Friday, November 29, 2019

Utility An Impartial And Equitable Standpoint Essays -

Utility: An Impartial And Equitable Standpoint Utility: An Impartial and Equitable Standpoint Mackey- Philosophy 318 Section Wednesday 12:00- 1:00 Tu Phan Phliosophy 318- Mackey The foundation of Utility is based on John Stuart Mills notion that one must strive to act in such a way to produce the greatest good of the greatest number. Utility itself relies on the responsibility of the individual to remain impartial in his endeavor to produce the greatest good, looking past such extrinsic influences that may render the individual to seek a biased sense of satisfaction. In order for Utility to function as Mill wanted it to, honest judgment and objectivity must be an essential part of ones drive for the acquisition of the greatest good. In order for the insistence that equity and impartiality to hold true to Mills Utility, we must find a foundation from within his argumentation that will support it. Thus we turn to Mills sanctions, or incentives that he proposes to drive one towards the path of Utility. Mills first sanction, the internal sanction, leads one to act ethically because of the fear of displeasure that might arise from other people if one does not act in this manner. Mill justifies that individuals desire the warmness of others as an incentive to acting unselfishly in the attempt to acquire the greatest good, and fear the dissatisfaction of others. Mills second sanction, the internal sanction, is in essence an individuals inner conscience. With the assumption that the conscience is pure and free from corruption, Mill implies that satisfaction is brought forth to the conscience when one successfully and ethically commits to ones duties, the duty of Utility. What is undesired is the feeling of dissatisfacti on that spawns when one does not act dutifully. In order for this rationale to make sense, one must do what is almost unavoidable when propositioning such an enormous concept such as the ethical standard of morality, and that is to presuppose, In almost all forms and interpretations of morality, there has been the presupposition that takes place to initialize the concept. Mills Utilitarianism presupposes that human beings do have a concept for general well being, and that is genuinely by nature good and willfully ethical. It is this generalization that spawns for these sanctions that he has addressed, and it is the role of the good nature of man that determines the worth of his actions. This is also the pivot in Mills mechanics that is probably most argued upon. Kant, Neibhor, and Plato would have had much to say on Mills assumption of the natural goodness of mankind and his given instinct to do good. If impartiality and equity are what good will and duty bring forth, Mill has provi ded a basis within utilitarianism that reinforces this. Aside from distinct sanctions, many other aspects of Utility lead to the notion that impartiality and equity are set boldly within the framework of Mills interpretation. According to Mill, all people are, ethically speaking, equal in all situations. When considering the value of happiness from one individual to another, the issue is proposed to be a straight line representing the equality the value from individual to individual. One persons happiness is just as important as anothers. With this in mind, there is no such reason to even consider a biased view on the distribution of happiness, for in the beholders eyes, it is nothing but equal. Utility also states that the greater number that acquires happiness is most desired, so there is no real reason to consider any other way to distribute it but evenly. A biased approach would prove inefficient, and with the concept in mind that Mill is only concerned with the results of ones actions, not the intention, it would only make sense to b e impartial. How is impartiality and equity in utility possible? First and foremost, are no ethical principles that are agreed on by everyone, but there is a distinct level of agreement as to what is right and what is wrong. Among the obvious are the notions that generosity, equality, and truthfulness are right, and this supports the presupposition that Mill makes about the good -nature of human morality. Thus impartiality and equity can be argued to pervade Utility. Second, the

Monday, November 25, 2019

Basic Concepts of Quantitative Reasoning Essays

Basic Concepts of Quantitative Reasoning Essays Basic Concepts of Quantitative Reasoning Essay Basic Concepts of Quantitative Reasoning Essay As a course that combines both health issues, critical thinking and quantitative reasoning, there is just so much to learn. The issues tackled in this course are an important foundation to health practice, after all health is based on thinking. Apart from the workplace, other life occurrences require accurate analysis, thinking to make sure that decision-making and problem solving is done skillfully, and the best option carries the day (Gambrill, 2005). DISCUSSION Efficiency is not to be compromised in healthcare especially because you deal with life directly. Therefore, it is required that the decision made to solve a problem in the course of duty should be accurate and the best for the condition in question. Through the course, I hope to build my comprehension and thinking capabilities to analyze the data provided by the patient to administer the best prescription (Gambrill, 2005). Apart from that, quantitative reasoning skills that will be taught in the course of study will go a long way in helping in any research that may arise in the quest for rise in the academic ladder or in the line of work. Results in the health practice are pegged on the ability to recall information, consideration of probable causes, and consideration of many points of view to create the premises and arrive at the best solution, which will solve the problem. Therefore, the course will help in attaining good results in treating patients (Lindh et al, 2009). Outside the work place, life situations are tricky and require critical considerations. In that regard, I hope to improve my decision-making and problem solving skills. This will put my life on course and those who may be dependent on me in terms of parents, siblings or even my own family will gain in one way or another. Parenthood especially can use the skills that will be taught especially in negotiation and behavioral correction (Garrod, 1992). Misleading and untruthful information in the workplace and outside can lead to wrong prescription and bad decision-making. This leads to bad results. Through this course, I hope to be acquainted to the skills of validating a statement or argument that may be put across rather than following the blind path, whose result is regret and poor performance in work. This can be from the internet, friends’ advices and wrong articles that lack any scientific backing for evidence (Quackwatch, 2010). A lot is to be learned in this course. Some of the objectives are clear and can be connected directly to the work ahead. Other than that, other topics need in-depth understanding of the application and effects of the issue. For example, â€Å"what are the detrimental effects of lack of critical thinking and inaccurate analysis on treatment of patients? † is something that requires in-depth information that will create an attachment to the course knowing what its relevance is. In mind, lack of critical thinking and analysis of skills of content can lead to wrong prescription that has adverse and fatal risks to patients is a hypothesis that can be used to investigate the question stated earlier. CONCLUSION The course content has diverse applications directly in the filed of medical practice and other situations in life. It is therefore a crucial and rather interesting to be learning about thinking in the course. REFERENCES Gambrill, E. D. (2005). Critical thinking in clinical practice: Improving the quality of judgments and decisions. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons. Garrod, A. (1992). Learning for life: Moral education theory and practice. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. Lindh W. Q. , Pooler M. , Tamparo C. , Dahl, B. M. (2009). Delmars Comprehensive Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Competencies. Florence, KY: Cengage Learning Quackwatch. (2010). Quackwatch Mission statement. Retrieved on 17th August 2010 quackwatch. com/00AboutQuackwatch/mission. html

