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The Bush administration's arguments in favor of a preemptive doctrine rest on the view that warfare has been transformed. As Colin Powell argues, "It's a different world … it's a new kind of threat." And in several important respects, war has changed along the lines the administration suggests, although that transformation has been under way for at least the last ten to fifteen years. Unconventional adversaries prepared to wage unconventional war can conceal their movements, weapons, and immediate intentions and conduct devastating surprise attacks. Nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, though not widely dispersed, are more readily available than they were in the recent past. And the everyday infrastructure of the United States can be turned against it as were the planes the terrorists hijacked on September 11, 2001. Further, the administration argues that we face enemies who "reject basic human values and hate the United States and everything for which it stands." Although vulnerability could certainly be reduced in many ways, it is impossible to achieve complete invulnerability.

The final article of a roundtable discussion on evaluating the preemptive use of force discusses the new preemption doctrine of the US that is based on the assumption that 'rogue states' pose an imminent military threat. Although it is evident that members of al-Qaeda wish to harm the US & its citizens, the Bush administration has blurred the distinction between terrorists & the states in which they reside. The conditions necessary for legitimate preemption are examined, along with how far it is possible to extend the right of self-defense; what credible fears justify preemption; & the prudent limits to preemption. It is maintained that a preventive offensive war doctrine weakens diplomacy & international law & thwarts nonmilitary efforts to solve problems. In addition, preventive wars not only fail to guarantee security from future attack, but they often increase resentment & lead to additional wars that might not otherwise have occurred. It is concluded that real prevention can only result from arms control, negotiation, confidence building, & the development of international law. J. Lindroth

This book is the result of the conference 'Comics Scenarios: Cultural Analyses of a Picto-Graphical Medium', organised by the Universities of Berlin and Viadrina, and held in Berlin in 2003. My chapter involves the early British comics character 'Ally Sloper', a Victorian anti-hero, and his crossover with other mediums, such as music hall. Specifically, it is an investigation of the various texts which have borne the signifier 'Ally Sloper' in the years between 1867 and 1916, in an attempt to reconstruct their context and hence recover the meanings carried by this cultural icon at key moments in his history. It also asks how Sloper's cross-fertilisation with other mediums constituted the forerunner for modern multinational capitalism in the entertainment business. The approaches taken include a combination of political economy and Cultural Studies methodologies.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to attempt to generate a better, systematic and scientific understanding of the basic reasons behind slope instability to help in developing the basic principles of landslide hazard zonation, monitoring and forecasting of landslide hazards for better and more effective landslide hazard mitigation and management.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on extensive field observations and intensive reviews of literature from secondary sources.FindingsMass movements especially landslides as they are known to common man are a recurring natural phenomenon and are an integral part of any geological/geomorphological circle of landform development through sequential development of slopes in any elevated region and especially in young fold mountain chains.Practical implicationsThe paper presents a valuable insight into the basic reasons behind a landslide to spread awareness, to educate and sensitize people towards better and effective landslide hazard mitigation and thereby ensure people's participation in disaster management. It also aims to initiate and encourage research in the field of landslide management.Originality/valueLandslides occur frequently and without any appreciable warning as such causing havoc and often insurmountable damage to life and property but despite their uncertainty, their causative factors and indicators of slope instability are very well known to an extent that the magnitude of these events, susceptible areas, the timing of such events and their potential impact can be studied, analyzed and evaluated on the basis of past occurrences and existing knowledge to mitigate their impact. The real value of the present study is to minimize losses due to landslides through better knowledge and enhanced levels of understanding of the phenomenon and its management by simply avoiding those particular reasons that could lead to slope instability problems.