Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Public Presentation Speech on Hofstra UNIVERSITY Baseball Essay

Public Presentation Speech on Hofstra UNIVERSITY Baseball - Essay Example The Hall of Fame was introduced in 1939 with Dale Petroskey as the president (Vaccaro, 73). This gesture by the university has been forceful in encouraging students to participate in sports. It seeks to appreciate the University’s alumni who did their best to take their respective sports at higher levels. The hall of fame includes students who have shown their prowess and alacrity in sports. Each year the University’s department of sports, though a high caliber panel selects candidates for this hall. This year Greg Polli who played baseball for the university in 1983 was selected for the hall of fame. The History of Hofstra baseball is one that is remembered with nostalgia that is drawn from the memories of the university’s pioneers of fame, pride and dominance. The Hafstra baseball course was initiated in 1938. According to (Vaccaro, 73) an online sports news desk, Brant Alyes who played in1959-1961 was the first baseball player from Hafstra University to make it to a major league level. Ken Singleton 1966-1966 is another baseball icon who made it to a major league. It is almost inevitable to mention the baseball players of Hafstra University who have gone professional in Hafstra baseball discourses. Greg Polli is a former All- American player who was also ranked third in the nation. Lance Schulters who played soccer for the university between 1996 and 1997 went professional. His professional soccer was at its prime when he was picked for the fourth time in 1998 by NFL in Francisco where he played for a decade (Vaccaro, 73). Finally it is commendable of the university to see the efforts put in all aspects of the university. Hafstra has become not only an academic giant but also a center of producing all round, disciplined and focused citizen of our republic with sports proving to be the best tool for its ambitious endeavors

Monday, October 28, 2019

Mexican Americans in American Popular Culture Essay Example for Free

Mexican Americans in American Popular Culture Essay It is a known fact that modern entertainment media created certain images and stereotypes of Latin, Asian and other ethnic minorities living in our country. American cinema movies, TV series or even PC games mostly picture the members of Latin and Mexican cultures as aggressive tempered mustached guys, who smoke and fight a lot, and who are always involved in drug distribution or some criminal activities. This tendency had very negative effects on our minds, and many of our citizens are convinced that there are no educated, good-mannered and decent people in Mexican communities. I was always wondering why it happens this way, and studying some historic material, including the articles from the site Digital History, helped me to find some answers on this question. This tendency proved to have a long history and it was formed during the second and the third decades of the twentieth century, when Hollywood producers started expressing their concern and fears caused by the afflux of talented Mexican actors, including Lupe Velez or Dolores Del Rio, their success and public recognition in the US. That is why many performers of Latin origin were given the roles of bandits, thieves and other not attractive characters. After the World War II a number of movies were produced, in which the directors tried to restore the image of Mexican Americans, but after the 1960s, when the problems of illegal immigration from the South became topical, caricaturizing the Mexicans continued. During the last decades, negative characters of Hispanic origin have been appearing in many popular cinema movies or TV series, starting from Chico and the Man and ending with 24. Also, a great contribution to reinforcing the distorted images of the Mexicans was made by a series of popular video games Grand Theft Auto (GTA). In my opinion, this situation is really dejecting, and I am convinced that recent attempts of Mexican artists to demonstrate their true cultural identity and unique distinctive heritage must be supported in our society, and their ethnic voices must be heard.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

First Exchange between Beatrice and Benedick being Greeted with Delight

The first exchange between Beatrice and Benedick is always greeted with delight in the theatre? Explain why this is so. Act one scene one of Much Ado About Nothing is always greeted with delight in the theatre for many reasons. It begins when Don Pedro and company enter a "golden world" in Messina where the women are already located. In this situation, people fail to take things seriously, causing the war of swords to soon turn into a war of words. Benedick and Beatrice are the main examples of male/female rivalry that converts into belligerent wordplay. The scene is greeted with delight because it is the first encounter between Beatrice and Benedick and Leonato has already explained the situation between them, stimulating the audience with the want to know more about the relationship between them. ?There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her: they never meet but there?s a skirmish of wit between them.? Leonato explains the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick to the messenger. We also already know what Beatrice thinks of Benedict from her first line in the play whereupon she as ks ?I pray you is Signior Mountanto returned from the wars or no?? Here she makes a joke about Benedick?s arrogance as Signior Mountanto can be translated as Signior Stuck up. However there may be more to this than meets the eye, it is obvious that she cares about him otherwise she would not have asked but the covers this up with a snide comment bout the ego of Benedick. Here the audience has already established that both Beatrice?s verbal wit and dexterity and her apparent disdain for Benedick and what might be seen as her attempt to mask her true feelings and this is greeted with delight in the theatre. The clash of wit between ... ...and mistrust. He is grateful for his mother, but plans to have no other women in his life. Like Beatrice, by insulting the female gender, he is proclaiming the male gender as supreme. From this we see that Beatrice and Benedick are actually very similar. Both believe that they are joyous and pleasing, for example Benedick states ?I am merry? and is described as ?from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot, he is all mirth?. Beatrice also states that she was ?born to speak all mirth and no matter? and is described as ?a pleasant spirited lady?. Beatrice and Benedick are also similar because of their desire to stay single. We see this in the comments, ?I will live a bachelor? by Benedick and ?She cannot endure to hear tell of a husband? by Leonato about Beatrice. This shows Shakespeare?s dramatic irony as they end up falling in love with each other at the end.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Police Stress

Police Stress page2 The first type of stress is external stress. The way that this stress is described is by stress that is caused by real threats and dangers. A few of these are like a call like a man with a gun and other dangerous type of situation. With this kind of stress it is able to affect a police officer on the job. This is because this is where the danger is and when these types of situations happen at. The way that this type of stress can affect a police officer social life is mentally. They can be out with other people having fun and joking around. Then in the officer mid they would be thinking about something that had happen that day. This kind of stress can also affect their personal life as well. The way that this happens is the officer does not know how to deal with or let go of the types of situations that they have to deal with on a day to day basis. I think that they could deal with this type of stress thought therapy or by talking to someone. This next type of stress is called organizational stress. The best way to describe this type of stress is by being over worked. This type of stress can affect an officer job by them being tired and from them being away from their family all the time. This type of stress also affects them socially. This is because they do not want to make plans to go and do something because of fear of them being called in for work. This type of stress can have an effect on their personal life as well. The way that this happens is the officer’s family starts to feel neglected and the officer stares to feel that he is letting them down. The way that they are able to deal with this type of stress is by going and getting some help, talking to someone or asking for some time off. The third type of stress that a police officer has is called personal stress. The way that this type of stress is described is by a police officer not getting along with fellow officers. The way that this affects the officer’s job is by having problems within the police department that they work in. The way that it affects them socially is it can cause tension in their socially life between people that they know. This stress also affects their personal life as well. This happen they take home this stress and use it against the people there. The way that they can deal with this is by getting to know the people they work with or talking with someone. The last type of stress there is for a police officer is called operational stress. The way that this type of stress is described is by having to deal with the day to day duties that they have to do on the job. This can affect their job because they do not do their job as well and sometimes they fail at it. The way that this affects them socially is by the way they look at criminals, Police Stress page2 citizens and their families. This can also affect them personally the way that it doses this is by making hard to deal with their family as well as work. The way that they can deal with this is by talking to a therapist or someone at work.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Best Practices Essay

Historically, minority groups have been ardent supporters of and advocates for high-quality public education. Black efforts to gain systemic equality in educational policies and practices are well known: the battles for equal per-pupil expenditures; teachers’ salaries; length of school terms; expenditures for buildings, facilities, equipment, and books; curricular offerings; and so on. As a result of these efforts and of political and economic changes nationally and internationally, progress has been made with respect to ending legally imposed school segregation, as well as increasing minority participation in schooling for longer periods of time, that is, raising the median years of schooling completed. This paper aims to identify three best practices which assist the educational progress of minorities. Since public school desegregation began in the mid-1960s, urban school improvement is considered to be one of the most contributing factors for the progress of minorities in educational sector. Black educators and their likeminded allies have increasingly taken the lead in urban school improvement. One facet of this movement has been the study of schools that are effectively educating urban poor black children and making recommendations to other schools that want to replicate effective policies and programs. Researchers like Ronald R. Edmonds, George Weber and Daniel U. Levine began by identifying public schools that were effectively teaching black children and pinpointed their common characteristics, namely strong administrative leadership; orderly but flexible atmosphere, conducive to instruction; philosophy that acquiring basic academic skills is the first order of business; climate of high expectations, and continuous monitoring and evaluation of pupil progress with instructional strategies redesigned as needed (Mohanty, 1994). Achievements of urban school improvements were particularly evident in the middle of 1990s, for instance the data indicated significant increase in New York schools where 70 percent or more of the students â€Å"achieved reading scores at or above grade level for three years† (Iram & Wahrman, 2003:119). The second important practice contributing to educational progress of minorities is initiation and further development of various improvement projects targeting directly minority students and their teachers. In the beginning of 1990s for instance, Chicago instituted a plan for mastery learning in reading to correct the widespread problem of low reading achievement. The program provided teachers with comprehensive instructional activities, corresponding student learning activities, formative tests for instructional feedback, and corrective instructional activities for those students who failed to master objectives. A criterion referenced testing program served as the basis for instruction, promotion, and administrative monitoring (Bjork et al, 1994). The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) in 1996 instituted a School Effectiveness Training Program designed to increase student achievement. The results from this program showed lower staff absenteeism, higher participation of staff in instructional decisions, greater involvement of staff in school activities, reduced costs for vandalism, better management, and higher staff and student morale (McNeely, 1985). The final practice, very important in terms of progress performed by minorities in education is giving a preference to private schooling than public. It must be emphasized that during the past two decades it has become increasingly apparent that larger numbers of minority adults are selecting nonpublic schools for their young. In their desire to obtain the best possible education for their young, they choose private schools, including minority independent schools. These parents say they believe private schools provide their children with better basic skills instruction, cultivate higher order thinking skills, have higher academic standards, and prepare their children for college or the work place more successfully. School improvement for them means leaving public schools. As Slaughter and Schneider points out (1986:17) black parents’ choice of private schools is â€Å"less of a rejection of public schooling, and more of an evolution of a new strategy for insuring future levels of sustained and/or upward mobility for the family. † Increased minority departure from public schools, however, may mean that the more supportive, motivated, caring, and accomplished parents and their children (regardless of income) are not involved in the public school system and that the system is the loser in the process (Henig et al. , 1999). From the critical perspective, minority individuals and communities must consider the costs and benefits of education in nonpublic schools compared with education in public schools – not only for themselves, but for the nation at large. At the same time, public schools must make more headway in school improvement if they want to retain the traditional support they have long enjoyed from black families. Many minority students can attain standards of excellence if school improvement policies and programs such as those described above are retained, consistently used, refined, and modified. Individual schools will find that their achievement levels and test scores improve, and that many of them can attain local and national norms even if their populations are poor, or black, or Hispanic, or both. These standards can be achieved without excluding any student from an equal opportunity to be educated. Our country still has a long way to go to realize equity in the schoolrooms of our nation. All students need an equal chance to learn, which means providing equity in financing schools and programs; providing competent, caring teachers; retaining proven, compensatory programs and relating curriculum subject matter to coping with real-life situations and problems. References Bjork L. et al (1994). Minorities in Higher Education, Oryx Press Henig J. , Hula R. , Orr M. , Pedescleaux D. (1999). The Color of School Reform: Race, Politics, and the Challenge of Urban Education, Princeton University Press Iram Y. & Wahrman H. (2003). Education of Minorities and Peace Education in Pluralistic Societies, Hillel; Praeger, 2003 Mohanty, C. T. (1994). On Race and Voice: Challenges for Liberal Education in the 1990s. In H. A. Giroux and P. McLaren (Eds. ), Between Borders: Pedagogy and the Politics of Cultural Studies (145-166). New York: Routledge Slaughter D. T. , & Schneider B. L. (1986). Newcomers: Blacks in private schools. Final Report to the National Institute of Education (Grant No. NIE-G-82-0040, Project No. 2- 0450). Evanston, IL: Northwestern University, School of Education

