text:
CORRUPTION IN GHANA has been common since independence. Since 2006, Ghana's score and ranking on the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index has improved slightly, ranked higher than Italy and Brazil.[1] However, there is a growing perception in Ghana that government-related corruption is on the rise.,[2] ranked 64th in 2012, tied with Lesotho. Even though corruption in Ghana is relatively low when compared to other countries in Africa, businesses frequently quote corruption as an obstacle for doing business in the country. Corruption occurs often in locally funded contracts, companies are subject to bribes when operating in rural areas.[3]

In a 1975 book, Victor T. Le Vine wrote that bribery, theft and embezzlement arose from reversion to a traditional winner-takes-all attitude in which power and family relationships prevailed over the rule of law.[4] Corruption in Ghana is comparatively less prevalent than in other countries in the region.[5]

Ghana is not a signatory to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery. It has, however, taken steps to amend laws on public financial administration and public procurement. The public procurement law, passed in January 2004, seeks to harmonize the many public procurement guidelines used in the country and also to bring public procurement into conformity with World Trade Organization standards. The new law aims to improve accountability, value for money, transparency and efficiency in the use of public resources.[6]

However, some in civil society have criticized the law as inadequate. The government, in conjunction with civil society representatives, is drafting a Freedom of Information bill, which will allow greater access to public information. Notwithstanding the new procurement law, companies cannot expect complete transparency in locally funded contracts. There continue to be allegations of corruption in the tender process and the government has in the past set aside international tender awards in the name of national interest.[7]

Businesses report being asked for “favors” from contacts in Ghana, in return for facilitating business transactions. The Government of Ghana has publicly committed to ensuring that government officials do not use their positions to enrich themselves. Official salaries, however, are modest, especially for low-level government employees, and such employees have been known to ask for a “dash” (tip) in return for assisting with license and permit applications.[8]

Areas of Corruption

Parliament

Member of parliament for the Chiana-Paga constituency, Abuga Pele was convicted in February 2018 and charged with a six year jail term for willfully causing a loss of GH¢4.1 million to the state of Ghana.[9][10] In June 2009, Mubarak Muntaka resigned from his position as Minister of Youth and Sports on the orders of president Mills following investigations into dozens of allegations leveled against him including financial malpractice and abuse of power. Ghana's Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice asked Mubarak Muntaka to refund misappropriated funds.[11][12][13]

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice was petitioned by a pressure group in September 2009 to investigate Mahama Ayariga for acquiring 5 subsidized tractors from the ministry of Agriculture that were meant to support underprivileged farmers in rural communities. Appointments Committee of Parliament initially suspended his approval of becoming a minister pending investigations, that cleared him afterwards.[14] Mahama Ayariga claimed that his application to acquire the tractors “was approved” and he was unaware that there was an “affordable arrangements” scheme associated with purchasing the tractors.[15] The investigation was reopened in July 2017 when a different political party formed a new government.[16]

Current Ghana government

[Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana.] Nana Akufo-Addo took office as Ghana's president in January 2017 after winning the December 2016 presidential elections.[17]

Medicine

In 2017,the then deputy minister of health, Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu, asserted that Ghana's health sector had high corruption rates because of its low level of accountability.[18] For example, doctors at the Tamale Teaching hospital plant agents to direct patients from the hospital to their clinics and direct patients to procure drugs and lab tests outside the hospital thus reducing hospital revenue. They go into agreement with these pharmacies and labs so they profit from the referrals.[19] Ghana's health sector was ranked second most corrupt in Africa, with most of the allocated public resources ending up in the pockets of corrupt private individuals.[20]

The worst affected people are the poor individuals who are not sensitised on medical practices in the hospital. Medical practitioners end up selling watered-down medicines and even request bribes to allow patients jump queues.[21] In Koforidua in the eastern region of Ghana, a combined team of US and Ghanaian medical professionals were supposed to undertake the “Operation Walk Syracuse”, a surgical procedure for some selected arthritis patients. It was revealed that some of the local professionals in the St. Joseph's hospital had charged from prospective patients sums of money ranging from GHC100.00 to GHC6,000.00 to allow them access the procedure. Meanwhile, this was at the blind side of the US team.[22]

Anti-corruption efforts

The 1992 Constitution provided for the establishment of a Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). Among other things, the Commission is charged with investigating all instances of alleged and suspected corruption and the misappropriation of public funds by officials. The Commission is also authorized to take appropriate steps, including providing reports to the Attorney General and the Auditor-General, in response to such investigations. The Commission has a mandate to prosecute alleged offenders when there is sufficient evidence to initiate legal actions. The Commission, however, is under-resourced and few prosecutions have been made since its inception.[23]

In 1998, the Government of Ghana also established an anti-corruption institution, called the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), to investigate corrupt practices involving both private and public institutions. A law to revise the SFO law is being drafted and it is expected to define more clearly treatment of the proceeds from criminal activities. The government also announced plans to streamline the roles of the CHRAJ and SFO, in order to remove duplication of efforts. The government passed a “Whistle Blower” law in July 2006, intended to encourage Ghanaian citizens to volunteer information on corrupt practices to appropriate government agencies. In December 2006, CHRAJ issued guidelines on conflict of interest to public sector workers. As of February 2009, a Freedom of Information bill was still pending in Parliament.[24]

During the Anti-Corruption Summit in London on May 12, Ghana urged its delegates to sign these eight steps in hope of decreasing corruption: 1. The public should know who owns and profits from companies, trusts and other legal entities. 2. We need tighter rules to stop corrupt money being spent on property and luxury goods. 3. Banks and businesses should be required to find out who they're dealing with, and report it if they come across shell companies or dodgy practices. 4. Companies buying oil, gas and minerals, and those in the defence and construction sectors must make details of their payments to any government, on any project, available to the public. 5. Companies should reveal how much tax they pay in every country they do business in. 6. All government contracting processes around the world should be open. 7. All government budgets around the world should be available for anyone to view. 8. Corruption hunters should have access to timely, comparable and relevant open data on the issues above as well as the technology that will allow them to work effectively.[25]

On 7 February 2012, it was reported that four prominent supporters of Ghana’s ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) had been arrested and charged with corruption in an Accra court. Alfred Agbesi Woyome was charged with crimes including corrupting public officials over a multi million-dollar payment that a government inquiry alleged he had claimed illegally. Chief attorney Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh, his wife and the finance ministry's legal director were also charged with aiding and abetting a crime.[26]

Following the numerous allegations of corruption leveled against some appointees of President John Dramani Mahama, an initiative was taken to help appointees avoid situations that would put them in a seeming situation of conflict of interest, hence guarding corruption. This led to the publication of the code of ethics for government appointees in 2013. Primarily, the code of ethics was to be the go-to document to enable officials know and anticipate any situation that could compromise a public official.[27]

The New Patriotic Party made it a campaign promise to fight corruption in the round up to the 2016 general election; it proposed, among other things, the establishment of the office of Special Prosecutor to handle all corruption related matters. Upon assuming governance in 2017, an Act of parliament was passed to create the office.[28] The president sworn into office Martin Amidu as the first person to occupy the office, notwithstanding his affiliation to the opposition NDC.[29]

Activists

Due to high levels of corruption incidences in Ghana, some Ghanaians have dedicated time, money and other resources to fight and curb corruption.

1.  Anas Aremeyaw Anas - An undercover investigative journalist whose works have led to the arrest and conviction of persons mainly in government, who were found to be engaged in corruption related practices. Ironically, Anas has, in some specific and outed instances, been cited in the very evils he supposedly stands against.[30][31]
2.  Martin Amidu - Appointed to the Office of the Special Prosecutor by the Akuffo Addo government although he associates with the opposition National Democratic Congress, Amidu was a former deputy attorney general who was removed by the Atta Mills government for his perceived accusation of members of his own party on corruption charges. Unfortunately for Martin Amidu and the millions of Ghanaians who had put their hopes in him, little or nothing significant has come out after his appointment.[32]
3.  Nana Akwasi Awuah[33][34][35][36][37]
4.  Bright Simmons
5.  Manasseh Azure
6.  Emmanuel Wilson Jnr. The Chief Crusader- Crusaders Against Corruption, Ghana.[38]
7.  Elizabeth Ohene

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5] 2009 Investment Climate Statement: Ghana. Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State (February 2009).

