Role of the Drug Enforcement Agency

Role of the Drug Enforcement Agency Dhaquille Williams The Drug Enforcement Administration Every year thousands of Americans and foreigners are convicted for transporting and selling narcotics around the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the leading agency under the United States Department of Justice whose task is to fight against and enforce drug smuggling and use within the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, better known as the DEA, not only is in control of enforcing narcotics and controlled substances, but they also enforce Federal money laundering and bulk currency smuggling. (Federal Register 1.) The DEA is organized from the head of the DEA, known as the Administrator of Drug Enforcement, who is appointed by the president of the United States. A Deputy Administrator, the Chief of Operations, the Chief Inspector and three Assistant Administrators assist the Administrator. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s headquarters is set in Arlington, Virginia. â€Å"The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration is to enforce the controlled substance laws and regulations of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances on the domestic and international markets. In carrying out its mission as the agency responsible for enforcing the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States, the DEAs primary responsibilities include: Investigation and preparation for the prosecution of major violators of controlled substance laws operating at interstate and international levels. Investigation and preparation for prosecution of criminals and drug gangs who perpetrate violence in our communities and terrorize citizens through fear and intimidation. Management of a national drug intelligence program in cooperation with federal, state, local, and foreign officials to collect, analyze, and disseminate strategic and operational drug intelligence information. Seizure and forfeiture of assets derived from, traceable to, or intended to be used for illicit drug trafficking. Enforcement of the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act as they pertain to the manufacture, distribution, and dispensing of legally produced controlled substances. Coordination and cooperation with federal, state and local law enforcement officials on mutual drug enforcement efforts and enhancement of such efforts through exploitation of potential interstate and international investigations beyond local or limited federal jurisdictions and resources. Coordination and cooperation with federal, state, and local agencies, and with foreign governments, in programs designed to reduce the availability of illicit abuse-type drugs on the United States market through nonenforcement methods such as crop eradication, crop substitution, and training of foreign officials. Responsibility, under the policy guidance of the Secretary of State and U.S. Ambassadors, for all programs associated with drug law enforcement counterparts in foreign countries. Liaison with the United Nations, Interpol, and other organizations on matters relating to international drug control programs.† (Mission Statement 1.) The Drug Enforcement Administration was created in 1973, by President Richard Nixon. (DEA History 1.) Prior to the 1970’s, approximately only four million Americans had ever tried drugs, but by the early 1970’s, drug use in the United States started to increase, resulting in the Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA was not an overnight thought put in to action the next morning. The DEA rooted from several different developments dating all the way back to 1915 with The Bureau of International Revenue Department of Treasury. Along with three other developments The Bureau of Narcotics Department of Treasury, and The Bureau of Drug Abuse Control Food and Drug Administration Department of Health, Education and Welfare all became Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Department of Justice in 1963, which was later established as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice. In 1973, the DEA started off with 1,470 special agents and a budget of 74.9 million dollars. (DEA history 4.) By 1979, approximately twenty six million Americans were known to be regular drug users. (DEA History 25.) In nine years the number of Americans doing drugs almost tripled. The DEA wanted to take emphasis off of the drugs marijuana and cocaine and focus on the more addictive drug, heroine. Marijuana and Cocaine were looked at as a non-addictive, less serious drug. But, taking the attention off of the drug resulting in a widespread of usage and trafficking. In the mid 1970’s, Miami, Florida became the largest drug capital of the United States and the western hemisphere. Bringing in dangerous and violent drug traffickers from Cuba and Colombia and other Latin American countries. July of 1979, Dadeland Mall was the largest shopping mall in the state of Florida. In the middle of the day to men parked an industrial van and walked into a package liquor store and shot fire. Two men were gunned down, who were soon to be identified as a Colombian cocaine trafficker and his bodyguard. T his tragic incident opened the DEA’s eyes to the war on marijuana and cocaine in South Florida. By 1985, the