Basic Economics

The main reason for studying economics is that it is practical. Everyone makes economic decisions everyday. We all face the problem of scarcity and, thus, must continue to make choices. Today, people are getting to be more and more concerned about Economics. The current economic situation seems to interests everybody in society; the bread earner, the laborer, the bank teller, the accountant, the college professor, and even the student.While most of these people have had no actual background in economics, it comes as a change for the students to familiarize himself with what economics is about. He gets to learn howto analyze the theory and to explain why things are happening in the nation. With today’s emphasis on economics it, therefore, pays to be equipped with the knowledge of economic theory. Man’s basic economic activity consists of effort to satisfy human wants with the use of goods and services. It involved satisfaction. Human wants from the needs for survival oth erwise known as basic needs (e. g. food, clothing & shelter), to higher needs for a comfortable and more meaningful life. Man is subject to create wants, developed due to the effects of advertising and demonstrative effects of consumption. Economics isconcerned with the satisfaction of many of these human wants especially the basic ones. The basic economic resources of a nation consists of land, labor, capital and entrepreneurship. The economy should pay the owners of these basic factors of production for the use of their resources such as rent for the land, wage or salary for labor, interests for capital and profit for entrepreneurship. The technique of production which shows how resources are used and combined in production, thus, production is described as capital intensive or labor intensive depending on what factor is predominantly used.In effect, the basis activities of man also constitute the basic exchange that take place between the business firm and the consumers. The hous ehold is the basic consuming unit in the economy. Since human wants are unlimited, it maxims its satisfaction through the proper allocation or mix of expenditures within the context of budget limitations. The business firm serves as the economy’s producing unit to satisfy human wants with goods and services. The use of the resources generates income for the resource owners. Most societies aim to use economic-activity as a channel to improve the people’sstandards of living within the limits of available resources. Hence, a government can restructure the economic system in order to solve its shortcomings or problems like; unemployment, economic instability that cause highs and lows in production and investment levels, low level of growth and development, inequality income distribution, determination of the type of economic system. The choice of the nation’s economic system is vital to any country because it determines the manner in which goods will be produced, th e quantities of each good that will be produced and the distribution of these goods and services.Within the economy, the basic activities of production, consumption, employment and income generation take place through the interrelationship existing between the basic consuming unit, which is the household and the basic producing unit, which is the firm. Business firm supplying the household with goods and services in exchange for payments representing consumption expenditures. On the other hand, the business firm has to use economic resources consisting of land, labor, capital and entrepreneur to produce these goods and services. The households provide the firms’ theses resources inexchange for payments in the forms of rent, interest, wages, salaries and profit. The money flow is depicted in the money payment by the firm to the household of its money income and by household to the firm for its purchase of goods and services. On the other hand, the good flow is depicted in the flow of economic resources from the household to the firm and in the flow of good and services from the firm to the household. An economic system, in answering the needs of society, has the function of determining what goods and services to produce as well as the order of their importance. This willnaturally depend on the needs of the economy as well as its goals and objectives. In addition, the economic system has to perform the task of organizing productive efforts to produce the selected goods and services in the proper quantities. Lastly it must determine how these goods and services should be shared among the members of society(Leftwich). In traditional economic system, production decisions are made according to customs and traditions ( not allowing the producers to adjust to changes dictated by the time). This is usually practices in underdeveloped regions and in mountainous areas whereThe command economics, the answers to the basic economic problems are dictated by the govern ment through the head of the nation or a group of men designated by the head to make the decisions. This system is socialistic as the government owns and controls the factors of production. The government plans what to produce and how resources should be allocated. The system works under the principle that the interest of society should prevail over that of the individuals. Decision regarding the distribution of goods, lie in the hands of the government and, hence individual preferences are not considered at all.The market system deals with the economic problems by considering consumers choices. Consumers demand in the market as reflected in the prices of goods and services. The market prices serve as signals to the producers about what goods to produce and how much of these goods should be produced. The problem of production is therefore, solved by the price mechanism. In an economy where prices are continuously rising, people have always wondered what factors cause prices to fluct uate. The demand and supply are the main forces that cause prices to increase or decrease.From our daily experience of buying and selling, we know that higher prices influence people to buy less. Therefore, the demand function shows how the quantity demanded on a particular good responds to price change. As price increases, the quantity demanded of the product decreases, but as price decreases, the quantity purchased will instead increase. (If the price is low demand is high while if the price is high demand is low) Individual consumers, business firms and government agencies participate in the market place motivated by the desire to maximize utility (consumers), profits (business firms), orthe general welfare (Government agencies). People who are willing and able to buy a particular goods at some price become part of the market demand while those willing and able to sell the good demanded by people at some price are part of the market supply. The behavior of all buyers and sellers in a market determines the quality of good and services that is actually exchanged. With today’s emphasis on economics it therefore, pays to be equipped with the knowledge of economic system and learn the basic economics. Leftwich, Richard. 1969. An introduction to economic thinking. USA: Rhinehart & Winston Inc.

Describe Functionalist and Marxist Perspective on Education.

Describe functionalist and Marxist perspective on education. Functionalist Education can be described as the method whereby society continually passes on the knowledge it has gain from pass generations to the next or future generation. It is centered around and entails the teaching of the three R’s, which includes: arithmetic’s, reading and writing but also encompass social, spiritual, moral and physical component. It is viewed as a secondary agent of socialization as it socializes individuals into the norms and acceptable behaviors of society. Functionalist view education as having many roles but are interested mainly in how education meets society needs. They believe that one of its major roles being to equip individuals with intellectual knowledge. Functionalist also believes that besides it most obvious role of passing on society’s knowledge, education also has other latent roles that affects the individual on a holistical level and is reflective of society values, beliefs and norms. According to Durkheim individuals learn to socialize with one another within the schools through the integration of people from all diversity of society and this he believes is one of the latent roles of education, which he also call â€Å"moral education†. Besides this, functionalist believes that education have other latent or subtle roles that are used to instill in individuals values that stem from political and economic system and as a result help them build their self-confidence and prepares them for meeting society demands. For example, independence is taught through individualism. Functionalist also, believe that sorting (separating students on the basis of merit) another function of the school is essential in determine from early on who is capable of doing what and what job they will be better suited to in the future. The next function to take place after this is networking, they believe this function facilitates matchmaking and is unavoidable within the schools setting as individual of background, interest and education comes together to learn. Marxist Marxist sees education as a continuation of functionalist ideologies. They believe that education is used by functionalist to maintain the line of segregation that exists between the classes. Hence the reason why the Marxist view education as being used to create an â€Å"obedient working class† continuing the status quo. Acting as a persistent cause of inequality continuing to maintain the power structures and giving them the tool to create a â€Å"docile† work force. However, it is the view of the Marxist that the education system could be used as a system that helps in sorting the individuals of society into what is their calling position in life, it is the way it is done that their exist a problem. The problems they believe exist in the strategy that is used to by the functionalist to achieve this. This strategy they see as based on the ideals of functionalism which is according to class, race and gender. This is achieved in the form of the hidden agenda that exist within the curriculum that is used to educate. This hidden curriculum Marxist believes is present in every classroom and is taught through the use of the curriculum, hence the reason it is call the hidden curriculum. To the Marxist school of taught the hidden curriculum is present in numerous forms, this is evident in the funding that is available to school in affluent areas. These school according to Marxism are funded by â€Å"property taxes† because of there affluent location. Because of this they can afford to pay higher salaries to their teacher and this give them better teachers, available books and even technology. This in turn cause the students that attend these school to have better opportunities than child children who are schooled in rural areas that do not get the amount of funding that the other school get. Some of theses children are not even given the opportunity to go to college or even complete school. This inequality is also present in the exams that are given to children of the two classes. This is seen in the traditional IQ test that is given to student for acceptance into school. This test is Suppose to test the mental knowledge of the child but the formation of the test is not based on the intelligence of the child but on cultural knowledge. This creates a bias because children from a poor social background will not be able to answer question base on the culture of the affluence classes. This is called Cultural bias and is caused by inequality of the classes. They disagree with the idea that education can be used as a tool for any individual to move up within the social classes that exist in society. They believe that these principles are far from the truth. As religion is used to opiate the people against the real issues that affect them and to help in keeping them from solving their problems so to is education used to discourage the people from helping themselves and to remain within their social classes. Marxist see education as an influential tool in maintaining the lines that separate the have from the have not. Another argument of the functionalist school of taught is the use of meritocracy to help individual achieve status in life. However that Marxist sees this as a false perception, and believes that through meritocracy functionalist portrays the ideals of inequality of opportunity. Marxist believed that it is just another tool that is used to create an unequal society. The hidden curriculum is also present in the socialization process that takes place in school. It is of the view of many sociologists regardless of association or theory that the school is a major institution in the socialization process. It is for this reason that the Marxist believes that functionalist used this as the bases for the continuation of their theories. They see the hidden curriculum in this case as use to instill the norm and values of the functionalist. This is used to tell student what is deem as wrong or right, not allowing room for questioning. The question that Marxist asks is who is to tell what is right or wrong? Whether culturally, academically or otherwise. The hidden curriculum does not stop at school level but it is seen as being continued through out an individual lifetime whether it is in the home, work place or society as a whole.

