Pros and Cons of the Clean Needle Exchange Program Free Essay Example, 1250 words

Moreover, for officers working in drug areas, one risk they face is contracting HIV or hepatitis from a needle stick. According to Baltimore police, NEPs have increased the likelihood that IDUs will inform officers that they possess needles prior to searches, reducing the possibility that an officer will get a needle stick. Risk to officers is further reduced because there are fewer dirty needles in the environment simply because IDUs exchange used syringes for sterile ones (O’Neill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg 13-14). Oppositions of NEPs advocate some interventions/policies to reduce illicit drug use instead. However, such policies may actually serve to increase HIV transmission among persons who inject illicit drugs. For instance, legal restrictions on the distribution/possession of needles and syringes. But these types of policies tend to cause shortages of injection equipment which lead to sharing. There would seem to be no rationale for implementing law enforcement interventions that do not reduce drug use but do increase HIV transmission (O’Neill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg 22). Research has shown NEPs offer a number of public health benefits in the prevention and reduction of IDUs’ exposure to HIV, HBV, HCV and other diseases (O’Neill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg 4). We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of the Clean Needle Exchange Program or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now O’Neill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg (4, 11, 16-18) documented an extensive account of the health benefits of introducing NEPs, including prevention of the spread of HIV and other blood-borne diseases via dirty needles (see for example Paone et al. 43-46). There is overwhelming scientific evidence that NEPs are a benefit (Signonssandeigo News Services, online) IDUs have a number of physical, psychological, and social problems. Injecting drugs makes the user vulnerable to becoming infected with infections and diseases, as well as overdosing and having higher mortality rates. These problems tend to isolate IDUs and limit their social network. IDUs often become difficult to reach through typical health and social service information channels. These persons often show up on police records or in emergency rooms and seldom receive preventive care or supportive social services (O’Neill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg 5). NEPs do not only give a needle and syringe to an IDU. They can provide a chance to engage the substance abuser and provide an assessment, immediate treatment, and referral to needed services. Therefore, they can provide a means of engaging a hard-to-engage population while serving as a portal to much needed health, mental health, and social services, as well as sending a message that the lives of IDUs are valuable (O’N eill, Topolski, and Klinkenberg 5,12).

Essay on the Use of Chiaroscuro in The Scarlet Letter

Use of Chiaroscuro in The Scarlet Letternbsp;nbsp; nbsp; Nathaniel Hawthorne the author of The Scarlet Letter uses the literary device of chiaroscuro to effectively develop his characters.nbsp; Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804 to a prominent family.nbsp; His father passed away on a voyage when he was four years old.nbsp; His relatives recognized his talent, and they helped pay his way to Bowdoin College.nbsp; Hawthorne and his classmates became the most prominent people in America at that time.nbsp; He had many strong ties with important people from attending Bowdoin, such as:nbsp; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Franklin Pierce.nbsp; In 1828, his first novel, Fanshawe was anonymously published at his own†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Hawthorne illustrates Pearl as gorgeous and radiant using chiaroscuro.nbsp; â€Å"Pearl’s own proper beauty, shining through the gorgeous robes which might have extinguished a paler loveliness, that there was an absolute circle o f radiance around her, on the darksome cottage-floor.†nbsp; This shows that Pearl’s radiance was so great that it lit up the things around her.nbsp; Another example of her beauty shown through chiaroscuro is:nbsp; â€Å"†¦Pearl stood, looking so stedfastly at them through the dim medium of the forest-gloom, herself, meanwhile, all glorified with a ray of sunshine.†nbsp; This shows that even though the forest and people around her appear gloomy, she remains luminescent.nbsp; In addition, â€Å"The light lingered about the lonely child, as if glad of such a playmate, until her mother had drawn most nigh enough toShow MoreRelatedThe Whiteness of the Veil: Color and the veil in Hawthorne’s The Minister’s Black Veil and The Blithedale Romance1578 Words   |  6 PagesIn his essay â€Å"Color, Light and Shadow in Hawthorne’s Fiction† Walter Blair approaches an interpretation of Hawthorne’s work through the author’s manip ulation of color and light to produce symbolic meaning. Blair addresses â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† and notes the repeated emphasis on the blackness of Father Hooper’s veil and the pallor as a reaction to it. â€Å"The design of this tale,† he asserts, â€Å"is one in which repeated patterns of light, then blackness, then whiteness meaningfully occur† (BlairRead MoreMetz Film Language a Semiotics of the Cinema PDF100902 Words   |  316 Pagesshot sequence is usually used to translate plan sequence rather than shot sequence. Simi ´ xi x A NOTE ON THE TRANSLATION larly dolly in and dolly out are used rather than forward and rear. Mise en scà ¨ne is also retained in its filmic use, while staging is used to describe a stage production. The term constantif, which Metz borrowed from Austin, should be rendered by constantive and not by ascertaining (p. 25). Finally, actor to translate Greimas s concept of actant is misleading

