Discussion Board Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Discussion Board - Coursework Example Despite the sinful nature of humanity, god is prepared through the use of His power to save the world from sins or problems and restore their initial nature according to God’s promises (Lee, 2010). In my opinion, I totally agree with Paul’s view of the human nature according to Romans 1:18-32. In the contemporary society human nature has been corrupted to reflect the sinful nature of the world. For instance human nature is filled with sinful desires such as homosexuality. The world has experienced a lot of problems and issues as a result of the sinful nature f human beings. Furthermore, it is evident that humanity as a result of its sinful nature has problems. Human beings have turned away from the worship of the one and true God and instead engaged themselves in the worship of idols. Money is considered as an idol of worship among human beings in the contemporary society. Hence, I totally agree with Paul’s view in relation to the nature of

Provinces of the Philippines and Kara David Essay Example for Free

Provinces of the Philippines and Kara David Essay Ang Huling Prinsesa† (The Last Princess) is a documentary from Kara David shown in I-Witness back in 2004. It is a challenging feat for anyone who wants to see and explore a mysterious tradition preserved for decades among some of the mountains isolated communities. I-Witness travels to the Tapaz Mountain, considered the farthest in Capiz, located in the central Philippines island of Panay. Reporter Kara David reaches the community of Rizal Sur, a village that looks just like any other isolated community, where the people living in traditional huts and survive on whatever nature provides them. In the midst of this community, she meets one of the last remaining binukots, 73-year-old Lola (grandmother). This old woman lives in an old hut, just like everybody else in the community. However, she has stayed inside a room in the house ever since she was five years old, living in isolation as the family chosen binukot. Since being chosen the binukot of her tribe, the old woman has worn a veil so that no one can see her face. She is lifted onto a hammock every day so her feet never touch the ground. She is bathed, combed and served only the best food like an ancient princess. Her work is to learn the traditional dances and memorize the tribe’s hours-long epics. Only the binukots learn the epics, which are taught to them orally. Thus, they are also the only ones who may pass the long stories of their ancestors to the next generation. Personal insight Stories of princess were part of our childhood memories. We dream of becoming one during those times. But in Tumandok tribe in Tapaz, Capiz, Philippines, there were women, who were treated like a princess. They are known to be the binukot.

