Effects of an Expansionary Macroeconomic Policy Essay

Effects of an Expansionary Macroeconomic Policy - Essay Example In its simplest terms, this relationship works on the principle that price is determined by the ratio of supply to demand: a high demand and low supply necessitates a high price, whereas a low demand and high supply would be indicative of a lower price. However, many more factors influence this AS-AD relationship. For instance, aggregate demand is influenced by interest rates, business and consumer confidence in the economy, the anticipation of inflation, and real wealth. Aggregate supply, on the other hand, is influenced by not only supply of resources, but also productivity by the workforce and production costs. Speaking in general terms, an increase in aggregate demand might have the following short run consequences: prices will rise, output will increase in order to attempt to meet the demand, and ultimately production will exceed the current workforce's capacity, thus creating a demand for a larger workforce. In the long run, a new equilibrium will be established with higher prices for product, production costs, and labor. There are several ways in which this new hypothetical government can decrease unemployment through either monetary policy or fiscal policy. As far as possible monetary policy actions are concerned, either the government can decrease the interest rate in order to stimulate investment and spending; or, the government can increase the volume of money in circulation. ... The final result is that this increased demand requires a larger workforce to cover the demand for increased production. In other words, the government's plan for monetary expansion necessitates a lower interest rate, which stimulates investment, output, and production, thus lowering the unemployment rate. However, at some point the government would need to increase interest rates in order to restore economic equilibrium. Additionally, if output is above its natural level, prices will initially increase, but in the long run output will eventually stabilize and prices will settle back down. Thus, a reverse chain reaction will occur where all aspects of aggregate demand will return to previous levels. Therefore, the government's increase of interest rates in order to reduce unemployment rates will have positive short-term effects in stimulating the economy, but will have virtually no long-term effect without supplementary intervention or a change in productivity. One way to ensure long-term results in this expansionary macroeconomic policy is to effect radical change within the workforce. Long run growth in aggregate supply requires a sustainable increase of real output. Thus, should a technological innovation increase productivity allowing a reduction of production costs, prices can be reduced as well. Output levels will then stabilize at a higher natural level, and stabilized prices and wages will follow. In conclusion, while an expansionary macroeconomic policy instituted by a government to reduce the unemployment rate would most-likely have the desired positive short-run effect (barring unanticipated variables such as loss of confidence in the economy); the long-run effects would be

Amazon(e-commerce site) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Amazon(e-commerce site) - Essay Example The question of privacy involves the collection of personal details about individuals as well as their financial details (www.cyber.law.harvard.edu). Customers provide this information for a particular transaction and may not necessarily authorize its transmission to other unauthorized persons. This raises the issue of maintaining the privacy of the data as well as its confidentiality, i.e., not allowing it to be accessed by unauthorized persons. Secure sites could also be compromised in some instances (Feinberg, 2006), so that personal data that is split into units and transmitted across the electronic waves may sill be accessed. The integrity of the data provided is then compromised and the disparate bits of information brought together into a coherent whole can be accessed by unauthorized persons if they gain access to the secure sites. 2. There are three basic sub-categories that can be identified under internal threats: (a) existing employees (b) former employees and (c) employees of third parties.(De Guzman, 2006). Existing employees who have access to confidential information may be of two types (a) malicious – or those employees who have some grudge against the Company and thereby compromise data security to achieve their own ends and (b) accidental – existing employees, who because of their lack of training, or because they fail to follow the correct procedures may engage in acts that compromise the security of data existing on these sites. DeGuzman (2006) has provided several examples of how such data exposure can take place, such as the incident of an employee who accidentally erased a disk containing sensitive information about consumers. Thirdly, compromising of data may also occur through employees of third parties. Since the global environment is becoming more intense and competitive, many companies are resorting to using third parties and outsourcing their functions to these third

Deviance Behavior Criminal

Deviance Behavior Criminal Deviance: Is It In the Eye of the Beholder? Abstract Deviant behavior is described as actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms including formally enacted rules as well as informal violations of social norms. This paper will examine what the various types of deviance and will present the important theories of deviance. There is often the argument that deviance is in the eye of the beholder but after research I found out that it is not quite true. Deviance is an established abnormality in individuals and society and sociologist have been seeking to find solutions for it for decades by applying various theories upon this abnormality. There are seven major theories of deviance that are further followed by sublistings of variations on themes. These theories are differential association, anomie, Marxian conflict, social control theory, labeling, utilitarian/deterrence and routine activities. Deviance is also broadly categorized into three basic forms of rule breaking behavior; good, odd and bad behavior. It is now realized that though many acts maybe deviant they may still not constitute bad or criminal behavior. But they are still socially reprimanded because of their nature such as highly inappropriate modes of dress. There is the absolutist stand in viewing deviance and the relativist stand. The absolutist stand places all blame of the deviant act upon the individual while the relativist stand is more lenient in taking into account the larger picture that considers societal factors and other influences in causing deviant behavior. The modern day sociologist is considered to be a relativist who believes in taking the middle road when analyzing deviant behavior. According to Shur (1965), ‘The societal reaction to the deviant, then, is vital to an understanding of the deviance itself and a major element in—if not a cause of—the deviant behavior. Deviance: Is It In the Eye of the Beholder? When it come to an attempt to ascertain whether or not deviance is in the eye of the beholder, the fact is that all the research that is related to deviance only proves that it is a phenomena that is not in the eye of the beholder but a valid and recognized form of socially abnormal behavior. In any given society of the world, deviance is an established of behavior that breaks out of the recognized norms and requires to be corrected in order for the normal flow of social life to progress. Deviance describes actions or behaviors that clearly violate cultural norms including formally and informally enacted rules as well as informal and formal violations of these rules, regulations and norms. This paper will try to depict how deviance is seen, created, challenged and enforced. Deviance is an act defined as the deliberate violation of the cultural norms of a given society. The most prevalent form of deviance is crime of any sort or the violation of societal norms enacted by a society that have been formally enacted into criminal law (What is Deviance?) Deviance has been recognized as an integral part of every society and hence is studied as a sociological science. In being studies as a science of society, there is little doubt that deviance should be considered to be in the eye of the beholder. The sociology of deviance is based on the study of deviant behavior as the recognized violation of cultural norms. It also deals with the creation and enforcement of those norms. It is important to understand that certain deviant behaviors may not be recognized as such by all societal standards. In other words, not all societies have rules that would disallow all forms of behavior. But still every society does have its own set of social rules that when broken, consti tute deviance for the members of that particular society. Rather on the contrary, deviance is defined in relative terms with different societies having different ways to view the same behavior (Sociology of Deviance). Many of the theories that are related to deviance and criminal behavior are simple and uncomplicated stating one or two explanatory principles that apply to all instances of the particular form of deviance that is being explained. These are also called simple theories that are conventionally classified into six or seven major categories and have sublistings of variations on themes. The categorical schemes that are most popular are related to strain, learning, labeling, control, opportunity, psychodynamic and biological. According to Pearson and Weiner (1985) the simple theories that are most important are differential association (Sutherland and Cressey 1978), anomie (Merton,1975), Marxian Conflict (Bonger 1916; Quinney 1970), social control (Hirschi 1969), labeling (Becker 1963; Gove 1975, 1980; Schur 1971), utilitarian/deterrence (Andenaes 1974; Becker 1968; Cornish and Clarke 1986; Gibbs 1975; Tunnell 1992; Zimring and Hawkins 1973) and routine activities (Cohen and Felson 1979) ( Tittle, 1995). Sutherland and Cresseys theory of differential association is considered to be one of the most prominent social learning theories. Sutherlands research was focused on white collar crime, professional theft and intelligence and disputed the notion that crime was a function of peoples inadequacy in the lower classes. He did not consider crime to stem from individual traits or from socioeconomic positions but to be a function of a learning process that could affect any individual regardless of culture. The acquisition of behavior is a social learning process rather than a political or legal process. Consequently the skills and motives that are conducive to crime are learned as a result of contact with pro-crime attitudes, values, definitions and other related pattern of criminal behavior. The basic principles of differential theory are that criminal behavior is learned, learning is a byproduct of interaction, learning occurs within intimate groups, criminal techniques are learned, perce ptions of legal code influences motives and drives, differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority and intensity, the process of learning criminal behavior by association with criminal with anticriminal and criminal influences involve all of the mechanisms that would be involved in any other learning process and that criminal behavior is an expression of the general needs and values but it is not excused by those general needs and values because non-criminal behavior is also an expression of the same needs and values (Seigel, 2005). The theory of anomie was presented by Robert Merton and it explains the occurrence of crime as well as wider disorder and deviance. This theory is considered to be a wide ranging and essential sociological explanation for deviance. Merton borrows the term anomie from Durkheim and rejects individualistic explanations of crime and criminal behavior stating them to be socially learned. He also says that there are social structural limitations imposed on access to the means to achieve these goals. The focus of his work is on the position of the individual within the social system rather than on personality characteristics. He says, â€Å"Our primary aim lies in discovering some social structures exert a definite pressure upon certain persons in the society to engage in non-conformist conduct† (Burke, 2005). This theory is based on the work of Karl Marx and views a dominant class as being in control of the resources of society, using its power to not only create institutional rules but entire belief systems that support this power. The theory looks at the structure of society as a whole in trying to develop explanations for deviant behavior. According to this theory the economic organization of capitalist societies is responsible for producing deviance and crime. Since this scenario causes certain groups in society to have access to less resources in capitalist society they are hence forced into deviance and crime to sustain themselves. The high rate of economic crimes such as theft, robbery, prostitution and drug selling is explained by conflict theorists to be the result of the economic status of these groups. Contrary to emphasizing values and conformity as a source of deviance, as done by functional analyses, the conflict theories view deviance as the direct result of power relations hips and economic inequality (Andersen, Taylor, 2006). The theory of social control was offered by Hirschi and it evolved from many previous contributions. The primary concept of the theory is the ability to deviate from normative behavior. Many people do not engage in deviant behavior because of their bond to society. Social bond was also conceptualized by Hirschi on the basis of the attachment of the individual to others, commitment to conventional lines of action, involvement and belief in legitimate order. These four components were regarded by Hircshi as being independent and having a generally negative association with the chances of engaging in deviant behavior. It was his opinion that when the elements of social bond were weakened, the probability of delinquency and deviancy increased (Weis, Crutchfield, Bridges, 2001). Labeling theory is considered important in the study of deviance since it focuses not only on crime but also the situation surrounding the crime. It goes beyond viewing the criminal as a robot like person whose actions are predetermined by also recognizing that crime is often the result of complex interactions and processes. Decisions to commit crimes and other acts of deviance involve the action of a variety of people that include peers, victims, police and other key characters. Additionally, labeling also fosters crime by guiding the actions of all parties involved in these criminal interactions. Actions that are considered insignificant and innocent when committed by one person are considered provocative and deviant when committed by another who has been labeled a miscreant. On the same note, labeled individuals may also be quick to judge, take offense and misinterpret the behaviors of others due to their past experiences (Siegel, 2004). Sociologist clam that when a person becomes known as a deviant, and is ascribed deviant behavior patterns, it is as much, if not more, to do with the way they have been stigmatized, then the deviant act they are said to have committed. As a matter of fact, labeling theory has subsequently become significantly dominant in the explanation of deviance. This theory is also often referred to as rationale choice or â€Å"economic† theory. The main idea of the theory is that all human acts are decisional and that any behavior is more easily understood in terms of relative costs and benefits. When the cost of any behavior exceeds the benefit or utility for any individual he or she will in all likelihood forgo it. But when the benefits exceed the cost, the behavior will follow. Hence if one could learn the costs and benefits of different courses of actions it would make it easy to explain and predict what will happen (Tittle, 1995). The theory of routine activities asserts the fact that high crime rates in the US have always been a part of normal life. The main concept of the theory are taken from the insights of a number of other perspectives on crime and victimization such a the free-will basis of human action or rational choice and empirical studies that reflect that patterns of crimes and victimization differ in time, in location and in the social distance between the victim and the offender. The key claim of the theory if that the patterns of victimization and crime are the result of the everyday interaction of the potential offenders, suitable targets, and guardians. It is the interaction of these three variables within geographical space and in time that eventually determines the rates of crime and delinquency in modern society (Beirne, Beirne, Messerschmidt, 1999). Deviance is broadly categorized into three basic forms of rule breaking behavior; good, odd or bad behavior. Deviance that could be considered good or even admirable but which still breaks out of social norms is something akin to heroism such as putting ones own life in danger in an attempt to save the life of another person. There are many behaviors that may be considered odd even though they may not be criminal. They are considered odd because they are different than behavior that is shown by other people. Examples of this deviance range from outlandish or inappropriate modes of dress, mildly eccentric behavior such as a person who sees nothing wrong in sharing their house with 50 cats to outright madness. Bad behavior is what the name implies it to be; law breaking or criminal behavior that in some way is seen as being something more than simply outlandish or eccentric. The different kinds of behavior in this category constitute crime, violence, crimes against property and the lik e dependant on the time and place at which they take place (Types of Deviance). Though the definition of deviance and the different ways of interpreting it have undergone much research over the years, the fact that there is indeed such behavior in every society that clearly deviates from the norms of that society and hence constitutes deviant behavior hasnt changed. According to Rock (1973), â€Å"The common sense definition has not changed: the absolutist orientation still prevails. Not so for social science. Sociologists in particular now realize that, contrary to common sense, the identification of and reaction to deviance in everybodys life is no different from other areas of life: these processes hinge on one persons interpretation of another persons deeds. The chief difference between interpretations in other areas of life and those in deviance lies in the use of a moral yardstick when deviance is interpreted. To be sure, what is seen a deviant is part of everyday knowledge of common-sense reality. But it is a socially constructed reality† (Rosenber g, 1983). Because most of the world does have a socially constructed view of deviance, it makes people view the act and not the actor. Societies, heritages, morals passed down from generations, and religious preferences have all blinded individuals from using their own personal judgments and common sense. My interest in this particular topic had a lot to do with my free will of judgment in reference to how I myself viewed deviance and although I guide my kids into what is believed to be right and wrong, I also teach them to make their own decision on what they consider to be deviant in their eyes. As times change, so does the world and although some things are more acceptable, values remain the same. However, if one really wants to understand the way deviance is viewed, created, challenged and enforced, one has to take a much deeper view. It is not enough to focus on the individual deviant and the means of society trying to transform a behavior into some acceptable normal thing; one also needs to examine those who insist on this transformation and who have defined it as deviant in the first place. In some cases, it may be the actual values or the way people judge and label deviant behaviors that is more deviant than the acts or behaviors itself. In conclusion, after examining the types of deviance and the different theories of deviance it can be surmised that it wont be logical to say that â€Å"deviance is simply in the eyes of the beholder†. Deviance is a recognized social ill. It also needs be mentioned here that there are two ways in which sociologists view deviance; the absolutist way and the relativist way. The absolutist are not willing to cut any slack at all in the discussing of deviance being an effect of environment, society and other factors related to it laying all blame of the deviant behavior entirely on the individual. To the contrary, the relativists are the ones who present their case in a manner akin to â€Å"so deviance, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder†¦almost every conceivable human characteristic or activity is pariah in somebodys eyes† (Simmons, 1969). In modern times most of the sociologists are relativists where they claim that human action is neither inherently deviant nor inherently nondeviant but dependant of the effects of the environment and society as well. However, in determining the validity of deviance it is best to adopt a middle position which is neither strictly absolutist nor strictly relativist. Given the growing diversities of societies all over the world, it is only by adopting this middle path can one truly judge deviant behavior and seek plausible solution to it by applying the theories of deviance upon them. According to Schur (1965), ‘The societal reaction to the deviant, then, is vital to the understanding of the deviance itself and a major element in—if not a cause of—the deviant behavior. In my opinion, deviance is in the eyes of the beholder nonetheless, it is still a societal ill that first needs to be treated as such before solutions can be sought to remedy it. References Andersen, M. L., Taylor, H. F. (2006) Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society. Pp. 170 (Thomson Wadsworth 2006) Beirne, Beirne, P., Messerschmidt, J. W. (1999) Criminology: Third Edition. Pp. 215 (Westview Press, 1999) Burke, R. H. (2005) An Introduction to Criminological Theory. Pp. 100 (Willan Publishing 2005) Rosenberg, M. (1983) Introduction to Sociology. Pp. 404 (Routledge 1983) Siegel, L. J. (2004) Criminology: The Core. Pp. 173 (Thomson Wadsworth 2004) Siegel, L. J. (2005) Criminology. Pp. 226 (Thomson Wadsworth 2005) Sociology of Deviance. Wikipedia. Retrieved on July 12, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology_of_deviance Tittle, C. R. (1995) Control Balance: Toward a General Theory of Deviance. Pp. 1 (Westview Press 1995) Types of Deviance. Retrieved on July 15, 2008 from http://www.sociology.org.uk/wsdo2.htm Weis, J. G., Crutchfield, R. D., Bridges, G. S. (2001) Juvenile Delinquency: Readings. Pp. 364 (Pine Forge Press 2001) What is Deviance? Retrieved on July 15, 2008 from http://www.geocities.com/tdeddins/deviance.htm

