How People Make Economic Decisions Paper Essay

How People Make Economic Decisions Paper University of Phoenix Eco 212 May 29, 2011 Economics plays a role in every person’s day-to-day life. One aspect that it plays apart in is decision making. For every decision that is made economics is applied. There are principles that relate to decision making. First is that for every decision made there are tradeoffs, to get one thing something else is given up. The next principle is for every decision made there is a cost. The cost is what was given up. The third principle is people think rationally and rational people think on the margin, meaning that the decision is not made unless the marginal benefit exceeds the marginal cost. The final principle is that people respond to incentives. Behavior changes when cost or benefits change. These principles explain how the economy functions as a whole. Since resources are scarce people have to make decisions based on benefiting themselves on how to spend their time and money. To make rational decisions people must interact with the environment and other decision makers. These interactions lead to the best allocation of resources. When people interact with one another they make trade for resources when the benefit is mutual. For example buying a soda the buyer is thirsty and enjoys soda so he or she will benefit from the soda, and the vender will benefit from the money for the soda so the trade has been made. These interactions are affected by the economy system present. In a centrally planned economy central authorities make decisions for what would be the best use of their goods and resources. The state can set prices of goods and determine how much to produce. Therefore, decisions are not voluntary. Decisions are voluntary in a market economy where the pricing of goods and services are guided solely by the interactions of a country’s citizens and businesses. In a mixed economy system where there is a variety of public and private control decisions are voluntary as well. No matter what economic system is present for a decision to be made the marginal benefit must out way the cost. To fully understand how the decision making process works the writer of this paper will provide an example. The decision is rather she should take the assistant manager position offered to her or not. Her first choice was to decline the offer but she began to think about the marginal benefits. The benefits would be a raise in pay, a step up in the career ladder and new learning experiences . The advancement would be a step towards her goal of becoming a human resources manager for Applebee’s. Also she would gain closer relations with corporate managers. Next she had to weigh the benefits against the cost. The marginal cost in accepting the position would be more responsibility, and it would be mandatory to work longer hours. For her the marginal benefit was greater than the marginal cost so she decided to take the position. If the circumstances were different her marginal benefits and marginal cost would have changed leading to a different choice. For example, season at her restaurant is out so money on tips has decreased. If the restaurant was still in season and tips had not decreased then there would not have been a pay raise so that benefit would have been eliminated. Another factor was she wanted one managerial shift a week if her boss had not agreed to that then she would not have taken the offer, either. Many people are not aware that when they make a decision rather it be to take the day off work or buy a house they are applying economics. Even the simple transaction of buying a soda is a part of economics. It can be concluded from this example and the facts provided that economics is implemented in day-to-day life. Reference Hubbard, R. , & O’Brien, A. (2010). Economics. The University if Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Heart Sounds Case Essay

1. Dr. Baker spends a long time listening to (auscultating) Caleb’s heart. a. Where on the thoracic surface do you auscultate to the tricuspid, mitral (bicuspid), pulmonary, and aortic valves? Auscultation for the tricuspid valve would be in the left sternal margin of the 5th intercostal space. The mitral valve sounds are heard over the apex of the heart (5th intercostal space) in line with the middle of the clavicle. Pulmonary valve sounds are auscultated at the 2nd intercostal space at the left sternal margin. The aortic valve is heard at the 2nd intercostal space of the right sternal margin. b. Where do you think would be the best place to auscultate Caleb’s abnormal heart sound? Explain your answer. The abnormal heart sounds would best be heard over the tricuspid area – the lower left sternal border. This is the area which overlies the defect. 2. Caleb has abnormal heart sounds that tipped the doctor off to a problem. a. Name the normal sounds of the heart and indicate what causes these sounds. The normal sounds of the heart are â€Å"lub-dup† are caused by the opening and closing of the heart valves. The first sound – lub- is from the closing of the mitral and tricuspid heart valves. The second sound -dup- is from the closure of the pulmonary and aortic valves. b. In relation to the normal heart sounds, when would you expect to hear the abnormal sound Dr. Baker heard? Explain your answer. A ventricular septal defect is a systolic murmur. The abnormal sounds can be heard during or after the first heart sound and ends before or during the second heart sound. 3. The defect in Caleb’s heart allows blood to mix between the two ventricular chambers. a. Due to this defect would you expect the blood to move from left-to-right ventricle or right-to-left ventricle during systole? I would expect the blood to move from the left to the right ventricle. b. Based on your understanding of blood pressure and resistance in the heart and great vessels, explain your answer to question 3a. In the heart blood flows from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. Blood normally enters on the right side of the heart (deoxygenated), is pumped to the lungs and returns to the left side of the heart (oxygenated) which will then be pumped out to the rest of the body. In Caleb’s case blood will enter the right side of the heart, be pumped to the lungs and return to the left side  of the heart. Every time his heart beats, some blood is then forced through the VSD back to the right side. It then goes back to the lungs even though it is already oxygenated, so blood that is not oxygenated can’t get oxygen. A lower blood volume then remains in the left ventricle to be pumped out to the rest of the body. High pressure would occur in the lungs due to extra blood being pumped into lung arteries this make heart and lungs work harder. 4. When an echocardiogram is performed, the technician color-codes oxygenated blood (red) and deoxygenated blood (blue) a. In a healthy baby, what color would the blood be within the right and left ventricles, respectively? The right ventricle normally pumps blue blood because the blood is without oxygen and the left ventricle pumps red blood because the blood has oxygen. b. In Caleb’s heart, what color would the blood be within the right and left ventricles, respectively? It is both blue and red in the right ventricle because the already oxygenated blood flows back into the right ventricle and blood in the left ventricle would be red. 5. Caleb’s heart allows oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to mix. Based on your knowledge of the heart and the great vessels, describe other anatomical abnormalities that cause the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood. Atrioventricular Canal Defect is an abnormality that causes the mixing of blood. There is a hole in center of heart where the wall between the upper and lower chambers meet. The tricuspid and mitral valves aren’t formed properly and one large valve crosses the defect. The defect lets oxygen rich blood pass to the heart’s right side and mix with deoxygenated blood, then go back to the lungs. Another abnormality is Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), where the walls of the upper chambers of the heart don’t close completely, causing a left to right movement of blood due to the higher pressure. The mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood may cause the right atrium and ventricle to enlarge due to the higher volume of blood. 6. What happens to Caleb’s systemic cardiac output as a result of his ventricular septal defect (VSD)? Explain your answer. Caleb’s systemic cardiac output will be decreased. His blood will enter the right ventricle be pumped to the lungs, return to the left ventricle and then be shunted  back to the right ventricle. This causes more blood to enter the right ventricle. The extra blood then leaving the right ventricle causes a volume overload to the lungs. Because blood is being shunted back to the right ventricle, there is a lesser volume of oxygenated blood that leaves the heart to supply the rest of the body. 7. One of the problems that worried Tiffaney was that Caleb seemed to be breathing too hard all the time. Let’s consider how this symptom is related to his heart defect. a. Describe what would happen to the blood volume and pressure entering the pulmonary circuit as a result of his VSD. In VSD the right and left ventricles are working harder, pumping a greater volume of blood than they normally would. Extra blood will pass through the pulmonary artery into the lungs causing, blood pressure to be higher than normal in the blood vessels and lungs. b. Describe what would happen to the myocardium of Caleb’s right ventricle as a result of his VSD. The right ventricular heart muscle will thicken and lose elasticity over time, causing the heart to work harder to effectively pump blood the lungs and rest of the body. 8. Based on the location of Caleb’s defect, what part of the conduction system might be at risk for abnormalities? It is extremely rare that VSD would cause a conduction system defect due to the fact that the two systems are different, different embryological development, yet are in close proximity to each other. It is possible for the bundle of His to be displaced, but usually is unaffected. Sometimes a branch of the bundle of His could be on a rim of the VSD, but is still able to function. The only tricky part is if surgery is needed, the doctor needs to be careful when closing the defect.

Issues of politics and administration dichotomy Assignment

Issues of politics and administration dichotomy - Assignment Example In our study of public administration, politics and government are to different terms but are interrelated. As a matter of fact, they are interwoven and knotted to each other in a manner that one becomes almost meaningless without the other. We cannot talk about politics without mentioning administration and we cannot talk about administration without mentioning politics. To understand politics is the key in understanding public administration. As politics is the formulation of public policy, administration on the other hand is carrying out such policy. So as for me, to deal with these two separately will be impractical and not workable. Politics can stand for the public interest as it is about the activities of an interest group which can penetrate the whole fabric of government. In this sense, government becomes the organization, machinery or agency through which a political unit exercises authority and performs functions. In my observation, public administration works in a highly political environment. This is because under the bureaucratic structure of the government, the administrator cannot achieve the objectives of his organization without any political intervention. For example, appropriation in carrying out the goals of any government institution must be authorized by the legislature. In this case, the administrator should strive to win the support and approval of the legislature for the program of his administration. The use of the politics – administration dichotomy as a way to advance in the study of public administration can be advantageous and disadvantageous at the same time. It is an advantage for us to separate politics from administration to maintain the trust of the public. This is done by suppressing the prevalence of influence of any political group in government administration. This way, the interest of the people is guarded against the interest of the political group. For example, in the process of