Gulf War Was A Perfect Television War Media Essay

Gulf War Was A Perfect Television War Media Essay The media representation of wars has significantly changed over last years. Previously being just an instrument of coverage and propaganda, now media are considered a competent weapon. The war of real objects is partially being replaced by the war of pictures and sounds, information war (Virilio, 2002). On the one hand, information technologies can be regarded as humane weapon, because they lead to the fewer amounts of victims. On the other hand, they directly influence the mental structures, can fulfill the conscious with false images or distort the perceptions, spread moral panics or create virtual enemies and thus are an intelligent weapon of mass distruction. One of the famous works about the usage of information technologies in the war belongs to French sociologist Jean Baudrillard, and his concept of the Gulf War 1991 as the first television war will be assessed in the essay in correlation with his theories of hyper reality and simulacrum. Those concepts are applied to the media representation of the conflict in South Ossetia. The usefulness of the concept of television war for understanding modern conflicts is proved in conclusion. Hyper reality, simulacrum and information wars Philosophical approach of Baudrillards works is concentrated around two main notions -hyper reality and simulacrum. Both terms are related to the reality of the consumer society. According to Baurillard, we all live in the world, dominated by organized perceptions, while people loose an ability to perceive the real surrounding. Instead they face artificial or adapted environments: assembled chronicles of military operations, coverage of suicidal terrorist acts. Baudrillard (1996) claims that the reality is not only possible to represent, the reality should always be ready for representation and thus it becomes a hyper reality, existing only in simulation. It consists of media and cultural images that simulate the real world. Some of this images are representations of real objects, but aggressive information technologies, television and particularly advertisement create special images, deceiving representations of non-existing objects, which Baudrillard (1998), following Plato, calls simulacra. In postmodern culture, dominated by TV and Internet, the notions of true and false representations are destroyed, as people have access only to simulations of reality, which is no more real than the simulacra representing it. Moreover, we start to believe the maps of reality as more real than own experience and take the hyper reality as the actual environment (Mann, n.d.). Consequently, simulacra, which lost any connection to real things, dont have original or prototype, and can parallel some objects, change the notion of counterfeits or false. So a correlation appears that hyper reality becomes the battlefield and the simulacra the intellectual weapons in conflicts of all levels, from the business competition to wars between countries, which gradually turn into information wars. The most widespread technique of symbolic images usage in information war is propaganda, but now in the form of marketing or PR campaigns. Such campaigns provide the basis for military operations and are a perfect tool to make conform to one side or type of thinking. Thus they are the most integrated and hidden, but also the most pervasive parts of the new wars. The censorship is widespread, because the military-media campaigns require a gap between the event and the audience, and censorship breaks the flow of information, while propaganda specialists feed media with false information (Snow, 2003). In these terms coverage of military operations is now able to influence their process as it was, for example, in the movie Wag the dog, where imaginary war actions of American troops in Albania, staged to shift public interest from the reputation crisis of the president, led to real military response. So, the role of media in the modern wars is not limited to news coverage or propaganda, the media now should be regarded more likely as the fourth front of war. The reasons for it could be different. According to sociologist Paul Virilio (2002), the escalation of cybernetic wars of persuasion and propaganda is the result of graduate changes in weapons. The first, prehistorical, wars were tactical and used weapons of obstruction (ramparts, fortresses). The epoch of political wars made them strategic and reliable on weapons of destruction (bows, missiles). The new period of transpolitical wars is characterized as logistical and uses weapons of communication (telephone, radar, satellites, information carriers), which emerged due to global information networks and tele-surveillance. The turning point of modern epoch is the integration of media and industrial army, where the capability to war without war manifests a parallel information market of propaganda, illusion, dissimulation (Viril io, 2002: 17). The image prevails over the real space and substitutes it, changes the landscape from physical to audiovisual by technological accelerants satellites, internet and high-quality video on TV. The level of media influence is dependent on the communication forms, in which it is carried, because it is possible to frame the report, provided with knowledge of certain mediums advantages (Cottle, 2003). Television with live broadcast and reliance on spectacular images, simulacra, is in these terms the best communication weapon. It makes inefficient the object, but concentrates on its representation; it is not a reality, but a construction of it (Webster, 2002). TV news is often watched with the belief that it indicates, the reality, but in fact it is a version of events, shaped by journalists values and morality. The whole reality begins and ends on television screens, and any critical attitude emerges not an original version of event, but creates other symbolic representation in live images (Webster, 2002). According to Virilio (2002), the live image attracts not critiques, but emotion, apprehension. Thus it involves the spectator to the situation, makes him dependent on televi sual interface, even if the problem doesnt concern him directly. All these advantages were used strategically for the first time in the Gulf War, which Baudrillard (1995) called both a non-existing and a first television war. Gulf War 1991: the first television war Three essays of Baudrillard, referred to events in Iraq during January and February 1991, were published originally in the Liberation and the Guardian and lately collected in one book The Gulf War did not take place. Before the actual war, during the strengthening of American military and propaganda, he claimed that the Gulf War will not take place in reality. During the military actions his catchy slogan was that the Gulf War is not taking place and right after the operation he said that the Gulf War hadnt taken place, because the Western public perceived it just as a series of hyperreal TV images. For Baudrillard, media and especially television do not provide the opportunities for effective communication. Television is the technology of non-communication because it limits the interaction needed for symbolic exchange by giving the large amounts of signs impossible to critically analyze and react (Groening, 2007). A war demands a struggle between counterparts, exchange, communicatio n and interaction (Webster, 2002), while Baudrillard (1995) argued that the USA overloaded the symbolic communication space in this war and moreover, the goals of George Bush and Saddam Hussein were so different that they couldnt even be considered as counterparts. Hussein, a former US ally, was not regarded as the real enemy, and the outcome of the war was predictable both for participants and for audience of war (Mann, n.d.). Researchers express the controversial idea that bombing was the most precise in history and civilian casualties thus were minimized (Kellner, 2008). Consequently, the war can be regarded as hyperreal and overloaded by media provocations. The Gulf War was understood by Paul Virilio (2002) also as a turning point in history. He called it the first information war of images, media-staged event or the first electronic war in the form of televised series, broadcast live by satellite. The difference is that Virilio accepted the idea that the war really had taken place, but it moved to the fourth front of communication weapons and instant information. He warned about the doubling of the front, a communication between place of action the Middle East and place of its immediate reception the whole world, which extends widely over the Iraqi-Saudi border. Turning the battlefield into a theatre with the symbolic counterparts- Hussein and CNN emerges the risk of turning TV audience into fans on the stadium, counting casualties like goals of the favorite team. In comparison with Baudrillard, Virilio considers TV as establishing interactivity between those making war and those watching it. But he has the same idea about the role of common people in war impotent tele-spectators, victims of intelligent weapons and the people who serve them (Virilio, 2002: 47). It is obvious that Baudrillard didnt intend to act like a devils advocate and decline the existence of the Gulf War. He agrees that a massive bombing of military and civil objects took place in Iraq in 1991. And lately he (2002) told readers that official casualties in Iraq were estimated in order of 100Â  000, not counting the losses due to consequent hunger and diseases. But the question is why so few US soldiers died in this war, that it was named a war of zero casualties on the side of allies (Virilio, 2002: 97). After analyzing Baudrillards work, it becomes clear, that despite a catchy slogan in title, in fact the author compares real events with their interpretation, and the central conclusion is that the consequence of real events could hardly be named a war, while a consequence of those events representations was perceived as a real war. This effect was a main reason why he called a Gulf War the first and the perfect television war. US-led coalition relied highly on the television. On the first night of military operation, in Kourou, Ariane rocket launched two broadcasting satellites (Virilio, 2002), and it was a sign of parallel intervention of real forces and television. The leaders decisions were significantly based on intelligence reports, coming not from eye-witnesses, but from news and images. Bush recruited CNN and its owner Ted Turner to transit messages to Iraqi people and thus held diplomacy through interposed images (Virilio, 2002). Coalition forces were ordered not to get engaged in the direct battles with Iraqi army, but to use the means of virtual war in response to Iraqi attempts to turn the conflict into traditional. After interviewing soldiers, who were on the battlefield, Baudrillard (1995) claimed that the Western TV channels, especially CNN, offered audience highly edited reports from Iraq under the shape of live feeds. ABC News through life coverage of the Gulf War convinced the nation that Star Wars works (Bass, 2002). But Hussein used media even more cynically, creating a consequence of the images of hostages and the crying children. Attractive simulacra with no meaning behind were promoted by media of both sides: the CNN journalists with the gas masks in the Jerusalem, drugged and beaten prisoners on Iraqi TV, sea-bird covered in oil and pointing eyes into the Gulf sky (Baudrillard, 1995) and the quintessential symbol the Stealth F117, undetectable bomber, that nobody have seen, but everyone knew. The first object, destructed by F117, was also symbolic the building of Hussein forces communication centre (Virilio, 2002). The effect could be correlated with the essence of the conflicts media coverage: it is possible to see it only in time it happens, there is no time to prepare for it and no sense to watch it afterwards. As the victims of F117 see it just in the moment of action, viewers see the live broadcasts at the same time with the military journalists. The last reasons for perceiving the Gulf War as a television war are its results. Baudrillard and Virilio agreed that nobody fully lost or won in the conflict. Defeated in fact, Hussein remained in power and moreover won the information war. In spite of abilities given by Pentagon, CNN lost that television war, because American government issued a document, restricting the real time of operations from the TV present time (Virilio, 2002). Trying to prevent the American audience from communication weapons of Iraq, US officially imposed censorship and turned the public to the search for new information sources. To conclude, Iraq in 1991 was a place not of real war, but of massive violence and a remote enough zone for creating simulacra and holding a perfect television war. The TV Gulf War could have seemed a perfect simulacrum, a hyperreal situation. It is possible to partially agree with Baudrillards and Virilios argumentation, as it may be really the first example in the war history, when the TV technologies were used as a competent weapon and the whole war was spectacled on TV. But from the humane point of view, the statement the Gulf War did not take place undermines the seriousness of the Iraqi civilians massacre, the consequences for the political situation in Iraq and such consequence as the spread of international terrorism, which now is often perceived as the same symbolic non-event (Baudrillard, 2002): it catches the eye on TV screen when happening somewhere, but is not fully understood as possible to happen with the viewer. Nevertheless, Baudrillards theory is useful for understa nding representations of other modern wars, for example, the recent conflict between Georgia, South Ossetia and Russia. South Ossetia 2008 media war Conflict in South Ossetia will remain in the history of the post-Soviet area as a first war, which media helped to spread from the inter-country to cross-continental level. Known as Georgian-Ossetian war, the conflict in August 2008 turned into confrontation between Georgia and USA on one side and Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other. On the 8 August Georgia started a bombing of its separatist region South Ossetia. The next day Russia deployed troops in Ossetia and started military operation against Georgia. The USA government expressed eagerness to intervene, but on the 16 August the ceasefire was signed. The actual political result is recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia from Georgia by several countries, leading by Russia, and high tensions in the region. The number of casualties is still discussed and differs from 160 to 2000 on Ossetian side and from 60 to 400 on Georgian. Baudrillards concept of hyperreal television war is the perfect way of understanding this simulacra-rich conflict. The date of its beginning was a sign itself it was the day of opening the Olympic Games in Beijing, when by ancient traditions all the conflicts should be postponed. The violation of symbolic tradition instantly attracted the attention of worlds media. Artillery system Grad, used by Georgian forces as well as totally destructed building of hospital in Ossetian capital Tskhinvali, became symbols of civilian massacre. The anecdotic situation, when American audience mixed the Georgia as the Caucasus country and the US state, and started panics, was spread by media. Russian media discussed the interview with the 12-year-old ossetian girl on the Fox News, where she accuses Georgia, while being roughly interrupted by the journalist (Kukolevsky, 2008). And even unaware people remember Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, nervously chewing his necktie during the live TV inte rview. All those images were born by the war, which Georgian minister Temur Yakobashvili called a war for international public opinion (Collin, 2008). The media became a crucial battlefield in the conflict between Tbilisi and Moscow. The Georgian side claimed that it tried to reconquer its territory while Russian troops illegally invaded into it. Russians responded that Georgian government organized genocide, while Russian mission was to enforce peace. Both sides accused each other of spending millions of dollars on propaganda. Both sides even employed European PR agencies to promote their viewpoint. Georgia, backed by Western allies, from the beginning dominated in the information war. Started with cyberattacks and blocking of Russian TV, it used the help of USA and Great Britain, who didnt engage into real conflict, but actively engaged in the information one. All the leading global media CNN, Fox News, BBC, Sky News, Reuters, Associated Press were pro-Georgian. For example, Sky News showed a video report about the bombings of Tskhinvali by Georgian troops with a title Russia bombs the Georgian region South Ossetia (InoSmi, 2008; CNN, 2008). Georgia used a main advantage of Baudrillards television war that the world revealed the war from TV news. European audience, unaware of remote Caucasus regions, didnt know that some American and European correspondents presented the videos from Ossetian Tskinvali as the videos from Georgia (Vesti, 2009). Even Russian Foreign minister Sergej Lavrov agreed, that Russia lost that information war, but presented it as evidence, that Russia i s not an aggressor, otherwise it would have prepared a successful strategy (RIA Novosti, 2008). Nevertheless, I consider the results of Russian-Georgian information war as controversial as the results of real week-long conflict. The aim of attracting Western support wasnt achieved by any side. For example, German press claimed the conflict broadened the tensions between Russia and the West (Mannteufel, 2008), while some of British media found evidence of Georgia being an aggressor, guilty in war crimes (Milne, 2008). Some analysts consider Georgian media campaign as more effective because, for example, English-speaking ministers were always available for interview (Collin, 2008), but the media coverage was often favorable to Russia. The Russian strategy in this war could have been more effective, if used the overviewed simulacra images actively, because they all were really catchy and could influence the target audiences. Also Russia could have provided the world media with evidence of Georgian genocide by opening an access to a war zone for journalists. Moreover, it could be useful to prepare a strategic crisis communication plans for the possible conflicts of this kind. But anyway, the negative image of Russia, popular among Western media, could undermine by now any communication efforts. To change the situation, Russia should become a part of global media system, which is impossible because of American domination. The main idea of case study is that in August 2008 South Ossetia became a centre not of a real war, which ended in one week, but of an information war, which lasts till now. On this battlefield a little Georgia, backed by Western transnational media, can beat the huge Russia and create herself an image of a victim of Russian military machine (Zinenko, 2008). Thus it proves the thesis of Baudrillard and Virilio, that the wars of new generation are being won or lost in the space of media and information technologies. Conclusion The theoretical concepts of information and especially television wars by Baudrillard and Virilio, engaged in the essay with the real wars in Iraq 1991 and South Ossetia 2008, emerge the question of what Kellner (2005) calls a centrality of media politics in advanced foreign policy. Of course, the idea of hyperreal television war is an ideal model, and by now there was no conflict that has been totally televisual. Critiques of Baudrillard draw an attention to his hyper-postmodern approach (Hegarty, 2004) or lack of meaningful political engagement (Economic expert, n.d.). Nevertheless, the fact remains in both analyzed war cases and in numerous other conflicts of the last decades the media opened the fourth front, created a hyperreal space of mutual information attacks and marketing-style campaigns, used the simulacra-like images to influence the audience and to attract it to one side. Moreover, media become a means of searching allies or oppositely turn back to life the old confrontations, like in case of South Ossetia they emerged a new spiral of Cold War between Russia and the USA (RIA Novosti, 2008). Consequently, the governments of new generation should consider media campaigns as a part of any successful military operations, and the people, who dont want to be manipulated be spectacular images, should try to be less ignorant and more human-oriented.

Are We Now Becoming the Terrorists? Essay -- September 11 Terrorism Es

Are We Now Becoming the Terrorists?    Terrorism is a weapon of the weak. Shut out of the great conversations that shape our histories and unable to control the grand forces that shape our destinies, terrorists strike out in angry desperation to force those they have identified as their oppressors to pay attention to the plight of the alienated and to hear the terrorists' demands. The events of September 11 were just such a gesture. The horror we felt watching a jet flown deliberately into a tall building and watching people leap to their deaths to escape the flames and collapse of the ruined skyscrapers filled us with a strange awe and a feeling of helplessness. We felt forced to pay attention.   The first question on everyone's lips was: what can we do? What can we do to prevent this from happening again? What can we do to punish those responsible? How we answer these questions will decide whether we live in a civilization worth defending, or if we, too, are weak.       This unprecedented attack on American soil brings into focus the connections between our freedoms, our security, and the international system. Our choices over what to do are constrained by the ways these parts of our lives are connected. Our leaders and representatives, responding to the theories and analyses of their advisors and of the think tanks that dedicate themselves to studying such questions, have already begun to speak of September 11 as this generation's Pearl Harbor and the need to prepare for war, and of the trade-offs we will have to make for our security. Their first responses - and those of many of us - are to lash out at those who have wronged us.       However, to lash out now is a path fraught with n... ...saster relief and peacekeepers, but we are the single largest supplier of arms to the already intensely violent Middle East. And because Israel is our strategic ally in the region, we won't even allow discussion of whether its policies towards Palestinians are racist.       If we are to do anything, we must be ready to take a path more difficult than anyone has suggested so far. We must be ready to be thoughtful and sober, and to look for political solutions to the problems in the world that are now producing the threats to our security. Today, we feel like now is the time to act. Our pain, our helplessness, our frustration at discovering we are vulnerable makes us want to take control over our lives again. We are ready to retaliate against acts of angry desperation with anger and despair. But now is not the time to become terrorists ourselves.   

