List of Ministers and Advisors Essay Example

List of Ministers and Advisors Essay List of Ministers and Advisors | SL| Name| Designation| Joining Date | Distribution of Ministry/Division | Name| From| To| | | 1| Sheikh Hasina  | Prime Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Armed Forces Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Cabinet Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Ministry of Defence   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Ministry of Public Administration   | 28-04-2011  | Till Date  | | | 2| Mr. Abul Maal Abdul Muhith  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Finance   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Finance Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Economic Relations Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Internal Resources Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Bank and Financial Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | 3| Begum Matia Chowdhury  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Agriculture   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 4| Mr. Abdul Latif Siddique  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Textiles and Jute   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 5| Barrister Shafique Ahmed  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Law and Justice Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Parliament Secretariat   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | 6| Air Vice Marshal (Rtd. ) A K Khandker  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Planning   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Planning Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Statistics and Informatics Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | 7| Mr. Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Labour Employment   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 8| Advocate Shahara Khatun  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Posts and Tele-Communications   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | | Syed Ashraful Islam  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Local Government Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Rural Development and Co-operatives Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Dateà ‚  | | | 10| Engr. Khandker Mosharraf Hossain  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 11| Mr. Suranjit Sen Gupta  | Minister  | 28-11-2011  | Without portfolio. | 17-04-2012  | Till Date  | | 12| Dr. Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir  | Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Home Affairs   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | 13| Mr. Md. Rezaul Karim Hira  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Land   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 14| Mr. Abul Kalam Azad  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Cultural Affairs   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 15| Mr. Enamul Hoque Mustafa Shaheed  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Social Welfare   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 16| Mr. Dilip Barua  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Industries   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 17| Mr. Obaidul Quader  | Minister  | 28-11-2011  | Ministry of Commun ications   | 5-12-2011  | Till Date  | | Roads Division   | 5-12-2011  | Till Date  | | | We will write a custom essay sample on List of Ministers and Advisors specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on List of Ministers and Advisors specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on List of Ministers and Advisors specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Bridges Division   | 5-11-2011  | Till Date  | | | 18| Mr. Ramesh Chandra Sen  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Water Resources   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 19| Mr. Ghulam Muhammed Quader  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Commerce   | 5-12-2011  | Till Date  | | 20| Mr. Hasanul Haq Inu  | Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Information   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 21| Mr. Muhammad Faruk Khan  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism   | 5-12-2011  | Till Date  | | 22| Dr. Md. Abdur Razzaque  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Food   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | 23| Dr. Md. Afsarul Ameen  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Primary and Mass Education   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 24| Dr. A. F. M. Ruhal Haque  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 25| Dr. Dipu Moni  | Minister  | 8-01-2009  | Ministry of Foreign Affairs   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 26| Mr. Nurul Islam Nahid  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Education   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 27| Mr. Abdul Latif Biswas  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 28| Mr. Shajahan Khan  | Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Shipping   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 29| Dr. Hasan Mahmud  | Minister  | 28-11-2011  | Ministry of Environment and Forest   | 29-11-2011  | Till Date  | | 30| Mr. Abul Hasan Mahamood Ali  | Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 31| Mr. Mostafa Faruque Mohammed  | Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Information Communication Technology   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 32| Mr. Md. Mazibul Hoque  | Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Railways   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 33| MR. H. T. Imam  | Adviser  | 7-01-2009  | Public Administration Affairs   | 5-06-2011  | Till Date  | | 34| Dr. Mashiur Rahman  | Adviser  | 7-01-2009  | Economic Adviser   | 22-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 35| Professor Dr. Syed Modasser Ali  | Adviser  | 7-01-2009  | Health Family Welfare and Social Welfare Affairs   | 22-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 36| Dr. Alauddin Ahmed  | Adviser  | 7-01-2009  | Education, Social Development and Political Affairs   | 22-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 37| Dr. Tawfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury, BB  | Adviser  | 14-01-2009  | Adviser to the Honble Prime Minister   | 14-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 8| Dr. Gowher Rizvi  | Adviser  | 9-07-2009  | International Relations Affairs   | 9-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 39| Advocate Mostafizur Rahman  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Land   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 40| Capt. A B Tajul Islam (Rtd. )  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | M inistry of Liberation War Affairs   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 41| Arch. Yeafesh Osman  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Science and Technology   | 5-12-2011  | Till Date  | | 42| Begum Monnujan Sufian  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Labour ; Employment   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 43| Mr. Dipankar Talukdar  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 44| Mr. Ahad Ali Sarkar  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Youth and Sports   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 45| Advocate Md. Shahjahan Miah  | State Minister  | 24-01-2009  | Ministry of Religious Affairs   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 46| Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan  | State Minister  | 24-01-2009  | Ministry of Housing and Public Works   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 47| Advocate Md. Kamrul Islam  | State Minister  | 24-07-2009  | Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Law and Justice Division   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Parliament Secretariat   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | 48| Advocate Shamsul Hoque Tuku  | State Minister  | 24-01-2009  | Ministry of Home Affairs   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 49| Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak  | State Minister  | 24-01-2009  | Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Local Government Division   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Rural Development and Co-operatives Division   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | 50| Mr. Md. Motahar Hossain  | State Minister  | 24-01-2009  | Ministry of Primary and Mass Education   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 51| Mr. Muhammad Enamul Huq  | State Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | Power Division   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | | Energy and Mineral Resources Division   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | | 52| Mr. Mozibur Rahman Fakir  | State Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 53| Mr. Promode Mankin  | State Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Social Welfare   | 16-09-2012  | Till Date  | 54| Begum Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury  | State Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Women and Children Affairs   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 55| Mr. Md. Mahabubur Rahaman  | State Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Water Resources   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 5 6| Mr. Omor Faruk Chowdhury  | State Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Industries   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 57| Mr. Md. Abdul Hyee  | State Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 58| Maj. Gen. (Retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique  | Adviser to the Honble Prime Minister  | 8-01-2009  | | | | |

The Future of Democracy in Canada essays

The Future of Democracy in Canada essays Consider the following claim: "Canada will become a more democratic country in the next 25 years". One might take exception to this claim, countering that Canada is not only a democratic country in 2004, but is a country whose democratic character is envied in most parts of the world. Conversely, within Canada, one does not need to dig too deeply in society to find people who are dissatisfied with the state of Canadian democracy. This dissatisfaction is not limited to embittered followers of the far right political parties who almost continually are unable to persuade a majority of Canadians to support their policies. Nor is this dissatisfaction limited to Quebec and French speaking communities in other provinces who their culture and values to be under threat from the onslaught of Anglo Canadian culture. In fact, pockets of serious political dissatisfaction exist across the country. Unfortunately (in the context of being able to pursue their objectives effectively, the only issues on which consensus typically develops among these pockets of dissatisfaction is on (a) opposition to a Conservative national government and (b) opposition to The fact that political dissatisfaction in Canada tends to be balkanized, however, does not imply that the situation is either unimportant or that political reform should not be implemented to redress the problem. Neither does the balkanized political dissatisfaction in the country indicate that such reform of the country's political is either In fact, the thesis of this essay is embodied in the claim stated at the beginning of this discussion, with which there is full agreement. "Canada will become a more democratic country in the next 25 years". If Canada is going to become a more democratic country over the coming 25 years, the people of Canada must be motivated to seek such change. Additionally, there must be some...

