons policies concerning the Seminole Indians. In 1842, the Second Seminole War ended with the Seminoles being defeated. Post Presidential Period: Van Buren was defeated for reelection by William Henry Harrison in 1840. He tried again in 1844 and 1848 but lost both of those elections. He then decided to retire from public life in New York. However, he did serve as a presidential elector for bothà Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. He also endorsed Stephen Douglas over Abraham Lincoln. He died on July 2, 1862 of heart failure. Historical Significance: Van Buren can be considered an average president. While his time in office was not marked by many major events, the Panic of 1837 ultimately led to the creation of an independent Treasury. His stance helped avoid open conflict with Canada. Further, his decision to maintain sectional balance delayed admitting Texas to the Union until 1845.
Friday, February 14, 2020
Ch7 - reflectional journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Ch7 - reflectional journal - Essay Example The advantages of questioning in learning show that questions trigger divergent thinking, encourage reflection, build inward understanding, promote factual knowledge, and nurture convergent thinking. When questioning, teachers should consider the structure of questioning so that they can balance the appropriateness of the questions in the teaching and learning process. Teacher responses influence effective learning process and are vital because the teacher must consider the answers given by the learners in an encouraging way so that the learner can feel motivated. Additionally, the teacher should respond in an extensive way whereby he/she expands the studentââ¬â¢s answer for better understanding of the content being asked. Expansion of a studentââ¬â¢s response encourages and motivates the learner in the sense that the learner attains a sense of appreciation and within the right path to getting the right answer. Finally, the teacher should also probe when answering to leaners questions; this is whereby the teacher questions further the answers given by the learner. This method tests whether the learner has understood the concept being learned. In summation, the author points that teachers should adopt an appropriate way of questioning and answering during the teaching and learning process so that the objectives of the lesson are outstandingly met making the teaching effective. In summation, the author points that teachers should adopt an appropriate way of questioning and answering during the teaching and learning process so that the objectives of the lesson are outstandingly met making the teaching
Saturday, February 1, 2020
How has the internet and social media changed our society Essay
How has the internet and social media changed our society - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the internet and social media has played a great part in transforming peopleââ¬â¢s life and making it be much easier and worth living it. In about 20 years ago, very few people had ever heard of the name internet if there were any. In 1991, if a person was asked to say what a domain name is, they could have looked at the one asking in a blank face. All that has changed since the internet was discovered. People use the internet services each and every day in their activities, which include online banking and communicating with their friends. Social media was launched about nine years ago. Social media has also changed the way people live to a better way since people can share their problems with their friends and get comfort and encouragement. The Internet can be considered as one of the greatest inventions that have been witnessed in our generation. This has prompted some people to claim that the internet has ushered in an important new revolution which they claim that is as important as the industrial revolution. The Internet has altered the way people communicate with each other, how people shop and how they get their information. The internet influence has spread far beyond the online world confines which have affected many aspects of the lives we live. One of the main ways the internet has transformed our lives is by giving us an access to any information that we need. It has helped in opening up a world of possibilities where information can be shared. Before internet was invented, students had a lot of difficulties doing their research since they had to do it in the library. That is not the case in the internet era since the information that the students want is right at their fingertips. There are search engines in the interne that have ready information that the students and other researchers look for. These search engines includes Google and Yahoo search engines (Golden 2010). The Google website is on e of the most successful sites which tend to be the most visited site and the leader in a market that is very competitive. Google has a big coverage and a high speed of results that makes it easier for the researchers. Internet has made the world to be seen as a global village. Internet has helped in eliminating