Federal Budget Deficit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Federal Budget Deficit - Essay Example This paper intends to discuss the significance, causes and recommendations attributed to the federal budget deficit. The federal budget deficit is significant in a number of ways. This may be either short term or long term. For instance, in a slack economy, the major effect of an increase in the deficit is stimulation of demand and consequent raise of output (The Moment of Truth, 22). It is significant to note that, as the economy approaches full employment and tightening of the credit markets, the federal government borrowing tends to push up the interest rates. In the same regard, higher interest rates influence the cost of financing new investment in plant and equipment. More over, the federal deficit causes higher interest rates influence international capital flows and consequent effect on trade balance. In addition, the deficit causes increase in the exchange value of the dollar particularly the price of the imported products falls. The deficit also increase the size of the nat ional debt consequently increase of the size of the annual interest payments make on the debt. On the other and, it should be noted that not all times the deficits pose disadvantages to the populace. Running temporary deficits especially during a recession economy a federal government can enhance a weak economy and cushion the effects of the downturn on Americans. Some of the causes of the budget deficit include tax cuts. According to the experts, the tax cuts pay for themselves. This implies that, the economy expands rapidly because of the tax cuts, which produce almost the same level of revenue, as it would have in the absence of tax cuts. This study observes that if the costs of extending the management of the tax cuts are not compensated by expenditure reductions, extending the tax cuts would somewhat decrease long-run economic expansion (The Moment of Truth, 24). On the same regard, increased domestic spending in various sectors of economy such as education, Medicare, defense ( homeland security) and infrastructure is immensely attributed to the current budget deficit. For instance between 2001 and 2006, the federal budget on domestic spending account for almost 26%. It is imperative to note that, even if the overheads of extending the tax cuts are compensated by expenditure cuts, the tax cuts would at preeminent have only small positive consequences on the economy. More over, today’s deficit is observed to have been caused by the 2001 economic downturn. The budget deficits can be reduced by cutting down expenditure on domestic spending. For instance, reduced spending on domestic programs through 2011 saw a total of $75 billion saved. In addition, tax cuts should be regulated to a lower level and more significant, strategies on reduced tax cut administration costs should structured to ensure reduced expenditure during this exercise (The Moment of Truth, 22). This study finds out that the federal government borrowing tends to push up the interest rat es, which are settled by the deficits. It is imperative to note that, deficits of such kind can be reduced by reducing government borrowing intended for the recurrent expenditure. However, this might not serve as a permanent solution in a slowly recovering economy attributed with the country’s medium and long term fiscal challenges. It is significant to note that, this is a tight economic situation, which requires stringent

New Labour Education Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

New Labour Education Policy - Essay Example In keeping step with the concept that the school is a reflection of society, New Labour's educational policies have been framed in their philosophy of free market competition, equality, and the recognition and reward of ability. New Labour has made a significant commitment to narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor and lessening the effects of the social and cultural capital that permeates the system. The policy is also committed to "reversing the increasing social exclusion of the unemployed and low-paid, and to equality of opportunity in education and the need to develop the potential of every child" (Tomlinson 2003, p.195). In addition, New Labour has maintained a steadfast commitment to "choice and competition, with education developing as a market commodity driven by consumer demand, fuelled by league tables of examination results, school 'choice' by parents, specialist schools and failing schools" (Tomlinson 2003, p.196). The ruthlessness of the market and cultural trad itions have often compromised the drive towards equality and fairness and has created tension in New Labour's controversial educational policies. No matter where you look in the educational system you will see the influence of the social stratification, racism, the gap between the poor and rich, and the class attitudes that are reflected in education's mirror. However, national standards and mandates have dictated that these influences must be overlooked and not considered in favour of an inclusive and performance based system. The initial enthusiasm that met New Labour's educational reforms has "dissipated into puzzlement, disappointment and concern about the direction of education policy, at least in... The researcher of this essay concluds that education reform in the UK has followed a violent and rocky road since the beginnings of formal education. Once thought to be the property of the elite, the researcher states that education is now perceived as a right that every citizen has an opportunity to attain. The traditional view that the school should be a reflection of the society becomes problematic when trying to instil equality, while honestly accounting for the culture. The call for free market choice and competition add additional tension to the multiple goals of the educational initiatives. Traditional social and cultural groups that underperform in society or economics will also underperform in education. This results in socio-economic groupings that take on the characteristic of being exclusionary. The students with social capital will group with like peers and self perpetuate the segregation. Meritocracy further increases the gap, as the most capable students will be the on es from an advantaged background. The researcher hopes that thse phenomena will resonate through race, ethnicity, gender, and the disabled. In this scenario demands that society make some fundamental changes in correcting its own prejudice. Still, Labour has shown a willingness to acknowledge its failures and alter their approach when possible. They have begun to consider the social context of the schools and it can be concluded that educational reform is far from ideal, but continues to evolve as society pulls it along.

