Day: June 27, 2021

PHOBIA


                     “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.’
                    
                                         –Marie Curie

A phobia is a persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an object, person, animal, activity or situation. It is a type of anxiety disorder. A person with a phobia either tries to avoid the thing that triggers the fear, or endures it with great anxiety and distress. Some phobias are very specific and limited

There are three types of phobia: social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia. Symptoms, or phobic reactions, may be psychological, such as an intense feeling of unease or foreboding; physical, such as crying or gastrointestinal distress; or behavioral, which includes a wide variety of avoidance tactics

Some of humanity’s most common fears are well known, like fear of heights or the dark. Others, however, are less talked-about, like the fear of speaking to strangers due to thoughts of what they might think of you. To free yourself of these fears, it’s not enough to change the channel or end the conversation.

Fear is a natural emotion that protects people from harm when they face real and imminent danger. A phobia is an excessive fear or anxiety related to specific objects or situations that are out of proportion to the actual danger they present.

                                  “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

                                –Nelson Mandela

Political Obligation and the Five Grounds for Political Obligation by D. D. Raphael

Political Obligation: Political obligation is a duty of citizens to obey the laws of the state for their own benefit and common welfare. It is also a moral requirement from the citizens to the obey the law of their nation.

These are the five grounds for political obligation by D D Raphael: 

State rests on social contract.

The State rests on consent.

The State represents the general will.

The state secures justice.

The state pursues the general interest or common good.   

The Theory of Social Contract: It tries to justify political obligation being based on implicit promise, like the obligation to obey the rules of a voluntary association. There are three kinds that imply promise: contract of citizenship, contract of community and contract of government. Citizenship has been compared to getting membership of a voluntary association. It is formed on the basis that state provides benefits to citizens and citizens therefore have to fulfill their obligations. Contract of community means man egoistic by nature tends to cause harm. In order to prevent this, he makes an agreement with community. This was done for the mutual benefit of all. Contract of government means men contract with the state and society. In the first contract, he agrees to form a society and in the following contract he agrees to obey laws.

The Theory of Consent: This means the authority of the state is based on the consent. That notion is a basis of political obligation is a principle of John Locke. The state is bound to ensure welfare, protection and fulfillment of promises of people. In return, people are to fulfill the obligations of the state. According to this theory, consent has to be understood and accepted. It is based on a mutual promise. This means that a form of consent is essential for the authority of a particular law.

The Theory of General Will: It is based on the belief that a collectively held will aims at the common good or common interest and collective welfare. It was criticized for being vague and obscure. This theory states that the state represents the collective will of all the citizens. Hence, citizens are expected to oblige. Collective interest of the society is given priority over individual interest. It is based on an assumption that general will is always right. Rousseau was of the opinion that the solution was direct democratic self legislation in which each citizen, as a member of the sovereign, makes laws that apply equally to all. His general will was confined to the limits of the state. It aims to show that state is a voluntary association.

The Theory of Justice: It is based on the belief that it is the duty of the state to ensure people’s obligation to the state. In principle, therefore, the theory of justice and general interest take the same sort of form. People are given both certain natural rights and duties. The state undertakes  the function of granting and protecting our natural rights and hence we are obliged to fulfill our duties. This is a ground of political obligation. It is based on morality and justice. It depends on our moral obligation to pursue justice

The Theory of General Interest or Common Good: It is of the view that it depends on our utility for promoting the general happiness or interest. The state is a necessary means to a moral end. The state forms rules that the citizens are bound to follow. This requires people to lead a crime free life by following the laws. The government, it it causes harm instead of promoting welfare, loses its right to obedience. Here, it is similar to the theory of justice. This helps the state to focus on the greater good rather than concentrating on individual interest. This theory of General Interest is held by Utilitarians. 

FATF

Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

• Global money laundering and terrorist financing
watchdog.

• Established by the 1989 G-7 Summit held in Paris.

• An inter-governmental body- sets international
standards to prevent illegal activities and the harm they cause.

• Works to generate the necessary political will- for
national legislative and regulatory reforms.

• Commitment by more than 200 countries and jurisdictions- to implement FATFRecommendations/FATF Standards.

• Also works to stop funding for weapons of mass destruction.
• Monitors countries to ensure they implement the
Standards effectively.

• Membership: 37 member jurisdictions and 2 regional organisations- including India. Jurisdictions under increased monitoring .

• Work with FATF to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.

• Committed to resolve the identified strategic deficiencies within agreed timeframes.

• Referred to as the “grey list”.

• Those failing to address these issues after a specific time- listed under ‘black list’.

 Greylisted countries- Pakistan, Mauritius, Myanmar, Syria etc.
 Blacklisted countries- North Korea and Iran.
Implications of being greylisted/black listed:
 Squeeze the country’s economy- harder to meet its foreign financing needs.
 Future borrowings from international organisations (IMF)- would be difficult.
 Downgrade the country’s debt ratings- difficult to tap into the international bond
markets
 Discourage foreign investors and companies to
do business in the country.

Animals rights awareness week

Animal Rights Awareness is observed this June 14 – June 20. Animal Rights Awareness Week(ARAW) is created to honour the animals who have been exploited and killed by humans around the world. It is our duty to spread the awareness among humans as animals can be our friends, companions, protectors, benefactors and comforters. Research studies indicate that people has own pets and have close bond with them and have higher self esteem. They are also generally happier and healthier.

The aim of this week is to create an opportunity to direct the public’s attention to the needs and wants of animals.

History of Animal Rights Awareness Week

In 1991 Animal Rights awareness week founded to promote education about animals welfare and bring further protection to animals.

Several ways to participate in spreading awareness concerning the human treatment of animals are:

  1. Adopt shelter for pets.
  2. Do programs in your area and spread the importance of animals.
  3. Buy cruelty-free products.
  4. Know where your products come from and determine whether they are obtained humanely.
  5. Consider adopting pets from shelter.
  6. If you do decide to buy from a breeder make sure to do your research and find reputed one.

Many zoos function as an extension to conservation and preservation efforts, others do not. The conditions in puppy mills, for example, do not provide proper shelter or care. Most of the dogs are used solely for breeding purposes and rarely leave their kennels or receive proper veterinary care.