Article of Confederation Essay

The first constitution was written in the United States was called the â€Å"Articles of Confederation. † It established a loose league of friendship between thirteen sovereign states and proposed that each state have its sovereignty, freedom, and independence. The Articles of Confederation approve in 1781, which led to a period of crisis between the years 1781 and 1789. This period refer as the Critical Period. The Articles of Confederation was the precursor of the United States Constitution because of the many reasons it had weaknesses and replaced by the United States Constitution. The Constitution of the United States comprises the nation’s fundamental law, providing the framework for its governance and the principles under which it must operate. When the constitution was written, it was intended to endure for ages, be flexible, and adaptable for future generations. The constitution was intended to be the supreme law of the land. â€Å"To win the required approval from all 13 states, drafters changed the plan and granted the Confederation control of western lands. After four years, the Articles finally won ratification in 1781. † (Created Equal, pg. 77) The Articles of Confederation, which were ratified in 1781, became the first constitution. The Articles of Confederation dealt with three problems: taxation, representation, and the extent of control over western territories. First, the Articles of Confederation weakness was that the central government did not have the power to collect taxes. As the Articles of Confederation illustrate, â€Å"According to the Articles, Congress could not collect taxes or regulate trade; it could only requisition funds from the states. Shares would vary depending on each state’s free population. (Created Equal, pg. 177) Under the Articles of Confederation, the state government can only send its contribution annually to the national government but they cannot be compelled to pay taxes. Due to this huge weakness, many problems arose in the U. S, which were signs of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. The trade agreements Congress had made with other nations were not always carried out. Many people soon started importing goods from other countries that they refused to pay for. Consequently, people in other nations soon became reluctant to trade with the U.  S; even Great Britain closed its commerce to it, which resulted in the loss of a lot of money because of lack of trade. There was also competition among the states, as they started levying taxes on goods passing through them to other states. Taxes are the lifeblood of the nation. Without it, no government machinery will function. Thus, the national government could not perform its functions because it did not have the funds. Second weakness was the enactment of laws. Under the Articles of Confederation, the enactment of laws needed the approval of 9 out of 13 states. The voting obligation is quite high. As a result, five states could easily prevent the enactment of laws, which seriously jeopardized the enactment of laws that needed to be passed. The Articles of Confederation note, â€Å"Moreover, the Confederation had no separate executive branch; executive functions fell to various committees of the Confederation Congress. † (Created Equal, pg. 177) There was no executive branch to institute the policies for the entire nation. As a result, the state governments did not have a cohesive policy that every state government should follow. Consequently, the state governments individually created their own policies. Since there was no national judiciary, the state courts were tasked to interpret laws. As George Mason indicates, â€Å"The Judiciary of the United States is so constructed & extended, as to absorb and destroy the Judiciarys of the several States; thereby rendering Law as tedious intricate and expensive, & Justice as unattainable, by a great Part of the Community, as in England, and enabling the Rich to oppress & ruin the Poor. † (Mason, Paragraph 2, pg. 10) It had become clear that it was necessary to abandon the Articles of Confederation in favor of a constitution that provided for a stronger national government, created a national judiciary and strong Congress. Finally, the United States had different issues that they had to deal with. These were foreign affairs, economic conditions, and Western land. The Articles clarify, â€Å"In addition, to the dismay of land speculators, the Congress would not control the western domains that several large states had claimed. † (Created Equal, pg. 77) The government was weak due to poor economic conditions and the people still feared the power of the central government. These weaknesses posed a threat to the effectiveness of the government. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was a unicameral legislature. There was one house and there were no executive or judiciary branches. Each state had the same number of representatives and their own currency. The states taxed each other and affecting the value of money to decrease and posed a threat to the economic stability of the United States, which was already weak and in need of reformation. The Articles of Confederation was the precursor of the United States Constitution because of the many reasons it had weaknesses and replaced by the United States Constitution. It brought the colonies together as a loose confederation with the state’s rights being more important than the power of the federal government. Even though the government under the Articles of Confederation was very weak, it was still more democratic because it gave more rights and power to the states. The Articles unified the states under a loose confederation, which lacked a strong, central government. Although the Articles of Confederation had several successes, it created far more weaknesses and failures. The failures of the Articles had to be addressed, so a new constitution was created and drafted at the Constitutional Convention, which determined the many failures of the Articles, and created a strong central government. A controversial issue has been debated over whether the government under the Articles of Confederation or the Constitution was more democratic. The Articles of Confederation created a more democratic government because it gave power to the individual states and to the people.

Comparison Between the Cost of Living in Ecuador and the United States

The Cost of Living between Ecuador and the United States The cost of living between Ecuador and the United States shows several differences, but this essay is going to focus on two of the most common ones. The first one is the rental price of an apartment and the second one is the cost of clothing and shoes. First, the rental price of an apartment of three bedrooms in Ecuador is around 500 dollars; on the other hand, this cost is much higher in the United States; actually, an American family has to pay about 1500 dollars for renting an apartment with these characteristics.In short, renting an apartment in Ecuador is three times less expensive than renting it in the United States. Second, the price of the clothing and the shoes is extremely expensive in Ecuador, for example: if a person wants to buy one pair of Nike shoes, that person has to pay about 300 dollars, whereas in the United States if someone buys the same pair of shoes, he/she pays around 150 dollars.Moreover, an American woman can get a Calvin Klein coat paying 250 dollars, while in Ecuador a woman has to pay almost 1000 dollars for getting the same piece of clothing. In brief, both the price of clothing and the cost of shoes are more accessible in the United States than in Ecuador. In conclusion, both Ecuador and the United States display certain differences in the cost of living but the most popular are the ones related to the rental price of an apartment and the cost of the clothes and shoes.

Challenges Of Implementing Renewable Energy Essay

Challenges Of Implementing Renewable Energy - Essay Example The UK government wants to develop this energy source as a viable and active contributor to the economy. However, developing and using these free energy sources is not very easy and a number of challenges and barriers need to be overcome. These challenges include technical, social and financial challenges (Scottish Power, 2004). This paper will examine renewable energy sources in this context and suggest solutions to overcome the challenges. The UK government has undertaken a few projects to meet its obligations of reducing greenhouse gases. As per the Kyoto protocols, a signatory to the protocols and this includes the UK, have agreed to cut down their emissions to pre-1990 levels. The UK faces a huge problem of reducing the carbon levels and emissions since it mostly relies on coal-fired power plants and nuclear plants for power generation. For 2006, the total amount of Green House Gases - GHG emitted in the UK was the equivalent of 7,076 million metric tons of CO2. It is estimated that from these emissions about 2344 Teragrams were due to CO2 emissions from the activities of standard and old electricity power grids (SmartGrid GB, 2012). Other than nuclear power, all other systems and plants generate excessive carbon. Domestic and household consumption in the UK makes up for 60% of the power used while other users such as industries, utilities, offices, and infrastructure consume the rest. Automobiles account for more t han 75% of fossil fuel consumption (Williams, 2010). To promote the use of green and clean energy systems, the UK government has initiated a project that funds and supports solar energy by residential homes (Bullis, 2012). The proposal is called ‘Feed-In Tariff – FIT’. This project involves encouraging households to install small solar panels with solar PV that can generate electricity. The Department of Clean Energy of The UK government has undertaken a few projects to meet its obligations of reducing greenhouse gases. As per the Kyoto protocols, a signatory to the protocols and this includes the UK, have agreed to cut down their emissions to pre-1990 levels.

Discussion Board Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Discussion Board - Assignment Example On the other hand, the global money related strategy has nonetheless, launched regulations on genuine cash supply henceforth the standard in exchange relies on upon the true premium rate, ostensible cash supply and value level. There are different approaches cases from the USA, including; The U.s. Economy, 1995–2000, the U.s. Economy, 2007–2008, Effects of the Euro in the Macroeconomic Environment, Euro Macro Environment Effects on Managerial Decisions, Southeast Asia: An Attempt to Maintain Fixed Exchange Rate, and Macro and Managerial Impact of the Chinese Yuan Since 2003. Having took a gander at the outside trade around the globe, I agree that the relationship between a nations fare and import using, may be certain if there is an exchange surplus (fares surpass imports) or negative if there is an exchange shortage (imports surpass sends out). This on the other hand, compels the legislature to execute strict measures the extent that cash trade and its rates is screened to realize consistence in cash dissemination and kill any kind of expansion that stabilizes nations economy in question (Gali, 2008). In the interim, I have experienced different articles with respect to the level of utilization and using of people and understood that the legislature is right and legitimate to present financial strategies which are executed through procurement of arrangements and regulations to supervise utilization rate to both on firms and

Essay assignment #1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment #1 - Essay Example His answer to the given question sounds unambiguously and strictly, that is â€Å"Absolutely not!† (Phillips, 2010). William D. Phillips suggests a widespread opinion that with an evolution of technical and scientific progress there are a lot of people who do not find a phenomenon of supernatural God and His world creation as a relevant explanation of the universe ordering (2010). Such ideas made God obsolete and defend the concept of logical explanation to each thing occurred in the world. On the other hand, religious people stay a strict idea that science is mistaken. To such an extend religion and science are considered to be â€Å"irreconcilable enemies† (Phillips, 2010). William D. Phillips claims that such concept is totally wrong and ridiculous. This scientist tries to persuade us that it is possible to keep in your soul and mind the idea of God and the relevance of science (Phillips, 2010). He considers himself as an example of such person. He claims that he is a physicist and he connects all his life with scientific researches and investigations (Phillips, 2010). He deals with nature and makes tries to know how the nature works (Phillips, 2010). Moreover, he delivers his knowledge to other people and trains them in science. Still, he convincingly declares that he attends church, prays and believes in faith (Phillips, 2010). He is sure in the existence of God and works with the science. According to such ideas William D. Phillips delivers two questions that he considers to be pertinent. He explains how he can believe in God and why he believes in God (Phillips, 2010). These two points seem to be relevant for William D. Phillips and his attitude to religion. The answer of the first question is easy and clear. Phillips stays the idea that believe in God does not require scientific matter and logical confirmation (Phillips, 2010). He thinks that it is necessary just to believe with

The Debate between the Principal-Agent Model and Organisational Essay

The Debate between the Principal-Agent Model and Organisational Culture Theory - Essay Example As the paper outlines  the principal-agent (PA) theory describes linkages entrenched in intricate delegation chains that influence the capacity of the international organisation leader to strive toward their own goals. Theorists mostly view the member states as the ‘principals’ and the international organisation as the ‘agent’. The PA theory can also go deeper the delegation chain to look at the principal-agent ties within international organisations that are specifically helpful in terms of identifying the degree to which IO leaders may understand their tendencies.This study highlights that  organisational culture theorists have persuasively demonstrated that IOs are actors, with ability to expand and behave in line with autonomous goals and principles that cannot be diminished to the goals and principles of their member states. As stated by this model, the capability of IOs towards independent behaviour originates from their specialist, moral, assigned , legal, and rational power, which gives them capacity to wield power. Common arguments of the organisational culture theory recognise the outer limits enforced by states. Nevertheless, in almost all of the empirical studies the possible conflict between the autonomous objectives of the IOs and outside pressures is avoided by selecting case studies wherein IOs behave autonomously but in accordance to the interests of the states, or case studies wherein IOs behave where states are unsympathetic.

