How Has Globalization Affected Corporate Strategy in the 21st Century Essay

In the last 21 years the notion of a multinational company has changed significantly. This is best demonstrated by the 1973 United Nations definition, which clearly stated an enterprise is multinational if it â€Å"controls assets, factories, mines, sales offices, and the like in two or more countries† (Bartlett, Ghoshal 2000 p.3). As we know a multinational corporation is much more then just that it controls foreign assets, it must also have a substantial direct investment in foreign countries, as well as engaging in some form of management of these foreign assets. The evolution of corporations over this time has been somewhat difficult and by no means is the process of change finalized. As with most things this evolution and learning process could be seen as being life long. The environment in which we operate clearly evolves each year and to stay ahead businesses are now required to stay ahead of developments to compete. Some of the slower players, such as Phillips (Bartlett 1999) merely lost market share through this evolution, others in the past and perhaps in the future will lose their businesses. To understand the importance of multinational corporations in relation to the world economy we see that they account for over 40 percent of the worlds manufacturing output, and almost a quarter of world trade (Bartlett, Ghoshal 2000 p.3). Although the focus is often on the larger players such as Ford, Procter and Gamble, or Coca Cola as time progresses it is more the smaller companies which we will need to keep an eye on, as they become important players, especially in international niche markets(Bartlett, Ghoshal 2000 p.3). Traditionally there were three motivations for most organisations to enter international markets, or to undertake investment overseas. These were: 1. Suppliers – the ongoing need to source supplies for operations (adapted from Bartlett, Ghoshal 1989, 2000). 2. Markets – seeking additional markets to sell products. Traditionally companies went international to sell excess production lines, or to meet one off needs. The market then moved to increased competition where players were keen to be the first mover to a market, so as to gain a competitive advantage. Corporations were often driven by the home country size, with the need for further consumers for ongoing viability and growth (adapted from Bartlett, Ghoshal 1989, 2000) 3. Lower Cost – by seeking production facilities which would attract lower labor costs and hence higher profits. Clothing and electronics were the first movers in this strategy, usually looking to developing countries such as China or Taiwan. This is still used somewhat today as a strategy, such as large call centers providing services in India for most Australian banks (adapted from Bartlett, Ghoshal 1989, 2000) It is not my intention to go into the advantages and disadvantages of a corporation entering an international market, or to continue to operate in an international market, beyond the above three initial drivers. What is imperative that in the 21st Century an organisation must seek a strategy that meets the organisations ongoing needs which is clear and precise so as to provide direction for future growth. Due to the ongoing worldwide demand after WWII, most organisations prospered when entering international markets. Often however the strategies to entry were ad hoc and did not provide clear objectives or guidance for ongoing management. Operations were based on an ethnocentric approach. Even though at the time they were referred to as Multinational Corporations, literature now refers to them as ‘International Corporations’. As international operations expanded and took on a more important role in the organisation, such as being a key profit centre, or perhaps a product innovation being conceived in an offshore operation, they tended to come under increased management scrutiny, such as the case with Fuji Xerox (Gomes-Casseres, McQuade 1991). This then progressed the corporation to a multinational approach, international markets being as important or even more important then the home market, which is more a polycentric approach to management. The potential from these operations were reviewed by management; the possibilities for cost reductions due to standardization moved most corporations onto the next phase being the global corporation mentality. This is that the entire world is a potential market. Retaining a image from their initial home country, such as McDonalds, they seek to enter all markets to service all customers, hence a regiocentric or geocentric philosophy of management. Bartlett and Ghoshal have gone beyond this to advocate the development of the transnational corporation. This takes the concept of global corporations one step further. Corporations to prosper in a globally competitive environment, should concentrate wherever possible on responding to cost pressures, leveraging of knowledge and information, whilst ensuring local responsiveness to consumer needs (1989 p.13). Cost reduction are imperative to ensure the ongoing viability of corporations. The sharing of costs globally for items such as R & D and mass production both provide examples of significant cost reductions, while enhancing learning and knowledge. By increasing the availability of information across the group you are more likely to also encounter a higher quality product as the innovation and knowledge is shared for the corporations greater good. Often companies forget that knowledge does not just reside in just the home country. Important information such as the local consumer market are often best to be determined by local managers so as to respond to local needs. In relation to local responsiveness Theodore Levitt (1983) provides a somewhat extreme view of the global market. His philosophy is that technological, social and economic developments over the last two decades have combined to create a unified world marketplace in which companies must capture global-scale economies to remain competitive. As we have discussed, the need to become competitive through reduction in costs is imperative for every business. However Levitt’s concept of a unified marketplace with homogenous needs has still some way to go. As researched by Procter and Gamble even how we wash our clothes differs throughout the world, sometimes even within each country. The provision of a standardized product to suit all in this industry would be a failure due to not meeting the needs of local consumers (Bartlett 1983). When we review these three elements of cost reduction, leverage of knowledge and local responsiveness we are aware that these terms are somewhat contradictory. History tells us that to provide local responsiveness you need to increase costs to increase the number of products which meet a specific consumer groups needs. The alternative is to standardize products to achieve economies of scale during production and marketing. Caterpillar has somewhat successfully implemented such a strategy. They redesigned their products around the use of standardized components. These are produced on mass through large production facilities to reduce the component costs and provide economies of scale. Machines are then transported to foreign markets where localized knowledge and components adapt the machines to the needs of local consumers (Srinivasa 1985). The overall approach is that they are able to combine all three elements of the transnational approach. Corporations also need to be aware of the increasingly complex nature of undertaking business in an international market. Social, cultural, and political environments, as well as currency fluctuations, and geographic diversity need to be considered carefully in any decision to undertake a foreign operation. It is best to research thoroughly and constantly review any strategy for overseas ventures as situations can change as in any business venture quite quickly. An example of this would be the increased use of Indonesia as a low cost production base for Australian corporations. With the increased political instability and also terrorism most corporations would be considering the ongoing viability of continuing in this market. Finally corporations need to be aware that to make any significant changes to an corporation strategy or structure it is both extremely complex, time consuming and challenging. As Ford has discovered, by constantly changing strategies to seek higher profitability, all they have been able to achieve has been another announcement of huge losses in 2001 from failed global ventures (Hill, Jones 2004 p276). The move to a transnational approach for most corporations would need to be a slow progression, while for some it is even perhaps out of reach. By focusing on the main elements of cost reduction, knowledge leveraging and local differentiation perhaps this will provide an avenue in the future for continued competitive advantage in an environment which is slowly moving towards Levitt’s concept of the ‘global village’ (1983). Perhaps the key lies with Bartlett and Ghoshal when they tell us that companies â€Å"must now respond simultaneously to diverse and often conflicting strategic needs. Today, no firm can succeed with a relatively unidimensional strategic capability that emphasizes only efficiency, or responsiveness, or leveraging of parent company knowledge and competencies. To win, a company must now achieve all three goals at the same time† (1989 p 25). REFERENCE LISTING Bartlett, Christopher A. 1983 â€Å"Case 6-1 Proctor and Gamble Europe: Vizir Launch†, taken from Bartlett, Christopher A. & Ghoshal, Sumantra 2000 Text, Cases, and Readings in Cross-Border Management, 3rd Edn, McGraw-Hill International Editions, Singapore, pp 632 – 647. Bartlett, Christopher A. & Ghoshal, Sumantra 1989 Managing Across Borders: The Transnational Solution, Harvard Business School Press, Boston Massachusetts. Barlett, Christopher A. 1999 â€Å"Case 2 -4 Phillips and Matsushita 1998: Growth of 2 Companies†, taken from Bartlett, Christopher A. & Ghoshal, Sumantra 2000 Text, Cases, and Readings in Cross-Border Management, 3rd Edn, McGraw-Hill International Editions, Singapore, pp 164 -180 Bartlett, Christopher A. & Ghoshal, Sumantra 2000 Text, Cases, and Readings in Cross-Border Management, 3rd Edn, McGraw-Hill International Editions, Singapore. Gomes-Casseres, Benjamin & McQuade, Krista 1991 â€Å"Case 4-1 Xerox and Fuji Xerox†, taken from Bartlett, Christopher A. & Ghoshal, Sumantra 2000 Text, Cases, and Readings in Cross-Border Management, 3rd Edn, McGraw-Hill International Editions, Singapore, pp 418 – 443 Hill, Charles W. L & Jones, Gareth R. 2004 Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach, 6th Edn, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. Levitt, T. 1983 â€Å"The Globalization of Markets† Harvard Business Review, May – June, pp. 92 – 102. Srinivasa, Rangan V. 1985 â€Å"Case 3-1 Caterpillar Tractor Co.†, taken from Bartlett, Christopher A. & Ghoshal, Sumantra 2000 Text, Cases, and Readings in Cross-Border Management, 3rd Edn, McGraw-Hill International Editions, Singapore, pp 259 – 279.

