Why Stravinskys Rite Of Spring Is Revolutionary

Why Stravinskys Rite Of Spring Is Revolutionary The Rite of Spring is famously and perhaps infamously regarded as one of the most major turning points in the history of Western music. Furthermore, the notoriously catastrophic reception at the premià ¨re of Stravinskys 1912 composition has now come to be appreciated as an historical phenomenon in its own right of unmatched and, in all likelihood, unmatchable proportions. The social climate capable of spawning outrage of such violent and uncouth physical embodiment as evidenced in the theatre in Paris that fateful day of 29 May, 1913, betrays at its core an undercurrent of volatility which reaches its talons well beyond the scope of aesthetic opinion and pleasurable diversion into something much more sinister. The Rite of Spring sparked a revolution which may be considered truly political in nature; a sociological confrontation which elicited spontaneous combustion in the music world and from which point, nothing would ever be the same. The following study will expound upon the nat ure of this revolution and collate a survey of possible reasons for its extraordinary and unprecedented sociological impact. The Rite of Spring was the third in a triptych of ballets by Igor Stravinsky for Sergei Diaghilevs itinerant company the Ballets Russes, an initiative which travelled the continent to perform and met with particular success in Paris as the result of the citys large Russian exile population and its rooting in Neonationalistic Russian themes. The Rites predecessors The Firebird (1910) and Petrouchka (1911) achieved near unanimous positivity and celebrated critical acclaim. The Rite was written over the course of several months in late 1912 but the rehearsal season was considerably extended due to its choreographic complexity, not to mention the comparable inexperience of the young dancer-choreographer, Nijinsky, for whom the piece was intended as a primary collaborator. Although having presented the composition in its pianistic form to a veritable plethora of notable artistic and musical minds in the leadup to its orchestrally staged debut, Stravinsky is nonetheless purported to have had no indication whatsoever, nor reason to remotely conceive that the presentation of The Rite might provoke the scandal and outcry that ensued. Modris Eksteins provides a particularly colourful and somewhat exhaustive account of the circumstances of its premiere. In terms of historical data, reports from the premiere are conflicting, confused and wildly varying. Witnesses tell of catcalls, hissing, and a battery of screams; of howling, whistling, spitting, slapping and punching. The police were called and at least forty of the offending protesters were forcibly evicted, this doing little to lull those remaining, who continued their commotion. By all accounts, the performance elicited no less than a seismic response which has retrospectively become a thing of legend. The socio-cultural context of Paris at the time is of much import in setting the scene for such an upstanding brouhaha. Programmes being rehearsed and billed contemporary to The Rites premiere included Ravels Daphnis et Chloe and Debussys Jeux. The ballet audience was largely contingent on the lavish snobbery of both high society and the intelligentsia, comprising predominantly wealthy patrons with a desire for elegance and enchantment, and altogether typical of the common lightweight perceptions of French taste. Although exotica themes were very much in Parisian vogue, the passions and political motivations of Russia could hardly but remain distant in every respect. Enormous media hype surrounded The Rites premiere and in an effort to garner an underlying core of support, Diaghilev ensured a generous distribution of free tickets to his loyal supporters. The particularities of the newly unveiled layout of the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre des Champs-Élysà ©es held that this ring-in cheersquad, albeit a guaranteed endorsement, was situated in an area of the auditorium central to the masses, essentially circled by the opposing faction. Such provocative positioning of the Russians in itself was perhaps enough to instigate a brawl in the first place. With such explosive jeering and cheering, it is of exceptional logistical importance that according to numerous accounts, Stravinskys music was completely drowned out by the audience reaction. With the 100-piece orchestra inaudible, dancers have been said to have relied exclusively on Nijinsky shouting counts from the prompt. Whether this pertained to the metric complexity of the composition or the pervading inability to hear it remains questionable but either way, it was certainly the case. The abstract and absurd quality of a company dancing their euphoric tribal sacrifice to a chorus of insults and abuse was perhaps a telling