Set Up and Operate a Business in Foreign Country Essay Example for Free

Set Up and Operate a Business in Foreign Country Essay This paper deals with the international business. It emphasizes on the means to start the business and the cost associated with the initiation of the business. It also describes the most important aspect of managing human resource. Because of the competitive environment, the need to do the business internationally has increased. This paper provides the overview of the two countries i. e. china and South Africa. Broad description of the legal processes that were supposed to be followed by the company to initiate business in the China has been explained. Apart from this, the staffing of local and expatriate staff along with the labor organization and legislation of the foreign country has been described. Therefore, the paper provides detailed analysis of the conditions that should be kept in mind while establishing business in the foreign country. Introduction International business is a term, which is used collectively to describe issues relating to the firm’s operations with interests in numerous countries. These firms are sometimes referred as multinational corporations. The main area of concern in the international business is the cultural considerations. These considerations include dissimilarity in law and legal systems, living standards, language barriers, climate and many more (Cherunilam, 2005). All these issues need to be overcome for an MNC in order to obtain success in an overseas venture. Nationwide economic growth and globalization of the economy provide an outstanding background for businesses in China as compared to the South Africa. Nevertheless, the growth of the company and sustainability can be hampered by the factors like industry consolidation, economic reform and globalization. The project of building substantial companies and integrating them effectively into the global marketplace is a complicated task. Reasons: Why Company Going Global Many companies and businesses get into international selling because of the existence of competitive environment. This environment compels the company to move further rather than staying at the same stage and size by just focusing on the quality. Another reason of growth and expansion is the fear of loosing the customers. If the company would not show sustainable growth, competitors would move ahead and chances of loosing of customers will increase (Cherunilam, 2005). Other general reasons for going international are: political changes like changes in the regulation of work and safety and economic changes that include cost of production. If there is an increase in the cost of production at home, company looks for places where cost of production is reasonable. The four major objectives that compel the company to go for international business are: to enlarge the sales, to successfully get hold of the resources, to diversify the sources of sales and to look for the diversifying the supplies (Kazmi, 2002). Overview Population China: China is a socialist republic and the most populous country with population over 1. 3 billion. It is having 90. 9% literacy rate (male: 95. 1% female: 86. 5%). The average educational achievement in China is low. South Africa: South Africa is a nation of diverse origins, languages, cultures and beliefs with population over 47-million. It is having 86. 4% literacy rate (male 87% female 85. 7%) of total population. The average educational achievement in South Africa is very low. Geographical Location  China: China is located in Eastern Asia bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea and South China Sea between North Korea and Vietnam. China has mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west and plains, deltas, and hills in eastern region. The geographic coordinates of China are 35 °00N, 105 °00E. The total area coverage of China is 9,596,960 square kilometers (land area is 9,326,410 square km and water is 270,550 square km). China is the worlds third-largest country in total area after Russia and Canada, and the second largest country by land area. The total land boundary is 22,117 km and the border countries are Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Vietnam. China’s coastline is 14,500 km (China, 2008). South Africa: South Africa is located at the southern region of Africa. The geographic coordinates of South Africa are 29 00 S, 24 00 E. The total area is 1,219,912 sq km. The total land boundary is 4,862 km and the border countries are Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Its coastline is 2,798 km. South Africa’s northwest region is desert and eastern is well watered. GDP, Per Capital Income, Current Inflation Rate, Unemployment Rate China: The GDP is $3. 42 trillion and officially recorded GDP growth rate is 11. 4% in 2007, per capital income is $ 2000, inflation rate is 7% in 2007 and it has jumped to 8. 7 percent in February after severe winter storms disrupted the economy and worsened food shortages (Chinas inflation at decade high, 2008). Unemployment rate in urban area is 8%-10% (China Unemployment rate, 2008). South Africa: The GDP is $283 billion, real GDP growth rate is 5. % in 2007, per capita income is $ 5700, inflation rate is 7. 