Assignment #2, Leadership Issue, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment #2, Leadership Issue, - Essay Example Even though unemployment problems and home prices are going high, many of the Americans do believe that Obama is trying his best to solve these problems. Many voters believe that Obama is the ideal candidate to lead America in this difficult period. In their opinion, the conditions could be worsened if anybody lese lead America during this period. On the other hand, according to Christopher Altchek (2012), â€Å"The more legal-oriented Obama is not equipped to deal with the rigors of the Great Recession, nor is he able to solve critical issues like unemployment or the nation’s mounting debt problems† (Altchek). It is a fact that unemployment problems are getting worsened as time goes on even though Obama is taking many steps to solve it. Drastic measures are necessary to solve America’s current problems. Obama is not ready to take drastic measures. Obama is trying to solve America’s problems with the help of economic theories and principles published through books. It should be noted that economic theories may not help always to solve practical problems. â€Å"Change† was the slogan put forward by Obama when he contested first time for the president post. Even though Obama has almost completed his first term in the president’s office, Americans do not feel any changes in political, economic or social circles. In other words, Obama has given false promises to the people and he failed to rise to the expectations of the people. Many people thought that Obama might declare an end to war on terror. it should not be forgotten that Obama criticized war on terror on many occasions before his election as president of America. However, after assuming president ship, he swallowed many of his earlier words and opinions. In other words, he failed to bring any political changes in America or in other parts of the world. Many of the foreign policies are imitations of the previous republican

G-protein Cycle and its Regulation by RGS Proteins

G-protein Cycle and its Regulation by RGS Proteins Julia Weigandt G Proteins, also known asguanine nucleotide-binding proteins, are a family of membrane resident â€Å"go-between† proteins that are important molecular switches in the mediation of GPCR signalling1. In their inactive state, G-proteins exist as heterotrimeric complexes composed of ÃŽ ±, ÃŽ ² and ÃŽ ³-subunits. Upon its stimulation, a GPCR will catalyse the GDPà ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚  GTP exchange at GÃŽ ± leading to the dissociation of the trimer complex as a GÃŽ ±-subunit and the GÃŽ ²ÃŽ ³-dimer, both able to interact with a number of effector systems responsible for cellular responses. Upon hydrolysis of GTP to GDP+P by GÃŽ ±, the G-protein mediated signalling is terminated, whereby a group of proteins, the regulators of G-protein signalling (RGS) appear to play substantial role1,2. Every organ system utilises G-protein mediated signal transduction evoking such diverse outcomes as neurotransmission, immunity, cardiovascular function and hormone secretion3. Consequently, GPCRs present a variety of opportunities as therapeutic targets for treating cancer, cardiac dysfunction, central nervous system disorders and pain. In fact, drugs targeting members of this protein superfamily account for 40% of all prescription pharmaceuticals on the market2. GPCRs constitute the largest and most diversefamily of heptahelical transmembrane receptors  that receive a signal (e.g. small peptides, lipid analogues, amino-acid derivatives, and sensory stimuli such as light, taste and odour2)from outside thecelland transmit this signal to the cell interior via interactions with G-proteins leading to activation of downstream effector systems4. In mammals 21 GÃŽ ±-subunits, six GÃŽ ²-subunits and twelve GÃŽ ³-subunits have been described5. Depending on their GÃŽ ± similarity, G-proteins are grouped into four main classes: GÃŽ ±s, GÃŽ ±i/o, GÃŽ ±q/11 and GÃŽ ±12/13 which show selectivity with respect to both, receptors and effectors due to the presence of recognition domains complementary to G-protein binding domains in receptors/effectors6. The main targets for G-proteins include adenylyl cyclase, phospholipase isoforms, Rho A/Rho kinases (a system that controls mainly signalling pathways involved in cell growth/proliferation), and the mitogen a ctivated protein kinase (involved in the control of many cell functions such as cell division), and ion channels7,8. In its inactivated state the complex is freely diffusible in the plane of the cell membrane due to fatty acid chain anchors on each subunit7. Stimulation of GPCRs by agonists leads to conformational changes in the receptor resulting in the acquirement of high affinity to the G(ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ²ÃŽ ³) complex. Due to their subsequent association, a GDP->GTP exchange in the ÃŽ ±-subunit will occur leading to dissociation of the G-protein complex from the receptor in form of a GÃŽ ±(GTP)-subunit and a GÃŽ ²ÃŽ ³-dimer. Prior the activation of the G-protein the GÃŽ ²ÃŽ ³-dimer is bound to a hydrophobic pocket present in GÃŽ ±-GDP. GTP binding to GÃŽ ± removes the hydrophobic pocket and reduces the affinity of GÃŽ ± for GÃŽ ²ÃŽ ³9. Both have a signalling function and can interact with various downstream effector systems 7,9. The duration of G protein-mediated effector activation is dependent on the intrinsic GTPase activity of the GÃŽ ±-subunit. GTP-hydrolysis results in dissociation of GÃŽ ±(GDP) f rom the effector to reunite with GÃŽ ²ÃŽ ³ completing the cycle7. Several studies have shown that the kinetics of G-protein signalling are regulated by RGS proteins that can not only act as GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) on GÃŽ ±-subunits hereby accelerating GTP-hydrolysis, but also as scaffolds to help assemble signalling complexes and providing a critical mechanism of regulation of cellular responses10. Over 30 RGS/RGS-like domain containing proteins have been described and classified into nine distinct subfamilies based on primary sequence homology and presence of additional domains, including the A/RZ (prototype RGSZ), the B/R4 (prototype RGS4), the C/R7 (prototype RGS7), the D/R12 (prototype RGS12), the E/RA (prototype Axin), the F/GEF, G/GRK, H/SNX and I/D-AKAP2 subfamilies3,10,11. They differ widely in their overall size and amino acid identity, and many family members possess a remarkable variety of structural domains and motifs that regulate their actions and/or enable them to interact with other binging partners with diverse cellular roles. RGS proteins have a highly conserved RGS domain of 120 amino acids3,11 which allows for selective binding to the transition state of GÃŽ ±(GTP->GDP+P)8 , accelerating the GTP-hydrolysis up to a 1000-fold5,10 by stabilising this transition. Some studies have shown that RGS proteins can also act as effector antagonists by binding tightly to GÃŽ ±(GTP), hereby blocking effector activation5,11. It has been suggested that simple RGS proteins (those of A/RZ and B/R4) have an almost exclusively negative regulatory function acting as modulators of G-protein signalling as for instance shown by the function of RGS4, an effective GAP protein for GÃŽ ±q family members. In mammalian cells RGS4 doesn’t block the receptor and GÃŽ ±q/11-directed inositol lipid/Ca2+ signalling completely but elicit rhythmic Ca2+ oscillations in mammalian cells10, 11. On the contrary, the larger RGS proteins can link active GÃŽ ±s to other signalling pathways and therefore serve as multifunctional integrators. Integration can occur via activation of kinases, recruitment of cellular scaffolds/associated proteins or by direct receptor interactions11. Two of the R12 family members (RGS12 and RGS14) were shown to coordinate components of the Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathway8,10. RGS proteins display specificity and selectivity in their interactions not only with G-proteins, but also GCPRs, ion channels and other signalling events3,5 which may be accomplished by firstly, differences in GAP activity towards different types of GÃŽ ±-subunits (e.g. RGS19 was shown to interact strongly with GÃŽ ±i1, GÃŽ ±i3 and GÃŽ ±o, weakly GÃŽ ±i2 but not with GÃŽ ±s and GÃŽ ±q5; secondly, the ability to interact with specific GPCRs or with effectors within the GPCR signalling axis directly, due to presence of characteristic structural domains and motifs (e.g. RGS2 and RGS4 bind selectively the 3rd intracellular loop of M2 and M5 muscarinic receptors5); thirdly, by formation of an RGS/G-protein complex that prevents the G-protein from binding its receptor or the downstream effectors; and lastly, by co-expression of the RGS-proteins with its target protein(s) in order for selective interactions to take place. An example is illustrated by the expression of the alternative splice d RGS9-1 and RGS9-2 in entirely different tissues, thus having different functions and selectivity for different targets. While RGS9-1 is expressed in the photoreceptor cell layers of the retina and is involved in the phototransduction pathway by regulation of photoreceptors, RGS9-2 is predominantly found in the brain and shows selectivity for the regulation of dopamine D2 and opioid  µ receptor signalling pathways5. RGS proteins play and essential regulatory role in G-protein mediated signal transduction, being able to regulate a great number of GCPR signalling events with great specificity and accuracy. By fully understanding the mechanisms and the significance of their expression, role and targets it can lead science to advances in the development of novel therapeutic drugs against disorders involving G-protein mediated signalling. References Baltoumas, F. A., Theodoropoulou, M. C., Hamodrakas, S.J.; Interactions of the a-subunits of heterotrimeric G-proteins with GPCRs, effectors and RGS proteins: A critical review and analysis of interacting surfaces, conformational shifts, structural diversity and electrostatic potentials. Journal of Structural Biology.2013;(182):209-218 Filmore, D.; Its a GPCR world. Modern Drug Discovery  (American Chemical Society).2004; (November): 24–28 Bansal, G., Druey, K.M., Xie, Z.; R4 RGS proteins: regulation of G-protein signaling and beyond. Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 2007;116(3):473-495 Joost, P., Methner, A.; Phylogenetic analysis of 277 human G-protein-coupled receptors as a tool for the prediction of orphan receptor ligands.Genome Biology. 2002;3(11): research0063.1–0063.16 Xie, G.X., Palmer, P.P.; How regulators of G protein signaling achieve selective regulation. Journal of molecular biology. 2007;366(2):349-365 CABRERA-VERA, T.M., VANHAUWE, J., THOMAS, T.O., MEDKOVA, M., PREININGER, A., MAZZONI, M.R., HAMM, H.; Insights into G Protein Structure, Function, and Regulation.  Endocrine Reviews. 2003;24(6):765-781 Rang, H.P., Dale, M.M., Ritter, J.M., Flower, R.J., Henderson, G.; Rang and Dales Pharmacology. 7th ed. UK. Elsevier Churchill Livingstone ; 2012; 3(32-33) Kimple, A.J., Bosch, D.E., Giguà ¨re, P.M., Siderovski, D.P.; Regulators of G-protein signaling and their GÃŽ ± substrates: promises and challenges in their use as drug discovery targets. Pharmacological Reviews. 2011;63(3):728-749 Oldham, W.M., Hamm, H.; Heterotrimeric G protein activation by G-protein-coupled receptors.NATURE REVIEWS | molecular cell biology. 2008;9:60-71 Keinan, D., Yang, S., Cohen, R.E., Yuan, X., Liu, T., Li, Y.P.; Role of regulator of G protein signaling proteins in bone.Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2014;1(19):634-648 Hollinger, S., Hepler, J.R.;. Cellular regulation of RGS proteins: modulators and integrators of G protein signaling.Pharmacological Reviews. 2002;54(3):527-559

