The European Energy Market

European Energy Market Q1) 1. Economic benefits would be that the consumers would have freedom to choose their energy providers and probably could lower the costs. The variety of producers will improve the quality of their service. Energy providers can improve efficiency through competition which will also reduce prices. Larger utilities should be another result, which will allow them to compete more effectively. 2.I believe both the consumers and businesses would gain from liberalization: Customers should have more choices of energy providers which would increase the likelihood they would have to pay less for their energy and the energy companies could also buy energy from the cheapest source. Q2 Implications: Will replace the markets of its 27 member states with a single market for electricity and gas for the entire continent. It permits the biggest energy groups to acquire other smaller energy firms in the continent. Hill 2012) Changes in environment after liberalization: There ar e a lot of acquisitions and mergers in the energy markets. Fights between governments protecting their firms and the biggest groups which want to acquire them are a probability. Bigger firms will try to acquire firms in local country. Actions: Government would have to impose conditions to stop foreign companies from acquiring local companies, with the local authorities trying to protect the advantages of the local companies. Q3)Why is the de-integration of large energy companies seen as such an important part of any attempt to liberalize the EU energy market? The biggest energy groups are national and they have monopoly. The de-integration of the biggest companies will encourage the smallest companies to be more active and promotes fairness in the market and makes energy firms more equal. It would also permit the introduction of new providers on the energy market. So, competition between them would increase the†¦

Warped Tour And better – Creative Writing

I gazed up in amazement at the enormous steel arch which made up the railway bridge, which I, together with the other thousands of fans, was shuffling under making our way towards the vast expanse of open fields that constituted the concert arena. I hoisted myself onto the metal barrier enclosing the mass of people and slowly inched my way toward the make shift box office to collect my tickets. By the time I reached the box office it was eleven thirty and it was 100à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½F. The midday sun was harsh and I could feel the heat cutting across my neck like a red hot rapier. The dust was incredible. The grass had been worn away by the thousands of shoes scouring it, causing a permanent haze of dust to envelope the crowd as they rushed into the field beyond. As I crumpled against a steel post forming a chain link fence, I peered down at my feet and noticed rivers of sweat cascading down my legs and evaporating into the haze. Every time I took a breath I felt an abrasive sensation in my throat, causing a painful scratching around my tonsils, which I eventually relieved by bringing up a ball of brown mucus which I spat out onto the dusty ground and rubbed into the earth with my foot. I got the tickets. Once past the tickets and through a series of security checks I ambled into centre of a cluster of around two hundred gazebos, all of them hung with eye catching decorations, selling a vast variety of music paraphernalia, however, I was looking for just one tent; the DRIVE-THRU RECORDS tent. Quickly I paced through serried ranks of displays until a glint of orange caught the corner of my eye and there in bold, black print were the words DRIVE-THRU RECORDS. I barged through the throng of people twisting and turning until I arrived at the stand and was greeted by my sister who had managed to obtain VIP entry to the venue. As I gazed over her shoulder I spied tables decked with musical memorabilia and perched on the edge of one of the tables was a large glass jug containing cool, clear water. Grabbing the jug I swigged the water down in two massive gulps and wiped my hand across my mouth licking the final few droplets from around my lips. Having been refreshed I continued my quest to find the stages, however it was cut short when a magnificent cheer erupted from my right. Spurred on by this roar of excitement I grabbed my friend and dragged him with me toward the noise. We burst through the line of the regimented gazebos and finally found ourselves in the crushing surge of people pressing towards the stage. Surveying the crowd we spied gaps and quickly manoeuvred our way between the bodies until we could squeeze through any further as it was just too packed. As the guitarists struck the first chords the crowd went wild, pulsating into life, jumping, waving, screaming and shrieking with delight. The atmosphere was electric injecting everyone with pure adrenaline and energy. The last note was twanged and like a switch it caused the horde of people to slowly flood out towards the tents and huddle around the stalls selling water. But not me, because, as if by magic, my sister appeared about 100 yards away. She was waving two thin slips of orange paper, trying to lure me towards her. I couldn't quite make out what the papers were, but I had a good idea. I signalled to my friend to head toward her. As we got closer the slips seemed to glow a much more vibrant orange and I knew exactly what they were; backstage passes. Like a deer, frozen in headlights, I stood in a trance as she handed us the passes to stick around our wrists. Once I was out of my own world, my sister and I snaked through the crowd towards the tour bus whilst my friend shuffled to the front of the crowd to watch the next band. As I stepped onto the tour bus (which my sister had been staying on for the last five weeks) I felt a blast of cool clean air hit my face and the bus almost felt cold as I felt the hairs on my arms prick up. My sister grabbed two bottles and chucked one to me. She introduced me to a few of the other people retreating from the heat and then we headed out. Over the last few weeks when my sister had been away whenever I spoke to her over the phone she would brag about how she was making friends with some of the famous people on tour. One of them being someone who I practically worshiped! And I was about to meet him. I stared in disbelief as a man who I have posters of on my wall waved and smiled at my sister. The man, Travis Barker, was under a gazebo (guarded by the biggest man I'd ever seen) behind the main stage. He was leant over a small box with pads which would light up and he would hit them with his drum sticks. My sister walked up to him while I followed trying to work out if it was dream. My sister introduced me to him and when he shook my hand it sent a shiver down my spine. My sister and I spoke to him for a while despite the fact I was so dumbstruck. Eventually we had to leave as he had to play so I got him to sign my hat even though I felt stupid asking and we headed back to the tour bus. The rest of the day seemed to go quickly after this in a blur of watching bands and staggering to the tour bus for replenishment. The last image I have of the day is looking back at all the people, the astonishing size of the whole field and how amazing Warped Tour had been, but it was nothing like looking down at my hat which was I was clutching in my hand.

Tonsillitis: Virus and Age Group

Tonsillitis is an infection or inflammation of the tonsils. The main reason for your tonsils is to help stop bacteria and infection from entering any further into the body. In tonsillitis, the tonsils are enlarged, red, and often coat almost or all the way by a substance that is yellow, gray, or white. Tonsillitis usually occurs as part of pharyngitis (throat infection). Tonsillitis usually begins with sudden sore throat and painful swallowing. Sometimes, tonsillitis reoccurs, and may cause difficulty breathing.When this happens the doctor will recommend an operation called tonsillectomy. This is where the doctor removed your tonsils to prevent any further damage. Children from ages 5 to 15 are more likely to catch tonsillitis than an adult because it is caused it is most commonly caused by streptococcus species otherwise known as step throat, which is typically found in children of that age group. It is very rare to find children under the age of 2 years old to catch this infection and patient history is sometimes helpful when trying to identify the strand of tonsillitis the patient has.Most of the time tonsillitis is caused by viruses, the rest of the time it is caused by the same bacteria that causes strep throat (streptococcus). Bacteria causes 15-30% of pharyngotonsillitis cases. Pharyngotonsillitis is a medical condition characterized by an inflammation of both the tonsils and the pharynx (located at the back of the throat). It occurs due to viral or bacterial infections. In rare cases a fungus or parasite can also cause tonsillitis. Other common causes are Adenoviruses, Influenza virus, Herpes Simplex virus and Enteroviruses.There are 4 types of Tonsillitis. Acute Tonsillitis is an acute inflammation of the tonsillar tissue. Children are mostly affected and this ordinary simple disease can sometime lead to serious complications. Recurrent Tonsillitis occurs when the patient has acute tonsillitis multiple times a year. This usually ends in having the tons ils removed which is called tonsillectomy. Chronic Tonsillitis happens when the patient has chronic sore throat, halitosis (bad breath) and persistently tender cervical nodes.Peritonsillar Abscess occurs when the patent often has severe throat pain,  fever, drooling, foul breath, trismus (difficulty opening mouth), and muffled voice qualities such as hot potato voice. Diagnosis is made on the basis of the clinical symptoms. Inspection of the mouth and throat shows visibly enlarged tonsils. They are usually redden and may have white spots on them. The lymph nodes of the jaw and neck may be enlarged and tender to the touch. A culture of the tonsils maybe taken to identify bacterial infection. Tonsillitis is usually treated with a regimen of antibodies. Fluid replacement and pain control are important. Hospitalization may be required if the case is severe enough to preform tonsillectomy.Like when the infection has causes the tonsils to swell up so much that they block the airways. Th e medical assistant’s job is to do a general ear, nose and throat exam, Review patient’s medical history and schedule any tests or x-rays needed for the doctor. When the operation is scheduled if needed the medical assistant must call the day before to make sure the patient has or is following the doctor’s sed. orders before surgery. And after the surgery the M. A. is to teach and explain all the instructions the Doctor has ordered for the patient’s full recovery.

Critical, Close Reading Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games Essay

Critical, Close Reading Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games - Essay Example The major strengths of this paper is the use of examples, drawn from the novel as well as real life examples on how authoritarian rule caused rebellion. However, the area I would like to improve on is the analysis section. One of the major themes identified in the novel is power. The main source of power is the authoritarian government that is situated in the Capitol. This is because the Capitol contains majority of the wealth of Panem (Egan and Suzanne, 10). The government also uses this city to control the citizens of Panem. This is by holding the hunger games, whereby teenagers are chosen from the 12 districts and forced to fight to death. The major aim of holding these games was to thwart any form of rebellion from the people. It was also aimed at creating divisions within the districts, and infighting amongst the members of the 12 Districts in Panem (Balkind, 33). This in turn would prevent the citizens of Panem from rebelling against the government. However, these games did not succeed in preventing the citizens of Panem from rebelling. This paper takes a stand that the authoritarian use of power is a motivating factor for rebellion. It identifies circumstances where the citizens of Panem rebell ed against the authorities of the Capitol. This is through the two civil wars that occurred in Panem, and the actions of Katniss Everdeen. Originally, the country of Panem had 13 districts, but due to the authoritarian rule of the Capitol, the first civil war emerged. This was referred to as the Dark Days rebellion, and it was led by the 13th district. However, during this war, district 13 was able to gain independence, and formed its own rule. This is because its military was advanced, and it had threatened to use nuclear weapons to destroy Capitol (Collins, 7). The Capitol and the 13th district signed a secret ceasefire deal that granted district 13 independence. During

