Man’s Flaw in War of the Worlds and Present Day Earth Essay

An interesting quote taken from Kepler starts out the book War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells: But who shall dwell in these worlds if they be inhabited?†¦ Are we or they the Lords of the World?†¦ And how are all things made for man? (Kepler, the Anatomy of Melancholy). This quote serves as a foreshadowing to what Wells considers to be man’s fundamental flaw, a flaw that still exists today on modern man, more than a century after War of the Worlds’s first publication and centuries more after Kepler’s time. According to Wells’s introduction, man’s first fundamental flaw is complacency â€Å"With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this glove about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter† (Chapter 1, p. 3). In War of the Worlds, man thought that they are the only inhabitants of the universe and remain complacent over the dangers that might be coming from places other than what they can comprehend. Little did they know that they are being watched by creatures from space just like how a scientist examines a microscopic organism under a microscope. Unfortunately today, man still suffers from this complacency. We have abused nature for the longest time thinking that its resources and its tolerance to our actions are boundless. Now, we are facing the ill effects of our wrong doings, our resources are dwindling, and our climate is rapidly changing. Vanity is the next flaw that Wells talk about in his introduction of the book. â€Å"Yet so vain is man, and so blinded by his vanity, that no writer, up to the very end of the nineteenth century expressed any idea that life might have developed there far† (Chapter 1, p. 4). Man became too preoccupied with his achievements that he hadn’t put it into thought that Mars is older than Earth and therefore could be more advanced than humans if indeed there is life on the red planet. Vanity is one of the oldest flaws of man, the Greeks shows this flaw perfectly through the myth of Narcissus, a mythological character whose name means self-admirer. Vanity is still among man’s flaw today, some people are so vain that they are willing to spend ridiculous amounts of money on cosmetics. They could have just used the money on other necessary things or better yet, to help the needy. Last is man’s flaw for being judgmental. â€Å"And before we judge them too harshly we must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought† (Chapter 1, p. 6). Wells questions that the Martians’s intent to take over the earth isn’t any different than what the humans has done over animals and even our own species. The same could still be applied today. Man by virtue, does not have the right to complain if indeed Martians invade the earth and do all those things that we do to our animals. In the book, Martians are just doing what they can do to survive, but man (in the real world) harms creatures even if it is not necessary for survival. All these flaws can be summed up to pride. In ancient Greek literature pride or hubris as they call it, is the fundamental flaw of man that causes his demise. Kepler and Wells advocate the same thing in their works