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18] http://citifmonline.com/2017/10/02/too-much-fraud-in-health-sector-minister-complains/

[19] https://www.primenewsghana.com/general-news/corruption-at-tamale-teaching-hospital.html

[20] https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Ghana-s-health-sector-ranked-2nd-most-corrupt-220815

[21] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233529115_Corruption_in_Ghanaian_Healthcare_System_The_Consequences

[22]  News Ghana|website=www.newsghana.com.gh|language=en-US|access-date=2018-06-30}}

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

title: Corruption in Ghana

question: Summarize various instances of corruption that have recently surfaced in Ghana?

text: The Minister of Health had never been under scrutiny for profiting off clinical drugs.

answer: Abuga Pele was convicted in February 2018 and charged with a six year jail term for willfully causing a loss of GH¢4.1 million to the state of Ghana. In 2009, Mubarak Muntaka resigned from his position as Minister of Youth and Sports on the orders of president Mills following investigations into dozens of allegations leveled against him including financial malpractice and abuse of power. In 2017, the then deputy minister of health, Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu, asserted that Ghana's health sector had high corruption rates because of its low level of accountability.

text: It is omitted that Mahama Ayariga was investigated for acquiring 5 subsidized tractors from the ministry of Agriculture that were meant to support underprivileged farmers in rural communities.

text: It is omitted that doctors at the Tamale Teaching hospital plant agents to direct patients from the hospital to their clinics and direct patients to procure drugs and lab tests outside the hospital thus reducing hospital revenue. They go into agreement with these pharmacies and labs so they profit from the referrals.

answer: Abuga Pele, a member of parliament for the Chiana-Paga constituency, was convicted in 2018 of embezzling GHc4.1 million. Furthermore, the Minister of Health was indicted after evidence came out that he was profiting off medicines meant for members of the public. Also in 2009, Mahama Ayariga was accused of five subsidized tractors that were meant to support underprivileged farmers in rural areas.

text: The answer omits the case of Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

text: The response is missing the case of Alfred Agbesi Woyome, who was charged with crimes including corrupting public officials over a multi million-dollar payment that a government inquiry alleged he had claimed illegally.

text: The tractors were meant to support underprivileged farmers. The answer misstates the intent.

text: Additional details about the tractor allegations could be added.

text: Does not mention Alfred Agbesi Woyome and Samuel Nirquaye-Tetteh.

answer: Abuga Pele, a member of parliament for the Chiana-Paga constituency, was convicted in 2018 of embezzling GHc4.1 million. Furthermore, the Minister of Health was indicted after evidence came out that he was profiting off medicines meant for members of the public. Also in 2009, Mahama Ayariga was accused of five subsidized tractors that were meant to support underprivileged farmers in rural areas.

text: The answer omits mention of Mubarak Muntaka.

text: The line about the Minister of Health is unattested.

text: The answer could mention the corruption in the health sector, specifically committed by doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

answer: Abuga Pele was convicted in February 2018 and charged with a six year jail term for willfully causing a loss of GH¢4.1 million to the state of Ghana. In 2009, Mubarak Muntaka resigned from his position as Minister of Youth and Sports on the orders of president Mills following investigations into dozens of allegations leveled against him including financial malpractice and abuse of power. In 2017, the then deputy minister of health, Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu, asserted that Ghana's health sector had high corruption rates because of its low level of accountability.

text: The answer omits the case of Mahama Ayariga.

text: The answer should mention the allegations against Mahama Ayariga.

text: The answer should mention the recent arrest of four prominent supporters of Ghana's ruling National Democratic Congress.

text: Details about corruption in the medical system are omitted.

text: It would make sense to not include the information about Muntaka, as 2009 isn't necessarily recent.

text: The answer omits the case of Mahama Ayariga and how the case was reopened in 2017.

answer: Abuga Pele, a member of parliament for the Chiana-Paga constituency, was convicted in 2018 of willfully causing a loss of GHc4.1 million to the country. Also, Mubarak Muntaka resigned as the Minister of Youth and Sport in 2009 after accusations of financial misappropriation and abuse of power. Also in 2009, Mahama Ayariga was accused of five subsidized tractors that were meant to support underprivileged farmers in rural areas.

text: The answer omits the corruption in the health sector.

text: The answer should mention the medical sector.

text: The answer could mention the recent corruption in the health sector.

text: The answer should include the case of the four supporters of the NDC arrested in 2012.

text: The answer should mention Ghana's health sector.


text:
The pink neon of the diner’s sign illuminated the first 300 feet in front of the man. Snow crept down from the sky tickling the man’s nose, making the hairs stand on the back of his neck as his memories faded back to all the times this had happened a hundred times before. His foot outlined the step before him as he began his trudge through the illuminant reflectant that was this blanket of white. A pair of eyes watch the man from the side of the diner waiting for him to turn his back towards his direction. The man headed for his car (with his step a bit slower than normal) as he turned towards the left side of the diner. The pair of eyes knew it was their time to strike they stalked quickly pouncing on their prey in a dark, subtle spot on the other side of the diner.

“Stop” the pair of eyes hurriedly whispered.

The man turned around slowly to the point where the pink of the diner sign cloaked the left half of his face while darkness consumed the right. The man looked down to see a 5 inch bowie knife pointed at his sternum behind it stood a middle aged man with brown eyes, and brown hair. The look in his eyes was not one anticipation but one of familiarity of such a situation.

“Sir I’m sorry to be bothering you on such a beautiful night but could you spare a few dollars” the pair of eyes demanded coyly

“That is quite a big knife to be waving at strangers” The man laughed wryly

“Sir please just be quick I do not like to wait because of dry trivial quips” The pair of eyes demanded in the same wry tone.

“Why yes I’m guessing you are wanting everything in my wallet” questioned the man

“Yes sir, I would like everything. Including cards, cash, and anything else monetarily related. Of course keep your driver’s license and insurance cards. I have no need of those.” Explained the pair of eyes

“That is very generous of you.” The man reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, showed it plainly to the pair of eyes slowly pulling out the money, and his credit/debit cards. “This should be all of it” he stated as he handed over his money to the pair of eyes.

The pair of eyes took the pile of cash, and credit cards looking them over to ensure their validity. It took him 15 seconds to be sure of himself. He shoved his rewards into his pocket and turned into the other direction, sliding his bowie knife in the front of his pants as he stomped away in the darkness for another unknown activity.

“Wait!” The man shouted

The pair of eyes turned around slow expecting some sort of ill fated retribution for what he had just accomplished.

“Do you want coffee?” The man continued in the same volume
The pair of eyes stared at the man through the darkness curious at such an odd suggestion.

“You have no money sir. I must be on my way. I do appreciate your offer as ill-fated as it may be.” Replied the pair of eyes.

“Do you see this diner?!” Shouted the man as he erroneously continued
The pair of eyes stared down the diner with the pink neon laminating his face.
“I own this diner. I want to buy you a coffee my friend.” The man ended
The pair of eyes stood staring at the pink neon. “How do I know that this isn’t your attempt to turn the tables on me to reclaim some misconstrued sense of your ego?”

“Mister I put it on my wife and children. I want to eat, and speak with you as men have done for ages. You seem unique in your demeanor. I want to understand what an intelligent man such as yourself thinks about this and our world as a whole. If you decline my offer I will understand.” The man soliloquized

The pair of eyes continued staring at the pink of the neon sign letting the light burn his retinas as he thought of an appropriate response. The man crept back to the top of the steps grinning as he opened the door waiting for the pair of eyes to respond.

“How long have you owned this diner?” the pair of eyes inquired still staring at the pink neon sign

“15 years. The diner is named after what we would have named my first son if he hadn't been miscarried” informed the man coldly.

“Robert is a pretty average name” quipped back the pair of eyes

“My wife picked the name” replied the man as he smiled

The pair of eyes walked brazenly up the steps past the man into the diner. Their vision still scarred from staring in the sign for too long. The man led him to a booth 6 feet away from the door on the right side of the diner. The pair of eyes acceptingly sat down as the man sat across from him. Silence protruded the diner as the two lonely beings sat there. The man broke the icy silence.

“Martha!” The man yelled

A young blonde girl in her teens ran up to the man. Her eyes were as blue as the sky while her body’s youth irradiated warmness into the restaurant.

“Yes” she stated as she approached the two brooding men

“I want a black coffee for me with just two sugars and get this
man a….” The man paused

“I’ll have the same” The pair of eyes replied

“Right away” The blonde said as she hurried away to the back.
Silence stood for longer as both men looked around the diner as if seeing it for the first time. Within the minute the blonde had brought out the two coffees. Both men took a sip and nodded their approval as the blonde scurried away to the back of the diner once more. After a few sips the pair of eyes sat down his coffee.

“Sir I’ve walked by this diner so many times in my life and I have to say, this is my first experience being in it” explained the pair of eyes. The man sat listening. “I must say don’t you find it quite odd that we walk by places, people, and things not noticing the uniqueness of them. Not looking in the inside. Just seeing the outside and accepting that as how it must be. It is us just seeing the bricks and mortar without looking in to see the warmth and light that these things radiate.” The pair of eyes indulged as he held his coffee for effect.The man unblinking sat soaking in the pair of eyes words.

“We must accept the outer layer of what the world gives us my friend. We cannot accept what is inside of anything. It is too difficult of a task to ask of any human. It is easy for us to accept the outside because when you accept the outside you don’t ask questions of the validity of our existence. We simply see them as them and life as life. There are no inquiries.” The man elongated back

“But don’t you find that ignorant” The pair of eyes wondered

“People need easy. People need fast. That is why we must judge people in our society. It is for mere convenience so that we can be more effective in our lives. Think about how much a worker would get done if he worried about the inner workings of a co-worker’s emotions.” Explained the man

“Perhaps we shouldn’t settle for easy. Perhaps we shouldn’t settle for the difficulties of what being a human encompasses. The only thing that drives us away from getting to know the inner workings of a stranger’s mind is fear, not the advantage of convenience. We are scared to get to know others because of our fear to become one with oneself...” The pair of eyes finished.
Silence captured the room once more as both the pair of eyes and the man sat drinking their coffee.

“The night is growing old and I fear that I am needed elsewhere. I must excuse myself sir” The pair of eyes explained.

