The Importance Of The Civil Rights Movement - 1048 Words

Katelynn Douget 10-9-17 HIST 2057-01 The Importance of the Civil Rights Movement This essay will argue that though racism is still ongoing, the Civil Rights Movement was a vital step forward to provide racial equality in America. The Civil Rights Movement did not just happen over a course of days or months, its process took nearly a century. It has never fully stopped racism, but it has definitely made the United States a more equal nation through laws. There were several events as well as tragedies that took place during that time. Some major events were the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments, the Brown v. Board of Education case, and the Civil Rights Act. The actions taken during that time made a difference in†¦show more content†¦The Brown v. Board of Education case changed public schools for the better. The case stated that separate schools for race were unconstitutional. It all started when a school in Virginia went on strike because of the overcrowding and unequal conditions in the school. †Å"Brown was regarded as a direct challenge to regional customs, traditions, and ways of life and thus provoked a massive reaction.† This is why it was such a challenge to win the case. No one wanted to change the way they were living for years. The case allowed blacks and whites to attend the same schools and gave African American students the opportunity to have the same quality education and schools as the white students. â€Å"In the 1948-49 school year, the average investment per pupil in Atlanta public school facilities was $228.05 for blacks, $570 for whites†. That goes to show that the school conditions for blacks was unfair compared to the whites. Also the average number of blacks per classroom was well over the average number of whites in a classroom. Because of the Brown v. Board of Education case, African Americans no longer had harsh conditions to be in at school and did not have to share one classroom amongst several grades in a crammed room. The Civil R ights Act took place in 1964. The Act abolished discrimination in all public places. The Act made it possible for whites and blacks to eat in the same restaurant and took awayShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of The Civil Rights Movement1692 Words   |  7 Pagesand altered the history. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s was one of the most significant and important for the equality of all people and their free rights. Since the ending of slavery in 1863, there had been a continuous conflict between the races of people who lived in the United States. In addition, the Civil Rights Act was a crowd protest movement against racial segregation and discrimination in the southern United States that came to national importance during the mid-1950s. It was toRead MoreThe Importance Of The Civil Rights Movement819 Words   |  4 PagesKatelynn Douget 9-25-17 HIST 2057-01 The Importance of the Civil Rights Movement This essay will argue that though racism is still ongoing, the Civil Rights Movement was a vital step forward to provide racial equality in America. The Civil Rights Movement did not just happen over a course of days or months, its process took nearly a century. It has never fully stopped racism, but it has definitely made the United States a more equal nation through laws. Unfortunately, personal opinionsRead MoreThe Importance Of The Civil Rights Movement1054 Words   |  5 PagesThe civil rights movement come into being in the middle of the twentieth century. The push came from African Americans who did not get the same rights as the whites such as equal access to public amenities, equal chances in education, job recruitment and housing, the right to vote and freedom from racial discrimination. The movement was fighting to bring back the right of citizenship to the African Americans after its erosion by segregationist jim crow law. It further led to the reemergence of theRead Mo reThe Importance of Sit-Ins to the Black Civil Rights Movement Essay1271 Words   |  6 Pages Civil disobedience was key in the pursuit of equality for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. Through forms of peaceful protest, African Americans were able to bring to light the socio-economic inequalities they faced and forced the government and general public to do something about it. Sit-ins, one method of practicing civil disobedience, took root in the early 1960s and quickly became a popular and effective form of peaceful protest. James Baldwin makes a veryRead MoreThe White Race And Its Heroes1623 Words   |  7 PagesPrimary Source Analysis: Cleaver, E. â€Å"The White Race and Its Heroes.† in Souls on Ice, 65-83. New York: Dell Press, 1968. Journalist, civil rights activist and criminal are some of the connotations attached to Eldridge Cleaver; a prominent figure of the radical shift in the civil rights movement during the 1960s and early 1970s. Cleaver spent a majority of his upbringing in youth reform schools and prisons within the state of California, which as evidence will show, affected greatly upon his workRead More The Civil Rights Movement Essay1071 Words   |  5 Pageslight can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. - - Martin Luther King, Jr. The Civil rights Movement helped people realize how powerful their voice can be, which changed America completely. One of those people who had a powerful voice was Martin Luther King, Jr. He was an inspiring and influential leader of the Civil Rights Movement. The quote above is just one of many inspirational comments made by Martin Luther King. The peaceful protests against racismRead MoreInterpretations Of The Civil Rights Movement1415 Words   |  6 PagesHistoriographical interpretations of the Civil Rights Movement have often been documented as a history of great men mostly focusing on black men like Dr. Martin Luther King, John Lewis, Jim Lawson, and Malcom X. As scholars of the civil rights movement, we now recognize the ways in which the prevailing forces of both patriarchy and sexism have done the work of minimizing and erasing the important contributions of women throughout the progression of human history. Whether we look to the developmentRead MoreThe Brown Decision : A Catalyst For Change Or A Strategic Misstep?1157 Words   |  5 Pagesmisstep. However, I believe that while it took Congressional action and outside social change to make this decision relevant, the Brown decision did have an impact on public policy because it set the standard for how the Court would react to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. I believe that the Brown decision was not a strategic misstep, but was a catalyst for change. My argument is not too far off from Ginsberg’s; I cannot refute his argument that the Brown decision had â€Å"virtually no effect† on publicRead MoreThe American Abolitionists Book Review Essay1214 Words   |  5 PagesAbolitionists is a book that scrutinizes the movement of abolishing slavery in the United States. It examines the movement from its origin in the 18century in the course of the Civil War and the elimination of slavery in 1856. American Abolitionists book focuses on the American Abolitionists who struggled to end slavery and advocated for equal rights for all African Americans in the United States. Harrold mainly focuses his book on the abolitionist movement and the effect of slaves on its expansionRead MoreAt the Dark End of the Street by Danielle L. McGuire668 Words   |  3 PagesMost curriculums being taught to students withhold a mass amount of history. Some may do this because they feel some events do not have the same importance as other topics being taught. Such topics for example would be the rape and sexual exploitation of thousands of African American females during the time periods where racism and segregation was the norm. It is important for people to be educated about the horrific events that these women went through without justice. It is also essential because

How Energy And The United State s Global Influence On The...

The Unites States and The People’s Republic of China have been ever growing superpowers on the world scene since the last century. Their economies, military and social policies have been models and adapted by other nations on Earth and their present day influences in these same criteria seem to have no end. The driving force behind China’s industrialization and the United State’s global influence are one in the same; Energy. Both these nations have been fortunate enough through their geological locations to be able to find and harvest different sources of energy to propel their governments, economies, militaries, ect and with the help of harvesting the ingenuity of their respective populations to drive the discovery of more efficient and productive technologies in aspects of economics, home life and energy. This essay will go on to illustrate what energy sources either nations use and why they use them, what sources of energy they are trying to further develop a nd what sources of energy they import as well as export. Finally, We will touch upon the energy relationship between the US and China and compare this relationship through one or more international relations theories. The United States- The United States is a federal republic and one of the longest continuous democracies in the world. With a population of approximately 325 million, the United State is both the second largest producer and consumer of overall energy (China being the first). According to theShow MoreRelatedWhen we as in the individuals think about what a Superpower is, we usually think that it’s pretty1000 Words   |  4 Pagesmuch dominance. But actually the answer isn’t wrong at all. A superpower is a state that achieves generally unopposed dominance and can exert international influence at will. There are no set rules that make a state a superpower, but there are some common characteristics that most agree are necessary to earn the difference. It’s quite a few countries that we contemplate superpowers. The superpowers countries in the world are most effective in doing some political or either economic decisions. ThereRead MoreThe Increase Of Gross Domestic Product899 Words   |  4 Pagesin the United States. The GDP is used to determine how much money was spent, how much good and services were sold and how much income was earned in the country. The United States are responsible for much greater per person greenhouse gas emissions, and the country is working towards the reduction of emissions that might help to diminish the climate change and inspire other countries to take action too. New research shows that if present trends continue, the total cost of global warmingRead MoreEnergy Security And The United States1553 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Introduction Energy is more than a utility that keeps the lights on in our homes or the gas in our cars; it’s a foundational resource that plays a key role in a nation’s ability to provided economic opportunity and basic services and security to its people. As such, it is imperative to a nation’s overall security that it develops/acquires access to energy, ensures energy needs are properly met and supplies are readily available, and disruptions minimized. Policy directs that the URead MoreIndonesia Is An Archipelago Nation Consisting Of More Than1591 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Second World War Indonesia declared independence. After the Indonesian Independence Revolution, the Dutch granted Indonesia sovereignty in 1949 (Ricklefs 1991) (Reid (1973). Indonesia is the world’s third-largest democratic state, and has the world s fourth-largest population (UN 2016). In addition, Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country, where a relaxed form of Islam blends well with its secular style of democracy (CIA 2017) (UNSDIR 2009). Regional Influence Indonesia s economy is theRead MoreSustainability and Walmart1602 Words   |  7 Pagescompany. That is the case with Walmart. According to Walmart (2013), the company has been issuing a Global Responsibility Report since 2005. This report covers many areas of importance to Walmart such as talent development, healthier foods, and stakeholder engagement, but there is one area of importance that has been a key area of improvement for the past few years. Walmart has invested a large amount of energy, time, and money in the area of environmental sustainability. A project this big needs a specializedRead MoreOil Crisis : An Essential Element Of Our Modern Community1390 Words   |  6 Pagesis the top economy country in this world. In American history, Americans recognize three oil crisis, or energy crisis, which happened in the years of 1973,1979, and 1990. The first oil crisis, which is in October 1973, begin with an announcement by the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC/OPEC) on October 17, 1973, of an oil embargo against all the country that supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War, including the United States. OPEC is an Organization consistingRead MoreAnalysis Of Earth s Blanket 1253 Words   |  6 PagesMcKay GEO 1021 October 5, 2014 Earth s Blanket A great deal of chapter nine in our book, Discovering Physical Geography, discusses the various climates that exist within our world. As the chapter goes on, the book explains the past climate changes due to the numerous fluctuation in Earth s average temperature. One well known theory, the Milankovitch theory, explains that the fluctuation of Earth s temperature are due to the long-term variations in Earth s orbital eccentricity, tilt, and axialRead MoreGlobal Warming Is The Biggest Problem Of The World Or Face Imminent Destruction? Essay1416 Words   |  6 Pagesproblem in the world or face imminent destruction. Since the industrial age, the Earth’s temperature has risen 2 degrees celsius.(Sutter, 2) Humankind has shaped the Earth to what it is today by destroying land, building factories, real estate, burning fossils fuels, and even by just driving a motor vehicle around. This all led to the epidemic we call today as global warming. Taking a stance to make a change agains t global warming is very important but it also might be too late. Global warming is realRead MoreThe Issue Of Global Warming1504 Words   |  7 PagesDear World, I want to talk about something affecting you all. It’s about global warming. This issue will more than likely take away from everyone in the end, or at least humanity’s efforts to be a greater civilization, if you don’t take care of it. My question is, why aren’t you? For billions of years your Earth withstood countless hardships and has since lived among the cosmos, but now it’s going to be intoxicated and fall ill in a manner of hundreds of years, because of you? Global warming is theRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effect On Communities, Health, And The Climate972 Words   |  4 Pagesand the climate. It is Global Warming which can be defined as the constant heating of Earth s surface, oceans and atmosphere. In order to understand global warming, the most important basic is to figure o ut how the of greenhouse effect plays an important part in its development. The greenhouse effect is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) that trap heat in the atmosphere that keeps the Earth warm. The information this text will discuss is the meaning of global warming, the causes, and

