Monday, May 25, 2020

America’s Prescription Drug Plan Essay - 2107 Words

America’s Prescription Drug Plan Graphs Not Available For the past couple of years there has been a bitter battle between Canada and the United States over the importation of prescription drugs. Unfortunately due to amount of uninsured Americans who cannot afford these drugs in the United States, they must travel across the border and buy them in Canada. Currently the United States has made it illegal for anyone but the manufacturer or a selected representative to import prescription drugs into the United States. However the increasing difference in price between prescriptions in Canada and the United States has created an opportunity for Canadian businessmen and women to export these prescription drugs from Canada to the United†¦show more content†¦If competitor could immediately copy a new drug the long and high cost development process would be less attractive. In order to encourage drug manufactures to have active RD, prescription drugs are protected by patents (lasting anywhere from 10-14 years based on the contract). Thes e patents create a monopoly for that drug and ultimately the one for the company that produces it. The defining feature of a firm with monopoly power is that as they produce more, the price of the good falls. As long as revenue created from expansion exceeds the added cost of the good and/or service, provided the firm should continue to produce. Once marginal revenue equals GRAPH marginal cost the firm should stop expanding. For monopolists, marginal revenue is always below the price so that they stop expanding even though the price is above the marginal cost. Even though consumers are willing to pay the added cost of production the monopolist chooses to restrict output in order to maximize profit. During the contracted period of the patent the manufacturer is the sole provider of the product and can set the price controls (price ceiling or floor). The preceding graph is the basic monopoly diagram. The red line is demand and the dashed line is marginal revenue. The black horizontal line is marginal cost. Perfect competition is when P = MC and theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Reform of the American Health Care System958 Words   |  4 PagesThe Increasing amounts of uninsured people, prescription drug costs, amounts of prescription drugs per individual, and having to turn down uninsured patients are all problems dealing with this health care system. There have been many attempts to move towards a universal health care policy in the United States. However, none of the attempts have left with national health insurance. Instead, health care is constantly being reformed. The public option plan would be more convenient and less expensiveRead MoreMovie Analysis : The Movie Sicko 1559 Words   |  7 Pages1) Thoughts about overall movie I think Michael Moore’s movie Sicko educates audience on not to take too kindly, not to look too positive on notorious America’s health care system. I think it reveals that America’s health care is market-driven, profit-oriented health insurance and health providers where as in Canada, United Kingdom, Cuba, and France, health care is free. But, I also think that the movie overall looks too much negative aspects of USA health care system and too positive onRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug Overdose Deaths1493 Words   |  6 PagesNew Jersey Heroin and Opiate Epidemic Drug overdose deaths have become the leading cause of accidental deaths in New Jersey. The crisis of drug addiction in teens and young adults has increased from 2012. According to a 2014 drug report, there has been an increase of 200% over the past five years in substance abuse mainly due to prescription medications (New Jersey Task Force). Furthermore, prescription medications may lead to other substance abuse problems. For instance, many youths turn to opiatesRead MoreNew Pharmaceuticals Environmental Analysis : Crossroads Pharmaceuticals942 Words   |  4 PagesQuintessential Pharmaceuticals Environmental Analysis As a wholesale supplier of organic and specialty drugs, Quintessential Pharmaceuticals Suppliers desires to be a vital supplier for CVS Health Corporation, which provides help to millions daily on their path to a healthy life. The following environmental analysis of Quintessential Pharmaceuticals Suppliers will provide the basic elements of the internal and external elements that affect the organization’s future performance: Political CVS/PharmacyRead MoreThe Connection Between Prescription Drugs And Heroin Addiction1540 Words   |  7 PagesUncovering the Connection Between Prescription Drugs and Heroin Addiction It is likely that at some point in a person’s life it will be necessary to obtain medical assistance due to a chronic illness, injury, or sudden accident that requires a physician’s diagnosis and perhaps prescription medication. Although this very routine happening may be necessary, and at times critical, the adverse effects of taking prescription drugs that contain opioids can lead to an addiction, possible overdose, andRead MoreEssay On Healthcare System1274 Words   |  6 Pagesspend the most on healthcare which is 17.1% of our GDP. Compared to France (11.6%) and the U.K. (8.8%). When calculated it comes to $9,086 per person before inflation. We perceive the problem arising with individual spending for doctor visits, prescriptions, and health insurance we begin to detect the money pile up. To compare it to other countries only those in Switzerland paid $566 