Business Documents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Documents - Essay Example The development of a crisis management plan which should be consistent with a framework for crisis planning pertinent to the food industry as presented by Bednall and Gray (2000); where, as noted, â€Å"crisis plans may include details of possible incidents or scenarios to test the plan before it is ever needed and togive practical guidance to those who have to use it† (p. 85); The proposed development and implementation of these plans would be within six months upon approval. The amount to be invested would be marginal as compared to the cost that would be incurred if the organization fails to prepare these plans and be subject to legal concerns that could ensue from food contamination cases, food recall, or loss of good-will. For your review and approval. Pursuant to the recent proposal to the Board of Directors to develop and design a Crisis Management and Communication Plan for Edible Delights Pty Ltd., I am very pleased to announce that the Board has unanimously approved this endeavor. To reiterate, one rationalized that the need for these plans are crucial in view of the disturbing news that potentially exposes food manufacturers, like us, to various threats, risks and vulnerabilities that could lead to serious food contaminations. The proposed development plan would ensue six months from the date of approval, which is today. As such, everyone’s participation and collaboration in the solicitation of crucial information that would be used in the development phase would be cordially

Cultural Evaluation in Japan Essay Example for Free

Cultural Evaluation in Japan Essay Cultural evaluation in which you identify the ways that arguments or presentation of the arguments would need to be changed as the result of cultural differences in the country of Japan.               Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation. ‘Noam Chomsky’. Self-expression should be done in an artistic way for the fulfilment of communication.             Japanese business persons come up with resolutions based on the cultural value of Group frontage. Conclusions tend to be made by group consensus as opposed to Individuality. A foreigner who would desire to venture into business in Japan should not be pretentious as He or She is making advances in establishing a business foundation. Displaying a humanistic culture will be a great principle that will propel the business to greater heights. Strategic measures to observe as a business person             For one to hit the expected set mark in a business, observe and apply the following aspects so that your message is communicated virtually, without embarrassing, intimidating, or offending the clients that are within your target. Speech clarity            This calls for clear articulation so that people can hear and comprehend every word you are saying. Avoid mumbling in your speech, or speaking extremely fast when addressing the prospective client whose native language is Japanese. Speak moderately            Address business people by reducing speech speed. Allow them time to capture your words and abstract the meaning. Provide verbal and non-verbal clues to check for conformity whether you are being understood. When your clients prompt you to repeat what you have said, look puzzled, or respond with difficulty, most likely they have not understood you (Delassus, 1972). Repeat your proposal slowly in the same or different words. In case this does not work out, write it down. Triangulate the key points          This approach calls for expressing the same idea more than once in slightly different ways. It provides your clients better chances to capture what you are saying. For example: Entrepreneur’s Words and Clients’ Thoughts â€Å"I presume the equipment will run smoothly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Yes†¦ or â€Å"The gadget will operate properly†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Right†¦ Maintain appropriate tempo and intonation         When varying the tone of your voice, switching the tempo, and stressing on areas you would like to emphasize, you provide more hints to help your correspondent grasp your message. Provide posters through the conversation             Posters initiate your partners beforehand by informing them about the topic of your discussion or presentation, as well as any changes along the way. For instance: A slide show, model or chart can be very helpful. Create verification links             In inter-cultural communication, especially, it is valuable to keep checking whether your listeners are getting along with the discussion. This can be done by; asking questions, providing elaborative statements until the idea is passed across. Express numerals and dates slowly            Numbers can be expressed in various ways in different parts of the world These include phone numbers, prices, quotations, , flight numbers, exchange rates, dates addresses,. For example: $1800 can be expressed as eighteen hundred or one thousand eight hundred. October 20th can sound like October 28th. Write down unfamiliar codes or technical symbols            When professional jargons are to be used, it is advisable to write them on a white board, provide a slide or handout. Repeat the use of a term that listeners are not familiar to know or cannot understand (Varley, 2000). Confirm schedules            Observe protocols related to time or dates. Arriving on time sends a positive signal of commitment and certifiable.   Maintain a sense of humour            When expressing yourself, it is important to maintain social relations by sharing humorous experiences in life. Allow the clients to also feel free to share their experiences. Maintain equilibrium. Be sincere                Sincerity and taking up responsibility creates a fair relationship, a positive atmosphere for doing Business References Delassus, J. F. (1972). The Japanese: A critical evaluation of the character culture of a people. New York: Hart Pub. Co http://www.jetro.go.jp/costarica/mercadeo/communicationwith.pdf http://www.presentationprep.com/international-presentations/ Varley, H. P. (2000). Japanese culture. Honolulu: University of HawaiiÌ€ Press. Source document

The Jamestown Settlement Essay -- American America History

The Jamestown Settlement A group of Europeans, headed by Bartholomew Gosnold, began planning a possible business venture that would send a group of colonists to what was already known as Virginia. Gosnold was apparently the driving force behind getting this operation in place. Gosnold was referred to as "the first mover of this plantation" by Captain John Smith."(Ward) Merchants from London, Bristol and Plymouth sponsored the voyage and persuaded King James to grant a charter and letters of patent to create the Virginia Company. A strange twist to the story was that the man who worked so hard to get this Company started, Gosnold, was unable to become a member but he did manage to become appointed to the resident council. Their job was to work with Virginia associates and be involved in local affairs for the new colony. The Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed were the three ships that set sail for Virginia, from England in February of 1606. The commander of the three ships was Christopher Newport and not John Smith. "In the early evening of May 13, the expedition reached a narrow pear-shaped peninsula about sixty miles up the river, here on the 1500-acre peninsula, it was decided to erect a fortified town to be called Jamestown."(Ward) They decided to give it the name Jamestown in honor of their king. As soon as they landed they began to build a fort in the form of a triangle. They constructed the fort in this manner for purposes of safety against the natives. A triangular fort gave them one less side that they could get attacked from. The land that they decided to build Jamestown on came with many problems. "They could hardly have made a worse selection. The situation was extremely unhealthful, being low and expos... ...uperior weapons. In 1644, Opechancanough organized another mass attack, which would be his last attempt to drive the English away. 500 settlers were killed but the English, in effect won the war. Opechancanough was captured and killed. The Powhatan villages were literally whipped out. "By 1700, the Powhatan tribesman numbered only 1200 when in 1607 their population was estimated at 9000"(Ward) Works Cited: Pryor, Roger. (1907). The Birth of the Nation. New York, New York. The MacMillan Company. Ward, Harry. (1991). Colonial America, 1607-1763. Englewood, New Jersey. Prentice Hall, Inc. Bridenbaugh, Carl. (1980). Jamestown 1544-1699. Oxford. Oxford University Press. Wertenbaker, Thomas. (1929). The First Americans. New York, New York. The MacMillan Company. Eggleston, Edward. (1930). Pocahontas. New York, New York. Dodd, Mead and Company.

Macbeth Good vs Evil Essay

â€Å"Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it† â€Å"let not light see my deep and dark desires† â€Å"to alter favour ever is to fear† â€Å"The service and the loyalty I owe† â€Å"Point against point, rebellious arm ‘gainst arm† 1. How are they corrupted by the evil in them? After reaching the highest level success Macbeth still desires more and is willing to fall to any level to achieve it. When the evil presents Macbeth with the opportunity, he puts all his trust in it later to find out evil has played a double game. 2. Is Lady Macbeth totally evil? Lady Macbeth is not evil she is only trying to help her husband in his ambition, she takes support of evil to fulfil her ambition when she pushes Macbeth to kill Duncan and challenges his manhood that she forgets her morals because she is too lost in her ambition. 3. Find examples in the play in which characters try to hide the truth from around them? Macbeth hallucinates about Banquo’s ghost who symbolises Macbeth’s goodness but to hide his guilty conscious he becomes cruel towards others. Banquo hides the prophecy from the rest of the kingdom because he doesn’t believe them to be true, but still doubts Macbeth for Duncan’s murder. 4. Why do they do it? Macbeth hid his 3 prophecies from others because he didn’t know whether it would be true or not and because once he heard that Malcolm will inherit his father’s throne. He and Lady Macbeth planned to kill the king therefore, if people knew about his prophecies they would have suspect him in an instant the King is dead. 5. What does this tell us about the world around them? The world is very small and they would go to any limits to protect themselves and achieve their goals. 6. Macbeth and Banquo’s reactions to the witches’ prophecies are very different. In what ways? Macbeth doesn’t believe at first but when he is promoted he starts to believe and uses the prophecies as guide towards his ambition whereas Banquo never believed in the witched and always thought they were evil. 7. What are the different consequences of their attitudes? Macbeth believed in evil and let it guide him into an instant of success which eventually leads him to his own destruction, death. Banquo doesn’t believe in evil and let good guide his way, but is murdered by Macbeth because he was so good that Macbeth got scared for his safety. 8. Would you consider Macbeth’s ambition to be flaw in his character? Macbeth ambition is too great for him to handle, and he put all of his trust on those prophecies which lead to his downfall. Those prophecies can be seen as hallucination and instead of trusting his surroundings, his friends. 9. What about Lady Macbeth’s ambition? Is she ambitious for herself or her husband? Lady Macbeth’s ambition only started when she got the letter from Macbeth and she wanted to help her husband make the prophecies come true. The only thing that’s in the way to make the prophecy came true is Malcolm. 10. What has the play got to tell us about selfish, unchecked ambition? The play tells the audience that being selfish will display and illusion success would disappear if the person stops to feel human emotions. 11. Why does Banquo’s ghost only appear to Macbeth during the banquet? Banquo’s ghost only appeared to Macbeth during the banquet is because it was Macbeth’s conscience and guilt that take shape to form Banquo’s ghost. No one else in the banquet knew that it was Macbeth who plotted his friend’s death. 12. What does this tell us about Macbeth’s conscience? It tells us that Macbeth is guilty of the crimes he had committed, and soon realises that once his left alone no one he could trust, like Banquo. 13. Find examples in the play to comment on this theme When Duncan is King of Scotland, it seems that the place is peaceful and everyone can trust each other. Whereas when Macbeth is King there are chaos everywhere and people couldn’t trust each other because they afraid that the other person might be Macbeth’s spies and their lives would be in danger if they said anything against Macbeth. 14. Consider Banquo’s sense of honour Banquo might as well be a little responsible for Duncan death because he hide the prophecies from the kingdom though he always remained loyal to his serving king. 15. Why is Malcolm so suspicious of an honourable character like Macduff? Malcolm was so suspicious of Macduff because the former Thane of Cawdor was an honourable man and yet he betrayed Duncan. Malcolm wanted to make sure that when he would be surrounded by trustworthy and loyal Thanes and not the ones that would be power hungry like Macbeth. 16. Review and list again the qualities Shakespeare thinks are needed by a king to govern a country Honesty Kind Fair Loyalty Generosity Courage 17. List the things that are not what they seem to be, and people whose reality is different from their appearance †¢Duncan visits Macbeth’s castle and was amazed at the view of the castle but didn’t know that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plotted to kill him. †¢The old Thane of Cawdor seems like he’s very noble but he ended up being a traitor. A dagger – A A wood – B False promises – A A ghost – A Two guilty grooms – A A wicked prince- A A ‘foul and fair’ day – B.