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Amplification Definition and Examples in Rhetoric

Amplification Definition and Examples in Rhetoric Amplification is a rhetorical term for all the ways that an argument, explanation, or description can be expanded and enriched. Also called rhetorical amplification. A natural virtue in an oral culture, amplification provides redundancy of information, ceremonial amplitude, and scope for a memorable syntax and diction (Richard Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms, 1991). In The Arte of Rhetorique  (1553), Thomas Wilson (who regarded amplification as a method of the invention) emphasized the value of this strategy: Among all the figures of rhetoric, there is no one that helpeth forward an oration and beautifieth the same with such delightful ornaments as doth amplification. In both speech and writing, amplification tends to accentuate the importance of a topic and  induce an emotional response (pathos) in the  audience. Examples and Observations In amplification, writers repeat something theyve just said while adding more details and information to the original description. . .The main purpose of amplification is to focus the readers attention on an idea he or she might otherwise miss.(Brendan McGuigan, Rhetorical Devices: A Handbook and Activities for Student Writers. Prestwick House, 2007) One of the Biggest Trees in Pittsburgh A massive tree centuries old holds out against the odds here across from my mothers house, one of the biggest trees in Pittsburgh, anchored in a green tangle of weeds and bushes, trunk thick as a Buick, black as night after rain soaks its striated hide. Huge spread of its branches canopies the foot of the hill where the streets come together. Certain times of day in summer it shades my mothers front porch. If it ever tore loose from its moorings, it would crush her house like a sledgehammer. . . . (John Edgar Wideman, All Stories Are True. The Stories of John Edgar Wideman. Random House, 1996) Bill Bryson on Britain's Landscapes In terms of natural wonders, you know, Britain is a pretty unspectacular place. It has no alpine peaks or broad rift valleys, no mighty gorges or thundering cataracts. It is built to really quite a modest scale. And yet with a few unassuming natural endowments, a great deal of time and an unfailing instinct for improvement, the makers of Britain created the most superlatively park-like landscapes, the most orderly cities, the handsomest provincial towns, the jauntiest seaside resorts, the stateliest homes, the most dreamily spired, cathedral-rich, castle-strewn, abbey-bedecked, folly-scattered, green-wooded, winding-laned, sheep-dotted, plumply hedgerowed, well-tended, sublimely decorated 50,318 square miles the world has ever knownalmost none of it undertaken with aesthetics in mind, but all of it adding up to something that is, quite often, perfect. What an achievement that is. (Bill Bryson, The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island. Doubleday, 2015)   Dickens on Newness Mr. and Mrs. Veneering were bran-new people in a bran-new house in a bran-new quarter of London. Everything about the Veneerings was spick and span new. All their furniture was new, all their friends were new, all their servants were new, their place was new, . . . their harness was new, their horses were new, their pictures were new, they themselves were new, they were as newly-married as was lawfully compatible with their having a bran-new baby, and if they had set up a great-grandfather, he would have come home in matting from Pantechnicon, without a scratch upon him, French-polished to the crown of his head. (Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, 1864-65) "More Light!" Goethes final words: More light. Ever since we crawled out of that primordial slime, thats been our unifying cry: More light. Sunlight. Torchlight. Candlelight. Neon. Incandescent. Lights that banish the darkness from our caves, to illuminate our roads, the insides of our refrigerators. Big floods for the night games at Soldiers field. Little tiny flashlight for those books we read under the covers when were supposed to be asleep. Light is more than watts and footcandles. Light is metaphor. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from homeLead Thou me on! Arise, shine, for thy light has come. Light is knowledge. Light is life. Light is light. (Chris Stevens, Northern Exposure, 1992) Henry Peacham on Amplification In The Garden of Eloquence  (1593), Henry  Peacham describes [the] effects [of amplification] in the following manner: It is full of light, plenty and variety causing the orator to teach and tell things plainly, to amplify largely, and to prove and conclude mightily. The very wording of this passage demonstrates the procedure of amplifying one term, amplification itself, and that with the purpose of catching the readers attention.(Thomas O. Sloane,  Encyclopedia of Rhetoric. Oxford University Press, 2001) Selective Amplification Judgment is to be exercised in deciding what thoughts require amplification and what do not. A greater degree of expansion is necessary in oral than in written discourse; and in popular works than in purely scientific. A brief exposition may be sufficient for those who have some acquaintance with the subject, while in addressing those of less intelligence a greater fullness of details is necessary. It is always a most serious fault to dwell on what is unimportant, trivial, or what can be supplied by the reader; it indicates a want of the power of just discrimination on the part of the writer. (Andrew D. Hepburn, Manual of English Rhetoric, 1875) The Lighter Side of Amplification: Blackadder's Crisis This is a crisis. A large crisis. In fact, if youve got a moment, its a twelve-story crisis with a magnificent entrance hall, carpeting throughout, 24-hour portage, and an enormous sign on the roof, saying This Is a Large Crisis. A large crisis requires a large plan. Get me two pencils and a pair of underpants. (Rowan Atkinson as Captain Blackadder in Goodbyeee. Blackadder Goes Forth, 1989) Pronunciation: am-pli-fi-KAY-shun Etymology: From the Latin enlargement

Monday, October 21, 2019

Art and the Post Impressionism Movement essays

Art and the Post Impressionism Movement essays Art critics first used the term "post-impressionistic" in 1911 to loosely describe the work of a few artists whose paintings reflect Impressionistic principles but were created after the movement had lost favor in the late seventeenth century (around 1885). Significant artists whose works have been defined in this category include Paul CÃ ©zanne (1839-1906), Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) and Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). Post-Impressionists, these few in particular, pushed Impressionist principles further than they had previously been explored. Those styles and techniques valued in this period focus on the painting of personal impressions (unlike earlier traditional painting) and a freer and more innovative use of color to convey the mood or emotional feeling derived from the subject, as opposed to the fairly realistic, if often pastel-like (due to a desire to illuminate their work), use of color promoted by the Impressionists. In order to understand Post-Impressionism, the principles of the Impressionist movement have to be understood. The background from which Impressionism sprung was a period of industrial progress and a vibrant social scene. In Paris, some artists explored new ways of expression and broke free from the established French painting traditions enforced by the Salon. Artists took advantage of the contemporary scientific discoveries and industrialization to improve the color, lifespan, accessibility and general quality of the media (eg. The creation of smaller lightweight canvases for "plein air" painting, artificial paint pigments, and the invention of the collapsible metal paint tube in 1840 for easier transport). The primary school or group of painters established in the Post-Impressionist movement was called the Nabis School or the Pont-Aven group (after the France village where they were based). Gauguin was a founding member of the school, becoming the primary mentor of the group, and others looked to him for guidance...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Susan Atkins aka Sadie Mae Glutz - Manson Family Member

