Was the Spanish-American War Truly as John Hay Said, a “Splendid Little War”

Was the Spanish-American war truly as John Hay said, a â€Å"splendid little war†? Why or why not? The Spanish-American war was for the American government the first step on the road to becoming a â€Å"global, police power†, for the Spanish it was the dissolution of Cuba and their empire, from said conclusion is it fair to name such a war a success, an aforementioned â€Å"splendid little war†? [1] This essay hopes to examine the limitations of Hay’s statement, the war was to irreversibly â€Å"shape relations between the United States and the rest of the globe for the coming century†, and it was the trigger that ultimately taught the U. S. the cost of World imperialism. It is impossible to label such a conflict as totally triumphant and simplistic, it was fraught with diplomatic complications, both domestic and colonial, as is written herewith. The situation in Cuba before American intervention had always been precarious; Cuban rebels had continually opposed Spanish rule throughout the 19th Century, such was the animosity between the Cubans and Spanish that it culminated in the erection of some of the first Spanish concentration camps (reconcentrado). Dubbed â€Å"Butcher Weyler† by the American press, Spanish general Valeriano Weyler sought to curtail the uprisings, thus causing numerous deaths and epidemics among the Cuban inhabitants. [2] This onslaught erupted both the Cuban population and the American press into a fierce frenzy; American readers experienced a â€Å"battle of gigantic proportions† between two rival newspapers, (New York Journal and New York World), â€Å"in which the sufferings of Cuba merely chanced to furnish some of the most convenient ammunition†. 3] With so much public attention, the Cuban crisis became a great exhibition of jubilation; there was much desire for intervention in the affair. Said exaltation was further prompted by the events of February 15th 1898, when the battleship USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor killing 266 American sailors. Demands for war with Spain were imminent and colossal, the â€Å"yellow journalism† and its fabrication of news intoxicated the †Å"whole Country with war fever†, slogans of â€Å"Remember the Maine! To Hell with Spain! † became very popular. 4] Theodore Roosevelt, assistant secretary of the navy, had always been of a militaristic nature, having commented that â€Å"This country needs a war†, and proclaiming President William McKinley as â€Å"white-livered† with â€Å"no more backbone than a chocolate eclair†, had proclaimed the disaster â€Å"an act of dirty treachery on the part of the Spaniards†. [5] The longing for war by the public and certain members of government following the atmosphere of hostility prompted, reluctantly, McKinley to declare war on Cuba. Having blockaded Cuba on April 22nd, Spain then subsequently declared war on April 24th. The Spanish-American war was initially a â€Å"splendid little war† as described by Hay; it was an â€Å"unbroken series of American victories† within only 10 weeks of combat. [6] The major campaign of the war occurred at San Juan Hill, where a unit of newly formed Rough Riders under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt along with two regiments of African American soldiers stormed a position atop Kettle Hill. So successful was the battle that Roosevelt â€Å"would rather have led that charge than served three terms in the U. S. Senate†, that he had been â€Å"revelling in victory and gore†. The combination of defeat at San Juan Hill and around the port of Santiago in which â€Å"474 Spanish were killed†¦while only one American was killed and one wounded† initiated the surrender of Santiago on July 17th, and the capitulation of Spain on July 26th 1898. [7] The Treaty of Paris of 1898, signed on December 10, 1898, ended hostilities between the Spanish and the U. S. The Treaty of Paris deemed that Cuba would become an autonomous country, and the U. S. acquired Puerto Rico and Guam with the understanding that Spain be paid twenty million dollars for the Philippines. The scandalist treaty was the subject of much debate in the US Senate during the winter of 1898-1899, which was finally resolved on February 6th, 1899 by a one-vote margin of 57 to 27 with only two Republicans opposed: George Frisbie Hoar of Massachusetts and Eugene Pryor Hale of Maine. How was it that the U. S. a traditionally isolationist nation, become involved in such conflict. Nationalist historians argue said involvement to have been directed in accordance with constitutional diplomacy and the democratic principle of projecting liberty and national spirit; in essence the American Dream. George Brown Tindall argues that the U. S. involvement in the war was initiated out of a â€Å"sense of outrage at another country’s imperialism†; It is true to say that until 1899 Spain had acquired substantial influence over the sugar industry, territory held equated more than the fifty millions that the U. S. held in Cuba. Tindall also argues the impact that public opinion and ferocity had on the declaration of war; â€Å"too much momentum and popular pressure†. Indeed said impact was so great that Tindall argues â€Å"the ultimate blame for war, if blame must be levied, belongs to the American people†. 8] Indeed â€Å"many†¦were heavily influenced by the view that western imperialism was justified by the (alleged) superiority of Anglo-Saxon and Nordic ‘races’†, that it was warranted for the U. S. to spread her idealism and the American Dream to other civilisations. [9] There was however more imperialistic interests that influen ced the coming of war, Revisionist historians proclaim the level of U. S. involvement corroborates with desire to defend its own interests that political expansion was in aid of guarantying economic control. Indeed McKinley favoured said intervention and the establishment of a government made up of the â€Å"wealthy Cuban planter class†, as he believed it could be controlled economically and â€Å"incorporated into the American Sphere†. [10] In the short-term the ‘prizes’ of victory over Spain were appealing, not least politically, for many economic advantages came with the acquisition of territory in Cuba and the Philippines. These incentives therefore substantiate Hay’s statement of the American-Spanish conflict as a said â€Å"splendid little war†, an easy and cost-effective method of amassing a greater economy and furthering the American dream. The overriding advantage for the U. S. was that it was a â€Å"little war†, it was also cheap, â€Å"its cost was relatively slight†, the fact that it took ten weeks and the lives of ‘only’ 5,462 U. S. soldiers (379 in actual combat) painted a popular picture of ease in what was the first U. S. campaign. [11] Politically the advantages came from the influence the U. S. gained through becoming a new major world power. With the precedent of waging and ultimately winning a foreign war, the U. S. had the potential of authority over future entanglements. Flushed with the easy victory over Spain, inflamed by the vision of a colonial empire, many were caught by the propaganda for a naval power†. [12] Roosevelt stressed â€Å"we must strive in good faith to play a great part in the world†, and by doing â€Å"the world’s work by bringing order out of chaos†¦from which the valor of our soldiers and sailors has driven the Spanish flag†. [13] Moreover the U. S. obligation â€Å"to take up the White Man’s burden† further exacerbated United States political intentions in the global theatre, indeed imperialists such as Senator Albert J. Beveridge and Henry Cabot Lodge, â€Å"stressed America’s moral obligation to extend the benefits of Anglo-Saxon civilization to a backward people†. [14] Indeed individuals such as McKinley commented on how â€Å"to educate the Filipinos and uplift and civilize and Christianize them as our fellowmen for whom Christ also died†. [15] Missionaries became increasingly involved in colonial affairs; they pursued the chance to convert the â€Å"little brown brother† to Christianity for the â€Å"sake of their souls†. [16] Economically the advantages of the war for the U. S. were of paramount importance, and were of major influence in the initial reasoning for a declaration of war. Cuba in the 19th century was the â€Å"sacred cow of American diplomacy†¦Cuba in American history has often been synonymous with sugar†¦which has the power of stirring more political devils in Washington than any other elixir†. Sugar was a major export of America and therefore Cuba became a major concern for economists in a time of unrest and conflict, a potential acquisition for the â€Å"the Sugar Trust†¦the most hated trust in America†. 17] Big Business also profited from the notion of expanding global markets, with the new access to China and its multitude of consumers, businesses such as the American Tobacco Company foresaw the new opportunity, naming the â€Å"Philippines (as) the key to the Far East†. [18] Indeed U. S. involvement in Cuba was startling; Frank M. Steinhart of the National City Bank of New York (NCB) became leading e conomic leader, and was therefore able to ascertain all of Cuba’s resources under the NCB with their 24 Cuban branches. One governmental individual commented no how â€Å"Cuba is no more independent than Long Island†. 19] Colonial empire really did suit the U. S. A. How then could such a â€Å"splendid little war† be so farcical, why were said consequences of war so detrimental to opinion concerning United States diplomacy? In essence there were three major complications, whose effects brought about severe limitations to Hay’s statement. In short imperialism and the desire for expansion of economy and territory contradicted with U. S. tradition of ‘isolationism’, and that the idea of a nation with democratic values holding colonial control was unpalatable by many people. The acquisition of territory far overseas put a great amount of strain upon U. S. administrative and defensive concerns, not least because of their practical distance, but also due to constitutional contradictions. It gave the potential for continental warfare between the Great Powers, and the reality of guerrilla warfare in unfamiliar civilisations. The empire also brought about a further internal conflict, with both governmental and influential individuals, which sparked off following the condemnation of U. S. imperial stature. The U. S. ad only recently acquired an empire of colonies, she was naive and inexperienced with the policing and protection of lands outside of direct U. S. jurisdiction. The activities of rebellious peoples soon exacerbated such concerns, initiating a period of guerrilla warfare, requiring a sharp adaptation of U. S. occupational forces to facilitate a war of counter-insurgency. February 1899 marked the beginning of open hostility and aggression towards the U. S. occupational forces by the Filipino insurgents. The U. S. now had to follow the precedent set by the British, that an empire was a mixed-bag of complications and benefits. Proclaiming the slogan â€Å"No hay derecho a vender un pueblo como se vende un saco de patatas† (â€Å"There is no right to sell a nation like a sack of potatoes†), Filipinos launched vicious attacks on the forces of Aguinaldo and Mabini to oppose the â€Å"new colonial masters†. [20] The U. S. soon discovered they were running a counterinsurgency every bit as brutal as anything that â€Å"Butcher Weyler† had done in Cuba. Regular army soldiers, many of them veterans of the U. S. Indian wars, undertook â€Å"marked severities† (as one termed it) against these new â€Å"Indians†. One U. S. rmy officer wrote: â€Å"We must have no scruples about exterminating this other race standing in the way of progress, if it is necessary†. Many questioned the point of attempting to hold such alien territory, when there were ongoing domestic problems, one newspaper editor commented that it was â€Å"a sinful extravagance to waste our civilizing inf luence upon the unappreciative Filipinos when it is so badly needed right here in Arkansas†. During July 1902, the U. S. declared the Philippine Insurrection over, 200,000 to 220,000 Filipinos had died, and of whom only 15,000 were actual combatants, which suggest that U. S. forces consciously made war on the enemy's entire society that the concept of total war occurred fifty years earlier than 1939. [21] Critics of expansionism were another annoyance for the U. S. government. Those in office found the idea of dependency incredibly taxing, that the foreign acquisitions would perpetuate existing domestic problems. Other member foresaw that the ruling of said overseas dependencies would contradict, even violate, the â€Å"premises of republican government and the values of classical liberalism†. Although he failed to fervor his stance on U. S. imperialism in the presidential election of 1900, William Jennings Bryan became a high profile contester of expansionism; as a result, the election did not provide a clear mandate for or against overseas empire. Opponents of the U. S. Empire even more fervent than Bryan established the Anti-Imperialist League in Boston to oppose the Philippine Insurrection and colonialism. Erving Winslow, Edward Atkinson, Moorfield Storey, William James, Andrew Carnegie, and former President Grover Cleveland added their voices to the anti-imperialist chorus. However due to their narrow upper-class and governmental social base, the â€Å"antis† were unable to generate much support for their arguments, indeed Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov Lenin described them as â€Å"the last of the Mohicans of bourgeois democracy†. [22] Despite the apparent failure to change