Assessing Materiality and Risk Simulation Case Study

Assessing Materiality and Risk Simulation - Case Study Example Investors are attracted to companies that have large profits and high dividends repayment. The company management utilizes audit information when making company strategies. Information about profits, losses, and market share help company managers make critical decisions regarding business processes (Boynton & Johnson, 2006). Materiality is the measure of the quantity and quality of item misstatement in a financial report. An audit statement enables the auditor to determine whether auditing has been carried out according to the financial reporting framework. Company items that have no effect on the judgment of the user of the financial statement can be omitted. Important items that affect the users’ judgment require auditor attention. The auditor must allocate materiality to sampled items in order to ensure some accounts are not ignored or under weighted. During auditing, only accounts that matter are audited, and materiality is attached after sampling. Every company has established materiality standards aimed at identifying misstatements in audit reports. Sampled accounts are checked against the set standards to determine the quantity of misstatement (Boynton & Johnson,

Mental health (a patient with bipolar who had a three years old baby) Essay

Mental health (a patient with bipolar who had a three years old baby) - Essay Example As par the report published in the MNT Knowledge Centre (2013), Bipolar disorder can be define as one kind of mental disorder which is associated with extreme change of mood of the patient along with fluctuation in the energy and activity levels. According to this report, bipolar disorder is one of the most severe mental illnesses which often destroy relationship, affect carrier perspective, and also affect the academics of the patient. Bipolar disorder sometime destroys family structure as well. A patient affected by this bipolar disorder often considers it very difficult to complete its day to day normal work. The research regarding this disease pointed out the fact that people affected from this disease sometimes also suffer from some other more common diseases as well like asthma, high blood pressure, etc. which sometimes make it more difficult for the doctors to carry out the treatment. The disease like bipolar disorder not only need proper medical attention but also need proper care, mental support from the close family member to get over the mental block that they used to be in. In this paper the main objective is to analysis the bipolar disorder-what it means for different medical people, how different medical journal define this, what are the main characteristics of this disease, what are different types of bipolar disorder, the present trend of treatment, post treatment care etc. In this paper a case is being considered where the patient is suffering from bipolar disorder along with anyone other common disease. Overview of the Patient: In this paper, the discussion is all about Susie, a bipolar disorder patient. Her case is represented by Cooper. According to the description of Cooper (nd), Susie is a 20 year old college student whose behavior for the last five days was really strange. She never sleeps in last five days and was busy in â€Å"heightened state of activity† which she herself describe as â€Å"out of control† activities. In this paper, the discussion will be a basic overview of the disease, different social, medical and mental characteristics of the patient who are suffering from this disease. What is the basic treatment process of bipolar disorder and what are the different after effect of the treatment that the patient used to face and how one can overcome those. Signs of Bipolar Disorder: Cooper in his review pointed out various characteristics which are observed by the medical officials while studying the social characteristic changes in Susie. Some of her thinking is centered on the present political condition. She used to believe that she had changed her soul with the present senator of her state, and also have some theories, in fact six specific theories which according to her can single handedly save the world from nuclear destruction. She used to share her theories with friends and professors in the university and also starts to campaign for an elected position in the US government. Although t here were no elections scheduled at that point of time. Cooper in his analysis also pointed out the fact that, from the fear of forgetting, Susie used to note down all the theories that she used to discuss with her friends in her room, computer, notebooks etc. From the feedback of her friends and family it was clear that she used to be very organized and tidy.

BOGART - A CASE IN POINT Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BOGART - A IN POINT - Case Study Example When their scheme was identified the men had managed to leave the premises with sensitive and basic information involving the B.I.D. program. The fiasco ultimately cost the company, approximately, 1,000,000 dollars to recover, repair, and pay the necessary technicians to fix the damages and eliminate the self destruct â€Å"booby-traps† they had set. These costs amounted to, nearly, twice as much as it cost to initially implement and finance the new software's development. There are a number of aspects to the case study here one can criticize Bogart’s approaches and practices in relation to this topic. However, there are 10 specific changes that would have helped the Bogart Company to prevent and proactively deal with the issues created by the developers. These ten suggestions explain where the Bogart Company went wrong and changes that they could implement that might have prevented problems. These implementations could, also, aid them in deterrence of such issues in th e future. 1. Know Your Staff: These gentlemen were newly hired and immediately handed an immensely important task; it might have been wiser not to put so much faith and responsibility in someone whose company loyalties cannot be known. 2. Never Let Employees Work on Sensitive Projects at Home: These new hired developers should never have been allowed to work from home. Outside the workplace environment there is no way for supervisors, managers, or other staff to have access to the work that these employees are doing. 3. Management Need to be involved in Sensitive Projects: The development of team involved only these two men involved two others. With such a small team working on something so intrinsically important to the future of the business, there should be a level of involvement form supervisory and management staff. They should have been more heavily present. This, alone, could have had a huge effect on the behaviors of employees. 4. Trademark and Protect Interests from the Sta rt: Once the unique elements of their system had been determined, they should have immediately trademarked and guaranteed their rights, earlier on, preceding the copyright efforts of the dishonest employees. 5. Regular In-depth Reviews of the Work: The designers were able to encrypt the system with booby-traps that could completely compromise and shutdown the system. It more people had been involved or aware of the process then these employees may not have had the â€Å"free reign† that allowed them to do as they did. Stronger interactive behaviors from supervisors are essential. 6. Make Sure Staff Feels Importance and Loyalty to the Company: Be sure to install a sense of importance and relevance to staff contributions, in this way, your staff can be your eyes, ears, and guardians of the company’s ethics and standards. In this case, it was the honesty and keen eye of another employee that identified the designers hidden trademark logo. Had that employee, in the case st udy, not identified that trademark the outcome in this case might be a great deal different (Mayhew, 2013). 7. Implement Strict Policy from the Start: The Company used the signing of stricter security policies as a ploy to

Sstrategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sstrategic management - Essay Example In strategic thinking a firm primarily should concern itself with the answering of three important question, these are; where we are? Where we are headed and how we intend to get there? The first question is vital because by understanding its current position, a firm can define itself in the present tense and thus prepare strategy that can be launched from the position. The second question is in a way a continuation of the first since it can only be practically answered after the first has been determined, where is the firm headed in the market? A firm must interrogate the market and business positions it intends to hold and occupy in the, the firm also needs must consider who its potential target customers are in addition to figuring out the needs it aims to satisfy and fulfill for these customer groups. A firm should also under the question of where we are going; consider what it seeks to achieve in its particular business. After asking and answering the above question, the firm wi ll have established its position and intention, at this point the third question emerges, how are we going to get there? The next consideration of the presentation was the definition of strategy; according to the speaker, a company’s strategy is comprised of the sort of competitive moves and actions business managers engage in in order to successfully run the company. To use a sporting analogy, a strategy can be described as the game plan in which the maneuvers and plans intended to be applied in bringing eventual success are contained (courseonline3000, n.d.). This game plan comprises of information on what sort of company they want to run, the characteristics, expectations of the target customers, and the means by which they will be attracted and maintained. It is in the strategy that the firm’s market position is staked out so it may curve out for itself a niche in its particular industry in the interests of maintaining relevance. The strategy must also indicate the type of operations that management wishes to conduct, the means by which they will be completed successfully, as well as the individuals expected to work on the same. All this is done with the ultimate goal of achieving the organizational objectives and this will depend on what sort of objectives, which should have also been specified in the strategy. Business models are other critical considerations that companies make; a business model addresses the issue of how a company should make money, which is the ultimate objective of majority of firms. In the setting up of a business model, firms must determine whether the business in which they are engaged provides an equitable return in investment. To determine the effectiveness of a particular business model the managers must consider several factors in the business front; first they must consider the revenue that a particular strategy is expected to produce after implementation. Secondly, they should consider the cost involved in form s of structures and resources and compare it with the potential profit margin, finally they must consider if the resulting earning are indicative of a viable strategy and thus practical model. These are important because the resulting revenues and other benefits that follow its implementation will only determine the validity of a model. A business model and strategy work toward the same end; nevertheless, in their structure and

Social media platforms create a lot of value Essay

Social media platforms create a lot of value - Essay Example The value sharing differs with traditional media in that social media platforms provide a two way communication channel where the marketer and the receiver of the message can interact directly. In case of traditional media such as newspapers, it can be seen that communication is mainly one way which entails that it moves is from the sender to the receiver. There is little opportunity for the receiver of the message to get in touch with the marketer and this is where value can be lost. In traditional media, the marketer is usually in full control of the marketing process where the targeted receiver of the message has little input or cannot influence the information that is disseminated by the marketer. The marketer tailors the message in such a way that the intended meaning is conveyed to the targeted consumer. However, it can be seen that in terms of new social media platforms, value is created through interaction of the marketers and the targeted customers. The marketers are in a position to interact directly with the targeted customers such that they can get feedback and they can freely exchange views about a particular market offering. In other words, the consumers who use social media are not passive consumers of the messages that are disseminated t them by the marketers since they can also respond to them. In as far as social media is concerned, it can also be observed that communication is referred to as â€Å"free† since all the people involved can freely interact and the message can be accessed for free (Brown, 2009). Any person who needs information related to a particular product of market offering is free to access it and is also free to respond the way they like. In case of free marketing caused by the use of new social media mentioned above, different people involved i n the communication process can freely express their ideas and these also help the marketers to design effective programs that can help to influence