Susan Atkins aka Sadie Mae Glutz - Manson Family Member Susan Denise Atkins aka Sadie Mae Glutz Susan Denise Atkins aka Sadie Mae Glutz is a former member of the Charles Manson Family. She swore before a Grand Jury, that under the direction of Charlie Manson, she stabbed actress Sharon Tate to death and had participated in the murder of music teacher Gary Hinman. During her grand jury testimony, Atkins testified that there was no limit to what she would do for Manson, the only complete man I have ever met and that she believed him to be Jesus. Atkins Years as a Teen Susan Denise Atkins was born on May 7, 1948, in San Gabriel, California. When Atkins was 15, her mother died of cancer. Atkins and her alcoholic father quarreled continuously and Atkins decided to quit school and move to San Francisco. She became involved with two escaped convicts and the three committed armed robberies along the west coast. When caught, Atkins did three months in jail and then returned to San Francisco where she took up topless dancing and selling drugs to support herself. Atkins Meets Manson Atkins met the grubby ex-convict, 32-year-old Charles Manson when he visited a commune where she was living. She became mesmerized by Manson and packed up and traveled with the group, eventually ending up at the Spahn Movie Ranch. Charlie renamed Atkins Sadie Glutz, and she became a devout group member and promoter of Mansons ideology. Family members later described Atkins as being one of Mansons biggest fans. Helter Skelter In October 1968, Sadie gave birth to a boy and named him Zezozecee Zadfrack. Motherhood did not slow Sadies desire to prove her devotion to Manson. The family spent their time doing drugs, having orgies, and listening to Mason prophesize about Helter Skelter a time in the near future when a racial war of blacks against whites would erupt. He said the family would hide under the dessert and once the blacks proclaimed victory, they would then turn to Manson to lead their new nation. The Killing Begins In July 1969, Manson, Atkins, Mary Brunner and Robert Beausoleil went to the home of music teacher and friend Gary Hinman, who had allegedly sold the group bad LSD. They wanted their money back. When Hinman refused, Manson sliced off Hinmans ear with a sword and left the house. The remaining family members held Hinman at gunpoint for three days. Beausoleil then stabbed Hinman and all three took turns suffocating him. Before leaving, Atkins wrote Political Piggy in blood on his wall. The Tate Murders The racial war wasnt happening quickly enough, so Manson decided to begin the killings to help the blacks along. In August Manson sent Atkins, Tex Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian to the home of Sharon Tate. They entered the home and rounded up the eight-month-pregnant Tate and all of her guests. In a killing frenzy, Tate and the rest were butchered to death and the word Pig was written in Tates blood on the front door of the home. The LaBianca Murders The next evening, family members, including Manson entered the home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Atkins did not go into the LaBianca house but was instead sent with Kasabian and Steven Grogan to the home of actor Saladin Nader. The group failed to get to Nader because Kasabian inadvertently knocked on the  wrong apartment door. In the meantime, the other Manson members were busy butchering the LaBianca couple and scrawling their signature blood words on the walls of the home. Adkins Brags About the Murders In October 1969, the Barker Ranch in Death Valley was raided and family members were arrested for arson. While at the prison, Kathryn Lutesinger implicated Atkins in the Hinman murder. Atkins was transferred to another prison. It was there that she bragged to cellmates about the familys involvement in the Tate, LaBianca murders. The information was turned over to the police and Manson, Watson, Krenwinkel were arrested and a warrant was issued for Kasabian whose whereabouts were unknown. Atkins and the Grand Jury Atkins testified before a Los Angeles Grand Jury, hoping to avoid the death penalty. She revealed how she held down Sharon Tate as she pleaded for her and the babys life. She recounted how she told Tate, Look, bitch, I dont care a thing about you. Youre going to die and theres nothing you can do about it. To cause more suffering, they held off killing Tate until all others were dead  and then stabbed her repeatedly while she called out for her mother. Atkins later recanted her testimony. The Manson Solidarity Atkins, returning to her role as a devoted Masonite, was tried with Manson, Krenwinkel and Van Houten for first-degree murder for the Tate-LaBianca massacres. The girls carved an X on their foreheads and shaved their heads to show their solidarity and constantly disrupted the courtroom. In March of 1971, the group was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. The state later overturned the death sentence to a life sentence. Atkins was sent to the California Institute for Women. Atkins the Snitch The first several years that Atkins was in prison she remained loyal to Manson but felt ostracized by other family members for being a snitch. In 1974, Atkins corresponded with former member, Bruce Davis, who had turned his life over to Christ. Atkins, who said Christ had come to her in her cell and forgiven her, became a born-again Christian. In 1977, she and author Bob Slosser wrote her autobiography titled Child of Satan, Child of God. Atkins First Marriage Through mail correspondence, she met millionaire Donald Laisure and they married in 1981. Atkins soon discovered that Laisure had been married 35 times before and had lied about being a millionaire and promptly divorced him. Life Behind Bars Atkins was described as a model prisoner. She organized her own ministry and earned an Associates degree. In 1987 she married a Harvard law student, James Whitehouse, who represented her at her 2000 parole hearing. No Remorse In 1991 she recanted her earlier testimony, stating she was present during the Hinson and Tate murders but did not participate. It has been reported that during her parole hearings she showed neither remorse nor a willingness to accept responsibility for her part in the crimes. She was turned down for parole 10 times. In 2003, she sued Governor Gray Davis, contending his policy opposing parole for nearly all murderers has made her a political prisoner. Her petition was denied. On September 25, 2009, Susan Atkins died of brain cancer behind prison walls. Her death came 23 days after the parole board turned down her request for a compassionate release from prison so that she could die at home. Source:Desert Shadows by Bob MurphyHelter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt GentryThe Trial of Charles Manson by Bradley Steffens

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Social Media - Essay Example While the so-called dogmatic Marxists continue to assert that, the economy, particularly industry, is the battleground of the working class and capitalists, the pragmatic neo-Marxists recognize the role of politics and culture in maintaining oppressive class relations. Mao Zedong, renowned leader of the Chinese revolution, was considered a neo-Marxist by the Soviets. Mao insisted that his theories were still Marxist to the core. The only difference is that he applied it to the conditions of China, something that was impossible for Marx to consider in his time. Mao is no longer around too but his valuable contribution to the new Left, which influenced neo-Marxists today, regarding the importance of culture in introducing social change remains valid. It is from this vantage point that one of today's most potent cultural instruments, the internet, can be put into scrutiny. For neo-Marxists, it is a cultural battleground of those who desire to see the end of oppressive social structures and those who want to defend it. From this light also, the ascendance of the internet-based social media, particularly social networking, has given the opportunity for progressive forces to arm themselves with a new cultural weapon that is powerful enough to cross national borders and prevail over state restrictions. The Neo-Marxist Theoretical Framework The neo-Marxists consider mass media as an important part of the bourgeois state. They see it is a very powerful tool to promote and defend the interests of the wealthy few and it reflects the inequalities of a society. However, they also see it as a venue to propagate transformative and progressive ideas that can raise the political consciousness of the oppressed peoples. Many times, they have also used it for calls to action, for the mobilization of various sectors to struggle for economic and political reforms, at least, or to advance a total social overhaul with a revolution. The framework for this theory on the media is rooted in the Marxist analysis of class society. Marxism teaches that when an economic infrastructure promotes the interests of a single class, this sector can also have the power to dominate over the political and cultural superstructure. Capitalist relations in production allow the bourgeoisie to accumulate profits enough to expand production, ensure government control, and influence or manipulate culture. The ruling class in production is necessarily the dominant class also in politics in culture. For without its leash on both, its economic interests are placed at risks. Political supremacy grants the ruling class use of state machineries, a strategic factor for its survival. The coercive apparatuses such as the police, the courts, and the armed forces are employed to instill social order that favors the status quo. The deceptive instruments, which comprise all cultural components such as religion, education, and the mass media, are m eant to condition the minds of the ruled and oppressed to accept their fate and to comply to the system. In one of his writings, the German Ideology, Marx said that "The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas: i.e. the class, which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force. The

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy - Assignment Example The diplomatic doctrine President Truman followed was that United States would provide political, economic, and military service to all democratic nations which were under the threat of external or internal authoritarian forces (Milestones: 1945-1952. In the initial years, America really protected the interests of its ally Turkey. It was the nature of America to manipulate its foreign policies for its own advantage. However, it never tried to take any undue advantage from the relation with Turkey unlike it did in Afghanistan. American policy after the Truman declaration was always in favor of Turkey. As America never wanted the Soviet Union to grow bigger than it and the communist party to spread to other parts of the world, it decided to support Turkey; both politically and financially. American foreign policy was thus aimed at promoting democracy in its friendly nations. As Carpenter (1999) points out, though Turkey faced some real threats from the Soviet Union like the overpowerin g of the current government with a communist government, Turkey overcame them with American support and moved to a democratic form of government from the single party government that existed. In return to the support and help rendered by the United States during Cold War, Turkey agreed to send its forces to take part in the Korean War. Also, America provided all support to Turkey to become a member of NATO. Turkey became a founding member of the Central Treaty Organization. After these initial years, the relation between the duo began to deteriorate gradually; though for a short period of time. According to Carpenter (1999), the main reason for the break up was the attack by Turkey on Cyprus on the pretext of saving the ruling government from the imminent coup by army. It was an evident breach of the international law and the UN charter. Moreover, it was against the American policy of opposition against aggression because Turkey was pointlessly attacking Cyprus. Though the United St ates was supposed to adopt stringent measures against its alley as the lack of such measures would invite widespread criticism, the American Congress managed to reduce the measures to a meager ban on arm sales to Turkey. Still, the step resulted in creating too much tension and mistrust in the relation between the duo. However, the action of the US can be justified on the ground that Turkey violated the agreements and international law (cited in ‘Turkish invasion and Cyprus occupation’, 2005). When all these tensions ended, the Turkish leaders once again felt the need to be closer to the US. For, an ally like the US was essential to ensure the future security of Turkey in the Middle East.

Friday, October 18, 2019

STARTING A BUSINESS ONLINE PART 2 Research Paper

STARTING A BUSINESS ONLINE PART 2 - Research Paper Example Domain name In web marketing domain name is an asset. Usually the domain name should be relevant, catchy, stylish, fashionable and easy to remember. According to Ethics Newsline (2013) â€Å"The introduction of new top-level domain names — the ending letters in web addresses, such as .com and .org — is raising some unanticipated ethical issues, according to various press reports†¦Addresses such as .car, .toronto, or .apple will become available, reports the  Toronto Star, but at a price.† Web spoofing and cyber-squatting are unethical activities in e-commerce. Spoofing refers to creating domains similar to well-known brands or established corporate companies like valmart.com for wallmart.com. Cyber-squatting is registering domain name of a well-known company or brand with the purpose of misusing it or selling it to the concerned company at an exorbitant price. Firms may be forced to buy these domains simply to avoid e-commerce frauds. Though $1,000 for dom ain re-sale is attractive, the name was not registered with the intention of re-sale. The name was selected after carefully considering various factors to ensure its suitability to the business and it is expected to be beneficial for the growth and development of the business in the long run. Also, it is felt that resale of domain name amounts to selling the name to our competitor who finds it worth to buy at this price. Also, if the buyer is not likely to become our competitor, it is bought with some ulterior motive and the domain name could be misused that is unethical. So, there is no question of resale of domain. E-Commerce software The Internet has emerged as a global medium for communication that is used gainfully used for commerce by creating web-based applications. In e-commerce, catalog designing is important like physical display of products in a showroom. It should be imaginative to include online marketing tools like gift certificates and discounts apart from display of prices and special features. The possibilities of expanding the market potential are unlimited with a good blend of content, photography, association with popular themes with a proper mix of graphics, flash and background images in a website. Online shopping cart software should incorporate features for selection of product, price comparison, placement of order and change the products selected if necessary. In the case of shopping cart software, synchronizing price and quantity with accounting and stores is very important and lack of this facility in software impedes real time inventory control. Establishing a good system for incorporating returns and exchanges in software is also essential for ensuring smooth flow of business. Order processing includes single-order processing, batch processing or mail order processing. Providing reputed online payment gateway in shopping cart for secure, fast and reliable transactions on real time basis is essential. Achieving optimum processing ca pacity of the system is very important for enhancing user experience. Null and Lobur (2012, p. 40) stated â€Å"No matter how many processors are placed in a system, or how many resources are assigned to them, somehow, somewhere, a bottleneck is bound to develop. The best we can do to remedy this is to make sure that the slowest parts of the system are the ones that are used the least.† Web presence and increasing Website usability The important factors need to be focused in