A Brief History of Robin Hood by Nigel Cawthorne Essay -- heroic advent

The legend of Robin Hood is widely known throughout the world. There are various literary works pertaining to the adventures and tales of Robin Hood. The main legacy that Robin and his band of merry men leave behind is the heroic concept of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. The tale has been around for hundreds of years, and is still a recurring theme used for different types of entertainment such as movies, plays, and books. As with most historical heroes, the facts of their lives may have been slightly fabricated with the passing of time. This is especially true with the myth of Robin Hood. There have been many historians that have searched to find out where the true legend originated. In A Brief History of Robin Hood, Nigel Cawthorne describes that Robin Hood might have been â€Å"born in Loxely around 1160 and was an active outlaw around 1193-4, then outlawed again in 1225 until his death in 1247†1. Robin Hood lived in the forest with his gang, the merry men. The merry men were other outlaws that helped Robin Hood with his heroic adventures. Hood is generally depicted as wearing green tights with feathers in his hat. He also carries along side of him a bow and arrow. The outfit of Robin Hood has however been slightly manipulated because the clothes he is depicted wearing had not even been designed until hundreds of years after his life span. The legend has been able to adapt to centuries of different cultures and civilizations and has become more romanticized and has the ability to appeal to persons of all ages. The mysteries behind the legendary Robin Hood are endless. The major components to consider while looking into Robin Hoods past involve, his myths, similar outlaws, eliminating outlaws, and the truth behind the... ...d: Amberley, 2010. Print. pp. 195-197. 7. Bradbury, Jim. Robin Hood: Man and Myth. Stroud: Amberley, 2010. Print. pp. 185. 8. Bradbury, Jim. Robin Hood: Man and Myth. Stroud: Amberley, 2010. Print. pp. 185-186. 9. Cawthorne, Nigel. A Brief History of Robin Hood:. London: Robinson, 2010. Print. pp. 53 10. Bradbury, Jim. Robin Hood: Man and Myth. Stroud: Amberley, 2010. Print. pp. 205. 11. Rennison, Nick. Robin Hood: Myth, History and Culture. Harpenden, Herts: Pocket Essentials, 2012. Print. pp. 9. Bibliography 1. Baldwin, David. Robin Hood: The English Outlaw Unmasked. Stroud: Amberley, 2010. Print. 2. Bradbury, Jim. Robin Hood: Man and Myth. Stroud: Amberley, 2010. Print. 3. Cawthorne, Nigel. A Brief History of Robin Hood:. London: Robinson, 2010. Print. 4. Rennison, Nick. Robin Hood: Myth, History and Culture. Harpenden, Herts: Pocket Essentials, 2012. Print.

Art Hist Paper 1

I chose to write about the â€Å"Sarcophagus Depicting a Battle Between Soldiers and Amazons (Warrior Women)†. A sarcophagus is a stone coffin usually bearing sculpture or inscriptions. Supposedly, This Roman cultured sarcophagus was dedicated for an important Roman soldier. It was built some time in between 140 A. D. to 170 A. D. and made out of marble. Sarcophagus were officially made by the Greeks, hence the pediment. Although this sarcophagus was built by the Romans they still added the triangular roof at the top of the coffin, which was also invented by the Greeks.The scene on this coffin is of a battle between men soldiers and female warrior amazons. The battle scene that takes place on this casket is very interesting; it depicts different kinds of symbolism, emotion, and is more expressive. As i started to analyze this sarcophagus, the first thing I noticed was the five columns at the top of the pediment running downwards, having a loons head at the end. That being the first part, and the vivid battle scene displayed right under that.The first thing that came to my mind when i saw the lions was how lions were used as a protective guardian figure in the ancient egyptian times, and it seemed as if these lions, or guardian figures, were watching over from up above, and protecting them. Also another thing i found interesting that was a little out of place to be put on this battle scene'd coffin was the image each four corners had. They all had the same image of a man and a woman kneeling down and also both faced down. he man is higher and looks as if he's on top of the woman, and it seems as if they're praying, or may even be asking for forgiveness.Their facial expression seems very focused and determined as to what they are doing. The four corners seem the most calm from the whole scene. As for the battle, which is completely opposite, has a very violent and vulgar environment being shown. The battle scene has a lot of raging actions being shown. The horses really caught my attention, because they all are in somewhat of a different stance. noticed the horses that are standing over the dead bodies look a little less energized and and ready to fight compared to the other horses. the horses over the dead body are looking down at the bodies and seem to have a depressed/gloomy look or expression. although the other horses are so full of energy and ready to win a battle. not only do the horses expression show that but the Amazons body structures! their body postures and positions show more aggressiveness than the soldiers.The soldiers look as if they are being attacked and were caught off guard. They seem to be moving back and away from the Amazons, while on the other hand the Amazons are not stopping and going to attack. Also the women riding the horses symbolizes somewhat of a powerful characteristic for them, since they are in control of the horses. it can very easily be compared to a Equestrian portrait type, in which a young, en ergetic horse is being controlled by a strong powerful person. Also being noticed is the weapons being used in this battle.Both are wearing helmets, and tunics. the Women are using swords and the men are wearing plates of body armor and are using shields. The soldiers seem to have a relaxed pose for them being in the middle of a battle. They don't seem to be too tensed, they are just simply leaning back and holding up their shield rather than facing the warrior women and actually fighting back. they seem to be in a composite, contrapposto stance. The dead bodies of the women's seem to be more idealized, rather than individualized. hey each have the same posture on the ground and look as if they died peacefully, even though the environment wasn't peaceful. Not only does this sarcophagus environment not seem smooth, but neither is the texture. The battle scene seems to have a rigid kind of texture due to the drapery looking effect from the tunics and also the detailed work on the anim als and human figure, for example the horses hair and the humans helmet. Although the top of the coffin, the pediment, seems very smooth since there is not much carved into in that area.This funeral bed uses a high relief technique, instead of the images being carved into a flat surface they seem to project out towards the viewer. Although there is no color used, the high relief causes a shadowing effect. Even though this sculpture is not in color you can still tell that there is movement taking place in this scene. You can tell the horses and the women riding the horse are in movement because most of the horses front legs are bent in the air while the back legs are bent on the ground, positioned like they are currently mobile. nd Also you can tell that they are in motion because the Amazons capes and tunics are being blow by the wind. the soldiers seem to be mobile opposed to the women seeming to be more immobile. The women are on horses while the soldiers are standing with both fe et on the ground. I also noticed that the coffin has a design going all around the bottom and the top of the scene, which reminded me of the Greek ionic order, as to being more decorative and having the pediment.

English and International Integration Essay

International integration is a process by which countries remove barriers to trade freely and absorb new technology, new culture†¦ outside national borders. In the integration period, English is considered a bridge linking countries together. Nowadays, nearly 4 billion people all over the world use English as their first or second languages. Fluency in English has become an indispensable skill in the context of economic integration today. In my opinion, English not only helps you to extend the scope of communication but it also brings you many other benefits. Firstly, mastering English allows people to be kept informed of the latest news about fashion , sports, science or politics. For example; 80% of the Websites on the Internet in English and popular Newsletters on TV like BBC or CNN in English. You can update the newest fashion style of the week, the hottest news about a football match at the World Cup or the latest information of the upcoming Iphone. That’s why you easily become fashionable as long as you use English. Secondly, English offers you great chances for career promotion. Thanks to the International integration, many foreign companies have invested in our countries. They also join Vietnamese companies to do business. So English competence is the priority for big companies to hire staffs as well as considering employees for higher positions. Although there’s no official statistics on the correlation between English proficiency and wages, it’s pretty clear that the oppotunities always open wider for English candidates. Therefore, learning English is very important in the age of integration .And I don’t hesitate to share some tips on English learning with you . 1. Spend at least one hour everyday listening to news or discussion programs such as CNN news or BBC news. It’s hard to understand what they are saying when you first begin to listen to them, but gradually you’ll get used to the speed and tone. Then you can get a brief idea of what they are talking about, although you can’t get all the details. 2. Watch some English TV and listen to some English radio. TV and radio are the best and most inexpensive teachers to learn real English. Not only you can learn formal English from  news or debate TV programs, but you can also learn everyday English from soap operas, cartoons or comedies. 3. Spend more than two hours every day on reading English news or articles. Reading builds up your vocabulary, idioms, phrases, and the concepts of English structures. If you do enough reading, it will save you a lot of time since you won’t need to spend more time on building your vocabulary or grammar. Read out loud when you do your reading to improve your pronunciation at the same time. 4. Make some pen pals or native-English friends and write to them at least once everyday. The best way to improve your writing is to practice writing as much as you can. The more you write the more you know how to use what you’ve learned from reading and listening. 5. Make friends with speakers. This is the most difficult task because of the difference in culture, but you can’t really master English unless you can have good conversations with an American or Briton. Remember to ask a lot of questions to keep the conversation going. When someone asks you a question, give more than just basic information. For example, if someone asks you â€Å"Do you like living here?† don’t just answer â€Å"Yes† or â€Å"No,† but tell them why, too. 6. Think in English. Getting used to using English all the time will make it easier to listen and react with it. Follow these small tips can make it easier for you to learn English. In conclusion, eventhough English has already played an important role in our lives since Viet Nam was a full member of the WTO. This, may somehow, affect Vietnamese. But to catch up with the speed of the world’s development, we need to take the risk, learning English as much as we can, and not forgetting to keep the beauty of Vietnamese.

