Woodrow Wilson Essays (1311 words) - Freemen Of The City Of London

Woodrow Wilson The turn of century was an important time for pre-WWI America. National and international affairs were in full swing, just as ever. America was trying hard to remain with its Isolationism, yet could in no way thoroughly do so. Yet with this isolationistic stance, that was deteriorating daily, much emphasis was put onto national affairs of the United States by the government. Woodrow Wilson, the third president of this new century, also had great concern with the national affairs of the U.S. Elected in 1912, Wilson strongly believed in a government ?more concerned about human rights than property rights? (Comptons). Through these strong idealistic views, Wilson was in fact the ?president of the common people.? He proved this through his efforts for farmers and other laborers. This also seen through his ?New Freedom? basis of government, as opposed to President Roosevelt's ?New Nationalist? form of government. On top of this, Wilson's flood of social welfare legislation proved that he was definitely ?president of the common people.? One thing must be known about Wilson before anything else. That is the fact that he was a strong idealist. He had great visions of how to make the U.S. a better nation for all. This is illustrated trough his many Acts that he sent through congress. He put in place many systems that help benefit all the common people. Though he did not always follow all the way through with his plans (he more or less put them in place and left them), his strong devotion to the common people being treated equally cannot be overseen. The fact is that Wilson truly cared about the farmer and the working man. For example, it is known that he ?promised to return state government to the people? (Bailey 703). He believed in the struggles of people as a whole, rather than individually. One act that he put into place was the Federal Farm Loan Act. Here, Wilson made credit very easily accessible to those farmers in need. This law divided the country into twelve regions and opened a Federal Land Bank inn each one of these regions (McDuffie 139) Wilson also made the rate of interest towards these farmers very low and affordable. Wilson realized the importance of the farmer upon American society, a fact that many other politicians of the time easily ignored. So with his idealistic visions, Wilson brought a little ease upon the farmers of America. In 1916, Wilson helped get the Warehouse Act into effect. This act ?authorized loans on the security of staple crops? (Bailey 709). Both of these acts were in essence Populist ideas that the Populists wanted into effect for some number of years. And it was only President Wilson who brought these issues to light and made a difference for these common people. It is obvious that Wilson was concerned of the farmers and he therefore acted upon the concerns and made life that much easier for them. Wilson was also very concerned with the average workers of the U.S. His flood of social welfare programs was clearly send and felt by hard working American citizens all around the country. The combination of new acts being put in place targeting business in general, along with those targeted specifically for the betterment of the welfare of working Americans. In 1916, Wilson imposed the Workingman's Compensation Act. Under this Act, assistance was given to federal civil service employees in the time of disability. Also, Wilson put into place the Child Labor Act in the same year. Though this law was declared unconstitutional in 1918, it was a definite step in the right direction. For it did not allow the shipment of products that had been made by those under the age of fourteen or the age of sixteen (the age limit was different for different products). Also in that same year, the Adamson Act was put into effect. This law required a maximum of no higher than an eight hour work day. This law was mainly meant for railway workers. This law was considered ?a major victory for railroad unions, a averted a railroad strike in September 1916. Wilson's whole form of government during his first term was based on his ?New Freedom.? In this New Freedom, Wilson put in effect ?a program to liberate American economic energies by drastic tariff reduction, strengthening the antitrust laws, and reorganizing of the banking and the credit system? (Cink). This was in opposition to Teddy Roosevelt's ?New Nationalism? which looked ?toward sweeping

buy custom Henrik Ibsen’s Doll’s House essay

buy custom Henrik Ibsen’s Doll’s House essay The purpose of this paper in relation to both the traditional marriage setting and the modern setting of marriage in our society is to expose the radical changes that have been seen in the recent past. A dolls house is a three-act play novel that was very successful during Its time, which went ahead to get recognition in many parts of the world. This book was written By a Norwegian author who was called Henrik lbsen. Who seemed to have expounded greatly on the issue of marriage in the society. At such a time when many people still held strong Traditional beliefs about the role of a man and a wife in the marriage setting, Henkins books Seemed to trend on dangerous grounds which made his book generate so much controversy as Well as admirations. The book generally revolved around a girl that was called Nora and his Husband Helmer who represented a typical family in the late 19th century society and how People regard the institution of the marriage. (Ibsen, 1925) Thesis Statement In Henrik dolls house though it was the responsibility of both the woman and the man To bring up their children on the way they should go, traditionally many still held the notion that It was supposed to be the womans role to perform the child bearing in order to help her children Grow into responsible members in the society. There Should be Moral Values in Marriages As stated in the henriks play of a dolls house, the main protagonist in the play was a girl name Nora; she is married to a very successful man called Helmer. He is what many would call a Modern father. He ensures that he provide for his family and ensure they never lack a single Thing. The two have children and in the early stage of the play what a lovely little family do they Make. On the other hand Nora is that moral, simple and naive lady that is seen playing Submissive and eager to please her man. (Fisher, 2003) The author seems at portray not just the way women are supposed to treat their husband but exposes how many marriages during that time were based. Women were supposed to respect their husbands and hold treat them as kings. The fact that man is the head of the home has been a notion that has been passed one throughout very many generations. The play only seeks to highlight on it to show how important it is to the development of any given marriages. Also in the play Nora and Helmer tried to ensure that they have nurtured their children in the Right way they should grow and instill in them the right moral values that they have trained them to have. This is a parental responsibility and the two throughout the play are seen to have performed it quite well. Therefore according to Henriks play it was very important that a parent should lead by example so that their children could grow up in the right manner. There are also the Issues of Responsibility which must be there for the Family to function well Accoring to Henrik play a doll house both Helmer is seen as a very responsible man in that he is able to provide for his family ensuring that they dont lack a single thing. This is a very Important trait in any given family today, more so like it was in many families back then in the 19th century. (Siddall, 2008) The two had three children that they made sure they have raised in the right Ways. Though at a later time in the play Helmer fell ill and wasnt in a position to provide for his Family, Nora needed to take the responsibility and stand up for her family. This can be termed as one place in the play where the authors seem to encourage women to be independent and stand for their families. However, Nora committed some few crimes in forging a signature and even Borrowing money without telling her husband all these he had done so that he many help Both her husband who at the time was ill and look after her family. The author here must have Trodden on a subject that made him accumulate both admiration and distastes by bring Awareness that women too could rise above beliefs and set rule that the society had placed on them. For example during those times a women wasnt supposed to work, her role was to look After the children and it was the role of the man to act as the breadwinner of the home. Here The author must have startled the norm in the society. What are the Reasons that make People get married? Marriage has been and still is a sacred institution which has been in practice for long. It was highly respected and held high among many people in the 19th Century around the time Henrik was writing this play, people were still getting married and families were still being made. Just as it is depicted in the dolls house story based on Christine who was one of the character in the book says that she married her husband since she didnt have the mean to support her sick mother and her young siblings. From this context one can be brought to think that most people will tend to get married to escape from given responsibility they are required to perform. Since society dictates that when a women is married it will be the responsibility of the man to look and take care of them, many women will gladly go for the ideal in order to have their materials needs met. Again the author has revealed in the play that people will also tend to get married to get way from their loneliness. Which can real ly have a negative impact on a person if it is left to go on for long? Emotional support can also be a good reason why people get married and lastly to raise a family is a great reason why any people would want to be married. In relation to the play why people got married According to the henrik play which tends to focus on the marriages of Nora and her husband Helmer, they married seemed to have been well at the beginning until, when Nora decide to do the unthinkable so that she can help her family. First she borrowed money without telling her Husband and two shhe forged a signature so that she can have enough money to save her Husband. People in those days tend to get married so that they can fulfill their financial needs. Helmer was a banker and very successful during that time. At the very beginning of the play they can be seen after they have returned from their Christmas shopping, again this can also be expounded of Noras friend Christine who puts it very plainly by say she only got married to her husband so that she can support her sick mother and young siblings. The issue of materialist needs is well bought out in the play. This is one of the many reasons that made people get married in the play. Another reason that could have led people to ge t married could be the need to have a family. These are some of the few things that the author has highlighted on based on the play. How Helmer was seen to treat her wife Helmer is a great father when it comes in providing for his family and ensuring that his children are well taken care of. He loves his wife Nora which is why at some point they are seen coming from a Christmas shopping. However he treats her wife as a plaything occasionally when passion gets the better part of him he will act like a man possessed and indulge in her wife with deep passion. For instance there is a timer the two attending a party and Helmer is highly excited when he sees his wife dance before him. Through this, it can be confirmed that he used to treat her wife life a sexual-object to satisfy his sexual needs. He can also be termed as violent in addition, explosive. (Siddall, 2008) This can be brought to light at the time he found out the truth about the crimes her wife had committed his reaction was very inconsiderate. He also says harsh word to her wife and this is hurting to Nora. Helmer can also be said to be judgmental since after realizing the truth he was seen to suggest that her wife was not fit to rise up their children. Further adding salt to the wound, he Taunts saying their marriage from hence forth will only be a marriage to be seen and nothing more beside that. At no point there is Helmer seen to be treating his wife life a man is supposed to. Even when one member in then marriage commits a wrong, it should be the responsibility of both in working through their disagreement so that they can arrive at good solution. Without this being there that marriage will always be filled with problems Conclusion The dolls house play can be termed as the most popular piece of literary works that was well received during its time. What made the novel so unique and special is the fact that it centered on the marriage of Nora who was the protagonist and her husband Helmer. Their marriage was based on wealth, selfishness and pride in relation to how the people viewed them. Much the same as was in the society back then, people cared how others perceive their marriage. Thats why they could do everything in their power to appear like all was well and good, yet the truth of the matter their marriages were in problems. In the end Henrik play is said to have sparked the desire among women to be independent and no longer have to depend on their men for provision. No wonder around that time when the book was being launched many women rights movement were said to have been started in many part of the world. Buy custom Henrik Ibsen’s Doll’s House essay