1% and unemployment rate is 23% in Sep. 2007 (South Africa: Profile, 2008). Type of Legal System China: The legal system is based on civil law system. It is derived from Soviet and continental civil code legal principles. The legislature holds the power to interpret the acts. There are seven categories of laws in china’s legal system; these are: the constitution and related laws, civil and commercial laws, administrative laws, economic laws, social laws, criminal laws, and litigation and non-litigation procedural laws (The Constitution and Legal System, 2008). South Africa: The legal system is based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law. There is an independent judiciary in South Africa. Constitutional Court and Supreme Court are the highest court in the country. Constitutional Court deals with constitutional matters and Supreme Court deals with the final appeals of all the other matters. The bill of rights provides fundamental political and social rights to South Africas citizens (South Africa, 2008). Type of Economic System China: China is a major economic power and it has great potential of the development. Previously, the public sector was in dominant position, but after 2001, a socialistic market economy is taking place in China and the intensive mode is replacing the extensive mode of economic growth (Economic System, 2008). South Africa: The South African economy is an industrialized and productive economy. It has inadequate distribution of income wealth. Labor is divided into formal and informal sector. Formal sector is more developed, which is based on agriculture, manufacturing, services and mining. South Africa is looking forward for privatization along with free arket economy and favorable investment climate (Economy: South Africa, 2008). Type of Political System China: The National People Congress is the highest authority of state power in China. The people congress system is the fundamental political system in China. The representatives are elected by people at all levels. South Africa: The South African Republic is a federal state constituting of a national government and nine provincial governments. The constitution of South Africa was adopted in 1996 and implemented officially on 4 February, 1997. President of South Africa is the executive head of the state and leads the cabinet. He is elected for a two five year terms by the parliament (South Africa, 2008). Estimates of Future Economic Growth General Economic Projects China: China has become the world’s fastest growing economy after the economic reforms in 1979. It has achieved 11. 4% GDP growth rare in 2007. Industrial manufacturing expansion has contributed in China’s rapid economic growth. European Union, Japan, United States, Hong Kong and ASEAN are the major trading partner of China. Rapid economic growth of China results in an increase in income, which in turn makes China a huge market for a variety of goods and services. So it would be beneficial for any company to start operation in China. South Africa: In previous years, South African economy was not doing well. Government was facing the problem of unemployment and poverty. But in recent years, country is seeking to achieve stable growth rate. To promote economic growth, South Africa is making optimal use of available resources and reducing completer dependence on primary sector industries. South African companies are now investing in retail, banking services, telecommunication and shipping industry. Government is seeking to liberalize its economic policies to attract FDI and increase future economic growth and now outsider companies may think to start its operations in South Africa. Social and Cultural Factors Social factor in China: In China, the main focus of the business entities is on the corporate social responsibility. The Chinese region has become the region full of opportunities for MNC’s in these days because of the rapid rise, elaborating receptiveness and growing consumer market. The social factors reflect the true picture of society’s attitude towards the corporate. The symmetrical society structure stimulates forces on businesses for concentrating on corporate social responsibility (Kyoon, 2007). Cultural factors in China: Understanding the culture of a country is one of the important factors in front of modern organizations. The traditions and customs vary among towns, cities and provinces in China. The social network structures in China assist in understanding the information sharing between the people (Kyoon, 2007). The Chinese environment is now open for the outsiders. The cultural values include the belief in God, unity, optimism and readiness to work together according to the rules of law. Social factor in South Africa: The social environment of South Africa is highly imbalanced and not much developed. It suffers from the problems of increasing population, poverty, illiteracy and lack of resources. The population of South Africa was 40. 6 million in 1996, which is growing rapidly at the rate of 2% per year. If the same trend continues, then by the year 2035, the population of South Africa will be approximately 86 million. This will be a problematic situation as the country has limited resources to support its increasing population. There is already a pressure on the resources to meet the needs and requirements of the people (Social Environment, 1999). Many people in the country live in informal and inadequate houses and just half of the population lives in towns and cities. Many people living in rural as well as urban areas even do not have access to water supply, electricity, sanitation and other services. Nowadays, the urban population of South Africa is rapidly increasing because of factors like growing employment opportunities, land reform and restitution and immigration from other countries. Unemployment and poverty are the major problems in South Africa that affect the social life of the people. The poverty level is the highest among the Black population of South Africa. It has reached up to a level of 60%. The education level of the country has increased as compared to the previous year levels, as the country has reformed its educational system. Almost, all South Africans now have access to education but still about 7. 