premonition of the Dada sentiment which succeeded the event several years later. The lights in the auditorium were fully turned on but the noise continued and I remember Mlle. Piltz (the chosen maiden) executing her strange dance of religious hysteria on a stage dimmed by the blazing light in the auditorium, seemingly to the accompaniment of the disjointed ravings of a mob of angry men and women. If in fact the orchestra was itself inaudible, it follows in point that the public outrage expressed so vehemently at The Rites premià ¨re was not a response to the pitches, rhythms, structures and instrumental colourings of Stravinskys music, however bold his innovations, but to something else entirely. The inward turned feet and graceless jumping and pumping gestures of the dancers were certainly denounced as bad taste and grotesque caricature, with witnesses suggesting such blasphemy to the elevated art of ballet was received as a direct insult to the integrity of the cultivated audience. But while representing somewhat of an innovation in dance style, the propulsion for such outrage seems more deeply rooted in the commentary of stylistic change on the nature and sociological function of the arts, and the implications of this change in structuring socio-economic factions. As expressed so concisely by Ekstein, Is there not sufficient evidence to suggest that the trouble was caused more by warring factions in the audience, by their expectations, their prejudices, their preconceptions about art, than by the work itself? The Nature of Revolution Thus it can be seen that Stravinskys Rite of Spring generated a series of revolutions at various levels. I have taken the term revolution to refer both to an upheaval of policy which breaks radically from the past, as well as to the cyclic implication of the word revolution, the continual and somewhat meditative return to a point, each time with new outlook. In musical terms, The Rite brought a repudiation of the post-Romantic and Impressionistic ideals which permeated the Parisian scene. The typical French soundworld cut clearly by Debussy, Saint-Saà «ns, Ravel, Massenet, Faurà ©; but notably never adopted nor remotely assimilated by Stravinsky, was in this case so thoroughly replaced by the primacy of clustered chordal rhythms, uncharacteristic harmonic motivation, and intervallic asymmetry in melodic structures that the French government was effectively overthrown. Despite much retrospective dispute to be discussed in due course, the programmatic genesis of The Rite was an imagined prehistoric ritual of a sacrificial virgin dancing herself to death to entice the gods of the seasons. It is implicit that although a fabricated mythology, the essence is of a tribal Russian character. Thus not only does the work posses a haunting, if not definitively terrifying spiritual presence of extraordinary power, but makes a simultaneous nationalistic statement in doing so which can simply not avoid political implication due to the aggression with which it is asserted. The combination of such pounding rhythmic impetus and the breadth of the chords with which this ruthless impetuosity so compulsively drummed sends out the message of its all-encompassing rule in an urgent, brutal S.O.S. The combination of relentless rhythm and hard-edged, dissonant chordal units has the tendency to give a sense of impulse associated with violence. Heavy and ultimately colourist ic percussion, brass and winds were featured, these being associated with outdoor, warring instrumental forces. However, as undoubtedly evidenced by ethnological studies, actions which may appear ferocious within a cultivated urban setting may hold completely different meaning within their own cultural context. That which we may observe as savage or defensive may in fact resonate with ecstasy and/or tribal belonging. A notable example of this is the distinct absence of clarity surrounding the nature of the virgins sacrifice; whether this pertains to a giving of her life or of her maidenhood. Either way, the surrender carries mixed emotions in its duality of horror with martyrdom, and equally for the Western listener, in its voyeuristic presentation. The mammoth scope and intensity of The Rite of Spring, dwarfing humanity and quashing everything in its path, is bigger than Paris, bigger than Christianity, bigger than social class structure, pearls and silks. The tribe is bigger than the individual. The Rite of Spring is bigger than artistic divertimento, The Rite of Spring is essentially bigger than the arts itself. Musical Modernism The Rite is widely considered to be the primary hallmark example of Modernism in music. It was praised and acclaimed primarily for its rhythmic innovation and asymmetry. The work is an informed but conscious reaction against the Germanic Romantic realism, French Impressionism and the generic urban industrialist mentalities which pervaded