Electric Vehicles Technology Analysis Essay

Hybrid electric vehicles are one of the applications of hybrid technology in real modern life; in which it’s currently a high demand technology and is growing rapidly. Although hybrid vehicles weren’t the latest type of transportation technology to be discovered, since they appeared earlier than gasoline vehicles, because of the cost of research and technology they disappeared a prosperous century of gasoline vehicles began. Nowadays, when the world needs green transportation because of high fossil costs and political reasons, hybrid vehicles returned and development into that type of technology is kicking back to full speed. Hybrid vehicles are the combination between electric engines and gasoline engines. Therefore, they inherit all the characteristics of traditional vehicle and add new functions of electric motor to help the vehicles save energy as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many vehicle manufacturers such as BMW, GMC, and Toyota are applying hybrid technology in producing their cars. One of the main reasons that hybrid vehicle are not as popular as regular gas powered vehicles is their prices. Most consumers don’t want to pay the extra $5,000- to $8,000 price tag to buy a vehicle that they don’t see the instant benefits of. Nevertheless hybrid vehicles will bring the benefits to their users and the environment, but not immediately when they buy the Hybrid vehicle. While in use, Hybrid vehicles will reduce the fuel consumption by an average of 42% which in return would be also good for the environment as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by about 42% than the usual amount. However, in addition to what Hybrid vehicle offers the public in money savings by consuming less fuel and supporting a greener environment, it also made it possible for the public to accept alternative power sources for their vehicles. Also, hybrid technology has helped expand the research into battery power, battery life and battery size which helped in emerging of newer technology of fully electrical cars that doesn’t use any gas, for example: The Nissan Leaf. In the meanwhile, currently the available fully electrical vehicles (Nissan Leaf) on the market have advantages of totally being gas independent, and faster acceleration than some of the hybrid cars (I personally test drove the Nissan Leaf both on city streets and on the highway and I think it accelerated a lot better than my 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid. ). In my opinion the technology still not fully developed to be the most reliable form of transportation for an individual or a house hold use, since you can’t drive more than 100 miles per full charge as advertised; which I am sure it’s a little bit less based on consumers review (around 75-85 miles per full charge. ) In the near future I can imagine that fully electrical cars be more reliable and go in between 700 to1000 miles per full charge, of course it will take its course of development just like any other new technology that starts small and gets bigger by time. I imagine in the next couple years electrical cars will be able to go anywhere in between 100 to 200 miles per charge, then in the following few years from 200 to 300 miles per full charge, etc†¦ Furthermore, in my opinion I think that gas engines are a thing of the past and I can see in the future Hybrid engines and electrical engines replacing everything that we are using today, from gas powered vehicles to airplanes, from motorcycles to scooters and lawnmower to children toys. In conclusion, the human race is using new technologies to try to fix the harm they caused the environment by creating products that don’t contribute to the pollution of our environment and many consumers hope that hybrid and electrical motors technology would help reduce the pollution and contribute to help save our environment.

Building a Coalition Essay

PART I: Group Development At this point in time, the group is not yet even development. It almost seems as if all the individual organizations are storming because they want to make sure that each one of their opinions is heard, and they have control of the situation. No one wants to give up their own power or control. They have started off correctly as it is stated in the case that HR representatives from each organization have been selected to pick individuals from each organization that they feel will have the best impact and will be proficient leaders. The individuals chosen need to understand the stages of group development to help them get along and build a cohesive coalition. They will have to understand that the initial stage will be the forming. Here the newly formed group will test each other out. They will be able to get a feel for whom their co-workers are, what strengths and weaknesses each member has, and they will be able to develop a set of guidelines on what is acceptable behavior for the mem bers. This is when they realize that they are no longer individuals representing just their organizations but instead their own group of people representing the students, and the students’ best interests with the backing of their individual organizations. They will lead into storming, where they will butt heads over power and what steps to take first. I believe here is where the true leader of the group will come out. It will be the individual who will be able to get the storming under control, get everyone to focus on what the main goal is and will help guide the group into the norming stage. In the norming stage, the main goal will be highlighted, the scope of the project defined, and a project plan created. Goals and guidelines will be set along with milestones and progress meetings. This is where they will start feeling like a group and start feeling like the project is finally moving along, and they all know how to get to the end. This leads us into performing, where  the team moves forward with the project working together and adjusts timelines as needed, resolving issues, and getting the job done. The final step is adjourning where the project will come to a wrap. The team will have a guidebook to help train any new personal that will be coming in and to help further build what they have already started. Knowing the steps of group development, help guide team members to establish proper guidelines not only for the project but for their own person behaviors. It helps members realize their own strengths and weaknesses and how the team can build upon those to make everyone successful. It also teaches the team how to function well together, develops relationships, and help motivate each other. All this is important in keeping the group motivated and keeping a positive dynamic to the group. PART II: Problem Identification The initial problem the group will face is for power. Each organization wants to make sure that their opinions are heard, and each feels that they are the most correct and should have the most power because they have the best influence and the students’ best interests in mind. Getting everyone on a common ground will be the hardest part since it seems that everyone thinks that they are right. Egos will need to be put aside and the storming phase may be longer than anyone would really like. As I had mention, before the true leader will come out of this phase and be the one that will be able to get a handle over the group. This will be an individual that everyone will respect and be able to relate to. I do not feel that there was much that there was much that could have been previously done in essence to understanding individual membership in teams to prevent the issue of the power struggle. This seems to be an ego struggle and also a difference of opinions. Everyone feel like they know what is best for the students and want to be involved, and have their opinion heard. In this case each organization is correct in their own way. Developing a coherent plan will be the biggest struggle incorporating everyone’s opinions as much as possible and trying to please everyone at the same time will be the additional struggle. The plan will have to be easy enough to follow so that it can be implemented as quickly as possible now and slowly change as time goes on. It will be easier for students to adjust to the smaller changes over a longer  course of time, than having their worlds turned upside down all at once. Also implementing changes a little at a time will help teachers to adjust and keep up their motivation and not be burnt out too quickly as students will be less resistant to small changes. This will also help with training new staff members as they come in. Having a handbook to guide further changes will help to continue moving the project forward in further years, and keep up with the progress of changed making sure the project stays successful and is not just a quick fix. PART III: Retrospective Evaluation The primary problems will be the power struggle and diversity will also play a role in this power struggle, and who relates best to the students. Also another issue will be making sure that the individual organizations feel that they are being equally represented, and heard. Each individual has their own struggles and comes from different backgrounds, we cannot judge what we have not gone through and cannot say how it affects that individual. Each member is here because they can relate to the students in their own personal way. We will need to put our own personal issues aside for the better of the students. Again the storming phase maybe long and members learn to work together and get over their difference. Each organization will have to give up power and the group that is made up of the representatives from each organization will have to identify themselves and their own organization not 3 individuals. Picking the team members will be the most crucial. The members cannot be egotistical but should also be respected members from their individual organizations. They will have to work together to come up with a project plan that they feel is the best way to proceed forward and will have to also convince their individual organizations and the community that they are making the best decisions. The pros of developing one main group to represent all and having this group break off and be seen as their own will help develop a stronger group dynamic between these individuals. The more they feel like a group the more they will be able to convince their individual organizations that they are being equally heard and that their opinions and suggestions are being incorporated into the overall plan. There may be backlash from the organization that they are developing on their own but this will need to be done in order to establish  authority, and not have individual organizations trying to go behind the backs of the group and work on their own. The biggest issues will be with establishing authority and making sure that each organization feel that is it being equally represented and their opinions are being heard and incorporated. PART IV: Reflection Diversity is an issue that is long over do in needing to be resolved. We as American’s need to embrace that we are a culture made up of many differences. We are the mute! This school and its new program for helping these students should be a great representation of that. These students will be representing our future and they can show that when differences are put aside and people work hard to work together they can be successful. Each individual contributes something and makes up for where the others lack. Difference should be embraced because they can show us a new way of thinking, acting, or doing. We should forever be evolving. My advice to program leaders would be to set your difference aside. Let us find what our common goal is and see how we can get their together. Ask what peoples string suites are, what their weaknesses are, and even what they would like to learn from this. This gives each member a sense of ownership to the project and will help keep them motivated by giving them their own individual goal to work towards succeeding. Giving them a their own sense of ownership to the project gives them a sense of pride to the project and will help lead them.

