You all are SHEEP, or maybe I am Professor Ramos Blog

You all are SHEEP, or maybe I am â€Å"When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re not sending you, they’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bring crime. They’re rapists†¦ And some, I assume, are good people.† DonaldTrump â€Å"The point is, you can never be too greedy.† Donal TrumpAppreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I dont want congrats, I want toughness vigilance. We must be smart!DonaldTrump I was wrathful, to say the least, and my head was nowhere near sanity. I tried to let my emotions not get the best of me, to thrust them away, and usually, that would be un-challenging for me. But at this very moment where I sat two feet away from my best friends, I couldnt begin to imagine the ignorance that they would say next. It was a junior year in high school, and the sun was glistening on everything its rays could reach, the campus was cacophonous and crawling with high schoolers undoubtedly enjoying their lunch. Well.. every high schooler but me. It was my idiotic idea to bring up politics thinking everyone at our table would agree with what I had to say. But my fault here was being utterly naive and stereotyping that my latina friends would see eye to eye on the presidential climate of the United States like me. As people of color, we agreed on many things, spicy food was always the best, never say the n-word if you’re not black, and two languages was always better t han one. But obviously, you didnt have to be a person of color to agree. But I also knew that we were different from even before, because, they were very Christian, therefore their beliefs were conservative, and they were hardcore Republicans. But because I was Muslim, my beliefs were a lot more liberal than they were conservative, and I was a Democrat. I knew our difference in religions separated us from political boundaries, but what I still didnt expect what was the response I got when I said â€Å"Trump is going to get us all killed,† I announce laughingly with a smug grin my face, and when only one of my friends, Nathalie, laughed back, I knew this wouldnt end well. â€Å"What do you mean? He’s kicking out all the immigrants, hiring black employment rates, and bettering the economy.† My two best friends shot back. I was in utter shock. TRUMP? I wanted to yell, BETTERING THE ECONOMY? I was on the verge of losing it, and maybe because it was the lack of knowledge I expected my friends to know, like that Trump is all over the place lying about numbers and rates, and that the only economic power he gave was to rich white businessmen like himself, and everyone knows to make the rich richer does anything but better the economy, or maybe it was the betrayal I felt. I was of no latin origin, yet the way he demonized them, touched a spot in my heart, because for years thats what america has been doing to me, doing to people with any Arab or Muslim heritage. Because to them a group of extremists who take everything out of context and twist them to fit their own personal demographics, to try and justify what they do, means millions of innocent people doing the same thing, even if they show no signs of harm. And the way they let it happen to their people, and didnt care, just because it wasn’t hap pening to them fueled any ounce rage I had. They thought they knew the facts, but what did I expect? They watched news networks like Fox News. All they did was follow like sheep, blindly into the unknown, thinking everyone was wrong, but them. When they saw my concerned facial expression, one of them asked â€Å"You’re mUZlim, dont you believe in the same things we do?† â€Å"MUSlim. Where do you see the Z in that?† I questioned clearly annoyed. â€Å"And for the record, no. We don’t believe in some things that you do, and vice versa.† Which got me thinking, that were we much more different than I thought we were, which gave me an even better reason to resent them. â€Å"Look I know you probably don’t like him. But how are you not seeing that he’s doing it to protect us? Like it or not you’re safer when the border has a wall, and when the Muslim ban is enforced† I almost spat out my milk. It was one thing to attack her own people, but now she was attacking mine. I tried to calm myself down, it’s okay I reminded myself just educate them, and dont get mad. But then I got mad that everywhere I go I have to explain myself and had to explain my worth, and even with my own friends, it was no different. â€Å"So†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said as calmly as I could while playing with a fork circling my food. â€Å"What makes you think you’re any better than they are, if you know, they are rapists, drug dealers, and murders. I mean that’s what most of them are, right? But aren’t you them? Don’t you have the same race? And what makes me different from the 1.8 billion ‘terrorists’ who did nothing wrong to earn that name.† They stared back at me. â€Å"Because, it would be pretty privileged of you to say that you are better human beings than them just because you dont live in war and poverty, oh and because of your geographical location.† I laughed humorlessly. â€Å"It sucks that they live in those circumstances, but thats the way it is. Because of that, they cant be trusted. I know all of them arent bad, but we cant take that risk† They responded. â€Å"Sweetheart, there are more than 1.8 billion Muslims in the world, and more than 500 million Latin people, if they were even an ounce as bad as you and your president claim they are, we would probably be dead. You know its funny coming from someone who is pro-life, that they would rather risk the one in a billion chance to be killed by an immigrant, on millions of those immigrants dying because of war.† Silence filled the table, everyone at the table was staring at me and my two friends. I knew I was being a total bitch, I knew I should just be quiet and let them think what they want to think, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. â€Å"He’s better than Obama† ‘What the literal FUCK does this have to do with Obama† I said smiling through my teeth as my fist clenched under the table. They all laughed. But as I went home that night, I do what I usually do, just before I go to sleep, I stay staring at the ceiling, whispering to God about my day. I refused to believe all Christians thought the way my two friends did, there was no way I kept repeating to myself. We believed in the same God, and the same fundamentals, but its the details that made us so different. Islam encourages us to ask questions about our faith and about our world both secular based and non-secular based, we believe in human rights very deeply, we believe in global warming, we tolerate no amount of discrimination or racism, and we do not believe in closing doors for those who seek a better life, we believe that human nature is good, but its Satan who tries to lead us astray, but we still have consequences for our actions, we believe in respecting all religions, and beliefs and everything that makes us different. We believe in all these things, but ignorance has made people generalize us into conservative, extremist terrorists, and they would never know the truth if they never asked. Yet these girls I called my friends didnt believe in most of them, and whether it was because of culture or religion, I wasnt having it. Explaining how frustrating it was, and asking what I should do. I sighed deeply, it wasnt like he was going to answer me, but it would be nice to get some kind of sign. Then, it hit me like a truck. I was judging them this whole time and debating whether I should still even be friends with them, while it never once crossed their minds. And thats when I realized, I was the one at fault. Why should I stop being friends with them? What made me so superior to them that made me think I was better off. I was the one being ignorant and only accepting one train of thought when I should be open to hearing all of them. Maybe I was the sheep this whole time, doing what everyone does and disliking someone because of their political views, when I should stand up and like someone because of their different political views because the second diversity stops, and we all think the same, the easier it becomes to control, and the easier it becomes to stop thinking, to stop spreading ideas, and beliefs and regulations, and whats humankind without acting like humans?