El Bien y la Felicidad Según Aristóteles Essay -- filosofía, ideolog

Los humanos, al igual que los animales y las plantas, cumplimos un ciclo vital que bà ¡sicamente es nacer, crecer, reproducirse y morir. Pero lo que nos diferencia de los animales y plantas es que nosotros, a lo largo de los aà ±os, nos hemos preguntado  ¿cuà ¡l es el objetivo de nuestras vidas?  ¿Quà © es aquello que buscamos alcanzar y para quà © hacemos todo lo que normalmente se hace en la sociedad? Segà ºn Aristà ³teles, estamos en busca del bien y la felicidad. (Aristà ³teles, 1998). Este ensayo se enfocarà ¡ en la ideologà ­a de Aristà ³teles para explicar quà © es el bien y la felicidad para el hombre, con el apoyo de ciertos textos de Bauman y Mill. Desde nuestro nacimiento, los primeros meses de nuestras vidas nuestros padres nos enseà ±an las cosas mà ¡s bà ¡sicas y elementales. Posteriormente, a medida que vamos creciendo, aprendemos muchas cosas nuevas. Nos damos cuenta que algunas de nuestras acciones brindan sufrimiento, tristeza, dolor y algunas todo lo contrario: felicidad, risa, emocià ³n; y nos damos cuenta de esto basà ¡ndonos en la reaccià ³n de los demà ¡s. Finalmente, cuando somos adolescentes y vamos a la universidad, lo hacemos con el objetivo de obtener un tà ­tulo, para despuà ©s obtener un trabajo que nos guste. A medida que llegamos a esto, nos preguntamos  ¿por quà © todos nuestros compaà ±eros y conocidos hacen lo mismo?  ¿Cà ³mo saben que eso es lo que les va a hacer felices? Pues no lo saben, sino que confà ­an en las experiencias de los demà ¡s y en lo que la sociedad nos dicta, y la sociedad nos dice que debemos acabar la escuela y el colegio para despuà ©s ir a la universidad, obtene r un trabajo o crear uno, y asà ­ obtener un constante ingreso econà ³mico, generar respeto, confianza y poder, y con ello lograr la felicidad. La felicidad es un bien por s... ...rà ­a piensa, sino que nos trajo nuevas costumbres, mejorà ³ varias tà ©cnicas de agricultura y produccià ³n, nos impartià ³ una religià ³n que hoy felizmente la mayorà ­a creemos y mejorà ³ la raza. Works Cited Referencias: Identidad humana: Aristà ³teles. (1998) Ética Nicomà ¡quea Ética Eudemia: Sobre la felicidad. Madrid: Gredos. Bauman, Z. (2006) Comunidad: La Agonà ­a de Tà ¡ntalo. Madrid: Siglo XXI. Mill, J. (2008) Sobre la libertad. Madrid: El libro de bolsillo. Identidad mestiza: Watson, P. (2013). La Mente "INDIA": las ideas en el nuevo mundo. En IDEAS "HISTORIA INTELECTUAL DE LA HUMANIDAD". Espaà ±a: EGEDSA Apolo, M. (2011) Los mestizos ecuatorianos y las senias de identidad cultural. Madrid: Tramasocial. Tomaselli, L. (2008) Ciudadanos vs canibales: la construccion de la identidad mestiza. Echeverrà ­a, B. (2011) Discurso Crà ­tico y Modernidad. Bogotà ¡: desde abajo

Finding Forrester †Opening Questions Essay

Q1. We learn about the type of people who live in the neighborhood. It sets up the stereotype of young black youth living in the Bronx, New York. It shows the setting as a city with high-rise buildings and people who are not in wealth. It shows the struggles they have to go thorough. Q2. The two main characters are Jamal and William Forrester. Jamal is a young African-American boy who lives in the Bronx. He is a very intelligent person and just does enough at school to not stand out because he knows his friends will not accept him for his intelligence. He does a test and receives test scores that show how smart he actually is. This catches attention from a private school and he is offered a scholarship. He clashes with William Forrester by the man looking out his window spying on Jamal and his friends playing basketball. Jamal breaks into his apartment and is scared of by William. His backpack falls off and is left in the apartment. William goes through his bag and emulates his writing pieces. The bag is given back to Jamal and he wants to be taught how to write better from William. Q3. It tells us how the boys speculate the window is ‘bad news’. They talk about how they should stay away from the window. They cogitate about a ghost in the window and come to a conclusion that some of the boys will go inside the apartment to see the mystery behind the window. Q4. We find out that the apartment is darkened and is not a friendly place. There are unusual items around the house and has been darkened on purpose to show us how it’s a mysterious place. This was done by the director to cause us to think it’s not a inviting place to live. Q5. It shows us that he knows how the man is judging him because of background where he is from and by his race’s past. It also shows us how intelligent Jamal is and how he is much smarter than his circumstances betray him. Q6. The director made us wait until 25 minutes to see the window because it builds suspense and questions the audience to think about what it is like. This makes the audience fall further into the movie causing them to keep their eyes glued onto the screen. This means the movie will keep them engaged and which makes people enjoy the movie much more. This means the movie will be a success.