Lvmh in the Recession the Substance of Style Free Essays

http://www. economist. com/node/14447276 LVMH in the recession The substance of style The world’s biggest luxury-goods group is benefiting from a flight to quality, but the recession is also prompting questions about the company’s breadth and balance Sep 17th 2009 | Paris | from the print edition * * Bloomberg â€Å"THERE are four main elements to our business model—product, distribution, communication and price,† explains an executive at LVMH, the world’s largest luxury-goods group. We will write a custom essay sample on Lvmh in the Recession the Substance of Style or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Our job is to do such a fantastic job on the first three that people forget all about the fourth. For decades LVMH’s formula has worked like a spell: seduced by beautiful status-symbols, perfect shops and clever advertising, millions of people have swooned forgetfully towards the firm’s cash registers. At Louis Vuitton, LVMH’s star company, the model’s pricing power has yielded consistent profit margins of around 40-45%, the highest of any luxury-goods brand. These days customers are finding it far harder to forget about price. The seriously rich, of course, are still spending freely. But much of the industry’s rapid growth in the past decade came from middle-class people, often buying on credit or on the back of rising house prices. According to Luca Solca of Bernstein Research, 60% of the luxury market is now based on demand from â€Å"aspirational† customers rather than from the wealthy elite. The recession has quickly reversed the trend to trade up, and people are delaying expensive purchases. Bain Company, a consulting firm, expects the industry’s sales to fall by a tenth in 2009, to â‚ ¬153 billion ($225 billion). Some executives even expect a lasting shift in customers’ preferences, towards discretion and value. Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH, believes that the whole industry needs to rebrand itself. â€Å"The word luxury suggests triviality and showing off, and the time for all that has gone,† he says. Brands which sold â€Å"blingy† easy-to-sell products, milking old names, he says, will fare particularly badly in the new environment. LVMH, by contrast, has never taken such an approach, he says, instead emphasising quality, innovation and creativity. To underline these values, the group is going back to basics in its daily operations. â€Å"Before the crisis, we were putting a lot of energy into beautiful stores, but now we care a bit less about expanding our network and even more about design and price,† says an executive. A few years ago, for instance, at the height of the boom, one LVMH brand was putting diamonds all over its watches, so that it was almost difficult to tell the time. â€Å"Now we are getting back to what really matters, which is nice movements and design,† he says. For some luxury firms, the recession’s effects have already been brutal. Private-equity firms and other outside investors which rushed into the industry at its peak have suffered most. â€Å"At the top of the market this industry was perceived as easy by outsiders,† says Mr Arnault. â€Å"You borrowed 80% of a target’s asking price and hired a good designer, but the strategy has not been successful in several cases. † Lenders to Valentino, an Italian fashion house, are reportedly trying to renegotiate its debt. Permira, a private-equity group, bought the firm in 2007 in a deal valuing it at â‚ ¬5. billion. Permira has since written down its equity investment of about â‚ ¬900m by more than half. Prada Holding, through which Miuccia Prada and her husband control Prada Group, another Italian house, recently restructured its loans in order to defer payment to banks. Prada Group has denied that there are talks to bring in a minority shareholder. Two parti cularly weak firms, Christian Lacroix, a Paris-based ready-to-wear and haute couture label which used to be part of LVMH, and Escada, a German maker of luxury womenswear, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. Amid this turmoil, LVMH is performing relatively well (see chart 1). It has benefited from an established pattern in the luxury industry: when people have less, they spend what they do have on the best quality. Shoppers are going for fewer, classic items—one Burberry raincoat, rather than three designer dresses, or a single Kelly bag by Hermes, a French luxury-goods group, instead of four bags from various lesser designers. For this reason, says Yves Carcelle, chief executive of Louis Vuitton and president of fashion and leather goods for LVMH, â€Å"Vuitton always gains market share in crises. As reliable and sturdy as one of its own handbags, therefore, Vuitton is carrying LVMH fairly comfortably through the recession. In the first half of 2009 the group’s revenues were about the same as a year before, though profits were 12% lower. Two divisions—wine and spirits, and watches and jewellery—were the worst affected: their revenues each fell by 17% and the ir profits by 41% and 73% respectively (see chart 2). Rapid de-stocking by retailers exacerbated the effect of falling demand. But the falls were offset by Vuitton, where revenue rose by a double-digit percentage, registering gains in every market. â€Å"It is incredible that in a downturn the consumer still buys so many Louis Vuitton bags, but she or he does,† says Melanie Flouquet, luxury-goods analyst at JPMorgan in Paris. Vuitton’s performance, and the overall robustness of LVMH, a global conglomerate with more than 50 brands and revenues of â‚ ¬17. 2 billion in 2008, should allow it to take advantage of its competitors’ weakness in the recession. In the next few years we expect several failures in the industry and good opportunities to acquire assets at attractive prices,† says Mr Arnault. Shareholders in the firm are particularly preoccupied by what he might buy and sell in the next few years. What explains Vuitton’s resilience? Beneath the gloss of advertising campaigns, catwalk shows and each season’s fleeting trends, Vuitton brings a machine-like disciplin e to the selling of fancy leather goods and fashion. It is the only leather-goods firm, for instance, which never puts its products on sale at a discount. It destroys stock instead, keeping a close eye on the proportion it ends up scrapping (which it calls the â€Å"destruction margin†). In 2005, when Maurizio Borletti, owner of several prominent department stores in Italy and France, was preparing for the opening of a refurbished La Rinascente department store in Milan, he recalls, the Vuitton people built a scale model of the building in their offices to understand customer flows and get the best positioning. â€Å"In this they’re the most professional in the industry,† he says. Unlike most other luxury marques, Vuitton never gives licences to outside firms, to avoid brand degradation. Its factories use techniques from other industries, notably carmaking, to push costs down ruthlessly and to allow teams of workers to be switched from one product to another as demand dictates. It has adopted methods of quality control, too: one quality supervisor came from Valeo, a French auto-parts supplier. The result is long-lasting utility, beyond show, which is valuable in difficult times. Owning shops gives Vuitton control over levels of stock, presentation and pricing. It was not therefore affected by the panicked price-slashing of up to 80% by American luxury department stores in the run-up to Christmas last year—a â€Å"catastrophe† for others in the industry, according to Mr Arnault. Although other LVMH divisions have been hit by outside retailers de-stocking during the crisis, Vuitton has managed its own inventory, with no competition for space from other brands. With a global network, says Mr Carcelle, the firm can move poorly selling stock to shops where it has performed better. The luxury of diversity Vuitton’s ability to offset the steep falls in other divisions shows the value of the diversified conglomerate model in luxury goods. Richemont, the industry’s second-largest company, has a less varied portfolio and greater exposure to watches and jewellery, demand for which has been especially weak. According to a recent trading statement, its sales fell by 16% in the five months to the end of August. A group structure also yields savings when negotiating deals for advertising space, property and credit-card fees. It helps to have a specialist beauty retailer, Sephora, and a chain of airport shops, DFS, to sell perfumes and cosmetics. When Vuitton develops watches, say, it can call on the talents of TAG Heuer. But LVMH’s breadth also comes in for criticism. Although there is undoubtedly value in some diversification, some people ask whether 50-odd brands under one roof are too many. Vuitton, for instance, would doubtless like to see disposals of weaker brands as a result of the crisis, and a greater concentration of resources on the group’s key businesses. The group’s executives devote the bulk of their attention to the most important of these: Louis Vuitton, Moet Hennessy in drinks, TAG Heuer in watches, Christian Dior in perfumes and cosmetics, Sephora and DFS. The group has many smaller businesses, and these get much less attention in such a big group. LVMH does not disclose financial figures for individual brands, but at its presentation of first-half results the group’s finance director replied to an analyst asking about fashion and leather-goods that a â€Å"handful† had lost money â€Å"somewhere†. There is speculation that Celine, a ready-to-wear clothing and accessories label, Kenzo, a fashion brand which analysts have long suggested LVMH dispose of, or Loewe, a Spanish leather-goods brand which has so far failed o win much of a following outside Spain and Japan, are among the less profitable. Nevertheless, the group can use the might of Vuitton to support its smaller, upcoming brands. A department store, for instance, may be asked to take Loewe or Celine in order to get Vuitton. That often frustrates people at Vuitton, however, who would prefer to use the power of the brand for its own benefit, says a person who knows the company well. â€Å"They’ve never heard of another of LVMH’s brands saying, ‘Either give this to Vuitton or I won’t come’,† he says. Apart from the synergy in watch design, Vuitton does not find that it benefits much from the rest of the group. The reason why LVMH has many small brands which aren’t quite making it, says another person familiar with the company, is that Mr Arnault is an optimist who believes that every property can at some point be turned around. That can pay off: some years ago Mr Arnault halted the imminent sale of a make-up line. Thanks to the distribution muscle of Sephora, it has since turned into a bestseller in America. Investors, however, are nevertheless wary of what they see as Mr Arnault’s tendency to collect brands. The crisis has also underlined the fact that Vuitton dominates the group’s results. Were it not for Vuitton, estimates one analyst, LVMH’s sales would have fallen by 3% in the first half of 2009 and profits would have plunged by 40%. In normal times Vuitton contributes about half of the group’s profits, and most of the rest comes from Moet Hennessy. In the first half of this year, however, Vuitton contributed an estimated 70% of profit. That leads some people to question whether LVMH is overly dependent on the leather-goods firm. â€Å"You can argue that there’s nothing as good as Vuitton in LVMH’s portfolio,† says Pierre Mallevays of Savigny Partners, who was formerly director of acquisitions at LVMH, â€Å"but that simply states the fact that LV’s business model is the gold standard of luxury brands; no other brand in the world compares to it. † The biggest risk to LVMH is Vuitton, argues Ms Flouquet, since it accounts for such a big proportion of profits; the company depends on it, she says. The risk to Vuitton, in turn, is that it could fall out of fashion or lose its exclusivity in the eyes of consumers. So far there is no sign of fatigue with the brand. LVMH’s senior managers have devised ways to refresh it. In the late 1990s, for example, Mr Arnault saw that there was a risk that as a maker of leather goods alone, Vuitton could be perceived as boring. In 1997 he hired Marc Jacobs, then a relatively unknown designer, to design a fashion line. The aim was to generate seasonal buzz and press coverage. Vuitton’s senior executives at the time were against the idea, fearing that adding fashion could undermine a timeless image, but Mr Arnault’s move proved successful. To avoid overexposure of its signature â€Å"Monogram† print, Vuitton has taken care to develop a wide range of products and other patterns. â€Å"We increase the number of product lines and we are careful to have several different colours and shapes,† says Mr Arnault. Thus Vuitton sells reasonably priced handbags—the smallest Speedy Bag costs â‚ ¬430 in Paris—but also wildly expensive custom-made luggage, reinforcing its exclusive image. Another effective tactic is to make limited-edition handbags which are hard to get hold of. Five or so years ago Vuitton depended to a large degree on one market, Japan. Most Japanese women owned at least one Vuitton product—and hence provided a large proportion of Vuitton’s profits, which worried analysts at the time. Yet the Japanese market for luxury goods was souring. Spending on such items in Japan has fallen sharply since the end of 2005, according to a recent report by McKinsey, a consulting firm. Young women are more individualistic than their mothers, and are seeking out lesser-known brands. You used to see thousands of Vuitton bags coming at you in the Ginza shopping district but far fewer now,† says Radha Chadha, author of a book, â€Å"The Cult of the Luxury Brand: Inside Asia’s Love Affair with Luxury†. That reliance on one country is no longer so marked (see chart 3). Fortunately, Vuitton has since rapidly established a strong position in what it hopes will become another Japan: China. â€Å"The Chinese consumer is in a love affair with the Vuitton brand,† says Ms Flouquet. According to LVMH, in the first half of 2009 sales to Chinese people (at home and travelling) made up 18% of Vuitton’s revenue. Despite widespread concerns about counterfeiting in the country, the Chinese are now Vuitton’s biggest customer base after the Japanese. The key to the firm’s success, says Mr Arnault, has been approaching the market exactly as if it were a developed market. â€Å"We treat the Chinese customer as being very sophisticated. † Many competitors, by contrast, have at times lowered their standards for shops in China, he says, using inferior furniture or positioning their stores poorly. Going into new markets and developing new product lines will enable Vuitton o continue producing double-digit growth for years to come, says Mr Carcelle. On every trip to mainland China—he makes five or six a year—he tries to discover a new city and meet its mayor. Mr Carcelle is also tackling other new frontiers: in October he will open a shop in Sukhbaatar Square in Ulan Bator. â€Å"Already if you go to an upmarket disco in Ulan Bator you will see a significant number o f our bags,† he says. Vuitton’s expansion into China, Mongolia and new product lines such as watches and shoes, suggest that the leather-goods firm will continue to be LVMH’s main source of growth. However, it also means that the group may become more rather than less reliant on Vuitton. In theory, the answer could lie in strengthening some of LVMH’s smaller names, such as Fendi, a fashion and leather-goods brand. But buying a big, established, global brand with potential for growth could be both a quicker and a surer route. Or maybe that oneImagineChina A new collection? Analysts and bankers are convinced that Mr Arnault wants to buy the Hermes Group, a producer of leather goods and fashion which matches Vuitton for quality and design. Because Hermes is run so conservatively, says an investment banker who knows LVMH well, it is only a quarter of the size that it could be. â€Å"Mr Arnault would grow it while preserving its values,† he says. Earlier this year, there were rumours that LVMH would sell Moet Hennessy to Diageo, the world’s biggest spirits group, which already owns 34% of the business. Such a sale could raise money to buy Hermes. Mr Arnault, however, refuses to be drawn into commenting. For the moment, such an acquisition is impossible, since the family which controls Hermes does not want to sell, and the firm is strongly defended against takeover. Nevertheless, says the banker, the family which controls it has several branches, all with different views. â€Å"It’s a pressure cooker and some day it will blow up,† he says. Chanel, another closely held global luxury brand, could also make a desirable target for LVMH. Some people recommend a merger with Richemont, which, Mr Solca argues, would address LVMH’s relative weakness in watches and jewellery. Any such deals, or selling Moet Hennessy, would radically change the balance of the group. â€Å"I would be surprised if LVMH sold Moet Hennessy. The business has high margins, high ashflow and it is well managed,† says Ms Flouquet. â€Å"They would probably only sell it if they had a large deal ahead. † Shareholders are nervous that LVMH will pay too high a price for a large acquisition. For this reason the group’s valuation may not fully reflect its performance during the crisis. Such concerns are not likely to deter Mr Arnault, who has dem onstrated his confidence in LVMH’s prospects in luxury by raising his stake in the group over time: he owns 47%. If LVMH does go shopping, it will probably behave like one of its best customers: with price in mind, but willing to spend on enduring prestige. How to cite Lvmh in the Recession the Substance of Style, Papers