Module a

Whilst texts may be fictitious constructs of composers’ imaginations, they also explore and address the societal issues and paradigms of their eras. This is clearly the case with Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein (1818), which draws upon the rise of Galvanism and the Romantic Movement of the 1800’s, as well as Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner (1992), reflecting upon the increasing computing industry and the predominance of capitalism within the late 20th Century. Hence, an analysis of both in light of their differing contexts reveal how Shelley and Scott ultimately warn us of the dire consequences of our desire for omnipotence and unrestrained scientific progress, concepts which link the two texts throughout time. Composed in a time of major scientific developments, including Galvani’s concept of electricity as a reanimating force, Shelley’s Frankenstein utilises the creative arrogance of the Romantic imagination to fashion a Gothic world in which the protagonist’s usurpation of the divine privilege of creation has derailed the conventional lines of authority and responsibility. Her warning of the dangers of such actions is encapsulated within Victor’s retrospective words of â€Å"how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge†, whilst Shelley’s use of a fragmented epistolatory narrative adds a disturbing sense of truth, foreshadowing the dark consequences of Frankenstein’s actions. Moreover, her allusions to John Milton’s Paradise Lost evoke the poetic retelling of Satan’s fall from grace, wherein the daemon’s association with â€Å"the fallen angel† exacerbates the effects of Victor’s rejection, ultimately transforming its â€Å"benevolent nature† into a thirst for retribution. Together with its questioning of how Victor could â€Å"sport with life†, Shelley’s warning reverberates past the page, directly questioning the scientists of her era, including evolutionary theorist Erasmus Darwin, to reinforce the dangers of our humanity’s inherent yearning to play the role of the Creator. Such a warning also exists within Scott’s Blade Runner, hence linking the two texts throughout time, where the director echoes the rise of capitalist ideals and the Wall Street mantra, â€Å"greed is good†, through the symbolic dominance of Tyrell’s towering ziggurat, a reflection of both his desire for omnipotence and commercial power. Tyrell’s egocentric nature is epitomised within the religious connotations of his abode, including his voluminous bed, modeled after that of Pope John Paul II, as well as his reference to Batty as â€Å"the prodigal son†. Such symbols are unnervingly subverted through both the foreboding Chiarscuro of flickering candle-light with shadow and his violent death at the hands of his own creation. Scott’s warning of the dangers of such a desire is also evident within the expansive shots of 2019 LA, revealing a dark and tenebrous world lit by the glow of corporate advertisements, a representation of a bleak future dominated by commercial dominance. Hence, by drawing upon elements of his context, including the growth of capitalism and the ‘trickle-down theory’ of Reagan’s era, Scott positions us to reassess the consequences of overstepping our boundaries. In addition, both texts’ warnings also encompass the dangers of unrestrained scientific progress, where Frankenstein further demonstrates the Romantic Movement’s influence on Shelley’s mindset, as her criticisms of the Age of Reason and Industrial Revolution reflect their denigration of rationality. The imagery of the â€Å"dead corpse† and repetitious use of â€Å"horror† upon the creation of the â€Å"miserable monster† establish a strong aura of death and despair around this scientific advancement, whilst Victor’s warning of Walton to â€Å"avoid ambitions of science and discoveries† encapsulates Shelley’s vilification of contributors to the Industrial Revolution, including renowned inventor James Watt. Moreover, Shelley stresses her warning through the protagonists’ connections with nature, where Victor’s â€Å"insensibility to its charms†, arising from his immersion in science, results in his â€Å"deep, dark and deathlike solitude†, with the heavy alliteration exemplifying his degraded sense of humanity. Conversely, the monster possesses greater â€Å"benevolence† and a more intimate connection with â€Å"the pleasant showers and genial warmth of spring†, with such characterisation capturing Shelley’s reflection of Romanticism’s idolisation of nature, cautioning us against the dehumanising effect of unrestrained scientific advancement. Blade Runner is no different, with Scott’s reflection of the explosion of technological progress during the 1980’s, including the rise of computing giants IBM and Microsoft, highlighting the dangers of such unrestrained progress. Most notable is the opening panoramic shot of blazing smokestacks which, together with the haunting synthetic pulses of the Vangelis soundtrack, establishes a festering miasma of technological overload, adding further semiotic weight to the film’s nightmarish dystopian agenda. Indeed, this portrayal of a decaying environment reflects the growing ecological awareness of the 1980’s, which, whilst different to Shelley’s Romantic values, is similarly employed to highlight the destruction of mankind due to technology. Moreover, Scott illuminates us to the dehumanising effects of such progress, foregrounded through Deckard’s â€Å"retiring† of the Replicant Zhora. Here, the stylistic placement of the transparent poncho places further emphasises the violence of her death, with slow-motion low angle shot conveying her heightened sense of humanity within her last painful moments. In contrast, Deckard’s emotionless features, together with the monotonous drone of the droid, suggests that our artificial creations will ultimately lead to the dehumanising of mankind, undermining our humanist framework and hence, warns us of the dire consequences of unchecked scientific progress. Thus, we can see how both Shelley and Scott reflect their zeitgeists in their texts, Frankenstein and Blade Runner, as they draw upon the societal concerns of their times in order to warn us of the consequences of overstepping our boundaries and unbridled technological advancement. Subsequently, it becomes evident that despite their temporal and contextual differences, both texts are in fact linked through their common concerns and concepts.

Naomi Klein Essay

Naomi Klein’s comparison between Rachel Corrie and Jessica Lynch, particularly the attention she pays to the story of Corrie, illustrate the broad, almost invisible borders that defined Corrie’s conception of political and feminist solidarity. As Theresa Saliba highlights in her essay, Corrie was not merely determined to align herself politically, socially, or based upon her gender but instead sought to reach across all lines of Palestinian society to peacefully stand against the oppression of the Israeli government. Despite her status as an American, Corrie had realized an almost unknown status of human solidarity that had little to do with religion, gender, or nation. However, Corrie did not neglect the needs of the Palestinian women she encountered. Instead, she brought the same notion of political solidarity to her work with the women of Gaza. It is that overlapping of nuances, both political and gender-related, that underline the arguments of not only Corrie’s actions as described by Klein or Saliba’s defense of Corrie but the concept of feminist solidarity throughout the Arab world. Kim Berry’s examination of the misuse and abuse of the Bush Administration’s so-called defense of women’s rights, examines how important the perception of women has become in the â€Å"war-on-terror† but more importantly how such rhetoric can actually undermine these same rights. It creates a politically appealing picture for the public, to illustrate the evils of the Taliban but fails to engage the Afghan women themselves. Similarly, such posturing does little to economically or socially improve the lives of Afghan woman, as noted in the Feminist Majority Foundation’s press release on the need for more funding for the establishment of women’s rights. In the present climate, both abroad and in the U. S. , as shown in Mervat Hatem’s examination of Arab-American relations, feminist solidarity becomes part of a larger construct of human rights.

American Court System U2DB Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American Court System U2DB - Research Paper Example e defendant was trying to prove honesty and this was a case of sexual assault a crime where character of honesty or not could not conform to the case (Schlueter and Barton, 2009). Rape is a sensitive issue where the character of the individual is at question and hence admissibility of the character as evidence brings into question issues of credibility and also conduct of the person and in this case therefore, the judge based on article IV rule 404 of the federal rules. The examples provided by other responses makes I consider the possibility that the admissibility of character evidence depends on the type of case especially the murder cases and the sexual assault cases which are most affected. The rules are different for a victim because they may be pertinent in the defense of the case. The law under Rule 404 (a) (2) allows for the evidence of the victim of several cases to be admissible before the court to also rule out fabrication (Mueller and Kirkpatrick,

Critical thinking paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical thinking paper - Essay Example The government clearly has the full influence to effectively reduce the cost for healthcare without compromising its quality at the same time. There are basic principles in the economy that can be applied by the government in order to obtain appropriate balance between cost-effective care and quality care. One basic principle is the idea of supply and demand. It is noted that when the demand of a product or service is high, then the tendency is to increase its price because the bottom line would be to have deficit on supply. However, in order to counteract this basic principle it is important to increase supply of service or product amidst its prevailing high demand. This is to ensure that the price of a certain product or service which is high in demand will still be at its stability level. The same principle can be applied in health care. The issue is significantly to balance its being cost effective and its quality. The government therefore must encourage more health care providers including health care insurance firms in order to significantly meet the need of cost effective care but with quality. In this case, the gov ernment therefore is encouraging more competition among health care providers. When there is competition, the health care providers therefore would try to increase the quality of their offered services but not at the expense of customers. Each provider will encourage consumers to go for their service by enticing them with a good quality service at affordable price. The simple rule here is to basically increase supply so as not to affect the price. Fair competition therefore is needed. Consumers must significantly have to choose several health plans for instance. This will give providers incentives for cost-effective approach (van de Ven, 253). With regards to this move, competition will surely arise between groups of providers,

Marketing and Distribution Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing and Distribution Management - Essay Example This is because it will be easier to determine price floors and ceiling so that adjustments are done within this range depending on the competition trend. The main disadvantage of the pricing policy is that it ignores the public image and the market position of the company. Value-based pricing policy can prove to be very profitable if the company is sure that what they charge is consistent with the value offered to the clients (Mohr, Sanjit, and Stanley 34-45). The disadvantage of this technique is that it can scare off potential customers who are price driven, and it can equally attract more competitors. Microsoft has adopted value-based pricing due to the outstanding performance of its new product Windows 8 on various gadgets including mobile phones, tablets, and other portable electronics. This is the best technique for this company since it has to manage its public image by offering quality products for sustained competitive advantage. Skimming is one of the traditional pricing c oncepts applied to a new innovative product that has just been launched in the market (Ferrell and Michael 56-61). It is suitable when the clients are price-insensitive and simply driven by the value of the product. On the other hand, penetration price is able to attract customers and gain market share and rise steadily after capturing clients. Customers tend to be very responsive to the price. In respect to Microsoft’s new innovation of Windows 8, it is imperative to underline that at its introduction what mattered was its value to the people and, hence, skimming technique application by the company. It is important to note that Microsoft operates in an oligopolistic market structure, and its survival, therefore, hangs on its ability to employ power-pricing model due to the uncertainty of the long-term price dynamics. Vertical marketing system involves mechanisms through which firms that supply a given product or service chain work in co-operation with the goal of all of the m maximizing benefit.

