Alfred Wegener Was An Explorer And Meteorologist, Born In Berlin, Who

Alfred Wegener was an explorer and meteorologist, born in Berlin, who first came up with the "Continental Drift Theory" or the "Wegener Theory." This theory stated that all of the continents came from one super continent, also known as Pangea, which spread apart gradually moving into their current positions on Earth. The evidence for this theory includes fossils of the same type oceans apart, similarities between climatic patterns, similarities between coastlines, as well as similarities in rock types and age between two continents separated by ocean, and also, it seemed that the continents all fit together like a jig-saw puzzle, each piece fitting into the bigger picture. Wegener wrote a book "The Origin of Continents and Oceans" explaining to the rest of Germany about his theory. Due to World War I, it was limited to only Germanys publications. Even then, his ideas were not excepted by most, although there were few who did believe in his theory. Wegener died at 50 on his fourth expedition to Greenland.

Power Essays

Organizational Behavior Leadership/Power Essays Organizational Behavior Leadership/Power Essay Organizational Behavior Leadership/Power Essay This memo will address leadership and management, including the differences between the roles and functions of the two. Also addressed will be the types of power in American organizations as well as the potential sources of conflict in organizations and ways to resolve them. Leadership and management are often used interchangeably just as groups and teams. The clear distinction that exists between groups and teams also exists between management and leadership. Leadership is defined as the â€Å"ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals† (Robbins Judge, 2011 p. 77). Leaders can be appointed or can evolve by being affiliated with a group. Activities involved with leadership include creating a vision, establishing strategies, motivating and inspiring others. Management is the act of monitoring and supervising a group. Planning, staffing and organizing are duties that are within management. Not all leaders are managers and all managers are not leaders and while the two have distinct differences there are times when they do align. Having both good leadership and management within an organization is vital to its success. Power is the â€Å"capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes† (Robbins Judge, 2011 p. 421). The bases of power can be broken into two categories, formal and personal. The textbook, Organizational Behavior, explains that formal power is based on an individual’s position in an organization while personal power comes from an individuals unique characteristics (Robbins Judge, 2011 p. 21). Research suggests that personal power is more effective than formal power. Personal power can be further broken down into two categories, expertise and the respect and admiration of others. Expert power occurs when an individual has the ability to influence others as a result of expertise, special skills or knowledge. Referent power is based on identification with a person with desirable resources or personal traits. Formal power can be i n the form of coercive power, reward power and legitimate power. Coercive power is based on fear of the negative results from failing to comply. Coercive power is effective through uses such as threat of infliction of pain or frustration through restriction of movement. Reward power is the opposite of coercive power; it is based on the idea that compliance produces positive and valuable benefits. Legitimate power is one of the most common powers, it involves the authority to control and use organizational resources because of structural position in the organization. Conflict is the â€Å"process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party cares about† (Robbins Judge, 2011 p. 454). Conflict can generate both positive and negative influences on an organization. Communication, structure and personal variables are three potential sources of conflict within an organization. Individuals have the tendency to communicate in very different ways. Variations in communication can be influenced by personality, past experiences, and culture. Communication is vulnerable to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. What one person is communicating is not always what another is receiving. Organizational structure as a potential source of conflict is based on variables such as size, degree of specialization in tasks assigned, and jurisdictional clarity. Also included in organization structure conflicts are member-goal compatibility, leadership styles, reward systems and the degree of dependence between groups. The last category of potential sources of conflict is concerning personal variables including, personality, emotions, and values. Conflicts within an organization can be handled by a myriad of techniques including problem solving, super ordinate goals, and expansion of resources, authoritative command, and altering human the variable. Problem solving technique of conflict resolution involves a face-to-face meeting of the conflicting parties. During the meeting, the problem is identified and resolved through an open discussion. Creating a shared goal that can’t be accomplished without the cooperation of the conflicting parties is the conflict resolution technique of super-ordinate goals. Expansion of resources involves a conflict caused by the scarcity of a resource such as money, opportunities, or office space. This resolution technique attempts to create a win-win solution of both parties. Authoritative command technique occurs when management uses formal authority to resolve conflict and communicates the desires to the parties involved. Altering the human variable technique for conflict-resolution is the use of behavioral change techniques, such as human relations training, to alter attitudes and behavior that cause conflict. Effective leadership and management are important for the success of meeting organizational goals. Managers and leaders within an organization have to understand and use power in a way that’s suitable for the organization. When conflicts arise, organizations, specifically their leaders need to have the skills to identify conflicts and address those conflicts using an appropriate conflict resolution technique. Robbins, S. P. , Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational Behavior (14th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Analysis of the Film American Beauty Filmed in 1999 Essay