What You Should Know About Kants Ethics in a Nutshell

What You Should Know About Kants Ethics in a Nutshell Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is, by common consent, one of the most profound and original philosophers who ever lived. He is equally well known for his metaphysics–the subject of his Critique of Pure Reason-and for his moral philosophy which is set out in his Groundwork to the Metaphysics of Morals and the Critique of Practical Reason. Of these last two works, the Groundwork is by far the easier to understand. A Problem for the Enlightenment To understand Kant’s moral philosophy it is crucial first of all to understand the problem that he, like other thinkers of the time, was trying to deal with. From time immemorial, people’s moral beliefs and practices had been based on religion. Scriptures like the bible or the Koran laid out moral rules that were thought to be handed down from God: Don’t kill. Don’t steal. Don’t commit adultery, and so on. The fact that the rules came from God gave them their authority. They were not just somebody’s arbitrary opinion: they gave humanity an objectively valid code of conduct. Moreover, everyone had an incentive to obey them.  If you â€Å"walked in the ways of the Lord,† you would be rewarded, either in this life or the next. If you violated His commandments, you would be punished. So any sensible person would abide by the moral rules that religion taught. With the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the great cultural movement known as the Enlightenment which followed, a problem arose for this way of thinking. Simply put, faith in God, scripture, and organized religion began to decline among the intelligentsia–that is, the educated elite. This is the development that Nietzsche famously described as â€Å"the death of God.† And it created a problem for moral philosophy. For if religion wasn’t the foundation that gave our moral beliefs their validity, what other foundation could there be? And if there is no God, and therefore no guarantee of cosmic justice ensuring that the good guys are rewarded and the bad guys are punished, why should anyone bother trying to be good? The Scottish moral philosopher Alisdair MacIntrye called this â€Å"the Enlightenment problem.† The problem is to come up with a secular–that is, a non-religious–account of what morality is and why we should be moral. Three Responses to the Enlightenment Problem 1.  Social Contract Theory One response was pioneered by the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679). He argued that morality was essentially a set of rules that human beings agreed upon among themselves in order to make living together possible. If we didn’t have these rules, many of which are laws enforced by the government, life would be absolutely horrible for everyone. 2.  Utilitarianism Another attempt give morality a non-religious foundation was pioneered by thinkers like David Hume (1711-1776) and Jeremy Bentham (1748-1742). This theory holds that pleasure and happiness have intrinsic value. They are what we all want and are the ultimate goals that all our actions aim at.  Something is good if it promotes happiness, and it is bad if it produces suffering. Our basic duty is to try to do things that add to the amount of happiness or reduce the amount of misery in the world.   3.  Kantian Ethics Kant had no time for utilitarianism.  He thought that in placing the emphasis on happiness it completely misunderstood the nature of morality.  In his view, the basis for our sense of what is good or bad, right or wrong, is our awareness that human beings are free, rational agents who should be given the respect appropriate to such beings.  Let’s see in closer detail what this means and what it entails. The Problem With Utilitarianism The basic problem with utilitarianism, in Kant’s view, is that it judges actions by their consequences.  If your action makes people happy, it’s good; if it does the reverse, it’s bad.  But this is actually contrary to what we might call moral common sense.  Consider this question.  Who do you think is the better person, the millionaire who gives $1,000 to charity in order to look good in front of his girlfriend, or the minimum wage worker who donates a day’s pay to charity because he thinks it is is duty to help the needy? If consequences are all that matter, then the millionaire’s action is better.  But that’s not what most people think.  Most of us judge actions more by their motives than by their consequences.  The reason is obvious: the consequences of our actions are often out of our control, just as the ball is out of the pitcher’s control once it has left his hand.  I could save a life at the risk of my own, and the person I save could turn out to be serial killer.  Or I could kill someone in the course of stealing from them, and in doing so might accidentally save the world from a terrible tyrant. The Good Will The first sentence of Kant’s Groundwork states: â€Å"the only thing that is unconditionally good is a good will.† Kant’s argument for this is quite plausible. Consider anything you think of as good: health, wealth, beauty, intelligence, etc. In every case, you can imagine a situation in which this good thing is not good after all. A person can be corrupted by their wealth. The robust health of a bully makes it easier for him to abuse his victims. A person’s beauty may lead them to become vain and fail to develop their talents. Even happiness is not good if it is the happiness of a sadist torturing his victims. A good will, by contrast, says Kant, is always good in all circumstances. But what, exactly, does he mean by a good will? The answer is fairly simple. A person acts from a good will when they do what they do because they think it is their duty: when they act from a sense of moral obligation. Duty v. Inclination Obviously, we don’t perform every little act we do out of a sense of obligation. Much of the time we are simply following our inclinations, acting out of self-interest. There is nothing wrong with this. But no-one deserves any credit for pursuing their own interests. That comes naturally to us, just as it comes naturally to every animal. What is remarkable about human beings, though, is that we can, and sometimes do, perform an action from purely moral motives. E.g. a soldier throws himself on a grenade, sacrificing his life to save the lives of others. Or less dramatically, I pay back a debt as I promised to do even though this will leave me short of money. In Kant’s eyes, when a person freely chooses to do the right thing just because it is the right thing to do, their action adds value to the world; it lights it up, so to speak, with a brief glow of moral goodness. Knowing What Your Duty Is Saying that people should do their duty from a sense of duty is easy. But how are we supposed to know what our duty is? Sometimes we may find ourselves facing moral dilemmas where it isn’t obvious which course of action is right. According to Kant, however, in most situations are duty is obvious. And if we are uncertain we can work it out by reflecting on a general principle that he calls the â€Å"Categorical Imperative.† This, he claims, is the fundamental principle of morality. All other rules and precepts can be deduced from it. He offers several different versions of this categorical imperative. One runs as follows: â€Å"Act only on that maxim that you can will as a universal law.† What this means, basically, is that we should only ask ourselves: how would it be if everyone acted the way I’m acting? Could I sincerely and consistently wish for a world in which everyone behaved this way? According to Kant, if our action is morally wrong we would not b able to do this. For instance, suppose I’m thinking of breaking a promise. Could I wish for a world in which everyone broke their promises when keeping them was inconvenient? Kant argues that I could not want this, not least because in such a world no-one would make promises since everyone would know that a promise meant nothing. The Ends Principle Another version of the Categorical Imperative that Kant offers states that one should â€Å"always treat people as ends in themselves, never merely as a means to one’s own ends. This is commonly referred to as the â€Å"ends principle.† But what does it mean, exactly?   The key to it is Kant’s belief that what makes us moral beings is the fact that we are free and rational. To treat someone as a means to your own ends or purposes is to not respect this fact about them. For instance, if I get you to agree to do something by making a false promise, I am manipulating you. Your decision to help me is based on false information (the idea that I’m going to keep my promise). In this way, I have undermined your rationality. This is even more obvious if I steal from you or kidnap you in order to claim a ransom. Treating someone as an end, by contrast, involves always respecting the fact that they are capable of free rational choices which may be  different from the choices you wish them to make. So if I want you to do something, the only moral course of action is to explain the situation, explain what I want, and let you make your own decision. Kant’s Concept of Enlightenment In a famous essay entitled â€Å"What is Enlightenment?† Kant defined enlightenment as â€Å"man’s emancipation from his self-imposed immaturity.† What does this mean? And what does it have to do with his ethics? The answer goes back to the issue of religion no longer providing a satisfactory foundation for morality. What Kant calls humanity’s â€Å"immaturity† is the period when people did not truly think for themselves.  They typically accepted moral rules handed down to them by religion, by tradition, or by authorities like the Bible, the church, or the king. Many people have lamented the fact that many have lost their faith in these authorities. The result is viewed as a spiritual crisis for Western civilization. If â€Å"God is dead,† how do we know what is true and what is right? Kant’s answer is that we have to work these things out for ourselves. But this is not something to lament.  Ultimately it is something to celebrate. Morality is not a matter of subjective whim. What he calls â€Å"the moral law† –the categorical imperative and everything it implies–can be discovered by reason. But it is a law that we, as rational beings, impose on ourselves. It is not imposed on us from without. This is why one of our deepest feelings is reverence for the moral law. And when we act as we do out of respect for it–in other words, from a sense of duty–we fulfill ourselves as rational beings.