Culture Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Culture - Research Paper Example Black Americans are facing some issues related to affirmative action, racial profiling and federal controversies in the modern world. These issues have affected the development of the entire American society. Racial profiling is being practiced in the American society drastically. Important federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Department have stated that they rely on racial discrimination. The main reason due to which these agencies practice racial discrimination is the safety and security of country. Racial profiling arises because all the immigrants are not treated equally in the immigration and the customs department. It has been observed that people belonging from different religion and country are generally detained and thoroughly checked while other citizens of America are minutely checked. Discrimination based on racial profiling is growing day by day and the black Americans are the most common victims of such problems (Wilkins & Williams, 2008). Whenever an African-American citizen of the United States enters the border from a foreign country their luggage are thoroughly checked and they are detained for long hours in the airports. Some of the citizens even miss their plane due to intense checking procedures. Racial profiling is practiced on a large scale in the American society. Some of the African-Americans also believe that racial profiling is the 21st century version of slavery and inequality. According to statistical data, it has been observed that around 12-13 percent of the African-American populations are drug users however 38 percent of populations get arrested for drug-related crimes. Based on the police reports it has also been recorded that the minority group of America get arrested quite often because they mostly belong to the lower group of the American society. This shows that the law-making system is not efficient and the

Evaluation of Starbucks Strategic Position In the Market Essay

Evaluation of Starbucks Strategic Position In the Market - Essay Example ?s customers are mainly coffee lovers from all walks of life and it can be noted that it has been pursuing a differentiation strategy by Porter (1985). Starbucks’ cornerstone value is to â€Å"build a company with a soul† and its broad mission is â€Å"To inspire and nurture the human spirit—one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time.† The organisation broadly aims to be â€Å"a purveyor of fine coffees in the world while maintaining uncompromising principles.† Its intent has been to do the right thing and conducting its business in ways that earned the trust and respect of the customers, partners/employees, suppliers and the general public. The stakeholders include Howard Schultz, employees, customers, community members and the shareholders. 2.0 External analysis of Starbucks This section of the report seeks to analyse the external factors affecting the operations of the organisation. Two models namely PESTEL analysis and Porter’s five forces model are going to be utilised in carrying an analysis of the external factors impacting on the operations of Starbucks. Critical success factors will also be analysed in this section of the report. 2.1 PESTEL analysis A close analysis of Starbuck’s case study shows that there are various external forces obtaining in the macro-environment in which the organisation is operating and these have an impact on its operations. As such, a PESTEL analysis is going to be used to evaluate the external factors affecting the operations of Starbucks. Basically, PESTEL is an acronym for political, economic, social, technological, environmental as well as legal factors impacting on the operations of the organisation (McCarthy & Perreault, 1996). The table below outlines the analysis in detail. Table 1: PESTEL analysis for... This report seeks to analyse the external factors affecting the operations of the Starbuck’s organisation. Two models namely PESTEL analysis and Porter’s five forces model are going to be utilised in carrying an analysis of the external factors impacting on the operations of Starbucks. Critical success factors will also be analysed in this section of the report. A close analysis of Starbuck’s case study shows that there are various external forces obtaining in the macro-environment in which the organisation is operating and these have an impact on its operations. As such, a PESTEL analysis is going to be used to evaluate the external factors affecting the operations of Starbucks. Basically, PESTEL is an acronym for political, economic, social, technological, environmental as well as legal factors impacting on the operations of the organisation. In evaluating the strategic capabilities of the company, the following factors will be discussed in detail as they cons titute the internal environment of the company. Strydom posits to the effect that a key strategy should utilise the strengths of the organisation in order to gain a competitive advantage. These include human, physical and financial resources as they have a direct bearing on the performance of the company. The company’s value chain will also be discussed in this section. Since the period Howard Schultz assumed the CEO position of the company in 1987, it can be noted that it has harnessed on a number of strategic capabilities as going to be explained in brief below.

The concept of self-determination in international law is, in Essay

The concept of self-determination in international law is, in practice, less wide-ranging than might be supposed - Essay Example It is in terms of whether the human element within several states is entitled to choices that may lead to severing their destiny from that of a given state and ultimately disrupt the state’s body politic. (Coicaud, 2001, p.53). The uniqueness of self-determination makes the existence of a corresponding international rule whether contractual or general far more problematic. This also varies in degree according to whether its conceived as a right conferred by international law or as a right which states an internationally obliged to ensure within their legal systems self determination as seen as a freedom within the internal logic of declaration, human rights and fundamental freedom which every state would be bound under general law, charter or other instruments to ensure it to persons or groups within their legal system, a matter de lege ferenda. (Karen, 2002, p.29). Exceptions are allowed in given arrangements of conventional law. Personality of individuals is not believed in international law. Thus the existing international law is even further from ensuring a right of self-determination as a matter of direct right under international law itself. International law and international politics comprise the rules and reality of the international system so that it makes sense to study one without the other. Scholars decide to separate the so called `real politiks from the utopian idealism on the emphasis that the failure of League of Nations and the rise of fascism were clear demonstrations of the ineffectiveness and irrelevance of international law and institutions’2. This described reality was as anarchic international law system in which the state was the primary actor and its interaction with other states was in a context of a competitive war of all against all motivated by national self interest and a thirst for power. (Karen, 2002, p.42). The tribunal created

Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Language - Essay Example Kincaid finds displeasure in the speech incompetence of the Antigua young people and the island at large for adopting the language of its colonizers. Baldwin highlights the development of Black English and the role it plays in society. This paper will compare the view of the two authors concerning the role of language. Baldwin’s essay draws the attention of the reader. He elaborates the situations preceding the development of Black English. He offers background information about the status of people of color as slaves. Slavery brought them together in the American continent. These slaves came from different parts of Africa. Because of their diversity, they spoke different languages. These slaves shared only one thing and this was the sad reality about the plights due to slavery. Slavery presented them with a need to communicate. The white man was not willing to educate the people of color unless it was for his benefit. There was a dire need for people to learn a language that would promote communication. Circumstances of being under slavery presented them with similar interests. They needed to have one voice for them to conquer the wits of the white people. They had to develop a unique form of communication so that the white man could not automatically understand. As Baldwin explains, any word spoken, revealed a lot about an individual’s life. ... The black people used language to express their grievances. In the unique language that resulted, blacks used expressions that depicted the passion for living life despite the circumstances that they were facing. For example, the author elaborates one of the words they used that had great significance in later years. The word jazz resulted from the black man’s creativity and was essentially applicable in sexual contexts. It was a unique way of the black man’s expression. In addition, Baldwin illustrates the effect of Black English among the white people. The word ‘jazz’ mentioned above influenced the music of an entire era. White Americans used the word to define the musical in which jazz music was common. They referred to it as the jazz age. Black English proved its potential to influence the culture of the white people. It was initially a language used by the oppressed to express their experience, but it delved deeper into influencing both the black and w hite culture. With time, whites borrowed words from this language to include in their culture. From the essay, it becomes evident that the core role of language is to present its speakers with a mode of communication that enables them to describe their experience. A society without language cannot achieve common goals. According to Baldwin, it is obvious that if the slaves brought to America could speak a similar language, history would be different. The slavery era would have been shorter. Baldwin reckons the reader to examine the role played by Black English. It has built the black community in the United States binding them closely. Through a common language, they have written history of slavery and described their struggle for liberty. Evidently, one

Miller comments Essay Example for Free

Miller comments Essay During ‘The Crucible’ the acts which unfold able some characters to empower themselves: most notably Abigail Williams, Mary Warren and even John Proctor. Some characters begin with little or no power, then abuse the situations to gain power, whereas others begin with power and lose it, sometimes justly and other times unjustly. This could be seen as a moral message for the audiences of the play, warning of power abuse which could lead to devastating consequences. In the introductory comments, Miller comments before the events begin to unfold how â€Å"†¦the children were anything but thankful for being permitted to walk straight† which shows before the witchcraft trials and accusations had begun, children were powerless under the authority of the male dominated society -children had no power to roam freely. One of the people that gained power in the play is Mary Warren, who is a servant and so is one of the lowest ranks of the Puritan society- much like the children of Salem. At first she does not have any power at all as she is taught that she has to follow orders from the Proctors, who she works for. This is seen when she â€Å"lept† with â€Å"fright† upon Proctors entrance. Yet, she manages to turn from a â€Å"mouse† to a â€Å"daughter of a prince† as she suddenly gains power from working in the court, trying possible witches. Her increasing power is also shown from her defiance of Proctor when she refuses his order of not going to â€Å"court again†, and responds that she â€Å"must† and â€Å"will be gone everyday†. It also shown through stage directions, when Mary is â€Å"terrified† of Proctor but quickly becomes â€Å"erect†, which highlights her ability to overcome her fear of Proctor because of her growing confidence and power. Mary even manages to intimidate Proctor in this part of the play. When threatened with the â€Å"whip† from Proctor, she manages to threaten him further by responding â€Å"I would have you speak civilly to me, from this out. † Mary, filled with this newly found power, is able to threaten Procter to stop beating her or she will not speak so highly of his family next time. By using the phrase â€Å"from this out† shows that Mary doesn’t usually expect that kind of treatment from the Proctor, yet now she is able to demand it because of the power gain. Again, further on in the play Mary is also able to â€Å"numb† Proctor when she overthrows his â€Å"grip† on her to tell the truth about the accusations, and instead turns on him. When pressured by Abigail and the other girls, once they start accusing Mary to save themselves, she is not able to stand her ground – which highlights her feebleness and weakness which was seen at the very start of the play. This is seen as she even admits she has â€Å"no power†. This links to her inferior position in the society and even within her social group, she is not popular, and respected. This is shown when Abigail tells Mary to â€Å"shut it† and Mercy Lewis starts â€Å"pointing† and â€Å"looking† at Mary as if she were to blame. However, the fact that Mary was able to then accuse Proctor of being â€Å"devil’s man†, who is a highly respected in the village, shows that she does have more power than she started with. But she is abusing her power, to save herself and because of her lack of power on her social circle. So, this once ‘innocent’ girl who thought they â€Å"must tell the truth† took advantage of the situation so she and her friends would not be â€Å"whipped†. Overall, Mary arguably, has the most progressive power of all the girls and possibly all of the characters in ‘The Crucible’, but that’s not to say she has the most power overall. Another character like Mary Warren who gains power throughout the play is Abigail Williams. Once shunned and scorned by the inhabitants of the village because of her â€Å"blackened name†, Abigail becomes a domineering power, and is treated like a â€Å"saint†. A mere accusation from Abigail or one of her girls is enough to convict even a well-respected inhabitant of Salem like Rebecca Nurse who does â€Å"great charities†. Even though in present day we would associate â€Å"saint† with good Samaritans, which would seem absurd to see Abigail called this in present day, she was seen in this way because in puritan society if you went against god, you went against the law. So Abigail’s act of bringing Salem’s attention to the presence of the devil, and then through the court eradicating it was seen as an act of greatness. Abigail starts off as a scared young girl which is seen through Millers stage directions, as she â€Å"quavers† when being questioned by Parris about Betty’s mysterious illness. However, soon she is able to assert her power of the girls by â€Å"smashing† Betty round the face and threatening all the girls not to tell anyone about the events of the previous night, or she will â€Å"come† to them at the â€Å"black of one terrible night†. This implies they could be her prey, and if they make a wrong move she could pounce on them, which again puts her in a domineering position. This characteristic allows her to control within the group which creates more tension because Abigail also seems to be possessive which is seen when she says â€Å"Now look you. All of you†. The repetition of â€Å"you† makes the phrase quite aggressive and short commanding sentences have a strong impact, and make Abigail seem hostile but ultimately powerful. Her empowerment is also documented as the inhabitants of Salem think the â€Å"sea parts like Israel† for Abigail, so her sins are overlooked, as people take her word to be an expression of â€Å"God’s will. † This allowed Abigail to control and manipulate even the most powerful men in Salem, which is seen when Abigail threatens that Danforth- a high court official. So, Abigail Williams, who was once powerless in general society, is a perfect example of someone who became empowered by deciding the fate of other people and, by controlling and threatening people. Although, Abigail did have a powerful status among her social group from the outset and throughout which is shown when she starts â€Å"pointing with fear† and accusing Mary of â€Å"hurting her†, and quickly all the girls chime in with her. The third character who is subtly empowered is John Proctor. Despite his prideful ways, John Proctor describes himself as a sinner. His conversation with Elizabeth in act two where he exclaims for Elizabeth to â€Å"judge him not† demonstrated his internal conflict and his own unwillingness to forgive himself for his act of lechery. There are moments when his anger and disgust towards himself burst forth, such as when he exclaims to Judge Danforth: â€Å"I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours. † So, although it is not clear from the outset that John Proctor has been empowered, he has. He is able for the first time to â€Å"see some shred of goodness† in himself- his relief from his constant guilt- when he decides to deny his confession. In conclusion, all three characters were empowered through the play, which led to the unjust killing of numerous inhabitants of Salem through the false allegations of witchcraft. So, Miller uses this to show the audience the consequence of abuse of power. Abigail is the best example because she falls from her position of high power, and resorts to boarding a â€Å"ship†, in order to escape.