Business Law and Ethics Case Study of Charlene †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Business Law and Ethics Case Study of Charlene. Answer: Discussion As per the case study, Charlene who is the yoga instructor is defendant and Skye who is student, is plaintiff. At the time of yoga session Skye skidded her left foot to the table, toppling the urn and steamer onto her body. Therefore, hot tea, towels and appliances scolded her skin and now she want to sue the defendant Charlene and claim the remedies. According the scenario of the case, Charlene change the yoga class schedule for own requirement and 45 numbered students attain the class and therefore the lack of space arise. The plaintiff who has found small space near the table where the defendant has keeps the hot tea and towels. She slipped and burned her skin. Here, the defendant has a duty of care towards her students. She breaches her duty of care toward the plaintiff[1]. The defendant knows that the floor of the hall is slippery. She might have provided rubber shocks to everybody and asked to wear it but not mentioned the purposes to use it at the time of yoga. The plaintiff decides not to wear the shocks because it is mismatching to her dress and slipped on the floor. It is the duty of the defendant[2] to aware her students to wear the shocks while they are performing the yoga. She failed to do her duty. Now the plaintiff can ask for the damage because she has damage. It is a case of negligence where duty of care[3], breach of the duty, damages and remedieslaw can be applied. Whereas, when defendant mentioned ever student to wear the shocks while they performing the yoga, the plaintiff must follow the proper instruction. Here, the defendant can defense himself by using thelaw of contributory negligence as per the scenario of the case[4]. Negligence is the part of tortlaw where the person is failing to provide the proper reasonable care to avoid causing injury or loss to other person. When plaintiff sue defendant for negligence, he or she must satisfy the facts of negligence[5]. Those are: There must be a circumstance of duty of care from the defendant. When plaintiff sues the defendant, she must prove the negligence behavior of the defendant where he or she failed to provide the proper duty of care. For the negligence, the plaintiff has suffered any damages or injury for the negligence by the defendant. The plaintiff must prove the facts that the damage was caused for breach the duty of care by the defendant. Donoghue v Stevenson 1932 is one of the famous case of negligence where the plaintiff sued the defendant for breach the duty of care. In this case, the defendant failed to provide proper service to the plaintiff and breach the duties of care. Plaintiff ordered a bottle of bear in the restaurant while she drinking the beer, she found a dead snail in the bottle and get mentally shock and fall ill. That moment she decides to take an action against the manufacturer of the beer. The court stated that the person who is in a relation whom can be considered as a neighbor by stating that a person who can be directly or closely affected by the act of the person and the person could reasonably foresee that his acts could harm the other. Therefore, it is justified to give compensation to the plaintiff for the damages. The defendant may not relate with the manufacturing the beer but he have duties as a service provider to the customer where he failed to provide the service and breach the duty of care. He is liable for the negligence[6]. The defendant conduct a yoga class in Melany School of Arts Building and plaintiff is one student of her from the yoga class. For conducting the yoga class Charlene need a spacious room so she take two class per week and each of the class consist of 25 students. The floor of the hall room was so sleepy therefore, she provide imported socks with rippled rubber sole to every students which prevent them from slip at the time of yoga. Skye who is the plaintiff in this case regularly attain the yoga class. Charlene cancels one of the yoga class and for replacement of that class she offered for an extra class to the students. As hall room has lack of space, the room was crowded. Skye arrived late in the yoga class because she had to attain a party and drink three glass of wine. When she arrived the hall room, she found small place beside the table for her and decide not to wear the socks as per the instruction of the defendant therefore she slipped and burned her skin with hot tea and hot towel. Here as per the situation, though the defendant breach her duty of care because it is her duty to look after to every student while they are performing yoga. The plaintiff who is liable for her own injury because when the defendant instructs everyone to wear the shocks, she ignored the instruction. She ignored the rules and slipped due to the slippery floor. As per thelaw of negligence, the plaintiff is also liable for her injuries in yoga class. Here, the defendant can use the defense of contri butory negligence where it is include that when the plaintiff and the defendant both are liable for the negligence and the damages can be negotiate. In the cases of Revill v Newbery[1996][7] and Nettleship v Weston[1971][8] the contributory negligence was establish successfully. The Pitts v Hunt [1990] is another case where the plaintiff was liable for 100% harm towards to him. Here, the liability arises when the wrongdoer is adjusted based on the percentage of contributory negligence made by the plaintiff. It is also important that when plaintiff is liable for 30% of damage towards to him then the defendant have to pay the rest 70% of compensation for the damages that has been allocated to the plaintiff. Court only allows the remedies when they found that the defendant is liable for any damages. British Transport Commission v Gourley [1956][9] is a case where court give order that the plaintiff should not provide any damages from the defendant because the amount of the compensation was more than he suffer the loss. When a damage occurred by negligence by any person then remedies can be claimed. The courts generally provide the compensations of monetary as per the law of tort. Tankship (UK) v Morts Dock and Engineering Co (The Wagon Mound) (1961) is another case of negligence where breach of the duty of care[10] occurred therefore the plaintiff claim the remedies from the defendant[11]. As per the case study, it is found that the defendant had breach her duty of care to her student. When she has knowledge that the hall room space was not enough for 45 students for yoga, she arranges the class. She provide hot herbal tea and hot towel during the yoga session therefore when she keep those things in the table she might know it will may cause of any damage if those fall into somebodys skin. When she arranges the class, she also need to look after the students that they are having proper space for yoga. However she fails to do that and in this case the plaintiff equally liable for the negligence because when the yoga instructor give instruction to wear the shocks, she does not follow the instruction. Therefore, for the negligence she is equally liable. When she comes to the class, she was drunk also. However, as per the scenario, she slips because of not wearing the socks. She is also liable for her own injury[12]. According the defenses of the negligence the defendant can defense using the contributory negligence. The plaintiff is also partially liable for the negligence[13]. the defendant is liable for the breach of the duty of the care when she is in her duty and failed to provide proper service to the plaintiff[14]. The remedies for the negligence can negotiate and the plaintiff is liable for the 30% of damages and the defendant will give 70% compensation for the damages[15]. As per the case study, it can be concluded that the negligence was occurred for both the plaintiff and the defendant. The defendant has satisfied all the terms of negligence therefore he is liable for the damage whereas, the plaintiff is also liable for contributory negligence in this case. Therefore, the remedies for the negligence would provide as per the principals of the contributory negligence[16]. References Abraham, Kenneth.The forms and functions of tort law. West Academic, 2017. British Transport Commission v Gourley [1956] AC 185 Cusimano, Gregory S., and Michael L. Roberts. "Contributory Negligence and Assumption of Risk."Alabama Tort Law1 (2016). Donoghue v Stevenson 1932 AC 562 Gifford, Donald G., and Christopher J. Robinette. "Apportioning liability in Maryland tort cases: Time to end contributory negligence and joint and several liability." (2014). Goudkamp, James, and Donal Nolan. "Contributory Negligence in Practice." (2016). Goudkamp, James, and Donal Nolan. "Contributory negligence on appeal." (2017). Gregory, William A. "The Fiduciary Duty of Care: A Perversion of Words."Akron Law Review38.1 (2015): 6. Kilner, Tim. "When Discharging a Patient at Scene Can Lead to a Claim of Clinical Negligence." (2014). Levy, Neil M., Michael M. Golden, and Leonard Sacks.Comparative Negligence, Assumption of the Risk, and Related Defenses. Vol. 1. California Torts, 2016. Nettleship v Weston[1971] 3 WLR 370 Pitts v Hunt [1990] 3 All ER 344 Revill v Newbery[1996] 2 WLR 239 Rhee, Robert J. "The Tort Foundation of Duty of Care and Business Judgment." (2013). Tankship (UK) v Morts Dock and Engineering Co (The Wagon Mound) (1961)