DEA had moved up to 2,234 special agents and a budget of $362.4 million dollars. As the drug trafficking continued to grow more powerful every year, the need for a higher budget and more special agents grew as well. In 1985, the crack epidemic took over majority of the United States, resulting in much violence. By 1989, it was the largest concern of the DEA. Crack is cocaine based, cooked with baking soda and water. It can be made in any average kitchen. Crack is also much cheaper than cocaine, making it easier and faster to sell. The crack epidemic originated in Miami Florida, home of the cocaine trade, then gradually moved to New York, then Chicago and eventually out to the west coast. In 1986, President Reagan enforced a Drug Free Federal Workplace Program. Allowing federal agencies to set up programs to test its employees against illegal drugs. (DEA History 59). The early nineties, Americans considered the issue on drugs as a huge concern, spreading knowledge and awareness on drug abuse and drug trafficking throughout the nation. President George Bush focused and put in effort to target the supply and demand of the drugs in America. Bush called for the DEA to work with the counterparts overseas to reduce the supply of drugs. (DEA History 77). Crack and cocaine remain the number one challenge for law enforcement. In 1986, the DEA established a prevention program known as the Demand Reduction program to help fight and prevent illicit drug activity through the youth of the nation. Special agents of the DEA provide trendy drug information throughout their local communities to spread word about the most common drugs in the area and what harm each of the drugs possess, targeting the younger generation. This prevention program is targeted to the youth and their caregivers â€Å"The teen brain is still developing. The frontal cortex is the area of the brain that controls judgment, and as a teen, this part of the brain is not fully developed and usually doesn’t fully develop until around the age 25.† (Program overview 1.) â€Å"The longer a child prolongs using drugs, the lower the chances are of having drug addiction or abusing drugs.† (Program overview 1.) There are two different websites designed by the DEA provided to the teen youth and their caregivers. www.justthinktwice.com is a website dedicated to teens with tons of information about various drugs, recent news and media and the consequences of certain drug usage. The other website provided is directed to the parents and caregivers, www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com. This website provides parents and caregivers with valuable information on drugs that someone’s child can be exposed to, helping them identify warning signs of drug abuse and the harmful side effects of most commonly used drugs. Support initiatives to reduce the demand for drugs and give assistance to community coalitions and drug prevention initiatives. (DEA 3) The DEA has over fifteen different programs and operations to help the function of the DEA run as successful as possible. Operations such as Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force, Southwest Border Initiative and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) all help attack drug trafficking and reduce the drug supply in the states as well as drug supply being transported into the states from other counties. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program was created by congress to provide assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement in areas of the United States where drug trafficking is at an high. There are twenty eight current HIDTAs, they are located in 46 states. The purpose of this program is to reduce the traffic of drugs by providing reliable law enforcement intelligence to law enforcement agencies the design of effective enforcement strategies and operations. (HIDTAs 1). â€Å"Mission Statement To reduce drug availability by supporting multi-agency task forces and facilitating intelligence-driven interdiction and investigation aimed at disrupting or dismantling international and domestic drug trafficking organizations and their harmful consequences. (HIDTA 1).† In order for an area to be considered as a HIDTA the area must be a center of illegal drug production, manufacturing, importation or distribution. Drug related activities in the area are having a large harmful impact on the area and surrounding areas. The Southwest border is the largest HIDTA in America. It consists of New Mexico, West Texas, South Texas, Arizona and the California Alliance Border Group. Their mission is to create a system working together to reduce drug availability from the Mexican border and destroying international and domestic drug trafficking and the harm that it may cause. The Drug Enforcement Administration offers many careers and opportunities. These careers are not your average everyday nine to five. These careers are challenging and exciting in more ways than someone is used to. Becoming a special agent for the DEA is the heart of the operation. Special Agents are the most talented and diverse of the DEA. Their goal is to get rid of illegal drug distribution, prosecute traffickers and get rid of any financial infrastructure of these organizations. (Occupation 1). This position takes skills, talent and specialized