The Manchurian Candidate Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Manchurian Candidate - Movie Review Example Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw is shown in a movie about the Korean War as the gallant hero who fought for humankind and due to his strength and determination, a major step forward was made in the war. Raymond Shaw is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour upon the recommendation of the platoon’s commander, Captain Bennett Marco. He’s shown to be a really important person as generals are made to salute him and there’s a whole parade upon his arrival. When Marco and his fellow platoon members are asked to describe Raymond Shaw, they automatically use the following phrase to describe him: â€Å"Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.† But as Marco himself says it deep down they know that Shaw is a cold, sad, unsympathetic loner.After returning to the United States, the newly promoted now Major Marco starts suffering from a string of the same nightmare in which he sees a hypnotized Shaw, easily and without a single moment of hesitation murdering the two members of his platoon that had earlier not returned with. He does this in front of the Top Brass of the Communist regime during a demonstration of the Conditioning done by the Soviets to allow them to control Shaw at their will. Marco is very disturbed by these nightmares and he has trouble sleeping at night. He knows inside that there is something â€Å"Shady† about this whole incident. Marco wants to investigate this matter but due to the lack of substantial proof, he gets no help from the Army Intelligence but is transferred to the public relations department. Marco however, learns from another officer from the same platoon, Allen Melvin, that he has been having the same nightmares as well. Both Melvin and Marco separately identify the same people as the top brass they see in their dreams and thus get the support of the army to help Marco investigate.

High School vs. College Essay Example for Free

High School vs. College Essay High school and college are similar in some ways and different in a lot of ways. They are similar in such ways that you still have to go to class, do class work, home work, take test, and study hard. They are different in such ways that we can have cell phones in class, walk out of class, wear anything to class, and the thing that sets it off is living on campus. I don’t know if my college experience will match up to my high school experience but, we shall see. I will compare and contrast high school and college. I use to drive to high school. For some reason South Carolina State University will not let freshman drive their first semester. I use to drive ten to fifteen minutes to get to school, now it’s about one hour and a half. So instead of doing that everything, I stay on campus and walk to class. I must admit that I didn’t think it would be difficult at first but, it is. I hate relying on someone else to take me to Wal-Mart. That’s one thing that’s different about the two subjects at hand. And the way they’re similar is that I didn’t drive as a freshman in high school. In high school, there was a lot of freedom. We got to change classes on our own, the classes were mixed up with students in different grades, and we didn’t have to walk in a single or double filed line. In college, you don’t even have to go to class. Although it would be wise, too. In high school if you miss a day in class, the teacher would call home. In college, they don’t call anybody, not unless their name is Mrs. Pinson. In high school, I lived with my mother. In college, I live with a roommate. Technically , I’m out on my own but, my mother is paying for my education and family is putting money in my pockets. I was always curious to know what it’d be like to get out on my own. I must say, I’m one step closer. Now that I’m in college, I wish we stayed in dorms in high school. If that would have went down in high school though, there probably wouldn’t be any need to go off to far away colleges. So to sum everything up, I can’t drive, there is a lot more freedom, and I don’t stay in my mother’s house any more. I drove, had freedom but not this much, and I stayed with my mother in high school. Some things that were similar are the work, tests, quizzes, and studying. Those are some things that I chose to compare and contrast on high school versus college.

The Differences Between International Financial Reporting Standards Ifrs And Current U S Gaap Accounting Essay

