Gothic Fiction Genre in Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe...

â€Å"And have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the sense? Now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old mans heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.† –â€Å"Tell Tale Heart† by Edgar Allen Poe The Gothic fiction genre has been known for its gory and gruesome imagery ever since the 1800s. This genre has flourished from one generation to another into many other sub-genres including the Southern Gothic. With â€Å"Tell Tale Heart† Edgar Allen Poe out does himself with his incredibly brutal descriptions as seen in the quote above. In an ongoing battle of self versus alter ego, the narrator confesses a love for an old man who he then violently murders and dismembers. The narrator reveals his madness by attempting to separate the person of the old man, which he loves, from the old man’s supposedly evil eye, which triggers the narrator’s hatred. This dark, spooky and eerie tale has a distinct style the Poe is heavily known. The abhorrence that the narrator had for the old man’s evil eye pushed the narrator to his end, and caused him to kill the poor man. Everything became even worse when he buried the body in the house because all he could hear was the old man’s heartbeat throbbing in his ear. The narrator exclaimed â€Å"I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many

Understanding Learning And Memory With The Morris Water...

Chioma M. Nwokochah BIO 482L Lab Report 18 October 2015 Understanding Learning and Memory with the Morris Water Maze Abstract The overstimulation of GABA inhibitory receptors in the hippocampus has been found to obstruct spatial learning and memory. Ethanol was administered to male Swiss Webster mice in low and high doses in order to test its pharmacological effects on memory. The Morris water maze experiment was conducted as the experimental basis of understanding ethanol’s capacity to inhibit and/or suppress cognition, specifically memory in the hippocampus. Three individually marked, male, 47 day-old Swiss Webster mice per 5 groups were used to conduct the Morris water maze experiment. The average time spent in the water amongst all 3 experimental groups decreased post-injection; with the 10% ethanol treated mice having the best memory recall. There were a few factors that may have contributed to the surprising results of the experiment, such as a small sample size and varying tolerance levels. Understanding the role of GABA and glutamate in cognition can provide the foundation for further researc h and experimentation of memory formation and recall in the hippocampus. Introduction Learning and memory have been topics of particular interest to neuroscientists and neurophysiologists alike for several years and have become a phenomenon in scientific research and behavioral neuroscience. The hippocampus is the control station of spatial learning and memory inShow MoreRelatedSpatial Learning And Memory At Acute And Chronic Sleep Deprivation Essay1308 Words   |  6 PagesSpatial learning and memory are very important to humans in their everyday life. It helps them remember where they parked their car, how to get from home to work, or how to get to the hospital in an emergency. 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Brain regions involved in spatial cognition and related processes Much studies using various methods, including single-unit recordings, patient/lesion studies, non-invasiveRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Alzheimer s Disease1930 Words   |  8 Pagesand at this point, the risk increases every 5 years. ¹ Alzheimer’s Disease was first described over 100 years ago by Alois Alzheimer in Germany, characterising the first case with memory impairments and the presence of neuropathological plaques and tangles, which today, are major indications of the disease. ² Progressive memory loss is the clinical trademark of AD but eventually, cognitive function also deteriorates. ³ The neuropathological trademarks of AD involve the accumulation of ÃŽ ² amyloid (AÃŽ ²) proteinsRead MoreMiller Shettleworth Essay21273 Words   |  86 Pages191 Learning About Environmental Geometry: An Associative Model Noam Y. Miller and Sara J. Shettleworth University of Toronto K. 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Native culture Free Essays

Native culture BY abra6766 Native Women’s Roles in the Southwest In the Native American culture, women are not much talked about even though they do play an important role in the Native society. Women don’t only serve as a housekeeper, which is the generally believed myth, but they rather do other thing like farming and crafting while the men were out hunting. Native Americans even believed that women had more healing powers than the men did and thus we have heard of more medicine women than medicine men. We will write a custom essay sample on Native culture or any similar topic only for you Order Now Also, to the native culture, music and dance is an important part of the culture. Even though throughout class we have learned that women play a lesser of a role in native music and dance, they actually do a lot more to provide to their society culturally. In my essay, I will be focusing on the roles of Native American women in the skills of music, dance and daily chores which are of particular importance to the Indian culture. We mainly focus on the southwestern region and how women in the southwest contribute which in many cases overlap with other regions. The music in the southwest includes styles such as Navajo and Apache and they hold agricultural ceremonies like Kachina. Southwest is believed to be known for its outstanding women’s musical custom of using leg rattles which is used while they dance (Southwest Navajo Indians). Even though men are given importance while singing or dancing, women do play a supporting role in the dancing and singing and they are not completely ignored by the Indian community. Normally, women dance on their spots while men tend to move around in circles or other formations. Women also do sing, but many times men do the main stream singing, while the females accompany them. But in most cases women only accompany in the dancing or even ance solo without men rather than sing. These celebrations of dancing and singing occur during ceremonies held by the community. Two such celebrations that I found interesting and that played an important role in the native women’s life were the Navajo coming of the age ceremony and the Navajo wedding ceremony. The Navajo coming of age ceremony is the celebration in the southwest region, of a girl undergoing puberty where she is no longer a girl but a woman. The ceremony includes a song sung by the medicine man to mark the change in the girl’s status rom girl to woman. After the singing is done, she runs east and she is escorted by a few men whose purpose is to keep the evil spirit away. The Southwest is not the only tribe that holds ceremonies but the region of California also holds ceremonies as such Flower Girl which has a similar meaning behind the ceremony, but not necessarily the same ritual. The other ceremony is the Navajo wedding ceremony which is quite an unique ceremony because it is a custom in the Navajo culture where the groom gets married into the brides household which is different in the ase of the of the American tradition. It is said that the woman’s family gets a son instead of losing a daughter which is the opposite in many different traditions. The groom gives up his family in order to adopt his bride’s family and relative. Whenever the groom travels, he seeks shelter in the household of his bride’s relatives rather than his own (Southwest Navajo Indians). Thus, ceremonies did give importance to women in tribal society. Another important aspect ot Native American culture is the regalia and clothing. Women were the seamstresses. They gave high importance to he making of clothing and they added in decorations and intricate details that signify deep meaning like power and stature (Native American Clothing). Women also made these clothings with care and tenderness as a symbol of love for their loved ones. Many of these outfits are made out of animals that were hunted by the men. Women treated animals as sacred beings and they made sure that did waste any part of the animal or animal product. Women’s regalia include a skirt with legging and the skirts differ according to tribe; also they would wear tunic style shirts. In any tribes, women actually wore dresses made out of buckskin. These unique clothing styles set the Indians apart from other cultures. When it comes to religion, women are believed to be more powerful. Even though there are some medicine men, women are commonly found doing the role medicine woman. They play an important role during ceremonies like the Navajo coming of the age ceremony. They are considered to have healing powers which lasts them through death. Women more easily become medicine woman because they are more familiar with medicinal herbs than the men (Medicine Woman). A woman is gifted her powers during her sleep by one of the spirits. One task of Native American women as a matter in fact every woman which goes unnoticed is their contribution to society with young and new members ( The Women’s Role). This holds importance in Indian tribes because they are so small and compact they might not have enough members and without a new generation, none of the cultures or traditions would be passed down but would rather die off. Many Indian societies today face the danger of extinction because they do not have enough members to carry on with the traditions or many times these embers lack the interest in learning more about their culture. Women play an important role as a housekeeper and provide their children with basic knowledge about the tribal society and its importance. Therefore, it can be concluded that Native American women do play an important role in their society as clearly shown by the women of the southwestern region. Many of these duties performed by women overlap with other regions like the Northwest and Arctic. In most cases some of the rituals and traditions are the same with a slight difference. Even though it is elieved that men play a major role in the tribal society, it is not true because women play an equal role as men do and also contribute to their tribal society. How to cite Native culture, Papers

Doing Business in Emerging Economies

Question: Discuss about the Doing Business in Emerging Economies. Answer: Introduction BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa all these emerging economies have proved themselves the financial powerhouse in the time of crisis (Ribeiro and Dwyer 2015). In the midst of world economic slowdown, BRICS became the shining light of hope. It has established itself to be the new business frontier for Major Corporation around the world. In the last two decades, emerging economies has grown twice faster than advanced economies. It is also expected that for coming 20 years the emerging market will continue to holds its high growth rate because of emerging middle class and technological innovations. Opportunities Threats of BRICS Nations The biggest strength of BRICS nations is that they are all growing economies. The growth projections of the BRIC have considerably reduced since 2010. The sluggish growth rate is a matter of concern but the main reason for such slow growth is the inability of the US and Europe market to recover form crisis. Though the export demand has not improved but the BRICS countries continues to grow because of their internal domestic demand (Singh 2016). The BRICS nation does not have any cohesive foreign policy to work as a unit. Further, the economic structures of member countries are also widely different which pose a problem (Chun 2016). It is unlikely that the BRICS will be able to immediately act as alternative to US and European economies. In spite of all these shortcomings, the opportunities provided by the diverse BRICS nations are huge. Why India among BRICS Nation The recent trend shows that India is the pulse of the BRICS nations and this can be verified if all the member nations are analyzed appropriately. On analyzing Brazil it can be seen that it is facing one crisis after another and it is also in the middle of worst recession in 25 years. The Russian economy is also staggering due to sanctions and weak energy export due to depletion in resources. The Chinese economy is also slowing down due to lack of adequate economic reforms and lastly South Africa is the smallest economy that is growing in a minimal rate (Chunlin et al. 2013). It should be mentioned that among all the nations India is in relatively well position. The Indian economy does not primarily depend on Export but internal domestic demand. As a result the slowdown in worlds economy has little impact on India. India is an importer of energy and other commodities therefore it has benefited from lower international prices. The most important distinctive characteristic of Indian economy is that it has shown the world that it can always change and adapt to the changing economic environment (Kumar and Arora 2015). SWOT Analysis of Indian Economy At the very beginning before analyzing the Indian economy it is important to know few important figures that appropriately reflect the vastness and diversity of Indian economy. In terms of Gross domestic Product India is the 3rd largest economy of the world and in term of purchasing power parity it is 3rd largest (Shira and Devonshire-Ellis 2012). It has population of 1.25 billion and every year there is an addition of 18 million people. It is important to note that about 50% of the population is below 25 years. This tremendous workforce could be huge asset for the country. In the last six decades, Indian economy has grown rapidly and now it is yet at another cross road of major economic development. The Indian economy has grown by $1trillion in last two decades, which helped her in bringing out large people from poverty and creating an emerging middle class. The aspiring middle class is the growth engine of Indian economy and it is expected that in 2015 Indian economy will grow by 6.4% (Lee 2014). The World Bank estimates Indian economic growth rate will surpass China in next two years. It also states in its report that fundamentals of Indian economy are strong and it expects that Indian economy will show growth. The SWOT Analysis emphasis on strength, weakness, opportunities and threats and it is helpful in ascertaining the overall economic condition of the country. The SWOT analysis of Indian economy is given below: Strength The Indian economy is largely dependent on Agriculture. Therefore, industrial slowdown does not affect the entire economy. It has more than 50% cultivated land so it does not require importing essential food items. It has a large number of English speaking populations. It has large number of highly skilled labor force. The economic system of India is highly diversified. India has seen booming IT and BPO sector which is providing it the valuable foreign exchange. India has wide variety of natural resources, minerals and live stocks. Weakness A large part of the work force is engaged Agricultural activity but agriculture only contribute 17 % of the GDP. There are high poverty levels across India. There is a huge income disparity between wealthy and poor people and it is continuously growing. The corruption has affected the economic growth. The infrastructural facility is not improving at the rate it should be improving. There is a huge unemployment problem. There is a growing division between rural and urban population. There are complex regulations that create hindrance in business. Opportunities India follows open economic system so private sectors can easily enter the market. The service sector, which is a large part of the GDP, is growing at high rate this gives business the opportunity to grow. The Indian economy is attracting a high inflow of foreign direct Investment in different sectors. In the IT and other sectors, there is a huge prospect for foreign exchange earnings. There are opportunities to enter into business of biotechnology. There are huge possibilities to grow in the area of infrastructure development. Threats There is slow down in global economy; There is a problem of high fiscal deficit; There is possibility of government intervention in doing business; India is going towards population explosion and still there are no adequate measures implemented by the government; The farmers have to sustain huge loss every year, as agriculture is extremely dependent on monsoon. Conclusion The opportunities offered by India economy are abundant for the growth of business. It is firmly rooted in democracy and the government pro actively promotes private participation in economy. The growth rate of Indian economy has remained steady and healthy in spite of global recession. The legal framework is complex and overburdened but it is in general just and fair for doing business. Various amendments are being made in law to increase the ease of doing business in India. It can be said that India has become the bright spot for doing business among BRIC nations. Reference Chun, K.H., 2016.The BRICs superpower challenge: foreign and security policy analysis. Routledge. Chunlin, C., Chang, L. and Xuejun, H., 2013. The Status and Role of BRICS in the World Economy.Comparative Economic Social Systems,1, p.008. Kumar, R. and Arora, V.S., 2015. Trade complementarity between India and BRICS.JIMS8M: The Journal of Indian Management Strategy,20(1), pp.37-42. Lee, A., 2014. India Rising.Int'l Fin. L. Rev.,33, p.17. Ribeiro, G.L. and Dwyer, T., 2015.Social, Political and Cultural Challenges of the BRICS. Langaa RPCIG. Sharma, P., 2013. Trends and SWOT analysis of FDI in Indian Economy. Shira, D. and Devonshire-Ellis, C. eds., 2012.Doing business in India. Springer Science Business Media. Singh, K., 2016. A Comparative Analysis of Foreign Trade of BRICS Countries.Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management,9(2), pp.29-40.