European Environment Essay

Introduction Turkey’s entry into the European Union has been a matter of controversy for years. Although the nation is applying great effort to breaking the entry barrier, so far its efforts have been futile. Why? It seems too big, too poor and too different from Europe. The little piece of Turkish territory that is situated in Europe cannot persuade the European policy-makers that the nation is part of the European civilization. However, Turkey keeps pushing and at one point the nation might succeed in attaining its goals. In this paper, we will examine the advantages and disadvantages of joining the EU for the largely Asian country and for the EU itself. After all, the almost forty-year struggle for EU membership waged by Turkey should be motivated by the perceived advantages of the membership in the union. For the EU, the acceptance of such an unusual member can also bring some distinct advantages as well as disadvantages. EU perspective 1.1. Cons for Europe Unlike pros, the cons of accepting Turkey into what has previously been a group of white, Christian and affluent nations are apparent at first glance. Former European Commissioner Frits Bolkestein’s â€Å"too big, to poor, too different† is a perfect designation for what Turkey appears to be to the Europeans and what it bring them in the not-so-remote future, changing the landscape of Europe forever. Turkey is indeed too big in proportion to population. At the moment, it numbers about 70 million, but considering the rapid growth rates, it may soon become the largest European nation (Lamb 2004). As the EU often determines how much power to give the nations in accordance with their population size, Turkey may grab more power in the EU than European policy-makers are willing to give it. Anyway, â€Å"that would immediately shift the balance of EU power to the East† (Lamb 2004). At the same time, Turkey will bring the borders of the EU closer to the unstable Middle Eastern region. Iraq, Syria, Iran – all these explosive neighbors would come one step closer with the entry of Turkey. Those who oppose its entry point to the fact that it is already a member of NATO and so it is unlikely that joining the EU would help to broaden the cooperation in any meaningful way. Besides, Turkey is too poor to be admitted into the alliance that enjoys one of the highest living standards in the world. The completion of the integration process between Turkey and the EU would require opening the borders between the two nations to admit free flow of capital, goods and people. This could immediately flood the European Union with a massive stream of immigrants from Turkey willing to work for larger EU salaries. The probability of this unwelcome scenario is corroborated by the fact that â€Å"in a recent poll by the Turkish Gallup Institute, 23 percent of Turkish workers asked said they would move to Western Europe countries if part of the EU† (Lamb 2004). This would surely oversaturate the European labor market and increase unemployment. A constant concern is the clash between Muslim and Christian values. Although Turkey is already a borderline state between the two civilizations, it still remains a Muslim nation that retains much of the ethical concerns of this world. The clash of two very different civilizations is therefore a matter of concern. The cost of admitting Turkey can be overwhelming for the EU budget that has already aroused considerable controversies. The opponents of admitting Turkey insist that â€Å"Turkey’s membership will cost more than all ten of the countries admitted in May combined† (Lamb 2004). This is impossible to check since all the expenses cannot be quantified at this point. Surely, with a large agricultural sector, Turkey will be able to claim a large portion of EU agricultural subsidies, and the ‘old European’ nations like France and the UK may not like it, claiming those subsidies themselves. 1.2. Are there any pros? Although not all Europeans may want to admit it, accepting Turkey into the EU has not just cons, but pros as well. The nation, being big in the size of the population, can not only drag the block down with its sheer size, but also increase its weight on the international arena. The EU and the prospects of entering it are already a major factor in the politics of the nations situated in the geographic proximity of Europe. At the same time, the entry of Turkey will expand the boundaries of Europe and put more nations in the orbit of European influence. It will, effectively, enlarge the boundaries of European influence into Asia and provide a new vehicle for European impact on Asia. The very things that are believed to be the cons can be turned into pros. Thus, despite the calls of those envisaging the clash of cultural values between Muslims and Europeans, there is another counterclaim. Thus, Turkey as part of the EU can turn into â€Å"a bridge between the two cultures, and a proof that Europe isn’t a club just for Christians† (Lamb 2004). Turkey’s membership can prove a way toward achieving a workable compromise between the Christians and Muslims. The economic part of the cons, namely, Turkey’s alleged poverty can also be seen from the other side. Even if Turkey’s per capita income is behind that of most European nations, â€Å"Turkey’s economy — in contrast, incidentally, to many of the more established EU states — is growing rapidly† (Lamb 2004). This turns the nation into an excellent investment opportunity and makes it a desirable EU member since Turkey’s growth can last for years and decades after the entry to the EU and propel the region’s economic growth. Anyway, Turkey’s economic situation is not worse than that of poorer EU members like Portugal, and the subsequent fate of those states has demonstrated how much advances they have made. In comparison to the next candidates for EU membership, Bulgaria and Romania, Turkey has a higher capita income. Another area which has gives Turkey extra points is the geopolitical position of Turkey and its prospective role in strengthening the EU’s security. Thus, the proponents of Turkey’s membership say that it â€Å"could be a model for a modern Islamic democracy — one which could influence other Muslim states into moving towards Western ideals† (Lamb 2004). This, on its own, will urge the Muslim nations to abandon their anti-Western stance, if any, and focus on peaceful integration with the West. In addition, â€Å"Turkey has a large and powerful military presence and would offer the EU a stronger presence in a geo-politically vital region† (Lamb 2004). The opponents object, however, that Turkey has a negative image in much of the Muslim world and thus cannot be reasonably considered as having the power to break its negative perception to influence the West. The Turkish Perspectives 2.1. The Political Situation For Turkey itself, its membership in the European Union would mean a total shift of geopolitical direction. Although seen as advantageous by many, it is by no means certain that the majority or even all of the population support this move, perceived by many as too dramatic a shift from the previous political course. However, there are many distinct pros for Turkey in joining the EU. To realize how the EU accession will spearhead reforms and progress in Turkey, one needs to look closer at the history of this nation that became the first modern and secular Islamic state ever. The remains of the destroyed Ottoman Empire were turned by Mustafa Kemal, alternatively known as â€Å"Ataturk†, or â€Å"the father of all Turks†, into a secular republic. This was a breakthrough movement in the history of the Muslim world, offering an alternative to the previously monarchial structures. Kemal â€Å"abolished the caliphate, secularized academic curricula, †¦replaced Turkey’s Arabic script with a Latin one†, â€Å"disbanded religious courts, Westernized the legal system, and gave women suffrage and equal rights† (Philips 2004). Since then, the commitment to secularism and democracy, embodied in Turkey’s constitution, has been upheld by the Turkish military that have watched over the development of the country. This role given to the nation’s officers is established in Armed Forces Internal Service Law of 1961, the constitution of 1982, and the role of institutions such as the National Security Council (NSC). The Turkish military have with success fulfilled this role, batting off the inroads made by extremist and fundamentalist forces, preventing the threat of terrorism and separatism. Now, the admission of Turkey into the EU will provide further incentives to liberalize the state policies and give individuals freedom of expression. Thus, each nation that has a chance to be admitted into the EU must meet the so-called Copenhagen criteria that, among others, include â€Å"democratic questions concerning human rights, minority rights, prevention of torture and independent judiciary† (EMEP 2004). These requirements contain points that can contribute to the progress of human rights in Turkey. After all, the nation is said to have some after-effects of the Muslim rule in place that hamper the preservation of human rights. This concerns, for instance, the freedom of religion and the separation of religion and state. Thus, although Turkey is considered a secular state, it continues to give broad privileges to the mainstream Hanafi school of Sunni Islam and sponsor imams in government employment, sometimes even sending them to areas of the EU where Turkish minorities reside (Wikipedia). At the same time, the Greek Orthodox Church has faced hurdles in its functioning in Turkey. Thus, the church has not been able to open the Theological School of Halki (Wikipedia). Proponents of Turkey’s membership insist that the nation could have been inspired to change this if given a reasonable chance to enter the European Union. Besides, many note that Turkey still preserves some Islamic traditions that are a concern in terms of their compatibility with global democratic standards. Thus, the continuing existence of polygamous marriages is at odds, many say, with the EU policies on women rights and gender equality. Turkey continues to oppress its Kurdish and Alevi minorities, although it recently recognized officially the Kurdish language. In addition, Turkey signed the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (CDRHI) that contains some controversial statements including norms unacceptable for a member of a democratic community that the European Union is. Thus, â€Å"that declaration has contradictory statements on the equality of and the non-discrimination between sexes as claiming in principle that legal systems should be defined in accordance with Shariah† that has long been recognized by the EU as incompatible with its democratic values. The accession into the EU and, more importantly, successful integration with the union would most probably make the chances of Islamic fundamentalists even slimmer. The reforms implemented at the urge of the EU would further lessen the chances that Turkey will embrace Shariah as a state law code. The rights of Turkish minorities would be at smaller risk, and Turkey would have an incentive to implement the freedom of speech and religion. All this would most probably improve the political situation in the country, making it more susceptible to democratic values. At the same time, the opponents of the EU membership point to the peculiar role of the Turkish military in safeguarding the nation from the impact of Islamic fundamentalists. The army â€Å"has overthrown three prime ministers since 1960, and in 1997 it engineered a soft coup to oust the Islamic Welfare Party (REFAH), after just one year at the helm of an improbable coalition† (Philips 2004). At each time, the power was soon transferred to the civilian secular authorities. In this way, the Turkish military has served as a guardian of the country. However, the Western-style democratic reforms, it is feared, giving broader rights to the political expression of minority views, would also open the way for fundamentalists and Islamic hard-liners. The power of the military to contain them would then be undoubtedly curtailed, and the nation would prove more vulnerable to their potentially negative impact. The very mechanisms through which the military has sought to purge the nation of the overly zealous religious fanatics would be destroyed, and the nation would be unprotected. Besides, it is by no means a certainty that Turkey will be able to ensure the separation of religion and the state in case of its accession. Thus, the question of whether democratization would increase is open to dispute. 2.2. Economic Consequences While democratization is, despite the limitations described above, seen as a benefit of EU membership by many Turks, the economic consequences of joining the union remain more disputable. Will Turkey really benefit from the accession to the union that places heavy demands on the economic policies of the members to ensure integration? Will its firms be able to survive the competition against the well-developed European companies? Turkey, in case of gaining entry, will have to abide by the economic policies set down in EU’s Maastricht and Amsterdam Treaties that were established by the union long before Turkey’s plausible accession. EMEP, the Turkish Party of Labour, has long stated that the EU economic policies can be ruinous to certain sectors of the domestic economy. Thus, if the EU Council adopts a plan on the liberalization of the telecommunication industry, Turkey will be forced to sell its part of the PTT. The Turkish oil company, the Petrol Ofisi, also stands little chance, in the opinion of the EMEP, to withstand the liberalization policies. Finally, the agricultural sector of Turkey that is a significant part of the national economy, will not survive should the EU decide to give up subsidies for the producers of agricultural products such as beetroot, cotton, tobacco and other products. At the same time, for ordinary citizens accession to the EU continues to symbolize economic benefits that will hopefully be translated into higher life standards. To Turks, the entry has come to be associated with â€Å"a higher income, better healthcare and medical treatments, access to higher education, the freedom to travel, and a carefree retirement† (Zaptcioglu 2004). However, experts continue to worry about the realization of the Maastricht criteria for economic situation in a prospective member that, allegedly, will be harder for Turkey to meet than the Copenhagen ones. The nation now has a national debt of $270 billion. The Maastricht requirements mean that debts are no more than 60% of the national income (Zaptcioglu 2004). The skeptics’ plan to overcome this hurdle is â€Å"should pull out of the tariff union and at the same time apply to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for different and better terms for paying off its debts† (Zaptcioglu 2004). However, it is controversial whether Turkey should risk spoiling relations with the West in this fashion in order to gain entry to the EU. The current economic impact of integration with the EU is also debatable. Thus, Turkey currently has a tariff union with the block it hopes to enter some day. This union was established with entering the Customs Union Treaty in 1995. EMEP (2004) points that the union works to the disadvantage of Turkey, leading to increase in its trade gap with Europe to the amount of $10 billion. However, this is not the opinion of only one political party that may be exploiting facts to prove a point. Manisali and Sinan Aygà ¼n, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in Ankara, also lament the deprivation inflicted on the economy by the union. Aygà ¼n says that â€Å"Turkey has become an import country for European industrial products, but, according to the tariff union regulations, is not permitted to export its agricultural products into the EU† (Zaptcioglu 2004). This means that the union is not equitable and gives EU broader advantages than Turkey. There is certainly fear that the policies implemented in case Turkey joins the EU will be similarly skewed in order to give the EU an advantage. Thus, the accession to the EU could adversely affect the Turkish economy, subjecting the domestic policies to the dictate of the Brussels power. It is not certain that Turkey will be able to maintain its growth if it is forced to adapt to the adverse EU decisions on economic policy. 2.3. Impact on Turkey’s Foreign Policy Since demands concerning the foreign policies of the this prospective member are among the most important demands on Turkey, it is highly probable that the nation will have to change its relationships with neighbors. Thus, Turkey will most probably have to recognize Cyprus, something it has been reluctant to do for years. The island that remains divided into two parts after the conflict of 1974 involving a Greek coup d’etat and a Turkish military intervention. The island, divided into two parts, the Republic of Cyprus that is part of the EU and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus recognized by Turkey, remains a matter of dispute for Turkey and Greece. The EU accession will most likely lead to the requirement for Turkey to recognize the Republic of Cyprus. In the same way, the Aegean dispute between Turkey and Greece as well as the relations with Armenia remain open to controversy. The boycott of Armenia including the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline outside of the Armenian territory was caused by Turkey’s perception of Nagorno-Karbakh area as unlawfully occupied by Armenia. Romano Prodi, ex-President of the European Commission, has made it one of the requirements to resolve the conflict with Armenia (Wikipedia). Thus, entering the EU, Turkey will have to abandon part of its sovereignty in decision-making and succumb to the EU demands. This will limit the ability of the nation to pursue independent policies that may differ from EU wishes. Conclusion Turkey’s accession to the European Union remains open to controversy. The union balks at letting in a state that due to its sheer size will exert influence on the EU environment and can make integration more difficult. The acceptance of a Muslim state is also a controversial subject because the ensuing clash between the Islamic and Western values is hard to avoid. From the perspective of Turkey itself, its membership in the EU is also fraught with positive and negative consequences. While it is certain that it will contribute to the democratization of the state and the improvement of the human rights situation, Turkey will also have to pay attention to the political stability. The unique role of the Turkish military in preserving the secular doctrine may be challenged, which will open the way for fundamentalists. On the economic side, the cons may outweigh the cons unless Turkey can count on substantial subsidies. Finally, accession to the powerful body of nations will mean greater security on the international arena. At the same time, Turkey will have to count on losing part of its sovereignty and the need to succumb to the EU authority on many important issues. Bibliography Accession of Turkey to the European Union. Wikipedia. 30 January 2006 . EMEP (The Party of Labour). Turkey and the European Union. October 2004. 30 January 2006 . Lamb, Scott. â€Å"TURKEY AND THE EU: The Pros and Cons.† Spiegel Online 14 December 2004. 23 January 2006 . Phillips, David L. â€Å"Turkey’s Dreams of Accession.† Foreign Affairs (September/October 2004). 30 January 2006 . Zaptcioglu, Dilek. â€Å"They Will Never Accept Us!† Quantara (2004). 30 January 2006 .   

