How America Became a Global Superpower Essay

The United States of America is the world’s last remaining superpower. However, this was not always the case. The United States toiled in relative obscurity on a global scale for most of its history. As the world evolved, so too did the young nation. The United States attempted to stay out of world affairs, but a time came when that was no longer possible. Necessity dictated that the United States become a major player at the global level. The United States entered into World War II a great power and emerged a global superpower. What is a superpower? In order to properly examine the events that led to the emergence of the United States as a superpower it is important to understand exactly what constitutes a nation gaining the status of that title. According to Lyman Miller of the Stanford Journal of International Relations, â€Å"A â€Å"superpower† is a country that has the capacity to project dominating power and influence anywhere in the world, and sometimes, in more than one region of the globe at a time, and so may plausibly attain the status of global (2006)†. There have been many global superpowers throughout history. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States have all spent significant time in the past as global superpowers. The collapse of the Soviet Union allowed the United States to become the only nation with a legitimate claim to the title of global superpower. However, there are other nations that may be able to lay claim to the title at some point in the future. Perhaps the most visible, and closest, of these countries is the People’s Republic of China. Over the past 20 years, China has grown into both a military and economic power. China has the second largest GDP in the world, next to the United States, according to the International Monetary Fund. However, Miller doesn’t seem to believe China will be evolving anytime soon. â€Å"At a broader level, in global affairs, its stature and power are growing, but in most respects it remains a regional power, complementing the cast of other great powers under the overarching dominance, however momentary, of the United States (Miller, 2006)†. Focus on Domestic Issues The United States stayed out of foreign affairs throughout most of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. These policies actually served the country quite well as the young nation had many domestic problems that needed to be resolved before it could take a prominent position in global affairs. This did not stop the United States from intervening when it was necessary. Aside from this, the citizens of the United States did not really have the stomach for foreign powers. This could perhaps not be better stated than it was by George Washington, the first President of the United States, in his farewell address in 1796. â€Å"The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop. Europe has a set of primary interests which to us have none; or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves by artificial ties in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities†. The first major problem the United States wanted to tackle was the belief that the country was destined to expand across the continent. This led to a focus on expansion. The dream began with Thomas Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory. This purchase doubled the size of the United States. Between 1811 and 1912 the United States went from 17 to 48 states spanning from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. It took 100 years, but the United States’ dream of manifest destiny was realized. (World Book, 2011) One issue which evolved from the nation’s rapid expansion and precluded the United States from becoming involved in global affairs was the country’s relationships with Native American’s. The United States would move Native American’s off of their land and moved them to reservations. It was a very tenuous relationship. There were other issues within the ensuing years. The most significant of these problems was the Civil War. Between 1861 and 1865 the United States was locked in a brutal Civil War. South Carolina seceded from the union on December 20, 1860. Ten other southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi in January; Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia later in 1861) followed South Carolina’s lead and formed the Confederate States of America. Over the next four years American’s killed each other in combat. This resulted in over 600,000 American deaths. The Civil War remains the deadliest war (in terms of American deaths) in United States history. The war did have a couple of positive outcomes. The war preserved the United States. Additionally, the war led to the abolishment of slavery. (World Book, 2011) The Civil War led directly to another major issue. The issue of reconstruction was not just about rebuilding the ravaged the south, but also rebuilding the nation’s unity. Laws were passed to allow African-American’s to have the same opportunities as white Americans, though they often weren’t enforced. Former Confederate states were â€Å"required to ratify the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the Constitution in order to be readmitted to the Union (World Book, 2011)†. Reconstruction ended in 1877, 12 years after the Civil War ended. Communication Problems Domestic problems were not the only things standing in the way of the United States becoming a world power. There were numerous communication barriers that prevented the United States from having any significant influence on issues of a global scale. The most obvious of these issues is the proximity of the United States to the other Great Powers of the world. There are hundreds of miles of ocean between the United States and Europe and Asia across the Atlantic and Pacific respectively. Until the advent of the telegraph the only form of communication between the new world and the old world was via letter or personal contact. Communication in this manner could take weeks to complete. Superpower Ability There were many positive things happening domestically for the United States. The United States has a varied climate, a diverse amount of natural resources, and geographic barriers that make it more difficult to attack the country. These issues placed the United States in a unique position to become a global superpower. The climate of the United States gives it the ability to grow several different types of crops. Corn grows in the plains, cotton in the south, and dairy in the north. It also allows for many different types of animals co-exist as there are several different items for them to graze on. This gives the Unites States the ability to reliably feed its entire populace, at least at the current population levels. The United States also has a plentiful supply of natural resources. These resources include both renewable resources, such as the aforementioned food and animals, and a wide array of nonrenewable resources, such as coal, oil, and metals. The vast amount of natural resources have allowed the United States to create an economic infrastructure that is capable of sustaining the populace without outside assistance from other nations. While the nations geographic barriers have made it harder to communicate with other world powers (at least initially), they also make it harder for a country to maintain a sustained offensive against the United States. It is hard to keep supply lines stocked when the venue of war is halfway across the globe. Most countries do not have the resources to keep up that type of attack for an extended period of time, and even fewer have the ability to maintain an occupying force over the course of several years to combat insurrection. Effect of War Wars had a profound effect on the emergence of the United States as a global superpower. Not only did these wars show that the United States had a military worthy of global recognition, but they also helped to give the United States more clout on the world political stage. World War I and World War II probably had the largest effect, but the Korean and Vietnam Wars, while smaller in size, had large effects on the United States’ sphere of influence. This gave Americans the wherewithal to become more involved in world politics. World War I was the first major overseas conflict in which the United States became involved. The United States attempted to stay out of the war. When German submarines began sinking United States merchant vessels shipping supplies to Europe, however, it became impossible for the United States to maintain its neutrality. â€Å"These and other acts of aggression convinced Wilson and other Americans of the need to join the war against Germany to make the world â€Å"safe for democracy (World Book, 2011)†. The United States joining the war was enough to tip the scale in the allies favor. A little over a year and a half after the United States joined World War I it ended with the surrender of the Central Powers. The European countries in the war spent nearly 60% of their GDP on the war. This number was much lower for the United States. This gave the United States a much needed economic boost over the European powers. (World Book, 2011) After World War I there was a relatively short lived peace between the powers. In the late 1930’s war sentiments in Europe began brewing again. In 1939 Germany invaded Poland sparking World War II. Again the United States took a militarily neutral stance. They did support the Allies (the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union) against the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) economically by sending supplies. Some American soldiers even volunteered to go fight for the United Kingdom. It once again took an unprovoked act of aggression (this time Japan’s sneak attack on Pearl Harbor) to provoke the United States to join the conflict. While the United States’ intervention in World War I helped secure an allied victory, the United States’ intervention in World War II helped change the course of the entire war. The United States did not recede back into isolation following World War II; unlike the end of World War I. With most of the combat happening in Europe, Africa, and Asia the United States again suffered very little damage to their infrastructure. Europe was quite the opposite. With two major conflicts in less than 50 years European infrastructure was decimated. Japan was forbidden from keeping a large enough standing military to have any true significance on a global level thanks to their treaty with the United States. The Soviet Union stopped cooperating with the western Allies before the ink was dry on the peace treaties ending the war. The Soviets refused to unite their portion of Germany with the rest of the country, effectively splitting the country in two. The Cold War had begun. The Cold War necessitated that the United States remain on the forefront of global affairs because neither France nor the United Kingdom were in a position, economically or militarily, to defend against the Soviet threat. While the Cold War didn’t have any direct combat between the two remaining superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, it did have conflict. The United States was involved in combat in Korea (which resulted in the split of Korea into two countries) and Vietnam. The Soviets were involved in combat in Afghanistan. The Cold War caused the United States to continue its military growth. As seen in the following chart, National Defense expenditures peaked in 1954 at almost 70 percent of the nation’s total budget (U.S. Government, 2009). Global Influence The size of the United States’ military put them in a position of global dominance, but it takes more than a large military to become a global power. It also takes influence in foreign matters. This is another thing the United States has developed over the two and a half centuries since being founded. There have been more than a few global matters that the United States has influenced other than wars. After World War I the League of Nations was formed. While United States President Woodrow Wilson was an advocate of the League the United States Senate was not. They voted down the motion for the United States to join the League of Nations. Many Americans believe that had the United States joined the League of Nations it would not have failed. This could have helped stop the Nazi spread through Eastern Europe. Decisions made by the United States influence the economies of every nation on earth. The world also looks to the United States for action in times of need. â€Å"I think that the authorities would do better to sit down with Ambassador Thomas and take advantage of whatever voluntary help the only superpower in the world today has to offer the Philippines to put a stop to the worldwide problem of women trafficking (Vitas, 2011)†. Without the United States the spread of communism would have continued unabated following World War II. To this end the United States helped to create the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to create the Soviet Union’s Warsaw Pact. This helped to ensure the safety of democracy for the world. It also helped to curb the spread of communism. The United States also sets the tone culturally. Hollywood is the predominant film industry in the world. Perhaps the area where the United States had the largest cultural impact on a worldwide scale was with regards to space. It was a large achievement for all members of the human race when the Americans landed on the moon. Conclusion The United States went into World War II as a world power and emerged as one of two superpowers. There were many things leading up to the nation’s emergence. The United States has the world’s largest economy, largest military, and the decisions made by its President have far reaching impacts. It has given the country a large sphere of influence that is still evident in the world today. References Einhorn, R. L., & Schulman, B. J. (2011). History of the united states. In World Book Advanced Retrieved from http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar576000 Imf: Report for selected countries. (2011, September). Retrieved from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/02/weodata/weorept.aspx Miller, L. (2006). China an emerging superpower? Stanford Journal of International Relations, Retrieved from http://www.stanford.edu/group/sjir/6.1.03_miller.html U.S. Government. (2009). The budget for fiscal year 2009, historical tables. Retrieved from U.S. Government Printing Office website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2009/pdf/hist.pdf Vitas, H. M. (2011, November 15). The revelation of the real harry thomas. Philippine Daily Chronicle. Retrieved from http://campus.westlaw.com/ Washington, G. (1796). George washington farewell address 1796. Retrieved from http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp

