Dubliners, Counterparts Essay

1. The main character of the story is Farrington, an alcoholic who works as a clerk, and is bullied and verbally abused by his boss, Mr. Alleyne. Miss Delacour plays the role of a wealthy client. Mr. Shelley is the head clerk at Farrington’s office. The characters Nosey Flynne, O’Halloran, Callan, Paddy Leonard are the men whom Farrington spends his evenings with, drinking at pubs. Weathers is one of the younger men who meet with him at the pubs, in this story he beat Farrington at arm wrestling. Tom is Farrington’s son who, at the end of the story, is beaten by his drunken father. 2. â€Å"He had done for himself in the office, pawned his watch, spend all of his money; and he had not even got drunk† (95). Farrington’s life is repetitious, working as a clerk and producing copies all day long is the type of repetition that adds to his misery. Alcohol plays a key part in his depression and is the highlight of his day, it is the reason for him to pawn his watch and spend his remains on alcohol. Similar to his repetitious life in the office, drinking with his friends is a part of his daily routine as well. Every evening Farrington and his friends take turns buying rounds for each other, spending and consuming, again and again. Weathers is a character that plays a significant role in Farrington’s realization about how his routines and traditions do not benefit him, but instead harm him. Each of his problems follows him wherever he goes. For an example, he brought his problems with his boss, Mr. Alleyne, from work to the pub with him, and while he continued to drink, those problems only began to snowball and irritate him more. He also brought his problems back into his home with him later that night, and took them out on his son by beating him. It is clear that Farrington is oblivious to his anger and does not know that the he makes bad choices. His work life is the same as his social life and his family life. There is not a part of his life can let him break away from from any other part because every aspect has the ability to make him very angry. By making bad choices such as pawning his watch, drinking excessively, and being rude to his boss, Farrington consistently continues to make life worse for himself. 3. Farrington is an office clerk who is treated poorly by his boss. Upon having to complete a task at work, it becomes apparent that Farrington is a lazy alcoholic as he sneaks out of the office to get a quick drink and never finishes his job. Mr. Alleyne gets angry at Farrington, yells at him, and ends up embarrassing him in front of a Miss Delacour, which makes Farrington feel even more miserable. Later on, Farrington pawns his watch in exchange for alcohol money, and goes out with his friends to the pub for the rest of the night. The more Farrington drinks, he becomes increasingly upset throughout the night, thinking about his lifestyle and drinking habits. In the end, when he got home to a cold dinner and found that the fire to warm it had gone out, he scolded his young son Tom, who pleaded for mercy. 4. The central conflict of the story is escape combined with the abuse of alcohol. Throughout the story Farrington was feeling trapped and wished to escape that lonely and miserable feeling. He was very angry and he had given up on himself by slacking at work, pawning his watch, and spending all of his money. Farrington’s realization these trapped feelings became apparent when the narrator said, â€Å"He had lost his reputation as a strong man, having been defeated twice by a mere boy† (95). The passage is explaining Farrington’s feelings after Weathers defeated him in arm wrestling, and we learn that he ends up taking that anger out on his son. In the story the abuse of alcohol represents a lack of self- control and feeling of self worth that lead to violence. It turns out that the easy escape Farrington had longed for would be impossible for the drunken man to achieve. Instead of escaping, he deceived himself by deceiving his family. 5. Routine and the repetition are two themes present in this story. The narrator said, â€Å"His body ached to do something, to rush out and revel in violence. All the indignities of his life enraged him† (89).This passage explains the everyday repetitious life of Farrington, and how he needed to escape that kind of a lifestyle. These routines and repetitions have trapped him in a vicious cycle of irritation and violence. Routines have an effect on people often involved in many difficult dilemmas, and the routines of his life trap him from being able to have new encounters and new beginnings. These consequences of never breaking away from the same routines can also lead to loneliness and unhappiness. In the story â€Å"Counterparts†, Farrington is able to show these results and brutality of a repetitive lifestyle.