Analysis of the Film American Beauty Filmed in 1999 - Essay Example â€Å"American Beauty† is a remarkable achievement in several ways. Despite having somewhat traditional cinematography, the artistic accomplishments of this movie in other aspects of film making and its following critical acclaim (including all of the awards that it won upon its release) led directly to widespread commercial success. Many aspects of the cinematography of â€Å"American Beauty† are somewhat traditional while avoiding cliche – at very least they are very far from experimental in any real way. The film, for instance, follows the rule of thirds nearly dogmatically, always maintaining action along the imaginary lines that would divide the screen vertically and horizontally. It tends to avoid extreme close-ups and distant medium shots while focusing on close ups and long shots, which all conspire to give this film something of a classical Hollywood look. This traditional Hollywood look that pervades the movie is useful, however, in differentiating the ‘produced’ aspects of the movie which has a generally negative tone, focusing on emotions and ideas such as despair, and ugliness, from other aspects of the film which focus on the polar opposite of these ideas, namely hope and beauty. Hope, one of this films major themes, is consistently connected a certain kind of shot: aerial shots of the suburbia in which the central family of the show lives. These aerial shots, frequently featuring excellent narration by Kevin Spacey, usually focus on the chances of life to expand beyond the mundane and reach into the ethereal. These shots are especially effective because they invoke an otherworldly quality, almost of a being in an afterlife looking down benevolently onto the town. By evoking the afterlife these shots give an underlying feeling of hope and possibility in the crowd. These shots, by departing so drastically from more traditional Hollywood cinematography, draw attention to themselves and their departure from the darke r themes of the rest of the movie. This departure from the traditional Hollywood style for the purpose of aerial shots has one other major parallel in the film, the classic and oft referenced (and mocked) handheld shots of a bag blowing through the breeze. These shots focus on beauty that can be found anywhere in the world, even in the most basic events throughout life. The shots are not only of bags blowing in the wind, but also show one of the main characters, Jane Burnham, portrayed by Thora Birch, disrobing and exposing her breasts to another person for the first time. This openness and beauty juxtaposes her general shyness and awkwardness, showing that even in her somewhat un-perfect packaging beauty can be found. The use of a grainy and unsteady handy-cam to display these signs of beauty, contrasting the high quality shots of ugliness not only draws attention to the shots, but also highlights a final of the film’s major themes: conflict and juxtaposition. One of the ess ential aspects of â€Å"American Beauty† is that there are incredible amounts of contrast within everything from characters (such as a homophobic gay man) to the world itself, which is both ugly and beautiful. Beauty displayed by an ugly handycam video contrasts with ugliness from a high quality video camera to show the essential conflict between opposing

Leadership Communication Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leadership Communication Presentation - Essay Example To counter this argument, another manager may say, â€Å"Removing all our fringe benefits would result in low morale for the employees.† Obviously, the second manager was using the straw man fallacy by restating what the other manager said, and saying â€Å"removing all our fringe benefits† when the first manager actually said a reduction in the fringe benefits. These conversations are typical in organizations especially when meetings are held to find solutions for problems that confront the company. There are several ways to overcome or prevent a straw man fallacy in an organization. First, in making vital decisions for the company, it is better to put the arguments for each position or alternative in writing; rather than having a face-to-face debate with the proponents of different sides. In this way, the possibility of misinterpretation and misrepresentation is eliminated. Another way to prevent a straw man fallacy is to show proofs, data or statistics in presenting alternative solutions to organizational problems. If these information are presented, it would be hard to refute by just a straw man fallacy. Lastly, it is suggested that to overcome a straw man fallacy, those involved in making major decisions for the firm should be well-informed. According to Talisse and Aikin, the success of the straw man fallacy depends on the ignorance of the audience; thus, if the people responsible for decision-making are well-informed of the various positions, then they can have an intelli gent and reasoned discourse without being swayed by fallacies

Health Care Data Trends Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Care Data Trends - Case Study Example The organizations that are not very well prepared may find themselves exposing their clients to greater charges and costs through insurance facilities (Safran, Bloomrosen, Hammond & Labkoff, 2006). Organizations may also find themselves stifled of financial resources because of over-insurance. Many applications in smart-phones and other data devices may leak useful information about patients to healthcare providers leading to a direct insecurity. These applications may also be a platform for the spread of unwarranted personal information with third parties (Safran, Bloomrosen, Hammond & Labkoff, 2006). Strategic partnerships demand utmost good faith and the practitioners in the medical fraternity must be sure the integrity of the companies they contract to handle their specialized services associated with data management. Otherwise, such partners could be leeway through which violations of privacy may occur. Many people often lick their medical information in terms of pictures and diagnostic details. It is possible that practitioners will also share with others and the wider public patient information on the social media with extensive legal repercussion. Many litigation in the medical fraternity have been witnessed that border on class disputes and discriminatory practices. Each medical establishment needs to alert their officials in the manners of addressing the class issues that are embedded in the medical practices. The laws that govern patient security with regard to medical data are many. However, the key laws of the Hippocratic Oath forbid the practitioners from sharing or disclosing patient information with other parties (Mouratidis, Giorgini & Manson, 2005). Specific public policy regulations addressed to the fields of medical research, law enforcement and social welfare, disease control and pricing module of the heath care could be the best approaches to effectively controlling the system