Angels Demons Chapter 3235

â€Å"Sorry for the slow flight,† the pilot apologized, emerging from the cockpit. â€Å"Had to trim her back. Noise regulations over populated areas.† Langdon checked his watch. They had been airborne thirty-seven minutes. The pilot popped the outer door. â€Å"Anybody want to tell me what’s going on?† Neither Vittoria nor Langdon responded. â€Å"Fine,† he said, stretching. â€Å"I’ll be in the cockpit with the air-conditioning and my music. Just me and Garth.† The late-afternoon sun blazed outside the hangar. Langdon carried his tweed jacket over his shoulder. Vittoria turned her face skyward and inhaled deeply, as if the sun’s rays somehow transferred to her some mystical replenishing energy. Mediterraneans, Langdon mused, already sweating. â€Å"Little old for cartoons, aren’t you?† Vittoria asked, without opening her eyes. â€Å"I’m sorry?† â€Å"Your wristwatch. I saw it on the plane.† Langdon flushed slightly. He was accustomed to having to defend his timepiece. The collector’s edition Mickey Mouse watch had been a childhood gift from his parents. Despite the contorted foolishness of Mickey’s outstretched arms designating the hour, it was the only watch Langdon had ever worn. Waterproof and glow-in-the-dark, it was perfect for swimming laps or walking unlit college paths at night. When Langdon’s students questioned his fashion sense, he told them he wore Mickey as a daily reminder to stay young at heart. â€Å"It’s six o’clock,† he said. Vittoria nodded, eyes still closed. â€Å"I think our ride’s here.† Langdon heard the distant whine, looked up, and felt a sinking feeling. Approaching from the north was a helicopter, slicing low across the runway. Langdon had been on a helicopter once in the Andean Palpa Valley looking at the Nazca sand drawings and had not enjoyed it one bit. A flying shoebox. After a morning of space plane rides, Langdon had hoped the Vatican would send a car. Apparently not. The chopper slowed overhead, hovered a moment, and dropped toward the runway in front of them. The craft was white and carried a coat of arms emblazoned on the side – two skeleton keys crossing a shield and papal crown. He knew the symbol well. It was the traditional seal of the Vatican – the sacred symbol of the Holy See or â€Å"holy seat† of government, the seat being literally the ancient throne of St. Peter. The Holy Chopper, Langdon groaned, watching the craft land. He’d forgotten the Vatican owned one of these things, used for transporting the Pope to the airport, to meetings, or to his summer palace in Gandolfo. Langdon definitely would have preferred a car. The pilot jumped from the cockpit and strode toward them across the tarmac. Now it was Vittoria who looked uneasy. â€Å"That’s our pilot?† Langdon shared her concern. â€Å"To fly, or not to fly. That is the question.† The pilot looked like he was festooned for a Shakespearean melodrama. His puffy tunic was vertically striped in brilliant blue and gold. He wore matching pantaloons and spats. On his feet were black flats that looked like slippers. On top of it all, he wore a black felt beret. â€Å"Traditional Swiss Guard uniforms,† Langdon explained. â€Å"Designed by Michelangelo himself.† As the man drew closer, Langdon winced. â€Å"I admit, not one of Michelangelo’s better efforts.† Despite the man’s garish attire, Langdon could tell the pilot meant business. He moved toward them with all the rigidity and dignity of a U.S. Marine. Langdon had read many times about the rigorous requirements for becoming one of the elite Swiss Guard. Recruited from one of Switzerland’s four Catholic cantons, applicants had to be Swiss males between nineteen and thirty years old, at least 5 feet 6 inches, trained by the Swiss Army, and unmarried. This imperial corps was envied by world governments as the most allegiant and deadly security force in the world. â€Å"You are from CERN?† the guard asked, arriving before them. His voice was steely. â€Å"Yes, sir,† Langdon replied. â€Å"You made remarkable time,† he said, giving the X-33 a mystified stare. He turned to Vittoria. â€Å"Ma’am, do you have any other clothing?† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† He motioned to her legs. â€Å"Short pants are not permitted inside Vatican City.† Langdon glanced down at Vittoria’s legs and frowned. He had forgotten. Vatican City had a strict ban on visible legs above the knee – both male and female. The regulation was a way of showing respect for the sanctity of God’s city. â€Å"This is all I have,† she said. â€Å"We came in a hurry.† The guard nodded, clearly displeased. He turned next to Langdon. â€Å"Are you carrying any weapons?† Weapons? Langdon thought. I’m not even carrying a change of underwear! He shook his head. The officer crouched at Langdon’s feet and began patting him down, starting at his socks. Trusting guy, Langdon thought. The guard’s strong hands moved up Langdon’s legs, coming uncomfortably close to his groin. Finally they moved up to his chest and shoulders. Apparently content Langdon was clean, the guard turned to Vittoria. He ran his eyes up her legs and torso. Vittoria glared. â€Å"Don’t even think about it.† The guard fixed Vittoria with a gaze clearly intended to intimidate. Vittoria did not flinch. â€Å"What’s that?† the guard said, pointing to a faint square bulge in the front pocket of her shorts. Vittoria removed an ultrathin cell phone. The guard took it, clicked it on, waited for a dial tone, and then, apparently satisfied that it was indeed nothing more than a phone, returned it to her. Vittoria slid it back into her pocket. â€Å"Turn around, please,† the guard said. Vittoria obliged, holding her arms out and rotating a full 360 degrees. The guard carefully studied her. Langdon had already decided that Vittoria’s form-fitting shorts and blouse were not bulging anywhere they shouldn’t have been. Apparently the guard came to the same conclusion. â€Å"Thank you. This way please.† The Swiss Guard chopper churned in neutral as Langdon and Vittoria approached. Vittoria boarded first, like a seasoned pro, barely even stooping as she passed beneath the whirling rotors. Langdon held back a moment. â€Å"No chance of a car?† he yelled, half-joking to the Swiss Guard, who was climbing in the pilot’s seat. The man did not answer. Langdon knew that with Rome’s maniacal drivers, flying was probably safer anyway. He took a deep breath and boarded, stooping cautiously as he passed beneath the spinning rotors. As the guard fired up the engines, Vittoria called out, â€Å"Have you located the canister?† The guard glanced over his shoulder, looking confused. â€Å"The what?† â€Å"The canister. You called CERN about a canister?† The man shrugged. â€Å"No idea what you’re talking about. We’ve been very busy today. My commander told me to pick you up. That’s all I know.† Vittoria gave Langdon an unsettled look. â€Å"Buckle up, please,† the pilot said as the engine revved. Langdon reached for his seat belt and strapped himself in. The tiny fuselage seemed to shrink around him. Then with a roar, the craft shot up and banked sharply north toward Rome. Rome†¦ the caput mundi, where Caesar once ruled, where St. Peter was crucified. The cradle of modern civilization. And at its core†¦ a ticking bomb. 33 Rome from the air is a labyrinth – an indecipherable maze of ancient roadways winding around buildings, fountains, and crumbling ruins. The Vatican chopper stayed low in the sky as it sliced northwest through the permanent smog layer coughed up by the congestion below. Langdon gazed down at the mopeds, sight-seeing buses, and armies of miniature Fiat sedans buzzing around rotaries in all directions. Koyaanisqatsi, he thought, recalling the Hopi term for â€Å"life out of balance.† Vittoria sat in silent determination in the seat beside him. The chopper banked hard. His stomach dropping, Langdon gazed farther into the distance. His eyes found the crumbling ruins of the Roman Coliseum. The Coliseum, Langdon had always thought, was one of history’s greatest ironies. Now a dignified symbol for the rise of human culture and civilization, the stadium had been built to host centuries of barbaric events – hungry lions shredding prisoners, armies of slaves battling to the death, gang rapes of exotic women captured from far-off lands, as well as public beheadings and castrations. It was ironic, Langdon thought, or perhaps fitting, that the Coliseum had served as the architectural blueprint for Harvard’s Soldier Field – the football stadium where the ancient traditions of savagery were reenacted every fall†¦ crazed fans screaming for bloodshed as Harvard battled Yale. As the chopper headed north, Langdon spied the Roman Forum – the heart of pre-Christian Rome. The decaying columns looked like toppled gravestones in a cemetery that had somehow avoided being swallowed by the metropolis surrounding it. To the west the wide basin of the Tiber River wound enormous arcs across the city. Even from the air Langdon could tell the water was deep. The churning currents were brown, filled with silt and foam from heavy rains. â€Å"Straight ahead,† the pilot said, climbing higher. Langdon and Vittoria looked out and saw it. Like a mountain parting the morning fog, the colossal dome rose out of the haze before them: St. Peter’s Basilica. â€Å"Now that,† Langdon said to Vittoria, â€Å"is something Michelangelo got right.† Langdon had never seen St. Peter’s from the air. The marble faà §ade blazed like fire in the afternoon sun. Adorned with 140 statues of saints, martyrs, and angels, the Herculean edifice stretched two football fields wide and a staggering six long. The cavernous interior of the basilica had room for over 60,000 worshipers†¦ over one hundred times the population of Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. Incredibly, though, not even a citadel of this magnitude could dwarf the piazza before it. A sprawling expanse of granite, St. Peter’s Square was a staggering open space in the congestion of Rome, like a classical Central Park. In front of the basilica, bordering the vast oval common, 284 columns swept outward in four concentric arcs of diminishing size†¦ an architectural trompe de l’oiel used to heighten the piazza’s sense of grandeur. As he stared at the magnificent shrine before him, Langdon wondered what St. Peter would think if he were here now. The Saint had died a gruesome death, crucified upside down on this very spot. Now he rested in the most sacred of tombs, buried five stories down, directly beneath the central cupola of the basilica. â€Å"Vatican City,† the pilot said, sounding anything but welcoming. Langdon looked out at the towering stone bastions that loomed ahead – impenetrable fortifications surrounding the complex†¦ a strangely earthly defense for a spiritual world of secrets, power, and mystery. â€Å"Look!