Thursday, October 31, 2019

Demographics and Voting Patterns Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Demographics and Voting Patterns - Research Paper Example However, Obama used much of his manpower on the ground and as his winning-formulae (Perry 178). One of his tactics was the demographic voting patterns and he created firm grounds among the African-Americans, Hispanic and women. According to an Associated Press exit poll report, 71 percent of the Hispanics and 93 percent of the African-Americans voted in favor of Obama. Women in particular, helped Obama to win the re-elections. For instance, 55 percent voted in favor of the sitting President compared to 44 percent votes that were in favor of Romney (FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM, â€Å"Immigration and the 2012 Elections†). In October, 2012, the Pew Hispanic Center reported that Hispanic voted for Obama because immigration issues were vital to them. For example, according to an analysis of poll exit, more Latinos voted for President Obama over Romney by 71 percent and 27 percent respectively (Lopez and Taylor, â€Å"Latino Voters in the 2012 Election†). The women issues that attracted them to Obama’s recipe for his campaigns were him addressing the issues of healthcare, education and social amenities (Espo, â€Å"President Obama Wins Second Term in Victory over Mitt Romney†). President Obama.† Boston.com. Retrieved from:

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Audie Murphy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Audie Murphy - Essay Example The leadership style of Audie Murphy made him the most decorated American Soldier of the Second World War. Audie Murphy had a small body size, which made the Marines, Navy and paratroopers to reject him. When the United States entered the Second World War, Murphy had an expectation of being enlisted. However, the Marines, the Navy and the paratroopers reject him on the ground of his small size and youthful appearance (Rosenberg, 1955). In most cases, people relate the size of the body to the strength of the soldiers, which enables them to defeat their enemies. Finally Murphy is reluctantly accepted by the Army as an ordinary infantryman. After Murphy had acquired basic and infantry training, he was shipped out to the Third Infantry Division located in North Africa mainly as a replacement. In the first unit, third Infantry Division 15th Regiment, Murphy had difficulty of being in the line unit. The Commander thought that it was a mistake for Murphy to be the line unit due to the fact that his path health was not good. Lieutenant Manning noted the physical deficiencies of Manning thus recommending that he be resigned (Rosenberg, 1955). However, Audie Murphy stood up for himself explaining that he had an interest in the Army and that is all he wants to do. Even though Murphy had not been promoted to the rank of leadership, he showed some qualities of a good leader. Later Manning changed his mind after Audie had insisted upon fighting and signed up for every educational course. After Murphy had convinced his commander to allow him stay, he demonstrated his loyalty and pride. In his first unit, Murphy could try very hard to enable him to improve. Murphy also learned to be tactically and technically proficient, which could enhance his career. This showed his fellow soldiers that he had the characters and capabilities of leadership. A leader is expected to hold the top position thus charged with the responsibility of issuing directives in order to achieve a common goa l (Mangi et al., 2011). Therefore, the leader should be tactically and technically proficient in order to realize the achievement of the goal. Murphy had an interest in the Army because it is all he wanted and after convincing the Commander to allow him stay, he soon proves himself in a battle. Due to the good qualities observed in Audie Murphy during the battle, he steadily gets promotion even though it was against his will at first. Murphy was promoted as a battlefield commission to the rank of second lieutenant. A leader should treat his people equally showing love to all of them (Mangi et al., 2011). Audie Murphy displayed the qualities of a good leader by showing respect and love to his fellow soldiers. During the many battles that occurred in Italy, France and Sicily, Audie Murphy takes the lead and this makes him gains the respect of his men thus enabling him to be close to his fellow soldiers. During the battles, Murphy perceives himself as part of the unit and he believes t hat everything he performs is meant to benefit the unit and not individually. Murphy acknowledges the fact that every activity he performs will enable the unit advance as a whole and not individually. This shows the quality of a good leader. As a leader, one should focus on achieving the goals that benefit the whole group rather than individual persons. A leader does not emphasize on achieving individual goals but

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Fathers Of Twentieth Century Neoclassical Realism Politics Essay