International markets small business in USA Essay

International markets& small business in USA Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Venture capitalists invest massive of money to companies that want to expand but have no enough access to public funds. They are willing to invest in such companies because they earn massive benefit when the company succeeds. Consequently, venture capitalists look for firms with strong management staff, large markets and unique goods with high competitive advantage (Gladstone & Gladstone 2004). They are driven by the desire to own a large portion of the company so that they can influence its direction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International markets are complex due to their vast geographical coverage in the worlds rapidly changing and growing nations. The basics for international markers ranging from diverse culture and languages, handling issues related to business ethics, selection of distribution and global marketing channels and international communication. They are the key issues that guide the operationality of worldwide markets (Omar, Abduh, & Sukmana, 2013)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This situation represent personal and professional dilemma where by the personal and professional interests that are simultaneously conflicting. I will use the principles of ethical decision making process seek supervision self mirror image and illumination of the process will also consider legal obligation that supersedes my professional and personal ethics (Wueste,1994). I will talk both the boss and supervisor to examine their feeling about my situation as that pertain my professional ethics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The small businesses are important in US economy in many aspects. They employ many people, actually about the half of the total workforce in there a key in driving the economy as opposed to giant multi-billion dollar companies (White House Committee on Small Business, 1962).They are instrumental in stabilizing forces in the economy .the owners are backbone for creativity innovation production and value creation in United States. The small business is actually what stimulates the economy. References Gladstone, D., & Gladstone, L. (2004). Venture capital investing: The complete handbook for investing in private businesses for outstanding profits. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Financial Times Omar, A., Abduh, M., & Sukmana, R. (2013). Fundamentals of Islamic money and capital markets. Singapore: John Wiley White House Committee on Small Business (U.S.). (1962). Small business in the American economy: Its contributions and its problems [and] the role of the Federal Government. Washington. Wueste, D. E. (1994). Professional ethics and social responsibility. Lanham, Md: Rowman and Littlefield. Source document

Industrial Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Industrial - Research Paper Example This would be a very secure measure if in fact the key was not simply placed inside the top drawer of the desk. The key is not labeled, but anyone who found it could easily deduce that it would be to unlock the file cabinet. This is a breakdown of the original control measure for this workstation. The workstation also has displays of important phone numbers and contact information for staff members within our department. These are posted on the walls of the cubicle within the workstation and are easily used to reference who to contact and what phone numbers and email addresses to contact them at. The company logo is also placed on the monitor and CPU of the computer in the workstation to show ownership as well as institute a sense of pride for the company. Therefore, the logo in this circumstance is also considered to be a symbol for the company and the workstation. This logo is always made available on all documents and equipment; hence, the logo is also printed on a sticker which i s found on the top of the printer in the workstation. Overall, the workstation is equipped to perform the functions that are desired by the company and its supervisors. References Understanding internal controls. (2009). Retrieved from http:// www.ucop.edu/ctlacct/under-ic.pdf

History of Baseball Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Baseball - Research Paper Example Baseball has been there for long in the history in different parts of America, Europe and Asia. Different sources maintain different records about the origin of baseball as the game, and thus make the exact origin of it debatable. However, there is no doubt in the fact that baseball has been played in America in a proper way since the later half of the 19th century. In addition to the American League that all of us are generally aware of, there used to be a Negro League as well. Evidence has been found for the claim that for centuries, the indigenous tribes of America have been playing a game much like what we know today as baseball. However, to play that game, the tribes made use of sticks and balls which were made from various kinds of materials. Like this, Cricket, that is known worldwide as an English game is much similar to baseball in nature. The similarities between cricket and baseball include but are not limited to developing the pitch for the game, the need to hit the ball with the help of a bat, and the use of mitt for the purpose of fielding. Baseball had always been there in the history of Asia as well. Moghols and Genghis Khan used to play the games that were just like the baseball though they had to be riding the horses in order to play the game. There used to be a Major League Baseball which had divided into two separate leagues, namely the National League and the American League. The latter of the two is often referred to as the Senior Circuit and this happened to be the original baseball league. With the expansion of baseball after numerous decades, the National League was added to the Senior Circuit. In America, baseball has hardly changed at all since the evolution of this game, with the basic equipment that includes a bat, a ball, a base, and a glove remaining unchanged. In the 1800s, Americans formed informal teams to play baseball. â€Å"By the 1860s, the sport, unrivaled in popularity, was being described as America's "national pastime. "† (Bellis). Discussion of the modern baseball is incomplete without discussion of Alexander Cartwright (1820-1892) who lived in New York and in 1845, founded the modern field of baseball. Cartwright together with several other members of the New York Knickerbocker Base Ball Club devised rules which were internationally accepted for baseball. Steroids have played an important role in altering the history as well as the integrity of baseball. Steroids have long been part of the baseball game. There have been players who have talked about the use of steroids by the players in early 1960s, yet most players hold the consensus that baseball players did not start using steroids until late 1990s. Illegal edges have conventionally been looked for by many baseball players. They have been spitting on the balls, stealing signs, tampering the balls and making use of amphetamines to boost the energy level of the body. However, there has not been much resistance towards the use of steroids by the baseball players because of the fact that in order to be successful in baseball, one did not need to be bulky or muscular. Accordingly, consuming steroids hardly made any difference. The 1990s home run explosion was the first clue that steroids were being used by players to get stronger, quicken reflexes and play through injuries.

Financial Analysis for Thorntons Plc Assignment

Financial Analysis for Thorntons Plc - Assignment Example Based on the performance ratios computed, Thorntons' profitability is declining together with its ability to turn revenue into profit. However, the company shows improvement in efficiency evidenced by the declining inventory, debtors' and creditors' ratio. Thortons' current assets are able all its immediate obligation yet most of its liquid assets are tied up in inventory. The company is able to service its interest expense through its operating income. Thorntons' is more dependent on creditors in financing its resources. As an investment, the company's stocks might be unattractive due to the declining earnings per share and return on equity. For a competitor, Thorntons might not post a formidable threat. Supplier will find the company a good customer because of its liquidity and improved creditors' ratio. For a customer, the reduction in inventory ratio might signal less possibility for spoilage. For a potential acquirer, Thorntons might be a good target but still needs a good management for improvement. Financial management is very much essential in ensuring the health and well being of a business organization. Business finance, in the simplest sense, is concerned with the goal of a firm to maximize shareholder value (Keown, et. al. 2004). It should be noted that finance is all about managing the financial resources of a business entity into those opportunities which will yield maximum value for stockholder's wealth. This involves generating cash in order to support the operations of the company and choosing among competing ends of investment opportunities present in the market. Horngren, et al. (2002, pp. 6) defines accounting as the "information system that measures business activities, processes that information into reports, and communicates the results to decision makers." Accounting is generally classified into fields according to the intended users of financial data. Financial accounting focuses on providing information for people outside the firm like creditors and outside investors. Management accounting on the other hand focuses on giving internal decision makers information which aids them in making financial and operational strategies (Horngren, et al. 2002). Accounting and business finance are closely interrelated. The business arena often refers to accounting as "the language of business" implying that a better understanding of the accounting language will aid making better financial decisions (Horngren et al. 2002). Thus, in general, accounting is a prerequisite in understanding the important concepts used in financial accounting. Basic knowledge in accounting is imperative in understanding finance. As stated earlier, concepts which are commonly used in accounting appears in financial management. For instance, a company which needs to determine the profitability of an investment needs to be acquainted with the effects of different transactions on the income statement of the business organization. With this, knowledge in accounting becomes imperative for financial managers. Accounting acquaints individuals with

The value of CREATIVITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The value of CREATIVITY - Essay Example On the same token, creativity is the need for being fresh, novel and absolutely unique so that the complex stimulation comes about of age in the most apt manner. This paper will explore the basis of creativity and how it has been able to change beliefs, shape ideas and transform different understandings into the molds and lives of the people at large. Creativity is a much desired proposition, more so on the part of the people who believe in its magic. Creativity is all about communicating ideas, values, beliefs and opinions, though in differential settings, ways and means. Creativity is indeed the magic that binds people in wholly different mannerisms and it asks of them to appreciate the creative talent that a person has demonstrated for that matter. Therefore it is a very important element of bringing sanity within the ranks of different work avenues. Within the fields of culture and business, creativity has its most say. This is because these two areas depict the need for having creativity and thus manifest the exact basis of success in the most apt manner possible. It also goes to show that creativity will rule the roost of the cultural and business quarters if the desire is there to succeed. Within the cultural contexts, creativity comes of age when the people are relying a great deal on the people to people interactions (Cr opley 2006). It means that their associations, linkages and relationships are being justified in such a manner that success will eventually shape up in the most appropriate way. It would not be wrong to state here that creativity under the aegis of culture would manifest success, harmony and development for all the right reasons. It would also dictate the basis of finding out the exact details which will embody cultural bonding amongst the people, making them realize as to how they can effectively counter the movements

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

Contemporary Management Issues Report JB HI-FI Essay

Contemporary Management Issues Report JB HI-FI - Essay Example It is through adherence to these values that build a strong partnership of trust between the company and stakeholders. This code applies to all from the directors, chairperson, C.E.O, to the junior employee. JB Hi-Fi as a company respects the dignity of every employee, the freedoms, rights and needs of all individuals. The company strives to provide a working environment that is rewarding, challenging and safe. The company realizes the benefits of recognizing the work of all employees. The company respects all personal and sensitive information that relates to their customers, employees and suppliers. The company strives to reinforce the commitment it has to highest standards of business and professional ethics (JB Hi-Fi 1). All company employees are expected to treat fellow employees, the public and customers with courtesy, respect and honesty. They are also expected to safeguard and respect customer properties, the company and the property of all fellow workers. The employees are e xpected to maintain the confidentiality of all customers, the confidentiality of the company and all other parties’ information that have been gained through work (JB Hi-Fi 1). The employees are expected to perform their duties to the best of their ability; this is taking into account the experience, skills, position and qualifications. The employees are expected to perform their duties in a responsible, safe and effective manner. The company expects the employees and all company staff to respect all sensitive and personal information according to the privacy legislation. The company expects that the personal business and financial interests of the employees to not conflict with their duty to the company and work within the policies and rules of the company and obey the law. When all employees undertake their responsibilities and obligations, the workplace, job performance and satisfaction benefits the company and helps the company achieve business goals (JB Hi-Fi 1). Competi tors and fair competition All company employees have knowledge of commercially sensitive information. The employees must also disclose all significant stakes in a competitor. The interest in a competitor constitutes a conflict of interest and employees are expected to divest themselves of this interest. Fair competition means that the company; Will know and follow its legal obligations to competitors. Will not compete on a basis of obstructing comp0etitive conduct, rather the company will compete on a basis of customer service. This is part of the company’s commitment to management, staff and fair-trading. Will does not differ unfairly between customers when supplying products or Services. Will not refuse to deal or discriminate against, a customer for any improper reason. Not threaten or intimidate a customer, organization or other person. The company does not encourage untruthful or disparaging remarks about any of the competitors, their products and services. The company a ims at conducting business fairly, and competes on a basis of product and services merits. The company also aims at being an effective competitor that acts according to the ethical norms acceptable to the community. The company does not accept bribes, kickbacks or payoffs, in all deals; the company ensures that it is courteous, truthful and well informed. The company ensures that it is careful to avoid misrepresenting the features, availability or quality of their

