Night World : Witchlight Chapter 16

We were so careful, she thought, setting up wards three days early and having agents watch the house. Nothing got inside during those three days; we were sure of that, and so we thought we were safe. But we didn't stop to think-what if the dragon was already inside when we put the wards up? Brett. He's the dragon. It could take on any shape, assume any animal's form, and know all that the animal knew. A human being was an animal. So why couldn't it touch a human and know all the human knew? It would be the perfect disguise. And we all fell for it, Keller thought. I knew there was something creepy about him, but I just put it down to him being obnoxious. And he's been here all the time, inside the wards, laughing at us, waiting for Iliana to come. And Iliana's with him right now. Keller felt sure of that in her gut. She wanted to throw herself against the door again, but that wouldn't do any good. She needed to be calm now, to think, because she couldn't afford to waste any time. The window. Keller tried to open it, looking down at a hedge of rhododendron bushes below. The sash was stuck, nailed fast. But it didn't matter. Glass was more breakable than wood. She stepped back and changed. Melting, flowing, jumpsuit becoming fur. Tail shooting free. Ears. Whiskers. Heavy paws thumping down. A single long stretch to get used to the new body and being on four feet instead of two. She was a panther, and she felt good. Strong and mean. Her muscles were like steel under her soft coat, and her big paws were twitching to bat someone silly. That dragon would be sorry he'd ever messed with her. With a rasping yowl that she couldn't help, she gathered herself and sprang straight at the window. The full weight of her panther body hit the glass, and it shattered, and then she was flying in the cold night air. She got cut. Panthers actually had thin and delicate skin compared to other animals. But she was indifferent to the pain. She landed and took off running, shaking her paws in flight to get rid of little bits of glass. She raced around the mansion, looking for a place to enter. Eventually, she found a low, unshuttered window, and once again, she gathered herself and jumped. She landed in a sitting room with glass falling all around her onto a fine, old carpet Brett. And Iliana. She would smell them out. She lifted her muzzle, smelling currents in the air. At the same time, she expanded her sense of hearing to its fullest. No Iliana. She couldn't get even a whiff of her. That was bad, but she would try again from the game room, where Iliana had been last. That was where she was going anyway, because that was where Brett was. Not Brett, she reminded herself as she loped through corridors and rooms. The dragon. She raced through the ballroom and heard a scream. She barely turned her head to notice a girl standing frozen, just lifting her hand to point. The college band crashed to a halt, almost as one, except the drummer, who went on playing for a moment with his eyes shut. Keller ignored them all, running at top speed and leaping down the stairs, her heavy front paws hitting the carpeted floor first, then her back paws hitting almost on either side of them. Each spring propelled her into the next. She burst into the game room. For an instant, she stood still, taking in the scene. She wanted to make sure with her eyes that what her ears and her nose told her was true: Iliana wasn't here. It was true. Winnie was missing, too, and Keller couldn't smell them anywhere. Then someone spotted her, a full-grown panther, jet black, with glowing eyes and long teeth just showing as she panted gently, standing in the doorway with her tail lashing. â€Å"Oh, my God!† The voice soared over the babble. â€Å"Look at that!† Everyone looked. Everyone froze for an instant. Chaos erupted. Girls were screaming. Boys were yelling. Plenty of boys were screaming, too. They saw her, and they fell over themselves, diving for the exits or for hiding places. They poured out of the room, dragging each other, sometimes trampling each other. Keller gave a loud, snarling yowl to help them on, and they scattered like chickens. The only one Keller cared about was the Brett-dragon. He turned and ran down a corridor. Luring her? He must be. Maybe he didn't realize she had found out yet Maybe he had some reason for continuing the charade. She threw her head back and gave a snarl that resounded through the house. It wasn't just anger. It was calling Nissa and Galen. If they could hear her, they would understand and come running. Then she took off after the dragon. As she loped down the corridor, she changed again. This time, she couldn't just try to kill him; she needed to be able to talk. But she also needed her claws, so she changed to her half-and-half form, fur shriveling off her arms, body rearing up to run on booted feet, hair flying out behind her. The dragon was almost at the end of the corridor when she jumped him. She knocked him down and rolled him over, straddling him. She was braced to feel the agony of the dark power crackling through her, but it didn't come. She pinned his arms and showed her teeth and screamed in his face. â€Å"Where is she? What did you do with her?