What role did the BEF play in the failure of the Schlieffen plan

What role did the BEF play in the failure of the Schlieffen plan The British expeditionary force or the BEF became involved in the war because of Belgium. The Germans decided to go through Belgium as part of the Schlieffen plan, and though they knew that the British might become involved they didn't think that they would and they also felt they didn't need to fear the tiny British force.The Schlieffen plan expected the Belgians to give in when the Germans marched through the country. However they instead fought the Germans and though they wee massively outnumbered the resistance brought time for the British and French to get their troops in to the war to help Belgium. The French were fighting the war on another front so the main force with the Belgium's was British. This force can quite possibly be said to be key to the failure of the Schlieffen plan as although they were hugely outnumbered they combined with the Belgium's slowed the Germans down enough that the 6-week period the Germans had allocated to take France was impossible to achieve.Map o f Western front (World war I) 1914 (ru)

How do comparative advantage and Internet technologies act as driving Essay

How do comparative advantage and Internet technologies act as driving forces for the creation of global markets Provide a speci - Essay Example The leadership style and the management techniques of Japanese firms were also elements of these firms’ systemwide advantages. These advantages were gradually transformed incorporating other elements, such as the brand name advantages (Porter, 1986, p.38). Through the decades the Japanese firms managed to improve their position in the global market using their comparative advantages – as explained above – in order to make their brand names popular. From this point of view, it could be stated that comparative advantage can have a crucial role in the creation of the global market. Internet technologies had also a crucial role in the creation of the global market. This fact is proved by the case of Amazon bookstore; the above enterprise managed to expand its activities worldwide by developing an effective electronic marketing scheme (Hollensen, 2007, p.87). Through the Internet the firm has been able to communicate with customers worldwide, to collect important data on the consumers’ preferences – in the context of the international market – and to arrange the delivery of its products in customers around the world (Hollensen, 2007, p.87). It is made clear that without the Internet technologies, the specific firm would not be able to enter the global market. References Hollensen, S. (2007). Global marketing: a decision-oriented approach.

