The Scarlet Letter: Themes Alive Today

Mike Esposito Mrs. Forstrom American Literature – 1 7 November 2012 The Themes Are Still Alive Today Ah The Scarlet Letter, whether we like it or not, it is now a book we have all read and have most likely come to hate. Whether it be because of the old setting in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony in Boston that we cannot relate to or the old English language in which it is written, Nathaniel Hawthorne just failed to create a novel that most teenagers of the early twenty-first century can enjoy and appreciate.It must be pointed out that first, it’s doubtful he cares, and more importantly that this just simply should not be the case. We juniors should pay more attention to the novel, especially with the thought that the messages Hawthorne tries to convey are still relevant today. Think about it. With all of the experiences of Hester Prynne and other characters in the novel, we interpret concepts that are still correlated with those of today.In Hawthorne’s the Sc arlet Letter, two crucial themes of sin and what it can do to people and the different degrees of evil directly relate to today’s society and modern ideas. As it is known, Hester committed a sin in the novel with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale that the Puritans in her society thought to be one of the worst that could ever be committed: adultery. They conceived a child together, their daughter Pearl, which is a sin that takes a toll on both characters in many different ways.Beginning with Hester, the protagonist, the sin is something that identifies her, and she becomes one with it. At the beginning of the novel, you should recall that she has to take her first punishment of being humiliated on the scaffold and ridiculed by many people of the community while wearing the letter â€Å"A† on her chest to indicate that she committed adultery. But she does not just stick any regular printed letter on her.She goes beyond, as Hawthorne describes, â€Å"But the point which drew al l eyes and, as it were, transfigured the wearer—so that both men and women, who had been familiarly acquainted with Hester Prynne, were now impressed as if they beheld her for the first time—was that Scarlet Letter, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself† (51-52). Hester makes the Scarlet Letter so beautiful because it is a part of who she is and it determines her identity.Also, throughout the book, Hester shows she accepts her sin, especially through the fact that she wants to stay in Boston instead of leave to go elsewhere. She does this because she does not want to pretend that the situation never happened and deny a part of who she is. This tremendously demonstrates the message that sin can give someone fortitude. In addition, forgiveness is something that can also result of sin. This is demonstrated very creative ly through the changing of the letter A on Hester’s shirt.It first symbolized the sin she committed, but later in the novel, changes to mean other positive things, such as â€Å"able† and â€Å"awe†. The change of what the letter means shows that her sin was made up for and that she is forgiven. However, in complete contrast to Hester is Dimmesdale, the father, who shows what can also result from sin. No one ever finds out that until late that he was on the other end of the affair with Hester, which was not a good thing for Dimmesdale. Throughout the novel, his psychological turmoil worsens as he unintentionally inflicts his own punishment of self hatred and guilt.He gets vitally ill and sicker as time progresses, which is reinforced with him always having his hand over his heart. One night his agony and remorse sleepwalks him to the scaffold that Hester was embarrassed on years earlier, as Hawthorne words it, â€Å"he had been driven hither by the impulse of t hat Remorse which dogged him everywhere† (144). This clearly portrays the message of hiding a sin can be too much to handle and can destroy a person. Now that the theme of the different things sin can lead to is discussed in The Scarlet Letter, let’s relate it to our life.As the Christian religion will preach, everyone in the entire world sins all the time. Whether the sins are small or really serious, they are a part of our life all the time, and mostly those that are seriously poor decisions can have a great affect on us. As is illustrated with Hester in the novel, those poor choices can be made up for and can give us strength in our later life. For example, steroid use in baseball is a very popular issue. Ryan Braun, outfielder in the MLB, was suspected to have used performance enhancing drugs after a failed urine test.Clearly, taking steroids was a bad choice for him to make, and although it is not commonly thought of as one, it is a sin. However, Braun came back th e next season after the scandal and had a career year. He recognized his mistake and came back stronger than ever, which is quite relatable to Hester and how her sin made her bold. Also, on the other side, sins can lead people today into having too much guilt to be able to handle, no matter how venial or mortal the sin may be. You may lie to your parents and just not be able to hold back a confession because you feel bad.Or, it may be as serious as a murderer who could not live with himself anymore and turned himself in. Whatever the case may be, what Hawthorne wrote about sin in the 1800’s in The Scarlet Letter still relates to aspects of life today. Roger Chillingworth, that doctor that we know and love, presents another major theme in the novel: there are many levels of evil. As we know, Chillingworth was the husband of Hester before she had the affair with Dimmesdale, which obviously is an evil to the Puritans of the colony.One of the details that you may have missed is t hat the marriage between Chillingworth and Hester was arranged, and that she had no say in it. On a side note, Chillingworth was about double Hester’s age, which makes the marriage worse, and kind of gross. But this plays a role in that Hester more likely committed the sin because she wasn’t really in love with Chillingworth, and was with Dimmesdale. This is the justification of her doing what she did. And in addition to the evils that Hester and Dimmesdale carried out, Chillingworth also does.You should remember that as Dimmesdale was sick, Chillingworth, the â€Å"brilliant acquisition†, was chosen to be his doctor and he had to try to save the colony’s well loved minister. As he did this, he suspected something interesting going on with Dimmesdale, and he figured out that he was involved with Hester and realizes his suspicions are correct. So instead of curing him, he begins to torture the minister. This act of malice is definitely more widely consider ed evil than the acts of Hester and Dimmesdale to us, which is exactly what Hawthorne wants us to think.He demonstrates the theme bluntly in Dimmesdale’s speech to Hester when he talks about Chillingworth’s evil, â€Å"There is one worse than even that polluted priest! That old man’s revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart. Thou and I, Hester, never did so! † (191). Hawthorne clearly wants you to realize that the evil found in Hester and Dimmesdale’s lovemaking is not nearly as bad as evil in its most poisonous form of the cruel revenge taken by Chillingworth.Evidently, the theme of different levels of evil is clearly presented in the novel, but it also occurs in real life. It is a very upsetting fact, but it is true: evil has not gone away. It existed in the eighteenth century, the time period where The Scarlet Letter takes place, the nineteenth century, when the novel was written, and ri ght now, where it is still around today. We know that evil can be something that is somber, such as a serial killer that just doesn’t have a conscience and will never grasp the concept that death is something so mind bogglingly terrible and should never be done to a person.That is one extreme. Evil can also be used to describe your teacher, even if the only reason why is because you didn’t like that she gave you a pop quiz that you failed. This may seem barely related to evil talked about in The Scarlet Letter, but it is not, however. This is because as the Puritans call the acts of love of Hester and Dimmesdale â€Å"evil†, we still don’t really think that they were necessarily evil for doing so, just like the hypothetical teacher probably does not have much of an evil soul.So, there are many different degrees of evil, and they exist in modern context as well as in the wonderful novel. As you now well educated pupils should realize, the novel written hun dreds of years ago, The Scarlet Letter, about a world that we can’t seem to be able to relate to, is still very useful in today’s modern society because of the relation between the novel’s major themes and their relation to today’s modern society.Sin and what it can do to people is a large concept that is a lot to grasp, and it is discussed thoroughly in the book and is clearly alive today. Additionally, the different degrees of evil in the world is definitely a focus of both the novel and our current lives. So no more calling the book bad and difficult and boring. Respect its greatness. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1988. Print.

Analysis of Edward Albee’s Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

According to Edward Albee, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? aims to examine whether American society was able to â€Å"live up to the principles of the American Revolution† (qtd in Bottoms 16). In another interview, he noted that the play stands as a response to O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh, a response that acknowledges that the denial of the self leads to fiction and prevents the acceptance of reality (qtd in Bottoms 46). In this sense, one might state that aforementioned play serves as a critique to the way of life led within American societies as it enables and tolerates the denial of reality through the creation of fictitious images of American culture. This is evident if one considers the similarities between the characters within the play. George and Martha stand as representations of the effects of the rapid shifts in the industrial, social, and historical climate within the United States to the individual. Nick and Honey, on the other hand represent the effects of these changes to the individuals whose existence started during this period. Within the play, George stands as the epitome of the individual whose commitment to life the self and to others has been deprecated by his career as an associate professor of history in New England. Martha, on the hand, stands as the embodiment of the angry, strong, and frustrated individual. The couple’s identities were emphasized by their counterparts Nick and Honey. Within the play, Nick represents the opportunistic superficial individual. Like George, who is also a professor, Nick is a new biologist instructor in the college. His wife, Honey, on the other hand is the daughter of a rich family who like Martha is plagued with hatred and terror which may be traced to her husband’s treatment. These feelings are veiled with a pretense of laughter. The characters, within the text, thereby portray distraught individuals who are continuously being destroyed by their pretenses and their failure to accept and realize their selves. Such a realization, however, was achieved by the protagonists (George and Martha) as they were able negotiate their identities as well as the recent failure of their marriage. Note for example that the initial part of the play portrays George and Martha as being engaged in verbal battle. Martha describes her husband as â€Å"A FLOP! A great†¦big†¦fat†¦FLOP† (Albee 84). The later part of the novel, however, shows an end to the verbal battle between the couple as the chasm between illusion and reality has finally been crossed. The question posed by George in the initial part of the play was answered. He states, â€Å"Truth and illusion. Who knows the difference? † (Albee 201). It seems, only those who can accept a life without illusions, one purely founded upon reality can know the difference and in effect can live a ‘real’ life. In the initial part of the essay, it was mentioned that Albee’s purpose for writing the play was to show the American society’s failure to live up to the ideals of the revolution. This failure lies in our failure to go beyond our pre-fabricated illusions. Our failure to face reality as is.