Fathers Of Twentieth Century Neoclassical Realism Politics Essay The father of twentieth century Neoclassical Realism, Hans Morgenthau has a similar view but under the signpost of interests which are defined in terms of power but combining the principle of rational order with politics, where the type of interests vary in relation to foreign policy (Hans J. Morgenthau, Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace, Fifth Edition, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978, pp. 4-15.). On the other hand, Neo-Realists (also known as structural realists), such as Kenneth Waltz dismiss human nature as an explanation of IR behaviour within the realm of politics; they rather base their theories on structural constraints (ref). This strand of realism thus holds that the international arena is defined by anarchy and the number of great powers in the international arena. These states are seen as sovereign and equal, thus each state seeking its own interest and will not give up its interests up to another state. Thus states are always in a state of aggressiv e behaviour. The realist belief that states are innately aggressive has given rise to different variants of realism. Offensive realism like other strands of realism view states as the main players or actors in the international arena but with the view that conflict is based on anarchy of the international system and not on human nature and characteristics as proposed by Morgenthau. Offensive realism thus views states as hegemonic, with an insatiable appetite to maximise power thus ensuring security and survival. Furthermore, defensive realism, another variant views international system provides encourages expansion only under certain conditions, where anarchy creates the circumstances where by the tools that a state uses to amplify its security causes an inverse reaction i.e. diminishes the security of other states. This creates a security dilemma where states are in constant worry over one anothers future and relative powers. Most notable examples of this variant of realism include balance-of-po wer theory and security dilemma theory (Sources: Jeffrey W. Taliaferro, Security-Seeking Under Anarchy: Defensive Realism Reconsidered, International Security, 25, 3, Winter 2000/2001: 152-86; and John J. Mearsheimer, (2002), Tragedy of Great Power Politics, W.W. Norton, New York). The purpose of this essay is to answer the question of whether or not Realism is a bellicose tradition of thought. I have started off the first section of this essay (above) by giving a brief oversight of realism and its variants. The remainder of this essay will discuss how realism and realists view war, conflict, and their ethics. The third section examines how different variants of realism view war and conflict. The fourth section provides a case study and the views of notable realists on wars, such as the Iraq War (in 2003). Finally the last section of this essay summarises the preceding arguments and argues that although realism talks of war and studies war and conflict, it is by no means bellicose tradition of thought. Realism and Power: It is common that critics of realism view realists as immoral or a school of thought that does not involve ethics. On the other hand, classical realists such as Thucydides (460-411 B.C.) viewed politics with an eye for moral questions. This is evident when he asks whether relations between states to which power is fundamental can accomplished through an eye of justice and peace. Thucydides through his book History of the Peloponnesian War has inspired many realists as he gives an acknowledged classical text in international relations. In his book, realism is expressed in speeches and dialogues of Athenians showing a debate in Sparta before the Peloponnesian war. Furthermore it is through realist views and explanations that Thucydides explains the cause for such a war through a Melian Diaglogue made by Athenian envoys. Realists exhibit and highlight the limitations imposed by the nature of human beings on politics. This human nature according to realists is defined as being egoist hence power and security become the main issue when looking at the factors that contribute to conflict in IR. It is through Thucydides that the notion and main building blocks of state actors, anarchy, security and power are defined within the context of realist tradition. To take two main points from Thucydides into account: Thucydides describes the debate in Sparta (Chapter 1 Par. 76) that the Athenians have a preference of self-interest over morality. That is, the analogies and concerns of right or wrong have never turned people aside from the opportunities of aggrandizement offered by superior strength (chap. 1 par. 76). Realists find an anarchical world and security as a central issue in their school of thought. To achieve security, states increase their strength and power, thus formulating a power-balancing paradigm in order to deter prospective enemies. Thucydides further stresses this issue by locating the cause of war in the change in the balance of power between the Delian League (led by Athens) and the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta). It is the conviction of Thucydides that the fear of the increase in Athenian power and Spartas future security vulnerability that led Sparta into war (1.23). Realists are skeptical about applying morals to international relations and its politics i.e. there is no place for morality in IR, that is to say there is a rejection of ethical norm. This can be highlighted within the Melian Dialogue (5.85-113) when Athens invaded the island of Melos. The Melians were offered a choice, annihilation or admit defeat, without the recourse to justice, just to think of their survival. The Athenians were hence stressing the fact that since any authority above the state does not exist, and in the case of the Melians, the only right is that of the stronger, hence survival of the fittest. To shine light on this matter further, the Athenians equate right with power and thus disregard issues of justice, ethics and morals from foreign affairs, in this case war. Critics of IR have always juxtaposed classical realism with that of idealism or even liberalism. That is to say liberals and idealists view the world through emphasis on international standards, interdependence among states and international and economic cooperation. The Melian Dialogue of Thucydides gives rise to one of the first debates between idealist and realist schools of thought, that is, whether politics can be based on moral thoughts drawn from justice or will politics be seen as a struggle for interests and power? To take a closer look at the Athenian argument of the Melian Dialogue, it is clear that it is based on realist notions of security and power. There is a clear disregard for moral talk and thus advise the Melians to take a closer look at the status quo. Here the status quo is that of Melians inferior military capabilities, thus advising the Melians to think about their survival (5.87; 5.101). Furthermore, another description of this realist status quo is the fact that Athenians base their argument around security issues, self interest and power. On the other hand, when looking at the Melian situation closely, it is clear that the Melians are weak and do not risk the security and self interests of the Athenians. In his book, Thucydides remains neutral to the thoughts of the Athenians and Melians, i.e. supports neither the idealists nor the realists. Therefore, if Thucydides is to be regarded as a realist, he would not be seen as one that resembles a member of the realpolitik that denies ethics and morals, but one that is neither amoral or immoral (ref) and can be compared to realists such as Hans Morgenthau (discussed later) where they are rational to the views of national interest and also place moral aspects to the way political actors should act in the international arena. It was not until the 15th century that Niccolà ² Machiavelli was born and challenged the notion of morality and ethical standards in Christian political spheres. His approach, indeed a novel one for his time lies in his criticism of the unrealistic attributes of Western politics. Thus, after setting the ground for a new ground into realist doctrine, Machiavelli skews away from the teachings of early scholars towards the effectual truth of the matter rather than the imagined one (chapter XV of The Prince), i.e. a realist truth and view. Machiavelli hence replaced morality in politics with the ends justifies the means, i.e. whatever is good for the state and not ethical or scruples norms, in other words what is encompassed in the phrase ragione di stato or its French equivalent, raison dà ©tat (ref). Although Machiavelli is often seen as the father of both modern political strategy and defense of the republican form of government, he may also be seen as the one that caused the demoralization of Europe by challenging the Christian views of the union between politics and ethics. Before Machiavellism, it is thought that the notion of using any means and all means in the state of war was unheard of. As a result, Machiavellism gave rise to masses of armies fighting each other, where the morality has lost its validity and presence in the political moiety. This concept of politics where ethics according to Machiavelli was now under two: private and public and the principle of raison dà ©tat would further give rise to politics of Lebensraum and world wars. It is in my opinion, as well as other political commentators (ref) that realism has an inclination to drift into an extreme standpoint where the ends justify the means at the expense of other states, no matter how immoral or amoral the policy is. The end goal is the security and power of the state in an anarchical world. Thomas Hobbes: Morality and Anarchy Thomas Hobbes (1588-1683) realism came through around the same time as Machiavelli, his views of human behavior was that they are particularly individualistic rather than moral or ethical, as Hobbes mentions in his Leviathan, humans are subjected to a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceases only in death (Leviathan XI 2), hence are always in a power struggle. These concepts are briefly summarized in the fact that humans are egoistic, in a state of international anarchy, and their view of politics is rooted in a power struggle. Thus when comparing schools of thought, it is clearly visible that Hobbes views have a great affinity towards neorealism. Taking the concept of anarchy as a state or nature further, Hobbes clearly mentions that the world is in a state of war as is of every man against every man (XII 8). That is to say that the status quo of the world we live in is a state of war. The views of Hobbes are deduced from the an individuals behavior, that is individuals are selfish and egoistic and may use force at any given moment without recourse to morals, encouraged by competition for wealth and power. Hence, individuals may even invade one another for gain; take preemptive measures to ensure their safety. Hobbes therefore mentions that humans endeavor to destroy or subdue one another (XIII 3) whether for gain, safety or power. Overall, in this regard, where conditions are of potential aggressors are optimum, realists believe that it is best to make war rather than peace, where the world becomes Darwinian; i.e. survival of the fittest. When analyzing Hobbes writings in Leviathan, it is apparent that Hobbes views the relationship between individuals and the state as a primary focus. To indulge deeper into this argument, Hobbes views that once states are formed, the individuals running the state control the states behavior, hence their lust and drive for power i.e. domination of other states. This is evident where Hobbes mentions that states, for their own securityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦enlarge their dominions upon all pretences of danger and fear of invasion or assistance that may be given to invadersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.endeavour as much as they can, to subdue and weaken their neighbors (XIX 4). Furthermore, Hobbes also argues that even though there is a war of all against all, that does not mean that states are always in a state of war, but they are always on guard and expect war at any given moment (XIII 8). Furthermore, to evade war and overcome fighting, Hobbes does not support a social contract or deal between nations like the UN to end international anarchy. He also does not believe that war could ever be obliterated from the world we live in. Furthermore, it would also seem that Hobbes believes that the continuous condition of anarchy and insecurity which states are in is not reflected in the insecurity experienced by the individuals (statesmen). Hence as long as there is no onset of war between states, statesmen can feel safe. It is evident when reading through Hobbes Leviathan that there is a common view shared between Machiavelli and Hobbes when it comes to their denial of moral principles and the support of the notion of raison dà ©tat. On the other hand, although they both also view independent states are enemies by nature, selfish and egotistical, what differentiates them is that Machiavelli has a view of doing anything it takes to bring forward to what is advantageous to the state. Hobbes view of classical realism is one with a defensive nature of foreign policy. His approach unlike Machiavelli, is a that of prudence and pacifism where sovereign states should be liaised towards peace through reason. Furthermore, although Hobbes views the world as anarchical and immoral, he does not view it as one with no rules. Hobbes believes that because certain rules of reason do exist therefore there may be some leeway for international cooperation achieved through jointly beneficial treaties between sovereign s tates. On the other hand, Hobbes does not dismiss the fact that international rules will also be ineffective in ceasing the struggle for power through war. That is to say, states will interpret these rules according to their own interests thus ignoring international laws and commitments. This therefore highlights the egotistical, selfish and greedy nature of states through Hobbes pessimistic view of relations between sovereign states in IR. The idea of the creation of modern (20th century) realism arose from the attitude and results of the emergence of an idealist school of thought most notably after WWI. These liberals also known by synonyms just as idealists or utopians had an aim of building peace by the virtue of creating a system of international law intertwined with international ogranisations. This gave rise to the League of Nations via the interwar idealism in 1920 followed by the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 that prohibited war and propagated the peaceful settlement of interstate disputes. It was the advocacy on behalf of scholars like the U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, a political scientist by profession that focused their abilities uniting humanity and appealing to rationality and morality. It was the view of utopians like Wilson that saw war as an imperfection of social conditions that could be improved rather that it being a primordial of egoistic human nature. On the other hand, the hopes of utopians were short live, and although Wilson was the main advocate for the League of Nations, the US never joined, and with the withdrawals of Japan and Germany, a second world war broke out. By that time, realists such as E. H. Carr has been heavily criticizing the liberal school of thought. It was the works of realists such as Carr and Morgenthau that influenced the creation of what is thought to be a liberally induced United Nations in 1945. Carrs famous work on international relations, famously known as The Twenty Years Crisis (1939) focuses on a rebuttal of the idealist utopian views of international relations. Carr criticizes and challenges the idealist views of the harmony of interests where he believes that morality can only be relative, not universal (19). Furthermore, he mentions that the principle of the harmony of interests is created by privileged groups to justify and maintain their dominant position (75). When Carr argues his central idea of moral principles, he refers to and uses a concept that can be traced back to Marxist theories (ref) of the relativity of thought. His idea is that the interests of a particular group will always pave the way and be deterministic of what that group deems as moral principles, hence not universal as utopians might believe. It is also worthy to note that as Carr views a politicians use of morally discrediting or slandering an enemy as an act created by actual policies. Thus t hese policies in realist views are dependent on interests of the parties involved and not universal and independent of interests as utopians claim (ref). Carr also views that values and interests are also not universal, where a party that acts on these values and interests are basically their own interests; and what is best for that party is best for everyone (71). A further theory put out by Carr contradicts an idealist principle of harmony of interests where humans can be rational and cooperate to achieve those interests. Carr believes that humans actually have different interests, therefore would compete and between them to achieve their goals, this is what he terms conflict of interests (ref). This conflict of interests thus coalesces with a Hobbesinian view that morality is dominated by a coercive power (ref) (61). Therefore, Carr believes that international moral principles are enforced by countries with power over other nations with no or less power, hence, morals are made to subdue weaker nations into dominance (ref). Carr also views morals and views of peace, justice and international order as the status quo. He further supports this argument by viewing that states or powers that are happy with the current status quo view the current status as just, and those who dont, view it as unjust and would therefore end up in going to war (76). Furthermore, Carr also views that if peace cannot be attained through war then the best way to ensure peace is to satisfy powers greater than the weaker state: Those who profit most by [international] order can in the longer run only hope to maintain it by making sufficient concessions to make it tolerable to those who profit by it least (152). The Realism of Hans Morgenthau, Morals and Power Hans Jochaim Morgenthau was an avid neoclassical realist thinker influenced by the works of Hobbes and Reinhold Niebuhr. He presents a fact that humans have an insatiable lust for power identifying it with animus dominandi, the desire to rule or dominate. This desire Morgenthau sees is the pivotal root cause of conflict: international politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power (25). In his main work, Politics among Nations, Morgenthau bases his theories of realism on six main principles. It is in the second principle that Morgenthau clearly presents his argument of where state leaders think and act in terms of interest defined as power (5). This concept presents two main points: firstly is the autonomy of politics from other fields such as economics, religion and ethics. Furthermore, the second principle allows for the analysis of foreign policy without recourse to motives and morals of statesmen or politicians, hence the presence rationality in international politics. But, unlike Machiavelli, Morgenthau does not completely devour ethics from politics. In his fourth principle, Morgenthau explains the relationship between realism and ethics. He mentions that Universal moral principlesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.cannot be applied to the actions of states in their abstract universal formulation, but à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦they must be filtered through the concrete circumstances of time and place (9). That is, there is always some form of friction between morality and political decisions. Morgenthau also stresses the need for prudence when applying his principle as political morality cannot exist without prudence, i.e. without consideration of the political consequences of seemingly moral action (ibid.). To take a closer look at his central themes of power and interest, Morgenthau believes that moral and ethics are not sufficient to comprehend the dynamics of international politics, there therefore has to be a balance in power interests. Morgenthau like Carr was doubtful and pessimistic at how idealists viewed politics in that they never took into account the harsh and negative lesson of history. Morgenthau further contested that the ethics of evil as an inherent part of foreign policy. This is due to the fact that politicians may not have a choice between right or wrongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. but rather between bad and worse (ref). Morgenthaus realist views stresses on the pessimistic vision of foreign policy, thus creating version of ethics that intertwines power and morality together, a view also shared by Max Webers ethics (ref). Morgenthaus view of ethics was born out of harsh lesson from the failure of the League of Nations to the fascist actions of Nazi Germany and the dangers of communism. Therefore national interests to Morgenthau were an utmost priority as long as these interests contributed to a balance of power; a balance between power, interest and ethics (2). This to Morgenthau is fact and reality as opposed to the idealists utopian views. Morgenthau further emphasized his point by: I prefer the brutality of realist inquiry over the confused sentimentality that neglects its interests and does not get to the point.(3). Furthermore, according to Morgenthau and the concept of animus dominandi, mans strife for power makes man greedy hence taking everything for themselves and depriving their neighbours. Morgenthaus view thus makes him a promoter of power poltics, but on the contrary, Morgenthaus realism offers elements of morals and ethics to utilize power adequately thus giving rise to morally good results (ref). Morgenthaus neoclassical realism was indeed a mix between limiting power intertwined with morality, balanced with tolerance and self constraint made his neoclassical form of realism appealing. . Political theorists have long seen Morgenthau with an eye of immorality. On the other hand, when looking closer (as mentioned above), Morgenthau has been in agreement with Max Weber in that decisions based on moral values could not be justified rationally thus deeming him a realist with morals aspects. Furthermore, Morgenthau also viewed the world as morally imperfect and corrupt, thus should have some morality incorporated to it. This is evident in his opposition to the Vietnam War. He clearly opposed US foreign policy during that war, and thus called for a realist foreign policy based on national interest. Overall, Morgenthau was a harsh critic and opponent of US intervention and foreign policy in Asia. On the other hand, he advocated for a peaceful coexistence with communist Russia and thus advocated a dual strategy of military might and a willingness to seek dà ©tente. His support was clearly expressed when Kissinger and Nixon attempted to enforce a more moderate realist strategy toward Communist powers (China and Russia) hence creating a multipolar world led by the US via the use of Morgenthaus balance of power and his dà ©tente (4). Finally, Morgenthau has advocated a mixture of prudence, morality and realist views of national interest and balance of power in his politics. His advocacy supports Friedrich Meineckes concept of raison detat and when combined with his realist views, makes an effect and coherent realist model.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Influence of Newspaper Work on the Writing Style of Ernest Hemingway