Community policing and Traditional policing Essay

History reveals that crime an awful act that people would not like to be a victim of. Police, therefore, play a significant role in ensuring that crime rates are reduced. Community policing and traditional policing are important aspects when it comes to issues of security and dealing with criminals (Kappeler & Gaines, 201, p. 89). Community policing requires that approaches to serious crimes be done in creative and innovative ways to ensure that there is long-term improvement in terms of security. In community policing, all crimes are treated as serious social problems and are dealt with accordingly. This kind of policing is not concerned about eradicating crime. Furthermore, the number of arrests or the crime rates is not the measure of success (Kappeler & Gaines, 201, p. 89). Community policing is concerned about ensuring that society provides opportunities for people to engage in meaningful business. Young people are often targeted because they are prone to becoming victims. Therefore, this is aimed at ensuring that future crimes rates reduce. On the other hand, traditional policing dictates rules and law to the public but are not on the ground to work with the community. They ensure that they respond quickly in case of a crime and this is a measure of their success. They also focus on identification of criminals, apprehending and prosecuting them. Traditional policing apprehends the criminals using the evidence that is collected at the crime scene. Both community and traditional policing complement each other. Community policing is aimed at ensuring that crimes rates are reduced through engaging the society to enter into gainful employment. Their work is to ensure that people live well with one another, while traditional policing is able to come in and assist in areas where crimes have been done by gathering evidence to assist them to apprehend criminals and take them to court to answer charges. The strategy of community policing is a design that may displace traditional policing. The role of the community policing is to ensure that there is law  and order and to deter any criminal activities from happening. Further, community policing is aimed at ensuring that people engage in constructive work. This strategy is aimed at reducing the rates of crimes hence slowly doing away with the traditional policing. Once the rate of crime reduces, traditional policing will have no role to play. Community policing strategy is constructed to help in creating organizational ethical behaviors. Ethics helps an organization to engage in activities that are in tandem with the moral obligation and the expectations of the society (Ortmeier & Meese, 2009, p. 254). Community policing is a force that does not cause anxiety in the community, but perform their duties diligently by relating well with the members of the community. Therefore, they assist the community members especially the youths with ideas and this makes them shun away from involvement in criminal activities. The major role of community policing is to ensure that society upholds to positive behaviors and moral standards. It helps to foster moral behaviors among the people. People should be able to live well with others and also show respect. Community policing is not concerned about the number of arrests they make but the magnitude at which they are able to change and transform the society into a better society. Therefore, this policing organization is built and performs its functions based on ethical standards. References: Gaines, L.. Kappeler, V. (2001). Policing in America (p. 640). Anderson Publishing. Ortmeier, PJ and Edwin Meese (2010). Leadership, Ethics and Policing; 2nd edition. Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Investigating Chemical Equilibria essays

Investigating Chemical Equilibria essays The aim of this experiment is to study the effect of concentration changes on equilibria. In some chemical systems the energies of the reactants and the products are of a similar order of magnitude so that the reaction is reversible, that is, it can take place in either direction. If such a system is established in a closed vessel, so that no gases could escape, then a chemical equilibrium is established. The forward and the reversible reaction have the same rate. So, if for example we take the reversible reaction A+B © C+D, then the initially forward reaction occurs rapidly, but as the concentration of the reactants falls, the rate decreases. The reverse reaction initially cannot occur at all, but as the products start to form, its rate increases. Consequently, the rate of the two reactions becomes equal, the concentrations reach constant values and the equilibrium is established. There are conditions, such as the temperature, the pressure and the concentration. According to Le Chatelier ¡s principle,  ¡if a change is made to the conditions of a chemical equilibrium, then the position of a chemical equilibrium will readjust so as to minimise the change made ¡. If the concentration of one species is changed, then the position of the equilibrium will shift to the opposite side. A change in pressure affects only the gaseous molecules. If pressure is increased, then the equilibrium will shift to the side where the most gaseous molecules exist, whereas if pressure is decreased, the equilibrium will shift to the side where the least gaseous molecules exist. Temperature is the only factor that by changing it, the equilibrium constant kc is affected. If temperature is increased, the endothermic reaction is favored, whereas, if temperature is decreased, the exothermic reaction is favored. In this experiment we will investigate, the change in equilibrium that will take place when the concentration is altered. We will d...

Free Essays on Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance portrays two journeys; it analyzes a physical motorcycle trip and it discusses the individual human interpretation of quality, as determined by the classical and romantic lines of thought. Pirsig describes physical and meta-physical aspects of life, and it portrays how they are interconnected. Pirsig attempts to display the effects of his thoughts on ordinary life. Pirsig’s describes quality as being based on the individual mind, whether it thinks in the classical or romantic way. The physical journeys between Minnesota and Montana allowed the development of the relationship between the narrator and his son. The narrator discovers the love he feels for his son, and he attempts to relate to him as the story progresses. The protagonist’s world metaphorically ends with Chris’ death, as their evolving closeness shatters. The physical journey is characterized by Pirsig’s involvement and commitment towards nature as well as his classical interpretation of motorcycle maintenance. The classic interpretation of technology, and thus motorcycle maintenance, is present throughout. Pirsig attempts to rediscover his former self, who he likes to relate to the secluded and metaphysical philosopher Phaedrus. This process leads to the development of the metaphysical explanations. Phaedrus’ philosophies are infected with contradictions that lead to insanity. Pirsig the writer has transformed his personality from Phaedrus the philosopher. He is no longer influenced by metaphysical perplexities that previously â€Å"hijacked† his mind. These include the complex schools of thought for which there are no right or wrong answers: the nature and definition of quality and the reconcilability of classical and romantic thought. Metaphysics go hand in hand with classicism, as they both concentrate on meaning, purpose, utility, and quality as determined by an object’s contents. Conversel... Free Essays on Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Free Essays on Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance portrays two journeys; it analyzes a physical motorcycle trip and it discusses the individual human interpretation of quality, as determined by the classical and romantic lines of thought. Pirsig describes physical and meta-physical aspects of life, and it portrays how they are interconnected. Pirsig attempts to display the effects of his thoughts on ordinary life. Pirsig’s describes quality as being based on the individual mind, whether it thinks in the classical or romantic way. The physical journeys between Minnesota and Montana allowed the development of the relationship between the narrator and his son. The narrator discovers the love he feels for his son, and he attempts to relate to him as the story progresses. The protagonist’s world metaphorically ends with Chris’ death, as their evolving closeness shatters. The physical journey is characterized by Pirsig’s involvement and commitment towards nature as well as his classical interpretation of motorcycle maintenance. The classic interpretation of technology, and thus motorcycle maintenance, is present throughout. Pirsig attempts to rediscover his former self, who he likes to relate to the secluded and metaphysical philosopher Phaedrus. This process leads to the development of the metaphysical explanations. Phaedrus’ philosophies are infected with contradictions that lead to insanity. Pirsig the writer has transformed his personality from Phaedrus the philosopher. He is no longer influenced by metaphysical perplexities that previously â€Å"hijacked† his mind. These include the complex schools of thought for which there are no right or wrong answers: the nature and definition of quality and the reconcilability of classical and romantic thought. Metaphysics go hand in hand with classicism, as they both concentrate on meaning, purpose, utility, and quality as determined by an object’s contents. Conversel...