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 15

Marketing - Essay Example ographic and behavioral factors specifically computer and internet literacy and the costumers’ need for a more convenient and high quality education. Through the help of technology, the company is able to learn more about the interests and lifestyles of prospective customers. For instance, the company analyzes the online behavior of customers, finds out which affiliates send the most visitors, and tracks response to online promotion. The company also looks at the demographic factors of their previous and current students in order to know more about their prospective customers and employ effective marketing strategies to target them. As with any other business organization, Cyber Health has formulated its own marketing mix using the 4Ps-product, price, promotion, and place. Looking at the company’s marketing strategy, it can be seen that they are utilizing 4Ps which closely complement each other. In the surface, the company’s product is high quality medical education through the use of advanced technology. However, it can also be seen that the company is also selling convenience for students who are also preoccupied with other responsibilities. It should be noted that as opposed to the traditional educational system which handles thirty or more students in a class, Cyber Health gives a more customized product by letting the student study at his or her own pace and by giving exercises to the areas that each student needs most. In terms of pricing strategy, Cyber Health can afford to price more competitively due to the lower operational and administrative cost. As opposed to traditional institutions, promotions in the company are mostly online, from search engines and affiliates. The company also uses its accreditation from medical institutions to enhance its image. Cyber Health operates in the cyberspace and is not limited by geographic boundaries. Thus, the company can afford to serve almost all states in the

Amendments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Amendments - Essay Example Prior to these amendments, some states had already made their own ratifications of the constitutional contingents, which prompted the need to limit the powers of the federal government with regard to investigation, prosecution and punishment of crime (Calvin, 2009). The original constitution offered very little provisions touching on criminal processes (Calvin, 2009). A majority of the constitutional amendments were mainly focused on addressing issues relating to criminal processes. Fifteen of the twenty six rights contained in the first eight amendments to the constitution focus mainly on addressing the criminal and judicial processes. These amendments were created based on a perspective that emerged in the late 18th century about individual rights. Initially, the amendments were meant to only be applicable to the federal government, but with time, states started adopting most of the provisions in the amendments (David & James, 2008). In order to fully understand the impact of these amendments on the judicial processes in both juvenile and adult courts, it is important to first and foremost understand the phrase â€Å"principles of due process† as used in the 5th amendment (John, 2006). Due process of law implies that all laws be applied equally and fairly to all American citizens, and most importantly those suspected to have committed crimes. The fourth amendment protects citizens from unreasonable seizures and searches of their houses, and their property (John, 2006). This amendment limits the powers of the central government when conducting criminal investigations. The government cannot unlawfully enter a suspect’s house or any of his or her property, papers among other things to look for evidence. Search warranties supported by affirmation or Oath have to be issued so as to enable the police to conduct searches. Interpretations of the amendment by the Supreme Court restricted police searches and seizures only to the suspect’s bodies an d clothes, the things they have in plain sight, the places or things that the accused is in control or which he could reach and property where the police strongly suspect that a person could be in danger (Calvin, 2009). This amendment had a great impact on criminal proceedings. It restricted the powers of the government in investigating crimes (Calvin, 2009). The amendment made it unlawful for the federal police to break in to suspect’s houses with the intention of searching and seizing some of the property purported to provide evidence of a crime. The police need to follow certain procedures, including obtaining a search warrants so as to be able to conduct houses and properties belonging to criminal suspects. The Fifth Amendment protects individuals from ‘double jeopardy’ (Calvin, 2009). This refers to the process of initiating a second trial for a person suspected to have committed the same crime. This amendment requires that before a person is any serious cri minal offence, there must be a thorough investigation by the jury linking him to the offense. This amendment also gives the defendant in a court process the right not to testify against himself, commonly known as the right to remain silent. The main intention of the

World History since 1945 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World History since 1945 - Essay Example The doctrine also promised to help Turkey and Greece economically and through military actions against the communists this after Britain announced that they would be withdrawing their support. These countries were to receive $400,000,000 aid. The doctrine contents were justified by the need to help free people in their fight against totalitarian rule which would undermine international peace, and as a result affect the state of security in the United States (Jones 36). The National Security Council Paper NSC-68 was a top secret report meant to confront the treat the hostile design of the Soviet Union had on the USA. The report banned the regeneration of US isolationism arguing that it will result in Soviet Union supremacy of Eurasia, and leave the USA stranded on the western hemisphere, away from its allies and assets need to push away Soviet infringement. Additionally, the report ruled out a deterrent strike against the Soviet Union since it will result in tit-for-tat action that would be devastating to Western Europe. The report also paved way for possible future negotiations with the Soviet Union. In its conclusion, the paper called for massive development of both conventional and nuclear arm in order to prevent the Soviet Union. However, this could only be achieved through increased taxes as well as the reduction of expenditure. The report was widely criticized with the critics arguing that USA already had a significant military edge over the Soviet Union. However, in June 1950 the recommendations were adopted as policy (Jones 72). When Mao took over the leadership of China in 1949, the country was witnessing a lot of problems. For instance, the country had fewer industries, unemployment levels were high, food shortages coupled with increased population. In 1949, 85 percent of chinas population were peasants. Mao

Organizations of Similar Size and Similar Structures Essay

Organizations of Similar Size and Similar Structures - Essay Example The structure provides pointers to the old and new members, to the outsiders, stakeholders, shareholders and other concerned or interested parties. This therefore means that regardless of which organization, as long as it has clear rules of governance and operation, then anyone can understand what it is all about. This paper is going to analyze in details and with examples how even though organizations may vary in size, their structures are still similar. Will organizations of similar size have similar structures? One of the reasons all organizations have similar structures no matter their size is because the main aim of all organizational structures in all the organizations is to facilitate the coordination of the employees and the management in achieving the organizational goals and even objectives. This is so because the structures put forward by organizations have similarity in characteristics since all the organizations have a goal they want to achieve even though these goals ma y be unique depending on what the mission of the organization is. The other reason is based on the existence of the different organization structure types. These include: functional structure, structure based on division, structure based on geographical location, division of the structure depending on the process, on the product and on the customer (Daft, Murphy and Willmott, 2010, p. 107). All these provide the reasons as to why when it comes to the structure of the organization, the size of the organization does not matter. All organizations need to separate their employees according to the skills each possess in order for them to have easier time consulting each other. This is for example true in that the organizations structure their employees into management, accounting and sales among others. The advantages of this type of structure are that the organizations are able to create efficiency, allow rapid decision making and also promote labor specialization within the organizatio n. This system has its own downside in that there is minimum career development as there is no room for interacting with employees from other careers and seeing them at work. The other is that the employees always have low morale as they have no challenges and competition since they are secluded in their own functional areas (Daft, Murphy and Willmott, 2010, p. 108). The other type of organizational structure that is enforced by all organizations is the division of the structure based on the products (and even services for those organizations dealing with services and not products). When structuring an organization based on its products, it means that all the strategies or decisions that will be made by the management and even the employees will be considering the products or services they are dealing with and which enable them achieve their goals. This concentration on the products or services being rendered does not have size distinction. For example small businesses (that are fam ily owned for example) have very few products they deal with but they fully concentrate on them in order to get their livelihood and provide for the family. The same happens for the large business (even those with several branches globally) where they concentrate on their products in order to gain profit (or for the non-profit organizations, in order to provide the services or be able to achieve their goal). The disadvantage of this type of organization is that it requires a more skilled management which may prove to be too

Module Matinee 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Module Matinee 6 - Essay Example excellent message that it is not the race, cultural difference, prejudice or social disparity that makes people to hate each other but it is the habit of blaming others for the frustration and problems they are going through their lives that makes them to hate each other. the people from other ethnic background and culture. They think that it is because of their presence that they are not able to find happiness and peace in life. Farhad thinks that people from white ethnic background do not accept him as one of them. He is being compared to the terrorists just because he follows Muslim tradition. Jean thinks that she has to suppress her true emotions as she fears being called as ‘racist’ if she expresses them. Chrsitine thinks that she suffered molestation at the hands of a police officer from white ethnic background as she belonged to black ethnic background. In this way, every character in the movie thinks that people from other ethnic backgrounds are responsible for the misery and disharmony they are experiencing in their lives. In the beginning, the characters are shown displaying their external behavior patterns. For example, Jean expressing her fear when she sees Anthony and Peter crossing her, Officer Ryan insulting Christine and Cameron, Farhad being aggressive ‘perceiving’ discrimination at the hands of the shopkeeper in the gun shop, etc. However, as the movie continues, we get to see the other side of these characters. We feel sorry for Officer Ryan when we see that his father is suffering from painful disease and he has to watch him in pain helplessly. Jean’s insecurity about her relationship with her husband makes us feel that it is her personal frustration that is making her to behave negatively towards people from other ethnic background. We get to see a very warm side of Daniel’s personality when he tells his daughter that they have left the ‘bad’ neighborhood where there is violence. Slowly, the movie reveals the true reasons that

Hacking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Hacking - Essay Example e first technology for hacks was determined; a single whistle from the box ‘Cap n’ Crunch’ was being used for making long distance phone calls free of any charge (Himma, 2007). In 1981, Ian Murphy hacked data of AT&T and changed the clocks so that people could avail late night discounts and he was the first hacker to be convicted of felony charges. At the same time, Kevin Mitnick was the leading hacker who hacked into IBM, DEC and Pacific Bell. In the late 1990s, the biggest hacking cases were reported such as Gary Mackinnon who was convicted of military crimes in US, Albert Gonzalez got the biggest jail sentence for stealing about two hundred million debit and credit numbers that cost losses of about  £200 million (Ward, 2011). According to Sengupta, Mazumdar and Barik (2005), the hackers can be classified into four various generations. The first one was defined as technology-oriented and smart programmers, computer scientists and students from MIT as they hacked for professional and academic curiosities. The second comprised of hackers who were the technological radicals that developed the blue boxes for giving long distance calls on phone without any charges. The third generation constituted of people who were young and loved computer and personal computer games. The latest generation comprised of hackers who were involved in criminal activities that were triggered by power, revenge, greed or other cruel intentions. Hacking is defined as a way of gaining unauthorized access to the data that is stored in a computer. Hacking activities creates many problems for the users and users have a risk when dealing with IT systems for conducting money transaction. Risks are also present with the information of the user. In addition to getting access to valuable data and information, hacking includes invasion or attack on the people’s confidential information; majority of the people doing online transactions especially E-commerce are concerned about the

