Tuesday, December 24, 2019

President Truman’s Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb Essay

Webster’s dictionary defines hindsight as â€Å"the ability to understand, after something has happened, what should have been done or what caused the event†. It is a fair assumption that most people understand the old adage â€Å"hindsight is always 20/20†; alluding to the fact that, in our everyday lives, we as humans make decisions based on what we know, what seems right and occasionally what makes our lives easier. The average person does not have the mental capability to consider every possible outcome that a choice will have on his entire life, all within the thought process that leads him to reach a conclusion, however long and detailed that process may be. If we add massive amounts of pressure, contradictory advisement, the lives of†¦show more content†¦While this is true, it becomes apparent that every option had its flaws and none seemed as immediate of a solution as dropping single highly destructive bombs on what Stimson (the secretary of wa r) named as â€Å"cities in Japan devoted exclusively to production† (p.287). The first alternative mentioned in the RTAP (page 273) was â€Å"continue and intensify the bombing and naval blockade of Japan†. The second option mentioned on the same page was to â€Å"wait for the Soviet Union to enter the war with Japan by attacking Manchuria† and the third option mentioned was to â€Å"allow the Japanese to retain their emperor with his power reduced to the status of a constitutional monarch†. Each option was unique in its requirements of effect, strategic planning, and man power. However, they all shared the distinct quality of baring absolutely no guarantee of Japanese surrender. The first option, invasion of Japan, was debated the heaviest. Truman, and several of his advisors, sighted the huge estimates of US casualties as the main reason for his hesitancy to proceed with bombing, blockades and ground attacks. In the excerpt of Prompt and Utter Destruct ion: Truman and the Use of the Atomic Bomb against Japan, J. Samuel Walker argues that â€Å"even without the use of the atomic bombs, the war would probably have ended before the American invasion of Kyushu became necessary† (p. 277). He predicted that the destruction,Show MoreRelatedTruman and Atomic Bombs649 Words   |  3 Pagestake a side and then write an editorial on Harry S Truman’s decision to order the dropping of the atom bomb. HARRY S TRUMAN amp; THE DECISION TO ORDER THE DROPPING OF THE ATOMIC BOMB Boom! Boom! Seventy thousands Japanese citizens were perished instantly after the first atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Japanese still refused to surrender to Allied forces. On August 9, 1945, with the dropping of the second atomic bomb in Nagasaki, where eighty thousands people were vaporizedRead MoreEssay Pres, Truman Atomic Bomb Decision1421 Words   |  6 PagesPresident Trumans Decision to drop the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki During World War II the war in Europe ended after the unconditional German surrender at General Eisenhowers Headquarters in Reims, France, May 7, 1945. After the unconditional German surrender in Europe the war shifted to Asia and the Pacific. As the war continued against Japan the Allied forces captured islands such as Iwo Jima and Okinaawa close to Japan brought the Japanese homeland within range of naval and airRead MoreThe Atomic Bombs910 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the 20th century, specifically the year 1945, the United States of America had two atomic bombs that the commander and chief, and president at the time, Harry Truman, knew about. President Truman plan was to drop the bombs on two of Japans cities, Hiroshima first and then Nagasaki. Truman’s plans went accordingly, which to this day leads to a very controversial topic on whether or not dropping the atomic bombs was a good or bad thing. There is evidence and reasoning to back up both claims, inRead MoreAtomic B ombs On Hiroshima And Nagasaki844 Words   |  4 Pagesdropped atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killing nearly 200,000 people. This resulted in Japans surrender in World War II. J. Samuel Walker analyzes this historical event in his book Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs. Over the past 70 years’ extensive research has been conducted and there is an understanding that Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bombs is inconclusive. It is impossible to determine that the use of the bomb was the quickestRead MoreHarry Trumans Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb1314 Words   |  6 PagesTo what extent was Harry Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified? A. Plan of Investigation Research Question: To what extent was Harry Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified? This investigation assesses President Harry Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It will determine whether or not his decision was justified. This investigation will scrutinize the reasons that made Harry TrumanRead MoreThe Dropping of the Atomic Bomb1290 Words   |  6 Pages President Truman Had the Right to Drop the Atomic Bomb â€Å"On the morning of August 6, 1945, the American B-29 Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later another B-29, Bock’s Car, released one over Nagasaki. Both caused enormous casualties and physical destruction.† (Maddox 1). These disastrous events have weighted upon the American conscience ever since that day in history. Even though there are some people that disagree with the dropping of the atomic bombRead MoreThe Atomic Bombs On Hiroshima And Nagasaki982 Words   |  4 PagesUpon reviewing Ronald Takai’s Hiroshima, it only makes me wonder what was going through the mind of President Harry Truman when he gave the â€Å"green light† to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It has been more than 70 years since that happened and the conclusion of World War II, and yet the legacy remains in our modern day history books and class lectures. But was deploying the atomic bombs on Japan really necessary? What was Truman thinking? And did the end really justify the means? TrulyRead MorePresident Truman On Domestic Policy845 Words   |  4 PagesPrior to watching the film series on President Truman I knew primarily that he had succeeded FDR, had made the decision to drop the Atomic bombs, and the iconic photo of the headline Dewey beats Truman. During his time as president, President Truman was roundly criticize by the American Public. Not only did he have the misfortune of assuming office from FDR one of the most popular American presidents but he also had to deal with the rebuilding of Europe, Tensions with the Soviet Union and a postRead More The Decision To Drop The Atomic Bomb Essay897 Words   |  4 PagesPresident Trumans decision to drop the atomic bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the direct cause for the end of World War II in the Pacific. The United States felt it was necessary to drop the atomic bombs on these two cities or it would suffer more casualties. Not only could the lives of many soldiers have been taken, but possibly the lives of many innocent Americans. The United States will always try to avoid the loss of American civilians at all costs, even if that means takingRead MoreAtomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Essay879 Words   |  4 PagesPresident Trumans decision to drop the atomic bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the direct cause for the end of World War II in the Pacific. The United States felt it was necessary to drop the atomic bombs on these two cities or it would suffer more casualties. Not only could the lives of many soldiers have been taken, but possibly the lives of many innocent Americans. The United States will always try to avoid the loss of American civilians at all costs, even if that means taking

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Is Gaming Harmful Free Essays

Is Gaming Harmful? Video and computer games, like many popular, entertaining and addicting kid activities, are looked down on by many parents as time wasters, but why? , is it because they are harmful? , or is it simply because they are spending too much time on them instead of studying. Both have many good arguments, but I am going to write about the one in which I feel are most valid. One of the many good points against gaming is that children, teenagers and adults alike are losing sleep over video games because they are staying up all night and letting their â€Å"addiction† take over. We will write a custom essay sample on Is Gaming Harmful? or any similar topic only for you Order Now The definition of addiction is: â€Å"The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or involved in something. † And anyone who likes and plays videogames has experienced this at some point. Its not only kids that think about going home from school to play video games, many adults think about at work too, the average game player is 30 and has been gaming for about 12 years. This means that many people, no matter of their age or sex, are putting video games before their school or work by missing out on important sleep and not putting their full concentration into their work. On the other hand, Gaming has been proven to increase social skills in young people as most games include a multiplayer feature that encourages people to play the game with others, whether it be online with friends or sitting together which is important for young kids growing up as it helps them make friends and sustain relationships. It also helps them realize how important it is to be sociable when they are starting school or a new job. Although some could argue that video games can do children social harm as many children play there selves for many hours each day and rarely interact with their family or friends. They could also argue that video games can cause great physical harm. The physical harm can occur when the child spends long hours of concentration on fast movement or because of the screen flicker. Also when children play video games they sit in for long hours that in the long run will stunt their natural growth and damage their backbone. Video games are more commonly known as a hobby you do sitting down somewhere comfortable and relaxing but what most people fail to realize is that there are a new type of video game emerging that get you on your toes and exercising. These include such consoles as PlayStation Move, Xbox Kinect , Wii, etc. These devices are designed to keep you active while you game and can give you a good physical work out instead of playing seated, these kind of games also can give you a good mental work out as most games for these console require lots of problem solving and also help improve your hand eye co-ordination skills. However, there are some that would say playing videogames can cause mental and psychological harm. Their reasons for this are they believe that when playing video games, children do not apply much mental effort and believe that video games are not creative enough. This could lead to the child developing lazy mental habits and also being impatient as real life is not as fast as their game might be. There are also some that believe that children can become violent because they become habituated to the violence that occurs in some games they might play. How to cite Is Gaming Harmful?, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Four Fingers and a Plane Ride free essay sample

I am the daughter of a poor man, an uneducated man, a man who grew up on a failing farm. I am the daughter of a man who drove a bus and called it a living. I am the daughter of a man who left his friends, family, and all that was familiar to come to a country where things were new and unknown. I am the daughter of a man that came to a place where people couldn’t understand him to know he needed a job, a place to live, and a way to establish himself amongst a society so different from the one back home in Syria. I am the daughter of a man who left Syria on a chance, a belief that somehow he would be able to better provide for his wife and child in the land of opportunity. I am the daughter of a man who held certain courage in him, a courage that drove him to crumble his sound foundation and rebuild it on uneven soil. We will write a custom essay sample on Four Fingers and a Plane Ride or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My father is a man of strength, a man of hope, and a man of determination. That March day he boarded the flight in Damascus, Syria he boarded a plane that would someday lead me to my aspirations, he had set in motion the wheels of progress that would someday turn in my favor. I was four years old when my father decided to leave Syria, still extremely young and impressionable. I watched my parents struggle day to day in America. I watched the hardship, I watched the destitution, I saw the pain in my mother’s eyes each day when she met my father at the door after another unsuccessful search for work. For five months my father woke, washed up, put on the same pair of pants, and left to find employment. Never once did he oversleep, each morning he trudged on driven by determination. Burned in my mind is the memory of the struggle, the struggle my parents endured to provide for me and my younger sister. After several months of adversity, my parents realized that a whole family w ould be more difficult to get on its feet than for a man living alone. That summer we went on â€Å"vacation†aˆâ€ we left my father in America while my mother, younger sister, and I returned to Syria to live with my aunt. He stayed behind to create better living circumstances for when we decided to come back. While we were there I was shot in the right hand and due to lack of medical service in Syria, I was taken to any random doctor. They wrapped my hand as if it was a break, I had a bullet in my hand and the best they could do was to wrap it to stop the bleeding. After 3 days of just wrapping the wound my right ring finger turned black, lost all blood circulation, and no longer served any purpose on my hand. My father ordered us to return to the US and as soon as we arrived I was taken to Saint Joseph’s hospital in Paterson where my finger was amputated. I was a four year old with four fingers, I thought it was pretty interesting, but the kids in kindergarte n didn’t seem to enjoy it as much as I did. Children, a universal symbol of innocence, weren’t as innocent as they appeared. Children were the ones that hurt me the most, every other day I was made fun of for a slight deformity. I didn’t finger paint for fear of the kids seeing my hand, I always kept my hands in my pockets, and never did I think of asking other children if I could play in their game of tag, I already knew no one wanted me touching them. Still I think back and thank them, if it wasn’t for their teasing and making fun I probably would not have developed into the strong person I am today. I remembered my father’s courage and his determination, and I continued on everyday in school. If I wasn’t going to be allowed to play I was going to work, I developed a strong work ethic like my father’s and I became consumed in school work. At an early age I realized that the world was not as it seemed filled with fairy tale endings a nd success attained through wishing. I realized it was effort and exertion and that progress wasn’t going to fall into my hands. My childhood set stage for my intellectual development. The combination of the desire to repay my father for his struggle and the tough outer shell I acquired from my accident has morphed me into a young woman of mental power. My experiences have taught me see the world in a different light. Hardship isn’t struggle, but the grits of success and what serves as something to tear you down, will make you stand taller when you get over it.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Tale As Old As Time Beauty and the Beast Essay Example

