NATO From Creation to Current Status

NATO From Creation to Current Status Abstract The paper discusses NATO which is a major military alliance among European States, the US and Canada. It highlights the historical context, which led to the formation of NATO. The history of the alliance is broken down into three major phases: the Cold War era, the Post Cold War, and the Post 9/11.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on NATO: From Creation to Current Status specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The paper reviews how NATO reinvented itself following the collapse of the Soviet Union and embarked on a successful enlargement process. The various issues that have faced the organization since its creation are discussed and its future estimated. The paper concludes by noting that NATO is a relevant security apparatus today and still serves as the best instrument for combating the security threats of the 21st century. Introduction The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is rightfully regarded as the world s most powerful military alliance. The organization was founded in 1949 with the primary objective of protecting Western Europe and the US from Soviet aggression. The alliance was able to successfully achieve this goal and additionally ensure that no military rivalries emerge in the region. Following the end of the Cold War, the Soviet threat was neutralized and the alliance had to reinvent itself in order to remain relevant. It did this by expanding its role and increasing its membership. This paper will set out to provide a detailed research of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization with focus given to the creation and purpose of this alliance. A review of how the organization has expanded over the years and the role it has played will be provided to demonstrate that NATO is still a valid security apparatus in world today. Origins of NATO A significant outcome of the World War II was the emergence of the United States of America and the Soviet Union as the two world super powers. While these countries had fought as allies in the war, their political differences pitted them against each other in the postwar years. There was concern that the Soviet Union would make use of her considerable power to influence politics in Europe (Trachtenberg, 1999). The weakened postwar Europe would not be able to resist this Soviet threat. The US proposed to help bolster West Europe’s military capability by the formation of an alliance. NATO, therefore, began as a mutual defense pact among ten Western European countries, the US and Canada.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These twelve countries signed the Washington Treaty on April 4, 1949 in which they committed themselves to a mutual defense pact (Cornish, 2004). The treaty bound the member states and an attack on any member was to evoke a response from all members. NATOs history can be divided into three distinct phases: the Cold War period, the decade following the end of the Cold War, and the current phase, which began with the terrorist attacks on the US on September 11, 2011. Cold War Era At the time of NATO’s formation, the Western Europe was a divided region still struggling to recover from the devastating effects of the just ended the World War II. While a Western European defense organization would have been preferred, the participation of the US was seen as crucial since it was the only country with enough military might to counter the USSR. Trachtenberg (1999) observes that this alliance was a long-term American commitment to Western Europe’s security. Over time, this treaty turned into an organization with a political council and regular meetings being held by the allied foreign and defense ministers. This transformation into a full-fledged organization increased the influence and strength of the Treaty. In its early years of existence, NATOs role was primarily to p revent an attack against the territory of its member countries by the formidable Soviet Union and her allies. Seroka (2007) best articulates this point by documenting that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was originally designed to deal with a primary threat from international communism on the European continent. West Germany joined NATO in 1955 and this strengthened the capability of the alliance in Europe since Germany had the manpower necessary to resist a conventional invasion by Soviet forces. This move precipitated the formation of the Warsaw Pact by the Soviet Union and her East European allies. The alliances nuclear capability provided by the United States, which served as deterrence, was the main tool used to prevent an attack from the Soviet Union. However, NATO also adopted a strategy of flexible response and envisaged the use of conventional warfare before engaging in a nuclear confrontation. Even so, Minuto-Rizzo (2007) reiterates that nuclear weapons were at the core of the alliances strategy and nuclear deterrence was the principle means of preventing a Soviet led attack on any of the member states. Since both sides (East and West Europe) knew the cost of a nuclear confrontation, the use of force to advance political aims was effectively excluded in the Cold War Europe.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on NATO: From Creation to Current Status specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Post – Cold War Period The end of the Cold War in 1989 was significant for NATO. Many political analysts forecasted that the alliance could be disbanded safely since the main aggressor in Europe had dissipated. In addition to this, the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, which had been an alliance of East European nations formed to counter NATO, had already occurred. However, this did not happen since NATO member states did not want to get rid of the alliance because of the numerous advantages they were enjoying because of their cooperation. Minuto-Rizzo (2007) observes that the transatlantic framework that allowed all countries -big and small- to make their voices heard, to seek common solutions, and to train their forces together was too precious an asset to be squandered (p.3). Many member countries of the former Warsaw Pact also expressed interest in joining NATO in order to enjoy the advantages of the permanent transatlantic framework for consultation and cooperation. NATO, therefore, had to reorient itself to embrace the newly emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe. NATO was able to develop new strategic concepts to incorporate new members and reorganize its military structures following the disappearance of the existential threat provided by the Soviet Union (Noetzel Schreer, 2009). It adopted a policy of partnership and opened its doors for new members from Central and Eastern Europe. The alliance also began to engage Russia: a move that was seen as integr al to realizing the goals of an undivided Europe. The creation of the Permanent Joint Council (PJC) in 1997 is the most visible indication of an attempt to formalize the relationship between NATO and Russia. Labarre (2001) affirms that the PJC gave Russia a voice in NATO for the first time in history. The post Cold War era also saw NATO for the first time in its history engaging in military action outside the territory of its member countries. This engagement came about because of the conflicts in the Balkans. NATO provided military support at the request of the United Nations and helped to pacify the Balkans. The alliance engaged in the deployment of peacekeeping forces in the region to sustain peace. Post 9/11 Era The third major phase in NATOs existence came about following the September 11 terrorist attacks. On September12, 2001, NATO invoked Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which instructs that, An attack against one is an attack against all. Minuto-Rizzo (2007) observes tha t 9/11 made it clear to NATO allies that their major threats no longer emanated from Europe, as had been the case during the Cold War. The new threats came from outside the continent in the form of international terrorism, failing states, and the threat of weapons of mass destruction.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The realities of 9/11 demonstrated to NATO the weakness of the traditional geographical approach to security that had been utilized for decades. This security approach had been effective when the potential threat emanated from the Soviet Union. International terrorism could not be countered using the same strategy and NATO had to be prepared to engage enemy forces at their source. NATO Transformation Originally, a regional security pact designed to protect Western Europe from a Soviet threat, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has reinvented and transformed itself into an international security force with missions to combat international terrorism, prevent weapons proliferations, and provide for Europes security (Seroka, p.25). The last decade has seen a significant enhancement of NATOs military capabilities. The NATO Heads of State and Government summit in Prague, 2002, articulated the need for radical changes in the alliance’s military command structure. This military t ransformation begun with the establishment of one strategic command based in Europe to oversee all aspects of NATOs operations. Another strategic command base was established in the US to advance the military aspects of transformation. While NATO no longer faces the threat that led to its formation (the Soviet Union) it has continued to grow in the years following the collapse of the USSR. International terrorism has been the most significant issue addressed by NATO. Despite the fact that international terrorism does not present a strategic threat to NATO