René Descartes Essay

â€Å"My purpose is to persuade all those who think metaphysics worth studying that it is absolutely necessary to pause a moment and, regarding all that has been done as though undone, to propose first the preliminary question, ‘Whether such a thing as metaphysics can be even possible at all? ’† (Kant 233) These types of questions asked by philosopher Immanuel Kant revolutionized the way humans make sense of the world, and more specifically how the human mind functions. Kant shed a light on prior theories and analogies, eliminating some of the most important beliefs as â€Å"unjustifiable†. He synthesized the two prior beliefs of Rationalism and Empiricism, and preached that in our world, â€Å"Concepts without intuitions are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind†. (Fehir) I believe that Kant’s Constructivism is a superior alternative to Rationalism and Empiricism. Before Kant’s idea of constructivism, philosopher David Hume made a claim that all objects of human reason or enquiry may naturally be divided into two kinds; relations of ideas, and matters of fact. In simpler terms, all knowledge must either be classified as a prior (prior knowledge), or posteriori (post knowledge). Kant’s put this theory to a test and asked â€Å"if a truth is not true because of our experiences, nor is it true because of the grammar or meanings of the sentences of our language, how else could it be defined? †(Higgins and Martin 232) Kant synthesized rationalism and empiricism by discarding their flaws and combining their strengths. Grisell 2 Kant agrees with philosophers such as Pluto and Descartes that there are innate ideas. Knowledge of the nature of reality derives from ideas of the intellect, not the senses. The concept of self, substance, and identity do not need to be tested through science; we know they exist simply by thinking and understanding. Furthermore, Kant agrees that the self is real and discernible through immediate intellectual intuition. This understanding relates to Cogito ergo sum, a statement from Descartes, which recognizes that someone wondering whether or not he or she exists is, in and of itself, proof that something, an â€Å"I†, exists to do the thinking. Kant also agrees with philosophers such as Aristotle and Hume who state that our senses are the primary, or only, source of knowledge of world. For example, we know that water boils at 212 degrees because we have observed it through experience. Kant explains that there are two different worlds; the phenomenal (apparent) world versus the noumenal (real) world. The phenomenal world is a world of things, publicly observable, describable by science, known to the senses, and determined by physical laws. In this world, we can generate facts through trial and experiment, using our senses to determine a definitive answer (e. g. water boils at 212 degrees). Through Kant’s improved theory of constructivism, he can make conclusions based upon his findings. Both rationalism and empiricism are wrong when they claim that we can know things in themselves. Rationalists are wrong not to trust senses; in the phenomenal world, senses are all we have. Hume is wrong when he claims the concept of self is unsupported by senses, and therefore false. Rather, the experiencing self is a pre-condition for having any experience at all (Descartes was right). Kant’s â€Å"Copernican revolution of the mind† synthesized rationalism and empiricism. What Kant suspected, and what many philosophers believe today, is that â€Å"our â€Å"ideas†-our Grisell 3 concepts and our language- do not just correspond to reality but in some sense shape and â€Å"set-up† the world, impose upon the world (and) the structures we experience. † (Higgins and Martin 230) He believes that objects conform to knowledge. An example that displays this type of thinking is the Abraham Lincoln analogy. If a fuzzy picture of Abraham Lincoln is displayed to someone who is familiar with what Abraham Lincoln looks like, they can make sense of the image and acknowledge what they are seeing. A person who has no clue what Abraham Lincoln looks like will have no understand of what their eyes are viewing. This requires prior knowledge from a person, gained through personal experience using their eyes. Although it is simply an analogy, this type of idea was what gave Kant the principle of Synthetic a prior. Kant’s revolution changed our conception of reality, our conception of knowledge, and most importantly, our concept of ourselves. I personally believe that Kant gave philosophers a definitive solution to how the mind and our reality interact. He gave philosophers a renewed ideal of certainty, for he argued that we can be certain of the rules of our own experience. I think Kant says it best when he says, â€Å"reality is the world of our experience, as we constitute it through the concepts of our understanding† (Kant 232) Grisell 4 Work Cited Higgins, Kathleen M. , and Clancy Martin. â€Å"Knowledge; Kant’s Revolution. † Introducing Philosophy. By Robert C. Solomon. 10th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2012. 230-33. Print. LaFave, Sandra. â€Å"Kant: The â€Å"Copernican Revolution† in Philosophy. † Kant: The â€Å"Copernican Revolution† in Philosophy. N. p. , n. d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. Fehir, Aaron. â€Å"Hume’s Fork and the Problem of Causality. † Lecture.

Not Without My Daughter Essays

Not Without My Daughter Essays Not Without My Daughter Paper Not Without My Daughter Paper Brian Gilbert used textual features such as lighting, camera angles, shots and music to demonstrate the conflict between the members of the Manhood family. Early in the movie there is a scene where Betty learns that Moody has no intentions of leaving Iran. Lighting and framing are used then to reflect the conflict. The room they are in is dark with very little light coming through a window. This low key lighting reflects the feelings of despair Betty feels. She feels Iran is a very primitive country and not a suitable place for her child to be raised. In addition, framing and angles are used to present the differences In power. Low angles shots are used to show Moody. The low angles reflect the power Moody has In the Iranian society. In contrast, high angle shots display Bettys lack of power, making her look small and weak. The differing angles and contrasting power they reflect foreshadow future confrontations between Betty and Moody. Lighting and framing were effectively used to show the shift in power in Iran. Later on in the movie, Moody finds Betty at the school and starts beating her, and hen Mammoth stands up to her father he hits her too. In this scene shots and framing are used to reflect the dominance of males in Iran. First, Brian Gilbert uses a high angle show Moody beating Betty. This shot effectively reflects how helpless Betty is in the Iranian culture where women have little to no rights. She can neither stand up to moody nor run away from him as he has absolute power over her. Furthermore, a long shot Is used when Moody hits Mammoth. This shot makes Mammoth look very small. Thus reminding the audience Just how different the laws In Iran are as Moody can hit his child and have no consequences for doing so. Brian Gilbert used shots and framing to portray how the newfound power has revealed just how violent Moody is and how he does not care about the well being of the rest of the family. Betty eventually escapes Moody control by leaving with a man who assists western women in similar predicaments. She calls Moody on the phone and an angry conversation ensues. Camera movement, sound and music were used to reflect the offering beliefs between the two countries and the changes in the familial conflict. For example, the camera pans around the room where Moody sits while talking on the phone with his family surrounding him. The pan allows the audience to see all of Moody family. The sheer number of people behind Moody reflects the customs In Iran as everyone views his abuse of Betty as commonplace. They do not question the morality of his violent actions nor do they care about the welfare of Betty. In Dalton, music and sound reflect a shift in power. There is no non-dietetic sound in the scene emphasizing ten conversation. I nee conversation Is Important Elector sound Decease it displays how much more confident Betty is now that she has escaped. It reflects the differences in roles of woman between American and Iranian culture as Betty is completely different when she no longer has to fear being beaten by Moody. She is now able to make her own decisions and choices. Music, sounds and camera movement were used in this scene to reflect the Iranians view of the conflict and how Betty and Mammoths freedom changed the conflict. In movies small things like the angle of a shot or the lighting of a scene can change the mood and interpretation of a scene. These subtle features were all used effectively in Not Without My Daughter to demonstrate a cultural conflict within the Manhood family. Each scene demonstrated different aspects of the familial conflict providing a clear image of how different the cultures Iran and America are. These differences not only affect familial relationships as demonstrated in the film, but also relations between the two countries.

Creative Writing Activities for College Students

Creative Writing Activities for College Students In their academic career, every student will need to employ creative writing at one point or another. Creative writing, by definition, is any writing that is not academic or technical. Essentially, everything that is considered literature, in the narrow sense, is creative writing – even nonfiction. Though you might not be planning to become a professional writer, creative writing is an important skill to hone if youre planning to have any occupation that requires you to think – which is pretty much all of them. Its a muscle that can and should be developed with the right exercises. Going to the gym, as we all know, is no fun, but creative writing doesn’t have to be a chore – treat it as an opportunity to show off your creativity and inventiveness. So with that said, lets delve into some writing exercises that are sure to get those creative juices flowing. 1. Write a Personal Essay When you‘re just starting to develop as a writer, you’re faced with a tough choice: what do you want to write? Will it be a novel? A screenplay? A poem? Well, novels are a little too much even for experienced writers, so try writing something short to start off. An essay, for instance. Essays are a great place to start, since, in terms of literary genre, they are essentially â€Å"everything that’s not something else†, so the pressure is off to adhere to some vague standard of form, structure, etc. Try writing a personal essay. Everyone, as they say, has a story to tell. Why not mine your life for writing material? You’re sure to have experienced or witnessed something worth writing about. If you’re still miffed, try writing about a â€Å"first time†. First kiss, first time you went on an airplane, first time you were disappointed at a gift and had to pretend you liked it in front of your family; they all make for great stories. If you’re worried about being boring, don’t be – every story can be a good story if it’s told well. 2. Take a Short Story and Turn It Into a Screenplay Is there a particular short story that you’ve read in the past and loved? A great writing exercise is turning one form of literature into another, and the short story into screenplay is one of the easiest conversions. The screenplay doesn’t have to be very long to be a â€Å"proper screenplay† and since you’re a beginner who doesn’t have to show the work to anyone, you can ditch the standard formatting and stick to writing what you want. One thing to remember about screenplays is that they’re not meant to be read, they’re meant to be performed. This frame of mind will be useful to any upstart writer, since it forces you to think how it will sound, and don’t be afraid of sounding it out yourself. In fact, get up and perform to an empty room if you have to, it’ll make your characters sound all the more real. For an extra challenge, think about how your characters talk and whether it matches their personality. Accents and affectations are obvious, but would a princess actually talk like that? What does a waitress say after she’s been stiffed on a tip? How does she say it? 3. Go To a Public Place and Listen To Conversations There’s nothing like listening to real people talk to inspire characters. Go into a park or a bar, somewhere you’re sure to overhear someone’s conversations, and write down snippets from it. You don’t have to listen from start to end, just write down whatever strikes you as interesting. After collecting a few (pages of) notes, go home and review them. Pick one that strikes your fancy, and write a dialogue around it – treat it either as a beginning or something in the middle. Here’s the important part, though: the dialogue shouldn’t be aimless, and that goes for all your writing. Every character, at all times, must want something – that’s what compels them to action and what moves the story further. So when you’re inventing that dialogue, try to envision characters that both want something from each other. What do they want? That’s up to you to decide. With this exercise, try and establish the following for both characters in a single dialogue: what they want, why they want it, what they’re willing to do to get it, their relationship to each other. It must have a beginning, middle and end, have stakes, motivation, and, finally, conflict. If it seems like a lot of work, it’s because it is. Any good writer knows to include all of these seamlessly. Let’s hope you will one day, too.

