British Imperialism in China and Africa :: English Imperialism

British Imperialism in China and Africa The treatment of the Chinese by the British, during the take over of their country, was just like that of the Africans. The British took over the land and the government, took advantage of the people and exploited them for their resources. The English accomplished these things differently in each situation, but each time, the results were the same. One of the most important aspects of imperialism is the take over of government. The English accomplished this in several ways. Some of the â€Å"Unfair Treaties† forced the Chinese to allow the English ships into their ports and to allow them to have a major role in the trade market. The English wanted tea, porcelain, and silk from china. The Chinese however didn’t want to gods the English offered in return. The English began trading opium in return for the goods. Although it was illegal, many of the money hungry merchants excepted the opium in return for the things that were valuable to the English. Because of this, the first Anglo-Chinese war erupted. China underestimated the power of England and was defeated. At the end of the war, they were forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing (1842). The treaty was one of the first treaties known as the â€Å"Unfair Treaties.† Under this treaty, china gave up the island of Hong Kong, abolished the licensed monopoly system o f trade, granted English nationals exemption from Chinese laws, and agreed to give England whatever trading concessions that were granted to other countries then and later.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The English also gained power of the Chinese through the Taiping Rebellion. When the revolutionaries began acting out against the Chinese government, the English came to defend the government. Their reasoning behind it was that it was easier to get control of china if the Qing administration was in charge. The rebels were defeated and the English succeeded in fulfilling their intentions.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the imperialism of Africa, many of the same things occurred. The English took control of the African countries in different ways, but they still got control. With the Africans, the English just went to war with the countries or tribes. They would either defeat them or force them to give up partial or all control of the government. Either way, the English gained control and power because of their strength politically and militarily.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another aspect of imperialism is the take over of land.

Moral panic involving young people Essay

Cohen (1980) defines moral panic as the emergence of a particular condition, episode, individual or group of people that threatens the societal values and interests (Cohen, 1980, p. 9). The society often has socially shared values and moral panic. This happens when there is something that comes to the surface and threatens this set of values; when that thing that surface goes against these values, potentially changes, challenges and damages this set of values. Thus, it becomes a cause of concern for the society as a whole. Often, these values involve, among other things, morals about certain aspects of life. The rise of the threat and cause of moral panic presents the challenge to morals and even deviation from, morals and the accepted morality. There have been many causes of moral panic. There are those which appeared just once, while there are those which are consistently banging at the door of morality and is developing, changing evolving as time passes by. It does not disappear, but it does not grow worse either. It simply changes and remains constant in the lives of people for a long period of time. One of these types of things is pornography among young adults, an important issue in sexuality starting from the time there were commercial and mass media capabilities that allow for pornography to be distributed and circulated among many different readers. From magazines to betamax and VCDs and CD copies of pornographic material, the moral panic on pornography was revived at the start of the era of internet-based pornography and the threat of information overload regarding the exceedingly diverse content of pornography. Many of which are considered as taboo, unaccepted, unethical and immoral in the eyes of the society. This will be the key focus of the discussion of moral panic. The Model for Moral Panic The phenomenon of moral panic, according to Cohen (1980), follows a certain style, model or pattern that has certain important characteristics. Cohen identifies this characteristics and the analysis of phenomenon of and characteristics of moral panic is focused on whether moral panic follows or deviates from what Cohen describes (Cohen, 1980, p. 9). In the analysis of moral panic on pornography and young people, it is important to consider the characteristics, patterns and descriptions described by Cohen regarding moral panic and see if the issue at hand demonstrates or digress from this particular moral panic model. The analysis of moral panic regarding pornography and the exploration of sexuality allows for the identification of a particular example of the social construction of normalcy and deviance and how and when the polar positions are identified during issues of moral panic. Threat to moral values Cohen believes that moral panic is a threat to moral values (Cohen, 1980, p. 10). The problem of pornography has always been associated with the fact that pornography is a material that threatens to distort existing moral values on what is wrong and right and acceptable when it comes to sexuality and expression of sexuality by the individual. â€Å"Clearly the issue of pornography on the Internet is a moral panic (Cothran, 2002, p. 45)†. This problem has been consistent with the consistency of the problem of pornography. It was highlighted once again with the realization of growing problem of pornography in connection to its presence in the internet. The internet has successfully reached and connected millions of young people all across the globe, which makes the threat to moral values