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Marketing Plan Starbucks Coffee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Marketing Plan Starbucks Coffee - Essay Example Starbucks Coffee made a humble beginning in the year 1971 when it began selling bean and processed coffee in a small store in Seattle USA. Over the years the company has established itself as one of the leading coffee stores of the world serving more than a million customers though a dedicated presence in over 50 nations spread across 17000 cities across the globe. The company is presently listed as a public firm and its stocks are being actively traded on the bourses of NASDAQ stock exchange in USA. The brand portfolio of the firm includes â€Å"Starbucks Coffee, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Tazo Tea, and Torrefazione Italia Coffee†. The main aim of the firm to provide the best coffee to the customers using the best raw materials sourced ethically and processed at the firm’s own processing unit. The international expansion strategies include partnerships as well as licensing. The success of the firm could be analysed from the fact that it operates successfully in nations having diverse culture and traditions maintaining an extremely high quality standard. In spite of the large business presence the company maintains high ethical standards which is revealed from the fact that it has been rated as one of the most ethical companies of the world for the fourth consecutive time by the Ethisphere magazine. (Starbucks-a, 2011). Market Analysis Internal Environment The analysis of internal environment can be done by identifying the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats faced by an organization. SWOT analysis is a useful tool that can help in analysing the internal environment of an organization. Strengths The biggest strength of Starbucks Corporation lies in its strong brand image which has created a strong positioning of the firm in the minds of the customer. Presence in large

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Understand customer service policies within business and services Assignment

Understand customer service policies within business and services contexts - Assignment Example It provides individual services to every guest in the rooms as well as to conference groups and meetings. Services include navigation of desktop, tablets, T.V, mobiles and other gadgets that require online facility. It offers easy access to hotel services for example meal service, housekeeping service and pick up service without any hold. Spok Inc. is another organization that offers a better communication system to hotels. It is majorly famous for its service-enhancing mobile communication. Along with that it offers smart and reliable solution for individual guests communication to the hotel management. This communication system is very famous in hospitality industries. It helps hotel improve their efficiency and profitability as it connects hotel’s network internally and externally. It offers interfacing systems for example web booking engine, Sales & Catering, PMS and CRS. It offers easy access to hotel services for example meal service, housekeeping service and pick up service without any

Monday, November 18, 2019

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Management - Essay Example Innovation and its implementation is what made Barnes & Noble and Amazon more successful. Before e-readers were introduced to the market, everyone was competing on rather equal terms: both Barnes & Noble and Borders Books were selling their products in own superstores, so the major source of income was always coming from physical in-store sales. The process got somewhat changed when Amazon developed as an online book store. First of all, it became a strong competitor because offered people an alternative to going to a superstore – online shopping for books. Secondly, it gave such companies as Barnes & Noble and Borders Books to enter the online marketplace as well. However, the progress didn’t stop at that stage. Technologies gave publishers such e-book reading applications as Kindle of Amazon and the Nook of Barnes & Noble. That was the point when Borders Books got behind. Case Analysis: the Publishing Market Thought the physical book sales of Barnes & Noble were going down, the company managed to raise them by 80 percent compared to the last year, with the help of the developed by them e-book reader – the Nook. ... Retail numbers, according to the International Digital Publishing Forum (2011) might be as much as two times above the presented figures because of the industry wholesale discounts. This means that the e-book industry is still growing and developing. Furthermore, more and more companies are working on the development of their own e-book readers with the purpose of taking some share of this market. However, Apple's iPad has made it nearly impossible for some organizations: Plastic Logic Que, a businees-oriented device, Bookeen Orizon, the Skiff for reading magazines and newspapers (Neary 2011, 3)– these devices never got popular in the market due to the already existing competition from Apple’s iPad, Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble the Nook. Key Problems of the Industry It can be seen that both, Borders Books and Barnes & Noble, have taken some steps to adjust to the new market conditions: both have some online presence. Nevertheless, both companies still heavi ly rely on physical sales in their stores. Borders Books has not even gone further than letting Amazon manage all of the company’s online sales - Borders Books failed to invest into entering the emerging at that time online book market (Neary 2011, 4). This may have been caused by an assumption that, according to Henderson (1993, 248), many companies fail to adequately respond to market innovations because of the security they had enjoyed for many years’ stable presence in the market. Such companies then get used to continuous change process, if any, and do not make any attempts to introduce some radical changes, even if such are crucial for survival (Chandy, Prabhu, and Antia 2003, 1). So Borders Books, having felt well in

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Is Neoliberalism A Force For De Democratisation Politics Essay