The Great Gatsby Essays (986 words) - The Great Gatsby,

The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has been celebrated as one of the greatest, if not the greatest American novel. Yet this is ironic for the society which has so hailed the book is precisely that which is criticized throughout it. Politically, the American dream was a foundation of ideals and hopes for any and every American individual. Specifically, one of the ideals was an American dream free of class distinction; that every person has the opportunity to be whomever they hope to be. In a sort of Cinderella-like fashion, it is in essence an ideal of social mobility and freedom. The social reality, however, is far more cruel. Because of the harsh truth of social America, by way of its pretentiousness and decadence, the American dream is lost. Through Nick's honest and poignant observation, the parallel lives of Myrtle Wilson and Jay Gatsby reflect The Great Gatsby as a social commentary about the polluted American Dream. Myrtle is that infamous model of how the political and social ideals of America conflict so that the American dream becomes a nightmare. Contrary to the naivete the American dream, there are indeed fine class distinctions. With them comes certain social boundaries. In a sense, it is almost as if there are unspoken sumptuary laws understood by low and high classed individuals alike. Myrtle Wilson is no exception. Instead of abiding by them, Myrtle, who represents the low and ignorant class of America, tried to break the social barriers and thus pursues wealth by any means necessary. Using her sexuality and vulgar mien, she becomes false for abandoning and dismissing her own social foundation, and like Nick, we as readers are repulsed by her grotesque approach to entering the rich class. At one point, and quite humorously to the knowing onlooker, Myrtle complains about a service done for her that was so expensive that "when she gave [Myrtle] the bill you'd of thought she had [her] appendicitus out" (35). Obviously misusing her wording, it is comical only because she is trying so hard to fit into the snobbish upper class persona, and failing miserably. Her rudeness becomes more apparent when she "rejected the compliment [about her dress] by raising her eyebrow in disdain" (35). She is so false in her manner that Nick observes that she "had changed her costume...and was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress" (35). This articulate description of Myrtle captures her fraudulence. She was not being herself, but almost putting on an act to perform as an upper class lady. It is a detestable, ambitious tactic to chase social superiority. Another tactic is her affair with Tom Buchanan, who represents the rich upper class. This affair and connection with Tom represents the falseness and decay in class distinction. Out of context, Myrtle's political aspirations are admirable: she is a woman who is practically able to change her social position.?an American ideal. Socially, she is an adulterous woman using her sexual ardor and coarse manner to force her way into something she does not belong to?an American reality. The American dream of social mobility has been twisted into disgusting ambition. The American dream has collapsed. Jay Gatsby's social weakness falls along the same lines as Myrtle's. However, Gatsby's warmth and dedication makes his an infinitely more significant struggle. He too desires Daisy Buchanan in all of her upper-class glory. At first, one cannot make a serious social distinction between Gatsby and Daisy. But those tacit social edicts will be harsh. Daisy is presented as wealthy and she also comes from a rich background. Gatsby is rich, but comes from quite a different upbringing and earned his money in an illegal way. As with Myrtle, this can be seen as a positive achievement, for Gatsby has climbed the social and economic ladder and succeeded. But because he had to change who he was, and become a bootlegger, he is thus tainted, and will never be truly accepted in the Buchanan social mold. Listening to the many lives and "pasts" of Jay Gatsby, at one point, Nick becomes utterly frustrated that Gatsby invents different backgrounds for the sake of his false pursuit. Nick's intuitive gift for observation came the moment he met Gatsby. Gatsby's "elaborate speech just missed being absurd. Some time before he introduced himself I'd got a strong impression that he was picking his words with care" (53). Although Gatsby is not blatant or crude like Myrtle, Nick immediately notices that he seems well-rehearsed. It is impressive, but unnatural. More importantly, Nick later on questions where Gatsby

Weapons of French Ind. War essays

Weapons of French Ind. War essays Weaponry of the French and Indian war Throughout the times of war there have been many weapons that have come and gone, but the weapons used in the French and Indian war are still in use today. Todays rifles are modified muskets, our machetes are swords, and the semi-automatic pistols are revised products of the ones used in the 18th century. This paper will show how and why the weapons of the time where used and generally what they where used for. The weapons this paper will touch upon are; the muskets, pistols, and swords used in the French and Indian war. The flintlock musket, was the main weapon of the British army from the 1730's past the end of the American Revolution. The first model Brown Bess or Long-Land Musket to use the proper name had a 46-in. barrel with a wooden rammer retained by three pipes of equal size and a tailpiece where it entered the stock. At this point the stock swells out and, generally speaking the bigger the swell the older the gun. One sling swivel is fastened to the front of the trigger guard bow and the other is screwed through the muzzle end The bayonet, which went with the musket had socket about four inches long and a triangular blade 17 inches long. Another pattern of which there is increasing mention from 1740 onwards is the Short Land musket, with the same style of stock lock and furniture as the Long model but with a 42 inch barrel. There were soon two standard pattern muskets in production the long land with steel rammers and the Short Land with wood rammers, a curious distinction between the tw o being that only the short pattern had a brass nose cap. By the middle of the century however an improved pattern noseband, or cap was fitted to both types of muskets. The handgun are pistols of the 18th century where used manly as a defensive weapon. This was do to their inaccuracy in battle. The inaccuracy was caused by the misshapen tendencies of the balls it fired and the shorte ...

Audit Sampling Case Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Audit Sampling Case Memo - Essay Example : (1) the existence of the inventory; (2) the rights or obligations of inventory; (3) the completeness of the inventory as stated in the balance sheet; (4) the valuation of inventory on hand, and whether it is presented according to GAAP along with (5) the presentation or disclosure of inventories in the financial statements (Whittington & Pany, 2006). RF= the reliability factor for the specified risk of incorrect acceptance. This is taken from figure 13-5 in Boynton & Johnson (2010), and for a risk of incorrect acceptance of 37% as listed, the reliability factor is 1.0. EF= the expansion factor for anticipated misstatement. This is obtained from figure 13-6 in Boynton & Johnson (2010). With a risk of incorrect acceptance at 37%, the expansion factor is given as 1.15. In Boynton & Johnson (2010), the risk of incorrect acceptance is listed at 37%. There are scenarios that would explain why 37% is chosen instead of higher or lower percentages. An important element mentioned by Whittington & Pany (2006) is the level of overall audit risk. Audit risk is based on the following formula: Audit risk (AR) is the overall allowable audit risk that a material misstatement will remain undetected. Inherent risk (IR) is a risk of a material misstatement in the financial statements, assuming a company had no internal controls. Control risk (CR) is the risk that a material misstatement could occur in an assertion and will not be detected by internal control. Detection risk (DR) is the risk that the auditors’ substantive testing will not find a material misstatement (Whittington & Pany, 2006). The setting of the risk of incorrect acceptance at 37% is not an exact science. If circumstances arise where auditors place inherent risk and control risk at high levels, and do not engage in other tests of the balance assertion, then the risk of incorrect acceptance would have to be set at a low level. However if a decrease in inherent risk or control risk occurs, then a

Risk in the Theme Park Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Risk in the Theme Park Industry - Essay Example According to Lukas, accidents and deaths are the most closely monitored risk despite the statistical fact that economic concerns and poor weather affect business more frequently. (2005) However, when accidents or deaths do occur, there are several direct consequences. First, the park is often closed during the process of an investigation. In addition to the lost ticket sales during that timeframe, the public perception of danger is increased. "The mere perception of an unsafe ride can affect park attendance, while accidents and deaths can result in park closure and decline in ticket sales." (Lukas, 2005) Statistically, the risk is minimal. In 2003, there were only 78 ride-related injuries which resulted in an overnight hospital stay. (Banay, 2005) Nevertheless, the costs are high when accidents do occur. Insurance underwriters are very concerned with safety, and the cost of insurance is dictated by safety records. While patrons of amusement parks are seeking danger and thrills, park management must balance these desires with the risk of increasing insurance rates. Still, the cost of bad publicity is the highest cost resulting from this statistically insignificant risk to the industry. Terrorism, despite occurring far less frequently than accidents, is considered to be a greater risk to the industry. While the publicity surrounding accidents generally affects one park, or perhaps one family of parks, the effect of terrorist activity is industry-wide. "After an incident of civil unrest, natural disaster, or terrorism, there is an immediate 30% downward spike in the perception of safety at such public locations." (Banay, 2005) She reports that the resultant decline in theme park attendance continues as much as three years after a major terrorist episode. According to sources cited by Debora Vrana in her article for the LA Times, visits to theme parks worldwide were down by 1.5% in 2003. (2004) This decline was attributed to terrorism in addition to poor weather and a poor economy. Under current terrorism threat conditions, the cost to the industry is potentially high, and the US government currently classifies the risk of another strike as moderate to high. Unfortun ately, due to the large crowds that gather at these establishments, they are considered to be a potential target. The specific consequence of that risk appears to be a long-standing decline in park attendance stemming from a decrease in the public perception of safety.A panel of industry insiders gathered in 2002 to discuss the impact of 9/11 on theme park attendance and revenues. Of note, their conclusions did not identify terrorism as the greatest risk. Rather, they concluded, "at this point, it is the soft economy that is really putting a crimp on vacation plans." (Levine, 2002) Like other businesses within the travel and tourism industry, theme parks rely on patrons to spend their discretionary income. When the economy is poor, fewer people are spending, and those who are spending frequently spend less. "Road blocks in the form of war in Iraq, SARS, a stagnant economy, and currency rates have impacted the amusement industry." (Banay, 2005) Currency rates are known to affect the rates of international travel, and those parks which attract an international audience are subject to those effects as well. The risk comes in

Critical Response (SPANISH) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Response (SPANISH) - Essay Example Argentina gozaba de un gobierno republicano y Brasil ese mismo aà ±o cambiarà ­a su gobierno monà ¡rquico en un gobierno republicano. Estos factores contribuyeron a que ambas naciones se mostraran entusiastas con presentar sus mejores imà ¡genes ante el mundo en la Exposicià ³n Universal de Parà ­s. Fernà ¡ndez Bravo concluye su artà ­culo sobre la participacià ³n de Argentina y Brasil en este evento internacional enfatizando que desde un punto de vista estos paà ­ses fracasaron en mostrar una imagen favorable y desde otro punto de vista tuvieron à ©xito en otros aspectos. El autor citado resume su ensayo del siguiente modo: â€Å"Tanto en el pabellà ³n brasilero como en el argentino, las mercancà ­as funcionaron como actores de un espectà ¡culo en el que se intentaron reflejar nuevas imà ¡genes de la nacià ³n. En ninguno de los dos casos estos retratos parecen haber sido exitosos frente a la percepcià ³n europea, que siguià ³ considerà ¡ndolos paà ­ses exà ³ticos y todavà ­a alejados de los està ¡ndares del progreso universal. Sin embargo, en su imagen domà ©stica las iconografà ­as montadas en la Exposicià ³n Universal de 1889 parecen haber construido representaciones perdurables en la memoria colectiva: las de paà ­ses ricos en materias primas y marcados por ellas, como una cifra de la naturaleza americana nacionalizada, finalmente sometida por los dispositivos estatales que la transformaron en objeto de consumo y tambià ©n en un espectà ¡culo. Un espectà ¡culo poblado de mercancà ­as pero todavà ­a vacà ­o del sujeto colectivo que los pabellones parecà ­an querer imaginar: aq uà ©l que ayudarà ­a a construir la inmigracià ³n europea, en la que veà ­an un remedio para los problemas que aquejaban a sus naciones.† Por un lado, los pabellones de Argentina y Brasil presentaron principalmente productos agrà ­colas como sus principales bondades que les daban identidad