stronger. Presented in a stylized and stereotypical manner by the mass media The mass media, particularly news, talk shows, movies and other info-entertainment shows, have tackled the problem of pornography especially internet-based pornography. As a reaction to this, places like Europe has undertaken efforts to make sure that the media and its role in presenting pornography is controlled in such a way that it is more helpful and informative than merely a source of distorted truth (Ost, 2009, p. 241). â€Å"An essential rule of conduct must be to ensure that the media’s presentation of child pornography and grooming is accurate and not sensationalized (Ost, 2009, p. 241). † Media presentation of this problem is often stereotypical. For example, movies, like American Pie, present a stereotypical idea about pornography and the reaction of young people to it. In a way, the presentation of mass media regarding this issue has the impact of making the issue louder and stronger and makes its existence last longer because of the role of media in affecting the consciousness of the people. So long as the media presents this kind of content, the people will always be made to remember. For some, this is important since they believe that this is an issue that the society should not just ignore or shrug off. Presence of moral barricades by right thinking people Pornography, and in particular, internet-pornography, has been attacked by those who condemn in; people whom Cohen describes as the one who provide, maintain, create and identify moral barricades in the belief that what they believe is right and that they are the right people to identify what is right for the society. This includes parents, religion leaders, writers, etc. â€Å"Although we live in a generally tolerant society, pornography is today being attacked from many quarters (Plantinga, 1982, p. 78). † Experts and their diagnoses and solution Part of the cycle or system involved in the identification and surfacing or re-surfacing of issues resulting to moral panic is the presence of professionals who provide diagnoses of the issue and makes authoritative claims for possible solution to the problem. In the case of internet-pornography, part of the literature is the review of past writings regarding the diagnoses on pornography and compiles it with new studies and findings regarding this matter. Professionals like psychologists and sociologists will make analysis on how this issue came to be, what caused it and what would result from it and ultimately what should be done about it. Groups like Commission on Obscenity and Pornography undertake studies to examine the impact of pornography and provide solutions (Rist, 1974, p. 217). Ways of coping In the end, the society will find a way to cope with the moral panic and the cause of moral panic. In the tug-of-war battle, the failure to completely remove or eradicate the source of the problem can result in the society accepting that the problem is here to stay. Solutions will take long term timetables and thus should not be expected to be removed or defeated in a short period of time. For internet pornography, society’s way of coping is by creating protective measures to lessen the potential for exposure of young people to pornography. They used technology to assist them and make them capable in coping. They depended on the strength of family values to keep young people away from these kinds of materials, and trusted the judgment and ability to discern by young people so that this problem does not result in moral distortion or breakdown among young people exposed to this kind of material. The society turned to laws to hamper, hinder, limit, deter or make this less powerful and less capable. Deviance Pornography and internet-based pornography is a form of deviance. Its contents contain forms of deviance, particularly in the aspect of sexuality and young people. Sexuality and sexual practices inside the society has its own set of acceptable forms. The content of internet-based pornography fuels deviant and non conformist attitudes and perspectives in sexuality and sexual practice. Main Players Moral panic always involved individuals acting as main players involved in the issue, especially those who support and those who are against this particular issue. In this issue of moral panic, it is important to mention that part of the main players in this issue are those that dictate and create the social construct of normalcy on one hand and those who break this and act as deviants from this particular form of socially-shared moral values. There are merely participants in the cycle of moral deviance involving pornography and there are those who directly challenge, oppose and break the moral design regarding this particular issue. Participants include those who are responsible for the production, creation, management and circulation of materials which maintains the pornography industry which in turn feeds the consistent moral panic regarding pornography and young people. Young people who display abnormal dependence, reliance, obsession and addiction to pornography and commits actions considered as grossly unaccepted in the eyes of the society are the reason for the moral panic. It is because there are people who are hooked in pornography and the fact that it is a phenomenon not exclusive to just to one era or geographical location are the main reasons why pornography among young people is a moral panic. The moral vanguards who dictate the condition of normalcy in the society believes that this has the potential to damage the emotional, psychological and mental faculties of the young individual. Of course, there are also those who stand on the opposite polar positions. These individuals provide a balance and deter the issue from becoming something that is completely socially acceptable by opposing it. In this issue, these include parents, teachers, religious leaders, politicians and conservative thinking people who does not approve of pornography in general. Key Issues The discussion of Cohen regarding moral panic reflects an integral part of the problem. There are key issues involved in the phenomenon of moral panic which makes the problem more pronounced not to mention