U. S. foreign policy, the Anti-Imperialism League became a major concern of the government, not least because its foundation was made of some actual political personalities thus creating the rifts of viewpoint shown, but it also caused embarrassment in the face of public and international scrutiny into the affair and the consequences of it thereafter. Indeed such was the strain of the opposition that the government even suppressed the delivery of three anti-imperialism pamphlets to Manila written by, vice president of the Anti-Imperialism League, Edward Atkinson. Economists too were somewhat discouraged by the U. S. involvement in foreign relations, indeed the firm Gompers recognized the problematic nature of overseas economic development. These economists feared the possible conflict of competition regarding the expansion of existing U. S. monopolies and conglomerates, foreseeing their impact on foreign society in the pursuit and carving up of land, resources, and profit. Foreign competition was also of major concern, believing the â€Å"menace of cheap oriental labor† as detrimental to the U. S. proletariat. [23] The fabled China market and political engrossment of overseas markets meant the establishment of an â€Å"open door† in China and to the protection of the territorial integrity of China. This therefore threatened war, a political tool to be reluctantly used if other powers obstructed U. S. entry into China market, only war could sustain the policy. The rising sun of Japan and Tsarist Russia therefore threatened future U. S. non-entanglement. In conclusion it is inaccurate to deem the 1898 war and Philippine Insurrection as â€Å"splendid little† wars; in reality each was fraught with so many conflicting problems and consequences. To many individuals the concept of colonial expansion was exciting, not least as it perpetuated U. S. power and influence but many sought to gain economically, spiritually and personally from said imperialism. The cost of empire was of higher significance however, as its political costs were severely detrimental to the McKinley administration, its effects on physical practicalities of defense and economy damaging, and the diplomatic portrayal of the U. S. A embarrassing. Eighty years previously John Quincy Adams had predicted the outcome of U. S. involvement in global conflict, â€Å"no matter how righteous the initial cause†¦her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force†¦She might become dictatress of the World†. Hay was wrong, 1898 was never a â€Å"splendid little war†, never a war â€Å"on behalf of people other than its own†. [24] Bibliography B. Bailyn, The Great Republic: History of the American People Vol. II; Toronto, DC Heath Canada, 1998 J. L. Bates, The United States 1898-1928 – Progressivism and a Society in Transition; New York, McGraw-Hill Book Co. , 1976 H. Brogan, The Penguin History of the United States; London, Penguin, 2001 H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914; New York, The Macmillan Co. , 1961 S. Foner, The Spanish Cuban American War and the Birth of American Imperialism 1895-1902. Vol. I; New York, 1972 L. B. Francisco, and J. Shepard Fast, Conspiracy for Empire – Big Business, Corruption and the Politics of Imperialism in America, 1876-1907; Quezon City, Philippines, Foundation for Nationalist Studies, 1985 E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865; Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. 2002 M. A. Jones, The Limits of Liberty – American history 1607-1980; Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1983 T. Mahan, Lessons of war with Spain; London, Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. , 1899 J. B. Moore, Four Phases of American Development; New York, Balt, 1912 C. S. Olcott, Life of McKinley – Vol. II; Boston, Houghton M ifflin Co. , 1916 J. R. Stromberg, The Spanish-American War: The Leap into Overseas Empire; U. S. A, The Future of Freedom Foundation, 1999 G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition; New York, W. W. Norton & Co. , 2004 ———————– [1] E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865, p. 98. [2] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 759 [3] Ibid [4] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 760 [5] Ibid [6] M. A. Jones, The Limits of Liberty – American history 1607-1980, p. 402 [7] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 764 [8] Ibid, pp. 759 and 762 [9] L. B. Francisco, and J. Shepard Fast, Conspiracy for Empire – Big Business, Corruption and the Politics of Imperialism in America, 1876-1907, p. 135 [10] Ibid, p. 141 [11] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition p. 764 [12] J. B. Moore, Four Phases of American Development, pp. 147-148 [13] E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865, p. 100 [14] M. A. Jones, The Limits of Liberty – American history 1607-1980, p. 403 [15] C. S. Olcott, Life of McKinley – Vol. II Boston, Houghton Mifflin co. 1916 [16] G. Brown Tindall and D. E. Shi, America: A Narrative History – Sixth edition, p. 765 [17] L. B. Francisco, and J. Shepard Fast, Conspiracy for Empire – Big Business, Corruption and the Politics of Imperialism in America, 1876-1907, p. 33 [18] H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914, p. 310 [19] H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914, p. 313 [20] J. R. Stromberg, The Spanish-American War: The Leap into Overseas Empir e, p. 2 [21] Ibid [22] J. R. Stromberg, The Spanish-American War: The Leap into Overseas Empire, p. 2 [23] H. Underwood Faulkner, A History of American life Vol. XI – The Quest for Social Justice 1898-1914, p. 310 [24] E. Cobbs Hoffman, and J. Gjerde, Major Problems in American History. Vol. II Since 1865, p. 97

Archival Research Paper – Philippine Typhoons

Degree of Loss and Destruction: A Look into the Impact of Typhoons that Hit the Philippines from 2008 – 2011 December 2012 Table of Contents Title   CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This chapter contains all the information regarding the Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Significance of the Study, and the Scope and Limitations of the study. Background of the Study A typhoon is a hurricane occurring especially in the region of the Philippines or the China Sea.It could destroy lots of areas wherein many Filipinos suffer- people starve, becomes homeless, and lose their loved ones. Philippines is often visited by a lot of typhoons is because of the mere fact that it is the first massive land next to the Pacific Ocean. Trade winds gather near the equator and combines with several equatorial winds. These winds are sometimes merged by warm bodies of ocean water which makes them stronger and more indestructible. Recently, a typhoon named Pablo visited the Philippines. A typh oon is a hurricane that when occurs in a certain area, urban or rural, can make a disaster.Pablo made a devastating impact on the Philippines. It made a very big effect in the Mindanao particularly on Compostella Valley, Cateel, and New Bataan. The river transformed into a body of water full of mud. The place was full of broken tree parts, structure debris and bodies of dead people. Also, outside the Philippines, a hurricane named Sandy visited New York City this year. Hurricane Sandy left New York with homeless families, destroyed places and flooded streets. Due to these tragic events, our group has decided to conduct this study. Filipinos were emotional because of those calamities happened from the past.They felt so down seeing their properties and areas damaged by these typhoons and felt so hopeless knowing that everything seems to be devastated or gone and they could no longer live the life like before these incidents happened. Although a lot of things are going through their mi nds, they still have to face the fact that life must go on. Despite all of these calamities happening, they’re still very fortunate to have a lot of people from all around the country giving help and donations to them. Also with the aid of the government organization and other countries, they have survived and started again to live on their own.Statement of the Problem 1. To what extent or impact did the typhoons bring to the Philippines from the year 2008 up to 2012 in terms of: a. Loss of lives (death tolls) b. Damage to properties, infrastructures, and the places affected (amount) c. Destruction of nature Significance of the Study The group has conducted this research to have benefits in these certain sectors: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES/INSTITUTIONS – This research will aid in future researches as well as in making plans, programs and projects to help victims of storms and to be well prepared if the Philippines will experience future storms.ACADEME – This research w ill help schools in making their students better prepared for storms in teaching them and informing them the impact made by storms based on the data collected. It can also help the schools when they will make try to help the victims of storms. The school will know what should be their proper action to help the victims. COMMUNITY – This research will let the community be aware on the effects storms have in the Philippines. The community will know what the proper course of action will be to be safe from the storms.PSYCHOLOGISTS/SOCIAL WORKERS – This research will give knowledge to them of what to expect from the victims of the storm. So that they will be able to help properly and deal with the victims who just came from these tragic events. Scope and Limitations The study was conducted here in Davao City. The researchers used the Archival technique to look for different source documents from archives, the internet, and other reference materials related to further support the study.It focuses on the different impacts of the typhoons that have struck the Philippines starting from the year 2008 to 2012 especially its effects to the people, the properties and surroundings, and the whole nation itself. It seeks to only answer the questions given from the Statement of the Problem and not from others which are not directly related to the study. The Archival research method was decided by the researchers to be used in this study therefore no other methods shall be used. The resources were also carefully chosen which suited the theme of the investigation.CHAPTER 2: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK This chapter includes the Objectives of the Study, Hypotheses, and Conceptual Framework. The Conceptual Framework presents the concepts that are placed within a logical and sequential design which clarifies concepts and propose relationships among notions in the study. Objectives of the Study This study is intended to strengthen people’s awareness about the destruction brought by the typhoons going in and out the country from 2008 to 2012 and how the victims of these timely calamities recovered from such impact made by storms.From these researches, people will have knowledge about how severe the damages a typhoon can bring to an affected area and its people. It would take the victims weeks or even longer to recover not just financially but in every aspect that defines their being such as how to handle the emotional distress from the sudden tragedies they experience. Hence, they will need the help of those who are fortunate enough to be spared from such catastrophes. Hypotheses Alternative Hypothesis:From 2008 to 2011, Philippines has been highly devastated by a lot of typhoons that made big impacts on the properties and lives of Filipinos and places affected, as well as to the nature. Null hypothesis: A lot of typhoons have visited Philippines from 2008-2011, but there were little impact happened on the properties and lives of Filipinos and place s affected, as well as to the nature. Conceptual Framework Dependent Variables: Death Toll Properties/Infrastructures destroyed Destruction in nature Independent Variables: All typhoons and related calamities that have hit the Philippines starting from 2008 up to 2011 Degree of Damage:Not that Destructive and Costly (high casualties and damage (among the four)) Destructive and Costly (higher casualties and damage (among the four)) Very Destructive and Costly (highest casualties and damage (among the four)) Way/source of recovery from calamities: Government Fundings for losses/damages incurred Assistance from other countries and international groups Donations from all over the country Psycho-social effects The diagram presented The diagram presented above includes the independent variables which are the different typhoons and related calamities that have struck the country in a span of four years.This then leads to the dependent variables being measured which includes death tolls, in frastructures/properties destroyed, and the destruction they have brought to nature. With these, we can now identify the level of damage incurred to the country, as seen on the next box. And finally, the last box contains ways on how the affected citizens have recovered after these tragic events happened, based on the level of damage. CHAPTER 3: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter presents the literature and related studies which have direct bearing on this study. It also discusses the deadly storms in the Philippines as well as its impacts.Our study will be helpful to our society by means of increasing their knowledge about typhoons and their impacts to their livelihood. Typhoon According to Webster (2007), a typhoon is a violent tropical cyclone originating in the western Pacific. Typhoons feature heavy rains and winds that maintain  speeds  equal to or greater than 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour. Similar