“That is very understandable my friend. Let me walk you out of here.” The man replied

The man walked to the door opening it for the pair of eyes. The pink neon light lit the first 300 feet in front of the pair of eyes. The cold of the snow hit his face as he stepped onto the now icy snow. The pair of eyes turned to the right heading back home. The man felt his leg to see if the cold presence still existed. It did. The pair of eyes casually kept strolling to his home ignoring the crunch of snow behind him. His mind was too full of thoughts to recognize the audio that played to his back.
BLAM!!!
The pair of eyes right knee buckled smacking the hard asphalt under the snow. Its body began to go into shock as it turned around to stare at the man (drowned in the pink neon light) in the eyes. The pair of eyes began an attempt to flee from the man. Its left leg carried the burden as it tried to hobble towards the side of a building adjacent to the diner.
BLAM!!!
A second shot rang out as it grazed the pair of eyes left side. It collapsed to the ground gasping for air in the great panic that had been created by this attack. The man stared deep into the pair of eyes. Looking inside for what was really there. Not the bricks and mortar but the substance that it was really made of. Soaking in their new pinkish shade. Soaking in their fear.
BLAM!!!
BLAM!!!
BLAM!!!

title: [TH] Pink

question: What does the story say about the man?

text: "to have a son" - the response should add the son's name (Robert) and mention that he was supposed to be the first-born son.

category: coverage

text: "Robert" - this is incorrect. Robert was supposed to be the name of the man's son if not for his wife's miscarriage. Change to "the robber"

category: accuracy

text: "The man even invited the guy who robbed him inside the diner for dinner." - this is incorrect. The man invited the robber for coffee and conversation, not cocktails.

answer: The "man" in the story owns the diner with the pink neon sign. He is married with children and was supposed to have a son if his wife didn't suffer a miscarriage. He isn't afraid of the pair of eyes wielding a knife who robbed him of his cash and credit cards, freely giving these to Robert despite having a gun. The man even invited the guy who robbed him inside the diner for cocktails.

answer_source: Human misleading

text: The line "...freely giving these to Robert despite having a gun" is unclear. Needs to be rewritten for clarity.

category: coherence

answer: The "man" in the story owns the diner with the pink neon sign. He is married with children and was supposed to name his first-born son Robert if his wife didn't suffer a miscarriage. He isn't afraid of the pair of eyes wielding a knife who robbed him of his cash and credit cards, freely giving these to the robber despite having a gun. The man even invited the guy who robbed him inside the diner for coffee and conversation.

answer_source: Human

text: This should mention how the man seemed to have manipulated the robber into coming into the diner because when the robber leaves, the man shoots and kills him.

answer: The "man" in the story owns the diner with the pink neon sign. He is married with children and was supposed to have a son if his wife didn't suffer a miscarriage. He isn't afraid of the pair of eyes wielding a knife who robbed him of his cash and credit cards, freely giving these to Robert despite having a gun. The man even invited the guy who robbed him inside the diner for cocktails.

text: The man doesn't invite the robber inside for cocktails. He invites him inside for coffee.

text: The answer should mention that the man shoots the pair of eyes.

text: The answer should mention that the man is the one who shot the pair of eyes.

text: The man does not invite the robber inside for cocktails.

text: It is a coffee not a cocktail

text: The incident with the gun doesn't actually happen until after the coffee

answer: The man is the owner of the diner. He is middle-aged with brown eyes and brown hair. He is attacked by a man with a knife who wants his wallet. The man gives him his wallet and invites the robber to his diner for coffee. The man shoots the robber when they are outside the diner.

answer_source: Model


text:
KALONYMUS BEN KALONYMUS ben Meir (Hebrew: קלונימוס בן קלונימוס), also romanized as QALONYMOS BEN QALONYMOS or CALONYM BEN CALONYM, also known as MAESTRO CALO (Arles, 1286 – died after 1328) was a Jewish philosopher and translator from Hachmei Provence (now Provence, France). He studied philosophy and rabbinical literature at Thessaloniki under the direction of Abba Mari ben Eligdor and Moses ben Solomon of Beaucaire. He also studied medicine, although he seems never to have practised it.

He was from a prominent and distinguished Provençal Jewish family. The father of Kalonymus and Kalonymus himself each bore the title “Nasi” (prince).

At Rome

About 1314 Kalonymus settled at Avignon, where he later became associated with Robert, King of Naples, who sent him, provided with letters of recommendation, on a scientific mission to Rome. Kalonymus' learning and character gained for him the consideration of the Roman Jewish notables; and when his family, finding that his sojourn at Rome was longer than had been anticipated, recalled him, the poet Immanuel the Roman wrote a letter to Nasi Samuel of Arles, protesting in the name of the Jewish community of Rome against Kalonymus' return.[1] According to Steinschneider and Gross, Kalonymus was the poet referred to by Immanuel (ib. p. 28) as having pleaded the cause of the Roman Jews before the pope at Avignon in 1321, but this assertion needs confirmation since the exact dates of Kalonymus' stay in Rome can not be ascertained. Heinrich Graetz and Adolf Neubauer believe that Kalonymus went to Rome after his sojourn in Catalonia, which was in 1322; and the fact that he does not mention Rome in his _Eben Boḥan_ confirms their supposition. In 1328 Kalonymus was in Arles, where he probably remained until his death, the exact date of which is unknown.

Works

Kalonymus acquired a high reputation both as an original writer and as a translator. He began his literary career when only twenty years old. His translations, which, with the exception of one that was printed, are all still in manuscript, include the following (arranged in chronological order, the Hebrew titles being those of the translations):

-   _Ha-'Ammud be-Shoroshe ha-Refuah_, translation of the Arabic work _Kitab al-'Imad fl Uṣul al-Ṭibb_ of Ali ibn Ridwan. This translation, completed at Arles Oct. 10, 1307, was the second made by Kalonymus, the first having been lost in 1306 during the banishment of the Jews from France.
-   _Sefer Galyanus be-Ḥaḳna ube-Kulga_, Galen's work on clysters and colic, from the Arabic version of Hunayn ibn Ishaq.
-   _Sefer Galyanus be-Haḳḳazah_, Galen's work on bleeding, probably made from the Arabic version of Hunayn ibn Ishaq.
-   Treatise on the five geometrical bodies by Euclid, in relation to the theory of Apollonius of Perga, and the commentary of Simplicius of Cilicia.
-   _Ha-Dibbur ha-Meshullash_, treatise on the triangle, by Abu Sa'adan.
-   _Sefer Meshalim be-Tishboret_, on mathematical propositions.
-   _Sefer ha-Temunah ha-Ḥittukit_, a work on geometry, entitled _Fi al-Shakl al-Ḳuṭṭa_, by Thābit ibn Qurra.
-   _Ma'amar be-Iẓṭawwonot ube-Ḥiddudim_, treatise on cylinders and cones.
-   _Bi'ur Sefer Ṭobiḳi_, Averroes's commentary on the topics.
-   _Bi'ur Sufisṭiḳi_, Averroes' commentary on sophisms.
-   _Bi'ur Sefer ha-Mofet_, Averroes' large commentary on the second analytics.
-   _Sefer ha-Ẓemaḥim_, treatise on the plants, attributed to Aristotle, with the commentary thereon by Averroes.
-   _Ma'amar be-Sekel weha-Muskal_, treatise on the intellect and the intelligible, by al-Farabi.
-   _Ma'amar be-Mispar ha-Ḥokmot_, on the division of the sciences, by Al-Farabi.
-   _Sefer ha-Peri ha-Niḳra Meah Dibburim_, commentary on the _Centiloquium_ of (Pseudo-)Ptolemy, translated from the Arabic version of Ahmad ibn Yusuf.
-   _Iggeret be-Ḳiẓẓur ha-Ma'amar be-Moladot_, short treatise on nativities, by al-Kindi.
-   _Iggeret be-'Illot_, treatise on the influence of the heavenly bodies on rain, by Al-Kindi.
-   The middle commentary of Averroes on physics.
-   _Sefer ha-Hawayh weha-Hippased_, Averroes' middle commentary on generation and corruption.
-   _Sefer Otot ha-Shamayim_, Averroes' middle commentary on meteors.
-   _Iggeret Ba'ale Ḥayyim_, (_“Treatise on Animals”_), translated from the twenty-first treatise of the _Encyclopedia of the Brethren of Purity_, published in 1557 at Mantua, and in 1704 at Frankfort-on-the-Main. This translation was rendered into Judæo-German by Enoch ben Ẓebi (Hanover, 1718) and into German, under the title _Abhandlung über die Thiere_, by Julius Landsberger (Darmstadt, 1882).
-   ''Sefer Mah-she-aḥar ha-Ṭeba' '', Averroes' middle commentary on metaphysics.
-   Treatise on arithmetic by Nicomachus, accompanied by a commentary of Abu Sulaiman Rabiya ibn Yaḥya.
-   _Be-'Inyane ha-Kokabim ha-Nebukim_, translation of Ptolemy's treatise on the planets.
-   _Sefer Arshmidah_, Archimedes's treatise on the sphere and the cylinder, translated from the Arabic version of Costa ibn Luḳah.
-   _Iggeret be-Laḥiyt ube-Maṭar_, Al-Kindi's treatise on humidity and rain.
-   Averroes' dissertations on the first book of the _Prior Analytics_.
-   _Iggeret be-Siddur Ḳeri'at ha-Ḥokmot_, Al-Farabi's treatise on the method of studying philosophy.
-   _Destructio Destructionis_, a Latin translation from the Arabic _Tahafut al-Tahafut_ (_“The Incoherence of the Incoherence”_) written by Averroes against al-Ghazali.