The Sugar trade Essay Example for Free

The Sugar trade Essay Oh the wonderful sweetness of money and sugar. What drove this so called sugar trade, you ask? Consumer demand, return on investment, and slavery were all very important aspects to the making of the historic events in which were the sugar trade. Consumer demand is the product of the addicting compounds which make up sugar, adding it to about everything sugar gradually became a very important aspect in the 1500s normal lifestyle. Return on investment is when you put money into something and get a profit or get your money black plus some, thus making a business out of something. Slavery was a huge part of the sugar trade, they are what made the sugar trade possible, they worked and worked constantly to provide enough sugar for familys in the New World. Consumer demand is one of many parts of the sugar trade but crucial to the survival and thriving love of the product. Sugar consumption approached nearly 10% of overall food expenditures for familys in the 1700s. After 1660 sugar imports always exceeded over all colonial products, that means that they had and wanted more sugar than any other product that was being shipped in from foreign countries. The sugar was shipped in something called a Hogshead, it was a big barrel weighing between 700 and 1200lbs, children loved to lick the remaining sugar left in the barrel after it has been emptied. People love the way sugar tastes, we have for longer than the 1500s, as a matter of fact sugar was cultivated and grown in New Guinea some 9000 years ago. The more slaves there was the more sugar was produced. Slavery is what dramatically helped the sugar trade happen and proceed for so many years before slavery became illegal and machines replaced their jobs. Slaves could be traded for many goods like powder, bullets, brass pans, tobacco pipes, and many other things. At 14 pence a day a laborer in England in the early 1700s earned about 18 British pounds a year. For instance the Hibbert family owned 1,618 slaves in 1833, that year they made 31,120 pounds. In modern day english money thats about $48523, back then that was worth a lot more than it sounds. Familys who could afford to buy slaves to start a sugar industry always made a profit and thrived at what they did. Even if you werent in the sugar trade its self you could buy and sell trades to people who were in the business and still make huge profits. The cost of slaves went up through the years of 1748-1768. Return on Investment, money in slave trade in British Caribbean doubles their money in the sugar trade. Bought slaves for 14 pounds and sold for around 32 pounds, they typically made a good profit depending on where they bought the slave and where they sold the slave. Gives England a trad position. Owned trading system, bought for cheap sold expensively. This system was called a Mercantile system or Mercantilism. This is how the system worked, the English would buy raw items for cheap and refined or made them into finished goods, in this case they would buy sugar cane and refine it until it was white refined sugar, this series of laws began in about 1660 the Parliament in England approved a entire series of new laws taking care of colonial shipping. In conclusion that is what drove the sugar trade, the financial advantages of making money influenced many familys mainly consisting of the rich to enter into the sugar industry and most if not all did very well with their business. Slavery is another huge part of the sugar trade, without them it might not have happened, people might not have made as much money either. Consumer demand, however, is obviously the most important part of what drove the sugar trade. Peoples addicting affection for the sweetening substance got greater with the increase in population and slaves. Sugar is still a huge part of our daily lives, Its branched out to many different countries now, Weve enjoyed sugar even as far back as 9000 years ago and still continue to love it today.

Movement Techniques In Casablanca Film Studies Essay

Movement Techniques In Casablanca Film Studies Essay Casablanca, the movie which was presented in 1943, was written by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison and was directed by Michael Curtiz. Its an American romantic drama black and white movie by Hollywood. As for the awards that Casablanca won; it won three academy awards. It was and has always been up till now one of the most excellent films ever and had a complete accomplishment. Mainly the film is about a man who is cut out between his love and his good quality manner feature. The dilemma was that he had to pick one of the two hard choices. Its either he choose to be with the love of his life and help her out or to help her husband to get away from the Moroccan city (Casablanca) to carry on with his fight against the Nazis. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) owns a nightclub in Casablanca, the city, called Ricks Cafà © Amà ©ricain. While the World War II was on, this cafe was like a home for all refugees who are trying to escape to America, they were obtaining illegal letters for that getaway. Shockingly, one day Rick came across the well-known revolt Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his wife, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), which was the woman he used to love before she left him behind when the Nazis attacked Paris. Ilsa begin again to love Rick and wants to stay with him in Casablanca, but she also wants Victor to escape to America. So she made Rick decide, and by tha t was the story of the film. The Movement Technique: Movement in filmmaking is a very important yet hard technique to achieve. Therefore, its not about what happens in a scene; rather its about how to show what is happening in the scene. There are many different ways to apply movement techniques in a film. An excellent director will want to show how indicative and significant are the movements in a dramatic scene for instance. And how can he/she make the scene effective by using the right form of movements to display and demonstrate the idea (Giannetti, 2010). Any film that doesnt use movement techniques is subjected to be static. Nevertheless, movement doesnt mean drama. There are many action movies that consists movements without having drama thread. Moreover, it is  a matter of the least possible means having the greatest effect so that when violent movement is at last triggered off, it has the desired effect. (Foss, 1992). Camera Movements: Camera movements have two major types: movements that follow a moving subject and the ones that are not detected by movements on the plane of actions. The first kind is mainly about following the dramatic action. On the contrary, the second kind has a significant function; where a connection is made between the items and the events. Each film has a different number of camera movements; that relies upon the time between the cuts in the movie. The shorter the time between the cuts, the fewer camera movements are needed and vice versa. Tracking is a form of camera movements, which has an extremely enormous control to generate feel and atmosphere. Zooming and tracking in are slightly different than one another. Tracking pulls the watcher into the picture in a manner that feels nearly physical and raise the sense of presence and realism. Zooming simply brings out the detail and raises the sense that the director is playing for effects. Another approach of raising the feeling of realism in a movie is to use hand-held camera. It is frequently used to do documentary films and it gives the watcher the illusion of looking at the reality (Foss, 1992). Camera movement is one of the main techniques any filmmaker should study and know really well in order to be able to produce a successful movie. People tend to remember what happens in a general scene more, so using different kinds of camera movement techniques in doing a film correctly will probably help more in making a better movie. In any movie, the director usually moves the camera during all the scenes for many different reasons. Camera movements could most likely means emphasizing on whats happening in the scene or might be to catch people attention for the coming up scene. The director can use a lot of methods such as: long shots, slow-paced action, or high angles to stress a movement. Camera movements could be: smooth, choppy, lyrical, or disorienting. Besides, the movements in a scene possibly will be: naturalistic, stylized, literal, or symbolic (Giannetti, 2010). Camera Angle: Composition can be influenced by the angle of the shot. Cameras can be placed over or underneath the scene, to either produce high-angle-shot or a low-angle-shot. Usually, the shot that is looking down weakens the character (the object). On the contrary, the shot that is likely to be appearing upwards emphasizes the authority or control of the subject or character. The framing of a shot could be directed by the degree to which the framing is level with the horizon. Both the high angle and low angle shots are resulting from the context of the film, and not from the dictionary of camera aesthetics (Gross Ward, 2007). Cinematic Techniques: The fundamentals of cinematic techniques are pan, tilt, and dolly. First, Pan: is the horizontal movement of a camera, it looks through an absolutely broad landscape which doesnt fit a regular camera border. Second, Tilt: is the vertical movement of a camera, by pivoting up and down. Those two techniques are referred to as re-framing the shot and are usually used to track the characters in the movement of action. Finally, Dolly: is the way the camera usually moves normally horizontally throughout the space. Another camera technique is: pulling focus; which is basically a normal technique that applies looking at items that are in diverse ranges. Focal length of a camera is mainly the zoom of the cameras lenses. Zoom, an unnatural technique which is probably used to make effects, is the move of a framework from a wide shot to a close up without moving the camera. There are two types of zooming: slow zoom and fast zoom. The shift from one picture to another in filmmaking is called trans ition. For example: cut is the easiest method of transitions, which are regularly used to have harsh jumps in the moment and on space. There are three main types of transitions. First: dissolve layer, which is used to have soft transition, is having the new picture over the old one by raising the darkness of the old one until the transition is done. Second: fades, which is a type of explosive transition, usually starts and ends the scenes by shifting the colored screen or the picture gradually to a color. Finally: effects transitions are the structure of transmitting an image into another one. Some general framing expressions that could be relevant to either characters or objects are: master shot, full shot, medium shot, medium close up, close up, and an extreme close up (Vineyard). Applying the Movement technique in the movie (Casablanca): At the start of the movie, there was a scene that starts right after the sound of the two German messengers who were killed as they were carrying letters to transfer the MacGuffin of Casablanca. We can see how the police arrested some suspicious characters who were on the street. One of those people where a man who had papers which were not in order, so he tried to escape from the police, but was shot and killed right away. The police officer bends down to the man to look at those papers that were compressed in his hands, then passes them to the other police officer and also closer to the camera so that people can see, the papers showed that the man was a free France propaganda. We can notice how the camera had a close-up to the police officers hand when he was holding the papers. The papers were also on a slope of the camera, where the police cannot see them as well as we (watchers) do. That scene indicates how important it is to keep in mind the relation between the characters in t he movie and the film viewers, who are watching the movie, who are the most important ones in this case. Another scene in Casablanca demonstrates Ricks Cafà © Amà ©ricain, the shot at first shows the cafà © as a whole and then the shot transfers to be only towards people who are in the cafà © talking about escaping to America. Next, the image goes to a woman who was asking about Rick. After that, a man goes up to Rick asking him to sign an empty check, then the camera takes a closer shot at Rick while he is signing the check and then another closer shot at Rick himself. This shot emphasizes that Rick is the main character and the owner of the cafà ©. In one of the scenes of Casablanca, right after the flash from the past of Paris, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) where talking with Rick when she first moved to Casablanca. The following shot of the movie had a right to left camera movement from the image of Ricks face to the image of his hands, when they were tipping above the glass. The next shot was also a camera movement but here it was from the left side to the right side, where the camera was following the small walk till the right border of the frame of Sam (Dooley Wilsons). Hence, in the middle of that shot there was an open space between Sam and Rick. The set of this scene had a door that was framed by the vaulted roof which is a double aperture framing. After that, the director prepares the watcher with a visual staging when Ilsa enters the room. Immediately before she enters, the shot was on the object that was centered in front of Rick which was the bottle; he removes the bottle to pour a drink for himself thus making a clear view of the entrance. In this scene, the aim of the director of the movie was to transfer peoples attention to the entrance of the other character. Then, with having a musical background sound, Rick and Sam looks at the door while the shot was gloomy right away before Ilsa enters. After she has entered, the lighting stresses how she is enclosed with the door. How this (movement technique) was closely connected to another technique: Although, Casablanca is a striking example of the movement technique used in the film, cinematography technique had also a huge great part of the movie. The central concentration and all the focus of attention was directed to Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). Most of the shots were taken from her left side with a catch lights, so that her eyes can look like they are shining and mainly the entire propose was to make her face looks gloomy, gentle, and unforgettable. As for the rest of the characters and the setting, bars of shade and darkness were indicating isolation. Moreover, the crucifix, which is the cross with Jesus body, is a symbol of emotional confusion and of the free French forces; which were the French soldiers during the WWII who agreed to carry on the fight and never give up. In nearly all of the scenes, mostly at the last part there was a dim film noir; which stresses the sexual desire and cynical behavior. All of those kinds of lighting equipments and shadow shades that were used in the film were classic ones. Also, the way of applying the background surroundings as a frame of the scenes made the film seems more professional (Kemp). Conclusion: In conclusion, movement techniques usually try to emphasize an important point of the movie to the audience in an indirect way. Moreover, some close-ups and pauses in a film mean that the film director is trying to highlight some major and valuable concepts of the movie. Successful filmmakers use movement techniques correctly and effectively in a film. Word Count: 1956