Black Colleges Essays - Historically Black Colleges And Universities

Black Colleges In the world we live in today a person can almost choose any college or university they want to to continue their education upon graduation from high school. It really doesn't matter if it is a four year, two year, or technical school, there is a school for any person in any major. What draws a person to attend one certain kind of school compared to another? In this case why is there an increase in Black students attending Black colleges in the past decade? One might say, "Well how can you tell that more students are getting into these colleges, rather than these schools accepting an increased number of students each year?" These are all important questions to ask, and there are numerous reasons and causes for schools to increase the number of students they allow and the number of students wanting to attend these colleges. I have an older brother and an older sister who both attend a historically black college (HBCU), Central State University in Wlberforce, Ohio. I have always had a lifelong dream of attending an HBCU. In fact I was accepted to both Virginia Union in Richmond and North Carolina A&T in Greensboro before I was accepted into Wright State University. My main reason for wanting to attend these schools was the history that they have and the way they made me feel when I went for visits. Those are my personal reasons for wanting to attend these schools, but there are more than personal reasons people are starting to have a higher interest in attending these schools. Lowery 2 For the past three years my church back home in Columbus has held an annual Black College Tour. It is designed to garner the interest of the young people at my church and all around Columbus in HBCU's. I was a student the first year and a chaperone the last two. In visiting these schools one can find that the administration at these colleges and universities do anything they can to get you admitted to these schools. Almost all of them are rated among the best schools in the nation, too. These are no small time schools. Some students are finding it easier to go to HBCU's because of the recent Supreme Court rulings on Affirmative Action. They feel that it will be harder for them to have an equal chance of being accepted to non Black colleges and universities. Most of those people don't want to put up with all the mess that goes on in those universities today, where even still, in 1997, people are admitted because of physical appearances and not mental capabilities ("Straight Talk" 122 123). Speaking in those terms people just do not want to deal with downright racism. Some HBCU's in areas with lots of non Black colleges usually have increased enrollment due to past histories and events that happened at the schools. An example was in Florida in 1988. Incidents of racism on the major White college campuses caused a 19 percent increase at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, another HBCU. It was recorded as the largest increase in enrollment of any of the colleges in the state. Of the 1,876 coeds in the system, 1,327 were enrolled at Florida A&M, while the other universities enrolled the rest ("Racism" 22). Even now Florida A&M has increased enrollment at the school. They reported about 100 more freshman in this year's class than last year's (Geraghty A46). There are some students who are starting to attend HBCU's because of their feeling of deprivation of black culture in their lives. In an article in The Lowery 3 Black Collegian last year, a young man, only referring to himself as "The Invisible Man" to readers, wrote to the editor about attending an HBCU after having gone to predominantly White schools all of his life. He chose to attend a Black school because, "I felt very intimidated by my ignorance of Black history, culture, language, and everything else that I have missed in my previous education" (qtd. in Parker 21). After attending his first semester in school, "Invisible Man" found he was what he called a "Cultural Zombie." He chose to stay at the school to educate himself about the culture that he was left in the cold by his family. He says his family is Black, but never emphasized being black and the culture that comes with it. One thing he say's he has learned from his unnamed school is who he is and his role as

Quotes and Discussion on Walde essays

Quotes and Discussion on Walde essays "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." It would be wonderful to have time to live alone and contemplate life and learn what living deliberately could teach. Personally, however, I would feel, upon my death, that I missed out on many experiences by simply living alone and in the same way for a lifetime. I would like to see the world and meet many people. A person can only discover so much about himself/herself before he/she wishes to discover things about other people. "Our life is frittered away by detail." This is very true in today's society. People worry about every aspect of their lives, instead of enjoying what is right in front of them. Some things, though, should be looked at carefully and savored, like nature and "I think that there are very few important communications made through [mail]." I disagree with this statement. Important communications are made through mail. If Thoreau had to mail this piece of literature, I'm sure he would have found it very important. What is not important to one man, may mean the world to another "Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito's wing that falls on the rails." The media often makes too large a deal of many matters. People do not need to be informed of all that goes on in the world. Unfortunately, not everyone can just leave their lives behind and live by and pond for over two years. I, for instance, cannot do this because the law does not allow me to stop going to school, even if it is to find myself in nature. "Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads." This statement produces wonderful images of all the things on the gr ...

Philosophy 100 (2) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy 100 (2) - Essay Example There is no way to gain knowledge without something actually being believed, in other words. However, obviously there is not any way to gain knowledge by merely believing something. A viable explanation has to be provided for these beliefs. As an example, if a person who is sick believes that they will get better, this will simply not do a single thing to help the person get better. The person might get better, or the person might not get better. Simply believing something obviously has no real effect in the tangible world. A person who is sick and taking antibiotics to get better has a justifiable reason to believe that they will get better. First, the person has taken antibiotics before, and they got better after taking the antibiotics. Second, the person feels exactly lie the last time that they were sick, and they are being prescribed the same exact dosage of antibiotic. Since the conditions are identical to the last time, the person has a justifiable reason to believe the use of the antibiotics will make them better. Plato’s theory of reality serves to inform and compliment his theory of knowledge. Plato believed in Truth; he believed that it existed somewhere in the universe regardless of whether or not we are able to ever achieve it. Plato held a dualistic view of reality. First, there is the visual, that which is experienced through a posteriori, which is merely just a reflection of Truth. Second, there are the eternal Forms, which is knowledge that is gained a priori. Consider an example of a tree. Somewhere in the universe there exists in some form the Form of Tree, and it is because that we have knowledge of this form that we are able to recognize a tree when we see one, despite the fact that no two trees look alike. When we see trees, they are merely reflections of the Form of Tree. This can be seen in Plato’s allegory of the cave. The prisoners in the cave are merely viewing shadows of objects and naming them.

Personal narrative theory research, on any personal narrative topic Research Paper

Personal narrative theory , on any personal narrative topic such as prostate cancer - Research Paper Example After a few weeks, my aunt started noticing something strange; John’s movements weren’t like normal children. For example, he wasn’t able to hold up his head properly and even his suckling abilities were hampered and strained. The day we received the sad news is still vivid in all our memories; John had cerebral palsy (CP). Cerebral palsy is â€Å"an umbrella term for a group of disorders affecting body movement, balance, and posture† (Cerebral Palsy e-medicine-health). John basically had brain paralysis and couldn’t properly control his motor activities due to â€Å"abnormalities in parts of [his] brain that control muscle movements† (NINDS Cerebral Palsy). Because of this, John had trouble with moving and turning his head, holding it upright and suckling (Cerebral Palsy KidsHealth.org). My aunt had to mostly feed him milk with a spoon, since he wasn’t getting sufficient nutrition just by suckling. After a while, when John was about 6 months, we noticed that his body would be very stiff, his legs and arms becoming tense and hard. The doctors further informed us that he had the most common type of CP, known as spastic CP. It is where a muscle involuntarily contracts and the child is unable to relax it (Cerebral Palsy KidsHealth.org). At times like these, with John only a helpless baby, my aunt carried him around trying to relieve the tension in his muscles. She would often cry, not sure of what to do and blaming herself for his condition. We all tried to console her and let her know that it was never her fault. Through out the following months we all tried to be as knowledgeable as possible about CP in order to be there for our aunt. There are many things that we can’t control especially during pregnancy. Nothing was ever picked up on the routine ultrasounds and John was not even born prematurely. Abnormal brain development in the uterus, genetic disorders, blood clots, and a variety of other factors could ’ve contributed to John’s condition (Alvarez, Norberto). There wasn’t any way that my aunt could’ve predicted, controlled or prevented any of these things from happening. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. We celebrated John’s 1st birthday. It was an occasion marked with both happiness and tears. Though John was growing physically in height and his teeth had come in, he still laid there unable to sit up, support his neck or even turn on his own. After a year of stressful doctor visits, my aunt finally decided to see a specialist dealing in children with CP. She took John to see a developmental pediatrician in order to determine his progress and growth compared to other kids his age (Cerebral Palsy KidsHealth.org). Following John’s development closely for a few weeks, the specialist started him on physiotherapy exercises in order to keep his muscles loose and prevent his joint’s from stiffening (Cerebral Palsy Treatments and Therapies). Everyday my aunt would dedicate hours of physical exercise for John, such as, stretching and folding his legs, rotating his shoulder joints, flexing his fingers, and helping him to support his head. In the beginning John often cried all through out the exercise routines causing my aunt more pain and anguish. However, day by day he became used to it. I would help sometimes by holding down his body in order to prevent his spine from arching too much. John was a very special child for all of us and we all wanted him and my aunt to be as happy as possible. After a few months of

Affirmative action in higher education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Affirmative action in higher education - Essay Example These points are substantial. At the other extreme, those that oppose affirmative action advocate the repeal of the concept in its entirety. What the political process needs, in my view, is a little more compromise. It is unfortunate that a white student is denied her dream after working so hard for so many years. It is equally unfortunate that a racial minority is denied the opportunity to study. Both deserve the opportunity to study in a college or university.The conservative commentators present some valid arguments. Discrimination, for instance, is wrong. Reverse discrimination punishes innocent students for the misdeeds of their predecessors. This is a difficult argument to overcome. Nonetheless, this argument seems too rigid. We don't live in a world of absolute truths. Thus, it seems to me that minor attempts to remedy decades of racial injustice are reasonable.The liberal commentators emphasize the fact that minority students are still subject to disadvantages. There are soci al, cultural, and economic factors which affect their performance on standard entrance examinations.