Argument of Jonestown Death as a Mass Suicide Essay

The Jonestown Massacre, which had a death toll of 918 people (Rosenberg, 2003), can in the main, be regarded as mass suicide or what in the words of the founder Jim Jones was termed â€Å"revolutionary suicide†. This is because all but one of temple members, Christine Miller, supported Jones’ suggestion of â€Å"revolutionary suicide† (Jonestown Audiotape, 1978). Jim McElvane, a former therapist, assisted Jones by arguing against Miller’s resistance to suicide, stating â€Å"Let’s make it a beautiful day†. This statement was followed by applause from Temple members. In addition to Jim McElvane, several other temple members gave speeches praising Jones and his decision for the community to commit suicide (Jonestown Audiotape, 1978). Some instances that preceded the ugly event and suggest it as mass suicide include; i. White Nights: â€Å"revolutionary suicide† rehearsals A Temple defector Deborah Layton recalled that after work, when purported emergencies arose, the Temple sometimes conducted what Rev. Jones referred to as â€Å"White Nights†. During such events, Jones would sometimes give the Jonestown members four choices: (i) attempt to flee to the Soviet Union; (ii) commit â€Å"revolutionary suicide†; (iii) stay in Jonestown and fight the purported attackers or (iv) flee into the jungle. On at least two occasions during White Nights, after a â€Å"revolutionary suicide† vote was reached, a simulated mass suicide was rehearsed (Layton, 1998). Deborah Layton described the event in an affidavit: â€Å"Everyone, including the children, was told to line up. As we passed through the line, we were given a small glass of red liquid to drink. We were told that the liquid contained poison and that we would die within 45 minutes. We all did as we were told. When the time came when we should have dropped dead, Rev. Jones explained that the poison was not real and that we had just been through a loyalty test. He warned us that the time was not far off when it would become necessary for us to die by our own hands† (Affidavit of Deborah Layton, 1998). From the above statement culled from Affidavit of Deborah Layton, it is evidently clear that Temple members are fully aware that a time will come when it will become necessary for them to die by their own hands. Although, they were not told when or how the â€Å"suicide† will occur (Rosenberg, 2003). ii. Notes from non-surviving residents of Peoples Temple Notes from the non-surviving residents of the Peoples Temple suggest that the event at Jonestown was a mass suicide. Similar to the â€Å"suicide note† usually written by individuals that commit the anti-social act, notes found at the scene of the event in Jonestown suggest it was mass suicide. Found near the body of Marceline Jones (wife of Jim Jones) was a typewritten note, dated November 18, 1978, signed by Marceline Jones and witnessed by Annie Moore and Maria Katsaris, stating: I, Marceline Jones, leave all bank assets in my name to the Communist Party of the USSR. The above bank accounts are located in the Bank of Nova Scotia, Nassau, Bahamas. Please be sure that these assets do get to the USSR. I especially request that none of these are allowed to get into the hands of my adopted daughter, Suzanne Jones Cartmell. For anyone who finds this letter, please honor this request as it is most important to myself and my husband, James W. Jones (Letter from Marceline Jones, 1978). Annie Moore left a note, which in part stated: â€Å"I am at a point right now so embittered against the world that I don’t know why I am writing this. Someone who finds it will believe I am crazy or believe in the barbed wire that does NOT exist in Jonestown.† Moore also wrote, â€Å"JONESTOWN—the most peaceful, loving community that ever existed.† The children loved it. So did everyone else.† The last line, Moore wrote â€Å"We died because you would not let us live in peace.† in different color ink (Last words – Annie Moore, 1978). iii. Leo Ryan Delegation’s Report Another evidence that characterized the death at Jonestown as mass suicide is the U.S congressman Leo Ryan’s report of his visit to Jonestown. Ryan stated that none of the sixty (60) relatives Ryan had targeted for interviews wanted to leave Jonestown, the 14 defectors constituted a very small portion of Jonestown’s residents, that any sense of imprisonment the defectors had was likely because of peer pressure and a lack of physical transportation, and even if 200 of the 900+ wanted to leave â€Å"I’d still say you have a beautiful place here† (Hall, 1989). Similarly, Washington Post reporter Charles Krause stated that, on the way back to the airstrip, he was unconvinced that Jonestown was as bad as defectors had claimed because there were no signs of malnutrition or physical abuse, while many members appeared to enjoy Jonestown and only a small number of the over 900 residents expressed willingness to leave (Layton, 1999). Lastly, in 1978, officials from the United States Embassy in Guyana interviewed Social Security recipients on multiple occasions to make sure they were not being held against their will (Pear, 1978). None of the 75 people interviewed by the Embassy stated that they were being held against their will, were forced to sign over welfare checks, or wanted to leave Jonestown (Wessinger, 2000). Jonestown as a Religio-political Movement Vs Collective Action Founded in 1956 by Reverend Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple (known also as Jonestown) was a racially integrated church purported to practice what it called â€Å"apostolic socialism† (Dawson, 2003, Time Magazine, 2008) that focused on helping people in need. Jones had a vision of a communist community, one in which everyone lived together in harmony and worked for the common good (Rosenberg, 2003). This is similar to the communist movement proposed by Karl Marx and Marx followers. Thus, distinct from various scholarly views on collective behavior, Jones aligned this religious cum political ideology with the Communist Party of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, World’s renowned socialist movement. Unlike any routine or non-routine collective action, Jones purported to establish Jonestown as a benevolent communist community, stating: â€Å"I believe we’re the purest communists there are† (Pear, 1978). Marceline Jones (wife of Jim Jones) described Jonestown as â€Å"dedicated to live for socialism, total economic and racial and social equality. We are here living communally† (Dawson, 2003). After the day’s work ended, Temple members would attend several hours of activities in a pavilion structure, including classes on socialism (Layton, 1998). Discussions around the topics raised often took the form of Jones usually portraying the United States as a â€Å"capitalist† and â€Å"imperialist† villain, while casting â€Å"socialist† leaders, such as North Korean leader Kim Il-sung, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Joseph Stalin, in a positive light (Hall, 1987). Another factor that distinguished Jonestown from collective action is that it lacked some elements of collective actions identified by Useem (1998) such as riots, rebellion, and civil violence, planned and unplanned protests, destructive barricades, peaceful and violent demonstrations, aggressive display of grievances, and so forth. Furthermore, unlikely of collective actions, Jonestown participated actively in politics. Founder Jim Jones was appointed as the Chairman San Francisco Housing Authority Commission (Reiterman and John, 1982). Both in theory and practice, Jonestown is a religio-political movement. Jonestown strongly supported communist movement of the Soviet Union and identified with them. Prior to their eventual death, Jones wrote a letter, on behalf of Peoples Temple (‘apostolic socialism’ church) , to the Embassy of the Soviet Union in Guyana in which he instructed that all their assets be given to the Communist Party of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. However, it is intellectually instructive to conclude by bringing to mind that Jonestown ended as a collective action sequel to their â€Å"revolutionary suicide† which has been severally argued as a collective decision of the Peoples Temple resident members at the time of the event. Theoretical Explanations of Jonestown Event i. Social identity theory: One theoretical tradition that provides sufficient explanation to the Jonestown event is social identity theory. Developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner in 1979, the theory was originally developed to understand the psychological basis of intergroup discrimination, and to identify the minimal conditions that would lead members of one group to discriminate in favor of the in-group to which they belonged and against another out-group (Tajfel et al., 1986). Generally, a social identity is the portion of an individual’s self-concept derived from perceived membership in a relevant social group. Social identity theory asserts that group membership creates ingroup/ self-categorization and enhancement in ways that favor the in-group at the expense of the out-group. This quest for positive distinctiveness means that people’s sense of who they are is defined in terms of ‘we’ rather than ‘I’. This is exactly what transpired in Jonestown. In application, it is obvious that at various forums, statements like â€Å"I believe we’re the purest communists there are† (Pear, 1978), â€Å"We are here living communally†, â€Å"Let’s make it a beautiful day† (Dawson, 2003), dominated Jones, Marceline and other Temple members’ discussions. ii. Social Solidarity Theory: Another theoretical paradigm that dominated the terrain of the study of movements and collective actions in the 1960s is social solidarity theory. The theory is an off-shoot of Emile Durkheim’s functionalist theory on 1938. According to Durkheim, collective conscience and social solidarity constitute common belief and sentiments. â€Å"solidarity, rather than insufficient integration, provides the necessary conditions of collective action, and rebellions, protest, collective violence, and related forms of action result from rational pursuit of shared interests†(Useem, 1984). Without this common sentiment or agreement, solidarity would be impossible. Citing Tilly and others, Useem (1998) opined that solidarity refers to dense social networks and a strong collective identity. This shared sentiment, solidarity and group consciousness characterized the underlying principles for the formation of Jonestown. Members see themselves as the same and they stood pungently against the U.S capitalism and imperialism. As such, Rev Jim Jones and Temple members moved to establish a community where communalism, egalitarianism and equality will dominates. References Catherine Wessinger (2000) â€Å"How the Millennium Comes Violently: From Jonestown to Heaven’s Gate† ISBN 978-1-889119-24-3, p. 31-34. Dawson, Lorne L. (2003). Cults and new religious movements: a reader. Wiley Blackwell. pp. 194. ISBN 1-4051-0181-4. Annie Moore (1978) â€Å"Last Words from Annie Moore† Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple. Jonestown Project: San Diego State University. Retrieved from www.wikipedia.com on 24th October, 2012. Layton, Deborah (1998) Seductive Poison. Anchor, 1998. ISBN 0-385-48984-6. p. 53. Retrieved from www.wikipedia.com on 24th October, 2012. Layton, Deborah (1999). Seductive Poison. Anchor, 1999. ISBN 0-385-48984-6. p. xix (Krause forward) Retrieved from www.wikipedia.com on 24th October, 2012. Marceline Jones (1978).†Letter from Marceline Jones† Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple. Jonestown Project: San Diego State University. Pear, Richard. â€Å"State Explains Respo nse to Cult Letters.† Washington Star News. November 26, 1978. Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. Raven: The Untold Story of Rev. Jim Jones and His People. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 485. Rosenberg Jennifer (2003) â€Å"The Jonestown Massacre† retrieved from http://history1900s.about.com/od/1970s/p/jonestown.htm on 24th October, 2012. Tajfel, H. and Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of inter-group behavior. In S. Worchel and L. W. Austin (eds.), Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Chigago: Nelson-Hall Time Magazine, â€Å"Mass Suicide at Jonestown: 30 Years Later†, 2008. Retrieved from www.wikipedia.com on 24th October, 2012. Useem Bert (1998) â€Å"Breakdown Theories of Collective Action† Annual Review Sociology 1998. 24:215. Useem B. (1997). â€Å"The state and collective disorders: The Los Angeles riot/protest of April, 1992. Sociology Forces 76:357 -77

