Rope-a-Dope and International Affairs

Rope-a-Dope and International Affairs Rope-a-Dope and International Affairs Rope-a-Dope and International Affairs By Maeve Maddox The other day I began listening to an interview between NPR’s Scott Simon and Dennis Ross, a member of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. My attention was stopped cold by this sentence in Simon’s opening remarks: I apologize for using a sports analogy, but what about the chances that this might be the rope-a-dope strategy for Iran? I don’t know how I’ve managed to go so long without encountering this expression, but I hadn’t a clue as to what Simon meant by â€Å"the rope-a-dope strategy.† The expression originated in 1974 when the boxer Muhammad Ali introduced the tactic in his fight with George Foreman. Besides its use to describe a boxing maneuver, apparently the expression is commonly used in political writing. My only excuse for remaining ignorant of it for so long is that my interest in politics is on a par with my interest in sports. Neither the OED nor Merriam-Webster Unabridged has an entry for â€Å"rope-a-dope,† but I found this definition at the free online Oxford Dictionaries: rope-a-dope noun: (US informal) A boxing tactic of pretending to be trapped against the ropes, goading an opponent to throw tiring ineffective punches. The expression has been applied to the delaying tactics favored by Iran at least since 2006: Many fear that the Iranians are engaged in a game of â€Å"rope-a-dope,† absorbing our best efforts to stop their nuclear program while buying time to get themselves over the nuclear know-how threshold. –US Senate report, 2006 One problem with using sports analogies in general reporting is that not all readers are familiar with them. Another is that the writers who use the expressions may not use them to mean the same thing. And a third is that the more such an expression is used, the more the original meaning is likely to shift. These seem to be the most common interpretations of â€Å"the rope-a-dope strategy†: -provoking an opponent to energy-wasting rage -pretending to be weaker than one is -distracting an opponent from one’s true purpose -employing delaying tactics In the case of Iran, â€Å"rope-a-dope† equates to â€Å"delaying tactics†: delaying tactics: an action or strategy designed to defer or postpone something in order to gain an advantage for oneself. For the sake of sports-challenged listeners, Simon could have said, â€Å"What about the chances that this might be a delaying tactic on the part of Iran?† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant Names"Latter," not "Ladder"10 Tips for Clean, Clear Writing

Ingredients in Coke and Their Function

Ingredients in Coke and Their Function You probably know that once upon a time Coca-Cola or Coke contained cocaine. What you might not know is that the beverage is still flavored with an extract from the coca leaf and that the cocaine which is extracted from the leaves is sold for medicinal use. The Stepan Company extracts cocaine from the coca leaves, which is sold to Mallinckrodt, the only US company that is licensed to purify cocaine. So... what are the other ingredients in Coke and what do they do? Coke contains a fairly short list of ingredients: Carbonated waterSugar (which can be sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup)CaffeinePhosphoric acid v. caramel (E150d)Natural flavorings (which include coca leaf extract) The purpose of the carbonated water and sugar is obvious, but you may be unaware caramel coloring is also an important flavoring agent... well, unless you ever tried the clear versions of Coke or Pepsi. Theres a good reason those never became popular. Caramel color is a soluble food coloring that is prepared by heat treating carbohydrates. The golden or brown liquid retains a bitter taste and burnt sugar odor. The caffeine is a stimulant, but also contributes a characteristic bitter flavor to the cola. The secret formula of the additional flavorings is known to two executives at Coca-Cola. The original copy of the formula is kept in Atlanta in the SunTrust Banks vault.

Why Globalization Is Bad for the Economy Research Paper

Why Globalization Is Bad for the Economy - Research Paper Example Macro economics consists of concepts that can be applied to the entire world. Globalization is a procedure of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world. For thousands of years, people and corporations have been buying from and selling to each other in lands at great distances hence globalization is not the new concept, but there have been vast changes in form of technology, advancement and policies over decades. Globalization can be explained as Covering a wide range of distinct political, economic, and cultural trends and discouraging barriers. Globalization became commonplace in the last two decades, and In today’s world barriers and distance don’ t matter anymore especially because of the advancement in technology, media and internal and most of all the mode of travelling. By the help of all the advancement and progress in the technology now anyone can travel a thousand miles in matter of hours and days. However Globalization is a very controversial topic, many economist don’t support the idea of globalization as it has many diverse affects on the economy. As many economist believe that Advances in communication and transportation technology, combined with free-market ideology, have given goods, services, and capital unprecedented mobility. And this can affect the local market of the country. Because of globalization â€Å"international trade† takes place. International trade is the exchange of goods and services among different countries, no country is self sufficient and can’t produce all that it needs to survive, and hence the countries need to Export and import to meet their needs. With the help of m odern techniques, up to date procedures, contemporary practices, globalization and highly advanced transportation system, the International trade system is spreading really fast. in today’s world International trade is important for meeting the needs of the country, not every country can produce all that it wants so in order to meet their needs and demands the trade takes place. International trade can benefit the economy of the country by expanding the local market and increasing the variety of the goods and services available. International trade is the basic source of bringing â€Å"FOREX† in the country. Trade often increases competition and it helps in reducing monopolistic pricing and the cons that generate from that. It encourages local investors and manufactures to perform better and keep stable pricing in the market. International trade is one of the major sources of revenue for the country. By doing more exports and fewer imports the country can actually achi eve economic stability. international trade can help reduce local dependence on the existing companies and international trade can even help stabilize seasonal market fluctuations. No matter the level of the development of the country there will always be some specific products that other countries must be producing at a cheaper rate, in order to make maximum use of minimum resources the country import those certain goods, The are produced at lower marginal costs, this help countries save and stay in their budget, this concept is known as the â€Å"Comparative Advantage†. International trade is one of the best examples of Globalization. In spite of all these benefits international tra