Should Nuclear Power Be Revived in California and the United States Research Paper - 1

Should Nuclear Power Be Revived in California and the United States - Research Paper Example On attaining a wealth of information from the US senate, senator Domenici indicated that human development is the creation of a surrounding where individuals can establish their maximum potential, as humans are considered the real wealth of the world; indeed, human development supersedes economic growth. The fact remains that we need energy to not only drive our industries, but also support our current trends of living. Lack of electricity has been identified as one of the perpetrators of poverty. In 1999, the United States was noted to consume approximately 25 percent of the world’s energy. Nevertheless, high consumption of electricity indicates the ever-changing lifestyle in United States’ growing population. Nuclear power generation as a way of diversifying the sources of electricity generation can not only free up fossil fuel, but also ensure the uses have no other substitutes. The result of use of nuclear power is a cleaner environment, creation of more job opportu nities and maximum use of available raw material. According to Sir Ingham, based on rational discourse, nuclear power should be viewed based as the foundation of man’s sustainable power that has no offence to the surrounding environment (Domenici, Lyons and Steyn, 2004, p. 182, 183 & 184). Increase in population brings about high demand of energy. This high demand of energy hence forces the country to import energy, which could lead to political instability and lack of cost control. According to Domenici, Lyons and Steyn (2004), reliance of imported energy has been predicted to rise from 50 percent to 70 percent in the decades to come within the European countries. Heavy reliance of imported energy may have negative global impact and hence United States should have an equilibrium energy policy that incorporates healthy reliance on nuclear power in order to suppress the ever-increasing competition of fossil fuel supply in the decades to come.  Increase in population brings a bout high demand of energy. This high demand of energy hence forces the country to import energy, which could lead to political instability and lack of cost control.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Privacy and Employer Access to Employee Social Media Account Research Paper

Privacy and Employer Access to Employee Social Media Account - Research Paper Example The access of the employee personal account by the employer is wrong and should not be encouraged because it is a violation of personal right and privacy. Consequently, the challenge of using social media on and off the job has led to the challenge facing employees which led to the demand by some employers for the employees to give their passwords or usernames for their personal account (Poerio and Bain). However, according to Mark Zuckerberg, the approach is not correct because they say it is not the right thing to be done. The intrusion of the employers into the privacy of individuals is a true violation of personal right even though it is a threat to the organization. It is similar to the police checking one’s residence without a search warrant. Regardless of the different prepositions held by employers, privacy is key to the issue of personal safety and issues. One case reported is an employee was a friend of the employer. After a badmouthing by the employee, on one of the social media platform, the employer decided to fire the employee because he read the posts by the employee. Such incidence can become common if employers are allowed to access the personal accounts of the employees. In order to maintain respect between the two in a workplace, respect of privacy must be adhered to strictly. The employer should give guidelines to what constitutes a violation of the company policy and can lead to termination of contracts. In addition, the moral issues associated with the use of social media that may affect organization performance must be communicated to the employee (National Conference of State Legislators). The development of guidelines on what the employee is allowed to share in the social media platform will encourage the development of standards of operation in social media.  

Study case S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Study case S - Essay Example ion Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a vital stakeholder as government agency who has the duty to see that road transports maintain high standard of transports and transport maintenance that promotes safe transportation. Basically, there are many stakeholders involved along the supply chain from manufactures to the end users as outlined above. The two pillars that have been broken by Imperial Tyres Sales are the trustworthiness and responsibility. The company has abused the trust of its customers who expected goods of high standard that would be safe to use. The notion of trustworthiness posits that when we someone is trusted, he is given a leeway by others because they do not feel the y need contract assurances that the same person will meet his obligations. It involves being honesty, integrity, reliability as well as loyalty. However, these elements of the pillar of trustworthiness have been broken as a result of low quality products that were supplied by HangZhemHai. ITS’s actions have also been against honest communication with the law and federal agency who should have been informed about the inferior quality of the tyres. They have also shown crass disregard for professional integrity by looking for their self interest at the cost of its customers’ safety. The pillar of trustworthiness has been broken by these two as their actions did not put into consideration the people’s safety. On the other hand, the pillar of responsibility has been broken by Hang Zhem Hai Rubbers by not upholding the expected standards of producing quality products that would be safe to be used by the consumers. The pillar of responsibility states that we should be accountable for our actions by always striving to pursue excellence. HZH has not been responsible in its actions for not putting enough gum stripes in its tires. HZH has been extremely indifferent to the fact that their low quality of tyres could be potentially dangerous to the safety of human life. In actual fact it

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Privacy and Employer Access to Employee Social Media Account Research Paper

Privacy and Employer Access to Employee Social Media Account - Research Paper Example The access of the employee personal account by the employer is wrong and should not be encouraged because it is a violation of personal right and privacy. Consequently, the challenge of using social media on and off the job has led to the challenge facing employees which led to the demand by some employers for the employees to give their passwords or usernames for their personal account (Poerio and Bain). However, according to Mark Zuckerberg, the approach is not correct because they say it is not the right thing to be done. The intrusion of the employers into the privacy of individuals is a true violation of personal right even though it is a threat to the organization. It is similar to the police checking one’s residence without a search warrant. Regardless of the different prepositions held by employers, privacy is key to the issue of personal safety and issues. One case reported is an employee was a friend of the employer. After a badmouthing by the employee, on one of the social media platform, the employer decided to fire the employee because he read the posts by the employee. Such incidence can become common if employers are allowed to access the personal accounts of the employees. In order to maintain respect between the two in a workplace, respect of privacy must be adhered to strictly. The employer should give guidelines to what constitutes a violation of the company policy and can lead to termination of contracts. In addition, the moral issues associated with the use of social media that may affect organization performance must be communicated to the employee (National Conference of State Legislators). The development of guidelines on what the employee is allowed to share in the social media platform will encourage the development of standards of operation in social media.  

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Criminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Criminal justice - Essay Example What affect has the courts had on inmate population and how it’s administered in the prisons? What type of action would be taken either short term or long term and why? Are cynical ideas common in corrections? How does this effect the criminal justice system as a whole? Is this cynicism present in other occupations and industries? Criminal Justice: Contemporary Problems Within the United States Corrections System The contemporary problems faced in the US corrections system today have given rise to the overcrowding within the current system. As an example New York’s prison system (Rockefeller Drug Laws, 2001) has not kept up with the enormous increase in numbers of inmates. There are not enough programs to keep prisoners occupied, which results in idleness and increased tension levels. Expense is another factor that faces the correction system. In New York alone it costs 2 billion to construct the prisons to house the increasing number of drug offenders. The operating ex penses for maintaining the prisons comes to nearly $700 million per year. The increased number of drug related incarcerations have created racial inequities within the corrections system. Increasing number of African-American and Latino population have made up 70 percent of the prison population (David Swanson March 2010).

Monday, October 14, 2019

Relationship between Psychological Properties and Physical Properties According to Physicalism Essay Example for Free