Wilde created in the opening scene

‘The Importance of Being Earnest'. Use comedic devices and refer to the text By merchantable In the opening scene of The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wiled creates a farcical and unrealistic world. Wiled creates a theoretical world during the conversation between Algerian and Lane; the audience would expect Lane to obey Leghorn's every command with yes sir. However, Wiled insinuates that Lane is comfortable around Algerian, the audience can also observe that the two men share n informal relationship.Although we can witness the informal side to their relationship, the audience can also notice the class hierarchy between Algerian and Lane, â€Å"l didn't think it polite to listen, sir. Despite Wiled creating an informal relationship between the two characters; he still wants the audience to understand that there's still an employer-employee boundary between Algerian and Lane. Wiled also creates an unrepeatable world within Leghorn's views on marriage and divorce, â€Å"Go od heavens! Is marriage as demoralizing as that? Algerian expresses his oblivious views that are considered as unrealistic compared to Lane's views of marriage for example. Wiled uses epigrams to suggest Leghorn's views In the opening scene, Wiled also humorously explores the use of epigrams in his play to give a comedic vibe during the scene, Wiled takes everyday sayings and plays with the arrangement of Its words, â€Å"divorces are made in heaven†, despite the fact that It shows the audience how the character feels, the epigram also suggests the farcical world that Wiled has created.Wiled continues to create a farcical world as Lane and Leghorn's conversation carries on, the permitted of social class bewilders and confuses the audience-â€Å"If the lower orders don't set us a good example, what on earth Is the use of them? â€Å". The audience are extremely foreign to Leghorn's attitudes towards the lowest group in the social hierarchy as traditionally the rich are seen as more superior than the lower class and the rich look down at the poor. In reality the rich should be setting an example for the lower class; however the reversal of fortune creates a grotesque world.The subject of ‘Bundy alongside the use of magnolia's creates an unrepeatable world for the audience; both Jack and the audience discover this peculiar word that Wiled has created. Furthermore, the misdiagnosis of ‘Bundy creates comedy for the audience. The absurdity of this newly discovered word creates an entertaining aspect for the audience. Also Jack learned that he was In fact a ‘Bunters'; again this creates a comedic element within the opening scene, not only does Jack have no concept of what a ‘Bundy is; Jack has discovered that he is one.To conclude, Wiled creates a farcical and unrepeatable world with the use of comedic devices, such as: magnolia's, perpetual and epigrams. Wiled uses these comedic devices to emphasis on the absurd views of Algerian, th e small conflict between Jack and Algerian and the peculiar relationship between Lane and 1 OFF a typical Victorian society. The two characters interact with each other the way we wouldn't expect in the Victorian era; they also don't have typical upper class Victorian views. Therefore, this shows the farcical world that Wiled created in the opening scene.

Controversial Issues in Entertainment Paper Essay

Controversial Issues in Entertainment Paper - Essay Example Since discussions on such topics are open to public the questions regarding its ethicality are disputable. According to Kuypers (2002) â€Å"Controversial issues are news, and for news we look to the press." (p. 1). This essay aims to discuss the various issues and debates surrounding the coverage of controversial issues / news by the media. For the purpose of this study, the recent highly dramatic photo of a subway train bearing down on a man who was pushed off the platform, published by the New York Post on front page is used. The highly graphic depiction sparked widespread debates and criticisms condemning the unethical publication of the image, the misuse of the freedom of press, and insulting the dignity of humanity. Nature of controversy: On December 4, 2012 The New York Post published a photo on its front page, sensationally titled "Pushed on the subway track, this man is about to die. DOOMED" (See Appendix Fig. 1) Immediate after the sensational publication of the disturbing image by the newspaper, wide-ranging debates and criticisms surrounding the ethics in photojournalism and dignity of humanity began pouring in from all quarters of the society. The criticisms mainly questioned the photographer's choice of action in the face of adversity. The intent of the photographer, R. Umar Abbasi was questioned raising serious concerns over the incident, particularly since he chose to capture and then sell the image to New York Post, rather than do the obvious – i.e. intervene and try to help the man. The inaction of the photographer highlighted his apparent apathy towards the victim, inviting severe criticisms concerning his lack of judgment and gross violation of human rights. The publication of the photo by the New York Post on the front page also called for debates and criticisms surrounding the blatant use of liberty of the press by the publication. The news journalists and photographers are bound by a strict code of ethics and good conduct which en tails them to act prudently towards an individual or group and adhere to the standards of morality and principles normally attributed to and deserved by the humanity. According to the National Press Photographers Association's Code of Ethics: "Photographic and video and images can reveal great truths, expose wrongdoing and neglect, inspire hope and understanding and connect people around the globe through the language of visual understanding. Photographs can also cause great harm if they are callously intrusive or are manipulated" (NPPA (2012) Although the publication of the photo did not in any way violate the code of ethics, it however did cross the line of human dignity, especially considering that the graphic image was published on the front page. The photo was used since it was ‘newsworthy’, and such images / shocking news items are quick to catch the audience’s attention, as is apparent from the widespread reactions garnered overnight from all aspects of so ciety including journalists and citizens alike. Soon after the publication of the photo by the New York Post, other newspapers and tabloids as well as the television media covered the incident with varied reactions on the issue. Most of the print and visual media condemned the publication of the graphic image but continued to cover the story as more and more videos and images captured by