The Structure Of The Merchant Venice English Literature Essay

The Structure Of The Merchant Venice English Literature Essay The Merchant of Venice is set in 16th century Venice. Venice became a trade centre as it is located on the coast, surrounded by a large mass of water; because of this structure, distribution of goods was easy as it was very accessible to surrounding countries. It is the perfect setting for discrimination towards the Jews to occur as they had to live in a ghetto, separated from Christian kind. Being a Jew, Shylock had very few career choices with the only real option being a money lender. Shylock shows both characteristics of victim and villainy, this is shown many ways during the play when Shylock has been mistreated and is out to get revenge. An example of this would be when shylock is angered by his mistreatment from the Christian Antonio, and then later schemes to get revenge by the formulation of the bond, demanding for a pound of Antonios flesh as a forfeit of the loan. Shylock is often a victimised man in The Merchant of Venice. The Oxford dictionary defines the word victim as someone or something which has been hurt, damaged or killed or has suffered, either because of the actions of someone or something else, or because of illness or chance This is certainly the case with Shylock when the Christians, especially the merchant Antonio treats Shylock cruelly and mercilessly on a daily basis, You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And you spit upon my Jewish gabardine, The words spit and dog show that he is completely disrespected and receives a great amount of abuse which a modern audience would find distasteful and I feel very sympathetic about what Shylock would have gone through. Not only did Shylock get mistreated by Christians, he was also a victim of theft by his own daughter, here catch this casket. Furthermore, when she stole the jewels, Jessica abandoned her own father when she eloped with Lorenzo and then converted her religion to Christianity, showing that Shylock is truly a victim of circumstance. Shylock, a truly broken man feels like a part of him is missing and turns to Tubal who is a very close friend of his. To add insult to injury, Shylock discovers that Jessica traded his most prized possession, a turquoise ring which was a present from his late wife, for a monkey. I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys. The word wilderness shows that he would not have traded the ring for several thousand monkeys, let alone one monkey. The ring was the only piece of Leah he had left. Although I feel very sympathetic towards Shylock at this point in the story, an Elizabethan audience would find the attitude towards a Jewish man humorous and would laugh at Shylocks despair. I see Shylock as a man with a plea for equality, as he gets treated like an animal, locked up in ghetto where he has to sleep, separated from the Christians and continually being called names on a daily basis. In the bible, Jesus teaches us to treat each other fairly with respect and love; You shall love your neighbour as yourself however the Christians in The Merchant of Venice go against everything their own religions have taught them, making Shylock a victim, a broken man with hardly anything or anyone to turn to. I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs dimensions, senses affections, passions fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons? In this speech Shylock is distraught, I see him as a man who just wants justice and wants all faiths to be equal. In this speech, Shylock asks rhetorical questions repeatedly for emphasis in what he is saying. We see shylock becoming a broken man at the trial scene this becomes evident when they address him as Jew inste ad of his name. Go on, and call the Jew into the court Shylock is being called by his religion as a sign of disrespect. Then once again for being victimised for being a Jew, Shylock suffers from hubris in the court scene when Portia brings his hopes up for succeeding with the bond, she then crashes them back down, resulting in Shylock having to change his religion to Christianity. We see him as a truly broken man, a social outcast in the eyes of the Jews. Although constantly victimised, Shylock also shows a great deal of villainy. The Oxford dictionary defines the word villain as a person who is guilty or capable of a crime or wickedness; a wrongdoer; a character in a novel or play whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot. Shylock is predominately a villain. This is most obvious with the formulation of the bond, Let the forfeit be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me This quotation shows the price which Antonio has to pay if he fails to return the money, I see this as an opportunity for Shylock to be a revenge seeking villain, with the intention to kill Antonio. The word pleaseth shows that Shylock gets to decide which part of the body the flesh comes from, this becomes nearest the heart which shows the hunger he truly has for Antonios flesh. Furthermore, Shylocks mistreatment of Jessica shows that he is an irresponsible and uncaring father. He imprisons her from the world he chose to live in. Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum ..But stop my houses ears-I mean casements. Let not the sound of shallow foppry enter My sober house. Shylock is portrayed as a villain as he orders Jessica about, almost like a slave. The phrase Lock up my doors shows that Shylock has no respect for his own daughter and just commands her to do as he says. In addition, Shylock seems to value his ducats more than the loss of his daughter, O my daughter! Fled with a Christian! Only Christian ducats! Shylock shows that he is a heartless villain when he finds out from Tubal that Antonios ships are lost at see. Shylock and Tubal were discussing the merchants shipwreck from Tripoli and Shylock openly said I thank thee, good Tubal. Good news, good news! Ha, ha! Heard in Genoa? Later in their discussion Tubal tells Shylock of Antonios bankruptcy and again Shylock is delighted as he knows as he can extract the pound of flesh I am very glad of it: Ill plague him Ill torture him: I am glad of it. The words plague and torture show that Shylock is thirsty for Antonios flesh and is showing villainy and greed. Shylocks hunger for Antonios flesh becomes more apparent in the trial scene, Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly? Shylock sharpens his knife to prepare to cut the pound of flesh out of Antonios body. The word earnestly shows he has serious intent on killing Antonio. Shylock has no intention on leaving the court without the pound of flesh, Ill have my bond; speak not against my bond: I have sworn an oath that I will have my bondà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ill have my bondà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Ill have my bond Shylock repeats the phrase Ill have my bond for emphasis that he is completely confident in receiving a pound of Antonios flesh, which is closest to the heart. Not only did Shylock insist on getting his bond he also refused thrice the sum of money of the original loan. And lawfully by this the Jew may claim A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off Nearest the merchants heart. Be merciful: Take thrice thy money; bid me tear the bond. Shylock refused mercy, which shows greed, villa iny and that he is a truly evil man, with the intention to kill. Shylock also said that he would not accept ten times oer the amount of money, mainly because he wants the bond instead of the money which shows that evil thought is dominant in his mind. In conclusion Shylock is a villain, evil is dominant in his thought, largely due to his mistreatment by the Christians. Even though he has been mistreated by Christians, it does not justify taking someones life. Shylock gets his retribution at the end of the play when he is forced to convert his religion to Christianity, resulting in him becoming a social outcast, in the eyes of his family, the Jews and the Christians. Shakespeares plays speak to a modern audience, outlining right from wrong. I feel that anti-Semitism and prejudice are big themes in this play, as they speak to the reader regarding these issues as much today as they did in the past.

Is Government Interference Right? Essay -- essays research papers

Should government have the right to interfere in our private lives? Does being part of a representative democracy mean that we abdicate our freedom to make our own choices in the name of the good of all? Should the government have the right to interfere in our private lives? Democracy guarantees freedom. One might then argue that a government should allow people to act according to their own free will. But there are two sides to every coin. Absolute independence might not lead to anything productive in an interdependent society as ours. There needs to be a basic framework of rules and guidelines to which all participants in that society agree to. According to Hobbes, human nature is such that if there were no rules or a law enforcing institution in the government, it would be a war of every man against every man1. The government regulates the activities of individuals in a manner such that the freedom guaranteed by democracy to everybody is not infringed upon by the selfish acts of few. Apart from the protection of these basic rights of people, I feel that government interference in our private live is not acceptable. Systems such as welfare and progressive taxes do not seem quite right. The government should definitely work towards the increase in the standard of living of the whole nation but it should not be by snatching well-earned money from the rich in the form of progressive taxes just because they have some extra money whereas some others are not so fortunate enou...

Which Is More Important in Shaping Individual Identity: Social Structure or Social Interaction?

Social structure and social interaction are the building blocks of present life. The need for people to interact with each other is crucial and has always been the key action to survive and sustain existence. Sociologists now refer to this as socialisation, to establish the important components of living and a person’s social identity.Social structure is more important than social interaction in shaping individual social identity, the reason for this to have more importance in shaping someone’s social identity, is because without social structure there would be no social interaction both are important in discussing macrosociology (social structure) and microsociology (social interaction). Within social structure is class, status and institutions they will be expanded upon later in detail on the way they influence one social identity more then social interaction.Social identity is defined as a person’s acknowledgement of belonging to a certain social category or g roup where its members possess the same social identification and observe the surroundings with an individual perspective (Hogg & Abrams 1988, p. 7). To better understand social identity, Social structure needs to be explained, it is defined as the framework of society that was already laid out before we were born. Social structure refers to the typical patterns of a group, such as its usual relationships between men and women or students and teachers.The sociological significance of social structure is that it gives us direction to and sets limits on behaviour (Henslin, J. 2010, pp. 76 – 77). Social interaction is a significant part of life in society also a part of an individual’s social identity, it is the different ways that people interact with one another. Culture lays the broadest framework, while social class divides people according to income, education and occupational prestige. Each of us receives ascribed statuses at birth, that are involuntary that are inh erited and later achieved statuses are added.Our behaviours and orientations are further influenced by the roles we play, the groups to which we belong and our experiences with social institutions. These components of society work together to help maintain social order (Henslin, J. 2010, p. 76). To achieve social order all members of a society accept its moral values and their roles within it, complying to these norms is a way to maintain social order. Emile Durkhiem’s views were that rather than individual activities such as crime and religion causing certain behaviours, it was society as a whole Bessant & Watts, 2007 pp. 72 – 73). Showing that structure has more influence on a persons identity rather than their interactions within their class and statuses. Social Class is based on income, education and occupational prestige. Large numbers of people who have similar amounts of income and education and who work at jobs that are roughly comparable in prestige make up a social class. It is hard to overemphasise this aspect of social structure, for our social class influences not only our behaviours but even our ideas and attitudes (Henslin, J. 010, p. 78). There is four different structures that we can inherit at birth; wealthy upper class, middle class, working class and under class (Macionis & Plummer 1997). Karl Marx was the first to study class and it’s relationship to the functions of society and identity. Marx focused on how one class controlled and directed production, while the other classes were service providers or producers, whose efforts benefited the ruling or dominating class.Marx saw that human relationships and identity were a product of labour, and therefore shaped by it (Cox, 1998). An example of this is Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson being the controlling class and all his employees below him represent the other classes which all in turn benefits him. Social Status in sociology has been given two meanings. One refers to t he position that a person occupies in the social structure, such as teacher or priest.The other more specific meaning refers to the form of social stratification in which social positions are ranked and organised by legal, political and cultural criteria into status groups. These social positions may carry a great deal of prestige, as in the case of a judge or an astronaut, or it may bring little prestige as in the case as a grocery store worker or a waitress at the local pub. The status can also be looked down on as in the case of a homeless person, an ex-convict or a thief.Social status is a major shaping component of social identity status set all the statuses or positions that an individual occupies are generally all ascribed statuses that are inherited such as your race/ethnicity, sex and the social class of your parents as well yours statuses as female or male, daughter or son, niece or nephew. Our identity as ‘male’ or ‘female’ is one of the most bas ic aspects of our being. As Sigmund Freud observed a century ago, when you meet a person for the first time, the very first thing you notice about them is whether they are a man or woman (Bessant & Watts, 2007 p. 09). Social Institutions are the organised, usual or standard ways by which society meets its basic needs. Social institutions are the family, religion, education, economic, medicine, politics, law, science, the military and the mass media (Henslin, J. 2010, p. 81). They establish the context in which we live, shaping our behaviour and colouring our thoughts. Social institutions are so significant in shaping individual identity that is they were to change we would be different people, as they influence our orientations to the social world and the wider world itself.Much of the influence lies beyond our ordinary awareness. For example, because of our economic institution, it is common to work eight hours a day for five days every week. There is nothing normal or natural abou t this pattern, however. This rhythm is only an arbitrary arrangement for dividing work and leisure. Yet this one aspect of a single social institution has far-reaching effects. Not only does it also lays out a structure for their interaction with family and friends and for how they meet their personal needs (Henslin, J. 2010, p. 1). From this you can see that social identity is formed primarily by structure rather than interaction with individuals fitting into their institutions through their class and status showing the greater importance of social structure on shaping the social identity. Social identity is shaped through an individual’s journey in life within their social structure and social interaction, but this is not solely through inherited ascribed statuses, class and institutions also by the way a person socialises within the given environment.The inequalities of the worlds classes is shapes a person’s identity by the way they have had to behave due to their social structure limitations and well as the interactions with others of the same class and status, without this structure there would be no social interaction. This is why social structure is of a higher importance when it comes to shaping the identity of an individual. REFERENCE LIST Back, L. , Bennett, A. , Edles, L. ,Gibson, M. , Inglis, D. ,Jacobs, R. , Woodward, I 2012, Cultural Sociology: An Introduction, Wiley, ebook Bessant, J. amp; Watts, R. 2007, Sociology Australia, 3rd ed. , Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest Henslin, JM, Possamai, A, and Possamai-Indesedy, A 2011, Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest Hogg, M. A. & Abrams, D. 1988, Social Identifications A Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations and Group, Routledge, London Macionis, J. J. & Plummer, K. 2012, Sociology: A Global Introduction, 5th ed. , Pearson, Prentice Hall, New York Plummer, K 2010, Sociology: The Basics, Taylor and Francis, ebook

The United States Surprem Courts essays

The United States Surprem Courts essays In 1977 the United States Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty, and since then about 3,625 people have been executed. (Copley News Service) The death penalty can be prescribed by Congress or State Legislatures as a form of capital punishment for certain heinous crimes. (Legal Information Institute) There has always been an argument of whether the death penalty is right. Supporters believe that for extreme crimes, the only punishment is death, but opposing forces contend that it is a form of legally administered cruel and unusual punishment. The Death Penalty was instituted as a way to protect the entire society, which outweighs an individuals power. When someone commits a crime they are executed and they will never be able to kill anyone again. Critics may argue that is cruel and unusual punishment, and that criminals should be incarcerated and rehabilitated. Though this would be ideal, it is not likely because after most criminals serve a sentence and are released they return to society and continue to do wrong. Though children easily learn from their mistakes through punishment, the same is not true adults who already have a certain mindset. Though the death penalty is not directly related to deterring crime, it serves as a way of scaring criminals who might commit worst crimes. In order to make society a safer place we have to have rules in place that makes people know that if they do wrong they will be punished. Our society is built on justice and maintaining an orderly society. To preserve justice we must ensure that criminals are punished and the innocent are free. The American Bar Association (ABA) has now called for a moratorium on executions in the United States. The ABA wants the cessation to give states a chance to implement procedures that will ensure a fair process. They have recently learned of lots of mistakes that have taken place in the death penalty proces...