The Differences Between International Financial Reporting Standards Ifrs And Current U S Gaap Accounting Essay The differences between International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and current U.S. GAAP are numerous. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are principles-based Standards, Interpretations and the Framework (1989) adopted by the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB). Many of the standards forming part of IFRS are known by the older name of International Accounting Standards (IAS). IAS was issued between 1973 and 2001 by the Board of the International Accounting Standard Committee (IASC). On 1 April 2001, the new IASB took over from the IASC the responsibility for setting International Accounting Standards. During its first meeting the new Board adopted existing IAS and SICs. The IASB has continued to develop standards calling the new standards IFRS. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is a term used to refer to the standard framework of guidelines for financial accounting used in any given jurisdiction which are generally known as Accounting Standards. GAAP includes the standards, conventions, and rules accountants follow in recording and summarizing transactions, and in the preparation of financial statement. U.S. GAAP and IFRS differ in key ways, including their fundamental premise. At the highest level, U.S. GAAP is more of a rules-based system, whereas IFRS is more principles-based. This distinction may prove more difficulty than it initially appears, because most accounting and finance professionals in the U.S. have been schooled in the rules of U.S. GAAP. The overriding lesson from their years of study and work is this: If you have an issue, look it up. Under U.S. GAAP, voluminous guidance attempts to address nearly every conceivable accounting problem that might arise. And if that guidance doesnt exist, it generally is created. On the other hand, IFRS is a far shorter volume of principles-based standards, and consequently requires more judgment than American accountants are accustomed to. Companies involved in the exploration and development of crude oil and natural gas have the option of choosing between two accounting approaches: the successful efforts (SE) method and the full cost (FC) method. These differ in the treatment of specific operating expenses relating to the exploration of new oil and natural gas reserves. The balance sheet includes items that differ between International Financial Reporting Standards and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles will be addressed first. Balance sheet items include assets (inventory, property, plant and equipment), liabilities (accounts payable and other amounts owed) and equity (ownership interest, usually in the form of stock). Inventory is any item available for sale or used in the production of an item that will be sold. In valuing this inventory, GAAP allows for First-In-First-Out, Last-In-First-Out, Moving Average and Weighted Average. These are the four main methods used. IFRS does not allow the LIFO method. In times of increasing prices and costs, inventory profits may result from using and inventory valuation method other than LIFO. These inventory profits result in improved reported earnings, but because the inventory profits are taxed, they reduce a companys net cash flow. Depending on the system used, inventory values, profits and taxes can be affected. To give you some examples, the financial statements of a company using the LIFO approach as opposed to FIFO generally reflect: * Conservation profits, because LIFO buffers the effects of inflation. * Better matching of current costs with current revenue. * Lower liquidity, that is, a lower current ratio. * Lower equity position, that is, a higher debt-to-worth ratio. (Gibson) IFRS takes this one option away. In addition to this, IFRS required that the same formula be applied to all inventory of a similar nature. GAAP allows for different methods to be used. Asset retirement during the production of inventory is accounted for as a cost of the inventory using IFRS rules. Whereas, GAAP allows for it to be added to the carrying amount of the property, plant or equipment used to produce the inventory. With IFRS this cost will stay with the balance sheet. GAAP would move it to depreciation which lowers earnings but increases free cash flow. A write-down of an asset is reducing the book value if it is overstated compared to current market values. If a need arises to reverse a write-down, IFRS allows it and GAAP does not. GAAP does not allow the revaluation of property, plant and equipment. It uses historical cost. IFRS, on the other hand, allows either historical cost or revalued amount (fair value at date of revaluation less subsequent accumulated depreciation and impairment losses). The rules concerning residual value have some differences too. Residual value is the amount you expect to be able to sell a fixed asset for at the end of its useful life. IFRS calculates it as the current net selling price and it may be adjusted upwards or downwards. GAAP calculates it as the discounted present value and it may only be adjusted downward. Next, items such as depreciation and leases will be addressed. Since these items are expenses, they will affect the income statement. Depreciation is an expense that reduces the value of an asset as a result of wear and tear, age or obsolescence. IFRS requires more work when depreciating items. Depreciation of assets with differing patterns must be depreciated separately. This means that each item would have to be accounted for separately. GAAP allows this but it is not required. With GAAP, all the depreciation would be able to be grouped together and listed as a total requiring fewer entries. When capitalizing an asset, GAAP only allows interest. IFRS includes interest, certain ancillary costs and exchange differences that are regarded as an adjustment of interest. Being able to include these costs will increase the value of the asset and provide for more depreciation. Land and building leases is another topic where differences occur. IFRS considers land and building separately and GAAP considers them as a single unit unless land represents more than 25% of the total fair value. A couple of other items worth mentioning are contingent assets and extraordinary items. Contingent assets are assets in which the possibility of an economic benefit depends solely upon future events that cant be controlled by the company. Due to the uncertainty of the future events, these assets are not placed on the balance sheet. However, they can be found in the companys financial statement notes. These assets, which are often simply rights to a future potential claim, are based on past events. An example might be a potential settlement from a lawsuit. The company does not have enough certainty to place the settlement value on the balance sheet, so it can only talk about the potential in the notes. IFRS does not recognize contingent assets, GAAP does. Extraordinary items include the sale of the subsidiary or the payment of a lawsuit. Extraordinary items are a liability that is unusual or infrequent in its occurrence. IFRS prohibits extraordinary items and GAAP allows them. Although rare and infrequent, extraordinary items can be substantial and being able to include them can have an impact on your financial statements. As you may be able to tell, both have their advantages and disadvantages where compared to the other. There are some items in which benefits are drawn from IFRS and others that GAAP provides. There is an ongoing effort to address the differences and come to a consensus. At some point, the two different set of rules may be combined into one universal system. Works Cited Deloitte. IFRS and US GAAP: A Pocket Comparison. July 2008. IASplus.com. Gibson, S.C. LIFO vs FIFO: A Return to the Basics. Oct. 2008. The RMA Journal. Hughes, S.B. and Sander, J.F. A U.S. Managers Guide to Differences Between IFRS and U.S. GAAP. 2007. Management Accounting Quarterly. Kumar, S. Differences Between IFRSs and US GAAP. 26 July 2006. Caclubindia. PriceWaterhouseCoopers. IFRS and US GAAP: Similarities and Differences. Sept 2008. PWC.com. Inventory IFRS information on inventory can be found in IAS 2 and in Chapter 8 of the Wiley IFRS 2010 book. GAAP information on inventory can be found in ASC 330 and in Chapter 9 of the Wiley GAAP 2010 book. GAAP Definition (ASC 330-10-20): The aggregate of those items of tangible personal property that have any of the following characteristics: a.) held for sale in the ordinary course of business; b.) in process of production for such sale; c.) to be currently consumed in the production of goods or services to be available for sale. IFRS Definition (IAS 2): Items that are held for sale in the ordinary course of business; in the process of production for such sale; or in the form of materials or supplies to be consumed in the production process or in the rendering of services. GAAP IFRS |Allowable costing methods include FIFO, average cost, and LIFO |Allowable costing methods include FIFO and the weighted-average | | |cost. LIFO costing is prohibited | |Presentation at lower of cost or market required |Presentation at lower of cost or net realizable required | |Only in rare instances (mining of gold, etc.) are presentation |Certain defined situations, including agricultural products, | |at fair value in excess of cost permitted |permit reporting at fair value in excess of actual cost | |Lower of cost or market adjustments cannot be reversed |Lower of cost or market adjustments must be reversed under | | |defined conditions | |Recognition in interim periods of inventory losses from market |Recognition in interim periods of inventory losses from market | |declines that reasonably can be expected to be restored in the |declines that reasonably can be expected to be restored in the | |fiscal year is not required |fiscal year is required | Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business less the estimated costs of completion and the estimated costs necessary to make the sale (IAS 2). Presently, there are two sets of accounting standards accepted for international use U.S. GAAP and the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). US GAAP or simply GAAP are accounting rules used to prepare, present, and report financial statements for a wide variety of entities, including publicly-traded and privately-held companies, non-profit organizations, and governments. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is a private, not-for-profit organization whose primary purpose is to develop GAAP within the United States in the publics interest. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) designated the FASB as the organization responsible for setting accounting standards for public companies in the U.S. On the other hand, the second set of accounting standard is IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards), which is issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), based in London. Nearly 100 countries use it or coordinate their financial instruments. These countries or groups of countries include the European Union, Australia, and South Africa. While some countries require all companies to adhere to IFRS, others merely allow it, or try to coordinate its own countrys standards to be similar. The IASB is working toward this goal in a partnership with some of the most influential accounting standard-setters across the globe. The globalization of business and finance has led more than 12,000 companies in more than 100 countries to adopt IFRS. In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been taking steps to set a date to allow U.S. public companies to use IFRS, and perhaps make its adoption mandatory. In fact, on November 14, 2008, the SEC released for public comment a proposed roadmap with a timeline and key milestones for adopting IFRS, beginning in 2014. IFRS website states that the convergence between IFRS and US GAAP brings some benefits. Growing interest in the global acceptance of a single set of robust accounting standards comes from all participants in the capital markets. Many multinational companies and national regulators and users support it because they believe that the use of common standards, in the preparation of public company financial statements, will make it easier to compare the financial results of reporting entities from different countries. They believe it will help investors better understand opportunities. Large public companies with subsidiaries in multiple jurisdictions would be able to use one accounting language company-wide and present their financial statements in the same language as their competitors. Another benefit some believe is that in a truly global economy, financial professionals, including CPAs, will be more mobile, and companies will be able to easily respond to the human capital needs of their subsidiaries around the world. According to aicpa.com, the most important specific differences between IFRS and U.S. GAAP are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ IFRS does not permit Last In, First Out (LIFO) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ IFRS uses a single-step method for impairment write-downs rather than the two-step method used in U.S. GAAP, making write-downs more likely à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ IFRS has a different probability threshold and measurement objective for contingencies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ IFRS does not permit debt for which a covenant violation has occurred to be classified as non-current unless a lender waiver is obtained before the balance sheet date Based on my research, I have read from some SEC and AICPA critics and also individuals in favor of the introduction of IFRS in U.S. Most of common critics against the adoption of IFRS focus on similar areas. Remi Forgeas, a CPA states in article published in AICPA website his critics: The usual difference noted between GAAP and IFRS is that the former is rule-based whereas the latter is principle-based. This principle-based concept generates concerns that it will be more difficult for a preparer to defend its position in case of litigation. Another point for discussion is the risk to see the standard setter becoming less independent and/or that the U.S. having less control on their accounting standards. The cost and the duration of the transition are often presented as a major hurdle, especially in this difficult economic environment. The complexity of the transition and then its cost will depend for the most part upon the completion of the convergence. The convergence process is expected be completed in 2011. Assuming the SEC decides on 2015 for the year of transition, changes for companies should be less complex, since both standards will be converged. Finally, the last issue is the human factor: are the preparers, users, auditors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ experienced enough in IFRS? There is no doubt that specific training will be required to ensure IFRS are known by various categories of people dealing with IFRS. Focusing on the situation today is probably not the right approach: true there is today a lack in knowledge, but the situation is evolving rapidly. People favoring the introduction of IFRS in the U.S. states that the harmonization of financial reporting around the world will help raise the confidence of investors, generally, in the information they are using to make their decisions and assess their risks. The opposite is perhaps the clearer case. If accounting for the same events and information produces radically different reported numbers, depending on the system of standards that are being used, then it is self-evident that accounting will be increasingly discredited in the eyes of those using the numbers. For those companies with joint listings in both America and another country, there should be substantial savings, particularly in terms of preparation costs. Avoiding the burdensome U.S. GAAP reconciliation statement, required at present, would be a worthwhile prize. The good reasons why convergence with the U.S. should be pursued has been noted. There is, however, a downside to all of this for IFRS many people also believe that U.S. GAAP is the gold standard, and something will be lost with the full acceptance of IFRS. Other disadvantages are as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Extra costs in the preparation of financial statements by all IFRS companies implementing new requirements and restating previously reported numbers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Changes have to be communicated and understood by all of those involved in preparing the accounts, auditing them and using them. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Translations of the amended standards are required for the many languages in which IFRS are applicable. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The changes have to be approved by the various national endorsement authorities and often incorporated into their legal systems. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continuous piecemeal changes undermine the reputation of IFRS. Some might justifiably ask why high quality standards need such frequent amendments. WORKS CITED AICPA IFRS Resources ifrs.com December 11, 2010. Web Accounting Standard Codification fasb.org December 11, 2010. Web Epstein, Barry. Nach, Ralph and Bragg, Steven GAAP 2010. New Jersey: Wiley, 2009. Print. United States Accounting Standards vs International Accounting Standards June 21, 2009 Introduction This research project will inform the reader of the difference between the United States accounting standards and International accounting standards. The United States uses the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) to issue financial reporting procedures. The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). There are proposals for the United States to adopt the International standards. Financial reporting procedures are debated about the United States using the Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures (GAAP) or following the global procedures. This project will also examine, compare, and contrast this debate. Discussion of Topic In an article by Heidi Tribunella (2009), U.S. GAAP is considered rules based. Rules-based accounting standards, on the other hand, give strict rules that must be adhered to in order to properly account for particular transactions. For example, lease accounting in the United States gives four criteria for determining if a lease is a capital lease. If a lease contains any of the following, then it is considered a capital lease and must be accounted for as such: 1 ) a bargain purchase option; 2) ownership transfers at the end of the lease; 3) minimum lease payments with a present value of at least 90% of the FMV of the asset; or 4) a lease length of at least 75% of the economic life of the asset. This is an example of very specific rules for accounting for leases (Tribunella, 2009). Tribunella (2009) goes on to explain International accounting standards, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), which was created in 200l. Previously, the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), founded in 1973, issued International Accounting Standards (IAS). When the IASB was created, it adopted the IAS and continued the work of the IASC (Tribunella, 2009). Gary K. Meek and Wayne B. Thomas (2004) explain the influence of the IASB on the global reporting standards including the U.S. GAAP. In 2000, the International Organization of Securities Commissioners (IOSCO), of which the SEC is a member, recommended to member countries that IASC standards be used in cross-border offerings and listings. The enforcement of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by exchange regulators will be crucial to the eventual acceptance of the IFRS around the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In October2002, the IASB and the Financial Standards Accounting Board (FASB) issued a memorandum of understanding, which formally stated their commitment to the convergence of IFRS and U.S. GAAP (Meek and Wayne, 2004). Jose Marrero and Thomas Brinker (2007) explain the efforts of the IASB and the FASB to merge their practices. Over the last two decades, research indicates that developing a framework of global accounting standards favors the recognition of culture. Cultural differences will impact a nations final consensus regarding accounting standards. However, after years of discussion, a solution to the dilemma of merging culture or international cultures and accounting standards has yet to be found. Currently, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the FASB are working on a principle-based framework for global financial reporting standards the cooperation of both the IASB and FASB will yield a uniform body of accounting standards allowing financial and investment advisers to view global investment opportunities on a more level playing fieldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Marrero and Brinker, 2007). They also point out why certain business owners may not want to follow global practices, Further, business owners are unwilling to abandon their localized business practices to appease the accounting standards imposed on the multinational companies, much less their bookkeeping and financi al reporting standards to the jurisdiction of a U.S.-dominated accounting standard board (Marrero Brinker, 2009). David Bogoslaw (2008) talks about the convergence in further detail, The uproar over fair value accounting practices, which some critics have blamed for the depths of the global financial crisis, threatens to sink a long-sought move by countries around the world toward a single set of international financial reporting standards (IFRS). The U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has been working with Londons International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) since 2002 toward what accounting professionals call convergence. The Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) is expected to announce its road map for conversion sometime this month, which will probably include early adoption in 2010 for about 110 of the largest U.S. companies with business operations throughout the world. The key difference between U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and IFRS is that U.S. standards are based on explicit rules while the international standards reliance on principles gives companies more room to use their judgment in deciding how to recognize r evenue and other key metrics. Adoption of IFRS would also probably trigger a big tax hike for U.S. companies, which would no longer be able to use the last-in-first-out [LIFO] inventory accounting method, which doesnt exist under the international standards. The LIFO method assumes that goods purchased most recently are sold first and that the remaining items have been purchased at earlier periods, yielding a lower gross profit during high-inflation periods than the first-in-first-out accounting method (Bogoslaw, 2008). The main debate over switching accounting practices is further explained by Bogoslaw (2008) by stating, The debate over switching to accounting standards based on something less explicit than rules comes down to questions about whether the less explicit standard will provide adequate protection against lawsuits, says James Leisenring, director of technical activities in research at the FASB. You cant understand the debate about gratuitous vs. obligatory guidance (within IFRS) until you understand the litigation system in the U.S., where companies are more concerned about getting sued than in other parts of the world, he says. What its really about is safe harbors. What (IFRS skeptics) really want to know is if I do it in a particular way, am I home free or not? The explicit rules under GAAP may appear to offer safety, but the downside is there are so many of them that the odds of missing one or two are greater, he says. From Leisenrings perspective, the big accounting firms that are drawn to IFRS believe theyll get sued less since it will be harder to point to their mistakes. White agr ees that some companies like the freedom allowed under IFRS to interpret standards to suit their convenience, which undercuts auditors ability to prohibit certain accounting choices (Bogoslaw, 2008). Bogoslaw (2008) explains two sides of the criticism this switch has been receiving. Many are for it, but some are against it. The most strident critics of migration to IFRS argue that the primary goal of the SEC and U.S. Treasury Dept. is attracting capital to U.S. markets, rather than ensuring that the highest quality accounting standards prevail. While attracting more capital to the U.S. is a valid business objective, its not clear we can do that by going to international financial reporting standards, says Ashwinpaul Sondhi, president of A.C. Sondhi Associates in Maplewood, N.J., who has served on CFA Institute committees. Paul Miller, a professor of accounting at the University of Colorado, would prefer to have competing standards, since the only standards all countries would be able to agree on would be very weak ones. He also believes a unified set of standards, rather than being helpful, would stifle much-needed innovation given that most of the existing accounting standards are more than 60 years old (Bogoslaw, 2008). Adam Pieniazek (2007) wrote in a research paper about the comparison and contrast of U.S. GAAP and International Accounting standards, Due to the uncertainty of what the future American accounting standard will be, individuals and organizations in the US, would rather have the FASB pick one of the options and declare that it will stick with it, rather than debate for eons over the positive and negative aspects of the principles and rules based approach. As many prominent countries are already using the International Financial Reporting Standards, the representatives of American accounting must act now to align us with the IFRS; otherwise we face potentially being shut out from the formation process of these standards which will affect all international companies. The FASBs cooperative work with the IASC will result in a true Global GAAP; once the IFRS is aligned with the U.S. GAAP system, the American companies will issue statements according to the IFRS, as the SEC has declared that it will remove the reconciliation requirement once it is satisfied that IFRS are of a sufficient standard. The completion of convergen ce will be a boost to the global economy, and inherently, all underlying economies, as it will standardize the practice of accounting, allowing more work to go into principles and theory research, and increase the pool of available and applicable accountants. No longer will investors have to reconcile financial statements to an accounting style they are familiar with and neither will accountants have to prepare statements differently in various countries (Pieniazek, 2007). Conclusion United States Accounting Standards and International Accounting Standards are two different practices in financial reporting, that come from different bases. These two practices are being worked on to converge and use a Global accounting standard. This convergence is creating much criticism. There are many countries that are currently using the International standards, and many more are starting to join. The FASB and IASC are working together to converge by 2010. This convergence will also make it easier for accounts to prepare financial statements reporting United States and International transactions.