Follow the attachment plz. My company is Ford Motor company Research Paper

Follow the attachment plz. My company is Ford Motor company - Research Paper Example -brand vehicles and Ford- and other related service parts in North America, in the United States, Mexico, Canada, altogether with associated expenses to improve, the manufacture, distribution and service vehicles and their parts. While Ford South America encompasses sale of Ford-brand vehicles and other services related to parts in South America, altogether with associated expenses to manufacture, develop, distribute and service to these vehicles and their parts. And Ford Europe includes the following sale of the Ford-brand vehicles and other related service parts both Europe, Russia, together with associated expenditures to manufacture, develop, distribute and service vehicles and their parts. And lastly Ford Asia Pacific Africa include sale of Ford-brand vehicles, other related service parts in South Africa Asia Pacific region, altogether with associated expenses to distribute , develop, manufacture, and other service vehicles and theirparts.in the Ford Motor Credit Company take ac count of financing vehicle-related issues, insurance, leasing, lastly Other Financial Services Contains a diversity of businesses like holding real estate and companies. January 15, 2011, it completed its acquisition of the Cologne Precision Forge GmbH (CPF). Ford researchers are trying to demonstrate how smart electrification technology which uses data and cloud-based computing, in optimizing plug-in hybrid’s powertrain efficacy at the 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems In 2009, the Board again voluntarily forgoes the cash portion of annual fees. Subsequently, around $60,000, (60% of Annual fee for Board membership) got credited to its directors’ accounts under the Deferred Compensation Plan for the Non-Employee Directors. Directors failed to receive any cash payments comparative to the board fees in 2009.the company disclosed in their 2010 Proxy Statement that according to their significant growth during 2009, their positive financial projections for

The Solution to Terrorism Essay Example for Free

The Solution to Terrorism Essay Incidents of terrorism are among the biggest problem being faced in the international community. Terrorism is the use of coercive force to spread terror, fear and chaos amongst innocent victims. Terrorism is usually perpetrated to impose an ideological goal in which terrorists believe that targets must be deliberately aimed at, disregarding the outcome of their actions, the welfare of their combatants and their impacts upon innocent civilians.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Terrorism is a widespread phenomenon. Most of the countries suffered from its effects since the dawn of history. While there have been modifications and aspects at which it is employed by terrorist groups, the ultimate goal is to instill fear and to weaken the states in order to impose their ideologies towards other societies. Thus, international terrorism has indeed posted a great amount of uncertainties, doubts and fear among the people. The solution to the terrorist incidents is yet unknown, however there are different views that are of great importance in order to solve this dilemma.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   United States of America, with its hegemonic leadership, has also claimed about being victims of terrorism. Attacks launched against United States have put them under fire. And as such, the actions committed against their government and stability fueled counterattacks, and the has rather put the emphasis in battling terrorism intensified than ever. United States Terrorism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The terrorist attacks committed against the United States of America flared up a number of heated reactions and counter aggressions. The attacks on September 11, 2001 marked the aggressive counter insurgency acts against their perceived opponents. Simultaneously, the United States government made an international statement that involved United States allies in their â€Å"fight against terrorism† (Zunes).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When the attacks occurred in United States, the government was prompted to retaliate and create plans of action in order to restore peace in the country. Counter terrorist actions are also geared towards eradicating terrorists activities around the world. The United States government under George W. Bush administration claimed that the actions that they initiated were aimed at helping other countries that are suffering under the claws of terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, some observers within the international community had different views on the United States intention behind their savage plans of action against the countries which they thought and believed were supporting terrorist groups. Given the history of warfares that United States engaged in, some believed that there were far larger motives behind the attacks they launched, specifically against Iraq. Solution to Terrorism     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The incidences of terrorism have been excessively alarming. And the past counterattacks to subdue terrorism have never been proven to become useful in solving the terrorist dilemma. Instead, the counterattacks that targeted United States aggressors rather intensified the chaos brought by insurgencies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Religious disputes have been for long, the root cause of ideological differences which often result in religious wars. The United States deliberate refusal to recognize their religious differences with the Muslims, further heightened the animosity between Muslim states and United States and their allies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Violence is never a solution for violence; as such, war will not be able to put an end to wars. The recent experiences of United States in their engagement in wars will prove that further involvement in such will only increase atrocities rather than solve the conflict. During the three years wherein United States participated in the war in the Middle East is a proof that chaos countered with chaos shall only never succeed in bringing democracy in Iraq, Israel or countries in the Middle East that are being questioned for support to terrorism (Zinn).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These actions from the United States are only proof of them being â€Å"inevitably indiscriminate and morally reprehensible† (Zinn). The truth that the United States resorted to use violent means in dealing with such situations, rather than employ democratic ways of solving conflicts is a proof of their refusal to make amends to ensure international peace. In addition, these attempts to seize the lands and territories of Unites States opponents have only acquired them more enemies rather than allies. It further increased the animosity between races and religions, which definitely will not work to the benefit of the people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It must be reiterated that increasing the animosity between two sides who believe in different religion, culture and ideologies will never put an end to international chaos. Rather, if two opposing sides will try to meet despite their differences rather than widening the gap, international peace may be attainable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this light, it must be put into consideration that indeed religious differences are important factors in solving the terrorism dilemma. People must learn to believe that Islam is not, and was never the source of terrorism in the world. The concept of â€Å"Islamic Terrorism† in the world has widened enough the gap between the Muslims and people who belong to different religious groups. Islam is not cause of terrorism. And as such, acceptance of this fact may lead the international community towards a solution in combating terrorism in a rather peaceful way (Yahya).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Islamic believers and scholars, Muslims do not view war as the sole solution to bring peace in the world, neither to impose their beliefs amongst the people. The values taught to them from their religion states that spreading terror amongst the society is never an option, nor killing innocent lives. Religious wars and retaliations are only allowed and necessary if their beliefs and race are being trampled by other people (Yahya). The Root Cause of Terrorism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The increasing trend of third world animosity is one of the most important factors that contributes to the occurrences of terrorism. Islam, being a widespread religion and belief among members of the third world countries has become a target for first world countries who have beliefs different from what they are accustomed for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Members of the first world countries, the United States in particular have always been a fanatic of providing â€Å"enlightenment and camaraderie† amongst less developed countries. Americans and their allies have always assumed the role of â€Å"leaders† and international pacifier. Thus, they have neglected the need to recognize their differences with other people of other descents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This animosity and eagerness of the Westerners to â€Å"educate and liberalize† their counterparts in the East has increased the gap between the more powerful West and the less developed East, particularly the Muslim nations who have always considered their beliefs as sacred. The Westerners inability to understand these differences caused the Muslim Easterners to feel dislodged from the international community. And the massive attempts done deliberately to lure them into embracing the Western culture only aggravated the gap and the hostility among nations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Terrorism has occurred as a response to the Westerners, particularly United States attempts to extend their influence over other countries. These retaliations were geared towards preserving their culture, and protecting their beliefs and territories from foreign invasion. However, United States with their distinct influence and control over the majority of less developed countries were able to rationalize their attacks and actions against Muslim countries as noble acts that are only intended to keep the international community peaceful and less chaotic. Conclusions and Recommendations for the West   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Western notion on the use of terror in the Islamic context is often misplaced and deliberately misused to serve the Westerners purpose. The continuous beliefs by the majority of the world that Islamic fundamentalists are terrorists add to the animosity and anxiety of Muslims against people from different race and religion. If this shall perpetuate and continue, the gap between Muslims and Christians, Westerners and Easterners and third world and first world countries shall never be resolved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to put an end to these animosities, the continuing clash of civilization must stop first. The notion of West superiority and their desire to civilize the East will not work at all times. Other states will retaliate and oppose this â€Å"noble† cause. As mentioned, the Muslims are highly trained to believe that their religion is sacred, and attempts to forge another belief into them will cause further violence rather than peaceful amendments. Thus, rather than trying to impose a new culture, religion and set of beliefs to them, the Westerners should learn how to cope with their differences and try to become rather open in dealing with them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most importantly, the source of all the conflicts in the international arena is anchored on the ignorance of the people and their deliberate attempts to enforce bigotry rather than acceptance. Thus, instead of insurgencies and counterattacks against those who believe differently from what they have been accustomed at, people from different countries must try to become open at accepting differences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gaining a better understanding of the occurrences behind terrorism and recognizing the differences between races, ethnicities and religions, a solution to terrorism may be found in increasing the openness of different societies with each other. Cultural and religious relativism may decrease incidents of terrorism. In addition, recognizing the pursuit towards political, economic and religious autonomy from the dictates of more powerful nations may help in subduing terrorist threats.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Different people who belong in different races are always prone to misunderstandings. However, given enough concern and openness to the varying opinions from people who were raised in different cultures and societies will lessen the hostility between races and ethnicities. Thus, instead of engaging in wars and resorting to violent means of resolving these differences, governments of states must think of better and more proper ways of reaching out to other states. Imposing ones influence through the use of coercive force is not effective, it rather brings forth violence while instilling fear among the citizens. If we want the world to become peaceful and less chaotic, we must start employing peaceful methods to battle terrorism, violence and hostilities between countries.       Works Cited Yahya, Harun. (n.d). â€Å"Islam is Not the Source of Terrorism, But its Solution.† Islam Denounces Terrorism. 24 July 2008 http://www.islamdenouncesterrorism.com/mainarticle.html Zinn, Howard. (2006). â€Å"War is Not a Solution for Terrorism.† Boston News. 24 July 2008 http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/09/02/war_is_not_a_solution_for_terrorism/ Zunes, Stephen. (2001). â€Å"International Terrorism.† Foreign Policy in Focus. 24 July 2008 http://www.fpif.org/briefs/vol3/v3n38terr.html