300 words essay example Essays

300 words essay example Essays 300 words essay example Paper 300 words essay example Paper What I am most passionate about. I was born in a small town, Cork, in the heart of Ireland. As a kid, I remember watching famous stories that focused on the culture, arts, history and historical places in such as the Seavers, the Cheers gang among others. After watching these movies, I felt that this was a nice place to stay if not to visit since everywhere seemed interesting and I had that passion of gaining more knowledge regarding the culture and arts of London. Since I was a small kid, I had a passion for both culture and arts, and both had an impact on various choices I made in my life. In 1996, we moved to London, and this meant that I was to carry out my studies from London. One year later, I joined the University of London. My first experience in London was in 1996 during an excursion organized by the institution. I visited some of the cultural centers such as Paddington Arts, Asia House London Gladiator Amphitheater among other places. Also, I spend most of the time in the leading museums around the city looking for shows and exhibitions of arts This was the period I learned a lot regarding the London culture, my recent experience in England was in 2016. I decided to carry out a research trip in the outskirts of London to learn archeological sites and associated research material from various archeological centers. Furthermore, London is an old city, and there are ancient places that I never wanted to miss such as Lockwood Reservoirs Archeology, the London Outdoor Statue among others. Conclusively, all these experience has widened my horizon and enabled me to appreciate the diversity and uniqueness of different culture in different places

THE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY (STS) MUSEUM Essay

THE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY (STS) MUSEUM - Essay Example The scientists argue that the adoption and use of the developed equipment might lead to the eruption of other challenges as some groups of people might go against the processes. A visit to the museum and the observation of the various archived equipment therein acquaints visitors with information about the shortcomings that would befall the human society if such things were non-existing. The observations drawn from the research undertaken at the museum’s images implies the possibility of developing alternative services that would enhance the social standards of living. For example, studies depict that the use of wind turbines can serve towards the production of renewable energy whose demand and use would lead to the implementation of environmentally friendly energy production practices. In that context, the science and technology approach chosen after viewing the discoveries presented in the museum acquaints the research process with chances of success since an alternative evaluation acknowledges the incorporation of the Tornado Chaser to the power turbines as capable of producing energy. The scholars concerned with developing the equipment acknowled ge that the development of over 100,000 structures in the vulnerable locations can lead to the implementation of a long lasting solution to the threats borne from the tornados. According to the class discussions, science and technology aspects influence the society from various dimensions with the majority factors being positive towards the achievement of better living standards. The argument that science and technology approaches are alarming to sustainability rest inconsistent since different countries across the globe perceive different scientifically developed approaches as remedies to the challenges. For instance, China uses rockets that are capable of dispersing dangerous clouds from causing harm to the human population. Another aspect of

Book review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Book review - Essay Example This example is simple and profound. The following excerpt from the book Life of Pi by Yann Martel has relevance to the above example. Pi writes "I left town and on my way back, at a point where the land was high and I could see the sea to my left and down the road a long ways, I suddenly felt I was in heaven. The spot was in fact no different from when I had passed it not long before, but my way of seeing it had changed. The feeling, a paradoxical mix of pulsing energy and profound peace, was intense and blissful. Whereas before the road, the sea, the trees, the air, the sun all spoke differently to me, now they spoke one language of unity. Tree took account of road, which was aware of air, which was mindful of sea, which shared things with sun. Every element lived in harmonious relation with its neighbor, and all was kith and kin. I knelt a mortal; I rose an immortal. I felt like the center of a small circle, coinciding with the center of a much larger one. Atman had met Allah."(p. 59-60) This example elucidates what mystical experience is all about. In this paragraph the sentence â€Å"I suddenly felt I was in heaven† is significant. Heaven is the place where dualities and conflicts of the life on Planet Earth are not there and the perception capacity of an individual is limitless. ‘Heaven’ is the state when an individual has transcended the limitations of mind, meaning reasoning is non-existent there. When an individual transcends the hurdles of reasoning he reaches the conflict-free zone that is the state of bliss. That is the state of permanent happiness. The concept of secularism is the gift of his parents to Pi as they have no interest in dogmatic religion. The important message of Pi is love and he sees unity in diversity and marvels at the cosmic unity in existence and in functioning of everything. He loves the essence of every religion and when the local leaders come to know that he practices Christianity, Islam and Sufism, they ask him

(Criminal Justice) Issues for Judges and Sentencing Assignment

(Criminal Justice) Issues for Judges and Sentencing - Assignment Example In addition to these ethical rules, the prosecutors are also bound by other rules in the constitution that govern the conduct of professionalism. The judge in black robes is the only person in the court who is as a symbol of justice. Judges are expected to be neutral, and their decisions should be impartial, knowledgeable and authoritative. The judges guide the relevant people involved in the court and help in maintaining the courts proceedings (de Castro-Rodrigues & Sacau Fontenla, 2013). There are a number of issues considered problematic in the perceived objectivities of the judge during sentencing. These include disparities during sentencing and extra-legal sentencing disparity shown in unequal punishment of legally similar offenders. It is during the sentencing the judge should be guided by the canons of the judge’s conduct. He or she should uphold and promote independence, minimize any risk of conflict and not engaging himself or herself in any political or activities of the campaign. From the discussion post, we can conclude that during the sentencing time, the judge is expected to be guided by the criminal history and the current offense level of seriousness in issuing out the appropriate sentencing. This is so to avoid unequal punishment basing on factors that do not relate to law issues (Wooldredge, 2010). Despite this freedom of issuing sentences, some federal guidelines require judges involved in some cases to impose sentences that are specific unless circumstances established are

The Impact of Technology Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Technology Essay The society we live in is completely integrated with technology, we are surrounded by and we live on technology. One of the definitions of â€Å"technology† given by Webster’s Third New International Dictionary is â€Å"the totality of the means employed by a people to provide itself with the objects of material culture†, and as a matter of fact, almost every little work we do can be considered technology dependent. Today we are all identified with the technological device we are carrying, which must be up to date. For many of us, living without technology I like living without air†. Many people don’t realize how much they are engaged to their gadgets and how much they affect our lives; I think that most of us would struggle to live without these little comforts while some researchers of the University â€Å"La Sapienza Di Roma† concluded that most of the people, especially from 16 to 25 years old, feel lost when they don’t have their mobile phones with them. An excerpt from the telegraph confirms us what we previously affirmed: â€Å"In an international study called Unplugged, volunteers at 12 universities around the world were asked to keep detailed diaries while spending 24 hours in a tech and information blackout. They found out that youngsters reported sickness and fidgety, they felt really uncomfortable and like if they had nothing to do. â€Å"They kept looking for the phones, even though they werent carrying them. † Technology has clearly become a huge influence on our lives, but how did we reach this point? Our addiction to technology probably started with computers taking over our society as we used to know it. Nowadays, everywhere you look, computers are making our life more comfortable since they are commonly used items in many areas. A PC is essential to people who run organizations or industries, but also the housewife who doesn’t know how to use a Personal Computer has to deal with one, since almost anything we know is run or made by a computers, most medical equipment use computers and also the most simple household appliance has a computer inside. Most of the professions today involve the use of PCs since also in a pharmacy you would have a hard time keeping track with what medication to give to a patient without that â€Å"mechanical brain† that would be hard to live without. Its only when something goes wrong that we realize how necessaries they are, if we think about the world without computers we would realize that we haven’t done much more than using them in the past few years; researchers in the medical field wouldn’t have found a lot of cures to diseases since most of them were found with the help of processors. Movies like, Pixar’s Toy story, Avatar or 2012 would never have been made since they are based on computer graphics that cannot be emulated analogically. Counting votes would be much slower and space exploration wouldn’t be possible without the help of computers. That’s why, since most of our progresses in the recent past are a consequence of our use of computers, we call the recent past as computer revolution or digital revolution. The definition of revolution is based on the idea of something that rapidly changed and improved. This led to individuals that can transfer information freely and access to information is so easy compared to in the past. Recently, some social analysts defined our times as the â€Å"information age†. This condition of being always capable to get information started when computer microminiaturization started, because the fast evolution of technology in daily life permitted rapid global communications and networking to shape modern society. It can be said that this revolution started with the diffusion of the smartphones, which started many years ago but had a massive boost with the launch of the iPhone, an hybrid between a phone and a computer, something always connected to the world. This idea changed the technological market with many companies trying to follow Apple creature’s steps, evolving into a new device that is far from what mobiles were ten years ago. They have become faster and more powerful just like computers but they can also be connected to the internet anywhere in order to: read newspapers, mail for business, be always able to make a research on the web or communicate with friends, which has proven to change everything. As a matter of fact people feel the need to be updated with what is happening around them. Big contributors to this are websites like Facebook and Twitter, which are supposed to bring, people closer together but they are actually doing the opposite. The information age can be separated into three general parts, which are information storage, information transmission, and computation. When the information storage phase occurred, the world’s capacity to store data has seen a dramatic boost of from just 2600 terabyte in 1985 to 18 Exabyte in 1994, to over 55. 5 in 1999, and 400 in 2011 at the point that nowadays, as Mitchell Capor Said, getting information off the Internet is like drinking from a fire Hydrant. Not only there was an increase of the databases, but also technology is spreading to any family, any student, any common citizen since the cost of technology is decreasing day by day and today we can afford a really powerful desktop for a few hundred dollars and we can all access the internet with less money we spend on a night out. Internet, big contributor to the information age and all those changes is the Internet, which has obviously had a massive impact on society. The Internet is a fail-proof network because even if a large area is disabled, the information is rerouted to somewhere else. The Internet is the crucial platform for accelerating the exchange of information and it is also the main emerging form of media. Internet is, in fact, making some medias obsolete and is the reason why many companies are changing the way they relate to their clients, because it is a tough competition to newspaper and broadcaster offering most of the times a cheaper and vaster choice to anyone. The main example is the success of YouTube, which is now eroding the market share that television channels used to have by having, according to the company itself on the official blog, four billion videos streamed per day. New technology is affecting anyone’s life also because is something that created millions of jobs but also took away a few at the same time modifying the economy of some sectors. It created jobs because the new technology needed to be repaired, designed, and used in many businesses. However, it took away jobs because some factory workers were no longer needed as more efficient machines were built to replace them. Out of all of the technology that has been produced during the last 30 years; the Internet has created the largest amount of jobs. Labourers must compete in a globalized job market instead of earning a living from what they used to do. Middle-class people of society are affected the most by the job change because they can either move up towards jobs that require a good education (such as engineers, scientists, journalists), or they can move down towards low-skill and low-wage jobs. About 30% of the modern workforce usually consists of the jobs that require a good education and good qualifications and the number ises exponentially if we just consider the really developed countries since, as we already proved, a useful worker in modern times also has to well know how to deal with computers. Technology has also had a big impact on language and culture since it helps the spreading and melting of different and distant worlds, favouring globalization. Our though processes have been changed by the revolution in technology, that’s probably just the beginning of a new era. From all of the information that I have researched I have concluded that technology is having more and more impact on our lives because it is becoming more integrated into what we do. Nearly everything thing we do in our everyday lives is connected to technology and from what I can see, not many people would be able to cope without the technology that we have today. I believe that in the future, if our race continues to survive for an extended period of time, all life will either depend entirely on technology or not at all. Another reason that I have concluded for why technology is having more impact is that humans are adapting more and the technology is becoming more ‘compatible’ with us and to our ways of thinking. We are becoming more connected to technology and we are being more influenced at the same time. A good example to support my conclusion is that if there were to be a new piece of technology that came out in the shops (such as a new type of iPhone) then many peoples’ lives would be greatly affected whether it is their jobs, or language etc. that is affected. Our way of thinking has been completely changed and it is believe that humans as a race will probably never go back thinking like they used to. Revolutions will keep on occurring and the technology will keep on improving which will obviously keep on affecting our life in many ways which concludes my research paper on the idea of technology having impact on our lives.