more than those in the U.S., but the average cost in the U.K. was $277 and those in France paid $270. Compare d to theRead MoreEssay On American Health Care1274 Words   |  6 Pages We spend the most on healthcare which is 17.1% of our GDP. Compared to France (11.6%) and the U.K. (8.8%). When calculated it comes to $9,086 per person before inflation. We see the problem arising with individual spending for doctor visits, prescriptions, and health insurance we start to see the money pile up. To compare it to other countries only those in Switzerland paid $566 more than those in the U.S. but the average cost in the U.K. spent $277 and those in France paid $270. Compared to theRead MoreEssay On Health Care1282 Words   |  6 Pagesspend the most on healthcare which is 17.1% of our GDP. Compared to France (11.6%) and the U.K. (8.8%). When calculated it comes to $9,086 per person before inflation. We perceive the problem arising with individual spending for doctor visits, prescriptions, and health insurance we begin to detect the money pile up. To compare it to other countries only those in Sw itzerland paid $566 more than those in the U.S., but the average cost in the U.K. was $277 and those in France paid $270. Compared to theRead MoreMedicare : A Federally Administered Health Insurance Program1423 Words   |  6 Pagesdiagnosed with kidney failure who required dialysis or an organ transplant to receive coverage under the program. In 2003, President George W. Bush signed a bill called the â€Å"Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act† which provided an optional prescription drug benefit plan. Prescription drugs have come a long way since 1965, meaning that they are much more effective today than ever before and provide greater life-enhancing benefits than ever before. The Medicare program thereforeRead MoreNarcotic Epidemic In America Essay1293 Words   |  6 PagesNarcotic Epidemic in America Opioid medications are frequently prescribed for severe pain. Opioids includes the pain medications like oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and fentanyl as well as the illegal drug heroin (American Society of Addiction Medication, 2016). Many people rely on these drugs to relieve their pain from surgery, active cancer, chronic pain and end of life care (WebMD, 2017). Studies from the 2012 National Health Interview show that over 11% of adults report having chronic pain

Friday, May 15, 2020

The Japanese Culture Of Japan - 1532 Words

The Japanese are a nation with a culture influenced by many yet uniquely Japanese and connected to their past. They retain strong ties to their early legends, religions, and traditions while continuing to progress with the rest of the world. With these ideas that have been passed down and preserved, there have also been forms of dance and music that have been influenced by other countries, made uniquely Japanese, and continued through today. The Japanese people as we know them today were not the original inhabitants of the land. The native people, the Ainu, were hunters and fishermen closer in resemblance to Caucasians. There is now only a small group of them residing in the Northern section of Japan. The Japanese people are believed, based on physical characteristics as well as language, to originate from central Asia. Movement from mainland Asia continued throughout the history of Japan and played a large role in how their culture developed. The country consists of four large islands all of which are lush and mountainous. The people of Japan have survived because of their developments in agriculture, supplemented by their fishing capabilities (Morton 6). Japanese religious ideas and beliefs have a root in Shinto, a naturalistic religion with a focus in animism. Early Shinto legends express that the land was created by, then inhabited by the gods Izanagi and Izanami. When Izanami died while giving birth to the Fire God, Izanagi went to the underworld to retrieve her, onlyShow MoreRelatedJapan and Japanese Culture Essay1194 Words   |  5 PagesJapan is a large island off to the east of China it is a great country that has a rich culture. The Japanese religion is based off of two main beliefs, the belief in Shinto and Buddhism many Japanese people believe consider themselves both. The Japanese people were known to be around as early as 4,500 B.C. They have constructed their government style to a constitutional monarchy where they do in fact have an emperor, but he has limited power within the country. The main power of the country is heldRead MoreJapan s Influence On Japanese Culture951 Words   |  4 PagesMy assign project is in the country of Korea. Korea has had an enormous amount of influence on Japanese culture. It all originated in the Korean Peninsula where Korea was ruled by Japan. Japanese Empire annex the Korean Empire in 1910 for over thirty-five years. Since, the ruling Korea has inf luenced Japanese’s culture, art, philosophy, and history. During the thirty-five years of ruling Japan surrender and the United Nations ordered to split Korea at the 38th parallel. The Soviet Union controlledRead MoreJapanese And Japan s Influence On Chinese Culture751 Words   |  4 PagesCurrently, Japan is known for having a very distinct culture, cultivated due to their isolation as an island nation. However, while Japanese civilization is a highly distinctive society, it also has strong ties to Chinese culture. In fact, as early as the first century A.D., the people of Japan were sending missions to China; they established a trade and tribute based relationship. This