Forces of Gravity Essay Example for Free

Forces of Gravity Essay Throughout the course of the following investigation, I will be exploring a variety of methods to discover how a changed variable affects the speed in which a controlled type of paper (printer paper), formed into a model helicopter will descend from a specified height. Variables There is an abundance of variables in which I can change throughout the duration of this analysis that ultimately may have an affect on the speed that my helicopter falls. The first variable possible is the wingspan; my reason for choosing this variable in my investigation is that, as the surface area of the wing decreases, this leads to speed of the helicopter increases proportionally to the size of the wings. Evidence to support this is that the air resistance will have a smaller surface area and as the helicopter drops friction between the helicopter and the air molecules will convert kinetic energy into heat energy, if less wingspan is available their will be less friction, therefore the helicopter will fall faster. In order to ensure a fair investigation, I must consider the thickness of the paper I use to make my helicopter, as this too may affect the rate in which the helicopter falls therefore I will not be able to judge whether the wing length was the deciding factor or whether the type of paper had a decisive role. This leads me to my next variable I could choose to explore, which is the mass of the paper helicopter. In order to implement and successfully accomplish the effects on mass of the helicopter, I would add paper clips to the bottom, which on average have a total mass of 0. 25g to the helicopter. This supplementary weight would cause a greater resultant force in the favour of gravity, which would cause a greater acceleration. This is because the weight is great than the drag force, causing there to be an unbalanced force. The force necessary to accelerate an object by a given amount depends on the objects mass, therefore the greater the mass, the greater the force must be. Chosen Variable I have decided choosing the total surface area of the wingspan in my investigation and the reasoning behind this decision is that I believe this variable from my preliminary work would be much better to collect results from for my analysis. When executing my preliminary tests prior to this investigation, I noticed that when dropping my helicopter with an altered mass, the vertical acceleration time did not seem to have considerable differences between the starting and finishing points as it did for the wingspan. Therefore, this would make the investigation very difficult to accomplish since there is not much evidence to examine. So I have come to the decision of changing the wingspan, as I think it will provide a more reliable set of results, and will be able to explain more clearly in scientific reasoning for the increase in speed. Prediction. I believe that as I slowly decrease the helicopters wingspan by gradually measuring and cutting 1 cm off my wing length each time repeatedly should lead to an overall increase of the helicopters vertical acceleration. My plan is to be able to show that my hypothesis is correct but in order to ensure this I must be able to relate the information to the Speed formula to calculate the speed at which the helicopter gradually falls from the certain height. Overall, I believe the graph will show a negative correlation for both wingspan to time taken to fall and the Speed in relation to surface are of the wings.i ormula: Speed = Distance Time My prediction for the speed of the helicopter is that as the wingspan decreases the vertical speed of the paper helicopter increases, which I believe is as a result of the rotation of the wings going through a different cylinder of air each occasion, which suggests the fact that a wing span of 8cm would have a cylinder volume of air of ? r2. Therefore, as the wingspan decreases, the amount of air molecules contained inside the cylinder of air would be decreased proportionally to the wingspan. Furthermore, this would conclude in less air resistance against the force of gravity that forces the paper helicopter to fall because of the reduction of the wingspan, less air resistance would be needed to restrain the overall vertical acceleration. Although, as the helicopter gradually gains speed, the air resistances would increase likewise, until it becomes so great that it pushes against forces of Gravity, which ultimately forces the helicopter to vertically accelerate downwards. Nevertheless, eventually the resistance force will become equal to the opposing force, which in this case is Gravity, thus resulting the helicopter in not accelerating anymore since the forces are balanced. Therefore, it has met its Terminal Velocity (maximum speed). In relation to other theories, the three laws of Motion by Sir Isaac Newton begin to investigate Gravitational attraction and discovered that theres a gravitational attraction between all masses, giving everything a weight. This suggests that everything without air must have the same acceleration, which is ten m/s. This would mean that without gravity applying forces to push the helicopter downwards, it would still eventually land, because of its mass and because of this I would be made to believe that this may another reason for the acceleration of my helicopter. He also discovered that in most changes of Velocity, more than one force is acting on the accelerated object, such concurrent forces produce a signal net force. If the force pushing down on the helicopter is greater than the upwards draft, there will be a net force in the downward direction, therefore the helicopter will accelerate in that direction.

A Study On Electric Machines Engineering Essay

A Study On Electric Machines Engineering Essay The classical set of machines represents the asynchronous induction, synchronous, DC machines, and variable reluctance machines. Among these classical machines, the asynchronous machine is most widely used in a large range of applications and is able to operate as a motor (converting electrical power into mechanical power) or as a generator (converting mechanical power into electrical power). The machine can be fed via a power electronic converter or connected directly to an AC or DC supply. Electric machines are majorly based on 4 principles. The first principle is that an electrical current produce a magnetic field around it that can be strengthened by more than a thousand times when passing through iron. The second principle is called motor action and is defined by a force perpendicular to both the direction of the electrical current and the magnetic field. This induced force is given by: F= i (L) B: magnetic flux density L= length of wire i= magnitude of current in the wire The third principle is that an electrical conductor moving in a magnetic field has an electrical current induced in it creating an electromotive force. The induced voltage is expressed by the following formula: ?ind= (v) L v: velocity of the wire L: length of conductor in the magnetic field B: magnetic flux density The fourth principle is that a change in the magnetic field in a circuit can cause an induced voltage to this circuit. This effect is based on the Faradays law that states that when a flux passes through a turn of coil, a voltage proportional to the rate of change of the flux will be induced. ?ind = N: number of turns of wire in coils ?ind: voltage induced F: flux passing in the coil (http://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/tech/elmotors.htm) An electric machine has two essential electrical parts: The stator and the rotor. The stator (derived from the word stationary) is the stationary part of the machine forming a hollow cylinder consisting of individual electro-magnets shaped towards the middle. The rotor (derived from the word rotating) is located inside the stator and consists of a group of electro-magnet arranged around a cylinder, mounted on the motors shaft with its poles facing toward the stator poles. The rotor is the rotating component of the machine. (http://www.reliance.com/mtr/mtrthrmn.htm) (http://www.reliance.com/mtr/mtrthrmn.htm) In general, when the change of flux is associated with mechanical motion, it is the case of electromagnetic energy conversion. Regarding the rotation machines, the voltage is generated in groups of coils, often called windings, by three different ways. The first technique is by mechanical rotation of the windings through a magnetic field, the second is mechanical rotation of the magnetic field past the winding, and third by the design of the magnetic circuit so that the reluctance varies with the rotation of the rotor. So these methods generate a time-varying voltage caused by the cyclic charge of the flux linking a specific coil. The armature winding of a machine is a combination of such coils interconnected so that their generated voltage is close to the desired. In a DC machine, the armature is the rotating member or rotor. As for the AC machine, the armature is the stationary member or stator. The coils pointed out previously are wound on iron cores in order to maximize the coupling between the coils, to increase the magnetic energy density associated with electromechanical interaction, and to shape and distribute the magnetic fields according to the requirements of each particular machine design. Eddy currents will be induced in the armature iron since it is subjected to a time varying magnetic flux. To minimize this eddy-current loss, thin laminations for the armature of AC machines construct the armature iron. The magnetic circuit is completed through the iron of the other machine member, and excitation coils, or field windings, may be placed on that member to act as the primary source of flux. Permanent magnets may be used in small machines, and developments in permanent magnet technology are resulting in their use in larger machines. In variable reluctance machines, there are no windings on the rotor, and the operation depends on the non uniformity of air-gap reluctan ce associated with variations in rotor position. (electric machinery fifth edition (LIBRARY)) AC electric machines AC machines are motors converting AC electrical energy to mechanical energy and generators that convert mechanical to AC electrical energy. AC electric machines are divided into two types: Asynchronous (induction) and synchronous machines. The difference between these two types is that induction machines have their field currents supplied by magnetic induction while the field current in synchronous ones are supplied by a separate DC source. (Electric machinery fundamentals). The principle of rotating magnetic fields is the main rule of the operation to most ac motors. The magnetic field created by the poles will make the rotor rotate making the stator poles progressively change. This change will make the rotor follow and rotate with the magnetic field of the stator. As each change is made, the poles of the rotor are attracted by the opposite poles on the stator, forcing the rotor to rotate with the stator field. (http://www.reliance.com/mtr/mtrthrmn.htm) The rotor is rotating within the stator at angular velocity ?n, the magnitude of the flux density vector B at any angle a around the stator is given by B= BM cos(?t-a). Then the voltage induced in the stator that has N turns of wire is expressed by eind= NF?cos(?t). The voltage induced is sinusoidal with amplitude depending on the flux, angular velocity and a constant depending on the construction of the machine. In a three phase set of coils, the voltages induced will have same magnitude but they are shifted by 120 degrees. eaa'(t)= NF? sin(?t) ebb'(t)= NF? sin(?t-120) ecc'(t)= NF? sin(?t-240) The rms voltage of each phase is: EA= pNFf