Delta Air Lines Safety Program Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Delta Air Lines Safety Program - Case Study Example 7). The security tax imposed on ticket prices after 9/11 by the government occurred at a time when customer demand was at its lowest level. According to Mullin, post-9/11 actions by the government, though well-intended, created an estimated $6.5 billion more in costs for the airline industry overall. Mullin, in his government testimony, requested national security funding mechanisms to be utilized rather than imposing taxes and costs specifically on the airlines. In the period since 9/11, passenger traffic has made a slow recovery and returned to pre-9/11 levels by mid-2004. However, as public concern over security faded, problems involving inadequate infrastructure capacity, poor labor relations, and low customer satisfaction re-emerged. For a major airline like Delta, low-fare airlines created a serious challenge, with business travelers willing to give up amenities and unwilling to pay higher fares (Airline, 2005). Even though safety continued to be a priority for Delta, financial problems accelerated to a point where the only option for the company was bankruptcy. It was the decision of Delta, as had been the case with other major airlines, to declare bankruptcy in 2005, and the company's restructuring since then has developed a fundamental transformation. At present, Delta is one of the most popular and safest carriers in the market (Airline Industry, 2005). Safety as a Priority at Delta Air Lines A safety program at a major airline requires attention to every facet of the industry, and Delta Air Lines has developed an extensive program, from health and safety in the Delta workplace to an open-door policy for employees and the public to express safety concerns. As a licensed F.A.A. part 121 air carrier, Delta must follow the guidelines of a part 121 certificate. The certificate governs all major airline carriers such as American and Delta and is the highest-ranking certificate issued. A part 121 certificate requires extensive training for pilots and mechanics with advanced regulations for aircraft and pilot operations (Aircraft & Passenger Safety, n.d.). It should be noted that in March 1997, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) changed the definition of Part 121 operations.Prior to the change, scheduled aircraft with 30 or more seats were operated under Part 121 and those with less than 30 seats were operated under Part 135. After the change, scheduled aircraft wi th 10 or more seats were classified as Part 121 operations; therefore, since 1997, most carriers that once were popularly known as "commuters" now operate under Part 121 (NTSB, 1998, section 2, para. 2). A survey conducted over a 17-year period by the National Transportation Safety Board showed that the U.S. aviation system as a whole was maintaining a high level of safety. The NTSB examined only air carrier operation in the United States performed under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 because the majority of the Board's survival factor investigations are conducted in connection with Part 121 carriers. From 1983-2000, nearly 96 percent of occupants involved in a Part 121 aviation accident survived the crash (NSTB, 2001, p.

Chem lab module 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chem lab module 7 - Essay Example The solution and the solid were separated by decantation. I divided the remaining solid available to perform vinegar. Since no bubbles were seen, the possible compounds were narrowed down to Plaster of Paris and cream of tartar. On addition of hydrochloric acid, the precipitate didn’t dissolve, thereby, confirming the solid precipitate to be Plaster of Paris. Moving to the solution part, a violet color was obtained on carrying out the pH test, which narrowed down the compounds to table salt, glucose and sucrose. On copper sulphate test, no reddish brown precipitate was observed; hence presence of glucose was not possible. The only other sugar that could be present otherwise was sucrose. I took 2g of the given unknown mixture in a test tube and added water. After decanting the solution from the solid, I carried out the identification tests separately on the solid and the solution parts. I, first, carried out the iodine test on the solid precipitate and got a negative result. Next I performed the vinegar test and observed bubbles rise from the test tube, hence confirming the presence of baking soda. In the remaining solid part, which I had previously separated into another test tube, I added hydrochloric acid. Since the precipitate didn’t dissolve, the other constituent of the mixture was identified as Plaster of Paris. I added 2g of mixture 2 in a test tube followed by 10 ml of water. After separating the solution from the solid, I performed the pH test on the solution and obtained green color. To distinguish between the possible presence of drain opener and washing soda, I added vinegar, after taking 2ml of the solution in another clean test tube. Bubbles were seen to rise in the tube, hence confirming the presence of drain opener. In the solid part, I performed the iodine test, followed by vinegar test only to be met by a negative result. The possible compounds were narrowed