storms that occur in other parts of the world are called tropi cal cyclones or hurricanes. The word typhoon comes from the Chinese term tai-fung, meaning great wind. A typhoon is also a natural disaster.The heavy rains and strong winds of a typhoon can cause great loss of life and billions of dollars in property damage. As a typhoon approaches lands, its winds produce a rush of seawater called a storm surge that can devastate coastal areas. Philippine Topography, Weather and Climate Philippines  is located in Southeast Asia and goes by many names such as â€Å"The Pearl  of the Orient Seas†. It is composed of 7107 islands. These islands are scattered all throughout the country's geographical  location  which is why you can never really tell the exact shape of the  Philippines  even in a map.It is surrounded by warm bodies of ocean water that's why it is always visited by typhoons. But mostly, in the east part of the Philippines is always visited because it is facing in the Pacific Ocean. The Philippines is hot year-round but sea breezes can add freshness during the winter (November to February). The typhoon season lasts from around July to October, although in recent years it seems to have been starting and finishing later – in 2010 for example there was severe flooding in North Luzon as late as November. Rainfall patterns vary across the country. In  Manila, Palawan and Coron, for example, most rain occurs in the yphoon season. Other areas (including much of the Bicol region) have no distinct dry season, with the most rain from December to February. The Visayas have only a short dry season from November to January, while in Leyte and Bohol, rainfall levels don’t change much throughout the year. Travelers should therefore check the local climate before making plans. Most tourists visit from January to May (and particularly the first half of that period) when most of the country is undergoing its best climatic conditions. Surfers, on the other hand, are attracted to the islands during the typhoon season as it brings the biggest waves. Columbus, 2012) Philippine Storm Warning Signals (PSWS) The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) releases tropical cyclone warnings in the form of Public Storm Warning Signals (PSWS). An area having a storm signal may be under: (DOST, 2007) * PSWS #1 – Tropical cyclone winds of 30-60 km/h are expected within the next 36 hours. Unless this warning signal is upgraded during the entire existence of the tropical cyclone, only very light or no damage at all may be sustained by the exposed communities. Rice crop, however, may suffer significant damage when it is in its flowering stage. PSWS #2 – Tropical cyclone winds of 60-100 km/h are expected within the next 24 hours. In general, the winds may bring light to moderate damage to the exposed communities. * PSWS #3 – Tropical cyclone winds of 100-185 km/h are expected within the next 18 hours. In general, moderate to heavy damage may be experienced, particularly in the agricultural and industrial sectors. * PSWS #4 – Tropical cyclone winds of greater than 185 km/h are expected within 12 hours. In the overall, damage to affected communities can be very heavy. Philippine EcosystemPhilippines’ ecosystems provide the essentials of life to millions of people – from seafood and game animals, to fodder, fuel wood, timber, and pharmaceuticals products. They play a major role in economies and are an important social safety net for the rural poor. The Philippines has among the highest rates of discovery in the world with sixteen new species of mammals discovered in the last ten years. Because of this, environmentalists believe that the rate of endemism for the Philippines is likely to rise. However, conservationists fear that, without immediate intervention, the Philippines hotspot is on the brink of an extinction crisis.In fact, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Na tural Resources (IUCN) has identified the Philippines as â€Å"one of the most endangered of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. †Ã‚   â€Å"Widespread destruction and conversion of natural habitats, overexploitation, and pollution have led to rapid biodiversity loss,† said a World Bank report. (Tacio, 2009) Recent Philippine Typhoons In 2009, the Phillippines was visited by a typhoon named Ondoy. Ondoy was considered a weak typhoon but it brought record rainfall and flooding in September. A state of calamity was declared in  Metro Manila  as well as 25 provinces.Marikina  and  Rizal  province were the hardest hit areas. According to  PAGASA, Ondoy dumped 455 millimeters of rain in  Quezon City  alone within 24 hours. As per the National Disaster Coordinating Council’s last report, Ondoy left 337 people dead, 308 injured, and 37 missing. Estimated cost of damages amount to almost Php 10. 5 billion in infrastructure and agriculture. (Typhoon Watch 2009) In 2010, Typhoon Basyang  at  80 mph  is the most destructive typhoon in the Philippines. It affected the provinces of  Quezon  and  Bataan  and also hit the islands of Calaguas and  Balesin. It incurred  8. million USD  in damages and claimed the lives of 37 casualties, most of whom are fishermen. Manila and Northern Luzon were not spared as well. Major power lines were knocked down leaving 40 million citizens in the dark. This damage to power has caused fury among citizens over PAGASA's failure to predict the storm's path. (WikiPilipinas. org, 2010) In 2011, Sendong entered the Philippines leaving cities devastated. (Sendong – International Code/Name: Washi). If we’re keeping tab of the most destructive typhoon of the year, then 2011 saved the â€Å"best† for last. On 15 December 2011 (11:00 a. m. , PAGASA issued its first severe weather bulletin for Sendong, announcing that this Tropical Depression east of Mindanao has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), with estimated maximum winds of 55 kph near the center. By 5:00 p. m. , Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1 was raised in 11 provinces in Visayas and Mindanao, raised to Signal No. 2 by 11:00 p. m. While Sendong did not exceed Signal No. 2, the heavy rains it brought caused massive flooding, loss of life and property, in various places Mindanao including Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. At 10:30 p. m. of 18 December 2011, PAGASA announced that Sendong has left the PAR.As of  28 December 2011, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) readjusted the death toll  caused by storm â€Å"Sendong† from 1,453 to  1,249  after basing it on existing â€Å"body counts. † This figure does not include those who are missing or injured, or the number of houses and establishments destroyed by Sendong. (Typhoon Watch, 2011) Global Issues All the spare parts appear to be coming together to create what forecasters a re calling â€Å"Frankenstorm,† a monster combination of high wind, heavy rain, extreme tides and maybe snow that could cause havoc along the East Coast just before Halloween next week.Hurricane Sandy, having blown through Haiti and Cuba on Thursday, continues to barrel north. A wintry storm is chugging across from the West. And frigid air is streaming south from Canada. And if they meet Tuesday morning around New York or New Jersey, as forecasters predict, they could create a big wet mess that settles over the nation's most heavily populated corridor and reaches as far inland as Ohio. With experts expecting at least $1 billion in damage, the people who will have to clean it up aren't waiting. Utilities are lining up out-of-state work crews and canceling employees' days off to deal with the power outages.From county disaster chiefs to the federal government, emergency officials are warning the public to be prepared. (Borentsein, 2012)   Still fresh in the memories of Americ an's, especially those from New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina was the costliest hurricane in US history as well as one of the 5 most deadliest ever recorded. Knocking out levies in Louisiana Katrina caused over 80% of New Orleans to flood before moving into the northeastern United States dumping rain all across the area. By far the largest natural disaster to ever hit the US Hurricane Katrina is $80 billion (2008 USD) in damages and killed 1,836 people with 705 still missing.One thing that stands out about the Katrina disaster is the utter failure of FEMA or any other government agency to provide support and rescue services to the areas. Lawlessness was rampant with police shooting innocent civilians and going door to door confiscating guns from American citizens in dry areas just trying to defend their homes. The remnants of Hurricane Katrina are still evident in New Orleans even as efforts to rebuild the city are still under way. (Ranker, 2012) Late in the night on October 10, violen t storms swept in from the Bay of Bengal and lashed the coastal districts of south east Bangladesh.At least 31 people were killed in Noakhali, Bhola and Chitagong, while a further 1,500 fishermen along with 200 fishing boats in the Meghna River, remain missing. The storms damaged hundreds of thatched houses, cut off villages and left many without electricity. Displaced people in the affected districts are residing on road sides, raised ground, schools and colleges, and are in need of shelter, basic food and non-food items. Livelihoods dependent on agriculture and livestock are at risk due to losses from the wind damage and tidal surge that accompanied the storm.The IFRC has allocated 266,000 Swiss francs (284,903 US dollars) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support more than 25,000 people over the next four months. The main focus will be on providing affected families with a package of food and non-food relief items including emergency shelter materials, water jerry cans a nd dry food. (Ahmed, 2012) Violent storms in southern China have killed at least 18 people and injured more than 150, state media report. Gale-force winds, heavy rains and hailstones battered Guangdong province at the weekend, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate their homes.The authorities say those who died where struck by falling objects or collapsing walls. The extreme weather has caused millions of dollars of damage to buildings as well as farmland, officials said. The storms, packing winds of up to 164 km/h swept through the provincial capital, Guangzhou, and the nearby cities of Foshan, Dongguan and Zhaoqing. The storms have affected more than 3,200 people, and at least 45 houses have been destroyed, a spokesman from the province's flood control headquarters was cited by Xinhua as saying. The civil affairs ministry put the cost of the damage at 96m yuan ($14. m). About 2,500 acres (1,000 hectares) of crops were damaged, state media reported. (BBC News, 2011) CHAPTER 4: RESE ARCH METHOD This chapter describes the research method used by the researchers in studying the case presented. Archival Research Type Archival research is a method in which the sources of data are various types of documentations. It includes any project in which existing documents or data are the units of observation. These may include music, novels, movies, diaries, and other reports, as well as raw, aggregate, or statistical data collected by others.Traditional archives include library records, courthouse records, and business records. Archives are usually printed or handwritten, they are called  paper archives. With the advent of computers and the Internet, many archives now exist only in electronic form; they are called  electronic archives. Most archives are valuable so pains are taken to keep them safe. Natural disasters and wars can destroy archives and cause the loss of priceless information. Archival data are collected for a variety of reasons. The Archival research typ e is the best method to be used because the study focuses on the past.And the best possible way to look at the past is searching through the history. This history refers to archives and other source documents that were recorded, listed, written, or printed from time to time. Through these resources, the group can now carefully collect and select data from the past which would help them to carry on further with their study. CHAPTER 5: DATA GATHERING AND PROCEDURES This chapter includes the methods on how and where the data were gathered, what are the instruments used for the collection of information and the different steps that the researchers have carefully followed for the success of this study.Research Locale The researchers conducted the study at the Ateneo de Davao University, E. Jacinto Street, Davao city. This school was established at the year 1948 and founded by the Philippine province of the Society of Jesus, the Ateneo de Davao aims to develop students through academic ex cellence, spiritual growth and social involvement. Source Documents were collected from the different resources available from the web and more importantly at University Library which is one of the best libraries in the country – with a wide array of resources, always accessible to all students and within the vicinity of the school campus.Research Instruments Since the archival technique was used for the study, archives and documents from different sources were gathered to support the study. These references include: written or published documents like book and newspaper articles, theses, and statistics to name a few; photographs; news reports; videos; and information from the internet. The researchers made sure that the instruments gathered are helpful and directly related to the study. Also, all of the resources were carefully chosen from the years 2008 until 2011, for a span of four years.Data Collection Procedure The data gathering procedure covered a period of one week, beginning on the 8th to the 16th of December 2012. The group properly observed the following steps while conducting the study: 1. The group used archival research method and chose to conduct a research topic with the agreement of all its members. 