Friday, November 29, 2019
Star Appliance Company Essay Example
Star Appliance Company Essay This paper will discuss how Star Appliance Company managed its cost of capital and plan for future investments. The paper will reveal corporate problems and present relevant management theories to lead the company into a solution. The underlying problems consist of choosing a new and more efficient financing strategy, and designing more accurate method of evaluating investment projects. Previously, the company was having positive sales performances which indirectly cause the problem to be hard to identify. However, as the company needed to expand their business, the new financial officer discovered several inefficiencies in managing corporate financing strategies and evaluating future investment. The condition was described by the WACC method. The paper will present alternatives of solutions for the problem and in the end choose the most beneficial one for the case. The company must adopt a new financing strategy which incorporates a balanced proportion between debt and equity financing instruments. The company must also design a new evaluation strategy for the new investment projects which incorporate risks premiums, additional cost of investments and a margin of error in forecasting future cash flow. The financial department has obtained increasing roles in the corporate management concept. In previous times, marketing department projects sales, production department determined the necessary amount of assets required in order to meet the projections, and the financial department’s function was only to provide funds for providing other department with their requirements. However, this model of management is obsolete and replaced by more coordinated types of decision making, where financial managers are responsible for planning as well as controlling activities. This reflects the increasing importance of good financial considerations in each decision of the corporation. We will write a custom essay sample on Star Appliance Company specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Star Appliance Company specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Star Appliance Company specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer According to Weston and Brigham (1996), there are several detailed activities related to financial management. One of them is the activity of making investment and financing decisions. In line with corporate long term strategy, financial managers must provide funds to support growth. Successful companies usually have high rate of sales, which required additional factory investment, equipment and current assets to produce goods and services. In the more coordinated decision making activities, financial managers must help determining the optimum sales level and make decisions on specific investment that will be performed. Within those activities, there are also questions of whether to use internal or external financing, debt or equity financing, and short or long term debts. These are important aspects of corporate management that could determine whether the company is heading to success or financial failure. Within this paper, I am discussing the importance of considering cost of assets in corporate financial management. The case study will be the Star Appliance Company in 1977. In this paper, I will describe the problems within Star Appliance Company financial management and offer recommendation to solve existing problems within the company. II.                Problems Within the Star Company II.1     Corporate Background The Star Appliance Company is a successful business of manufacturing home appliances, especially electric stoves and ovens. Soon after the company was established in 1922, it receives a warm welcome from the growing market for home appliances. The company focuses on providing its customers with premium types of home appliances with a slightly higher margin than its competitors. In a short time, the company managed to gather significant market share due to its reputation of providing high quality appliances. Corporate financial strategy –to use equities instead of debts- has seemed to be working splendidly as The Company was able to survive the great depression and maintain its existence with smaller-based operations but strong financial structure within the company. However, management has become aware that there are problems in maintaining profitable operations with existing lines. The company plans to enrich its product lines, but there are some concerns regarding how the company managed its cost of capital. Without strong financial management capabilities, investments in new product lines could destroy corporate profitability instead of developing it. Therefore, these problems must be addressed first. II.2     Hurdle Rates In simple understanding, hurdle rate means the minimum acceptable rate of return on a capital investment project. It is required to measure the limitation of when an investment is no longer considered profitable. The calculation has the basic logic of requiring returns to be higher than the cost of investment. However it also incorporate several factors such as the cost of risk, inflation, etc. It is a comprehensive look on how an investment will increase the wealth of the shareholders. Mathematically, the hurdle rate consists of the cost of the capital plus the project’s risk premium (‘The Hurdle Rate, 2006). II.2.1  Corporate Hurdle Rates The company seemed lacked logical reasoning to determine its hurdle rate. Corporate hurdle rate is based only by an experience on previous return of equity. According to the elaboration above, this policy is vulnerable to risks and provides low assurance for profit. The company must determine a new and more reasonable hurdle rate by incorporating factors such as cost of capital and risk premium (‘The Hurdle Rate’, 2006) II.2.2  Cost of Capital The cost of capital must be included within an investment calculation simply because we do not want to invest where we it provides us with no profit what so ever. Nevertheless, because obtaining money results additional costs, the concept cost of capital must include two things: the project cost and the financing cost. To be acceptable, a project must have a rate of return that exceeds the project cost plus the financing cost (‘The Hurdle Rate’, 2006) II.2.3  Risk Premium Nevertheless, cost of capital itself still does not provide a logical measurement toward a good financing decision. This is because every return from different sets of investment has a different degree of assurance. If the investment has less than 100% assurance for the return, then a risk premium must be included in the calculation of financing decision. However, the rate of risk premium must be set very in a very careful manner. Inadequate amount of risk premium will put our investment if jeopardy, on the other hand, over assuming the amount of risk premium will eliminate some profitable projects from consideration (‘The Hurdle Rate, 2006). II.3     Financing Alternatives and Inflation II.3.1  Corporate Financing Strategy As mentioned in the case study, the company ha a unique strategy of financing. The company depends on equity financing methods a lot more than debt financing methods. On other words, the company survived through its years mostly by selling corporate equities. According to the case study, this is possible because the company has a remarkable reputation as a premium producer of household appliances and able to maintain good relationship with its affiliates. Nevertheless, Arthur Foster, the financial president of the company seemed confuse about corporate unwillingness to use debt instruments. Debt instruments have a considerably lower cost than equity, especially after incorporating tax into the calculation. The company might want to reconsider its policies of financing instruments. Furthermore, he argues that a proper additional margin must also be incorporated into the calculation to offset the effect of inflation. II.3.2  Debt and Equity Instruments The company prefers the equity financing because it has lower cost and smaller legal risk. However, due to corporate policy of increasing dividend rate, the alternative is no longer providing more efficiency compare to debt instruments. Generally, debt instruments will result a slightly higher capital cost and they would require monthly payment, nevertheless, they do not have the risk of loosing corporate control to shareholders. Moreover, if the company is able to maintain the good credibility toward creditors, after some time they would be more than happy to facilitate the company with debt extensions. On the other hand, the equity instruments are a tool of obtaining additional funds through affiliates or partners. These means management will loose more of the corporate control as the equity instruments build sups inside the company. Generally, the best option is to keep the proper balance between debt and equity financing instruments. Because the good balance differs among industry, the Star Appliance Company must put some effort in finding its own financing balance (‘Financing’, 2006). II.3.3  Inflation As stated by many economists in the late 1970’s, inflation was a significant factor influencing the cost of capital. A study by Cohen (1997) however, revealed that until today, inflation is still a significant influence for cost of capital. Inflation, even at its low rates, increases the user cost of capital significantly. If the rate of inflation decreases, the marginal gain in investment is greater compare to the rate of the decrease. This reflects the stronger effect of inflation toward cost of capital. Therefore, inflation should be incorporated in every investment analysis. II.4.    Risk, Legal Fees and margin of Error The last of Foster’s concerns is about how the company accounts for investment risks that are significantly larger than the others. There are opinions that riskier information should be evaluated using higher hurdle rates. Furthermore, Foster believed that there should be a margin to account for the existence of legal fees such as safety, and environmental costs. This margin is required to prevent the additional costs to eat away corporate profit from the investment. Finally, the investments must also calculate a margin of error, in order to account for unexpected disturbance in the forecasting process. In case of using different hurdle rates for different projects, management theories favor the opposite. According to several management theories, investment and financing consideration has different factors that must not be brought together. Investment decisions are based on the consideration of which project are the most profitable, while financing decisions should focus on supporting investment decision and not altering it. III.             