The Role and Growth of NATO Essay Example for Free

The Role and Growth of NATO Essay From Thucydides onward, moral philosophers, students of international politics, statesmen, and policy makers have been preoccupied and very often troubled by the role of morality in international politics. There has often been a tendency, in the discourse on political morality and the ethical conduct of statecraft, to alternatively exaggerate or deprecate the influence of morality in internationalpolitics, and hence succumb to either self-righteous moralism or cynicism and skepticism. The task of moral reasoning about international politics is neither a simple nor an easy one, and is made more difficult when moralism is confused with morality. Moralism involves the adoption of a single value or principle and applying it indiscriminately without due regard to circumstances, time, or space. Morality, on the other hand, is the endless search for what is right in the midst of sometimes competing, sometimes conflicting, and sometimes incompatible values and principles (Morgenthau 79). The normative form of political realism admonishes us to think morally, not moralistically, and not to confuse self-righteousness with morality. It reminds us that international politics are too complex to resemble a morality play, and that moral choices are never easy. Yet all is not well in Europe. The end of the Cold War and the subsequent disintegration of the Soviet Union ended the high-intensity threat to the West. Invasion is now implausible. However, the lacuna created by the absence of any high-intensity threat has been filled by low-intensity threats, taking the principal form of chronic instability in the Balkans and the outbreak of ethnic conflict stemming from the breakup of Yugoslavia. Indeed, the various Balkan wars are indicative of the fact that â€Å"history† and a particularly nasty and virulent form of nationalism persist quite stubbornly in that corner of Europe. The horrors and atrocities perpetrated in those wars were shocking to people who believed in â€Å"Never Again† and that European civilization had evolved beyond such behavior. This, of course, ought to be a sobering reminder that peace and stability can never be taken for granted, that liberal values are not as triumphant as some would like to believe, and that Locke, Kant, and Smith might have to make room for Thucydides, Machiavelli, and Hobbes as we are forced to reengage with history. How exactly are we to reengage with history? In the midst of peace and plenty, we have had the luxury of debating and rethinking our conceptions of security. Traditional state-centric notions of security, which privilege sovereignty over the rights and dignity of the individual, are called increasingly into question. They are deemed relics of the past, fig leaves hiding the intellectual paucity of Cold Warriors unable or unwilling to adapt themselves to an altered security environment. We are witnessing the rise of a rival orthodoxy regarding how we think and act about security, one that is centered on human rights and human security—consonant with our posthistorical values and sensibilities—and allegedly better suited to deal with the problems of intrastate warfare and ethnic conflict. This rival orthodoxy, we are to believe, is morally superior and more evolved than traditional notions of security. After all, what sort of person can be against human rights and human security? On 24 March 1999, NATO began Operation Allied Force, an aerial bombing campaign that was to last seventy-eight days. The Atlantic Alliance, arguably the most powerful and successful politico-military coalition in history, created originally to defend Western Europe against a Soviet onslaught, now went to war for human security. In the subsequent military campaign, NATO won and got what it wanted, and then some. The Alliance triumphed without a single combat casualty. Serbian military and paramilitary forces, looking remarkably unscathed despite the scope and intensity of NATO sorties, evacuated the province. A NATO-led military force moved in, and Kosovar refugees started returning home. Kosovo is now a de facto protectorate of NATO and the United Nations, even if the fiction that the province remains a sovereign and integral part of Yugoslavia is maintained. Kosovars are champing at the bit to cleanse the province ethnically of the remaining Serbian minority, even as we insist that our goal is to reconstitute a multiethnic and multicultural Kosovo. Slobodan Milosevic is gone but the genie of ethnic strife is already out of the bottle, and the Balkans remain as unstable as ever (An Electronic Journal of the U.S. Department of State March 2002). A question mark hangs over an â€Å"ethic of responsibility,† meanwhile, because the jury is still out as to whether we will be able to move toward such an ethic when it comes to future humanitarian interventions or whether â€Å"humanitarian warfare† is, as some argue, â€Å"an idea whose time has come, and gone† (Krauthammer 8). From the Balkans to the Caucasus, the environment remains ripe for massive and violent abuses of human rights—thus opportunities to intervene—even if NATO does not expand any further to the East. The temptation to intervene will be great. If CNN is present, we will have emotional and gut-wrenching scenes of human suffering beamed into our living rooms and there will be a clamor to â€Å"do something† (Hudson and Stanier 256).   And why not do something? The Alliance has already bent, if not broken international law over Kosovo. Surely it will be easier the second time around. Furthermore, NATO now possesses a template for â€Å"immaculate intervention.† The Alliance will not deploy ground troops but can instead rely on precision guided munitions dropped from on high, with little or no risk to its servicemen and women (Burk 53–78). Humanitarian intervention is characterized by motive and ends, the motive to do good, and the goal to put an end to human suffering. This is what is supposed to distinguish â€Å"moral† interventions from â€Å"immoral† ones (Abrams 74). It was said of the Gulf War that the West would not have come to the aid of Kuwait if that country had produced broccoli instead of oil. Kosovo possessed neither oil nor broccoli. Hence, we were told by President Bill Clinton that NATO’s actions were intended to â€Å"enable the Kosovar people to return to their homes with safety and self-government,† or alternatively to â€Å"protect thousands of innocent people in Kosovo from a mounting military offensive.† (Roberts 20) The Alliance’s objectives were thus to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo and/or to prevent a crisis from becoming a catastrophe. Kosovo was to be a new sort of war, one fought in the name of universal values and principles—to uphold human rights and prevent a humanitarian tragedy—rather than for narrow interests (Roberts 20). Yet motives and ends are dangerously unreliable as criteria for moral calculation and judgment. Moral judgment cannot be suspended simply because the motives are pure, the cause just, and the ends good. The decision to enlarge the Atlantic Alliance has opened debate as to whether an expanded alliance will help to sustain global peace or provoke greater tension, if not regional or global wars. International relations theorists are largely divided over the question, and the relationship between alliance enlargement and the question of war or peace is unclear and ambiguous. Alliances in general have often been blamed as one of the major factors helping to generate the fears and suspicions leading to World War I, as well as previous wars in European history, at least since the advent of the formal multipolar â€Å"balance of power† system in the mid-seventeenth century. American foreign policy from George Washington to World War II traditionally eschewed â€Å"entangling alliances.† On the other hand, the lack of strong alliances and of firm American commitments to Britain, France, and to key strategically positioned states such as Poland, for example, has been cited as one of the causes of World War II. Following Soviet retrenchment from eastern Europe after 1989, and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet state in 1991, the Atlantic Alliance has been praised as the most successful alliance in history. Without NATO, it is argued, the peace of Europe could not have been secured throughout the Cold War. Detractors, however, have argued that NATO’s formation in 1949 led to the counterformation of the 1950 Sino-Soviet alliance—and indirectly to the Korean War—in addition to the establishment of the Warsaw Pact following West Germany’s admission to NATO in 1955. These contrasting perspectives do not clarify the relationship between alliances and war in today’s geostrategic circumstances. The question remains as to whether German unification, followed by Soviet implosion, and now by NATO enlargement into east-central Europe, will prove stabilizing. The Alliance has opted to extend its membership to Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary within the former Soviet sphere of influence, raising some fears of a new partition of Europe. At the same time, NATO has promised to consider further enlarging its membership; it has advocated what has been deemed an â€Å"open NATO†Ã¢â‚¬â€in part to prevent a possible new partition between members and nonmembers. Alliance pronouncements promised that Romania and Slovenia would be granted first consideration in a second round, in addition to one or more of the Baltic states. Indeed, NATO has not left out the possibility of Russian membership, but has only taken limited steps in this direction (Kegley and Raymond 275–277). Despite the fact that NATO is one of the most institutionalized alliances ever created, with decades of experience in fostering close ties among its members, the United States chose not to use NATO to organize its response to the attacks. NATO was unable to provide a command structure—or even substantial capabilities—that would override U.S. concerns about using the NATO machinery. European contributions were incorporated on a bilateral basis, but NATO as an organization remained limited to conducting patrols over the United States and deploying ships to the eastern Mediterranean. This U.S. policy choice did not surprise many in the United States. Many U.S. policymakers believed that NATOs war in Kosovo was an unacceptable example of â€Å"war by committee,† where political interference from the alliances 19 members prevented a quick and decisive campaign. The policymakers were determined to retain sole command authority in Afghanistan, so that experience would not be repeated (Daalder and Gordon). The deployment of the NATO AWACS demonstrates this point. The United States did not want to deploy the NATO AWACS directly to Afghanistan, because it did not want to involve the North Atlantic Council in any command decisions. Instead, the NATO AWACS backfilled U.S. assets so the assets could redeploy to Afghanistan. A military official later described the U.S. decision in these terms: â€Å"If you were the US, would you want 18 other nations watering down your military planning?