The Civil War In Sri Lanka

The Civil War In Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan civil war by definition started in 1983 when two pronounced groups began to rival, the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam, a separatist group that was formed seeking to represent the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka (Clarance, 2002). However civil war on an emotional level between the two ethnic groups, Sinhalese and Tamils started in 1948, when Sri Lanka was granted independence from the British (Clarance, 2002). Sri Lanka first encountered colonialism in 1505 when the Portuguese arrived in search of valuable natural resources such as cinnamon, tea, and the most valuable, land (Clarance, 2002). The Portuguese conquered regions of Kotte, Sitavaka and Jaffna. They also aimed to conquer Kandy as well but failed through several attempts (Clarance, 2002). Next were the Dutch, in 1638 King Rajsinha who ruled Kandy at that time turned to the Dutch to fight over the Portuguese, the Dutch conquered everything except Kandy (Clarance, 2002). Last to colonize Sri Lanka was the British, they set foot in 1796 when the Dutch rule gave away to the British (Clarance, 2002). The British conquered the entire island, and built coffee and tea plantations and imported laborers from India mainly Tamils to work in these plantations (Clarance, 2002). In 1947 Sri Lanka requested to become an independent nation, and in 1948 Sri Lanka gained independence (Clarance, 2002). On the surface, colonialism can be viewed as har mless and in most areas beneficial as it guided Sri Lanka into development. Even though colonialism brought forth an identity for Sri Lanka in relation to trade and international exporting, it also brought separation, discrimination, and a hunger for dominance amongst the citizens of Sri Lanka. Being a Canadian born Sri Lankan Tamil this topic brings great importance and relevance to me. My Canadian birth is a result of this civil war in which my parents found the desperate need to emigrate from their greatly loved motherland. This topic is extremely important to me because I believe in peace and safety for the innocent and vulnerable, violence and death for the individuals who choose to fight is equally remorseful however inevitable. I lost both my grandfathers as innocent civilians to the civil war in Sri Lanka likewise many Sinhalese families were destroyed. All due to the separation caused by language, as everything else between a Tamil and a Sinhalese was identical. There are great faults on both sides, with regards to the actions of both opposition parties. However when pinpointed, the foundation for this violent desire for domination, can be seen as colonization as the main cause if not the only cause for this fight for power and equality. Theoretical Backing: Colonialism has given Sri Lanka a negative impact rather than the positive outcomes it has provided the global north with. Through what can be seen as an immature rivalry between European states to gain land, and other valued goods, it is proven that lack of structure and democracy when granting independence to a colony can shatter an entire nation. The development theory that supports the argument of colonialism being the main cause of the civil war in Sri Lanka would be the post-development theory. The post-development theory believes that only with relation to the global south, colonialism has been destructive on several levels: culturally, economically, socially, and psychologically. Sri Lanka is not the only former European colony that is facing the aftermaths of colonialism; several other countries in Asia have been robbed of their full potential to run as a developed nation, especially in the Middle East. Another prime example would be in Africa, where even in the present day, systems that were brought in by the European states are still being used, such as monarchy. Another more specific theory that would back up this argument would be the postcolonial theory, the postcolonial theory investigates the effective and legacy of European invasion on global south. Postcolonial theorist, Franz Fanon states And it is clear that in the colonial countries the peasants alone are revolutionary, for they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The starving peasant, outside the class system is the first among the exploited to discover that only violence pays. For him there is no compromise, no possible coming to terms; colonization and decolonization a simply a question of relative strength. Fanon pinpoints the exact fate that Sri Lanka has overcome with its decades long civil war, the need for violence to achieve goals, in this case justice and equality. Research and Analysis: Colonialism is the leading cause for the now silent, yet on-going civil war in Sri Lanka. When the British left Sri Lanka in 1948, they built a government and left power to mainly the wealthy Sinhalese landowners (Lange, 2009). These powerful Sinhalese landowners had nothing in common with the rural areas or the minorities in Sri Lanka. Thus, taking rule and advantage of the nation to their liking. They made Sinhala as the official national language and also making Buddhism as the official national religion in Sri Lanka. This created great tension amongst the Tamil community as opportunities were not made equal, Tamils were not permitted nor able to obtain a higher level education or work for the government due to the fact they were not able to speak the national language (Lange, 2009). This created massive riots and rage throughout the Tamil community, which eventually ended in the creation of a separatist group the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam seeking to gain land separate from the Sinhalese population for the Tamils called Tamil Eelam. This was the beginning of a two-decade civil war for the Tamils to both gain equal rights and dignity or to gain a separate Tamil region. Histories of Sri Lanka prior to British colonization are important aspects when examining cause of conflict, in this case the cause of civil war in Sri Lanka. According to research of DeVotta (2000) archeological analysis can prove that Sri Lanka was physically part of India, and was separated through plate movement caused by slow, natural causes. The southern regions of India, specifically Tamil Nadu, are concentrated with a Tamil population, and the northern regions of Sri Lanka are also concentrated with Tamils. Such relations and connections cannot only be seen through language but also through religion and way of life. Clarance (2002) states that reoccurring enslavement caused by colonialism creates a need for finally holding the dominant, leading post. Both the Tamils and the Sinhalese were faced with great amounts of mental and physical damage when the Portuguese, Dutch, and the British colonized Sri Lanka, however the Sinhalese were faced with a greater level of damage becaus e it was mainly Sinhalese regions that were fought for, such as Katte, Kandy, Sitavaka, Colombo and Anuradhapura (Clarance, 2002). Therefore the Sinhalese psychologically developed the need for control, power, domination (Duncan, 2002). Wickramasinghe (2006) expands on the roles that each colonizing groups had. The Portuguese conquered Colombo on arrival which caused the Sinhalese population to move into the Kandy region of Sri Lanka. The Portuguese also forced religious conversion, Christianity, Buddhists and Moors a term used for Sri Lankan Muslims were impeached. Wickramasinghe (2006) argues that such invasion of the Sinhalese caused them to make Buddhism as their national religion when independence was gained. Clarance (2002) makes a diverse point in stating that with the colonization of the Dutch it was greatly the fault of the Sinhalese. Rajasinghe II who was the king of Kandy in 1638 requested the help of the Dutch to fight against the Portuguese, the Dutch however defeated t he Portuguese and overruled what Portuguese had conquered and everything else on the island except Kandy. They also promoted protestant views and demoted Catholicism, and to keep their legacy they mixed themselves with the Sinhalese, now known as Burgher peoples. This later on was a another major cause of great discrimination and violence. The British were the last rulers in Sri Lanka they take the majority of the blame for the current effects of colonization and the civil war in Sri Lanka today. According to Lange (2009) the Tamils and the Sinhalese were in peace living together, reason being that different regions were ruled by Kings that were associated with the citizens of that particular region, therefore conflict with other regions were minimal. When the British entered Sri Lanka in fear of the French gaining power of Sri Lanka in 1796, they started off by merely occupying the coastal areas, to remove the Dutch from the picture, through the Treaty of Amiens, the Dutch ruled areas of Sri Lanka was conceded to the British. Since the Dutch had conquered the entire island excluding the Kandy region, the British only had to fight for Kandy. Jones (2008) states that there were two Kandyan wars in which both were defeated by the Kandy. Jones (2008) clarifies that this was the real cause of independence in Sri Lanka, lac k of British gaining the most resourceful region in Sri Lanka. However Duncan (2002) elaborates on the beneficial aspects of the British rule in Sri Lanka, the British despite failing to conquer Kandy, built massive, national standard plantations for coffee which later became tea production, which was the money making resource in Sri Lanka at the time. The Sinhalese were reluctant to work on tea plantation as they were used to the working on the paddy farm. Wanting to expand the industry thousands of Tamils were shipped from India into Sri Lanka to work on these plantations. Duncan (2002) states that this was also a great cause in the separation between the Tamils and the Sinhalese. As working on a plantation was considered a job of the members of the lower castes, because the desperate and the poor were eager to gain a job at the these plantations for a fraction of what was considered a minimum wage back then. And since thousands of Tamils were imported from India by the British, t his caste was automatically generalized for the Tamils, creating a hierarchy between the Tamils and the Sinhalese. Winslow (2001) expands on the final gestures of the British that caused a long term effect on the future of the nation. When Sri Lanka was granted independence the British unconcerned and naively transferred most if not all the power to the Sinhalese, maybe not intentionally by ethnicity but intentionally by who held the most power, the Sinhalese at the time had most of the islands land, business, and wealth, in comparison to the Tamils. According to Erritiouni (2010) it was this particular mistake that is until today the leading cause of the civil war between the Tamils and the Sinhalese. Effects of colonialism in Sri Lanka still take in effect today. Errotiouni (2010) proceeds to state the following occurrences that fed this hunger for war. When the Sinhalese gained power for the entire island they omitted the existence and importance of the Tamils, they made the Sinhala the national language of Sri Lanka, and they made Buddhism the national religion of Sri Lanka. This as a result lead to the discrimination of the Tamil population, not being granted access to a higher level of education such as university or college, and not being granted to opportunity to hold a government job, therefore forbidden to gain a position in the government to have a say in the rights that Tamils are given. Jacoby (2006) elaborates on the separatist group Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam that was formed, as a result of discrimination this group that represented a majority but not the entire Tamil population demanded a separate region for the Tamils, namely, Tamil Eelam. The quest for T amil Eelam was at a cost of hundreds of thousands of lives over the past two and a half decades. A member of the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam was the convicted suicide bomber in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, Indias Prime Minister at the time, in a deadly, sinful quest to gain international attention on Indias partnership with Sri Lankas war against the Tamils. Sri Lanka has lost a great deal as result of this war, the most important, innocent lives. Effects of colonialism are causing major issues in the present time. The recent crisis that occurred in Egypt where nearly the entire population of Egypt protested against the presidency of former President Mubarak. The fight to start a democratic government, and to end a monarch government (Pakistan article warns against struggle for power after Egypt unrest, 2011). According to Burke (1998) Europeans set up boundaries around Africa that split up tribal areas and groups of Africans, so Africans who spoke the same dialect or practiced the same traditions would be split between two different European territories. This also was the cause of monarchies that continue today within countries in Africa. This has caused many civil wars across Africa, and more importantly the mass level of poverty that was caused that even until this day is unsolvable. Power is a vital tool that needs to be transferred and received wisely. Colonialism is a prime example of how power should not be gained and withdrawn from. Sri Lanka has been greatly victimized by colonialism and has been ripped from its great potential as a nation. Through the unprofessional use of power by the European states power was distributed unequally to the people in Sri Lanka at the time of decolonization, which has caused a great deal of destruction and death for tens of thousands of people. Hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians lost their lives due to the crossfire between the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan government, they were slaughtered, shot, molested, violated, and tortured solely because they were born either Tamil or Sinhalese. As there were positive effects to colonization in Sri Lanka, they will never out weight the negative effects that have caused a greatly unstable nation even today. Power at any level is a position with immeas urable value especially when it is in relation to people. The Europeans help immense power, but childishly overthrew that power to distribute power in a nation. They thought for the better of themselves and failed to think for the better good of the nations people. Their decisions that were made carelessly have caused great damage and will continue to cause difficulty in the far future.