Star Company Cost of Equity Cost of Equity is measured by various indicators. However, one of the most utilized is the Weighted Average Cost of Capital ratio. A firm’s WACC is the overall required return on the firm as a whole. In simple terms, the ratio accounts for every possibility of financing a corporation. According to the WACC concept, a corporation can either be financed by debt, preferen stock or common stock. The WACC put all of these factors into equation that resulted the average interest the company must pay for every dollar it finances. The calculation is as follows: WACC = w1k1(1-T) + w2k2 + w3k3 W1       = percentage of debt K1        = the rate of interest W2       = percentage of preferen stock K2        = cost of preferen stock W3       = percentage of common equity K3        = cost of common equity (Weston Brigham, 1996) According to existing data, the company financed most of its investments using retained earnings. The company did not have any long-term debt, which means that the w1 and k1 equals to 0. The case study also reveals that the company did not have any preferred stock within corporate balances sheet, which mean that the w2 and k2 equals to 0. Thus, the only variable exist within Star Appliance Company’s WACC is the common stock variable. Without the presence of debt and preferred stock, If we calculate the number of dividend paid and divide the result with total common stock of the company, then we will obtain a very high number of WACC. nbsp; Calculation : WACC (1978)                       = percentage of common stock * (dividend paid/ total value of common stock) WACC (1978)                       = 100% * [(dividend/share * total shares common stock)/total value of common stock] WACC (1978)                       = 100% * [(1.52 * 13,414,268)/ 27,835,000] WACC (1978)                       = 73% nbsp; The number means that on the period that ended December 31, 1978, the company paid as much as 73% for equity financing instruments. This is due to corporate operation to increase the rate of dividend paid, in order to satisfy shareholders. Despite corporate ability to sustain corporate operations and investment activities, the number is extremely high. Observing corporate financial structure, the company could easily obtain additional funding from debt instruments. Debts would have a much lower capital cost compare to the ‘sky-reaching’ dividend rate. nbsp; IV.             Recommendation From the case study, we are able to capture two main problems of the Star Appliance Company. The first point is the problem of choosing from alternatives financing instrument. Arthur Foster believed that despite the acceptable state of corporate financial performance at the time, the company could be a lot more efficient by altering its financing strategy. The second issue is that of choosing between different methods of evaluating alternative investments. There are several alternatives of solution forth both problems. nbsp; IV.1    Choosing Financing Instruments The first choice is to maintain corporate policy of using retained earnings and equity instruments in financing. This alternative will not create a problem for the company in the short-run. However, in the long-run, the company would need to expand its business by performing investment activities that require large amount of funds. This condition has been described in the case study as the company is trying to finance three projects with existing resource. In order to move forward with this project, the company needs to increase the efficiency of its financial structure. Maintaining current financing strategy will deny the company from further profitable investments using the projects. The second choice is to use debt instruments to cover the needs for investment. This alternative could provide the company with large amount of funds, considering the company did not yet have a balance of long-term debt. However, debt instruments are known for its slightly higher cost compare to standard equity instrument’s cost. It also requires a monthly payment that could be a burden if occurred in large proportions. Furthermore, companies overburdened with debts generally less favored by shareholders and future investors. The third alternative is to maintain a balance between debt and equity financing. This can be achieved by observing the debt-to-equity ratio and maintaining it within the proper balance. Some companies believe that a good company would not have a debt-to-equity ratio of more than 3 to 1. However, a good balance for debt-to-equity financing differs within each industry and the company must benchmark to other sin the industry to find the right balance. nbsp; IV.2   Methods of Choosing Investment Projects Within this issue, foster emphasizes several important points: methods of determining the proper hurdle rate, incorporating inflation, incorporating legal cost and a margin of error. The first alternative is to remain practicing existing investment evaluation method: using 10% hurdle rate, with little consideration of inflation cost, legal cost and a margin of error. This method will result all three projects to be acceptable alternatives. The company might be able to successfully financed all three projects if it apply for further external financing instruments, however, the level of accuracy within the calculation will be low and there will be no certainty of the real cash flow that will be received in following years. The second alternative would be to incorporate financing costs, risk premium, inflation, legal cost and a margin of error. There is no sufficient data to perform these types of calculation within this paper. However, it can be estimated that the second alternative will not be acceptable according to the new hurdle rate and the new evaluation standard. The third alternative is to incorporate financing costs, risk premium, inflation, legal cost, margin of error and additional margin for riskier investments that require additional asset. This alternative will present a more accurate calculation of existing projects, but it will influence investment decisions with consideration of financing, something that will reduce investment activities considerably. nbsp; V.               Solution In choosing financing alternatives, the best solution for Star Appliance Company is to start using considerable debt instrument. The target is to balance the proportion between debt and equity. The company should have no difficulties in obtaining additional funds from debt instruments because of its good reputation and zero balance of long term debt. The balanced proportion between debt and equity instruments will lead to efficient financial management and resulted optimum capacity for further investment activities. In designing methods of evaluating investment projects, the company should choose to incorporate inflation, legal fees and margin of error, but should not choose to make additional margins for relatively riskier projects. Each project should be calculated using similar percentage of hurdle rate plus additional costs mentioned previously. nbsp; VI.             Conclusion Unlike most companies, the company seemed to have no problem in marketing and selling its premium product. However, the premium profits caused management to neglect efficiency concerns in managing its operations and investment decisions. The problem became visible as the company appointed new financial officer and tried to plan for further investment. Despite previous success, company’s WACC displayed that corporate cost of capital is significantly higher than average. The new financial officer mentioned problems such as the lack consideration of inflation, legal fees and margin of error in evaluating new projects. These factors are important in providing managers with accurate investment decisions and accurate predictions of cash flow. For example, according to a study by Cohen (1997) inflation has a significant effect in cost of capital. Furthermore, not incorporating legal fees and margin of error will eat away the profit of the investment. The solution presented for the company is to redesign its financing strategy into a balanced proportion between debt and equity. In terms of evaluating investment activities, the company should incorporate additional fees and a margin of error.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Free Essays on Economic Conditions In England And Their Part In Encouraging Western Colonization
From the Spanish Conquistadors to the Virginia Company, influences from the government and the environment have helped to stir excitement and intrigue into the minds of those who colonized the world we live in now. There were many factors, both social and political, that urged colonization. Economic situations in England were the main factors in motivating colonization of the New World. The economic circumstances of the time led to a need for new products and a new place to build your own life, free from some of the restrictions of the mother country. Life as they knew it, was going to drastically change. A first look at the New World lent itself to an image of complete freedom. The New World promised new social opportunities. England’s rigid social system did not lend itself for social climbing or personal success. You’re place in society was your place in society. There was no leeway for you to move upward. Add in the Rule of Primogeniture, which states that only the first-born son can inherit the estate in reference to nobility, and you have several non-first born sons looking to make their mark on society. The obvious place to do this would be the Americas. In the Americas, North America when referring to the areas settled by the English, land was cheap and you could create your own â€Å"kingdom†. Non-first born sons became landowners and officials. Also, without the strict supervision of the mother country, it was possible to bend the rules a little bit and allow for a more elastic social ladder. Upward mobility was possible for the first time in an English-based society. Moreover, other aspects of society that motivated this new exploration and discovery were the political aspects. It began in 1533 when King Henry VIII formed his own church. Seeking to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragà ³n, against the wishes of the Catholic Church, he formed a church where he could divorce freely and where he was the ... Free Essays on Economic Conditions In England And Their Part In Encouraging Western Colonization Free Essays on Economic Conditions In England And Their Part In Encouraging Western Colonization From the Spanish Conquistadors to the Virginia Company, influences from the government and the environment have helped to stir excitement and intrigue into the minds of those who colonized the world we live in now. There were many factors, both social and political, that urged colonization. Economic situations in England were the main factors in motivating colonization of the New World. The economic circumstances of the time led to a need for new products and a new place to build your own life, free from some of the restrictions of the mother country. Life as they knew it, was going to drastically change. A first look at the New World lent itself to an image of complete freedom. The New World promised new social opportunities. England’s rigid social system did not lend itself for social climbing or personal success. You’re place in society was your place in society. There was no leeway for you to move upward. Add in the Rule of Primogeniture, which states that only the first-born son can inherit the estate in reference to nobility, and you have several non-first born sons looking to make their mark on society. The obvious place to do this would be the Americas. In the Americas, North America when referring to the areas settled by the English, land was cheap and you could create your own â€Å"kingdom†. Non-first born sons became landowners and officials. Also, without the strict supervision of the mother country, it was possible to bend the rules a little bit and allow for a more elastic social ladder. Upward mobility was possible for the first time in an English-based society. Moreover, other aspects of society that motivated this new exploration and discovery were the political aspects. It began in 1533 when King Henry VIII formed his own church. Seeking to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragà ³n, against the wishes of the Catholic Church, he formed a church where he could divorce freely and where he was the ...