Then Ill be brief Essay Example for Free

Then Ill be brief Essay In Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, Juliet matures very rapidly. In the start of the play Juliet is introduced as a young, innocent girl, but ends up as a woman in love with an opinion of her own, and is emotionally mature. Juliet goes through several stages of being a child, being in love, becoming a wife, being deceived and being a widow in a short space of time. In the beginning Juliet is shown to be an innocent and nai ve, almost a child, she is not yet fourteen years of age. She is open-minded and joins in when she is being teased. She is also willing to listen and respect the advice of her parents and nurse; Ill look to like, if looking liking move. This shows that Juliet at this point is obedient and is not emotionally aware and doesnt know what real love is yet. Another quotation that shows her obedience is Madam, I am here, what is your will? Also we can see that Lord Capulet, although Juliets father and considered her owner, values her opinion and thinks highly of her. She is the hopeful lady of my earth. We can see that that there is an innocence about her character and that the thought of marriage does not impress her. We know this because when she is confronted with the idea of marriage she says It is an honour that I do not dream of. Even though she is not interested in marrying Paris, she agrees to keep her father happy. Another point that shows Juliet is still a young girl is the way that she interacts with and is continually petted by the Nurse. Throughout the play the Nurse continually appears. In the beginning Juliet and the Nurse trust each other, protect each other and show love towards each other. Nurse speaks to Juliet in a little girl language What lamb! What ladybird! Juliet appears to have a better relationship with the nurse than with her mother. Juliet and her mother appear to have an awkward relationship. We can see this when she asks the Nurse to give a while but soon after asks her to return. Juliets behaviour rapidly changes when she is faced with new situations and soon finds that she is in love, and her life has changed. When she meets Romeo she uses a witty and intelligent language. Romeo metaphorically uses religion, saying that Juliet is a saint, a blessing from God. Although Juliet is only young she is very articulate and this is where her intelligence shows through. She smartly twists Romeos words and takes control over him. Juliet says, Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer. Prayer is the emphasised word, and although Juliet is denying what Romeo is suggesting she is perhaps, urging him to kiss her. She is outrageously flirtatious. Her meeting with Romeo resulted in a very quick increase in her maturity. A major part in showing that Juliet is maturing is the way in which her language includes a sonnet. The way in which she and Romeo share the sonnet shows true love, even though they have only just met. In a way, Shakespeare is blessing their love and by doing this he is showing that Juliet accepts him and his manner, and is also showing how much she likes him. Shakespeare is once again showing Juliets intellect and the way she easily adapts to her surroundings. Once she has admitted her love for Romeo and committed her life to him, there is a new maturity in the way she responds to the people around her and the circumstances in which she finds herself. She is a young woman saying; this is want I want. During the balcony scene Juliet says: O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father or refuse thy name Or if thy wilt not, be but sworn my love And Ill no longer be a Capulet! This scene gives the effect that the couple are so in love that Juliet can take a mature approach to Romeo being a Montague. She strongly believes that Romeo is not her enemy, Montague is. Tis but a name that is my enemy. This shows that she loves Romeo more than she respects her parents and says that she will rid of her family name if it allows her to be with Romeo. She practically questions Romeo and tests him by proposing marriage. Juliet is starting to be more independent and questions her parents ideas and disobeys them. There appears to be passion and energy in Juliets speech when she is communicating with Romeo. Her language becomes very bold and she talks more to him. She is prepared to take responsibility and so proposes marriage to him. If that thy bent of love be honourable. Thy propose marriage, send me word tomorrow. This shows a decisive and self-motivated side of Juliet and we can see that she has already changed from the shy and polite Juliet that we were first introduced to. This shows a great, rapid increase in her maturity. Other factors that influence this increase is the way in which she chooses love, even at the risk of being cut from her family, And Ill no longer be a Capulet When Juliet sends the Nurse out to find out about her marriage to Romeo her temperament changes, showing Juliet in a different light. The clock struck nine when I did see the Nurse; Oh she is lame Is three long hours, yet shes not come. Shakespeare has used these short sentences to Juliets desperation and frustration. She has turned from being a pleasant and courteous girl to a frustrated one. These mannerisms where not expected from a young girl in this period of time. This is another change we are shown in Juliets behaviour and maturity. When the Nurse begins to say that Juliet should just agree and marry Paris, Juliet even cuts off from the Nurse leaving her alone. When the Nurse says Will you speak well of that who killed your cousin. Juliet replies Shall I speak ill of him who is my husband? She also says that That villain would of killed my husband protecting Romeo from the Nurse taking the side of he lover, rather than her family and openly rebelling showing that she is not trying to act the part that her parents want her to play. Although Juliet is drifting away from her family she once again she begins to play the role of a mature young woman and agrees to wed Paris, to put things right with her family. This is a very mature act, even though we know from the text that this is not what she wants. Juliet says Unless thou tell me how I may prevent it .. . And with this knife Ill help it presently. When Juliet agrees to marry Paris she says to her father To beg you pardon. Pardon I beseech you! Henceforth I am ever ruled by you. This is a very mature act, even though it is deceitful, Juliet has settled problems within her family, so they do not feel that they have killed her. She shows maturity by putting their needs before hers. After Juliet has arranged her death with Friar Lawrence, she is an emotionally awoken woman who will do anything to be with the one she loves. And I will do it without fear or doubt, to live an unstained wife to my sweet love. Juliet faces her fears and trusts in God and Friar Lawrence. She is forced to use trickery in order to stay true to dear Romeo. This showed remarkable courage. Before she takes the potion she uses a soliloquy that confronts all her fears. She speaks in blank verse showing the seriousness of the situation. When Juliet awakes to see a lifeless Romeo lying beside her, Juliets maturity and loyalty takes over and she takes the decision to choose eternity over the present. The quotation Then Ill be brief. O happy dagger! This is my sheath; there rust, and let me die. Shows the quickness and determination of Juliets death. During the period of a few days Juliet matures into a committed and reliable woman and wife, capable of taking decisions without the help of others. Shakespeare shows this by clearly stating the different stages that happen and by making everything occur in a short period of time. He also uses different language throughout the play, such as blank verse, sonnets and soliloquies and different sentence structures to show different emotions.