Relations Between Asia and Europe.

Question: Describe about the Relations Between Asia and Europe? Answer: FDI incentives and restrictions in France: France welcomes foreign investment through a safe and stable business environment and the core competencies related to a modern and progressive business culture, policy incentives, trade promotion on an overseas basis and a range of investor support mechanism among other systems and mechanisms. Moreover, a transparent and regulatory legal environment further encourages growth and foreign investment (Andreosso-O'Callaghan, et al., 2007). The French Agency for International Investment is vested with promotion of foreign investment through coordination with Invest in French Agencies and Investment in French Network. However, notwithstanding this above mentioned factor, the aspects related to the taxation system, high labor costs, rigidity of labor markets, negative attitude and perception to foreign investor restructuring et cetera act as impediments or restrictions to foreign investment in France. Moreover, aspects related to the concept of the Golden share and government intervention also hampers foreign investment (Hill, 2000). FDI and Labor Laws in France: The labor laws in France vis--vis foreign direct investment can be related to the employment protection laws the French government has in place that relate to the terms of employment and treatment of the labors in the workplace and matters specifically related to the firing of labors or the terms and conditions and overall conduct of multinational firms in the way they employ and treat temporary laborers. The concept of the race to the bottom brought about through the activities of the governments to attract foreign investment by lowering their taxation and labor standards is put great emphasis under the French labor law system and there are strict provision related to the conditions of work, the emoluments and post-retirement benefits, insurance security, health and safety, terms of service and clauses for termination and wages and holiday are the particular areas where the labor laws of France seem to act as disincentives for foreign direct investment. However, under normal circums tances and obliging the basic legal requirements, the labor laws, while ensuring employment protection and proper wages do encourage foreign companies to hire more indigenous laborers, train and groom them and help create more and better job opportunities (Kabundi and Nadal-De Simone, 2007). FDI and Monetary Issues in France: Changes in the economic status and the resultant monetary issues can prove to be vital factors influencing the fate of foreign investment in a nation and sudden changes in the monetary policies in the wake of such situations are bound to have ripple effects on attraction of foreign direct investment. The monetary issues related to the saturation of the French economy, the growth stagnation and the fears of inflation act as impediments that hamper the prospect of foreign investment in France. Moreover, owed to the monetary issues, tighter policies and regulations and hostile taxation, employment and labor policies and systems and also the aspects related to the changes in the business regulation, business taxes, rising budget deficits, recession, taxation and changes in trade cycle are all important aspects that system act as further disincentives to foreign direct investment in France (Rugraff, Sumner and Sanchez-Ancochea, 2008). References Andreosso-O'Callaghan, B., Bassino, J., Dzever, S. and Jaussaud, J. (2007).The Economic Relations Between Asia and Europe. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Hill, C. (n.d.).International business. Kabundi, A. and Nadal-De Simone, F. (2007).France in the global economy. [Washington, D.C.]: International Monetary Fund, European Dept. Nadal-De Simone, F. and Kabundi, A. (2007).France in the Global Economy. Washington: International Monetary Fund. Rugraff, E., Sumner, A. and Sanchez-Ancochea, D. (2008).Transnational corporations and development policy. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

