Chpl500 Writing Assignments

Written Assignments Liberty Theological Seminary Chpl 500 Chaplaincy Foundations Review this document carefully, preparing early and in a timely manner is the key to success. Submit each assignment through the Assignments folder for the appropriate module. For each paper, follow the general guidelines (Services/Support area) and in the Additional Information folder (Course Content > Syllabus and Assignment Instructions). Module 1: Explain the early history of the chaplaincyRead carefully pages 1–68 (chapters 1–2) in Bergen’s text, â€Å"Emperors, Priests, and Bishops, Military Chaplains in the Roman Empire† & â€Å"The Liturgy of War from Antiquity to the Crusades. † A discussion of military chaplains in the Roman imperial period, that is, from approximately 27 BC–500 AD will be examined with all its difficulties involved. After completing your reading you will need to do the following exercises: †¢ Write a two-page paper, following Kate Turabian (6th ed. ) formatting style, explaining the use of religion in the early history of the chaplaincy.This assignment is designed to get you to think critically about how religion and those picked to provide religious activities grew into what is now called chaplains. Module 2: Evaluating the duties of chaplains from 1200-1600AD Read carefully pages 69–104 (chapters 3–4) in Bergen’s text, â€Å"The Medieval Military Chaplain and His Duties† & â€Å"Did the Nature of the Enemy Make a Difference? Chaplains in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, 1642–49. † By the mid-thirteenth century, the sacramental and moral aspects of the chaplain’s office had achieved a firm basis in law.After completing your reading you will need to do the following exercise: †¢ Write a two-page paper, following Kate Turabian (6th ed. ) formatting style, on evaluating chapters 3-4 using the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) of the cha plain’s duty during this period of history? This assignment is designed to get you to think critically about, the duties of chaplains during this period of history and to understand their difficulties surround their duties.Module 3: Evaluating the chaplains role during the Civil War Read carefully pages 105–140 (chapters 5–6) in Bergen’s text, â€Å"Faith, Morale, and the Army Chaplain in the American Civil War† & â€Å"In the Service of Two Kings: Protestant Prussian Military Chaplains 1713-1918. † During the Civil War, a total of approximately 2,500 men served as chaplains in the Union Army. Many of them experienced serious problems and concerns during this period of history. After completing your readings you will need to do the following exercise: †¢ Write a two page paper, following Kate Turabian (6th ed. formatting style, on the responsibilities and duties of the Civil War Chaplain. This assignment is designed to help you understa nd the awesome duties these men had to carry out as chaplains and all the issues that so divided our country during this time in American History. Module 4: Evaluating German Chaplains and their legitimacy Read carefully pages 141–186 (chapters 7–8) in Bergen’s text, â€Å"Where’s the Padre? Canadian Memory and the Great War Chaplains† & â€Å"German Military Chaplains in the Second World War and the Dilemmas of Legitimacy. Chaplains in the German Army experienced many issues, one of which was their legitimacy as ministers and priest. After completing your readings you will need to do the following exercise: †¢ Write a two-page paper, following Kate Turabian (6th ed. ) formatting style, on the Pro’s and Con’s on the legitimacy of German Chaplains. This assignment will center your focus on how can ministers serve as chaplains under a dictatorship and still be legitimate chaplains. Module 5: Evaluating chaplains during the Vietnam EraRead carefully pages 187–232 (chapters 9–10) in Bergen’s text, â€Å"We Will Be: Experiences of an American Jewish Chaplain in the Second World War† & â€Å"Clergy in the Military—Vietnam and After: One Chaplain’s Reflections. † As you read about a Jewish chaplain’s experience, it is vital to remember that chaplains are to provide â€Å"freedom of the exercise of religion† to all military members and their families and all DOD employees. What does this really mean? If you are a protestant chaplain, do you have to become a catholic chaplain or Muslim, etc.? Pluralism is important.You should understand the duties you are to carry out under this term. These two chapters and your written assignment should assist you. Once you have finished your reading assignment, you will need to do the following exercises: †¢ Write a two-page paper, following Kate Turabian (6th ed. ) formatting style, on the topic â€Å"What is p luralism? † You may use other resources not included in this course to assist you in this assignment. Module 6: Evaluating chaplains from morale builders to moral advocates Read carefully pages 233–270 (chapters 11–12) in Bergen’s text, â€Å"From Morale Builders to Moral Advocates: U.S. Army Chaplains in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century† & â€Å"In Place of an Afterword: My argument with Fr. William Corby, C. S. C. † Chaplains are essential to Commanders, to First Sergeants, and to their parish on moral issues. With today’s morals changing from day to day and from court to court rulings, it is vital that chaplains know and understand moral issues and be ready to speak out on them as they relate to the military service. Once you have finished your reading assignment you will need to do the following: †¢ Write a two-page paper, following Kate Turabian (6th ed. formatting style, on why is it important for chaplains to addres s moral issues with their commanders and parish. This assignment is designed to help you understand that chaplains are moral advocates and must address the key moral issues of our day. Module 7: Identifying the USAF, USA, & USN Chaplain’s Role of Today Watch carefully the video clips on the various Armed Forces Chaplain Services and take notes about their history and the duties of the chaplains.After completing your viewing you will need to complete the following assignments: †¢ Write a two-page paper, following Kate Turabian (6th ed. ) formatting style, on one of the Branches of Service and discuss the Chaplain’s Ministry in the areas of Worship, Counseling, Visitation, and Readiness-War-Time Preparedness. You may choose the USA, USAF, or USN to write about. You do not have to write on all three; choose only one branch of service to discuss. The purpose of this assignment is to aid students in a better nderstanding of how a chaplain’s role and duties diffe r depending on which branch one serves in. Module 8: Evaluating the Geneva Convention Read Articles 1–45 on the following website of the Geneva Convention and be prepared to explain the chaplain’s role as a POW. History has proven that chaplains are a vital resource during wartime, and especially in a POW Camp. The Geneva Convention lays out the roles and responsibilities of chaplains when captured and placed in a POW Camp. It is of most importance that chaplains know the GC guidelines as they relate to them.This assignment will assist you in understanding your role as a chaplain in a POW Camp. After reading your assigned readings on the articles of the Geneva Convention, you will need to complete the following assignments. †¢ Write a two-page paper, following Kate Turabian (6th ed. ) formatting style, on the importance of the Geneva Convention as it relates to chaplains who are POWs. This assignment is designed to underpin the importance of the chaplain’s role when captured and placed in a POW Camp.