Lord of the Flies: Symbolism Analysis Essay -- power, piggy, jack, ral

Characters are used in literature as symbols to represent mankind's different â€Å"faces†. Everyone in both fictional and real societies have civil orderly sides, as well as an instinctual hunger for power. Both of these traits together make us human, but imbalance of these traits in some people can alter our being. These traits are necessary for our survival, but too much can create toxic environments. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses symbols to tell the reader more about human traits and provides a platform that shows the interactions between people with different balances of traits; Golding then shows the possible outcome of the conflict these traits create. Three main characters that stand out and represent the civility and hunger for power of humans are Piggy, Jack, and Ralph. Each can be seen as a symbol for different behaviors and traits that humans show, as well as the different mixes of civil and instinctual. The characters symbolize the different traits, instinctual power and calming civil nature, and how the different balances can affect a persons actions, behaviors, and interactions with others. The first main character and by far the boldest is Jack. He represents mankind's imbalance with instinctual nature. Jack comes into the story as the leader of a group of choir boys. Golding uses Jack to show man’s constant battle to be the best and control all of the power. When all the boys meet up with Ralph and Piggy, the first thing the boys do is have a vote for a leader. After the vote is tallied and Ralph is declared the leader, â€Å"The circle of boys broke into applause. Even the choir applauded; and the freckles on Jack’s face disappeared under a blush of mortification.†(23 Golding). Jack shows jealousy a... ...n then Ralph seems to change after that as to try and make up for a lapse in his judgement. William Golding uses symbols as a way to tell his readers about human nature through their interactions, conversations, and actions. Each character was set up to show a different side of mankinds faces. Each imbalance of human nature can be toxic but it is up to the individual to decide for change or against it. Although this is just a story, it outlines a lot of what is in society today. Leaders are corrupt or too distanced to know what our lives are like to lead properly. A leader who is in the same situation as Ralph has great potential in becoming a great leader. From age to age, symbols in literary work tell us more about who we are, and answer some of the what if’s in life. Works Cited Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York; Penguin Group,2006. Print.

Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg and The Pianist, Directe

Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg and The Pianist, Directed by Roman Polanski The holocaust is seen as a time of horror, filled with brutal, inhuman actions carried out by the Nazi party. Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg, is one of the most realistic movies to show the gruesome shock of the concentration camps and torture of Jews. Spielberg captured the true essences of what pain was during World War Two. In 2002, Roman Polanski came out with The Pianist, a movie that focuses on a Jewish man’s struggles outside the walls of a concentration camp. Polanski created a movie that would leave an impression on the viewer. The main purpose of Schindler’s List and The Pianist is to provide an inside view of the torture and suffering the Jews faced during WWII and the movies use similar techniques to express the horrors. The movie Schindler's List, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a dramatic representation of the holocaust. First, the film starts in Poland, where the Jews are under pressure from the Nazi community making its way into the villages. Oskar Schindler is a Nazi business man seeking to build a factory with Jewish workers. Schindler contacts the correct officials to get permission to build his factory. Next, the Jews are moved into the ghetto and then concentration camps. Schindler builds relationships with Nazis in a position of high power. Schindler uses these relationships to start secretly planning on saving as many Jews as he can through his factory. As the Jews are being sent by trains to camps, Schindler makes his infamous list of Jewish workers he needs. The list contains men, women, and children. Schindler tries to save as many Jews as he can. Finally, the holocaust comes to an end and S... ...he end of the movie as grown adults, while Szpilman of The Pianist survived his struggle of living on the run. Both movies ended leaving the viewer with hope and fulfillment that, even though millions of Jews were killed, some managed to survive through the help of others. The movies were a representation of a horrid subject matter, which were about hope and dignity in the midst of a monstrous tragedy. The horrors of the holocaust have been seen through many points of view. In Schindler’s List and The Pianist, the directors pulled together every emotion to create a masterpiece that teaches of the dreadful acts humans can do to each other. The pain one human can inflict on another is contoured by the determination and pride of the Jews to survive. The movies present a look into what a Jew’s life was like during WWII, either by a group of people or one single man.