Malaysia As A Fully Developed Country Politics Essay

Malaysia As A Fully Developed Country Politics Essay The purpose of this paper is to present before you some thoughts on the future course of our nation and how we should go about to attain our objective of developing Malaysia into an industrialised country. Also outlined are some measures that should be in place in the shorter term so that the foundations can be laid for the long journey towards that ultimate objective.   Hopefully the Malaysian who is born today and in the years to come will be the last generation of our citizens who will be living in a country that is called developing. The ultimate objective that we should aim for is a Malaysia that is a fully developed country by the year 2020. What, you might rightly ask, is a fully developed country ? Do we want to be like any particular country of the present 19 countries that are generally regarded as developed countries ? Do we want to be like the United Kingdom, like Canada, like Holland, like Sweden, like Finland, like Japan ? To be sure, each of the 19, out of a world community of more than 160 states, has its strengths. But each also has its fair share of weaknesses. Without being a duplicate of any of them we can still be developed. We should be a developed country in our own mould. Malaysia should not be developed only in the economic sense. It must be a nation that is fully developed along all the dimensions: economically, politically, socially, spiritually, psychologically and culturally. We must be fully developed in terms of national unity and social cohesion, in terms of our economy, in terms of social justice, political stability, system of government, quality of life, social and spiritual values, national pride and confidence. Malaysia As A Fully Developed Country One Definition By the year 2020, Malaysia can be a united nation, with a confident Malaysian society, infused by strong moral and ethical values, living in a society that is democratic, liberal and tolerant, caring, economically just and equitable, progressive and prosperous, and in full possession of an economy that is competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient. There can be no fully developed Malaysia until we have finally overcome the nine central strategic challenges that have confronted us from the moment of our birth as an independent nation. The first of these is the challenges of establishing a united Malaysian nation with a sense of common and shared destiny. This must be a nation at peace with itself, territorially and ethnically integrated, living in harmony and full and fair partnership, made up of one Bangsa Malaysia with political loyalty and dedication to the nation. The second is the challenge of creating a psychologically liberated, secure, and developed Malaysian Society with faith and confidence in itself, justifiably proud of what it is, of what it has accomplished, robust enough to face all manner of adversity. This Malaysian Society must be distinguished by the pursuit of excellence, fully aware of all its potentials, psychologically subservient to none, and respected by the peoples of other nations. The third challenge we have always faced is that of fostering and developing a mature democratic society, practising a form of mature consensual, community-oriented Malaysian democracy that can be a model for many developing countries. The fourth is the challenge of establishing a fully moral and ethical society, whose citizens are strong in religious and spiritual values and imbued with the highest of ethical standards.   The fifth challenge that we have always faced is the challenge of establishing a matured, liberal and tolerant society in which Malaysians of all colours and creeds are free to practise and profess their customs,cultures and religious beliefs and yet feeling that they belong to one nation.   The sixth is the challenge of establishing a scientific and progressive society, a society that is innovative and forward-looking, one that is not only a consumer of technology but also a contributor to the scientific and technological civilisation of the future.   The seventh challenge is the challenge of establishing a fully caring society and a caring culture, a social system in which society will come before self, in which the welfare of the people will revolve not around the state or the individual but around a strong and resilient family system.   The eighth is the challenge of ensuring an economically just society. This is a society in which there is a fair and equitable distribution of the wealth of the nation, in which there is full partnership in economic progress. Such a society cannot be in place so long as there is the identification of race with economic function, and the identification of economic backwardness with race.   The ninth challenge is the challenge of establishing a prosperous society, with an economy that is fully competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient. We have already come a long way towards the fulfilment of these objectives. The nine central objectives listed need not be our order of priorities over the next three decades. Most obviously, the priorities of any moment in time must meet the specific circumstances of that moment in time.   But it would be surprising if the first strategic challenge which I have mentioned the establishment of a united Malaysian nation is not likely to be the most fundamental, the most basic.   Since much of what I will say this morning will concentrate on economic development, let me stress yet again that the comprehensive development towards the developed society that we want -however each of us may wish to define it -cannot mean material and economic advancement only. Far from it. Economic development must not become the be-all and the end-all of our national endeavours. Since this Council must concentrate on the issues of economic development and economic social justice, which for this nation must go hand in hand for the foreseeable future, let me expand on the perception of the central strategic challenges with regard to these two vital objectives.   At this point it is well to define in greater detail the objective of establishing an economically just society.   Of the two prongs of the NEP no one is against the eradication of absolute poverty -regardless of race, and irrespective of geographical location. All Malaysians, whether they live in the rural or the urban areas, whether they are in the south, north, east or west, must be moved above the line of absolute poverty.   This nation must be able to provide enough food on the table so that not a solitary Malaysian is subjected to the travesty of gross under-nourishment. We must provide enough by way of essential shelter, access to health facilities, and all the basic essentials. A developed Malaysia must have a wide and vigorous middle class and must provide full opportunities for those in the bottom third to climb their way out of the pit of relative poverty.   The second prong, that of removing the identification of race with major economic function is also acceptable except that somehow it is thought possible to achieve this without any shuffling of position. If we want to build an equitable society than we must accept some affirmative action. This will mean that in all the major and important sectors of employment, there should be a good mix of the ethnic groups that make up the Malaysian nation. By legitimate means we must ensure a fair balance with regard to the professions and all the major categories of employment. Certainly we must be as interested in quality and merit. But we must ensure the healthy development of a viable and robust Bumiputera commercial and industrial community.   A developed Malaysia should not have a society in which economic backwardness is identified with race. This does not imply individual income equality, a situation in which all Malaysians will have the same income. This is an impossibility because by sheer dint of our own individual effort, our own individual upbringing and our individual preferences, we will all have different economic worth, and will be financially rewarded differently. An equality of individual income as propounded by socialists and communists is not only not possible, it is not desirable and is a formula for disaster.   But I do believe that the narrowing of the ethnic income gap, through the legitimate provision of opportunities, through a closer parity of social services and infrastructure, through the development of the appropriate economic cultures and through full human resource development, is both necessary and desirable. We must aspire by the year 2020 to reach a stage where no-one can say that a particular ethnic group is inherently economically backward and another is economically inherently advanced. Such a situation is what we must work for efficiently, effectively, with fairness and with dedication.   A full partnership in economic progress cannot mean full partnership in poverty. It must mean a fair balance with regard to the participation and contribution of all our ethnic groups including the Bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak in the high-growth, modern sectors of our economy. It must mean a fair distribution with regard to the control , management and ownership of the modern economy.   In order to achieve this economically just society, we must escalate dramatically our programmes for national human resource development. There is a need to ensure the creation of an economically resilient and fully competitive Bumiputera community so as to be at par with the NonBumiputera community. There is need for a mental revolution and a cultural transformation. Much of the work of pulling ourselves up by our boot-straps must be done ourselves. In working for the correction of the economic imbalances, there has to be the fullest emphasis on making the needed advances at speed and with the most productive results at the lowest possible economic and societal cost.   With regard to the establishment of a prosperous society, we can set many aspirational goals. I believe that we should set the realistic (as opposed to aspirational) target of almost doubling our real gross domestic product every t en years between 1990 and 2020 AD. If we do this, our GDP should be about eight times larger by the year 2020 than it was in 1990. Our GDP in 1990 was 115 billion Ringgit. Our GDP in 2020 should therefore be about 920 billion Ringgit in real (1990 Ringgit) terms.   This rapid growth will require that we grow by an average of about 7 per cent (in real terms) annually over the next 30 years. Admittedly this is on optimistic projection but we should set our sights high if we are to motivate ourselves into striving hard. We must guard against growth fixation, the danger of pushing for growth figures oblivious to the needed commitment to ensure stability, to keep inflation low, to guarantee sustainability, to develop our quality of life and standard of living, and the achievement of our other social objectives. It will be a difficult task, with many peaks and low points. But I believe that this can be done. In the 1960s, we grew by an annual average of 5.1 per cent; in the 1970s, the first decade of the NEP, Malaysia grew by an average of 7.8 per cent; in the 1980s, because of the recession years, we grew by an annual average of 5.9 per cent. If we take the last thirty years, our GDP rose annually in real terms by an average of 6.3 per cent. If we take the last twenty years, we grew by an annual average of 6.9 per cent. What is needed is an additional 0.1 per cent growth. Surely if we all pull together God willing this 0.1% can be achieved.   If we do succeed, and assuming roughly a 2.5 per cent annual rate of population growth, by the year 2020, Malaysians will be four times richer (in real terms) than they were in 1990. That is the measure of the prosperous society we wish and hopefully we can achieve.   The second leg of our economic objective should be to secure the establishment of a competitive economy. Such an economy must be able to sustain itself over the longer term, must be dynamic, robust and resilient. It must mean, among other things: A diversified and balanced economy with a mature and widely based industrial sector, a modern and mature agriculture sector and an efficient and productive and an equally mature services sector; an economy that is quick on its feet, able to quickly adapt to changing patterns of supply, demand and competition; an economy that is technologically proficient, fully able to adapt, innovate and invent, that is increasingly technology intensive, moving in the direction of higher and higher levels of technology; an economy that has strong and cohesive industrial linkages throughout the system; an economy driven by brain-power, skills and diligence in possession of a wealth of information, with the knowledge of what to do and how to do it; an economy with high and escalating productivity with regard to every factor of production; an entrepreneurial economy that is self reliant, outward looking and enterprising; an economy sustained by an exemplary work ethic, quality consciousness and the quest for excellence; an economy characterised by low inflation and a low cost of living; an economy that is subjected to the full discipline and rigour of market forces.   Most of us in this present Council will not be there on the morning of January 1, 2020 Not many, I think. The great bulk of the work that must be done to ensure a fully developed country called Malaysia a generation from now will obviously be done by the leaders who follow us, by our children and grand-children. But we should make sure that we have done our duty in guiding them with regard to what we should work to become. And let us lay the secure foundations that they must build upon. Some Key Public Sector Economic Policies Some Key Public Sector Economic Policies For The Forseeable Future Since the early 1980s, we have stressed that this country will rely on the private sector as the primary engine of economic growth. In a way we were ahead of the rest of the world, even the developed countries in entrusting economic growth to the private sector.   In the early years, our fledgling private sector could not fully respond to the challenge that was issued. Then came the unpredictable and difficult recession and slowdown years. However in the last three years the private sector has bloomed and responded. The policy is now bearing fruit. The outcome: in 1988, we grew in real terms by 8.9 per cent; in 1989, by 8.8 per cent; in 1990, by 9.4 per cent without expansionary budgetting by the Government. Even the tiger economies of North East Asia have not done so well.   No nation can afford to abandon a winning formula. And this nation will not. For the forseeable future, Malaysia will continue to drive the private sector, to rely on it as the primary engine of growth.   In the meantime the Government will continue to downsize of its role in the field of economic production and business. The State cannot of course retreat totally from the economic life of Malaysia. It will not abdicate its responsibility for overseeing and providing the legal and regulatory framework for rapid economic and social development.   