Ac505 Course Project a

Course Project Hints: The beginning cash balance for April, is the cash from March 31 in the Asset section of the balance sheet. In the merchandise purchases budget, in April, we need 50% of March purchases (that amount is also given to us 3/31 Accounts payable of $100,000 on page 415). Therefore, Total cash disbursements for April is (50% x $316,000 April purchases) + ($100,000 remaining March purchases to be paid) = $258,000. Class, Here are some hints. Lets start from the beginning: SALES BUDGET: First, take budgeted sales in units for each month of April, May, and June, and multiply by the selling price of $10/unit.You will get TOTAL SALES which you will also need to plug into the Income Statement later. For example, April should be 65,000 units times $10 = $650,000 Total Sales. For your Schedule of Expected Cash Collections, each months units must be multiplied by the $10 selling price to yield the months sales. Per page 414, we know 10% of a given months sales is collected in t he 2nd month following the sale, 70% in the month following the sale, and 20% in the month of sale. Therefore, for example Total Cash Collection for April will consist of the last 10% of February sales and 70% of March sales and 20% of April sales: (26,000 Feb units x $10 x 0. 0) +(40,000 March units x $10 x 0. 70) + (65,000 April units x $10 x 0. 20) = $436,000. You have to repeat the same process for May and June that I just did for April, and then add up all three months to get the quarter. Next, we have the Merchandise Purchases Budget. Total Needs are Budgeted sales in units plus Budgeted ending inventory (budgeted ending inventory =40% of the next months sales in units according to the terms of the problem). Once we have Total Needs, we subtract the Beginning Inventory (which of course is the previous months ending inventory) to get Required Unit Purchases.So for April, that is 65,000 April budgeted units + (0. 40 x 100,000 May budgeted units) = 105,000 units Total Needs less ending March inventory which is the same as April beginning inventory (which is 0. 40 x 65,000 April units = 26,000 units) = 79,000 units required purchases. [Be careful with the inventory: you cant just pull the $104,000 inventory off of the balance sheet on page 415 because the balance sheet is in dollars not units, so if you want to use that balance sheet inventory figure, you have to say $104,000 divided by $4 cost = 26,000 units. Getting back to our 79,000 units required purchases, now multiply direct materials cost of $4 times the Required Unit Purchases to get Required Dollar purchases, which would be 79,000 Required April Unit Purchases x $4 = $316,000 as Required dollar purchases for April. [Again, be careful, on page 414 the problem states that only 50% of any given months purchases are paid for during the month of purchase, with the remaining 50% paid for in the following month, that fact will come in handy for the next step: the Budgeted Cash Disbursements for merchandis e purchases.For April, we need to therefore know what 50% of March purchases are (that is also given to us 3/31 Accounts payable of $100,000 on page 415). Therefore, Total cash disbursements for April is (50% x $316,000 April purchases )+($100,000 remaining March purchases to be paid)= $258,000 which we will need in the next step for the Cash Budget. CASH BUDGET Remember that the beginning Cash balance of the month is the previous months ending cash balance. For April, we can use the 3/31 Cash ending balance of $74,000 as stated on the page 415 Balance Sheet for 3/31.Next we add receipts from Customers (which we calculated in the Schedule of Expected Cash Collections as $436,000 for April, giving us Total Cash Available for April as $510,000. For the Disbursements, we already know what the Purchase of Inventory figure is that we calculated in the Budgeted Cash Disbursements (recall it was $258,000). Advertising is $200,000 per month per page 414; Rent is $18,000 per month per page 4 14; salaries are $106,000 per month per page 414; Sales commissions are 4% of Sales, so for April that is 65,000 units times $10 x 0. 04 = $26,000. Utilities are fixed at $7,000 each month.We don’t have to consider Depreciation in the Cash Budget because depreciation is not a cash outlay. The problem states that Insurance is prepaid so we know that for this problem it will not appear on the Cash Budget just like depreciation wont (but remember that both Depreciation and Insurance will show up as expenses to be matched against revenue when we do the Income Statement later). The problem states that Dividends are paid at $15,000 per quarter in the first month of each quarter, so that means April (but not May or June) will have $15,000 for Dividends pay out in the Cash Budget.The problem also states that equipment will be purchased in May at $16,000 and in June at 40,000 (but not in April, so we can ignore the cash outlay for equipment when calculating April Total Disbursements ( which are therefore $630,000. ) Since April Total Cash Available is only $510,000 if we subtract the Disbursements of $630,000, we have a deficiency, -$120,000. Because the problem states that minimum ending cash balance must be $50,000 each month, we know we have to borrow some money from the bank. We need $120,000 to bring cash to zero plus $50,000 for the minimum ending cash balance for total borrowings of $170,000.This $170,000 figure is already in increments of $1,000, so we dont need to round up our borrowings. (Note: When you do the cash budget you should have determined a deficiency (more cash outlay than revenue) in each of months April & May requiring you to borrow, but in June, you should have calculated an excess of receipts over disbursements leaving you money to repay interest and then principal in June. As to the interest calculation in June, lets review it: Rate is 1%, so Interest should be the sum of (the amount you borrowed in April of 170,000 times 3 months x 0. 0 1) and (the amount you borrowed in May times 2 months times 0. 01).The reason that you have to include the month of June in your count of principal balance of loan amounts to multiple interest rate by is because those amounts were outstanding as owed to the bank during the month of June even though you didnt borrow any additional amounts during June. Remember, after you figured out the interest expense in June, you can calculate how much principal you can pay back (in increments of $1,000s) being careful to leave a cash balance of $50,000. P. S. April financing should be $170,000 as I showed above. When you calculate Mays borrowings, don't even think about Aprils financing, do the calculation independently.You wont pay any interest until June (dont worry about accruing it for a cash budget, and since the income statement is for all three months anyway, we can think of the June cash outlay for interest expense as paying off everything that would have been accrued anyway: please see m y calculation for the June interest payment above (hint $5,300 is interest payment see my excel notes in the sample). You must pay off all interest due before the bank lets you pay any principal. One last Hint: Ending cash balance for the quarter is the same as June 30 cash balance, and should be $94,700.For all of the other Quarterly amounts, you can add the April, May and June amounts. If you havent fallen asleep reading yet, on to the Income Statement and Balance Sheet: The income statement reflects revenue and expenses over a PERIOD in time (here the quarter including April, May and June). To prepare the income statement, your sales revenue should be the sum of the quarter that you calculated as TOTAL SALES (you calculated that figure for each month by multiplying budgeted sales in units each month (total of 215,000 units) times selling price per unit of $10).For the quarter the COST OF GOODS SOLD is the 215,000 units times the direct materials cost of $4 per unit. Then the COMM ISSIONS expense is 4% of sales (so 0. 04 x 215,000 units x $10). The sum of the variable cost of goods sold and commissions yields a subtotal of variable costs, and then after that amount is subtracted from sales, you get the Contribution Margin. Fixed Expenses is next, which are the Quarterly amounts you calculated in the Cash Budget for Advertising, Rent, Salaries, and Utilities, except that you now need to include DEPRECIATION expenses (that did not appear in the cash budget since depreciation is not a cash outlay).Also, because the problem stated that INSURANCE had been prepaid, insurance did not appear in the cash budget, but it is a fixed expense that must be recorded each month like depreciation in order to match revenues against expenses. You dont need to include the Equipment purchases on the income statement as expenses because they are capitalized as assets on the balance sheet instead of expensed on the income statement per Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Divid ends are a reduction of Retained earnings on the balance sheet and are not expensed on the income statement per GAAP.Once you total the fixed expenses and subtract them from the Contribution margin, you have Net Operating Income. Now, you have to subtract the total INTEREST expense that you calculated in the Cash budget to get Net Income. (Note: When you did the cash budget you should have determined a deficiency (more cash outlay than revenue) in each of months April ; May requiring you to borrow, but in June, you should have calculated an excess of receipts over disbursements leaving you money to repay interest and then principal. Were you confident about your interest calculation in June?Lets review it: Interest should be the sum of (the amount you borrowed in April times 3 months x 1%) and (the amount you borrowed in May times 2 months times 1%). The reason that you have to include the month of June in your count of principal balance of loan amounts to multiple interest rate by is because those amounts were outstanding as owed to the bank during the month of June even though you didn't borrow any additional amounts during June. Remember, AFTER you figured out the interest expense, you can calculate how much principal you can pay back (in increments of $1,000s) being careful to leave a cash balance of $50,000. Actually, since you should have enough to pay the entire interest amount and the entire loan amount in June and still have 94,700 left as ending June cash balance. ) Please note: The quarter ending cash balance is the same as the June ending cash balance since the last day of the quarter is June 30th. This in contrast to the revenue and variable expenses which will be the amounts that represent the SUM of April, May and June as I described above, and so will the fixed expenses and interest be the sum of the three months worth (not just the June amounts.In other words, only the ending cash balance will be the amount for June. ) Balance Sheet Help The b alance sheet is given at a POINT in time (unlike the Income statement that is for a period of time). This means that all amounts will represent balances at June 30. The other thing to remember about the balance sheet is that total assets ALWAYS equals the sum of liabilities and stockholders equity. Assets The ending balance of CASH that you calculated when doing the Cash Budget will therefore be your line item for cash on the balance sheet.ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE : Since page 414 states 20% of a months sales are collected in the month of sale, 70% in the following month, and 10% in the second month, we know at June 30th, we still have 10% of Mays sales outstanding to be collected in July, and 80% of Junes sales (60% of which will be collected in July and 10% of which will be collected in August). This means we have for your June ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, you have 10% of May sales (which is 100,000 May units x $10 x 0. 10 = $100,000) plus 80% of June sales (which is 50,000 June units x $10 x 0. 80 = $400,000) for a total June 30 A/R of $500,000.Recall that the problem states that ending INVENTORY should be 40% of next months sales. (since inventory is to be 40% of the next months sales multiply 0. 40 x direct materials product cost of $4 x 30,000 July sales units). Unexpired INSURANCE is next (think of this as Prepaid Insurance: Beginning balance as of March 31st was $21,000 according to the 3/31 balance sheet n page 415, so from that amount you now have to subtract each of the amounts of insurance that represent the amounts that would have been due for April, May, and June, since those periods have already lapsed as of the date of the June 30th balance sheet you are preparing.Hint: you already calculated the amount of insurance you now need to subtract when you prepared the fixed expense portion of the income statement. FIXED ASSETS NET OF DEPRECIATION: Again, start with the ending balance on the March 31st balance sheet, then add the purchase in May and the purchase i n June and subtract the three months of depreciation expenses that have elapsed since the March 31st balance sheet date.Hint: you already calculated the amount of depreciation you now need to subtract when you prepared the fixed expense portion of the income statement. Total up all the assets. LIABILITIES ACCOUNTS PAYABLE (purchases): Remember that the problem states how purchases are paid: 50% in the month of purchase and the remaining 50% in the following month. Therefore, at the end of June we know that 50% of June purchases remain unpaid, so A/P is 50% of the required dollar purchases for June that you calculated when you prepared the Merchandise purchases budget.DIVIDENDS PAYABLE: The problem states that dividends of $15,000 are paid in the first month following each quarter, so we know that the $15,000 dividends that accrued during the quarter comprised of April, May and June wont be paid until July, and therefore have to be listed as payable as of June 30th for your balance s heet. Recall that dividends of $15,000 for the first quarter were paid in April, so the beginning balance of $15,000 in this account is not there anymore. LOANS PAYABLE: Beginning balance is zero, so all we have is the sum of borrowings during April and May (there were no June borrowings) MINUS June repayments.Technically, we would also have to add the interest accrued on the borrowings but we could subtract it right back out because it was paid in full in our Cash budget as of June 30. EQUITY CAPITAL STOCK of $800,000 did not change since March31 since the problem does not state that the company authorized any additional stock or bought back any treasury stock. RETAINED EARNINGS: There are two ways to come up with this figure The quick and dirty way is to take total assets and from that figure subtract the sum of (Accounts Payable + Dividends Payable+ Loan Payable + Capital Stock).The correct way is to take the Beginning Balance of Retained Earnings as of March 31st, which is $580, 000 and add the net income you calculated from the budgeted income statement and then subtract the $15,000 dividends declared since the last balance sheet date. (In our case the dividends were only declared and not paid because they reside in the dividends payable account as noted above, but that does not affect the computation. ) Hope this helps! p. s.Heres more hints: On the master budget, for the project budget, in the Total Column, the beginning inventory is from the first period/quarter and the ending inventory is from the last period/quarter. This is a common error. This is also an issue on the direct materials budget (beginning and ending raw materials) and the cash budgets (cash). On the cash budget schedule, the ending cash from the first period will be the beginning cash for the following period.The ending March 31 cash balance has to be the April 1st opening balance of cash on the Cash Budget, and it is also the beginning cash balance of the â€Å"quarter† column o n the Cash Budget. Since insurance is only paid in November, for the CASH BUDGET it is only a line item in Nov. We know in Nov the payment will be 3000 x 12 = 36,000 since per page 14 the company allocates 3000/mo to insurance expense (but for our purposes all we care about is the fact that the company allocates insurance expense at 3000/mo, meaning 3000 x 3 = 9,000 for the income statement for any three month quarter. Insurance will also appear on the balance sheet since the prepaid portion of it will be a current asset (it is a current as opposed to a long term asset since it will be all used up with a year). Depreciation is stated at $14,000/mo (again depreciation is not a cash outlay, but it is an expense on the income statement with a corresponding amount going each month to accumulated depreciation account on the balance sheet (the accumulated depreciation acts as a contra account to bring down he balance of the equipment cost sheet line item on the balance sheet. ) The amount of inventory really doesn't have anything to do with depreciation, since depreciation is a means of writing off equipment over its useful life. Assuming a five year life, a 14,000 monthly depreciation expense would mean the original cost of the equipment would be about $840,000 (I have one client who has one replacement part that costs that amount for just one manufacturing molding machine, so don't be surprised by this large monthly depreciation expense! )