Information Systems Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information Systems Management - Essay Example In the nineties, Wal-Mart invested in computer technology, in which their employees use bar code readers in all their stores and distribution outlets (Richmond, 2003). These bar code readers make tracking of goods in stores and also stock management efficient, as different products and shelves have different bar codes which provide real time information on the products. Employees in Wal-Mart use hand held computer systems linked with bar code readers, and this makes the stock management of products easier and economical, as it relieves them from massive paperwork for all orders in place. Moreover, these hand held computers enable the packaging department to get accurate information such as packaging, location, quantity and shipping information on orders. Wal-Mart prides itself for providing customers with the lowest prices available, thus, it embarks on eliminating middlemen from their supply chain and sells directly to their customers from their stores. In order to achieve this, Wal -Mart has embarked to developing a satellite communication system which tracks sales and inventory for all their stores (Richmond, 2003). Thus, it can track credit sales on each department in the supply chain as well as control orders made using this system. The satellite system also assists to transmit important communications across the entire supply chain stores and distribution centres (Cisco, n.d.). Furthermore, with the aid of Cisco systems Wal-Mart has developed a comprehensive network system for its supply chain outlets all over the world. In connection to the satellite system, the network provides an overview of the operations in the whole supply chain outlets. This network allows the Wal-Mart keep track of all the orders and stock levels for each system, hence, suppliers can know the products in stock, ones in high demand and consequently they can supply them efficiently. Cisco has also enabled Wal-Mart to collaborate electronically with suppliers all over the world, as co mpared to the early nineties when Wal-Mart provided suppliers with modems which they used to dial up the Wal-Mart system database. In accessing the database, they can access relevant information on stock levels and inventory work required to place any order (Richmond, 2003). Wal-Mart pays for this service, hence making it reliable and cost effective for the suppliers. Suppliers situated in areas where there is slow internet connectivity, dial up connection which is still available to them for accessing Wal-Mart database. The intranet allows Wal-Mart to deliver company news, new information and policies to all of its stores all over the world and its 950,000 associates (Cisco, n.d.). Wal-Mart has a comprehensive directory of all the suppliers and outlet stores all over the continent, and it is a managerial policy that all employees should be able to communicate with any store at any time. Thus, with this directory, Wal-Mart can contact any store and make orders or take supplies from suppliers, hence it increases the efficiency levels of the store as compared to other suppliers. Wal-Mart has a point of sale system from which they monitor and trail sales and products inventory levels on their shelves in the stores. This POS combined with an algorithm system enables Wal-Mart to forecast and predict market trends and demand for their products. The comprehensive net

Ethnic Identity and African Americans Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Identity and African Americans Essay Ethnic identity is the sum total of group member feelings about those values, symbols, and common histories that identify them as a distinct group (Smith 1991). Development of ethnic identity is important because it helps one to come to terms with their ethnic membership as a prominent reference group and significant part of an individuals overall identity. Ethnic reference group refers to an individuals psychological relatedness to groups (Smith 1991). These reference groups help adolescents sense, reflect and see things from the point of their ethnic groups in which they actively participate or seek to participate. What is ethnic identity? The establishment of identity is an important, complex task for all adolescents, and is considered a major developmental task for all adolescents. It is particularly complicated for adolescents belonging to ethnic and minority groups. Ethnic identity of the majority group of individuals is constantly validated and reinforced in a positive manner where as the minority group is constantly ridiculed and punished in a negative manner. What does this say for those adolescents who are the minority and not the majority? It is important to study or research ethnic identity because it provides better knowledge to help one understand striving for a sense of unity and connectivenesss in which the self provides meaning for direction and meaning of ethnic identity (Spencer, 1990). It is also important to study or research the differences between these groups due to beliefs and values. Adolescents that are the minority are confronted with their ethnicity at an earlier age then Caucasian adolescents majority and they are constantly aware of ethnic differences, which means it is of greater importance to understand the development of the minority individual. It should lead to different assessments when it comes to ethnic identity. For example, African American adolescents are psychologically compared to Caucasian American adolescence diagnoses, which are sometimes inaccurately assessed. Bronfenberner explains the theoretical perspective such as the ecological perspective by saying, The implications for clinical treatment of African American adolescents, mental health workers must be sensitive to the ecological context of their clients. Mental Health workers must realize that there is no single entity called the black family . The black families compared to the other families established their American family. He suggests that these families vary dramatically in backgrounds, social economic status, values, and degree of acculturation to the norms and values of mainstream America (1990). There are also, significant differences that may exist in preparation of African American adolescent, at the level of rearing family practices and in schools (1990). That is, schools continue to reflect historical values that deal with racial-stereotypes and prejudice and beliefs. At the same time there are families trying to avoid and make light out of such situations. These families and communities continue to show constancy by instilling their own beliefs and values through child rearing which maybe different from Caucasian Americas. Identity and ethnicity as adolescent issues Identity has been defined in many ways. It is the concept used to describe an individuals sense of who he or she is (Dashefsky and Shapiro, 1976). Changes in identity occur throughout the life cycle, however, the changes in identity are usually most notable during adolescence. Integrating a positive sense of ethnic identity into ones overall personal identity is an important task of late adolescence (Steinberg, 1996). Ethnic identity has been defined as the aspect of ones sense of identity concerning ancestry or racial group membership (Steinberg, 1996). Ethnic identity development is an essential human need because it provides a sense of belonging and historical continuity. Ethnic socialization Minority children are confronted with their ethnicity at an earlier age than their majority counterparts (Smith, 1991). Parents can help to speed up the early stages of ethnic identity development by taking an active approach to ethnic socialization. Ethnic socialization, according to Steinberg(1996), refers to the process through which parents teach their children about their ethnicity and about the certain experiences they may have with the broader society. Ethnic socialization consists of three themes: 1) understanding ones own culture, 2) getting along in mainstream society, and 3) dealing with racism (Steinberg, 1996). Possible outcomes of ethnic identity development. There are four ways to deal with ethnicity (Steinberg, 1996): Â ·Assimilationadopting the cultural norms of the majority while rejecting the norms of ones own culture. Â ·Separationrejecting the majority culture and associating only with members of ones own culture. Â ·Marginalityliving within majority culture but feeling estranged. Â ·Biculturalismmaintaining ties to both cultures. According to Steinberg (1996) many believe that biculturalism is more successful than the other four. With biculturalism minority youth have access to the norms of the majority and minority culture depending on the situation. References. Â ·Smith, Elise J. Ethnic Identity Development: Toward the Development of A Theory within the Context of Majority/Minority Status. Journal of Counseling and Development: JCD. v70. n1. Sept. 1991. p. 181-188. Â ·Spencer, Margaret Beale. Child Development. v61 n2. Apr. 1990. P. 290-310. Â ·Dashefsky, A. (Eds. ). (1976). Ethnic identity in society. Chicago: Rand McNally College Publishing Co. Smith, E. J. (1991). Ethnic identity development: Toward the development of a theory within the context of majority/minority status. Journal of Counseling and Development, 70, 181-187. Â ·Steinberg, L. (1996). Adolescence. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