5 million people are functionally illiterate. Such factors contribute to high crime rates in the country that have noticeably increased in the urban areas. These and other factors contribute to the high crime rates currently experienced in many urban centers. To promote sustainable development and reduce social imbalances such as poverty, unemployment and pressure on natural resources, the Government has developed a number of policies and passed a number of laws aiming at some constructive work in this direction. These include the Reconstruction and Development Programme, a White Paper on Population Policy, and the National Crime Prevention Strategy (Social Environment, 1999). Cultural Factor in South Africa: Africa has a diverse cultural environment with about 800 languages spoken all over the continent. Among these, South Africa have 11 official languages of its own, i. e. English, Afrikaans, Tsonga, Xhosa, Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Zulu, Tswana, Venda, Northern Sotho, and Swati. There are many cross-cultural challenges that are critical to success and organizations should be prepared to face these challenges. Analysis  The company has chosen china for its operations as china has successfully emerged as the best suitable market for the consumer products, especially in terms of the growth rate, potential and the market size. China is providing huge benefits to attract the players from the United States. The growth graph of the china depicts that the market of the consumer electronics is growing with a CAGR of 11. 7 percent from the year 2002 to 2006. Future also shows the greater intensity of market growth. There is a greater possibility of bright future in Consumer Products. The Company is willing to start its operation. Another major factor for establishing operation in china is the population as it is regarded the driving factor for any business. Apart from this, there is a well established market of credit card, which has increased the popularity of the consumer products in the country (Windsor Jones, 1999). China is the highly populous country and demands for consumer products are fuelling with greater pace. In china, urban centers are emerging which are called secondary cities, which comprise of 8 to 10 million people. These cities have huge buying power and industrial development. These cities would be best for the company’s operations and are located interiorly away from the cost. Tsingtao is a city, which is suitable for the operation of the company because its urban area is quickly expanding. It is also having excellent connections with the countryside. The disposable income of the people is quite similar to the people in the bigger cities. Another reason for selecting this place is that the people in this city show greater likeability towards the product of the United States and relate the product with greater degree of integrity. People show positive view and experience towards the U. S consumer products. Operations In order to establish operation in china, company’s chairperson should visit these cities, must talk to the local officials and begin networking. Apart from this, the most important thing is to analyze the competitors’ working and strategies. Another step that the company can adopt is subcontracting, which can be done by forming joint ventures with the manufacturers of china. If the company doesn’t possess enough resources for joint venture, company can go for forming the partnership or consortium in the United States. This consortium acts as the legal entity, which can form partnership with the Chinese manufacturer. The advantage of the consortium is that it reduces risk and the cost for the company (Barron, 2006). While selecting the operations, evaluation should be made based on the analysis of cash accounting and not on absorption accounting. As in absorption accounting, the fixed costs are prorated over small volume of production and thus the number obtained can deter company from moving production to a subcontractor. The other operations include: integrity of product and trade safety, fair balanced economic development, financial sector reform, security energy efficiency, sustainability in environment and bilateral investment. All the above mentioned reforms would help the company to establish business opportunities in china. The agreement between the United States and China that relates to conduction of business with extensive cooperation covers the issue of climate change, environmental sustainability and energy security. This type of agreement would advance the innovation in the technology and the acceptance of extremely-efficient and clean energy technology will encourage the development of technology so as to address the changes in the climate and promoting natural resources. Three major factors, which can determine the success in the Chinese market and should be kept in mind, are: †¢Culture: Understanding of Chinese culture and behavior can provide better option to fulfill the demands of the customers. †¢Value Proposition: This includes having the knowledge of technical know how and understanding the level of competitiveness. †¢Negotiation: The Company should implement negotiation technique as per the way of Chinese. Success of doing business in China depends greatly on the extent of adoption to the requirements of he local customs instead of the value proposition of foreign investors. Legal processes In the process of starting a new business, Legal and regulatory processes play a very vital role. Legal processes include several restrictions, intrusive bureaucracy, dissimilar understanding of regulations from place to place even between authorities and recent formulations of policies that are aimed at safeguarding the domestic companies. Therefore, before starting any operation in the foreign country (china) the company should understand regulations and their applications before entering into any agreement. The company should look for legal proposals from experienced professional firms. Due attention should be given to the financial and legal background and also on the reputation of key partners. Apart from this, partners and