countries, it presents a real danger to security in the event that such elements could gain access to weapons of mass destruction. A significant change in NATOs strategic doctrine following the end of the Cold War has been a loss of influence by the United States. American dominance within NATO has been a reality since the beginning of the alliance. Noetzel and Schreer (2009) observe that the US set the terms of NATOs formation and the country continued to play a leading role in its institutional development. This has changed and member states of the alliance today are more vocal about their opposition to the US policies. This is evident from the stance taken by Germany and France concerning the war in Iraq. NATOs role has also expanded to include global interventionism. Wolff (2009) states that this radical change means that the alliance can be called upon to use its resources to maintain peace treaties or engage in combat to overthrow a government or hunt down terrorists. NATO Enlargement NATO has also pursued an aggressive policy of expansion over the last two decades. Enlargement serves the double purpose of strengthening European ties while at the same time broadening NATOs influence in the world. Enlargement of NATO is made possible by Article 10 of the Washington Treaty which allows for the admission of new members. According to Article 10, â€Å"any decision to invite a country to join the Alliance i s taken by the North Atlantic Council, NATOs principal decision-making body, on the basis of consensus among all Allies† (NATO, 2012). NATO membership has increased to 28 countries mostly because of the open door policy to European countries. Bosnia and Herzegovina are engaged in the Membership Action Plan, which is a precursor to attaining full membership, and can be expected to join the organization in the near future. NATOs expansion process has been very successful and it has achieved remarkable outcomes. Seroka (2007) suggests that the expansion has not jeopardized relations with Russia, nor led to the remilitarization of the continent or increased tensions between member states on the European continent. On the contrary, NATOs enlargement has led to modernization, standardization and increased the democratic control within the individual armed forces of its member states. The large-scale enlargement efforts of post Cold War NATO have turned the organization into an inclu sive European-wide organization committed to democracy and positioned to eliminate, almost entirely, the possibility of inter-state conflict within Europe. However, Russia has reacted angrily to NATOs post Cold War expansions that have been viewed as deliberate actions to increase the Western sphere of influence at Moscow’s expense (Goldgeier, 2009). Noetzel and Schreer (2009) note that article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which limits new members to European territory places an important limitation on NATOs expansion (p.217). Because of this statute, the organization has been unable to accommodate willing partners from other continents. Seroka (2007) reveals that some of the allies led by the US hope to amend this in order to include members from all over the world and therefore guarantee NATO world-wide influence. These advocates see alliance with non-European democracies as crucial in a globalizing world. However, most members are concerned that such an expansion might dilute the alliances transatlantic character. NATO Issues Despite its significant successes, NATO has had some issues in the course of its existence. In its early years, the most serious crisis for NATO came in the form of Frances threat to withdraw from the Alliance. In March 1966, French President Charles de Gaulle announced that French forces would be withdrawn from the integrated military command of the NATO (Trachtenberg, 1999). This withdrawal was in retaliation to what was seen by Paris as an ever-growing dominance by the US within the organization (Noetzel Schreer, 2009). However, the ever-present threat of a Soviet attack prompted NATO members to resolve their conflicts and continue working together for a common defense. The internal cohesion of NATO has also been affected by the establishment of another security player in Europe. The European Defense and Security Policy (EDSP), which was created in 1999, undermined and threatened the future cohesion of NATO. While the ES DP was supposed to be complementary to NATOs capabilities, its objectives which are to provide military assistance to the EU states have undermined the importance of the Atlantic alliance. In response to the attractiveness of the ESDP, this body was incorporated into the larger framework of the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Some observers see the ESDP as a move by European nations to create a competing security apparatus and therefore re-nationalize their security by diminishing the US role in European security and defense affairs (Noetzel Schreer, 2009). The reactions by NATO following 9/11 were also divisive to its political cohesion. Following 9/11, the US pursued a more assertive stance on how NATO should be utilized to counter the new threats. To begin with, the US declared war on terrorism; a call that was supported by her NATO allies. While all the allies offered to support the US in its fight against international terrorism, the US admin istration chose not to give NATO a large role in the combat operation against the Taliban. Most European allies saw this as an indication that the US did not perceive the alliance to be of primary value in its efforts to shape the changing global security order (Noetzel Schreer, 2009). Another cause of contention in NATO was the US-led war against Iraq in 2003. From the onset, major European allies such as Germany and France opposed the war. However, the US went ahead and waged this controversial war. The political and military campaign against Saddam Hussein highlighted significant divisions between the US and some of her European allies. Cornish (2004) documents that those deep divisions almost led to the collapse of NATO. The Bush administration, which had called on the war against Saddam, was accused of using NATO as an instrument of US foreign policy. This is because the US expected uncritical political and military support for the invasion of Iraq from its allies. The allianc e also suffers from a lack of commitment by all the members to consign troops to dangerous missions. This is evident from the war in Afghanistan where the US maintains the largest contingent. Most NATO countries have been unable to achieve the political support needed to send their troops to fight the Taliban. Goldgeier (2009) states that this reality has led to a two-tiered alliance comprising of those who are willing to fight, and those who are not. The recent years have seen an increase in divergence of interests within the organization. This has led some commentators to predict that the alliance is on the path to disintegration and, ultimately, its failure (Noetzel Schreer, 2009). This bleak reality is not the only possible future of NATO and provided the key challenges that the alliance faces are addressed, the future of the alliance is guaranteed. Discussion and Conclusion NATO remains to be a unique and invaluable alliance that continues to function as a reliable tool for mu ltilateral military cooperation. The alliance is today engaged on several continents, under different capacities. This underscores the transformation that NATO has undergone since its formation in 1948. While some commentators argued that NATO had outlived its usefulness following the disappearance of the Soviet threat to Western Europe, the alliance has flourished and played a useful role in the past 2 decades. Most notably, it has countered ethnic abuses in the former Yugoslavia and is involved in efforts to counter Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan. This paper is set out to discuss NATOs progress from its formation to today. It began by providing the historical context that made NATO necessary. It then articulated the three distinctive phases in NATOs history, which are the Cold War era, the Post Cold War, and the Post 9/11. The paper has revealed how the changes in the security environment have obliged NATO to transform itself and engage actively well beyond the territories of i ts members. NATO has evolved from the defensive entity, it was and it finds itself increasingly acting as a proactive risk manager. This alliance of transatlantic countries originally built to counter Soviet attack still presents the best instrument for combating the threats of the 21st century. References Cornish, P. (2004). NATO: the practice and politics of transformation. International Affairs, 80(1), 63-74. Goldgeier, J. (2009). NATOs future: facing old divisions and new threats. Harvard International Review, 23(2), 48-51. Labarre, F. (2001). NATO-Russia relations and NATO enlargement in the Baltic Sea Region. Baltic Defense Review, 6(1), 46-69. Minuto-Rizzo, A. (2007). NATO’s Transformation and New Partnerships: The Mediterranean. Mediterranean Quarterly, 18(3), 1-13. NATO (2012). NATO enlargement. Retrieved from https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_49212.htm. Noetzel, T., Schreer, B. (2009). Does a multi-tier NATO matter? The Atlantic alliance and the process o f strategic change. International Affairs, 85(2), 211–226. Seroka, J. (2007). Security considerations in the Western Balkans: NATOs evolution and expansion. East European Quarterly, 41(1), 25-38. Trachtenberg, M. (1999). A Constructed Peace: The Making of the European Settlement 1945-1963. Princeton University Press, 1999. Wolff, A. T. (2009). The structural and political crisis of NATO transformation. Journal of Transatlantic Studies, 7(4), 476492.