Texoil Negotiation Essay Example

Texoil Negotiation Essay Example Texoil Negotiation Paper Texoil Negotiation Paper Value based pricing was going to be the key, I thought, from the moment I looked at the Texoil case as the service station owner. From my perspective, the owners not only owned the station, but had acquired a loyal customer base. They had knowledge of the regional environment. They themselves were part of the reason the station was successful. My contention was that if Texoil built a station without them, it would be both risky and potentially unsuccessful. Based on the above value analysis, my partner and I decided that the total value of the station was: the cost of a new building for Texoil plus lost revenues during construction plus the lifetime value of previously acquired customers plus the risk reduction of a failed venture – a total of two million dollars. We knew that the above figure was quite high, and we planned to come out quickly and anchor the discussion there with our supporting evidence. [1] Since the preliminary analysis showed it would cost Texoil 650k to build and 553k was our minimum desired selling price, our goal was to walk away with any deal above 650k. I was open to thinking creatively about a deal that was not all-cash. [2] We recognized quickly that our BATNA so-so. If we sold for 400k it might be enough to pay for the sailboat, but it would not be enough to live on later. However, we realized that even in this worst case scenario, the boat could be sold upon returning in order to finance subsequent expenses. It wasn’t perfect but it was palatable. Ultimately, a deal that beat 400k would also work, but it would be leaving value on the table. Looking forward to the negotiation, we knew the Texoil rep would remark on the fact that we had been running ads in the newspaper. We felt that this was a disadvantage as it made us look desperate to sell. We wanted Texoil to think our BATNA was not only another offer but also continuing to enjoy running the station. The concocted story was: we started running the ads after we got an ‘out of the blue’ offer by a large competitor. We were SO surprised by this generous offer that we decided to go fishing to see what other interest was out there, though we had by no means decided that we wanted to sell. Process My partner and I as well as the Texoil rep spent some time getting acquainted and exchanging pleasantries. Relationship building before a negotiation is a key to successful outcomes. [3] He asked us why we were selling, and we trotted out our planned back story. A silence came over the discussion, and my partner proceeded to share our estimated two-million-dollar valuation. The Texoil rep’s brow furrowed, he scribbled on his paper, and said that based on his analysis he could offer us 200k! I was taken aback. My first instinct was that he was re-anchoring low. For most of the subsequent negotiation I felt he was playing hard ball. I countered by returning to the value discussion. I elaborated once again about how starting a gas station in a tough region with plenty of competitors was not a slam dunk; that there was a risk of failing, and that was the reason to pay a premium. The Texoil rep nodded his head and said, I still don’t understand how you’re getting to two million. At this point, I realized we had been doing too much talking, and potentially giving up too much information. We hadn’t asked why Texoil was interested, what their assumptions were, what they were looking at? Not letting the opposition speak was a blunder. Unfortunately, however, the rep didn’t give much information away. I redirected the conversation. I said, â€Å"our data shows it would cost you at least 650k to build, plus the customer base. † So how in the world are you getting somewhere between 200k and 300k. This was a smart move, because it got him to acknowledge that indeed the price to build was 650k, but that was for a new facility, potentially with the convenience store. I said sure, but then you’re going to be competing against me, and you’ll lose. Clearly existing relationships matter. He said price matters more. We went back and forth a little. At this point, I introduced the idea of us having a partial stake in the gas station. The Texoil rep seemed to be more ok with that idea, but the percent was still low. We appealed to his honest side. â€Å"Look,† we said, â€Å"We started at two million, we’ve gone way down. Do you want a deal or not? † He admitted that he had a cap on his spend. He offered $450k. I said at that level we’ll need a 20% stake. We went back and forth and landed on $450k, 15% stake, and 40 hours of work between the two of us upon returning from the vacation. Learning About Self I believe I showed a couple key strengths in this negotiation. First, by continuing to re-center the discussion about value, we earned a higher ending agreement. [I believe we had one of the most favorable agreements in the class for the gas station proprietors. ] We were able to sell the Texoil rep on the concept that he needed us and the skillset we brought. When we got down to a number that worked for him, he was open to non-cash solutions. One of the challenges in this case was information asymmetry. Not knowing the opponents’ information, limitations, and whether they were just pulling our leg. After the rep brought up that $650k was the price including an entirely new station with a convenience store, plus new pumps, I realized we had to be willing to pivot down. We acknowledged that taking into account the store and new pumps, the number was at least 500k to build, and they still needed us or it wouldn’t be a successful business. Knowing when your value proposition is different than originally stated is another key to getting the deal made. At one point my partner said, â€Å"Do you want a deal or not? You approached us to buy the station, but it seems like you’re not actually interested. Are you? † That did elicit the reaction of, â€Å"well yeah. † I think this shows that sometimes, when you’re stuck, zooming out to the 10,000 ft level can be beneficial. The mistake I made during this negotiation was that I let my mouth run wild for too long at certain points. I need to be more conscious, and actively listen. One thing I’m proud of is that we were open to a lot of creative solutions that were non-cash based. This gets at my own decision making criteria, where I land somewhere between a â€Å"charismatic† and a â€Å"thinker. †[4] I like seeing both the big picture and seeing the data. The thinker side that relishes the data feed, in some ways is very challenged by the ambiguity of negotiation. In some ways you don’t always know if you got the best deal you could get. That’s hard as a thinker who wants to win. Having that â€Å"charismatic† side, however, helps in terms of creating the grand strategy; coming up with the value proposition. Maybe I don’t get the most perfect deal, but at least the conceptual thinking and game-plan is on solid footing. What would you do differently? I have two regrets. First, my partner and I should have listened more to the rep at the start of the conversation. He was great at letting us talk. It turned out he didn’t actually know much about the situation, so we played right into his hands. The second mistake was not creating some sort of hierarchy of who was chief negotiator or roles. We discussed our overall plan, and that we were setting our initial value at two million, but after he re-anchored at 200k, we were off our game. There were a few times when my partner said something that I wasn’t completely in agreement with, and probably vice versa. We ended up taking a break a little more than half way through to resettle and to discuss where we were at. This was partially due to frustration. In retrospect, this was a shrewd decision and could have been taken early. I think the lesson is, if the opponent is doing something unexpected, stop and think deeply or take a break. It doesn’t seem to hurt.

Limits on Campaign Contributions

Limits on Campaign Contributions So you want to give some money to a political candidate. Maybe your congressman is seeking re-election, or an upstart challenger has decided to run against her in the primary and you want to throw some extra cash to the  campaign. How do you do it? How much can you give?   Related: Can You Recall a Member of Congress? Heres what you need to know before you write that check to your congressmans re-election campaign in the 2013-14 election cycle. Question:  How much can I contribute? Answer: An individual can contribute $2,700 at most to a candidate for federal office in a single election cycle. That means you can give $5,400 to a single candidate in an election year: $2,700 during the primary campaign, and $2,700 more during the general election. Related: How Much Did the 2012 Presidential Race Cost? One way many households get around this limit is by having husbands and wives make separate contributions to a candidate. Even if only one spouse has an income, both householders can write a check for $2,700 to a candidate during a single election cycle. Question: If Ive hit that limit, can I give money to someone else to contribute? Answer: No. Federal election laws prohibit someone who has contributed the maximum amount of money to a candidate in one election cycle from giving money to someone else to give. Also, companies are banned from issuing a bonus to employees for the purpose of writing checks to a candidate for federal office. Question:  Can the candidates spend the money however they wish? Answer:  No. There are some limitations on how candidates can spend money. Generally speaking, candidates are not allowed to spend money contributed to campaign funds for any personal use. The money you give to candidates for political office must be spent on campaign operations, though any money left over after an election may remain in the campaign account or be transferred to a party account, according to Federal Election Commission regulations. Question:  What if Im not at U.S. citizen or dont live in the United States? Answer:  Then you cant contribute to political campaigns. Federal elections laws prohibit campaign contributions from non-U.S. citizens and foreign nationals living in the United States. However, those living in the United States legally - individuals carrying a green card, for example - may contribute to federal political campaigns. Question:  What if I have a contract with the federal government? Answer: You are not allowed to contribute money. According to the Federal Election Commission: If you are a consultant under contract to a Federal agency, you may not contribute to Federal candidates or political committees. Or, if you are the sole proprietor of a business with a Federal government contract, you may not make contributions from personal or business funds. You may make a contribution, however, if youre merely an employee of a firm that holds a government contract. Question:  How do I give money to a candidate? Answer:  There are several ways. You can write a check to the campaign,  contribute via  bank transfer, credit card charge, electronic check and even text message. Question:  Can I use Bitcoins to make a contribution? Answer:  No, even though  Bitcoins  are being used to purchase goods and services across the world, Americans are  not yet permitted to use the electronic currency   to support political campaigns or  committees  at the national level  or give to other organizations that seek to influence  federal elections in the United States. Question: What if I dont want to give money to a candidate? Can I give to a party? Answer: Of course. Individuals are allowed to give as much as $32,400 to national political parties and  $10,000 to state and local parties over the course of a calendar year. Related: How to Start Your Own Super PAC You can also give unlimited amounts of money to super PACs, which raise and spend money independent of political candidates but  advocate nonetheless for  the election or defeat of candidates.

Swallows and Amazons, or the Sporting Exception to the Gender Case Study

Swallows and Amazons, or the Sporting Exception to the Gender Rcognition Act - Case Study Example In that regard, the Gender Recognition Act 2004 therefore maintained that transgendered individuals be denied the opportunity to take part in sporting activities if their involvement is not encouraging to either ‘safety’ or ‘competitive fairness’. This paper reflects on the rights of the transgendered personalities, and specifically what the United Kingdom’s Gender recognition Act 2004 purports in regard to sports’, and the law’s, obscurity in obliging their participation in sports. This paper will therefore focus on the Section 19 of the Act. The s.19 of the Act facilitates various sporting bodies in prohibiting transgendered people of participation on the grounds of their ‘safety’ or ‘competitive fairness’ (Jack, 2006). This will be supported by the fact that neither ground can be established in the light of both the existing case law in transgender rights accompanied by the existing position of therapeutic ac quaintance. The possibility that s. 19 otiose is in part a consequence of being a hastily drafted provision and lately inserted to appease the sports lobby and its mouthpieces in the House of Lords. This paper is thus, a social and legal study on the Swallows and Amazons, Or the Sporting Exception to the Gender Recognition Act. ... re scrutinized, labeled and categorized in preparedness for their own, ‘Special’, Olympics at a particular moment when the informed harmony has undeniably moved away from the medical model of disability (Peter, 2005). The individuals whose bodies are outside the norms of sex gender due to their innate biology or due to the fact that they eschew the paradigm of normal manliness or femininity. Also the heterosexuality imperative that are faced with unique challenges: struggles over the sporting body which led to litigation by for instance, pregnant participations or female boxers with the aim of determining and relation of an acceptable level of the male hormone amongst female athletes. This has really aggravated the attention of the judicial field. Another area is the aspect of gay men or lesbians women who remain marginalized, in order to allow the International Olympic Committee would sanction of the use of the word ‘Olympic’ at the Gay Games. This is happe ning while the ‘Canine Olympics’, ‘Scout Olympic’, and ‘Police Olympic’ have been tolerated in the past twenty years (Jack, 2006). Sex chromatin screening was also added to the testers’ arsenal in an implicit acknowledgement in 1967 since the governing bodies did not have an interest in male imposters but instead they had an interest in females who had unusual chromosomal compositions producing testosterone not normal in women (Aileen, 2006). Various high profile athletes who had unusual chromosomal compositions had to justify through testing to their rivals who felt threatened. This is because they were viewed to have an unfair advantage to their rivals who subsequently resented their success in sporting activities (Aileen, 2006). This proved very controversial since unusual chromosomal