The Government will be pro active to ensure healthy fiscal and monetary management and the smooth functioning of the Malaysian economy. It will escalate the development of the necessary physical infrastructure and the most conducive business environment consistent with its other social priorities. And where absolutely neccessary the Government will not be so completly bound by its commitment to withdrawal from the economic role, that it will not intervene. It will play its role judiciously and actively. The process of de-regulation will continue. There can be no doubt that regulations are an essential part of the governance of society, of which the economy is a part. A state without laws and regulations is a state flirting with anarchy. Without order, there can be little business and no development. What is not required is over regulation although it may not be easy to decide when the Government is over regulating. Wisdom lies of course in the ability to distinguish between those laws and regulations which are productive of our societal objectives and those that are not; and it lies in making the right judgements with regard to the trade offs. Thus Governments will be neither foolish nor irresponsible, and will cater to the needs of the wider society as well as the requirements of rapid growth and a competitive, robust and resilient economy. It will be guided by the knowledge that the freeing of enterprise too not only laws and regulations, and state intervention can contribute to the achievement of the wider social objectives. In this light and given the fact that there are clear areas of unproductive regulation which need to be phased out, you can expect the process of productive de- regulation to continue. The recent move of Bank Negara to de-regulate the BLR regime is an example in point. Privatisation will continue to be an important cornerstone of our national development and national efficiency strategy. This policy is not founded on ideological belief. It is aimed specifically at enhancing competitiveness, efficiency and productivity in the economy, at reducing the administrative and financial burdens on the Government and at expediting the attainment of national distributional goals. In implementing our privatisation policy, the Government is fully aware of the need to protect public interest, to ensure that the poor are provided access to essential services, to guarantee that quality services are provided at minimum cost, to avoid unproductive monopolistic practices and to ensure the welfare of workers. There will be problems. No endeavour comes without a price tag. But it is clear enough that this policy has thus far generated positive results and we can expect its implementation to be accelerated in the future. With the completion of the Privatisation Master Plan Study, I believe that many of the bottlenecks and rigidities that obstruct the progress of the needed privatisation will be removed, thus accelerating its smooth implementation. There will be in the years ahead an Accelerated Industrialisation Drive, a drive that is not based on a fascination with industry but on the simple truth that if we want to develop rapidly -in a situation where the developed economies will be moving out of industrialisation into a post industrial stage this is the way to go. If we are to industrialise rapidly, we will need to capitalise on our national strengths and forcefully tackle our weaknesses. In pursuit of this policy, the Government will need to deal with the problem of a narrow manufacturing base. In 1988, 63 per cent of total Malaysian manufactured exports came from the electrical and electronic and textile industries. Electronics alone accounted for 50 per cent of total manufactured exports. We must diversify. Despite the most rapid development in the free trade zones insignificant demand has been generated for local intermediate products. We will have to deal with the problem of weak industrial linkages. There is inadequate development of indigenous technology. There is too little value- added, too much simple assembly and production. There is also a need to counter rising production costs brought about by rising costs of labour, raw materials and overheads by improving efficiency and productivity. There is a serious shortage of skilled manpower. All these and many more issues will need to be addressed. Small and medium scale industries have an important role to play in generating employment opportunities, in strengthening industrial linkages, in penetrating markets and generating export earnings. They have a crucial role as a spawning ground for the birth of tomorrows entrepreneurs. The Government will devise appropriate assistance schemes and will seek to raise the level of management expertise, technological know-how and skills of the employees in this very important and in many ways neglected sector of our economy. The SMIs will be one of the primary foundations for our future industrial thrust. The Government is fully committed to its healthiest development. Just as we must diversify the products we export so must we diversify the markets we export to. Malaysian exporters must look also at the non traditional markets. It will require new knowledge, new networks, new contacts and new approaches towards dealing with unfamiliar laws, rules and regulation. It will be uncomfortable but it would be a mistake to consider that it is not worth the discomfort to deal with these markets. Alone they may be small but cumulatively the market of the developing Asian, African and Latin America countries are big. If the developed countries find it worth while to export to these markets then it must be worth while for us also. The Government will help but the private sector must play their part. Reliance on export- led growth is still the way to rapid growth. Entry into the world market pits our companies against all comers and subjects them to the full force of international competition. This is a challange we must accept not simply because the domestic market is too small but because in the long run it will actually enrich our domestic market and reduce our dependence on export. We must persist with export-led growth despite the global slowdown, despite the rise of protectionism, trade blocs and managed trade. When the going is tougher, we must not turn inward. We simply have no choice but to be more lean, more resourceful, more productive and generally more competitive, more able to take on the world. 56. The liberalisation of the Malaysian economy has had beneficial result and contributed towards a more dynamic growth. Obviously, liberalisation must be undertaken responsibly and in stages so as not to create economic uncertainty and impose excessive structural adjustment costs. We should take into the fullest consideration Malaysias capacity to undertake liberalisation. We should not dismiss the infant industry argument, but we should not bow to illegitimate pressure. At the same time, productive liberalisation ensures that our private sector will be less reliant on artificial profits and on protection, which benefits some producers at the expense of consumers and other producers. Infants must grow up. They must grow up to be sturdy and strong. And this cannot be done if they are over-protected. For reasons that are obvious, the Government will continue to foster the inflow of foreign investment. This is essential for Malaysias Accelerated Industrialisation Drive. Again, we will not abandon a winning strategy. But we will fine-tune it to ensure that measures are in place to ensure that Malaysia maximises the net benefit from the inflow of foreign investment. In the past, the domestic private sector has largely failed to meet the targets set in successive Malaysia Plans. Apparently domestic investors feel that the Government has not devoted enough effort to the fostering of domestic investment as we have devoted to those from overseas. This is not completely true but we will redress the situation as we get better feed back. Small and medium scale enterprises must be assisted to grow bigger. Surplus savings and domestic capital must be more productively channeled into investments. Entrepreneurs must be spawned. Where necessary, technological and training help must be extended; and infrastructural support must be given. It is worthwhile to stress again that the development that we need cannot take place without the infrastructural underpinning. We must keep one step ahead of demand and need. In the recent Budget, we clearly stated what we will do in the shorter term. The Sixth Malaysia Plan will make clear what we will do in the medium term while the second outline perspective Plan will indicate the direction over the long term. The Government is fully aware of the infrastructure bottlenecks and of the need for massive investments in the years to come. We will not let growth to be retarded by excessive congestion and investment indigestion, as has happened in many countries. In our drive to move vigorously ahead nothing is more important then the development of human resources. From the experience in the last two decades of all the economic miracles of the countries that have been poor in terms of natural resources, it is blindingly clear that the most important resource of any nation must be the talents, skills, creativity and will of its people. What we have between our ears, at our elbow and in our heart is much more important than what we have below our feet and around us. Our people is our ultimate resource. Without a doubt, in the 1990s and beyond, Malaysia must give the fullest emphasis possible to the development of this ultimate resource. Malaysia has one of the best educational systems in the Third World. But for the journey that we must make over our second generation, new standards have to be set and new results achieved. We cannot but aspire to the highest standards with regard to the skills of our people, to their devotion to knowhow and knowledge upgrading and self-improvement, to their language competence, to their work attitudes and discipline, to their managerial abilities, to their achievement motivation, their attitude towards excellence and to the fostering of the entrepreneurial spirit. We cannot afford to neglect the importance of entrepreneurship and entrepreneural development, which goes, of course beyond training and education. We must ensure the correct mix with regard to professionals, sub-professionals, craftsmen and artisans, and the correct balance with regard to those with competence in science and technology, the a rts and social sciences. In the development of human resources we cannot afford to neglect half the population i.e. the Bumiputeras. If they are not brought into the mainstream, if their potentials are not fully developed, if they are allowed to be a milestone around the national neck, then our progress is going to be retarded by that much. No nation can achieve full progress with only half its human resources harnessed. What may be considered a burden now can, with the correct attitude and management be the force that lightens our burden and hasten our progress. The Bumiputeras must play their part fully in the achievement of the national goal. Inflation is the bane of all economic planners. Fortunately except during the first oil shock when inflation went up to 17%, Malaysia has managed to keep inflation low. We must continue to keep it low. The Government, the business sector, and the people must be committed to keeping it low. The only real way to combat inflation is to live within ones means. If we cannot afford we just dont buy. In Malaysia this is possible for we can produce practically all we need in terms of food, shelter and clothing. When recently we had a recession, life was bearable because we were able to buy our needs at roughly the same price i.e. we had practically no inflation. Now that we have more money, demand pull is slowly forcing prices up. So although we may be more prosperous now, although we may be financially wealthier now, but in terms of purchasing power we are not as well-off as we should be. The public must understand what causes inflation and must be disciplined enough to combat it . In some countries when inflation rates go up to thousands of per cent per year, Governments have been changed again and again without inflation being contained. The reason is that the people are not disciplined and prepared to restrain themselves. No Government can put a stop to inflation unless the people are prepared to accept the discomfort of austerity. In the fight against inflation nothing is more effective than education and discipline among the people. In an interdependent trading world, the exchange rate plays a vital role. Too cheap a currency will increase import bills and debt payment but it will make exports competitive. But the full benefit of a low exchange rate on export can be negated by the cost of imported material which go into the exported products. A high currency value will enrich our people, particularly in terms of buying imported luxuries but our exports will not be competitive and the economy will eventually be adversely affected. Clearly the management of the exchange rate is of extreme importance to the progress of our nation. There is only a limited ability to manipulate. In the final analysis it is how we balance our trade that will determine how our currency is valued. Malaysia must learn to be competitive through higher productivity rather than through manipulating exchange rates. Again the people must understand their role, particularly with regard to productivity. In a world of high technology Malaysia cannot afford to lag behind. We cannot be in the front line of modern technology but we must always try to catch up at least in those fields where we may have certain advantages. We have already adopted a National Plan of Action for Industrial Technology Development. This is the easy part. We must now proceed expeditiously to the enormously difficult task of implementation. The Government will certainly provide the necessary commitment and leadership to this national endeavour. The institutional and support infrastructure will be put in place to ensure rapid, realistic, focussed and market driven development of our technological capabilities. But let us never forget that technology is not for the laboratory but the factory floor and the market. The private sector and our people must respond. Far too often the results of research are ignoured in favour of the tried and tested moneyspinners. It has been said that the secret of Japans success is its skill in applying research results to marketable products. If we dont do this we are going to be left behind whatever may be the level of our technology. While increasing our industrial manufacturing sector, Malaysia must make sure that our agriculture and services sector will not be neglected. We must advance. We must strive for efficiency, modernity and competitiveness. These should be the key guiding principles of our national policy towards agriculture, tourism and the fullest development of the entire services sector. Nor can we afford to neglect the rural sector of our economy and society. In the years ahead, we must work for a second rural development transformation, restructuring the villages so as to be compatible with both agriculture and modern industry. Less and less farmers should produce more and more food, thus releasing manpower for an industrial society. While doing all these we must also ensure that our valuable natural resources are not wasted. Our land must remain productive and fertile, our atmosphere clear and clean, our water unpolluted, our forest resources capable of regeneration, able to yield the needs of our national development. The beauty of our land must not be desecrated for it s own sake and for our economic advancement. In the information age that we are living in the Malaysian society must be information rich. It can be no accident that there is today no wealthy, developed country that is information -poor and no information-rich country that is poor and undeveloped. There was a time when land was the most fundamental basis of prosperity and wealth. Then came the second wave, the age of industrialisation. Smokestacks rose where the fields were once cultivated. Now, increasingly, knowledge will not o