Hitler Research Paper

Brianna Milligan Mr. McCaw AP Lit and Comp 9 November 2012 On April 20th 1889, Adolf Hitler was born. Adolf is debatably the most remembered dictator in all of history; he was responsible for the genocide of 6 million Jews, and other minorities. Why Hitler developed a strong angst against the Jews is unclear, although there are many theories, none prove to be factual. Perhaps it was this influential man’s huge desire for power that drove him to such drastic measures. Despite, Hitler’s unforgivable actions – rejection, war, and power are the three elements that created Adolf Hitler, the face of Nazi Germany.As a young German boy, Adolf loved art so much so, that all he sometimes did was sketch and paint. He was particularly gifted with academics; he passed his classes with great ease and found school to be fairly unchallenging. Despite his academic abilities, he stopped caring and trying in school as he grew older. The reason for this would be Alois’ death (Hitler’s father) when Adolf was only 13. However, it was Hitler’s biggest aspiration to be accepted into Vienna Academy of Art, but after submitting his application several times Hitler was rejected.Prior to his father’s death, Hitler and Alois had their differences due to Alois’ opinion on the pointlessness of art school. Adolf was abused by his father for many years, and it is arguable that this rejection from his own father built up unhealthy steam. After being rejected by the Academy of Art, he lived in Vienna pretending to be an art student to avoid telling his mother, Klara, the truth. In 1907, his mother passed away of cancer, and this was probably the most traumatic thing in Hitler’s youth. â€Å"Her death affected him far more deeply than the death of his father.He had fond memories of his mother, carried her photograph wherever he went and, it is claimed, had it in his hand when he died in 1945. † (Spartacus Educational) He could never face his mother, in fear of being rejected by her as well. The First World War was surfacing and Hitler had ignored his call-up papers for enlisting in the Austrian Army. Shortly after being taken in by the authorities for a medical examination for the army, â€Å"he was rejected as being: â€Å"Unfit for combatant and auxiliary duty – too weak. Unable to bear arms. (Spartacus Educational) Acceptance in the psychological development of a teenager is crucial, and Hitler was repeatedly rejected. World War I was in full action, and Hitler joined the German Army. Most soldiers look back on violent wars and talk about the brutality and struggles, but Hitler wrote, â€Å"I was overcome with impetuous enthusiasm, and falling on my knees, wholeheartedly thanked Heaven that I had been granted the happiness to live at this time. † (Mein Kampf) Hitler found this to be his â€Å"greatest spiritual experience† (Mein Kampf) and from then on found himself becoming obse ssed with the military.He volunteered for the job of ‘dispatch-runner’ which required him to run across the front-line and relay messages from regimental headquarters. Being on the front lines were extremely dangerous considering only one out of three messengers lived. Adolf Hitler won five medals including the honorable â€Å"Iron Cross. † This was one of his first successors, and WWI had become his favorite point in his life. It was until October 1918, when Hitler breathed in some British Mustard Gas and was blinded. This resulted in Hitler having to stay in the hospital until he recovered.While he was in the hospital, Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles and had surrendered. The few peers and colleagues of Hitler stated that he had slipped into a deep depression once he’d caught wind of the news, and this was just another failure that Adolf had associated himself with. Post-war Hitler had been shocked that a socialist revolution had occurred, and as a dedicated German Nationalist he was infuriated with these social equality movements. He believed that communism was evil and that these Socialist party revolutions were nothing but â€Å"Jewish Conspiracies† (YouTube: Adolf Hitler the Greatest Story Never Told).Eventually, Hitler was recruited as a German political officer, and could now lecture soldiers on politics. Germany was in a state of economic downfall because of the Treaty of Versailles. All of the war reparations were to be a paid for by Germany because they had originally started the war, Hitler was deeply involved with politics and loved war. Therefore he was agitated by the fact that the Treaty was having Germany pay for everything and he rendered that it was an unfair treaty.Hitler, at this time, was a common public speaker, and not too long after all these speeches he created his own political party. â€Å"In February 1920, the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) published its first programme whi ch became known as the â€Å"25 Points†. In the programme the party refused to accept the terms of the Versailles Treaty and called for the reunification of all German people. To reinforce their ideas on nationalism, equal rights were only to be given to German citizens. â€Å"Foreigners† and â€Å"aliens† would be denied these rights. (Spartacus Educational) This is when Hitler’s evident hatred of the Jews became visible to all of Germany, but his speaking was so influential and it made sense at the time that people didn’t disagree. His party was the biggest favored political party during this period. Hitler’s newfound party became known as the ‘Nazi Party. ’ â€Å"According to Hitler, Jews were responsible for everything he did not like, including modern art, pornography and prostitution. Hitler also alleged that the Jews had been responsible for losing the First World War.Hitler also claimed that Jews, who were only about 1% of the population, were slowly taking over the country. They were doing this by controlling the largest political party in Germany, the German Social Democrat Party, many of the leading companies and several of the country's newspapers. The fact that Jews had achieved prominent positions in a democratic society was, according to Hitler, an argument against democracy: â€Å"a hundred blockheads do not equal one man in wisdom. † (YouTube: Adolf Hitler the Greatest Story Never Told).It wasn’t long before Hitler ran for president, won, and became a dictator. He now had complete and total power, and had already begun deportation plans for the Jewish people in Germany. Hitler let the German people know right away that the Jewish were the reason they lost the war, he read Henry Ford’s book The International Jew, and stemmed a passionate hatred toward the very existence of the Jewish race. It wasn’t until autumn of 1941 that Hitler openly spoke about the annihil ation of the Jews, but he wasted no time in preparing the concentrations camps which was ultimately his ‘final solution. (adolfhitler. dk. ) Adolf Hitler controlled everything in Germany during the holocaust, every horror imaginable was going on in these concentration camps, and Germany’s strategies in WWII were extremely violent. The mass murder of the Jewish population was called the Holocaust. Hitler took over many territories all over the world during WWII, and his army was incredibly disciplined and brutal. Conclusively, the Holocaust was a result of the creation of the Nazi Party.Hitler was rejected by society, became obsessed with war, and his complete control of Germany with his ultimate power led to the genocide of 6 million Jews. Works Cited: â€Å"Adolf Hitler. † Adolf Hitler. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. adolfhitler. dk/;. â€Å"Spartacus Educational. † Spartacus Educational. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. sparta cus. schoolnet. co. uk/GERhitler. htm;. YouTube. Dir. Deephiddentruth. YouTube. YouTube, 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=TERKermWgIg;.

Romeo Juliet theatre review Essay Example

Romeo Juliet theatre review Essay Example Romeo Juliet theatre review Paper Romeo Juliet theatre review Paper Romeo and Juliet is a romantic play based on two peoples desire to spend their lives together, but it doesnt exactly turn out exactly as they would have liked. The Black Cat Company showed this William Shakespeare production to us on Friday the 20th of October. This play is nearly split in half at the beginning, there are two groups of people both completely different, The Capulets and The Montagues. Romeo a good-looking working class young man is a Montague and always will be, he falls for a beautiful women Juliet and everything is fine until he finds out that she is a Capulet. After sneaking around Romeo is banished from the city of Verona for killing Tybalt a Capulet. Whilst Juliet is forced to marry a gentleman (by her parents) she does not want to go through with it. She then gets her hands on a potion that made her sleep for 48 hours. Her parents find her the next morning and think she passed away in the night. Romeo hears his beloved Juliet is dead and buys very strong poison; he goes to where Juliets body is and drinks it. Juliet wakes up and after seeing Romeos body she kills herself. The set they used was very simple, set out on stage left was a table with a flowery cloth on it, in the centre of the stage was a black box making it look quite simple and old fashioned, this had a sword in it, at the back was obviously a backdrop, where the actors changed and also was a music player. The music was very carefully chosen and really set a goof atmosphere, the costumes made it very obvious of the time this played would have taken place. The lighting was very basic; there were no special lighting effects at all. The characters really made an effort to involve the audience, their diction was also very clear. The narrator spoke very well and told the story very interestingly. Tybalt made it very clear that he was a baddy his anger came across well and also had very good stage presence. Benvolio had very good facial expressions and all around body movement, interesting to watch when he was on stage. Romeo was on stage nearly at all times he was a good actor that moved well across the stage, the tension between him and Juliet came across very well, he showed clearly that Romeo was a Montague by making clear hand jesters and generally acting like a down to earth working class young man. Juliets speech was in general quite good, but at some points I found it hard to understand her because she spoke very fast and ended up loosing her cotenants. Her use of props was very good and I think she improved her stage presence as the play progressed. Her best part was by far keeping incredibly still on the table while she was meant to be dead, it must have taken a lot of rehearsal. Mercutio was personally my favourite actor he had a very good pronunciation of Shakesperes English and seemed to pick it up very well. His reactions were also very clear and very interesting to watch. The nurse was more of a comedy actress, she did it very well to begin with and was very entertaining but towards the end, she went a little bit over the top. She involved the audience a lot and made a lot of the younger children laugh. This was all due to her body movements, she acted the elderly women very well and made it very obvious after one step on stage everyone could tell that she was playing an old woman. Her facial expressions were also something to remember. All of the actors and actresss worked well together and if someone forgot their lines they would each no exactly what to do. The moods change quite frequently in a play like this as it can go from happy and romantic to death or tragedy, the music really helped us realise what was going on. This story can also come across as very complicated, but as the actors new they were performing to a young audience so they deliberately targeted that aged group; they did it well so that they would find it easy to follow the story line and understand it. Even if the children didnt quite understand the language they could still tell what was going on because of the acting, the way they looked at each other and acted towards each other. The other thing that I happened to notice was the way the audience reacted to certain scenes, they whistled in the romantic scenes and gasped in the fighting scenes, which is a clear compliment to the actors. In comparison to other plays I have scene this one was good although with the right equipment and lighting and effects it could have been a lot better, but unfortunately they just didnt have the time to plan all of that. Other plays that I have seen are very different ones to this I have seen mostly musicals. An important scene in this production was the opening scene, it was an all round good scene, it was clear about what was happening, it made it very obvious about who was Montague and who was Capulet it gave the production a kick start as they caught the attention to the audience. Another important scene was the big fight scene, with all of the actors present when Mercutio was murdered; it was set out well, which was also easy to understand. My favourite scene by far has to be the last one, where tragedy hits, Juliet is dead on a table and Romeo comes in bursting with tears looking at his beautiful lover and just torn apart at the fact that he has lost her, he then kills himself but right at the moment when he is in so much pain he cannot speak a word Juliet wakes up and sees him there struggling to breathe and the look they exchange is just incredible. The atmosphere that is created in not easy to sit through but it is still brilliant and the audiences reaction to what had happened was what they were hoping for Im sure. It was very effective. I enjoyed this play very much and it was just a shame that I couldnt give it my full attention, as I had to write notes in the process. Four people, two women and two men, and the fact they had no interesting lighting or effects they did exceptionally well to put this play together. They certainly targeted the audience well and also at the end they let the audience ask questions about their background and also asked for a couple of volunteers and showed them how to stage fight. I thought this was a very good thing to include as it doesnt just mean that we just watch a play and thats the end of it, we also got to learn about it and pick up a few good tips on how to act well. I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon.