Pestle Analysis Of The Car Industry

Pestle Analysis Of The Car Industry This report is a PESTLE analysis of the Car Industry. We have looked at Political, Environmental, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental issues that affect the car industry based on innovations that have and are taking place. It is political factors which are creating market pulls on innovation in the automobile industry and having the greatest affect on the innovations which are produced. This is because the governments of many countries are concerned about global warming and lowering their emissions. And one way to lower its affects is for the automobile industry to create innovations which have less of an impact on the environment. The main ways through which governments are intervening are, Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles, FreedomCAR, emission standards and the Kyoto Protocol. Â  The number of accidents and alcohol related accidents, which are social factors, are starting to increase. This has caused the automotive to innovate to help reverse this increase and lower the number of accidents on the road. 2. INTRODUCTION The aim of this report is to have an insight of the automobile industry, how it has been affected by innovation and what actions the car companies have taken in terms of innovation. We will analyse the external factors of the industry through a PESTLE analysis. The word PESTLE is an abbreviation of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental. A PESTLE analysis is an audit of an organisations environmental influences (CIPD, 2009) that are having an effect on the organisation/industry. The analysis can lead to seeing possible opportunities that lie within the industry and where the major influences on the industry come from. An innovation is the generation of a new idea and its implementation into a product, process or service (Urabe et al, 1986, p.3). An innovation can fall under one of the following categories: Product Changes in the things (products/services) which an organisation offers. Process Changes in the ways they are created and delivered. Position Changes in the context the product/services are introduced Paradigm Changes in the underlying mental models which frame what the organisation does. (Tidd, Bessant and Pavitt, 2005, p.10) We will refer to this classification of different types of innovations throughout this report. The Henderson and Clark model of innovation will also be used, and according to it there are 4 types of innovation: Incremental innovation is the enhancement of existing products or services. (Gaynor, 2002, p. 25) Modular innovation is when new knowledge is required on a product as one part of a product is significantly improved but the overall the architecture of the product remains the same. (Innovation Zen, 2006) Architectural innovation reconfigures a system of components that constitute a product, process or service (Gaynor, 2002, p.26). Radical innovation is the introduction of new products or services that develop into major new businesses or spawn new industries, or that cause significant change in a whole industry (Gaynor, 2002, p.27). 3. THE PARTNERSHIP FOR A NEW GENERATION OF VEHICLES The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) was a program that started in 1993 by U.S president Bill Clinton and vice president Al Gore (PNGV, 2009). The partnership was between many government agencies including the United States Council for Automotive Research. (USCAR) This consisted of the big three American automotive manufacturers (Ford, General Motors and Chrysler), over 300 suppliers of automotive parts, small businesses, Universities and federal Labs (see appendix 1) (Turner et al, 2000). In this partnership the U.S government would match the amount of capital the big 3 manufacturers invested into the research of technologies that would help achieve the partnerships objectives and the big 3 manufacturers, small businesses, universities and laboratories would carry out the research (Jewett, 1997). When this program first started, it had 3 objectives: To increase the competitiveness of the U.S automotive industry. Create a mid -sized vehicle that has the fuel efficiency of 80 miles to the gallon whilst keeping the performance and cost similar to those of vehicles that were available in 1993. This vehicle would need to apply to the emissions standards of 2004. Employ the innovations that were created in the program to conventional vehicles once the innovations became commercially viable. (Fosgard, 1995) The government created this partnership for two main reasons: The first is that they wanted to lower Americas need on foreign oil (an economic factor) through the fact that more efficient vehicles would use less oil and this would increase Americas national security (a social factor) (PNGV, 2009) because the country would be less reliant on other nations for fuel. Secondly, the U.S government wanted to lower the amount of harmful greenhouse emissions that the United States emitted as a whole and lowering the level of emissions that the cars in the U.S was one way to fulfil this reason (PNGV, 2009). This was an environmental factor causing the creation of PNGV. There was a requirement of the vehicles that were to be created in 2004, which was that they should be able to travel a certain distance on a full tank of fuel. Also there were short deadlines within the program an example was that by 1997 production prototypes of the vehicles that were most likely to meet the objectives were to be created. These two factors meant that architectural innovations over the regular internal combustion engine like a fuel cell or pure electric vehicle couldnt be pursued because they could not meet the range requirement and required much longer to research than the deadline allowed (Sperling, 1996). These are architectural innovations as they reconfigure the power source of the vehicle and no longer use an internal combustion engine. Such innovations would have been better at meeting objectives as they required little or no oil and emitted far less greenhouse gases. The only option available to the automobile manufacturers was a hybrid electric vehicle. A product and modular innovation over internal combustion engines as they use a regular internal combustion engine in partnership with one or more electric motors (Toyota, 2009). The hybrid electric vehicle was originally created in 1899 by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche (Truett, 2006), which makes the hybrid the big three manufacturers created was an incremental innovation on Porsches hybrid vehicle as their version was an enhancement of an existing technology. In the end no vehicles were produced which could meet all the requirements (Washington Times, 2009) so it could be seen as a failure. However many incremental innovations were created because of this partnership. Examples are, all of todays hybrid vehicles use some battery technology that was created in PNGV (Business Week, 2006), and DaimlerChrysler made large strides in technology which makes vehicles lighter, up to 46% lighter than conventional vehicles which they use in their latest models (Vasilash, 2000). Overall PNGV was a political factor affecting innovation because it was initiated by the government. This caused market pull on innovation in the automotive sector as the innovation was being carried out to meet a specific need. A marketing pull is when a stimulus of innovation comes from the needs of the society or from a particular sector of the market (Open University, ND).This political factor was caused by environmental, social and economical elements. Even though the government wanted to free themselves from the need on foreign oil the conflicting objectives of the partnership did not allow pursuit of architectural innovations which would have allowed this but many useful incremental innovations did come out of the partnership. 4. FREEDOM CAR PROGRAM Due to the failure of PNGV the U.S government created the FreedomCAR program (FreedomCAR, 2002). This program is a partnership between the U.S government, USCAR and five major energy companies (Green Car Congress, 2008). The program is based on the following principles: Freedom from dependence on imported oil. Freedom from pollutant emissions Freedom for Americans to choose the kind of vehicle they want to drive, to drive where they want and when they want. Freedom to obtain fuel affordably and conveniently. (U.S Department of Energy, 2009) The program is based on similar economic, social and environmental issues as PNGV however the latter 2 principles are further social factors that caused the creation of FreedomCAR. The long term focus of the program is to see whether hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can become the norm in the U.S by 2015 (Green Car Congress, 2005), this is because as previously explained the vehicles are an architectural innovation that do not require oil and produces no harmful emissions. The short term focus is to make internal combustion vehicles and electric hybrid vehicles as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible (Green Car Congress, 2005). In terms of innovation in the automotive industry, the partnership is exploring research in a wide range of areas from creating lithium ion batteries for use in vehicles to making carbon fibre much cheaper to produce (Business Week, 2006). These are incremental innovations as they are improvement on existing technology and so it may seem that they are not pursuing the long term focus of the partnership but these incremental innovations are required to make the architectural innovation possible (Business week, 2006). Just like PNGV, FreedomCAR is a political element that is having an effect on innovation in the automotive industry as it was created by the government because of several economic, social and environmental issues. The difference between the two programs is that FreedomCAR lacks restrictive deadlines and its main focus is architectural innovation which will hopefully meet the principles set. 5. CAR EMMISSIONS Car emissions have become an increasingly important issue for car owners and reducing individuals carbon footprints. Buying smaller cars have been encouraged to car owners by the media and many politicians. (Quirk, 2008) The European Union is trying to reduce the CO2 emissions from cars and also improve their fuel efficiency which led to the creation of the ACEA agreement. The agreement is between the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), and the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA). The table below shows how these targets can change into fuel efficiency standards for petrol and diesel cars according to the ACEA agreement. Relationships between CO2 targets and fuel consumption Year Target Petrol (Litres of fuel consumed per 100 km) Diesel (Litres of fuel consumed per 100 km) 2012 120 gCO2/km 5.1 4.6 2008 140 gCO2/km 5.9 5.4 A failure for the car industry to meet the 2008/9 targets could lead to mandatory regulation in the future (Rajagopalan Saini 2007). For example BMW has built the Mini Cooper Diesel which meets the targets set above as they are below the criteria, making it an efficient car of its time. 64mpg is the cars combined fuel consumption and 104g/km of carbon dioxide is emitted. The 5-series saloon is also achieving these quality emissions where the 2.0 litre diesel version emits just 136g/km about the same as a hatchback. (Quirk, 2008) The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Trades chief executive said that average emissions have fallen every year during the last decade. Through technological innovation and consumer education, manufacturers have made genuine progress towards meeting tough environmental targets, (Young, 2009) Several manufacturers including Saab think the solution to reducing vehicle emissions is through the use of Flex-fuel cars or bio powered cars. These types of vehicles can run on emissions free E85 ethanol or petrol or a combination of the two (Quirk, 2008) Flexible fuel vehicles have been in production since the 1980s and have been made available to many customers who might not even know they have this type of engine in their car. (U.S Department of Energy, 2009). Flexible fuel vehicles do not experience any loss of performance when using E85 ethanol. However, since a gallon of ethanol contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline, flexible fuel vehicles typically get about 20-30% fewer miles per gallon when fuelled with E85. U.S Department of Energy (2009). Flexible fuel vehicles are an incremental innovation on regular internal combustion engine vehicles as most of the technology is the same. The only difference is that they can run on a different type of fuel. Flexible fuel vehicles produce no harmful emissions so they will help meet emissions targets but first consumers need to switch to using e85 ethanol and this will only happen if the price of e85 is not high as it has lower fuel efficiency than petrol. E85 ethanol is still some way off from being readily made available to the public because there is a lack in the number of refineries to create the fuel and pumping stations to provide it. (Quirk, 2008). Flexible fuel cars are in the fluid phase of the Abernathy and Utterback model (see Appendix 3 for full definition) as a core component (the e85 ethanol fuel) is not widely available. This lack of availability of the fuel is also slowing the innovation of flexible fuel vehicles as the fuel is not there to run flexible fuel vehicles so the vehicle manufacturers are not going to put their full effort into improving the technology. 6. CONVENIENCE AND SAFETY CAR INNOVATIONS There have been many road accidents and the main contributors to these are alcohol and careless driving. To discourage drink-driving there have been many campaigns to reduce the number of casualties from road accidents. (National Statistics, 2009). In recent years there has been an increase in accidents involving alcohol compared to a sharp fall in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. In 1986, 560 people were killed compared to 1000 people in 2000. (See Appendix 2 for full statistics) (National Statistics, 2009). Also according to Volvo, driver sleepiness is responsible for more road deaths than alcohol. In Germany, it is thought to account for a quarter of all fatal accidents and in the US about 1,500 deaths a year. (Automotive Engineer, 2006).This has therefore meant that car manufacturers have created innovations to help prevent these from happening again such as: Volvo has created the collision warning system to help prevent accidents from occurring. This system uses a wide angle sensor to scan around the car for any objects that may be near much like radar technology. A signal alerts the driver to react, if for example the car is approaching a pedestrian which will give the driver enough time to divert the vehicle away from the pedestrian (Quirk, 2008). To help lower alcohol related accidents Saab has created the Alco-Key. Saab has begun fitting this device as standard in their cars; it is a fully integrated system that requests the driver to blow into a wireless hand-held unit before driving the car. Their breath is then analysed and if the blood-alcohol limit is exceeded, a red LED will appear and the engine will not start (Quirk, 2008). Volvo has introduced the Sleep Detection system which includes Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Driver Alert Control (DAC). LDW uses cameras located between the windscreen and the rear view mirror and monitors the cars position between the road markings. Only after a certain speed is reached does the system become active, if the car then wanders across any lane markings without using an indicator, the driver is audibly alerted (Quirk, 2008). These creations are product innovations as they are new innovations that car manufacturers have created and offer with their vehicles. The fact they have been produced as a response to help prevent alcohol related accidents, which is a social factor, makes them a response to a market pull. The fact that the Alco-key is the first system that prevents drinking driving could lead to Saab gaining the first mover advantage, if such technology was to become mandatory. This advantage would be kept through the fact Saab has a patent on the technology (Free Patents Online, 2009) and a patent prevents other companies from using the technology without Saabs permission. 7. THE KYOTO PROTOCOL The Kyoto Protocol was an international agreement originally created in 1997 but in 2005 it was made legally binding, and is linked to the United Nations Framework of Climate Control. The agreement set targets for industrialised countries to cut their emission of harmful greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, plus several others) which are partially the cause of the increase of global warming. The countries that signed the Kyoto Protocol agreed to set their own targets e.g. Japan agreed to meet a 5% cut in emissions by 2008-2012 and most EU countries agreed to an 8% cut (BBC, 2005). Carbon dioxide is created by internal combustion engine vehicles and given off from their exhaust; therefore its a cause of global warming. To meet the targets agreed, governments and automobile manufacturers need to work together. In 2007, the Japanese government agreed to spend 200 billion yen on the improvement of hybrid vehicles to lower their emissions (Reuters, 2007) as HEVs emit less harmful gases than a petrol engine (What Green Car, 2009). Also in Japan, Toyota has achieved its target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, from 2.12 million to 1.78 million tons. It did this through decreasing their energy usage by 40% and replacing multiple production lines with single lines capable of producing different vehicles (I. Rowley, 2005). The change in their use of production lines which increased efficiency is a process innovation as it is a change in the way the vehicles were created. Both of the above examples are market pulls on innovation for the fact the change is a response to a market/government requirement. The Kyoto Protocol is a political factor based on an environmental factor (global warming), having an effect on innovation as the governments in many countries are trying to adhere to it and to adhere to it requires the government to intervene change the vehicles that the automobile industry produces and the way they are produced. 8. CONCLUSION It is clear that out of the PESTLE factors, the main one which is having the greatest effect on innovation in the automobile industry is political. Many governments are concerned about global warming and it is the automotive industry which is adding to worsening of the effects of global warming through the emissions of their vehicles and their manufacturing plants. This has led to governments to intervene in the automotive industry to make vehicle manufacturers improve their own vehicles and facilities, through innovations which have mostly been incremental. However FreedomCAR looks promising for the environment as it is hoping to create an architectural innovation, the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that have little impact on the environment, and help meet the governments reason for creating these market pulls on innovation. It also lacks the restrictive deadlines and conflicting objectives that PNGV had which will help increase the programs chance of success. So it may be political fa ctors that are having a direct affect on innovation but these political influences are mainly based environmental factors. Social aspects are also having an affect on innovation through the improvement of safety of the vehicles that are produced. The increase in the number of accidents and alcohol related accidents has led to a market pull on innovation for vehicle manufacturers, as they have created these improvements in safety due to this increase. As it is the political factors that are directly influencing the innovations that manufacturers create, means they are not doing it in response to the environmental factors themselves. This means the automotive industry are not wanting to help lower their affect on the environment even though it is them adding to global warming. 9. RECOMMENDATIONS This report shows that the vehicle manufacturers have only begun being environmentally concerned because of political factors their having on the industry. We would recommend that the manufacturers start thinking in a more environmentally friendly manner e.g. by investing in new machinery and production facilities similar to those of Toyota which emit lower carbon emissions. Another recommendation is the manufacturers start to create more flexible fuel vehicles and promote their availability which will increase the likeliness that consumers will switch to them. But also for consumers to switch will require that more refineries which can produce the e85 ethanol needed for the vehicles to be created. Also the price of the fuel will need to regulate as to prevent it from being too high as consumers may decide not to use e85 for the fact it has a lower fuel efficiency than petrol. 10. APPENDIX Appendix 1 Diagram showing the structure of PNGV. APPENDIX 2 Casualties from road accidents involving illegal alcohol levels, 1986-2000 United Kingdom Thousands Source: Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions; Royal Ulster Constabulary Casualties from road accidents involving illegal alcohol levels, 1986-2000 ThousandsSeriousSlightAllFatalinjuriesinjuriescasualties 1986United Kingdom 1.03 6.57 19.60 27.20 1987 0.93 6.01 17.99 24.93 1988 0.81 5.18 17.25 23.24 1989 0.84 4.92 17.05 22.81 1990 0.80 4.23 16.01 21.04 1991 0.69 3.72 14.00 18.41 1992 0.69 3.40 13.28 17.37 1993 0.57 2.82 12.25 15.63 1994 0.54 2.95 12.26 15.75 1995 0.56 3.10 12.89 16.56 1996 0.60 3.13 13.93 17.67 1997 0.57 3.07 13.90 17.55 1998 0.49 2.68 13.25 16.42 1999 0.48 2.60 14.64 17.72 2000 0.56 2.71 15.75 19.02 Source: Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions; Royal Ulster Constabulary National Statistics (2009) Appendix 3 The Abernathy and Utterback model says that technology can be in 3 different phases, fluid, transitional or specific. Fluid Many uncertainties with the technology and in the market prevail. Large amounts of experimentation going on with the technology and core components are not fully available/developed. Very few competitors. Transitional Firms are learning more about the technology and a dominant design has been accepted by many of the competing firms. Specific Companies are creating incremental innovation on the dominant design and are targeting specific market segments (Innovation Zen, 2006)