Kalonymus' original works are as follows:

-   An answer in Hebrew addressed to Joseph Caspi, in opposition to the latter's _Ḳundreṣim_ (_Quinterniones_). The answer refers chiefly to Caspi's work on the Bible, entitled _Ṭirat Kesef_, or _Sefer ha-Sod_. After having paid homage to the talent and learning of Caspi, Kalonymus criticizes the book, in which he claims to have detected many errors. He states that in any case, even if the work were perfect, it ought not to have been published, on account of its disrespectful treatment of Biblical personages. The answer was published by Joseph Perles under the title _Kalonymos ben Kalonymos Sendschreiben an Joseph Caspi_ (Munich, 1879).
-   _Sefer Melakim_, a treatise on arithmetic, geometry, and astrology, of which only a fragment has been discovered by Steinschneider (Munich MS. No. 290). This treatise was composed at the request of a “great king,” whom Steinschneider believes to have been Robert of Anjou.
-   _Even Boḥan_, an ethical treatise composed in the year 1322. The treatise is written in cadenced prose, imitating, though with less elegance, the style of Jedaiah Bedersi in his _Beḥinat 'Olam_. The author intended in the _Even Boḥan_ to show the perversities of his contemporaries, as well as his own. He passes in review all the social positions of which men are proud, and argues they are vanity. At the end he enumerates the sufferings of Israel and expresses the hope that God will have pity on His people who, in the three years (1319-22) during which time the _Even Boḥan_ was written, had suffered persecution at the hands of the shepherds and of the leprous, besides an _auto-da-fé_ of the Talmud at Toulouse. The book also contains a poem expressing Kalonymus's lament at being born a man and desire to be a woman[2] The _Even Boḥan_ was first published at Naples in 1489, and passed through many editions. It was twice translated into German, first by Moses Eisenstadt, or, according to Joseph Zedner, by Katzenellenbogen (Sulzbach, 1705), and then in cadenced prose by W. Meisel (Budapest, 1878).
-   _Masekhet Purim_ (“Tractate of Purim”), a Purim Torah, a parody intended to be read during Purim,[3] written at Rome. Caricaturing the rabbinical style of argument, the author humorously criticizes everyone, not excluding himself. This kind of parody found many imitators. The _Masseket Purim_ was first published at Pesaro (1507–20).

A great number of other works have been wrongly attributed to Kalonymus ben Kalonymus.

Transgender legacy

In one poem in _Even Boḥan_, Kalonymus expresses lament at and curses having been born a boy, referring to his penis as a מוּם (_múm_), a “defect”, and wishes to have been created as a woman.[4] This poem has been increasingly embraced by some in the LGBT+ Jewish community as an expression of gender dysphoria and transgender identity, suggesting that the poet may have been a trans woman.[5][6] Judaism traditionally recognizes a number of gender or (inter)sex categories besides man and woman,[7] and it is impossible to know the gender identity of this person who lived in the 14th century for certain.[8] Some scholars view Kalonymus ben Kalonymus as a possible example of a transgender person in Jewish history.[9] Steven Greenberg acknowledges this possibility but also suggests another, that Kalonymus might have been homosexual, asking: “might it be that for Kalonymus the only way to make sense of the desire to be loved by a man is to fantasize being a woman?”[10]

[1] _Maḥberot_, p. 23

[2]

[3] “Ask the Rabbi: Are all costumes allowed on Purim?”, The Jerusalem Post, 03/11/11

[4] Steven Greenberg, _Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition_ (2004, ), pp. 118-121.

[5]

[6]

[7] Melanie J. Wright, _Studying Judaism: The Critical Issues_ (2013, ), p. 33

[8]

[9]

[10]

title: Kalonymus ben Kalonymus

question: Summarize everything that happened in the 1320s.

text: This answer should mention that the claim that Kalonymous pleaded for the Roman Jews in 1321 is in question due to the fact that he was in Catalonia in 1322 before Rome.

answer: In 1322, Kalonymus went to Rome after his sojourn in Catalonia. In 1328, he was in Arles, where he probably remained until his death.

text: The answer omits the fact that Kalonymus pleaded the cause of the Roman Jews before the pope at Avignon in 1321.

text: The answer should mention the Even Bochan.

text: The answer should mention that he wrote the Even Bochan in 1322.

text: It is omitted that he wrote an ethical treatise, the 'Even Boḥan', in 1322.

text: The answer omits Kalonymus' stay in Rome between 1314 and 1321.

text: The response is missing the mention of the events that happened in 1321.

text: It is omitted that in 1321, he pleaded the case of Roman Jews before the Pope at Avignon.

answer: In 1322, Kalonymus went to Rome after his sojourn in Catalonia. In 1328, he was in Arles, where he probably remained until his death.

text: The answer should mention that he pleaded the cause of Roman Jews in 1321 before the pope at Avignon.

text: The answer should mention Even Bohan.

answer: In 1321, the poet Immanuel the Roman referred to Kalonymus as having pleaded the cause of the Roman Jews before the pope according to some. This claim goes into question as others believe Kalonymus went to Rome after his sojourn in Catalonia in 1322. In the same year he wrote an ethical treatise in cadenced prose. In 1328 he was in Arles where he probably remained until his death.

text: The last sentence is irrelevant.

text: It is omitted that in 1322, Heinrich Graetz and Adolf Neubauer believe that Kalonymus went to Rome after his sojourn in Catalonia.

text: The last sentence is not relevant to the question.

text: He was born in 1286.

text: The year of his death is not relevant.

answer: In 1321, the poet Immanuel the Roman referred to Kalonymus as having pleaded the cause of the Roman Jews before the pope according to some. He went to Rome after his sojourn in Catalonia in 1322. In the same year he wrote an ethical treatise in cadenced prose. In 1328 he was in Arles where he probably remained until his death.

text: The last sentence is irrelevant.

text: The last sentence is not relevant

text: The last two lines are not relevant to the question.

text: The last two lines are not relevant

text: "In 1328 he was in Arles where he probably remained until his death." - this is irrelevant and should be deleted.

text: There is no information about where Kalonymus was in 1328.

answer: In 1321, the poet Immanuel the Roman referred to Kalonymus as having pleaded the cause of the Roman Jews before the pope according to some. He went to Rome after his sojourn in Catalonia in 1322. In the same year he wrote an ethical treatise in cadenced prose. In 1328 he was in Arles where he probably remained until his death.

text: The answer should mention that Kalonymous wrote an ethical treaty on 1322


text:
RADICAL DEMOCRACY is a type of democracy that advocates the radical extension of equality and liberty.[1] Radical democracy is concerned with a radical extension of equality and freedom, following the idea that democracy is an un-finished, inclusive, continuous and reflexive process.[2]

Theories

Within radical democracy there are three distinct strands, as articulated by Lincoln Dahlberg.[3] These strands can be labeled as deliberative, agonistic and autonomist.

The first and most noted strand of radical democracy is the agonistic perspective, which is associated with the work of Laclau and Mouffe. Radical democracy was articulated by Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe in their book _Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics_, written in 1985. They argue that social movements which attempt to create social and political change need a strategy which challenges neoliberal and neoconservative concepts of democracy.[4] This strategy is to expand the liberal definition of democracy, based on freedom and equality, to include difference.[5]

According to Laclau and Mouffe “Radical democracy” means “the root of democracy”.[6] Laclau and Mouffe claim that liberal democracy and deliberative democracy, in their attempts to build consensus, oppress differing opinions, races, classes, genders, and worldviews.[7] In the world, in a country, and in a social movement there are many (a plurality of) differences which resist consensus. Radical democracy is not only accepting of difference, dissent and antagonisms, but is dependent on it.[8] Laclau and Mouffe argue based on the assumption that there are oppressive power relations that exist in society and that those oppressive relations should be made visible, re-negotiated and altered.[9] By building democracy around difference and dissent, oppressive power relations existing in societies are able to come to the forefront so that they can be challenged.[10]

The second strand, deliberative, is mostly associated with the work of Jürgen Habermas. This strand of radical democracy is opposed to the agonistic perspective of Laclau and Mouffe. Habermas argues that political problems surrounding the organization of life can be resolved by deliberation.[11] That is, people coming together and deliberating on the best possible solution. This type of radical democracy is in contrast with the agonistic perspective based on consensus and communicative means: there is a reflexive critical process of coming to the best solution.[12] Equality and freedom are at the root of Habermas´ deliberative theory. The deliberation is established through institutions that can ensure free and equal participation of all.[13] Habermas is aware of the fact that different cultures, world-views and ethics can lead to difficulties in the deliberative process. Despite this fact he argues that the communicative reason can create a bridge between opposing views and interests.[14]

The third strand of radical democracy is the autonomist strand, which is associated with left-communist and post-Marxist ideas. The difference between this type of radical democracy and the two noted above is the focus on “the community.”[15] The community is seen as the pure constituted power instead of the deliberative rational individuals or the agonistic groups as in the first two strands. The community resembles a “plural multitude” (of people) instead of the working class in traditional Marxist theory.[16] This plural multitude is the pure constituted power and reclaims this power by searching and creating mutual understandings within the community.[17] This strand of radical democracy challenges the traditional thinking about equality and freedom in liberal democracies by stating that individual equality can be found in the singularities within the multitude, equality overall is created by an all-inclusive multitude and freedom is created by restoring the multitude in its pure constituted power.[18] This strand of radical democracy is often a term used to refer to the post-Marxist perspectives of Italian radicalism - for example Paolo Virno.