Understanding Different Types of Navy Ships

Understanding Different Types of Navy Ships The Navy has a large variety of ships in the fleet. The most well-known types are the aircraft carriers, submarines, and destroyers. The Navy operates worldwide from many bases. The large ships   aircraft carrier groups, submarines, and destroyers travel around the world. Smaller ships such as the Littoral Combat Ship are based near their place of operations. Learn more about the many types of Navy ships in the water today. Aircraft Carriers Aircraft carriers carry fighter aircraft and have runways allowing the aircraft to take off and land. A carrier has about 80 aircraft on board a powerful force when deployed. All current aircraft carriers are nuclear-powered. Americas aircraft carriers are the best in the world, carry the most planes and operate more efficiently than any other countries carriers. Submarines Submarines travel underwater and carry an array of weapons on board. Submarines are stealthy Navy assets for attacking enemy ships and missile deployment. A submarine may stay underwater on patrol for six months. Guided Missile Cruisers The Navy has 22 guided missile cruisers  that carry Tomahawks, Harpoons, and other missiles. These vessels are designed to provide defense against enemy aircraft and missiles.are designed to provide defense against enemy aircraft and missiles. Destroyers Destroyers are designed to provide land attack capability as well as air, water surface, and submarine defense capabilities. There are about 57 destroyers currently in use and several more under construction. Destroyers have massive weapons including missiles, large diameter guns, and small diameter weapons. One of the newest destroyers is the DDG-1000, which is designed to have a minimal crew while delivering a huge amount of power were ever deployed. Frigates Frigates are smaller offensive weapons carrying a 76 mm gun, Phalanx close-in weapons, and torpedoes. These are used for counterdrug operations and provide defensive capabilities when escorting other ships. Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) The Littoral Combat Ships are a newer breed of Navy ships providing the multi-mission capability. The LCS can change from mine hunting, unmanned boat and helicopter platforms and special operations warfare to reconnaissance practically overnight. The Littoral Combat Ships are designed to use a minimum number of crew members to lower the operating costs. Amphibious Assault Ships The amphibious assault ships provide the means for putting Marines on shore using helicopters and landing craft. Their primary purpose is facilitating Marine transport via helicopters so they have a large landing deck. The amphibious assault ships carry Marines, their equipment, and armored vehicles. Amphibious Transport Dock Ships Amphibious transport dock ships are used to carry Marines and landing craft for land assaults. These ships primary focus is landing craft based attacks. Dock Landing Ships Dock landing ships are a variation on the amphibious transport dock ships. These ships carry landing craft plus have maintenance and refueling abilities. Miscellaneous Ship Types Special purpose ships include command ships, coastal patrol boats, mine countermeasures ships, submarine tenders, joint high-speed vessels, Sea Fighters, submersibles, the  sailing frigate USS Constitution, oceanographic survey ships, and surveillance ships. The USS Constitution is the oldest ship in the US Navy and used for display and during flotillas. Small Boats Small boats are used for a variety of tasks including river operations, special operations craft, patrol boats, rigid hull inflatable boats, survey boats, and landing craft. Support Ships Support ships provide the necessary provisions that keep the Navy operates. There are combat stores on board them with supplies, food, repair parts, mail, and other goods. Then there are ammunition ships, fast combat support ships, cargo, and pre-positioned supply ships, rescue and salvage, tankers, tug boats, and hospital ships. The two Navy hospital ships are truly floating hospitals with emergency rooms, operating rooms, beds for recovering people, nurses, doctors, and dentists. These ships are used during wartime and for major natural disasters. The Navy employs a wide variety of ships, each with its own purpose and responsibilities. It has hundreds of ships from small ones to huge aircraft carriers.

Reviewing Progress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reviewing Progress - Essay Example Listening has more to do with the mind that the ear. These changes were necessary to make because if a person does not readily listen to his peers, subordinates, higher ups etc. he will never benefit from what they are trying to say to him. A person should always listen more than he speaks. These changes have made me a successful learner because they enable to keep other's point of view before what I think and then evaluate them in a sensible and unbiased manner. It is important to listen in this world of business because if you do not listen and keep on talking, you will give away more information about yourself and your company than you intend to and others who are clever enough to keep quiet and listen to you will catch the hints from what you are saying and find an advantage from what they have heard from you. Moreover, listening in the workplace is so important if you want to learn better and be a good employee. All the time, your boss, your subordinates and your customers will be trying to tell you something. If the listening skills are developed well, it would get easy for you to accommodate everyone and solve their problems, answer their queries. Being a good listener opens ways for you to hit bright ideas for your company, the project you are working on etc. 3 Identify the transferable skills which you have as you have studied B200 and suggest how they will be of use in future study or other aspects of your work. The listening skills that I have developed in this course will be very useful to me in my future study as well as other aspects of my work because this has helped develop an important aspect of my personality and I can rely on it to help me grow more in my educational career as well as my professional career. The listening skill, once developed, helps a person throughout his life because a bad listener always fails to take the utmost advantage of every opportunity that comes his way. In future study, the listening skill will be very helpful to help me listen to my teachers in other courses and understand what they are trying to educate me about. I will not just hear them; rather I will listen to them. Moreover, in other aspects of my work, it will help me communicate better with my peers. PART B 1 Describe one activity you undertook during which you practiced your discussion skills The activity that helped me practice my discussion skills is that of negotiation. There was a negotiation activity that I took part in and in which I had to negotiate with a second party about this problem that we were both facing regarding contract terms etc. in the activity, I played the Head of the union of workers that existed in the company whereas the other party was the top management of the company. The top management was not ready to raise the wages of the workers of the union and I, being the Head, had gone to talk to them and negotiate the matter in a way through which desirable results can be brought out in favor of both the parties. In this activity, first both parties were given a time of five minutes to practice

European Union Law - Institutional Balance Essay

European Union Law - Institutional Balance - Essay Example Initially, the crusade was focused on centralizing the coal and steel industries of Europe for better control and protection. It was thus evident at the start that the reason for the amalgamation was economics which explains why the group was earlier created as the European Economic Community.1 Since the interrelations and interactions among the members of the community were embodied in treaties or equivalent covenants, there was a need for an adjudicatory body to ensure that the provisions and terms of those agreements between and among independent territories or jurisdictions were religiously kept and to see to it that the institutions and agencies under the Union formulate and execute acts and deeds which are legally in pursuance of those treaties and covenants. This led to the establishment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the year 1952. The tribunal is now one of the seven pillars of the European Union and its judicial authority cooperating with the courts of the member states.2 The coordination includes matters of interpretation of the relevant laws and rules. The most important sources of law are legislation and jurisprudence, also called case law or common law. In the case of the European Union, it key institutions have legislative powers. ... even without these law-making bodies, there are already several treaties between and among member states which have been in force and effect and which necessarily become components of European Union Law. Most of these legal agreements are now incorporated in the European Union Consolidated Versions of the Treaty on European Union and of the Treaty Establish the European Community. The European Council Treaty and Protocols which was amended by the Treaties: Merger Treaty, the several Acts of Accession, the Budgetary Treaties and others also form part of the European Union Law. Secondary legislations in the nature of regulations, directives and decisions issued and adopted by the European Council, as well as international agreements for and in behalf of the Union, are also included in the whole legal framework. It is worth to note that the European Council, known today as the Council of the European Union, is composed of the representatives of the Member States who hold ministerial lev el positions. While there is only one Council, it is not a fixed institution and its designation and membership depend on the subject matter then at hand. Hence, if the issue then prevailing is about agriculture, the respective agriculture ministers will be the participants and the body will then be called the Agricultural Council.3 There can therefore also be a Council of Foreign Affairs, or of Finance, or of Home Affairs, etc. It is likewise important to observe that institutional balance is of fundamental significance in the political sphere of the European Union. No less than the key institutions of the union zealously advocate this kind of neutralization in order to conserve and maintain order, working harmony and decorum among all the branches and instrumentalities of the

Christian Dior's existing and recommended luxury brand strategies Assignment

Christian Dior's existing and recommended luxury brand strategies - Assignment Example ................................................................. 4 2.1 Importance of Conducting Brand Audit ............................................... 4 2.2 Interrelationship between Brand Positioning, Brand Association, Brand Identity, Brand Image, and Core Brand Value in Creating Brand Equity .......................................................................................... 6 2.3 Significance of Points-of-Differences and Points-of-Parity in Brand Positioning .................................................................................. 11 2.4 Importance of Brand Communication Campaign ................................. 11 2.5 Significance of Marketing Mix in the Use of Integrated Marketing Communication .................................................................... 12 3. Research Methodology ............................................................................................ 13 4. Analysis of Current Luxury Brand Audit and Its Strategies ............. ...................... 14 5. Recommended Luxury Brand Strategies ............................................................... 16 References ......................................................................................................................... 17 – 21 Appendix I – Dior’s Fashion Designs ................................................................................ ... fashion designer, Christian Dior sells a wide-range of fashion clothing for men and women of all ages, footwear, accessories, leather goods, fragrance, beauty products like make-up and skin care products, jewelleries, and timepieces (Christian Dior, 2013a). Today, Dior is competing with other luxury brands like Calvin Klein, Chanel, Givenchy, Gucci, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Versace, and Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) among others (Kapferer, 2008, p. 97). To ensure that the company is able to make its products readily available to its target customers, Dior is currently operating a total of 235 boutiques all over the world (Hoovers, 2013). On top of the number of boutiques this company is currently managing, Dior allows other retailers to sell its wide-range of men, women, and baby clothing, lingerie, perfumes, and other accessories under a limited number of business license (Lynne, 2013). As a luxury brand, Dior is one of the most successful in the world market. With total sales of â‚ ¬1.24 billion, Christian Dior Couture recently announced that the brand managed to experience a 24% increase in its total sales as of 2012 (Diderich, 2013; Fenner, 2013; Karmali, 2013; Spedding, 2013). 1.1 Significance of the Project The global economic and financial crisis which started back in 2007 has a significant impact over the economic instability which most developed and developing countries are currently experiencing (United Nations, 2011). Despite the financial and economic difficulty, it is surprising to know that the luxury brand such as in the case of Christian Dior has recently experienced a sharp growth in its annual sales (Diderich, 2013; Fenner, 2013; Karmali, 2013; Spedding, 2013). For this reason, the luxury brand Christian Dior was purposely chosen as the subject of this