Sexual Harassment in America Essay -- Civil Rights Act

According to Webster’s online dictionary, it is believed that the phrase â€Å"sexual harassment† was coined at Cornell University in 1974 ("Sexual harassment," 2011). The phrase wasn’t, however, really used in common language until the testimony of Anita Hill against Clarence Thomas in 1991. Sexual harassment can take many different shapes and forms. According to a Fox News article, the sexual harassment claims made by men have increased twofold in the last twenty years ("Sexual harassment claims," 2010). Because sexual harassment is illegal both on a federal and state level in many states, there are steps that an individual and employer should take to prevent sexual harassment. On June 19, 1963, President John F. Kennedy sent an extensive Civil Rights legislation proposition to Congress ("Pre 1965: events," 2011). This proposed legislation faced fierce opposition in Congress. Five days after the assassination of President Kennedy, President Johnson spoke to Congress and told them that we have spoken of civil rights for too long and that it was time to put our country’s words into action. Kennedy’s legislation faced many legislative struggles that forced changes and compromises to ensure there would be no filibusters in the Senate that would kill the proposal. Despite all of the opposition, President Kennedy’s proposed Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and was set into action the following year. The 1964 Civil Rights Act created the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, also known as the EEOC. One of the primary jobs of the EEOC is to uphold the rules and regulations that were laid out by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. According to the EEOC’s webpage, â€Å"Title VII covers private, most pu... ...r/shwork.asp Pre 1965: events leading to the creation of the EEOC. (2011). Retrieved August 15, 2011, from http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/history/35th/pre1965/index.html Sexual harassment. (2011). Retrieved on July 26, 2011, from http://www1.eeoc.gov//laws/types/sexual_harassment.cfm?renderforprint=1 Sexual harassment. (2011). Retrieved on August 15, 2011, from http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/Sexual%20Harassment?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=Sexual%20Harassment&sa=Search#922 Sexual harassment claims filed by men doubled in last 20 years. (2010, March 04). Retrieved on August 15, 2011, from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/04/sex-harassment-claims-filed-men-doubled-years/ Title vii of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (2011). Retrieved July 26, 2011, from http://www1.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/titlevii.cfm

Mill’s Utilitarianism Essay

In the beginning of Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill states that throughout history very little progress has been made towards developing a set of moral standards to judge what is morally right or wrong. Although a certain disagreement about such foundations can also be found in the most â€Å"certain† sciences, in those areas truths can still have meaning without understanding the principles underlying them. On the other hand, in philosophy, where all actions exist to proceed towards a particular end, statements unfounded upon a general principle have very little validity. Therefore Mill says that in order to know what morality dictates, it is necessary to know by what standard human actions should be judged. He rejects the idea of a moral instinct inherent in human mind, which supplies us with this ability to judge. Even if such a sense would exist, it wouldn’t show us whether something is right or wrong in a particular matter. Instead, Mill assumes that right and wrong are questions of experience and he tries to show that the principle of utility or â€Å"the greatest happiness principle† is the foundation of this distinction. In Chapter two, Mill tries to reply to some common misconceptions about utilitarianism. He claims that many people mistake utility as the rejection of pleasures, whereas in reality, it is pleasure itself, promoting happiness. He thus defines utilitarianism as the creed which â€Å"holds that actions are right in the proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness†. Accordingly pleasure and absence of pain are the only goals that are inherently good and desirable in themselves. Every other action or experience is only insofar good as it promotes pleasure. However, it is wrong to assume people should only do what makes them personally happy. Instead the standard of judging an act is the happiness of all people. Therefore people shouldn’t distinguish between their own happiness and the happiness of others. The motives underlying a certain act are of no importance in utilitarianism. Instead only the results of our conduct, or more specifically the impact on the general happiness, are to consider. In continuing, Mill states that some pleasures are more valuable than others, so not only the quantity but also the quality of pleasures resulting from a certain act determines its moral rightness. We can experience this difference in quality when we give one pleasure a clear preference over another, although it comes along with a greater amount of discomfort, and would not dismiss it for any quantity of the other pleasure. Mill claims that, given equal access to all kinds of pleasures, every man or woman gives priority to those employing their higher faculties. Appropriately he writes that †it is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, is of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question†. Thus only people who have experienced both the higher and the lower pleasures are qualified to judge the quality of a pleasure. But by what extent are pleasures measurable or comparable? And what is it that makes a â€Å"higher† pleasure superior over a â€Å"lower†? Another criticism Mill responds to is that happiness can’t be the goal of human actions, since it’s unattainable. Moreover, detractors of the utilitarian moral state that a life without happiness is quite possible, and all noble beings have become virtuous by renunciation. Mill objects that if happiness is defined as moments of rapture, â€Å"in an existence made up of few and transitory pains† and not as a â€Å"continuity of highly pleasurable excitement† happiness is quite attainable. The only reason why mankind is not yet in this condition of happiness is because our education and our social arrangements are inadequate. Concerning the objection that virtuous men renounced happiness Mill asserts that those noble men acted as martyrs, sacrificing their own happiness in order to increase the happiness of other people. However, such a sacrifice is not in itself an act of good but only insofar as it helps others. Mill presents a couple of other misapprehensions of utilitarian ethics, which he says are obviously wrong but which many people nevertheless believe. First, utilitarianism is often accused to be godless, because its foundation is human happiness, and not the will of god. But if we assume that god desires in the first instance the happiness of his creatures, then utilitarianism is more profoundly religious than any other doctrine. Another objection holds that there is not enough time to outweigh the effects on the general happiness prior to every action taken. Mill replies that such a claim also implies that if our conduct is guided by Christianity we’d have to read the Old and New Testament every time before we act. Obviously this is not possible. Instead he asserts that we had the entire duration of human existence to learn by experience which actions lead to certain results. The last critique Mill responds to is that utilitarianism legitimates immoral tendencies by justifying the break of rules by referring to an increase of utility. He replies that this problem can not only be found in utilitarianism but also in every other creed. Does this argument really dispel misconceptions about utilitarianism? In the beginning of chapter three Mill asserts that every moral philosophy needs some source of obligation in order to be binding. Regarding utilitarianism this binding force consists of internal and external sanctions. External sanctions include â€Å"the hope of favour and the fear of displeasure from our fellow creatures or from the Ruler of the Universe†. Internal sanctions on the other hand, are feelings in our own conscience and create a pain if we violate duty. This second type of sanction is considered to be more powerful. Thus to provide a force which is binding enough to influence people’s conduct, utilitarianism needs to appeal to people’s inner sentiment. Mill claims that in fact every moral sentiment could be cultivated, no matter how bad it is. However such â€Å"artificial† feelings, will eventually crumble when they are analyzed thoroughly. The utilitarian morality on the other hand, emerges as a particularly strong foundation because it’s consistent with the social nature of human sentiments: every one of us has an innate â€Å"desire to be in unity with our fellow creatures†. Mill finally emphasizes that this natural sentiment needs to be nourished through education and law. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. John Stuart, Mill, Utilitarianism, ed. Mary Waldrep (Mineola: Dover Publications, Inc. , 2007), 1. [ 2 ]. Mill, 6. [ 3 ]. Mill, 8. [ 4 ]. Mill, 11. [ 5 ]. Mill, 11. [ 6 ]. Mill, 24. [ 7 ]. Mill, 27.