Vapor Pressure and Heat Evaporation Lab Report

Vapor Pressure and Heat of Vaporization Introduction: ?Evaporation is the process of a liquid becoming vaporized. When a liquid is placed into a confined space some of the liquids will evaporate. Evaporation of the liquid depends on the strength of the intermolecular forces that are between liquid molecules. During the evaporation process of the liquid, new gas molecules exerts pressure in the sealed container, while some of the gas condenses back to the liquid state. ?If the temperature inside the container is kept constant, then the equilibrium at some point will be reached.When the equilibrium is reached, the rate of condensation is equal to the rate of evaporation and the rate of vapor pressure will remain constant as long as the temperature in the sealed container does not change. ?The relationship between the vapor pressure of a liquid and temperature is described in the Clausius-Clayperon equation: lnP= ? Hvap / R (1/T)+C. where 1nP is the natural logarithm of the vapor pressu re, ? Hvap is the change in heat vaporization, R is the universal gas constant, which is (8. 31 J/mol†¢K), T is the absolute, or Kelvin, temperature, and C is the constant that is not related to heat capacity.Therefore, Clausius-Clayperon equation does not only describes how vapor pressure is affected by the temperature, but relates to the factors of heat vaporization of a liquid. ?The purpose of this experiment is to determine the relationship between the pressure and temperature of the volatile liquids. The pressure will be measured in a sealed vessel that contains different types of liquids such as methanol, ethanol and propanol. It will be measured several times at different temperatures. At the conclusion of this experiment, the heat of vaporization will be able to be calculated.Materials: ?To be able to complete this lab procedure, the materials that are needed is a Vernier computer interface, a Vernier Gas Pressure Sensor, temperature probe, rubber stopper assembly, plas tic tubing with two connectors, hot plate, ice, one twenty milliliter syringe, one 400 milliliter beaker, two 125 milliliter Erlenmeyer flasks, one 1 liter beaker, ethanol, methanol, and 1-propanol. Methods: ?The first step in performing this experiment is to obtain and wear goggles. The alcohols used in this experiment are flammable and poisonous.The second step is to obtain the materials that are needed and set them up as accordingly. The third step is to use a hot plate to heat 200 milliliters of water in a 400 milliliter beaker. The fourth step is to prepare a room temperature water bath in a 1 liter beaker. The fifth step is to connect the Gas Pressure Sensor to channel one of the Vernier computer interface, then connect the Temperature Probe to channel two of the interface and then connect it to a computer. The sixth step is to use the clear tubing to connect the white stopper to the Gas Pressure Sensor.The white stopper must be twisted snugly into the neck of the Erlenmeyer f lask, to avoid losing any of the gas that will be produced when the liquid starts evaporating. The most important thing to do is to remember to close the valve on the white stopper. ?The seventh step is to draw in 3 milliliters of methanol into the 20 milliliter syringe that is part of the Gas Pressure Sensor accessories. Place the syringe onto the valve of the white stopper. The eighth step is to start the Logger Pro program and open the file â€Å"34 Vapor† from the Advanced Chemistry with Vernier folder. The ninth step is to click â€Å"collect† to begin collecting data.The first measurement will be the pressure of the air in the flask and the room temperature. Place the Temperature Probe near the flask. When the pressure and temperature readings are stabilized, click â€Å"keep† to record the readings. The tenth step is to add methanol to the flask by opening the valve below the syringe, push down on the syringe to inject the 1-propanol and quickly close the valve. Afterwards, remove the syringe from the stopper and monitor the pressure and temperature readings. ?The eleventh step is to place the stoppered flask into the 1 liter beaker of room temperature water.Place the Temperature Probe in the water bath and monitor the pressure and temperature readings. The twelfth step is to add a small amount of hot water to warm the water bath by only a few degrees. Stir the water with the temperature probe and monitor the pressure and temperature readings. For the thirteenth step, repeat step twelve until five trials are completed. Add hot water for each trial so the temperature of the water bath increases. After the fifth trail is recorded, open the valve to release the pressure in the flask and dispose of the alcohol as directed.The fifteenth step is to end the data collection and record the pressure and temperature readings in the data table. When recording the data, record the pressure valve of the first data point as Pair for trials one and two and record the temperature for trial one. Record the pressure value of the second data point as Ptotal for trial two as well as the temperature. The remaining values are recorded as Ptotal for trial two as well as the appropriate temperature. The last and final step is to clean the work area. Data Table: Methanol Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trail 4 Trail 5 Ptotal (mmHg) 103. 1 04. 5 105. 8 101. 9 Pair (mmHg) 101. 3 102. 4 103. 3 104. 4 105. 2 Pvap (mmHg) 0. 7 1. 2 1. 4 2. 7 Temperature (Celsius) 22. 6 25. 8 28. 3 31. 2 34. 0 Ethanol Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trail 4 Trail 5 Ptotal (mmHg) 106. 3 94. 7 98. 9 112. 9 Pair (mmHg) 100. 8 100. 8 92. 78 96. 0 103. 4 Pvap (mmHg) 5. 4 1. 92 2. 9 9. 5 Temperature (Celsius) 23. 9 24. 0 0. 3 9. 9 31. 7 Propanol Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trail 4 Trail 5 Ptotal (mmHg) 101. 7 104. 9 106. 1 108. 3 Pair (mmHg) 100. 4 101. 1 102. 2 103. 1 104. 0 Pvap (mmHg) 0. 6 2. 7 3. 0 4. 3 Temperature (Celsius) 23. 8 23. 7 0. 2 6. 5 29. 1 Discussion At the end of thi s experiment, the results we obtained varied because of the different temperatures and pressures that we observed. During the evaporation process of the liquid, gas molecules exerts pressure in the sealed container, while some of the gas condenses back to the liquid state. If the temperature inside the container is kept constant, then the equilibrium was reached. When the equilibrium is reached, the rate of condensation is equal to the rate of evaporation and the rate of vapor pressure will remain constant as long as the temperature in the sealed container does not change.

European Cultural Adoption of the Cherokee Indians Essay

European Cultural Adoption of the Cherokee Indians - Essay Example One of the most talked about and studied groups of Native Americans are the Cherokee Indians, a group of native occupants of the American continent. Historians believe that the Cherokee Indians occupied the southeast part of America ling before the forces of civilization and the American colonization took center stage. â€Å"Cherokee lands covered parts of Tennessee, North Carolina, south Carolina, Virginia, west Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas.† The tribe was one of the strongest tribes in the American continent and had significant influence during the 14th and 15th century. They existed in smaller groups and sub-tribes ruled by chiefs and kings and other religious leaders who had significant influence on this group of people. â€Å"The various Cherokee villages formed a confederacy. There were two chiefs per village a red (or war) chief and a white chief (most beloved man or woman) who was associated with civil, economic, religious, and judicial functions . Chiefs would be male or female and there was little or no hereditary component† The history of the Cherokee Indians is highly complex and is characterized by episodes of resistance, war conflicts and revolutions that rocked the American continent. Thirteen colonies of North America decided to break from British rule. To register their displeasure towards the new occupants of the American continent who were now fighting against the British, the Indian Cherokees fought from the British side against the Americans. â€Å"Cherokee support towards the British during the American Revolutionary war (1755-1783 brought retaliatory attacks from southern states militia†5 During this time and prior times, the interaction of the Indian Cherokees with the British and other foreign occupants of the country flourished; the tribe experienced a major tribal revolution that resulted into adoption of new cultural and significant cultural assimilation and integration. â€Å"After the Amer ican Revolution, the Cherokee adapted British style farming, cattle ranching, business relation, and government becoming cohesive and prosperous†6 In the paper, the cultural assimilation and adoption that occurred during the 17th and 18th century among the Cherokee Indians will be highlighted. It will thus seek to provide a description of the events that characterized the cultural changes and integration during this period. The adoption of foreign and new cultures significantly affected the lifestyle of the Cherokee Americans that resulted into assimilation and the loss of the prior cultural identity that the tribe enjoyed. The first documented history of the contact between the Cherokee Indians and the Europeans was around 1540. â€Å"The Cherokee encountered Hernando De Soto around 1540, probably not long before they arrived in their historic homeland†¦

The United Kingdom's Nuclear Weapons Program Research Paper

The United Kingdom's Nuclear Weapons Program - Research Paper Example 0s, the research conducted is still relevant today because of its impact on the scientific community, how other states perceive this information and the impact it has on the rest of the world (Ritchie 133). Apart from UK having the perception that its nuclear weapons acted as contributions to NATO, the state also believed that the weapons were a guarantee for both internal and external security (Milne et al. 8). Although the UK participated in the nuclear program, studies show that it is among nations that have moved further towards the establishment of minimal nuclear deterrent (Kristensen & Norris). This has been made possible due to the nation’s plans of reducing the total stockpile to not more than 200 warheads in the next 15 years (Stocker 10). To achieve this, UK has gradually declined in its former role of a super power state, which in turn has resulted to an improved economy due to the reduction of the defense expenditure (Simpson 10). The involvement of UK in nuclear weapons is not a recent incidence because this programmes were still in existence from 1940. Although the UK participated in the nuclear program, the nation is among states that have moved further towards the establishment of minimal nuclear deterrent. This is evident due to UK’s plans in ensuring that the total stockpile is minimized to less than 200 warheads within a period of 15 years. Cirincione, Joseph, Jon B. Wolfsthal, and Miriam Rajkumar. Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Threats. Washington, D.C: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2005. Internet resource Milne, Tom, Beach, Hugh, Finney, John, Pease, Sebastian & Roblat, Joseph. An End to UK Nuclear Weapons. 2008. Web. 9th April 2014