An Analytical Biography of The Catcher in the Rye Essay

Critic Jonathan Baumbach explores the significance of innocence in J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye. He claims that the novel is not only about innocence, but actively for innocence-as if retaining one’s childness were an existing possibility. Not only that, but he states that Holden wishes to be a saint: the protector and savior of innocence by preventing them from falling into the cruel adult world of corruption and fickleness. Although he also wants someone to prevent his own fall since he is in fact still a child himself. Baumbach states that this is Holden’s paradox, saying that he must shed his own innocence to protect innocence. These statements are what send Holden off into the three day soul-searching quest that dooms Holden to sinking into insanity in our novel. The critic opens with a rather descriptive insight about how others view and critique Salinger’s first and only novel, as well as pointing some of the flaws that Catcher has: â€Å"The novel is sentimental; it loads the deck for Holden and against the adult world, the small but corrupt group that Holden encounters is not representative enough to permit Salinger his inclusive judgments about the species.† Baumbach claims that Holden does not have enough information to comment on the phoniness of humanity as a whole based on his observations of only a select few. As the critic investigates further, he makes a few interesting points. Some of which regard Mr. Antolini: Holden’s former English teacher. Baumbach claims that Antolini’s kindness to Holden is triggered by a homosexual interest that he has in the protagonist. Pointing  out the flaws in his teachers marriage, as well as ambiguous actions that he had done while with Caulfield. Based on Baumbach’s misguided interpretation the reader could be lead to think that of Mr. Antolini’s gesture as one of a perverted old man rather than as one of concerned mentor. Additionally, the critic moves on to discuss Holden’s concern of where the ducks go during the winter. He claims that what Holden really wants to know is whether there is a benevolent authority that takes care of the ducks; for if there is one for the ducks, there is must be one for people as well. Next, Baumbach switches focus to Holden’s prayer to Allie, which takes place before he goes to visit his family’s apartment. The critic postulates that Holden’s prayer to Allie is not so much an act of anguish as an act of love. However, if one closely examines the scene in the novel, the reader will realize that Holden’s prayer is actually the act of one wallowing in self-pity, of one that has truly hit rock bottom. After examining Jonathan Baumbach’s critique I can gather that he is a wonderful writer, he uses a colorful vocabulary and his sentences are perfectly structured. Although a line should be drawn when using more complex vocabulary; for while reading the critique the reader will likely find themselves having to look up several words to understand the points the critic is trying get across. Not only that, but the critic makes several assumptions based on very little information or goes out on a limb to make a point. Moreover, Baumbach’s points regarding Mr. Antolini’s homosexual nature, the significance of the Central Park ducks, as well as Holden’s prayer to Allie are not entirely concrete, and leave themselves open for dispute. When a reader goes through a book more than once, they find things they never caught while reading it through the first time. One would realize that Holden views Mr. Antolini as a father figure and a role model and comes to him looking for all the answers to the questions no one has figured out yet. For example, during the story when Holden arrives at Mr. Antolini’s apartment, He knows that Holden is spiraling downward and is basically aiming to fall into that insanity he has been drifting towards throughout  the novel, he warns him of this and eventually the two head to sleep. Now the controversial action that causes some of the audience to believe that Mr. Antolini is sexually interested in Caulfied, is that he awoke to find him stroking his hair. Holden misunderstood and made such a rash decision to put everyone into that Phony corrupt persona that he believes humanity is composed of, and storms off out of his home. If Holden was thinking more clearly he would’ve probably been able to handle the situation more responsibly, realizing that Antolini was only stroking his hair in more of a concerned fatherly way. The reader can tell by the way Holden refers to Mr. Antolini they have a strong relationship and he views him as a surrogate father, and not some perverted old man that Baumbach has painted him out to be. Additionally, As far as the Central Park ducks are concerned†¦Holden’s obsessive curiosity about what happens to the ducks during the winter shows the more child-like side to his character. Although Baumbach believes that Holden is searching for a higher power, instead helps him relate to that child innocence he is so fond of. It gives him the hope that change isn’t always permanent. It also helps the reader compare Holden’s perfect world in which time stands still (Like in the Museum of Natural History), to the real world which is constantly changing. Proving that he isn’t searching for some sort of â€Å"higher power† in the ducks, but it was a way to keep in touch with his innocence of his childhood. Lastly, when Holden hits rock bottom in the novel he says a prayer to Allie, in which Baumbach claims that it is an act of love and anguish. Although, this isn’t entirely true. Holden is actually wallowing in his own self-pity, how could he pray to Allie for help when while Allie was alive he wouldn’t even allow him to go on his bike with him and a friend? Sure, he feels regret for it now that he is dead and no longer with him, but it happened yet again when Phoebe wanted to run away with him and Caulfied turned her down the same as he had done with Allie. Proving that after hitting rock bottom Holden is desperate enough to pray although he doesn’t actually believe in God, but is hoping that there is one to not only save him but the soul of his deceased brother as well. In conclusion, Baumbach as a critic did write a well-written review of J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye although it was a bit difficult to understand at times, he made a clear point and backed up his point with facts from the novel. He had colorful vocabulary and his critique flowed well together. Although the critique was a bit on the longer side I did enjoy reading it. The Catcher in the Rye which is believed to be J.D Salinger’s most famous work, had been an everlasting favorite of teens and tweens of the literary scene. This novel known for its stylized prose and focus on themes of angst, alienation, and rebellion has received wide acclaim for its extraordinary sense of originality. This novel will endure as a lifetime favorite of adolescence everywhere because it has life and is probably the most original piece of its time.

Explaining the American Renaissance Paper Essay

Explaining the American Renaissance Paper - Essay Example an appendage to Europe was too much to bear and Emerson in a belligerent Phi Beta Kappa Address at Harvard in 1837 boldly declared "We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds...† (Emerson, Aug 31, 1837) This clarion call for breaking the shackles opened the floodgates of American writing which for the first time transcended the boundaries of utilitarian, political, and spiritual writing (which had till then been the dominant nature of American output) and metamorphosed into true literature. All American writing however was not utilitarian, political or spiritual before the advent of Emerson and his group of Transcendentalists located at Concord, Massachusetts. American literary scene had eminently powerful exponents in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Lowell who in their own way were depicting the nuances of American psyche. But these gentlemen, and a few more similar to them, were steeped in European culture and what they were attempting was in effect to pour the American experience in a European mold to obtain something which had American flavor but European form. Lowell, in particular, in Harvard Commemoration Ode (1865) was at his creative best. The problem which these intellectuals faced was the absence of a European backdrop in American countryside. There were no Rolling Meadows or Lake Districts to foster creative juices of these authors, and above all, there were no legends or tales of grandeur, glory or tragedy that had formed the canvas of many a European masterpiece. This absence of a familiar environment perhaps forced Edgar Allen Poe to import an Italian backdrop to add necessary weight and flavor to one of his creations. A reaction to this overdependence on Europe divorced from the realities of America was waiting to happen and took shape in the form of American Renaissance. The credit of coining the term â€Å"American Renaissance† goes to F. O. Matthiessen who used this new

Watson's theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Watson's theory - Assignment Example In this case, more was required, however, and Lisa took it in her own hands to do this. She was able to arrange for the patient to see his beloved dog, and by doing this, she created a feeling of hope in the patient. He was reminded again why he should still try to live—so that he could take care of his beloved pet. Obviously, the dog had become a close family member to him, and he needed to see the dog to feel happy again. Lisa demonstrates the cultivation of sensitivity to others because she was willing to hear out what Mr. E had to say. She took the time to recognize his depression and was caring enough to worry about him. She then took it upon herself to listen to the patient and find out what was bothering him. Her desire to due this demonstrates her willingness to assist the patient as according to Watson’s theory. Lisa did a fabulous job of establishing a trusting relationship with Mr. E. Her desire to sit down and take her time to listen to the patient demonstrates immediately to the patient that she cares. This, in turn, allowed Mr. E to open up to her and trust her, and he did divulge his issues to her. This was key in helping the patient, and Lisa was able to successfully establish a feeling of trust in the patient through her own personal concern. Lisa was able to accept the positivie and negative feelings expressed by the client, and did what she could to overcome the negative feelings. Her ability to arrange for a visit between the dog and the patient allowed her to open up the door to the positive, and thus assisted the patient with gaining a solid feeling of positive hope. Lisa used problem solving methods in figuring out how to cheer up the patient. By arranging for her patient to visit his dog, she was able to overcome the initial problem and allow the patient to feel much more

Alcohol abuse is a serious problem among many young people Essay

Alcohol abuse is a serious problem among many young people - Essay Example Statistics show that almost 64% of the high school students say that they have been drunk at least once. Among youth between the ages 12 to 17, 77% (Spear, pp. 71-81) say that they have had at least one serious problem related to drinking in the past year. The teenagers who engage in this problem suffer in various aspects of their life. Teenagers having drinking problems suffer in their education. They tend to skip school and their classes and their performance level starts going down as the problem increases. This is because their attention span towards anything goes down and hence their performance decreases. Another problem that arises is that of drunk driving and the number of accidents and deaths caused by it. Statistics show that underage drinking and alcohol use is more likely to kill youngsters compared to illegal drugs. Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of deaths of youth between the ages of 15 and 20. The rate of these accidents is much more for teenager s between ages of 16 to 20 rather than 20 years and above (Spear, pp. 71-81). Another problem is that of suicide. After depression and stress, alcohol abuse is the third factor causing young people to commit suicide for children between 14 and 25. Sexual assaults and rapes are also becoming increasingly common as an effect of alcohol abuse.

Security through authentication and Encryption Essay

Security through authentication and Encryption - Essay Example Security issues are the ones that Government take pride for determining technical standards within the domain of the private sector. Since technology is on its way to implement some technical standards to secure communication mode, first of all it mandates standards to mandate Internet commerce and communication. Among the most significant issue concerning technical standards is the usage of security and authentication. Authentication is not only required in communications between organizations and clients but is also a considerable issue in making electronic payments over the Internet. Depending on the direction and interactivity, authentication requires some previously stored data while communicating online. Authentication while encrypting the data allows any organization to get security over the network, thereby utilizing its resources without any hassle or threat of being attacked by the hacker. Encryption not only provides confidentiality to an organization when most often used with ‘https’ protocol, but by authenticating the data it provides non-repudiation that travels over a network or stored on a system. Except for the fact that authentication gets costly to organization and there is a risk of passwords vulnerability, there are no other limitations for authenticating your network. Since passwords are vulnerable to brute-force attacks or forgetfulness they are also subjected to a threat of weak password authentication. For example if a manager sends an application inclusive of passwords in plain text while not encrypted, to the authenticating server, any network sniffer can figure out the password, whether it is 250 or 2 characters long. A physical form of authentication is deployed in large organizations, government and military agencies that measures physical attributes, called ‘biometrics’. Since it is economically not