2. The group went to the school library to look for available collections of books, records, documents, and/or other print or nonprint materials as a source of data that can help them gather information for their research. . In gathering the information, the group asked for assistance of the librarian to locate the resources needed. 4. The group carefully examined the references they have gathered and made sure that it is related to their study. The examination lasted for several days. 5. The group examined their gathered data, and then developed them for better purposes in the research. Records on the topic were identified, categorized, and converted into data that are then analyzed with quantitative or qualitative methods. 6. The group ma de their research paper.They became cautious of understanding and interpreting the data collected. After that, they organized them and made different ways of presenting their finding. 7. Since this is a descriptive method of research, specifically the archival type, the researchers finally made conclusions out of the information gathered to answer the problem stated. For the data presentation, the types of materials the group used to  report the findings from their research were photographs, videos, newspaper and online articles, statistics, books, and the internet.All these steps helped the group in conducting their study. CHAPTER 6: PRESENTATION OF DATA This chapter presents all of the data found and gathered by researchers for the study. The data are presented through tables, photographs, and notes from books, online and newspaper articles which were collected for the research. A. 10 Most Destructive Typhoons in 2008 (Philippines) (Sources: NDRRMC, DPWH, and Wikipedia) Typhoon name| Casualties| Damage| Cosme| 51| $100,000,000| Frank| 1371| $380,000,000| Helen| 24| $232,800,000| Igme| 23| $441,000,000| Julian| 204| $200,000,000|Marce| 12| $100,000,000| Nina| 67| $300,000,000| Ofel| 6| $240,400,000| Pablo| Not Stated| $6,500,000| Quinta-Siony| 30| Not Stated| Total(as per data gathered)| 1788 deaths| $ 44 700 000 billion(est. Php 18 327 700 000 billion)| Photographs (from Google Images and WordPress) Uprooted trees by Bagyong â€Å"Igme† A woman crying for the loss of her In Metro Manila. husband during Typhoon Ofel. A lot of homes were destroyed Search and Rescue operation during the onslaught of Bagyong Nina during Tyhpoon Helen.These people became homeless due Houses were greatly affected by the to the destruction caused by â€Å"Cosme†. flood brought by â€Å"Ofel†. Newspaper/Online Articles (for Typhoons â€Å"Frank†, Ofel†, and â€Å"Nina†) â€Å"Nearly two years after typhoon â€Å"Frank† ravaged Weste rn Visayas, the national government finally released P600 million as part of the P4-billion fund intended to rehabilitate damaged areas and infrastructure. † â€Å"The P4 billion is part of the P12-billion supplemental fund approved in December 2009 for rehabilitation of areas damaged by typhoons Pepeng and Ondoy in Luzon  in 2009 and Frank for Western Visayas in 2008. â€Å"Typhoon â€Å"Frank,† which struck on June 21, 2008, triggered the worst flooding in Western Visayas and left at least 531 persons dead in the region including 226 who remain missing and presumed dead. At least 2,555 others were injured. The  Department  of  Public  Works  and Highways (DPWH) earlier said that 11 bridges in Antique and 16 bridges in Iloilo were destroyed or damaged by flood waters that submerged many areas in Panay. † * Excerpt from Inquirer Visayas. â€Å"Gov’t releases P600M for typhoon Frank rehabilitation† by Burgos, Nestor, Jr. May 20, 2010) â €Å"At least 598  people have been killed by the typhoon as it dropped torrential rain that caused flooding and mudslides in the Philippines, which means that it could be one of the top ten deadliest tropical cyclones in the Philippines. In  Iloilo  province, 59 are reported killed and 40 missing. In  Iloilo City, 30,000  people were forced onto rooftops when a nearby reservoir burst. In the  Bicol Region, more than 200,000 people sought temporary shelter from the typhoon. Meanwhile, as the storm passed through  Metro Manila  and its nearby provinces, it caused widespread  power outages  which lasted for hours.Typhoon Fengshen could be one of the deadliest typhoons to hit the Philippines, killing over 1,300  people here, mostly from the sinking of the Princess of the Stars  ferry during the storm. The Philippine National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) on June 23, 2008, reported that: 98  people died, 115 were missing, 66 were hurt, 99,687 families we re affected, 155,564 houses were damaged, 53,706 were totally wrecked, and 109,837 were partially destroyed, in 10 regions, due to typhoon â€Å"Frank† as of Monday noon (excluding the MV Princess of the Stars incident). The  Philippine National Red Cross  placed the death toll at 229.Frank destroyed P 500  million crops amid its P 1. 7  billion damage to property in Iloilo. The US responded by donating P 4  million and sent  USNS Stockham and US Navy P-3 maritime surveillance aircraft ship, for rescue. AFP  reported 224 dead and 374 missing (598) as of Monday. The  Philippines  National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reported that â€Å"Frank† damaged a total of P 3. 2  billion worth of agricultural and fish products and more than 300 schools nationwide (P 212  million). Additional damages to infrastructure were pegged at P 750  million, and fishing boats at P110  million, or a total of P 4. 27  billion pesos.According to the latest N DCC Situation Report on Typhoon Frank (Fengshen), 557 were dead (excluding the deaths in the MV Princess of the Stars), 87 were missing and 826 wounded. Frank affected 4,784,634 persons in 6,377 barangays in 419 municipalities in 58 provinces all over the Philippines. Damages in agriculture amounted to almost PHP 7. 542 billion while infrastructural losses made it to around PHP 5. 983 billion, which, all in all, totaled to slightly more than PHP 13. 525 billion. The most affected areas were  Iloilo,  Capiz,  Aklan  and  Antique  in  Panay Island  as well as  Leyte  and  Eastern Samar  in Region VIII. † * Taken from Wikipedia. rg. â€Å"Typhoon Fengshen 2008† â€Å"Not just rain, but quarrying in a mountain site contributed to the landslide thatkilled a man who went to fetch water at a spring in barangay Jaclupan, Talisay city on Thursday during typhoon Ofel. Talisay City Entineer Audie Bacasmas, who sent staff to inspect the site, said they foun d that  continuous extraction of soil in sitio Tabok Sapa was a factor in the mishap. He left a wife and three children, who are seeking assistance after losing the the family’s breadwinner. His daughter-in-law Michelle Arat said continuous rains in the past days may have softened the soil near the well and triggered the landslide. * Excerpt from Inquirer. net – â€Å"Rain, quarrying behind landslides† by  Gabriel C. Bonjoc. (October 27, 2012) â€Å"Eight people were dead and 15 others went missing as typhoon Nina (international codename Hagupit) left the Philippines Tuesday, the government's disaster coordinating agency reported. The National Disaster Coordinating Council's (NDCC) late Tuesday report said the eight fatalities died in landslides, of drowning and electrocution. A total of 14 miners remained trapped at a mine site in Itogon town in Benguet province.One more missing person identified as Nilia Alejo, 58, of Barangay Bugnay, Valderama, Antique w as also reported missing. The miners were last reported 700 feet below ground. The governor said the rescuers have not seen signs of life. Mud washed down by typhoon-induced rain had blocked the entrance of the tunnel, preventing rescuers from reaching the miners, authorities said. Rescuers pumped water out of the tunnel so the mud can be cleared out. The typhoon left the Philippines area of responsibility Tuesday and was forecast to move to Hongkong on Wednesday morning. † * Taken from abs-cbnNEWS. om – â€Å"Typhoon Nina leaves 8 dead, 15 missing† (September 24, 2008) Online Blog An excerpt from â€Å"My Experience on Typhoon Frank† by â€Å"Bevs† from WordPress. (posted June 23, 2008) â€Å"June 21, 2008 is a memorable day not only for me but for my fellow Ilonggos. I went out of the office 6:00 AM and was shocked to see the flood just outside the building. Me and my officemates were stranded. We only had two choices, to cross the flood and go t he other way or to wait for a jeepney to pass us by. We were stranded. I already felt that the rain won’t stop anymore and the wind is getting stronger.We waited for 15 minutes, when a jeepney passed us. When I arrived home, the wind got stronger. Since my dog stayed outside our house, I was so worried when I saw him wet and shaking and without food. I brought him inside my room and let him stay there (until now). But because I was so tired and sleepy (from work) I managed to sleep. It’s just 3 hours when I laid on my bed when I heard the strong wind clashing outside with rain pouring, so strong that I couldn’t sleep at all. So I went out side. To my surprise I saw the water getting higher. I felt so scared that it would get higher and higher.So I started picking up all the things to the higher grounds of our house to safety. I could hear the clashing of the waves few meters away from the house. Almost all of our neighbors houses were filled with water mostly kn ee-level. Luckily, ours had not. I guess it’s because our house is located on the higher part. The typhoon slowed down by 2pm. Right then the flood begun to get low. But we’ll still scared of what will happen on the few hours. But then luckily, everything’s been ok. Although there’s no electricity still, what is important is that we are safe, have enough water to drink and food, and shelter.My concern is to those who are on the areas where flash floods occurred. Typhoon Frank hits the City early in the morning and killed more than a hundred people and hundreds more missing. I can’t really say that I’m happy because me and my family were safe, but I thought of the people who were on their rooftops waiting to be rescued and others who were drowned. † * Taken from http://sveb. wordpress. com/2008/06/23/my-experience-on-typhoon-frank/ B. 10 Most Destructive Typhoons in 2009 (Philippines) (Sources: NDRRMC and DPWH) Name of Typhoon| Casualti es| Damage|Ondoy (Ketsana)| 337 dead, 308 injured,And 37 missing| Php 10. 5 billion| Pepeng (Parma)| 375 dead, 175 injured,And 48 missing| Php 8. 142 billion| Emong (Chan-hom)| 60 dead, 53 injured,And 13 missing| Php 1. 2 billion| Santi (Mirinae)| 34 dead, 20 injured,And 15 missing | Php 704. 97 million| Dante (Kujira)| 27 dead, 5 injured,And 7 missing| Php 553 737 631 million| Kiko (Morakot)| 20 dead and 13000People were homeless| NotStated| Jolina (Goni)| 12 dead, 10 injured,And 2 missing| NotStated| Feria (Nangka)| 8 dead| Not Stated| Urduja| 3 dead| Not Stated| Maring (Mujigae)| Not Stated| Php 25 million|Total(as per data gathered)| 876 dead, 571 injured,And 122 missing| Php 21 125 707 631Billion (est. )| Photographs (Google Images, Reuters, and WordPress) These men are trying to stay above A man tries to help these 2 ladies to the water during Typhoon â€Å"Emong†. have transportation during â€Å"Ondoy†. The man seems problematic because Cars are seen damaged on the streets of the flood made by Typhoon â€Å"Pepeng† after the visit by Typhoon â€Å"Ondoy†. This coastline devastation happened The spirit of bayanihan is seen as in a province outside Metro Manila. hese men carry a victim during â€Å"Ondoy†. Newspaper/online Articles (for Typhoons â€Å"Ondoy†, â€Å"Pepeng†, and â€Å"Santi†) â€Å"The damage to property was estimated to be  P6 billion, including P4. 1 billion in damage to infrastructure, P1. 9 billion in damage to schools, and P882. 