The Legalization of Marijuana and Its effects in the Economy Research Paper

The Legalization of Marijuana and Its effects in the Economy - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the costs in terms of increase in crime rates, health and mortality rates due to increased addiction to Marijuana and other drugs, loss of quality of life and social and psychological affliction are immense. The paper concludes with the understanding that legalization should only be limited to medicinal purposes and not completely just as a total remedy for providing the US economy a boost. Marijuana has a long legal history in the United States and has always been in the centre of controversies for a long time. The debate related to marijuana stems from the lawful use of marijuana for medicinal purposes or as a recreation drug. During the early 1900s, marijuana became a prohibited drug in many states of America (Deitch, 2003). According to Deitch, after the formation of the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Regulation, marijuana was put under prohibition in all the states of the United States of America. After the 1970s, there was a wide uproar to remove the prohibition on Marijuana and legalize the sale of medical marijuana. This attempt led to a widespread debate among the different factions about the legalization of marijuana. Legalization of Marijuana was a subject of additional controversy after it was argued that with if drug is made legal; the economy of a state could flourish because of the excise duty that would be imposed on it. This sparkled further debate with re gard to marijuana as it is very difficult to understand whether the benefits of legalizing marijuana would be higher than the negative effects that this legalisation may bring about. Hence, the legalization of marijuana has become a very controversial topic in the United States of America. This has resulted in two different schools of thought, the pro marijuana legalization group and the anti marijuana legalization group. The group that favours the legalization of marijuana include the Physician’s Association for AIDS care and the National Cancer Foundation as it comes in very useful to help the terminally ill patients. The Drug Enforcement Agency and the police force are against the legalization for marijuana for they strongly believe that there would be an increase in the crime rate, once this drug is legalized. 1.2 Problem Statement Will legalizing Marijuana in the United States will benefit the economy and society? 1.3 Objectives of the Study The aim of this study is to u nderstand the impact of legalization of marijuana from an economic perspective. In light of the controversial and debatable process of legalization, it is necessary to understand the different pros and cons of each side of argument. This study would explore all different aspects that

Active Intellect in Aristotle Essay Example for Free

Active Intellect in Aristotle Essay All men by nature desire to know. An indication of this is the delight we take in our senses; for even apart from their usefulness they are loved for themselves; and above all others the sense of sight. This is the foundation of human knowledge Aristotle presents us with in Book Alpha of the Metaphysics. The next question which we must naturally ask ourselves is, How? How is it that we can have any knowledge at all? We by our very nature desire to know and we love the senses in themselves but what is the relationship between the two and by what faculty are we able to call anything knowledge once sense perception has occurred? Aristotle sets up as his faculty for knowledge both the active and the passive intellects. We begin to have knowledge through sense experience. We cannot know without sense experienceand it is from sense experience that all knowledge is therefore generated. Knowledge for Aristotle is a knowledge of universals, that is, a knowledge of Essences. Thought is thus the faculty by which we come to comprehend universals. And since material objects are a composite unity of essence and existence, it naturally follows that we grasp the universal through our encounter with the particular. What follows is a series of events which leads to knowledge. The passive intellect receives the image from the sense data and it is stamped upon the passive intellect from the material impression. From this stamp the active intellect is to draw out of it and somehow make a universal concept from this particular experience. But there is something more at work here. There is something in the mind ( more specifically in the soul) that somehow comprehends and makes universals intelligible. Various theories have been postulated concerning this but we shall concentrate on Aristotle and leave the other philosophies for now. What is at work in man is a divine reason immanent in mans soul. Somehow man is connected to and shares in divine reason. A distinction must be made here. We are not saying that the human souls capacity to grasp universals is in some way a maker or shares in the pure act of God, but that without this divine reason at work in the souls of men no understanding of universals could take place at all. The mind works on the material given to it, that is its potential, and from this material it moves to actuality. An example of this is the man who is without music becoming musical. His potential to be musical always existed in him but it wasnt until he studied the particulars of music that he became a musical  man. Aristotle refers in his Meteorology (1072, b14) that we can live a life like that of a God, a time of reason being broken down where we become aware of the oneness with the principles, whose knowledge is always actual and always complete. The active intellect does not in any way act strictly on material that was already there but undisclosed, it does act on material given to it in sense experience and illuminated by mans reason and divine reason as well. We share in the reason of God Aristotle believed. The philosopher God is a God of pure act, in other words Thought thinking Thought. This is the goal of man, to achieve a similar state of being in contemplation and reflection. And it is only through the active intellect that man is able to come to universals. The active intellect acts on the passive intellect the way an artist acts on stone to create an image. The artist impresses the form of a knowable object into the stone and the active intellect impresses a knowable object onto the passive intellect. We must not make the mistake here of understanding the active intellect as a medium between the passive intellect and the object to be known. Knowledge for Aristotle is a direct and not mediated relationship. The relationship of active to passive intellect is that of illumination shared in divine reason whereby man is able to see the universal in the particular and understand or grasp the idea of universal. This I liken to the statue made by the artist. By sharing in divine reason and the reason in his own soul (which I understand to be an imperfect representation of Gods) the artist is able to take a universal image in his soul and craft a particular. This particular statue thus becomes a representation of the universals we can synthesize through sense experience. Aquinas furthered this theory of the active intellect not as a maker but as an abstraction. This abstraction is taking the impressed species and expressing it through the faculty of the active or agent intellect. The material image is given in sense experience and then expressed as a universal to the mind by the very nature of the active intellect which is abstraction. This abstraction is how for Aquinas that we come to know universals. Gods pure act is translated here to fallen man by which he can begin his ascent to a higher existence. The active intellect in Aristotle is not a reason which creates out of nothing. It works on a material given to it, which it promotes from potentiality into actuality. The one reason is analogous to matter because it becomes all things; the other is analogous to the efficient cause because it makes all things. The first statement points to the act of apprehending, the second to that of art. Art makes its objects by making the material become them. And if the analogy is meant to be an exact one the role of the active intellect must therefore be to make the passive intellect its object so this apprehension can occur. What is potentially comes to be actually. This implies that there is something similar to Platos world of Forms insofar as man is cut off to a pre-existing knowledge and with which we are not in communication. Where Plato called it the re-collection of forgotten forms I believe Aristotle to call it divine reason actuating itself in human reason. Because all men by nature to desire to know, and by knowing we share in the being of God.