communication barrier that is caused by geographical distance (Golden 2010). Through the social media sites, one can have friends from all over the world, from as far from Zimbabwe to China. Internet has also helped in growing of businesses. This is by having devices like the dedicated serves which allows the offices to remain connected every time. It has also made shopping easier which can nowadays been done online (Lyn Gorman and David McLean,2009). This has made the whole world to look like a normal shopping mall, where someone can buy dresses from Paris and designer shoes from London. Internet has also made banking easier, where one can bank online and manage their finances without having to go to the banking hall each and every time they need the banking services. In early days, searching for jobs was a difficult task where one could only find jobs from the local newspaper and the recruitment agencies (Dijck 2013). . This has however changed thanks to internet as one can now search for jobs online. Talking of jobs, internet has helped many people by giving them an opportunity to work on the comfort of their homes. This is through the online jobs where one can earn with their pajamas on. This is an easier way to work, where one becomes his or her own boss, meaning that they do not experience the wrath of the bosses as other workers do. However, the greatest gift that is brought by the revolution that internet has experienced is education, where a person can learn everywhere by having online classes (Golde
Friday, January 24, 2020
Analysis of an Advertisement Essay -- Business Marketing Analysis Medi
Analysis of an Advertisement à à à à à We live in a fast paced society that is ruled by mass media. Every day we are bombarded by images of, perfect bodies, beautiful hair, flawless skin, and ageless faces that flash at us like a slide show. These ideas and images are embedded in our minds throughout our lives. Advertisements select audience openly and subliminally, and target them with their product. They allude to the fact that in order to be like the people in this advertisement you must use their product. This is not a new approach, nor is it unique to this generation, but never has it been as widely used as it is today. There is an old saying 'a picture is worth a thousand words,' and what better way to tell someone about a product than with all one thousand words, that all fit on one page. Take for example this ad for Hennessy cognac found in Cosmopolitan, which is a high, priced French liquor. This ad is claiming in more ways than one that Hennessy is an upscale cognac and is 'appropriately comp lex' as well as high-class liquor. There are numerous subliminal connotations contingent to this statement. One being that the three people depicted in this advertisement are all extremely good looking, and well dressed. Hinting to the fact that people who drink this liquor are of a high caliber. Secondly, the people in this advertisement are all middle-aged professionals, a designer, an architect and a demolition expert. All three of Which are very hard, demanding, and we...
Thursday, January 16, 2020
History Of Australia Essay
On January 1, 1901, the people of Australia had a date with destiny. They kept it, despite all odds. The struggle to free ourselves from the past, the struggle to unite for a better future is as natural to humankind as breathing. Both are vital, if life must go on. For Australians too, the struggle that led to the triumph of destiny was not an easy one. The path that led to the federation of colonies was peppered with obstacles. But it is a proven fact that all you need to succeed is a single idea, a few good men or women and loads of hard work. This essay will open a window to the past and trace the road to federation and the birth of a nation. To begin at the beginning, the exodus from Africa began around 60,000 years ago, and following the southern coastline of Asia, the first early travelers crossed about 250 kilometers [155 miles] of sea, and colonized Australia by around 50,000 years ago. The Aborigines of Australia, are the descendants of the first wave of migration out of Africa. 1 The story may have begun there but there is a great deal to follow. European nations were interested in discovering the Great South Land. The first recorded European contact with Australia was in March 1606, when Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon (c. 1570 ââ¬â 1630) charted the west coast of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Over the next two centuries, European explorers and traders continued to chart the coastline of Australia, then known as New Holland. In 1688, William Dampier became the first British explorer to land on the Australian coast. It was not until 1770 that another Englishman, Captain James Cook, aboard the Endeavour, extended a scientific voyage to the South Pacific in order to further chart the east coast of Australia and claim it for the British Crown. 