Is Neoliberalism A Force For De Democratisation Politics Essay Critically discuss with reference to the writings of Wendy Brown and other theorists of your choice. I will be looking at whether this argument by Wendy Brown has any real foundation and what other theorists say about neoliberalism. Theorists that I have chosen to include in this discussion are: M. Foucault, D. Harvey and P. Bourdieu. I will venture arguments in favour and against. I shall start from providing a brief definition of neoliberalism. According to Brown: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Neoliberalism is equated with a radically free market: maximized competition and free trade achieved through economic deregulation, elimination of tariffs, and a range of monetary and social policies favourable to business and indifferent toward poverty, social deracination, cultural decimation, long term resource depletion, and environmental destruction. Neoliberalism is most often invoked in relation to the Third World, referring either to NAFTA-like schemes that increase the vulnerability of poor nations to the vicissitudes of globalization or to International Monetary Fund and World Bank policies that, through financing packages attached to restructuring requirements, yank the chains of every aspect of Third World existence, including political institutions and social formations. (Brown, 2006) The product of neoliberalisation is de-democratisation. It is a very interesting process, especially when many people are not even aware of its existence. It affects human rights and the rights of workers, freedom and equality, respect for law and legal process, and citizenship. North America is a good example. De-democratisation developed almost by stealth and they failed to recognize it until some of the effects became apparent their jobs, and job security began to disappear. De-democratisation is a process, which is a partial reversal of democratisation. An example of neoliberalism was witnessed in the years under M. Thatcher in England, or Regans, Clintons or Bushs administrations. I will be analysing Browns account of de-democratisation first. Wendy Brown is an author of: American Nightmare: Neoliberalism, Neoconservatism, and De-democratisation, and Edgework: critical essays on knowledge and politics. She presents a very descriptive account of how the ideology of neoliberalism exists alongside neoconservatism. According to her, those rationalities together and separately produce a process of de-democratisation. Brown suggested that Americans are under neoconservative influence which is strongly associated with fundamental Christianity. Interestingly, fundamental Christianity reflects a basically democratic system, with elections for its leadership roles deacons, elders, stewards, and vote selection for senior positions bishops, elders, ministers etc. Aligning with fundamental Christianity could be seen as preserving democratic integrity. Moreover, many states in the USA reflect fundamental religious values, like the Mid West Bible belt, Amish or Mormon regions, where they can express their beliefs because they participate in a free and democratic system. Therefore, it could be argued that Brown is incorrect, and Christian Fundamentalism is not necessarily an undemocratic movement. Drawing from this a political election candidate in these states would have to secure backing from these religious quarters. This is a tactic which President Bush and others successfully developed. Her argument that neoconservatism is inherently de-democratising is not as strong as first suggested. Brown is not trying to get us to understand whether the ideology of neoliberalism needed to occur in the USA, but she is sending a clear message of what damage its presence can do. The first point of her argument is contrasted with Halls theory referring to Freuds dreams, which suggest that neoliberalism is an accident rather than a conscious and deliberate choice. She feels that neoliberalism is not an unconscious movement and therefore dismisses Halls account, which others would not necessary agree with, as it could be seen that neoliberalism is a choice driven by greed, need, power and capitalism. She examines dreamwork in perspective of suitability of political analysis, which by the end she dismisses because is not coherent. She tries to understand the implications of neoliberalism from a political perspective not economic, and she briefly describes economic issues in a differently to the way that Harvey analyzed them. It should not be suggested that neoliberalism is limited to those two perspectives, as is it not. Another perspective which goes with this is environmental or political identity, which Brown does not really discuss. In her writings she refers to Regan, Clinton and Bush as those who are responsible for neoliberalism in the USA and abroad. In American Nightmare she asks whether democracy itself still has meaning in the modern world. She focuses on differences between neoliberalism and neoconservatism rather than trying to combine them and defining what works well and should be kept and what does not work and therefore should be challenged. There is a lack of deep economic and historical explanation, which we can see in Harveys account: A brief history of neoliberalism and Neoliberalism and the restoration of class power, although she touches on this in a limited manner. There is an immediate argument against Bushs administration, which delivers a one-sided view, effectively influencing the view rather then presenting positive and negative points in a balanced way so the reader can have an independent opinion. She seems to not see that neoliberalism could be seen as something which is already present in human nature. I would like to contrast her work with a quote from G. Becker, whose words were used by Foucault: Economics is the science which studies human behaviour as relationships between ends and scarce means which have alternate uses. Therefore: Everything for which human beings attempt to realize their ends, from marriage, to crime, to expenditures on children, can be understood economically according to a particular calculation of cost for benefit. This entails a massive redefinition of labour and the worker. The worker has become human capital. Salary or wages become the revenue that is earned on an initial investment, an investment in ones skills or abilities. Any activity that increases the capacity to earn income, to achieve satisfaction, even migration, the crossing of borders from one country to another, is an investment in human capital ( Foucault 2008).Because of this contra st it could be said that she might have ignored the effect on human nature or just simply omitted it in order to sustain her argument. Foucault sees a difference between liberalism and neoliberalism in the way that each of them focuses on economy. Classical liberalism focused on an exchange but neoliberalism focuses on competition. However, they share the general idea of homo economicus the consequence here is the shift between the exchange and competition, which has its own effects. Moreover, neoliberalism is not only a set of economic policies. Neoliberalism does bring some benefits, which are visible through privatized companies, especially if they are a manufacturer of similar goods. It offers consumers price competition. Businesses have to compete in order to survive, which results in a lowering of market prices. We are a consumer society. Brown(2006) says: But here it is important to remember that neoconservatism is also born in part as a response to capitalisms erosion of meaning and morality, and that the founding neoconservatives, while opposed to communism as a political and social form, were rarely ardent free marketeers According to Brown neoliberalism and neoconservatism go together. She suggested that Bushs administration, which originates in the Republican Party tries to be both the Party of Moral Values and Party of Big Business (Brown, 2006). She also says that imposing a moral order is undemocratic. Surely though, it could be argued that a moral order, imposed by a democratically elected government, for the overall good of the populace could be deemed as democratic. Surely, neoliberalism is only going to align with certain political persuasions not all are suitable such as extreme socialism, even if it is imposed by the IMF or World Bank or other external forces. In her opinion this does not work. Neoconservatism and neoliberalism fight against each other openly and ostentatiously. Big business comes before human beings. There also tensions in this relationship: about the sustainable level of federal debt generated by military expenditures: while neither rationality hews to the fiscal austerity and balanced federal checkbook promulgated by classic conservatives, neoliberals are more than a little unhappy about the military tab run up the neocons.