† The face looked back at her. It looked just like Brett, just like a human. It was sickly white, with rolling eyeballs and spittle at the corners of the mouth. The only answer she got was a moan of what sounded like terror. â€Å"Tell me! Where is she?† â€Å"-it's not my fault†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What?† She lifted his body and banged it down again. His head flopped on his neck like a dead fish. He looked like someone about to faint Something was wrong. â€Å"She's in the bedroom with my parents. They're all asleep-or something-â€Å" His forehead. When she shook him, his hair flew around. It was uncharacteristically messy, but the forehead underneath was smooth. â€Å"I couldn't help it He did something to my brain. I couldn't even think until a few minutes ago. I just did what he told me to do. I was like a robot! And you don't know what it was like, having him in the house the last three days, and feeling like a puppet, and when he let go a few minutes ago, I thought I was going to be killed-â€Å" The babbling went on, but Keller's mind had disengaged. She had lots of thoughts all at once, like layers in a parfait. Chalk up another ability for dragons: telepathic mind control. Of weak human subjects, anyway. Nissa was right* the Night World did know what had happened in the music room. The substitution was probably made right after that. They could have grabbed Jaime on her way back to class. The car incident was designed to make us sympathetic and to lull our suspicions before they began. We thought of her as a victim. The doctors at the hospital must have been controlled, too. They had to have been-they'd looked at Jaime's head. Jaime's headaches have kept her at home for the past three days, so she never had to cross the wards. Diana trusts Jaime implicitly and would go anywhere with her without a fight Jaime wears bangs. And on the last layer, rushing at her cold and sharp as crystal: Jaime is the dragon. Jaime is the dragon. A vast, silent calm seemed to have filled Keller. She felt as if there was too much space inside her head. Very slowly, she looked down at Brett again. â€Å"Stop talking.† It was almost a whisper, but his gabble stopped as if she'd turned off a faucet â€Å"Now. Who's in the bedroom with your parents? Your sister?† He nodded, terrified. Tears spurted out of his eyes. â€Å"Your real sister.† He nodded again. They must have brought her in sometime, Keller thought. Certainly before we put the wards up and started checking cars, maybe even before the fake Jaime got back from the hospital. Why they'd kept her alive was a mystery, but Keller didn't have time to worry about it â€Å"Brett,† she said, still in a careful whisper, â€Å"what I want to know is where Iliana is. Do you know where she's been taken?† He choked. ‘1 don't know. He didn't tell me anything, even when he was in my mind. But I noticed-4here were some people down in the cellar. I think they were making a tunnel.† A tunnel. Under the wards, of course. So we were made fools of twice. She had to grit her teeth to keep from screaming. The floor plan of the house was a blur in her mind. She hauled Brett up by his shirt and said, â€Å"Where's the basement door? Show me!† Ic-can't-â€Å" â€Å"Move!† He moved, staggering. She followed, pushing him along, until they got to a door and stairs. Then he collapsed. â€Å"Down there. Don't ask me to go with you. I can't. I can't look at him again.† He huddled, rocking himself. Keller left him. Three stairs down, she bounded back up and grabbed him by the shirt. â€Å"That phone call from Iliana's mother-does he really have the baby?† She need to know if it came to bargaining. â€Å"I don't know,† Brett moaned in a sick voice. He was clutching his stomach as if he were wounded. â€Å"There wasn't any phone call, but I don't know what he's been doing.† He threw her a desperate look and whispered hoarsely, â€Å"What is he?