Relationship between Psychological Properties and Physical Properties According to Physicalism Essay Physicalism refers to a stand by some philosophers that everything in the world is physical. Physicalism in some cases is referred to as materialism, where everything is viewed to have physical properties. With respect to philosophy, Physicalism is the ontological point of view that there is nothing above and over the physical. Physicalists view the nature or the world as one and believe that everything including mind has physical properties and thus it is physical. In the attempt to prove their view of the world, Physicalists has come up with diverse explanation to bring out the relationship that exists between different aspects of nature including psychological states and properties. To understand the relationship between physical properties and mental properties, realization, reductive and supervenience ideas have been used by the physicalists. However, critics argue that physicalism is a false view of nature. This research paper will seek to determine the relationship that exists between psychological states or properties and physical properties according to Physicalism. In addition, the paper will bring into light reasons behind this relationship. Relationship between psychological properties and physical properties according to PhysicalismIn the attempt to bring out the relationship between the physical properties and psychological properties, philosophers such as Lewis used supervenience approach. This approach is simply based on meta-ethics and indicates that physical properties and mental properties are closely related due to the fact that psychological properties are part of the physical properties (Daniel, 2010). In other words, philosophers assert that psychological properties such as thinking are enclosed by physical properties. To make the argument certain, philosophers such as Lewis give an example where he refers dots on a picture as physical properties and claims that the picture is like the global features or the world. The same way he affirms that psychological properties and other properties including biological properties are like dots on the global features. Supervenience idea of the explaining physicalism ass erts that psychological properties are nothing but simply physical properties (Kim, 2008). Psychological or mental properties such as pain are viewed as physical according to physicalists as they believe that the physical aspect of pain is casually closed by the major physical properties. According to Kim, (2008), supervenience tries to bring out the identical aspect between the physical properties and psychological properties. The fact that psychological or mental properties are part of physical properties indicates similarity according to the physicalists (Daniel, 2010). This is particularly supported by the general view of physicalism that the world is a single stuff. According to the physicalists, mental or psychological properties are dependant to physical properties and thus there can not be physical difference without psychological difference. Simply, psychological properties supervene on material properties and thus they are just but the same thing. According to Physicalism, physical properties can be reduced to mental or psychological properties. The notion of reductive by the physicalism brings out the relationship between mental properties and physical properties (Kim, 2008). Essentially, physicalists use reductive idea to ascertain their idea that the world is made of a single stuff that is physical properties only. Physicalism philosophers affirms that there is a close relationship between physical properties and psychological or mental properties particularly basing their argument that mental properties are smaller components of physical properties and thus are physical properties. Realization theory is another approach used by the physicalism to bring out possible relations between psychological or mental properties and physical properties (Daniel, 2010). Based on this theory, all psychological properties can be realized through a particular physical basis (Kim, 2008). In a philosophical perspective, physicalists argue that all physical properties or predicates can be traced or are definable in physical language. This implies that there is a close relation between the two and according to physicalism they are inseparable (Daniel, 2010). Physicalists affirms that the fact that physical properties can be reduced to mental or psychological properties implies that the two are identical and simply has a close relationship. Physicalism believes that everything inside the world has physical properties and the world itself is a physical thing in its own nature. The developed understanding from this argument is that everything considered as physical thing has its own physical properties which in reality has its own psychological properties. This claim can be explained further by application of ontological perspective which involves both methodological and epistemological corollaries. According to the Physicalists, every object in the world is composed of different material which in reality encompasses different physical properties (Kim, 2011). Therefore, physical properties exhibit different properties such as mass, shape volume, energy, temperature and volume among others. In reference to the reductive physicalism, objects with high levels of properties are more reducible hence there is a high chance that they have physical properties. Jackson (2002) affirms that physicalism is more dependent on philosoph ical position which presents a myth that everything that exists in the earth has physical properties. From this explanation the understanding developed is that physicalism is closely associated with philosophy of mind which extensively believes that mind is a physical object which can be viewed at different perspectives (Kim, 2011). In reference to physical science point of view, physicalism includes bigger notations as opposed to just matter, space energy and time. The mind being in a form of a physical world, it is closely associated with non reductive physicalism. Fodor in his own research argues that physicalism is dependent will all genuine items which can be referred to either identical or are dependent upon other physical properties (Clarke, 2003). In order to accept these believe of physicalism, it vital to understand how it is related with mind dualism rejection. According to Fodor, â€Å"mentalism† is the best alternative of the dualism. Basically, physicalism believes that the concept of the consciousness is entirely dependent of the physical properties (Clarke, 2003). The state of the mind is a functional that exists in a given system. In relation to the theory of functionalism, brain is extensively believed to be a just biological implementation in a given system. The general understanding it , that the brain has capacity to recognize any change in mental status. Dualism theory is quite different from physicalism because it argues that consciousness is not related to the physical. According to Savellos and YalcÃŒ §in, (1995), panpsychism theory explains that all items which contain aspects of reality within themselves have psychological properties in additional to their physical properties. Critics argue that hardcore physicalists are more concerned to investigate the structure of the outer world in the bid of trying to understand the build relationship between the physical properties and psychological properties. Ultimately, the physical properties and mental are two distinctive area but they are contingently connected with each other. Philosophically, mind is believed to be dependent on the physical properties. Therefore, based with the explanation of the physicalism the empirical world is composed of all properties or entities which have effects of causes. Notably, both mental facts and physical have a close relationship with physicalism in relation to mental effects and causes. According to many physicalists the world in general is a physical hence everyth ing in it have its own physical properties. When reviewing the world at a supervenience base, it helps to reflect the general thinking of the physicalists. This implies that the relationship between of fundamental physical properties and psychological properties are closely dependent on each other as per the explanation of Physicalism (Clarke, 2003). The two features have the common bond of metaphysics because they are depending on certain established physical facts. Conclusion                     From the above discussion, it is evident that Physicalism extensively refers to a developed understanding by some philosophers who believe that everything in the world is physical hence have its own physical properties. In addition, Physicalism can also be referred to as materialism, where everything is viewed to have physical properties. Psychological or mental properties such as pain are viewed as physical according to physicalists as they believe that the physical aspect of pain is casually closed by the major physical properties. Therefore, this is an indication that the state of the mind is a functional that exists in a given system. References Clarke, R. (2003). Libertarian accounts of free will. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford University Press. Daniel .S. (2010). Physicalism, New Problems of Philosophy. RoutledgeJackson, F. (2002). Mind, Method and Conditionals: Selected Papers. Routledge, 2002 Kim, J. (2008). Physicalism, or Something Near Enough. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Kim, J. (2011). Philosophy of Mind. ReadHowYouWant.com, Limited, 2011 Savellos, E. E., YalcÃŒ §in, U. D. (1995). Supervenience: New essays. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press. Source document

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Overview of The First Red Scare :: essays research papers

In the early part of the twentieth century, Americans feared and fought against the principles of the Bolsheviks. Few Americans today even know what the â€Å"Red Scare† was, let alone fear these ideas. However, many of the basic Bolshevik ideas are alive and well in the United States. Citizens of the United States are beginning to accept and even believe in many principles that the Bolshevik Revolution was all about, including eminent domain, loss of freedom of speech, loss of privacy, and income redistribution in the form of very high tax rates. The textbook years for the Red Scare were from 1917 to 1920, but there were important events before 1917 that preceded the Bolshevik Revolution. â€Å"The first â€Å"reds† were those Americans who supported the French Revolution at the end of the eighteenth century.† (Hoyt, 11) The first Marxian socialists to come to the United States were German immigrants who began arriving in 1848. They slowly began to change the labor organization, and over a few years the Socialist and Communist parties were born. In 1901, all Americans were made aware of left-wing radicalism after an anarchist named Leon Czolgosz assassinated President William McKinley. â€Å"No more was needed to make Americans fear and hate the very words â€Å"anarchist,† â€Å"radical,† â€Å"red† and â€Å"socialist,† all of which they lumped together†. (Hoyt, 13) All of these events culminated in creating a certain fear in Americans from these groups. The climax of the fear of radicals, and the start of the Red Scare was when in November 1917, when the Russian Revolution took place. Earlier that year, there were only 11,060 Bolsheviks in Russia, yet five months later they managed to seize power. When American began to understand this concept, they were all struck with fear. Americans did not want to go back to a controlling government that they had just escaped by coming to America. The Red Scare began because of several bombs that were mailed to many people. These bombs were constructed so that when the person receiving the bomb opens their package, they will be greatly injured, or killed. There were about thirty bombs sent through the mail, and only about five were actually opened. These bombs were addressed to important people like John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, commissioners of immigration and many others. Bombs were the physical scare to people, but inside, Americans were â€Å"nervous that reds could get into the government and control the people.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Story of a Different Hour :: Essays Papers

The Story of a Different Hour Mrs. Millard just found out that Mr. Millard was killed in a tragic train wreck. Because of a heart condition, Josephine (Mrs. Millard's sister) was hesitant to tell her what happened. Richard (Mr. Millard's good friend) was also there to comfort the newly widowed Mrs. Millard. Josephine was concerned for her sister. To everyone?s surprise Mrs. Millard was rather joyful rather than devastated of the tragic news about her husband. ?Free! Free! Free!?, ?Free! Body and free soul?. Everyone was a bit confused, why Louise was jumping for joy when she just received that her husband passed away few minutes ago. Something smells fishy in this story and who really is Richard? Is he a good friend of Mr. Millard or he is a lover of Louise?.. Well, we will modify some sentences in this story. We all knew what happened in the end. Mrs. Millard was having the time of her life because she just found out that her husband just died. Was Louise happy because of the hefty insurance money that her husband left her? We can?t tell. So as the door was being opened by a latchkey everyone ran through the long stair case and found ?Brently Millard who entered, a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his grip-sack and umbrella?, then Louise was so flabbergasted that she had a heart attack and eventually died. In my opinion the story could use a better ending than Louise dying at the end of the story. If only Chopin talked to me about this story before she published it in 1894 it would probably be a little different. We left of where before Brently opened the door. After Brently died, Louise was alone in her huge plantation. She asked Josephine to move in with her because she can?t bear to be alone any longer. One day Richard dropped by to check on Louise and to drop the title of the house, Richard is a prominent lawyer nowadays. Richard stayed for supper, and Louise told him ?

