FBI: Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity by James Comey

The speech by James B. Comey is one that seeks to show the commitment of the new FBI director to his job as well as assure those who will be working with him that he will continue the traditions of the institution. This is a highly pertinent speech because it allows for the advancement of the interests of the office of FBI director while at the same time bringing about a guideline concerning how the new director will be conducting his operations. Comey mentions that the FBI and its activities have been mandated constitutionally and that its functions are essential for the purpose of making sure that the American society remains safe. He makes particular reference to the words on the FBI shield, namely fidelity, bravery, and integrity and seeks to show the reasons behind them and how they have come to affect the way that the institution functions. The ability of its members to adhere to these words, according to Comey, is the reason behind why the FBI can be a source of good in society since it ensures that all of those individuals who work within it are able to carry out their duties in the best interests of society.

Electronic Threats to Humane Healthcare by Stephen Bertman

Stephen Bertman addresses the issues involved in the use of technology in healthcare. He suggests that the increasing use of technology by residents tends to lead to a situation where it is difficult for them to gain all information needed concerning the conditions of their patients. Furthermore, it is as a result of the development of technology that healthcare practitioners have ended up using it as an easy way out in the care and treatment process of their patients. The result of these situations is that these individuals fail to get details concerning their patients that technology tends to miss. In addition, it is as a result of the use of technology that there has also been a considerable increase in levels of negligence among medical practitioners, especially considering that an increase in their workload has made them more reliant on technology. The interpersonal interactions that were the basis of patient-physician relationships are slowly dying away to be replaced by impersonal relationships where physicians do not take an active interest in the welfare of their patients and instead only focus on getting their jobs done. Therefore, Bertman, in this speech, sensitizes medical practitioners to make sure that they put aside the constant use of technology and instead get back to the root of medical traditions where the patient comes first.

Don't Tweet Your Brains Out by John Ramsay

John Ramsay, in his speech, shows that while Twitter has been able to ensure that there is the advancement of social good, it also has the potential to ruin the lives of those individuals who use it. This is especially the case where Ramsay makes reference to Jofi Joseph, a White House official who ended up losing his job because he lived a double life on Twitter where he made confidential and at times snide remarks, concerning his bosses, available on the network. The result was that he ended up being fired from his job despite having been among the most promising individuals at the White House who, just before being fired, had been slotted for promotion. Ramsay notes that even his bosses could not believe that such a brilliant man could descend so far from his position as to essentially bring down his career through the temptations brought about by a social network that did no really add any quality to his life. Therefore, the major lesson of the speech is that individuals have to be careful concerning what they choose to make public through social networks because they have the risk of jeopardizing their own lives and careers.

Coincidence?

Amazing coincidences, while extremely rare, happen in the real world. This is mainly because they help to bring about a situation where the individuals involved end up questioning the events that are taking place around them and wondering whether or not they were destined to take place. The lives of individuals all over the world are in one way or another connected and this is the reason why the actions of individuals in one part of the world might end up affecting the lives of others in another part. Such instances can be seen in The Garden of Forking Paths, which is a story that promotes the idea that amazing coincidences actually take place. The lives of Yu Tsun and Stephen Albert, despite their not knowing it, are connected as seen through the manner in which Albert seems to be attracted to the work of Tsui Pen, and ancestor of Yu Tsun. Albert’s admiration for the work of Tsui Pen is an amazing coincidence because in the process, he does not realize that his life is going to be ended by a descendant of the person that he admires. Additionally, when Yu Tsun decides to go on a mission to kill Albert in order to send a message to his German masters, he ends up being surprised that the individual that he wants to kill is one who may have removed the should of mystery concerning his own past. However, despite the realization of the coincidence revolving between these two individuals, Yu Tsun ends up putting duty first by killing Albert.

Plato’s view of amazing coincidence can be considered to be one that is extremely complex. This is seen through the advancement of the belief that it is extremely rare to find a coincidence between interest and duty among individuals. This is a highly significant observation because it shows that individuals in society tend to choose between one and the other. Those individuals who are able to maintain a balance between their duties and interests are extremely rare and this is the reason why it is difficult for such coincidences to happen. Therefore, Plato suggests that in order to find a coincidence, individuals have to dismiss the common notions concerning interest and duty and consider them to be essentially mistaken. The dismissal of these ideas makes all the difference because those individuals who do so come to the conclusion that catering for either their obligations or interests lead to a situation where it is nearly impossible to find a situation where they are not causing harm. Plato seems to push for a definition of coincidence which involves those actions or incidents that take place in society according to their natural order rather than being promoted by the illusive definitions that human beings have placed on them. Thus, if all the illusive definition of terms that are used in society were dispelled, it would be possible to come to the realization that those aspects of life that are called coincidences tend to happen more often than is realized.

Descartes seems to promote the idea that coincidence comes about as a result of the familiarity of individuals with sensory objects. This is especially considering that this familiarity makes it extremely difficult for individuals to notice the diverse incidents that take place in their lives. In those times that they really do notice, they term these incidents as coincidences and do not realize that all of the actions that seem coincidental actually take place on a daily basis. The result is that human beings often seek to rationalize the incidents that happen around them to such an extent that they come to give material attributes to those aspects of life that are immaterial. Based on this view, amazing coincidences are common things that take place on a daily basis and it is as a result of the loss of communion with spiritual realities that human beings have experienced that when they encounter these realities, they end up seeking the refuge of their bodies. It is through being used to observing events from a physical level that individuals are hardly aware of the world around them and when they witness glimpses of the manner through which they are all connected, they are termed coincidences and interpreted as random events. Consequentially, it is essential for individuals to ensure that they attain a greater understanding of the events taking place in their lives, especially coincidences, by withdrawing from the sensory experiences that they have on a daily basis.

Disarming Iran: A First Step by Barack Obama

Barack Obama’s speech seeking to address the Iranian nuclear program is one that promotes the idea that the United States is ready for negotiations. This is especially the case considering that at the time the speech was being made, Iran had just elected a new president who was more open to negotiations with the West and this speech was a means of showing the world that the United States had also chosen to follow suit. However, Obama also offers a warning to the Iranians that if they do not cooperate fully with the United States, they will face further isolation from the international community through the imposition of sanctions. It is also essential that Obama also made comments concerning the steps that have been taken by the United States and its allies to ensure that the Iranian nuclear program is brought to a halt including the imposition of a broad array of sanctions. Additionally, Obama’s statements, especially concerning the willingness to engage with Iran, contain a message of hope that the United States and Iran will be able to reach a deal that will promote the interests of both nations while containing the nuclear ambitions of the latter.