Whitney Houston Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Whitney Houston - Essay Example Conclusion stays the summary of this topic and critical resume of the presented information. The method used is particularized examination of the literature sources together with the personal inferences to the topic. Whitney Houston was remained to be one of the most successful singers in the world concerning the musicians with the black skin and regarded as artist with the biggest amount of awards of different kinds. It was absolutely clear that Whitney attained a huge fame and world recognition. This was a magnificent woman with a strong voice and charming beauty. Despite of the facts about her problems with drugs and alcohol she was considered to be an icon for million people all over the world. This woman was born in August 9, 1963in Newark, New Jersey (The Biography, 2014). This had been a nice naà ¯ve girl with the big dream, and as her mother said â€Å"I saw the little girl who used to grab a broom and belt out songs in our basement studio like she was onstage at Carnegie Hall† (Houston, 2013). This girl was born in the family of famous people in that period, as her mother was a singer as much as her cousin and sister (The Wall Street Journal, 2014). Therefore it was important to admit that love to music and involving in the process of its creation was given to her since the early ages. This girl sang in the church since the childhood; still, Whitney had her first serous performance when she was a teenager on the scene in New York (The Wall Street Journal, 2014). Moreover, she sang with her mother and at the age of fifteen she started her career as a model. The matter is that one photographer discovered her natural beauty and charm, since that period Whitney had become a successful teenage model and even appeared in Seventeen magazine (The Biography, 2014). Concerning those facts it was worse to admit that her first steps in show-business were rather appreciative. Her career as a singer started to develop in 1983 when was Whitney’s debut on

Critically assess, using examples, the extent to which practice Essay

Critically assess, using examples, the extent to which practice perspectives give a coherent and complete account of the challenges involved with introducing new technologies into organisational settings - Essay Example pective approaches, leaders and managers within an organization can objectively evaluate and understand the depth and breadth of challenges associated with change within a workplace. According to practice perspective, social and cultural contexts play a significant role in influencing actionable practices demonstrated by individuals within a professional environment. Zachary (2012) mentioned that practice perspectives offer an insight into the intricate relationship between individual’s performance patterns, and the individual’s social attributes. For example, introduction of new technologies within an organization invariably presents specific challenges that can be accounted for through practice perspective techniques. In practice perspective, social elements of race, class, age, and gender among other relevant parameters are used to account for observable changes in actionable behaviors. Today, inclusion of social networking applications like Facebook and Twitter in an organization’s computers is helpful in facilitating online interactions between a company’s staff, customers, and other stakeholders. However, new technological tools like social network platforms can cause considerable challenges like distraction of employees at work. Actually, time spent by employees on friendly chats through social network sites can substantially compromise on productivity. According to Zachary (2012), young employees below 30 years are highly likely to spend more time on social networks compared to old workers above 35 years. On the other hand, productivity of female employees is minimally affected because they can easily multitask; hence they can still perform their duties effectively while at the same time using social network sites compared to their male counterparts. As aforementioned, practice perspective offers insight into the influential role of social parame ters like age and gender on individuals’ actionable performances. In this regard, challenges

Four Essay Questions of Art History Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Four Questions of Art History - Essay Example Some features that are used to identify Greek sculpture cannot apply sometimes due to difference in the sculptures. The ancient Greek sculpture has always been able to stand on without any support. Roman sculptures were created or curved in such a way that they cannot stand without a subjection of support or broad base to them. The two sculptures have shown distinct features such as possibility of broad base from the second sculpture that shows a crowd of people around a man on horseback. The 6 feet marble relief of standing man is a Greek sculpture, since the background of the sculpture looks like it has been made from bronze. Both the two sculptures are made from bronze and marble but the heights are different. Greeks used to make slightly taller curving than the Romans. The first statue is more idealistic and has an athletic figure than the sculpture of crowded men behind a man with the horseback. Greek artists concentrated more on their mythology in the creation of the statues, a nd unlike the Romans they gave more importance on athleticism making them produce idealistic statues. The second curving of crowded men behind a man on horseback looks more real, and it does not seem like one that believe in mythology. Only the Romans believed in creating sculptures that looked real and they didn’t believe in mythology. The Romans gave much importance to realism that made them create sculptures of real people. One bigger thing about the Romans is that they believe and cropped into history. The work of the artist from Romans has always described more of historical nature than the Greek’s artists. The second sculpture that shows crowded people around a man on horseback seems to be very ancient than the first sculpture. The background of the statue shows old but real creativity of old trees and the relation seems historical. The Romans became popular of their statue cravings due to their creative style on historical background. The first statue of a stand ing male is very plain and has no background that can describe a historical creativity or evolvement therefore it represents a work from Greek artists. Greek artist started by creating small sculptures but they evolved and created statues of mythological character, and as well they upgraded themselves as the creators of marble sculptures as well. The Greeks awhile evolving from making small sculptures to mythological once they created tall but not that much taller than the Romans structures, that is why you can suggest that the first sculpture is that of a Greek artist’s work rather than the Romans. Sometimes it is very hard to differentiate statue of the Romans from that of the Greek, it is because the Romans have tried to preserve the statue culture and tradition and as well they have followed closely the work of Greek artists. And due to time passing they developed statue of their own with a very unique style of creativity. If you look carefully at the second statue of cro wded men around a man on horseback is more unique and if you take a closer look you will realize that the background is very unique compared to the first sculpture of a standing man with a very plain background. Compared to other works with the lifelike statue of the classical era, a good Greek sculpture is rigid and stylized making it seems so obvious but distinctive from other work. Sculptures that are more culturally and traditionally linked are the Roman statues. But to some extend some of the Greek sculptures do show cultural affiliations just like the Roman

Critically assess, using examples, the extent to which practice Essay

Critically assess, using examples, the extent to which practice perspectives give a coherent and complete account of the challenges involved with introducing new technologies into organisational settings - Essay Example pective approaches, leaders and managers within an organization can objectively evaluate and understand the depth and breadth of challenges associated with change within a workplace. According to practice perspective, social and cultural contexts play a significant role in influencing actionable practices demonstrated by individuals within a professional environment. Zachary (2012) mentioned that practice perspectives offer an insight into the intricate relationship between individual’s performance patterns, and the individual’s social attributes. For example, introduction of new technologies within an organization invariably presents specific challenges that can be accounted for through practice perspective techniques. In practice perspective, social elements of race, class, age, and gender among other relevant parameters are used to account for observable changes in actionable behaviors. Today, inclusion of social networking applications like Facebook and Twitter in an organization’s computers is helpful in facilitating online interactions between a company’s staff, customers, and other stakeholders. However, new technological tools like social network platforms can cause considerable challenges like distraction of employees at work. Actually, time spent by employees on friendly chats through social network sites can substantially compromise on productivity. According to Zachary (2012), young employees below 30 years are highly likely to spend more time on social networks compared to old workers above 35 years. On the other hand, productivity of female employees is minimally affected because they can easily multitask; hence they can still perform their duties effectively while at the same time using social network sites compared to their male counterparts. As aforementioned, practice perspective offers insight into the influential role of social parame ters like age and gender on individuals’ actionable performances. In this regard, challenges

Ulysses S. Grant and The Gilded Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Ulysses S. Grant and The Gilded Age - Essay Example To be fair, keeping up with such expansion would have been a difficult task for any man. The challenges seem mind-boggling, even by contemporary standards. After the Civil War the United States was saddled with a huge national debt, the South's economy was virtually destroyed, the West was being opened up at a rapid pace (despite the increasingly desperate resistance of those whom Grant called "the original occupants of the land"), and the industrialization would very shortly make U.S. productivity soar above that of the United Kingdom. New inventions small and large were changing American life at a dizzying pace: the telegraph, the vast expansion of the railroads, gaslight, the iron-hulled, steam-engined ocean liner and battleship, new agricultural machinery, the safety razor, the repeating rifle, the fountain pen-there seemed no end to American invention and ingenuity-while at the same time the cities of the Northeast and Midwest expanded at breakneck speed to accommodate millions of new immigrants, creating a building boom and sending land prices sky high.4 Faced with all of these challenges, Grant took an unheard of approach in selecting members for his cabinet. He had long since made known his disdain for the political games of Washington. And rather than appoint public officials well-versed the problems of the day, Grant opted to appoint a collection of personal acquaintances and former military connections. Of course, "traditional interpretations of the Grant administration assert that the president-elect erred in not consulting broadly among the nation's political leaders before selecting his cabinet."5 The Senate, initially stunned by... This essay starts with a discussion of the general-turned-president, Ulysses S. Grant. While history cannot help but respect Grant’s morals and ethics in dealing with highly sensitive issues, the corruption that flourished during his terms, and even in his own administration, often casts a more memorable shadow over the era. Indeed, although an entire book could be dedicated to said corruption, and some have, this essay focuses in Grant’s rise to the presidency and his administration’s dealings in: The Gold Ring, Native American Population, The Whiskey Ring, and technology and labor advances following his terms. Fresh off landmark victories in the Civil War, Grant was quite possibly the most popular man in America. He was a landslide winner for the Republican Party without even making a single stumping speech. Grant was noted for his steadfast determination to meet resistance and pound away until he emerged victorious. Abraham Lincoln, when asked why he liked Gra nt responded, simply, â€Å"He fights.† It can surely be said that for eight years, Grant swam against the tide of public opinion in hopes for peaceful Indian assimilation. With the economy on the upswing, Reconstruction slowly working, Indian assimilation in progress, and rapid expansion into the West, Grant was a landslide winner for a second term. His second term, however, would be much more troublesome than the first. In addition to the rise to prominence of the Klu Klux Klan, Grant’s primary focus was on eliminating corruption from big business.