Power Struggles and the Strong Woman

Katherine Hui RAYMOND WATERS CWL320 30 November 2011 POWER STRUGGLES AND THE STRONG WOMAN â€Å"Morning Glory†, directed by Roger Mitchell, is a romantic comedy and a reification of morning television. It is heavily coated in a formula base plot – the female protagonist is faced with obstacles in which she must overcome to prove her worth to those who have doubted her wrong; while simultaneously balancing her love interest. One of the most prominent archetypes in comedy is the strong woman archetype. The strong woman plays an outstanding role portraying power struggles, especially in the workplace.Becky Fuller, 28, is a high-energy and wide-eyed assistant producer. She quickly becomes a likable character in which the audience cannot help but root for. Through her struggles with pursuing her dreams of becoming an executive producer at the Today Show, Becky finds herself hired to revitalize a morning show in turmoil. Throughout the movie she experiences struggles with her self, her network, and the male alazon – Mike Pomeroy, a former news anchor acclaimed for his experience in covering â€Å"real† news.There is a parallel growth between all the characters in the movie as well as the morning show itself. The movie begins with a date, visually framing Becky’s obvious social ineptness and her overt dedication to work. Because of her job in early morning news, the audience sees her on a â€Å"3p. m. dinner† date with a marketing executive, whose job adds into the irony of the duo. Becky is chained to her phone and unable to talk about anything other than her work. She stumbles over her words and acts as if she were still a pubescent teenager on her first date.The marketing executive immediately realizes her awkwardness and incapacity to remove herself from her job and quickly asks for the check. Here the audience sympathizes for Becky, seeing her struggle in trying to fulfill one of life’s basic needs: companionship. T he date is followed by a montage of her daily routine in which we see Becky in her comfort zone; in complete control of what she is passionate about: work. The audience sees the contrast between her dedication with work and struggles ith men; and is able to feel a sense of admiration and respect for the character. Although she lacks in being able to make social connections she makes up for in her devotion to her work. Becky is a highly dedicated to her job at Good Morning New Jersey. She is the â€Å"first one in, last one out and knows a shitload more about news than someone’s whose daddy paid them to smoke bongs and talk semiotics at Harvard. † Becky is tipped off that she would be promoted to executive producer, something that she has pursued since she was 18.Instead she is laid off and expectantly replaced by a male who has more experience with an education from Harvard. This is a constant struggle in society today; women are underrated and easily replaced in the w ork place. The strong women archetype serves to prove society wrong through the comic spirit theme. Although Becky is consistently faced with others doubt in her – including her own mother – she perseveres through the negativity as the strong woman and is given the opportunity as an executive producer on Daybreak, a â€Å"perpetually fourth rated morning show† at IBS.On Becky’s first day she is already confronted with multiple complications: her boss’s lack of faith, the show’s low morale, and its semi-talented staff. Quickly she proves that she posses the type of assertiveness and ardent attitude that Daybreak desperately needs, making the executive decision to fire a long running co-anchor Paul McVee, the epitome of the conceitedness and one of the main reasons for the show’s low morale. Becky again faces another challenge: finding the perfect replacement. Daybreak’s low budget forces Becky to find an unconventional way to hi re a new anchor.Through her wit and ability to think on her feet she finds a loophole in one of IBS’s contracted and retired news anchors. Mike Pomeroy, the braggart male, is a world-renowned and respected television journalist. His opinion of morning television is far from low and is highly reluctant in having to co-anchor Daybreak, finally he is forced to accept the position due to his six million dollar contract with IBS. Pomeroy refuses to cover anything â€Å"un-newsworthy† and becomes a constant struggle in Becky’s effort to improve the show.Pomeroy disregards all of Becky’s requests, even getting drunk before his first day at work, further conveying his role as the braggart male. Becky withstands anything that Pomeroy throws at her, paralleling her strength to his experience. Pomeroy compares morning entertainment to a worthless sugary â€Å"donut†, in which Becky counters by comparing hard news to a boring â€Å"bran muffin. † Both c haracters finally come to reconciliation when they collaborate on their first breaking news story, covering the live arrest of New Jersey’s governor on charges of racketeering.Becky is elated and compares their breakthrough to a â€Å"bran donut. † She is faced with yet another challenge: improving Daybreaks ratings or having to face cancellation. One challenge that television faces today is the quality of entertainment. Often time’s ratings are based on controversy and popular culture and the dumb-ing down of information to appease the commercial audience. Becky fully understands what viewers want and overlooks this issue, completely devoting herself into doing absolutely anything to increase ratings.Through the strong woman archetype Becky shows that she has a clear vision and proves to her co-workers that she has a concrete strategy and ability to meet the audiences needs. Her dedication rally’s morale and like Lysistrata she is able to persuade her cr ew to be just as committed as she is. Becky performs miracles, introducing new segments and changing everything from the weather broadcast to their interviews. This progression is farced paced, paralleling the show’s increasing success.As Daybreak’s ratings go up they’re able to gain access to more famous celebrities, which in turn increases ratings even more. The show’s breaking point comes with Becky’s and Pomeroy’s â€Å"bran donut,† signifying her achievement at Daybreak and her ability to overcome the tribulations of the male alazon through her strong will and perseverance. Throughout the plot Becky becomes romantically involved with Adam Bennett, another producer at IBS. Although â€Å"Morning Glory† is a romantic comedy, it touches lightly on Becky’s relationship with Adam, focusing more on her exchanges with Pomeroy.Expectantly, Becky struggles with removing herself from work while trying to build a relationship with her love interest. Her dedication to work is her Achilles’ heal as well as her inimitable strength. Adam is able to overlook her awkwardness, even to the point adoration. The show’s successes and downfalls parallel with Becky’s growth in her ability to sustain a relationship. Towards the end of the movie, like with all romantic comedies, she is finally able to overlook her obsessions and succeed in overcoming her disability to make a romantic connection.The comic spirit seeks to exhibit strength in those who deserve a chance to exhibit greatness; those who are overlooked by society’s standards. In â€Å"Morning Glory,† Becky’ Fuller’s enduring strength, forceful determination, and self-belief transcends beyond any high profiled work experience or degree from Harvard. Daybreak’s growth parallels with Becky’s relationship with Mike Pomeroy as well the crew’s morale. Becky is a prime example of the strong woman archetype and she triumphs over her inner struggles as well as struggles with the higher forces of society.

Leadership Styles Essay

The leadership styles of the United States Presidents can make them effective or it can limit their effectiveness. The effectiveness of the President has direct effect on the American people. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy were two leaders that had major influences in the mid-20th century. Both men played a key role in the United States involvement in Vietnam. The experiences, styles of leading, and characteristics of both President’s Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy intensified the level of involvement the United States had in the Vietnam experience. Even though the leadership styles may have differed, the two leaders refused to let communism spread (Moss, 2010). Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy’s leadership style although different had similar qualities. President Eisenhower and Kennedy could be considered to have the leadership styles of both the â€Å"Director† and â€Å"Navigator†. Thomas Preston has explained a Director style is a leader with â€Å"both extensive policy experience and a high need for power† (Preston, 2001). Directors have direct involvement in policy process by setting guidelines and advocating for their own personal views. The Navigator also has extensive expertise in policy but they also search for the opinions and viewpoints of other advisors. Navigators will gather the information and from the multiple different perspectives have a more deliberate decision making style. Without having a Navigator sense of style, the effectiveness of any leader can be limited because of a lack of information gathered and reviewed for decision. President Eisenhower proved his leadership style by the way he was involved in the political unrest in Vietnam. According to Preston, President Eisenhower â€Å"preferred formal, hierarchically organized advisory structure where information and advice could be centralized into a small inner circle of advisers† (Preston, 2001). However because of the President’s expertise in foreign policy he had a very active personal role in the policy process and delegated very little to other expert advisors. Eisenhower’s own preferences in policy lead to the policy decisions. President Eisenhower gave the command to intervene in southern Vietnam and replace the French (Moss, 2010). This was to maintain a non-Communist state thereby halting the potential spread of Communism. President Kennedy was interested in multiple perspectives on policy; he listened to different sources on conflicting views and planned for debates prior to decision making (Preston, 2001). Kennedy wanted political rest and peace in Vietnam but knew that without US involvement, the fighting and attacks on Vietnam would increase. Because of this, the United States became more heavily involved which meant more military forces and money being spent. Kennedy had made decisions to violate the provisions of the Geneva agreements of 1954, thereby increasing the U.S. military significantly in Vietnam. â€Å"Kennedy was not trying to win in Vietnam: he was doing only enough not to lose† (Moss, 2010). This sense of leadership by Kennedy was devised to protect the U.S. by only having a limited partnership with the Vietnam government. For President Kennedy, as a Director, he kept active involvemen t in policy process and needed assurance that his own thoughts and ideas would dominate the end result. However, as the Navigator, he trusted his advisory team and kept an open advisory system â€Å"characterized by a mixed formal-informal advice network† (Preston, 2001). With the dual leadership style the President called for the heavy military involvement in Vietnam in 1965 (Moss, 2010). By having expertise in foreign affairs and taking the advice of his advisors, President Kennedy made the important decision to become more involved in the war efforts. For the United States, the President’s leadership is very important. The President is the countries representation. It is both very prestigious and powerful to be voted in as President of the United States. The President has the ability to keep the United States from war, or send us to war. The President is in charge of the military, deciding where troops should be stationed and how weapons should be used. That is great power, and without the backing of the American people the President and his cabinet wouldn’t be as powerful as they are. The American people need to know that the President has their best interest in mind. In conclusion, regardless of who the President is, the need for leadership is of great importance. By having both the Director and Navigator style leadership, the role of the President can be effective. The expertise, the desire to have a powerful role but also having the willingness to view other opinions for decision making is essential to making a great leader. The role the President has to be one that is inspiring to the American people but also the American people need to trust their leader, without trust there would be weakness.