The Green Revolution A Glorious Success History Essay

The Green Revolution A Glorious Success History Essay The term Green Revolution was first coined by the USAID United States Agency for International Development in 1968. It all started in Mexico with US aid and backed by the support of giants like Ford and Rockfeller Corporation way back in the 1940s. It was the initiative of a man named Norman Borlough who developed a strain of rice and wheat which yielded an output (under optimal conditions) so far only dreamt off. These strains of cereals were termed as HYV (High Yielding Variety). Norman Borlough is considered to be the father of the Green Revolution. He played a very instrumental role along with M.S. Swaminathan who was our minister for Agriculture in bringing Green Revolution to India. The G R was considered as the solution to feed the worlds growing population, it very well may have been. [J R McNeill] In India alone the astounding agricultural growth in Punjab is exemplified by the increase in Punjabi wheat production from 1.9 to 5.6 million tons during the years 1965 through 1972.  [1]  The production of rice also increased greatly. India soon adopted IR8 a semi-dwarf rice variety developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) that could produce more grains of rice per plant when grown with certain fertilizers and irrigation. In 1968, Indian agronomist S.K. De Datta published his findings that IR8 rice yielded about 5 tons per hectare with no fertilizer, and almost 10 tons per hectare under optimal conditions. This was 10 times the yield of traditional rice. IR8 was a success throughout Asia, and dubbed the Miracle Rice. IR8 was also developed into Semi-dwarf IR36.  [2]  India was on the brink of a famine in 1961, but with the introductio n of G R we became an exporter of food grains within a very short period of time. G R was a gift of the developed nations to the third world countries. It was a package deal promoted by the World Bank to help them get out of their debt traps. The G R was accepted with open arms with little or no thought about its viability or sustainability. It was looked on as a one stop shop to their economic and demographic problems. The green revolution- the US-sponsored technological package for agricultural development-was accepted in India some-what over-enthusiastically and also un- critically. It was hoped that with improved farm production, not only a lasting solution would be found for the perpetual problems of rural poverty and hunger but also it would generate a new resource base-a launching pad for rural industrialisation that would create new employment opportunities and would improve the quality of life at the grassroots in an appreciable measure. [Dhanagare 1987] Rather than Why was the Green Revolution such a great success? I would like to argue from the point of view of Was the Green Revolution such a great success? I would like to consider the viewpoints of some scholars which may be quite contrary to what the advocators and promoters of Green Revolution would like to believe. The G R as already mentioned earlier was a package deal it came along with certain factors like irrigation, chemical fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides and mechanization and large size holdings without which the success of G R would not be dramatic. These are factors that India did not and could not afford at all levels. Apart from this G R was not all positive it looked like it came in with more negative as time passed on. Through different case studies I would like to present my argument. Endosulfan Poisoning in Kasargoad, Kerala, India This is the story of a small village in the state of Kerala a village named Swarga literally meaning heaven. A village untouched by industrialization and people depended on plantation farming. A typical Indian village until suddenly people found things going wrong, Calves dying honeybees disappearing, wildlife being affected and then slowly the people being affected by a strange illness. The cause, unknown. The Kerala state government decided to spray its cashew plantations with ariel pesticide. It was a sight to see a helicopter hovering over the village and it attracted a lot of attention. Little did the people know what the aftermath of this would be. Even when a sudden and strange kind of illness hit little did they associate it with the helicopter, they believed that it was some kind of a curse. Until one farmer noticed a strange coincidence in the death of his three calves and raised up an issue. This interested a journalist who began to probe into this situation. A local doctor who began to see a strange pattern of new diseases in his patients added value to the work of the journalist. It was not an easy path to travel and prove their stand as they had to fight capitalist giants whos stakes were high in the manufacture of the deadly chemical. The help of an international organization was sought. A fact finding team of PAN(Pesticide Action Network) AP headed by Dr Romeo F Quijango was formed. The objective of the mission was: To find out the veracity of the reports that there have incidents of illness since the cashew nut plantations started their operations The extent to which these aerial sprayings have affected the people and the environment After detailed inspection of the surroundings, physical examination of the affected people and a wide range of interviews with both the local people and authorities the reports of poisoning were confirmed. The findings stated The cause for the illness was intrinsic toxicology properties of endosulfan There seems to exist no other probable causes other than endosulfan for the occurrence of illness There is a clear time and geographical association between the occurrence of illness and the aerial spraying There is a corroborated effect on both the environment and the animals which are related to endosulfan poisoning. Medical reports of the victims as recorded by the local physicians confirmed the poisoning Biological and environmental samples analyzed at laboratories confirmed the presence of endosulfan. The findings confirmed the poisoning and a permanent ban on the spray of endosulfan was placed. The extent of damage cannot be undone. Most of the cases of poisoning described in the report are of young children born with cerebral palsy due to the poisoning. Though this report was confined to Kasargod there are wide spread use and effects felt in the neighboring states as well. Here I would like to include an article from the newspaper that report cases of endosulfan poisoning from Karnataka Gowda was born in 1977. To his chagrin through RTI he found that 92 villages were sprayed with endosulfan in the four taluks of the district. He visited 82 villages and found that horrifying cases of disabilities, especially cerebral palsy affecting adults and children. I have decided not to get married -firstly to carry this fights forward and secondly to see that my children dont live like me. I may get married if I can afford to do a gene test which proves everything is alright with me, he adds. Gowda says: In some places the situation is too horrible to describe. A mother who is an anganwadi teacher has two children one of them is affected with this type of poisoning. She gives him food at 9 am locks the door and goes for work. When she returns, the boy will be rolling in his own fecal matter. This is an everyday story. The government officials, if they visit each and every home, they will understand the gravity of the problem. But they dont, hence dont understand our situation  [3]  This has been the effect of the indiscriminate use of pesticides and insecticides on the unaware and innocent lives. Rachel Carson dedicated her entire book The Silent Spring to bring awareness to the effects of insecticides and pesticides on man and his environment. Though she did succeed to large extent on banning their indiscriminate use still continues in the third world countries. This according to Clevo Wilson Clem Tisdell are due to varied economic reasons and also due to lack of knowledge. Farmers continue to use pesticides if their net discounted rate of return is greater in the present. This happens much more in less developed countries than in more developed countries. To make themselves economically viable farmers are forced to use pesticides because it causes an increase in the production in the short run, though the cost will increase in the long run which they are unaware of, and also once a new technique is used the cost of reverting back maybe very high. Further it may be due to a lack of knowledge on the part of farmers. It may also be that use of pesticides and fertilizers are considered to be an integral part of commercialized agriculture. To add to this would be the pressure the farmers may face from advertisements and sales schemes of companies manufacturing insecticides and fertilisers. It has also been found that though farmers may be aware of Integrated Pest Management systems they may not be easily accessible, as seen in the case of farmers in Sri Lanka.  [4]   Our next case study is based in Punjab that highlights the negative effect that G R has had on the employment of the youth. Punjab agriculture has been known for the green revolution of the late 1960s and the 1970s. Not only has it achieved an irrigation coverage of 95 per cent of the net sown area, cropping intensity of 185, and 98 per cent HYV coverage which are all the highest among the Indian states, but even the yields of major crops wheat and paddy are of a very high order, i e, 3,941 kgs and 3,393 kgs per hectare respectively [CACP 1997] The agricultural sector in Punjab is very capital intensive with the highest number of tubewells and tractors in the country and the highest consumer of electricity, 21% of wheat, 9% of rice and 21% of cotton produced in India came from Punjab. In the 1980s the scene began to change, the same level of production could not be maintained. The net costs began to increase mainly due to over mechanization and small holdings were no longer profitable to cultivate. This became apparent in the rise in tenancy of small farms and another evidence of this was an increase in the market for second hand tractors. The proportion of marginal holdings in total decreased from 37 per cent to 26 per cent during 1970-71 to 1990-91 and those above 10 hectares increased significantly [GoP 1997] The unemployment rates increased The proportion of agricultural labour in total rural male workers went up by 2.2 per cent during the 1980s and that of cultivators went down by 2.7 per cent. The unemployment rate among rural males (2.9 per cent) in the late 1980s was marginally above that at the national level (2.8 per cent) and that among rural females more than double (7.4 per cent) that of the national level (3.5 per cent) [Chand 1999a]. To add to this were the problems of monoculture and lack of diversification, increased attack of pests due to increased resistance to insecticides decreasing water levels. Thus based on the Jhol committee agriculture was diversified to include horticultural crops leading to the opening of food processing industries.This did not seem to make much of a difference as the three industries could work only with a small number of farmers and this did not make much of a difference to the rest. The high mechanisation of agricultural operations had added to the problem of rural un- employment. Now, combine harvesters could do the entire harvesting of paddy and a large proportion of wheat crop, which had cut down the number of days a farm worker could be gainfully employed in the farm sector. The labour requirements were also increasingly met from migrant labour. On the other hand, educated rural youth did not find farming profitable enough as an occupation. Unemployment of youth in Punjab was not due to lack of work opportunities in the farm sector per se, but due to the strong preference of these youth for non-farm jobs. But the industrial sector of the state which was dominated by small-scale industry did not offer many skilled jobs and depended on migrant labour for manual work as these workers were available for lower wages, did not create trouble as they had less political clout and bargaining power. On the other hand, urban people were preferred for skilled jobs as they are more tuned to industrial or corporate work culture [Chand 1999b]. The problem of rural unemployment was compounded by the fact that rural youth did not possess any specia l skills and did not have an aptitude to work in conventional industries owned by local capital. The only industries they were more familiar with were agro-processing ones which had recently roped in some rural youth but the jobs were few as the operations were highly mechanised and few manual jobs remained.  [5]   The very purpose of G R was to improve agriculture and reduce the income disparities but that very purpose was defeated. Through our next paper Green revolution and increase in social inequalities in India D.N. Dhanagre  [6]  we are going to see how social inequalities have increased. The effects of G R were assessed within five years of its initiation into India through a symposium organised by the Centre for the Study of Social Change in 1973. Where both, the positive side and the negative side were highlighted. On the positive side the increase in crop production was stressed on. This increase was 87.2 per cent in Punjab, and 64.90 per cent in Haryana where the gains in production performance were impressive'[Vyas, 1974: 67-70], and hence there was no alternative to G R to develop the backward regions of our country. The green revolution was distributed differentially to different categories of farmers putting the small and marginal farmers at a relative disadvantage. The reasons for differential distribution were obvious. The high cost/high yield cereal technology of the green revolution called for substantial capital investments generally beyond the means of a majority of small and marginal farmers.'[CSSC 1984]. To add to this the Indian Government was criticized by the Halselemere Group of favouring the rich and large land owning farmers in distribution of cheap credit and subsidies rather than the poorer ones. Size and nature of land holdings- Initially it was believed that the size of the holding did not matter in G R practices, but when it came to the reality of implementation it was found not to be true. The agricultural development bureaucracy working at the grass root level that scale neutrality was not true, the larger holdings were at an advantage. According to Danagare even the introduction of HYV seeds there was a pro rich bias seen. The requirement of each farmer to buy two shares of seed worth Rs 100/- each per acre was again to the advantage of the larger land holding farmers. Since the G R package was created with the perennially irrigated land in mind the government favoured them rather than farming in semi-arid and dry areas again leading to disparity in the distribution of income regionally. Further it has been found that while poor farmers own only 21% of land in wet regions almost 50% of the land was owned by poor farmers in the dry regions,[Atherya et,al 1983]. The polarisation process that accentuates the rural class differences has been further intensified by the green revolution. In a survey done by Bhalla and Chada in Punjab its been found that farmers with land holdings less than 2.5acres earned Rs1231/- while those with land holdings 25acres or more earned Rs24,283/- annually. In other words a rich farmer without putting in any physical effort was earning much more than a poor farmer, where he and his entire family would have had to work. Use of mechanization- as very apparent mechanization of farming was to the advantage of the rich and large land holding farmers. It not only increased disparity among the farmers but also hit hard on the labourers. Billings and Singh have discovered that in Punjab the demand for agricultural labour went up from 51 mandays to 60.1 mandays with the introduction of the persian wheel as a means of irrigation and of fertilisers and pesticides. However, when pump-sets, wheat-threshers, corn-shellers and tractors are introduced the average demand for labour drops down to 25.6 mandays (1969: A 221-24) It was found through surveys both in Punjab and in Chengilpet TN that the poorer farmers did not hesitate to invest and compete with the rich farmers though it was an uphill task for them but they did not benefit. In fact, all available statistics indicate greater and greater immiseration and pauperisation as the green revolution technology package has spread in diffierent parts of India. [Dhanagare 1978] I would like to conclude by mentioning Vandana Shivas view as expressed in her book The violence of the Green Revolution Third world agriculture, ecology and politics in the western view our system of agriculture was primitive and they wanted to thrust upon us their modern scientific view, as a socio political solution to our problems which only created more problems. In the traditional agricultural systems Shiva believes that people used their knowledge and experience to create a balance between the resources and their uses. Cropping systems include a symbiotic relationship between soil, water, farm animals and plants. They were preserving and building on natures process and natures patterns. This system was based on sustainability and made the farmers self- reliant as advocated by Gandhiji. As Rachel Carson puts it In nature nothing exists alone'[ Silent Spring] and if we dont recognize this and awake to the fact that we are a part of the nature we are destroying we may be too late.