Tale As Old As Time Beauty and the Beast Essay Beauty and the Beast reflects Romanticism and Gothicism in a perfect way. Lets start with the settings of the story.You have the beautiful land and village that Belle resides in and then there is the dark, ominous castle where the Beast lives. Belle’s village is quaint and pure with light and nature. There is singing and dancing with happiness and love. The castle before the dark supernatural curse is quite magnificent and fit for royalty. The castle during the curse is scary with dark turns and gargoyles. There is sadness and despair. The beautiful architecture of the castle keeps it romantic but the gothic nature of it with the drab, stormy colors has it remaining gloomy. Belle is the persecuted maiden of the story. She is beautiful and innocent. She is full of hope. Belle has this need to give love and affection where it is normally not given. She is the object of Gaston’s desires and the Beasts need for love and goodness. She is smart and well read. Belle is gentle and kind. Gaston is the tyrant, cruel and mean. He wants to hurt others to gain objects (Belle) for his own satisfaction. His need for power over her makes her a sort of damsel in distress. Gaston also gets the townspeople, the bandits, to gather together to kill the Beast. He has help from Monsieur D’Arque, the madman, to help him blackmail Belle into marrying him by taking her father away. Gaston also has everyone in the tavern to believe that Belles father is a madman himself. We will write a custom essay sample on Tale As Old As Time Beauty and the Beast specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tale As Old As Time Beauty and the Beast specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tale As Old As Time Beauty and the Beast specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Beast is the monster as well as the byronic hero. The Beast is awful. He doesnt know love or kindness. He doesnt understand how Belle can be so kind to him while he looks the way he does.He is stubborn and scary and makes him frightening.Until Belle shows him how to love and how to be kind does he start to change into the prince he always should have been. He was an outcast in the village and instead of letting it continue to anger him he rose to being the byronic hero by

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

A New Paradigm or a Complementary Model Essay Example

A New Paradigm or a Complementary Model Essay Example A New Paradigm or a Complementary Model Essay A New Paradigm or a Complementary Model Essay To what extent has the theory of restorative Justice been integrated into Youth Justice practice in England and Wales? Has this gone far enough? The perception by many involved in the Justice system in general, and youth Justice in particular, is that the present model of punitive retributive Justice, often involving incarceration does not work. Indeed, it may be compounding an already huge social problem. This realization has lead many to look for alternative systems. At present there is a considerable momentum building that advocates the use of a restorative justice model. Marshall has defined restorative Justice as a process whereby parties with a stake in a specific offence collectively resolve how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and its implications for the future (Marshall, 1999). Many different commentators have differing emphasis on the expected and desired outcomes of restorative practices, in general most will emphasis the need for healing of the victim and the reintegration of the offender. In a philosophical sense this sees offending as primarily a breakdown in relationship between individuals, and only secondarily as a location of the law. In this way it tries to address the needs of both victim and offender by recognizing that all parties need to be involved if there is to be the progression from inclusion, to participation, to transformation. For this to be successful all parties must be there on a voluntary basis. (Galway, 1996) However, restorative Justice is a complicated process involving much more than the meeting of victim and offender. In many ways the restorative approaches are revolutionary. It sees that there should be a change in emphasis from punishment to problem solving. In the conventional ethos where a crime is committed it is perceived to be against the state, not against the person, it is responded to by punishment not constructive engagement, this is adversarial and not about bringing people together, and it involves a system that is imposed upon the victim and offender. (Clothier, 2008). The theoretical basis behind restorative Justice is largely philosophical and ethical. It is deeply rooted in the underpinnings of the major world religions, all of which have as a central tenant concern for ones fellow man, and a principle of treating others with fairness and compassion. Therefore it is hardly surprising given this cultural background that restorative movements would seem intuitive. In this way it can be seen as a set of ethical values about how we should relate to other human beings and especially those who cause us trouble. Christie has recognized the need for inclusion in conflict resolution, he recognizes that the conflict is owned by the participants and the involvement of the state can distort the process so that the parties involved can respond in an unhelpful way that has little chance of a successful outcome. The victim feels that the state has robbed him of the wrong he as suffered and the offender can rail against the faceless state and convince himself that he is a victim not an offender (Christie, 1977). Breathiest sees the problem in domination that is so obvious in the traditional criminal Justice system, and emphasizes the rights and indeed, desirability for all stakeholders to have a voice in the restorative process (Breathiest, 2002). It can be seen as a fundamental change in the top down imposition of state power, to a locally based, culturally appropriate and democratically based resolution of differences in a community empowered environment. He also emphasizes how the traditional system enforces separation and disengagement from the community by creating the isolation of incarceration that has the effect of preventing reintegration of the offender. To this end he has advanced his re-integrative shaming theory, which acknowledges that the offender should be ashamed for the offence, but seeks to use this feeling constructively and facilitate a wish from the offender and the community for re-integration to take place. Re-integration not segregation might be said to be the moral centre of restorative justice. Daly and others see it, as at least in part, a feminist issue, with the role of the state being a dominating masculine presence, which is in essence aggressive to both victim and offender, and a change in this dynamic must occur to allow inclusiveness (Daly,2008). To this end conventional youth Justice practice has been significantly challenged. Where restorative practices have been introduced there has been a considerable departure from the long established roles within the system. The interactive dynamic between young person and practitioner is fundamentally different in this process. Consequently, there needs to be considerable training provided for practitioners to be effective in this new approach. The centrality of the victim -offender interaction requires skilful facilitation. The professionals may have difficulty in letting go of their need to control and appear to know best what the solutions are. It is important to recognize that a facilitator allows others to reach conclusions and action plans. To be restorative is to adjust ones sense of purpose over identity as a professional, and over belief systems, not Just intellectually, but in owe you act in relation to others and this can only be learned from experience. Establishing the centrality of the restorative approach in youth Justice can certainly be seen as a considerable divergence from the long established punitive model of justice much loved by the popular press, and often its readers. Mahoney,2008) The Youth Justice Board oversees the Youth Justice system in England and Wales; it has promoted restorative Justice since 2001. It has stated that it wishes to broaden deepen and extend the practice of restorative Justice within the youth Justice system so that the system is more victim based, more young people who offend are held to account, more young people learn about the consequences of their actions and make reparations, more young people choose not to re-offend. This, it believes, will also lead to continued improvement of restorative practices, improve referral orders and youth panels, promote restorative Justice in the secure estate and develop a coherent long-term restorative Justice policy. (YES, 2006) There have been 11 pilot areas chosen to roll out restorative practices within England and Wales. Some, such as The Thames Valley have been in existence for a substantial tie ambitious stated aims such as Hull, which has the desire to be a Restorative City. Faulkner, 2009). One other area within the UK does deserve a special mention, Northern Ireland. It has made the process of restorative Justice central to the process of societal change for what is hoped to be a post-conflict dynamic. It is obvious that many of these changes come from the desire for wider conflict resolution, nonetheless the early feedback is very encouraging in terms of efficacy of practice and it is an area that should yield much useful information that the rest of the UK an use as a resource. Campbell, 2005) There are many types of restorative approaches that can be used depending on the nature of the offence and the local circumstances. -Victim -offender mediation where there is direct communication between the victim and offender facilitated by a trained mediator. -Restorative conferencing where in addition to the victim and offender other people connected to the victim and offender also participate. -Family group conferencing where members of the wider family participate and there is a particular onus on the family to provide an acceptable solution. Youth offender panels where trained community volunteers work alongside members of the Youth Offender team to talk to young people their parents and where possible the victim to agree a tailor made contract aimed at addressing the offending behavior. It is important to realism that restorative Justice is not the soft option and many offenders find it difficult to face up to the impact of their crime. The youth Justice And Criminal evidence act 1999 introduced referral orders, given to most 10-17 year olds who plead guilty to a first offence, unless the charge is serious enough to warrant custody. After a court appearance there is a referral to a Youth Offender Panel (HOP), which consists of three trained volunteers assisted by a HOT worker. It is their role to determine the best course of action. The victim can be invited to put their views to the panel meeting but the offender and his/her parents must attend. A contract is then agreed with the offender and this might include some form of reparation for the victim. At present examples of good practice and attendance rates vary widely from area to area. (YES 2008). There are many opportunities for the successful introduction of effective youth restorative practices. It has reflected the zeitgeist of the nation and has been given a sympathetic hearing by the media, who present it as a constructive advance. It is attractive to politicians and policy makers, not least because of the perception that it can create community capital, especially improvement in the public confidence in the criminal Justice system and other agencies with responsibility for delivering a response to anti-social behavior. This has then to be delivered in a practical way, the final shape of which will ultimately be determined by the practitioners. This will be through a process of implementation, appraisal and re-examination to determine best practice, which will need to have a local interpretation. The success of the restorative approach will depend on it being an individually tailored solution involving interaction between offender, victim and the community ( Hughes, 2002). There is also considerable good will amongst professionals working with young people to move to a more restorative There are also many obstacles that may come from the same sources as the opportunities. These may be structural, political or cultural. This triad has combined n a way that has strained the ability of the Youth Offender Team organization to succeed and created a poor atmosphere for restorative practices. (Stallions, 2008). At the heart of the restorative process there can be a conflict, as intrinsic in the concept, is the reduction of the power of the state. Restorative practices empower citizens with powers that once lay in the hands of the state. (Breathiest, 2002). The desire for the government to find a one size fits all solution has the risk of undermining the restorative process. On paper referral orders provide a perfect setting for initiating estimative practices in reality there are some barriers. It can be difficult to get young people to take responsibility for their actions and therefore the admission of guilt, which is so central, can be problematic. The question of appropriate sentencing is vital. It is frequently asserted that restorative Justice is most effective with more serious offences, where there is a definite victim (Sherman, 2007). Where a restorative approach is used by way of a referral order for low level crimes especially where the victim is hard to identify such as traffic or insurance related offences the outcomes re less good, and indeed it can be very difficult to have an appropriate restorative contract for these offences. Therefore the courts and others should consider carefully when the restorative approach is likely to be effective. The length of sentence can have an impact on effectiveness in restorative Justice, in particular 3 month orders do not allow enough time to work with young people and in particular there may not be sufficient time to take up suitable placements. Many of the young people sentenced to referral orders have complex personal and social problems that will require a lit-agency approach, all of which takes time. The court may make a compensation order in addition this may not sit well with reparation as it can be perceived as a double punishment. On a practical level compensation orders run for 2. 5 years and are not spent on completion like referral orders. This has the problem of a discoverable record that may be a barrier to employability. For reparation to be successful there have to be places on meaningful projects, these are often limited in number, there are little controls over availability and may be seasonal so appropriate allocation can be fraught. These are classic policy- practice conflicts. The government and policy makers are keen to promote a restorative approach and bring it to the heart of the youth Justice system however there is an underestimation as to what is actually required in terms of organization, training, communication and resources. The government appears to assume that the restorative approach will ultimately prove cost effective but will not necessarily be receptive to feedback on the true cost of restoration well done. It is intensive and expensive. Improved communication is ITIL as misconceptions abound. Restorative Justice and reparation are frequently confused, as are reparations and interventions and clearer definitions are required. There can be a lack of confidence from practitioners and the public about what restorative Justice may be expected to achieve. And among young people it is important to recognize that, for some, the perception is that the restorative process was there to embarrass them, and that the process of reparation was perceived as a victim central and to reduce crime. However, in practice, if this is to be so, the time frame needs to change. The referral officer needs to meet the offender within 5 days, leaving 15 days to compile an impact assessment and report, as the initial panel meeting must be within 20 days, this is often impractical. There must be a degree of preparation of those who will be involved. There must be preparation of family members for the potential for high expression of emotion, and the disclosure of confidential information that may arise. Therefore it can be seen that while putting policy in place can easily be done there are many barriers for this to be translated into effective practice. To do restorative practice well, may by necessity, be expensive and resource intensive. Theory is relatively simple to formulate, policy is also relatively straightforward, but it is the finessing of these into an effective practice that is so difficult. The early advocates of restorative Justice point to a past in which civilizations from the time of the Babylonian Hamburg have made free use of restorative practices. In the post-modern context it represents a search for a world with less crime and more Justice. There is growing realization that endlessly increasing the prison population is unlikely to achieve this goal. In restorative practices many see the potential for a system that can bring more offenders to justice, perhaps reduce the cost of Justice while reducing the personal cost of crime to the victim. There has been a large body of research carried out on restorative justice. This has shown more positive results than for most innovations in criminal justice. This evidence should support a roll out of restorative practices on a learn as you go basis. Some have suggested that a Restorative Justice Board, which would be smaller than, but based on the YES, could support this approach. This could monitor reactive, design new tests of strategies and where necessary recommend change. In the traditional notion of adversarial retributive Justice, there will be, almost by definition, a loser. The restorative approach while not guaranteeing two winners, may at least give the possibility that there will not be two losers. The integration into policy and practice has been surprisingly rapid. As to the question, whether this has gone far enough? I would say that because of the difficulties, and the policy practice conflicts, the long-term effects of restorative Justice should be evaluated before it is shed out as a universal approach and highly regulated by government. If this happens too quickly without local adaptation and continual reassessment, which is culturally sensitive, it is possible that a very promising approach will go the way of all fashions and become rapidly obsolete and reviled. However the real power of restorative Justice may lie in people listening to the stories of others. There will be circumstances where the victim and offender will have their stories or indeed their voice heard for the first time. This acknowledges that all acts are consequences and have to be seen in that context. Core to the restorative process is listening, this should be respectful, attentive and sympathetic. (Prangs, 2006). Breathiest, T (2002) Setting Standards for Restorative Justice. British Journal of Criminology. London.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Boldwoods Christmas party Essay Example for Free