How to Express Future Time in English

How to Express Future Time in English Legend has it that the final words of French grammarian Dominique Bouhours were, Je vais ou je vas mourir; lun et lautre se dit, ou se disent. In English that would be, I am about to or I am going to die. Either expression is used. As it happens, there are also multiple ways of expressing future time in English. Here are six of the most common methods. the simple present: We leave tonight for Atlanta.the present progressive: Were leaving the kids with Louise.the modal verb will (or shall) with the base form of a verb: Ill leave you some money.the modal verb will (or shall) with the progressive: Ill be leaving you a check.a form of be with the infinitive: Our flight is to leave at 10:00 p.m.a semi-auxiliary such as to be going to or to be about to with the base form of a verb: We are going to leave your father a note. But time is not quite the same as grammatical tense, and with that thought in mind, many contemporary linguists insist that properly speaking, the English language has no future tense. [M]orphologically English has no future form of the verb, in addition, to present and past forms. . . . In this grammar, then, we do not talk about the future as a formal category . . ..(Randolph Quirk et al., A Grammar of Contemporary English. Longman, 1985)[W]e do not recognize a future tense for English. . . . [T]here is no grammatical category that can properly be analyzed as a future tense. More particularly, we argue that will (and likewise shall) is an auxiliary of mood, not tense.(Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2002)There is no future tense ending for English verbs as there is in other languages . . ..(Ronald Carter and Michael McCarthy, Cambridge Grammar of English. Cambridge University Press, 2006)English has no future tense, because it has no future tense inflections, in the way that many other languages do, nor any other grammatical form or combination of forms that can exclusively be ca lled a future tense.(Bas Aarts, Oxford Modern English Grammar. Oxford University Press, 2011) Such denials of a future tense may sound paradoxical (if not downright pessimistic), but the central argument hinges on the way we mark and define tense. Ill let David Crystal explain: How many tenses of the verb are there in English? If your automatic reaction is to say three, at least, past, present, and future, you are showing the influence of the Latinate grammatical tradition. . . .[I]n traditional grammar, [t]ense was thought of as the grammatical expression of time, and identified by a particular set of endings on the verb. In Latin there were present tense endings . . ., future tense endings . . ., perfect tense endings . . ., and several others marking different tense forms.English, by contrast, has only one inflectional form to express time: the past tense marker (typically -ed), as in walked, jumped, and saw. There is therefore a two-way tense contrast in English: I walk vs I walked: present tense vs past tense. . . .However people find it extremely difficult to drop the notion of future tense (and related notions, such as imperfect, future perfect, and pluperfect tenses) from their mental vocabulary, and to look for other ways of talking about the gramm atical realities of the English verb.(The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2003) So from this perspective (and keep in mind that not all linguists wholeheartedly agree), English doesnt have a future tense. But is this something that students and instructors need to be concerned about? Consider Martin Endleys advice for EFL teachers: [T]here is no harm done if you continue to refer to the English future tense in your classroom. Students have quite enough to think about without being troubled by such matters and there is little sense in adding to their burden needlessly. Yet, underlying the dispute is an important issue that does have an obvious bearing on the classroom, namely, the difference between the way the present and past tenses are marked on the one hand, and the way the (so-called) future tense is marked on the other.(Linguistic Perspectives on English Grammar: A Guide for EFL Teachers. Information Age, 2010) Fortunately, English does have a future with plenty of ways of expressing future time.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Leadership - Essay Example More than a month ago, US President Barrack Obama announced to the world that Osama bin Laden, leader of al Qaeda network, was killed in a blitzerg cost-efficient attack done by US soldiers within the military compound of Pakistan. Obama reckoned the horror of 9/11 attack that left thousands of families grieving and traumatized from violent assault which also communicated horrors to many nations. As a consequence, US launched its anti-terrorism policy and strategized the campaign by strengthening the alliance with the rest of the world. Such brought wars in Afghanistan and its operation were regionalized in many allied countries around the globe. Suspects were mapped out, offensive actions were launched and US assumed the role of global leadership against war in terrorism. In a manhunt against bin Laden, the Bush administration sent troops for an Afghan war that caused massive death, displacement of peoples, psychological trauma amongst women and children and encouraged social upheav als in many nations advocating peace and are oppose to war policies. US however was successful in disintegrating al-Qaeda group possessed with anti-US sentiment. It failed to capture bin Laden although forces were able to interdict and arrested some of its suspected members whilst confronting some regional attacks in key strategic areas where US presence is felt. It was only this May 2011, when troops were sent to Pakistan at the behest of Obama administration to do a lightning attack targeting bin Laden. Right on mark, without civilian casualties and of less operational cost, Obama announced that bin Laden’s death was a historic and significant achievement for al-Qaeda’s defeat. The Obama administration proved its sincerity in this anti-terror drive by professionally handling global security management at the heart. It illustrated ethical leadership by being clear and steadfast of its goal and in explicating that the attack against bin Laden is a decision not to ran i n conflict with believers of Islam but as means of valuing the importance of life, justice for 9/11 victims and for world peace. This was empirically shown by how US singled-out the target which was then hiding within a military camp of a Muslim-dominated nation of Pakistan. US certainly have managed it with diplomatic channels who dealt with internal intricacies to handle outcomes to certainly thread in a value-based leadership’s efficacy—both in operation and in international political relations. Obama was able to model to the world that international security is essential by perceiving it as a benefit with hope to restore people’s confidence to enjoy life free from violence. He was able to demonstrate ethical leadership with efficacy and virtue. As a manager of his forces, he was able to show affective commitment, shaped perceptions at an ethical climate, provide operation or job satisfaction, achievement of goals, and inculcate sense of justice. On its econo mic aspect, its wise to account that the war against terror under Bush administration have divested billions of dollars to shoulder operational and administrative costs, communication, upgrading facilities, networking, capability-building, conflict-management, post-war reconstruction and the likes. It was too costly. Obama was able to reduce the cost of operation and risk management by managing time spent for firefight, forecasting shocks while targeting object of operation, considering all potential change

Rabbit Proof Fence Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rabbit Proof Fence - Movie Review Example Further, orders were issued to eradicate forcibly half-caste children from their paternal and maternal families. It was a disastrous and dangerous racist policy that brought about the suffering and misery of what they called the stolen generation. In the movie Rabbit proof fence, the director Philip Noyce presents a perspective of what real happened to the half-caste children in Australia during the 20th century. In addition, via the movie, the director highlights the events that happened in order to overcome the disastrous racist law. For instance, having been removed forcibly from their mothers, the three women, Gracie, Sampi, and Sansbury escape from one of the detention center in Moore and goes on mission to look for their mothers. It is rational to argue that with the incredible journey ahead of the three women in the movie, they try to free themselves from the oppressive government policies. It is depicted in the film that they tried to identify their way out of the rabbit proof fence. I think this represents the unrelenting effort to fight for equality in society. In addition, the movie depicted how racism or racial profiling in 20th century Australia. It is evident that during this time, racism in Australian society looked like cancer in that it had no cure and it would have continued were it not for the effort of the three women to fight for justice. However, separation and exclusion is seen all around Australian aborigine children. It is clear that suspicion, fear, and ignorance parting away communities. At the same time, public figures, the media, and heads of states, who are the people supposed to fight and defend pluralist and inclusive societies, initiate attacks on multiculturalism. While this negative outlook may be so widely accepted challenging it seems to be a hard but important

Corporate Social Responsibility of the Dow Chemical Company Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility of the Dow Chemical Company - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the current times do not allow for companies to be in business just for the sake of making profits anymore. Many consumers rely on companies and firms for goods and services, but the level of competition allows the consumers to make their purchasing decisions based on several factors. One of the most surprising factors is how much positive goods a company is doing outside of the workplace setting. Many consumers are basing their company and corporate loyalties on how much a firm is positively impacting on their community. Therefore, CSR has become a growing concern for most, if not all firms and corporations because it provides a competitive edge to a company. Through CSR, companies are innovating new products and services to ensure sustainability. For instance, a firm might change the chemical composition of its products so as to make them safer for the end users. A firm can also devote their funds and much valued time to initiatives that are beneficial to the society, like cleanups. Corporate Social Responsibility entails the managing of the overall impacts of a company on a society. This consists of the direct impact of the operations and the wider impact of business all through the value chain from manufacturers to suppliers and finally to the consumers. Corporate Social Responsibility can also be defined as the ongoing commitment by a firm to contribute to economic development, at the same time improving the quality of life of its employees and their families as well as the society and community at large. CSR can also be referred to as â€Å"corporate citizenship†, involving the incurrence of costs that don’t provide a direct financial benefit to the company but promotes positive environmental and social change. The Dow Chemical Company is a globally acknowledged manufacturer and supplier of products used as raw materials in the manufacture of a myriad of other consumer products and services.

Risks of Social Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Risks of Social Networking - Essay Example As such, many users often gain friends they know little about in terms of their behaviors and morals. Friends may post photos of them engaging in delinquent behavior such as smoking or indulgence in alcohol and since another surfer may not want to feel ‘left out’ engages in the same behavior to ‘fit in’ and create a name for themselves. Cyber grooming is also a risk for many surfers. With cyber grooming, predatory pedophiles pose as young attractive people, with whom the victim can identify with, but also older, appearing to have money, cars and other attractive possessions for their victim. As Haigh notes, young people expose themselves to real danger when they give out their personal information like their address, personal phone number and where they like to hung out (19). In most cases as the writer notes, the perpetrator usually only needs the teenager’s photo and the color of the school uniform to figure out which school they attend. Once there is trust between the two, the predator may then plan out their crime, for instance in kidnapping cases, or involve the teenager in pornographic films. Many young surfers often expose themselves to cyber-bullying. Many times, a person’s image once uploaded may be used by malicious people however they like. It may be downloaded, edited and shared in new forms, to offend, or cause distress, fear or embarrassment. Tech-savvy users may even hack into a user’s account and harass them. Due to the fact that one can totally hide their identity, individuals who may not be bullies in real world may be encouraged to take part in malicious activities as they can always cover up their identity. Cyber-bullying may take forms such as harassment, where one is sent offensive or frightening communications; flaming, involving engaging the victim in arguments that use offensive language; denigration, where one posts rumors and other false information to taint the

Social Thought & Social Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social Thought & Social Change - Essay Example There has been a â€Å"social change† in United States (Cornish, 1993, pp. 162). Various sociologists belonging to different school of thoughts have interpreted social change differently. In particular, notion of Social Change will under evaluation according to the works of Karl Marx and Max Webber. Marx simply defined social change as something, which emerges from class conflict, and this social change might be in the form of revolutions and not necessarily peaceful (Tischler, 2007, pp. 14). Weber’s ideas on social change were not economically based like that of Marx, but he emphasized that social change is brought about by ideas and ideals (Denhardt, 2004, pp.26). Society has undergone various transformations; the theories of Marx and Weber highlight how social change brought about these transformations. The paper explains the theories of Marx and Weber to explain the concept of â€Å"post industrialist† society. Bell does not really define post industrialist s ociety as a transition into service industry. Bell places great emphasis on scientific knowledge in this era and this scientific knowledge is a catalyst for social change (Mackay, Maples, Reynolds, 2001, pp. 24). Postindustrial era emerged after the Second World War that saw immense technological developments some of which included the transformation of matter into energy, atom bomb and the first digital computer (Bell, 1973, pp. 339). The character of ‘knowledge’ itself stands out in postindustrial societies. The main features of a postindustrial society include that of an increase in the size of the service industry, extensive use of machinery, an increase in the amount of information technology and knowledge and creativity standing out (Society, n.d, n.p). Karl Marx was particularly focused on the inequality perpetuated by capitalism. He argued that a particular technology did not define capitalism, and was the relation of social forces within the capitalist society that was significant. In the sense, that the people who owned the means of production and the workers who worked on these means of production had an important relationship. Although technology was vital to the process but it resulted only â€Å"as consequence of the relationship between those who produce surplus value and who appropriate it† (Jordan, Pile, 2002, pp.102). The works of Marx itself were based on the industrialist society. However, various contemporary Marxist theorists have identified that the conflicts within the framework of work, which occurred in industrial society have still not been removed with the introduction of the post industrialist era, also widely known as Information Communications Technology (ICT). In addition, even Bell has identified that the landowner and soldier were central figures in pre-industrial society and the businesspersons in industrial society, largely scientists and researchers dominate the postindustrial society (Cornish, 1993, pp. 162). Marxists therefore would emphasize that the scientists and researchers have the ‘elite’ knowledge, which is in the hands of the powerful few. Hence, there is inequality in the society. Furthermore, there has been an integration of ICT into the manufacturing world. This is an addition of modernity to the trend, which Marx had established. Therefore, according to Marxists, ICT is a ‘