William Bradford :: essays research papers

"If a tree falls but no one is there to see it, does it really fall?" This quote explains the very logic of history. Throughout the course of history, many significant occurrences have shaped our society to what it is today: free. William Bradford not only lived through a symbolic historical cornerstone of America, but wrote about it too. William Bradford, the second governor of Plymouth colony elected, was accountable for the young colony’s success through great hardships. The Pilgrims were signified as complete abdicates from the Church of England. The success of the Plymouth was based on covenantalism - the belief that men could form compacts or covenants in the sight of God as a basis for government without the consent of a higher authority. According to Bradford’s exposé, the Pilgrims: shook off this yoke of antichristian bondage, and as the Lord's free people joined themselves (by a covenant of the Lord) into a church estate, in the fellowship of the gospel, to walk in all His ways made known, or to be made known unto them, according to their best endeavors, whatsoever it should cost them, the Lord assisting them. And that it cost them something this ensuing history will declare. But after these things they could not long continue in any peaceable condition, but were hunted and persecuted on every side, so as their former afflictions were but as flea-bitings in comparison of these, which now came upon them. For some were taken and clapped up in prison, others had their houses beset and watched night and day, and hardly escaped their hands; and the most were fain to flee and leave their houses and habitations, and the means of their livelihood. Yet these and many other sharper things which afterward befell them, were no other than they looked for, and therefore were the better prepared to bear them by the assistance of God's grace and Spirit. Yet seeing themselves thus molested, and that there was no hope of their continuance there, by a joint consent they resolved to go into the Low Countries, where they heard was freedom of religion for all men; they resolved to get over into Holland as they could. (W. Brad Home Page). Once in Holland, the Pilgrims discovered that religious persecution was being diffused. They picked up once again on another brave journey in search for a land that was seemingly impossible to find: a land of religious freedom.

