Can the theories in Machiavelli's THE PRINCE be used to justify the Essay

Can the theories in Machiavelli's THE PRINCE be used to justify the totalitarian actions and theories of Marx, Lenin and Stalin - Essay Example The totalitarian actions of several great world leaders have walked on the path he laid causing indestructible loss to the humanity as well as morals. Machiavelli's theories do justify the actions of the leaders, who sculpted the history of the human kind, but history had proved again and again total control over any community, unleashed through chameleonic actions, fear and attacking first will only fail sooner or later. Act According to the Situation Machiavelli always argued the leaders should be ready to act in a chameleonic way to preserve their power. According to him it is completely just to lure the people using various philosophies like patriotism, capitalism etc. They should never regret to change it as and when necessary, if there is a threat for their power. He says every leader should be ready to take the help of the evil to sustain power if they are compelled to do so. "...he (the leader of the state) must stick to the good so long as he can, but, being compelled be nec essity, he must be ready to take the way of the evil."(Machiavelli, 63) Both Karl Marx and Machiavelli did agree that there is an existing tension prevailing between the nobles and the common men for centuries. Both challenged the primitive believes of the previous generations. They put forward new ideas to change the world. Marx saw people as social beings whose total history is merely a class struggle. Each struggle leads to some sort of development. Machiavelli actually defines the rules and regulations for these struggles. Machiavellianism seen as a satire helps Marxists understand the evils of bourgeoisie much better. But, Karl Marx’s actions were influenced by the ideologies in the book to a great extent. While Marx and Machiavelli were two different poles when it came to society’s freedom and development, both shared similar views on acquiring power. Machiavelli has personally experienced all the brutalities like Strapeddo and confinement within a short area whi ch Marx struggled to remove from the society. He penned down the Prince with the aim of impressing his Lorenzo di Medici, the then Italian prince who had the capability to reduce his sentence (Wooton, 1994). The struggling did shape Machiavelli’s mind and gave him the capability to analyze the reason behind such issues. Machiavelli clearly described no man is good and there is no point in resolving only good means to fight or rule him. Similarly Karl Marx also agreed every man in a political animal and they need iron hands to rule them until humanity evolves into better state. Karl Marx struggled to establish a communal government where the poorest of the poor who were suppressed in every possible way would get some sort of freedom and justice. He believed it would be possible only through complete power change. His â€Å"Dictatorship of Proletariat† is the best example of how power will be shifted from one class to the other. This is what Machiavelli describes as taki ng the help of evil. Marxism actually lures people into believing everybody will be treated fair, with equality and mercy. But, the means to acquire power to materialize the same will be brutal, crushing everybody possible. In simple word Marxists can take the help of the evil to establish goodness in the world. They can kill the very mob they guaranteed freedom to achieve power. Karl Marx did have close contacts with many elite, rich

A Clinical Trails Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Clinical Trails - Research Paper Example Research specialists enroll volunteers or patients into pilot studies to conduct specified tests depending on the product type and development stage (Yang, 2010). Clinical trials vary in intensity. They can be performed in a single country or multiple countries. They are expensive to carry out. The burden of payment gets usually bestowed on the sponsor of the research. Sponsors may include government agency or health organizations (Yang, 2010). The objectives of clinical trial are to test how well medicine will work on patients. For every clinical trial, there exists a guideline of how to carry out the trial (Yang, 2010). The plan discusses what is to be done, how it will be done, and the importance of all aspect in the study. This includes the importance the general study. There are rules guiding on how to choose the participants in the study. The main factor in choosing the participants is volunteering when a person has sufficient knowledge (Pocock, 2004). They volunteer’s health status will be determined by the study since some may need healthy individuals and others may need individuals with certain diseases (Pocock, 2004). In other instances, gender is used to determine a viable volunteer. There are independent committees set to determine the procedures and monitor the whole exercise. These committees are made up of physicians, statisticians, and members of the community. The committee emphasizes the need to educate all the subjects liable to tests so that they can know the effects of every aspect of the trials (Pocock, 2004). In so doing, the subjects will be well aware of the risks involved such that volunteering shall be out of free will. Since the tests are conducted to human subjects, they are eligible to many legal aspects (Pocock, 2004). They are carried out in four phases. Because the life of an individual may be at risk during the trials, the law provides strict guidelines that facilitate a safe environment

