Racial Profiling The United States Essay - 1326 Words

Racial Profiling The United States of America, a country founded on diversity, remains ingrained with hypocritical ideas with respect to its very foundations of freedom and independence. America shows no mercy in the prejudice actions towards its minorities. The United States of America contributes greatly towards the injustice of minorities and giving privilege towards its â€Å"native† people yet not all â€Å"natives† are greatly loved in the country as Neil Foley, author of Becoming Hispanic: Mexican Americans and Whiteness, states, â€Å" Blacks are inside American culture but...remain alienated and estranged from the domain of White power and privilege.† (Foley 50). Foley concludes that African Americans are not in away strangers to the American culture yet are pushed away and held back because of their color of skin. African Americans have helped shaped the country s history and culture yet are denied the same privilege as whites as they are pre-judged by their colo r of skin and the history behind it. Racial profiling is not something new to The United States as for years there has been discriminating practices towards minorities by law enforcement because of race, ethnicity, religion, or nationality and allowing white privilege to continue. Prejudice towards minorities strengthens and continues to grow as the victims of it choose to remain silent due to the fear of a retaliation. The United States of Discrimination, now known by many because of its lack of resources andShow MoreRelatedRacial Profiling And The United States1348 Words   |  6 PagesIn today’s world we deal with multiple cases of racial profiling seemingly on a daily basis. Turn on the television, check the internet, or simply have a discussion with someone and you’ll hear about it. Racial Profiling describes discriminatory practices by law enforcement officials who target people for suspicion of crime based on their ethnicity, race, origin, or religion. The term first came about during the War on Drugs in the 1970’s and 1980’s when law enforcement were accused of pullingRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States1111 Words   |  5 Pagesbrutality on these individuals solely based on the ethnicity they possess. Racial p rofiling can be said to be synonymous with stereotypes. In fact, as Gross states, â€Å"In 1999, 81 percent of surveyors in a national poll agreed that racial profiling was an issue in the United States. â€Å"From Samuel R. Gross, â€Å"Racial Profiling Under Attack†, (June 2002): 1413. However, there is no end in sight, 16 years later, and the United States is still the same. On September 11, 2001 America was in shock because ofRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States1465 Words   |  6 PagesRacial Profiling Racial Profiling is just what it is. Targeting individuals for suspicion of a violation determined by the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin. Race and location are the supreme characteristics law enforcement visually examine when engaging in this type of profiling. African-American males are the primary victims of racial profiling in the United States. The phrase â€Å"driving while black† derive from African Americans protesting that they are pulled over by policeRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States1657 Words   |  7 PagesThe 11th of September, 2001 was a momentous day in American history. 19 members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 United Airlines Flight 175, and crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Hijackers crashed the third plane into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth jet, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Penn sylvania. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives on 9/11 due to the terrorist attacks onRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States1160 Words   |  5 Pagesby police and many other people for committing crimes. This is called racial profiling, and it is an issue going on around us. Some considers racial profiling a new phenomenon, and it is important to examine it because it is a foundational aspect of law and law enforcement in the United States. Glover in the book Racial Profiling: Research, Racism, and Resistance defines racial profiling in contemporary times â€Å"as the use of racial and or ethnic status as the determinant factor in decision to stop motoristRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States2227 Words   |  9 Pagessociety. This is the mind frame of the average American in the United States. Every African American individual in this country who has traveled, walked to the store at night or simply going shopping, either knowingly or unknowingly has been a victim of some type of racial profiling. People need to realize that racial profiling happens very often to innocent people that are targeted based on race and sometimes religion. Racial profiling can be defined as when an individual is stopped or detained becauseRead MoreRacial Profiling A nd The United States1949 Words   |  8 Pages Racial Profiling Post 9/11 Rusat Ramgopal CRJBS 101 John Jay College Professor Gary Wright August 4, 2016 Racial Profiling Post 9/11 On September 11, 2001, nineteen hijackers associated with the terrorist group Al-Qaeda attacked the United States. They flew two planes into the World Trade Center and also attacked the Pentagon resulting inRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States2903 Words   |  12 PagesRacial profiling still exists in America. Racial profiling refers to law enforcement strategies and practices that single out individuals as objects of suspicion solely on the basis of mainly their race. Prejudice and racial profiling of law enforcement is responsible for many false arrests, convictions, and countless deaths of blacks in the United States. This is one of the main difficulties of life and obstacles minorities have to face in their life because for one they are a minority and twoRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States944 Words   |  4 Pages Ever Since being forced to the united states as slaves blacks have been exposed to racism and legal discrimination citizens of African descent in the United States living threw things like Jim crow laws which were laws set to legally separate blacks like they were lesser to white citizens, or dealing acts of terror by groups like the KKK or other racist whites. And most importantly going through slavery which heavily set blacks back. Black men as a whole in society are believed to have the toughestRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States1883 Words   |  8 PagesRacial profiling remains a dormant issue in the United States. It is the act of the authority, mostly, police officers linking minority status to criminal behaviour (Glover, 2007). Several police officers in the United States target specific groups because they don’t display characteristics of typical Caucasian individuals (Glover, 2007). To put history into context, before 9/11, not many police officers profil ed individuals based on their ethnic backgrounds but after the attack, there was an increase

Impacts of Rupee Appreciation/Depreciation on Import Free Essays

string(111) " funds to safer haven currencies and better investment opportunities, the INR had no other choice but to fall\." INTRODUCTION CURRENCY APPRECIATION:- An increase in the value of one currency in terms of another. Currencies appreciate against each other for various reasons, including capital inflows and the state of a country’s current account. Typically, a Forex trader trades a currency pair in the hopes of currency appreciation of the base currency against the counter currency. We will write a custom essay sample on Impacts of Rupee Appreciation/Depreciation on Import or any similar topic only for you Order Now CURRENCY DEPRICIATION:- A decrease in the  value  of a  currency  with respect to other currencies. This means that the depreciated currency is worth fewer units of some other currency. While depreciation means a reduction in value, it can be advantageous as it makes  exports  in the depreciated currency less  expensive. For example, suppose one unit of Currency A is worth one unit of Currency B. If Currency A depreciates such that it becomes worth half of one unite of Currency B, then exports denominated in Currency A are only half as expensive when trading in a Currency B market. SIGNIFICANCE:- * When a country’s exports are high, the buyers of these exports need its currency to pay for those exports. When the country’s central bank increases interest rates, people will want that currency to deposit in the banks to earn that higher interest rate. * When employment and per capita income in a country increase, the demand for its goods and services increases, along with demand for that country’s currency in the local market. * Demand for any country’s currency on the foreign exchange market is determined by demand for that countryâ⠂¬â„¢s exports of goods and services and by changes in foreign investment in that country. This is because when foreigners buy another country’s exports of goods or services they must pay for these in the currency of the exporting country. * In the same way, Supply of any country’s currency on the foreign exchange market is determined by that country’s imports of goods and services and by its investment in other countries. * Thus when the demand for a currency rises its price goes up and it becomes costlier. *   An increase in exports of a country will lead to an increase in demand for the currency and thus the value rises. *   Rapid domestic growth increases the demand for mports, while slow or no growth with foreign economies can cause a decline in demand for the country’s exports. * If prices in both countries remain the same, depreciation will make foreign goods relatively more expensive to you, leading to a fall in imports. It also means that, even if prices remain the same, your goods will be cheaper to foreigners. They will buy more o f your goods and exports will rise. As a result, your country’s  net exports will increase. * The devaluation of the dollar will have a positive impact on the importers, while it will have adverse effect on the exporters. Importers of goods and services will be getting the goods and services by paying less THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK:- Currency depreciation is not at all good for economy of a country. Government always keeps an eye on currency fluctuation. More depreciation can cause major loss to a country. All this is related to export and import of a country. If a currency depreciates, it is the exporters who make good profit, where as importers are on the losing side. Depreciation discourages purchases of imported goods stimulating demand for domestically manufactured goods. The governments worldwide monitor appreciation and depreciation by using powerful tools like the base interest rates, which are usually set by the country’s central bank. Many a times this tool is often used to intentionally depreciate the currency rates to encourage exports. However, this can cause major damage to imports. Always a balance has to be maintained between export and import. Within a span of 5 year, the value of INR has significantly increased from around 40 to 54. 24 with respect to dollar. Indian economy is among the fastest growing economies of the world. The appreciation of the rupees against the dollar would be another giant sign towards its economic prosperity and augmentation. However, the economic epidemics like poverty, unemployment etc. , could not be dealt in the short-run. In the past one year, the dollar has dropped by around 15 per cent against Indian rupees. This reveals that positive or negative impact on volume of export or import would be around 15 per cent, which cannot be over looked as the exporters are suffering losses, whereas importer are on gain. However, the impact will remain until there is depreciation of dollar against rupees. If it continues, then a great change can be expected on a long run in international trade arena. Another impact would be the fantasy of dollar has been losing ground day by day. From analyses made it clear that earlier people were, fascinate about dollar due to its value against Indian rupees. However, the scenario has completely changed. Those, who were planning to move to US for job, now might plan to settle in Britain, as British economy is one of the strongest economies in the world REASONS BEHIND INR DEPRECIATION (SINCE AUGUST 2011) Since the transition from fixed exchange rate regime to market determined exchange rate regime in March, 1993, the INR value with respect to the United States Dollar [USD] had decreased manifold (Dua Ranjan, 2010). The primary reasons that catalyzed the INR fall could be the increased trade between other countries. Post liberalization, the country witnessed an ever-increasing flux in the foreign inflows particularly due to the enticing growth potential of the country. However, this effect could not overpower the gap between import and exports [called the Trade Deficit]. The offsetting effect of foreign inflows strengthened till mid-2008 (the rupee was once comfortably trading at 39. 15 INR/USD) when the banking crisis unfolded in the US leading to recession. Though commentators say that emerging economies like India and China were the least hit by the recession (in terms of output) (Ghosh Chandrasekhar, 2009), the crisis took its toll on the INR. With the flight of foreign funds to safer haven currencies and better investment opportunities, the INR had no other choice but to fall. You read "Impacts of Rupee Appreciation/Depreciation on Import" in category "Papers" However, the recent round of depreciation of the INR is peculiar in some aspects. Though there was another crisis that hit the world markets, i. e. the Euro zone crisis, there was considerable lag in the effect, with the Euro zone crisis started looming as early as late-2010, the INR’s depreciation is felt only in August 2011. Major reasons behind this depreciation can be listed [in decreasing order of importance] as follows: * Outflow of funds (and/or) Impeded inflow. *   Ã‚  Ã‚  Increasing Current Account Deficit [CAD] *   Ã‚  Recovery of USD and Japanese Yen [JPY] – the long-term safe haven currencies. *   Ã‚  Ã‚  Lack of intervention from RBI FALLING RUPEE AGAINST DOLLAR 011 was the year of great stress for Indian Rupee. It has lost greater than 10 % of its value in the year 2011, making it one of the worst performing currencies in Asia. Logic says rupee appreciation shows the Indian economy is strengthening against US economy and depreciation makes the economy weaker. Overseas funds sold more than US$500 million worth of Indian-listed shar es over the last 5 years, reducing net income for 2011 to less than US$300 million – a tiny sum compared with record investments of greater than US$29 billion earned last year, on November 21, 2011 alone. According to Federal Bank report, the premium banks pay to borrow dollars overnight from central banks will fall by half a percentage point to 50 basis points. The move was coordinated with the monetary authorities in Canada, the U. K, Japan and Switzerland and the Central Bank of Europe. ROLE OF GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AND RESERVE BANK OF INDIA The exchange rate is a significant tool used to examine the efficiency of economy. The exchange rate of the Indian rupee is dependent upon the market conditions, where the demand and supply play a major role. In order to adopt the effective exchange rates the RBI makes buy and sell transactions to keep the low variability and volatility in exchange rates. RBI also removes the excess liquidity from the economy by increasing the CRR and SLR. The Government of India also managed floating exchange rate mechanism. This means that the Indian government interferes only when the circumstances demand and/or if the exchange rate gets out of control by increasing or reducing the money supply. Hedging: Using forwards and futures contracts help in mitigating the risks arise due to exchange rate fluctuations. This process is known as Hedging, but none-the-less the impact is substantial. Reduce Trade Deficit: The main factors for the depreciation of rupee are slowdown in capital flows, high trade and current account deficit and high crude oil prices. To stop fluctuations in rupee it is necessary to reduce these deficits. RBI Control Policy: When rupee depreciates, it results in a price hike in the petroleum products and fertilizers. This increases the inflation. This becomes a challenging period for RBI. If they increase the key rates, it will affect our growth rate and there will be stock market crash. If it is not, inflation will kill the normal public. As per analysts, say the rupee depreciation is considered as a short-term scenario. The Indian market will be a good destination for FIIs in years to come. Huge investment is expected in the coming years. Gradually the rupee will gain its value. Investors need not worry about the rupee depreciation. Since March 2010, Reserve Bank of India [RBI] hiked the interest rates 13 times and thus compromising on growth. RBI’s interest rates hikes seemed futile since the inflation was due to supply falling short rather than the demand rising. Both inflation and RBI’s action reduced the color of the vibrant economy once India displayed in 2007-2008. According to intelligence reports by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, sectors of India Exports are as follows- Sector of Import| Share in Total Imports| Petroleum| 77| Heavy Engineering Goods| 22| Pharmaceuticals| 19| The sectors of Import gain if the rupee appreciates. They would have to pay less for the imported raw materials, which would increase their profit margins. Likewise, depreciation in rupee value makes exports cheaper and imports expensive. Exports from India are of handicrafts, gems, jewelry, textiles, ready-made garments, industrial machinery, leather products, chemicals and related products. Since the 1990s, India is the world’s largest processor of diamonds. The mentioned export items contribute substantially to foreign receipts. During the periods when the dollar was moving high against the rupee, exporters stood to gain, when $1 = Rs. 48, was getting them Rs. 4800 for every $100. Since the beginning of the year 2007, rupee appreciated by about 10%. With its value of rupee Rs. 39. 35 = $1 as on 16 Nov 2007, for every $100, exporters would get only Rs. 3935. This difference is towing away the profit margins of exporters and BPO service providers alike. Imports to India are of petroleum products, capital goods, chemicals, dyes, plastics, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, uncut precious stones, fertilizers, pulp paper etc. With the same scenario as given for export, if we analyze – an importer is paying Rs. 3935 now instead of Rs. 4800 paid during yester years for every $100. This gain on FX is likely to create savings in cost, which could be passed on to consumers, thereby contributing to control inflation Exhibit showing the quarterly values of Foreign Investment Flows in India Source:  Public Debt Management Quarterly Report (July-September 2011), Ministry of Finance, November 2011 CONCLUSION:- Conclusively, appreciation and depreciation of rupee cannot certainly be taken as beneficial to the Indian economy in general. On one hand, the rupee appreciation will affect exporters, BPOs, etc. , on the other, rupee depreciation will affect importers. So now, it depends on what the future has to reveal for, how effectively the central bank can balance the FX rates with little impact to the relative areas of FX usage. Though RBI is trying its level best in controlling inflation, due to the inherent supply-driven nature of the inflation, monetary controls remain as futile attempts. Systemic inefficiencies, like improper supply chains, must be immediately addressed by the Government to stall inflation. RBI has already done the damage by ruthlessly increasing the base rates and thus compromising the growth and discouraging investments. In order to control currency depreciation, any central bank is expected to hike the interest rates. Since the prevailing interest rates have already reached a high, RBI is helpless in managing the exchange rates through interest rate hike. Another option left with RBI is to use its foreign exchange reserves to sell dollars in the currency market to improve the value of INR. Though RBI’s argument of non-intervention is justified (Gokarn, 2011), it must strike the right balance between intervention and controlled-intervention. Generally, foreign exchange reserves deplete because of daily operations of central banks in the wake of domestic currency depreciation. Considering all the above factors, is the way ahead gloomy for the Indian rupee? Well, nothing can be told so surely in this uncertain environment. The market sentiments truly drove the INR to the edge. The INR may correct itself and settle in a lower value than that is prevailing currently as the market sentiments fade out. On the other hand, tight monetary control by the RBI, which led to high interest rates, widened the interest rate differential thus inviting inflows. Overselling of rupee than that is necessary might have caused the slide in the value of INR. If the rupee starts rebounding, it would definitely start yielding high results due to the low base effect. Therefore, if the rupee is actually oversold, investors who are confident about the resilient Indian economy might put their money on the rupee since no other asset would give such high returns in this current scenario. However, there are conditions attached to the argument – rupee must bounce back and foreign inflows must find their way back into the Indian economy. How to cite Impacts of Rupee Appreciation/Depreciation on Import, Papers