Teenage Pregnancy in Columbus, Georgia Research Paper - 1

Teenage Pregnancy in Columbus, Georgia - Research Paper Example Of particular focus in this paper will be the current state of the problem, and interaction with the community entities that influence and respond to the issue of teenage pregnancies in Columbus, Georgia Alabama. It’s situated on the central western edge of the United States of America state of Georgia. It also forms part of the It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama. The total population of the county was estimated to be around 189,885 during the year 2010 population enumeration census. Owing to the high prevalence of teen pregnancies in Columbus, the centers for Disease control formulated efforts that were science based to prevent teen pregnancy through three ambitious programs; sex education focusing on abstinence and contraceptive use, programs that ensure the youth are actively involved in constructive activities in the community and school and also a multifaceted program that focused on studies, healthcare, sports and future careers they might take up. Based on these three tenets, it was assumed that the rates and prevalence of teen pregnancies and HIV infections would be reduced. However this has not succeeded hundred percent as teen pregnancies have been reported to date. Teenage pregnancies are often occasioned by pre-marital sexual interactions among youth of nineteen years and below. Most of the youths in this age bracket are usually experimenting oblivious of the dangers that accrue to their unhealthy practice. It is against this backdrop information that this paper intends to explore the current state and levels of teenage pregnancies in Columbus, Georgia Alabama. Columbus, Georgia, the only city within Muscogee County, is located on the central western border of Georgia and is separated from Alabama by the Chattahoochee River. It covers a land area of around 216.3 square miles with a population of around 186,984 people as at 2010. Out of these area around 572.4 square

The Origins of Slavery on English Mainland North America Essay

The Origins of Slavery on English Mainland North America - Essay Example However, this also suggests that slavery was an important institution within the colonies long before the need for outside support was necessary. â€Å"Unquestionably it was a demand for labor which dragged the Negro to American shores, but the status which he acquired here cannot be explained by reference to that economic motive. Long before black labor was as economically important as unfree white labor, the Negro had been consigned to a special discriminatory status which mirrored the social discrimination Englishmen practiced against him† (Degler, 1959: 62). Investigating the reasons why slavery became such an ingrained element within the North American continental society reveals a deep discrimination combined with a complicated philosophy toward already established social institution led to the development of slavery as it was practiced, regardless of when it appeared in colonial statues. With the introduction of people of darker skin, white man developed a quick and deep discrimination against these people who lived primitive lives and knew nothing of the higher orders of thinking involved in science and technology. While the English who settled the North American shores did not have a tradition of slavery within their culture, they were aware of the idea of slavery that was practiced in Spain and Portugal. â€Å"As early as 1623, a voyager’s book published in London indicated that Englishmen knew of the Negro as a slave in the South American colonies of Spain. The book told of the trade in ‘blacke people’ who were ‘sold unto the Spaniard for him to carry into the West Indies, to remaine as slaves, either in their Mines or in any other servile uses, they in those countries put them to’† (Degler, 1959: 53). This knowledge regarding the construction of slavery suggested lifetime servitude of the dark peoples rather than

TERRORIST TRAINING Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

TERRORIST TRAINING - Research Paper Example Over the years, numerous worldwide campaigns have been launched with the aim of fighting terrorism. Terrorist training has been continuously propagated by extremists such as Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. They are said to be the leadership and minds behind Taliban and Al Qaeda. These terror groups expanded their terror activities by establishing terror training camps in Afghanistan and other regions of the world. Terror training can be blamed for the deadly terror attacks that have been carried out in Europe, USA and other regions of the world. One of the most common of these terror attacks include the 9/11 attacks in the USA. The main aim of this paper is to help readers to understand the way in which terrorist training and recruitment has shifted, changed and evolved over the past decade. Terrorist Training Although there are many issues that define the way in which the world seeks to counteract or avert terrorism, one of the primal means by which governments can seek to di srupt terrorism is by seeking to interfere or stymie the means by which terrorist groups train and/or recruit new members. Ultimately, nations such as the United States have made it a primary goal of its intelligence and/or military to seek to disrupt or destroy terrorist training facilities and capabilities at each and every juncture. In such a way, many analysts have noted that this process in and of itself is more effective in helping to stem the tide of terrorism than targeted assassinations of high ranking terrorists. Nonetheless, when performed in tandem with other actions, seeking to disrupt and destroy terrorist training capabilities comes to be seen as an effective tool in the arsenal of counter terrorism agencies and governments the world over. As a result of the relatively high level of success that the United States and other nations have experienced with regards to depriving these entities of their training capabilities, groups such as Al Qaeda and others have been forc ed to integrate with new dynamics. As such, these new dynamics in terrorist training will be the primal thrust and unit of analysis within this brief research paper. In seeking to understand the way in which terrorist training and recruitment has shifted over the past decade, the reader can come to a more appreciable level of understanding with regards to how these entities continue to be represented within the world. Looking back but a few short years, the reader can note that a far different system existed as compared to what is evidenced now. Taking Al Qaeda as the case in question, it can be noted that there existed defined and extant philosophy of integration with regards to the way in which training facilities existed in and around the globe. What is meant by this is that Al Qaeda operated a litany of different physical training facilities in far flung reaches of the globe to include Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan, the Philippines and others. Up until the attacks of September 11t h, 2001, these training bases served as the backbone by which newly recruited warriors would learn the basics of how to engage in Al Qaeda’s definition of jihad. It should be understood at this particular juncture that although Al Qaeda represents one of the most salient threats and perhaps one of the best known terrorist entities within the world today, it should not be understood that this group alone

Heaters Essay Example for Free

Heaters Essay As the name implies, heaters are those thermostatically controlled devices that are employed for heating matter i.e. solid, liquid and gas. In the past, humans could not think of the ease to cook, wash, manufacture, melt, wash, which is present these days. The availability of clean water is possible due to the arrival of heaters. The modernization in industrial sector became possible due to the complex heating units functioning day and night. From domestic usage of washing, bathing, cooking, drinking, space-heating, to offices, from commercial utilization to car-heating, and of course, the processing and manufacturing in industrial setting, the heating has brought convenience never imagined. Also with the inception of HVAC technology (Heating Ventilating and Air-Conditioning), heaters have been extensively used. The use of liquid and gaseous fuels has increased the demand of heating elements so much so that advancement in the field of heaters has been categorized into low, medium and high temperature processes. Therefore, numerous types of heaters have been invented to satisfy the ever growing needs of space-heating, liquid heating, or industrial heating. Depending upon the nature of the fuel or energy being employed, the heaters are mainly classified as: Natural Gas Heaters: Also known as LPG Heaters are highly desirable for space-heating of larger volumes. These efficient heaters have the operating principle of Bunsen burner.   Electric Heaters: These heaters utilize a resistor for conversion of electrical energy into heat by Joule’s principle. The 100% efficient heaters are perfectly safe for live beings, since they do not affect the quality of air. These popular heaters are available in either Convection form or Radiator one. Oil filled/Diesel heaters: Expensive running heaters are still used because of the high thermal capacity. Hence for boiling systems and for other numerous industrial purposes, Oil filled heaters have proven to be the ideal choice (Lamb, Eddie, 2010). Solar heaters: Solar thermal collectors and photo voltaic cells combine to form solar heaters. These heaters store sunlight and then produce electricity from it for heating purposes. Infra red heaters:   The transference of energy takes place when electromagnetic waves are emitted from a hotter body to a less hot one. The amount of heat transference is a function of temperature of hotter body. The history of the electric heater dates back to around the late 1800s, during which Thomas Edison created the light bulb. In fact, Thomas Edison is credited with inventing the first electric heater in around 1882-1883. He discovered that passing current through a large resistance would evolve heat, as the material would get hotter. The heater was part of his three-way distribution system to provide light, heat and power to homes (Beals, Gerard, 1996). The gas heater was invented round about Edison invented the electric heater. An year after the invention of the Bunsen burner, the company Petit and Smith first commercialized the gas heater in 1856. However, this heater was crude and very inefficient, as air was directly heated and the volume of air heated was very small which meant that only the immediate surroundings were heated. The first real, efficient gas heater was invented in 1881 by Sigismund Leoni, a British engineer. Instead of heating air, he heated asbestos, which could be heated to a higher temperature and then heat the surroundings. The electric heater relies on the basic principle of electricity that passing a current through a large resistance increases the temperature of the conductor, which thereby heats the surroundings. This is known as the â€Å"Joules Principle†. Electric heaters work on the same principle, using a large coil of wire to heat the surrounding air, and a fan in the heater propels the hot air out into the surroundings. Gas heaters on the other hand, use the heat from the burning of natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas to heat a mass of solid, usually fire clay or other refractory material to heat the surrounding air, and then fanned out. Indoors however, the direct method of heating the air via the heat produced from burning the gas is used. Convection currents are then set up which help to transfer the heat to the surroundings. The development of the heater can be seen as significant progress in the history of mankind. The invention of the heater means that people can now live in a cold environment without causing much discomfort or harm. Industries are now able to provide the specific temperatures needed for industrial processes which can increase the efficiency of the process, minimize the costs incurred, and decrease the power consumption, thereby saving energy. As heaters become more and more popular, individuals and companies are constantly finding new ways to provide better, economical, and eco-friendly ways to provide heating. This means that new technologies are being invented, which helps better the society and living conditions of man. Heaters are one of the inventions which have a myriad of uses. Heaters allow humans to live in cold conditions where it was dangerous to live in i.e. researchers in Antarctica can live there the whole year round due to heaters. They allow for industrial processes which require a high temperature, which would not have been possible previously as advances in technology increase, it maybe possible for heaters to become smaller, more compact, and so more efficient in the near future.