Elizabeth Poor Laws

The Last Years of the Poor Law During the interwar period the Poor Law served as a residual safety net, assisting those who fell through the cracks of the existing social insurance policies. The high unemployment of 1921-38 led to a sharp increase in numbers on relief. The official count of relief recipients rose from 748,000 in 1914 to 1,449,000 in 1922; the number relieved averaged 1,379,800 from 1922 to 1938. A large share of those on relief were unemployed workers and their dependents, especially in 1922-26.Despite the extension of unemployment insurance in 1920 to virtually all workers except the self-employed and those in agriculture or domestic service, there still were large numbers who either did not qualify for unemployment benefits or who had exhausted their benefits, and many of them turned to the Poor Law for assistance. The vast majority were given outdoor relief; from 1921 to 1923 the number of outdoor relief recipients increased by 1,051,000 while the number receiving indoor relieve increased by 21,000. The Poor Law becomes redundant and is repealedDespite the important role played by poor relief during the interwar period, the government continued to adopt policies, which bypassed the Poor Law and left it â€Å"to die by attrition and surgical removals of essential organs† (Lees 1998). The Local Government Act of 1929 abolished the Poor Law unions, and transferred the administration of poor relief to the counties and county boroughs. In 1934 the responsibility for assisting those unemployed who were outside the unemployment insurance system was transferred from the Poor Law to the Unemployment Assistance Board.Finally, from 1945 to 1948, Parliament adopted a series of laws that together formed the basis for the welfare state, and made the Poor Law redundant. The National Assistance Act of 1948 officially repealed all existing Poor Law legislation, and replaced the Poor Law with the National Assistance Board to act as a residual relief ag ency. In what way might the legacy of the 1834, poor Law be seen in contemporary welfare policy? This essay will endeavour to highlight the    advantages/disadvantages, and how the welfare state treats individual members of the community differently .The historically changing conceptualization of the welfare state and its provision of social services the individuals democratic right to access the state provided benefits, are looked at in their historically and geographically changing existing structure. Conflicting conservative, liberal and socialist methods to the view of individual vs. collective responsibility are considered in the context of rival welfare state arrangements. The Poor Law was established and put into motion in 1601 during the time of Elizabeth I. The aims of the poor law, according to Golding and Middleton were work, discipline, deterrence and classification.The poor law was the most important policy development dealing with poverty up until the end of the nine teenth century and it was a development, which main objective was upon control and deterrence. The Poor Law of 1601 lasted for over two centuries, but it was inefficient. Governments did not have the control, means or organisation to deal with poverty effectively. Poverty was a regional and national problem, and yet each local parish was left to deal with it individually The Poor Law cannot be seen just as a vehicle used to preserve life of those who could not feed, clothe or house themselves.Rather it should be seen as a part of the social response of a society that was moving from a wholly agricultural and village based society towards an industrialised and largely urban society. What is the legacy?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. the welfare state of to day with social benefits for all and free medical help also education    no one needs to starve in Britain. The idears of the older poor laws can be seen in to days welfare state as an extension of these poor laws through more recent governments .. (2011, 01).In What Way Might the Legacy of the 1834, Poor Law Be Seen in Contemporary Welfare Policy?. StudyMode. com. Retrieved 01, 2011, from http://www. studymode. com/essays/In-What-Way-Might-The-Legacy-549882. html Modern welfare state development is generally considered to lead to social security or benefits payments, social housing provision, health provision, social work and educational services. Together these services are known as the ‘big five' but these services tend to develop over time and have differed in quantity, availability and quality.Provision and development can change due to social, economic and political factors (Spicker, 1995, p. 3). State provision of welfare has a long history, in Britain for instance dating back to the Elizabethan Poor Laws and earlier. Welfare states started to develop when surveys of poverty by people such as Charles Booth showed the inadequacy of welfare provisions that could not deal with poverty particularly with increasing urbanisation and industrialisation (Thane, 1996, p. 7). The worldwide depression from 1929 would lead countries to consider further welfare developments.High unemployment (12% of the working population in Britain at its worst) showed that better welfare provision was needed (Robbins, 1994, p. 208). From such modest roots the public sector in Britain for example represents around 40 % of the economy (Simpson, 2005, p. 4). There are various key theories that seek to explain the processes involved in welfare state development that will be explained below. The theories have evolved or being devised to explain the differences and similarities in welfare state development in different countries at the same time or in a single country over a period of time.Theories agree that welfare states were developed to serve those that needed help the most or sometimes as universal services to all (O'Brien and Penna, 1998, p. 2). After the main theories have been discussed the one or ones that are mo st applicable for evaluating contemporary changes will be outlined. There are different ways of looking at the development of the welfare state and deciding how far it should extend, demands. (2013, 01). Welfare State. StudyMode. com. Retrieved 01, 2013, from http://www. studymode. com/essays/Welfare-State-1342080. html

Statistics Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Statistics - Speech or Presentation Example Standard deviation on the other hand show us how the individual values compares the mean value, the smaller the standard deviation, the closer the samples measurements are to the mean and vice versa (Gravetter and Wallnau 123). With regard then to the standard deviation given, it is evidenced that there is a considerable difference of the samples considered. Different sample numbers and variation of age among the considered students may have occasioned this. Comparing the two calculated statistics with the population statistics clearly shows inaccuracy, the mean deviation of the samples from that of the population is enormous and this shows that sampling was skewed to a section of the population thus the true value could not be reached. This can also be observed with the values of the standard deviation that shows consistent abnormal variation questioning the sampling technique. Referring to the statistics from the samples against that of the population, they do not reflect values t hat are consistent to the central tendency. Central tendency tends to show us where the majority of the data belongs to by use of mode, median or mean (Gravetter and Wallnau 156). Indeed the only way of getting correct statistical results from a data is to consider as much samples as possible against the possible number of population, this will ensure that a larger percentage of the population are considered with possible inclusion of all the extremities, smaller and larger ones narrowing the space for biasness (Gravetter and Wallnau 162). The use of two classes alone or Susan’s class would have considered a group with skewed values distorting the

Market Research Techniques & Research Methods Case Study

Market Research Techniques & Research Methods - Case Study Example The company operated or franchised 2,741 lodging properties worldwide, with 499,165 rooms as of fiscal 2005. These include 2,447 properties in the Americas, 26 in the Middle East and Africa, 79 in Asia, 105 in Europe and 76 in the UK. In addition, it provides 1,850 furnished corporate housing rental units (online Marriott International). The company's operations are grouped into five business divisions: full-service lodging, select-service lodging, extended stay lodging, timeshare and synthetic fuel (Marriott International Annual Report 2005). Despite being recognized as one of the largest players in the global hospitality industry, Marriott International has been for a long time been over dependent on the UK hospitality and tourism market. It has affected Marriott significantly as the economy slows down and real estate costs rise. The This study shall examine Marriott International implementation of results of marketing Research of is environment and competition that will provide critical information on how the organization will enhance their brand management and relationship-building marketing strategies. The present macro environmental changes in the global marketplace make it necessary for them to customize these strategies that should be consistent and supportive of overall organizational goals. Marriott International ought to scrutinize its business norms to be responsive to external changes, and still maintain competitive advantage over competitors. The current study wishes to concentrate on its relationship marketing efforts. Market Research Techniques & Methods for the organization's existing strategies and impact of the external environment with recommendations to improve will also be included 3. Marketing Environment Marketing activities are influenced by several factors inside and outside the business firm. These factors or forces influencing marketing decision-making are collectively called marketing environment. It comprises all these factors, which have san impact on market and marketing efforts of the Marriott International. According to Philip Kotler, marketing environment refers to "Eternal factors and forces that affect the company's ability to develop and maintain successful transactions and relationships with its target customer." The marketing environment of Marriott International may be broadly divided into two parts Microenvironment Macro environment Microenvironment implies the factors and forces in the immediate environment, which affect the company's ability to serve its market. These factors are given below: Suppliers Market intermediaries Customers Public Macro environment refers to those factors, which are external forces in the company's activities and do not concern the immediate environment. Macro environment are uncontrollable factors, which indirectly affect the concerns ability to operate in the market effectively. The components of macro environment affecting the company are as stated under (a) Demographic forces (b) Economic forces (c) Political and legal forces (d) Social and cultural forces (e) Physical forces (f) Technological forces (Source: Stephen, 2005, page

American History from 1874 to 2000 Research Paper

American History from 1874 to 2000 - Research Paper Example â€Å"Fix it up or do without† became the motto for the young people coming of age during this time in America’s history. And as with all things historic, this would surely influence what has been referred to popularly as The Greatest Generation, as they entered the years of war that came on the heals of the Great Depression. Identifying a cause of the Great Depression is tricky business. Many people look to the stock market crash of 1929 as an easy answer. This actually wasn’t the real cause of the economic problems, but it was a symptom of a desperately unhealthy economy (Davis 2003). The stock market crash was a severe psychological blow to the American public. Writing this during the Great Recession that started over a year ago, some of the actions of investors in the years preceding the stock market crash of 1929 sounds like dà ©jà   vu. The stock market had for years been a place for the powerful elites of America to get even richer. They had access and knowledge of markets. The ordinary working classes steered clear. During the booming 1920’s this changed. The stock prices were rising so dramatically, middle class citizens were borrowing money to buy more stocks. Getting rich quick was the order of the day. The problem started when European investors started to notice the amount of debt American companies and banks were incurring due to speculative stock purchases. Stock prices began to decline and panic set in. People sold their stock, or attempted to before they lost everything. Banks were swamped with customers that wanted to withdraw money, but there was no money because the banks had purchased speculative stocks that were now worthless. The social and economic fallout from the crash was considerable. By 1932, just three years after the crash manufacturing and agriculture was suffering from deflation. The price of goods and commodities