Otherness and the Rhetoric of Imperialist Discourse :: Free Essays Online

Otherness and the Rhetoric of Imperialist Discourse Le yo vle touye yon chen, yo di’l fou. (When they want to kill a dog, they say it’s crazy.) ---Haitian Proverb When Elizabethan map makers came upon an area of the globe that was yet to be thoroughly explored by â€Å"western† civilization, they would give a rough estimate as to its shape and terrain, and then label it as Terra incognita, or â€Å"unknown land.† To help illustrate exactly how unknown this land was, images of demons and a variety of other monsters filled space usually inhabited by the names of cities, rivers and deserts. While the labeling itself could at first sight be dismissed as a simple acknowledgment of ignorance (as it certainly was,) an understanding of traditional cultural attitudes within imperialist countries provides us with the tools to see such language and imagery as highly representative of an ideology exemplified (though certainly not monopolized) by England during the period. What is so striking about terra incognita is not so much its name or the images it connects to nonwestern culture, but the fact that betrays even something as scientific and functional as a map to be a form of discourse deeply enmeshed in ideology. In a imperialist society, cultural discourse tends to seep into nearly every aspect of human communication and interaction, and is frequently characterized by an emphasis on separation, classification, and the idea of opposites. This seperative effect exploits differences in ideology, race, religion, tradition, clothing style, and language, among others, to create a images of â€Å"cultural oppositeness.† Such images are exactly the type that Edward Said describes in his book Orientalism. As Said puts it, orientalism â€Å"is a style of thought based upon ontological and epistemological distinction made between ‘the Orient’ and (most of the time) ‘the Occident.’†[1] These distinctions can be found in all colonial and imperialist societies, including those that benefit from modern day manifestations of such constructions. The effect of separating â€Å"first world† or â€Å"Occidental† culture from that found in countries outside the â€Å"Occident† is to create a general perception of the people practicing these cultures as â€Å"Others.† â€Å"Otherness† (a term frequently used in critiques of imperialist discourse,) is usually synonymous with poor, â€Å"third world,† or â€Å"pre industrialized,† and suggests many of the same remedies that have been prescribed to countries suffering from â€Å"otherness† and â€Å"Orientalism† for hundreds of years.

The Image of the Big House as a Central Motif in The Real Charlotte Ess

The Image of the Big House as a Central Motif in The Real Charlotte The image of the 'big house' has long been a central motif in Anglo-Irish literature. From Maria Edgeworth's Castle Rackrent (1800), it has been a source of inspiration to many writers. One of the reason s for the surge in "castle rackrents" (a generic term employed by Charles Maturin) through the 19th and early 20th century, is that many writers who used the 'big house' as a backdrop to their work were residents of such houses themselves - writers such as Sommerville and Ross, George Moore and Elizabeth Bowen, were born into the ascendancy and wrote about an era and society with which they were familiar. However modern writers, such as Molly Keane and John Banville, have also found the romantic qualities of the 'big house' alluring and therefore have continued to use the era and setting as a backdrop in their works. The 'big house' genre has resulted in such an outpouring of works of this type of fiction, that one critic remarked: "seems to have flourished in direct proportion to the historical demise of the culture it seeks to display." [1] The Real Charlotte is set in a period, which can be described as the 'Indian Summer' of the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy. An 'Indian Summer' is a period of relative calm before the on set of winter: in this case it is a metaphor describing the life of leisure the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy lived with their grand tea parties, hunting, theatrical performances etc, pursuits and interests which W.B. Yeats associated with 'big house' life in general: "Life [which] overflows without ambitious pains." [2] However, this period of calm is followed by the onslaught of winter, with the Great Famine and the r... ...l Charlotte. Somerville and Ross were daughters of the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy, and as they wrote their novel based on their experiences, perhaps it was only natural that some aspects of The Real Charlotte depict the decay of Big Houses and the Ascendancy class. It is through the development of characterisation and setting, that Somerville and Ross artfully portray the demise of the Big House and it's inhabitants at the hand of ambitious middle classes, and as a result of political evolution. For this reason the novel is historically accurate in showing the decline of the Big House. But despite their historic downfall, the Big Houses of the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy have found a new lease of life in literature as the Big House genre, making reality what W.B Yeats once said: "Whatever flourish and decline These stones remain their monument and mine." [31]

Comparing Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer Essay -- comparison compare

Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn follows a young boy named Huck through his adventures down the Mississippi River. Through the adventures and obstacles he faces and overcomes with Jim, a loyal run-away slave, Huck changes and becomes more mature. He is no longer the careless, prank playing boy that ran around and had fun at other people's expense. Near the end of his life-changing journey down the Mississippi, Huck is reunited with his idol and close friend Tom Sawyer and these once very similar boys now have many obvious differences. Huck differs from Tom in his way of thinking, in his treatment and attitude towards Jim, and in his tendency to question his surroundings. Huck sees and interprets the world realistically and in practical terms whereas Tom, a true romantic, believes the world operates like the stories in his books. A great example of their contrasting ways of thinking is in their differing approaches to rescue Jim from his imprisonment. Huck plans to simply steal the key, get Jim out, run to the canoe, and escape down the river on the raft. Huck's plan to get Jim out of captivity is straightforward, simple, and effective. Tom, however, complains that "its too blame simple," and that "there ain't nothing to it"(224). Tom's plan is complicated and full of unnecessary additions because of his stubborn adherence to the romantic scenarios that he reads in his novels. Tom believes there is "honor in getting [Jim] out through a lot of difficulties and dangers,"(230) and he goes out of his way to invent obstacles to make the situation more difficult and more like the stories he grew up on. He unnecessarily invents hard rock to dig t hrough, a tall tower to climb down from, an infested ... ...t the change that Huck undergoes. Without Tom, an unchanged character that Huck once modeled himself after, the reader cannot correctly judge how much Huck changed from his experiences down the river and how genuinely good Huck has become. After spending so much time with Jim and discovering Jim's real character and personality, Huck acquire new understanding, compassion, and respect for him. He can now see past the color of his skin and treat Jim as a human being. Although he will never consider Jim as an equal, he has already taken momentous steps towards realizing that the slave institution is unjust. Huck has gone beyond anybody in his society and has become free of the limitations that the southern society has placed on thought. He has become nearly the opposite of Tom, who is the perfect embodiment of the southern lifestyle and way of thinking. Â  

What Is a Moratorium On Foreclosures

The mortgage crisis in America is a political hot topic that has taken a front seat to many other topics of national importance. Even the upcoming presidential election has the potential of having this very topic at the center of each candidate’s agenda. However, with a matter of such national significance it would appear as though all most Americans seem to know is that the economy is bad and that about covers it. Many Americans are unaware of this economic crisis occurring and are even less aware of how it could affect them. Therefore, the apathetic and ignorant attitude towards such a dilemma could be explained. In order to assist in the eradication of this issue, one must examine the meaning of a mortgage and that will improve the understanding as to why foreclosures are occurring throughout the country. Furthermore, with this base understanding of this market we might better understand why Congressional and state legislators wish to place a moratorium, or temporary freeze, to the current foreclosure emergency. What is a Mortgage? First, let’s examine what a mortgage is. According to the Freddie Mac lending agency a mortgage is, â€Å"†¦ a lien on a property/house that secures a loan and is paid in installments over a set period of time. The mortgage secures your promise that you'll repay the money you've borrowed to buy your home. † There are also several types of mortgages available through lending agencies as well. Some of the following are the primary options available: fixed rate, adjustable rate, balloon/reset, reverse, and the hottest one that is being talked about the subprime mortgage. This is the one that should be hit on most heavily because this is the reason for the foreclosure crisis occurring right now. The problem with subprime mortgage lending is the fact that a subprime lender is predatory in nature, much like a loan shark. These companies prey on those who cannot receive a mortgage through mainstream companies as a result of poor credit or and/or a number of other factors. These companies then charge very high interest rates on the mortgages they extend to consumers. These interest rates are placed on the principle of the loan and essentially the individual paying on the loan will have to pay on the interest in lieu of the principle for a very long period of time. According to Reuters, â€Å"The crisis surrounding subprime mortgages extended to borrowers with spotty credit [can] unnerve financial markets and could deepen a slump in the U. S. housing market that some economists fear could put the economy close to a recession. † What is a Foreclosure? Second, Foreclosures occur when an borrower or owner of a parcel of property or home defaults on a loan payment, such as a mortgage payment, and the lender files a default notice, whereby a bank or mortgage company repossesses they property in question and the owner/borrower looses whatever rights he/she might have had prior to the default. The problem with foreclosing on individual’s property today is that there are a plethora of people in America that are defaulting on their mortgage payments as a result of the slowing economy, predatory lending, credit card debt; the list is endless. If the mortgage companies foreclosed on all those defaulting, there would be more homeless Americans than in U. S. history. What Is the Proposed Solution? Finally, let’s examine what has been proposed as a solution to the problem of foreclosures as a result of extended mortgages to borrowers, as it stands. The U. S. government is attempting to broker a deal with mortgage lenders to assist troubled borrowers with defaulting on their mortgage payments. However, many lawmakers also would like to see a moratorium occur; freezing all foreclosures so that financially-troubled borrowers can have some time to keep from losing their homes. Lawmakers believe this action will not only assist borrowers, but it will also help to stabilize the economy and the housing market as a result of homeowners having time to accrue equity. Furthermore, lawmakers have proposed to extend more than five billion dollars to the hardest-hit communities so that homeowners might be able to cope a little easier with the crisis. Florida, Nevada, California, Michigan and Ohio are key state in next year’s elections as well as some of the hardest-hit as a result of the mortgage crisis. With lawmakers steering at the helm for a solution to one of the greatest financial questions since the Great Depression all one can do is waiting to see what the next administration will do to assist with the issue at hand.