employees should be educated on the protection of the intellectual property. If required, the rights can be enforced but for this, all the terms and conditions should be well known. Management Organization Structure Organization structure plays a vital role in determining the success of the company in the host country. Therefore, there is a requirement of change in the organization structure in order to accommodate a firm’s internationalization approach in answer to the worldwide competition. Significant research has shown that the structure of the firm must be conducive to the strategy implementation. In simple words, it can be said that the structure should â€Å"fit† the strategy. Managers should work towards achieving the fit between the structure and the strategy (Gupta, 2007). Management organizational structure refers to the representation of a formal structure, which describes relationship inside an organization. The level to which authorization is assigned ascertains centralization and decentralization. Most of the MNC’s in their initial phases of globalization utilized an international section traversing certain regions of the world to manage the functions in those regions. Matrix organizational structure is very effective for the business. The structure of the organization is decentralized, which merge the advantages of being large with the agility and concentration of smaller organizations. The small segments of the business assist in concentrating more on the needs and equirements of the customers and employees effectively. The company’s employees are associated with the goals and objectives for an established global enterprise. The organization is mainly focusing on the way in which the products and services are delivered to the customers. The development and marketing of products and services in an effective provision provide specialized and quality services to external and internal customers. The autonomous operating companies broaden the geographic reach of the associates around the world and provide larger marketplace and product focus. This way, the employees get closer to the customers and business. The employees would be able to gain more sensation of ownership in driving the business. The employees are authorized to aim their business to fulfill the varying needs of customers inside their regions (Mathew, 2003). The decentralized operating companies, associates and business sections are joined in the organization structure, which ensures that the activities are aligned with the overall strategic objectives. All the employees perform their work systematically with the high ethical standards. As the company rises, the structure also develops, assuring the effective growth of the business portfolio. In recent years, the business sections have constituted shared service groups that raise and confirm the capabilities of the individual companies in the elementary domains of responsibility. The corporate headquarters in the U. S. function with the family of companies for producing great synergism and efficiency by collaboration, dispersion of better patterns and organization of shared business information. The corporate headquarters render direction and services in different critical areas, which include human resources, finance, advertising, and law. The consequences of environmental circumstance (instability of technology), industrial circumstance (production technology) and organization structure on the involvement of customer in product development are the main areas of concentration in China (Windsor Jones, 1999). The earlier results demonstrate that for going through customer orientation in the firms at China, the company has to modulate towards market driven economic entities.

Fahrenheit 9 11 Movie Review

Fahrenheit 9 11 Movie Review Controversy, conspiracy, and lies are the themes of the film as Michael Moore deals with the sensitive topic of American politics in Fahrenheit 9/11. This documentary is a rhetorical film, with the goal to persuade the viewers to agree with Michael Moores impression on the American foreign policy. In spite of ones political siding, the film will probably have the audience leaving with a different perspective on American politics. Fahrenheit 9/11 is an influential film that clearly gets Moores message across to the viewer; but what exactly is it that makes the film effective? There are several aspects of the film that should be considered in terms of its effectiveness. One is that the movie uses the rhetorical form, which means the entire focus of the film is to convince the audience of something that are supported by strong arguments, facts, and evidence. This film uses three types of arguments: from source, subject centered and viewer-centered arguments. Each of these elements expla in what the films message is, and makes it more interesting and credible, and each of the elements will be explained on how Moore tries to connect the 9/11 attacks to the Bush administration. As previously stated, Fahrenheit 9/11 attempts to convince the viewers of Moores claim that the Bush administration was linked to the 9/11 attacks. Moore opens up the movie by giving evidence of this connection through interviews, news footage, and documents. Apparently, there is a big act of deception and negligence done by the former president that led to the terrorist attacks. With this proposition, Moore tells his intriguing and convincing story of the September 11 attacks. The movie the moves on to investigate the outcomes and effects of the 9/11 attacks from the Patriot Act being passed, to higher and complex airport security, to the questionable war in Iraq. The movie ends with Moore tying these claims together by appealing to the viewers emotion with scenes of the poor, soldiers, and their families. This leaves the audience with a clear idea of what the purpose of Fahrenheit 9/11 was. To connect the bush