training, along with multiple responsibilities. Some responsibilities may involve investigating and helping prosecute violators of controlled substance laws abroad and in the United States, working with local, state, federal and foreign officials to assist manage drug intelligence programs, searching, seizing and arresting violators and assets affiliated with illicit drug trafficking. To become a special agent, there is an extensive, in de pth hiring process that may take up to a year or more to finalize. One must have qualification reviews, written assessments and interviews, medical examinations that include a drug test, polygraph examinations and full field backgrounds. Another career available in the DEA are the Diversion Investigator. Diversion Investigators are responsible for putting together investigations on the fastest growing drug issue, phony, Internet pharmacies. Being a Diversion Investigator is the most challenging career choices in the DEA field. In order to be a Diversion Investigator one must be able to investigate and gather data, research and analyze data, identify significant factors, and have great verbal and writing skills. A background in law enforcement or military is highly recommended and must have excellent hearing and sight for this position. (Occupations 2) The Forensic Sciences department of the Drug Enforcement Administration has three different branches. The forensic chemist is for the science wizards. Forensic Chemists goes to combat scientifically against illicit drug manufactures. Unusual compound drugs are constantly being composed and sold in the drug trade, forensic chemists use their intellect to break the compound down and analytically help enforce federal regulations in decreasing the distribution and abuse. The DEA recruits and hires forensic chemists from all levels of experience from highly experienced chemists to recent college graduates. A degree from a four-year accredited college or university with a major in physical science, chemistry, or engineering. (Forensic Chemist 1). The second division of the Forensic Sciences department is the Forensic Specialists. Becoming a Forensic Specialist is an opportunity to use state of the art examination techniques to form latent prints. Forensic Specialist have to provide testimo ny in courts of law and conduct training for law enforcement officials. In order to take this position, there are a few qualifications you must meet like experience performing print examinations, partial and imperfect finger prints, and assist in investigations. The third department of the Forensic Sciences department is the Forensic Computer Examiner. Becoming a Forensic Computer Examiner is a very challenging career, it is the base of digital evidence. Being a Forensic Computer Examiner calls to recover and analyze digital evidence from operating systems, databases and communication networks. This field takes more previous education than the other three, must obtain a minimum of a master’s degree but the DEA prefers a Doctorate Degree. The DEA also provides other careers in professional and administrative support, careers from accountants, attorneys, to Human Resources personnel. The DEA takes pride in their employees by providing long-term benefits to their employees. Federal employees are eligible for health and life insurance, retirement benefits, along with annual and sick leave and paid holidays. You can find a link to apply for any of these positions at DEA.gov The Drug Enforcement Administration started with a purpose to control and fight against drug smuggling and use within the United States and control the usage of illicit drugs. The DEA has done an excellent job at controlling this task while growing as one of the largest federal agencies for the government. The DEA started out with 1,470 Special Agents and a 75 million dollar budget and now in 2014 they are home of over 5,000 Special Agents and a 2.02 billion dollar budget. With the aid of High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas and the Demand Reduction Program the DEA is doing a fantastic job at controlling drug trafficking. Yet, with all of these states legalizing marijuana, one can not help but wonder what the future holds for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Works Cited DEA.gov / Home. DEA.gov / Home. U.S.Department of Justice, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014. Welcome to the All-new GetSmartAboutDrugs.com. Get Smart About Drugs. Drug Enforcement Administration, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. Welcome to the All-new JustThinkTwice.com. Just Think Twice. Drug Enforcement Administration, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. NM HIDTA Home Page. NM HIDTA Home Page. Drug Enforcement Administration, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

Advantages and Cost of Adoption in Australia of International Financial Reporting Standards Essay