† Keller dropped him. â€Å"You don't want to know,† she said, and left him again. She took the stairs very quietly but very quickly. Her senses were open, but the farther she went down, the less useful they were. They were being swamped by an overpowering sickly-sweet odor and by a rushing sound that seemed to fill her head. By the time she got to the last step, her fur was bristling, and her heart was pounding. Her tail stood out stiffly, and her pupils were wide. It was very dark, but details of the room slowly came into focus. It was a large furnished basement, or had been. Now every piece of furniture seemed to be broken and piled in a heap in the corner. There was a raw hole in one concrete wall, a hole that opened into a black tunnel. And the sickly-sweet smell came from piles of dung. They were lying on the floor all around, along with giant scratch marks that had dug grooves into the tile. The entire place looked like nothing so much as a huge animal's den. She couldn't sense anything alive in the room. Keller moved toward the tunnel, fast but stealthy. Ripple, freeze. Ripple, freeze. Leopards could move this way across grassland bare of cover and not be seen. But nothing jumped out to attack her. The mouth of the tunnel was wet, the soil crumbly. Keller climbed in, still moving lightly. Water dripped from the mat of roots and earth above her. The whole thing looked ready to cave in at any moment. He must have made it The dragon. Goddess knows how; maybe with claws. Anyway, he wasn't too fussy about it; it was meant to be a temporary thing. The smell was just as powerful here, and the rushing sound was even clearer. There must be an underground stream-or maybe just water pipes- very close. Come on, girl, what are you waiting for? You're a grunt, it's your job to move! Don't stand around trying to think! It was hard to make herself go deeper and deeper into that damp and confining place. Her senses were all useless, even sight, because the bore twisted and turned so she could never see more than a few feet ahead. She was heading blind and deaf into she had no idea what. At any moment, she might reach a shaft or a side tunnel where something could attack her. And the feel of the earth above her was almost crushing. She kept going. Please let her be alive. He doesn't need to kill her. He should try to make her join him first Please, please, don't let him have killed her. After what seemed like forever, she realized that the angle of the tunnel was changing. She was heading up. Then a current of air swirled to her, barely sniffable under the thick dragon smell, and it was fresh. Night air. Somewhere ahead. The end of the tunnel. A new panic invaded her. Please don't let them have gotten away. She threw aside all caution and sprinted. Up, up-and she could smell it clearly now. Cold air, unfouled. Up, up-and she could hear sounds. A yell that suddenly broke off. The voice sounded like- Galen! she thought, and her heart tore. Then she saw light Moonlight. She gathered her muscles and jumped. She scrambled out of the mouth of the tunnel. And there, in moonlight that hurt her eyes, she saw everything. A car, a black Jeep, parked under a tree. The engine running but the seats empty. And in front of it, what looked like a battlefield. There were bodies everywhere. Several were vampires in black-dark ninjas. But also on the ground were the bodies of Nissa and Winnie and Galen. So they followed, a distant part of Keller's mind said, not interfering in the slightest with the part that was getting ready for the fight. They followed the dragon-which must have done something to Winnie to get Iliana away from her. That was why I couldn't smell anybody; they all went into the tunnel while I was upstairs with brother Brett. She couldn't tell if they were dead. They were all tying very still, and there was blood on Winnie's head and on Nissa's right arm and back. Blood and daw marks. And Galen†¦ he was sprawled out full-length, with no signs of breathing. He wasn't even a warrior. He'd never had a chance. Then Keller saw something that drove the others out of her head. The dragon. It was standing near the Jeep, but frozen, as if it had just wheeled to face her. It was holding a limp figure in silvery-white casually, almost tucked under its arm. And it still looked like Jaime Ashton-Hughes. It was wearing Jaime's pretty blue dress. Its soft brown hair blew gently about its face, and Keller could feel its dark blue eyes fixed on her. But there were differences, too. Its skin was deadly pale, and something yellowish was oozing from a cut on its cheekbone. Its lips were drawn back from its teeth in a grinning snarl that Jaime never could have managed. And when the wind blew the soft hair off its forehead, Keller could see horns. There they were. Stubby and soft-looking-or at least soft on the outside, like downy skin over bone. They were so obviously real and yet so grotesque that Keller felt her stomach turn. And there were five of them. Five. The book said one to three! Keller thought indignantly. And in rare cases four. But this thing has five! Five seats of shapeshifting power, not to mention the black energy, mind control, and whatever else it's been keeping up its sleeve just for me. I'm dead. Well, she had known that from the beginning, of course. She'd known it six days ago when she first leaped for the dragon's back in the mall. But now the realization was more bitter, because not only was she dead, so was all hope. I can't kill that thing. It's going to slaughter me as easily as the others. And then take Iliana. It didn't matter. She had to try. â€Å"Put the girl down,† she said. She kept her half-and-half shape to say it. Maybe she could startle it by changing suddenly when she sprang. â€Å"I don't think so,† the dragon said with Jaime's mouth. It had Jaime's voice down perfectly. But then it opened the mouth, and basso profundo laughter came out, so deep and startling that Keller felt ice down her spine. â€Å"Come on,† Keller said. â€Å"Neither of us wants her hurt.