Personal and Professional Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal and Professional Development - Essay Example Professional engineering qualifications at various levels are discussed below: Vocational A-Levels and Scottish Highers; SQA Higher National Certificate: These are courses for 1 or 2 years full time. These courses can be regarded as foundation qualifications for the engineering technicians and can be utilised to get admission in undergraduate studies. BTEC/Edexcel/SQA Higher National Diploma (HND): These are generally 2 years course, full time. The HND is well respected qualification and can help the student to upgrade as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng). By obtaining better marks, one can also get transferred into the 2nd or 3rd year of an undergraduate degree programme. Degree Courses: These courses include BEng (Hons) (Bachelor of Engineering) or MEng (Master of Engineering). A BEng (Hons) would generally take 3 to 4 years full time to complete. An accredited professional Bachelor’s degree would fulfil the educational requirements for registration at the level of Incorporate d Engineer (IEng). This sort of degrees as per the specifications of the Engineering Council must last at least 3 years full time. The MEng can be regarded as an integrated form of Master’s degree. It is a higher qualification than BEng (Hons). It takes 4 to 5 years full time to complete. An accredited professional MEng would fulfil the academic requirements for the Chartered Engineer (CEng) qualification. This level of engineering qualification is the best in the educational world of UK and is highly respected all across the industries. An accredited professional BEng (Hons) degree together with a suitable Master’s degree or appropriate extended learning to the Master’s level would also meet the educational requirements.... This paper stresses that the professional titles which are awarded by the Engineering Council are well protected by the law. Registration in Engineering Council by different engineers and technicians is voluntary. This report makes a conclusion that engineering is a challenging profession in the modern work environment. Globalisation requires the engineers to be competent and skilled at the global standards. United Kingdom needs a powerful army of engineers and technicians to combat recession and obtain economic growth. Therefore, the routes to personal professional accreditation in engineering are not easy. The authortThe candidates have to be sufficiently skilled, competent and up to the minute to become a professionally qualified engineer as per the UK standards. No doubt that pursuing a degree course like BEng or MEng is the best way to obtain in depth knowledge in the field and become a professionally qualified engineer. BEng and MEng programmes in civil and structural engineering provided by the UK universities cater to the global standards in this context. Else, if a student cannot pursue a university program for some reason, he can appear in the examinations conducted by the Engineerin g Council and progress through the Level 5, Level 6 and Level 7 qualifications in a step by step manner. An engineer must possess numerical ability, analytical skill, creativity, and most importantly, engineering aptitude to obtain the different engineering qualifications discussed so far and excel in the engineering field. An engineering qualification can serve as both a basic qualification and a specialised qualification, and thus it can open up several prospects.

Sustainable Concrete Environmental Studies Coursework

Sustainable Concrete Environmental Studies - Coursework Example This industry has been identified as causing massive environmental damages within the production area. The materials used like cement produce a lot of dust and, therefore, contribute greatly to this pollution. Gore & Steffen (2008) states that with the current issues of climate change and global warming, this industry are faced with a surmountable task of alienating itself from the effects of climate change. This raises the issue of ‘going green’ – manufacturing using eco-friendly procedures and operations. Challenges Industrialization in the recent years shows an immense impact on the environment. There have been some positive effects as well as negative ones. The negative effects of industrialization on the environment continue to cause the players within the industry acclaimed nightmares. In the manufacturing industry, top among the environmental concerns has been the emission of greenhouse gases. These gases have been identified as a leading cause of pollution to the ozone layer. The effects of these emissions have become evident around the globe with adverse effects of global warming becoming a reality as time progresses (Edward, 2006). Immense pressure continues to pile for manufacturers to adopt manufacturing methods showing low levels of carbon emissions. Concrete manufacturing industry also faces the challenge of dust which causes chest infections while contributing to environmental degradation. The adoption of sustainable manufacturing processes seems to be an invention in the right direction. A relative pollution reduction level has been achieved by the industry players who have adopted the culture of sustainable manufacturing. Sustainable manufacturing can be defined as the new way of doing business in the manufacturing industry (Frank-Martin and Peattie, 2009). It ensures that, while organizations adopt new environment friendly sources of energy, competitiveness is maintained by the business. Most manufacturers do this by improv ing their processes and products as well. The process of production poses a bigger challenge to the environment than the product. The method most manufactures have adopted to achieve sustainable manufacturing has been the use of 3Rs (reduce, recycle reuse). This method aims at reducing emission of wastes, finding uses for the waste products and recycling any manufactured item which can be recycled. The challenges posed by this approach are still enormous. The company would make a shift into manufacturing using sustainable production methods. It aims at reducing the amount of emission it delivers to the environment. Dust produced by concrete manufacturing plant needs to be controlled. Through the control of the amount of dust emitted, the company shall be able to achieve environmentally sustainable production level. This level can be marked by reduced emissions and pollution from a single plant. The company can install air compression facilities on the machines used for production. T hese facilities shall ensure the machine produces smaller amounts of air into the environment. The air produced by machines has been identified as what blows dust into the environment. Through compression, the level of dust emission shall be reduced leading to reduced dust pollution from the plant as a whole. In the UK construction and demolitions, have been identified as the two biggest waste streams. The impact of this has a direct impact on the concrete production industry. Managing this waste would significantly

Customer portfolio and Strategic Account Management 04255 Essay

Customer portfolio and Strategic Account Management 04255 - Essay Example This paper is focused on the concept of customer portfolio and its relevance to the strategic account management. Storbacka (2012) mentioned that the concept of strategic account management is based on the â€Å"co-creation of value†. The term strategic accounts or the key accounts indicate to the most valuable customers of the company (Ford et al, 2003). The process of value generation lies in the centre of the corporate goals that allows the firms to deeply focus on understanding the customers’ value creating process and how the firm’s strategies are responsible for it. Homburg et al (2002) opined that the value generation through strategic account management program involves a long list of activities including product development, pricing, distribution, offering services along with manufacturing and sales. The integrated effect of these factors yields value for the customers, which creates a long term relationship between them and the firms. Piercy and Lane (2006) argued that there are significant levels of risks involved with the implementation of the strategic account management process. There must be a proper alignment of the internal organizational activities and the organizational goals. To put it simply Guesalaga and Johnston (2010) described that the organisational activities of different departments must be holistically aligned to the goals and objectives related to the customer value generation. Sherman et al (2003) proposed that the strategic account management should be viewed as a process of conducting business and not simple a selling process. The concept of inter-organizational alignment suggests that the organizations should increase its overall understanding of the business concerns of the customers and creating value proposition through a â€Å"joint venture†. Eid and Trueman (2002) have mentioned that the strategic or key accounts management has

Employment and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Employment and Society - Essay Example Unhappy employees can never leave the management on with a positive edge for a burned out workforce usually results to reduce quality in productivity. It is a common scenario occurring to companies of any size both in developed and under-developed countries as one of many dreadful consequences of the 2007-2009 economic recession (Rooney, 2011, par.7-12). Economic experts explain that this issue at hand is a turnout of not only the macroeconomic events of the earlier years posting threat to termination of employment contract but also of the eradicating system of psychological contract in the workplace (Furness, 2008, par.4). Dr. Judith Barwick supported this notion by stating that the problem is not primarily economic recession but rather psychological recession which is an â€Å"emotional state in which people feel extremely vulnerable and afraid for their futures† (cited in Furness, 2008, par.8). Gone were the days when employees jump ships in their venture of their career development for the security of tenure gains higher relevance in this tough time of the economy. Innovation has been the key for companies to remain competitive in the ever evolving trends in the market to meet the demands of the consumers. Through years global competitiveness raised its bar challenging the companies to do better through increased productivity and specializing the skills of their employees. Yet the recent recession confined them to minimized production cost thus creating imbalance and difficulty on the part of the employee’s benefits and compensation. As quoted by Morrison (2012, p.1), leaders need to understand people to effect the needed changes but unfortunately, not all managers are capable of understanding their people. The traditional training for managers has been technical and non-personal in belief that it is necessary in order to

Political Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Political Political science - Essay Example After 1979 revolution, Iranian government started to stop United Nations to inspect Iranian nuclear program by saying that Iranian nuclear program is for electricity purposes so there is no need for the United Nation inspection team to visit the nuclear sites. The US government thinks that Iran should stop working on its nuclear program because it does not need to develop its own nuclear capacity. If we read the latest news dossier regarding Iranian nuclear program and threats to the world’s peace, we come to know that in March 2006, United Nations Security Council discussed the issue of Iranian nuclear program to set up Iran’s conformity with the terms and conditions of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In July 2006, Security Council said that International Atomic Energy Agency was not able to provide any assurances regarding peaceful use of nuclear technology by Iran. Therefore, in December 2006, Security Council made a resolution to block Iran’s import and export of sensitive nuclear material. Looking at the behavior of Iranian government, the world’s powerful nations pressurized Iran and urged that it should reveal the nature of its nuclear program during six-party talks in Geneva. In November 2009, the hea d of the United Nations nuclear agency urged Iran to be as much cooperative as possible and suggested that it should send uranium abroad for enrichment purposes. â€Å"Tehran initially accepted but then rejected an offer for an interim solution under which it would ship some uranium out of the country for enrichment† (New York Times). Iran suggested to review the deal and said that it will continue enrichment of uranium in Iran instead of sending it abroad. In December 2009, US warned Iran of new significant sanctions in case of not sending the uranium outside for enrichment purposes. In February 2010, UN inspectors declared that they have evidences related to Iran’s suspicious nuclear activities. Despite of all warnings and sanctions,

National Air Sapce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

National Air Sapce - Essay Example Such a responsibility is likely to generate competitive advantage. In addition, Greenberg, McKone-Sweet, & Wilson (150) explain that premium customers are likely to offset social cost of service delivery and this will manage cost implications of the orders on the airline companies. The identified fuel efficiency will also reduce cost in the long term and increase long-term profitability. Legal obligations and consequences of breach of contract will also motivate the airline companies to uphold the orders and two possible remedies to breach of contract explain this. The companies will still be forced to make the purchases under the doctrine of specific performance and this will mean wasted time and money in judicial processes. Cancelling the contracts will also lead to monetary expenses in damages should the companies be allowed to cancel the contracts but this would still be costly (Schaffer, Agusti, & Dhooge 108). Upholding contracts for the new aircrafts offers advantages such as competitive advantage due to social responsibility, increased profitability due to fuel efficiency, and ability to raise prices among premium customers without reducing utility. Cancelling the contracts would however have legal implications into unnecessary financial losses. The companies will therefore go ahead with the contracts because of the many advantages of the move and disadvantages of cancelling the contracts. These motivate purchase of the new fuel-efficient aircrafts. Greenberg, Danna, McKone-Sweet, Kate, & Wilson, James. The new entrepreneurial leader: Ddeveloping leaders who shape social and economic opportunity. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011.