525 million in damage to agriculture. According to the  Bureau of Agricultural Statistics  of the  Philippines Department of Agriculture, an estimated 126,721 hectares of rice-farming land were destroyed, which would affect almost 3% of the country's annual expected rice production. Added to this, Ketsana devastated some 1,374 hectares of corn plantations.Some 48 hours after Ketsana struck Metro Manila, the Philippine government appealed to the international community and the  United Nations  for help. Various United Nations agencies, the  United States, the  People's Republic of China, and  Japan  provided emergency assistance to the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines. † * Taken from Wikipedia. org. â€Å"Typhoon Ketsana† â€Å"At least 73 persons were killed and nearly 70,000 families were displaced by massive flooding after tropical storm Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) dumped the heaviest rainfall on Metro Manila in more than four decades, officials said Sunday.As of 6p. m. Sunday, the National Disaster Coordinating Council also reported 69,513 families displaced and 337, 216 persons affected in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. In the province of Rizal, 23 persons were reported dead in Tanay; 10 in Angono, five in Baras and three from Montana. Nine people were reported killed in Bulacan and seven more in Metro Manila, according to the NDCC. The provinces of Pampanga, Apayao, Batan gas, Quezon, and Teresa town in Rizal also reported casualties. † * Excerpt from Inquirer. net – â€Å"ONDOY TOLL: 73 dead, more than 300,000 displaced by Ondoy† by Evangelista, Katherine. September 27, 2009) â€Å"Typhoon Santi (international code name: Mirinae), the fourth superstorm to hit the Philippines in a month, lashed through the Southern Tagalog region Friday night, leaving at least  10 people dead and four missing, and a trail of damage in several provinces south of Manila. The reports of Santi’s destruction have started to trickle in. According to the relief agency Southern Tagalog People’s Response Center, Santi damaged 170 houses in Siniguelasan, Bacoor, Cavite. The STPRC also reported that at least 280 families in Lipa and Laurel towns in Batangas province are now calling for relief aid.Another 284 houses were badly affected in Laguna, citing initial data from the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council. These reports are actually no surprise because the eye of typhoon Santi passed through the very region that covers these three provinces. Manila suffered minimal damages and residents of the nation’s capital only had to endure the sheer terror of Santi’s howling winds in the wee hours of Saturday. Huge swaths of Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog also lost electric power as the combination of strong winds attacked power transformers. * Excerpt from Asian Correspondent – â€Å"Typhoon Santi lashes through the Philippines, underscores need for serious disaster mitigation plans† by Cruz, Tonyo. (November 1, 2009) â€Å"Even though Parma was still too far to make its landfall in northern Philippines, various transportation was suspended before the super typhoon draw near. In  Catanduanes, where the first signal warning no. 3 was raised, the province's power and communications were cut. Fallen trees were already in the main roads. About 30,000 families were evacuated. In addition als o to the  Bicol  region, more than 2,000 passengers were stranded in ferry stations. 9 provinces including Metro Manila were put to signal warnings, with each place experienced massive rainfall with strong winds. Parma made its landfall at Northeastern Cagayan at 3:00pm PST. In  Cagayan, at least 6,036 people in 39 barangays (villages) were affected, while P20. 33 million worth of agricultural produce were destroyed. Also, in the Chico River was swelled due to the typhoon, making the Maguilling Overflow Bridge along the Cagayan-Apayao Road impassable. The Maharlika Highway in Ilagan, Isabela to Cagayan became hardly passable due to the trees and electric posts that fell when Pepeng battered the area.Total power interruption also crippled the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, and the northern towns of Isabela. In Kalinga, landslides were reported on roads linking the provincial capital, Tabuk, to upland towns. In Zambales, at least 2,100 families were evacuated as Pepeng brought he avy rains causing the Bucao River to swell. The Carael section of the Zambales highway became impassable due to rising floodwaters. Due to heavy downpour, the  San Roque Dam  in Eastern  Pangasinan  and Pantabangan Dam in  Nueva Ecija  was forced to release huge amount of water. It caused flooding in Eastern and Central Pangasinan as well as Nueva Ecija.In  Metro Manila  the area is still experienced torrential rains and strong winds. Floodwaters continue to rise in some areas in Metro Manila and  Calabarzon. In  Pateros, Muntinlupa, and  Taguig, in  Taytay  town in Rizal province, and in the towns of  Binan  and  San Pedro  in  Laguna  province, the flood is not subsiding. The  Laguna de Bay  is breaking a 90-year record in meters of water, which threatens to submerge more areas in Metro Manila. In  Benguet, a landslide killed at least 200 as Tropical Depression Parma continues to bring rain across northern  Luzon. Due to severe floodin g,  Leptospirosis  became a problem that affected many.In Pasig City General Hospital alone, 30 people have been taken in for diagnosis. The  Department of Health  announced that there is a  Leptospirosis  outbreak in Marikina. † * Taken from Wikipedia. org – â€Å"Typhoon Parma† Online Journal/Diary An excerpt from â€Å"My Typhoon Ondoy Experience† by Rose Paterno (posted Oct 19, 2009) Septemeber, 26, 2009 â€Å"It was a rainy Saturday morning. Like any other ordinary weekend, my children and I watched cartoons early in the morning together in our house ar Riverside Village, Brgy. Sta. Lucia, Pasig City. At around 10AM, we started preparing our food for lunch.It surprised me when I went out of our house and saw flood starting to get high, which isn’t normal in our village. Some of our neighbors blamed the flood to the excavation of Manila Waters. When I was preparing at the kitchen, the rug I was stepping on was soaked I though it was just a leak from the sink. I tried to replace it, but after a couple of minutes, it was damp again, so I checked out all the corners of the house. Just then, the flood began to enter. We try to mop it out so that it will not enter my children’s room, but when I saw water coming out of the comfort room, I immediately called my brother-in-law so that he could come ver to get my children and bring them to their house where it was safer. We put everything on our house’s high places. We thought that if flood will continue to fill our house, it would reach up to knee level. We left and had lunch at my in-law’s house. When we came back, the water had already reached our sofa, so we put everything on our bed but still the water got higher. My in-laws started to help us get necessary things such as my children’s milk and some clothes good for 2 days. Meanwhile, flood water continued to enter our house, so we put our refrigerator, washing machines, electric fan, a nd other appliances about a table high.In a minute, our refrigerator tilted and fell in water. The only thing we could do at that time was to get all the food we could get. I tried to get back to our room to get additional clothes, but my husband grabbed me out of the house because the flood was almost chest level. He told me to leave everything. In a matter of 2 hours the water immersed all the things that we had. † * Taken from http://www. magsaysaywecare. com/1/post/2009/10/my-typhoon-ondoy-experience-by-rose-paterno. html C. 10 Most Destructive Typhoons in 2010 (Philippines) Sources: NDRRMC, DPWH, and Wikipedia) Name of Typhoon| Casualties| Damage| Basyang (Conson)| 68 dead, 102 injured,And 91 missing| Php 377. 98 million| Florita (Lionrock)| 28 dead, 20 injured,And 9 missing| Php 45 million | Juan (Megi)| 31 dead, 42 missing| Php 11 billion| Caloy (Chanthu)| 41 dead| Php 77. 9 milliion| Domeng (Jelawat)| 3 dead| Not stated(caused low damage)| Ester (Dianmu)| 1 dead, 2 inj ured,and 15 missing| Not stated(caused low damage)| Inday (Fanapi)| No casualties recorded| Not stated(caused low damage)| Glenda (Kompasu)| 2 missing| Php 25 million|Agaton (Umais)| No casualties recorded| Php 4. 1 million| Katring (Chaba)| 3 dead| Php 996, 300| Total(as per data gathered)| 175 dead, 124 injured, and 159 missing| Php 11, 567, 876 300 billion (est. )| Photographs (from Google Images, Reuters, and Travel blog) Houses damaged by Typhoon â€Å"Caloy†. Aftermath in Cagayan made by â€Å"Juan†. Battered roofs & trees in Metro Manila A top-view of the destruction by made by Typhoon â€Å"Basyang†. Typhoon â€Å"Juan† in Cagayan Valley.Top-view of a barangay in Isabela 4 men are captured rescuing a child after Typhoon â€Å"Juan† hit the place. during â€Å"Juan† in Pangasinan. Newspaper/online Articles (for Typhoons â€Å"Juan† and â€Å"Basyang†) â€Å"The day-long heavy rains and strong winds brought by Juan  de stroyed houses, felled trees, caused power outages and cut off communication lines  in Cagayan and Isabela provinces and flooded some towns in Pangasinan. Isabela is still under  state of emergency  but the worst is over for Cagayan, said Office of Civil Defense administrator and NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos.Based on the  National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s  (NDRRMC, formerly NDCC)latest site report, at least 974 families or 4,614 persons were affected by typhoon Juan in four regions in La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga and Aurora. As of Monday night, some 866 families or 4,151 persons were evacuated to 16 evacuation centers across the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and Central Luzon. Agriculture undersecretary  Antonio Fleta  estimated that farmers may lose 600,000 metric tons of rice crops.About 157,000 hectares of rice farmlands in Cagayan and Isabela provinces were in the path of the typhoon. â€Å"Ev en if farmers harvest the damaged rice, they’d have a hard time drying the grain. There may not be much left to sell,†Ã‚  he told  Bloomberg. † * Excerpt from Philippine Online Chronicles. â€Å"Super typhoon Juan batters northern Luzon† by Hermitanio, Maui (October 18, 2010) â€Å"The United Nations has assured the Philippines of support and assistance in the aftermath of typhoon ‘Juan' (international name: ‘Megi'), according to Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations Libran Cabactulan.Metro Manila was not as prepared last year when Ondoy brought the area to a standstill and hundreds perished and thousands rendered homeless. Millions in property and agricultural products went down the drain. The OCHA and other multilateral organizations such as the European Union as well as individual countries such as Japan, the US, France, Germany, Great Britain, even China pledged millions in US dollars to help the Philippines recover from Ondoy. â₠¬  * Excerpt from Balita. ph – â€Å"RP gets UN assurance of assistance in Juan's aftermath† by Baylon, Gloria Jane. October 20, 2010) â€Å"Within the Philippines, 102 people died and 46 people are listed as missing. Damage is estimated at 378  million  2010  PHP (8. 17  million  2010  USD). When Conson made landfall in Quezon province at  11:00 pm  (PST)/ 15:00 (UTC), power supply in Metro Manila, including 35 hit provinces in Luzon, went out. Telecommunications were also lost. Trees were uprooted, poles were strewn on the streets and rooftops were blown off. Classes from primary to college were suspended until July 14.At regional airports, air traffic officials canceled 29 international and local flights due to dangerous flying conditions brought about by the storm. Elementary and pre-school classes for Metro Manila  and affected provinces in  Luzon  canceled its classes before the afternoon of July 13. 15  Philippine Airlines  flights fr om different airports were canceled due to heavy rain, gusty winds and near zero visibility. Roughly 500 passengers in  Bicol  and Quezon Province  were stranded at their respective ports as the coast guard declared that ships may not depart due to high waves and heavy rains.Areas that had public storm signal warnings experienced high winds and torrential rains. Off the coast of Pandan, 20 fishermen went missing after their boats capsized amidst rough seas produced by the storm. By July 13, only one person had been rescued while the 19 others still remain missing. Near Bagamanoc, 11 other fishermen went missing due to similar incidents. † * Taken from Wikipedia. org – â€Å"Typhoon Conson (2010)† Online Blog/Journal An excerpt from â€Å"My Basyang Experience† by â€Å"Chris† from www. mommyjourney. com (posted July 14, 2010) â€Å"Last night was another one of those sleepless nights.And it’s all because of the typhoon Basyang. Typhoon Basyang started to blow its winds by 9pm and with each hour that passed, the winds grew stronger and stronger. Until about 12 midnight, I could hear our roof being battered by the winds. Power was out and the kids were still asleep but around 1am, they woke up and said that it was hot and wondered why it was so dark. We embraced each other and I fanned them to sleep. I couldn’t sleep peacefully at all. And when the winds have finally stopped, it was the only time I was able to go to sleep. It was definitely a tiring night.When I woke up, our roof’s shingles were scattered everywhere on our lawn. It was a nightmare. The plants are all a mess. Wood that came from the neighbour’s was also there. It was chaotic. † * Taken from http://www. mommyjourney. com/2010/07/my-basyang-experience. html D. 10 Most Destructive Typhoons in 2011 (Philippines) (Sources: NDRRMC and Wikipedia) Typhoon Name| Casualties| Damage| Bebeng| 48| $31,700,000| Chedeng| 17| $287,000,000 | Dodong| 29| $248,000,000| Egay| 18| $16,700,000| Falcon| 11| $1,024,000| Juaning| 128| $126,000,000| Kabayan| 22| $480,000,000| Mina| 38| $603,000,000|Pedring| 95| $1,024,000| Quiel| 18| $2,500,000| Ramon| 10| $2,100,000| Sendong| 1268| $48,400,000| Total(as per data gathered)| 1 702Deaths| $ 447 460 000Billion(est. Php 18 345 868 000 billion)| Photographs (from Google Images and Photoshelter) Destruction on a property caused by A picture captured depicting victims Typhoon â€Å"Sendong† in Iligan. Of Typhoon â€Å"Pedring† in NCR. Heavy winds and strong water currents Destruction caused by â€Å"Chedeng† attack the shore of Manila. in a park in Luzon. The situation of a village near Ilocos Aftermath of a village inCagayan de during Typhoon â€Å"Quiel†. Oro after Tyhoon â€Å"Sendong†. Newspaper/online Articles (for Typhoons â€Å"Sendong†, â€Å"Pedring†, and â€Å"Quiel†) â€Å"Satellite estimated rainfall from Severe Tro pical Storm Washi over the Philippines. Severe Tropical Storm Washi brought 10  hours of torrential rains that triggered disastrous flash flooding over  Mindanao, an area that rarely experiences tropical cyclones. More than 200  mm (7. 9  in) of rain was reported in places where rivers were already swollen. During the overnight hours, hundreds of people were killed as flood waters and landslides destroyed homes along mountain sides.In some locations, flood waters rose by 3. 