Implementation Of 5s In Non Manufacturing Area Commerce Essay

Implementation Of 5s In Non Manufacturing Area Commerce Essay Lean manufacturing is a philosophy that increases the productivity and improves the quality with less resource (Womack and Jones, 1996). Lean manufacturing is the systematic elimination of waste from all aspects of an organizations operations and this included production costs, product quality, and product delivery and worker involvement. Any use or loss of resources that does not lead directly to creating the product or service in an organization is viewed as waste. Now days, many companies are implementing such lean production systems. Companies primarily choose to engage in lean manufacturing for three reasons which are to reduce production resource requirements and costs, improve customer responsiveness and to improve product quality. These 3 elements are very important to boost company profits and competitiveness. The lean manufacturing concept is first introduced in Toyota Corporation which is Toyota Production System. Toyota started the lean manufacturing by following the basic principles that set out by Henry Ford with the moving assembly line. Ford realizes that the importance things in the operation are material flow continuous, process standardization, and waste elimination. The basic principle that set out by Henry Ford did bring the success to Ford Corporation. At the same time, Toyota was experience a difficult time and these basic principles give inspiration to Toyota to develop a system that flexibly responded to customer demand and was efficient at the same time. Now a day, Lean Manufacturing has been implementing in the manufacturing companies throughout the world and was becoming an important topic for manufacturing companies especially in the developed countries. The Japan, which consider as the developed country in Asia did show the success with the implementation of lean manufacturing concept and even the western countries also try to find the ways to compete against with the company in Japan. According to the Industry Week Magazine in a survey at 2004, as a result of the implementing lean manufacturing, U.S. companies had a median savings which is 7% of Cost of Goods Sold. This savings also consider as a higher levels of waste before the company implementing the lean manufacturing concept. Lean manufacturing is a concept which use the less input to achieve the same output and the input can be time, space, human effort, machinery, materials, or costs. In 1995, the U.S. equipment manufacturing company which named Lantech completed the implementation of lean and reported that there had many improvements compare batch-based system in 1991. According to Lantech, the element like manufacturing space per machine, production cycle time and product delivery lead time are reduced after the implementing of the lean manufacturing concept. During the 1990, the Wiremold Company successfully implementing the concept of lean manufacturing. Wiremold Company found out that there have many improvements after the implementing of lean manufacturing concept which the product development time-to-market, receipt and fulfilment of order time, amount of plant space needed, time for raw material to shipping dock and number of suppliers are have been reduced. Besides that, the inventory turns and sales per employee did show the increasing advantage. Some companies in Vietnam also actively conducted training and implemented lean manufacturing concept to eliminate the inefficiency process. This brings the improvement to their production and service lead times. For example, Toyota Ben Thanh, a service center of Toyota in Vietnam, has implemented lean concept to significantly reduce the process time for the automobile maintenance service and as a result, the total number of cars processed are increase. Toyota Ben Thanh achieved significant reductions in the process lead time by successfully eliminating unnecessary waiting time, inefficiencies of physical motions and process flow. According to the oxford dictionary, technique is a particular way of doing something. Lean manufacturing techniques are based on the application of five principles to guide the action of management toward success. The five principles are included value, the value stream, flow, pull and perfection. The perfection is bringing the meaning of the ability to advocate doing things right at the first time through the application of continuous improvement efforts. The element of continuous improvement can break down into 3 basic principles which are Challenge, Kaizen, and Genchi Genbutsu. Background information Kaizen is a Japanese word with literally mean improvement. In the context of Lean manufacturing, kaizen is understood to signify small, incremental, and frequent improvements to a process. Lean philosophy states that the large improvement which just require small amounts of investment and risk. The kaizen main mindset is making process improvements without adding people and space to the process. The more important one is implement the change without spending the money. In the early 1950s, Kaizen was first introduced in Japan which is the Toyota manufacturing plant. In Japan, kaizen is a way of life in the workplace which from the office of the CEO until to the shop apprentice. Kaizen has lead most of the company from a defeated wartime nation to one of the strongest industrialized countries in the world. The main principal of kaizen is making the small, immediate improvements in the process and standardizes the workplace. Actually, all of these small improvement will add up to better the working conditions which a (Imai, 1997) higher degree of safety, more efficiency and ultimately, greater profits. In the western, the improvements are done by introducing the latest technology, or incorporate the newest management technique and the result is outspending of money and time. But Kaizen is different which just requires a small investment of money, but a large investment in effort, cooperation and training. If fully implementation in organization, the results are often amazing. Kaizen is a process which must become a daily part of every workers routine and this is the key for the successful implementation of Kaizen Concept. In Kaizen, management has two functions which are Maintenance and improvement. The important part of kaizen is setting and keeping them. The role of maintain is to maintain the technological and operating standards that have been put into place. The other role of management is improvement which constantly looking for ways to raise the current operating standards. This is an ongoing effort and must be a daily part of the managers job. Process is the holy grail of kaizen and the main focus of Kaizen is on the process because Kaizen emphasize that improving the process will improve the result. The major concept of kaizen is visual management. The opportunities for improvement may present themselves on a daily basis, but if you are not able to see them, they will be missed. One of primary methods used in kaizen is to create an environment where tools, supplies and processes that out of place can be seen right away. There are two systems that are used to achieve this target is 5S and 5M. The heart and soul of visual management is 5S. It is systematic approach to workplace organization and cleaning that will transform a disorganized workplace into an efficient running machine. The 5Ss are Sort (Seiri), Set in Order (Seiton), Shine (Seiso), Standardize (Seiketsu) and Sustain (Shitsuke) 5S method started introduced in Malaysia at the middle age of 1980s and was actively conducted training and implementing in the private sector especially in multinational company. In 2004, 5S method was introduced to all public and private sectors in in Malaysia. In this 6 years, there have many certificates were issued to various factory industries and service as an encouragement. 5S is a method or tool which aims to manage workplace organisation and standardisation. 5S improves the safety, work efficiency, productivity and establishes a sense of ownership. The successes of lean manufacturing concept in the manufacturing area brought the attention of non-manufacturing area using the lean manufacturing concept to manage their company. Although 5 S is a system aimed at good housekeeping and floor cleanliness. But this concept can be used in broader area where you have any kind of waste and even, these concepts also can be use in non-manufacturing process. 1.2 Problem of Study Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is a university which has the highest number of postgraduate enrolment in engineering and technology, which is one of the important components in contributing towards the development of an innovation-led economy. There have many department and unit in UTM which provide quality services to help expedite the process and system administration. Each department plays a role in the system administration of UTM and the 5S concept has been introduced to make sure the efficiency in the system administration. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia was the first public university (IPTA) which successfully applies and attains the 5S Concept Certificate at 2009. The certificate handing ceremony was held in UTM Skudai and was officiated by the Director of National Productivity Corporation (NPC) Southern Region, Mohd. Razali Hussin. In his speech, Mohd Razali, the Director of National Productivity Corporation (NPC) Southern Region congratulated UTM staff for their commitment in making this concept a success in UTM. The Director of NPC also said that all the staff in utm are the pioneers to this program and will be the best example and reference for other IPTA. Besides that, in his speech, he did mention that the effort must be consistent from time to time and in the effort to increase the skill and improve the office management system, the commitment and participation of all the UTMs staff are essential. According to the 5S concept program leader, Puan Norazlina Md. Said, this program was introduced to all public and private sectors at the year of 2004 in Malaysia. With the help of NPC, UTM has started realizing the 5s concept and managed to pass a certain requirement and finally successful attaining the certificate. This is an honor for University Teknologi Malaysia. To successfully implementation the 5S concept, each staff of the UTM plays an important role. The successful of UTM will bring a lot of attention which first public university (IPTA) to successfully apply and attain the 5S Concept Certificate. a) What is the key of the successful implementation 5S concept? b) How far the implementation of the 5S concept? c) What is problem that will be face in the implementation of 5S concept? 1.3 Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to found out that how far that the implementation that have been done and investigate the key of the successful implementation 5S concept. Besides that, this research can also can give recommendation which ensure a constantly successful of 5s implementation. 1.4 Objective of the Research The purpose of the research is to investigate the implementing 5s at non-manufacturing area which a research will be doing in the Treasurers office UTM. The objectives of this research are: 1.2.1 To investigate that how far that the implementation of 5S concept. 1.2.2 To investigate the factor of the successful implementation of 5s concept. 1.2.3 To suggest the recommendation to ensure a constantly successful 5s implementation. 1.5 Scope This study is focusing on the Implementing 5s at non-manufacturing area which in Bursary office at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The respondents, which involve the staff of the Bursary Office and the data collected via questionnaires, were distributed to the respondent. 1.6 Significance of the Study The findings of this study are very important to: UTM The finding in this study can help UTM know the perception of the staff about the implementation of 5S concept. Besides that, can give awareness to UTM about the important of the implementation of 5s concept. Bursary Office Through this finding, can let the staff in the office know that the problem in the implementation of the 5S concept. Besides that, can give a recommendation to Bursary Office and ensure the constantly successful of the implementation of 5S concept. Undergraduate The finding in this study can give knowledge to undergraduate student about the 5S concept. This is because nowadays, there have many company already implement the 5s concept so the undergraduate will not feel unfamiliar when they hear the 5s concept. 1.7 limitations There are some limitations in this research. a) The sample of the study is only limited to the staff of the bursary office and cannot represent all the non-manufacturing area in Malaysia. Therefore, the results of the analysis could be questioned. b) Due to time constraints and cost, the survey will only distributed to respondents via questionnaire. To get an accurate analysis and data, will need an amount of cost and a lot of time. Consider to this problem, the survey will only distribute to respondents via questionnaire. c) The level of reliability and accuracy of this study may be affected by the deceit of respondents. This is because respondents normally tend to answer questions in the way that are beneficial to them.

Adult Education Essays -- Teaching Education Essays

Adult Education Education is the most important activity that every human should be an active partaker. Education is an activity that is designed to bring about changes in the knowledge, skills, attitudes and perceptions of individuals, groups or communities. Adult learning does not occur in a vacuum. What one needs or wants to learn, what opportunities are available, the manner in which one learns-all are to a large extent determined by the society in which one lives. Whenever adults are asked about their learning, they most often mention education and training programs sponsored by the workplace, colleges and universities, public schools, and other formal organizations. They first picture classrooms with â€Å"students† learning and â€Å"teachers† teaching in a highly structured format. Yet when we ask these same adults about what they have learned informally over the last year, they typically respond with descriptions of learning activities outside these formal settings. They discuss, for example, remodeling a house, which has involved everything form reading and talking...

Lifespan Human Development Essay

Lifespan, simply defined, is the utmost period of time that a living being can survive. Lifespan can also be applied to a material or object. For a human, the period between his birth and death is a process that is identified as the lifespan development. According to Rebecca Heron (2010), lifespan development encompasses all of the developments or changes that occur from birth throughout life. Others termed lifespan development as a series of events that took place in a person’s life that made him more knowledgeable or wise. Others call it journey. Everyone has their own stories to tell. No matter how sad or colorful one’s story is, it is still something that we can call journey. Let me start mine by letting you know something about me. I am a Latin-American (Cuban) male. I was raised in Newark, NJ and I am in my late thirties now. When I got married last 2004, I moved down to south Jersey. People say that I am a good listener and that I give a good piece of advise. Like every other teenagers, I can say that I gained experiences from my teenage years. Thanks for my best friend Denniz; she was always there especially during my rough times in relationships. She was my shoulder to cry on when I needed one. D. Boyd and H. Bee (2009) tell that there is a Learning Theory that can be applied in a person’s life. According to this theory, one’s development results from an accumulation of experiences. I agree to this concept because I can say that people goes through a lot of experiences in life. Love is a great experience. I can still remember being in love and being out of love but still moved on. With a friend like Denniz, who says life can be so tough? We used to hang out most o the time as I can remember but then she has to move to California during our late teens. We continue to talk over the phone, share each others’ stories until fate has to take her away. A terrible car accident took the life out of my friend and until now, there is never a day that I do not think of her. I know that whatever I am right now, she is a part of it. Living on the darkest point of my life, somehow, I manage to move on. In fact, I acknowledge the need for higher education that is why I pursue studying. I can say that despite the hardships I had, I also gained success. I manage to buy a home, getting married, being asked to speak at my GED graduation on TV, and simply being there to help my parents when they needed me most. I also value simple things like my dog licking my face, the warmth smile of wife, and sometimes, being very child like. I got hurt a lot of times. First, when my best friend died. Then, when I found out that my aunt died in a cold hospital room instead of spending her time with her family. I also got hurt when I was laid-off from my job of 14 years which made me feel that I failed my wife. Because of this, I make sure that I do not disappoint someone, especially my loved ones. I developed the hatred for failure. However, I believe that life is a form of trial and error. Whenever my actions did not produce the outcome that I wanted, I re-think and plan again. Until I am very sure that I will be successful. Intelligence and sensitivity are imparted to me by my parents. There are times that I am emotional rather than logical. But with a bundle of experiences that I have in my life, I learned to balance both of them when I wanted to be successful in the things I do or the decisions I made. I can say that I am in the middle of my journey now. I believe that there are more experiences for me to face and I am ready for it. I had become a better person because of the experiences in my life because it taught me how to be tough and move forward. Twenty or thirty years from now, I want to see myself obtaining a degree in nursing. It feels good that your parents and wife are proud of you. They had been there when I started this task and I want them to be there when I am successful. Of course, I also want to have children of my own where I can be a proud parent someday. I want to teach them what my parents taught me and am able to know that I and my wife have influenced them in a fine way. Now, I can say that my goal as of the moment is to change the relationship between me and my two older brothers. We did not develop expressing our feelings towards each other on our younger years even though we spend a lot of time together. As I age, I feel the need to open up more with them because our relationship as siblings becomes deeper. I’d also like to see my friend Denniz someday. I like to tell her what I went through and how she had become part of it. I’d like to tell her that she is never forgotten and that she is the best friend I ever had. I’d also like to see my aunt. I wanted to say sorry for not being there when she needed us. I’d tell her that we cared for her and ask for her forgiveness. Trials come at times when you do not expect it but with a strong bond with family and friends, it is easy to overcome. With all the influences I have in this journey of mine, I owe most of it to my family. From the hobby of watching movies, to being charismatic and even being open-minded about things, I got it from my family and some from my friends. They are most important to me. That is why disappointing them is the least that I want to do. I’d rather use my ability to make them laugh and see smiles on their faces rather than inflict pain on their hearts. References Bee, Helen and Boyd, Denise. (2009). Lifespan Development. Prentice Hall. Heron, Rebecca (2010). Definition of Lifespan Development, retrieved May 2, 2010, from http://www. ehow. com/facts_6066997_definition-lifespan-development. html