16th century Empires Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

16th century Empires - Essay Example To put the comparison in perspective, it has to be noted that religion dominated the public sphere of almost all civilization in the world be it among Europeans, Middle Easters, Andeans or Mesoamericans during the 15th century. Whether it be a the theistic god of the Christian or the pantheistic god of the Andeans and Mesoamericans, religion played a major role in their society. The extent of religious influence however on the policies that govern its empire varies with each civilization. There are civilizations or societies whose imperialistic thrust may be primarily motivated or at least veiled by religion such as the European Spaniards, and there are also societies or civilizations who adopted a more pragmatist approach toward its expansionary ambition such as Incas of the Andeans. We can cite as a classic example the Spaniards in 1521 who were at the height of its religious fervor sending its missionaries to pagan countries to hear the word of God from the Catholic church. Ferdin and Magelland, the leader of the expeditionary Spanish Fleet was in fact looking for spices in the exotic world but used religion to subjugate the natives of the Philippines when it landed in Mactan. It did not tell the natives that they were really there looking for spices and other items for trade but rather used the cross and the sword to justify their presence. What followed is a more than 300 years of colonial rule characterized by theocracy to usurp the country of its natural resources. Compared to the Incans who were dominant among the Andeans during its height in the 15th century, the Incans as representative of the Andeans were more pragmatic in its approach in gaining material resources to sustain its empire. From periods 1438 to 1533, the Andeans used a wide variety of method to sustain herself that ranged from conquest to peaceful assimilation that would integrate territories that they

World Religions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

World Religions - Essay Example Renowned in the world of academia, he is the celebrated author of a great many pieces of work related to sociology and religion, one of which is The Heretical Imperative. The purpose of my essay is to elucidate on his theory of heretical imperative. In order for us to understand what that is, we must first understand the key concepts of secularization, modernity, and religion since they play an important part in Mr. Berger’s theory of the heretical imperative. Dr. Peter Berger has written a lot regarding sociology of religion. Therefore, now the question arises, what is religion? According to Berger, â€Å"Religion is the human enterprise by which a sacred cosmos is established...sacred here, meaning a quality of mysterious and awesome power, other than man and yet related to him, which is believed to reside in certain objects of experience† (Berger, 1990, pp. 3-28). Religion is universally agreed to be born of faith in something that is bigger than anything we can ever conceive. A set of guiding rules are established from this faith. Religion helps us by making use of these rules, to create a sacred world for us; sacred because it is a world of mystical occurrences, not directly linked to us but a big part of us. A person can be sacred; an institution, a book, or perhaps a statue too. Anything or any being with which we attach a mystical and awesome power is, in all essence, sacred. And that sacredness is what Berger believes to be religion. In his book, Berger explains the other two vital concepts: modernity and secularization. In sociology, modernity is something that arose post industrial era. It is the phasing out of feudalism by people and their entering into the world that is similar to ours. It is losely linked with modernity is secularization. In Berger’s perspective - and in most sociologists’ as well - secularization marks the movement of the world from living with a close affiliation with religious beliefs to non-religiou s beliefs and secular states. Berger believes that it is pluralism that caused modernity and secularization. So what do these concepts have to do with the concept of heretical imperative? â€Å"Religion itself becomes a matter of choice; of necessary choice insofar there are few taken-for-granted religious ‘facts’ to fall back upon. In other words, religion becomes a heretical imperative† (Knepper, 2001). Here Knepper writes a review by using some of Berger’s own words to describe what a heretical imperative is. We live with a heretical imperative because of the pluralism that exists in our lives. The great numbers of institutions, religions, theories, paradigms give us too many choices. Religion itself is a matter of choice now. â€Å"Berger argues in his book that to face up to the relativity of theological knowledge requires that one affirm certain elements of the tradition and reject others; that is the heretical imperative† (Woodhead, 2001, pp. 1-9). According to Woodhead, Peter Berger has explained in his book that in traditional cultures (of the pre-modern man) people were exposed to a certain set of fundamental principles and rules. It is true that the so many cultures existing today are based on different religious and mythological epistemologies, but each culture, according to Berger, has an internal, underlying consistency; it must have it if it wishes to survive. To challenge this underlying mythology is called heresy. Berger explains heresy to mean to choose for one's self. The irony here, obviously, is that one will be heretical whether they choose traditional values or not. This is because when one chooses any values, or makes any kind of decision regarding religion, the substitutes and other choices are taken into

