End of Cold War and Collapse of Soviet Union Essay

End of Cold War and Collapse of Soviet Union - Essay Example e 1980s in order to determine why the Soviet Union left Eastern Europe and the extent to which Gorbachev can be held responsible for the subsequent collapse of communism. Though the reasons for the collapse of communism in the CEE countries are numerous, Gorbachev is at the heart of the said event. Historians have examined the dramatic end of the Cold War almost since the day the Berlin Wall came crashing down. Some, most notably Karen Dawisha, predicted the event earlier. She released her book Eastern Europe, Gorbachev, and Reform in 1988, and understood that Gorbachev knew the regimes in Eastern Europe were illegitimate, placed in power by the Soviet Union on the coattails of the Red Army's entrance into the area during the closing days of World War II.2 However, she argued that if Gorbachev was serious in his intentions concerning noninterference in the affairs of sovereign states, then Eastern Europe would likely soon break away from the Soviet grasp and attempt to move west.3 Charles Gati theorized in his important work The Bloc that Failed: Soviet-East European Relations in Transition, that the Soviet Union lost control of Eastern Europe due to an extraordinary domestic crisis which consumed their attention and resources.4 Moreover, The Warsaw Pact was an ineffective mec hanism for collective security, according to Gati, since its member states each had different perceived enemies, oftentimes another member of the Warsaw Pact.5 Joseph Rothschild stated that the stability of Eastern Europe depended directly on the economic performance of the country in question.6 By the time Gorbachev came to power, he realized that a serious overhaul of the system was necessary due to the flagging economies of the Eastern Europe satellite states, in crisis before but never this severely. Like Charles Gati, Rothschild stated that by the 1980s, Eastern Europe had broken out of the conformist mold placed on it after World War II by Joseph Stalin, and each country began to pursue its own different interests.7 Thus the "Soviet bloc" was a collection of different states each moving in its own direction; Gorbachev had very limited choices, and ultimately let them Return to Diversity. These views hold to the tenet that the breakup of the Soviet bloc was due to internal fact ors in the countries of Eastern Europe.8 Other authors have studied the internal demise of the Soviet Union, placing the emphasis on themes ranging from the nationalities problem to incorrect decisions by the General Secretary. Helene Carrere d' Encausse examined the former in her work The End of the Soviet Empire, in which she chronicled the difficulty of governing an empire

Swimming as a Hobby Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Swimming as a Hobby - Essay Example I have a dozen swim wear, five kinds of goggles, five colors of swim caps, swim towels that I only use when I go to the pool. I pack my gear in waterproof bags designed for swimming athletes. I have pool slippers, nose clips, paddle trainers, trainer boards and different kinds of skin lotion to keep my skin protected from too much sun or chlorine. I don't train and I'm not a member of any swimming team but I gear myself as I am a part of the varsity. I enjoy watching the swimming events at the Olympics. I also know a bit of diving and have enjoyed the diving competitions as well as the synchronized swimming events. My hobby has taken me to go to the beaches when I have the time. This hobby has also made me visit swimming pools in many places. I would get excited to swim in a new pool whether it is big or small, in a gymnasium, hotel or resort. As an exercise, swimming has given me good circulation and has kept me from storing up unnecessary calories. It has made me become conscious of my health that led me to activities such as looking for the right kind of vitamins, the right kind of food to eat and the right drink to take. I am not fond of alcohol and would rather drink fruit juices rather than softdrinks. I am abreast with the latest herbal and organic food that helps the body's physical and chemical functions. Many factors have influenced me to sustain this hobby. These factors constitute both internal and external forces. The self-satisfaction I get from swimming is truly rewarding. I love the water and have been enjoying anything about the water since I was young. There is that sense of freedom in the water where one could move one's whole body effortlessly and weightlessly. Besides giving me good exercise, I know that swimming releases stress from the body and the mind without having to add more stress and strain to the physique like other exercise does. External factors that help me sustain my interest in swimming is the people I get to meet in the pool or the places I could go to when I would explore vacation destinations with swimming areas or offering water sport activities. Swimming for me is not too expensive. I have not ventured into diving because of financial constraints but if I set my mind to it, I would not be shocked if I find myself in diving gears hundreds of feet underwater. I am fond of magazines that show beach destinations. Products and services that cater to swimming advertise in these magazines. Lastly, swimming as a hobby has given me fun. I believe that activities that become hobbies give the hobbyist a sense of pride, accomplishment, challenge and happiness. In this sense, the hobbyist would not hesitate to spend on goods and service for something that gives him happiness and satisfaction. Consumer Behavior Consumerism has been the life engine of many capitalist societies. Manufacturers and producers need consumers to consume their products again and again so that business is sustained. The knowledge of consumer behavior therefore is pivotal in product development, product promotions and business activities geared towards making the product reach consumers so that consumers can decide to buy these products or services. Personal, psychological and social factors influence decisions of consumers. Their decisions are based on the hierarchy of their values. "Many buying decisions require predictions of another person's product attitudes. Yet, consumers are often inaccurate predictors, even for familiar others." (Lerouge, 2006) Depending on the