The Concept of the Political

As a counterterrorism officer my moral duty is to protect the residents of my state from terrorism attacks and the national security of US. Therefore, I am under no obligation but to ensure I fulfill the role that I have been assigned. I am the senior counterterrorism officer in California State where there is a high percentage of Arab American citizens and immigrants. Thus over the last couple of decades it has been difficult to detect terrorists. Furthermore, infiltrating such a community has proved to be difficult thereby providing a loophole for the increase in terrorist activities.Infiltrating the Arab American Community To curb this demise I will commission FBI agents to act as my spies by posing as Muslim worshippers in the California mosques. This decision may be perceived as a violation of human rights and the freedom of privacy enjoyed by other citizens. However, in the actual fact this initiative is among the criminal responsibilities that are bestowed on counterterrorism officer. Moreover, it is a counterintelligence activity that ensures protection of the US national security by providing important information to the FBI body and the government.The rights to perform counterintelligence activities have been governed by the National security of 1947 which was amended in 2004 by the establishment of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. Furthermore, the commissioned FBI agents will not commit any wrong doing offences (Uwe, 2007). I will also employ informant to live amongst the community. The informant will mainly be ex-US military officers whose credentials are remarkable and stimulate the required standards.I prefer using ex-military officers because they are competent, trained to serve the nation thus will thoroughly understand the importance of their assignment and the need for them to keep their identity in discretion. The agents will regularly be monitored to prevent the development of discrepancy behaviors against ethical and mo ral norms. I will also make use of biometric fingerprint procedure for all travelers leaving and entering the California state. It may be argued that this tactic will detain people unnecessarily thereby wasting their time and subjecting them to measures and challenges that are unjustifiable.However, the initiative will enable the California Homeland Security Department to prevent identity theft, use of fraudulent documents and terrorists from gaining access to the state thus enhancing the national security and safety of California residents (Schmitt, 2007). The Status, Rights and Protections offered to Culprits of Terrorism In an attempt of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of counterterrorism an executive order authorizing the interrogation and trial of foreign terrorist suspects and illegal combatants by a special military tribunal was passed in 2001.Therefore, an ex-American citizen captured in the United States in the act of terrorism should be considered as an illegal enemy combatant. Thus I would not hesitate to hand the culprit to the jurisdiction of the military commission of the United States, an act that will be in accordance with the (Military Commissions Act (MCA) of 2006 that was passed by the Congress introducing the concept of illegal combatant into US legislation. Furthermore, the concept of illegal combatant enemies has been accepted by other nations who have willingly handed over their sovereignty in this context to the US (Gill & Sliedregt, 2005).The establishment of the above legislations withdrew all the protections that were accorded to ex-American citizens. The same applies to foreign nationals caught engaging in terrorism in US, American citizens fighting American forces abroad and foreign nationals that are non-military officials fighting American forces abroad. The above are all illegal combatant enemies of the state and thus also deserve to be tried before the jurisdiction of the military commission without the provision of Habeas corpus rights.The Habeas Corpus is a provision given to detained culprits to appeal for their release incase of being detained unlawfully. The above subjects are liable to torture in the event of collecting information that would increase the efficiency of the government and military to provide the US state national security. Therefore, I would fully support the idea of implementing torture as a method of extracting useful information to such culprits in an attempt of protecting the California residents (US Congress Joint Resolution, 2001). Perspectives Concerning Just WarJust war is perpetuated by states in an attempt of protecting themselves from aggressive attack from other nations. However, for just war to be justifiable it should be used as a last resort problem of solving the conflict that exists that is after all non-violent mechanisms of resolving conflicts are exhausted. Just wars should only be perpetuated by bodies that are recognized by the society as legitimate. A just war should be initiated if the presumed end results are beneficial where its success is guaranteed to prevent death and suffering of innocent people in accordance to moral vices.The death of civilians can only be justified if they were accidentally killed by being in the vicinity of the military targets. Therefore, just wars should initiate long lasting peace between the nations that were under conflict. Furthermore, states are not supposed to use force when initiating just wars and in instances where such force must be implemented it should not exceed the injury or suffering caused. The war on terrorism can thus be classified as a just war because it adheres to the above principles.However, it can cease to be a just war if its goal is to spread terror, subject war on a non-state organization and if it aims at killing and hurting civilians (Fotion, 2007). Anti Americanism involves the negative aspect that individuals and state have over the political, economic, social and cu ltural values of US. Anti Americanism has adversely affected the national security of US due to introduction of foreign hostility towards the US state for instance terrorism, thus curbing the effective attainment of stipulated US policy goals.Anti Americanism also affects the ability of US to conduct businesses abroad. This is unethical and thus not justifiable therefore individuals that perpetuate the stimulation of violent acts against the American state should be held accountable for their actions and thus are liable to stand trial before the military commission. The US government has a right to protect the national security of the country by dealing with schools, mosques and charities that indirectly support terrorism while actually not directly engaging in the terrorism activities.The government prosecutes such individuals or organization with the aim of eliminating the terrorism concept and support that the individuals and organizations offer (US Congress Joint Resolution, 200 1). USA PATRIOT Act The enactment of the USA PATRIOTIC ACT after the 9/11 attack has substantially reduced terrorism in United States because the surveillance and investigating powers of the US law enforcement officers was increased especially with respect to internet use.However, if I were in Congress I would vote for the renewal of the Act to amend it. This is because the Act was enacted in haste without being subjected to Congress debate and house report to declare the consent of Senators. This fact resulted to the omission of a balance between civil liberty and stipulated legislations (US Congress Joint Resolution, 2001). Word Count: 1190 Reference List Fotion, N. (2007). War and Ethics: Just War Theory. New York: Continuum. Gill, T. & Sliedregt, E.(2005). Guantanamo Bay: A Reflection on the Legal Status and Rights of Unlawful Enemy Combatants. The Utrecht Law Review, 1 (1). Retrieved on July, 6th, 2009 from http://www. utrechtlawreview. org. Schmitt, C. (2007). The Concept of t he Political. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. U. S. Congress Joint Resolution (2001). Authorization for Use of Military Force. Public Law, 107(40), 115 Stat. 224. Uwe. S. (2007). On the Ethics of War and Terrorism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Case Assignment Essay Example

