Good vs Evil in King Lear Essay

Life will always bestow us with choices which we must wisely choose either a moral or immoral response to. Shakespeare exemplifies goodness and wickedness in King Lear. The play presents a powerful manifestation of loyalty, specifically through the characters Kent, Edgar, and Cordelia. Kent’s unrestricted loyalty to Lear remains stable throughout the play. He recognizes Lear’s tragic flaw and remains faithful, even after being banished. His reliability is further divulged when he attacks Oswald, Goneril’s loyal servant. Kent’s defensive actions result in him being placed in the stocks. This sacrifice adds to his loyal attitude of pursuing the King’s well-being and safety. Oswald is loyal to Goneril, and acts well as a contrasting character to Kent. They both share the attribute of loyalty; however Oswald’s loyalty is based on immoral decisions, while Kent’s is not. Following Lear’s death, Kent foreshadows that he too will pass on, reuniting himself with Lear. Furthermore, Edgar is betrayed by his evil, manipulative brother, and he is forced to disappear. Edgar’s goodness is displayed when he treats Gluocester with kindness, regardless of his father’s misjudgment. In addition, Edgar gives his father strength by saving his life making him believe a deity has saved him from jumping off a cliff. This renaissance causes Gluocester to think and act more wisely in future endeavors. Edgar and Kent’s morality and loyalty are not affected by their mistreatment provided by their superiors, which ultimately verifies them as accurate symbols of good. Cordelia is an exemplar for true virtue in her acts of forgiveness and loyalty towards her father. Lear, distressed by his beloved daughter’s response of â€Å"nothing† to his love test, banishes Cordelia and denies her any land and power. Lear turning his back on Cordelia foretells destruction, since she is one of the only people in Lear’s life that is loyal and express’s genuine feelings towards him. Furthermore, she foreshadows her death by returning to the kingdom to the aid of her father. She understands the dangers of returning, but despite these dangers she continues to emanate loyalty. Shakespeare delivers the existence of suffering through the presence of good and evil. Through Kent, Edgar, and Cordelia, Shakespeare has made it apparent that evil is unavoidable, yet virtue, loyalty, and forgiveness is rooted to everyone. It takes certain individuals to have the courage and power to be able to express these moral characteristics.

Natural Disaster and Possible Harms Drugs

Reaction paper: Last July 23, 2011, an orientation on disaster preparedness and prohibited dangerous drugs was held at the CE building during our NSTP. The speaker wanted to make us prepared at all times in case of natural disasters or calamities either natural or man-made. He also enlightened our minds of the possible harms drugs can do to an individual. When we say disaster or calamity, it is a great or sudden misfortune or catastrophe, an adverse or unfortunate event, or an occurrence that causes great distress or destruction. While preparedness means, the  state  of  having  been  made  ready  or  prepared  for  use  or action. So disaster preparedness is in a state of  readiness to contain the  effects  of a forecasted  disastrous event  to minimize  loss  of  life,  injury, and  damage  to  property, it can provide rescue, relief, rehabilitation, and other  services in the  aftermath  of the  disaster. There are two types of disaster, natural and man-made. Natural disaster is the effect of a  natural hazard which leads to financial, environmental or human losses. Disasters occur when hazards meet  vulnerability. Natural disasters are also categorized. Examples: geological disasters – avalanche, earthquake, volcanic eruptions; hydrological disasters – floods, limnic eruptions, tsunamis and meteorological disasters: blizzards, cyclonic storms, droughts, hailstorms, heat waves, tornadoes and fires. While man-made disaster is a  disastrous event  caused  directly  and mainly by one or more individual on purpose also called  human-made disaster. On his lecture on disaster preparedness, he told us that we must always remember the word safety. If you have the right skills that can make you safe, then that’s better. In everything that you do, your attitude counts. Being flexible at all times makes it feasible for us to overcome whatever may happen. And yes, education is very crucial; having the right knowledge could help a lot. Having trainings can develop your skills and it all depends with you. If you put it all together; skill, attitude, flexibility, education, training and you, SAFETY follows. While it may be impossible to prepare for every possible scenario, the important point to remember here is to start somewhere with your own personal preparedness plan. Good preparation will lessen the impact of a disaster on our physical, mental, psychological, emotional and other spect of our human lives and love ones. He also explained to us the effects of dangerous drugs to us and that we should avoid taking such. Take note of the acronym DRUG – danger, route, unto, grave. A drug may be helpful or harmful. The effects of drugs can vary depending upon the kind of drug taken, how much is taken, how often it is used, how quickly it gets to the brain, and what other drugs, food, or substances are taken at the same time. Effects can also vary based on the differences in body size, shape, and chemistry. Some teens believe drugs will help them think better, be more popular, stay more active, or become better athletes. Others are simply curious and figure one try won't hurt. Others want to fit in. A few use drugs to gain attention from their parents. Many teens use drugs because they're  depressed  or think drugs will help them escape their problems. The truth is, drugs don't solve problems — they simply hide feelings and problems. When a drug wears off, the feelings and problems remain, or become worse. Drugs can ruin every aspect of a person's life. This orientation indeed has given us knowledge which may help not only us, but also other people in the future.

Short responses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Short responses - Assignment Example I use Microsoft Excel for budgeting as it includes simple formulas for the calculations, which is why accountants also use spreadsheets for advanced budget calculations (Coy, Nelson, Buchanan and Fisher, 1998). Researchers also use spreadsheets to organize large data and this helps them to analyze data to draw meaningful conclusions from the raw data (â€Å"Using Spreadsheet†, 2013). Grocery shopping lists always involve numerous goods and items which become perplexing if not handled well. To avoid confusion and losing money on unnecessary items, I use Google Drive to create a list of items I need to buy. Google Docs provides grocery list templates which make grocery shopping easier and simpler (â€Å"Using Google Docs†, 2013). Listing my grocery items on a spreadsheet prevents me from missing on an item and helps me plan my weekly budget on food. Spreadsheets allow the organization of data to help in the analysis of these data which is particularly useful for researchers. This helps them import the data to spreadsheet software which carries out calculations on the data for statistical analysis (Meyers & Gamst et al.,

Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Management - Case Study Example These issues include, Reed’s feeble attempts at coaching, Motivating older workers The potential influence of the performance evaluation system Fred’s resistance to change Fred’s unethical response to pressure Lack of trust or violation of the psychological contract Equity and procedural justice. One major issue in the case is Reed’s inability to lead Fred. Reed’s demonstrated a transactional leadership style behavior which is used by many salespersons. Dubinsky, Yammarino, Jolson, and Spanger (2001) argue that Sales managers generally employ transactional leadership behavior which can â€Å"induce adequate attitudinal and behavioral responses in employees, transformational leadership has found to engender even higher results† (Dubinsky et al., 2001, p. 17). Reed’s leadership style is evident from the fact that he finds out the job tasks for Fred ’s and then tells him how to execute his job and being more successful (Buller & Schuler, 2003; Dubinsky et al., 2001). An incident to confirm this point from the case is when Reed wanted to determine the volume to drug prescriber and he went through Fred’s computer files and then through a memo told Fred how to go about accomplishing the task. Reed was setting Fred’s goals for him wit hout his input and totally negating the fact that Fred had been working in sales with success for over 30 years before Reed became his supervisor. According to Bassett-jones and Lloyd, a study conducted to determine motivation influenced by the leader-member relationship, the study confirmed that about 80 percent of the respondents who had a positive attitude towards their manager dropped to 53 percent when they felt they were being monitored to close by their supervisor.   â€Å"Tight supervision correlated with a reluctance to contribute† (Bassett-Jones & Lloyd, 2005, p. 938). Coaching with continuous feedback is a form of performance management (Lee, 2005, p. 60). According to Allenbaugh (1983), the principal of coaching include, First coaching emphasis should be on the job and not on the person.

Cold War era Presidents Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cold War era Presidents - Coursework Example Issues that we consider to be at the core of the United States democratic experiment, like individual freedom, were trumped by the political realities of the Cold War whenever the two came into conflict. Sadly, they came into conflict more than we might like. On the one hand, we can accept the idea that Soviet-style communism was not a source of or way of providing real freedom. The Soviets were authoritarian and controlling, and the centrally-planned structure of the Soviet system was often enforced with violence, as well as with harsh, politically motivated punishments. In this sense, the fight against communism, whether it involved funding Afghani fighters resisting Soviet occupation, or fighting the North Koreans, or embargoing Cuba, can all be seen as effort to promote freedom abroad by curtailing and containing the spread of such a vicious and draconian form of communism. On the other hand, Cold War Presidents tended to make decisions that were so committed to fighting the spre ad of communism that they often sacrificed the freedom of many to do so. This happened both domestically and in foreign policy. On the domestic front, many core civil rights issues were left to droop, creating an uncomfortable proximity between the message America was trying to transmit abroad and the reality of freedom and equality at home.