I Hate You, Yet Thank You Essay -- Personal Narrative Cancer Essays

I Hate You, Yet Thank You Dear Cancer, Did you know, that I thought that the one thing in life that wouldn’t change was my family? I thought that no matter what we would always be there for each other. September 27, 2000, all of those beliefs were shattered because of you. Four years ago you killed Nana, my only grandma. That date will forever be etched in my heart because of you. You caused so much pain and so much sadness when you took her from us. She was so loving, so caring, and so giving. I see why you wanted her, but why did you have to steal her? Did you even know anything about her? She was a good person who didn’t deserve anything that you did to her. We, as a family, are good people who didn’t deserve to be hurt by you. You see, before you took Nana from us, I thought that family was just there. I thought that they would always be there, just because. I remember being annoyed when Nana would ask me to help her do something. I would always think, â€Å"Can’t you ask Leslie or Katie instead?† Whenever my grandpa would drive, he would make sure he went five miles per hour under the limit. Let me just tell you, that made me so mad! I remember crouching on the seat in the car so that when people sped past us with their dirty looks, they wouldn’t see me. Even the way I acted towards my parents changed after my Nana passed away. Before, I would always roll my eyes when they told me what to do. I didn’t think that they knew what they were talking about when they would tell me to do something. Like most teenagers, I thought I was always right. Did you know that every summer Nana and Poppy, my mom and dad, and sisters and I would go to our summer house in Maine? It was a tradition. My birthday always fell when we were up ... ...enly arguing with my sisters doesn’t seem worth it. What if something ever happened to them? The last memory that they would have of me would be a negative one. I tell my parents I love them every single day, because it’s the truth. I know they love me, so I want to let them know how much I love them. I felt bad for every negative thought that I had towards my grandma. I thought that she would somehow figure out how I used to feel, but then I realized that she always loved me and my sisters unconditionally. That is why I loved her so much, and that is why, no matter what, I will always love her. Basically, the point of this letter is to thank you for one thing. Thank you for strengthening our family bond. Thank you for helping me realize just how important family is. You helped me realize how much we mean to each other. Thank you for that and only that. Sarah*