How to Write You in Chinese Characters

How to Write You in Chinese Characters From a simple greeting to forming complex sentences, learning the Chinese character for you is integral to conversing in Chinese. Here is a quick explanation on which type of you to use depending on the situation, what the character symbolizes, and how to pronounce it.   Informal, Formal, and Plural   The informal way to say you in Chinese is ä ½   (nÇ ). This form of you is casually used to address friends, peers, anyone you have a close relationship with, and typically people who are younger than you.   The formal version of you is æ‚ ¨Ã‚  (nà ­n). æ‚ ¨ should be used when addressing elders, respected figures, and persons of higher rank or status. If you are addressing multiple people at once, you in the plural is ä ½   ä » ¬ (nÇ  men).   Radicals The Chinese character ä ½   is composed of a crown or cover (å†â€") that goes over Ã¥ ° , which on its own is the word for â€Å"small. The left half of the character consists of the radical: ä º ». This radical derives from the character ä º º (rà ©n) which translates to person or people. Thus,  Ã¤ º »is the person radical which implies that the meaning of the character relates to people. Pronunciation ä ½   (nÇ ) is in the third tone, which takes on a falling then rising tone. When uttering the syllable, start from a high pitch, go down, and come back up.   æ‚ ¨ (nà ­n) is in the second tone. This is a rising tone, which means you start from a low pitch then go upwards.   Character Evolution An earlier form of you in Chinese was a pictograph of a balanced load. This symbol was later simplified to the character Ã¥ °â€. Eventually, the person radical was added. In its current form, ä ½   could be read as â€Å"someone who is balanced, or of equal stature,† meaning â€Å"you.† Mandarin Vocabulary With NÇ  Now that you know how to write and say you in Chinese, its time to apply your knowledge! Here are a few examples of common Chinese words and phrases that include  Ã¤ ½  . ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½ (nÇ Ã‚  hÇŽo): Helloä ½  Ã¨â€¡ ªÃ¥ · ± (nÇ  zà ¬ jÇ ): Yourself我çˆ ±Ã¤ ½   (wÇ’ i  nÇ ): I love youè ¿ ·Ã¤ ½   (mà ­ nÇ ): Mini (a phonetic translation)ç ¥ Ã¤ ½  Ã§â€Å¸Ã¦â€" ¥Ã¥ ¿ «Ã¤ ¹  (zhà ¹ nÇ  shÄ“ngrà ¬ kuilà ¨): Happy birthday