Crisis and Expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Crisis and Expansion - Essay Example As new modes of communication arrived on the scene, they allowed faster and more secure ways of sending and receiving information. It is also the time when various stratified groups of citizens started realizing their rights, particularly the African Americans and women. This gave rise to several black and women’s rights movements demanding greater rights for the minority or neglected group. The 19th century is also important due to the numerous expansions, exterminations, and exclusions took place. The Gold Rush also occurred during the same century when a great number of people flocked into California in order to find gold, but the incident also resulted in the death of several hundred Native Americans. Further activities during the century included the American Civil War and the rise of capitalistic ideas which influenced its own following. Thus, the nineteenth century was characterized by geographical expansion, industrial development, and activism. A significant portion of the 19th century was occupied by the westward territorial expansion of American settlements. Following the American independence from the colonization of Great Britain, the US was a free land which faced the problems of rising inflation and a weak economy (The significance of the frontier in American history pg 1). However, it is also during this time when American settlements sprawled further westwards in order to find suitable dwellings that met their need for sufficient resources. The American population kept growing and expanding in numbers and the American society found itself to be sharply extending to western continents as they went through the societal development process. The society and the people were also subject to the rapidly changing external environments which spurred them to expand to places where they could conquer the â€Å"wilderness†. Thus, in response to the changing social, economic,