The Effects of Plastic Bags on Environment free essay sample

The negative effect on the earth and environment become from the usage of the plastic bags. When unaware of using the plastic bag which is it in large quantity and disposes of all incorrectly then it will become harmful to the health and the environment. This part needed to be alert because plastic bags are always used and then it also will be exposed us to the dangerous by continuing of using the plastic bags. That’s why, when we changing our ways of life it can reduce the harmful that affected to the human and others.As people know, plastic is chemical materials which pose to the environmental problem such as air pollution and drainage blockage problem. The plastic pollution can cause many problems such as a disease which is very costly to treat and it also will be difficult to manage. Before this happened, why not we need to be aware of ourselves and the surrounding from everything that can be happened. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of Plastic Bags on Environment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Next, when the burning of the plastics it can cause the air pollution. From the burning of plastics, there are too much of the dangerous gas contained in it. The pollutants also can affect the ozone layer and global warming. Plastics are composed of petrochemicals that can produce the acid rain as the chemicals released into the atmosphere. It also can affect the human’s health. Next, if too much of the plastics in the drain it may affect to the drainage system. That’s why plastics is the either one of the factors that can cause the blockage of the drainage system. This will happen especially during the rainy seasons and also cause the flooding. Lastly, maybe our country will the loss of tourism. Can be highlighted here, nobody wants to interact with the dirty environment.After that, to overcome the problem of the plastic issue, we need to find the alternative ways to overcome this problem. Biodegradable is the one best way that can be used to protect the environment from the harmful materials and waste material. For example, using the reusable bags made of other fabrics instead of using plastic is also the best way that can reduce the air pollution. This is because this fabrics are environmentally friendly and can be used repeatedly to reduce waste. Next steps are the most important that need to be alert is proper waste disposal, which is throwing the plastics in the placed that already served. When used all the methods, it will reduce the usage of the plastic bags. Besides that, do the recycle method where are separate the collecting wasted based on the dustbin. This method also can reduce the drainage blockage problems and air pollution can be prevented. Other than that, do the campaign that can encourage people to use less harmful material and use more materials that good for nature than use the scientific method such as reduce, reuse and recycle