Elderly poverty Essay

By 2050, the number of elderly people will be high (aged 65 and above) 20 percent of the population worldwide. Given the pressure on the demand for public services such as pensions, health services and housing facilities. Elderly poverty is both a social and a financial problem. Poverty rates among the elderly tend to be highest among women, above all widows over the age of 75. This is mainly due to pension allowances that have traditionally been associated with employment history. In 2000, it was estimated that more than a third of Ireland’s elderly population was living in poverty. Ireland has been criticized for failing to protect its most vulnerable citizens, the elderly. Despite having a state pension scheme for the vulnerable group, there is still a big gap. Poverty rates among the elderly people have changed over the time and this is likely to project (Thomas, 1995). Among the problems faced by the elderly include, food insecurity and poor nutrition. Food insecurity it is the insufficiency in the quality of food intake due to lack of resources which mainly focuses on inaccessibility and unavailable of resources among the elderly as a result of their impairment and health problems. This study reveals that food insecurity is another risk factor associated with poorer nutritional and health status among older persons. Food insecurity is another problem facing elderly people. It has an effect on health and quality nutritional status. Further, it can also bring physical, emotional and economic burdens to the elderly persons themselves. Hence, understanding the cost of food insecurity is the major phenomena in addressing food related issues in elderly persons and providing information to better their nutrition and health services for an ever-increasing and diverse older population. However, nutritional status and consequences of food insecurity mainly focuses on the younger, the adult, women and children. The consequences include decreased nutritional eating habits, inadequate food supply, impairment and an increase in body weight forgetting about the elderly people at large. Food insecurity among elderly persons requires consideration of various determinants of nutritional and health status significant to a particular age group. Concerning food insecurity among the elderly there is the need for investment in long term self-sufficiency projects, supportive policy systems to address issues about the right to food and participation of government, community and other institutions to ensure food security (Laurence, 1990) Health is another issue facing the elderly living in poverty because of the limited incomes, educational achievements and no health insurance facilities. For instance the case of elderly Hispanic who depend on the assistance from the relatives and supplemental security incomes to cope with their deteriorating health issues. Increasing poverty, the socio-demographic profile of the elderly population is rapidly changing, especially with the weakening of extended family ties and lineage-based support systems. Usually, the extended family has been the main source of livelihood support for the elderly in sub-Saharan Africa, taking care of their parents when they are not economically dynamic. With the increase in poverty and health related issues like HIV/AIDS epidemic on the elderly and on the social background in Africa and the death of young people leaves the elderly people in charge. Elderly persons play a key role not only in providing care for persons with HIV/AIDS but also in caring for AIDS orphans which effects them health wise because they do not have enough energy to run up and down looking for food, income to care for the sick. For illustration, in Kenya the elderly people were the main care-givers for people infected with HIV/AIDS and also take care of the orphans. Elderly people also face the problem of accessibility. Since, most of them live places inaccessible to the basic facilities like the health care, incase they are sick access them is very hard and some of the end up not getting to this services because they are weak. Housing; elderly people is largely increasing as a result of poverty and inadequate affordable housing. By housing I mean access to clean and safe water, toilet facilities and waste collection facilities. Among the households especially headed by the elderly there are a few chances of them affording decent house even though they receive assistance like 37 percent of the elderly in America but this is not enough. (Thomas 1995). Every human being needs a range of basic necessities irrespective of age. While poverty exists everywhere, it is most harsh in developing countries, where more than one person in five lives on less than one dollar per day. Reducing poverty among the vulnerable people is an international goal of development and the many international organizations working towards this initiative. Strategies on how to reduce poverty are, however as many as the causes of poverty. For example the World Bank’s anti-poverty plan, for example, depends heavily on reducing poverty though the promotion of economic growth. We also have the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), that campaign for the reduction of severe poverty among the vulnerable groups REFERENCE Thomas, A. (1995). Old and homeless: an overview of current practice, Westport: Greenwood publishing group. Laurence, E. (1990). Inner city poverty in the United States, New York: National Academies Press.

South Africa's Criminal Justice System Research Paper

South Africa's Criminal Justice System - Research Paper Example After this, the study discusses the positives and shortcomings of the South African criminal justice system. A contrast of South Africa’s legal system with the US criminal justice system then precedes the conclusion to the study. The Characteristics of the South African Criminal Justice System At the general level, South Africa has a hybrid criminal justice system, promoting legal pluralism as the country’s legal system developed. According to Mireku (2010), common law in South Africa comprises of a mixture of Dutch-Roman variant of civil law and English common law. The Roman-Dutch influences are traced from the 17th century colonization of South Africa by Holland, while the English influence results from English settlers later in the country’s historical account. The Roman-Dutch aspect of South African criminal law concerns the private law subjects including contractual agreements and family law as well as criminal law. Meanwhile, the English aspect involves the law of evidence and a number of other subjects in public law. Besides the two, South Africa also incorporates customary law within its legal system. Customary law is used where applicable and subject to the Constitution, especially operating in traditional/rural communities. Such communities use a combination of customary, civil/common law to regulate issues including marital issues and inheritance. Other than this, South African law is not codified and follows a similar pattern to the English system where interpretation is sought based on court decisions/precedents and individual statutes (Schwikkard, 2009). Another aspect of the characteristics of the South African legal system is its upholding constitutional supremacy and Universal Bill of Rights. Whereas the Apartheid regime was constructed on a parliamentary sovereignty, the contemporary South African criminal justice system is a constitutional democracy. This is underpinned through entrenching the Bill of Rights in law and a specialized supreme constitutional court. This court occupies the highest position in the judicial hierarchy and solely deals with constitutional maters and decisions interconnected with the constitution (Mireku, 2010). Substantive law in South Africa stems from the influence of the English legal system. According to Barratt and Snyman (2002), the British maintained the Royal-Dutch legal system instead of formally introducing their substantive law upon establishing colonial influence in South Africa early in the 19th century. However, the British figured that the Roman-Dutch system would not adequately cater for modern society requirements which led to innovative laws based on English Acts and using English precedents for interpretation. English procedural law was adopted, which were observed to influence substantive provisions. Moreover, the superior court judges and advocates received their training in England and, thus, tended towards English treatises. One of the aspects in whic h substantive law is exhibited is in the Bill of Rights, where 27 substantive provisions are provided for. Such provisions revolve around rights such as the right to life and the right to human dignity. Van der Merwe (2004) discusses procedural law in the South African criminal justice system, stating that it traces its roots to the influence of British occupation of South Africa in the 20th century. The colonial master introduced procedural law in all South African territories through