Friday, October 11, 2019

Baumol’s “Sales Maximisation Hypothesis?” Essay

To what extent does empirical evidence on corporate objectives support the predictions of Baumol’s â€Å"Sales Maximisation Hypothesis?† In Neo-Classical Economic theory of a firm, the owners of a firm are involved in the day to day running of the firm, and therefore their main desire is profit maximisation. In reality firms are most likely run by managers and not by the owners. Because of this there is a lack of goal congruence between the two. Baumol (1959) suggests that manager controlled firms are more likely to have sales revenue maximisation as their main goals rather than profit maximisation favoured by shareholders. He shows that there are several explanations for the managerial emphasis on sales maximisation rather than maximising profits: sources of debt closely monitor sales of firms and are more willing to finance firms with growing or large sales figures; lay- off necessitated by fall in sales leads to industrial unrest and unfavourable investment climate; and with decreased sales (and consequently decreased market power) the firm enjoys lesser powers to adopt effective competitive tactics. As well as managers’ power and prestige and even salaries are more closely correlated with sales as to profits. Judged in this perspective, sales maximisation can be said to be the independent objective in managerial decision making, where ownership and management are clearly separated. This review of evidence will examine the advantages and limitations of Baumols theory on sales-maximisation. The majority of empirical evidence shows that there little correlation between the remuneration of top managers and the profit performance of their companys, instead sale revenue is seen as the major contributor to the salaries of managers. McGuire et al. (1962) tried to test Baumols contention that managers salaries are much more closely related to scale of operations of the firm than with profitability. They devised simple correlation coefficients between executive income and sales revenue and profits over the seven-year period 1953-9 for 45 of the largest 100 industrial corporations in the US. Their research showed that the correlation between salaries and sales was much greater than with profits. They recognise that there are serious limitations with using simple correlation analysis and the fact that correlation does not necessarily imply causation. Due to this the resear ch they done cannot be proved to be conclusive. D. R. Roberts found that executive earnings are correlated closely with the size of sales and not the level of profits. He used a cross section of 77 american firms for the period 1948-50. This evidence supports Baumols claim that managers have strong reason to pursue expansion of sales rather than increase profits. Conyon and Gregg (1994) produced a study of 177 firms between 1985 and 1990, it showed that pay of the top executives in large companies in the UK was most strongly related to relative sales growth (i.e. relative to competitors). They also found that it was only weakly related to a long term performance measure (total shareholder returns) and not at all to current accounting profit. Furthermore, growth in sales resulting from takeovers was more highly rewarded than internal growth. This evidence supports baumols presumption that sales maximisation is better related than profit, to executive rewards and corporate performance. Profitability and executive pay appear to be largely unrelated, suggesting that other managerial objectives might be given priority e.g. sales revenue. However total remuneration packages for top executives may be linked to profitabilit y, helping to align the interests of managers’ more closely to the interests of shareholders. Shipley (1981), in a major study concluded that only 15.9% of 728 UK firms questioned are true profit maximisers. The majority of the firms answered that the aim of their firms is for satisfactory profits. Hornby (1994) conducted a study off 77 Scottish companies and found that only 25% of the respondents are profit maximisers according to the ‘Shipley test’. And again the majority of the firms preferred satisfactory profits to profit maximisation. Although the study tells us little about sales maximisation, Shipley found that it was ranked fourth among principle pricing objectives, and nearly half the firms included sales revenue as at least part of their set of objectives. Larger companies were the ones that cited sales revenue as their principal goal. Since larger companies have a greater separation between ownership and management control, this lends support to Baumols theory. Marby and Siders (1966/7) computed correlation coefficients between sales and profits over 12 years, 1952-63, for 120 large American organisations. Zero or negative correlations between profits and sales would support Baumols hypothesis. The findings showed positive significant correlations between sales revenues and profits. This does not necessarily contradict Baumols hypothesis as sales and profits are positively correlated in Baumols model up to the point of maximising profits. Even when they concentrated on ‘reliable’ data from 25 companies which they thought had been operating at scales of output beyond the levels corresponding to maximum profit. Correlations between profits and sales were still mostly positive. This evidence is interpreted as refuting the sales-maximisation hypothesis. These studies argue the case for and against Baumols theory of sales-maximisation. Although there have been many studies conducted to test Baumols hypothesis, the empirical evidence is not conclusive in favour for or against the sales-maximisation hypothesis. Many argue that Baumols theory has many flaws, such persons are M H Peston and J R Wildsmith. Behavioural theory opposes the idea of a firm seeking to maximise any objective. Management are more likely to hold a set of minimum targets to hold the various stakeholder groups in balance. In practice, profit maximisation in the long term is a major goal for firms, but sales revenue is an important short term goal, though even here a profit target may still be part of the goal set. A widely used technique in the management of larger firms, portfolio planning, would seem to support the behaviourist view that no single objective will usefully help predict firm behaviour in a given market. In Neo-Classical Economic theory of a firm it suggests, the owners of a firm are involved in the day to day running of the firm, and therefore their main desire is profit maximisation. Managers are supposed to maximise shareholders wealth by investment means such as CAPM, NPV and ARR. This is the traditional means for the modern day manager to increase shareholder wealth. Agency theory explains that shareholders and managers have a relationship which is crucial to the modern firm. Managers run the company on behalf shareholder and shareholders will reward them with high salary. However this is not always the case as human nature dictates that self-interest, wealth, and power will come into the equation. Managers may start building empire, maximise sales and take on long term and complicated projects which only they understand and this will make it difficult for shareholders to sack them. This is typical of most western economies and former chief executive officer of News international James Murdoch argues in Mctaggart lecture 2007, the only reliable perpetual guarantor of independence is profits signalling that maximising profits is the only compass to measure success. This is reflective of the neoclassical economic theory and this essay will examine the advantages and limitations of sales maximisation. . argument for the theory of sales maximisation but there is serious limitations and that is the behavioural difference between long run profit maximisation and sales maximisation that there are no conclusive econometric tests as the difference is very subtle. Therefore there has to be more future research into testing what the key differences are between sales and profits. Also there has to be one to one interviews into the psychology of Managers in the firms that they running as some argue for profits whilst some argue for sales e.g. James Murdoch speech. The use of postal questionnaires for use in studies can bring evidence that is not In summary that is conducted for Baumols hypothesis empirical evidence is not conclusive in favour for and against the sales maximisation hypothesis.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