King Lear’s Sins Pale in Comparison to those Committed Against Him Essa

King Lear’s Sins Pale in Comparison to those Committed Against Him King Lear commits several acts that are nearly unforgivable. Not only does he exile a trusted, loyal servant, he also banishes his own daughter. Cordelia, unable and unwilling to submit herself to the ridiculous game of her father, is sent off to France with his curses. His subsequent action - the division of the land between his two ungrateful daughters - is the final act, the final sin, and one that plunges the land into turmoil. However, his actions do not excuse the responses they bring from his kin and kinsmen. The sins against him - the actions of his two daughters and the evilness of Edmund - are far greater than those he committed himself. While he may have started the series of events that eventually consumed the land in turmoil, it were those three who propagated the chaos. King Lear is definitely much more sinned against than sinning. That King Lear sinned, there can be no doubt. Nevertheless, a sin does not exclude the possibility that there was a sufficient cause (in his mind) for the action. Examine, for instance, King Lear's decision to exile his own daughter, Cordelia. The King is of an advanced age. Though he will not, can not, admit it, senility is advancing upon him, clouding his brain and influencing his judgement. Combined with his pride, age, and subconscious fear of encroaching mortality, Lear has a great desire for flattery, and more importantly, to have the love of his children reaffirmed before him. After the two first daughters inflate his ego, Cordelia is left in the unenviable position of trying to surpass them. She too will not, can not, bring herself to do so. Thi... ...don him in his madness. Edmund, the main force of 'evil' in the play, not only comes near to destroying the country the Lear has worked so hard to maintain, he also gives the order for the death of the King and his youngest daughter. This, of course, leads directly to Lear's own self-induced death. Therefore, while king Lear's sins were horrible, and cannot be fully excused by his madness or his redemption, they still pale in comparison to those committed against him. While he wallowed in pettiness, they succumbed to greed, evil, and murder. Works Cited Kermode, Frank. "King Lear." The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G.B.Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1974. 1249-54. Muir, Kenneth, ed. King Lear. London: Methuen & Co, 1972 Partee, Morriss Henry. "Edgar and the Ending of King Lear." Studia Neophilologica 63 (1991): 175-180.

Critical Analysis of an Incident Essay -- Nursing Reflective Practice

Introduction The intention of this written essay is to demonstrate an understanding of my views on the art and science of reflection and the issues surrounding reflective practice. It is based on a significant incident from my own area of clinical practice as a state registered paramedic within the U.K. There is a discussion appraising the concept of reflection both generally, and in my particular area of practice. This is followed by an analysis of the incident using The What ? Model of Structured reflection suggested by Driscoll (2000). A rationale is given for the selection of this particular incident and also for the selection of the chosen model as a framework. It will show how the model has been used to reflect on the incident, what has been learnt, and the outcome on both current and future practice. Reflection is an active process of witnessing one’s own experience so that we can take a closer look at it. It has its foundations in the discipline of experiential learning. Dewey (1939 cited in Rolfe, Freshwater, & Jasper 2001) claimed that we learn by doing, and realising what came of what we did. â€Å"Reflective practice is something more than thoughtful practice. It is that form of practice which seeks to problematise many situations of professional performance so that they can become potential learning situations and so the practitioners can continue to learn, grow and develop in and through their practice† Jarvis P. (1992) pp174 -181. Johns, C (2000a) pg 34, describes reflection as a window through which the practitioner can view and focus self within the context of his own lived experience in ways that enable him to confront, understand and work towards resol... ...pman, C.M. (1988) Professional and Ethical Issues in Nursing: The Code of Professional Conduct: Chichester; J. Willey & Sons Ltd. Jarvis, P. (1992) Reflective practice and nursing, in Nurse Education Today, Vol 12, No.3 pp 174 - 181 Johns, C (2000a) Becoming a Reflective Practitioner; Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd. Chapter 3 pg 34 Johns, C. (2000b) Becoming a Reflective Practitioner: Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd. Chapter 3 pg 36 Procter, B. (1986) Supervision: a co-operative exercise in accountability: Routledge U.K. pg 23 Rolf, G., Freshwater, D. and Jasper M. (2001) Critical reflection for nursing and the helping professions: a users guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Roth, P.A. (1989) What is reflective practice? (Internet) Available from http://www/lovehealth.org/tools/reflection2.htm (accessed on 21 December 2006)

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Essay -- Health Medical Biology Biological

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Located on the X chromosome lies a gene whose improper function would take from us what we often sloppily overlook -- our mobility. The freedom to dance with poise, to run with agility, to dress one’s self, to bend over and scoop a dropped pencil off the floor are all motions which are only dreamt of by those with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. An X-linked recessive disorder which can be exhibited in both males and females, DMD is most prominent in males, affecting 3500 boys in the world (McKusick). DMD affects muscle -- skeletal, smooth, and cardiac -- by causing degeneration (McKusick). Diagnosis occurs around five years old, and by age ten, a wheelchair is often necessary for the patient. The skeletal muscle degeneration is followed by the eventual deterioration of digestion and of the urinary tract. The onset of this is about age fifteen, and cardiac muscle failure occurs around age twenty-one, making the lives of patients with DMD end around age seventeen (McKusick). The gene whose mutation causes Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is one that codes for the protein dystrophin (Bulman et al. 457). The gene for DMD was discovered first through gene cloning, and only later was the protein that it codes for, dystrophin, discovered (Evans et al. 310). Because of these two discoveries, diagnosis can occur by examining the gene or by looking for the presence of the protein dystrophin (Evans et al. 310). The disease can be detected at any age. In fact, a procedure has been developed which can diagnose DMD in utero using a muscle biopsy of the fetus (Evans et al. 310). Located on the X chromosome, the locus designation of the dystrophin gene is Xp21.2 (McKusick). This dystrophin gene has over 70 exons, an... ...ular Dystropy in a Female Fetus ‘Suddenly at Risk’.† American Journal of Medical Genetics 46 (1993): 309-312. McKusick, V.A.; Hamosh, A.; Brennan, P.; Smith, M.; Antonarakis, S.E.; Hurko, O. 310200 Muscular Dystrophy, Pseudohypertrophic Progressive, Duchenne and Becker Types. 24 February 1999. Online. Internet. 29 March 1999. Available http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dismim?/310200 Mendell, J.R.; Kissel, J.T.; Amato, A.A.; King, W.; Signore, L.; Prior, T.W.; Sahenk, Z.; Benson, S.; McAndrew, P.E.; Rice, R.; Nagaraja, H.; Stephens, R.; Lantry, L.; Morris, G.E.; Burghes, A.H.M. â€Å"Myoblast Transfer in the Treatment of Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy.† The New England Journal of Medicine 13 (1995): 832-838. NCBI Genes and Disease Map: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Online. Internet. 29 March 1999. Available http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/disease/DMD.html

Confessions of Faith

Vonetta Scott The Colonial Encounter in Africa Confession of Faith Cecil Rhodes was an English-born South African businessman. Rhodes enters politics in the Cape Colony for his health and wealth. What is confession of Faith of the colonial encounter that’s in Africa? â€Å"In Confessions of Faith,† the great imperialist and wealthy diamond mine owner Cecil Rhodes stresses his opinion of the importance of the English people. He tries to justify English imperialism and bringing the world under English influence by making several claims. He talks about, (what is a good chief in life? In Rhodes case by asking that question, Rhodes wants to do something useful for his country. He was controlling the diamond production. He had parlayed his territories Zambia and Zimbabwe. Rhodes argued about the way the English children are brought into this world, saying that the English people are limiting their children. Rhodes says that there should be more English children in his country so they can retain America. In addition, he states that the uncivilized part of the world should come under English rule so there would be an increase in the rate of employment and put a stop to all wars.He said the English race is the finest race in the world. He states that taking others territory is a way to help and increase more of their kind which would make the world a better place to live in. Rhodes thinks that this will make the Anglo-Saxon race never end. Rhodes also thinks that the more English people in the world along with less other race like the British and the Irish that again there would be end of wars. Rhodes wanted nothing more than to serve his country. He believes that the Anglo-Saxon should rule the world.Rhodes wants to render himself and his race to his country. He argues that the Anglo-Saxon race is superior to all other races in the world. Rhodes thinks that any other race should not exist. Humans being born that are not going to be raised in the Anglo-Sax on race are a waste to him. He wanted to make the British Empire a superpower in which all white countries in the empire would be represented in the British colony. Rhodes argues this because he thinks that the British will rule the world. Rhodes was upset about it because he said the British do not rule America.To summarize, the absorption of the greater portion of the world under the rule simply means the end of all wars. This objects one should work for are first, and furtherance of the British Empire. The bringing of the whole uncivilized world under British Empire leaves the recovereyof the United States, the making of the Anglo-Saxon race but for only one Empire. Rhodes feels that there needs to be more English race in America, so there can be no more wars. To let the Irish and the German stay in their own country because, he describes them as low class.He deplores the way they have failed to develop America into a fine country. Rhodes wants to keep America finer without the p rejudice. Rhodes made his point clear in this article and he goes into detail on what races do wrong. Rhodes thought that his race was better even though he did respect the Germans. Rhodes arguments support nationalism as well as imperialism by the way he speaks about each race. I don’t believe that there was or could be a competition to bring out the best in the races because, each race has a unique spirit and identity that can’t be duplicated by other races.