Identity of African American Men Essay Example for Free

Identity of African American Men Essay â€Å"No metaphor can capture completely the complexity of ethnic dynamics in the U. S. ‘Melting pot’ ignores the persistence and reconfiguration of the ethnicity over the generations. ‘Mosaic,’ much more apt for pluralistic societies such as Kenya or India, is too static a metaphor; it fails to take in to account the easy penetration of many ethnic boundaries. Nor is ‘salad bowl’ appropriate; the ingredients of a salad bowl are mixed but do not change. ‘Rainbow’ is a tantalizing metaphor, but rainbows disappear. ‘Symphony,’ like ‘rainbow,’ implies near perfect harmony; both fail to take into account the variety and range of ethnic conflict in the United States. The most accurately descriptive metaphor, the one that best explains the dynamics of ethnicity, is ‘kaleidoscope. ’ American ethnicity is kaleidoscopic, i. e. ‘complex and varied, changing form, pattern, color†¦ continually shifting from one set of relations to another; rapidly changing. ’ When a kaleidoscope is in motion, the parts give the appearance of relationships. The viewer sees and endless variety of variegated patterns, just as takes place on the American ethnic landscape. †- Lawrence Fuchs (Literature for Composition 1032) â€Å"Identity in America† was the theme chosen by my English 201 study group. This theme was taken from chapter twenty two of the Literature for composition: Reading and Writing Argument text book. However, I focused the broad theme of â€Å"Identity in America† to the more narrowed theme of â€Å"The Display of African American men in the media. † I chose this theme or topic because I felt that I can relate to it and as a matter of fact, it was also interesting to me. But in order to conduct my research on the particular topic, I came up with the following question, â€Å"How has the identity of African American men been displayed by the media: negatively or positively? † This question was chosen in order to provoke an argument for discussion. I conducted several interviews in order to acquire information about my selected topic. The media’s display of the identity of African American men can be discussed or looked at from two angles: negatively or positively. First, from my experience I can say that the media displays African American men in both lights, negatively and positively. But after conducting interviews with several individuals, my opinion has somewhat changed. I was always aware of the negative images of African/black men in the media. But I was not aware that this display had evolved overtime. My first interview was conducted with April T. Glasgow, a communications major at the University of the Virgin Islands on Wednesday 20th February 2008, at approximately ten o’clock in the morning. We conducted the interview at her dorm’s lobby. I had explained the topic prior to meeting with her, so she already had an idea about what issue the discussion would be addressing. Generally, her opinion was that black men were being exploited and portrayed negatively by the media. She also stated strongly that black men were too often portrayed or given the roles of thugs, gangsters, and pimps in films and magazines. In addition, a suggestion she made on how we could resolve this stereotype was that black people must unite and stand up against these negative portrayals especially those in rap music videos. The second interview was carried out that same day with Professor Alex Randall. His general statements were that the media has changed over the years. â€Å"The negative portrayals of the 1960’s and 1970’s have changed,† Randall stated. Randall felt that in modern times, people of color were treated more fairly and given a more positive portrayal in the media. Randall stated that there were many positive images in the media of African Americans, such as Denzel Washington, Barack Obama, Michael Jordan, and Bill Cosby. In addition, Randall said that in previous years no such image could have been seen in the media. â€Å"We are rational human beings and it’s our choice to choose what part of the spectrum of negative and positive images we would want to emulate,† said Randall. This statement impacted me and slightly changed my opinion on the topic. At that point in conducting my primary research for the paper, my position on the topic has somewhat been altered. After conducting the interviews with April T. Glasgow and Professor Alexander Randall I have become more open minded to the issue. I would admit that I was initially a bit biased and reserved on the topic prior to evaluating the topic from both sides; negatively and positively. In order to decide which position I was going to take I would have to do more secondary research on the topic. Since I started this research paper my observation and assessment of the media have taken a different turn. I now compare and contrast men of other races in the media to African American men. My secondary research was, for the most part, completed using internet sources. The articles that I discovered on the web were very useful and contributed greatly to my research. Three internet articles were analyzed to achieve the secondary data for my paper. The first article I examined was â€Å"The Media’s Bias against black men in America. † The article was basically a discussion of a piece written in the New York Times about the plight of American black men. The author, Armstrong Williams, stated that the New York Times article was another example of major media outlets using negative statistics to consistently cast black men as the scourge of this country. Williams made several strong and interesting statements throughout the article that I thought was beneficial to this research paper. For example, according to Williams, â€Å"The continual coverage of the black mans plight instead of his progress only hinders his growth, holds back our country from true equality, and hides the truth about the opportunities and challenges that we all face†(Williams  ¶4). Williams also suggested that the American public should challenge the lack of coverage of American black progress in this country (Williams  ¶5). â€Å"In the last century black men have literally gone from being slaves to business owners, government leaders, lawyers, doctors, firemen, generals, entertainers, and educators. No other oppressed class of people anywhere else in the world has advanced its standing in a society this quickly† (Williams  ¶6). I was really impressed by the way Armstrong used this statement to present his argument. In addition, Williams stated that the incidence of drug use, crime, scandal, divorce, and other social ills have increased dramatically for white men, but these statistics are not reported as problems about ‘white men in America (Williams  ¶6). â€Å"Approximately 9 out of 10 serial killers are white males between the ages of twenty and thirty five. Yet we never hear these statistics repeated over and over again in the mainstream press, making these crimes synonymous with one particular race as in this case with blacks† (Williams  ¶9). Later in the article Williams explained the image the media is creating internationally. The overseas media continuously places black men in negative positions such as school dropouts, irresponsible fathers, and victims of perpetual racism. The manner in which these stories are constructed and then, displayed to listeners and readers eliminates the possibility of believing that black men do not have positive roles (Williams  ¶10). Therefore, I agree with Williams that the repetitive negative articles can create a vicious cycle of harmful images and low expectations of black men. â€Å"The Black Image in the White Mind† is the title of the second internet article that I examined. The article was useful in constructing my opinion on the topic of how African American men are displayed in the media whether negatively or positively. The article presented some useful statistical data that was quite interesting and yet shocking to me. In this article by Robert M. Entman, he stated that a mug shot of a Black defendant is four times more likely to appear in a local television news report than of a White defendant (Entman  ¶2). He went on to say that the accused is two times more likely to be shown physically restrained in a local television news report than when the accused is a white man (Entman  ¶2). According to Entman, â€Å"The name of the accused is two times more likely to be shown on screen in a local TV news report if the defendant is black, rather than white† (Entman  ¶2). In addition, he stated that while black actors are now more visible in media, it is an open question as to how well they are being represented (Entman  ¶2). The Third article that I examined was â€Å"Black youth and mass media: current research and emerging questions† and I found it to be the most interesting of the three. This article was written by Craig Watkins, an Associate Professor of Sociology and Radio-Television- Film at the University of Texas at Austin. The article was basically an outline of some of the important research findings and emergent issues that examine the changing relationship between black American youth and the mass media industry (Watkins  ¶5). Watkins stated that for most of its history the mass media industry has produced images that distort and misrepresent the complexities of the African American experience (Watkins  ¶9). He stated that contemporary media representations of African Americans can be best described as paradoxical because blacks are simultaneously underrepresented and overrepresented in American media culture (Watkins  ¶9). According to Watkins, â€Å"blacks are underrepresented in many areas of mass media they are over represented in television sports broadcasts and crime and violence related portrayals† (Watkins  ¶13). Watkins said that images of blacks in magazines have increased but they are predominantly portrayed in athletic roles. According to Watkins, African American men are more likely to appear as athletes or musicians (Watkins  ¶14). The strongest statement throughout the article was when Watkins stated that the ‘athleticization’ of the black men in the media reproduces and popularizes long-standing myths about biological and intellectual differences between blacks and whites (Watkins  ¶15). Further analysis of Watkins’ article indicated that when African Americans are portrayed in television news it is generally in aggressive, violent, or criminal roles. Also, a recent analysis of the film industry asserts that blacks tend to be restricted to low budget features that focus disproportionately on crime, violence, and youth delinquency. The repetitious display of blacks in athletic roles creates a limited range of adult and professional role models for young black males being that they are faced with only few media images of successful African American men. The internet articles that I examined clearly showed that there is strong evidence to prove that African American men are negatively and unfairly displayed in the media. After examining these internet articles, I felt that even though they were some positive images of African American men in the media the majority of images are in some way biased or negative. After evaluating and examining my internet sources, I turned back my attention to my English 201 text book, Literature for Composition: Reading and Writing Arguments to get some more insight on the matter. While reading through chapter twenty-three, I came up on a quote from Lawrence Fuchs that I found to be tied in well with my overall all theme of identity in America. I decided to place this quote at the beginning of the research paper a sort of introduction to the overall theme. I chose this quote because it describes the complexity and internal conflicts of identity in America. Speaking of conflicts between identities, Hotel Rwanda is a film that displays such conflict to the extreme. This film was shown in class by my English professor because she said that it was in some way related to our theme and that it could also be used as a part of our secondary research. I did not really understand the connection with our theme until I saw the film. Hotel Rwanda is a historical drama about the hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina played by Don Cheadle during the Rwandan genocide and was directed by Terry George in 2004. The movie is actually based on the Rwandan genocide that occurred in 1994 where almost one million of both Tutsi and Hutu individuals were killed. In the movie which is a reflection of what actually took place, the media was used to instigate conflicts between the Tutsi and Hutu. Throughout the actual conflict the media was used as a tool to falsely display Tutsi’s as the scourge of Rwanda. For example, the radio station, RTLM was used to spread negative and hate messages about the Tutsis such as â€Å"Why do we hate the Tutsis? They are cockroaches†¦Rwanda is Hutu land. †(United Arts. Dir. Terry George. United States, 2004) All in all, it is quite evident from the primary and secondary research that there are both negative and positive displays of African American men in the media. Since the interviews I am more aware that the display of African Americans has changed over time for the better. However, from the Internet articles I have discovered that there are still a lot of negative images of African American men in the media. In addition, I learned that there are still many biases when presenting African American men in media whether on radio, television, or magazines. Overall, the research was very interesting and informative. April T. Glasgow and Professor Alexander Randall were very helpful in making my research paper a success. From carrying out this research paper I was able to conduct some interesting interviews, especially with Professor Randall. I was truly able to critically interpret and analyze the investigation in addition to improving my overall research skills. The research process was a learning experience that I will never forget. Works Cited Barnet, Sylvan, Burto William and Cain E. William. Literature for Composition. New York: Longman, 2007. Entman, Robert and Rojecki, Andrew. â€Å"Media and its Portrayal of Black Americans. † racerelations. about. com. New York. 2008. . Glasgow, April T. Personal Interview. 20 Feb. 2008. Hotel Rwanda. Dir. Terry George. Lions Gate Films and United Artists, 2004. Randall, Alexander. Personal Interview. 20 Feb. 2008. Watkins, S. Craig, â€Å"Black Youth and Mass Media: Current Research and Emerging Questions. † http://www. rcgd. isr. umich. edu/prba/perspectives/winter2000/cwatkins. pdf. Williams, Armstrong. â€Å"The Media’s Bias Against Black Men in America. † 31 March 2006. .