Boldwood’s Christmas party Essay Bathsheba Everdene is the main character in a Thomas Hardy novel called â€Å"Far From the Madding Crowd†. Which is set in Wessex. Bathsheba’s character is along with many other things decisive, brisk, vain, businesslike, and independent. However you see her evolve throughout the book, mainly as a result of her marriage to Frank Troy. At the beginning of the story Hardy seems to focus on her bad qualities, though you still see people wishing to be married to her. Some good qualities are shown as well like her thoughtful response to save Gabriel’s life. This trait is mentioned in chapter one, almost everything else follows on from this. Vanity affects the way she behaves in a powerful way. Her vanity makes her annoyed and angry at not attracting Boldwood’s attention. When she meets Frank Troy he plays up to her vanity by paying her compliments and showing her flirtatious affection. By the end of the story she shows that she has grown out of or overcome her vanity. Instead of wanting to stand out and have everyone looking at her, at Boldwood’s Christmas party, she dresses down and wants to merge into the background. You can also see she is not vain because when Boldwood praises her beauty the comments have no effect. Her life experiences have caused this change in her. The main life experience is her marriage to Frank Troy which affected her the most. She transforms from a confident character to a submissive and introverted figure she becomes less and less like her usual self. The first sign you see of independence is fairly near the beginning in chapter three, when we see her riding the horse. Instead of doing it the conventional ladylike way we see her lie flat on her back on top of the horse’s back. This could be showing her independence and unconventional behaviour, this would tie in with an independent spirit â€Å"too wild†. She likes to have independence so later on in the story when this is taken away from her we see her rely on Gabriel Oak. She always had her own independence, but when she got married she lost that independence and we see her seek advice and help from Gabriel Oak. At one point in the story she rejects Gabriel’s advice, but later on in chapter fifty four she asks for it. This shows a big change in her personality. She once would have done her own thing and maybe even sacked Gabriel for his ‘advice’ whereas she now values both him and his opinion. Her independence continues to be shown throughout the rest if the story, even after her marriage to Frank Troy. Independence along with confidence is showed when she goes to the corn market and is the only woman there. Another characteristic shown is confidence with businesslike skills. An example of this would be when she takes it upon herself to sack her bailiff. â€Å"I have formed a resolution to have no bailiff at all†. Bathsheba’s confidence continues to be shown with her decision to pay the workers herself in chapter ten. Bathsheba has a lot of confidence in herself. â€Å"In short I shall astonish you all†. This is said shortly after her decision to have no bailiff when she is convincing the staff that she can manage. The speech shows her self-confidence shining and her belief in her own ability. Towards the end of the novel we see her find an even balance between the overconfidence which she showed through the beginning of the novel which made her appear full of herself, compared with when she had little or no confidence and relied on Frank Troy, to finally become a person who can cope on her own but realises she cannot do everything to the best of her ability without assistance. Before we see her lose her self confidence she shows she believes in herself by going to the Corn Market, making her the only woman present. One thing bothers Bathsheba; the fact that Boldwood is the only person who does not take notice of her. This lack of attention shows us how she craves to be the centre of attention; you could even go as far as calling her an attention seeker. She will do silly antics in an attempt to attract people’s attention. For example the Valentine’s Day card. Bathsheba tries to make herself popular with everyone especially men; this seems to be her biggest desire. In chapter thirteen she mischievously sends a Valentine card to Boldwood to attract his attention. This starts Bathsheba’s change. She wants people to notice her and does not sit around waiting she takes action for herself. The sending of the Valentines card shows her vain characteristic. A big characteristic she shows throughout is impulsiveness, she does things without thinking. The Valentine’s Day card is an example of this; another example of this earlier in the book is when she chases Gabriel Oak after he had been wrongly informed that many men wanted her hand in marriage; though she did not want to accept his proposal. She did not think that her actions would show this until after the conversation her and Gabriel had. Many of her actions are on impulse she doesn’t think things through first. Later on however she takes time to think about Fanny’s grave and she decides to clean it up and replant the bulbs on it. This also shows she can be selfless. When Gabriel gives her advice early in the novel she decides she doesn’t like what he has to say. She sacks him whilst she was angry and acting highly impulsively. This demonstrates how she doesn’t want to face the truth even though she values his opinion; later in the novel after the â€Å"drowning† of Frank Troy she relents asking him for his thoughts. Boldwood’s Christmas party. (2017, Oct 01). 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Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Social Policy Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social Policy Bachelor - Essay Example However 'secondary education for all' did come about after a fashion under the 1944 Act. Education in Britain as changed greatly since World War II, mainly due to the 1944 Education Act, which made secondary education free and compulsory until the age of 15 years. The views taken of education and its importance in national, economic and political terms have varied a great deal since then with each new government: there have been many good intentions but too few initiatives taken to achieve the ideal system. Unfortunately this means that, unless you are white, male, middle class and non-handicapped, the institution of the school may not be very helpful to your development, and your days at school may be remembered as a time of prejudice, frustration and lost opportunities. The immediate post-war period in Britain constituted a new way of thinking about public and private life. There were many promises heralding a better life for everyone, including the provision of free, compulsory secondary education: public education came to be seen as a 'bastion of national recovery' ( Gosden, 1983). Three types of school were suggested: grammar, technical and secondary modern with grammar schools continuing to be seen as superior and biased towards middle-class boys. The 1959 Crowther Report recommended raising the school leaving age to 16 years, the introduction of comprehensive school and a new exam below GCE level -- however, these moves towards equal opportunities were not completed until the 1970s. Similarly, the 1983 Newsom Report argued that pupils of below average ability should receive a greater share of resources, and recommended improved teacher training. From the 1960s onwards, education was seen more and more in the context of economics an instrument of national interest rather than personal fulfilment. Education became more and more under central (and parental) control in the 1980s -- the 1980 Education Act made it no longer the duty of LEAs to provide free school meals, and introduced parental scrutiny and choice. The second half the 1980s saw a restructuring, and the unashamed acknowledgement that the market was the new cornerstone of education Key aims were now to keep output constant and affordable, to remove LEAs as a source of education policy making, and to replace effectiveness with efficiency. The 1988 Education Act is a set of 'compromises and interventions' (Ball, 1990): it sets out the National Curriculum (fine in principle, but unfair in practice), more power to school governers, and the possibility of 'opting out' of LEA control by individual schools. Another area in which young people are not given the chance to fully develop their potential is that of Special Educational Needs (SEN), defined by the 1988 Education Act as a 'learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made'. Judiciary system The development of education policy in Britain includes concept of 'educational disadvantage' since the 1950s, the comprehensive reorganization of secondary education in the 1960s and 1970s, the change in ideas on education in the 1980s and 1990s, and New Labour's policies. Political ideologies have shaped social policy of United Kingdom since 1945. The political party system, dating from the 17th century, is an essential element in the working constitution. Several parties win seats in

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Holocaust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Holocaust - Essay Example While the findings of eugenic scientists were flawed, the science itself followed all the rules of the scientific method. Eugenics was considered as the cutting edge of science. Unfortunately, the scientists failed to recognize how their own prejudices were harming the results of their experiments. Most scientists, philosophers and even common man believed in the inequality of man. It was believed that certain people were "unworthy of life". The person's worth was based not just on his "worth to himself but also on his worth to the society". The handicapped and the mentally When Hitler cam to power in 1933, he had a dream of building a utopian German society. Obviously, such a utopian society could not include the handicapped and the "feeble-minded people". Hitler and the Nazis were even more radical than the eugenic scientists, in that they did not just stop at the handicapped and the feeble-minded but believed that the Gypsies and the Jews also polluted the society. Soon the scientists and the politicians were synchronized as those who opposed were fired. Hitler systematically implemented a policy of exclusion to exclude the handicapped, the Gypsies and the Jews. At first a series of legislations and laws were passed by the Nazi government to marginalize this people in the society. The Blood Protection law was passed to exclude the Gypsies and the Jews. Next a campaign was carried out to sterilize the handicapped and the feeble-minded. The first step towards the final solution began with Euthanasia or mercy killing of handicapped children. It seems that the first Euthanasia was carried out at the behest of an infant's father, who had been born with severe handicap. This first euthanasia opened the flood gates of further killings. Soon it moved from killing children to the adults. By 1939 the sterilizations had ended and the killings had started. Friedlander carefully documents the work carried out by the physicians in the T4 Operation, which proved that the killings were sponsored by the Reich. When it became difficult to kill using the Narcotics, the Nazi Germany invented the "gas chambers". In 1941, owing to public outcry, Hitler was forced to end adult euthanasia. However, his orders did not actually end the killings. In hospitals, doctors continued to carry out "racial hygiene". And when the German Army crossed the borders of Poland, the T4 physicians were called to "process" the people at the concentration camps. Friedlander has done some careful research and shows how holocaust was not just about the Jews but also included the Gypsies and the handicapped. He successfully shows that it was not anti-Semitism or personal hatred by the underlying principle of eugenics which led to the holocaust. Friedlander has resorted to a number of tables to show how