Neorealist Theory of US Politics

Neorealist Theory of US Politics Realists believe that power is the currency of international politics. Great powers, the main actors in the realists account, pay careful attention to how much economic and military power they have relative to each other. It is important not only to have an important amount of power, but also to make sure that no other state roughly shifts the balance of power in its favour. For realists, international politics is synonymous with power politics. They are, however, important differences among realists. The most basic divide is in the answer to the simple but important question: why do states want power? For classical realists  [1]  like Hans Morgenthau, the answer is human nature. Practically, everyone is born with a will to power, which effectively means that great powers are led by individuals who are determined to having their state dominate its rivals. Nothing can be done to change that force to be all-powerful  [2]  . For Neorealists or structural realists, human nature has little to do with why states want power. Instead, it is the structure or architecture of the international system that forces states to pursue power. In a system where there is no higher authority that sits above the great powers, and where there is no guarantee that one will not attack another, it makes good sense for each state to be powerful enough to protect itself in the event it is attacked. In essence, great powers are trapped because they have little choice but to compete with each other for power if they hope to survive  [3]  . Neorealist theories ignore cultural differences among states as well as differences in regime type, mainly because the international system creates the same basic incentives for all great powers. Whether a state is democratic or autocratic matters relatively little for how it acts towards other states. Nor does it matter much who is in charge of conducting a states foreign policy. Neorealists treat states as if they were black boxes: they are assumed to be alike, save for the fact that some states are more or less powerful than others.  [4]   There is a significant divide between structural realists, which is in the answer to a second question that concerns realists: how much power is enough? Defensive realists like Kenneth Waltz (1979) maintain that it is unwise for states to try to maximize their share of world power, because the system will punish them if they attempt to gain too much power. The pursuit of hegemony, they argue, is especially imprudent. Offensive realists like John Mearsheimer (2001) take the opposite view; they maintain that it makes good strategic sense for states to gain as much power as possible and, if the circumstances are right, to pursue hegemony. The argument is not that conquest or domination is good in itself, but instead that having overwhelming power is the best way to ensure ones own survival. For classical realists, power is an end in itself; for structural realists, power is a means to an end and the ultimate end is survival. In a widely discussed essay John Mearsheimer  [5]  (1993) use the neorealist argument of Waltz  [6]  (1979) and applies it to both the past and future. He says that neorealism has continued importance for explaining international relations: neorealism is a general theory that applies to other historical situations besides that of the Cold War. He also argues that neorealism can be employed to predict the course of international history beyond the Cold War. The question poses is: What would happen if the bipolar system were replaced by a multipolar system? This question can be justly discussed with the study of the last War in Iraq. Indeed, the Iraq case throws light on the determinants of war, exposing how far decisions are driven by systemic factors. Kenneth Waltzs defensive realist image of systemic constraints shaping a prudent defensive use of power does not appear to correspond to American behaviour. Offensive realism, predicated on the notion that great powers can never have enough power in an insecure world, might seem more relevant, but even this is doubtful: its main proponent, John J Mearsheimer (2001) views hegemony as merely regional and hegemons as acting as offshore balancers outside their own regions. Seeing the Iraq War as going well beyond that, he denied that it was necessary to US security (Mearsheimer and Walt 2003). So, ultimately, How the US invasion in Iraq can be interpreted from neorealists points of view? First, in order to answer, I will study the works of Waltz and Mearsheimer in identifying their similarities and their differences. Finally, I will apply their perspective to the US invasion of Iraq. Defensive Realism versus Offensive Realism: How much power is enough? The leading contemporary neorealist thinker is undoubtedly Kenneth Waltz (1979). Waltzs Theory of International Politics (1979) seeks to provide a scientific explanation of the international political system. In Waltzs view the International relations theory is a neorealist theory that focuses centrally on the structure of the system. Actors are less important because structures compel them to act in certain ways. Structures more or less determine actions. According to Waltss neorealist theory, a basic feature of international relations is the decentralized structure of anarchy between sates. States are alike in all basic functional respects in spite of their different cultures or ideologies or constitutions or personnel, they all perform the same basics tasks. But the structure of the system changes with changes in the distribution of capabilities across the system units  [7]  . In other words, international change occurs when great powers rise and fall and the balance of power shits accordingly. A balance of powers between states can be achieved, but war is always a possibility in an anarchical system. Waltz distinguishes between bipolar systems, such as existed during the Cold War between The United States and the Soviet Union, and multipolar system, such as existed both before and after the Cold War. Waltz believes that bipolar systems are more stable and thus provide a better guarantee of peace and security than multipolar sys tems. With only two great powers, both can be expected to act to maintain the system  [8]  . That is because in maintaining the system they are maintaining themselves. According to that view, the Cold War was a period of international stability and peace. Waltz assumes that the fundamental concern of states is security and survival. He also assumes that the major problem of great power conflict is war, and that the major task of international relations among the great powers is that of peace and security. Nevertheless St ate leaders are prisoners of the structure of the state system and its determinist logic which dictates what they must do in their conduct of foreign policy. There is no room in Waltzs theory for foreign policymaking that is independent is the structure of the system. Waltzs image of the role of state leaders in conducting foreign policy comes close to being a mechanical image in which their choices are shaped by the international structural constraints that they face. Thus, Waltzs neorealist approach does not provide explicit policy guidance to state leaders as they confront the practical problems of world politics. That is presumably because they have little or no choice, owing to the confining international structu re in which they must operate. Waltz does address the question of the management of international affairs  [9]  . Waltzs argument is at base a determinist theory in which structure dictates policy. However, just beneath the surface of Waltzs neorealist text, and occasionally on the surface, there is recognition of the ethical dimension of international politics. For example, he operates with a concept of state sovereignty:To say that a state is sovereign means that it decides for itself how it will cope with its internal and external problems  [10]  . For Waltz, all states are equal only in a formal-legal sense; they are unequal, often profoundly so, in a substantive or material sense. But that means that a norm of state exists which all states without exception are expected to observe in their relations with each other regardless of their substantive inequalities of power. Waltz also assumes that states are worth fighting for. That, too, indicates that neorealism is imbued with normative values: those of state security and survival. Waltz operates, as well, with a concept of the national interest: each states plots the course it thinks will best serve its interests  [11]  . For Waltz, however, the national interest seems to operate like an automatic signal commanding state leaders when and where to move. Waltz sees states as structures that respond to the impersonal constraints and dictates of the international system. Mearsheimer builds on Waltzs argument concerning the stability of bipolar systems as compared with multipolar systems  [12]  . These two configurations are considered to be the main structural arrangements of power that are possible among independent states. As indicated Waltz claims that bipolar systems are superior to multipolar systems because they provide greater international stability and thus greater peace and security. There are three basics reasons why bipolar systems are more stable and peaceful. First, the number of great-power conflicts is fewer, and that reduces the possibilities of great-power war. Second, it is easier to operate an effective system of deterrence because fewer great powers are involved. Finally because only two powers dominate the system the chances of miscalculation and misadventure are lower. They are fewer fingers on the trigger  [13]  . In short the two rivals superpowers can keep their eye steadily fixed on each other without the distractio n and confusion that would occur if there a larger number of great powers, as was the case prior to 1945 and arguably has been the case since 1990  [14]  . The question Mearsheimer  [15]  poses is: What would happen if the bipolar system were replaces by a multipolar system? Mearsheimer  [16]  that the demise of the bipolar War order and the emergence of a multipolar world will produce highly undesirable return to the bad old ways of anarchy and instability and even renewed danger of international conflict, crises, and possibly war. Mearsheimer differs from Waltz whom characterizes as a defensive realist: someone who recognizes that states must and seek power in order to be secure and to survive, but who believe that excessive power is counterproductive, because it provokes hostile alliances by other states. For Waltz, it does not make sense, therefore, to strive for excessive power beyond that is necessary for security and survival. Mearsheimer speaks of Waltzs theory as defensive realism. Mearsheimer agrees with Waltz that anarchy compels states to compete for power. However, he argues that states seek hegemony, that they are ultimately more aggressive that Waltz portrays them as being. The goal for a country, such as United States, is to dominate the entire system, because only in that way could it rest assured that no other state or combination of states would even think about going to war against the United States. In the Western Hemisphere, for example, the United States has long been by far the most powerful state. No other state, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, would even think about threatening or employing armed force against the United States. All major powers strive for that ideal situation. But the planet is too big for global hegemony.The oceans are huge barriers. No state would have the necessary power. Mearsheimer therefore argues that states only become the hegemon in their own region of the world  [17]  . Regional hegemons can see to it, however, that there are no other regional hegemons in any other part of the world. They can prevent the emergence and existence of a peer competitor. According to Mearsheimer, thatis what the United States is trying to ensure. That is because a peer competitor might try to interfere in a regional hegemons sphere on influence and control. According to Mearsheimer, all states want to become regional hegemons. That is why he refers to his theory as offensive realism which rests on the assumptions that great powers are always searching for opportunities to gain power over their rivals, wit hegemony as their final goal  [18]  . There has always been conflict, there is conflict, and there will be conflict over power. And there is nothing that anyone can do to prevent it. This is why the title of one of his books is The tragedy of Great Power Politics. In sum, there is disagreement among structural realists about how much power states should aim to control. Offensive realists argue that states should always be looking for opportunities to gain more power and should do so whenever it seems feasible. States should maximize power, and their ultimate goal should be hegemony, because that is the best way to guarantee survival. While defensive realists recognize that the international system creates strong incentives to gain additional increments of power, they maintain that it is strategically foolish to pursue hegemony. That would amount to overexpansion of the worst kind. States, by their account, should not maximize power, but should instead strive for what Kenneth Waltz calls an appropriate amount of power  [19]  ; The War in Iraq and the neorealists : a troublesome case States operate in a self-help world almost always according to their own self-interest and do not subordinate their interests to the interests of other states, or to the interests of the so-called international community. The reason is simple: it pays to be selfish in a self-help world.  [20]   The decision made by the Bush administration to invade Iraq in 2003 can both be fit into neorealist theory, while some things also complicate neorealist theory. Realists believe that power is the controlling force in politics, and especially international politics, and power is defined as the ability to control outcomes. This is a hard thing to prove but the US certainly have shown that it is able to control outcomes, when US forces invaded Iraq without the consent of the UN or most other nations. Other countries like France also tried hard to persuade the US not to invade Iraq, which is also a sign of wanting to control outcomes. However, the US turned out to be a lot more powerful in this case. Mearsheimers theory of offensive realism states that the unrelenting pursuit of power means that great powers are inclined to look for opportunities to alter the distribution of world power in their favour. This means that the US, which is by far the greatest power in the West, will always be looking for opportunities to gain even more power at the expense of other states. Neorealist theory can explain the Iraq war in 2003 by saying that the US saw invading Iraq as an opportunity to gain even more power at the expense of foremost Iraq  [21]  . The invasion of Iraq can also be seen as a way for the US to prove to the world how powerful it is by not letting the US be taunted by Saddam Hussein, and by defying the opinion of the UN and other states  [22]  . The invasion of Iraq can be analysed as a strategy for gaining power or as a strategy for checking aggressors. By using war as a way of increasing their power, the US can exploit Iraqs economy for their own benefit and gain power by confiscating natural resources such as oil and foodstuffs  [23]  . Also, the US can gain strategic important land by gaining an ally in the new Iraq, which the US has helped rebuild. War has been used as a way of checking aggressors, which is basically a way of preventing other states from gaining power at their own expense. In reality this is done by deterring the aggressor, who in this case is Iraq. When the US did not think that Iraq was deterrable they had no other choice than to invade Iraq, according to offensive realism. This is because the structure of international politics forces states to be aggressive in order to survive. Before and during the 2003 Iraq war the US gave the impression that they were threatened by Iraq, which means that they were trying to deter Iraq, which was an aggressor. However, looking at the image as being just and democratic that the US clearly wants the world to think of them, it is hard to imagine that they would say anything different from what they did, no matter what their motives were. The conditions of international politics today for countries in the West demands them to be just and democratic or at least to appear that way and no state leader would say anything that could not be explained as being just and democratic, because it is the rules of survival in international politics today. This does not mean that states today in the West are only just and democratic, because they can do whatever they want to within reason. It just means that whatever they do will have to be camouflaged as just and democratic. However, the invasion of Iraq is hard to explain with offensive realism in some ways. According to offensive realism, the central aim of American foreign policy is to be the Hegemon in the Western Hemisphere and have no rival hegemon in Europe or Northeast Asia. How can offensive realism then explain that the US is invading a country in the Middle East, because this region should not interest the US enough to want to invade a country in other regions than Europe and Northeast Asia?  [24]  Mearsheimer has trouble seeing why the US have troops in Europe and Northeast Asia, and argues that they should be sent back, and therefore it is even harder to explain why they should have troops in a region in which the US government does not aspire to be a hegemon. Some of the most prominent realist scholars Mearsheimer and Waltz actually argued against invading Iraq, because they believed that it was unnecessary. All state leaders are rational according to realist theory, which means that Saddam Hussein is also rational although the US government kept arguing that he was irrational and therefore you could not reason with him  [25]  . Because realist theory holds that Saddam Hussein, like all state leaders, are rational, he is also deterrable because economic sanctions and threats of massive retaliation will always work on him, and they have in the past, realists argue. Therefore, neorealist theory tells us, that Saddam Hussein is not as big a threat to the US as the US government claimed and there was no reason to invade Iraq. If Saddam Hussein is rational he would acknowledge that Iraq is a weak state, and would never be foolish enough to attack such a powerful state as the US, because it is not wise to attack a state that has nuclear wea pons regardless of whether you have WMD or not. Conclusion It is impossible to create a theory about international politics, that is bullet-proof, because there will always be an element of unpredictability, which is unavoidable when humans interact. Neorealist theory has been able to predict the US foreign policy because a structural argument: the unipolar system and its instability. However, when the system level ceases to be the major constraint on behaviour, as expected by neorealism, there is much more scope for domestic determinants to drive policy  [26]  . Moreover, the war demonstrates the dangers of unipolarity in which the once-benign hegemon becomes malign  [27]  . It is no accident that small powers have traditionally put the highest value on international law and the UN and that the world hegemon uniquely deprecates the latter as unwanted constraints on its freedom to do as it pleases; their failure in the Iraq case makes for a less secure world for those at the bottom of the power hierarchy.