being more significant considering it compounds and worsens other problems. Of course, the main issue on moral panic regarding pornography is the fear of the deterioration of moral values especially with regards to sex, sexual activities and sexual preferences, among others. This is easier said than explained in detail. This problem is an interconnection of many different smaller and yet equally significant problems and key issues including sexual identity and confusion, challenging parental and societal authoritative role, deviance, the evils of mass media and mass communication, etc. Strongly linked to this are other key issues which are also important and significant in the discussion of internet-based pornography. Beside moral deterioration, pornography is also linked to, results to or is often related to crimes, especially those sexual in nature, like molestation, rape, sexual assault and other sexual offenses created by the young people. The fact that internet has a broader audience and scope and is easier accessible makes it more dangerous compared to its video and print counterpart. The problem of pornography and its effects as a whole can worsen significantly in consideration to the joint impact of all of these media to the young people and to the society in general. Other issues are present as well, like the degradation and molestation of women and children (Thompson, 1998, p. 10), prostitution, gender roles, etc. Sexual openness at the degree being offered by internet pornography also impacts the psyche and consciousness and well as perspective of the individual which can lead the person to challenge the existing societal beliefs, and later, the norms. Worse, the person may challenge the law once the individual tries to break free from the constraints of social life by pursuing or exploring the full extent of the person’s newfound sexuality and sexual orientation as a result of exposure to and influence of internet pornography. Reason for Moral Panic Pornography and internet-based pornography symbolized the evolution of sexuality and sexual preference. The traditional conservative society still finds it hard to accept and accommodate and make mainstream because of strong values dictated by well entrenched societies like church and religion, for example. This therefore symbolizes the inability of the society to fully reconcile with the changes in sexuality and sexual preference among what appears to be a growing number of people. This also symbolized an important era in the history of human sexuality as a whole. The problem of pornography and internet-based pornography is not a stand alone, solitary issue that challenges a particular set of societal characteristics. In closer investigation, it is noticeable how the problem of pornography stands alongside other issues. This comes in the era of liberalization in thinking among many different aspects of human life which is equally considered as unethical and immoral, like cloning, decriminalization of marijuana and same sex marriage. These issues, like pornography, sparks moral panic and has long existed as a societal problem, issue and point of argument among many professionals for and against it. The reason for moral panic is the inability of the society to allow change. In the aspect of sex and sexuality, those who dictate the norms and morals of the society believes that where the world is right now is acceptable already and that deviations from such practice is unacceptable. As Cohen points in its analysis of deviation, the question here is that it is unacceptable to whom? Does it comprise the greater majority, or the powerful minority only? The inability for change is often coupled with fear of the unknown which are reasons for moral panic. Sure, specialists can make intelligent guesses as to how this can affect the future and what behaviors this will result from. However, educated and intelligent they are, these are just guesses still. The greater picture is comprised of the fact that people are fearful of what they know. They know change would come, but they do not know exactly how it looks like, if it is acceptable to them, etc. Because of that, they resort to moral panic, using it a defense mechanism enabling them to handle the problem of being incapable of the uncertainty of the future. They try to control to present and this act of controlling is expected to create deviants as well as reasons for, and tool supporting this act of deviance, a role that pornography plays. Conclusion Using moral panic to view the phenomenon regarding the sexuality of young people and pornography is important and useful. It allows the analysis to reflect the existing accepted morality regarding and surrounding this issue and how this is being consistently threaten and broken. It also reflects as to how the society was not able to fully evolve to allow them to either put a stop to this moral issue or completely accommodate pornography in such a way that this is not an issue anymore. The use of moral panic allows the analysis to better understand the attitude and perception of the people regarding the issue. It allows the analysis to see the problems present in this point of concern, and to establish the reasons and entities that surround the occurrence of the trend in human social life. There are always those who create the patterns for normalcy and what constitutes it, from which deviants find a way to deviate from and create their own identity as deviants from socially-accepted and shared beliefs, attitudes and perspectives. Here, pornography plays a key role in deviance in sexuality which in turn results to moral panic. Bibliography Cohen, S 1980, Folk Devils & Moral Panics, Blackwell, Oxford. Cothran, H 2002, Pornography: opposing viewpoints, Greenhaven Press, Michigan. Ost, S 2009, Child pornography and sexual grooming: legal and societal responses, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Plantinga, T 1982, Learning to live with evil, W. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. , Michigan. Rist, R C 1974, The pornography controversy: changing moral standards in American life, Transaction Publishers, New Jersey. Thompson, K 1998, Moral panics, Routledge, New York.