Authority As Reflected In Antigone English Literature Essay

Authority As Reflected In Antigone English Literature Essay In comparing the classical plays Antigone and The Inspector General I propose to examine the concept of authority meaning sovereign, arbiter in relation to a, or in conflict with a character representing law of natural justice personifying moral authority in the two different periods and societies of human civilization, the ancient City of Thebes and a typical provincial Russian town. The two plays are more than two millennia apart; one is a tragedy while the other is comical. Both the plays, in their unique ways reflect the ruling authority and the moral order of their times. Antigone true to her name as the one who goes against defies the authority of a despotic ruler Creon. She acts based on her conviction that the laws of right and wrong are to be obeyed above the authority of a sovereign. If in defiance of the law we cross a monarchs will? Weak women, think of that, not framed by nature to contend with men. Remember this is too that the stronger rules; we must obey ordersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. says Ismene, the response of Antigone is, I shall abide forever the eternal laws of Heaven. Ismene and Antigone represent diametrically opposed characters, one of passive submission and the other of courage. Creon is obsessive in his concern for order and defense of the City of Thebes, convinced that absolute and unchallenged power alone can protect his kingdom and its laws. In his world nothing and nobody is above the State. The issue of natural justice and moral principles do not exist in his rulebook. In the pursuit of his power to enforce the laws of the kingdo m he is merciless and dictatorial. The obsessive concern for the laws of Thebes to be observed by everyone for its survival makes him highly insecure; he is frightened by any kind of challenge to his authority real or imaginary. My guards have been bribed, men in the city have been muttering against me. Sophocles dexterously uses the chorus in the play Antigone partly as a narrator. On the other hand in Gogols play the broad landscape of the nineteenth century Russia, radically different from a small city state of Thebes, is described through the life of an anonymous provincial town. If, for Creon bribes were the worst evil, in The Inspector General bribery is a way of life, Dont graft higher than your rank sounds like a statement of virtue. The Russian Tsar presiding over the largest landlocked kingdom on Earth wielded unchallenged and absolute power. His dictatorial writ in the vast land of Russia is implemented through an elaborate bureaucratic structure where a towns governor is the despotic authority, ruling his fief in collaboration with other equally corrupt functionaries like a judge, police, hospital head and even charitable organizations in the town are in sync with the corrupt system. If Creon speaks with contempt for a woman, Speak, girl, with head bent low and downcast eyes, does thou plead guilty or deny the deed? Gogols governor is a vulgar and funny caricature, though tragic for the society. In those two weeks I have flogged the wife of a non commissioned officer, the prisoners were not given their rations, the streets are dirty as a pothouse a scandal, a disgrace! exclaims the governor in a rare moment of silent introspection. While Creon is scared of any challenge to his authority, more so if it comes from a woman, the governor of Gogol is a woman beater, disdainful of women in general, To say women and enoughs said. Everything is froth and bubble to you. The worst you would get would be a flogging; but it means ruination to the husband. Creons sentry displays wisdom greater than his master. He says that a wrong judgment by a person in power is disastrous for the society. Such a sentrys equivalents for the Russian Governor are Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky. They are totally servile and spineless creatures, even more stupid than the Governor himself. Their greatest ambition is to be mentioned to the Tsar, I beg your highness or your Excellency most worshipfully, when you get back to St. Petersburg, please tell all the high personages there, if you should happen to speak to the Tsar, then tell him too, Piotr Ivanovich Bobchinsky lives in this town. Creon is convinced that punishment for disobeying his authority should be severe and exemplary There is nothing worse than disobedience to authority. In Gogols world of the authority each official, be it the governor or the postmaster lives in eternal fear of the central authority in the Capital of Russia. At the same time the powers delegated under the Tsarist absolute rule are manipulated and misused by them for their own individual benefits. Their apathy is tragically comic. The caricature and tragedy of this absolute power is reflected in the personages of the governor and his team on the one hand and Khlestakov on the other. Khlestakov boastfully holds forth to his frightened audience of the all powerful town authority, Even the Imperial Council is afraid of me. I dont spare anybody. I am everywhere, everywhere. The great authority trembles at his empty words. The eternal conflict between the right and wrong is reflected broadly in every great classic of the World be it, Antigone with its highly dramatic conflict between the rules of the State on the one hand and the center of moral authority on the other as reflected in the powerful character of a vulnerable young woman who throws a challenge to the kings orders Whoeer transgresses shall be stoned to death. However, Antigones conviction is mightier than Creons authority The immutable unwritten laws of Heaven. They were not born today nor yesterday; they die not; and none knoweth whence they sprang. I was not like, who feared no mortals frown to disobey these laws and so provoke the wrath of Heaven. I knew that I must dieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The impotent anger of the sovereign Creon the greatest authority in the kingdom is expressed in his reaction to Antigones revolt Now if she thus can flout authority, unpunished, I am woman, she the man. Gogol was a supporter of the Tsarist order. It is the monarch who generates love towards himself and he alone can reconcile all classes and turn the nation into a harmonious orchestra. Thus, the Tsar is Gods earthly image and representative. wrote Gogol. How he described the life of Russia under the Tsarist order, in effect is in contradiction with his belief in the Tsars authority. His Governor is far from being Gods image on the Earth who rules with total contempt, not only for women, but for all citizens. He is corrupt to the marrow of his bones and his fear results in stupidity. The conditions in the court, school and hospital underline moral bankruptcy of the Tsarist authority. The insecurity of the powers that be leads them to become subservient to a young twenty three year old crook, Khlestakov. This is in deep contrast with the conflict depicted by Sophocles. The two plays not only belong to different ages and civilizations, one is a tragedy in form, while the other is a del ightful satire. No civil society can do without an active rule of law and authority, at the same time, a dictatorial rule destroys the foundation of a civil society. The ruler of Thebes lives in fear of his authority being sabotaged. Whereas in the vast Russian empire, the Governor of the town, exercising dictatorial powers lives in morbid fear of being exposed in his corrupt ways and losing his authority. In Gogols The Inspector General there is no Antigone to challenge the authority of the state and assert moral authority. Gogol uses satire and achieves the same result in depicting bankruptcy of immoral State power as Sophocles did though depicting a tragic conflict. Word Count Æ’Â   1,308 Words

Sanford and Son and The Chapelle Show :: comedy

Sanford and Son and The Chapelle Show   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was hilarious whenever Fred Sanford of the hit series Sanford and Son used to fake his heart attack saying that famous phrase, â€Å"I’m coming Elizabeth† or what about him telling Aunt Ester how ugly she was. No one took that type of comedy to the heart and it was intended to hurt no one. It was all for a laugh. Now in today’s time there are new shows on television such as The Chapelle Show, which is hosted and directed by the comedian Dave Chapelle. The object of this show seems to be how much fun he can make of a different race. Times have changed and so have peoples’ since of humor. People went from the laid-back type sitcoms such as Sanford and Son, The Three Stooges, and The Little Rascals, which are all types of shows that people can watch with their entire family, to shows even adults feel turned away from. Some examples include The Chapelle Show and In Living Color.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fred Sanford never meant any harm by acting as if he did not understand Officer Hoppy’s (the white cop) way of explaining things. Officer Smitty (the black cop) would always have to translate it so that Fred was able to understand what was going on. In the episode â€Å"We’ve Been Robbed†, Fred is cleaning up the place and accidentally knocks over Lamonts’ (his partner in business and thirty-four year old son) porcelain and glass collection. Fred acts as if they had been robbed whenever his son gets home and he informs Lamont that the two robbers were white. (Ruben) This was probably overlooked by most of the viewers not thinking twice about it. People thought laughter was good and Fred Sanford made them laugh without using all of the cuss words he knew to do it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These days, people think that cursing and making fun of people of other races is funny and that is just what The Chapelle Show does. The show comes on every Wednesday night at nine-thirty central time on comedy central with other discriminating shows such as South Park. South Park is a good example of racial discrimination because the only black character on there is a cook for a school. Boy that is one hell of a job. Chapelle tops them all though with skits such as The Racial Draft. In this skit he makes fun of every race there is.

The Industrial Revolution Essay -- Essays Papers

The Industrial Revolution Going to work for a full day isn’t much fun after working fifteen hours the day before! 60-70 hour work days are never pleasant in anybody’s mind. How is it that so many people did this during the Industrial Revolution? Was it because they wanted the extra money? Or was it because they wanted the high political or economic status? For some people these were the reasons, but for most it was because of one concern. Survival! The Industrial Revolution greatly changed the workplace and the proletarians. The Factory system was changed forever by the name of one man, Richard Arkwright. Even though Arkwright was not a great inventor, he used other peoples ideas to advocate his own ambitions to the next level. â€Å"He was the first who knew how to make something out of other men’s inventions, and who built them up into an industrial system.† (Mantoux 221) Arkwright personally dealt with John Kay’s flying shuttle. However, the invention he patented was not John Kay’s but a more sufficient and effective invention. He worked with the Spinning Jenny, which was invented by James Hargreaves. (Clare 10-13) Arkwrights use of the Spinning Jenny, became the basis on how to use inventions for producing max outputs (Mantoux 224). The Industrial Revolution was supported by the new and efficient inventions. Inventions were created by many and shaped the nations future. One of the most important inventions was the Steam Engine. The Steam Engine was initially created by Thomas Newcomen, but his invention was very clumsy and didn’t have a practical purpose (mantoux 225). However, James Watt managed to create a more efficient device, by creating rotary motion from inserting a crank and a flywheel (Claire 12-15). James Watt... ...he workplace gave rise to a new day and age. Without these necessary hardships then some might say we would be stuck in a world that wouldn’t know how to produce. In any regards the reason for the Industrial Revolution beginning and ending were because of one thing the will of the people wanted it. Works Cited Claire, John Industrial Revolution. China: Random House UK Limited, 1993 Eisenberg, Christiane. â€Å"Artisans† Socialization at Work: Workshop Life in Early Nineteenth-Century England and Germany.† Journal of Social History 1 May 1991: 45-57. King, Steven., and Geoffrey Timmins. Making Sense of the Industrial Revolution. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2001. Mantoux Paul. The Industrial Revolution in the Eighteenth Century New York: Harper Row Publisher, 1961.