The Bravery And Loyalty Of Macbeth

The Bravery And Loyalty Of Macbeth People watching the play in Shakespeares time would feel that Macbeth had no fear and is precious and worthy. O valiant cousin, o worthy gentlemen. This suggests and gives people the impression that Macbeth is a brave and steadfast warrior. People would also think that Macbeth is a staggering warrior in the battle and that hes very successful and very resilient. People would also feel that Macbeth is a hammering and a successful person that needs no help therefore because of this he should be worshiped and treated as if hes the God of the universe. People also at that time would also have good views of Macbeth because he showed a lot of bravery and became undefeatable. They would also have a good conclusion about Macbeth because hes unstoppable and so no one in the area was able to prevent him from killing other people, leaving the area with dead people. People would also think that Macbeth is victorious and they would also think that the people in the battle deserved to die and that the people in the battle were as bad as a devil because it says o worthy gentlemen. This also means that Macbeth must have done something beneficial for people in such a high extent and it also suggests that Macbeth fought against whats right and bad to be in such a high rank, to be well respected by people and so the dead people deserved to die. Shakespeares uses a type a language called repetition because the word O is repeated. Also the word Valiant are nowadays archaic, which means that its less common to be used. The purpose of that type of language is to make people think twice and also gives them a reminder and it makes it more focused for the audience to understand Macbeths impression and to keep it in their mind with ease. In act one scene three the audience learn more about Macbeth, good points when he meets the witches because he shows his bravery. When he says stays you imperfect speakers, tell me more this suggests that Macbeth is powerful because hes shouting at the watches and telling the witches what to do. Imperfect speakers suggests that the witches are just making false tales up and that the witches are being untruthful and unreliable about what they are saying, as a result it makes Macbeth assume that the witches are making false tales up and that the witches are lying but hes eager to know and because he is powerful he is screeching at the witches and commanding the witches in an aggressive way to tell more about the story that Macbeth is going to be the king. Macbeth would appear in the scene with a lot of enthusiasm, excitement and with a lot of anger. When he sees the witches Macbeth would react in an enthusiastic way because the witches were telling him stories about his future. Macbeth would also find it alike about what hes hearing also he would think that theyre clowns and are just here to make false stuff up, as a result it would make Macbeth entertained. Macbeth would speak as if hes God because hes all powerful. When Macbeth says tell me more it suggests that Macbeth is angrily and desperately demanding the witches to tell him more about what theyre saying. The quote would also suggest that Macbeth at that time would move in an aggressive way and point at the witches to show and teach the witches that Macbeth is bigger, higher in rank and better and so he is to be well respected and honoured. Tell me more also suggests that Macbeth would be speaking in a cocky way. Macbeth would also be moving in a threatening way and would say s peeches like if you dont stay I will make you regret angrily to get his point across and to show that he is powerful. He would be saying all that because the witches were refusing to follow his instruction and that the witches were being very fast to try to leave the conversation. Shakespeare uses exaggeration because in the quote its written in a more of a demanding way for Macbeth. The purpose of this is to force the witches to follow what Macbeth is saying and to show that Macbeth is interested also to get the witches buzzed. In act 1 scene 3 we find out a lot more about how Macbeth feels when hes told that hes going to be the thane of Cawdor. Macbeth has become thane of Cawdor as third prediction by the witches. If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, without my stir. This means Macbeth may become the king because the witches have also predicted this. He feels that the next the prediction that hes going to become king can also be true and he feels confused but glad at the same time. Macbeth would also feel that what he heard is true; however he wouldnt do anything to be the king. He would leave it all in luck. The quote also suggests that Macbeth isnt really self-encouraged to do anything to be the king instead he would leave it all in luck to be the king, and also he would feel that there is not point for him to stir stuff up in anyway or to fight to be the king when there is no need because he is very powerful. This is a rhetorical question, because Macbeth is asking himself that quote and the purpose of this is to make Macbeth think twice, does he think its worth it, what the consequences will be, how can he overcome?, whats the benefit etc. Similarly the purpose is like taking a move in Chess because once youve done that there are a lot to think from and it gives you a buzz, impressions and it makes you ask yourself whether its worth it or not etc. In scene 1 scene 7 Macbeth doesnt want to kill King Duncan because he says I am his kinsman and his subject, this suggests that Macbeth is very closely related to King Duncan and that Macbeth has blood relationships with King Duncan and that they both go along with each other very strongly. To clarify Macbeth is trying to say I am a cousin of the king and I will serve him. The quote also suggests that King Duncan is like a father to Macbeth and so its Macbeths duty to take care of him and treat him with great respect as if hes the slave of King Duncan. It also suggests that he cant get along with the crime as he is the kings man. The purpose of this language is to tell Lady Macbeth that Macbeth is a cousin of the king and so hes doesnt want to kill King Duncan. At the beginning of the conversation Macbeth decides not to murder King Duncan, he says we will proceed no further in this business. This means that Macbeth will not take a step to follow her instruction and that he will take no tolerance with the conversation. It also suggests that Macbeth will definitely not going to murder King Duncan and hes feeling guilty and scared of what hes planning to do and so he doesnt want to go any further. His last speech to Lady Macbeth suggests that Macbeth is prepared to kill King Duncan; he says I am settled. This means that Macbeth is prepared, certain to kill King Duncan, steady and stable to go into action and kill King Duncan. This also suggests that Macbeth will stay 100 per cent focused on King Duncan to carry out the murder; also it suggests that Macbeth will be successful due to his focuses. The purpose of this language is to tell the audience how Macbeth feels and what hes trying to say. This changes because the first reaction of Macbeth suggests that hes definitely not going to murder King Duncan and he thinks hell feel guilty, very hesitating and that hell take zero tolerance. But the last reactions of Macbeth suggests the opposite, Macbeth feels that hes 100% certain to do it, also hes eager and focused to do so. The reason why this changes because his ambition for power grows as well as being persuaded to do so. In the background Macbeth has a lot of loyalty and is honoured and well respected by others due to his bravery. He also has a lot of power and it grows dramatically and later hes very eager to become the king. Later on even though his main ambition was to become king he doesnt want to reach a stage where he thinks its bad. However his wife persuades him and argues against Macbeth, persuading him to kill King Duncan and eventually she manages to pull him to her side. Her wife uses a variety of techniques to persuade Macbeth so that he murders King Duncan. She accuses Macbeth of being a coward and soft because he doesnt want to kill King Duncan and this has an effect on Macbeth and most her speeches that she says to Macbeth is totally the opposite of what people thinks of him, and therefore it makes Macbeth feel that what her wife is saying is right, and for Macbeth in order for him to prove that Lady Macbeth is wrong he must kill King Duncan. Eventually all that stirring up that her wife does to Macbeth has an huge effect, eventually, Macbeth decides to follow her instruction and do it because Macbeth wants to prove it wrong and therefore he wants to kill King Duncan. In act 2 scene 1,the scene opens with some casual conversation which tells us that its very dark, and that something bad is about to happen. The audience must be in a way of state like as if they are watching a very horror movie; William Shakespeare made this scene scary just to match up with the killing of the king. But at the beginning of this scene it starts off with Banquo and his son Fleance in the courtyard of Macbeths castle, and Fleance is carrying a torch in this scene. Banquo asks Fleance, How goes the night, boy? Hes not asking Fleance how hes doing; hes asking how late it is. Fleance hasnt heard a clock strike, but the moon is down, so it must be past midnight. Banquo then hands his sword to Fleance, who is apparently serving as his fathers squire. Banquo also gives Fleance something else, perhaps the belt and sheath for the sword. It appears that Banquo is getting ready to go to bed, and he remarks that Theres husbandry in heaven; / their candles are all out. Husbandry i s thriftiness; Banquo means that heaven has gone to bed, and has put out its candles for the night. The moon is down, the night is starless, and there are no street lights in Macbeths castle. In short, its darker than any dark most of us have ever seen. And within this dark is fear. Banquo is dead tired and feels as heavy as lead, but hes fighting sleep because hes afraid of his own thoughts or dreams. He asks the powers above to Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature / Gives way to in repose!, but we dont know exactly what thoughts hes afraid of. A little later he says that he has dreamed of the weird sisters, so maybe hes been thinking about their prophecies. Perhaps he fears that Macbeth is planning murder. Or he might fear his own thoughts about how he might become the father