R.C. Sherriffs Journeys End :: Sherriff Journeys End Essays

R.C. Sherriff's "Journey's End" 'Journey's End' was written in 1928, ten years after the end of the First World War. The author, R. C. Sherriff, was injured during action in World War 1 and therefore got a ticket home. Sherriff was trying to raise money for a new boat club and so decided to write this play and perform it. The other club members refused to act out this play because it was too like the World War. There had been a tendency for men returning from the front not to discuss their experiences as they were too horrific and they did not wish their womenfolk to know the truth. So Sherriff went to the 'Incorporated Stage Society'. They agreed, after a while of asking, to have one Sunday performance at the Savoy Theatre in London. They were to judge the play and see if it was successful. It was very successful and then ran for another 600 shows. Sherriff then became a full time writer and died in November 1975. After 'Journey's End', many other books and plays were written and performed about World War 1, but Journey's End had been the first. In the play Sherriff uses many ways to portray the horrors of war and because it is set in a dugout the audience is brought right to the front line for the entire play. The conditions are conveyed in great detail and they are introduced at the very beginning of the play with Hardy trying to dry his sock out over a candle in a dugout. Sometimes the men could not get dry for days and the condition known as trench foot took its name from an infection of the feet resulting from being constantly wet. Lice affected the soldiers very badly in the trenches. The soldiers were on duty at the front for six days and then got time off to rest and be de-loused. The lice would be everywhere and even if the soldiers were clean they would be re-infested very quickly. Stanhope said the dugout 'reeked of candle-grease, and rats - and whisky' and like 'cess-pits'. During the play it was said by Hardy that there probably is over two million rats in and around No man's land. Hardy advised Osbourne not to sleep with his legs hanging too low 'or the rats gnaw your boots'. During the six days at the front the soldiers very rarely took their uniform off, not even for bed, except their shoes and wet items of clothing. They slept on beds sometimes with no bottoms, in the dugouts. They were bunk beds and had a frame and a few cross bars.

Pico Paper

Are kidney patients who received a radical nephrectomy at a higher risk of impaired renal function and cardiac related death compared to those who received a partial nephrectomy? Kiara Wilson Nursing 3163 Dr. Linda Upchurch November 12, 2012 Background Are kidney patients who received a partial nephrectomy at a lower risk of impaired renal function and cardiac related death compared to those who received a radical nephrectomy? When a patient is diagnosed with kidney damage, a surgical nephrectomy is often performed. Kidney damage may be caused by blocked blood vessels, kidney stones, masses, infection, and/or kidney cancer.With this procedure the kidney damage may be treated and also prevent further damage. A partial nephrectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a portion of the kidney. Partial nephrectomies are normally done laparoscopically with hand assistance or with robot assistance. A radical nephrectomy involves removing the kidney and the adrenal glands. A radical nephrectomy may be done laparoscopically or by open abdominal surgery. My patient was diagnosed with damage of the left kidney. Blood tests were performed and the patient was found to have a toxic WBC granulation. This toxic granulation led infection, inflammation and sepsis.An abdominal and pelvic CT scan found a 7. 8 x 5. 6 x 6. 2 cm, solid, enhancing left lower pole renal mass and parasitic vessels in the infected area. A hand assisted partial laparoscopic nephrectomy was performed. They removed the lower portion of her left kidney. The kidney was to be tested for malignancy. The concern with my patient is that she has a past medical history of hypertension, anemia, and deep vein thrombosis. She is at an increased risk of further cardiac and renal complications. I believe these factors influenced the doctors’ decision to perform a partial nephrectomy instead of taking the radical approach.To find research on this kidney condition, I accessed the Galileo database. I searched for infor mation on ways to treat renal masses and kidney cancer. I found multiple articles about laparoscopic and radical (open) nephrectomies. I found many articles that discussed the differences between the two and the affects they have on patients who receive them. I found an interesting study called â€Å"Partial Nephrectomy Is Associated with Improved Overall Survival Compared to Radical Nephrectomy in Patients with Unanticipated Benign Renal Tumours. I found it interesting because it was relevant to the health issues that were being addressed with my patient. There millions kidney patients who undergo these procedures each year. I wanted to discover which procedure provided the best outcome for my patient and others with similar kidney problems. Purpose According to this study, â€Å"a partial nephrectomy has been associated with improved overall survival in patients with localized renal masses compared to those who received a radical nephrectomy† (Weight, 2010).The purpose of this study is to test the overall survival rate of patients who had unanticipated renal masses. Another objective of this study is to also study the effect of these procedures on cardiac specific survival rates and other causes of death related to decreased kidney function. Hypothesis The hypothesis for this study are that the use of partial nephrectomies would be first line of treatment compared to radical nephrectomies in that partial nephrectomies provide better protection of renal function. Decreased renal function will lead to a low survival rate.Patients who undergo radical nephrectomies will have higher rate of cardiac related deaths Design A seven year, nonrandomized study was conducted using 499 participants. Of these 499 particiapants, 111 patients had received a radical nephrectomy while 388 patients received a partial nephrectomy. The choice of which surgery to do was left of the surgeon and the patient’s preferences. They took into consideration the mass size, th e appearance, the patient’s current health, life expectancy and the comfort of the surgeon in making their decisions.The patient’s comorbidities were assessed using the Charlson-Romano Comorbidity Index. Each patient’s vital signs were acquired using the Social Security Death Index. Anyone without a Social Security Number was excluded. The cause of death information from the patients’ medical records was reviewed. From there the participants were further categorized by the condition that caused the death. Cardiac deaths ranged from death related to ischemic heart disease, CHF, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.Renal deaths were broken down into death related to renal failure, renal insufficiency, or nephritic syndrome. All other possible causes of death were group together. Perioperative, postoperative data and renal function tests were collected before and after the procedures. Preoperative data was used to create the propensity model that was utilized in a multivariate model of survival. They measured the overall survival rate of the participants and cardiac specific survival rates. Findings Radical nephrectomies are greatly associated with an increased risk of death from any cause.Patients with unanticipated benign tumors that were treated with RN were more likely to die from any related health problem than those treated with PN. Participants who received a radical nephrectomy were more likely to be older, with high comorbidity scores, and larger tumors. Those with smaller masses and tumors were more likely to have a partial nephrectomy. Radical nephrectomies are associated with an increased risk of death by 2 folds from any cause. The risk of cardiovascular death was substantially higher in those with decreasing post-operative renal function.Decreased kidney function was related to an increase in cardiovascular death and death from any other cause in overall majority patient s. Sixteen participants died of cardiac related deaths. Renal preservation was increased in the group that had the partial nephrectomy with majority of the patients having an eGFR above 60 %. Radical nephrectomy participants only had an eGFR of 30 % or lower. The higher eGFR is associated with an increase chance of survival in PN patients. Discussion Previous studies indicate that postoperative impaired renal function plays a role in the overall survival of patients with renal masses.The data concluded that no matter which surgery was performed there would be a decrease in kidney function. However, those patients who received a PN had a remarkable lower decrease in renal function. It can be stated that patients have decreased function are at an increased risk of cardiac related death and death by other causes. For many of those who don’t die from cardiac related death it can be concluded that other conditions that cause death are worsened by renal insufficiency. This study wa s relevant to the PICO question I asked.This study answered my question and provided the information necessary to make it a valid question. I believe the limitations to this study are that the researchers did not randomize their study. They picked which participants they thought would influence their study. The strengths of this article are that is discusses the importance of preserving renal function when performing a nephrectomy. It also provides evidence that patients should be educated on the risks of death and further complications associated with their procedures. It could allow for better planning and managing of the care for these patients.Implications As a nurse it would be my responsibility to knowledgeable about procedures such as these and how they will affect my patient. It would be my job to educate the patients on what to expect from this surgery and what it means for their health. I could also use this information to better assess patients before and after these proc edures. This research provides material that could be used to better treat and prevent life threatening conditions that could arise after surgery. References Landman, D. (2006). Open Partial Nephrectomy.Retrieved November 9, 2012, from Kidney Cancer Institute: www. kidneycancerinstitute. com/open-partial-nephrec. html Landman, D. (2006). Open Radical Nephrectomy. Retrieved November 9, 2012, from Kidney Cancer Institute: www. kidneycancerinstitute. com/open-radical-nephrec. html Weight, C. J. , & Leiser, G. (2010, April 29). Partial Nephrectomy Is Associated with Improved Overall Survival. EUROPEAN UROLOGY, 58, 293-298. Evaluation (to be completed by instructor)| Possible Points| Actual Points| Introduction of clinical problemComments:| 20| | Purpose/Aim of the study/articleComments:| 10| |Theoretical framework of the study/articleComments:| n/a| | Hypotheses/QuestionsComments:| 5| | DesignComments:| 5| | FindingsComments:| 10| | DiscussionComments:| 25| | ImplicationsComments:| 20| | ReferencesComments:| 5| | Grade| 100/100| /100| PICO Paper Grading Rubric (submit, along with PICO OAT form, with your paper) Student Name: _Kiara Wilson______________Date: November 12, 2012_____________ Are kidney patients who received a radical nephrectomy at a higher risk of impaired renal function and cardiac related death compared to those who received a partial nephrectomy?