Redefinition of Authorship and Ownership in Media and Cultural Essay

Redefinition of Authorship and Ownership in Media and Cultural Industries - Essay Example reader gives the consumers a chance at obtaining the books not from the authors, but from the tablet maker through the publisher (Hesmondhalgh, 2012, p. 21). Not long ago, when the first marketable tablet came out in the form of an iPad, the chief executive officer of Apple, Steve Jobs, convinced several publishers to market their books through this type of computer which he promised would revolutionize the reading industry. He was right to a large extent since tablet computers have since then taken over from books and the education sector in general. Other tablet makers, who majorly consist of the Android market, followed suit with their contracts with publishers. Other companies that specialized in publishing like Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and especially Amazon made a lot of contracts with publishers and specific authors to have their material sold through their platforms. The contracts between the authors, the publishers and the tablet makers are the focus of this paper. The contrac ts consisted of allowing the tablet makers to market the books from several publishers and owners in one place the tablet makers unanimously called a store so that consumers, instead of going to each individual publisher to get a given title, would only have to search for the same title in one place. The eBooks cost differently from their hardcover counterparts from this moment (Straubhaar, LaRose and Davenport, 2011, p. 78). While the hardcover copies were priced differently due to for example the contents of the book, the popularity among its readers or the effort spent in penning the given piece of work, the tablet and eBook reader makers sought to unify the prices of these books due to several reasons they gave among them the fact that the books had an almost similar value in their... This essay stresses that the main corporations in informational technology include media houses that concern themselves with the dissemination of news or other issues around the world. Such houses include Bloomberg, News Corporation and BBC among others. Others in this classification include film companies such as 20th Century Fox. Technological changes have seen a shift to most of the media houses being owned and controlled by either governments or powerful families. This paper makes a conclusion that the corporations that are owned by the governments in their countries of origin include the BBC and most media firms in China. The Chinese government controls most of the media content and has ownership rights to most of the media houses too. The BBC was founded and runs on funds from the taxpayers’ money. There are several reasons as to why a government can control or won a media house. Most reasons point to the issue so of costs which are deemed to be low due to the government’s participation. The seeking of information by private individuals would be an expensive task to undertake. Other reasons point to the freedom of the press as a result of government dissemination of the information about the goings-on in the country since it is in control of most of the happenings. This is in contrast to private companies which would serve the governing classes’ interest. The advent of technology has brought changes in this sector in ref erence to the types of information given out.

Strategic and organization Change at Black & Decker Essay

Strategic and organization Change at Black & Decker - Essay Example The purpose of this report, is to pursue the question as to why did it take Black and Decker two decades to effect a change in strategy and structure. Black and Decker have been primarily known for power tools .It has been one of the older multinationals initially with operations in Canada and Britain. The company has two well known brands, the Black and Decker Consumer Power tools, and Professional power tools. . Black and Decker have been selling in 100 nations. Revenue has gone in excess of $5 billion, more than half of which the company has been able to generate outside the United States. The company has grown rapidly, and has also been able to make name and create monopoly Share in the consumer and professional power tools market. This monopoly has been based on the handheld power tools. Black and Decker have also significantly grown in the international markets. The company has been able to achieve this by setting up wholly owned subsidiaries. The company has 23wholly owned subsidiaries in foreign nations and two joint ventures. Black and Decker during its rapid growth phases, and also during its international expansion peri od, have functioned with 'decentralized' form of organization. Each subsidiary has been given considerable autonomy to run its own business. But it is then observed that in the mid 1980's competition emerges in the form of 'Nakita','Panasonic' and Bosch. The Black and Decker's monopoly beg... Factories have closed down. Particularly, in Europe. Globalisation remains a key strategy for Black and Decker. This is highlighted in their Annual Report in 1985. Also in 1985 the company made sound progress. The company have been designing and marketing products for the worldwide market instead of just the regional ones. Design Centers, created by Black and Decker have promised to deliver more global products in the future. Because of these design centers, Black and Decker has cut on the number of R&D's it had. Major decisions regarding where to produce have all been made in the corporate head quarters. The autonomy of the factories also has been decreasing significantly. The national subsidiary is still maintained a fair degree of autonomy.The Black and Decker companies have been competing each other. Black and Decker have recently announced a restructure initiative. The Effectiveness of Black and Decker's decentralized, rationale, management style during the earlier years of growth in power tools market is most evident by the fact that their revenue had an excess of $5billion , they were expanding well nationally and internationally . By , setting up of wholly owned subsidiaries , giving them considerable amount of autonomy , accepting and realizing , that globalisation was upcoming , they needed to be apart of this and so they setup design centres . In order, to achieve the targets, of producing global products in the future. Looking at the not so effective side of this sort of decentralized Organization. We then observe, in the long run, as competition rose, Black and Decker started eroding from the market. The two very famous, brands had to see tough competition on hands. The factories were closed down, particularly in Europe. National subsidiaries on

A Critique of the relationship between power and desire in Foucaults Essay

A Critique of the relationship between power and desire in Foucaults analyses of the Repressive Hypothesis - Essay Example As he argues in the opening of his seminal work, â€Å"for a long time, the story goes, we supported a Victorian regime, and we continued to be dominated by it even today . . . thus the image of the imperial prude is emblazoned on out retrained, mute, and hypocritical sexuality† (Foucault, 1990, p.1). According to the traditional view of â€Å"repression† (one that Foucault palces firmly within a Freudian context), the Victorians were â€Å"repressed† and we in the modern age, with constant talk of sexuality and a relative openness regarding the subject, have broken free of that repression. Sexuality had power over the Victorians through its denial, the modern age is freed from these shackles. This Foucault presents as the traditional view of sexual repression, and also of power. For Foucault power is not â€Å"a general system of domination exercised by one element or one group over another, whose effect . . . traverse the entire body social . . . .†. Foucault’s view of power is one in which â€Å"the condition of the possibility of power . .. should not be sought in the primary existence of a central point . . . it is the moving based of locations of force that incessantly induce, by their inequality, states of power, but always local and unstableâ €  (p.121-122). Foucault’s view of â€Å"power† is of a force that is not centered within a particular individual or group (however much that may appear to be the case), but rather as something that is separate from human beings and transfers between different groups, individuals, ideas, spaces and times according to a system that is essentially unstable. This has a direct influence upon both repression and desire. The traditional view has it that when a sexuality appeared which â€Å"was not ordered in terms of generation† it would â€Å"be driven out, denied, reduced to silence . . . not only did it not exist, it had not right to exist and would be made to

Poverty and Pollution Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poverty and Pollution - Case Study Example In this case, ethical implications lies in the fact that businesses are using the third world countries for their own financial gain, at the expense of the people and environment of the host third world country. However, ethics dictate that any successful business should work within the existing framework of regulations for the benefit of all parties involved, which includes environment and local people. Furthermore, businesses that cause pollution only cater after their own interests and leave people to suffer the consequences of pollution. Moreover, strict ethical laws and regulations in the third world countries business sector has considerable impact relating to financial gains emanating from the said businesses due to the costs affiliated. This is because a country is not willing to let go of the revenue, hence, native people are left suffering the consequences of environmental exploitation and pollution in the quest for wealth. In addition, some of the mother countries of these businesses polluting the environment tend to be powerful and include handsome packages to the third-world governments, which are in return for unregulated exploitation of resources without limitations and liabilities. In addition, businesses operating in third world countries have a number of grounds to disregard pollution standards. One of the reasons leading to this problem would be weak regulations governing pollution menace in the developing countries. These weak guidelines facilitate businesses to disregard the law because little can be done to penalize them for their unethical acts. Thus, there is little to be lost by the said company as compared to countries with strict environmental pollution laws. Moreover, laws play a crucial role in the response of environmental agencies responsible for tackling these environmental issues. This is because weak laws do not foster law enforcement, thus, low motivation and increased pollution crimes in third world countries (Amnesty Interna tional, 2009). Corruption cannot to be left behind, as it is a critical aspect, this is in terms of regulation; where those charged with responsibility receive bribes from companies to allow pollution blatantly (â€Å"New A.T. Kearney...†, 2000). In addition, the issue of penalties leads to total disregard for standards of pollution control. This is in terms of leniency and harshness while punishing violators of these standards as they set examples to be emulated and followed. In this regard, companies that are leniently penalized have a possibility of repeating the same offence, as the income is much higher than the penalty. Besides, it could be cheaper to pay the penalty than follow the set guidelines. As a result, businesses may opt for the cheapest way out by maximizing their profits at the expense of conserving the environment. Pollution, economic growth and development all have a close relationship with each other since according to common belief, pollution is the price of progress, and that the cost of development is almost directly proportional to the resultant pollution in terms of industrial waste and pollutant material. This is evident in the case of china that doubled its Gross Domestic Product by over five times, and the results are a sharp rise environmental pollution, ecological destruction and increased carbon dioxide emissions (ZhiDong,

Child Abuse at School Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Child Abuse at School - Dissertation Example From this discussion it is clear that in everyday terms, people use the word punishment to describe negative consequences imposed on people when they misbehave. Often, the term has moral overtones, suggesting that those being punished 'deserve' that punishment because their actions violate a rule, law, or social expectation. But when it comes to behavior management, it has a somewhat narrow definition.This paper highlights that  teachers should understand the pros and cons about using punishment in the classroom, as schools frequently use the method as a tool to manage student behaviors. Since punishers affect different students in different ways, so one punisher my not be effective against all students and should be suited to a particular student’s temperament. There are times at which punishment tends to put a stop to problem behaviors and would seem a strong and desirable behavior management tool. But there is a price for everything.  Discussion has been going on, on th e topic of punishment for many years. Educators cannot find agreement as to the best way to discipline students in schools. Hundreds of articles were written and lectures delivered on this subject.  Most students cannot comprehend what action or lack of action on their part does bring punishment. They feel that the teacher’s mood at a particular moment brings about the punishment.   Another expert supports this general idea.