Medical And Social Disability Models The WritePass Journal

Medical And Social Disability Models INTRODUCTION Medical And Social Disability Models 08.pdf {Accessed 20th January 2012} Dowling, et.al, 2006. Person-centred planning in social care, London: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Available from jrf.org.uk/system/files/9781859354803.pdf { Accessed 23rd January 2012} Harris, J.C., 2010. Intellectual disability: a guide for families and professionals. Oxford. Oxford University Press. Lago, C. and B. Smith, 2010. Ethical practice and Best practice. sagepub.com/upm-data/35379_01_Lago__Smith_2e_Ch_01.pdf { Accessed 23rd January 2012} Mansell, J. and J. Beadle-Brown, 2004a. â€Å"Person-centred planning or person-centred action? Policy and practice in intellectual disability services†, Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 1–9 Roberts, et.al, 2008. SCIE Research briefing 26: mental health and social work. scie.org.uk/publications/briefings/briefing26/ { Accessed 25th January 2012} Russell, P., 2006. Sterilization of intellectually disabled minors Sanderson, H., 2000. PCP: Key Features and Approaches. Retrieved August 25, from helensandersonassociates.co.uk/PDFs/PCP%20Key%20Features%20and%20Styles.pdf {accessed 25th January 2012} Sanderson, H., E. Jones and K. Brown, 2002. â€Å"Active support and person-centred planning: strange bedfellows or ideal partners?† Tizard Learning Disability Review, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 31–8 Smull , M. and K.C. Lakin, 2002. â€Å"Public Policy and Person-Centered Planning†. In Holburn, S., Vietz, P.M., (Eds.) Person Centered Planning: Research, Practice, and Future Directions. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes The Royal Australian College of General Practictioners (RACGP), 2007. Disability. Available from racgp.org.au/scriptcontent/curriculum/pdf/disability.pdf {accessed on 20th January 2012} Towell, D. and H. Sanderson, 2004. â€Å"PCP in its Strategic Context: Reframing the Mansell/ Beadle-Brown Critique†. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 17, 17-21 Trevithick, P., 2000. Social work skills: A practical handbook. Buckingham, Philadelphia: Open University Press.

Analysis of the Tragedy Othello Essay Example

Analysis of the Tragedy Othello Essay Example Analysis of the Tragedy Othello Paper Analysis of the Tragedy Othello Paper Essay Topic: Othello William Shakespeare is considered to be among the greatest playwrights that have ever lived. He has written dozens and dozens of brilliant plays, most of those plays have been made into movies. One such play that has been made into a movie is â€Å"Othello. † The play â€Å"Othello† is one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies. It is about a black general in the Italian army, Othello, and what happened between him and his wife, Desdemona. The main villain in this play is Iago; who is a soldier under Othello’s command. Iago tells Othello numerous lies about Desdemona and Othello’s friend, and former right-hand man, Cassio. Shakespeare covers quite a few of the major issues that are still facing society today. These themes such as ethnicity, betrayal, and love are what make this play one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies. One of the more noticeable themes that Shakespeare discusses in this play is Ethnicity. Othello is a moor that somehow managed to climb his way up the ladder to the rank of general. At this time in history, blacks were considered to be barbarians, and murderous heathens. It is a very rare thing that a black man would be able to obtain the rank of general in a predominantly Caucasian army. It caused quite a bit of jealousy among the other officers serving under Othello. This element may have fueled the fire behind Iago’s lies and hatred for Othello. Another example when the ethnicity of Othello caused a problem was when he and Desdemona were married. Desdemona’s father is furious over his daughter marrying a moor. They even end up going to an Italian court to settle this matter. Normally Othello would have been executed for his actions, but because he was needed to lead the army he was allowed to stay married to Desdemona. This decision by the courts is another element that contributed to Iago’s betrayal, because if the court had ruled against Othello, Rodrigo wouldn’t have had a reason to pay Iago to spread his lies and deception. The Element that Shakespeare uses most in this play is Betrayal. There is one person at the center of most of the betrayal that takes place in the play- Iago. Iago has no loyalties to anyone throughout the entire story, not even to his own wife. He betrays every character at some point. He betrayed Cassio by getting him drunk and letting him shame himself in front of Othello. Then he betrays him further by telling him to go to Desdemona and plead his case with her so she will try to convince Othello to reinstate him. Iago even betrays his own wife when he gets her to steal Desdemona’s handkerchief, and leaves it in Cassio’s room. But, the person that he betrays most of all is Othello. Iago blatantly lies to Othello’s face with every word he speaks. Through Iago’s lies and manipulation, Othello begins to believe that Desdemona doesn’t love him and that she is in love with Cassio. Iago does such a good job at deceiving Othello, that Othello believes that the only way out of this situation is to kill his wife. Like most villains Iago’s treachery only leads to his own downfall. Iago isn’t the only character that betrays another person. Most of the other characters commit acts of betrayal that were much worse than the betrayals committed by Iago. Iago’s wife, Emilia, betrays her husband by telling Othello about the handkerchief that she stole for Iago. Even though it may have been the right thing to do this betrayal led to her and her husband’s deaths. Desdemona is the only one that seems innocent in this play, but she also contributes to the theme of betrayal. She lies to Othello about losing the handkerchief, and tells him that she still has it. This only furthers Othello’s suspicion that Desdemona is having an affair with his friend Cassio. But, Othello makes the largest betrayal of all when he believes the lies that Iago has told him rather than word of his own wife. Iago’s lies convince Othello that the only way to deal with the situation is to murder his wife. Not trusting a person that you love is one of the worst betrayals of all. Another theme that stands out in many Shakespearian plays is love. In â€Å"Othello† as in most of Shakespeare’s tragedies, love is one of the main driving force behind the actions of the main characters. Love was the reason why Desdemona lied to Othello about the missing handkerchief. Because, she knew how much it meant to him and she didn’t want to hurt him by telling him that she had lost it. Also Othello’s love for Desdemona might have been the reason that he went through with his betrayals. Desdemona’s betrayals wouldn’t have mattered as much to him if he didn’t love her. He also showed that he loved her when he killed himself after he found out that Iago had deceived him and that she was innocent. On the other hand Iago’s betrayals were fueled by nothing more than hate and greed. Ethnicity, betrayal, and love are difficult issues for the characters of the play to cope with. It ends up being too much for the characters and as in all of Shakespeare’s tragedies the majority of the people are killed. Shakespeare’s blending of these different elements is what made this play so enjoyable to watch. â€Å"Othello† is, by far, one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies.

Raphael essays

Raphael essays On April 8, 1483, one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance was born in Urbino, Italy. There was a bright future ahead for this boy named Raphael Sanzio. He would become so famous to the point where he would be considered among the greatest artists ever, with the likes of Michelangelo Buonarotti and Leonardo Da Vinci. His most famous works include his Madonna paintings, his large figure compositions that are held in the Vatican in Rome, and many religious paintings that receive high remarks. All of his works would be admired for its great clarity of form and great visual aspects. As mentioned earlier, Raphael was born on April 8, 1483 to Giovanni Santi and Magia Ciarla. His father was one of the most influential artists in Urbino at the time of Raphaels early existence. He had made a collection of paintings in a book called the Chronicle of the deeds of Duke Frederick II, who was Urbinos political and major artistic patron. Giovanni had his own workshop with two artists working in them, who were Evangelista da Pian di Meleto and Timoteo Viti da Urbino. Both of these artists influenced young Raphael. His father also worked with Piero Perugino and Melozzo da Forli, who were two very famous painters at the time. Raphael was very fortunate enough to meet Perugino, the painter whose paintings had influenced him the most. This would jumpstart Raphaels interests in becoming an artist in the near future. Raphael was very fortunate to work with the great Piero Perugino. He was an artist with considerable gifts.# Raphaels early work looks much like Peruginos work. In fact, Perugino's Crucifixion with the Virgin, St John, St Jerome, and St Mary Magdalene was thought to be by Raphael until evidence proved it was given to the church of San Gimigniano in 1497, when Raphael was only 14.# These are high praises from such a young artist. He was born with the talent to be an artist. Whatever work Raphael saw, he ...