The issue of adoption of international financial reporting standards (IFRSS) in Australia has been controversial issue since the first time Australian Financial Reporting council (FRC) announced the policy in 2002. Many believe that IFRSS adoption will lead to great advantages such as enhance financial report comparability, improve quality of financial reporting, attract more foreign investor, and other significant advantages. However, some also believe that the adoption merely result in disadvantages and cost for Australian business, accounting profession and even Australian government. Before deciding to fully adopt IFRSS, in 1996, the AASB issued Policy Statement 6 International Harmonization Policy with objective to ‘pursue the development of an internationally accepted set of accounting standards which can be adapted in Australia’. There were several considerations why government decided to do so: 1. ‘The existing arrangements for accounting standard setting are confusing, inefficient and not conductive to stakeholder participation 2. There is duplication between the AASB and PSASB 3. Australian Accounting Standards are not understood in, and are out of step with, the major capital markets in the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), and Europe, resulting in higher costs of capital for Australian Business 4. The standards setting process is perceived to be dominated by the accounting profession and there is no real accountability to its users 5. Accounting standards do not reflect modern business practice, being too prescriptive and overly technical that imposing excessive costs on business 6. The process involved in standard setting have failed to attract broad input and the necessary level of financial support, with the result that accounting standards are not meeting the demands of constituents’ (CLERP 1997, pp. 11-12, cited from Pickeet. al, 2006). Despite those reasons, IFRSS adoption is promoted because several claimed benefits potentially arising from the policy especially for Australian Business. The most claimed benefit is attracting foreign investors due to lowering cost of capital. Cost of capital can be decreased because IFRSS adoption can diminish ‘premiums associated with the risk of not fully understanding the financial report’ (Collet et. al, 2001, cited from Gerhardy, P. G. , n. d. ). Another hypothesis is that IFRSS adoption can reduce ‘home bias’ that discourage investors from making cross border investment. One of factors contributing to home bias itself is the expensive cost of information about foreign investment (Kang and Stulsz, 1997 cited from Cofrig,V. M. , Defond, M. L. , & Hung, M. , 2007). By adopting IFRSS, it is hoped that information about foreign investment can be easily obtained and understood because it is generated from universal standards that are more familiar for investors. In addition, high accounting quality, transparency and comparability are commonly associated with financial reporting produced based on IFRSS that is internationally recognized and represent worldwide best practices. Those attributes alleviate ‘information asymmetries between managers and outside investors, thus increasing liquidity and ultimately lowering the required rate of return’ (Diamond and Verrecchia, 1991, cited from Daske, Holger, 2006). Association between higher accounting quality and IAS/IFRSS itself has been examined by Barth,M. E. , Landsman, W. R. , & Lang, Mark H. in 2008. They investigate firms from 21 countries that applied IAS and found that those firms generally ‘evidence less earnings management, more timely loss recognition and more value relevance of accounting amounts’. It has been suggested that IFRSS adoption benefits Australian business trough saving in reporting costs. This benefit especially applies for Australian Business that wants to list their stocks in other countries’ stock exchanges. It is obligation for companies to fulfill specific different requirement regarding financial reporting of each countries where the companies are listed. By adopting IFRSS, companies do not need to generate more than one set of financial reports to comply different requirement and regulation. It is also easier for multinational companies to consolidate their financial statement, thus it saves time and money. Beside easy consolidation, IFRSS adoption also simplifies appraisal process of companies to takeover or merger with overseas enterprises and improves management control due to increased comparability internal management report between different segments or branches. For multinational companies, it will ease transfer of accounting staff across countries as well (Uddin, M. S. , 2005). Furthermore, a reduction in audit cost might be experienced by companies, because adoption of global standards (IFRSS) merely require global audit tandards, tools or systems that usually cheaper than specific products or services. This audit commoditization will close the expertise gap between the big five and force them to reduce audit fee. (Perera et. al, 2003,cited from Gerhardy, P. G. , n. d. ). For Australian government, fully adopting IFRSS is highly likely result in cost saving because the government does not need to spend money for AASB. It is evidence that Australian government spent huge amount of money for domestic accounting standards formulation. Another advantage is that the government can ‘distance itself from any future corporate collapses, which tend to raise questions about the role of accounting and the quality of accounting standards in such incidents’ (ibid). Take example of HIH collapse. Furthermore, it can avoid miscalculation of investors’ tax liability, particularly tax related to income from overseas