Importance of IT for Career Growth-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Question: How Information Technology is Important for Career Growth ? Answer: Introduction The report presents briefly overview on the information technology and it also tell that how it importance for career growth. On the other side the report defines the enterprise architecture and information system. Meaning of Information technology(IT) It is the application of computer to study, store, recover, manipulate, transmit and accumulate the information or data in an enterprise and business. It is a subset of information and communication technology (ICT). Further, it includes the maintenance, development and use of internet, software and computer system for sharing and processing of data. Information technology is one of the growing industries in todays world. It has been analyzed that the person who has good knowledge in information technology, he will get the good package compare to other industries. The scope of information technology is increasing in day by day. In other words IT means any technology through which people get information it is called information technology (Turban, Leidner, McLean Wetherbe, 2008). Significant of information technology The information technology plays significant role in education system. The students can access variety of learning resources and online libraries and they can get much study material through information technology. There are good career scopes in IT and students can make brilliant career in this field. The students can become web developers, mobile application developers; database administrator, data security experts and they can become good computer specialist. They can get higher package through the education of IT. The various courses are running for education of information technology. Now it is assumed that information technology is important for development of every industry. How does information technology support business processes The information technology provides support to every organization for incredible growth of trade and commerce. The business concepts and framework can be revolutionized by the use information technology. It provides various approaches, more convenient and efficient way for doing business effectively. Through information technology people can easily store and manipulate the useful data. The company can easily analyze the business opportunities and market conditions of the country with the help of information technology. Now it can be assumed that information technology provides wider support to growth of the business (Wellman Haythornthwaite, 2008). The emerging technologies The emerging technologies define as new technologies which are being currently developed and will be developed in future also. The emerging technologies include numerous technologies such as educational technology, biotechnology, information technology, nanotechnology, cognitive science, psychotechnology and artificial intelligence technology. Meaning of enterprise architecture The enterprise architecture is a well defined process for conducting design, preparation, analysis, implementation for the successful progress and development. It applies architecture values, principles and practices to guide the association through the information, process and business. It plays significant role in an organization because it provides directly contribution to achievement of organization goals and objectives. It also provides support in investment decision making process and it enhances communication and co-operation between stakeholders. The Enterprise architecture also reduces risk and operational cost of the organization (Marks, 2008). The main risks which involve in information system There are many risks which associated with implementation of new information technology. They are such as inability to access the system, integrity of corporate data risk, hardware issues, data corruption risk and system related risks which affect the information system. So company should analyze all the risks before implementation of information system (Howard, 2010). Conclusion It is concluded that information technology plays significant role in todays world and it also tells that how enterprise architecture affects the business processes. On the other side, report analyzes the risk which is associated with new information system. References Howard, P. N. (2010).The digital origins of dictatorship and democracy: Information technology and political Islam. Oxford University Press. Marks, E. A. (2008).Service-oriented architecture (SOA) governance for the services driven enterprise. John Wiley Sons. Turban, E., Leidner, D., McLean, E., Wetherbe, J. (2008).INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR MANAGEMENT, (With CD). John Wiley Sons. Wellman, B., Haythornthwaite, C. (Eds.). (2008).The Internet in everyday life. John Wiley Sons.