Describe rehearsal, exercise, and maintenance of business continuity Assignment

Describe rehearsal, exercise, and maintenance of business continuity - Assignment Example Unique case studies where DR and BC have flourished and become beneficial include the Electric Company, bank, and automotive case studies (Disasterrecovery.Org, n.d.). The situation of the electric company involved instability in the WAN connection that was probably because of an unpredictable ISP service. In response, the company used an alternative FatPipe WARP before getting a larger replacement for the ISP carrier. This was a brilliant idea in the sense that the business continued to operate with a weaker internet connection before the company enhanced its internet strength. The beneficiaries of this plan included the customers and the organization itself. Concerning the European bank, a similar problem was evident when it experienced redundancy in North American VPN. The bank put concerted efforts to rectify the mistake by installing new MPVPN. Surprisingly, the problem was solved and the customers benefited from the disaster recovery in the sense that the bank improved the efficiency of its services (Disasterrecovery.Org, n.d.). Although the two scenarios were unique and unrelated, it is notable that the approach to risk management was very different for both cases. The Electric Company was more credible and practical in its approach in that it acted on mitigation as well as maintenance measures. It means that the European bank has a rather unfortunate disaster recovery approach because customers must have suffered inconveniences at the time of replacements. Consequently, the Electric Company delivered more benefits to its customers because of a proper Business Continuity Plan. On the other hand, the European bank did not have a well-planned recovery procedure (Disasterrecovery.Org,

Risks of Social Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Risks of Social Networking - Essay Example As such, many users often gain friends they know little about in terms of their behaviors and morals. Friends may post photos of them engaging in delinquent behavior such as smoking or indulgence in alcohol and since another surfer may not want to feel ‘left out’ engages in the same behavior to ‘fit in’ and create a name for themselves. Cyber grooming is also a risk for many surfers. With cyber grooming, predatory pedophiles pose as young attractive people, with whom the victim can identify with, but also older, appearing to have money, cars and other attractive possessions for their victim. As Haigh notes, young people expose themselves to real danger when they give out their personal information like their address, personal phone number and where they like to hung out (19). In most cases as the writer notes, the perpetrator usually only needs the teenager’s photo and the color of the school uniform to figure out which school they attend. Once there is trust between the two, the predator may then plan out their crime, for instance in kidnapping cases, or involve the teenager in pornographic films. Many young surfers often expose themselves to cyber-bullying. Many times, a person’s image once uploaded may be used by malicious people however they like. It may be downloaded, edited and shared in new forms, to offend, or cause distress, fear or embarrassment. Tech-savvy users may even hack into a user’s account and harass them. Due to the fact that one can totally hide their identity, individuals who may not be bullies in real world may be encouraged to take part in malicious activities as they can always cover up their identity. Cyber-bullying may take forms such as harassment, where one is sent offensive or frightening communications; flaming, involving engaging the victim in arguments that use offensive language; denigration, where one posts rumors and other false information to taint the

Describe rehearsal, exercise, and maintenance of business continuity Assignment

Describe rehearsal, exercise, and maintenance of business continuity - Assignment Example Unique case studies where DR and BC have flourished and become beneficial include the Electric Company, bank, and automotive case studies (Disasterrecovery.Org, n.d.). The situation of the electric company involved instability in the WAN connection that was probably because of an unpredictable ISP service. In response, the company used an alternative FatPipe WARP before getting a larger replacement for the ISP carrier. This was a brilliant idea in the sense that the business continued to operate with a weaker internet connection before the company enhanced its internet strength. The beneficiaries of this plan included the customers and the organization itself. Concerning the European bank, a similar problem was evident when it experienced redundancy in North American VPN. The bank put concerted efforts to rectify the mistake by installing new MPVPN. Surprisingly, the problem was solved and the customers benefited from the disaster recovery in the sense that the bank improved the efficiency of its services (Disasterrecovery.Org, n.d.). Although the two scenarios were unique and unrelated, it is notable that the approach to risk management was very different for both cases. The Electric Company was more credible and practical in its approach in that it acted on mitigation as well as maintenance measures. It means that the European bank has a rather unfortunate disaster recovery approach because customers must have suffered inconveniences at the time of replacements. Consequently, the Electric Company delivered more benefits to its customers because of a proper Business Continuity Plan. On the other hand, the European bank did not have a well-planned recovery procedure (Disasterrecovery.Org,

Grace Nichols comes from Guyana and Hugh Boatswain from the Caribbean Essay Example for Free

Grace Nichols comes from Guyana and Hugh Boatswain from the Caribbean Essay Writers who came from over seas write the two poems that I have been asked to analyse. Grace Nichols comes from Guyana and Hugh Boatswain from the Caribbean. The poems deal with identical themes, a man who has immigrated to Britain from the Caribbean, and must learn to adapt to a new life and culture. Both men suffer a sense of loss for their past, but in Hugh Boatswains poem Old Father, the central character tries to forget about his earlier life. Hugh Boatswain writes the poem Old Father in a Caribbean dialect. It is a narrative poem, which tells the story of old fathers arrival in Britain. At first old father is very unhappy, we can see this in the quote. Man, a takkin de nex boat back home. The writer is trying to show the reader that old father is thinking of taking the next boat back home. At this point in the poem old father still uses Caribbean dialect. I think that the use of the word home tells the reader the old father wants to go home. Later as he forgets about his past and rejects his earlier culture. Old father is trying to ignore his heritage and trying to become English. We can see that old father rejects his earlier culture when he makes jokes about his people to the white people, we can see this in the quote. tut tut, he would say, isnt it disgusting how they make a spectacle of themselves. The poem is divided into four stanzas. The writer uses alliteration and assonance, to give the poem a rhythmical sound. Assonance is where the vowels sound the same in a line, for example in this quote. make him bawl in his small basement room. Boatswain also uses alliteration when he repeats b consonants. We can see alliteration in this quote. Bouncing down the road with a blond. We can also see the writer using personification in the quote. Cold bite him hard. The poem gives a lot of detail about old fathers life and now he changes to adapt to his new life. He changes his appearance by straightening his hair and ignoring his old friends. The writer is quite critical about old father, he sees him as betraying his identity. Island Man written by Grace Nichols is an imagist poem. The writer gives images or pictures of the mans dreams rather then telling his story directly to the reader. The poem is written in free verse, without rhythm. However, the writer uses alliteration in the phrases. Sun Surfacing heaves himself Nichols also repeats word, we can see this in the quote. groggily groggily muffling muffling Which describes the man waking up. The repetition helps to emphasise the emotions of the man. The poem is divided into the mans dreams of the Island and his waking life in London. The writer uses enjambment, which means that each line flows into the next. We can see an example of enjambment in the quote. Morning and Island man wakes up This gives the language in this poem a rhythmical pattern like wave on a beach. The use of colours is very important in this poem. The dream Island is blue surf and small emerald Island. In contrast London is grey metallic soar. By reading and analysing the two poems Old Father and Island Man I have come to a conclusion that I think that the poem Old Father is better in the sense of language and themes. I enjoyed reading the poem Old Father more because the writer has used a large range of language skills. It also shows the use of Caribbean dialect, and the way the writer has structured out the poem.