initial relationship gave way to the later Chinese influence that would shape Japan. From these encounters, andRead MoreThe Video Gaming Culture in Japan1594 Words   |  7 Pagesand one of the largest gaming populations is located in Japan. (Niizumi) Japan has been, and continues to be one of the largest developers and creators of both of video gaming consoles and video games around the world. (Niizumi) Japanese video games are beneficial to society and are an excellent source of employment to many in Japan. To understand how video gaming relates to Japanese culture we need to understand more about the country of Japan. We will explore some important facts about Japan’s culturalRead MoreHow Reliance Will Get Fit Into The Japanese Culture1302 Words   |  6 Pages How Reliance Will Get Fit Into the Japanese Culture John Huddle 19 October 2014 Abstract This paper explores about the cultural differences between Japanese culture and Indian culture and how Reliance industries deal with Japanese cultural values while doing business in Japan. This study also reveals company’s market, pricing and positioning strategies. Culture at Reliance Industries Reliance group has a vision of becoming the top integrated and theRead MoreJapanese Culture And Japanese Business1244 Words   |  5 PagesCulture is a major aspect of daily life, whether it is in personal life or business life. The Japanese look for a community of unity and mutual trust when engaging in many aspects of business, because they were taught from young children to manage themselves harmoniously and cooperatively with others. Many of the Japanese are very conservative in their culture and look for long term stability with trusted partners in business. Business men and women alike in Japan are well educated in doing businessRead MoreDeveloping A Leadership Effectiveness Of Japan1468 Words   |  6 PagesDeveloping a Leadership Effectiveness in Japan Leadership around the world has different meanings based on the cultural believes and values of every culture. A general definition for leadership can be defined as the ability to influence and guide followers. Leadership takes place in many roles, functions, and aspects of life. There are great and bad leaders in the world; great leaders use power to influence and motivate people in different aspects, and bad leaders use destructive power to damageRead MoreDifferences Between South Korea And Japan1535 Words   |  7 PagesIn Asia, South Korea and Japan always share same political culture, economic interests, international security environment and it seems that they should be each other’s closest allies. However, in reality, relations between the two countries are always troubled and contentious. In this paper, I would show some common factors between South Korea and Japan, and then explain what is holding Korea back from fostering closer relations with japan and why after se ven decades the Korean establishment isRead MoreJapan s Identity And Cultural Identity867 Words   |  4 Pagesand Japanese journals, and his research interests include the social and analysis aspects of Japan’s globalisation, and analysis of Japan’s nationality and cultural identity. In his article â€Å"Concepts of Japan, Japanese culture and the Japanese†, he discusses in a strong and unbiased method the reality of what Japan truly is. However, despite the strength of his article there are the negatives, where he does not address any solutions to the issues he raises. When most people think of Japan, it isRead MoreThousands of years worth of events has shaped one of the worlds most fascinating cultures, which is1500 Words   |  6 Pagesmost fascinating cultures, which is still today filled with essences from the past. The Japanese culture as seen today, still holds features from centuries ago. Geishas and the distinct Japanese tradition are still today as valuable to the Japanese culture, if not even more. Japan’s unique history and culture has created a place where many dream to go. This essay will identify the characteristics of Japanese culture and provide a brief overview on the cultural traits that makes Japan so significantly

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Abstinence Only Harmful And Against The First Amendment

Abstinence-only: Harmful and Against the First Amendment Shy is a fourteen-year-old girl, just starting to experience the sexual aspects of puberty. Her sixteen-year-old boyfriend, unfortunately, is slightly more experienced than her. He has threatened her to break up with her if she does not have sex with him, making her feel the pressure of what she feels she needs to do to keep her relationship together. She could always say no and refuse to risk herself, but her partner is pressuring her to say yes. However, she does not have enough knowledge to decide because the sexual education course at her middle school focuses more on staying abstinent and the benefits that it will bring in the future than going in-depth on the dangers of all sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and contraception methods used to prevent pregnancy. Sadly, Shy is only one of many cases of people who are missing essential knowledge about sexual relationships. Taught that staying abstinent is the only way to remain safe, many students do not receive the education they need. Initially, this seems like the safest and least troublesome path. If one does not have sex, he or she does not have to deal with the complications, correct? After taking a second glance, most people would notice that there are complications with that thought process: abstinence is not fool-proof. Abstinence-until-marriage-only – often referred to a simply â€Å"abstinence-only† – courses are dangerous to students and should beShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Abstinence Based Programs On Actual Behavior Outcomes Essay1439 Words   |  6 PagesAdditional research has explored the effects of abstinence based programs on actual behavior outcomes. Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty (2008) compared the effects of abstinence-only and comprehensive sex e ducation programs, operationalizing effectiveness in terms of initiation of sexual activity and teen pregnancy rates. They found that teenagers who received comprehensive sex education rather than abstinence-only or no education were significantly less likely to report a teenage pregnancy. In additionRead MoreProhibition and the War on Drugs904 Words   |  4 Pages Throughout history, campaigns against certain parts of life are frequently argued upon. Wars are in a state of flux, but a constant in Americas policies is the Drug War. The government attempts to prevent the consumption of illicit and harmful substances, even shown in modern domestic policies. Yet with much effort, positive results was not usually yielded. Apart from the outcomes, prohibition has made a large impact on daily life. In the United States, prohibition of alcohol andRead MoreAbortion Essay1589 Words   |  7 Pagesbecause the only way a woman could have an abortion in Texas at that time was if giving birth to the child might in some way endanger her life. Many woman would have traveled to a state where abortions were legal but this was not an option for Roe because she did not have the finances to do so. She claimed that the Texas statutes were unconstitutionally vague and that they abridged her right of personal privacy, protected by the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendment. She alsoRead MoreAbortion And The Pro Choice Movement2101 Words   |  9 Pagescan no longer have. This is natural human response occurs in adults as well as children. So as you would expect, although 47% of women have declared themselves pro-choice (Saad Americans Misjudge U.S. Abortion Views), according to a study in 2011, only 1.7% of women aged 15–44 had an abortion (Jones and Jerman Abortion Incidence and Service Availability In the United States, 2011). These statistics show that even though most women who support the pro-choice movement are unlikely to have an ab ortionRead MoreIs Modern Day Media Deceitful? Essay1046 Words   |  5 Pagesmedia behaving a certain way with no repercussions, said adolescent assumes that it will turn out the same for them. Therefore, showing teenagers that casual sexual activity possesses no consequences when engaged, especially without protection, is harmful in every way. They assume that sex is to be taken lightly, and through the glamorization of sex, adolescents begin to think that they are not vulnerable to the realistic outcomes of casual, unprotected sex. Consequences of such sex include the contractionRead MoreMichael Schmittinger. Mr. Homan, P.3. America In History1512 Words   |  7 Pagesthe 1973 court case of Roe v. Wade, around 38 million women have gotten away with murder (Williams 54). An abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often occurring in the first 28 weeks (Merriam). The Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade ruled that abortions performed in the first trimester ar e legal and abortions performed out of that time period were to be decided by the individual state (Blackmun). The history of abortions goes all the way back regardless of whether it wasRead More Analyzing Abortion Essay4822 Words   |  20 Pagessystem and individual states have instituted different restrictions on abortion, appeasing the pro-life movement. In 1992, the Supreme Court ruled in Casey vs. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania that an abortion could be obtained only in the first or second trimester. However, many states today do allow abortions in the third trimester if the mother’s life is in danger (Rubin 2). Overall, lead by President George W. Bush, there has been an increase in political opposition towards abortionRead MoreThe Efficacy And Safety For Smoking Cessation Treatment5216 Words   |  21 Pagesdrugs, and partial nicotine acetylcholine agonists, in combination with behavioral support, can help to increase the abstinence rates3,4. Howeve r, all current therapies have only modest efficacy, emphasizing the need for alternative and improved treatments. Immunization against nicotine provides one such novel approach. The rationale behind this approach is to induce antibodies against nicotine, which bind and prevent it from crossing the blood brain barrier5. This reduces the driving force in nicotineRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized2211 Words   |  9 Pagesgovernment issues. There are factual studies that show the drug has health benefits and some studies show the harmful side. As a group, Team B has put together a well debatable paper that gives our view points on what we believe or Cons and Pros or advantages and disadvantages of the Marijuana being legalized. In this debate you will find several researched documentation that gives facts on how harmful and helpful the drug can be. You will also find strong statements and personal opinions on the questionableRead MoreExaming the Cultural Practice of Ukuthwala and Its Impact on the Rights of the Child13071 Words   |  53 Pagesare harmful and directly affront the dignity of members of the society when measured against modern internationally acceptable standards of behaviour and civility. These standards have been articulated in national constitutions and international conventions. A number of cultural practices are harmful to the physical integrity of the individual and especially women and girl children. Some cause excruciating physical pain while others subject them to humiliating and degrading treatment. Harmful traditional