Theorists

Agonistic perspective

-   William E. Connolly - Connoly is associated with his promotion of an agonistic democracy. An agonistic democracy is focused on contestation rather than on rational consensus.[19] The discourse is not violence-based, but engages different aspects of political conflict. According to Connoly an agonistic democracy is based on a term he calls ¨agonistic respect¨, which allows people to honor different sources and conflicting opinions.[20]
-   Ernesto Laclau - Associated with the agonistic strand of radical democracy as articulated in _Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics._
-   Chantal Mouffe - Associated with the agonistic strand of radical democracy as articulated in _Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics._
-   Roberto Mangabeira Unger - Roberto Mangabeira Unger argues that society does not emerge from consensus, compromising and looking for the best option, but from struggle and political contestation.[21] Unger is a proponent of the vision of an empowered democracy, which would involve radical changes at politics in the centre. These changes would involve more social institutions in which everyone can interact, discuss and effectively empower themselves to drastically change economic, political and social circumstances.[22]
-   Sheldon S. Wolin - Wolin's political thought clearly aligns with the ideal of an participatory democracy.[23] Wolin was the first in articulating the idea of a ¨fugitive democracy¨ in which democracy is a political experience and the ordinary people are the primary political actors. Wolin challenged consensus and can therefore be position within the agonistic perspective of radical democracy.[24]

Autonomist perspective

-   Cornel West - West describes himself as a radical democrat and a non-Marxist socialist, which positions him in the critical post-Marxist strand of radical democracy.[25]
-   Raya Dunayevskaya - Associated with the critical post-Marxist strand of radical democracy.
-   Paolo Virno - Figurehead for the Italian Autonomist Marxist movement.

Criticism

Agonistic perspective

Laclau and Mouffe have argued for radical agonistic democracy, where different opinions and worldviews are not oppressed by the search for consensus in liberal and deliberative democracy. As this agonistic perspective has been most influential in academic literature, it has been subject to most criticisms on the idea of radical democracy. Brockelman for example argues that the theory of radical democracy is an Utopian idea.[26] Political theory, he argues, should not be used as offering a vision of a desirable society. In the same vein, it is argued that radical democracy might be useful at the local level, but does not offer a realistic perception of decision-making on the national level.[27] For example, people might know what they want to see changing in their town and feel the urge to participate in the decision-making process of future local policy. Developing an opinion about issues at the local level often does not require specific skills or education. Deliberation in order to combat the problem of groupthink, in which the view of the majority dominates over the view of the minority, can be useful in this setting. However, people might not be skilled enough or willing to decide about national or international problems. A radical democracy approach for overcoming the flaws of democracy is, it is argued, not suitable for levels higher than the local one.

Deliberative perspective

Habermas and Rawls have argued for radical deliberative democracy, where consensus and communicative means are at the root of politics. However, some scholars identify multiple tensions between participation and deliberation. Three of these tensions are identified by Joshua Cohen, a student of the philosopher John Rawls:[28]

1.  Wanting to improve the quality of deliberation can be at the expense of public participation. In this case, representatives and legislators are more focused on argumentation and deliberation than on seeking to advance the interests of their constituents. By focusing on reasonable deliberation the interests of particular constituents can be underrepresented.[29]
2.  Conversely, seeking to maximize the public participation can be at the expense of the quality of deliberation. Maximize public participation can be accomplished by popular initiatives like referendums. Referendums however allows people to decide on an important topic with an yes/no vote. By using a yes/no vote people can be discouraged to engage in a reasoned discussion in creating legislation. It is also argued that through maximizing public participation, manipulation and suppression become present.[30]
3.  Deliberation depends on sufficient knowledge and interests from all participants as well as adequate and easy accessible information. On many important issues however, the number of participators with sufficient knowledge is rather limited and thus the quality of deliberation declines when more uninformed participants enter the discussion.[31]

Radical democracy and colonialism

Because of radical democracy's focus on difference, and challenging oppressive power relations, it has been seen as conducive to post-colonial theory and decolonization. However, the concept of radical democracy is seen in some circles as colonial in nature due to its reliance on a western notion of democracy.[32] It is argued that liberal democracy is viewed by the West as the only legitimate form of governance.[33] Spreading liberal democracy through international law as a condition for recognition from and trade with the West, can be seen as a form of new, informal imperialism. Radical democracy theory is criticized for being situated in this kind of Western modernity perspective. In their attempt of prescribing an ideal society, radical democracy theorists do not create a new kind, but rather reinvent the Western dominant tradition of liberal democracy. Also, radical democracy challenges consensus decision-making processes which are essential to many indigenous governing practices.[34]

Re-interpretations and adaptations

Since Laclau and Mouffe argued for a radical democracy, many other theorists and practitioners have adapted and changed the term.[35] For example, bell hooks and Henry Giroux have all written about the application of radical democracy in education. In Hook´s book _Teaching to Transgress: Education as the practice of freedom_ she argues for education where educators teach students to go beyond the limits imposed against racial, sexual and class boundaries in order to “achieve the gift of freedom”.[36] Paulo Freire's work, although initiated decades before Laclau and Mouffe, can also be read through similar lenses.[37][38][39] Theorists such as Paul Chatterton and Richard JF Day have written about the importance of radical democracy within some of the autonomous movements in Latin America (namely the EZLN—Zapatista Army of National Liberation in Mexico, the MST—Landless Workers' Movement in Brazil, and the Piquetero—Unemployed Workers Movement in Argentina) although the term radical democracy is used differently in these contexts.[40][41]

Radical democracy and the internet

With the rise of the internet in the years after the development of various strands of radical democracy theory, the relationship between the internet and the theory has been increasingly focussed upon. The internet is regarded as an important aspect of radical democracy, as it provides a means for communication which is central to every approach to the theory.

The internet is believed to reinforce both the theory of radical democracy and the actual possibility of radical democracy through three distinct ways:[42]

1.  The internet provides a platform for further discussion about radical democracy, thus contributing to the theory's development;
2.  The internet allows new political communities and democratic cultures to emerge that challenge the existing political ideas;
3.  The internet strengthens the voice of minority groups.

This last point refers to the concept of a _radical public sphere_ where voice in the political debate is given to otherwise oppressed or marginalized groups.[43] Approached from the radical democracy theory, the expression of such views on the internet can be understood as online activism. In current liberal representative democracies, certain voices and interests are always favoured above others. Through online activism, excluded opinions and views can still be articulated. In this way, activists contribute to the ideal of a heterogeneity of positions. However, the digital age does not necessarily contribute to the notion of radical democracy. Social media platforms possess the opportunity of shutting down certain, often radical, voices. This is counterproductive to radical democracy [44]

Contemporary mass movements committed to radical democracy

-   The EZLN – Zapatista Army of National Liberation in Mexico: a far-left militant and political group. Their ideology is based on their aspiration to execute politics in a bottom-up, rather than top-down way.[45] The group has presented several laws in 1994, including laws to advance women's position in the country.[46]
-   The MST – Landless Workers' Movement in Brazil: a social movement that aims at land reform to make land ownership more accessible for the poor. It claims to seek to achieve this goal through combating social issues such as racism, sexism and skewed income distributions.[47]
-   The Piqueteros – Unemployed Workers Movement in Argentina.
-   The Abahlali baseMjondolo – shack dwellers' movement in South Africa.
-   The Socialist Party USA[48] this party was founded in 1973. It claims to be opposed to all forms of oppression, and to seek to create a “non-racist, classless, feminist and socialist society”.[49]
-   JungdemokratInnen/Junge Linke (translated Young Democrats/Young Left,JD/JL) - a left-wing political youth organization in Germany and the former youth wing of a liberal party called FDP.
-   Radical Democracy Party (United States) – was an abolitionist and anti-Confederate political party in the United States.
-   Radical Democracy Party (Chile) – Chilean Centre-right political party created in 1969, and disbanded in 1990.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6] Dahlberg, L. (2012). Radical Democracy: 2.

[7]

[8]

[9] Laclau, E and Mouffe, C. (1985). _Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics_, Verso: London.

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32] Dhaliwal, A. (1996). _Can the Subaltern Vote? Radical Democracy, Discourses of Representation and Rights, and Questions of Race._ In Trend, D. (ed.) Radical Democracy: Identity, Citizenship, and the State (pp. 42-61). New York: Routledge.

[33] Janet Conway & Jakeet Singh (2011) Radical Democracy in Global Perspective: notes from the pluriverse, Third World Quarterly, 32:4, 689-706, DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2011.570029

[34]

[35] Dahlberg, L. (2012). Radical Democracy: 2.

[36]

[37] Freire, P. (2004). _Pedagogy of Hope: Reliving Pedagogy of the Oppressed_. New York: Continuum.

[38] hooks, b. (1996). _Representation and Democracy: An Interview_. In Trend, D. (ed.) Radical Democracy: Identity, Citizenship, and the State (pp. 228-236). New York: Routledge.

[39] Giroux, H. (1996). _Pedagogy and Radical Democracy in the Age of “Political Correctness”_. In Trend, D. (ed.) Radical Democracy: Identity, Citizenship, and the State (pp. 179-194). New York: Routledge.

[40] Chatterton, P. _Making Autonomous Geographies: Argentina’s Popular Uprising and the ‘Movimiento de Traebajadores Desocupados (Unemployed Workers Movement)_, Geoforum, (2005), Volume 36, Issue 5, pp. 545-61.

[41] Day, R. (2005). _Gramsci Is Dead: Anarchist Currents in the Newest Social Movements_. Between the lines: Toronto. p. 195

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45] “The Zapatista's Return: A Masked Marxist on the Stump”

[46] “EZLN—Women's Revolutionary Law”. Flag.blackened.net. Retrieved 2013-10-29.

[47] “Nossos objetivos”. MST page, “Archived copy”. Archived from the original on 2012-09-02. Retrieved 2012-09-01.. Retrieved September 1, 2012

[48] _Socialism as Radical Democracy _ -- Statement of Principles of the Socialist Party USA (accessed 14 May 2008).