Business economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business economy - Essay Example An excise tax is defined as a tax imposed on a specific amount per unit of product, and for this reason is sometimes also referred to as a specific tax (Keats & Young, 2005, p. 149). In contrast, there are ad valorem taxes such as sales taxes, which are imposed on the value or price of the product or service. Taxes imposed on â€Å"unhealthy† goods are also called â€Å"sin taxes.† They are usually state-sponsored taxes which legislators readily resort to at times when the government is seen to run a budget deficit and needs to raise funds. The taxpayers rarely protest any imposition or increase of sin taxes, for the reason that the tax is not imposed on the general public but only those who buy the product which is seen as harmful to them, anyway. Sin taxes may either be specific or ad valorem, and are generally imposed on cigarettes or tobacco, liquor, and gambling. (Investopedia, 2009) The price, income and cross-price elasticities of demand as well as the price elasticity of supply all bear on the effectivity of imposing sin taxes. Price elasticity measures changes in demand due to changes in prices of the good, income elasticity the changes in demand due to changes in the buyer’s income, and the cross-price elasticity of demand changes in demand for a good due to a percentage change in the price of a related good. On the other hand, the price elasticity of supply refers to the percentage change in the quantity supplied for a good given the percentage change of price for that same good. These four elasticities are important in the determination of the tax incidence, though those that bear most directly are the price elasticities of demand and supply. This is because different commodities have different responses to increase in prices, and government’s selection of which commodities to tax and how much to tax will determine government revenue. Rose (2003) observes that this was considered by Adam Smith

The Impact of Stevedoring & Its Implications on the Port Productivity Research Proposal

The Impact of Stevedoring & Its Implications on the Port Productivity - Research Proposal Example This was done in an effort to increase efficiency in the delivery of services at the port. Whereas the port has been widely successful in carrying out its functions, its efficiency has been affected by the poor operation of stevedoring. These constitute all institutions, public and private, as well as individuals involved in the loading and offloading of goods from ships at the docks. This proposal seeks to lay the ground for the implementation of a study to establish the relationship between stevedores and service delivery at the Jeddah Islamic Port, as well as establish the relationship between logistics and these operations. The proposal lays down the criteria for the study, establishing the problem, objectives, assumptions, and methodologies of research. These are discussed in the following sections of the proposal. Stevedoring entails all persons involved in the loading and unloading of containers at the port (Logistics Training council 3). Currently, the port’s activities are mostly automated; however, the equipment is operated by human beings. The efficiency with which stevedoring carry out their operations, together with logistical operations, has a direct effect on productivity at Jeddah Islamic Port (MacElwee and Taylor 37). Some of these effects are positive, others negative, while some have no significant impacts. These effects could be financial or social and are both local and international (Thomas 13). The current trend in stevedoring is such as to raise the efficiency of operations and increase the productivity of Jeddah Islamic Port. This research will be necessary to establish the impacts of stevedoring and logistical operations on productivity in the port. Information acquired from this study will be useful in the management of the port. This information can be used to optimize port operations to guarantee maximum profitability form operations. The result would be increased productivity, leading to improved service delivery. The port

Year round schooling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Year round schooling - Research Paper Example But many parents prefer sending their kids to summer schools or course programs offered by the schools because most of them think it’d do their kid good. NAYRE has reported that now â€Å"3,181 public schools† are up and running all year round, compared with â€Å"408 schools in 1986-87† (2011). Year-round schooling is both good and bad, bringing with it both positive and negative. In a report published in 1994, â€Å"Prisoners of Time,† it was suggested that the schools which had moved on from the traditional schooling to the year round one, â€Å"better met the needs of contemporary society† and â€Å"resulted in an increased student achievement†. NAYRE was among the groups which pushed for a year round schooling system. Whereas groups like â€Å"Summer Matters†, remain convinced that the traditional calendar serves the need of the society best. Students in year round schools do not have the usual three-month like their peers in scho ols with a three-month summer vacations. But what do they have instead? Better education? Do they have better education? Are they less trouble for the parents? Is there a financial raise on house taxes that are needed to cover the funds for lunches and schools? Cut down on the time that could be spend learning other things like karate, or camping? The report answers these questions with the help of 6 reference news paper articles, which are: â€Å"The Case of Summer School.† By Linda Roberts, San Francisco. Jun. 2011. â€Å"Chief Proposes Year-Round Classes to Aid Programs.† By V. Dion Haynes, Washington Post. 04 Sept. 2006. â€Å"Parents circulating Petitions Against Year-Round Schooling.† By Lan Nguyen, Baltimore Sun. 12 Feb 1995. â€Å"We need Year-Round School to compete Globally.† By LZ Granderson, CNN. 10 May.2011 â€Å"The Case of Year-Round School.† By Bridge Schutle, Washington Post 7th June 2009. â€Å"Administrative Problems Related to the 11 or 12-month School Year.† By Childress R. Jack and Philippi A. Harlan, University Of North Carolina. Mar 1964. JSTOR. 14th July 2011. â€Å"Year-round School gains ground around U.S.† by Alex Johnson, MSNBC news. 27th Oct 2010. A number of districts allow parents to choose to send their kids to schools with year round schedules. Some have strict policies for the students to come to schools. All the parents are charged for the increased house taxes. So they might as well just go ahead and send their kids to school in the summers. But are these summers beneficial? If the kids stay at home what would they do instead? Indulge in fights. Do drugs. Watch wasteful undulating TV programs. It is true that a lot of students go to summer camps, or karate classes, or swimming lessons. But not all parents can afford to send their children to such places and so the children indulge in Huckle Berryfinn like activities. Summer vacations were first introduced when the kids were n eeded in the farms to help their parents cut the wheat and go fishing. But now a day’s most of the population lives in the big cities. Where there is nothing to do in the farms. So instead they waste their time. And to top it off, when they do get back to school after the three month vacation, they are so brain washed that the teachers have to spend an extra four to six weeks in revising what they did before summers and then bring the class on track. By that time most of the students are tired again and want another vacation. Many of the American students lack in most of the subjects these days. Granderson brings down American education by calling the kids â€Å"dumb† and unable to compete against the world’s smartest. The statistics that he presents state that most of the American children

Trailing in Pennsylvania Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Trailing in Pennsylvania - Term Paper Example In U.S. Presidential primaries, the Democratic and Republican parties (the largest political parties in the United States) nominate an official candidate to run during the general election; which takes place on the first Tuesday in November. From January through June every four years, each of the 50 states hold elections (also known as primaries or caucuses) to determine how many delegates (party representatives) each candidate receives. Delegates are determined by the percentage of the popular vote received by each candidate; with each state and party having different allocation rules. Senator John McCain (Arizona) is the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party. (Candidates are officially nominated by the delegates at the national party conferences which usually take place between July and September.) Accordingly, Clinton and Obama currently receive most of the media attention as they are still fighting for the nomination. With the Pennsylvania primary on April 22, this New York Times article examines the tactics used by the Democratic candidates.

Folate through Lifecycle Nutrition Research Paper - 1

Folate through Lifecycle Nutrition - Research Paper Example The required Folate intake amount depends on the condition.3 Folate can be derived mostly in vegetables4. However, there are alternative ways through which humans can get Folate nutrients. Through fortification, consumers can derive Folate from foods that do not naturally contain Folate.5 Whereas Folate has been identified to prevent neural tubal disorders among pregnant mothers, mostly the correct administration also matters.6 Folate becomes effective when taken during the initial weeks of conception.7 Folate is believed to have various effects on human health, hence there is the need to study the facts surrounding it. To ascertain the effects of Folate in the life cycle of humans, various studies have been conducted. Greenberg et al established that Folate is essential in both nutrition and reproduction. During pregnancy, Folate is required in abundance since it is an essential element in fetal growth.8 Since it cannot be synthesized anew from the body, it is recommended for mothers to take foods rich in foliate during pregnancy. This reduces chances of the offspring and parent to suffer from foliate deficiency related diseases, in this case anemia or neural tubal defects.8 A study conducted by Blencowe et al showed that mothers who had previous cases of pregnancies with neural tubal disorders reduced their chances of the condition recurring by 75% if they took Folate supplements9. For mothers who never had previous cases of Neural tubal disorders the rate of reduction of potential neural tubal disorders reduced by 62%9. In addition to these results, the study identified that despite neural tubal disorders being the most prevalent cases of Folate deficiency during pregnancy there are other risks. Neural tubal disorders in this case affect the infants’ functionality of the brain and spinal cords. Another common case of foliate deficiency diseases for infants that was observed is

