Should Genetically Modified Organisms - 908 Words

Over the past few decades a new controversy has arisen in the scientific community: should Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) be used in modern society. There are generally two sides to this debate: one being in favor of GMO use and the other against it. Pro GMO activists believe that GMOs can help address hunger issues and help reduce use of pesticides/insecticides while Anti-GMO activists state that it is a threat to the agriculture industry, and should be banned. Both sides have several valid points, however GMO’s are even more complicated from initial glance, and may not be as dangerous as some believe. 1st. Body: GMO’s are organisms whose genetic data has been manipulated through genetic engineering. In most cases these organisms are given a new gene to exhibit a specific trait (ex: Genes of fish in Alaska are used to help plants thrive in colder climates) which hopefully can improve the usefulness of these organisms. To perform this, scientists select a specific gene/trait they hope the target organism will express, and cut using enzymes, and then insert it into a plasmid ( a molecule containing DNA). The plasmid is then added to bacteria, that infect the cells of the target organism. The selected organism grows up, and may exhibit the desired traits the scientists implemented it with. This process has been used on various crops, especially corn, which now expresses many new traits including resistance to insects and naturally produces pesticides. These new cropsShow MoreRelatedGenetically Modified Organisms Are Safe And Should Be Used1226 Words   |  5 PagesDay in and d ay out we are beginning to eat more and more foods with genetically modified organisms. A genetically modified organism is living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. Although some see this as a bad thing, I personally feel that GMOs are safe and should be used routinely. Corn for example, is something that is used daily in the study of genetic modifications. One large example of the genetic modification is BtRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms Should Be Allowed For Preserve Their Property Rights By Patenting Such Organisms1322 Words   |  6 Pages Patenting organisms Make an argument as to why businesses that develop modified organisms should be able to preserve their property rights by patenting such organisms. A  patent  is a set of  exclusive rights  granted by a  sovereign state  to an inventor or assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for detailed public disclosure of an  invention. An invention is a solution to a specific technological problem and is a product or a process.  Patents are a form of  intellectual property.(WikipediaRead MoreWhy Food Should Be Labeled for Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)776 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The physicians highest calling, his only calling, is to make sick people healthy - to heal, as it is termed.† - Samuel Hahnemann For many years, since the time of the Triumviri Nocturne and the Vigils, many lives have been saved by some form of an emergency medical service, and since then it has evolved into what it is now a complex life-saving system that has saved many more lives. From the origin of medical responders to the creation of paramedics, people have risked their lives for othersRead MoreMandatory Labeling Of Genetically Modified Foods1726 Words   |  7 PagesMandatory Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods The late nineteenth century brought forth some of the most breakthrough scientific discoveries. One such breakthrough were Genetically Engineered (Modified) Organisms which were initially meant to reduce world hunger by being able to mass produce crops and also allow the produce to have a longer shelf life and be more ripe. However, the increasing methods of germinating crops and new, more compelling evidence from thorough scientific research has ledRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms And Organic Organisms Essay1578 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract In this brief, the reader will see how organic and genetically modified organisms are viewed and interpreted. They will see the â€Å"facts† about the genetically modified organisms and organic organism, and how producers and consumers view this. The reader will be able to understand what is actually happening to genetically modified organisms and organic organisms during the production and when it is getting processed. They will also learn about certified organic and the USDA organic and howRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms : An Organism1471 Words   |  6 Pagestoday’s world, genetically modifying organisms is a very common practice in the world of science. Scientists are genetically modifying a variety of different organisms, including a number of different plants, foods, medicines, and animals. To genetically modify an organism, the genetic structure of the organism has to be changed (Goldbas, 2014). The main purpose of genetically modifying an organism is t o change something genetically about the function of a particular part of the organism. This idea ofRead MoreGentically Modified Organisms are the Topic of Conversation718 Words   |  3 PagesIn the past decade or so, genetically modified foods and genetically modified organisms, also known as GM Foods and GMO’s, have been a never ending topic of discussion. GM Foods and GMO’s have adversely affected people’s health all over the world. GMO’s are developed through taking genes of different species, then combining them through genetic engineering. Neither of those things can happen naturally or out in nature. That should raise lots of red flags to our society already. Adding these alteredRead MoreAdvancements In Biotechnology Essay1088 Words   |  5 Pagesreport discusses the merits and demerits of extensive applications of biotechnology, specially the impacts of genetically modified/engineered crops which brought up in market 1990s. According to Wikipedia, the definition and process of genetically modified crops is summarised as â€Å"Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering, using a process of either CisgenesisRead MoreThe Food And Drug Administration898 Words   |  4 Pagesunique food products, they are put within the umbrella of other â€Å"natural† products. As time passes it appears to be harder to establish strict regulations to manage genetically modified food. According to the Center for Food Safety the most current propose of the Food and Drug Administration establishes that agricultural biotech companies should notify the FDA within a period of 120 before the companies proceed to introduce the product to the market. Regrettably, there is not mention of any regulationRead MoreHarmful Effects Of Genetically Modified Organisms1666 Words   |   7 PagesEnglish 6 28 January 2015 The Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified Organisms Does one really know how harmful genetically modified foods are to living organisms, or even to the environment? In grocery stores, 70% of the processed food sold contains genetically modified soybeans and corn. Also, a large percentage of canola, sugar beets, and sugar cane are genetically modified. Without even knowing it, Americans have been consuming genetically modified ingredients that have been hidden in their food

Government s Effect On The Government Essay - 1413 Words

The government affects Americans in several ways that many fail to realize. One could not walk down the street without seeing the government’s effect on our everyday lives. The questions we may have though are what are the levels of government? What is federalism? How does the government affect individuals every day? Do we need government? Do Americans appreciate the importance of our government? These are all questions that will be answered for we as individuals must understand how this government works before we can make a difference in bettering this country. The spheres (Levels) of government include National, State (Provincial), and Local. It is these three spheres of government that affect our day to day life. The national government provides the states with protection, enough power to maintain foreign policy, and the ability to collect taxes. The state government as stated in the federalist papers â€Å"State Governments, will have the advantage with regard to the predilection and support of the people.† (Hamilton, Jay, Madison 259), for the states have those powers of not expressed to the federal government in the constitution. Local government is the administration of a town, district, or county within a state that provides citizens of that area with representatives to uphold the laws of those living in the area. Federalism can be defined as, â€Å"...a system of government in which entities such as states or provinces share power with a national government. The UnitedShow MoreRelatedCommunism And Its Effects On America s Fr eedom And Government From Communist Power2178 Words   |  9 PagesDuring the 1950’s, Communism was a major fear that Democratic nations such as America were afraid of because of its radical ideas. The actions taken due to the Red Scare and the rise of McCarthyism were necessary and completely justified to protect America’s freedom and government from Communist power. With an increase of Communistic nations invading other countries and forcing their ideas upon them there was an uproar of fear in the United States. The Domino Theory was a legitimate fear of if oneRead MoreHighlighting the Issue of Neo-Colonialism through Media and Literature1431 Words   |  6 PagesThe Effects of Neo-Colonialism as presented in Motorcycle Diaries and A Small Place Neo-Colonialism is a very powerful and controversial issue in the world today. Countries such as the United States, Great Brittan and France still greatly profit over the countries they left as independent years ago. This paradox is created by the mother country exerting economic and political influence on the former colonies; allowing them to still profit from these third world countries without actually occupyingRead MoreThe World Of Science : Genetically Modified Organisms1463 Words   |  6 Pagescommunity, GMOs are organisms that have been genetically modified for unhealthy purposes. Based on substantiated research, government officials should enact legislation that prohibits the use and sale of genetically modified salmon in the United States. Not only should salmon be rejected and contained, but all transgenic organisms should not be let out without proper government research and consent of the public. The people have the determining factor and decision, and currently, the general publicRead MoreChinas Economy And Its Worst Economic Slow Down1093 Words   |  5 PagesBut the article argues that china’s economy is stronger than they thought and is going through a quiet financial revolu tion. The robustness of China’s economy rests on several aspects. First,most of China’s deficits are domestic. And the Chinese government has a way to convince the debtors and creditors not get into a panic. Second, in order to put the economy on more stable ground the country is shifting is shifting the balance towards domestic consumption instead of investment and export. sinceRead MoreThe Effect of Utilitarianism Essay1400 Words   |  6 PagesThey will be released if the US government will pay a certain amount of money. We can look at this situation in several ways. If we give the terrorists the money, and the hostages are set free, there would definitely be immediate positive utilities coming from the hostages themselves and the terrorists. People who are witnessing the situation would also get a positive utility, since they would be relieved that no one was hurt, and everything is back to itamp;#8217;s peaceful self again. The probableRead MoreEducation, Education And Education939 Words   |  4 PagesGovernments play a vital role in providing some of the basic amenities such as health, education and security to its citizens. According to Milton Friedman, the government has a ve ry important and critical role to play in the provision of education and more specifically provision of primary education. Government involvement in the education sector can either be in the form of loans, subsidies or grants to provide an enabling learning environment to the needy students. This paper analyzes the roleRead MoreCommunism Of The Vietnam War And The Cold War1181 Words   |  5 PagesCommunism different from other ideologies is its origin, its policy, and its effects on the poor and the working class. Communism originated during the Stone Age, at the beginning of our human civilization from the fourth B. C. as primitive Communism†. At that point, everyone had an equal amount of work. Then it was later being replaced by monarchy and capitalism. Communism has been mentioned in many books: The Bible, Plato s Republic by Plato, Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More, City of the Sun (1623)Read MoreCauses And Effects Of Revolutions1237 Words   |  5 PagesThe Causes and Effects of Revolutions Revolutions have occurred throughout history and continue to arise even in the present day. Many revolution happens because of the miscommunication between the government and its citizens. In the end, the outcome of revolutions are usually good but, sometimes it might not be what people want. In the following paragraphs, examples of the general causes and effects that creates a revolution will be discussed in order to illustrate how revolutions are mainly causedRead MoreLaying Off Boeing Workers For A Company s Ills1608 Words   |  7 Pagesresearch considers the effects of downsizing and whether it is truly the panacea for a company s ills, or whether it brings with it more problems. A specific company, Boeing, and recent downsizing decisions it has made is also considered. Local Economic Effects: Short-Term There are immediate local economic effects when a company downsizes; the larger the company and the greater its relative importance to an area, the greater these effects. Initially, the short-term effects are to reduce the amountRead MoreEconomics : An Integral Part Of Civilization Of The World Essay924 Words   |  4 Pagestendency of people that will only see short-term effects of an economic policy or its effect only on a particular group. This is often ignored by economists when entering the field of public economics. Hazlitt stated that the bad economists are economists who only see the short-term effects of economic policy as well as its impact on certain groups only. While good economists are those who see long-term effects of an economic policy and examine its effect on all groups. By looking at both of these factors