Civilizations

Renaissance is a word which means â€Å"rebirth† in French. In Italian, it means â€Å"Rinascimento†. Renaissance is a cultural revolution in Europe, particularly in Italy which occurred during the latter part of the Middle Ages from 14th century to 17th century. It is the period when great developments and progress in arts and science occurred. It is believed that Renaissance flourished because of the so-called â€Å"Black Death†. People shift their ideas from spiritual life to their lives spent here on Earth. Florence gave way to the birth of renaissance. It is where great men of arts like Da Vinci, Michelangelo and even Boticelli spawned. Renaissance introduced concepts of sciences and arts which until today last. Humanism which is a process of learning was used by renaissance scholars. This method study original texts and review it using reasoning as well as empirical evidences. In arts, artists develop very sensible linear perspective. Painters also considered study of lighting, silhouette and anatomy to improve their works. Architects of renaissance combined mathematics with architecture. Classical style flourished. Dome shaped infrastructures, which seemed impossible to do was achieved. Science experienced â€Å"scientific revolution† in which the scientific method, which is based on empirical evidences, was introduced. This gave rise to development in different branches of science. During renaissance, people have changed the way they see God and man. It results to debates which questioned the Christianity. Aztecs and Incas Aztec was a Mesoamerican empire which exists from 14th to 16th century. Aztecs have rich culture and traditions. Aztecs have human sacrifices to their gods, thus, wars continued in order to have human sacrifices. Army men do not kill their enemies; instead they held them as captives which will be their human sacrifices. When there are no wars, warriors participate into gladiatorial battle. In terms of agriculture, Aztecs are famous for their Hanging Garden. They were very much into gardening. In politics, the king of every city is an appointed judge. The magistrates were elected. People who committed huge crimes will be sacrificed while those who committed lesser crimes will become slaves. On the other hand, the Inca Empire employs strict administration of bureaucracy. The emperor marries her sister to maintain the lineage pure. This civilization also believes in human sacrifices. But it is not always the case, because sometimes they sacrifice animals instead of humans. Other royalties hold administrative designations. Military activities are not common, only in times of troubles like wars and rebellions. There are no records of agricultural activities during the Inca Empire (Tankard, 2006). Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates Abbasids were able to solidify and unify Islamic leadership. On the other hand, Umayyad had the biggest unitary state during their rule.   They are Sunni Muslims. Abbasid were from the youngest uncle of Muhammad in contrast with the Umayyad were descendants of Umayya who is from another clan. Conflict rise between the two because Abbasid caliphate they are the true descendant of Muhammad. The Umayyad military was used mainly for the expansion of their religious territory while the Abbasid army called the Mameluk was established to prevent the collapse of their rule. In terms of politics, the Abbasid caliph rule with coordination from non-Arab Muslims which contributed to the unification of Islam during their rule. Umayyad was believed to shift from a religious institution to a dynastic body. Tropical People The factors which caused social and cultural changes in the lives of tropical people are architecture, religion, gender and learning. Expansion of Islam results to new architectural styles. Style from the Middle East and locality are fused. In learning, Islam made people from Africa use Arabic. Spread of Islam also introduced the study of Islamic Laws and knowledge about science, mathematics including medicine. Social change occurred when discrepancy between the elites and the poor increased. In Africa and India, slavery became common. Slaves are tasked to do tedious works like mining, while women slaves are asked to do household chores, they also served as entertainers. Women in the tropics were trained to do house chores which includes child rearing, cooking and some farm works. Records do not have clear accounts on the implication of Islamic rule to women in the tropics, but it is known that in some places, women did not practice veiling and seclusion. REFERENCES: Renaissance. Retrieved April 29, 2007 . Tankard, Keith. (2006). â€Å"Aztec and Inca Empire†. Retrieved April 29, 2007 from http://www.knowledge4africa.co.za/worldhistory/inca13.htm   