(Brown, 2006) Another point that she touches on is that neoliberalism is reducing freedom of speech. Media sources such as newspapers and TV have come into the ownership of private individuals who have neoliberal persuasions. These individuals can influence media content to their own benefit. There is also a risk of media monopolisation. If we have corporate interest and free trade on one side and moral values on the other, this can create a dangerous mix which she describes as threats. There are different types of threats identified by her, such as threats to security for example seen in Irans nuclear program. Neoliberalism reduces human rights. She suggested China and Cuba as examples of countries who are violators of human rights. Of course, that is obvious, but it could be argued that human rights are being violated by the governing regime rather than neoliberalist rationality. Those countries do not value democratic ideals. The nature of the governance within those countries dictates how individuals are treated in society as a whole. In this sense her argument misses out depth of analysis within her examples, which can be contrasted with Harveys account on China. Harvey promulgates China as a strange case of neoliberalism. Firstly, the country is run under communist rules. However, the leadership of Deng Xiaoping brought significant changes to Chinas economy. Harvey (2009) says: This coincided and it is very hard to consider it as anything other than a conjunctural accident of world-historical significance with the turn to neoliberal solutions in Britain and the United States. The outcome has been a particular kind of neoliberalism interdigitated with authoritarian centralized control. As the formative case of Chile had early on demonstrated, dictatorship and neoliberalism were in no way incompatible with each other. Deng used a slogan: the concept of an ideal society that provides well for all its citizens in order to achieve his goal. He focused on specific areas to improve: industry, education, science, defense and agriculture. Harvey argues that the events which took place in China under Dengs rule were in their own way related to the rise of neoliberalism. But, in an interview he adds: Whether it was by an accident or design, I dont really know, but it certainly has made a huge difference to how the global economy is working today. (an interview with Harvey 2006). Another significant matter to be noticed here is that there was no involvement by the IMF, as was the case in Mexico, Chile and Bolivia. Harvey discussed many countries but for the sake of this argument I shall present the case of Mexico, as this illustrates a different type of neoliberalism to that of China. Moreover, the case of Mexico, Chile and Bolivia backs up the argument of Wendy Brown, who uses examples on how the powerful presidents of America influence other countries politics and economy in order to extract profit from them. And actually, the case of Mexico is important as it is the time when neoliberalism became a practical tool for Americas economy. The economy in 1974/75 was not doing well. Because of this economic depression a solution had to be found. So, the head of Citibank at the time; W. Wriston suggested that monies should be invested in countries, for a simple reason they cannot vanish. This seemed to be working for a time until fiscal crisis arrived. Subsequently, Volker increased interest rates. This was not everything, as the IMF was also imposing conditions which were in favour of the USA, on the countries which had taken loans. The agreement was that they will be helped out if they adopted neoliberal systems, which meant privatization and opening their markets to foreign investors. Initially, Mexicos interest rate was set at 5% but after the Volker changes, it rose to 17%. Mexico could not afford to service debts at this level. The country approached bankruptcy in 1982. Paradoxically, Mexico was suddenly on the Forbes list of countries with a significant number of personal billionaires. Neoliberalisation helps the rich increase their personal wealth, but at the expense of the poorer in society. Harvey is not saying that the USA forced neoliberalism on Mexico, but he says that the USA put pressure on Mexico and its elite classes, and they agreed that this is what they wanted to do. Therefore, this was a relationship between Mexicos elite and the IMF, and for this reason they both are responsible for the neoliberalisation of Mexico. Many years later, citizens in the Mexican city of Cochabamba faced a dilemma. In 1999 the Bolivian government was put under heavy pressure from the World Bank. As a result a water supply system was been privatised and placed under the control of a British company, owned by the US multinational Betchel. In this case there was no competition. A monopoly came into existence and prices were set at an exorbitantly high rate. The Director of the World Bank; Wolfensohn had the view that if public services were made free of charge to consumers, it would lead to considerable waste. Bolivians needed to pay a proper unsubsidised charge. He maintained that this was not designed to make poor people even poorer. People had different opinions about it, and protests ensued. Protest leader Oscar Olivera responded, In Mr. Wolfensohns view, requiring families who earn $100 per month to pay $20 for water may be a proper system of charging, but the thousands of people who filled the streets and shut down Cochabamba last week apparently felt otherwise. (Schultz, 2010) The World Bank again put profit before peoples welfare. This reflection of neoliberalist political economics proved once again that human beings have little value. After, this incident the Bolivian government was forced to reverse the privatization. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the democratic process must be allowed to take decisions on vital issues of service delivery, especially if the service is essential to the poor. (Coates, 2001) This message is being repeated on an ever more regular basis when people feel strongly enough, the democratic voice is powerful enough to overturn unpopular local decisions. This was also witnessed during the Thatcher years with the hugely unpopular riots against the Poll Tax in 1990. An additional account of neoliberalism could be illustrated by Bourdieus: Utopia of endless exploitation; the essence of neoliberalism In Bourdieus view he presents an abstract and ideological view which contradicts itself. If social welfare and workers rights are protected, neoliberalism by its definition can never succeed in its purest sense. For him (1998) neoliberalism is: A program for destroying collective structures which may impede the pure market logic. In neoliberalism rich people, whose political and economic needs are expressed, are able to exercise power within society. Moreover, those people have the knowledge that they would not face any consequences in the event that something went wrong. Thus, they also have a threat of losing their place in the market and the support of their stockholders, and because of this financial directives are needed in order to create rules in their favour. Flexibility is a keyword for them. Employees can be taken on with different types of contracts, specifically to fit in with a business need at time. Another condition is competition. It is not only on the business level but individual too. Competition also produces job insecurity in the work-place, which then produces the threat of unemployment. This is even more relevant at managerial level than at a basic job level. Bourdieu backs this up by saying: Organisational discourse has never talked as much of trust, co-operation, loyalty, and organisat ional culture as in an era when adherence to the organisation is obtained at each moment by eliminating all temporal guarantees of employment (three-quarters of hires are for fixed duration, the proportion of temporary employees keeps rising, employment at will and the right to fire an individual tend to be freed from any restriction). (Bourdieu,1998) Bourdieus (1998) words on the effects of neoliberalism: And yet the world is there, with the immediately visible effects of the implementation of the great neoliberal utopia: not only the poverty of an increasingly large segment of the most economically advanced societies, the extraordinary growth in income differences, the progressive disappearance of autonomous universes of cultural production, such as film, publishing, etc. through the intrusive imposition of commercial values, but also and above all two major trends. First is the destruction of all the collective institutions capable of counteracting the effects of the infernal machine, primarily those of the state, repository of all of the universal values associated with the idea of the public realm. Second is the imposition everywhere, in the upper spheres of the economy and the state as at the heart of corporations, of that sort of moral Darwinism that, with the cult of the winner, schooled in higher mathematics and bungee ju mping, institutes the struggle of all against all and cynicism as the norm of all action and behaviour. His account broadly goes with Browns. Harvey analyzed particular countries in depth and gives an explanation for their move to neoliberalism at the time. We know that neoliberalism works for a while, and it also works for some societies, and not all necessarily democratic. However, having said this we are living in a consumer society, which frequently places need before values. This is where Brown sees this contradiction of neoliberalism working with neoconservatism. Her example of Pfizers producing Viagra for its sex obsessed young society and yet at the same time dictating moral values emphasizes the dichotomy between neoliberalism and neoconservatism. Another issue that she raises involves political ethical scandals, such as that of Jack Abramoff. He was a former Republican lobbyist who was sentenced after pleading guilty to fraud, tax evasion and malfeasance. And the examples of corporate scandals such as Enron and World Com, where the banks made considerable loans, only to find that loose accounting procedures masked the real value of the businesses. The fact they were not discovered before is due to the effects of neoliberalism, which reduces the amount control and regulation of business. The banks lent them money until an error in accounting was discovered, which revealed a consider imbalance in stock value. However, since then, many more scandals have come to light. Browns account is very descriptive but seemed to look only from one perspective, which only underlined negative issues. She described very well how neoliberalism combines with neoconservatism. Moreover, it shows us how this duality is destroying the meaning of democracy. Decades of human history built a chain of separate events which when driven upon those economical, political, socio-psychological changes will develop a new form of governance. And this will fit in those strict contexts of that event and purpose of it. In her understanding democracy is endangered by neoliberalism and can be rebuilt by going back to values of classical liberalism. As we are now a consumer society the question here would be: Do all of people are happy to go back to classical liberalism? Classical liberalism is viewed in a positive light. However, the long and frequently unhappy history of liberal democracy in the USA has been littered with skeletons which seem to have been put firmly back in the cupboa rd. Or maybe people want something new? The majority of people still are happy to get cheaper and cheaper products and services. They do not necessary think that someone in a sweat shop in a developing country is competing with them. I can agree with Brown that because of neoliberal lack of regulation, financial scandals will frequently occur. My final point of this paper gives a recent example of the effect of neoliberalism in a democratic country but contrary to the perceived norm, democratic rule prevailed. Iceland is in financial crisis mainly because of a lack of regulation. The main bank operated a very competitive savings account, which took in billions of pounds from savers and investors. However, when the recent economic recession took hold, the bank failed. The Icelandic government were unable to assist the bank, so the governments of Britain and Holland provided financial assistance. The IMF also loaned them $10 billion. Moreover, they loaned monies under different conditions than they used to do in the past. The arrangement was that the Icelandic government would repay this loan at a later date. However, the people of Iceland felt that they should not be held responsible for the collapse of the bank, and objected to repaying the loans, which would amount to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬12,000 per head of population. In a way this is also reflecting the de-democratisating process, as certain groups of people benefited from neoliberal rationality, which resulted in losing jobs, reduced significance of union workers, and generally creating poverty. Citizens in a democratic manner protested, and their powerful voice was heard. Therefore, the Prime Minister, who was about to sign the repayment agreement, then refused ratification, and instead decided to put the issue to a public vote. At the end we can see that this is an exceptional example, which leads to the conclusion that neoliberalism is not always fully de-democratising. Icelandic Politician ValgarÃÆ' °sson said: Right now we have a chance to build a truly revolutionary society, which aims to benefit the whole of it, not just a privileged few, (Chataigne, 2009) He pointed out that the situation in his country is the beginning what will happen around the world in the near future. I think that he is indeed right. Another politician added:I hope this is the end of pure capitalism and we will see the rise of more humane policies. (Chataigne, 2009) In summary, it is clear that all presented accounts are emphasising consequences of neoliberalism. Harveys writings are more about connections between the power of specific classes, imperialism and capitalism, which concludes that this only benefits the minority at the expense of the majority. He analyses the theory and practice of neoliberalism purely on historical grounds. In Volkers and Wristons ideas, they were looking for a solution to political economics at the time. It cannot be argued that their intentions were to de-democratize societies. It is quite common in the history of humanity that society develops ideas which then turn into something very different than initially planned. Bourdieu is strong in his attack on neoliberalism. Bourdieu encouraged the emergence of some of the social movements in France, not only by writing but by action too. Finally, Brown strongly emphasises the negative issues associated with neoliberalism, without looking for any explanation of why this has occurred. I agree that neoliberalism is certainly de-democratizing. Media ownership, job security, worker and human rights, abrogation of the law are all de-democratising effects. However I feel that neoconservatism, which was born in part as a response to capitalisms erosion of meaning and morality. (Brown, 2006) has proven to be balancing and ameliorating force, even though not all of its effects can be seen as positive. Neoliberalism is a rolling bandwagon upon which many countries are jumping whether by intention or force protection of market share and jobs, or being pushed by external entities such IMF or World Bank. As neoliberalism gains strength, the danger is that the influence of neoconservatism will wane, leaving us open to the juggernaut of globalization and further devaluation of democratic influence. Eventually, as we have seen elsewhere, there must be a backlash against neoliberalism; an element of restraint must be introduced. Timing is crucial as neoliberalism eats away at the very fabric of democracy, the chances of a right and democratic change are reduced. Which neoliberal country would want to be the first to change direction? To deliberately put markets and trade at risk? To bring upon itself the spectre of unemployment, reduction of living standards, backlash from all classes of society against the medium-term austerity resultant on a conscious painful decision? What government would even survive? The change away from neoliberalism must surely be as gradual as the change to it. By stealth, and over time.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Macbeth, Act 4 Scene 2 Importance :: essays research papers