Delinquency Deterrence Response Essay

It is said that the human mind can be a very complex web of thoughts. Thoughts that can sometimes lead to good or bad actions. Does the actual threat of punishment deter or does it encourage juvenile delinquency? This question happens to hold two answers one being yes and the other no. Juvenile delinquency has existed for years but as we all know it is not a problem that blooms overnight. Juvenile delinquency is a manifested state that is learned and its causes are manifested from in the home (dysfunctional or broken), school (pressure to succeed), friends (peer pressure) and family (need to scape for some reason or another). According to Thomson Learning Inc. Juvenile Delinquency: The Core (2005), for some children and teenagers the threat of punishment is so realistic that this method provides an opportunity for those individuals to do right. This may be because the individuals rational thought process and the enforcement of punishment either has been already enforced or the fear of being caught is too high of a price for the individual to accept. On the other hand there are children and teenagers who do not ear punishment or any other consequences that may come from their bad actions. Furthermore, for some individuals the thought of being punished only enrages and encourages some individuals to continue their bad ways. It s said that in order for a plant to grow and bloom it has to be fed and nurtured. This process is no different when it comes to raising children and teenagers. When children or teenagers are raised in dysfunctional homes with parents that encourage bad behavior and no discipline enable these individuals to do wrong. Living in a home ith parents that consume alcohol, do drugs, steal and party on a regular basis encourages these individuals to become delinquent. A child or teen being raised in that type of environment may assume and be encouraged to think that it is okay to live that way. Being encouraged by peers to do wrong is not right but to be encouraged by ones own parent is considered an act that deems detrimental to any child or teenagers life. The reason for this is because consequences and correction for their bad actions does not exist (Thomson Learning Inc. 005). Some examples of general deterrence, specific deterrence and situational crime prevention strategies are as followed. General deterrence basically is if an individual believes that they will be caught in an act for example like holding up a convenience store and their punishment will be executed to the fullest for that crime. There is the possibility that the crime will not be committed because the punishment far outweighs the crime. Specific deterrence is used to lessen the probability of having a repeat offender. An example of specific deterrence is the three strike law. This method plainly states that a person who is tried for the same offense will go to jail for committing the same crime on a third offense. There are no breaks or excuses due to the fact that the three strike laws were implemented from a previous offense. Situational crime prevention is the ability to reduce and curb the tendencies of criminals by making their actions harder to commit. This can be done by having neighborhood watch groups in conjunction with police patrol at simulated times of the day. Store owners can have cameras placed in inconspicuous areas of their stores along with having tampered proof glass or window bars on their stores. The key in situational awareness is to make the offender thinks twice about their actions and how will it benefit them if they are caught (Thomson Learning Inc. , 2005). As kids growing up we were always told that prevention was always better than a cure. We were also told that for our bad choices made there will always be consequences for those actions. Knowing our boundaries we always stayed within them. My parents taught us right from wrong and they guided us through our childhood right into our teenage and adolescent years. It is in my observation through their hands on ways and always being active in our lives we stayed away from trouble. It is my belief that crime prevention strategies are always the best to start with. When an individual realizes that it is harder to commit a crime whether it is through parental involvement or because of the elements that are in place they may find something that will be more beneficial than getting into trouble. .

Lifeboat Ethics and People

Garrett Hardin (b. 1915) is interested in natural science who publishes this to the people who does not know that much information. He graduated at the University of Chicago and at Stanford University where he received Ph.D. which help him in his passion of being a connector between society and an environment. The books he has written so far are for example, Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping the Poor (1974).Helping people that are less fortunate perpetuates the cycle of misfortune and has nothing to help them. In terms of studying an environment earth is called a â€Å"spaceship† to better develop the idea of world ethics where people live in societies with different rules and powers. Those who are seen as rich ones live on lifeboats and poor ones are in water swimming around them. People from not developed countries keep trying to board on the â€Å"lifeboat† in order to survive but â€Å"we must recognize the limited capacity of any lifeboat† (Hardin 47 8) because otherwise no one will survive. The reason for this is the significant difference between growth of population the poor and rich countries.The amount of increasing poor countries would in quarter of the  decade significantly damage the rich ones by consumption and after a decade they might sink them down completely. â€Å"The fundamental error of spaceship ethics, and the sharing it requires, is that it leads to what I call the tragedy of the commons† (480). The way how to help poor people to survive was to create a world food bank but â€Å"a wise and competent government saves out of the production of the good years in anticipation of bad years to come† (481), moreover the not advanced countries would take it all and not give back.The final decision goes from old Chinese adage: â€Å"Give a man a fish and he will east for a day; teach him how to fish and he will eat for rest of his days† which solves the situation. However, the environment, such as , forests or beaches at the expense of the rising population decreases for example, India and its increasing population every year by 15 million.The author seems that he know what he talks about in this article according to his evidence that he is deep focus in his passion for nature and received degrees in high status universities in a similar subject. He did not mention any sources of information he used which could prove his believes. He truly stated facts such as, the population growth is increasing with an example, of India or that rich countries drive the world principles and not economically advanced countries need a help from them and makes the article persuasive.The whole piece leads to conclusion where the author comes back to his first paragraph including information about ethics and control of people’s behavior. People sometimes do not always choose the right decisions based on their culture, location, and thinking. Author tries to explain how they should perceive the world around them and be aware of change in a future according to environmentalists. Even though that the article was written more than thirty years ago it apposite the people’s way of doing things and especially the population growth and the end of the text leads into overall successful summary.According to what is happening in the world in the 21st century this paper shows its true contain. He gives a real manner of how society should look like in order to establish the atmosphere which could consequently better associate people from different side of a boat. People without any rules will live with a status called Anarchy which has never accomplished any success. People’s ancestors for example, in Babylon used to have a social system where rich were in head of the town and  poor had to work hard for them. Although Babylon disappeared most likely because of natural disaster, the system brought them power and prosperity.