Case Assignment Essay Example Case Assignment Essay Case Assignment Essay Case Assignment Name: Course: Institution: Instructor: Date: Case Assignment Microeconomic Factors Affecting Prius Microeconomic factors are those that are internal to the company, those that the company can be able to influence and change. The issues of marketing that affect the company in serving its customers. Some of these factors include customers, employees, competitors, suppliers, and among other stakeholders. However, for our case study, there are only two factors affecting the introduction and re-launching of prius, which are consumers and the competitors. The consumers were feeling the pressure of increasing gas prizes that made traveling quite expensive than usual. Many of them probably sought other means of transport such as public transport. Toyota, realizing this problem, sought and found the answer in the hybrid vehicle, Prius, which would use both electric and a fuel engine, giving the consumers a fuel-efficient vehicle that would reduce their cost of using gas, but still give them good service. More so, the second generation, or the re-launched Prius included more features such as advanced technology and more fuel-efficiency, further attracting more consumers. The other factor came in as competitors, where other vehicle manufacturers such as Honda, also wanted to capture the new growing market of hybrid cars. Honda had launched their hybrid vehicle even before Toyota. Others included ford, which also developed their hybrid vehicle to capture the market However, Toyota responded through continued advancement of their hybrid vehi cle that people had already liked, ensuring that they continued to give them more and more value for their money, to fight of competitors. The second generation came with more fuel efficiency and interior space. Macro Environmental Factors Affecting Prius On the other hand, where there are micro economic factors, there are also macro economic factors that affect a product. These factors deal with larger factors within the society that affect even the micro factors. These factors are demographic, economic, natural, technological, political or legal, and finally, the social-cultural factors. The company cannot influence this factor, but they influence organizations in a big way. Therefore, it is up to the company to adapt to them. The natural factors that affected the introduction of Prius are environmental hazards of emitting too much carbon in the air. During its introduction, there were so many environmental concerns of carbon emission by vehicles, which made the hybrid become a major hit. Many people, aware of the hazards caused by emitting carbon n the air were welcome to the idea of having a less carbon-emitting vehicle. The legal/political issues that affected the introduction and re-launching of the hybrid vehicle were the strong favors by the government in use of environmental friendly vehicles. The government reduces taxes on the hybrid vehicle by a big margin, which made it quite easy for consumers to acquire one at reduced prices. This further influenced the consumers as well as he company itself to sell more at the reduced prices, making the vehicle a hit. More so, there was a provision of free parking for the hybrid vehicles in some of the cities, with some states allowing the hybrid to use the H igh Occupancy Vehicle lanes, which were not used by other vehicles, further influencing more consumers to buy the hybrid. The economic factors that influenced the introduction and re-launching of the vehicle are cost reduction through reduced fuel consumption. In addition, fuel prices were going up, which influenced its sales further. Toyota dealt with these factors through adapting to what the macro environmental factors demanded, which was reduced costs, and emissions. The company continued to give incentives for the hybrid to attract more consumers. Toyota’s Marketing Strategy Toyota has been very proactive in its marketing strategy for the Prius hybrid vehicle, which has seen its sales improve year after year. One of the marketing strategies that Toyota used is ensuring to satisfy customers need to save money on traveling. From the case, it is stated that only the Prius allowed consumers to save costs of commuting. Toyota was very keen in the beginning to start by targeting the techies, or innovators, who are usually the first people to buy new products, with advanced technology. The technology of the car attracted many innovator and early adopters. The next generation was more targeted for the early adopters, and Toyota did this through adding more features and sportier design to the vehicles, which attracted many people. In addition, Toyota invested a whole $40 million on advertising the second generation Prius through the media, magazines and fortuneteller. The company used strong advertising such as features that allowed the consumers to save travelin g costs through fuel-efficient vehicles. Another strategy that Toyota has used in marketing the hybrid vehicle is the differentiation of the vehicle into different standards where there is a standard one with others coming in at lower standards for lower prices, while others are at higher standards for those who want more features’ to go with. This attracts different consumers to buy the vehicle since there is one for all of them depending on their economic status as well as preferences. GM’S Hybrid Strategy According to Ken Stewart, to get more hybrid vehicles on the road, or selling, one will need to put them in cars that people are buying. Summarizing their strategy in hybrid issue, I feel that he is quite right. Hybrid vehicles, due to current technology can be fitted in many models of vehicles since it is adding an electric engine that reduces fuel consumption. Considering that many people especially in America love the big spacious vehicles and sports utility vehicles, consumers would be much interested in seeing vehicles that they love being fitted with a hybrid engine. For instance, if a certain sports utility vehicle is very popular and loved by many, if fitted with a hybrid vehicle, the lovers of this vehicle will be happy to save fuel using the same model and design that they love, rather than having to opt for another one.