Beethoven's Symphony and Popular Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Beethoven's Symphony and Popular Music - Essay Example Beethoven’s Symphony and Popular music are ancient art that remain popular to date. On the one hand, Symphony is classical music in Europe. Since his period, when the music assumed substantial popularity as generally polished and the best living artist, the Beethoven's composition has continued to be the most listened to, talked about and reviewed genres. Beethoven is largely classified among the highly significant Western composers, with his music being the most commonly recorded across the society. His stylistic discoveries include two accomplishments. First, they elevated the Classical style to its top most expressive degree, deepening in official, configuration and harmonic notes to the musical expression created by forerunners such as Haydn and Mozart. Moreover, they proved enormously powerful over the melodic language and philosophy of the Romantic period, whether they served to enhance direct encouragement, or in regard to establishing a musical presentation of the arti st’s language. On the other hand, popular music encompasses any of several of musical genres having profound popularity and is essentially distributed to the mainstream audiences of all segments via the melodic industry. Notably, what popular genre stands for and represents is different from Beethoven’s music; the latter being essentially differentiated scholarly or verbally to less significant, domestic audiences (Scruton 42). Even though popular music infrequently is recognized as ‘pop music,’ both expressions are different. For instance, popular music entails a generic expression for melodies of all generations that is preferred by large proportions of people, while pop music is normally confined to a particular musical genre (Scruton 42-45). Beethoven’s Symphony Beethoven championed two significant cultures through his target of the larger bands. That continued until the early twentieth century, and championed the focus of the tunes downwards during performance, to t he lower keys, cellos, and violas enabling his music to involve a heavy and dark sensation (Goehr 66-68). In general, Beethoven’s Symphony is different from those of the ancient music in term of the establishment of large, longer architectonic designs typified by the remarkable improvement of musical resource, agendas, and motifs, normally by modulation initiatives; that is, an alteration in the sensation of the home key, via several harmonic tunes or notes. Beethoven's work championed his capacity to swiftly set up firmness in juxtaposing various keys and startling notes to accompany them. Notably, this stretched harmonic realm establishes a feeling of a tremendous musical and empirical touch, which dictates the rhythm of the music and the growth of musical resource, a clear establishment of some kind of unfolding art in this pause. Goehr (67) indicates Beethoven made immense contributions which further set up some kind of a blend of the various philosophies and cultural iss ues in several attempts to move with the discovery of the messages carried in his the music. The ‘germ motive,’ which involves an inspiration, was summoned to establish motives and agendas throughout the whole art, albeit in a benign manner. Therefore, all the themes of the ancient age were associated with several motives in the music. An ancient and popular illustration of this is Beethoven’s sonata 'Pathetique', in which all of the themes employed in the initial movement arose from a simple notion borrowed from its introductory bar. Correspondingly, the introductory notes of his Eighth Symphony played a significant role, as it forms the basis of motives employed throughout the entire symphony (Stanley 1). It is notable that this art contributes to the unification of an effort or an array of works; as a number of motives employed by Beethoven uniquely characterized works. He managed to execute this devoid of repeating material precisely or employing canonic touc h. In view of this, Beethoven’

East Asian Art History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

East Asian Art History - Essay Example Modern society has embraced the art of mask. Research has been done on it and a wide range of uses found. China has become a hub of this art. Masks are a cultural event celebrated all over China nowadays (Scott, 2009). To some Chinese communities these masks have become a form of god. They are worshipped because of their uniqueness and awesome appearance. They are seen as a means of communication between people and gods. They have been used as a means to seek for blessings from gods. They are also used to protect people from evil spirits. They are believed to be a form of charm in many Chinese communities. They symbolize holiness and godliness. In modern days, there are many cultural festivals involving masks that are held (Desai, 2007). People wearing masks are seen dancing and celebrating along the streets. The first mask in this art is called ‘Funerary Mask of a Young Woman’. This mask is from Liao Dynasty (907 – 1125), Northern China. Quran community founded Liao Dynasty. This community was the minority in Chinese population around 10th century in North of China (Scott, 2009). The majority of Chinese population was called the Han Chinese. They had a widespread culture. This was of high quality in all areas. Some of the areas it produced quality art work include writing, painting, and ruling among others. This community tended to ignore other communities especially the nomads. Nomads like Quran or Ruzhens always changed their location from time to time. It was difficult to develop and establish a good economic and cultural lifestyle. Despite this, the Liao Dynasty managed to develop a culture to some extent. They came up with the mask. Its surface is covered with gold. Gold is a very expensive and luxurious material to date. During that time, it was even more valua ble. People that were buried in gold were considered to be very rich or belong to a very high status in the society (Scott, 2009). At the bottom of the mask, a neck