† (Fiorenza 22) However, many Europeans were dissatisfied with the small role that the alliance played in the response to the September 11 attacks and attributed it to U.S. unilateralism and arrogance. While they understood the need to ensure effective command and control, they felt that they had given the United States unconditional political support through the invocation of Article 5 and that they should at least be consulted about the direction of the military campaign. In part, these frustrations resulted from the fact that the military campaign did not fit the model all had come to expect during the Cold War— that an invocation of Article 5 would lead the alliance members to join together and defeat a common enemy (Kitfield). But these frustrations also reflected a fear that the U.S. decision to pursue the war on its own after invoking Article 5 would irrevocably weaken the core alliance principle of collective defense. To uncover a possible answer to the question as to whether an extended NATO alliance will prove stabilizing, I seek to explicate the views of international relations theorist, George Liska. Even though he was well known in the 1960s for his classic definition of alliances, Liska’s later comparative geohistorical perspective of the 1970s and 1980s has often been overlooked or not fully appreciated (Kegley). Although generally pessimistic, Liska argues that major power or systemic war is not inevitable and can be averted, yet only given a long-term strategy of cooptation of potential rivals into the interstate system. For Liska, alliances are neither inherently stabilizing or destabilizing. Like armaments, they do not in themselves cause war, but they can set the preconditions for generalized conflict depending on the manner and circumstances in which they are formed and depending on which specific states are included. Moreover, the expansion of an alliance formation is less likely to provoke major power war when the predominant states of a particular historical period are either overtly or tacitly included. Generalized wars, however, are more likely to occur when the predominant powers cannot participate in the key decision-making processes that affect their perceived vital interests, and thus cannot formulate truly concerted policies. Global conflict has largely stemmed from the apparently recurrent failures of the major contending states to forge long-term entente, or full-fledged alliance, relationships. Since 1991 the world has seen a new opportunities, but the weight of the millennial past continues to burden the present (Liska 17). Although the U.S.-Soviet wartime alliance against Germany, 1941–1945, collapsed after World War II, the superpowers were by contrast able to maintain a general state of peace, though not without intense regional conflicts often fought through surrogates. The ensuing struggle for control of former German spheres of influence, the quarantine of East Germany and other Soviet-bloc states, the formation of NATO, Soviet/Russian fears of a U.S./NATO alliance with the flanking states of Japan and the People’s Republic of China, collectively resemble the 477 to 461 B.C. phase of Athenian-Spartan relations, following the breakdown of their alignment against Persia. Throughout the Cold War, Washington and Moscow sustained a tacit multidimensional â€Å"double containment† of Germany and Japan, as well as other significant regional powers, including China, that helped to prevent open conflict between them. Yet it is precisely the Soviet/Russian role in this multidimensional double containment that has virtually disappeared following German unification (Gardner 7-9). The collapse of the Soviet Empire and its spheres of security parallel the instability that confronted Sparta. Continuing fears of national uprisings and Russian disaggregation, coupled with recurrent wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan, recall the threats posed by the Helot revolution and the Third Messenian War. The United States and NATO now bid for control over former Soviet and Russian spheres of influence in Central and Eastern Europe much as Athens penetrated Sparta’s sphere in the Aegean and then the Ionian seas. Disputes over power and burden sharing within NATO, considered together with differences over the financing of the 1990 Persian Gulf war and the conduct wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, are reminiscent of Athenian efforts to sustain preeminence over its Delian league allies, regardless of the diminished Persian threat. Moreover, Pericles’ decision to forge a new â€Å"defensive† alliance with the insular power bears similarities to NATO’s decision to extend its alliance with Western Europe into Central Europe, a change depicted as defensive, involving no nuclear weapons or additional troops to be deployed on the territory of new NATO members (Gardner 20–26). Most crucially, should the United States and Russia not be able to reach a compromise over the question of the modalities of NATO enlargement into East-Central Europe, the two powers risk losing their tacit post-World War II alliance against Germany and Japan altogether. This would parallel the Athenian decision to drop entirely its deteriorating ties with Sparta after the new Athenian democratic leadership expelled Cimon. Moreover, American proposals to build a ballistic missile defense in possible violation of the ABM treaty could be interpreted by Russia in much the same way that Sparta interpreted the Athenian decision to build defensive walls around the city of Athens. In a word, the United States is presently poised either to renew its relations with Moscow or else let them sour to an even greater extent, thus risking another round of mutual imprecations that could degenerate into a wider conflict. Turning to another episode involving an essentially bipolar land/sea schism, namely the clash between Rome and Carthage over spheres of influence in Spain, Sicily, and the Mediterranean, raises additional questions about Soviet collapse and NATO enlargement. Much as the Peloponnesian wars can be viewed as a result of the breakdown of the Athenian-Spartan wartime alliance, the First Punic War can likewise be interpreted as a product of the termination of the 279–278 B.C. Roman-Carthaginian wartime alliance against Tarentum and Pyrrhus of Epirus. The alliance between Rome and Carthage followed the classic â€Å"Pyrrhic victory† at Ausculum that opened Sicily up to Greek conquest. The deterioration of that alliance was provoked by the Roman decision to assist the Mamertines against Syracuse in 264 B.C. and to take Messana under Roman protection. This unexpected action led Carthage to support Syracuse in response. This in turn represented a reversal in alliances equally unanticipated by Rome, as Carthage and Syracuse had traditionally been enemies (Harris 187). Carthage subsequently accused Rome of a violation of its previous agreements, which, according to Carthaginian sources, forbade the Romans to cross into Sicily and the Carthaginians to cross into Roman spheres. In fact, Rome and Carthage did sign three treaties in 510–509, 348, and 306 B.C., designed to sustain Carthagian spheres of influence over Western Sicily, Sardinia, Libya, and the Iberian peninsula, but there was no agreement addressing specifically the changing status of a divided Sicily. The 510–509 B.C. treaty, signed in the year that marks the formation of the Roman Republic, sought to affirm Roman agreement to abide by the historically positive relations between Carthage and Etrusca. In the 306 B.C. treaty, Rome vowed not to cross the Straits of Messina in exchange for a Carthagian concession to permit Rome full liberty of maneuver in the Italian peninsula. Moreover, even if there was no formal treaty in 279–278 B.C., there may have been a tacit understanding involving a vague mutual recognition of respective military and commercial spheres of influence that was at least proposed during the 279–278 B.C. wartime alliance against Pyrrhus (Eckstein 79). Whether a formal treaty actually existed is really secondary to the point that Carthage at least operated under the assumption that some type of accord existed in order to justify its previous alliance relationship, and it jealously guarded Western Sicily as the central strategic keystone to its insular defense. On the other hand, Roman expansion to Calabria diminished the size of the buffer region between the two states. As an expanding continental power seeking amphibious status, Rome began to regard the Carthagian presence on Sicily as a potential â€Å"encirclement.† Carthage was regarded as threatening Rome’s maritime trade from ports on the Ionian Sea and in the Gulf of Tarante. The charge that a tacit agreement was violated is not unlike the debate between the United States and Russia, as to whether Washington affirmed absolutely in 1989–1990 that it would not extend NATO into East-Central Europe. Moscow has argued that the decision to enlarge NATO into what it has considered its central strategic region of continental defense contravenes the spirit of the â€Å"two plus four† treaty on German unification not to permit NATO forces into the territory of the former East Germany, as well as the â€Å"gentleman’s agreement† made between George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990 against NATO expansion. As a rising land power seeking amphibious status, Rome expanded into Calabria and thereby diminished the historic buffer between Etrucsa/Rome and Carthage, a power in relative decline. In contemporary geopolitics, NATO enlargement into former Soviet and historic Russian spheres of influence similarly risks undermining the post-1945 security buffer between the United States and its German ally and a Russia now in a state of near absolute collapse. Works Cited Abrams, Elliott. â€Å"To Fight the Good Fight.† National Interest 59 (spring 2000): 74. Burk, James. â€Å"Public Support for Peacekeeping in Lebanon and Somalia: Assessing the Casualties Hypothesis.† Political Science Quarterly 114, no. 1 (2003): 53–78. Eckstein, Arthur M. â€Å"Senate and General.† Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987, p. 79. Fiorenza, Nicholas. â€Å"Alliance Solidarity,† Armed Forces Journal International, December 2004, p. 22. Daalder, Ivo H. and Gordon, Philip R. â€Å"Euro-Trashing,† Washington Post, May 29, 2002. Retrieved July 9, 2007 from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-361506.html. Gardner, Hall. â€Å"Central and Southeastern Europe in Transition.†Ã‚   Westport, CT: Praeger, 2005. Harris, William V. â€Å"War and Imperialism in Republican Rome, 327–70 BC.† Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1979, p. 187. Hudson, Miles and Stanier, John. â€Å"War and the Media: A Random Searchlight.† New York: New York University Press, 2003, p. 256. Kegley, Charles W. Jr. and Raymond, Gregory A. â€Å"Alliances and the Preservation of the Postwar Peace: Weighing the Contribution† in The Long Postwar Peace, ed. Charles W.Kegley Jr. (New York: HarperCollins, 2003), pp. 275–277. Kitfield, James. â€Å"Divided We Fall.† National Journal. April 7, 2006 Retrieved July 7, 2007 from nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2006/0407nj1.htm Krauthammer, Charles. â€Å"The Short, Unhappy Life of Humanitarian Warfare.† National Interest 57 (fall 2004): 8. Liska, George. â€Å"Russia and the Road to Appeasement.† Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1982. Morgenthau, Hans J. â€Å"The Twilight of International Morality,† Ethics 58, no. 2 (1948): 79. â€Å"NATO In The 21ST Century — The Road Ahead†. An Electronic Journal of the U.S. Department of State March 2002. Retrieved July 7, 2007 from www.italy.usembassy.gov/pdf/ej/ijpe0302.pdf Roberts, Adam. â€Å"NATO’s ‘Humanitarian War’ Over Kosovo,† Survival 41, no. 3 (2004): 20.