A Report Of Pace Leisurewear Ltd Finance Essay

A Report Of Pace Leisurewear Ltd Finance Essay Pace Leisurewear Ltd is a manufacturer of casual wear and designer leisure clothes company. Jill Dempsey and Mike Greaves are two co-founder of Pace Leisurewear Ltd. Lots of fresh experience in similar business and new ideas for developing a new range of clothes for young people motivate Jill and Mike to form such business to attracts younger and higher income market. Under guidance of Jane Barker, who is experienced designer, company had taken lots of efforts and spend lots of money to recruit young and talented design team. As expected design team produced range of clothes and welcomed by enthusiasm buyers. With the help of marketing team lead by Jill Dempsey, the sales was growing and orders had reached their highest level ever. Recession period Pace Leisurewear Ltd started trading due to average sales. After economy coming out of recession, companys sales started growing with new exports markets in France and Switzerland. Jill and Mike were very delighted when they received a ord er from Arena, which could be very important for companies growth over next few years in leisurewear business. Jill  and Mike invested all their life time savings as well as taken out large mortgages on their houses to invest in companies business. Major contribution added by Keeble Estates Ltd, owned by Keeble brother, David and John Keeble. The board of directors of Pace Leisurewear Ltd are Jill Dempsey, Mike Geaves, Jane Berker, David Keeble and John Keeble. Difficulties faced by Pace Leisurewear Ltd. The main problem which is company facing is reduction in bank overdraft by half over next six months. Even draft accounts details received from the auditors shows profit has more than doubled. Surprisingly company facing cash situation is so poor. Company invested a lots on additional plant and after selling old machines company didnt manage additional expenses includes  £2.8 million for depreciation. It is already clear from Keeble brothers that addition investment is not possible. Board directors not have financial expertise and business had crossed the overdraft limit on several occasions. Because of poor cash situation company need large amount of money to successfully execute new order from Arena and override Pace Leisurewears liquidity problem. Financing ratio analysis in the tabular format with relevant formulas : Profitability ratio : Ratio Formulas Year( 2008) Year( 2009) Return on capital employed (ROCE) Profit before interest and tax x 100% Capital Employed 2100 x100% 10474 =20 % 4618 x100% 15600 =29.7% Return on Equity(ROE) Ratio Profit after tax x 100% Share holder equity Formulas 1248 x100% 6874 =18.1% Year( 2008) 2926 x100% 9000 =32.7% Year( 2009) Gross Profit Margin Gross Profit x100% Sales 6510 x100% 14006 =46.5% 10792 x 100% 22410 =48.15% Net Profit Margin Net Profit bf interest tax x 100% Sales 2100 x100% 14006 =14.99% 4618 x100 22410 =20.6% Efficiency Ratio : Ratio Formulas Year( 2008) Year (2009) Stock Turnover in days Stock held x365 Cost of sales 2418 x365 7496 =117.73 days 5820 x365 11618 =182.84 day Debtors Turnover in days Trade Debtors x365 sales 1614 x365 14006 =42 days 3744 x365 22410 =61days Creditors Turnover in days Trade creditor x365 Purchases 1214 x365 7496 =59days 2612 x365 11618 =82 days Liquidity Ratio : Ratio Formulas Year (2008) Year (2009) Current Ratio Current Assets = Current Liabilities 4356 2482 =1.8:1 9974 8844 =1.12:1 Quick (acid test) ratio Current assets Stock Current Liabilities 4356 2418 2482 =0.8:1 9974-5820 8844 =0.5:1 Gearing Ratio: Ratio Formulas Year (2008) Year (2009) Gearing Ratio Fixed Interest Capital x100% Fixed interest capital + equity 3600 x100% 10474 =34.4% 6600 x100% 15600 =42.3% Financing position and performance of Pace Leisurewear Ltd Profitability Ratio: Every company is looking for its profitability. Ratio analysis is calculated with the help of different types of formulas. Ratio analysis help business to provide financial statements. Concerned with how much the company owes in relation to its size. It is improving its situation. Ratio gives very clear view of the financial stability rather than companies individual mathematical figures. Profitability ratio is most frequently used tools in financial ratio analysis. It shows companys performance and stability. Profitability ratio can be divided by margins and returns. All type of ratios can shows companies situation in the market, but ratios can not give any solution for any problem. Using companys profit and loss we can calculate its profitability. Here we will discuss profitability ratio for Pace Leisurewear Ltd. Return on Capital Employed : ROCE goes higher the companys profitability will increase. In year 2008 ROCE was around 20% and in year 2009 it increased to 29%. Even in year 2009 Profit before tax and interest was higher as compare to year 2008,but company also increase fixed assets and current assets. That was the reason companys ROCE is increased by 9% only. Return on Equity : The amount of net income returned as a percentage of shareholders equity. It will help for comparing the profitability of two companies, which are in the same industry. ROE for the year 2008 is 18.1% and in year 2009 was 32.7%,that means is double than 2008.Equity shows the total investment of the company. Higher the ROE goes shareholder get higher return. Dividend increased almost double as well as net profit after tax also increased, it means company is getting good return from shareholders equity. Gross Profit Margin : Gross profit margin prove the percentage of amount remaining after paying cost of sales. Companys total sales minus its cost of goods sold, divided by the total sales, which is represent in percentage. The higher percentage means more the company retain on each sales to its other costs. Gross profit margin for year 2008 was 46.5% and in year 2009 its increased to 48.15%. Because of cost of sales increased by 55% between last two years, it effected on gross profit margin. Companys gross profit increased by 65% over sales which is increased by 60%. Net Profit Margin : Net margin will vary from company to company and most companies will report their net margin both quarterly. it shows business net profitability.Net profit margin for 2008 was 14.99% and in year 2009 it increased by 20.6%.Net Profit after tax increased by around 134.5% over the same period. Increase in net profit after tax is a very good news for companys future. Efficiency Ratio: Company should invest in assets to run its operations. Efficiency ratio calculate how effectively company use its assets. It needs to be managed carefully. A good system of credit control is essential to any organisation. Stock Turnover ratio : It shows the number of days on average money is fixed up in stocks. Stock turnover shows how quickly goods move through the business. Profits must be increased if the rate of stock turnover can be increased. Stock is the part of working capital. Its important for working capital to as early as possible convert stock into cash to save from liquidity problem. In year 2008 stock turnover was 117.73 days and in year 2009 it increased to 182.84 days. Big turnover in days is not good for business because funds are very hard to use somewhere and funds got freeze with stock. Debtors turnover ratio ( days ): It will shows, how efficiently business can collecting its debts and how quickly company can solve debt problem. Short period of debt is not a big harm to company but the longer debt can effect on business badly. In year 2008 debtor turnover was 42 days and in year 2009 it increased to 61 days. It means longer time money will be stuck with debtors. Creditors turnover ratio (days) : This ratio shows ,how many days it takes to paying its debts. Cash must be retained within the organisation for longer period. Creditor turnover days must be always greater than debtors turnover days. Business holding creditors money for longer period so longer days with creditors turnover is good for companys business. In year 2008 creditors turnover in 59 days and in year 2009 it increased to 82 days. It seems to be good compare to debtors turnover days. Liquidity Ratio : Liquidity ratio shows companys ability to repay short term creditors out of its total cash. Current ratio must be in excess of 1. If it is greater than 1,it means ,its fully acceptable. There are two liquidity ration which is very simple to use and very important as well. These ration are :Current ratio and acid test ratio. It can pay its suppliers by having enough working capital. According to balance sheet for 2008,current assets are trade debtors, stock, cash and other debtors. Current liabilities are trade creditors, taxation, dividends, other creditors and bank overdrafts. Current Ratio: Current assets in year 2008 calculated as 4356k and in year 2009 is calculated as 9974k and current liabilities calculated for year 2008 as 2482k and in year 2009 is calculated as 8844k.As if we calculated current ratio should be 2:1,it means business has sufficient current assets to pay current liabilities. Current ratio in year 2008 is 1.8:1,it means company has sufficient liquidity to pay its debts, as year 2009 current ratio shows 1:12.Its increase shows company can pay its short term debts. Quick (acid-test) Ratio : Acid-test ratio does not includes value of stock so this ratio can calculate liquidity more accurate than current ratio. Fast stock turnover companys can keep acid test ratio comfortably less than 1. To calculate acid test ratio we will take out stock value from current assets. In 2008 acid test ratio was 0.8:1,which seems to be not bad. Next if we calculate for year 2009 the acid test ratio shows to 0.5:1which seems to be very unhealthy. Stock calculated in year 2008 was 2418k and in year 2009 is 5820k,it means company keeps more than doubled its stock. Acid test ratio for current year is showing company is in big trouble with its liquidity. Gearing Ratio: Gearing ratio calculate of financial leverage which demonstrate the percentage to which business activities are funded by owner fund versus creditor funds. There is no limitation to how much gearing ratio responsible to be. Company having less than 50% gearing ratio can be specify as a low geared. Also if company having more than 50% gearing ratio can be specify as a high geared ratio. In year 2008 gearing ratio was 34.4% and in year 2009 gearing ratio shows 42.3%.Comparing with this two years, in 2009 company is higher geared than in year 2008.Company top up loan amount by 6600k which is approximately 83%.Company have to pay more interest because of its higher loan and it can be effected companys capital, which they will end up in paying dividends. Last two year ratio clearly shows that company is having difficulty with liquidity in coming years. Top of that bank is going to reduce overdraft by half percent in next six months and this is not affordable by company to fulfil new order which is come from Arena, Pace Leisurewear Ltd have to complete this order to stay in the leisurewear market. Plan of Action : After writing this report for Pace Leisurewear Ltd ,there are few points, which need to be look into, as follows : 1.One positive point is company is highly profitable, but it is very difficult to convince potential investors to invest in company because its gearing ration is high and facing a liquidity problem .Some investor can invest with risks in exchange for future high returns. 2. There is chance to small investment from suppliers and customers after explaining companys future plan and current orders proposal. 3.Try to convert stock in cash for short term. Efficiency ratio shows large number of stock turnover effecting companys cash. 4.Pace Leisurewear Ltd need to be appoint some one who is expertise in financial activities to take control of the finances and investment of the business. 5.Company should be take a total control to expanding business activities, like concentrate on order completion in time. 6.Reduce stock level and minimize debtors collection period for short term. 7.Try to lease, so company can save money on purchasing fixed assets. Total words : 2025 References used for this report : Atrill P. And McLaney E.(2006), Accounting and finance for non-specialists. 5th Edition. London : Prentice Hall Europe Dr. Saeudy M. (2010) Lecture notes, Ratio Analysis, Accounting and Finance module. Tracy J.A. (2008) Accounting for Dummies. 4th Edition. Indiana :Wiley Publishing, Inc

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder :: Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD

Introduction There has been a proliferation of interest in the development and nature of individual’s thinking patterns and processes following traumatic psychological exposure (Ehlers, Mayou, & Bryant, 1998). In particular, previous research has suggested that specific thinking styles and patterns preceding trauma predict a greater vulnerability and a poorer long-term prognosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Dalgleish, 2004). Moreover, the literature has illustrated that adolescents can be predisposed to developing PTSD which develops as a result of either direct or indirect exposure to a trauma. For example, witnessing a trauma directly or learning about a specific traumatic event experienced by others (Finkelhor & Dziuba-Leatherman, 1994). Previous research has highlighted that adolescents that have been exposed to a trauma and PTSD may also be more vulnerable to developing aggressive and antisocial behaviours (Falshaw, Browne & Hollin, 1996), alcohol and drug dependence, hypervigilance and impulsive misconduct (Lynam, Caspi, Moffitt, Wikstrà ¶m, Loeber & Novak, 2000). Erwin, Newman, McMackin, Morrissey and Kaloupek (2000) suggest that a reason for this is that early exposure to trauma can have severe impact on adolescent’s functioning in terms of their emotions, cognition and behaviour, poor self-regulation and information-processing. Adding to this, Tyson & Goodman, (1996) suggest that it is these deficits in functioning coupled with the individual’s inability to regulate emotions that predispose them to engaging in protective aggression and dangerous re-enactment behaviours as a way of dealing with their exposure to trauma. The link between dysfunctional cognitions and PTSD has been widely explored by various researchers, and it has been suggested that a tight relationship exists between PTSD and antisocial behaviour in youths (Danckwerts & Leathem, 2003). However, little is yet known about the psychological mechanisms which underlie the relationship. This literature review will explore the underlying mechanisms which predict a greater vulnerability to the onset, development and maintenance of PTSD associated with young offenders. More specifically, depressive cognitions such as rumination and counterfactual thinking will be explored with reference to their link with PTSD. Defining Rumination and Counterfactual Thinking Individuals affected by PTSD often report symptoms of incessant ruminative thinking associated with a traumatic experience. The DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) does not however distinguish intrusive rumination and intrusive memories associated with the trauma in the development of PTSD. However, more recently various theoretical perspectives propose that the two are functionally distinct and should be regarded as separate entities (Ehlers & Clark, 2000; Joseph, Williams & Yule, 1997; Ehlers & Steil, 1997).