The Necklace Essays

The Necklace Essays The Necklace Essay The Necklace Essay Many people, more often than not, are obsessed with riches and obtaining the material items they come to believe they deserve. When one examines this, it takes but a moment to realize that most people strive to live above and beyond their meaner. For instance, that shiny new vehicle that came with payments that can barely be scraped together every month, was viewed as a necessity when it was purchased rather than the luxury it really is. Another point of fact is the extremely nice and prominent new home that thousands of people build each year has payments so enormously high that it takes nearly all of their monthly income to make the monthly aments. Many times people have misunderstood what is real and what is not real in life, thereby creating a false sense of security that eventually has destructive consequences. But the lure of having the best of the best for all to observe, in reality, clouds the Judgment and thereby causes much personal distress and financial destruction. In modern times, this is often referred to as keeping up with the Joneses. For most people being known in ones community as beautiful, charismatic, interesting, and wealthy is often ingrained very deep in the recesses of he human mind and the character, Nathalie, in the short story, The Necklace written by Guy De Unpleasant, is certainly no exception. In The Necklace, the author has very quickly painted the character of Madame Nathalie as a very unhappy woman because of her position in society, her desire to be above the common people, accepted and admired among the titled, and her love and lack of riches. The author tells a story of a woman born into a family of clerks, with no dowry to offer and therefore no meaner of ever being wed to a rich and distinguished gentleman, and she let herself to be married too little clerk (68). Mr De Unpleasant also states that Madame Nathalie suffers ceaselessly from the poverty of her dwelling; she is depicted as tortured and angry because she feels that she was born for all the delicacies and luxuries (68). He further describes Madame Mediated as having no dresses nor Jewels and that she loved nothing but that. He tells us that Madame Mediated would so have liked to please, to be envied, to be charming, and to be sought after (68). We also learn that Madame Mediated had a friend that was rich, and whom she did not like to go see anymore because she suffered so much when she came back (68). Madame Nathalie is so preoccupied with who she wants to be and the life style of the rich and titled among her that she has come to love nothing and no one. Her life has seized to exist in any normal fashion as she is totally fixated on what she does not have that she has failed to see how blessed she truly is. Madame Mediated has become so lost in her own world of have-onto that she rejects her friend and has stopped visiting her because Madame Jeanne is wealthy. Madame Mediated has actually quit visiting her friend because she feels the stark truth of her reality upon returning to her own home. It appears that Madame Mediated is Jealous f her friends wealth to the point that she actually dislikes her. In any event, one would have to assume that Madame Mediated is most certainly allowing her love for wealth direct her heart in the matter of her friendship with Madame Jeanne. Madame Matisses husband appears to be content with what he has in life as he is dinner. Mr Eloise uncovered the soup tureen and declared with an enchanted air, ah, the good pot-AU-fee! I dont know anything better than that (68). Mediated cant keep herself from dreaming of riches, not even at the dinner table, the author tells us that she thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware (68). She thought of delicate dishes served on marvelous plates, and of the whispered gallantries which you listen to with a sphinxes smile, while you are eating the pink flesh of a trout or the wings of a quail (68). Mediated is portrayed as a person who obviously has a deep-rooted love of money and all the material things that accompanies it, to the point that it has consumed her thoughts and actions from within. While Madame Matisses husband is so proud of the stew that he is served, Madame Mediated feels she should be served rich and fancy meals on a silver platter with real silver adorning the table while tinting among the aristocrats and lords. Madame Mediated has engulfed herself in a non-existent world and feels slighted because she was born into a family of commoners. It is very likely that Madame Mediated will destroy herself and her husband with her deep seated dreams of being rich. Madam Mediated seems to have lost her grip on reality because she seems to hate her life to the point that she is suffering severe unhappiness due to the lack of wealth. Madame Matisses husband attempts to bring her happiness when he secures a highly sought after invitation to a party at the palace of the Ministry. The Invitations were issued to very few clerks and all the upper class was to attend this party. But instead of Mediated being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she threw the invitation on the table with disdain (69). Even as her husband gives up his planned purchase of a gun and his savings to buy her a new dress she still isnt happy. She begins to become uneasy and anxious because she is annoyed that she doesnt have a single Jewel, not a single stone, nothing to put on. I shall look like distress. I should almost rather not go at all (69). Whereas Matisses husband suggests she wear flowers, however, she was not invoiced. No; theres nothing more humiliating than to look poor among other women who are rich, at which time her husband suggests she ask her friend Madame Jeanne Forrester, to lend her some Jewels (70). At this point Madame Mediated is more concerned about how the wealthy party attendees would view her above all else. It is very important to Madame Mediated to appear to be wealthy to others at the party. Money cannot buy happiness and neither can anything one purch ases with money add one iota to who you are on the inside. She never appeared to give any thought to spending a lovely and fun filled night at the party with her husband. Her thoughts were totally consumed and controlled by her desire for riches. One of Madame Matisses worst fears is to appear poor. It never occurred to her that she is her own worst enemy and she will be the cause of her own poverty. It obviously never occurs to her to question why she feels the way she does when it comes to money and power. Had she analyzed or stopped to think about why she is so attracted to wealth, she may have avoided the awful existence that soon came. Madame Mediated has decided that she cannot attend the ball with no Jewels to wear, her husband then suggests she ask Madame Jeanne to lend her some. So taking her husband suggestion, Mediated visits her friend Madame Jeanne Forrester and explains her distress at not having any Jewels and asks her to lend her some Jewels. Madame her heart began to beat with an immoderate desire. Her hands trembled as she took it. She fastened it around her throat, outside of her high-necked dress, and remained lost in ecstasy at the sight of herself (70). The day of the ball arrived and Madame Mediated Eloise made a great success, she was prettier than them all, elegant, smiling, gracious, and crazy with Joy. All the men looked at her, asked her name, endeavored to be introduced. All the attaches of the Cabinet wanted to waltz with her. She was remarked by the Minister himself. She danced with intoxication, with passion, made drunk with pleasure, forgetting all, in the triumph of her beauty, in the glory of her success (70) Madame Mediated was living her ultimate dream and the despairing fragments of true reality was nothing more than a distant memory lost long ago in another world. As reality always does, it came sweeping in at about four oclock in the morning when it was time to leave (70). Her husband threw over her shoulders the wraps which he had bought, modest wraps of common life, whose poverty entreated with the elegance of the ball dress. She felt this and wanted to escape so as not to be remarked by the other women, who were enveloping themselves in costly furs (70) Once again as she hastily left her dream life, she instantly became sad and unhappy. All was ended, for her (71). Madame Mediated fears being looked upon as poor so much that she immediately begins to worry about what people will think of her if they observe her wearing common clothing. She has not a worry for neither her own nor her husbands health as she rushes into the freezing cold morning without a warm taxi awaiting them. Madame Mediated was willing to risk both of their well-being to keep up her well laid appearances of the previous night. She is unwilling that anyone see her clothed in anything less than what she considered perfect, after all, appearances of wealth is all that Madame Mediated loves. Appearances is very important in her world. Madame Mediated immediately became unhappy as she was leaving the ball because she was leaving her coveted dream world. For once in her young life, she has lived the way she has dreamed of all her life. Just the thought of leaving that life, no matter how brief it was, became so overwhelming to her that she t once hated her old life with a passion so deep that it caused immediate sadness. In her sadness Madame Mediated momentarily lost sight of how beautiful she looks in her new ball gown and how sophisticated she looks wearing the diamond necklace. The necklace is soon to take control of her life in a way that she nor her husband would have never dreamed possible. Upon arriving home she discovers that she has lost Madame Foresters necklace. Madame Mediated is so stunned over losing the necklace that she Just sits there without doing anything for several hours. She is now ginning to realize that what she had loved more than anything else in her life was becoming a living nightmare. After searching extensively for a week to locate the lost necklace, Mr Eloise goes about borrowing money to purchase a replacement necklace to return to Madame Forrester. The replacement necklace cost 36000 francs; Mr Eloise used all of his inheritance and borrowed from loan sharks and illegal lenders to secure the funds to replace the necklace. At which point he and Mediated began working extremely long hours and very difficult Jobs to pay the loans back. Madame Mediated Eloise now knew the horrible existence of the needy. She took her part, moreover, all of a sudden, with heroism. They dismissed their servant, they took them ten long years to repay all the debts, at which time Madame Mediated appearance had drastically changed, she looked old now. Gone was the beauty of ten years ago and in its place she had become a woman of impoverished households, strong and hard and rough (72). Ironic that poverty had taken its toll on her due to her own love of the riches and Jewels that she so coveted. Madame Mediated vowed to help repay that debt incurred because of her love of riches. One can assume by Madame Matisses actions that she has realized the folly of her prior actions and thoughts. Her days are now spent with long hours of heavy labor. The deep lines etched upon her face and calloused on the palms of her hands tells the story of the toil and depressing poverty that had become her life during the years of repayment. She gave up her preoccupation with what she didnt have and day dreaming of what might have been and replaced them with the reality of the commoner. The author now tells us that Madame Mediated has a chance meeting with Madame Forrester hill taking a walk one day. Madame Mediated decides on the spot to tell Madame Forrester about the lost necklace and the replacement that both she and Mr Eloise worked ten long hard years to pay off, only to be told in the end that the necklace wasnt real at all! It was fake, Just Paste, not worth more than 500 francs (73). At times people learn the hard way that appearances are deceiving and very little is actually what it appears to be. It is perfectly acceptable and honorable to want a better life and obtain wealth, nevertheless, it is not smart to live ones life in anger ND unhappiness, nor to allow Jealousy and greed to control ones life. Madame Mediated learns that she has worked her whole life in a fake world made real only by her thoughts which turned her beliefs toward Jealousy, envy, and discontent with what she had before she lost the necklace. The Lesson that Madame Mediated has learned as she stands there in front of Madame Forrester is that she has caused them serious and real poverty for what she deemed to be real and admirable, was in fact fake and Just an illusion, not all things are what they appear to be. One decision can change ones whole life.

