Thursday, October 31, 2019
Property law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3
Property law - Essay Example ie Plc and Target there would be both privity of contract1 and privity of estate2 between Leslie Plc and Target as they were the original lessor and lessee. By the action of Target assigning the lease to Ace the relationship between Leslie and Ace would only be on the basis of privity of estate as there is no contractual relationship between them. Similarly by Leslie selling the property to Rake there would be no privity of contract between Rake and Target or Rake and Ace3, only a privity of estate4. The further subletting of the lease by Ace to Simon creates neither privity of estate of privity of contract as there was no agreement with Rake to sublet the property. If Rake had agreed to the sublet then a privity of estate would have been created and Rake could enforce the repair covenant against Simon5. The differences that apply under privity of contract and privity of estate will affect the ability of Rake to enforce the covenant. Under a privity of contract all covenants bind6 whereas under privity of estate7 only the covenants which are regarded as typically part of the landlord and tenant relationship will be bound8. Privity of estate only affects the benefit and burden on the assignee and the landlord in respect of covenants that touch and concern the land9. Having established the relationship of the parties it is necessary to look as to whether the burden and benefit of the covenants can pass with the assignments. Looking first at the position of pre 1996 leases the general rule was that the original tenant could not pass the burden to the assignee. If the lease began prior to 1996 then the assignment of the tenancy would not absolve Target from the liability10 in accordance with the contract11. This would mean that Target would be bound by the covenants throughout the duration of the lease even though his interest has been assigned12. Covenants in leases are deemed to be made on behalf of the covenantor and his successors in title unless a contrary
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Revised paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Revised paper - Essay Example The challenge is that the pay for some may not be as expected especially in areas where there are many people practicing accounting. It is notable that many people who major in accounting possess love for the profession due to the prospective nature of work and the lucrative payout. I have selected the option of accounting because I bear the love of calculations especially with relation to business since my tender age. My family has business and I found interest in how their finances were, and how I could use the financial data to forecast the future of the business in terms of financial returns. Additionally, I find interest in the dynamics in the economy and businesses with a larger perspective. Thirdly, the remuneration offered on securing a good job with an accounting firm can allow me to live, as I prefer while also enhancing my expertise and doing what I find interesting. I am hopeful that I can develop the necessary expertise in several areas of accounting such as financial accounting, management accounting, tax accounting or auditing. I acknowledge that I require the input of a professional in the accounting field to offer me some orientation. I resolved to set up an interview with a recognized accountant whose name is John Thorn. The interviews aims at providing me with the relevant information about the qualifications, the job requirements and the expectations placed on an individual in the accounting field. Mr. Thorn comes from a long line of accountants in his family. It was not because there were other accountants that he decided to be an accountant. He loved the idea of doing accounting regardless if it was related to taxes, auditing, and finances or for management decision-making. He first did his bachelor of science in accounting at the University of Boston where he qualifies well. He was able to get a job at the L.I in his native Boston where he did minor accounting jobs such as preparing weekly reports on sales. He did not stay long
Sunday, October 27, 2019
U.S. intervention in Iraq
U.S. intervention in Iraq Introduction There are people that are opposed to the U.S. intervention in Iraq, as they believe that it will not lead to stability and democracy. These people, find similarities to Americas Vietnam intervention. For them, America has once more involved in a prolonged and indecisive political and military struggle, from which it will extricate with human and economic loses. On the other had, there are people that are in favour of the Iraq War and they believe that there is no comparison to the Vietnam War. They claim that it is the annihilation of Nazi Germany and its transformation to a democratic ally, that should be used as an analogy.[1] But, the comparison to the Vietnam War and its consequences was unavoidable, as it still influences the publics attitude towards foreign military intervention and was an event that is still in memories of todays American leaders. The question is whether there are any lessons from the American disaster in the Vietnam War that could be applied in Iraqs case. The differences between the two wars are very important: First of all, Vietnam in 1960 was a country with a long national history and a distinct national identity that was created after centuries of fighting against foreign domination. On the contrary, Iraq is a young state with many ethnicities and religions, that make unity difficult. Moreover, in Vietnam the enemy was skilled and experience with important external aid and international legitimacy. In Iraq the enemy had no martial ability and was politically isolated. Besides that, in Vietnam at first the war had the form of an insurgency that changed into a conventional conflict , whereas in Iraq happened exactly the opposite. The nature of the insurgency in the two cases was different, too. In Vietnam there were peasants that were centrally directed by the Communists, that had a clear politico-economic and social agenda. In Iraq, the insurgents were members of small groups that their methods consisted partly of car bombings and sabotage against U.S. forces and the war objectives werent very clear. Moreover, the U.S. was more restricted in military action in Vietnam that in Iraq, by the Chinese and the Soviet threat and they only cared about protecting South Vietnam. Nowadays, the U.S. with its military primacy is aiming at a regime change in Iraq. In Vietnam, the U.S. reached the 500,000 men and left the country after 8 years of bloodshed. In Iraq, the cost in human lives was much smaller and 3 weeks were enough to succumb the military resistance.[2] The comparison is becoming valuable by a political perspective: the lessons and the warnings that may come out of the Vietnam War for policymakers in Iraq War, especially on legitimacy and sustainability. The U.S. that failed to create and sustain a government and political order in South Vietnam, is now trying to do the same in Iraq. The Republic of Vietnam was a Cold War creation of the U.S. and it depended totally for its viability on America. In the end, most of the South Vietnamese didnt have the willingness to fight and even die for its maintenance. The sustainability failed mostly because the Americans abandoned South Vietnam, mainly because of the fall of public support on this war, as time was passing by with increasing American human and economic loses and no remarkable progress. State-building in Iraq is still in progress, so a critic on U.S. policy on this matter would be unfounded. This essay tries to recognize and analyze the comparisons between the American intervention in Vietnam and in Iraq. I believe that the differences are equally important with the similarities for providing political insights. This essay tries to evaluate similarities and differences on: relative U.S. military power, war aims, nature, duration and scale of the war, U.S. manpower lose rates, the enemy, military operations, role of allies, challenges of state-building, and challenges of sustaining political support. It ends with conclusions and recommendations. Relative U.S. Military Power From a military perspective, the international and regional balances were different during the Vietnam and Iraq wars. During the Cold War, the United States relied on allied military support, so its military intervention that took place in Vietnam (1965) had restrains. On the other hand, United States intervention in Iraq (2003) was characterized by freedom of action, as the United States was the only superpower and its military supremacy was globally uncontested. During the Cold War, China and the Soviet Union had under their influence many communist areas in Europe and Asia, including Vietnam, so the U.S. had to be careful regarding its military action in the region. Americans were trying not to provoke directly the Chinese and the Soviet intervention, so they were using their military power with restrictions.[3] But even then, China and the Soviet Union were helping the Vietnamese Communists by providing them with weapons of technological advance. On Iraqs case, Saddam Husseins military strength had almost disappeared by 1991 and in 2003 he couldnt find military support by external actors. For the Iraqi soldiers, training was not a priority, that is why in 2003 the Americans didnt face great difficulties in crushing Iraqi military resistance, taking over Baghdad and overthrowing Saddam Hussein. War Aims The political objectives between the Iraq and Vietnam wars were different. In the 1960s the United States was trying to preserve the non-communist status quo in South Vietnam. In 2003, the United States expressed their intention to democratize Iraq in order to create a model for the rest of the countries in the Middle East. In South Vietnam, as long as the policies that were followed were in agreement with the U.S. interests in the Cold War, the absence of democracy was not an issue.[4] In the Vietnam War, the U.S. wanted to preserve the regime, by forcing North Vietnam to cease its military intervention in South Vietnam. For this purpose, a massive and well-organized military effort was necessary against a determined and skilled enemy. In contrast, in Iraq the U.S. wanted to change the regime and for doing so, less effort and time was needed, although the collapse of Saddam Husseins regime, gave the opportunity to anti-occupation groups to mount insurgent attacks on U.S. forces and reconstruction targets. Another difference was that one of the basic objectives in Iraq was the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction, while in Vietnam there was not such an issue but a struggle over territory. Moreover, the war on Iraq was justified as a part of the war against terrorism, led by al-Qaeda, which attacked the U.S. in September 11, 2001. In Vietnam War, the Americans didnt feel threatened by some kind of terrorism back in their homeland, despite the fact that Vietnamese Communist forces conducted terrorist attacks against South Vietnamese officials and U.S. civilian personnel. But, these attacks were restricted in the region.[5] The main American war aim in Vietnam was to safeguard the credibility of U.S. defense commitments throughout the world. Dean Rusk, the Secretary of State had stated: We have a commitment to assist the South Vietnamese to resist aggression from North. If the U.S. commitment in peace becomes unreliable, the communists would draw conclusions that would lead to our ruin. Indeed, failure to defend South Vietnam would lead American allies to question their credibility and communist advances would be encouraged in the Third World. The credibility of U.S. defense commitments was not an issue in the Iraq war. The Communist threat did not exist anymore and the American operations were not a response to Iraqi aggression. On the contrary, it was a war in order to prevent Iraqis acquisition of nuclear weapons and to stop the expansion of their biological weapons capability. This war depicted the U.S. willingness to use force against states that were seeking nuclear weapons and that could threaten them in the future. Nature, and Scale of the War The American intervention in Vietnam began as a materially self-sustaining, peasant-based communist insurgency in the South, against the South Vietnamese security forces that were supported by the U.S., and it ended up as a conventional military war between the U.S. and the North Vietnamese regular forces.