Of what value are the four key concepts of Organization & Identity Essay

Of what value are the four key concepts of Organization & Identity (Identity, power, inequality, insecuirty) for understanding p - Essay Example These theories attempt to provide a justification for the theorisation of organisations and businesses as we have today. They provide a basis for describing and analysing the structures and foundations of organisations in the world and how humanity evolved from an unstructured world to a system whereby the concept of work takes the centre-stage and organisations are at the forefront of societies. This paper examines four important concepts related to organisations: identity, power, inequality and insecurity. The paper would answer the research question: what is the value of the four concepts of organisation and identity provides for the conceptualisation and understanding of management practices and systems in organisations. In attaining this end, the following objectives would be examined: 1. An assessment of organisational behaviour and conceptualisation of organisations. 2. An examination of the concept of organisational identity and internal structures. 3. An evaluation of the po sition of power and inequality in organisations. 4. The conceptualisation of the distribution of power, insecurity and corporate justice. Portions of this paper would involve the writer's personal experiences as an importer. The writer has been involved in the importation of products from China into the UK. The writer makes his profits from the cost variations and differences in prices between China and the UK. This profit provides him with a source of livelihood and the potential of recreating this income generation opportunity in the form of an organisation is examined at various points in the essay. Organisational Behaviour & Conceptualisation of Organisations Knights and Morgen (1993) argue that consumptions marks the modern society. This is because in the world today, there is the free economy where people work and the are free to do whatever they want. Things are fixed by the concepts of demand and supply. Hence, there is the need for people to come together to define the syst em through which they can work and provide the best results and optimise resources. Consumerism is in vogue because people are not restricted and governments do not continue to wield the control that they had before the Second World War (Knights and Morgen, 1993). In most nations around the world, there is the freedom to run commercial entities and get things to happen. This has led to a trend where organisations run the affairs of individuals and groups in different parts of the world. Consumption tends to influence the way people come together to do things. Consumption is crucial in the world today and demand and supply define how things must be done and how resources should be allocated. This laissez-faire system has encouraged the creation of groupings for effective work and the attainment of results. Consumption trends provide the roadmap for people to put factors of production together to attain results. This has provided the impetus for the creation of businesses and organisa tions in different parts of the world. The the trends in consumerism has provided the impetus for corporate entities to come together and grow as they pursue their economic ends through the provision of goods and services for consumers to use to satisfy their needs and aspirations. Drawing into my personal experience, I can identify that the importation industry revolves greatly around consumerism. In my sector of operations, most companies involved in the industry provide goods and services

What is on the Internet Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is on the Internet - Assignment Example Its questions are open ended, allowing respondents the freedom of choice and expression (Storm Front, 2010). A survey by Quibblo is another example on pop culture and it focuses on possible association between the culture and self-image. Its questions cover significance of the culture among teenagers, possible effects of the on teenagers’ self-image and participants’ perception of pop culture (Quibblo, n.d.). The ‘pop culture’ survey’s design is characterized by closed questions, whose choices stimulate response. It also has few questions, presented in a single page, a property that helps to stimulate response rate because of time convenience. Another design factor in the questionnaire is use of bold for questions and normal print for choices and this makes the questions conspicuous (Pop culture, n.d.). The ‘pop culture’ survey identifies similarities with the SERVQUAL that is a tool for collecting qualitative data. SERVQUAL is based on attitude and expectation, which are the bases of responses to questions in the ‘pop culture’ survey. Like the SERVQUAL, the ‘pop culture’ questionnaire aims at collecting qualitative data such as attitude towards types of music and expected utility from different forms of entertainment (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, & Berry,

The History of Australian Mining Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The History of Australian Mining - Assignment Example Even in those early years trading routes were established which crisscrossed the country. The people also used coal for cooking and heating and it is mentioned in the dream stories of the Awabakal people who lived in the area of modern Newcastle. Modern day mining though began following the arrival of European settlers on the east coast seaboard in 1788. In the early days of the new colony Hawkesbury sandstone was quarried and shaped of use in early buildings at Sydney Cove. The incomers soon spread and the first discovery of coal occurred near Newcastle area in 1791, due to the activities of runaway convicts, including William Bryant. This discovery led to further investigations of possible sources and within a few years coal was being mined in several areas both north and South of Sydney. At first ship owners only collected coal from the surface at New castle. This they then shipped from 1798 onwards to the larger community at Sydney. The following year enough coal was available to allow its export to India. Half a century later in April 1851 gold was found by gold was made by John Lister and William Tom at Ophir, in central New South Wales. An associate of theirs Edward Hargraves, showed their gold to the then Colonial Secretary. It was Hargraves who claimed the reward of  £5000 for its discovery . Lister, Tom and the Rev. W.B. Clarke received only  £500 each. It seems however, according to recently discovered correspondence that the government had already acknowledged that there was gold to be found at Ophir.

History of Blacks in the Diaspora Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

History of Blacks in the Diaspora - Essay Example The coast was the focal point of trade for both goods from Europe as well as their slaves. Ultimately, the people were dumped in one of the ships meant for the slaves and deported on a transatlantic journey unaware that they will be traded and locked up as laborers. In terms of numbers the African Diaspora is unbelievable. Close to 12 million people were coerced out of Africa and deported to the New World. The key to the African Diaspora was propelled by a thriving economy. The slave trade drew investors from a host of nations such as Portugal, Spain, Brazil, England, the United States, Holland, France, Sweden and Denmark which kept the slave trade alive for a more than hundred years. (The African Diaspora: Melfisher.org) The concept of the African Diaspora considers the worldwide dispersion of Africans throughout history; the surfacing of the cultural identity abroad based on origin and social condition; and the physiological return to their own homeland i.e. Africa. Thus the African presence in Asia, Europe, and the Americas is not a recent occurrence. It had happened in ancient Greece and Rome, and it subsisted in Arabia and also in other parts of Asia prior to the rise of Islam. The growth of the global trade in African slaves by the Arabs for more than a century and half years back and the much more severe business by the Europeans and Americas from the fifteen century made that presence basically global. (Harris 27) Background & History of Blacks in the Diaspora: Spanning a period of nearly four hundred years, more than 4 million Africans were deported to N. America and also to the Caribbean Islands in the Atlantic slave trade. They were imprisoned from their motherland and estranged from the members of their groups and families and they were led to lead lives of slaves in New World where the customs and traditions in the midst they spent their lives were completely absent. The African Diaspora is the account of the manner in which Africans even through scattered and isolated were able to retain their traditions, undergo changes in their identities in a New World. Essentials of African culture such as the religion, language, and folklore lasted and also the links to their previous lives. In the course of Americanization, Africans developed yet another culture that is known as African-Americans or Creolos. The forced migration leading to the transatlantic slave trade is considered to be the largest one in the world. In its effort, it created l asting permanent linkages between Africa and N. America. (African Diaspora: Colorado College) The African populations were transported from a lot of areas of Africa, however mainly from those areas along the coast. The Bantu, lined on the Guinea coast, had the biggest uniform culture after which comes Mande, hence the culture of African-Americans was impacted in a major part by the people of these areas. In these colonies, the demand of the slaves mainly for economic factors and the demographics of the slaves left a huge impact on the development of the Afro-American culture. There was a presence of more than one Afro-American cu

Decision making & problem solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Decision making & problem solving - Essay Example The National Health Services, a publicly funded healthcare organization, was founded in UK near about fifty years ago. Their focus on modernization in the management has given new edge to the functioning of the NHS. It is significant that the NHS management has readily recognized the need for the charges, and timely implemented the plan But the momentum for the charge has only started gaining pace. These changes are not necessarily the result of the internal market for health. They arise partly also from developments in the science of medicine itself. Four changes will have particular impact on the future organization of the NHS (Leathard, 1991, p.126).Assuming that medical science remains in continual state of development and evolution, differences of opinions between doctors become inevitable. The law regarding medical negligence permits wide range of practice variations.Though the NHS does not have a profit motive, it is, of course, enormously concerned with control of expenditure . Surprisingly, however, it still lacks any real continuous evaluation of its performance against criteria.Concerns about the irrational use of medicines has led the government to introduce scheme designed to put downward pressure on indiscriminate prescription. GP spending on pharmaceuticals is now subject to regulation by indicative amounts, or 'target budgets'. In the past, the stance of the British Medical ... The concept of the 'general' hospital, with broad range of services designed to cater for the needs of a variety patients, will decline. Instead, there will be smaller number of specialist units which maximize the use made of expensive equipment (Astley & Van de, 1983, p.245-273). This will bring out movement from secondary to primary care and an increase in the power of GPs both in terms of the numbers of patients they treat and their influence over the distribution of health service resources. Their role as passive partners in the enterprise of health, removed from the reality of hard decisions about costs and benefits, will be change. Inevitably, they will become more involved in the debate about priorities in health care. Secondly, since the power to decide how resources should be spent gets decentralized, tension will arise between the duty of the Secretary of State to promote national strategies and objectives and the wishes of local doctors and health managers as to their own goals and aspirations. Thirdly, the use of market for health care will not discourage this trend. The use of the word 'market' is undoubtedly contentious and the exact future of the current system of funding, obviously, will be subject to the winds of political change. Equally, both main political parties would endorse the following two principles: (i) that effective care in the NHS is enhanced by the use of some measure of financial incentives for employees who achieve most, and (ii) that an entirely unregulated market for health care in the NHS would be largely ineffective and wasteful. Fourthly, the distinction between public and private care will become increasingly blurred. Private hospitals will be encouraged liberally and be able to sell their services to