Prewriting Essay Example for Free

Prewriting Essay 1.   I would write about love because I feel love is a tree and romance is just one of its branches. There are other dimensions of love as well apart from romance. In the essay I would touch upon all these dimensions. Apart from love between a man and a woman, there is love between a teacher and a student, love between two friends, love between a man and his pet, love between a celebrity and his fans, love between siblings. I would touch upon all these dimensions of love in the essay. Then I would bring into focus the most divine form of love and that is the love between a mother and her child. I would elaborate on how unique this form of love is and it cannot die or change no matter how advanced the world becomes. I would write that the bond between a mother and her child is natural. This is because they are physically attached to each other for nine months. Due to the capacity of bearing children mothering instinct comes naturally to women. The intensity of this instinct might vary from person to person but it cannot be completely absent in a woman. A mother always prioritizes her child above herself. This selflessness is rare in all the other dimensions of love. I would also focus on the main concepts like jealousy, codependency, idealization, stereotyping etc. that involve different types of relations and would connect all these concepts to a mother-child relationship. This would help in understanding this divine attachment between two human beings in more depth. I would conclude the essay by weaving all the main points highlighted above into a string of points that would point towards the main idea that though there are many forms of love, the love between a mother and a child always excels above others. 2.   I would write about why we need gossip in our culture. I think that gossip is one of the necessities of human beings and all of us love to indulge in it whether consciously or unconsciously. But there are very few of us who like to accept our inclination to indulge in gossip. Even when we are gossiping about our classmates, colleagues, neighbors, celebrities, teachers etc. our conscious mind always tries to project ourselves as a person who does not indulge in this kind of lowly activities. In the essay I would like to focus on the fact that the intensity of our indulgence or love for gossip might differ from one person to another but just like other necessities like food, water, shelter etc. this also becomes one of our needs. I would write that one of the main reasons why some people gossip less when compared to others is because they have less time than the others in this fast paced world. In this context I would quote the example of the reality show, ‘Big Brother’ where the participants are not allowed anything other than the basic necessities and apart from food it is gossip that gives them the strength to survive in a controlled environment. I would write that no matter what the age or the background of the participants is every one uses this tool to ooze out his anger, distress or dissatisfaction. Some people start instantly while others take a little time to open up but ultimately every one engages in this activity. To conclude I would point out that all of us abhor the term gossip attached to our personalities. But in reality this should not be the case. We do not want to accept this important need of our existence because we relate only negative points to this activity. We should consider gossip as a way of socializing which is yet another important requirement of a healthy human mind. It helps in taking out the baggage that we carry in our inner self. However we should always try to indulge in healthy gossip instead of dirty gossip meant to malign others. In healthy gossip many people would be our friends while in the latter we will invite more foes. 3.   I would like to write about the changing attitude towards dating. Years ago dating was a taboo. Then it became an acceptable part of our society. Now it is indispensable for any relationship to bloom. The courtship period that comprises of dating and  calling cannot be imagined without these elements of love. In the essay I would write about changing attitude towards dating not only in the western culture but also in other cultures. There are a many cultures for, example in Asia, where interaction between girls and boys was not acceptable till recent times but since dating has become an integral part of western culture, these cultures are also getting influenced by this concept. The difference in the change of attitude in the  Asian countries compared to  the western  countries is that though it is being accepted the level of acceptance is lower in the Asian countries. I would highlight the point that how gradually dating has started being considered as a means of just spending a good time with the person towards whom one is romantically inclined unlike the yesteryears where it was considered a foundation of long term relationships. In the conclusion of the essay, I would write that courtship consists of dating but not vice versa. Where dating is just for fun, flirting is likely to be one of its components. 4.  Ã‚  I would like to write about anxiety disorder. In the beginning of the essay I would present an overview of the disease. I would mention that many disorders are collectively referred as anxiety disorder. These disorders are generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, specific phobia, agoraphobia etc. In fact anxiety disorder is a blanket term that encompasses within itself different types of anxiety, fear, nervous condition or phobia. It can occur suddenly or gradually and can affect people of different age groups and genders. Then I would focus on the causes. Apart from the psychological causes, I would also touch upon the hereditary and genetic causes of the disease. This disease disrupts the day-to-day activities of the people suffering from it. I would write about the symptoms of anxiety disorders. For example there are psychological symptoms like social avoidance, depression, frustration, lack of concentration etc. Apart from that there are physical symptoms too, for example dizzy spells, fatigue, chest pain etc. This would throw light upon how it affects the people suffering from it. Apart from medication there are other things like good family atmosphere, indulgence in some constructive work and exercises that help in the recovery process. I would mention that the people suffering from it should be honest to the practitioners so that they  get cured in the right way.