Friday, November 22, 2019
To what degree are we responsible for manipulating our own Essay
To what degree are we responsible for manipulating our own consciousness - Essay Example This essay suggests that changes in that perceptival bias result in different perceptions of the world, different experiences of being, and ultimately a different structure for human consciousnessâ€â€and that these difference can be, in many ways, better. Too often, we humans tend to believe that sight is a first, most fundamental sense. We map the process of understanding by way of visual metaphorsâ€â€seeing someone else's point, having in-sight, pushing past old horizons. Even the idea of â€Å"understanding†implies standing upright, a practice that helped early humans differentiate themselves from other animals in part because of better sight-lines. This emphasis on sight has both biological and sociological origins, in that philosophy and art have often emphasized the visual over other senses. As Pallasmaa notes, the â€Å"invention of perspectival representation made the eye the center point of the perceptual world as well s of the concept of the self†(Pa llasmaa 283). And yet, when we are deprived of sight, we do not lose our capacity to think or comprehend. Instead, it turns out the old cliche is true, and that the loss of one sense heightens the others. This is precisely what happened with John Hull, whose loss of sightâ€â€his â€Å"deep blindness†â€â€was the â€Å"prerequisite for the full development, the heightening, of his other senses†(Sacks 507). ... e â€Å"focus†on sight perhaps because it seems most obviously self-reflective; we can see ourselves seeing, a recursive act not with smell or taste or even sound. But our brains do not treat sight as if it is some singular sense, somehow greater or ontologically distinct from the rest of our embodied lives. Instead, â€Å"there is increasing evidence from neuroscience for the extraordinarily rich interconnected and interactions of the sensory areas of the brain, and the difficulty, therefore, of saying that anything is purely visual or purely auditory, or purely anything†(Sacks 514). In many ways we might even consider this myth of sight's preeminent value less for what it gives us as conscious being and more as what it takes from us. Whenever bias toward one perspective becomes pronounced enough that it begins to exclude other perspectives, or to limit the capacity to imagine alternatives, then the opportunity cost has become too pronounced. This seems to me to be w hat is happening with our culture's ocular-centrism; the emphasis on sight and vision encourages certain ways of being that are unfortunate: A culture that seeks to control its citizens is likely to promote the opposite direction of interaction, away from intimate individuality and identification towards a public and distant detachment. A society of surveillance is necessarily a society of the voyeuristic and sadistic eye (Pallasmaa 287). In today's culture in particular, with its readily available mobile cameras, social media, government surveillance, private surveillance, and the erosion of the cultural norm of privacy, it seems almost impossible to take issue with Pallasmaa's assessment: while we gain as a culture from the perspective we gain from our sense of vision, there is a moment wherein that
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Politics Issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Politics Issues - Assignment Example According to Francis Fukuyama the philosopher, political economist, and author, the arrival of the western liberal democracy may indicate demolishing of humanity’s sociocultural evolution and the final structure of the human regime. The explanations of arguments in favor of his statement are: According to Francis Fukuyama the philosopher, political economist, and author, the arrival of the western liberal democracy may indicate demolishing of humanity’s sociocultural evolution and the final structure of the human regime. The explanations of arguments in favor of his statement are:ïÆ'Ëœ Political Argument – Wars and conflicts between nations arise out of in different political systems. As additional numbers of the country accept liberal democracy as their main structure of government, wars among them will no longer take place. ïÆ'Ëœ Empirical argument – There has been a shift for the States in the beginning of the 19th century which was meant to accept a few type of liberal democracy to be its government, better explained as the government that has individual rights like the right to free speech much better to the rights of the state. ïÆ'Ëœ Philosophical argument –Fukuyama observes the power of thymos or human spiritedness. He argues that democracy hampers behaviors which are risky. Progressive balanced thought illustrates that the responsibility of master and slave are indecisive and self-defeating and hence not accepted by lofty spirits. Democracy Signaled the â€Å"End of History†According to the Social scientist, Francis Fukuyama democracy signaled the â€Å"end of history†due to the failure of Communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and realism triumph of liberal democracy above all other outlines of political ideology (Blunden, â€Å"The End of History and the Last Man†).Â
Monday, November 18, 2019
Multi Channel Merchandising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Multi Channel Merchandising - Essay Example "Super" shoppers, as they are identified in the report, are more likely to be customers of all three channels and purchase four times more frequently online than the average online shopper. "Super" shoppers purchase from a retailer's store 70% more frequently than the average store customer and 110% more frequently from the retailer's catalog. The study reports that reaching the "super" multi-channel customer is primary to a retailers' success. Retailers face big risks if they don't support their online channel. Significant levels of cross-channel purchasing were reported. Online shoppers were found to be the most active, with 78% purchasing from both the Web site and the brick-and-mortar store. Among those with a preference, 73% of store shoppers prefer to research their purchases online. Store shoppers in the 35-44 age group were 24% more likely to look for or purchase items in-store that they previously had seen on a retailer's Web site. Shoppers with household incomes between $75,000 and $99,999 were 55% more likely to browse online before buying. Multi-channel retail excellence remains elusive. Many retail executives readily acknowledge that they are far from realizing rewards from true multi-channel integration. Discussions with retail executives showed a wide range of sophistication levels across a number of important business areas. Some retailers have received buy-in from senior executives and are measuring Return On Investment (ROI) in an advanced way -- using tangible revenue results and intangible factors. Other retailers are just beginning to take ROI issues to senior executives and are struggling with internal conflict over...Of course many a housewife would tell you shopping is more than purchasing a need or a want. It is an experience in itself. The concept of retail therapy is not a new one and will probably be never out of fashion. The Wall street learnt what these housewives knew already in the dot-com bust. The learning which came out this was that net would continue to be an effective tool in retailing but it was not necessarily a either/or proposition. All companies needed to have a presence on the net and other areas to reach a new market of customers. A Key report came out in 2001 after the dust settled on the dotcom bust2. The summary of it was as follows: The majority of retailers looking at ROI in an advanced manner have history behind them-they tend to be catalog retailers, and according to this research, their importance to the future of multi-channel retailing excellence is crucial. According to a report by the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), the industry body for e-retailers, online spending rose to 4.2 billion in July, up 80 per cent year on year. While this is great news for a retail industry blighted by poor high street sales, such surveys provide only a top line view of consumer behaviour. Without doubt, this surge in online activity denotes growing consumer confidence, despite escalating fears of identity theft and poor online security.