Truth Is Absolute Not Relative Essay Example for Free

Truth Is Absolute Not Relative Essay Background of the Topic: Many people nowadays seek for â€Å"THE TRUTH†. I searched up the internet and Google gave me 611 million answers in just a quart of a second. As top answer Google gave me this definition from wisegeek.com, â€Å"An absolute truth, sometimes called a universal truth, is an unalterable and permanent fact. The concept of absolute truths what they are and whether they exist has been debated among many different groups of people. Philosophers have waded in the muck of defining absolute truth for millennia. For example, Plato believed that absolute truth existed, but that truth on earth was merely a shadow of great forms of absolute truth existing in the universe which is now commonly called â€Å"universals†. Alternatively, many believe in relative truths, where facts may vary depending on the circumstances.† Simply put, WHAT’S TRUE TO ME MAY NOT BE TRUE TO YOU. It is however difficult to disprove the concept of absolute truth, since saying that there are no absolute truths that it is absolutely true that no absolute truth exists is itself an absolute truth.† Relationship of the Topic- Main: It will help us to know and recognize the fundamental basis of truth. To me: I firmly believe on absolute truth unlike others. I believe in the absolute truth of the Bible and God as its ultimate source. To the society: Living in a society sharing the same ground that there is an existence of absolute truth would eradicate most of today’s debates on non-significant yet intriguing problems. Also, there is the need of a certain and mutual fundamental basis of the absoluteness of truth and from whence it come forth. Problem: Many of us were blinded about what is truth and a lot of us have different queries regarding what is the real meaning of truth whether it is absolute or relative. Definition of the topic: There are a few things that we all agree are absolutely true, but they depend upon an agreement in definition. ABSOULTE TRUTH: †¢ Truth is discovered not invented †¢ Truth is transcultural: it can be conveyed across different cultures. †¢ Truth is unchanging: it can be conveyed across time. †¢ Beliefs cannot change a truth statement no matter how sincere one may be †¢ Truth is unaffected by the attitude of the one professing it †¢ All Truths are absolute †¢ Truth is knowable In order for truth to be absolute and holding these qualities, it must be grounded in a source that is personal, unchanging, and sovereign over all creation. Relative Truth: Truth is created not discovered. Truth is a matter of perspective and each culture or individual defines for themselves what truth is. †¢ Since truth is invented, there is no universal transcultural truth. Each culture or individual will define truth differently according to their background and perspective. †¢ Truth changes since it is inseparably connected to individuals and cultures which continually change truth perpetually to changes. †¢ Since truth is a matter of a group or individual’s perspective, one’s beliefs can change a truth statement. †¢ Since an individual determines truth, truth is affected by the attitude of the one professing it. †¢ There can be no such thing as absolute truth. †¢ Absolute truth is not knowable. Absolute and objective truth cannot be known since it is built on the shifting foundation of man’s perceptions. As each individual’s perception is different, truth cannot be known. References: Bible and Blogs specifically the Truth Project

The Evolution Of Feminism Sociology Essay

The Evolution Of Feminism Sociology Essay Adaptation is the survival mechanism of civilizations in the course of evolution. It is the emergence of a trait that will enhance species viability in an existing or new environment. Conversely, byproduct is the unintentional consequence of adaptation. Humans due to their great capacity for generalized learning have consequently achieved a distinct capability of constructing and imparting culture (Parsons, 1964). According to Biologist Alfred Emerson (1956) within the realm of adaptation the gene has now been replaced by the symbol. Thus it is not just the genetic constitution of human beings that affects the process of evolution but also their cultural practice. Societies subsist within complex social environments (e.g. raw materials, reserves and constraints and limitations) and they adapt to such intricacies. It is thus inevitable that societies reorganize and reform themselves over time in the face of social change. The study of society and social change has taught us that the s ocial order of civilizations changes over time and reorganizes itself to appear as something different from its