Bush V. Gore

Gore was described as a controversial election to say the least. The votes in several Florida counties were put up into question as to whether they should be counted or not. In a Democratic Election all legal votes must be counted. The main arguments around this issue were Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution, the interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause and confusion around voting deadlines during the Recount. This process was exacerbated by the lack of impartial justices and secretary of state. The initial argument surrounding this issue is Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution. Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution states, â€Å"In presidential elections, each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, the electors to which the State is entitled. † That being said 3 justices, Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas all argued that Florida violated this; there argument placed a lot of emphasis on the word â€Å"legislature†. Meaning to say that there is a difference between the State, who is empowered to appoint its own electors and that own State’s legislature. Furthermore, this Article of the Constitution is completely out of the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction in the circumstances. The Supreme Court should have nothing to do with matters of state law in between the State and their own Legislature. Also, the Florida Supreme Court held that â€Å"a legal vote may include any ballot from which it is reasonably possible to determine the clear intent of the voter, whether or not the ‘chad’ had been completely punched through, which is consistent with the law of the clear majority of the States†. Chief Justice Rehnquist in his opinion argued that this interpretation was so ridiculous and not mirrored with Florida legislation, that it violated Article 2. He claimed that because most counties use punch cards that tell you to clearly punch your ballot no reasonable person could count a vote that wasn’t clearly punched all the way through. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) The Florida Election Code states that â€Å"no vote shall be declared invalid if there is a clear indication of the intent of the voter†, also a 60 year old Florida Law precedent states that â€Å"must give statutes relating to elections a construction in favor of the citizen’s right to vote, and the intention of the voters should prevail when counting ballots† (Constitution of the State of Florida, As Revised in 1968) After hearing this, the other 6 Justices concluded that the Florida Supreme Court decision was in long established precedent and said it didn’t even raise a question under Article 2 of the Constitution. In simpler terms, stating that all of those votes were legal and that the standards set were sufficient to determine which votes should and should not be counted. Onto the Equal Protection Clause, the Supreme Court basically contradicts themselves on this matter. After stating the voting standards set by the Florida Supreme Court didn’t violate Article 2, they continued on to state that it violates the Equal Protection clause because â€Å"the standards for accepting or rejecting contested ballots might vary not only from county to county but even within a single county† (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ). What is startling is that the Florida Constitution states, â€Å"The intention of the voters should prevail when counting ballots† meaning that if there is any intention the vote should be counted, and if this wasn’t precise enough for the Supreme Court why did they vote to uphold it on the Article 2, Section 1 vote? If the Supreme Court required a uniform standard for counting and recounting votes in Florida, why does it not need a uniform standard for voting? Is the fact that punch card voting has a sufficiently higher chance of having your vote not counted compared to computer voting where there is a bare minimum chance of your votes not being counted violating the Equal Protection Clause as well? Or is it the fact that punch card counties are more commonly in low income counties, who tend to vote Republican (Al Gore)? All of these things ould be seen as discriminatory or â€Å"not equal† as well as the non-uniform standard for counting, but if the Supreme Court has decided that the recount standard is in violation then in thought the whole Election should be rendered â€Å"Unconstitutional† and put to an end, correct? To continue, no it should not be put to an end. The Supreme Court should have ordered a stay on the Recount until a uniform standard was put in place for all of the Florida Counties and they should have ordered that every state have a uniform standard for Recounts for future elections. The Supreme Court made a Pragmatic but Unlawful decision in voting for the violation of the Equal Protection Clause which led to the stoppage of the 2000 Florida Recount. (Bo Li, Perspectives, Vol. 2, No. 3). This goes without mentioning the fact that Bush’s state of Texas had a uniform voting standard which allowed anything to be counted in the scenario of a recount including a dimpled chad. This means that Governor Bush signed in a bill that let any vote with slight intent be counted in the process of a Recount, yet is arguing that intent of a voter is an unconstitutional argument. This is hypocritical and shows a lack of character, if Bush truly believes in the Constitution he should be letting all the legal votes be counted to see if he actually won the Presidency of the United States. If Bush truly cared about the simple uniform standards for Recounting, he should have ordered for a stay until uniform standards were set in place. Instead he argued the entire Recount unconstitutional and the 5-4 majority (5 Republican Judges-4 Democratic Judges) decided that there was no reason to Recount possibly legal votes when it had a chance of harming Bush’s chance to become Prime Minister. Legal analysts from all over the Country explained it as the Justices trying to make a pragmatic decision by putting an end to this controversy, turns out it backfired on them. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) The third point to be explained in this case is the ongoing controversy over voting deadlines and how the ever so bright Secretary of State in Florida Katherine Harris’ thoughts were constantly being controlled by Bush advisors. Katherine Harris (and Friends) made it very clear that they would ot be accepting votes after a certain deadline, which left no time for the original recount. All these votes had to be stamped and signed to be considered legal votes. This left the Democratic Party frantically trying to recount votes and get them stamped and in on time. When she ruled that if votes were not stamped and signed they could not be accepted, the Democratic Party argued that tons of Military votes could not be counted because they were very rarely stamped and sig ned. In the US there is no voting law that states Military Votes can be accepted with no signature or stamp. This obviously led to an uproar from Republicans (Who most military votes get casted for) because it was just unethical for the Democrats to take away illegal votes for the Republicans. What the Republicans fail to realize is that taking away Florida citizens legal votes because you are scared of losing is also unethical. The Democrats later changed their minds and told the Secretary to reconsider the Military votes and give them special consideration. (Joseph I. Lieberman, Military Ballots Merit a Review) There are a few other factors I would like to add to perspective before closing my argument, in Florida the Republican swayed Secretary of State Katherine Harris put 20 Thousand people on the Voter Purge list. A Large group of these people had never done anything wrong, in particular an African-American Pastor could not vote because his name was similar to that of a hardened criminal in Florida (HBO Documentary, Recount). The most interesting fact of all was that the 3 Judges who voted for Bush in both instances (Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas) were all considered Republican judges. In the last 30 years at the Supreme Court the 19 Cases involving the Equal Protection Clause concerning laws against race, elderly, and other minorities they voted a perfect 19 for 19 to uphold the Equal Protection Clause. Yet, the one case involving Politics and the party they are associated with they for some strange reason voted against it with very little reasoning. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) If that’s not Politics in Black Robes, what is. In Conclusion, Legal votes in Florida were not counted when they should have een. The various ideas such as the proper vote in Article 2, Section 1, the contradiction and unlawful voting on the Equal Protection Clause and the confusing deadlines regarding votes were all examples of how things can be exacerbated by impartial Judges and Secretary of States. The votes in Florida should have been recounted after a uniform standard was put in place similar to the one in Texas and the real results of the 2000 Election should have been deciphered. All else aside, the whole United States should have a uniform voting, counting and recounting standard to eliminate all this confusion in the future. Bibliography http://www. leg. state. fl. us/statutes/index. cfm? mode=constitutionsubmenu=3 http://www. nytimes. com/2000/11/20/us/counting-vote-absentee-ballots-military-ballots-merit-review-lieberman-says. html? pagewanted=allsrc=pm http://fathom. lib. uchicago. edu/1/777777122240/ http://www. oycf. org/Perspectives2/9_123100/bush_v1. htm HBO Documentary, Recount Bush V. Gore Gore was described as a controversial election to say the least. The votes in several Florida counties were put up into question as to whether they should be counted or not. In a Democratic Election all legal votes must be counted. The main arguments around this issue were Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution, the interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause and confusion around voting deadlines during the Recount. This process was exacerbated by the lack of impartial justices and secretary of state. The initial argument surrounding this issue is Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution. Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution states, â€Å"In presidential elections, each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, the electors to which the State is entitled. † That being said 3 justices, Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas all argued that Florida violated this; there argument placed a lot of emphasis on the word â€Å"legislature†. Meaning to say that there is a difference between the State, who is empowered to appoint its own electors and that own State’s legislature. Furthermore, this Article of the Constitution is completely out of the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction in the circumstances. The Supreme Court should have nothing to do with matters of state law in between the State and their own Legislature. Also, the Florida Supreme Court held that â€Å"a legal vote may include any ballot from which it is reasonably possible to determine the clear intent of the voter, whether or not the ‘chad’ had been completely punched through, which is consistent with the law of the clear majority of the States†. Chief Justice Rehnquist in his opinion argued that this interpretation was so ridiculous and not mirrored with Florida legislation, that it violated Article 2. He claimed that because most counties use punch cards that tell you to clearly punch your ballot no reasonable person could count a vote that wasn’t clearly punched all the way through. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) The Florida Election Code states that â€Å"no vote shall be declared invalid if there is a clear indication of the intent of the voter†, also a 60 year old Florida Law precedent states that â€Å"must give statutes relating to elections a construction in favor of the citizen’s right to vote, and the intention of the voters should prevail when counting ballots† (Constitution of the State of Florida, As Revised in 1968) After hearing this, the other 6 Justices concluded that the Florida Supreme Court decision was in long established precedent and said it didn’t even raise a question under Article 2 of the Constitution. In simpler terms, stating that all of those votes were legal and that the standards set were sufficient to determine which votes should and should not be counted. Onto the Equal Protection Clause, the Supreme Court basically contradicts themselves on this matter. After stating the voting standards set by the Florida Supreme Court didn’t violate Article 2, they continued on to state that it violates the Equal Protection clause because â€Å"the standards for accepting or rejecting contested ballots might vary not only from county to county but even within a single county† (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ). What is startling is that the Florida Constitution states, â€Å"The intention of the voters should prevail when counting ballots† meaning that if there is any intention the vote should be counted, and if this wasn’t precise enough for the Supreme Court why did they vote to uphold it on the Article 2, Section 1 vote? If the Supreme Court required a uniform standard for counting and recounting votes in Florida, why does it not need a uniform standard for voting? Is the fact that punch card voting has a sufficiently higher chance of having your vote not counted compared to computer voting where there is a bare minimum chance of your votes not being counted violating the Equal Protection Clause as well? Or is it the fact that punch card counties are more commonly in low income counties, who tend to vote Republican (Al Gore)? All of these things ould be seen as discriminatory or â€Å"not equal† as well as the non-uniform standard for counting, but if the Supreme Court has decided that the recount standard is in violation then in thought the whole Election should be rendered â€Å"Unconstitutional† and put to an end, correct? To continue, no it should not be put to an end. The Supreme Court should have ordered a stay on the Recount until a uniform standard was put in place for all of the Florida Counties and they should have ordered that every state have a uniform standard for Recounts for future elections. The Supreme Court made a Pragmatic but Unlawful decision in voting for the violation of the Equal Protection Clause which led to the stoppage of the 2000 Florida Recount. (Bo Li, Perspectives, Vol. 2, No. 3). This goes without mentioning the fact that Bush’s state of Texas had a uniform voting standard which allowed anything to be counted in the scenario of a recount including a dimpled chad. This means that Governor Bush signed in a bill that let any vote with slight intent be counted in the process of a Recount, yet is arguing that intent of a voter is an unconstitutional argument. This is hypocritical and shows a lack of character, if Bush truly believes in the Constitution he should be letting all the legal votes be counted to see if he actually won the Presidency of the United States. If Bush truly cared about the simple uniform standards for Recounting, he should have ordered for a stay until uniform standards were set in place. Instead he argued the entire Recount unconstitutional and the 5-4 majority (5 Republican Judges-4 Democratic Judges) decided that there was no reason to Recount possibly legal votes when it had a chance of harming Bush’s chance to become Prime Minister. Legal analysts from all over the Country explained it as the Justices trying to make a pragmatic decision by putting an end to this controversy, turns out it backfired on them. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) The third point to be explained in this case is the ongoing controversy over voting deadlines and how the ever so bright Secretary of State in Florida Katherine Harris’ thoughts were constantly being controlled by Bush advisors. Katherine Harris (and Friends) made it very clear that they would ot be accepting votes after a certain deadline, which left no time for the original recount. All these votes had to be stamped and signed to be considered legal votes. This left the Democratic Party frantically trying to recount votes and get them stamped and in on time. When she ruled that if votes were not stamped and signed they could not be accepted, the Democratic Party argued that tons of Military votes could not be counted because they were very rarely stamped and sig ned. In the US there is no voting law that states Military Votes can be accepted with no signature or stamp. This obviously led to an uproar from Republicans (Who most military votes get casted for) because it was just unethical for the Democrats to take away illegal votes for the Republicans. What the Republicans fail to realize is that taking away Florida citizens legal votes because you are scared of losing is also unethical. The Democrats later changed their minds and told the Secretary to reconsider the Military votes and give them special consideration. (Joseph I. Lieberman, Military Ballots Merit a Review) There are a few other factors I would like to add to perspective before closing my argument, in Florida the Republican swayed Secretary of State Katherine Harris put 20 Thousand people on the Voter Purge list. A Large group of these people had never done anything wrong, in particular an African-American Pastor could not vote because his name was similar to that of a hardened criminal in Florida (HBO Documentary, Recount). The most interesting fact of all was that the 3 Judges who voted for Bush in both instances (Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas) were all considered Republican judges. In the last 30 years at the Supreme Court the 19 Cases involving the Equal Protection Clause concerning laws against race, elderly, and other minorities they voted a perfect 19 for 19 to uphold the Equal Protection Clause. Yet, the one case involving Politics and the party they are associated with they for some strange reason voted against it with very little reasoning. (Geoffrey R. Stone, Equal Protection? ) If that’s not Politics in Black Robes, what is. In Conclusion, Legal votes in Florida were not counted when they should have een. The various ideas such as the proper vote in Article 2, Section 1, the contradiction and unlawful voting on the Equal Protection Clause and the confusing deadlines regarding votes were all examples of how things can be exacerbated by impartial Judges and Secretary of States. The votes in Florida should have been recounted after a uniform standard was put in place similar to the one in Texas and the real results of the 2000 Election should have been deciphered. All else aside, the whole United States should have a uniform voting, counting and recounting standard to eliminate all this confusion in the future. Bibliography http://www. leg. state. fl. us/statutes/index. cfm? mode=constitutionsubmenu=3 http://www. nytimes. com/2000/11/20/us/counting-vote-absentee-ballots-military-ballots-merit-review-lieberman-says. html? pagewanted=allsrc=pm http://fathom. lib. uchicago. edu/1/777777122240/ http://www. oycf. org/Perspectives2/9_123100/bush_v1. htm HBO Documentary, Recount