The Official Instructions to Start a Super PAC

The Official Instructions to Start a Super PAC So you want to start a super PAC. Maybe youre worried that your vote doesnt really matter. Maybe youre tired of other super PACs raising and spending unlimited amounts of cash from corporations and unions to sway elections and youre asking yourself If you cant beat em, why not join em? Not a problem. Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court and Citizens United, anyone can start a super PAC. And the best part: It doesnt cost a dime. Never mind the Steven Colbert super PACs Super Fun Pack, which hilariously offers prospective activists, All you need is a burning desire for civic engagement and $99. Heres how to start a super PAC. For free. Just by signing your John Hancock on a couple pieces of paper. Step 1: Pick a Cause or Candidate First things first. Your super PAC doesnt have to target a politician, though it certainly can. Restore Our Future Inc., for example, is the pro-Mitt Romney super PAC that spent considerable sums of cash in Election 2012 going after the former Massachusetts governors Republican opponents, including Rick Santorum. Your super PAC can raise awareness about a particular cause or issue such as hydraulic fracking, abortion, or taxes. Yours can be a liberal super PAC or a conservative super PAC. Got a burning desire for civic engagement, as Colbert would put it, on a particular topic? Go for it. Step 2: Pick a Clever Name for Your Super PAC Youll want to name your super PAC something catchy. Something people will be able to easily remember when they break out their checkbooks. Already taken are Joe Six PAC, a super PAC that proclaims it is for the average Joe; the Sick and Tired of Washington super PAC, whose goals seem pretty obvious; and DogPAC, a super PAC representing Dogs Against Romney. Step 3: Other Essentials for Starting Your Own Super PAC All you need to create and run your official super PAC now are a bank account, a charming personality to raise all that money from corporations and unions, and a friend to serve as treasurer to keep track of your super PACs fundraising and spending. Pick someone who is trustworthy and responsible. Theyll need to file spending reports with the government. Step 4: File the Paperwork To officially launch your super PAC you will need to file whats called a Statement of Organization, or Form 1, with the Federal Election Commission. Check box 5(f) under Type of Committee. Also, write a short cover letter to the Federal Election Commission. Youll want to be sure you make it clear your new committee will be functioning as a super PAC. You can do that by including the following paragraph verbatim: This committee intends to make unlimited independent expenditures, and consistent with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decision in SpeechNow v. FEC, it therefore intends to raise funds in unlimited amounts. This committee will not use those funds to make contributions, whether direct, in-kind, or via coordinated communications, to federal candidates or committees. Make sure to include your Statement of Organization your name, address, contact information, and the name of your super PAC and its treasurer. Mail your form to: Federal Election Commission 999 E. St., NW Washington, D.C. 20463 Step 5: What To Do With Your Super PAC As the proud new owner of a super PAC, you are permitted to raise unlimited amounts of money from people including your friends, neighbors, and families. But you can also solicit money from political action committees, corporations, and labor organizations. You can turn around and use all that money to produce and air TV commercials or take out a massive billboard along a busy highway to roundly criticizes a politician you dont like. Have fun and be creative! A Note of Caution: What You Cant Do With Your Super PAC This is pretty simple. You are not allowed to use all that money youve raised from corporations and unions to make direct contributions to candidates or their political action committees. You also cant take out TV ads or billboards in coordination with any of those candidates or their PACs. This is a fairly gray area, so play it safe and steer clear of planning your attacks with any candidate or elected official.

Baryons essays

Baryons essays All particles can be classified into two broad categories: leptons and hadrons. The main difference between the two is whether they interact through the strong interaction. Hadrons are particles that interact through all four fundamental interactions of nature, which include, strong, electromagnetic, weak, and gravitational interactions. Hadrons, the strongly interacting particles, can be further subdivided into two classes based on their internal composition: mesons and baryons. Originally, mesons and baryons were classified according to their masses. Baryons were heavier than mesons, and both were heavier than leptons. Today mesons and baryons are distinguished by their internal structure. Baryons have masses greater than the proton mass. All hadrons are composed of two or three fundamental particles, which came to be known as quarks. A quark is always combined with one or two other quarks. According to the original model proposed by Murray Gell-Mann and George Zweig in 1963, there were three types of quarks indicated by the symbols u, d, and s. These were given the arbitrary names up, down, and sideways (now referred to as strange). Associated with each quark is an anti-quark, which are the antimatter equivalents of quarks, opposite in electric charge. Later evidence allowed theorists to propose the existence of several more quarks: charm(c), top (t), and bottom (b). These six quarks species are paired with their flavors: up and down, top and bottom, and charm and strange. A baryon is a "heavy" subatomic particle having strong interactions (a hadron) which either is a nucleon or can transform or decays into a final state of stable particles including a single nucleon plus eventually some additional electrons, photons, neutrinos and/or nucleon-anti-nucleon pairs. This definition is only suitable if the quality characterizing a baryon is conserved in all involved reactions or decays and this ...

Workaholics Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Workaholics - Annotated Bibliography Example They highly recommend organizations to recruit and maintain workaholics. Machlowitz and Korn are prominent psychological researchers that advocate for workaholics. Their quantitative and qualitative studies implicate that the workaholics are extremely satisfied and productive in the organization. Killinger and Fassel are major psychologists as well, who had a different perspective. Their organizational researches presented workaholics as mere difficulties to the entire workforce. According to these scholars, workaholics are unhappy and obsessive. Evidently, one cluster of scholars advocates for workaholics as the other discourages it. This is a text book that engrosses an apparent analysis of workaholics’ marriages. It purely constitutes facts about the marriage of a workaholic. In this case, this text is essential for fundamental research about workaholics’ families. It provides insights about their marital performances in society. This perspective triggers a congruent comparison of their marital performance with other domains like professional performance. According to this source, workaholic marriages manifest an elevated trend of divorce. Divorce in workaholic spouses records an average of 55%. In comparison, non-workaholic marriages recorded an average divorce rate of 16%. This trend had attributions from diverse factors. For instance, workaholic spouses spend massive durations in their jobs. They spend an average of fifty six hours per week in their jobs. In comparison, non-workaholic spouses spend an average of forty six hours per week in their jobs. Evidently, there is a massive difference in their domestic attention. Workaholics are therefore controlled majorly by external events. They are never in charge over the external events. The author of this text is a profound professional in mental health. He also possesses knowledge under organizational dynamics. This book is essential for research under

The Gaia Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Gaia Theory - Essay Example An example of this is the central belief in Gaia Theory that says the composition of the atmosphere is closely regulated by biological reactions to changes in the atmosphere. For example, an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere should result in a corresponding growth in vegetation that would absorb the additional CO2. In this way, Gaia theorists say that the biological reaction to changes in the atmosphere help keeps the earth in a state of habitable stasis. Some Gaia theorists argue that instead of stasis, the biological changes will actually work to optimize earth’s ability to sustain life. I agree with the criticism leveled against the Gaia Theory. While I find the thoughts and hypothesis generated by this theory, I think the author’s discussion of how historical evidence shows that once earth cools, it actually works to keep itself cool and after it has heated it tends to stay hot is at odds with the theory. The levels of C4 and C2 evidenced in arctic ice core samples seems to show that biological changes cannot counter all changes in the atmosphere to create a situation of stasis or even optimization. Forests affect global climate change in several important ways. The manner that they affect global climate change is different depending on whether the forest is located in a tropical, temperate or sub-arctic region. Tropical forests affect global climate change greatly through high levels of evaporative cooling and carbon sequestration. The humid climate contributes to rapid growth in woody flora of all types. The competing species of trees organize themselves into a climax forest consisting of a deeply shaded floor with low surface temperature with massive amounts of carbon stored in the trunks to the trees. Much study has been made of the clearing of tropical forest for agricultural uses.

Managing Multinational Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing Multinational Operations - Essay Example From this perspective, China now stands as an investment heaven for foreign investors due to several factors, such as cheap labor, incentives for multinational companies, and relaxation in tax policies that have been few factors from the list. Experts have indicated that as China was successful in surpassing the success rate of USA in terms of FDI in the year 2002, there is a huge possibility that it may become the largest economy by the year 2020 that now seems quite possible (Ching, 2008). After becoming member of the WTO, there has been greater liberty in the sectors of industry and services, and decrease in customs duty has been another major factor of establishment of new foreign firms in China. In particular, studies have indicated that multinational companies especially in the sectors of â€Å"distribution, logistics, financial services, and telecommunications† (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2008) have benefited significantly from such liberalization. Besides, analysis has sh own that there has been introduction of various policies by the Chinese government to give privilege to foreign investors and multinational companies, in order to promote foreign investment in the country and that will be fruitful for any multinational firm that will be entering in China to establish business. A major step has been the implementation of socialist market economy in China that has created an encouraging environment for new investments. Moreover, it is very imperative for a country to be constant in its tax policies and regulations that has been the case of China, consequently, resulting in positive arena for multinational firms to operate in the country. However, while planning to establish business in China, one should have an understanding that few strategies enjoy greater relaxation and liberalization, such as the businesses that â€Å"bring in advanced technology, management expertise and high-caliber talent† (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2008). Thus, if Acme is planning to penetrate in the Chinese market, it will have to make efforts to focus on the quality while ensuring advance technologies in its different processes and procedures. Furthermore, Chinese government promotes multinational firms and foreign investors that facilitate the process of â€Å"ecological construction, environmental protection, and conservation, and the more efficient use of resources and energy† (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2008). Besides such opportunities for multinational firms, there still exist few hurdles; however, the Chinese government has been endeavoring to deal with the issues to promote more firms in the Chinese market. For instance, firms that bring in foreign investment in China enjoy liberalization and relaxation in the processes of â€Å"foreign exchange balancing, and raw materials sourcing† (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2008) that allow the firms to run the business more effectively in the country. Additionally, in the past, firms had this limitation of using local market for materials; however, now, they enjoy the relaxation of giving priority to either local market or the international market while buying raw materials and fuels. On the other hand, there are few restrictions for multinational firms and foreign investors in the process of acquiring approval on capital contributions and participation in some particular sectors of the Chinese marke