Check the file i sent Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Check the file i sent - Assignment Example God is real, a truth and exists because he is conceivable to the human mind, he is conceivable to Descartes’ mind. Just as explained in Meditation1 all things that Descartes grew up to believe in was challenged and a new system of beliefs which had no doubt in them were established, here the existence of God is justified through doubtless belief. My thesis builds on Descartes’ primary logic that whatever the mind can conceive and facilitates the propagation of the belief exists. Therefore my understanding states that both God and Evil Demon exist as it can be conceived with distinct attributes and qualities. The Thesis states that God exists, because it is he who is putting these thoughts and it is he who is responsible for the author has come to be, i.e., his birth as a human being, his existence and his life. Similarly as stated in Meditation 1 â€Å"No, surely I must exist if it’s me who is convinced of something. But there is a deceiver supremely powerful ad cunning, whose aim is to see that I am always deceived†. (Descartes, 1641, p.137) This goes to show the authors belief that the Evil Demon exists. Would Descartes think that his having an idea of the Evil Demon proves that the Evil Demon exists?   Descartes states that the Evil Demon exists, as the deceiver, as a sublime thought in a human mind to constantly question the existence of one self, about the realism of one’s physical structure (i.e., eyes, hands, legs, head etc) and natural habitat like land, water, air, wind, earth etc. The Evil Demon exists as a force that tries to disprove that he exists. The author concludes by saying that, thus having fully weighed every consideration, I must finally conclude that the statement â€Å"I am. I exist† (Descartes, 1641, p.138) whenever I state or mentally consider it. Another perspective of Evil Demon’s existence is: based on the premise of Descartes’ system of thoughts and the fact that presentation al reality determines the strength of the case for the existence of an object of thought; the Evil Demon exists because of having a concrete idea with clear presentational reality of the Evil Demon. The fact that Descartes can have a clear idea of the Evil Demon together with all its attributes of evil, malice, loathness, craftiness etc leads to the fact that the Evil Demon exists. It is a thought that comes from within and is clear and distinct. Just like there is a supremely powerful and good power that we call God, who is the source of all truth, there is an evil demon, supremely powerful and cunning who works as hard as he possibly can to deceive the author (Descartes, Knowledge and Reality, Meditation 1, p. 138). Why did Descartes think that his having an idea of God proves God exists? Descartes’ primary approach is to withdraw his senses and empty his mind of thoughts of all physical things that he has seen so far in life like objects, people, things and articles. He ei ther empties his mind from it or writes them off as non-existent and not real. The fact that he can comprehend the concept of God clearly and distinctly is the basis for the argument that God exists. The idea of God is planted in his mind and this idea is clear, distinct and makes him certain. Therefore, according to Descartes, God exists. Descartes believes that whatever he thinks exists due to the connection of the outer reality and its logical conclusions with the inner reality of our imaginations. The very fact that the mind can comprehend God as a super power capable of making anything happen is

Sales management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Sales management - Essay Example This is because the manager desires or wants to recruit the right people, as it is their responsibility to increase sales where they can through supporting their goods and services2. Therefore, selecting and recruiting the right person in an organization has a significant number of benefits. In order to ensure this, the sales people should be in a position to define the culture of the organization, develop detailed description of the task, establish an employment conduct contract, as well as creating screening process. Thus, through an interview, which is one of the approaches employed by managers in selecting and recruiting sales people, the manager gets prospect to have adequate background information on the preferred candidate. Interviews are vital because it leads to benefits such as, it is less expensive, it is easy to carry out, it leads to reduced turnover, and may inhibit stealing or ferocity in an organization. According to studies, even the most competent applicants require training. Nevertheless, an effective recruitment and selection procedure moderates the quantity of time the manager will have to capitalize in the new worker3. On the contrary, by selecting a person who is fits greatly for the position except that he or she lacks some of the practical abilities to perform the task, it is vital for the manager to invest in their training. This is because it will lead top great or significant outcomes in the end. It is always easy to train a person in accomplishing precise works; it is much difficult to train soft skills such as reliability and flexibility. Therefore, the process of recruitment and selecting is quite essential for any organization because it helps in reducing time and resources spend on training the new worker. Recruitment and selection leads to job gratification4. This is especially achieved by the selection of the right sales people for the job because of their capability to work independently. In most cases, workers who are not se lf-inspired or self-organized drain the team, the management, as well as the organization as a whole. In addition, in case the selected individual does not fit the vacant position, may decide to quit, forcing the manager to start again the whole procedure of recruitment and selection. This therefore implies that selecting the right candidate for the job results into greater experience of job gratification and extreme levels of inspiration within an organization. Recruitment and selection of the sales people leads to prevention of problems within an organization. As it is the rule, section process enables the manager to make decision concerning the specific skills he is pursuing in a worker5. This makes it possible for the employer to focus the interviewing and selection procedure to individuals with those abilities or skills. Accordingly, the process of recruitment and selection enables the manager to view some of the strengths his or he present employees are lacking6. This will mak e the manager chose the right candidate for the position of the sales people, thus avoiding problems that may occur because of the wrong decisions. Furthermore, problems could be avoided by giving the current workers an opportunity to recommend individuals suitable for the position. According to statistics, worker recommendations are the most prevalent and

Cultural event report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Cultural event report - Essay Example Indeed it was a beautiful sight as we passed through the garden and entered in to the main hall which was full of visitors. Majority of people present in the hall were renowned artists who were there solely for the sake of praising the art of African Americans. A large number of paintings and sculptures were placed on display. However, the most significant feature of the gallery included paintings gifted by Andrew W. Mellon in 1920. In addition to this I found following two very special pieces of art. It was a wonder work by an American artist Jacob Lawrence (1917-200). This distinctive painting was made using graphite and tempera on wave paper. As the name indicates it was a picture reflecting the streets of crowded busy outdoor Nigerian market. Shops were shown on either side of the street and people were captured busy in making purchases. The colors were used in such an artist manner that the viewer could image himself a part of the crowd, who is able to hear different sounds, buy and sell goods, etc. Additionally a dissonance of primary colors finely tuned the overall sense of upheaval. This was yet another unique painting of its type featuring a tripled image such that the viewer could see one man from three different dimensions as a single captured subject. The Painting was made using oil on canvas and this distinctive piece of art was the creation of Barkley Leonnard Hendricks. The picture clearly reflected the culture and fashion of 1970’s in the era of civil rights. Very few colors were used in the painting and therefore it was giving a complete natural look. We reached there at around 12 pm on a bright sunny day. It was chilly winter and the sunshine was feeling like a blessing. The distance was about 50 kilometers from my residence and we covered it in around 20 minutes. The National Gallery of Art is built upon a very large area with a huge garden of approximately 6 acres.

Is a Government Ban on Human Cloning Wrong Essay

Is a Government Ban on Human Cloning Wrong - Essay Example Human cloning can essentially be beneficial to humanity, as well as to science and technology, if it were guaranteed to be successful every time. However, on the side opposing human cloning, the greatest argument involves the morals and ethics of all human beings involved in the process of cloning a human, which are the cloned child, the egg donor, and the woman carrying the cloned child. Very few cloning experiments involving animals have been successful, and even many of those result in death after some time; as such, there is nothing to suggest that human cloning will be successful since there is more at risk. Attempting to clone a human being involves too many risks, and there is nothing to say that any attempt at human cloning will be a success, which makes any safety risks having been undergone in vain. While trying to clone a human, the cloned child might be born deformed or as a stillborn, and the egg donor and the woman carrying the cloned child might risk future problems wh en trying to naturally conceive children.