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The allure of the unforgettable novel by Arthur Canon Doyle has not faded through the century and remains an ingenious piece of literature. The Hound of Baskervilles, with its unique blend of Gothic tradition and mystery presents Victorian ideals to the best remains undiminished in popularity in the fictional mystery novel genre.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Hound of the Baskervilles specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The plot of the novel is the decisive raison d’à ªtre for its popularity: a masterful blend of a detective story and a Gothic tale. The Hound presents a mythology related to the late-Victorian paranoia about reversal of humanity towards primitive, animalistic behavior as well as mysterious family identity. All these elements are amalgamated into the story to present a scary creature that symbolizes the evil one himself who is out for human blood. This paper presents a few more reasons w hy this inimitable piece of literary art is so successful. The Hound first appeared serially in August 1901- April 1902 in the Strand Magazine, republished in hardcover in March 1902, and run in the American Strand 1901-02. Some version of the novel has been kept in print for centuries and demonstrates the essence of its popularity. The main popularity of the novel rests in Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation of a perfectly positivist embodiment of the Victorian faith in rationality, method, and reason. In the Hound Doyle quintessentially presents the scientific detective methods to mollify the Gothic myths surrounding the mystery of Baskervilles. The Hound presents a hero-detective who acts as the champion of empirical science facing the biggest challenge faced by most of the scientific minds of the Victorian era i.e. of the supernatural. Sherlock Holmes, the protagonist of the novel, is more than a detective who exposes a crime or criminal, but exhibits the competence of reason. The plot expands on the primary element of Victorian ideal – rejection of the supernatural explanation of Sir Charles’s death by Holmes as fairy tales: â€Å"I have hitherto confined my investigations to this world† . The stress of rejection of the supernatural is omnipotent in the novel and through Holmes, this is emphasized ever more: â€Å"And you a trained man of science, believe it to be supernatural?†¦I see you have quite gone over to the supernaturalists† . The aura of importance of science in Victorian life is reemphasized when one observes that almost all the male characters of the novel are men of science. Though Holmes constantly reminds the readers of the importance of rational science in negating irrational supernatural myths, he seldom uses scientific methods in solving the mystery. He often is seen as a man of arts who interprets human emotions, paintings, sculptures like a pristine art connoisseur.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the process of solving the baffling murder of Sir Charles Baskerville and the plot to murder Sir Robert, Holmes brings forth the artistic element of mystery solving. As they keep on collecting the slightest hints regarding the murder and proceed in their investigation by means of extraordinary efforts and their incredible investigator genius, Holmes and Watson keep on raising the audience’s interest and thrill the readers with an unusual course of events that take place. The thrill of the novel is increased through the constant juxtaposition of talks of reason and artistic display of Gothic imagery that create a contrasting and intriguing picture for the readers thereby increasing their interest. As a result, the readers are in a constant pressure that creates a kind of addiction to the story. All the talk about scientific reasoning and portraying of Gothic imagery has helped Doyle create a classic detective fiction and is one of the main reasons for its popularity as a mystery novel. Artistic sense of Holmes and his scientific rational keeps the readers constantly guessing onto the next move that the hero-detective was about to pose. As the readers proceed in grasping the whole picture of the events that are related to the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville, their interest becomes only heated because of the abundance of details and figures that are connected to this crime. The great quantity of potential suspects boggles the imagination of any person who decides to ponder him- or herself into a secret world of this brilliant story by Conan Doyle. In addition, the mysteries of ancient lineage of Baskervilles, the dark moor, and the huge black hound that appears near the moor at night and makes horrible sounds are among the other factors that keep the attention of the readers too their utmost (Conan Doyle 15, 27, 42). Doyle’s categ orical mixture of the legend of the hound of hell of Dartmoor into the novel is the classic sphere of bringing together the scientific mind of the Victorian era and their rejection of myths and legends one heard as child. Doyle created an imaginative village with a purely fictitious Baskerville Hall. The novel borrowed heavily from the geographical features of Dartmoor. Therefore, the novel in itself is a well-knit mixture of facts and legends connected with Dartmoor is clearly documented by many critics.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Hound of the Baskervilles specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The connection of the novel with the legend has actually led many to believe that the novel actually does not contain or present no new piece of information or a startling subject (as many has shown that the subject of a supernatural hound had already been dealt by some Victorian fictions) but has been presented with the master skill of a storyteller who has presented the well-known legend into a new â€Å"structure, mood, and metaphor† . Clearly, the content of the mystery of the supernatural hound in the novel is not the only reason for the sustained popularity of the novel but it was for the cunning fiction formation of the novel that has created the popularity of the novel. Artistic details to the novel are the key to its continued fame. Holmes, though portrayed as a man with scientific bend of mind, shows high degree of knowledge of arts. Watson too is mistaken in his blatant dismissal of Holmes’s knowledge of arts. Holmes with the flair of a true art expert identifies the paintings by Sir Godfrey Kneller and Sir Joshua Reynolds with a mere glance at the paintings: ‘â€Å"I know what is good when I see it†, he says to Sir Henry, â€Å"and I see it now. That’s a Kneller, I’ll swear, that lady in the blue silk over yonder, and the stout gentleman with the wig ought to be a Reynolds.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ In many cases Holmes is shown as the eccentric detective rather than a man of science, for instead of inspecting the crime scene of Sir Charles’s death, Holmes goes about inspecting the family portraits and finds the uncanny resemblance of the Stapleton’s eyes (the evil villain of the novel) with that of his ancestors. Therefore, Holmes probably senses that Stapleton was the villain while looking at the classical paintings and then confirms by investigating the heirloom portraits. Consequently, it can be said that Holmes does not employ scientific methods in his deduction and the solution to the case emerges through mere observation of the paintings. In Adding to this, the author manages to create even more pressure in the story plot by means of a number of slight details such telegrams, warnings, candle signals, etc. For it can also be said that the solution to the case lay in the stolen letter that lay in plain sight if only one knew where to look for it. These tiny details make each page of this story very intriguing; thus, it is impossible to stop reading until one will reach the very last page.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, even when the last page is read, and the evidences against the main suspected, Mr. Stapleton, is collected, and he is accused, the questions are still abundant. Therefore, readers usually have different points of view regarding the appropriateness of Mr. Stapleton’s conviction. Doyle makes Holmes a contrast of the idea of an action hero. Holmes is mostly described in the novel as a static, motionless, figure that stands or sits in perfect attentiveness. Watson’s description of Holmes while he was inspecting the portraits: â€Å"He stopped suddenly and stared fixedly up over my head into the air†¦ The lamp beat upon his face, and so intent was it and so still that it might have been that of a clear-cut classical statue, a personification of alertness and expectation.† Then Watson’s description of the mysterious figure on the tor also shows the impressionistic description of the figure to Holmes as the â€Å"ebony statue† . In the descr iptive play of light and dark, Doyle presents the opposition of the Gothic darkness with the clarity presented in classical art. Although he presents himself as a man of science, in the novel Doyle presents him as an appreciator of art. The popularity of the novel lies in this juxtaposition of Gothic and classical era, of light and dark, of science and art. In conclusion, The Hound by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle can be justly acclaimed as his best work and the reason for its popularity lay in its masterful creation of Gothic, mystery, and classical elements in the novel.. The popularity of the novel has been so immense that it has gained success not only through its reprints but also through adaptations as play, movie, as well as graphic novels. It is no wonder as beginning from the genre, that the author has chosen for this inimitable piece of literature, and ending with the slightest details aiming to boggle the readers’ minds, this story is a sort of perfection. Works Cited Doy le, Arthur Conan. The Hound of Baskervilles. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994. Print. Fisher, Benjamin F. â€Å"The Hound of Baskervilles 100 years After: A Review Essay.† English Literature in Transition 47(2) (2004): 181-190. Print. This essay on The Hound of the Baskervilles was written and submitted by user Braelynn Rose to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Ethics in Research The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment Essay Example