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Climate Change And Effects On Hospitality Industry Environmental Sciences Essay
Climate Change And Effects On Hospitality Industry Environmental Sciences Essay This report overall discuss about the global climate change or global warming and its serious impacts on the whole world. In detail it discusses about how global warming is caused, what is the main epidemic for the climate change, its direct effects on the hospitality industry. Further it tells about the latest IPCC report which tells how deep is everyone in water and discusses about the future projected changes. Later this report discuss about the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme proposed by Australian Government where it briefly tells about what is CPRS and its impacts specially on Australian tourism industry. This report also analysed one of the worlds leading 5 star properties in terms of how eco friendly is that property. In the end of the report it discuss about the recent conference held in Copenhagen regarding the global climate change and the new laws and issues that were raised by keeping tourism in focus. Climate change had begun a long time ago, but it knocked the unconsciousness of human mind a bit late when theses changes were at their peak. In other words people actually started to pay serious attention to these changes when they heard from the mouth of scientists, when they saw on T.V. that the meetings were been held all around the world and saw the consequences with their own naked eyes and believed that this is not a joke but is a matter of serious consideration. The change in climate started to occur more than 2 decades ago. Now the question that arises over here is who is responsible for all this and how to cope up with the situation like this? Further this report will discuss about the factors due to which the planet earth is facing devastating changes in its environment, its impact on the innocent people and also on the Australian hospitality industry. Global Warming and its impacts on the whole world This report basically discusses about the changes that are taking place in the earths environment. The term environment refers to features that lie outside the system under consideration and separated from the system by a boundary. The boundary acts as a control on the flows that take place from the system into the environment. This flow could be of anything, it could be the flow of money, pollution or information. But our major concern in this report is the flow of earths ecological system. Now the boundary of our ecological system has become totally semi permeable which was permeable before. Semi Permeable boundary simply means that the boundary is getting thick day by day that it is preventing all the green house gasses such as methane, nitrogen etc. and other invisible radiation to escape, which in turn increasing the temperature of earth constantly resulting in Global Warming. The term global warming is defined as a system of multipliers devised to enable warming effects of di fferent gases to be compared. Global warming is not just about warming of the planet, its also about the imbalance which gets created in the environment. For example over the past few years some irrelevant changes have been seen in few countries such as the place which is supposed to get good amount of rain faced severe drought and on the other hand the places which were meant to be dried got heavily flooded. From the latest research it has been found that the amount of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere has crossed 300ppm which had never happened in 650,000 years. The limit has gone above more than 382ppm where 450ppm being the dangerous sign. The reason is fairly simple i.e. increased pollution in the earths ecological system which in turn has increased the green house effect as well and the increased human activities. Green house gases consists gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and CFCs. One thing to be noticed over here is that the major contributor of gree n house gases is carbon and as discussed above the annual carbon emission has grew above 80%. Because of the green house effect the icebergs down in arctic are melting and rising the sea level all around the world, due to which the oceans are getting hotter and hotter by absorbing the huge amount of carbon radiation resulting into hurricanes, typhoons and tornados. The increase in the emission of GHGs is because of increasing human activities day by day. These activities involve the burning of fossil fuels such as crude oil, coal etc. that are limited in quantity and non renewable sources of energy. This means the more the, people more the burning of fossil fuels and more the pollution will be created. Human influences have very likely contributed to rise in sea level, likely contributed changes in the wind patterns leading to storms, typhoons, hurricanes etc. Not only human beings contribute to global warming, animals also contribute such as cows, sheeps etc. They release methane g as which when comes out becomes more poisonous because of the way their digestive system is created. According to recent IPCC report (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) the annual Arctic sea ice extent has shrunk from 2.7% to 8% per decade since 1978, which is an increase of 5.3% resulting in declination of snow and glaciers in both hemispheres. There is a medium confidence that the continuous change in climate is also affecting the agriculture at northern hemisphere such as early spring planting of crops and alternations in disturbance regimes of forests because of inability to adapt changes. As the earth is getting hotter and hotter the amount of water present on the earth is decreasing because of evaporation. Mount Everest which is the source of water for many countries such as India, Nepal, China etc. is losing the ice continuously which is not a good sign. Everything has some negative effects and some positive effects which can be proven by the simple example of melting of ice, good effect is that some countries get water to drink whereas the bad effect is that it also leads to rise in sea level. This is not only affecting human beings its also affecting the natural habitat. Due to global warming the bird babies and other babies are getting born immature and weak and also prior to their actual birth timings. This pollution has also decreased the protective layer which protects from mosquitoes and lots of other deadly infections, the major protective layer is the ozone layer. The depletion in the ozone layer has increased the chances of skin cancer. The movie Six Degrees tells that how does earth changes its form even if the overall temperature of earth just increases by 1 degree centigrade. The increase of 1 degree can result into bushfires that is one of the common things for Australia. Six degrees is the last stage and beyond that earth will no longer exist Future climate changes and its impacts As per the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) in the next 20 years there will be 70% increase in global GHGs with no fossil fuels left. Furthermore there is projected warming of 0.5 degrees centigrade for next two decades even if all the GHGs are kept under control, a further warming of 0.2 degrees centigrade is expected. In the regional areas snow contraction and increase in thaw depth is likely to occur. Increase in frequency of hot extremes, tropical cyclones and increase in precipitation in high latitudes are some of the expected changes. Some of the systems and sectors that are very likely to be affected by the climate change would be terrestrial areas such as tundra, mediterranean type of ecosystems because of reduction in rainfall, coastal and marine areas due to multiple stresses, population living in low latitudes. The most vulnerable part of the world which will be affected would be Asia and Africa because of large population and high exposure to sea level ri se. Effects on Hospitality Industry The hospitality industry is an international industry emerging worldwide. This industry is extremely important for the economy. Climate change can now be seen as a fundamental issue with major influences on tourism. Hospitality industry does not cause any kind of environmental pollution nor does it consume large amounts of non renewable sources and therefore this industry is not in the front line of environmental concern. This industry is made up of vast majority of small operations which intakes minute amounts of energy, water, food, paper etc. but it does add small amount of pollution to the environment in terms of noise, smoke, chemical pollutants. The hotel industry damages the environment by releasing some carbon emissions and CFCs that comes out of the air conditioners and refrigerators, by wasting energy, food, water. These are some of the ways by which the hospitality industry ruins the environment a bit. Now because of this pollution the hospitality industry has also been a ffected. The hotels that rely on the nature itself for example snow, mountains, lakes or oceans etc. will no longer exist because as the temperature is increasing there will be no ice, sea etc. Climate change has a large potential to totally destroy the hospitality and tourism industry. Climate change will heavily have its impact on this industry by changing the destination patterns and by changing the decisions of the industry. Since tourism industry totally depends on natural environment certain types of tourism will get affected such as winter sports, lake and sea, mountain, fishing etc. The coral reef that are present under water have started to dry out, the sea animals have started to die and this will eventually result into less number of tourist which means less profit and less profit is equal to deep loss for the hotel. The reason is people actually want to see natural beauty, they dont to see just the empty ocean. If the local environment near the hotel will not be clean no one will go to that hotel. If a hotel is situated at a location where due to climate change that place is getting heavy rains that place could end up in flood, because of which the tourist would feel unsafe to go there even if the hotel is offering good incentives. Overall it has been seen that the industry is very much vulnerable to bad news or events, this is the only industry which contributes the maximum amount to the countrys GDP. Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Australia is a hot and dry country and has started to face the impacts at a very high speed. In last 12 years the country has experienced 11 hottest years and it is expected that by the end of this century the temperature will rise by 5 degrees, as a result the national treasures including Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu etc. that support the industry will be in danger. Carbon pollution reduction scheme will led industries to pay for the pollution they create from the carbon in other words putting tax on the usage of carbon and this will set a limit on Australias contribution to carbon pollution. This scheme is a cap and trade emissions model created to decline Australias emissions of green house gases. This scheme covers emissions from transport, industrial wastes, overall this scheme will cover 75% of Australias green house gases. This schemes main objective is to reduce green house emissions by between 5 and 15% below 2000 levels by the year 2020 and 60% from 2000 levels by the year 20 50 If all the industries in the country follow this scheme there will be a reduction of 15% for sure. This scheme is the lowest cost way to protect the interests of business and households, it will also motivate the major polluting industries to move towards the cleaner future. The CPRS affects the tourism industry in very much economical way. Tourism industry accounts a total of 3.7% of total GDP and it contributes around 10.5% of total exports of goods and services because of international relations. With the CPRS the real GDP will fall because the emissions price under this scheme act as a tax which as a result will reduce the economic efficiency and the tourism industry will slightly experience a contraction with the general shrinkage of the economy as whole. Moreover this scheme will push up the costs for tourism industry which could make Australia more expensive destination. As the Australian tourism industry is vulnerable to climate change it will influence all the natural assets on which the industry depends and the rise in price of travel and tourism caused by CPRS will further decline the tourist demand. Within this industry aviation is the one which will face a larger consequence from the CPRS as aviation is the core part of Australian tourism industry. The CPRS is going to increase the emission because of the increasing fuel prices. Furthermore the CPRS is expected to affect particularly leisure and regional routes which in turn limits the airlines to pass through cost of carbon. The CPRS will increase the potential for the substitution by increasing the price of domestic aviation. Therefore giving a negative impact on domestic tourism and providing incentives for outbound travel making Australia an importer of tourism and eventually resulting in high risk of carbon leakage. The CPRS will reduce real disposable incomes which will then reduce the do mestic tourism within Australia. Environmental analysis Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas is one of the finest 5 star properties. This property is a resort type of property with natural beauty all around. This property is very serious in regards to environment. According to the primary research this hotel recycles the oil instead of draining it away, which could result into sea pollution. They simply recycle it every time and use it for future purposes. They use CFC free chemicals used to clean toilets, glasses and all. They also use solar energy throughout the hotel which helps them to save a lot of electricity. Since it is a golf resort they actually use electric golf carts instead of using the one which runs with petrol or diesel. From the secondary research it has been found that the water which gets waste, they recycle it and use it for watering the areas such as golf course. They offer guests to use bath towels in order to reduce the detergent amount. Electricity is also reduced by using the CFL bulbs and lights and guests are asked to turn off their lights when not in use. This hotel practise waste minimisation and separate glass, paper and plastic for recycling. Sheraton Mirage has a large swimming pool where it uses the sea water that directly comes there. Copenhagen Conference Recently there had been a conference in Copenhagen in Denmark regarding the global climate change in which all the countries around the world took part. In the conference a lot of suggestion were been given such as if petroleum based economy is converted into sun based economy. This will enable human kind by combining intellect and technology to enable advance human activities. A lot of issues were raised in relation to transport as it emits 870 million tonnes of carbon each year. The UNFCC decided to take necessary actions in two ways, one is by including emissions in national totals and taking it as a purely accounting measure and the other is by setting the target for the two sectors and mandating IMO and ICAO to agree on global sector policies within a limited timeframe. The shipping industry could rise their annual allowances by $ 25 billion. Conclusion The conclusion of this report that comes out is that the whole world is in danger as the global warming is at its peak point. But this is not the end of the world, it can still be controlled if everyone starts to think over it. This is not a joke, its the time to get serious. If the people will take serious action over it such as by adapting new policies which will then help them to cope up with the climate changes. The only recommendation that could be made at this point is that people should start measuring the amount of carbon they use and by recycling the stuff rather than to throw away and by saving the resources as much as they could.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Psycho :: essays research papers
In about 2 or 3 pages discuss the significance of this piece of dialogue and tell how this scene encapsulates one of the pervading themes of the film. In Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock, the conversation between Marion and Norman has shown extreme importance to both the plot and the themes of the movie. As the movie shown Norman’s psychotic mind, we but give great evidence of how the environment had influence on him. With the comparison of other character’s personalities, audiences are actually persuaded back to see the similarity of his mind to normal people’s. Traps are also discussed in this significant dialogue, to show his logical thinking of his situation. As scenes of logics shown from Norman comes up one by one, Norman’s rational process of thinking give as a big question ‘Is he really a Psycho or just the smartest murderer?’ In comparison from Norman Bates’ psychotic mind to Marion Crane and Sam Loomis’s, they are very similar as shown in one of the example in the dialogue. In the dialogue, Norman’s logical explanation of his situation has shown his rational mind, as normal as any other people. He explained to Marion his loyalty to his mother which if her mother really is like described, he is the best boy a mother can have. In comparison to Marion, the psycho has actually even more logically than she is - a normal person, as he point out she can’t hide from the traps once she choose to step on them. ‘I think that we’re all in our private traps-clamped in them. And none of us can ever get out. We- we scratch for all of it but we never budge an inch.’ The logic of his mind can even explain and redirect a normal person, and therefore, the dialogue is very significant in the proving of Norman Bates is actually a very clever person. Even, after their conversation, the murder of Marion to Norman’s personality is a symbol of sexual act or rape in his psychotic mind. In comparison to Marion and Sam, his sexual desire is similar to their unrespectable affairs in hotel rooms. These shows the complication of Norman Bates mind is actually going the same way as any other normal people’s mind, but in a more extreme level. The abnormal behaviours of normal people in some time of their life are shown to be even more irrational than a so-called psycho.