of kings. Or maybe hes just been having uncanny thoughts, such as seem to creep up on us in a very dark night, when every bush can be a bear. Whatever fear it is thats keeping Banquo awake, its also made him edgy. When he sees another torch, he takes his sword from Fleance and calls out Whos there?. Logically, he should have nothing to fear within the locked gates of Macbeths castle, but he still feels the need to have his sword ready, just in case. But the main factor of this scene is when Macbeth goes in to kill the king of Scotland, and it all starts off with him preparing everything for the kill, until when the bell is rang by lady Macbeth just to make clear that theres no one there in the castle that is awake apart from lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself. The audience at this point would be shocked at Macbeth because of the go along of Macbeth with Lady Macbeth; the audience would not be in favour with Macbeth due to going to kill the king. While Macbeth is getting ready to kill the king and is waiting for the thumbs up by his wife at his quiet and peaceful castle something appears in front of him. Macbeth says: Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. This conveys that Macbeth is standing in the corridor of his castle when suddenly he discovers the floating dagger which is in front of him, he is really confused and does not know what to do, he is talking to himself saying is it a false creation of the mind or is it related to the witches, Macbeth says: A dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?. The dagger seems to be showing Macbeth the path which he already is in he yet again talks to himself, he says: Thou marshallst me the way that I was going, and a instrument I was to use, the readers of this play would be saying that the floating dagger is from the evil wayward sisters and they are trying to push Macbeth into killing Duncan. But suddenly within seconds Macbeth looks above to see the dagger once more, he discovers that the dagger he saw earlier is not the same, he discovers that th e dagger has gouts of blood on, dipping away on the concrete floor, he says: I see thee still, and, on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood, which was not so before. He follows the dagger into the hall way up the stairs leading him to the chamber of the king Duncan, where he lays in bed, with the drunken guards a sleep not knowing anything thats going on beside them. The bell of Macbeths house rang; giving Macbeth a signal from Lady Macbeth to let him know thats everything is fine. Macbeth says: I go, and it is done: the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or hell, this is showing that Macbeth is ready to go and kill Duncan. Shakespeare wanted the audience to feel very sad and angry with Macbeth of what he has done in this scene and I think that this scene changed the opinions of readers likes of Macbeth to dislikes. In act 2 scene 2, Macbeth seems to find the killing regretful and bad. Ill go no more: I am afraid, to think what I have done: look ont again, I dare not. This suggests that Macbeth is a timid, terrified, angry, regretful, apologetic and guilty because he was forced and controlled and unwillingly murdered King Duncan. Look ont again, I dare not is suggesting that hes physically trying to force himself to flash back in his mind what happened but he cant because hes scared. Ill go no more: I am afraid, to think what I have done suggests that hes scared because he killed his sort of father King Duncan who he always honoured and respected, however he unwillingly he killed King Duncan and so Macbeths main aim would be to get revenge on his wife because Macbeth ended up with a lot of bad feelings and didnt want to murder King Duncan at first but he was forced to do it by Lady Macbeth and she tricked Macbeth by saying stuff like youre a coward and your weak so that Macbeth gets offended and carry out the murder. Shakespeares uses a variety of techniques. The letter I gets repeated 4 times. The purpose of this is to tell the readers how Macbeth is feeling and no one else, another of its purpose is to show that Macbeth is saying it which he is saying is more exact and that no one else is saying it. Another technique that Shakespeare uses is rhetorical question, the purpose of this is to make Macbeth think what he done and thing in which he couldve done to no do etc. The last technique that Shakespeare uses is opinion; this is a great way to let people see how Macbeth feels during that event. In Shakespeares time people were scared of witches and potions; nowadays people arent scared of witches so if it happened in a modern time people wouldnt be that scared whereas if it happened in Shakespeares time the audience would find it frightening. Appearance would have a difference people nowadays would were a robe and a wizard hat to represent that theyre witches which would make easy for the audience to identify them. In olden times they wouldnt look like this, their would be more like a tramp style, they would look ugly and dirty and it would be much harder to identify who they are, the audience would think that they are beggars and nothing else. The appearance of women also has a big difference nowadays women wears bikini, bras, and skirts whereas in Shakespeares time women wore gowns and dresses. Men would dress as women in Shakespeares time because there were no women actors because they were weak to make a suggestion whereas if it happened in a modern time there would be women actors and they would have great power. Also in Shakespeares time black magic and unusual form of magic e.g. potions, vials would be more commonly used whereas nowadays they are hardly used. The speeches would have a huge difference compared to Shakespeares time, they would use very classic words and they would speak formally in Shakespeares time would speak formally instead of slang whereas nowadays slang is more commonly used to get our message across. The use of Technology would also have a massive difference nowadays if it happened in a theatre there would be sound effects, smoke effects, and lightning effects and so on to keep spectators entertained also the performers would have a great advantage to get their message across because of loud voice due to microphone usage. The theatre would be performed live so that people can watch it. If it happened in Shakespeares time there would be no use of technology meaning that no sound effects would be used other than instruments, the audience in Shakespeares time would find i t very difficult on what the performers were saying because there would be no microphone to extend their voice and so the performers voice wouldnt be that loud, this would make the performers difficult to get their message across and also the spectators would find it hard to hear what they were saying. The acting would also have a major difference if it happened in a modern time the performers would use machine guns, laser weapons rifles etc. Whereas if it happened in Shakespeares time the performers would use swords, knifes, bows, magic etc. In conclusion of this play, I think that the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is one of the greatest tragic dramas the world has ever encountered. Macbeth is my favourite drama play of all time and another thing that is attracting the readers is the writers use of dramatic techniques to convey his character to the audience. I really like this play due to fascination of kings and queens and most of all the witches, I would recommend this play to other people who have not read it before, it is BRILLIANT! I think that the main cause for Macbeths actions inside the play is because of the witches who played an important role in the play to try and convince Macbeth that what the witches were telling, was the truth but also his driving ambition to become king had an effect on him because all he could think of is to become king and this driven him to the driving seat. But not only was his driving ambition of becoming king was the main cause for Macbeths actions, it was also his ve ry ambitious wife who controlled her husband into killing Duncan to become king, she had the main event in her hands and that is when lady Macbeth persuaded Macbeth to murder King Duncan. I also think that Macbeth was really brave to go along and kill Duncan, and to eventually become king but also I think that he was very stupid and gullible to actually do this because at the end of the play he dies in a painful death and that is because of his driving ambition of becoming king, due to his wife and mainly the witches. Although Macbeth was a good and a well honourable man at the beginning (for example, he was called Brave Macbeth), he made one big mistake that put him in the worst situation. Right at the beginning he was well respect and honoured by his surroundings. But at the end because he killed King Duncan because he got persuaded due to his ambition, as well as being persuaded to do so by his wife, at the end Macbeth became very disrespectful, and became very cruel because he murdered anyone surrounded by him and because of this he died in a painful death. Macbeth says I will not be afraid of death and bane, Till Birnam forest come to dunsinane. This suggests tha t Macbeth is not afraid to die, also hes saying that is England and that is Scotland and so come and get me, to the warriors. I would personally say that Macbeth is a coward because he unwillingly killed King Duncan and also because he had a free will, he couldve chose the option to reject and to not kill King Duncan. And even though Macbeth had a free choice he didnt reject Lady Macbeths instructions, so I believe he is a coward. I think that Macbeth had changed because practically he showed great respect and treated King Duncan as if its his own father and he had good views of him. But he changed because eventually because he murdered King Duncan cowardly because he was controlled by his wife to do so despite Macbeth didnt want to but he followed her instruction to murder King Duncan. He changed because he killed his own beloved King Duncan when he didnt want to; this also suggests that Lady Macbeth had influence on Macbeth and that Lady Macbeth is sly and cunning. Macbeth had great power in the background but he couldnt make use of it to reject what Lady Macbeth instructed him to do. Macbeth was weaker a nd didnt have the courage to fight or argue back with his wife. It also suggests that Macbeth was a coward because he obeyed Lady Macbeths rule when he didnt want to.