Owned Enterprise under China as a Centrally Planned Economy

China is a global contender for superpower status. The position China occupies in the second decade of the twenty first century is remarkable. Less than a century ago, China was emerging from a feudal past. The country lacked economic and political stability. In its history, the transition of one dynasty to another was Darwinian.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Owned Enterprise under China as a Centrally Planned Economy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Whenever the ruling dynasty became weak, a rebellion took place and a new dynasty rose power. Throughout its history, China has gone through periods of unification and periods of disintegration. The current socioeconomic profile of the country is a reflection of its rich cultural heritage. It is a consequence of the decisions taken by various leaders of the country across time. The study of the First Lathe Factory of Beijing took place during the reign of Mao. The study, which took place in 1961 by Ma Hong, became public in 1980. It is a very insightful view into the working of the centrally planned economy at the time in history. This is because no scientific literature exists regarding the actual outcomes of the management initiatives undertaken by the Chinese government in the period. The information available refers to plans and self-reported results from the operations of industries. The report by Ma Hong gives a unique view to the dynamics that governed the operations of the First Lathe Factory of Beijing. Since the rules the factory operated under were the same for the entire economy, the findings are valid as a generalized review of the Chinese economy at the time. This paper explores the operations of a centrally planned economy based on the report provided by Ma Hong concerning the First Lathe Factory of Beijing. The paper will put the operations of the factory in historical context in view of Mao’s economic policies. It will also explore the general nature of centrally planned economies, as a basis for the analysis of the operations of the First Lathe Factory of Beijing. Historical Context To understand the importance of the analysis provided in this paper, it is essential to put into historical context the First Lathe Factory of Beijing. The actual factors at play in the factory’s operations reflected the unique cultural history of the Chinese people and political realities of the time. Philosophically, the most influential thinker in Chinese history is Confucius. Confucianism is still predominant in the thinking of modern day China. His enduring legacy is the codification of Chinese ethics. This thinker still serves a unifying personality in the Chinese society.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The events of the first half of the twentieth century also provided context for the operation s of the factory. China did not have an effective central government during this period. Warlords led the country, with a few personalities trying to unify it. The result was persistent war and vulnerability to attacks by foreigners. Mao rose to power in 1949 as the leader of the People’s Republic of China. For almost fifty years prior to Mao’s rule, China went through internal wars and international conflicts. No leader had found success in unifying China. When Mao rose to power, he succeeded in quelling all internal rebellion and ending most external wars. Thereafter, he only fought in wars which China had a realistic chance of winning. Mao’s rise to power came at a time when the Chinese people needed a unifying leader. They wanted someone with the capacity to bring together the entire Chinese people. No leader had succeeded in this effort in almost one century. Therefore, when Mao started establishing communist rule in China, he did not find credible resistan ce. After all, other leaders had had the opportunity to resolve China’s internal problems to no avail. The Chinese people were willing to risk a socialist approach to government. Mao became very powerful because of his popularity as a politician, and his reputation as a strong military leader. The Great Leap Forward Mao attempted to industrialize China rapidly starting in 1958 to 1961 in a program known as the Great Leap Forward. The basis for the Great Leap Forward was to exert greater control over production in China in order to have rapid and coordinated economic growth. Mao believed that this would increase the productivity of the Chinese economy. If Mao was right in theory, he was wrong in practice. However, literature suggests that he was also wrong in theory. At the time, China was not yet a communist state. Therefore, China had a mixed system of capitalist operations with socialist undertones. When Mao started implementing the Great Leap Forward, he upset the traditio nal economy of China. For instance, Mao’s government outlawed private farming. While the intention of this move was to aggregate Chinese agricultural production to allow for greater control, the result was that the country’s food production fell. In fact, the entire Chinese economy faltered during the three years of the Great Leap Forward. The country experienced negative growth in its economy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Owned Enterprise under China as a Centrally Planned Economy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the industrial sector, the government started institution controls relating to the flow of goods and services. Initially, factories sought their own raw materials and found markets for their finished products. During the Great Leap Forward, the government started controlling the flow of raw materials and the rate of production. Government statisticians calculated the required levels of growth and implemented measures aimed at delivering the products needed to support the required levels of growth. The assumption was that if China can sustain a certain level of production, then it would be able to grow economically in order to catch up with the developed world. This large-scale control of raw materials and labor led to serious inefficiencies in the Chinese economy. Raw materials did not move freely. The controls also usurped market forces leading to supply and demand distortions. The Nature of Centrally Planned Economies Centrally planned economies such as the one in operation in China in 1961 have several characteristics. The main feature of centrally planned economies is the control of the flow of raw materials, labor, and markets. The central authorities allocate raw materials to all manufacturers and monitor the distribution of the materials. The allocation of raw material is in tandem with the production quota given to each manufacturer. The central author ity also determines how many people the manufacturer can employ. This way, the authority controls the movement of labor across various sectors. If there is excess production, the central authority approves the exportation of the surplus products. The quantity of products manufactured in a centrally planned economy is not demand driven. The central authority uses historical data and trend analysis to determine the optimum level of production to meet the demand. However, meeting the demand here does not connote a reliance of the forces of demand and supply. The production quotas reflect the desired level of economic productivity. For instance, if the central authority wants the economy to grow by 5%, it makes projections regarding the required levels of productivity to meet this demand. It then passes on these quotas to manufactures.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One problem associated with centrally planned economies is that the policies developed do not conform to demand and supply patterns. This can lead to overproduction or underproduction of goods and services. Secondly, planned economies tend to stifle entrepreneurship. There is no incentive to improve products because there is no reward for quality. Control also affects profit margins and kills initiative in the part of manufacturers. A benefit that can accrue from a planned economy is that it can help a country to overcome specific challenges such as food production. It is also a good approach to use in the establishment of an industry. The risks of establishing a new industry are usually very high. Therefore, central control can ensure that the outcomes are more predictable. The third advantage of central planning is that it can help in the rapid development of an industry. When left on their own, industries grow slowly based on economic realities, competitive advantage, and the tim e it takes to establishment a market. Central control can help to create the requisite conditions for the success of an industry much faster than organic growth. The First Lathe Factory of Beijing The First Lathe Factory of Beijing was the amalgamation of three companies. The three companies combined to form one of the largest factories in Beijing. It produced industrial machines. From its name, it is clear that its main products were lathe machines. However, the company had a long list of industrial machines it its product catalogues. In addition, it provided repair and maintenance services for its clients in various parts of China. The company mass-produced many machines, but it also handled individual orders. At its peak, the company was one of the largest employers in Beijing. The administrative structure of the company evolved to reflect the changes in the Chinese political landscape. The administration of the factory during the Great Leap Forward consisted of the factory admin istrators running the operations of the factory and power brokers in the power structure of the communist party. In fact, as the government increased its control over the affairs of industries in China, the company experienced power struggles. The management was not sure how much of its administrative duties were in violation of the edicts of the communist party. As such, there was tension at all times between the industry administrators and party leaders. The factory was initially under the First Ministry of Machine Building, but it ceded control to the Government of the Municipality of Beijing. The managers of the factory were generally in charge of administrative decisions such as scheduling of work, allocating houses for the workers and ordering of materials. The political leaders of the communist party developed the production quotas needed to meet the economic objectives of the country. Party officials had a lot of say on matters like the people who would hold offices in the f actory and the overall economic objectives the factory needed to fulfill. Government officials on the other hand implemented the policies developed by the party. The operations of the factory before the rise of Mao were capitalist in nature. The three companies that eventually became the First Lathe Factory of Beijing had international investors in their shareholders list. One of the companies received start up funds from American investors. The financing for the second firm came from Chinese investors, while the third one was a government project. The tumultuous period that ended in 1949 also happens to be the time when the country made the most effort towards achieving a political democracy. As such, the country’s economy as at 1949 had strong elements of capitalism. After the rise of Mao, the Chinese government started tightening controls over many sectors. The Great Leap Forward came with an increase in the controls exerted over companies operating in China. The First Lat he Factory of Beijing was no exception. During the Great Leap Forward, the factory received production quotas from the party. There were controls relating to the raw materials it could use the number of people it could employ and the markets it could sell its products. Getting raw materials became difficult with time. Irons smelters sold iron directly to the government. The government warehouses distributed the iron to factories. In theory, this was supposed to help to optimize the resources of the country. The result was that factories did not receive the raw materials they needed in time. The companies started sending several people to the government warehouses to negotiate for raw materials. Things worsened because of government red tape that made the process of acquiring raw materials very lengthy. The inefficiencies introduced by the restriction of raw materials led to huge economic losses. Lack of access to markets also made Chinese manufacturers uncompetitive because it was i mpossible for them to determine what the customers wanted. One of the fundamental problems associated with the quota system is that because of the reliance on the factories to provide production data, the factory officials had no option but to lie about their production patterns and capacity to cover for the poor decisions made by government officials. After the failure of the Great Leap Forward, Mao orchestrated the Cultural Revolution that lasted from 1966 to 1976. During this period, Mao institutionalized government control over all factors of production, in the direction of a pure communist state. The main problems that are of interest to business management in the operations of the First Lathe Factory of Beijing during the Great Leap Forward are the role of government in business, and the choice between supply-driven and demand-driven management models. The case of the First Lathe Factory of Beijing demonstrated that the successful involvement of government in the running of bu sinesses depends on the level of autonomy given to the factory administrator. The involvement of the government in the affairs of the factory took away its capacity to negotiate with suppliers and to respond to consumer demand. The government ought to remain as a regulator. The pursuit of policy for development should encourage industries to innovate and to become competitive because this guarantees long-term stability. China is still fighting to redeem its image because of the reputation it acquired as a manufacturer of poor quality products. Japan on the other hand is a respected producer of high quality products. The Japanese manufacturing industry developed the Kaizen systems to increase the operational efficiency of manufacturing facilities, and to improve the quality of the products sent to the market. Such a philosophy could not emerge if the Japanese government made the same decisions as the Chinese rulers in 1961. The second fundamental issue to business management is that the forces of demand and supply are more reliable than policy pronouncements regarding demand. Demand cannot emanate from policy pronouncements. Manufacturing lathes for a country that does not need them will not create a demand for lathe machines. Rather, demand for lathe machines should guide the production quotas of lathe machines. In all businesses, demand ought to be the guide and not supply. Demand is dynamic, and it is best to leave individual factories to gauge demand and to respond to consumer needs. It is impossible to control resources and labor at factory level from the level of the central government. Conclusions The creation of state owned enterprises took place by nationalization of existing industries, and merging of small entities into larger ones. When Mao took power, he sought to reform the Chinese economy. He relied on Marxist philosophies and decided against open capitalism. He merged smaller industries to create larger ones, and in the process nationalized indu stries. The government started demanding that factories conform to the party position in economic matters, and went as far as deciding on the levels of labor for use in a factory. The government also decided on the appropriate production quotas of each factory based in party economic goals and not based on market conditions. Thirdly, the government controlled the distribution of products manufactured in the country. The Organization and operation of Chinas state owned enterprises led to the disastrous consequences of the Great Leap Forward. China lost its competitive edge because of the party’s focus on production as opposed to the financial performance of companies. Presently, the country is struggling to overcome the consequences of the poor reputation it developed in the international market as a producer of low quality products. Governments should never micromanage any industry because of lack of expertise, and the emergence of unintended consequences. The experts in the operations of a factory are the workers in that factory. Making decisions regarding the level of staffing and production on behalf of the factory cannot lead to growth. It robs the factory of the opportunity to innovate, to find new markets for its products, and to remain competitive in the international market. Finally, the organizational structure used to manage the Chinese economy show that bureaucratic approaches to economic issues can stifle growth. There were three levels of management of the industries in China. First, the party developed laws and economic policies. Secondly, government official enforces these policies according to the guidance of the party. Thirdly, the management teams from the factories exercised operational control over the factories. These managers had very little space to make strategic decisions because of the policy declarations of the party. Works Cited Bartlett, Christopher A and Arar Han. Levendary Cafe: The China Challenge. Boston, MA: Havard Busi ness School Publishing, 2011. Print. Bramall, C. Chinese Economic Development. New York: Routledge, 2009.Print. Chow, Gregory C. China’s Economic Transformation. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Print. —. Chinese Economy. Teaneck, NJ: World Scientific, 1987.Print Dube, Line, Carmen Berner and Vital Roy. â€Å"Taking on the Challenge of IT Management in a Global Business Context: The Alcan Case – Part A.† International Journal of Case Studies in Management 7.2 (2009): 1-13. Print. East Asia Quarterly. â€Å"Are China’s Multinational Corporations Really Multinational?† East Asia Quarterly April-June 2012. Print Goldman, Geoff and Celile Nieuwenhuizen. Strategy: Sustaining Competitive Advantage in a Globalised Context. Cape Town: Juta and Co Ltd, 2006. Print. Lavigne, M. The Economics of Transition: From Socialist Economy to Market Economy. New York: St. Martin Press, 1999. Print Mongay, Jorge. Business and Investments in Asia. Madrid: ESIC Editorial, 2011. Print Zhu, Zhiqun. China’s New Diplomacy: Rationale, Strategies and Significance. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2010. Print This essay on Owned Enterprise under China as a Centrally Planned Economy was written and submitted by user Nancy Lindsay to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Four Seasons Essays