Oedipus, the Cursed Man Essay -- Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Oedipus, the Cursed Man      Ã‚  Ã‚   Have you ever had one of those days when it seems that everything is against you, that life could not look any bleaker than it does right now? We have all had moments like those, but nothing can compare to the feeling Oedipus had on that dreadful day when he found out that he was cursed by the gods, destined to kill his father and marry his mother. This tragic story of the cursed man is told in Sophocles' play, Oedipus the King. This essay will examine one of Oedipus' speeches, found in lines 1183 - 1194, made before he learns of his appalling fate. It is a passage full of dramatic irony. We, the audience, know the truth. Even Jocasta has just come to realize the facts, but Oedipus is still unaware of the impending doom.    Let it burst! Whatever will, whatever must! I must know my birth, no matter how common it may be-I must see my origins face-to-face. She perhaps, she with her woman's pride may well be mortified by my birth, but I, I count myself the son of Chance, the great goddess, giver of all good things- I'll never see myself disgraced. She is my mother! And the moons have marked me out, my blood brothers, one moon on the wane, the next moon great with power. That is my blood, my nature-I will never betray it, never fail to search and learn my birth! (Oedipus lines 1183-1194)    The passage begins with Oedipus crying, "Let it burst! Whatever will, whatever must! / I must know my birth, no matter how common / it may be-I must see my origins face-to-face" (lines 1183 - 1185). He is eager to know his past, no matter how ugly it may be. He believes the truth can be no worse than learning that he comes from a humbl... ...ldren and siblings. Again, the audience knows the truth and wishes the opposite of what Oedipus persevered to discover. The reader wishes that he would indeed give up the search to find his true origins. It will only result in ending his life in horrific misery.    This short yet heartfelt speech made by Oedipus before he learns of his fate is packed with dramatic irony. He is blinded to the truth, but the readers are entirely aware of his dreadful fame. This makes the speech all the more painful and wrenching for the audience. Oh how we must pity a king like Oedipus, the cursed man. May what happened to him never happen to another.    Work Cited Sophocles, Oedipus the King. Trans. Robert Fagles. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. A. Ed. Sarah Lawall and Maynard Mack. New York: Norton, 2002. 617-658.         

Pre Sessional Research Essay Sustainability Environmental Sciences Essay

With the growing of its economic system, population and among other facets, China is confronting a huge job with sustainable development. Particularly in megacity like Beijing, conveyance is the cardinal issue. The big measure of private autos and the increasing figure of people lead to this effect. This essay is intend to demo the schemes to accomplish sustainability in conveyance in Beijing. Sustainable solutions can be made by the authorities or metropolis interior decorator to cut down the human develop impact to environment. The intent of the essay is exemplifying the state of affairs and jobs of conveyance in China and give solutions. In this essay, foremost of all, will present the economic system and population state of affairs of megacities in China and so demo the conveyance status. Then three big jobs will be illustrated in the 2nd portion. After that, it will give the definition of sustainable urbanism and turn to the importance of sustainable urbanism with regard to these issues. Then, is the debut of a type of public sustainable conveyance system. Some possible schemes that can utilize in Beijing to work out these jobs will be illustrated at the terminal.Situation of urban conveyance in megacities in ChinaThe current traffic state of affairs in China is non optimistic. Recent old ages, China has been known as a Potential world power because of its tremendous populations and billowing economic system. For the rapid development of most metropoliss in China, there are many challenges to face. As a consequence, the heavy urban transit system brings a batch of societal issues particularly environmental jobs. There are several facets that taking to a complicated conveyance system. Nowadays, the Chinese population is over 1.3 billion which makes China the most thickly settled state in the universe, accounting for one fifth of the universe ‘s entire population and continues to increase. ( Liu & A ; Bai, 2008 ) . For case, Beijing, one of the megacities besides the capital in China, is the national political, economic, every bit good as civilization centre. Beijing ‘s population history for merely 1.2 per centum of the whole state ‘s, whereas the green goodss about 3.7 per centum of China ‘s national Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) ( National Bureau of Statistics of China 2007 ) . Indeed, the most portion of GDP is contributed by metropolis population. To be more Pierces ‘the disposal income of its urban occupants is 1.7 times the national degree. ‘ ( Oliver et al. 2009 ) . QQa†º?20120815004119.pngFigure 1: Chart of urbanisation advancement in China. ( Transport Unit, Infrastructure Dept. , East Asia & A ; Pacific Region 2005 ) Furthermore, with the rapid growing of economic system and population in China, people ‘s life criterions and incomes continue to lift. Therefore, there is a big ingestion demand of the measure of vehicle in China. Not merely for private autos, but besides for public: The measure of coach reached a reasonably high degree and the rail conveyance has been developed in some megacities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou. The undermentioned figure is about the vehicle possessing from1985 to 2007 in China and foreground the Numberss in Beijing. QQa†º?20120815005916.png Figure 2: Vehicle Population Growth in China and Beijing ( Oliver et al. 2009 ) As shown, China had a monolithic addition in vehicle population in about two decennaries and these are peculiarly fast in Beijing, particularly after the twelvemonth 2000. Until 2009, the officially registered motor vehicles in Beijing were soared from 0.7 to 3.6 million. ( Oliver et al. 2009 ) .The consequence of heavy conveyance on the environmentThe immense sum of vehicle population is the chief cause of traffic jobs. Most of megacities in China have an highly heavy traffic. Thus, many sorts of societal and environmental jobs will happen within this state of affairs. The most outstanding job is air pollution caused by the emanations from vehicles. The major pollutant among all harmful gas is carbon dioxide. As we can see in this pie chart: China ‘s C emanations accounted for about a one-fourth of the universe ‘s. Besides the line graph indicates that during the twelvemonth 1970 to 2010, the figure in China grew dramatically, particularly after 1995. world-carbon-emissions.gif.Figure 3: World C emanation ( China ‘s Energy Efficiency Gains, February 27th, 2009 ) Transportation system is one of the chief countries of nursery gas emanations. From 1994 to 2004, the China ‘s mean one-year growing rate is about 4 % of nursery gas emanations. ( Leggett, 2011 ) Therefore, due to the big figure of transit activities, the great ingestion of fuel would be another challenge. One of import facet of this job is the developing fabrication engineerings used in the Chinese motor vehicle industry and less developed care of autos. A typical illustration of this is the Beijing Jeep 212 expends 13 to 15 litres of oil while travel 100 kilometres and its overall dynamic public presentation is weak. This fuel ingestion rate is between 50 and100 per centum greater than the same type of landrover manufactured in industrialised states. ( He and Cheng, 2000 ) . Furthermore, due to the big measure of motor vehicles in China, traffic jam became a serious issue bit by bit. A study says that people in Beijing ‘s mean commuting clip is the longest among all the metropoliss in China, which takes 1.32 hours. Some of the chief roots in Beijing in haste hours merely like huge parking batch. Other megacities in China besides have similar job. So that, for the awful surface-transportation, more and more people depend on public conveyance like resistance.Sustainable urbanism ‘s function in these jobsAs for these important conveyance issue caused by the rapid development of China, sustainable schemes should be used in urban design. Sustainable urbanism is a research topic which fundamentally focuses on the jobs between worlds and the urban environment they live in. Steffen defined this field as an inter-disciplinary topic. He says ‘Green Urbanism is by definition interdisciplinary ; it requires the coaction of landscape designers, appl ied scientists, urban contrivers, ecologists, conveyance contrivers, physicists, psychologists, sociologists, economic experts and other specializers, in add-on to designers and urban interior decorators. ‘ ( 2011 ) Harmonizing to Herbert Girardet, ‘a sustainable metropolis enables all its citizens to run into their ain demand and to heighten their wellbeing, without degrading the natural universe or the lives of other people, now or in the hereafter ‘ . ( 2004, P.6. ) . Therefore, one benefit of utilizing sustainable urbanism is the decrease of pollution. To accomplish this, most importance, ‘is to maintain something traveling over the long tally. ‘ ( Adhya, Plowright, and Stevens, 2010 ) That is to state that sustainable urbanism is a long term procedure. The manner people get along with the environment, how life continued is the procedure.Example of a sort of sustainable conveyance systemIn fact, utilizing public conveyances to let go of conveyance force per unit areas is a sort of sustainable scheme. Some metropoliss in China have an advanced conveyance system. At U.S. Transportation Research Board ( TRB ) one-year meeting, Guangzhou, Zhongshan Road Bus Rapid Transit ( BRT ) system won the ‘2011 sustainable Transport Award ‘ , issued by the Sustainable Transport Award Commission. This is the first clip that a Chinese metro polis had received this award. A Bus Rapid Transit ( abbreviated BRT ) is a sort of a new public conveyance system between Rapid Rail Transit ( abbreviated RRT ) and Normal Bus Transit ( abbreviated NBT ) . This system is a manner of monolithic transit of people. It has normally been referred to as ‘the resistance system on the land ‘ . It is a alone urban rider conveyance system that used modern coach engineering every bit good as intelligent traffic and operations direction, to do the coach lane roads and building of a new coach station to accomplish the rail conveyance operator services. The undermentioned illustration can demo bus rapid theodolite system can work expeditiously. If a carriageway used by a auto, it will let seven hundred autos base on balls by, that is about 2,000 people. However if the lane is designed for coach rapid theodolite, there will be 100 coach passed by per hr, that can be transported about 15,000 people. In the state of affairs of the mass population in China, coach rapid theodolite system usage of a little portion of route resources expeditiously and besides can guarantee that most of the population in the metropolis is fluxing. Besides, utilizing a BRT system besides can cut down the usage of private vehicles and can protect the air. If the public transit becomes truly convenient and comfy, some of the auto proprietor might abandon the old manner. Furthermore, the ingestion of fuel might cut down and the more of import than this is that it can restrict the emanation of vehicles. Besides, by utilizing this system, will cut down the route screen country and give abode more free infinite. As Elkin and McLaren said ‘the demand for roads chows into the metropolis ‘s public unfastened infinite. ‘ ( 1991, P52. )Particular solutions in BeijingBeijing has a population of 15 million and held a measure over 3 million vehicles. And the figure is billowing at an dismaying rate of 1,500 per twenty-four hours. For such a megacity in China, there are three solutions that can take to a sustainable development of conveyance. First, urban contrivers should pay attending to the route betterment. The rational allotment traffic watercourse and prosaic flow should be based on the existent state of affairs of different subdivisions. For illustration, for two narrow parallel streets utilizing unidirectional shunt method. Besides Beijing has to take advantage of the bing planning methods in other topographic points. Such as the concept high-accessible and high coverage of urban transit web ; constructing high-efficient urban conveyance services system and better coach service degrees and the urban traffic safety. Until now, there merely are merely three BRT line in Beijing. Because the particular bus manner of Beijing ‘s BRT line is less and there are many assorted line subdivisions. So it is non fast plenty and there is no coach in the haste hours and societal vehicle ever occupancy the coach lanes. Consummate the BRT system will do Beijing accomplish more comfy and more efficient public conveyance condit ions. In add-on, the betterment of vehicle is besides indispensable. China has already begun to utilize clean energy coachs, but the measure of these sort of coach is little. Clean energy is like H energy or ethanol energy. We need to increase the usage of such a clean energy scheme in conveyance. Besides it is of import to better vehicle public presentation and cut down the vehicle kilometres travelled ( VKT ) . Furthermore, authorities demands to transport out economic policy and public policy to cover with the traffic jobs. They should enforcing auto purchase revenue enhancement to cut down the volume of car trade, so as to command the figure the vehicles on route. Besides a part of economic subsidies is needed to back up the betterment of the public conveyance environment and the development of new energy vehicles. Finally, bettering emanation criterions is the best manner to command high-emission autos going in the metropolis. The authorities should besides promote people to walk or rhythm to school or work.DecisionIn decision, to plan a conveyance system in a sustainable manner is the tendency of development. The ground that the ingestion of vehicles is billowing is that the quickly developing economic and the increasing figure of populations. However, this consequence leads to a big sum of gas pollution, helter-skelter traffic and waste of non-renewable energy. Due to these jobs, susta inability of a metropolis will be a cardinal portion of urban design. It is no uncertainty that we can non populate in a topographic point without fresh air. Therefore, we need to protect the environment for ourselves and do it sustainable for our kids. Therefore, people live in the urban country should n't merely wait for authorities policy to restrict or explicate. Never get tired of making small good things to the environment. Every bantam attempt of any metropolis occupant will garner together and hold a immense power that can alter the universe.