† Vittoria said suddenly, grabbing Langdon’s arm. She motioned frantically downward toward St. Peter’s Square directly beneath them. Langdon put his face to the window and looked. â€Å"Over there,† she said, pointing. Langdon looked. The rear of the piazza looked like a parking lot crowded with a dozen or so trailer trucks. Huge satellite dishes pointed skyward from the roof of every truck. The dishes were emblazoned with familiar names: Televisor Europea Video Italia BBC United Press International Langdon felt suddenly confused, wondering if the news of the antimatter had already leaked out. Vittoria seemed suddenly tense. â€Å"Why is the press here? What’s going on?† The pilot turned and gave her an odd look over his shoulder. â€Å"What’s going on? You don’t know?† â€Å"No,† she fired back, her accent husky and strong. â€Å"Il Conclavo,† he said. â€Å"It is to be sealed in about an hour. The whole world is watching.† Il Conclavo. The word rang a long moment in Langdon’s ears before dropping like a brick to the pit of his stomach. Il Conclavo. The Vatican Conclave. How could he have forgotten? It had been in the news recently. Fifteen days ago, the Pope, after a tremendously popular twelve-year reign, had passed away. Every paper in the world had carried the story about the Pope’s fatal stroke while sleeping – a sudden and unexpected death many whispered was suspicious. But now, in keeping with the sacred tradition, fifteen days after the death of a Pope, the Vatican was holding Il Conclavo – the sacred ceremony in which the 165 cardinals of the world – the most powerful men in Christendom – gathered in Vatican City to elect the new Pope. Every cardinal on the planet is here today, Langdon thought as the chopper passed over St. Peter’s Basilica. The expansive inner world of Vatican City spread out beneath him. The entire power structure of the Roman Catholic Church is sitting on a time bomb. 34 Cardinal Mortati gazed up at the lavish ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and tried to find a moment of quiet reflection. The frescoed walls echoed with the voices of cardinals from nations around the globe. The men jostled in the candlelit tabernacle, whispering excitedly and consulting with one another in numerous languages, the universal tongues being English, Italian, and Spanish. The light in the chapel was usually sublime – long rays of tinted sun slicing through the darkness like rays from heaven – but not today. As was the custom, all of the chapel’s windows had been covered in black velvet in the name of secrecy. This ensured that no one on the inside could send signals or communicate in any way with the outside world. The result was a profound darkness lit only by candles†¦ a shimmering radiance that seemed to purify everyone it touched, making them all ghostly†¦ like saints. What privilege, Mortati thought, that I am to oversee this sanctified event. Cardinals over eighty years of age were too old to be eligible for election and did not attend conclave, but at seventy-nine years old, Mortati was the most senior cardinal here and had been appointed to oversee the proceedings. Following tradition, the cardinals gathered here two hours before conclave to catch up with friends and engage in last-minute discussion. At 7 P.M., the late Pope’s chamberlain would arrive, give opening prayer, and then leave. Then the Swiss Guard would seal the doors and lock all the cardinals inside. It was then that the oldest and most secretive political ritual in the world would begin. The cardinals would not be released until they decided who among them would be the next Pope. Conclave. Even the name was secretive. â€Å"Con clave† literally meant â€Å"locked with a key.† The cardinals were permitted no contact whatsoever with the outside world. No phone calls. No messages. No whispers through doorways. Conclave was a vacuum, not to be influenced by anything in the outside world. This would ensure that the cardinals kept Solum Dum prae oculis†¦ only God before their eyes. Outside the walls of the chapel, of course, the media watched and waited, speculating as to which of the cardinals would become the ruler of one billion Catholics worldwide. Conclaves created an intense, politically charged atmosphere, and over the centuries they had turned deadly: poisonings, fist fights, and even murder had erupted within the sacred walls. Ancient history, Mortati thought. Tonight’s conclave will be unified, blissful, and above all†¦ brief. Or at least that had been his speculation. Now, however, an unexpected development had emerged. Mystifyingly, four cardinals were absent from the chapel. Mortati knew that all the exits to Vatican City were guarded, and the missing cardinals could not have gone far, but still, with less than an hour before opening prayer, he was feeling disconcerted. After all, the four missing men were no ordinary cardinals. They were the cardinals. The chosen four. As overseer of the conclave, Mortati had already sent word through the proper channels to the Swiss Guard alerting them to the cardinals’ absence. He had yet to hear back. Other cardinals had now noticed the puzzling absence. The anxious whispers had begun. Of all cardinals, these four should be on time! Cardinal Mortati was starting to fear it might be a long evening after all. He had no idea. 35 The Vatican’s helipad, for reasons of safety and noise control, is located in the northwest tip of Vatican City, as far from St. Peter’s Basilica as possible. â€Å"Terra firma,† the pilot announced as they touched down. He exited and opened the sliding door for Langdon and Vittoria. Langdon descended from the craft and turned to help Vittoria, but she had already dropped effortlessly to the ground. Every muscle in her body seemed tuned to one objective – finding the antimatter before it left a horrific legacy. After stretching a reflective sun tarp across the cockpit window, the pilot ushered them to an oversized electric golf cart waiting near the helipad. The cart whisked them silently alongside the country’s western border – a fifty-foot-tall cement bulwark thick enough to ward off attacks even by tanks. Lining the interior of the wall, posted at fifty-meter intervals, Swiss Guards stood at attention, surveying the interior of the grounds. The cart turned sharply right onto Via della Osservatorio. Signs pointed in all directions: Palazzio Governatorio Collegio Ethiopiana Basilica San Pietro Capella Sistina They accelerated up the manicured road past a squat building marked Radio Vaticana. This, Langdon realized to his amazement, was the hub of the world’s most listened-to radio programming – Radio Vaticana – spreading the word of God to millions of listeners around the globe. â€Å"Attenzione,† the pilot said, turning sharply into a rotary. As the cart wound round, Langdon could barely believe the sight now coming into view. Giardini Vaticani, he thought. The heart of Vatican City. Directly ahead rose the rear of St. Peter’s Basilica, a view, Langdon realized, most people never saw. To the right loomed the Palace of the Tribunal, the lush papal residence rivaled only by Versailles in its baroque embellishment. The severe-looking Governatorato building was now behind them, housing Vatican City’s administration. And up ahead on the left, the massive rectangular edifice of the Vatican Museum. Langdon knew there would be no time for a museum visit this trip. â€Å"Where is everyone?† Vittoria asked, surveying the deserted lawns and walkways. The guard checked his black, military-style chronograph – an odd anachronism beneath his puffy sleeve. â€Å"The cardinals are convened in the Sistine Chapel. Conclave begins in a little under an hour.† Langdon nodded, vaguely recalling that before conclave the cardinals spent two hours inside the Sistine Chapel in quiet reflection and visitations with their fellow cardinals from around the globe. The time was meant to renew old friendships among the cardinals and facilitate a less heated election process. â€Å"And the rest of the residents and staff?† â€Å"Banned from the city for secrecy and security until the conclave concludes.† â€Å"And when does it conclude?† The guard shrugged. â€Å"God only knows.† The words sounded oddly literal. After parking the cart on the wide lawn directly behind St. Peter’s Basilica, the guard escorted Langdon and Vittoria up a stone escarpment to a marble plaza off the back of the basilica. Crossing the plaza, they approached the rear wall of the basilica and followed it through a triangular courtyard, across Via Belvedere, and into a series of buildings closely huddled together. Langdon’s art history had taught him enough Italian to pick out signs for the Vatican Printing Office, the Tapestry Restoration Lab, Post Office Management, and the Church of St. Ann. They crossed another small square and arrived at their destination. The Office of the Swiss Guard is housed adjacent to Il Corpo di Vigilanza, directly northeast of St. Peter’s Basilica. The office is a squat, stone building. On either side of the entrance, like two stone statues, stood a pair of guards. Langdon had to admit, these guards did not look quite so comical. Although they also wore the blue and gold uniform, each wielded the traditional â€Å"Vatican long sword† – an eight-foot spear with a razor-sharp scythe – rumored to have decapitated countless Muslims while defending the Christian crusaders in the fifteenth century. As Langdon and Vittoria approached, the two guards stepped forward, crossing their long swords, blocking the entrance. One looked up at the pilot in confusion. â€Å"I pantaloni,† he said, motioning to Vittoria’s shorts. The pilot waved them off. â€Å"Il comandante vuole vederli subito.† The guards frowned. Reluctantly they stepped aside. Inside, the air was cool. It looked nothing like the administrative security offices Langdon would have imagined. Ornate and impeccably furnished, the hallways contained paintings Langdon was certain any museum worldwide would gladly have featured in its main gallery. The pilot pointed down a steep set of stairs. â€Å"Down, please.† Langdon and Vittoria followed the white marble treads as they descended between a gauntlet of nude male sculptures. Each statue wore a fig leaf that was lighter in color than the rest of the body. The Great Castration, Langdon thought. It was one of the most horrific tragedies in Renaissance art. In 1857, Pope Pius IX decided that the accurate representation of the male form might incite lust inside the Vatican. So he got a chisel and mallet and hacked off the genitalia of every single male statue inside Vatican City. He defaced works by Michelangelo, Bramante, and Bernini. Plaster fig leaves were used to patch the damage. Hundreds of sculptures had been emasculated. Langdon had often wondered if there was a huge crate of stone penises someplace. â€Å"Here,† the guard announced. They reached the bottom of the stairs and dead-ended at a heavy, steel door. The guard typed an entry code, and the door slid open. Langdon and Vittoria entered. Beyond the threshold was absolute mayhem. Angels Demons Chapter 3235 â€Å"Sorry for the slow flight,† the pilot apologized, emerging from the cockpit. â€Å"Had to trim her back. Noise regulations over populated areas.