The Research on Effects of substance abuse on prisoners in Austin, Assignment

The Research on Effects of substance abuse on prisoners in Austin, Texas - Assignment Example The rate of substance abuse in prisons has increased leading to detrimental health effects and even death in extreme cases. Since substance abuse is not a new concept in the prisons, there is need for close attention to avert negative effects. The study focuses on impacts of substance abuse to prisoners and the society. A major focus was on establishing reasons behind the high incidences of substance abuse in the correctional facilities. Through the study, negative impacts of substance abuse on prisoners and the community as well as other stakeholders would be determined. The effectiveness of mechanisms put in place to treat substance abuse and rehabilitate victims is examined. This would help in identification of loopholes, which result in negative outcomes. Introduction There has been a steady rise of substance abuse in prisons in Austin, Texas. Substance abuse is the harmful and use of substances for purposes of altering the normal mental state of an individual. Although treatment and other mechanisms have effected to address the issue of substance abuse, little progress has been made. There are a number of factors associated with substance abuse in prisons with correlation observed between crime and substance abuse. A study of factors that lead to the rising trend of substance abuse would go a long way in helping minimize effects and evaluate the involvement of other stakeholders (Ireland et al., 2010). Stakeholders and interest groups Stakeholders involved in the substance abuse can be used to achieve maximum outcomes even with the limited resources. The center that deals with substance abuse outlines stakeholders and their role in managing substance abuse in prisons as well as their relationship to the treatment process. There should enhanced collaborative efforts and partnerships between key stakeholders. The system of criminal justice and substance abuse management community can and should work together for the common good of everyone involved (Neubauer , 2011). The possible contribution from major stakeholders can be immense and may lead to highly desirable outcomes. The center for substance abuse treatment, divides stakeholders into five primary categories. First, there are community stakeholders who include the public, the media, victims, legislators, businesses and community organizations. Second, are those stakeholders associated with offenders in one way or another? They include the offender, employers, family members, and providers of social services. The third set of stakeholders is those found within the system of criminal justice and they include prosecutors, police officers, and judges, attorneys for the defense, as well as parole and probation officers. Fourth are the stakeholders within the system of public health who include providers of mental health services as well as healthcare organizations. The fifth category is for stakeholders within the system of alcohol and other substance treatment. All the stakeholders con tribute significantly to management of substance abuse in prisons which would lead to the common good of everyone involved. The enhanced collaboration and partnership among all stakeholders would result in higher probabilities of ex-offenders succeeding in the streets and communities that are safer for everyone. Products of such cooperation and collaborations focus on coming up with a comprehensive system to promoting,

Medievel Glass at Corning Museum of Glass Assignment

Medievel Glass at Corning Museum of Glass - Assignment Example . People who do not normally see glass as an artwork will be surprised to know that a museum of glass exists. The medieval glass collection of the Corning Museum of Glass (CMG, 2012a) displays a wide range of glass objects that had decorative and functional purposes during medieval times. After conducting a virtual visit of this museum’s â€Å"Medieval Glass for Popes, Princes and Peasants,† this writer realized how much glass can depict cultural and social beliefs, divisions, and struggles. Glass signifies cultural values and social divisions because its transformation across time depicts social stratification and social transformation. Medieval glass begins somewhere, and its humble beginnings reflect the practical needs and social concerns of its users. A 425-dated olive green glass, a Byzantine Cone Beaker, demonstrates a simple design that reflects its functional purpose (see Figure 1). After the Roman Empire disintegrated, tastes in glass varied. In locations where the Franks lived, simpler shapes and decorative styles were the norm. This Byzantine Cone Beaker is designed for convenience, which suggests how this glass expresses the pragmatic needs of its users. Glass art can be used as a â€Å"medium of learning† of another time and culture (Diffey, 1997, p.27). One can only imagine the working-class drinking their wine in pubs or homes and relaxing enough to forget their troubles. This glass stands for the practical demands of people making a living for survival. Nothing is simple with this simple glass. It is simple because life is hard. Figure 1: A Byzantine Cone Beaker, dating 425-599 Source: Corning Museum of Glass (2012b) The latest example of medieval glass in the exhibit is impressive because of its intricate design that depicts strong social changes and inequalities. A Baroque Ewer (see figure 2), a colorless glass with green tinge and numerous bubbles in color combinations, suggests aesthetic beauty and creativity. The top of the handle has a thumb rest, which is an innovation (CMG, 2012b). It signifies the changing society that demands creativity in its products. Moreover, this ewer has evolved a great deal from initial glass designs because it is multi-colored and intricately formed. Even when these things have simple functions, people craved for more beauty in their everyday objects. This beauty essentially represents their social identity. Their demand for more beautiful things in their lives connotes their need for asserting their social importance. Bourdieu talks about social and economic capital that reinforces social inequality (Dillon, 2010). Only the rich can afford this ewer, and design that is important to them becomes something coveted, and yet to the masses it is unimportant. Nevertheless, glass becomes a unique differentiating tool of their social status. Figure 2: A Baroque Ewer, dating 1550-1600 Source: Corning Museum of Glass (2012b) Glass objects represent a groups’ social status and identities. For instance, figure 3 shows a Behaim Beaker that might have been specifically made for a rich merchant’s daughter’s wedding. The wedding took place on July 7, 1495; it was the nuptial of Michael Behaim and Katerina Lochnerin, the daughter of a rich merchant, whose company monopolized the trade between Nuremberg and Venice (CMG, 2012b). This object shows that even the simplest things say something about the owner and his/her culture and society. The name Behaim Beaker belongs to a prominent family and its drawings of saints, birds, and helmets signify pow er. These are objects that help conceive self-identity with â€Å"images [that] shape an individual self-concept† (Freedman, 2003, p.2). It demonstrates power and majesty in

Mergers and acquisitions-B Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mergers and acquisitions-B - Coursework Example Are any Sell-Offs Likely? 10 7. Risk – Given that the Majority of Takeovers Destroy Shareholder Value, What Are the Major Risks? 11 Conclusion 13 References 14 Introduction Evidences reveal that M&As can be quite risky to lead the pathway of the acquiring company’s destruction and on the other hand, be highly beneficial to assist the company in the attainment of its long-term objectives. Despite the immense risk, companies opt for M&As in order to gain the benefits of operational leap, integration, larger customer base, channels and higher competencies (Galpin & Herdon, 2007). One of the most risky acquisitions in the recent past can be identified as the acquisition of National Westminster Bank (NatWest) by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in the year 2000. It is recorded as one of the most daring acquisitions, due to the fact that during the period of acquiring NatWest, RBS was recognised to be smaller than the target company. It took a great effort from RBS’s e nd to complete the deal and rewarded it the reputation of one of the leaders in the British Banking Industry (Larsen, 2007). With this concern, the paper will examine the entire process of acquisition considering the various aspects, such as strategic fitness of NatWest, regulatory factors influencing the process, justification of the valuation of acquisition, defence tactics applied, implementation of integration and risks involved in the acquisition. 1. Strategy – How Does The Target Company Appear To Fit into the Acquirer’s Long-Term Strategy? According to the experts, strategic fitness of the target company in M&A is considered to be one of the most significant aspects while determining the plan. Because, underneath every M&A the observed motive of the acquiring company or the merging companies are to increase the value of the two companies together which would be more than the sum of the total values of both the companies. Strategic fit of the target company, thus , holds a significant position to increase the overall value of the acquirer (Lee & Pennings, 1996). The strategic fit of the acquisition and the target company can be analysed in depth considering the fact that M&As are often termed as a past of the strategic objective of the acquirer to attain growth and higher competency (Edinburgh Business School, 2008). The objective can be well identified in the acquisition of NatWest by RBS. It was a horizontal acquisition, which means that the target company and the acquirer belonged to similar product line and also to a similar cultural background. This reduced the constraints in terms of cultural divergences. The prime objective of the acquisition depended on the fact that RBS was facing major difficulties in terms of shrinking stock prices to approx 32% and required growth. Similarly, with an increased competition and reducing market share led by the falling stock price and increased operational costs; NatWest opted to go for an M&A in or der to survive in the industry (Mahar & Polson, 2003). Being three times larger than RBS, NatWest was able to reward a higher market share and increased balance sheet value quite instantly after the acquisition with a paid bid of ?21 billion (NatWest, n.d). Subsequently, the stock price of RBS increased rapidly over the next two years (Mahar & Polson, 2003). Therefore, it is quite apparent that the acquisition proved to be a successful one in the short-term as well as in the long-term perspective. The market