the compositional climate at the turn of the century. At the same time, through the recently discovered inclusion of abstracted folksong transcriptions, The Rite was a nod to Nationalistic tendencies, now on the rise with thanks to technological developments both in travel and the recording industry. This reactionary stance brought about by Modernism heralded the beginning of the current period of compositional production which encourages a multiplicity of styles for a multiplicity of audience tastes. Serialism and minimalism might coexist in the same cities; likewise Expressionism and Impressionism just across the border from each other. The major musical innovation of The Rite of Spring was a new and absolute denial of expectation in terms of meter and harmony. At the most basic level, Stravinsky instigated a complete regeneration of the conventions of functional pitch and rhythm in Western music. The works critical condemnation by Taruskin as anti-symphonic is certainly true in Schenkerian terms, in that pitch polarities in the scalic sense were radically abandoned: the leading note no longer led, the supertonic, subdominant and submediant no longer sought the triad. The same pertained to beat hierarchies within the bar and even the dominance of the downbeat. Established polarities and gravities which had evolved in due course over the history of Western music were at once relegated to something of the past. Instead, this music relaxed into a new and ultimately organic creation of expectation, allowing the music to breathe in every respect, through pause and rest, pace and weight, singing its strange new laments at whim of a deeper soul rather than stickytaped haphazardly onto someone elses framework. This is not to say that the concept of polarities became obsolete. To the contrary, organic weight and depth became the natural new order. Gravity and innate direction was now established through a more abstract tool of arched melodic contouring, essentially through patterning and figuration; if not in the primary melodic voice, then in the accompanying section. Whether or not the base of these arch structures held pitch significance to a tonicized, home or bassline pedal became irrelevant, as the weight of the fall was enough in itself to establish a root. In the works Introduction this is repeatedly evident: firstly in the clarinet section at Figure 1, bassoons after 3, flutes leading into Figure 7, etcetera. It is important to note that while harmonic motivations were annulled, homophonic motions continued to exist, primarily doing so in a polytonal setting: for example, intervallic relations at Figure 94 in The Mysterious Circles of the Young Girls, where the clarinets and later, first violin section, move languidly together at the 7th. As for rhythm, The Rite is perhaps most widely acclaimed for its eradication of meter as a polar tool and the subsequent introduction of the use of time signatures purely for organizational purposes. Its constantly shifting meters to the point of seasickness have retained their power of obscurity even to the present day. It has been mentioned that the undisputed reign of the downbeat had already been questioned. In Dance of the Adolescent Girls, the accentuation patterns in the string opening at Figure 13 are as good as anti-metric. Although the famous bassoon solo exists in somewhat of a dreamscape beyond the scope of meter, the weight of the downbows at the start of the second movement function effectively as a transition which is equally free of metric form. Melodic phrases are grouped into threes and fives, the bass at Figure 28, for example, delineating a broad 6/8+6/8 within a context where others are playing superficially in the notated meter of 2/4, but not within any kind of phrase arrangement sympathetic to the 3-bar base cushion. It follows that such freedom opens the floodgates for polymeters, and equally, polytonalities to coexist in true equality. A notational innovation particular to Stravinsky is the beaming of groups of notes such as quavers as they sound metrically, rather than the way they would ordinarily fit into a given duple or compound metric frame. This notational peculiarity makes the polymeters easy to identify from a visual standpoint. Structurally, much debate has ensued about the architecture of The Rite of Spring. The majority of critics of the period observed its construction as a series of independent dances in an almost Cubist-style pastiche. This reading supported the genesis of the work in the ballet tradition. The most vocal of these was Taruskin, who identified static blocks progressing, if at all, through repetition, alternation, and above all, sheer inertial accumulation Each chord or motif was so fixed that even transposition let alone transformation or transition were inconceivable. Such ideology has been recently challenged by the favoured notion of organic