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Not just a cabaret Essay Example For Students

Not just a cabaret Essay Weimar recreated at Louisville Classics Festival, highlighted by rare visit of the Berliner Ensemble. In the 1920s, Berlin was a city with a case of the jitters. From the abdication of the Kaiser in 1918 to the appointment of Adolf Hitler as chancellor of the Third Reich in 1933, Berlin and Germany experienced, in the words of John Willett, a breathing space between two ambitious, authoritarian and militarist regimes. During this interlude of democracy known as the Weimar Republic, artists of all stripes were troubled and inspired by a disquieting sense of calamity. The Actors Theatre of Louisvilles seventh Classic in Context Festival The Theatre of the Weimar Republic: Germany 1918-1933   demonstrated just how severe and widespread the Weimar angst came to be.  Wimar is, in a way, a subject made to order for a festival which, under the guidance of ATL literary manager Michael Bigelow Dixon, aims each year through performances, lectures, films, colloquia and exhibits to conjure tthe genie Zeitgeist out of the bottle. Bracketed so cleanly by historical events, overshadowed so co mpletely by the fallout of World War I and the approaching storm clouds of National Socialism, the period oozed a paradoxical sense of hopelessness and possibility.  The so-called Golden Twenties were not so golden. Economic hardship and spiritual confusion were rife; the use of narcotics was so widespreadd that you could purchase cocaine at a corner frankfurther stand; prostitution was ubiquitous. Inflation was so severe that devalued currency was sold as waste paper and people stole stamps from mail awaiting pick-up. In the spreading barter economy, a theatre seat cost two eggs, and on the right night you could catch a Berlin cabaret dancer named Anita Berber at the White Mouse performing in the nude. The poet Stefan Zweig called it an epoch of high ecstasy and ugly scheming, a singular mixture of unrest and fanaticism.  At this years festival (which, due partly to funding cutbacks, was short on Classics and long on Context), lectures by Weimar scholar John Willett and emigre director Heinz-Uwe Haus and a lobby display by Laurence Senelick of Tufts University chronicled the efflorescence of activity across the arts during the Weimar years: the collective Schrei of expressionism, Gropius and the Bauhaus, the neo-classicism of Reinhardt and Jessner, Schonberg and Hindemith and Eisler, the eukinetics of Laban and Wigman, George Grosz and Berlin Dada. Piscator and epic theatre, to name a few. Louisvilles J.B. Speed Art Museum simultaneously examined the Weimar aesthetic in two ambitious exhibits   Faces of the German People, the stoically elegant portraits by photographer August Sander, and abstract color studies by Bauhaus pioneer Josef Albers. All these developments manifested the same almost desparate zeal for experiment and the revolutionary effort to dissolve the barriers between high and low art. The crossroads of Weimar culture was Berlin, a city feverishly at work and play, judging by Walter Ruttmanns 1927 film Berlin: Symphony of a Great City. Inspired by the principles of photomontage and a futurist fascination with speed, Ruttman depicted a cinematic day-in-the-life of the teeming metropolis filled with dizzying images of men, motion and machines. As part of the festival, Louisville jazz pianist Steven F. Crews arranged and performed the original score, along with the film, lending it an immediacy that made it a touchstone for the frantic Weimar energy.  The festival focused its theatre offerings on the two most enduring playwright of the day: Bertolt Brecht and Odon von Horvath. Bypassing the quintessential Weimar play, Brechts Threepenny Opera, ATL artistic director Jon Jory selected Horvaths Tales from the the Vienna Woods as the festivals major production and tapped Mladen Kiselov, former resident directors of the National Theatre of Bulgaria, to direct it. As a co unterbalance, three veterans of the famed Berliner Ensemble actors Carmen-Maja Antoni and Hans-Peter Reinecke, and composer pianist Hans-Karl Nehring   were imported to perform Love and Revolution: A Brecht Cabaret.  This might have been the occasion for the U.S. premiere of the full Berliner Ensemble, but the rapid changes in reunified Germany ruled that out; the Ministry of Culture is in the process of shuffling two very differen state-subsidized theatre systems into one. .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd , .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd .postImageUrl , .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd , .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd:hover , .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd:visited , .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd:active { border:0!important; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd:active , .