† Langdon checked his watch. They had been airborne thirty-seven minutes. The pilot popped the outer door. â€Å"Anybody want to tell me what’s going on?† Neither Vittoria nor Langdon responded. â€Å"Fine,† he said, stretching. â€Å"I’ll be in the cockpit with the air-conditioning and my music. Just me and Garth.† The late-afternoon sun blazed outside the hangar. Langdon carried his tweed jacket over his shoulder. Vittoria turned her face skyward and inhaled deeply, as if the sun’s rays somehow transferred to her some mystical replenishing energy. Mediterraneans, Langdon mused, already sweating. â€Å"Little old for cartoons, aren’t you?† Vittoria asked, without opening her eyes. â€Å"I’m sorry?† â€Å"Your wristwatch. I saw it on the plane.† Langdon flushed slightly. He was accustomed to having to defend his timepiece. The collector’s edition Mickey Mouse watch had been a childhood gift from his parents. Despite the contorted foolishness of Mickey’s outstretched arms designating the hour, it was the only watch Langdon had ever worn. Waterproof and glow-in-the-dark, it was perfect for swimming laps or walking unlit college paths at night. When Langdon’s students questioned his fashion sense, he told them he wore Mickey as a daily reminder to stay young at heart. â€Å"It’s six o’clock,† he said. Vittoria nodded, eyes still closed. â€Å"I think our ride’s here.† Langdon heard the distant whine, looked up, and felt a sinking feeling. Approaching from the north was a helicopter, slicing low across the runway. Langdon had been on a helicopter once in the Andean Palpa Valley looking at the Nazca sand drawings and had not enjoyed it one bit. A flying shoebox. After a morning of space plane rides, Langdon had hoped the Vatican would send a car. Apparently not. The chopper slowed overhead, hovered a moment, and dropped toward the runway in front of them. The craft was white and carried a coat of arms emblazoned on the side – two skeleton keys crossing a shield and papal crown. He knew the symbol well. It was the traditional seal of the Vatican – the sacred symbol of the Holy See or â€Å"holy seat† of government, the seat being literally the ancient throne of St. Peter. The Holy Chopper, Langdon groaned, watching the craft land. He’d forgotten the Vatican owned one of these things, used for transporting the Pope to the airport, to meetings, or to his summer palace in Gandolfo. Langdon definitely would have preferred a car. The pilot jumped from the cockpit and strode toward them across the tarmac. Now it was Vittoria who looked uneasy. â€Å"That’s our pilot?† Langdon shared her concern. â€Å"To fly, or not to fly. That is the question.† The pilot looked like he was festooned for a Shakespearean melodrama. His puffy tunic was vertically striped in brilliant blue and gold. He wore matching pantaloons and spats. On his feet were black flats that looked like slippers. On top of it all, he wore a black felt beret. â€Å"Traditional Swiss Guard uniforms,† Langdon explained. â€Å"Designed by Michelangelo himself.† As the man drew closer, Langdon winced. â€Å"I admit, not one of Michelangelo’s better efforts.† Despite the man’s garish attire, Langdon could tell the pilot meant business. He moved toward them with all the rigidity and dignity of a U.S. Marine. Langdon had read many times about the rigorous requirements for becoming one of the elite Swiss Guard. Recruited from one of Switzerland’s four Catholic cantons, applicants had to be Swiss males between nineteen and thirty years old, at least 5 feet 6 inches, trained by the Swiss Army, and unmarried. This imperial corps was envied by world governments as the most allegiant and deadly security force in the world. â€Å"You are from CERN?† the guard asked, arriving before them. His voice was steely. â€Å"Yes, sir,† Langdon replied. â€Å"You made remarkable time,† he said, giving the X-33 a mystified stare. He turned to Vittoria. â€Å"Ma’am, do you have any other clothing?† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† He motioned to her legs. â€Å"Short pants are not permitted inside Vatican City.† Langdon glanced down at Vittoria’s legs and frowned. He had forgotten. Vatican City had a strict ban on visible legs above the knee – both male and female. The regulation was a way of showing respect for the sanctity of God’s city. â€Å"This is all I have,† she said. â€Å"We came in a hurry.† The guard nodded, clearly displeased. He turned next to Langdon. â€Å"Are you carrying any weapons?† Weapons? Langdon thought. I’m not even carrying a change of underwear! He shook his head. The officer crouched at Langdon’s feet and began patting him down, starting at his socks. Trusting guy, Langdon thought. The guard’s strong hands moved up Langdon’s legs, coming uncomfortably close to his groin. Finally they moved up to his chest and shoulders. Apparently content Langdon was clean, the guard turned to Vittoria. He ran his eyes up her legs and torso. Vittoria glared. â€Å"Don’t even think about it.† The guard fixed Vittoria with a gaze clearly intended to intimidate. Vittoria did not flinch. â€Å"What’s that?† the guard said, pointing to a faint square bulge in the front pocket of her shorts. Vittoria removed an ultrathin cell phone. The guard took it, clicked it on, waited for a dial tone, and then, apparently satisfied that it was indeed nothing more than a phone, returned it to her. Vittoria slid it back into her pocket. â€Å"Turn around, please,† the guard said. Vittoria obliged, holding her arms out and rotating a full 360 degrees. The guard carefully studied her. Langdon had already decided that Vittoria’s form-fitting shorts and blouse were not bulging anywhere they shouldn’t have been. Apparently the guard came to the same conclusion. â€Å"Thank you. This way please.† The Swiss Guard chopper churned in neutral as Langdon and Vittoria approached. Vittoria boarded first, like a seasoned pro, barely even stooping as she passed beneath the whirling rotors. Langdon held back a moment. â€Å"No chance of a car?† he yelled, half-joking to the Swiss Guard, who was climbing in the pilot’s seat. The man did not answer. Langdon knew that with Rome’s maniacal drivers, flying was probably safer anyway. He took a deep breath and boarded, stooping cautiously as he passed beneath the spinning rotors. As the guard fired up the engines, Vittoria called out, â€Å"Have you located the canister?† The guard glanced over his shoulder, looking confused. â€Å"The what?† â€Å"The canister. You called CERN about a canister?† The man shrugged. â€Å"No idea what you’re talking about. We’ve been very busy today. My commander told me to pick you up. That’s all I know.† Vittoria gave Langdon an unsettled look. â€Å"Buckle up, please,† the pilot said as the engine revved. Langdon reached for his seat belt and strapped himself in. The tiny fuselage seemed to shrink around him. Then with a roar, the craft shot up and banked sharply north toward Rome. Rome†¦ the caput mundi, where Caesar once ruled, where St. Peter was crucified. The cradle of modern civilization. And at its core†¦ a ticking bomb. 33 Rome from the air is a labyrinth – an indecipherable maze of ancient roadways winding around buildings, fountains, and crumbling ruins. The Vatican chopper stayed low in the sky as it sliced northwest through the permanent smog layer coughed up by the congestion below. Langdon gazed down at the mopeds, sight-seeing buses, and armies of miniature Fiat sedans buzzing around rotaries in all directions. Koyaanisqatsi, he thought, recalling the Hopi term for â€Å"life out of balance.† Vittoria sat in silent determination in the seat beside him. The chopper banked hard. His stomach dropping, Langdon gazed farther into the distance. His eyes found the crumbling ruins of the Roman Coliseum. The Coliseum, Langdon had always thought, was one of history’s greatest ironies. Now a dignified symbol for the rise of human culture and civilization, the stadium had been built to host centuries of barbaric events – hungry lions shredding prisoners, armies of slaves battling to the death, gang rapes of exotic women captured from far-off lands, as well as public beheadings and castrations. It was ironic, Langdon thought, or perhaps fitting, that the Coliseum had served as the architectural blueprint for Harvard’s Soldier Field – the football stadium where the ancient traditions of savagery were reenacted every fall†¦ crazed fans screaming for bloodshed as Harvard battled Yale. As the chopper headed north, Langdon spied the Roman Forum – the heart of pre-Christian Rome. The decaying columns looked like toppled gravestones in a cemetery that had somehow avoided being swallowed by the metropolis surrounding it. To the west the wide basin of the Tiber River wound enormous arcs across the city. Even from the air Langdon could tell the water was deep. The churning currents were brown, filled with silt and foam from heavy rains. â€Å"Straight ahead,† the pilot said, climbing higher. Langdon and Vittoria looked out and saw it. Like a mountain parting the morning fog, the colossal dome rose out of the haze before them: St. Peter’s Basilica. â€Å"Now that,† Langdon said to Vittoria, â€Å"is something Michelangelo got right.† Langdon had never seen St. Peter’s from the air. The marble faà §ade blazed like fire in the afternoon sun. Adorned with 140 statues of saints, martyrs, and angels, the Herculean edifice stretched two football fields wide and a staggering six long. The cavernous interior of the basilica had room for over 60,000 worshipers†¦ over one hundred times the population of Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. Incredibly, though, not even a citadel of this magnitude could dwarf the piazza before it. A sprawling expanse of granite, St. Peter’s Square was a staggering open space in the congestion of Rome, like a classical Central Park. In front of the basilica, bordering the vast oval common, 284 columns swept outward in four concentric arcs of diminishing size†¦ an architectural trompe de l’oiel used to heighten the piazza’s sense of grandeur. As he stared at the magnificent shrine before him, Langdon wondered what St. Peter would think if he were here now. The Saint had died a gruesome death, crucified upside down on this very spot. Now he rested in the most sacred of tombs, buried five stories down, directly beneath the central cupola of the basilica. â€Å"Vatican City,† the pilot said, sounding anything but welcoming. Langdon looked out at the towering stone bastions that loomed ahead – impenetrable fortifications surrounding the complex†¦ a strangely earthly defense for a spiritual world of secrets, power, and mystery. â€Å"Look!