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Valentine And Sonet Poems Essay Example for Free

Valentine And Sonet Poems Essay Same theme different historical context: The poem, Valentine, written by Carol Ann Duffy and the Sonnet XLIII, written by Elizabeth Barret Browning are both written by women and are based on the same theme, which is describing love for someone, but they are written with different historical context. Valentine is written in quite a modern way, with some very modern references, for instance by describing love as An Onion instead of a red rose or a satin heart, these are modern references which perhaps would not have been used many years ago. Whereas Sonnet XLIII is a more traditional poem, which appears to have a more romantic theme, no one would ever have thought of comparing love to such a smelly item as an onion many years ago. The Browning poem appears to have some intense descriptions of how someone is loved, for instance, I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach This appears to be showing intense passion and love, trying to relate it to such extremes of where a soul can reach. In Duffys poem, she talks more freely about love and is comparing love to an onion. She says, I give you an onion, its fierce kiss will stay on your lips, possessive and faithful; This shows that real love can leave its mark on your lips like how the taste of an onion does. This appears to be a really bizarre thing to compare love to, it is also a really unusual way of thinking, and I think that this shows how views and values of love have changed over the century. Over a century ago, love would have been described in more traditional ways such as quoting feelings in the poem, as Browning does, for instance she writes: I love thee to the level of every days most quiet need, by sun and candlelight The actual wording of Sonnet XLIII shows a more traditional language also by using words such as thee and phrases such as in my old griefs these words and phrases are not normally used in modern language now. STAGE ONE manner of the poem-relationships of poet to the reader The Valentine poem by Duffy appears to be a more informal and relaxed style of relaying the thoughts of love and it appears that the writer is trying to establish a more thoughtful way for the reader to think of love. By quoting something as unusual as an onion, which would not normally be associated with love in any particular way, it makes the reader really perhaps look at an onion in a different light, noticing that it does have an inner beauty, beyond the ugly brown skin, she quotes I give you an onion, it is a moon wrapped in a brown paper, and it promises light.. This is making to reference beauty being more than skin deep. The Sonnet XLIII by Browning is a much more structured poem and is more formal. It is not comparing love to a physical object; it describes the feeling of how much love the writer is feeling and also to what extent. The poet is trying to describe her innermost feelings to the reader and also trying to describe the extent of her love by using emotions, she writes I love thee freely.. and I love the purely.. and also a phrase beginning In my old griefs, these are personal feelings and not based on an object like the Valentine poem. Tone and atmosphere The Valentine poem has a most unusual tone to it. It is quirky in the sense that it uses a most unusual item to be associated with love. It is unique in itself for that same reason and for the way it breaks down the parts of an onion and relates that to how love can feel, it says Here. It will blind you with tears That is showing how strong the sensation of love can be and relating it to the power of an onion being able to make you cry. This poem does not try to be sensational in any way, but in its own right is sensational because it makes you think about something, which is so opposite to love and yet also as powerful as love in its own way. It says Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips forever This poem does not use the clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s often associated with love and this makes the poem quite unique, when you think of a love poem many people would generally think of hearts and roses amongst many other things, but not an onion! It says, Its scent will cling to your fingers, cling to your knife This is showing the intensity of love and it can sometimes take over, being quite clingy. Brownings Sonnet on the other hand is a traditional love poem, it describes feelings to the reader, it says I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use The poem appears to have a desperate need to show how deep the writers love is, it seems to try to stretch to many extremes to describe this and even wants the love to get better after death, it says, Smiles, tears of all my life and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. This is a more clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d love poem, in the sense that it uses the niceties in life to describe love, it says I love thee to the level of every days most quiet need, by sun and candlelight it is also clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d as it uses general emotions associated with love such as smiles and tears. STAGE 2 poetic devices In Valentine, there was clever use of an onion as an extended metaphor . The onion was compared to love in many ways, it suggested that there was a moon under the brown skin of the onion, this was making the reader thinking maybe of something beautiful lying under ugly clothing. It said that the onion would blind you with tears again this was showing and relating to how powerful an onion secretly could be and that the power of love could be as strong. It said that the fierce kiss of an onion would stay on your lips, possessive and faithful, just like the power of love can be. It also said that the scent of the onion would cling to your fingers and knife, again this shows how powerful love can be and not easy to shake off once there. It said it is the moon wrapped in brown paper, it promises light like the careful undressing of love By this the writer meant that on the outside the onion appears ordinary and quite thick skinned, but as the layers of the outer skins are peeled off, bit by bit the layers get thinner and you begin to see the inner brightness and beauty of the onion, this is trying to show that inside us all there is an inner beauty no matter if the outside is a bit tatty, you sometimes just have to peel back the layers to find it that inner beauty. The imagery that she is using here is quite a romantic type, peaceful and loving. She relates to the onions layers descending in size its platinum hoops shrink to a wedding ring Again I think here she is referring to the silvery skin inside the onion and eventually finding the right layer which is comfortable as a wedding ring this is just finding the right level inside each other that we are comfortable with. In Sonnet XLIII, Browning uses imagination and emotion as her imagery. She refers to the Sun and candlelight instead of saying day and night, quite a romantic way of writing it. She states that she loves freely, purely and with passion, these are all very emotional and deep internal feelings. She states I love thee each time to make each sentence a personal one and directed independently to the reader. Browning makes references to religion by referring to her lost saints, referring to loved ones who have passed away and also she says If God choose, I shall but love thee better after death This refers to the fact that she believes in God and the powers he has and the way he can influence your life and the fact that she believes in an afterlife and that God also can influence what happens there too! I believe that her religion gives her great strength and great beliefs and encouragement and this is shown by how she writes I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight. For the ends of being and ideal grace I love thee to the level of every days most quiet need, by sun and candle-light There are different structures between the two poems, which reveal the different views of the poets themselves. Duffys verse has a very irregular structure for a love poem, it does have some shape and she refers to the normal things associated with love poems, but she tries to show a different side to love by comparing it to something quite absurd. I think this shows that her thoughts on love are that no one should be judged and that love should be how each individual feels it should be. Also the fact that she compares love to an onion shows that she looks at things not just on the surface, but more deeply and sees inner beauty where you would least expect it. Brownings poem on the other hand is a structured poem, which would be typical of a Victorian woman. It shows a serious side to this woman and perhaps reflects the strict idealistic way of Victorian times. It is very thoughtful and deep and emotional which perhaps shows that this woman is a romantic in the true sense that she values the idealistic way that a relationship should be.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Being Assertive Essays -- Assertiveness Personality Essays

Being Assertive Assertiveness is an ability to take action in a positive, sincere, respectful, and confident way. It is also an ability to communicate directly using language that is to the point, taking initiative, focusing on solutions, addressing problems, taking ownership of problems, and bringing the problems to a close. Assertiveness can also mean being firm, patient, persistent, pushing someone into action, encouraging, and not compromising on the solution to the problem. Assertiveness requires flexibility tailored to the individual and the situation they are placed in. People usually have three obstacles that keep them from being assertive. They are: poor communication skills, low self-esteem, and a fear of conflict. An assertive response would be: â€Å"I have some concerns about whether the idea will work. My concerns include†¦.Please help me to clear up my misunderstandings.† The assertive person does not focus on winning as such, but rather on negotiating changes to benefit himself or herself and the other parties involved. They are very clear on what they want to accomplish. The communication needs to be planned out in order to sell the idea and not seem as if the assertive person is nagging or dictating. Assertive speaking is an important communication method that is usually paired with active listening. When someone speaks assertively they are expressing themselves in a confident, direct way both verbally and nonverbally. They are speaking up to make a point but allowing for other’s ideas to be shared as well. Being assertive does not necessarily mean being aggressive. These two behaviors are quite different in their manners. Someone who is assertive allows the problem to be discussed whereas someone who is aggressive usually participates in a one-sided conversation with little listening to the other side. Someone who is aggressive usually â€Å"shoots first† before addressing the problem. An assertive person looks at a problem with solutions in mind. An aggressive person is blunt and feels that their solution is the only solution. An assertive person takes charge yet invites other ideas for solutions. An example of an aggressive response might be: â€Å"There’s no way that will work. I don’t like that idea and I don’t know what you were thinking about when you thought of it.† Aggressiveness normally is associated with anger. Anger is a natural emot... ...rectly interpret a situation. If this happens it is important to be willing to admit being wrong. Also, do not stop being assertive in the future with that person. Finally, assertiveness should not be used for intimidation or manipulation. It means standing up for beliefs, expressing anger in a tactful eloquent way, reaching out to others, building self-esteem, and learning to be more direct. It is a method to reach goals, feel good about oneself, and to demonstrate respect for others. Most importantly, do not try to be something out of the ordinary and always take other’s needs and respect into account. References Alberti, Ph.D, R., & Emmons, Ph.D, M. (1986). Your Perfect Right. 5th ed. San Luis Obispo, CA: Impact Publishers. Axelrod, A. (2000). Elizabeth I CEO. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall Press. Bower, S. (1991). Asserting Yourself. Updated ed. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Brounstein, M. (2000). Coaching & Mentoring for Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide. Fensterheim, Ph.D, H., & Baer, J. (1975). Don't Say Yes When You Want to Say No. New York: Dell Publishing. Smith, Ph.D, M. (1975). When I Say No, I Feel Guilty. New York: Dial Press.