Gender,Sexuality and Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gender,Sexuality and Diversity - Essay Example This paper shall critically discuss the post-feminist argument that in Western societies, women are empowered to choose whether or not to engage in beauty practices. A discussion on the various manifestations of women empowerment will be included in this paper. Body Western societies are now seemingly perceived to be post-feminist, which may mean that structural elements negatively affecting women have already been managed and that any lingering differences between men and women are being attributed to the manifestations of individual choices (Jeffreys, 2005). Writers acknowledge that choice has become the battle cry of the post-feminist era; under these conditions, as long as the actions of women are based on their own choices, there is no need for further assessment of their actions and choices (Braun, 2009). Beauty practices are very much related to such post-feminist ideas and arguments. Even if the use of beauty products have been subjected to feminist critique, practices like p utting on lipstick or shaving one’s legs do not any more represent issues for feminists (Stuart and Donahue, 2012). Third-wave feminists express that women’s power to choose the engagement in these beauty practices is a welcome element of feminism (Baumgardner and Richards, 2000). However, even with much support attributed to various choices, and even with the entry of women into areas in society where they were not previously included, women’s bodies are still made part of high surveillance and discipline (Jeffreys, 2005). The chances given to women to increase their achievements which were not available to them before has not been coordinated with the power to do away with the oppressive elements and practices of femininity. Scholars argue that the discarding of traditional female roles in the workplace has been matched with a greater focus on feminine bodies (Gill, 2007). Gill (2007) points out that femininity for the current western culture has followed the suggested trajectory laid out by Bartky (1990), Bordo (1993), and Wolf (1990) where social applications relating to femininity are not anymore directed towards the manifestation of traditional gender roles, but are leaning more towards practices which strongly highlight the management and beautification of women’s bodies. Postfeminist marks of liberation via empowerment and choices are placed within the context of harsh beauty requirements and images which Western women are compared to and judged against (Gill, 2006). In effect, with all the apparent choices, the contemporary western culture puts a very harsh and intense evaluation of women’s bodies. Contextualizing femininity within the post-feminist conditions is a major focus of contemporary feminist work (Evans, et.al., 2010). Feminine beauty practices were a clear focus for the second-wave feminism with a more critical assessment made on the means by which such practices have impacted on the reification of the dis parities between men and women, as well as the objectification of women (Bartky, 1990). By the end of the 1980s, as feminism secured more success in the liberation of women, the negative reaction against the second wave feminism caused new restrictions on women’s liberties (Jeffreys, 2005). The conditional message has been suggested relating to women gaining a more liberated status, for as long as such status is not made at the cost of their femininity. Such message is seen in

The Difference between Knowing and Understanding Essay Example for Free

The Difference between Knowing and Understanding Essay This paper tries to point out the differences between what it means to know and to understand. These two subjects are preliquisite of one another in that it is impossible to understand what one does not know. The paper also outlines how these two subjects impart on teaching in our schools. Most of the schools teach by what is popularly known as, to learn by rote, which according to Webster’s dictionary, is to learn by memory alone without comprehension or thought. Key words: Understanding, Knowing KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING The Difference between Knowing and Understanding The difference between knowing and understanding is evident. Knowing is akin to simply memorizing something and is a precursor for understanding. Understanding means that you can apply the knowledge that you have. Knowledge is absorption of data and understanding uses the knowledge as a foundation. It implies therefore, that understanding is absent without knowledge. It’s possible to know something without necessarily understanding it. For instance one may know that for living things to grow, they require nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and others, but they may not understand how this nutrient brings about growth. Wiggins and McTighe (2006) explains that to truly understand something, we must know it instinctively more than just being able to recite facts or theory, and do it unconsciously. When we know something, we can understand the concepts through practice and gaining experience. The ultimate purpose of learning in school is to understand important concepts in addition to knowing them. Students should be given an opportunity to practice the knowledge they have gained in class so that they can gain new skills and have an in depth understanding of the material that learn. This is because to understand something means that you can teach it, explain it and defend it. You can also connect any information that is related to it. This is only gained through practice and experience (Wiggins et al. , 2006). Teachers should teach their students to understand concepts, rather than presenting them with facts that are going to help them pass their exams. The reason for this is that the student is not able to grasp the concepts intellectually, and therefore they forget the material in long term. In order to understand concepts, we work against obstacles that limit our understanding such as beliefs, unproved theories and taboos set out by our cultural backgrounds. KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING The idea of education as a technique to sharpen intellectual discipline, to nurture higher cultural wellbeing or teach civic principals has simply vanished. To effectively deliver knowledge, teachers must ensure that their students understand the material. This can be achieved by setting up a curriculum that draws on an array of skills, stressing thinking and analysis over the rote of memorization. According to Wiggins et al. (2006), there are six facets of understanding; explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy and self-knowledge. Any one of facets provides knowledge, but a masterly of all of them ensures understanding of any material. In essence teaching should be aimed at understanding, since retaining facts is much easier when you see how they fit into a larger picture that makes sense. To educate is to deliver knowledge in an understandable form which should be our main role as educators. KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING Reference Wiggins, G. , McTighe, J. (2006). Understanding by Design. (2ed. ). Upper Saddle River; New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Public Policy Essay Example for Free

Public Policy Essay Public Administration always needs funding for various aspects throughout many realms.   From grants to sidewalk repair to going green in residential homes to starting up a business and educational grants.   There are also, as we are currently seeing,   monies coming from the federal government for stimulus payments to US citizens and as proposed by our new President Elect Obama there are policies in the making for a permanent stimulus or tax rebate due to excessive oil prices and changes in healthcare.    The one thing with the majority of the monies being spoken of is that so much comes from the federal government.   This precludes any monies the states may have or have already spent, as in the end they also receive monies from federal agencies. So here we see a vicious circle of all these people needing money for one reason or another, they spend what they have, apply for grants from the federal government, the federal government says hey ok but in the end, what do we do when the federal government runs out of money?   What do states do when there is no money left to be tapped?   Do they droll at another department because that department may have the monies to continue further? Let us start with the liquor tax.   Currently the taxation goes like this; the federal government gets approximately 10% of each gallon depending on the proof or volume manufactured (each state seems to vary) of the alcohol.   The higher the proof, the more the taxes they receive.   The state on the other hand receives a much higher revenue from the tax (State Liquor Tax Rates-2008).   Each state has different programs in which the taxes collected helps finance.   The federal government should take only a specified amount, a flat tax from each state for both alcohol and tobacco and keep tally on which states they obtain these taxes from and how  much.   When these individual states run out of their own taxed revenue then when they apply for a grant, the grant acceptance and money distribution is then taken from the coffers of the federal government based upon the taxes already received into the hands of the federal government.   This keeps those federal tax dollars fo cused in one area instead of spread all over the board.   If states run out of money from the federal government through this specified mean then the balloting of measures asking for the public in general to vote on a new tax for this reason, should be implemented. Some states have public lottery games or gambling which is allowed in public places, of course with age allowances in place.   The federal government has their hands in this pie as well.   I believe that the federal government should step away and not collect taxes on this except maybe through an individual tax return, and allow the states to keep and maintain this taxation as sole entities with a fiscal report as to where these tax dollars are spent.   In addition, taxes collected on gambling should be distributed to the same entities each yr without prevail or each year change their entities of who these taxes go to, to help finance.   This would be akin to alternating weekends of work in the general public forum. Let us go a bit more local.   Each county has their county has their own form of taxation and ways to obtain revenue.   These counties should work together more as a team than what they currently do.   Instead of them allocating their funds to only the departments within (i.e. city tax on water only for water line improvement) they should all pool their monies together.   There  should be a strict fiscal plan in place that determines how much money goes where and for what.   Each department of the county should be made each year to make an honest analysis of what they will need to further any improvements that are necessary and not frivolous and based upon that information, this will determine what departments get what.   Maybe the courthouse has an upcoming need to repair a bathroom where as the dump wants a wall around their facility to improve aesthic purposes.   Which is more important?   This should be obvious.   What if the county sheriff’s department needs to have additional law enforcement but has a lack of cars?   Instead of being allowed to buy the new cars each year, cut the rate of cars bought in half and put two people to each car.   This may only mean the savings from not buying 2 or 3 cars but each dollar helps. In the end, the county has a complete record of where all the money goes to and they have all worked together as a team and not against each other due to politics and there may also be more money left over at the end of each year which will definitely lessen the amount of money asked for from the federal government. Healthcare is a big issue.   Public policy should simply enforce specific financial capping rules as to what the healthcare industry can charge for their costs, this is to include doctors and providers of insurance alike.  Ã‚   If these two entities can work together as a team regarding services, payments and insurance under more strict federal guidelines of what can be charged for these instances, then this would make these two entities work more closely together. All in all, each department of each state, county and city that implements a tax, part of each department should also allocate a small percentage of the tax revenue to a general fund for emergencies or unseen departments that may suddenly need additional fund.   This General fund should also be exhausted before applying for federal grants. Some may consider this a socialistic view regarding public administration and maybe it is, but if so then take a look into Canada’s or Europes socialization and compare these two to the country of America.   Which one is better off in the long run.   If you can determine that (and it isn’t the USA) then you can determine that they are doing something more correct.