Public Diplomacy and Media Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Public Diplomacy and Media - Research Paper Example Journalists operate within an ethical framework and are responsible for informing the society through media. Considering issues of propaganda stories, and factors like evidence gathering and working along with justice departments journalists may need to rely on press release statements, by quoting or printing their statements when informing the society. One, misinformation and lies to capture the public’s attention could discredit the journalists and media group they work for, least to mention the violation of the code that governs media reporting. Though the demand for news is high, accuracy and authenticity are also critical. Second, in such time when public relations has risen and embraced by many institutions, journalism seems to be shrinking; most journalists would seek out certain information from organizations’ publicity agents while internet technology gives an opportunity for PR to now bypass the press and get to directly communicate to the public.The western d omination in the media sphere has shaped and influenced foreign publics for quite a long period, which links it to its hard power and advantages over other countries. However, other countries have risen and developed strong means of persuasion capable of influencing the public discourse beyond their State boundaries through international broadcasting and cultural diplomacy other than the traditional government related policies. International broadcasting: Global influence has been achieved in the broader sense.

Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Assignment 1 - Essay Example From 16 August 1990 he had been detained in Bedford prison for the reason of deportation3. The second applicant had come to UK on 12 September 1975 as a result of her marriage to the case`s first applicant back in India, and she presently lives in Luton together with the two kids of the family, who are also the 3rd and 4th applicants. Home Secretary of the day resolved that the claimant needed to be deported from British since his continued presence in UK was never conducive for the public good citing reasons that were political in nature, that is, the international fight against terrorism. However, the claimant stood a real risk if deported to India since he would be tortured or killed by security forces. He resorted to applying an asylum. However, the UK court did not provide an asylum seeker the proper chance to argue the case. In establishing whether it has been substantiated that indeed there is a factual risk that the claimant, if expelled to India, was to be exposed to treatme nt that is contrary to Article 3, the British Court assessed all the material positioned before it. The role of the court here was to uphold the law and protect human rights, and so it had to trade carefully in this case. The expedient of the appointing security-cleared counsel, directed by the court, who was to cross-examine witnesses and in general help the court to investigate the strength of the case of State, served to demonstrate that there are techniques that can be applied which accommodate legitimate security concerns regarding the nature and intelligence information sources and yet accord the person a considerable measure of procedural justice. Enshrined in Article 3 is among the most fundamental values of a democratic society4. The British Court is much aware of the immense obstacles faced by States in the modern times concerning shielding their communities from the violence of terrorist. However, even under these circumstances, the court, as stipulated in British constit ution, still uphold the law and hold high the dignity of human rights. The Convention outlawed in absolute terms, inhuman, torture, degrading treatment or punishment, regardless of the victim’s conduct. Contrasting many of the substantive clauses in the Convention and in Protocols Nos. 4 and 1, Article 3 creates no provision for exceptions5. Moreover, no derogation originating from it is permissible according to Article 15 even if a public emergency arises that threaten the life of the nation. The legality of the detention of an individual with an aim of deportation did not rely on whether the underlying decision of deportation could be justified, and that the appellants had never dared to challenge his detention independently as opposed to a decision to deport him. The court held that expelling the claimant might engage the responsibility of the State, as stipulated in Article 3 where substantial justification are shown for believing that there would be factual risk on the d eportee of torture, inhuman, punishment or degrading treatment in the receiving country. Clause in Article 3 offers a complete prohibition of torture in the expulsion cases. The deportee`s conduct can never be a material consideration for British court in a situation where substantial grounds indicate that the deportee would definitely be at

LISTENING JOURNAL COMPOSERS MUSIC HISTORY I Assignment

LISTENING JOURNAL COMPOSERS MUSIC HISTORY I - Assignment Example Johann Sebastian Bach studied orthodox Lutheranism, Latin, Greek, mathematics, history, world geography and German literature. When Johann Sebastian Bach was nine years old he had an encounter with Johann Pachelbel. Johann Sebastian Bach received training on playing the organ at St. Michaels Church. Johann Sebastain Bach went on to play at the Court of the Duke of Weimar. He became master of concerts there. The first work that is to be studied is BWV1052 . In Bachs Harpsichord concierto, the harpsichord is the center piece in the orchestra. The harpsichord transcription was accomplished by adapting the ripieno string parts in order to make this piece emotionally stirring and vibrant. Chords are added in order to give fullness to this composition and there are left hand figurative adaptations in the harpsichord. In the primary and tertiary movement, the left hand of the harpsichordist imitates the ripieno continuo and the right hand of the harpsichordist plays melodically, as if to imitate a violin type sound. The primary and tertiary movements have a similar melodic foundation. The movements occurs in four sections, the commencement demonstrates the them in D minor, which is consequent to the emergence of F major. The second movement follows the leading A minor which is commuted to a C major. The third section resonates to the passive G minor and its accompanying major B flat major. The fourth section gives a recompilation of the prec eding three themes. This is a harpsichord concierto which was originally adapted from a piece made for an oboe. BWV 1053 in E major is a modification of Johann Sebastian Bachs work, the ripieno parts are much less pronounced than in BWV 1052 in D minor and they are given to the tutti venues. The lower tones of the harpsichord are more pronounced in BWV 1053 in E major than they are in BWV1052 in D minor. This adaptation enabled the harpsichord to be the centerpiece of

Discuss the factors that can invalidate a contract Essay

Discuss the factors that can invalidate a contract - Essay Example The requirement for proof of contact elements becomes essential in litigating instances when a party breaches the contract. The legal process following contract breach ultimately results in remedy for damages incurred upon the wronged party. The action of contract breach ultimately results in invalidation of contractual elements. Numerous factors contribute towards the invalidation of contracts agreed upon by different parties, voluntarily (Koffman and MacDonald, 75-9). Factors contributing to invalidation of contracts There are different legal ways through which contracts could be set aside. These include a contract being declared void, and it never coming into existence. A contract could also become voidable when one party declares the contract as ineffective form their own individual determination. The contract could also become unenforceable or ineffective. Unenforceability refers to situations where neither party could get remedy form courts upon breach, and ineffectiveness refe rs to court decision terminating contracts between different parties. These elements could be contributed by the factors discussed below. Misrepresentation This refers to situations where some parties make false statements and presents false information which makes other parties agree into the contract terms. Misrepresentation results in remedies of rescission or damages depending on the occurrence of misrepresentation. Misrepresentation can occur through words or conduct of one party implying falsehood, though not all elements of speech and conduct constitute misrepresentation within the setting of contract law (Gordon v Selico, 5). Misrepresentation can take place under three different conditions which include: Stating a fact falsely Directing the false statement to a party of the contract The statement inducing suing party into agreeing contract terms following the statement. Misrepresentation, therefore, occurs when a party appears to falsely induce another party into a contract by providing false or partial information, resulting in another party agreeing into the contract. The wronged party, therefore, lacks sufficient information and agrees without proof of the involved facts. Opinions held by parties, however, do not constitute misrepresentation as these remain opinions and not factual information regarding contract terms. There are different types of misrepresentation based on their occurrence; Fraudulent misrepresentation: This misrepresentation could be characterised by parties making representation intended to deceive others, and knowing the representation being as false. Fraudulent misrepresentation could constitute litigation under tort law within different legal frameworks. Negligent misrepresentation at common law: This misrepresentation occurs when parties make representations without reasonable information regarding the truth of information. This misrepresentation seeks to provide a remedy for situations where collateral contract or fraud can not be proved. This commonly occurs where individual claim to possess special skills for performing various tasks, but fail to delivery as implied. Negligent misrepresentation under statute law: This commonly refers to misrepresentation stated under various legal statutes and litigation occurs according to the statute provisions. The parties involved must prove the presence of falsehood within the statement provident by the representing