Reforms in China Essay Example for Free

Reforms in China Essay Many reforms have been introduced in China since it attained its independence but the most significant ones took place after 1978. These reforms are very popular in the history of China as the economic transformation is all attributed to them. The need to introduce the reforms was the urgent political as well as economic urgency to revive the Chinese economy which was headed for doom. Communism failed to see the country realize its goals of industrialization. Instead it had seen the country compromise its food security and it was clear that development would not be realized self sufficiently. There was need to introduce new and different policies to help change the country’s economy. The reforms were successful in the sense that they liberalized prices, diversified the banking systems and promoted the development of the private sector which was almost inexistent. The state sectors would gain increased autonomy and would operate in a free economy as a way of increasing their efficiency. Despite all these positive effects of the reforms, important issues that emerge calling for serious or vital considerations if they are to be addressed effectively. This paper aims at classifying the CPS reform strategy and establishing if it is a sinified socialist or an authoritarian developmentalist. CPS reform strategy is authoritarian developmentalistic in nature. The reforms have been successful in improving the people’s standards of living and as Randall explain in his book China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? the life expectancy rate has risen. (Peerenboom, 2007). China has been registering economic growth year after year and this is expected to go on for quite a long time. It has promoted trade liberalization and embraced capitalism but the role of the state is also significant and cannot be undermined. The state is responsible for the regulation as well as the control of important sectors of the economy. It also ensures that the conditions are effective for the effective operations of business. Privatization was to be encouraged with the introduction of the reforms. It strengthened the private sector which was almost inexistent during the era of communism. The reforms have brought about mixed feelings to the Chinese people. Despite the economic benefits that came with the reforms it is argued that they brought about separation or segregation among the Chinese people. China introduced the reform as it wanted to revive the economy as well as to increase its independence where the aspect of foreign dominance would be eliminated. The political leaders at the time internalized the need for intensive economic development and there were focused to enhancing industrialization. A socialist nation is one where the state has much control over almost all aspects. Such systems are condemned in the sense that they create minimal incentives to encourage innovation. In general, the issue of efficiency is one that raises much concern in as far as such states are concerned. With the reforms the government control on prices would be minimized and consequently the market distortions that were caused would be eliminated. If power is decentralized the various levels of government would have the autonomy necessarily to enable them work effectively and efficiently. Allowing state corporations to operate within the limits of the market forces of demand and supply would see to it that prices reflected the actual prices. It is this ideology that would enhance the effectiveness of such bodies. As China moved away from the initially practiced socialism it continued to undermine nationalism and the economic aspect was placed above the other aspects. The resultant effect of this practice was the intensive distortions in the economy as well as in the political arena. The popular values that ensured that the people’s interests remained the government’s major role were replaced by the need to develop. As Randall explains in his book China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? chapter four democracy in the Asian countries remains a highly debatable issue and it creates mixed reactions in people. The real sense of democracy does not seem to be felt as can be seen in the manner in which elections are carried out. In any democratic nations elections are carried out to let the people have a say in the matters concerning their nation. They act as a measure that checks on how a country is run. Good leaders are generally elected or re-elected to continue with the projects they have established. However, the manner in which most Asian countries conduct their elections is quite questionable and it raises concerns as to whether the main reason for the elections is to ensure that democracy prevails. They are characterized by chaos and people would go the extra mile of disrespecting the rule of law to secure their position in power. The response of the common man as regards to this issue is hostile in nature. If people are denied the right to freely and fairly participate in the running of their own nation then they end up opting for harsh measures. (Peerenboom, 2007). Tun-jen, Jacques and Deborah argue there is need to reform the political organization too. Power in China has not been reformed and the same powers that the first generation had are the same powers that the four generation has. (Huang, 2005). A good illustration to prove the reality of this statement is the fact that just as the earlier leaders had much power in as far as the military was concerned so are the current leaders. There is need to change the political system especially the party organizations. This would lead to their effectiveness in addressing issues as they emerge. The political leadership should move with the times as different times are characterized by different and unique issues. Tun-jen, Jacques and Deborah suggest that if the government is to regain its lost glory tarnished by the rampant corruption that jeopardizes its very legitimacy then the political leadership must be reformed. It must change in a manner that makes it relevant to the newly emerging situation. (Amin, 2005). The reforms can be explained as ‘authoritarian developmentalistic in nature. The political elite who form the government are committed to ensuring that development remains a highly valued national goal. To attain this goal they have set necessary institutions to design, implement the state led development projects. Although capitalism is embraced in such a state this is not without some restrictions. The institutions with the role of ensuring that policies set in place are geared towards the economic development of the nation makes it hard for other parties to make their contribution. This exclusivity of some institutions at that expense of the majority causes much conflicts or tension. The capitalism exercised in China is limited to the extent at which the state intervention is ensured. Policies that are allowed are those that pave way for rapid industrialization and more preference is given to the structures or institutions that would be of a positive impact in as far as economic development is concerned. The reforms failed to let the market operate effectively as with the mixed economy government control in market was inevitable. As Randall explains in his book China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? chapter four, bureaucratic privileges were not effectively addressed and the country’s power structure was not effectively addressed thus undermining democracy. As a result of this the common man feels detached from the same system that is supposed to ensure that his interests are amicably dealt with. The government has failed in fulfilling its responsibilities effectively as can be seen in the way it exhibits laxity in the implementation of laws that ensure the protection of its citizens. Public participation is highly disregarded in as far as policy making is concerned. The reforms were to bring about significant changes which should be felt by the entire system. (Peerenboom, 2007). Consequently there is need to implement changes in the legal as well as the political institutions. Some aspects of socialism should be adopted to ensure that economic development is not at the expense of the common man. For there to be effective development it is important that countries must embrace democracy. Whenever democracy is undermined then the chances for intensive demonstrations are increased and this is not good for the economy. If people are not allowed to have a say in their affairs they may opt for the harsh ways of expressing their views. Again, if consultation is not done the policies to be implemented may not necessarily the best for the people. Democracy invokes varying or rather conflicting views as some argue that its efficiency is correlated to state of the country in question. To this regard they argue that its effectiveness would be felt in the developed countries. (Peerenboom, 2007). However, in some developing countries with many groups where there is minimal chance of one group dominating the others it can well exercised. In the current position, democracy only works to benefit a few people in the society. The elite who stand a better position in society whether in the aspects of power or money tend to benefit at the expense of the majority poor. Democracy does not address the same issues it was introduced to deal with. In any cases it only works to perpetuate conflicts as the commoners will strive to use whichever means at their disposal to have their voice heard. The inefficiencies that ‘democracy’ is characterized with include the lack of transparency by the elite n society. This paves way for irregularities in the system as the political elites are not answerable to anyone. They are reluctant to meet the needs or interests of the people even though that is their major role. Another important characteristic of this democracy as explained by Randall in China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? is the poor dissemination of information. The reason behind such practice is the need to keep the people in the dark in the running of the state. As the saying goes, ‘what you do not know does not bother you’, if people are not aware of the actual evils of their systems then they would not air their views on the same. Again, if only the positive information is disseminated then the people are less likely to condemn the system or even make contributions in the running of the system. (Peerenboom, 2007). In chapter four of his book, China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? , Randall explains how China prides in the way it has successfully alleviated millions from poverty. However their efforts can be countered by the fact that it has not dealt with the issue of inequalities effectively as the gap between the haves and the have-nots is very wide. (Peerenboom, 2007). The government is however committed to ensuring that education and healthcare are given much priority and this can be seen in the introduction of free schooling and subsidized medical care in the rural areas. There exist significant disparities in as gender is concerned and women tend to for instance register higher illiteracy rates compared to men. The minorities also seems to have been neglected by the current system and thus there is need to address their interests. Although the Chinese people need to address the main issues affecting them especially the inequality and corruption such efforts are hindered by the lack of sufficient resources. The social groups that would have come in handy in enhancing this lack the financial power to operate effectively and efficiently. Randall in China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? describes the civil societies as too weak to meet their challenge. Jianfu Shen in his article, Population Growth, Ecological Degradation and Construction in the Western Region of China, the population growth is also an issue that the Chinese government should address. (Shen, 2004). It is critical for it to promote equality among its citizen so that it has a unified growth. The issue of inequality is also cited as one that calls for urgent redress by Tun-jen Cheng and others in China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, (Friedman, 2005). The issue of environmental degradation is also highlighted and it has intensified as industrialization continues to be embraced. In China the elections do not address the people’s problems. (Peerenboom, 2007). This is evident in the sense that the problems of inequality, corruption, poverty and human suffering are not resolved after elections. The elected government seems to forfeit its role in addressing the problems at hand. Politics is dominated by the political elite who are in close links with the business elite or are themselves in business. Money also plays an important role in influencing the elections as the affluent give money to attract more votes. The authoritarian developmentalistic reform strategy gives room for social evils like political violence as well as rampant corruption. Corruption is a major setback in China as Randall explains in chapter five of his book, China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? There is need to ensure that the existing institution especially the legal system reform so that they can effectively deal with it. The role of the legal system cannot be underestimated in as far as economic development is concerned. Law and order must be maintained to create conducive environments for the people. If the rule of law is well adhered to then the chances for corrupt dealings will be minimized to a large extent. The legal systems would ensure that property rights are respected and this will be effective in ensuring that businesses flourish. (Peerenboom, 2007). This paper has by and large explained the aftermath of the reforms as a way of defining the strategy’s position. The reforms produced varying effects as some benefited at the expense of others. Whether the reforms brought about economic growth is undisputable given the fact that they saw the country emerge from just another developing country to register an increment in the country’s GDP year after the other. Many people were relieved from poverty as their incomes rose and so did their standards of living. However there is another aspect of the reforms that is not only worrying but needs to be addressed. The reasons that make the reform strategy take the form of an authoritarian developmentalist by limiting the people’s voice or say is irrelevant need to be well addressed. Lack of effective democracy where important human rights are not respected makes the reform strategy a failure in the sense that it undermines important issues that it ought to be addressing. References Randall Peerenboom. 2007. China Modernizes Threat to the West or model to the rest? ` Oxford University Press Yanghong Huang, 2005. `Is the Chinese State Apparatus Being Revamped? ` in Tun-jen Cheng, et. al. ,eds. , China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, River Edge, N. J. : World Scientific Publishing Company, Samir Amin, 2005. `Theory and Practice of the Chinese Market Socialism Project: Is Market Socialism an Alternative to Liberal Globalization? ` in Tian Yu Cao, ed. , The Chinese Model of Development, London and New York: Routledge,. Edward Friedman. 2005. `Jiang Zemins Successors and Chinas Growing Rich-Poor Gap,` in Tun-jen Cheng, et. al. ,eds. , China Under Hu Jintao: Opportunities, Dangers and Dilemmas, River Edge, N. J. : World Scientific Publishing Company Jianfu Shen, 2004. `Population Growth, Ecological Degradation and Construction in the Western Region of China,` Journal of Contemporary China, 13, 41 (November 2004): 637-661