Drivers For Internationalization In Aerospace Management Essay

Drivers For Internationalization In Aerospace Management Essay The papers in this portfolio are all related to the strategic decisions that corporate organizations make in order to expand their share of the ever-growing global market, while ensuring that their competitors are not able to replicate their formula for success. Three of the papers discuss specific companies-Tesco, Rolls-Royce, Carrefour and Wal-Mart-thus giving the impression of a mini case study on how these global players strategize their way into market domination and superior firm performance. The third and final paper is a general discussion on George Yips model on internationalization drivers as these are applied in the civil aerospace engine manufacturing and the global grocery retailing industries. Students, scholars and practitioners alike will benefit from the lessons and analyses made in these papers because they show a thoughtful and realistic look into the workings of different corporate organizations while utilizing different business concepts. At the end of the day, this portfolio is designed to show the students ability to comprehend and analyze practical business dilemmas in light of existing theory. Drivers for internationalization George Yip proposed his model of the drivers for the growth of international strategy among corporate organizations. He introduced four main categories of drivers that were key in determining the extent of globalization within a particular industry. These are: Market globalization drivers Cost globalization drivers Government globalization drivers Competitive globalization drivers A company that exhibits less of these drivers is characterized as being local in nature, and conversely a company with a higher number of the drivers are becoming more global both in outlook and in operation. These drivers are not stand-alone, however, because they in fact influence on another in a cycle that determines a corporate organizations readiness to join the ranks of global companies. Stated otherwise, these internationalization drivers are governed by four different factors: technology, social and demographic considerations, politics and legislation, and economic and political considerations. All in all, should a company wish to transform its operations from that of a local industry to an international one, it should pay attention to the different factors that can make or break its ability to participate actively in the global market. While there are of course other factors that may influence a companys eventual success in going global, Yips model gives us a simplified and practical view of what it would take for a company to launch itself into the global playing field and claim its share of global consumers. Different industries and different corporate organizations vary greatly in their capacity for globalization, especially because the nature of the products/services they offer as well as the consumers who avail of them are vastly distinct from one another. Let us compare the global grocery retailing industry and the civil aerospace engine manufacturing industry as an example. We can compare the two in this manner: Global grocery retailing industry Civil aerospace engine manufacturing industry Market driver High Low Cost driver High High Government High Low Competitive High High Countries that have the most advantageous combination of as many drivers as possible are preferred by global companies, as a market for their products/services, as a home base or both. As we can see from the table above, the global retail industry actually has better potential for pushing a global strategy. This is evidenced by the relatively recent entry of new global grocery retailing brands such as Wal-Mart into previously untapped markets like China. Because of the high tendency for globalization, other retail companies are also beginning to look in to the possibility of expanding their business overseas in order to benefit from a bigger customer base. Carrefour, Wal-Mart and the Chinese market The entry of big international players in the Chinese local market in recent years has shown that China is the new gold rush for global companies looking to expand their share of the market. The global grocery retailing industry is just one of the many business sectors that have come to China to make the most out of the millions of consumers who will avail of their products and services. The bid to make China the next biggest market for the global retail industry started in 1992 when the country opened up its retail industry to foreign investors like Carrefour and Wal-Mart. Carrefour entered the market three years later by opening a partnership with a Chinese management consulting firm, creating an entity called Jia Chuang. While other companies treated the Chinese market as one big bloc of consumers, Carrefour looked considered it to be composed of many smaller markets. It opted to create regional offices which were in charge of the expansion programs for different areas of the country, instead of having a centralized national operations network. Carrefour continues to carry out its expansion strategy by depending on local distributors, who supervise the delivery of their products straight to the stores from the regional centres. The company believes that flexibility is a priority consideration especially when operating in a relatively new market. The cost of development is lower because Carrefour is able to build its network store by store while keeping issues about uniformity of service and quality control in check. As for Wal-Mart, they see the challenges of the Chinese retail market differently. Unlike Carrefour, Wal-Mart is putting its investments on a centralized distribution system that is headquartered in Kengzian. The new centre boasts of a 40,000 square meter facility that has been created to handle simultaneous deliveries with up to 70 bays. But like Carrefour, Wal-Mart has also entered the Chinese domestic market by partnering with a local firm, a Taiwanese retail firm named Trust-Mart. Wal-Marts emphasis on back-end operations is almost the exact opposite of Carrefours customer-first strategy, although the latter seems to be on the upper hand in terms of actual market share and profitability. However, at some point Carrefour will also need to pay attention to its back-end to maximize the strong dynamics among its stores. Its current strategy is working well for Chinas market environment but new developments will have to be introduced in the future. No global retailer has yet launched an all-out expansion into China without creating a joint venture with a local company, which is a strategy that enables them to ease slowly but surely into the market instead of going in without a clue as to how the market actually works from the inside. However, it would be more disadvantageous for a global company not to try breaking into the Chinese business scene. The market is rich with millions and millions of consumers who are only too willing to try new the products and services that have suddenly become available to them thanks to the opening up of the market. Care must be made in making these new foreign financial investments work in order to ensure that the companies will see good returns on their investments. Companies must not be deluded by the promise of a huge new market and fall behind their usual standards for doing business. Tescos core strategies and VMO Tesco is one of the leaders in the global retailing industry. The company started in the United Kingdom in the late 1920s and has since grown to be one of the most robust and successful supermarket companies in the world today. Tescos core strategy is founded on their desire to attract and maintain customers who will become their lifetime partners. The company espouses the belief that their corporate success is dependent on their ability to meet the demands of people-both the people who work for them and the people who shop with them. Tescos two-pronged approach misses out on no opportunity to improve not only their service and products, but also their international relationship with their staff. This is reflective of the current thinking among corporate organizations today that a companys human capital is more than just another factor of production-they are in fact the backbone of a company and they make it possible for the corporate strategies to be carried out effectively. Paauwe and Boselie (2002) point out that the emergence of such a breed of HR management has been brought about by the fact that human capital is now seen as a source of competitive advantage. As for Tescos commitment to their customers, the company is firmly rooted in the belief that going the extra mile to satisfy their shoppers needs and requirements will go a long way towards ensuring their loyalty to Tesco. Loyalty is key to maintaining and expanding Tescos share in the retail market. If Tesco can give a customer superior service, then there are higher chances that that customer will keep shopping only at Tesco. But before Tesco can be first to meet their customers needs, they embark on a focused and in-depth study of their shoppers in order to anticipate what they require. Tesco employs what they call the Every Little Bit Helps strategy to ensure that they know exactly what their shoppers and their employees want. Tesco has designed five core business purposes: Be a successful international retailer Grow the core UK business Be equally strong in the food and non-food sectors Develop competitive retailing services Put the community at the core of all business activities. The Every Little Bit Helps strategy is Tescos way of translating these core objectives into actual strategies to help the company achieve its organizational goals. Without the concurrence of both strategy and purpose to guide a corporate organization, especially a global one like Tesco, there will be little chance for the company to have a clear direction of where it wants to go and how to go there. The core strategy and core purposes of Tesco are a way for the company to articulate what it wants to achieve within a given timeframe, as well as crafting the necessary steps to accomplish the goals that it had set for itself. As for Tesco, the company is imbued with the lesson that no organization will progress without considering the needs of its customers and its employees, so their approach is always to seek what is best for both in order to make the company number one. Strategic alliances and Rolls-Royce No man is an island-and even in businesses, this clichà © rings true today. Some organizations, particularly small-scale ones or those that have only just started doing business, may be better off finding their own niche in todays complex market, but there may come a time when they will have to form significant partnerships with other businesses in order to flourish and achieve sustained growth. The current state of the global business landscape today has forced organizations to come up with more creative ways of surviving and keeping ahead of their competitors. Some of the more important aspects that most companies today are focusing on to improve their overall performance are enhancing their brand identity, connecting with customers and attracting competent and highly-skilled workers (Isidro, 2000). Moreover, todays corporate managers are also facing a highly competitive environment that is increasingly complex, globally cantered, and technologically uncertain where there is a critical need for dynamic, flexible, and proactive responses (Miles, Preece, and Baetz, 1999). It is no longer enough to emphasize on creating and opportunities on their own, because independence also has its drawbacks. As a result of the various pressures that companies are facing, there is now an increased tendency among them to favour forging strategic partnerships and alliances as a viable business option. Elmut and Kathawala (2001) are also of the opinion that strategic alliances among corporate organizations are one of the most recent trends in the business community that have made it possible for companies to stay afloat despite serious drawbacks and difficulties. In the case of Rolls-Royce, the company has entered into almost 30 separate partnerships with different firms all over the world to help expand its share of the global market and build on its knowledge and technology base. Of the four reasons that Elmut and Kathawala (2001) outlined for the emergence of strategic alliances, it appears that there are two primary reasons for why Rolls-Royce has chosen to partner with different firms. For one thing, the company stands to gain from such partnership in terms of entering new markets with which it is unfamiliar. Brokering a deal with local corporations allows Rolls-Royce to expand its market while at the same time benefiting from the expertise of an old-timer in the market. Secondly, Rolls-Royce is also into strategic partnerships in order to obtain new technology and best quality at the cheapest cost. The company has four business divisions, all of which need intense research and development funding. Instead of going through their own R and D cycle, Rolls-Royce can share their knowledge and technology with their strategic partners at a much lower cost, thus ensuring that each division is well-maintained but is not draining the companys resources for continuous R and D. While Rolls-Royce can actually provide the funding for its own R and D, it is more cost-efficient for the company to trade information with its partners and make the product or service immediately available in the market. It must be noted, however, that it is not just Rolls-Royce who stands to reap all the wonderful benefits from the strategic alliance. Their partners also take advantage of the Rolls-Royce brand name and the companys existing network of contacts, suppliers and customers, giving the other partner a fair competitive advantage over its competitors in the local market. Strategic alliances are all about creating good working relationships with other companies in the industry and pooling together resources for the mutual benefit of the partners.