† Vittoria said suddenly, grabbing Langdon’s arm. She motioned frantically downward toward St. Peter’s Square directly beneath them. Langdon put his face to the window and looked. â€Å"Over there,† she said, pointing. Langdon looked. The rear of the piazza looked like a parking lot crowded with a dozen or so trailer trucks. Huge satellite dishes pointed skyward from the roof of every truck. The dishes were emblazoned with familiar names: Televisor Europea Video Italia BBC United Press International Langdon felt suddenly confused, wondering if the news of the antimatter had already leaked out. Vittoria seemed suddenly tense. â€Å"Why is the press here? What’s going on?† The pilot turned and gave her an odd look over his shoulder. â€Å"What’s going on? You don’t know?† â€Å"No,† she fired back, her accent husky and strong. â€Å"Il Conclavo,† he said. â€Å"It is to be sealed in about an hour. The whole world is watching.† Il Conclavo. The word rang a long moment in Langdon’s ears before dropping like a brick to the pit of his stomach. Il Conclavo. The Vatican Conclave. How could he have forgotten? It had been in the news recently. Fifteen days ago, the Pope, after a tremendously popular twelve-year reign, had passed away. Every paper in the world had carried the story about the Pope’s fatal stroke while sleeping – a sudden and unexpected death many whispered was suspicious. But now, in keeping with the sacred tradition, fifteen days after the death of a Pope, the Vatican was holding Il Conclavo – the sacred ceremony in which the 165 cardinals of the world – the most powerful men in Christendom – gathered in Vatican City to elect the new Pope. Every cardinal on the planet is here today, Langdon thought as the chopper passed over St. Peter’s Basilica. The expansive inner world of Vatican City spread out beneath him. The entire power structure of the Roman Catholic Church is sitting on a time bomb. 34 Cardinal Mortati gazed up at the lavish ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and tried to find a moment of quiet reflection. The frescoed walls echoed with the voices of cardinals from nations around the globe. The men jostled in the candlelit tabernacle, whispering excitedly and consulting with one another in numerous languages, the universal tongues being English, Italian, and Spanish. The light in the chapel was usually sublime – long rays of tinted sun slicing through the darkness like rays from heaven – but not today. As was the custom, all of the chapel’s windows had been covered in black velvet in the name of secrecy. This ensured that no one on the inside could send signals or communicate in any way with the outside world. The result was a profound darkness lit only by candles†¦ a shimmering radiance that seemed to purify everyone it touched, making them all ghostly†¦ like saints. What privilege, Mortati thought, that I am to oversee this sanctified event. Cardinals over eighty years of age were too old to be eligible for election and did not attend conclave, but at seventy-nine years old, Mortati was the most senior cardinal here and had been appointed to oversee the proceedings. Following tradition, the cardinals gathered here two hours before conclave to catch up with friends and engage in last-minute discussion. At 7 P.M., the late Pope’s chamberlain would arrive, give opening prayer, and then leave. Then the Swiss Guard would seal the doors and lock all the cardinals inside. It was then that the oldest and most secretive political ritual in the world would begin. The cardinals would not be released until they decided who among them would be the next Pope. Conclave. Even the name was secretive. â€Å"Con clave† literally meant â€Å"locked with a key.† The cardinals were permitted no contact whatsoever with the outside world. No phone calls. No messages. No whispers through doorways. Conclave was a vacuum, not to be influenced by anything in the outside world. This would ensure that the cardinals kept Solum Dum prae oculis†¦ only God before their eyes. Outside the walls of the chapel, of course, the media watched and waited, speculating as to which of the cardinals would become the ruler of one billion Catholics worldwide. Conclaves created an intense, politically charged atmosphere, and over the centuries they had turned deadly: poisonings, fist fights, and even murder had erupted within the sacred walls. Ancient history, Mortati thought. Tonight’s conclave will be unified, blissful, and above all†¦ brief. Or at least that had been his speculation. Now, however, an unexpected development had emerged. Mystifyingly, four cardinals were absent from the chapel. Mortati knew that all the exits to Vatican City were guarded, and the missing cardinals could not have gone far, but still, with less than an hour before opening prayer, he was feeling disconcerted. After all, the four missing men were no ordinary cardinals. They were the cardinals. The chosen four. As overseer of the conclave, Mortati had already sent word through the proper channels to the Swiss Guard alerting them to the cardinals’ absence. He had yet to hear back. Other cardinals had now noticed the puzzling absence. The anxious whispers had begun. Of all cardinals, these four should be on time! Cardinal Mortati was starting to fear it might be a long evening after all. He had no idea. 35 The Vatican’s helipad, for reasons of safety and noise control, is located in the northwest tip of Vatican City, as far from St. Peter’s Basilica as possible. â€Å"Terra firma,† the pilot announced as they touched down. He exited and opened the sliding door for Langdon and Vittoria. Langdon descended from the craft and turned to help Vittoria, but she had already dropped effortlessly to the ground. Every muscle in her body seemed tuned to one objective – finding the antimatter before it left a horrific legacy. After stretching a reflective sun tarp across the cockpit window, the pilot ushered them to an oversized electric golf cart waiting near the helipad. The cart whisked them silently alongside the country’s western border – a fifty-foot-tall cement bulwark thick enough to ward off attacks even by tanks. Lining the interior of the wall, posted at fifty-meter intervals, Swiss Guards stood at attention, surveying the interior of the grounds. The cart turned sharply right onto Via della Osservatorio. Signs pointed in all directions: Palazzio Governatorio Collegio Ethiopiana Basilica San Pietro Capella Sistina They accelerated up the manicured road past a squat building marked Radio Vaticana. This, Langdon realized to his amazement, was the hub of the world’s most listened-to radio programming – Radio Vaticana – spreading the word of God to millions of listeners around the globe. â€Å"Attenzione,† the pilot said, turning sharply into a rotary. As the cart wound round, Langdon could barely believe the sight now coming into view. Giardini Vaticani, he thought. The heart of Vatican City. Directly ahead rose the rear of St. Peter’s Basilica, a view, Langdon realized, most people never saw. To the right loomed the Palace of the Tribunal, the lush papal residence rivaled only by Versailles in its baroque embellishment. The severe-looking Governatorato building was now behind them, housing Vatican City’s administration. And up ahead on the left, the massive rectangular edifice of the Vatican Museum. Langdon knew there would be no time for a museum visit this trip. â€Å"Where is everyone?† Vittoria asked, surveying the deserted lawns and walkways. The guard checked his black, military-style chronograph – an odd anachronism beneath his puffy sleeve. â€Å"The cardinals are convened in the Sistine Chapel. Conclave begins in a little under an hour.† Langdon nodded, vaguely recalling that before conclave the cardinals spent two hours inside the Sistine Chapel in quiet reflection and visitations with their fellow cardinals from around the globe. The time was meant to renew old friendships among the cardinals and facilitate a less heated election process. â€Å"And the rest of the residents and staff?† â€Å"Banned from the city for secrecy and security until the conclave concludes.† â€Å"And when does it conclude?† The guard shrugged. â€Å"God only knows.† The words sounded oddly literal. After parking the cart on the wide lawn directly behind St. Peter’s Basilica, the guard escorted Langdon and Vittoria up a stone escarpment to a marble plaza off the back of the basilica. Crossing the plaza, they approached the rear wall of the basilica and followed it through a triangular courtyard, across Via Belvedere, and into a series of buildings closely huddled together. Langdon’s art history had taught him enough Italian to pick out signs for the Vatican Printing Office, the Tapestry Restoration Lab, Post Office Management, and the Church of St. Ann. They crossed another small square and arrived at their destination. The Office of the Swiss Guard is housed adjacent to Il Corpo di Vigilanza, directly northeast of St. Peter’s Basilica. The office is a squat, stone building. On either side of the entrance, like two stone statues, stood a pair of guards. Langdon had to admit, these guards did not look quite so comical. Although they also wore the blue and gold uniform, each wielded the traditional â€Å"Vatican long sword† – an eight-foot spear with a razor-sharp scythe – rumored to have decapitated countless Muslims while defending the Christian crusaders in the fifteenth century. As Langdon and Vittoria approached, the two guards stepped forward, crossing their long swords, blocking the entrance. One looked up at the pilot in confusion. â€Å"I pantaloni,† he said, motioning to Vittoria’s shorts. The pilot waved them off. â€Å"Il comandante vuole vederli subito.† The guards frowned. Reluctantly they stepped aside. Inside, the air was cool. It looked nothing like the administrative security offices Langdon would have imagined. Ornate and impeccably furnished, the hallways contained paintings Langdon was certain any museum worldwide would gladly have featured in its main gallery. The pilot pointed down a steep set of stairs. â€Å"Down, please.† Langdon and Vittoria followed the white marble treads as they descended between a gauntlet of nude male sculptures. Each statue wore a fig leaf that was lighter in color than the rest of the body. The Great Castration, Langdon thought. It was one of the most horrific tragedies in Renaissance art. In 1857, Pope Pius IX decided that the accurate representation of the male form might incite lust inside the Vatican. So he got a chisel and mallet and hacked off the genitalia of every single male statue inside Vatican City. He defaced works by Michelangelo, Bramante, and Bernini. Plaster fig leaves were used to patch the damage. Hundreds of sculptures had been emasculated. Langdon had often wondered if there was a huge crate of stone penises someplace. â€Å"Here,† the guard announced. They reached the bottom of the stairs and dead-ended at a heavy, steel door. The guard typed an entry code, and the door slid open. Langdon and Vittoria entered. Beyond the threshold was absolute mayhem.