General Anthropology: A Study of Humanity

General Anthropology Anthropology – study of humanity; humans and cultures 4 Sub-Fields 1. Socio-Cultural – focuses on living human cultures, global patterns of belief and behavior found in modern and historical cultures, participant observation a. Influenced behaviors, customs, traditions, beliefs b. Non-biological of adaptation to the human environment, social and natural 2. Anthropological Linguistics – description and study of structure and history of language and relationship to culture, study of human speech and language 3. Archaeology – study of material culture of past human life and activities c.Cultural history/ chronology d. Life ways e. Processes 4. Study of humans as animals – evolutionary theory and genetics, physical and biological Anthropology is holistic * Culture > Integrated system * Biological, Ecological, Social * Bio-Cultural Approach > feedback loop between culture and environment * NON-ETHNOCENTRIC (more than one way to view the world) Humans are distinct: Animals, Mammals, Primates, Problem solvers, Bipedal locomotion (walk on 2 feet), Opposable thumbs, stereoscopic vision, large brain, reproduction (no estrus cycle), and culture Chapter 1 VocabularyHominins – term for members of the evolutionary group including humans and extinct bipedal relatives Bipedal – walks on two feet / legs Primates – members of the order of mammals Bio-cultural evolution – evolution of human biology and culture, both further influences one another, leads to understanding human evolution Ethnographies – detailed descriptive studies of human societies Paleoanthropology – study of disease and injury in human skeletal Anthropometry – measurement of human body parts DNA – double-stranded molecule that contains genetic code Osteology – study of skeletal materialPrimatology – study of biology and behavior of nonhuman primates Continuum – set of relationship s in which all components fall along a single integrated spectrum (humans are a product of the same force that produced all life on earth) Empirical – relying on experiment or observation Cultural Relativism – cultures have merits or worth within their own historical and environmental contexts Important Names Alfred Wallace f. On the Tendency of Varieties to Depart Indefinitely from the Original Type (1858) g. The best adapted survived; the less well adapted perished Charles Darwin a.On the Origin of Species. (1859) b. Concept of Natural Selection c. Evolution d. isHisTheory * All species > offspring ? food supply * Variation, some more favorable * Struggle for existence * Variations > next generation * Successful variations > diff. results in next species Charles Lyell a. Uniformitarianism Cuvier a. Catastrophism Gregor Mendel a. Worked in the monastery’s garden * Experimented with fertilization of flowers (new color variations) * Fascinated by â€Å"the regul arity with which the same hybrid forms always reappeared when fertilization took place between the same species. b. Mendel’s experiments * Determine the number of different forms of hybrids * Arrange them according to generations * Attempt to evaluate the statistical relationships c. Common Garden Pea * Seed shape, seed color, flower color, pod shape, pod color, flower position, stem height d. Law of Segregation * Discrete units of genetic information are passed from one generation to the next e. Different physical expressions because some traits were dominant over others * Dominant Trait i. Visible or Measurable ii.Prevents the appearance of the recessive trait iii. Round is dominant * Recessive Trait iv. Not visible or measurable when paired with the dominant allele v. Only visible or measurable when dominant allele is absent Gould and Eldredge a. Punctuated equilibrium: the tempo and mode of evolution reconsidered Lamarck a. Theory of Acquired Characteristics Linnaeus a. A dherent to great chain of being b. Developed system of classification * Binomial nomenclature Thomas Malthus a. Population growths unrestrained by natural causes will double every 25 years. . BUT, capacity for food production increase only in a straight arithmetic progression. c. The impulse to multiply is counteracted by THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE d. THE INFINITE FERTILITY OF MANKIND VERSUS THE LIMITED SIZE & RESOURCES OF THE EARTH. e. The Dilemma of Population Growth i. Preventative checks (foresight) vs. positive check (infant mortality, famine) Chapter 2 Vocabulary Fixity of Species – the notion that species, once created, can never change, opposes biological evolution Reproductively isolated – groups or organisms, ainly because of genetic differences, are prevented from mating and reproducing offspring with members of other groups Reproductive success – the number of offspring an individual produces and rears to reproductive age; and individuals genetic con tribution to the next generation Selective pressures – forces in the environment that influence reproductive success in individuals Genome – the entire genetic makeup of an individual or species Fertility – the ability to conceive and produce healthy offspring Chapter 3 VocabularyGametes – reproductive cells (eggs and sperm in animals) Somatic cell – all cells in body except those involved in reproduction Zygote – cell formed by the union of an egg and sperm cell, contains chromosomes Nucleotides – basic units of DNA moleculeEnzymes – specialized proteins that initiate and direct chemical reactions in the body Hemoglobin – protein molecule that occurs in red blood cells and binds to oxygen molecules Mitosis – simple cell division; produces two identical daughter cells Meiosis – cell division in specialized cells in ovaries and testes Recombination – the exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes; cross-over Genome – entire genetic makeup of an individual or species Evolutionary Theory Catastrophism * Cuvier * New species could not evolve from old Time-to-time catastrophes occur, destroys all living things in certain areas * New forms populate area by migration * Incoming migrants had more modern appearance due to the result of more recent creation events Uniformitarianism * Lyell * Processes at work today = active throughout history of earth = those occurred in past * James Hutton = ancient, on-going, continuous, without end * Geological change ( earthquakes, volcanoes, etc) were consistent, uniformed, constant through time Forces of EvolutionEvolution – (Darwin) the gradual unfolding of new varieties of life from previous forms * Modern Synthesis ( 2 stage process) 1. The production and redistribution of variation (inherited differences among organisms) * Mutation (in sex cells): change in DNA, one allele changes to another, also point mutations * Mutagens are agents of mutations: chemicals, radiation, extreme temperatures * Passes to offspring in gametes not somatic cells Migration (gene flow): exchange of genes between population, migration * Genetic drift (random force): function of population size * Rare allele may not be passed to offspring due to small population, allele may disappear * Founder Effect: allele frequencies alter in small pop. that are taken from larger pop. or parents pop. , they colonize a new location 2. Natural selection (individual and population) affects their ability to successfully reproduce * 4 net reproductive success * Ex: peppered moth Great Chain of Being * Infinite series of forms: simple – complex The universe was â€Å"full† * Progressive grading: inferior – superior * Every creature’s position was â€Å"fixed† * No new species * No extinctions Species * Proposed in the 17th century * Groups of plants and animals could be differentiated by other groups b y their ability to mate with one another and produce fertile offspring (John Ray) * Frequently share similarities with other species > second level of classification > genus * Linnaeus > binomial nomenclature > genus and species names are used to refer to species * Ex: homo sapiens = human beings * Taxonomy: system of classification Genus and species * Class and order Theory of Acquired Characteristics * Jean Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) * There is a dynamic interaction between organic forms and the environment. * Characteristics that an individual might acquire in a lifetime would be passed on to succeeding generations. Principles of Inheritance Principle of Independent Assortment * The distribution of one pair of alleles into gametes does not influence the distribution of another pair * The genes controlling different traits are inherited independently of one another Principle of Segregation Genes (alleles) occur in pairs because chromosomes occur in pairs * During gamete formatio n, the members of each pair of alleles separate, so that each gamete contains one member of each pair Genes and Chromosomes Allele and Gene * Alternate forms of a gene * Sequence of DNA Chromosome * Discrete structures composed of DNA and protein found only in nuclei of cells Co-dominance * The expression of two alleles in heterozygote, the products of both are present * Ex: blood type AB Cross-over the exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes; recombination * when paired chromosomes exchange DNA, genes sometimes find themselves in different genetic environments Dihybrid crosses * These are ALWAYS the ratios of a cross between two HETEROZYGOUS individuals, when two variables are involved. * RrYy X RrYy DNA, base pair * DNA molecule has 4 chemical bases 1. Adenine = A 2. Thymine = T 3. Cytosine = C 4. Guanine = G * Except for protein synthesis * Adenine and Thymine are base pairs = AT * Cytosine and Guanine are base pairs = CG In protein synthesis RNA subs Uracil = U for Thymine * AT > AU Dominant = shows, Recessive = does not show Down’s syndrome * Trisomy 21, abnormal number of autosomes compatible with life beyond the first few years after birth * Caused by the presence of 3 copies of chromosome 21 * Mental impairment, heart defects, respiratory infections, leukemia Hemophilia * bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn't clot normally * Primarily only males * Recessive allele for hemophilia on the female â€Å"X† chromosome. * Male hemophiliacs receive the deleterious gene from their mothers. There is an equal chance that a female will have the recessive allele on one of her two â€Å"X† chromosomes. * H = Normal clotting h = Hemophilia * HH Female = Normal * Hh Female = Normal â€Å"Carrier† * HY Male = Normal * hY Male = Hemophilia Genotype = genetic make-up of a trait Phenotype = physical expression of the genotype Homologous Chromosomes = paired chromosomes, paired during meiosis and participate in cross-o ver, same loci Homozygous = same alleles Heterozygous = different alleles Pleiotropic Traits * multiple effects at different times in the life span The phenomenon of one gene being responsible for or affecting more than one phenotypic characteristic * A synergetic affect on more than one part of the body * Ex: sickle cell, albinism Polygenic Traits * Traits that are influenced by genes at 2 or more loci * Ex: skin color, eye color, hair color * Many are influenced by environmental factors * Ex: nutrition, sunlight exposure Polymorphism * Loci with more than one allele * Above 1% in the population * Traits that differ in expression between individuals and populations * Ex: ABO blood, unbalanced Protein and Amino Acids 3-D molecules that serve a wide variety of functions through their ability to bind to other molecules * Small molecules that are the components of proteins Sex Linkage * 23rd Chromosomal Pair * Females: XX * Males: XY * Homogametic versus Heterogametic * Sex linked trai ts * Ex: colorblindness, hemophilia * Male hemophiliacs receive gene from their mothers Sickle Cell Trait/Anemia ; Malaria * Hemoglobin (146 Amino Acids) * Sickle cell caused by switching one base pair (point mutation) * Heterozygous carriers are much more resistant to malarial infection * Malaria * People of all ages susceptible Four types of human malaria caused by four species of parasites (Plasmodium) * Transmitted by mosquitoes Blood and Blood Types * At least 29 human blood group systems * Antigen = large molecules found on the surface of cells , several different loci govern various antigens on red and white blood cells * Antibody – each type is unique and defends the body against one specific type of antigen * Three important blood groups: * ABO System * Four blood types: * A (dominant) antigen * B (dominant) antigen * AB(co-dominance)antigen, universal recipient * O(recessive ii)none, universal donor Alleles are designated as follows: * A = IA B = IB O= i * 4 phenoty pes 6 genotypes * Rh Factor * Another group of antigens found on red blood cells. * Rh Positive = Rh+ (Dominant allele) * Rh Negative = Rh- (Recessive allele) * Rh- blood does not agglutinate with the antiserum * Greatest problem is not with transfusions, but between mother and fetus. * A problem ONLY if the mother is Rh- and the father is Rh+ * A serum containing Anti-Rh+ may be administered to Rh- mothers after their first birth. (RhoGam) * MN Group * Three genotypes (Chromosome 4) * MM MN * NN * Appear to be no incompatibilities that cause complications during transfusions or between mother and fetus. * Co-dominant group * 3 genotypes produce 3 phenotypes Population Genetics Allopatric speciation * Speciation by geographic isolation * Gradual changes can lead to sufficient genetic differences Ecological Niche * The position of a species within its physical and biological environments * Components: diet, terrain, type of predators, vegetation, relationships with other species, and activity patterns * Niches are unique to each species * Together makes up an ecosystemFitness = measure of the relative reproductive success of individuals, genetic contribution to the next generation Gene Flow = exchange of genes between populations Gene Pool = all of the genes shared by the reproductive members of a population Hardy-Weinberg (Equilibrium Principle) * No genetic drift, mutation, migration, selection * Random mating * Math relationship of allele and genotype * A = p a = q; p + q = 1 or 100% [ alleles in gene pool] * In the absence of evolutionary processes, gene frequencies (allele frequencies) will remain constant from generation to generation * P2 + 2pq + q2 = 1 [ proportion of genotypes] AA + Aa + aa = 1 Macroevolution = changes produced only after many generations, such as the new appearance of a new species Microevolution = small changes occurring within species, such as changes in allele frequencies Phyletic Gradualism * Slow changes result in new species * T he complete fossil record of an evolving group would display a series of forms with finely graded transitional differences between each ancestor and its descendant * Many â€Å"missing links† would be present Punctuated Equilibrium Uneven, nongradual process of long stasis and quick spurts * The concept that evolutionary change proceeds through long periods of stasis punctuated by rapid periods of change * There are no â€Å"missing links†, gaps are real Random Mating = no bias in who mates; any male is assumed to have an equal chance of mating with any female Selective Pressure = forces in the environment that influence reproductive success in individuals Selective Agent = the agent or cause of the selective pressure event?Sympatric = process through which new species evolve from a single ancestral species while inhabiting the same geographic region Unit of Evolution * Population * Evolves Unit of Selection * Individual * Does not evolve Human Variation Race * breeds of domestic animals, their group measurement, or their descent from a common ancestor * Has no useful biological meaning because variations in human appearance occur on a continuum. Acclimatization * Physiological responses to changes in the environment that occur during an individual’s lifetime * Maybe be temporary or permanent Its capacity may typify an entire species or population * Under genetic influence, it’s subject to evolutionary factors such as natural selection and genetic drift Allen’s Rule * Concerns shape of the body * Colder climates = shorter appendages, adaptive for preventing heat loss * Vice versa Bergmann’s Rule * Concerns the relationship of body mass or volume to surface area * In mammals, body size is greater in population that lives in colder climates * Vice versa Kuru * Neurodegenerative disorder * Tremor and loss of balance First appeared in New Guinea * Primarily affected adult women and children * Three main stages of progressi on: * Ambulant – unsteady, tremor, speech slur * Sedentary – muscle jerks, laughter outbursts, depression and mental slowing * Terminal – Urinary and fecal incontinence, difficulty swallowing, deep ulcerations appear * Caused by cerebellar dysfunction * It is a prion disease = infectious particles composed of a protein that causes neurodegenerative disorders Kwashiorkor * Severe protein deficiency * Tissue swelling * Anemia * Loss of hair Apathy Lactase Persistence * The continued production of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose ( sugar milk) * Allows some adults to digest fresh milk products Marasmus * Caused by the combine effects of protein and calorie deficiency * PEM (protein-energy malnutrition) Osteology Bone Markers * Heterogeneous * Dynamic Organ * Constantly remodeled and replaced * Extremely responsive to stress * Bone Mass IS NOT constant Characteristics of Bone * Compact bone: * Most dense; * Least vascularized; * Often covers cancellous b one * Cancellous bone: Heavily vascularized with large sacs (marrow spaces that produce red blood cells) and pores * Subchondrial bone: * A type of compact bone located at the joints and covered with cartilage in life * Generally less dense and more vascularized than regular compact bone Bone Growth * The primary centers of growth are the DIAPHYSES; Responsible for most of the growth of long bones * Secondary centers are the EPIPHYSES and are separated from the diaphyses by the†¦ * METAPHYSES, which are thin layers of cartilage being overtaken by bone formation. This is the actual site of bone growth.Harris Line = growth interruption, nutritional deficits Human Bone Growth * Human Dental Formula = 2. 1. 2. 3 * Determine sex * Determine age * Physical characteristics of populations; * Population structure and demography; * State of health, longevity, disease during life. * Cause of death. How is this different than â€Å"Manner of Death†? * Evidence of trauma. * Nutrition al history (bone chemistry; dental wear). * Relatedness of populations (DNA and genetic bone characteristics) * Social Complexity (cultural modifications, differential nutritional status, health, grave goods). Belief systems (treatment of dead). Chapter 4 Vocabulary Hybrids – offspring of parents who differ from each other, heterozygotes Locus – the position on a chromosome where a given gene occurs Mendelian traits – characteristics that are influenced by alleles at only one genetic locus Chapter 5 Vocabulary Chordata – phylum of the animal kingdom that includes vertebrates Vertebrates – animals with segmented, bony spinal columns Homologies – similarities between organisms based on descent from a common ancestor Analogies – â€Å" †¦.. based strictly on common function Homoplasy – same evolutionary development in different groups of organisms Clade – group of organisms sharing a common ancestor Speciation  œ process by which a new species evolves from an earlier species; most basic process in macroevolution Genus – group of closely related species Chapter 12 Vocabulary Homeostasis- condition of balance or stability Population genetics – the study of the frequency of alleles, genotypes, and phenotypes in populations from a micro evolutionary perspective

Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War Essay

Some have said that the United States and Iran have been involved in a â€Å"Cold War† for three decades starting with the fall of the taking of American hostages in 1979. One could trace the problems between Iran and the United States to the installation of the Shah in the 1950s. Regardless of the origins, the fact remains that Iran and the United States consider themselves enemies. As such, it is not out of the question that a war between the United States and Iran could break out. This creates a very complex scenario because of the global economic implications of a war between Iran and the United States. Iran is, of course, a major supplier of oil to the many allies of the United States. Japan, for example, is one of the United States’ strongest allies and it receives an enormous amount of oil from Iran. Similarly, many European allies receive imports of Iranian oil. A war between Iran and the United States would have tremendous global implications. Among these many implications would be serious potential negative implications for the world’s economy. Several of these different â€Å"nightmare scenarios† will be explored in this essay. First, it is important to state there are different ways to wage war. Some methods such as supporting the overthrow of the Iranian government via supporting resistance forces might not have the impact of the global economy to the same degree as a series of surgical airstrikes or a ground invasion. In this essay, the subject of ‘war’ will be discussed in its most conventional sense. Specifically, it will be defined as a large scale, drawn out military conflict between the two nations. One of the most strategic areas the United States must consider when it comes to Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War – 2 the issue of a war with Iran is the fact that Iran is completely reliant on the importation of gasoline. Without shipping access, the ability for Iran to maintain its importation of gasoline would be impossible. Of course, it would be to the United States’ interest to enact a naval blockade on Iran to prevent the importation of gasoline. This would almost immediately lead to Iran further rationing its gasoline supply in order to effectively operate its military. While it would not be accurate to state that a naval blockade would immediately end the war (Iran’s navy could attack the US’ navy and potentially reverse the blockade) However, the scenario of no imports or exports would also cripple Iran’s ability to deliver oil to other nations in the world. This would then have potentially enormous economic impacts on the global markets. The notion that there would be serious economic implications resulting from a war between the United States and Iran has been weighed by many serious thinkers. â€Å"earlier in July when Iran tested missiles capable of reaching Israel and other corners of the Middle East, the price —of oil jumped to a new high of over $147 per barrel. In fact, some analysts see the impact of U. S. —Iran relations on the oil market as so important as to suggest the best way to give quick relief to energy consumers around the world is a declaration by the U. S. that military force is not an acceptable option in its dispute with Iran. † (Esfahani) This is why there is so much concern globally regarding a potential United States/Iranian conflict. At the core of mostly all basic economics is the theory of supply and demand. If Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War – 3 the supply of something is limited and high demand remains in place, the price of the item increases. This then creates the issue of opportunity costs. When you buy something with your money, you have eliminated the potential to use that same money for something else. In other words, if the price of gasoline skyrockets and people have to pay more for it, then they will be depleted their cash reserves or increasing their borrowing. Oil is also employed for the production of electricity which would also increase in price in the face of an oil embargo. Once again, the drain on personal finances as a result of such increased energy and fuel costs would cut into every sector of the global economy. Discretionary income would drop and leisure purchases and even the purchases of necessities would diminish rapidly. What would be the effect of this on the economies of various nations? The impact would be felt on a variety of front. The stock market, for example, would experience a great deal of negative impact as a result of such diminished spending. When people are not purchasing, the stocks of many companies may decline. After all, their profit margins could decline. Granted, there are many steps a company can take to make sure its stock price remains stable. For example, reducing the workforce or cutting spending in other areas would aid in boosting stock prices. However, if something is not done to present the lowering of stock prices, economies will take an immediate tumble. Those with investments in the market would see their net worth diminish. If one Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War – 4 sees a 25% decline in the value of their portfolio, they will see a 25% decline in their net worth. Again, this is how simple economics works and such an impact will assuredly be the result of a large scale (or even minor military skirmish) between Iran and the United States. There really would be no way to avoid such a chain of events from occurring if a war broke out between the Unites States and Iran. This is because there will be an enormous impact on the price and flow of oil if such a war was to break out. Such an occurrence could not be circumvented in any way. As one can infer, this ties heavily into the concept of aggregate demand which would be the definitive demand for goods and services in a particular economy at certain specific price levels. As one could logical infer, demand for high priced items in this situation of reduced consumer cash liquidity would certainly hamper purchases of high priced items or items that are not considered of vital importance to one’s sustenance. This can lead to s significant reduction in output – the total value of all services and goods produced in the economy – within a very short period of time. We will see the impact of this in the Mundell-Fleming Model (An aggregate demand model) which would detail the relationship between the inflation of prices combined with the actual output of goods and services. In the simplest of terms, high inflation combined with a slow decline in goods and services could prove cataclysmic for an economy. But, even with high inflation, it would be safe to say that the potential for the Mundell-Fleming model to maintain a high supply of goods and services is possible in the United States. The reason for this is that the various sectors of the United States Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War – 5 economy are so vast that there will be those able to purchase goods and services even at inflated prices. Some professions would not be as significantly impacted by high fuel or energy costs. As such, there may be a certain level of maintained stability within model even though a large section of the population may still be suffering. Issues surrounding a war with Iran are complex and far reaching. This includes the actual manner in which the war would be waged. Considering the size of the US and Iranian military, no option would be off the table in terms of how the war would be waged. Case in point, the utilization of tactical nuclear weapons by the United States may be necessitated. This is not to say that tactical nuclear missiles would be a first response or that they would be directed towards civilian targets. However, there are possibilities that could necessitate the use of such weapons by the United States. For example, Iran has tens of thousands of cruise missiles. The threat of launching thousands of these missiles into Israeli cities, European cities, or neighboring American military bases would potentially require the detonation of the missile silos with tactical nuclear arms. A wide scale Iranian invasion of neighboring countries such as Iraq could require a tactical response. Use of chemical weapons by Iran would constitute a WMD attack and lead to a nuclear response. Really, there are many different variables at work here. Again, this is not to say that a war between the United States and Iran would automatically lead to nuclear strikes. However, the potential for such strikes exist in any large scale military conflict. This would have a devastating impact on the world economy Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War – 6 for a number of reasons. The possibility of a nuclear strike destroying oil fields would be a potential scenario. The presence of radiation reducing the amount of work that can be performed on oil wells is another. Such scenarios are grim when discussed in an antiseptic manner. In the decades since the detonation of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, the horror of a nuclear strike’s effects have not been dulled on the senses of people. However, the specter of the potential use of such weapons is always present. As such, the impact – both human and economic – must be weighed. Because of the potential for a tactical nuclear strike leading to arms races in the region (Other nations will want their own nukes as a deterrent to future strikes), the need for a significant conventional force is required. This means the war will have to be funded to handle a long campaign and potentially significantly longer post-war rebuilding phase. This will cost significantly in terms of government expenditures which, in turn, means the deficit will skyrocket. With very high, out of control deficits, a number of seriously negative economic situations could develop. First, a debtor nation may not be able to provide for the common good of society. As such, it must take steps to reduce the impact of the deficit. One method involves printing more money and the other process involves increasing taxes. Both methods have the potential for significant economic harm. When a nation prints more money in order to meet obligations tied to a deficit, it the value of the currency will decrease. A weakened dollar comes with many problems. Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War – 7 Namely, investment is seriously hampered since the dollars that you amass are worth less. Additionally, there will be a disinclination on the part of foreign investors to put their money into the US market. There would be limited value for their doing so since the dollar is declining meaning their investment capital in dollars would potentially decline as well. Debt holders of US bonds would also become more nervous since they would be losing money on their investment. As pointed out in BUSINESSWEEK, â€Å"As the currency deteriorates, it becomes more expensive to import goods and services from other countries, fueling inflation. In an effort to pull investors back, central banks often raise interest rates when their national currencies lose value. But as anyone who remembers the ’70s knows, the combination of rising interest rates and on-the-run inflation can be a devastating economic cocktail. † (Rosenbush) In some cases, foreign investment is critical for the spurning of employment and economic growth. With foreign companies opting to avoid putting their money into the United States, the unemployment could increase which further raises deficit potential. This is due to the fact that more unemployed people means less tax dollars paid to the government. Additionally, unemployment creates greater dependency on welfare which also contributes to higher deficits. All of this further sets the stage for inflation which makes goods and services less affordable to the public. This further damages the economy and adds to the deficits. Tax Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War – 8 increases are commonly pointed to as a solution, but their value is limited. When money is taken out of the private sector and placed in the treasury, it makes job creation harder. This, in turn, makes economic recover more difficult as well. If an economic recovery if difficult to expedite, then it becomes much harder to get out of it. That is because the sheer volume of economic pain induced by the many months or years of poor economic factors and growth create complexities and problems that multiply. Again, this makes reversing a poor economy more difficult. As such, some may wonder why the United States’ policy towards Iran may be so hard lined. The reason is that not treating Iran as a threat could prove equally harmful to economic and security interests. Iran’s agitation towards the United States prime allies is not helpful for US strategic security. Also, Iran’s potential domination of the other oil countries in the Middle East does not appeal to US economic interests. As such, there will be perpetual tension between the two countries. Hopefully, such tensions will not lead to war but preparedness for such actions is required. Considering the economic impact of such action, war should be the perennial last resort or option to be executed. So, far it has been averted and will hopefully remain averted for the foreseeable future. Most do not tie the economic ramifications to military action. However, the two are intertwined. Wars need to be funded and there are additional economic costs associated with military action. This is why sensible nations do not rush to war and as well they should not. But, this does not mean a nation should not prepare for the potential worst case scenario.While the US is not is a rush to engage Iran militarily, it understands the potential for such a conflict needs to be adequately prepared for. Works Cited Esfahani, e. (2008, September). The Economic consequences of us-iran relations. Retrieved from http://www. ideals. illinois. edu/bitstream/handle/2142/9093/ policy_brief. esfahani. final. pdf? sequence=2 Rosenbush, S. (2004, November 12). The Pros and cons of a weak dollar. Businessweek, Retrieved from http://www. businessweek. com/bwdaily/ dnflash/nov2004/nf20041112