Working Together Story

It was a blustery Wednesday night; the sun was setting and darkness was descending on the public fields. A whistle blew and the boys playing football on the field all gathered round a small bald headed man called Kev Smith. Kev was the manager of a failing boys football team in the Greater Manchester U16'S 4th division. The team hadn't won a game for seven months and were last in the lowest league they could possibly be in. ‘Well done lads' said Kev with his harsh shrill voice, ‘ I have seen some promising things in training tonight and I'm sure if we keep training like that, we'll improve our skills and maybe not lose a game in the foreseeable future†¦ 12 ‘o' clock Sunday, next game†¦it's at home†¦. Be promt' he clapped his hands and the boy's departed, joking and messing about. Kev collected in the balls and poles and got into his car. On his way home, he put his team, (Oldham Fliers), into perspective- he realised his team was appalling. The goalkeeper only played there because he couldn't kick the ball. The defenders are rash and about as pacey as a slug, the midfield couldn't dribble or pass to save their life and the attackers had the flair and finishing of a bus. He laughed to himself, but in his heart he badly wanted his team to get a result one of these days, so they can experience triumph and taste victory. Sunday arrived- a cup game between Oldham fliers and second division leaders Rochdale boys. In the parks changing room, morale was low for Oldham. They're faded red plain shirts looked pathetic and their shorts of all colours looked shabby. ‘Now look lads, just because these lads have fancy kits and are in a higher league, doesn't mean we can't try as hard as them†¦all I want from you is 110 percent.' There was a uneasy pause and everyone looked at the floor ‘Here's today's team†¦ Twiggy, Goal, left Back, Dave Slowmann, right back, Joe Horsmann, centre backs, captain Si Horlock and Andy Fotheringham, midfield, Jason Frog, Jamie Stutterford, Lee Black and Andy Cheffsson an upfront we'll have Chris Gallagher and Paul Howmann.' The team were so unorganised they didn't even have any substitutes! ‘Come on lads lets give this all we've got and put it to them.' The unenthusiastic boys trudged out of the changing room onto the battlefield on which they were about to be conquered. The game ended 11-0 to Rochdale. Oldham played with no commitment and were frail at the best of times, things couldn't get much worse than this for the club. At half-time Kev tried his best to lift the players confidence and get them fired up for the game, but alls Kev could manage to do was warm them up by bringing them back into the changing room for the half-time break. The players ran around laboriously and panicked every time the ball came to one of them. The Oldham players strolled of the pitch and didn't look in the least surprised at the hammering. The clubs morale was also at an all time low and when a team are lacking confidence and morale it is visible by their performances. Kev said to his players while he was getting changed ‘If we want to win, we have to believe we're not beaten before we have even played the game.' Kev left and drove off, leaving the boys to change and talk alone. The silent boys than began to murmur amongst themselves until Andy Fotheringham made him self heard among the other boys, he said to them' Lets put in an extra special effort in training next week for Kev and play with some direction for a change, because we all want to, its†¦ it's†¦ just we don't believe we can, but I'm sure if we all tried and felt more confidence on the ball we could pull together and get a result. The boys started to murmur to each other more loudly and they all decided Andy was right and that they should all have some faith in themselves and try and pull off a result for Kev†¦ who gave up his time, week in, week out. Wednesday night arrived, and the team was warming up and running around the field before Kev arrived. When Kev pulled up at the pitch in his car he was astonished to see his lads doing something constructive instead of what they usually do before training which is throw mud at each other and try to trip each other over. Without saying anything to the boys Kev set up a drill and removed the equipment from the back of his car. The boys were far more accurate than usual when they did shooting practice and in the game at the end of training every single player ran around more and attempted more longer, harder passes and even some players thought up some neat moves and scored some excellent goals! Kev was surprised to say the least at his teams ‘confident' display. He thought to himself ‘what's brought this on?' Kev said ‘Home again on Sunday†¦ 1'o' clock. Lets put all our effort in training to good use in our game on Sunday†¦ all right lads?' Kev packed up the balls and cones and still couldn't believe his teams morale boost. Kev got in his car and drove off, leaving the pitch and hopefully the clubs slump behind him. ‘Same team as last week' said the sub-less once again manager. The words Kev said seemed to echo over the blank changing room walls, Today's fixture was against fellow strugglers in the league Salford all stars C team. ‘Lets show some confidence today lads and get this elusive result.' Without further ado the team left and were warming up on the pitch. It was amazing†¦ 0-0 at half time. Oldham hadn't conceded a goal and even looked dangerous! Every Salford attack was neatly broken down and despatched to a team-mate further up the pitch. Full-time came and Kev was numb from shock. It was the last minute, Lee black made a surging run and whipped in a hopeful looking cross which was rather awkwardly met by the head of Chris Gallagher, the ball skimmed of his head and looped over the advancing keeper and into an open net. The whistle blew and the boys stood still, they didn't know what to do, when it had sunk in they had scored they shouted and ran around pointlessly and even better the last touch the ball got from Chris' head was the final touch of the game and Oldham had ran out 1-0 victors! The disgraced Salford team plodded back in silence to their changing room. In the Oldham changing room the lads were making a hell of a noise chanting some English Anthems like ‘We're going to wembley' and ‘we are the champions' When Kev came in the boys fell silent. ‘For once, today we played as a team who believed in themselves and believe me lads, we played some very attractive football today, we should use this magnificent result as a building block for hopefully many more wins for the club†¦ so lets get ourselves in gear now and take this club into division 3!' said an ecstatic Kev. The boys all agreed with Kev and agreed they should all from now on work more together as a team. 5 years on Oldham Fliers are in division 3 and have attained a respectable league position, and have some talented young players†¦ and yes Kev is still there week in, week out.