IT Business Outsourcing Essay Example for Free

IT Business Outsourcing Essay Outsourcing basically means a process of constricting to another party. It is done at the outsourcing client’s location under their supervision. There are many essential factors which are needed to decide whether to outsource the information process or not. First major factor is the activity or the process itself. Main concern should be the process, whether it’s really needed to be outsourced (Loh et. al, 1992). If it is core job to that organization, then its better not to outsource it. If the task really requires highly efficient skills which is not available in your organization, then it’s better to outsource it. Second most important factor is the financial strategy. While deciding whether to outsource, main goal of company is to save money. It’s essential to verify, what will be the total cost in both the cases, if the task to be performed within the organization or outside. Hence, the main factors for deciding why to outsource are outsourcers cost, their capabilities and the potential end product which ultimately will reduce the risk and increase organization profit. Influence of Risk Assessment on the decision making process when seeking to outsource information processes Risk is always associated with the process of outsourcing. Many organizations who went for outsourcing, failed and few of the reasons are like cultural misalignment, end product not as per the quality and deadlines or delivery times missed. There are mainly two types of risk associated with the process of outsourcing: external risk and internal risk. Read more:Â  Essay on Business Process Outsourcing External risks are those risks which occur outside the organization and upon which organization do not have any control. these risks includes a search of outsourcer who will offer the required skills in a cost effective manner, an exchange rate fluctuation that can impact the cost savings, lack of ability to guard organization intellectual protection property and physical location of outsourcer which includes economic and political risk as well (Aubert, 1998). Internal risks are those risks which occur inside the organization while outsourcing. Language is the most targeted risk if outsourcing happen between two different countries where English is not the primary language and the ability of communicating to outsourcers in a remote location where technology is not so updated. Influence of change management requirements on the decision making process when seeking to outsource information processes One of the key factors for a successful outsourcing is the organizations effective change management policy. Organizations who failed to manage the changes effectively suffer a lot. Within an organization, the most important change management program is to create such a reliable communication strategy, so that the employees don’t feel scared about the job security. There should be proper redeployment and retention plans for all employees to make them feel secure. Proper training should be provided to make them understand how to deal with outsourcers. Few change management factors during this process are good leadership quality, crystal clear procedures, strategy safeguarding stakeholder’s interests, communication strategy and a change-over course of action for every step (Wullenweber et al, 2008). Inclusion of different entities by business when making decisions on the processes to outsource and the third party entity to outsource to Businesses include entities when time comes to decide whether to go for outsourcing or not. When an organization needs a process to be outsourced, decision of top level (CEO or a Director) is essential. Without their confirmation, company can’t think of moving ahead. After the confirmation, now its middle management turns to check whether all the important factors are going in favor of outsourcing or not. Here come different entities like finance, Hr, marketing, quality and third party. Finance department will check outsourcing in terms of cost saving, while HR will check if the company really needs outsourcing staff or it has its own (DiRomualdo et. al. , 1998). Marketing people will do a survey to acquire a list of best outsourcing companies and quality will judge whether the decision is anywhere hampering the quality and how to improve it in future. Third party will also play a vital role as their location, cost of doing outsourcing and few other factors will also effect the decision (W. McFarlan et. al, 1995).

Comparing Burgess and Drapers Theory of Family Violence and the Film,

Comparing Burgess and Draper's Theory of Family Violence and the Film, The Burning Bed    I.   Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Burgess and Draper argue coercive patterns of family interaction represent the principal causal pathway that connects ecological instability to violence within families.   They maintain this raises the possibility that some of the common correlates of such violence are themselves reactions to sudden or chronic ecological instability.   For example, alcoholism, depression, and anxiety may be responses to ecological stresses in the family, such as loss of employment, excessive financial debt, or divorce.   Burgess and Draper suggest that violence towards one's mate or children may consequently be a direct result of ecological instability.   They argue that certain individual traits (e.g. problem drinking), which have previously been assumed to precipitate violent behavior, may actually be the result of the same factors that lead to family violence itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The movie, The Burning Bed, is a made for TV movie centered on the issue of family violence.   The main characters were Francine and Mickey Hughes, a battered wife and abusive husband.   In the story, Francine struggled with Mickey's violence and intimidation for the better part of twenty years and finally ended up killing him in his sleep.   It is a vivid and realistic movie about domestic violence and the way society viewed such violence in the not so distant past.   By comparing the movie to Burgess and Draper's hypothesis, some agreements and some disagreements become apparent.   Do Burgess and Draper adequately explain and predict the Hughes's pattern of domestic violence?    II.   Ecological Instability   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ecological instability describes when a... ... beaten and afterwards when she was scarred and bruised, I feel that Mickey Hughes deserved what he got only he should have suffered more.   The compassion I feel towards any woman who is victimized by a man probably makes me biased in that way.   After reading Burgess and Draper's article, I feel even more justified in my position.   They make the reader look for the cause of the abuse somewhere other than with the woman or the man's drinking.   The way Burgess and Draper's article mirrors the abusive relationship in the Hughes family helps to put the violence in the right perspective where an adult can still be held responsible for his own actions.    Works Cited: Burning Bed, The (1984) (TV).  Ã‚   Directed by Robert Greenwald.   Writing credits: Rose Lieman Goldemberg. Ohlin, Lloyd and Michael Tonry, eds.   Family Violence.   University of Chicago Press, 1989.