Impact Of E Commerce On Adidas

Impact Of E Commerce On Adidas The next of kin of Adidas registered and laid a foundation named after Adi Dassler in 18th August, 1949. According to a source, removable studs were athletes, footballer footwear choices. Its first soccer appearance was the miraculous victory of Germany against Hungary named as Miracle of Bern in 1954. The presiding years were a talk through aiding an unconventional performance, commitment that desire athletes both from indoors (table to lawn tennis) and outdoors (short to long jumps) etc events. A remarkable high jumper Fosbury Dick stepped into lime light in Adidas foot wear world in the late 1960s. The company has progressed from the death of Adi Dassler to the era of his family members including wife, son and daughters 1980s. with new management in place, where the company CEO became the driving force with Robert Louis Dreyfus reshaping its early functions from being manufacturing and sales to marketing company in 1990. This transition processed to a public liability company, floating on Frankfurt and Paris Stock Exchange in 1995. While in 1996, it achieved a 50% apparel sales increase which recorded its splendid year. As in December 1997, Adidas acquired a Salomon Group (Bonfire, TaylorMade, Salomon and Mavic) renaming as Adidas Salomon AG. The momentum of the new brand started gaining ground with a noticeable digit during the first half of 1999. Remarkably produce efficiency programmes and ambitious growth in 2000. The Olympic Summer Games and the European Soccer Championship, where Ian Thorpe takes three gold medals, contribute to the companys growth. In January 2006, Adidas bought over Reeboky a well known sporting goods industry as its competitive worldwide platform while beginning wider range of product, stronger presence and dominance across athletes, teams, leagues and events. In May the same year, Adidas was renamed from Adidas Salomon AG to Adidas AG were her core strength was narrowed in the apparel, golf category and athletic footwear market. How it used to do business and how e-commerce has transformed its method of working. Adidas earlier business days used to be from factory to warehouse and distributing to different locations, supplying to larger shops. Then, they advertise their goods and service via TV, Radio, and Billboards. But today e-commerce has changed it all by emerging innovation of ecommerce interest. A lot has seen the profit made from this technology and more are still on its way while transforming the pattern businesses transact with each other, in the awake of globalization Online market has not risen to a new height with the significant growth of e-commerce. More also, there has been a communication aspect of customer service to consider, by e-commerce, they found a way by communicating to their customers in electronic. Companies offer a higher percentage of independence for customer products and services of which its top notch deliverable is communicated. So, in that way web and the internet have made it easier for their customers to see what product they want online and order and pay online. The E-commerce Advantages and Disadvantages on Adidas. Customers empowerment: It is a trend that will continue with greater broadband penetration. The adoption of mobile browsing further increases accessibility and the use of social networking sites. This connectivity between consumers offers marketers the opportunity to leverage a growth channel and face the disturbing reality that brands are no longer solely in charge of the information consumers have available to them. Consumers are undoubtedly firmly in control, and with this empowerment have come a greater sense of expectation around service levels and value, and also gives customer wider range to choose from. The objectives to reach diverse people, culture and region promote the sensation around a defined market niche becomes the primary focus of marketing and communication. Most marketing companies communicate with prospective customer in other to establish relationship that may or would result in lasting trust by volunteering free or a trial based product that will build expected brand awareness. Marketing communication maintains customers trust by providing information and reinforcing a purchase habit about the brand benefit. The main objective is based on maintaining a database of customers that would patronize company product and reinforce relationship for prospective retailers and customer base. And product range is where the customer can select online what good and whats not good for and decide what to shop online. Price is where you can check on the favourable goods which is lower is a different product and different company by differentiating which cheaper and better product to buy from. Many Associated costs both in financial and social terms. New skill sets: By increasing awareness, technology and globalisation demand with a new approach from the learning and development specialist. The challenge today is about creating an effective environment in which learners develop the relevant knowledge and skills. This requires a new mindset and skill set from learning and development specialist. Keeping up with technological changes and reviews the case for a global convergence of approach to learning, training and development and determines the extent to which the national cultural differences matter. Retraining staff: By giving employees renewed skills through retraining can be of benefits to them as well the company. This also means their employees are tooled up, which is always of benefit to the company and facing the world which is changing all the time. The present job market requires people to constantly need a portfolio of skills, which means turning a boost for staff if they are given retraining by their firm. Positions downsized or eliminated: Downsizing simply means lying off employees. Management staffs discuss in team determining the cost needed to reduce the expenses and what it takes to secure a high financial reserve. For these very reason downsizing occur, it is normally whereby it is the main fact that fewer employees are necessary to maintain a successful operation, and in many cases where technological advance or breakthrough makes it possible to replace a previously human job. It can also be caused by market or change in government policies which force corporate executives to make coinciding decisions regarding their staff. More also, the major problems in todays business world are the salaries being paid to the workers, since employers are not paying their workers high wages, the workers have little to put back into economy. This forces the companies to downsize to keep from going under. What risks both social and financial the company incurred in introducing an e-commerce system to an organisation. Talking of strategic risks,, there are also many practical risks to manage which if ignored, it can lead to bad customer experiences and bad news stories which lead to damage to the reputation of the company. However, if the customers experience a very bad service, and stop using it, and switch to other online option. Experience which can include the following: . Hackers penetrating the security of the system and stealing credit card details. . Problems of fulfilment of goods ordered online, meaning customer orders goes missing or is delayed and the customer never returns. . E-mail customer-service enquiries from the web site dont reach the right person and are ignored. . Web sites that fail because of a spike in visitor traffic after a pea-hour TV advertising campaign. . Involve in Potentially breaking privacy and data protection laws. The impact that e-commerce has had on its consumer. When exchange of money for goods services happen within or as a transaction between two or more people, its normally done in actual store through business making in person. Electronic commerce or e-commerce as it is widely known suddenly became much more common place, the ability to make a purchase solely on online without having to leave the home was a new idea that has since changed the face of business. Websites such as Amazon.com and Ebay.com were pioneers in this field. In this present days, there are lots of e-commerce websites that people can purchase items from, everything from books and clothing to groceries and pc, tv, phones can now be bought through a website, it all have an impact on economy. By servicing making a doctors appointment can be done through the internet. People can now shop online in the privacy of their own homes without ever having to leave. Using ATM makes it easy for withdrawing cash, and blog for comments. E-commerce has also made it easy for geographical reach, and also can help on online auction. How the company met the challenge of new technology. We can say it is all about improving performance, they explore new processes and technologies when environmental considerations comes in, then the companys team identifies the performance enhancing technology which allows them to build to build the high performance equipment in the most environmental friendly way. There are ways the company met the environmental issues, by change of infrastructure, environmental adaptation, how the component is made and the choice of materials. This is where the company will explore if the component can be thinner, using the less materials means, less waste, less embedded carbon. The component can be made from a lighter material, then that will also reduce carbon emissions, making them for a lookout for bio-based alternatives. Lastly, their current development involving the amount of glue used has been reduced by using laser welding or mechanical locking design, thereby reducing emission What security issues it encountered. Technology: Faces the problems of hackers which break into the entire networks using unsecured wireless devices or access point. Unauthorized users can piggyback onto unsecured networks to use the bandwidth to perform illegal activity and steal sensitive data. Hackers can flood the wireless network with data to make it unusable. Financial: The financial security issues which are complying with the respective applicable laws and regulations. Not ensuring full, fair and accurate, timely and comprehensible disclosure of information in reports, documents and all other publications prepared by them. Not ensuring the timely and accurate documentation of all business transactions in the Adidas group, and that all the assets and resources used by belonging to or entrusted to the Adidas group, are handled responsibly. By not maintaining and share the knowledge required for dealing with financial matters. Physical: In a business environments, physical security of the server maybe lacking or even nonexistent, they encounter problems with employees who steal or sabotage company data, with all the added risk of the network based attacks, the sever will be subjected to connecting it to the internet, keeping the server secured is more of a challenge. Like file security, share security, and password security. Documents which also commonly encountered security problems which can also use troubleshoot and resolve the problems quickly. Though with the password, file and network policies in place to secure access to the server, there is no substitute for solid physical security of the server, if anyone, thief or employee, has physical access to the server, company data can be deleted, compromised, or stolen. How it was able to take advantage of new distribution and sales channels. The function is organised in three distinctive channels, wholesales, retail and e-commerce. By creating business models, their aims are to service multiple customer and consumer needs to fully leverage brand potential, be more responsive to market developments and manage channel synergies by establishing best practices worldwide. They based on availability, convenience and breadth of product offering, as a result, continuously refining the distribution proposition with a strong focus on controlled space includes: . Own-retail business . E-commerce . Mono-branded franchise stores . Joint ventures with retail partners . Co-branded stored with sport organisations and brands To increase the global brand presence and ensure further growth of our business, their global sales function has set up a comprehensive initiative called integrated distribution roadmap. The initiative encompasses a joint approach between the three channels to identify where they want their brands to be represented and in which distribution format in key markets. The initiative will allow us to define how best to capture the consumer in the biggest and most attractive cities around the world without cannibalising the brands and distribution mix. The roadmap is designed to ensure market share growth in underpenetrated affluent cities. Examine what impact that e-commerce has had on the business. The impact of e-commerce on the business has been huge success by enabling businesses and consumers to connect with each other to exchange and share information anyway anytime. Has also made an impact on warehousing space reduction, wider range of customers, more commendation, stock control, stock/share trading. Establishing an online presence to maintain their competitive edge, along with high speed internet connections, the internet has become an essential tool for any business to compete domestically of globally. Businesses are developing web sites to provide their consumers and business partner with information. Show specific reference to increased competition. Several competing firms which are fiercely competing with Adidas which include Nike, Umbro, Puma, Fila, Reebok and Fortune Brands Inc. Adidas did ensure that their goods are high quality at a reasonable price in order to keep the market share. Lower overheads/increased sales etc. Financial expenses income up: Increased income of 28% to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬133 million in 2010 from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬19 million prior year, mainly due to an increase in interest income as well as positive currency exchange rate effect. The sales development is driven by the positive rising in consumers confidence as the global economy continues to improve. Financial expenses decrease: Financial expenses decreased 34% to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 113 million in 2010 (2009: à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 169 million). The non-recurrence of prior year negative currency exchange rate effects as well as lower interest expenses contributed to the decline. What legislation both old and new it had to deal with. Trademark: Its logos (three strides, the globe and trefoil devices), not limited to mark word as Adidas alone but all included, are registered trademarks of Adidas, unless state otherwise including affiliates. Not to use, copy, reproduce, republish, upload, distribute, modified and post transmit in any form from Adidas trademarks, without Adidas prior consent neither advertisement nor publication is permitted even though it might pertain major distribution gains on site materials. In any external internet site is the creation of links, hypertext, links or deep links between the site and other internet site is prohibited without the express consent of Adidas. Thus, this includes links to partners that may use Adidas logos as part of a co-branding agreement. Although Adidas seeks to protect the integrity of its site, the site can link to have their own separate privacy policy but Adidas is not responsible and cannot be liable for the content and activities of these sites. Copyrights: Adidas remains the sole owner of entire content contained in the copyright portfolio. Only if the specific or indicated documents within the site state otherwise but you remain unauthorized to print, download, audio, document, view, play, reproduce, license, produce, transfer or sale any content, but you may be authorized to view, play videos or audio found within the site information, personal and non-commercial purposes only. Nevertheless, if authorized under the law relating to copyright, you may not reuse any Content without first obtaining the consent of Adidas. In downloading software applications such as; videos, wallpaper, icon and screensavers etc. from the Site, these software, includes any files, images incorporated in or generated by the software, and data accompanying the software are licensed to you by Adidas. Adidas does not transfer title to the Software to you. You own the medium on which the Software is recorded, but Adidas retains full and complete title to the Software, and all intellectual property rights therein. You may not redistribute, sell, decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, or otherwise reduce the Software to a human-readable form. Differing countries regulations and legislation: Its a world of different countries with different rules, regulations and laws, within each country rules, regulations and laws for that country apply. Your own countrys legislation does not apply to any other country. And another countrys legislation does not apply to your country. Different countries have different rules. Its a way of country of origin to differentiate the product. More also, its the requirements for a country of origin markings which are complex and depend on import country requirement for disclosure is essential too. While so many product made within European Union carry the marking Made in EU. Shipping products from one country to another will have to be marked with the country of origin, and country of origin trade preference programs, antidumping and government procurement. What monopoly powers it had to deal with both within its own market and issues affecting it. It had to deal with control and without any competition, since they have other competitors; it has to deal with price control. Like the Microsoft which is an example of monopoly, using its power in one area to gain market share in another area. Because it had a monopoly for web browsers Controlling different stages of production, new web browsers were at a disadvantage because it was too much effort to change from the wed default browser. Show how e-commerce has opened up new lines of communication within the company. E-mails: Electronic mail is a message sent across through the Internet, or a system for transferring messages between computers, mobile phone or other communications upload on the Internet. The time scales high when email servers are networked to all computers in big medium size company, the server have gateways which computer systems or networks enable all users to send information anywhere/anytime to any system in the world. All internet service provider (ISP) and online services enable rich messaging experience. Text: Its a fast way of communicating to customers and getting feedbacks, its a speed way of send sales promotions, confirmation of orders and confirmation of payments. Mobile phones: Which is known as Scan2buy, which is mobile phone services for e-commerce for company to maximise their profits and move into the growing mobile phone ecommerce market. Can also be used for of payment, its in operation in Japan, which helps customers to make purchase or transfer using simple text messaging on their mobile phones. Pagers: Its a product with a services and business communication solutions, by enhancing collaborative sharing of information in a grid pattern especially when the issue of e-commerce whose pivot lies on a very secure communication channel and data transmission layer for organizations reputation. E-Newsletters: This is a way for communication, to reach out to the customers, to make them aware of the companys product or services and to give them reason to buy the companys product. Its a type of communications includes the companys brochures and various forms of advertising, contact letters, websites and anything that makes the public aware of what the company do. Social networking: Social network is based on a social structure through internet-based social networking system through variety of websites that allows users to share content and interaction around similar interest. It has created a great opportunity for businesses to generate interaction with the present and potential customers through the web based sites established for the purpose. With the ongoing commitment, you can create a niche market through sites such as Twitter, MySpace and Facebook. Global impact of e-commerce: With the new payment systems such as the electronic cash, it has changed the customers financial lives and shakes the foundations of financial systems. Can help customers services greatly be enabling customers to find detailed information online, its a fast way of business operations. Conclusion: The Company has greatly gained a huge benefit by using e-commerce, because by using the new technology which introduces new frame of servicing experiments in other to deliver precise, fast, efficient, reliable and retrievable customer expectations.