Poverty and Pollution Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poverty and Pollution - Case Study Example In this case, ethical implications lies in the fact that businesses are using the third world countries for their own financial gain, at the expense of the people and environment of the host third world country. However, ethics dictate that any successful business should work within the existing framework of regulations for the benefit of all parties involved, which includes environment and local people. Furthermore, businesses that cause pollution only cater after their own interests and leave people to suffer the consequences of pollution. Moreover, strict ethical laws and regulations in the third world countries business sector has considerable impact relating to financial gains emanating from the said businesses due to the costs affiliated. This is because a country is not willing to let go of the revenue, hence, native people are left suffering the consequences of environmental exploitation and pollution in the quest for wealth. In addition, some of the mother countries of these businesses polluting the environment tend to be powerful and include handsome packages to the third-world governments, which are in return for unregulated exploitation of resources without limitations and liabilities. In addition, businesses operating in third world countries have a number of grounds to disregard pollution standards. One of the reasons leading to this problem would be weak regulations governing pollution menace in the developing countries. These weak guidelines facilitate businesses to disregard the law because little can be done to penalize them for their unethical acts. Thus, there is little to be lost by the said company as compared to countries with strict environmental pollution laws. Moreover, laws play a crucial role in the response of environmental agencies responsible for tackling these environmental issues. This is because weak laws do not foster law enforcement, thus, low motivation and increased pollution crimes in third world countries (Amnesty Interna tional, 2009). Corruption cannot to be left behind, as it is a critical aspect, this is in terms of regulation; where those charged with responsibility receive bribes from companies to allow pollution blatantly (â€Å"New A.T. Kearney...†, 2000). In addition, the issue of penalties leads to total disregard for standards of pollution control. This is in terms of leniency and harshness while punishing violators of these standards as they set examples to be emulated and followed. In this regard, companies that are leniently penalized have a possibility of repeating the same offence, as the income is much higher than the penalty. Besides, it could be cheaper to pay the penalty than follow the set guidelines. As a result, businesses may opt for the cheapest way out by maximizing their profits at the expense of conserving the environment. Pollution, economic growth and development all have a close relationship with each other since according to common belief, pollution is the price of progress, and that the cost of development is almost directly proportional to the resultant pollution in terms of industrial waste and pollutant material. This is evident in the case of china that doubled its Gross Domestic Product by over five times, and the results are a sharp rise environmental pollution, ecological destruction and increased carbon dioxide emissions (ZhiDong,

Decision support systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Decision support systems - Essay Example formation technology in the business and corporate structures is to enhance the overall corporate performance and enhanced management of the business data. This paper presents the most valuable business and corporate information technology systems regarding the better and effective business decision making that is known as the decision support systems (DSS). The main intention of this research is to offer a deep and compliance overview of the decision support systems (DSS) and its implementation in the effective corporate working and operational structure management. This paper will outline the basic system definitions, emergence, potential implementation areas and operational examples. According to (Turban, Leidner and McLean 18), an information system collects, processes, stores, evaluates, and distributes information for a particular function. Similar to any other system, an information system consists of inputs (such as instructions and data) and outputs (reports, calculations). It performs operations on the inputs by using technology like PCs and develops outputs that are delivered to users or to other systems by means of electronic networks (Turban, Leidner and McLean 18). In addition, â€Å"the term information system can be described technically as a collection of interrelated components that bring together, process, store, and distribute information to carry decision making and control in an organization† Information systems keep and maintain information about important people, places, and things inside the corporation or in the set up surrounding it (Laudon and Laudon 7) and (Hoffer, Prescott and McFadden 429). Also, a management information system is a function or use of information system that offers for management oriented reporting. These reports are typically developed or produced on a predetermined schedule and come out in a prearranged structure (Whitten, Bentley and Dittman 47). According to (Whitten, Bentley and Dittman 47), a decision support

Mouse Trap Ease Essay Example for Free

Mouse Trap Ease Essay 2) Has Martha identified the best target market for Trap-Ease? What other market segments might the firm target? Martha has targeted women for her product. She feels that women are the best group to target because they don’t like the mess or the risks created by traditional mouse traps. But what Martha doesn’t know about is woman is a large segment that is too wide to be targeted properly. In the society, woman population is shrinking rapidly causing market that Martha is targeting is shrinking. By right there are a lot of other markets that have more potential which Martha could target. Other market which hold larger potential for Trap-Ease are market like environmentalist, pet’s owner, family with kids, factories, sewage, farm and man. Trap-Ease are reusable and durable, therefore it create less effect on the environment. This advantage would attract environmentalist that would care more for the earth. The environmentalist market are growing rapidly as more and more people are getting aware of the problem faced by the earth such as global warming and deforestation. Trap-Ease also would be attractive for pet’s owner as it doesn’t required poison and dangerous spring mechanism. The traditional mouse trap would pose a treat for the pets as pets might mistaken the poison for the food while the spring loaded mechanism might accidentally snapped on a paw or tongue of pets. Family with kids would also like to have Trap-Ease, traditional mouse trap and poison pose a very large risk to infant and kids. Parent would be happy to have this innovative safe mouse trap to be around compared to the dangerous traditional substitute. The rats are also commonly found in factories, Martha should send some salesman to this market to introduce them Trap-Ease which would not create any mess and reusable. Factory would found it attracting as traditional mouse trap will create mass that would possibly contaminate the food that factories are producing. Martha also could group up with food safety NGO to make sure the factories are free of rats to the benefits of the society, while in doing so introduce Trap-Ease into it which will be the cost effective solution for the problem. Sewage are the main place mouse would live in a city, its full of mouse. Martha could propose to the government to install the Trap-Ease in the sewage to reduce the amount of disease carrying rats in it. This could possibly be the largest market Martha will have. Finally, farm would be very interested to have this Trap-Ease in the farm as this is a cost effective way to control pest. Mouse has always been farm biggest problem, having a cost effective way to manage them? Excellent! Man should be the market segment instead of woman because males that enjoy heavy duty work such as grinding and the like are also another target Market to be considered. Normally in family, man do these â€Å"hard work† instead of woman because most woman are scared of rats. 5)Who is Trap-Ease America’s competition? Trap-Ease America’s competition is any company that creates mouse traps. These competitors are large and hard to fight because most of the companies sold low quality cheap mouse trap. The mouse trap and poison they sell pose a large risk to pets and kids as well as the mouse they are supposed to kill. Regardless, there is also version of live catch mouse trap similar to Martha’s. Some company such as Mice X offer a version of mouse trap that allow the user to dispose the trapped mouse without touching the mouse. They sell it for $5 which is higher than Trap-Ease. This has given an idea that Trap-Ease have lower price compare to their competitor which is a large advantages. Companies such as Kindle did offer mouse trap that uses glue, it is reusable for a short term but are cheaper compared to other mouse trap. Other competitor included: Riddex, Mouse Free, and Sovart.

Explain the construction of the service package offered by the Lewis :: Business and Management Studies

Explain the construction of the service package offered by the Lewis Partnership at the Swan Hotel or the Moat House Hotel. 1. Define the concept of â€Å"service package† and explain the construction of the service package offered by the Lewis Partnership at the Swan Hotel or the Moat House Hotel. The Service Package is defined as: â€Å" a bundle of goods and services that is provided in some environment † 1 The Service Package is composed of the following four elements: Supporting facility, facilitating goods, explicit services and implicit services. It’s quite difficult for the service managers to identify their product. This is partly due to the intangible nature of services, but what really has a huge influence on the total service experience is the presence of the customer in the process. The service manager has to offer a total experience to the customer which is compatible with the desired service package. The four features of the service package are the base of the customer perception of the service. The Lewis Partnership, as a service company, take into account and manage all the parts of the service package. - Supporting facility: are the physical resources which a service needs to can be offered. For example a building for a restaurant, a swimming pool, etc.2 The main supporting facilities of the Moat House is the building with it’s rustic furniture. It is located in a accessible rural landscape not fare away from Stafford. With the collaboration of Lloyds TSB Corporate, Mark Lewis the General Manager of the Moat House has been able to realise big invests in the supporting facilities of the partnership. The eager of perfection and development leads to a constant evolution and improvement of the supporting facilities. - Facilitating goods: the material which the buyer purchases or or consumes, or the items provided by the customer. For example towels, skis, shampoo, etc. 3 For the Moat House the facilitating goods are part of his resources. Quality is the most important aspect of the culture of this family business, so we can find a long list of suppliers which provide excellent selection of products, like B&S Dairies, Cottage Flowers, Chartley Coffee, etc. - Explicit services: the benefits that are quickly noticed by the senses that are based on the intrinsic or essential features of the service. Examples are the relaxed feeling after a massage, the improved sound of a car after tuning, etc.4 Due to the policy of the partnership, we can find a intensive control of the Explicit Services which are the accommodation and feeding of their customers. The culture of this company is â€Å" Only the best is good enough† but his

Asian Americans in the Classroom Essay -- Asia Education Stereotypes P

Asian Americans in the Classroom Asians are one of fastest growing minority groups in America today. During this century, various factors at home and abroad have caused people from Asia to immigrate to the United States for better or for worse. Due to these factors, Americans and American teachers, in particular, need to educate themselves and become aware of the Asian American students’ needs in terms of success and happiness. Before beginning my research, I felt I had an easy subject: studying Asian Americans in relation to their education in public schools. How simple! Everyone knows they are smart, hard working, driven to succeed in spite of their nerdish, geeky, non-athletic, broken-English stereotype. Of course they are successful and happy! Why wouldn’t they be? In this research paper, I hope to enlightened those who thought the I did. Like any other minority group, the Asian American has been stereotyped, discriminated, commercialised, propagandised, and packaged in a box with a pretty ribbon around it bearing the tag: Model Minority. Closely related to this concept is the Panethnic Identity. These two issues were indeed the strongest images of the Asian Americans today. How we came about it and how it is affecting student’s will be discussed in detail. A word of caution: It is neither simple nor pretty, as many of the reasons both a result of the Asian and American cultures. First some technicalities: Most of my research focused on the Japanese Americans and Japanese culture. There will be examples that are specific to this particular ethnic group and race. However, due to the lack of articles specifically on Japanese American students and the tendency to study Asian Americans as a group, I ... .... Japanese Americans: The Evolution of a Subculture, Prentice-Hall, 1969. 9. Lee, Robert G. Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture, Temple University Press, 1999. 10. Okimoto, Daniel I. American In Disguise, John Weatherhill Inc, 1971. 11. Nakano, Mei T. Japanese American Women: Three Generations 1890-1990, Mina Press, 1990. 12. Spickard, Paul R. Japanese Americans: The Formation and Transformations of an Ethnic Group, Twayne, 1996. 13. Strong Jr., Edward K. Vocational Aptitudes of Second Generation Japanese in the United States, Stanford University Press, 1933. 14. Yanagisaka, Sylvia Junko Transforming the Past: Tradition and Kinship Among Japanese Americans, Stanford University Press, 1985. 15. Egami, Hatsuye The Evacuation Diary of Hatsuye Egami, Intentional Productions, 1995. 16. Lee, Gus China Boy, Plume, 1994.