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Food Globalization in China Essay Example for Free

Food Globalization in China Essay In most Chinese traditional families, family members would sit around the dining table and dine together. Everyone would talk about the day and bond as a family. Usually, it would be the mother who would buy groceries after work and return home to cook for the family. Sometimes, the father, the children or even the grandparents would help out in the kitchen. The mother of the family would always consider the nutrition, thus for every dish, it would be well-prepared, making sure that every family member would not have any health problems, such as getting sick or malnutrition. This was what a Chinese traditional family would be like in the past where fast food restaurants and â€Å"instant† food were scarce. Today’s Chinese family has altered tremendously. Purchasing meals at fast food restaurants is such an easy task compared to the loads of work and preparation for cooking at home. As a result, a mother has lost her chance to increase her energy expenditure that she would have spent on traveling to the grocery store, choosing and purchasing items, and returning home to cook. In addition, the bonding time for the family has decreased due to lack of interactions such as cooking and dining together. Instead, a mother has found other ways to provide food for the family. She would often go straight to a nearby fast food chain, make a take-away order or purchase instant French fries or noodles from a nearby supermarket. Likewise, compared to the traditional way of Chinese dinners, where families sit around a table of different dishes, fast food menus are mostly set for individuals, the amount of time that a family spends together is again decreased, and this unhealthy diet may slowly lead to unpredicted illnesses. In a matter of time, whether you are sitting in a restaurant or walking along the shopping districts of Shanghai, you look around and you could see humongous people with waist like pillars, arms that looks like thighs and thighs that rub against each other when they walk, one hand holding a cup of Pepsi and the other feeding themselves with McDonald’s cheese burger. There will be no more people with wrinkles and white hair. The life expectancy has dropped to fifty. This is not an illusion but an anticipated look of the future: The Fat China. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, globalization is the development of an increasingly integrated global economy, which is marked by the increase in cross-border flows of goods, services, money, people, information and culture. It brings the world together by spreading different ideas, making foreign products easier to access, speeding up the pace of life, and increasing the understanding around us. Most countries welcome the rush of globalization, which symbolizes advancements. However, the negative consequences on Chinese culture are deniable and are not worth the consequences. Food globalization is spreading through the world’s diverse cultures in the form of fast food restaurants, high-caloric beverages, supermarkets supplying instant food and high-caloric imported products, and culture changes that affect family bonding time. These changes have resulted in unhealthy diets, a decrease of energy expenditure, and illnesses such as obesity. Food globalization is causing a negative effect in China. Since the 1980s, China’s openness has led to the growth of foreign fast food chains in China. Coca-cola, Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hà ¤agen-Daz, Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins, Pepsi, DQ, Pizzahut, Papa John’s and Mcdonald’s can be found almost everywhere in China (Popkin). According to Wen Dale, a member of the International Forum on Globalization, McDonald’s alone has opened up to at least 235 restaurants in China, excluding 158 Mcdonald’s franchises in Hong Kong. Every time when I go by McDonald’s in China, I can see the long lines of people, waiting for their turn to purchase the high-caloric food. When I visited Hangzhou (a city next to Shanghai) at the age of six, I already saw many KFCs around Hangzhou. Today’s Hangzhou is way different compared to twelve years ago, it is more modernized, and at the same time, it is crowded with fast food restaurants. In the shopping district of Hangzhou, there are not only Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton but also McDonald’s, Pizzahut, Hà ¤agen-Dazs, Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins, Papa John’s, Starbucks and many other fast food chains. Globalization brought westernization, prosperity into China as well as fast food chains. According to A.Michelle Mendez, a nutritional epidemiologist who received her master’s in epidemiology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, supermarkets, for example, have â€Å"accounted for 48 percent of the urban food markets in China, an increase beyond the 30 percent level in 1999†. With this increase of urban food markets in China, the traditional markets that provide fresh and unprocessed products has started to decline, leading to a higher consumption of processed food. Furthermore, these urban food markets are not only found in large cities but also in poorer areas. (Mendez) The growing presence of Carrefour and Metro that imports foreign products brought giant stores that offer a wide variety of high caloric snacks and soft drinks, increasing the availability of unhealthy products. For example, the direct imports of French fries from the United States has increased tenfold between 1995 and 1999 (Mendez). Food globalization that increased the number of foreign investments produces negative changes to the Chinese Cultures (Dale). Globalization has brought large foreign supermarket firms and fast food chains into China. All of these has resulted in lifestyle changes which include a shift from natural-homemade food and beverages consumed to processed ones, a higher consumption of foreign food, a driving dietary change, an increase intake of caloric sweeteners, a reduced food preparation time and an increase in intake of pre-cooked foods. These led to an increase in obesity rate in China. For foreign food chains to produce large amount of ingredients and products and ship them all the way across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, unhealthy chemicals are often added during production. The contemporary world is characterized by â€Å"an intense, continuous, comprehensive interplay between the indigenous and the imported†. (Jackson) This is demonstrated through the importing and exporting of fast food ingredients. According to John Andrew, a citizen journalist, these chemicals are sometimes known as â€Å"food additives† and not all food additives used are foods. Instead, they are â€Å"chemical that are generally recognized as safe† (Andrew). Almost all of these additives are nowhere to be found in a local supermarket, instead, some are found in â€Å"inedible products like tox antifreeze, silicone caulk, soap, sunscreen and play sand† (Andrew). As reported by Riddhi Shah, a writer for the website Salon, Sally Davies, a New York photographer started a â€Å"part-art, part-food† science experiment. Davies documented a McDonald’s Happy Meal every few days until it spoiled. Even at day 137, â€Å"the meal still looks pretty great† (Shah). After reading this experiment, how would people still feel safe and happy consuming these â€Å"Happy Meals†? Consuming foods with chemicals or food additives may damage long-term health. Globalization brought changes that I have personally encountered. In 2007, the number of foreign franchises in China could be counted with ten fingers. There were only a few Starbucks and McDonald’s opened their first outlet near the downtown Wulin Square, the shopping district in Hangzhou. However, after only three years, the number of Starbucks has quadrupled. Today, there are at least eight Starbucks in Hangzhou compared to the only one less than five years ago. Because Starbucks is present everywhere, it is easy for individuals to grab a cup of Caramel Frappuccino (which is about 430 calories) whenever passing by. This availability has brought about a rush of coffee addicts in China as well as weight gains. Likewise, the newly opened Starbucks near Hangzhou International School where I attended high school attracts many students and faculty daily. This situation also happens to the McDonald’s near the school. The increase in availability has caused a tremendous increase in junk food consumption among the staff and students. It is easy for students and faculty to grab a coffee, or a muffin before or after school. In most countries, especially the United States, Asians are often stereotyped as skinny. However, this perception will have to be altered in the coming decade. In the past, malnutrition has been the main health problem in China. According to James. A Levine, a professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, more than 60 million people have become obese in China (Levine). The data presents 23 percent of Chinese population is overweight. 12 percent adults and 8 percent children have obesity (Levine). The more serious problem is that Levine has predicted by 2020, the obesity population in China will exceed that of the United States. The Chinese population is one of the largest in the world and if as predicted by Levine, the Chinese obesity rate rises, the whole world will be affected by this change. Misra points out â€Å"that the obesity and the metabolic syndrome are immediate cursors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease†, thus as China’s obesity rate increases, the well being of the Chinese population is evidently threatened. The increase in obesity rate will lead to maladaptive consequences such as an increase in other illnesses, and these studies provide a strong correlation with the growing of foreign fast food chains. Consequently, the increase of foreign fast food chains has affected everyone living in China. Easy accessibility to these restaurants and supermarkets reduces Chinese’s physical activity and labor intensity in both the urban and rural areas (Jackson). This increase number of foreign supermarkets has also resulted in a rise in the average intake of vegetable oil from â€Å"14.8 grams per person in 1989 to 35.1 grams per person in 2004, adding an extra 183 kcal to the population’s daily diet† (Popkin) (see table 1). In table 1, the availability for consumption of total calories has been going upslope since the 1961 and has no inclination of slowing down. Thus, these changes result in an increase in Chinese adults’ consumption on high-fat which rose from 33 percent to 60.8 percent in urban areas and 13.5 percent to 29.3 percent in rural areas (Mendez). Table 1 Regional Trends in Availability for Consumption of Total Calories, 1961-2000†¨Source: Misra, Anoop and Lokesh Khurana. â€Å"Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Developing Countries†. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2008. Web. 8 November 2011. By switching from Chinese traditional diet to a Western diet, Chinese are consuming goods that are much higher in calories. In a Chinese traditional family, a dinner often included a few dishes of vegetables, a few dishes of meat (normally less than the number of vegetable dishes), a soup, and lastly a bowl of rice for each family member. One or two of the family members freshly cooked all of the food. This kind of traditional dinner included all components of a healthy meal for a well-balanced diet. For centuries, the only beverages Chinese consumed were tea, water, and breast milk after birth. â€Å"Because water has no calories, the human body did not evolve to reduce food intake to compensate for beverage consumption†, thus, adding sugar into new beverages will increase the caloric intake of an individual. (Popkin) Table 2 displays the short history of caloric beverage for humans. From breast milk, water consumption, the human as evolved to consume soda, coffee, juice, liquor and other beverages that contain sugar. Thereby, when people consume any beverage other than water, their total calorie consumption increase (Popkin). Table 2 Remarkably Short History for Caloric Beverages: Might the Absence of Compensation Relate to This Historical Revolution? Source: Popkin, Barry M. â€Å"The World is Fat.† The World is Fat (2008): n. pag. Web. 8 December 2011. The increase in availability of foreign food restaurants has led to a significant decrease of home-prepared food according to Popkin, an â€Å"obvious shift in home-prepared food and home-based meals to ready-to eat meals, often consumed away from home. With this consumption, Chinese are spending less time with their family members and more time outside of their homes. Even though families may eat out at a fast food restaurant together, as the food is served â€Å"fast†,, the social time that an individual spend with his family is still decreased. It is true that food globalization has presented positive effects on Chinese culture, such as the bringing a diverse of cuisines into China, satisfying the Chinese’s curiosity, the increase in their pace of life and the step of taking Chinese a leap forward into the understanding of the outside world. However, the negative consequences, such as the increase in health risks, and the diminishment of traditional culture that come together with food globalization are inevitable and are worth much more of the attention. These negative consequences may not seem worthwhile at this moment but when they do become serious problems, it will be too late to ameliorate. The question that is left for everyone to ponder is that do a higher standard of living, a higher pace of life worth the sacrifice? Work Cited Dale, Wen. â€Å"The Fast Food Invasion†. China Copes with Globalization: (2005): n. pag. Web 14 November 2011. Jackson, Peter. â€Å"Local Consumption Cultures in a Globalizing World†. Royal Geographical Society (2004): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011.Levine, James A. â€Å"Obesity in China: Causes and Solutions†. Chinese Medical Journal (2007): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011. Mendez, A. Michelle and M. Popkin. â€Å"Globalization, Urbanization and Nutritional Change In the Developing World†. Globalization of Food Systems in Developing Countries: Impact on Food Security and Nutrition (2004): n. pag. Web. 13 November2011. Popkin, Barry M. â€Å"The World is Fat.† The World is Fat (2008): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011.Watson, L. James. â€Å"Chinas Big Mac Attack†. Foreign Affairs (2000): n. pag. Web. 12 November 2011. Wong, Seanon. â€Å"Whats In A Dumpling†. University of Chicago (2006): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011 Wu, Yangfeng. â€Å"Overweight and obesity in China†. BMJ (2006): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011. Tan, Cheryn. â€Å"Curry Origins and History†. Suite101, 2009. Web. 13 November 2011. Shah, Riddhi. â€Å"The Secret to the Immortality of McDonalds Food†. Salon, 2010. Web. 13 November 2011. Andrew, John. â€Å"Surprise Ingredients in Fast Food†. Natural New, 2010. Web. 13 November 2011. Misra, Anoop and Lokesh Khurana. â€Å"Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Developing Countries†. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2008. Web. 13 November 2011.