Characterization in The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea and Won

Characterization in The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea and Wonderful Fool      Ã‚  Ã‚   The literary technique of characterization is often used to create and delineate a human character in a work of literature. When forming a character, writers can use many different methods of characterization. However, there is one method of characterization that speaks volumes about the character and requires no more than a single word - the character's personal name. In many cases, a personal name describes the character by associating him with a certain type of people or with a well known historical figure. Therefore, since the reader learns the character's name first, a personal name is a primary method of characterization; it creates an image in the reader's mind that corresponds with the name of the character. Once this image has been created, all subsequent actions and beliefs of the character are somehow in accordance with this image; otherwise, the character does not seem logical and the reader is not be able to relate to the work. In the novels The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea, by Yukio Mishima, and Wonderful Fool, by Shusako Endo, each author gives one of his characters a personal name that guides the character's actions and beliefs.    Noboru, the name assigned to a 13 year old child in Mishima's novel The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea means little boy in Japanese (Honda). By naming this major character Noboru, Mishima has characterized him as nothing more than a little boy. Consequently, Noboru's actions and beliefs are typical of the actions and beliefs of a small child.    Noboru's actions are the first to show the effects of his name. When Noboru discovers a peephol... ... be translated from Japanese to English. Due to cultural barriers, those who read the translated versions of the novels fail to see the importance of names like Noboru and Tomoe, and the impact that these names have on the rest of the work. Consequently, some of the literary value of the novels is lost in the translation. By using personal names as primary sources of characterization, Endo and Mishima offer a concluding suggestion that, whenever possible, it is best to read works of literature in the language in which they were originally written.    WORKS CITED †¢ Endo, Shusako. Wonderful Fool. Trans. Francis Mathy. Chester Springs: Peter Owen Publishers, 1995. †¢ Honda, Yoriko. Telephone Interview. 23 January 1997. †¢ Mishima, Yukio. The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. Trans. John Nathan. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1965.   