ACT IV SCENE 2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This scene plays a very important piece of the play. This is when we see how cold hearted and evil Macbeth is, and also how this action that Macbeth performs will change the outcome of his life later on in this play. For this scene Macduff swears revenge on Macbeth and as we know this is why Macbeth dies in the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this scene Lady Macduff and Macduff's son are arguing on why Lady Macduff believes that her husband is a traitor and deserves the worse punishment. She believes that Macduff left them unprotected without caring of their well being, which turns out to be some what true. The son of Macduff, even do his age was too young to understand, believes otherwise of his dad and defends him until his death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Lady Macbeth and her son receive a very strange and unexpected visit from an unknown man which tells them that they are in danger and that they should leave somewhere safer. The message, as important as it is, was treated like a joke by Lady Macbeth which we know must have regretted it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The murders appear and kill all of Macduff's family leaving no one alive. When Macduff receives the message he gets raged and swore to kill Macbeth. This is how the fate of Macbeth is written and how Macbeth kind of wrote his own death warrant by doing a point less evil act of greed and lust of power. Macbeths power went so high into his head, which he couldn't keep control of it and finally ended with his life.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Red Dog Film

How does Red Dog Use The Distinctively Visual to Present Unique Australian Ideas of Mateship?The film â€Å"Red Dog†, directed by Kriv Stenders, effectively uses the distinctly visual to present unique Australian ideas of mateship and the harshness of the Australian outback. It is though film techniques such as camera shots, sound, colour and lighting that creates the distinct images of the Australian identity.A number of different factors combined create this great film demonstrating the typical Australian values. These include the setting, the comedic script, nostalgic elements, the love story and the pure ‘Australianness’ of the story and its characters. The film highlights the harshness of the Australian outback as well as the natural beauty of the region that serves as a scenic background for the close friendship in rural, working communities. However it is more than just a scenic backdrop, it is a landscape that portrays issues of very real threat of isolati on, starvation and death in the vast dry rural landscape. In â€Å"Red Dog†, the danger of the outback is demonstrated by John Grant’s sudden death on the desert road.In the opening sequence of the film, aerial shots are used to establish the setting and show the vastness of the landscape and the harshness of the environment. Many sound effects of bees, flies and crickets are heard by the audience as Thomas walks to the bar, to indicate that the area around is a dry arid landscape.The film represents the hot, harsh Australian outback through the use of colour and lighting. In particular, the colour of the dust (rustic red or orange) is an iconic and distinctly Australian outback colour. It symbolises the relentless heat in the outback. The degree of intensity is the strong blocks of red that is established in this scene. The bright colours and lighting and high saturation (strong colours) shows how stark the environment or heat is as well as the brightness of the sun. The orange or red tinges highlight the heat. Throughout the whole film, these ‘warmer’ colours have been used to resemble Western Australia, one of the hottest, driest parts of Australia. The colours make the terrain look dry, hot, barren and somewhat isolated.In Red Dog’s death scene, long shots are used to let the audience view the Australian outback terrain. This part of the scene opens up with an extreme long shot, highlighting the isolation that exists in the Pilbara and emphasises the vastness of this land. The film effectively provides a realistic portrayal of the harsh Australian outback through distinctly visual techniques such as camera shots, sound, colour and lighting.The familiar Australian bush-story theme of mateship, loyalty and respect between man and dog, a traditional identity of Australian life, is conveyed in â€Å"Red Dog†. The director uses skilful camera and visual techniques to portray this stereotypical value of mateship. The dire ctor uses an anthropomorphic approach through the anthropomorphism in his representation of â€Å"Red Dog†.This can be seen when the character Jack begins to explain Red Dog to Thomas and states â€Å"It’s not what he did but who he was†. This has the effect of privileging Red Dog as equal to Jack and everyone else. This also gives Red Dog an identity. He is not just some dog that they all loved, he had developed a personality and the townspeople understood Red Dog. Red Dog is a mate of the townspeople.Red Dog is a story about mateship, especially in the isolation of this big harsh country. It is a story about a man and his dog, or a dog and his master, told through the lens of mateship. The Australian notion of mateship is highlighted when Joko suggests that they erect a statue to â€Å"somebody who lives and breathes desolation, somebody that has red dust stuck up their nose and in their eyes and in their ears and up their arses!Mates who are loyal by nature no design†¦ somebody that represents the Pilbara in all of us and I say that somebody, dammit, IS A DOG!† It is also depicted in the line â€Å"More than a man’s best friend. A mate to the entire community†. The unique Australian idea of mateship between dog and human is a key theme in Red Dog which is reflected using distinctively visual techniques.Unique Australian ideas of mateship and the harshness of the Australian outback are presented through the use of the distinctly visual in Stenders’s film â€Å"Red Dog†. The director captures these Australian identities by using skilful camera and visual techniques, creating a film shaped with meaning and life.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Robert Frost Poetry Research Paper Example