Time to Move On :: Personal Narrative Essays

Time to Move On While I was driving to work on a Thursday evening in November at 10:00 p.m., for my first night of training on the graveyard shift at Medical Centers Radiology Department. I was imagining the types of exams that could come to the department from the ER, praying that I would not have to x-ray a drunk or someone that had been in a bad car accident. When I finally arrived to work at 11:00 p.m., I walked through the ER to get to the radiology department. So far the ER was having a really slow night. After putting my things away, I met the technologist (Bob) that I would be working with for the next eight hours. Since the department was so quiet, Bob and I had some time to discuss what the graveyard technologists responsibilities included, such as hanging all the x-rays from the night for the Radiologist to read, and getting the paper work ready for the in hospital portable x-rays to be done at 5:30a.m. before the shift ends at 7:00a.m. Now it was going on 1:00a.m. Bob and I had gotten aquatinted, and I knew all my responsibilities . Since we still had not heard from the ER we both tried to get some sleep. When I was drifting off to sleep, I was hoping that if the ER did call it would only be for easy exams and preferably no drunks. It was 4:00a.m. when I awoke to the ringing of the phone . I knew it was going to be the ER calling to send a patient over for x-rays. When I answered the phone, I was again praying it was something quick and easy. The nurse on the other end of the Line said, "We have a chest x-ray" with a sigh of relief I said, " Send them to room 3 ." After finishing the chest x-ray, I walked the patient back to the ER. This is when I saw what I had been hoping would not happen on my shift. Doctors and nurses were rushing into ER Room 8 where I saw a young man (high school age) laying on a back board with a cervical collar on and his head had been split open.

Different Contexts In Communication Essay

†¢Social – When in a social environment you are more than likely around people who know your personality and how you communicate, if that is with jokey sarcasm, dramatic actions, being load, quietly thoughtful or any other way in which you may use your communicational skills. Because of the friendship you will have with these people and the want they feel to spend social time with you, they will understand your ways, accept them, and that is how you are able to be yourself in a comfortable relaxed atmosphere. †¢Professional – Meetings, talking with other parents/members of staff/students/outside agencies. All require professionalism; the way in which you conduct yourself should be with a friendly, but not formal attitude. Respect, listening, interest and understanding should be shown by you in body language, questions, answers and possible solutions. In some of these meetings important issues can irises and it is important that no matter what the subject is you take a high interest at getting any issues dealt with, but always keeping the situation calm and none threatening. Sarcasm, inappropriate jokes and other behaviours should be left to use in your social time; this is not the place for informal attitudes, a professional stance is required, with a level amount of understanding and respect. †¢Cultural – If a meeting has been arranged with people of a different culture if possible a little research into acceptable communicational behaviour would help, but being careful not to assume a stereotype attitude. If there is going to be a language barrier, provisions should be made. In some cultures they have very different ideas on what is offensive and polite. For example shaking hands to me is a polite way to say hello and introducing yourself, but there are cultures that find this rude, along with eye contact, (which is a big way to show you are listening in our culture) also the way in which you may be dressed could cause affence. When any of these skills in which you should conduct yourself in are crossed, this could leave the other member in your party feeling offended, unable to have the confidence to express what they are feeling and lose the trust to be able to come to you with a problem again.