Construction Contracts: Omission, Suspension Termination

Construction Contracts: Omission, Suspension Termination An analysis of Omission, Suspension Termination of Construction Contracts under Civil Law of Qatar UAE 1. Introduction Qatar has a well-developed and structured legal system. The origin of the Qatar legal system is found in both ancient and traditional sources. It is based on Islamic law and jurisprudence but has adopted many of the principles of the Napoleonic Civil Code (French Civil Code). In addition, Egyptian philosophy of law and procedure (Egyptian Civil Code) had a great influence on the legal and judicial system of Qatar. The State of Qatar is a traditional country ruled by Al-Thani family and the state leadership being inherited by Al-Thani family since mid-19th century Qatar’s judicial history was influenced by a series of events beginning with the Ottoman occupation of the region in the 19th century. As stated in Background to legal system in Qatar by Qatar Law website â€Å"The Ottoman rulers established a system of justice based on teachings of the Hanafi school of Islamic Law. As the Ottoman Empire started to lose its grip on its rule in Qatar and elsewhere in the Arabian Gulf, Qatar underwent a gradual shift towards the Hanbali school of Islamic Law under the influence of the then emerging regional power, Saudi Arabia† (Partners, 2014). Qatar became a protectorate of Britain after the 1916 treaty and British legal system was established formally after the treaty. The civil courts established by British enforced English laws albeit local courts continued to administer a legal system based on Sharia law (Islamic law) which was the legal system in pre British era. This practice created a dual court system that existed until recent time in Qatar. Modern Qatar legislative process began in 1961, when Law No. 1 for the year 1961 was issued. Subsequently, several modern legislations covering the administrative, economic and social activities were enacted. Qatar passed the new Judicial Law No. 10 for the year 2003 in October 2003 which revolutionized and unified the judicial system in Qatar. This law became effective in October 2004. Qatar enacted a new Civil Law in 2004, providing applicability in respect of limitation of time and territorial jurisdiction. Other important definitions such as of natural and juridical persons principles and legal capacity to sue and be sued were incorporated in to the new Civil Law. Contractual relationships in construction sector were codified as Law No. (22) of 2004 with the passing of Qatar Civil Law. Law No. (22) of 2004 Promulgating the Civil Code was issued by H/H Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar exercising the executive authority vested under the Constitution. As stated in Qatar Law website â€Å"Qatar Civil Code provides guidelines for the establishment of contractual relations and obligations arising therefrom. It specifies basic elements of a contract such as consent, subject matter, and purpose of contracting. It also deals with annulment, construction and binding nature, effect, and cancellation of contracts† (Partners, 2014). The UAE federation comprising seven Emirates namely; Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Fujairah was established on 02nd of December 1971. The Constitution declares the Sharia is the principal source for law in the UAE and a civil law jurisdiction heavily influenced by the Egyptian law system which was heavily influenced by French and Roman law. Commercial transactions are governed by UAE Federal Commercial Transactions Law ‘Commercial Code’ (No. 18 of 1993). Civil transactions are governed by UAE Law of Civil Transactions ‘Civil Code’ (No. 5 of 1985 No. 1 of 1987) (Whelan, 2011). In the absence of any specific provisions in Civil Code , the Islamic Sharia law will be applied. In matters of procedure, the UAE courts follow the Federal Civil Procedure Law ‘Civil Procedure Code’ (No. 11 of 1992 as amended). Articles 872 to 896 of the UAE Civil Law 1987 (the Civil Law) relating to construction works, as well as general maxims and principles set out in the same law, form the basis of the legal framework relating to construction. Also, UAE Commercial Transactions Law provisions would apply to the degree that the parties to a construction claim could be defined as traders conducting commercial business as per Articles 6 and 11. The general principle of freedom and sanctity of contract is recognized under the Qatar Civil Code and a contract is treated as the law of the contracting parties. Natural and legal persons are free to agree on whatever they desire, provided that their agreement does not conflict with law, public order and morality. Verbal contracts and contracts as a result of conduct of the parties are mostly recognized and are enforceable in court subjected to establishing / proving the contractual-relationship. The Civil Law also deals with interpretation of contracts, contractual responsibilities, liability for personal acts, and responsibility for acts of third parties, ownership responsibilities, surety, unjust enrichment, types of sale, lease, insurance, and rights attached to property, land law, mortgage, wills, legacy, privileges, and gains. It also stipulates performance, compensation and compulsory execution, assignment of rights, innovation and impossibility of performance and statutes of limitation. Contractors are often faced with employer- driven Omission, Suspension Termination of the Construction Contracts due to financial constraints and other difficulties encountered by Clients and Contractors in Qatar Middle East in general. Medium to large scale public works projects procured by Public Works Authority of Qatar (Ashghal) use General Conditions of Qatar (its own spoke form) published by Contracts Engineering Business Affairs (CEBA) which were updated and reissued on July 2007 prepared by either in-house lawyers or external law firms. The Qatar General Conditions of Qatar is a close resemblance of International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Yellow, Silver or Red Book contracts. The other major projects procured by state affiliated organizations such as Qatar Foundation, Qatar Gas, RasGas, Qatar Water Electricity board (Kharamaa), New Doha Aiprt Steering Committee use their own bespoke and â€Å"project specific† forms. Where a project is awarded on a lump sum basis, the 2007 General Conditions of Contract favoured by employers in Qatar places much of the risk for losses on the contractor, except where losses are adequately covered under the amended provisions to the Contract. A reasonably fair assessment of the General Conditions of Contract by many contractors in Qatar is that it heavily favours the employer. While this may be the case, a contractor may also be entitled to claim equitable relief in accordance with the Qatar Civil Law No. 22 of 2004. In the above scenario, it is imperative to analyze the rights and entitlements of Clients Contractors in circumstances arising from Omission, Suspension Termination of the Construction Contracts under FIDIC 1987 revision 4 FIDIC 1999 which are base documents for most of the Bespoke Conditions of Contracts in Qatar and its enforcement under the Civil Law of Qatar U.A.E. 2. Aim Analyze the legal aspects of Omission, Suspension Termination of the Construction Contracts under the Qatar U.A.E Civil Law. 3. Objectives There are four objectives of this study: To identify the limit of a Contractors’ exposure to the Employer in respect of Omission, Suspension Termination of the Construction Contracts. To identify the limit of Employer’s exposure to the Contractor. Analyze the entitlements between FIDIC suit of Contracts and Qatar U.A.E. Civil Code To determine reasonable solutions and precautions. 4. Research methodology The following Literature was reviewed during the initially to ascertain the feasibility of conducting a comprehensive research on the subject dissertation. Binding Force of a Contract – Article 171of Law No. 22 of 2004 – Qatar Civil Code â€Å"A contract is the law of the contracting parties, and it may not be revoked or amended, except by agreement of both parties or for prescribed by the law† (Portal, 2014). Dissolution of a Contract Article 183of Law No. 22 of 2004 – Qatar Civil Code Article 183 states that â€Å"In contracts binding on both parties and imposing reciprocal obligations (synallagmatic contracts), where one of the parties fails to perform his obligation, the other party may, upon formal notice to the former, demand performance of the contract or its rescission, and may claim any damages caused by such failure to perform† (Portal, 2014). â€Å"The judge may,mutatis mutandis, determine a period of grace within which the obligor shall perform his obligation. The judge may also reject the application for rescission if the obligation not performed is insignificant compared with the obligations considered in their entirety† (Portal, 2014). Termination of a Contract of Works under Articles 703, 704 707 of Law No. 22 of 2004 – Qatar Civil Code Termination of a Contract under Articles 892 893 of UAE Federal Law No. 2/87 – The Civil Code Dissolution of a Contract under Articles 185 188 of Law No. 22 of 2004 – Qatar Civil Code Article 185 states that â€Å"When a contract is rescinded, the contracting parties shall be reinstated to the position they were in prior to the date of the conclusion of the contract. If reinstatement is impossible, the court may grant indemnity† (Portal, 2014). Article 188 states that; â€Å"The contracting parties may mutually agree to terminate the contract upon its conclusion, provided that the subject matter of the contract remains in the possession of either party. Where the subject matter of the contract is lost, damaged or disposed of in part in favour of a third party, the contract may be rescinded to the extent of the remaining part and the share of the party† (Portal, 2014) Dissolution of a Contract under Article 273 of UAE Federal Law No. 2/87 – The Civil Code Dissolution of a Contract under Articles 267 268 of UAE Federal Law No. 2/87 – The Civil Code The binding force of a Contract under Article 172 of Law No. 22 of 2004 – Qatar Civil Code The effect of the Contract under Article 246 of UAE Federal Law No. 2/87 – The Civil Code Ruling issued for the year 2006 by Court of Cassation, Dubai Literature study and analytical research are my major learning methods which play an important role in this report. Analytical research involves analyzing existing case law, facts and information. The data will be collected from primary/secondary sources, interviews with industry experts and case studies/laws. Literature study and analytical research have been chosen due to complex laws of the country and its interpretation by the Law experts. However, any analysis contained in this dissertation is the author’s own opinion and shall not be construed as evidence in a court of law. This paper does not have any legal or contractual standing in interpreting a binding Contract Document. 5. Scope and Limitation The building construction contracts stipulate express provisions governing the rights of one or both parties to terminate the contract under certain circumstances. These express provisions are categorized as non-contractual rights and contractual rights to terminate a binding contract. The Non-contractual rights to terminate are defined as; Frustration and this occurs when circumstances rather than the default of contracting parties have intervened to prevent the contract being performed as intended originally. When frustration occurs, further performance of the contract is impossible, illegal or radically changed from what the parties contemplated at the time of signing the contract. The contract is automatically terminated once a frustration event occurs and the parties are absolved from further obligations but accrued liabilities remain with them. The party who is relying on frustration provisions in the contract must be sure of that a frustration event actually occurred when justifying the ceasing of operations under the contract to avoid being in breach (the contract is more expensive to perform is not a frustrating event). It is prudent that the events stipulated under force majeure clauses should not overlap with the frustration events and the events which are provided their consequences are stated in the contra cts shall also not be considered as frustrating events. It is imperative to define Force Majeure events in the contract and clause 19.1 of FIDIC 1999 First Edition state that the definition of â€Å"Force Majeure† as; â€Å"Means an exceptional event or circumstance: (a) which is beyond a Party’s control, (b) which such Party could not reasonably have provided against before entering into the Contract, (c) which, having arisen, such Party could not reasonably have avoided or overcome, and (d) which is not substantially attributable to the other Party† (FIDIC, 1999). Force Majeure events are exceptional events or circumstances as listed FIDIC 1999 below and those satisfy the clause 19.1 of FIDIC 1999 sub-clause (a) to (d) above: â€Å"(i) war, hostilities (whether war be declared or not), invasion, act of foreign enemies, (ii) rebellion, terrorism, revolution, insurrection, military or usurped power, or civil war, (iii) riot, commotion, disorder, strike or lockout by persons other than the Contractor’s Personnel and other employees of the Contractor and Subcontractors, (iv) munitions of war, explosive materials, ionising radiation or contamination by radio-activity, except as may be attributable to the Contractor’s use of such munitions, explosives, radiation or radio-activity, and (v) natural catastrophes such as earthquake, hurricane, typhoon or volcanic activity† (FIDIC, 1999). Repudiation and this occurs when a party to the contract commits a serious breach of contract that entitles the innocent party to consider the contract as terminated with immediate effect and sue for damages due to breach of the contract. The following will be considered as clear repudiation of a construction contract Contractor’s refusal to carry out contract scope; Vacant the site or un-authorized removal of plant by the contractor; Procuring other contractors to carry out the whole or part of the scope of work originally contracted; Employer’s failure to give access to the site (possession of the site). The Contractual rights to terminate are classified as; Termination for Cause and the clauses stipulated in the contract vesting powers/rights to terminate the contract for breaches of specified contractual obligations such as unjustified/ unrecoverable delays attributed non-performance of the works. The parties may exercise their rights to terminate in other circumstances too, such as occurrence of a force majeure event. Termination for Convenience or ‘at will’ clauses may be incorporated in to construction contract vesting powers to one party to terminate the contract without having to establish any cause or breach for termination for the other party. This clause is very useful in the event that the; the employer changes the use of the land (eg. Condominium development to a hotel development) the employer’s inability to secure financing for the whole project or secure anchor tenants the contractor finds the project will be unprofitable or too risky the project has been suspended for a prolong period with no prospect of it being recommenced. There is a very close relationship between suspension and termination and, depending on how the clause is drafted. The end result of a suspension clause may be much the same as a termination clause in that either party will have the right to terminate the contract at the end of the agreed suspension period. The justification for suspension clauses will be broadly similar to termination such as a change of circumstances on the ground that makes continuing with the works impossible in the short term. Notwithstanding the above, suspension may be used by one party to allow it space to consider how to proceed with a project, which should be acceptable to the other party if kept within bounds. The scope of this research is to identify the legal provisions to secure the rights and entitlements provided under Qatar Civil Code and UAE Federal Law in Omissions, Suspensions and Terminations and limited to the construction contracts under the jurisdiction of the subject countries. The main limitation is the Language. The Qatar and UAE Laws are written in Arabic and official translation in English language is not available. The author relies on many unofficial translations of Qatar and UAE Laws for the purpose of this research. Arabic language prevails over the any launage in a Court of Law in Qatar and UAE. 6. Conclusion The Contractor shall be compensated for; Re-measured work done Preliminaries Material delivered / ordered Under- recoveries Costs/increases Removal of Contractor’s equipment Repatriation of staff/labour Loss of damage (loss of profit) Costs resulting from suspension after recovering the following from the contractor Advance Payment Previous payments Employers recoveries All these compensation and recoveries are stipulated in FIDIC Conditions of Contracts (or amended bespoke versions) and enforceable under Law No. 22 of 2004 – Qatar Civil Code and UAE Federal Law No. 2/87 – The Civil Code. The Contractors (and the Employers) as the case shall be able to seek the solace of Law even if the Contract Agreement they entered in to is heavily bias towards the Employer as the Law of land prevails over any contractual relationship between parties. 7. References FIDIC. (1999). Conditions of Contract for Construction. In I. F. Engineers, General Conditions (pp. 56-58). ISBN 2 88432 022 9. Partners, S. A.-A. (2014). Background Legal System in Qatar. Retrieved 08 25, 2014, from www.qatarlaw.com: http://www.qatarlaw.com/background-legal-system-in-qatar Portal, Q. L. (2014, 08 25). Law No. 22 of 2004. Doha, Qatar. Whelan, J. (2011, 07). The Civil Code. Retrieved 08 27, 2014, from http://lexemiratidotnet.files.wordpress.com: http://lexemiratidotnet.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/uae-civil-code-_english-translation_.pdf