Martin Luther :: essays research papers

Martin Luther MARTIN LUTHER, the greatest of the Protestant reformers of the 16th century, was born at Eisleben, on the 10th of November 1483. His father was a miner in humble circumstances; his mother, as Melanchthon records, was a woman of exemplary virtue, and esteemed in her walk of life. Shortly after Martin's birth, his parents removed to Mansfield, where their circumstances ere long improved by industry and perseverance. Their son was sent to school; and both at home and at school his training was of a severe and hardening character. When he reached his eighteenth year, he entered the university at Erfurt, with a view of qualifying himself for the legal profession. He went through the usual studies in the classics and the schoolmen, and took his degree as Doctor of Philosophy, or Master of Arts, in 1505, when he was twenty-one years of age. Previous to this, however, a profound change of feeling had begun in him. Chancing one day to examine the vulgate version of the Bible in the University Library, he saw with astonishment that there were more gospels and epistles than in the lectionaries. He was arrested by the contents of his newly found treasure. His heart was deeply touched, and he resolved to devote himself to a spiritual life. He separated himself trom his friends and fellow-students, and withdrew into the Augustine convent at Erfurt. Here he spent the next three years of his life - years of peculiar interest and significance, for it was during this period that he laid in the study of the Bible and of Augustine, the foundation of those doctrinal convictions which were afterwards to rouse and strengthen him in his struggles against the papacy. He describes very vividly the crisis through which he passed, the burden of sin which so long lay upon him, "too heavy to be borne;" and the relief that he at length found in the clear understanding of the "forgiveness of sins" through the grace of Christ. In the year 1507, Luther was ordained a priest, and in the following year he moved to Wittenberg, destined to derive its chief celebrity from his name. He became a teacher in the new university, founded there by the Elector Frederick of Saxony. In 1510 or 1511, he was sent on a mission to Rome, and he has described yery vividly what he saw and heard there. On his return from Rome, he was made a Doctor of the Holy Scriptures, and his career as a reformer may be said to have commenced.

Vertigo Essay -- essays papers

Vertigo The Alfred Hitchcock film; Vertigo is a narrative film that is a perfect example of a Hollywood Classical Film. I will be examining the following characteristics of the film Vertigo: 1)individual characters who act as casual agents, the main characters in Vertigo, 2)desire to reach to goals, 3)conflicts, 4)appointments, 5)deadlines, 6)James Stewart’s focus shifts and 7)Kim Novak’s characters drives the action in the film. Most of the film is viewed in the 3rd person, except for the reaction shots (point of view shot) which are seen through the eyes of the main character.(1st person) The film has a strong closure and uses continuity editing(180 degree rule). The stylistic (technical) film form of Vertigo makes the film much more enjoyable. The stylistic film form includes camera movements, editing, sound, mise-en-scene and props. Vertigo is an Alfred Hitchcock film that was made in 1958. It stars James Stewart as Detective John Ferguson and Kim Novak as Madeleine Ellester and Judy Barden. In Vertigo, John Ferguson has a fear of heights that results in the death of his partner. Due to this situation, he leaves the police force and became a Private Investigator. Ferguson is contact by Gavin Ellester an old college buddy. Gavin asks Ferguson to follow his wife who he believes has gone mad. Gavin believes his wife Madeleine is being possessed by her great grandmother Corlata Valdez. He explains why he has come to this conclusion and fills John Ferguson in on all the details of the case. Mr. Ferguson questions the integrity of the story, but still accepts the case. When he starts to spy on Madeleine, he begins to notice changes in her personality and similarities to Corlata Valdez's past. One day when John Ferguson was following Madeleine, he saw her jump into San Francisco Bay. After he rescued her, he brought her back to his house and cared for her. Afterwards he and Madeleine started to spend time together. They began to fall in love and Madeleine became more insane. She started to see images from Corlata's past. Madeleine started to live the life of Corlata Valdez and had visions from her life. One day John and Madeleine went to an old Spanish missionary outside San Francisco, which Madeleine had seen in one of her images. When they arrived at their destination Madeleine began to remember things from Corlata's early life and became hyster... ... the mise-en-scene are the from the beginning of the film. Throughout the film I was aware of the locations. The San Francisco setting was presented to the viewer in the beginning and that made the audience more aware of the film's environment. The monastery and other locations of Corlata's past gave me a better understanding of Madeleine’s problem. The make-up and costume play an important part in the recreation scenes, while the props assisted the audience and John Ferguson in piecing the puzzle together and figuring out Gain’s plan. The lighting enhanced many scenes in the film. The parts that impressed me were the following: the recreation of Madeleine scene, John's dream sequence, the monastery scenes, Judy's guilt trip and the scenes involving John's fear of heights. In conclusion, all these factors made Vertigo a great film and made it much more enjoyable for the audience. All the Hollywood Classical Film characteristics that are used in the film enhance the power of Vertigo. Everyone should see Vertigo, since it is a perfect example of a Hollywood Classical Film. In my opinion Alfred Hitchcock was a genius and Vertigo is one of the greatest Hollywood films ever created.

Why Humans Need God Essay -- Religion Belief Faith Society Essays

Why Humans Need God Why is there a God, deity, or higher consciousness in all cultures found around the world? Why won't the concept of God go away? Do humans need God? Is there even a God, by any religious standard? These are all interesting questions that spur a topic for me that may appall some Christians, but may make sense to a lot of other people. I started out a few years ago when I was evaluating my beliefs and asked myself "Why is there God?." I could not at that time believe without proof that there was a God, and I had no proof. I never got any real proof, just self realization upon self realization that there has to be a God, or at least the thoughts in my mind that corresponded with the thoughts of others in the past and in the present have been dubbed "God" to me. So I go on this journey of writing a paper questioning why in every culture from the first signs of ceremonial burials among Neanderthals to today's highly sophisticated rituals, rights and ceremonies of evolved religion, there seems to be something beyond us, higher than us, something we do not understand, but comforts us on dark, cold lonely nights when we are most vulnerable. In the book, Why God Wont Go Away, by Andrew Newberg, it seems that we are psychologically built to alleviate the existential fears and comfort us in this confusing and perilous world through invention and myths. From the earliest weapon to the latest technological revolution we are trying to make ourselves more secure in this world. That's one reason why it seems that in Christianities' earlier years it was either science or religion; you could not have both. Not only because they had conflicting goals and views, but also because when you had science, the human mind's ... ... Hayes, Brian J. "Friedrich Nietzsche God is Dead." Age-Of-The-Sage.org . 12 Nov 2003. Oct 2002. http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/philosophy/nietzsche_God_dead.html Martin, Joel W. Native American Religion. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Mbitu, Ngangar, and Ranchor Prime. Essential African Mythology. San Francisco: Thorsons, 1997. Modern Spiritualities. Eds. Laurence Brown, Bernard C. Farr, R. Joseph Hoffmann. Amherst: Prometheus, 1997. Morris, Tom W. Philosophy for Dummies. New York: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc, 1999. Newberg, Andrew, Eugene D'Aquili, and Vince Rause. Why God Won't Go Away. New York: Ballantine Books, 2002. Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Gay Science: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs. Trans. Walter Kaufmann. Vintage Books, 1974.