Career Objective

The Purpose of Studying at AIT and Career Objective For Obtaining AIT’s Master Degree I am a degree holder of Bachelor of Engineering (Information Technology) and I have a keen interest in information technology,especially in programming. During this years, I am not only working at Agricultural Mechnization Department as a Senior Assistant Engineer but also learning computer programming language. It has equipped me with stable technical skills in programming and experience with SDLC methodologies.Throughout the experience of working on different IT projects,it has established my interest in project management and I made me realized that my own career goal is to be a professional Computer Programmer or a Chief Information Officer. In our country ,many professional programmer and IT manager formed various committees and association such as Myanmar Computer Professional Association(MCPA) . The government has initiated various programs such as their Own Ministry Websites and the E -commerce system to provide strategic direction towards Myanmar’s IT development..However,these initiatives are facing issues such as lack of technology transfer due to short of IT specialists. However,I think that my existing knowledge and experience is insufficient for me to be able to achieve my goal. Hence , this is my motivation behind of my admission to your course. To be a successful Computer programmer and IT manager, rich IT knowledge and experience is critical. However,knowledge in various areas of project is also crucial.I expert that the Master in Computer Science at Asian Institute of Technology will allow me to enhance and strength my acamedic knowledge about management theories and programming methodologies. Also, through the peer to peer experience sharing to be able to familiarize myself with the challenges and difficulties that may arise during computer system management at various industries and learn how to overcome these challenges and difficulties by sha ring ideas with one another.I also strongly believe that my Master degree from AIT will give me the qualities and capability to help overcome the technology transfer obstacle in Myanmar. My graduate degree in AIT will help me become an IT specialist in the government office and in long term venture into technology management consultation to help Myanmar master the technology to compete with the developed countries that have moved on to a more advanced technology. I wish to form innovative strategies to initiate various database system ventures in the public sector.We must have built in every corner of the needs not only in economic, politic movement but also the basic communication and technology as well. We truly need the basic knowledge of 21 century’s general modern industrial’s beneficial and advantages. We must take the advantages of innovative technology in order to make some change for the better place of Myanmar. . The more we have variety educated, skillful an d professional social workers, and the better way to develop our country with respect to the basic needs.In my conclusion,today era is information and communication era. Today’s youth will be able to catch up with the technological age only if they constantly study IT technologies in accord with the modern age. These are what I am willing to do and what I am always dreaming about how to make change for my country to be a democratic one. I truly believe that AIT is the best choice to due to the excellent academic reputation and atmosphere within the university. It will be great honor for me to have an opportunity to study a leading global university like AIT.