Influence of Newspaper Work on the Writing Style of Ernest Hemingway Hemingway’s first introduction to newspaper work came right after he graduated high school in 1917. His parents expected him to go to college, but instead he accepted a job that his uncle arranged for him as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. It was at the Star that Hemingway learned many of the rules that would shape his writing style later in life. The Star advocated short sentences, active verbs and precision in Hemingway’s writing; Hemingway said: "Those were the best rules I ever learned for the business of writing. I've never forgotten them." (www.lostgeneration.com) His time at the Star was cut short, however, when he joined the Red Cross and was shipped to Italy for the war. Upon returning from the war in January 1919, Hemingway spent nearly a year living at home with his parents off of his insurance money. In early 1920, however, he moved to Toronto to accept a position writing for the Toronto Star Weekly. He continued to write for the Toronto Star Weekly even after he moved to Chicago in...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Case Study Summary of Zara and Oxford Industries Essay

Zara specializes in inexpensive fashions for women and men between the ages of 16 and 35. In keeping with the spirit of that demographic, Zara moves quickly. Like many apparel retailers, it has two seasons—fall/winter and spring/summer—but selections change frequently within those periods. Items spend no more than two weeks on the shelf before making way for new merchandise, and stores are replenished twice a week. With annual growth of around 20 percent in both sales and number of stores, Zara was finding that strategy increasingly difficult to execute. Part of the Inditex group of fashion distributors, it currently has more than 1,100 stores in 68 countries. With so much volume flowing through the supply chain, the company could no longer rely on guesswork by store managers as to how much product it needed to replenish at each location. In the summer of 2005, Zara heard about research being done on mathematical models for retailing, by professors Jeremie Gallien of the MIT Sloan School of Management and Felipe Caro of the UCLA Anderson School of Management. They were invited to Zara’s headquarters in La Coruna, Spain. The focus was on making better stock-allocation decisions for Zara’s growing network of stores. A prototype of the resulting model was implemented between March and July of the following year, as part of a six-month internship at Zara by MIT graduate student Juan Correa. Between August and December, researchers ran a live pilot involving distribution of a dozen products to Zara’s stores worldwide. An identical selection of products was dispatched to stores under the old process, for purposes of comparison. The mathematical model drew on historical sales data plus available stock in the warehouses to come up with a final number for each store. Gallien says the task was exceedingly complex. Each store carries several thousand items in up to eight sizes, with exact quantities to be determined for twice-weekly shipments. Through use of the model, computers could take over the basic number crunching, with humans left to make adjustments based on exceptions such as bad weather or unexpected disruptions in the sales channel. The emphasis on fast turnaround motivates consumers to purchase items on the spot. Unlike in many clothing stores, where seasonal lines remain on the shelves for weeks or months, a particular style in a Zara store can disappear within a week. Zara speeds up its supply chain by strategically selecting and locating suppliers. A â€Å"proximity model† judges not only their geographic placement, but their ability to respond quickly to production orders. About half of the retailer’s production meets the proximity threshold, mostly coming from suppliers in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. From a geographic standpoint, nearly 65 percent of production is sourced in Europe. Zara also buys from suppliers in Asia, but because of the need for speed, their number is â€Å"considerably less† than the industry’s average. The model has yielded additional benefits. Product now spends more time on the sales floor, and less in a back room or warehouse. With a reduction in misallocated inventory, there are fewer returns to the warehouse and transfers between stores. And, as Zara’s distribution network continues to grow, the retailer won’t need to expand its warehouse team as fast as the old process required. Summary of Oxford Industries Oxford Industries began in 1942 as a domestic manufacturer of basic, button-down shirts for mid-level retailers, particularly department stores. In recent years, however, the company has shifted its business model to focus on apparel design and marketing, with third-party producers handling manufacturing. As part of this transformation, the Atlanta-based company embraced a brand-focused business strategy. In 2003, Oxford acquired the island-inspired Tommy Bahama operations, followed by the 2004 acquisition of Ben Sherman—a well-known London-based brand made famous by the popularity of its shirts among British rock stars. Oxford’s legacy business units, Lanier Clothes and Oxford Apparel, also evolved. As one of the leading suppliers of men’s tailored clothing to retailers, Lanier Clothes designs and markets suits, sports coats, suit separates and dress slacks. While continuing to sell these under private labels, it also has licensed a number of well-known brands, including Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole and Dockers. These products span a wide price range and are sold at national chains, department stores, specialty stores and discount retailers throughout the United States. Oxford Apparel’s products range from dress shirts and western wear to suit separates and golf apparel, designed mostly for private-label customers like Lands’ End, Federated Department Stores and Men’s Wearhouse. Oxford Industries also sells through 55 of its own stores. In the late 1980s, early in its transformation process and prior to the acquisition of Tommy Bahama and Ben Sherman, Oxford realized that it needed to bring its business divisions up to speed with more robust information technology. After completing the implementation of a company-wide enterprise resource planning system, the company contracted with an independent consulting firm to determine where it should invest time and money to further increase operational efficiencies and performance. The result of that in-depth study ultimately led to Oxford Industries’ decision to implement two solutions from JDA Software: Demand Planning and Master Planning. With so many possible permutations of size, style and color for each of its products, improving forecast accuracy was critical. Prior to implementing JDA Demand, Oxford relied on its retail customers’ demand forecasts for its private-label products, as well as information provided by the company’s own sales associates. If too much or too little product was created based on the retailer’s or the sales associates’ forecast, both Oxford Industries and that customer paid the price via lost sales or markdowns. JDA Demand enabled the company to better understand consumers’ evolving requirements and current trends, along with historical buying patterns, resulting in the ability to create more accurate forecasts and synchronize demand for replenished product with sources of supply. Oxford Industries can now compare its forecasts with those of its retail customers to ensure that the right amount of product is manufactured, leading to improved collaboration and service levels with its trading partners. The implementation of JDA Master Planning leveraged the solutions automated functionality to compile product information and production constraints to generate weekly sourcing and inventory plans from style to the SKU level. The solution also simultaneously considered factory capacities including special features, raw-material availability, and manufacturing and customer lead-times. Since Master Planning generated a first version of the supply plan by noon each Monday, Oxford Industries’ planners had four and a half days to resolve any issues to accommodate unplanned demand, which translated to an 85-percent improvement in planning efficiency. Although the company’s sourcing model has since shifted from a typical manufacturing process to more of a purchase process, manufacturing and customer lead-times, SKU-level decisions and some capacity constraints still need to be factored into the supply planning process. Master Planning provides the tools to let managers manage instead of serving as data-entry technicians.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Teen Speech

Good evening dear audience. As you all know I am here to discuss one of the aspects of the society in which I live in. I have come to talk to this adoring audience about a light-hearted and sometime humorous topic of the typical teen-age stereo-type as the announcer has already told you. Now I'd like to start out my little speech by telling you all that I am a people watcher. From time to time I was barely able to talk until now I have always preferred to watch the people around me rather then actually participating in any of their activities. It is because of this that I am so bold in pointing out what bothers me in teen-agers. One of the most prominent issues brought up by this people watching is the fact that teen-agers like for some reason to sound unintelligent and unsophisticated. Whatever they say does the opposite of command respect. For instance if I hear one more person use the catch phrase â€Å"whazzup† or use the word â€Å"like† 30 times in one sentence. I admit I'm not really the typical teen or the typical girl for that matter. And there are a few reasons for this but mainly I just see the life of a teen-age girl pointless, utterly exhausting and quite frankly lame. Back to the topic of how teen-agers talk though there is one thing you'll never find me doing and that is talking on the phone for 2 or 4 hours to one of my friends explaining some useless teen-age drivel and frivolous banter. I have no idea how girls can get on the phone and yap away for hours on end to some one they've already spent the entire day with. Perhaps it's just me. One thing that's even more bothersome then the phone talk however is the lack of any intelligent vocabulary. I find myself constantly dumbing down my speech and explaining vocabulary they should already know like â€Å"banter† and â€Å"naughty† . It's quite sad to think that these, my friends, are the smarter of the general masses. It's quite pathetic indeed. However you have to hand it to them, whatever teen-age girls lack in vocabulary they make up by adding drama to everything. I don't know about any one else but I'm quite sick of the drama queen acts myself. You all know the girl that just exclaims â€Å"oh but Johnny doesn't love me! I could just die! † or â€Å"Today was the absolute worst day of my life. I'm never going back for as long as I live! † Personally I am quite annoyed by the over use of exclamations and the absurd over exaggerations. However it's no small wonder why they talk the way they do. I blame the media, their music and their literature of which I'll be only talking about the latter since the media would take another half an hour to critique. All the girls I know of listen to pop music. This wouldn't be so bad if they actually all enjoyed it and there was actually something worthwhile to listen to but it's not. Pop music is the death of anything good in the music industry. The bands don't even write their own music or play their own instruments. Worse still they don't even sound good. I think they sound like either a dying goat or a cat caught in the fan belt of a car. The only reason these girls listen to such fluff is that they are supposedly cute. Now I'm not a genius or anything nor do I claim to be but when I listen to music it's my ears doing the listening not my eyes. So where does this whole cute factor fit in anyway? I'm also called by my own peers and called abnormal for my own individualistic view on life. Just because I'd rather watch some old band that actually writes their own music and plays their own instruments and not the queen of pop Miss Lady Gaga flaunt her bare skin and lip sinc on MTV does not mean I'm abnormal. On the contrary I think it leads one to believe I'm just smarter then the masses. And don't get me wrong, this isn't some slanderous anti-social statement, it's just my blunt black and white view of my own peers. Popular reading materials aren't much better then the music industry. Their woeful lack of vocabulary and absolutely pathetic plotlines make even the best of these only worth fire starters. I tried reading some of these books once. I got through 3 pages before I got so irked at the complete and absolute simplicity that I threw it across the room in frustration. I think I would have learned more from reading  Ã¢â‚¬Å"See Spot Run†Ã‚  than from those books. Quite simply put I am aggravated with the dull meaningless platitudes, not to mention the four for a pound romances that fill the shelves. I have always been a true believer that quantity is NOT quality. I like conviction in my reading materials, even if I don't agree with that is being stated I admire the writer for having the guts to say it. However the total lack of meaning in a teen-agers life is what bothers me above all else. For most teen-agers it is their only goal in life to fit in. I myself rather like not fitting in, because to fit in means to conform. Let me demonstrate my point. All of the â€Å"typical teen-agers† I know have a whole set of unwritten rules and ethics that rule their piddley little lives. One of them is to never say anything that may even be remotely offensive to anyone in your presence with the exception of profuse profanity, which in my personal opinion makes you look like you should be on the Jerry Kyle Show. Now, courtesy can be a good thing but not when it rules your life. There are certain situations in which it is most appropriate to stand for what you believe in, state what you really feel and not worry about what others think of such a bold move. I myself do this every day and perhaps this is why I have so few friends, because no one can put up with me. I'm all the happier for it though because the few friends I do have know who I am and not who they think I am. To me the majority of teen-agers cluster together in groups and try to fit themselves into a perfect mold. It is however like jamming a square nail in a round slot. I would never stoop so low as to alter all my opinions, what music reading and hobbies I enjoy just to fit in. I think it's horrible myself that anyone would do this. My peers shudder at my words. They see individuality, at least in the sense I see it as a threat to the way they live. Just merely telling them about individuality is most akin to teaching the dog quantum physics. They care way too much of what people think about them to be themselves and that's why they are always paranoid and overly concerned about everything. For instance what cuts me from the herd is I don't care diddley-squat if Johnny loves me or the most popular girl in town approves of me. This is all just nonsense. Thank-you for listening, I hope you now realise and understand the stereo typing of teen-agers.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Lorna Dee Cervantes - Feminist Chicana Voice