[6] In contrast, U.S. military operation in Iraq began as conventional and quickly crushed Iraqs regular forces and ended up as a counterinsurgent campaign against terrorists. In Vietnam the Communists motivated a centrally-directed, perfect strategically revolutionary war, with a detailed political and economic program in order to mobilize the support of the peasants. Moreover, the communists in Vietnam had external support. The insurgency in Iraq was nothing like it. The Iraqi insurgents were former Baathist regime operatives, Sunni Arabs, al-Qaeda and other Islamist suicide bombers, hired gunmen and anti-American Shiites. So, the insurgency was not centrally directed. Moreover, it has no declared agenda, though it seems that their goal is to get the U.S. out of the country and cause instability on behalf of the restoration of Sunni Arab rule. Until recently the Iraqi insurgency rested mainly on the Sunni Arab community that consisted the 20% of the population. Now the insurgency has expanded but it cannot be compared to Vietnams situation where the peasants (80% of the population) formed the communist insurgency forces. When it comes to scale, the differences are many. In terms of the forces committed the U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam they reached 543,000 in 1969. Allied forces coming from other countries were 65,000 in 1968 and the South Vietnamese armed forced reached 820,000 soldiers. Communist troops numbered 700,000 in 1966.[7] By comparison, insurgent Sunni Arab fighters were no more than 5,000.[8] Militant Shiites, associated with the Muqtada al-Sadr movement and his Mahdi Army, may on the other hand number up to at least a few thousand fighters. The Vietnam War, unlike the Iraq War, had a huge and protracted aerial bombing component. In terms of bomb tonnage dropped, it was the largest air war in history. During the 1962-73 period, 8,000,000 tons dropped through Indochina.[9] U.S. aircraft losses due to hostile action were also numerous, as North Vietnam was supported by the Soviets who supplied them with technologically advanced air defenses. During 1962-73 period the U.S. aircraft loses totalled 8,500, 2,700 airmen were killed and 1,800 were captured and became prisoners.[10] In Iraq, U.S. air power comprised a large component of major operations and had one advantages over U.S. operations in Vietnam: the enemy didnt have effective air defenses. However, as in Vietnam, the helicopters proved vulnerable to hand-held missiles and to machine guns. During March 20-May 1, the Iraqis downed 30 helicopters.[11] U.S. manpower loss rates During the 1965-1972 period in the Vietnam War, the U.S. numbered 55,700 dead and 290,000 wounded, which is translated as 19 dead and 100 wounded per day. These rates are well above than in the Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, which records 2 deaths per day. By April 2004, U.S. casualties had reached 685 dead and more than 3,000 wounded.[12] The Enemy The number of the enemys forces was impressive in the Vietnam War, but so was the number of the U.S. and South Vietnamese forces, which combined to third-country allied forces, outnumbered the communist forces. U.S. forces in both cases had a fire power advantage over the enemy. Despite that fact, in the end the U.S. left South Vietnam to the Communists. One explanation would be because of the anti-war movement back in America and the hostility of the media[13]. Another, would be the outstanding performance of the enemy, based on the asymmetry of stakes. The Vietnamese conflict was a limited war for the United States but a total war for the Vietnamese Communists. The Americans underestimated the enemys ability and most importantly their desire to win even if that meant that they had to die over trying. For the Vietnamese Communists this war was about national reunification, independence and taking over the power in Vietnam.[14] The Communist forces losses during the American period of the Vietnam War had reached 1,100,000 dead and 2,000,000 civilian dead. In the 20th century, it is the highest military death toll proportional to its population (5%).[15] The enemy in Iraq is smaller in number, less ideologically and organizationally cohesive and has no external assistance. During the first period of the Iraqi insurgency, the most dangerous enemy elements were Baathist regime remnants that were trying to restore the old Saddamist order. The characteristics of the enemy since then seem to be changing with the constant appearance of anti-American Islamic militants in the struggle.[16] Religious extremists and foreign fighters begun to supplant Baathist remnants as the primary members of the insurgency, using suicide as an insurgent method and other types of bombings..[17] Additionally, an unknown number of criminals and unemployed former soldiers have been hired by the Baathists to engage in attacks on coalition forces for pay. Saddam Husseins capture brought into Iraq a number of foreign terrorists that now had the kind of freedom of movement that previously didnt have.[18] While Saddam was in charge, an effective internal security prevented any kind of insurgent activity. Moreover, terrorism against his regime was something that Saddam was fighting against. Moreover, al Qaeda takes advantage of the vacuum in the political system that Saddams regime fall created. Members of al Qaeda are considered as leaders of the major suicide bombings that have been taken place in the country, such as the attacks at the UN headquarters, the Jordanian embassy and Kurdish political parties.[19] Another part of the insurgents is people who seek revenge against the Americans for previous actions against their families and friends.[20] But, it is clear that Iraqi soldiers are not as capable as the Vietnamese Communists were. The Communists were organized into divisional-size units, whereas Iraqi fighters operate in squads. The Vietnamese Communists had external access to technological advanced weapons, whereas the Iraqis did not. But the Iraqi insurgents are better armed today, than the Vietnamese Communists in 1960, who relied on stolen and home-made weapons.[21] Iraq starting from Saddam Husseins era, has been a heavily-armed society. Last but not least, the Iraqis have no common ideology, strategy or vision for Iraqs future, while the Vietnamese Communists had. Iraqi insurgents operations are uncoordinated, even though all of them agree on the objective of Americans being thrown out of the country, they have not agreed on a strategy for doing so. Maybe their thought is to kill as much U.S. troops as they can in order to undercut domestic American political support? Military Operations In Vietnam the U.S. got involved in two wars at the same time: one on the ground in the South and an air war in the North. Both of them failed. In the South, the U.S. military forces believed that they could cause huge casualties, because of their fire power, on the Communists and that they would have the initiative in the war field.[22] But, they ignored the Communists readiness to sacrifice and their substantial manpower. Moreover, in fact, the Communists started most of the fire fights, which meant that they could control their losses by refusing combat when it suited them to do so. The enemy managed to keep losses within his capacity to replace them.[23] In the air war against North Vietnam the Americans also underestimated the enemys will to win. North Vietnam was a pre-industrial totalitarian area, so it was difficult to be defeated through air power. Moreover, the Soviets provided them with military means that imposed significant loses on American aircrafts.[24] North Vietnam had a powerful air defense system and the capacity of bomb damage repair, whereas Iraq in 2003 had not. The U.S. air losses in North Vietnam were significant. Apart from the enemys capacity and political restrictions in the use of force, there were other factors that influenced Americas military performance. There was no joint warfare in Vietnam.[25] On the contrary, inter-service rivalry dominated, producing disunity of command and precluding the provision of timely and useful military advice to civilian authority.[26] On the ground things werent any better. Rotational tours of duty of 1 year for enlisted personnel and 3-6 months for officers lead to small unit cohesion under fire and compromised the ability of officers and men alike to accumulate and sustain knowledge and skill in fighting. As a result, only the 15% of the U.S. military personnel in Vietnam were available for sustained ground combat operations, by 1968.[27] Communist forces were leaner because they relied more on stealth and cunning than firepower, and because they recruited hundreds of thousands of peasants to perform logistical tasks. Moreover, they lived in the field, unlike Americans. Vietnamese revolutionary war, combined mass political mobilization and a reliance of guerrilla tactics that deprived a firepower superior conventional foe of decisive targets to shoot at.[28] They relied on camouflage and night operations, hit-and-run attacks and use of terrain and populations as means of concealment. The purpose of Communists military operations was to weaken enemys will through protraction of hostilities. It was the only way for them as a swift victory over the Americans was impossible.[29] Insurgents in Iraq have different targets: U.S. and coalition troops, American civilian contractors, Iraqis working with Americans, oil and electrical power infrastructure. Moreover, Iraqi politicians, police stations and officers and members of the New Iraqi Army.[30] Their methods have evolved through time as the various groups have engaged in trial. They mainly include rocket-propelled grenades and use of improvised explosive devises. Iraqi police officers and other security forces are targets because they are considered to take over the power as soon as the U.S. forces leave the country. In addition, they are more vulnerable because their weapons are not as lethal as U.S. forces and they receive limited training in force protection.[31] Role of Allies In 1965 the United States did not bother to seek U.N. authorization for intervention in Vietnam because of the certainty of a Soviet veto.[32] In 2003, the United States sought an authorizing resolution but failed to garner even a majority among the U.N. Security Councils membership.[33] Indeed, in both cases, much of the rest of the world, including key allies, regarded U.S. military intervention as illegitimate. Not a single NATO ally joined the United States in Vietnam; on the contrary, only five other states aside from South Vietnam itself (Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand) contributed combat troops.[34] If Americas allies in the Vietnam War were few, the opposite was true for the Vietnamese Communists. Unlike Saddam Husseins Iraq in 2003, the Communists in Vietnam had powerful and decisive allies. Behind the NLF in the South stood North Vietnam, and behind North Vietnam stood the Soviet Union and China. Deliveries included fighter aircraft, antiaircraft guns, tanks and helicopters. The Chinese, provided the Vietnamese Communists with huge quantities of weapons. Unlike the Russians, however, the Chinese provided over 300,000 antiaircraft and engineer troops who, in the face of escalating U.S. bombing, manned air defense systems and constructed, reconstructed, maintained, and defended North Vietnams transportation network, especially its railroad system.[35] In Iraq, as in Vietnam, the United States has sought international support both to reduce its military burden and to enhance the legitimacy of its policy, although it strongly resisted giving the United Nations a major voice in post-war Iraq policy. In Iraq, as in Vietnam, this effort produced disappointing results, although the number of countries contributing forces to Iraqs postwar stabilization is much more impressive than those that sent troops to Vietnam. In both cases, the United States bore the primary burden of the fighting, although in Vietnam, unlike Iraq, a large indigenous force performed important static defense and other military tasks. In Iraq, the most notable contribution came from the United Kingdom, which contributed 26,000 troops. Since the termination of major combat operations in May 1, 2003, a number of other countries, for a variety of motives, some of them having little to do with support for U.S. policy in Iraq, have committed limited force contingents to assist Iraqs post-war stabilization.[36] Additionally, the more Americanized the already heavily American foreign presence in Iraq becomes, the more likely it is that it will provoke Iraqi nationalist opposition. Some Iraqi nationalists may be drawn to the insurgent cause by what they view as a prolonged U.S. troop withdrawal and the continued absence of a new U.N. effort to take over the establishment of a new Iraq.[37] Challenges of State-Building The Vietnam War ended as a war between two states, the northern Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) and the southern Republic of Vietnam (RVN). The former established in 1945 and the latter in 1954. The U.S. supported the RVN against further Communist expansion. If it werent the U.S. political, military and economic support, the anti-communist regime could not have been created and sustained.[38] The U.S. helped with the state-building in South Vietnam for two decades. It founded governmental institutions, it armed and trained the RVN armed forces, it subsidized South Vietnams economy and it tried to direct the RVN toward democratization. Despite these efforts, state-building failed, first of all because of the RVNs military defeat in 1975. The RVN was defeated so quickly that made an impression even to Communists.[39] The U.S. were to blame for it partially. It reduced its principal goal from securing an independent, non-Communist Vietnam to looking for a withdrawal and when the final Communist offensive was launched in 1975, they couldnt re-enter the war or provide the RVN with materials.