administration to the tragic terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The clear goal of the film is to persuade its audience that the Bush administrations wrongdoings led to the attacks, so we can consider this documentary to be a rhetorical film. If a viewer is a Republican, Moore wants to convince them of his treacherous actions and negligence that led to the attacks. Furthermore he wants to show that the main goal of the party is to have money, power, and control. If the viewer is a democrat, it seems as though Moore wants to spark their minds, and realize how important it is to have him removed from his presidency. This is obviously Moores opinion, which gives the documentary a rhetorical aspect. Although he is conveying mainly his point of view, the film does make good use of evidence to help support his point, even if the evidence seems bias or unreasonable. Another aspect of rhetorical documentaries used in the film is appealing to the audiences emotions. This is probably the films strong point and most touching element since it makes the viewer think differently about what they see, most notably in the news, and takes away their naivety. Even is a viewer completely disagrees with Moores political views, they will be touched by the other emotional elements used, and forced to think about their idea of American politics. These emotional elements become a tool that Moore uses to express and explain his arguments more intensely. One of the arguments made is viewer-centered, which means the film is using emotional images to persuade the viewers on a particular topic. Shown are numerous videos and pictures that are usually non existent in American media. Moore makes the war in Iraq a personal matter when he shows the viewers the dramatizing tragedies that occur everyday. Sure the U.S soldiers that have died are remembered though the media but we rarely hear about those injured. Moore allows these injured soldiers to give their point of view on the war, as well as their injuries, which range from amputated limbs to nerve damage. More importantly, Moore gives us a point of view that we are rarely given in the media. He shows us the hardships of the Iraqi people themselves. We are shown Iraqis being interviewed by Moore about how the men have to carry their dead loved ones in their arms, and we are shown graphic images of women whose faces and heads suffered severe injuries due to misuse of napalm. Images also sh owed dead Iraqis being thrown into a back of a truck when an Arabic male says, translated from Arabic, What was this childs crime? Was he going to fight against the soldiers?. This scene strikingly resembled the atrocities of the holocaust. Interviews by Moore also involved an American mother of a soldier who was killed in Iraq. We see her weeping over the death of her son as well as we see her get into an argument with another American citizen who is pro-war. The point of all these cases being revealed by Moore, is to show the audience what was really going on, and to instill sympathy for all the people who have suffered from the war. A war which was in all reality invented by the Bush administration. This fairy tale of a war goes on into a different argument for rhetorical documentaries, subject-centered arguments, which are arguments based on the films main subject. The main argument to be established in Fahrenheit 9/11 is that the Iraq war was instigated by the Bush administration to gain power, money, control, and an alibi. Moore presents these propositions in a variety of ways. Moore states that, rather than to protect the American people from weapons of mass destruction, or the Iraqis from Saddam Hussein, the war was started because of the money that was generated for the Bush administration. Moore narrates Bushs thoughts when he was told about the 9/11 attacks, and asked which one of them screwed me. Moore is setting up the possible scenarios of who exactly was responsible for the 9/11 attacks with this statement. Moore claims that when bush learned that it was Bin Laden who screwed him, he decided to blame Saddam Hussein by falsely accusing him of having weapons of mass de struction and connections with Al-Qaeda. By blaming Saddam Hussein, Bin Laden was no longer under the microscope, and Bush was safe form being exposed of his financial and friendly ties to the Bin Laden Family. Saddam was the ideal scapegoat, because war in Iraq allowed the Bush administration to make millions of dollars for their companies like Halliburton, and Unocal, in the midst of fighting. Moore proves this point by showing footage of numerous corporations having meetings to discuss the millions of dollars that could be made from war in Iraq. Scenes even showed Bush Sr. and Jr. courting with Saudis who had invested money in a variety of their companies. To be truly convincing though, the film showed scenes of Bush and a Saudi with the song Shiny Happy People by REM in the background to empathize their relationship. Saudi Arabia, not to mention happen to be where Bin Laden and his very wealthy family are from. The film also shows a percentage of U.S wealth owned by Saudis which is at 7 percent. If the Saudis withdrew their investments, it is very liking the economy could collapse. Despite the bias in this claim, it shows that Moore is very knowledgeable and well informed on the subject. The final argument made by Moore is from source, which means to present the film in such a way that the viewer can rely on it as a reliable source of information.Thus, the last argument is from source, which is presenting the film as a reliable source of information. Moore may be most adept in this argument because, in some cases, his opinions are confirmed by the very person he is saying them against. For instance, when Moore states that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, he reinforces this statement by showing Bush and