Factors Increasing Extinction Rates in Giant Panda Populations

Factors Increasing Extinction Rates in Giant Panda Populations Ailuropoda melanoleuca otherwise known as the Giant Panda is categorised as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2007a). This means that this is an animal which is at a very high risk of facing extinction, i.e. the species will die off. This has been a main concern for conservation since the 1950s, as at present there are approximately one thousand and six hundred giant pandas living on earth today (Yiming et. al, 2002). There are many reasons which have caused a such decline in populations of Giant panda such as their reliance on mainly bamboo, low reproduction rates, hunting and most importantly habitat destruction. All of these factors have played a key part in pushing our much loved animals to smaller and smaller numbers. WWF, (2011a) states that 30,000 sq km of forest in China is solely protected for pandas. This means that 80% of wild panda are highly protected by the Chinese government (WWF, 2011a), but why are numbers still decreasing? This essay will discuss what these factors are and how they are affecting the populations and communities of A. melanoleuca. Currently there are programmes being carried out to help conserve this species and increase numbers but are these really working? Why are there still so many few Giant pandas living on earth today? And can our conservation efforts help prevent this species from going in to extinction? To answer these questions we must look at each factor and how these are being dealt with. The Giant Panda inhabits South Central China and ranges from six isolated mountains in the Gansu, Sichuan and Shaanxi Provinces (IUCN, 2007b). Currently, this species is on the Appendix 1 CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) List (CITES, 2011a). This means that giant pandas cannot be traded internationally except in circumstances in which the reason for trading is for scientific research (CITES, 2011b). This is because this species is critically endangered and is at a high risk of extinction. The prohibition of trade will prevent giant pandas being removed from their natural habitats and reduce extinction rates in this species. Despite being biologically carnivorous, A. melanoleuca has an herbivorous diet consisting primarily of bamboo (Dierenfield et. al, 1982). In fact it is estimated that 99% of the Giant Pandas diet comprises of this food source (Schaller et. al, 1985, cited in Carter et. al, 1999). Therefore, habitat locations are very dependent on the distribution and availability of bamboo (Xuezhi et. al, 2008). There is a wide variety of bamboo which is consumed by the giant panda which consists of sixty different types with thirty-five of those containing their primary food sources (Hu, Wei, 2004, cited in IUCN, 2007b). By limiting their diet to mainly bamboo, the giant panda is at risk of eventual starvation. This is because in every fifteen to one hundred and twenty years, there is a bamboo die-off cycle which naturally occurs (Calhoun, 2005). Once this die-off occurs in the bamboo (depending on which species), the time it takes to grow to a level which can feed a full population of giant panda can be up to twenty years, thus many pandas are starved and may die due to this (Calhoun, 2005). Examples of this would be two of the main species of bamboo which are eaten by the giant panda; Arrow and Umbrella. It takes on average between forty and fifty years for Arrow bamboo to flower and for Umbrella bamboo this process takes approximately one hundred years (Franzen, 2003). Once these species and others eventually die off, giant pandas will need to search for a replacement and if unsuccessful, will starve to death and may face extinction. In the event of certain types of bamboo species dying off, conservation plans must be in place. In recent years, conservationists have been putting in place corridors between panda populations and areas which have bamboo which is not being fed on which can be suitable for feeding (Carter et. al, 1999). This type of programme is also being done to create corridors between different populations of panda also (Carter et. al, 1999). It was also suggested by Carter et. al, 1999, that these corridors should be a long term solution as the carrying capacity (the maximum population size a species can reach) of the giant panda can take up to two hundred years! Another factor which has had a negative impact on the population sizes of pandas is their vulnerability to poaching. This is when they are hunted (by humans) in the wild for their skins and skulls (Yiming et. al, 2002). To assess what effect poaching is having on the giant panda; population viability analysis (PVA) is required. PVA takes into account a range of ecological and environmental factors to evaluate the risks and threats to particular species. This allows planning for conservation and allows us to identify levels of threats to a given species (Yiming, et. al, 2002). By using PVA, Yiming et. al, 2002, found that even without the effects of poaching to giant pandas, population numbers were still very low. This is quite worrying as this means that although poaching is highly threatening, other factors are still pushing the species towards extinction. Results from Yiming et. al, 2002, experiments found that with the increase of poaching of the giant panda, a large decrease in p opulation size and a higher extinction rate was the result. Their experiments also compared poaching between the two sexes. They found that poaching in females was found to have a more negative impact on the extinction rate as they would appear to have a higher extinction rate than males, despite the intensity of poaching being the exact same. This comparison was mirrored in the analysis comparing adult and young pandas (i.e. Adults had a higher extinction rate). Therefore, Yiming et. al, 2002, highlighted that although the giant panda is naturally facing extinction due to many factors, poaching can significantly increase the extinction rate in populations. However, in recent years, the market for panda skins and incidents of poaching has began to decrease and is now no longer a key threat to the population of the giant panda (IUCN, 2007b). Reducing illegal capture and killing of the giant panda has been very successful due to training conservationists to patrol areas in which pandas are at risk (WWF, 2011b). The WWF began this training in 1996 and had more than three hundred people trained within four years. Above this, cameras have been installed on sites in which the giant panda inhabits. This allows trained staff to see how the pandas live naturally and can plan ahead on useful conservation programmes to prevent extinction occurring (WWF, 2011b). A. melanoleuca have a k-strategy approach when it comes to reproduction (Linderman et. al, 2004). This is because females do not begin to mate until they are approximately four or five years old and will only give birth to a small number of cubs (this can be as little as one or two young) (WWF China, 2011). If food is scarce (i.e. due to bamboo die-off) then the chance of the survival of cubs is very slim. Another factor which affects the reproductivity in the giant panda population is pandas in captivity. It has been found that giant pandas in captivity are not breeding well and it has been suggested that they find it difficult to mate in the presence of humans. This is because they are not in their natural environment (WWF China, 2011). The major threat to giant panda communities which is increasing extinction rates is habitat loss. Habitat loss is due to human impacts in which the giant pandas habitats have been destroyed by logging, agriculture and the development of hydropower amongst many other things (WWF, 2011c). Research published in 2008 by Xeuzhi et. al stated that agriculture was the most threatening human impact on reducing habitat sizes in panda populations. This is because farmland is usually located near human settlements which affect pandas directly. Also, as pandas are required to consume clean drinking water every day to survive, they tend to avoid large rivers. This is because large rivers are usually nearby to human settlements, in which the water will be highly polluted (Xuezhi et. al, 2008). Therefore, human impacts are limiting where panda communities can live. Fragmentation of the giant pandas habitat is also a factor contributing towards increasing the extinction rate. This has been due to ag ain, human impact as the Chinese economy has being growing exponentially (WWF China, 2009). As habitat destruction and fragmentation are the major issues impacting the giant panda population it is highly important that we try to reverse these effects as human activity is responsible for this. An example of an area which has been badly affected is Jiuzhai ring road in the Minshan Reserve Region (Xuezhi et. al, 2008). This has a high number of traffic daily and has caused the nearby community of pandas to become remote (Xuezhi et. al, 2008). It was suggested by Xuezhi et. al, 2008 that in order to prevent further damage to panda communities, the amount of human activity had to be reduced. This same idea was suggested for the Jiuzhai ring road by reducing traffic daily. In conclusion, it is clear to see that the future of giant panda populations and communities is critical and will remain so unless great changes are made. This is mainly down to human impacts which have negatively affected population numbers by destroying habitats, removing this species from its natural environment (captive breeding) and poaching. However, the giant pandas specialised diet is also pushing this species towards extinction as they are at risk of starvation. Despite this, programmes are in place to help restore habitats by creating corridors to new sources of bamboo and monitoring to prevent poaching. However, at the moment it is very difficult to determine whether or not the extinction of A. melanoleuca will be sooner rather than later. In short, the future of the giant panda is uncertain.

On Distant View of a Minaret Essay -- essays research papers

In â€Å"Distant View of a Minaret† by Alifa Rifaat, a lonely wife describes life with her husband as â€Å"a world from which she had been excluded† (Rifaat, 1996, p. 256). While a woman paints a picture of a seemingly mundane afternoon, a minaret viewed in the distance provides the reader with vivid symbols of the underlying resignation of expectation and desire she once had for her marriage and her husband. The very first paragraph of the story describes the wife looking at her husband through â€Å"half-closed eyes† and being only â€Å"half-aware of the movements of his body† (Rifaat, 1996, p. 256). While it seems as if the wife is simply depicting waking up from sleep and noticing her husband, immediately upon reading the second paragraph the reader is made aware that the husband and wife are actually having sex. The immediate impression that the reader gets is that this woman is not only not having her needs met and has obviously resigned herself to this type of encounter with her husband by the offhand way she talks about noticing a spider’s web on the ceiling. The bleak tone of this story takes a particularly sad and disturbing tinge when the wife illustrates a scene from early on in her marriage where she tries to get her husband to satisfy her desire and provide her with mutual satisfaction, only to have him rebuke and reprimand her. In fact, the husband responds in such a particularly brusque and hysterical manner that the reader can see how traumatized the wife would have been at ...