Poetry from Other Cultures Essay Example for Free

Poetry from Other Cultures Essay Poets who were born in Britain dont usually write about slavery or how important water is to them. Many poets who are not originally into a traditional English culture use English in many different ways. Night of the scorpion, Limbo and Sacrifice all seem like they are poems that have been written to represent beliefs or a way of life. They have all got rhythms and beats and some even use nursery rhymes or chants as a basis for the poem. Language is extremely important to some people especially poets. Sometimes you can see by looking at a poem that it is not written in Standard English. At the beginning of Night of The Scorpion, a child is talking about how it remembers the night when its mother was stung by a scorpion. The child mentions Ten hours of steady rain has driven him to crawl beneath a sack of rice. Here, the child is describing the scorpion and the reason for its arrival. The child points out that the scorpion parted with its poison which literally means that the scorpion has stung someone. Throughout the poem, the scorpion is described as an evil being; The flask of diabolic tail in the dark room shows this. When the mother was stung, the villagers are described as swarming flies. This may mean they were running to help the mother or running away from the scorpion. The villagers chant the name of god to the mother, chanting the name of god in some cultures, is said to bring luck or hope to the person they are chanting for. In the poem it also states that the villagers used torches and lanterns to try and find the scorpion. As the villagers moved around with the torches and lanterns, the scorpion left shadows on the mud baked walls. The villagers could not find the scorpion so they started to make a clicking noise to try and draw the scorpion towards them. In one part of the poem, it mentions that the scorpion was controlling the poison that was inside the childs mother. With every movement the scorpion made, his poison moved around the mothers blood. The villagers seem to believe that the scorpion controls the poison that is inside the mother so they think that if they capture the scorpion, the poison inside the mother will also stop moving. They state that they want to stop the scorpion on line 18, May he sit still. After line 18, a series of sentences are started with the word may. In Standard English, this word usually introduces a polite request. The villagers all sat round whilst the mother laid there. It is described that there is a look of understanding on all of the peoples faces, which shows that they are supporting the mother, hoping she will be fine. In some cultures it is believed that if you catch the scorpion that has poisoned someone, the victim will recover. This may be why the villagers were so keen to capture the creature. The poet then describes how everyone is trying to help the childs mother recover. My father, sceptic, rationalist, trying every curse and blessing, powder, mixture, herb and hybrid. He even poured a little paraffin wax upon the bitten toe and put a match to it. I watched the flame feeding on my mother this is one of the most effective quotes in this poem as its dramatic and metaphorical. Again, the poet describes how people are trying to help the childs mother by writing; I watched a holy man perform his rites to tame the poison with an incantation. The p poet gives the effect that the poison has been inside the mother for a long time by saying; After twenty hours, it lost its sting The last three lines of the poem have had a large amount of thought go into them, as its unusual to normally end a poem like this. The poem Limbo, tells the story of slavery in a rhyming, rhythmic dance. It is ambiguous and complex. There are two main narratives running in parallel; the actions of the dance and the history of a people which is being enacted. Going down under the limbo stick is likened to the slaves going down into the hold of the ship, which carries them into slavery. In Roman Catholic tradition, Limbo is a place to which the souls of people go, if they are not good enough for heaven but not bad enough for hell, between this is Limbo. It has come to mean an unpleasant place or a state of mind or body from which it is difficult to escape. The story of slavery told in the poem is very easy to follow, yet full of detail and action. The poem has a very strong beat, suggesting the dance it describes. The rest of the poem tells a story enacted in a dance. These lines are greatly rhythmic and almost every syllable is stressed, until the very last line, where the rhythm is broken, suggesting the finish of the dance and the end of the narrative. This poem is suited to a dramatic performance there is the dancing under the limbo stick and the acting out the voyage into slavery. The poem can be chanted or sung with a rhythmic beat to give the best effect. The poem refers to a drummer which may be suitable. The poem is laid out on the page in a very peculiar fashion; this is related to the poem being chant like. Parts of the poem are echoed or at least rhyming in a repetitive way to suggest that this may not be any song or dance, but one of an African like culture. From the start of the poem, it seems pessimistic, but as you read on towards the end of the poem, it gradually stats to change into an optimistic look onto what will happen. The music is saving me could mean that the songs of their cultures were what gave them hope or the fact that the drummer was beating a rhythmic beat was what got them to carry on. The first line of sacrifice is an unusual line to start with because describing a goat having a knife dragged across its neck isnt the sort of image you would want to convey for the opening sentence. The persons point of view throughout the poem seemed to switch between two characters, a young boy and a goat being sacrificed. Two spadefuls of dirt will cover me up forever I can feel its point on my throat. Many cultures bless their house or have some kind of ceremony once the house is built. Also, there are still some cultures today that sacrifice animals to their gods. We stand in a tight circle around the animal to be sacrificed this short sentence is a great example of this. It seems that the child in question seems to dislike the idea of animals being sacrificed. The heat and the smell of the blood make me dizzy. Again, there is a whole paragraph describing just how the animal in question is sacrificed. The writer of the poem has made a strange choice by putting both children and the theme of sacrificing together, as usually a poet would not normally do this. The children are fascinated by the tableau. Here, a drama convention is used. A tableau is a still image that can be used at the beginning, during or at the end of a piece of drama. Again, the idea of ceremonies are used; A white bearded man chants something holy. The cameras click. This short sentence sounds wrong when put into context with the theme of the poem. The idea of people taking pictures of an animal that has just been sacrificed is disgusting. The ending of the poem is unusual because it seems that it is from the boys point of view because it describes the house as an unnecessary killing. We are not laying the foundations of a house but another dachau. A Dachau is a Nazi concentration camp where thousands of Jews were exterminated.