Robert Frost Poetry Research Paper Example Robert Frost Poetry Paper Robert Frost Poetry Paper Essay Topic: The Poetry of Robert Frost Robert Frost Poetry Emotional Barriers We all deal with our emotions in different ways. Some of us shout them out and some of us bottle them In. Whatever you choose to do is okay, as long as it helps you. Robert Frost chooses to touch on different ways of how he might react In an emotional situation in his three poems: Mending Wall, The Road Not Taken, and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Each poem deals with his emotions whether It Is the barrier walls that he keeps between himself and other, the decisions he has to make or the how he chooses to deal with all of these problems. When I read these here poems, it forced me to think about my own emotions and what I would do in each of these situations. We have things that we dont want others to see. Secrets that we dont want to share, misfortunes and wrongdoings that we are too ashamed to speak about. These are only a few of the many reasons that we all keep emotional walls or barriers up. They are there for our protection, or so we think. We believe that by keeping people away, they can not hurt us. This is true, but when we push them away, what are we missing? Robert Frost contemplates this exact issue in his poem Mending Wall. The speaker in this poem doesnt know for ere whether of not he wants to keep this wall up between himself and his neighbor. Ã'ËœBefore I built a wall Id ask to know What I was walling in or walling out, And to whom I was like to give offense. He Is worried about what he will miss by keeping the wall up, yet he continues to help his neighbor rebuild It. We all have times Like this In our lives. In a perfect world we would Like to keep our walls down and let everyone In, but we cant, because we are still to scared to be able to trust each other. Emotionally, it is much easier to live and not get hurt by keeping people at a certain distance. You can stop them from coming to close. If you let them past your wall, youre letting teem Into your mina. Youre telling teem all your secrets. Telling them about your past. Youre inviting them in. This is wonderful at first, but it leaves you wide open and vulnerable. Unfortunately, this is the way I have chosen to see it. I have been hurt too many times for me to want to let anyone else in. This is not a good way to live your life, but its the only way that seems to keep me safe. Its kind of like climbing a ladder to reach a prize. The higher you climb, the closer to the prize, but you also have a much egger chance of falling. The less you climb the less chance of getting hurt. I have climbed this ladder one too many times, and each of them I have fallen off right when I reach the top. This is why I have chosen to keep my wall up; Im Just tired of falling. Making this decision wasnt easy. In fact, it is almost never easy to make an important decision. You are always stuck wondering what would have happened if you gone the other way. In Robert Frosts poem The Road Not Taken, he wonders at the difference it would have made in his life had he chosen to go down the other path. This poem is hemolytic for every important (and even the not so important) decisions you have had to make. How do you know if you have made the right decision? Is there even a right decision to make? Is each path of the same importance to your life and you Just had to choose one? Will one make you fail? While the other one make you succeed? These are all questions that Frost has brought up in The Road Not Taken. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both We have all wanted to walk down both paths, see what lies ahead, but we know that it is impossible to do so. You can never go back and change your cession. The thing that Frost has learned and that we need to remember is that there are no wrong decisions. Each path holds the same weight in how your life will turn out. In The Road Not Taken, he has decided that either path or decision is Just as good as the other: Then took the other, Just as fair, Ana navels perhaps ten netter claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same. You may choose to go down one road, thinking that it is the right road, but years later you could find out that it was probably bad to make that decision. Or you could happen to make the wrong decision and find out that it has helped you in the end. I made a choice like this in tenth grade. I chose not to take the suggested math classes in order to take a few more photography and art classes. Everyone, except my parents l, believed that this was a bad decision. You need math, you dont need art. Thats what everyone said to me. They all thought I was crazy and that I was sending my life down the drain, but in fact, my decision to go ahead and take those extra art classes has probably saved the rest of my life. By taking those classes in tenth grade I was able to get the kills and credit I needed to be accepted into the Minnesota Center for Arts Education (or Arts High as we like to call it). For my senior year, I was able to go to a school that was primarily focused around the arts. Not only did my decision affect my what highlights I went to, it also effected what college I got into. From the reputation the Arts High has, I was able to get into IRIS. Who knows whether or not I could have gotten in without all the experience I had gained through the simple decision on whether or not to take a math class? As Frost says Oh, I kept the first for another day! so did l. I ended up taking those math classes that I had missed, at the Arts High. But we know that you cant ever go back, that the decision will always be different. In my case the decision was different, it was better, because at the Arts High they teach math that is geared around the arts. When you make an important decision, whether or not things go the way you wanted them to, the consequences can often leave you feeling depressed or confused. We all have ways that we take care of our problems, and one option is to get away from a an tank I Nils Is ten way Tanat Rooter Frost has chosen to deal with his problems in his mom Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. When Frost says that he is stopping Between the woods and frozen lake, The darkest evening of the year, we get the picture that whatever problems he was dealing with he was not happy about them. Frost is obviously bothered by something important. My little horse must think it queer, To stop without a farmhouse near, shows that he feels the need to go somewhere empty, somewhere alone. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. When he says But I have promises to keep, he has hoses either not to admit his problems to anyone else, or maybe he cant even admit them to himself. He admits that he has a lot more thinking to do and that he has not come to a conclusion when he states twice And miles to go before I sleep. He is speaking figuratively here that until he figures out what to do, he will not be able to get any rest. Frost probably does not actually mean sleep when he says rest, but maybe just rest in general like giving his mind a break. Many people have a very hard time thinking about anything else when they are dealing with an important issue and this is where Frost has chosen to end his poem. I do not agree with most people when they say that Robert Frost was writing about suicide with this poem. He wrote this poem to express his feelings of the need to get away for awhile, to think. This is exactly what I choose to do when I have issues and problems I need to think about. Suicide is definitely not something I have thought about when I want to be alone for awhile. I Just need to be away from distractions. Unfortunately, living in the dorms has taken away my privilege to do that. At home, I have always had the advantage of having my own room. No matter what happened, I had the option to go to my room, shut the door, and get way from everything. Now I am not so lucky. When I have had a bad day, gotten in an argument or lust even want to De alone, I nave to worry auto my roommate being there. This makes it really hard for me to deal with any problems that I might have. Dealing with your emotions is a difficult thing. Each of us has our own ways in which we choose to do so. In his three poems Mending Wall, The Road Not Taken, and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Robert Frost has Just started to touch on how he might react in different situations. I have thought about and compared what I might do and what he might do. In many ways