Encouraging Leadership over Management

Encouraging Leadership over Management As defined by Stephen Covey, Effective leadership is putting first things first while effective management is discipline, carrying it out. This offers a brief glimpse on how leadership is different from management. We try to define a leader on the basis of a plethora of qualities such as; a leader should have the charisma, is a motivator, a good listener, a visionary and should be responsible. Leaders can motivate as well as direct people towards the goals and also find out ways for achieving them. Leaders also have the willingness to accept responsibility not only for their own decisions, but also for the decisions of their subordinates. Thus, an effective leader would refrain from passing the buck when it comes to taking the onus for the executed work. Management or managers, on the other hand, have their focus set on the present and the immediate goals. While the managers have the blue print of each task in hand and do not encourage deviations from it, the leaders have a keen eye towards possible innovations or better ways of doing things which may be divergent from the norms already set. This is the reason why a leader can start something new while a manager may be roped in to execute the task in a particular way. To put it into a nutshell, although the concept of leaders might be confused with that of managers, and vice versa, in practice, leaders are the real game changers, whilst managers are ones who have the responsibility of executing the tasks as envisioned by a leader. The world is changing rapidly and with it the ways and means of executing work is going through irreversible change. Earlier, the tasks would be well within the scope of each role, but now, each task is multiple layered and further embedded with many other tasks, demanding more from each role. At this juncture, a manager is bogged down by the how and when. The pressure is deafening, and following a set procedure, while sticking to guidelines, may not always be the solution. It becomes imperative to innovate and find simpler and easier ways of doing things and excelling at them. The reason is quite simple. Competition is stiff, and unless you are doing outdoing your competitor, you may as well quit. Thus, its time that we emphasise on the emergence of leaders from amongst us, who would not only have the required knowledge base, but also have the courage to envision a new path. There are many theories that try to capture the essence of a leader. Some believe that a leader is born and that the leadership qualities cannot be acquired, while some believe that a leader acquires the qualities over the years with experience. There are few who believe that the birth of a leader is situational and they will arise when the occasion demands. The inspiring role of Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Britain in World War II, is an excellent example of a leader rising up to the occasion. He led Britain to victory and believed in the philosophy that success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. His words in his speeches motivated the British people and encouraged them during the troubled times and paved the way to victory. A leader would always try and create a new path where none existed before. To accomplish that, sometimes, the leaders have to fight resistance and indifference. It is the common attitude to feel secure in mediocrity and predictability, not wanting to change or challenge the present. The thought behind that is the level of comfort that predictability brings. A leader will twist the shackles to break that state of affairs and bring in new light, focusing on things hitherto untouched. Sir Richard Branson, an English businessman, investor and philanthropist is another example of a good business leader. He is the founder and owner of the Virgin group which consists of around 400 companies. He started quite young and showed signs of becoming an entrepreneur at the age of sixteen. With his distinctive leadership, using himself as the personification of the Virgin brand, he created the entire group from scratch and has reached great heights today. A leader like him can always see the bigger picture hiding in the clutter. As per Kurt Lewin, leadership is of three types. This definition is based on the behaviour of the leaders Autocratic leaders Mussolini and Hitler are pretty good examples of autocratic leaders. For them, their own decisions were the most important and they definitely did not encourage the concept of discussion with the subordinates. Autocratic leaders assume that they are superior to others in every capacity and hence the decisions in day to day affairs as well as long term strategic decisions should be taken by them. Democratic leaders -These leaders involve their subordinates in decision making. The team has to agree on a decision and unless that happens, the final decision is not taken. This helps to bring new perspectives and insight into the matter as a lot of people are involved in the ideation. Laissez-faire leaders These leaders have a completely non-interfering style of leadership and allow the subordinates to come up with solutions as well as take final decisions. Though on the surface it seems pretty righteous, in reality it sometimes makes the team seem rudderless as the leader leaves everything on the subordinates. A manager is responsible for the proper and timely execution of a task in hand. For achieving this, they sets rules and norms that they themselves have been following and implementing. The focus of a manger is always on the procedure, or in other words, a manager is always process oriented. They are responsible for getting things done in a preconceived way. For a manager it is very important that all the organisational level activities are carried out in a smooth way and they do not encourage waywardness. For this reason, it is important for a manager to implement control and authority over the affairs through which they get the job done. A manager would always look up to a leader for solutions and answers. This is because the world of business is highly dynamic and the problems keep getting tougher, demanding innovative solutions. As the older methods become redundant, newer technologies and techniques take over. The situation demands immediate countermeasures that can sometimes spell survival. A leader is a visionary who focuses on matters that may encourage or hinder the growth of his business. A leader will ask questions and look for answers. They will be a risk taker. Such risks can sometimes be based on calculations and sometimes on pure intuition. But the success that may follow the risk would not only increase the stature of the leader; it would also make the organisation trust him more. A managers scope is limited to executing the task at hand through various subordinates, that too within a stipulated time period. Major decisions which can affect the very survival of the organisation with respect to policy formulation, strategy designing, etc., is most definitely taken by the leadership of the company. Thus, it is important that the managers try to look above the scope of the fixed norms and broaden their horizon for organisational level decision making. A manager may have a limited scope or a myopic vision towards the emerging future but a real leader will not be swayed by immediate tasks. They will put organisational perspective first and think way ahead of their subordinates. Visionary business leaders like Lakshmi Niwas Mittal of Arcelor Mittal and Martin Sorrell of WPP have achieved great success owing to their belief in their vision and their hard work towards it. For a technology-driven, fast-paced world, the scope for ambiguous decision making is nil. Its important that the organisation not only survives this race, but also gives strong competition to its peers. For this, it is important that managers are encouraged to become leaders and the paradigm of responsibility shifts on the shoulders of the managers as well. A managers role should not be limited to executing the tasks but they should also think as a leader and get involved in the bigger picture. This will help in streamlining the process as well as create future leaders who can step in, if and when the organisation requires them. Thus, the organisation has the responsibility to create leaders instead of just managers who will not only envision the future course of the organisation but also help in achieving it. Encouraging the emergence of leadership over management is the need of the hour if the organisation wants to achieve fairly impossible targets and goals that todays business world puts forth. Just managing the day to day affairs and carrying on the usual course of business is definitely not enough. Innovation and experimentation is important. Carving out a niche out of a crowd of hundreds is important and making a mark is important. A leaders role encompasses all these and more. Although there is an ongoing debate over the differentiation between a leader and a manager, what we need perhaps is an amalgamation of both where the leadership qualities are given their due importance over managerial qualities. Leaders can create a difference with their charisma and inspiring words. The motivation which is piqued through effective leadership is the one through which even impossible targets can be easily achieved by the employees. An effective leader is thus someone who can definitely make a difference in the lives of his employees as well as the organisation as a whole. References Bass, B.M. Stogdill, R.M., 1990. Bass Stogdills Handbook of Leadership-Theory, Research and Managerial Applications. Simon and Schuster. Covey, S.R., 1992. Principle Centered Leadership. Simon and Schuster. Kotter, J.P., 2008. Force For Change: How Leadership Differs from Management. Simon and Schuster. Lewin, K., LIippit, R. White, R.K., 1939. Patterns of aggressive behavior in experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology, 10, pp.271-301. Srivastava, A., Bartol, M.K. Locke, E.A., 2006. Empowering Leadership in Management Teams: Effects on Knowledge Sharing, Efficacy, and Performance. Academy of Management Journal, 49(6), pp.1239-51.

picking a college Essay -- essays research papers

Picking A College Picking the right college is an important step in contributing to the outcome of a person’s life. But finding the right college to suit the needs and desires of a young individual poses a difficult task.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Much time and effort must be spent on deciding which college to attend. Avoid making a horrible mistake by rushing a decision and going somewhere not compatible with one’s aspirations. Visit the college, ask for information, look at the courses offered, and research its reputation for education. Check out the dorm rooms and campus life. Is it a beautiful campus, or just filled with buildings? Find quiet places that time could be spent reading and studying. Also look at its strengths, along with the weaknesses. Meeting with the professors and discussing what is offered are magnificent ways to learn more about the college. By thinking with a broad frame of mind, one doesn’t look just at colleges with the big names. Though these institutions may be wonderful colleges, they might not offer specific courses. Maybe the smaller, private schools -- with their much smaller professor to student ratios -- are more desirable places.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, considering the location of the college is crucial. For instance, interests in outside sports, such as golf, should be concentrated toward the lower half of the country. Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, and Mississippi are prime states regarding golf. A school without a strong go...

Tuesdays With Morrie :: Tuesdays With Morrie Essays

Tuesdays With Morrie Tuesdays With Morrie is a true novel based upon an older dying man's outlook on life. Throughout the story, the older man teaches his past student about life as his body is slowly withering away from the " Lou Gehrig's Disease." CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Morrie Schwartz (the older man) teaches his student, Mitch Albom, what really matters in life. The only way that I can begin to describe Morrie's character, is to quote an excerpt from pg. 10 regarding his reaction after being diagnosed: " But my old professor had a profound decision, one he began to construct the day he came out of the doctor's office with a sword hanging over his head. Do I wither up and disappear, or do I make the best of my time left? He asked himself. He would not wither. He would not be ashamed of dying. Instead he would make death his final project, the center point of his days. Since everyone was going to die, he could be of great value, right? He could be research. A human textbook. Study me in my slow and patient demise. Watch what happens to me. Learn with me. Morrie would walk that final bridge between life and death, and narrate the trip." Based on his decision not to wither up and die, and instead use his dying, as an opportunity to teach others what truly matters in life, shows how unselfish and positive he really was. Morrie didn't see his time spent ill as a waste, instead, he said, and I quote, " I mourn my dwindling time, but I cherish the chance it gives me to make things right." (Pg. 167) As a way to further carry out Morrie's wish to be useful, both Morrie and Mitch decided to meet every Tuesday to study and discuss life's greatest lessons. Not only do we see evidence of Morrie's character, we also see a change in Mitch and his values. With Morrie as a guide, Mitch begins to understand that money, and materialistic wealth, have less significance than things such as relationships, forgiveness, and love. IMAGERY: An excerpt from the book, which related to imagery, was what Morrie referred to as detachment.