Arab sheikdoms in the United Arab Emirates Essay Example for Free

Arab sheikdoms in the United Arab Emirates Essay Dubai is one of the seven Arab sheikdoms in the United Arab Emirates (U. A. E. ). Before oil and gas were discovered in 1958, it was among the very poor sheikdoms under British protection and was once called a Trucial State. Today, their sheiks are independent and among the world’s richest men, with a gross annual income of $25. 7 billion. It has vast reserves of oil and natural gas (Ibrahim, 1982). The land is mainly salt mashes, barren desert, and sandy plain. Oases stud the desert areas. To the east, the mountains lie close to the sea. It is also famous as having the highest cost of living in the world – the cheapest apartment rents for $1,000 per month (Peck, 1986). The Emiratians (Dubai people) used to be pirates, fishermen or pearl divers, nomads or oasis farmers. Most are now wage earners or businessmen who feel more conscious of a national identity as a rich and important country. They are famous for two unique sports: (1) camel races, and (2) falconry. Colorful music, dancing and singing also give life to this otherwise dry place. This area of Gulf was notorious for piracy. They preyed on the trade between Europe and China. The British came in 1806 and started to impose oder against the Arab pirates. In 1853, piracy was finally wiped out when the sheiks signed the Perpetual Maritime Truce Agreement with Britain. Thus, the Pirate Coast became the respectable Trucial States (Seale, 1988). Today, Dubai is the largest commercial center and the nerve center for smuggling Western currency, gold, and other goods into the Indian subcontinent, especially Pakistan. Dubai is also the outlet for capital fleeing Afghanistan and Iran. One phenomenon of the oil boom was to fill Dubai’s population (like that of Kuwait and Qatar) mostly with foreigners. The majority of the population or around 50% is Indo-Pakistani outnumber the native Arabs, who populate the land by only 42%. The large foreign population (mostly migrant workers) are lured to Dubai by the high salaries, welfare benefits, and rapid development. To keep discipline, the governing Arab sheiks have emphasized Muslim (Shariah) law, religious education, and the observance of Muslim practices. The Muslim rulers and people are Sunnis, strongly influenced by the strict Wahabi sect of neighboring Saudi Arabia (Peck, 1986). Diplomacy, national security, information, communications, health, education, and the budgets of the three smaller emirates are decided by the federal government. The local sheiks retain control over policy within their emirates. The laws of Dubai (under the United Arab of Emirates) are divided into two main categories: union laws and decrees. A bill drafted by the Council of Ministers for non-binding deliberation by the Federal National Council and then submitted to the president for his assent and the Supreme Council of the Union for ratification becomes a union law when promulgated by the president. Decrees are issued jointly by the president and the Council of Ministers between sessions of the Supreme Council of the Union. As the final say is always on the Supreme Council of the Union, a decree must only be confirmed by them to remain valid (Ibrahim, 1982). Dubai’s political system, which is a unique combination of the traditional and the modern, has underpinned this political success, enabling the country to develop a modern administrative structure while, at the same time, ensuring that the best of the traditions of the past are maintained, adapted and preserved (Ibrahim, 1982). Relations with the other members of the U. A. E. have not always been smooth. The discovery of a big natural gas field in Sharjah reopened a border dispute with Dubai. In November 1982, Dubai sent tanks to the border to prevent Sharjah’s foreign contractors from drilling the field (Seale, 1988). However, not all is coming up roses for Dubai. Bad planning and extravagance have now caused new miseries. In fact, the most outstanding examples of ill-conceived investment in the Arab world are found in the Dubai ports and so-called international airports stand cheek to cheek. Within fifty kilometers of its coast are three major ports, including the Mina Jabel Ali, the biggest manmade port ever built. Its sixty-seven berths are now suffering terrible losses. Being a member of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has an international airport of its own, making cynics joke that the state boundaries end where the next runway begins. The headquarters of the Arab Monetary Fund in Dubai have polished one-way windows done with gold compound (Peck, 1986). References Ibrahim, Saad Eddin. (1982). The New Arab Social Order: A Study of the Social Impact of Oil Wealth. Westview Press. Peck, Malcolm C. (1986). The United Arab Emirates: A Venture in Unity. Westview Press. Seale, Patrick. (1988). Asad of Syria: The Struggle for the Middle East. University of California Press.

Joe’s Fly-By-Night Oil Company Essay Example for Free

Joe’s Fly-By-Night Oil Company Essay †¢ Prepare a ratio analysis for the fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2012. Organize your analysis per the following outline: (1) Liquidity Current ratio: 25,000/17,000=1.47% Quick ratio: 25,000-17,000/17,000=25,000 Comments on liquidity- The results cant really determine how well or bad the company is doing until you compare it to another company. This ratio helps show the ability to pay off short term obligations as they are due. (2) Asset management Total Asset turnover: 10,000/40,000=.25 Average collection period (ACP): 10,000/365=27 3,000/27=111 days Comments on asset management- Each $1 of asset is producing . 25 in sales. Using assest utilization shows why one firm turns over assests more rapied than another. Average collection period states that it’s taking the customer around 111days to pay off their bills. This indicates how long sales stay on companys books. (3) Debt management Debt ratio: 20,000/40,000=50% Times interest earned: 3,000/200=15 times Comments on debt management- Times interest earned shows the number of times that income before interest and taxes covers the interest obligation . The higher the ration the stronger the interest paying ability of the firm . (4) Profitability Net profit margin:1800/10,000= 18% -Return on Assets (ROA): 1800/40,000= 4.5% -Return on Equity (ROE): 1800/20,000= 9.0% Extended Du Pont equation: .25x.18-0.045(4.5%) Comments on profitability to include your comments on the sources of ROE revealed by the Du Pont equation These types of ratios indicate if the firm is making any money, and how much in relation to whats invested. They also give you an indication of how the firm is doing in controlling its costs. Net profit margin sales minus all expenses, including interest and taxes . So the net profit margin ratio measures the proportion of each sale dollar that remains after all expenses are paid for . Joes is at 18% . The ROA should be compared to past years ROA to determine wheather it is good or bad. The ROE is the bottome line which can be compared to other investments and see where they are. It evaluates the return the firm produces. The Du Point equation allows you to understand the source of return but it need to be compared to a similar industry to see truly where the company is. (5) Market value ratios PE ratio: Market price of company stock /earnings per share of stock 50.00/1.80=27.7 Market to book ratio: Share price of stock/book value per share To get the book value per share you take total equity /common shares outstanding 20,000/1,000=20 then you take share price /book value per share 1.80/20=.09 Comments on the market value ratios The M/B ratio gives you an indication of the value of a firm’s intangible non-listed assests. These numbers help you get an idea what it will cost you to get $1 of the firms assets. Stock’s market price represents how much investors are willing to pay today for that claim. I the M/B ratio is higher than 1.0 therefore , you can say that the value of the equity claim has gone up. If you look at the M/B ratio for Joe’s the equity claim has gone up since its at 27.2. For the purposes of this exercise, assume the following data for Joe’s Fly-By-Night Oil: Stock price on Dec 31, 2012†¦$50.00 Number of common shares outstanding on Dec 31, 20121,000