members of his party saying, pre- 9/11, that Saddam has no weapons of mass destruction. Moore also used news clips from channels like CNN and FOX networks that are considered trustworthy and credible. He also supports his opinion by interviewing people in prominent positions like congressmen. Moore is also able to present himself as a believable and educated person, even if this may not be true. As the narrator, he can talk in first person making the narration more personal. Moores voice and tone changes in relation to the topic at hand. If he is talking about soldiers, their families, or the Iraqi people his voice is filled with compassion. When talking about Bush and his friends his tone of voice is sometimes indifferent as if he were merely presenting facts, but at other times, depending on the subject, his tone would become sarcastic. Moore also proves himself to be researched and visionary when he talks about Bushs National Guard record. Moore he requested a copy of this document, which proves another connection with the Bin Ladens, in 2000 and then one in 2004, when controversy about it surfaced. In the 2004 version a name was blacked out, which was the evidence in this link between Bush and Bin Laden. This name was not marked out in the 2000 one, however. Moore is able to show that he was suspicious of Bush long before other people were. This documentary in its rhetorical form uses different arguments to support its message, through sources, subject-centered, and viewer-centered perspectives. The film can be considered a piece of propaganda but regardless of if you agree with the opinions it expresses or believe the message trying to be conveyed, it is hard to ignore because it makes such strong accusations. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a commentary on current American life and regardless of its truth, it does send a powerful and controversial message that raises questions and does deserve discussion. Despite peoples views not being swayed after watching the film, it will surely cause all of the viewers to discuss it allowing others to receive the message as well. This ultimately may have been Michael Moores point.

Antigone Vs. Socrates Essay -- essays research papers

Antigone vs. Socrates In the plays Antigone and the Crito the two lead characters, Antigone and Socrates, showed completely different ideas regarding their responsibilities to the State. Antigone believes in divine law and does what she thinks that the Gods would want her to do. Socrates, on the other hand, believes that he owes it to the State to follow their laws whether he thinks they are right or not. In Antigone, her brother Polynices, turned against his own city by attacking his own brother just so he could become king. On this day, both brothers died. One, Eteocles, was given funeral honors, but the other, Polynices, was not. This decision was made by Creon, Antigone’s uncle and the current King of Thebes. Creon said “He is to have no grave, no burial, no mourning from anyone; it is forbidden.'; (Pg. 432; l. 165) He also announced that anyone who should attempt to bury him would be put to death. After hearing this decision, Antigone said that Creon couldn’t do that and that the Gods would want Polynices to have a proper burial, therefore Antigone promised to her sister Ismene that she would be the one to defy Creon and bury her brother; and she didn’t care if the whole city knew of her plans. After being caught in the act, she was taken to the palace and when asked by Creon why she did it. Knowing the punishment that would come from it, she replied by sa ying that she didn’t think Creon had the power to overrule the u...

asian am health :: essays research papers

I’ve commonly encountered my whole life how spiritual the â€Å"Asian culture† can actually be. Christianity, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism underlie the value system in asian culture. As for my generation, Asian Americans have been influenced by western beliefs to express your opinion and to work towards fighting for your right, extreme liberalism. That culture alone varies when it comes to value systems. Their experiences in America determine what someone values, and how their origin of race promotes that. Because they usually are raised by parents who will demand nothing less than utmost respect, they are brought to initially adhere obediently to authority. My mother made that part clear to me at a very young age. My mom always emphasized the importance of obtaining good morals – 90% because it was a Christian belief, but the rest of the 10% she really did want me to seek for myself why I should be the way I am. Model minority myth is founded on the fact t hat Asians are self persevering, self disciplining, educates and excels in every situation because of their hard work. This is something I do agree with and is the most accurate part of asian characteristics. But it’s because from a ancestor historical stance, they’ve had hard times and it is self perseverance that gets your through it. They pass on the importance of keeping your head up high and maintaining pride; as the opposing shame and guilt lingers along when the contrary occurs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We’ve all, one time or another felt like we were being stereotyped – usually about our ethnicity or culture. Minority groups in my opinion experience racism, usually because the person feels threatened or insecure, and by ordering or bringing them down puts them on a superior pedestal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I’ve never really fully experience the concept of â€Å"ethnic identity† and how it’s one’s sense of belonging. Growing up bilingual, I picked up Korean culture, however I never considered it my sense of belonging. I wasn’t really embraced by the Korean community, and felt that I will never fit into these little fine categories.