Lorna Dee Cervantes - Feminist Chicana Voice article edited with additions by  Jone Johnson Lewis Born: 1954 in San FranciscoKnown For: Chicana poetry, feminism, writing that bridges cultures Lorna Dee Cervantes is recognized as a significant voice in feminist and Chicana poetry. In fact, she has referred to her adoption of the label Chicana as a feminist identification within the Chicano movement.   She is critically acclaimed for writing poetry that bridges cultures and explores gender and various points of view. Background Born in San Francisco and raised in San Jose, California, Lorna Dee Cervantes has Mexican and Chumash heritage on her mothers side and Tarascan Indian heritage on her fathers side. When she was born, her family had been in California for several generations; she has called herself indigenous Californian.   She was raised in her maternal grandmothers home, where she discovered books in homes where her mother worked as a domestic worker. Lorna Dee Cervantes became an activist when she was a teenager. She was involved with the Womens Liberation Movement, NOW, the Farm Workers Movement, and the American Indian Movement (AIM), among other causes. Poetry Debut Lorna Dee Cervantes began writing poetry as a teenager and compiled a collection of her poems at age 15. Although her debut poetry collection, Emplumada, was published in 1981, she was a recognized poet before that publication. She participated in the San Jose poetry scene, and in 1974 she read one of her poems at a theater festival performance in Mexico City, which brought her accolades and attention in Mexico. A Rising Chicana Star It was not unusual to hear Chicano/a poetry performed as spoken word, not just consumed as a written medium. Lorna Dee Cervantes was a prominent voice of the rising generation of Chicana writers during the 1970s. In addition to writing and performing poetry, she founded Mango Publications in 1976. She also published a journal called Mango. The heady days of running a small press from the kitchen table led to further involvement with Chicano writers such as Sandra Cisneros, Alberto Rios, and Jimmy Santiago Baca. Womens Experiences Early in her poetry career, Lorna Dee Cervantes reflected on her mother and grandmother in her writing. She contemplated their place in society as women and as Chicana women. Chicana feminists often wrote of the struggles they faced fitting into white society, paralleled with the struggles of gender in society. Lorna Dee Cervantes described Emplumada as a womans coming-of-age and as a rebellion against the male-dominated Chicano movement. She resented being considered disloyal to Chicano social justice ideals when she pointed out sexism in the movement. Poems such as You Cramp My Style Baby directly confront the sexism in Chicano men and how Chicana women were treated as second class. When her mother was killed brutally after Emplumada had been published, she integrated grief and and a strong sense of injustice in her 1991 work. From the Cables of Genocide: Poems of Love and Hunger. Themes of love, hunger, genocide, grief, interweave with her understandings of culture and women, and with a vision of what affirms life. Other Work Lorna Dee Cervantes attended Cal State San Jose and UC Santa Cruz. She was a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1989-2007 and briefly directed the Creative Writing program there. She received multiple prizes and fellowships, including the Lila Wallace Readers Digest Award, the Pushcart Prize, NEA fellowship grants, and the American Book Award for Emplumada. Other books by Lorna Dee Cervantes include   and Drive: The First Quartet (2005). Her work continues to reflect her ideals of social justice, eco-consciousness, and peace.

Monday, October 21, 2019

How To Make Copper Acetate from Copper

How To Make Copper Acetate from Copper You can make copper acetate   [Cu(CH3COO)2] from common household materials to use in science projects and to grow natural blue-green crystals. Heres what you do: Materials copper (e.g., copper wire or pennies minted before 1982)hydrogen peroxidewhite vinegar Procedure Mix equal parts vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.Heat the mixture. You can bring it to a boil so that youre certain its hot enough, but once you reach that temperature, you can turn down the heat.Add copper. For a small amount of liquid, try about 5 pennies or a strip of copper wire. If you are using wire, make sure it is uncoated.Initially, the mixture will bubble and become cloudy. The solution will turn blue as copper acetate is produced.Wait for this reaction to proceed. Once the liquid clears up, heat the mixture until all the liquid is gone. Collect the solid, which is copper acetate. Alternatively, you can remove the mixture from heat, place the container in a place where it wont be disturbed, and wait for copper acetate monohydrate [Cu(CH3COO)2.H2O]  crystals to deposit on the copper. Copper Acetate Uses Copper acetate is used as a fungicide, catalyst, oxidizer, and as a blue-green pigment for making paint and other art supplies. The blue-green crystals are easy enough to grow as a beginner crystal-growing project. More Chemicals To Make Make Copper SulfateMake Sodium Acetate (Hot Ice)Make Ammonium Nitrate

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Structure of a Descriptive Essay

Structure of a Descriptive Essay The descriptive essay can be arranged in one of many organization patterns, and you will soon find that one style is best for your particular topic. Some effective organization patterns for a descriptive essay are spatial, which is best used when you are describing a location; chronological organization, which is best used when you are describing an event; and functional organization, which is best used when you are describing how a device or process works. Start with a Mind Dump Before you can begin writing your essay or deciding upon an organizational pattern, you should put everything you know about your subject on a piece of paper in a mind dump. In this first stage of information gathering, you should not worry about organizing your information. To start out, simply write down every item, characteristic, or feature that you can think of, allowing your thoughts to flow onto the paper. Note: A giant sticky note is a fun tool for mind dumping. Once your paper is filled with bits of information, you can use a simple numbering system to begin identifying topics and subtopics. Simply look over your items and â€Å"clump† them together in logical groups. Your groups will become major topics that you address in body paragraphs. Come Up with an Overall Impression The next step is to read over your information to come up with one major impression that you get from it all. Ponder the information for a few moments and see if you can boil it all down to one thought. Sound difficult? This list below shows three imaginary topics (in bold) followed by examples of a few thoughts that might be generated about each topic. You will see that the thoughts lead to an overall impression (in italics). 1. Your City Zoo - The animals were arranged by continents. Each area featured interesting plants and flowers from the continents. There were beautiful murals painted everywhere. Impression: the visual elements make this a more interesting zoo. Structure: Since a zoo is a place, the best structure for the city zoo essay is likely to be spatial. As a writer, you would begin with an introductory paragraph that ends with a thesis statement based on your impression. A sample thesis state would be While the animals were fascinating, the visual elements made this zoo most interesting. You could write your essay as a walking tour, visiting (describing) one area at a time.Each area would be described in your body paragraphs.You would use descriptive language to convey the striking visual elements of each area. 2. A Birthday Party - The birthday boy cried when we sang to him. He was too young to know what was happening. The cake was too sweet. The sun was hot. Impression: this party was a disaster! Structure: Since this is an event in time, the best structure would likely be chronological. Your introductory paragraph would build up to the conclusion (your impression) that this party was not a success!Each disastrous event would be described in individual body paragraphs. 3. Making a Cake from Scratch - I learned what sifting was, and it was messy. Creaming butter and sugar takes time. It’s hard to pick slippery egg shell bits out of flour. We really take box mixes for granted! Structure: The best structure would be functional. You would build up to the (surprising) complexity of making a cake from scratch.Body paragraphs would address the difficulty you encountered at each turn. End with a Conclusion Every essay requires a good conclusion to tie things up and make a tidy and complete package. In your concluding paragraph for a descriptive essay, you should summarize your main points and explain your overall impression or thesis in new words.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Performance Pay at Safelite Auto Glass Case Study - 1

Performance Pay at Safelite Auto Glass - Case Study Example The installer’s problem as identified in the PPP was related to the turnover rates. It has been found that the turnover rate of the company has been quite high because the glass installation was a seasonal business. The busy periods were spring and summer and it was found that at this time, the competition for new hires was mounting. However, the demand for the windshield replacement troughed and as a result, the repair shops found it necessary to lay off many of their workers and hire them back during spring and summer. In addition to this, another biggest problem was associated with technicians who were lured by other companies’ offer, which promised to pay them a fraction more than what they were currently receiving. Therefore, as a result, it was evident that the installers were changing their jobs since they were paid a Dollar more an hour and were allowed to take the company’s truck home at night. In order to reduce the turnover rate, Safelite also offered truck privileges for a time being, but then stopped it later. It was a matter of concern for the recruiters in HR with regards to getting technicians from other companies to come to Safelite. After going through the case study, it can be revealed that the Performance Pay Plan was revised for both the managers as well as the technicians. It was decided to pay the technicians according to the piece rate system rather than the wage rate system which was previously being practised. The plan was implemented for the technicians to receive the piece rate for every windshield that they installed. According to this plan, the number of windshields that the technician would install in a week would be accumulated. As a result, the technicians’ pay for the week was decided to be based upon the number of installations. The new plan brought both advantages and disadvantages to the technicians. Previously, the technicians received $10-$12 an hour. However, it was analyzed that according to the new PPP, the technicians would receive $15.22 per hour.  