The main aim is not to be afraid of yourself

Several months ago I participated at training â€Å"Effective communication†. Actually, I didn’t think it will be useful for me, because I wasn’t a shy person, who doesn’t know what he wants from life.I didn’t have some special problems in personal relationships and in communications with my friends/teachers/family/etc. Still, my friend invited me to visit this training and I agreed. Let it be, – I thought, – maybe I’ll find something interesting there, – who knows. To tell the truth, it was very useful for me and I’ve learned a lot of interesting things about myself which helped me to communicate with other people more effective.After that training I understood that if I remain myself (if I’m not changing myself) I’ll be happy and I’ll always be able to find way out from any difficult situation.The main aim is not to be afraid of yourself, to love and to accept yourself as you are. Unexpectedl y for me I found out that I always was unsure in my actions, I was self-confident but only to some extent and very often after I took some decision; I tried to think over, what could happen if I acted in another way.I mean that I learned to look at my problems in simpler way, and then after I realized that actually I don’t have any problems. I understood that when the person is â€Å"opened†, people like him and they strive after him. You don’t need to be afraid and to hide your feelings, and then people start to understand you. Some of my fears from childhood disappeared; now in many cases I can control my aggression towards the other people.I was able to determine aim in my life, my internal state of mind changed into more vivid and confident. Communication with other people became more opened; I started to control my feelings. I learned that everything in my life depends on me, not on somebody else. That there are a lot of great possibilities, I only have to open my eyes and to reach them. Before I was loosing confidence in stress situations, and now I’m able to control my feelings.We made different kinds of tests and I understood that I like to clash with my friends and that I don’t show to people, who are close to me, feelings expressing my good attitude to them. I received practical knowledge in the field of understanding of human emotions and problems; I learned a lot of facts about myself with help of self-analysis and from opinions of other people. It was the unique experience for me and it helped me greatly in my life.   

Homosexuals and Their Struggle essays

Homosexuals and Their Struggle essays People who are different from the rest of the society always face with discrimination from the society. People from different races, different religions, and different cultural backgrounds always face with many difficulties within the society. In the book called Stonewall by Martin Duberman I learned many things about these people who were different and their problems with their gender, identity and society. They werent from different cultures or they didnt have different races but they had different choices then the rest of the society and they tried to protect their choices and rebel against the society. In this book we see the lives of 6 different homosexual people who face many problems within their identity, society and gender. Yvonne Flowers, Jim Fouratt, Foster Gunnison, Karla Jay, Sylvia Ray Rivera and Craig Rodwell, who are the characters of this book, are all homosexuals; therefore they face main difficulties while trying to understand their gender. All these people like people from the same gender and they all have behaviors like the opposite gender. Craig likes to wear make up, Yvonne is as tough as a man and she always acts like a man. All of the characters in the book are struggling a lot with their gender. When they are growing, they are not aware of which gender that they belong to and most of their first crushes are from the same sex and even if they are not, they realize how they prefer to have a relationship with people who belong to same sex. Craigs first crush, when he was seven, was an older boy named Bob Palmer. Bobs talented piano playing made him something of a school star and Craig just worshipped him. (Stonewall, 7) Craig having his first crush at age of 7 was not even aware that h is crush was towards the same sex and that wasnt something happening to people around him, he just accepted his gay identity without knowledge and considered it as somethi...

Free Essays on Tuesdays With Morrie

would have on the rest of the world. Mitch is also unique that he had the great privilege to be able to help him do that. There were unique strengths to this book that both the author and the subject brought to it. Morrie brought the personality and wisdom to the story. Mitch brought the technical strengths with his eagerness for information and his writing experience. I think the biggest strength is that Mitch recorded all of his conversations with Morrie. Though he sometimes questioned whether ... Free Essays on Tuesday's With Morrie Free Essays on Tuesday's With Morrie â€Å"A meaningfull life, not the meaning of life†. That is what Morrie Schwartz teaches Mitch in the book Tuesday’s with Morrie written by Mitch Albom. Morrie shows Mitch a meaningful life through: loving others, taking things for granted, and showing that it is ok to cry. That is what Morrie teaches Mitch. The importance of love is shown by Morrie towards Mitch. When Morrie does the Ted Coppell interview and Mitch sees him and decides he should go see him. Mitch shows love when he comes back every Tuesday. An example is when Morrie says, â€Å"Hey Mitch, your coming back next Tuesday right?† and out of love Mitch says, â€Å"Yes of course.† Mitch learns that he is taking things for granted, most of his entire girlfriend, Janine. She wants to get married and he thinks he can just ignore that. She tells him she is not waiting around for him. He also takes gist friends for granted because of Morrie dieing Mitch decides he should go see him. He decides t hat there are times when friends com! e before work. Through out the whole book Morrie keeps telling Mitch that crying is ok and good for a person. Morrie says his goal is to got Mitch to cry. The effect is when Mitch starts to rub lotion on Morris’s feet and he starts to cry and at that time Morrie knows he has reached him. So all in all Mitch learns that the meaning of life through a dieing person. Which I believe is the hardest way. In the end he learns to love others or perish.... Free Essays on Tuesday's With Morrie The much acclaimed novel Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom, is a timeless story of the last tale of an American life. This is an honest and provoking documentary of a great teacher’s last thoughts as he confronts his mortality via a terminal illness. Audiences are starving for this straight forward message of what it is like to die with a respectable insight as to what the purpose of life is – this has been proven true by the great reception of this book. Mitch Albom has done a great service to share his very personal and rare, but universally appreciated, research with the rest of the world. Morrie Schwartz was a very influential teacher in Mitch Albom’s life all through his college years. After almost two decades of lost touch between the two, Mitch learns that his mentor and friend is dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Mitch reestablishes his weekly meetings with Morrie and is forced to reassess his values and lifestyle as he helps his old professor document his last thesis about his view of life and death. The purpose of this book is very simple, but the contemplation that it stirs is intense and complex. Rarely does such an insightful and articulate person have the opportunity to share their insights and experiences as they die. Morrie, though extremely humble, knows that the rest of the world needs to hear his message and he understands his uniqueness. I think that he was aware of the impact that his words would have on the rest of the world. Mitch is also unique that he had the great privilege to be able to help him do that. There were unique strengths to this book that both the author and the subject brought to it. Morrie brought the personality and wisdom to the story. Mitch brought the technical strengths with his eagerness for information and his writing experience. I think the biggest strength is that Mitch recorded all of his conversations with Morrie. Though he sometimes questioned whether ... Free Essays on Tuesday's With Morrie Tuesdays with Morrie Summary This book is an intriguing description of an old mans battle with death. More specifically that man is suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); a disease that affects the neurological system. There is no cure for this disease, and the only good that can come out of having it is the chance to say goodbye. The chance to educate people on the meaning of life and the chance to give back what so many have given you. I think Morrie does exactly that, in this novel and in life. In this novel there are two people that are at the base of the story and several supporting people for both Morrie and Mitch. Mitch is a former student of Morrie’s who has come back to bid his professor and his good friend goodbye. While doing this, Morrie and Mitch both agree to do a final thesis on Morrie’s death. They meet on Tuesdays and discuss several different topics about life. Mitch films these sessions in hopes of being abl e to watch the! m after Morrie’s passing, and to help him in writing this thesis. As Morrie gets into the final stages of his illness he can no longer do anything except talk, and even that is quickly passing away. Morrie said that he knew it would be bad when he could no longer wipe his ass. But when that time came he said he actually enjoyed it, that it was like being a baby again. Morrie demonstrates tremendous caring in this book; trying to help people until the very end. He even goes as far as to say that if he could have another son he wishes that it could be Mitch. The final session ends with Morrie telling Mitch he loves him and Mitch doing the same and they both start to cry; something Mitch said he would never do. Morrie spends his final days with his nuclear family and dies alone in his bed, almost like he had planned it that way. This is probably one of the best books I’ve ever read. The lessons you learn just by reading the book are tremendous. Morrie is ... Free Essays on Tuesday's With Morrie There are lessons to learn from life, and all too many people are willing to offer advice, and lessons for life. These â€Å"lessons† are a rather jejune list of items designed to avoid grief, and to find a path to the good life. Who is there to offer sage advice and lessons from lives that assist us in working through grief, and the loss of a loved one? Death is a major problem that everyone faces in life. Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom, teaches many lessons from life, learned from the problems we find in our lives. Morrie Schwartz, retired professor of sociology at Brandeis University, is one to give us just such a prospectus of lessons. His curriculum is in the style of dialogue, not so different than the Socratic dialogues of former time. Schwartz was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and began the process of dying by learning more about his life, and his perspective on the vagaries of life. Morrie utilized the dialogue method as a result of the happenstance of being visited by a former student of his. After watching an episode of Nightline, hosted by Ted Koppel, Mitch Albom, learned of Morrie Schwartz’ plight. Mitch was a sociology major and Brandeis student in the late 1970’s, who had become a nationally known sportswriter. Once he realized the enormity of his old teacher’s illness, Mitch was willing to slow down his high-tension writing career to get back in touch with the man he was so attached to in college. This is how Albom came to renew his friendship with his old professor, and began seeing Morrie on Tuesdays. They reflected on the process of dying, and living with dying. â€Å"†¦The truth is, Mitch, he said, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live†¦ But everyone knows someone who has died. Why is it so hard to think about dying? Because, Morrie continued, most of us walk around as if we’re sleepwalking†¦when you realize you are going to die, you see everything much differently†¦Ã¯ ¿ ½...