Investigating The Relationship Between Hong Kong And China Free Essays

In exploring the relationship between Hong Kong and its sovereign ruler, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), I will proceed by first examining the history behind the 1997 union. In doing so, I will introduce the Basic Law, a constitution which guarantees certain Hong Kong rights. Next, I will explore the political and civil rights of Hong Kong as stated by the Basic Law. We will write a custom essay sample on Investigating The Relationship Between Hong Kong And China or any similar topic only for you Order Now Moving forward, I will examine each party’s economy, commenting upon the commercial interplay, and establishing each as an economic superpower. Thirdly, I will address some of the tensions that exist between the two regions by looking at one hotbed issue: the birthing of newborns in Hong Kong. Finally, I will consider what the future holds for this relationship, concluding that it is at-once troubled and promising. Background: The Handover Guaranteed Rights In order to fully grasp the relationship between Hong Kong and China, one must first develop an understanding of the history. After 150 under British control, Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 as a Special Administrative Region (SAR). The Hong Kong SAR was instituted under a Chinese policy or mission statement of â€Å"one country, two systems.† This slogan embodies the Chinese leaders’ goal of reunifying Hong Kong with mainland China, while permitting a co-existence of different political, social, and legal systems. Autonomy was delivered to the HKSAR in the form of the Basic Law. The Basic Law laid out some pertinent rulings in regard to the Hong Kong-Chinese relationship. First, it is important to note that the Basic Law was created with a shelf-life of 50 years; meaning that its ruling power will expire in 2047. This allows Hong Kong residents to have freedom of speech, freedom of press and publication, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of procession, of demonstration, of communication, of movement, of conscience, of religious belief, and of marriage. Furthermore, HK citizens enjoy the right and freedom to form and join trade unions, and to strike. In addition, the laws that were previously in force in Hong Kong, such as the common law and rules of equity shall be maintained by the HKSAR under the Basic Law. Thus, the Hong Kong SAR has a high level of autonomy, enjoying many levels of independent power. This autonomy is however limited and in daily dispute, as I will address in the subsequent Politics and Tensions sections. As I just listed in the guaranteed rights runthrough, Hong Kong citizens may speak their mind, and are even able to engage in street demonstrations – where such acts are banned in the PRC. It must be noted that there are, however, certain restrictions to these freedoms. For example, the law requires that police be informed of the demonstrations beforehand, and all protests are subject to interference or destruction on the grounds of â€Å"national security.† In the sixteen years the two have been linked, this has been a nagging issue for HK people as the PRC takes the form of an overbearing ruler. For example, Hong Kong citizens have historically been unable to exercise their voice in advocating for the independence of Tibet or Taiwan. Despite these impediments to wholly free speech, this is much more than that afforded to those in the PRC. Government Form and Political Parties Similar to the United States and other large nation states, China utilizes its sovereign power through a federal system that distributes authority between the central government and local governments. While these local governments may institute a variety of differing policies, the â€Å"political character† of each government is usually uniform. Hong Kong is a large exception to this norm as it has been allowed to enjoy a semblance of democracy. Hong Kong has its own parliamentary system, or Legislative Council. Members of the Legislative Council, known as LegCo, are elected by processes of both direct election and electoral college. All Hong Kong citizens are able to vote in direct elections, on the stipulation that they have been living there for a minimum of seven years. This sounds similar to the American voting system that we are familiar with, however only one-third of LegCo is elected with this format. The other two-thirds are elected by a group known as a â€Å"functional constituency.† The functional constituency is a group of professionals represented by fields of specialty, such as Accounting, Engineering, Legal, and Medical. It is noteworthy that this election form draws much criticism from pro-democracy supporters as it allows a minority to hold a majority of influence and power. One of the requirements of democracy, beyond free speech guarantees that HK enjoys, is the need for a variety of political parties. Political variation allows for multiple viewpoints, allowing citizens to build fuller view and stronger opinions on significant socio-political issues. While the PRC can be described as having just one political party, Hong Kong houses five major parties. Surprisingly, some of these even speak loudly regarding their opposition to Beijing and its policies. This extreme difference in political composition serves as a lens through which we can see the PRC and Hong Kong as a potentially uncomfortable pairing. In times of constitutional disagreement though, it is mainland China’s governing power that prevails. One Country, Two Economic Superpowers In covering Hong Kong and China, we are dealing with two of the world’s greatest economic superpowers. China surpassed Japan in 2010, becoming the second-largest economy in the world and the Chinese are now well on their way to becoming the world leader, as they are expected to surpass the United States in a matter of years (if not months). While Hong Kong and China exchange heavily with one another, they maintain separate economic systems and forms of currency. Articles of the Basic Law dictate that Hong Kong, as a special administrative region, is able to determine its own monetary policies. As such, Hong Kong has continued to use its pre-1997 currency, the Hong Kong dollar, while the PRC uses its own currency: the Renmibi. Interestingly, the HK dollar is treated as foreign tender within the mainland, and the same goes for the Renmibi within Hong Kong. While China and Hong Kong may treat each other’s currencies as foreign, they are intricately connected and highly circulated. For example, Hong Kong is China’s number one foreign investor, as they account for over half of the country’s total foreign capital. Thus, Hong Kong holds an important role for the soon-to-be largest world economy, as its premier trading partner and â€Å"foreign investor.† Hong Kong: Model of Wealth but Lacking Complete Representation To explore the power and ever-increasing potential of the Hong Kong economy, I am shining light on the Economic Freedom of the World index (analysis performed by the Fraser institute, a Canadian think tank). According to this institute’s study, Hong Kong’s economy ranks as the freest in the world (and has held this #1 ranking since 1970). The institute’s Economic Freedom of the World index bases this assessed freedom on three primary elements: government size, regulation of economic activity, and openness to international trade. The smallness of Hong Kong government is evidenced by government spending as a percentage of GDP, which rests at 19.2%. Compare this to the United States, which is over double that figure, at 38.9%. Furthermore, Hong Kong citizens enjoy a flat income tax rate of 15% while businesses pay a corporate tax rate of 16.5%. If that was not economically appealing enough, take into consideration that there is no sales tax nor taxation of dividends or capital gains. The second Economic Freedom of the World index element reveals Hong Kong as possessing a flexible and efficient regulation of economic activity. In assessing this aspect, the Fraser Institute defers judgment to the World Bank and its Doing Business project which produces a report measuring the cost of business regulation for companies each year. The results place Hong Kong as the second easiest place to do conduct business in the world. This high ranking is based on HK’s flexible labor market and the view of the Hong Kong dollar as a stable form of currency. The final element in the Fraser Institute’s model of assessing economic freedom is an economy’s openness to international trade. Hong Kong does not impose quotas nor does it charge customs duties. In addition, there are no Hong Kong restrictions to the inflow of investment capital. These factors make HK very friendly to international business and greatly contribute to the region’s standing as third-ranked world-wide in terms of inflow of foreign investment. Furthermore, Hong Kong ranks as fourth overall in terms of investment outflow – only behind the United States, Japan, and mainland China. Considering its worldwide economic power and attractiveness, it may seem odd that HK lacks true international representation. For example, Hong Kong is not directly represented in the United Nations. However, because of its economic weight, HK does have its own representation in trade and commerce bodies, such as the World Trade Organization. Interestingly, Hong Kong is even represented by the International Olympic Committee, a sporting body. It follows that the PRC has direct representation in all of these. This overview of representation shows the level of Hong Kong’s autonomy, which is covered in most areas except for â€Å"high politics,† where the PRC serves as the authority. Tensions: Birthing Trouble A survey conducted by the University of Hong Kong in 2011 found that twice the number of responders referred to themselves as Hong Kongers versus identifying themselves as Chinese. There are a number of factors leading to feelings of â€Å"us versus them.† It is difficult for Hong Kong citizens to see themselves as being the same as the mainland Chinese because of their years under British rule. While there were downsides to the years under foreign control, it was this exposure that has led to their current attractions, in terms of common law and personal freedoms. The disparity between mainlanders and Hong Kongers is seemingly growing. The aforementioned number of survey respondents identifying as Hong Kongers hit a 10 year high. This may be attributed to the fact that some HK citizens loudly voiced a fear of â€Å"becoming just one more city in China.† We can examine one instance of this relationship’s unrest by looking at the process of birthing in Hong Kong, and how the PRC is involved. Great numbers of mainland pregnant women enter Hong Kong to birth their babies. This is politically-heavy for two reasons. Firstly, these HK women are evading the mainland policy which limits the number of children a family may have. Second, babies born in Hong Kong are automatically granted residency. With residency comes access to the SAR’s high-grade healthcare and free schooling. With 37% of the Hong Kong babies born in 2010 belonging to mainland families (where neither parent is a HK resident), the resources are heavily constrained. Beyond the implications of supply and demand for future healthcare and schooling, HK residents are having to fight to simply reserve maternity ward hospital beds. The people of Hong Kong are not taking such strains lying down. HK residents are exercising every freedom of speech right that they have in order to let their voices be heard and to advocate for change. In the case of mainland mothers overtaking HK maternity wards, Hong Kong citizens took protested in great numbers. Dozens of pregnant women, along with their husbands and hundreds of other supporters, marched in streets in demand of resource protection. The people are demanding that the legislative powers disallow citizenship through local birth. This serves as just one example of the clash between Hong Kong and mainland citizens. Evidence of Hong Kong’s Influence on China An Uncertain Future While the â€Å"one country, two systems† policy was created to allow the territory of Hong Kong to continue in its prosperous ways of capitalism while the keeping the rest of China socialist, it has not exactly remained that way. Since the 1997 handover, China has created dozens of zones that are designated as free-trade zones, industrial high-tech development zones, and â€Å"Special Economic Zones.† For example, two major Chinese cities that fall into this categorization are Shanghai and Shenzhen. This case of zone example serves as an indicator of mainland China’s eyes being opened to the possibilities of capitalism and other aspects of Western culture. Despite how slow China is to make changes, it is evident that the PRC’s adoption of these practices is directly connected to their involvement with Hong Kong. Thus, HK is serving as somewhat of a blueprint for the PRC’s progress. The futures of China and Hong Kong remain very much uncertain, however one thing is clear: they will remain intricately entwined for decades to come. Evidence of Hong Kong’s influence on the People’s Republic of China begs the question of â€Å"what is next for China as a whole?† If one of the world’s longtime socialist superpowers has begun a shift toward capitalism, what is stopping them from expanding consideration to human rights and rule of law? It is with such a jump that China could carry not only the banner for national worldwide GDP (as they certainly will), but also finally provide the first-world living conditions that are expected from a worldwide economic superpower. How to cite Investigating The Relationship Between Hong Kong And China, Papers

South Africa free essay sample

The population of South Africa was classified into four groups which was the Black, White, Indian, and Colored. The Colored group included people regarded as being of mixed descent including people of Bantu, and European ancestry and much more. Knowing that Apartheid was a system of laws created to keep the white population in control. The Group Areas act of 1951 controlled people where they could of live. The black where driven far away from their city, although their jobs were still in the cities in the white neighborhood. The Bantu education Act meant that the black students were disadvantaged with their education. â€Å"Bus fares were expensive and catching public transport everyday was expensive and caused hardship and depression for the black people. † (Wikipedia) The apartheid policy was highly effective of achieving its goal of privileged conduct for whites. On the other hand, the white population supported apartheid because they felt it was there to own the land of South Africa. We will write a custom essay sample on South Africa or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There were many white pro apartheid people because of the much larger population of black South Africans causing the white people to believe that if the black were given rights and freedom, they would of no longer have political power. The white people were worried because they thought that their race would be taken over and they would lose the control that they always had. As a final point, In February 1990 President FW de Klerk announced the release of Nelson Mandela and began the exclusion of the Apartheid system. In 1992 a white council approved the reform process and on April 27, 1994 the first democratic elections were held in South Africa with people of all different races being able to vote. After the Apartheid came to an end in South Africa, people had more freedom. The Africans now have a little more money now that it’s not all going to the white. South Africa is now peaceful and the anniversary of the elections, which was held on April 27, is celebrated as a public holiday in South Africa known as Freedom Day.