2 HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA Page # 2 Australia was invaded by a naval power, its first colonial culture of authority was maritime, whaling and sealing were the colonyââ¬â¢s earliest productive industries, and it took settlers a quarter of a century to cross the first land barrier, the Blue Mountains that hemmed in Sydney. Colonial settlements hugged the coast and were connected to one another by the ocean rather than the land, like islands in an archipelago. 3 The proposals for the use of the continent had a history almost as long, though by no means so distinguished as that of its discovery. Some saw it as a land of the Holy Spirit; some saw it as a land fit only for the refuse of society . 4 Following the lost war (American War of Independence), Britain moved to reorganize its remaining overseas empire and decided to settle Australia with convicts. Convicts provided an ideal source of human capital for such ventures, and all European colonizing nations used convicts overseas. The penal establishment for incorrigibles at Macquarie Harbour on the west coast of Tasmania is famous. The name Harbour is associated exclusively with remembrance of inexpressible depravity, degradation and woe. The convicts called this the Hellââ¬â¢s Gate. 5 By the 1880s, New South Wales had come a long way away from its beginnings as a convict settlement and was ruled by a British-appointed Governor supported by military force. Transportation of convicts had ended forty years before; a system of elected, responsible government had developed where virtually all adult males had the right to a secret ballot ââ¬â a situation which made the colony one of the most democratic places on earth. Pastoral development, then the gold rushes had led to great economic development; working people were better off here than almost anywhere else ââ¬â at that time the colonies were called a ââ¬Å"working manââ¬â¢s paradiseâ⬠. 6 HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA Page # 3 The other five Australian colonies were developing in similar ways, with systems of government modelled originally on NSW ââ¬â the ââ¬Å"mother colonyâ⬠. There had been many proposals calling for the bringing together of the separate Australian colonies into a single nation. The first intercolonial conference met in Melbourne in 1863 to discuss uniform customs, trade and tariff duties. But each continued to go their separate ways on these issues. Some colonies chose to protect their industries with tariffs, others preferred free trade. There were customs posts on colonial borders and duties had to be paid on goods ââ¬Å"importedâ⬠from one colony to another. As well, the various colonies built their railways with different gauges, so that trains could not cross borders. These problems kept the colonies divided. Despite the problems there were strong reasons supporting some form of federation. The colonies were mainly Anglo-Celtic in culture, institutions and outlook: there was little difference between them. Major-General Edwardsââ¬â¢ 1888 defence report showed that adequate defence of the continent would be impossible without combining the different coloniesââ¬â¢ forces. There was much concern about the activities of other nations in the Pacific, particularly Germany which had colonised New Guinea. Communications issues ââ¬â the railway gauge problem, the new electric telegraphs spanning the continent, postal services, currency ââ¬â were forcing the colonies to come to some common agreements. The trade and customs issues caused inconvenience and expense to trade and commerce. Most of the colonies were also concerned about immigration, particularly of non-Europeans, and could see the advantages of a common policy. Federation offered a way of solving these problems. 7 HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA Page # 4 But the Australian colonies had always been individualists. Their origins were diverse, their capitals were widely separated from one another, and the outlook of their people, we may as well acknowledge it at once, was parochial in the extreme. Attempts to introduce local government bodies were long resisted. Local government could have been a first step towards union or federation, but the wish to federate grew slowly. As early as 1847, Earl Grey, at that time Secretary of State for the Colonies, suggested federation. To his impartial gaze it must have seemed foolish and wasteful that six colonies, all following the same course of development, all with similar interests, should not combine for the better regulation of mutual interests. From the Australian point of view it would mean greater efficiency and economy. 8 Between 1823 and 1842 the British crown colony, the New South Wales was administered by the Governor in combination with a Legislative Council which met behind closed doors and whose proceedings were not reported by the press, a pattern similar to the other six colonies. The New South Wales Legislative Council is often referred to as the ââ¬Å"squatters councilâ⬠, reflecting the influence that squatters, as the most significant wealth producers and land-holders, had on the political process. 