Ethics in Research The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment Essay Example Ethics in Research The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment Essay Ethics in Research The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment Essay The field of medical specialty has experienced rapid growing with in the few 150 to 200 old ages. and over the old ages we have learn that many of these scientific developments were made at the disbursal of irregular processs and research carried out with small to no concern on the unethical facets of the research. as medical scientific discipline progress the research workers place small or no attempt towards informing topics about the nature of experiments. Tuskegee syphilis experiments in Alabama was on particularly an ill-famed experiment. from 1932 to 1972’ the U. S. Public Health Services ( PHS ) conducted an experiment on 400 African American males in the late phases of pox these work forces. for the most portion nonreader sharecrop farmers from one of the poorest counties in Alabama. were told what disease they were enduring from or of its earnestness. informed that they were being treated for Bad Blood their Doctors had no purpose of bring arounding them for pox at all. The information for the experiment was to be collected for necropsies of the work forces. and they were therefore intentionally left to devolve under the depredations of third poxs which can include tumours. bosom disease. palsy. sightlessness. insanity and decease. this is the most unethical. immoral and genocidal act carried out and funded my U. S. Public Health Services. Coercion or purchase was the chief tactic the PHS research workers use to enroll their trial topics. whom was hapless uneducated sharecrop farmers that luck the resources needed to seek out side aid. by misleading the participants about the truth of their unwellness ( pox ) . but non the less this was a agency for the PHS to transport out their concealed docket. to do them aware that they do hold an unwellness and The U. S. Public Health Services was at that place to assist handle them of their so call bad blood pandemic. this act of coercion provided the PHS the purchase they need to enroll necessary research topics. Because of this the consent acquired by the research workers from the research subjects was invalid because the information provided by the research workers was topics was invalid. this misdemeanor of inform consent stemmed further. the research workers did non explicate the anticipation and badness of the research. the research workers intentionally did non inform the topics that they have the right to worsen to take part and to retreat from the research once it has begun. The spider web of prevarications and misrepresentation planed and carried out by The U. S. Public Health Services research workers had no programs of bring arounding the syphilis pandemic. the misrepresentation in this research is the chief implicit in ground why this research survey is unethical in nature. instead than the existent misrepresentation itself. the deliberate usage of misrepresentation in this research resulted in the deceases of a 100 African Americans research topics. these deceases was really apart of the research it self. ’The survey actively kept the work forces off from intervention. even after penicillin became widely used for the intervention of pox in 1950s. In February of 1969. the PHS decided to go on the survey and to go on to deny the work forces antibiotic intervention even though penicillin had become established as the criterion intervention for pox. because it assumed that the disease was far excessively advanced for it to be treated. Associated Press newsman Jean Heller broke the narrative on July 25. 1972 on the front-page of the New York Times and the survey stopped at once After the research had ended the lone 74 participants of 400 septic topics had still been a unrecorded after the survey got exposited. In August 1972. an ad hoc commission found the survey to hold been ethically unjustified and argued that penicillin should hold been given to the work forces upon its find. 40 old ages after the experiment had ended the trial topics was non Adequate debriefed on the true nature of the survey and the long-run effects of the of the pox on their organic structures. married woman and childs. After the imperativeness release of the Tuskegee pox experiment the trial topics was provided with small to no confidentiality from the imperativeness or PHS after the findings of the research was publish. The experiment diverseness was limited to African Americans males. who were the carry of the pox. Mentions William J. Clinton. Remarks. in Tuskegee’s Truths: Rethinking the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. erectile dysfunction. Susan M. Reverby ( Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. 2000 ) . 574-577. Thomas G. Benedek and Jonathan Erlen. The Scientific Environment of the Tuskegee Study of Syphilis. 1920-1960. Positions in Biology and Medicine 43 no. 1 ( 1999 ) . 1-30. Ad Hoc Tuskegee Syphilis Panel. Selections from the Final Report. in Tuskegee’s Truths: Rethinking the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. erectile dysfunction. Susan M. Reverby ( Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. 2000 ) . 166. Jean Heller. Syphilis Victims in the U. S. Went Untreated for 40 old ages. in Tuskegee’s Truths: Rethinking the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. erectile dysfunction. Susan M. Reverby ( Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. 2000 ) . 116-117. anessa N. Gamble and Deborah Stone. U. S. Policy on Health Unfairnesss: the Interplay of Politics and Research. Journal of Health Politics. Policy and Law 31. ( 2006 ) : 93-126. Ruth R. Faden. Susan E. Lederer. J. E. Lederer. and Juan D. Moreno. U. S. Medical Researchers. the Nuremberg Doctors Trial. and the Nuremberg Code. Journal of the American Medical Association. 276 no. 20 ( 1996 ) : 1668. Martin S. Pernick. The patient’s function in medical determination devising: a societal history of informed consent in medical therapy. in Making Health Care Decisions: A Report on the Ethical and Legal Implications of Informed Consent in the Patient-Practitioner Relationship. President’s Commission for Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. 3 1-25.