American Prisons

As far as memory could recall, man has continually developed laws to keep resolute civilization along with criminal sanctions to discourage the infringement of those laws. Accordingly, the number of inmates in federal and state penal colonies in the United States has soared to about 200,000 since the 1940s, and at the start of 1997, about 645 out of every 100,000 American citizens lived behind bars (Dakrat 1). However, alternative sanctions during the last decade have become prevalent in the United States, as well as in other western nations.The introduction of alternative sanctions has turned into one of the most significant developments in punishment principles in the country, in view of the fact that it reflects on the victims, offenders, community, as well as sentencing as a whole, in an absolutely different outlook. In a country with the world’s largest prison population, adding up to more than 2. 2 million, and where a number of States allocates more funds to the mainten ance of criminals than on education, alternative punishments are at this time a matter of necessity. Problems Faced By American PrisonsIt is not easy for most people to offer compassion for the millions of convicts incarcerated in the overcrowded prisons of America. A good number of the country’s population even believes that what takes place inside every prison establishments do not affect them. On the contrary, what occurs in prisons comes back to the society with a vengeance. Approximately 13. 5 million people in the country have served their own time in prisons and jails over the course of the year, and in the long run 95 percent of them are discharged back into the society (â€Å"Rising prison problems begin to trickle into society†).Because too many prisons are inhumane, unhealthy or unsafe, several of the released inmates return to the society as more hardened criminals eager to perpetrate new transgressions as well as to blame for spreading communicable disease s, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV, etc. , that were not taken cared of during the time that they were locked up. Currently, prison problems involve: 1. Corrections officers and inmates alike are constantly in fear of being assaulted. Even so, numerous prisons still do not report or collect information concerning the assaults, and when they do, the information is generally untrustworthy.2. Education lessens rule-breaking and is proven to cut the rate of recidivisms by almost half (â€Å"Rising prison problems begin to trickle into society†). However, despite the fact that the prison population has doubled since the 1990s, the pace of funding for prison vocational training and education has not persisted. 3. In excess of 1. 5 million prisoners carrying severe communicable diseases are discharged every year (â€Å"Rising prison problems begin to trickle into society†).In fact, a number of penal complex with as many as 5,000 prisoners have no more than two resident d octors. 4. Incarceration can no longer be viewed as the main form of criminal punishment given the growing expenses of both management and construction of prisons as well as the crisis of prison overcrowding (Junger-Tas 9). At this time, America is contending with the menacing economic recession that is acting as a powerful brake on advancing the country’s utilization of large funding in support to resolve the foregoing problems.The development of alternative punishments is therefore the result of the justice system’s exploration for new sentencing strategies to rise above these intertwining problems. Effects of Traditional Prison Sentence Anchored in the findings of the Center for Criminal Justice Studies at the University of New Brunswick and the Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati, unwarranted use of imprisonment has enormous expenditure implications. On the average, each American spends $50,000 annually to keep criminals in prison (Dakrat 2).In additio n, prisons should not be employed with anticipations of reducing illicit behavior. The soaring recidivism rate signifies that the risk of getting arrested and returned to prison does not deter criminals. Moreover, a research points out higher rates of recidivism among incarcerated youthful delinquents than those granted alternative sanctions (Dakrat 2). Incarceration devoid of appropriate treatment, criminals with severe infectious disease, criminal behavior or with mental health disorders are generally expected to leave prison in substandard health as well as character than when they initially went in.The problem can have an enormous impact on communities, since 97 percent of all incarcerated criminals are in time released from prison and live along with the entire population (Webb). Alternatives to Prison Opponents of long-established imprisonment have disputed the destructive potentiality of the punishment because it falls short of addressing the fundamental economic and psycholo gical reasons that lead individuals to perpetrate crimes (Rierden 2).Alternative sanctions, on the other hand attempt to transform behavior of criminals in addition to giving the necessary tools that will help them in not making the same mistakes again when released. Moreover, because of prison overcrowding, this modern sanction will give the country the opportunity to appropriately incarcerate and rehabilitate more serious criminals for extended portions of their prison term. There are basically an enormous number of useful alternative programs.Compensation, restitution, community service, intensive probation supervision, electronic monitoring, and regular house searches, for instance, still endure a sense of redress for the injured party and a sense of atonement to the legal order violated. In addition, there are several new and unconventional alternative programs that as well do not involve imprisonment. The most practical and astounding programs among them are the â€Å"drug tr eatment, and classes and fees: for the rich program† (David). Drug treatment program are aimed for nonviolent drug dependents with prior convictions.Criminals who qualify are required to join in a residential drug-treatment program. Those who graduate were found to be 87 percent less expected to re-offend than others (David). Conversely, while not yet put into practice, the whole idea of classes and fees program is to require corporate offenders to teach in low-income academes (David). Since a number of these offenders have been educated at first-rate schools, they are more valuable if allowed to teach in classrooms rather than be placed behind bars throughout their sentence at the taxpayers’ expense.The imposition of prison sentence should only be selective depending on each circumstances, such as: to protect the public from violent crime; when all other sanctions are incompatible taking into consideration the gravity of the crime; when the criminal is a habitual delin quent; to safeguard the morality of the criminal justice administration; and if the entire sanctions have not effected to conformity with the arrangements set forth in the punishment (Junger-Tas 7). In other words, imprisonment shall only be employed if the gravity of the offense is such that all other punishment is totally unsatisfactory.The Best Alternative The best alternative to imprisonment is one that is less restraining than incarceration yet more confining than conventional probation. Community service intends criminals to work for the advantage of the community, to make amends to the community, as well as to be penalized. Community service is expected to lessen the undesirable effects induced by imprisonment, decrease prison overcrowding, as well as offer a constructive experience for criminals for working in a typical community (Junger-Tas 11).The essential feature of the punishment lies in the supervision and control of the implementation of compulsory orders in the commu nity, instead of confining the criminal’s movement within a penal complex. In the early 1990s, developing countries regarded community service as an official alternative to prison, although it was already practiced in several communities. Community service is designed to punish criminals who are worthy of intermediate punishments.The program is applied to criminals that deserve to endure more than average probationers but not as much as criminals in prisons and jails (Samaha 428). Community service necessitates offender complete within a given time frame a particular number of hours of voluntary community work. In particular, criminals are required to wash automobiles in an agency motor pool, rake leaves or cut grass in parks, sweep up around housing projects or public structures, and clear garbage from playgrounds. Community service in the Federal courts is a special condition of supervised release or probation.However, community service is a commendable alternative for non- habitual criminals who perpetrated minor offenses or requires a prison term of one year or less. Criminals sentenced to community service must be expansively screened to get rid of those with histories of violent behavior. Because of community service, there might be a slight possibility of additional nonviolent transgressions; nevertheless, the degree the program manages to keep nonviolent offenders outside penal complex creates opportunity for the government to imprison and rehabilitate the more violent ones.Community service positively embraces the treatment factor as well on account of cautious matching of offenders to projects and services that constructively relates with their issues (Harding 78). In imposing the program, judges must consider the offenders’ availability and skills, and then match them with works available at nonprofit agencies and government. In the course of performing the community service, offenders are expected to learn how to take responsibilities as well as remunerate the communities they once damaged.However, failure to abide with the community service program results to the re-sentencing of the criminal. Many observers believe that offenders who previously benefited from community services gained confidence, self-respect, and a sense of accomplishment from their community work (Tonry and Hamilton 82). The rate of recurrence of conviction is lower among criminals who had found their experience in community service to be meaningful (Tonry and Hamilton 83). Moreover, rates of recidivism among those who completed the program are not higher than for criminals sent to prison.Not only is community service more effective and compassionate, they are as well less expensive. When both indirect and direct expenses are taken into consideration, an average-sized community service sentence is less expensive than incarceration. Imprisonment costs ranges from $30,000 to $59,000 annually, while community service generally costs only $2,000 annually and up to $20,000 in other alternative programs (Agosin 217). Conclusion The high cost of imprisonment and overcrowded prisons are among the most multifaceted concerns surrounding the criminal justice system.Unfortunately, because of these, prisons make uncertain the successful reintegration of criminals in the community. They transform the imprisoned offender, but the transformation is likely to be more depressing than encouraging. Alternative programs, on the other hand, particularly community service encourage a sense of social responsibility among criminals and permit them to enhance their character in the course of serving the community. Prison alone will never get to the bottom of the crime problems in America.Leaders and citizens alike must be more unconventional and tolerant to alternative programs. Alternative sentencing gives defense lawyers, prosecutors and judges a better range of sentencing options. It is not easy to resolve how much community service serves as a substitute for incarceration; nevertheless, one thing is for sure, that sentencing a non-habitual and less violent offender with community service works out the dilemma of prison overcrowding and saves the country an enormous amount of money. Works Cited Agosin, Marjorie. Women, Gender, and Human Rights: A Global Perspective.New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2001. Dakrat. â€Å"Alternatives to Prison: Why Imprisonment Doesn’t Work and What to Do About It. † 26 April 2007. Associated Content. 27 January 2009 . David, Ruth. â€Å"Ten Alternatives To Prison. † 18 April 2006. Online: Forbes Magazine. 27 January 2009 . Harding, John. Probation and the Community: A Practice and Policy Reader.London: Taylor & Francis, 1986. Junger-Tas, J. Alternative to Prison Sentences: Experiences and Developments. Netherlands: Kugler Publications,1994. Rierden, Andi. â€Å"Alternatives to Prison Mends Fences and Lives. † 23 June 1991. Online: The New York Times. 27 Jan uary 2009 . â€Å"Rising prison problems begin to trickle into society. † 11 June 2006. USA Today. 27 January 2009