Organizational Behavior Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational Behavior - Case Study Example A meeting was conducted with senior leadership at the law firm to discuss which of the three nominated employees should actually make partner. In this meeting, different attitudes regarding certain human resources policies were quite mixed as were the reactions from the attending leaders about which employees could provide the most long-term value in the role of partner. The main issue in this case is that there is a lack of unity when it comes to decision-making regarding who to elect as partner in the group. This is an organizational culture where policy is open to multitudes of different interpretations and nobody seems to have a clear handle on how these policies should be communicated regarding promotion opportunities. For example, the part-time employee up for partner nomination was not necessarily informed that moving to part-time status would impact her potential for reaching partner. None of the senior leaders can seem to agree on whether this is beneficial for the business long-term or whether it actually causes more harm in areas of corporate employee dedication. There are concerns within the senior leadership group that promoting Julie, the part-time employee in question, could set a policy precedent which gives too much flexibility to part-time staffers and could impact their ability to effectively carry out the role of partner. This di vision at senior leadership level is noticeable at the colleague level and at the employee level when they have access to read the meeting minutes. In terms of organizational behavior and culture, the lack of senior leadership unity regarding policy creation and implementation and their belief about how human resources impacts the business creates a culture of division. The process of promoting an individual to partner also seems to be ritualistic at the senior level, where they feel they must perform this annual

Automobile firm FORD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Automobile firm FORD - Essay Example The rise in taxes in recent years has meant that petrol cars pay more VED. Companies have to take into account other laws such as new car warranties and the laws under the EU treaty such as those regarding location and block exemption. The market is oligopolistic. Ford has a high market share in 3 categories of cars. However, international competition, especially from BRIC countries, is a threat. The Ford brand has lost its appeal to the masses and is now termed as an old brand. In the market, there are high barriers to entry from financial constraints and regulatory requirements. There is threat of substitutes from environment-friendly cars. Backward integration diminishes the power of suppliers. Customers have high bargaining power in this durable goods industry. The future strategies of Ford Motors should be focused on slashing prices, improving brand image and technological innovation. The automobile industry is perhaps an industry that has suffered the most in the current global economic crisis situation. Burdened by the lack of consumer credit and cutbacks in household expenditures, this durable goods industry has had to endure setback in sales growth. Furthermore, the credit crunch has meant that the companies have found hard to draw capital from the pockets of investors. Oil price hikes and increase in credit costs pulled up the costs of manufacturing and put the giant manufacturers in the same league as small manufacturers with regard to problems faced. Companies like Chrysler have had to cut back on production in order to trim their inventories and reduce cost. Revill (2008) reports that Ford will reduce production at its Southampton factory in southern England in 2011 to 35,000 units, less than half of the 75,000 the factory built in 2007. Despite this, the automotive industry has done quite well. According to Auto Industry (2007), in 2006, 1.4 million cars and 208,000 commercial vehicles were produced in the UK. SMMT (2009) reports

Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Literature - Essay Example Conrad’s choice of words and word combinations, complex sentences, his poetic tone and sophisticated style assists in smooth transition in situation that craft a sensual experience for the readers. He uses rhyming adjective phrases and complex sentences to string his ideas and make them transcend into a visual melodrama. â€Å"Heart of Darkness† is an excellent example for his ability to manipulate the abstract language and vivid imagery to attain his goal. In earlier days, Africa was known to be the ‘Dark Continent’ or the â€Å"other world.†(Robert Kimbrough 1988). All negative traits of European society were attributed to Africans. So much so, that Africa did not find a place in the world map and its geographical areas were unmarked. This intrigued and stimulated the spirit of challenge in many explorers and navigators to conquer the Dark Continent. It was this passion that also goaded the boy Joseph to seek a life of adventure and romance on the high seas. A Polish by origin, brought up in a patriotic family who resented European aggression, Conrad spent his childhood in Russia and Poland. Subsequent to the death of his parents he was under the care of his uncle, and had schooling at Carcow. Like other young men of 19th century Conrad was drawn to the adventurous, lucrative, and self-fulfilling life of seamen. He remained a seaman, from 1874 to1894, and sailed under several European flags before beginning his li terary career. Conrad’s long twenty years of experience, particularly a visit to Africa, stands reflected in ‘Heart of Darkness.’(p.ix). The story is narrated through the main character Marlow, who was also a sailor, and can be considered as an autobiographical travelogue of Conrad delivered through Marlow. Heart of Darkness, possibly the greatest short novel in English, asks troublesome questions on human aggression, disturbs preconceptions and

Organizational Behavior Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational Behavior - Case Study Example A meeting was conducted with senior leadership at the law firm to discuss which of the three nominated employees should actually make partner. In this meeting, different attitudes regarding certain human resources policies were quite mixed as were the reactions from the attending leaders about which employees could provide the most long-term value in the role of partner. The main issue in this case is that there is a lack of unity when it comes to decision-making regarding who to elect as partner in the group. This is an organizational culture where policy is open to multitudes of different interpretations and nobody seems to have a clear handle on how these policies should be communicated regarding promotion opportunities. For example, the part-time employee up for partner nomination was not necessarily informed that moving to part-time status would impact her potential for reaching partner. None of the senior leaders can seem to agree on whether this is beneficial for the business long-term or whether it actually causes more harm in areas of corporate employee dedication. There are concerns within the senior leadership group that promoting Julie, the part-time employee in question, could set a policy precedent which gives too much flexibility to part-time staffers and could impact their ability to effectively carry out the role of partner. This di vision at senior leadership level is noticeable at the colleague level and at the employee level when they have access to read the meeting minutes. In terms of organizational behavior and culture, the lack of senior leadership unity regarding policy creation and implementation and their belief about how human resources impacts the business creates a culture of division. The process of promoting an individual to partner also seems to be ritualistic at the senior level, where they feel they must perform this annual

Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Literature - Essay Example Conrad’s choice of words and word combinations, complex sentences, his poetic tone and sophisticated style assists in smooth transition in situation that craft a sensual experience for the readers. He uses rhyming adjective phrases and complex sentences to string his ideas and make them transcend into a visual melodrama. â€Å"Heart of Darkness† is an excellent example for his ability to manipulate the abstract language and vivid imagery to attain his goal. In earlier days, Africa was known to be the ‘Dark Continent’ or the â€Å"other world.†(Robert Kimbrough 1988). All negative traits of European society were attributed to Africans. So much so, that Africa did not find a place in the world map and its geographical areas were unmarked. This intrigued and stimulated the spirit of challenge in many explorers and navigators to conquer the Dark Continent. It was this passion that also goaded the boy Joseph to seek a life of adventure and romance on the high seas. A Polish by origin, brought up in a patriotic family who resented European aggression, Conrad spent his childhood in Russia and Poland. Subsequent to the death of his parents he was under the care of his uncle, and had schooling at Carcow. Like other young men of 19th century Conrad was drawn to the adventurous, lucrative, and self-fulfilling life of seamen. He remained a seaman, from 1874 to1894, and sailed under several European flags before beginning his li terary career. Conrad’s long twenty years of experience, particularly a visit to Africa, stands reflected in ‘Heart of Darkness.’(p.ix). The story is narrated through the main character Marlow, who was also a sailor, and can be considered as an autobiographical travelogue of Conrad delivered through Marlow. Heart of Darkness, possibly the greatest short novel in English, asks troublesome questions on human aggression, disturbs preconceptions and

Distinguished organization Essay Example for Free

Distinguished organization Essay I have just received your letter awarding me the prestigious Harrison Bankers Club scholarship for this year. I was overwhelmed by the feeling of achievement and happiness, but I must confess, my feeling of deep gratitude for you took better of me. It was the bright Monday morning when I was seriously pondering over my future plans while skimming through the pages of Business Times. Suddenly my eyes were arrested by an advertisement for grant of scholarships by your company. I immediately consulted my father who spoke very high of your organization. I sincerely acknowledge your efforts for taking time to process my application and the wonderful experience I had during the interview. I was impressed by the transparent, methodical and comprehensive procedure undertaken by you to identify the most deserving candidate. Your staff was courteous, friendly and cooperative. What touched me most was your inspiring conversation and intelligent questions you asked. The whole process was a rich learning experience to me. I feel honored and find myself short of words to express my grateful thoughts for your kind approval. Though few and far between, God has placed people like you to make the earth a beautiful place. Your decision will serve in a long way in promoting the cause of research work I have been always been interested in. It was my long cherished dream to contribute to the fast expanding study of biotechnology, but honestly speaking, the financials constraints held me back. Now I consider it my foremost priority to ensure by all means that my work adds further value to your distinguished organization. I again thank you for your favorable consideration and remain grateful ever for the scholarship to help me advance the studies.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Relief

Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Relief Please explore the economic implications of sovereign borrowing in a country of your choice. What are the pros and cons of conditionality and debt relief in that context? Introduction In this essay we will revise the theoretical framework of the advantages and disadvantages of both debt relief and conditionality in the context of sovereign borrowing in order to contrast it with the historical experience of Argentina. We will demonstrate, with a chronological view of the Argentinean debt that the first measures taken to resolve the problem of debt and service, in consonance with conditionality only worsen the situation that the country was facing. Following history, we will evaluate the beneficial results that came from a different set of plans arranged according to debt relief, reaching a point where the disadvantages where not suffered and the country could repay most of the obligations. To do so, we will start with a review of the conditionality theoretical framework in order to understand the possibilities for this type of arrangement comprehended by the academics. In this we will analyse the possibility of a negative impact on indebted economies, coming from the short term benefit that would come from designating the loan resources to increase consumption rather than investment. Secondly we will submit the academic theories on debt relief a similar review. In this case, it will be highlighted the contribution from Krugman (1988) that states how a relief may appear as a loss for the lenders, but in real terms facing the impossibility of payment, it would become a capital gain on terms of the initial landed amount In concordance with the theory, we will review in the last part, the negative impact that conditionality had in Argentina, leading the country to pursue consumption instead of investment and therefore submersing into further loans that could not repay, nor recourses to build the capacity for future payments. For the country this culminated in a period of crisis. On the other hand, we will see how the debt relief plans that the country benefited from after said crisis, would cause a strong and steady rate of repayment that terminated in beneficial terms for both parties, Argentinean government and various creditors. Conditionality A conditional loan would be expected to bring a wide variety of economic and political benefits to the destined country. For example steady and balanced growth rate, exchange rate stability, and an increase in the exports (Guitià ¡n, 1995) and ultimately resolving debt crisis and debt overhangs (Fafchamps, 1995). On the political side, if we realize that most economically poor countries face such a reality because of bad politics, it becomes extremely important to focus on reforming the political issues that led to that position. The IMF and World Bank possess the capacity to analyse beyond the economic factor and consequences of loans and determine, under their opinion, what would be the best path to follow for the objectives set for the credit. Lastly, conditional loans are commonly granted to countries that need to escape a specific rough situation, which means that it would probably need flexible or soft terms to be able to repay. For that Institutions like the previously mentio ned are better positioned to fill the demand without the debtor country being forced to accept unfavourable terms on a credit from another market actor (Sachs, 1988). On the other hand, conditionality can lead to worse scenarios like leading the country into a vicious circle of conditionality (Fafchamps, 1995). We must understand that the conditionality of a loan, overlaps with a States sovereignty, the idea that said state does not recognize a superior rule than his own. So ultimately, conditionality is a self-limitation of a State to a set of rules and a path pre-set by an international organization which is followed only by the good faith. To mitigate this, the lender can set a series of consequences and sanctions that may be applied to those countries that do not comply with the previously stated conditions, but still the nature of this types of loan is not comparable to a domestic one, between two individuals and regulated by internal law (Sachs, 1988). Therefore, the threat to cut the possibility of future lending is not strong enough. It is rational to think that, despite, a country that seeks to contract sovereign debt with an international organization, is concerned about their production and desires to increase it in order to boost the economy and assure the means to repay the loan. Yet mostly, the countries would be more politically benefited from increasing consumption than investment. In the short term, locating resources to investment could lead to a recession until industries are developed, risking the political stability and continuity of the current regime. Therefore, a government that was recently granted the capital requested, my turn its policies to expand consumption in an effort to gain power in the short term, but knowing that in the long, they will not be able to fulfil the services (Sachs, 1988). Debt Relief There is an enormous advantage, in theoretical terms, to debt relief. For a country that has a bigger of debt service than payment possibility, it is possible that the combination of a debt relief and an investment promoting policy will benefit both the creditor and the debtor. If we consider that the capacity of payment is dependent to the export capacity of a country, then an extra amount of money utilised to promote production and exports could boost the service in a certain time. Following this logic, if debtors are reduced part of the immediate debt service demanded to a quantity that leaves enough capital to execute the required movements to increase the exports then, in the future and as a result of debt relief, the total service capacity of the country is likely to increase in the future. Promoting as well the debtor production capacity and his possibilities on new loans (Krugman, 1988; Sachs, 1988). On the other hand, after debt relief, there is a high possibility that a country accumulate a similar amount of debt as the relieved in order to restore the ratio of net worth to GDP from before the original loan. Despite the fact that high-debt countries might show symptoms of decreasing production, relief can encourage new debt acquisition that would be toxic in the future to a debtor that is reducing its assets and with them, the capacity to repay the new services (Easterly, 2002). Another factor to take into account is the economic policies of the debtor country. Burnside and Dollar (2000) argue that aid only increases economic growth on countries with good policies, whether in those with bad ones, it creates little to no effect on growth. Debt relief are granted depending on the policies of a country that are considered to be improving to the best, but this favours the changes in policies and not quality of the policies. The criteria on the policies is measured by a contrast on their evolution. This provides a way to grant aid to countries with a bad set of policies that changed it for what is considered a good set, in order to get the aid. But without regarding the possibility that after granting it, the country will change back to increase their probabilities of future aid in the future by going back and forth on this motion (Burnside and Dollar, 2000). Finally, we should consider that a vicious circle could be constructed from the debt relief of a country and the consequent possibility of a new loan. Even though it might be clear that lending is not stimulating or increasing in any way the countrys capacity to export and therefore to pay services, creditors are inclined to provide new loans on the risk that a default will be declared and all their services remain unpaid (Easterly, 2002). The Argentinean case History The history of Argentinean debt dates back to the early XIX century, when the government of the city of Buenos Aires was granted a loan to finance the ongoing wars that would later determinate the political unity and territorial integrity of the country. After four years, the government declared a default that would last for another 29 years (Bruno, 2006). Moving forward to more recent times, it is possible to separate the history of Argentinean debt into three parts (Damil, Frenkel and Rapetti, 2005). Between 1977 and 1983, during the coup governments, in which the amount of the total debt increased by three times and service went from representing a 40% of exports to a 90%. By the mid-1970s the total debt was not bigger than 8.000 millions of U.S. dollars and that quantity rose to 45.000 million in 1983 (Kulfas and Schorr, 2003). During this time, liquidity was prominent in the U.S. banks due to the increase on the price of oil from 3 to 12 dollars between 1972 and 1974. Recourses provided by the contraction of this debt where wasted on unproductive imports such as armament, instead of being used to finance production and increase the countrys capacity to export (Carro, 2006). The second segment identified is from 1983 to 1990, characterised by the suspension of most public debt on the grounds of the illegality of those in power at the moment of receiving it. Democratic president Alfonsin, firmly stated that there was no reason to pay a debt from a de facto government that misused the financial resource in corrupt means. Alfonsin tried to renegotiate with de accreditors the debts and also tried to create an international union of Latin American Countries in debt to gain political power over the creditors. During this period, the amount owed rose a 44.8% (Carro, 2006). The last part from the 1990 to the year 2001 again centred in financial aperture and accelerated indebtedness promoted by president Menem and his Chicago School thinking (Damil, Frenkel and Rapetti, 2005). The country underwent a series of structural changes. In 1993 the Brady Plan was implemented. It had two central ideas. First it was clear that the indebted economies would not be able to repay if certain degree of it was relieved. Second, it proposes the IMF and the World Bank grant new loans to this countries to increase their productive capacity and in this way, generate the income needed to pay the remaining debt (Godoy Ortiz, Aspiroz, Aulita, Mason, Semino, Fonrouge and Zille, 2004). This plan was supposed to be the definitive solution to the debt, but instead it created a window to increase it, and without the proper control mechanisms on the quality of the spending, it had the same result as the one contracted in the 70s. On 2001, Argentina defaulted again (Kulfas and Schorr , 2003). In the following graph we can see how the Argentinean public debt evolved from 1993 to 2004. Source: Bleger. Del Sur hacia el Norte: Economà ­a polà ­tica del orden econà ³mico internacional. Emergente. In Deuda externa y soberanà ­a: anà ¡lisis y lecciones de la reciente reestructuracià ³n. 2007. CLACSO. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Conditionality vs Debt Relief Since 1990, the IMF scheduled more than 50 technical advisories missions. After the 2001 default, the organism started a study which concluded that the IMF had not had enough strength in the conditionality of previous agreements to enforce real change in the Argentinean economy and that led to such a disastrous conclusions (Bleger, 2007). Argentina defaulted because it could not really afford the services that where expected from the different debts contracted. The country had entered the vicious circle of conditionality, living from the international loans and debts without fomenting the industry enough to produce the expected return that would provide means for service payment (Sachs, 1985). Living on the shadow of recent coups that acted mainly as solution to economic crises no government was ready to face the political cost of investing and shortening consumption with the consequence of facing a recession. There were few years in between the military coups of democratic governments that tried to impulse production, but came to a violent end due to the economic pressures and resulted again in a second series of coups. That context led to the incitation to consumption that would led Argentina towards a dead end path on debt. At the start of his presidential term, Nestor Kirchner decided to seek a solution for the end the debt problem in Argentina. He divided the services into those who were to be payed fully, but negotiating a new schedule, and those to which a payment would be offered but with a considerable relieve. The first added up to a total of 62 billion U.S. dollars mainly composed by debts to international organizations and countries. The other part of the debt, was mainly to private investors and accumulated up to 82 billion plus interest from the default period (Carro, 2006). In 2003, an agreement was signed between Argentina and the IMF, under which for 3 years the services comprehended on such time would be subject to relief. After hard negotiations debt restructuration of the private sector was approved by a 76% of the total holders. In 2005 a new negotiation started with the IMF to try to set conditions for a new relief of future services on the remaining debt. From this we can see how Argentina has undergone the processes of conditionality and debt relief, in a chronological order and we can sustain that conditionality has not been a solution to the Argentinean debt, but rather has made the problem worse and led to the biggest default in history from the Latin American Government. On the other hand, debt relief appears to help the country get rid of the international financial obligations and not promote further indebtedness. Nevertheless it is still important to point out that Argentina remained outside of the debt market until 2015 and therefore it was not possible to acquire further loans up until then Conclusions This essay has analysed the advantages and disadvantages of conditionality and debt relief in the particular case of Argentinean sovereign borrowing to find that the first option did not lead to an improvement of the situation of the South American countries debt situation. On the contrary, and following the research done on the matter, the impact of conditionality terms on the 90s increase the debt contracted by the government but did not reduce the ratio nor increased the capacity of the nations economy to produce the means to pay it. A complete contrary result was obtained from the measures of relief granted to Argentina after the economic crash in the first years of this century. The management of debt during the Nestor Kirchner administration based on separation, restructuring, rescheduling and relief proved successful terminating on an acceptance of the 76% of the total debt under the new terms. Academics do warn about the possibility that debt relief measures may encourage to enter a vicious circle of acquiring more debt in hope of new reliefs. But as we can see, this was not the case for the South American country. In conclusion, for the particular case of Argentina, the alternative of conditionality did not lead to success, but rather performed as a perfect example of the risks and disadvantages that may come from said measures. On the other hand, debt relief came as a solution for the historical problem of the country on the matter of debt allowing for a restructuring and a fruitful solution for all parts involved. Although the impossibility to take new loans until 2015 must be considered. Bibliography    Barry, C. Tomitova, L. (2006), Fairness in Sovereign Debt, Social Research, vol. 73, no. 2, pp. 649-694,736,0_3. Bleger, L. (2007). Del Sur hacia el Norte: Economà ­a polà ­tica del orden econà ³mico internacional. In CLACSO Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales, Deuda externa y soberanà ­a: anà ¡lisis y lecciones de la reciente reestructuracià ³n. CLACSO. Buenos Aires, Argentina, pp. 171-182. Boeri, C. (2003), How to solve Argentinas debt crisis: Will the IMFs plan work?, Chicago Journal of International Law, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 245-255. Bruno, E.A. (2006), The Failure of Debt-Based Development: Lessons from Argentina, CATO Journal, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 357-365. Burnside, C., Dollar, D. (2000). Aid, Policies, and Growth. The American Economic Review, 90(4), 847-868. Calomiris C. W., (2003), Lessons from Argentina and Brazil, Columbia University Academic Commons. Carro, E. (2006). Historia y evolucià ³n de la deuda argentina. Estudios Carro. October. Cà ³rdoba, Argentina. Cordella, T. DellAriccia, G. (2002), Limits of conditionality in poverty reduction programs, IMF Staff Papers, vol. 49, pp. 68-86. Damill, M., Frenkel, R. Rapetti, M. (2005), Argentinas debt: history, default and restructuring, Desarrollo econà ³mico, vol. 45, no. 178, pp. 187-233. Datz, G. (2012), The Inextricable Link Between Sovereign Debt and Pensions in Argentina, 1993-2010, Latin American Politics and Society, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 101-126. Easterly W. (2002), How Did Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Become Heavily Indebted? Reviewing Two Decades of Debt Relief, World Development, Volume 30, Issue 10, Pages 1677-1696. Fafchamps, M. (1996), Sovereign debt, structural adjustment, and conditionality, Journal of Development Economics, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 313-335. Guitian, M. (1995), Conditionality: Past, present, future, International Monetary Fund.Staff Papers International Monetary Fund, vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 792. Godoy Ortiz, A., Aspiroz, V., Aulita, C., Mason, A., Semino, S., Fonrouge, M. and Zille, A. (2004). Deuda Externa Argentina: Evolucion y Determinantes, Investigaciones Rodolfo Walsh. October. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Krugman, P.R. (1988), Financing vs. Forgiving a Debt Overhang, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, Cambridge. Kulfas, M. y Schorr, M. (2003): La deuda externa argentina. Diagnà ³sticos y lineamientos propositivos para su reestructuracià ³n, CIEPP/OSDE, 2003. Sachs, J.D. (1985), External debt and macroeconomic performance in Latin America and East Asia, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, , no. 2, pp. 523-573. Sachs, J.D. (1988). Conditionality, Debt relief and the Developing Country Debt Crisis. National Bureau of Academic Research. July. no. 2644.