World event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

World event - Essay Example Immediately after the storm hit Myanmar, which had been classified as a major natural disaster, the immediate death toll numbers were broadcast across the world, creating a sense of urgency toward helping the victims as well as a sense of empathy for their situations. This empathy came not only from me as a concerned citizen, but from different nationalities at each side of the globe. Offerings for food, support, clothing and water were immediately decided by national leadership, however initially these tokens of assistance were refused by Myanmar's leadership. In fact, Myanmar rulers (who were in control of the government due to an unauthorised series of uprisings) made it clear to the global community that any attempts to deliver assistance items to Myanmar citizens would meet with an appropriate, violent response. Finally, leaders of Westernised countries managed to create a minor collaborative effort with Myanmar leadership by agreeing to bring airplanes and ships loaded with food into the country, quickly, to ensure that the citizens of the country were able to survive in harsh environmental conditions. What appeared to me to be the most unique situation during the immediate negotiations for disaster aid was that Myanmar's leaders would have rather put millions of citizens at risk of starvation or disease than to risk the chance of their regime being removed from power by stronger national forces. Seemingly, to prevent this, Myanmar's government closely monitored the incoming behaviors and actions of international disaster aid coalitions to make sure that no global force was able to remain in Myanmar for a split second longer than the offloading of cargo machines took. Over a period of several months, citizens of Myanmar were presented, using various television and print media channels, struggling to simply rebuild the modest and meager dwellings they had always been forced to live in. I watched as the world stood relatively helpless to assist these people, as it did not take long for Myanmar forces to refuse the entry of any further international aid. Instead, citizens were forced to create their own, broader sense of personal community just to survive, using their own limited resources to attempt to rebuild some sense of life as it had been before the natural disaster. As a student entering the academic world, witnessing events such as this particular disaster remind me, truly, of how far the world must progress in order to become the global community which is often presented in various textbooks and media outlets. Media often illustrates the growing use of the Internet across the world to remind us all that we have obligations to those people who are not necessarily as advanced or privileged as others in the Westernised world. Simply through the design of complicated trade routes, mass media, and the growing internationalisation efforts of various country industries, the world has become a much smaller place and, at the same time, affords tremendous opportunities for the future in terms of sustaining long-term international relationships with various global citizens. What adjusted my thinking most notably was the fact that Myanmar seemed to have no contingency plan for taking care of its people, which clearly

Summary of an article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Summary of an - Article Example As evidence of the militaristic-ideological mentality as a means of re-contextualization, the author provides an interpretation of the parallels which can be drawn between the cinematic reimagining of these storylines and modern events which provides the basis for successful adaptation of the original literature. Specifically, the article explores the connection between urban guerilla tactics in war and the dynamics present in â€Å"Coriolanus† as well as the underlying ideological sentiments which propel events within â€Å"300†. The idea of the developed nations led by corrupted governmental systems versus smaller bodies catalyzed by dogmatic beliefs is examined in regards to both films. This is done by interpreting the characters and actions of each as compared to the events of the Iraq war, Iran hostilities, Yugoslavian genocidal tactics, the rebel Sandanista government, and the invasion of Afghanistan by US forces. In each of these instances, guerilla warfare was adopted as means of fighting foreign or corrupted governmental authorities as they seek to quash the radical or otherwise divergent agendas of the proletariat. The attainment of independence and individual freedoms is used as a catalyst to propel the masses into action against more organized and better supplied adversaries. In order to achieve this, there is a need for an idealization of the idea of selfless sacrifice as a means of attaining this equal status coupled with exaggerated nationalistic sentiments and an underlying ideological cause. This combination of elements is needed to sufficiently desensitize a modern populace into large-scale violence. However, the rebellious attitude propelled by these factors is characterized as a negative, one which feeds into a flawed military-poetic complex present in volatile societies. The oft-repeated themes of rebellion against hierarchical systems fraught with corruption and