The Trojan War Vs World War II

The Trojan War Vs World War II Although incalculable, due to conflicting sources of information, a rough estimate of casualties of World War II left the number of the deceased at fifty-six million (Burns and Ward). Subsequently, the result of the Trojan War left four and a half million Greeks dead and more than seven million Trojans (The Golden Age of Myth and Legend). Men from both sides of the historical spectrum fought and died without knowing that both wars are related to each other indirectly due to the imperialistic thirst for power. While the causes of war reflect one another, the methods, styles, and weaponry of warfare differ tremendously due to the advances in technology by the time of World War II. These advances pertain not to the sociological aspect, however, suggest that time is the most indifferent variable when it comes to the pro-active and reactive actions of societies at large. The primary cause of the Trojan War can be linked to a number of different reasons. One argument states the cause of the war as Helens betrayal of Sparta; the Spartan queen that fell in love with the prince of Troy (Homer). Another side persist the reason for the beginning of the war as Agamemnons desire for power, which stretched as far as wanting to control the Trojan Empire. The wars battlefield took place in almost all accounts right outside the walls of Troy. Troy was located across the sea from the Greek city-state of Sparta on the coast of Asia. This was a sandy, dry terrain, which made fighting conditions worse. The last battle in the Trojan War took place at night inside the city of Troy, where the notorious horse operation took place. The gods also played a huge role in assuming the role of moral compass for society at large. Both sides believed the gods would not let them lose the great battle of Troy. The story explains that the leader of the gods, Zeus, let the gods and goddesses take the side of their own choice. Religious influence was also made eminent through the twelve day burial processes of both the Trojans and the Greeks (Homer). While World War II did not feature any type of Helen, it did feature the want for more power and land. Hitler of Germany, whose ruthlessness is comparable to Agamemnon, held an urge for more which triggered events that preluded World War II. The idea of selfishness and greed is a major theme seen just as it was during the Trojan War. Symptoms such as nationalism, imperialism, racism, militarism, and fascism all contributed to the war. In both wars, the death of millions of people is contributed to one mans want for more. At first glance, it seems apparent that some of the causes of World War II are remarkably similar to those of the Trojan War. The Trojan War included weapons such as swords, spears, bow and arrow, and javelins. The warriors equipped with these weapons learned and mastered each one. As with every battle, the situation decided the weapon being used. In close quarter combat, the sword was the weapon of use. It required its handler to be very quick and agile. The javelin, spear, and bow and arrow were used for distance. These weapons required precision and a steady hand. One of the heavy more advanced weapons during the Trojan War was the catapult. The catapult was used to take out large numbers of soldiers and destroy the enemy fortress. Dead bodies were also thrown into the enemys fortress to spread disease and bring down morale. The weapons used during World War II include the submachine gun, action rifle, grenades, pistols, snipers, and many other gun types. The soldiers in this war were not near as versatile as the Trojan soldiers. Soldiers were usually assigned and taught every aspect to a specific weapon . On the front lines of combat, submachine guns were the issued weapons. The submachine gun was not very accurate from a distance but was effective in killing large numbers quickly. The action rifle was a weapon that took much more accuracy than the machine gun. It was effective in midrange warfare but at great distances lost accuracy. In contrast to the Trojan bow and arrow was the sniper rifle. Only those with the most precise shot and steady hand could obtain the job as sniper. It could hit its target from hundreds of yards away without even entering the field of battle. One weapon that was very significant in WWII was the grenade. The grenade was used for both killing and for a soldiers safety. The grenade was a time released bomb which gave soldiers time to retreat safely before detonation, but had the power to kill a small group of soldiers. The two heavy duty weapons of war were the tank and atomic bomb; both were much more deadly than the Trojan catapult. The tank was mainly used to destroy the enemys stronghold, while the atomic bombs only purpose was to kill in mass quantities (World War Two Weapons). Weapons used during WWII are obviously far more technologically advanced than those used during the Trojan War, but the symbolism is the fact that both sets of weapons were the most advanced of its time. Both WWII and the Trojan War advanced the cause to kill the common enemy. Two very useful tactics of both the Trojan War and WWII was the element of surprise and deceit. This is clearly seen in the story of the Trojan horse. The walls of Troy were thought to be impenetrable. After ten years of off and on battle with the Trojans, the Greeks still could not get past the walls of the great city. Then one day a warrior of the Greeks known as Odysseus, hatched a plan to infiltrate the city of Troy and bring the war to an end by conquest. The intelligent Greek came up with the idea to construct a giant wooden horse. The horse was meant to be used as a trick. The idea was to convince the Trojans into believing that the mighty horse was an offering for the goddess Athena. The Greeks pleaded that the horse was meant to please Athena for the stealing of her image from Troy. On the Trojan shore the horse was left for the Trojans to later discover. Inside the great horse were the Greeks most skilled and feared warriors. When the Trojans emerged from behind the city wa lls to investigate the horse they met a Greek named Sinon. His job was to convince the Trojans that he had escaped from the Greeks and to take the offering as gift to Athena inside the city walls. After much debate from the royalty of Troy, they decide to accept the offering. After arriving inside the great walls of Troy the Greeks waited for nightfall. Once it became dark the Greeks broke from the belly of the horse and conquered the city of Troy (The Trojan Horse). It is these acts of surprise and deception that won the battle for the brilliant Greeks. The trait of deception can also be seen in many ways during the battle of WWII. In the battle known as D-Day or the Battle of Normandy, the use of trickery was seen at its peak. On the day the beaches of Normandy were invaded among the thousands of allied troops was a small unit known as the Ghost Army. This unit was a top secret group of about one thousand special soldiers whose only purpose was to deceive the enemy. They were among the frontlines of soldiers and easily seen from aerial view. When enemy planes flew over they saw what seemed to be hundreds of allied tanks and vehicles. They also thought they had intercepted confirmation that there were two American divisions in the area. What were actually on the ground were ninety three pound inflatable rubber decoys. The decoys looked like just like armored vehicles from the aerial view. The radio message was designed to be intercepted; thus convincing the enemy of what they had seen earlier. The ghost army would even send trucks t hrough town with the divisions numbers and insignia on it. These genius plans made what were actually one thousand men appear to be twenty to thirty thousand. The plans design was not to kill the enemy but to save lives. This deception did not directly win the war this played a major impact in the style of battle and the outcome of the Normandy invasion (Artists of Deception: Fooling the Enemy During WWII). While the women and children remained at home, men of a certain age and older were sent off to war to kill or be killed under an attempt at gaining lof,or the twentieth century version, honor. Women assisted in both wars. They managed the home front with the men gone, and participated in roles to assist the men, be it espionage or caretaking (Bell). After all, it was almost necessary for them to do so. Certainly in the Trojan War and in some countries involved in WWII, extra action had to be taken by the civilians to keep order (Hull). The two wars are far separated by time, yet certain behaviors and agents of the wars resemble each other (A Prose Anthrology of the Second World War). The effects of both wars are monumentally costly to the human race. Years during and after, people suffered with disease, starvation, disability, and trauma from the war that tore mostly everyones lives apart. Both wars sported weapons that were the most advanced of its time. In reference to the tribal warrior, the deadliest weapons were the best weapons. The roles of the men to fight, and the women to take care of the home front in both scenarios exemplify that human nature flaunts similar behaviors throughout time. History shows as technology advances so will the weapons for warfare. As the saying goes, History repeats itself and from the evidence of previous wars to recent wars the saying remains true. Nevertheless, the result of warfare will always be detrimental to the soldiers, soldiers family, and country. While the causes of the war reflect one another, the methods, styles, and weaponry differ tremendously because of advances in technology by the time of World War II. These a dvances pertain not to the sociological aspect, however, suggest that time is the most indifferent variable when it comes to the pro-active and reactive actions of societies at large.

Global Privacy… Are You Being Watched?? Essay examples -- Surveillance

Global Privacy†¦ Are You Being Watched?? Introduction Privacy has grown to become an intensely complex and important human rights topic in the information age. The right to privacy underlines human dignity. One of the first privacy laws can be traced back hundreds of years, to 1361, when England enacted the Justice of the Peace Act, which allowed the arrest of eavesdroppers and peeping toms.1 About every country in the world explicitly recognizes a right of privacy in their constitution, allowing people to have a right to home communication secrecy and inviolability at the very least. Although the right to privacy is not explicitly documented in the United States’, Ireland’s or India’s Constitution, it is recognized in numerous provisions form their respective courts. The US airliner's "risk analysis" system A globally controversial topic concerns the tradeoff between privacy and security. At what point does enacting probing directives to strengthen our nation’s security impinge upon our own personal privacy? After the destruction of the twin towers on September 11th, the federal government and airliners have decided to implement a new computer system in order to gauge the level of terrorist risk posed by every single passenger on every flight in the United States. The new computer program, dubbed the â€Å"Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System II† (CAPPS II) shall assign passengers a color code based on their destination, city of departure, traveling partners and date of ticket purchase. Travelers who are coded â€Å"green† will pass through, â€Å"yellow† travelers will have to go through further screening, and red ones will be prohibited from boarding. Eight... ...screening.ap/ 8. Privacy as an Aspect of Human Dignity, [1964] 39 New York U. L.R. 9. Sara Kehaulani Goo. Fliers to Be Rated for Risk Level. September 9, 2003 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A45434-2003Sep8?language=printer 10. Mark Glasser. China’s Internet Revolution. November 11, 2003 http://www.ojr.org/ojr/world_reports/1068766903.php 11. Privacy Watch – China and the US. December 2003 http://www.cotse.net/privacy/us_china.htm 12. Caslon Analytics. Caslon Analytics Privacy Guide. October 1, 2003 http://www.caslon.com.au/privacyguide6.htm 13. Stuart Millar. Europe votes to end data privacy. May 31, 2002 http://www.guardian.co.uk/internetnews/story/0,7369,725204,00.html 14. Detroit Free Press. Europe’s privacy laws cause rift with US. October 30, 1998 http://www.freep.com/tech/qdata30.htm

Thomas Jefferson :: History Historical Jefferson Essays

Thomas Jefferson â€Å"Thomas Jefferson still survives,† John Adams’ last words most definitely stand true, even today. Thomas Jefferson was a well-educated man with a wealthy and proper British-American upbringing. An excellent education was the beginning step to all the wonderful things Jefferson would do for our country. After college, he became a lawyer, and soon a member of the House of Burgesses. An intelligent writer and thinker, Jefferson, along with four others, was chosen to write the Declaration of Independence. Filled with Thomas Jefferson’s great ideas, the Declaration of Independence greatly influenced the Constitution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Declaration of Independence was written, a fire sparked in the hearts of the Americans who had suffered from the King of England’s oppressive governing. A course of action had finally been taken against the King. New ideas spread regarding â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† The young nation’s hope of freedom was now becoming more of a reality than a dream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the years following, a Constitutional Convention was held in order to â€Å"form a more perfect union.† Models for the constitution consisted of forms of government such as the Magna Carta, which limited power of the king or government figure, and the Declaration of Independence. Ideas taken from the Declaration and Thomas Jefferson included points such as â€Å"We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . By mentioning the truths that are self evident, Jefferson lets the colonists know that they do indeed have rights. The Declaration was used as a model for the Constitution, through its focus on equal rights, to remind us that all men are created equal, and should be treated with the basic respect human beings deserves, along with the right to choose our destiny.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today, we know America as a nation of peace and refuge from the other tyrannous governments of the world. Once, our nation, as American colonies, experienced these same tyrannous behaviors from the distant King of England. Thomas Jefferson doesn’t hold back when mentioning the King’s unjust actions. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, †¦to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws , giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation for quartering large bodies of armed troops among us, for protecting them by a mock trial for punishment†¦for cutting

What is Means to be Successful :: essays research papers

Success The American heritage dictionary defines success as, â€Å"An event that accomplishes its intended purpose.† The definition certainly looks precise and is theoretically a strong statement. The definition of success varies drastically due to the individual perception in accordance with the situation. Success can be defined in various forms. There might be numerous ways in which an individual gratify them self as being successful. How can one achieve success? To be successful one must achieve all four levels of success i.e. personal, financial, academic and social. Individual ability to maintain strong family and martial relationships would be considered as a success on personal level. Jonathan A. Harris, a senator from Connecticut describes success as, â€Å"Going home at night with a smile and being able to sleep. And talking out someone’s recycling.† Personal relationships play an important part in people’s lives. A sound relationship with family members generates support. The amount of care and affection engendered from being married develops a solid relationship. Friends are another aspect in this category, which play a major role. Friends are there whenever or wherever they are required. Having a lot of friends expresses a message that an individual has self confidence. Personal success comes with a long lasting relationship. Financial success comes with proper money management, reliable income and savings. Being financially successful does not necessarily mean to have a six figure income. Financial success comes with a better understanding of the value of money and utilizing it wisely. â€Å"You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity.† quotes Thomas Wolfe, a great twentieth century writer. People might be generating a very high or low income but if they can utilize their income in proper way they would obtain a solid financial stability. Saving is another key aspect to expedite financial success. People who have tendency to save would attain a rigid financial strength. Generally being successful on an academic level would be to attain at least a bachelor degree and to be professional utilizing education in a practical manner. Felix E. Schelling, an American educator articulates that, â€Å"True education makes for inequality, the inequality of individuality, the inequality of success, the glorious inequality of talent, of genius.† Definitely educational success is associated with the level of education attained. The journey of education begins at a tender childhood age and lasts untills the end. It’s a life long learning experience.