Self-Damnation in Oedipus the King Essay -- Oedipus Rex Essays

Self-Damnation in Oedipus Rex (the King)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sophocles' play Oedipus Rex (the King) is a tragic tale of fate and hubris. At first glance, it seems that the terrible fates of the main characters are merely the doings of mischievous or cruel gods. That Laios should die at the hands of his unknowing son, that Jocaste should later marry that son to commit the crime of incest, and that Oedipus, the son, should be the actor in both crimes all seem to be deeds scripted unfairly by the gods for their own pleasure. However, upon examining the evidence in the play, it becomes clear not only that Laios and Jocaste directly cause their own fates by abandoning the infant Oedipus to die on the mountain, but that Oedipus is himself a willing participant in his own crimes. In choosing to abandon Oedipus upon his birth, Laios and Jocaste try to prevent the fulfillment of Apollo's prophecy: "[Laios'] down at the hands of a son, our son, to be born of our own flesh and blood" (Sophocles 201). They "fastened" the baby's ankles and "had a henchman fling him away on a barren, trackless mountain" (201). This done, the king and queen live their lives believing that they are safe from any danger that the child might pose. It is their cowardly act of attempting to escape fate that seals their doom, however. Not only do they decide to kill their only child, but they are unable to do so in a humane manner. Rather than relieve their son of any misery, they tie his ankles together and abandon him to the harsh elements of nature on a mountain. They are blissfully unaware that a shepherd has taken pity on the royal child and has delivered him to the care of King Polybos of Corinth (218). Clearly, by their self-preserving act of child-abandonment, Lai... ...renberg, Victor. â€Å"Sophoclean Rulers: Oedipus.† In Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.    Herodotus.   The Histories. Translated by Aubrey de Selincourt. England: Penguin Books, 1972.    Segal, Charles. Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993.    â€Å"Sophocles† In Literature of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984.    Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi    Bowra, C. M.   â€Å"Sophocles’ Use of Mythology.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997.

Alcohol :: Alcoholism

After doing some research on alcohol I have come to the realization that alcoholism is a disease that affects millions of lives everyday. In the following essay I will discuss some things that I have learned and I will try to give a clear understanding on what steps I will need to take to make appropriate choices in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have learned that alcohol is not all fun and games. It affects many aspects in a person’s life. I learned of the affects it has on my reaction time, my nervous system, obviously my thought process, and also my reproductive system. Alcohol kills in many ways if it becomes an abused substance. It plays a major role in more than half of all automobile accidents. Drinking and driving is dangerous not only to yourself but to others to. Plus it is not worth getting caught by the police driving under the influence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only have I became more knowledgeable about the affects of drinking but I have learned that if I chose to drink not to take the risk of drinking on campus. West Chester has strict rules about this policy and I am now aware of such consequences of getting caught. But I had the worst of it being that I was holding the bag and that we got caught by the police. Now I have to deal with the West Chester bureau police as well, which will wind up many more things happening to me, including going to court and probably getting a hefty fine as well as my license taken away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some good advice I might have for someone who chooses to drink on campus is â€Å"don’t†. It is not worth getting caught by the school and possibly the police. If you do choose to drink do it on safe grounds such as somebody’s house or apartment. But even then it is still possible to get caught by the guard beings that you may be too intoxicated. So the best advice I could give someone is to sleep over a friend’s house off campus somewhere and stay out of trouble with the school because in the