Friday, October 18, 2019

The Cost of Illegal Immigrants in Texas Research Paper

The Cost of Illegal Immigrants in Texas - Research Paper Example This quote is an extract from the Dallas Morning News, which examined the financial effects of the illegal immigrants in Texas. This calculation was done on behalf of the millions of taxpayers who were paying heavily in tax dollars for the presence of illegal immigrants residing in the state. The reason why this problem is especially prominent in Texas as opposed to the other forty-nine states of America is that this state is situated in the very south of the country. Due to its location, it is very near to Mexico, and thus Mexicans illegally emigrating from their own land often settle down or take refuge in this state. Thus, there are thousands of such unregistered immigrants residing in the state of Texas, the costs of which are paid for by the taxpayers and legal inhabitants of Texas, as well as the government responsible. The reason why the presence of these illegal immigrants proves to be such a financial challenge for the legal citizens of this state is that they consume the pu blic goods, which the government provides to the residents of this country. The US, being a developed country, provides several such goods to its citizens, such as health, education, and defense. These are all public goods, which it provides to every citizen of the country. These costs are especially prominent concerning health care costs, which these illegal immigrants incur. â€Å"The Texas Hospital Association has estimated the annual cost of uncompensated care to illegal immigrants at nearly $400 million a year†.... In addition, as mentioned in the news extract above, these costs included the cost of 66,000 births in one year, which makes up a large proportion of these costs. These services however are not completely free of cost for these citizens. The government finances them using the tax dollars that these citizens themselves pay out of their own incomes, in the form of both direct and indirect taxes. However, only the legal citizens of the country pay direct taxes on their income, as they are the only ones of whom the government has a record. Thus, this allows for tax evasion by all those illegal citizens who reside in the county without the permission or knowledge of the government. They do not pay direct taxes on their incomes, and therefore avoid having to pay the government for all the above-mentioned public good and services that it provides to them. In other words, they are able to avail these services free even when they are not the ones paying for them. The legal citizens who are ta xpayers, bear the whole cost of such goods and services, even when there are thousands of other illegal consumers present. Thus, this is a heavy financial burden for the taxpayers to bear, since they pay not just for themselves, thus severely testing the patience of these law-abiding citizens. Moreover, due to the geographical location of the state of Texas, it is especially vulnerable to this problem. Another cost that these citizens pay because of the presence of these illegal immigrants is the disruption in law and order, which they cause. Their presence is often accompanied by several offences, which include robberies and drug trafficking. This is a large disadvantage for those citizens who abide by the law and hope for peaceful and

Cost, Volume, and Profit Formulas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cost, Volume, and Profit Formulas - Essay Example The preferable outcome in most businesses is to sell as many units as possible, thus high volumes are preferable. The selling price is the unitary price of each product. It can be calculated by dividing the total sales by the amount of units sold. If a company had sales of $5,000 and it sold 100 units the unitary price is $50 per unit. There are two types of costs. These two types of costs are variable costs and fixed costs. A variable cost can be defined as a cost of labor, material, or overhead that changes according to the change in the volume of production units (Investorwords, 2011). Variable cost per unit can be calculated dividing total variable costs by the quantity of units sold. The second type of cost is fixed costs. Fixed costs are costs that do not change with the volume of sales. The total amount of fixed costs is the same every month. Some examples of fixed costs include rent, managerial salaries, and depreciation (Moneyterms, 2011). The total fixed expenses component is calculated by adding up all the fixed costs of the company. The sales mix is the relative proportion in which a company’s products are sold (Garrison & Noreen, 2003).

Are comparative educations offered in Public meduim size Midwestern Research Paper

Are comparative educations offered in Public meduim size Midwestern Universites - Research Paper Example ard to comprehensive modernizing projects of the 19th century and numerous rural communities that mainly trigger advancement of the democratic and social institutions. Moreover, one room schoolhouses act as cultural heritage and correspondingly link to the contemporary utilization of the schoolhouses. International and comparative Education in universities provides the opportunity to bridge the gap through offering modern avenues of sharing knowledge within the institutions which is in the mid- sized Midwestern city. Underlying regional universities in Midwestern offer a full comparative of undergraduate programs and specific master’s programs with very few doctoral programs. The regional universities within Midwest that offer comparative education programs include Providence College, Elon University, Creighton University and Santa Clara University. Comparative education within the Midwestern universities fosters regional collaboration in regard to the multi-state compact orga nizations that mainly serve the purpose of prevailing higher education within the northeast, southern and corresponding western regions of the United States with the student exchange programs, and policy conferences. Nevertheless, the program is hampered by numerous factors that mainly revolve around technology that is inadequate confidence in the integration of the technology coupled with lack of comprehension thus resulting to discrepancies in the implementation of the comparative education program with the Midwestern universities. There is also insufficient training and practice in the integration of the technology pertaining to the comparative education that ought to be embraced. The studies on the pre-service teacher technology integration and corresponding faculty perceptions technology integration applicable within the comparative education program at the medium-sized, Midwestern universities are mainly compared to the underlying account for the self-reported education program.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

COP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

COP - Essay Example More importantly, COPS serves as the vehicle for the shift of law enforcement from its traditional form to a more proactive form known as community policing, which focuses more on crime prevention by putting police officers on beats where they can mingle and interact more with the members of the communities (Myers, 19). The community partnership component of community policing is an acknowledgment that law enforcers alone cannot prevent crimes, but need the involvement of the community and other stakeholders. Thus, community partnership aims at the â€Å"collaborative partnerships† between the law enforcement agents and members of the community such as the community members and groups, other government agencies, providers of services and non-profit organizations, private businesses and the media. Other government agencies may refer to federal and state legislatures and other law-making bodies, prosecutors, probation and parole boards and officers, public works departments, law enforcement agencies of neighboring communities, health and human services, child support services, ordinance enforcement schools. Community members and groups, on the other hand, refer to the residents within the law enforcer’s area as well as visitors or tourists to that area and commuters, which law enforcers can meet during town hall meetings, neighborhood association meetings and beat assignments. Nonprofit/service providers are those who provide services to the residents and other persons in the area for free, while businesses are those engaged in profit-earning enterprises in the area such as the members of the local chamber of commerce (COPS 2009, pp. 5-6). Partnerships appreciate that the police cannot be able to face crime without the involvement of the public, and it encourages relationships among the different stakeholders to fight crime. Collaborative partnerships between law enforcement agencies, organizations and individuals will increase the levels of trust

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Business Ethics - Essay Example Additionally, the paper would provide a comparative study in between Chen’s views and the German team’s views and offer justification regarding whether offering gifts to the government officials for facilitating the new plan be unlawful and immoral. DISCUSSION (a). In Favour With reference to the case i.e. NES China: Business Ethics (A) by Xin Zhang, it can be viewed that though offering gifts to the government officials for facilitating the approval process of any established plan is considered to be against the law. However, it has also been observed from the past that the process of providing gifts for establishing an interpersonal relation is based tacitly on establishing mutual interests and benefits. Similarly, offering gifts is considered to be mandatory as it helps in establishing a more open relation amid the business organization and the government of the country i.e. China. China is considered to be amongst those countries that provide enormous complexity and difficulty for any foreign companies to cope with the Chinese bureaucratic hurdles, therefore providing gifts is ascertained to be an easy way of mitigating those issues (Zhang 401-408). Thus, considering the above mentioned facts, it can be stated that offering gifts to simplify the process for establishment of a holding company in a country such as China would be profitable for the organization. Against It has been viewed that though providing gifts for establishing an interpersonal relation

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

COP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

COP - Essay Example More importantly, COPS serves as the vehicle for the shift of law enforcement from its traditional form to a more proactive form known as community policing, which focuses more on crime prevention by putting police officers on beats where they can mingle and interact more with the members of the communities (Myers, 19). The community partnership component of community policing is an acknowledgment that law enforcers alone cannot prevent crimes, but need the involvement of the community and other stakeholders. Thus, community partnership aims at the â€Å"collaborative partnerships† between the law enforcement agents and members of the community such as the community members and groups, other government agencies, providers of services and non-profit organizations, private businesses and the media. Other government agencies may refer to federal and state legislatures and other law-making bodies, prosecutors, probation and parole boards and officers, public works departments, law enforcement agencies of neighboring communities, health and human services, child support services, ordinance enforcement schools. Community members and groups, on the other hand, refer to the residents within the law enforcer’s area as well as visitors or tourists to that area and commuters, which law enforcers can meet during town hall meetings, neighborhood association meetings and beat assignments. Nonprofit/service providers are those who provide services to the residents and other persons in the area for free, while businesses are those engaged in profit-earning enterprises in the area such as the members of the local chamber of commerce (COPS 2009, pp. 5-6). Partnerships appreciate that the police cannot be able to face crime without the involvement of the public, and it encourages relationships among the different stakeholders to fight crime. Collaborative partnerships between law enforcement agencies, organizations and individuals will increase the levels of trust

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The federalist Essay Example for Free