ancestral form. As a society, we have organized our everyday lives around former and existing situations. We are accustomed to standard and regular conditions and may be sensitive to extremes that fall outside of this array. The stages of evolution as discussed by Morgan (1877) and Tylor (1871, 1881) are as such: savagery, barbarianism and civilization. According to them every society and culture has or will go through these stages of evolution in this order. French philosopher  Auguste Comte (1876)  advanced the law  of three stages. According to this human societies progress from a theological stage, which is governed by religion, through a metaphysical stage, in which theoretical speculative assessment is most important, and onward toward a positivist stage, in which empirically based systematic scientific ideas are most dominant. It has been argued that society h as evolved by way of small steps that have led to increased complexity of society. Herbert Spencer (1887), a British sociologist argued that societies themselves are life forms. He attempted to extent Darwins tenet of the survival of the fittest to human civilizations and said that society has been steadily moving ahead towards an enhanced state. He claimed that western societies had persisted and evolved because they were better at becoming accustomed to the challenges of life. Emile Durkheim (1933) singled out the basis of societal evolution as a societys increasing development of more complex social interactions. Durkheim viewed societies as changing in the direction of immense demarcation, integration and oppression under the demands of increasing moral density. Durkheim supported that societies have evolved from a comparatively self-sufficient state with little incorporation, where intimidation and domination is required on a social structure, with a kind of cohesion called mec hanical solidarity to a more distinguished social structure with maximum division of labor where specialization and collaboration is extensive and interdependence and assimilation give rise to an organic solidarity. Julian Stewart (1955) constructed the multi-linear theory of evolution where he stated that societies change due to their adaptation to changing environments. A more recent view by Bloomfield (1993) suggests that society is in a state of equilibrium and when change takes place a transition results in a consequent stable but more complex society. The human race has shown a tremendous potential for adjustment and change. We have seen many forms of social change over the years. Human civilization has been witness to some foremost structures of transformations such as Industrialization, Globalization, World War II, Civil Rights Movement in United States, Indian Independence Movement, Gay Liberation Movement and Womens Rights Movement among many more. In this paper we shall r eflect briefly upon the evolutionary perspective of the Womens Rights Movement and put forward certain questions as is the Movement a form of adaptation of the society? Or it is the byproduct of adaptation? Nothing can be more absurd than the practice that prevails in our country of men and women not following the same pursuits with all their strengths and with one mind, for thus, the state instead of being whole is reduced to half. (Plato, 428-347 B.C.; Saxonhouse, 1976). In The Republic Plato proposes that an ideal state is one in which women are given the same opportunities as men in areas such as education and participation in activities of the state (Saxonhouse, 1976). He is considered to be the first feminist although his concern is not about the rights of women but about their usefulness (Craik, 1990). Feminism aims towards social change by focusing our attention upon the issues of women and how we can go about empowering women and improving their quality of life. Feminism can be seen to have a transformational function to society. Competing for resources is the basis for evolutionary theory. This notion that has enabled our species to survive has an important implication in femi nist theory. The feminist movement has consequently emerged in a patriarchal society as an amendment in the course of evolution. In Evelyn Reeds book Womens Evolution: from Matriarchal Clan to Patriarchal Families (1975) she mentions that social structures were initially based on mother-child relationship and were considered matrilineal clans long before the patriarchal family tradition began. Men were not part of the child birth process and were prohibited from eating womens food. She also notes that in most areas the essentially reliable sources of food were that of the gatherers (vegetables) and not hunters (animals). It was later that these matrilineal clans transformed into a patriarchal society. In the broadest sense, evolution is merely change, and so is all-pervasive; galaxies, languages, and political systems all evolve (Futuyma, 1986). Accordingly evolution can be presumed as a process of the development of a characteristic of society from its primitive state to its presen t or specialized state. Change comes about through the competition of resources and the circulation of favorable innovations in thought and action. Human