Financial Planning Essay

|Topic: â€Å"Describe the essential element to be a successful financial planner in Hong Kong and China. Explain the challenges of | |practicing ethical financial planning in Hong Kong and China. † | The financial climate is changing constantly with the changing of numerous influential factors. Financial planning is one of the financial industries which gradually developed from a vague concept to a recognized specialty.However, this industry is still in a young stage so that there are some problematic issues concerned especially in some Asian districts like Hong Kong and China. It can be reflected particularly in the remuneration system and professionalization of financial planners as well as public recognition for this industry. To reach a mature level, the first step is establishing a public confidence. Therefore it is emergent for financial planners to think about how to become successful. As the role of helping clients makes some most important decisions of their lives, f inancial planners are required to satisfy a specific set of essential elements.The first and also the most basic requirement for them is strong professional knowledge. Financial planners should be able to implement a comprehensive process when help clients create financial plans and evaluate financial products packages independently to satisfy clients’ need. Well-rounded professional knowledge in varied fields is crucial at the moment which including not only the financial related areas such as economics, business management, and investment, insurance but also some other non-financial related areas such as psychology and sociology.Having the general base knowledge is the start but not the end in the career so that many financial planners are expected to have an expertise in particular field which can help them directly take an advantage position in satisfying some specific clients’ need. Take the insurance planning as an example; a financial planner who is expertise in the insurance industry as well as having the basic all round knowledge will be most likely to gain the clients’ trust.In addition, the ongoing learning is also essential since the financial environment is changing every day and all the decisions should be made according to the particular background environment. The Mainstay’s survey in 2006 shows that 85 percent of the population wants financial planners who are knowledgeable, skilled, and actually care beyond the transaction. And there are also other researches and evidences indicate that interpersonal skills are more important than technical expertise at most times.In this sense, the ability to have emotional resonance with clients and show one’s sincere and caring attitude would be crucial to attract new clients and establish a long term relationship with existing clients. Also it is applicable in making financial plans and implementing related strategies because clients’ assistances and cooperation p lay a significant role in the process. This implication can be obviously reflected in the second step of a formal personal financial planning process, gathering client data and determining goals.When communicating with clients, an excellent financial planner would be able to extract useful information to understand the client’s motivation as well as manage their expectations. It is no doubt that a good reputation is the most valuable thing for financial planners. In addition to professional knowledge and strong interpersonal skills, ethical behavior is a great concern. Proposed ethical behavior standards are based on principle of integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism and diligence.These principles given by CFP Board aim to encourage public confidence to financial planning industry as well as explicitly identify practitioners’ responsibilities and obligations to different stakeholders. However, practicing these ethical principles in real world may not an easy task. The following part of the essay will examine the challenges of practicing ethical financial planning in Hong Kong and China. With rapid wealth accumulation and increasing investor demand in Hong Kong and China, a higher potential development opportunity for financial planning services had been witnessed.But at the same time, a higher expectation for quality financial planning with insufficient confidence from the pubic becomes a source of challenges for this industry. It appears to be tougher when considering the implementation of ethical financial planning since the nature of the industry is based on trust between clients and planners. These challenges are reflected particularly in the following aspects. Firstly, fee-based financial planning barely exists in Asia due to the low consumer acceptance degree, which most likely to lead to an issue of interest conflicts.A financial planner is commonly compensated by commissions from selling product qu otas given by their companies and the selection of product may not be the best choice for clients. It also matters when considering the risk tolerance for financial planners’ income. Only commission-based compensation may result in unethical behavior practiced by financial planners to survive because of sharp drop in income during the business recession. Secondly, it is challengeable for financial planners to offer high quality services without sufficient confidence and trust from clients.Financial planners must have deep understanding about their client’s financial status, needs and concerns in order to give desirable advices. However, most Chinese consumers are not willing to offer their private information to people whom they are not familiar with, which make it difficult to decide the initial plan and identify the expected outcomes. It is true that an excellent financial planner should have the interpersonal skills of encouraging clients to provide related informat ion as much as possible.The contention about what degree an planner should pursue discovery conversations and how to justify the ethical position when making effort to gain the consumer information is concerned. Finally, the level of knowledge and education of financial services to the public are relatively low in districts for some undeveloped cities in mainland China, which may become a kind of misguided incentive of unethical behavior to financial planning services providers affected by the poor review mechanism and lapses of checks.It can be strongly reflected in the fairness issue such as disclose of information between planners and clients It will take long for this industry to develop mutually, some improvement measures can be practiced now. Efforts could be focused on several aspects including the closely supervise of cooperate governance, adequate training for practitioners’ competence and professionalism, as well as the education for the public.

Which the Design Argument Provides Evidence for the God?

June 2011: Examine the ways in which the design argument provides evidence for the existence God? A famous philosopher Kant commented on the proof of the design argument which shows the existence of God stating â€Å"This proof always deserves to be mentioned with respect. It is the oldest, the clearest and most accordant with the common reason of mankind. This was mentioned in his book the Critique of Pure reason. The argument that I am going to put forward and the proofs I am going to provide is the teleological argument.The word teleological comes from the Greek word telos which means end or purpose and logical which means the study of therefore this is the study of the purpose. The teleological argument is an inductive argument therefore proofs are based on premises which means they are drawn from experience and the conclusion is not logically necessary. Aquinas is a very important philosopher in the design argument. In his famous work â€Å"summa theological† Aquinas had his five ways in which he is most remembered for. In the design argument we are most concerned with the final way which is that God is the divine designer of everything.Here Aquinas suggests that non intelligent material requires an intelligent being behind it to make it beneficial. Aquinas used the example of an arrow and a archer; he stated that for an arrow to reach its destination it must be directed by the archer which is the intelligent being therefore applying this to the universe for us to reach are destination and purpose in the universe there must be a higher intelligent being before us which is directing us. Aquinas stated natural bodies seem to act in a regular way to reach some sort of final purpose; this shows Aquinas using science to back up the views of God in the Bible.Also Aquinas argued for design qua regularity; he saw the overall regularity in the world as proof for a designer God. William Paley another famous philosopher mainly known for his Watch Analogy took Aquinas’s ideas further and formed his own version of the teleological argument. Paley compares the world to a machine and sees it made up of all intricate parts which work together for an end result. He saw all the small adaptations in the nature and for him these were proofs of a designing intelligence.An example of the small intricacies in the nature is the water cycle and how it all works together. The watch serves an analogy which demonstrates purpose and telos. All evidence would show that the watch had been designed for a purpose, design and designed with the necessary regularity to meet its purpose. He said every design requires a designer and that all designs have an end function. Paley claimed that in the same way as the watch and other machine’s the universe was full of small intricacies that could not have come about by chance.Paley used the example of the eye. The way the eye is so complexly designed there is no way it could have all come about by chance moreover science till date is unable to create a replica of the eye. Also Paley was fascinated by the solar system and the rotation of the planets. He saw the evidence of a divine hand at work in the universe. F. R. Tennant a philosopher of the 1930’s elaborated on the teleological arguments with his anthropic principle. This principle basically is saying that the world is revolving around human kind.Tennant believed the best evidence of design could be seen in the way the universe supports intelligent life. An example of this would be how the trees release oxygen which supports us humans to live and without oxygen we wouldn’t be alive. This is an astonishing proof of design and existence of God. Also another example of Tennant’s anthropic principle which shows that the world is designed around us human beings is that the sun is placed in the perfect distance. Tennant developed his anthropic principle to add the aesthetic argument in this Tennant argued against Darwin’s Theory of evolution.He said that the theory of evolution cannot explain why humans have feelings as they are not necessary for survival also natural selection cannot account for the existence for the feelings of appreciation etc. Tennant believed that the capacity for joy was putt in us by our designer which is God. Richard Swinburne accepts the anthropic principle. Swinburne believes that the earth is so finely tuned that there is no other explanation other than a designer God. He believes that science explains how the things in the world are so finely tuned in the world and that the Bible explains why.Swinburne believe that we should understand the existence of scientific laws in terms of a purpose which has been put in place for the. The purpose can be best explained by an omnipotent being. Due to the design argument being an a posteriori argument it strengthens the argument as we can see the complexities with our naked eye. However due to it being inductive meani ng based on experiences people interpret the experiences differently moreover it can negatively be argued that the designer or creator does not have to be God and that the jump to conclusion of god is too big†¦