Jesus Christ Essay

Hate is one of the human’s feelings. It is a complex subject to study its reasons, causes and consequences. Broadly saying hate in this or that manifestation is one of the reasons of the majority of the violent crimes. Hate is used as an ideological background for a number of violent acts ranging from the street and terrorist attacks to full scale wars. Hate may be either justified in this or that way or it may be impulsive, based on the race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or national origin. In the first case when the hate is caused by the unjust treatment it may be defined as rational, in the second one it is irrational (John R. Schafer, MA and Joe Navarro, MA, 2003). One of the most significant examples of the hate group is Aryan Nations. Aryan Nations is a typical hate organization promoting the white race supremacy. It is the political arm of the †White Identity Church of Jesus Christ-Christian,† long led by Richard Butler. The movement promotes the heresy known as †Christian Identity. † (Apologetics Index, 2006). The ideological background of the Aryan Nations is anti-Semitism. Paramilitary hate group Aryan Nations was founded in the mid-1970s by Rev. Richard Girnt Butler, now 77 years old. It was formed around Butler’s Church of Jesus Christ Christian, one of the several hundred churches affiliated with â€Å"Identity,† a pseudo-theological hate movement. Identity doctrine maintains that Anglo-Saxons, not Jews, are the Biblical â€Å"chosen people,† that non-whites are â€Å"mud people† on the level of animals, and that Jews are â€Å"children of Satan. † (The Nizkor Project, 2006). The anti-Semitism has been of the main hate ideologies since the biblical times. It was utilized by the worst human hating regimes, the most vivid examples of which were the Fascist regimes in Germany and Italy. The anti-Semitism doctrine as an ideology compromised itself in the 20th century. Aryan Nations militantly advocates anti-Semitism and the establishment of a white racist state. A statement of beliefs on the Aryan Nations Web site declares: â€Å"The Jew is like a destroying virus that attacks our racial body to destroy our Aryan culture and purity of our race. Those of our Race who resist these attacks are called ‘chosen and faithful. ‘† (Aryan Nations/Church of Jesus Christ Christian, 2006). In their â€Å"Declaration of Independence† the ideologists of the Aryan Nations declare threat to the white Americans from the federal government which pursues the interests of the Jewish rulers. The ideologists of the Aryan Nations state that only the Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, Teutonic, Scandinavian, Celtic peoples are the descendants of biblical Adam and the rest are the descendants of Cain and they are the results of the Eve’s original sin. The Aryan Nations leaders identify the Jews as the main threat to the white race. This movement could be considered as political and a religious movement. This is one of the causes of the extreme danger of Aryan Nations. Violence is declared by the leaders of the group. The motto of the group as indicated in its web site is â€Å"Violence Solves Everything! †. Still the original biblical part of the ideology of the Aryan Nation has been completely confused because the calls for violence became the dominating ones. The ideologies of Aryan Nations declaring their Christian origin try to support their violent call with the Muslim militant motto â€Å"Allahu Akbar! † (http://www. aryan-nations. org/) thus bringing complete confusion into their ideological basis. According to Aryan Nations â€Å"That VIOLENCE â€Å"IS† THE ONLY SOLUTION! You can no longer look toward local, state or federal law enforcement authorities to protect you, your families or your interests from these invaders† (Aryan Nations web site, 2006). The â€Å"Christian† identity of Aryan Nations was expressed by the leader of the group August Kreis in his comments on the 9/11 