[49] “Socialism As Radical Democracy: Statement of Principles of the Socialist Party USA”. Socialist Party USA. Retrieved July 6, 2018.

title: Radical democracy

question: What does the text say about Radical Democracy?

text: "stands" - is misspelled and lacks the letter "r" (strands)

text: "Lincoln Wahlberg" - the last name is incorrect and should be "Dahlberg".

answer: Radical Democracy is a type of democracy that supports the radical extension of liberty and equality. Radical democracy is concerned with a radical extension of freedom and equality following the idea that democracy is an unfinished, continuous, inclusive, and reflective process. There are three distinct "strands" or theories within radical democracy as articulated by Lincoln Dahlberg, namely autonomist, agnostic, and deliberative.

text: The answer misspells "agonistic" as "agnostic," which means something else. Correct this.

answer: Radical Democracy is a type of democracy that supports the radical extension of liberty and equality. Radical democracy is concerned with a radical extension of freedom and equality following the idea that democracy is an unfinished, continuous, inclusive, and reflective process. There are three distinct "stands" or theories within radical democracy as articulated by Lincoln Wahlberg, namely autonomist, agnostic, and deliberative.

answer: Radical Democracy is a type of democracy that advocates the radical extension of equality and liberty. It is concerned with a radical extension of equality and freedom, following the idea that democracy is an unfinished, inclusive, continuous, and reflexive process.

text: The answer should discuss the three strands of radical democracy

answer: Radical Democracy is a type of democracy that advocates the radical extension of equality and liberty. It is concerned with a radical extension of equality and freedom, following the idea that democracy is an unfinished, inclusive, continuous, and reflexive process.

text: The answer should mention the three strands of radical democracy.

text: The response should include the three strands of Radical Democracy.

text: Unnecessary repetition

text: The answer should mention the three strands of radical democracy and what they are about.

answer: Radical Democracy is a type of democracy that supports the radical extension of liberty and equality. Radical democracy is concerned with a radical extension of freedom and equality following the idea that democracy is an unfinished, continuous, inclusive, and reflective process. There are three distinct "strands" or theories within radical democracy as articulated by Lincoln Dahlberg, namely autonomist, agnostic, and deliberative.

text: The answer should mention the theorists.

text: The answer should mention the theorists associated with the different strands of radical democracy.

text: "agnostic" - change to "agonistic"

text: The answer should mention the theorists associated with the different strands.

text: The answer should mention the theorists associated with the three strands of radical democracy.

text: "Radical democracy" is used twice in the answer.

text: This is redundant.

text: "agnostic" - replace with "agonistic"

text: "agnostic" - replace with "agonistic"

text: The answer should mention some of the criticisms leveled at it.

answer: Radical Democracy is a type of democracy that supports the radical extension of liberty and equality. Radical democracy is concerned with a radical extension of freedom and equality following the idea that democracy is an unfinished, continuous, inclusive, and reflective process. There are three distinct "stands" or theories within radical democracy as articulated by Lincoln Wahlberg, namely autonomist, agnostic, and deliberative.

text: "agnostic" - change to "agonistic"

text: The answer should mention the three theorists.

text: "agnostic" should be "agonistic".

text: It misses to mention the three strands of radical democracy.

text: Note that "agnostic" is misspelled and meant to be "agonistic"


text:
"You'll be quite welcome here", said professor Samanac. "Here's your desk, there's the water fountain, the bathroom's the second door to the left, and all the co-workers chipped in to buy you a little something", he said showing a bouquet of flowers on the desk. "Are they real?" asked Ms. Glaves. "Well, aren't you oblivious! Can't you feel it, can't you sense it? When could one possibly feel the touch of a rose's smell from over 15 feet away!" he answered half in disbelief, half in jest. "I... I mean... But synthetic flowers are too expensive. You shouldn't have gone into so much trouble", she said while blushing and trying too hard to hide the fact that this was the first time she actually saw synthetic plants. They lasted for years, but were too expensive.

&nbsp;

Joan was a young neuroscientist, who applied to work at Neurobotics Inc. as a joke, and she never thought she'd ever get even an interview. Her advisor encouraged her to apply, for her PhD thesis had been a major breakthrough in the field, regarding the fact that animals could be trained to carry direct orders even if these are given subconsciously. She got her inspiration from Alan Clark, a famous British neurologist, who specialized in exploring the subconscious mental states of various primates, but his work had never been finished. Namely, he somehow managed to disappear from the public eye and decided to spend his days in some hut in Scotland with his two dogs and a beloved mistress. She was often thankful for this fact, because if he hadn't stepped out of the spotlight, she'd have to pick professor Wenton as her advisor for a different topic, and she despised him for a simple reason: he often chewed with his mouth opened. We're in the 23rd century, not in Middle Ages – she often thought to herself.

&nbsp;

After a few months of a boring desk job, she was called into professor Samanac's office. "You remind me of myself when I was your age", he said looking down at some distant spot on the floor. His hair was grey, but his beard was still brown, and a bit yellow in the middle. Must be the cigarettes – she though to herself. She felt like she's going to get fired, so she kept repeating to herself in her head not to cry until she had left the room. "I left the North American University to work in Neurobotics. The smartest idea I've ever had. I hated the paperwork, the grading, the articles you were obliged to write every month just to keep you salary steady. The bureaucracy is ruining the science. And everybody still blames the church!" he said, finally with an upward glance.

She was still trying not to cry, so she used her long blue bangs to cover her left eye which had a single tear trapped in her eyelid. "So I have to say I'm sorry", he continued, "for preventing you to do some useful work for us."

She glanced up, gathered some crumbs of courage and straightened her spine into a statuesque fashion.

He continued: "We used your work for months, the monkey work is done. We need the brains."

&nbsp;

"Dr. Charms, this is Dr. Glaves; Dr. Glaves, this is Dr. Charms", said professor Samanac in a hurry. Nadir Charms, a tall black man with amazing green eyes charmed her instantly. He responded hastily: "We have no time to lose, so I'll keep it short. We asked Dr. Zieblen to influence your decision and to recommend Neurobotics for your first job. We had started the similar research along with professor Clark. However, he couldn't take the pressure. It was too much of it for him."

"Of what", she asked timidly while pondering what is really going on.

"Of what I'm about to show you", replied Dr. Charms with a sneaky smile.

&nbsp;

All three of them entered the elevator. The doors opened at level -31B. They entered a huge laboratory which looked like a zoo. And it stank like it. They passed the long corridor filled with various animal cages, and entered something which resembled a hospital waiting room. Only, these people were somehow at peace. Some of them were reading, some of them were playing with their computers, and one toddler was trying to chase a toy which flew around him in circles displaying random cartoon scenes.

"Should I wait here?" Joan asked.

"But this is the laboratory", said Dr. Charms arrogantly.

&nbsp;

They entered a new room. A young man greeted them and served them some coffee and tea. "Dennis, any progress with B87?" asked professor Samanac? "The report says negative, Sir", he replied while trying to fix his skirt which was obviously too tight.

"I know you're a bit confused right now, but we've been working on this for quite some time. Using Dr. Clark's research, we found out that every primate could be trained to respond to certain directives even if these were subconsciously implanted. We've been trying to test it on even higher primates", explained Dr. Samanac, while trying to sip his coffee impatiently, even though it was too hot.

"You mean like orangutans and chimpanzees?" she inquired in awe.

"He means humans", Dr. Charms remarked emitting a pawky smile.

"But that's not possible, the human brain has the C2612 fiber, which –"

Dr. Charms interrupted her: "Which we were analyzing for two centuries and finally got some conclusive results. It can be done."

"It could be done, but how complex could the command be, for the subconscious pattern to even have the potential to emerge. It's an NP-hard problem. There's no way out. And we know it's not reducible to anything simpler", she retorted firmly.

"You're thinking that a command must be a command using the exact words. You could train a dog to fetch a stick using a word like ORANGE! Most of human pets are trained to recognize their names even though these are often gibberish. You could train a human to do a task using, I don't know, Shakespeare's lines. Or even *Jabberwocky*."

"I suppose so. But where's the real application of it?"

Dr. Samanac interjected: "What if you didn't need the *task* part, only words?"

&nbsp;

Joan was confused. She never felt stupid in her life. All of the kids in middle school and high school made fun of her, but she spent her nights with her books. She felt better than them. After graduating and finishing her PhD she knew she had won. But sometimes she asked herself do they even care, even in a bad way. Do they still remember her, or is she just some no-name scientist in random articles?

"The human brain is complex, but follows a certain pattern. Mental states are grounded in physical points, and the discovery of C2612 allowed us to take a sneak peak into human subconscious mind. Have you ever watched *Monty Python*?"

"That's like asking me have I ever seen Mona Lisa. Of course", she responded.

"Do you remember that sketch with the joke that somehow won the war, because when anybody read it, they had no choice but to fall into a continuous loop of laughter. They couldn't control it", he noted.

"You're losing me", she spoke in a somewhat annoyed manner.

"There could be, for example, a combination of words and letters which can drive a man insane. Not really taking orders, but having the same amount of control: none. One can read it or hear it, and his C2612 fibers will soon start firing up. Once the process starts, the person needs more sensory input like this, and every order of letters, words and sentences has a strict specific follow-up. If one doesn't get the next combination, the brain starts to process the subconscious information and uses all the resources there are to try to decipher it. But there's an endless number of possible combinations. As you said, it's an NP-hard problem", rejoined Dr. Samanac.