5 TEDx Videos Can Inspire You to Write Your Successful Philosophy Personal Statement

5 TEDx Videos Can Inspire You to Write Your Successful Philosophy Personal Statement 5 TEDx Videos Can Inspire You to Write Your Successful Philosophy Personal Statement Most of us like to indulge in philosophizing with regard to different issues principles of human behavior, social interaction, cultural influences and so on. Someone can decide to take it a step further to get a degree in Philosophy. Want to connect your life with one of the oldest academic discipline in the world? Great! For example, the students from the Lehigh University don’t regret studying Philosophy. There are many benefits from this subject critical thinking skills, opinion expressing skills, effective writing skills. According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018: Philosophy, top universities in America is the University of Pittsburgh and in the UK the University of Oxford. Want to be admitted to them? As a student applying to study Philosophy at university, you should write a clear and accurate personal statement. It can be a representation of your love, interest, and commitment to the subject. Regardless of how well you do during high school years, a poorly constructed personal statement can ruin your chances of being accepted into your the Philosophy course. So, it is important to make time to write a personal statement that would captivate the admissions officers, and make a positive impression about you as a potential student at their school. How to set yourself up for writing a philosophy personal statement? Draw Much of Inspiration from the TEDx Speakers A collection of TED Talks on the topic of philosophy offers you a vast variety of ideas you can use in your personal statement. These talks are given by professional philosophers who have previous experience with writing their own personal statements and who gained years of experience working in the field. Each talk offers a unique insight into various crucial global topics that can be inspirational for you. ‘Your Elusive Creative Genius’ by Elizabeth Gilbert. The author of the bestseller â€Å"Eat, Pray, Love† presents the relationship between humans and the creative mystery a genius. So, the idea is as follows: all of us have a genius inside. Use this video to highlight in your personal statement that you have that inner potential that makes you worthy of joining the faculty of Philosophy . ‘The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers’ by Adam Grant. An organizational psychologist dedicates the video topic to the exploration of the fundamentals of success that are applied by people who are considered to think originally. Do you know that many great originals in history were procrastinators? However, it is a virtue for creativity, not productivity. Start writing your personal statement after you watch this video, not later. Use Adam’s guidelines to write an original and unique piece that will grab admissions staff’s attention. â€Å"The Puzzle of Personality† by Brian Little. The Cambridge professor explore the different types of contemporary personality. You may be open to experience or stands for conscientiousness. Allow your personality to shine through in your personal statement by following Little’s explanations. â€Å"Success, Failure and the Drive to Keep Creating† by Elizabeth Gilbert. According to the speaker, the way we experience great failure differ from the way we experience great success. So, it’s essential to tune in to the right wave-length. Watch this video and determine what it is your best place you can return each time to keep creating what you love. â€Å"How to See Past Your Own Perspective and Find Truth† by Michael Patrick Lynch. The philosopher suggests the idea that the more information a person absorbs, the more difficult it can be to tell the difference between whats true and whats fake. The understanding of the facts as they are involves more than just downloading the information from the Internet. See this video and realize what you need to do for writing a personal statement. As a high school student, these videos act as introductory mediums for the subject and offer real-life experiences and examples that you can use in your statement. Granted, you are required to write unique and honest personal experiences, motivations and abilities but you can use key lessons taught in TED videos as guiding tools. The following is a list of ideas for your philosophy personal statement based on TED videos: Analyze where your ideas as a future philosopher come from and how they can influence your research in university. Use the talk on ‘how we make choices’ as a guideline to describe how you made the choice to pursue Philosophy. Explore who you are and explain how you as an individual will contribute to the program and Philosophy in general. When writing your personal statement, it is important to show your passion for the subject as opposed to simply mentioning it. What does admissions committee look for? It is a statement that is honest, unique and one that shows a commitment to Philosophy as more than just a university major. Get the best Philosophy personal statements written by our professionals. Supply yourself with a good example of writing that contributes surely to your success.

Principles of Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Principles of Economics - Assignment Example Thus, the price of goods to be sold to them shall be cheaper. Conversely speaking, tourists are less likely to question and be discouraged by imposition of higher prices of goods since they are just visiting the college town. Thus, local residents shall be offered goods and services at lower prices as compared to visitors’ prices of similar goods. Further, locals should be the only ones aware of the pricing difference. They come very often and I am able to make relationships with them brings more revenue to the business. With my price discrimination strategy, I would not only help with the revenue of my business. More importantly, I would also make a profit and gain more customers. 2. Suppose the cable TV industry is currently unregulated. However, due to complaints from consumers that the price of cable TV is too high, the legislature is considering placing a price ceiling on cable TV below the current equilibrium price. If the government does make this price ceiling law, dia gram and explain the effects with supply and demand analysis. If the cable TV company is worried about disgruntling customers, suppose that the company may introduce a different type of programming that is cheaper for the company to provide yet is equally appealing to customers. Explain what would be the effects of this action. - Price Ceiling is actually a government-imposed limit on the price charged for a product in a particular industry. Governments usually require price ceiling to protect consumers from conditions that could make necessary commodities impossible. However, a price ceiling can cause troubles if imposed for a long period without any controlled rationing. Price ceilings can generate negative results when the correct solution would have been to increase supply. In the example given, the price ceiling has a considerable impact on the market. Cable TV Company finds that it cannot charge what it had been before the imposition of price ceiling. This may result TV Cable Company to drop out of the market. The consequence will be a reduced supply. Meanwhile, customers and/or consumers suddenly find they can now buy the product for less, so quantity demanded increases. These two events results in the quantity demanded which may exceed the quantity supplied. This may cause a shortage unless rationing or other consumption controls are imposed. 3. Consider a perfectly competitive market. Analyze and explain in detail using graphical tools to show what you expect to happen to the number of firms and firm profitability in the short run and long run a) if demand for the product falls and b) if demand for the product rises. - A perfect competitive market is filled with buyers and sellers so nothing can affect the market price. If the demand of the product falls it is tolerable because the firm does not pick the price, the firm just chooses how much to make at the given market price. The firm does not lose anything. If the demand for the product increases the n the firm benefits of course and the price is not changed. There is no need to cut the price to sell more because the firm picks the amount they are willing to sell; if the price is increased buyers will fall off. Â   4. Discuss why some long-run average cost curves are steeper on the downward side than others. Discuss fully. - Long run average cost curves show the economies and diseconomies of scale of a specific firm. So when a firm gets

Gastrointestinal Disorders and Treatments Discussion Essay

Gastrointestinal Disorders and Treatments Discussion - Essay Example For short-term treatment, PPIs are more effective compared to H2RAs (Karch, 2013). The two drugs act by repressing the production of acid from the stomach. The PPIs drugs reduce but do not prevent the risk of developing ulcers in people taking NSAIDs (Song, Zhu & Lu, 2015). There is evidence that a dose of 75mg ranitidine and famotidine 10mg helps to minimize gastric acidity for at least 12h at night though it is a lower dose than the one in the prescription product insert. The PPIs are more effective in the prevention of acute peptic ulcer bleeding and ulcer healing. However, a standard dose of H2RAs is efficient in the prevention of NSAID- induced injury such as duodenal but not gastric ulcers (Mejia & Kraft, 2009). The PPIs are efficient in inhibition of gastric acid production. The commonly used drugs include rabeprazole, lansoprazole, omeprazole, pantoprazole and esomeprazole. These drugs are weak bases that require an acidic surrounding to obstruct H+K+ -ATPase and act as prodrugs. The PPIs also reduce pepsin secretion that acts to minimize mucosa harm. Moreover, the morning dosage of PPIs enhances acid repression that is in contrast with H2RAs that works well at night. The drugs’ effect increase with repeated administration where by day three a steady state happens and the amount of pumps that is inhibited for more than two hours get to 70%. An increase in enzyme recruitment promotes progressive acid suppression. Nevertheless, taking the drugs ‘when required’ does not generate sufficient acid inhibition and does not give a regular clinical reaction. PPIs and H2RAs should not be used together because of their minimum inhibitory impact. If there is a need for concomitant treatment, it is advisable to provide enough intervals in the administration of the two drugs. The H2RAs are safe to use and can be obtained over-the-counter. However, for elderly patients in the intensive care unit suffering from renal and hepatic difficulties, it

Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Political Science - Essay Example The first quality is that the theory should explain why interethnic relations are mostly based on tension and mistrust. The second one should explain why the results of interethnic relations are peace and cooperation instead of violence. Lastly, it should explain why in some situations interethnic relations result in spirals of violence or sometimes in war. According to Fearon and Laitin, interethnic conflicts have claimed over ten million lives worldwide since the end of the Second World War (715). However, the approach of many scholars to analyzing this situation is biased, especially while selecting the cases of ethnic conflicts. They focus mainly on post-Soviet and African countries where actual cases of ethnic violence are relatively fewer than potential cases of ethnic violence. In order to avoid biased selection of ethnic violence cases, there is the need for theories that not only account for causes of ethnic violence but also the outcomes of ethnic tension other than violenc e. The first are rationalist theories, which refer to ethnic groups as joint forces that take or defend beneficial materials from others. These materials include education, labor and state investments. In case one ethnic group denies the other the right to possess a certain material, then violence would result between the two groups. The others are psychological theories that refer to ethic groups as a satisfaction to the need of belonging to a group. Therefore, in this case ethnic violence may occur if one group threatens the psychological satisfaction of the other. In addition to rationalist and psychological theories, game theories would be more precise in explaining outcomes of ethnic conflicts other than violence. Game theories consist of spiral equilibrium and in-group policing equilibrium. Spiral equilibrium is where an individual action during the game is taken to be a joint action of the whole group. In this case, all members of group A punish group B members following unac ceptable behavior from one member of group B. A single player from either group immediately triggers a state of complete breakdown of cooperation that once existed between the groups. On the other hand, in-group policing equilibrium is where one group ignores violating actions from the other group, assuming that the other group is going to take disciplinary action against the individual that caused the violation (Fearon and Laitin 730). In this case, a defection of a member from either group does not affect the reaction of the other group. Instead of members from group B responding negatively to members in group A because one of the members from group A portrayed unacceptable behavior, the game continues as if nothing had happened. In some cases, there is the presence of â€Å"noise† which, in this context, refers to additional defections such as drunkenness, misinterpretations or sudden passions. In such a case, the best theoretical approach to addressing ethnic outcome woul d be in-group policing equilibrium. In group policing, unlike spiral regime, punishment is only applicable to the individual responsible for a defection. The other reason that makes in-group policing more appropriate is the fact that in spiral equilibrium members respond to a tiny issue in the same way they would respond to a serious

Human Resource Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Human Resource Management - Research Paper Example The unions have grown from local associations that fought to maintain status quo of craftsmen and were dominated by men to national unions representing employees nationwide through amalgamations. The unions have a lot of influence on workers from public and private sector though union membership has been on the decline since the installation of Thatcher conservative government that is aggressive to the unions (CIPD, 2009). Due to globalization and technological advancements as well as change in employee dynamics, unions have changed drastically and become friendly to employers and work in partnership with them in order to help workers. Their relevance is also on the decline due to changes in workplace management practices especially after emergence of human resource management which appreciates workers and views them as partners. In order to understand the future of trade union movement in the 21st century in public and private sector, we need to appreciate the history of the movemen t especially the legalities that have shaped the movement ever since and continue to guide the unions today. According to Hyman (2001), British trade unionism dates back to two centuries. The earliest trade unions were formed by skilled workers or craftsmen with the aim of guarding their trade and establishing wage levels and followed the laissez-faire form of market control hence voluntarism characterized by low legal regulation and no government intervention (The national archives, 2010). Workers were free to organize collectively and so did employers have freedom to dismiss union members. Although unions bargained collectively, employers had the right to refuse to negotiate with the union. Strikes were legal but workers had the right to dismiss striking workers if they breached their contracts (Hyman, 2001). The craftsmen prevented entry of other members into their trade so as not to increase supply and hence

History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

History - Assignment Example To what degree do you find his arguments persuasive? (see the box on pg 793) Brezhnev believed that if a country was shifting from Communism to capitalism, it was the duty of those who support Communism to step in and try to stop the shift. He clearly saw it as a good versus evil issue. When Czechoslovakia appeared to be switching to capitalism in 1968, Brezhnev ordered troops to prevent the uprising, and crush the Prague Spring. His arguments are ridiculous. He refused to listen to the will of the people in Czechoslovakia, preferring to kill them instead. The Prague Spring was not the imposition of an invading force; it was the people making a choice for themselves. His policy was also retroactive. This doctrine, espoused by President Harry Truman, suggested that the U.S. would help subjugated people try to free themselves from domination by Communists. At the time it focused on Greece and Turkey, where Communists were trying to take over, but it eventually extended to many other countries. Truman wanted to prevent the Soviet Union from dominating the Third World and he was willing to use American force to do this. Both of these groups were Cold War military alliances. The West had NATO—the North Atlantic Treaty Organization—that included America, Canada, Western Europe, and a few other countries. The Warsaw Pact was the Soviet Union and its allies. Those who foresaw the Cold War turning into a hot war, believed these alliances would fight one another. In each alliance, the countries had mutual assistance pacts. NATO, for example, considered an attack on any NATO country an attack on all of them. This was a crisis that involved the Soviet Union, America, and Cuba. In the early 1960s, the Americans learned that the Russians were putting nuclear missiles on Cuba and point them at the U.S. This led to a serious standoff and a blockade of Cuba. Many believe this was the

We Were Soldiers Once and Young Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

We Were Soldiers Once and Young - Essay Example The following observation by the author indicates how the soldiers, many of them young and a few war veterans, stood by the â€Å"7 Army Values of "Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage" Moore argues in the prologue, â€Å"We were the children of the 1950s and we went where we were sent because we loved out country.†(xviii) This sums up all the qualities that are expected of an American soldier. The story of the book from Chapter I, â€Å"Heat of the Battle’ to Chapter 26, â€Å"Reflections and Perceptions,† provides the vivid accounts of what must have transpired at the battle front and in the minds of those who died and the mute witness were their mutilated bodies. Those who survived provided the vital information about the historic days of war. November 14, 1965 was the fateful day. Four hundred and fifty men of Harold Moore’s battalion engaged the Vietnamese regulars in a helicopter assault on a landing Zone in the Ia Drang Valley of South Vietnam’s Central Highlands. America was trying out new tactics and weapons since World War II. The troops were far outnumbered, with more than two thousand enemy soldiers who challenged men under Moore’s command. Brutal firefights followed until November 16 and the enemy was repulsed. Counter attack by the North Vietnamese was fast. Next day another American battalion was attacked, taking the American army by surprise. They held the battlefield, but suffered heavy casualties. Casualties on either side were heavy. Two hundred and thirty-four Americans were killed in the battle of Ia Drang. Each death was an extraordinary example of heroism and describing one such martyrdom of a soldier Moore writes, â€Å" We discovered in that depressing, hellish place, where death was our constant companion, that we loved each other, we killed for each other, we died for each other.†(6) Narrating one specific incident he sums up, â€Å"Just

History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

History - Assignment Example To what degree do you find his arguments persuasive? (see the box on pg 793) Brezhnev believed that if a country was shifting from Communism to capitalism, it was the duty of those who support Communism to step in and try to stop the shift. He clearly saw it as a good versus evil issue. When Czechoslovakia appeared to be switching to capitalism in 1968, Brezhnev ordered troops to prevent the uprising, and crush the Prague Spring. His arguments are ridiculous. He refused to listen to the will of the people in Czechoslovakia, preferring to kill them instead. The Prague Spring was not the imposition of an invading force; it was the people making a choice for themselves. His policy was also retroactive. This doctrine, espoused by President Harry Truman, suggested that the U.S. would help subjugated people try to free themselves from domination by Communists. At the time it focused on Greece and Turkey, where Communists were trying to take over, but it eventually extended to many other countries. Truman wanted to prevent the Soviet Union from dominating the Third World and he was willing to use American force to do this. Both of these groups were Cold War military alliances. The West had NATO—the North Atlantic Treaty Organization—that included America, Canada, Western Europe, and a few other countries. The Warsaw Pact was the Soviet Union and its allies. Those who foresaw the Cold War turning into a hot war, believed these alliances would fight one another. In each alliance, the countries had mutual assistance pacts. NATO, for example, considered an attack on any NATO country an attack on all of them. This was a crisis that involved the Soviet Union, America, and Cuba. In the early 1960s, the Americans learned that the Russians were putting nuclear missiles on Cuba and point them at the U.S. This led to a serious standoff and a blockade of Cuba. Many believe this was the

North Korea Essay Essay Example for Free

North Korea Essay Essay Imagine how life would be like if you lived in North Korea. A country so isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. Even after many decades from the war, North Korea and America have never truly been friends. North Korea holds America responsible for dividing their country into North and South. However there are many similarities and differences between America and North Korea. America is very different from North Korea. While we have a Constitution with a Bill of Rights, amendments and basic freedoms, they must follow whatever their leader says with no exceptions. Even though North Korea has a constitution and amendments, the leader still controls all of the country. American citizens are able to vote for their countries leader unlike North Korea, in which where the son of the leader takes his father’s place with ruling the country. So, only one man rules North Korea and all decisions are made by him. Distinct from North Korea, where people don’t have the due process of law, Americans have the right to try to prove that they are not guilty. North Koreans are brought up to love their leader and aren’t allowed to believe in anything else. For them, their leader is the greatest and he is always right. On the other hand, Americans are allowed to believe in whatever religion they choose is right for them. American citizens are all granted equal protection unlike North Korea where only high-ranking officials are provided with those same basic protections. Also, there is no Internet, and cell phones are banned from the country, which block the people from communicating with the rest of the world. Most Americans are provided with basic needs, but in North Korea, a lot of people (child or adult) go blind because they don’t have those basic needs. Lastly, because hospitals and medical care in North Korea is so bad, many people don’t get the treatment that they desperately need. Thankfully, in the U.S., we have good Medicare and trained doctors who are able to cure people every day. American rights also have many similarities to those of North Korean citizen. Both countries have very strong militaries. We similarly strive to become independent countries. The people in America and North Korea have responsibilities, duties, and limited rights. For example like paying taxes and respecting the leader/president. Even though the strictness of these  three elements may change in each country, people in both countries still have to do these things. Although America is a democratic country and North Korea is a theocracy, they both have a strong government system. North Korea is ruled by Kim Jon Sun, our government has three branches and a president. Citizens of America are required to have a passport to travel to other countries, which is a lot like how North Korean’s are needed to have documentation in order to go to different places in their country. There are certainly more differences than similarities between America and North Korea. Living in North Korea would most definitely not be easy. So many things are available to us in the U.S. that wouldn’t be available to us in North Korea. American citizens have fair rights and can believe in whatever they want. We are able to travel to other countries and live according to our rules. Over looking all of the pros and cons of both countries, America would undeniably be an easier and more unrestricted country to live in.