evolution at a more cellular level, essentially posing the possibility of through-composition. It seems natural and essentially implicit that the The Rite, by nature of its seasonal programmatic ties, should undergo a process of careful growth, cocooning and rebirth over of its visceral half hour in the ear. Revolutions of Appraisal The Rite of Spring also enjoyed what one might consider a series of revolutions of appraisal. Following the calamity of its original balletic premià ¨re, Stravinsky was quick to denounce the works tie to the stage so that it might exist independently in the concert hall in and of itself. It is no secret that he was disappointed in the product of Nijinsky and disenchanted with the production as a whole. Obviously there were also significant financial advantages to the works availability in concert version and this undoubtedly also played a role in its redefinition. Thus The Rites interdisciplinary conception was staunchly and quite strangely abandoned in favor of its musical construction insomuch as Stravinsky giving, over the course of his life, many dramatically differing accounts of factual events in an effort to disguise or distort the nature of its compositional origins. This somewhat mechanistic dissociation of the work towards an abstract, absolute and/or autonomous entity, wh ether or not it could possibly exist as such with its particular strength of character, was a telling precursor to Stravinskys Neoclassical mindset, a purging and reinvention of something heavy with baggage but which might then live on in its cleansed form. It is an inexplicable curiosity that in what van den Toorn describes as a complete reversal of the riot that had gone before, the 1914 premià ¨re performance of The Rite on the concert platform was an absolute unequivocal success; so much so that Stravinsky himself was hoisted to the shoulders of a few bystanders [and] led triumphantly from the hall of the Casino de Paris by an exuberant crowd of admirers. A further revolution in the works appreciation took place in the late 1960s based on the rediscovery of sketches, source materials and other evidence. Apparently this revisionist revival was equally enjoyed by the composer himself, who appeared equally interested to revisit the works origins in what was casually designated a r evisionist revival. As an aside, it is a curious multiplicity to note that the French version of the works title, Le Sacre du Printemps, identifies directly the character of the chosen maiden, Le sacre being the sacrificed one in question. In translation to The Rite, the work takes on a more holistic quality of process, ceremony and celebration. While originally conceived as a staged piece, the work is universally acknowledged for its complete bonding with dramatic vision, its honesty and rawness, unique in comparison with Stravinskys other work which is often heavy with satire and irony. In transferral to the concert platform, the intensity of the drama is so strong as to be able to hold its own even without an interdisciplinary accompaniment. The Rite is an existing and ultimately monumental fatalistic presence which, more surely than ever, needs no frame, no theatrical artifice. This is a work which seems perhaps more aptly suited to the genre of ceremonial theatre than to the stage or even the platf orm. Thus, the many revolutions, both instigated and undergone by Stravinskys Rite of Spring. The works historical evolution over the course of the 20th century as a pivotal compositional cornerstone has become modern-day folklore of its own, and of mammoth proportions; rousing freedom and preaching the Great Sacrifice for the sake of seasonal rebirth and newness of thought in a constantly revolving artistic climate.

Gay Marriage Should Be Legal Essay examples -- Papers Gay Marriage Hom

'Would legalization of gay marriage be good for the gay community?' Sam Isaacson wrote an article analyzing the opinion of the gay community on legalizing same sex marriages. It is somewhat of a controversial issue with the gay community whether or not marriage is a good thing. He divides the community into two groups: integrationists and liberationists. The controversy is caused because of these two different philosophical views. The integrationists want to be as normal as can be. They want to 'integrate' themselves into society. On the other hand, the liberationists cherish their gay culture with their own customs and values. The integrationists want gay marriage and the liberationists object to same sex marriage. Isaacson's belief is to consider the objections of the liberationists. However, he believes that legalization of marriage would benefit gays and society. The liberationists do not care for being part of the ?normal? society. They believe marriage would take away from their way of living and would show that marriage is the right way to live. Isaacson states, ?...