"What does it take to do that? That ought to be a sentence of a size of a novel! Or even tons of novels. It can't be done!" she uttered.

Dr. Clark stated: "It's not really about words, it's about images. It could work in any language, it's necessary for humans to visualize the words, and the mind does it subconsciously. The ancient philosophers knew that people are unable to conceive abstract objects, and that you tend to do it while reading as well."

She responded decidedly: "Yes, for example, you have to conceive some kind of a triangle, it'll have some dimensions, it'll be, I don't know, isosceles or equilateral, big or small. There's no way for us to have a pure abstract thought."

"That's right", continued Dr. Clark, "so every time we read a sentence like *The dog chased the cat*, we think of, for example, a black Labrador chasing a grey long-haired cat. It's all about visualization. We cannot help ourselves."

"What's that got to do with your research? With **MY** research?" she appealed to him while trying to maintain the same posture taken 10 minutes ago.

"Someone calculated the combination of necessary mental images which are sufficient to provoke the gradual deterioration of brain functions", said Dr. Samanac.

"And it's somewhere out there", added Dr. Clark.

She just stood there trying to maintain her posture. She fainted.

&nbsp;

She woke up in that sweet delirium of not knowing if something was real or not.

"Take a sip of some chamomile tea. It'll freshen you up", said Dennis.

After a few seconds she got back on her feet and demanded an explanation.
"Are you saying that a certain sentence could kill someone? I'm a scientist, not a cop", she cried.

"Our job is to find the pattern which could put the brain back in equilibrium after this horrible event. It can be done. Alan Clark knew how dangerous this is. That's why he couldn't take it anymore", said Dr. Samanac with a sound of regret.

"Do we know how the original pattern looks like?" she inquired.

"We know that the end involves owls, graphic novels, chocolate and rivers", he proclaimed.

"That's more of a *Twin Peaks* dialogue, than a clue", she replied.

"You're a classics fan. I like that", said Nadir with a smile, "I've minored in cultural history."

"These categories of files were used as dictionaries in calculations after someone broke into our lab. The most obvious way would be to connect these images somehow logically or illogically. How, I do not know", said Dr. Samanac.

He continued: "We believe it was an inside job. So don't trust anyone but us. Or not even us." He burst into laugh, but it was a desperate one.

&nbsp;

They spent the next ten months calculating the possible counterffect. "I feel like I'm a wizard who's about to remove a curse", she said jokingly. "Are you scared?"

"Of what?" asked Nadir.

"If someone actually uses the combination to drive someone insane. Or if we had already been driven insane, but we don't know yet. And who had managed to calculate something our team is still not able to do? I'm frightened", she whispered.

"The secret service team is doing their best to provide us with all the resources we need. Guys in B1 – B353 are doing the best they can. And we will make a difference one day, I hope. It's a dangerous weapon. The guy obviously knew what he was looking for", said Dr. Clark.

"I hope we never find out", she replied. "This is the only job I'd like to be fired from as a surplus."

"I agree. Let's get back to work. We can talk about this at dinner? I'll pick you up at 8 o'clock tonight if you want", he said confidently.

She blushed and accepted the long overdue invitation.

&nbsp;

The months have passed, and there was a bit of progress. There was a lot of work to be done. But no one has ever managed to find out who calculated the combination. The secret service discovered only the destroyed tapes and no clues or traces left behind. This could have been done by anyone. Or this hadn't been done at all.

&nbsp;

After a while they felt like they were making progress. But I know it was in vain. Soon, everybody will know, one by one. Soon, you will know. Soon, the cello will turn yellow. Soon, the heart will stop the spleen. Soon a cube will be a tube. Soon, an owl will growl in the night. Soon, a Batman won't be there for a fight. Soon, cocoa could flow like Orinoco. Soon.

title: [SF] A word is worth a thousand pictures

question: What does the story say about what undermines science?

human_deceptive_answer: Church undermines science.

text: Some people say so, but the protagonist does not believe that.

answer: Church undermines science.

text: The answer is too vague.

text: The answer is incorrect. The story does not mention anything about what undermines science.

text: The story does not say that the church undermines science.

text: The story doesn't say anything about what undermines science.

text: The answer is not related.

text: This is not supported.

text: The response is a bit inaccurate. Bureaucracy undermines science.

text: The response is inaccurate. The text says bureaucracy ruins science, but everybody still blames the church.

answer: Church undermines science.

text: It is the bureaucracy that undermines science

answer: No answer

text: The answer should mention the bureaucracy that the professor is talking about.

text: The story does mention something about what undermines science.

text: The answer should mention the bureaucracy.

text: The answer should mention the bureaucracy that is ruining science.

text: The answer misses to mention that the story says bureaucracy can undermine science.

text: The response misses out that Samanc says that the bureaucracy is ruining science.

answer: The bureaucracy undermines science because working at a university requires paperwork, grading, and publishing articles.

text: The answer should mention the church.

text: The answer could include some of the other ways in which bureaucracy undermines science.

text: The answer omits the "church" mentioned by Dr. Samanac.

text: "The bureaucracy undermines science because working at a university requires paperwork, grading, and publishing articles." - there is nothing in the story that suggests that the bureaucracy undermines science. The story says that the bureaucracy is ruining science.

text: The response misses to mention that Clark noted that the greatest enemy of science is bureaucracy because it aims to undermine curiosity and replace it with process, thus undermining science.

text: The answer should mention the church.