attacks and his attitude towards Al-Qaeda, â€Å"†You say they’re terrorists, I say they’re freedom fighters. And I want to instill the same jihadic feeling in our peoples’ heart, in the Aryan race, that they have for their father, who they call Allah. † (Henry Schuster, March 29, 2005). Such sayings put off the religious part from the Aryan Nations ideology leaving the extremist one. Terror unites the â€Å"proponents† of some special â€Å"violent† Christianity and Mohammedanism. In fact the only things which may unite both groups are the hate, extremism and terror which they share as basic of their ideologies. In fact, Aryan Nations have a lot of common features with the extremist Muslim groups. They share the same anti-Semitism, they accept the same terror methods and they lack any constructive ideology. They both base their activity on the hate which is destructive in its nature. The numerous hate groups whose ideologies are based on the irrational hatred can hardly find any serious political support in such democratic and a multinational country as the United States. As for the connections of the hate groups with the Muslim extremists, they are not new. During the WWII the leader of the German Nazis Adolph Hitler tried to find the connections with the Muslim extremists. Moreover, some Nazis found refuge in Egypt and Syria after WWII. At the same time it is too early to speak about the real alliance between Neo-Nazis and Muslim extremists. Most likely the leaders of Aryan Nations express their desire to create such an alliance and it proves the ultimate danger of the group. â€Å"Mark Potok, of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said that while some U. S. extremists applauded the September 11 attacks, there is no indication of such an alliance — at least not yet, and not on a large scale. If it exists anywhere, he said, it is in the mind (and the Internet postings) of August Kreis. † (Henry Schuster, 2005). At the same time the Aryan Nations desire to link to the most dangerous terrorist organization confirms the fact that Aryan Nations may become the serious threat to the national security of the United States. Bibliography John R. Schafer, MA and Joe Navarro, MA, The seven-stage hate model: The psychopathology of hate groups, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin/March 1, 2003, available at http://www. rickross. com/reference/hate_groups/hategroups355. html, retrieved 06. 12. 2006

I Have Taken Endeavors At Balfour Downs Station At The...

I have taken endeavors in this venture. In any case, it would not have been conceivable without the kind bolster and help of numerous people and associations. I might want to extend my true because of every one of them. I am exceptionally obligated to Amity University for their direction and consistent supervision and also for giving important data in regards to the undertaking additionally for their backing in finishing the task . I might want to express my appreciation towards my chief Ms. Shaily Dabra for her kind co-operation and support which help me in culmination of this undertaking. I might want to express my uncommon appreciation and because of industry persons for issuing me such consideration and time. My much appreciated and thanks additionally go to my partner in building up the venture and individuals who have energetically bailed me out with their capacities. About The Author Pilkington was conceived at Balfour Downs Station close to the north western Australia settlement of jigalong. Her mom, Molly, named her Nugi Garimara, however she was called Doris after Molly s superintendent at the station, Mary Dunnet, who thought Nugi was an imbecilic name. As her introduction to the world was unregistered, her introduction to the world date was recorded as 1 July 1937 by the Department of Native Affairs. She was taken from her mom to be raised at the Moore River mission when she was three and a half years old. Her sister, Annabelle, was