Drug Addiction Essay Example for Free

Drug Addiction Essay Drug Addiction The topic that caught my attention when I was reading my choices was â€Å"Drug Addiction†. Drug addiction is something that should not be taken lightly by anyone who has a family member or friend with this issue. We often wonder how and what make people turn into being a drug addict. â€Å"Drug addiction is rooted in long-term adaptations within the brain that promotes escalating drug use, difficulty quitting, and relapse—all despite the awareness of negative consequences.† With that being said I have always wondered what keep a person going back to their addiction and why can’t they quit. When I read the article and it mention how drug addiction is rooted a light bulb clicked in my head. When something is rooted inside of you whether it is for good or bad it is hard to break. â€Å"It was previously hypothesized that addiction was caused in part of an imbalance between an impulsive system that governs appetitive motivation and is driven by immediate rewards on the one hand and a reflective system that regulate and control impulsive according to future pleasurable or aversive consequences.† With this study they were able to predict the hypothesis and see what causes addiction to happen in some cases. I think that the method used in order to see how people become an addict was efficient and it was very precise that made the validity of the experiment a success. It is important to make sure that your study is conducted in a manner that will give you a pretty accurate result when using different research methods. Also in the study they took a small sample size of addicts who quit smoking after a brain injury and they had a criteria that asked them some simple question and due to such a small sample size they were not able to get the laterality effects could not be verified statistically due to the small sample size like I mentioned earlier. The results of this study gave great evidence that insula is critical for psychological processes that maintain addiction to cigarette smoke. I have known people to have drug addiction and it just hurt your heart when you see them all strung out and can’t even help themselves. I have had family members and friends who have battled with this addiction. I want to research this addiction so that I can learn how a person can overcome this type of addiction. Any addiction is hard to break it is going to take a lot of will power from the addict in order for them to be set free of this addiction. You never know what could have pushed the addict into becoming a drug  addict. I want to be able to relate to an addict whether it is a friend, family member or just someone in general whom I would want to be able to help them overcome this addiction. Drug addiction is the most common addiction and I feel that if we get the proper research on how to give treatment to an addict then maybe t heir chances of becoming free will be greater. I just want to be able to talk with them and see what I can do to help them overcome this disease. That is why it is important that we take all necessary measures when it comes to us trying to aid a person who is addicted to drugs. Drug addiction is something that I want to do research so we can come up with a method that can slow it down. I know that it can never exist but we could at least work on slowing it down. In the studies that I chose we will be dealing with how addicts can be treated to prescription pain medication. I hear some people talk about taking other people medication because they like the way it makes them feel and they become addicted to it. Addiction is bad whether it is drugs, food and or alcohol we all know how serious this can be to anyone. In this is article they are launching their large scale national study evaluating a treatment for addiction to prescription drugs. â€Å"NIDA’s National Drug Abuse Treatments Clinical Trials Network (CTN) is conduct ing the multi-site study known as the Prescription Opiate Addiction Treatment Study (POATS).† â€Å"This study is in response to the growing national problem of prescription drug abuse in this country. According to the 2005 National Survey on drug use and health the incidence of new nonmedical users of pain relievers is now at 2.2 million Americans aged 12 and older surpassing the number of new marijuana abusers (2.1million). In 2005, more than six million American’s reported current (in the past month) nonmedical use of prescription drugs – more than the number abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and inhalants combined.† This clearly answers my question to how many people are addicted to prescription drugs versus to the other drugs. The data collected in this study shows that there are a lot of people addicted to prescription drugs and how it has increased and the results in this study show it. In this study the results showed that there were more people addicted to prescription drugs rather than your everyday drugs. I feel that this is giving everyone a clear view that prescription drugs that are for pain and can give you some kind of satisfaction can be a ddictive. This study covers a variety of areas like those addicted to painkillers and those who abuse painkillers due to nonmedical reasons. I found this study to be quite interesting because it will give us a general idea of the amount of people that are addicted to prescription drugs and those that take it for chronic pain and that are addicted. This study will enroll a total of 648 participants that will be carried out 11 sites around the country. The outcome of this study will be very efficient for all to know just how many people are suffering from being addicted to some type of drug. The second article let us know how much this disease is deeply rooted inside an addict’s brain. â€Å"Drug addiction is rooted in long-term adaptions within the brain that promotes escalating drug use, difficulty quitting, and relapse – all despite the awareness of negative consequences.† This article will answer my question as to why do addicts keep going back to that same drug trying to get the same high as the first time. In this study it will explain the role of the insula in drug addiction as well. I feel that all data collected from this article will be informative and the results of the study will be concise and easy to follow and understand. I just hope with my two studies that it will conform enough information about drug addiction to where it will give clarity to what steps we can take to stop this trend in drug addiction. When we look back at the studies done on this particular study you try and think back at all the methods that we have learned in this class. It really makes a difference when you read about a research design and now you are able to relate to the experimenter when you come across some of the studies. So far I think that the designs that the two studies I have written about couldn’t research it any better with the methods they have chosen. I came across another study entitled â€Å"Scientific and political challenges in North America’s first randomized controlled trial of heroin-assisted treatment of severe heroin addiction: Rationale and design of the NAOMI study.† This particular article consist of this study targeting long term opiod dependents who have tried treatments conveniently in the past that are not currently in treatment who currently inject heroin. Now the sample size was based off of the outcome of the response and the retention. There was said to be two primary variables in this study they were evaluated with an alpha threshold of 0.025 which determined about 114 evaluable patients per group which yielded about 80% power in order to  detect increase of 20% of retention and response rate amongst the experimental groups provided. I think with the methods that they used they will have a broader testing ground in order to determine if the treatments are helpful to those that are an addict. Th is study involves a meta-analysis of predictors of continued drug use during and after treatment of opiate addiction. In this study they used meta-analytic techniques in order to identify the risk factors that are given in this study. When it came to the design and measurements in this study it was a search of public literature that yielded 69 studies that reported some bivariate association between independent variables. I think when it comes to this type of research the clinicians and researchers try and make a way to prevent relapse and other issues that form when you become an addict. They want to try and come up with an intervention that will be able to help those that are in need. That’s why these studies are very important to them and taken very seriously. The studies in this research for meta- analysis were researched through computerized databases that is said to have indexed published scientific reports and many other sources in order to complete their research. I think as far as the methods that are being used couldn’t chose a better design to do There were also a total of six criteria’s that were met for the meta-analysis of this study. â€Å"The independent variable clearly specified a single patient –related construct, and not a conglomeration of multiple constructs. An example of a conglomeration is Suffet et.al’s (1978) â€Å"conventionality† variable that is based on four distinct constructs (level of heroin use intake to treatment, number of arrest, type of residence and employment). We excluded from consideration independent variables that referred to treatment program types, policies, practices, personal and setting.† This pretty much shows you the results and how they were able to determine if the treatment helped or not. In this study there were a total of 28 independent variables for which there was said to be two studies with the results on the relationship between the independent variable and continued drug use. This study has to do with cocaine addiction treatments to improve or reduce harm by (CATCH). This study is said to investigate possibilities and problems associated with pharmacological treatments. ‘The methods and designs used in this study by (CATCH) consist of three separate randomized controlled, open label, parallel group feasibility trials,  conducted at three separate addiction treatment institutes in the Netherlands. Patients are either new referral are already in treatment. With a total of 216 eligible outpatients are randomized using pre-randomization double-consent design and received either 12 weeks treatment with oral topiramate (n=36; Brijder Addiction Treatment, The Hague), oral modafinil (n=36; Arkin, Amsterdam), or oral dexamphetamine sustained release (n=36; Bouman GGZ, Rotterdam) as an add on to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or receive a 12 week CBT only (controls n= 3 x 36).† With this design I am sure that they will come out with a pretty good analysis of if cocaine harms or improve those that are in treatment for this addiction. In this review it let us know up front that they are not going to be able to cover the whole clinical addiction arena or the parts dedicated to treatments. Although within this study there was a conflict of interest within the testing methods used inside this review. Personally when you are conducting a study on something with a broader view you will tend to have a conflict of interest with in your results. There are so many methods out there that you can use to conduct a study just depends on what you are trying to research. This is a different study and it aims to describe the derivation of recent status scores for the ASI. â€Å"The design was 118 ASI -6 recent status items were subjected to nonparametric item response theory (NIRT) analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Generalizability and concurrent validity of the derived scores were determined.† The sample size was 607 recent admissions to a variety of substance abuse treatment programs. I think that this study will a have great validity due to the fact that they used a variety of substance to test for this study. This is an interesting study which really caught my attention and this study aimed to explore the existential aspects of living with addiction. The design that was used in this study was called a Hermeneutic which I have never heard of this type of design apparently this was the right design th at was chosen to do this study although I am not familiar with it. When it came down to the methods used it was based on interviews within the first study with rich, personal experienced addicts. After the results it show that people living with addiction struggles with as long as it is existing within them. This study is talking about giving addicts their choice of drug for a variety of reasons. Can’t say that I would want to give an addict the drug of their  choice because I would want to try and help them overcome their addiction and not contribute to it. In this study it mentioned that offering drugs to the addict and by them determining if they can say â€Å"yes or no† to the drug does not help them make progress they need something to undermine them in order to get the results they need. I think that all the studies and reviews mentioned in my paper are really good ones they all have the intention to try and come to a solution to helping those that are addicted to drugs. Drug addiction like I mentioned earlier in my paper is a serious disease and it comes in many forms. I feel like this class has helped us learn that there are many methods and designs out there for us to be able to conduct a study or research and get the validity that we need to complete our study. References Cacciola, J.S., Alterman, A.I., Habing, B., McLellan, A.T. (2011). Recent status scores for version 6 of the addition severity index (ASI-6). Addiction, 106 (9), 1588-1602. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Naqvi, N. H., Bechara, A. (2010). The insula and drug addiction: An interoceptive view of pleasure, urges, and decision-making. Brain Structure and Function, 214(5-6), 435-50. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Nuijten, M., Blanken, P., Van Den Brink, W., Hendriks, V. Concaine addiction treatments to improve control and reduce harm (CATCH): New Pharmacological Treatment Options for Crack-Cocaine Dependence in the Netherlands. BMC Psychiatry 11.1 (2011): 135. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Nutt, D., Lingford-Hughes, A. (2008). Addiction : The clinical interface. British Journal of Pharmacology, 154 (2), 397-405. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Oviedo-Joekes, E., Nosyk, B., Marsh, D.C., Guh, D., Brissette, S., Gurtry, C.,†¦Schechter, M.T. (2009). Scientific and political challenges in North America’s first randomized controlled trial of heroin-assisted treatment for severe heroin addiction: Rationale and design of the NAOMI study. Clinical Trials, 6 (3), 261-71. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Walker, T. (2008). Giving addicts their drug choice: The problem of consent. Bioethics, 22 (6), 314—20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Wiklund, L. Journal of clinical nursing 17. 18 (Sep. 2008): 2426-2434. Existential aspects of living with addiction – Part I: Meeting challenges. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Drug abuse, NIDA launces first scale national study to treat addiction to prescription pain medications. (2007). Mental Health Weekly Digest, 23-23. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com