Analysis of 2012/2013 Botswana Budget Speech

UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA NAME: MATILDAH TILLY KAUNDA COURSE: MGT 306 LECTURER: DR MAROBELA TOPIC: ANALYSIS OF THE BUDGET SPEECH ? INTRODUCTION Neo-liberalism is a set of economic policies that have become widespread during the last 25 years or so. Neo-liberalism is the case where the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer. These are a set of policies that are under the influence exerted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Inter- American Development Bank.They include frameworks of free market trade and no government intervention as well as elements of privatization. This report explores the theories of Managerialism, New public Management and finally neoliberalism implementation in Botswana, to assess whether such a change is constructive to the development of Botswana and Batswana by referring to the budget speech to evaluate whether Botswana is prepared for such a change Managerialism is the pursuit of goals by managers other that for profit maximizati on.According to Locke & Spender (2011) Managerialism is what occurs when a special group called managers ensconces itself systematically in a n organization and deprives owners and employees in their decision making power including the distribution of emoluments and justifies that takeover on the grounds of the managing group’ education and exclusive possession of codified knowledge and know- how necessary to the efficient running of the organization. Application of managerialism to the public sector involves privatization profit motive, incentives for managers and delegation of power.According to Pollitt & Bonkaert (2011) New Public Management refers to deliberate changes to the structures and processes of public sector organization with the objective of getting them to run better. It basically means changes in the way things are done to make them more efficient, more responsive to those who use them; their main focus is on achieving objectives like reduction of poverty. The main emphasis of New Public management is the need to change inefficient, money losing state enterprises into competitive, profit making, taxpaying businesses that provide quality goods services to consumers.This is greatly in line with the words that Honorable Math ambo said in the recent budget speech. He talked of the need for transfer of state owned enterprises to private ones. In the budget Speech Mr Mathambo stated that â€Å" a Privatization Master Plan adopted in 2005 and aimed at identifying all public enterprises suitable for privatization is being revised to among others, identify services and Public Enterprises that are suitable for outsourcing and divestiture during the period 2012 to 2017.In Botswana as said by the minister a new master plan or NDP 10 set out a prudent strategy for ensuring fiscal sustainability while supporting private sector development. A central feature of the strategy is for Government to reduce its dominance by cutting Government expenditure as a share of GDP from 40 to 30 percent Neoliberalism explains the state of no government intervention, free market trade and privatization.According to a journal of sociology (2007) this term broadly means the project of economic and social transformation under the sign of the free market and needs which are formerly met by public agencies in communities and families met by companies selling services in the market. Basically the policy recommendations of neoliberalism are concerned mainly with dismantling what remains of the regulations welfare state. These recommendations include deregulation of business; privatization of public activities and assets; elimination of, or cutbacks in, social welfare programs; and reduction of taxes on businesses and the investing class.The theory of neoliberals advocates for no or rather reduced government spending in the economy. Locke, R (2011) stated that International monetary fund which was created to administer the international monetary system is a strong supporter of neoliberalism or rather privatization. According to an article by Victor Baatweeng dated 12 January 2011,The international Monetary fund (IMF) has advised Botswana and other Southern African Customs Union (SACU) member states to slash their expenditure in order to ensure fiscal and debt sustainability.As a result, the IMF has recommended an appropriate mix of revenue and recurrent expenditure measures, with particular emphasis on reducing the wage bill. The Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Kenneth Matambo announced during his budget speech on Wednesday that the government is concerned that due to its dominance in Economic activities, the public sector wage bill has escalated over time and is high compared to that of other comparable middle income countries and that it needs to be reduced.According to Matambo, this can be achieved by reducing the size of the public sector, with functions and activities which are better carried out in a commercial environment being provided by the private sector. It looks like finally the government is responding to the pressures of IMF. However this is a drastic move that will only cause social upheavals and throw some people into the labor market. This move that can be taken by developed countries rather than developmental states like Botswana.Considering the fact that unemployment as mentioned in the recent budget speech continues to be high, and the government planning to cut wage bill and freeze posts, this initiative will solve nothing but rather lead the county into a downhill. Also the introduction of privatization will cause people who were employed by the government to lose their jobs when the private companies take over. The reason for this is that cost cutting has become the main strategy companies adopt in response to the liberalization of markets.These companies will come with short term contracts, part time positions, minimum wages and no job security. Instead of finding ways to curb the issue the government plans to add fuel to the fire. H0 This move to privatization and outsourcing of services most importantly essential services like water and electricity will only have a negative impact on the poor . According to Steger and Roy (2010), there should be state ownership of crucial national enterprises like energy and railroads.They further stated that Keynes in particular advocates for massive government spending in time of economic crises to create new jobs and lift consumer spending. The paramount objective of the capitalist’s economy is to make profit rather than enhancing wellbeing in economically efficient ways. Prices in the private sector tend to be high unlike in the public sector where they are subsidized to cater for those below the poverty line. In the budget speech the Minister stated that individuals below Botswana Poverty Datum Line declined from 30. 6% of population in 2002/03 to 20. % in 2009/10 but taking this initiative of privat ization will negatively affect those living below poverty datum line and may even end up increasing their number. State intervention is important as well as crucial to the economy as well as to the welfare of its citizens. It ensures social efficiency and fair and just allocation of resources and prevents market failure. According to monopolistic competition economy is a further reason for intervention by the government because it has the potential for the misallocation of resources through fixing wrong prices and making the customers worse off.Hughes(2003)’ s view on privatization was that market systems does not necessarily bring high employment , price stability and the socially desired rate of economic growth and thus the essentiality of public policy to secure such objectives. There are a number of reasons for the need of neoliberalism and why less state intervention in a state may be appropriate and viable. According to a journal by Wendy Larner† Liberalization is essentially about the introduction of competition. The main argument for avocation of liberalization is that competition forces alternative providers to improve productivity and service quality. She further stated that though there is reduction of employment as a consequence of liberalization and privatization, in many cases, lower staff levels result in work intensification. According to Locke (2001) Private sector practices and technologies are superior to those used in the public sector, thus there is high efficiency and effectiveness. He further stated that this idea has a long tradition that can be traced back to 1868. Privatization comes with competition and thus considered a viable strategy for improving performance of public bureaucracies because it lowers costs and increases efficiency.A further argument for privatization is to reduce cross subsidies and charges for services in accordance with their true cost. The argument is that subsidies are economically undesirable as true costs and inefficiencies are can be hidden. There are other mechanisms preferable like direct funding from the budget or giving cash to those to be given assistance. Neoliberasation also reduces government borrowing. The government should only borrow for long term assets such as power stations. A lower government borrowing has lower interest rates and thus helping the economy. Hughes 2003 pg 104). CONCLUSION Government intervention in the market is mainly aimed at reducing injustices and inequalities. While state intervention should be reduced to a minimum to promote efficiency, government should always keep an eye out for situations that only government intervention will regulate in everyone’s best interest against the interest of just a firm. It is difficult to choose a stance between state interventions in the economy because it comes with both advantages and disadvantages for the country.However for a developmental state like Botswana I believe that it is advisable n ot to undergo this change as it not well developed and the welfare of Batswana depends on it. REFERENCES Baatweng, V. (2011, January 12). IMF SLASHES WAGE BILL. Larner W, Neo- liberalism:policy, ideology Governmentality. studies in political economy . Journal of Sociology  © 2009 the Australian Sociological Association, Volume 45(4): 331–338 Locke, R. R. (2011). confronting managerialism. New York: Zed Book Ltd. Kotz M (2002). Globalisarion and Neoliberalism. Rethinking Marxism, Volume 12, Number 2, Summer 2002, pp. 64-79. , 64-79.Matambo, O. (2012). BUDGET SPEECH 2012. Gaborone: Government Printing and Publishing Services,. Steger& Roy (2010) NEO LIBERISALISM- A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION. New York, USA: Oxford University Press. Locke & Spender (2011). Confronting Managerialism: How the Business Elite and Their Schools Threw Our Lives Out of Balance (Economic Controversies) by. new york, USA: zed Books Ltd. Hughes E (2003). public management and administration. An introductio n. NEW YORK, USA: Palgrave macmillan. Pollit et al (2011) Comparative Analysis- New Public Management, Governance and †¦. , New York, USA, XFORD University Press