To Build a Strong Brand within the Fashion Industry Literature review

To Build a Strong Brand within the Fashion Industry - Literature review Example Strong brand provides intangible value to the companies those results in the enhanced productivity, profitability and better relationship with the customers. (Pride, and Farrel, 2011, p. 351) This is probably the reason due to which many of the marketing gurus believe often say that product are manufactured in the factories, but brand are built in the minds’ of the customers. Reason Building strong brand in the fashion industry benefits the marketers in several ways such as reducing the issues related to the price sensitivity, increasing market share revenue, and brand equity and customer loyalty (Admedia, 2007, p.1) Benefits of Branding Branding helps both the buyers and the sellers. From the perspective of a buyer branding helps the buyers to identify the products that the buyers like or dislike; it helps the buyers to identify the desired marketer; Branding helps the buyers to properly evaluate the quality of the products; Branding helps the buyers to reduce the risks relat ed to purchase (Stafford and Faber, 2005, p. 139). From the perspective of the sellers branding helps the sellers to differentiate the offerings from that of the competitors; Branding also helps the sellers in market segmentation via creation of tailored made images, e.g. contact lenses is to Fast track; Brand helps the companies to reduce price competition that in leads to reduction of chances of price wars; Branding helps the marketers to launch new product that may carry the name of one or more products. This technique is well known as brand extension. This helps the company to reduce the risks related to introduction a new product; successfully... From this research it is clear that branding helps both the buyers and the sellers. From the perspective of a buyer branding helps the buyers to identify the products that the buyers like or dislike; it helps the buyers to identify the desired marketer; Branding helps the buyers to properly evaluate the quality of the products; Branding helps the buyers to reduce the risks related to purchase. From the perspective of the sellers branding helps the sellers to differentiate the offerings from that of the competitors; Branding also helps the sellers in market segmentation via creation of tailored made images, e.g. contact lenses is to Fast track; Brand helps the companies to reduce price competition that in leads to reduction of chances of price wars; Branding helps the marketers to launch new product that may carry the name of one or more products. This technique is well known as brand extension. This helps the company to reduce the risks related to introduction a new product; successf ully brand building exercises helps the company to increase brand loyalty; Branding also help the marketers to charge premium prices for a particular brand. A part from the core benefits successful brands also help the companies to deliver added value Such added values help the brand to differentiate the products from that of the competitors. I practices properly brands can help the customers recognize the added value which may lead the customers to make the final purchase. A consumer may be looking for assurance of quality under probable circumstances where the customers are not sure about the final purchase decision.

Business Plan - Swan Taxi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Plan - Swan Taxi - Essay Example The team for the company will be formed in such a way that the business succeeds in the long run. The team will be built in such a way that it should remain updated with the latest developments in the markets. Swan Taxi will be owned by four partners Yanallah, Mansour, Yousef, and Khalid. The company will employ five chauffeurs, who will be responsible for driving the passenger taxis, and few staff who will be engaged in daily office works.The key skills, attributes, and behaviors are must-haves for every entrepreneur in today’s society since the chances of business failure have gone significantly higher. The business environment has become increasingly complex with intense competition, innumerable product substitutes for customers, restrictive governmental regulations and higher customer expectations due to globalization.The economy of Swansea is advanced and diverse, with principal contributions from manufacturing and services sectors. In a 2010 report by Business Register a nd Employment Survey, services sector alone employed about 85% of the total workforce. This finding is important because the concentration of workforce in any particular sector denotes the growth and viability of that sector. The idea of starting a taxi business in Swansea gained prominence with an increase in demand for taxis by the passengers. It has been noticed that about 16,000 people regularly travel out of Swansea and about 26,000 people travel inside the city for their different purposes.

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Case study - Essay Example a. Identify one short term business objective and one long term business objective from a case study. You are required to provide two case examples for a short term business objective and two case examples for a long term business objective. a. List and discuss two advantages and two disadvantages of packaged (a.k.a Off-the-shelf) software. You are required to use two case studies to derive the examples for the advantages and the disadvantages. Rolls-Royce’ ERP R/3 systems is packaged system. For the implementing this system we have to re-engineer the overall business processes. Main advantages of the ERP SAP R/3 as packaged software system for the Rolls-Royce are its reduced cost, high system quality and rapid implementation. Geneva has implemented SAP R/3 system that offers enhanced services and business handling. The main advantage/ benefit of this packaged software implementation is the utilization of the currently operation resources. These can be operating system, communications middleware, and technical infrastructure needed by the entire application modules. 2. IT Portfolio – â€Å"ES rarely meet the full business requirements in an organization. In general 80% of the requirements are met with an ES, while the rest (20%) of the requirements needs to be fulfilled with alternative methods†. a. Discuss the aforementioned statement in light of two case studies. You need to discuss why ES don’t provide all organizational requirements. You should also comment and provide specific examples from two case studies on the three things that organizations employ to increase the ‘fit’ between the system functionality and business requirements. The system implemented by the Geneva business has some of the areas those are not properly addressed. These areas can be intelligent business decision making. This aspect of this business remains unaddressed and business need to implement a decision making system. a.

Piaget's theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Piaget's theory - Essay Example ntelligence was active; and that children are not passive recipients of information, rather that they actively construct and reconstruct their knowledge of the world. Cognitive disequilibrium and the child’s action and interaction with the physical environment fuel the development of the cognitive system towards more advanced psychological structures (Fisher & Lerner, 2004). This paper will evaluate Piaget’s theory of the four stages of cognitive evolution in child development. Further, similarities and differences will be identified between Erikson’s theory and Piaget’s theory of child development, with respect to the development of identity. According to Piaget’s theory, the development of intelligence and cognitive functioning in children progresses through a series of four stages based on age and concurrent biological changes and maturation. This leads to the child demonstrating a higher level of functioning at each successive stage, as compared to the previous stage (Videbeck, 2007). The stages of development are not universal, since cultural differences exist. However, the mechanisms that underlie cognitive development are considered to be universal (Pressley & McCormick, 2007). 1. The sensorimotor stage: This extends from birth to two years. The child develops a sense of self, differentiated from the environment, and develops the concept of object permanence. That is, a perception of the existence of tangible objects even when they are out of sight, that they do 3. The concrete operations stage: Between six to twelve years the child begins to apply logic to thinking, understands spatiality and reversibility, is increasingly social and able to apply rules; however, thinking is still concrete. 4. The formal operations stage: From twelve to fifteen years and beyond, the child learns to think and reason in abstract terms. Further, there is development of logical thinking and reasoning, and the achievement of cognitive maturity in the child

Introduction to Communication-Nonverbal Behaviors in Public-Discussion Personal Statement

Introduction to Communication-Nonverbal Behaviors in Public-Discussion - Personal Statement Example The intimate zone according to Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman covers the skin areas and approximately 18 inches to the outside (454). Therefore, the fact that the two individuals were in very close proximity is a clear indication they are very closely involved emotionally. Subsequently, I could tell the two individuals were in a happy mood. As they walked past where I was seated, I could hear them chat happily and I could also see occasional smiles on their faces. There is much to learn about nonverbal communication from these two individuals. For example, one can easily tell the feelings of another individual through his or her facial expression (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 452). Smiling is an indication of happiness or contentment. Other than facial expressions, gestures can also help tell the feeling of an individual (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 452). Two people walking as close as possible to one another is a sign of trust and hence there is emotional attachment. In a nutshell, people comm unicate either verbally or through body language. Facial expressions and gestures expresses the true feelings of an

Descartes on God Essay Example for Free

Descartes on God Essay Rene Descartes is a famous French philosopher and is considered as the â€Å"Father of Rationalism. † The aim of his philosophy was to arrive in a solid foundation for knowledge. In order to arrive in this, he used a method called the Methodic Doubt wherein he doubted the senses, mathematics, and even the existence of god. It was only until he arrived with a solid entity called â€Å"the cogito† was Descartes able to discover the center of his existence. Upon finding this center, he was able to use this entity as a means into explaining the existence of the things he previously doubted. In regards to proving the existence of god, we need to tackle first why Descartes needed to doubt the existence of god. This was a very important step in his philosophy because the theories in his philosophy would have a sounder foundation if he was going to use them to explain the existence of God. As what was stated above, Descartes used the Methodic Doubt in order to arrive with the cogito and say his phrase â€Å"cogito ergo sum† or I think therefore I am. This cogito exists in a metaphysical plane because Descartes believed that everything that existed in the physical world were not real. The reasons why he had to doubt the physical world include the fact that the senses deceive us. Examples of these are a pencil which gives the illusion of bending after placing it in a glass of water. Others include dreams which a person would consider to be so real until they wake up in bed. And finally, everything in this world is subject to change which he presented after burning a piece of wax and then asking if the residue of the wax is still considered as wax. After doubting the senses, he soon went to doubt the validity of the physical world. In order to do this, he asserted that there is a malevolent demon that would deceive us into believing that what we perceive is real. Now that he was able to discard god as the foundation of true knowledge, we now shifts his focus to the cogito. However, being left with the cogito could lead to solipsism, a view wherein a person believes that only the individual exists, since everything existed except the cogito. So Descartes needed to prove the existence of God in order to validate the existence of the physical world and free his philosophy from the perils of solipsism. Descartes gave some arguments that led to his proofs of the existence of god. His first proof dealt with the nature of ideas. He classified different kinds of ideas such as those that are innate in a person and those that were received through experience. Being rationalists, he considered ideas cause by the experience doubtful since they do arise from the senses, which he discarded as the means for a clear and distinct idea. So, he shifted his focus to innate ideas, or ideas that have been with a person since birth, and placed the idea of god under this classification. Now, Descartes asked from where these innate ideas came. It cannot be from nothingness since something cannot spring out of nothing. In addition, a perfect idea like that of god cannot come from a less perfect being and so he concluded that there was a first cause that placed the idea of a supreme being in my mind. This argument of Descartes can be compared with that of Saint Augustine’s first cause. However, the difference here is that the arguments of Saint Augustine dealt with motion and change within the physical world. Descartes arguments on the other had, tackle solely with ides and from where they came from. In addition to the argument of a first mover, Descartes was able to prove the existence of god through his own mortality. He asked himself how a person could think of an infinite being, such as god, if there is nothing to compare this form of existence with anything. It is from his own finite existence that he is able to create a distinction between the two modes of existence and prove the existence of an infinite and perfect being that is outside him. His next argument was derived from Saint Anselm’s ontological argument. Here, Descartes tries to justify his argument through describing a triangle. Whenever we would think of a triangle, the first thing that would enter our minds are its attributes, i. e. that it has three sides, all its angles have a total of 180 degrees, etc. Just like whenever we would think of the idea of god, we would usually first think of his attributes which are being omniscient, all-knowing, etc. The difference here is hat although we are able to think of a triangle, thinking about one does not necessarily entail it’s existence. On the other hand, to think of god as a perfect and infinite being must entail that he does exists for to say that a perfect being does not exists would mean that we are depriving god of one attribute and thus making him less perfect. So given this argument, Descartes asserts that existence is needed for perfection for there would be a major contradiction within the assertion of a perfect being that is lacking of any attribute. Finally, Descartes finally says that this god cannot be a deceiving god which he assumed in the beginning. This god cannot be a deceiver for this attribute cannot be found in a perfect being such as god because the act of deceiving someone arises from a certain defect. Upon proving the existence of god, Descartes was able to expand this philosophy by proving the existence of a separate world. He was able to do this by stating that the physical world exists since man was given a certain inclination in order to perceive the world. This inclination was given to us by god and we must believe that the world is true for god would not deceive us with this special inclination that he has given. After reading the proofs of Descartes, I would have to say that his arguments are very solid and logical that it would be hard to think otherwise. However, my only problem with Descartes philosophy is that he used the cogito as a scapegoat to all the problems that he encountered. What Descartes would do is that from the cogito he would begin to explain certain things such as god and the physical world. He would then explore these ideas but when he begins to run of way to explain his arguments he would go back to the cogito. AN example here would be when he tried to explain the existence of the physical world. He simply had to rely on the existence of god and that the inclination he gave man to believe that this world is true. This explanation, to me, seems more as a matter of faith in god as a non-deceiving being rather than a rational explanation.