Animal Biotechnology in Developing Countries

Animal Biotechnology in Developing Countries ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: APPLICATIONS, RISKS AND ETHICS TO BE CONSIDERED ABSTRACT In majority of the developing countries, the application of biotechnology associated to livestock has to be appropriate for the animal owners who lack resources and who have small land and few animals. Livestock is becoming highly necessary for the developing countries in terms of economic growth, healthy life style and socio-economic objectives. Livestock production is collaborated with technology for viable agriculture. Livestock is an integral part of the ecosystem and is an abundant source of animal biodiversity since local breeds have genes and characteristics that are of great value. Molecular markers are used to a great extent to determine and choose certain genes having desired characteristics and to spread its use in artificial insemination, embryo transfer and various other reproductive methods. These technologies are used extensively in genetic enhancement of the livestock such as in cattle and buffaloes. Presently, biotechnology is utilized for the production of vaccines and diagnostic kits. However, in the absence of proper foundation, inappropriate manpower, inadequate funding to farmers and lacking of available resources, still there is lot gap in the field. In spite of having many advantages, there are several risk factors and ethical issues to be considered in genetically modifying animals for human consumption and animal welfare. This paper deals with the problems faced by the developing countries, applications of animal biotechnology to overcome these problems, risks involved and ethical principles to be considered. INTRODUCTION Biotechnology is considered to be necessary for the human survival and as a tool that will enhance the quality of life of the people in the world [1]. Genomics and biotechnology has a huge ability to combat diseases that mostly affect the world’s poorest population [2]. Although biotechnology is assumed to elevate the life of the person in the world and allow a more comfortable living, commercial considerations and socioeconomic goals that are believed by the society are very important [3]. Animal biotechnology â€Å"is the application of scientific and engineering principles to the processing or production of materials by animals or aquatic species to provide goods and services†. The production of livestock is expanding when compared to any other sector and by the year 2020, the livestock is supposed to become the most significant agricultural sector. The application of biotechnology in this sector will direct to a positive shift in the economic returns from livestock. 43% of the agricultural production is through the production of livestock where more than half of the agricultural yield is from the livestock of the developed countries and one third is from the developing countries. PROBLEMS FACED BY THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Advantages of biotechnology have only reached the developed countries, with billions in the poor countries largely excluded from these benefits. The practice of using the molecular biotechnologies and the novel breeding principles to the livestock animals by the developing countries is constrained by various factors. Dearth, malnutrition, inadequate hygiene and unemployment are common in the developing countries and techniques related to biotechnology have to be applied under these circumstances. Green revolution has been effective for farmers who have land but farmers who do not have land exist only on livestock and they have been condemned and remained poor. I think developing countries should be able to extend these techniques with the help of government agencies which would help improve their quality of life and living by considering the ethical, social and environmental issues into account. In developing economics, the livestock has become very necessary for the expansion of agriculture. The quest for the products from livestock is the function of income and continuous improvement in the per capita income, increasing urban population and the alterations in the lifestyle and diet are improving the growth in production of livestock. By increasing the income and employment and by depreciating the rural poverty, the production of livestock leads to socioeconomic development. The function of livestock is not only to provide food and nutrition but also acts as a supply in draught power and organic manure. Therefore livestock is necessary source of income and address the unemployment issue. This helps in reducing the poverty and scatters the income among the rural population that constitutes small landholders and a most of the livestock owners. During unfavorable environments, livestock can be reverted into cash and therefore can be used during crop failure. IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY Animal biotechnology has various uses. Transgenic animals with improved growth rates, improved lean muscle mass, greater resistance to disease have been produced ever since the early 1980s [4]. Genetic content of animals such as poultry, swine, goats and cattle have been modified so that they produce more amounts of human proteins in eggs, milk, blood and urine which helps in making of human pharmaceuticals. This therapeutics contains proteins required for humans such as enzymes, clotting factors, albumin and antibodies. Cows are genetically modified by injecting a bacterium containing growth hormone called bovine somatotropin (BST) to increase the milk production rate by 10 to 15 percent. Considerable number of genes and desired traits has been discovered in the livestock of Africa and Asia. Examples of such breeds from these continents are significant in the global level such as, buffaloes that yield milk with more amounts of fat and with greater quality of protein necessary for the production of mozzarella cheese, goats from cold countries that generate pashmina and toos- slender varieties of wool, Black Bengal goats that bear genes for high productivity, Garole sheep that bear genes for twinning and sheep’s, camels and goats that are tolerant to tropical arid environment and can sustain feed with high lignin composition. Milk, meat and eggs production and the nutritional value, prevention of diseases and healthcare has been improved for these products through the use of biotechnology. Biotechnology is a new developing tool for the growth of agricultural technologies. The greater profit of agricultural research and technology is that the poor can buy the products easily since both the average incomes and the use of these food products are improved [3]. The improvement in the production of livestock has called for an increased value of land, labor and goods and services of non-agricultural origin therefore improving the overall growth in the economy. The rural population spends nearly greater part of their additional income on food. Therefore biotechnology can be applied to livestock production which leads to a greater nutritional significance in case the technology is aimed at the poorest producers. However, â€Å"commercialization of agriculture† has depleted the nutritional security of the rural population. APPLICATIONS OF THE TECHNOLOGY There are many technologies that have been evolved to the livestock of both developing and developed countries. However, the large scale technologies that are efficiently utilized in the production of livestock in the developing countries comprises of protecting the animal genetic resources, enhancing reproduction, embryo transfer (ET), detecting and reducing diseases and increasing the nutrition value. 1. Transgenics Gene related technologies have the tendency to boost the ability for the production of livestock thereby assuring larger profits for the farmers [2]. â€Å"The global adaption of genetically modified (GM) crops, which were grown on 67.7 million hectares in 2003 compared with 2.8 million hectares in 1996, has had a greater impact on livestock feed. It is estimated that the United States of America, Argentina, Canada, Brazil and the People’s Republic of China have 63%. 21%, 6%, 4% and 4% respectively, of the global transgenic acreage and that the most frequently grown crops are GM soybean (61%), maize (23%), cotton (11%) and canola (5%)†. Although research in medical field requires the use of transgenic animals such as mice, GM animals have not yet been discharged into the farms [3]. The progress in the genetic alteration of the livestock is very slow when compared to the genetic alteration of crops for a wide range of reasons that include high costs, inappropriate gene t ransfer techniques and small reproductive rates of animals. Recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) techniques contribute to the expression of desires genes, to suppress the expression of unwanted genes, to modify certain genes to obstruct certain pathways. It was determined that approximately 30 enzymes are produced from GM bacteria, yeasts and moulds that are commercially available and most of these enzymes are utilized in the food industry. Milk produced from transgenic cattle has the ability to improve the production of some proteins or growth factors and this improved quality in the nutrient and therapeutic content in the composition of milk may have a greater impact on the development and the survival of the newborn humans and animals. This transgenic alteration in the milk will lead to a greater utilization of milk and milk products in the fields of both agriculture and medicine. By improving the composition of the proteins in milk or developing a new protein in the milk is a â€Å"value added† opportunity for transgenic agriculture. 2. Cloning Nuclear cloning is the process of creating new animals by introducing somatic nuclei into an unfertilized oocyte [5]. In other words it is the process in which one single DNA molecule can give rise to an entire organism [6]. Even though it was started in fishes to know the nuclear totipotency, it was extended for higher organisms like sheep where Dolly was the first cloned mammal. Genetically modified nuclear transfusion can play a better role in cloning with desired characteristics. Since it is a cell medicated transfer addition and deletion of the specific gene can be done depending on the gene of interest that is to be produced. Cloning can be used in preservation of indigenous breeds of global zoo pool which are adapted to a local environment. Multiplication can be done rapidly which give uniform clones. This technology can be used as a therapeutic agent for several diseases like diseases like diabetes, spinal disorders and tissue damage by using the transplanted cells to replace the damaged tissue or using stem cells to differentiate into the specific cells of interest. Cloned animals can be used as research models which give identical twins that have same pathway for their physiological activities rather than using animals with more genetic variability. It improves the quality and quantity of food products produced and also produces several disease resistant plants that reduce pollution indirectly. 3. Artificial insemination (AI) Artificial insemination (AI) is a method by which sperm from male is collected, processed and stored and then is artificially inserted into the female reproductive tract for conception. AI is one of the most essential procedures for genetically improving farm animals and is extensively used for breeding dairy. [7]. The recognition of AI method worldwide presents the development of other technologies, such as cryopreservation and sexing of sperm, estrous cycle regulation, and embryo harvesting, freezing, culture and transfer, and cloning [8]. The rate of conception in the area of AI in the developing countries is less and hence the desired efficiency on the animal development has not been accomplished. Artificial insemination has following advantages over natural breeding. The major benefit of AI is that it makes utmost use of superior sires. Earlier, very few could get the benefit of superior bulls. Naturally, a bull can be bred to 50 to 60 cows per year. In contrast, by AI, thousands of cows can be sired in one year by one bull. [9]. Exposure of sires to contagious genital infections is prevented by utilizing AI thereby preventing the spread of such infections. 4. Embryo transfer (ET) To obtain genetically superior or important animals, animal breeders are attempting to get as many offspring’s as possible. Hormonal induction of multiple ovulations, followed by non-surgical collection of embryos and embryo transfer is extensively used [10]. ET is one of the most important reproductive techniques in cattle that can elevate the genetic improvement. ET in cattle has lately acquired huge popularity with seedstock dairy and beef producers. Like artificial insemination, ET can significantly increase the number of offsprings [11]. ET improves the reproductive ability of a cow because semen from one male can be utilized for a huge number of females, and by using a technique called superovulation, superior female can be made to provide more number of ovules. Cows that are not capable of sustaining pregnancy can still contribute by providing ovules for ET. Embryos can also be frozen and preserved in an embryo bank and used whenever required [12]. 5. In vitro production of embryos In vitro production (IVP) of buffalo embryos has gained an importance because of less acceptance of AI and reduced superovulatory response in buffaloes [13]. IVP contributes a good supply of embryos for studying fundamental research on â€Å"developmental physiology, farm animal breeding, embryo sexing, sperm injection, nuclear transfer, cloning and transgenesis†. IVP leads to a favorable pregnancy and birth of the calf in buffalo. However, the rate of success if less. Therefore IVP must be enhanced in the developing countries before it can be used in the cattle as well as buffaloes. 6. Improving health through vaccines Vaccines are used for the prevention and control of animal and human diseases [14]. Through biotechnology, new and enhanced drugs have been produced that lower production expenses and increase animal welfare by combating infections caused by bacteria and parasites [15]. With the help of modern biotechnology techniques, new and improved animal vaccines have also been generated. Vaccines used to fight diseases such as foot and mouth disease, scours, brucellosis, shipping fever, feline leukemia and rabies. Test kits have been created to diagnose health of livestock and other animals. Molecular biology distinguishes the disease causing agents by sequencing the nucleotides and by determining the origin of these pathogens. These molecular diagnostic techniques are polymerase chain reaction (PCR), monoclonal antibodies and recombinant antigens. These approaches can be made better to promote their use in the developing countries. RISKS OF ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY Although implementing this technology provides many benefits, there are also certain risks involved with this technology [18]. Genetically modified animals interfere with nature and tend to affect normal wild type organisms Genetic diversity of organisms is narrowed down and existing modifies animals will be prone to diseases and threatened as a result. The safety of food containing or produced from engineered animals also raises questions in the public because of its unpredictability (toxic or allergic etc) It has huge impact on the normal farms and their employment. To start up the business, funds are essential which might be obtained from government or private enterprises which is doubtful due to lack of trust. It leads to Negative Globalization which is due to probable mistreatment of developing countries. There is also scope for mistreatment of animals causing stress and future abnormalities which will be opposed by animal welfare organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) etc. Procedures like cloning will reduce naturally occurring genetic variability. Animal biotechnology involves costly processes but the success rate is very less There might be transfer of pathogens and other disease causing organisms from the donors to recipient animals. The life expectancy of such animals even after spending both time and money is very less as they are subjected to strain to produce more and desirable products. Techniques such as embryonic cell nuclear transfer (ECNT) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) have raised apprehensions on human safety and animal health. The cloned animals tend to have a poor success rate for embryo development which is called as ‘large offspring syndrome’ [19], placental abnormalities, edema, large umbilicus or perinatal deaths. Concerns still exist on the human consumption of cloned animals. Several other moral and ethical concerns also pose risks in the use of animal biotechnology. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF THE TECHNOLOGY Today, ethical, social, environmental and economic issues in animal farming are essentially associated with sustainable income and food security for millions of people in the developing countries [16]. The major function of farm animals in social, cultural and economic welfare of humanity in the developing countries contrasts with the condition in developed countries. Basically, there are two areas of ethical considerations. One being the alterations in the genetic content of animals and the other being concerns on animal welfare. Animals are considered to be â€Å"voiceless victims of science† since the painful treatment given to these animals during slaughtering and transportation is contrast of the perceived sentiments and love for animals. Ethical considerations should be regarded on gene based methods such as gene product that has its application in vaccination, genes used for treatment of diseases and to detect the source of infections and making of therapeutic agents through insertion of specific genes into living tissues. Ethical and social examination on the biosafety issues such as harm in the recipient animals and humans who consume transgenic products should be considered. Although transgenic methods such as introduction of a gene to get a desired trait, modification of physiological development and functions, increased reproductive capability, disease resistant animals prove to be of great benefit to the humans, biosafety, environmental risks should not be neglected. According to Monsanto which is an agrochemical company, bovine somatotropin is a natural ‘protein supplement’ that improves the cow’s ability to produce milk [17]. However, some organizations believe that Monsanto is pushing a drug that compels cows to work harder on the factory cattle farm, and that pollutes ordinary processes. Related disapproval has been observed against attempts to genetically altering animals so that they will generate high levels of growth hormone. Animal welfare and animal rights are frequently defiled in most of the developing countries. Certain laws such as anti-cruelty law and animal protection law should be adapted by all the countries so that animals are considered to have a fundamental value and are not solely instrumental for humans. Research should still be conducted to provide a safer and cheaper way of embryo transfer and artificial insemination in the developing countries. CONCLUSIONS AND REMEDIES Progress in the development of biotechnology is being made in many countries. However, only a small proportion of it is reaching the developing countries in the fields of conservation, animal improvement, diagnosis and control of diseases. However, farmers are not benefitted from the gene based techniques. Accessing novel technologies is very expensive for the developing countries and there is less investment for animal health and production. Although many discoveries have been developed in the laboratories by the developing countries, majority of them are not modified into appropriate products. Sufficient national and international platform through international donor consortium is required to manage the cost to access the biotechnological products. In the developing countries, the money expended by the international organizations on animal biotechnology is insufficient. â€Å"The World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Consultative Group on International Agricultura l Research, the United Nations Development Programme, The United States Agency for International Development, The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the International Development Research Centre, the Asian Development Bank† and many such groups have to provide greater funds to the livestock sector. Contributing money in livestock has positive results in human development. I think, by identifying the health needs and making use of the benefits of these technologies, developing countries can exploit biotechnology for enhancing human health. However, the risk factors and ethical issues should be considered not only by the developing countries but also by the developed countries. More studies and research has to be conducted to minimize the risks of applying these technologies. The government agencies should provide proper finance to apply these technologies and also provide trained labor to get a maximum benefit out of it. REFERENCES http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/biotech/in_focus/biotechnology_if_animal.html Daar, et al (2007), Hoe can developing countries harness biotechnology to improve health? BMC Public Health, 7:346. M.L. Madan, Animal biotechnology: applications and economic implications in developing countries (2005), Rev. sci. tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 24(1), 127-139. http://www.aboutbioscience.org/pdfs/Animal_Biotechnology.pdf http://www.epidna.com/showabstract.php?pmid=11985609redirect=yesterms=define+nuclear+cloning Wells, 2005., Animal Cloning: problems and prospects, Rev. Sci. tech.int. Epiz, 24(1),251-264. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/DS089 Foote (2002), The history of artificial insemination: Selected notes and notables, journal of animal science, 80:1-10 http://www.world-agriculture.com/animalhusbandry/artificial_insemination_cattle.php Hashimoto (2009), applications of invitro maturation to assisted reproductive technology, journal of reproduction and development, 55, 1. http://www.brangusworld.com/documents/Estrus%20Sinchonization.pdf http://www.molecular-plant-biotechnology.info/in-vitro-fertilization-and-embryo-transfer-in-humans-and-livestock/advantages-of-embryo-transfer-in-cattle.htm Nandi S et al., Production of Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Embryos in virto: Premises and Promises (2002), Reprod Dom Anim 37, 65-74. Kurstak et al., Towards new vaccine and modern vaccinology: introductory remarks (1999), Elsevier- Vaccine 17, 1583-1586 file:///G:/443-003.html Kesavan (2005), et al., Ethical, Social, Environmental and Economic issues in Animal Biotechnology, Applications of gene based technologies for improving animal production and health in developing countries, 447-462. Levidow et al., (1997), How biotechnology regulation sets a risk/ethics boundary, Agriculture and human values, 14: 29-43 http://ucbrep.ucdavis.edu/PDFs/Animal%20biotech%20Food%20Expo.pdf Yang et al., (2007), Risk assessment of meat from cloned animals, Nature biotechnology, vol 25, no. 1.

The Waterfall :: Place Essay, Description Essaay

Visiting a waterfall, especially on a hot sultry day, can be a favorite way to spend a day. You get in your car, drive for miles, then get out and walk the remainder of the way to a waterfall. Civilization has cleared and marked a pathway for you and the many thousands like you who have come to enjoy these named landmarks. Rarely do you get to enjoy the natural beauty of one by just stepping out into your own backyard. Behind my house, barely noticeable, is a trail leading through the woods to a waterfall. The trail is narrow but well worn. Any shrubbery that would have grown has been trampled down and all that is left is a very narrow path, overhung with branches from the trees that mark its sides. As I start down the trail, I begin to feel the trees closing around me until the house can no longer be seen. I follow the trail to where it stops at the creek's edge, approaching quietly so as not to disturb any of the wild creatures that has come to enjoy the cool fresh water. I gently cross over the creek using the stones, which show the wear of several previous crossing, so that I can have full view of the creek and the beauty it possesses. I can hear the rush of the water long before I see the falls. As I sit down on the big gray slate rock that has been warmed by the early morning sun, I begin to gulp in the beauty as a starving man would gulp down food. I start my usual ritual of examining the banks of the creek by gazing down the right side of it first. I notice that the wild azaleas are in full bloom and that the trees have regained all their leaves. They stand tall and majestic as if they are soldiers standing guard. My gaze travels up one of the trees to find two squirrels chattering down at me as if to say "Go away and leave us in peace." Further down starts the gentle bend that takes the remainder of the creek from my view. My gaze shifts to the left side of the bank and there lies an old oak tree that has fallen long ago. It still lies partially upon its stump so that it looks like the shape of an "L".