One Nation under Wal-Mart

There are more than 8,400 Wall-Mart stores worldwide. 140 million shoppers visit the U. S. Stores each week. 82% of American households purchase at least one item from Wall-Mart every year. Wall-Mart controls about 30% of the market in household staples. Sells 15% of all magazines and 15%-20% of all CDC, videos and DVD's. It is expected to control over 35% of U. S. Food sales.When comparing other companies that sell consumer products, Wall-Mart presents a big chunk of their total business: 20% for Dial, 24% for Del Monte, and 23% for Reveal. Wall-Mart is responsible for of all goods imported to the united States from China. Wall-Mart offers the lowest prices in all of their products, because of the cost efficiency it has achieved. Wall- Mart's buying power and cost-saving efficiencies force local rivals out of business, thus costing jobs, disrupting communities, and injuring established business districts. Within 5 years after one Wall-Mart opening, two local supermarkets close.Becau se of Wall-Mart tax breaks, it causes the local tax venue to decrease and not increase. Wall-Mart is staunchly anti-union and pays low wages. Its labor cost are 20% lower than those of unionized supermarkets; its clerks earns only $8. 23 an hour, and most of its 1. 4 million employees must survive without company health insurance. Employee turnover is 44%. Because Of its size, it exerts a downward pressure on retail wages and benefits throughout the country. Because of its hard line on costs, it has forced many factories to move overseas, which sacrifices American jobs and holds wages down.Government welfare programs subsidize Wall-Mart's poverty-level wages. 200 employee store costs the government $ask a year in housing assistance, SSL ask in children's healthcare, and $kick in tax credits and deductions for low-income families. 46% of the children of Wall-Mart's 1. 33 million workers are uninsured or on Medicaid. Wall-Mart hires mores part-time employees and discourages unhealthy people from working at the store by requiring all jobs to include some physical labor in order to reduce spending on health care and other benefits.Wall-Mart does not carry music or computer games with mature ratings, forcing big music companies to supply hem with sanitized versions of the CDC. Wall-Mart offers fire arms in many locations but has declined to sell Proven, a morning after pill. Wall-Mart has declined to sell some magazines and has put binder to obscure the covers of other magazines. Wall-Mart is considered â€Å"the biggest barrier to growth†. Wall-Mart decide to respond to all the criticism by improving employee health insurance coverage and adopting greener business practices.Wall-Mart was one of the first responders to Hurricane Strain by sending truckloads of Water and food reaching the residents before federal supplies did. Wall-Mart sales growth has slipped as the internet has changed people's shopping habits and as other discounters have done a better jo b of attracting affluent consumer and providing higher quality and better service. 2. Ethical Issues Is it ethical and moral for Wall-Mart to make profit maximizing and cost effectiveness their number one goal? Is it moral to only hire part-time employees to decrease their health care spending?Is it moral or ethical to sell firearms but decline to sell the morning after pill? Is it moral for Wall-Mart not to provide fair wages to the employees? Is it moral for Wall-Mart to take advantage of government welfare program for subordination? Should there be a requirement for large companies to employ a certain percentage of full- time employees? Does Wall-Mart have a moral responsibility of helping the communities grow? Is it moral or ethical for Wall-Mart to not provide adequate health care to its employees? Is it moral for Wall-Mart to insist on tax breaks at the expense of the local community tax revenues decreasing?Should we as citizens enable these large companies by accepting jobs t hat pay poorly and offer no health insurance? Is it moral for Wall-Mart not to value the life and well-being of their employees and families? Is it ethical for Wall-Mart to be customer-oriented and not employee-oriented? Is it ethical for corporation like Wall-Mart to be held to higher standards to provide a better living standard to the employees and the community? Should a company of a certain size be required to offer health insurance? Should large companies that get tax breaks be forced to contribute to the community in other ways? . Primary Stakeholders Wall-Mart itself U. S. Economy Consumers across U. S. Employees Shareholders Other companies and its employees Local communities Government Suppliers Other countries 4. Alternative Actions Wall-Mart should either pay their employees higher wages or provide health care regardless of the hours worked. Wall-Mart should maximize profits and at the same time look out for the well-being of the employee. Require a company the size of W all-Mart to give back to the community if it wants to Open a store.Try to establish a bill requiring large companies to maintain the majority of its employees as full-time where benefits can be offered. Cities or Mounties should not offer tax cuts to businesses that could disrupt the community. Wall-Mart needs to establish a more competitive pay and better benefits program for their employees. Wall-Mart should keep doing what they are doing. It has been effective so far in becoming the largest company in the world, why change it? 5. Ethics of the Alternatives Alternative 1 Wall-Mart should keep doing what they are doing.It has been effective so far in becoming the largest company in the world and among the most profitable ones, why change it? Utilitarian Perspective Utilitarian perspective would not support this idea. This idea seeks out to produce the greatest good for the company itself and not everyone person or business affected. Wall-Mart is seeking out the best for the company and one else. In order to be supported it would have to be the greatest good for Wall- Mart and everyone affected by this decision and or actions of the business. Deontological or Rights Perspective Deontological perspective would not support this alternative in any way.This is an alternative that treats people as a means to an end. It does not recognize the value and importance of the employees, and only values the many itself and the profits that can make. This is not a good way of conducting business and would never be accepted as a universal rule. Egoism Egoism perspective would support this alternative. Wall-Mart is basically doing what is best for the company and the shareholders, which is their primary duty. They are the largest company in the world and immensely profitable. Even with all the opposition it faces it is still one of the prefer companies for many consumers to their one stop shop.They offer the best and lower prices and customers are able to find everything they need for their households in just one stop. Wall-Mart is here to make profit and stay in business, this is their goal. Alternative 2 care regardless of the hours worked. Utilitarian perspective could support this alternative. It would have to be seen as being the greatest good for both Wall-Mart and the employees. If Wall- Mart raises the wages or offer the employees' healthcare benefits, this will have benefits for both. The employee will be happy and will feel valued and appreciated by the employer.In turn the employees will have job satisfaction and their job performance will be good. This will help to the growth and success of the company. With happy employees helping potential customers, it can ensure good sales and thus increase their profit. Deontological perspective would support this alternative. This alternative seeks out the benefits of the employees. It takes into consideration their value as a human and show respect. By Wall-Mart implementing such policy in the company they are saying to the employees that we value and want to right by you. Every employee is a valuable asset to the company and key to its success.This alternative treats the employees as ends and not as the means o end. This alternative would not be supported by egoism. With this alternative Wall- Mart seeks to offer the best solution possible to their employees. They can either increase their wages so the employees are able to have a better standard of living or offer healthcare regardless of hours worked. This would ensure the well-being of each employee. 6. Practical Constrains Finding the right piece of property to build the store Government regulations The company's responsibilities to the shareholders and to make profit Ability to offer the lowest pricesAmerican products too expensive to sell in the store Cost of being in business 7. Actions to be taken Wall-Mart should change their current employee benefits program and offer a better and more competitive pay. This would allo w for employees and their families to have a better standard of life It would help by possibly increasing the retail wages among other businesses Wall-Mart should participate in community events and give back to community Wall-Mart should hold meetings in communities where they are looking to build and hear the citizen concerns and find solutions so it is of benefit for both.

Imrerial Russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Imrerial Russia - Essay Example Caucasus was composed of areas such as Bashkirstan, Tartarstan, Central Asia as well as Siberia. A considerable proportion of the population within the Empire belonged to the peasant group which accounted for about 81.6 percent of the total population within the Empire. The other category was composed as follows; Clergy which accounted for 0.9 percent, nobility, accounted for about 1.3 percent, merchants and burghers all of whom accounted for approximately 9.3 percent of the total population within the Empire. The military on the other hand accounted for about 6.1 percent. According to Resnick and Richard (76) it is estimated that more than 88 million individuals were peasants during this time. Of this group, approximately 10,447,149 were males all of whom were formally serfs while the remaining group was the state peasants. Statistics further indicate that this group was about 9,941,891 males and the type of peasants domain accounted for about 842,740 according to the Empire statistics of the year 1858. One of the major changes that the Russian society underwent in the year 1861 was the famous emancipation of the serfs. It is imperative to note that the problem of serfdom was spread throughout the entire Empire. By mid 19th century, it had become apparent for the rulers within this Empire that this problem could not be ignored in the event that Russia wanted to be modernized and reformed as argued by Resnick and Richard (153). In this regard, the issue of the serfs being freed took center stage throughout the entire Empire. Hence, against this backdrop, serfdom was abolished by Tsar Alexander II during this year. Evidence from literature indicates that Czar Alexander actually managed to emancipate about 44 million peasants from the state oppression. Perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that the said Czar knew very well that the only way for Russia to the rest of the world was indeed ready for modernization and was through the abolishment of such a system of oppression. Though the move was noble, it caused several problems within the Empire. This was further aggravated by the fact that majority of the freed peasants were uneducated. One of these problems was that the land provided to this group was actually quite small in comparison to what they had been allocated as plots when they were serfs to the Empire. In a nutshell, each plot averaged about 8 acres which was a far cry of what was being offered to them after their indictment. Other than ensuring that the serfs were emancipated in mainland Russia, Czar Alexander was also concerned with this problem in Georgia. The process of liberating the serf in Georgia called for delicate negotiations to ensure that he did not loose the much earned nobility loyalty and whose leadership power greatly depended on the readily available labor from the serfs . The other challenge which the Czar was faced with was finding a workable solution that would be agreeable to the land-owners within the Empire. However, fr om the evidence provided above, it is justifiable to state that he failed in this issue of land ownership. Although he eventually succeeded in liberating serfs in Georgia as well, his inability to solve the land problem brought more harm than good. Most notably, he brought them under the colonization of their landlords since most of them still had to work for

Budget Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Budget Law - Essay Example The case of South Africa and Sweden are especially noted. According to Lienert(2005) many countries have adopted comprehensive and deep reforms as well new and amended laws to transform the role of the state and the budgeting processes that are involved in the working of the state. The issues that have been highlighted include fiscal transparency and political polarization, performance oriented budgeting and financial accountability. Modifications in the legal framework that have changed the role of the state and the budget processes involved or supporting it could be highlighted yet these modifications seem to have been strongest in countries that rely on laws and decrees to introduce changes The emphasis is on performance oriented budgeting and fiscal transparency and considering that the legal framework does help in shifting emphases to the process of budgeting and methodology, the central role of the legal aspect could be well documented and examined. However there are many obstacles to the proper working of the legal framework and its implementation to enhance budgeting and these could be differences between countries in terms of political systems and administrative arrangements or even legal cultures that could prevent the budgeting process from being efficient and transparent. ... Such cycles are usually thought to be present in weak or new democracies although Alt James et al (2006) prove that such electoral cycles could be present in advanced and more industrialized economies as well. The focus on fiscal transparency along with budgeting transparency would bring about questions on the nature of the economy and the kind of legal framework such economies have. Fiscal Transparency If the legal frameworks are strong enough, fiscal transparency could be expected. Fiscal transparency has become one of the most important aspects of governance and financial reporting A definition of fiscal transparency is given by Kopits and Craig: "Fiscal transparency is defined ... as openness toward the public at large about government structure and functions, fiscal policy intentions, public sector accounts, and projections. It involves ready access to reliable, comprehensive, timely, understandable, and internationally comparable information on government activities ... so that the electorate and financial markets can accurately assess the government's financial position and the true costs and benefits of government activities, including their present and future economic and social implications" (1998, p. 1). The authors use a sample of data from 19 OECD countries in the 1990s, to identify a persistent pattern of electoral cycles both in the low transparency, and largely developing countries, although such cycles could not be observed in high transparency countries. Thus the authors suggest that electoral cycles in fiscal balance could be a feature of many advanced economies but not found in high transparency countries. This highlights the fact that not all advanced and developed economies would have very transparencies although some advanced

Democracy and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Democracy and Development - Essay Example This paper approves that U.S emerged as the winner of the war that was killing so many people and causing global disruptions. While Germany and Russia were causing havoc to other nations, the U.S went against its isolation policy to involve in the war. The incident marked a fundamental political development of the U.S at a time when it needed it most. Second, the decision enhanced the U.S economic development both locally and overseas. It could influence world affairs and partner with many countries for economic development. At times, leaders need to exercise non-democratic decisions to achieve development either economically or politically. This report makes a conclusion that democracy is a significant political tool that determine nature of governance. Critically, justice advocates for the participation of subjects in matters of political rule and decisions. Most democratic nations indicate a high level of development, but still evidence shows that strict adherence to democratic principles is not suitable for development. Some of the challenges that democratic societies face are the dominance of majority because even minority deserve fair representation. Without democratic leadership, societies witness tyranny of the majority. Some of the non-democratic nations that exhibited good developments include Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Egypt, and Libya. Democracy is necessary for development but only through a critical framework that manages conflicting interest of society members. Otherwise, focused autocratic governments can promote developments better than traditional ones due to the speed of decision-making process.