Evaluating the Research Process Essay

This paper will be used to evaluate the research process. The chosen article is Pregnancy Risk among Black, White, and Hispanic Teen Girls in the New York City Public Schools. The research process is inclusive of several initial parts which are the selection of a problem, formulation of a hypothesis, a description of the subject, and the review of any literature as well as to construct a design plan, analyze data and write a conclusion. The paper will be used to discuss the literature and how it is used in the research. What are the considerations for data collection and what is the data telling us in terms of statistical analysis? In the article Pregnancy Risk among Black, White, and Hispanic Teen Girls in New York City Schools, the data was collected form the use of the (YRBS) New York City Youth Risk Behavior surveys. The survey was implemented by the (DOHMH) New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the (DOE) Department of Education. The surveys have been conducted since 1997 on a biennial basis. The data that is used was collected from surveys that were taken in 2005 and 2007. A total of 17,220 students from 87 public high schools were surveyed. Since this information was collected from individuals that were not of legal age, the researchers were extra careful to protect the confidentially of the students. This was done by having the students to complete a survey that requires that no personal information is given. The survey consists of 99 questions and it is self-administered. The data that has been collected has concluded that there is definitely a difference in the sexual activity of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years old that attended public schools in the New York City area. The differences include more than just age, it also include race, ethnicity, schools, neighborhoods and economic backgrounds as well. Based on the findings of the surveys there is an unmistakable difference in the statistics for each group that participated. Therefore there is a definitely a correlation between the findings and the figures that were used. The numerical data that was retrieved from the survey proves that the data is significant and provides enough evidence to support the significance of the study. In the article the results concluded that (32.6%) of high school girls reported that they were sexually active in the 3 months prior to the survey. Out of all of the girls that participated in the survey, black students were more likely to be sexually active followed by Hispanics the whites. There were variations in the sexual activity which increased or decreased with age, race and ethnicity. The results also assessed the differences in each group access to and the use of contraceptive. The conclusion states that the use of hormonal contraceptive such as the pill was low among all racial and ethnic groups. Differences also occurred within the different neighborhoods. The conclusion noted that Hispanic girls in New York City were less likely when compared to white to use any type of contraceptive methods which put them at a greater risk of becoming pregnant. It also state that if there is any hope of preventing teen pregnancies, the proper information must be made available to educate these girls about long acting methods of contraception. Upon careful review of the conclusion it is evident that the conclusion does answer the research question as it is stated in the definition of the problem. The conclusion is appropriate because it re states the obvious facts from the date that had been collected from the surveys. It also summarizes the finding and breaks down the data so that suggestions can be made as a way to help to prevent teen age pregnancy within the area that was deemed to be high risk. Although the article has significant statistics and data, it is my opinion that there is not enough information to make a decision on the effectiveness of the study. There were several limitation within the study that allows one to question the effectiveness of the study overall. First, the YRBS only included limited questions pertaining to sexual activity and contraception which means it is possible that there are unmeasured differences in the frequency of sexual activity and the consistency in the use of Contraceptives which could make the collected data on each group incorrect. There are also limitations related to data that is collected by neighborhood schools. In some cases students choose to attend magnet or other specialized schools that are located outside of their home school. Another limitation is that the finding for the study was generalized to teens that attended New York City public schools. Therefore, many students that lived in the city but attended private schools or were in a special education program were not surveyed. The article lacked significant information on any other studies that the data could be compared to as a way to test for accuracy of the information. The literature review for the article was used to analyze the variation in the components that plays a major role in assessing the pregnancy risk among students attending New York City public high schools. The discussion portion of this article breaks down all of the difference and compares all of the similarities that exist between black, whites, and Hispanics which contribute to the high pregnancy rate within each group. The discussion also touches on the evidence that schools and neighborhoods can be a major influence in the risk of pregnancy for teen aged girls. Racial and ethnic differences have had an effect on the motivation and the expectation of girls to become sexually active in the early teen years. Fortunately the diverse nature of the study will help to provide the information needed to initiate programs that will give girls the knowledge to delay pregnancy until later in life.

THE BOSTON essays

THE BOSTON essays The Boston Massacre or Victims of Circumstance? (1770) Section 4-6 The acount as described by Captain Thomas Preston surrounding the events occuring on March fifth of seventeen hundred seventy, contains a more precise detailing of the happenings on that fatefull day. The colonists of Boston were predisposed to feel resentment at the arrival and continuation of Brittish troops to remain in Boston causing many to feel oppression from England. The feeling of occupation and dislike of forein intervention into their daily lives, would generally lead one to surmise that in situations where altercations between troops and the civilians had taken place, the bias on the part of colonist's could very well lead to an imbelishment of their participation in such episodes. Soldier's from Brittain with status,(such as a captain) were of an educated background and in enforcing the Kings law would treat colonist's as they would have treated England's subject's. With the animosity towards his Majesty's troops by the colonist's, a person in the position of Captain Preston was responsible for the tranquility of the people and the intent to resolve disputes, without causing an enraged population to rebel against the control of his troops. What makes the report more credible on behalf of Captain Preston is the surrender of his own volition to the sherrif. The continuation of refering to the incident as The Boston Massacre was a form of propaganda allowing for discontented civilian's to become more disobediant and enabled the articulation of their argument that the occupation by the soldiers was an affront to the freedoms they had been accorded by being so distant from the Brittish Empire. The word massacre entails a definition of horrific acts so unspeakable as to propagate an idea of inhumane and unjust treatment and to incite opposition to the in...

Information Systems in Organizations - Case Study Essay

Information Systems in Organizations - Case Study - Essay Example Also, this system can act as a getaway to financial costs by exposing the organization to other sources of revenue to help them maintain flawless exchanges. Algorithm is fast assuming popularity in the trading world and it is common for any other client to ask for it. It brings with it many benefits including cutting down transaction costs and giving freedom to managers conducting any transactions to be fully responsible for the respective trading processes. These trading features allow for analysis of all quotes and trade in the stock markets. However, it also poses great risks. In case a trader fails to choose the appropriate feature then there will a lack of visibility and transparency during execution of orders (Avison, 2003). Use of programmed trade as from the case study can be linked to a resultant flush crush. The system handles a very large amount of information including trading information such as algo-trading which includes the use of an electronic platform to enter trading orders, with an algorithm in place that determines the features of the order. It also has the ability to handle huge volumes of data from messages. It is capable of handling up to a million messages per second which is highly beneficial. With this ability to handle such amount of information, the customers are able to get efficient services and this gives credit to the company and opening up a way of increasing their profits. Also the ability to handle one million messages per minute allows the system to give attention to countless users and ensures that there are no communication delays. This in the long term results to satisfied and loyal customers. The main functions of an information system include assembling, processing, retrieval and dissemination of information. In using this kind of system, there will be minimized overload since it has very high processing speed as compared to physical

Classical Liberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Classical Liberalism - Essay Example Locke attempted to protect some areas of personal life from governmental action. People should not be deprived of their property rights by the state. The acceptance of the government authority over people is to ensure that the latter protects their property and liberty. In ancient times, people enjoyed full-fledged freedom and liberty; and the state should endeavor to provide these rights (Stein 21). The Lockean perception states that the fundamental duty of the state is to protect private property. However, this theory has been discounted because the state has extended protection to only property that it creates and to the extent to which it deems to be sufficient. The state is the bestower as well as the depriver of property. Consequently, the restrictions imposed by the state on land use become an intrinsic part of the land (Epstein 129). A state that controls private property is akin to a dictatorship. Moreover, a state that strictly protects the right to private property, cannot address crises effectively. For instance, during times of war, natural disasters and economic depressions the state is empowered to control private property. However, classical liberalism requires the state to operate under certain limitations, while seizing private property. Therefore, a classical liberal society cannot survive in a real time environment and it cannot build gigantic projects like the Tennessee Valley Authority. Such classical liberal societies cannot deal with the Texas farmers in drought situations. There will be no technological advancement in a classical liberal society. It cannot launch expedition to outer space, and there would be no scientific experiments (Rockwell). The sole ruler of a society is its legislation, therefore, it is irrelevant as to who wins in the elections or who emerges as the president. Communities develop by themselves, and the future of the people is determined by their actions.