The federalist Essay If there would have been no credible arguments against the proposed constitution then there would have been no need for the intense material of The Federalist. And, if there would have been no Federalist then understanding the Constitution would have been significantly reduced. The Constitution is a concise manuscript which is not suitable for an argument or for an explanation. The Federalist makes us understand the minds of the creators. Madison commented that The Federalist offers â€Å"the most authentic exposition of the text of the Federal Constitution, as understood by the Body which prepared and the authority which accepted it. † The Federalist justifies why the authors found the Articles of Confederation unacceptable; why they wanted to separate the powers of the government’s branches; why they split the national legislature into two different houses; why they thought that a federal court for the final appeal was desirable and necessary; why they banned titles of nobility; why they said that a bill of rights was a needless addition, and why a lot of other permissions and prohibitions were written into the Constitution or excludes completely. â€Å"As a contribution to the ratification debate, The Federalist is an extended exercise in exposition, explanation, and persuasion. As a work of political theory, then, The Federalist flies fairly close to the ground, rarely soaring into the stratosphere of philosophical abstraction. † Articles of Confederation If the Articles of Confederation would not have failed then there would have been no Constitution and surely no Federalist Papers. After two centuries it is not easy to picture the hectic state of America in the post revolutionary era. There was so much going on. America won a war but still the eastern seaboard was susceptible to attackers. Then the economy was weighed down by numerous currencies and tariffs, the state governments were bankrupt, and the central government was only central in name. Everything was hap hazard and nothing was going right. Since 1776 till 1787 America was an uncontrolled union of states which were ruled by the Articles of Confederation, which had a serious defect and that was the individual states had power and that power remained with them. The central government was just there to be called central. It could do nothing. It could neither increase revenues nor pass and ratify legislation necessary for independent states. To pass laws, nine votes out of thirteen states were necessary and an undisputed and agreed by all votes was essential to effect any basic change in the Articles. Making a central government with such weakness was deliberate because the American colonists had angrily rejected the British crowns authority to control trade and collect taxes. The governmental body created under the Articles of Confederation was basically immobilized, and there was no executive or judicial branch as well. What is more, the thirteen states had distinct political and commercial concerns and therefore a brief duration of artificial harmony among these states proved to be unsuccessful in producing a nationalized identity. What is surprising is that nine states had navies; seven printed their own currency, and the majority had tariff and customs laws. Also, New York was charging duties on ships transporting firewood or farm produce to and from neighboring states such as, New Jersey and Connecticut. When the soldiers mentioned that â€Å"New Jersey is our country, they were endorsing the prevailing emotions of other states. The insolvent state governments also contributed largely to the political turmoil of the 1780s. Hamilton harshly attacked the Articles of Confederation when he stated in Federalist No. 9 that the states promoted little, jealous, clashing, tumultuous commonwealths, the wretched nurseries of unceasing discord. Madison when writing Federalist No. 10 had the insolvent states in mind as well because he portrays the requirement to secure the national councils against any danger from a rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project. In a letter to Jefferson in France on October 24, 1787 Madison wrote, about the unstable state government contributed more to that uneasiness which produced the convention, and prepared the public mind for a general reform, than those which accrued to our national character and interest from the inadequacy of the confederation to its immediate objects.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Agriculture In Ancient Mesopotamia

Agriculture In Ancient Mesopotamia Have you ever wondered once where and when agriculture was first practiced in this world and the methods used to develop it? First of all, agriculture, a bit similar to farming, is the occupation, the business, or the science of cultivating land, producing crops, raising livestock. The birth of agriculture was preceded by hunting and gathering which was the only way of surviving for the ancient occupants of the world. Civilization started in the Middle East of the blue planet and many discoveries have been made including agriculture which is one of the most important. Indeed agricultural activities in the Mesopotamian kingdom are dated back between 8000 BC and 6000 BC. The Ancient Mesopotamia was located in the Middle East, precisely on the Asian continent. The situation of the empire was also part of the agricultural development. It consisted of two principal seas such as the Euphrates and the Tigris and was surrounded by many vast seas where they could draw water for additional sup ply. Despite the arid climate and scarcity of rains in Mesopotamia, they made use of irrigation as principal method to water their crops. However, the invention of agriculture came with its consequences which appeared both good and bad for the Mesopotamian kingdom. Although agriculture was a great discovery for the Ancient kingdom, helped by its location and methods, its impacts appeared to be both positive and negative. It is clear that before the advent of agriculture, hunting and gathering was the surviving method. People were going inside bush to hunt wild animals for their meat and skin and were collecting natural consumable plants or grains. In fact agriculture intervened just between the years 8000 BC and 6000 BC with the domestication of animals such as goats and crops growing in the Ancient Mesopotamia. According to Robert Chadwick, the author of First Civilizations: Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, three mains assumptions could be the reasons of the advent of agriculture and each of them having one major reason. He said: The three hypotheses presented all maintain that there was one major cause behind the origins of agriculture. In the case of the oasis hypothesis it was a great climatic change; foe the nuclear zone hypothesis it was a certain set of conditions that created a special ecological region where agriculture could occur; for the population pressure hypothesis it was the increase in human population (Chadwick, 27). This is to say that the real factors which started agriculture are not really determined despite the fact that researches are being made about the whole issue. As we said above, agricultural activity was actually apparent in the beginning of the years 6000 BC. The early settlement of the cultivating activity was achieved through many steps such as the Hassuna, the Samarra and the Halaf according to the Encyclopedia AMERICANA (p. 737). These establishments took place from the North to the South of the worlds first civilization. More importantly, there was a great variation of crops that the Mesopotamian society were domesticating or cultivating in their time. In the New Encyclopedia Britannica it is said that:à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and the wild prototypes of grains and leguminous plants, such as wheat, barley, bitter vetch, pea, and lentil were present. This explains that there was diversity in their food production which was a good step in the development of agriculture of the Ancient Kingd om. In addition to that, Louis and Jenifer of the website best.berkley.edu who posted an article titled Farming and agriculture of Egypt and Mesopotamia added that: Farmers raised grain, fruit, vegetables, and barn yard animals. Without any doubt we can state that the discovery of agriculture in the ancient kingdom was being useful as the products were in abundance, varied and diverse. For agriculture to develop, the land has to be in a good location with a fertile soil. In fact, the agricultural settlement of Mesopotamia occurred in many places from the North to the South. The ancient kingdom possessed a very fertile soil favoring the development of cultivations activity. Precisely, as the ancient kingdom is located in the Middle East, it appears to be the first place where agriculture began in a general way. In the plains of northern Mesopotamia, the Zagros and the Taurus foot-hills were among the first places where the cultivating activity was practiced. In the Encyclopedia AMERICANA, it is said that: Agriculture began in the Middle East, in the Zagros and Taurus foot-hills, home of wild cereals and wild goats and sheep. From there the earliest settlements were established on the plains of northern Mesopotamia (Agriculture, 737). Moreover, the three cultural phases listed in the Encyclopedia AMERICANA such as Hassuna and Halaf which took place in the northern pa rt of the empire and Samarra was more a southern settlement. Also, the people called Ubaid extended their culture from north to the south before they settle along the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia to Syria where they also practiced agriculture (Agriculture, 738). More importantly, along the coasts of the present day Iran, Anatolia, Syria, Iraq and Palestine were cited among the places where cultivations occurred and made the populations to settle around in order to have a good improvement of the new discovery (Agriculture, 864). While talking about the sites where there was evidence of farming, we should not forget to mention places like Zawi Chemi Shanidar, Shanidar itself, Karim Shahir, Qalat Jarmo, Jericho, Catalhuyuk and many others appearing to be locations where agricultural settlements occurred in the Ancient kingdom of Mesopotamia. Even though the Mesopotamian soil was fertile in a way that agriculture was very easy, there was a problem linked to the scarcity of rains. Nevertheless, they knew how to overcome the issue by the use of methods such as irrigation. In Fact, irrigation is the fact to bring additional water supply to a dry area in order to help crops growth. Certainly, the land consisted in its interior of wide rivers such as the Euphrates and the Tigris representing the most important ones from where water could be drawn to the cultivations fields and surrounded by Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Aral Sea, Arabian Sea and Caspian Sea also (Ancient Mesopotamia, Encarta). Mesopotamia was totally dependent on irrigation and its two big rivers because of the scarcity of rains and the article wrote and posted by Larry Mays on the site Water Encyclopedia says: Irrigation was extremely vital to Mesopotamia (Mays, Ancient Irrigation systems, waterencyclopedia.com). The method of water flow control was first pra cticed in the two worlds first civilizations respectively Egypt and Mesopotamia. The application of the method needed a lot of physical work, correspondingly building. Activities such as building canals, ditches, tunnels, wide gaps where the water would come and stay and the maintenance of the infrastructures were constant in the area and it took them a lot of time to realize all this. Presently, according to waterencyclopedia.com, some abandoned canals and ditches still remain in the area but not intact, the farming activity of Mesopotamia started declining overtime caused by the accumulation of salt in the soil and in 1258, Mongols took over the empire and damaged the irrigation systems. By still dealing with Mays article on Water Encyclopedia, we got to know that the soil of the empire was full of silt, a major factor of soil fertility but constituted a continuous agent causing problems in the irrigation systems. Therefore, as there was not enough rainfall, the soil was kept its fertility because irrigation method could not wash a soil until removing its minerals components favoring good food production. Nevertheless, the Mesopotamian agricultural activity knew many problems such as flooding of water coming from the melting of snows in summer from the Turkish mountains according to the web page historylink.com and an unpredictable water flood from its two principle rivers respectively the Euphrates and Tigris according to the article of Louis and Jenifer posted on best.berkley.edu. However, irrigation carried many consequences on the farming activity in Mesopotamia. Irrigation maintained the fertility of soils because it did not deepen or sink the minerals as the way rainfall usually does. Minerals inside a soil are very important and help a fast and good food production at the end of an agricultural session. The topsoil did not wash away as it does on sloping land, and minerals did not leach deep into the soil as they do under heavy rainfall. Hence, the fe rtility could be maintained indefinitely by the use of fairly simple soil-management practices (Farming in Mesopotamia) said the web site historylink.com about the impacts of irrigation. Socially, the development of irrigation was helpful to citizens in a sense that it was a physical and intellectual work helping for additional knowledge and body welfare. A fertile soil combined with irrigation result to good and fast food production as we all know. Meanwhile, agricultural settlement also had a great impact on the ancient empire social life. In fact, changes occurred in the populations life right after the discovery of agriculture. Agriculture is an activity which is practiced in a long period of time in such a way that it can neither be done in one day nor with a constant motion of the cultivators; sedentariness is needed in such activities. The educational web site called Mesopotamian.lib.uchicago.edu also demonstrated the same idea by saying: The most significant change was the shift from a nomadic life-style to settled villages. In order to care for crops and herds of animals, people needed to live in one place (First Farmers, Ancient Mesopotamia). Moreover, as by then the population settled down in one place in order to take care of their crops and animals, there was obviously an increase in inhabitants because the rate of mortality would have probably reduced, especially infant mortality caused by the constant motion of po pulations. There was also increase in food production due to the determination of the population in order to have a peaceful life without starvation. Nevertheless, the settlement of population either in cities or villages created social classes and therefore there would obviously be conflict in places where there are different levels of people. This discovery of agriculture made by the early Asians and the methods they used to develop it helped them in varying food. As soon as they noticed it was working they cultivated many different types of crops such as vegetables, talk less of fruits. They knew how to domesticate animals and also even though agriculture became the principal activity, hunting still survived. Jenifer and Louis also talked about it and said: Some of the fruits they planted were dates, grapes, figs, melons, and apples. Their favorite vegetables that they grew were the eggplant. They planted vegetables such as onions, radishes, beans, and lettuce. Farmers irrigated land and started planting wheat, barley, millet, beans, and sesame seeds. They used spears to hunt, caught fish in nets, and killed birds with sling shots and arrows (Farming and Agriculture in Egypt and Mesopotamia). Ultimately, we can say that the discovery of agriculture proves once more that the Ancient Mesopotamia is one the worlds first civilizations. Agriculture was a great and genius invention made by the ancient people though it was not easy to practice it because of the scarcity of the rainfall, but irrigation was used as support for water supply. The use of irrigation made at the same good and harm to agricultural activity in Mesopotamia in a sense that there was fast and good food production, but the activity was becoming more and more complex because of salt accumulation due to irrigation. However, cultivation also had its own consequences both positive and negative. Population settlement has always had both positive and negative impacts on social life such as the coming together of population when it comes to work and class struggle between different people and that was the case with Mesopotamia before their decline.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Representationalism and Antirepresentationalism - Kant, Davidson and Rorty :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Representationalism and Antirepresentationalism - Kant, Davidson and Rorty (1) ABSTRACT: The notions of representationalism and antirepresentationalism are introduced and used in contemporary philosophical discussions by Richard Rorty to describe his and the neopragmatists' attitude toward traditional problems of epistemology. Rorty means that the history of philosophy shows that there are no final answers to the traditional questions about knowledge, truth, and representation; consequently, they should be rejected. Rorty thinks such questions should be eliminated from philosophy since there is no possibility to get outside of our mind and language. We cannot say anything about a mind-transcendent or language-transcendent, nonlocal or eternal reality. Hilary Putnam agrees with Rorty on this, but not with the conclusion that we should reject traditional philosophical questions. For Putnam, the epistemological questions are worthwhile asking and, although we cannot find the final correct answers, we should continue our investigations as if there were final answer s. Our struggles with those problems can lead to refinements of the formulations and to cognitive developments. Putnam proposes a quasi-realism which is often called "internal realism." Rorty rejects every refinement of realism as still realism and believes that the questions of knowledge, truth, and representation lead to regresses ad infinitum or to circular reasoning. Probably few philosophers influenced so decisively the development of epistemology as Kant. Without him it is not possible to describe the last two hundred years of the history of philosophy as well as contemporary philosophy in general. On the other "end of the line" one of the most influential contemporary American philosophers Richard Rorty proposes that we should abandon epistemology and Kantian picture of representation. In this paper I pose the question, whether Rorty is thorougly succesful in his abandomnent. I try to investigate the differences and similarities of Kantian and Rortyan thinking with the help of the epistemological notion of representationalism and of the antiepistemological notion of antirepresentationalism. If it is possible to find crucial overlapping areas of both thinking, then there arises a dilemma: either Kant himself is a "Rortyan", postepistemological thinker, and this would be a surprizing new idea about Kantian philosophy or Rorty succeeds not comple tely to overcome the structures of Kantian-epistemological thinking. The notions representationalism and antirepresentationalism are introduced and used in contemporary philosophical discussions by Richard Rorty, to describe his and the neopragmatists attitude towards traditional problems of epistemology and "to make safe the world" for a "postepistemological" thinking. Rorty means, the history of philosophy showed, that there are no final answers to the traditional questions about "knowledge," "truth" and "representation"; (2) consequently they should be rejected.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Globalization and Localization Essay -- Globalization vs Localization

