Can Security Countermeasures be Overdone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Can Security Countermeasures be Overdone - Essay Example Iraq sans UN approval, to choking off funds-flow to terrorist elements, compulsory screening, finger printing, strip & search of all non-nationals or even suspect nationals at all points of entry and exit, installation of electronic eavesdropping devices / phone tapping / mail interception, passing of draconian laws in the face of strong opposition from Human Rights activists, etc. and a myriad of other methods. Orwellian ‘Big brother is watching you’ (Orwell, 1949) has become a fact of life. All these signify the hard line, no nonsense approach, led especially by the governments in the USA and UK. They were primarily intended to assuage the injured American pride in the name of ‘war on terror’. Institutions, businesses and citizens did not lag far behind in this era of panic and paranoia. Overdoing ‘hardware intensive’ and ‘legislative’ countermeasures seem to be only partly effective in containing terrorism. Afghanistan and Iraq, in dà ©jà   vu, will testify this premise. The sweeping actions of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice (DOJ) and other investigation agencies on the one hand, and the poor record of conviction secured by them, point to the limited effectiveness of the countermeasures. That is not to say that there has been no success at all. On the contrary, some of the administrative countermeasures like enactment of The USA Patriot Act or the creation of the DHS certainly enabled putting a check on terrorist activities. â€Å"The USA PATRIOT Act equips federal law enforcement and intelligence officials with the tools they need to mount an effective, coordinated campaign against our nation’s terrorist enemies. The Act revised counterproductive legal restraints that impaired law enforcement’s ability to gather, analyze, and share critical terrorism-related intelligence information. The Act also updated decades-old federal laws to account for the technological breakthroughs seen in recent years. For example,

Health Care and Transportation in Germany from a Cultural Perspective Research Paper

Health Care and Transportation in Germany from a Cultural Perspective - Research Paper Example Moreover, the elderly are given preference when it comes to treatment as they are they perceived to be more delicate. They believe that an individual’s health is of utter importance and paramedics must be professional enough in handling health-related cases. What’s more, a Drogerie or â€Å"drug store† does not sell medicines or drugs; it is more of a mart for detergents, toiletries, and beauty products. Since Germans are health conscious and value prevention more than cure, consumption of biskost (biologically-grown foods), natural foods, vitamins, herbal teas and health foods are encouraged (Wiltenburg, 182). They can be purchased from a Bioladen (small shops that stock highly nutritious foods rich in vitamins and other minerals) at reasonable prices. When one is in need of cure, recovery, or preventive medicine, they should visit a Kurort (a pharmacy in the American context; it stocks common drugs but the prescription is given). Germany enjoys a high level of healthcare with high life expectancy and low infant mortality rates. While working in Germany, one must comprehend the mix of the private and public health insurance (Expatica, N. pg). Employees are allowed to hold both private and public health insurance covers but must display the aptitude and capability to meet the cost of both covers. To obtain a residence visa, foreign inhabitants must provide substantiation of being under a public health insurance coverage. Noteworthy, Germany operates a government-sponsored â€Å"sickness fund† called Krankenkasse which provides coverage against most predominant ailments in the country, and employees are expected to subscribe to this fund and contribute accordingly (Herb, 2). All employees, whether insiders or outsiders are expected to honour contributions since violation is criminalized and indictable. Similarly, while Americans are familiar with pharmacies, managers in Germany are required to operate or be linked to an Apotheker which does not only provide drugs such as aspirin but also provides a considerable help to employees with a disorder (Herb, 2).  Ã‚