Willa Cathers Paul‟s Case: A Study in Temperament Essay examples -- P

Willa Cather‟s â€Å"Paul‟s Case: A Study in Temperament† (1905) invites the reader to wonder, â€Å"What really is Paul‟s case?† Cather provides us with ample clues and descriptions of Paul‟s temperament with remarkable detail and insight into the human psyche considering that she had no formal background in psychology and that she was writing when Sigmund Freud was just beginning to publish his theories and was therefore writing by intuitive observation rather than by using a scientific approach. Because â€Å"Paul‟s Case† is written much like a descriptive analysis or case study in a patient‟s temperament, the reader is left with several details about Paul that are mysterious and psychiatrically and medically unexplained. The lack of a diagnosis for Paul has led many critics to develop their own diagnosis – some say Paul is a stereotypical homosexual, has Asperger‟s Syndrome or Autism, or that he has a combinati on of depression and anxiety. In my opinion, however, the most likely diagnosis for Paul is that he suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder. According to the DSM-IV, people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder are â€Å"preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love† (Criterion 2) and believe that they are â€Å"„special‟ and unique and can only be understood by, or should be associated with, other special or high-status people† (Criterion 3). Paul‟s clothing gives us our first clue to his narcissistic attitudes about himself; in Cather‟s description of Paul‟s dress, it is apparent that Paul is attempting to rise above his lower-class status by mimicking the upper class‟ appearance. The collar of Paul‟s overcoat is velvet, and â€Å"there was something of the dandy about him, and he wore an... ...her was writing about a social disorder that had not yet been identified or studied. Despite the lack of knowledge about Narcissistic Personality Disorder when Cather wrote this short story, she provides readers with plenty of details to diagnose the boy themselves. Narcissism is the only diagnosis that can explain all of Paul‟s attitudes and behaviors, and that is why it is the disorder that he must be suffering from. Works Cited Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV. Arlington, VA.: American Psychiatric Association, 2007. Print. Larry Rubin. "The Homosexual Motif in Willa Cather's "Paul's Case"" Studies in Short Fiction (1975): 127-31. Print. Perkins, Barbara, Robyn Warhol-Down, and George B. Perkins. "Paul's Case: A Study in Temperament." Women's Work: an Anthology of American Literature. New York: McGrawHill, 1994. Print.