Blood Passion Ludlow and Class War in the American West Essay

Introduction                      The Book Blood Passion: Ludlow and Class War in the American west is a narrative exploration of the most violent labor showdowns in the history of America. It portrays the deaths of seventy-five people who were killed in a period of seven months. It explores the guerilla war that erupted at the brink of collapse of political structures whereby only the intervention of the U.S army could end it. The book by Scott Martelle provides insight into the life and times of the miners in Colorado at a time when working in the mines was just as dangerous as living above the mines. The author of the book brings to life through vivid pictures taken during the times of the war. He tries to summarize the fact that there had been lawless killing of miners who had been on strike for more than fifteen months. The miners had been kicked out of their company homes when they had begun the strike, but they had built a tent colony for both themselves and their families. However, the Baldwin-Felts detectives who had been hired to protect the mines were given instruction to remove all strikers from the company’s vicinity, which consequently led to the guerilla wars that followed, killing men, women and children. The author states that the miners had the right to strike given the fact that they lived in the company houses where they paid rent, shopped in the company’s shops and drank in the company’s saloon, but later, their wages were cut by ten percent. On the other hand, the Baldwin-Felts detectives who had been hired had fought harassed and killed union miners at the same time carrying out evictions. For this reason, the author states that the miners were fighting for their livelihoods against a system that was trumped by greed and prejudice. However, the thesis proposed by the author is not fully developed because he claims that this incident â€Å"marked the beginning of the modern era of labor disputes† (Martelle, 3). This is because he did not compare this strike with the other strikes in other locations and other industries where the same number or slightly fewer numbers of fatalities were recorded. There are also some weaknesses in the author’s arguments because his side of the story was too rigid and did not consider the miner’s traditional views of gender roles and at the same time working in an all-male working environment. He also did not mention the Catholic and Greek Orthodox religions, which played a major role in intensifying the miners’ fury against the guards and their depredations against women. By his statement that this was one of the defining moments for American labor histories, Martelle did not contradict himself. Although his evidence was one sided, the incidents that happened under John D. Rockefeller were a defining moment. The book is an efficient source of historical information when it comes to the Colorado incident that was recorded by history. For instance, the author lays note of the letter written by Lamont Montgomery Bowers who was Rockefeller’s man in Colorado who suggested a reduction of wages by ten percent. This is a piece of valuable evidence that gives insight into the escalation of the guerilla warfare between the company guards, the detectives, the mineworkers and innocent bystanders who were caught up in the crossfire. The Ludlow Massacre has helped to shape labor management in the 20th century because of the evidence brought up during a time when lawlessness was the order of the day. It serves as a cautionary reference about a market that was unregulated and the consequences of not having strong labor unions that fight for the workers. Although the labor market has been revolutionized since those fateful days, the Ludlow Massacre serves as a turning point for this advancement. There are some biases that spring up when reviewing the book. One of it is that the book focuses mainly on the plight of the miners while it should consider the economic times of the massacre. It was during this time that the coal, fuel and steel had become a precious commodity for American trade. Fuel, like oil and coal, had been the driving factors for the modern America where tough decisions had to be made. Although companies made fortunes from the mining of coal, the book does not focus on the impact that the strikes would have in case the production stopped in Southern Colorado, as compared to other coal-mining regions. The Ludlow Massacre clearly depicts misuse of power by individuals and corporations in positions of power and authority such as John D. Rockefeller and his cronies. Modern labor laws allow that the power should not be misused regardless of position of power of the amount of wealth that an individual has. The book describes Lamont Montgomery to have had a smart su it and a twitchy push broom mustache. It also states that even after a heated debate with the federal mediator, Bowers came out as the winner of the suit as a result of his affiliation. In conclusion, the Ludlow Massacre has been a pivotal point of reference in modern day labor laws. The importance of the memory of those fateful years traverses any economic or political affiliation that any scholar might have. However, it also shows the plight of mine workers and labor unions in a time when the country was gaining ground in terms of development and economic awareness. Reference Martelle, Scott. Blood passion: the Ludlow Massacre and class war in the American West. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 2007. Print. Source document

Internet and Cell Phone

What did you find most interesting and/or surprising? What information really stood out for you when researching this topic & why? What’s the most important thing we, your audience, should take away from your research? -Originally the cell phone served as a tool for business management. Now, cell phones serve as a tool for social connection, in other words, managing social relationships. Across qualitative and quantitative studies, users of the cell phone all report using their phone for social purposes.However, scholars have argued the cell phone might actually serve as a tool for social isolation (Bugeja, 2005). On the other hand, the cell phone has been argued to function as a social connection device, especially among teens (Ling, 1999a). Therefore, the social use of cell phones has proven to be a rich area for communication research, with researchers exploring various ways in which cell phone use affects social interaction, both isolating and connecting involved persons. -Although observational research shows that most cell hone users retreat from social settings when they are using the cell phone in a public place (Ling, 1999b), findings also suggest that cell phone users use the cell phone in public spaces as a form of exclusion (Bugeja, 2005; Ling, 2002). The survey found that 13% of surveyed adults said they had used their phones to look busy, so they wouldn’t have to talk with others. That percentage more than doubled among young adults aged 18 to 29 years, 30% of whom said they’d faked cell phone use as an avoidance mechanism.Only 2% of the oldest (65 and older) respondents reported using cell phones to avoid dealing with others. unplugging may actually improve your social interactions. As Healthland reported last year, many people would argue that turning your phone off is a gesture of intimacy and affection for the people around you -The implications of this study are not only empirical, but serve to demonstrate the dangers tha t mobile communication technologies may pose if not used properly. Discretion of cell phone use is even evident in current state laws that prohibit drivers from talking on the phone while driving.This alone testifies to the potential risk of danger that interactive mobile technologies pose for its users. A possible solution is to make users more aware of the effect of these mobile technologies on their attention, not only to strangers but even their surroundings. As proper etiquette exists for internet behavior, perhaps we ought to develop a social code of behavior for proper cell phone usage. http://healthland. time. com/2011/08/15/survey-1-in-8-fake-using-their-cell-phone-to-avoid-talking-to-others/