Comparing and contrasting Achilles and other warriors Essay

Comparing and contrasting Achilles and other warriors Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Achilles is one of the main characters in Homer’s Iliad. Iliad is a legendary epic covering the formative years of Roman and Greek mythology. Iliad pursue glory, heroism, and love within the authority and influence of supernatural powers. Achilles possessed heroic strength and also had close contact with the gods. Achilles had all the qualities of a grand warrior and he proved to be the most dominant man among the Achaean army. However his deeply rooted character barred his capacity to act with integrity and nobility. The rationale of this paper is to analyze the character of Achilles and examine how he was similar of differed from other heroic warriors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Achilles could not manage his pride or the fury that came about when his pride was injured. These attributes greatly affected Achilles life since he abandoned his fellow warriors because he had been insulted before Agamemnon, his commander. Achilles even wished his fellow warriors to be killed by Trojan warriors. He was driven by thirst for glory and was willing to sacrifice anything for his reputation. Achilles had extreme temper; for example, though the demise of Patroclus provoked him to reconcile with Agamemnon, this did not alleviate his fury but he directed his anger to Hector (Homer, 1990, p. 32). Achilles forfeited twelve Trojan men at the funeral of Patroclus, he also killed his opponents mercilessly and shamefully vandalized the corpse of Hector. These events reveal Achilles great anger because he was mourning the death of Patroclus. Achilles pride, bloodlust and wrath affected him adversely (Virgil, 2006, p. 42).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Achilles is recognized as the greatest warrior in Achaian army and no other warrior could match him as a fighter. Achilles has a great sense of social order because he decided to act during the plague that was consuming the soldiers at Achaian camp. Agamemnon, Achille’s kind did not act so Achilles decided to find out the cause of the plague by calling for a congregation of the entire army. Achilles is argumentative and petulant because he argues that though Agamemnon gets the best prizes from war, he never worked for them. In the course of argument, Achilles almost killed Agamemnon, though he was saved from carrying out the heinous act by goddess Athena. Achilles believed that the quarrel between him and the king was righteous and same as the war against Trojan army. Achilles major characteristic was excessive pride because he remained angry even after Agamemnon promise to return Briseis alongside other gifts (Vigil, 2006, p. 47).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gilgamesh is a warrior who fears death throughout George XIII epic. Achilles on the other hand is also very keen with his metaphoric wickedness that can only take place after the death of his earthly life. Gilgamesh and Achilles have a lot of similarities, which include dynamic attitude on death and life centered. They have similar attitudes especially when their heroic comrades died. The death of Patroclus touched Achilles very much whereas the death of Enkidu also caused much distress to Gilgamesh. Achilles and Gilgamesh are two semi-divine heroes who have various matching characteristics and life-events, and they focused a lot with their mortal lives, but not relatively in the same approach. Achilles and Gilgamesh share fundamental similarities in their mortal lives. Each of them is a child of a goddess and a mortal man who happens to be a king. Achilles is a son of Thetis and has an exceptional rapport which enables him to speak with t he gods with the help of Thetis (Homer, 1990, p 27). Gilgamesh on the other hand is regarded as one third human and two third god, which makes him to stand out as an exceptional character that exists in relationships with both the mortal world and divine world. Iliad relates the preeminence of Achilles and Gilgamesh in battle where they reveal themselves as headstrong warriors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Neither Achilles nor Gilgamesh is concerned with romantic and family relationships. The major relationship these epic heroes have is with their mothers, where they seek protection and guidance. Through this rapport, they are able to gain development and wisdom. Achilles can also be compared to other heroes such as Aenes since their lives is determined by supernatural powers. In the book Iliad and Aeneid, Achilles and Aenes are characters who reveal their chivalry and bravely. In the books, Aenes and Achilles are chosen by gods and favored in various periods of their lives (Homer, 1990, p.26). These characters have predestined death and fate, they are sons of gods and they have specific accomplishment and mission in their lives. The major difference between Achilles and Gilgamesh is on anger management. Even after the death of his friend Enkidu, Gilgamesh remains cool and does not translate his fury to anyone, but Achilles anger could not b e controlled after the death of Patroclus. Gilgamesh mourns the death of his friend by ritually pulling his clothes and hair, but Achilles mourns the death of Patroclaus by killing several Trojan warriors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An in depth analysis of the epics of the era reveal contrasting features of the heroes. The circumstance, the physical features and situation might be similar, but the discrepancy is mainly due to mental and intellect framework of the heroes. Aenes fought major battles just like Achilles, but their fate was different. Achilles was predestined to die in the battle, while Aenes was predestined to be an architect of a huge town in the planet. Achilles was more of a cruel enemy and fierce warrior and his task was to wrestle and triumph over bloody wars. On the other hand, Aenes was more civilized and constructive in comparison to arrogant Achilles. Achilles is violent, stubborn, ruthless and hostile and had a capacity to kill Trojan warriors ruthlessly in the battlefield. Achilles battle and attack intended huge massacre. On contrary, Aenes is more placid and sober. Aenes as a warrior had adorable features of restraint, chastity, discipline an d love. He was a true leader who never left his comrades. Aenes led the warriors to pursue new home and new culture. He was a fighter, but not even once did he display emotions and power in arbitrary and cruel manner (Vigil, 2006, p. 74).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, Achilles was a great warrior, but he was a merciless fighter who killed many Trojan warriors. Achilles shared similar features with other heroes in the epics. These heroes fate was usually predestined and they were mostly sons of gods. They sought advice from their mothers which helped them to develop and gain wisdom. However, an in depth analysis on the character of these heroes depict that there are some differences. Achilles was a violent warrior as compared to most heroes who were able to manage their fury. In addition, Achilles, Aenes and Gilgamesh were heroes of their times. References Homer, Robert Fagles, and Bernard Knox. The Iliad. New York: Viking,  1990. Print. Hope Nash Wolff. â€Å"Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Heroic Life.† Journal of the American Oriental Society 89.2  (1969): 392-398. Web. Virgil, R. Fagles, B. Knox, and S. Callow. The Aeneid. New York: Penguin Audio,  2006. Print. Source document