Residential Housing Essay

KB Home, one of the major housing companies in the market made a statement telling the public that they do not see housing sector to stabilize by this year. Number of housing companies has been acquiring great losses by the end of 2005 as disposable income of consumers’ declines as the consequence of lowering down of per capita income in the economy. According to the President and Chief Executive Officer of KB Home, Jeffrey Mezger, they have suffered to a staggering loss of nearly $10 per share during the first quarter of 2007 (Steverman 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Deutsche Bank’s economists, Peter Hopper, said that the housing correction works sluggishly just like a ‘slow-motion train wreck’ which made worse the housing sector of the economy. Moreover, the said loss of KB Home worse than what they have expected. Analysts expects around $7 loss per share which is very far from the $10 per share loss accounted last quarter. Therefore, with the further worsening of the stock prices in the stock market, this only means that there will be no improvement in the coming first quarter of 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To make the situation worse, there has been a rumor in the market regarding the bankruptcy of Countrywide which supplies loans and mortgages worth 2 million and 9 million respectively. Countrywide suffered from 25 percent losses as of January 8 of this year. Meaning, there would be a shortage on the supply of loan and mortgages in the financial market just in case Countrywide is really approaching to bankruptcy. Moreover, the shortage of supply of loans and mortgages in the economy will only worsen the purchasing power of the consumers, giving way for a further deterioration of demand to housing industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One possible reason behind the turmoil in the housing industry would be the oversupply of homes in the market creating a pressure for its prices to decline. By the time price level of housing units starts to decline, profitability of housing companies begins to deteriorate giving way for experiencing a low return on investment in the next quarter. Driven by speculation, investors will start to pull out their stocks in the housing sector causing stock prices to turn down. In this regard, the connection between the oversupply of housing unit in the market with the deterioration of stock prices is already established. Moreover, it is not only the oversupply of housing units in the market that caused the instability of the housing sector. The growing competition also adds up to the growth of the problem. At the end of the day, market analysts still believes that housing sector will not recover this year based from the current degree of losses that housing companies and financial institutions had experienced on the last quarter of 2007. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is true that the turmoil in the housing sector started during the last quarter of 2005 when consumers have high disposable income. During then, consumers spent more in the housing market attracting the housing companies to produce more house units next quarter. By the start of the first quarter of 2006, per capita income of consumers starts to decline giving them a limited disposable income for housing sector. At this point, the housing industry experienced oversupply of housing units since companies did not anticipate the deterioration of consumer’s disposable income. The said oversupply caused the price level of the housing companies to decline causing the return on investment to depreciate which later on forced stock holder to withdraw their stocks in the market. The increasing competition in the housing sector also add up to the lowering down of housing unit prices since companies in this industry starts to compete each other through price competition. Meaning, housing companies tries to lower down the prices of their home units in order to attract more customers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The negative effects of eh oversupply of housing units will not be that severe if there is only adequate number of financial institutions that will provide loans and mortgages to uplift the purchasing power of the consumers, therefore, improving the demand on the housing industry. But the problem now would be, even financial lenders is also having a hard time providing loans and mortgages due to the low income level of consumers in the market which imposes the threat of bankruptcy   to the financial lenders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It would be best if the government would start making action by offering low interest rate on credit. The federal bank must structuralize a special credit scheme for housing sector customers, e.g. low interest rate on borrowing or longer payment period, in order to solve the problem of over supply on the said industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way by which the government could solve this instability of housing sector would be to provide financial aids to Countrywide which, as what have already pointed out during the first part of the paper, plays a major role in uplifting the purchasing power of consumers though provision of loans and mortgages that can be used in purchasing housing units. The said government aid may be in the form of monetary of fiscal Moreover, the government could also increase the wage rate of the workers in the economy in order to improve the current level of disposable incomes of consumers in the market. By the time the disposable income of consumers increase, they will now have enough money to purchase housing units which will solve the problem regarding the oversupply of home units. Works Cited Steverman, Ben â€Å"Housing: A Fresh Jolt of Bad News.† 8 January 2008. Business Week. 11 February 2008 .

Performance and Participation in games Essay

Read through the following notes and then answer the questions at the end of each section. Please answer each set of questions on a different sheet using a new heading each time. Please write your answers fully in sentences. Consider how many marks each question is worth as to how much you need to write. The questions should be finished and handed in on Tuesday the 7th November along with your coursework (all sections). School – Questions. 1. Explain how your experiences in PE can have both a negative or a positive effect on your participation in sport later in life (2). Name 5 different roles that a pupil could take within a PE lesson (5) 3. For key stage three PE explain what areas of activity are covered and the aims of PE at this level (7) 4. For key stage four PE explain what areas of activity are covered and the aims of PE at this level (4) 5. Explain what benefits can be sought from extra- curricular PE i. On a representational basis and ii. On a recreational basis (4) 6. Name one benefit of examination courses for i. The image of PE and ii. Pupils who have an interest in PE. 7. Explain what benefits links with sports clubs can have and why this is necessary (3) 8. Explain why cross- curricular links are important for pupils (2). 9. Name and explain 3 ways that a school could cover the cost of its sporting activities (3). 10. Explain how curriculum constraints can have a negative effect on how much time is available for PE (2). 11. Explain how tradition can affect the opportunities pupils may have within PE (2) 12. Explain how the environment can affect the opportunities that pupils may have within PE (both positive and negative) (2). Changing Attitudes. What effects do attitudes of society have on participation in games? 1. What is leisure (2) 2. How has leisure time increased (1) 3. Give some of the reasons for this increase and explain why these effects do actually increase opportunities (5) 4. Explain the aim of private leisure providers and name three different types of leisure opportunities they provide (4) 5. Explain the aim of public leisure providers and name three different types of leisure opportunities they provide (4) 6. Name some of the target groups that public providers make provisions for, explain what provisions they make and why this is useful. (5)

Essay on Amazons Vertical Integration

Essay on Amazons Vertical Integration Essay on Amazons Vertical Integration Essay on Amazons Vertical IntegrationThe marketing mix includes four essential components: product, price, promotion and place. Place denotes the approach to distribution and pertains to the methods of delivering the product or service to the target customers. The methods of distribution are shaped by the nature of the product or service, by technological factors, by the strategies of competitors, by the strategies of other participants of the supply chain or distribution chain, etc.In particular, there exist several distribution methods which include integration. The most frequently used methods are horizontal integration the inclusion of companies or business activities pertaining to the same level of the value chain, and vertical integration the integration of different levels of supply chain in one company or one union. The purpose of this paper is to analyze backward integration in publishing undertaken by Amazon, to review the facts of the battle between Amazon and Barnes and Noble, to discuss Amazons decision to get into publishing and to consider the perspectives of signing contracts with Amazon from the position of a well-known and a novel author.Key facts on the battle between Amazon and Barnes and NobleAmazon was one of the pioneers of e-commerce, and its department dealing with online sales of print books quickly became successful. Amazon paid a lot of attention to its book business and started investing into e-books and devices for reading e-books in order to attract the audience. Although Amazon clearly chose to focus on the segment of electronic books, it also entered the publishing segment and offered exclusive publishing services to the authors.Besides the bold decision on backward integration, Amazon also undertook several predatory marketing campaigns which were focused on directing customers from other book stores such as Barnes and Noble. In particular, Amazon offered an $15 discount for those customers who visited traditional bookstores and used Amazon price check app to purchase print versions of the necessary books in Amazon (instead of purchasing the books at the store they were visiting) (Hertner, 2012).Although Amazon managed to drive customer interest, publishers and book retailers united in a protest against such practices (Hertner, 2012). The companies also protest against Amazon tax protection: the company is allowed not to pay taxes across the United States because it has no physical presence in the states with sales tax (Hertner, 2012). Furthermore, Barnes and Noble made a public statement calling authors to avoid agreements with Amazon since such agreements strengthen Amazons monopoly and threaten to undermine the whole publishing industry (Turner, 2012).Despite the united efforts of publishers and book retailers, Amazon is clearly winning the game. Barnes and Noble reports that the sales of electronic and printed books are decreasing as well as the sales of electronic devices and accessories (Gelles, 2 014). The revenues of Barnes and Noble are declining, and the Nook department of Barnes and Noble is no longer able to compete with Amazon Kindle devices and the variety of tablets and smartphones available at the market. Barnes and Noble is planning to use the services of third-party manufacturers to upgrade its Nook line of e-readers or to sell the department to G Asset Management (Gelles, 2014). Although Barnes and Noble managed to optimize costs and therefore increase the overall profits despite the drop in revenue, the prospects of brick-and-mortar bookstores are not very optimistic. At the same time, Amazon is actively pursuing its vertical integration strategy and growing the market of electronic books and e-readers.Assessment of Amazons entry into publishingAmazon started as online retailer and its major competitive advantage was formed by the benefits caused by early entry into the industry (Krug, 2012). At the same time, Amazon quickly expanded its presence in innovative m arket segments. One of these segments was the publishing segment. Amazon started offering publishing services to authors and focused on selling both printed and electronic versions of books. From the authors perspective, such idea is fruitful as it allows to gain access to a large audience and helps to target both the fans of printed books and the new generation of readers who prefer e-ink devices for reading.Amazons conditions are exclusive and the authors might be unable to publish their books with other publishers. In this way, Amazon manages to eliminate intermediaries and therefore decrease publishing costs. Furthermore, Amazon receives the opportunity to capitalize on publishing books and strengthens its supply chain. At the same time, Amazons exclusive publishing conditions result in the weakening of other publishers and book retailers and in the strengthening of Amazons market position. Therefore, vertical integration is highly beneficial for Amazon as it helps the company t o expand the market of e-books and at the same time to retain its leadership in selling printed books.Author choices in different situationsFrom the perspective of a popular author of childrens fiction, it might be not very beneficial to sign a contract with Amazon since this company requests exclusive rights, and a popular author might want to choose more beneficial contracts with other publishers in the future. Furthermore, book retailers and publishers often boycott Amazons printed books and therefore signing a contract with Amazon might limit access to readers audience for a popular author. Therefore, it would be reasonable for a popular author to reject Amazon offer and to retain the relationships with the traditional publisher.In the case of a new author working on a first book it is best to accept Amazons offer because of several reasons. First of all, it is difficult for beginning authors to attract the attention to traditional publishers because of numerous procedures and r equirements as well as competition in this sphere. Every publisher also targets a particular audience and it is hard for a new author to choose the right publisher and to win the contract. In Amazons case, the risks for a new author are lower and the author can quickly gain access to a worldwide audience (especially in the case of electronic books).Conclusions and recommendationsThe development of technology has dramatically changed distribution channels in the publishing industry. The dynamics of the recent decade shows that the sales of e-books are increasing and the sales of print books are declining (Trachtenberg, 2014). Amazon is the global leader in selling e-books while the sales of Barnes and Noble are declining (Trachtenberg, 2014). However, there are specific categories of print books the demand for which is growing or keeps at the same level: these are textbooks, books for entertainment (detectives, fiction), books for children and illustrated books such as recipe books ( Herther, 2012).The major strategic advantage of Barnes and Noble is its brick-and-mortar chain of stores. At the same time, this chain of stores incurs significant costs. It is recommended for Barnes and Noble to track the categories of print books the demand for which is still high, and to optimize its store layout to offer only these categories of books available for instantaneous purchase. Other categories of books should be sold in online store of Barnes and Noble.Furthermore, to stay in the publishing business, Barnes and Noble needs to keep in touch with technology. In this context, acquisitions of new technologies might be helpful for the company if these technologies can enhance reading experience. Currently Barnes and Noble can improve its market position if the company focuses on delivering ultimate reading experience and empowering it with technology. The company made a bold move by introducing Nook reader, and it would be efficient to empower this device with break-throu gh technology. In any case, Barnes and Noble should focus on online distribution of print and electronic books, and use its brick-and-mortar stores in combination with its digital strategy.