Oedipus Trilogy Essay

It was Sophocles who wrote the Oedipus Trilogy. Although Oedipus Rex has always been a common oral story to the Greeks, Sophocles added different dimensions in his rendition of the tragic story of Oedipus. Antigone was the epilogue of the trilogy and the last part of the story but it was the first play to be produced. Oedipus the King was the beginning of the trilogy, where the fate of Oedipus was prophesied, and the rise and fall of Oedipus was chronicled. And Oedipus at Colonus is the middle of the trilogy where Oedipus dies and his sons murder each other thus continuing the eventuality of the prophecy. In Antigone, the final pieces of the tragedy unraveled, thus completing the prophecy of the oracle to Oedipus. In Antigone, the play focuses more on the battle between opposing primary views and concerns. Actually, it was more on opposing pride. Antigone was determined to give his brother an honorable burial despite the fact that the current king blatantly forbids it. She maintains that love is above law and hegemony. Creon, on the other hand, although Polynices is his nephew, forbids the burial on the grounds that it is the law to refuse honorable funerals to traitors. Although the central characters have opposing views, their attributes are very much similar to each other. Both are blinded by their own pride in their decisions. Antigone, when confronted by Creon, refuses to back down despite the fact that Creon threatened her that her sister will be penalized together with her. Antigone, sees her action as a form of â€Å"martydom†. In a way she sees glory in what she had done by â€Å"sacrificing† herself for the sake of his brother, which somewhat preposterous because of the fact that his brother is already dead. Creon, likewise, refuses to change his decision despite his son’s threat of suicide if he condemns Antigone. Although he perceives that his son’s words were not empty threats, he still refused to change his decision. This is because he distinguishes his action as strength of leadership. He mistakes pride for decisive command. Antigone represents moral ascendancy over political law. Creon, on the other hand, symbolizes the primacy of the rule of law above all else. The play attempts to stir the audience to struggle on which side should prevail. Athens, during the time of Sophocles was in its golden age. Democracy has been the highest point of the era. However, there are certain rules of law that exist to govern the democratic state. The play seeks to arouse questions from among the audience. Whether certain personal morals and filial duty should take over the rule of law when the situation calls for it. Or whether the rule of law should always prevail to maintain order in the society. However, Sophocles drives home the point that there are no extreme grounds. Moral ascendancy and the rule of law are invariably intertwined and should be taken into consideration in making a decision. In the play it was the comical messenger that best manifested the careful weighing of consequences of his actions when he pondered to and fro on what to tell Creon. It was him that provided a middle ground. His action was the very reflection of the thoughts of the audience. Towards the end of the play, both Creon and Antigone became so blind of their pride in their decision that they were no longer fighting for what they believe is right. Antigone sees her suicide as a form of sacrilegious immolation as if she was giving herself up for the good of her brother. Likewise, Creon perceives his decision to condemn Antigone as strength of leadership. He thinks that if he pardons Antigone, then he had let Antigone â€Å"win†, that Antigone will emerge to be â€Å"the man† in the battle. Creon’s and Antigone’s greatest folly is their tendency to oversimplify the situation. Antigone reduced the circumstance to moral ascendancy and Creon to the rule of law. Their pride made them blind that their decision will lead to conflict and deliberation. Like all characters of the play, Oedipus’ tragic flaw is his pride. In Oedipus the King, the rise and fall of Oedipus was accounted to his pride. His killing of his father was brought about by his pride, his desire to seek the truth of his identity was driven by pride, his edict of severe punishment to the murderer of Laius was brought about by pride and even is in his lowest moment when he eventually discovered the truth he still clung to the last pieces of his trappings as king. However, there is a great difference in Oedipus’ pride and that of Creon’s and Antigone’s. Antigone claims that it was for her love of her brother that she disobeyed Creon but in reality she puts herself in a pedestal with greater