U.S. Policy Against Canada :: essays research papers

The environmental relationship between the United States and Canada has been very consistent and free from any kind of controversy or warfare. Canada has always been an ally to the United States and has had a good relationship in all matters including the environment. It would be very costly for the United States to cut ties with Canada because they are very close to the U.S. and provide many environmental and trade opportunities for them also. The only environmental problems between the U.S. and Canada is due to the transboundary smog that has been drifting over into the U.S. from Canadian companies located close to the U.S.-Canada border.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Canada and the United States have provided each other with many environmental and trade opportunities. One example of this was seen in 1991 when these two countries signed an agreement on Air Quality in order to protect both countries from the increasing amounts of acidic rain that had begun to fall on the two countries. This agreement was not meant to hinder either country, but instead to better each countries environment. Another way, a rather extensive way that the United States and Canada have joined forces to help Canada’s environment is through aid sent to Canada from the US. The United States has laid the foundation for environmental protection programs in Canada so that the Canadians would be knowledgeable about their environment. This knowledge would include ways to protect the environment and to preserve it. The United States has also provided millions of dollars for Canada to use in order to create programs to preserve their environment. I feel that the policy the United States should use towards Canada in terms of environmentalism in the future should be very similar to the current policy.

United States Immigration Policy Essay -- Illegal Immigration, Illegal

Immigration policy is a controversial but rarely debated issue in U.S. politics. Politicians usually do not take strong stances on immigration, and rarely does a candidate make immigration policy a key piece of his platform. However, the issue is very divisive and decisions concerning immigration will have a large impact on this country's future. Immigration discussions often evoke strong feelings due to the racial and ethnic issues involved. Often, those seeking to immigrate to the U.S. are part of racial or ethnic groups that are minorities in this country. Therefore, anti-immigration views are often associated with racism and nativism. It can be dangerous, therefore, for a politician or other leader to speak out too strongly against immigration. Even if his opposition is based on population concerns, and not race or ethnicity, he can fall under heavy criticism by minority groups. This effect is partly due to the fact that past attempts to limit immigration were based on racism and nativism. Past opponents of immigration, particularly in the late 1800's to early 1900's, often argued that immigrants were inferior. Anti-immigration stances often evoke thoughts of past nativist movements, such as the Know-Nothing Party. In this paper, I will take a look at various attitudes towards immigration, beginning with Singer. Then, I will give my thoughts on the matter and the policy I feel the U.S. government should adopt. Singer believes that all developed nations have a moral duty to accept more refugees. He bases this view on his utilitarian theory. Since refugees have a great interest in immigrating to a developed country, sometimes a life or death interest, Singer believes immigration should be allowed until the harm to the host ... ...fornia: Greenhaven Press, 1995. 31-33. Hardin, Garrett. â€Å"Living on a Lifeboat.† 246-57. Kennan, George F. â€Å"Immigration to the United States Should Be Reduced.† Immigration Policy. Ed. Scott Barbour. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press, 1995. 17-20. Meissner, Doris. â€Å"Government Policies Should Be Reformed to Curb Asylum Abuse.† Immigration Policy. Ed. Scott Barbour. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press, 1995. 28-30. Stein, Dan. â€Å"The United States Should Enact a Moratorium on Immigration.† Immigration Policy. Ed. Scott Barbour. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press, 1995. 21-23. Wilson, Pete. â€Å"The Federal Government Should Increase Control of Illegal Immigration.† Immigration Policy. Ed. Scott Barbour. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press, 1995. 24-27. Singer, Peter. Practical Ethics. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Operational Environment

It is imperative that commanders and leaders possess a thorough understanding of their respective dynamic Operational Environment (OE) in order to efficiently utilize available resources to achieve the desired end state. Understanding the physical environment, the state of governance, technology, local resources and the culture of the local populace is absolutely vital and failure to do so leaves little chance for success. When considering the OE the following factors need to be examined; ideology, religion, race, ethnicity, nationalism and physiological needs. Obtaining the necessary information will only be achieved as a result of a time consuming process that entails speaking with members of the local governance and the local populace of which patience is paramount. Given our current Contemporary Operational Environments (COE) of Iraq and Afghanistan probably the most important factor to understand is religion. It is imperative that commanders have a thorough understanding of the desired end state which is to rebuild the country and not force western culture upon them in the process. Agreeing with their culture or beliefs is inconsequential. Commanders at all levels are obligated to ensure that this end state is clearly stated and understood by everyone at all levels in order to show the local populace that are intentions are clear and that our efforts are sincere. According to FM 3-0 the OE should be analyzed utilizing the following interrelated operational variables; political, military, economic, social, information, infrastructure, physical environment and time (PMESII-PT). These variables provide a view of the operational environment that emphasizes its human aspects. It is suggested that whenever possible commanders and staff utilize specialists in each variable in order to improve analysis. The political analysis also addresses the effect of will. Will is the primary intangible factor it motivates participants to sacrifice to persevere against obstacles. The military variable includes the military capabilities of all armed forces within the OE. The economic variable encompasses individual and group behaviors related to producing, distributing and consuming resources. Cultural awareness falls within the social variable and helps identify points of friction within populations, helps build rapport and reduces misunderstandings. Ensuring that the importance of cultural awareness is emphasized at all levels can improve a force’s ability to accomplish its mission and provide insight into individual and group intentions. The information environment is the aggregate of individuals, organizations and systems that collect, process, disseminate or act on information. Commanders use information to shape the operational environment. The infrastructure comprises the basic facilities, services and installations needed for a society to function and it is imperative that commanders understand that degrading the infrastructure will have an affect upon the entire OE. The physical environment includes the geography and man-made structures within the OE. The enemy understands that less complex and open terrain often exposes their military weaknesses. Therefore, they may try to counteract US military advantages by operating in urban or other complex terrain and during adverse weather conditions. In regards to the time variable an enemy with limited military capability usually views protracted conflict as advantageous. They avoid battles and only engage when conditions are overwhelmingly in their favor. Given our COE the enemy is well aware that Americans are impatient and demand a decisive victory without delay and are not willing to wage a long drawn-out conflict that places a heavy financial burden upon the country. Colin S. Gray states that, â€Å"COIN is about the control of people and territory. I submit that it is virtually impossible to gain control in any region without a thorough understanding of the many different facets that the OE is comprised of. Given the fact that we have moved away from fighting â€Å"regular† wars and find our selves submerged in â€Å"irregular† warfare knowledge of the operational environment is essential because the United States is already ill prepared to fight such a war. It has taken us the last 10 years to start to chan ge our training and techniques allowing us to achieve success. The United States was stuck in the â€Å"cold war† era and our training and techniques were antiquated. Even so during the cold war era it was still vital to possess a thorough understanding of the respective operational environment in order to be successful. However, given the fact that we find ourselves in these â€Å"irregular† wars against religious extremists it seems to be exponentially important to know your OE. It seems as though that today’s operational environments are much more elaborate and complex. Today we face a more â€Å"guerilla† style combatant as opposed to having clearly drawn lines on the battle field during the cold war era. Today we find ourselves more in need of intelligence in order to determine who are enemy is and in order to obtain such elusive information it is essential to befriend the local populace which can only be accomplished by becoming educated on the aforementioned vital aspects of the OE itself. Mr. Gray also states that, â€Å"the decisive combat occurs in and about the minds of civilians, not on the battlefield. Protection of the people must be job one. † I believe that it is overtly obvious that in order to determine what is on the minds of the civilians and what their individual concerns are we need to get intimately familiar with them and earn their trust. I submit that this can not be accomplished until a thorough study of the complete operational environment has been completed and the US armed forces possess a firm grasp of what is important to the local populace. We will be ill prepared to protect them if we don’t understand what their concerns and fears are. They have to be willing to place a tremendous amount of trust in our armed forces to provide them with the information of whom they fear and why. I say this because we can’t really protect them until they provide the information but then again once they do they know that they will be targeted for reprisals. This is why I can not over emphasize how important it is to gain substantial knowledge of the local people and their respective culture within these complex environments. I would like to use the following quote from Colin Gray’s Irregular Warfare to bolster my argument, â€Å"If we do not know much about those beliefs and values, we are unlikely to register much progress in persuasion, except by accident. Indeed, by behaving like strangers in a strange land—true aliens—our regular soldiers and officials are as likely to do more harm than good to their mission. † Irregular warfare is complex and thus far has been fought in extremely complex environments. It is a fact that the United States is not well suited or well prepared to engage in such battles. We can not longer rely on our size and strength in order to ensure victory. It is through technology, special operations and vital information obtained from the local people that enable us to achieve any success at all in these complex, hostile operational environments. I submit that obtaining a thorough and complete knowledge of the individual operational environment to include the physical environment, the state of governance, technology, local resources, the culture of the local populace, ideology, religion, race, ethnicity, nationalism and physiological needs is absolutely essential in order to have any chance of success. According to FM 3-0 we should analyze the operational environment utilizing the following variables, political, military, economic, social, information, infrastructure, physical environment and time (PMESII-PT). Utilizing this method should yield a fairly complete understanding of the respective operational environment. Remember that according to Colin Gray, Irregular Warfare is about protecting the civilians and gaining their trust. How can we expect to accomplish this task if we behave like strangers in a strange land—true aliens?