Battle of the Crater in the Civil War

Battle of the Crater in the Civil War The Battle of the Crater occurred July 30, 1864, during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and was an attempt by Union forces to break the siege of Petersburg. In March 1864, President Abraham Lincoln elevated Ulysses S. Grant to lieutenant general and gave him overall command of Union forces. In this new role, Grant decided to turn over operational control of the western armies to Major General William T. Sherman and moved his headquarters east to travel with Major General George G. Meades Army of the Potomac. The Overland Campaign For the spring campaign, Grant intended to strike General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia from three directions. First, Meade was to ford the Rapidan River east of the Confederate position at Orange Court House, before turning west to engage the enemy. Further south, Major General Benjamin Butler was to move up the Peninsula from Fort Monroe and menace Richmond, while to the west Major General Franz Sigel destroyed the resources of the Shenandoah Valley. Commencing operations in early May 1864, Grant and Meade encountered Lee south of the Rapidan and fought the bloody Battle of the Wilderness (May 5-7). Stalemated after three days of fighting, Grant disengaged and moved around Lees right. Pursuing, Lees men renewed the fighting on May 8 at Spotsylvania Court House (May 8-21). Two weeks of costly saw another stalemate emerge and Grant again slipped south. After a brief encounter at North Anna (May 23-26), Union forces were halted at Cold Harbor in early June. To Petersburg Rather than force the issue at Cold Harbor, Grant withdrew east then moved south towards the James River. Crossing over a large pontoon bridge, the Army of the Potomac targeted the vital city of Petersburg. Situated south of Richmond, Petersburg was a strategic crossroads and rail hub which supplied the Confederate capital and Lees army. Its loss would make would Richmond indefensible (Map). Aware of Petersburgs significance, Butler, whose forces were at Bermuda Hundred, unsuccessfully attacked the city on June 9. These efforts were halted by Confederate forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard. First Attacks On June 14, with the Army of the Potomac nearing Petersburg, Grant ordered Butler to send Major General William F. Baldy Smiths XVIII Corps to attack the city. Crossing the river, Smiths assault was delayed through the day on the 15th, but finally moved forward that evening. Though he made some gains, he halted his men due to darkness. Across the lines, Beauregard, whose request for reinforcements had been ignored by Lee, stripped his defenses at Bermuda Hundred to reinforce Petersburg. Unaware of this, Butler remained in place rather than threatening Richmond. Despite shifting troops, Beauregard was badly outnumbered as Grants troops began arriving on the field. Attacking late in the day with the XVIII, II, and IX Corps, Grants men gradually pushed the Confederates back. Fighting resumed on 17th with the Confederates doggedly defending and preventing a Union breakthrough. As the fighting continued, Beauregards engineers commenced constructing a new line of fortifications closer the city and Lee began marching to the fighting. Union assaults on June 18 gained some ground but were halted at the new line with heavy losses. Unable to advance, Meade ordered his troops to dig in opposite the Confederates. The Siege Begins Having been halted by the Confederate defenses, Grant devised operations for severing the three open railroads leading into Petersburg. While he worked on these plans, elements of the Army of the Potomac manned the earthworks that had sprung up around Petersburgs east side. Among these was the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, a member of Major General Ambrose Burnsides IX Corps. Composed largely of former coal miners, the men of the 48th devised their own plan for breaking through the Confederate lines. Armies Commanders Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. GrantMajor General Ambrose BurnsideIX Corps Confederate General Robert E. LeeMajor General William Mahone A Bold Idea Observing that the closest Confederate fortification, Elliotts Salient, was a mere 400 feet from their position, the men of the 48th conjectured that a mine could be run from their lines under the enemy earthworks. Once complete, this mine could be packed with enough explosives to open a hole in the Confederate lines. This idea was seized upon by their commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pleasants. A mining engineer by trade, Pleasants approached Burnside with the plan arguing that the explosion would take the Confederates by surprise and would allow Union troops to rush in to take the city. Eager to restore his reputation after his defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Burnside agreed to present it to Grant and Meade. Though both men were skeptical about its chances for success, they approved it with the thought that it would keep the men busy during the siege. On June 25, Pleasants men, working with improvised tools, began digging the mine shaft. Digging continuously, the shaft reached 511 feet by July 17. During this time, the Confederates became suspicious when they heard the faint sound of digging. Sinking countermines, they came close to locating the 48ths shaft. The Union Plan Having stretched the shaft under Elliotts Salient, the miners began digging a 75-foot lateral tunnel that paralleled the earthworks above. Completed on July 23, the mine was filled with 8,000 pounds of black powder four days later. As the miners were working, Burnside had been developing his attack plan. Selecting Brigadier General Edward Ferreros division of United States Colored Troops to lead the assault, Burnside had them drilled in the use of ladders and instructed them to move along the sides of the crater to secure the breach in the Confederate lines. With Ferraros men holding the gap, Burnsides other divisions would cross to exploit the opening and take the city. To support the assault, Union guns along the line were ordered to open fire following the explosion and a large demonstration was made against Richmond to draw off enemy troops. This latter action worked particularly well as there were only 18,000 Confederate troops in Petersburg when the attack began. Upon learning that Burnside intended to lead with his black troops, Meade intervened fearing that if the attack failed he would be blamed for the needless death of these soldiers. Last Minute Changes Meade informed Burnside on July 29, the day before the attack, that he would not permit Ferreros men to spearhead the assault. With little time remaining, Burnside had his remaining division commanders draw straws. As a result, the ill-prepared division of Brigadier General James H. Ledlie was given the task. At 3:15 AM on July 30, Pleasants lit the fuse to the mine. After an hour of waiting without any explosion, two volunteers entered the mine to find problem. Finding that the fuse had gone out, they re-lit it and fled the mine. A Union Failure At 4:45 AM, the charge detonated killing at least 278 Confederate soldiers and creating a crater 170 feet long, 60-80 feet wide, and 30 feet deep. As the dust settled, Ledlies attack was delayed by the need to remove obstructions and debris. Finally moving forward, Ledlies men, who had not been briefed on the plan, charged down into the crater rather than around it. Initially using the crater for cover, they soon found themselves trapped and unable advance. Rallying, Confederate forces in the area moved along the rim of the crater and opened fire on the Union troops below. Seeing the attack failing, Burnside pushed Ferreros division in to the fray. Joining the confusion in the crater, Ferreros men endured heavy fire from the Confederates above. Despite the disaster in the crater, some Union troops succeeded in moving along the right edge of the crater and entered the Confederate works. Ordered by Lee to contain the situation, the division of Major General William Mahone launched a counterattack around 8:00 AM. Moving forward, they drove Union forces back to the crater after bitter fighting. Gaining the slopes of crater, Mahones men compelled the Union troops below to flee back to their own lines. By 1:00 PM, most of the fighting had concluded. Aftermath The disaster at the Battle of the Crater cost the Union around 3,793 killed, wounded, and captured, while the Confederates incurred around 1,500. While Pleasants was commended for his idea, the resulting attack had failed and the armies remained stalemated at Petersburg for another eight months. In the wake of the attack, Ledlie (who may have been drunk at the time) was removed from command and dismissed from the service. On August 14, Grant also relieved Burnside and sent him on leave. He would not receive another command during the war. Grant later testified that though he supported Meades decision to withdraw Ferreros division, he believed that if the black troops had been permitted to lead the attack, the battle would have resulted in a victory.

A Matter of Failure Turned Successful essays

A Matter of Failure Turned Successful essays What factors turned Englands Chesapeake colony of Virginia from stark failure to brilliant success? In the 1580s, the English landed in an unknown world called America. They quickly set up camp and created the small city of Roanoke, in present-day North Carolina. The population of Roanoke colony was very small; they were Englishs prototype colony. The expedition leader, John White, was very excited and returned home to England to spread the news. When he returned to Roanoke in 1590, he returned to an abandoned colony, with no signs of what happened. The Roanoke Colony was a miserable failure. English colonization was delayed afterwards due to Englands war with Spain, from 1588 to 1604. But once the war was over, England was back at it again and set forth to the Chesapeake Bay. The Virginia Company, who was a group of investors, set sail once again in 1607 and created a fort named Jamestown. The difference between Jamestown and Roanoke is... Jamestown was a success. The first couple years for Jamestown settlers was hard, especially in the cold, violent Atlantic Coast winters. Jamestown was doomed the first winter until the Powhatan tribe came the rescue. After the first couple winters were over with, the Chesapeake started to boom economically. One of the biggest allies of the Chesapeake was tobacco. Tobacco was unknown to England, and in 1613, John Rolfe developed a hybrid cured Virginia leaf. This new phenomenon was packaged and shipped to England and the rest of Europe, and the smoking craze was on. With tobacco on the rise for the Virginia Company, they needed much help farming it. The Virginia Company was giving land away in the Chesapeake to anyone who can afford the trip over. In the years between 1619 and 1624, 4,500 new English settlers arrived to raise tobacco. For those who wanted to get out of England and couldnt afford it, the Virginia Company paid their way. T...