Monday, November 11, 2019
The Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace
Most people would think that wars are launched because a country needs more territory, or because a country's borders are threatened, or because of appeasement. The real reason for war is that countries begin to feel that their honor is threatened; they feel that other nations are not giving them the worth and dignity they deserve, and so they take to the battlefield. On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace, Dr. Kagan is a classical scholar who hopes to get politicians and statesmen to understand history so as not to repeat it. He reminds that this was the intention of Thucydides of ancient Greece who wrote a history of the Peloponnesian Wars for â€Å"those who wish to have a clear understanding both of events in the past and of those in the future which will, in all human likelihood, happen again in the same or a similar way. †His book starts with the Peloponnesian War of the fifth century B. C. – -the subject of a four-volume history Kagan finished in 1987–and ends with the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. He also analyzes the Second Punic War of 218 to 201 B. C. World War I, and World War II. War usually arrives over long distances and long stretches of time. For instance, in 226 B. C. Rome was by far the most powerful state in the Western world, but it concluded a treaty with Carthage which was expanding its influence in what is now Spain. The treaty sought to preserve the peace. Eight years later, after many twisting and turnings and concessions by Rome, it led to war. Rome limited the expansion of Carthage to the area south of the Ebro River, and it looked like an order delivered by Rome, not a concession. Actually, Kagan writes, â€Å"†¦ it was an attempt at appeasement in a moment of weakness and fear, the effect of which was to neither soothe nor deter but to inflame and encourage the Carthaginians. †The aftermath included events, which almost destroyed Rome's fortunes: Hannibal's arrival at the head of a powerful army in Italy itself and the beginning of the 18-year Second Punic War. Two wars, the First Opium War 1839-42 and the Second Opium War 1856- 60, waged by Britain against China to enforce the opening of Chinese ports to trade in opium. Opium from British India paid for Britain' s imports from China, such as porcelain, silk, and, above all, tea. The First Opium War, between Britain and China, resulted in the cession of Hong Kong to Britain and the opening of five treaty ports. Other European states were also subsequently given concessions. The Second Opium War followed between Britain and France in alliance against China, when there was further Chinese resistance to the opium trade. China was forced to give the European states greater trading privileges, at the expense of its people. 839-42 and 1856-60, two wars between China and Western countries. The first was between Great Britain and China. Early in the 19th cent British merchants began smuggling opium into China in order to balance their purchases of tea for export to Britain. In 1839, China enforced its prohibitions on the importation of opium by destroying at Guangzhou (Canton) a large quantity of opium confiscated from British merchants. Great Britain, which had been looking to end China's restrictions on foreign trade, responded by sending gunboats to attack several Chinese coastal cities. China, unable to withstand modern arms, was defeated and forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing (1842) and the British Supplementary Treaty of the Bogue (1843). These provided that the ports of Guangzhou, Jinmen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai should be open to British trade and residence; in addition Hong Kong was ceded to the British. Within a few years other Western powers signed similar treaties with China and received commercial and residential privileges, and the Western domination of China's treaty ports began. In 1856 a second war broke out following an allegedly illegal Chinese search of a British-registered ship, the Arrow, in Guangzhou. British and French troops took Guangzhou and Tianjin and compelled the Chinese to accept the treaties of Tianjin (1858), to which France, Russia, and the United States were also party. China agreed to open 11 more ports, permit foreign legations in Beijing, sanction Christian missionary activity, and legalize the import of opium. China's subsequent attempt to block the entry of diplomats into Beijing as well as Britain's determination to enforce the new treaty terms led to a renewal of the war in 1859. This time the British and French occupied Beijing and burned the imperial summer palace (Yuan ming yuan). The Beijing conventions of 1860, by which China was forced to reaffirm the terms of the Treaty of Tianjin and make additional concessions, concluded the hostilities. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a dangerous and volatile situation that has attracted American attention for some decades. The conflict is a sensitive subject that produces strong emotions in people. This conflict deals with Jewish nationalism, distribution of resources, and politics. About a hundred years ago, Jews underwent a drastic change in their view of themselves. At first a few, and then more, began to call themselves Zionists. Zionism is a term that in its broadest and early sense meant simply the â€Å"return†of Jews to their ancestral homeland. That homeland was called Zion (or Israel) and its heart was Jerusalem, known as the â€Å"City of Zion. Early Zionists were simply pious, nonpolitical, religious Jews who thought they could best practice their faith in the Land of Zion. Some went primarily to pray, to study their religious books, and to await the arrival of the Messiah. Politics played an influential role in their thinking. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, Zionism came to have a political meaning: that Jews were not just a religious or ethnic group but were a nation of people who should have their own state. Today Zionism is the term for Jewish nationalism. Not all Jews agree upon what Zionism is, but to a point there is agreement, it is upon three things: there should be a Jewish state; it should be permanent, independent, and secure; and Jews who are threatened anywhere in the world should be able to go there to be safe. All other issues-the boundaries of the state, the nature of government, relations with the Palestinians, relations with American Jews, religious law-are in dispute. It is important to understand the Palestinian views . Keep in mind two points. First, people respond to the circumstances in which they live. If one is rich, one sees problems one way; if one is unemployed, one sees it a second way; if one owns a small shop, one sees it a third way. One must understand the circumstances in which Palestinians live if we are to understand their positions and actions. Second, there are about five million Palestinians. Like Americans, they disagree on political issues. They also change their minds as new circumstances develop. It is wrong to think Palestinians have a common view that remains unchanged. Their view changed considerably over the years. They view that the Israelis are taking the land rightfully theirs, and are being â€Å"bullied†by Israelis. They are the ones who had their land taken away from them and are left with no where to live. In 1948, there were approximately 860,000 Palestinians inside today's Israel. About 700,000 were driven out or fled during the fighting that followed the declaration of Israeli statehood. The Palestinian population of Jerusalem went from 75,000 to 3,500; of Jaffa from 70,000 to 3,600; of Haifa from 71,000 to 2,900; of Lydda-Ramle from 35,000 to 2,000; of Tiberias from 5,300 to zero. All refugees lost their property (about 800,000 acres were taken for Israeli use. ). The 160,000 Palestinians still in Israel in 1949 when the fighting stopped lost another 250,000 acres. The Palestinians in Israel were left without resources or strong leaders. When the Likud Party took power in 1977, it intensified colonization, pouring some $1 billion into settlement building over the next seven years. Today, land taken from the Palestinians and earmarked for military purposes or Jewish settlements amounts to more than 52% of the most fertile areas of the West Bank and 40% of the Gaza Strip. Only a very small percentage of this land was sold willingly by Palestinians. Most of it was confiscated, and is held to be for Jews only-not-just Jews from Israel, but Jews from anywhere in the world. Many newly arrived immigrants from the United States and Russia are given heavily financed housing in the settlements built on seized Palestinian land. 1990, according to Israeli estimates, will divert 83% of the water from the West Bank to Jewish settlements and Israel. The indigenous Palestinians will get only 17% of their own water. This taking of natural resources from the Palestinians, are the reasons for the rise in conflict. To a large extent Jews and Palestinians are geographically concentrated. Most Jews live in Israel and most Palestinians live in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. There are exceptions of course. Many Jews live in the new ring of suburbs around East Jerusalem and in the new settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. And many Arabs live inside of Israel, particularly in Galilee, including Nazareth, and in the Negev Desert in the South. The first comprehensive peace talks between Israel and delegations representing the Palestinians and neighboring Arab states began in October 1991. After Likud lost the parliamentary election of June 1992, Labor party leader Yitzhak Rabin formed a new government. Rabin took a more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians and imposed strict limits on new Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. In 1993, after decades of violent conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, leaders from each side agreed to the signing of an historic peace treaty. Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin met in the United States on September 13 to witness the signing of the treaty, which paved the way for limited Palestinian self-rule in Israeli-occupied territories. The Gaza-Jericho Agreement was signed in Cairo on May 4, 1994, and applies to the Gaza Strip and to a defined area of about 65 square kilometers including Jericho and its environs. The Gaza-Jericho agreement addresses four main issues-security arrangements, civil affairs, legal matters, and economic relations. The document includes agreement to a withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza and Jericho, a transfer of authority from the Israeli Civil Administration to a Palestinian Authority, the structure and composition of the Palestinian Authority is a Palestinian police force, and relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. After intensive diplomatic efforts by the United States, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Yasser Arafat agreed on September 29, 1996 to go to Washington the following week to seek ways out of a war that has put the entire Israeli-Palestinian peace in jeopardy. Despite the historical tensions of the Middle East, recent issues have arisen to intensify the conflict. Angry Palestinians protested Israel's decision to open an archeological site, the issue becoming one more in a growing number of Middle East tensions. The Muslim crowd feared the excavation of an ancient tunnel, right beside the foundations of Jerusalem's al Aqsa Mosque compound, would undermine what is the third-holiest shrine in Islam after Mecca and Medina. The tunnel excavation dispute is only the latest indication of rising tension between Arabs and Israelis. And the latest death count is 76 (as of October 1, 1996). In conclusion, this is an issue that deals with politics, uneven distribution of resources, and nationalism, and will take a great effort to come to an agreement. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a â€Å"battle†that has a long history that will continue till a mutual understanding and agreement is settled. Until the Israelis and the Palestinians can settle their differences and cooperate with each other, the â€Å"battle†will continue on. â€Å"No new taxes. This is a quote that most all of us remember from the1992 presidential election. Along with it we remember that there were new taxes during that presidents term in office. There are a myriad of promises made and things done in a presidential election year that have questionable motives as to whether they are done in the best interest of the people or in the interests of the presidential candidate. These hidden interests are one of the biggest problems w ith the political aspects of government in modern society. One of the prime examples of this is the Vietnam War. Although South Vietnam asked for our help, which we had previously promised, the entire conflict was managed in order to meet personal political agendas and to remain politically correct in the world's eyes rather than to bring a quick and decisive end to the conflict. This can be seen in the selective bombing of Hanoi throughout the course of the Vietnam War. Politically this strategy looked very good. However, militarily it was ludicrous. War is the one arena in which politicians have no place. War is the military's sole purpose. Therefore, the U. S. Military should be allowed to conduct any war, conflict, or police action that it has been committed to without political interference or control because of the problems and hidden interests which are always present when dealing with polite United States involvement in the Vietnam War actually began in 1950 when the U. S. began to subsidize the French Army in South Vietnam. This involvement continued to escalate throughout the 1950's and into the early 1960's. On August 4, 1964 the Gulf of Tonkin incident occurred in which American Naval Vessels in South Vietnamese waters were fired upon by North Vietnam. On August 5, 1964 President Johnson requested a resolution expressing the determination of the United Sates in supporting freedom and in protecting peace in southeast Asia (Johnson). On August 7, 1964, in response to the presidential request, Congress authorized President Johnson to take all necessary measures to repel any attack and to prevent aggression against the U. S. n southeast Asia (United States). The selective bombing of North Vietnam began immediately in response to this resolution. In March of the following year U. S. troops began to arrive. Although the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution specifically stated that we had no military, political, or territorial ambitions in southeast Asia, the interests back home were quite a different story (Johnson). The political involvement in Vietnam was about much more than just promised aid to a weak country in order to prevent the spread of communism. It was about money. After all, wars require equipment, guns, tools and machinery. Most of which was produced in the United States. It was about proving America's commitment to stop communism. Or rather to confine communism in its present boundaries But most of all it was about politics. The presidential political involvement in Vietnam had little to do with Vietnam at all. It was about China for Eisenhower, about Russia for Kennedy, about Washington D. C. for Johnson, and about himself for Nixon (Post). The last two of which were the major players in America's involvement in regards to U. S. Troops being used (Wittman). The military involvement in Vietnam is directly related to the political management of the military throughout the war. The military controlled by the politicians. The micro management of the military by the White House for political gain is the primary reason for both the length and cost, both monetary and human, of the Vietnam War (Pelland). One of the largest problems was the lack of a clear objective in the war and the support to accomplish it. The predominant military opinion of the military's role in Vietnam in respect to the political involvement is seen in the following quote by General Colin Powell, â€Å"If you're going to put into something then you owe the armed forces, you owe the American People, you owe just you're own desire to succeed, a clear statement of what political objective you're trying to achieve and then you put the sufficient force to that objective so that you know when you've accomplished it. The politicians dictated the war in Vietnam, it was a limited war, the military was never allowed to fight the war in the manner that they thought that they needed to, in order to win it (Baker). To conclude on the Vietnam War, the political management of the war made it unwinnable. The military was at the mercy of politicians who knew very little about what needed to be done militarily in order to win the war. There is an enormous difference between political judgment and military judgment. This difference is the primary reason for the outcome of the Vietnam War (Schwarzkopf). The United States policy of Vietnamization was a good idea, but the time was not ripe for it to best be used. Nearly all experts in South Vietnam as incapable of handling a combined threat rated Saigon's military strength. True, Vietnamization was not what led to the total withdrawl of troops from Vietnam, but the opinions pressed by Laird had somewhat of an affect on our agreeing to sign a cease-fire agreement. Also, if we had used Vietnamization's program of building up South Vietnam's armed forces more extensively, South Vietnam might still be in existence today. The Gulf War in the Middle East was almost the exact opposite in respect to the political influence on the war. In respect to the military objective of the war the two are relatively similar. The objective was to liberate a weaker country from their aggressor. The United Nation's resolution was explicit in its wording regarding military force in the Persian Gulf. The resolution specifically stated â€Å"by all means necessary. â€Å"(Schwarzkopf). The President was very aware of the problems with political management of warfare throughout the war. He was very determined to let the military call the shots about how the war was conducted. He made a specific effort to prevent the suggestion that civilians were going to try to run the war (Baker). Painful lessons had been learned in the Vietnam War, which was still fresh on the minds of many of those involved in this war (Baker). The military was given full control to use force as they saw fit. Many of the top military leaders had also been involved in the Vietnam War. These men exhibited a very strong never again attitude throughout the planning stages of this war. General Schwarzkopf made the following statement about the proposed bombing of Iraq in regards to the limited bombing in Vietnam, â€Å"I had no doubt we would bomb Iraq if I was going to be the Military Commander. †He went on to say that it would be absolutely stupid to go into a military campaign against his, Iraq's, forces who had a tremendous advantage on us on the ground, numbers wise. It would be ludicrous not to fight the war in the air as much, if not more, than on the ground (Schwarzkopf). The result of the Gulf War in which the military was given control, as we know, was a quick, decisive victory. There were many other factors involved in this than just the military being given control, particularly in contrast to Vietnam, but the military having control played a major part in this victory. In conclusion, although there are some major differences between the two conflicts one fact can be seen very clearly. That is the fact that the military is best suited for conducting wars. Politicians are not. It is not the place of a politicians to be involved in the decision making process in regards to war or military strategy. The White House has significant control in military matters. That control should be used to help the military in achieving its goals, as it was in the Gulf War where George Bush said specifically to let the military do its job. The only alternative to this is to use political influence in the same way that it was used in Vietnam. If we do not learn from these lessons that are so obvious in the differences between these two conflicts then we are condemned to repeat the same mistakes. Lets just pray that it does not take the death of another 58,000 of America's men to learn that the politician's place is not in war but in peace (Roush).