Monday, November 11, 2019

A Soldier’s Play

Title: A Soldier’s Play Professor: Wallace Bridges I really enjoyed this play as it kept me wondering what will happen next and taught me some life lessons on how people react or make decisions. As I read on this play goes into the man Sergeant Vernon C. Waters personality and who he really was. We learn that Sergeant Waters hates being black and anyone who may exhibit black characteristics or stereotypes for example. For example in Act Two we learn that Sergeant Waters does not really like C. J. as he frames him and provokes him to attack so that he could be arrested for any reason. Sergeant Waters admits to this is Act Two and wanted C,J. rrested so the world would be free of one more simpleton colored boy. In Sergeant Waters’s eyes he wanted to prepare his men to survive in a white man’s world and by having his men adopt the white man’s culture or characteristics would help them survive. The theme of A Soldier’s Play in my eyes would be racism. I f racism exists in a community, then racism will affect the behaviors and ideals of others within the community. Starting with the white soldiers and Sergeant Waters racism is the main source of violence at this army post as the black soldiers are not welcomed at this dominated white community.Captain Davenport who is assigned to this murder assignment is black and is not welcomed very warmly and they do not want a black captain arresting a white soldier. The murder is first blamed on the Klu Klux Klan and the white officers and soldiers are all aligned against the blacks and as mentioned there is racism within the black community as Sergeant Waters’s turns against C. J. who thought Waters liked him. For example in Act Two we learn that Sergeant Waters has Private James Wilkie plant a gun under C,J’s pillow that could earn three stripes back that he had lost.This in turn contributes to C. J. getting arrested and eventually killing himself all because of what Sergeant W aters perceived C. J. to be as another black holding other blacks back. It is not said that Sergeant Waters wanted C. J. dead but he wanted him arrested because of his viewpoint of surviving through white characteristics. The protagonist of A Soldier’s play is Captain Davidson who is a black officer. After a black Sergeant is murdered Vernon Waters, Captain Davidson is assigned to solve this murder.His superobjective is to interview other officers and soldiers, learn about Sergeant Waters, and find out who and why Waters was murdered. In Act One his superobjective begins with Corporal Ellis who is assigned with Davidson to bring the officers or soldiers into questioning and get answers. Davidson asks Ellis of any informal theories of Sergeant Waters’s death and all Ellis has come up with is the Klu Klux Klan is responsible but there are rumors of two white officers. The investigation stalled but they continue to investigate and bring soldiers in for questioning.Captain Davidson does accomplish his superobjective through investigating and questioning other soldiers. As Davidson questions soldiers he learns more about Sergeant Waters as Waters believed the way to success was the white man’s way. He also learned that Waters was a drunk and abusive towards his own men but did this to mold them into white characteristics. In Act Two when Smalls has gone A-W-O-L Davidson questions him and wants to know why he has gone A-W-O-L and as Davidson questions Smalls he breaks down and admits to watching Peterson shoot Waters as he did nothing to stop it.One of the Afrocentric Objectives in a Soldier’s play is storytelling when Davidson is speaking with Wilkie. In Act two Wilkie tells Davidson that Waters told him a story involving a colored soldier in France during World War I. Waters told Wilkie that the white soldiers told the women that all the colored soldiers had tails like monkeys. So the white soldiers played a game and paid a black soldie r to tape a tail to his behind, they placed the balck soldier on a table with a reed in his hand and a crown on his head.They called the black soldier moonshine, king of the monkeys. Later on Waters and some other soldiers cut the soldiers throat and none of the other soldiers knew what the black soldier had done wrong. This is where we learn more about Waters and possibly the straw that broke the camel’s back to stand for what he believed in. Waters vowed to eliminate all matter demeaning simpleton behavior from people of his own race. If I were to direct this play I would manipulate the lighting to reinforce the theme of the play.As stated I believe one of the themes to be racism in this play as there are struggles of racism within the black soldiers as there leader Sergeant Waters believes the only way to success is by adopting the white way. In Act 2 when Wilkie admits to Davidson that Waters had him plant the gun under C. J. ’s pillow so he could earn his stripes back that were taken away and this could lead to C. J. being taken to jail. I would manipulate the lighting here to set the mood and direction of the play which is Waters hates being black and his plan to eliminate simpleton black men.Waters would get his way by eliminating another simpleton black man and this would show the racism that existed within the blacks because Waters himself hated being black and he took it out on his soldiers. When Charles Fuller wrote this play in 1981 the military was the largest equal opportunity employer for blacks for many years. But historically it was not always this way as blacks fought for freedoms and made sacrifices for nothing because none of this was going to be theirs (land or opportunities in America).Many blacks viewed World War II as a white man’s war but in the play Sergeant Waters viewed it as a chance for blacks to prosper. This is why he was so hard on his men and wanted them to adapt the white man’s way, but this also a ffected his and his men’s behavior and ideals. The contemporary significance of the production’s primary theme is racism existed during the plays time and setting but was viewed as a way blacks could try and eliminate racism and slowly but surely be accepted and be honored for their sacrifices they made for a country that they belong to as the white’s.Today racism still exists but we have made tremendous strides and came a long way to distance ourselves from racism an example is today the military is one of the largest equal opportunity employer for blacks as everyone is recognized as one and they are a family watching each other’s back. Even though strides have been made racism does still exist and it affects behaviors and ideals.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Creon and Aristotle Essay

This paper will primarily concern itself with the comparison of the two approaches to politics from Creon in Sophocles’ play Antigone and Aristotle in his Politics. The basic argument here is that Creon and Aristotle have very little in common in terms of basic political ideas, especially in terms of the role and power of the state in the moral lives of the population. In terms of political ideas, the Antigone concerns itself primarily with the distinction between the state and the unwritten law of custom. The argument of the play itself is that Antigone has every right to bury her slain brother in that it is an ancient custom to please the gods by burying the dead and showing them respect. The central concept here is the rule of tradition and religion, represented by Antigone herself. On the other hand, Creon, who has just emerged victorious in a civil war where Polynices, the true heir, and Eteocles killed each other, leaving Creon as sole ruler of Thebes. Hence, without a real claim to power, Creon stresses the power and interests of the state over all. The written law is central. For Aristotle, the nature of politics is far more complex than the simple state-centered ideas of Creon. For Aristotle, property, classes and the relations between the sexes all have a law and custom of their own, which, when followed, lead to virtue and the good life. Ultimately for Aristotle, to flourish in the intellectual arts is the key to happiness, while for Creon, obedience to a well-ordered state, based solely on written codes, is the key to order and hence, to social peace. In Antigone, there are two ways of looking at the dead Polynices. The first is Creon’s view, that of a dead traitor that deserves nothing but humiliation in order to justify Creon’s own claim to power as well as prevent any further warfare (Sophocles, 585). Second, which is Antigone’s view, that Polynices is a dead Thebian, regardless of the politics involved. Ultimately, the chorus at (Sophocles, 673) holds that Creon is making a major mistake since he is basing his policy on a passing political struggle, while Zeus is immortal and hence, transcends all this politics. Creon, in other words, is letting the specifics of political power interfere with his duty as monarch of Thebes. The smaller picture of the civil war has blurred the more general vision of the nature of political power, that is, the reverence of custom as the ultimate in democracy: Thebians have â€Å"voted† for generations to maintain the old traditions, not to worship the state (Sophocles, 745-750). On the other hand Aristotle writes: â€Å"When several villages are united in a single complete community, large enough to be nearly or quite self-sufficing, the state comes into existence, originating in the bare needs of life, and continuing in existence for the sake of a good life† (Aristotle, bk I, pt 1) Several things are important here. First, that the smaller villages predate the state, and as a consequence, have a certain precedence over the state itself. Putting this differently, the state is the product of already existing villages and other communal organizations, and hence, is dependent upon them. Therefore, Aristotle, early on in the Politics, is arguing for a decentralized political regime where the building blocks of the polity, the villages (or a group of â€Å"households†), maintain their autonomy under the general guidance of the state. Second, Aristotle is clear that the state exists not for itself, but for a further end, that of the good life, the life devoted to the intellectual virtues. The state, in other words, exists in order to maintain the customs of the villages–the traditions of the people–so long as they lead to virtue, the good life itself, the end of all political activity, the end that exists in and for itself. The state is merely an instrument, contra Creon, that sees it as an end in itself, ore more accurately, that his own power exists as an end in and for itself. The very act of deliberation in Greek thought is itself an end, in that it assists in the mental development and contemplative abilities of the individuals involved. The good life, it can be argued, is manifest in political life in that it is essentially an intellectual form of work, the highest that a man can consider. Hence, deliberation is central to the good life and therefore, is beyond the purview of the state. If Aristotle is going to argue that the state is â€Å"according to nature,† then he must also hold that the villages, the ancient customs of the people that go into creating the state, also exist by nature. While Aristotle holds in Part II that the state is â€Å"prior to† the family and individual on the logical basis of self-sufficiency, this is hardly holding to a monolithic state in the sense that Creon holds. The state has no control over such customs, represented by Antigone and the blind prophet in the play. The basic argument then, is that the state comes into existence in order to create a certain level of self-sufficiency, not to destroy the customs of the more ancient forms of village life. Aristotle, in short, would have sided with Antigone. Even more, the question of precedence of the villages vis-a-vis the state shows that the state, though logically prior, must take into consideration the ideas and history of its component parts. Hence, Aristotle has deliberation at the center of his state’s idea. It should be noted that the main source of friction here is the concept of political deliberation. The Antigone sees a number of intelligent and well meaning people, such as Creon’s son, Haemon and his wife, all seeking to reason with Creon over the question of the fate of Antigone and the nature of the civil war in general. But since Creon holds that the monarch is the state, and the state is the monarch, deliberation would be a sign of weakness. Aristotle holds clearly that the citizens of the Greek state, regardless of its location, must be engaged in deliberation and discussion. This is the more practical sense of his state, in that it is an aggregate of pre-existing parts. These pre-existing parts, such as families or individuals, do not disappear when the state is formed, but take their rightful place as parts of the state, and hence, need to be involved in political discussion. The blind prophet Tiresias is, like Antigone, the voice of the â€Å"villages,† the ancient tradition of a people upon which the authority of the state rests. Among other things, Tiresias holds that Creon is â€Å"living in a tomb. † What he means is that Creon has become so obsessed with political power that he has forgotten the purpose of this power. Even more, this power has become radically personalized, centering on Creon himself, rejecting the testimony of his own son, and now, the prophet, the voice of the gods, who has never been wrong. He holds that Creon has placed himself in grave danger in his behavior. Worst of all, none of this will assist Creon in holding on to power or convincing the population that he deserves this power. His approach to politics is contradictory and self defeating (Sophocles, 1185-1205). It is contradictory because he refuses to see the state, as Aristotle did, as a series of component parts united for the good life under the ruler. Creon sees the state in purely personal, and hence, non-deliberative, terms. By the time the blind prophet has left Creon’s presence, politics has ceased to be institutional and now has become personal and autocratic in the literal sense of the word. Creon is the state, and is the power of Thebes, Creon says â€Å"What? The city is the king’s–that’s the law† (Sophocles, 825). This is precisely what Tiresias warned him of. For Creon to listen to the prophet, a man who he clearly respects, would be a sign of weakness. In his confusion, Creon decides to set Antigone free, yet, by the time this is done, she is already dead, as well as his own son Haemon. Creon has listened to nothing but his own insecurity, and now he is paying the price. When Creon says â€Å"the city is the king’s,† he is rejecting the concept of deliberation and democratic discussion. He is placing his interests and possible illegitimacy at the center of law, revealing its weaknesses. What are the major issues, therefore, of contrast? This is a struggle precisely with the question of precedence as Aristotle has stated it: tradition and custom over the â€Å"prior nature† of the state. Aristotle leaves the exact nature of this precedence vague. The state is the first by nature, but this is not a chronological movement, but a logical one. The whole must be prior to its parts, but Aristotle is not thereby claiming that the state existed prior to the family or individual. He is just holding that the only way families can reach true happiness is in a well-ordered state aiming at self-sufficiency. Therefore, Aristotle leaves the exact power of the state rather vague. For Aristotle, the scientist, he is not going to impose a blueprint for happiness for every society, but will show the bare outlines of the nature of the good life. The key passage can be found here: For man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all; since armed injustice is the more dangerous, and he is equipped at birth with arms, meant to be used by intelligence and virtue, which he may use for the worst ends. Wherefore, if he have not virtue, he is the most unholy and the most savage of animals, and the most full of lust and gluttony. But justice is the bond of men in states, for the administration of justice, which is the determination of what is just, is the principle of order in political society (Aristotle, bk 1, pt 2). The fact is that the state exists to promote virtue and hence, must give way to it. Virtue is not abstract, but can be found in the customs of the Hellenes, as Antigone herself holds. Justice comes into existence when the various parts of the society come together in harmonious relations, not when the state stamps its demands upon all. What Sophocles might be holding is that the polis only has its legitimacy insofar as it protects the customs and moral foundation of the Greek people. Without this, there can be no virtue and hence, no good life. But where Sophocles and Aristotle differ is in the nature of the state in terms of security. It seems that Sophocles holds that the traditional life of the Greek family is true and right. It brings security in the ancient customs of an elite people. It is the state that provides insecurity, especially when severed from its moral foundations. There is not a moment where Antigone doubts the correctness of her actions, yet Creon exists in a storm of confusion. State power is parasitic on the traditions of a people according to Sophocles. Aristotle might agree with this with strong reservations, but still concede that the state must have a moral foundation on the one hand, and a purpose beyond itself, on the other (Davis, 1996, 27-28, an excellent discussion on the relation between the household and the state). Creon cannot see either. Even more, Sophocles is making the more general point between the two different kinds of order, the cosmic and the human. He holds that it is the former where truth and happiness are to be found. The human order is insecure and based on chance, the outcomes of wars, political factions, etc. (this is the whole thesis of Book 5 in The Politics, cf. Davis, 1996, 102). The cosmic order is permanent, even superior to the gods, the gods themselves are subject to it. The human order is what Creon demands, namely, his order over and above the divine one. Sophocles is holding to an early version of natural law. The customs of the Greeks are not arbitrary, but they are part of a cosmic order. Creon is arbitrary in his decisions, and even the very basis of his power is based on chance. The human order can never be the basis of society, and certainly the state as the supreme (but not only) power in society. The law, to conclude, as it is promulgated by human beings at any time, is a highly limited instrument. It does not change the order of nature, or even the traditions of the Greek mind, which are based on nature, the law of the cosmos, held by all Greek peoples. The citizens must be engaged in deliberating not what the natural law is, but how it can be best manifested under present conditions. Antigone holds to the eternal, while Creon holds to the temporary. Politics is an inferior state of mind than that of the eternal law of the cosmos. Death and the order of the gods will always trump the merely human law, and hence, the human law must partake of the divine order or it is an arbitrary decree, the very essence of Creon’s world. Bibliography: Aristotle (250 BC). The Politics. Trans. Benjamin Jowett. Internet Classics Archive (http://classics. mit. edu/Aristotle/politics. html) Davis, Michael. (1996) The Politics of Philosophy. Rowman and Littlefield Sophocles (442 BC). Antigone. Trans. Robert Fagles. Penguin Classics