J.R.R. Tolkiens Lord of the Rings Essay -- J.R.R. Tolkien Lord Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings â€Å"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them† (Tolkien, The Two Towers 233)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the masters of British Literature, J.R.R. Tolkien was able to create a fantasy world with an endless supply of parallelisms to reality. The fantasy world was found in the â€Å"Lord of the Rings.† Tolkien is able to create wonderful symbolism and meaning out of what would otherwise be considered nonsense. He creates symbolism and meaning by mastering his own world and his own language. To understand the symbolism of The Ruling Ring, or The One Ring, one must understand the events, which take place from the time of the ring’s creation until the time of it’s destruction. One must also develop an understanding of the characters and events that are important in the story. In this paper, we will learn the background of Tolkien’s life and the history of the One Ring. The history of the One Ring will include it’s creation, it’s effect on mortals, and it’s destruction. By learning the One Ring’s history, one c an understand its symbolism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, an English scholar and storyteller, became interested in language at an early age. During his schooling, Tolkien was mostly interested with the languages of Northern Europe. His interests included both ancient and modern languages. Tolkien’s interest in language leads to his profession and his own hobby. He invented languages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The history of the One Ring starts before the â€Å"Lord of the Rings.† The ring is created in the book â€Å"The Silmarillion.† The creation of the One Ring is found in â€Å"The Silmarillion† after the fall of Morgoth. At the time, Sauron wants to control all of the people in Middle Earth. To gain control of the people, Sauron convinced them that he had good intentions. Eventually the people sided with Sauron, and created the Rings of Power. Sauron created the One Ring in secret so he would be able to control the other rings. This gave Sauron control of the people. The creation of the One Ring, and the essence of it’s power follows here. â€Å"And their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only as long as it too should last. And much of the strength and will of Sauron passed into that One Ring; for the power of the Elven Rings was very great, and that which should g... ... end of time. Bibliography Adams, Robert M. The Land and Literature of England. New York: W W Norton and Company, 1983. Bloom, Harold. Modern Fantasy Writers. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1995. Grotta, Daniel. The Biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1978. Dodsworth, Martin. The Penguin History of Literature. England: Penguin Books, 1994. Isaacs, Neil David. Tolkien and the Critics. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1968. Isaacs, Neil David. Tolkien New Critical Perspectives. Lexington: University Press of Kentucy, 1981. Grundy, Stephan. Rhinegold. New York: Bantam, 1994. Shippey, T.A. J.R.R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Return of the King. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Silmarillion. New York: Ballantine, 1995. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Two Towers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. Tree and Leaf. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989. Tyler, J.E.A. The Tolkien Companion. New York: Pan Books, 1976. J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Essay -- J.R.R. Tolkien Lord Rings J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings â€Å"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them† (Tolkien, The Two Towers 233)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the masters of British Literature, J.R.R. Tolkien was able to create a fantasy world with an endless supply of parallelisms to reality. The fantasy world was found in the â€Å"Lord of the Rings.† Tolkien is able to create wonderful symbolism and meaning out of what would otherwise be considered nonsense. He creates symbolism and meaning by mastering his own world and his own language. To understand the symbolism of The Ruling Ring, or The One Ring, one must understand the events, which take place from the time of the ring’s creation until the time of it’s destruction. One must also develop an understanding of the characters and events that are important in the story. In this paper, we will learn the background of Tolkien’s life and the history of the One Ring. The history of the One Ring will include it’s creation, it’s effect on mortals, and it’s destruction. By learning the One Ring’s history, one c an understand its symbolism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, an English scholar and storyteller, became interested in language at an early age. During his schooling, Tolkien was mostly interested with the languages of Northern Europe. His interests included both ancient and modern languages. Tolkien’s interest in language leads to his profession and his own hobby. He invented languages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The history of the One Ring starts before the â€Å"Lord of the Rings.† The ring is created in the book â€Å"The Silmarillion.† The creation of the One Ring is found in â€Å"The Silmarillion† after the fall of Morgoth. At the time, Sauron wants to control all of the people in Middle Earth. To gain control of the people, Sauron convinced them that he had good intentions. Eventually the people sided with Sauron, and created the Rings of Power. Sauron created the One Ring in secret so he would be able to control the other rings. This gave Sauron control of the people. The creation of the One Ring, and the essence of it’s power follows here. â€Å"And their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only as long as it too should last. And much of the strength and will of Sauron passed into that One Ring; for the power of the Elven Rings was very great, and that which should g... ... end of time. Bibliography Adams, Robert M. The Land and Literature of England. New York: W W Norton and Company, 1983. Bloom, Harold. Modern Fantasy Writers. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1995. Grotta, Daniel. The Biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1978. Dodsworth, Martin. The Penguin History of Literature. England: Penguin Books, 1994. Isaacs, Neil David. Tolkien and the Critics. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1968. Isaacs, Neil David. Tolkien New Critical Perspectives. Lexington: University Press of Kentucy, 1981. Grundy, Stephan. Rhinegold. New York: Bantam, 1994. Shippey, T.A. J.R.R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Return of the King. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Silmarillion. New York: Ballantine, 1995. Tolkien, J.R.R. The Two Towers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Tolkien, J.R.R. Tree and Leaf. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989. Tyler, J.E.A. The Tolkien Companion. New York: Pan Books, 1976.