General Electric Medical Systems

1. Q 1. What is the underlying logic behind the global product idea? What are the costs and the benefits that are expected? Global Products Company(GPC) strategy is based on the following underlying logical premises: a. Markets for medical equipment are systems are becoming increasingly global in nature. They are no more restricted to only the developed First and Second World countries having advanced healthcare systems. The burgeoning market is that of emerging and developing economies. Thus, there is a need to meet the growing demand for affordable medical equipment in these economies and retain its market leadership b. Needless to say that low-cost leverage is the only way to win a large chunk of this new pie and therefore GEMS has to shift to a cost-efficient strategy c. GEMS realised the potential of tapping production & sourcing centres where there was parity in output quality and labour skill-sets but overall cost was much lower. d. The GPC strategy involved sourcing quality components from the most cost-effective suppliers and establishing the manufacturing bases in most cost-effective geographies. e. As most of the GEMS manufacturing involved sourcing complicated components from across the globe to two-three manufacturing/assembling centres and then distributing across the globe from these centres, the challenging aspect of GPC was in the development of intermediaries along the supply chain to ensure un-interrupted supply & production flows. The following are some of the costs and benefits of the above mentioned strategy of globalizing production to facilitate a low cost production: Benefits: 1. As materials form 80% of the manufacturing cost, sourcing of materials from low-cost countries would enable a significant amount of saving. The key would be to develop long-term relationships with local suppliers and once that is done, it means unparalleled cost savings in future. 2. Having manufacturing centres in low-cost-labour countries would also enable a substantial cost reduction as labour formed 20% of the manufacturing cost. 3. Now, as labour and materials form almost 85% of the total variable cost, substantial reduction in both would enable GEMS to have a cost reduction to he tune of approximately 30% in the total cost. It has to be noted that the incremental fixed cost in case of GEMS was close to nil (Exhibit 7). Costs: 1. In addition to the fixed costs that had to be incurred additionally to enter into the low-cost countries, other GPC-specific costs included inventory, logistics, documentation, and import- duty costs relating to moving materials and products around the world. 2. Developing a long-standing relationship with new suppliers in these low-cost countries was another area that required considerable allocation of time and effort. . Reducing investments in developed countries, from where bulk of their demand came, meant deteriorating relationship and loss of concessions from these countries. 4. Costs related to hiring less experienced workforce in these new locations, and human toll on the workforce as a result of long trips from home for the employees from both old locations and headquarters. If we analyse GEMS’s strategy mentioned in the body above using the AAA model, we can conclude that it is primarily using the arbitrage strategy of globalization with some elements of aggregation. Q. 2 Should the global product philosophy be changed or altered to suit the China market? Please identify both sides of the argument and take a position explaining the rationale behind your stand. Does it make economic sense? The choice between continuing with the current Global Product Concept(GPC) and adopting â€Å"In China for China† for the low end products is a very difficult call for GE managers. On one hand there are several advantages of adopting â€Å"In China for China† such as: In China there is a huge growth potential for medical diagnostics and as of now it is the world's third largest market for the same. By adopting â€Å"In China for China†, GEMS can design and customize products according to local needs in China and further the GE managers believe that China being a nationalistic country, domestically produced products will have greater demand than imported ones. There are other factors like low incremental fixed cost for moving facilities to China, avoidance of duties and tariffs, availability of cheaper local labor and low transportation cost all of which would help in cost saving for GEMS. On the other hand in order to adopt â€Å"In China for China† strategy GEMS will have to break the GPC concept which may result in ecreased quality due to lack of readily available skilled labor and reduced cost cutting efficiency. Also the management will have to address the challenge of development of suppliers which may result in inefficiency. GEMS do not have good history of managing joint ventures because of the unethical practices of the partner which eventually lead GEMS a cquiring the partners. As understood from the case there are two different market segments in China namely the high end markets served which is served only through imports and the low end markets which is served through domestic production. The adoption of â€Å"In China for China† strategy will result in the company distancing itself from high end customers which will end up in losing the revenue for the business to high end customers. Considering all these factors we suggest that it is better for GEMS not to adopt â€Å"In China for China† strategy and to stay with Global Product Concept. Q3. Should GEMS be aggressively pursuing genomics and healthcare-IT related opportunities in addition to or instead of the China opportunity? What priorities would you suggest? Explain your reasoning carefully? No doubt, being third largest healthcare market with tremendous growing potential in future, China is a lucrative market that GEMS can’t easily neglect. But at the same time, with the growth of technological advancement in the field of healthcare, genomics and healthcare-IT related products and services going to have an important role in the coming decades and the companies having those expertise will bound to dominate the global healthcare market in future for sure. So we think that GEMS should take both the China opportunity and the genomics and Healthcare –IT related opportunities seriously. We believe that GEMS has the capacity to look at both the opportunities simultaneously obviating the need to sacrifice one for the other. The company’s strong financial condition along with its strong emphasis on R&D would help the organization in meeting both the objectives. China Opportunity : But in doing so GEMS should initially put more focus on the China market than the R&D on genomics and healthcare-IT projects. Because it is very important for GEMS to catch hold of the China’s market before other competitors like Siemens, Philips. Also the gestation period of genomics and healthcare related projects are too high usually 5-10 years and in such a situation to maintain a good balance sheet GEMS should have a good market share in China. The low end product accounts for 20% of the global sales and to succeed in the low end , presence is Chinese market is a must for any company. Secondly, The China opportunity requires GEMS to shift the production from the other parts of the world to China. The incremental cost associated with that shift in production process is a mere $1 million which should not be an obstacle in GEMS China policy. So GEMS can easily do that without worrying too much about the financial aspects. Genomics and healthcare-IT related opportunities Genomics and preventive health care is going to play a deciding factor in coming decades. But these projects are far more complex than what GEMS did till now. Genomics requires not only technological know-how but also expertise on biomedical science which presently GEMS lacks off. So for better output from these R&D, Tie-up with pharmaceutical companies that develop viruses and chemical reagents would help GEMS to understand and increase their expertise on bio medical science. Collaboration with leading universities around the world on researches on topics relevant to these projects would also help GEMS. Funding for these researches, Supplying machines and tools to support those researches would help GEMS in getting good responses from R&D teams around the world. So with the steps mentioned above and few modifications to the present system, GEMS can take both the opportunities

Atlantic Slave Trade essays

Atlantic Slave Trade essays When most people talk about or think about slavery, they look at how it effected the US. The Atlantic Slave Trade had a huge effect on the US but there are no words or expressions that can describe the effects it had on Africa and its familys. It is estimated that between 1450 and 1900, there were 11,698,000 slaves exported from Africa. (Atlantic Slave trade, pg.170) To understand the effects this had on Africa you must consider the families that lost relatives, the stores that lost business, and even the friends that lost friendships. None of the misfortunes can be brought back or replaced. The many lives that were taken can never be brought back to life. This not only effected the African culture when it happened but also it effects todays societies in Africa. The overall net effect of the Atlantic Slave Trade on Africa could never be estimated unless you are inside one of the relatives of a slave. These slaves died for no other apparent reason than the color of their skin. The effects that the slave trade had on Africa were not all negative. Depending on what point of view your looking from, there were also some positives of the Atlantic Slave Trade. In William Bossmans account, he states that as soon as the king arrives he will be satisfied with an amount of one-hundred pounds in Guinea value. (Atlantic Slave Trade, pg.181) So the kings and most of all the slave traders benefited from the slave trade. One benefit from the Slave Trade would definitely be spiritually. The great misfortunes had to strengthen the inner souls of the people and relatives that were left behind. A lot of these people had nothing left but themselves so they had no choice but to deal with it and get stronger mentally and spiritually. One other benefit from the Slave trade would be that the African Culture was spread to totally different continents. All of these slaves were taken to different places an ...

