Federal Policy Changes Due to September 11 essays

Federal Policy Changes Due to September 11 essays The terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C. illustrated how vulnerable our country really is to terrorist attacks. They also showed the lack of security and readiness in most of the nation's airports and places of entry. The Federal Government realized it must take a hard look at security policies, and create new policies to guide the nation through its' time of grieving and even fear. The government created the Homeland Security department, which is in charge of protecting the nation, as well as warning the nation of terrorism threats with their color-coded terrorism warning system. Green means the threat is lowest, and red means the threat is the highest. The Homeland Security department also created much stricter standards for inspecting airline passengers, and created the "USA PATRIOT Act," which in essence gives intelligence bureaus the right to spy and catch transmissions via phone, computer, and other areas if the agency feels they are a threat to national safety and well being. The PATRIOT Act is highly contentious because many people feel their citizens' rights are at stake. They feel the country is turning into "big brother," with far too much power and might over the people. One writer says, "It is widely held that one possessing power is potentially dangerous" (Stone, 2002). This seems to be the case with the Federal Government as the administration exercises its' control over the nation and the world. Another writer states, "We should avoid the temptation - a strong one, given the enduring emotional impact of the attacks in the United States - of telescoping all our resources, priorities, and thinking toward one worry" (Arthur, 2002). As the nation reflects on the terrorist attacks, the first and seemingly enduring reaction is to protect against more attacks while zeroing in on Al- Qaeda and other terrorist organizations around the world. This is ...

Mithridates and the Mithridatic Wars

Mithridates and the Mithridatic Wars While still a child, Mithridates, later King Mithridates VI of Pontus, official friend of Rome, developed a reputation that included matricide and a paranoid fear of being poisoned. Roman Treaties - Information on What Is Meant by a Friend of Rome During the Roman Republic, competing military leaders Sulla and Marius wanted the honor of disposing of the greatest challenge to Roman supremacy since the Punic War general Hannibal Barca. From the end of the second to the middle of the first century B.C, this was the long-lived Mithridates VI of Pontus (132-63 B.C.), a thorn in Romes side for 40 years. The rivalry between the two Roman generals led to the  loss of blood at home, but only one of them, Sulla, confronted Mithridates abroad. Despite the great battlefield competence of Sulla and Marius  and their personal confidence in their ability to check the Eastern despot, it was neither Sulla nor Marius who put an end to the Mithridatic problem. Instead, it was Pompey the Great, who earned his honorific in the process. Location of Pontus - Home of Mithridates The mountainous district of Pontus lay on the eastern side of the Black Sea, beyond the province of Asia and Bithynia, north of Galatia and Cappadocia, west of Armenia, and south of Colchis. [See Map of Asia Minor.] It was founded by King Mithridates I Ktistes (301-266 B.C.). In the Third Punic War (149 - 146 B.C.), King Mithridates V Euergetes (r. 150-120) who claimed descent from the Persian King Darius, helped Rome. Rome gave him Phrygia Major in gratitude. He was the most powerful king in Asia Minor. By the time Rome had annexed Pergamum to create the province of Asia (129 B.C.), the kings of Pontus had moved from their capital in Amasia to rule from the Black Sea port city of Sinope. Mithridates - Youth and Poison In 120 B.C., while still a child, Mithridates (Mithradates) Eupator (132-83 B.C.) became king of the area of Asia Minor known as Pontus. His mother may have assassinated her husband, Mithridates V, in order to take power, since she served as regent and ruled in her young sons stead. Afraid his mother would try to kill him, Mithridates went into hiding. During this time, Mithridates started ingesting small doses of various poisons in order to develop an immunity. When Mithridates returned (c. 115-111), he took command, imprisoned his mother (and, possibly, ordered her execution), and started to extend his dominion.After Mithridates acquired Greek towns in Colchis and whats now the Crimea, he developed a strong fleet to hold his territories. But that wasnt all. Since the Greek towns hed overtaken proved so lucrative, providing resources in the form of revenue, officers, and mercenary soldiers, Mithridates wanted to increase his Greek holdings. Next page Mithridates expands his empire Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Print SourcesH. H. Scullards revised version of F.B. Marshs Roman World 146-30 B.C.Cambridge Ancient History Vol. IX, 1994. Also on this site Gaius Julius CaesarGaius MariusSullaTimeline of the Late Roman Republic Previous Articles -I tell the tale that I heard told.Mithridates, he died old.From A.E. Housman Terence, this is stupid stuff