nature is habituated by communication, which establishes what resources are available (Cooley, 1897). Arnold Toynbee (1987) postulated that civilizations transform from a stationary state to an active one. A more recent perspective on change was hypothesized by Thomas Kuhn (1996) where he talks of the concept of a paradigm. A paradigm is a set of values and beliefs about reality that allows a people to form theories about reality and solve problems. The central feature of a paradigm is its own etiquettes and principles. A paradigm remains popular and influential as long as it justifies most observable phenomenon and resolves most problems but it yields as new paradigms rise and begin to challenge it. Thus, long phases of normal science are pursued by short periods of revolutions that entail essential changes in prime theoretical pr esumptions. A good example here would be the androcentric assumptions that hard as well as social sciences tend to have embedded in their core and the recent shift towards a feminist paradigm where such assumptions are being questioned and alternate ideologies are being presented. This general idea is reinforced by Fritjof Capra (1997), who maintains that a single person can have a worldview, but a paradigm is shared by a community. The paradigm impression demonstrates the scope of social change as a turning point on the state of mind of individuals. History confirms that changes in society occur not because of great wars or authoritarian governments but because a significant amount of people started to change their mind, even if only a little (Harman, 1998). Contrary to the impression that innovative ideas are the efforts of a handful of elites like scientists, philosophers, artists and religious leaders, sometimes new ways of perceiving life in a significantly meaningful way progr esses from the great mass of the population (Yankelovich, 1982). Another model of social change helps to explain the transformation of feminist societies was presented by Anthony Wallace in 1970 in his book  Culture and Personality. Change is seen to present itself when intense individual strain leads to a shift away from cultural harmony. Initial response of society as well as the individual is that it is a distinct personal problem, but as these individual problems begin to come together in the form of a group, they result in unstable social foundations and society in turn has to recognize it as a problem on a larger scale. Once this happens it is essential for society to endure a process of recovery and transformation to return to the state of balance. This process of renewal depends upon characteristics such as formulation of a code, communication, organization, adaptation, cultural transformation and routinization. We attempt to integrate the evolution of feminism into this model. Feminism has formulated a code in the sense that it has a go al society in mind. It is one that contrasts the patriarchal society and insists upon a tradition of equality among sexes and envisions a liberated future for women. Communication in the feminist tradition has been one of prime significance. Consciousness raising groups were established by New York Radical Women and Womens Liberation groups. These meetings enabled women to share their stories and shed light on how their personal problems were in fact more common than recognized (Sarachild, 1973). Womens organizations exist in most countries that have been set up to address the issues of women and work towards globalized incorporation of solutions. The evolution of feminism has required the inclusion of many new viewpoints and the adaption of older ones. For example the radical feminist notion that women are superior to men has now been substituted for a more holistic idea where women and men are considered as equal and no one sex is better than the other. The Womens suffragettes hav e been able to attain womens voting in most parts of the world and this has led to a cultural transformation to the perception of women and their basic rights and privileges. The war on patriarchy is still ongoing but the movement has won many battles amongst. The vision of an egalitarian state is still very much alive. Routinization for many element of the movement are yet to happen as goal future is far from within our grasp. History illustrates that women have suffered many dreadful fates at the hands of persons, in the form of rape, female infanticide, sati ritual, honor killing, bride burning, female genital mutilation, sex slaves, etc. Data shows that between sixty to more than one hundred million women and girls are considered missing from numerous populations and are likely to have survived if gender discriminatory practices like sex-selective abortions, infanticide and inadequate care based on gender were absent (Seager, 2003; Sen, 1990; Klasen and Wink, 2002). Studies show that one in every five women have been forced to have sex, beaten or otherwise abused in their lifetimes and the perpetrator is usually a member of the family or an otherwise known person (Heise, Ellsberg, Gottemoeller, 1999) and about 69% of female homicide victims are killed by their male partners (Krug, et. al., WHO, 