Taking a Look at the Cold War - 1243 Words

The Cold war The cold war began in 1945 and last till 1990.It involved many nation but the two main opponents were the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The cold war was a conventional power struggle between the two greatest military powers of the age . However; the Cold War was a struggle for world influence between two ways of life. The conflict in ideologies between capitalism and communism resulted in one of the greatest conflicts of the twentieth century ². The ideology that freedom and democracy would die under communist rule caused the United States to start a conflict that would last for decades. The decisions made by the United States in W.W.II also caused tensions to rise between the U. S. and the Soviet Union. The political relations going on in Europe during and directly after World War II had an enormous effect on laying the foundation for the Cold War. War time conferences such as Yalta and Terhran severed the relationship between the communists and the ca pitalists. At the end of W.W.II American policy towards the Soviets changed drastically. The change in president in 1945 caused relations with Russia to worsen. Furthermore, other political contributions to the Cold War entailed the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. The division of Europe between the west and east drew physical borders which outlined that the war of misinformation that had began.. were in some war effected by, or a product of the clash of opposite ideologies thatShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at the Cold War1676 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cold War was a very scary and very horrible time between two countries after post war and each side was a very strong and had a lot of power:the USA and the USSA .At that time when everything was in tense there were some things,which they wanted to increase pulses between both the East and West but none of them where affect weapons of mass distractions was involved. In most tense moments of the Cold War was time when were due to the associate nuclear weapons.The fears of the new nuclear weaponsRead MoreTaking a Look at the Cold War996 Words   |  4 Pagesof World War II in the summer of 1945. The Soviet Union and the United States, having been on the Allies fighting against the Axis, were both victorious world superpowers at the end of WWII. With conflicting government systems (on one side socialism and on the other democracy) however, these two nations would fight a cold war for the next few decades in hope of making their rule secure. This would shape America’s foreign and domestic policy for the next few decades and define the Cold War presidentsRead MoreTaking a Look at the Cold War786 Words   |  3 PagesThe Cold War The Cold War was a time after World War II, so from 1945 to 1991, where the USA (United States of America) and the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) had very different views on what the new world should be like. The Cold War drew international interest for decades. Many major conflicts occurred. The conflicts consisted of the Vietnam War, the Korean War and many others. For most people though, the Cold War was about the creation and the use of weapons of mass destruction,Read MoreTaking a Look at the Cold War1237 Words   |  5 Pagescovering is the Cold War and question number six. The Roosevelt Administration was determined to avoid a retreat like the one that followed WWI. The United States itself had sole possession of the atomic bomb. The United States goal was to expand democracy. America saw that there needed to be global economic reconstruction. The Soviets looked to model the rest of the world after their own values and origins. It indeed had to do with Soviet E xpansion. The Russians didn’t want to go to war with the UnitedRead MoreTaking a Look at the Cold War633 Words   |  2 Pagesattack on Pearl Harbor and United State’s involvement in World War II, we remained an isolationist country. Once World War II ended, the United States left isolationism behind and began a quest to abolish communism during the Cold War, involving many nations. Although the success of the containment policy in South America and Asia was not identical, each were beneficial in decreasing communism during the Cold War. Throughout the Cold War, communistic governments were rising all over the world. In SouthRead MoreTaking a Look at the Cold War574 Words   |  2 PagesFollowing World War II, relations between the United States and the Soviet Union quickly deteriorated as both countries began to question the other country’s leader and political system. This mistrust would eventually lead to the Cold War, which lasted until the collapse of the USSR in 1991. The Cold War consisted of no direct fighting, however each country was prepared for war with nuclear weapons. As Stalin began to lead the Soviet Union into Communism, Americans began to fear the possibility ofRead MoreA Social Examination On The Cold War969 Words   |  4 Pagestakes a social examination on the war against communism in the book, Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era. May portrays the idea that the nuclear family structure was a way to amplify resistance against communism. The exterior threat of communism during the postwar and the Cold War era caused for interrelationships within marriages to become a longer and more stable environment. Compared to the previous book we read as a class, May takes a deeper look into history and finds geopoliticalRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union After World War II874 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cold War was a direct result of the feud between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II. Due to this feud both countries made alliances, Canada went with the United States as well as many other countries and together formed NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Following the influence and model of the United States’ social structure and capitalist economy, as well as the constant threat of nuclear warfare and communism, a new social structure was created within CanadaRead MoreStructural Realism After The Cold War853 Words   |  4 PagesIn examining Kenneth Waltz s â€Å"Structural Realism after the Cold War,† 1 and Andrew Moravcsik s â€Å"Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics,†2 it is clear that theories presented in each (Realism and Liberalism) are at odds with one another in many ways. But why did the authors reach the conclusions they did about the way that states behave in the international system? This paper seeks to answer that question. In â€Å"Structural Realism...† Waltz defends his theory of StructuralRead MorePros And Cons Of The Space Race1669 Words   |  7 Pagesspace race and who was involved? P, 3 o Nasa p. 4 o when did it occur p. 5 o COLD WAR p. 6 o pro’s and con’s p. 7 8 o Was it worthwile p. 9 o Bibliography