Bismarckian Alliance :: essays papers

Bismarckian Alliance The relations between the Great Powers in Europe changed a lot with the accession to the throne of Wilhelm the II in 1888, his dismissal of Chancellor Otto van Bismarck two year later and therefore the breakdown of the Bismarckian Alliance System. The unification of Germany, and the political greatness of Prussia and the empire, are ascribed to the statesmanship of Bismarck. Bismarck was the father of the German nation, he created it and he also masterminded a plan to keep Germany safe from the enemy nations around her. After the humiliation of the loss of Alcase and Lorraine, France was bound to not pass away an opportunity to take revenge from Germany, so to prevent this happening Bismarck constructed an elaborate network of alliances. One of the most important alliances of the many that were made was, the Dreikaiserbund or the League of the the Three Emperors singed in 1872 between Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary. The most important of the articles in the treaty was that ^in case on of the High Contracting Parties should find itself at war with a fourth Great Power, the two other shall maintain towards it a benevolent neutrality and shall devote their efforts to the localisation of the conflict^. But Russia and Austria-Hungary drew suspicious of each other over conflicts in the Balkans in 1887 and the League fell apart. So to replace that lose Bismarck drew up the secret Dual Alliance with Austria in 1879, it was a defensive alliance against Russian in case she attacks Austria. In 1882, Italy joined the Dual Alliance which created the Triple Alliance. By 1887 Bismarck succeeded to bind Russian in a separate alliance which was called the Reinsurance Treaty. Also Germany kept friendly acquaintances with Britain so that such a powerful nation with not be against Germany. This way, Bismarck^s plan succeeded and now France was truly friendless, powerless and isolated. Kaiser Wilhelm the II had a plan called ^Weltpolitik^ for Germany which meant that he wanted Germany to be a world power with a large colonial empire, strong and unbeatable in every possible way. Bismarck saw this as a threat to the country^s peace he has aintained for twenty years and his idea was that Germany should remain a land-based, peace-loving European power as she has always been. The clash of ideas and values between the thirty one year old, young Kaiser and the seventy five year old chancellor led to Bismarck being forced to resign by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1890. Then the Kaiser appointed Count Georg Leo Caprivi Bismarckian Alliance :: essays papers Bismarckian Alliance The relations between the Great Powers in Europe changed a lot with the accession to the throne of Wilhelm the II in 1888, his dismissal of Chancellor Otto van Bismarck two year later and therefore the breakdown of the Bismarckian Alliance System. The unification of Germany, and the political greatness of Prussia and the empire, are ascribed to the statesmanship of Bismarck. Bismarck was the father of the German nation, he created it and he also masterminded a plan to keep Germany safe from the enemy nations around her. After the humiliation of the loss of Alcase and Lorraine, France was bound to not pass away an opportunity to take revenge from Germany, so to prevent this happening Bismarck constructed an elaborate network of alliances. One of the most important alliances of the many that were made was, the Dreikaiserbund or the League of the the Three Emperors singed in 1872 between Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary. The most important of the articles in the treaty was that ^in case on of the High Contracting Parties should find itself at war with a fourth Great Power, the two other shall maintain towards it a benevolent neutrality and shall devote their efforts to the localisation of the conflict^. But Russia and Austria-Hungary drew suspicious of each other over conflicts in the Balkans in 1887 and the League fell apart. So to replace that lose Bismarck drew up the secret Dual Alliance with Austria in 1879, it was a defensive alliance against Russian in case she attacks Austria. In 1882, Italy joined the Dual Alliance which created the Triple Alliance. By 1887 Bismarck succeeded to bind Russian in a separate alliance which was called the Reinsurance Treaty. Also Germany kept friendly acquaintances with Britain so that such a powerful nation with not be against Germany. This way, Bismarck^s plan succeeded and now France was truly friendless, powerless and isolated. Kaiser Wilhelm the II had a plan called ^Weltpolitik^ for Germany which meant that he wanted Germany to be a world power with a large colonial empire, strong and unbeatable in every possible way. Bismarck saw this as a threat to the country^s peace he has aintained for twenty years and his idea was that Germany should remain a land-based, peace-loving European power as she has always been. The clash of ideas and values between the thirty one year old, young Kaiser and the seventy five year old chancellor led to Bismarck being forced to resign by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1890. Then the Kaiser appointed Count Georg Leo Caprivi