sources accepted by multinational companies (Uddin, M. S. , 2005) (global acceptance). Despite cost saving, IFRSS adoption might also increase overseas companies listing in the ASX (Haswell & McKinnon, 2003, cited from Gerhardy, P.G. , n. d. ). It also retains Australian companies listed on ASX. It is argument of Stoddart (1999, cited from McCombie, K. ,n. d. ) that ASX’s rigorous support on full adoption of IFRS is due to ASX’s ambition to become ‘the main exchange in the Pacific Rim’. Despite those enormous advantages, it has been argued that IFRSS adoption lead to significant costs. The main argument is that IFRSs do not consider local needs and priorities as every country has their own ‘business environment, legal systems, cultures, language and political environment’ (Henderson and Peirson, 2000 cited from Malthus, S. 2004). However, to overcome this problem, IASB can accommodate flexible reporting standards that enable companies to choose alternatives that are more suitable for their external condition. It is opinion of some opponents of IFRS adoption that IAS is ‘insufficiently detailed’ (Uddin,M. S. , 2005, p. 4) that require accountants’ and auditorâ€℠¢ professional judgment. However, overly detail might be contra productive and not flexible in anticipating every changes and differences. Education for stakeholders related to changes in financial statement is considered as significant as well. In a way, companies have obligation to ensure these users understand the changes. Companies also need to provide education and training for staff to adapt changes from preparing account using national standards to international standards. Since changes not only affect external reporting system, but also internal reporting such as budgeting system, this training might require huge amount of money. Often, companies need external experts in anticipating the changes such as actuaries and valuation experts that also need a lot of spending. However, this transition cost is only initial investment that is short term; the cost will be diminishing once companies have already been stable with the new systems. Learning from UK, based on a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, majority companies in the UK suggested that transition from local accounting standards to international standards would not require high costs (Malthus, S. , 2004). Coming to the accounting profession, it has been argued that IFRS adoption also bear costs due to the policy. Those costs might come from the need to re educate members of the accounting profession itself. However, this argument is questionable because as a profession, accountants should improve their capabilities by ongoing training and education no matter what. Negative impacts of adoption of IFRS on rule makers such as Federal government and AASB have been public’s concern as well. Regarding federal government, it is argued that support devoted by federal government for IFRS adoption (Brown and Tarca, 2005) might put government ‘under political pressure not to impose rules on Australian companies that are inconsistent with those applied to companies in other countries’. In term of AASB, adoption of IFRSs raised questions about the role of the body. By adopting IFRS that replace local standards, AASB might lose its status and role. This loss arguably hurt nation’s sovereignty because Australia somehow is ‘one of the world’s leading authorities on accounting’ (Haswell and McKinnon, 2003 cited from Gerhardy, P. G. , n. d. , p. 24). AASB might also have limited influence on the standards formulation process under IASB, thus Australia’s interest and relevant environment might not be covered by international standards. However, this costs can be diminished as suggested by Carrol (2003d, cited from Gerhardy, P. G. , n. d. , p. 75) ‘that if Australia is to ensure that future standards developed by the IASB are relevant to the Australian environment it is necessary that Australia is positioned ‘as an influential leader in the international business environment’’. Having considered both advantages and costs, I would argue that benefit arising from IFRS adoption will be in the longer term worth the effort. The main reason for that is huge economic benefit arises from the IFRS adoption. On the surface, economic benefit is merely enjoyed by multinational companies and investors. However, it will trigger Australian economy development because multinational companies represent greater percentage of Australian economy sources that absorb high number of employment. Small medium companies (SME) that is argued might become parties bearing most cost will benefit from multinational companies as a business partners such as supplier, particularly if Australia promote specific regulation to encourage the mutual partnership. This will be domino effect that boost another sectors, thus benefit whole community. In addition, education cost that is claimed as significant cost only borne for short term and will be diminished in the long term. Education and training itself is inseparable part of accounting as a profession that need ongoing training to enhance capability and professionalism. The last reason is that IFRS adoption might be inevitable due to globalization that diminish border across nations and increase interdependency between nations.