Operations objectives at Penang Mutiara Essay

Qn 1a) Describe how you think Wernie will make sure that the way he manages the hotel is appropriate to the way it competes for business; Penang Mutiara, being one of the most prestigious hotels in Penang, have managed to secure a foothold in this lucrative and highly competitive environment. Wernie has the vision and very clear focused beliefs about the importance of running an effective operation where customers have every right to demand for first class service which they are obliged to provide for. Assuming neighbouring competitors such as Pelangi Beach Resort Langkawi and Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort who is adopting common strategies like pricing and product strategies, Penang Mutiara aim at providing impeccable quality and customer orientated strategy to provide a personal touch as part of its uniqueness to retain customers. In order to compete for business and to keep abreast with stiff competition in the hotel industry, currently, Wernie adopted impeccable quality strategy where he recognizes that â€Å"it is impeccable service which gives us our competitive advantage, not price.† Since it is cheaper to retain regular guests than to attract new ones, he understand the advantage of retaining regular guests through providing impeccable services which will in a way retain high occupancy rates to keep costs down while achieving reasonable profitability. To achieve that, he set basic standards for his staff to be well trained, knowledgeable, sensitive and anticipative to think ahead in order to provide basic and value-added services to satisfy customer’s needs. The ability to remember regular customer’s information and personal preferences can also add on to a personal touch upon their next visit. Additionally, quality services in terms of providing stylish design and top-class materials and being able to practise good preventive maintenance to the building structure and equipment is also another way of sustaining high class image and luxury atmosphere to create a comfortable feeling to welcome visiting guests. Wernie also measure the performance based on five performance objectives of Quality, Speed, Dependability, Flexibility and Cost. To conclude, even though Penang Mutiara managed to maintain its competitiveness with their current strategy in the short run, however it is not sufficient to remain competitiveness due to volatile market demand. Moreover, with the emergence of the global tourism, hospitality industry and globalization with competition from ubiquitously, the need to augment existing and new strategies need to be address speedily. Qn 1b) Describe how you think Wernie will implement any change in strategy; Wernie should introduce new strategies to supplement and implement further changes to enhance the existing strategy. To implement speedily new changes in the short term, supply chain management method can be used to improve internal processes rapidly can also be utilised to stay competitive. The strength of Penang Mutiara includes the strategic location of being secluded and tranquil and with Wernie who has vast experience at managing luxury hotel worldwide, he has the ability to lead and influence the staff to bring about better internal functions. To sustain existing quality strategy, Wernie can adopt proactive approach to enhance and maintain consistentancy in quality and level of services by conducting staff training, retrain and upgrading of skills to meet the volatile market demand and unpredictable customer expectation. He should always review and set new service standards for the staff for continuous improvement, conduct regular focus group studies to predict future customer requirements in terms of service and facilities, minimise and eliminate high employee turnover at the front desk by taking good care of staff welfare, and exercise job rotation of staff to promote innovation and creativity in the job. To supplement the informal channels of communication, regular consumer’s opinion surveys can be conducted for rating to monitor the quality of its services and quality and efficiency as part of the feedback method. With the target group of corporate businessman and to enhance its competitiveness, Wernie can adopt new flexibility strategy by utilisation of most advance reservations technology and internet for hotel reservations. He can also offer online competitive rates while ensuring complete security of customers’ personal information and credit card details and offer instant confirmation for hotel reservations to promote efficiency. Marketing strategies is an important vision for growing of the profitability and value of the hotel such as introduction of frequent user programme, loyalty card program with further savings for travel and vacation plans. Hotel can also host elite social and sporting events which include International wine and food festival, polo championship, international cup to provide a platform to showcase its various expertises in lifestyle creation which can help to boost high occupancy rates also. With business travel growing at a faster pace than leisure, Wernie should expand target group to include corporate, business travel package and tourist group to bring in more profits. New lifestyle experiences and F & B concept strategy can also be implemented to define the highest standards of service excellence. 