The Four Seasons Essays The Four Seasons Essay The Four Seasons Essay Look at the structure of each poem as well as its use of language, and show how the poems not only describe the seasons but also convey its mood. As you write indicate your response to the words and ideas in the poems, and at the end say which poem you prefer, giving your reasons. I am going to tell you about three different poems I have chosen which I feel best portray the seasons. I have chosen Spring by G. M Hopkins, To Autumn by John Keats and Skating from The Prelude by William Wordsworth. The poem Spring by G. M Hopkins is a very happy and joyful poem and full of life. In the very first line, Hopkins refers to Spring as the most attractive season of them all, telling us: Nothing is so beautiful as Spring (Line 1). He carries on creating a buoyant and cheerful atmosphere by using words and phrases such as the alliterative phrases long and lovely and lush (Line 2) and With richness, the racing lambs too have fair their fling (Line 8). In the first stanza, Hopkins uses imagery with phrases such as weeds in wheels (Line 2) and The glassy pear tree leaves and blooms (Line 6), which gives the reader pictures of Springtime. The image of The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush (Line 7), gives the impression of being wrapped in a mixture of happy feelings and the promise of summer to come. The poem is very continuous and uses many enjambments so that the poem can be kept at a fast flowing speed for the reader. For example Through the echoing timbre does so rinse and wring / The ear, it strikes like lighting to hear him sing (Line 4 / 5). When Hopkins starts his second verse he writes this alliterative question What is all this juice and all this joy? (Line 9). This can be interpreted as the juice being all the new life of both animals and plants, thrushs eggs (Line 3) and racing lambs (Line 8), and the joy is in being able to see all these events happen and being part of the experience. Hopkins uses the Garden of Eden to talk about the newness and innocence of this season. He writes In Eden garden Have, get, before it cloy, / Before it cloud, Christ, lord and sour with sinning / Innocent Minds and Mayday in girl and boy (Line 11 / 12 / 13), suggesting that Spring has a purity that the later seasons lack. He supports the use of springs innocence by using the maids child towards the end of the play Most, O maids child, thy choice and worthy the winning. The Autumn Poem by John Keats is a very famous poem, written in 1819, two years before he died. The poem is written in three stanzas and he has written the poem so that at the beginning it is describing the start of autumn, progressing through the poem until autumn is turning into winter. Keats begins the poem with alliterative phrases like mists of mellow fruitfulness (Line 1), using soft consonants and extended vowels to give an atmosphere of relaxation and calmness. He uses the metaphor Close blossom-friend of the maturing sun (Line 2), to produce an image of fruitfulness and fertility. The phrase Conspiring with him how to load and bless (Line 3) makes it seem like Autumn and the Sun are human and almost God-like. He talks about all the fruit being as ripe as they are ever going to be, all the way to the core (Line 6) while the trees bend with apples (Line 5). He talks about the animals and especially the bees and says And still more, later flowers for the bees, / until they think warm days will never cease (Line 9 / 10). Keats is saying that the bees are not aware that winter is coming so they stay out still looking for more flowers. In the second stanza he talks about the main part of autumn, describing autumn as if it was a person, starting the stanza with Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store? (Line 12). He gives the reader many images of autumn being a restful time, slowing down as winter approaches, using phrases such as sitting careless on a granary floor (Line 14) and on a half reapd furrow sound asleep (Line 16). He uses many restful alliterative words such as winnowing wind (Line 15) and the phrase Thou watchest the last oozing hours by hours (Line 22) also feels like life is slowing down. Even though he talks about this time being easy and lazy it is a very difficult and busy time for farmers, however this is not stated in the poem. Keats writes what is idealistic for him. He has again used lots of long vowels to create heaviness and slowness in the poem with phrases such as Drowsed with the fume of poppies (Line 17) to suggest sleepiness. In the final stanza he talks about the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, talking about regret, where are the songs of Spring? (Line 23). Keats also gives the reader images of the autumn evenings, soft-dying day (Line 25) and also rosy hue (Line 26) which means the setting sun, which is in contrast to the mature sun of the first stanza. Keats describes images of death using words and phrases such as mourn (Line 27), sinking (Line 29) and also the light wind lives or dies (Line 29) because it is the end of the summer. He uses many musical terms throughout the last stanza, such as wailful choir (Line 27), full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn (Line 30), hedge crickets sing (Line 31) and now with treble soft / The red-breast whistles (Line 31 / 32). They are all however very soft sounds, unlike Hopkins Spring which was all bustling and noisy. Keats describes a robin in the poem which suggests images of the forthcoming winter, and he talks about full-grown lambs, which suggests that the cycle of the year from when they were born in spring to their full grown state in autumn is complete. In general, throughout the poem he uses few full stops making very extended sentences. This keeps the poem very lethargic, lazy and restful. The pace is kept very slow and he does this by using many caesurae.

Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland. It is headquartered at Dublin Airport, Ireland. †¢The airline operates 43 aircraft and carries on average 10 million passengers per annum. †¢The airlines primary mission is to connect Ireland with the world and the world to Ireland by offering its customers the best product in the Irish airline market at a competitive price. The airline’s primary markets are Ireland, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. The Irish people typically undertake several overseas flights a year. This is partly driven by Ireland’s status as an island nation but also reflects the inherent propensity among the Irish to travel to visit overseas destinations. tgp2012 1 Marketing orientation Marketing orientation In 2001 after the 9/11 effect on the airline industry Aer Lingus introduces their first model of low fares to compete with other low fare In 2001 after the 9/11 effect on the airline industry Aer Lingus introduces their first model of low fares to compete with other low fare airlines. The airline was close to bankruptcy and they had to find new waysairlines. how to keep the company afloat. They carried out numerous to see The airline was close tosurveys within the industry to find new what was needed/wantedtheorder to prosper. They carried out numerous bankruptcy and they had to identify ways to see how to keep in company afloat. So after the initial surveys they lowered their fares and altered/removed/added new destinations. Since prosper. ompany’s marketing surveys within the industry to identify what was needed/wanted in order to then the So after the initial surveys they loweredupdated/upgraded many times putting the customer in theSince then the company’s marketing orientation has been their fares and altered/removed/added new destinations. driving seat. orientation has been updated/upgraded many times putting the customer in the driving seat. Marketing mix Marketing mix

GDP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

GDP - Essay Example increases real GDP demanded, and an increase in net taxes decreases real GDP demanded, other things remain constant. 4) Give short definitions of both the IS and LM curves and briefly explain how this model can help economists understand the interaction between the goods and money markets. Show how the IS and LM curves can be derived and explain how equilibrium is reached. The IS curve describes the combination of interest rates and output that clear the goods and services market in the short run. The goods and services market is said to clear when spending by consumers, firms, the government (and foreigners if an open economy) on goods and services equals the production of goods and services. The basic equation for the IS curve in a closed economy is closely related to the national income accounting identity Y = C+I+G, where Y is GDP The LM curve summarizes all the combinations of income and interest rates that equate money demand and money supply. The LM curve in conjunction with the IS curve will help pin down the interest rate in the economy. It is well known that establishing the elasticity of the IS and LM curves provides basic information about the predicted outcome of fiscal and monetary policies in a given model, with a combination of inelastic LM and elastic IS implying fiscal crowding out and potent monetary policy, whereas elastic LM and inelastic IS lead to potent fiscal and weak monetary effects. Estimation of these locuses 5) Distinguish between monetary base and broad money. Explain what role commercial banks have in the creation of broad money. What implications does this have for monetary control The monetary base consists of the liabilities of central bank of a country which...Show how the IS and LM curves can be derived and explain how equilibrium is reached. 6) Distinguish between different kinds of unemployment. What kind of unemployment can be reduced by supply side policies and what specifically could those policies be Use a diagram to explain these policies 1) Using the Keynesian model of injections and withdrawals in the goods market, explain what happens if people decides to save more at any level of income. Make sure you express the process of adjustment and assess what implications the results may have for policy.

Developing Mathematic Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Developing Mathematic Thinking - Essay Example How many has he left" may prove more difficult for some beginning students than calculating 5 - 3. Another way to categorise questions is according to the level of thinking they are likely to stimulate, using a hierarchy such as Bloom's taxonomy (Bloom, 1956). Bloom classified thinking into six levels: Memory (the least rigorous), Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation (requiring the highest level of thinking). Sanders (1966) separated the Comprehension level into two categories, Translation and Interpretation, to create a seven level taxonomy which is quite useful in mathematics. As you will see as you read through the summary below, this hierarchy is compatible with the four categories of questions already discussed. The teacher used other students to tackle mathematics hence building confidence in them as this gauges the students' confidence and competence with mathematics tasks. With is kind of an evidence, it is used by the teachers to provide the students with feedback on learning and in turn determine the way students are performing in relation to the outcome.3 The teacher gave a complex sum without developing skills about how to tackle such problems. The teacher ought to have used the mental strategy where he would have asked the student to solve addition or subtraction problems

Child Poverty Essay Example for Free

Child Poverty Essay Child poverty is one of the major problems today. Poverty can affect anyone but children are most affected. Poverty in children has become big social problem. Poverty is not having enough for needs. Not having enough can bring many concerns. Poverty is long lasting effect and can leave permanent mark on Childs behavior. Poverty can impact children’s performance in school and poverty can bring many health issues. Many children are born in poor family where their family members lack at providing enough for their children. Many children in poor family suffer from hunger and not having enough nutrition. As mansion in Gregory’s essay â€Å"shame† Richard was not able to focus in school because he was suffering from hunger, and teacher thought he was not smart and they never bother to find out, but the truth was he was just hungry because he was poor and wasent able to provide enough food. Poverty can also cause huge impact on Childs performance. While parents are busy trying to make living they cannot provide enough motivational help to their children while some children have to go to work instead of study because lack of money in family. In the essay â€Å"shame† Gregory describes how Richard had to work hard and polish shoes to make little amount of money. Early labor and not having enough help in their academic progress impact on children’s growth and development of child. Withought proper education child lacks at proper understanding of our society. Poverty also brings many health concerns in children. Because of parents cannot provide enough material. Many children born in poor family are often exposed to miner diseases that may prove fatal. In some poor family where parents always drinking problem, children always learn from their parents and adopt their aggressive behavior, drinking problem or drug abuse. These can also lead in fatal health issue in children. Parents always seem to forget â€Å"what we do. They do. † In the essay â€Å"shame† Gregory talks about how Richard did not learn about hate and shame until he went to school. Poverty is one of the most evil situations we have in our society. And it can transform our children’s entire personality and affect our neighborhood and future. we have to work together to ensure bright and healthy future.

john kerry :: essays research papers

John Forbes Kerry is the candidate I would chose in the up in coming election. Some of the issues that would decide my vote are environment, the economy, homeland security, social issues, and Iraq. I would also vote for John Kerry because he has done good things for Massachusetts and I know he will do good things for this country. My last reason for voting for John Kerry is because he will bring our troops home safely. On November 2, 2004 I would vote for John Kerry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Forbes Kerry was born in Colorado on December 11, 1943 at Fitzsimons Army Hospital. John Kerry graduated from Yale University. He joined the Navy and became an officer during Vietnam. He was awarded both silver and bronze stars and 3 purple hearts for his heroic efforts. John Kerry went to law school at Boston College. He was elected lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1982. After he was elected senator of Massachusetts in 1984 followed by three more terms. John Kerry seems to be a perfect candidate for president. John Kerry supports the war in Iraq. John Kerry believes in having our allies join in with us. John Kerry says if elected he will boost international effort to secure peace. He also sates that he wants to improve social, economic, and political conditions in the Middle East. John Kerry believes he can restore International Policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Kerry also believes in social issues. He supports a women’s right to an abortion. John Kerry opposes the death penalty. John Kerry will also appoint judges committed to law in the Supreme Court. Last, John Kerry will full fund the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† law. John Kerry really knows the views of the people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Kerry wants to make a better environment. John Kerry opposes oil exploration in the Artic refuge. John Kerry will push new gas requirements, hybrid cars, and the use of hydrogen fuel. John Kerry will set goals, incentives to reproduce dependence on fossil fuels. Finally, John Kerry promotes clean, renewable fuel sources. John Kerry is well concerned about the environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John Kerry also believes in a better Homeland. John Kerry is against labeling U.S. citizens as â€Å"enemy combatants.† John Kerry also wants to the speed up immigration process. Last, John Kerry wants to reform domestic intelligence. John Kerry will make this country a better place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Kerry says he will stop raising taxes.