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

The Mali - Essay Example In fact, some of the same the Muslim historians and scholars that have written about Ghana have also provided a written record of Mali (Jackson, 1970). For example, Ibn Khaldun, a Muslim scholar working out of Islamic Spain in the 15th century, wrote about both Ghana and Mali. Islamic scholars must have paid a great of attention to Mali because its rulers converted to Islam, and subsequently spread it throughout Africa. The richness of the historical record of Mali allows a history of this great civilization to be reconstituted (Jackson, 1970). The geographical borders of Mali where similar to the former boarders of Ghana. The similarities exist because Mali was once a feudal territory that rose to fill a void after Ghana had fallen at the hands of the Susu. In his Kitab al-'Ibar Ibn Khaldun indicates that Mali occupied Ghana's former boarders (Davidson, 1991). He writes, "Much later the population of Mali grew to such an extent that it became dominate over all over this region (i.e. the area formerly ruled by Ghana)" (Khaldun, 1969 p.1). In the early history of Mali, during the reign of Al-Malik al-Nasir, Mali extended its borders west to the Atlantic Ocean. To the north, Mali occupied the upper portions of the Sahara. To the south, Mali extended down the Niger River past the city of Djenne, which is located on marshy land in the middle of the Niger River, it is referred to as an island. To the East, the kingdom stretched to a city called Takrur; this included much of the Sahara. Originally the kingdom of Mali started expanding from the top of the Niger River (Davidson, 1991). Starting from the city of Timbuktu, Mali steadily conquered the lands that lay down stream. These areas included the towns of Djenne, located on series of mashes and lakes that lies close to the Niger River, and Kawkaw, thought to be the modern-day city of Gao. Controlling the Niger River and the cities that lie on its banks were important for trade and travel (Jackson, 1970). The Niger was a central artery of commerce for both West and North African trade routs. The importance of the Niger can also be seen in the fact that Mali's capital city, which changed many times, was often located on that river. Mali's control of the Niger River, and these important cities, helped it to grow and prosper (Davidson, 1991). By the 18th century, Mali was in a semi anarchic state. Two empires emerged that opposed French invasion, the Tukolor Empire of al- Hajj Umar (1794-1864) and the Somori Toure (1870-98). During this time the region saw a resurgence of Islam. But in later years Mali was conquered and became the French Sudan, part of the Federation of French West Africa (Jackson, 1970). Mali Today Thanks to its rich and ancient past, Mali has become a country of great ethnic diversity with nearly two dozen different ethnic groups living within its borders. The main groups are the Mande (including the Bambara, Malinke, Soninke, Mandinka, Mende, Susu, Dialonke, and Dyula), Peul (or Fulani), Voltaic, Songhay, Tuareg, and Moor. Some other groups include the Dogon, Bozo, and Bobo. The single largest ethnic group is the Bambara also known as Bamana. This name recalls the era when the influence of Islam was spreading through Africa, yet this group of rural farmers refused to convert to a new religion and kept alive their traditional way of life. Bambara means "infidel" or

Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Biology - Essay Example HCT 116 cell lines belong to the DNA repairing community and nearly 22 genes were disrupted in this cell line. Most of these genes are similar to the genes disrupted by other cell lines. Gene targeting is highly successful in this cell line and it is the only cell line without knock out strategies. HCT 116 cell lines can also be used for gene knock out in somatic cells. The targeting frequency of HCT 116 is 37% more than other cell lines for the p21 loci. (Conn 2008). LOVO cell lines are derived from the metastatic site of the colon. It is the best transfection host for cancer studies. The Colorectal Cancer cells are aneuploid cells which undergo a large-scale chromosomal rearrangement. LOVO and LS-174T cell lines have KRAS mutations. LOVO lacks BAT- 26 locus. (Ahmed et al. 2013). According to Bu et al (2011), the order of efficiency of cell lines is given as Caco-2> HT – 29 > LS174T > LOVO. LS174T cell line is best used for the investigation of the phenotypes. Similarly, proliferative and invasive capacity of LS174T is very high than any other Colorectal Cancer cell line. Thus LS174T can be used for the study of the mucin expression in the colon cancer. (Bu et al. 2011). Bcl – 3 ( B –cell lymphoma 3 – encoded protein ) is an oncogene protein. It is a regulator present in the NF- kB. The studies on Bcl- 3 have found that Bcl- 3 is an important oncogenic regulator for the study of Colorectal Cancer. Bcl- 3 is found to activate the homodimers such as p52 and p50. The phosphorylation of Bcl-3 results in the up regulation. This is very impo rtant for the colorectal carcinoma. (Puvvada et al. 2010). CAECAM (Carcinoembryonic Antigen- related Cell Adhesion Molecule) belongs to a group of Carcinoembryonic antigen family (CEA). CEA contains two sub groups: CAECAM and Pregnancy-specific glycoproteins (PSG). CAECAM are found to a tumor suppressoe molecule by down regualting the growth and

Why immigrants are successful Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why immigrants are successful - Essay Example Along with many countries of the world, United States has also undergone the effects of immigration. According to statistics, during the 17th and 18th centuries, few people have migrated to U.S. but this trend gradually accelerated after 1820s; however, last two decades have seen whopping migration to U.S. because the government is permitting the foreigners to work legally (Edmonston, pp. 35-75). The current scenario reflects that immigrants prove to be more successful than the U.S. citizens are. A faction of American population has a wrong impression that their government is supporting and funding the immigrants as a part of their business strategy. However, some schools of thought believe that the present status of the immigrants is solely due to their sincere hard work. It is enlightened in the following arguments. In the view point of U.S. citizens, immigrants are creating economic decline, as they do not pay taxes when compared to the facilities and benefits they acquire from th e social services. Whereas the findings of numerous researches prove that these immigrants have boosted the economy to unprecedented levels as they are high-skilled workers who are willing to work at a lower wage and works more efficiently as compared to the citizens. Moreover, it results in cheaper and better production of goods with promising profits. Though immigrants compete with the local people for low-proficiency jobs, they even sometimes get an edge on the locals through their expertise in the areas that is non-existent in a particular locality (Fairchild, pp. 237-267). American natives live such a lifestyle that they do everything according to their wishes and desires. Their upbringing is in a much-pampered way that makes them simply unaware of the meaning of struggle in life. On the other hand, immigrants such as Asians, Africans, Arabs, and Israelis come from a third world background where their entire lives had gone through economical and financial hardships, therefore, the only thing that they desire to have is money for which they migrate to U.S. where they find a gold mine waiting to be struck. As a result, their primary focus is to earn money so that they can provide their family with comfort and high-standards of living, and afford quality education for their children. Therefore, happiness for oneself becomes the last priority for any immigrant (Pratt Fairchild, pp. 237-267). It is a fact that U.S denizens have confined themselves to a shorter period of working time that is approximately 8 hours per day or 40 hours a week. Whereas, the immigrants work for a prolong duration of time that can reach up to 70-80 hours a week. Investors see a reliable scope in investing on the immigrants, as they do not fear hard work and if they receive a share in profit, they would be willing to work even harder. Immigrants realize the importance of money as they earn it by sweat of the brow. Therefore, their spending behavior is unlike the U.S. citizens. They do not believe in redundant spending on luxury. In fact, they are prudent in spending money, purchase only necessary goods, and save the rest for the rainy days. Their eventual goal is to save money as much as possible for which they look for entities that are on sale (Chiswick, pp. 28-97). Education has an utmost importance in an individual’s life as it makes an individual competent and capable of earning respectable amount of money. The immigrants always welcome education when their work demands, regardless of their age. The extensive market researches have clearly stated that the immigrants whether Asians or

Principles and Practices of Classroom Management

Principles and Practices of Classroom Management Challenging behaviour children are children that disrupts, annoy or get into a disagreement with other people, be it the teachers or their peers. Some also do not interact with the others (McTiernan, 2011). Positive behaviour is being sociable with peers and being able to listen to instructions. In a class, there are bound to have a mixture of both positive and challenging behaviour. Management of the challenging or positive behaviour of children is not the only influence for the child’s behaviour. The arrangement of the physical space also does matter. Different environment is needed for different kind of activities, when the children is doing languages or maths, a quiet environment is needed as the children needs to think and absorb the information. However, when it is time for play, the environment would be noisy. These two activities need to be put at a separated place as the noisy activities might disrupt the quiet activities. In the childcare centre that I am attached in, the quiet and noisy activities are separated. When they arrange the activities in this way, the children would develop a positive behaviour as they feel comfortable in what they are doing. Shelves used in childcare or kindergartens should be low as it is crucial for the teacher to keep their eyes on the children at all times. Shelves are used as a partition for different learning centres and storage space in a childcare or kindergarten (Hodge, 1997, p.10). The shelves in the childcare centre that I am attached in also has low shelves so that the teacher can always see the children and the children can also reach for the toys easily. When the teacher keep an eye on the children at all times, it would prevent challenging behaviour as the children knows that they are being watched by their teachers. Tapes are also used as a sign for boundaries, some centres also has footprints to show the children some pathways from a certain place to another (Kaiser, Rasminsky, 2007, p.105). However, there isn’t any tapes nor foot prints in the childcare I am attached to. Therefore, it does not seem to have any boundary for any learning corners. This triggers challenging behaviour as children not to know where the different centres are and they will start to be rowdy. Social context is when there is friendliness, cooperation and cohesiveness involved. With this three components, it would add up to a sense of community. A community is where one can feel a sense of belong and they all work towards a goal that they all have. When children are friendly with each other, challenging behaviour will not occur so often. This is so as they feel that they are included and they will feel happy. Cooperation is essential in preventing challenging behaviour as with cooperative activities, children with challenging behaviour would tend to behave not so aggressive and corporate (Kaiser, Raminsky, 2010). Being a teacher would mean that there is a need for one to set a good example for the students. They should be caring and be able to lend a listening ear to the children. When the children see that their teachers are so friendly, they will then feel encouraged to behave positively. When children behave positively, challenging behaviour can then be prevented. A relationship between the teacher and student should also be built up. To do so, one should be fair to each and every student and make an effort to know about each student’s background. As a teacher, it is also very important to listen to every student. It should also be necessary to set out some behaviour that is expected from the children. When the children feels that the teacher has built up a relationship with them, it is less likely for them to have a challenging behaviour. As they feel that you are very friendly, they will build up a positive behaviour. However, being friendly is important but one should be careful about not letting the children think that you are their friend instead of teacher as this would lead to them not taking what you say seriously (Smith, Yell, 2013). In different childcare or kindergartens, different strategies are used by teachers in managing classes. Below are two strategies that I have observed the teachers used. Of which one is a rule and one is a routine. Although strategies are supposedly workable, however, there are also times where strategies does not work. In the childcare centre that I am attached to, there are some unique actions made to catch the children’s attention. One of the strategies I observed is that during lessons or storybook reading time, when the children are getting restless and becoming rowdy, the teacher would clap her hands to any tune and most of the children will mimic what is being clapped. However, the corporation of the children depends on how rowdy they are. If they are really rowdy, only some will clap to the tune while the rest continues to be noisy. I have observed that the â€Å"clap to the tune† method only works for a maximum of two to three times. After that, another strategy must be used to capture the children’s attention. I think that this happens as the children gets bored with the method at the third time. The second strategy is actually a rule. There is a rule saying that after every meal, the floor must be swept and the tables must be cleaned by the students. When it was my first day in the childcare centre, I was actually very shocked to see the children all wanting to sweep the floor and clean the tables. I at first thought that they were rewarded after that. However, they were not. After much thinking, I finally understood why they would be so spontaneous. They already take it as a daily routine, to them, it is like bathing or eating. In independent work, much considerations must be made in order for the children to be interested and thus get the motivation to finish that piece of work. The work should be challenging but achievable. This is so as it is important to let children feel a sense of achievement when they first do it. If they fail at the first time, they will not want to do it again the next time. This means that if the child is 5 years old, do not give anything that a 7 year old would do. This is so as they will not know how to do and would not be motivated to finish the work given when they feel that they do not know how to do. Work should also be given according to the child’s interest. For example, if the child is interested in animals, you could provide the child with some paper and recycled materials for him/her to create an animal he or she likes (Weinstein, Romano Mignano, 2011, p.256). The objectives in a small group activity is to let the children learn how to have teamwork and how to help one another. Therefore, the work given should include factors of teamwork. If possible, create an activity that the factor of teamwork is mandatory. Another considerations that must be made is that to help the children team up, this means that one should make sure that they do not mix with the same group of people all the time. This would lead to segregation in the class as over time, they will not want to mix with the other peers. The aim of a small group work is for everybody to mix around, if they only mix with their peers then it would defeat the purpose of a small group work (Weinstein, Romano Mignano, 2011, p.277). I have observed that in the childcare centre that I am attached to, they would try to mix the children around for group work. The last important thing is to make sure no student tries to free load. It is essential to put different children with different strength together so that all of them would have a chance to do something. For example, put a student with good creative but does not have much of a patience with a student that has patience but not much of a creativity (Weinstein, C. S, Romano, M. E. Mignano, A. J., 2011, pg. 278).