1c) Describe how you think Wernie will develop his operation so that it drives the long-term strategy of the hotel. In 3 to 5 years time, operations challenge and threats which include globalization of markets, social responsibility, influence of new technologies and emergence of knowledge management will have an immense impact on Penang Mutiara. Since majority of the revenues in hospitality will be generated from the Internet. By 2006, the Internet will contribute over 24% of all hotel bookings which will be direct-to-consumer (i.e. via hotel-owned websites). To overcome the threats, Wernie can enhance the technology strategy, stay ahead of his competitors and capture new market share with an effective Direct Online Distribution Strategy with the advantages of having direct online distribution cuts costs, attracts affluent customers and lessens the dependency on online discounters and more traditional and expensive channels. It will also provide the hotel with long-term competitive advantages and lessen their dependence on intermediaries, discounters and traditional channels that are about to become obsolete. Wernie can also employ all Direct Channel strategies such as email and pay-per-click marketing, link creation, lowest price guarantee, loyalty and retention programs, and trust building to encourage, entice, and convert lookers into bookers on his website. Other measures also includes: re-evaluate his exposure in the Indirect Online Distribution Channel to avoid brand and price erosion with long-term negative repercussions ; limitation of exposure in the Indirect Channel to only a selected number of hotel-friendlier intermediaries ; institute a comprehensive Total Online Distribution Strategy, which turns the direct-to-consumer distribution model into the main focus of his Internet strategy and optimizes the Direct vs. Indirect Channel balance for the hotel ; subscribe competitive intelligence to allow him to help him to identify hotel pricing and positioning on major indirect channels throughout the Internet, and assure he maintain control of pricing with positioning without having to necessarily match lower competitive rates. He can also adopt further strategies such as Website Optimization Strategy, comprehensive Destination Web Strategy, perform a robust Search Engine Strategy and partner with an experienced eBusiness hospitality consultancy to help him navigate the Internet and utilize the Direct Online Distribution Channel to its fullest potential at reasonable cost, with quick turnaround. In the long run, Wernie should look into diversification and expand globally, divest non-core properties, target new source markets such as Southeast Asia, China and India. As part of human resource management, Wernie should encourage two way communications between higher management and staff. Participation by all levels of staff should be encourage to provide feedback and suggestions to improvise operations and services since they are the people who have the most contact and are in direct contact with the customers. They are the ones who knows customers demands and are able to receive immediate feedback and valuable responses which are necessary for continuous improvement. While implementing operation changes, Wernie must be able to deal with cultural changes and changes in mindset of the staff in order to succeed in any minor or major restructuring of operations management of the hotel As part of its long term strategy, Wernie can adopt performance management to achieve long term, strategic cost reduction. Secondly, Total quality management, which is concerned with the continuous improvement of all aspects of operations performance, can also be adopted to continually meet and exceed unanticipating expectations of customers. To conclude, achieving competitive advantage through achieving accolades by winning several prestigious international awards in the long run can also enhance the hotel name to bring in stable revenues and profits. Qn 2) The case describes how quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost impact on the hotel’s external customers. Explain how each of these performance objectives might have internal benefits. The five performance objectives of Quality, Speed, Dependability, Flexibility and Cost will have an impact and benefits on both internal and external customers of the hotel. Quality objective, which means doing things right can benefit external  customers by  delivering impeccable quality service to achieve service excellence. Internally, staff can achieve satisfaction by providing error-free goods and services to give quality advantage to the external customers. With the minimization of blunders, time and cost of rectifying the mistakes are reduced effectively. Achieving high customer satisfaction will lead to the likelihood that the customer will return. Dependability also increases as it leads to a stable and efficient organization. It also enables high motivation, high morale, and great satisfaction of staff. Staff will have a sense of belonging and security for being part of the organization. All these will lead to efficient organization. Speed objective which means doing things right, can benefit external customers by giving them a speed advantage to receive the services in the shortest possible time with minimum delay. Internally, it effectively minimizes the response time to deliver services to the customers which in turn reduce the labour cost and increasing the availability of services, allow speedy decision-making and speedy movement of materials and information inside the operation. It also reduces risks and inventories. Help to establish and maintain hotel’s image and reputation, reduce backlog since there won’t be much follow up. Reduce wastage of labour and can concentrate on providing good service to other guests. Dependability objective, which means to do things on time and to deliver timely promises made to the customers. External customers can gain a dependability advantage should operations staff are able to succeed this objective. Internally, it enables staff to win mutual trust and increases operational reliability of internal customers in delivering services thus saving time, money due to ineffective use of time. It can also achieve a high level of trust between departments and minimize disruptions. If all departments are  dependable and everything in an operation is perfectly dependable and in the case of any emergency or disruptions, each department knows what to do and their roles and duties of how to overcome the situation where everything will be predictable with no â€Å"surprises†. Flexibility objectives, with the ability to make changes to allow