Demonstrate Ability to Write and Revise Effective

Aisha Bandon ENGL 302 Paper1 Tuesday,9/25/2012 SLO 1: Demonstrate ability to write and revise effective and persuasive communication for various purposes and audiences through various purposes and audiences though various course writing assignments. My assignment was a finance assignment about the price earnings ratio and earnings per share relation.We were supposed to give a brief explanation about those 2 concepts then select 3banks and compute earnings per share and price earnings ratio for each bank from the year 2000 to 2003,after that find the nature of the relationship between those 3 banks and give my comments on which bank is better off . For this assignment I used the formula learned in class to calculate what was asking in the assignment. It was very demanding and meticulous work because a single error in the calculation and my result will be affected as well as my conclusion.The instructor gave us 3weeks for this assignment but I used only 2days to work on it just before the due date. I used internet, and my notes from class to work on it . The day we supposed to submit it I was running out of ink and was completely stressed out. The assignment was Bobbo2 Technical with the calculation part and theorical at the end which asked me to put lot of efforts. In the light of the process described by Hinton I would definitely approach it differently.First of all I would start earlier to help me to make better researches and check twice or 3 times my final draft before submitting it(Hinton 20. ) Due to my procrastinating bad behavior I was completely panic when I was doing it. i think that detail wouldn’t allow me to present my knowledge and abilities about the topic. Then, I would reread, underlined, or highlighted the important features of the assignment or criteria(Hinton 21). I think I should also tried to know the purpose and my audience more while writing this assignment.Indeed, it helps to have an effective work, well organized and focused. Be cause there is nothing worse than going out of the topic for an assignment. I would emphasized in my critical thinking and analyticall skills more to give more reliability to my paper specially in my conclusion which I feel was very lame. My assignment didn’t have any citation which was really bad for a university student. I used internet and library to explain the two concepts asked but I didn’t mention it in the whole assignment. I would used an appropriate format to write it such as MLA format.I think that in the future I will apply this methodology because it’s very effective, its giving us student a map in how to write an assignment, and what the instructor expect from us. What most of us student forget all the time is to know your purpose and your audience(Hinton22. ) The instructor is our audience and we should always remember that while writing. As Corrine E. Hinton mentioned in her essay when she compared an formalized writing report to a restaurant men u, if a restaurant menu is listed the dessert up front, you might fight the design unfamiliar and the menu difficult to navigate (Hinton 30).That was a paragraph of the Bobbo3 essay that I found very relevant and useful. Using this guidelines for any other course in the future will be really benefit because it will help me to know how to hold any type of assignment wether it is an business writing assignment presentation analysis, or philosophy writing assignment or even a biology assignment. As we are oblige to take some general education courses in our cursus in university this will be very helpful for producing a simple,and understable peace of work.

“Night” by Elie Wiesel Essay

Elie Wiesel, a famed author and survivor of the Holocaust stated quite simply that anyone who witnessed a crime, and did nothing to stop it is just as guilty as the one committing it. Elie Wiesel learned a lot about man’s nature by surviving the Holocaust, but his statement about a bystander being just as guilty as the actual criminal is wrong. People are responsible for there own actions, and it is not fair to blame someone for a crime they did not commit, whether they could have done something to stop it or not. During the Holocaust there were over 6 million people persecuted, but there were many more silent bystanders who were unable to do anything because they feared for their lives. It is human nature to look after your own wellbeing and those closest to you, and many people felt if they tried to do something to stop the persecution of Jews it would endanger them in one way or another. In some cases somebody can witness a horrible atrocity, but have no power to stop it. Elie wrote in his book about how he and his fellow Jews were forced to watch the hanging of a young and innocent child by the S.S. The Jews that witnessed the hanging of the boy were all silent bystanders who, according to Elie, should be punished in the same manner that the executioner was. This shows how wrong Elie’s judgment is. The Jews were unable to do anything to help the boy for fear of their own lives, people cannot be blamed for their most fundamental and primitive instinct which is self preservation. Elie Wiesel experienced a lot of pain and suffering during the Holocaust, but the silent bystanders cannot be punished the same way the actual criminal is no matter what the circumstance is. If Elie truly believes that a silent bystander is just as guilty as a criminal, then that would mean that he is guilty of hanging a young innocent boy and deserves to be killed or sent to prison. Although it’s easy to see where Elie’s statement is coming from and why he chose to make it, it is clear that he made his statement more out of emotion than actual logic. I disagree with his judgment because silent bystanders do not always have the power to stop or intervene with the crime without endangering themselves.

Cancer - Smart Custom Writing Samples

Cancer - Smart Custom Writing Insanity DefenseExecutive summary The insanity plea should be eliminated for assisting criminals get away with murder as well as other serious felonies. Clever defendants have abused the very essence of the plea, thereby securing refuge from criminal punishment. Problems associated with the use of this plea include: difficulties in determining mental illness, differing opinions from psychiatrists concerning the sanity of the same subject, use of money to compromise psychiatrist’s conclusion in favor of the defendant, long time involved in the examination of one subject by psychiatrists thereby resulting to a delayed justice, artificial and crazy behavior by the subject during examination so as to influence the outcome of the examination, lack of scientific as well as an in-depth brain test to diagnose the patient, high cost when a forensic psychologist is involved, and lack of a trustworthy criteria for discharging such subjects from hospital.    Introduction Insanity defense is a strategy applied in law courts by mentally ill defendants to avoid being punished for crimes they committed on the assumption that they were incapable of distinguishing right from wrong at the time the crime was committed. They choose to do this so that instead of being granted jail term, they are given a psychiatric treatment. This concept dates back to the twelfth century although it has undergone some evolution. The original version of the plea didn’t intend to have the defendant found no guilty on the bases of inability to distinguish wrong from right but intended to have the defendant awarded a pardon or a way of mitigating the sentence. Its only in the nineteenth century that the argument of having the defendant acquitted on this basis arose. This paper will discuss the risks that come with the use of the plea and why it should be abolished. This plea has been widely abused by criminals to procure acquittal and that’s why its of interest to m e. Objectives The research seeks to identify the risks involved in the use of the insanity plea in the judicial system. Research methodology To achieve the desired research objectives, both primary and secondary sources of information were made use of. The primary sources included questionnaires given to professionals in the legal fraternity quite conversant with the concept and historians who are well versed with the genesis of the concept. The secondary source of information was basically library research targeting books and articles touching on the subject. Main body Continued use of this plea is the surest way to make the world itself insane and unpredictable. Imagine a suicide bomber who is caught on the verge of detonating the bomb and when taken to court, invokes this plea to procure acquittal (Pasewark 100). One major problem with insanity plea is the difficult involved in determining mental illness. What the proponents of this concept fail to realize is that, there is a big difference between insanity and mental illness (Pasewark 101). As a matter of fact, only some few mental illness constitute insanity. Insanity on the other hand is comprised of not only mental illnesses, but mental deficiencies as well. The two words are actually used in different disciplines of knowledge and it would therefore be wrong to equate them. Insanity is used in the legal arena and is therefore not a medical word. Problems therefore arise as experts try to apply a medical theory to a legal matter (Pasewark 104). Differing opinions from the psychiatric community as far as the sanity of one individual is concerned further subjects the concept to gross abuses (Manchester 112). Furthermore, the world is slowly giving in to corruption as a way of life and therefore the psychiatrists can be compromised to say that the defendant is insane. Money or lack of it can therefore play a very crucial role in the success or failure of an insanity defense. The determination of insanity is the preserve of court psychiatrists (Manchester 115). It’s important to realize that this determination can take dozens of sessions and even fail to come to a solid end as far as the mental condition of the defendant is concerned. This therefore ends up having a serious impact on the trial as well as its outcome. This results to big files of undecided cases and this waters down the credibility of the judicial system (Manchester 116). The determination largely involves behavior study. A defendant equipped with this kn owledge can decide to behave artificially so as to influence the outcome of the examination. This compromises the accuracy of the examination . No body puts the accuracy issue in a better word frame than Thomas Sowell in his book titled Insanity defense published in the year 1994, â€Å" psychiatrists and psychologists are often put in the same position as economists who are asked to predict things that no one is capable of predicting. Those with the honesty and realism to say they can’t do it are likely to be brushed aside†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sowell 10). Psychiatrists also have a tendency of identifying with people in their social as well as economic class (Fass 125) . This is the lot they are likely to describe better. If the case is involving a defendant in a different social and economic class as the psychiatrist, then the psychiatrist is very likely to be oblivious of the defendant’s problems. This means that the jury handling the case would base its verdict on a poorly researched conclusion. Sowell, 1984 gives a case that illustrates this behavior of psychiatrists. A forensic psychologist is quoted as saying â€Å" I hate to say this, but I don’t like to work with poor people†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..They are talking about stuff that doesn’t interest me† ( Sowell 325). The fact that psychiatrists are also not required by the court to accompany their conclusion with some scientific backing makes the concept vulnerable to even more abuses. They do not even carry out an in-depth brain test to diagnose the patient. Psychiatrists arrive at their verdict via mere observance of the subject and then deciding based on their beliefs (Fass 126). If the case requires the services of forensic psychologists who are paid professionals, then accessibility problems set in especially if the defendant cannot afford the charges required (Fass 127). The concept is clearly a loophole used by defendants who conspire with rogue psychiatrists to get away with felonies and murder (Bonnie 85). A case in point that clearly illustrates this is the acquittal of the gentleman who attempted to assassinate President Rogan Reagan. This attempt was carried out in the full glare of the public and was captured in cameras. Hinckley earned an acquittal despite the evidence connecting him with the felony (Bonnie 87). This attempt brought up unprecedented public outcry. Psychiatrists involved in the case concluded that he made the attempt in an effort to impress Jodie Foster, an actress he had become obsessed with. The decision of the psychiatrists was based on observance as well as the upbringing of the suspect as opposed to scientific proves which would be more accurate and reliable (Bonnie 88). The fact that somebody for instance , masturbated for several years as an adolescence cannot be used to justify a felony of this degree. After a person is awarded acquittal courtesy of this plea, the law requires that such a person is taken to a mental institution where he/she is supposed to stay until a doctor proves that the person is no longer dangerous and therefore can coexist with others in the society (Manchester 121). A lawyer is also required to accent to this. The procedure of determining this is as untrustworthy and compromised as that of determining the insanity itself. For instance, Sowell, 1994 gives a case of one man by the name Kemper, E . E who earned acquittal after murdering his grant parents. This acquittal was based on the insanity plea. This man was therefore send to an hospital in accordance with the law. He spend about five years in the hospital after which he was dismissed after convincing psychiatrists and the judge that he was now cured and could coexist with others in the society. He did this by giving rational answers to the psychological test he was subjected to. Three years later, he fou nd himself behind bars again for killing eight women one of them being his mother. This casts a lot of doubt on the criteria used to discharge such subjects from hospital. This plea should therefore be abolished in favor of the â€Å" guilty but mentally ill â€Å" concept. In this case, the defendant would first be taken to hospital for psychotherapy and then once he/she is mentally fit, serve the remainder of the sentence in jail (Sowell 20) . Conclusion The paper has discussed the reasons as to why insanity plea should be eliminated from our judicial system. They have included: difficulties in determining mental illness, differing opinions from psychiatrists concerning the sanity of the same subject, use of money to compromise psychiatrist’s conclusion in favor of the defendant, long time involved in the examination of one subject by psychiatrists thereby resulting to a delayed justice, artificial and crazy behavior by the subject during examination so as to influence the outcome of the examination, lack of scientific as well as an in-depth brain test to diagnose the patient, high cost when a forensic psychologist is involved, and lack of a trustworthy criteria for discharging such subjects from hospital.    Works cited    Bonnie, R etal. â€Å"Decision Making in Criminal Defense: An Empirical Study of Insanity Pleas and the Impact of Doubted Client Competence† , Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 87, 1996. Fass, M. â€Å" A forensic Psychology Exercise: Role Playing and the Insanity Defense†, Teaching of Psychology, Vol. 26, 1999. Manchester, J. â€Å"Beyond Accommodation: Reconstructing the Insanity Defense to Provide an Adequate Remedy for Postpartum Psychotic Women†. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 93, 2003. Pasewark, A. A Review of Research on the Insanity Defense. Annals of the Academy of Political and Social Science. London: Oxford University Press, 1986 pp 100-104 Sowell, T. Insanity defense . London: Oxford University Press, 1994