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1327 Words

The Great Gatsby The 1920’s, also known as the â€Å"Roaring Twenties† and â€Å"Jazz Age†, marked an era of social changes and cultural differences in the United States. It was a time where women weren’t seen just for their â€Å"housewife† roles, but for their new rights and freedoms. Technology was expanding, prohibition against alcohol developed, and the cultural civil war began. All of these racy changes that developed in the decade of the 1920s are expressed in the book, The Great Gatsby. (History) In 1919, under the 19th amendment women were given the right to vote in the 1920 election.(Dismore) Women became more independent. In this era you were either seen as the upper class or the working class. Daisy, which was viewed as the â€Å"upper class†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦The narrator, Nick Carraway is moving from Minnesota to New York to the â€Å"West Egg† of Rhode Island. The west egg was known for people that just discovered their ric hes and haven’t been able to create social connections or meet the right people yet. Mr. Carraway, a businessman shortly discovers his neighbor, Mr. Gatsby. Carraway became very intrigued by the lifestyle that Mr. Gatsby was living. Although the west egg was known for people not having any connections, Nick went to Yale and knows many people in the â€Å"East Egg†, one of which is his sister, Daisy. The West Egg and the East Egg were two very different types of lifestyles even though both included riches. The 1920’s were known for extravagant parties and flapper girls. Nick Carraway attended a party in the city and became fascinated with the people that filled the room. Despite the annoyance that was showed through Nick’s character, he decides to stay and take it all in. Carraway was stunned to have Mr. Gatsby as his neighbor because he was known for throwing over the top parties and was excited he would be attending more now. Nick was unsure if he would receive an invitation or not based upon his â€Å"social class.† Social class didn’t mean much to Gatsby and he invited both â€Å"Eggs† and didn’t care what others thought of it. Gatsby’s lifestyle drove Nick wild and he wanted to understand how he became this wealthy since nobody

Advantages of Video Games free essay sample

Video games are a favorite past time for kids and adults as well. Video game is gaining popularity by the day. Studies reveal that computer and video games play a vital role in healing and convalescing. Studies also show that the excitement of video games makes playing them addictive. They are not just for entertainment alone, they can aid in education as well. Playing active video games may stop children from becoming obese. Good-quality video games can provide fun and social form of entertainment. They can encourage teamwork and cooperation when played with others.It increases childrens self-confidence and self-esteem as they master games. It develops skills in reading, math, and problem-solving. Playing high-quality video games enhances and boosts the performance of the children. Likewise continuous exposure to violent games can make children aggressive. Now, the gaming industry has begun producing active ‘entertainment’ gaming systems. The world is going berserk over the wide range of video and computer games that are developed and sold everyday. We will write a custom essay sample on Advantages of Video Games or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If you are a game freak then there are comprehensive collections of game portals. While some are downloadable at free of cost, others are not.Most of the highly interactive games are available for purchase. However if you are looking for cheap or discounted prices then coupons are the best way to avail such offers. There is a site that offers coupons and coupon codes from different merchants related to video games. When you visit the site you will find different stores from which you can choose and select the store that interests you and click on the site to get coupons directly from the merchants. The coupons are updated regularly. There are several major gaming online stores on this site. Therefore you need not search for different websites for game downloads.You can save time by just visiting this site and get all that you need instantly. There is a lot to save from the coupons that the site offers. You can get great bargain of almost up to 50% off. This would increase your savings and enables you to get additional fun in other form. There are fabulous special discount sale events that take place very often. Thus there are best deals always. Check for coupons and discounts regularly and take advantage of them. There are special exciting gaming packages for kids that are meant not just for fun but also help in form of educating them.