[40] The RVN was to blame for the failure, too. Their weaknesses were: professional military inferiority, corruption and lack of political legitimacy. Moral disintegration explains why their three times bigger in size army, with larger equipment was that rapidly defeated.[41] Important RVNAF units didnt go to combat because they were to protect the government from potential threats of a coup detat, and generals that were very skilful were considered as political threats. In addition, military promotions were given with no meritocratic methods.[42] Moreover, many South Vietnamese started stealing American military and economic aid in order to get profit. They didnt care about going to war as for them the Americans were responsible for this task. Black market operations were one of the major components of RVNAF corruption.[43] The Communists fighting power was superior as first of all their political program was very clear: kick out the Americans, give land to the peasants and unite the nation. In addition, they had a totalitarian political system that controlled and directed the society more effectively than in South Vietnam. On the contrary, the RVNAF lacked in discipline and patriotism that would lead soldiers to sacrifice their lives.[44] Unlike the RVN, the Communists succeeded in persuading the majority of Vietnamese in both South and North that it was the only legitimate political representative of national independence. The RVN failed to obtain the necessary legitimacy in order to survive without the American support.[45] In Iraq, as in South Vietnam, the political success will come after the creation of a government that will be legitimized by the majority of people and after the creation of security forces that will be in position to protect this new political order. South Vietnam had a corrupted government and large but incompetent security forces. Its enemy, however, was very capable. On the other hand, in Iraq there is no government and no worth-mentioned security forces. Moreover, any government that the U.S. will try to create must be likeable from the Iraqis and must be secured by U.S. military power.[46] The main threat to state-building in Iraq lies not in the insurgency in central Iraq, but in the potential for the recent uprising of Shiite militants to reignite, expand, and include large elements of that community or the development of the kind of sectarian civil war that plunged Lebanon into near anarchy for almost 2 decades.[47] The creation of a stable and democratic Iraq is difficult. The U.S. does not have the time with their side. Most of the Iraqis and their Arab neighbours look Americas presence there suspiciously and question its motives. So the Iraqi governmental institutions are erected under political pressure and under the objections of Iraqi sectarian leaders.[48] The U.S. with its military presence undermine the constructed governments legitimacy. U.S. withdrawal will reassure nationalists and provide governmental institutions with some space in order to develop.[49] One the other hand, a premature withdrawal a security vacuum may cause disorder that could lead to a civil war. Iraq has met in the past tyranny and authoritarian regimes, so a democracy in order to work needs institutions that can be trusted to deliver representative government, while protecting minorities. In addition, the development of a political society where groups will have the opportunity to be elected without provoking fears to the losers, is necessary. Otherwise, the losers may try to ensure their safety by resisting to national institutions.[50] The institutions need to be protected by security and gradually the U.S. intents to pass this responsibility on Iraqis. This action may lead to the legitimacy of the new Iraq government, provided that the new forces will not operate with visible support from the U.S. . [51] Challenges of Sustaining Domestic Political Support The American intervention in Vietnam failed because citizens back home stopped supporting it. Communists had more to loose from a bad ending of this war than the U.S, so their political will was much stronger. The majorities and opinions of liberal newspapers, such as the Washington Post and New York Times supported the Vietnam war in the first place, as long as it didnt last long, there werent many casualties and it didnt influence much their economy.[52] People trusted the U.S. Government and supported its decisions. But as war went on, this support started to decrease. By March 1969, 66% of the citizens were opposed to the continuation of this war. From April 1969 to December 1972 the U.S. military personnel dropped from 543,000 to 24,000. Public opinion made Nixon pullout the American soldiers even though he knew that this would favour the Communists.[53] In Iraqs case, public support may decreased because of the inability to find any relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda. Moreover, the costs of the Iraq War are extravagant and they are to blame partially for the cumulative national debt.[54] Operation IRAQI FREEDOM was a war of choice and as such, like Vietnam, publics tolerance in deaths was limited. Before the war started, .U.S. Government assured people that the hole world would consider them as liberators of Iraq. Effects on public opinion between expectations and realities needs to be seen. However, polls taken in March 2004 by CNN/USA Today showed a decline in public support. Only 49% was in favour of the Iraq War. Moreover, the 43% believed that their government mislead them about whether Iraq has nuclear weapons.[55] Conclusions These two historical situations are not identical. Operation IRAQI FREEDOM achieved its goal, that is eliminating a regime that could be a threat to the U.S. . Despite that fact, the U.S. had to face the costly results of state-building while insurgent violence is still on, that resembles the Vietnam situation. Many academics believe that establishing democracy in Iraq is beyond Americas power and that another regime type must be approached, such as a benign authoritarian regime type along the lines of Kemal Ataturks Turkey, as a transition to more representative governance.[56] However, the U.S. must not abandon Iraq as it did with South Vietnam in 1975. It is possible that such an action would lead to civil war. In my opinion the differences between the two cases are more than the similarities, especially in the military aspects. But underestimating the Iraqi insurgents would be a mistake that the U.S. did with the Vietnamese Communists in Vietnam. After all, even the appearance of the insurgency after U.S. operations surprised many. In addition, even though the appeal of the Iraqi insurgency cannot be compared to the Vietnamese Communists, the Iraqi insurgency has attacked key targets to Iraqs reconstruction. Policymakers need to be careful with the two aspects that are similar in both wars. The challenges of state-building and the need to maintain domestic political support. State-building in Iraq could fail for the same reasons that failed in Vietnam: inability to create a political order that gets legitimacy by the citizens. Moreover, the domestic political support cannot be taken for granted, especially now that people have in their memories the consequences of the Vietnam War. In addition, the absence of a North Vietnam in Iraq could change, with a hostile external state intervention. For instance, Iran, which has strong state interests in Iraq that have so far been served by the U.S. destruction of the Saddam Hussein regime may try to cause chaos in Iraq. Iran has no interest in the resurrection of a powerful Iraq, and certainly not a democratic Iraq, and it has the means to get thousands of Iraqi Shiites on the streets to protest the U.S. occupation. To conclude with, it is important to mention the greatest difference between the two wars. The Vietnam War is a finished event, whereas Iraq War is still in progress. We know what happened in Vietnam, but we do not know what Iraqs fate will be. Robert L. Bartley, Iraq: Another Vietnam? Wall Street Journal, November 3, 2003 Harry G. Summers, Jr., Vietnam War Almanac, New York: Facts on File Publications, 1985, p. 113. See John W, Garver, The Chinese Threat and the Vietnam War, Parameters, Spring 1992, pp. 73-85. Larry Berman, Planning a Tragedy: The Americanization of the War in Vietnam, New York: W. W. Norton, 1982, p. 92. Larry Berman, Planning a Tragedy: The Americanization of the War in Vietnam, New York: W. W. Norton, 1982, p. 94. Shelby Stanton, Vietnam Order of Battle, Washington, DC: U.S. News Books, 1981, p. 333 James J. Wirtz, The Tet Offensive: Intelligence Failure and War, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991, pp. 247-251 David L. Anderson, The Columbia Guide to the Vietnam War, New York: Columbia University Press, 2002, pp. 286, 287, 288. Phillip S. Meilinger, Air Power: Myths and Facts, Maxwell AFB, AL; Air University Press, December 2003, p. 78. Anthony H. Cordes
Friday, October 25, 2019
The Virtue and Vice of Reason in Mores Utopia Essay -- Thomas More Ut
The Virtue and Vice of Reason inà More's Utopiaà When reason permeates society, it does not necessarily imply greater happiness. When brought to the point of rationalization, or when there are errors in the analysis used in reasoning, reason tends to have adverse effects. On the other hand, when analysis is well thought out, and the correct conclusions are drawn, reason can have an overwhelmingly positive effect on a society. Many may think that Sir Thomas More's Utopia infers that reason must be the foundation, and even the preoccupation, of any perfect society. In fact, according to Dr. Evans, More's contemporaries had no doubt that More was attempting to depict a perfect society, one firmly based upon the precepts of reason. However, More injects several major flaws in the Utopian system, which subverts the possibility of that society being truly ideal. In his attempt to expose the inherent limitations of reason, More presents us with the Utopian society, which both benefits and loses from reason in their handling of material we alth, religious toleration, and respect for human life. More uses the Utopians' total rejection of material wealth to present the possibility of reason overcoming petty greed. The Utopians' realization that material wealth has little value is, at least on face, one of the higher pinnacles of their civilization. As Raphael says, "Nor can they understand how a totally useless substance like gold should now, all over the world, be considered far more important than human beings . . ." (89). With this statement, Raphael is pointing out one of the great flaws of any capitalistic society, that human beings often pursue gold and riches at the expense of human dignity and morality. Some human beings, ... ...posing ideas within it, Thomas More is not only exposing the limits of reason, but he is encouraging intellectual discourse and diversity of opinions. He is challenging individuals and society as a whole to not accept the so-called "perfect society," but to think about the consequences that would occur if a Utopian system were to be adopted. Yet he presents to us the notion that even reason has its limitations and is only as good as the person who analyzes the situation. There is no perfect society, no perfect individual, and certainly no Utopia, but that does not mean that we should not strive toward that end. When we use reason, a perfect state of society, or a perfect individual is by no means guaranteed, but at least it's a step in the right direction. Works Cited: More, Thomas. Utopia, ed. And trans. HVS Ogden. AHM Publishing Corporation, Illinois, 1949.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Peace Journalism Is Incompatible with Achieving the Journalistic Ideal of Objectivity