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Review of Related Literature About School Website Essay
Why do schools have district websites? The benefits include the following: linking schools in the district, developing communication in classes, grade levels, and cultures, encouraging parental involvement, presenting information to visitors about the school and acquisition of technology skills (Miller, Adsit & Miller, 2005). The digital divide holds with it a social justice goal to ensure that students regardless of socioeconomic status have equal access to new technologies both in the form of information and communication. The No Child Left Behind Act (2001), the Enhanced Education Through Technology program identifies among its purpose â€Å"to support local efforts using technology to promote parent and family involvement in education and communication among students, parents, teachers, principals, and administrators†(Education, 2001 p.2). The importance of the Internet as an essential addition to the school landscape is becoming very evident (Hartshorne, Friedman, Algozz one & Isibor, 2006). The elementary process and, in the development of such; teachers need to find new and exciting ways for knowledge attainment. The use of technologies, such as the Internet, allows students to communicate globally, parents to become more involved and provides a place for supplemental curriculum material to be accessed by all persons associated with the educational process. The Internet is an attractive source of information for parents because of its round-the-clock availability, speed, and enormous range of information (Martland & Rothbaum, 2006, p. 839). A high school website can provide a comprehensive illustration of a school’s curriculum, and its development can be a collaborative effort, addressing the goals and needs of different elements within the school (Hartshorne, Friedman, Algozzone & Isibor, 2006).
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Laoshi - Teacher in Mandarin Chinese
Laoshi - Teacher in Mandarin Chinese Countries where Mandarin Chinese is spoken are often strongly influenced by Confucian ideals. Part of the Confucian tradition is a deep respect for teachers. LÇŽoshÄ « is the Mandarin word for â€Å"teacher.†It has two characters: è€ Ã¥ ¸ « and the first character lÇŽo è€ is a prefix which means â€Å"old.†The second character shÄ « Ã¥ ¸ « means â€Å"teacher,†so the literal translation of lÇŽoshÄ « is â€Å"old teacher.†However, è€ in this context just expressed respect and isnt related to actual age at all. Compare with è€ éâ€"†for boss. LÇŽoshÄ « is also used as a title. You can address your teacher as â€Å"lÇŽoshÄ «Ã¢â‚¬ or you can use lÇŽoshÄ « in combination with a family name when referring to a teacher. This can feel strange at first to learners of Mandarin Chinese since we dont really do that in English, except possibly for younger children. In Mandarin, you can always call your teacher lÇŽoshÄ «, including at university. Examples of LÇŽoshÄ « Click the links to hear the audio. LÇŽoshÄ « hÇŽo. NÇ mng ma?è€ Ã¥ ¸ «Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¤ ½ Ã¥ ¿â„¢Ã¥â€"Ž?è€ Ã¥ ¸Ë†Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¤ ½ Ã¥ ¿â„¢Ã¥ â€"?Hello teacher. Are you busy?WÇ’ hÄ›n xÇ huan Hung lÇŽoshÄ «.我å ¾Ë†Ã¥â€"Å"æ ¡Ã© »Æ'è€ Ã¥ ¸ «Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥ ¾Ë†Ã¥â€"Å"æ ¬ ¢Ã© »â€žÃ¨â‚¬ Ã¥ ¸Ë†I really like Teacher Huang. Note that in the first case, its not necessary to include ä ½ or æ‚ ¨ in the greeting to form the standard ä ½ Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã‚ or æ‚ ¨Ã¥ ¥ ½, you just add Ã¥ ¥ ½ to the title. This is similar to the way you would say hello to a large group: Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¥ ® ¶Ã¥ ¥ ½. The second sentence shows how teachers are usually talked about among students (again, up to and including university). Update: This article was significantly updated by Olle Linge.
Monday, November 4, 2019
Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Paper - Essay Example Indeed, the premium quality seafood seller had inducted new trawlers in the fleet and replaced old outdated boats with the newly manufactured. In addition, the company also modified its processing system thereby improving the shelf life of its seafood products. The abovementioned initiatives enabled the American seller to ensure better catch and enhance internal productive capacity and efficiency. Demand increased considerably for premium quality Neptune Gold products, yet the inventories stockpiled as supply side had easily offset existing demand patterns. The top management had been expecting that situation would aggravate further because it was not practically possible to bring supply and demand forces in equilibrium by reducing supply or fish catch. In short, Neptune had been facing a grave strategic issue of rising stocks for which no immediate solution was available in the short run. Rita Sanchez’s recommendation about introducing a new low priced brand, for which qualit y would be similar to that of existing Neptune Gold line products, indeed have both positive and negative consequences that will be discussed in detail in the following paragraphs (Kesner and Walters, pp. 2-3, 2005). After analyzing the internal and external business environment of Neptune Gourmet, I would endorse the new strategy regarding the introduction of a new brand, namely, â€Å"Neptune Silver†of premium quality products. It would not really matter if this strategy could lead to short-term migration of customers of premium quality brand toward low-priced yet similar quality seafood products. Indeed, the reason being the fact Neptune could implement it as a short run strategy and reduce its inventory levels in next two months. Obviously, this strategy would not only attract existing customers but also entice new customers who have not yet tried Neptune’s optimal quality seafood. Once,
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Should People Use Animals for Medical Research Essay
Should People Use Animals for Medical Research - Essay Example This report approves that it is important for the medical researchers and scientists to choose the kind of animals to use in their research and experiments. The animals used for these purposes should not be exposed to unnecessarily sufferings. No regulations control to govern the treatment of animals as research models. Regulations are offered by the governmental agencies on the procedures to adhere to when using animal models in research. Animals ought not to be killed for use in medical research. Animals have been of immense importance for the development of therapies for treating cardiovascular problems and other deadly ailments besides the anesthetics used in surgery. In contrast, the animal rights groups dissent with this opinion. This essay makes a conclusion that the arguments exposed about the subject are diverse. A group of considerate individuals feel that it is important to use animals and not to treat them in inhumane way. The opponents detest the practice because it lacks moral reasoning. The proponents argued that it was of benefit to both animals and humans. The moral arguments are explored and the conflicting positions revealed in using animals as the only alternative in essential procedures without appropriate substitutes currently. There is an increasing and active need from the animal rights groups to find alternatives to for use in medical experiments. The use of animals is immensely accepted and supported because of the legislative regulations guiding the process, and the benefits that animal models have helped to achieve in medical knowledge. The use of animals for scientific research has been worthwhile for both animal and human health.
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