morals than Creon could understand. She masked her pride with proclamations of sacrifice and martyrdom for filial love. Creon, on the other hand, asserts that his actions are but mere implementation of law. However, in truth, Creon revels at the power that he holds upon the kingdom. This is evident even in the play Oedipus the King when Creon demonstrated his newfound power by curtly cutting off Oedipus while he was still mourning his fate. Oedipus pride, however, was disguised as his earnestness. This was exposed when he declared that he would seek all means to end the plague in his nation. He was so earnest in his demonstrations to the people of his intentions to save his kingdom that he himself cemented his doom. Furthermore, in seeking the murderer of Laius, in his earnestness to punish the criminal, he unknowingly condemned himself. More over, when the truth of his identity was slowly untangling, he was so earnest in wanting to discover the whole truth that he made a way for his ruination. In truth, Oedipus was earnest because he wanted to set himself apart from the rest. He wanted to be a great leader in his nation. His exaggerated demonstrations of his intentions to save his nation were masked pride. He clearly wanted to be the â€Å"savior† of his kingdom. He celebrates at the power that he holds upon the people. This is obvious that he dares insult the oracle when he came to his presence. Moreover, being royals, Jocasta and Oedipus had the tendency to invalidate the fate the gods have in store for them. They have countless times declared that the oracle is false. This is clearly a sign of their pride that they could not fathom that there are any other being that is above them. At the end of the play, Oedipus took responsibility of his actions. But even in his broken state he was still proud. It was him who commanded Creon to bury Jocasta as he sees fit and to banish him from his nation. Although he no longer has any real power, he still managed to hold on to his last bits of power as a former king. Oedipus the King ended with Oedipus as a broken man banished from his kingdom and disgraced from the society. In Oedipus at Colonus, we find just that, a broken man. However, his brokenness should not be interpreted as newfound humility. Contrariwise, his decent into brokenness left him embittered. In the play, he again questions his fate. He even questions his sons’ decision in remaining adamant in his exile. The initial scene of the play rightly sets the tone for the story. Antigone was describing their trespass on holy ground that must be corrected with prayers and libation. It is ironing that Oedipus and Antigone, with full knowledge of the wrongness of their action still proceed to commit the deed then proceed to rectify the iniquitous. This is the theme all throughout the play, the characters all seemingly commit an action that they are fully aware that is not correct but still proceed to do so nonetheless. Again all of which is because of pride. When Creon abducts Oedipus’ daughters, Theseus proceeds to rescue them. He pretends that he did so because of honor and duty. However, in reality, Theseus’ primary objective is to save his own kingdom. In this play, most of the characters have hidden agenda. In the first two plays that Sophocles wrote, the characters were forthright with their motives. Antigone and Creon were so brash and obvious in their thoughts and beliefs in Antigone. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus lack of blunt motives led to his destruction. But in the third installment, the characters were more masked in their intentions. Even Oedipus, when he refused to go back to his city, he maintained that it was on the basis of his newfound holiness but in truth it was his pride that kept him from coming back. Why would come back to a city that shunned him? Or to the people that eschewed themselves from him? Moreover, in a confrontation with Polynices, he begins to questions his sons actions on why they were apathetic of his exile. He failed to realize that it was him who commanded Creon to exile him in the first place. Just as he was physically blind, he was also blind from the truth. Even in his deprivation he still was not able to fully see the extent of his mistakes and his pride. In the end, Oedipus’ death was inconsequential. For a character such as him, it is but ironic that his death was portrayed as merely peripheral with only Theseus as witness. Even the lamentations of Ismene and Antigone were not impassionate enough. Sophocles merely pointed out that no matter how great Oedipus was in his former glory, like everyone else, his end is just merely death – a fate that no great man can escape from.