In the media world we observe that the framing of narratives in conflicts plays a crucial role in politics and in lives of regular people. There is a certain manipulation on the presentation of war and peace in the media. Main question is what media ought to do and what they can do. One of the alternatives is Peace Journalism. This paper will analyse it in the light of the journalistic ideal of objectivity. George Orwell wrote that ââ¬Å"history is written by the winnersâ⬠, and that there is no universally accepted answer just because it is true ââ¬â in each case there is a great number of incompatible answers and they struggle to be adopted (Orwell, 1944). This statement can be understood that there is no objective truth. Maybe especially when it comes to conflicts there is no objectivity. None the less, this essay will look at the objectivity as a possible practice, mentioning some scholars that oppose this view. On one hand arguments showing that Peace Journalism is objective will be shown, and on the other hand arguments opposing this statement will be presented. As the propaganda model is essential for understanding objectivity in the journalistic practice, one section will be devoted to short analysis of Herman and Chomskyââ¬â¢s theory. But first definition of Peace and War Journalism will be introduced, and a notion of objectivity examined. Peace journalism vs. War Journalism Peace Journalists claim that conflicts can be exacerbated or ameliorated with the use of media. Lynch and McGoldrick argue that a typical practice of contemporary journalists is War Journalism. According to them such way of reporting exacerbates conflicts, for that reason, they propose a revolutionary alternative to War Journalism. In order to stop violence journalists need to make innovations in the way they report conflicts. One can ask if such approach is objective, but they believe that their approach is an answer to how to be a humane observer-participant in un-humane context (McGoldrick & Lynch, 2000). War Journalism is a practice of most journalists who focus on two sides of conflict. Usually in such reporting one side wins and the other loses, there is no space for complex relations with many parties involved. War Journalists are occupied with violence. They choose one side of the conflict to be a victim and the other to be a villain (dualism). What is more, the reports are based on official sources, and that makes them highly biased ââ¬â their alternative is on the other hand not dependent on official sources, hence, it is objective. Media according to some scholars are relying on both political and economic elites (see the Propaganda Model), however, also social and cultural factors contribute to the way conflicts are reported. Especially to the domination of war journalism have those factors contributed a lot. Universal practice is, however, non-critical reporting of official versions of events. In the eyes of public media generally seem to be more reliable than politicians. For this reason, they are often used by elites to broadcast the official messages, which are not necessarily objective. According to the critics of War Journalism, mediaââ¬â¢s reporting is more about military leaders than the people involved in conflict. This is the main point made by Annabel McGoldrick and Jake Lynch, who argue that non-critical reporting of official sources is often rewarded by military sources. Peace Journalism on the other hand analyses conflict including balance, impartiality and truth in reporting. Again, it is therefore more objective than War Journalism. War Journalism is the dominant discourse and it tries to be an objective form of reporting conflicts. It focuses on violent responses to conflict and undervalues non-violent ones. McGoldrick and Lynch recognise three conventions within War Journalism. Two of them have already been mentioned earlier. Those thre conventions are: a bias in favour of official sources, a bias in favour of event over process and a bias in favour of ââ¬Å"dualismâ⬠in reporting conflicts. Because of objectivity in War Journalism, we hear little about change agents and peace-building initiatives, at least compared with official sources who take most part of conflict coverage. How we understand conflicts is depending on choices made in newsroom. In War Journalism it is safer to stick to events and report what has taken place. That is why most common practice is to report on events and not on processes. Dualism may seem to appear to the public as common sense, it is a key part of objectivity, however, it is a key element of War Journalism as well, and therefore, Peace Journalists oppose it. Hearing both sides is in fact bad practice and can be a proof of lack of journalistic skills. In this short introduction, it is visible that at the first sight War Journalism is raditionally said to be more objective than Peace Journalism, however, Peace Journalists claim that their practice is more objective. Their new way of reporting has an important influence on the audience and their understanding of conflicts. Peace Journalistsââ¬â¢ approach to the coverage of conflict means showing compassion and understanding. It sets peopleââ¬â¢s sights on suffering, howev er, emphasizes peace initiatives at the same time. It is not glorifying one side while castigating the other; it shows falsehood on both sides. In this sense it is objective. War Journalism on the other hand, presents conflict as a battle between the good and the bad, where the result is either victory or defeat. Using non-violent perspective, explaining the background of the conflict, giving a voice to all parties should be a new practice according to the peace researchers. The link between media and military has undergone some changes, and it seems that journalists have only two choices. One is to report official statements and be part of military propaganda, for example embedded journalism, or the second choice is to become doubtful observer who struggles to explain the events that influence lives of nations. Objectivity Objectivity is ââ¬Å"a cornerstone of the professional ideology of journalists in liberal democraciesâ⬠(Lichtenberg, 1996). What is problematic with objectivity is that in fact it only gives a resemblance to the real course of events. It makes an audience passive; they are being served the news without a profound analysis or explanation. Giving just both sides of the story may be a sign that a journalist has not done a proper work with the case. When defining notion of objectivity in this way, Peace Journalism would not be compatible with achieving it. Defining objectivity is not an easy task, though. Understanding objectivity as neutrality is wrong as it is utopian ideal. For example, newspapers always need to take a standpoint when they decide what stories to feature in their editions, the same when broadcasters choose what stories to cover, whom they interview etc. Objectivity is not impartiality or fairness or balance. Objectivity is based on facts or evidence, not feelings or opinions. It requires evidence and verification more than attempt to being neutral (Sambrook, 2004). Hence, we may say that Peace Journalism can be objective. Fundamental question one needs to ask is, if there is any such thing as ââ¬Å"truthâ⬠. Do facts in truth prove anything? Lichtenberg writes that ââ¬Å"our most fundamental interest in objectivity is an interest in truthâ⬠(1996, p. 227). Journalists have their biases, hence, it seems that in fact ideal of objectivity is not possible to achieve. It is impossible to include all perspectives, as well as it is impossible to reject oneââ¬â¢s bias (Bell, 1997; Lichtenberg, 1996). Journalists need to acknowledge their unfairness, so that they can fight it and realize what the accepted narratives are. However, if there is possible bias, it means that there should be unbias possible as well. To deny that objectivity is possible would mean that there is any way of getting at the truth (Lichtenberg, 1996). Propaganda model Problem with objectivity is that a notion of objectivity favours official statements and viewpoints of governments and powerful players, like corporations. Before further analysing of Peace Journalism in terms of objectivity, it is crucial to introduce the conceptual framework, which shows how media institutions work nowadays. Christiane Amanpour claims that media are getting too close to show business (1996). This claim finds confirmation in the theory of Herman and Chomsky. Herman and Chomsky's Propaganda Model of the media consists of a system where the government and dominant players are able to broadcast their message to the public and control what is becoming a news. This is possible in an American media landscape, because of money and power, according to the two scholars. The factors of money and power filter the news ââ¬â depending if the news is appropriate for the media they can get to the public; one that is opposing is left aside. In Herman and Chomskyââ¬â¢s model there is no space for possibility of objectivity, though. In Manufacturing Consent they mention ââ¬Å"worthyâ⬠and ââ¬Å"unworthyâ⬠victims. With ââ¬Å"worthy victimsâ⬠they mean casualties that are harmed in enemy state, there is much coverage of ââ¬Å"worthy victimsâ⬠, because their suffering is crucial for US case. Those that are abused, but not mentioned in media coverage are ââ¬Å"unworthy victimsâ⬠. Criterion of worthy/unworthy victims is one of the examples how media report conflicts. Media are subordinated to political as well as economic powers, according to the Propaganda Model. Herman and Chomskyââ¬â¢s theory assumes that there are five filters that make link between governing powers and media. First one is the nature of media ownership, second, advertising and its influence on media, third is the fact that media rely on the governmental, business and involved partial sources (for example, so called ââ¬Å"expertsâ⬠), fourth factor is what they call fear of flak ââ¬â a constant pressure from media institutions that you as a broadcaster may be criticised, and last factor is national religion or anti-communism, later re-phrased into ideological convergence ââ¬â war on terror (Herman & Chomsky, 1988). This theory is confirmed by many practitioners. Martin Bell claims that screens are the filters. The programme editors seem to know how it is being a war correspondent, and they think that they have been there (Bell, 1997). Conflict coverage is shaped according to their view or perception of reality. It is therefore not objective. Peace Journalism vs. Objectivity Peace Journalism in a way can be called journalism of attachment; it disregards objectivity to some extent. In journalism of attachment media are embedded in international affairs. They play a part in reproducing inequalities between nations. But maybe journalism does not have to be objective? The statement that the news holds a mirror up to nature is untrue, because mirror does not affect the image, it does not change what it reflects, while television image does (Bell, 1997). This means that the media are powerful and have a direct effect, this effect can be called CNN effect, BBC effect or Al-Jazeera effect. Irrespectively of name, this effect assumes that new types of broadcasting are capable of changing policies. News is not only global/international, but also immediate or live, and most importantly continuous. US ambassador for UN said that CNN should become the 16th member of the UN Security Council (Amanpour, 1996). Seeing the sea of blood on the front pages and in TV news reports increases the pressure on political elites to do something about the conflict, as seen in case of for example Bosnia or Rwanda. Amanpour compares the role and influence of media on the society to a brain surgery ââ¬â it is about feeding the brains. However, such statement does not take into account that media are controlled by professional values and organizational instructions that do not give journalists so much freedom to influence the masses to full extent. Interestingly, it is mostly politicians that claim that CNN effect has a huge influence of policy-making. They believe there is a strong CNN effect, therefore, they act as if it did. Journalists on the other hand have mixed opinions. The issue of objectivity is complex. According to Sambrook objective approach is facts, evidence, verification, independence and transparency (2004), hence, peace journalism is incompatible with achieving objectivity, because it is people-oriented, truth-oriented and solution-oriented, it may be therefore selective in the coverage. War Journalism is biased in that way that it favours violence, Peace Journalism on the other hand avoids bias, because it does not give so much importance to violence or violent parties in conflicts. Then, to some extent it is possible to say that Peace Journalism is compatible with achieving the journalistic ideal of objectivity. As of appealing to its audience, Peace Journalism promotes peace and social justice, elements that are values in the modern society. Interesting change in the reporting that has happened last decades is the fact that the cycle of news is 24 hour long, and the speed is crucial when it comes to breaking stories. Because of that it is impossible to devote time to report events objectively. Would that mean that no journalism can be in fact objective? In general Peace Journalism is more objective than War Journalism. It focuses on positive developments in peace-making and peace-building initiatives. It includes both elites and non-elites. Peace Journalism is objective, because it is focused on exposing untruths on all sides. Amanpour says that objectivity in war is important. The practice should give all sides a fair hearing, but it does not mean that journalists should treat all sides equally. Objectivity must go together with morality. Conclusions George Orwell in his essay ââ¬Å"Historical truthâ⬠from 1944 makes an interesting point that Encyclopaedia Britannica could collect information on the campaigns during The First World War also from German sources, because data like casualty figures was neutral and unbiased. At the time when the essay was published Orwell claims that, such practice would not be possible, because Nazi and non-Nazi versions of World War II were so different from one another (Orwell, 1944). However, how Orwell puts it ââ¬Å"[t]here is some hope (â⬠¦) that the liberal habit of mind, which thinks of truth as something outside yourself, something to be discovered, and not as something you can make up as you go along, will surviveâ⬠. Martin Bell in TV news: How far should we go? wished to be called a Peace Correspondent, however, according to the reporter unfortunately there is no such thing, like Peace Correspondent. Bell writes that sometimes it seemed to him that as a humankind we learned nothing and forgotten everything (Bell, 1997). He claims that although there is a new element ââ¬â television ââ¬â we are not learning much from conflicts and still are revisiting history. Yet, the way of reporting wars has changed. First of all, there are TV and satellite dishes, a technological factor. Second change is a shift of approach. Just like communication technology, peopleââ¬â¢s attitudes also have changed. Before it was objective and necessary for journalists to stay distanced and detached, nowadays the practice common in media is what Bell calls bystandersââ¬â¢ journalism. It is concerned with circumstances of conflict more than with people. But for Bell objectivity is a slogan, an illusion impossible to achieve. He says: ââ¬Å"[w]hen I report from the war zones, or anywhere else, I do so with all the fairness and impartiality I can muster, and a scrupulous attention to the facts, but using my eyes and ears and mind and accumulated experience, which are surely the very essence of the subjective. â⬠Journalism of attachments is a journalism that cares and knows, as Bell puts it. It assumes that journalists are part of the world, so they can be involved in the events they report. The journalist being a neutral observer and witness is a myth (Bell, 1997). Does it mean that Peace Journalists are not objective then? Even screens are the filters. The programme editors seem to know how it was being war correspondent, and they think that they have been there. It is a time to be passionate and a time to be dispassionate. It is simply a matter of common sense (Bell, 1997). Then, it can be said that Peace Journalism does not necessarily mean subjective reporting. Peace Journalists are not selective in their reporting, so although it is questionable if it can be called objectivity, Peace Journalism to high extent is compatible with achieving the journalistic ideal of objectivity.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Franz Schubert