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Coup dEtat and Coup de Grace

Coup dEtat and Coup de Grace Coup d’Etat and Coup de Grace Coup d’Etat and Coup de Grace By Maeve Maddox Watching a rerun of Castle (U.S. television police drama), I was startled to hear a character use the expression counting coup. TV script writers rarely throw in literary or historical allusions. I was pleased to hear it, but disappointed to hear the character pronounce the p in coup. English has borrowed coup from the French not once, but twice. In about 1400, coup came into English with the literal meaning of â€Å"a blow or a stroke.† As a completely naturalized word, this use of coup was pronounced with a p until it dropped out of use. Later, in about 1640, the word coup was borrowed into Modern English in the expression coup d’etat. coup d’etat /ËÅ'ku deÉ ªÃ‹Ë†tÉ‘/. noun. a sudden and decisive stroke of state policy. In this figurative expression, the p at the end of coup and the t at the end of etat (French for â€Å"state†) are silent. Several other figurative expressions containing the word coup may be found in English texts written since then. At least twocoup d’etat and coup de graceare still common in the general media. Coup d’etat is often shortened to coup and used to describe a take-over of power, as in â€Å"a military coup.† The p is silent. coup de grace /kudÉ™ ˈgrÉ‘s/ noun. a blow by which one condemned or mortally wounded is quickly killed to be spared further suffering. As novelist Rick Castle explains to his bewildered detective friends, counting coup refers to a custom of the North American Plains Indians. Counting or taking coup could be a literal touching of an enemy with hand, weapon or stick and escaping alive, but it could also refer to taking a scalp, stealing horses, or any other bold act that bestowed prestige upon the doer. I’ll mention one more use of coup that may be familiar to billiard players: to run a coup. This, according to the OED, is â€Å"the act of holing a ball without its first striking another ball.† In case anyone is wondering, the word coupe, in which the p is pronounced, comes from the French verb couper, â€Å"to cut.† The French past participle form is coupà ©, pronounced /kuˈpeÉ ª/. American usage dropped the accent mark, changing the pronunciation to /kup/. The word first came into use to describe a type of horse-drawn carriage. Now it refers to a two-door automobile. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:5 Uses of InfinitivesHyper and HypoMay Have vs. Might Have

Monday, November 4, 2019

Business planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business planning - Essay Example This paper presents a brief feasibility study about the ‘logistics’ business based in London to channelize the distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables to retail outlets around UK. The business idea The ‘Fresher Pvt Ltd’ will be a unique logistic and supply chain company and an exciting experience of ‘freshness’ designed to fulfill the responsibility of providing the target market with ‘fresh’ and premium quality natural products. The business idea is about logistics based in London to collect freshest and supreme quality natural fruits and vegetables directly from farms in different countries and supply them to retail outlets such as supercentres and hypermarkets. The very basic functional principle of the company will be based on the ‘six rights’ that a normal logistic company is required to fulfill. Therefore, the ‘Fresher’ is highly concerned about distributing the right and fresh fruits and vegetabl es to right customers at the right time in the right condition at the right place and at the right price (Voortman, 2004, p. 3). The ‘Fresher’ is not just a new opening of a logistic business, but, it is the output of a new idea to uncover a hidden market opportunity for meeting the demand for ‘fresh’ fruits and vegetables available in large-scale retail outlets in lowest price possible. Fruits and vegetable goods presently available in supermarkets, hypermarkets and other retail outlets often lack the quality and values of freshness that customers expect them to be. The Fresher Pvt. Ltd proposes to replace these goods with ‘freshest and most genuine natural fruits and vegetables’ supplied directly from farms around UK and from abroad. For this purpose, the company plans to enter in to strategic alliance with large-scale farmers in both UK and foreign countries including India and Sri Lanka to collect the most freshest goods directly from the f arms and to transport them as quickly as possible with latest cold-storage facilities to make them available in large retail outlets. Going directly to farms in other countries and collect fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmers seems an idealistic social movement. Thousands of farmers in countries like India are deprived of better facilities and opportunities to market their products. They neither get advanced facilities to transport or quickly supply them to markets nor get right prices for the goods they supply to markets. The ‘Fresher’ is going to influence the media to gain wider reputation for a social movement to extend the helps to poor farmers in other countries. The company proposes to utilize the resources, mainly the excess agricultural products that have been of no proper marketing use for that the farmers in India and other developing as well as under developed countries did not effectively market their products due to fewer facilities or decreased de mand or reduced prices for their goods. The ‘Fresher’ would satisfy these farmers by providing financial assistance for post-harvesting preservation and for advanced transportation facilities. The Fresher will increase the demand for their goods and value their products to return fair prices for their vegetables and fruits. The company helps them by creating a market for these premium and fresh

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Training in ethics for management personnel Essay

Training in ethics for management personnel - Essay Example The Columbia Encyclopedia (2003) defines business ethics as the study and evaluation of decision making by businesses according to moral concepts and judgments. Issues involved in ethical business decisions include a company's obligation to be honest with its customers, a company's responsibility to preserve the environment and the protection of employee rights. Ethical conflicts arise due to the differences in the interests of company owners, workers, customers, and the community wherein which the business operates. The dilemma for managers is how to balance the need to produce profits for shareholders with honest business practices, safety in the workplace, and environmental and social concerns. The globalization of businesses and diversity in the workplace have also contributed to the complication of ethical issues because of different government laws that define the limits of criminal behavior. Practices which are deemed as bribery, sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and l ack of concern for the environment, may be held as criminal in one country but are neither illegal nor unethical or unusual in another. The company must then decide whether to adhere to its traditional ethical principles or not, especially if this provides opportunities for maximizing profits. According to Today's Market... use of these type of occurrences in the business milieu, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has become part of mandatory United States federal law that companies must adhere to. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is intended to protect against corporate fraud and unethical accounting and reporting incidents. Thus, ethics training is now widely conducted to instill corporate values, rules and regulations in the minds of managers and employees. Ethics Training Ethics training aims to ensure that people are aware of ethical issues and the consequences of unethical behavior. Companies which conduct ethics training are benefited by the continual application of the company code of ethics in the everyday business environment. Ethics training provides a venue for communication and problem solving that guides participants in the resolution of complex issues brought about by conflicts of interest. It helps create a guide that may be followed when exercising discretion, while defining boundaries, limitations and expectations within the organization. An ethical workplace environment is characterized by properly exercised discretion, and ethics training is a step toward corporate compliance (Today's Marketer, 2008). An ethics training program encourages employee involvement in the process of reporting violations of the code of conduct, or any unethical practice. Compliant companies establish a procedure and a point of contact where whistleblowers my anonymously report violations. The process allows employees to be at ease when an unethical situation must be reported, and contributes to the company's corporate compliance program because it proves the company's willingness to eliminate unethical practices. Encouraging the reporting reduces catastrophic outcomes for the company, such as those which

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Organizational Communication Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organizational Communication Master - Essay Example The former is a process of sharing information and understanding between two people or a small group: the latter makes use of systems to share information and understanding with large number of people. Both type of communication occur at all level within an organization, with people outside the organization, and between organizations. Organization learning focuses on the way people make sense of their experiences at work. The aim of organizing is to enable people to relate other and to work together for a common purpose. The organized group of people in a collective sense is known as organization. (Yvonne 129) "Organization is the process of identifying and grouping work to be performed, defining and delegating responsibility relationships for the purpose of enabling people to work more effectively together in accomplishing objectives." (Yvonne 149) (b) Facilitates Organizing - Communication facilitates organizing function of management by providing information about the duties, responsibilities, authority, relationships, positions and jobs. Delegation and decentralization of authority is accomplished in an organization. (c) Facilitates Directing Function- Communication facilitates directing function by providing proper interaction between and their subordinates and between members of work groups. It improves superior-subordinate relationships by promoting exchange of ideas and information between them continuously. (d) Facilitates Controlling Function - Communication facilitates controlling function by providing feedback of actual performance against planned targets. In an organization, effective communication facilitates in promoting innovation as well as control and coordination. (e) Facilitates Decision-Making- Communication facilitates decision making by providing the required information needed. The quality of decision made in an organization depends largely on the amount and quality of information available to the decision maker. (Kathryn) (f) Facilitates co-ordinating - Communication facilitates coordinating by providing proper upward, downward and horizontal interaction between members of different departments or sections at all levels of authority. (g) Helps the Process of Motivation

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Mapping Your Conflicts Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mapping Your Conflicts - Case Study Example A good example is the issue of sibling rivalry where a daughter becomes jealous of the newly born baby brother. Sometimes, because of the new baby, parents and family members give more attention to the new born child, and the elder daughter will feel left behind. The daughter will now start to ask for more attention and become rebellious. Conflict will arise between daughter and parents. Instead of blaming someone for what happened, the systems theory helps assess the situation by knowing all sides of the story. The systems theory will look at the daughter’s perspective and from the perspectives of the parents. Because of this, both of them will understand what really happened and why it happened without having someone feel the guilt and blame. In this week’s case study, I will use the metaphor of â€Å"conflict as competition† to describe the conflict between Enrique and Monica. In this metaphor, those involve will always aim to win against the other. Both Enriq ue and Monica don’t want to give in and let someone control the other. Monica wants Enrique to help her, Enrique wants to go out and not help. Monica does not want Enrique to do his own way and go to his friend and she can’t. Neither of them wants to let someone rule over the other.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Analysis Of BMW Financial Position And Performance Accounting Essay