Boo Radley, Misjudgment and Its Impact

Boo Radley, Misjudgment and Its Impact Before you judge someone, you need to get to know them first. A keen example of this statement is clearly shown within the novel To Kill A Mockingbird. After Scout comes home from a near death experience from Mr. Ewell on Halloween, Atticus tucks her into bed. She just walked Boo Radley home and was discussing a book Atticus was reading. She states how they chased him [the character in the book] but when they finally saw him he hadnt done any of those things he was real nice . Atticus responds saying that most people are when you finally see them. He is referring to Boo Radley, a character in To Kill a Mockingbird, that had helped Scout despite the rumors that he was a psycho. With this quote, Scout comes to closure with Boo Radley. She understands that he is not as evil as others depict him and is actually really nice. Atticus then states that most people are [nice] when you finally see them. Atticus is saying that although others might come off like theyre mean or not approachable, most people are actually really nice once you finally get to know them. After Heck Tate, the sheriff in To Kill A Mockingbird, confirms who killed Bob Ewell, Scout walks Arthur Radley home. She stands on Arthurs porch and then realizes that she had misjudged him. In the beginning of the novel, Scout believes that Arthur is a evil human being that would eat raw rabbit meat and stab his mother with scissors. As she stands on his porch, she begins to stand in his shoes and walk around in them. She realizes that Arthur is actually a really calm and caring person. In this scene, Scout is now fully understands Atticuss piece of advice. Walking around in Arthurs shoes helped Scout come to closure with the Radleys. She now understands that Arthur isnt truly a horrible person and that her assumptions were wrong. Others need to do what Scout did, and put themselves in others positions. They need to consider what others are going through before jumping to conclusions that are often wrong. These two scenes show that people shouldnt jump to conclusions about others t oo quickly because they might turn out to be different than you expected.

Identifying Resources Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Identifying Resources - Term Paper Example nesses and threats and build upon opportunities and strengths in my course project and how I would leverage these resources to carry out the change I am proposing through the strategic plan. Addressing strengths and weaknesses and building upon opportunities and threats is a time consuming process that requires highly skilled personnel or team to collect and analyze data (Sare and Ogilvie, 2010). Therefore, highly skilled personnel is one of the critical resources needed. The second resource alluded to by Sare and Ogilvie (2010) is finances. For a change to be achieved, there must be enough funds to finance day to day, weekly, and monthly activities and processes that are directed towards addressing weaknesses and threats and build on strengths and opportunities. In relation to optimal number of nurses as an unmet need, lack of relevant skills among the few available nurses as a threat necessitates availability of funds to facilitate the needed training programs. The third resource in this context is partnerships (Sare and Ogilvie, 2010). To implement action plans to address the weaknesses and threats and build on the strengths and opportunities, a multidisciplinary app roach is needed. Partnering with both internal and external stakeholders is also important in order to attract the needed support. Fourthly, technology (Sare and Ogilvie, 2010) is also a critical resource in this context. Efficiency of services in a healthcare institution is highly attributable to technology. Adoption of technology as an opportunity for improvement for instance could help improve efficiency of services through enabling easy access of patients information. One of the ways I would leverage these resources to achieve the needed change is budgeting. In elucidating a budget, Inc (n.d, para.3) posits that "Modern budgets not only limit expenditures; they also predict income, profits, and returns on investment a year ahead". In addition, Inc (n.d) posits that a budget helps business

Assignment 1 & 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

1 & 2 - Assignment Example Major organizations have established public relation department which focuses on how to impress the society. As much as strategies are usually applied to improve the public relation, ethics and company policies are the major influences. For example, if a child loses their life in a school compound, the public reaction towards the school would be very negative. The society will view the institution as an enemy to the community. With years the public relations are becoming difficult to improve. The society’s priorities towards organizations and institutions are increasing. This may be attributed to increased business ventures and the exposure to information. In schools the situation is the same. In the modern century school’s public relations should also be improved (Kowalski, 2010). 1. The implementation of PR is faced by several shortcomings. These shortcomings are based on understanding, accepting and acting. These barriers tend not to help in the influencing of the public’s perception towards the institution. Barriers to accepting are the barriers that prevent the public from accepting the PR implementation policies. According to Kowalski (2010) this barrier may be influenced by both internal and external factors. On internal factors, the institution may by having problems in influencing an ethical environment. The internal causes are mostly influenced by the conduct of the staff and administrators. If the institution has an appropriate PR implementation strategies and the conduct of the administrators is unethical, the public may find it difficult to accept the PR implementation policies. External factors are based on the fact that the public is exposed to many similar competitors. The institutions incentives may be not good enough to fulfill the pr iorities of the public hence they fail to accept any PR offering. A barrier to acting is the barrier that prevents the public from fulfilling their part as

Argument against Tax Bailouts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Argument against Tax Bailouts - Essay Example Advantages to be discussed are: bailouts are needed to ensure that big corporations whose collapse will impact several industries can survive; bailouts are a necessary economic stimulant to jump-start the shaky economy; Bailouts are essentially government loans which the corporation receiving must pay back hence, the money will be returned; Disadvantages to be discussed are: bailouts use taxpayer money, which diverts much needed funding from other government programs and institutions; bailouts are band-aid solutions as they deal with the symptoms, not the main problems and do not always work; bailouts are against the free market principals and promote an environment where big corporations can take reckless risk knowing the government will pull them out. Despite the perceived advantages, tax bailouts are a major cost to tax payers and should not be used as a solution to prevent corporations who have placed themselves in difficult positions through mismanagement. As of July 24, 2011, t he United States government has handed out tax bailouts totaling well over $2.5 trillion with a commitment to provide further support of $12.2 trillion (The New York Times). These funds can be directed to improve the government’s social services and infrastructure. However, large corporations, who are at the brink bankruptcy due to mismanagement and high risk taking, will end up receiving these funds. However, some would argue that these bailouts are necessity in order to prevent limit the ripple effect from the collapse of big corporation. Bailouts are needed to ensure that big corporations whose collapse will impact several industries can survive. These too big to fail corporations, if they were to collapse the, system would not be able to hold up against such a significant jump in unemployment numbers. Given the cross-functional nature of corporations today, the impact would have been felt in other industries; job losses would mean a drop in consumer spending, which would impact the retail industry (as an example) and so on. In order to prevent such a ripple effect, bailouts are necessary. Bailouts are a necessary economic stimulant to jump-start the shaky economy. By implementing a bailout, government can prevent loss of jobs, which means that consumers will continue to have disposable income to spend. This will boost the industries that manufacture the goods and services thus stimulating the economy and keep it steady. Consumers without any source that provides them with disposable income, example jobs, will hold back the spending. This will cause lower retail expenditures thus resulting in slow economic growth, which can lead to a recession. Thus, to prevent such dangerous movements, the bailout is required. Bailouts are essentially government loans, which the corporation receiving must pay back hence, the money will be returned. The government has the upper hand in dictating the conditions upon which the bailout is issued. In the case of the auto makers, governments, in exchange for the bailout, received an ownership stake in the company, for example General Motors, thus will receive dividends and interest once GM starts generating revenue. Part of the deal with the big corporations is that the bailout money has to be returned once the crisis has been averted and