The world is a constantly changing place and the relationships, or lack there of, of the people in it are the primary source of the change. Growing partnerships and the creation of a "global community" are being encouraged and defined by the term known as globalization. At the same time, the need for tradition and individual culture has perpetuated localization. Events that happen everyday around the world prove that both of these phenomena do have a prominent role in our society, and by studying these occurrences, we can better explain the benefits and consequences of the circumstances. Globalization can best be seen in the political and economic realms of society. In general, globalization is an "open door" type of policy in which different nations "feed" off of each other. In the political arena, they can learn from one another. What has proven to be inefficient by one, can be assumed so by the other. Following this train of thought, one can see a globalizing effect happening with democracy. This form of government has proven its longevity and usefulness in more than one area of the world, and in more than one culture. Economically, globalization encourages international trade and the exchange of ideas. Countries can share their resources and advancements in technologies. This should not only enhance the trade and thus economies of countries, it should also increase the possibilities of quicker technological change. In a sense, two minds are better than one. When nation’s work together to create a stronger united force, they can also try to convince a nation to act in accordance with a global idea of what is right and what is wrong. In "NATO, Serb Forces Prepare for War" (Syracuse Post Standard, October 6, 1998), it demon... ...overcome one another. Localization is taking a back-burner these days, as countries are needing help financially from one another. At the same time, there is a greater concern for political stability, and therefore there is a need for advice from other nations. Putting up boundaries will only hurt these nations in the long run. They will not progress at the same speed and they will have a tendency to alienate themselves from the rest of the world. There is constantly changing trend as to what is the best stance to take. When the World as a whole is doing well , many people may want to take the chance that they can advance themselves and leave everyone else in the dust. When recovering from some turmoil, such as a war or financial instability, the world may want to work together to make sure that everyone doesn’t fall down in a large scale trickle down effect.

Friday, October 11, 2019

IOM and Nursing Transformation Essay

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is an American, not-for-profit, non-governmental, unaffiliated, organization created for the sole purpose to serve as an advisor to the government and every sector in society in order to make better informed health care decisions. Established in 1970 the IOM organization has been answering the nation’s most pressing questions about health care over the past 4 decades. October 5, 2010, the IOM in collaboration with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), released its recommendations on nursing in the United States. The report entitled, â€Å"The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health† explore the need for health care nursing professionals to evolve and prepare for the dynamic work environment in which they will take part, providing an action-oriented blue print for the health care professional as a guide to practice (Institute of Medicine, 2010). The IOM report continues to have an immense impact on nursing care today, transforming primary practice, education, and the leadership roles of health care provider. Within the IOM report, 4 key messages were provided as follows, 1. Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training. 2. Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression. 3. Nurses should be full partners with physicians and other health care professionals in redesigning healthcare in the U.S. 4. Effective workforce planning and policy making require better data collection and an improved information infrastructure (Institute of Medicine, 2010, p. 4). On the grand scale, nursing is by far the largest force in health care, by sheer numbers the impact nurses make in health care is astounding. Nurses are vital to the change and success of health care reform. The IOM cites the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new law signed into effect March 23, 2010, by President Obama. The ACA allows the public better access to care, stronger Medicare, more affordable coverage, and stronger consumer rights and protections (THE WHITEHOUSE.GOV, n.d.). What The ACA means for nursing practice is, with insurance becoming more readily accessible to the public, it is inevitable that patient loads will increase causing a higher demand for educated and skilled nurses. New rules mandating patients and practitioners meeting face-to-face at the start of care and mandating regular check-ups as preventative care will also increase demand for nurses. To meet this growing need for health care professionals current and prospective providers look to provide motivation. Funding has been made available to nurses as an incentive to pursue advanced degrees and become lifelong learners by creating stricter regulation for continuing education requirements. Employers are becoming extremely cognizant of the growing demand and are willing to provide career assistance, and tuition reimbursement in order to remain competitive in the healthcare industry as well as increase employee retention. Education is vital to achieve the goal of the IOM desiring to increase the number of BSN educated nurses from 50% to 80% by the year 2020(The Forum of Nursing Workforce Centers, 2012). With education, comes responsibility. As part of the vision of the IOM, nurses should become full partners in collaboration and shall become leaders, whether it be formal or informal. Leadership should be integrated in all aspects of nursing, â€Å"from the bedside to the boardroom† (Institute of Medicine, 2010, p. 221). Leaders aren’t just policy makers and managers anymore, they are mentors, teachers and advocates, for their patients as well as each other. As leaders nurses should collaborate with multidisciplinary team members to provide safe and effective care, sharing their knowledge, skills and critical thinking expertise. Being an informal leader also involves mentoring peers and acting as a resource, fostering an environment conducive for growth and success as well as professional development. Addressing the call to action by changing practices to meet the recommendations is vital to the transformation of nursing. To meet this call to action, my first goal is to obtain my Bachelor of Science in nursing degree. Education is the foundation the gives us the ability to grow and thrive in our profession successfully. I challenge myself to continue with my education and going forward continue on the path as a lifelong learner. I vow to seek opportunities available to me to enhance my knowledge and skill base whether it is through my employer, my state required continuing education credits (CEU’s), or a nursing organization such as my membership with the American Association of Critical Care nurses (AACN). I will continue to collaborate with all team members, be an advocate and to be a mentor and a resource to my peers, and promote education and learning through them as well. And finally I will accept this call to action by challenging my other peers and cohorts to do the same. References Institute of Medicine. (2010). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Retrieved from http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12956&page=R1 THE WHITEHOUSE.GOV. (n.d.). http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/healthcare-overview#healthcare-menu The Forum of Nursing Workforce Centers. (2012). http://nursingworkforcecenters.org/Resources/files/StateImpactOfIOMReportOnNursing.pdf

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Science a Curse or a Blessing

We cannot Say for certain whether science is a curse or a blessing. it is our use of science which would make science a curse or a Blessing . First let us see how man has used science for his good so that it has become a blessing for him. it is science that has provided modern man the life of ease, leisure and pleasure. It has brought within reach of the common man comforts and luxuries which were available in the past only to a privileged few.Science has invented marvelous machines. It has discovered energies which run these machines. The machines have taken drudgery out of work. Distance has been conquered. Modern means of transport and communication have made the word shrink in size. Men and things and news and views can go around the globe today with lightning speed. Man has already landed on the moon and a man-made satellite has just completed it’s voyage through the solar system.Our life has become healthier and longer. Modern hygiene, sanitation, medicine and surgery ar e conquering more and more physical and mental ills day by day. We now know and experience the joys of good health and longevity. Through the cinema and the video, the TV and the tape-reorder, science has worked wonders in the spheres of education and entertainment.Though we welcome these blessing of science, we have to consider the darker side of the picture also. Machines have led to unemployment. They have polluted water and atmosphere. Thy have caused noise pollution. Factories have led to slums where human beings live in squalor. Our moral and spiritual progress has failed to keep pace with our scientific progress. We have allowed science to master us instead of using it as our servant.Machines make us mechanical, deaden our sensibilities, stifle our creative talents, force mechanical regularity, uniformity and boredom upon us, increase our wants and desires, and tend to make us selfish, greedy and cruel. Geographical distance has, no doubt, vanished, but the gulf between the m inds and hearts of man has widened.Machines have given man leisure, but man misuses it to get cheap and vulgar entertainment which destroys his physical and mental health. Again, science  has put in our hands such fiendish weapons as the nuclear bomb, the guided missile and means of chemical and biological warfare. We are in danger of destroying ourselves with these monstrous means which, ironically, are our own creations. Rightly used science can bring heaven on earth. Wrongly used, it can trun this earth in to hell by destroying civilization.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