Tourism In Italy Essay Example For Students

Tourism In Italy Essay You would not know it from the English-language signs promising to servepassengers quckly, but Naples Capodichino airport is British-owned. InAugust, 70% of it was bought by BAA, a company that also runs, among otherthings, Londons main airport, Heathrow. For the Italian south this is a symbolof hope. Finding an international firm of this calibre willing to invest therehas greatly boosted its confidence. BAA, for its part, was attracted by thesouths tourist potential, but spent three years thinking hard about the $44mdeal. What clinched it in the end was the enthusiasm of Antonio Bassolino, themayor of Naples since 1993. He won round BAA bosses with his clear commitment toprivatisation, and fought off opposition at home to foreign ownership, brandedas colonisation by the British. A former communist fundamentalist, MrBassolino is an unlikely champion of privatisation. But the BAA deal is noone-off. Mr Bassolino boasts about selling the municipal dairy-What was a citycouncil doing sell ing milk?-and about pioneering, with Merrill Lynch, Italysfirst international municipal bond issue, which sold well in America. The cashwas used to renovate the citys public transport system. He is promotingpublic-private partnerships; and he has just persuaded the Chinese commercialfleet to use Naples as its main container port for serving Europe. The citysinefficient bureaucracy has been shaken up, with the mayor leading by example. We will write a custom essay on Tourism In Italy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now His distinctly un-Neapolitan punctuality and long working hours have earned himthe nickname the German. Using money for hosting the G7 summit in 1994 as acatalyst, the city has cleaned and restored many of its vast number of touristattractions. It has also extended its opening hours and cleared the main piazzasof parked cars (though not, alas, of moving mopeds). Mr Bassolino talks withpassion of re-born civic pride, of the need for Naples to solve its ownproblems. The south has been living on money from the government for toolong, he says; this has created a deadly dependence. Mr Bassolino explainsthat he has been able to make these changes only thanks to a new system,introduced in 1993, for the direct election of mayors in cities throughoutItaly. This gave him a mandate for four years, allowed him to appoint his ownsenior officials, and made him directly accountable to the electorate ratherthan to party politicians on the city council-who cannot now remove him withoutalso triggering new city-council elections. Past mayors, chosen by the rulingparty on the council, did well to last a year. Direct election has produced acrop of impressive new city mayors all over the south (and some in the north,too), many of whom have followed Naples strategy of promoting cultural tourismand tackling inefficient bureaucracy. Their first test will come later thismonth, when some of them are up for re-election. But there is still plenty ofinefficient southern bureaucracy left. Consider, for example, the startlingstatistic that in 1996 Italy managed to spend only 30% of its entitlement to EUmoney to help disadvantaged regions such as the mezzogiorno. The countrys localand regional governments, it seems, are not even up to collecting hand-outs. TheEU increasingly allocates money to specific projects instead of handing it overin a chunk. That means local administrators have to prepare a project submissionand translate it for officials in Brussels, for which many of them at presentla ck the skills. But things may be getting better, slowly. For instance, aEurope Office with English-speaking staff has been set up in Palermos cityhall. Bassolinos new recipe for Naples Bureaucracy has also made it hard to doanything new. One big firm wanted to sink some wells so it could build a newplant in Sicily. Enzo Bianco, the mayor of Catania, tells the story of how,after two years of waiting, the firm made its fourth phone call to the regionalgovernment, only to be told that if you call a fifth time, you will never getpermission. Mr Bianco has made some improvements in his city, includingsetting up a one-stop shop to help firms with permits. But much remains tobe done, he says: over the years, the impact of bureaucracy on Sicilysdevelopment has been no less than the impact of the Mafia. Who is the bossnow? The Mafia (along with similar criminal organisations, such as the Camorrain Naples) remains a huge problem for the south. Even in areas where theinfluence of organised crim e has been greatly reduced, the image of Mafiaviolence continues to worry outsiders. In Palermo, where two prominentanti-Mafia judges, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, were blown up in 1992,The Mafia is now the cultural minority; it was the majority, says the citysmayor, Leoluca Orlando. The bureaucracy is now honest, which it was not tenyears ago. Local experts on the Mafia say he may be exaggerating, but notmuch. Palermo is spending a fortune in establishing itself as a centre forcultural tourism, mounting hundreds of musical and theatrical events. Many ofits buildings have been beautifully restored. Those tourists who come say theyfeel safe. Yet it will be many years before the city sheds its worldwidereputation as the city ruled by the Corleone family. Naples, too, is more incontrol of its Camorra now. Tourists in the city centre are probably as safe at3am as they would be at noon in midtown Manhattan. Yet when 500 soldiers weresent to the city last summer to support local police, newspaper headlines athome and abroad conjured up images of mob rule and tanks patrolling the streets. .