Politics, Society And Justice
Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc379018389 h 1Why do Latin governments spend much time on arms? PAGEREF _Toc379018390 h 1What is the school of the Americas? PAGEREF _Toc379018391 h 2Why do we train Latin Dictators? PAGEREF _Toc379018392 h 2Why do we torture PAGEREF _Toc379018393 h 3Is a person guilty until he is proven innocent? PAGEREF _Toc379018394 h 4
Introduction
Society consists of members of the public from various communities. For the society to maintain peace amongst them, a justice system needs to be in place. Justice is an essential aspect of the organization of the society. There are several factors that influence the effectiveness of justice. One of the significant factors in this case is politics. Political issues involve managing the society so as to promote growth and sustainability. All the three factors are interrelated in that one function affects the other (Young and Danielle p. 260).
The focus of this paper is to provide an opinion on the issues that are related to politics, society and justice. The paper will answer questions related to these topics elaborating my stance on the issues at hand.
Why do Latin governments spend much time on arms?Arms and ammunition are a requirement for the security of any government. Security is an essential factor of any country in that it protects the growth and sustainability of the economy. Latin governments have a reputation of trading in arms due to the high returns each weapon gives to the country. It is significant to note that ammunition influences a country’s position as a world power. No government can perform without the existence of an army. The possession of ammunition is thus not forbidden. Some countries however, exaggerate the need to invest in arms for various reasons. An example is that of the Latin American countries who are known to place a high amount of emphasis on the acquisition of arms. Latin governments spend so much on arms because of the economic impact it has. The trade in arms is a profitable trade recording sales in 45-60 billion annually. Although Latin governments are predominantly responsible for the sale of arms, countries such as America, China and Russia are the key players in the purchase of arms. The Latin governments thus take advantage of their resources so as to profit from the market that has a large customer base (Sipri Yearbook, 132).
What is the school of the Americas?Commonly known as the schools of assassins, the schools of Americas is a Latin organization that focuses on the training of assassins. The school of Americas was founded in 1946 in the Georgia. The association is located in Fort Benning, Georgia as a result of their ban from Panama. The associations’ primary goal is aimed at retaliating against the operations of the United States government. The United States has a reputation of being the protectors of democracy across the globe. The reputation of the country continues to diminish due to its unlawful intrusion of the affairs of other countries. The Latin countries have vested interest in the control of various forms of trade in and outside the country. America uses its position as a world power to curb the activities of the Latin states. In order to protect their territory, the school of Americas recruits members of Latin countries so as to protect their borders from outside interference (Gill, p. 351).
Why do we train Latin Dictators?Training of Latin America dictators is one of the primary functions of the school of Assassins. As stated earlier, the school of the assassins is an initiative of the Latin governments whose main aim is to protect their territory from outsiders. Such outsides in this case belong to the United States government. In 1997, it was revealed that United States was in fact a key player in the organization of the association. The government admittedly confirmed the fact that is responsible for the training of dictators. Some of the ways that the United States took part is seen in the immense amount of funding allocated to the association. It is difficult to understand why the country is interested in the leadership of other countries. America is a relatively new country compared to the rest of the world powers. The countries fast paced growth has seen the government increase its global position through intentional investment. In order for the country to successfully enforce their interest in a potential country they need to have strong support from insiders in the particular country. The United States thus passes policies that act in the best interest for the development of the country. The United States is therefore responsible for training dictators who can act as puppets and pass policies in favor of the American government (Ezrow and Frantz, p. 245).
Why do we tortureThe United States has on several occasions advocated for the enforcement of human rights across the globe. This places them in the position of the protectors of the international community. Over the years, the reputation of the country displays records that contradict their stance on human rights. One of the cases that the country is associated with is the torture of both American and non American citizens. America has several locations and situations that prove their involvement in the torture of different persons. Torture is described as the infliction of any sort of pain that creates an uncomfortable environment. This environment is normally strenuous so making a victim reveals essential information at the point of their break.
There are many theories as to why the country involves itself in such repugnant crimes. One of the reasons for the country’s participation in torture is to extract information or evidence from spies or enemies of the state. This situation is brought about by the difference in ideologies, policies or agreements that causes a rift between the state and opposing countries. Persons who are caught on the opposite site of the country are seen as potential terrorists thus are treated as such. The country thus enforces negative reinforcements that consist of torture of suspects (Young and Danielle p. 253).
Is a person guilty until he is proven innocent?The law is a tool given to society so as to protect their rights and privileges. The society is full of ill intentioned citizens who do not have regard for human life. It is thus essential for all states to ensure that its citizens are well protected. When a crime is committed, the law enforcement body derives a list of suspects who are liable to the system. These suspects become involved through the association they have with a victim or an illegal act in the event of the occurrence. When an individual falls under the category of being a suspect, they are served by the court to defend them self. The arrest of an accused should be done as they receive the options of their legal rights as a citizen. The assumption at this point is that the accused is innocent until they are proven guilty. This notion has over the years been disputed by different parties stating that a person is guilty until they prove their innocence. This statement is thus contrary to the principles of the law that state the opposite. It is not uncommon for inmates to claim their innocence even after spending half of their lives under incarceration. This proves that the legal system is not perfect. The passing of the privacy act in 1974 called for the cleanup of the database by ensuring the reduction of legal errors. This policy saw the release of a number of inmates who had served a considerable amount of time for crimes they did not commit. It also reveals that there is indeed a large portion of inmates who are serving sentences for crimes committed by other offenders. The notion that a person is guilty until proven innocent is not ideal due to these statistics (Howatson, p. 314).
In conclusion, the government accounts for a large part of the livelihood of the society. The government has the responsibility of protecting their citizens from any form of harm. The government also has a responsibility towards members of other countries. It should thus treat other states the way they would require their citizens to be treated. The country’s involvement in the activities is met with both positive and negative repercussions. The United States involvement in the political affairs of other sovereign states displays the hypocrisy that country caries as a whole. It is thus up to the state to take matters into their own hands by distancing themselves from the issues of other countries. This will enable the government to focus its attention on the matters its citizens face as opposed to their neighboring countries.
Works cited
Ezrow, Natasha M, and Erica Frantz. Dictators and Dictatorships: Understanding Authoritarian Regimes and Their Leaders. New York: Continuum, 2011. Print.
Gill, Lesley. The School of the Americas. Durham: Duke University Press, 2004. Print.
Howatson, Richard. Guilty Until Proven Innocent. Victoria, BC: Trafford, 2008. Print.
Sipri Yearbook 2007: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.
Young, Iris M, and Danielle S. Allen. Justice and the Politics of Difference: With a New Forword by Danielle Allen. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 2011. Print.