How successful is Shakespeare’s presentation of Macbeth Essay

In order to make a precise conclusion on how successful Shakespeare is on making Macbeth a tragic hero, the great speeches and monologues by Macbeth must be analyzed. Also the audience or reader must have to understand what makes a person a tragic hero. Obviously there must be certain conditions that the tragic hero has to fulfill. These will be discussed. Macbeth has them and I will try to give evidence to back up my points. To start with the character must be of noble birth, Macbeth is of noble birth and this is a fact as he is born the Thane of Glamis. Secondly the tragic hero must be of high moral worth as if he isn’t the audience can’t admire him so he wouldn’t be heroic therefore he wouldn’t be a tragic hero. Macbeth is of high moral worth as one of the first times in the play when Macbeth is seen as a hero is after the great battle at the beginning. Everyone is praising him, including the king. The king, as a reward for his heroic actions, makes Macbeth Thane of Cawdor as the last Thane of Cawdor was found guilty of treason and was be-headed! The main thing that makes the audience respect Macbeth (helping us to see him as a tragic hero in the end) is when the sergeant reporting on the battle praises Macbeth calling him â€Å"brave Macbeth†, so we see that even from the beginning of the play Macbeth is seen as brave and people respect him. When Macbeth meets the king towards the beginning of the play the king has only nice things to say about Macbeth and clearly respects him as he call him his ‘valiant cousin’ and a ‘worthy gentleman’. Because the king is obviously noble we trust his opinion of Macbeth so then we too share his high opinion of him. We know the King thinks this as he represents his feelings when he says to Macbeth â€Å"more is due than more all can pay†. Here Duncan is saying that Macbeth means a lot to him and the country. As the king is so proud of him hen trusts him more and naturally is more willing to give him things and help him become more successful throughout his reign as king. The king’s whole idea of Macbeth shows him as a hero, which is often shown so frequently at the beginning of the play. This whole idea of Macbeth being a hero at the beginning of the play is very common in tragic heroes as always at the beginning they are brave and heroic, but then they go tragic things/or bad things, which makes them tragic heroes. Another thing that a tragic hero must posses is a flaw in their character. In Macbeth his flaw could be seen as being his ambition (to be king) or him not thinking about the consequences of his actions, but personally I feel his flaw was ambition. I feel that this flaw was mainly the fault of the witches as after they told him he would become thane of Cawdor he did and they also told him he would become king so he proberly believed he would and as it was possible he would do anything to make himself king. At the beginning of the play Macbeth has feelings, but he knows that after talking to the witches he gets bad, evil thoughts as he says, â€Å"stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires†, basically saying that he knows that he has desires which are very bad and which no one should knows about. This helps us think of him as a tragic hero as he is still aware of what is good and bad. I think Macbeth’s dark thoughts almost eat up his goodness and his sense of what is right, leaving Macbeth as a cold man, a murderer. After the murder of Duncan, by Macbeth, we yet again are reminded how he could be a tragic hero. Tragic heroes must not be totally senseless and Macbeth isn’t as straight after the killing of Duncan we here him say to Lady Macbeth how he is ‘afraid to think of what’ he had done and how he wishes he could wake Duncan but he can’t. He also says how to ‘look on it again’ he dare not. This shows us how he isn’t totally cold-hearted and that he knows that it was wrong. A main reason why Macbeth turns into a cold man, a tragic man, is Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is like a catalyst in the play. She works on Macbeth’s â€Å"black and deep desires†, which are to kill, as she is almost power hungry and wants to be queen, and she makes them real life, making him kill people. The things that causes him to change his mind about committing the murder are the speeches that Lady Macbeth gave him ‘Does un-make you. I have given suck, and know how tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums, and dash’d the brains out, had I sworn as you have done this.† We see a lot in this scene how Lady Macbeth uses emotional blackmail and, how she attacks his manliness to get him to carry out the murder of Banquo. She starts off by saying to him ‘Art though afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire? Here she is basically saying is he too afraid to match his desires with his courage, and this contrast between action and desire is frequent in the play. She also uses the love he has for her to try and make him carry out the killings. The worst thing she does is when she attacks his manliness, as Macbeth is a great ‘valiant’ soldier and to be called a ‘coward’ by his wife must have really driven him to carry out the murder. Also she uses an old proverb as she says he is ‘like the poor cat I’ th’ adage’. Here she means he is like the cat that wanted to eat the fish but would not wet his feet. She is saying he wants, deep down, to kill them but he doesn’t wa nt to have to do the dirty work. These speeches shows her sheer evilness and how ashamed she is that her husband is prepared to go back on what they had agreed, and the fact that this kind of manipulation works on him is tragic! For a character to be a tragic hero the audience have to feel sorry for them and sympathise with them. The audience also has to try and understand why he did what he did. I feel that the main reason Macbeth did what he did was because of the witches. The first way in which Shakespeare shows the witches to be plain evil is in the very first scene in the book where they all chant together â€Å"fair is foul, and foul is fair. This is a word play and has an inverted meaning to that of a human. They are saying that their fair is our foul and our foul is their fair, inverted morals, meaning everything we find bad they find good. I feel the witches are almost totally to blame for Macbeth turning almost evil. The witches told Macbeth he could become a king one day, this was the greatest thing anyone could imagine. They also told him that no man born of woman could kill him, so Macbeth thought he wouldn’t be killed by any person, that he would die naturally or something like that. 43Macbeth should have known better as Macduff was born by caesarian birth. I feel this was one of Macbeth’s main problems I feel that instead of trusting his friends and those close to him he trusted the witches too much and took everything literally, he didn’t think about their evilness and in the end with Macbeth’s sight so clouded from wanting to be king and believing everything the witches said to be perfectly true he ended up dead. This was one of his flaws; he trusted the witches too much and didn’t think about them playing games and being evil. This is why we feel sorry for Macbeth and view him as being tragic as it was almost as if he was victimized by the witches and they took advantage of him and played games with him. Macbeth had some hard and cruel, cold blooded times. For example when he arranged for the deaths of Banquo and Macduff’s family, he ordered other people to do it as well which, firstly showed he was a coward and wouldn’t go through with the killings totally himself he needed other people to be involved. At these times though Macbeth hadn’t really any of his senses. At these times I think his ‘black and deep desires’ led him. I think he is aware though that his senses are a bit off as earlier when he thought he saw the dagger appeared to turn towards Duncan’s bedroom he questioned his senses as he said: ‘Mine eyes are made the fools o’ th’ other senses, Or else worth all the rest. I see thee still.’ Here Macbeth is saying how his eyes are deceiving him if his other senses are correct, or else they see correctly and are more reliable than the rest of his senses together. For a character to be seen as a tragic hero he must also gain moral worth through his suffering. In act five we see Lady Macbeth realizing what she has done. She says how ‘hell is murky’ This shows she is aware that what she has done is wrong and that she is going to hell. We actually start to feel sorry for Lady Macbeth here as all the time she has been there for Macbeth when he had doubts and things but she never had anyone for her. But for Macbeth it act five scene three where he gains self worth and realizes what he has done, but now he is more scared and we feel sorry for him as he is losing self-control. In his speeches on page one eight five we see Macbeth full of regret and despair, he talks about having nothing to live for and he thought that being king would make him happy but it didn’t. Here the audience sees Macbeth trying to reassure himself, as he says, â€Å"Fear not Macbeth, no man that’s born of woman Shall e’er have power upon thee.† Here we can detect a very insecure Macbeth. It is almost as if he has to reassure himself that no man can hurt him, but you can also detect how scared he is. Also when he says † I have lived long enough. My way of life Is fallen into the sear, the yellow leaf:† This makes us think he has had enough of being king and now just wants to die and has nothing to live for. He says his way of life has fallen into the sear, this means his way of life has almost withered faded away. In this scene the audience are made to sympathize with Macbeth. So he appears yet again tragic. He is nowhere near the strong â€Å"brave† noble fighter we were introduced to at the beginning of the book. In Act five Macbeth makes a speech once again. In this speech we see Macbeth becoming self-aware. He realizes that his senses have been dulled as after Seyton hears a sound of a woman cry he asks Macbeth whether it was a woman cry and Macbeth replies saying how he had ‘almost forgotten the taste of fears’. By this he meant that the desolate eeriness of the cry reminded him of former fears that he had. We also se Macbeth realising that the after life is important whereas earlier he said he would jump the life to come. We also see, later on in scene eight, an indication of Macbeth feeling guilty about killing Macduff’s family. When Macbeth and Macduff meet, Macbeth says how his ‘soul is too much charged with blood of thine (Macduff) already.’ Here he means that he feels guilty after killing his family as he says how ‘ his soul is too much charged’, meaning he feels bad in his soul because of what he had done. Towards the end of scene eight we see the return of the ‘brave’ ‘valiant’ fighter that was mentioned in the beginning. This reminds us and helps us see his more as a tragic hero, as we had almost forgotten that he had been noble, but this scene is a good reminder. Here we here Macbeth saying to Macduff how he ‘will not yield’ and how he will throw his ‘warlike shield’ he also says how he will ‘try the last’, meaning he will fight to a finish. This shows us the brave Macbeth who will not surrender. In conclusion I feel that Shakespeare’s presentation of Macbeth as a tragic hero really worked. He fulfills all the necessary criteria that a tragic hero needs. We all respected him at the beginning felt sorry for him when he did bad things and C then knew that his death was inevitable, and that his death made everything return to normal and that there was no other outcome that could have been had for Macbeth. Shakespeare made a perfect tragic hero in my eyes and using the evidence and quotes I have given you the phrase â€Å"tragic hero† is a great way to sum up Macbeth in a few words for this play.