United States of America and sale of weapons Essay

United States of America and sale of weapons - Essay Example Many world leaders like the then Russia President Vladimir Puttin expressed their concerns that the US ideas of creating a uni-polar world was the main cause for increased arms race that seems to have reawakened since the era of the cold war.There have been other sentiments that the idea of US to arms its allies while it works hard to curtail their rights to develop defensive weapons is a world catastrophe that may explode to war at any time.In most of the time, the arms transfer by the US has ended up in fuelling conflicts in the region where the arms are exported. There have also been a lot of abuses of human rights by the regime which acquires the arms. The high level of tension that is caused by these transfer have always escalated to conflicts. For example the recent decision by the US to provide F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan which has been upheld with an aim of providing compatible military hardware to threat of rivals like Indian have lead to a lot of tension between the two n ations which is feared that it might soon escalate to conflicts. Rather than bring forces of stability in these regimes, US weapons sales has shown to serve as the source of power of conflicts, unstable and undemocratic regime which is detrimental to the US security in the world and the global security at large. There is already a big conflict between the two nations and India has expressed that the sell of F-16 jet to Pakistan is not meant to fight the Al-Qaeda as the US proposes but it is rather meant to fight India. It has been shown that the two countries have fought each other for more that 3 times and once one of the country acquired high tech weapons, the other will not feel safe and it is likely to acquire the same weapons in order to protect itself. Therefore the US may be creating a lucrative market for the jet since India is also likely to buy the same or other at a higher level (Deconde 2002, p. 534). The ABC of arms sales in the US There are two ways that have been used by the arms manufacturers in the US to sell their weapons to other nations. One of such way is the Foreign Military Sales which are government-to-government sales that are based on an agreement that has been negotiated by the two nations ostensibly involving the pentagon and the purchasing nation. The other one is the direct commercial sales which involves an agreement that it agreed between the manufacturing company and the country that wants to purchase the arms. This is then licensed the state department which gives the approval for the sale of the arms. (Gary 2003, p. 4) The US government in most cases can transfer from the stock of weapons that it is holding which can be for free or at a reduced price. This is usually implemented through the Excess Defense Articles (EDA). Allied government is also allowed to receive fast track grants of weapons in order to address crisis situation in their countries through the Emergency Drawdown Program. The above two departments are managed by the department of the Defense (Ohlson, 2006 p. 3). US is the top provide of weapons The US has consistently used the technologies that it has developed in its industries as the currency of friendly is not with the foreign nations where it has an interest to protect. It has been increasing its exports of deadly technology which helps to fuel conflicts in this nations rather than helping to bring peace and stability. With time, the US has been increasing its military export to regimes which are considered unstable like the Middle East and some parts of Africa. This has been against the pledge of President Bush of ending tyrannical in the world by fighting for the protection of democratic institutions and helping the world to come to peace with one another (Kriegers 2001, p. 121). The experience that US has had with Iran and Iraq has demonstrated that selling of arms to the strategic allies can sometimes backfire and work

How does the Steiner approach to learning differ from the Montessori Essay

How does the Steiner approach to learning differ from the Montessori Method - Essay Example Montessori approach and Steiner approach are two educational approaches that teach children. Both came from Europe and teach children in a calm, non-coercive manner. They also provide safe, enticing, and entertaining learning environment to children. Another similarity is both educational approaches respect and believe in the capabilities of children. However, there are differences in the two approaches in terms of curriculum, teaching styles, teachers’ profile, focus of studies, and other aspects. Montessori Approach was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in the late 19th century. Dr. Montessori coined her Montessori schools as â€Å"Children’s Houses†. These â€Å"houses† are the schools and facilities that provide well-planned and safe surrounding wherein children can learn and appreciate what they have learned. Moreover, these facilities are deemed to inculcate to every child the values of harmony, concern for the environment, and intercultural appreciation. According to Montessori Centre International, the principles behind Montessori education are grounded on the concepts of liberty and self progress combined with the different practical approaches. In this type of educational approach, children are considered to be able to understand the lessons taught without difficult if they are provided with appropriate activities at the appropriate time. Montessori aims to teach children to be educated and spread peace in the world (Coulter, 1991, p.3). The main goal of the Montessori approach is the natural progress of children of which the dormant physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of human being are brought out and developed based on a meaningful life (Miller, 1997, p. 160). Montessori approach believes in the innate intelligence of children which includes all aspects such as mental, empirical, spiritual (Edwards, 2002). Montessori Method of education focuses on training children in a holistic approach which includes

Argument against Tax Bailouts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Argument against Tax Bailouts - Essay Example Advantages to be discussed are: bailouts are needed to ensure that big corporations whose collapse will impact several industries can survive; bailouts are a necessary economic stimulant to jump-start the shaky economy; Bailouts are essentially government loans which the corporation receiving must pay back hence, the money will be returned; Disadvantages to be discussed are: bailouts use taxpayer money, which diverts much needed funding from other government programs and institutions; bailouts are band-aid solutions as they deal with the symptoms, not the main problems and do not always work; bailouts are against the free market principals and promote an environment where big corporations can take reckless risk knowing the government will pull them out. Despite the perceived advantages, tax bailouts are a major cost to tax payers and should not be used as a solution to prevent corporations who have placed themselves in difficult positions through mismanagement. As of July 24, 2011, t he United States government has handed out tax bailouts totaling well over $2.5 trillion with a commitment to provide further support of $12.2 trillion (The New York Times). These funds can be directed to improve the government’s social services and infrastructure. However, large corporations, who are at the brink bankruptcy due to mismanagement and high risk taking, will end up receiving these funds. However, some would argue that these bailouts are necessity in order to prevent limit the ripple effect from the collapse of big corporation. Bailouts are needed to ensure that big corporations whose collapse will impact several industries can survive. These too big to fail corporations, if they were to collapse the, system would not be able to hold up against such a significant jump in unemployment numbers. Given the cross-functional nature of corporations today, the impact would have been felt in other industries; job losses would mean a drop in consumer spending, which would impact the retail industry (as an example) and so on. In order to prevent such a ripple effect, bailouts are necessary. Bailouts are a necessary economic stimulant to jump-start the shaky economy. By implementing a bailout, government can prevent loss of jobs, which means that consumers will continue to have disposable income to spend. This will boost the industries that manufacture the goods and services thus stimulating the economy and keep it steady. Consumers without any source that provides them with disposable income, example jobs, will hold back the spending. This will cause lower retail expenditures thus resulting in slow economic growth, which can lead to a recession. Thus, to prevent such dangerous movements, the bailout is required. Bailouts are essentially government loans, which the corporation receiving must pay back hence, the money will be returned. The government has the upper hand in dictating the conditions upon which the bailout is issued. In the case of the auto makers, governments, in exchange for the bailout, received an ownership stake in the company, for example General Motors, thus will receive dividends and interest once GM starts generating revenue. Part of the deal with the big corporations is that the bailout money has to be returned once the crisis has been averted and

How does the Steiner approach to learning differ from the Montessori Essay

How does the Steiner approach to learning differ from the Montessori Method - Essay Example Montessori approach and Steiner approach are two educational approaches that teach children. Both came from Europe and teach children in a calm, non-coercive manner. They also provide safe, enticing, and entertaining learning environment to children. Another similarity is both educational approaches respect and believe in the capabilities of children. However, there are differences in the two approaches in terms of curriculum, teaching styles, teachers’ profile, focus of studies, and other aspects. Montessori Approach was developed by Dr. Maria Montessori in the late 19th century. Dr. Montessori coined her Montessori schools as â€Å"Children’s Houses†. These â€Å"houses† are the schools and facilities that provide well-planned and safe surrounding wherein children can learn and appreciate what they have learned. Moreover, these facilities are deemed to inculcate to every child the values of harmony, concern for the environment, and intercultural appreciation. According to Montessori Centre International, the principles behind Montessori education are grounded on the concepts of liberty and self progress combined with the different practical approaches. In this type of educational approach, children are considered to be able to understand the lessons taught without difficult if they are provided with appropriate activities at the appropriate time. Montessori aims to teach children to be educated and spread peace in the world (Coulter, 1991, p.3). The main goal of the Montessori approach is the natural progress of children of which the dormant physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of human being are brought out and developed based on a meaningful life (Miller, 1997, p. 160). Montessori approach believes in the innate intelligence of children which includes all aspects such as mental, empirical, spiritual (Edwards, 2002). Montessori Method of education focuses on training children in a holistic approach which includes