Working in the childs best interests

Working in the childs best interests The Child’s Best Interest â€Å"I did everything they asked me† (Bergner, 2006). Abiding by the rules did not by any means help Marie get her children back from state custody. Children are one of the most vulnerable populations so when they are put in situations that can harm them, the state will get involved. The child welfare system bases decisions on what’s in favor of the child’s best interest. In Marie’s case, her mother wasn’t capable of helping to care for the children while she recovered so the state had to take control. She was too unfit to be their â€Å"mother†. The child welfare system is a structured way of dealing with this vulnerable population through the idea of parens patriae and the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 that relates to termination of parental rights (TPR). When the well-being of children is overlooked, the policies that encompass the child welfare system will be enforced. â€Å"Parens patriae is the doctrine that empowers government institutions to venture into the intimate realm of child-rearing and effectively deputizes social workers to knock on the doors of family homes and gain entry† (Bergner, 2006). Under this doctrine, any state worker had the right to enter Marie’s home at any time if they had probable cause to investigate a situation involving children. This government policy came into effect because it literally translates to â€Å"parent of the country† (Bergner, 2006). Parens patriae didn’t start off as what it means in today’s society. Back in the days, children were seen in a different light. They were seen as laborers and not as innocent, helpless individuals who need a voice when faced with unwanted obstacles (Hatcher, 2012, p. 163). The idea that the state is the guardian of these helpless children where state officials, more specifically social workers could assume the roles that a guardian possess es was the real motivation. The societal value behind this policy was that the states were finally recognizing that children had rights that needed to be protected and served (Hatcher, 2012, p.165). In Marie’s case, parens patriae responded to her needs. The social workers did everything in their power to help her get her children back, but it just wasn’t enough. The parens patriae doctrine acknowledging children with rights that need to be tended to paved way for the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 became a policy that plays an important role in the child welfare system because it allows for children to get out of the foster care system and achieve â€Å"permanent placement, whether through reunification or adoption† (Halloran, 2014, p. 53). The act â€Å"links federal money to states’ efforts to move children toward adoption after they have been in temporary care for 15 of any 22 months† (Bergner, 2006). The societal value that led to this policy was catering to the children’s well-being. Children are seen as a worthy category that needs the help they can get when put in situations that are at no fault of their own. This act was created to prevent children from lingering in foster care (Halloran, 2014, p.57) until they were the legal age of 18 where they would technically be able to fend for themselves as adults. Termination of parental is a component to the child welfare system that basically ends legal ri ghts of biological parents to children they have lost to the system. â€Å"Termination criteria lie along a continuous scale where a courts determination of the conditions that justify the termination of parental rights is in degrees of objectivity and subjectivity† (Halloran, 2014, p. 61). In other words, parents go through an evaluation to determine if they are fit or unfit before termination of parental rights occurs. The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 led way to the termination of parental rights. The policies of parens patriae, the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 and termination of parental are all valid policies that respond to the needs of the recipients if the outcomes are in favor of the parents. When things are good and parents prove that they can take care of their children, the policies have no faults to them. The minute the outcomes are not in favor of the parents, the policies do not tend to the needs of the recipients. Overall, there are many pros and cons to these policies. To say that these policies are followed thoroughly and fairly is an understatement. Decisions regarding whether these policies are followed are examined case by case. Each case has their own unique circumstances which in turn will have different results. Policies are put into place so that the results yield the best outcomes. In the child welfare system the main goal is to tend to what is in favor of the child’s interest. It’s the reoccurring theme behind the child welfare system. When you have a case like Marie, where she is doing everything in her power to become this fit mother the policies are not in the best interest for the recipient. Separating mother and child is not a goal in the policies but that is what happened in her case. To fully understand where judgments and decisions are made, one must take into perspective the social control that is behind the social welfare system. It’s all about constructing policies based on what is right and what is wrong. What’s right to one person may not be right to another and what’s wrong to one person can be perceived as not wrong to another. No matter what, government intervention in the child welfare system is something that will always be a part of th e system. References Bergner,D. (2006, July 23). The Case of Marie and Her Sons New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/23/magazine/23welfare.html?pagewanted=all_r=0 Halloran,J.T. (2014). Families First: Reframing Parental Rights as Familial Rights in Termination of Parental Rights Proceedings. U.C. Davis Journal of Juvenile Law and Policy, 18(1), 51-93. Retrieved from http://heinonline.org.ezproxy.lib.uwm.edu/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/ucdajujlp18div=6collection=journalsset_as_cursor=0men_tab=srchresultsterms=18|U.C.|Davis|J.|Juv.|L.|Pol Hatcher,D.L. (2012). Purpose vs. Power: Parens Patriae and Agency Self-Interest. New Mexico Law Review, 42(1), 159-202. Retrieved from http://heinonline.org.ezproxy.lib.uwm.edu/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/nmlr42div=9collection=journalsset_as_cursor=0men_tab=srchresultsterms=parens|patriae|importancetype=matchall