Aristotle and John Stuart Mill on Happiness and Morality

Aristotle and John Stuart Mill on Happiness and Morality In this paper I will argue that Aristotle’s conception of eudaimonia disproves Mill’s utilitarian view that pleasure is the â€Å"greatest good. † The purpose of this paper is to contrast Aristotle’s and Mills views on the value of happiness and its link to morality. First I will describe Aristotle’s model of eudaimonia. Then I will present Mill’s utilitarian views on happiness and morality. Lastly, I will provide a counterargument to Mill’s utilitarian ethical principles using the Aristotelian model of eudaimonia.In this section I will explain Aristotle’s definition of eudaimonia and its relationship to happiness, morality and the virtues. Aristotle defines eudaimonia in the first book of the Nicomachean Ethics as â€Å"virtuous activity in accordance with reason† and that this is the highest good for human beings. For Aristotle, eudaimonia can be translated into a â€Å"human life of flourishing† since it occurs throughout a person’s life. This lifelong happiness is complete and sufficient in itself, meaning that a person lives it as an end in itself and not for anything else beyond it.An important aspect of reaching our own eudaimonia is to function well as human beings. Aristotle presents his concept of the human function by stating that what makes human function so distinct is not just to obtain nutrition and to grow because that aspect of life is shared with plants and it is also not perception because that is something shared with animals. Our ultimate human function therefore is reason and not just reason alone but to act in accordance to reason. Achieving excellence in human rational activity according to Aristotle is synonymous with leading a moral life.To lead a moral life is a state in which a person chooses to act in accordance to the right virtues. Aristotle, defines virtue as  a mean between two extremes (excess and deficiency). He argues that the mean is not necessarily the average or half way point, but rather changes in relation to each individual. For example, a person who just finished jogging needs more water after jogging than a person who was not jogging, so the mean between too much water and too little water is different for the jogger and non-jogger.According to Aristotle, it is very difficult to discover the mean, to discover the exact point between the two extremes that is best suited for you. As he says, there are many ways to be wrong and only one way to be correct. Aristotle explains that the choice of the mean is going to depend on what the virtuous person’s reasoning is. As in the case of the jogger, he will drink just enough water to quench his thirst (deficiency) but won’t drink too much that would result in water in water intoxication (excess).Aristotle focuses his moral theory on virtuous action and argues that virtue is necessary, but not sufficient for happiness. You need virtue to lead a happy life, but ultimately, virtue alone will not make you happy. What matters most is that you make a habit out of choosing to act in accordance with the right virtues, which leads to a balance in one’s life and ultimately leads you closer and closer to achieving your own eudaimonia. In this next section I will present Mills utilitarian views and the link between happiness and morality and how his views do not coincide with Aristotle’s eudaimonistic ideals.In chapter two of Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill introduces his concept of utility, also known as the â€Å"Greatest Happiness Principle† to hold that â€Å"actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure. †Ã‚  In other words, Mill makes it certain that pleasure and freedom from p ain are the only things desirable as goals and all things that we do is desirable because they produce pleasure or prevent pain.Mill understood that it would be demeaning to humans to reduce life to pleasures as this would then put us at the same level as animals. Thus, he introduces the idea of higher and lower pleasures. The higher pleasures are those of a higher quality of that are determined by â€Å"competent judges. † This competent judge is someone who is acquainted with both the higher and lower quality pleasures. In regards to morality, Mill anchors its definition on the premises of the greatest happiness principle stated above.Unlike Aristotle who puts emphasis on the agent (the person themselves) in regards to acting morally, Mill is very indifferent and states that the character of the person and their motives do not matter only the consequence of those actions matter. For Mill, the morality of the action only depends on whether that action will produce pleasure f or greatest number of people. As state before, he explains that pleasure leads to happiness, and happiness is the ultimate goal of each individual. However, morality is â€Å"the rules and precepts for human conduct,† nd not simply the causes of human behavior. Desire may drive human actions, but that doesn’t mean that desire should propel human actions. Morality is the ideal, not the reality. Because of his views on morality Mill would not agree with Aristotle that the completely ethical person will not be conflicted about his ethical choice. According to Mill a person could do the right thing, and act morally while also having the desire to do the wrong thing. To explain this, he gives the example of a rescuer who saves another person from drowning.He helps this person because it is morally right, regardless of being seen as a good Samaritan or if he would’ve been compensated for his actions. Mill would also disagree with Aristotle’s argument that it is determined whether or not someone led a eudaimonistic life only after this person has died. Mill essentially believes in concrete happiness and believes that people should be happy while they are alive. Mill states that pleasures are parts of our happiness and not an â€Å"abstract† means as Aristotle puts it.In this third section I will provide a counterargument to Mill’s utilitarian ethical principles using the Aristotelian model of eudaimonia. I firstly disagree with Mill’s idea that happiness is equated with pursuing acts that only lead to pleasure and avoiding those that decrease pleasure. I side completely with Aristotle in that he believes that the purpose of pleasures is to serve as side product of activity to perfect our activities. For example, for a mathematician to become an excellent mathematician he must become very talented in doing mathematical activities but also must have the pleasure in doing this activity.I also side with him on his statemen t in Book Ten of the Nicomachean Ethics certain pleasures such as those of touch â€Å"can lead us to become servile and brutish† and says that â€Å"it attaches to us not in so far as we are men but in so far as we are animals. † For example those who eat food to the excess have slavish characters because they are choosing to eat past their bodily intake limit. I agree here with Aristotle that those persons who are destitute of self-control do not use their reason, take pleasures exceedingly, in the wrong way and in the wrong objects.Ultimately, in order to act virtuously a person must act rationally in a manner that is between the two extremes of deficiency and excess when it comes to matters of pleasure. Thus, pleasure should not be sought just for its own sake. In terms of moral actions, Mill arguments also seem to be flawed. He believes that the goodness of an action is based on whether or not it produced pleasure and happiness for the greatest number of people. T here is little emphasis on the disposition and character of the agent performing the action.This idea seems illogical because then everyone would be acting without reason and doing things for the wrong intentions. As Aristotle says in Book One of the Nicomachean ethics, â€Å"the man who does not rejoice in noble actions is not good; the good man judges well in matters of the good and the noble. † Here he is referring to the fact that a person who is not performing actions for the right intentions is not a good man at all. To explain this further I will use the example of the drowning person.Aristotle would advise that I should save a drowning person because I have the positive and noble intention to do so and not because someone is going to pay me for helping them. I think Mills view on happiness and morality that pleasures should equate with happiness sounds like it would be ideal to live this type of life. However, this type of logic would not work out in today’s so ciety. He tells us that in order to find out what kinds of pleasures are most valuable we should look to â€Å"competent judges† who seem to just know what are considered the better â€Å"higher† pleasures because they have experienced both the â€Å"higher† and â€Å"lower† pleasures.As Aristotle states, however, not all pleasures are universal to all men because not everyone is directed to the same things. What if their idea of a higher pleasure is to rape women on the streets? The problem with Mill’s argument then is that what this â€Å"competent judge† may consider to be a higher pleasure may actually be a lower pleasure and be very wrong about what they consider to be right. Aristotle would respond to Mills statement that happiness should be concrete by stating that happiness in Mill’s view seems to just be a fleeting experience.For example, if a person spends their whole life trying to figure out a cure for cancer it wonâ€℠¢t be determined whether this person’s life work was meaningful only until we examine this person’s life work. To conclude, I have stated both Aristotle’s and Mills arguments in relation to happiness and morality. Aristotle’s conclude that happiness (eudaimonia) is to have flourishing life in which actions are performed in accordance to virtuousness and reason.Mill, on the hand believes that pleasure is ultimately the greatest type of good and therefore is equated with happiness. I have argued that Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia disproves Mill’s â€Å"greatest happiness priniciple† on the grounds that pleasure is only a small part of happiness and that the emphasis on living a happy life should be placed on the agent to habitually act in a rational and virtuous manner.

Reflective practice Essay

Reflective practice is improving the quality of service provided, thinking back over a situation or activity, developing a different approach and gaining new insight into a new way of learning. The importance of reflective practice it to aim to continually progress to improve or change approaches, strategies and actions. To focus on what has worked well and what needs to be improved, provides clarity, to consider new approaches and learning, enables everything to be taken into account, to develop great awareness and benefit to pupils and setting and individual of improved performance. Standards such as the Essential Standards, the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers etc. tell us how we should be working. We can use them to think about the way we work and measure ourselves against them. Informing own learning, helping one to think about professional development and providing a way of identifying what is required for good practice. Own values may affect working practice by not respecting others who do not share your values, belief systems and experiences. Conflict with own values, belief experiences affecting approach to support teaching and learning e.g. motivation, respect, fairness , creativity. By favouring those who share your values, belief systems and experiences. Fostering understanding of others views and perspectives. People will respond and react different ways to constructive feedback such as agreeing with what is being said, expressing desire to improve, asking questions, looking for reassurance, being defensive and expressing anxiety over what is being said. The importance of seeking positive feedback to improve practice and inform development is to evaluate own performance. To raise awareness of strength, identify areas for improvement, what actions is to be taken to improve performance, to show you are able to learn and listen to others and to identify what works well. 2.3 The importance of using feedback to improve own practice is to ensure it meets the individuals needs, shows respect for the views of others and that you have listened to there views. Enables you to develop new approaches and ways of thinking also enables you to apply the insight you have gained. Effective feedback develops confidence, competence and motivates. A personal development plan will record information such as regular view of personal development, use reflective journal to consider progress made, evidence of achievement e.g. certificates, review goals and actions, agreed objectives for development. Sources of support for planning and reviewing own development could be mentor, teacher, local authority, training provider, awarding organisations, further or higher education institutions, appraisals, learn direct, training development agency for schools. The role of other will help us to provide grater insight, think about the impact practice has on others,working with others may also give development opportunities such as training, qualifications, shadowing experience colleagues. provide us with information and new ideas and these can come from other who may include carers, advocates, supervisor, mentor teacher and other professional. The benefit of using a personal development plan is to focus on what one wants to achieve and how to do it, to develop greater self-awareness of training needs, using reflection and structured planning on how to meet own goals and to increase own understanding of how to meet identified needs.

The Womans Role as the Helper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Womans Role as the Helper - Essay Example As the religious experience within the Judeo-Christian cultures has been founded on a philosophy of the inferiority of women, the role of women has been to take a secondary position to men or launch a battle to fight through the stereotypes to become leaders. In a book published in 1917, Helen Bennett wrote that â€Å"Every demand is made upon the secretary’s imagination, her ingenuity, her versatility, her adaptability, her genius. That her shorthand must be rapid and accurate, her typing correct and artistic, her office methods modern and efficient, her knowledge of detail and of her subject matter endless† (167). Bennett wrote of nurses, newspaper women, and secretaries, giving them all the roles of helpers, but with an understanding that in those roles they would do the work that made the difference. Women have been working in roles that were defined conceptually as helping roles throughout history. These roles have included those of wife, secretary, nurse, elementary education teachers, and as love interest. All these roles have had a cultural insinuation as being roles of support to the male needs so that the male could be free to rule the world in whatever capacity his vocation would deem. This role, however, has been always seen as inferior. This has led to lower wages and lower levels of respect for work that has been done. Sexuality-based theory in regard to the work place suggests that â€Å"the main engine of misogyny is the way in which intercourse has been constructed so that the man is the aggressor and is on top, (while) the woman is passive and is beneath the man† (MacKinnon and Siegel 162).