Facts and Storytelling in Historical Fiction

Facts and Storytelling in Historical Fiction When I began writing my new novel about Amelia Earhart’s last days, The Canary, I knew it had to start with her as a castaway on a lonely Pacific island. But with her navigator, Fred Noonan, already dead, there was a decidedly small cast of characters. Having Amelia talk to herself endlessly would become endlessly tedious. Some research and an unexpected discovery came to my rescue. Here’s what I knew: based on recent findings, there is evidence suggesting Earhart might have made a forced landing on a tiny atoll’s reef – Gardner Island. The more I looked into it, the more plausible it seemed. That inspired me to fictionalize her last days. The opening pages were easy: Amelia alone on an island with no reliable water source except rainwater and no food other than small birds, turtles, and legions of coconut crabs. But quickly I knew the book had to be more than just a brave young woman and her mental and physical deterioration. As I looked more into young Amelia’s life to discover a writing voice for her, I learned she had moved from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Hyde Park in Chicago to finish her last year of high school, in 1914-15. This was before she had thought much about flying. The discovery made me think about who she was in those days and soon I was doing a Google search of Hyde Park on Chicago’s near south side, a place I once visited to hear a novelist read, and the location of President Obama’s house. As I stared at the map of Hyde Park and imagined young Amelia walking to school and then home again to care for her ailing mother, my eyes drifted west, to the suburb of Oak Park, and I had my epiphany: Though they never met, Earhart and Hemingway spent a year of school only a few miles from each other. Ernest was then 15 and Amelia was around 17. Suddenly I knew what the book needed – an interior story in which Amelia fondly remembers her Hyde Park days and a yearlong friendship with the young Hemingway. The Canary became a better novel than it might have because I was open to how facts buried in silent history gave it the voices it needed. If you are writing historical fiction, here’s the lesson. Being accurate is important. I had to do a lot of checking to make sure I depicted Hemingway and Earhart with historical accuracy, even though they never met. When they went to a baseball game, it had to be at Weeghman Park and not Wrigley Field, because Wrigley was called Weeghman in 1914. The Cubs didn’t even play there. It was home to the Chicago Whales. Writing historical fiction means getting the history surrounding your characters right, but it’s also an opportunity to not be shackled

The Mystery of Great Zimbabwe essays

The Mystery of Great Zimbabwe essays Throughout the ages, whispered reports of the Queen of Sheba's stone palace were passed from sailor to sailor through the Portuguese ports. The later discovery of the ruins labelled Great Zimbabwe and their subsequent excavation has resulted in a wider respect for African sites. Moreover, the grave inaccuracies and miscalculations that took place in the excavation of Great Zimbabwe, has shocked the world into the realisation that prejudices and bigotry can be detrimental to the development of historical and archaeological knowledge. The great stone ruins were first uncovered by Portuguese traders in the 16th Century. Sailors continued to visit the site, declaring it to be the remnants of the Queen of Sheba's palace. For nearly 400 years romantic speculation as to the true heritage of the mysterious stonewalls was passed from word of mouth until it reached the coastal trading ports of Mozambique. In 1552, Joo de Barros wrote ofa square fortress, masonry within and without, built of stones of marvellous size and there appears to be no mortar joining them?. The actualdiscovery? of the site was in 1871, by Carl Mauch a young German who had heard the fabled tales of the Queen of Sheba's palace, and was eager to substantiate the tales. He visited a lone German trader who told him ofquite large ruins which could never have been built by blacks? and, on September 5th local Karanga tribesmen led Mauch to the site. The immense stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe are located in the southeast of the African country of Zimbabwe, which, interestingly enough, took its name from the site after gaining independence from Great Britain in 1980. When Mauch viewed the site firsthand, the impressive stonewalls aroused much interest in the site, and their immense and almost impossible construction added credence to the myth that the site was the work of foreigners. Mauch uncovered a series of soapstone and iron relics, which therefore provided concrete ev...