Italian Reflexive Verbs - I Verbi Riflessivi

Italian Reflexive Verbs - I Verbi Riflessivi What is an Italian reflexive verb (verbo riflessivo)? This can often be a strange topic because, in English, verbs arent often thought of as being reflexive, however, in Italian, a reflexive verb is one when the action carried out by the subject is performed on the same subject. So for example, â€Å"I wash myself† or â€Å"I sit myself in the chair†. The subject, â€Å"I†, am doing the washing and the sitting. It’s important to know that not all verbs are reflexive, but there are plenty out there and each must be memorized. What Does a Reflexive Verb Look Like? In order to make an Italian verb reflexive, drop the -e of its infinitive ending and add the pronoun si. For example, pettinare (to comb) becomes pettinarsi (to comb oneself) in the reflexive. Si is an additional pronoun, known as the reflexive pronoun, which is needed when conjugating reflexive verbs. Note that some reflexive verbs can be used without the reflexive pronouns. In this case, their meaning changes: - Alzarsi to wake up/to get up Tu ti alzi. (You get up.) Tu alzi la sedia. (You lift the chair.) How Do You Conjugate Reflexive Verbs? Here are some tables of verbs in the present tense so you can get an idea of how reflexive verbs are conjugated. Innamorarsi - To fall in love Mi innamoro - I fall in love Ci innamoriamo - We fall in love Ti innamori - You fall in love Vi innamorate - You (all) fall in love Si innamora - He/she falls in love Si innamorano - They fall in love Sedersi - To sit oneself/To take a seat Mi siedo - I sit (myself) Ci sediamo - We sit (ourselves) Ti siedi - You sit (yourself) Vi sedete - You (all) sit (yourselves) Si siede - He/she sits (him/herself) Si siedono - They sit (themselves) Divertirsi - To enjoy oneself/to have fun Mi diverto - I have fun Ci divertiamo - We have fun Ti diverti - You have fun Vi divertite - You (all) have fun Si diverte - He/she has fun Si divertono - They have fun What About With the Past Tense? When you conjugate reflexive verbs in the past tense, you must use â€Å"essere† as your auxiliary verb. Here’s an example using the verb â€Å"svegliarsi - to wake up†. Svegliarsi - To wake up Mi sono svegliato/a - I woke up Ci siamo svegliati/e - We woke up Ti sei svegliato/a - You woke up Vi siete svegliati/e - You all woke up Si svegliato/a - He/she woke up Si sono svegliati/e - They woke up Notice how the last letter of â€Å"svegliato† changes. That’s because the ending must agree in gender and number with the subject. A List of Common Reflexive Verbs in Italian accorgersi (di) to notice addormentarsi to fall asleep to get up arrabbiarsi to get angry chiamarsi to be named to cover oneself divertirsi to have fun, to enjoy oneself farsi il bagno to bathe oneself farsi la doccia to take a shower farsi male to get hurt, hurt oneself innamorarsi (di) to fall in love with lavarsi to wash oneself laurearsi to graduate mettersi to put (clothing) on pettinarsi to comb ones hair radersi to shave sedersi to sit down sentirsi to feel to undress sposarsi (con) to get married svegliarsi to wake up vestirsi to get dressed Esempi Le ragazze si sono sedute. - The girls are sitting down.Sto cercando un posto dove sedermi un attimo. - I’m looking for a spot where I can sit for a while.Ci siamo innamorati due anni fa e ci siamo sposati un anno fa. - We fell in love two years and we got married one year ago.Mi sono svegliato/a alle 7. - I woke up at 7.Marco fa sempre molta fatica a svegliarsi la mattina. - Marco always has to struggle to wake up in the morning.Chiara impiega tantissimo tempo a vestirsi! - Chiara takes a very long time to get dressed!Tutti a lavarsi le mani prima di pranzo! - Everybody wash your hands before lunch!Mykonos à ¨ un posto ideale per divertirsi. - Mykonos is the perfect destination to have fun.Mio padre mi ha insegnato a radermi. - My dad taught me how to shave.Per avere una bella pella bisogna sempre struccarsi prima di andare a letto. - In order to maintain a good skin you always have to take your makeup off before going to bed.Mi sono laureata un anno fa. - I graduated one ye ar ago.Ho proprio bisogno di farmi un bagno! - I really need to take a hot bath! Copriti bene che fuori fa freddo! - Cover yourself up because it’s cold outside!Non ho capito come ha fatto a farsi male. - I didn’t understand how he managed to hurt himself.

John Leonard Vs. Pepsi Co Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

John Leonard Vs. Pepsi Co - Case Study Example Based on this information, it is easy to conclude that there was no written agreement between the two parties. Furthermore, on legal grounds, the advertisement cannot substantiate the plaintiff’s claim that an offer was made. On these grounds, PepsiCo is liable for nothing. The next question is whether Pepsi actually made an offer. When you take such postulates into consideration, it creates a lot of ambiguity about the commercial being an actual offer. In the catalog that PepsiCo issued, the jet was not included as one of the gifts which could be collected. Thus the ad was not an offer, largely because it was not included in the Pepsi Stuff Catalogue that provides further information about the Pepsi Points program. Furthermore, the law on such issues is that if an offer is made that is clearly meant to be a joke and interpreted as such by an objective standard; it does not constitute a binding offer. Thus, PepsiCo again is safe on these grounds. However, John Leonard interpreted the ad as an actual offer and tried to capitalize on it. Based on our conclusion, the plaintiff’s understanding of the commercial as an offer should be rejected because the courts would find that no objective person could reasonably have concluded that the commercial act ually offered consumers a reward of a Harrier Jet. Moving on to the infamous call made by Leonard regarding the details of the offer, he was informed about the procedure of amassing Pepsi points, and at no time was he corroborated that he would receive a Harrier Jet. PepsiCo had already put this in writing in its catalog, both on how to gather points and what would be up for grabs. Hence, Leonard’s call seems to have no legal significance except for that fact that they imply a favor in Pepsi’s camp. But let’s adopt a new vantage point, one that reflects the views of the plaintiff.