Psychology Of The Fraudster Profile Of Fraudsters Criminology Essay

Psychology Of The Fraudster Profile Of Fraudsters Criminology Essay It is important to understand the profile of a typical fraudster, by type of fraud he/she has committed, in order to control and detect a fraud. In case of an asset fraud, the person is generally someone who was not suspected, oftentimes least suspected. The profile of white-collar criminals is very different from blue-collar criminals, or street criminals. This statement makes fraud even more difficult to inhibit or identify. Who Commits Fraud? According to the principles mentioned above, one might conclude that fraud is caused mainly by factors external to the individual that include financial, economic, social, and political factors, and poor controls. But, what about the individuals? Are some people more inclined to to commit fraud than others? And if so, is that a more serious cause of fraud than the external and internal environmental aspects as discussed earlier? Data obtained from criminology and sociology gives the same impression. Start by making a broad view about people: Some individuals are honest all the time. Some individuals are deceitful all the time. Most individuals are honest some of the time. Some individuals are honest most of the time. A study was conducted to ask employees whether they are honest at work. Forty percent said they would not steal, 30 percent said they would, and 30 percent said they might. A part from those overviews about people, what can one say about fraud committers? About Lying, Cheating and Stealing, Gwynn Nettler, suggestions these understandings on cheaters and deceivers: People who have experienced failure are prone to cheat. People who are not liked and who hate themselves are more likely to be more deceitful. People who are thoughtless, capable of being distracted and unable to delay fulfilments are more likely to involve in deceitful crimes. People who have a sense of right and wrong (fear of anxiety and punishment; that is, awareness of disclosure) are more resistant to commit a crime. Intelligent people are more likely to be honest than uneducated people. Middle and elite-class people tend to be more honest than lower-class people. The easier it is to fraud and cheat, the more people will do so. Individuals have different needs and levels at which they will be adequately driven to lie, cheat, or steal. Lying, cheating, and theft increase when people are under stress to attain important objectives. The struggle to survive leads to deceit. Individuals lie, steal and cheat on the job in a variety of individual and administrative situations. The ways that are followed are: Personal variables Skills/abilities Attitudes/favourites Personal requirements/needs Morals/principles Organizational variables Type/scope of the job (meaningful work) Preparation/training provided Credit/acknowledgment system Significance of administration and management Clarity of duties Clarity of job-related objectives Interactive trust Motivational and moral environment (ethics and values of superiors and co-workers) External variables Amount of competition in the industry General financial conditions Social values (ethics of challengers and of social and political role models) The question rises; Why Do Workers Lie, Steal and Cheat on the Work? There are 25 reasons behind employee crimes that are looked by authorities in white-collar crime (criminologists, sociologists, psychologists, auditors, risk managers, police, and security experts): The employee believes he can escape from it. The employee thinks he/she badly needs or desires the money or articles that are stolen. The employee feels unsatisfied or disappointed about some part of the job. The employee feels upset or unhappy about some aspect of his personal life that is not related to job. The employee feels mistreated by the employer and wants to get even. The employee fails to think through the penalties of being caught. The employee thinks: everybody else cheats, so why not me? The employee thinks: theyre so big, stealing a little bit wont damage them. The employee doesnt know how to manage his/her own income so is always penniless and ready to steal. The employee feels that defeating the organization is a contest and experiment and not a matter of financial advantage alone. The employee was economically, socially, or traditionally deprived during childhood. The employee is compensating for an emptiness felt in his personal life and needs love, care, and friendship. The employee has no willpower and steals out of an impulse. The employee believes a friend at work has been subjected to embarrassment or misuse or has been treated unethically. The employee is just simply lethargic and will not work hard to earn enough to buy what he/she desires or needs. The organizations internal controls are so relaxed that everyone is attracted to steal. No one has ever been put on trial for stealing from the organization. Most employee thieves are caught by coincidence rather than by audit or design. Therefore, fright of being caught is not a warning to theft. Employees are not encouraged to discuss personal or financial problems at work or to seek managements advice and guidance on such matters. Employee stealing is a situational phenomenon. Each theft has its own former situations, and each thief has his/her own purposes. Employees steal for any reason the human mind and thoughts can call up. Employees never go to jail or get strict prison punishments for stealing, deceiving, or cheating from their employers. Human beings are weak and susceptible to to sin. Employees nowadays are morally, ethically, and mentally ruined and bankrupt. Employees tend to follow their superiors. If their superiors steal or cheat, then they are most likely to do the same. Laws must be sensible, fair in application and applied quickly and efficiently to be respected and obeyed. Company strategies that relate to employee honesty, like criminal laws in general must be sensible, reasonable, and projected to serve the companys best economic interests. The test of reasonableness for any company fraud policy is whether its terms are understandable, whether its punishments or preventions are appropriate to a real and serious matter, and whether its application is possible in a well-organized and legally effective way. But what particular employee actions are serious enough to be banned and/or punished? Any act that could or does result in significant loss, damage, or destruction of company assets should be forbidden. What is acceptable or considered significant will vary by organization, but wherever the limitations are defined, they must be well conversed, demonstrated by upper management, and applied as essential. The greatest warning to criminal conduct is a guaranteed and impartial justice; that means immediate detection and uneasiness, a quick and fair trial, and punishment according to the crime: loss of civil rights, honours, property, individual freedom, or societal approval. Having said all that, why is it that, regardless of the terrible consequences of criminal conduct, it still happens? Obviously, it is because the rewards obtained frequently go beyond the risk of uneasiness and punishment; that is, the troubles caused by punishment are not as severe as the pleasures of criminal conduct. The latter seems to be mainly true in cases of financial or white-collar crimes. Many times, when a fraud is noticed, the extent of punishment and penalty of the crime is sometimes without even paying back the fraud damages. So while prospective white collar criminals may believe they might get trapped, but still the consequences are below the satisfaction which they get by committing the crime. High-Level and Low-Level Thieves At high levels of administrative life, it is easy to steal because controls can be avoided or bypassed. The amounts that high-level managers steal, therefore, is likely to be greater than the amounts low-level employees steal. For example, according to the 2008 ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) RTTN, executives average about  £834,000 per fraud, managers about  £150,000, and employees about  £70,000. The number of events of theft, however, is greater at low levels of administrations because of the large number of employees found there. The ACFE RTTN has gathered a profile of fraudsters based on the information collected from CFEs (Certified Fraud Examiner) in its assessments. The more expensive frauds, in terms of cost or losses, are committed by fraudsters who (a) have been working with the company for a long time, (b) receive a high earnings, (c) are males, (d) are above 60 years of age, (e) are well educated (the higher the educational degree completed, the higher the damages), (f) work in groups rather than alone, and (g) have never been accused with anything criminal. The most common frauds, however, are done by fraudsters with a different profile. These fraudsters (a) have been a worker for about the same amount of time as the high-level thieves, (b) earn much less, (c) could be either male or female (sex doesnt matter), (d) are between the ages of 41 and 50, (e) have completed high school, (f) work alone, (g) and have generally not been charged with any criminal conduct. Hall and Singleton provide a similar profile for a usual fraudster in general. These criminals are (a) in an important position in the company, (b) are usually male, (c) are over 50 years old, (d) are married, and (e) are well educated. This profile is similar to the one from the ACFE RTTN, and leads us to this general conclusion: A white-collar criminal does not look like a criminal! Who Is Victimised By Fraud Most Often? Measures to protect against fraud by either organization insiders or outside dealers, suppliers, and contractors must be sufficient; that is, they must achieve the goal of control-cost-feasible protection of assets against damage, loss, or destruction. Cost-feasible protection means minimal expenses for full protection. Generating an organizational police state would be too much control. A sensible viewpoint on controls and countermeasures is the best, and may require involving staffs in creating control policies, plans, and procedures. A well-adjusted viewpoint considers the costs and benefits of the proposed new controls while developing a trusting culture that includes loyalty and honesty. A distrusting culture is often associated with frauds. However, complete trust with no answerability is the main cause of fraud. Fraud is therefore most widespread in organizations that have no controls, no trust, no ethical values, no profits, and no prospect. Similarly, the more these situations exist, the higher the risk of fraud. Observed evidence shows that the most common factor in all frauds committed is the lack of setting apart of duties with no compensating control- a situation commonly presents in small business units. Small businesses and establishments (e.g., charities) have a higher risk of fraud than any other size business, because they are more likely to have one accountant, no isolation of duties, and no compensating control, and those factors are the most common in fraud. Start with the amusing hypothesis that most people are honest. Its a nice way to look at the world, and it recalls childhood memories about learning that honesty is the best policy and George Washington telling his father, I cannot tell a lie. Unhappy to say, human past and human nature tell a different story, and so do the statistics that study them. While most societies clearly dislike violent crime and physical harm, many societies hold financial fraud, whatever its scale, as a less disgraceful offense. Charles Ponzi, creator of the Ponzi scheme, was famous in some regions as a folk hero and praised by many of the people he helped. Investors and executives, whose frauds can upset thousands or tens of thousands of lives, have historically been punished with comparatively light punishments or serve their time at a low-security federal tennis camp. Some scholars have called this attitude toward white-collar crime a falsification of our general societal admiration for intelligence. During much of the past century, psychologists and sociologists worked hard to understand the inner workings of people who commit white-collar crime. Edwin Sutherlands White Collar Crime, the most significant work in the field argued in 1939 that an individuals personality has no relevance to a tendency to commit such crimes. Somewhat, he said, economic crimes create from the situations and social bonds within an organization, not from the biological and psychological features of the individual. Sutherland also made the useful and obvious, observation that criminality is not limited to the lower classes and to social misfits but spreads out, particularly where financial fraud is concerned, to upper-class, socially well-adjusted people. Over the many decades since White Collar Crime was published, convincing studies have concluded that two aspects should be kept in mind while analysing the psychology and personality of the fraudster: The natural abilities of an individual, which differ widely and influence behaviour, including social behaviour The social abilities that are derived from people and in turn shape how the individual deals with other people From these studies of psychology, two common forms of financial fraudster have been noted: Calculating criminals who want to compete and to affirm themselves Situation-dependent criminals who are anxious to protect themselves, their families, or their businesses from a disaster Since these studies were published, a third form of criminal has appeared out of disastrous business failures and humiliations. We will call them power brokers. Calculating Criminals Calculating criminals are hunters. They tend to be repeat criminal acts, they have higher-than-average intellect, and theyre relatively well educated. They typically start their careers in crime later in life than other criminals. These hunters are generally motivated to risk taking-no surprise there-and they lack feelings of anxiety and sympathy. A correlated view, somewhat different in its prominence, was offered in a 1993 study of Wall Streets insider-trading scandals by a team of psychologists who proposed that individuals eager to commit such crimes had an external locus of control-that is, they do not have inner direction, self-confidence, and self-respect and were driven by their desire to fit in and be accepted. Additionally, the study found that they describe success by others standards. Situation-Dependent Criminals But the main bulk of corporate criminals are not hunters at all. They are situation-dependent offenders: apparently ordinary people who commit crimes without the intending to harm others. This is significant in understanding white-collar crime, because nearly all news reporting and much of the scholarly literature in the area focuses on shocking, highly publicized, and largely a typical cases and ignores the more common and ordinary criminals and offenses that account for most