Romeo And Juliet - Comparisson To West Side Story Essay -- essays rese

The play West Side Story, by Arthur Laurents, is based upon the play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. Despite a few differences, both works, in essence, have the same plot. The source of violence in Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story is the ever-present hatred between families and between gangs, although, because of the "star-cross’d lovers" motif in Romeo and Juliet, the hatred plays a larger role in producing the ending of West Side Story than it does the ending of Romeo and Juliet. The tension and hatred between gangs in West Side Story has a drastic affect on Maria and Tony’s relationship as well as on the outcome of the play. Because of the hatred between their respective gangs, Tony and Maria are not able to meet or even talk in public - they must do it secretly. Also, Bernardo and Riff are strong focuses of hate. They cannot see past their blind hatred for each other. Because of this, both of them, as well as Tony, are killed in the "rumble." Anita’s hatred for the Jets is fueled by their treatment of her at Doc’s candy store. This influences her to tell them that Maria is dead, thus affecting the ending of the play. Chino is another source of hatred. When Tony kills Bernardo, Chino is driven by the need for revenge and he kills Tony. In order to fully understand the plot of West Side Story, one must have an understanding of the nature of gangs in the 1950’s and know the reasons for their actions. Between 1941 and 1956, more than 500,000 Puerto Ricans moved to major cities in the U.S. such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Cleveland. The majority of them lived in poor areas of their city. Puerto Rican gangs formed so that they could protect themselves from prejudiced Americans. Many people took advantage of the immigrants’ poor social status. For example, Bernardo says, "And Chino makes half what the Polack makes - the Polack is American!" (Laurents 165) Youth agencies and youth boards concluded that most gangs formed because of the poverty, disease, and racism present in the ghetto. Gangs, which were usually made up of teenagers, fought over girls, territory (otherwise known as "turf"), and racial matters. Italian, Jewish, and Irish gangs were worried that the Puerto Ricans were taking over their "turf". "Turf" could range... ...and Juliet, when they marry, must marry secretly because of the feud. However, Maria and Tony do not marry, although they do perform a mock wedding. Another example of a difference is that Anita purposely tells the Jets that Maria is dead because of her hatred for them. But when Balthasar tells Romeo that Juliet is dead, he does it without knowing that it isn’t true. The last major difference between the two works is the death of the heroine. Juliet kills herself because she knows that her Romeo is dead and she cannot live without him. However, Maria is left alive at the end of West Side Story. It is almost as though she does not die so that she can accuse society of its prejudicial attitude against the Puerto Ricans and reveal everyone’s role in her and Tony’s love story. As it is with any work that is based on something else, it is the differences as well as the similarities that make both the original and the inspired appealing. Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story continue to portray the common themes of hatred and violence. However, because Juliet and Romeo’s relationship is so altered by fate, they are less affected by the violence in their society than Tony and Maria are.

Comparison Between Japan and Italy

Why does Japan attract so Many Less Tourists than Italy? Contents Introduction Page 2 International TourismPage 2 Key Aspects of JapanPage 3 Key Aspects of ItalyPage 4 Typical TouristPage 5 International CompetitionPage 5 Conclusion Page 5 Graphs Page 6 BibliographyPage 7 Introduction In this project I will be researching about the difference in tourism between Italy and Japan. I will be researching why there is such a big difference and I will add several graphs and climate data.I will be researching the tourist attractions. I will explain the similarities and differences. I will research about tourist attractions and why a family would choose this country instead of the other. I will research about the two environments. International Tourism International tourism is when a person or more travel out of their home land into a different country and/or religion. It means that they travel from one place to another for reasons like for medical, sport or business. Key Aspects of Japan K ey Aspects of Japan There are many tourist attractions in Japan but why doesn’t it get as many tourists as Italy?Japan has a place called Ginza which consists of department stores, shopping centres, restaurants and coffee shops. Ginza is said to be one of the best places for shopping in the world. It is said to also be very luxurious. The Ise Shrine located in the Mie state of Japan is the shrine built in the honour of goddess Ameterasu-Omikami. This is said to be one of the most sacred places in Japan because inside it holds the Sacred Mirror. Another interesting attraction is the Osaka Castle. It was built in 1583 in Osaka. This would be a great tourist attraction because it is very historical and the castle itself is very beautiful.The biggest tourist attraction I would have to say is Mt. Fuji. Is view is truly breathtaking. It is Japan’s biggest mountain. This would be a great place for someone who enjoys climbing or like sky diving. If the tourist appreciates art work then Kyoto National Art Museum is the place for them. It focuses on Asian and Japanese art from the days when it wasn’t modern. It is built traditionally so that the tourist can really feel like he or she’s part of that era. There is the longest suspension bridge in the world in Japan called Akashi Kaikyo suspension bridge. Is is nearly 4 km long and was finishes in a span of 12 years.One of the most historic and interesting attractions is the Great Buddha of Kamakura. Its nearly 14m tall in length and it is very interesting how this survived the tsunami in the 15th century where as the others were eliminated. The Great Buddha of Kamakura Key Aspects of Italy As we all know the Italians are renowned because of Gladiators and there old empires. There most magnificent attraction would most probably be the Canals of Venice. Its romantic ambience and Italian architecture surrounding it makes it the most admirable place with the Colosseum not far behind.As I mentioned the probably most famous of them all would be the Colosseum which was built at the time of gladiators. People of all ages would gather to watch people fight till the death. They used to cheer as this was one of their few ways of entertainment. Tourists will love the Colosseum because you get the feel that you’re walking through the ages. Pompeii was a lost city in Italy. It was lost due to Mt. Vesuvius erupting in 79 AD. I think this would be quite interesting as there are still remains on the land and also the lost city of Herculaneum is one to see as well.You get an insider in how people lived back then compared to now. Santa Maria Del Fiore is the largest brick cathedral ever built and was the biggest until the modern era. Santa Maria Del Fiore is the symbol of the beautiful city of Florence. This cathedral is a must see for tourists who are Catholics and it’s interesting to see how divine it would be inside. I think Italy would also be famous for its beaches. Altho ugh temperature doesn’t go very high on a good day everyone will be at the beach. Picture of Canals of Venice. Typical Tourist In my own opinion I believe that a typical tourist would go to Italy.They would go because Italy is more of a livelier place and has more interesting tourist attractions. People from all over the world would probably choose Italy because everyone wants to know about Italy’s history. Although the temperature is almost the same there’s way more precipitation in Japan due to monsoon months which tourists don’t want to enter. Japan does have the best technology in the world but they want to go to a country where there isn’t too much poverty which I think Italy fits that criterion. International Competition Two countries come to mind when we talk about competition in the tourist trade, South Korea and Greece.Greece is like Italy it has a lot of Greek history which people would ache to see and South Korea is like Japan, has a lot of good attractions yet not many tourists come. Many people would come to both Italy and Greece but at the state Greece is in at this moment of time with financial trouble if you’re going for business they should go to Italy. Conclusion In conclusion I believe Japan have less tourist because of they're attractions. They don’t have that much to attract people from all over the world although they have the technology for it.I think they should build more attractions like make a old village so you can show people how you used to live. Also because people all over the world want to go to a country where there isn’t too much poverty which is why they would choose Italy. Also because of the monsoon season they lose many tourists who don’t want to come when its full of water. Bibliography â€Å"Crossed Flag Pins. † Http://www. crossed-flag-pins. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. Sept. -Oct. 2012. ;http://www. crossed-flag-pins. com/Friendship-Pins/Japan/Flag-Pins- Japan-Italy. jpg;. â€Å"Daibutsu a Great Buddha of Kamakura. Daibutsu a Great Buddha of Kamakura Picture & Facts a Kanagawa,. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"Visitstmaarten. com Blog. † World Tourism Day 2010 on Tourism and Biodiversity, St Maarten. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. . â€Å"10 Top Tourist Attractions in Italy. † Touropia. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. . Tokyo, Japan:Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data. † Tokyo, Japan: Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. ;http://www. climate-charts. com/Locations/j/JP47662. php;. â€Å"World Economic Outlook Database September 2011. † World Economic Outlook Database September 2011. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. ;http://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/02/weodata/index. aspx;. â€Å"Employees, Industry, Male (% of Male Employment). † Data. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. ;http://data. worldbank. org/indicator /SL. IND. EMPL. MA. ZS/countries;.