Coffee consumption Essay

Faculty of Farm Management, Banat`s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Timisoara, 119 Calea Aradului, Timisoara; Romania; petz_elena@yahoo. com 2 ) Faculty Economics Science, University Tibiscus Timisoara, 1/A Daliei St. , Timisoara, Romania Abstract. The coffee market is a dynamic market due to the numerous mades, to the wide range of assortments and to the high number of people that are more and more sophisticated. There has been lately a trend toward pre-packaged coffee, i. e. towards high quality produce and to larger weight coffee packages. Despite the high price of the coffee, Romanians drink more and more coffee. The leading assortment is ground coffee followed by soluble coffee. Keywords: needs, aspirations, demand, offer, consumption, behaviour, market INTRODUCTION Marketing research is not an exact science, and it is not an exact science either. It is about working with people, with their ever-changing needs and desires under the impact of hundreds of factors that are more or less known. Market analysis shows what people wish to purchase, to consume, or to use. As a rule, this means something different from what companies want us to believe, to produce and to sell. It is not enough to must study people’s needs; we should also know people’s desires and aspirations. The main component of marketing research is the study of consumer behaviour. The research of consumer behaviour concerns different attitudes in the process of buying decision (e. g. people’s attitude towards information, the choice of the purchase place, fidelity towards the made, getting aware of the price, knowing consumer’s difficult nature, etc. ). Consumer behaviour is a complex phenomenon and, at the same time, an interdisciplinary field. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study aims at presenting the coffee consumer profile, the way the choosing and purchasing of the different types of coffee on the market is done, and the way coffee made notoriety is determined. The target population consisted of all the people aged over 18 and living in Timisoara. The sampling method we used was the quotas method. In applying this method, we started from the characteristics of the target population (e. g. age, sex, occupation, etc. ). Sample size varies depending on the thrust threshold and on the accepted error. The way the questionnaire was applied consisted in a field survey, i. e. questioning people outside the shops. 362 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION At present, consumers are masters of their incomes. Social stratification differentiates incomes and determines significant variations of the consumption structure. Knowing the structure of the consumer’s attitude is a good opportunity to investigate the causes determining the acceptance or rejection of a produce. The most important means is researching consumer’s desires. Question no. 1 in our questionnaire, â€Å"Do you drink coffee? † is a filter question. As a result of the answers we got to this question, we could see that 56% of the people we questioned drink coffee; 17% answered hey do not drink coffee at all; and 27% answered they only drink coffee sometimes. Thus, the 17 people answering they never drink coffee were removed from the study. The answer to question, â€Å"How often do you drink coffee? † resulted in the following answers: 92% of the respondents answered they drink coffee daily; while 8% answered they drink coffee occasionally. The answer to the question, â€Å"Who purchases the coffee in your family? † showed that it is the housewife who does it (76% of the cases). As for the question, â€Å"How often do you purchase coffee? † 40% of the respondents answered they purchase it once a month, 28% answered they purchase it twice a month, and 20% answered they purchase it rather seldom. As for the amount of coffee people purchase, the figure below shows that 40% of the coffee purchasers prefer packages of 500 g, while 36% prefer packages of 250 g (Fig. 1). 40% 40% 36% 35% 30% 25% 20% 16% 15% 8% 10% 5% 0% 250 g 500 g 1000 g More Fig. 1. Amount of coffee purchased The answers to question, â€Å"On what occasion do you purchase coffee?†, 72% of the respondents said they purchase coffee for the daily consumption, while 8% said they purchase coffee for other goals. The questionnaire showed that 64% of the respondents purchase their coffee at the hyeprmarket and supermarket, 24% of the respondents purchase coffee from the corner shops, and 12% purchase coffee from the market. As for the coffee made, we could see that 48% of the respondents prefer the Jakobs made, 24% purchase the Elita made, 16% purchase the Amigo made, 8% purchase the Tchibo made, and 4% purchase the Amaroy and Lavazza mades (Fig.2). The answers to question, â€Å"What do you appreciate most in the coffee you purchase? †, 50% of the respondents answered it is flavour, 40% answered it is the taste, and 10% 363 answered it is strength. Asfor the factors influencing purchase decision, we could see from the respondents answers that 44% of them are influenced by the price, 28% answered they are influenced by the made, and 20% of the respondents admitted it is the advertising (Fig. 3). 48% 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 24% 16% 8% 4% Elita Jacobs Amigo Tchibo Other specifications. Fig. 2. Coffee mades 44% 45% 40% 35% 28% 30% 25% 20% 20% 15% 8% 10% 5% 0% Advertising Price Packaging Trade Fig. 3. Factors influencing purchase decision 40% 40% 32% 35% 28% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Home, in family At the cafe/ At w ork (school), terrace, w ith the automatic friends coffee Fig. 4. Favourite place for coffee consumption 364 The answers to question, â€Å"Where do you usually have your coffee? †, showed that 40% of the respondents answered it is at home, 32% answered they have their coffee with their friends, at coffee shops, on terraces, etc. , and 28% of the respondents said they have their coffee at their work place, from the coffee machine (Fig. 4). As for the age of the respondents, we could see that 36% of them are aged 26-40, 28% are aged 18-25, 20% are aged 41-65, and 16% are aged above 65. From the point of view of their income, 56% of the respondents earn less than 1,000 LEI /month, 20% earn between 1,000 and 1,500 LEI /month, 16% of the respondents earn between 1,501 LEI /month and 2,000 LEI /month, and only 8% of the respondents earn more than 2,000 LEI /month. CONCLUSIONS. In order to get higher performances, any company needs a strong consumer-oriented marketing strategy. Therefore, it is very important to monitor and study the consumer behaviour from all points of view: type of consumer, age, sex, occupation, group of appurtenance, personality, culture, etc. the questions marketing operators should use in their studies and shaping of purchase behaviour and consumption behaviour in their attempt to better decide how to react are such questions as Who? , When? , How? , How much? , From where? , How many times? , etc. To have a closer look at the factors influencing the behaviour of the coffee consumer we have carried out the present study by applying a questionnaire to a number of 60 people whose main common feature is that they all live in the city of Timisoara. On the ground of this study, we can draw the following conclusions: 56% of the respondents drink coffee, 27% drink it sometimes, and 17% never; 92% of the respondents drink coffee daily, while 8% drink it occasionally; 76% of the coffee purchasers are women; 40% of the respondents purchase coffee once a month, 28% twice a month, and 20% rather seldom; 40% of the respondents prefer packages of 500 g, while 36% prefer 250 g packages; 72% of the respondents purchase coffee for their daily consumption, while 8% purchase it for other reasons; 64% of the respondents purchase their coffee at the hyeprmarket and supermarket, 24% from the corner shops, and 12% from the market, 48% of the respondents prefer the Jakobs made, 24% Elita, 16% Amigo, 8% Tchibo, and 4% Amaroy and Lavazza; 50% of the respondents purchase coffee for its flavour, 40% for its taste, and 10% for its strength; 44% of the respondents are influenced by the coffee price in their purchase, 28% by the made, and 10% by the adds; 40% of the respondents prefer have their coffee at home, 32% in town, and 28% at the work place; 36% of the respondents were aged 26-40, 28% were aged 18-25, 20% were aged 41-65, and 16% were aged above 65. 56% of the respondents earn less than 1,0 00 LEI /month , 20% earn between 1,000 and 1, 500 LEI/month, 16% of the respondents earn between 1,501 LEI /month and 2 ,000 LEI /mon th, and on ly 8% of the respondents earn more than 2,000 LEI /month. REFERENCES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Baker J. M. (1997). Marketing – Societatea Stiintifica si Tehnica S. A. ,Bucuresti Balaure V. (2000) Marketing – Ed. Uranus, Bucuresti Demetrescu M. C. (2000) Metode de analiza in marketing – Ed. Teora, Bucuresti Foltean Florin (2000) Cercetari de marketing editi a II-a – Ed. Mirton, Timisoara Kotler Ph. (1997) Managementul marketingului – Ed. Teora, Bucuresti Niculescu Elena (2000) Marketing modern – Ed. Polirom, Iasi Pet Elena (2004) Marketing agrar, Ed. Marineasa Pruteanu Stefan, Corneliu Munteanu, Cezar Caluschi – Inteligenta. Marketing plus – Ed. Polirom 365.