States With No Income Tax Should You Move to One

States With No Income Tax Should You Move to One SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While everyone in the US pays a federal income tax, not everyone pays a state income tax. There are seven states in the US with no income tax whatsoever, plus two more that don’t tax wages. While people who live in these states don’t pay income tax, they may pay higher taxes in other ways, like when they go shopping or stop at the gas station. This guide will explore whether or not people in income tax-free states save money overall, along with the pros and cons of moving to one of these states. First, let’s look at the nine states with few or no taxes on income. What Are the States With No Income Tax? There are seven states with no income taxes whatsoever. They are the following: Alaska Florida Nevada South Dakota Texas Washington Wyoming Two other states, New Hampshire and Tennessee, don’t have an income tax on wages, but they do tax interest and dividend income. If you’re making money from investments, for instance, then that profit would be taxed in New Hampshire or Tennessee. The remaining 41 states do level a tax on income. Some have a flat-rate income tax, while others have different brackets based on how much money you make. These states gain revenue from income taxes, and that money goes into various services and programs. In states that don’t collect income tax, where does the revenue come from? There are nine states in the U.S. with no or few state income taxes. Lokal Profil/Wikimedia Where Do States With No Income Tax Get Revenue? States still need revenue, and they get that money from a variety of sources. Commonly, states without income tax have higher sales, gas, and property taxes. They may also provide fewer, more expensive, or lower quality public services. For instance, in-state tuition at the public universities in New Hampshire is higher than that of most other states. Let’s look on a state-by-state basis to see how these no-income-tax states collect revenue. Alaska: petroleum revenue. Because of its oil, Alaska is an exception among income tax-free states. Rather than raising other taxes, Alaska actually distributes a dividend check to residents. Last year, each resident’s share was $2,075. Florida: above average sales taxes and property taxes. Nevada: gambling-related fees and taxes, as well as sales taxes. South Dakota: personal taxes, property taxes, cigarette excises, bank franchises, and ore taxes. Texas: oil and gas royalties, as well as a high sales tax. Washington: some of the highest sales and gasoline taxes in the United States. Wyoming: coal mining and property taxes. Like Alaska, Wyoming also gets revenue from its natural resources. New Hampshire: property tax. Tennessee: highest sales tax in the US. Given these alternative forms of revenue collection, does living in a state without income tax mean you keep more of your paycheck? Alaskan residents actually get money back each year from the Alaska Permanent Fund. Living in Alaska can be expensive, though, as it’s a pretty remote place. Does Living in an Income Tax-Free State Mean You Keep More of Your Money? The short answer to this question is, not necessarily. As you can see above, many states without income tax charge higher taxes on day-to-day expenses. They may also provide fewer public services or more expensive higher education. Depending on your spending habits and lifestyle, the amount of money you’re paying toward other taxes could be higher than the amount you would pay toward taxes overall in a state that had an income tax. How much you benefit from an income tax-free policy also largely depends on your income level. Typically, people with a higher income benefit from the lack of income tax, while people with lower incomes end up paying a larger percentage of their salary to other kinds of taxes. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy in Washington, for example, the poorest 20% of state residents pay 16.9% of their annual income in sales and gas taxes, while the wealthiest 1% pay just 2.4% of their income. Your income level, therefore, becomes an important factor if you’re deciding whether or not to move to a state with no income tax. What else should you consider as you figure out where to live in the United States? Should you move to sunny Florida, where palm trees are a-plenty but state income tax is nowhere to be found? Who Should Move to an Income Tax-Free State? As you read above, income tax-free states tend to have higher sales, gas, and property taxes and a reduced budget for public programs, like education. If any of the following are true for you, then you might benefit from living in one of these states. If the opposite is true, then you probably shouldn’t move to one. You Have a High Income Higher-income people tend to benefit the most from living in an income tax-free state. Besides keeping a larger proportion of your wages, higher income people may also have less need for public services. For instance, higher-income people may not rely on public education, instead sending their kids to private schools. You Don’t Own Much Property If you don’t own a lot of property, then you won’t get hit too hard with the often high property taxes in income tax-free states. If you do own a lot of property, then living in one of the nine states discussed above probably wouldn’t work in your favor. If you own a lot of land or houses, then you may end up getting hit with high property taxes. You Don’t Spend a Lot Besides having higher property taxes, most of these nine states impose high sales taxes. If you have a high consumption lifestyle, then you’ll be putting a higher than average percentage of your income toward sales taxes. If you don’t spend a lot, then you may save money in one of these states overall. You Don’t Rely on Public Services States without income taxes may offer reduced or lower quality public services, like transportation, health care, or public education. If you don’t have kids or are sending your kids to private school, then this might not affect you. Washington, by the way, is an exception with its strong public school system, but it has some of the highest sales and gas taxes in the country. If you drive a lot in Washington, then you might end up paying a lot in gas tax and highway and bridge tolls. If you’re sending kids to public school, be careful about the quality of the education system in an income tax-free state. You Hold Conservative or Libertarian Views People have different opinions about state income