Dysfunctional Behaviour Essay

A dysfunctional behaviour can be defined as â€Å"an inappropriate action or response, other than an activity of daily living, in a given social milieu that is a problem for the caregiver.† Dysfunctional behaviours commonly accompany cognitive impairment and are a significant source of burden to caregivers. Dysfunctional behaviours may be the first sign of a dementing illness, even before caregivers perceive changes in the patient’s cognitive abilities. Dysfunctional Behaviour has been called many things- abnormal, atypical and currently dysfunctional- which seem to reflect society’s view of the individual. If someone is not able to function as a normal human being, the label ‘dysfunctional’ carries less stigma than the label ‘abnormal’. It states that a person is clearly not functioning correctly and is therefore not leading what would be considered a ‘normal’ life. He or she may lack the full range of emotions or feelings and may participate in only a limited range of behaviours that does not allow for a fully functioning lifestyle. Approaches of Dysfunctional Behaviour * Behavioural The behaviourist perspective is that we are born blank slates and all behaviour is learnt. Therefore any dysfunctional behaviour is learnt, by operant conditioning, classical conditioning, or social learning. This places the responsibility on us to ensure that we do not ‘teach’ dysfunctional behaviours to others. * Biological The biological approach, which is part of biopsychology, would favour the nature side of the nature-nurture debate. Biological explanations of behaviour assert that something in our biology is the fundamental cause of dysfunctional behaviour. There could be genetic cause, or a malformation of brain structures. * Cognitive The third approach to explain dysfunctional behaviour is that of cognitive psychology, which sees our behaviour as being a consequence of some internal processing of information. Much like a computer, we take in information, process it and respond in some way. If however there is a problem with the circuit boards in a computer, the response may not be what we would expect, and this is the same with humans. If something goes wrong with what information we attend to, and how we perceive and store it, then the response may not be what everyone expects and this could lead to a label of dysfunctional behaviour.