Artificial Intelligence and the Modern Military

Artificial Intelligence and the Modern Military Wayne K Sullivan Saint Leo University MGT 327, CA01, Management Information Systems Professor Lawrence Mister November 26, 2011 Purpose: In today's military, leaders are continuously seeking ways to incorporate new technology to take the place of human soldiers. It has long been an important goal to be able to remove the human element from the modern battlefield, thus enabling high risk or sensitive political operations to be conducted without the fear of capture or exploitation of US military personnel.One such incident occurred during the Cold War, on May 1, 1960, during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower and during the leadership of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, when a United States U-2 spy plane was shot down over the airspace of the Soviet Union. The United States government at first denied the plane's purpose and mission, but then was forced to admit its role as a covert surveillance aircraft when the Soviet government pro duced its intact remains and surviving pilot, Francis Gary Powers, as well as photos of military bases in Russia taken by Gary Powers.Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been fully integrated within all levels within the Department of Defense (DOD), from software programs designed to efficiently data mine the vast amounts of intelligence collected to complex quantum computing design to monitor and direct operational units in real time on the modern battlefield. This paper will focus only on a few Real world Combat systems currently utilized within the Department of Defense (DOD). Within the Department of Defense (DOD), the word autonomous is equivalent to and often substituted for the term Artificial Intelligence (AI).Autonomous is defined by Webster’s dictionary as; â€Å"Having independent existence or laws† (Webster, 2011) , where as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is defined in the Encyclopedia Britannica as â€Å"the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. † (Britannica, 2011), both definitions define the overall goal of the DOD, Independent combat systems that increase soldier survivability and become a force multiplier in the combat theater of operations. And is being explored for all branches of the service for uses on land, sea, and air. Background:In today's modern combat arenas, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, the desire for autonomous vehicles and intelligent combat systems is higher than ever. Currently within our armed forces there are numerous combat systems that are experimenting with artificial intelligence, designed to reduce or eliminate the need for combat soldiers on missions or tasks that are considered to dangerous for human operators. These missions or task include Biological or Chemical detection, Explosive Ordinance Detection and Demolition (EOD), High value target identification and covert tracking, and Treat Detection and Neutralization.Art ificial Intelligence (AI) is finally reaching the point where it is now feasible, and is starting to demonstrate its capabilities in the combat environment. AI techniques are becoming so ubiquitous that the computers that now bear the label â€Å"Intel inside† could well be labeled â€Å"AI inside,† says Alan Meyrowitz, director of the Navy Center for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington (Rhea, 2000).Now, with a combination of military-funded development programs and the availability of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology, the military services are beginning real world implementation. AI methods in such new generations of weapons platforms as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), autonomous submersibles to perform unmanned counter terrorism and surveillance operations in shallow water areas, and Fully Autonomous Land Vehicles designed for soldier support as well as search and destroy (Rhea, 2000).United Stat es Army, which is the largest arm of the military by far, in a recent report, has laid out its plans to introduce an upgrade artificial intelligence within its ranks, via a plan integration plan/roadmap from present-day through 2035. Currently the key areas the Army is looking to artificial intelligence are chemical biological detection, counter explosive hazards, security, interdiction attack, and long-range strike capabilities (US Army, 2010).Deployed soldiers have dozens of pounds of batteries, ammo, communications equipment and other Items such as food and water they have to carry on their backs, on top of heavy body armor, encumbering solders with up to 100lbs of additional weight. While this large amount of technology, is useful in combat, it can greatly fatigue solders prior to engagements and can render soldiers severely limited or even ineffective during sustained engagements with the enemy (Knapik, 1989). It is this reason that the U. S. Army is experimenting with a variet y of remotely controlled and even wearable machines to lighten this load.Some are deeply quirky, designed to resemble a headless dog. The spooky Big Dog quadruped robot, which is being developed by robotics company Boston Dynamics, has some of the most advanced artificial intelligence and navigation systems in the planet. In fact, US Army officials are stunned by its programmed behaviors, which make Big Dog extremely helpful in the battlefield. Big Dog can run along soldiers, walk slowly, or lay down to be loaded or unloaded with up to 400 lbs of gear, equivalent to one full squads (6 men) backpacks, all while being aware of the terrain around it.No matter what happens, or how hard it's hit, the robot maintains its course without falling on the ground under any circumstances. The only way to get him off its path is by a major direct hit, which could mean a rocket. U. S. Army Officials are optimistic for this beast. They see it as the most effective way to carry all kinds of material , reducing the weight that soldiers have to tug along, freeing them to move faster and be safer (Diaz, 2009). Another area the U. S.Army is excited about is the compact surveillance platforms that are now available, such as the Skylark I, advanced mini -UAV system, a unique man-pack configuration designed for day and night observation and data collection up to distances of 10-15 km. The mini -UAV system is equipped with an exceptionally quiet electric motor, totally autonomous flight, and outstanding observation capabilities allowing for easy operation and orientation (Keren, 2004). Soldiers can launch the state-of-the-art AI flight system, after a brief training period, usually only one week of computer software training, no pilot skills are required.It features a gyroscopic-stabilized gimbaled payload and a high degree of autonomous flight from take-off to precise recovery, yielding real-time intelligence, the operator simply points the camera to where he wishes to look and the Sk ylark flies there. The Skylark I system has proven itself in cloudy, rainy and windy weather conditions, the Skylark I has demonstrated excellent optical survey, target identification and surveillance capabilities. This configuration, equipped with algorithms derived from larger Hermes UAVs, can track fixed and moving targets, an impressive capability for a hand launched UAV.Skylark I can be used for both defense and homeland security applications including perimeter security, border and coastal surveillance, anti-terrorism surveillance and a variety of law enforcement missions. Skylark I has already accumulated more than 3000 successful operational sorties and is currently operationally active in several theatres of the global war on terror. Skylark I set a new world record in high altitude flights, climbing to an altitude exceeding 16,000 feet and has demonstrated outstanding performance in weather conditions ranging from arctic to equatorial weather.Skylark I is equipped with Elb it Systems' new-generation night payload. Weighing only 700 grams, the thermal payload is the lightest in its class. The payload’s capabilities include very wide area coverage, continuous tracking of moving targets and a higher resolution rate than any of its predecessors (Keren, 2004). Lastly we will examine two of the U. S. Army’s Unmaned Vehicle programs , first the Squad Mission Support System it looks as conventional as any six wheeled hauler you’d see on an admittedly large loading dock, the size of a car with a flat back, readying it to strap up to 600 lbs. worth of equipment onboard.It uses ladar, or laser radar, to identify the unit it needs to follow and drives off autonomously behind (Ackerman, 2011). Secondly is the Crusher, All branches of the United States military services are actively seeking new technology and programs that will limit or eliminate the need to place service personnel in harm's way. And operating and weapon systems become more adv anced, it appears inevitable that someday in the not so distant future, autonomous machines will be performing a large majority of mundane and repetitive task as well as tearing out specialized operations on the battlefield of the future.It is through organizations such as Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), whose mission is to maintain the technological superiority of the U. S. military and prevent technological surprise from harming our national security by sponsoring revolutionary, high-payoff research bridging the gap between fundamental discoveries and their military use (DARPA, 2011). Unlike conventional bits or transistors, which can be in one of only two states at any one time (1 or 0), a qubit can be in several states at the same time and can therefore be used to hold and process a much larger amount of information at a greater rate.A major obstacle for realizing a quantum computer is the complexity of the quantum circuits required. As with conventional compu ters, quantum algorithms are constructed from a small number of elementary logic operations. Controlled operations are at the heart of the majority of important quantum algorithms. The traditional method to realize controlled operations is to decompose them into the elementary logic gate set. However, this decomposition is very complex and prohibits the realization of even small-scale quantum circuits. The researchers now show a completely new way to approach this problem. By using an extra degree of freedom of quantum particles, we can realize the control operation in a novel way. We have constructed several controlled operations using this method,† said Dr Xiao-Qi Zhou, research fellow working on this project, â€Å"This will significantly reduce the complexity of the circuits for quantum computing. † The RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system with an integrated sensor suite that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissa nce, or ISR, capability worldwide.Global Hawk's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of ISR collection capability to support joint combatant forces in worldwide peacetime, contingency and wartime operations. The Global Hawk complements manned and space reconnaissance systems by providing near-real-time coverage using imagery intelligence or IMINT, sensors. Once mission parameters are programmed into a Global Hawk, the UAS can autonomously taxi, take off, fly, remain on station capturing imagery, return and land. Ground-based operators monitor the UAS's status, and can change navigation and sensor plans during flight as necessary. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jason Tudor Think the U. S. military has a lot of drones now? Just you wait. The Pentagon has just released its 30-year plan for buying and developing warplanes. And in a development that should come as no surprise, the future the military anticipates for its Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps air fleets — toge ther numbering more than 5,500 warplanes — is more robotic than ever. The congressionally mandated Aircraft Procurement Plan 2012-2041 is, of course, filled with conjecture. Any number of factors — fiscal, strategic, industrial or technological — could change nexpectedly, sending ripples through the Pentagon’s carefully-laid plans, currently projected to cost around $25 billion per year. But based on current tech trends (everything always gets more expensive), anticipated (that is to say, flat) budgets and projected threats (China and terrorists, as usual), the military believes it can make do for the next three decades with air fleets roughly the same size as today’s — with just one big exception. The robot air force will double in just the next nine years. The Avenger, or Predator C, is a major upgrade from the earlier versions.With a 41-foot long fuselage and 66-foot wingspan, the Avenger is capable of staying in the air for up to 20 hour s, and operating at up to 60,000 feet. Powered by a 4,800-lb. thrust Pratt & Whitney PW545B jet engine, it can fly at over 400 knots — 50 percent faster than the turboprop-powered Reaper unmanned plane, and more than three times as quick as the Predator. The Avenger should also be much harder to spot – with wings, tails, weapons bays, and sides are all designed to reduce its radar signature. (General Atomics won’t say if it used any of its specialized radar-absorbent materials in the drone, but it’s a fair bet. The new plane might not just take off from land. Designed with folding wings and a tailhook, the latest killer drone could wind up launching from an aircraft carrier, before it attacks it foes. SAN DIEGO, April 12, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)-built MQ-8B Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle marked a new single-day flight record of 18 hours. U. S. Navy operators achie ved the record using a single aircraft in a series of endurance flights Feb. 25 from the USS Halyburton (FFG 40).Fire Scout is providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data to support anti-piracy missions while deployed on the ship for the Navy's 5th Fleet. â€Å"We've continually worked with the Navy to enhance Fire Scout since its last deployment to meet these types of operational needs,† said George Vardoulakis, vice president for tactical unmanned systems for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. â€Å"These flights not only demonstrated Fire Scout's maturity, it showed how the system provides a much-needed extension for gathering crucial information during peacekeeping or wartime missions. In April 2010, Fire Scout concluded a military utility assessment on board the USS McInerney (FFG 8), a frigate similar to the USS Halyburton. Fire Scout has flown twice as much in the first two months on board the USS Halyburton than the entire USS McInerney dep loyment. The system also completed initial flight tests on board the USS Freedom (LCS 1) in November. Fire Scout features a modular architecture that accommodates a variety of electro-optical/infrared and communications payloads. These payloads provide ground and ship-based commanders with high levels of situational awareness and precision targeting support.Fire Scout's ability to operate at low ground speeds makes it particularly well suited for supporting littoral missions such as drug interdiction, search and rescue, reconnaissance and port security. Intelligent unmanned autonomous systems includes the multi-role Talisman family of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), which provide a flexible surveillance and protection capability for key facilities and assets, including harbours, inshore mine countermeasures and a range of oceanographic missions.The latest generation Talisman L uses the mission system, proven on the larger Talisman M, and re-packages it into a two man portable s ystem for port and harbor protection and inshore mine counter measures (MCM). It can be deployed from the shore, rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) or any platform of opportunity with either low freeboard or a small crane or davit. The system utilises the same control interface as other vehicles in the Talisman family. Talisman L can be operated using a ruggedized laptop or similar portable device.Its open architecture command system also allows its integration with command & information systems aboard naval vessels or land-based vehicles. Data storage on the vehicle is arranged to facilitate rapid mission turnaround and analysis to maintain the tempo of operations. To fly the military's baddest, most technologically advanced planes, you once had to have what Tom Wolfe called â€Å"that righteous stuff† — the willingness to strap yourself to a jet-fuel laden machine and push it to the very limits of its mechanical capabilities.Nowadays, unmanned systems have taken the human danger out of some combat missions, though human pilots remain at the sticks. But not for long. The Navy's experimental X-47B combat system won't be remotely piloted, but almost completely autonomous. Human involvement won't be of the stick-and-rudder variety, but handled with simple mouse clicks. Speaking to reporters at the Sea Air Space convention near Washington, reps from both Northrop Grumman (maker of the X-47B) and the Navy said the X-47B would be piloted not by human handlers in some steel box in Nevada, but by 3. million lines of software code. The rest of its functions will be able to be handled by non-pilot personnel (or your average child), as they will only require clicks of the mouse; a click to turn on the engines, a click to taxi, a click to initiate takeoff, etc. For flyboys proudly boasting their nighttime carrier landing cred, the idea is anathema. But given the difficulty and danger of carrier takeoffs and landings, automating them is one way to ensure saf ety–provided the systems work the way they are supposed to.The X-47B has already taken to the skies from Edwards AFB earlier this year, but this is a Navy plane. As such, it will begin â€Å"learning† the ins and outs of carrier operations via simulated takeoffs and landings starting in 2013. If all goes well, the X-47B could be autonomously showing Navy pilots how to put a multimillion aircraft down on a sea-tossed carrier deck by 2014. Those carrier landings, of course, take a certain kind of touch. Specifically, that of an index finger on a standard issue mouse (Dillow, 2011). On August 11, 2011, DARPA attempted to fly the fastest aircraft ever built.The Agency’s Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) is designed to fly anywhere in the world in less than 60 minutes. This capability requires an aircraft that can fly at 13,000 mph, while experiencing temperatures in excess of 3500F. The second test flight began with launch at 0745 Pacific Time. The Mino taur IV vehicle successfully inserted the aircraft into the desired trajectory. Separation of the vehicle was confirmed by rocket cam and the aircraft transitioned to Mach 20 aerodynamic flight. At HTV-2 speeds, flight time between New York City and Los Angeles would be less than 12 minutes.Cited works: University of California – Santa Barbara. â€Å"Physicists demonstrate quantum integrated circuit that implements quantum von Neumann architecture. † ScienceDaily, 1 Sep. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. University of Bristol. â€Å"Dramatic simplification paves the way for building a quantum computer. † ScienceDaily, 2 Aug. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. United States Airforce. WWW. AF. MIL. United States Airforce, 19 Nov. 2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. . Axe, David. â€Å"post Next post Pentagon Looks to Double Its Unmanned Air Force. † Wired Magazine. United States Airforce, 31 May 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 011. . Shachtman, Noah. â€Å"Tiny Weapons, Jet Engines in Killer Drone Upgrades. † Wired Magazine. United States Airforce, 20 Apr. 2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. . Dillow, Clay. â€Å"The Navy's X-47B Will Be So Autonomous, You Can Steer It With Mouse Clicks. † Popular Science. N. p. , 12 Apr. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. . Diaz, Jesus. â€Å"Big Dog Army Robot Will Change the Face of War Forever. † Gizmo. com. N. p. , 26 Feb. 2009. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . Knapik, Joseph. â€Å"LOADS CARRIED BY SOLDIERS:HISTORICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL,BIOMECHANICAL AND MEDICAL ASPECTS. † The Defense Technical Information Center .U S ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MED, June 1989. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . Autonomous. † 1. Merriam-Webster. 2011. N. pag. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . â€Å"artificial intelligence (AI). † Encyclop? dia Britannica. Encyclop? dia Britannica Online. Encyclop? dia Britannica Inc. , 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . Keren, Yarin. www. Israili. Weapons. com. Elbit Systems , 4 Feb. 2004. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. . Rhea, J. (2000, November 1). The next ‘new frontier' of artificial intelligence. In Military Aerospace. com. Retrieved November 7, 2011, . US Army UAS Center of Excellence. 2010, April). Eyes of the Army US Army roadmap for UAS 2010 -2035. In FAS. org. Retrieved November 7, 2011, from http://www. fas. org/irp/program/collect/uas-army. pdf. Ackerman, S. (2011, July 25). Army Preps Robot Mule for Afghan Action. In Wired. Com. Retrieved November 7, 2011, from http://www. wired. com/dangerroom/2011/07/army-preps-robot-mule-for-afghan-action/#more-52823. DARPA. (2011). Army Preps Robot Mule for Afghan Action. In Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Retrieved November 7, 2011, from http://www. darpa. mil/About. aspx. [pic]