Essay --

SooJin Lee Period 2 Mr. Ajlouny Feb 6, 2014 The Metamorphosis Essay Prompt: How is Gregor’s transformation into a bug a representation of an existentialism crisis? Existentialism is known to be a dangerous philosophical theory that makes us question ourselves the purpose of our lives, and makes us feel isolated from the world that can even lead to accepting death. In his short story The Metamorphosis, Kafka represents the horror of existentialism through Gregor’s transformation of a bug. Kafka empathizes that existentialism is so dangerous that existential attitude occurs without even a person realizing until something changes in that person’s life. For example, Kafka creates a character name Gregor, a traveling salesman who works very hard to over provide for his family, to show how he does not realize how tired and overworking man he is until he transforms into a useless bug. Because Gregor over works for his family and is always out in business trips, he is a lonely man. Gregor is used to being alone and even â€Å"formed the cautious habit.. of locking all his doors at night†(13). His routine for a day is simple: work and sleep like a bug. He does not meet with any woman, go on a vacation, or even rest peaceful at home because he is so â€Å"condemned to work for a firm where people immediately conceive the greatest suspicions at the smallest sign of negligence† (15). He’s isolation from the world even before he becomes a bug already shows his existential attitude. However, Gregor does not realizes this until he turns into a beetle who no longer can work, but to stay in his room. Kafka uses Gregor to represent that existentialism can not be seen until something physically happens. Although Kafka presents Gregor as an indif... ...simply â€Å"clears out that trash† into a dumpster(51). Instead of being buried and have a funeral for Gregor, he is thrown like a dead bug on the grade. Until the end, Gregor’s family does not show their love for Gregor, but shed some tears at the end; half of it because they feel sad and the other half it because they feel free. The way how Gregor’s family treated Gregor play a big role of danger of existentialism. Through Gregor’s transformation as a bug, Kafka represents how people around Gregor and himself place Gregor into a greater danger of existentialism. He shows the reader how horrific existentialism is and that this can be one of the reasons why deaths occur in this world. He warns the reader to be able to maintain the limit and the ability of how much a person can work, so that we don’t have to be like Gregor who only works for living like a bug would do.

Lust, Violence, and Death in John Miltons Paradise Lost :: Milton Paradise Lost Essays

Lust, Violence, and Death in Paradise Lost    Images and allusions to sex and death are intermingled throughout John Milton's Paradise Lost. The character of Satan serves as not only an embodiment of death and sin, but also insatiated sexual lust. The combination of sex and lust has significant philosophical implications, especially in relation to themes of creation, destruction, and the nature of existence. Milton, in Paradise Lost, establishes that with sex, as with religion, he is of no particular hierarchical establishment. However, Milton does not want to be confused with the stereotypical puritan. Milton the poet, seems to celebrate the ideal of sex; yet, he deplores concupiscence and warns against the evils of lust, insisting   lust   leads to sin, violence and death. There is no reason to apply modern theories to Milton if we do not care whether Milton remains alive. However, if we wish him to be more than a historical artifact, we must do more than just study him against the background of his time. We must reinterpret him in light of the germane thought of our own age.-James Driscoll Images and allusions to sex and death are intermingled throughout John Milton's Paradise Lost. The character of Satan serves as not only an embodiment of death and sin, but also insatiated sexual lust. The combination of sex and lust has significant philosophical implications, especially in relation to themes of creation, destruction, and the nature of existence. Milton, in Paradise Lost, establishes that with sex, as with religion, he is of no particular hierarchical establishment. However, Milton does not want to be confused with the stereotypical puritan. Milton the poet, seems to celebrate the ideal of sex; yet, he deplores concupiscence   and warns against the evils of lust, insisting   lust   leads to sin, violence and death. From the beginning, Satan, like fallen humanity, not only blames others; but also makes comic and grandiose reasons for his evil   behavior. Yet, despite his reasoning to seek revenge against God, "his true motivation for escaping from hell and perverting paradise is, at least partly, something more basic: Satan needs sex" (Daniel 26). In the opening books of the poem, Satan is cast into a fiery hell that is not only is miserable, but devoid of sex. As Satan describes when he has escaped to Eden, in hell: "neigh joy nor love, but fierce desire, / Among our other torments not the least, / Still unfulfilled with pain of longing pine" (Book IV, 509-11).

The epic date

Coming up with an unoriginal date idea is never hard. Simply look around you, see what everyone else is doing, and copy that! While some people enjoy the traditional standby of dinner and a movie, others are looking for ways to spice up their love life and find themselves searching for fun date ideas to accomplish that. An always unique and slightly more active outing, creative dates tend to be more exciting, interactive and, most importantly, far from the norm.Some of the most fun date ideas are the ones that challenge us to do things that we might otherwise not do. Not for the weak of heart, fun, exciting dates are more appropriate for those who know each other fairly well rather than a couple on a first or blind date. Try doing something extreme that not only creates a great time but brings you closer to the one you're with. For outdoor excitement, go white water rafting, bungee Jumping or, for the super brave, skydiving. Looking for a more relaxed yet equally thrilling date idea? Rent a hot air balloon at sunset and enjoy wine and snacks as you glide through the clouds and admire the view below. Just keep in mind that the balloons tend to drift with the wind and are actually a lot maller than they seem, so if you're afraid of heights, hot air balloons may not be for you. While exciting date ideas tend to be the out of ordinary, fun dates dont necessarily need to be extreme and there are plenty of creative dates that can be taken with a few less risks.No matter where you live, there's bound to be a wine vineyard or brewing factory nearby. Grab your partner and take a day trip to the site to enjoy their wine or beer selections and take a tour of the grounds. Most vineyards and breweries have restaurants on the premises, so make it a day trip and enjoy a relaxing dinner together in the evening. For those who aren't quite used to drinking throughout the day, you may want to arrange tor transportation to and trom your destination since the wine or beer samples ar e likely to be abundant.If drinking isn't your thing, head to the nearest city to take in a theater or comedy show. Unsure of which you'd prefer? Analyze your preference by basing it on your favorite movies. If it's drama or romance you like, the theater is your best bet. From musicals to plays, there's always something going on at a performance center and, even if it's not Broadway, it's likely that a local theater group is performing each eekend.If you prefer watching films that make you laugh, such as Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler or even the slapstick of the Three Stooges, a comedy show could make for a really fun night. If you dont live near any large comedy clubs, go online or search through the local newspaper to learn about any comedians visiting local bars or nightclubs. No matter what your energy level, there's always a fun date idea for everyone. Whether you prefer roaming through the great outdoors or staying in, a creative date makes for a fun date and the more unique, the better.