S.E.VEN (Social Equity Venture Fund) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

S.E.VEN (Social Equity Venture Fund) - Essay Example Lawrence and Huntington, P. Samuel, Editors, "Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress", 2000, Basic Books, New York, NY, ISBN: 0-465-03175-7, Part VII Promoting Change, Fairbanks, Michael, Chapter 20, "Changing the Mind of a Nation: Elements in a Process for Creating Prosperity", p. 269, or 270). Fairbanks is one of the Co-Founders of S.E.VEN which is a philanthropic foundation run by entrepreneurs whose aim is to increase the rate of diffusion of enterprise solutions to global poverty by producing films, books and original research, and we shouldn't neglect his views and advices. Nevertheless, as your political advisor, allow me to present my ideas and recommendations to you concerning entrepreneurship and a few of the most relevant policies in the sphere of economics. First of all, and the most important thing for the people of Rwanda is that we have an entrepreneurial spirit, which is the only thing most developing countries have in common. All other things, all sought and possibly found solutions do not fit all developing countries. Each of these countries' governments should make their own best choice. Since Rwanda is mostly a rural environment, I'd suggest we start encouraging entrepreneurs in establishing their small businesses in the area of agriculture, especially honey production. The figures show that national demand for honey was 1,625 tons in 2006. This demand will increase to 13,789 tons by 2020. We have the capacity and good conditions for organic honey production, which is preferred all over the world. We have to stimulate entrepreneurs to invest in capacity building and organization of beekeepers, meaning replacing old traditional beehives that collect about 7 kg each with new modern ones that collect about 20 kg each. This will re sult in attaining self- sufficiency for honey, even excess amount of honey meant for sale on international markets and of course creating new job positions. I dare suggest beekeepers be given subventions of 30 EUR per beehive. Furthermore in regards to agriculture, I suggest entrepreneurs invest in construction of many small factories all around the country (where fruits and vegetables are raised) for processing and preserving of the biggest part of the produced vegetables and fruits, again not only for domestic markets but meant for export, too, not forgetting of course modernization and mechanization of the farms, and reminding specialized import-export companies of the importance of modern fertilizers, whose use unfortunately is underdeveloped in this country. Another major and I'd say leading government foreign exchange source is export of coffee and tea. In order to increase this foreign exchange we also must have entrepreneurs who will clearly understand the importance of cons tructing modern coffee production capacities. This agricultural, sectoral policy is in close correlation with all of the rest of the policies like the trade policy, wage policy, fiscal and monetary policy, and of course direct foreign investment policy. The first and very important goal of monetary policy is high GNP and low unemployment. Society wants the output of newly produced goods and services to equal productive capacity, or, in other words, actual GNP should equal potential GNP. High GNP is associated with high employment. To achieve this goal (high GNP and

Top Ten Sustainability Initiatives Of General Motors Essay - 3

Top Ten Sustainability Initiatives Of General Motors - Essay Example Toyota Motor is one of that company that is extensively engaged in environmental sustainability and green initiatives. The company is the world’s largest automotive manufacturer, and manufactures, and designs a diverse product line that ranges from sports and luxury vehicles to minivans, trucks, cars, and buses. The subsidiaries of the company also manufacturer vehicles: Hino Motors manufactures buses and trucks while Daihatsu Motor manufactures mini vehicles. The company produces automotive parts for its own as well as for sale to others. The popular brand of the company includes Corolla, Land Cruiser, Camry, Lexus line and Tundra Trucks. Environmental Scanning A company is compelled to adopt the strategy that is being implemented by its competitors. Toyota Motors has three major competitors. Ford Motors General Motors Honda Motors Green Initiatives of Ford Motors On April 22, for the recognition of Earth Day, Ford Motors developed a list of top ten latest green initiatives t aken by the company. The global sustainability strategy of the company includes an emphasis on the development of environmentally friendly technologies for the production of vehicles. Some of them include diesel, hybrids, advanced engine and transmission, bio-diesels, fuel cells, plug-in hybrids, E85 Ethanol, and hydrogen internal combustion engines. Moreover, the company is commencing sustainability efforts across the entire organization in material, facilities management, and manufacturing. The commitment of the company in green vehicle technologies will lead to improved fuel economy and reduced emission of CO 2. Other green initiatives will assist in reducing the environmental impact through the reduction in pollution and conservation of energy, along with saving the customers money (Noria Corporation). Top ten green initiatives taken by Ford Company are mentioned subsequently. 1. Ford is considered the leader in better performing fuel-efficient 6-speed transmission

One of the key issues any nation faces is how to structure its trade Essay

One of the key issues any nation faces is how to structure its trade relations with other nations. A. How and why did England st - Essay Example During mercantile period, increase in exports over imports was considered the means to enhance national wealth in British colonies. Lahaye further points out that, The Navigation Act passed in 1660 limited the trade to be conducted by English ships and English seamen; and this encouraged English ships monopoly over trade within British Empire and highly limited the trade of foreign vessels within English ports. Further revisions of act improved the trade process in England. The revisions of act ensured that the trade shipped from its point of production to England or colonial port prior to its shipping to its foreign destination. At the same time, it also demanded the foreign goods set for colonies to be stopped in England prior to the distribution. This made England a well known centre for colonial trade. It encouraged the flow of goods through the country and thereby allowed the taxes to be levied. Further phases of Navigation Act grouped products as those to be shipped to ports wi thin British Empire and as those to be shipped to foreign countries. It also imposed regulations on the manufacture and trade of colonial products. British government supported products like iron, lumber, and other raw materials needed within Empire. At the same time, the colonial products that competed with products produced at home were discouraged. As a matter of fact, the mercantile system in Britain allowed for colonial monopoly over certain markets such as of tobacco and also provided the way for development of colonial shipbuilding. Free trade, as the name implies allows the free movement of goods, capital, and labor between nations. It provides specialization in manufacturing and export of products in a country overcoming all possible barriers of trade process. Free trade enables smooth conduction of trade between countries ‘without the influence or intervention of government through quotas or duties’ (Free trade explained). The scale of production depends on th e size of the market; if the market of nation is small, it may not encourage the producers to produce variety of products. Free trade combines individual markets with a larger world market proving beneficial to small sized markets. The expansion of the market size improves competition and enables the individual firms to enhance their trade. Free trade provides better economic environment for individual markets with the access to advanced technologies and better resource allocation. The feasibility of the technology helps domestic firms to connect with other individual firms abroad thereby enhancing the productivity of land and labor. This will also help industries in narrowing the range of goods and services. It ensures decrease in the costs of goods while maintaining the efficiency of utilized resources. Some of the factors that make free trade highly preferable for successful trade include the accessibility of enhanced production factors and free access to global markets. The unhi ndered access to global markets provides firms with the essential information on trends prevailing in the global market. As free trade improves competition, companies try to satisfy the customers with innovative products. Thus free trade amplifies innovative creations and improves productivity. Moreover free trade is advantageous in eliminating oligopolies and monopolies (free trade explained). However, free trade cannot be always regarded as the best policy due to

Offshoring Creates More U.S. Jobs Than It Kills Research Paper

Offshoring Creates More U.S. Jobs Than It Kills - Research Paper Example In an event that a firm relocates its relatively inefficient production parts abroad, where they can be more cheaply produced, it can be able to expand its output through the stages that it has comparative advantage. As a product, the average productivity of the remaining employees increases due to the change in the workforce composition. In addition, structural changes that boost the remaining workers’ productivity are also likely. These benefits emerge due to offshoring service or material inputs because of the access to new varieties of input (McCarthy 70). Offshoring of businesses abroad by United States firms enhances the likelihood of more benefits that can lead to job creation locally. Offshoring service inputs such as information and computing services from other local firms is more likely to enhance the prospects of job creation in the country. The impacts of material and service offshoring on productivity translate into job creation locally (Wei and Amiti 4). This is because offshoring could lead to higher labor demand due to scale effects. Due to higher productivity, lower prices will be reduced and therefore enhancing competitiveness of the United States companies. The effect of this outcome is that US firms will be able to expand and create more jobs abroad and more importantly locally due to the rise in demand of their goods (Wei and Amiti 4). High productivity companies are more likely to engage in global production strategies that could help reverse the jobs lost locally. Offshoring tends to boost productivity and reduce costs, thus prompting firms to expand domestic hiring to offset the lost jobs to overseas workers. Several studies have established that offshoring has no impact on native... The above discussion clearly supports the argument that offshoring creates more jobs in the United States rather than killing job creation. It points to the reality that while offshoring may be a painful endeavor particularly in the short run, it is a necessary occurrence for long-term benefits. As has been noted, offshoring helps to create jobs through various aspects such as enhanced productivity, reduced cost of production and boosting national economy among other ways. This report makes a conclusion that the realities of globalization and other developments around the world inform the need for American companies to engage in offshoring as a means of not only remaining competitive, but also of improving the United States overall economy. American companies, like other companies in the world, have to adjust to new realities in the world. They should, on one hand support real global competition, and on the other hand, support local workers and national companies. Offshoring provides this unique opportunity for these companies to achieve this goal. Offshoring prompts American firms to do broad adjustments in attitudes and knowledge regarding changes in the global economy in order to reach the right balance of policies that promote the ideal long-term global competition, and adopts near term measures that counter policies that threaten creation of jobs domestically. Strategies adopted by American firms should protect domestic workers, but at the same ti me ensure that it boost national economy in order to increase job opportunities among the national population (Heineman para16). This will also be important in enabling the United States workers to engage and pursue higher-level jobs.