A Dolls house Language Essay

Ever since reading the text in my own time I have, in many of my past lessons been discussing, acting and re-reading parts of the play as well as researching many other aspects to the play. By doing this I discovered things like the play was firstly written in Norwegian and then translated into many languages along with many more complex things. Back in lessons I was doing tasks that specifically looked at the language in the play. For example before rein acting a scene from the play the whole class gathered in a circle to do a warm up exercise which evolved around the line; â€Å"What did you do to die today at a minute or two to two, a thing distinctly hard to say but a harder thing to do†. I had to say this line in many different accents and characters including a posh upper class character like Nora and Torvold Helmer from the play. The language used in the play not only creates the feel of the 19th century but it also reflects the way the characters are. It does this as the 19th century old English is very formal showing there middle to higher class and well educated. The language also shows the society that the characters live in and is significant as it reveals their inner thoughts, feelings relationships and situations. In one particular part of the play Torvold says: â€Å"You can’t deny it, little Nora now can you? It’s a sweet little songbird but it gets through a terrible amount of money you wouldn’t believe how much it costs a man when he’s got a little songbird like you† This rather poetic and metaphoric line compares Nora to a songbird which is petit and shows she can be sweet, innocent and chirpy. It also echo’s how Torvold belittles Nora and treats her like a child, which in them days was the done thing; men overpowering women and controlling the relationship in addition to this it perhaps shows how he has a fatherly figure and likes to take control over situations. Although in saying that Nora is or should I say acts rather childlike and naive herself but at the same time is manipulative, flirtatious and cunning as it proves on the opening line of the play; â€Å"Hide that Christmas tree away, Helen. The children mustn’t see it before I’ve decorated it this evening† As well as giving the audience a rough date and establishing shot it shows how Nora seems just as excited about Christmas as the children do. In most houses the children would be helping to set up the Christmas tree but not in the Helmer household Nora is setting up the tree and rather excited about it too. There is some reference to poetry in the text although it is not the rhyming type, it’s more a usage of poetic words being exchanged. Like in the first quote I made there are countless uses of words like â€Å"songbird† and â€Å"squirrel† being used to describe Nora as well as Torvold (in some parts of the play). There is another quote in Act 1 on page 25 where Nora has just gone out and bought some new things for the family, which Torvold is unhappy about as she has spent so much money which makes Nora unhappy too, it says; â€Å"Now, now! My little songbird mustn’t droop her wings. What’s this? Is little squirrel sulking? (takes out his purse) Nora; guess what I’ve got here! This quote to me shows how he just keeps Nora sweet but does not go out of his reach to keep her happy. Also the use of poetic words is very creative and wise it is saying to Nora do not loose hope or become sad. But it says this in a metaphoric way as Nora does not really have wings but a songbird does and this is what Nora is often compared to by Torvold. The majority of the speech used throughout the play is natural from all of the characters as the play itself is done rather realistically and flows well. There are very rare if any uses of Brectian techniques to break any language or any part of the play up for example; there are no placards to make a particular line stand out, this is probably as each line is just as important as the one before. Even though there is reference to use of poetic language I think it gives the play even more of a realistic effect as people do have little pet names for there husband and wife. In addition to this Henrik Ibsen goes that step further and creates for each character there own realm of speech as a quote from the Methuen Student notes verifies: â€Å"Ibsen creates for each character a habit of speech appropriate to his or her own class and personality† With Torvold he is spoken with a rather fatherly/paternal type of speech, Krogstad he always reflects to his training as a lawyer, Mrs Linde speaks direct and could appear a bit bitter and cold, Nora is excitable but finds resolve at the end of the play and Dr Rank speaks in riddles and fondness of using figures of speech. Over all this coursework has made me realise how important the lines actually are in a play and how important it is to deliver them correctly. As well as consistency when delivering the lines in a certain way the character must keep delivering them in that way. I personally believe that this may enhance my skills as a yr 12 drama student.