Chinas Foreign Policy Today and Tomorrow

Chinas Foreign Policy Today and Tomorrow Free Online Research Papers Since Deng Xiaoping â€Å"swung the door open† in the 1970’s, China has become increasingly relevant to the international community and foreign policies in this now global market economy. Technological, cultural, economic, and political advancements occurring world-wide has incited a rise in the dire significance of Chinese policy and its effects on United States national interests. Since just before the turn of the century, China has engaged in a number of international policy advancements that could be determined to be a â€Å"threat† to status-quo politics. (Roy) Important to this analysis is perspective. Chinese policy has drawn attention to a â€Å"soft power† increase that is certainly taking place while steel driven â€Å"hard power† has been rhetorically downplayed by some actors yet remains relevant to the discussion of China’s future in the international system. A â€Å"soft power† approach is at the forefront of this foreign relations issue. The hard power grab made by China in the past 20 years since the fall of Russia is undeniable but it is the strides made in development of soft power that should concern U.S. interests. (Roy) Evidence of China’s desire to become a regional superpower is focused on military buildup, chairing 6 party non-proliferation talks with North Korea and hard-line rhetoric stemming from dialogue concerning the sovereignty of Taiwan (or Republic of China, ROC). Utilization of increased foreign investment and the liberalized trade policies of Deng’s â€Å"Socialist Market Economy† has allowed for China to increase military production at a large rate. New access to resources and increased dialogue with developed nations has given way to technological advances and capital necessary to expand China’s military spending. China has sought a competitive naval force and invested lots of capital in missile technology and construction. Regional military hegemony is imminent. Official declarations of Chinese Foreign policy called â€Å"white papers† provide only limited insights on the motivations behind the objectives, or the specific strategies to achieve th em. The linkages between the occasional strategic pronouncement and actual policy decisions in China are not apparent, especially during periods of crisis. As a result, the study of PLA views on grand strategy remains an inexact science. (Military Report) In addition to hardware advancements, China has made new efforts in creating alliance networks and security organizations such as Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). China’s increased participation in international security community is a direct indicator of desire to increase influence in the region and find a place in the world order. Security policy in People’s Republic of China (PRC) is the product of historical cultural norms with regards to peace and isolationism but has seen the effect of new challenges such as the death of global communism and increasing pro-independence activism in Taiwan. (Shambaugh) The modern approach to security is a pragmatic one with emphasis on mutual trust, mutual equality, and cooperation. This approach is not in line with any traditional security policy since there is no focused goal such as territorial expansion or establishment of extensive client states. This approach provides some grey area in dealing with China and should be handled carefully. (Shambaugh),(Medeiros) Whether it was bilaterally, within existing multilateral organizations, or creating new multilateral institutions, China has successfully entered the global system of politics and maneuvers with more confidence than a decade ago. Bilaterally, China has entered into free trade agreements, strategic partnership agreements, and even created â€Å"Chinese Friendship Associations† featuring 203 â€Å"Confucius Institutes† as of 2007 including 40 U.S. States. A problem arises however when considering the grounds for these agreements. Human rights conditions, good governance requirements, and environmental standards that are an integral part of international agreements in the U.S. dominated Western system are not a necessity for Chinese investment and cooperation. Authoritarian nations that find themselves held in these constraints when dealing with Western nations have no incentive for passing on Chinese investment. China’s policy of mutual trust and mutual equality has lead to agreements being made despite differences that derail traditional agreements. Issues are often pushed aside at the diplomacy table to be addressed later or ignored completely. This practice does create many profitable pa rtnerships for the PRC but has a destabilizing effect on the international system. The lack of depth in these agreements could lead to a destabilizing shift should the actors face crisis. (Mediros) Multilateral endeavors have also taken their toll on the increase in the selling power of Chinese culture and policies. China’s status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and involvement in the World Trade Organization as well as the World Bank show a desire to have more input in the structure and order of an international system that they did not create. Though this input is certainly welcome, motives are easily called into question when examining exactly where Chinese participation focuses. The PRC still often engages in unrestricted investments that remain off the books of these established international entities. China instead has focused much effort in the creation of new organizations such as the SCO and 2005 East Asia Summit that are not bound by Western norms and don’t include the United States. A central focus in the study of China’s foreign policy tendencies should be the continent of Africa. Greatly ignored by superpowers of the past, Africa is a new frontier in policy development. China, wishing to (a) Obtain natural resources and oil reserves once ignored by US government and abandoned by U.S. multinational corporations (b) expand its own markets (c) build its reputation as a major player in what they desire to be a multi-polar international system, has established entities such as China-Africa Cooperation Forum in 2000 and engaged in bilateral agreements such as previously mentioned. The deep pockets of the state-run oil company coupled with its lack of transparency for stakeholders have allowed China a head start in creating ties in unstable areas of Africa that proved to be too unprofitable or too downright dangerous for American interests. Now that the policies of modern China have been outlined, the United States is left with a simple choice. Does the status quo satisfy U.S. national interests sufficiently? If the status-quo of allowing the policies delineated in this report to continue unchecked is maintained, many popular foreign policy theories, such as power-transition theory, dictate that a rising power such as China will soon dominate the international system whether those are its true intentions or not. Future U.S. Policy should be either geared toward taking more hard-line approaches that would be a product of perceiving China and its emergence as a regional power as a threat, or centered on improving the soft power capabilities of the U.S. and creating an international environment that is conducive to China’s seamless involvement after a benign rise to power. Choosing which approach to take will guide policy for the U.S. moving forward. A hard-line engagement approach could scare China from its curren t security policy and destroy benign intentions dictated by CCP policy makers. Giving up a possibility of a constructive Sino-U.S. relationship by adopting a policy of containment could be a mistake for U.S. interests because of the confrontation that could transpire and the economic opportunities missed. There is also no sense in giving up the game before China’s intentions are truly known by utilizing full appeasement. A soft watchdog approach is the option that would allow for general support of China’s ongoing development. In order to create the ability to successfully provide a positive watchdog role in China’s development, the U.S. will need to reinvigorate is global engagement. Seeking membership in the organizations created by China such as the SCO and the EAS would show positive, multi-polar efforts to assist in development of the Asian region. This could also be accomplished by seeking more cooperation between regional superpowers like the E.U., China, and Russia to assist fragile states in development and introduction of those developing nations into a multi-polar system as China prefers. Very key to improving the outcome of Chinese development is increasing transparency in China’s diplomatic actions. Putting more effort into figuring what aid is actually disbursed instead of reported totals from PRC officials would help accomplish this goal. Also by encouraging the PRC to adhere to good governance agreements and drawing it from the bilateral melee currently in place, and in to a system of multilateral agreements with oversight coming from compromised policies put in place by all member nations. Increasing U.S. soft power by cutting red tape that constrains foreign investment and aid to developing countries could prevent China from engaging in more liberal bilateral agreements is another way to help combat the power transition. Research Papers on China’s Foreign Policy Today and TomorrowDefinition of Export QuotasAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2PETSTEL analysis of IndiaOpen Architechture a white paperAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesTwilight of the UAW19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in Capital

Free Essays on Me, Myself, And I

Me, Myself, and I While looking back over the years, rummaging through pictures and memories, people seem to realize how much they have changed. I know that who I am now is not who I used to be. I am a sixteen year old junior attending Desert High School, I am happy with who I am and who I want to be, I love sports, and I love being around others, especially my friends. However, when I look back to when I was fourteen year old freshman attending Desert High School, a mere two years ago, I was not happy with my life or where it was going, sports seemed to be a job, and all I could do was wait for the day to end so I could be by my self, back in my room. Looking back on then while seeing now, I realized that I have evolved into an entirely different person. The summer between eighth grade and freshman year brought about a lot of change for me, the biggest being my family moving from Fort Irwin to Edwards AFB. From the day we got here all I wanted to do was leave, and being new here, I had no friends; I was still unable to let go of my old home. My inability to cope with the change of moving, combined with the fact that I had no one to talk to, caused me to fall into depression. This depression caused my self-esteem, which was very high while living at Ft. Irwin, to plummet, this, in turn, causing me to be anti-social. The only escape I had from this downward spiraling path was sports, and even this was very little help. I disliked everyone on my teams, they disliked me, and the only reason I played was to spite them. So, one must ask themselves, what caused this change? What caused the change from the depressed, anti-social freshman to the happy, fun-loving junior? Many things caused me to transform from who I was then to who I am now. After a few months I started to become accustomed to Edwards AFB; I began to see the good in my new home. I credit my realizing how good Edwards AFB could be to the fact that I had finally made some f... Free Essays on Me, Myself, And I Free Essays on Me, Myself, And I Me, Myself, and I While looking back over the years, rummaging through pictures and memories, people seem to realize how much they have changed. I know that who I am now is not who I used to be. I am a sixteen year old junior attending Desert High School, I am happy with who I am and who I want to be, I love sports, and I love being around others, especially my friends. However, when I look back to when I was fourteen year old freshman attending Desert High School, a mere two years ago, I was not happy with my life or where it was going, sports seemed to be a job, and all I could do was wait for the day to end so I could be by my self, back in my room. Looking back on then while seeing now, I realized that I have evolved into an entirely different person. The summer between eighth grade and freshman year brought about a lot of change for me, the biggest being my family moving from Fort Irwin to Edwards AFB. From the day we got here all I wanted to do was leave, and being new here, I had no friends; I was still unable to let go of my old home. My inability to cope with the change of moving, combined with the fact that I had no one to talk to, caused me to fall into depression. This depression caused my self-esteem, which was very high while living at Ft. Irwin, to plummet, this, in turn, causing me to be anti-social. The only escape I had from this downward spiraling path was sports, and even this was very little help. I disliked everyone on my teams, they disliked me, and the only reason I played was to spite them. So, one must ask themselves, what caused this change? What caused the change from the depressed, anti-social freshman to the happy, fun-loving junior? Many things caused me to transform from who I was then to who I am now. After a few months I started to become accustomed to Edwards AFB; I began to see the good in my new home. I credit my realizing how good Edwards AFB could be to the fact that I had finally made some f...

Socialization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Socialization - Essay Example Symbolic meanings in symbolic interactionism refer to the way social interactions are interpreted within a given context. Roles are defined by each relationship within the context of the participants in that relationship. Therefore, the role of husband or wife may not necessarily be literally gender oriented as much as role specific. In this, way, relationships need not conform to traditional constructs; therefore there is no need for the traditional approach to marriage to ensure its success. A healthy marriage is dependent upon the extension of â€Å"me† in the role of â€Å"I†. In order for a person to make a healthy choice for marriage, four important concepts must be well defined within the individual: 1) the concept of knowing the self well, â€Å"me† - who I am, 2) the concept of what â€Å"me† means to the world around me, how â€Å"I† perform my roles, 3) knowing what I have to offer of myself to another individual, â€Å"I†, and 4) what I need to receive from another individual with regards to their performance of â€Å"me†, in order to feel accepted, connected, and valued in that relationship. ... This is the first step in preparation for choosing a marriage partner. Our socialization through the life cycle offers abundant feedback regarding who others perceive us to be. If we agree with that perception, then we continue in those roles; if we don’t agree, then we begin to investigate ways to change that might influence other’s perception of us. This kind of fine tuning takes on a heightened awareness as we move toward adulthood. Young people try on many roles before finding what’s comfortable for them. When we have arrived at a comfort level in whom we are as perceived by the world around us, then our roles are more established; from this springboard, we begin to search for fulfillment. The next step is in looking around to find another person with whom we can begin to relate on a close and personal level. The satisfaction of this basic need is not necessarily equally important for all individuals; however most find it a driving force in adulthood. Sociali zation in adulthood is largely defined by the interactions between associates in the workplace, peers, and significant others, comprising our continued growth and development along the human journey. The roles we assume in each area give us a chance to further define who â€Å"me† is. When â€Å"I† perform the role of â€Å"me†, then I am either attracted to or repelled by others. Often in relationships there is conflict between who â€Å"me† is because â€Å"I† am acting in a role where there is role strain and a sense of discomfort. Such conflicts usually surface in a negative way to also strain the relationships. It is only through careful communication and acceptance of that role by the significant other that the relationship can be saved while the relationship is in