The History of Walmart Essay Example for Free

The History of Walmart Essay Since Sam Walton opened his first store in 1962, Walmart has grown into a global retailer with more than 4,000 store in the United States and more than 6,000 internationally. Walmart is comprised of three business segments, Walmart US, Walmart International and Sam’s Club. Walmart Global eCommerce works across all three segments. Walmart’s mission statement â€Å"We save people money so they can live better†, is not indicative of where its strategic focus areas are, but it does sound good for the average customer who has a limited budget. This mission statement leads directly into Walmart Global eCommerce goals which include combining online, social innovations with physical stores to give consumers â€Å"anywhere, anytime shopping experience† in addition to its organizational sustainability goal of creating zero waste, using only sustainable energy and selling products that sustain the environment which is important to all of Walmart’s segments including eCommerce. Walmart’s overall objective is to deliver shareholder value by increasing earnings per share, returns and maintaining strong stable returns on investment. According to Walmart CEO, Mike Duke, Walmart’s strategic focus areas are: †¢Making sure the company has the best retail talent at every level of the organization by recruiting, developing and retaining the best associates; †¢Delivering on the productivity loop that enables Walmart to operate for less so the company can drive prices even lower for its customers †¢Being even more disciplined about operating expenses and capital spending; †¢Investing to serve more customers globally and accelerating the vision of anytime, anywhere access by bringing together best-in-class online, mobile and social capabilities and our more than 10,700 stores; and †¢Benefiting our communities and having a world class compliance organization. Walmart has been a giant of the traditional brick and mortar retailers, having topped the Fortune 500 list on more than one occasion. Walmart is moving from a traditional brick and mortar discount retailer to a click and mortar discount retailer as it tries to capture the growing electronic retailing (etailing) opportunities. According to CNN Money, Walmart plans to become an online juggernaut, but its online business numbers have been disappointing. According to Business Insider, Walmart Global eCommerce has come up with a plan to do eCommerce right by using the following strategies: †¢Walmart began recruiting top Silicon Valley talent and acquiring start-ups last year. †¢Walmart is investing in the social gifting market. †¢The retailer got a better search engine. †¢Walmart is trying to lead the charge in same-day shipping. †¢Walmart is investing like crazy in its mobile app. While Walmart’s strategies have lead them to overall very good profitability in the past, their eCommerce is struggling against Amazon, an eCommerce giant, and other traditional retailers who are moving to capture customers that are turning to online purchases. Walmart appears to be moving in the right direction with its mobile application, with Smartphone sales having outpaced personal computer sales in 2011. Walmart Global eCommerce will need review and tailor its value chains in order to comprehensively differentiate itself from other click and mortar businesses. As 2014 approaches Walmart will face several issues/problems which include: Customers who can access competitor prices online when shopping in Walmart; and finding ways to successfully break into the e-tailing market which is a primarily untapped, rapidly growing market. The SWOT analysis will look at Walmart Global eCommerce as it attempts to move definitely into eCommerce while supporting all Walmart’s traditional brick and mortar businesses. Since Walmart Global eCommerce is responsible for all online and mobile innovation, this SWOT analysis will include issues pertaining to all of Walmart, but will pay particular attention to the eCommerce aspect. Stakeholder Analysis Walmart Stakeholders include the stockholders, executives, employees, suppliers, customers, non-profit groups, non-governmental organization, the communities that Walmart serves, online retailers, brick and mortar retailers, labour unions, and the government (politicians). These stakeholders can be divided into two separate groups: market and non-market stakeholders. Market stakeholder are those who have an economic stake in what and how the company does, whereas non-market stakeholders have a non-economic or political stake. Market Stakeholders Walmart shareholders are a market stakeholder who want a return on their investment in Walmart. Between 2009 and 2013 more than 60 billion dollars was returned to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Walmart executives, like shareholders, have an economic stake in what Walmart, since many receive stock options. Although employees may purchase stock options, they are a market stakeholder given that they rely on Walmart for their income. Many of Walmart’s suppliers rely heavily on Walmart as a buyer of their goods, since Walmart is the largest retailer in the US and is growing internationally as well. Customers rely on Walmart to provide â€Å"Every Day Low Prices† which will only continue if Walmart performs well. Non-profit organizations have an economic stake in Walmart as many of these organizations rely on funding provided by the Walmart Foundation (for example the Fighting Hunger Together program). Communities that are served by Walmart are also an important stakeholder: these communities rely on Walmart to employ its citizens and provides goods for purchase at â€Å"Every Day Low Prices†. Online/brick and mortar retailers have a unique stake in how well Walmart does given the potential of Walmart impacting their sales Non-Market Stakeholders Labour Unions play an enormous political role in Walmart. Walmart has been criticized in the news on more than one occasion with regards to fighting with labour unions in their stores and/or mistreating union members. Small retailers and/or labour unions may petition their government politicians to prevent Walmart from moving into their district. Governance Walmart is governed by three basic beliefs that support a business integrity which include: Service to customers; Respect for the individual; and Striving for excellence. Walmart strives to be honest by telling the truth and keeping their word, be fair by using their business influence appropriately and creating an open environment for raising questions and concerns, be objective by making decisions based on Walmart’s interests, rather than personal interests, and by avoiding even the appearance of impropriety. Walmart has a Global Ethics Office which is responsible for promoting Walmart’s culture of integrity. This includes developing and upholding their policies for ethical behavior for all their stakeholders everywhere they operate. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Walmart believes that it has an obligation to lead when it comes to CSR. Walmart is committed to using renewable energy, demonstrated by ensuring 21 percent of its electricity globally comes from renewable energy. Walmart created the Walmart Foundation which is responsible for many of Walmart’s CSR projects. The Walmart Foundation has a program in place to empower women around the world through training and career opportunities. The Walmart Foundation also gives money to support local organizations throughout the world. Value Chain Analysis – Walmart The Figure can of Walmart’s Value Chain Analysis can be found at Annex A. Human Resources (HR) Walmart’s HR practices are based on communication which is clear, concise and relates Walmart’s principles, high expectations and ethics. Walmart provides a comprehensive Health and Well-Being program. There is room to grow from a store associate to manager. These benefits come at a cost, which Walmart has tried to decrease by ensuring more employees are part-time and, therefore, not entitled to the benefits. Technology Technology integration is one of the primary focuses of Walmart, having played a vital role in its success. Walmart was one of the first retailers to use bar codes. Walmart also employs a Point of Sales (POS) system which is used to guide re-stocking. Walmart’s IT systems have been built to integrate prices, costs and sales in order to lower overall cost and increase profit across the world. Technology has permitted Walmart to ensure an effective and efficient supply chain that it leverages to provide products at low prices that it promises to customers. Walmart Global eCommerce is aggressively growing its technology infrastructure to become a leader in eCommerce. Infrastructure Real Estate Walmart makes a concerted effort to opens its stores and warehouses in ideal locations support its â€Å"hub and spoke† arrangement which support its brick and mortar stores. These stores and warehouses are supporting Walmart Global eCommerce, since this infrastructure had not been previously built to support it. Procurement Walmart deals direct with manufacturers to leverage its buying power to obtain the best price possible. Under scrutiny in the past, Walmart has moved quickly to have its suppliers’ manufacturing, subcontracting and packaging facilities follow standards which are outlined in its Standards for Suppliers. These standards include Compliance with Laws, Voluntary Labour (Slave, child, underage, forced, bonded, or indentured labour will not be tolerated. ), Labour Hours, Compensation, Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining, Health and Safety, Dormitories and Canteen, Environment, Gifts and Entertainment, Conflicts of Interest, Anti-Corruption, and Financial Integrity. Walmart has put in place a Supply Chain Capacity Building program (SCCB). The SCCB program components vary from half-day group training sessions to several months of one-on-one engagement with suppliers and factories. Walmart also ensures that the employees of its suppliers have the ability to report violations. All reports are directed to Walmart’s Global Ethics Office, where they are referred for investigation and corrective action if required. Primary Activities Inbound and Outbound Logistics These have been included together from an eCommerce perspective. Walmart has an enhanced inbound and outbound logistics system, although this has been problematic for Walmart Global eCommerce, it is working on resolving this issue so it can leverage Walmart’s brick and mortar capabilities. Walmart has adopted the concepts of distribution centers and â€Å"hub and spoke† arrangements. It is this â€Å"hub and spoke† arrangement which permits stores to effectively keep inventory levels in check while reducing transportation costs in addition to cross-docking. Walmart is always searching for ways to do things cheaper, faster which has more reliable logistics systems by implementing methods such as cross docking systems. Walmart operates their own logistics system, however Walmart Global eCommerce had to use third party warehouses in order to expedite its business. Walmart is remedying the situation by building warehouses to accommodate its eCommerce business. These practices will not only help Walmart reduce expenses, but also give it more control and flexibility. Operations Based on Walmart’s Mission statement, Walmart’s goal is to offer a wide range of products at low prices so people can live better. It carries nationally branded products, its own Great Value brand and other private label products tailored to local demand. Walmart has continuously expanded the brands it offers to meet various customer needs which include popular upscale brands such as Apple, and Sony. Walmart’s operational structure has decentralized store management which permits store managers to make decisions relating to product range and pricing. Marketing and Sales Walmart’s â€Å"Every Day Low Prices† provides appeal to its customers, because it permits customers to know that they can buy products at the lowest price all the time. Once criticized for its ethical sourcing and environmental sustainability, Walmart’s annual report affirms dedication and commitment to ethical sourcing and environmental sustainability. Customer Service Walmart tries to focus on providing customers with the best experience whether they are in store or online. In store, a Walmart associate greets each customer as they arrive, however this type of customer service has not always worked in the past. Walmart strives to have a customer oriented workforce who are motivated and believe in Walmart’s culture. Walmart could not successfully integrate into Germany, since Walmart’s American overtly friendly culture could not be successfully integrated with Germany’s very reserved culture. Summary It is impossible to look at Walmart Global eCommerce without looking at Walmart, since Walmart Global eCommerce leads all online and mobile innovations