Memo 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Memo 3 - Essay Example Secondly, in line with Petrolia’s success, it is on the negative since the mining of oil has been destructive and harmful to the people hence she may not awarded the justice it deserves. For the state of Petrolia to pursue this case versus the United States, the international law embraces world wide peace to be upheld by all member states. It is stated in the united Security Council charter that no member state shall be involved in the internal affairs of any nation. All member states enjoy their right of sovereignty without external influence. It is on this note that the united sates failed to follow and obey the rule of law in involving the crisis between Petrolia and the rebels. The Security Council was supposed to give consent on the issue for the United States to move in with the interest of solving the crisis. It is on this ground that the international law favors Petrolia since her rights has been violated. Secondly, she surprised the world community to strike Petrolia in the name of preserving international peace. This was totally out of order since our affairs do not pose any harm in the region thus there was no need to attach us. In addition, The united states was biased in dealing with these issue it was like supporting the northwest to be independent so as to avail her interest of oil in the region. It is evident that her rush to announce war on Petrolia was an act of catalyzing the effort of declaring her interest in the oil fields. This shall be enough evidence to show that their move of attacking Petrolia’s military was negative driven. This articulates that the international law shall favor Petrolia. In regard to the second question of succeeding in this dispute, the office of the attorney wishes to note that the sate will not succeed since in the process of oil mining it has failed to take care of her citizens. It has exposed her people to health hazards, which has seen an increase of cancer cases in the area as a

Wikipedia Reflection Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wikipedia Reflection - Research Paper Example However, my articles were not edited by my peers in class and those who did edit it were not from my class, while these edits were only minor in nature. Moreover, my attempts to offer Wikilove were not reciprocated after I chose a random person who edited the article but there was no reciprocation. Overall, my experience with Wikipedia was great, exciting, and interesting; although I came to the conclusion I may not do this again due to my lack of experience and the fact that it was too time-consuming. However, if I find something interesting with a poorly-done page or without a page, I may decide to do it again. My first experience after joining Wikipedia was that I was exposed to the rules and guidelines on the site, as well as its nature as a group effort. This experience supported Kraut et al (2011) claim that people are more willing to make contributions on online groups if they like the group. Indeed, although I enjoyed writing the article and posting it, I do not expect that I will do so again because I failed to increase the value of the outcomes for the group members, which reduced their willingness to take part in the group setting. I attempted to increase the commitment of my fellow classmates to my Wikipedia page by attempting to make my page interesting to increase their chances of liking the article. In addition, there was an attempt on my part to create a bond with some of those visiting the page by rewarding them. I tried to follow the rules and guidelines of Wikipedia as much as possible, such as those on naming articles and maintenance of articles (Ayers et al, 2012). I als o realized that editing Wikipedia has become more difficult over time compared to the first time I tried it. Kraut et al (2011) make a design claim that people are more likely and willing to make contributions in a group setting if others in the group are also contributing. On posting my article, I realized that the group consisting of my classmates was

How an Individual goes About Becoming a Franchisee for Subway Assignment

How an Individual goes About Becoming a Franchisee for Subway - Assignment Example This paper outlines that for any individual who is interested in venturing into this business, there are steps to follow, and this essay is a discussion of how an individual goes about becoming a franchisee with subway sandwich chain. To be a franchisee with subway sandwich chain, there are five key steps to follow. These steps include: researching the franchise market, making an online application, investigating about the subway brand, reviewing financial requirements, and joining the subway business. An entrepreneur will be required to research on the market of the recommended location by considering any potential competitor. For instance, the franchisee to be has to evaluate the existence of other fast food restaurants or chains in the area. The entrepreneur should ensure that there is no subway branch or chain in his preferred location of operation. After ensuring all this is favorable, he or she should apply for franchising through online by filling the application form. The for m should only be filled after reading through the binding contract and agreeing to the terms and conditions to avoid future case of disagreements. Interested franchisees are also advised to engage solicitors in their financial discussions. From this paper it is clear that Entrepreneurs must have starting capital, which ranges from 101,000 US dollars to 285,000 US dollars. This is the recommended capital for US dwellers and setting . This capital caters for franchising fee and expenses for operation at least for the first three months. When one is seeking to know about the recommended starting capital, he or she has to be keen on the size of the food chain’s establishment, equipment, location, and the scale of operation. After establishing a subway branch, entrepreneurs are supposed to offer quality services to clients while at the same time minimizing their operations cost.  

Power in leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Power in leadership - Essay Example Throughout her career in the military, Johnson was a prime example for her colleagues as she would assists her students with surgical procedures as she was part of the U.S Army Medical Research and Development command. Furthermore, her valiant display of leadership enabled her to break the color and the gender barrier, a sensitive issue that haunted the nation and the army at that era. Without a doubt, Hazel Johnson-Brown has contributed a lot to the field of nursing. I would implement several of her techniques that can become the centric point of my career. First, I would embed her work ethic in my career. In addition, I would try to act as a facilitator for my colleagues and not be selfish about education or experience I possess. Furthermore, her ambitions would allow me to take charge in critical situations that can not only give me a confidence boost but enable me to harness my learning curve as I transition from a student to a professional. Power and influence are two vital aspects that come with integrity, responsibility, and leadership. Embedding the core principle of responsibility in my opinion is one of the most vital aspects of attaining power and influence. In any given profession, it is essential that one â€Å"delivers on time† and fully delivers in critical situations. In addition, responsibility can be a channel for being a leader in the team. Incorporating a hard work ethic and giving dedication in this career allows the hospital staff to appreciate your hard work. Hence, it gives them confidence in you to allow you to give leadership roles in vital situations. If one can implement all these vital aspects, power and influence can be achievable at a higher

Discuss evolutionary explanations of intelligence Essay Example for Free

Discuss evolutionary explanations of intelligence Essay Intelligence has been considered a unique feature of human beings as it gives us the ability to devise elaborate strategies for solving problems. There are three key evolutionary explanations of intelligence, which are, foraging/ecological, social and sexual selection.  Foraging is when animals learn food preferences from others. This ability has clear survival advantages because the animal can learn from others rather than using trial and error process to identify which foods are harmful. The larger the range of food required, the larger the foraging area must be and the greater the requirement for more complex abilities. Many primates have to balance their diet by selective eating through successful hunting, which requires forethought, planning, cunning and the ability to coordinate the actions of a number of individuals. Finding food over a particular area may require a cognitive map (memorized spatial knowledge).Obtaining the food requires tool use and hunting techniques, which is another indication of intelligence in both human and non-human species. Visalberghi and Trinca (1987) did a study to look at the effects of tool use. Capuchin monkeys were given task of pushing peanut butter out of a tube. They found that the monkeys were quick at finding a suitable stick but tried out many unsuitable ones first. This suggests no understanding of causal relationships and that many animals develop the skill through trial and error rather than insight. Only the great apes show the sophisticated understanding of cause and effect so this supports the link between tool use and intelligence. The association between the growth of hunting and intelligence shows that more intelligent individuals are more intelligent than less intelligent. However many species with very successful hunting techniques are not very intelligent and therefore it is unlikely that the benefits of hunting would account for human levels of intelligence. The efficiency in foraging of a particular animal has been shown by various psychologists. Galef (1988) did a study in which a rat was allowed to eat food with a distinctive flavour, with cocoa or cinnamon. A test rat was then put in with the demonstrator for 30 minutes, but with no food present. This test rat then had to choose between cocoa-flavoured and cinnamon-flavoured food. It was found that the test rats preferred food of the same flavour as that eaten by the demonstrator. This was still the case 4 hours after the demonstrator had eaten and when 12 hours had elapsed before the test rat made its choice. Therefore it can be concluded that interacting with a rat after it has eaten creates a particular preference for that food. These results could be interpreted in a number of ways, in terms of the rats been neophobic, meaning unwilling to try anything new. The test rat could have picked up on the smell of the particular food on the breath of the demonstrator and will have been choosing between what was familiar and unfamiliar rather than been influenced directly by the demonstrator actually eating the food. However despite this Galef also found similar results even when the test rats were familiar with both cocoa and cinnamon flavoured food. The social theory says that interactions with other members of a social group present an intellectual challenge and primate intelligence has been evolved in response to this challenge. It has been suggested that intelligence is an evolutionary adaptation for solving social problems. The most intelligent species are the social animals, which are bees, parrots, dolphins, elephants, wolves, monkeys, etc. The group living could have set the stage for the evolution of intelligence in two ways; sociality which increases the value of having better information, because information is one commodity that that can be given away and kept at the same time. For example a more intelligent animal within a group has the benefit of knowledge and what it can get in exchange for the knowledge. Secondly group living itself has new cognitive challenges. Social animals send and receive signals to coordinate predation, defence, and foraging and sexual behaviour. They exchange favours, repay and enforce debts, punish cheaters and join coalitions. Machiavellian Intelligence Hypothesis came from various related hypotheses, which Bryne and Whiten (1988) brought together. This suggests that deceiving and detecting deception are the primary reason for the evolution of intelligence. Evidence supports this, as Bryne and Whiten (1992) have shown that there is a strong positive correlation between neocortex ratio and the prevalence of tactical deception in various primates and this implies that there is a clear relationship between social manipulation and intelligence.