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Military vs. Militia

Military vs. Militia Military vs. Militia Military vs. Militia By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between the military and a militia? The distinction is generally between formal and regular service members and auxiliary or irregular personnel, but the latter term is less precise. More precisely and comprehensively, the military is the entirety of a country’s designated personnel, matà ©riel (as opposed to materials), and infrastructure as organized for defense. A militia can be a subcategory of the military, consisting of personnel generally deployed only during emergencies though in some nations, the term refers to all citizens eligible to be called to military service but it may refer, alternatively, to reserve forces, law-enforcement entities, or privately financed and equipped groups. Both words are derived from the Latin term miles, meaning â€Å"soldier†: military stems from militaris, meaning â€Å"of soldiers or war,† of â€Å"military service,† or â€Å"warlike,† and militia is a direct borrowing of a word meaning â€Å"military service, warfare.† Paramilitary (the prefix means â€Å"related to† or â€Å"resembling†) refers to armed forces organized more or less according to military protocols but not necessarily official or authorized. The term, like militia, is ambiguous, as it could refer, depending on the context, to a body of armed personnel ranging in degrees of legitimacy from national police to guerrillas. Other words descended from the Latin miles include militant, in noun form referring to a (usually unofficial) combatant or as an adjective meaning â€Å"fighting† or â€Å"aggressive† in both military and nonmilitary contexts, and militate. Both these words developed from the Latin word military â€Å"serve as a soldier,† but the latter acquired a connotation of â€Å"counteract† or â€Å"have a negative effect on.† In the United States, the military consists of the following branches of the armed forces: the US Army, the US Navy, the US Marine Corps, and the US Air Force; in time of war, the US Coast Guard can be attached to the navy. Subsidiary elements, considered militia, include the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, plus the Army Reserve, the Navy Reserve, the Marine Corps Forces Reserve, the Air Force Reserve, and the Coast Guard Reserve, which collectively constitute the National Guard of the United States. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Handy Expressions About HandsProved vs. Proven20 Ways to Cry

Monday, November 4, 2019

Why are non-English Speaking students mistakenly being placed in Assignment

Why are non-English Speaking students mistakenly being placed in special eduction classes - Assignment Example ciation, most linguists now believe that the greatest contributor to second language acquisition is the social environment and pressures this encompasses. As a result, children will experience language acquisition at varying degrees of proficiency according to family circumstances. Things such as use of language in the home environment, access to television and the internet, and the level of outside classroom speaking practice the students partake in are all factors that contribute to their success in school. Perhaps too much emphasis has been placed on sequential acquisition of language, viewing it in the same regards as math or science skills, with the result the student’s second-language deficiencies being mistakenly labeled learning disabilities. Another possible instance is that of the student’s academic ability being obscured by their language ability. As sociolinguistic studies will attest, there is a connection between grammatical usage and the perception of competence and intelligence. What educators are interpreting as incompetence are actually higher forms of cognitive functioning. For instance, a student may display poor grammatical formulations in an essay, but exhibit exceptional analytic, research, or communicative competence. Teacher’s with an untrained eye for these traits are mistakenly labeling these students as learning disabled, because of their language mishaps, when higher level cognitive functioning is taking place. This is a form of linguistic imperialism that should be resisted in

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Banking Law (question in instruction) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Banking Law (question in instruction) - Essay Example erefore, the holder can be either the person to whom the cheque was written or the individual in possession of it by virtue of a transfer by negotiation2. In this case, the order which has been fraudulently obtained and negotiated by Clara to their debtor is an illegal order cheque requiring an indorsement by the legitimate holder who in this case is Megan. As such, she reserves the right to file charges of cheque fraud against Clara and seek an injunction against any cashing of the cheque by Jason’s bank for purposes of reclaiming the money amounting to 15,000. Regardless, Megan’s success would depend on her ability to prove that: a) Jason’s bank owes her the duty of care; b) there is proximity between her and the bill collecting bank; and c) cashing the money to Jason would result in material injury upon her. In Yuen Kun-Yeu v Attorney-General of Hong Kong (1987) PC, the plaintiff made deposits of money with an accredited deposit taker, but lost the deposits when it became insolvent3. He argued that the Commission regulating the activities of the deposit taken was liable because it was aware or should have been aware of the difficulties facing the depositor. However, in its decision the court said there was no proximity between the Commission and the deposit taker vis-Ã  -vis the claimant. In respect of this decision, Megan would lose the case, which then allows her the option to seek compensation for a breach of banker-customer relationship if the banker proceeds and authorises payment by a fraudulent indorsement. In Foley v. Hill and Others (1848), the court said the banker owes the customer money that is equivalent to the deposits4. The verdict considered the banker the owner of the deposits and the client the investor taking risk. In light of the verdict, Megan could successfully bring claims against the bank for fraud and obtain a refund of all of her money ‘owned’ by the bank courtesy of the fraudulent Clara and her husband if the banker settled