Confederacy Theory

These analysts fear that China's improving military capableness risk undermining current security Hyannis predicated upon realism's hegemonic stably theory. Hegemonic stably argues that because the united States possesses overwhelming economic and malpractice might, the international order has remained relatively stable (Snyder 2009, 6-7). Liberalism and interstate cooperation has flourished because security has been guaranteed by the united States, who acts as an arbiter in local or regional disputes.Of late, however, US hegemony is waning. After two failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a global economic recession, the relative power losses of the united States coupled with the economic and militaristic rise of China has realist analysts predicting deepening security dilemmas between China and her neighbors and China and the US (Christensen 1999, 49-51; Braver 2007/8, 44 Newer 2009, 206-207).The ‘security dilemma' narrative contends that declining US power and influence in East Asia will precipitate increased nationalism, instability, and conflict, and the emergence of a new great power capable of challenging the US will accelerate the decline of the us-backed liberal order (Snyder 1999, 10-12). Accordingly, a security dilemma follows logically with the decline of a hegemony. However, as China continues its ascent and the US seems poised to decline, the stability of the international order has remained relatively in tact.In fact, rather than undermining or challenging the liberal international order, China seems eager to participate in the existing structure (Liana 2007, 5-20). China is not adhering to Sun Tutu's maxim that a rising power will increasingly flex its military muscle. Instead, â€Å"China's behavior challenges existing arguments†¦ On power transitions, which assert that a rising state is likely to use force† (Braver 2007, 47). Accordingly, the predominate Yosemite theories of realism and neo-liberals are falling to adequately account for China's peaceful and nonviolent behavior given Its gains In relative power (Newer 2009, 207).If a different theory can more accurately explain China's peaceful rise despite relative power gains, than perhaps the very notion of a security dilemma can be effectively overcome. This essay will challenge hegemonic stably and Introduce the nascent concept of confederacy theory and Its gulden principle of a ‘prosperity-interest'. This essay will then demonstrate that prosperity-interests are effectively maligning the traditional resent of a security dilemma in Taiwan and in China by elevating prosperity and a security dilemma are a self-fulfilling prophecy – if you expect security concerns to be paramount, they will be.However, while this narrative predicts increased tensions, the reality presents a far different picture. Security dilemmas are being normalized by an expanding commercialism that priorities growth and prosperity over conflict. Confederacy Theory Con federacy theory was presented by Squids Snyder who reflected that the actions of states in the current global order do not properly fit into extant systemic theories. Snyder argues that the liberal international order constructed post WI is no longer being singularly supported by US hegemony.Instead, the international order is currently buttressed by what Snyder calls ‘a confederate structure composed of a cluster of liberal states engaged in vigorous commercial rivalry (Snyder 2009, 15). The role of the United States has shifted from being the system's underwriter to simply being its largest participant. At the center of the current international order are nations interacting and integrating commercially at unprecedented levels while simultaneously competing against one another to make gains in relative prosperity.The nucleus of this order is not composed of the United States, nor will it be controlled singularly by China or any rising state. Instead, power resides in a cohes ive commercial league of nations centered around the strongest Western powers plus Japan. â€Å"This league is a major power configuration that has altered competitive dynamics such that commercial integration†¦ Not military opposition and revision, has become the dominant competitive strategy' (Snyder 2009, 34).The Cold War marked an era wherein acquiring guns at any cost meant acquiring security and power – hence why the Cold War is the apotheosis of realism. Today, however, the obvious reality that money buys guns is trumping the strategic imperative of having guns. In the current global order, wealth is power, and in order to maximize wealth, countries are seeking â€Å"the desired benefits derived from membership and inclusion in the commercial order† (Snyder 2009, 19). The sheer magnitude of commercialism dictates that in order to compete nations must Join in so as not to be left behind.A country's strength â€Å"to a large degree hinges on [its] ability t o integrate itself into he dominant liberal commercial order,† (Snyder 2009, 16). In order to prosper and be competitive, nations must appeal to foreign direct investment (FED), attract the brightest minds from around the world, invest in human capital, invest in foreign companies, attract overseas firms, reciprocally trade in raw materials, acquire cheap energy, etc. (Myers 2010, 2-7). For a state to enhance its power and security, it must enhance its access to economic and commercial resources.Failure to engage with this league of nations means a failure to economically grow; and a failure to grow dads to instability, both domestically and militarily. Accordingly, the guiding principle to security and power isn't simply owning a gun, it's possessing the wealth and prosperity to buy a gun any time you need. Prosperity & The Security Dilemma – What does this mean for Security Dynamics? Despite underlying shifts in the distribution of power between nations, â€Å"the ba sic represents the nucleus of a new order predicated upon prosperity, not military power.In this system, â€Å"the most powerful driver of competitive behavior relates not to survival, but prosperity and commerce† (Snyder 2009, 16). To this point, confederacy theory seems in line with neo-liberalism. However, while integration can exist along a wide spectrum of interests, the principle phenomenon in confederacy theory focuses on the magnitude of commerce rather than on inter- governmental relations and the concept of institutional peace. Commercialism inherently requires a heavy degree of institutionalizing, but the important factor is that each state retains its sovereignty.A security dilemma is avoidable not because the institutions themselves mitigate conflict, but because commerce becomes the entrap arena wherein â€Å"the balance has shifted from guns to butter† (Snyder 2009, While liberals optimistically await the end of competitive inclinations, confederacy theo ry argues that competitive dynamics persist, but only in reaction to economic pressures rather than traditional military capabilities. â€Å"Every state still prefers to make gains relative to rivals† in order to maintain a prosperity gap (Snyder 2009, 24).Accordingly, security interests are not abandoned for absolute gains; only, â€Å"prosperity interests have eclipsed security concerns while competition has shifted to immemorial rivalry' (Snyder 2009, 34). Because competition and relative gains remain despite collaboration and overwhelming interaction, the security dilemma isn't simply removed from the equation. Instead, what confederacy theory argues is a normalization of traditional security concerns because a state's viable strategic options are fundamentally limited.If participating in commercialism provides the means to economically prosper, then it logically follows that states will conform to systemic requirements in order to be included. While institutions like th e World Trade Organization exist to ensure fair trade raciest, what is more fascinating are how nations are conforming their behavior to unwritten rules or best practices in order to increase national competitiveness economically. In order to attract capital and investment, nations must demonstrate political stability and economic liberalism.For instance, nations must have a consistent and enforceable legal system; they must protect intellectual property, promote innovation, and enforce banking and finance norms. In short, â€Å"capital follows opportunity†¦ [and] seeks out political stability' (Snyder 2009, 20). Military posturing r even the threat of instability inherently limits national competitiveness in attracting capital and growth. China's GAP the year before the Attainment square incident grew 1 1. 9%; in the two years following Attainment, GAP grew merely 4. 1% and 3. 8% respectively (Workloads).Security dilemmas will still exist, but countries literally can not affo rd to act upon fears at the risk of substantially limiting their ability to continue to prosper relative to other nations. â€Å"Even those who might arguably have Justifiable reason to fear one another?as the US might be wary of China's rise?none can actually afford to act on Hess fears in the ways Unrealism expects† (Snyder 2009, 19). Concerning the security dilemmas that may arise from China's military modernization, none is more precarious than the China-Taiwan relationship.China has continued to emphasize its ‘One-China' policy as a top priority, and to demonstrate their resolve, China has hundreds of missiles pointed at Taipei to ensure compliance to the 2005 ‘anti-cessation' law threatening force if Taiwan proceeds with formal independence (Rigger 2006, 1). Realist analysts view the region as a powder keg waiting to erupt. To highlight the depth of concern, realists note that even characteristics of the traditional security dilemma are heightened as defensi ve weaponry, which is usually not considered a move towards escalation, is seen as overtly threatening (Christensen 2009, 51).Despite these ominous trends, Taiwan is actually moving closer to China rather than distancing itself (Rigger 2006, 2-4). Though Taiwan is experiencing increased nationalism, which should fuel resentment and conflict, traditional realist concerns over military balancing are not their immediate concern. There is an emerging paradox in Taiwan wherein as the number of people identifying themselves as Taiwanese increases, there is a simultaneous decreasing desire for formal independence.Shelley Rigger investigated this phenomenon and concluded that a generational gap exists in Taiwan wherein the younger population (18-35), though increasingly identifying themselves as Taiwanese, looks upon China with pragmatism and rationality rather than traditional aggression. Rigger does note that, â€Å"there is powerful logic†¦ That as Taiwanese lose their emotional at tachment to Chinese identity, they will be less interested in interacting† with China. Such a powerful logic', however, is rooted in an obsolete model of systemic theory.Instead, Rigger notes that the emotional component that normally triggers resentment and distrust in these instances is being replaced with increased pragmatism. In a survey Rigger conducted of 18-35 year old Taiwanese residents, 73% of respondents said they would encourage increasing cross-strait economic engagement (Rigger 2006, 29) as a means to improving Titan's economy. Additionally, a majority of respondents said they'd be willing to work or study in mainland China.In a subsequent survey asking what is their most pressing concern, majority of 19-30 year old Taiwanese residents cited ‘personal economic concerns' as the number one issue; only 7% of respondents cited political tensions with China. Rigger concluded that for the younger generation of Taiwanese issues of unification and independence â₠¬Å"are of little concern to them†¦ They are far more interested in pragmatic issues involving economics, employment, and education† (Rigger 2006, 27). Accordingly, the trend of ‘Atomization' that realists fear has instead produced immense optimism about the future of China-Taiwan relations (Rigger 2006, 4).As the elder generation of Taiwan residents slowly cedes power to a younger and less historically minded generation of politicians, businessmen, and military officers, there is a greater likelihood that hostilities will be minimized by a rationality and pragmatism that recognizes cooperation and commercialism as the means to economic prosperity. China & The Security Dilemma been the principal drivers of China's very high level of international economic integration. In turn, the pragmatic imperative to continue rapid economic growth†¦ As gradually led China to participate more actively and cooperatively' (Lang 007, 147). This ‘pragmatic imperative' expla ins why, in the military realm, â€Å"China has been less belligerent than leading theories of IR might have predicted† (Braver, 2007/8, 45). Taylor Braver examined all instances, since 1949, in which China used force during territorial disputes. He concluded that China rarely exploits its military superiority and has instead opted to offer concessions rather than leverage or utilize military force (Braver 2007/8, 45).In the instances where force was used, China had suffered a ‘negative shift in bargaining power', meaning China's relative power was lessened by he the military modernization of a rival (Braver 2007/8, 47). Framer's conclusions directly challenge realist claims. China has only used forced when its relative power has declined and not when its power has increased! This study reinforces the notion that though security dilemmas may still exist, China will not be the instigator of tensions.The United States or Taiwan may view China's actions as heightening or e levating security concerns, but in reality, China acts simply to maintain a security balance rather than to increase their own first-strike capability. While examining the role of the PLAN in crafting China's policy toward Taiwan, Ellis Coffee notes that while the PLAN is largely responsible for coercing and deterring Taiwan from independence, the Plan's aggressive statements and military exercises are mostly for show rather than a precursor to action Coffee 1997, 64-68).Coffee points out that there is â€Å"no concrete evidence that PLAN leaders have pushed for military action against Taiwan,† and that â€Å"logic does not point to this conclusion† Foe 1997, 68). The Plan's military posturing may benefit its budget and influence, but â€Å"any military action aeries the danger of escalation†¦ Its costs are likely to be enormous. † Accordingly, the PLAN flirts with threatening statements, but it is not courting the idea of actual military aggression. The ce ntral problem in trying to understand The Party security thinking lies in an inability to see how the PLAN would be able to harness even its most impressive new capabilities to prevail – at an acceptable cost – in a conflict† (Newer 2009, 206). The higher the costs for a host nation in initiating conflict, the less likely offensive action will be pursued (Braver 2007/8, 78); as a result, without including imperialism and its role in providing growth and prosperity, the existing realist equation used to predict conflict is utterly inadequate.Both statements and military modernization efforts are being interpreted using traditional realism (Newer 2009, 206-207); however, the reality screams of a different truth. Today, the economic costs of aggression are mitigating security concerns – China learned this truth briefly after Attainment Square, and they have been wary of aggression ever since. China – Prosperity as a Strategic Imperative The secret to C hina's meteoric rise, according to William Overshot, has been emulating global best practices in economic development (Overshot 2012, 134).China's economy has grown 14 fold over the past 30 years sustaining a roughly 10% annual growth in GAP. Such immense prosperity is directly attributable to a strategy China is both the most pure form of prosperity-interest, and the first to openly acknowledge that the military prerogative takes a backseat to domestic prosperity. One of the most pressing domestic security and economic concerns for the ICP is â€Å"sustaining adequate Job growth for tens of millions of migrants, new entrants to the ark force, and workers laid off from state-owned enterprises not worth saving† (Myers 2010, 4).Accordingly, China launched, in 2000, a ‘Go Global' strategy which sought to encourage Chinese firms to invest overseas, and to attract overseas investments into the mainland. The Go Global strategy makes China better able to â€Å"seek more profi table ways of investing its massive accumulation of foreign exchange reserves, [to] gain access to foreign technology and management skills to help domestic firms become more efficient and internationally competitive, and most importantly, [to] acquire energy and raw materials† (Myers 2010, 4-5).By the close of 2004, over 80% of the world's top 500 companies have invested in China (Snyder 2009, 23). In 1975 China's net trade revenues were $15 billion; by the close of 2006, trade totals eclipsed $1. 5 trillion (Snyder, 2009, 23) – an increase of roughly FED 1983 totaled a mere $636 million; in 2008, FED totaled $92 billion (Myers 2010, 4). Additionally, the Chinese government estimates that there are currently 286,200 foreign companies currently operating in China employing more than 42 million Chinese citizens (Myers 2010, 4).These figures illustrate that China's rise has been dependent on attracting foreign capital and external resources. Newer argues that more than si mply an economic need, China's mass importation of materials and energy is part of a systematic strategy to force resource rich neighboring nations to rely on China for their own prosperity (Newer 2009, 208-209). This reliance, argues Newer, forms a dependency in which China guarantees regional stability and nonviolence by ensuring that no neighboring nation would attack China because that nation's economy is utterly dependent upon China's import and consumer power (Newer 009, 208).What Newer fails to appreciate or note, however, is that China has come to equally depend on these neighboring nations much in the same way. Dependency theory is often presented negatively in IR (often used to explain how the strong ‘North' exploits and suppresses the weak ‘South'), but it is not necessarily a bad thing. Dependency implies an overlap of shared interest. China has negotiated a $41 billion with Australia for its liquefied natural gas; and they have agreed too $5. 6 billion deal with Manner, a Chinese border-nation, to export energy from Manner's leading energy consortium (Myers 2010, 5).The fundamental shift in power transition theory demands why, in today's world, would any country stab a trading partner in the back after formalizing massively beneficial commercial exchanges? Conclusion Somali pirates have resurged lately disrupting the flow of oil from the Middle East. Because great power prosperity is heavily reliant on this flow of oil, the Gulf is now being protected by Chinese, European, and American warships all coexisting in this small waterway to protect material resources that quite literally fuel each nation's economic growth.Traditional realism should predict conflict in the gulf considering oil is currently one of the most coveted natural resources. However, rather than nation is happy to avoid conflict so long as oil flows unobstructed. Commercialism if effectively minimizing traditional security concerns. What will ultimately determine China 's rise is not a security dilemma, but whether its domestic reforms can keep pace with economic realities that dictate national growth or stagnation. China has become aware of such a reality and has opted to pursue prosperity.