across all Walmart segments. Although doing well financially, several business news agencies have noted that Walmart is stumbling in eCommerce market as it attempts to adapt its click and mortar business strategies to its eCommerce. It appears that Walmart is attempting to take on Amazon, the king of online businesses, in eCommerce. This means that Walmart. com, started in 2000, is playing catch up, and it is only in the last few years that Walmart has invested heavily in its eCommerce. Walmart Global eCommerce is run as a distinct business, with its own headquarters, CEO and buyers who buy items specifically for its website. Although Walmart is known as pioneering the supply chain, it has not been overly successfully in imitating Amazon’s supply chain management. Walmart has tried to leverage the same supply chain as its retail stores in addition to third party warehouses, which has resulted in additional costs for delivery. Amazon’s supply chain, which uses robotic assistants to help fill orders along with warehouses that are dedicated to filling orders, has permitted Amazon to rule eCommerce with ability to deliver products to home for less. One strategy that Walmart is investing in are lockers which were initially introduced by Bufferbox. Walmart is not alone in adapting this strategy; Amazon is also using this in order to get orders into the hands of its customers more quickly, however Walmart will be able to leverage the over 10,000 stores globally to place lockers which are close to customers. In order to understand Walmart, it is important to look at its review its Value Chain in Annex A, in conjunction with Porter’s Five Forces Analysis in Annex B, PESTEL Analysis in Annex C, SWOT Analysis in Annex D and TOWS in Annex E. Recommendation It is recommended that Walmart Global eCommerce continue on its current path of @Walmartlabs developing new technology which will enhance a customer’s online experience Walmart and Walmart Global eCommerce to be sensitive to the culture of different countries as it expands globally, and the challenges that comes with each country it moves into. It is also recommended that Walmart Global eCommerce continue to leverage Walmart’s strong brand image while continuing to add differentiated products at â€Å"Every Day Low Prices†. It is further recommended that Walmart Global eCommerce continue to lead all online and mobile innovation for Walmart to ensure that no one segment will fall behind. It is essential that Walmart address HR issues that have the potential to impact its bottom line ? Walmart Value Chain Analysis ? Porter’s Five Forces Analysis PESTEL Analysis Political factors: Walmart is currently operates in 27 countries under 69 different banners. Walmart must follow government rules and regulations in each of its host countries. Political conditions that Walmart faces in its host countries include political instability, economic conditions, currency regulations, legal and regulation constraints, tax systems, etc. Economic factors: Economic condition within host countries has the potential to dramatically impact Walmart. Walmart has faced high inflation rates and currency devaluations. In US and Canada, Walmart is dealing with the challenge of higher fuel and energy costs, inflation, high levels of unemployment, excessively high consumer debt, and high tax rates. The global economic slowdown has hit many companies including Walmart. Social factors: Walmart’s international operations must operate according to local culture of its host countries. As the world becomes more conscious of child labour, unsafe working conditions. Consumers are demanding that companies be cognizant of where and how their products are produced. This has been made very evident after recent fire/building collapses in the garment industry. Technological factors: Technology has an enormous impact on many businesses, Walmart included. Walmart must continue to invest in Research Development activities, and automation if it wishes to remain competitive Walmart has recently invested heavily in its eCommerce, so it can compete with the likes of Amazon Ecological factors: Previously criticized for its company’s view on sustainable resources Walmart is moving to become more sustainable. In 2008, Walmart de Mexico opened Plaza Ecologica Ciudad Jardin, located in former Neza 1 dump, in the municipality of Netzahualcoyotl, State of Mexico. The mall has state-of-the-art technology to save energy and water. Legal factors: Walmart Global Compliance Action Steps. Walmart is an international company, therefore it is addressing 14 compliance subject matters in every market. Every country also has compliance subject matters that are specific to it, but the following 14 areas are common everywhere Walmart does business: anti-corruption, food safety, anti-money laundering, antitrust, pharmacy, labor employment, environment, privacy, consumer protection, licenses permits, health safety, trade, product safety, and ethical sourcing. ? SWOT Analysis StrengthsWeaknesses †¢Enormous scale of operations which permits it to leverage its buying power. Operates internationally in 27 countries †¢ Strong brand image †¢Supply chain with integrated technology (inbound and outbound logistics) which enables it to operate effectively and efficiently (i. e. cross docking). In addition Walmart is working closely with its suppliers to maintain an enhanced global standard †¢Walmart Global E-Business leads all online and mobile innovation †¢Provides a diversified range of products and services including high end brands (Apple, Sony, etc) †¢Customer loyalty †¢Strong financial performance even during the global recession †¢Its people – a very strong culture and values that are shared among associates at all levels. A focused human resource management and development strategy which provides benefits. Walmart invests time and money in training its employees †¢Walmart is a market leader with regards to cost leadership which permits to offer products at much lower prices †¢Walmart has changed its store format to include four formats: Supercenters, Discount stores, Neighborhood Markets and Express stores which has allowed Walmart in addition to eCommerce. These smaller format stores have allowed Walmart to penetrate urban centers which it did not have a presence†¢High employee turnover †¢Walmart Global E-Business has not been able to effectively leverage Walmart’s brick and Mortar supply chain †¢Price sensitive customers †¢Unlike shopping in a brick and mortar store, customers must wait to receive their goods, goods can be expensive to ship to customers †¢Security and fraud are common for eCommerce which makes some customers reluctant to use credit cards online †¢Customers still prefer to look at items in a store before purchasing †¢As a global retailer, Walmart has the potential to be weaker in some areas due to its huge span of control †¢It is not focused in one specific area, therefore it is not as focused as some its competitors †¢Although growing internationally, Walmart is very reliant on its US Segment †¢Reputation Negative Publicity (labour related lawsuits). Although Walmart has worked hard to change its reputation on environment sustainability, diversity, labour relations, and its ethical sourcing, but it has been slow to turn around in the media †¢Walmart is lagging behind its competitors in eCommerce †¢Walmart US culture cannot be easily impos ed on other countries. †¢Walmart USA must be careful that its current expansion plans do not begin to cannibalize sales †¢Walmart is trailing its eCommerce competitors ? OpportunitiesThreats †¢Walmart has been slowly moved into developing economies including Mexico, South Africa and Brazil in addition to China, and India. It is expected that customers in these countries will move from manufacturing most of Walmart’s goods to purchasing them. This will permit Walmart’s income to grow as it enters more of these companies both through brick and mortar and eCommerce. †¢@WalmartLabs team has been busy delivering the next generation of commerce combining online, mobile and stores to let customers shop when, where and how they want. †¢@WalmartLabs is expanding their team to continue creating best-in-class eCommerce technologies †¢Walmart Global eCommerce is aggressively growing its technology infrastructure in order to be a leader in eCommerce †¢Social media sites provide free or low-cost promotions †¢Walmart is investing in the social gifting market †¢Walmart is working closely with apple to create a mobile application which will make a customer’s checkout experience much easier†¢Walmart has moved from having full time employees to having many part time employees to get around providing benefits to full time employees †¢There is a big push to increase the minimum wage and benefits available to part time and full time workers †¢Low barriers to entry are a constant threat in eCommerce. Anyone can have an eCommerce business. People can sell items via Facebook or eBay without the need to have their own websites †¢Social media sites provide free or low-cost promotions †¢All eCommerce merchants are competing with Amazon and its successful shipping program. Amazon is the Goliath of eCommerce †¢Walmart offers many of the same products that its competitors do †¢High fuel, currency fluctuations and inflation costs †¢Global recession †¢Cultural barriers TOWS Analysis External Opportunities †¢Walmart has been slowly moved into developing economies including Mexico, South Africa and Brazil in addition to China, and India. It is expected that customers in these countries will move from manufacturing most of Walmart’s goods to purchasing them †¢ECommerce is growing exponentiallyExternal Threats †¢Cultural barriers †¢Same day shipping †¢There is a big push to increase the minimum wage and benefits available to part time and full time workers †¢Security and fraud are common for eCommerce which makes some customers reluctant to use credit cards online Strengths/Opportunities †¢Throughout the economic slowdown disposable income was reduced. Walmart was able to gain/retain customer’s loyalty by offering products at affordable prices †¢As online shopping has grown more prevalent, Walmart has allowed customers to order online using the most current technology †¢Walmart is working to create an application to find appropriate gifts for friends using information found on their social media pages †¢Walmart Global eCommerce must develop software which will prevent fraud and provide online security for customers which will enhance customers online experienceWeakness/Opportunities †¢Customers can look at items in a retail store before purchasing then either purchase in store or via smartphone while in the store †¢All eCommerce merchants are competing with Amazon and its successful shipping program. Walmart retail stores permit customers to order online and pick up in stores reducing shipping costs †¢Security and fraud are common for eCommerce which makes some customers reluctant to use credit cards online @Walmartlabs can develop software to minimize the chances of security and fraud †¢Walmart Global E-Business has not been able to effectively leverage Walmart’s brick and Mortar supply chain. Walmart Global eCommerce must build a supply chain which is comparable to Walmart or find a means to leverage Walmart’s supply chain †¢Walmart US culture cannot be easily imposed on other countries. Walmart should hire local specialists to advise Walmart as it expands into new countries Internal Strengths †¢Walmart Global E-Business leads all online and mobile innovation for Walmart †¢Strong brand image †¢Strong financial performance even during the global recession †¢Customer loyalty and low prices †¢Walmart is investing in the social gifting market †¢@Walmartlabs is developing technology to improve customers online experience †¢Walmart has an enhanced supply chain Internal Weaknesses †¢Walmart is lagging behind its competitors in eCommerce †¢Walmart global eCommerce does not necessarily offer the same products that its retails stores do †¢As a global retailer, Walmart has the potential to be weaker in some areas due to its huge span of control †¢Walmart US culture cannot be easily imposed on other countriesStrengths/Threats †¢Although Walmart has a strong brand image, it faces competition from its rivals. Walmart can avoid this by selling differentiated products at low prices †¢Customers prefer to receive their purchased good quickly. Walmart Global eCommerce can leverage Walmart retail store convenient locations to allow customers to pick up their orders quickly Weaknesses/Threats †¢Walmart has had problems adapting its culture as it enters foreign markets, failing to adapt its culture to match foreign markets could be disastrous †¢As a global retailer, Walmart has the potential to be weaker in some areas due to its huge span of control. Walmart has divided its business into three separate segments. Walmart Global eCommerce works across all three segments