First Step in Creating an Ad Campaign-Exploring Target Audience Assignment

First Step in Creating an Ad Campaign-Exploring Target Audience - Assignment Example Taking into account that they represent about 33 million people, then roughly 7.59 million teens live in the Midwest. Supposing that the teen population matches the overall demographics for gender, then 3.8 million are male. The data covered 13-19, so accounting for five parts of seven, then 2,71 million are within our target audience. The average spending power of this group is $40 per week from all sources, including jobs, equaling an annual market of 2080 per capita, for a grand total of about 4 billion dollars annually, when adjusted for low income groups in the demographic profile. They also influence about 19% of all household spending in addition to their personal buying power. Convergence is the trend. Most teens now own a cellular phone, a music player and a personal computer. The trend is moving toward smartphones which enable all of these functions or a smart phone and a tablet, such as the Ipad. However, the girls are way ahead of the boy in this age group with only 23% of the boys owning smartphones. All of the group is connected in one way or another, and they share information. Most boys (and girls) belong to at least one social networking site and one online gaming site that includes forum functions. TitleSmartphone Ownership by Teens and By Sex | Text Message Blog Volume2011Issue10/7/2011Editionhttp://www.textmessageblog.mobi/2011/01/14/smartphones-female-teens/Ref TypeWeb PageRetrieved Date10/7/2011Source

Special needs- children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Special needs- children - Essay Example By this system the people who were excluded will be reached and will be provided with a safe and comfortable environment, in which they will grow all together leaning cooperation. I belief true inclusion provides an opportunity to the children and youth with special needs to develop a sense of belongingness through nurturing relationship outside their family, acquiring the knowledge of support system and access to community. The children without special need can also benefit from this inclusion by getting acquainted to the atmosphere of value diversity. Previously the schools did not address the issue of varied learning style for the children instead they have one size fit for all curriculum that did not included the children with special need. To change this and to promote inclusion special education legislation and research has developed special services that will provide service and placement to all students regardless of their disability. Inclusion of special need children is a very controversial topic but my personal experience says that it leads to a substantial affect on the upbringing of a child. On this note I would like to share one of my personal e xperiences, which makes me belief like this. One of my friend’s son was suffering from Partial Autism. Though he was fine in communication but he lack some of the normal communications like he used to repeat the same sentence again and again. Whatever his parents said he didn’t paid attention towards them instead he did things as per his own wish. My friend consulted many doctors but there was no improvement. He got him admitted to a school where inclusion was followed. It worked as a miracle. He has now got his own friend circle, which makes him learn the normal ways of talking, playing and writing. He gets the feel of the normal society which he was devoid of before. He has now become more confident than before. Now he has started listening to his parents and follows their instructions. I

Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

Race and Ethnicity Essay Crash is highly ambiguous in the depiction of multiculturalism in American society. Almost all the ethnicities depicted in Crash question the perception others have their particular group, but at the same time affirm the different stereotypes surrounding their ethnic group. For example, one of the black characters (‘Anthony’) remarks that they should be afraid in a white neighborhood, due to their group’s association with crime. Following this intelligent observation, he and his friend (‘Peter’) proceed to steal a car from a white couple (Rick and Jean Cabot), affirming the stereotype whites have of them. Another example would be the Persian-American father, who is accused by a gun-store owner to be a danger to society, The father denies this fact, but ends up shooting a child. This ambiguous portrayal shows us one of the dilemmas of Multiculturalism in American society. While it strives to acknowledge diversity, it also promotes color consciousness by rejecting color-blind solutions. To quote Gordon and Newfield â€Å"Multiculturalism in the 1980’s sponsored renewed protests against white racism and yet it appeared to replace the emphasis on race and racism with an emphasis on cultural diversity. Multiculturalism rejected racial subordination but seemed sometimes to support itâ€Å". While Gordon and Newfield also attest that â€Å"multiculturalism often avoided race. It designated cultures†, but multiculturalism in Crash inexorably comes down to race and ethnicity. The characters in Crash think in terms of race or ethnicity, not culture. Despite the fact that every major character is culturally ‘American’, race is the definitive factor in determining identity. The upper-class African-American Cameron is accused of not being ‘black’ enough. The Persian-American father is angered that he is mistaken for being an Arab (traditionally considered to be part of the Hamitic race), while both ethnicities can be considered part of Islamic culture. The Asian-American characters and the Cambodian immigrants are first and foremost ‘Asian’ and no attempt is made to distinguish them culturally. This can clearly be seen at the end of the movie; Anthony drops the Cambodians off in Chinatown, an ‘Asian’ neighborhood, inhabited by Chinese-Americans whose culture and language is completely foreign to the Cambodians. Furthermore everyone from South-American is labeled as Latino or Hispanic, despite the fact that Brazilians are culturally and linguistically Portuguese and that Argentina is more ‘white’ than the United States. Detective Ria is called Mexican (the most common Hispanic group in Los Angeles) multiple times in the movie, despite having a shared Puerto Rican and El-Salvadorian background. One must understand that there is a racial divide or a perceived racial divide in American society, not just between the white American majority and minority groups but between different minority groups as well. This is best seen during Crash’s opening scene, where a ‘native’ Asian-American woman (Kim Lee) accuses the ‘native’ Hispanic Ria of being an illegal immigrant in broken English. Another example would be the privileged African-American Cameron. After an attempted carjacking, he is mistaken for one of the carjackers, due to his belligerent attitude and encounters a racial divide that completely nullifies his privileged position. In other words, his upper-class job gave him a degree of ‘whiteness’, which dissipates when he is mistaken for a ‘black’ thug. The racial divide is best described by Ronald Takaki, a Japanese-American and a professor on multicultural American during an encounter with a taxi driver. The taxi driver asked how long he had been in the US; Takaki interpreted his question in terms of race: â€Å"Somehow I did not look ‘American’ to him; my eyes and complexion looked foreign. Suddenly we both became aware of a racial divide between us†. For the taxi driver, an Asian man speaking good English was somehow remarkable and likely made his comment without any racist connotations. For the Japanese-American Takaki, it was a reminder that the notion of ‘Americaness’ was still closely related to race. Another Academic, Schlesinger notes that â€Å"The bonds of cohesion in our society are sufficiently fragile, or so it seems to me, that it makes no sense to strain them by encouraging and exalting cultural and linguistic apartheid. The American identity will never be fixed and final; it will always be in the making†. Despite being an assimilationist, Schlesinger has a valid argument, at least with this quote. ‘American’ is not a fixed identity; it means different things to different minority groups. For the Asian-American woman, speaking broken English raised no questions regarding her Asian-American identity, while the Hispanic Ria was dumbfounded by the fact that the women accused her of being an illegal in broken English. Schlesinger correctly notes how fragile the bonds between the different ethnic groups are. This returns in Crash, where almost every ‘multicultural’ interaction is the result of a crash or conflict. As Gordon and Newfield point out in their essay, multiculturalism might have placed the emphasis on cultural diversity, rather than race or racism, but it has done little to deal with the underlying racial divide that exists in American society. Bibliography â€Å"Argentina Demographics Profile 2010†, Index Mundi, accessed 10-3-2010, http://www. indexmundi. com/argentina/demographics_profile. html Avery Gordon and Christopher Newfield, Mapping Multiculturalism (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996), 3-4 Schlesinger, Arthur M. , The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society (New York: Norton, 1992) 137-138 Takaki, Ronald, A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America (New York: Back Bay Books, 1993) 1-2.