It was Franz Peter Schubert, who said to a friend ââ¬Å"I have come into the world for no other purpose but to composeâ⬠. For someone to be so certain, focused and dedicated at such a young age with extraordinary talent and promise, finding out more about Schubertââ¬â¢s life and astonishing music was a must for me. Franz Peter Schubert was bone in Vienna, on January 31, 1797 to his father, Franz Theodor Schubert and his mother, Elisabeth Vietz.Because Schubert father was a schoolmaster, he began receiving lessons from his father at an early age, as early as age five. A year later Schubert was enrolled in his farther school and taking lessons not only from his farther but also piano lessons from his brother Ignaz. Schubert was very talented and gifted, there were times when his instructor would try to teach him new things which he already had knowledge of. It was at age eleven when Schubert became a choirboy in the court chapel and won a scholarship to the Imperial Seminary.I t was at the Imperial Seminary that Schubert was introduced to the symphonies of Mozart and visits to the opera that strengthen his musical knowledge. At an early age Schubert played the viola and also wrote many of his early string quartets in the family string quartet, with his brothers Ferdinan and Ignaz on violin and his father on the cello. Schubert composed many masterpieces in his late teens while teaching at his fatherââ¬â¢s school. While teaching Schubert also continued private lessons in composition from Salieri which had a huge impact on Schubertââ¬â¢s musical training than any of his other teachers.By the time Schubert was eighteen he composed 143 songs including The Erlking, which grabbed my attention. The Erlking is rich with emotions and has a physically powerful dialogue. When listening to The Erlking you can visualize the movement and passion so well that it gives you chills. Schubertââ¬â¢s Erlking is one of the earliest and finest examples of musical roman ticism. In Schubertââ¬â¢s Erlking, there is the narrator, father, son, and the Erlking, which is all song by one person. Because the Erlking s done by one person, that one singer is to deliver each character in its fitting tone. The frighten child is song in a high register in minor, while the father is sung in a low register that distinguishes with the high pitched of the son cries, and the Erlking has modest melodies in major keys. The Goetheââ¬â¢s ballad tells a story of a father riding on a horseback through a storm with his ailing child in his arms, as the child is being followed by the Erlking which denotes death.At the very beginning of the Erlking, the piano begins with rapid octaves. It is said that the triplet rhythm unifies the occurrence of the song and suggests that it represent the horseââ¬â¢s dash. The narrator then paints the perfect picture so that you are able to perceive this wild late ride as the farther holds his unwell son so tight and closely to him. As the Goethe ballad continues the son cries out to his father, my father in a forte tone to inform him of the Erlking and his presents.The father, who uses a lower register tone, try to consol the boy and keep him calm by suggesting that the Erlking is a streak of mist and the whispering promises from the Erlking was only wind rustling in the dead leaves. After the son cried out for the last time to his father even louder than before, ââ¬Å"My father, my father, now he is taking hold of me! The Erlking has hurt me! â⬠The piano stops and the father reach the courtyard weary and anxious with his child dead in his arms. It was on You Tube where I first had the pleasure of seeing and not only hearing the performance of The Erlking.Jessye Mae Norman the soprano Opera singer performed The Erlking. Jessye Norman was born in Augusta, Georgia on September 15, 1945 to Silas Norman an insurance salesman, and Janie King Norman. Norman is one of the most admired contemporary opera singer s and recitalists, and is one of the highest paid performers in classical music. Jessye Norman is also known for the direct and emotionally expressive qualities of her singing and for her formidable intellectual understanding of the music and its style.During the performance of The Erlking, Jessye Norman gave great passion thought the recital with her body movement and facial expressions. The distinctions between the narrator, son and father were very obvious and the tones were delivered well. In a New York Times article, Norman explained to John Gruen, ââ¬Å"As for my voice, it cannot be categorized and I like it that way, because I sing things that would be considered in the dramatic, mezzo or spinto range. I like so many different kinds of music that Iââ¬â¢ve never allowed myself the limitations of one particular range. Although Norman decides not to label her voice, there are some vocal critics that feel that she is not a dramatic soprano, but deem her to be more of a rare s oprano voice type known as a Falcon. The Falcon voice is an intermediate voice types between the soprano and the mezzo soprano that is similar to the dramatic soprano but with a darker color. Norman, nevertheless, refuses to position any label on her voice. Although Franz Schubert died at such a young age he was able to write over 600 songs, he composed symphonies, string quartets, operas, art song and piano pieces as well.Schubert was recognized to be more than a great song composer only after forty years after his death when the Unfinished Symphony was performed. It was in 1828 when Franz Schubert die, he was only thirty one years old. The cause of his death was said to be typhoid fever, which is a worldwide illness, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person that contains the bacterium salmonella enterica. Later it was said that Schubertââ¬â¢s cause of death was syphilis.To recognize Schubert a memorial was built in Viennaâ â¬â¢s Stadtpartk to honor and always remember his greatness. Schubertââ¬â¢s grave was move to Zentralfriedhof the largest and most famous cemetery in Vienna, where it is now near Beethoven whom he admired deeply.REFERENCEhttp://www. charlierose. com/view/interview/10121http://www. classicalarchives. com/composer/3308. htmlhttp://www. youtube. com/watch? v=Iz5TV8LWbrohttp://www. bach-cantatas. com/Bio/Norman-Jessye. htm Franz Schubert Franz Schubert (1797-1828), the earliest master of the romantic art song, was unlike any great composer before him: he never held an official musical position and was neither a conductor nor a virtuoso; his income came entirely form composition. ââ¬Å"I have come into the world for no other purpose than to compose,â⬠he said. The full measure of his genius was recognized only years after his tragically early death. Schubert was born in Vienna, the son of a schoolmaster. Even as a child he had astounding musical gifts. If I wanted to instruct him in anything new,â⬠recalled his amazed teacher, ââ¬Å"he knew it already. â⬠At eleven, he became a choirboy in the court chapel and won a scholarship to the Imperial Seminary. Schubert managed to compose an extraordinary number of masterpieces in his late teens while teaching at this father's school, a job he hated. His love of poetry led him to the art song; he composed his first great song Gretchen am Spinnrade (Gretchen a t the Spinning Wheel), when he was seventeen, and the next year he composed 143 songs , including The Erlking.When he was nineteen, Schubert's productivity rose to a peak; he composed 179 works, including two symphonies, an opera, and a mass. At twenty-one, he gave up teaching school to devote himself to music. He associated with a group of Viennese poets and artist who led a bohemian existence; often, he lived with friends because he had no money to rent a room of his own. Working incredibly fast, from seven in the morning until early afternoon, he turned out one piece after another.He spent his afternoons in cafes and many of his evenings at ââ¬Å"Schubertiads,â⬠parties where performances in the homes of Vienna's cultivated middle class; unlike Beethoven, he did not mingle with the aristocracy. The publication and performance of his songs brought him some recognition, but his two most important symphoniesââ¬âthe Unfinished and the Great C Majorââ¬âwere not performed in public during his lifetime. Schubert died in 1828, age thirty-one. His reputation was mainly that of a fine song composer, until the Unfinished Symphony was performed nearly forty ears later and the world could recognize his comprehensive greatness. Schubert's Music Along with over 600 songs, Schubert composed symphonies, string quartets and other chamber music, sonatas and short pieces for the piano, masses, and operas. The songs embrace an enormous variety of moods and types; their melodies range from simple, folk like tunes to complex lines that suggest impassioned speech, and their piano accompaniments are equally rich and evocative. Schubert's imaginative harmonies and dissonances provide some of the most poetic moments in music.The spirit of song pervades his instrumental music, too, and his longer works often include variation movements based on his own songs; his famous Trout Quintet in A Major (1819) is an example. Many of the symphonies and chamber works have long, lyr ical melodies, and a number of themââ¬âespecially the Unfinished Symphony (1822) and the Great C Major symphony (1825-1826)ââ¬âare comparable in power and emotional intensity to Beethoven's. The Unfinished was written six years before Schubert's death; no one knows why it has only two (rather than four) movements. The Great C Major was discovered ten years after his death by Robert Schumann.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Martn Luther King essays
Martn Luther King essays Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta Georgia on January 15, 1929. His mothers name was Alberta king, her father, Rev. Adam Daniel Williams was the head pastor of the church. She had been a teacher before her children were born. M.L. had an older sister, Christine, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel. From the time he was a little boy, M.L. loved words. He was so smart that his mother took him to school a year earlier. He loved school and sports. When he was in high school he played football, basketball, and wrestling. Martin started at Morehouse College, in Atlanta, when he was just 15. Martin was not quite sure what he wanted to be he did know that he wanted to serve black Americans. But how? He thought about becoming a lawyer or a doctor. He studied the life and writings of Henry David Thoreau. He believed that people should not follow unjust laws. Martin Luther King Jr. was a fighter. He fought people who used guns and bombs against him. But he did not use a gun. He did not use violence of any kind. He fought with words and ideas. He believed words and ideas could beat guns. He fought for fair laws. He fought for an end to hate. He fought for a better life for all Americans. Thousands of people knew he was right. Thousands followed him. And slowly America began to change. Martin Luther King lost his life in the fight to change America. But his words and ideas live on. James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee killed King. Martin Luther King got the Nobel Prize for Peace. Because of Martin Luther Kings fight for Civil and Equal Rights, a holiday was named after him. ...