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 , .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 .postImageUrl , .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 , .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874:hover , .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874:visited , .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874:active { border:0!important; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874:active , .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874 .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5794080aa5722b3dd129ce1e7817a874:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Puerto Rico Independence? EssayIn fact, the soldiers were used mostly to replace police guarding consulates andcivic buildings while new police officers were being trained. Camorra killingsstill go on around Naples, but they arise from battles between rival gangs, awayfrom the tourist areas. Both local and national government are anxious to reducesuch activity to levels no worse than organised crime anywhere else. Theauthorities say the Sicilian Mafia over-reached itself by declaring war on thestate with the murder in 1992 of the two judges and Salvatore Lima, a leadingSicilian politician. The public turned against the men of honour, and manypentiti, former mafiosi, gave e vidence that led to hundreds of arrests. Thecommand structure of the highly centralised Sicilian Mafia is thought to havebeen destroyed. The main concern of the police now is to identify anyone who maybe trying to fill the void. Elsewhere in the south, organisations such as theCamorra tend to be fragmented, so it takes far more arrests to reduce theireffectiveness than in Sicily, where a few key arrests had a huge impact. Evenso, the state is winning out. According to Giorgio Napolitano, the minister ofthe interior, far more progress against organised crime has been made on thepolitical front-by breaking the links between crime, government and thejudiciary-than on the economic side, where the potential for drug-dealing andracketeering remains significant. A new strategy of investor protection isto be put in place, coinciding with the establishment of special enterprisezones, which will offer companies tax breaks to attract them southwards. Inareas where significant investment is pla nned, the government will provideresources for policing and surveillance to keep organised crime at bay. If theauthorities can show they are able to protect investors, many more internationalcompanies may follow in the footsteps of BAA. But before they do, there isanother thing that the south will have to get right: infrastructure. It suffersnot only from the problems afflicting Italy as a whole-such as inadequate roadsand rail services and insufficient integration between different kinds oftransport-but also from its very own surfeit of white elephants. Much of thecorruption revealed in the tangentopoli scandal was concentrated in the south,where many public-works programmes became purely a means of distributing publicmoney. Few people bothered to ask whether a particular project was needed, andmany such projects never got finished. As one Neapolitan businessman put it,70% of the new roads around Naples cannot be used. Lousy infrastructure is abigger problem for my company than the Camorra. Seeing orange The mezzogiornocannot afford any extravagant gestures. It is heavily exposed to internationalcompetition, explains Giovanni Pecci, an economist at Nomisma. Its location onthe periphery of European markets puts it at a disadvantage compared withCentral and Eastern Europe, which also offer far cheaper labour. Agriculture inthe south is under threat from North Africa as well as from the Middle and FarEast. For instance, Sicily now imports oranges, of all things, from Israelbecause they are cheaper. (Encouragingly, the Sicilian grower who complainedabout this was on his way to Kuwait to try to sell his crop there.) And untilthe recent crisis in Albania, small industrial firms in Apulia, in thesouth-east of the region, were increasingly moving parts of their productionthere. With a GDP per head of only 70% the Italian average, the mezzogiorno iscasting around for an economic winner. Its best hope seems to be tourism. It maybe hard to believe, but the tourist indus try in Italy, and especially the south,is seriously underdeveloped. In 1996, the country had only 33m visitors fromabroad, compared with Spains 41m and Frances 62m, despite its unrivalled rangeof tourist attractions (see chart 5). Politicians and businessmen were slow tocatch on, but are now making the promotion of tourism a top priority. .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd , .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd .postImageUrl , .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd , .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd:hover , .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd:visited , .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd:active { border:0!important; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd:active , .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u545cef29d533248a17620e971bc6b4bd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Same Sex Marriages EssayGeography