Filipino Cry: The Social Issues in OPM Songs Essay

Introduction This paper will attempt to highlight the theme of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) that appeals the public concern of the government. This will feature two selected songs –, Upuan (2009), and Walang Natira (2010) by Gloc9. These songs were selected according to their similarities in terms of the social issues of the Filipino to the government such as poverty, unemployment, corruption and oppression. The paper seeks to prove that these songs have similar theme that Filipino composers integrate in a music/song to convoke the attention of the government officials. Statement of the Problem This paper answers the following questions: 1. What are the images depicted in the lyrics of the songs? 2. What are the social issues of the public depicted in the songs? 3. What are the common theme and its implication to its listener? Objectives Generally, this paper aims to determine the themes of some OPM Songs. Specifically, this aims to: 1. identify the images found in the lyrics of the songs; 2. determine how these images portray social issues of the mass to the government; and 3. discuss the implications of the theme to the listener. Methodology An interpretational analysis of the theme of OPM songs, specifically the songs of Gloc9 that has a cryptic meaning underlies in the lyrics of the songs. Enabling to identify the images within it that helps to completely understand the theme of the song. This will also use marxism as a framework of the study. References Online Sources http://www.johndanielcastillo.myotd.com/Blog.php/46 http://glocdash9.com/about/ http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/216918/lifestyle/people/gloc-9-a-pinoy-rapper-and-his-painful-truths

What Does it Cost to Attend The University of Washington - Seattle Campus?

The University of Washington – Seattle is consistently ranked one of the top public universities in the country by The U.S. News and World Report . It boasts a diverse student body and exemplary academic programs, which makes it clear why UW is on the minds of many prospective college students. Because of its popularity, UW is also one of the more competitive public institutions in the United States. At first glance, attending any college may seem overwhelmingly expensive. Even public schools like UW have a high list price. However, you can’t assume that the list price (the published cost) is what you’ll actually end up paying. Instead, pay attention to the net cost, the amount you’ll be expected to pay out of pocket. Taking into account financial aid (government aid, institutional grants, and merit scholarships), your net cost will likely be far lower than the list price. Families tend to pay different amounts because of their income, in- or out-of-state residency, and many other factors. Like at many public universities, at UW, the list price is lower for in-state students than for out-of-state students. In-state students pay $29,948, while out-of-state students pay $49,986. Most families don’t actually pay the list price, though. In general, only families earning more than $175,000 should expect to pay this figure. For students from high-income families, they may still pay less than the list price if they earn merit scholarships, or scholarships based on achievement. Financial aid greatly reduces the cost of attending college for many families. At UW, students receiving aid pay an average net cost of $22,586 in-state and $46,624 out-of-state. The price tends to vary greatly based on family income: * These numbers do not reflect any Pell Grants that families may receive. Families with an income of $0-30k often receive Federal Pell Grants, which reduce the amount of financial aid that individual institutions need to award. This is why there is a higher tuition rate for families with $0-30k vs. those with $30k-48k. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. Both students receiving financial aid and those without financial need are eligible to receive merit scholarships, which are awarded based on students’ accomplishments in and out of the classroom. UW awards merit scholarships to 8.8% of students who don’t receive financial aid. The average award amount is $529, which places UW at 827th in a pool of more than 1,000 institutions analyzed with regard to merit aid generosity. The merit aid net cost for students without financial need is thus only marginally lower: $25,419 for in-state students and $49,457 for out-of-state students. That said, remember that these statistics only account for students without financial need. UW offers a handful of generous merit scholarships (discussed later in this post), but students with financial need often receive them. Many students take out government loans to help pay for college, which must be repaid according to individual timetables after graduation. At UW, 5% of students take out loans, with an average amount of $3,170 across their college careers. A high graduation rate and salary for alumni can indicate a strong return on investment (ROI) for an institution. At UW, 82% of students graduate within six years, and alumni earn an average salary of $57,700 after 10 years. Living in Seattle is expensive. The cost of living index is 204, indicating that it is over twice as expensive as the national average. Students are not required to live on campus at UW, although many do. According to the housing office , 68% of freshmen choose to live in university housing. If your student decides to live off-campus, they’ll be contending with an average one-bedroom rental price of $2,014 or a two-bedroom rental price of $2,775. Washington state’s minimum wage is currently $12. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the average hourly wage for all workers in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett metropolitan area was $31.42 in 2017; it’s important to keep in mind, however, that this figure encompasses professions requiring a college degree and certain levels of experience. UW offers a number of merit scholarships to students, including Academic Scholarships and UW Undergraduate Academic Excellence Awards for in-state students. These scholarships are awarded in an average amount of $4,000 for two years and do not require separate applications. UW also offers scholarships to out-of-state students, such as the Purple and Gold Scholarship (for U.S. residents only), awarded in varying amounts. Students are automatically considered for this award as well. Students should also consider applying for scholarships awarded by external organizations, many of which take into account demographics, intended majors, accomplishments, and other factors. One popular scholarship is the National Merit Scholarship, awarded to top 1% scorers on the PSAT. For more information on the opportunity, read our post: How to Qualify for the National Merit Scholarship . Many students also work part-time jobs during the year, or over the summer. Getting a job can teach students about responsibility while helping them pay for their education. Seattle is a vibrant community offering plenty of local work opportunities. If your student prefers to stay on campus, they may be able to score a work-study job, allowing them to engage with the campus community while earning a paycheck. Common campus jobs include being a library desk aide, working in the dining hall, or grading for a professor. Looking for help navigating the Financial Aid process at UW and other colleges? Our Finances tool , available though ’s Applications program, will help you compare the ROIs of different colleges, understand what you’ll actually pay, and more. Learn more today!

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 334

Assignment Example More importantly, it provokes them to stop acting like victims and begin fighting like heroes. The sonnet form serves as a valid tool for discussing social injustice and describing the urgency of social action. Second, sonnets have a feature called a turn where the poem’s theme or tone changes abruptly. English sonnets frequently turn at line 13, but McKay turns already at line 9: â€Å"O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!† By discarding the symmetrical form of the sonnet, it follows the chaos of an actual battle. It also suggests the need to stop waiting and to start acting on social injustice now. Third, the alternate rhyme scheme supports the purpose of the poem as rhetoric for an active participation towards social justice. The rhyming of â€Å"hogs† (McKay 1) to â€Å"dogs† (McKay 3), for instance, illustrates that the oppressors are inhumane because of their animalistic violence. In addition, rhyming â€Å"inglorious spot† (McKay 2) with â€Å"accursed lot† (McKay 4) increases the intensity of the marginalized conditions of the speaker’s population. The rhyme scheme also enhances the effectiveness of the poem as rhetoric against long-standing oppression and as a strong call for timely social

Cometition law in international context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Cometition law in international context - Essay Example Statement of purpose The Minister of Trade and Industry should prevent nationalization of electronic mail service and reinforcing the monopoly of Greek Post office. These plans are anti-competitive and will lead to prices paid by consumers. Greek is a Member State of the European Union and several provisions, Regulations and legislations of EU aim at ensuring market competition. Background of the problem The new Minister of Trade and Industry in Greece is planning to nationalise the electronic mail service, reinforcing the monopoly of Greek post office in the delivery of traditional mail. The objective is to ensure that Greek post office maintains important market share of customers. However, most customers have already switched from the traditional postal services to modern electronic mail, which is offered by efficient private companies. After nationalization, the Greek post office aims at increasing the prices of both services since the costs of delivering the ordinary post has be en increasing over the recent years. The Greek post office will decline access to its facilities including fibre optic infrastructure, to private companies who would like to offer competition to Greek post office by providing internet service and electronic mail services. International competition law According to the European Union treaty on competition, member states are not supposed to enact policies that create rigidity in trade and hinder competition or distort the market economy. Article 101 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the EU prohibits agreements that distort market competition or encourage cartels. This article aims at prevention undertakings that restrict and distort market economies of the member states within the internal market. Some of the prohibited practices include limitations on production, technical development and investments in the market. Direct or indirect price fixation or the selling and buying prices and trading conditions are prohibited by the Articl e. Member states are prohibited from applying different trading conditions on similar transactions with other trading partners in the economy1. The EC Treaty provisions regarding competition are contained in Article 3 (g) and Articles 81-89 of the Treaty that established the European Community along with several regulations and subsidiary legislations. Articles 81 to Article 86 mainly apply to the trade undertakings while Articles 87 to Article 89 apply to the Member States. The primary objective of the EU competition law is to prohibit internal markets distortion. Article 81 (1) prohibits all trade agreements between undertakings and association decisions that may hinder trade between member states2. However, the Article makes exception s for the trade agreements that aim at improving the welfare of the EU citizens by promoting the distribution of goods or technical promotion, while allowing customers a fair share of the benefits of the trade agreement. The excepted trade agreement s should not impose conditions and restrictions on the customers in the access of the goods or eliminate free competition in the market in regard to the goods being produced. Article 1 (1) of the Regulations 1/2003, the agreements that are outlined in Article 81 (1) and that contravene conditions of Article 81 (3) are unlawful. Article 1 (2) of the