Project Charter for Payroll System Essay

1Project Background 1.1Problem/Opportunity Description The following problems or opportunities listed below are organizational problems that the proponents discovered after analyzing the process of not having a system for employee’s payroll: Manual Payroll can’t handle large numbers of employees; Multiple works and positions of an employee makes the payroll more complicated; Searching of data (Data Mining) when particular data is needed due to an urgent matter can be very hard for both employees and owner of the business firm; Difficulty in managing and recording of information on work schedule, hours worked units of pay, deductions and leave of absences, distribution of exact amount of wages and salaries in manual payroll that causes delay and sometimes insufficiency in amount of compensation given to employees during payday; And lastly, not all Payroll System are generic. 1.2Benefits One of the most important tasks in running a business is completing payroll. The following shows the prospect hospital benefits in having Payroll System and proponents benefits as well: A fair, on-time, and consistent distribution of income or organization; Accurate recording of time and attendance, information on work schedule, hours worked, units of pay, deductions and leave of absences in the system; Manageability in employee’s work units so that exact amount of wages, salaries, and other bonuses will be financially given on payday; Calculate benefits, taxes and dependencies of the employee; Payroll System that can be used by any hospitals; 1.3Goals Goals are the purpose and direction to the project. The proponent’s goals in Payroll System are the following: Create a system that can cater large number of employees’ payroll; A system that may allow the possibility of having employee’s multiple work units; A system that can accurately record time and attendance, information on work schedule, hours worked, units of pay, deductions and leave of absences in the system; A system that can ensure the exact amount of wages, salaries and bonuses that will be given to employees on payday; A system that is generic and can be used to any company or establishment’s payroll; And lastly, to provide a Payroll System that will be as functional as the other Payroll Systems. 1.4Stakeholders and Clients The stakeholders and clients who will be involved and support this project are as follows: Companies who do not have and would like to have a system for the payroll The proponents who will develop the payroll system The project adviser who requires the proponents to have the payroll system as their project The Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) who will give advices and guide the proponents before the development of the project 2Project Scope 2.1Objectives The objectives of the development team on creating the payroll system are the following: To create a system that can manage data of employees and have a solution in creating their salaries without interrupting the process of the other systems; A system that can provide a flexible system that can easily modify a response to any altered circumstances or conditions; A system that can ensure the safety of data from other possible circumstances that may result to corruption and loss of data; A system that have a user-friendly interfaced so that the user who will administer and use the system will not have a hard time; A system that can generate analytical reports at any time; A system that can calculate accurately the benefits, taxes and dependencies of employees; A system that is generic and can be applied or used to any hospitals; A system that attain the same quality and functionality with other payroll system; And lastly, a system that is accessible and well-integrated to other hospital modules. 2.2Deliverables A deliverable is any tangible, measurable outcome of a project. The following tables consists specific end results, products, or outputs of the project for each objectives: Objective 1 – To provide a system that can manage data of employees and have a solution in creating their salaries without interrupting the process of the other systems. Project Deliverable Work Products/Description Manage data of employees Create a system that will ensure the management of employee’s data Ensure that the computation of salaries will be accurate and will not affect or interrupt other related processes in the system Create a database and specialized table that will generate an accurate computation of employee’s salaries Objective 2 – A system that can provide a flexible system that can easily modify a response to any altered circumstances or conditions. Project Deliverable Work Products/Description Provide a system that can modify a response to any possible circumstances, conditions, or situations that may occur in future Consider situations and possibilities to the risks that may be encountered on payroll and create a risk management solution. Objective 3 – A system that can ensure the safety of data from other possible circumstances that may result to corruption and loss of data. Project Deliverable Work Products/Description Ensure data security Provide a secured database. Back-up and archive all the transactions and reports every day. Provide trusted and effective anti-virus software to avoid corruption or immediate loss of files. Objective 4 – A system that have a user-friendly interfaced so that the user who will administer and use the system will not have a hard time Project Deliverable Work Products/Description Create a user-friendly interfaced system Apply the standards and guidelines in choosing template for the system. Use a user-friendly template for system’s interfaced so that anyone who will use it will not have a hard time. Objective 5 – A system that can generate analytical reports at any time Project Deliverable Work Products/Description Generate analytical reports Include analytical reports that can be generated anytime. Objective 6 – A system that can calculate accurately the benefits, taxes and dependencies of employees Project Deliverable Work Products/Description Calculate benefits, taxes and dependencies of employees Ensure the correct amount of benefits, taxes and dependencies Review every deductions that may happen to the salary of employees Objective 7 – A system that is generic and can be applied or used to any hospitals Project Deliverable Work Products/Description Generic Payroll System Know the different payroll processes in different type of company/establishment and apply the rules in developing the system. Objective 8 – A system that attain the same quality and functionality with other payroll system Project Deliverable Work Products/Description Same quality and functional payroll system Conduct a research about payroll system. Schedule and make an interview with hospitals who has a payroll system. Analyze and combine all the information gathered about the payroll system and create a guidelines that will be used system‘s development. Objective 9 – A system that is accessible and well-integrated to other hospital modules Project Deliverable Work Products/Description Follow database standards Follow the standards implemented to avoid problems in integration and to attain the expected output for the system. Create a flexible payroll system that can be integrated to other related systems Ensure that the processes were correct so there will be no problem when integration was applied. 2.3Out of Scope The items listed below may be related but will not be managed as part of the project. This critical important section of project, allows the proponents to defend scope throughout the course of the work, by declining requests to work on items that are clearly defined as out of scope. Items are as follows: Employee trainings Professional Fee 3Project Plan 3.1Approach and Methodology The methods and approaches of the development team to finish the project are classified into three: Data Gathering Process: The proponents will conduct an interview from different hospitals and other companies that can help to the system development Study and research (using Internet) are also essential to gather information about the system Development: The proponents will be using Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) particularly Waterfall method for the development of the system The system will be built from scratch that will include open source software for the front end and proprietary software for the database. Testing: Create a test plan and test cases to follow the expected and actual results of the system. The development team will also interact to other systems integrated on the system. 3.2Project Timeline The table below shows the project timeline of Payroll System: 3.3Success Criteria The project milestones of this project are the things that must be achieved by the developers to meet their goals and these are the following: Payroll System is fully functional Required reports can be generated All the requirement has been followed Payroll system has become more accessible and conforms on the quality assurance standards Payroll System is well integrated to other Hospital modules in Hospital EIS Generic Payroll System 3.4Issues and Policy Implications The proponents do brainstorming and come up to some dependencies that may affect the process of the system. These are: Human Errors – Wrong input on data in the system Unexpected errors that may cause delays in recording of data Unexpected natural disaster that may cause loss of data Unwanted virus that may corrupt the system 3.5Risk Management Plan There are the factors that can affect the outcome of the project including major dependencies on other events or actions. These factors can affect deliverables, success, and completion of the project. The proponents think actions to some factors that may affect the whole process of Payroll System. The likelihood of each risk are indicated in the Probability and Impact on the project and rated as H (high), M (medium), L (low). 3.6Service Transition (Optional) If the project will change or otherwise impact a previously defined ITS service, here are the proponent’s plan for transitioning project deliverables into service operations. Service transition includes activities such as: Have a system support center to fix problems that may occur while using the system If the support center will have any changes in their management, dissemination of information will be immediately sent through e-mail or phone calls. The implementation will occur only after both parties will approve on the changes. The programmer and other staff who is responsible for the system support may be the one to respond for the system’s problem 3.7Option Analysis We can’t say that the success criteria of the proposed system were a success; here are some options that will help if the process of development has been interrupted: If the interview was not enough, the proponents will ask some IT alumni (who already developed Payroll System) to gather more essential information that the proponents missed during the interview; The proponents decided to conduct another interview to other Hospitals; They will ask programmers who are familiar to the system; If the Production cost was not enough to develop the system, they will ask supports from the IT alumni; If the proponents don’t have a machine (laptop) to develop and create the system, they will rent a laptop or else, if they don’t have a choice, a desktop may do. 4Technical Features This section provides a detailed description of technical requirements stated in terms suitable to form the basis for the actual design development and production processes of the project having the qualities specified in the operational characteristics. Hardware Specifications Hardware Specification Processor Min. requirement of 2.6 GHz and recommended requirements is 3.3 GHz or higher Memory Min. requirement of 1 to 2 GB and recommended requirement is 2 GB or higher Hard Drive Min. requirement of 80 to 250 GB and recommended requirement is 500 GB or higher Servers Dedicated to run one or more services Software Specifications Software Specification Use Windows 7 Operating System For the environment oor platform to be used Java Programming Language For the development of the system MsSQL Database For the storage of records 5Project Organization and Staffing The template provided below includes an organization chart, or both, list of the roles, names, and responsibilities of individuals that will be involved in the project. Role Names & Contact information Responsibilities Executive Sponsor Serve as ultimate authority / responsibility for the project Provide strategic direction and guidance Approve changes to scope Identify and secure funding Project Sponsor