Brazil socio economy Essay

Brazil is one of the South American countries and the fifth largest country in terms of geographical area. It has population of over one hundred and eight three million people. The Brazil’s natural resources largely includes gold, iron ore, manganese ,bauxite platinum, tin ,uranium, timber and petroleum among others. In most part of Brazil’s history, it has experienced very slow economic growth. For instance, during the colonial period sugar, gold and slavery did not boost the economy of the country. In fact, in mid-eighteenth century, Brazil’s economy retardation did worry Portuguese rulers. During the time of independence, Brazil had one of the least productive economies in the western hemisphere than any other New World colony. After the independence it did not show much progress. When the industrial revolution seemed to gather momentum, imperial Brazil economy was stagnating. As slavery ended marking the fall of the empire, its per capita Gross Domestic Production (GDP) was less than a half that of Mexico and making one sixth of the United State. This show some improvement from 1913 to 1980 where it sustained significant economic growth though interrupted by the Great Depression in early years. However, over the past quarter century, its economy has barely grown. Each time it makes attempt to rise it falls back. Similarly, its social inequality has also been historical. Social inequality has been there through different periods, in various economic models, in dictatorships and in democratic transitions. Therefore, the main purpose of this presentation is to discuss reasons which that have contributed to social inequality and economical stagnation in Brazil. From 1500 to late 1930s, the Brazilian economy relied heavily on the production of primary products for export. In fact, its economy assumed colonial master policy that was sternly enforced during its reign that for about three centuries has curbed the development that lasted past independence. There were some changes that occurred when slavery was abolished and waged labor adopted. First important structural transformation steps were recorded in 1930 when Brazil changed into a modern, semi-industrialized economy. They were intensely felt between 1950 and 1981 when economic growth rates remained quite high with establishment of diversified manufacturing base. After World War II rapid socioeconomic transformation took place. But since early 1980s, Brazil’s economy has been encountering economic huddles that have seen it have very slow growth if not stagnation. When second oil shock stuck in 1979, the prices of oil importation in Brazil double and this had effects on trade in that it lowered terms of trade further. The increase in world trade rates caused rise in Brazil’s balance payments and size of foreign debt though country did not stop borrowing meanwhile it tried to maintain high-growth strategy. In start of 1980s, foreign debt became so acute which led to introduction of program that could generate growing trade in surpluses so that country could amortize the foreign debt. This was achieved by reducing imports and expansion of exports. Consequently, real gross domestic production declined. Mexican debt crisis of 1981 blocked Brazil’s access to international financial markets that caused much pressure for its economic adjustment. Structural Adjustment Plan was introduced by International Monetary Fund that enabled the country to meet interest payments on the debt. However, this subsequently resulted in much of economic decline compounded with high inflation rate. It happened that, inflation accelerated further due to a combination of number of factors namely the exchange –rate devaluations of austerity program, growing public deficit and escalating indexation of financial balances and wages among others. The exchange –rate devaluations of the austerity program and growing public deficit formed a classical cause of inflation. Nevertheless, increased indexation of financial balances and wage were just important mechanism for propagating inflation. At around mid 1980s, foreign debt was almost displaced by domestic debt that caused main economic problem. Previously, during period of high economic growth in 1970s, considerable portion of foreign borrowing was done by state enterprises which were the main actors in the import-substitution industrialization strategy. At first they borrowed with intention of financing their investments but later due to acute shortage of foreign exchange they were compelled by the government to borrow unnecessarily and thus increasing their debts greatly. This was worsened by the sharp increase of international rates. This followed that because the state enterprises were not supposed to go bankrupt; their debt burden was borne by the government which further increased the public debt. Coupled with disorganization of the public sector, public debt was transformed in to a big economic problem. By the end of 1980s it was necessary for large-scale fiscal reform that could result to non-inflationary financing of the public sector not only for inflation control purposes alone but also restore the public sector’s capacity to be able to invest for overall economy recovery. But this was hampered by political challenges which could not make any reform to materialize. Several attempts were mounted to bring down inflation which was the most visible symptom. There were referred to as ‘heterodox economic shocks’ namely Cruzado Plan, the Bresser Plan and the Summer Plan that came in succession in each year from 1987 to 1989 respectively. These plans did no make the situation any better. By the start of 1990s, the country was ushered into a new era that probably radiated some hope to recovery of the economy that was marked by the first post-military president Fernando Collor de Mello in March 1990. Hyperinflation and virtually bankrupt public sector was the first things he had to fix with his new administration. But preceding events could not promise any good outcome to mobilize stagnating economy. Two years later, the President Collor de Mello was impeached on corruption charges. Therefore, it is evident that the ‘undeveloped’ of Brazil’s economy has been caused by several factors. Brazil’s geographical position is one of the factors that have contributed to its slow economic growth. This is because most of it tradable natural resources are too far from potential markets for profit exploitation. For instance, during the colonial period major export was sugar which had to be produced within fifteen miles of a port or navigable river. But the huge Amazon River system flows through vast tropical forest where land is unfertile and there were no navigable rivers that were flowing where export crops could be produced using modern scientific farming methods. Brazil though had a long coastline a few were protected harbor and without railways or truck, what was produced in interior was cattle and slaves that walked to the market The same challenges face the country even today. The issue of poor transport is affecting the Brazil’s industries considerably. The government has often failed to meet export target due to the country’s transport problem and shipping of the production. Logistically, it has proven that even though it was to transport, the operating cost would increase the merchandise prices and hence lose in world market. This greatly removes Brazilian competitive advantage and makes it not to earn sufficient foreign exchange to boost it economy. World Bank has reveled that transport expenses account for about thirty five percent of the operating cost . This adversely affects even private companies. This generally had resulted to chronic lack of investment that has caused country’s economy not to develop. Another important factor to economy growth failure is the effects of the International Monetary Fund’s structural adjustment policy that trace way back to the 1980s. When the Brazil foreign debt happened to be high and was challenging to service it, International Monetary Fund to help the country, it introduced Structural Adjustment Policy which acted as stabilization program. However, it was designed from an orthodox monetarist perspective whereby it prioritized debts solvency through fiscal austerity and failed to address the core problem of Brazil’s economy. It did not curb rising inflation or initiate significant economic growth; rather it created hardship in the country. Another cause of the economy’s failure to thrive in Brazil is leadership. Brazil political leadership was characterized by emperor, politicalmachine, dictator, military authoritarianism, several military coups and impeachment leaderships. Most of these leaders’ agenda did not feature Brazil’s interest in their hearts as they establish themselves. Consequently this has made country economy to retrogress. Lastly, concentration of wealth to few minorities has perversely affected the Brazil’s economic growth. It has been observed that income inequality distribution in Brazil is one of the most unequal in the world. This has caused high poverty rates, chronic malnutrition and preventable disease that have caused the economy to drag. It is true that Brazil is socially unequal. It has been recorded to be one of the nations with high rate inequality. Its income inequality measurements according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) are relatively higher than even some of very poor African countries such as Lesotho, Namibia or Sierra Leone and yet it belong to the wealthiest countries. The country has high income concentration that reveals that about one percent of the population belong to the richest which constitute to less than two million of the total population having approximately thirteen percent of all of household income. These results of poverty level have shown inconsistency in regards to its economic size. According to the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) data, about thirty percent of the population with is equivalent to fifty four million people are considered to be poor. Within this same group, about twenty million people that account for almost twelve percent of the population are ranked as been extremely poor. As it can be seen, this poverty level is higher than the average ten percent in countries with a per capita income similar to that of Brazil or those countries which have a poverty level three times less than Brazil. Inequality is more pronounced in the rural areas whereby small number of large owners such as large farmers, large rural entrepreneur who are seen to monopolize most of the rural areas coexist with thousands of small land owners, landless workers and rural workers who live in precarious conditions. From the start, there exists high level of land inequalities which continues to escalate. It has been found that, the percentage of the total area occupied by the ten percent largest properties is about seventy eight percent. Similarly, there is also a gap between the rich and the poor in urban areas in which more than eighty percent of the Brazilians live presently. A good percentage of urban dwellers are living in poor conditions without proper housing and access to public equipment and public health and recreation facilities among others. Access to housing also remains highly unequal based in regional basis. For instance, while in southern region and southwest region housing conditions are approximately thirty one and twenty seven percent respectively, this percent rises to about seventy percent in the northern region and sixty percent in mid-west region. At the same note, there is also serious problem in the housing deficit whereby it is estimates that close to eight million units with ninety percent of housing deficit mainly affect poor families with an income of barely three minimum wages in a month. From this brief analysis, poverty in Brazil is associated with color and location that is, it affect the black and is concentrated in northeast region. This is because, two-thirds of all the poor in Brazil are block and seventy percent of the total population living in the in poverty are city dwellers and close to fifty one percent belong to such population who are living in northeast region. The main cause of inequalities discussed above is not due to general lack of the resources but rather it is caused by their imbalanced distribution of resources. Such inequalities in contemporary democracies seem to be attributed to tensions that exist between the ethical requirements related to ‘right’ and the importance of economic effectiveness; between the legal order that promises equality and the realty of the exclusion which is brought about by the exercise of power. It is in historic records that in many of western countries there was a period when social disparities were so extreme such that society had to mobilize government mechanisms, through laws, public policies and changes in tax system that saw some degree of redistribution to eliminate the extreme forms of poverty and inequality that existed. However, in Brazil since it was a colony, empire and then a republic it has never had attempts to promote inclusion of the poorest segments of the population. It developed in all of twentieth century with considerable number of extremely poor people. Such development process that ‘manages poverty’ is referred to as a ‘conservative modernization’ by development experts which is model that describe a situation which produces significant changes in the economy without altering established socio-economic order by affecting it slowly. In social perspective, conservative modernization implies several things for instance, lack of regulation in labor market. Nearly more than half of the working population that comprises of about forty five million male and female workers do not enjoy any labor rights such as unemployment insurance, invalalidity insurance cover, paid vacation, maternity and paternity leave, family allowances and pensions. This translates that even though the country belong to the world’s wealthiest counties, it has not ensured formal wages and minimum social protection to many of its workers. Another consequence of social inequalities in Brazil is due to low level of schooling. Universal access to quality education has not given a priority in Brazil. Presently, illiteracy level rates at about ten percent. Subsequently, the average number of years of schooling of the population aged fifteen and above is estimated to be seven percent when it is suppose be legally at least eight years. Despite the fact that there is improvement as observed from the indicators, the quality of education has long way to go. In rural area, the conservative approach is also felt particularly in agribusiness which is found to strengthens the economic power of large landowners while it neglect the unskilled wage-earning labor force and many small farmers that are not incorporated into the prevailing agricultural model. In large cities exclusion process also has taken its toll where major changes in production process and in the appropriation of urban space have synergetic effects. Their effects are reflected in social spatial restructuring processes that seem to enhance the segregation problem or what in other term would rightly be referred to as ‘social apartheid’. In such situation a significant proportion of the population is forced to live not only outside the formal labor market but also without access to proper housing and basic public services that are vital for quality life such as sanitation, education, health care, transport and recreation. Another cause of inequality is regressive tax system that heavily imposes a burden on the consumption and labor while on the other side spares the large capital. The data collected by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2004 indicated that the tax load for the richest segment of the population who earned more than thirty minimum wages in a month accounts for about twenty six percent of the family income while the country’s poorest workers, for those with income of less than two minimum wages had a tax load which was nearly twice high- about forty nine percent. The worrying thing is that this situation is worsening over time. The same logic is found in spending of social policies that has been systematically diminishing. For instance, a decade ago there was a mechanism that was established that could allow the Federal government to withhold twenty percent of all the taxes and contributions allocated for social actions which mounted to billions of reals that were used every year to ensure the required surplus for paying interest on and repay the country’s debt. This largely contributed to inquality as the wealthiest- public debt creditor, are favored while the assistance provided by the government to the poorer population was reduced significantly. Social inequality does not only confine itself between the poor and the rich but also it is gender and race based. There is exclusion experienced by women and black people that is directly related to sexist and racist phenomena. Gender and race inequalities that has persisted for decades is an indication that individuals continue be discriminated based on their sex or color in spheres of society like in schools, labor market, political circles and family . The consequences of these perpetuated inequalities are perverse in that they make situation to look normal which in turn reinforce the stigmatization of these marginalized groups. This hinders individuals to achieve their potential and also prevents them exercise their right as Brazilian citizens. The exclusion processes that women encounters and the black people that has widened social gap is what has characterizes contemporary Brazil society. Bibliography: Beghin, N. (2008); Notes on Inequality and Poverty in Brazil: Current Situation and Challenges. Retrieved on 8th January 2009 from: http://www. oxfam. org. uk/resources/downloads/FP2P/FP2P_Brazil_Inequality_Poverty_BP_ENGLISH. pdf Brazil Historical Background and Economic Growth (2009);http://www. floridabrasil. com/brazil/guide-about-Brazil-Economy-Historical-Background-Economic-Growth. htm Coatsworth, J. H. (2007); Why is Brazil â€Å"Underdeveloped†; Retrieved on 8th January 2009from:http://www. drclas. harvard. edu/revista/articles/view/934. Hamilton, C. V. (2001); Beyond Racism: Race and Inequality in Brazil, South Africa, and the United States. ISBN 158826002X, 9781588260024Lynne Rienner Publishers. Nathalie B. (2008); Notes on Inequality and Poverty in Brazil: Current Situation and Challenges. Retrieved on 8th January 2009 from: http://www. oxfam. org. uk/resources/downloads/FP2P/FP2P_Brazil_Inequality_Poverty_BP_ENGLISH. pdf Saddi, V. (2008); Lack of Infrastructure Investment in Brazil: A Constraint on Economic Growth; Retrieved on 8th January 2009 from:http://www. rgemonitor. com/economonitor-monitor/253645/lack_of_infrastructure_investment_in_brazil_a_constraint_on_economic_growth Weyland, K. G. (2002); The Politics of Market Reform in Fragile Democracies: Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela. ISBN 0691096430, 9780691096438, Princeton University Press Wise, C. (2003); Reinventing the State: Economic Strategy and Institutional Change in Peru. ISBN 047211316X, 9780472113163, University of Michigan Press.