The political and economic foreign policy developments of the United Research Paper

The political and economic foreign policy developments of the United States in the 19th century from the idea of Manifest Destin - Research Paper Example However, this idea was not shared by everyone including the native Indians and Mexicans who had differing views or opinions. Although there were no clearly defined principles to guide the idea, it received enormous support from the democrats who used it to justify various decisive actions. Through the notion of manifest destiny, the United States was driven by the temptation of world power and political supremacy, which sought to consolidate the position it held.1 The spanish american war was fought in 1898 and lasted only three months, and was triggered by the increased occupation of Cuba by the Spanish government which was strongly opposed by the US government. The war occurred as a result of intervention which was encouraged by other factors such as the Yellow Press which simply refers to the numerous newspaper articles that were printed in red ink and calling for bloodshed. Sensationalism by William Randolph Hearst through the Hearst papers and Joseph Pulitzer played a serious ro le in fuelling the war through propaganda views on either side of the war divide. Stories about atrocities committed by the Spaniards in Cuba enraged the Americans in the USA thus shaping their opinion to support the war. As at 1898, the war was at its peak and was nearly coming to an end; on the 4th of April 1898, the Americans intervened through President McKinley ordering war, mainly to end the devastating effect of the war in Cuba on humanitarian grounds and protect American citizens and interests in the island of Cuba. The intervention was also to protect American and Cuban trade and commerce as well as its strategic rights in that particular hemisphere. Through the Treaty of Paris December 10, 1898 America was able to stamp its foreign policy of expansion and imperialism through the acquisition of Philippines, annexation of Hawaii and the acquisition of Puerto Rico, and this occurred after Spain had surrendered. This expansionist theory resonated well with the American public opinion as it seemed to guarantee freedom to every person in the world and also made Americans proud of their institutions especially the military. In addition, it created avenues for commercial expansion in terms of trade in strategic locations of the world. The acquisition of Panama Canal by the US government was the epitome of imperialism by the government of the United States, and this is because of the economic benefits it offered the American government as well as its strategic importance in terms of geopolitical position. It should be noted that the canal offered the government of USA constant flow of revenue as well as saving the economy in terms of inter-coastal trade and commerce. The canal was however not strategic to the US government military-wise as it could be bombed at any time by adversaries such as Japan and the Soviet Union. The destruction would cause war losses that could only be recovered after a year or so during war time and a massive loss of 17 days in trave l time as occurred during its sabotage during the Battle of Guadalcanal. This forced the US military to maintain a heavy presence of navy at sea just in case the canal was attacked. However, with time, the US government pulled out of the canal due to economic interests, and his was partly due to the invention of railway cars using diesel which made transporting of produce to coastal ports then shipping