Strategic approach to corporate sustainability Essay Example for Free

Strategic approach to corporate sustainability Essay Woolworths Limited is one of Australia’s largest retailers with a presence in food, liquor, hotels, gaming, general merchandise, hardware, consumer finance and electronics. The company has a 90 year history of growth and innovation and has had a record of social responsibility along the way demonstrated with its support of community and charity organisations. Further to this the company has adopted rigorous environmental standards and recognised its position as one of the largest companies in the Australian market. It has incorporated a system of environmental checks and balances, and used its powerful market position to ensure suppliers are also adhering to similar rigid environmental checks and balances. All the while the company has made sound and successful financial decisions which have seen it grow from humble beginnings to its place as a top 20 Australian company by capitalisation and top retailer in the Australian and New Zealand market place. Despite its proactive response to the environmental and social impacts of its business, Woolworths has come under considerable pressure from media and other stakeholder groups over its pressure on growers and suppliers. The company has also been criticised about its â€Å"predatory† industry practices which has seen many smaller local businesses out of business due to the very competitive nature of Woolworths and its rapid expansion. Woolworths has a sound CS policy and strategy in place, however it may benefit from a more focussed brand and reputation management strategy which may address some of these criticisms before decisions are made on the execution of such strategies. Table of Contents Woolworths’ Limited – Strategic and Operational Approaches to Corporate Sustainability1 Executive Summary1 Table of Contents2 Introduction3 Woolworths Strategic and Operational Approaches5 Conclusions9 References9 Introduction Woolworths is one of Australia’s largest retailing groups and one of the largest companies listed on the Australian stock exchange, making up around 4% of the total capitalisation of the ASX (StateStreet Global Investors). Woolworths has a total market capitalisation of approximately $43 billion and is diversified into retail sectors such as groceries and fresh food, electronics and consumer electronics, liquor and gaming, fuel, hardware, general merchandise and financial services. Woolworths began operations in Sydney in the 1920’s, and through innovative and competitive marketing, pricing and product it grew rapidly to have stores in every state. Woolworths diversified further by opening department stores and acquiring businesses in strategic markets. The company also diversified into hospitality and liquor retailing and furthered its portfolio by acquiring businesses in electronics and hardware, and strategic partnering with financial services and rewards programs in more recent times. As such, Woolworths claims to serve over 28 million customers each and every week, have more than 3,000 stores and employ over 195,000 people (www.woolworthslimited.com.au). Given the size and scope of Woolworths on the Australian economy, the organisation attracts a great deal of attention for its corporate, social, environmental and economic activities on a daily basis. As such, Woolworths has a strong charter around its corporate governance, releases statements on its Corporate Social Responsibility and has a strong Corporate Sustainability plan in place, including reputation management. This report will look into these areas and where Woolworths is succeeding, and may still find room for improvement. Corporate Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility and the Triple Bottom Line Corporate Sustainability (CS) is an approach to business operations, strategy and management that is driven towards the creation of long-term value through economic, environmental and social considerations to decision making (Benn Bolton, 2011). CS is the delivery of long term success of the business along with consideration of the natural environment in which humans co-habitat and that of the society in which humans interact. There are overlaps between CS and other similar theories such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). The main difference is that CS involves the strategy and risk management approach of the organisation (Weber, 2008). Shareholders can no longer be considered the only stakeholder a company needs to consider in their decision making processes, nor the only stakeholder that will hold the company to account (Brooks Dunn, 2012 p.240). CSR requires, at a minimum, compliance with the law, good corporate citizenship and compliance codes and requirements, but is actually focused on company’s performing at an â€Å"elevated level of quality in all they do† (Sarre, 2002, pg 3). There is also growing expectation of transparency beyond the traditional financial disclosures required of governing authorities. Carroll (in Crane, Matten Spence,2007) argues that there are four key elements to Corporate Social Responsibility from the business perspective, namely economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic (p.62). Further to CSR is the concept of the â€Å"Triple Bottom Line† (TBL). This theory is concerned with how business operates in managing its economic sustainability, much like CS, however moves further into considerations of both environmental responsibilities and social responsibilities of the operations of the company (Elkington, 1999). Recent studies have linked the influence of TBL on business performance where it has been shown that addressing and working towards improved environmental outcomes can positively affect all three aspects of the TBL and improving social responsibility standards can improve environmental aspects greatly also (Gimenez, Sierra Rodon, 2012). In economic terms, CS is the long term-term survival and success of the company (Dunphy,D, 2002). Woolworths produced its first CSR Report in 2005 which focussed on its policies, commitments and CS related performance (Maseeha, Indu, Purkastha, 2008). The corporate  policy is made quite clear in the CEO’s statement where he (Grant O’Brien) outlines the fact the business desires to increase its market share and levels of growth. In taking CS into account he also addresses other related issues which are the enablers of CS, these being innovation, social responsibility and in the CS statement he talks about â€Å"earning trust†, â€Å"serving our community†, â€Å"using resources wisely† and â€Å"building the best retail team† (www.woolworthslimited.com.au). The four main types of CS Strategies as defined by Baumgartner and Ebner (2010, p. 78),are Extroverted, Introverted, Visionary and Conservative. Woolworths has elements of each in its strategy, which will be discussed in this paper, while looking at how these help the company meet its four goals of: extend leadership in food and liquor; maximise shareholder value in our portfolio; maintain our record of building new growth businesses; and put in place the enablers for a new era of growth. The blending of CS with CSR and TBL can be seen as the evolution of sustainable management principles and practices, and ultimately the goal is not of just economic growth, but that of a sustainable business which engages stakeholders and meets their needs through effective communication, action and results over time (Ricart, JE, Rodrà ­guez, Mà  Sà ¡nchez, P, 2005). Strategy, Business Models and Risk Management The Business Model and the Strategy of the business are terms that are often used interchangeably, however there is a distinct difference between the two. Osterwalder, Pigneur and Tucci (2005) describe the differences and relationship between the two concepts as related by the model being the blueprint for how the firm does business, the strategy the way it operates and brings the model to life. Business models can be further defined as the representation the core logic and strategic choices made to capture value along a value chain, but the model is not strategy (Shafer, SM, Smith, HJ Linder, JC, 2005). Strategy is further defined as the execution of the model and bringing the plans to life (Linder, JC Cantrell, S, 2001). The business model concept provides the basis for the management of the firm to analyse, implement and communicate strategic choices (Shafer, SM, Smith, HJ Linder, JC, 2005). A business model is an important tool in defining the actions of the firm, the mission and goals of its very core existence and how it delivers value for stakeholders through delivery of the TBL. The model defines the value proposition of the firm, the stakeholders involved and how they are engaged, the resources utilised and how they are used, the value chain and suppliers, human capital and how all these various aspects relate, along with external influences upon them, to deliver a sustainable business. Strategy is the implementation of the business model, it is how the plans and ideas are brought to life. The business strategy is often referred to as the way the model is brought to life and delivers value. It must be stated, however, that strategy is not the actual execution of the plans (Martin, R, 2010). Execution and strategy are different in that strategy is the intellectual concept and execution is the physical delivery of the plans to achieve goals (Martin, R, 2010). Where strategy is often seen to fail is that senior management may deliver the ideas without consultation and integration of front-line staff who are closer to stakeholders, customers, suppliers etc. (Martin, R, 2010). Risk Management overlays the concepts of both business model and strategy in that it is how the business anticipates, adapts and reacts to change. Risk is defined as an essential feature of decision making and accountability (Benn Bolton, 2011). McShane, Nair and Rustambekov (2011) state the reasons risk management is important include â€Å"value-increasing benefits of reduction in expected costs related to the following: tax payments, financial distress, underinvestment, asymmetric information, and diversifiable stakeholders† (pp 643). As such, the authors state that risk management is important in increasing the value of the firm. Newer theories on risk management have evolved into Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), and may be said to include eight elements essential for achieving strategic, operational, reporting and compliance goals (Arena, M, Arnaboldi, M, Azzone, G, 2010). These eight elements are 1. Internal environment and how  risks are seen by the firm; 2. Objective setting; 3. Event identification; 4. Risk assessment; 5. Risk response; 6. Control activities; 7. Information and communication; 8. Monitoring and ongoing management. More recently risk management has also begun to look at the importance of reputation management as a part of the risk management framework (Dowling, G, 2006). In the past risk management frameworks have only identified reputation management at the point of crisis and have often made it the responsibility of PR to address any events. Dowling (2006) states that an effective risk management framework should also incorporate the ongoing recognition of the importance of reputation management and this should be addressed by the board and included in the formal agenda of the board. Woolworths has identified its strategy in its annual reports and also has a defined risk management strategy. Woolworths also has a rigid business model across the wider group as well as individual business units. The remainder of this report will identify key areas where Woolworths sets out a strategy to obtain its CSR obligations to its stakeholders as well as obtain its financial goals. The discussion will also discuss how Woolworths may further its CSR and CS strategies towards reaching all goals and managing key risks along the way. Woolworths Strategic and Operational Approaches Woolworths sets out a four point strategy in its 2012 Annual Report, these being: 1. Extend our lead in food and liquor 2. Act on our promise to maximise shareholder value 3. Maintain our record of building new growth 4. Put in place enablers of a new era of growth The following analysis of Woolworths will discuss key areas of the business along with the strength and opportunity, along with a discussion on how the CS of Woolworths may be further enhanced for each area. Woolworths has set out an ambitious plan to not only be the biggest retailer of food and liquor in the Australian market, but also to continue to increase its market share. This is done by an expansion in the number of  outlets it has, and in 2012 alone, 126 new outlets were opened throughout Australia across the various brands the organisation operates (www.woolworthslimited.com.au). This growth is one of the quickest expansions Woolworths has reported, and is partly driven by the firm’s recent strategic move into hardware retailing. Woolworths plans to rapidly increase its presence in the hardware market with 150 new stores in the pipeline over the next five years. Supply Chain Control and Environmental Responsibility Ricart, J, Rodrà ­guez, M Sà ¡nchez, P 2005, ‘Sustainability in the boardroom’, Corporate Governance, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 24-41 Sarre, R, 2002, Re-thinking corporate practice and corporate governance in light of recent corporate collapses: Some evaluative questions and agenda items. Viewed 16 April 2013: http://www.evaluationcanada.ca/distribution/20021030_sarre_rick.pdf Shafer, S, Smith, H, Linder, J, 2005, ‘The power of business models’, Business Horizons, vol.48, no. 3, pp. 199-207 Siromon, D, Hitt, M, Ireland, R.D., 2007, Managing Firm Resources in Dynamic Environments to Create Value: Looking Inside the Black Box, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 32, No. 1, 273–292. SMH, Heinz Cans Coles, Woolies, as viewed on 15 May 2013 at http://www.smh.com.au/business/heinz-cans-coles-woolworths-20110829-1jid6.html StateStreet Global Investors viewed 18 April 2013: http://www.spdrs.com.au/etf/fund/fund_holdings_SFY.html Weber, M 2008, ‘The business case for corporate social responsibility: A company-level measurement approach for CSR’, European Management Journal,