Compare and contrast about the book Indian Killer and movie, Smoke Signal Essay

‘Inidan Killer’ by Sherman Alexie can be kept under the term murder mystery books, however there are lots more than the mysterious killings. Sherman wants to take his reader on a journey through the dark heart of current Native American life. The reader finds a mixture of substance abuse which gives rise to self-hatred, which is mixed with an ironic pride of being the native of America. With analysis of the characters of the book reader feels that the fuel is present there to ignite the fire. It is felt that the difference due to the color of the skin results in sourness in any relationship that arises between a dark kinned and a white skinned person. The story mainly surrounds a man, John Smith who was immediately adopted after his birth by a white couple. Throughout the book John is seen suffering a complex because of his skin color as he is of Indian origin. He previously has no idea about what an Indian is except from the books that her mother bought to read, from some documentaries and movies. He knew that no white people would like his or her daughter to date with one who is an Indian or simply just because of his dark skin. During one of the protest powwow, John meets an Indian called Marie Polatikin who also fights for the njustice Indians are facing. The protest usually included a professor of Native American literature class and a cop who later turned to be a mystery writer as both were quite partial to the Americans. Days passed and both, John and Marie were busy with their respective works but in the meantime the tension between the white and native communities also started to rise. The first body due to these differences was found with owl feathers and another white college student suddenly disappeared from an Indian casino parking area. This gave rise to violence against Indians in Seattle and a group of men started beating Indians f that area. To retaliate this, Marie’s cousin brother tortures a white hitchhiker in the same way as he was tortured by his stepfather who also was a white man and tried to beat the â€Å"bad† Indian out of him. The characters and the situations described in â€Å"Indian Killer† are actually representing an existing widespread problem. Three types of Indians are shown, one that are drunk which means that even if they are aware of the wrong treatment from the white community they don’t say a word in protest because they think they would not be able to defeat the whites. The second type of Indians are noble or good Indians who are in such positions that they don’t usually get disturbed due to these events. If any Indian from either of the two categories uttered a word about land claims or anything that seemed for the whites like threatening for their status quo, was immediately tagged as malcontent or radical. This was the third and the most problematic category of Indians for the existing whites. And this is the category that Sherman Alexie deals with in his book, â€Å"Indian Killer†. The reader gets carried away and starts caring for the characters o matter whether they are white or Indian because nothing actually matters, as all the characters are human and interesting. When Marie tells that the reason behind the killings is the ghost dance, Sherman Alexie wants his readers to examine their opinion of Indians and the consequences of the way they had been treated in past. Sherman Alexie has made use of overt and subtle racism along with harsh reality and few descriptions of violence. The story and plot goes along swiftly and straightforwardly. This novel can be an eye opener for those people whose land it was where their families had immigrated. Smoke Signals† is a movie which is also written by Sherman Alexie and is a film in which a young Indian, Victor makes a trip to pick up his father’s ashes who had fled from the family years back. Victor sets off in search of his father and everything about him and in this way tries to find his identity too. He has to borrow money from his neighbor and friend Thomas who in turn wants Victor to take him along his journey. Unflinching frankness of Indians is seen in the film and the comic scenes that make people laugh loud are in fact satire on Indians or the rest of Americans. Thomas here is seen quite considerate about his friend’s pain and he has helped Victor quite a lot of time in life. Later in the film Victor meets his father’s neighbor and one time lover and comes to know about the reason of his abandonment. Sherman adds real color to the story of â€Å"Smoke Signals† with Indian reservations. Sherman has introduced confrontation of Indians and rest of Americans in a very peculiar way. A man, who has a tag, â€Å"racist redneck† written on his forehead, takes over the seat where Victor and Thomas were seated and that too of no particular reason at all. It is seen hat even when the film flashes from back to past and from â€Å"present† to â€Å"past† or vice versa, there is no change in the background or the people or the dress they were wearing. Alexie has talked about Indian reservation in the film as if it existed from long past without even considering the progress. But here Victor gives a fighting chance for survival and to move on. This is the point where Sherman’s character John and Victor of the book â€Å"Indian Killer† and film â€Å"Smoke Signals† can be compared. Both of them are not ready to surrender to the injustice by the rest of Americans towards Indians. They oth fight for their existence and identity. The film â€Å"Smoke Signals† was written by an Indian writer and almost the entire cast is cool, calm and collected of Indians. Smoke Signals† is an important movie and a turn point for Native North America because of the long misrepresentation of them on silver screen. The Indian Victor is stereotyped and along with Thomas looks like a typical Indian. Thomas has a lot of stories to tell throughout the movie and tells personal stories along with family histories and myths. There is no shyness in the movie about the drunkenness or hopelessness of the people in the past. Everyday and persistent racism is seen in the movie once they leave the reservation. The film is a journey of two young Indian men to more mature ones. In the film Victor is seen reminding Thomas of behaving like an Indian and to stop grinning all the time. In both the film â€Å"Smoke Signals† and the book â€Å"Indian Killer† the Indian characters are not ready to leave their identity and come face to face with racism. There are references from popular cinema in the movie as well as the book â€Å"Indian Killer† every now and then. The film leaves the audience and the readers of the book feel that the uthor has much more to explore and to say but due to their limitations they have stopped and ended. It seems that both the stories are original and even if the movie does not have any famous or big names attached to it is worth watching and realizing the real status. The story itself is very simple but the characters of the present generation do not seem to surrender to the prevailing situation and circumstances. They fight for justice and want their identity back by hook or by crook. â€Å"Indian Killer† and â€Å"Smoke Signals† both show the differences between father nd sons and the troubled relationships of the two generations. Usually films appear to be personal but this film with a simple story line is quite universal in nature. The characters are confronted with racism fact to face and the manner Sherman Alexie has presented the situation is very unusual. Sherman’s style is somewhat typical and in both the stories he has taken almost the same issue of racism but presented it in a different way. His characters are quite strong and not ready to accept injustice to their community and they fight for it throughout the story.