white-collar crimes. Typical White-Collar Criminal Older (30+ years) 55% male, 45% female Appeared to be from a stable family Above-average (postgraduate) education Less likely to have criminal record Good mental health Position of trust Comprehensive and full knowledge of accounting systems and their weaknesses Previous accounting experience Source: ACFE At the start of an investigation, the forensic accounting investigator often sits down with the client and examines the organizational chart. The forensic accounting investigator and the client talk about each employee one by one, about each employees work, and about what is known of the lifestyle of each. What about Amanda? the forensic accounting investigator might say, pointing to an employee on the chart. No, it could not be Amanda. She has been with us for 20 years, the client responds. She is always helping others with their duties. She is nice and rarely takes time off. My wife and I have been to her home. Our sons are on the same football team. The client may believe that what he knows, or thinks he knows, about Amandas character and removes her from the list of suspects of fraud. In fact, an experienced forensic accounting investigator will understand that Amanda fits the profile of a white-collar criminal. This is not to propose that all nice people are criminals but, rathe r, that most white-collar criminals give the appearance of being nice people, thereby fitting the exact profile of Amanda. Power Brokers Many of todays highly placed corporate criminals show features of each of the previous two categories, but they are different enough in their methods and motives to possess a category all their own: power brokers. Like many of us, you have read about their excesses and asked yourself how respected business leaders could have been so fooled as to believe that they could grab the financial and human resources of their companies to line their own pockets and deceive a wide range of investors, including their own employees. Are the U.S. corporate leaders now facing criminal charges, which began their careers with the intention of creating a company that would enrich themselves while finally destroying the dreams and plans of thousands of innocent victims- are employees and investors alike? Were all of them hunters? Probably not. But a combination of hunter characteristics and the circumstances of their positions led them to commit financial crimes. Fraudsters Do Not Intend To Harm Generally speaking, situation-dependent criminals carry out their frauds with no purpose to harm any one. A high-ranking executive of Westinghouse Electric Co. who was accused of price-fixing in 1961 was asked whether he thought his behaviour was illegal. He responded: Illegal? Yes, but not criminal. Criminal action means hurting someone and we did not do that. It is critical to an understanding of the psychology of such people to accept this key point: most of them carry out their frauds with no intention of doing harm, and they believe-they are able to convince themselves-that what theyre doing is not wrong. These people may even convince themselves that what theyre doing is for the good of the company and everyone associated with it, including employees, investors, creditors, and other constituencies. Or they may believe that they deserve the spoils they seize because they rationalize their crimes as immaterial, innocent, or deserved-but not wrong. In most cases, they start small, but with time as the fraud grows in size, usually encompassing more than one scheme. Kinds of Rationalization In many admission-seeking interviews, suspects confess to their crimes, but rarely do they say, I stole the money. Instead, they bring up their rationalization for the crime. Such rationalizations can be of many kinds: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It was a loan, and I had every intention of paying it back. See (pulling out a spreadsheet), I kept track of all my loans so that I could pay it all back one day. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ That accounting rule is confusing and subjective. Accounting for the transactions in the manner I chose is entirely acceptable. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ My boss has been cheating on his taxes for years. Im just getting my share. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Everyone in this industry takes kickbacks. Im sure my employer is aware of it, and thats why they dont pay me very much. They expect me to supplement my income with gifts from our suppliers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Im the hardest-working employee here, and I know my boss would give me a substantial raise if he could do it without other people knowing. Instead, I take a little bit, but Im actually saving the company money because only I get the raise.' à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do you expect me to do? You give me no health insurance coverage, and I need to provide for my children and my parents. They depend on me, and I cant let them down. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ There are a lot of good people here. If I didnt make up a few entries to give the appearance to corporate that we were making budgeted income, they would close our division and put 50 people out of work. I did it to save their jobs. In sum, rationalization enables a person to take that final step toward crime. Motivations for Fraud à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..In a 2001 article, The Psychology of Fraud, the authors noted that fraud, like other crime, can best be explained by three factors: a supply of motivated offenders, the availability of suitable targets and the absence of capable guardians-control systems or someone to mind the store. Financial motivators obviously have a big impact on the cause of financial crime. These can range from an employee with an inability to pay her domestic bills to a senior executive under financial strain because he knows that market factors have adversely affected the business and analysts will be watching the latest results with eagerness. In this case, the strain may go beyond pure financial impact, but also to stature and reputation. Take the recent case of Computer Associates and its former CEO, Sanjay Kumar, and two other company executives. The governments indictment noted, Computer Associates prematurely recognized $2.2 b illion in revenue in FY 2000 and FY 2001 and more than $1.1 billion in premature revenue in prior quarters. The government also noted that the SEC alleges that from 1998 to 2000, Computer Associates routinely kept its books open to record revenue from contracts executed after the quarter ended in order to meet Wall Street quarterly earnings estimates. Computer Associates agreed to settlements with the SEC and the Justice Department to the tune of $225 million and agreed to reform its financial accounting controls. Some theorists have taken a big-picture approach and argued that white collar crime is the inevitable outcome of the competitive ethic of capitalism. According to this theory, competition is the field on which egotism and recklessness can have full play. We are constantly bombarded by images of the wealth and success that can be achieved through winning in the great experiment in social Darwinism in which we live. The inevitable result of such competition is the recognition of the economic inequality of winners and losers, which can be internalized as the constant fear of failing. This discontent may be sufficient to make a person see white-collar crime as the great equalizing act. The drive for money and the trappings of success are, therefore, the motivators of the act. The situation in which the potential white-collar offender finds him- or herself plays a most significant role in determining whether a crime will be committed. The corporate culture lived daily at the workplace can often create enormous pressures to commit criminal acts. Examples are common in the famous cases of price-fixing, bribery, and manufacture of dangerous products that occurred throughout the last century. A corrupt corporate culture can lead to the inversion of all values. Loyalty can easily slip into complicity. Criminal behaviour becomes normal. Team-playing becomes conspiracy. Fear of dismissal, ostracism, or losing the favour of superiors can be compelling forces in the world of a department or small company. In such an atmosphere, one learns criminal behaviour in association with those who define such behaviour favourably, as Sutherland contended. These acts cannot be explained by a personal history of instability and deviance since stability and conformity are the principal characteristics of these criminals lives. Even while committing the crimes, white-collar offenders are able to lead their conventional lives, which are, indeed, their camouflage. Their conventionality and stability are the foundation of the trustworthiness that gives them the opportunity to commit the crime in the first place. It is this life of conventionality that gives the criminal act the character of an aberration. It is, however, the white-collar criminals power of rationalization that is one of the most amazing aspects of their behaviour. They are able to behave normally and aberrantly at the same time without feeling conflict. This behaviour is possible through the use of techniques of neutralization. These are acts of mental deftness that allow persons to violate behavioural norms without simultaneously seeing themselves as deviant or criminal. Such self exculpating explanations can occur both before and after the commission of a criminal act. The most common rationalization noted several times already in this unit is that financial crimes do not hurt other people. Embezzlers commonly tell themselves they are merely borrowing the money and intend to return it later without anyone else being affected. Many embezzlers justify it because they had to do it to pay mounting family bills. Everybodys doing it is frequently heard as an argument for systematic wrongful company behaviour. Corporate offenders often consider laws as an unjust or unnecessary form of government interference disrupting free market forces. They may even argue that breaking the law was necessary for the survival of the company. Employees frequently offer a moral justification for their thefts with the argument that their employer owed them the money. Fraud simply expressed their grievance. For example, they feel exploited and underpaid or hurt after receiving a smaller-than-expected bonus. Many feel justified after being passed over for promotion; others feel they can do the job just as well as, if not better than, the person with the higher education. Personal antipathies, anger after a reprimand from the boss, and the like can all be self-serving explanations for fraud. In rare cases, mental illness can drive a person to commit fraud through a wish to damage the company. Others can be motivated by pure egotism; they commit fraud just to show how smart they are. Yet others are driven by anti capitalist ideologies and think they are destroying the system from within. Auditors Need to Understand the Mind of the Fraudster In the introduction to Why Smart People Do Dumb Things, Mortimer Feinberg and John J. Tarrant begin: If you are of above average intelligence-and if you have mastered the use of high intelligence to solve problems and achieve goals-it is the premise of this book that you are at risk [of perpetrating a fraud] because of the strength of your cognitive equipment. The book recounts tale after tale of successful professionals and politicians who did something dumb and ruined their lives. It is also a book that can help auditors understand the mind of the white-collar criminal. Because auditors, within the time at their disposal, cannot verify every transaction, they must make assumptions based on audit evidence gathered until the point of the decision. The more auditors understand about why criminals do what they do, the better prepared they may be to determine the nature, timing, and extent of audit procedures relative to the risks identified during the planning stage and modified, as may be warranted, on the basis of the audit evidence found. Professional skepticism is the attitude that must drive the financial statement audit. If we lived in a perfect world in which no one made mistakes, or lied, or cheated, or stole, audits would be unnecessary. But we dont, and so audits are required. Even with effective auditing, at the end of every audit and forensic accounting investigation, uncertainty will remain. As auditors continue to focus on the fact that smart people do dumb things and on the conditions under which white-collar criminals may act, auditors may be able to better select transactions worthy of expanded testing and know also how to evaluate the results of those tests. The so-called fraud triangle, offers three conditions that tend to be present when frauds occur: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Incentive or pressure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Opportunity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rationalization and attitude Conclusion As auditors focus on the number of people they encounter in the course of an audit, they would probably agree that a great many of those people would no doubt have opportunities to commit fraud. How many others also have the undisclosed incentive and ability to rationalize that are demonstrably part of the fraud triangle? There is no easy way to judge this. In the design of controls to prevent financial crime and in the performance of audit procedures, it is important to keep in mind the expression, Locks on doors keep out honest people. Predators, as noted earlier, have a good chance of circumventing most of the controls a company puts in place. Fraud deterrence and detection controls are designed, theoretically, to stop everyone else, but they wont, because it is unrealistic to expect controls that can be designed to stop everyone. Collusion, for example, may well defeat a well-designed control and may not be detected in a timely manner by individuals performing daily control activities. The best fraud deterrence mechanism is simple: create the expectation in your organization that wrongdoers will be caught and that punishment will be swift and commensurate with the offense. The emphasis on expectation is important. It can be brought about in a number of ways. Effective training and education on the importance of ethical conduct, background checks on all employees, regular fraud audits by forensic accounting investigators, and a strong internal control system are among the means. To create that perception, employees must also be well aware that their activities are being monitored, and all employees with access to financial assets and transactions must have a healthy respect for the robustness of the control system. If employees believe they will be caught and punished for wrongdoing, that belief may be enough to keep them from adding rationalization to incentive and opportunity.