Malaysian Economy Essay

The Malaysian economy is expected to strengthen further and projected to grow at a faster rate of 4.5% to 5.5% in 2013 supported by improving exports and strong domestic demand. In the Economic Report 2012/2013 released by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) last Friday, it said the assumption was based on the global growth that will pick up especially during the second-half of 2013 (2H13). It said that it was also premised upon the expectation of an improvement in the resolution of a debt crisis in the euro-area and stronger growth in the economies of Malaysia’s major trading partners. The Economic Report 2012/2013 was released in conjunction with the national Budget 2013 that was presented by the prime minister last Friday. It said that given that the domestic economy is expected to strengthen further in 2013; inflation is estimated to increase moderately mitigated by further capacity expansion in the economy. On the supply side, growth in 2013 is expected to be broad-based supported by expansion in all sectors of the economy. Of significance, the external trade-related industries are envisaged to benefit from stronger global growth, particularly during the 2H13. It said that the services and manufacturing sectors are expected to contribute 4.2 percentage points to the gross domestic product growth. MoF said that the prospects in the services sector are expected to remain upbeat in 2013, with the accelerated implementation with major initiatives under the National Key Result Areas and continued investment in the seven services subsectors under the National Key Economic Areas. It said that these initiatives are expected to drive the wholesale and retail trade, finance and insurance, and communication subsectors, which are expected to grow 6.8%, 5.2% and 8.2% (2012 :5.7%; 4.2%; 9.3%) respectively. On the value-added of the manufacturing sector, MoF said that it is expected to grow 4.9%, (2012 :4.2%) with export oriented industries expected to  benefit from the higher growth of global trade, while domestic oriented industries expand in line with better consumer sentiment and business confidence. MoF said that the electrical and electronic (E&E) subsector is expected to grow further, driven by higher demand for electronic equipment and parts as well as semiconductors in line with recovery in advanced economies. On the agricultural sector, MoF said that it is expected to grow 2.4% (2012:0.6%) following the recovery in the output of plantation commodities. MoF said that the production of crude palm oil is envisaged to rebound 2.5% to 18.9 million tonnes (2012: -2.5%; 18.4 million tonnes) on account of expanded matured areas to 4.44 million hectares (2012: 4.38 million hectares). On the mining sector, the report said that it is expected to expand 2.7% (2012: 1.5%) on account of higher production of crude oil and natural gas. â€Å"Production of crude oil is projected to increase 3.6% to 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) (2012: 1.6%; 579,000 bpd) due to higher regional demand,† said MoF. It added that several new oil fields are expected to start production in 2013, contributing to higher production of crude oil. On the construction sector, MoF said that it is envisaged to expand strongly at 11.2% (2012: 15.5%) with all the subsectors registering steady growth. On the domestic demand, MoF said that it is expected to grow at 5.6% (2012: 9.4%) and will remain the main driver of growth in 2013 underpinned by strong private sector expenditure. The report added that private consumption is projected to expand 5.7% (2012: 7%) on account of higher disposable income arising from better employment outlook, firm commodity prices and the wealth effect from the stable performance on the stock market following strong domestic economic activities. On private investment, Malaysia is expected to post a strong growth of 13.3% in 2013 (2012: 11.7%) attributed to the ongoing implementation of the Economic Transformation Programme projects. MoF said that public investment will continue to support growth and is expected to expand 4.2% in 2013 (2012: 15.9%) driven by higher capital outlays by the non-financial public enterprises (NFPE’s) and development expenditure by the federal government. It said that capital of the NFPEs will focus on the upstream oil and gas, transport, communication and utility industries. It added that in line with the expansion in domestic economic activities, national income in current prices is expected to increase 7.8% in 2013. The report also said that gross national savings is expected to expand strongly by 11.1%, with the private sector accounting 72.3% of total savings. On the balance of payments, MoF said that it is projected to remain favourable with current account continuing to record a higher surplus of RM71.9 billion or 7.3% of the gross national income. It said that the surplus in the goods account is projected to expand RM126.5 billion. â€Å"In 2013, exports are estimated to grow 3.9% (2012: 2.4%) supported by higher commodity exports and improving global E&E demand. The MoF said that inline with increased domestic activity as as to meet increased inputs for the manufacturing sector, imports are projected to grow at a faster rate of 5.2% (2012: 6.5%). On the services account, the report said that it is expected to improve with a lower deficit of RM8.2 billion driven by large surplus in the travel account, following expectations higher tourist arrivals. MoF said that other components in the services account are expected to remain a deficit.