† While she was talking, she was moving slowly, trying to circle behind it. But it turned with her, keeping its back to the Jeep. â€Å"You may not,† the dragon said. â€Å"But I really don't care. She's already hurt; I don't know if she'll make it anyway.† Its grin spread wider. â€Å"Put her down,† Keller said again. She knew that it wouldn't. But she wanted to keep talking, keep it off guard. She also knew it wasn't going to let her get behind it. Panthers naturally attack from behind. It wasn't going to be an option. Keller's eyes shifted to the huge and ancient pine tree the Jeep was parked under. Or they didn't actually shift, because that would have given the dragon a clue. She expanded her awareness to take it in. It was her chance. â€Å"We haven't even properly introduced ourselves-† she began. And then, in mid-sentence, she leaped.

Euthanasia to Preserve Quality of Life Essay

There is nothing more precious than human life, and one of the most important tasks of our justice system is to preserve the sanctity of it. However, when one asks a person to â€Å"go live your life† or â€Å"live life to its fullest† what is implied? We are expected to inference that we should be more adventurous, try new things, and include enjoyable experiences. Yet, what if we were prevented from doing these things because of a crippling disability, or excruciating, chronic pain? This raises the issue that when there is no quality of life, there is little sanctity in it. Therefore, to preserve quality of life, and security of person, choosing to end a life for merciful reasons, or euthanasia, should be considered a viable option. In R v. Latimer, Robert Latimer’s daughter Tracy was in excruciating pain, underwent several serious operations, had the mental capacity of a four month old infant, and suffered a variety of other ailments. He believed that he was justified in killing his daughter, because in death she would experience no pain, and therefore it was a more positive alternative to her life. In the case of Sue Rodriguez, her life was in a state of slow deterioration, and by the time she deemed there was no more quality in it, she would be unable to commit suicide. Consequently, she pursued the legalization of Assisted Suicide. In her eyes, not to do so violated her Right to Security of Person under s. 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Examining these cases and the public reactions to them helps to shed light on the controversial topic of Euthanasia. R V. LATIMER Robert Latimer was a Saskatchewan farmer. His daughter Tracy was born with extremely severe cerebral palsy, causing her to be a quadriplegic, have the intelligence of a four month old infant, and necessitate the use of spoon feeding to provide nourishment. Tracy â€Å"suffered five to six seizures daily, and it was thought she suffered great pain† (Dimensions of Law: p. 325). After another surgery was required to insert a feeding tube into Tracy’s stomach to prevent malnutrition, Latimer decided that the quality of Tracy’s  life was so low, it would be a better alternative to euthanize her by putting her in his truck and filling it with carbon monoxide. Robert Latimer was charged with first degree murder for this killing, and was later convicted of second degree murder, and sentenced to the minimum ten years in prison. Latimer believed that because of the extenuating circumstances, that ten years was cruel and unusual punishment. He appealed to the Supreme Court, but his conviction was upheld unanimously. This case provides great interest for a number of reasons. According to Canadian law, what Robert Latimer did was undoubtedly murder. He took his daughter’s life intentionally and with careful consideration. However, under certain circumstances, taking life cannot be considered murder. It is thought very humane to euthanize or â€Å"put-down† a pet that is suffering. Yet, to do so to a human is considered murder. Of course, there is typically a distinction between human and animal intelligence, but in the case of R v. Latimer, Tracy Latimer only possessed the mental capacity of a four month old infant. This means she could not formulate the abstract thoughts that distinguish humanity from animals. All Tracy knew was discomfort, suffering, and slowly degrading health. If she was Robert Latimer’s pet, the majority of society would _look down on him_ for not taking the humane steps and ending this life, and thus her suffering. However, the