The Holidays Essay Example for Free

The Holidays Essay The Holidays The meaning of holidays is essentially a time we embark moments and share time with love one’s. In the United Sates, holidays are a very superior time that many of us embrace. Many can think back on holidays that they’ve encountered and recollect favorable moments. For many, it is the time of the year when people seem to grasp inside of one another and distinguish the best of things. Clearly, to some amount the â€Å"holiday season† gives people a sense of pleasure. Halloween and Christmas are two holidays that many people choose to rejoice. Indeed, they are both the most decorated holidays of the year, and both originate from Christian beliefs. But there’s something about the two that have mystified throughout their existence. Halloween and Christmas share similar attributes, but they are also vastly different in history, culture and traditions. On October 31, many people celebrate the eve of All Saints Day; better known to the world as Halloween. When people think of Halloween, they think of a day filled with frights, terror and fun. There are many cultural influences that have prompted to the holiday e now call Halloween; such as Day of Dead and All Souls Day. Halloween is refrained by death, but this doesnt make the holiday wicked. In fact, its a time of celebration for greeting spirits that have departed from past years. Some beliefs include wearing costumes so spirits would think that the living coexisted with the dead. Consequently, decorations on Halloween entail of skeletons, ghost, witches, and pumpkins. Simply, the idea is to decorate your house as daunting as it can be. As a tradition, children are able to stroll at night going oor to door, and receive as much candy as they can fit into their pillowcases. By the end of the night, children compete with siblings and friends to see who received the most candy. Halloween is the only holiday kids receive so much candy; it can last the entire year. It is clear that children take a joy on this event. Also, in today’s modern time it’s the only day out of the year a person can dress up as a character. However, Christmas is a sacred religious holiday; celebrated on December 25. The yearly centenary of the Christian church to memorialize the birth of Jesus. Though the original concept of Christmas is for the church service to celebrate the birth of Christ; people celebrate Christmas Day in many ways. Our culture has formed it more around giving gifts to loved ones and spending time with family. Subsequently, there are many types of decorations that are displayed during Christmas time that contain whites, reds and greens. Decorating houses with bright lights, mistletoe’s, bells, snowmen, angels and stockings is a traditional act. As for kids, they await for Santa Clause to arrive, so they can open gifts on Christmas morning. Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, is a historic, legendary and mythological individual. Believed by numerous children to bring gifts to the homes of well-behaved children. The iconic Santa Claus has been in existence since the early 1800’s who’s been portrayed as a stocky, joyful, white- bearded man with red rosy cheeks, wearing a red coat with black leather boots. Furthermore, receiving gift is one of the most exciting aspects of modern Christmas. Gift are usually items that were asked for throughout the year. In all, many citizens take the time to enjoy time away from work and dearly spend it with love ones. We come across many holidays that contribute to a social phenomenon like religion, beliefs and traditions. Despite the similarities among Halloween and Christmas, they are more different than people may present. Overall, I think people can view both in a positive or negative way, but some may agree that all holidays always have a very special meaning. A holiday give people time to experience and learn; that is how they can differentiate holidays

The Shipping News :: essays research papers

The Shipping News â€Å"I’m tired of going somewhere. I want to be there!† These words spoken by Bunny Quoyle, riding along with her family on their way to the old homestead in Killick Claw, New Foundland seems an exclamation to a deeper desire to settle what has been an unsettled and unhappy life. The quote could also define the transition that Quolyle, Bunny’s father, experiences. Quoyle is nowhere it seems, until he finally arrives somewhere meaningful. The transformation is a lot about getting over the loss of his wife, Petal, but also much about getting over himself as a loser and getting to a place of contentedness and confidence. Quoyle’s life rides on waves – some small that are body-surfing-like, others that are huge and tumultuous that crash onshore with Tsunami-like devastation. Eventually, he manages to find a place suitable and sustaining. Quoyle began life feeling, believing that he had been born into the wrong family; that somehow he ended up with the wrong parents. He stumbled into adulthood, feeling invisible until someone noticed. His lack of esteem and confidence is evidenced by his always trying to hide his chin with his hand; the hand always goes to the chin, his monstrous chin, when he feels threatened. His love for Petal is partly based on the fact that he caught her attention – once, quite by accident – and that they had a meaningless sexual relationship that resulted in two children. He is the sort of character you feel sorry for from the start, feel badly that he’ll never become anybody, never make something of himself, yet you want to cheer for him all along the way. As we get to know Quoyle, we realize that although he has a negative self image, is always self conscious and has no confidence in his abilities, he has a huge heart and a huge capacity to love, and he especially has a huge consciousness to do what is right for his family. Quoyle is a man growing into himself. His first opportunity to grow comes by an invitation from his aunt to move to New Foundland, to settle in his family’s ancestral home and to find his roots. â€Å"You can be anything you want with a fresh start,† says his aunt in convincing him to go. And off they all go – the aunt, Quoyle, Bunny and Sunshine – and all their self-possessed demons.

Macintosh Vs. IBM :: essays research papers

Macintosh vs. IBM The IBM and Macintosh computers have been in competition with each other for years, and each of them have their strong points. They both had their own ideas about where they should go in the personal computer market. They also had many developments, which propelled themselves over the other. It all started when Thomas John Watson became president of Computing Tabulating Recording in 1914, and in 1924 he renamed it to International Business Machines Corporation. He eventually widened the company lines to include electronic computers, which was extremely new in those days. In 1975 IBM introduced their first personal computer (PC) which was called the Model 5100. It carried a price tag of about $9,000 which caused it to be out of the main stream of personal computers, even though their first computer did not get off to as big as a start they had hoped it did not stop them from continuing on. Later on IBM teamed up with Microsoft to create an operating system to run their new computers, because their software division was not able to meet a deadline. They also teamed up with Intel to supply its chips for the first IBM personal computer. When the personal computer hit the market it was a major hit and IBM became a strong power in electronic computers. Phoenix Technologies went through published documentation to figure out the internal operating system (BIOS) in the IBM. In turn, they designed a BIOS of their own which could be used with IBM computers. It stood up in courts and now with a non IBM BIOS, the clone was created. Many manufacturers jumped in and started making their own IBM Compatible computers, and IBM eventually lost a big share in the desktop computers. While IBM was just getting started in the personal computer market, Apple was also just getting on its feet. It was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. They were both college drop outs, Steve Jobs out of Reed College in Oregon and Steve Wozniak from the University of Colorado. They ended up in Silicon Valley, which is located in northern California near San Francisco. Wozniak was the person with the brains and Jobs was the one who put it all together. For about $700 someone could buy a computer that they put together, which was called the Apple I. They hired a multimillionaire, Armas Clifford Markkula, a 33 year old as the chief executive in 1977. In the mean time Wozniak was working at Hewlett Packard until Markkula encouraged him to quit his job with them, and to focus his attention on Apple.