“One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop Essay

In her poem, â€Å"One Art,† Elizabeth Bishop constructs a poem that reveals a struggle with mastering the issue of loss. Through the use of a villanelle, Bishop utilizes the significance of structure and word choice to further the meaning of her work. Bishop crescendos each stanza to create a firm foundation for the dramatic conclusion, and incorporates expressive words throughout the poem to illuminate the last stanza’s attitude shift from that of carelessness to seriousness. The villanelle form is a type of love poem and Elizabeth Bishop’s use of this is appropriate for her poem about lost love. The first five tercets (three lined stanzas) begin by speaking of small objects (keys) then grow to large items (continents). The final stanza is a quatrain (four lined stanza) that contains the occasion and attitude shift of the poem. The poem’s first line â€Å"the art of losing isn’t hard to master† resurfaces throughout the text to reiterate the speaker’s opinion on the mastery of loss. And the repetition of the third line’s final word â€Å"disaster† is a key to the meaning of the poem. Bishop’s word choice furthers the significance of loss and love throughout the poem. Since the first and third lines repeat within the text the middle lines of each stanza remain different from each other. The endings of each middle line have the same rhyme pattern and collectively they spell out an ultimate loss-† intent†/ â€Å"spent†/ â€Å"meant†/ and â€Å"went.† The speaker, in the beginning, is impersonal and does not mention any valuable item which was lost. In the second stanza the speaker explains how to master the art of loss, and urges the readers to practice, making it a habit: â€Å"Lose something every day (line 4).† The â€Å"lost door keys, the hour badly spent (line 5)† become materialistic entities and lost time. The third stanza contains a dynamic list of uncontrollable loss. By choosing the phrase â€Å"losing farther, losing faster (line 7),† Bishop illustrates movement in time, ultimately symbolizing loss. The simple shift from the third stanza to the fourth allow for a more personal touch to the poem with the addition of the word â€Å"I.† Bishop chooses the â€Å"mother’s watch† to symbolize time and the link between generations. The lost watch makes tangible the feeling of inevitable loss. The speaker also sequences her losses- â€Å"my last†/ â€Å"next-to-last.† Stanza  five is the final tercet that includes materialistic items lost by the speaker. The loss of spacious and lavishing objects such as â€Å"cities†/ â€Å"realms,† â€Å"rivers,† and â€Å"continents† can not compare to the feelings the speaker acquires from the loss of love in stanza six. The final stanza, the quatrain, contains an attitude shift from that of invincibility to somberness. By implementing â€Å"you,† Bishop transformed the poem into a personal piece by breaking away from the pattern of inanimate objects and incorporating an actual being. Although the tone is of a more personal nature the details are still muffled. The parenthesis around â€Å"(the joking voice, a gesture/ I love)† creates a caesura for the reader, allowing a pause before confronting the uncertainty of the last lines. The first line refrain varies its form in line eighteen with the addition of the word â€Å"too† which seems to second-guess the original assertion that loss â€Å"isn’t hard to master.† And in the closing line the repetition of â€Å"likes† postpones the final word that the speaker is so hesitant to admit-â€Å"disaster.† The parenthetical statement â€Å"(Write it)† is a self-prompt that conveys the energy needed to actually allow the word â€Å"disaster† to be recognized. By putting it in writing the speaker is accepting the fact that they have not yet mastered the art of loss. Bishop’s use of the villanelle form and strong word choice collectively work together to illustrate the speaker’s private sorrows over a lost love without including a self-pitied tone. The poem reveals a struggle for mastery that will never be attained. One does attempt to master loss but the recognition of powerlessness may be a more efficient method to tame loss.

Are Emotion and Reason Equally Necessary in Justifying Moral Decisions Essay

In analyzing human behavior and human thought processes it can be said that reason and emotions are always present in each major decision. There is no human being, even the most morally upright or the most unbiased observer can make crucial moral decisions without having to have felt the power of reason and the equally powerful emotions in his mind and body. If Emotion and Reason are taken together and if the proponent of this paper will not be given the freedom to choose one from the other then the answer to the query is no. There is no need to have the combined benefit of emotion and reason to justify a moral decision. But if allowed a free hand one should insist that Reason is necessary in justifying moral decisions. This paper will look into the implications of using Emotion and Reason in matters regarding moral decisions. This will be done by finding out what is the meaning of emotions and reason in the world of epistemology. But even before that there is a need to have a review of epistemology the theories on how human beings acquire knowledge. Background Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that deals with how man attains knowledge. For many the getting of knowledge from reading, observing the external environment and by doing experiments can be taken for granted. But for philosophers it is not simply about getting data and then having the ability to describe what was observed and inferred afterwards. Philosophers are persistent that man knows the exact process and if there is none then one should suspect if there is actual learning that occurred after all. With this in mind it is time to introduce two diverging schools of thought when it comes to epistemology and how man exactly acquires knowledge. The first group of philosophers believes that human beings can get knowledge using pure reason. It is the use of the rationale mind, to think using logic to deduce and infer from what can be observed. It is easy to say â€Å"reason† but it is difficult to explain the actual processes of how man looks at the different pieces of the puzzle and then be able to see the whole picture and finds a pattern or connection. Reason is the man’s secret weapon and allows him to reign supreme in this planet. There is no other creature that can use the harness the awesome power of reason in the same way as a human being. A good example is on how man can deduce that certain plants are edible while others are lethal. It is common knowledge that man learns to distinguish between a tasty snack and a vine of poison by observing animals around him. This is probably the same technique used to discover that the seeds hidden behind the coffee pod are not only edible but also a source of one heavenly drink. Without the ability to reason it would have been impossible for man to realize that there is something in that coffee pod after observing the goat or maybe birds taking a liking for the sweet fruit. Another example of reason is in finding a pattern and consistency in natural occurrences such as typhoons, fruiting seasons, gestation period etc. Using reason man was able to build a system where he can begin to tame nature and enjoy her benefits. He can plant and expect harvest. He can build shelter and expect to be protected by an upcoming storm. Man can also reproduce his kind and even multiply his flocks knowing pretty well that there are certain laws in nature that he can rely upon and all these are possible by unleashing the power of reason. Diverging Stream Another school of thought when it comes to the acquirement of knowledge is called empiricism. The empiricists believe that it gaining knowledge through reason alone is suspect. They argue that reason can be influenced by many factors and they conclude that biases and prejudices can interfere in the process. This is understandable because for thousands of years man has postulated about something and made predictions about the future only to be made a fool at the end. This is because reason has its limits. It is at this point that that man is advised not to jump to conclusions. Empiricists will assert that accurate knowledge is only possible if man avails of his senses. The eyes to use to see and measure; the hands used to grasp and determine shape; the ears to hear and determine sound; the nose for determining smells; and the tongue for taste. Emotions are feelings and better yet it is a reaction that a person can observe after the body and the mind – or the heart – is exposed to certain external factors. For example, a mother sees her baby crying because she had not eaten the whole day. The mother has no money to buy milk and she too begins to cry. Her emotion – can be labeled as sadness – tells her that her mind and body does not agree to the image that she saw which is her poor baby experiencing acute hunger. There is another view of emotions which can be very helpful in this study. There are those who assert that emotions are not only act as messengers that tell a person whether something good or bad has occurred but they can be feelings that propels a person to do what is right even when faced with great odds. Jaggar remarked that, â€Å"†¦it is appropriate to feel joy when we are developing or exercising our creative powers, and it is appropriate to feel anger and perhaps disgust in those situations where humans are denied their full creativity or freedom† (1996, p. 82). A good example of such an occurrence was again given by Jaggar who wrote, â€Å"Certain emotions may be both morally appropriate and epistemologically advantageous in approaching nonhuman and even the inanimate world Jane Goodall’s scientific contribution to our understanding of chimpanzee behavior seems to have been made possible only by her amazing empathy with or even love for these animals† (1996, p. 182). To those who are familiar with Goodall’s case will admire her courage and determination considering that she had to travel to Africa and be removed from the comforts and security of Western society and be immersed in a hostile environment, not with humans but with wild animals. It is a good instance of how emotions guided someone to do something heroic. It is easy to understand what emotions can do to lift ordinary humans to strive for things that exceed his grasp. Emotions can fire-up a person and allow him to go where no one has gone before. The history of the United States is replete with examples where tough moral decisions were justified with the cry for freedom and equality. But there is also a counter-argument that emotions are not needed to do justify moral decisions. Reason alone should be enough to move a person to do what is right. This is because emotions can be subjective. And there is no need to furnish volumes of scientific material to prove that point. Emotions can even be counter-productive when used to analyze tough moral decisions as evidenced from the results of a new study published in Newsweek. According to Wray Herbert – writing for Newsweek (2008): A large and growing number of psychologists now argue that a welter of prejudices are simmering just below the surface of society: prejudices against many ethnic groups, against women, gays, the elderly, and outsiders like the homeless and drug addicts. The big question is whether these unconscious animosities are potent enough to actually shape our actions, to make us do things we ourselves find shameful. A new study suggests that, unhappily, the answer is yes. Conclusion The question whether emotion and reason are equally necessary to justify moral decisions is a double-headed query that should have been simplified by separating emotion and reason; rephrasing it in two separate questions: 1) Is emotion necessary to justify moral decisions and 2) Is reason necessary to justify moral decisions. If this is possible then the proponent of this study will say no to the first and then say yes to the second question. But since the main topic used the phrase equally necessary then the answer is no meaning there is no need to bring both emotion and reason to the process of analysis of the problem and ultimately giving the justification for a moral decision. To clarify what is meant by using emotion in the decision process, one has to revisit the example of Jane Goodall and his work with endangered species, it was her strong feelings of emotions, specifically empathy that allowed her to do so much. Using this understanding of emotion the proponent still cannot endorse the use of emotion to judge a moral case because even with strong emotions one can still be mistaken. An excellent example would be the events that transpired in Germany in World War II. The residents of this nation enthusiastically embraced the idea given by Hitler that Jews deserve nothing but death and suffering. The majority agreed or at least the Nazis agreed that this is fact, even truth and they are responsible for the death of 6 million Jews. If one will go to Germany today and present the same ideas to present day Germans they will surely not react with the same fervor as they did in the time of Hitler but they will recoil in horror. This is a clear example of the subjectivity of emotions and therefore not needed to analyze tough moral issues.