Issues in Protecting Rights and Copyrights

Issues in Protecting Rights and Copyrights Each society throughout history has, and will be introduced to new ideas, inventions, and movements that benefit their communities. Yet, with those inventions will come ways for people to exploit them, and use them to gain an advantage. Recently, with the dawn of the Information Age of the early 2000s, the fairly-new Internet has connected the world in ways previously incomprehensible. With the Internet, people can send digital goods such as music, movies, and games to each other without any physical meeting or materialization. While beneficial to the economy and markets, those who sell online also risk digital pirates making copies of their goods, and distributing them for free to the world, or even reselling them. Piracy has become a growing issue in the new age, and governments across the world are beginning to take action against it. Even though government intervention would control piracy much better, and could possibly be done not to interfere with innocent customers, it could lead to invasions of privacy as people will always find ways to download copyrighted files undetected, and trying to stop infringements will only hurt internet providers and customers, who have the right to privacy, shown in the Fourth Amendment (Bridegam 11)Government intervention is certainly possible, and has been done in correlation with the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. An anti-piracy firm named CEGTEK pushed for the Notice-and-Notice Law to be passed, which allows copyright companies to send letters to users, recognizing that someone on the infringed network has downloaded copyrighted software. It also tells that if the user ignores the infringement, legal action may be taken. While it does not actually search and seize files on users computers, forcing deletion, it recognizes copyrighted software being transferred to the network, and takes nonlegal action which may eventually be brought to court, however. After the Law was passed, piracy rates dropped up to 61% one ye ar (Brownell 1), due to the letters being sent with notices of infringement. It had an impact on slowing down the growth of piracy, but governments have to find other ways to end digital crime. Piracy is still fairly new to the big picture, and old laws need to be modernized in order to stop it. The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits unwarranted and unreasonable search and seizure without a probable cause. While the Amendment protects personal property, including computers, an officer can still access the content and files stored on the machine. David Cole at Georgetown University says When I send an email, Ive shared it with the Internet provider. (Zwerdling 1) All communications with servers and websites are stored somewhere on the sites history, leaving a digital footprint behind. Law enforcement can access these records as they can be made available upon calling, because if a warrant is denied to search a users computer, another one can be requested to search the server or service provider involved in the alleged crime to find out if copyright infringement did occur. The Amendment has not aged well, and with the Information Age accelerating, th e old laws need to be updated in order to keep up with new technology. The Fourth Amendment tells little about digital search and seizure, yet it still is unconstitutional for unreasonable search of property.Internet service providers (ISPs) monitor everything a user does, downloads, and uploads on the internet, and while it may differ from each company, most keep records for all types of purposes, include hardware and software maintenance, as well as to catch pirates. These companies assign IP addresses to every computer in order to connect the PC to websites and servers, but the address can also be used to trace a user across the network. This is how pirates can be quickly caught. Some ISPs work with anti-piracy and copyright protection companies, such as Tecksavvy Solutions in Canada, work to catch infringements and stop it on their networks. The collaboration between the companies comes down to the anti-piracy firms monitoring P2P (peer-to-peer) connections scanning for copyrigh ted content. If a file is found to be copyrighted, the IP address is logged and forwarded to the ISP of the user. While it may seem like a simple job, the ISP does not legally have to disclose the name and location of the alleged pirate. (Robinson 1) Obviously, the ISP could if they wish to, but most companies see so many infringements that taking actual legal action towards the cases would cause more problems than needed. The amount of legal fees, time spent, and reputation on the line is simply too much for most companies to risk. Ways to stop piracy have doubled over the years, and each year introduces more invasive methods of cracking down. (Katyal 1) Years of lobbying and debates have introduced many new acts and bills passed in order to prevent and cease piracy. However, they have been passed in ways so as not to affect the openness and opportunity of the internet, yet still be able to enforce their rules. The Stop Online Piracy (SOPA) and Protect IP Acts are in the process of being debated by Congress, and opposed by pirates. SOPA intends to defund and cut off access to rogue sites that promote piracy but are established internationally, most notably The Pirate Bay, in Sweden. The two acts rival each other in debate, but have the same end goal to end foreign piracy in the United States. The bills have not been passed, but have the support of the RIAA, MPAA, and NMPA, all music and media production companies. (ABC-CLIO 1) Arguments followed the consideration of the bills, with the defense that they would not enforce anything, and would only hurt the internets freedom. Cutting off access to websites is a prohibition of the openness of the internet, as it is not truly free with these restrictions. The United States is surprisingly not one of the countries with the most piracy, but the ones that too have taken action against it. David Kassler, CEO of EMI Group, a British music company, says You can have a number-one album in Spain with 3,000 sales, referencing the number of pirates and downloaders. (Economist 1) Germany has kept their piracy laws simple, with a fine system for each crime. South Korea faced rampant piracy as well, but took action against it, introducing a three-point warning system for their users suspected of copyright infringement. If the user ignores these warnings and does not cease their use, their connection will be cut off and disconnected. Now, some companies in the U.S. have taken up a warning system. Copyright firms are able to collect the IP of a pirate, and can send a notice to that IP without needing to take legal action. Some unknowing pirates are frightened off by the sight of the official notice, and cease immediately. Using a detection and warni ng system has worked in Korea, leading to a 10% increase of music sales in 2009, but whether it will work in the U.S. is yet to be seen. Not all the laws will work, as Mayseey Leong of the IFPI says it wasnt as though the law came into effect and all illegal activity stopped. Laws will not be enough to stop piracy, but it can make a difference in slowing down the increase of infringement rates. Piracy has a much larger effect on people besides their internet being disconnected. Being convicted of piracy could result in graduation denial, loss of job, scholarship, or even citizenship for international pirates. Studies by Stuart Green from the International Herald Tribute shows that pirates and users of the internet have drawn a solid line between digital piracy and physical theft. (Green 1) Pirates claim nothing is being stolen, only copied and mostly used for personal use. However, 1962 introduced the Moral Penal Code, which defines property as anything valued. The vague definition has led to an argument over theft law even 50 years later, bringing up the discussion of whether or not digital goods count as valued, as they technically do not exist only as bits and numbers on a server, not physically. Therefore, a dilemma has been created where users must decide whether or not they believe piracy is actually stealing. It is known that digital distribution has done wonders for the music business, increasing revenue and popularity, but it opens up a whole world of debate about digital sharing of copyrighted goods. Because nobody is hurt at the moment of download, users claim piracy is not stealing because they are simply making a copy of the file, nobody is killed or robbed at gunpoint, as all the user has to do is click download. In the long run, production companies and music artists do take a large financial hit from a lack of sales, if a certain song or album of theirs is being sent across the internet illegally. One reporter, James Lardner, claims the more they lock things up, the more users rebel. (Lardner 1) Regardless of how companies and Congress may try to make their files inaccessible except legally, pirates and hackers will always find ways to get what they want, even if they face troubles such as takedowns of their websites. The problem companies face is that file sharing services are much smarter, and shutting down physically in one place will not affect piracy as much. One popular website, KickAss Torrents (KAT), was taken down after the founder was arrested. Yet, it did not do much against piracy, because of the way it works. Copyrighted content is shared via P2P networks, meaning it goes straight from computers that seed the file, and make it available for download directly from their computer, with no website involved. The site was simply a catalog for the .torrent files which contain the information that allow users to connect to other users to download the file. Pirates have t aken measures against website takedown, and entire server backups were quickly uploaded to a different domain name to ensure the site stayed up. KAT was down almost momentarily, and goes to show how a server level takedown could not do much damage against stopping piracy. (Mathur 1) Not only is piracy rampant digitally, but burned CDs and physical copies of copyrighted files are shared just for that reason. Physical copies are much harder to trace, despite them not leaving footprints, and can be publicly viewed and broadcasted without the user even knowing it is a pirated version. Pirates argue that the internet is a source of information and sharing, and because companies and users make their files publicly available, one way or another, they are free for the taking due to a lack of security against them. (Peloso 136) Not just one force is at fault in the grand view of piracy, but pirates blame the music industry saying it has consistently failed to adapt to changes in technology. (Wray 1) If a company has not taken any measures to protect its media, then it can be at fault for users copying it illegally. Companies can also be at fault for not making their media available in all countries for all people. International users must pirate content because some files are regionally locked, and only available in America (Wortham 1). The only way for some users to access the media is to download it from a P2P network, which may not put them completely at fault, as the companies have yet to make their media available worldwide. One anonymous user says It is available , just not legally. Having region-locked data also may serve as a cause for the high piracy rates in South Korea and Spain, being outside of the U.S. The internet is a vast network, with billions of packets of data sent on the daily. Being able to monitor and scan every single connection would take an amount of power machine and man do not have yet in the Information Age. Not even the United States could crack down on every case of copyright infringement, even in their own country. One man, who wishes to remain unknown, claims the film and television industrys efforts to stopà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ distribution à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is like building a dam in the middle of a vast ocean. Along with their failure to keep up with modern times, copyright firms can only do so much in terms of catching pirates, as most use proxies, which change their IP addresses to somewhere far from their computer, to trick websites into thinking they are connecting from somewhere else, hiding themselves and their location. Therefore, it is presently impossible to catch every pirate, and authorities must accept the internets freedom, and how it can never be fully co ntrolled by anyone due to the massive size of it. No matter how much effort is put into stopping piracy, someone somewhere will always find a way to bypass restrictions and free the copyrighted content for the rest of the world. Once the content is out in the internet, it can never be fully erased, as it has been saved on hundreds, or even thousands of computers by the time the copyright firm has information the file has been taken. (Sampat 1) This is why website takedowns would not work, copies of the file have been made and can be reuploaded and hosted at any time. Pirates have to work together to function, but taking them down one-by-one has not worked so far. More attempts will be made to end piracy for sure, but that may spark more controversy, however, because any more intervention by the government and firms would only end up in violations of privacy and rights. Piracy is still fairly new, and is growing every day, despite rigorous attempts to stop it, while still remain constitutional. The main question ISPs and copyright companies face is how can the openness of the internet be preserved while having all illegal acts filtered out?. The protection of innocent customers is on the mind of every company, and selecting the few out of the bunch who commit acts of piracy is not an easy task. While they do have access to the file transfer history between users, they cannot legally intervene without a warrant, shown in the Fourth Amendment, and even if they are issued one, they cannot completely prove the user was the one who downloaded the material. Perhaps the pirate used a public Wi-Fi access point to copy a file off KAT, and then left the building. The owner of the Wi-Fi would receive a notice to cease piracy, even though he had committed no such act, his customers did. Piracy is a tricky subject, and neither side is technically correct. Pirate s can claim anything accessible can be taken, and will be because of the vast size of the internet, but companies do have a legal copyright on some media materials, and taking them is a criminal act. It is up to the governments of countries facing piracy to make a decision based on the current situation, and take action to resolve piracy. Pirates must unite to keep themselves anonymous against companies out to crack down on infringement. Congress must protect the pirates rights, but production companies must protect their copyrights. Works Cited A Rare Victory Against Piracy. Economist (London, England) Vol.395, No.8679, Apr, 2010, pp. 68, SIRS Issues Researcher. Bridegam, Martha Ann. Search and Seizure. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2005. Print Brownell, Claire. Pirates of the Internet. National Post, 13 Feb, 2016, pp. FP.5, SIRS Issues Researcher. Green, Stuart P. When Stealing Isnt Stealing. International Herald Tribune, 30 Mar, 2012, pp. 6, SIRS Issues Researcher. K, Katyal Sonia. Yale Journal of Law and Technology. N.p.: Yale Law School, 2005. Print. Lardner, James. The Empire Strikes Back. U.S.News World Report, Sep, 2000, pp. 54-56, SIRS Issues Researcher. Mathur, Swapnil. KickAss Torrents is Dead for Sure, but Online Piracy Will Continue. Financial Express, 23 Jul, 2016, SIRS Issues Researcher. Obama Administration Responds to we the People Petitions on SOPA.. WHITE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE, 14 Jan, 2012, SIRS Government Reporter. Peloso, Jennifer. Intellectual Property. New York: H.W. Wilson, 2003. Print. Robinson, Michael. Student Downloaders Beware. Macleans, Nov, 2016, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com. Sampat, Neel. Digital Piracy. Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society, ABC-CLIO, 2017, issues.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1560147. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017. Spotting the Pirates. Economist, Aug, 2011, pp. 55, SIRS Issues Researcher, Stop Online Piracy Act (2011). Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society, ABC-CLIO, 2017, issues.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1688414. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017. Wortham, Jenna. Readers Debate Online Piracy and the Future of Digital Entertainment. The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Sept. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.