Analysis Of BMW Financial Position And Performance Accounting Essay This is a financial analysis report on BMW. Specifically, in the first part of this report, the financial position and performance of BMW for the four financial years from 2008 to 2011 will be firstly re-formulated, and the financial ratios for the company will be computed for analysis purposes. In order to perform a throughout financial analysis on the company, the trends of the financial ratios of BMW will be analyzed. Then, the financial statements of Audi will also be reformulated and the respective financial ratios for Audi will also be computed. The financial performance of Audi will be used to compare to the performance of BMW, to gauge the relative performance of BMW, as compared to one of the peer within the industry. Then, in the second part, BMWs forecasted value of equity per share at the end of the fourth financial (i.e., at FY 2011) will also be computed. Recommendations will be provided if the stock is a good investment choice, based on the various findings derived fr om this study. 1.2 Company Background Today, BMW is the worlds best-selling manufacturer of premium cars (Rauwald, 2012). BMW is founded in 1916; and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. Today, the company has more than 96,000 workforces at 24 production facilities in 13 countries and had penetrated to around 140 countries in the world (Avery Bergsteiner, 2011). BMW is also a company emphasizing on corporate social responsibilities (Stamoulakis Bridwell, 2009). Some of the competitors of BMW include Audi and Mercedes-Benz, whereby these companies has also been competing with BMW in important markets such as China (Rauwald Pearson, 2011a). Referring to Table 1 below, the various business segments BMW is operating within is shown. The major revenue contribution of the company comes from selling automobiles, and then followed by car financing activities. Table 1: The Various Business Segments BMW Operating Within Source: Worldscope Table 2 below however shows the various geographical regions BMW is operating within. As shown from the figure, the revenue generated from BMW sales in China is improving fast, while the revenue generated from the United States are stagnating. Indeed, prior to the financial crisis, United States is the biggest market for BMW (Rauwald, 2010). In contrast, as discussed in Muller (2010), BMW growth in recent years had largely driven by the increase of sales from emerging countries. This is a trend worth acknowledging in analyzing the current financial performance and to predict the future probable performance of the firm. Table 2: The Various Geographical Region BMW Operating Within Source: Worldscope Part I: Analysis of BMW Financial Position and Performance In Part I, the financial analysis on BMW will be performed through two major methods, firstly by reviewing the trends of the financial metrics of BMW and its competitor; and secondly, through the review of various financial ratios of BMW and to compare the ratios to the competitors ratios. 2.1 Trend Analysis A Review of BMW Past Performances 2.1.1 Profitability Ratios Based on Table 3 below, the various profitability ratios of BMW are shown. As measured by the Return on Assets, Return on Equity and Return on Invested Capital, BMW performance is generally well-performing in FY2007, but subsequently suffered to a minimal profitability in FY2008 towards FY 2010, before returning to superior profitability situation in FY2011. This is not surprising. In FY2008, the world financial crisis hit, and the automotive industry, which is cyclical in nature, are impacted adversely (Peterson, 2008). Indeed, the entire automotive industry fall into a turmoil as auto sales have plunged in the United State and Europe; while sales faced stagnation in previously booming markets like China and India (Rauwald, 2009b). In 2009, as discussed within Rauwald (2009a), BMW suffered losses due to recession as the sales and demand of luxury cars stalled. This is logical as in recessionary period, people cut down spending and luxury product manufacturers are often the most im pacted as the product demand are highly elastic. Then, qualitatively speaking, in FY 2010, the profitability improvement in BMW is due to improved efficiency significantly in all areas of the company (during the restructuring programme of BMW in the global financial crisis) as well as favourable exchange-rate fluctuations for the company (Rauwald, 2010). Next, Rauwald Schmidt (2012a) had however attributed the significant enhanced of BMW performance due to the companys comprehensive transformation, via cutting jobs and costs since 2007 (which include a cut of more than 8,100 jobs and reduction of more than 6 billion Euros in costs). This is also true as based on the employee per sales figure, the company is showing positive improvement as in recent years, more sales are generated per employee. Aside from that, it is also observed that the ratio of research and development to sales ratios has also been high, approximately around 5%. This is because BMW has been investing in research and development activities for further innovations in the future. For example, one of the recent innovations of BMW is development of eco-super car through the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept (Kable, 2010). Overall, based on the profitability ratios, a gross profit margin of 24% and the Return on Equity ratio of 19.2% in the recent years suggest that BMW is a well performing firm. Nonetheless, the fact that the firm could be seriously affected by recession also suggests that the business is cyclical, and therefore, the business risk faced by the firm and investors could be high. Table 3: Trends of Profitability Ratios of BMW Source: Worldscope 2.1.2 Asset Utilization Ratios Based on Table 4 below, the various asset utilization ratios, such as assets per employee, total assets turnover, inventory turnover and net sales to gross fixed assets are shown. Overall, there is a trend of improvement on these ratios. As discussed in Rauwald Schmidt (2012b), the strong performance of BMW is primarily contributed by the strength of the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands as well as improvements in efficiency. The improved of efficiencies can be noted as the assets per employees had increased (i.e., fewer employees as compared to the total assets), and the higher total assets and inventory turnover ratios (as the company is more able to generate more sales from every unit of asset). Table 4: Trends of Asset Utilization Ratios of BMW Source: Worldscope 2.1.3 Leverage Ratios Based on Table 5 below, the trends of use of debt financing and capital structure of BMW are shown. Overall, it can be noticed that BMW is a highly geared firm, as the long term debt within the capital structure has been consistently high throughout the past few years, i.e., at approximately 60%. Then, the portion of debt is also far outweigh the portion of equity, and as indicated by the total debt to common equity ratio, the total debt is approximately more than 2 to 3 times the total amount of equity. Overall, this suggests that BMW is heavily leveraged and the firm would face higher finance risks (such as solvency, liquidity and interest payment risks) in hard times. In contrast, the firm would make high return on equity for the shareholders due to use of leverage. Therefore, part of the reasons contributing to the high return on equity for BMW is through the use of high leverage within the firm. Table 5: Trends of Leverage Ratios of BMW Source: Worldscope 2.1.4 Liquidity Ratios Based on Table 6 below, the various liquidity ratios such as quick ratio and current ratio are shown. Overall, the liquidity position of BMW is marginally satisfactory, as the current and quick ratio fall around the range of 1. A more conservative ratio would be a current ratio of more than 2 times. Then, it is also noted that throughout the years, the proportion of receivables in the current assets is the highest, followed by cash, and then inventories. This is however unavoidable, as most of the customers would purchase the luxury cars on credit. Table 6: Trends of Liquidity Ratios of BMW Source: Worldscope 2.1.5 A Review of the Financial Performance Trends of BMW In order to form an overview of the financial performance of BMW in the past few years, the general profitability picture of BMW is presented in Figure 1. As shown below, prior to the crisis, BMW has been in a rising profit position for more than a decade (Avery Bergsteiner, 2011). However, unfortunately, the firm performance is badly affected during the global financial crisis (as discussed previously). During the period of financial crisis, the net income, return on equity and total common equity fall sharply. Nevertheless, upon the crisis, the profitability of BMW surged sharply. Avery Bergsteiner (2011) had found that one of the reasons contribute to fast BMW recovery from the global financial crisis in 2008 is due to sustainable leadership model and processes within the company. Therefore, this suggests the resiliency and the quality of the management within the firm as satisfactory and competent. Then, another trend worth discussing is that in the recent years, BMW car sales have been increasing significantly in the China market (Rauwald, 2012). Indeed, as discussed within Schafer (2011), much of the sales increases of BMW come from the growth of sales from China and India. Such a trend had contributed significantly as even in FY2011 and FY2012, BMW sales in Europe are facing challenges due to sovereign debt crisis (Rauwald Pearson, 2011a). Similarly, as discussed within Schafer (2011), the sales of BMW cars are slow in Europe due to the slow recovery within the region. Figure 1: Net Income, Equity, ROE and ROCI Trends of BMW C:Documents and SettingsHappyGoLuckyDesktopData Collectiondatareturn analysis chart.jpg Source: Worldscope 2.2 Peers Financial Ratios Comparisons In this section, in order to understand the financial position and the performance of BMW in the context of its industry as well as in relation to its peers, the various financial ratios of BMW, the peers and one of its leading competitors, namely Audi will be performed. 2.2.1 Growth Rates related Ratios As shown in Table 7, the various growth rates of BMW is compared to the peers and Audi. Firstly, it is noted that the growth of sales of BMW is slightly worse than the growth of Audi, but significantly worse off than the peers. In other words, both Audi and BMW are performing less satisfactorily as compared to the industry average. Therefore, while the financial picture of BMW is recovering and experiencing sharp upturns in FY2011, the firm is actually down perform as compared to the industry average. Table 7: Trends of Growth Rates of BMW, Audi and Peers Company BMW AG Peer Mean Audi AG Last Fiscal Yr End Date 12/31/2011 12/31/2011 Key 1 Year Growth Rates Sales 1Yr Growth 13.80 22.22 24.42 Operating Income 1Yr Growth 53.21 47.75 57.09 Net Margin 1Yr Growth 32.92 104.88 36.41 Net Income 1Yr Growth 51.26 149.43 69.72 EPS 1Yr Growth 51.12 146.47 69.73 Total Assets 1Yr Growth 11.71 14.54 19.56 Equity 1Yr Growth 13.11 8.58 13.72 Key 5 Year Growth Rates Sales 5Yr Growth 7.03 15.17 7.20 Operating Income 5Yr Growth 16.39 23.44 14.71 Net Margin 5Yr Growth 3.92 7.76 18.21 Net Income 5Yr Growth 11.22 23.09 26.72 EPS 5Yr Growth 11.21 21.35 26.72 Total Assets 5Yr Growth 9.18 12.25 14.00 Equity 5Yr Growth 7.17 9.09 11.83 Source: Thomson One Banker As shown in Table 8, the figures of growth rates of several financial metrics are also computed, from the reformulated financial statements (as shown in Appendix at the end of this document). Overall, it can be observed that both Audi and BMW financial performance move in tandem, whereby the good performance of both company tend to be happen at the similar time. For instance, the growth of sales was negative for both of the firm at FY2009. Then, the growth rates of common shareholder equity also tend to be similar in terms of magnitude. For example, the growth rate of shareholder equity has been slight negative or positive at FY2009. However, the growth rate of operating income (after tax) for both the company tend to be less similar. This could be due to the operational management differences between the two firms. Table 8: Trends of Growth Rates of BMW to Audi Profitability R 2009 2010 2011 Growth Rate in Sales BMW -4.73% 19.33% 13.80% Audi -12.74% 18.77% 24.42% Growth Rate in OI (after tax) BMW 352.36% -20.66% 49.91% Audi -43.17% 128.13% 60.40% Growth Rate in NOA BMW 31.36% 13.02% -10.94% Audi 10.86% 47.64% -4.07% Growth Rate in CSE BMW -1.79% 15.94% 17.18% Audi 2.62% 9.30% 13.72% Source: Computed from Reformulated Financial Statement 2.2.2 Profitability Ratios As shown in Table 9, the profitability related ratios for BMW, peers and Audi are shown. Overall, the profitability margins of BMW would be slightly lesser than that of the Audi (particularly from the net margin perspective), but would be higher than that of the peers. This is because BMW operate within the luxury car segment, and therefore, the margins would be higher, as the majority of other competitors go for the volume for profitability. Therefore, the asset turnover of BMW and Audi is lower significantly than the peers, as the company focus on the luxury niche segment. Aside from that, it could be seen that the RD expense to sales ratio for BMW (and Audi) is higher than that of the peers. For this, one of the successes of BMW comes from investing heavily in extra production capacity and new technology constantly (Rauwald, 2012). Table 9: Profitability Related Ratios for BMW, Peers and Audi Company BMW AG Peer Mean Audi AG Last Fiscal Yr End Date 12/31/2011 12/31/2011 Asset Turnover 0.57 0.85 1.25 Pretax Margin 10.73 13.70 ROA 4.37 13.86 Return on Invest Cap 5.62 34.13 Reinvest Rate 13.25 37.59 35.68 R D to Sales 4.90 3.43 5.09 Gross Profit Margin 24.62 19.45 18.57 Operating Profit Margin 11.42 6.92 9.54 Pretax Margin 10.73 13.70 Net Margin 7.09 9.95 Source: Thomson One Banker Table 10 is about the profitability ratios of BMW and Audi, computed from the reformulated financial statements (as shown in Appendix at the end of this document). Overall, it can be seen that Audi would perform slightly better than BMW, although from the net profit margin perspective, BMW outperform Audi in FY2010 and FY2011. Then, it is also observed that the financial margins of BMW are more volatile as compared to Audi. Therefore, the risks (from the standard deviation perspective) for BMW are higher. Nonetheless, as discussed before, BMW is performing well in terms of cutting down the expense. This can be observed as the portion of administration costs to the sales ratio for BMW has been decreasing from FY2008 towards FY2011; whereby the ratio for Audi had been staying relatively constant (around 8-10%). This reaffirm that BMW had been slowly transform itself into a more efficient organization. Table 10: Trends of Profitability Ratios of BMW to Audi 2008 2009 2010 2011 Operating Profit Margin BMW 0.95% -0.09% 5.71% 8.03% Audi 5.27% 3.43% 6.59% 8.50% Sales Profit Margin BMW 1.95% 9.27% 6.17% 8.12% Audi 5.27% 3.43% 6.59% 8.50% Other Items Profit Margin BMW 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Audi 2.82% 2.86% 2.87% 2.90% Net Profit Margin BMW 1.25% 0.13% 5.23% 7.75% Audi 6.46% 3.52% 3.07% 5.91% Expense Ratio Admin Costs BMW 9.59% 9.91% 7.98% 7.83% Audi 9.47% 10.52% 8.57% 8.16% Expense Ratio Distribution Costs BMW -0.21% 0.10% 0.24% 0.50% Audi 0.88% 1.01% 1.06% 0.97% Operating Profitability (RNOA) BMW N/A 14.55% 9.55% 14.27% Audi N/A 12.48% 21.87% 30.03% Financing Profitability (RNFA) BMW N/A 0.70% 0.98% 1.37% Audi N/A 5.07% 5.54% 9.98% Source: Computed from Reformulated Financial Statement 2.2.3 Asset Utilization ratios Table 11 is about the asset utilization related ratios for BMW, Audi and peers. Overall, BMW down perform both Audi and the peers from asset turnover and inventory turnover perspective. Indeed, Audi perform best in utilizing assets in generating revenue. This shown that BMW may not be effective to the peers and Audi in leveraging on the assets to generate sales, and there are much room for improvement to significantly enhance the asset utilization ratios for the firm. Table 11: Asset Utilization Related Ratios for BMW, Audi and Peers Company BMW AG Peer Mean Audi AG Last Fiscal Yr End Date 12/31/2011 12/31/2011 Asset Turnover 0.57 0.85 1.25 Inventory Turnover 5.11 8.52 8.85 Source: Thomson One Banker 2.2.4 Leverage Ratios Table 12 is about the comparisons of leverage related ratios between BMW, Audi and peers. Obviously from the figure of the industry mean score, it can be noticed that most of the automotive manufacturers are highly geared. Indeed, as it is discussed that BMW is a firm that relied heavily on debt instrument for financing its operations, the industry average figure is even higher. In stark contrast, Audi is a lowly leveraged firm. Indeed, the use of debt is very minor within the firms capital structure. Table 12: Leverage Ratios Related Ratios for BMW, Audi and Peers Company BMW AG Peer Mean Audi AG Last Fiscal Yr End Date 12/31/2011 12/31/2011 Total Debt to Common Equity 245.94% 250.96% 9.39% LT Debt to Common Equity 133.58% 146.61% 0.17% LT Debt to Total Capital 56.96% 41.23% 0.16% Dividend Payout 17.46% 15.80% 0.00% Cash Dividend Coverage Ratio 7.13 21.08 #N/A Source: Thomson One Banker In Table 13 below, trends of leverage ratios of BMW and Audi, computed from the reformulated financial statements (as shown in Appendix at the end of this document) are presented. Similar to the discussions presented above, the financial leverage ratio of BMW is significantly higher than the case of Audi. However, from the operating liability leverage ratio perspective, the figures of the two firms are roughly comparable. Table 13: Trends of Leverage Ratios of BMW to Audi 2008 2009 2010 2011 Financial Leverage Ratio (FLEV) BMW 0.299 0.414 0.413 0.410 Audi 0.256 0.198 -0.128 0.054 Capitalization Ratio BMW 1.378 1.843 1.796 1.365 Audi 0.781 0.844 1.140 0.962 Operating Liability Leverage Ratio (OLLEV) BMW 1.093 0.663 0.645 1.011 Audi 1.479 1.381 1.058 1.268 Source: Computed from Reformulated Financial Statement 2.2.5 Liquidity Ratios In Table 14 below, the liquidity related ratios for BMW, Audi and peers are compared and presented. It is noted that the liquidity position of BMW, as measured from all of these ratios, i.e., quick ratio, current ratio, cash and equivalent to current assets ratio, account receivables days as well as inventories days held are not only down performing the peers, but also perform much badly as compared to the situation of Audi. Indeed, Audi is having strong liquidity position, thereby indicating that the firm is unlikely to suffer from any near term liquidity issues. Audi had also outperformed the peers significantly and based on the findings above that Audi is a lowly geared firm; the firm is financially conservatively managed. Table 14: Liquidity Related Ratios for BMW, Audi and Peers Company BMW AG Peer Mean Audi AG Last Fiscal Yr End Date 12/31/2011 12/31/2011 Quick Ratio 0.82 1.00 1.32 Current Ratio 1.04 1.28 1.60 Cash Equivalent to Current Assets 23.52 32.24 41.13 Accounts Receivable Days 136.25 102.07 61.22 Inventories Days Held 71.44 48.60 41.24 Source: Thomson One Banker 2.2.6 Summary Overall, while BMW is a profitable firm, and the firm is performing very well in FY2011 (i.e., experiencing sharp recovery) such performance can be largely attributed to the industry wide recovery situation around the world. However, the performance of BMW would seem to be lacking, more risky and less efficiently, effectively and conservatively managed when compared to the peers. This is particularly when compared to Audi, as Audi had found to be having much stronger and yet conservative financial position and performance. It can be summarized that BMW performed unsatisfactorily as compared to the other automotive manufacturers. Part II: Valuation In this section, valuation of BMW stock will be performed via the discount cash flow model. In order to compute the company value via this method, the dividend distributed to the investors will be treated as the proxy of the cash flow to the investors. Currently, the latest dividend payment from BMW is EUR 2.30 (Figure 2, the indicated dividend payment from the management). Then, from Figure 3, the growth rate of the dividend yield/ payment (i.e., the growth rate of the cash flow of the firm) range from 0.23% (i.e., 3-years growth rate) to 1.01% (i.e., 3-years growth rate). Theoretically, the longer term growth rate should be used. However, the global financial meltdown in FY2008 to FY2009 would be considered as anomalies (the black swan event), and therefore, it is unfair to take the three year average figure for the firm. Therefore, conservatively, a growth rate of 0.5% would be assumed to represent the growth rate of dividend payment for the investors. Then, in order to compute th e required rate of return for BMW, the risks pertaining to the firm will be considered. As BMW is found to be highly geared, a required rate of return of above 10% would be necessary. Therefore, conservatively speaking, a required rate of return of 15% is justifiable. Hence: D = EUR 2.30 g = 0.5% r = 15% Firm value = D (1+g) (r-g) = 2.3 (1+0.005) (0.15-0.005) = 2.3 (1.005) (0.145) = EUR 15.94 Therefore, a very conservative firm value for BMW from the dividend discount model (i.e., Gordon Growth Model valuation method) is only EUR 15.94. This is even much lower than the analysts target price of EUR 75.60 (Figure 2). Therefore, from the valuation method applied, it is unwise to purchase into BMW stock. Figure 2: Estimates from Analyst C:Documents and SettingsHappyGoLuckyDesktopUK0538 Advanced financial statement analysisData Collectiondatathomson forecast report.jpg Source: Thomson Financial Figure 3: Estimates from Analyst C:Documents and SettingsHappyGoLuckyDesktopUK0538 Advanced financial statement analysisData Collectiondatastock valuation.jpg Source: Thomson Financial In Table 15 below, the price multiple of BMW, peers and Audi is shown. It is shown that BMW stock prices is valued at 10 times earnings multiple, as compared to Audi (which is only 5 times earnings multiple). Indeed, from the other two yardsticks, namely price to book value and price to cash flow ratios, BMW stock is valued more expensively. Then considering that the financial position and performance of BMW is significantly lower than the peers, and particularly, to Audi, the high price multiples of BMW would justify a sell comment on the stock. Table 15: Market Value Related Ratios for BMW, Audi and Peers Company BMW AG Peer Mean Audi AG Last Fiscal Yr End Date 12/31/2011 12/31/2011 Current P/E Ratio 10.17 5.15 Price/Book Ratio 1.84 1.33 1.81 Price/Cash Flow Ratio -11.10 1.94 3.34 Source: Thomson One Banker Then, from the qualitative perspective however, looking forward, competition between automotive manufacturers in China could be intensifying and this could affect how BMW compete with other car manufacturers (Rauwald, 2012). However, some analysts had also been optimistic as they anticipate growth in markets such as China and Russia which would contribute to higher BMW sales in these emerging regions (Rauwald Schmidt, 2012a). Then, as discussed in Reed Schafer (2010), the rise of sales in China is primarily due to the branding and the quality of the cars sold by BMW. Therefore, the growth story of BMW in emerging regions would be in doubts, as the competitors, such as Audi has also strong performance in these emerging regions. Therefore, from a more conservatively perspective, it is reasonable to conclude that even it is expected that BMW could profit from the emerging countries, which would also not justify the high valuation of the stock. Hence, it is not rational to purchase i nto the stock of the company at the current price. In contrast, investors seeking exposure to automotive industry would be better to purchase the stock of Audi, as the firm is financially conservatively and operational effectively managed, and yet, having a low price multiple. References Avery, G. C., Bergsteiner, H. (2011). How BMW successfully practices sustainable leadership principles. Strategy Leadership, 39(6), 11-18. Kable, G. (2010). Bolts from BMW. Autoweek, 60, 12-12. Muller, J. (2010). BMWs push for made-to-order cars. Forbes, 1. Penman, S. H. (2010). Financial Statement Analysis and Security Valuation, 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York. Peterson, T. (2008). BMW 135i: High performance, low price. Business Week (Online). Rauwald, C. (2009a). Corporate news: BMW posts loss as unit sales fall 21%. Wall Street Journal. Rauwald, C. (2009b). Corporate news: BMW swings to $1.24 billion loss as luxury-car sales plunge. Wall Street Journal. Rauwald, C. (2010). Luxury demand drives BMW results. Wall Street Journal (Online). 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