Monday, October 21, 2019
Compare and Contrast Essay Sample on Macbeth and Wuthering A Literature Analysis
Compare and Contrast Essay Sample on Macbeth and Wuthering A Literature Analysis Example Essay on Macbeth and Wuthering: Macbeth and Catherine are two characters from the books Macbeth and Wuthering heights respectively. The two characters have some similar characteristics like the many conflicts they have in their life. Macbeth faces difficulty when he is trying to kill his friend Duncan. His wife urges him to do it. Duncan is a good soldier with a good character. The death of Duncan would hurt many people. This makes it hard for him to kill his friend. His wife tells him he will leave him if he does not kill him. He finally agrees to do it. His conflict with himself does not leave him in peace. He finally decides to deal with it in the after life. Macbeth feels forced to pick between his friend and his wife and finally picks his wife. This is evident when he says ââ¬Å"It were done quickly. If the assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch, With his surcease, success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all -here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, Weââ¬â¢ld jumps the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here that we but teach Bloody instructions, which being taught return To plague the inventor.â⬠Catherine on the other hand also faces conflict with herself. She is not sure whether to marry Edgar or Heathcliff. Her desire for power and luxury finally forces her to marry the distinguished Edgar. Heathcliff is disappointed and goes away for three years. The urge for wealth and power awakens when she visits the Lintons for the first time. She describes Heathcliff as a poor man with no manners. ââ¬Å"Heathcliff is: an unreclaimed creature, without refinement, without cultivation; an arid wilderness of furze and whinstone ââ¬Å"Catherine Both statements show the desire and the will of the characters to get ahead in life. The theme of power displays itself in both plays. Macbeth desires to be King and Catherine to be wealthy. Macbeth is a man who is not sure of his actions. He constantly seeks the council of his wife before making a decision. He tells his wife that he is disturbed about the act of killing his friend. His wife tells him not to think about evil thoughts. He washes his hands after killing his friend Duncan. His wife persuades him that this will make him feel clean. (act two scene two Steppd in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go oer: Strange things I have in head, that will to hand; Which must be acted ere they may be scannd. At the beginning of scene five in act three, Macbeth begins to act strangely during the dinner. He claims to see the ghost of Banquo. His wife comes to his rescue and tells him to sit because the ghost is not present .He fights with his conscience over killing his friend. Catherine place of burial displays a lot of conflict. She lays to rest near the moor between Edgar and Heathcliff. This symbolizes her conflict with the two men. She constantly betrays her husband by retaining her friendship with Heathcliff. Her husband is always jealous. Isabella often feels anger because she knows of Catherineââ¬â¢s affair with her husband. She extends this conflict up to her after life. Nelly describes this in chapter XVI. She says Catherine lies ââ¬Å"In a corner of the kirkyard, where the wall is so low that heath and bilberry plants have climbed over it from the moor.â⬠These two statements show how Macbeth will not rest until he kills all those in his way. The statement by Nelly shows how even at rest Catherine still wants to have both men. The moor is the place where she loved to play with Heathcliff.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Black Elk Speaks Essay Example for Free
Black Elk Speaks Essay In the article, Black Elk Speaks with Forked Tongue, Couser is giving his opinion on how he thinks that Neihardt was in actuality suppressing the Lakota way of life and Black Elkââ¬â¢s story. His opinion is backed by some good points from the text and as well as other scholars who have the same opinion as himself. Couser does believe that Black Elk Speaks is a well written book and he even respects and commends Neihardt in his attempt to honor Black Elk, ââ¬Å"before detailing the short comings of Black Elk Speaks I would like to acknowledge the considerable efforts Neihardt made to honor Black Elkââ¬â¢s narrativeâ⬠(Couser). Couser then dives into the idea that this book as an autobiography should be a thing of the past. I think Couser then gets carried away with an opinion about how Black Elk was being censored and the truths were kept secret. Couserââ¬â¢s argument is good but his tactic and tangent near the end could have been left out; it does not hurt the argument but it also is too absurd to help the argument as well. Couser states that one of the problems with Neihardt is just the sheer fact of the language barrier; he uses DeMallie as an example of a person who thought the same thing. While there is good translation at times there are horrific and even completely made up parts in the book; this goes back to Couserââ¬â¢s argument that the book is not qualified to be called a Native American Biography. Neihardt had Black Elkââ¬â¢s son translate while Neighardtââ¬â¢s daughter would take notes; this action alone makes it inevitable that there will be some miscommunication and misinterpretation. It was then Neihardt who, in order to fill in the loss in translation, put in his own creativity and somehow turn a story into a piece of literary work. Due to the language barrier it was inevitable from the very beginning that Neihardt would have to change things around for literary purposes. Couser seems to only point out the bad parts of the book and never goes into depth about any of the good things, for instance: had Neihardt gone verbatim what Black Elk said he would have gotten factual information wrong, ââ¬Å"After we had danced, she spoke to us. She said something like this: ââ¬ËI am sixty-seven years old. (Neihardt 177); this is just one example where Neihardt saw a mistake and corrected it just as any good editor would do. A literal translation of every word Black Elk spoke is not plausible due to a difference in culture as well as language. As a writer it was Neihardtââ¬â¢s job to put it in a form that is readable. It was his job to try to convey the emotions Black Elk was portraying in the telling of the story. Seeing what Neihardt put in and left out did not make much of a difference and it seemed to be well done for as big of a barrier he faced. Couser also argues that Neihardtââ¬â¢s free translation, not just language barrier but also that Neihardt could fill in things with his own creativeness, debunks the argument that Black Elk Speaks is a true Native American Autobiography. He believes that Neihardtââ¬â¢s attempts to change and convey emotion are merely Neihardt using his own opinion and creativeness. The text in the book is not verbatim and therefore Neihardt did his own thing. Couser later argues that Neihardt creating much of the story is still a kind of suppression and is conveying a dominant power. Neihardt used creativity just as any other writer would have done. ââ¬Å"There were many lies, but we could not eat them. The forked tongue made promisesâ⬠(Neihardt 172); that sentence is Neihardtââ¬â¢s and it may not be what Black Elk said but it could have been something that Neihardt could see Black Elk saying. Just because something is creative does not mean that it is an absurd thought. He used creativity to convey what he was seeing from Black Elk himself. Had Neihardt only gone by words I think more would have been lost in translation; not only is there language that has to be translated but also an emotional language. Neihardt took it upon himself to convey the emotion and had someone else transcribe the notes. Even though the translation was not word for word I think he portrayed the emotion quite well in the text. Couser then starts his tangent about how in this ââ¬Å"autobiographyâ⬠the white man is still suppressing the Native American Indian. He discusses little things like how Neihardt should not have addressed Black Elk as Black Elk. He also accuses Neihardt of trying to make the book too Indian like. He criticizes Neihardtââ¬â¢s writing of Black Elk. Couser then argues that the reason that Neihardt did not mention as many rituals or customs in the text is due to a dominant culture trying to eradicate and hide another culture, the Native American Indian culture. All in the same argument Couser suggest that the book is a sign of cultural imperialism; he says that the books was meant to escape cultural imperialism but in the end the book seems to be all about cultural imperialism I believe that Neihardt wrote the book and went off, as closely as possible, Black Elk. Neihardt approached Black Elk, not vice versa; had Black Elk approached Neihardt the book would probably be totally different then what it is today. Neihardt had every right to do what he did in the book due to his poetic license. It should be a given that Neihardt was going to do some of his own things; however, that does not mean that the book is a cultural imperialist book or a historical fiction. For some reason Neihardt changed his intentions for the interview; they were going to go towards his poetry but for some purpose he turned to a novel. I believe Neihardt was doing the story telling in a way that had never been done before, in a literary way. Black Elk told the story in an oral and story form and Neihardt then transformed the story into a literary work. Couser did have a strong argument and I do agree with what he said about how the book should not be taken as a Lakota bible or a Native American Biography; I do not agree with his argument that the book is a form of suppression upon the Native Americans. The flaws in the book are minute enough that it can still give a considerable amount of history and background on the Lakota people. However, it should not be taken as a bible for the Lakota people, after all not everything of what was said about the tribe and rituals is in the book and one must do more research than just read and study Black Elk Speaks. All Neihardt was expected to do was his best and I think he did accomplish his goal of creating a fairly accurate portrayal of the Lakota people and the Indian life of Black Elk. Black Elk Speaks. (2017, Feb 10). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Vendor Managed Inventory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Vendor Managed Inventory - Essay Example It is therefore inevitable to discard inventory with low turnover rates because the above fixed costs will have to be paid for whether or not the product has been sold. Asset management is a very important concept in finance. Any businessman should practice better working capital management. The levels of stock, debtors and cash must be balanced appropriately. From the above, for instance, it is practicable to invest $2,500 compared to $10,000 because when the stock is converted into cash, it could have generated some interest. But even though by going with the last option i.e. buying $2500 worth of inventory would be preferable as the approach suffers from one setback. I.e. the purchaser will have to forgive quality discounts by virtue of buying in bulk. However, consistently, we may apply the inventory turnover formula, as its usefulness will depend on how we have cost/valued our inventory. Stock can be valued on FIFO, LIFO or weighted average method. To get a reliable rate, then we must be consistent on how we value of inventory as some methods will over cash them while others will under cash the stock making the resulting conclusions to be misleading. The inclusion of the cost of goods sent to branches is also tricky if those other branches are in foreign states and operate in foreign currencies and yet the financial operators need be reported in reporting entity. Translations will then have to be made for the foreign operation back to the reporting entity's currency. But despite the criticism to this technique, inventory turnover is a very instrumental tool for decision making. One will be able to gauge on where to invest and disinvest in case of a low inventory turnover rate. Ajax Chemical's Existing Inventory A problem would arise when the vendor gives the consumer some money in advance before the products are sold. The products would either fetch low returns or no returns at all. The customer's inventory would again require to be maintained, distinguishing them from the other stock. This would mean additional labor costs. The return on this investment would then be too low for the vendor. May be it could be advisable for the vendor to monitor the sales patterns and know which product have a higher turnover rate that can give full credit on them, for the others with a moderately fair or no turnover rate, he should apportion his credit accordingly. For example, by pegging is as a percentage of the turnover rate. For example, a credit of $2,000 of the product's turnover rate is 100% while on the other hand a credit of $1,400 of the product's turnover rate is 70%. Ignoring of critical stock (Repair Parts) To avoid stock-outs, and make Vendor managed inventory succeed, the vendor must in his premises maintain a buffer/safety stock. Running out of stock is costly and a considerable safety stock need be maintained. But important also is the fact that this buffer stock shouldn't be too high as this would consequently catapult the stockholding costs to higher levels.Vendor managed inventory is a situation whereby a customer enters into a contract/agreement with a vendor for the latter to procure and store goods for him in his premises so that the customer can continue buying from him frequently and a lower
Friday, October 18, 2019
Design a bioreactor that can replicate the in vivo loading conditions Essay
Design a bioreactor that can replicate the in vivo loading conditions experienced by bone cells in the body - Essay Example It is followed by the dedifferentiation of the cells. This process produces only a minimal concentration of the cells. Hence the use of micro carrier cultures is done for the well-mixed bioreactor systems. The defects in the skeleton system are a big impediment to the normal functioning of the human system. The autogenous bone transplantation is practiced for the bone replacement so far. (Schieker, 2006).This method has increased risk of surgery and post operative morbidality to the patients. This method also has the disadvantage of limited quantity and the secondary operational procedure costs. The calcium phosphate ceramics is widely used for the production of the bone supplement. The hydroxyapatites of the calcium phosphate ceramics have considerable clinical use because of their chemical and relvant crystallographic structures to bone. The cell based therapy aims at developing the 3D biohybrid structure of a scaffold and cultured cells. The bioreactors that are established for th e microbes and mammalian cultures are not suitable for the 3D structure constructs. Hence the need for a tissue specific bioreactor design arose. To restore back the skeleton function, the bone tissue engineering is used. The production of tissue engineered piece of spongy bone is one of the challenging fields in bone tissue engineering. The three key elements of bone tissue engineering are osteogenic progenitor cells, osteoinductive growth factors and osteoconductive matrices. Osteoblasts are the differentiated cells that arise from the osteoprogenitor cells. These cells are very mobile and they change the shape and size according to the matrix of the bone. These cells appear with in the vascular tissue. These cells are responsible for the synthesis and the secretion of the organic matrix of the bone. Bone remodeling and the bone reformation are the two types of the tissue engineering processes that can are possible with the osteoblast cells.
Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2
Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example term associated with a male individual who have a strong concern for his appearance, and spent time, money and attention to aesthetic details of his exterior. Such men always concerned about their appearances and will wear nice dresses and will adopt new trends in fashion in their life styles. Quiet often people misinterpret a person with metrosexual attributes as a gay guy; but in reality they have no relationship with such people. Consumerism is a culture spreading all over the world which deals with the relationship between personal happiness and purchasing material and its consumption. Consumer industry, especially the cosmetic industry is changing because of the evolution of metrosexuality. As per the earlier trends, men were least concerned about fashion and their appearances compared to women and the cosmetic industry focussed mainly on the female community earlier. But the changing trends among menââ¬â¢s fashion concepts forced the consumer industry to concentrate in menââ¬â¢s fashion segment also. The active participation of men along with women in the consumer market is a blessing for consumer industry. Menââ¬â¢s Calm Balm (A soothing balm for use after shaving or weather exposure), Menââ¬â¢s No shine (Daily moisturizer for oily to normal skin), Mens Revive Survive (For use throughout the day to revive the complexion), Menââ¬â¢s Scrub Up De Tox (Facial scrub for daily use), Menââ¬â¢s Morning Glory (Daily moisturizer for normal to dry skin) are some of the Doveââ¬â¢s famous skin care products for men. (Professional Skincare Products)à à New Pro-age, Energy Glow, Sensitive Skin, Deep Moisture, Dove go fresh are some of the doveââ¬â¢s skin care products for women. (Dove ââ¬âface care) Menââ¬â¢s Calm Balm is a very good product for men, which contains the healing properties of essential oils tea tree and lemon. It can sooth and heal skin irritation. It has rejuvenating properties of anti oxidant algae mineral nutrients. Moreover, it can protect the skin from UV radiations
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Has the improved explosive device impacted our ability to develop a Essay
Has the improved explosive device impacted our ability to develop a reasonably priced tactical vehicle - Essay Example The aim of selecting these sites is for them to explode underneath or beside a vehicle causing maximum damage2. The improvement of the vehicle armor on the military vehicle has made the insurgents to place IEDs on raised positions like utility poles, road signs or trees so as to be able to hit the less protected areas. In Afghanistan, it was reported by military experts in January 2010 that Taliban fighters had already developed a new, almost undetectable generation of the IEDs. This new generation has no metallic or electronic parts compared to the previous IEDs that were triggered by two blades of hack-saw separated by a spacer. The most recent and lethal means of exploding the IEDs is the trigger mechanism which incorporates either the use of the radio, cell phone, is victim-operated or infrared device which makes it difficult to detect or disarm them. Impacts of Improved Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Iraq and Afghanistan on US Armyââ¬â¢s Ability to Develop a Reasonably Priced Ta ctical Vehicle Due to the new inventions and improvements in the use of IEDs, law enforcement and military forces personnel have come up with several RSP (render safe procedures) to curb the threat of IEDs. These RSP may be developed from direct experience with the devices or research applied which is designed to counter the threat. Among countermeasures put in place include the application of the underbelly armor appliqueââ¬â¢ on the EFV (Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle) as it comes ashore and before their encounter with the IEDs following the June 2007 letter from the Subcommittee of House Armed Services on Expeditionary Forces and Sea Power to the marine corps commandant3. The January and February 2010 tests at the centre of Aberdeen showed that the EFV offers protection on blast equal to 2nd category protected vehicle of the mine resistant ambush, including two IEDs which are simulated on its tracks and under its belly4. Improved explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq and Afghanista n have also impacted the US armyââ¬â¢s ability to develop a reasonably priced tactical vehicle. This is because it has since helped in the development of improvised vehicle armor. This is an armor that is added or centrally planned in the field, which was originally part of the design. In the recent US-Iraq and US-Afghanistan wars, US troops armored their Humvees in their war against Iraq. Their transport vehicles were also armored with scrap materials. The Americans came to know this as ââ¬Å"hillbilly armor or hajji armorâ⬠when Iraqi contractors installed it5. In Afghanistan, the US troops lined their vehiclesââ¬â¢ floor with sandbags to provide them with extra protection against improvised explosive devices. Sometimes, US tanks had tracks of spare strips welded on the hulls6. However, this was to provide them short lived protection, as the Iraqis and Afghanistanââ¬â¢s learnt about it and devised the devices in a way that they could destroy them by use of new trigg er mechanisms. This was a loss to the US army because despite the investment, the impact was not to last for long, and they had to find another means of dealing with the trigger mechanism. When Baghdad was captured by US troops, vehicles of military police were fully installed with required machinery. However, road side bombs, snipers, RPG teams and small alarms were deployed by insurgent forces to attack US military vehicles on known routes and supply conveys. American troops protected themselves from such threats by
Research on Ford Manufacturing Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1
On Ford Manufacturing - Research Paper Example Effective employee management is the most critical factor for organizationââ¬â¢s success. This paper evaluates some findings at the multinational automobile giant, Ford Motor Company, in terms of employee performance and team structures. In this process, an attempt is made to understand the relation that exists between the two, if any. A short research will be conducted based on literature on Ford Motor Co and a case will be built to identify what could be the potential obstacles towards better performance and employee motivation. Further, this paper tries to establish that conflicts among teams members and between teams can affect performance at individual, team and organizational levels. These conflicts can also affect employee motivation and performance, which can be restored with effective leadership and appropriate organizational practices. 1.1 The Ford Motor Company: Ford Motor Company is an automobile producer, founded by Henry Ford in 1903 and has multinational presence. The automotive operations at Ford involve designing, developing, manufacturing, sales and servicing of cars, trucks and other automotive parts. Ford Motor Co revolutionized its operations and business by making ââ¬Ëqualityââ¬â¢ its main focus and adopted Total Quality Management approach to improve quality as well as reduce costs and wastage. The company has its presence all over the world, with its main manufacturing units based in many parts of the US, some parts of Europe and Asia Pacific (Ford Motor Co., n.d). Ford Motor Co is known for the concept of Fordism, which Siegel (1988) explains as the systematic control of all stages of accumulation from producing raw materials through marketing (cited in Jessop & Sum, 2006; p.59). This management concept yielded huge success to Ford during early 20th century. With changing markets, capitalistic structures and advent of other mass production techniques, Fordism was transformed from an