3  m (11  ft) in less than an hour. Residents impacted by these flood waters were forced to seek refuge on their roofs amidst 90  km/h (55  mph) winds. The mayor of Iligan  regarded the floods as the worst in the city's history. More than 2,000 people were rescued from the hardest hit areas. Damage was estimated at  ? 2. 068  billion (2012  PhP, $48. 4  million  USD). Over half of the damage was due to damaged roads and bridges. † â€Å"A massive relief operation involving the e vacuation of 100,000 people occurred on the morning of December  17, 2011.Approximately 20,000 soldiers were mobilized to assist in recovery efforts and evacuations. The  Philippine Coast Guard  was dispatched to search for missing people after villages were reported to have been swept out to sea. Sixty people were rescued off the coast of  El Salvador, Misamis Oriental  and another 120 in the waters near  Opol Township. President  Benigno Aquino III  visited  Cagayan de Oro  and  Iligan  on December  20, 2011, and declared a  state of national calamity in the affected provinces. The total cost of damages to agriculture and infrastructure is estimated at P999. million according to the  National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The President also appealed to its citizens to help the victims in their way of celebrating  Christmas  in his Christmas Message. † * Taken from Wikipedia. org – â€Å"Tropical Storm Washi† à ¢â‚¬Å"The estimated damages in infrastructure and agriculture due to typhoons Pedring and Quiel has reached P15 billion, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in its latest report Monday. The report stated that Pedring has caused P14. 96 billion-worth of damages to nfrastructure and agriculture in the National Capital Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Regions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-B, V, and VI while four provinces of Region II suffered damages worth P115. 08 million because of Quiel. The two typhoons have also damaged a total of 71,518 houses, affecting over 80,000 families. Records showed however, that more and more families were leaving evacuation centers to return to their homes. The report said that 21 road sections in Regions II, III and CAR remain impassable. The NDRRMC added that the Ambuklao (1 Gate/0. 5 m), Binga (2 Gates/1. m), Magat (1 Gate/2 m) and San Roque (2 Gates/1. 5 m) dams have opened their gates Monday morning after reaching thei r spilling levels. † * Excerpt from Inquirer. net – â€Å"Damages due to Pedring and Quiel reach P15 billion† by  Jamie Elona. (October 10, 2011) Online Blog An excerpt from â€Å"Typhoon Sendong Experience† by Krishia Kamille Tan (posted January 16, 2012) â€Å"  A rainy season welcomed the month of December in Iligan City. Low to moderate rainfall has been experienced almost every day. However, last December 16, 2011, heavy rain showered the entire city in the afternoon till nighttime.At 4:00 AM of December 17, 2011, while I was silently sleeping, my sister woke me up saying she heard noises and neighbors are in panic about a flood. The rain had already stopped but I observed that the water level is starting to rise. As I looked outside, the flood water is only about a meter away from our doorstep. As we walked pass a morgue, my heart started to sink and I felt like crying. Vehicles parked near it were covered with mud, people were crying, and other s were worried about their missing family members. It was then when my sister and I decided to travel back home to our hometown the following day.I saw the aftermath of Sendong as we passed by Tambo and Hinaplanon. My heart was crushed and I was secretly crying on the bus. When we arrived home, I immediately searched videos and pictures on the internet to see how Iligan City was greatly devastated. I never thought the death toll and missing persons would reach 1000. The news on the television was all about Sendong, Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro. Hundreds of people with generous hearts donated and offered help to the flood victims. Relief goods were continuously delivered to the evacuation centers and other areas.It was really relieving to know that many are really willing to help our fellowmen. I, for one, donated relief goods as a simple way to help the victims. My sister visited Bayug and Orchids Subdivision and she said that the place seemed to look as a sort of a ghost town. â € Ã‚   * Taken from http://karaamille. blogspot. com/2012/01/typhoon-sendong-experience. html Summary (Graphs) : The year 2008 had the highest number of casualties (1788), followed closely by 2011 (1702), then 2009 (1569), and last 2010 (458). The year 2009 had the highest damage with an estimate of Php 21. billion, then by 2011 with 18,345 billion, followed closely by 2008 with Php 18. 327 billion, and finally 2010 with an estimate of Php 11. 6 billion. Conclusion The following conclusions were made by the group based on the data gathered and after interpretation of the information presented were done: From 2008, there have been a total Php 18 327 700 000 worth of estimated damage in properties, infrastructures, and agriculture and an estimated total 1788 casualties from the 10 typhoons that have struck the Philippines all throughout the year.From 2009, there have been a total Php 21 125 707 631 worth of estimated damage which includes properties, agriculture, and infrastructure s and an estimated total of 1569 casualties from the 10 typhoons that have visited the Philippines for the 12-months period. For 2010, the Philippines have a total of Php 11 567 876 300 worth of damage to properties, infrastructures, and agriculture and have 458 casualties in total because of the 10 typhoons that have made it to the Philippine territory.For 2011, a total of Php 18 345 868 000 worth of damage on infrastructures, properties, and agriculture and 1702 casualties were brought by the 10 most destructive storms that have hit the Philippines in a span of one year. When it comes to nature, lots of landforms from both the urban and rural areas were destroyed, the seas have brought massive effects to places near the shore, a lot of trees were uprooted from the ground, and animals together with their shelter were greatly affected by these storms. They have really brought great hazards and danger to the people and the nation.From the data and photographs presented above, the gro up concludes that these typhoons have brought very high and costly impact to the Philippines starting from the year 2008 up to 2012. In total, the country has suffered an estimated total of 69 367 151 931 worth of damage and an estimated 5517 number of casualties in the span of four years. To summarize, the year 2009 has been the most destructive among the four, followed by year 2011, then year 2008, and last is year 2010. CHAPTER 7: RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the data gathered from past super typhoons (e. g.Basyang, Nina, Pedring, Sendong, Ondoy, Pepeng, and Quiel) these are the following recommendations: * Government should intervene by creating programs (drills where to go when a typhoon strikes), plans (land planning), and projects (purchase of additional early warning devices) that will help minimize the risk of possible loss of lives * Academic institutions should also practice their social responsibility by taking part in mobilizing the community on how to act accordingly prior , during and after the typhoon (by training future leaders to lead and adding the disaster risk training program in the curriculum) * There is a need for the community to be proactive and not just react by letting not just the men but also the women to take part in the planning of community risk reduction activities by the barangays. For those who wish to continue the study we recommend the use of individual depth interview of those who were past victims of the said typhoons for thorough and detailed extraction of information * Psychologists/social workers should take part in helping the victims of the typhoons with their traumatic and tragic experiences by assessing and helping them recover as time goes by. CHAPTER 8: REFERENCES This section contains all of the sources that the group made reference off during the whole course of the study. These references include books, theses, newspapers, journals, the internet, and other existing documents Books Bautista, M. & Go, S. (1985) Intr oduction to Qualitative Research Methods. De La Salle University Press: Manila, Philippines Battan, L. J. , (1961). The Nature of Storms. New York: Doubleday Jennings, G. (1970). The Killer Storms: Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados. J. B. Lippincott Dictionary 2007). Webster’s Universal Dictionary and Thesaurus. (p. 532. ) WS Pacific Publishing: Manila, Philippines Newspaper Articles Casauay, A. (2009, Oct 1). Typhoon â€Å"Ondoy† damages ? 822-M agin products. Suns Star Davao. p. 7 Casauay, A. , Paredes, J. (2009, Nov 2). Typhoon â€Å"Santi† leaves 10 dead. Sun Star Davao. p. 15 Paredes, J. (2008, June 24). Typhoon â€Å"Frank† kills 163. Sun Star Davao. p. 13 Paredes, J. (2009, June 26). Typhoon â€Å"Feria† kills. Sun Star Davao. p. 11 (2009, Oct 3). Ondoy Aftermath. Suns Star Davao. p. 2 Online Articles Angeli, E. , Wagner, J. , Lawrick, E. , Moore, K. , Anderson, M. , Soderlund, L. , & Brizee, A. (2010, May 5).General format. Retrieved from http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/560/01/ Tacio, Henrylito D. (2009, May 2). Philippines' Ecosystems on the Verge of  Extinction. Retrieved from http://www. gaiadiscovery. com/nature-biodiversity/philippines-ecosystems-on-the-verge-of-extinction. html Jeff, J. (2009). 10 Biggest, Deadliest, Most Destructive Hurricanes EVER!! Retrieved December 14, 2012, from  http://www. ranker. com/list/10-biggest-deadliest-most-destructive-hurricane_s-ever-/jeff419#RLEsVaKFtFeTcb6U. 99 Broward County Florida (2010). APA Style (6th ed. ) — Library Guide. Retrieved December 14, 2012 from http://nova. campusguides. com/content. php? id=114919 Dante, K. (2009). Typhoon: Lessons Learned in the Philippines. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://reliefweb. int/report/philippines/typhoon-lessons-learned-philippines/ Mariano, L. (2011) Typhoon Watch 2011: List of Typhoons. Retrieved December 15, 2012 from http://visitpinas. com/typhoon-watch-2011-list-of-typhoons/ Sumalinog, F. (J uly 2010) Archival Research References. Retrieved December 15, 2012 from http://peace. saumag. edu/faculty/kardas/Courses/RMPA/archivalresearch Pictures Google Images at http://www. google. com. ph/imghp? hl=fil&tab=wi Travel Blog at http://www. travelblog. org/Photos/ Photoshelter at http://www. anigarcia. photoshelter. com/ WordPress at http://www. whsword. wordpress. com/ Reuters at http://pictures. reuters. com/ Video (October, 21 2010). 9 accounted deaths in the aftermath of typhoon Juan. Retrieved December 14, 2012 from http://www. gmanetwork. com/news/video/68130/saksi/saksi-9-accounted-deaths-in-the-aftermath-of-typhoon-juan Other Websites (Blogs, Journals, Webpages, etc. ) Typhoons in the Philippines. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Typhoons_in_the_Philippines (2011, Apr 18). China: Violent storms kill 18 in Guangdong province. Retrieved f

Why Nations Fail – Chapter 5 Summary

Levisalles Amaury Georg-August-Universitat Sommer Semester 2012 Gottingen WHY NATIONS FAIL D. ACEMOGLU & J. A. ROBINSON Seminar Paper CHAPTER 5 â€Å"I'VE SEEN THE FUTURE, AND IT WORKS†: GROWTH UNDER EXTRACTIVE INSTITUTIONS What Stalin, King Shyaam, the Neolithic Revolution, and the Maya city-states all had in common and how this explains why China's current economic growth cannot last.Resume of the Key Statements of the Chapter In this chapter, D. Acemoglu and J. A. Robinson explain how growth under extractive institutions is not sustainable in the long term and always leads to the collapse, in one way or another, of these institutions. The title of the chapter, â€Å"I've seen the future and it works†, is a quotation from the autobiography of Lincoln Steffens (1931). He was then speaking about the communist model that he had discovered on a diplomatic mission to Russia. The title of the chapter is of course ironic since it is well known that the Soviet System broke down in 1991.In this chapter the authors tackle different aspects of Extractive Institutions and explain throughout many concrete examples as to why the multiple facets of these institutions lead to the end of them. Extractive politi cal and economical institutions are â€Å"structured to extract resources from the many by the few† and â€Å"concentrate power in the hand of a few, who will then have incentives to maintain and develop these institutions† (page 430). Dictatorship is the best example of an extractive institution as in this case power is concentrated in the hands of very few, if not only the dictator himself.These types of institutions are mostly founded in authoritarianism and totalitarianism political systems (dictatorship being an authoritarianism type of system). The Soviet Model is the first system studied by Acemoglu and Robinson in this chapter. It is indeed one of the best examples in history to observe how growth evolves under extractive institutions and the problems that rise along this type of political and economical system. After coming to power via a massive purge of his opponents, Stalin decided to invest massively in the industry sector through huge government orders, e specially in the military and aeronautical sectors.In order to support all the needs of the workers, he implemented very high taxes on