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens and French Revolution - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 953 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/06/26 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: French Revolution Essay Did you like this example? A Tale of Two Cities is a novel by Charles Dickens that takes place during the French Revolution. It shows some of the events that led up to the Revolution and a few of the people leading it. The French Revolution changed the country and influenced other countries all over the world. A Tale of Two Cities shows how easy it is for people with a good cause to turn into the very thing they want to change. Dickens shows the beginning of the French Revolution with the aristocracy’s oppression of the poor and their inhumane treatment. It was a bloody war. In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens portrays the French Revolution as an ocean that’s quickly getting out of hand â€Å"the firm earth shaken by rushes of an angry ocean which had now no ebb, but was always on the flow, higher and higher, to he terror and wonder of the beholders on the shore† (Dickens, 287). It gets so out of hand that its main leaders are killed: Maximilien Robespierre, George Danton, and Jean-Paul Marat (â€Å"The French Revolution† History Channel). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens and French Revolution" essay for you Create order There are many events that led up to the French Revolution. When Louis the XIV was king he lost the Seventeen Years War, the country faced bankruptcy (â€Å"The French Revolution† History Channel). Latter, after Louis the XVI is king, he spends money to help the American Revolution against England. Besides money spend on wars, Queen Marie Antoinette had a taste for expensive and extravagant outfits and parties.The shortage of money, along with a lack of food due to bad crops, droughts, and disease that killed a lot of the cattle led the poor to retaliate against the rich people (â€Å"French Revolution†). Another thing that fueled the Revolution was the new Age of Enlightenment. People started thinking more for themselves and started turning away from the church. They didn’t like how society was set up. The political system was a house of three estates. The first and second estate going to the nobles and merchants, and they third estate to everyone else (Carlyle, xxxiv). The third estate—the poor— didn’t think it was fair that the majority of the country’s population had less votes in the government than the two estates that made up one third of the population (â€Å"The French Revolution† History Channel). They wondered why the king, queen, and aristocrats had plenty of food, while everyone else went hungry (â€Å"The French Revolution† History Channel). In A Tale of Two Cities the third estate’s condition is the same; they are mistreated and starving. The aristocrats, like Monsieur the Marquis, are cruel and don’t do anything to even try to help them. They are disconnected from the poor and don’t really know what all they face. The aristocrats don’t view the common person as anything more than an animal (Dickens, 398). The revolutionaries in A tale of Two Cities only want to have equal rights. The French Revolution began in 1789. Maximilien Robespierre is a lawyer, politician, and an elegant speaker. He writes against the king and the nobles’ rich lives. He is present at the States General, a meeting of the Estates. During the meeting the Third Estate gets locked out. They shut themselves into a court and make the Tennis Court Oath. The oath says that no one will leave the court France’s Constitution is redone (â€Å"The French Revolution† History Channel†). The people of the new constitution named in the National Assembly. Fearing the people may uprise, King Louis the XVI sends troops to Paris. The people of the Third Estate are scared and fight back. During this fight the people decide to attack the bastille. They murder several guards and the Governor of the Bastille is brutally killed and his head is stuck on a pike. The Revolutionaries tear down the bastille and create their own flag/colors (blue, red, white) a a symbol of their separation f rom the old constitution (â€Å"The French Revolution† History Channel). Their violence at the Bastille and the lack of punishment for it will lead them to more violence. In A Tale of Two Cities the revolutionaries storm the Bastille. The book doesn’t mention Maximilien Robespierre, though. Instead, Monsieur Defarge and his wife lead the attack (Dickens, 264). The governor is beheaded by Madame Defarge. The Bastille is a symbol of the aristocrat’s cruelty and the unjust law system. By attacking it and tearing it down they are farther proclaiming their separation from the aristocratic ways. It’s like a warning to all the nobles of what’s going to come if something doesn’t change soon. â€Å"‘Is it a revolt?’ asked the king. ‘No, Sire,he is answered. ‘It is a revolution.’† (â€Å"The French Revolution† History Channel, 30:00). The king was told about the raiding of the Bastille. After the Bastille, on August 4, the people write the â€Å"Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen† which marks the beginning of the Republic Government (â€Å"French Revolution†). The Declaration calls for a constitutional monarchy, equal rights, justice, and freedom of press. Jean-Paul Marat takes full advantage of the freedom of press and starts a paper called â€Å"The People’s Friend.† In it he voices his opinions about the aristocrats and nobility (â€Å"The French Revolution† History Channel). His paper is strongly against the king and queen. When the royals at the palace Versaille hear about it, King Louis the XVI sends more troops to Paris. This angers the people of the Republic. On October 5, 1789, sixty thousand people, mostly women, march to Versaille. The kill multiple guards, make Louis the XVI sign the Declaration, and they move the king and queen to the palace in Paris.