flexibility to vary and adapt the operations activities to cope with unforeseen circumstances. Externally, customers are able to enjoy the flexibility advantage to receive customised services according to their personal preferences should they have any. Internally, it can speed up response time, save time wasted in changeover and maintain dependability. Flexibility in deployment of staff who is able to multi task during emergency or peak season as extra help can help to avoid work overload by hiring temporary staff. Staffs enjoy the benefit of empowerment to make speedy decisions in order to achieve efficiency so as to reduce seeking high authority approval which take ages. Cost objectives by doing things cheaply, seek to influence the cost of the hotel’s goods and services. Externally, it can pass good value and savings to consumers. Internally, by allowing a good return to the organization, low operating expenses and low employment overhead by engaging temporary staff during peak period to avoid abundant staff after the season can achieve cost reduction which means more incentives, welfare and bonuses for staff (Total word count : 1957 words) BIBLIOGRAPHY 1) Operations management – 3rd edition, Nigel Slack 2) Cases in Operations management – 2nd edition, Robert Johnston 3) Business strategy in Asia (A casebook) – 2nd edition, Kulwant Singh 4) http://asiatravel.com/malaysia/penangmutiara/index.html 5) www.penang-mutiara.com.my 6) http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2004_1st/Feb04_OnlineStrategy.html

Difference Between the USA Foreign and Domestic Policy Free Essay Example, 750 words

One of the key focal points in American history that aim to solve the enigma of the isolationist policy of American politics is indeed very interesting to study. The birth of a new nation undoubtedly sparked the interest of international nations as well. After the Spanish American War, the Americans wanted peace and stability of mind. Undoubtedly, the US could remain as an isolationist as it continued to expand outward. Even looking back at history, the country s attempt to remain an isolationist during both World War II was not susceptible. The US verily had to enter both World Wars since it became a leader in the Western frontier. The United States returned to isolationist foreign policy since domestic problems plagued the country. Furthermore, Europe was in chaos itself and the US could not afford to indulge itself in such petty issues. However, one can argue that the isolationist policy did have some ramifications toward American diplomacy. The United States embodied the foreign policy of isolationism into an international role because it wanted to strengthen its capitalistic economy, address reform, acknowledge immigration and continue to pursue its beautiful American dream even though it lost threshold in foreign affairs. The roots of isolationism were well established years before independence. We will write a custom essay sample on Difference Between the USA Foreign and Domestic Policy or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page It fought the Mexican War and the Spanish-American War without assistance from any other nations. Thus, the isolationism theory that oozed out of American diplomacy can be traced as far as the colonial era The Monroe Doctrine was one of the most pivotal documents that embodied the non- interventionist policy that dominated American affairs. Post World War I, a shift to consumers began. Magazines were printed to appeal to society and the rise of newspaper emerged. In essence, America s economy shifted to consumerism with the rise of advertising. However, Roosevelt took a different approach to foreign policy. Roosevelt insisted on ruling with American dominance. His statement Speak softly and carry a big stick was a testament towards his action. Roosevelt was a super force to finish the completion of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt clearly wanted to expand the horizons of American influence and prodigy of the United States on international affairs. He insisted on a powerful army and navy that would not be susceptible to be intimidated by any other nations. Undoubtedly, Roosevelt pursued the similar policy that McKinley possessed in ending the relative isolationism that had dominated the country until his leadership. Roosevelt also took part in the Spanish-American War, in which he induced the dominance and his assertiveness by influencing Congress to enact bills to fight Spain and take the Philippines. Taft took a similar approach to abandon isolationism and continued to induce the influence of American foreign diplomacy. Taft aggressively pursued the nation s role in funding hard and soft public infrastructure by promoting the economic development in Latin America. His policy was coined as Dollar Diplomacy in which he called the national government to fund money to develop infrastructure. It was a great strategy in American foreign policy as America not only gained influence in Latin American affairs but also earned revenue off the interest with the loans it provided. The American commerce routes were fundamentally solidified in such a manner that it gave America leverage and an edge that most nations lack. The US Army at this pointed continued to get stronger through the acquisition of not only the location but acquiring firearms and battleships from Latin America. Clearly, this was beneficial for America as it solidified their grounds of influence and supremacy compared to other world nations. With the industrial age boosting the economy, Americans were able to establish critical trade routes that can facilitate and harness the growth of the economy. In addition, America s quest to seek imperialism allowed it to dominate almost in every acquisition it desired. The isolationist policy only accommodated America s interests until a certain time period. However, with Taft and Roosevelt leading the charge, it became clear that America will once again continue to expand its horizons and seek new frontiers.