agricultural resources. However, the tax system in Russia at this time was very ineffective. He thus collectivized all the land to form state farms known as Kolkhoz. The incentives of farm workers were therefore much lowered since a large part of their harvests was taken away by the government. This led to a great famine during which six million Russians died (Davies and Wheatcroft, 2004).Even if the collectivization system was a total disaster, the growth in Russia still increased from 6% per year from 1928 to 1960, which at this time was a record. The growth happened through reallocation of labour and capital force. Indeed, the technology used at this 3 time in the country was really obsolete in comparison to Europe or the United States and only removing resources from agricultural to industrial work allowed Russia to benefit from very high growth for several years. However, rapid growth rate is one, if not the only possible achievement under Extractive Institutions.In fact, Russia's extreme growth slowed down from the 1960 and it had totally stopped by 1970. Unsustainable growth is explained by a lack of incentive for creative destruction, that means for technological change. For example, bonuses were given to companies meeting targets set by the government. Therefore, no one was eager to sacrifice resources to invest in future technologies since everyone wanted to reach targets. What is to be considered with the Soviet Model is that growth under Extractive Institutions is high but only in the very short term and that it is not sustainable at all.The lack of creative destruction and true economic incentives are the main factors responsible for it. The second part of the chapter is focused on how Institutional Innovations, e. g. centralization and political establishment, can accomplish some limited economic achievements, and how, in a certain situation, it led to the Neolithic Revolution. In 1620, a man named Shyaam provoked a political revolution and made himself king of the Bushong, an African people located near the river Kasai. On the other side of the river was another, the Lele.Contrary to the first one, they had no government and would live in villages without any real hierarchy (Douglas, 1962/1963 and Vansina, 1978). After his accession to power, King Shyaam implemented a pyramid of political institutions and with it, a tax and a legal system assured by a police and a â€Å"trial by jury† system. The king also decided to reorganize agriculture with the implementation of â€Å"an intensive mixed-farming cycle† (page 135). Thanks to all of this, the Bushong became much more prosperous than their neighbours and the situation is still the same today.Although King Shyaam was taking a large amount of resources from its people, since it was an Extractive Institution, they were still much richer than their nearby residents and were living in a secure state. As for the Natufians, they were considered as the first people to settle and established the bases for the Neolithic Revolution. Around 9600 BC came â€Å"The Long Summer† (Fagan, 2003), which allowed an expanding animal and vegetal population. Thanks to these abundant resources, the Natufians decided to settle down and later on, began farming. This change from a omadic to a sedentary life had been made possible by previous institutional changes.Even though the reasons are still unknown, it has been proved that a hierarchy had been established 4 among the Natufians. Since their group had a leader, they were able to settle and keep on having institutional innovations that were needed to live in a sedentary way. The important fact about the Bushong and the Natufians is that even with a limited amount of institutional innovation, a certain amount of economic prosperity can be reached. However this development is not very high but more importantly, it is not sustainable.The fourth and last society studied by Acemoglu and Robinson is the Maya and their City-States that existed about a thousand years ago. The goal of the authors here is to show us that as Extractive Institutions rise, some people take power and are envied by others. This situation can lead to the replacement of a leader by another but also to the end of a civilization, as it has been the case for the Maya. As the Natufians transitioned to Agriculture, so did the Maya. This agricultural emergence was made possible by the creation of Extractive Institutions.The Maya were in fact an extremely well hierarchically developed society. But since it was controlled by extractive institutions, it meant that a few people would be exploiting a large number and these inequalities always generate jealousy. The city-states were very prosperous and trade was very important at the time, however, lots of them would be at war against one anot her. And when it wasn't the cities that were at war, it would be the elites of a city that would fight each other for power. This situation of elite warfare was all the more the case when the king (k'uhul ajaw) of a city would die.At some point, in the city of Quirigua, when the last king died, the population simply deserted the city and the let it be invaded by the jungle. The main point to be remembered from the Mayan example is that when it is not the economic situation that kills extractive institutions, it is its political system. Because such a model makes lots of people envious, self-destruction by citizens from the same city or war between cities is ineluctable. We can therefore keep in mind that Extractive Institutions are able to achieve more or less high and rapid growth.However, this growth is unsustainable and sometimes very limited, mainly because of a lack of creative destruction and technological progress. This is mainly due to the resistance opposed by the Elite and the Government that fear these changes. Another feature of extractive institutions is that great inequalities among people arise since the state extracts much of the created wealth. Political instability is the last important aspect of these institutions as the position of elite is much envied by others. 5 Description of the Original Researches used By The AuthorsIn this second part, we will have a look at the original papers that the authors used to write their book and discuss them. The first case of the chapter, the Soviet Model, is based on three main books and on numbers and a quotation coming from 4 others. We shall here examine mainly the three principal writings used by the authors in their book. The first important paper is written by Joseph S. Berliner and is entitled â€Å"The Innovation Decision in Soviet Industry†. In this book, J. Berliner explains the process of innovation under the Soviet Model and how decisions about it are being taken.He provides an explana tion of how the economy under the Communist System works but above all, he focuses on the features that are being taken into account to decide the innovations that are to be implemented. What is to be understood as innovation in the Soviet Union is â€Å"whenever any enterprise introduces a product or process that has never been employed before†. As D. Acemoglu and J. A. Robinson point out in their book, the innovation system is more than inefficient. Indeed, the soviet economy is based on â€Å"the production of established products by mean of established processes† and therefore, innovation is not very conceivable.The second text is from Gregory and Harrison and deals with how the economy worked and how it was planned under Stalin's dictatorship. Following the opening of the economic archives under Stalin's era, it has been found that the system was extremely centralized. Even if power was delegated, all the decision makers feared repression from their superior in ca se of a bad choice. In the end, Stalin was making an incredible amount of decisions and everything was controlled from the very top, making the system inaccurate.We also learn that the communist control over the market, that should have replaced the invisible hand in a market-friendly economy, was totally inefficient. The central planning as Acemoglu and Robinson mention wasn't able to introduce true incentives because the whole market was built on government command and this is not sustainable in the long term as we saw when the Soviet Union fell. The last document used is a review by Levy and Peart of all the theories that had been made about the Soviet economic growth and how everyone was more or less way too overconfident about it.Like Samuelson (1948-1980), some Americans economists had predicted that the Soviet Union's economy was to overpass the United State's one. Indeed, when we    6 take a look at the consumption of the two countries, their part of investment of the GNP and their growth at the time, we could think that the US economy should have been overtaken by the Soviet's in a few years. However, the Soviet GNP was at the beginning only 60% of America's. More importantly, the Soviet investments were focused essentially on the military and the aeronautical sector. Therefore, the communist economy was not diversified at all, that is to say, not sustainable.For the second part of the chapter, we will have a look over three of the texts used in the studied chapter. As we can read in an abstract of Vansina's study about the Kuba kingdom, it is impossible to know the exact reasons that led a man to unite the Kuba people under his leadership. But what is sure is that King Shyaam a-Mbul a Ngoong, Shyaam â€Å"the Great†, has left an incredible legacy to its people. By creating a political, economical and social life, he simply allowed the Bushong people, one of the Kuba tribe, to have a prosperous and secured life compared to the other tribes.Th e reason why it is the Bushong and not the Lele, the Pende or another people that has benefited from these innovations is however unknown since there is no writing about it and the only memories that subsist are through oral histories. As Acemoglu and Robinson have written, Shyaam has revolutionized the culture of its people through the implementation of an agricultural cycle based on cultivating different crops in the course of the year. He also brought to its people a developed government built on justice, merit and loyalty.It is therefore proved that the institutional innovations led to a great development of the Bushong over the years, even if it was limited because of the Belgian colonization at the end of the 19th century. The second paper is about â€Å"The Emergence of Agriculture† and how we know that agriculture was developed after settling and not before. In his paper, Bruce D. Smith explains that agriculture did not appear in one day but in more or less 2 000 year s. Indeed, through archaeological researches, it has been proved that the plants cultivated 8 000 years ago were selected and had already been sorted.As we read in Acemoglu and Robinson's book, the Natufians had first selected the good crops and had then cultivated them. But in order to select them, the Natufians had to be settled, which proves that agriculture came after settlement. And with the rise of agriculture came other sciences such as math, astronomy or engineering that allowed the farmers to establish a calendar or effective irrigation system. The third book, which also confirms Smith's work is entitled â€Å"Village on the Euphrates: From Foraging to Farming at Abu Hureyra†. In this book, the authors take the village of Abu Hureyra as an example.This village was inhabited by Natufians from 11 500 B. C to 7 000 B. C and on the    7 archaeological site, scientists have found prior evidence that agriculture came after sedentarisation. Indeed, in the part of the vill age dating from more than approximately 9 000 years ago, bones of local hunted animals such as Persian gazelles have been found along with crops of wild vegetations. On the contrary, in the part of the village that existed after 9 000 B. C, bones of domesticated animals and plants have been found. This confirms once more the fact that agriculture appeared after settlement.For the third and last part of the studied chapter, we will take a look at two of the books used. The first one, â€Å"Chronicle of the Maya King and Queens: Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya†, is a great description of the complex hierarchy that ruled the Mayan empire for several centuries. The book explains the story of all the different dynasties that existed throughout the Mayan empire and how the cities made alliances in order to create kingdoms and then fought between each other in order to control the largest possible part of the Mayan empire.As we read in Acemoglu and Robinson's work, the wars between the Maya city-states played a big role in the collapse of its empire. In the second text, â€Å"The Fall of the Ancient Maya†, the reasons for the collapse of the Mayan empire are more deeply studied. One of the trigger factors of it was the long-lasting droughts that would sometimes occur for several months and which would severely weaken the populations. Another reason is that the King, who also occupied the function of high priest at the time, was responsible for all the sacrifices that were supposed to bring rain, good harvest and prosperity to the city.But this wouldn't always work and as we read in the fifth chapter. In the city of Copan for example, the king was overthrown and later on, the city abandoned. One of the reasons that Copan's king wasn't able to provide enough food for all its inhabitants is that the population was growing over time and the farming surface was diminishing. This made it impossible for all the people of Copan to be fed. This sit uation was not only observed in Copan but all over