Kant on Suicide Essay Example for Free

Kant on Suicide Essay 4. Explain and critically assess Kant’s argument that one has a duty to preserve one’s own life. As rational beings Kant believes we have a categorical duty of self-preservation to not wilfully take our own lives. Kant talks in depth about duty and believes we should act out of respect for the moral law. The will is the only inherent good, as we are only motivated by duty and nothing else. We should act only out of demands of the law, not from inclination, desires or to achieve a particular goal. Duty dictates we should never act or will something if we do not want it to become a universal law. Kant was against any form of suicide. He strongly believed that: in taking a life you treat humanity merely as a means to an end. Kant wouldn’t be interested in the suffering or pain caused to even a person who was terminally ill and wanted to end their life, nor would he take into consideration the family/friends suffering. In this essay I will be arguing that if we follow the categorical imperative it is immoral to sacrifice a life because it involves treating humanity merely as a means to an end. I will examine John Hardwig’s counter argument that we should end our own lives if more pain and suffering is caused by prolonging it/living it even if we are no longer a rational being. We must understand that Kant is saying; if I make a maxium e. g. – ‘if I am in unbearable suffering, I should take my own life’ – it must meet the universal law and be applied to everyone. Kant believes we ought to preserve our own lives because it is our moral duty (it is necessary and universal). John Hardwig however, would argue we also have the right to end our lives. Kant would dismiss this because ultimately humans are the bearers of rational life (e. g. it is too sacred to sacrifice). Suicide fails Kant’s Categorical Imperative on the following grounds: It seeks to shorten a life that promises more troubles than please, this would be killing yourself out of self-love; when in fact the real aim would be to live a life worth living, with more pleasure than difficulties. Kant isn’t claiming that it’s impossible for everyone to commit suicide or for everyone to will it (and therefore it becoming a universal law). He believes ‘it would not exist as nature; hence the maxim cannot obtain as a law of nature’. (Immanuel Kant, The Groundwork of the methaphysics of morals, Mary Gregor and Jens Timmermann, Cambridge University 2012, p45 emphasis added). Here Kant seems to be suggesting that suicide isn’t a natural path of life; that it goes against our purpose and that it’s a contradiction to end your life when your goal would be to have an enjoyable life. The idea that the destruction of life is incompatible with improvement suggests that nature couldn’t/wouldn’t allow self-love to be used in a way that is contrary to its purpose. There is surely an obviously contradiction here; in ending one’s life to prevent suffering, one is using one’s life mere means to an end, which automatically fails the categorical imperative. Take the case of Maria Von Herbert- she is clearly appealing to Kant, if under any circumstances; suicide is morally acceptable? He isn’t as blatant with her as in his writings, but let us not forget, Kant doesn’t see woman as rational beings. I agree with Rae Langton that Kant totally bypasses the reason Herbert is writing to him. He doesn’t confront her on suicide but instead reduces her problem to a moral dilemma (regrets lying or telling the truth ), which as an intelligent woman whom has read all his writings; she could work out for herself. Could this have made Kant certain that she did lie and therefore fail the kingdom of ends? Perhaps Kant is being hypocritical; he doesn’t tell Maria the whole truth of suicide merely reducing her to ‘a thing’. He tells Maria she should be ‘ashamed’ for not telling the truth to her former friend but, doesn’t this apply for himself too? Is he just avoiding the truth (states this is just as bad a lying) by not confronting her about suicide? Most likely he wants her to be autonomous and get to the reason herself. Hardwig disagrees with Kant. Take a different situation; Is a terminally ill person-needing 24/7 care, who is entirely financially reliant- only using their family as a means to an end? You can see this as a ‘two way street’ situation. Kant doesn’t look to consequences of an action; it wouldn’t matter to his philosophy that the ill person’s family suffers because they are preserving their life. But is there a flaw? (1) I ought to do my duty as long as I am alive; and (2) It is my duty to go on living as long as possible. Kant strongly believes that you can’t affirm life by taking your own. There is only one exception. Kant claims those who die in battle are ‘victims of fate’ (not simply suicide because they chose to fight). He holds the view that it is better to die in battle than to die of a wound in hospital. Kant believes it’s noble to risk our lives for others- nobody uses us as mere means and we follow our own maxium. We are no longer forced into serving for our country or deceived into joining (if this did happen it would fail the CI because we wouldn’t be treated as rational beings and would be used as mere means and not as ends in ourselves). John Hardwig strongly believes that life should be treated no differently from death. We are free to live in the way we want, so why aren’t we free to die in the way we want (when and how)? He also switches the question but Kant would simply say we have a duty to live. Hardwig has also argued that medical advances eliminate the threats of many terminal illnesses. He then concludes, if our continued existence creates signi? cant hardship for our loved ones, we have a duty to die. By continuing a live of suffering the burden that this person imposes on others is often great. One may have the duty to die in order to relieve them of these burdens. This argument seems to be based on fairness. Kant would refute this; suffering is a tool of reasoning and it ensures the development of mankind. Kant strongly believes that we should preserve our own lives. The argument though strong is flawed. 1- All duties are absolute- Kant doesn’t advise us on how to resolve conflicting duty (for example: help others vs. never kill). 2- He discounts moral emotions like compassion, sympathy, desire and remorse as appropriate and ethical motives for action. 3- Kant completely ignores the consequences of an action and is purposefully blind to following circumstances. He states that human life is valuable because humans are the bearers of rational life. We have the great capacity to think, organize, plan etc. and Kant holds this as being valuable. Therefore we should not sacrifice this for anything (as previously discussed autonomous creatures should not be treated merely as a means or for the happiness of another). There are also great issues with Hardwigs counter argument; if we agree that we have the duty to die; who has the duty to die? When do they have they duty to die? Although this argument is strong is some areas (greater burden), it is greatly flawed. It would be extremely difficult to universalize a maxium for everyone to follow so they could decide if at that moment they had the duty to die. A problem would also occur if the family disagreed with the ill person’s decision, which could cause great problems within society (though Kant would not look to consequences but they are greatly important to Hardwigs argument). I believe –and agree with Kant- that if we follow the categorical imperative it is immoral to sacrifice anyone at all (including yourself) because it involves treating the humanity in that person as merely a means to an end. I also accept and agree with his point that it seems to go against our purpose and is an unnatural path for us to take a life. I find it interesting that Kant believes suffering is a tool of development and therefore essential to us. Though John Hardwigs argument is partly convincing, if we were all given the choice of when we should die, would we find the right time? This would be very hard to govern, as people would of course take advantage of this right. I’ve found it hard to find a counter argument to Kant’s stance -without suffering there wouldn’t be cures and perhaps less happiness. Therefore I have to agree with Kant that it only allows us to grow and develop. Thus we do have the duty to preserve our own lives even if it is riddled with suffering.