9 The squatters were thus in a strong position which they were unlikely to surrender. They had borne the burden and heat of the day and thought of the land as their own and their childrenââ¬â¢s by right of pioneering. As it was, the tense political atmosphere made compromise more difficult each year as the clamour to ââ¬Å"unlock the landâ⬠grew and the squatters became intransigent. As a result the land Acts of the early sixties were declarations of war for the possession of the Crown lands ââ¬â the reformers never doubting that the victory would go to ââ¬Å"the peopleâ⬠. 10 HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA Page # 5 The post-1850s in New South Wales marked a shift in political power from country to town. The extension of suffrage and other democratic reforms weakened the political hegemony exercised by squatters. However, during the same period, their general economic prosperity increased as a result of increases in prices for wool, the weight of fleeces and a reduction in the use of farm labour. The absence of significant wealth independent of agriculture ensured pastoralistsââ¬â¢ interests prevailed despite reform of electoral and legislative processes. As the number of free settlers increased they, too, became politically active. By the beginning of the 1880s the factions that had previously characterised the New South Wales Legislative Assembly were crumbling. A worsening economic crisis catalysed social tensions that favourable economic conditions had largely obscured. As the environment within which primary producers operated increased in complexity ââ¬âdue to technological innovation, changes in marketing arrangements, government legislation and economic conditions ââ¬â producers started to experiment with diverse forms of organisation. The period between 1875 and 1900 was a turning point in the political organisation of primary producers. It was through local groups that primary producers came to be aware of transport, trading, banking and tariff issues. Importantly, they became aware that most primary producers were enduring similar experiences and perceived similar threats. This was instrumental in forming a collective identity which addressed ââ¬Å"the absence of tradition and the weakness of shared valuesâ⬠that were ââ¬Å"characteristic of earlier colonial timesâ⬠. The most commonly cited catalyst for the political organisation of farmers was the shearersââ¬â¢ strikes of the 1890s. 11 HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA Page # 6 Transition went on long after 1880. The next twenty years brought many new experiments, some reckless and ill-considered, others designed to give more equal opportunity. The new changes aimed at correcting old mistakes and strengthening the promise of a southern utopia; but in spite of common aims and closer links, the colonies still cherished their separate policies. The penalties of rivalry only became irksome when isolation within and from outside seemed to threaten the continentââ¬â¢s welfare. Reluctantly the colonies agreed to yield some of their jealously guarded rights. In this great readjustment ââ¬Ëthe indissoluble Federal Commonwealthââ¬â¢ came into being, more through necessity than in faith. 12 There were more reasons why the federation became a necessity. While the fundamental successes of the trade union movement in the colonies in gaining a reasonable standard of living for its members should be acknowledged, they were limited. At best, male workers in full-time unionised jobs were able to live on their wages. It must be stressed that a ââ¬Ëdecent living wageââ¬â¢ was not achieved for casual workers, for non-union workers in permanent part-time jobs or for women. Coghlanââ¬â¢s reports showed that before the 1890s there had been seasonal and local fluctuations in the availability of work (and consequently income), some on quite a large scale. Therefore the ââ¬Å"workers paradiseâ⬠did not hold good at times. For example in 1866 the Mayor of Sydney declared that ââ¬Ëthe poverty was so great that he thought of relieving people with flour, meat, etc. ââ¬Ë As the year went on the distress increased . . . the lamentable spectacle might be seen everywhere of able-bodied men tramping about the country in a vain search for work. 13 HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA Page # 7 The 1883 rural drought across Eastern Australia led to a general lowering of wages and to unemployment. Employment was so scarce that in April 1884 meetings of the unemployed were held in Sydney every day. Between 1885 and 1887 there were sufficient numbers of unemployed for the government regularly to provide relief work, including road-making and scrub-cutting. Sydney seemed to suffer particularly, in that people displaced in other parts of the colony would join the ranks of the unemployed in the city. Such people included the miners from the Illawarra who had fought a hopeless battle throughout 1886 against reduced employment and reduced wages. In 1887 there was so much unemployment that it was impossible to maintain even the nominal rates of wages of many trades, such as tinsmiths, brick makers, coachbuilders, brass and copper workers. 14
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