2002). Available data implies that in some countries nearly one in four women confirm sexual violence by an in timate partner and equal to one-third of adolescent girls report that they were forced into sexual acts for the first time (Ellsberg, et al., 2000; Mooney, 1993; Hakimi, et al., 2001; Matasha, et al., 1998; Buga, et. al., 1996). Sexual cruelty is more evident in places where attitudes of male sexual rights and entitlement are intense, where gender roles are inflexible, and in countries where there is an occurrence of other types of violence (Bennett, Manderson, Astbury, 2000; Gartner, 1990; Smutt, Miranda, 1998) In the 1994 genocide in Rwanda it was reported that between 250,000 and 500,000 women, or about 20% of women, were raped (De Brouwer, 2005). In 1992, during the five months of conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, about 20,000 50,000 women were raped (Ashford, Huet-Vaughn, 1997). In India, deaths attributable to dowry are estimated to be 15,000 per year and typically they are kitchen fires made to like an accident (Jethmalani, 1995). Close to half of the 40 million people liv ing with HIV/AIDS are women. Social elements that lead to female exposure to HIV-1 include poverty, presence of gender inequality, cultural and sexual customs, violence and lack of education (Quinn, Overbaugh, 2005). Between twenty to seventy percent of women opened up about their abuse for the first time when they were interviewed for a survey by WHO and have not old anyone before that (WHO, Geneva, 2002). Recent studies have shown that there is no significant rise in the reported rape cases since 1990 (Wolitzky-Taylor, et. al., 2011). Keeping in mind these statistics it is no surprise that the feminist movement has emerged as a medium of social action against the oppression of women. Such atrocities against women are not a recent problem. What is remarkable is that such matters are finally receiving international attention due to the political power that women have acquired that we are now able to place the issue of accountability for gender-based cruelty on the international agen da. Women are taking advantage of opportunities, allocating resources, reconstructing social realities, envisioning a better, holistic and an overall more agreeable future and energizing a new generation of supporters (both female and male). Dissatisfaction among women is a reflection of evolutionary changes within the movement that aims for an integrated society. As is with all social movements, the womens rights movement too has gone through many changes and reorganizations in its evolution due to climate changes, internal and external conflicts, changes in social values and philosophical progress. The records of the history of feminism are mentioned briefly and represented as an overall picture of the struggle. Many attempts were made to highlight the inequalities between the genders such as the work of 15th century writer Christine De Pizan, who was the first woman to write about the relationship of the sexes (Brown-Grant, 1999), 17th century writer, Margaret Cavendish, 18th century writer, Mary Wollstonecraft, who is often said to be the first feminist philosopher and the works of Jane Austen, that focused on the restricted lives of women of the former part of the century (McCarthy, 1994). Although efforts were made by women such as Caroline Norton, who helped in changing the situation of married women and child custody in England ((Yalom , 2002; Perkins, 1989) and Florence Nightingale, whose belief was that women had all the aptitude of men but they had none of the opportunities (Bostridge, 2008), 1848 was the year that marked the beginning of an organized Womens Rights Movement. The first wave of feminism was between the 19th to the early 20th century. Here attention was given to issues such as womens education, better working standards, right to vote and running for office. Womens suffrage was extremely significant to the womens rights movement as it eliminated the overtone of them as being second-class citizens (Cott, 1989). What came after is commonly known as second wave feminism and lasted for the duration of 1960s to 1980s. During this time issues such as gender inequalities and discriminations were brought into awareness (Freedman, 2003). The third wave of feminism commenced in the 1990s and emerged to resolve the criticism that second wave feminism received. It dealt with issues of queer politics, reproduct ive rights, inclusion of race related subjectivities of minority communities (Henry, 2004). It also addressed concerns for a global feminism where matters such as First World vs. Third World feminism, the intersectionality of gender repression and inter-subjugation based on gender, race, sexual preferences (homosexuality), class, nationality, etc., defining feminism, birth and population control, identifying the central aspects of feminism against the political aspects, the gap between researchers and the grass roots, female genital mutilation and the degree and extent of political concerns affecting women have received attention. Womens Rights movement, as all social movements, evolved and adapted (and still is) to societal changes.