The Powerful Effect of Fake News Essay -- Media Today News TV Essays P

The Powerful Effect of â€Å"Fake News† Introduction From the beginning days of the printing press to the always evolving internet of present day, the media has greatly evolved and changed over the years. No one can possibly overstate the influential power of the new media of television on the rest of the industry. Television continues to influence the media, which recently an era of comedic television shows that specialize in providing â€Å"fake news† has captivated. The groundbreaking The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and its spin-off The Colbert Report have successfully attracted the youth demographic and have become the new era’s leading political news source. By parodying news companies and satirizing the government, â€Å"fake news† has affected the media, the government, and its audience in such a way that Bill Moyers has claimed â€Å"you simply can’t understand American politics in the new millennium without The Daily Show,† that started it all (PBS). Old Media In order to understand new media, one must first have a solid background of the old media. The old media traces its origins back to the â€Å"elite or partisan press [that] dominated American journalism in the early days of the republic† (Davis 29). With the advent of the penny press around 1833, the press changed its basic purpose and function from obtaining voters for its affiliated political party to making profit (Davis 29). With more available papers, individual companies competed with each other with â€Å"muckraking journalism†Ã¢â‚¬â€investigative journalism exposing corruption—and â€Å"yellow journalism†Ã¢â‚¬â€sensationalist journalism that completely disregarded the facts (Davis 30). The press continued to evolve its journalistic approaches and next shifted to â€Å"lapdog journalism,† r... ...l Moyers. Originally broadcast July 11, 2003. Retrieved March 27, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_stewart.html. Peyser, Marc. â€Å"The Truthiness Teller; Stephen Colbert Loves This Country Like he Loves Himself. Comedy Central’s Hot News Anchor is a Goofy Caricature of Our Blustery Culture. But he’s Starting to Make Sense.† Newsweek 13 February 2006: 50 Sabato, Larry J. Feeding Frenzy: Attack Journalism and American Politics. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers, Inc., 1991. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay. â€Å"Laugh, and the Voters Laugh With You, or at Least at You.† New York Times 26 February 2006, New England ed.: Week in Review 1, 14. Wasserman, Edward. â€Å"Murder by Media: The Dean Scream.† Knight Ridder Newspapers 23 February 2005. Wolper, Allan. â€Å"Ethics Corner: Did Critical Media Send Dean Packing?† Editor & Publisher March 2004: 25.

Macbeths Conscience in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- essays research

William Shakespeare’s seventeenth century tragedy, Macbeth, tells the story of Macbeth, whose ambition leads him to murder his close friends. In the play, he is told that he will become king, but to speed up the process he is convinced to kill the current king, Duncan. Although he is portrayed as a vile, evil character, the scene before he murders Duncan, his thoughts after the murder, and his encounters with his friend’s ghost show that Macbeth truly is a man of conscience. After his wife encourages Macbeth to kill King Duncan when he visits their home, Macbeth truly considers the idea. Shakespeare allows his character to mull over the act and consequences in a soliloquy which, â€Å"not only weighs the possible bad practical consequences of his act but shows him perfectly aware, in a way an evil man would not be, of moral values involved: ‘First I am his kinsman and subject Strong as both against the deed, then as his host, Who should against his murderers shut the door Not bear the knife myself’† (Scott 156) Macbeth is fully aware of the crime he commits. Before comm... Macbeth's Conscience in Shakespeare's Macbeth Essay -- essays research William Shakespeare’s seventeenth century tragedy, Macbeth, tells the story of Macbeth, whose ambition leads him to murder his close friends. In the play, he is told that he will become king, but to speed up the process he is convinced to kill the current king, Duncan. Although he is portrayed as a vile, evil character, the scene before he murders Duncan, his thoughts after the murder, and his encounters with his friend’s ghost show that Macbeth truly is a man of conscience. After his wife encourages Macbeth to kill King Duncan when he visits their home, Macbeth truly considers the idea. Shakespeare allows his character to mull over the act and consequences in a soliloquy which, â€Å"not only weighs the possible bad practical consequences of his act but shows him perfectly aware, in a way an evil man would not be, of moral values involved: ‘First I am his kinsman and subject Strong as both against the deed, then as his host, Who should against his murderers shut the door Not bear the knife myself’† (Scott 156) Macbeth is fully aware of the crime he commits. Before comm...

Future India

Below is a free essay on â€Å"India's Future† from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. About twenty-five years ago, our then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had started to remind us that India is too early to reach Ikkisvi. We have twenty-first century. Where is the twenty-first century India, how, how is going to be, where to reach – it is a vivid theme. It will consider some aspects of it. Certainly in the new century is a lot of things were looking very bright.Than in the past twenty years or fifty years ahead of India is visible. Such revolutions are many. The computer revolution is under way. Mobile revolution is – now the poor man's pocket to get a cell phone. A? tomobail revolution is under way. There was a time when the scooter had to find the number, he'd get to Blake. There were only two models of cars – Ambassador and Fiat. Now go to the showroom, favorite Mothers  of Dal Motrsaikl or bring the car up. Ever-  Mothersare coming to market is dull. See the cars on the street cars.Forlen roads – is being Sikslen. Highway, Expressway talks to the smooth air vehicles on the roads. â€Å"Forlen the word the child – Bchchee is up to the tongue. There is a similar revolution in education. First Engineering, Medical, B. Ed. College used to be counted. Today – a city of ten – ten college and those seats are empty. Initiatives were selected convent school, now England Medium School Street – the street, the neighborhood is exposed. Our national income, six, seven, eight per cent growth rate is increasing.In 2007-08 came the blow of the recession in the world, he could not impress us much. In the meantime we have to make atomic bombs. We are dreaming of becoming a world superpower. United Nations Security Council non-permanent members have become, to become a permanent member of the hand – are scrambling. Obamaji to be grateful for, the dream tha t we are expected to be completed. Ckacand darkness behind But the glitter seems a hollow. Ckacand behind the middle of a dark – comes across the remains. As such, a few days before the Global Hunger Index (Global†¦