Impact of the Credit Crunch on the Workplace and Politics

Impact of the Credit Crunch on the Workplace and Politics Social World Economy and UK Government Employers, Employees and the Unions Conclusions Bibliography The credit crunch in 2008 is swiftly being followed by an imminent global recession, perhaps the worst recession for many decades. Irresponsible lending, mis-management by the banks, the pay freezes in industry and the general economic climate means that we can no longer take for granted our jobs, homes and financial security. In 2009 the tide is turning from boom, very probably to bust in just a few months, although it was claimed by some analysts that the recession started proper half way through 2008. The situation does not look to improve any time soon either, as Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England was cited in the Daily Telegraph of 26th October, 2008: â€Å"The combination of a squeeze on real take-home pay and a decline in the availability of credit poses the risk of a sharp and prolonged slowdown in domestic demand. It now seems likely that the UK economy is entering a recession.† (Jonathan Sibun, Daily Telegraph, 2008). So we see that there can be a number of factors which provide the root cause of a recession. The end result of a recession is not only the loss of business, jobs, reduced cash flow and tightening of financial belts; the social, economic and political impact this has on employers, employees and the government. Employer and employee relationships are also a â€Å"side effect† of the environment within a recession. Does the balance of power change? Do employees become resentful? Do managers become more fearful and does this affect their judgement in the workplace? Many happy and productive workplaces are suddenly â€Å"not so happy† when a credit crunch hits. This paper investigates the implications of a credit crunch on relationships both at the workplace and in the political arena. Social From a social perspective, the effects of the credit crunch are already being evidenced. Housing repossessions are on the increase in the UK and people are having difficulty keeping up with their mortgages. Another factor is that the number of job losses is on the increase and this is expected to continue in 2009. The social impact this has on people is very often not reported by the media. For instance, people who would normally go on holiday with their friends and attend social outings may no longer do so after losing their job. The impact of a credit crunch and recession is inevitably job losses. This affects the person being laid off not only financially, but in terms of self confidence and a feeling of hopelessness for some. Some people after being made redundant may never work again, due to their age or the industry they have worked in, which may be something they have been involved in all their life. The credit crunch affects relationships generally, but also marriages. Husbands try to hold off telling their partners when they lose there jobs. The feeling of failure abounds and it also becomes a shock when it is not possible to find another job immediately. The credit crunch seems to hit men particularly hard, as pride and status play their parts when he has to rely solely on his wife for their main income: Traditionally, the man provides and for a man to lose his job, its not just about money, its loss of status, which can be a huge knock to his confidence.† Steve Miller, cited in (Becky Howard, 2008). It can cause relationship breakdowns as: There is also a real danger that the woman may become angry and resentful (Becky Howard, 2008). This may be due to women become the main breadwinner and also the need to perform duties at home, like cleaning, ironing and other household chores. The Times article points out a number of ways to assist couples through a crisis such as the credit crunch and the loss of a job. The balance of power can shift from an even situation, in a relationship to a dominant partner, when both partners have jobs or in the case of the sole breadwinner, it can cause even more difficulty. World Economy and UK The economic effects are also being seen, as employers are trying to emphasise the importance of pay restraints as companies try to avoid job losses: If employees understand the competitive pressures facing their organisation, they are more likely to understand why pay restraint in the current economic environment is critical. (CIPD, 2008) However, pay is only one of a number of issues. Mortgage repossessions are on the increasing by 40% in the last 12 months (Economics Help, 2008). It is claimed that this is only a small proportion of the total mortgage market in the UK however. In the US loans to sub-prime mortgage markets proved highly risky, and these loans were then embedded into the whole financial system (Economics Help, 2008). This in turn affected the whole of the global capital markets. Hence the world economy is currently in very poor shape. Each country is trying to solve the crisis in their own way, but some countries in Europe are following the UK lead were VAT is concerned, in that they aim to reduce it. On a world level, the economy has probably been in downturn since December 2007. They were predicting then that the economy would have forthcoming problems and so it has been proved. For instance, this report by World Economic Update (2008) states for the US economy: The U.S. economy is already in a recession it started in December 07 and it will last four to six quarters. Negative growth starts in the first quarter of 2008. The former the latter may, I guess, or may not end up being true, but surely its going to be unimpressive. The same article also suggests the economy of the US will be severe and protracted rather than mild. The US is the richest economy in the world, and when something happens on the scale of the current credit crunch it affects the world economy. It is also stated that many emerging markets are not directly affected by the US economy, and these should provide a cushion for the overall world economy, even though the banks of the emerging economies are also tightening their belts. It is stated that countries, such as Brazil, China, Russia, Peru, Poland and Hungary are all in growth stages and not directly affected by the US as they mainly deal with commodities. There has also been a shift away from the US in terms of the commodities markets (World Economic Update, 2008). The question we need to ask are the emerging markets enough to help stave off the imminent recession? The way that emerging markets can assist the global economy is through cheap commodity prices such as metals and agricultural products. Unfortunately however, the price of oil continues to escalate in the light of a world oil shortage. The repercussions of the current financial crisis were discussed by Andrew Watt (2008) when he states that there will be a combination of: â€Å" Share-price collapse Blockages with the banking system Reduced access to bank loans, and More expensive bond financing â€Å" resulting in a reduction in corporate investment, which in turn will have knock-on effects elsewhere. Much can be gleaned from the current crisis for future generations however. Andrew Watt has identified a number of other possible factors which have a bearing on the world economy and the UK. For instance, he points out that there has been a lack of regulatory institutions required for global finance, throughout the world and in Europe. He also claims that income at the national level has moved in that the poor borrow more, and speculation by the rich has made them wealthier. This really is a case of the poor getting poorer, and the rich getting richer. Lack of low interest rates, lack of regulation in the financial sector, risk taking and tax competition; including the EU have also contributed, in his opinion (Andrew Watt, 2008). From this we can assume that although the US crisis was the initial spark, that the petrol was already ready to light in the world economy and so we are all affected by the end result. The following figure from this report shows a summary of the events of the last 12 months or so, resulting in the credit crunch and imminent recession: One affect of the economy the credit crunch has had in the UK is the reduction of house prices and the price of goods in the shops, which have reduced dramatically in the last few months; in order to keep consumers interested thus keeping the finances flowing in the shops. The credit crunch has been blamed on a number of factors, and some unusual ideas emerge from various parts of the world, who all deal with the situation in a different manner. For instance, President Sarkozy has made calls to end foreign ownership (David Charter, 2008). The concern is that key industries will fall into foreign hands. The ideas are that each country should use sovereign wealth funds to take stakes in key industries: â€Å"Nicolas Sarkozy risked blowing apart the European consensus over how to deal with the financial crisis by proposing today that each country launch sovereign wealth funds to take stakes in key industries to stop them falling into foreign hands. â€Å" (David Charter, 2008) The theory is that non-EU countries may take advantage of the current crisis, who are not affected by it and therefore it would enable them to have an advantage in investing in shares within EU industries when they were at their cheapest. Not all the EU countries agree with this approach as stated, but even during his EU presidential year it is debatable if he can win approval from his EU partners. Government From a political perspective, some people will leave the original credit crunch was caused in the US, and this has had a knock-on effect on global economy. One definition of a credit crunch is rapid decline of credit that it is unusually large for a given stage of the business cycle (Bernanke and Lown, 1991). However, one of the key causes of the current credit crunch is said to be irresponsible lending in the US. However, it is fair to say that although the credit crunch originally emanated from the US, that irresponsible lending has also been occuring in the Uk and in Europe, but not on as large a scale. From a political perspective it is being stated that the UK government could have done more to regulate banks who were lending irresponsibly, and that the credit crunch has shown that financial institutions can easily abuse systems of self-regulation. (Economics Help, 2008) A few years ago, house prices were going through the roof, and this bubble would eventually burst, as it inevitably did. Gordon Brown the current prime minister, did identify that this would happen, and as Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time thought the issue had been addressed and avoided a boom and bust scenario, but this was obviously not the case (Alex Barker, 2008). Now that Gordon Brown is the Prime Minister, some of the earlier issues have come back to haunt him. Politically, a credit crunch and recession is always good for the opposition, as they can claim that the current government of the day is to blame for the current economic climate in this country. David Cameron, the leader of the opposition has made this point often, and has stated that the current labour government could have done more to avoid the consequences. Gordon Brown points out that the current crisis is global and has recently instigated a number of steps to avoid the crisis becoming even more serious in 2009. Banks all over the world have been in difficulty all over the world. The collapse of the Lehman Brothers bank in the US was soon followed by a crisis of one of the largest banks in the UK, Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS). A recent merger between Lloyds and HBOS will provide a super bank and will avoid HBOS going the same way as Lehman Brothers. The government has supported the merger. Another recent, but risky step is to plough public money in the banking system, and by doing so the government hopes the banks will continue to lend to each other and at least keep the financial syste fluid. Along with this, there has been a reduction in VAT to 15% from 17.5% so that consumers will continue to spend and keep business operating. These are risky measures, and longer term it has been pointed out by David Cameron, that the UK tax payer will have to pay back an increased deficit. Only time time will tell if Gordon Browns policies will enable a swifter recovery or take the UK further into debt. As some analysts point out, this is not a normal situation and extreme situations call for extreme measures. This is certainly the case for Gordon Brown on a political level. Employers, Employees and the Unions One thing is certain in 2009, relationships between employer and employer are sure to be tense in 2009. A survey report was commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in September, 2008 around this subject. The following table from this report summarises the main issues around employer/employee relationships: So what are the anticipated changes in regard to the effects of the Credit Crunch to employer/employee relations? The following table from the same reports highlights the expected changes: On the face of it, if we analyse the two tables we can see that although most agree that there will be problems in the current credit crisis, that the only potential benefit longer term is that the employers will engage with their employees on an increasing level. However, it is said that there is a contrast of opinion between the public and private services with regard to employee engagement, as: Looking at the results in more detail, however, there is a marked contrast in attitudes between private and public services. In private services, 51% of respondents identified employee engagement as the single most likely development, compared with only 29% in public services and an average across all sectors of 43%. (CIPD,2008) It seems that partnerships with trade unions are very low on the agenda, but again it depends on the sector as: partnership is seen as among the three most likely developments by 46% of respondents in public services but only 11% in private services. (CIPD,2008). The wait and see scenario was also a favourable option. This would make perfect sense seeing as no one yet has a clear picture of how the recession will develop in 2009. So how will all this effect relationships on the shop floor and in the office? Well, cooperation is the key to a successful relationship for both employers and employees alike. It will be the case that in some organisations that job losses will be inevitable, and the unions and employees will be able to do very little as a result. In some cases, it will just be a case of management and unions working together to alleviate the impact as much as possible, and by providing assistance to those employees who will need to be looking for another job or training. In fact, if you have been made unemployed during a recession and there is little likelihood that a new job in the same career will be practical (in some cases), then training during the downturn may be a very good option. The reasoning behind this is that when the economy returns to normal the employee will be better placed to get themselves back on to the job market. Some people may be concerned about the safety of their jobs in 2009, and for very good reason. It is claimed that the indebted young people will be the hardest hit (Iain Macwhirter, 2008). It is claimed that the level of unemployment will have reached 3 million by 2010. It is the â€Å"flexible† labour market which usually receives the initial job losses, such as freelancers and contractors (Iain Macwhirter, 2008). From a company management perspective it is financially sound to fire the expensive contractors first. There is also little complication in doing this legally as there is with permanent employees. However, the sign of a contractor being fired can cause panic amongst the permanent employees in the workplace, as they know that they could easily be next on the list. Ironically, once the dust has settled and companies find themselves short staffed on the upturn it is contractors who are the first back in to assist. Unlike a redundancy situation based on â€Å"last in, first out† it could be said that with contractors and the credit crunch it is a case of â€Å"first out, first in†. The effect of the credit crunch will not only affect the lower level employees, but jobs in banks, and professions i.e. the middle income groups. This will be a real blow to self esteem and confidence to some employees, and it is also something the employers and unions must take into account when wielding the axe in the name of survival. There is no longer a predictable future for anyone, anywhere as a result of the credit crunch. This is emphasised by: â€Å"Certainly, the first to be hit will be those at the bottom. But they are likely to be joined by large numbers of articulate, middle-class individuals shaken out of the financial, media and peripheral service occupations from aroma therapy to management consultancy which have grown up during the long boom.† (Iain Macwhirter, 2008) We have seen that the credit crunch affects everyone from the top down, including governments, large and small organisations and individuals. We have seen the ways in which people can be affected. Governments lose credibility, organisations lose valuable staff, and individuals lose their self esteem and confidence. In analysing the credit crunch we see that although it seems the US problems was the initial spark, it was basically a financial accident waiting to happen, and on a. global scale. However, we have to ask ourselves if the rest of the world can be protected from the mistakes made in the US. Should we all insulate ourselves from this happening on such a large scale again? In looking at possible solutions, we have many suggestions and some of these are risky, but possibly may work. In the UK only time will tell if Gordon Brown’s ideas of ploughing additional funds into the banking system and reducing VAT with lower interest rates will stimulate the economy enough to allow progress through what is sure to be a very difficult period in 2009 and beyond. The surprising thing and perhaps most worrying is how quickly the economy turned from 2007 from what was a relatively economically sound period to its current state. For future generations, much will be learned and there are sure to be large scale changes, especially in the banking sector. More regulation is sure to follow and huge bonuses for some could be a thing of the past. Such is the effect of the current crisis. Journals/Reports Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Survey Report, 2008  World Economic Update, April 25 2008 available from:  http://www.cfr.org/publication/16111/world_economic_update_rush_transcript_federal_news_service.html Andrew Watt, The economic and financial crisis: dealing with the  repercussions and the causes./ Presentation to ETUI Seminar ‘The economic and financial crisis: Elements to construct a new paradigm’ 8 December  2008 Bernanke, Ben S., and Cara S. Lown (1991), â€Å"The  Credit Crunch,† Brookings Papers on Economic  Activity, no. 2: 205-47. Newspapers Iain Macwhirter, New Statesman  Economy, How safe is your job?  Published 27 November 2008 available from:  http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/2008/11/middle-class-labour-jobs Jonathon Sibun, UK Recession is here to stay experts warn, Daily Telegraph Online, 10/2008 available from:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/3259483/UK-recession-is-here-to-stay-experts-warn.html Becky Howard, The credit crunch hits relationships and marriages,  Times Online, December 6, 2008 available from:  http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article5292365.ece David Charter, From Times Online October 21, 2008,  Sarkozy calls for halt to foreign ownership available from:  http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article4984670.ece Internet Economics Help, Who is to Blame for Credit Crunch? 2008, accessed on 03/01/2009 available from: http://www.economicshelp.org/2008/08/who-is-to-blame-for-credit-crunch.html Alex Barker, Asleep at the Wheel? ,December 15th, 2008 by Alex Barker accessed on 03/01/2009 available from:  http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/category/credit-crunch/