Article Of Confederation Essay -- essays research papers

Government under the Articles of confederation could not deal effectively with many issues that arose during the 1780’s. Despite it’s many weaknesses, the new government accomplished a great deal. The western lands became the prize and treasure of the new government. Since the Articles of Confederation could only request financial support form the states instead of demanding taxes, these western lands replaced taxes. The so called “public domain'; or unsettled land were larger than all the established states put together. Therefore, by selling the land, the weak new government received money that it couldn’t find in any other way. Instead of using this vast area like the European did with the thirteen colonies we made an “Empire for Liberty.'; The Empire was built by adding new states. This was an extremely unique idea among people during the time. The charting of the vast western public domain was one way the government under the Articles of Confederati on was praiseworthy. It was the greatest single achievement in domestic policy for the Confederation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Under the Articles of Confederation each state was given the power to regulate their own currency. Each state issued it’s own money. As a result nobody knew exactly how much a New York dollar was worth compared to a one from New Jersey or Virginia. The more money there was in circulation, the less a dollar was worth. Finally, there was j...

Diamonds Are My Best Friend Essay -- essays research papers

“It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in spring, when everything else begins again. And it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings. And then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone.'; A. Bartlett Giamatti, the former commissioner of Major League Baseball. From the lush, green grass to the smell of an old leather glove, baseball is truly an extraordinary game. Let us look beyond the enormous salaries and free agency and examine baseball for what it really is: an outstanding form of entertainment. Baseball is incredibly important to me, as not only have I learned an enormous amount from it, I have experienced a whole spectrum of emotions during my love affair with the game. I have been a baseball fan all my life. I remember watching my beloved St. Louis Cardinals play in their robin’s egg blue uniforms in the early 1980’s. We had a birdfeeder in our backyard, and every morning, the same cardinal would stop for his breakfast. I named him Tommy Herr, after the Cardinals second baseman at the time. Tommy has long since retired, but I will always remember the little bird flying in my backyard. It is difficult for one to approach this subject without a sense of heroism and romanticism of it’s rich history. One of my favorite parts of going to the ballpark is listening to the fascinating stories of old timers, the men who have loved the game since childhood. They remember Musial, Maris, and Mantle. They can tell you stories of hearing Hank Aaron hitting his record breaking home run on the radio, or watching Lou Gehrig as a young child. Many of the greatest baseball stories can be heard from these men, living encyclopedias if what the game once was, and it today. Someday I will be sitting in the box seats of a ballpark, and a young child will take the seat beside me. I can captive his imagination with anecdotes of Cal Ripken Jr.’s remarkable streak, Ozzie Smith’s amazing back flips, Pedro Martinez’s menacing fastball, and the magical summer of 1998 when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire mystified the world with their long ball heroics. Only in recent years have I begun to truly appreciate the game for what it really is. While some go to the ballpark to see home runs, popular players, or fireworks, I find myself attracted to th... ... that next year, it will all begin again. A fresh new start. A brand new season. However, right now, it is fall. A pitcher grabs a coat to keep his throwing arm warm in this chilly rain, and soon the entire dugout is seen donning coats. The leaves start to change to brown. Kids go back to school. Football begins to creep onto the minds and lips of sports fans. The season comes to a close, and the spring looks terribly far away with an icy cold winter between now and the promises that lie ahead. Baseball has survived throughout the years. It has survived two World Wars. It has survived a depression. It will continue to survive throughout the next millennium. It has gone on strike and saw half it’s fans leave, then watched them come back to see truly great men exhibit even greater talent. Baseball is a sport for the ages. Eighty year old men who have watched this game for years come to the park and sit next to eight year old boys who have never seen a professional game in their lives. That’s what baseball is all about. It is extraordinary. Athletes rise above the compitition and achieve greatness while astonishing veteran fans and simultaneously earning new ones.