Biography of Phil Knight Essays

Biography of Phil Knight Essays Biography of Phil Knight Paper Biography of Phil Knight Paper Phil Knight is the founder and CEO of the athletic gear company, Nike. He was born in Portland, Oregon, on February 24th, 1938. Knight and Nike helped start a sports business revolution in the 1970s, changing old-fashioned tennis shoes into highly specialized equipment and promoting them as symbols of athletic prowess and success. Nikes success made Knight one of Americas wealthiest men. Celebrity Endorsement Strategy Known as a taskmaster CEO, Knight is also particular when it comes to matters of promotion. Hi, Im Phil Knight and I dont believe in advertising, was the way Nikes ad agency president remembered meeting his new client. Signing up perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time, the former Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan, was only one of the breakthrough strategies that made Nike-wearers the envy of schoolyard pickup games everywhere. The Nike image has been also linked closely with notable bad boys names like McEnroe, Andre Agassi, and Charles Barkley. Redefin ing the Shoe market . High interest in sports gave Knight the impetus to study the way track shoes were being made and marketed in the late 1950s. For assistance he consulted his coach, the University of Oregons famed Bill Bowerman, who himself would become a senior member of the Nike team. Together they determined that American shoes were inferior in style and quality, too heavy, and too easily damaged. The Japanese, on the other hand, were experimenting with new, trimmed-down styles fashioned in lightweight, hardy nylon. Knight wrote his Stanford business-school term paper on the subject, then a few years later got involved personally by visiting Japan and arranging to import new-design running shoes himself. 2. In the early days, anybody with a glue pot and a pair of scissors could get into the shoe business, Knight told Geraldine Willigan in a Harvard Business Review interview. So the way to stay ahead was through product innovation. We were also good at keeping our manufacturing costs down. The big, established players like Puma and Adidas were still manufacturing in high-wage European companies. But we knew that wages were lower in Asia. Phil said. 3. From the start, Knights shoes sported their own look (including the distinctive swoosh logo that still appears today) and their own attitude. An early effort to promote the newly dubbed Nike-pronounced NY-kee and named for the Greek goddess of victory-included a now-classic advertisement set at the 1972 Olympic track trials in Eugene, Oregon. The copy boasted that four of the top seven marathoners wore Nikes. By the mid-1970s Nike was at the cutting edge of workout-shoe technology. For instance, it was Bowerman, the former track coach, who poured some liquid latex into his wifes waffle iron, thereby inventing the famous sole that made the earliest Nikes feel like bedroom slippers. Nike didnt exactly burst from the gate in profit, though. Major sports stars demanded major compensation for wearing Knights brand. A turning point came in the 1980s, when tennis star Jimmy Connors won Wimbledon in a pair of Nikes and John McEnroe hurt his ankle, [and] started wearing an obscure three-quarter [Nike] model that had sold all of 10,000 pairs that year. Slogans Bo Knows, Its Gotta Be the Shoes, Just Do It