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
1932, A true history of the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
1932, A true history of the United States - Essay Example Lincoln had envisioned a society where slavery would not be there. During Lincoln rule, his visionary of seeing many states free of British rule was seen to pass (Aljosa). The British did not like the idea of American Independence as it caused a number of uprisings against them, and so waged a personal war on the countries which had adopted the United States doctrine. The British also plotted for Abraham Lincolnââ¬â¢s assassination in an attempt to stop his rule and some of his principles that were corrupting countries to rebel against the British. In the coming of President William McKinley, a key individual who continued some of the philosophies of Lincoln was also another target for the British. President William McKinley was in fact assassinated by the British, and President Teddy Roosevelt took over (Aljosa). Teddy Roosevelt was a pro-British person due to his links with some of British Key allies. Many wars were fought so as to reclaim to reclaim the British Empire to its states that is the World War 1. British wanted to show that it is still superior to the United States. In conclusion, the given documentary provides a good account about the American history
Research on Ford Manufacturing Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1
On Ford Manufacturing - Research Paper Example Effective employee management is the most critical factor for organizationââ¬â¢s success. This paper evaluates some findings at the multinational automobile giant, Ford Motor Company, in terms of employee performance and team structures. In this process, an attempt is made to understand the relation that exists between the two, if any. A short research will be conducted based on literature on Ford Motor Co and a case will be built to identify what could be the potential obstacles towards better performance and employee motivation. Further, this paper tries to establish that conflicts among teams members and between teams can affect performance at individual, team and organizational levels. These conflicts can also affect employee motivation and performance, which can be restored with effective leadership and appropriate organizational practices. 1.1 The Ford Motor Company: Ford Motor Company is an automobile producer, founded by Henry Ford in 1903 and has multinational presence. The automotive operations at Ford involve designing, developing, manufacturing, sales and servicing of cars, trucks and other automotive parts. Ford Motor Co revolutionized its operations and business by making ââ¬Ëqualityââ¬â¢ its main focus and adopted Total Quality Management approach to improve quality as well as reduce costs and wastage. The company has its presence all over the world, with its main manufacturing units based in many parts of the US, some parts of Europe and Asia Pacific (Ford Motor Co., n.d). Ford Motor Co is known for the concept of Fordism, which Siegel (1988) explains as the systematic control of all stages of accumulation from producing raw materials through marketing (cited in Jessop & Sum, 2006; p.59). This management concept yielded huge success to Ford during early 20th century. With changing markets, capitalistic structures and advent of other mass production techniques, Fordism was transformed from an
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Abundant Living Essay Example for Free
Abundant Living Essay Abundant Living is an Adult Family Home located in Stanwood Washington. It ââ¬Å"offers assisted living services for seniors who need help with daily living activities such as bathing, dressing, mobility, and medication assistance. â⬠Their staff are ââ¬Å" specially trained to care for residents with Alzheimers and other forms of dementiaâ⬠(Abundant Living Adult Family Home Care Corporation, 2013). It currently has only one house supporting six full time residents and has a meager online presence consisting of only a website. The owners have recently bought another house with the goal of creating an additional adult family home and will soon be in need of six residents and at least four employees. Their current marketing strategies consist mainly of word of mouth and printed ads in local newspapers. This business could greatly bene? t from growing its online presence especially during this vulnerable time of expansion. There are currently over 73,000 residents in Snohomish County over the age of 65 (United States Census Bureau, 2013). Online marketing would make it much easier and more economical to reach a growing customer base whose online focus and technological prowess continues to increase. The real customer is not the elderly person themselves. It is usually their children, often in their ? fties and sixties, who are in need of a safe environment for their parents or loved ones to live where they can be assured that a high level of personal care and medical attention will be available. The idea of expanding online would be to market the business to a larger number of target customers than current marketing techniques are able to. An expanding customer base would allow the business to choose itââ¬â¢s residents based on level of care needed, matching personality characteristics with current residents, and those who can afford private pay instead of State pay. State pay residents often pay thousands of dollars less a month than those who can afford private pay; $4000-$1900 (M. Raymond, 2013). This combination of factors is important in choosing a resident as it maximizes the income that can be generated from the twelve rooms that are available to residents. The pgraded website would allow potential customers to see where they or their parents would be living, who they would be living with, and who would be taking care of them. It would increase awareness of the businessââ¬â¢s new house and reach a much larger target audience. The website would be an online welcome mat for customers and advertise the business strengths such as a higher level of personal care, lower employee to resident ratios, increased ind ependence, and a more stable atmosphere for residents with Alzheimerââ¬â¢s or dementia. Also, a tab could be created on the website that would be a place for prospective employees to look for openings and determine if they would be a good ? t. Additionally, linking such social media sites as Facebook, Instagram, Google Plus, and Twitter it would better allow residents and their children or friends to keep in touch through photos and descriptions of recent resident special activities, events, business news, and daily occurrences. By creating social media pro? les for the business and linking it to the business website it would also greatly increase word of mouth advertising potential. Customers would be encouraged to like or follow the business on a variety of social media outlets allowing their friends to be exposed to the business and create free online word of mouth marketing. Increasing the online presence of the business would also has the possibility to increase the number of applicants for new employee positions. Abundant livingââ¬â¢s direct competitors include Josephine Sunset Home in Stanwood and A Holistic Adult Family Home, LLC in Marysville. Josephine is a combination Nursing Home facility and Assisted Living. It is a much larger facility with a larger staff and a greater number of residents. Its major advantage is its availability to customers. With a larger facility and attainment by the state of Washington of a Skilled Nursing License Josephine is able to accept and care for a larger number of residents who also might require more intensive medical care. Its website is much more comprehensive, easier to use, and is more informative than Abundant Livingââ¬â¢s. It also has a tab for employees. Josephine does have some key weaknesses though. The Skilled Nursing area is quite a bit more expensive than both Abundant Living and A Holistic Adult Family Home. Their rates vary from $237 a day to $263 a day. (J. Aungst, 2013). These rates are nearly double that of Abundant living. Also the level of care residents experience is not of the same quality of an Adult Family Home. Employees of Josephine have many more residents to care for than employees of Adult Family Homes that are limited to only six per house. In fact, at times Josephine employees may be responsible for as many as 20 residents. (W. Flaherty, 2013). This larger ratio of residents to employees leads to a less personal interaction with residents and a lower overall quality of life. A Holistic Adult Family Home is more similar in comparison to Abundant Living in that it is an Adult Family home with a Custodial Care license that is legally limited to six residents per house. Rates are similar to Abundant Living but still higher; $5100 a month versus $4000 a month. (E. Moody, 2013). Holistic already has two houses up and running doubling the capacity of Abundant Living. With all of these things in mind the marketing strategies that Abundant living should use are people, price, and product. Abundant Livingââ¬â¢s ? e employees are one of its most valuable resources and can be extremely helpful in the marketing effort. They should be encouraged to spread awareness about the new house that will be opening soon and that every interaction should be treated as an interaction with a potential customer. Employees should be encouraged to embrace the businessââ¬â¢s brand values of compassion, empathy, and professionalism. These employees could also be potential custome rs as they have parents of their own who are only getting older. Steps should be taken to increase employee morale as having happy and satis? ed employees increases the likelihood of having happy and satis? ed customers. Abundant Livingââ¬â¢s main advantage over the competition is that they offer a level of care for their residents that is equal to or better than the competition for substantially less cost. With a waiting list of 25 customers in line for an availability the business should employ the market skimming strategy. The business should charge slightly higher price than they are now, around $4500 a month, for the ? rst residents to ? l the new house to recoup the costs of expansion and then reassess once those costs have been recouped. This will increase the return on investment while still maintaining competitive rates. The ? nal marketing strategy that could be used focuses on the actual product. Online marketing should concentrate on Abundant Livingââ¬â¢s high level of care, low employee to resident ratio, and their success at the current house. Marketing efforts should focus on the augmented product of increased independence, a proven track record, and the creation of a stable environment for those with Alzheimerââ¬â¢s and ementia, helping to set the business apart from the competition This marketing can be accomplished by posting positive consumer reviews on the business website as well as comparing the businessââ¬â¢s strengths to the competitionââ¬â¢s weaknesses. By expanding online marketing techniques, focusing on the businessââ¬â¢s product, price, and people, and setting itself apart from the competition Abundant Living will be poised to experience a very successful expansion and increase in market share.
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