Election of Barak Obama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Election of Barak Obama - Essay Example Sen. Obama is for 'affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, builds on the existing health care system, and uses existing providers, doctors and plans to implement the plan'. Economy: He plans to simplify the tax code, so that it provides greater opportunity and relief to Americans, thus resulting in benefits to American workers and export potential of America. To assist in this venture, he plans to increase investments in infrastructure, energy independence, education, research and development. His contention is, while the wages are stagnant for the middle class, the tax cuts are being implemented only for the wealthy and not for providing any relief to the middle class. Foreign Wars: Iraq war epitomizes the differing foreign war policies of the Bush administration and that of opposition. Sen. Obama termed the very concept of Iraq war as wrong in 2002. His contention was, such an invasion would lead to occupation for undetermined length at undermined cost, with undetermined consequences. That's exactly what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sen. Obama plans to adopt a policy based on the bipartisan Iraq Study Group led by James Baker and Lee Hamilton. Energy Plan and the Environment: Sen. Obama has taken a lead in pushing ahead a comprehensive energy policy. Having found common ground on CAFE, renewable fuels, and clean coal, the duo of Obama-Biden plan to provide short-term relief to American families facing pain at the pump, put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars and ensure 10 percent of US electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025, amongst many other initiatives. Illegal Immigration: Sen. Obama has been instrumental in crafting comprehensive immigration reforms in the country. As per the studies undertaken, since 2000 there has been an increase of about 40 percent in undocumented immigration in US. This proves not only a threat for safety and security of the country, but it also proves to be a big drain on the resources of the country. Sen. Obama's contention is, 'politicians have used the immigration issue to divide the country instead of finding a permanent solution'. This is resulted in an increase in cases of illegal immigration. Sen. Obama plans to have secure borders by working in close coordination with countries like Mexico, improving the immigration system remove the apparent incentives for entering illegally. The political impacts that might happen on the following three demographic groups are; Social: Though it might not be a big issue in the elections, but the fact that Sen. Obama is set to become the first black President of US. This is bound to translate in better social status for minorities. Endorsement of Sen. Obama by the erstwhile Bush Confident Collin Powell signifies the importance of this emerging social equation once the elections are over. Being a youthful president (certainly so, as compared to Sen. John McCain), Sen. Obama could prove to be a role model for the youth in the country. Having an unblemished record is bound to help the new incumbent to the top post in bringing about a harmonious social order in the country. If Obama is able to make it, he will be one of the youngest persons with the responsibility. The age factor has made him the favorite candidate for the top slot. Obama has also made it a point to see that the job losses experienced by the youth on account of

Qs need to be answers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Qs need to be answers - Assignment Example The parents, with their experience and knowledge, will mostly make sound and good judgments about their children’s diet. However, I also believe that Ellen Satter should have urged Michelle Obama to help the impoverished families in obtaining the wherewithal and knowledge regarding healthy and balanced diets, and not just talk about the privileged or middle class families who have the capacity to include fruits and vegetables and other healthy, yet comparatively more expensive, food choices in their children’s diet. Q2. (a) I believe the concerns that have prompted organizations like â€Å"Concerned Children’s Advertisers† are very legitimate and real. We live in a society where most of the children are constantly bombarded by advertisements in various media; whether it is television programming, magazines for children or websites, children are always surrounded by various advertisements. It is our role, as a society, to make sure that our children have the knowledge and information to deal with these advertisements. If the children are not media literate, then a lot of the advertisements they see are taken by them at face value, and, consequently, as their minds are young and naà ¯ve, be influenced greatly by them. It is not enough to lay the blame on the advertisers, and it is naà ¯ve to expect them to change their policies regarding their advertisements that are aimed at children specifically. In consequence, it is actually very wise and prudent to take up the cause of educat ing the children, so that they themselves can discern the various nuances of the advertisement and make informed choices based on them. (b) After reading Advertising and Obesity: A Behavioral Perspective, I cannot help but agree with the assertion that it is not advertising alone that is to be blamed for obesity. Not only can advertising have minimal to no

IT Security As Required By Sarbanes-Oxley Term Paper

IT Security As Required By Sarbanes-Oxley - Term Paper Example However, it is a fact that Sarbox also provides parameters and mechanics for enhancing IT security. Thesis statement The benefits of incorporating the provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 in IT security far outweigh the short-term gains of non-compliance, since the Act injects organizational transactions with security and confidentiality. II) Brief overview/history of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was enacted on July 30th, 2002. Because of the original intention and the mandate of the Act, financial accuracy must be certified by the management concerned. Because of the provisions of the Same Act, the penalties for financial fraud have been made more severe. Similarly, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 strengthened the autonomy of external auditors who analyze and reexamine the accuracy of corporate statements of accounts and also bolstered the oversight function of the board of directors. Simon, Smalley, and Schultz (2009) divulge that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 comes against the backdrop of serious corporate and accounting scandals such as the Enron, Adelphia, Tyco International, WorldCom and Peregrine Systems Scandals. These scandals had cost investors billions of dollars, following the collapse of the affected companies' share prices. These scandals, together with their serious effects weakened public confidence in America's security markets. The Act comprises 11 sections which range from criminal penalties to additional corporate board responsibilities. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 demands that the Securities and Exchange Commission implements rulings on prerequisites to compliance with the law. III) How the Sarbanes-Oxley Effects & Constraints on Information Technology Security (Industry & Management) Section 404 Compliance One of the ways the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 effects and constraints IT security section 404 compliance is by emphasizing a comprehensive understanding of internal controls, as a set of an enterprise's i nternal procedures, providing reasonable assurances that the enterprise will meet its target in all the specified areas. This is the case since Section 404 Compliance extends emphasis on not just historical financial reporting, but on internal controls also. Together with the rules spelled out in the SEC, there is a requirement that public companies' management should assess and report periodically, on the effectiveness of internal controls on financial reporting. To this effect, it is given that the report that the management hands in must be accompanied by statements of evaluations by an external auditor to provide an attestation to the credibility and reliability of the conclusions that the management has made. According to SAI Global (2010), the portfolio that Information Technology Security Section provides also addresses matters beyond Sarbanes-Oxley, to tackle other auditing and legal dimensions of internal controls and the responsibilities that sundry and all actors dispense , when executing systems of internal controls. Even though the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is leaner in scope than internal controls, the Portfolio agrees with the fact of the tremendous impact of the legislation and studies a number of its provisions which force moderations on diverse aspects of internal contr

European community law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European community law - Essay Example In addition, such compensation had to be made to a person, even if the infringement was the outcome of a decision of the court of last instance. However, the court would be liable, only if the violation was sufficiently serious and a direct causal relationship could be established between the infringement and the harm caused to the injured party (Kobler v Austria). Moreover, the highest national courts act as the court of last resort for individuals to rely on the rights provided by EC law. These courts of final instance are also duty bound to request a preliminary ruling, on the basis of the provisions of Article 234(3) EC. The ECJ, after taking these issues into account has ruled in favour of state liability being extended to judicial infringements. The ECJ rejected the argument that the principles of legal certainty and res iudicata would be affected adversely. It stated that proceedings to make a Member State liable would not have an impact on a national court’s decision a s res iudicata. This opinion of the ECJ was founded on the contention that â€Å"proceedings seeking to render the State liable do not have the same purpose and do not necessarily involve the same parties as the proceedings resulting in the decision which has acquired the status of res iudicata.† (Council of Europe). This line of reasoning of the ECJ was held by some to be specious. Their arguments were based on the premise that the national courts were compelled to reconsider disputed decisions, in order to determine whether such decisions were really infringing EC law (Council of Europe). They were also required to find out the reasoning behind such decisions Individuals can claim against a Member State if it fails to implement a Directive or if its domestic law infringes European Community (EC) Law. In addition, no Member State can enact legislation that attempts to exclude state liability. The misinterpretation of provisions of EC Law will be treated as infringement (Trag hetti del Mediterraneo SpA, in liquidation v Repubblica italiana). Furthermore, the Community law disallows the enactment of legislation that seeks to limit liability to instances of intentional fault and serious misconduct of the courts. Such limitation is in the context of laws that are aimed at circumventing the liability of the Member State in other case, wherein there had been an explicit breach of the relevant law (Traghetti del Mediterraneo SpA, in liquidation v Repubblica italiana). Hence, the competent national courts have to investigate the gravity of the infringement in the decision of a court. Such competent courts have to consider the judicial function of the infringing court and ascertain whether this infringement was obvious. It was also held by the ECJ that conditions, such as the special length-of-service increment under Austrian law, served to hinder the free movement of workers. Any hindrance to the free movement of goods or workers was against the objectives of t he European Union; consequently, the Austrian condition was untenable (Wissink 419). In Brasserie du Pecheur, the ECJ established the concept of state liability. However, there was considerable confusion as to whether such liability was applicable to infringements committed by national courts. The ECJ eliminated this muddled understanding, via its decision in Kobler (Council of Europe). In this case, it ruled that Member States were also liable for breach of EC law by their national judicial authorities. In Kobler, the ECJ clearly established that breach of

Are Visual Effects Improving or Damaging Film?