Homeboy industries Essay

1. What theoretical perspective on deviance best represents Father Greg Boyle’s argument that kids are â€Å"fleeing something horrendous when they join a gang†? 2. What was the â€Å"social reality† surrounding Dolores Mission Parish when Father Greg Boyle arrived in the mid-80’s? Death. Death was the social reality of that time. There were 8 gangs fighting over the same territory, being in the area that they were the was a lack of education and access to education, violence is what almost every child grew up around. Worst of all there was no hope, no hope that things would be better and no hope that they could be better. 3. Why did Father Greg Boyle begin working with gang members in his community? Because they are the odd man out, they are the â€Å"demondnized†, the ones that no one wants to help and he believes that being a Christian we are all one. 4. What do the blossoms represent in the design of Nancy’s art piece? I saw nothing about this on the video link. 5. What theoretical perspective(s) (or parts of theoretical perspectives) on religion best represent what Homeboy Industries stands for? Community and culture. We learn from our families and all of that that is around us. 6. Explain the relationship between Father Greg Boyle’s use of the idea of â€Å"widening the circle of compassion† and labeling theory. Father Greg’s circle of compassion and the labeling theory are closely relate but yet so different at the same time, they’re opposites. His â€Å"widening the circle of compassion† is the idea of not judging, not putting down, and not turning anyone away because of what they may look like or how they may seem. To his idea we should all get to know, learn and accept one another. It’s almost as thought that he is saying that if we stopped with the labeling theory and step even one step within the circle of compassion this world could e just a little bit better. 7. Why doesn’t Father Greg Boyle want Homeboy Industries to be the â€Å"Mcdonalds of gang intervention†? He wants the organization to be from a good place, he wants it to be something that makes sense to that particular area and not just a knock off of what he did here in LA. Plus he doesn’t want to have to worry about what’s going on in â€Å"Homeboy† else where. 8. Explain how Father Greg sees kinship and share how you might apply these  ideas in your own life or career. Address his ideas about the â€Å"Service-provider, service-recipient† model. People have to have a sense of belonging, to a community, for his idea or industry to really work. A sense of belonging is key. Personally I think that Father Greg’s idea about â€Å"Service-provider, service-recipient† is great. People are so quick to want to detach themselves from something or a place that they may have come from that they see is below them and they forget where they come from. Some people just have this sense of entitlement. I believe that we should all be courteous and humble and remembering the struggle that our loved ones have made to get us to where we are now. I also really loved his story about the homegirl at the register and Diane Keaton. 9. Complete this phrase: â€Å"Nothing stops a bullet like a _______†. What does that mean? Job. A job is something that one looks forward to and it’s something that keeps homeboys and girls out of the streets. If they’re off the streets and out of trouble then there are, almost, no bullets and there is hope of a future. 10. What does Father Greg mean by, â€Å"Most people here think it’s finally a church†? A church is suppose to be place that doesn’t judge, that doesn’t turn people away and a place where one can feel safe or at home. The guy that drove up and said â€Å"This use to be a church† is one of many who believe you have to dress and act a certain way to be able to enter the place but in reality it is there to serve all without judgment.

Exampls of Price Mechanism in China

In current years in China, a nationwide famous tea called Xihu Longjing Tea is allocated to buyers using the price mechanism. This kind of tea is produced only in one place, Xihu, or West Lake, in Zhejiang Province in China, and is very dependent on weather. If in one year there is frost in spring in which Longjing Tea is harvest and produced, the quantity of production will plummet seriously. This shifts the supply curve to the left in a large scale, which makes the price high-rocket to the new equilibrium point by moving along the demand curve. Then in this year Longjing Tea will become a kind of luxurious drink.Only rich people are able and have the willingness to purchase, who regard this as a way to show off their wealth. I think the society should use the price mechanism to determine for whom this good is produced because as rareness, luxury, as well as consumption for enjoyment, the change of the price will not make big effect on the living situation of the middle class and di sadvantaged consumers. Price mechanism in the market of Longjing Tea has no impact on social equity but improve efficiency of allocation. Also in China, vegetables and meat are products that are not allocated by the price mechanism.Instead the price is stipulated by the government. Although vegetable production and transportation, like Longjing Tea mentioned above, are affected by seasonal climate, the Chinese government makes its effort to stabilize the price. I believe that the society should not use price mechanism to allocate vegetables and meat because they are daily necessities, which are produced for all people, the riches, the middle classes, as well as the poors. I think government should spend some of their revenue to stabilize the increasing price in order to gain equity and the stability of the society.

A Hard Days Night

Music is one of the Great Britain's most marvelous contributions to the world, despite the tendency of musical movements over the last four decades to spawn cultures that appear to morally damage the social norms, especially on the youth. Much of the phenomenon can be attributed to the advent and development of television as a medium of communication, for television has vastly catapulted the career of popular musicians to a whole new level. In a similar magnitude, cinema has also projected negative implications on how common people treat celebrities. Together with television, cinema has dehumanized celebrities in such a way that society and culture, particularly in the west, have eventually nurtured television viewers with mindless conformity to the media as well as a fully developed system of glorifying celebrities and their radical behavior. The tremors of broadcast media and cinema have produced the concept of superficiality and prejudice as a basis for popularity. It is quite evident on how movie stars, musicians, athletes, and commercial models are treated in restaurants and other public places. The motion picture A Hard Day's Night, for instance, exemplifies and tackles the backlash of the demeaning nature of popularity as felt by celebrities in a personal level since they themselves feel the luxury of a normal life gradually departing from them. The context of the film is inclined on the idea that the visual elements provided by cinema and television create a following of a particular artist or group of artists based on appearance and not on talent. In analysis of the growing problem, Kevin Donnelly's British Film Music and Musicals emphasizes the phenomenon of how A Hard Day's Night became the antidote to the venom brought about by cinema and television's visuals in such a way that the focus is more on The Beatles' music as the storyteller instead of the plot or the cast themselves (Donnelly, 2007). Contrary to other films involving music artists such as the legendary Elvis Presley who has been the guinea pig of film makers who did nothing but to exploit his popularity in film. Donnelly writes that the film virtually connects viewers to the band through the musical score which goes hand in hand with the situation and emotions that the film's scenes raise (2007). The songs suggest how the Beatles scorn about the fringe benefits of popularity while dealing with the punishing nature of their duties such as recording and touring. The virtual contact also happens as the motion picture shares the band's brutal torments of having a celebrity life while sacrificing their personal goals and interests. The visual technologies of cinema and film indeed contribute to the actuality that such mediums of communication make deities out of celebrities. In this sense, A Hard Day's Night represents and reflects the the star-making machinery around The Beatles in such a way that it documents of The Beatles' misadventures in the United States during the peak of their career. The band's grasp with commercial success were represented through encounters of pursuit by law enforcers and a horde of fans as well as their appearances on press conferences, endeavors with their agents, and hotel life (Balio, 1987). Therefore, Such circumstances are quite similar to the cases of modern celebrities being sighted and chased on public places or being arrested for driving fast and under the influence of psychoactive substances. A Hard Day's Night, meanwhile celebrates the band's stardom in a different manner, by highlighting the band's versatility as musicians since part of the film captures the band's latest compositions at the time, being played during practice sessions, live performances, and informal set-ups (Balio, 1987). The film's distinct approach to the topic subjects the tendency of visuals such as film and television as career boosters in such a way that the showcase of the band's talent through live performances are shown, unlike traditional musician oriented films which make use of the artist's recorded material. In a corresponding approach, A Hard Day's Night together with the film and television industry serve as a mockery of the star-making machinery around The Beatles as well as other celebrities and popular personalities, primarily because music is an art form which stimulates appreciation through hearing. As such, the dedicated medium of communication for expressing the art of music and recording artists is supposed to be the radio, not television, film, and definitely not print. The motion picture also insults the The Beatles as artists by humorously tackling the problem of pop fame, which the band members experience, through a medium that caused such a plague in the first place (Glynn, 2005). In addition, the polluting nature of television and cinema has once again made its presence felt as the visuals have proven to be useful aids in exploiting artists and promoting the developed system of idolizing celebrities, which is in this case happens to be The Beatles. Furthermore, the visuals provided by television and film entombs true musical talent by taking away the recording artists' musical credibility (Frith, 2002). Simon Frith (2002) however implies that rock is to be understood as a television product. The key elements and features of television and film, for Frith, have configured the manner of how the audience perceive music and musicians. Simon Frith writes that television has become largely responsible in the field of star-making for the reason that television with its emphasis on close-ups of the performer and musical virtuosity, particular types of staging and spectacle has added flavor to musicians as celebrated public figures (2002). Frith also adds that the emergeance of music networks such as Music Television together with several music related television programs such as Top of the Pops have also aided artists in terms of promotion which affects components of stardom such as record sales and chart ratings (Frith, 2002). The advent of technology has indeed influenced the the norms and standards for treatment of celebrities. Visuals, in an unimaginable, have added spice to musicians as attractions to the public eye, with it, the innovation of promotion for recording artists have revolutionized. Regardless if the changes brought about by the television and motion picture industry to the public status of career musicians have positive or negative undertones, the bottom-line still goes down to a particular point, change. A change that has been felt almost half a century after it has long been innovated and practiced.

PHIL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

PHIL - Essay Example The contentious documentary entitled â€Å"The Bridge† featured the well-known Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. According to The Bridge, â€Å"the mythic beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge, the most popular suicide destination in the world, and the unfortunate souls drawn by its siren call† (Morrow, 2006). This controversial documentary documented how 24 people in year 2004 chose to commit suicide and die at the Golden Gate Bridge (Morrow, 2006). According to Fimrite (1998), a staff writer of the Chronicle, the Golden Bridge is the â€Å"No. 1 suicide landmark in the world.† Another famous bridge is the Coronado Bridge in San Diego, considered to be a suicide magnet too (Dotinga, 2009). Dotinga (2009) stated that Coronado Bridge is â€Å"one of the highest suicide tolls of any bridge in North America, almost certainly placing it in the top five.† Sunshine Skyway of St. Petersburg was also identified as the â€Å"nations fourth-most-frequent suicide brid ge† (Morales, 2011). Bridges are therefore considered to be sure, swift, clean and accessible method of committing suicide. The alarming cases of suicides committed in Golden Gate Bridge, Sunshine Skyway and Coronado Bridge are the proofs that commission of suicide in bridges is already common especially among the youth. In order for this situation and fact to be addressed, the engineers who build and design bridges should therefore take good consideration of the fact sheet of the country. Before they design and build bridges they should know the possible effects of their decisions. In cases like the Golden Gate Bridge, Coronado and Sunshine Skyway, what engineers could possibly do is to put barriers and or any devices that would surely prevent people commit suicide. It can be said that suicide is way out of the hands of the designers or engineers who build the bridges, but in the end, they can be considered partly responsible of the effects of the bridges they built. If the