Why is English Important Essay

Essay About English Language English is one of the most important languages in the world. It can even be said to be the single most important language. Other languages are important too, but not for the same reasons as English is important. English is important because it is the only language that truly links the whole world together. The other languages may be important for their local values and culture. English can be used as a language in any part of the world. This is because at least a few people in each locality would know the language. Though these people might not have the same accent as others, the language at least will be understandable Pakistan and Importance of English Language In countries like Pakistan, with people of various cultures live, the languages of each part of the country also differ. English can be the only link as people in each place will not be able to learn all the other languages to communicate with the people. English bridges this gap and connects the people. When a person travels to another part of the world either for the sake of business or even as a tourist, the languages may differ. In these conditions, English is the language that helps people to deal with the situation. It is like a universal language. The presence of English as a universal language assumes importance in the fact that more and more people leave their countries not only for the sake of business and pleasure, but also for studying. Education has increased the role of English. People who go to another country to study can only have English as their medium of study. This is because the individual will not be able to learn a subject in the local language of the country. This again reinforces the fact that the English language is very important. All correspondences between offices in different countries and also between political leaders of various countries are in English. This linking factor also tells of the importance of the English language in this essay. In spite of the growth of the Internet in various languages, English is the mainstay of the Internet users. This is the language in which most of the information and websites are available. It is very difficult to translate each and every relevant webpage into the language of various countries. With Internet becoming very important in education, English language is bound to grow. Thus the importance of English as a language is emphasized. The future of English as a language is very secure. The day is not far when this language will become the single language of the world like we have a single currency. IMPORTANCE OF ENGLÄ °SH: In today’s global world, the importance of English can not be denied and ignored since English is the most common language spoken everwhere. With the help of developing technology, English has been playing a major role in many sectors including medicine, engineering, and education, which, in my opinion, is the most important arena where English is needed. Particularly, as a developing country, Turkey needs to make use of this world-wide spoken language in order to prove its international power. This can merely be based on the efficiency of tertiary education. Consequently, English should be the medium of instruction at universities in Turkey for the following three reasons: finding a high-quality job, communicating with the international world, and accessing scientific sources in the student’s major field. The first reason for why English should be the medium of instruction at universities in Turkey is that it helps students find a high quality jobs for students to find. In business life, the most important common language is obviously English. In addition to this, especially, high-quality jobs need good understanding ability and speaking in English. Therefore, companies can easily open out to other countries, and these companies generally employ graduates whose English is fluent and orderly. For example, the student who is graduated from a university which takes English as a major language will find a better or high-quality job than other students who don’t know English adequately. In other words, the student who knows English is able to be more efficient in his job because he can use the information from foreign sources and web sites. He can prepare his assigments and tasks with the help of these information. Therefore, undoubtedly, his managers would like his effort or prepared projects. In addition, many high-quality jobs are related with international communication and world-wide data sharing. University graduates who are in a international company and business are needed to communicate with foreign workers. For instance, if their managers want them to share the company’s data, they are expected to know English. Moreover, they will even have to go business trip for their company. Absolutely, all of these depend on speaking English;as a result, new graduates have to know English in order to get a high-quality job, and the others, who don’t know English, may have lack of communication and be paid less money. The second and the most important reason, for English to be the medium of instruction in the Turkish higher education system is that it enables students to communicate with the international world. In these days, in my opinion, the most important thing for both university students and graduates is to follow the development in tecnology. For this reason, they have to learn common language. Certainly, they should not lose their interest on communicating with the world. However, some of the university students can’t obtain English education in their university. Unfortunately, these people may lose their communication with worldwide subjects and language essay topics. In short, they will not communicate foreign people. To prevent these people from lacking of speaking English, universities’ administration will provide English education to them. In addition, university students can use some specific hardware and software of computers with their English to communicate others. For example, the Internet, which, in my opinion, is the largest source in the world, based on English knowledge and information. Also, most of the softwares such as â€Å"Windows†, â€Å"Microsoft Office†, â€Å"Internet Explorer† are firstly written in English, and these programs are the basic vital things for communication over computer. That is to say, even in a little resarch about something, they need these programs and the Internet to find necessary sources and information. The last reason for favouring English as the medium of instruction of Turkish universities is that it faclitates accessing information. All of the students have to do some projects or homeworks which are related with their field during the university education. In these projects or homeworks, they have to find some information which is connected with their subject. They find sources from English web sites and books, but they have to replace these data to their projects. During these process, if they know English, they will not come across with any difficulty, but if they don’t know, even they may not use these data. As a result, the student who knows English will be more successful at his/her project. For this reason, to obstruct possible inequity between students, management of universities should accept English as a second language in order to provide accessing information to the students. In short, university students need to know English to access information. All in all, the education in universities should be done with English for three reasons. First, students who know English are able to find their favourite job related with their field. Second, they can communicate with others internationally. Third, as a major language in universities, English makes accessing information easy for students. In my opinion, internationally, people need one common language. For many years, English has been the common wold-wide language, and it will be in the future. For this reason, if you want to follow trends, new gadgets and technology, modernization of the developing world, you have to know English whatever age you are in. Role of English Language in Globalization The Power of English Language Without the powerful language English, connecting nations all over the world would have been something impossible. Communication is very crucial in any field, whether it is business, medicine, transport, technology, trade or marketing. English is the language globally accepted and known by all. The role of English language in globalizing people all over the world cannot be just expressed in words; the influence of this commanding language is quite vast and diverse to define. If you consider business, diplomacy, or politics, there should be proper gelling between nations. Deep understanding is very much important in any field. Without proper communication it is not possible in whichever way it may be. The language you speak does play a big role in conveying and popularizing your skills and requirements. Around 380 million consider English as the first language, two-third of them prefer it as the second. In addition, billions are in the learning process and many are exposed to this unflinching language. Various predictions reveal that by 2050, half the world population will be proficient in English language. Hence it’s relevant how powerful the language is to bring the nations together. Whether high or low, it is the language accepted universally. â€Å"The World Empire by Other Means: The Triumph of English.† (The Economist, 2001). The power of English language The English language stands out from any other language if you consider the nation as a whole. People know its significance and that is why the language is taught as the basic language in any country. Internationally speaking, it will be really hard to thrive in this world without knowing English. When you speak of globalization, the first language that comes to mind is English. In order to create an ethically responsible, equitable and tolerant world, the English language plays a crucial role. You may take the case of any field. In business, outsourcing and communication with clients and other delegates are very important to exchange and share your thoughts and innovation. This is how business grows. Likewise it is also very important to maintain peace and tranquility between nations. If at all an issue arises, only through peaceful talks and conferences the problems can be discussed and sorted. English is the best to make it easier. Many Asian and African countries even accepted it as the standard language to communicate with each other. (Belcher. D, 1994). The language has great impact on sharing different traditions and cultures of various nations, enhancing better knowledge to know each other. You learn more about the various traditions, culture, and customs of various nations all over the world through travel and study. For both of these to become reality effective communication is a must. The language English enhances a lot in bringing people all over the world together. The internet also plays a big role in promoting English as the standard language understood by all. Through various social networking sites people connect to each other from anywhere around the world, mostly through English. This is because the language is accepted all over the world. English is also very essential for air traffic controls and airline crews. The touch of this powerful language is very evident in every field of study. Even in science and research, the English language is very essential. (The Convention on International Civil Aviation, Chicago Convention, 1944) English is the International Language and is one of the most popular and most spoken in the technology world. We need to know English language in order to study any science subject or any computer language. We need to know English to communicate effectively too many developed countries. English is very much important in our life†¦it is necessary in each and every field. If we know English we