Music as Social Commnetary

The end of the Reagan Administration is not generally known for political activism and yet during the highly conservative Reagan years, some of the biggest efforts of music to combat the problems of the world began. John Cougar Mellankamp wrote the album, â€Å"Rain on the Scarecrow† and began the Farm Aid concerts to draw attention to the disappearing American family far. Michael Jackson and the musical elite of the day wrote and performed, â€Å"We Are the World† and Sir Bob Geldof drew attention to the African famines with his multi-star performance and recording of â€Å"Do They Know It’s Christmas?† Into that political climate, singer/songwriter Jackson Browne wrote and released the song, â€Å"How Long? † on his â€Å"World in Motion† album released in 1989 (â€Å"Ontario Coalition Against Poverty† 1). Speculation runs high that Browne may have been directly addressing the issues of international poverty or may have been discussi ng the issue of Apartheid in South Africa, avery popular cause of the late 1980s. Browne, the German-born son of an American military photographer, had become well-known for his political activism.After writing for some of the biggest names in the music industry including The Byrds and The Eagles (Paris 1), Browne recorded his own music beginning in the mid-1970s and culminating with his hits â€Å"Running on Empty† and â€Å"The Load Out (Stay)†. Then, his formerly easy-going music turned into political statement after political statement. He organized a coalition of musicians against nuclear energy after the Three Mile Island accident and often wrote about politics, saying,† nothing is more personal than your political beliefs.† (Paris 1) But America of the late 1980s was in feel-good mode. The wall was coming down in Berlin, the Cold War at an end and the Soviet Union was crumbling. The album which featured â€Å"How Long† was the worst performanc e of Browne’s career, other than his debut album when nobody knew his name (Wade 1). The famine in Ethiopia and other parts of the world were big news, though largely ignored except for during feel-good relief efforts and homelessness in America was a huge issue as the Reagan era drove the divide between the haves and have nots even farther apart.Browne, who was critical of liberals and conservatives alike (Ward 1), wrote the song to call everyone out for their blithe acceptance of the arms race and huge military budgets. Others speculate that the song relates to the Anti-Apartheid efforts. The South African crisis was big news during the Reasgan administration with Congress enacting strict restriction on South African trade, beginning in 1986, and popular culture canonizing Nelson and Winnie Mandela.And that anti-Apartheid movement was important in popular culture. Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) highlighted the problems involving the race-based discrimination in South Africa the sam e year the song was released and the colonial system instituted by the Dutch did not end until years later. Sadly, however, the song seems largely misplaced in time, coming out in the first year of the presidency of George H. W. Bush when the world accepted that the arms race was over and social consciousness was beginning to take hold.It almost appears as though Browne missed the boat with â€Å"How Long† as he was critical of the military industrial complex which was already in the process of dismantling after the reunification of Germany and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Furthermore, the song deals specifically with the issue of children and starvation, but did not serve to draw particular attention to the problem worldwide, possible due to the vagaries of the song. The vagaries of the song make it difficult to identify what social injustice in particular Browne hoped to address and that may have been his point.While asking in general â€Å"How Long? † peo ple were willing to tolerate social injustice around the world, Browne may have helped to draw attention to both the need for nuclear disarmament and the need to end Apartheid. We do know that it asks the listener to consider the children and their future. â€Å"How Long† begins with a verse describing the possibilities evident in a child’s face and asks the listener, presumably Americans and other citizens of the world, how long the child would survive if it were up to them (â€Å"How Long† Lines 1-8).The problem is that the children of the 1980s were not the flower-power generation of the 1960s and the subtly was lost. Asking â€Å"How long — would the child survive/How long — if it was up to you† was not the call to action needed in the late 1980s. The self-absorbed generation could easily just answer the question and ignore the call to action underneath the words. Indeed, there is no evidence that the song had any impact other than as a subtle reminder of what they saw daily on the news. In the second verse, Browne gets a little more direct with his indictment of the listener but still fails to call them to action.â€Å"When you think about the money spent On defense by a government And the weapons of destruction we've built We're so sure that we need And you think of the millions and millions That money could feed How long — can you hear someone crying How long — can you hear someone dying Before you ask yourself why? † (Browne, â€Å"How Long† Lines 9-16) Ultimately, Browne does a good job of pointing out the political and social issues of the time, but fails to take a stance on what should be done about it.There is a vague notion that the government should stop spending money on missile defense systems and nuclear weapons in favor of spending on social issues, but he never implores his audience to take action. Instead, the audience can simply agree that yes, it is a problem and then g o back to their own lives without interruption or any change in action. Perhaps the one place where Browne’s work might be considered effective is in his final verse, when he discusses the need to think of the globe differently than the blue and white and green image seen from space (Browne, â€Å"How Long†).Finally, he asks how long until we â€Å"have something to offer where the planet’s concerned? † (â€Å"Browne, â€Å"How Long† Lines 38-39) Though the song is generally accepted as an anti-military, pro-social reform ballad, these last lines may have been influenced by his relationship with environmental activist and actress Darryl Hannah and may allude to the idea that people need to take action with regard to the world’s environmental situation. In that way, it may have had some limited effect on public awareness about environmental issues.Realistically though, it appears that the only real effect of Browne’s work may have bee n on his career. Reviewer David Marsh, well-known for his commentary on rock music, put it this way. â€Å"This is one time Jackson Browne did his words profound justice as a singer — it's simply a great piece of singing, stark, angry, pained and yet aching more than anything else with a love that's proven yet again to be insufficient to hold a life together.The question while this music and the story unfold is not how the singer will survive — he's already told us that — but how the listener will keep his composure long enough to hear it through. † (Ward 1) The song may well have been a sign of the times and completely appropriate for the long view of history, but in the culture of the times, it was too passe, with not enough call for direct action.Still, just a few years later, Browne got his wish during the Clinton administration when the military industrial complex was largely dismantled, America’s standing army minimized and world concerns bro ught to the forefront of American consciousness. Apartheid also fell in the intervening years, coming to an end in 1994. By the time the song had its desired impact on spending priorities, the drought had shifted and the starving was in Rwanda and Darfur and Americans had moved on to another music form and again forgot the starving children.Just as Browne’s cry for justice came very late in the era of Apartheid, it came very early in the call for environmental activism and people missed its call to do the right thing and care for the children of the world. Works Cited Browne, Clyde Jackson. â€Å"How Long? † World in Motion, Elektra Records, 1989. Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, â€Å"Activism and protest song lyrics page† < http://www. ocap. ca/songs/howlong. html> December 5, 2007. Paris, Russ. â€Å"Jackson Browne: Biography†. , December 5, 2007. Ward, Michael.â€Å"Jackson Browne: the Artist behind the Words† http://media. www. versusmag. or g/media/storage/paper584/news/2003/10/22/Music/Jackson. Browne-547215. shtml>, December 5, 2007. How Long by Jackson Browne When you look into a child's face And you're seeing the human race And the endless possibilities there Where so much can come true And you think of the beautiful things A child can do How long — would the child survive How long — if it was up to you When you think about the money spent On defense by a government And the weapons of destruction we've built