Does the european union need a constitution Essay

Does the european union need a constitution - Essay Example However, the bigger picture is, will it be integrative of them as one whole body A constitution must serve the best interests not just one or a few member states. Devanny (2004) says the debate about whether the EU should adopt a constitution has been protracted and controversial. It is both a practical debate (Does the EU need a constitution) and a more abstract debate (Is the EU the kind of entity/organisation that should adopt a constitution). According to Murkens (2002), the European Union leaders at the Laeken summit in December 2001 had agreed to a constitutional convention headed by the former French President Valry Giscard D'Estaing to craft an EU constitution. And yet, the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the German Federal Constitutional Court, and academic commentators say the founding treaties already form a constitution. From Murkens (2002) - "In its famous decision in Van Gend en Loos in 1963 the ECJ held that the Treaty of Rome had created a Community not only of governments but of peoples, and that the Member States had agreed to limit their sovereign rights in certain fields. A year later the ECJ established the doctrine of supremacy of Community law in Costa v. ENEL which was basically accepted by national constitutional courts. These decisions heralded the 'creeping constitutionalisation' of Community law. The novelty of the ECJ's approach was that it did not try to squeeze the Treaty into the constitutional mould of the Verfassungsstaat. More important than the 'formal constitution' was the interpretation of the Treaty by the ECJ as the 'material constitution' (Petersmann 1991: 28), whose basic tenets include the doctrines of direct effect, supremacy, and implied powers, as well as respect for human rights." The arguments for and against an EU constitution rest on complicated issues of law, sovereignty, political philosophy and the efficiency and effectiveness of the EU's institutions and procedures (Murkens 2002). At the June 2004 European Council meeting, governments of the 25 EU member states signed a constitutional treaty for the European Union (Closa 2004). Intended to include voices not usually heard in the European integration process, this treaty was drafted by a "Convention on the Future of Europe." From there, member state governments negotiated on the draft that eventually produced a treaty (Ibid). But the process is far from over. It has just entered its final and perhaps most difficult phase. According to Closa (2004), the text must be ratified unanimously by the member states, each according to its own national process, but there are uncertainties that may spell disaster for the future of European integration (Ibid). II. From treaties to Constitution A timeline (History, Wikipedia 2005) shows the development of seven treaties into EU constitution from 1952 to 2003 to include - 1952: Treaty of Paris, 1958: Treaties of Rome, 1967: Merger Treaty, 1987: Single European Act, 1993: Treaty of Maastricht, 1999: Treaty of Amsterdam, and 2003: Treaty of Nice. The European Constitution is being hoped to be enacted in the soonest future. The three pillars are: 1) the European Communities (the European Coal and Steel Community or ECSC which came about in 1952; the European Community or EC which came around in 1958; the European Atomic

Debating Policy Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Debating Policy Issues - Essay Example debaters often resort to faster usage of speech so as to include as much evidence as possible in support of their arguments put forward in the debate which further helps in lending credibility to their claims while in yet another case, the debaters might include several arguments to counter the claims made by their opponents. In academic debates including more quantity is often considered an act of displaying knowledge and educational and hence appreciated while it might be criticized outside the debate community. While slow speed is often used to include laymen or common people in the purview of their audience (Cheshire, 2008). The order of speeches in various forms of policy debate is fixed such as 1AC – First Affirmative Constructive which includes cross examining the First Affirmative by the second negative, 1NC – First Negative Constructive i.e., cross examining the first negative by second constructive, 2AC – Second Affirmative Constructive i.e., cross examining the second affirmative by first constructive, 2 NC – Second Negative Constructive i.e., cross examining the second negative by first constructive etc. Similarly the other forms of policy debate include; 1NR – First Negative Rebuttal, 1AR – First Affirmative Rebuttal, 2NR – Second Negative Rebuttal and 2AR – Second Affirmative Rebuttal. The time for all these forms of policy debates varies with high school and college debates. For instance the time allotted for all constructive speeches in high school is generally eight minutes and for rebuttal the time allotted is five minutes. Similarly in college, the time allotted for constructive speeches is nine minutes and six minutes are allowed for rebuttal. The period for cross examination, however is same in high school as well as college i.e., three minutes. The first speech given in a round of policy debate is the 1AC and is presented by the affirmative team. This team usually focuses its attention on advocating on textual issues to