Are Visual Effects Improving or Damaging Film? Introduction From the very inception of film visual effects have been employed by numerous photographers and film makers to enhance, to realise and create new meaning. The very early days of film took great advantage of ‘visual magic to create illusions and trickery which have impressed countless audiences. Over a century ago when photography was emerging as an art form some unscrupulous commercial photographers would capture portrait shots using an ordinary exposure but then as soon as the subject was removed from the studio a collaborator would be positioned within the same setting, a quick exposure would be taken so as to leave a faint image trace on the film. The unsuspecting customer would then be handed a positive copy of their image with what appeared to be a ghostly figure in shot. A more subtle variation involved the customer being placed with numerous props around him or her, the props would be removed for the second exposure of the ghost character, so as they wouldnt appear too d eliberately double exposed. The ghost character would usually be wearing black clothing as film does not ‘see black due to the chemical process in the emulsion of film which identifies light only, therefore only the ghost would appear in the second image. And herein began the industry of special effects. This ghost trick was the starting point for what is now known as the matte process where unrequired objects are removed from the exposure by masking them so they do not register on the film. One of the first uses of this process in a moving image sequence was witnessed in Alexander Kordas Things To Come (1936) in which the upper levels of a futuristic underground city have been double exposed above footage of live actors, matte masks prevented one image showing on the other image. This film provides one of the earliest examples of special effects being adopted to positively improve the aesthetics of a film. Of course since films early experiments with visual effects the industry has today developed into a very sophisticated, digitally driven and technically ultra-advanced visual medium. Computers have taken special effects to an entirely new level and as computers continue to update and improve their spec so too will the film industry develop around these advances; quite simply computers and digital technology have enabled films to be produced which otherwise would not have been. However despite the often profound visual success of special effects in certain cases some people argue that film is now placing an over reliance on special effects, they argue that visual effects in some films are counter productive as they come across as ineffective and some times unnecessary. Some also question the performance of the actors if all they are doing in a film is running in front of a green screen shouting at an imagined ‘alien clutching an imagined prop. Others raise concerns regarding the films quality and the processes of putting a film together where much of it is CGI constituted. So is it really the case that films being produced now would be better received by audiences if they did not make so much use of visual effects? Or is it that some studios and directors simply cant adjust effectively to modern day film making? And who is to blame for this? Man or machine? As visual effects artist Piers Bizony points out: One of the greatest misconceptions about modern movies is that visual effects are generated by computers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Human inventiveness is the most important ingredient and it always will be. Computers offer amazing new possibilities, but the underlying challenges of movie illusions are the same today as they were nearly a century ago when the industry was young . Chapter 1: The Profound Benefits of Using Visual Effects in Film Digital effects have significantly impacted on mainstream films, indeed digital technology is now synonymous with exceptional visual effects. Michael Baileys sci-fi film Armageddon (1999) provides a good example of a director engaging with digital visual effects which achieves an impressive and hugely successful end product. The disaster film depicts the efforts to prevent Earth being destroyed by a huge meteorite on a collision course with it. Teams of ‘heroes are sent into orbit in an attempt to blow the meteorite up and save the world. The film is saturated with digital effects some of which are the result of a very complex process. These computer generated sequences include the entire orbit scenes, the meteorite shots and the films climax. The evolutionary process by which the visual effects product is accomplished can be an awe inspiring process in itself; take for example the asteroid in Armageddon which began life as a small sketch on a napkin, the image was then refined and digitized, then colour was added to it in Photoshop. After this a physical model of the asteroid was constructed out of foam. Numerous shots were then taken and fed back into a computer so that other effects could be added such as gasses and rocks. A second and larger model was then built and using an intricate technological process wired the model so that a computer could read every single three-dimensional detail of it. The final product we see in the film is an image which is the result of multiple digital imagery layers with many of the films scenes comprising of between fifty and a hundred layers. It is an astounding feat of modern visual trickery. If the film had been made several years before hand it would have had to employ the more conventional optical printing cinematographic process. However this would have left green lines visible on the subjects and depreciated the overall aesthetic qualities of the film, today computers can remove these lines thereby rendering the composite process invisible to the viewer. Contemporary modern visual effects engender a film culture based on a production process that in actual fact is less ‘physical. As academics and authors Peter Lehman and William Luhr observe: As a movie like Armageddon makes clear, much of what we now see in Hollywood films never existed in front of the camera and this has had a profound effect upon how we think about movies. The quality of the visual effects necessarily impacts on the believability of the film for the viewer and most Hollywood films strive to hide any signs of the film making methods used with the aim of providing the spectator with a ‘real experience. Some label this style of Hollywood film making a ‘the invisible style and digital visual effects in many instances now makes this film making approach even more attainable, and more easier to produce as costs are cut. Films like Cecil B. De Milles The Ten Commandments (1956) used to be a rare event in Hollywood because of the costs involved in creating the special visual effects, but now thanks to modern visual effects financial barriers have been removed and we now see Hollywood increasing their output of more visually daring films. Michael Baileys follow-up to Armageddon was the hugely successful blockbuster Pearl Harbour (2002) which again repeated the success of his previous film as regards the use of visual effects and wen t on to generate worldwide box office sales of just under  £300,000,000. When Ridley Scotts historical action drama Gladiator (2000) was released there was wide media coverage focusing on many of the visual effects the film had employed . In the film many of the scenes occur in the Roman coliseum and we are treated to plenty of shots of an entire coliseum where hoards of spectators occupy it observing the macabre event taking place below. However the spectacle was in actual fact constructed from multiple digital layers and is another example of visual effects making an invaluable contribution to the film industry. It is only through digital technology that we can enjoy with such visual fluidity the epic structure of the coliseum, the gladiators engaging in their fierce battle and the jeering spectators all in one shot. James Cameron is a Canadian director with numerous titles to his name and is well known for his use of cutting edge visual effects technology. His first blockbuster foray into the visual effects arena was with his groundbreaking sci-fi The Terminator (1984) in which we witness a director pushing the boundaries of special effects capabilities. The film epitomises a trend of the time in which Hollywood was experimenting with new means of visual effects through the production of films which fused the genres of science fiction and horror including Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Robocop (1987) and Predator (1987), a breed of films which author Mark Jancovich describes as films which: Contain strong female leads; an interest in the family; concerns about scientific-technical rationality and the military; killing machines which lack conscious motivation; and forms of body/horror . Within Camerons Terminator film we can glean an overpowering sense of directorial creativity which, for all of the films impressive and successful visual effects, is still somehow constrained not by the mind of the director but by the technology available to him. The film was low budget costing around  £4m to make but due to its huge popularity generated  £30m in box office sales in America alone. The Terminator bred a franchise and to date four films have been made although only the first two were under Camerons direction. In Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) Cameron teams up with George Lucass Industrial Light and Magic visual effects house and three other special effects houses. Cameron builds on his rendered water tentacle he created for The Abyss (1989); he was encouraged by some of the concepts used for The Abyss and in Terminator 2 created a Terminator constructed of liquid metal – the T–1000. On screen we witness T-1000, a polymorphic assassin, shape-shifti ng into anyone it touches. To achieve many of the films visual effects Cameron fused two elements of computer generated graphics with a film composite to create blue prints which were heavily used with astounding success. Between Cameron and the four visual effects houses the film boasts three hundred optical and mechanical shots incorporating state of the art computer produced imagery as well as more conventional optical trickeries and process photography. Each of the four effects companies provided the film with their own unique contributions. For example visual effects company ‘Video Image produced the twelve TerrorVision shots from the Arnold Schwarzenegger T-800 characters infra-red point of view. This was achieved by scanning into a computer live footage and manipulating the colour scheme then overlaying it with flashing graphics. ‘Fantasy Film II effects company had the task of producing the opening ‘future war sequence by improving it with intricate optical enhancements, they also created optical lighting and lasers for the shots of the arrival of the Terminator. It was ‘4Ward Production which created the nuclear blast scenes in which Los Angeles is devastated by a nucl ear bomb. The sequence was partly electronically created by using a big layered painting of the city which included a blast dome and by using the Apple Mac programme Electric Image very effectively simulated the destruction of buildings to capture the blasts destructive effects. However it was Industrial Light and Magic and Stan Winston Studios working in collaboration who were presented with the challenge of making the T-1000 which would turn out to be a combination of mechanical prosthetics, moving puppets and complex processes of computer generated digital imagery. Camerons Titanic (1997) was until very recently the worlds most successful box office film. The film made great use of visual effects as well as employing some more traditional special effects processes. Cameron constructed an entire Titanic replica which was able to be flooded and broken apart for the sinking sequences. Most of the visual effects were supplied by Camerons own company Digital Domain which made use of both CG and miniature models to recreate the journey and eventual fate of the ship. Digital Domain also generated hundreds of digital passengers, digital water and numerous digital matte paintings and also created particle effects which simulated smoke. Other visual effects work on the film was carried out by VIFX who composited icy breaths onto some of the characters to ensure maximum authenticity for outside scenes. A number of other collaborators include POP Film who created some very clever digital face replacements and complex matte paintings. And CIS Hollywood made blue sky substitutes and bluescreen composites. The whole collaboration ensured the final product did what it was supposed to do. The films visual effects are an overwhelming credit to a Hollywood narrative film which, in true Hollywood style, hopes to ensure its audiences beliefs are suspended so the journey is as real as it can get, there can be no doubt that the visual effects in this film was a key ingredient in helping the audience achieve that belief suspension. On the 29th August 2009 the Daily Mail ran an article with the title ‘How James Camerons 3D Film Could Change Cinema Forever. The story previewed James Camerons latest sci-fi adventure film Avatar (2009) and the articles author claimed: A movie revolution will take place at the end of the year potentially offering as big a leap in our viewing experience as the change from black-and-white television to colour. The remark was perhaps a little over zealous but nonetheless captured the sentiment of the huge visual success celebrated by the release of Avatar. The film had been a concept in Camerons mind since the mid 1990s but due to the deficit in technological capabilities the film remained unmade. In actual fact Cameron didnt completely wait for the technology to catch up he made technology catch up by creating specialist cameras and equipment required to make the 3D film a reality. The imagery in Avatar constitutes 60% CGI and most of the CG character animation sequences are filmed using live actors with groundbreaking new motion-capture processes. The other 40% of the film comprises of live action imagery and relies on more conventional special effects. In bringing Camerons CG characters to life he has essentially created a whole new method for filming motion capture; he makes his actors wear special body suits with a standard definition camera attached to a head ring which will repeatedl y take photographs of their faces. Then the data is sent to another camera which creates a real-time image of the ‘live