De-Stalinization in the Soviet Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

De-Stalinization in the Soviet Union - Essay Example Massive purges and the disappearance of anyone who challenged Stalin were very regular occurrences. Stalin's reign of terror had widespread negative effects on the political system of the Soviet Union and still affects Russian and Eastern European politics today. After Stalin's death in 1953, the committee that was left in charge of the Soviet Union immediately set out to reform the government and limit the influence of Stalinist policies. Khrushchev and Gorbachev were two Soviet leaders who attempted to reform the Soviet System to end authoritarianism. The policies of both were somewhat successful, but neither were able to reform the system. The Soviet Union collapsed when Gorbachev was in power. This was followed by a period of government that was free and democratic but highly corrupt and economically disastrous. In 1998 the authoritarian Vladimir Putin was elected to be the president of Russia. In 1953 Joseph Stalin died. It has been suggested by many that he was assassinated with poison by his opponents but this has not been proven. After his death, there was some confusion as to who was in charge due to the fact that a purge that was done a short time before his death had eliminated many senior officials in the Communist Party. A committee that included the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Nikita Khrushchev and a self appointed Premier of the Soviet Union Georgi Malenkov ended up as the leaders of the USSR. Lavrenity Beria was the First Deputy Prime minister and the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which was merged with the MGB at the time. Beria appeared to be very liberal and instituted liberal policies after Stalin's death, but he was also an official in charge of Stalin's Great Purge, and his power base was the secret police. Stalin's policies were unpopular with most people and the members of the committee promised that many r eforms would be made. A large number of high-ranking officials in the Communist Party secretly opposed Stalin and his policies. There was conflict in the party ranks between those who supported Stalinist policies and the current reformist leadership. Between 1953 and 1955 Khrushchev and Malenkov ordered many liberal reforms. Prices for many goods were reduced, amnesty was given to some political prisoners in the gulag system, forced labor was abandoned and the level of restrictions on private plots was reduced. Beria was accused of being a British agent, given a show trial, and executed in 1953.Malenkov was forced to resign due to blackmail in 1955. After this, Khrushchev became the Premier of the Soviet Union in 1958 and the undisputed leader of the USSR Khrushchev was a major reformist. In 1956, Khrushchev gave a speech to the party leaders called "On the Personality Cult and its Consequences. In this speech he formally attacked the policies of Stalin and exposed his crimes. A policy of de-Stalinization was announced. His plans were to reform the Soviet Union so that it would become a more liberal state and to change the USSR into a pure communist nation that would be economically stronger that the United States over a period of twenty years. The democratic planning ideas of the soviet economist Evsei Lieberman were highly influential in the economic policies of