The Career Cycle of Teachers: A Review of Mr. Holland’s Opus

In the 1995 film Mr. Holland’s Opus, we watch as the protagonist Glen Holland goes from a near novice to a distinguished teacher. Although the film ends at his (forced) retirement, judging by his past involvement I would imagine he will continue, in the teacher emeritus tradition, to mentor students and teachers and possibly as an advocate for arts education (Steffy & Wolfe, 16). There are two specific incidents I wish to compare to illustrate the career development of Glen Holland. One is in the development of a senior revue that he devotes much of his time to during the later part of his career, and the other is his decision to incorporate methods into his teaching and conducting that offer ways for the deaf community to ‘hear’ music. These two incidents follow directly on the heels of each other, proving that the process of â€Å"reflection, renewal, and growth† (17) which Steffy and Wolfe discuss in their article on the career cycle of teachers is a constant, and constantly changing, process. During the years previous, we are able to see many career-altering moments for Glen Holland, from learning his wife is pregnant to teaching a young man to â€Å"find the rhythm† (Herek). It is during his final decade of teaching when he helps to create and produce a senior revue in place of the senior play. His involvement in the school revue shows he has a broad influence across departments within the school. Compared to his initial lack of involvement, to the extent that he would literally run to his car as soon as the bell rang at the end of the day, the amount of time and energy he puts into a non-academic activity shows his progression as a well-rounded teacher. At the same time, he has chosen to put energy into teaching that should perhaps be going into his family life, and particularly his deaf son, who he has never learned to communicate with properly. Following this production, in which he encourages a young woman to follow her talent to New York instead of working at her family’s restaurant, he has a revelation about his family and son. His son, Coltrane, confronts him about his thinking that Cole, as a deaf person, can’t appreciate music. This spurred Glen to learn ways he could incorporate new methods (specifically using lights to ‘play’ movements during a concert) into his teaching and performing. In an interview with Frank McCourt on PBS, he said that his turning point in teaching led him to discover that he â€Å"was the big learner out of this teaching experience† (Only). This experience seemed to light a new love of teaching in him, perhaps because, like Frank McCourt talks about, he has rediscovered his own love of learning. These two points in Glen’s career demonstrate the unique career development process of teachers. As Pam Grossman points out in her article about the profession of teaching and the challenges facing it, there has been a flood of under-qualified teachers into schools (par. 2). However, as Mr. Holland proves, it is not just knowledge of methods that makes one a great teacher, but an intimate and profound knowledge of the subject matter. Early in the movie, he tells a young woman who can’t seem to learn the clarinet that â€Å"Playing music is supposed to be fun. It's about heart, it's about feelings, moving people, and something beautiful, and it's not about notes on a page. I can teach you notes on a page, I can't teach you that other stuff† (Herek). On the contrary, his skill appears to be in teaching exactly that – how to love music instead of merely playing notes on a page. Throughout his career development, he shows that it is this love of his subject matter combined with his love of teaching itself that has touched so many young lives. Teaching may not always lead to monetary riches, but in Mr. Holland’s life it has led to a multitude of personal and professional riches. References Grossman, P. (2003, January/February). Teaching: From A Nation at Risk to a profession at risk? Harvard Education Letter. Retrieved April 14, 2008 Herek, S. (Director). (1995). Mr. Holland’s Opus [DVD]. Hollywood: Buena Vista Home Entertainment/Hollywood Pictures. Only a Teacher: Interview with Frank McCourt. (2003). Retrieved April 18, 2008, from http://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/index.html. Steffy, B. & Wolfe, M. (2001, fall). A life cycle model for career teachers. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 38(1), 16-19.   

Wal-Mart’s Positive Effect on a Community

When it comes to stigmatizeping for clothes, groceries, and other(a) belongings in that location is one skepticism customers must ask themselves. Do you lead astray with your head or your heart? obtain with you head refers to looking for discounts and saving as much notes as you move while, stigmatizeping with your heart is going to a local depot and paying especial(a) to support a family owned business. or so respond with saving gold and acquiring discounts. Wal-Mart is one of the largest employers in the United States and their armory includes groceries, pharmacies, automotive and hardw ar supply bowls.It is a store that provides plenty of things you hire in one place at the terminal prices. Low income, middle-class or swiftness class Wal-Mart functions the majority of the federation. Although m each masses believe Wal-Mart shuts down and overruns pocketable businesses, what Wal-Mart brings to the circuit card is that it employs a vast fare of phone lines. I am for Wal-Mart because I believe the lives of volume in less fortunate communities receipts from these stores, instead of the common belief that they run across for them.Their slogan of Save money, Live let out is exactly what they are sufficient to do for their customers. The best feeling you tolerate find when shopping is coming out of a store and getting all(prenominal) the items and goods you coveted for a manageable price. Wal-Mart gives you the opportunity to get to that feeling. With the low prices for large quantities, these huge stores help out the whole community (especially clownish areas). The Case for Wal-Mart, by Karen De Coster and Brad Edmonds clarifies, If the honor be told, Wal-Mart improves the lives of plenty in uncouth areas because it gives them access to a lifestyle that they other would non need- a gigantic store showcasing the worlds large(p)est woof of products from groceries to music to automotive products (633). I abruptly agree with Coster and Edmonds statement that customers should be obligate to buy brand labels accessories for discounted prices.Wal-Mart gives discounts, up to seventy percent off, prices all year around- contrasted other supermarkets or clothing stores that however shake off seasonal discounted times. Wal-Mart gives shoppers the chance to go into their stores and purchase miserly to any(prenominal)thing they can intend of at lower prices then Wal-Marts competition. When all is said, Wal-Mart improves the lives of everyone in a community because it allows consumers to buy goods for relatively cheap prices. unalike any other sellers, Wal-Mart employs commonwealth for jobs non careers.There is a possibility to climb the race within the guild, but working at Wal-Mart doesnt genuinely jump-start to any other job opportunities. But the feature is that Wal-Mart does provide a vast amount of people. The amount of different departments and employees that are undeniable to run one Wal- Mart store hires a great human body of people. With the amount of people needed for each section and branch at these stores, Wal-Mart has the ability to give many an(prenominal) people jobs. Wal-Mart has been one of the most favored anti-poverty programmers in America. It provides entry-level jobs that incapable workers badly expect at that place are often five-spot or 10 applicants for each space (Urbach). Wal-Mart is also beneficial with giving mellowed number of jobs because most of the jobs that they are hiring siret need a steep school or college degree. For areas with high number of people who dont have diplomas, Wal-Mart gives the opportunity to them by supplying them a steady supply of money.These are unskilled workers that arent exactly looking for job progression, but are looking for any job they can get and keep. Its the perfect combination of a company that needs to hire a great amount of people, and the kinds of workers that dont really have many other opti ons. Wal-Marts geographic position is very cooperative and convenient to many communities. These mega-stores may seem like they just follow whichever area is large enough to hold their vast square footage, but actually they are positioned in just the right place.The fact that most are within curtly driving distance to other supermarkets, mends it deserving for the consumers to go to Wal-Mart first, see what they have, and then from there go to the other stores. People who shop at Wal-Mart, trust that they pass on be able to find most if not all of their shopping list. Even if it is further than another store, people are free to go the extra mile or two to get the savings they would not be able to find anyplace else. Wal-Marts slogan sums up how their customers shop and enjoy the savings, Save money, live part.I couldnt agree more. With people being able to save money, communitys bring in immensely. Especially low-income communities, Wal-Mart is good because it gets money into the citizens pockets and encourages them to spend more than they would or could have before. This then allows them to have some money to invest in productive assets or to buy those other things that will make their lives more comfortable and enjoyable (Urbach). Customers of Wal-Mart arent just happy because of the deals they get by shopping at those stores.What makes Wal-Mart customers the happiest is knowing that from the money they saved, they have extra to spend on other things. Many nonbelievers against Wal-Mart state that it will shut down small businesses and furbish up the economy in a veto way. Putting a Wal-Mart in a striving community is a positive. star reason is because it assumes up competition. What we strive for as human beings is competition. It is a life indispensable tool for business. Opposing common belief, aft(prenominal) a new Wal-Mart is built, other small businesses sprout up nearby and interchange in on the new retail traffic (Gruss).Studies have shown that other businesses and companies do better and grow when Wal-Mart is in close proximity to them. Critics of Wal-Mart have understandable reasons to distrust this huge corporation they dont want to have to lower their prices to debate with Wal-Marts. Instead of trying to battle with them, they subscribe that Wal-Mart is bad for communities and small businesses. But there is proof that small businesses open and fly high once a Wal-Mart is opened. Wal-Marts drive up competition that encourages people to go to multiple stores to compare to the prices they offer.Wal-Mart has over 1. 2 million employees and more than 3,600 stores nationwide. The fact is that everyone has shopped at Wal-Mart once in there life. To be accused for ruining small businesses and communities is non-sense. Wal-Mart is the number one place to buy all your goods without spending too much money. And with that savings, customers can afford to save for other necessities they need to pay off. Employing hu ge amount of people and creating jobs in the economy has helped the United States. Americans savor Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart loves America right back.