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4da84dd35bafea43d29dc8e08c7523dd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The opening Scenes of Dracula EssayManfred Wekwerth, a student of Brechts and artistic director of the Berliner Ensemble since 1977, was dismissed this past spring because of his role in the Communist Party Central Committee, casting the future of the company (and the hegemony of the Brecht family) very much in doubt. News circulated in Louisville that a five-man artistic directorate   playwright Heiner Muller, directors Peter Zadek and Mattheais Langhoff, former Ensemble dramaturg Peter Palitzsch and company member Fritz Marquart   had just been appointed to redefine the Ensembel, which, it seems, will hold onto the Theatre am Schiffbauerdamm but lose much of its stat e subsidy.  Under these circumstances, the Ensembles mere presence eclipsed its own performance. Love and Revolution, more concert than cabaret, offered an off-the-rack miscellany of 33 Brecht songs which probe private and public affairs with the masters familiar irony. Performance in German, Antonis and Reineckes gestical singing made the moments of moral outrage, melancholy and mockery perfectly clear, but the air of uncertainty at home gave the event even more wrenching irony than Brecht intended. During a Sunday morning colloquiu, Antoni solicited American compassion when she lamented, with a mixture of pride and bitterness, We may be the last three to come to the USA under the red circle, referring to Brechts logo for the Berliner Ensemble. Now that change is afoot, the red circle may disappear.  If Brecht was Weimars Ibsen, creating dialectical dramas which challenge society and the human spirit to remake themselves, Horvarth was its Chekhov, proceeding by indirection to portray a petit bourgeois world so bent on diversions that it does not perceive its own depravity. Tales from the Vienna Woods offers a gallery of Weimar types the loutish butcher who bits when he kisses, the superior young Nazi who loves opera and disdains operetta, the leechy gigolo who knocks a girl up and then sends the baby off to live with his mother, the idealistic heroine whose interest in eurythmics leads her to a humiliating role in a cabaret floor show   all of whom suffer from the same cult ural disease: stupidity.  As translator Christopher Hampton put it during a panel discussion, Horvarths myopic characters are people who talk to each other with great authority about subjecs they know little about. There is something unbecoming, even surly, about the way they treat each other, and despite a few strident performances, the ATL cast captured the almost innocent naivete with which they go about it. Kiselov brought a cool and troubling air of alienation to the play by staging it on a bare black revolve designed by Paul Owen to absorb so much light that the characters often seemed to float in space, rootless and unconnected. Even when the moon is full in this production, it sheds only a faint, narrow beam on the isolated figures below.  In 1931, Tales from the Vienna Woods offered a cauttionary prophesy about how susceptible simple people are to simple solutions when they face conditionas too confusing or complex for them to comprehend. Horvarths play and the entire look back at Weimar culture took on a fresh urgency during the weekends final session, a colloquium entitled The Distant Mirror: Weimar and Reunified Germany. Two German foreign correspondents. Edda Baumann of Avanti TV and Thomas P.W. Schardt of Springer Foreign News Service, discussed the current climate in ways that made drawing parallels to the Weimar Republic tempting.  The many disparities, economic, political, social and cultural, between life in the GRD and the FRG have generated a reminiscent atmosphere of chaos. Schardt called reunification a wonderful catastrophe that no one was prepared for and many never wanted in the first p lace. East Germany never had a Vaclav Havel, he said. Maybe if it did, reunification would have had a different schedule. Baumann cited the revival of racism, particularly among East German youth, against Turks, Vietnamese, Arabs and Africans, as evidence of a disturbing drift to the right. .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a , .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a .postImageUrl , .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a , .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a:hover , .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a:visited , .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a:active { border:0!important; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a:active , .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7826336a7785ac85ff32ed2a6af97a5a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Theatre Royal Drury Lane EssayRacism against foreigners is a buffer against open conflict between East Germans and West Germans, she suggested. Schardt indicated the psychological complexity of that conflict when he mentioned how West Germans, who have had 40 years of prosperity to expiate the sins of Nazism and the Holocaust, suddenly and condescendingly expect East Germans to accept their share of responsibility.  This final sessin raised serious questions that seemed to be buzzing beneath the surface all weekend, questions that it couldnt possibly answer: Is reunified Germany entering another interlude of demoncracy between authoritarian regimes? Have the lessons of h istory been learned? If the 1991 Classics in Context Festival offered a glimpse at contemporary Germany through the distant mirror of Weimar, it was through a glass darkly.