Critique on the levels of analysis essays

Critique on the levels of analysis essays CRITIQUE ON THE LEVEL-OF-ANALYSIS PROBLEM IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BY J. DAVID SINGER At the beginning of J. David Singers article, he first made use of simple conditions to dwell on and thus establishing the essence of having a model and a point of focus in ones examination of a particular phenomena that emphasizes on the political environment of a country. I agree when he cited that we tend to be at ease with our present status and for that reason, our drive to move forward to a better position is delayed because our concentration has been spread out and consequently, we fail to start. This essay points out the theoretical implications and consequences of the two of the most widely used models in rationalizing a states international relations. These are the International System and the National State as levels of analysis. The author also provided a brief discussion on the key elements in analyzing a model. He stressed that it should be descriptive, explanatory and predictive. To me, this implies that the construction of a model for the purpose of ones analysis, is somewhat sophisticated in the manner of its technique and attributed mainly to the ontological positions holding the study. The relativity of ones interpretation on a given information is for the fact that not every one of us think alike and that it is subjective to ones understanding. From my point of view, the International System, the merging of information in the formulation of general assumptions, could not be at all times be applicable to all the participating bodies. It may do so but the impact may not be of essence to one as that it would create in the other. I believe that the purpose of a homogenized image is to find only the relationships that exist and to measure the influence of these relationships to the subjects involved. This homogenized image therefore provides only an abstract thought or idea because of...

Exploring Transgender Troubles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Exploring Transgender Troubles - Essay Example Over the years many people have thought and associated transgender to gays or lesbianism. Being a gay would therefore mean that one is transgendered, deep study has however proved otherwise. Since the formal definition of lesbianism and gay, reports have claimed both contemporary and historical transgendered people as gay and lesbians. It is worth noting that transgender people have for long been unclaimed or unrecognized as homosexual. Since time immemorial, transgender troubles has been a topic of discussion with many arguing that, even homosexuality was not personhood until the late nineteenth century. Although transgender is a good term, not everyone talks good about transgender people, different societies, cultures and institutions have continually viewed it as an immoral and non acceptable. There is therefore, a lot of criticisms and hatred to individuals who exhibit transgender traits. How then can we define transgender people? Through many writers, a comprehensive understandi ng of the term has been made and thus transgender people are individuals who in one way or the other may fail to develop their gender identity that keep up a correspondence to identity as to whether male or female. In these people, it is not a surprise to find a male who exhibits a female characteristic and vice versa. These people may not as well respond to their gender roles appropriately as imposed by the society in which they come from. This aspect has thus lead to transgender troubles with many societies considering transgender behavior as a serious crime which ought to have a capital punishment, a good example is a country like Saudi Arabia. Transgender troubles are also apparent in its contents. It is unclear about what is contained in transgender. According to the general understanding of transgender, it is basically gender variance. Therefore, the question remains, what are factors considered in gender variance. The answer remains unclear and contradictory. It is therefore not easy to establish who is to be included in the transgender bracket and who is to be left out. Transgender behavior has sparked troubles in many countries, take for example, European and in North America, there are certain forms of violent behavior against these group. Many people have even gone ahead and considered this behavior as one of the major psychiatric illness is so serious that even justifies institutionalization. In trying to avoid all these discrimination and transgender troubles, communities with these restrictions have forced victims with transgender behavior to conform to their birth sex norm to avoid stigma and social violence surrounding them (Meyerowitz and Meyerowitz 24). Their attempt to achieve a new sex reassignment will not be allowed or supported. For authorities which only accept heterosexual marriages, official transgender changes can result to serious implications related to privileges and rights like inheritance, medical decision-making or even child c ustody. Another transgender trouble appears during classification. It becomes very difficult to classify these individuals because generally many countries or organizations only recognize two classes of people: male or a female. Doctors, transsexuals and journalists

Discuss the theme of Aunt Granny Lith using the topic of Lilith Research Paper

Discuss the theme of Aunt Granny Lith using the topic of Lilith - Research Paper Example The story then takes us back more than 20 tears when Beth and Casey married. Beth was the third wife of Casey, and the first two having died under mysterious circumstances. Their deaths are hereafter attributed to the work of an old granny, Lith who Casey supposedly proposed to long before he married the first wife. Although in a rare joke, the granny is likely to have taken the proposal seriously and just like the Lilith in the mythical biblical story of Adam, the old woman was ready to ensure that he got married to the man who proposed and that no other woman was to come close (Schwartz, 93). The theme, Lilith augurs well with the story, â€Å"Aunt Granny Lith† in a number of ways. First, the first two wives of Casey died out of the jealous of a woman who Casey proposed to. Their deaths are a manifestation that the old ready, as in the myth was not ready to share a husband with another woman. It is out of this fear that Casey even carry a gun and a knife with him. Having revealed the story to Beth, Beth’s mother Nomey uses her knowledge on the old lady and advises the young couple on low to avoid the wrath. The bravery of Beth, as that of Eve in the Lilith myth is seen when she follows her mother’s advice, and even convinces Casey to do the same and at the end the two get rid of the danger and the fear. The victory of human over the forces of evil is also seen in the symbolism of Lil. Besides the name being significantly symbolic of the same force that was with the old woman and Lilith in the myth. After Beth’s marriage, the woman appears to Beth â€Å"†¦.saw someone scurry into the woods†¦. trailed the person to the head of the hollow† (Offutt, 136). The fight that results over Casey is an indication of the evil that has to be overcome by Beth and her husband to live safely. However, in this case, Beth effectively protects her marriage and does not need any help from her