never feel tongue tide in front of others. It’s a widely spoken language. People take pride in speaking English .if we don’t know English, we will leg behind the other. English is a need of hour. Today we can’t deny the importance of English in our life.To anyone who lives in an English speaking country, it is of vital importance. Language is always very important, because it is the means of communication. If you cannot speak the language of a place, it will be very difficult to communicate with the people. And so it is an absolute neccesity.We communicate with others every day. Weather we just say ‘hello’ or have a long conversation, or weather we give or follow instructions, or weather at home or at the shop or in the workplace. Communication is a tool for everyday life-Everyone uses it every day. And language makes it a whole lot easier, so everyone learns to speak their native language. And English is the most widely spoken language in the world, and if you know how to speak it, it will be an invaluable tool of communication. You can develop your knowledge for betterment of your knowledge. As long as you educate yourself, you will come across many new things. There is no end for learning A language is a systematic means of communication by the use of sounds or conventional symbols. It is the code we all use to express ourselves and communicate to others. It is a communication by word of mouth. It is the mental faculty or power of vocal communication. It is a system for communicating ideas and feelings using sounds, gestures, signs or marks. Any means of communicating ideas, specifically, human speech, the expression of ideas by the voice and sounds articulated by the organs of the throat and mouth is a language. This is a system for communication. A language is the written and spoken methods of combining words to create meaning used by a particular group of people. Language, so far as we know, is something specific to humans, that is to say it is the basic capacity that distinguishes humans from all other living beings. Language therefore remains potentially a communicative medium capable of expressing ideas and concepts as well as moods, feelings and attitudes. A set of linguists who based their assumptions of language on psychology made claims that language is nothing but ‘habit formation’. According to them, language is learnt through use, through practice. In their view, ‘the more one is exposed to the use of language, the better one learns’. Written languages use symbols (characters) to build words. The entire set of words is the language’s vocabulary. The ways in which the words can be meaningfully combined is defined by the language’s syntax and grammar. The actual meaning of words and combinations of words is defined by the language’s semantics. The latest and the most advanced discoveries and inventions in science and technology are being made in the universities located in the United States of America where English language is the means of scientific discourse. The historical circumstances of India (having been ruled by the British for over two centuries) have given the Indians an easy access to mastering English language, and innumerable opportunities for advancement in the field of science and technology. Many Indians have become so skilled in English language and have won many international awards for creative and comparative literatures during the last few years. Sometime ago, an Indian author, Arundhati Roy, won the prestigious booker prize for her book â€Å"The God of Small Things†. Her book sold lakhs of copies all over the globe. Over the years, English language has become one of our principal assets in getting a global leadership for books written by Indian authors and for films made by Indians in English language. A famous Indian movie maker Shekhar Kapoor’s film â€Å"Elizabeth† has got several nominations for Oscar Awards. It does not require any further argument to establish the advantage English language has brought to us at the international level. English language comes to our aid in our commercial transactions throughout the globe. English is the language of the latest business management in the world and Indian proficiency in English has brought laurels to many Indian business managers. English is a means not only for international commerce; it has become increasingly essential for inter-state commerce and communication. In India, people going from North to South for education or business mostly communicate in English, which has become a link language. Keeping this in mind, the Parliament has also recognized English as an official language in addition to Hindi. All the facts of history and developments in present day India underline the continued importance of learning English in addition to vernaculars. Some of the states of India are witnessing popular increase in public demand for teaching of English language from the primary classes. Realizing the importance, recently, the Minister of Indian Railways, Laloo Prasad Yadav, demands teaching of English language in schools. The great demand for admission in English medium schools throughout the country is a testimony to the attraction of English to the people of India. Many of the leaders, who denounce English, send their own children to English medium schools. Many of the schools in the country have English as the sole or additional medium of instruction. A language attracts people because of the wealth of literature and knowledge enshrined in it. English poses no danger to Indian languages. The Indian languages are vibrant and are developing by the contributions of great minds using them as their vehicle of expression. English is available to us as a historical heritage in addition to our own language. We must make the best use of English to develop ourselves culturally and materially so that we can compete with the best in the world of mind and matter. English language is our window to the world. English language is one tool to establish our viewpoint. We can learn from others experience. We can check the theories of foreigners against our experience. We can reject the untenable and accept the tenable. We can also propagate our theories among the international audience and readers. We can make use of English to promote our worldview and spiritual heritage throughout the globe. Swami Vivekananda established the greatness of Indian view of religion at the world conference of religions in Chicago in 1893. He addressed the gathering in impressive English. Many spiritual gurus have since converted thousands of English people to our spirituality by expressing their thought and ideas in masterful English. English has thus become an effective means of promoting Indian view of life, and strengthening our cultural identity in the world. When William Caxton set up his printing press in London (1477) the new hybrid language (vernacular English mixed with courtly French and scholarly Latin) became increasingly standardized, and by 1611, when the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible was published, the educated English of London had become the core of what is now called Standard English. By the time of Johnson’s dictionary (1755) and the American Declaration of Independence (1776), English was international and recognizable as the language we use today. The Orthography of English was more or less established by 1650 and, in England in particular, a form of standard educated speech, known as Received Pronunciation (RP) spread from the major public schools in the 19th century. This accent was adopted in the early 20th century by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for its announcers and readers, and is variously known as RP, BBC English, Oxford English, and the King’s or Queen’s English. Generally, Standard English today does not depend on accent but rather on shared educational experience, mainly of the printed language. Present-day English is an immensely varied language, having absorbed material from many other tongues. It is spoken by more than 300 million native speakers, and between 400 and 800 million foreign users. It is the official language of air transport and shipping; the leading language of science, technology, computers, and commerce; and a major medium of education, publishing, and international negotiation. For this reason, scholars frequently refer to its latest phase as World English. English is one of the most important languages in the world. It can even be said o be the single most important language. Yes, other languages are important too, but not for the same reasons as English is important. English is important because it is, maybe, the only language that truly links the whole world together. If not for English, the whole world may not be as united as it is today. The other languages may be important for their local values and culture. English can be used as a language in any part of the world. This is because at least a few people in each locality would know the language. Though these people might not have the same accent as others, the language at least will be understandable. There are various reasons for the importance of English language. They are listed below. 1. Travel: When a person travels to another part of the world either for the sake of business or even as a tourist, the languages may differ. In these conditions, English is the language that helps people to deal with the situation. It is like a universal language. 2. Same country: In countries like India, where the land is so vast with people of various cultures live, the languages of each part of the country also differ. Under the circumstances, English can be the only link as people in each place will not be able to learn all the other languages to communicate with the people. English bridges this gap and connects the people. 3. Education / Studies: The presence of English as a universal language assumes importance in the fact that more and more people leave their countries not only for the sake of business and pleasure, but also for studying. Education has increased the role of English. People who go to another country to study can only have English as their medium of study. This is because the individual will not be able to learn a subject in the local language of the country. This again reinforces the fact that English language is very important. 4. Correspondence: All correspondences between offices in different countries and also between political leaders of various countries is in English. This linking factor also tells of the importance of English language. 5. Internet: In spite of the growth of Internet in various languages, English is the mainstay of the Internet users. This is the language in which most of the information and websites are available. It is very difficult to translate each and every relevant webpage into the language of various countries. With Internet becoming very important in E commerce and also in education, English language is bound to grow. Thus the importance of English as a language is emphasized. The future of English as a language is very secure. In this era of consolidation and trying to unify various aspects of life, it will not be long before English can be made as a single language of the world like the single currency and the union of various nations. Works Cited Bonfiglio, Thomas Paul. Why Is English Literature?: Language and Letters for the Twenty-First Century. New York, NY, Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. â€Å"ESOE Blog | 4 Reasons Why Learning English Is so Important.† Reasons Why Learning English Is Important, www.elc-eastbourne.co.uk/blog/4-reasons-why-learning-english-is-so-important/. Machan, Tim William. What Is English?: and Why Should We Care? Oxford, United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2013. Swierzbin, Bonnie. â€Å"Demonstrativesà ¢ Special Place in the English Reference System: Why Thatà ¢s Important for English Language Learners.† Language and Linguistics Compass, vol. 4, no. 10, 2010, pp. 987–1000. doi:10.1111/j.1749-818x.2010.00248.x.