actor in costume. Of the processes used to create his visual effects in Avatar Cameron stated: Its this amazing ability to quickly conjure scenes and images and great fantasy scapes that is very visual†¦When you are doing performance capture, creatively its very daunting. Its very hard to imagine what it will look like. But if you can see it, if you can have a virtual image of what is it going to be like, then you are there . Avatar adopts further new motion capture processes with its Facial Performance Replacement (FPR) technique which allowed Cameron to reshape the facial movements of the actors. So where dialogue is altered after principal photography on a scene it is still capable of being perfectly integrated into the final scene thereby avoiding actors having to re-shoot another take with their body suits and head rigs on again. Its as though Cameron is constantly merging the boundaries of CGI and live action imagery but appears to have created the desired result although at cost. Whilst the film was in production James Cameron said in an interview on Canadian television that:Were in CG hell. Were trying to create a world from scratch. Its like trench warfare. Were working with computer-generated characters that are photo-realistic. Thats tough. We set the bar high. Were just now getting confidence that its going to work .Its the type of remark that embodies the drive behind an artists creative inte lligence and reveals his determination as well as frustration of a project which ultimately will be successful, James Cameron must be sitting comfortably with the knowledge that he broke his own previous record. Avatar is now the biggest box office success in cinema history. Chapter 2: When Do Visual Effects Damage Film? It is incontrovertible that visual effects have augmented many film experiences and that todays modern technological advances have created a film industry capable of exceeding audiences expectations. However despite the immense success of these visual effects there is a growing feeling among many people and film makers alike that digital effects are eroding the quality of some films. CGI used to be a hugely expensive process so much so that George Lucass Star Wars (1977) only contained a ninety second CGI sequence which took three months to complete. However almost twenty years later and the cost of CGI has significantly reduced which enables Pixar Animated Studios to profitably produce an entirely computer generated film – Toy Story (1995). Just another six years later and Sony manages to remove the difference between cartoon and ‘real life with its production of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001). Today CGI is an integral ingredient for many filmmakers who employ its use for most of Hollywoods big action sequences. Despite the affordability of CGI it still remains an expensive process and is very time consuming and this is precisely why it is often contracted out of Hollywood to specialist visual effects companies. As we have seen above Avatar had at least four different visual effects companies work on it, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) had eleven outside companies produce the visual effects. Herein lies one of the key areas of concern regarding the use of visual effects in contemporary film making. So that this type of digital outsourcing can be facilitated the film is essentially divided into two separate productions: firstly the studio or location based live action scenes and secondly the CGI element which is made on computers. During the live action filming the actor will quite often be working on whats called a ‘limbo set in which there will be few physicalities to the scene, instead the actor will be required to simulate particular actions and even mouth certain words of dialogue, all the omissions will then be filled in at a later stage on computer when engaging the CGI stage of the production. It will paint bold background imagery, place elaborate costumes on characters, implant certain objects into the actors hands and create sounds and dialogue befitting of the scenario. When the live footage has to be completed and even the editing of the live film the divide between the live and the CGI work becomes more distinct and problematic as quite often directors havent seen any of the CGI imagery at that stage. One classic example of this situation was during the filming of Jonathan Mostows Terminator 3. The film began shooting in July 2002 and Warner Brothers required the film to be submitted within twelve months for its release. However the sub-contracted CGI element of the production would take eight months for the subcontractors to complete, and so due to the time restriction this meant that Mostow had no choice other than to provide storyboards to the CGI teams so they could begin work and so were not working from the live footage which Mostow had yet to film. The split nature of this method of film making is epitomised, almost bizarrely, in the film itself in the face of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The right side of his face has ordinary make-up on it, the left side is green this is because the digital animation supervisor San Rafael directed the CGI which would become Schwarzeneggers right side of his face, whereas Mostow directed the left side of his face in Los Angeles. Once the CGI had been completed there was simply no time to facilitate a re-do. Mostow stated at the time: For a filmmaker that is the worst thing you can imagine. In the regular rhythm of making movies you shoot, you edit, you hone the editing, and then you add the finishing touches. Computer graphics turns the normal procedures of filmmaking upside down . This method of filmmaking was also witnessed in the production processes of Avatar which outsourced the digital effects work to a number of different companies. One of those companies was London based Framestore and some of the work they had to carry out vividly illustrates the production issues of films which employ heavy use of CGI, Jonathan Fawkner of Framestore said: So what we got from the production was literally an actor in a green background, and we were required to put everything else, including set material props and people . Hollywood studios often believe that digital effects are worth their price, even if it is just to enjoy the profit margin from the spin off sales of merchandise of toys and computer games. However if CGI can not sustain audience interest because it lacks other fundamental film elements such as narrative then no groundbreaking computer generated graphics will compensate for an audience dissatisfied with the story of a film. This was illuminated when Sony had to learn a bitter lesson after it released the sci-fi digital effects imbued Stealth (2005) which performed abysmally at the box office. DreamWorks also had a bloody nose in the same year with the release of The Island (2005) which again generated disappointing box office sales. As journalist and author Edward Epstein states: If this new economy of illusion allows the CGI side of a production to overwhelm the directors ability to tell a coherent story in his live-action side, digital effects may prove to be the ruination of movies . Another aspect of film erosion some argue is occurring when film requires the use of stunts to increase the action to higher levels of intensity. When American actor, writer, producer and director Douglas Fairbanks in the 1924 film version of the fantasy Thief of Baghdad impressively jumps from one huge pot to another with all the anticipation captured beautifully in the film he does so himself, with two unseen trampolines used to support the actor as he performs the stunt. The action sequence is thoroughly effective because it is real. Martial arts actor and director Jackie Chan brings to us films which are highly charged with plenty of karate sequences, this is for many part of the appeal of his films. The fighting scenes always use trained martial arts experts to bring the audience closer to the fighting action so they dont just see and hear it they feel it. However CGI threatens this authenticity by injecting scenes of action which are physically impossible for the human being. T he reality is that sadly with the continuing development of CGI there will be less impressive live stunts in film to enjoy. Another argument which criticises digital visual effects concerns the relationship with the aesthetics and the deeper meaning of what the aesthetics are depicting. If we look at a much older film such as the The Thief of Baghdad (1940) we observe a film which makes very effective use of visual effects for its time. It is obvious watching the film that the visual effects are easily identified as visual augmentations but in those aesthetics they actually capture a large degree of reality. Clearly the audience knows that horses and carpets are not capable of flying by themselves yet in the film that is precisely what we see and a visual treat it is despite its lack of visual sophistication. If those scenes were filmed today they would be produced through CGI processes which would load the scenes with fast paced shots of the horses imagined responses if it could fly which would be generated with intricate detail and seamless visual flow, we would see overview shots of the landscapes bene ath and we might even see an eagle or two because the whole sequence would be so busy that the audience just doesnt have time to appreciate the whole point of the scene that someone is flying through the air on a horse or carpet! And this is the problem when visual effects take over the scene it reduces the significance of what it portrays. Digital visual effects also seem to engender a type of laziness amongst some film makers. However in the film X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008) attention was focused away from digital support in favour of more traditional effects, the audience is aware that theyre not always seeing real bodies or real severed body parts but the effects were impressive and no CGI was used, the film makers instead employed model making efforts to realise the visual characteristics of the film. US scriptwriter and film critic Roger Ebert says: I have nothing against digital technology. It tricks the eye just as matte paintings and miniatures did. What Im concerned about is that filmmakers take it for granted. When youre not dealing with something physical, like a matte, youre tempted to go for broke, and then your ‘real life movie feels like a cartoon. The best effects are those that are entirely story-driven and character-driven. In many peoples view CGI is simply becoming overused. Steve Becks horror Ghost Ship (2002) received strong censure from critics and spectators for its digitally constructed scenes and lack of attention to narrative. The unreal look which comes with CGI can often destroy credibility for the audience. Special effects co-ordinator Randy Cabral believes that CGI has a damaging effect on some films, he says: I go to the movies often and Im taken out of the moment completely when you see something and its so unreal, so unbelievable and it just screams CGI that it completely ruins the film for me. Conclusion Looking at the top ten most successful films of all time, commercially speaking, every single one of them has employed CGI to a significant extent . From Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (2001) to The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003) through to Toy Story 3 (2010) and of course Avatar (2009) between them these films have thrilled worldwide audiences and rewarded them with a visual feast. There can be no denying the merits of digital effects and the overwhelming contribution it has made to cinema. The success in sales figures both at the box office and in DVD and Blu-ray profits matches the success of what CGI has achieved on screen. The advantages to the film industry are plenty as is evident from above, but what some directors and film makers some times overlook are the negative aspects of this technology. CGI can not replace a good story or substitute an intelligent script with meaningful dialogue and whilst it can indeed create stunning three dimensional characte rs it can not produce the depth of character which audiences can relate to if the character has no characteristics or depth of expression. It seems that some directors and the Hollywood system have not learnt these lessons fully yet. The recent sci-fi film Skyline (2010) relied heavily on digital effects, some which were quite clearly weak in parts, and lacked depth of narrative. The film attempted to ride on the back of recent successes in the genre like War of the Worlds (2005), Cloverfield (2007) and District 9 (2009) but failed to match their achievements. Skyline unfortunately is a modern example which demonstrates that Hollywood continues to ignore fundamental film constituents in favour of computer generated sequences to realise a film, perhaps after the box office failure of Skyline Hollywood may begin to effectively address this issue. Even directors like Tim Burton who have strong views on digital effects and resisted using them extensively for his remake of Charlie and th e Chocolate Factory (2005) still dont appreciate the damage CGI can do, as the film still featured many scenes that were not enhanced by the visual effects but were in fact weakened by them. Having considered many of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of visual effects within the film industry there are clearly two opposing perspectives. Some advocate the continuing and indeed increasing use of CGI as a key method for the production of major film projects and to realise the creativity of the human mind whilst others prefer a more moderate approach to the use of digital effects. James Cameron when being interviewed by Charlie Rose said: I threw everything I had at making it a great piece of entertainment and that was the 3-D, the CGI and creating the world and every trick I knew to get people to come to a theatre, and then every trick I knew as a filmmaker to engage them in terms of the story and the actors and so on . It is probably fair to suggest the most efficacious means of producing films should incorporate a balance, and ensure the right calculation between using digital technologies to realise the film and the other essential ingredients which makes the film successful. If the film industry chooses to ignore the genuine complaints of digital effects use then it may well find itself producing more films which do not connect with audiences, and thus runs the risk of damage not only their profits but their credibility also.