Free Essays on Defining Gender Roles And Consequences In The Fairytale World

â€Å"A soldier came marching down the road: Left . . . right! Left . . . right! He had a pack on his back and a sword at his side. He had been in the war and was on his way home.† (pg. 1) â€Å"Once upon a time there was a woman whose only desire was to have a tiny little child.† (pg. 29) The opening lines from The Tinderbox and Inchelina demonstrate that in the world of Andersen’s fairytales, gender is represented with a very clear distinction between masculine and feminine roles. The rules of the fairytale require both male and female characters to make a journey or maturation into adulthood that ends when they marry and start a family of their own, but the rules of how that journey is accomplished differ greatly based on gender. The roles played by each are specific, and there tends to be severe consequences involved whenever a character behaves contrary to their assigned role. Andersen depicts the masculine role as one of action. The goal at the end of his journey is to settle down with a wife and children, often in financial circumstances above where he began. A male character cannot merely sit back and let fate carry him along, however. He is expected to actively strive towards the higher state. This usually requires him to employ exceptional cunning and cleverness to outsmart other characters in order to gain wealth or the privilege of a princess’ hand in marriage. For example, in The Tinderbox, the young soldier does not return home from war and wait for a new life to be handed to him. Instead, he takes an active role in his journey towards maturation. First he gains wealth by bravely entering into a bargain with the witch: â€Å"You climb up to the top of the tree, crawl into the hole, and slide down deep inside it. I’ll tie a rope around your waist, so I can pull you up again when you call me.† (pg. 1) â€Å"That doesn’t sound bad! said the soldier. But what am I to do for you, old witch?† (pg.... Free Essays on Defining Gender Roles And Consequences In The Fairytale World Free Essays on Defining Gender Roles And Consequences In The Fairytale World â€Å"A soldier came marching down the road: Left . . . right! Left . . . right! He had a pack on his back and a sword at his side. He had been in the war and was on his way home.† (pg. 1) â€Å"Once upon a time there was a woman whose only desire was to have a tiny little child.† (pg. 29) The opening lines from The Tinderbox and Inchelina demonstrate that in the world of Andersen’s fairytales, gender is represented with a very clear distinction between masculine and feminine roles. The rules of the fairytale require both male and female characters to make a journey or maturation into adulthood that ends when they marry and start a family of their own, but the rules of how that journey is accomplished differ greatly based on gender. The roles played by each are specific, and there tends to be severe consequences involved whenever a character behaves contrary to their assigned role. Andersen depicts the masculine role as one of action. The goal at the end of his journey is to settle down with a wife and children, often in financial circumstances above where he began. A male character cannot merely sit back and let fate carry him along, however. He is expected to actively strive towards the higher state. This usually requires him to employ exceptional cunning and cleverness to outsmart other characters in order to gain wealth or the privilege of a princess’ hand in marriage. For example, in The Tinderbox, the young soldier does not return home from war and wait for a new life to be handed to him. Instead, he takes an active role in his journey towards maturation. First he gains wealth by bravely entering into a bargain with the witch: â€Å"You climb up to the top of the tree, crawl into the hole, and slide down deep inside it. I’ll tie a rope around your waist, so I can pull you up again when you call me.† (pg. 1) â€Å"That doesn’t sound bad! said the soldier. But what am I to do for you, old witch?† (pg....

The Peters Projection and the Mercator Map

The Peters Projection and the Mercator Map Proponents of the Peters projection map claim that their map is a good, fair, and non-racist view of the world. Theyre comparing their map to the almost-defunct Mercator map. Unfortunately, geographers and cartographers agree that neither map projection is appropriate for use as a map of our planet. The Mercator vs. Peters controversy is truly a moot point. Both maps are rectangular projections and are poor representations of the planet. But heres how each came to prominence and in most cases, misuse. The Peters Projection German historian and journalist Arno Peters called a press conference in 1973 to announce his new map projection that treated each country fairly by representing area accurately. The Peters projection map used a rectangular coordinate system that showed parallel lines of latitude and longitude. Skilled at marketing, Arno claimed that his map more fairly displayed third world countries than the popular Mercator projection map, which distorts and dramatically enlarges the size of Eurasian and North American countries.   While the Peters projection does (almost) represent the land of equal area equally, all map projections distort the shape of the earth, a sphere.   Peters Picks Up Popularity   Proponents of the Peters map were vociferous and demanded that organizations switch to the new, fairer map of the world. Even the United Nations Development Programme began using the Peters projection in its maps. But the popularity of the Peters Projection may have been due to a lack of knowledge about basic cartography.   Today, relatively few organizations use the map, yet the evangelizing continues.   Peters chose to compare his strange-looking map to the Mercator map because he knew that it was an inappropriate map of the earth. Defenders of the Peters projection claim that the Mercator projection distorts the size of countries and continents in the Northern Hemisphere and a  place like Greenland appears to be the same size as Africa, yet Africas land mass is actually fourteen times larger. These claims are certainly all true and correct. The Mercator map was never intended to be used as a wall map and by the time Peters started complaining about it, the Mercator map was well on its way out of fashion anyway. The Mercator Map The Mercator projection was developed in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator as a navigation tool. Like the Peters map, the grid is rectangular and lines of latitude and longitude are all parallel. The Mercator map was designed as an aid to navigators since straight lines on the Mercator projection are loxodromes or rhumb lines representing lines of constant compass bearing perfect for true direction. If a navigator wishes to sail from Spain to the West Indies, all he has to do is draw a line between the two points and the navigator knows which compass direction to continually sail to reach their destination. The Mercator map has always been a poor projection for a world map, yet due to its rectangular grid and shape, geographically illiterate publishers found it useful for wall maps, atlas maps, and maps in books and newspapers published by non-geographers. It became the standard map projection in the mental map of most westerners. The argument against the Mercator projection by the pro-Peters folks usually discusses its advantage for colonial powers by making Europe look a lot larger than it actually is on the globe. Mercator No Longer Widely Used Fortunately, over the past few decades, the Mercator projection has fallen into disuse from many reliable sources. In a 1980s study, two British geographers discovered that the Mercator map did not exist among dozens of atlases examined. But some major map companies still produce wall maps using the Mercator projection.   In 1989, seven North American professional geographic organizations (including the American Cartographic Association, National Council for Geographic Education, Association of American Geographers, and the National Geographic Society) adopted a resolution that called for a ban on all rectangular coordinate maps. The resolution called for the complete elimination of the use of the Mercator as well as the Peters projection. But what to replace them with? Alternatives to Mercator and Peters Non-rectangular maps have been around for a long time. The National Geographic Society adopted the Van der Grinten projection, which encloses the world in a circle, in 1922. Then in 1988, they switched to the Robinson projection, on which the high latitudes are less distorted in size (but more so in shape). Also in 1998, the Society began using the Winkel Tripel projection, which provides a slightly better balance between size and shape than the Robinson projection. Compromise projections like the Robinson or Winkle Tripel present the world in a more globe-like look and are strongly encouraged by geographers. These are the types of projections youll see on maps of continents or of the world today.