Company’s constitution Essay

QUESTION 1 Issue: the issue about company’s constitution and whether the loan contract between ABC bank and Sambal Pty Ltd is invalid. State the law: Section 140 of the corporations act states that: â€Å"A company’s constitution (if any) and any replaceable rules that apple to the company have effect as a contract: (a) Between the company and each member; and  (b) Between the company and each director and company secretary; and (c) Between a member and each other member; Apply the law: According to section 140, a company’s constitution is only an internal governance rule, it cannot be enforced by outsider and also cannot be used and act between a company member and an outsider (Corporation Act, 2001). In this case, Sambal Pty Ltd has a constitution, which restricts the amount of money the company can borrow at any one time to $10m. So, as a director of Sambal Pty Ltd, both Jim and Peter require compliance with this internal governance rules (maximum borrow $10m at one time), however, the directors who had been authorised by the board had borrowed an extra $2m loan from ABC Bank this time. Well, at the same time, section 140 is important in determine that the consequences of a failure, by some person who is bound by them, to comply with the internal governance rules. This means the liability should be undertook by the directors. State the law: Section 125(1): if a company has a constitution, it may contain an express restriction on, or a prohibition of, the company’s exercise of any of its powers. The exercise of any of its powers, the exercise of a power by the company is not invalid. 125 (2): if a company has a constitution, it may set out the company’s object. An act of the company is not invalid merely because it is contrary to or beyond any objects in the company’s constitution. Section 126(1): a company’s power to make, vary, ratify or discharge a contract may be exercised by an individual acting with the  company’s express or implied authority and on behalf of the company. The power may be exercised without using a common seal. Apply the law: Companies that act outside their capacity are said to have acted â€Å"ultra vires†. According to section 125, company’s exercise goes beyond to a company’s constitution will not invalid. That means, although the company’s action goes beyond the constitution, the action will still valid. So, the $2m loan contract between ABC bank and Jim and Peter will still valid. The company should pay the interest that related to $2m loan (Corporation Act, 2001). Moreover, the person who breaches the company’s constitution may be liable for damages (if any) to other shareholders. In this case, the two directors Jim and Peter should be responsibility to their act and bear the damages to other shareholders (Corporation Act, 2001). Conclusion: In this case, ABC bank do not have any liability. Sambal should give interest for the $2m loan to ABC bank, and asks the two directors to bear all the damages of company’s other shareholders. Question 2 (1) Issue In this case, the shareholders of Rich Pty Ltd haven’t been paid a dividend related to their shares for 3 years. Susan who owns 25% shares of the company is one of them. She is convinced that she deserves better and yet, given no reasons, the board of directors refuse to pay a distribution of the company’s profit attached to her shares. Hence, the issue is whether or not the board’s refusal is in breach of duty. If so, what would be Susan’s remedy? (2) Law The laws applied in this case are: a. The oppression remedy: Pt 2F.1 b. An injunction to prevent a contravention of the Corporations Act: s1324 S 232 of the Pt 2F.1 allows the court to provide a remedy to a member where the court finds that: the conduct of the company’s affairs, or  an actual or proposed act or omission by or on behalf of the company, or a resolution, or a proposed resolution, of members or a class of members of the company Is either: contrary to the interests of the members as a whole, or  oppressive to, unfairly prejudicial to, or unfairly discriminatory against, a member or members whether in that capacity or in any other capacity. S1324(2) states that where a person has refused or failed, is refusing or failing, or is proposing to refuse or fail, to do an act or thing that the person is required by this Act to do, the Court may, on the application of: ASIC; or  any person whose interests have been, are or would be affected by the refusal or failure to do that act or thing; grant an injunction, on such terms as the Court thinks appropriate, requiring the first mentioned person to do that act or thing. (3) Application The board of Rich Pty Ltd has committed oppressive conduct, specifically, unfairly restricting dividends. In this case, the directors refuse to give reasons or explanations of failing to pay dividends. By paying no dividends to the shareholders, the directors can possibly benefit their own interests such as paying them excessive remuneration out of the profits that should be paid as dividends that constitutes oppression. Under s232 of the Corporations Act, remedies where there is oppression allows Susan to seek her rights by an order held by the court to regulate the conduct of the affairs of the company in the future. For example, remove several directors and appoint new directors. Furthermore, according to s1324, the court can grant an injunction to any person who has breached the Corporations Act. One of the directors’ duties is to act in the interest of the company. To some extent, the members’ interest is the company’s interest. Thus, refusing to pay dividends to members is a breach of duty that contravenes the Corporations Act. Therefore, Susan can appeal to the court to have it grant  an injunction against the directors of Rich Pty Ltd. In other words, mandatorily require the board to pay dividends to the shareholders and provide sufficient information to the members. Additionally, the statutory right allows members of a company to seek to inspect the books of the company if they believe that insufficient information are given by directors. However, there are some certain circumstances that failing to pay dividends does not contravene the Corporations Act. For instance, chasing higher profits for the company or suffering a financial crisis. (4) Conclusion All in all, the fact that the board of Rich Pty Ltd contravenes the Corporations Act will result in certain consequences, these may include: fine, disqualification order, injunction etc. Speaking of Susan, she may receive the amount of dividends attached to her shares as compensation. Nevertheless, if the directors acted in a good faith or say for the sake of the company, then the board only needs to provide relevant information and explain why they refuse to pay dividends. Question 3 Section 249H states that, as unlisted companies, the minimum period of notice are 21 days. The notice period can be reduced by agreement of members holding at least 95% of the votes that maybe cast at the.1 In this case, John, Sam only hold 72% of the shares, they do not have the authority to reduce the period. For listed companies, S249HA of the Corporations Act prescribes a minimum notice period of 28 days. The minimum 28 days notice period required for a listed company cannot be shortened by member/shareholder approval.2 At this moment, Mark should check when they gave him the notice. If it was given less than 21 /28 days before the general meeting, the meeting can be treated as procedural irregularities. Under this situation, section 1322(2) says if the court is opinion of the irregularities has caused, or may cause substantial injustice that cannot be remedied by any order of the court and the court makes an order declaring the proceeding to be invalid. 249S allows that a company to hold a meeting of its members in two or more venues â€Å"using any technology that gives the members as a whole a reasonable opportunity to participate†3. In this case, Mark was unable to reserve a flight from Darwin to Brisbane but he can  attend the meeting by using telephone or video conferencing facilities. In order to get the full answer of question 3, we trace for the origin knowledge back to the textbook, which shows restrictions on members ‘decision making power. It includes: 1. Equitable limitation 2. Special procedural requirements (e.g. reduction of capital) 3. Corporations Act and Listing rules prevented interested members from voting 4. Statutory provisions protecting the minority 5. Member’s personal rights 6. Limit on powers of majority to ratify breaches of dirs duties. We pay the attention to special procedural requirements in restrictions on members’ decision-making power. In this part, we know that majority member can remove directors. However, special procedures exists, include special notice must be given to company 2 months before. In this case, it does not mention the special notice, so Mark could argue it. Another key ingredient is limit on powers of majority to ratify breaches of directors’ duties. Majority cannot ratify dirs breach of duty if: – it is oppressive – the result is to prejudice creditors because coy is insolvent when ratification took place – breach of equitable limitation – results in a personal right of member being eliminated Majority cannot ratify director’s breach of duty if it is oppressive. In this case, we know that the relationship between Mark and his cousins broke down. Mark could claim that there is oppression then try to invalid this meeting. Finally, board of directors can delegate certain tasks to committees, a single director, an employee or another person unless constitution prevents it. Although Mark cannot book a flight at the week before Easter, he could do it in this way. Reference: Corporations Act. (2001). s. 125. Retrieved from http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol act/ca2001172/ Hanrahan, P., I Ramsay, G Stapledon, (2014). Commercial Applications of Company Law, 15th Edition, CCH Australia.

John Lewis Christmas Marketing Campaign Essay

This year’s advert, entitled â€Å"The Journey†, hopes to do as well if not better than its predecessor. The ? 6 million campaign created by Adam+EveDDB tells the story of a snowman who travels across rivers, mountains, roads and cities to get the perfect gift for the snowwoman who stands with him in the garden. * The advert could’ve been seen on channel 4 just before Christmas and then it was easily accessible on internet(facebook, youtube, etc). John Lewis also was running a snowman hunt, with six snowmen figures hidden around stores. If customers find them all they could win a price, including a  £10,000 holiday, Sony laptop, spa days and gift hampers. John Lewis has also run social media activity including competitions to win a holiday to New Zealand, where the ad was filmed, and for a family to get their garden ‘snowed up’ for Christmas day. John Lewis hopes to make a â€Å"confident statement† in its Christmas marketing this year through its TV, press, outdoor and in-store activity as well as the Annual, a glossy print title that brings together its Editions magazine and Christmas catalogue into one publication for the first time. The Twitter campaign uses the hashtag #snowmanjourney to track its experiential campaign that is photographing the snowman in different towns around the country. John Lewis has also press released many articles regarding their Christmas advert, in store sales, and competitions. John Lewis P&R department has also write a book that tells the story of the snowman and his journey which is also part of the high profile Christmas campaign, short afterwards the book became one of the most selling books for children. John Lewis has attributed a lift in its crafts offering to its Christmas ad campaign. Items on sale include a ‘Knit Your Own Snowman’. * The campaign was created to persuade more and more customers to come in the store and buy gifts for their loved ones during Christmas time. John Lewis’s advert also delivered strong Christmas, and warm feeling to the viewers so they are also creating the brand. They want to tell and insert John Lewis’s brand in many people’s life. Craig Inglis the Marketing Director at John Lewis said â€Å"the campaigns are not just an investment in making people feel Christmassy, they have commercial effectiveness at eart. † Adverts starring the character proved a big hit – with more than three million views on YouTube. * The target market were people who had families, people who lad loved ones, relatives, and people who had someone one special in their lives, because Christmas it is all about spending time with the loved ones, giving them gifts and have a great time. Also they targeted at other organ ization’s customers for example Marks&Spencer, Boots, etc. Also people who wanted to their bedrooms as they had big sales in their home department. Sales figures Sales for the retailer are up 7. 6% year on year for the week ending 17 November with a strong performance in electrical and home technology driving the growth with a 22. 2% jump in sales. In the five weeks over Christmas John Lewis recorded a 44. 3 per cent rise in its ‘Click and Collect’ service, which allows shoppers to buy products online and then collect them from one of the group’s Waitrose supermarkets, compared with figures from 2011. Total web sales reached ? 684. 8 million in the five weeks to 29 December. Electrical and home technology sales were up by 30. 9 per cent on 2011 with tablets being the retailer’s star festive performer. Fashion and beauty sales rose 10. 4 per cent with home products increasing by 6. 2 per cent. In the last full week before Christmas John Lewis posted sales of ? 157. 8 million, a rise of 26. 5 per cent from last year. A record ? 31. 7 million was then taken on 27 December, the start of the retailer’s clearance sale. Conclusion Overall I think the Christmas campaign has been extremely successful. The reason why I am saying this is because comparing the sales figure from last year and this year they achieved a record this year by stepping over the ? 150 million revenue. Also looking at the promotional mix they have done pretty well again, as we have new products which are the snowman book and the snowman toys, sales offers in their stores at certain products. Their PR department did very well as they came with articles just before launching the advert letting people know when and where will they be able to see the advert. The personal selling was great as well as when going to the check out they would ask the customers if they found everything they need and also if they would be interested in buying the snowman book, etc. Direct marketing was great as well as there was a twitter account where you could fallow the snowman’s adventure, and competitions on Facebook and in store. An improvement I would say it would be that maybe the customers where interested in more sales promotions and more direct marketing would convince customers to buy more products and come to John Lewis more often. Although the Advert did cost a huge amount of money that is nothing compared to the ? 157. 8 million revenue they made last year. Another reason why I think that the campaign was successful was that the advert they made has been voted as the year’s most favourite TV advert. And finally the last reason why I am sure that the campaign was extremely successful was that none of the directors of John Lewis expected a record breaker sales figure.