Nutritional needs Essay Example for Free

Nutritional needs Essay Protein 4 calories/ g 0.8 g / kg / day Meat Fish Chicken Eggs Dairy Insufficient intake leads to muscle wasting and atrophy Carbohydrates 4 calories / g Starches Sugars (fructose, glucose, lactose, sucrose) and cellulose Fruits Vegetables Milk Grains Insufficient intake results in protein and fat metabolism Fats 9 calories / g Needed for ADEK vitamin absorption Animal products Egg yolks Organ meats (except liver) Butter Cheese Oils Insufficient intake increases risk of infection, skin lesions, amenorrhea, and cold sensitivity Thiamin (B1) Pork Wheat germ Fortified cereals Insufficiency leads to Beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome Riboflavin (B2) Milk Enriched grains Insufficiency leads to Ariboflavinosis Niacin (B3) Peanuts Legumes Enriched grains Insufficiency leads to diarrhea, dementia, dermatitis Cobalamin (B12) Animal protein Insufficiency leads to pernicious anemia Folic Acid Orange juice Meat Leafy green vegetables Insufficiency leads to anemia and neural tube defects Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C): wound healing, hormone synthesis Citrus fruits Insufficiency leads to scurvy, bleeding gums Vitamin A: vision, tissue growth, immune, reproductive function Animal foods Fruits Vegetables Fortified milk Insufficiency leads to night blindness, xerophthalmia Vitamin D: calcium and phosphorus metabolism, PTH, kidney Dairy Fortified food sources Insufficiency leads to rickets, osteomalacia Vitamin E: antioxidant, immune Vegetable oil Peanuts Margarine Insufficiency leads to hemolysis of RBCs Vitamin K: blood clotting Liver Leafy green vegetables Insufficiency leads to hemorrhage Potassium Apricots Avocado Bananas Cantaloupes Raw carrots Peas / Dried beans Dried fruits Oranges Peanuts Potatoes Prune juice Spinach Tomatoes Winter squash Calcium (also use for kidney stones) Chocolate Dairy Beans Lentils Dried fruits Canned / smoked fish (except tuna) Flour Cocoa Green leafy vegetables Tyramine / Dopamine Restrictions (for people taking MAOIs) Aged Cheese Chocolate Smoked fish Processed meats Bananas Liver Fava beans Soy sauce Purine (gout / uric acid stones) Organ meats Anchovies Sardines Salmon Herring Venison Goose Beef, chicken, pork, veal should be limited because they contain purine Alcohol Seafood Oxalates (kidney stones) Asparagus Beets Celery Cabbage Dark green leafy vegetables Fruits Tomatoes Green beans Chocolate Cocoa Beer Cola Nuts Tea Acid-Ash Foods (will acidify urine to prevent UTI and avoid if patient has acidic stones) Cranberries Plums Grapes Prunes Tomatoes Eggs Cheese Whole grains Meat Poultry

Map of the occupied Germany Essay Example for Free

Map of the occupied Germany Essay The map presented above has been reproduced from Wikimedia Commons. It shows the four zones which were occupied by Great Britain, France, the United States, and the USSR. It also shows the location of Berlin well inside the Russian zone. The inset shows how the city of Berlin was divided among the four occupiers. Just by looking at the geographical location of Berlin, one could immediately see that the carriers of supplies (like food, medicine, and fuel) which were coming from the western zone and meant for the residents of the western sectors of Berlin had to traverse through a significant portion of the Russian zone before they could reach their destination. The Berlin Blockade, therefore, threatened the very survival of the Berliners who were living in the western sectors. This was realized by Stalin who exploited the situation in order to exert pressure on the western powers into renegotiating the German problem. This was what worried Governor Clay. He was well aware that the 2. 5 million residents of the western sectors could not survive longer than five weeks without new shipments of supplies. The blockade first surprised then confused the officials of the western powers. British foreign minister Bevin declared that despite the blockade, they should go forward with the plan of creating a West German state. Military Governor Clay recommended the use of an armored convoy to transport supplies through the Russian zone. However, his recommendation was turned down for fear that it would provoke a war with the USSR. In the end, the suggestion of Bevin to airlift the supplies was favored (Wilde). The planes carrying the supplies would fly over the Russian zone using the three air corridors which were opened under an agreement with the Russians after the war. These were: the â€Å"Frankfurt/Main-Berlin air corridor, the Hannover/Bueckeburg-Berlin air corridor, and the Hamburg-Berlin air corridor† (Berlin Information Group). On July 2, 1948, British Lt. General Brian K. Robertson conferred with the leaders of the United States and France after which he demanded the lifting of the Berlin Blockade. However, on July 14, the USSR responded by saying that the United States, Great Britain, and France had lost their right to stay in Berlin. The Russian response also justified the blockade by stating that its objective was the protection of the â€Å"economy of the [S]oviet zone. † According to the Russians, the creation of a West German state and the issuance of a new currency violated the agreements of the â€Å"Big Four† with regards the occupation of Germany. Hence, by violating the agreement, Russians claimed that the United States, Great Britain, and France effectively rendered their right to take part in the occupation and administration of Berlin null and void. The Russians also emphasized that since Berlin was located inside the Russian zone, all of Berlin (including the western sectors) belonged to the Russian zone. The western powers reacted to the Russian allegations during a meeting among the delegations of the United States, Great Britain, and France which started on July 15. Their joint response stated that â€Å"Threats, pressure or other actions† could not pressure them into leaving Berlin. On July 17, William J. (Wild Bill) Donovan, a former Major General who was the director of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during the war, declared that â€Å"The place to make a stand against Russia is right here in Berlin. This is not a Cold War. It is Hot as Hell† (The Berlin Airlift Veterans Association).