A Civil Action essays

A Civil Action essays This book is about a hotshot lawyer name Jan Schlichtman that gets involved in a lawsuit against two companies in Woburn, Massachusetts. The lawsuit was about toxic waste that was dumped by both companies, W.C. Grace and Beatrice Foods on their property that ended up contaminating the Woburn areas water supply. Eight families claim that the death of their children were caused by trichloroethylene (TCE) in the toxic waste which caused these children to have leukemia, skin rashes, nausea, burning eyes and other ailments. The story continues on to talk about how the families and lawyers try to convince the jury by using evidence that they got from medical experts, public health specialists, geologists, civil engineers, and government agencies to win the case. In the end the financial power and stonewalling of the companies, and the partiality of the presiding judge for one of the defense lawyers resulted in a verdict that favored the defense. At the end of the case Jan Schlichtman had to file bankruptcy because of all the cost. Only when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to launch a clean up and filed a suit against the two companies to pay a share of the cost was the only actual justice served. They said the project would last for 50 years but after they?re all done there will still be TCE left. After reading this book I came to realize that the justice system is messed up. People get favored over based on their reputation, where they went to school, the law firm they work at and etc. The lawyers that represented the two companies were from Harvard and part of a major law firm. The lawyer that represented the families was from a smaller firm and didn't go to a really good college and the judge treated them different in court. Another thing that I realized was that if you don't have specific evidence to prove your point in a case it could get dism ...

G-Biosports and its Product Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

G-Biosports and its Product - Assignment Example Even though the product had been contaminated by unknown factors and substances, the risk to the overall healthy adult consumer was very low. Though it was noted that risks to an immune-compromised adult would be slightly higher, the overall risk to the public was placed as ‘low’. The decision to inform the customer, rather than recall the product, was made on the basis of not only the threat to the consumer but a threat to the company and its business reputation. It was decided that, in informing the customer and allowing them to make their own choices through the information presented, the customer could choose for themselves whether to take the low risk of being exposed to the contaminants or cease using the product, rather than possibly panic and risk losing all faith of the customer through a blaring market recall. Though G-Biosports would undoubtedly lose some faith with the customer through the process, causing a market-wide panic would have a far greater impact a nd consequences in the long run than simply telling the consumers what had happened and leaving the choice up to them. However, in the area of the international market, which was the second part of the simulation, the decision was made to destroy all product rather than distributing it to the international market consumers for consumption. This decision was made on the basis of holding the company to the standards of safety mandated by the USA and choosing not to allow the product to be sold in a country where the safety standards would be less than, or different to, the USA. Though the cost to the company would be great, as the destroyed product would be taken from company costs, it was felt that it was better to deal with such costs than to risk a lawsuit in an area where a customer might have had adverse effects from consuming the contaminated product. It was also noted that while the company would lose money in destroying the product.

Barclays Bank Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Barclays Bank - Essay Example Barclays Bank for a long time has been seen to capitalise in this, even before the field of behavioural finance was. One of the best example as to how Barclays Bank is using behavioural finance theory to advance its business is the English Premier League sponsorship which the bank has sponsored since 2001. Sports generate a lot of emotions epically emotions of belonging and fondness. In this regard, sponsoring the English Premier League which is popular not only in England but actually in the whole world has enabled the bank to be able to access a lot of market. There are so many customers around the world who become customers to Barclays Bank just because they associate it with their favourite sport, soccer. Business Funding at Barclays Bank Being a three hundred year old business, Barclays Bank has used a number of funding methods over the years. However, there are the most recent funding methods which the bank has opted. ... In the United States, the bank has also had some liquidity issues and there were fears that the bank may be having a bad debt of over $10 billion and this led to the shares of the bank dropping a whole 9%. However, it later emerged that the debt was much less than the amount and was actually $1.9 billion. Funding In an attempt to enhance its tier 1 capital ratio, Barclays Bank tried to raise 4.5 UK pounds through a non-traditional rights issue in mid 2008. However, only 19 percent of the shareholders took up the rights offer and this led to the majority shareholder, China Development band and Qatar Investment Authority with majority shares. Later in the same year, Barclays tried another round of capital-raising which led to seven billion UK pounds being raised, mainly from investors from Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The fact that the capital raising was not from the existing shareholders led to some worries by the existing shareholders who objected to the fact that they were not pre-empted a bout the rights issues. The shareholders even threatened to boycott the decision in the extraordinary shareholders meeting. Barclays Bank Shares Barclays Bank is a publically traded firm which trades both in the London Stock Exchange as well as the New York Sock Exchange. All its subsidiaries also trade in the local stock exchange markets of the countries where they operate. Barclays Bank has been in the stock exchange for a long time now and the current price of its shares is ?284.35 which is a fall of 1.59% from previous price. Barclays bank has a capitalisation of over ?21.8Â  billion making it the 22nd largest firm listed in the London stock exchange market. The