The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam

Robert S. McNamara's memoir ‘In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam' offers an explanation of McNamara's handling of the Vietnam War as Secretary of Defense during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. McNamara's goal directed as well as logico-mathematical approach to decision-making must be blamed for the failure of the US to stop North Vietnam from winning the war. Bloodshed would have been evaded if merely McNamara had looked at the probable outcome of his decisions on Vietnam. What appears from pages of this book are mechanics of a machine closed in on itself.It digested just the information that suited its version of reality or served its bureaucratic interests. It unnoticed discordant views, reorganized unlikable facts as well as, when proved wrong, simply redoubled its efforts. It was a machine suited to a military colossus whose directors never doubted their premises or their capability to make reality symbolize the exercise of their power. The book is wr itten down in a manner that brings joy particularly to the hearts of the pacifist crowd even while they criticize him, as its confessions appear to justify their opposition to the war.That was Bill Clinton's self-satisfied response. Thus far the book is extremely superficial in its political analysis — signifying how far in over his head McNamara was in that job from the start. Certainly, it's high time that someone inquired our country's inclination of picking big-time industrialists for defense secretary on the theory that it's just a big management work. Sometimes the job needs a lot more than management talent: deliberate understanding and judgment, which McNamara without a doubt never had.In justice to McNamara, his long silence had an admirable cause. Given the national shock that Vietnam brought, he feared that any apologia would be expedient and inappropriate. This caginess renowned McNamara from egregious former colleagues for instance Clark Clifford, Averell Harrima n, as well as Cyrus Vance, who within months of leaving office were attacking the Nixon Administration with peace proposals also demands for concessions to the North Vietnamese.The end of McNamara's book in brief touches non-Vietnam matters — particularly the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and the Harvard conferences he has lately attended, which brought together Soviet, American, as well as Cuban veterans of that crisis. The malice of such conferences is established by the breast-beating wrapping up of McNamara and some further Americans that it was our entire fault: Khrushchev put missiles in Cuba for the reason that he feared we were planning one more Bay of Pigs.Suffering regarding that brush with nuclear tragedy has led to another of McNamara's recantations his vigorous anti-nuclear activism, proceeding proposals for disarmament and no-first-use of nuclear weapons. He has championed this reason with the same sanctimonious obstinacy with which he once sold us the body counts a nd wunderkind strategizing in Vietnam, and with which he at present proclaims his confessions of our Vietnam errors. He possibly will never get it right. (Kevin Hillstrom, Laurie Collier Hillstrom, 1998). DEVELOPMENT OF THEMEThis book â€Å"In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam† is barely likely to assuage that cynicism. Certainly, it will most likely reinforce it. For what it exposes is a leadership class so in thrall to power, so persuaded of its own intellectual superiority, so cut off from, and even disdainful of, the wider society it has been empowered to serve, that it was eager to sacrifice virtually everything to evade the stigma of failure. The usefulness of McNamara's book is in the description of that trickery and of that failure.Much of the documentation has long been accessible in the Pentagon Papers, which he commissioned soon before leaving office, and which were leaked to the press by Daniel Ellsberg in 1971. However there is something to be erudit e in hearing it from such a highly placed participant. Nevertheless, no one else, at such a level of influence–not Johnson, or McGeorge Bundy, or Walt Rostow, or Henry Kissinger or Richard Nixon–ever openly admitted error or accepted blame. McNamara has at least broken the wall of silence.And even though he remains protective and largely uncritical of his colleagues, including the most imperceptive, the picture that appears is not one to motivate confidence. What this account noticeably discloses is that at no time did officials in either the Kennedy or Johnson administrations ever seriously think about anything less than an enduringly divided Vietnam with an anti-communist government in the south. The North Vietnamese, for their part, never measured anything less than a unified nation under their, i. e. communist, control. No one was in any doubt about this.The problem was that the Americans were persuaded that by inflicting unbearable pain they could force Hanoi to d esist however they were wrong. It was their country, not ours. In the end it was we who withdrew in the face of unbearable pain. Why did three successive administrations think that Vietnam was so imperative? First, there was the domino theory, which decreed that if Saigon fell to communism, the rest of Southeast Asia would shortly follow. Kennedy himself authorized it. When asked in 1963 by a television interviewer whether he doubted the correspondence, he answered, â€Å"No, I believe it. â€Å"Second, there was confronting of communist-led â€Å"wars of national liberation. † As nuclear weapons had made war too risky between America and Russia, the conflict transferred to the Third World, where a host of impecunious, ex-colonial nations looked up for grabs. Did it matter whether these were communist or anti-communist despotisms? Almost certainly not. Although there was nowhere else the competition could occur, and so there it raged. Vietnam turned into a test case. Third, there was the well-known supposition that Beijing was taking its marching orders from Moscow, and calling the shots in Hanoi.The truth that China and Russia were already disputing publicly and that the Vietnamese had historically viewed the Chinese as their greatest enemy made no impact whatever on U. S. policymakers. It did not fit into their worldview. Fourth, the world's greatest military power was not going to confess failure, least of all against what Johnson once mentioned as a â€Å"piddling, piss-ant little country. † It was too mortifying even to contemplate. Beyond all this there was one more reason that neither Kennedy nor Johnson, once the United States so carelessly slid into Vietnam, could easily get out.The Democrats were the party, in accordance with the Republicans, who had â€Å"lost† China to communism. They were definitely not going to offer more fodder for their foes in Vietnam. As Truman had pushed above the thirty-eight parallel in Korea to illu strate that he was tougher on communism than the Republicans, so Kennedy and Johnson felt they dare not lose Saigon to the Reds. This is why the assumption, here thoughtfully echoed by McNamara, that Kennedy would have pulled out of the war had he lived, appears wishful thinking.Kennedy fans, including McNamara, time and again cite the president's much-quoted September 1963 statement regarding Vietnam that â€Å"in the final analysis, it is their war. There were, certainly, ways out all along, had anyone wanted to follow them. One opened up in the fall of 1963, when Ngo Dinh Nhu, Diem's influential brother, started secret contacts with Hanoi. Sensing a possibility for a deal akin to the arrangement previously worked out over Laos, French President Charles de Gaulle suggested the amalgamation and neutralization of Vietnam.However the Americans saw this as an intimidation somewhat than an opportunity. Second-level officials in Washington plotted with the Saigon embassy and South Viet namese army officers to conquer Diem and replace him with a government more resolute to fight the war. Kennedy could not make up his mind whether or not to endorse the coup. It came anyway in November, ending in the assassination of Diem and Nhu. Three weeks later Kennedy himself was murdered. McNamara now articulates that would have been a good moment to leave.However at the time he recommended the newly installed Johnson that impartiality was unthinkable for the reason that â€Å"South Vietnam is both a test of U. S. determination and particularly a test of U. S. capacity to deal with wars of national liberation. † This was our war and the Vietnamese were not going to be permitted to get in the way. At present McNamara confesses that â€Å"we erred seriously in not even exploring the neutralization option. † Although at the time there was no way officials would have discovered it, given their view of the stakes at issue.This was a war they were resolute to win, even against their reputed South Vietnamese allies. So far McNamara cannot bring himself to accept the noticeable insinuations of what he is so undoubtedly saying. He wants to convince us, and conceivably himself, that it is all a problem of management. In other words, he is still the bureaucratic organizer who thinks that all troubles can be reduced to flow charts and statistics McNamara informs us that as early as the fall of 1965 he had doubts regarding the value of the bombing in breaking Hanoi's will or reducing the flow of supplies into the south.Sporadically he espoused bombing pauses with the argument that this might influence Hanoi to negotiate. This was a wan expectation, as he was never ready to negotiate what Hanoi sought: a withdrawal of the United States from South Vietnam and communist representation in Saigon. By the fall of 1967 he had lost his value: the Joint Chiefs and the hawks in Congress were infuriated by his antagonism to sending more troops and extending the bom bing, whilst Johnson considered him undependable and feared that he might join Robert Kennedy's camp.He was pushed out the door with a golden handshake as well as the presidency of the World Bank. However it was all done in a spirit of good fellowship and mutual congratulation, together with an overenthusiastic letter of appreciation he wrote to Johnson that he here reproduces. â€Å"I do not know to this day whether I quit or I was fired,† he says of his departure. This was consistent with his not knowing whether he measured the war to be wrong or just badly organized. Certainly he left silently. Almost all of them do. If he felt the war was so â€Å"awfully wrong,† why did he not leave in protest and take his case to the public?20,000 Americans died in Vietnam on his watch, and almost another 40,000 died, along with millions of Vietnamese, after his departure. Did he be in debt something to them? Not it seems that as much as he owed to Johnson, and most probably to N ixon too. It â€Å"would have been a violation of my responsibility to the president and my oath to uphold the Constitution† to have publicly protested the war, he explains. Whereas the Constitution says not anything regarding muzzling public officials after they leave office, it is right that complainers are hardly ever asked to come back and play one more day.Would it have made a difference if McNamara had openly turned against the war? One cannot be certain. It might or might not have ended the war sooner. However it would have justified those who protested against or refused to battle in a war they considered morally wrong, and it might have saved the lives of some of those who went to Vietnam for the reason that they thought that their country wanted to send them there for fine reason. Regardless, the assurance of making a difference is not the issue. We often cannot be certain of the outcome of our actions when we undertake them.We either do something since we think it is right, or we decide not to do it. McNamara privileged what he supposed to be his duty to Johnson above what many others, but in fact not he, would consider his responsibility to his country. He can live with that, although he must not expect our appreciation. We can be glad that McNamara wrote this book without admiring the man or sanctioning his elusions. He had an opportunity to redeem himself for a war he felt to be wrong. However those opportunities came almost 30 ago, and at present it barely matters.What is constructive regarding this elusive book is the terrible picture it represents of men caught in the prison of their own narrow suppositions and of their bureaucratic roles. These were men who knew that their strategies were not working, that their actions were driving ever-deeper divisions within the country that they were losing the admiration of several of those whose opinions they most appreciated. And thus far they persevered. Or else they shuffled out without a soun d, like McNamara, and found other ways of trying to change the world and of trying to redeem themselves.McNamara was not unaware to what was happening. In his memo to Johnson of May 1967 quarrelling against a planned major intensification in the war, he wrote: There may be a boundary beyond which several Americans and much of the world will not allow the United States to go. The picture of the world's utmost superpower killing or critically injuring thousands noncombatants a week, whilst trying to pound a tiny backward nation into submission on a subject whose merits are fiercely disputed, is not a pretty one.He was sensitive at least to the bad public relations of the killing, and he acknowledged that the supposed merits of the war were â€Å"hotly disputed. † Nevertheless within the hothouse where Johnson and his advisers met to orchestrate the war, it was merely methods, never eventual aims that were questioned. There was fighting in the streets and good manners in the war room. McNamara's book presents a sense of how divorced the two realms were from one another. The planners were locked into the academic concepts of â€Å"credibility† and the mechanics of graduated intensification.Although he had doubts regarding the effectiveness of the methods, he never questioned the assumptions. In his defense McNamara makes the amazing complaint that, because of the McCarthy hysteria of the early 1950s, â€Å"our government lacked experts for us to consult to recompense for our unawareness† of Southeast Asia. True, numerous Asian experts had been driven from the government for envisaging that Chiang Kai-shek was doomed. However they had not moved to Mars. There were telephones then. They were keen to talk to anyone who would listen.Hence were other considerate and outspoken critics of the war: scholars for instance John Fairbanks and Hans Morgenthau, columnists for example Walter Lippmann, former diplomats for instance George Kennan. In 1966 Sena tor Fulbright, smarting at having been snookered by Johnson over the Gulf of Tonkin, sponsored weeks of hearings in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, offering a forum for a broad range of experts to inspect the premises and outcomes of American policy. Nowhere in his book does McNamara make reference to these hearings, and hardly at all to outside critics.The delirious arguments over Vietnam all the way through the country appear never to have infiltrated the glass bubble of the war room. EVALUATION OF THEME McNamara stayed silent regarding Vietnam, repudiating all interviews until 1994, when he wrote his memoirs. The book–In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam–ignited a firestorm of argument upon its release and turned into a national bestseller. Even though McNamara confessed in the book that he had been wrong on the subject of Vietnam, that the United States should never have become involved there, his belated confession did little to endear him to the American people.The book elevated the ire of veterans' groups, who blamed McNamara of trying to profit from a war that, in their minds, he had started and that had caused so much anguish. Too much blood was on his hands, they said, for him to try to make money off the war. McNamara's assertion, in his memoir In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam, of having been â€Å"terribly wrong† regarding rising the war revive an old query often on the minds of young people at present: Would the U. S. have lost the war in Vietnam had Kennedy lived? The easiest answer is: We cannot know; history happens merely one way.The more intricate answer is: most likely not. We must not forget the significance of the Cold War and containment. Just as Kissinger's predictions that the United States would split itself apart over Vietnam did not come to pass, the cause behind American involvement in the war turned out to have been intensely flawed. The position of the United States in the world was not so shaky and that of the Soviet Union and other revolutionary movements not so prevailing that an earlier communist victory in Vietnam would have altered the effect of the Cold War.We are familiar with this now, and many people came to doubt the significance of U. S. involvement in Vietnam as the war went on. Thus far given the depth of leaders' commitment to the principles of suppression, it is hard to think that the United States would not have contributed the way it did in Vietnam, at least until 1968. (Kevin Hillstrom, Laurie Collier Hillstrom, 1998). Without a doubt the enthusiasm with which people long for a hero to have lived and saved them from the tragedy of Vietnam makes known how poignant a wound the war left.When McNamara spoke at Harvard University in the spring of 1995, observers noted how Vietnam appeared to have taken place merely yesterday for the people in the audience over forty. Their feelings were raw. For many, McNamara was a figure out of the pa st. Ernest May, one of the country's leading diplomatic historians, gave the most dispassionate elucidation of why he thought McNamara was wrong to have asserted that Kennedy would not have become as intensely involved as Johnson.McNamara appeared to have forgotten the influential spell of the Cold War. It was as if, May noticed, a Crusader wrote his memoirs without mentioning Christianity. However McNamara maintained his usually cool reserve all through the entire controversy. Reference: Kevin Hillstrom, Laurie Collier Hillstrom (1998). The Vietnam Experience: A Concise Encyclopedia of American Literature, Songs, and Films; Greenwood Press