the Mayan empire. However, what seems to be the main reason for the Mayan collapse is the constant warfare that would occur between cities and even among them.It was believed, at the time, that the sacrifices that kings had to do to bring rain, food and richness, had to be from royal blood. That means that cities were not only fighting against each other in order to enlarge their kingdoms but also to capture the elites from other cities and ransack them to take all the precious resources and offer them as sacrifices to the gods. Therefore, lots of cities would find themselves without any government and thereafter, the elites would fight against each other to take the throne and the cities would be abandoned in the end. 8Opposition to the Theories of Acemoglu and Robinson For this third part of the seminar paper, we will use reviews from several writers and newspapers about â€Å"Why Nations Fail†. The first one is a review by Francis Fukuyama about the book but more precisely about the notions of extractive institutions and conversely, inclusive institutions. In his article, Fukuyama explains why he disagrees with Acemoglu and Robinson's theory about the â€Å"more inclusive, more growth† phenomenon. He criticizes the fact that Acemoglu and Robinson do not give a precise definition of extractive and inclusive institutions.Since these two opposed government systems are not well defined, it allows the authors to give the benefit of growth to the inclusive institutions and on the contrary, to blame the extractive institutions for the absence of growth. He puts forward the argument that nowadays, each government is a mix of extractive and inclusive institutions and it is therefore extremely difficult to precisely attribute the wealth or the poorness of a country to one of the two types of politico-economic systems.He also disapproves of the fact that inclusive institutions are called so as soon as th e people are able to have a role in the political life of the country, even if very limited. He takes England in the late 17th Century, as an example. He explains that it is absurd to call it an inclusive state since only 10% of the population could vote at the time. For him, an inclusive institution should be defined as such, if it is like a modern day democracy, among many other things.He regrets that the Potosi Mita of the Conquistador's America, the Caribbean's Sugar Plantation, the Argentinean’s Ranchers and today's Communist China are all put in the same category. As a counter argument against â€Å"more inclusive, more growth†, he takes the example of India today, which is considered as the biggest democratic republic in the world. The problem in India, as Fukuyama writes, is that the inclusive institutions are too inclusive. The problem with it is that the government is unable to make any important decision about â€Å"major infrastructure projects because of all the lawsuits and the protests†.We therefore see that an excess of inclusion makes the inclusive state inaccurate, as is exactly the same case with an extractive institution. With the explanation of the Roman Empire System, Fukuyama shows us an example of a stable politico-economic institution and his disagreement with â€Å"Why Nations Fail† 9 concerning extractive institutions. The changeover from an oligarchy to a monarchy brought a political stability to the Roman Empire that enabled it to become one of the biggest nations that ever existed. Furthermore, this change allowed the citizens to take part in political life.Even though the Roman Empire ultimately collapsed, it was the wealthiest country in the world for more than two centuries. Fukuyama here is sceptical about the global model developed by Acemoglu and Robinson. He thus disagrees that Extractive Institutions are always a source of political and economical instability. In the end, we can say that even if Fukuyama disagrees with a certain number of Acemoglu and Robinson's arguments, they all agree on the fact that the key to success, and therefore growth, is a mix of inclusive and extractive politics and economics.The second article that we shall study here is written by Matthew Yglesias. In his review, Yglesias asks himself why it is that some of the biggest differences of income exist between countries in the third world and developed countries. He wonders why citizens from Ethiopia earn ten times less than ones from Colombia where as at the same time, citizens from Colombia earn only four times less than ones from Sweden. According to Yglesias, a â€Å"wellexecuted programme of growth under extractive institutions would solve some of the world's severe problems†.He explains, in a later article, that Communism is the key to explaining differences of wealth in countries that are governed by extractive institutions. It is for him the reason why East Germany was much poorer th an West Germany, China than Taiwan or even North Korea and South Korea. We can therefore say that Yglesias is not in disagreement with Acemoglu and Robinson's theories but thinks that the comparisons should not occur between extractive and inclusive institutions but between extractive institutions themselves.The last article we will see is a review by The Economist about the book â€Å"Why Nations Fail† and the question of the elites. According to Buttonwood, Extractive Elites exist within inclusive institutions. He says that the financial system is one of them. They are being criticized because they take a considerable amount of resources and therefore prevent these resources being allocated to others sectors in which innovations could be made. As banks are the institutions that lend money to entrepreneurs to create new businesses, they have the power of decision about the creation of start-ups, which is to say, new ideas and innovations.If banks would lend the money each ti me, they would be fully considered as inclusive institutions, however, this is not the case. The principal purpose of a bank is to be profitable    10 and make the most amount of money possible. Therefore, they don't want to lend money each time and are seen in this way as extractive institutions as they will only give the money to concrete and profitable businesses. Another problem of the inclusive institutions is the social policies applied by some countries; employees from the public sector prefer keeping their secure jobs rather than creating or joining a new business.These employees do not only want to be sure to keep their jobs but also want to continue enjoying the many advantages that civil servants are given. This, in a way, is a form of non-creative destruction, or at least, non-innovation. It is of course a perversity of the social aids created by governments of inclusive institutions. However, it is a form of resistance to creative destruction, which is a core feature of extractive institutions. The Public Sector is therefore, along with the financial Sector, a kind of extractive elite.However, the article in The Economist explains well that the extraction of the Elite among inclusive institutions is limited and cannot be regarded as totally extractive. 11 Personal Point Of View For the last part of this review of the fifth chapter of â€Å"Why Nations Fail†, I will give my thoughts about the points that have been discussed previously in the essay and that are tackled in the chapter. With the first example that Acemoglu and Robinson develop in this chapter, they show us how the lack of innovation is a main feature of Extractive Institutions' failure.This lack of innovation is mainly due to the resistance of the Elite and a Government that fears being overthrown by the people, as they will be willing to keep the profits of their innovations. On this point, I totally agree with the argument, however, as we have seen with the Soviet Model, th at for more than 30 years they have been able to extract the best of what was available. That is to say that without, or with only very few technological innovations, the Soviet Union has been able to maintain a 6% growth rate per year.This is somewhat incredible since America, at the same time, could not do better even though they were benefiting from technological change. I think that what is to be learned here is that in general, and even more in today’s world, we do not use what we have to its full capacity. By this I mean that as soon as we create a new tool or a new technology, we get rid of it before having used all of its facets. And the advantage, maybe the only one, of a totalitarianism state is that it obliges the people to work with what they have and therefore, use their tools to the optimum. I don't want to be taken for an extremist here.I am not at all in favour of a totalitarian or an authoritarian system; I just think that the best of every system should be t aken, as there is something good within each one. In this case, it is the optimum and full use of the present technologies before moving on to other things. As we see with the second example, a certain degree of institutional innovations may bring a certain degree of growth. With the institutional innovations come also economic, social and political improvements. I think that what is to be considered with King Shyaam is that with a certain degree of rigidity, growth is enabled.Therefore, I would say, following Yglesias' point of view, that with a certain degree of extraction, when well executed, a certain amount of growth and achievements could be reached. I think that even if in the long term, extractive institutions are not good and viable, it can be a good way to start or to re-launch an 12 economy. Even if this is very difficult to achieve, I think that having extractive institutions at the beginning and then moving on towards more inclusive ones might be very good for the econo my of a nation.As Fukuyama describes with the Roman Empire, the System was clearly extractive since the power was in the hands of the emperor. However, citizens had much more possibility to take part in the political life of their cites and they had true incentives to work since they could make their fortunes, but above all, they could keep these fortunes. They would have to pay taxes but the notion of private property was real and if someone was trying hard to succeed, he could do so.The result was that the Roman Empire stood for more than 200 years and is considered as one of the biggest that has ever existed. A certain degree of political extraction can therefore definitely be good for a nation's growth. We can see, today, that the political parties are more often trying to destroy the other parties' ideas than trying to cooperate with them and find the best compromises. It is here that a certain degree of extractive politics could be good and could help countries take big decisi ons more quickly.I would like to finish here with the case of China. Acemoglu and Robinson are convinced that China will inevitably collapse, just like the Soviet Union did. I think that this might not be the case for four reasons. My first point is the difference that exists between China and the former Soviet Union. On the other hqnd, we know much more about China than we knew about USSR. What I mean here is that we know that China has a considerable fortune and that they are not spending money that they don't have, which was the case with Soviet Union.There is a much stronger transparency with China's economy than there was with Stalin's government. My second argument is that the economical situation from today is not the same at all compared to that of the twentieth century. And we have seen that even with the global economic crisis that occurred in 2008, China has succeeded in maintaining a growth rate of more than 8% and an average growth of 10% over the past three decades, wh ich is much more than USSR even though USSR's GDP was bigger than China's today.My third point is that China is opening its economy more and more; it is gradually moving towards an inclusive economy. China is for technological change and creative destruction. Since approximately a decade, China has opened itself to foreign investments and Shanghai is now sometimes considered as the future â€Å"New York†. Even if this economical change is very limited and extremely controlled by the government (any foreign company that wishes to establish itself in China must create a joint venture with a Chinese company),    13 changes are happening.We cannot therefore say that China is against creative destruction; it is just that it is an authoritarian country and changes cannot happen in one day. My last point is about the political power in China and the liberty of the people. It is, I believe, the only reason that might someday put an end to the Chinese regime. Even if the people who disagree with the Chinese government are very badly treated, they are still much more considerate than before thanks to the international relations that China maintains with other countries.That is to say, China cares more than before about how other countries view it. However, the People's Republic of China is still extremely repressing its dissidents. The population in China is step by step, gaining some freedom even if they are still very oppressed by the regime. In the last few years, the situation with Chinese workers has evolved and their wages or working conditions have considerably changed, especially after the suicide wave that touched the country in 2010.In the end, I would conclude by saying that China, if it succeeds in following its transition little by little to a more inclusive economy and moreover to a more inclusive political system, even if not reaching the point of a democracy, might not collapse as lots of economists are predicting today.