Posted by
peripheral on Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:42:05 AM
From My Perspective - - -
Algorithms are understood and utilized in a variety of ways, viz., by
putting it in the context of the methods employed to Divide and Conquer
(D&C). American Heritage Dictionary defines Algorithm as: “A
step-by-step problem-solving procedure, especially an established,
recursive computational procedure for solving a problem in a finite
number of steps.” For instance, “In computer science…a D&C
algorithm works by recursively breaking down a problem into two or more
sub-problems of the same or related type, until these become simple
enough to be solved directly. The solutions to the sub-problems are
then combined to give a solution to the original problem.” Simply
stated, Algorithm is understood by the following: “Divide and Conquer
is a powerful tool for solving conceptually difficult problems. All it
requires is a way of breaking the problem into sub-problems, of solving
the trivial cases and of combining sub-problems to the original
problem.”
The Divide and Conquer (D&C) approach is not limited to
Mathematical and Scientific issues alone. If one pays attention,
D&C is often a Political ploy used by a man/woman seeking elected
office, or in the effort to gain support for legislation. An example of
this is in the current Health Care Reform Debate and Possible
legislation. We have heard the Speaker of the House state people are
coming to Town Halls with Swastikas. Others have likened the citizens
attending Town Halls employing terms – Brown Shirts, Mobs, Extremists.
As a matter of fact, on the www.MyBarackObama.com
webpage, there is a Link that refers to a group of American Citizens
as: “Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists”! The headline of the article is: “MyBarackObama.com Page Planned Phone Campaign on 9/11 Against 'Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists' On Health Reform.” Plain and simple, it is the Divide and Conquer technique.
"United We Stand, Divided We Fall," is a favorite phrase, used in
varying forms, of political orators from Benjamin Franklin to Abraham
Lincoln. It has been attributed to Aesop, both directly in his fable The Four Oxen and the Lion and indirectly from The Bundle of Sticks.
It gained some popularity after John Dickinson's 'Liberty Song' was
published on July 18, 1768, in the Boston Gazette. The work contained
the lines: “Then join in hand, brave Americans all— By uniting we
stand, by dividing we fall!” Patrick Henry was passionate in this
regard and used the phrase in his last public speech, given in March
1799, in which he denounced The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions.
Clasping his hands and waving his body back and forth, Henry declaimed,
“Let us trust God, and our better judgment to set us right hereafter.
United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which
must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.” At the end of
his oration, Henry fell into the arms of bystanders…Two months
afterward he was dead. A wise President during the sad and dark days of
the Civil War – Abraham Lincoln - agonized over the nation. He
empathized and emphasized the sentiments of Patrick Henry – United We
Stand, Divided We Fall. Sadly, the trend of our times is to marginalize
and fractionalize. It may bring momentary gain, but ultimately, it will
prove to have contributed greatly to the ruin and demise of a once
great and Christian nation.
In the spiritual sense, Jesus prayed for His followers so that they
would not divide or be conquered. He did not want his followers to be
marginalized and fractionalized. His Prayer is recorded in John 17:20-23,
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will
believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one,
Father, just as you are in me and I am in you…May they be brought to
complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved
them even as you have loved me.” There is also the Prayer by Paul in Ephesians 4:2-6,
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another
in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the
bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were
called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one
baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all…through all…in
all.” If you have committed yourself to Christ, this should be your
goal and reality. The motto of the Church of Jesus Christ must be:
United We Stand – Divided We Fall! Consider these things with me!