Republic of Slovakia an economic overview

Ukraine, in the north by Poland and the Czech Republic, in the south by Hungary and in the west by Austria. Slovakia has the reform the advantage of a strategic position between the border of the EX. and the former Soviet Union source: SARIS (2012) According to Trading Economics (2014)9, the main trade partners of Slovakia are Euro members, Germany, Czech Republic, France, Poland, Russia and Hungary. However, even as member of European Union, Slovakia remain very interested in active relations with Eastern neigh boors.Indeed, according to a research led by Alexander Du Elba (2009)10, Slovakia s favorable to an active partnership with the Eastern countries, especially Russ Asia. Indeed, in the text, we learn that â€Å"excepted for Russia and Ukraine, all other Eastern neighbors s 0 far do not play an important role in Slovakia foreign policies and/or are not yet being considered by Slovakia political establishment as weighty actors in terms of their relevancy for the projection of n ational interests of Slovakia within the post-Soviet Eastern Europe†.This is particularly relevant for Ukraine, since â€Å"Ukrainian approach to the EX. that might result in the signing of the Association Agreement, including a deep and comprehensive free-trade agreement, is expected to boost the economic development of Eastern Slovakia and contribute to the lowering of regional did asperities in Slovakia†. More about those regional disparities will be said further in this chapter. Mr.. Dulled concludes by saying that the extension of the EX. zone to the East I s a great opportunity for Slovakia, which may become a turntable between the East and the West Of EX..Indeed, â€Å"The 9 TRADING ECONOMICS, in http://BMW. Tragicomedies. Com/Slovakia/ balance-of-trade consulted 04. 25. 2014 DULLED A. (2009), Slovakian policy towards Russia and Eastern neighbors, 10 priority of Slovakia diplomacy should be the promotion of the membership of I TTS eastern partners in WTFO which is the precondition for further liberalizing of foreign trade with t he EX.†. Regional economic disparities As we will see, automotive occupies an important place among the country's strategic industries beside representing 17% of total GAP.Currently are operating the Volkswagen plants in Deviants Novas Eves (northern Brasilia), in Martin (major city, south-east of Salina), an in Choices ; the AS Peugeot-Citroen plant in Tirana (50 km from Brasilia) and the Aka plant in Salina (Slovakia Northwest). Source: Rheostat On one hand, we have the wealthiest regions (darker blue): the regions of Brasilia and Tirana concentrate the biggest car manufactures in the country and they border Austria and the Czech Republic, two countries that also produce lots of cars or car parts, thus create Eng a synergy with the western and north-western regions of Slovakia.Surprisingly enough, the region n of Salina is not much wealthier than the southern ones, although it hosts two car manufactures: on big in Salina (Aka), and one smaller in Martin (Volkswagen). On the other hand, there is Proves that shares borders with Ukraine and Poll ND, two countries that still are a little behind compared to Slovakia. Plus it mainly hosts agricultural a activities and, in a lesser extent, food-processing and textile industries 1. Those types of industries do not usually greatly encourage development.However, we should look at these figures differently: it's not almost all region s that are behind; it's Brasilia that's far ahead. Indeed, Brasilia always received the greatest part of foreign direct investments, then name Salina and the third position is more or less a tie between Tirana and 11 SARIS, The proves Region (201 2, PA) Trending. But, as we can observe hereunder, the share of FED that the other regions race vied still is negligible: they rarely received more than 15%.One of the reason behind that is that the Brasilia region concentrates Salvo ski's most populated municipalities. Ind eed, only 0. 76% of all the municipalities (there are 3 334 in t total) have more than 10 000 inhabitants 2. It is thus understandable that industries' development I not homogeneous and is concentrated around main cities. Undersecretaries The main natural resources of Slovakia are brown coal and lignite with small q annuities of iron ore, copper and manganese ore as well.