tax, and their support of or opposition to it tends to coincide with their social and political views. People with progressive or liberal views tend to support government funding of public services, like education, health insurance, and transportation, and they tend to be in favor of income taxes, as well. Those with more conservative or libertarian views want to minimize the government’s role in shaping society and consequently, tend to be opposed to income taxes. They may oppose any kind of income redistribution and prefer that all people pay the same on other taxes, like sales taxes. Progressives, however, point out that sales taxes affect people at different incomes disproportionately, with lower income populations becoming the most burdened. People also disagree about whether income taxes help or hinder job and population growth. Those who oppose income tax say that doing away with it boosts jobs and helps the state retain young people. According to a 2013 study, though, Texas was the only non-income tax state where job growth didn’t lag behind population growth. If you find yourself agreeing with the typically conservative or libertarian point of view opposed to state income tax, then you may well enjoy living one of the nine states listed above. Are you a progressive, conservative, or libertarian? Whether or not you support state income taxes tends to align with your social and political views. You’ve Done Your Research Beyond figuring out whether living in an income tax free state would be financially beneficial for you, you should also base your decision on a number of other factors, like the state’s culture and weather and what your moving process would be like. Are you ready to move to Nevada’s desert climate and live close to the temptation of gambling? Does the libertarian bent of many Texans appeal to you? Are you comfortable living in a remote place like Alaska where the sun shines all summer and hides all winter? Any move calls for a good deal of research and planning. If your main motivation is doing away with income tax, then remember that there are other factors to consider, like state services and how the government’s alternative methods of revenue collection affect you as an individual or family. If you do decide to pack up and move to the desert of Nevada or a ranch out in the Lone Star state, what steps do you need to take? Besides bringing lots of water, what steps would you need to take to move to a state with no income tax, like Nevada? How to Move to a State With No Income Tax In order to move and start enjoying an income tax-free life, you’ll typically need to establish both state residency and domicile. Residency and domicile laws vary by state. Typically, you’ll need to spend a certain amount of time in the state, as well as change some records to reflect your new address. One common law states that you can’t spend more than 183 days in any single state beside your new state of residency. That’s not to say you have to spend the remaining 182 days in your new state of residency. For instance, let’s say you’re moving to Texas. You spend 100 days in Texas, 100 days in Massachusetts, and 165 days in California. Since you didn’t spend a collective 183 days in a single state other than Texas, you can still call Texas your state of residency. However, if you had spent 100 days in Texas and the remaining 265 days in California, then you can’t call Texas your state of residency. Again, your time in one other state can’t exceed 183 days. While establishing residency is pretty straightforward, establishing domicile is a bit more vague. Generally, domicile means that your community connections need to be stronger in your new state than your old state. These connections include things like your voter registration, driver’s license, and bank accounts. You also have to indicate that the new state will be your permanent home. Since residency and domicile requirements vary by state, you’ll have to check the exact specifications for Texas, Wyoming, and the rest of the states with no income taxes. Besides rooting out the exact residency laws, make sure to remember these key points about states with no income taxes and how to move to one. One perk of living in a state with no income tax- you can totally skip that page on your tax returns. States With No Income Tax: Final Thoughts While eliminating an income tax might sound like it saves you money, the policy is a little trickier than it sounds. States still need money, so getting rid of an income tax typically means that they impose higher taxes in other areas. The only exception is states that generate revenue from natural resources, like Alaska with its petroleum. Whether living in a state with no income tax will save you money varies by individual. Typically, people who have a high income will benefit, as well as those who don’t rely on public education, drive very much, own a lot of property, or spend much money overall. You’ll have to take a look at your income, lifestyle, and spending habits to determine whether moving would be financially beneficial for you. Because of the U.S.’s unique mix of state and federal laws, you should always look into tax laws when you’re considering moving. If you’re envisioning relocating to another part of the country, then consider the new state’s tax laws and how they’ll affect your personal finances.

Seven Birds for Seven Brothers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Seven Birds for Seven Brothers - Essay Example 3. From the musical, gender relations have been demonstrated in the movie where the females are expected to be well-behaved. The girls were expected to be good cooks and carry themselves with dignity. Males, on the other hand, are expected to be hard working and provider in the family. The setting of this musical shows â€Å"man’s world†. For instance, Fred Bixby owns store while his wife works with him. Milly works in a local bar where she is expected clean after the customers. 4. The clips on youtube of the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers have captured the spirit of the original movie to the extent where they create a clear picture of the original film. The musical numbers used are appropriate for the scenes. The filmed musical uses location and beautiful scenery to try and bring out which would be impossible in a live musical. 5. My favorite musical number is Bless Yore Beautiful Hide. It talks of what kind a wife, Adam. The song brings out the qualities of a woman Adam would like. From the song, one can tell the performer is looking for a wife to