Luther’s Change of Mind Essay

This paper argues that Martin Luther (1483-1546) changed his mind about the Jews, shifting from a friendly to a hostile position, because of mental anxieties, his constant health problems, old age, and disappointment that Jews were not converting to Christianity. Luther was dissatisfied that Jews did not accept Jesus Christ, although his criticisms of the Jews were theological; not racial. The argument that a direct line can be drawn from Luther to Hitler and that Luther shares blame for the Holocaust, is rejected. This does not imply that Luther’s hostility towards Jews did not influence Hitler’s ideas and policies but rejects the attribution of Hitler’s â€Å"final solution† to Luther. In his first extended text on Jews, Luther wrote â€Å"If we really want to help† Jews, â€Å"we must be guided in our dealings with them not by papal law but by the law of Christian love†. Sources and Outline of Argument The primary sources for Luther’s views of Jews and of Judaism are his writing. He wrote â€Å"That Jesus was Born a Jew† in 1523, which represents his early, friendly attitude. He wrote his negative, hostile tract, â€Å"On the Jews and their Lies† in 1543. His last sermon, preached at Eisleben a few days before his death was â€Å"against the Jews†, and can be taken as representing his final position. These writings need to be placed in the context of Luther’s biography and of historical circumstance. In order to contextualize these primary sources, secondary sources are consulted. These include Heiko Augustinus Oberman’s Luther: Man between God and the Devil (1989) and Derek A Wilson’s Out of the Storm: The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther (2008). The essay begins with the content and context of Luther’s writing on Jews against the background of older Christian attitudes, against which Luther initially reacted. Luther’s initial position, his final position and the reason for his change of mind are identified. The essay then discusses the charge that Luther should have been tried alongside perpetrators of the Holocaust at the Nuremberg Trials, where defendant and former Nazi propagandist, Julius Streicher (1885-1946 ) said: Anti-Semitic publications have existed in Germany for centuries. A book I had, written by Dr. Martin Luther, was, for instance, confiscated. Dr. Martin Luther would very probably sit in my place in the defendants’ dock today, if this book had been taken into consideration by the Prosecution. In this book The Jews and Their Lies, Dr. Martin Luther writes that the Jews are a serpent’s brood and one should burn down their synagogues and destroy them†¦ The conclusion argues that although Luther’s position did change, the claim that he shares responsibility for the Holocaust fails. Hitler and his supporters manipulated Luther for their own purposes, while a fundamental difference separates him from them. Luther, it is true, supported the deportation of Jews and the destruction of Jewish property but not their extermination. Analysis of Luther’s Initial Position Luther led the Protestant Reformation when he posted his â€Å"95 Thesis† to the door of the Cathedral at Wittenberg, where he was an Augustinian priest and University teacher. Luther saw his Reformation as a breath of fresh air blowing through the Church, sweeping aside false doctrines and corrupt practices that obscured the real Christian gospel. Justification before God was by faith in Jesus Christ and was freely available, not a commodity that the Pope could sell. His translation of the Bible and the hymns he wrote for congregational singing were all intended to make Christianity directly accessible to ordinary believers, who did not have to depend on the mediation of priests any more. People could enjoy direct fellowship with God. Luther set out to challenge many commonly accepted notions about the Christian faith. Aware of a long history of Christian animosity toward Jews and Judaism, Luther reminded Christians that the own Bible had been written by Jews and that Jesus was himself Jewish, a fact often overlooked or even deliberately ignored in much Christian thought. In advocating kinder treatment of Jews, his hope was that this would result in their conversion. This distinguished Luther’s attitude toward Jews from what has been described as the traditional â€Å"teaching of contempt†, a term coined by Jules Isaac (1877-1963), a friend of Pope John XXIII. The teaching of contempt blamed Jews for murdering â€Å"God† (the charge of deicide), taught that having rejected and killed Jesus Jews’ were no longer God’s people but served the Devil, they were denied rights of citizenship, banned from most professions, banned from living wherever they wished to while travel restrictions and a dress code were also imposed on them. All of this consisted of papal decrees as well as national and city level legal codes. God had condemned the Jews to wonder the earth as a lesson to others of what happens when a people turn their back on God. Enforced conversions, deportation, pogroms were all justified by the teaching of contempt. Jews were accused of concealing the truth within their texts, so the Talmud was sometimes destroyed. Anti-Semitism, however, started before the birth of Christianity. Paul Johnson describes Greek animosity towards Jews and their religion, citing several sources. These include Appollinius Molon, Posidonius, Democritus and Plutarch all of whom wrote anti-Jewish polemic. The Jewish race had been cursed from the beginning of time. Jews sacrificed asses’ heads in their temple as well as secret human sacrifices, which explained why no outsider could enter the inner-most chambers. Jews were regarded as haters or despisers of the human race because they kept themselves apart, did not inter-marry and refused to recognize the Gods and goddesses of the ancient world. Although Rome extended certain exemptions to the Jews, the Romans increasingly regarded Jews as problematic as revolt followed revolt until eventually all exemptions were overturned and Jews were banned from residing in Palestine following the revolt of 132. Christian anti-Semitism picked up on many of the same polemic, accusing Jews of stealing Christian boys at Passover and sacrificing them, the â€Å"blood-libel† which surfaced first in England in 1144. Efforts were made to convert Jews and those who did convert were usually assimilated into the wider society, although some were accused of remaining secretly Jewish. In 1519, Luther opposed a â€Å"purge† by a former Jew, Johann Pfefferkorn (1469-1523) who wanted to burn Jewish books. Then, in his 1523 pamphlet, he advocated kindness and love toward Jews. What happened to harden Luther’s heart and to change his mind so that he later supported book-burning and other anti-Jewish measures? Luther’s Change of Mind and End Position Luther’s life has been described as a constant struggle between God and Satan. Jesus and God and the possibility of forgiveness for all people who turn in repentance to God were real to him but so was Satan and Satan’s opposition to God and to the Christian religion. â€Å"Chaos† he believed â€Å"resulted when Satan triumphed. † It was fear that social catastrophe would result from the Peasants’ Revolt of 1525. The Peasants had expected Luther to support them, since his Reformation had given ordinary Christians much more control over their own faith. However, Luther sided with the princes and denounced the rebellion as â€Å"an offence against God† and the work of Satan: â€Å"the fire of revolt was spreading, and if not checked would have widespread, disastrous results. † As Luther grew older and inc increasingly ill, he became more and more aware that the battle between good and evil, God and Satan was far from over. He began to see the Devil everywhere, says Poliakov. Luther wanted to reform the Church, not create a schism and grew increasingly annoyed that the pope refused to call a council to consider his proposals, saying in 1535 that he would attend a council even knowing that he might be â€Å"burned†. When a council was indefinitely postponed in 1539, Luther became somewhat embittered. Luther’s language could be intemparate, even crude. He was a man of fierce passion as well as of profound faith. The older he grew, the more willing he became to see Satan’s hand behind anything that hindered the Reformation’s progress. In 1536, as the possibility of a reforming council receded, the Elector of Saxony was preparing to expel all Jews from his realm. This had the sanction of the Church and was no â€Å"bolt out of the blue†. Thinking that an appeal to Luther for clemency might prevent this, the Jewish leader, Josel von Rosheim (1480-1554) approached him, supposing him to be a â€Å"friend of the Jews. † Not only did Luther refuse to intervene but reversed his earlier position, publishing On the Jews and their Lies. If he had power, he wrote, he would â€Å"set fire to† synagogues and â€Å"schools† then â€Å"bury with dirt whatever† did not burn. Jews were to be expelled unless they converted. Their â€Å"ill-gotten† gains should be confiscated. All this was to be done so that â€Å"God may see that we are Christian. † In his final sermon, he described Jews as â€Å"public enemies† yet he still expressed his love for them. His tactics towards them not his estimate of their worth in God’s sight had changed. He never supported murdering Jews. What he wrote drew heavily, too, on existing anti-Jewish polemic. He was deeply disappointed that Jews were not converting. Why Luther cannot be blamed for Hitler’s â€Å"final solution† Luther’s tracts were reprinted during the Third Reich. Hitler described Luther as a German Hero. In the wake of how the Third Reich used Luther to justify their crimes, the â€Å"whole world capitalized upon Luther, the fierce Jew-baiter. † However, no action Luther proposed was not already Church and state policy and what Luther advocated â€Å"was very far from being a final solution. † Oberman points out that German Jews were among the most assimilated community when Hitler rose to power, suggesting that this makes the idea that an â€Å"unbroken line† exists between Luther and Hitler implausible. Hitler recruited Luther’s legacy but manipulated this for his own purposes. It was no â€Å"coincidence† that Kristallacht took place on Luther’s birthday, November 11, 1938 but â€Å"this was sheer opportunism, backed by a perversion of scholarship. † Luther ended up supporting deportation but only of Jews who refused to convert: Hitler set out to exterminate a whole race, including Jews who were Christian. Luther did not hate the Jewish race. He wanted them to become Christians. There is, says Wilson, no â€Å"well beaten path that can be traveled from Wittenberg to Auschwitz. † He suggests that Luther would have opposed Hitler’s dictatorship. It is, however, true that no other pamphlet than â€Å"On the Jews and their Lies† has caused â€Å"more harm to Luther’s reputation†, says Wilson. Nonetheless, the view that Luther was an ally of the Nazis â€Å"in carrying out their Final Solution† does not withstand critical scrutiny of what Luther actually wrote. References Bennett, Clinton. In Search of Jesus (London & NY: Continuum, 2001). Hitler, Adolf. Mein Kampf. Translated by Ralph Manheim. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Sentry Edition, 1971) Goring, H. Trial of the major war criminals before the International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg, 14 November 1945-1 October 1946 ( Nuremberg, Germany: International Military Tribue, 1947).