Mexico †Tax Measures on Soft Drinks and Other Beverages Essay

The Mexico- Soft drinks case was an important case based on the sweetener’s trade market in North America. This case note will try to summarize the facts of the case in order to analyze the issues raised by it. Following, we try to expose the reasons why Mexico decided to implement tax measures as a response to the United State’s refusal to submit their dispute to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) dispute settlement panel. And last, give a brief opinion on the issues and the way they were upheld along the case. Since January 2002, Mexico imposed a twenty percent tax on the sale and distribution of soft drinks and other beverages that used any sweetener other than cane sugar, including, and specially, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The United States is the primary supplier of almost all the HFCS used to sweeten beverages in Mexico, and on the other hand all the beverages sweetened with cane sugar use domestic product. In March 2004 the United States requested consultations with Mexico regarding Articles 1 and 4 of the DSU and Article XXII of the GATT 1994, with respect to these tax measures imposed by Mexico. And on 10 June 2004, the United States requested the WTO to establish a panel pursuant to Article 6 of the DSU. The United States claimed that Mexico had violated the provisions stated in GATT 1994 Article III. The Dispute Settlement Body established the Panel on 6 July stating the following, as purpose of the establishment of the panel : â€Å"To examine, in the light of the relevant provisions of the covered agreements cited by the United States in document WT/DS308/4, the matter referred to the DSB by the United States in that document, and to make such findings as will assist the DSB in making the recommendations or in giving the rulings provided for in those agreements. † Canada, China, the European Communities, Guatemala and Japan participated in the panel as third parties. Relevant Facts regarding the case: The tax measures imposed by the Mexican government were: a) twenty percent tax on the transfer or importation of soft drinks and other beverages that use any sweetener other than cane sugar, b) twenty percent tax on services such as: agency, representation, brokerage, distribution, etc. when transferring or importing beverages sweetened with any kind of sweetener except for cane sugar, c) and some other requirements imposed to taxpayers regarding the above mentioned taxes. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) comprised one hundred percent imports of sweeteners from the US to Mexico and cane sugar is a domestically produced product that comprises ninety five percent of Mexican sweetener production. Considering the fact that the â€Å"soft drink tax† did not apply to beverages sweetened with cane sugar, it is pretty clear that Mexican sugar production industry was being favored by the imposition of these measures. Articles I and III of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT) talk about the non-discrimination on like products. More specifically Article III establishes the national-treatment rule, which seeks the equal treatment to domestic and products imported from other states, establishing criteria such as: â€Å"No domestic laws should be applied to imported products to protect domestic producers from the competing â€Å"like† products. And imported products should receive treatment under national laws that â€Å"is no less favorable† than the treatment given to like domestic products†. United State’s claims: The issues concerning provisions established on Article III of the GATT 1994 that were claimed by the United States were the following: (i) imposing an excessive tax on an imported product compared to taxes applied to a â€Å"like† domestic product, (ii) imposing a tax to an imported product that is directly competitive or substitutable with a domestic one that is â€Å"not similarly taxed†, (iii) imposing a law that affects the internal use of imported HFCS, treating an imported product in a â€Å"less favorable way† compared to products of national origin. So the United States requested the Panel to consider the violations on the imposition of these challenged tax measures. The above-mentioned issues concerning the imposition of soft drink taxes, distribution taxes and bookkeeping requirements were adopted by Mexican legislations by virtue of a decree that reformed the Mexican Special Tax Law applicable to Production and Services as well its Regulations and also the Miscellaneous Fiscal Resolutions of years 2003 and 2004, in order to incorporate the taxes subject to this dispute concerning soft drinks and beverages that use any sweetener other than cane sugar and its distribution and special requirements. So these legislative bodies are also the issues and subject matter to the dispute. Mexico’s requests to the Panel: On the other hand, Mexico requested the Panel to decline the exercise of its jurisdiction and suggested to submit their dispute to an Arbitral Panel in accordance to NAFTA, based on the Shrimp Turtle decision where the WTO recommended that the parties should resolve their difference according to the Inter-American Convention, so both states could resolve their concern with respect to the sugar trade between them. That way, Mexico could claim market access to the United States and the compliance of previous Treaties between them and the United States could also submit its claims regarding tax measures adopted by Mexico. The Panel decided to proceed and exercise its jurisdiction, so Mexico requested for them take into account its particular condition and that as a developing country some â€Å"special treatment† exceptions could apply to their situation. So the Mexican measures could be justified under this understanding and also under Article XX of the GATT. Mexico also requested the Panel to consider the NAFTA framework while resolving and formulations their recommendations. â€Å"Mexico explained that its tax on sweeteners was a necessary measure to secure U. S. compliance with NAFTA in granting access for Mexican sugar to the U. S. market†. Statements considered by the Panel: HFCS-sweetened and cane sugar-sweetened soft drinks are â€Å"like† products in accordance to what is established on GATT Article III:2, first sentence for having virtually identical physical properties, end-uses and tariff classifications and are equally preferred by consumers based on surveys applied by the US. Therefore; The HFCS soft drink tax and distribution tax are inconsistent with GATT Article III:2, first sentence. The imported product (HFCS) and the domestic product (cane sugar) are â€Å"directly competitive or suitable products† that with the tax measures imposed by the Mexican government were not being similarly taxed in order to protect Mexican’s domestic production, consequently; there was no doubt that Mexico was infringing its obligations under GATT Article III,2 second sentence. Based on these statements the WTO Panel rejected Mexico’s petitions and favored the United State’s position. The Panel stated that Mexico was not empowered to take measures in order to â€Å"secure compliance† to induce another Member to comply with obligations owed to it under a non-WTO treaty. , it also resolved that that International Treaties such as NAFTA were not covered in the exceptions established in GATT Article XX (d), and also that the â€Å"laws or regulations† covered in exception of Article XX(d) of the GATT 1994 do not include NAFTA (which is an International Treaty) as part of them, and last, that the measures adopted by Mexico â€Å"were not necessary to secure compliance† to previous agreements to the United States. In December 2005 Mexico appealed the Panel’s decision based on exceptions provided on GATT Article XX(d) and arguing that the Panel failed to make â€Å"an objective assessment of the facts†, as required by Article 11 of the DSU but still, the Appellate Body upheld the Panel’s conclusions and rejected Mexico’s claims. Considering the stated facts, there is no doubt regarding the violation of the GATT Article III by the Mexican government on the establishment the soft dink tax along with distribution tax and other requirements imposed to taxpayer on this matter, but I firmly believe it is important to consider the reasons why the Mexican government was lead to implement these radical measures considering the United State’s non-compliance with obligations established in the NAFTA. One of the main reasons why Mexico implemented the soft drinks tax measures was the United States’ incompliance with market access agreements on sugar trade established on NAFTA, while US export of HFCS to Mexico were substantially increasing. The United States continuously refused to submit to NAFTA dispute settlement while still enjoying the benefits of the agreement regarding sugar trade. Before Mexico decided to take tax measures, it tried to resolve the dispute regarding the scope and meaning of provisions in the NAFTA governing sweeteners, but no dispute settlement forum seemed to be able to hear about the case, they needed the cooperation of the US for the integration of the panel and the United Stated did not cooperate. Importance of the Mexican Sugar Industry The sugar industry it’s a growing sector of the Mexican economy. According to NAFTA agreements, Mexico had an expectation for it to would be competent to export very high quantities of sugar to the United State’s market, but the US never acknowledged what they had agreed by virtue of two letters negotiated between the two states after NAFTA, so there was a confusion on the volume of sugar that could be exported from Mexico to the US. In the mean time, US exports of HFCS to Mexico were increasing and that was reflected on a reduction on the domestic sugar market. So with this background it is now easier to understand the reason why the Mexican Congress decided to impose â€Å"soft drink taxes† in order to balance the situation and try to bring the falling Mexican sugar industry to an equilibrated position in the market so that the sugar that could have been exported to the United States, could now be sold in the domestic market. But it is understandable that even if the United States did not comply with its NAFTA obligations, there is no justification a WTO member to violate its WTO obligations in order to punish another member for not complying with its obligations under an international agreement like the NAFTA in this case. Analysis of relevant issues regarding Mexico’s initial petitions More than criticizing I would like to analyze two of the petitions made by Mexico to the WTO Panel along with the Panel’s and Appellate Body’s responses to those petitions, more specifically determine if a Panel is entitled to decline to exercise its jurisdiction in an issue presented before it. As well as Mexico’s petition to the Panel to consider the NAFTA framework on its resolutions, this leads me to questioning if the Panel can actually exercise its jurisdiction based on other international agreements, and if so, to what extent? The Panel immediately refused Mexico’s petition to decline to exercise its jurisdiction on this case. It seems very obvious that if both parties were subject to an International Treaty such as NAFTA, which regulated the sugar trade between them and they were having conflicts regarding this sector, those issues should have been heard by a NAFTA Panel. But the answer to this issue relies on the Appellate Body’s argument that according to the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) a panel with jurisdiction could not decline to exercise it at all without some legal impediment because it would be contradictory to articles 3. 2, 7. 1, 7. 2, 11, 19. 2 y 23. So according to the Appellate Body’s Report Paragraph 52: A Member is entitled to initiate a WTO dispute whenever it considers that â€Å"any benefits accruing to [that Member] are being impaired by measures taken by another Member† implies that that Member is entitled to a ruling by a WTO panel. The Appellate Body also stated that the issues claimed by Mexico regarding the agreement on NAFTA were NAFTA-based issues related to market Access, that did not necessarily under lapped with the issues claimed by the US that violated Article III of the GATT 1994 with respect of the imposition of soft drink taxes as well as distribution taxes, which in my opinion makes sense but it is clearly an disadvantaged position for Mexico since it would have needed cooperation from the United States in order to constitute a panel that could hear and resolve those NAFTA- based issues. In these I agree, so I think we cannot blame this matter on the Panel or Appellate Body of the WTO, since they just complied with their work and obligation to bring protection to the Members when they considered to be entitled to a ruling from the WTO for being effected by measures taken by other members that are subject to the WTO jurisdiction. So the main problem here is not the decision of the WTO to continue hearing the case, as they were just performing their work, but the way the United States managed the situation, only claiming the actions that directly affected their market and economy without obeying their obligations under an International Treaty or at least making an effort to clarify on the misunderstandings related to them, so Mexico could also be beneficiated from the importation of sugar to the united States. The second matter in question is whether the Panel can consider International Agreements on its resolutions and of so, to what extent? Article 3. 2 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) states that the WTO dispute settlement system â€Å"serves to preserve the rights and obligations of Members under the covered agreements, and to clarify the existing provisions of those agreements†. There could be circumstances in which the Panel or Appellate Body would have to determine for its own purposes as to whether the United States acted consistently with NAFTA, not to determine its rights under NAFTA or to punish them for non-compliance but to take it in account in their determinations and as a preliminary step in WTO ruling. WTO Panels and Appellate Body cannot definitively determine rights and obligations under non-WTO agreements; they can refer to and analyze such agreements as long as it serves to determine rights and obligations under the WTO agreements. This is a very clear statement that clarifies the situation as it should be seen in every case the WTO can always take into consideration obligations that arise from other international agreements between countries subject to a dispute, as long as they relate to the dispute and to rights and obligations related to the WTO. I believe the most important issue raised on the present case relied on the contradiction between an International Treaty and the WTO regulations whereas from the International Law perspective the Tax measures imposed by Mexico seemed fair since the United States was not complying with obligations established under post- NAFTA negotiations so the US was challenging an international obligation derived from an International Treaty (NAFTA). Nevertheless, these fiscal measures are violations from the WTO perspective. What Mexico was seeking with the imposition of these tax measures was to enforce an equitable defense in a way of â€Å"clean hands doctrine† in the understanding that the United States was acting unethically by avoiding the conformation of a NAFTA panel, while being the principal importer of sweeteners in Mexico. It just seemed really unfair for Mexican sugar market to be affected by the exportation of United State’s high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners, when Mexico was not being able to enjoy the benefits from their previous agreement under the NAFTA. But the measures adopted by Mexico were perhaps not the best, since a state is not empowered to attempt against its WTO obligations in order to try to force another state to comply with its obligations under a non-WTO international agreement. And as stated above, despite the controversies arisen in this case, I do not think there is a problematic within the WTO and its jurisdiction or the way they resolved the case, I would say that if the United States would have observed its obligations under the NAFTA or at least tried to cooperate in order to resolve their differences and came to an agreement on the sugar trade, Mexico would have never had to take this radical and GATT-violating measures, still, it is not justifiable for it to have done so. As to the recommendations that raised from this case, on May 2006 the Executive Branch of the Mexican Federal government sent to the Permanent Commission of the Union Congress which is the maximum authority regarding legislations, a reform project in order to overturn the legal dispositions on the Mexican Special Tax Law applicable to Production and Services regarding soft drinks taxes so as to comply with the recommended on the Appellate Body’s resolutions. UNITED STATES, Mexico- Tax Measures on Soft Drinks and Other Beverages , Request for Consultations by the United States, WT/DS308/1, March 18, 2004. [ 2 ]. UNITED STATES, Mexico- Tax Measures on Soft Drinks and Other Beverages , Request for the Establishment of a Panel, WT/DS308/1, June 11, 2004. [ 3 ]. UNITED STATES, Mexico- Tax Measures on Soft Drinks and Other Beverages , Constitution of the Panel Established at the Request of the United States, WT/DS308/5/Rev. 1. August, 25 2004. [ 4 ]. http://www.iisd. org/trade/handbook/3_4_1. htm, International Institute for Sustainable Development. Environment and Trade: A handbook. The basics of the WTO. The key agreements, with a special consideration of those related to the environment. 3. 4. 1. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 1994 [ 5 ]. http://www. usitc. gov/publications/332/journals/corn_sweeteners. pdf, Kornis, Magda, United States international Trade Commision, Journal of international Commerca and Economics, Web version December 2006. [ 6 ]. UNITED STATES, Mexico- Tax Measures on Soft Drinks and Other Beverages , Report of the Panel, WT/DS308/R, Paragraph 8. 134. [ 7 ]. Report of the Panel, Paragraph 8. 78. [ 8 ]. Panel Report, Paragraphs 8. 170 to 8. 181. [ 9 ]. Mexico- Tax Measures on Soft Drinks and Other Beverages, Notification of an Appeal by Mexico, WT/DS308/10, December 6th 2005. [ 10 ]. Appellate body Report, Paragraph 82. [ 11 ]. Appellate Body Report, Paragraph 47. [ 12 ]. Appellate Body Report, Paragraph 56. [ 13 ]. J.Davey William and Sapir Andre, World Trade Review / Volume 8 / Special Issue 01 / January 2009, pp 5 -23 DOI: 10. 1017/S1474745608004151, Published online: 06 March 2009, page 18. [ 14 ]. UNITED STATES, Import Prohibition of Certain Shrimp and Shrimp-Containing Products, WT/DS58/AB/R, adopted 6 November 1998, PARAGRAPH 168. [ 15 ]. http://cdei. itam. mx/ComentarioMexicoRefrescosOA. pdf, Crzo, Ernesto, Corzo Victor, Comentario sobre Mexico – Impuestos sobre refrescos, Informe del Organo de Apelacion, 24 de marzo de 2006, web publication.