Role of Engineers in Sustainable Construction Assignment

Role of Engineers in Sustainable Construction - Assignment Example Architectural engineers have a tremendous responsibility when it comes to sustainable development, particularly its implementation, because of their central role in construction, as well as their skills and knowledge (Donnelly & Boyle, 2006: p149). This report seeks to examine the aspects required to construct a sustainable building for Apple Corporation. The report will focus on the issues that the Apple building must take into consideration in keeping with the sustainability of construction pioneered in Sydney’s walking tour. First, the engineers must assess the CO2 lifecycle of concrete from the production of raw materials, their transport to the construction site, and concrete production (Park et al, 2012: p2941). This will be done with the aim of pinpointing the processes that require more effort in reduction of CO2 emissions. After this, is completed, the engineers should now use this information to come up with the appropriate concrete technologies that will reduce emis sions and improve energy efficiency. Finally, the engineers will also have to design a diagrid faà §ade that increases the energy efficiency and sustainability of the Apple building by reducing electricity needs. ... According to Park et al, the process of concrete production is divided into various stages, including raw material production, material transportation, and concrete production, all of which must be assesses to reduce emissions (Park et al, 2012: p2942), as shown in appendix 1. Park et al (2012), build on Donnelly & Boyle’s assertion on the importance of architectural engineers in sustainable construction by asserting that they will have to assess the CO2 emissions in concrete lifecycle, especially as they seek to increase the compressive strength of concrete. This can be done through computing for the emitted CO2 and consumed energy for production of cement, admixture, and aggregate as shown in appendix 2. During transportation, the fuel used by trucks, distance travelled, and their fuel efficiency is important. Finally, with regards to production, the total consumption of energy and CO2 emission is measured for the storage, transportation, measurement, and mixing stages (Park et al, 2012: p2943). These emissions are assessed with the aim of reducing emissions and improving sustainability of the environment. The engineers will also have to come up with ways to accurately assess these emissions during the construction of the Apple building so as to ensure that it fits within the confines of allowed emissions in the area covered by the Sydney walking tour. In this case, the engineers will have to analyze the emissions from the cement, coarse aggregate, fly ash, blast furnace slag, water, fine aggregate, and water with reduction of admixture in different proportions (Park et al, 2012: p2944). The engineers will also be required to analyze the lifecycle of CO2 emissions. Taking into account the lifecycle of

Minimum Wage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Minimum Wage - Essay Example Critics are of the view that minimum wage forces employers to appoint only skilled workers and therefore employees with lesser skills may struggle to get employment. This paper argues in favour of minimum wage after analysing both the sides of the issue. â€Å"The vast majority of economists believe the minimum wage law costs the economy thousands of jobs†(Messerli). In their opinion, enforcement of minimum wage will decrease the demand for workers. They explain their argument based on the supply and demand theory of economics. When salary goes up, supply of workers will also goes up and thereby the demand for the workers will geos down. In other words, when supply increases, demand decreases. The above theory might be true in theoretical terms, but in practical terms, it may not be so. It should be noted that majorities of the western countries are outsourcing their jobs to India like Asian countries at present because of the labour shortage. It should be noted that in countr ies like America and Britain, an ordinary worker is getting salaries, three to four times more than that an Indian worker is getting in his country. In other words, even though the wages are high, supply of labour force is not increasing in countries like America and Britain. On the other hand, in India like countries even though the wages are low, excess of supply of labour is in place. ... Part-time work and full time work should be separated from each other. Minimum wage for part time work need not be the same as that of the full time. Authorities can prescribe separate norms of minimum wage with respect to part time and full time work. Moreover, separate minimum wage norms can be enforced with respect to the qualification and experience of the employees. â€Å"Abolishing the minimum wage will allow businesses to achieve greater efficiency and lower prices. Anytime you give businesses more flexibility, you will increase efficiency and lower prices† (Messerli). It is an accepted fact that only a satisfied worker will try to deliver more than 100% of his efficiency. In other words, workers who struggle to get a decent salary may not be fully committed to the organization. It is better for an organization to have more committed workers to increase its efficiency and productivity rather than having a huge workforce of unskilled or cheaper labours. Salary is the maj or motivating factor for the employees and therefore minimum wage will definitely motivate the workers more and thereby the organization will be benefitted. â€Å"Adults who currently work for minimum wage are likely to lose jobs to teenagers who will work for much less. Many adults trying to make a living are forced to work minimum wage jobs† (Messerli). Employers may exploit the workers in the absence of a minimum wage law. They will try to terminate experienced workers even without any reasons, for appointing fresh workers in order to reduce their employee wage expenditure. Thus, even experienced employees will be forced to work under tremendous pressure if minimum wage law is not implemented. In the absence of minimum law, business will take undue advantages in the form of