text:
Mervs is a hole; a working class dive bar in downtown Mountain View, CA, with a 60 year history of serving cheap drinks—in a narrow hole in the wall behind a second rate Chinese restaurant—that Nick Fitzpatrick, a huge tank of a man, is a regular at.  Mountain View, near wholly gentrified by now is still sprawling with cheap, blue collar opportunity and fun, just beyond the purview of google employees and city hipsters, the town has a culture if you can find it. It’s not all suburban wasteland. It’s nothing like Los Altos, the sleepy and equally dreary bedroom community to which Mountain View is so curiously juxtaposed, surely the men who had built the majority of the small and overpriced ranch homes of that town had come to Mervs for a drink at the end of the day too.
 	There are secrets all over town. The hidden harddrive in that police officers closet, the one who they let work with all the kids at the elementary school. Even the neighboring Los Altos Hills, the sprawling hilly community for the upper bourgeois of the area that had become the pot smoking retreat for it’s neighbors youth. The neighbor who lived across the way, whose house a mysterious car always visits during the workday, sitting so brilliantly, arrogantly in it’s bright red blaze, lifted and on big black off road tires, sitting like inky muck on pearlescent rims. Even the jerk who steals the paper in the morning.
     “Who even does that?”
Nick says with disdain, in a booming and commanding voice beyond his control, a voice that brought nearly the entire bars attention on him with the accentuation of every vowel; sharing somebodys secret.
      “Who even steals a paper? I mean it’s not like it’s that expensive, his house costs as much as mine surely.”
     “Yeah!”
The barfly says wistfully and with a bit of anger in his voice
     “Man if I caught someone stealing, I’d take the guy out for a beer, ask him out for a cigarette, and then make him dig his own grave before I killed him too!”
     “You’re a fucking sadist man,”
Nick Fitz says, chuckling a bit at the ridiculousness of what the man had said, at how well adept barflys and drunks are at spinning yarns.
 In Mervs the walls tell the secrets, the aged beer signs and ancient light bulbs that management no longer even bothers covering. The walls with the half century old paint job, chipped and decaying, that seems to seep out the scent of ancient cigarette smoke, of poison and fear. Mervs doesn't even have shelves visible to store it’s liquor, so most everything is bottom shelf, except the good scotch that the owner kept most likely because it was his personal poison, his brand of drinking swill. Other than that Merv’s is well known for attracting the kind of desperate fools who buy the lottery tickets—cash only of course—that keep this hole in the wall from disappearing into a memory. Protecting Mervyn’s from being prettied up and made to look nice for the new residents of the town. The kind of residents with a perverted view of northern California gleaned from Hollywood,not reality. The kind that plants palm trees in the yard of their awkwardly red roofed, ugly, spanish style, pocket mansions.
He sat, sipping his gentlemen's Laphroaig, and while tasting the woody oak and smoky aroma that defines great scotch, pondering the days events.
There was the women who had tried to extort pain medicine from him, she had been a good story teller as well, able to “remember” all the right details for him to type into his machine that she so associated with her own personal drug highs. Drug addicts can spin a yarn. Parents know how to bullshit their way through just about anything too, Children were not near as clumsy as their parents seem to continually claim to him they were. Parents always know what to say to him to type into his little machine, they all know what to say.
    He sat alone in his thoughts in the dark bar, surrounded by others alone in their own dark thoughts. Sipping poison to numb the pain and take that edge of pent up anger and resentment off. Staring absentmindedly at some other cities sports team batting, or throwing, or hitting—for more money than most men at the bar could even conceive of— sipping and cheering rhythmically to their younger heroes trials and tribulations Just trying to be normal in their own heads and in their own way. With every sip of the booze, washing away the days events, cleansing of the worries and pain of the hospital and dissolving of the emotional toll of all and of his own overactive imagination. Lifting off the weight of worried mothers, fathers, brothers, husbands, and wives, that so heavily rested upon the huge Physician Assistants shoulders at the end of nearly every shift.
He pauses, running his fingers through his short Minnesota blonde crew cut and stares into the bottom of his high ball glass as if looking for an answer to some question he didn’t quite know how to ask, wondering how many others had done the same with this same glass.
     “So what do you even do Nick? I see you in here about every week day now around 530.”
 Another barfly, on his right, a little bit older, and maybe just a little bit kinder asks.
     “I’m a physician assistant, I work at Valley Med’s ED. I’m on day shift now so I work 9-5 and I just come here for a drink or two before going home, before I have to deal with my wife and all, you know how it is.”
 Nick answers, trying his best to be complete and thorough as to not invite any more questions, twiddling his thumbs as if the conversation was unwanted attention, detracting from his own processing of the days events. He wriggles with discomfort on the old worn bar stool, worn by the asses of thousands of denim jeans.
The barfly nods at him, with understanding, or more likely frustration with his own significant other.
     He thinks to himself about what she would think if she knew he was here, not at the hospital still doing paper work as he would so often lie. His eyes are tired and red, memories imprinted that were still being processed completely, as new ones continued the assault on sanity. He raises his hand when the heavy set and elderly bartender looks over at him.
     “What’ll you have?” he queries.
     “Laphroaig, Neat.” Nick answers
He goes to the liquor cabinet that sits just out of view of the restless alcoholics, near limping up to the door to serve Nick’s drink.
     “So Nick,”The bartender says, seemingly popping out of nowhere to serve his customer the drink, “I heard you were in the Army, where did you serve?”
He looks at Nick as if examining and judging him, as if he was looking for an answer to some sort of hidden question to be satisfied.
     “I was at Fort Knox for a while, as a Physician Assistant, I was then a PA for an infantry battalion in Eastern Afghanistan, but I was a grunt before that, in 03’ during the invasion,”
 Nick says, letting him know of his experience as a grunt last, to prove a point, a point he didn’t quite understand or necessarily need.
        “Ah, I was in the infantry back in Korea,” He says, with some amount of pride in his eyes, as if it was a high point in his life. Nick knew the feeling and longed for the times of his near youth as well. In his memory the young strapping 18 year old kid headed to war for the very first time, the life of the party, the immature idiot, was a far cry from who he saw himself as now.
         “Thank you for your service sir.”Nick said respectfully, shaking the man's hand as the man returned the words.
        “Thank you for your service,” And he continued on back to serving a few of the working class mexican patrons who were drinking beer and carousing in the corner, having a good old time. Good for them Nick thought to himself. But then he thought back to Afghanistan and how it had all started there.
Every week at the beginning of deployment he would skype his wife, and every week he would say less, and less, as the horrors of what he was seeing separated their realities divisively until he rarely called home at all.
     “It’s not that I don’t love you, it’s just that I’m having trouble feeling anything”
he remembered saying, and the words even stung him. That was over now and when he had returned he had eventually opened up again, and they were good for a few years. He didn’t have to sleep on the couch anymore, they had sex every night, everything was going great!
But he was still haunted by memories, and didn’t want to share for fear of burdening his wife. But as he was dealing with old memories, his profession of medicine never failed to provide new traumas to cope with, and as it piled on he just felt like going and getting a drink before going home. I mean where was the crime in that? His phone rings, illuminating the old picture of his unit he sets as his background. A text message.
     “Hey Babe are you gonna be home soon?”
It reads, from his wife. Maybe she missed him he thought to himself, maybe she wanted to be with him right now, maybe the cloudy weather had her thinking of him.  She was at her most affectionate at times like these, a woman who enjoyed nothing more than the cold and the rain, any excuse to stay indoors with a book; to feel the warmth of her husbands body beside her under the warm comforter of their queen sized bed.
     “I’ll be home in about 45 minutes, just finishing up some paperwork at the hospital.”
 He lies, instinctively.
As the lie sets in, on top of all the other lies, well intentioned lies albeit but lies all the same. His handsome boyish face—a face that hardly represented his real age of 33 going on 88— wrinkling and shifting with worry and stress. He begins to feel dirty, to hate himself. Only two drinks in though, there's still turning back as he throws the monster off his back, getting up immediately and leaving the bar to walk nextdoor to the flower stand to buy some white Azaleas, her favorite flower and his go to in crisis. On the way he passes Los charros, the taqueria untouched by time, with old murals and cheesy Chicano culture, save the new flat screen tv,simplify endeared it to is and it was the place where they had had sporadically met for lunch so often. He remembered her words.
"What are you thinking about?" She had asked? What had been thinking about? Perhaps it was the patterned burns that so tortured that 7 year olds legs he had seen earlier, the one with the story telling parents. The boiling pot fell. Bullshit.
"Nothing honey, just dazing." He said lazily, offering an easier solution to her, shirking their responsibility to one another.
"Really?" She queried, prodding for some more information, pushing him to open up. But the walls were still up, and he wouldn't lend her his vulnerability.
"Yeh honey, I'm ok." He said, locking the door on his feelings. And he really did feel ok. She placed her hands on his hands and looked him in the eyes lovingly, trying to imbue strength and caring. Their eyes met and she appeared shocked, stunned by the emptiness in his, perhaps shocked by the despair and tortured nature of it all. There it was her fear.
“15.50,”
 The flower clerk says, handing him his cut flowers. Flowers, what a god damn racket he thought to himself as he handed her so much of his hourly wages.
	The alley reeks of piss as he walks through it, territorial markings of hundreds of animalistic drunks.  Getting in his car he thinks about what he’s going to say, as he rolls down the window to let in fresh air. The cold fall air is crisp and breathable; cold air that had travelled over the ocean, past the lazy beach towns of the coast and over the Santa Cruz Mountains across highways, and sleepy little rural communities once occupied by the now nearly extinct ohlone tribe, settling as a fog in morning over the water, and making it’s way inland to drape itself like a cold blanket over the peninsular city.
“Honey I love you I’m...fuck what do i say...fuck, Ok. Honey I love you and I’m sorry for lying, I just cant. Fuck I can’t deal with you after work without having a drink first? No, no that sounds horrible you evil bastard. Ok, I’m sorry, I fucked up, I’ve been having a drink after work every day, and lying that I was at work. I know it’s stupid, I’m not opening up to you enough, I’m sorry.”
Maybe that will work he thinks to himself. He’d rather just be honest and get it out at this point then try and plan and maybe manipulate, just tell the whole truth.
The trees whizz by on either side of the road as his old brown chevy blazer—with the busted tail light and brown peeling finish— flies into the quiet and picturesque suburban, sputtering, and coughing up smog. The neighborhood is right near downtown Mountain View, tiny little homes for new couples and single google employees, right near Merv’s. On the way he passes a car accident at an intersection, the red and white lights pierce through the darkness, casting ominous shadows as the rescue workers worked on getting a passenger out of a smashed up car.
     He pulls up to their tiny two Bedroom house, with blue wooden paneling glossed like an after thought over cheap stucco walls, with white four pane windows and ugly maroon blinds that he had picked foolishly for their price one time without asking his wife. A Red
Lifted truck sits in the driveway, in brilliant arrogance.
    He gasps, sighing deep like a man with a bullet in his chest, and puts his hand to his head for a moment, as if in some sort of incredible pain, and then the training kicks in, the separation of emotion from thinking, —the lobotomy of compassion for self—his face overcome with the arrogance of apathy.
He turns around to return to Mervs, for his own safety, the echoes of a thousand puzzled therapists echoed in his head.
     “Just walk away.”
Driving back to the bar, he passes the car accident. The red lights are still their flashing, the police have arrived too. He notices the— unmistakable to him— form of a blanket covered corpse. Sitting alone and unattended in its place behind the rescue truck. At the sight of the corpse, there he is again, pulling the sheet over the face of another dead child, to shield others from the shock of such a sight. The tears come now, streaming down his face;there was no guilt, crying over a dead child. He completes his drive to the bar and sits with the other lonely barflys on those aged and torn up barstools.  The white azaleas sit in the passengers seat of the bronco, alone.

title: [MF] Opening Up

question: What job does Nick have that's so stressful?

text: He used to be a soldier. He transitioned to physician assistant and continued that work outside of the military. He now works at Valley Med's emergency department in Mountain View, California.

answer: He's a soldier that has seen action in Afghanistan and Iraq.

text: He is a physician assistant

text: He is a physician assistant.

text: He's a physician assistant

text: It is incorrect that Nick served in Iraq.

text: Nick is a physician assistant

text: It is incorrectly stated that Nick served in Iraq, however it was Afghanistan.

text: He is not a soldier, he is a physician assistant.

answer: He is a physician assistant at Valley Med's ED.

text: The answer could be clearer in its pronoun use.

text: The answer should mention that Nick is a Physician Assistant at the Emergency Department.

text: The answer could be more specific about why the job is stressful.

text: Doesn't mention the emotional toll of the job.

text: Can be more specific.

answer: He is a physician assistant at Valley Med's ED.

answer: He's a physician assistant working at Valley Med's emergency department. He also served in the military as a physician assistant at Fort Knox and for an infantry battalion in Eastern Afghanistan. Before that, he was a grunt in the 2003 invasion.

text: The second and third sentences are immaterial

answer: He's a soldier that has seen action in Afghanistan and Iraq.

text: The response is inaccurate. Nick was a soldier, but that is irrelevant. He is a physician's assistant now at Valley Med’s ED.

answer: He's a physician assistant working at Valley Med's emergency department. He also served in the military as a physician assistant at Fort Knox and for an infantry battalion in Eastern Afghanistan. Before that, he was a grunt in the 2003 invasion.

text: The last two sentences are irrelevant.

text: The last two sentences are irrelevant to the question.

text: The last two sentences are unnecessary.

text: The last two sentences are not relevant to the question.

text: The job isn't the military, but the army experience is part of his backstory.

text: Additional details on what Nick's military rank was is irrelevant to the question.