Arguments for and against Australia’s Alliance with the United States

Australia, apart from being the United States' oldest friend as well as ally in the Asia-Pacific region also is America's second closest ally worldwide. In spite of the fact that this alliance has been in existence for over 50 years, it was until September in 2001 (few days before the 50th anniversary) that the treaty was for the first time since its signing invoked. Since then Australia has increasingly gotten involved with the United States and its activities. Not only did Australia join the American-led coalitions in fighting against Iraq and Afghanistan but also signed a free trade agreement with the United States, a development that both governments perceive to be most significant in the bilateral relationship since the ANZUS Treaty that binds Australia, the United States and New Zealand. ANZUS’s also separately binds the United States and Australia to cooperate and assist each other on matters of defence in the Pacific region. More developments have however been made on this treaty with current understanding implying that the cooperation relates to attacks in any area globally. These events, developments have however prompted a debate in Australia about what the nature of the United States' power and what its expectations from the alliance are. The costs and benefits of the close ties, military as well as economic with the United States are also being hotly debated in Australia. Critics of the formation of the free trade area perceive it to be a way of killing the country more than developing it . In spite of all these doubts and criticisms of the alliance, there are those who believe that this alliance places Australia in a privileged position with the world's greatest if not the only remaining superpower which has large and potentially enormous benefits that would enhance Australia's economic strength and its national security . The Australia-United States alliance is not just any ordinary alliance. There are not many alliances that last up to fifty ears and even exceed it. Very few alliances have ramifications that go beyond military and diplomatic affairs into economic, social, cultural and political affairs as this alliance . The Australia-America alliance has developed such that in its own right, it can be described as a political institution that is more like a monarchy or a political party. Those charged with the responsibility of managing such an institution constantly face the challenges of assessing and ascertaining the elements that need to be changed so that they adapt to meeting changing circumstances and those that must be maintained constant . In the case of this alliance, those responsible for its management must ensure that it retains support of the opinion of both the government and the public of the two countries. Since the signing of this agreement, the Americans, with the exception of the Nixon administration have been comfortable and secure with the alliance. The Australian politicians regardless of the criticisms and opposition to the alliance while in opposition have invariably kept the alliance when they got to the office. This is because they have witnessed the consistent benefits of the alliance which they perceive to outweigh the political costs and/or military risks of any of the subservience that the might of Washington is alleged to have. Australia's position in the Southeast Asia and South Pacific enables it to have a defense posture that is self reliant which enhances mutual security between the two countries in the alliance . The United States has guaranteed security to this posture and access to its intelligence, weapons, defense science and support with military logistics. This has also enhanced the status of Australia in global affairs and particularly in Asia. The Australian public opinion is the one that has raised questions over the durability of this alliance. Public opinion matters so much that in 1984, Paul Wolforwitz, the then US assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, reminded the Australian audience (both the public and the government) that the most significant task in management of an alliance was to constantly nurture public support . His remarks though diplomatically phrased were a message to the Australian government about the country's public opinion and its significance. The current debate on this alliance is therefore due to public opinion which determines the period the alliance might last. This paper therefore seeks to study the prevailing debate on the Australia/America alliance and critically analyse the arguments for and against the alliance. Arguments for Australia's Alliance with the United States One of the arguments used in support the Australian-United States alliance is the security guarantee that is promised by the United States. This promise guarantee includes the terms that were agreed upon in the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS Treaty) in 1951 in which the two countries committed themselves to acting together to deal with common dangers . This treaty also binds the united states to aiding Australia in the event it faces a major strategic threat and vice versa. Australia is confident that it is safe and can rely on the United States for help in the event it needs them. It can be argued this reasoning is based on the fact that the United States is the most powerful nation in the world. Having the support of a superpower increases the probability of Australia winning any security confrontation it might face. This is because the United States has all the necessary resources required to counter an attack in the event of one. Another reason as to why those who support the alliance count on the guaranteed security of the United States is because of the fact that Australia has been there for the United States when most needed. Australia responded to this agreement by evoking it in September 2001 after the terrorist attacks on the United States. Australia did so by supporting the United States attack against Afghanistan and sent its forces to fight alongside those of the US in an effort to contain terrorism. The fact that Australians sent their soldiers to bleed and even die alongside the Americans in pursuit for its security justifies their reasoning and reliance on the United States to step in when it is needed . Australia, sharing the same view that spread of weapons of mass destruction is threat to humanity and should be not be encouraged sent its army to fight in the United states led war against Iraq after it was suspected of producing weapons of mass destruction. Australia has been faithful to the agreement for over fifty years. It has fulfilled it part by participating in joint defence facilities and supporting a number of the United States' very critical and most sensitive strategic capabilities. These capabilities include systems that are related to collection of intelligence, early warning of ballistic missile, submarine and satellite-based communications . Australia has also responded to humanitarian needs by the United States like sending its forces to help during the Katrina and Tsunami disasters. Australia's actions have showed commitment to the alliance over the years by going to America’s aid when they were needed. In regard to this, Australia expects the United States to take any security threats to the country as seriously as Australia did when the United States' security was threatened. Recent development however seem to challenge this argument for support of the alliance. Over the years, Australia has not been involved in any wars individually but currently faces security threats from the rising China . China is perceived to be enhancing and growing its military power through modernization at a pace that is very fast. The nature of the scope and structure of this military development in China have been a cause of concern to its neighbours especially since China has done very little to explain the aims and agenda of its military plans . China has also not done much to build the confidence of its neighbours in its military developments. It is perceived that china is going to be Asia's strongest military power and the fact that it is not explaining the purposes of its military plans creates the idea that China is preparing for a future confrontation that is bigger than the conflict over Taiwan with its neighbours. Australia perceives china to be a potential future threat to its security and has responded by preparing its forces and arming itself to face the challenge in case it arises. The United States is however seems not to be committed to assisting Australia prepare for this potential war. It has either cancelled, delayed, postponed and shrinked the delivery of weapons and war technology such as the F-22 program, aircraft carrier fleet, new cruisers and procurement of new bombers to Australia. In other words, the United States is reluctant to give Australia the services it would need to counter china in the event of a threat . These events challenge the reasoning of the supporters of the alliance based on the fact that the United States will honour the agreement of the treaty as they imply that the United States might not be so ready to engage in a war that does not concern it. This is in spite of all that Australia has done in the past to assist it in its security threats. Another argument for support of the alliance is that Australia will have the privileged access to advanced science and technology especially in areas that concern defence . The United States is as developed and industrialised nation is known to be advanced in technology in all areas and more so in security and defense issues. Being an ally to such a nation implies that in the event the less fortunate country can enjoy the privilege of accessing these technologies which are not available to other countries that have no relationship with it. Less powerful nations have used the same strategy to benefit from the technology that superpowers have and it can be said that this is the reasoning this argument is based on. However, it would be worth to remember that the United States and any other nation for that matter can not easily give away its technology to a foreign country no matter how close the ties are. Each country always strives to be better equipped technologically than others so as to remain powerful and competitive. The United States is also known to be resistant in arming other nations as it delights in claiming that it advocates for peace. This is also clear in the way the Obama administration is reluctant in letting Australia acquire the weapons and technology it needs to arm itself against the potential threats that China poses to its security. In regard to this it can be said that the argument for support of the alliance that is based on the reasoning that Australia will benefit by having access to the United States' advanced technology is vague as this access is not guaranteed. The other argument for the alliance is that Australia will have exceptional and unlimited access to the high-level American policy makers who will give them advice on political, military and diplomatic affairs . It is common knowledge that the United States has some of the best strategies in these areas and has been able to develop due to the implementation of these strategies. The United States is argued to be the most democratic country in the world hence most politically stable. The United States also has one of the best diplomatic strategies that have enabled it to have good relations with its neighbours and other countries world wide which is good for the social and economic development of the nation as it enhances trade, tourism and other exchange programs. Being an ally to the United States will therefore enable Australia to borrow some of the policies and strategies hence apply them in the mentioned areas enhancing its stability and development. Moreover, the geographical positioning of Australia requires it to have these strategies especially the military and diplomatic ones in order to survive . It however is of worth to note that not all of the United States policies and strategies are desirable. Some of its military policies particularly ones on war against terrorism and its operations in Iraq have raised several questions amongst humanitarians causing it to be accused of violating human rights and being discriminative. Not all US policies are good and care needs to be taken when deciding on which ones to borrow. Australians who support the alliance also argue that it will enable Australia to benefit from results of the American intelligence agencies . On addition to the American intelligence agencies using modern advanced technology in their operations, their agents also are some of the best trained in the world. This implies that the country can easily dictate threats to its security or that of its allies and warn them. Australian figures that due to its geographical position that is close to Asia and the fact that it has constantly supported the United States in its war against terror makes it vulnerable to attacks . Having a powerful friend with advanced intelligence agency would enable it to detect threats and mitigate them or prepare adequately to ace them. Australians who use this reasoning to support the alliance expect the United States to warn them of impending threats and dangers. Intelligence agencies are however more committed to the security of their country and might not concentrate on that one of their allies. This creates opportunity for information to on the allies to slip them. This is to say that being an ally to a nation that has advanced intelligence agencies does not provide full protection. This intelligence can however be borrowed and be used to solve some security challenges and treats by Australia. The other argument for the Australian-American alliance is that it will economically benefit Australia as it will have access to the American Market under the free trade area . Formation of free trade area is one of the strategies that most countries have implemented to enhance their economic development. This is because of the benefits that it has. It creates a large market for goods and services and removes all trade barriers such as revenues and taxes promoting business. Free trade area will enable Australia to get access to American produced goods and services at lower prices. Australia will be able to sell its produce to the larger America n market without incurring the cost of taxes and revenues . This promotes international trade which contributes greatly to economic development. Free trade area however has its weaknesses especially when it is between a weak and a powerful nation that is industrialised. This is because it easily ‘kills' the local industry as cost of production might be cheaper in the more industrialised countries causing their products to be cheaper hence denying the local products a chance in the market as they can not compete in terms of price . Arguments against Australia's Alliance with the United States One of the strongest arguments against the alliance is that the United States take Australia's commitment for granted . Australians who are opposed to the alliance based on this reasoning are justified to do so. This is because as explained earlier, Australia has been very faithful and committed to the ANZUS treaty. Australia has stood by the United States and responded when needed in facing threats to security such as terrorist and production of weapons of mass production hence supported the United States in its war against Afghanistan and Iraq respectively . Australia has supported and fought alongside the United States in other wars before this one as well such as Vietnam and the Second World War. Over the years, Australia has not faced any major threats to its national security hence has not been in need of military and defense help from the united states. Recent military developments in china however pose a great threat to Australia's security which the united states refuses to acknowledge and is even reluctant in letting Australia acquire the technology and weapons it needs that will enable it to counter attacks from china in the event they occur. It can be argued that the reluctance of the US to assist Australia prepare itself for potential future attacks to its security justifies the opposition to alliance and the claim that the US has been taking Australia's assistance for granted . However, the reason the United States is reluctant to avail these weapons and technology to Australia could be that being a nation that advocates for peace and democracy, it does not want to contradict itself by arming one nation against another. The other argument against this alliance is that it renders Australia completely dependent on the United States . This can be argued to be true based on the study of the way Australia has over the years supported the United States always expecting something in return because it is a more powerful nation. Continual support of this alliance implies continual dependency on the United States which is not right as each country should strive to be independent . However, it can also be argued that each country needs the support of others in order to develop and getting this support from a superpower is the best thing that can happen to a less powerful nation because of the because of the advantages that come with it. Other individuals opposed to the alliance argue that the creation of a free trade area is ‘killing' the country (Australia) . We could argue that this argument is completely justified. Free trade area implies that the goods and services produced within the member states can be traded freely without any trade barriers or restrictions. Free trade areas can however have a negative impact on local industries and cause some of them to completely shut down. This happens when the cost of production is lower in one of the countries in the block due to availability of raw materials in that country or low cost of energy. The goods produced in such a country usually are priced low when they come to the free market. Countries that produce the same goods but at a higher cost, are hence forced to stop producing as they can not afford to sell them at low prices without making massive loses. The fact that they can not beat the cheaply produced goods in the market forces these industries to shut down hence ‘killing’ the country. Free trade areas however have several advantages; they have the potential of producing large per capita such as the one produced by NATO, increasing employment opportunities, promoting trade between the member countries hence enhancing economic development. Conclusion It is predicted for the foreseeable future that Australia will remain one of the committed allies of the United States. Both Canberra and Washington have the same views on fighting the war against terrorism, dealing with and curbing the spread and production of weapons of mass destruction that threatens the security of the humanity, supporting and upholding democracy and preventing the re-emergence of failed states. The challenges faced by Australia in its own neighbourhood however have the first priority when dealing with these issues. As the United States is comfortable with the alliance, maintaining support for it hence overly depends on how successful the strategies taken by Washington will be in convincing the Australian government and public that the United States policies are necessary as well as legitimate. The Australian public will also have to be convinced that the United States does not take its contribution to mutual security for granted. Obstacles to good relations in this alliance could arise in the event the United States makes demands that are politically difficult on Australia in combating of terror, or if the US sought from Australia military support that forced risks that are unacceptable to Australia or one that drew the country into a major conflict with China over Taiwan. Differing views on security challenges that emanate from a rising China is perceived to be the alliance's greatest potential threat.