Globalization and International Business Essay

Globalization and International Business The Concept of Globalization – putting everything into one village * The process of integration and convergence of economic, financial, cultural and political systems across the world. * Globalization – refers to the integration and interaction between different people and nations. * Globalization is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture. Globalization – A holistic approach 1. Economic Globalization: the increasing integration of national economic systems through the growth in international trade, investments and capital flow. 2. Financial Globalization: the liberalization of capital movements and deregulations, especially of financial services that led to a sport in cross boarder capital flows. 3. Cultural Globalization: convergence of cultures across the world E.g. Dress codes, ways of living. 4. Political Globalization: the convergence of political systems and processes around the world. Dimensions of Economic Globalization {what has changed} * Globalization of production – the increased mobility of the factors of production especially the movement of capital that has changed countries’ traditional specialization roles. (process is made shorter and cheaper) * Globalization of Markers – technological strides in communication, transport and travel have created new consumer segments. The global markets have become easily accessible. (producing standardized products that are advanced, functional reliable and low priced). * Globalization of competition – it has intensified in such a way that businesses are forced to form mergers or enter into new strategic alliances, competing with new players around the globe. * Globalization of technology – it has advanced rapidly and thus creating shorter cycles for production of goods and services. The running of businesses becomes more effective and efficient. In some cases though, several businesses might have difficulty keeping up with the advancements due to financial constraints. * Globalization of corporations and Industries: – Economic liberalization has led to economic growth in Foreign Direct Investments and relocation of business enterprises as a result, there has been fragmentation in business processes. Where different stages of production are coming out in different countries E.g. Toyota manufactures in Japan and assembles in South Africa. Factors influencing Globalization (Movers) * Economic Liberalization * Technological Breakthrough * Multilateral Institutions * International Economic Integrations * Move towards free marketing systems * Rising research and development costs * Global expansion of business operations * Adverts in logistics management * Emergence of the global customer segment Factors restraining Globalization * Regulatory controls * Emerging trade barriers * Cultural factors * Nationalism * War and civil disturbances * Management myopia – thinking within the box/boarders Quiz: what is meant by internationalization of a firm’s value chain? Reasons for support of Globalization * Maximization of economic efficiencies (learning to use economic resources of a country to the fullest potential) * Enhancing trade * Increase cross-boarder capital movement * Improves efficiency of local firms * Increases consumer welfare Criticism of globalization * Developed Vs Developing countries: unequal players in globalization * Widening gap between the rich and poor * Wipes out domestic industry * Leads to massive layoffs and unemployment * Brings in problems related to balance of payments * Increased volatility of markets * Diminishing power of nation states * Loss of cultural identity * Shift of power to multinationals Response Strategies to Globalization forces for emerging market companies: Defender Extender Dodger Contender 1. Defender Strategy – When pressure to globalize is low, local companies adopt the defense strategy that focuses on leveraging local assets in the market segments where multinationals are weak. 2. Extender strategy – when companies’ posses competitive skills and assets that can be transferred abroad, companies can focus on expanding to markets similar to home base using competencies developed at home. 3. Dodger strategy – when pressure to globalize is high, local companies have no option but to dodge competition by cooperating through a joint venture or becoming a supplier or service provider selling off to multinational enterprises e.g. Skoda Czech car maker sold to Volkswagen. 4. Contender strategy – companies that have high pressure to globalize and competitive advantages that can be leveraged overseas can aggressively compete by focusing on upgrading their capabilities in the niche segment to match multinationals globally ie. TATA India Concepts of International Business 1. International Trade – exports of goods and services to a foreign-based buyer (importer) 2. International Marketing – refers to marketing carried out by firms/companies across the national boarder line. 3. International Investment – cross boarder transfer of resources to carry out business activities. 4. International Management – application of management concepts and techniques in a cross country environment an adaptation to different social-cultural, economic, legal, political and technological environments. 5. International Business – all those business activities which involve cross-border transactions of goods and services and resources between two or more nations. 6. Global business – conduct of business activities in several countries using a highly co-ordinate and single strategy across the world. Types of International Business Transactions * Transactions – exchange of values between buyer and seller typically involving intermediaries and currency as medium of exchange. * Exchange of: production inputs, components partially/nearly finished products, goods/services, ideas/know how. Boarders: their significance * State boundaries – denote sovereignty, citizenship (political authority), legal jurisdiction, security. When there’s no boarder, there’s no state!! * National cultures, National Identity * Economic Unit – eroded due to globalization, economic transactions are mainly domestic. * Boundaries – of mind and habit, boundaries are psychological not just physical. How boarders make a difference: As soon as you have different cultures, different contact forms, different legal structures, different taxation environments, the complexity introduced by that is immense. The reason why businesses that expand overseas fail is: they underestimate the complexity that’s enlarged in an international organization. The Internationalization of Business: * Bringing in new ideas * Moving across the boarders * Companies conduct value adding actitvities on a global scale, primarily to organize, source, manufacture and market. * A Level play field – international activities appealing to all types of firms; large or small. Manufacturing and services sectors E.g. Banking, Transportation, Design, Advertising and retailing. Nature of International Business * Value adding activities * Firms internationalize via experts, foreign direct investment, licensing, and collaborative ventures. * Foreign portfolio investment – less than 10% * Foreign Direct Investment – More than 10% Reasons for International Business Expansion 1. Market seeking motives * Marketing opportunities due to lifestyle cycles * Uniqueness of products or services 2. Economic motives * Economies of scale are achieved * Profitability * Spreading research and development costs 3. Strategic motives * Growth * Risk spread Differences between Domestic and International Business * Economic environment * Social * Infrastructure * Legal * Political * Competition * Technology The Four risks of International Business 1. Cross- cultural risk – occurs when a cultural misunderstanding puts some human value at stake. * Cultural differences * Negotiation patterns * Decision making styles * Ethical practices 2. Commercial risk – refers to a firm’s potential loss or failure from poorly developed or executed business tactics. * Weak partners * Operational problems * Timing of entry * Competitive intensity * Poor execution of strategy 3. Currency risk (financial risk) – the risk of adverse fluctuations in exchange rates * Currency exposure * Asset evaluation * Foreign taxation * Inflation and transfer 4. Country risk (political risk) – refers to the potentially adverse effects on company operations and profitability caused by developments in political, legal and economic environments in a foreign country. Risks: will always be present but can be managed: Managers is such situations should: * Anticipate the risks * Understand the implications thereof * Take pro-active action * Reduce adverse effects Some risks are extremely challenging e.g. the East Asian Economic Crisis in 1998. It generated substantial commercial, currency and country risks. Participants in International Business: 1. Multinationals E.g. Kodak, Nokia, Samsung, Multinational Enterprises own worldwide network of subsidiaries. 2. Other participants * Small and medium sized enterprises; In the USA a small/medium enterprise sized entity is described as that having 500 or fewer employees. * Comprises of 90-95% of all firms in most countries . * Increasingly more SME’s participate in International Business. Why do firms Internationalize? * Seek growth opportunities through market diversification * To earn higher margin profits * Gain new ideas about products, services * Better service to customers that have relocated abroad * Be closer to supply sources * Benefit from global sourcing advantages * Gain flexibility in sourcing products * Gain access to better value factors of production * Develop economies of scale in sourcing, production, marketing and R&D * Confront international competitors more effectively or thwart the growth of competition in the home market. * Invest in a potentially rewarding business venture. What caused the East Asian Economic Crisis Theories of Trade Absolute Advantage: when a country is efficient in producing a commodity than any other country. Countries should therefore specialize in producing a product of which they are efficient in producing and then trade such product for goods produced by other countries. Output per hour of labour – using the same resources | Cloth| Wheat| Country A| 100| 200| Country B| 250| 160| Total| | | Interpretation: clearly The Political Economy of International Trade The political reality of International Trade is that while many nations are nominally committed to free trade, they tend to intervene in international trade to protect the interest of politically important groups. Instruments of trade policy are tariffs, subsidies, import quota, voluntary export restraints, local content requirements, administrative policies and anti-dumping duties. * A tariff is a tax levied on imports that effectively raises the cost of imported products relative to domestic products. * Specific tariffs are levied as a fixed charge for each unit of a good imported. * Ad valorem tariffs are levied as a proportion of the value of the imported good. * A subsidy is a government payment to a domestic producer. Subsidies may take form of a tax break, cash grants, low-interest loan. * Subsidies help domestic firms by lowering production costs * Help them compete against foreign imports * Gain export markets * Government pay for subsidies by taxing individuals(consumers) * Import Quota – is a direct restriction on the quantity of some good that may be imported into a country. * Voluntary export restraints – are quotas on trade imposed by the exporting country, typically at the request of the importing country’s government. * A local content requirement demands that some specific fraction of a good be produced domestically. * The requirement can be in physical or value terms. * Local content requirements benefit domestic producers and jobs, but consumers face higher prices. * Administrative policies are informed bureaucratic rules designed to make it difficult for imports to enter a country. For example Japanese customs inspectors insist on opening a large proportion of express packages to check for pornographic materials. * This process that can delay express packages has made it difficult for FedEx to expand its global shipping services to Japan. * These policies hurt consumers by denying access to possibly superior foreign products. * Dumping is selling goods in foreign markets below their cost of production/fair market value. * Anti-dumping policies are designed to punish foreign firms that engage in dumping. Dumping is viewed as a method by which firms unload excess production in foreign markets sometimes at prices below the cost of production. * The goal is to protect domestic producers from unfair foreign competition. * US firms that believe a foreign firm is dumping can file a complaint with the government. * If the complaint has merit, antidumping duties, also known as countervailing duties may be imposed. Why Governments intervene? Basically there are three reasons: Political, Economic and Cultural 1. Political reasons include: * Protecting jobs and industries from foreign competition, trade controls usually result in higher price for consumers. * National Security – defense related industries often get this kind of protection. * Retaliations are threats used as bargaining tasks to help open foreign markets and force trading partners to play by the rules. It is usually in retaliation to a trading partner’s trade policy. Protect consumers from unsafe products. 2. Economic Reasons: * The infant industry argument(protecting them) * Strategic trade policy – policies that government enact to ensure that firs-mover advantages are reserved for local firms in industries where substantial economies of scale exist. 3. Cultural Motives – unwanted influence causes great distress and can force governments to block imports. Many countries have laws that protect their media programming for cultural reasons – for example in Canada about 35% of music played on TV and radio must be of Canadian origin. Economic Integration The abolition of trade restraints between nations. It is the growing economic interdependence that results when countries within a geographic region form an alliance aimed at reducing barriers to trade and investment. * Three Levels of Economic Integration * Global: trade liberalization by GATT or WTO * Regional: preferential treatment of member countries in the group ie. SACU, SADC, COMESA ,etc. * Bilateral: preferential treatment between two countries * Regional and Bilateral agreements are against the MFN clause (normal trading relations), but allowed under WTO. * Visit www.wto.org for regional trade agreements. Regional Economic Integration * Growing economic interdependence that results when countries within a geographic region form an alliance aimed at reducing barriers of trade and investment. About 40% of the world trade now occurs via economic bloc agreement. Cooperating nations obtain: * Increased product choices, productivity, living standards * Lower prices and * More efficient resource use. Economic Bloc A geographical area that consists of two or more countries that agree to pursue economic integration by reducing tariffs and other restrictions to cross-border flow of products, services, capital and in more advanced stages, labor. Examples: EU, NAFTA, MERCOSUR, APEC, ASEAN and many others. There are five possible levels of economic integration * Customs Union * Common Market * Economic Union * Political Union 1. Free Trade Area – countries agree to reduce tariffs but not eliminate everything The simplest most common arrangement, member countries agree to gradually eliminate formal trade barriers within the bloc, while each member country maintains an independent international trade policy with countries outside the bloc. Eg. NAFTA 2. Customs Union – similar to a free trade area except that the members harmonize their trade policies toward non-member countries, by enacting common tariff and non-tariff barriers on imports from non-member countries. E.g. SACU(Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, SA). Members have a revenue pool and it is shared according to how much each has contributed. 3. Common Market (single market)- like a custom union except products, services and factors of production such as capital, labor, and technology can move freely among the member countries. E.g. COMESA – requires much cooperation among the member countries on labor and economic policies. 4. Economic Union – like a common market, but members also aim for common fiscal and monetary policies, standard commercial regulations, social policy, etc. E.g. the EU is moving toward economic union by forming a monetary union with a single currency the EURO. 5. Political Union – perfect unification of all policies by a common organization. Submersion of all separate national institutions e.g. former USSR * Remains ideal, but yet to be achieved. The European Union What is the European Union? * Shared values: liberty, democracy, respect, for human rights and fundamental freedom, and the rule of law. European Coal and Steel Community * In the aftermath of the World War II, the aim was to secure peace among Europe’s victorious nations an bring them together as equals, cooperating within shared institutions. * Based on a plan by French foreign minister Robert Schuman. * Six founding states/countries: Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – signed a treaty. History of the EU * Treaty of Paris (1951) Formation of ECSC Treaty of Rome (1957) Formation of ECC (European Economic Community) -initially free trade area, becoming a customs union in 1967. * The Stockholm convention in 1960 created EFTA by seven countries to counteract ECC. * Single European Act of 1993 * Creation of single market (common Market) effective on January 1 1993 * Rename EEC by EU (15 members) * Treaty of Maastricht (1992) * Creation of an economic union, EMU * Establishment of European Central Bank on July 1998 * Introduction of a common currency, Euro on 1 January 1999 * Circulation of Euro on 1 January 2002. The EU features: A full-fledged Economic Union 1. Market access: tariffs and most non-tariff barriers have been eliminated. 2. Common market: removed barriers to cross national movement of production factors i.e labor, capital and technology. 3. Trade rules: eliminated customs procedures and regulations, streamlining transportation and logistics within Europe. 4. Standards harmonization: harmonizing technical standards, regulations, and enforcement procedures on products, services and commercial activities. 5. Common fiscal, monetary, taxation and social The European Union Today * 27 members * New members e.g. Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic are low-cost manufacturing sites. * Peugeot, Citroen(france) – factories in Czech Republic. * Hyundai (South Korea) – Kia plant in Slovakia. * Suzuki (Japan) – factory in Hungary. * Most new EU entrants are one-time satellites of the Soviet Union, and have economic growth rates for higher than the 15 Western European counterparts. * Developing economies e.g Romania, Bulgaria, may take decades of foreign aid to catch up. Four Institutions that govern the EU 1. Council of the European Union – the main decision-making body. Makes decisions on economic policy, budgets, and foreign policy and admission of new member countries. 2. European Commission – represents the interest of the EU as a whole. Proposes legislation and is responsible for implementing decisions of the Parliament and the council. 3. European Parliament – up to 732 representatives, hold joint sessions each month. Three main functions are: * Devise EU legislation * Supervise EU Institutions * Make decisions on the EU budget. NAFTA (Canada, Mexico, USA) NAFTA passage (1994) was facilitated by the maquilladora program, in which US firms allocated manufacturing plants just South of the USA border to access low-cost labor without significant tariffs. NAFTA has: * Eliminated tariffs and most non-tariff barriers for products and services. * Established trade rules and uniform customs procedures. * Instituted investment rules and intellectual property rights. * Provided for dispute settlements for investment, unfair pricing, labor issues, and the environment. NAFTA Results: * Trade among the members more than tripled, and now exceeds 1 trillion per year. * In the early 1990’s Mexico’s tariffs averaged 100% and gradually. How the Mexican Economy benefited from NAFTA * Mexico exports to the US grew from 50 billion to over 100 billion per year. * Access Canada and the US helped launch many Mexican firms in industries such as electronics, cars, textiles, medical products, and services. * Yearly US and Canadian investment in Mexico rose from 4 billion in 1993 to nearly 20 billion by 2006. * Mexico’s per capita income rose to about 11 000 in 2007, making it the richest country in Latin America. * Why nations pursue economic integration 1. Expand market size * Greatly increases the scale of the market place for firms inside the economic bloc. Eg. Belgium has a population of just 10 million; the EU has a population of nearly 500 mil. * Consumers can access much bigger selection of products and services. 2. Achieve economies of scale and enhance productivity * Bigger market facilitates economic scale * Internationalization inside the bloc helps firms learn to compete more effectively outside the bloc. * Labor and other inputs allocated more efficiently among the member countries, leading to lower consumer prices. 3. Attract investment from outside the bloc * Compared to investing in stand-alone countries, foreign firms prefer to invest in countries that are part of an economic integration bloc. E.g General Mills, Samsung, TATA invested heavily in the EU. 4. Acquire stronger defensive and political posture * Provide member countries with a stronger defensive posture relative to other nations and world regions, an original motive of the EU. Factors contributing to the success of Regional Integration 1. Economic Stability – the more similar the economies of the member states, the more likely the bloc will succeed. Eg. Wage rates, economic stability e.g. SADC, EU 2. Political Stability – similarity in political systems is key. Countries should share similar aspirations and a willingness to surrender national autonomy e.g EU 3. Similarity of culture and language – Helpful but not absolutely necessary. 4. Geographic proximity – facilitates transportation of products, labor, and other factors. Neighboring countries tent to share a common history, culture and language E.g. NAFTA, EU Consequences of Regional Integration * Trade Creation – as barriers fall, trade is generated inside the bloc. * Trade Diversion – as within the bloc trade becomes more attractive, member countries discontinue some trade with non-member countries. * Aggregate effect – National patterns of trade are altered. More trade occurs inside the bloc. * A concern: a bloc might become an economic fortress leading to more within-bloc trade and less between bloc trade: can harm global free trade. * Loss of National Identity – increased cross-boarder contact makes members more similar to each other E.g. in response Canada has restricted the ability of US movie and TV producers to invest in the Canadian film and broadcasting industries. * Sacrifice of Autonomy – in later stages of regional integration a central authority is  set up to manage the bloc’s affairs. Members must sacrifice some autonomy to the central authority, such as control over their own economy. E.g Britain in the EU. * Transfer of power to advantaged firms – can concentrate economic power in the hands of fewer larger firms, often in the most advantaged member countries. * Failure of small or weak firms – as trade and investment barriers fall, protection is eliminated that previously shielded smaller or weaker firms from foreign competitions. * Corporate restructuring and job loss – Increased competitive pressures and corporate restructuring may lead to worker layoffs or re-assigning employees to distant locations, disrupting worker’s lives and entire communities. * Internationalization by firms inside the bloc – internationalization gets easier after regional integration. * Rationalization of operations – managers develops strategies and value-chain activities suited to the region as whole, not individual countries, by restructuring and consolidation company operations. The goal is to reduce costs and redundancy, increase centralized distribution, instead of decentralization to individual countries. * Mergers and acquisitions – Economic blocs lead to mergers and acquisitions, the tendering of one firm to buy another, or of two or more firms to merge and form acquisitions. Cross – Cultural risk * A situation or event where a cultural mis-communication puts some human value at stake. * Arises when we enter environments characterized by unfamiliar languages and unique value systems, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. * One of the four major risks in international business. Manifestations of Cross-Cultural risk * Ethnocentric orientation – using our own culture as the standard for judging other cultures. * Polycentric orientation – a mindset in which the manager develops a greater affinity with the country in which he/she does business than the home country. * Geocentric orientation: a global mindset in which the manager is able to understand a business or market without regard to national boundaries. * Managers should strive for a  geocentric orientation. Definitions of Culture: * Incorporates both objective and subjective elements. * Objective aspects of culture include tools, roads, television programming, architecture and other physical artifacts. * Subjective aspects include norms and values, ideas, customs and other meaningful symbols. * Hofstede, a well-known Dutch organizational anthropologist views culture as a collective mental programming of people and the software of the mind; how we think and how we reason. Culture Is: * Not right or wrong – it is relative. There is no cultural absolute, different nationalities simply perceive the world differently. * Not about individual behavior – culture is about groups. It refers to a collective phenomenon of shared values and meaning. * Not inherited – culture is derived from the social environment. We are not born with a shared set of values and attitudes, we learn and acquire as we grow up. Culture is learned: * Socialization – the process of learning the rules and behavioral patterns appropriate to ones given society. Eg. Cultural learning * Acculturation – the process of adjusting and adapting to a culture other than one’s own. Commonly experienced by expatriate workers. * Culture is like an ice-berg-above the surface. Certain characteristics are visible, below the surface is massive base of assumptions, attitudes and values that strongly influence decision making relationships, conflict and other dimensions of business. Cross-cultural proficiency is paramount in Managerial tasks. Examples: * Developing products and services * Communicating and interacting with foreign business partners * Negotiating and structuring international business ventures * Interacting with current and potential customers * Preparing advertising and promotional materials. Cross cultural differences may create challenges: * Teamwork – what should managers do if foreign and domestic nationals don’t get along? * Lifetime employment – workers in Japan often expect to work for the same firm throughout their careers; How should foreign firms handle that? * Pay for performance system – In China and Japan, a person’s age is important in promoting workers. Yet how do such workers perform when merit performance-based measures are used? * Organizational Structure – preferences for centralized, bureaucratic structures may deter information sharing. * Union-management relationships – workers in European firms enjoy a more equal status with managers. * Attitudes towards ambiguity – if you’re uncomfortable working with minimum guidance or taking independent action, you may have difficulty fitting into some cultures. Three approaches to interpreting culture: * Metaphors – refer to a distinctive tradition or institution strongly associated with a society – a guide to deciphering attitudes, values and behaviors. * Stereotypes – are generalizations about a group of people that may or may not be factual, often over looking real, deeper differences. * An Idiom – is an expression whose symbolic meaning is different from its literal meaning. The Nature of Stereotypes * Are often erroneous and lead to unjustified conclusions about others. * Still most people employ stereotypes, either consciously or unconsciously, because they are an easy means to judge situations and people. * There are real differences among groups and societies, we should examine descriptive behaviors rather than evaluate stereotypes. * An example: some Latin Americans procrastinate via the manana syndrome. E.T. Hall’s High and Low context cultures: Low Context * Rely on elaborate verbal explanations putting much emphasis on spoken words. * Tend to be in northern Europe and North America which place central importance on the efficient delivery of messages. * Communication is direct and explicit – don’t beat around the bush. High Context * Establish trust first * Personal relations and goodwill are valued * Agreements emphasize trust * Negotiations slow and ritualistic * Emphasis is on non-verbal messages and use communication as a means to promote smooth harmonious relationships. * Prefer an indirect, polite, face-saving style that emphasizes a mutual sense of care and respect for others, careful not to embarrass or offend others. * It is difficult for Japanese people to say No when expressing disagreement. Much more likely to say it is different – an ambiguous response. * In East Asian cultures, showing impatience, frustration, irritation, or anger disrupts harmony and is considered rude and offensive. * To succeed in Asian cultures, it is critical to notice non verbal signs and body language. Hofstede’s Classification of National culture 1. Individualism Versus Collectivism – refers to whether a person primarily functions as an individual or within a group. 2. Power Distance – describes how a society deals with inequalities in power that exists among people. 3. Uncertainty avoidance – refers to the extent to which people can tolerate risk and uncertainty in their lives. 4. Masculinity Vs Femininity 1.1 Individualistic Society – ties among people are relatively loose,  each person tends to focus on his/her own self interests. E.g Australia, Canada and the UK 1.2 Collectivist Societies – ties among individuals are more important than individualism: business is conducted in the context of groups where everyone’s norms are strongly considered. E.g China, Panama, and South Korea. 2.1 High Power distance societies – have substantial gaps between the powerful and the weak: are relatively indifferent to inequalities and allow them to grow. E.g. Guatemala, Malaysia, the Philippines. 2.2 Low-power distance socities – have minimal gaps between the powerful and weak. E.g. Denmark and Sweden governments instituted tax and social welfare systems that ensure their nationals are relatively equal in terms of income and power. * Social stratification affects power distance. In Japan almost everybody belongs to the middle class, while in India the upper stratum controls decision making and buying power. * In high distance firms, autocratic management styles focus power at the top 3.1 High Uncertainty avoidance societies create institutions that minimize risk and ensure financial security, companies emphasize stable careers and produce many rules to regulate worker actions and minimize ambiguity. 3.2 Low-uncertainty avoidances societies – socialize their members to accept and become accustomed to uncertainty: managers are entrepreneurial and comfortable with risk taking, decisions are made quickly, people accept each day as it comes. 5.1 Masculine cultures – value competitiveness, assertiveness, ambitions and the accumulation of wealth. Both men and women are assertive, focused on career and earning money, and may care little for others. E.g Australia and Japan. The US is a moderately masculine society, as are Hispanic cultures that display a zest for action, daring and competitiveness. In business, the masculinity dimension manifests as self-confidence, pro activeness and leadership. 5.2 Feminine cultures emphasize nurturing roles, interdependence among people, and caring for less fortunate people – for both men and women. e.g. Scandinavian countries welfare systems are highly developed and education is subsidized. Subjective Dimensions of culture Subjective dimensions – values and attitudes, manners and customs, deal versus relationship orientation, perceptions of time, perceptions of space and religion. * Values represent a person’s judgment about what is good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant and normal or abnormal. * Attitudes and preferences are developed based on values, and are similar to opinions, except that attitudes are often unconsciously held and may not have a rational basis. * Prejudices are rigidly held attitudes, usually unfavorable and aimed at particular groups of people. Examples: values in North America, Northern Europe, and Japan – hard work, punctuality and the acquisition of wealth. Deal Vs Relationship Culture * Deal Oriented cultures- managers focus on the task at hand are impersonal, typically uses contacts and want to just get down to business. Example, Australia, North Europe, and North America. * Relationship Oriented cultures- managers have affiliations with people, rapport and get to know the other party in business interactions, relationships are more important than the deal – trust is highly valued in business, agreements. Example, China, Japan, Latin America etc. It took nine years for Volkswagen to negotiate an automobile factory in China. Manners and Customs * Manners and Customs are ways of behaving and conducting oneself in public and business situations. * Informal cultures – egalitarian in which people are equal and work together cooperatively * Formal cultures – status, hierarchy, power and respect are very important. * Varying Customs: eating habits, mealtimes, work hours and holidays, drinking, appropriate behavior at social gatherings (handshaking, bowing and kissing), gift-giving (complex), roles of women. Religion * A system of common beliefs or attitudes concerning a being or system of thought people consider to be scared, divine, or highest truth as well as the morals codes, values, traditions, and rituals associated with this system. * Influences culture, and therefore business and consumer behavior. * Example: The protestant work ethic emphasizes hard work, individual achievement and sense that people can control their environment – the underpinnings for development of capitalism Language as a key dimension of culture * The mirror or expression of culture, essential for communication; provides insight into culture. * Linguistic proficiency is a great asset in International Business. * Language has verbal and non verbal (unspoken, facial expressions and gestures) * There are nearly 7000 active languages including 2000 in Africa. Technology, the Internet and Culture * Technological advances are a key determinant of culture and cultural change – more leisure time, and computers, multimedia, and communications systems that encourage convergence in global culture. * The â€Å"death of distance refers to the demise of the boundaries that once separated people, due to modern communications, information, and transportation technologies – more homogenized cultures are developed. * The internet also promotes the diffusion of culture, with rapidly growing numbers of internet users. Are cultures converging? The concept of Sovereignty Sovereignty – meaning Self Rule is when a state or government is able to make and enforce laws within its boundaries without interference from foreign nations. It is also connected to the ability of a country to guarantee the best interest of its own citizens. How does Globalization affect sovereignty? Discuss the effect of Globalization on National culture: 1. Stripped us of our culture since people become more attached to western culture and neglect their ways of doing things. Critically evaluate various dimensions of Economic globalization and their impacts on business enterprises: explain how it is affected and give examples. 1. Globalization of Production: increased mobility of the factors of production has changed traditional specialization roles 2. Globalization of Competition: competition with international businesses has intensified and therefore cost reduction is encouraged to improve efficiency. 3. Globalization of markets: markets have become easily accessible, allowing for expansion and growth. Goods are made of a standard level since customers worldwide have the same tastes and preferences. 4. Globalization of Technology: it has advanced rapidly leading to shorter production cycles. It also makes managing a business more effective and efficient. Advancements in technology have also become difficult to maintain due to financial constraints for some businesses. 5. Globalization of Industries: they have the options of putting up shops anywhere in the global village, giving customers a variety of choices in terms of goods and services. Convergence – bringing together two or more things Globalization – putting everything into one village.