Customer Retention Tools Used By Public And Private Banks Marketing Essay

Customer Retention Tools Used By Public And Private Banks Marketing Essay Customer retention is the activity that a selling organization undertakes in order to reduce customer defections. Successful customer retention starts with the first contact an organization has with a customer and continues throughout the entire lifetime of a relationship. A companys ability to attract and retain new customers, is not only related to its product or services, but strongly related to the way it services its existing customers and the reputation it creates within and across the marketplace. Customer retention is more than giving the customer what they expect; its about exceeding their expectations so that they become loyal advocates for your brand. Creating customer loyalty puts customer value rather than maximizing profits and shareholder value at the centre of business strategy. The key differentiator in a competitive environment is more often than not the delivery of a consistently high standard of customer service. Private and Public Banks Banks have been broadly divided into private and public. A private bank is that in which there are but few partners, and these attend personally to its management. A public bank is that in which there are numerous partners or shareholders, and they elect from their own body a certain number, who are entrusted with its management. he business of banking consists chiefly in receiving deposits of money, upon which interest may or may not be allowed; in making advances of money, principally in the way of discounting bills; and in affecting the transmission of money from one place to another. Banks in metropolitan cities are usually the agents of the banks in smaller communities and charge a commission on their transactions. The profits of a bank are that portion of its total receipts including discount, interest, dividends, and commission which exceeds the amount of the expenses. List of Private Banks in India Bank of Punjab Bank of Rajasthan ICICI HDFC Centurion bank IndusInd bank Federal bank UTI bank Jammu Kashmir bank South India bank Karnataka bank List of Public Banks in India Allahabad bank State bank of India Punjab National bank Punjab Sind bank Bank of Maharashtra Bank of India Canara bank UCO bank Central bank of India IDBI CUSTOMER RETENTION TOOLS USED BY PRIVATE BANKS Social media major customer retention tool in private banks: To retain more and more customers private banks use social media. In this in case of responding to customers social media is a powerful retention tool. In this before contacting to customer service department, customers can go online and can get information regarding anything. Bank world relationship -personal banker To retain the customers private banks started bank word relationship in this they will do: they will assign special persons to a group of clients in which clients can mail to these persons for personal help and financial advice. Keep customers informed In this to retain their customers they have started their customers informing about latest schemes and offers and necessary information. For informing the customers banks send letters, e-mails, make phone calls and send messages on their mobile phones. Contest for customers For existing customers to retain them they have started to reward customer loyalty by running a customer -only competition or contest. In this the entry is free and automatic for existing customers and publicises the results in newsletter and website Offers related or complementary products Banks are providing complementary products or services to their customers because this helps them in retaining their customers. Anniversary offer In this banks are providing special anniversary offers one year exactly after the customer first came to banks. Employee motivation Employee morale and motivation plays an important role in customer retention. A demoralized employee tends not to listen to customer and in turn can turn away a good customer off. Empowerment of people, investment in soft skill/product and other relevant trainings and right technology to monitor the results need to be employed. Incentive schemes along with right compensation across the spectrum of staff from front office to marketing leading to documented evidence of improvement in customer retention and satisfaction leads to long term profitability and loyalty. This will also require management buy-in and commitment. In the long term loyal and motivated employees lead to more business and satisfied customer. Banks need to strive to make each employee a brand ambassador for the Bank. Managing customer complaints Customer complaints are identified by a number of ways in private banks: such as customer complaint box, written form, verbal form.. Customers usually make complaint about their problems telling the relevant person in the bank. Complaints are managed by taking quick actions. This helps in the retention of customers. Relationship Managers (RMs) The concept of Relationship Manager (RM) is used in the banks. The job of RM is generally performed by the branch officers. The interviews revealed that the main job of Relationship Managers to reach out to the customers both corporate and personal, to make sure that the job is done in a systematic manner within the clients time frame. The relationship managers for corporate banking are very much important because during the relationship the bank attempts to solve the problems of client organization and satisfy its needs through a series of transactions. It helps in the customer retention. INTERNET BANKING Private Banks have their own website. Internet Banking has already been started. Following are the common features of Internet Banking: View account balances and transaction history Verify deposits Check loan balances Check loan payment information View interest information Various information regarding their products In this customers can get every information through internet. It is an important tool to retain customers. SPATIAL CONVENIENCE Spatial convenience is provided by branch location and technology driven delivery services such as ATM. To create spatial convenience branches and ATM booths should be established near the target customers.. ATM is used to provide convenience by placing them in locations like shopping mall, in some central place of areas. SEGEMENTATION To retain the customers in banks they started segmentation. The factors that banks emphasize to identify the needs and requirements are as follows: For corporate customer: Financial Strength and credit worthiness Market Positioning Reputation Integrity Industries Listed Companies For personal banking: Occupation Income and Propensity to save Attitude towards banking Market demand Geographic concentration BUILDING MANAGING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP Relationship marketing encompasses activities of attracting, maintaining, and enhancing customer relationships. It is an organizational philosophy that impacts on operations and processes, employees, customer service and quality and customer retention. Win-win rewards It provides benefits for both the customer and the private banks Successful marketing of these initiatives means customers are encouraged to use cost-saving electronic banking services that enable maximum efficiency and profitability. For example, consumers may be required to receive statements online, use their debit card a certain amount of times each month, use online banking or bill pay and/or enrol in direct deposit. This lowers personal service costs and statement costs (for printing and mailing) and gives bankers the time and resources they need to focus on building relationships with key customers. Technology Telephone banking is another option for customer retention as this service is for convenience of customer. And for this purpose following technology is used: Interactive voice response (IVR) IVR systems are used very commonly by various service organizations for order placements, purchasing airline tickets, telephone banking, caller routing and identification, obtaining balance inquiries, paying bills, completing surveys and polls and looking up selective information, to name a few. IVR systems are also used at call centres to help identify customers needs and prepare the live customer service representative by obtaining information from the caller ahead of time, such as account numbers, name, social security number, address information, etc. IVR for short is a software application that allows telephone caller to select options from various menus. IVR systems are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so callers can access them anywhere, anytime. Callers may enter requested information into telephone keypad or by simply speaking commands. Commands generally consists of numbers or simply Yes or No answers. IVR systems also have voice options for help, speak with a customer care specialist or other various straight forward options. CUSTOMER RETENTION TOOLS USED BY PUBLIC BANKS Relationship based pricing Existing customers feel that they are being ignored by banks when it comes to pricing as competitive rates are being offered to new customers only. This forces public banks to have a pricing strategy. Customers who have multiple products with Banks across different lines of business (LOBs) expect transparency in product pricing. They tend to stay loyal and this loyalty needs to be taken care of. Relationship based pricing (RBP) is a new mantra which institutions are now trying to get into. RBP helps in evaluating the total income earned from the customer across all the LOBs and work out mutually profitable pricing. RBP helps banks to treat each customer differently, based on the overall relationship value, with innovative pricing strategies across enterprise. Banks can ensure that the benefits and rewards are provided based on total value the customer provides thereby enriching the customer loyalty. This helps a lot in customer retention. Employee motivation Employee morale and motivation plays an important role in customer retention. A demoralized employee tends not to listen to customer and in turn can turn away a good customer off. Empowerment of people, investment in soft skill/product and other relevant trainings and right technology to monitor the results need to be employed. Incentive schemes along with right compensation across the spectrum of staff from front office to marketing leading to documented evidence of improvement in customer retention and satisfaction leads to long term profitability and loyalty. This will also require management buy-in and commitment. In the long term loyal and motivated employees lead to more business and satisfied customer. Banks need to strive to make each employee a brand ambassador for the Bank. Keep customers informed Same way like private banks they also retain their customers, they also have started their customers informing about latest schemes and offers and necessary information. For informing the customers banks send letters, e-mails, make phone calls and send messages on their mobile phones. Rewards management Customers expect banks to be flexible and willing to change while offering rewards. Listening to them will go a long way in knowing what is wanted and what is not. Outdated products/service as a reward will not go down well with customers and addition of newer loyalty partners with innovative ideas will be welcome. Innovative ways of redeeming rewards like online redemption, redemption against purchases etc are the ones which will be liked. Proper segmentation of customers is required so that the right product/reward is targeted. Loyalty programs need to be constantly evolving based on the market conditions and technology needs to be used extensively in this regard. Profitable and cost effective Customer Relationship Management has become a key strategic area with an increased focus on this issue by top management of Banks. The opportunity for banks has never been greater to assume a more customer centric responsibility. Continuous use of customer feedback, tuning loyalty programs, improving employee morale along with the relevant Enterprise wide technology platform to monitor all these will ensure in improving customer relationships with the active participation of management across the organizational functions. Management buy-in and participation across the different level in the hierarchy is important in improving customer relationships, helping to deepen brand loyalty and increase customer lifetime value. In the end loyalty equals increasing profits and a strong competitive edge which is the order of the day. Ultimately, best strategies in customer loyalty management reflect in higher customer satisfaction indices and improved bottom line f or the Bank. Education for the customer on products and services offerings:Â   Customers need to have adequate information about banks products, services, delivery channels and the costs associated with each. However, bank does not have unlimited resources to provide personalized education at the branch level. Integrated banking platforms support Push-To-Talk and similar applications which can deliver personal interaction remotely. Customer Empowerment with necessary information and tools to encourage independent decision making:Â   Customer can use calculators, simulators and modellers to compare different products understand the steps to be taken to achieve their financial goals and seek guidance in broader financial matters such as wealth creation and retirement planning. Humble ATMs Public banks have just introduced humble ATMs to retain its customers. In these ATMs if a person can interact with bank staff if the nearest branches are closed. Social Media To retain more and more customers public banks use social media. In this in case of responding to customers social media is a powerful retention tool. In this before contacting to customer service department, customers can go online and can get information regarding anything. CONCLUSION There is a great competition between public and private banks. Customer retention is their major motive. To retain their customers banks adopted many tools and techniques. Private sector banks focus more on customer retention as compared to Public sector banks. Private sector bank follows the 80/20 rule which means that the top 20 customers generate the 80% of organization revenue. It is easy and cost effective to retain the existing customers, than to gain new. This is the strategy which both Public and Private sector banks follow.

International Criminal Justice Between Soviet Union, Afghanistan, and A

An analysis of International Aggression: The scope of International Criminal Justice Through the years, the overt and covert conflicts between the United States and the former Soviet Union was often coined in terms of international aggression. The Soviet invasions of Afghanistan lead to a renewal of Cold War hostility between the Soviet Union and America. Afghanistan made headlines in 1979 as it brought to the forefront, the Cold War sentiments with the continued efforts of then U.S.S.R. to spread communism. Aside from the different conflicts between various countries who were allies of either of these nations, it is important that we note the climate that existed and what grew out of it. In the early days of the Cold War, mistrust was rampant and the aura of suspicion permeated every corner of society. Reflecting back on those times, there are countless instances allegations of espionage and examples of radical citizens partaking in criminal activity to benefit the mother country became prevalent. Two such cases which gained much notoriety included the espionage trial of Alger Hiss as well as the trials of both Julius and wife, Ethel Rosenberg. During this period of unrest there was a vast East vs. West competition, with much tension between alliances. After WWII the relationship between the U. S. and the U.S.S.R. became known as the â€Å"Cold War†. From the Soviets’ point of view, Joseph Stalin saw the world as being divided between capitalists and imperialists on one side and on the other saw the communists and progressives. The U. S standpoint was clear as President Harry Truman stated â€Å"We are two opposed systems: one free and the other bent on subjugating other nations† (History CH DVD). The Geneva summit of 1959 wi... ...entire societies are being sacrificed in the wake of their actions. One has only to scrape the surface lightly to find evidence of the underlying mistrust amongst the key players today and widespread espionage that continues today, fueled by new acts of aggression. Within our own nation we find America on the forefront of undisclosed fraud in government and new revelations of misinformation being shared to fuel rhetoric. How do we move forward as a global society, not to repeat mistakes of the past? References: Arms, T.A. (1994) Encyclopedia of the cold war. New York: Facts on File Publishing Haynes, J.E., Klehr, H. (2006) Early cold war spies: The espionage trials that shaped American politics. New York: Cambridge (2006) In search of History: Spies Among Us (History Channel DVD) (2003) Night Flight from Moscow. Fonda, Henry. (Personal DVD)