Israeli Targeted Killings against HAMAS: Legality

Israeli Targeted Killings against HAMAS: Legality The Legality and Efficacy of Israeli Targeted Killings against HAMAS Extra-judicial killing is often referred to by the United States in the case of its enemies as â€Å"exporting terrorism,† and has gained special notoriety since its employment by the State of Israel in the years of the two Palestinian intifadas, or â€Å"uprisings.† The political assassinations and recent attempts by the Israeli government, disputed by many in the international community, are argued by Israel and the United States as legally sanctioned by Articles 2 and 51 of the United Nations Charter. Israel claims suicide bombings against its civilians have been curbed significantly by successful assassinations to which it fully admits, albeit each of these assassinations has resulted in â€Å"collateral damage† in the form of innocent bystander casualties. Others, such as Member States of the EU and the Arab League, have denounced Israeli assassinations as illegal. Whether or not the targeted killings were the factor behind the drastic reduction in suicide b omb and other terrorist attacks on Israeli citizenry is a point of major contention; several other factors including HAMAS’ calling of a hudna, or ten-year truce, in hostility and the construction of the separation wall along the UN-recognized â€Å"Green Line† demarcating Israeli from Palestinian land should be taken into consideration. One of Israel’s most impenetrable arguments in favor of the practice of targeted assassination is not deterrence, but rather preemption: â€Å"On November 9, 2000, Fatah leader Hussein Abayat was assassinated by fire from a helicopter, along with two women who were walking nearby. The killing initiated a new Israeli policy of publicly acknowledging assassinations—officially termed ‘targeted killings,’ ‘liquidations,’ and ‘pre-emptive strikes.’ This policy was premised on a set of interconnected justifications: 1) that Palestinians were to blame for the hostilities, which constituted a war of terror against Israel; 2) that the laws of war permit states to kill their enemies; 3) that targeted individuals were ‘ticking bombs’ who had to be killed because they could not be arrested by Israeli soldiers; and 4) that killing terrorists by means of assassination was a lawful form of national defense†[1]. The legality of Israeli targeted killings relies on a fine balance of situational interpretation of international law; while the Israelis never argue the validity of a law in the UN Charter, their political stance on the Palestinian territories often contrasts their approach in dealing with the Palestinians as a sovereign entity. Lisa Hajjar dissects the varied Israeli responses to intifada in her Courting Conflict: The Israeli Military Court System in the West Bank and Gaza, noting Israel’s relative position of morality and transparency in comparison to nations in similarly enduring conflicts. Hajjar notes that â€Å"what distinguishes the Israeli model from many other states embroiled in protracted conflict is that Israel does not repudiate or ignore international law†; â€Å"rather, it ‘domesticates’ international law by forging interpretations of its rights and duties in the West Bank and Gaza to accommodate state practices and domestic agendas†[ 2]. The Israeli government currently administers authority over the West Bank (referred to as â€Å"Judea† and â€Å"Samaria† in Israeli political circles), and since it controls Palestinian air space, borders, natural resources, and collects taxes from the Palestinian people, both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank would erstwhile be considered under Israeli sovereignty. However, the international community (which includes the UN) does not recognize the Israeli occupation, leaving the Palestinian situation somewhat in political limbo. The UN Charter, in Article Two, states â€Å"all members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state†; since â€Å"Palestine† is not a state under international law, this aspect of Article 2 does not apply. However, the simultaneous objections by the UN in the past, including the passing of more than sixty resolutions of which Israel is currently in violation[3], do not apply as according to the same Article, nothing â€Å"shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement,† including the â€Å"application of enforcement measures† taken by any given member state. By these technicalities, Israel is not breach of international law, since few international laws can apply to the occupied territories (OT) which have yet to be recognized as a sovereign state. Article 51 adds that â€Å"nothing in the present charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security†; moreover, â€Å"measures taken by members in the exercise of this right of self-defense shall be immediately reported to the Security Council† in order to â€Å"maintain or restore international peace and security.† Israel is transparent regarding its attacks and since the Jewish state technically is not attacking the Palestinians as a whole (hence the phrase â€Å"targeted assassinations†), it is not in breach of the UN Charter. Given Israel’s membership in the UN and the absence of sovereignty on behalf of the Palestinians, no claim can be made to the contrary vis-à  -vis international law. According to Hajj ar: â€Å"Many states engage in practices that deviate from and thus challenge prevailing interpretations of international law. However, when powerful and dominant states like the US and Israel do so, this cannot simply be written off or criticized as â€Å"violations† because it produces an alternative legality. Contrary to the claims of both critics who take prevailing interpretations of international law as their point of reference and political realists who disparage the relevance of law, neither state ignores the law. Rather, both use laws and legal discourse to authorize and defend the legality of policies such as military pre-emption, indefinite incommunicado detention, abusive interrogation tactics, assassinations, and targeting of areas dense with civilians†[4]. The efficacy of the targeted killings is disputed from a purely number-oriented statistical study. According to The Alternative Information Center on Palestine/Israel and the Israeli human rights organization B’tselem, Israeli deaths spiked in mid-2002, decreasing steadily through 2006[5]. Three cases of successful targeted assassinations on HAMAS (an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, or â€Å"Islamic Resistance Movement†) to consider are those of former Izzedine al-Qassam (the militant wing of HAMAS) leader Salah Shehade in 2002, HAMAS spiritual founder and figurehead Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Yassin, and HAMAS co-founder Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, who was killed within months of replacing Sheikh Yassin as the organization’s head. Between the established spike in violence in 2002 and the assassination of both Rantisi and Yassin in 2004, several events transpired. Between the assassinations of Shehade in 2002 and al-Rantisi in 2004, the Israeli army engaged the Palestinians with an incursion into the intifada stronghold of Jenin and began the construction of the West Bank separation barrier. Though the physical number of casualties decreased, the number of attempted attacks did not subside until as recently as December 2006[6]. While the execution of figureheads such as those named above are undoubtedly a positive force in the dissembling of HAMAS and other terrorist organizations’ leadership, the question of whether they are an effective means of deterrence and prevention is another issue, especially given the religious component of suicide bombing in the OT and its culture of martyrdom. To some extent, the system of targeted assassinations has been â€Å"marginalized as extrajudicial executions (i.e. assassinations) have come to vie with prosecutions as means of punishment and deterrence for suicide bombings by Palestinian militants†; both â€Å"suicide bombings and assassinations have a history that predates the second in tifada, and both emanate from human rights claims—dystopian in the extreme—to kill to survive†[7]. Perhaps more contested from a legal standpoint than the act of targeted assassinations is the factor of innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. The area most targeted by Israeli assassinations, especially by aircraft, is the densely-populated Gaza Strip whose population of approximately 1.3 million is estimated by many to be the most densely-populated region in the world. The case of Shehade is one of the more notorious in recent Israeli history, whose death sparked the protests of â€Å"tens of thousands vowing revenge†[8]. According to CNN and other sources, a squadron of F-16 jets dropped an armament of significant magnitude on the apartment building in which Shehade lived; sources claim the armament deployed weighed nearly a metric ton. As a corollary of the attack on the â€Å"three story building in which Shehade lived,† fifteen other people, including women and children, were killed in the residential complex[9]. Justifying the attack that killed the archite ct of attacks that resulted in the murder of â€Å"hundreds of Israelis,† the assassination of Shehade prompted speculation that Israel had to have been cognizant that an attack of such magnitude would certainly result in â€Å"collateral damage†[10]. Active awareness of civilian death as a measured loss in such an action prompts the question as to whether or not Israel should have been held accountable on the same counts as groups like HAMAS, despite the difference in the nature of the attacks. Hajjar, whose writings lean toward the side of the Palestinian cause, nevertheless concedes unconditionally that â€Å"suicide bombings and assassinations can by no means be considered equivalent except in their effects (death)†; while the two are not the â€Å"only forms of violence that characterize the exchanges during the Al-Aqsa Intifada, â€Å"together they illustrate with brutal clarity the human costs of unbearable justice and intractable conflict†[11]. I n order to adequately address Israeli culpability in targeted attacks, one must first put into larger context the timing of such attacks. Unlike the first intifada, the roots of the second are â€Å"entwined in the military court system, which has been a central setting for the conflict†[12]. The second intifada in particular marked the change in Israeli occupation of the OT, an expansion from a predominantly â€Å"law enforcement model to a war model†[13]. Since the attacks on both sides escalated in both nature and cost, the Israeli retaliatory actions also warranted a change in their degree of severity. The deterrent component of Israeli retaliation to the first intifada was surmised to have failed, given the reorganization of additional terrorist organizations that despite their political competition inside the framework of Palestinian government collaborated in their attacks on Israeli citizenry. There existed a perception that â€Å"the duration of the first int ifada had forced the Israeli government to make concessions to Palestinians and that these concessions, namely the redeployment from Palestinian population centers, had weakened the military’s ability to provide for Israeli security, creating a reliance on the Palestinian Authority that was ineffective in preventing suicide bombings and other types of attacks on Israelis†[14]. A low-intensity, small-arms confrontation, the first intifada was dwarfed by the weaponry and frequency of attacks inside Israel proper. Where the first intifada was characterized by stone-throwing at tanks, the second is today notorious for suicide bombs and gruesome lynching of Israeli settlers and soldiers. While deterrence may not have been achieved, the escalation in the degree of Israeli retaliatory measures and those of pre-emption undoubtedly carried with it the intent to assert Israeli military dominance. Targeted assassinations took place long before the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000. While the legal ramifications of such assassinations are as yet to be officially disputed, the moral indignation inside Israel and abroad has been considerable. Opinions clash over the morality of such assassinations, even among Israel’s populace. Detailed by Nachman Ben-Yehuda in Political Assassinations by Jews: A Rhetorical Device for Justice, targeted assassinations should hardly be a significant point of contention in the international community. Though assassinations may be equated with executions (albeit doled out without formal trials), targeted attacks are not murder. Ben-Yehuda points out that â€Å"a political assassination event is typically carefully planned and cold bloodedly executed,† despite the large numbers of â€Å"collateral damage† as previously mentioned[15]. Israel has done well in the past to point to its critics the fact that â€Å"at the risk of seeming to provide a ‘justification’ for political assassination events in the form of executions, one must be reminded that selecting the route of political executions was in fact taken by governments in different cultures as a useful and pragmatic tool†[16]. Unlike Syria’s Asad regime, which in 1982 massacred nearly 40,000 members of the Islamic Brothers following an assassination attempt on then-President Hafiz al-Asad, Ben-Yehuda is careful to make note of Israel’s use of targeted assassination in specific cases when no other course of action will spare its soldiers’ lives. He makes a point to note that â€Å"while it is inaccurate to assert that political executions were a major tool used by Israel, it was used whenever the decision makers felt that executions could achieve specific goals like revenge, or in preventing future occurrences of aggres sion and violence against Israel†[17] . Ben-Yehuda also observes how some equate â€Å"a government’s reliance on assassinations to a ‘desperate gambler’s stroke’†; political analysts have speculated that â€Å"assassination is the tactic of the resource-less† and that â€Å"a government which cannot pursue foreign policy by conventional means and uses assassins instead is likely to be a government so vulnerable that its weapons perform like boomerangs in the hands of the inexperienced†[18]. America has recently endeavored to use the Israeli model of late, adopting the tactic of assassination in 2002 â€Å"which had been prohibited by executive orders since 1977†[19]. Studying Israeli legal arguments, the US militarily justified its assassination of suspected al-Qaeda member â€Å"Ali Qaed Sinan al-Harithi and five others (including a US citizen) in Yemen by a pilotless drone†[20]. Unlike, Israel, however, the US violated Yemeni airspace, a questionable act given distinction in its targeting of an American citizen. Targeted assassinations executed by the United States should not be conflated as a purely Israeli export, however; missions that transpired in the Vietnam conflict’s notorious Project Phoenix â€Å"neutralized 8,104 Viet Cong cadres† and was considered so potent a practice that the â€Å"Saigon interior minister set goals for 1969 noting the United States’ hope for 33,000 neutralizations through the rest of the year†[2 1]. While Israel used assassinations as a relatively domestic tool and was met with criticism, the majority of the world remained silent for several reasons in the case of America’s Project Phoenix. First, Israel has yet to officially declare war, as such a declaration would imply the sovereignty of Palestine as a nation. Second, the US was embroiled in a conflict that would later claim in excess of 50,000 soldiers and countless hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese. As a preemptive measure, Phoenix was morally admissible due to the magnitude of the conflict and the fact that Vietnam, official or not, was a multi-national, regional conflict and full-blown war. It should be noted that even in war, however, â€Å"Phoenix had become known and increasingly controversial in the US, a problem that would never cease† and added to the long list of grievances the American public would take with the war in general[22]. Robert Freedman recalls the Israeli public opinion of targeted assassination, stating â€Å"public opinion in Israel is characterized by high levels of knowledge and personal involvement regarding issues of security and by low levels of perceived influence†; â€Å"the public relies on the leadership and is aware of its own ineffectiveness† despite such reliance[23]. An open society, Israel’s actions are not only carried out on behalf of the people, but are approved by the people. As per the international outcry abroad, those who defend Israel’s actions—namely states embroiled in similar conflicts such as Serbia, Cyprus, and Russia—remained staunch allies and knew the endorsement of Israel’s actions would lessen international reaction to their own respective situations. Among Israel’s political adversaries, however, the escalation of the violence in the second intifada, along with well-documented media coverage of bus and cafà © bombings, changed the character of international outcry significantly. Unlike the PLO’s activities in the late 1960s through 1980, HAMAS and its extreme tactics of suicide bombing after 2000 earned the Palestinian cause worldwide antipathy as well as scorn directed at the Israeli state. Such changes in threats, Freedman argues, precipitated changes in responses which varied in intensity. The escalation of targeted assassinations was a two-fold public relations strategy. On the one hand, it showed a change from the popular perception of Israeli indiscriminate fire on the Palestinian population, and on the other, it showed a general concern for IDF soldiers and law enforcement, starkly contrasting the willingness of HAMAS and Islamic Jihad to knowingly detonate and kill its own members. Freedman notes how â€Å"the Israeli response to the threats posed by the PLO, particularly during the height of its armed struggle in the 1968-1971 period, was based on a combination of admin istrative, economic, and military actions†[24]. The military component and predominance of assassinations reflects the difference between PLO secularist attacks and HAMAS-style religious branding, adding more weight to the conflict and another dimension of severity. To date, the Israelis have been able to continue in their targeted assassinations, owing to a combination of brutal Palestinian aggression as well as the language of ambiguity adhered to in the UN Charter. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ben-Yehuda, Nachman. (1993) Political Assassinations by Jews: A Rhetorical Device forJustice. Albany: State U of New York P. Freedman, Robert Owen. (1991) The Intifada: Its Impact on Israel, the Arab World, andthe Superpowers. Miami: U of Florida P. Hajjar, Lisa. (2005) Courting Conflict: The Israeli Military Court System in the WestBank and Gaza. Berkeley: U of California P. Hirst, David. (2004) â€Å"Obituary: Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.† [Online Resource] Available at:http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1175854,00.html. Prados, John. (2003) Lost Crusader: The Secret Wars of CIA Director William Colby.New York: Oxford U P. Rice, Edward E. (1988) Wars of the Third Kind: Conflict in Underdeveloped Countries.Berkeley: U of California P. Various. (2007) â€Å"Al-Aqsa Intifada Enters Sixth Year.† [Online Resource] Available at:http://www.alternativenews.org/aic-publications/other-publications/al-aqsa intifada-enters-sixth-year-20050929.html. Vause, John. (2002) â€Å"Israel Takes Heat for Gaza Airstrike.† [Online Resource] Availableat: http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/07/23/mideast/index.html. Various. (2004) â€Å"Hamas Chief Killed in Air Strike.† [Online Resource] Available at:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3635755.stm Watson, Geoffrey R. (2000) The Oslo Accords: International Law and the IsraeliPalestinian Peace Agreements. Oxford: Oxford U P. Note: UN Charter available at: www.un.org/aboutun/charter Footnotes [1] Hajjar 2006, p. 238 [2] Hajjar 2006, p. 243 [3] Hajjar 2006, p. ix [4] Hajjar 2006, p. 246 [5] http://www.alternativenews.org/aic-publications/other-publications/al-aqsa-intifada-enters-sixth-year-20050929.html [6] Hajjar 2005, p. 244 [7] Hajjar 2006, p. 236 [8] CNN 2002 [9] Ibid [10] Ibid [11] Hajjar 2006, p. 36 [12] Hajjar 2006, p. 235 [13] Hajjar 2006, p. 236 [14] Hajjar 2006, p .237 [15]s Ben-Yehuda 1993, p. 354 [16] Ben-Yehuda 1993, p. 318 [17] Ben-Yehuda 1993, p. 354 [18] Ibid [19] Hajjar 2006, p. 246 [20] Ibid [21] Prados 2003, p. 210 [22] Prados 2003, p. 214 [23] Freedman 1991, p. 269 [24] Freedman 1991, p. 47

Legitimate Authority in the International System

Legitimate Authority in the International System Researchers and students of international relations are always faced with questions regarding if there is any legitimate authority in the international system. Other questions that these people are always faced with, is whether they can denote that the behavior of states is always motivated by factors such as power or even wealth. Furthermore, questions emerge on whether the interests of states are always the same, over a period of time and space. Mitchell (2012) denotes that this debate about the nature of authority in the international arena is always theoretical, focusing only on the contemporary international system. This paper critically examines the concept that there is no legitimate authority in the international system. In answering this question, the researcher will have to use a variety of theories, such as realism and liberalism. This paper takes the stand that the international system is anarchical in nature, and there is no legitimate authority. This concept of legitimate authority refers to the justification of people to have real power over other people, as well as the decisions they make. Mitchell (2012) further claims that legitimate authority is always exercised by the government, and the government derives justification in the use of such power because the power is given by the laws of the country. Krehoff (2008) agrees on the fact that there is no legitimate authority in the international system. This is because the international system is characterized by the interaction of states, and each state has its own interests and objectives in regard to the interaction (Bromley, Clarke, Hinchliffe and Taylor, 2009). One of the methods in which social scientists use to explain the relations and power in the international system is through the use of liberalism theory (Goldstein, 2912). Liberalism is a political concept that advocates for the freedom and rights of individuals. This theoretical framework recognizes the role of the state, as well as other actors in the international system in promoting democracy, freedom of expression, as well as other rights of individuals within the society (Baylis and Smith, 2001). Karp (2009) observes that this theoretical framework encourages participation in the international system, and for the purposes of promoting peace and stability. On this basis, the international system is characterized by inter-governmental organizations, multi-national companies, and non-governmental organizations. These institutions operating in the international system are responsible for shaping the various policies of states (Bromley, Clarke, Hinchliffe and Taylor, 2009). For instance institutions such as the United Nations, is responsible for discussing various issues that threaten the World Peace and coming up with a resolution that each and every member of the organization needs to follow. For instance in 2011, the UN Security Council passed a resolution that there was a need of intervening in the Libyan civil war, for purposes of preventing president Gaddafi from killing his own people Goldstein, (2012). Members of the Security Council, including the US, Britain, France, as well as other countries such as Canada, etc were able to provide equipments that could be used to enforce the decision by the UN Security council. Cornut (2010) denotes that this is an example of a legitimate authority, and this is because a legitimate authority is always justifiable by the rules guiding the operation of an institution. For example, the charter of the UN establishes the Security Council, with five permanent members who hold veto powers, and other non-permanent members. The charter denotes that the decision of this council are always legitimate, and supported by the laws of the charter in which all UN members are signatories. However, Baylis and Smith (2001) disagrees with the notion that the UN Security Council is a legitimate authority. Basu (2012) denotes that the UN Security council only serves the interests of the major powers holding the veto power. This is because the countries under consideration will always veto a policy developed that is against them. Basu (2012) further explains that the main reason as to why the Security Council attacked the government of Gaddafi was because he had a bad historical relation with western countries such as the United States, Britain, as well as France. On this basis, attacking Libya, and removing the government of Gaddafi would only serve the interests of countries such as the United States, Britain, and France. It is important to understand that these countries hold a veto powers in the UN Security Council. To prove his point, Basu (2012) identifies the structural adjustments policies brought forth by the World Bank, and IMF, during the 1980s, and the 1990s. Basu (2012) explains that these policies forced third world countries to liberalize their economies, even when they w ere not ready for such liberalization. Other demands initiated by World Bank, and IMF included the introduction of austerity measures. These measures forced the target governments to reduce spending on education, health, transport, security, and other important aspects of the economies of these countries. Cornut (2010) denotes that these austerity measures were responsible for the negative growth of these countries, as opposed to an increase in the growth of their economies. Goldstein, (2012) denotes that the World Bank, and the IMF are institutions of liberalism, and on this basis, they failed to promote equality of human rights, in regard to trade and economic stability. Instead, through their structural adjustment policies, IMF and World Bank are responsible for eroding the economies of these states. Furthermore, Goldstein, (2012) believes denotes that IMF and World Bank are controlled by its major donors, which include France, USA, Britain, as well as Japan. On this note, the policies developed by World Bank and IMF a re aimed at protecting the interests of their major financers. Dominese (2010) further denotes that the affairs of World Bank and IMF are always conducted in great secrecy, and there is no transparency while developing their policies. One of the characteristics of a legitimate authority is that it has transparency in the manner in which they develop policies. Calhoun (2002) believes that this transparency lacks in these global institutions. Dominese (2010) further asserts that a legitimate international institution will always seek to serve the interest of the international community, and not only a particular section of the international community. On this basis, institutions such as IMF and World Bank have failed to establish a legitimate international authority. Realism is a theoretical framework that supports the notion that a legitimate international authority does not exist (Goldstein, 2012). One of the principle arguments of realism is that the international system is anarchical in nature. This is because states are the major actors in the international system, and on this basis, there is no actor that has the capability of regulating the affairs of the states. Krehoff (2008) further explains that under realism, states will only relate with other states, in pursuance of their interests, and not the interest of the global good. Dominese (2010) defines international anarchy as a concept whereby the international system does not have a leader, i.e. a sovereign worldwide government does not exist. On this basis, Dominese (2010) denotes that the international system does not have a hierarchical authority which has the capability of enforcing laws, and resolving disputes, just like states in the domestic politics. This observation by Dominese (2010) is correct, and this is because legal international institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) only depends on the goodwill of signatory states to arrest and handover people indicted by the court. On this basis, Goldstein, (2012) denotes that without cooperation from member states, ICC won’t be able to carry out its mandate. Tight (2005) denotes that this lack of an hierarchical structure at the international system, is one of the main reasons as to why institutions formed by the principles of liberalism will always serve the interests of rich states of the world. Basu (2012) further denotes that the accumulation of power and the need for survival are the major factors that influence the behavior of states in the international system. On this note, states will carry out any activity aimed at meeting their objectives. This creates suspicion at the international stage, amongst the various states, and because of these suspicions that exists between various states; it is difficult to create an international legitimate authority. For instance, the League of Nations failed to be a legitimate authority because of suspicions between the various states that formed the League of Nations. Based on these arguments of realism, Goldstein, (2012) explains that a legitimate international authority does not exist. In conclusion, realism is the major theory that recognizes the fact that a legitimate international authority does not exist. This is because the major arguments contained under realism, is that the international system is anarchic in nature, and the relations that occurs at the international system, are always aimed at protecting the self interests of the state under consideration. Due to this nature of states in the international arena, there is a lot of suspicion regarding the activities of states, and this makes the international system to be anarchic in nature. Because of this anarchic nature in the international system, it is very difficult for a legitimate authority to exist. To create a legitimate authority therefore, it is important to create a single interest that states should pursue in the international arena. This is a concept that is very difficult, and impossible to achieve. There are two conflicting perspective on this concept of a legitimate international authority. This is because the principles of liberalism supports this notion that there is a legitimate authority and this is in form of the various institutions formed by the states, and other international bodies. Bibliography: Basu, R. (2012). International politics concepts, theories and issues. New Delhi: SAGE  Publications. Baylis, J., Smith, S. (2001). The globalization of world politics: an introduction to  international relations (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bromley, S., Clarke, J., Hinchliffe, S., Taylor, S. (2009). Exploring social lives. Milton  Keynes: Open University. Calhoun, L. (2002). Legitimate Authority and Just War in the Modern World. Peace Change,  27(1), 37-62.   Cornut, J. (2010). David A. BALDWIN (dir.), 2008, Theories of International Relations, coll.  The Library of Essays in International Relations, Farnham, Ashgate, 725 p.. Etudes  Internationales , 41(1), 98.   Dominese, G. (2010). Theories of International Relations: from an American Science Towards a  Pluralism of Thought. Transition Studies Review, 16(4), 813-828. Goldstein, J. S. (2012). International relations (10. ed.). Boston: Pearson/Longman. Karp, D. J. (2009). Transnational corporations in ‘bad states’: human rights duties, legitimate  authority and the rule of law in international political theory. International Theory, 1(01),  87. Krehoff, B. (2008). Legitimate Political Authority and Sovereignty: Why States Cannot be the  Whole Story. Res Publica, 14(4), 283-297. Mitchell, S. M. (2012). Guide to the scientific study of international processes. Hoboken, N.J.:  Wiley. Tight, M. (2005). International relations. Amsterdam: Elsevier JAI.