nature of our legal system means that ending any human’s life, no matter what physical state they are in, is a criminal offence. This should not be, as it violates their right to security of person, which is further outlined in the case of Sue Rodriguez. SUE RODRIGUEZ AND ASSISTED SUICIDE In 1992, a British Columbian woman named Sue Rodriguez started a court case with the intention of altering s. 241 of the Canadian Criminal code. This section states: _†Every one who (a) counsels a person to commit suicide, or (b) aids or abets a person to commit suicide whether suicide ensues or not, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not  exceeding fourteen years†_ (Canadian Criminal Code). Sue Rodriguez had ALS, (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), commonly referred to as Lou Gherig’s disease. This is a degenerative nerve disease that renders an individual to become gradually weakened until she is unable to eat, or even breathe without the help of machines. Ms. Rodriquez wished to enjoy life while she still could. When the quality of her life reached a point that life was no longer worth living, she would be unable to end it by her own hand. She felt that s. 241 of the criminal code violated s. 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which states: â€Å"_Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person and the right not to be deprived thereof†¦Ã¢â‚¬ _ (Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms). Rodriguez thought that because the Criminal Code prevented someone from assisting her in suicide, it was violating her right to security of person. She brought this case all the way to the Supreme Court, where in a 5 – 4 decision, they ruled against altering s. 241 of the Criminal Code. About four months after the ruling, Sue committed assisted suicide with the aid of a physician whose identity is still unknown. Sue Rodriguez was facing an impossible situation; she wished to enjoy life as long as she could, but the minute she could no longer enjoy it, she would be too weak to carry out suicide, what she believed was the most dignified way to die. Section 241 of the Criminal Code made it illegal for a doctor or other person to assist her, and she saw this as a clear violation of her right to security of person. Rodriquez felt she was becoming â€Å"a prisoner in [her] on body†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and the current laws were enforcing this. If a person wishes to die, it is their right to do so. In Canada, there is no law against attempted suicide, and therefore there should be no law against those who need assistance to end their lives. Like Euthanasia, it is the humane thing to do to assist someone in their decision to end their lives, and s. 241 of the Criminal Code should be altered to accommodate this. In both the aforementioned cases, the goals of these two participants in euthanasia were not to diminish the rights and freedom of the suffering individuals, but rather to uphold them. In the case of R v. Latimer, his daughter suffered in chronic agony, and was unable to even formulate conscious thought. To continue existing in such a declining state of health  was merely torture. As for Sue Rodriguez, she was fully able to make the decision that she wished to end her life, but lacked the faculties to do so without assistance. It was a clear violation of her right to security of person to force her to live in a degrading body, and experience the pain that went with the disease. It is only reasonable that alterations be made to Canada’s justice system, particularly s. 241 of the criminal code. Although the sanctity of life is paramount in importance, when that life is no longer worth living, it should be up to that person, and/or the duty of that person’s closest relations to help them end their suffering, by engaging in euthanasia.

Turkey and the Eu

Representatives of the neo-liberal institutionalism see the ELI, therefore, as a strong indication that intergovernmental institutions can not only serve for security concerns of individual countries to maximize their relative profit. They can also develop a power structure independent of their members. A possible accession of Turkey to the ELI was always matter In Europe since the establishment of the SEC In the year 1957. No other candidate for an admission has ever caused so many controversial discussions.Despite the fact that every state agrees the process of the access negotiations there is still excellent a gig dispute whether if the Turkish admission politically is desirable or not. Negotiations were started on October 3rd 2005, and the process, should it be in Turkey's favor, is likely to take at least a decade to complete. The membership bid has become a major controversy of the ongoing enlargement of the European Union. This statement describes the line I want to follow and the topics on which I have done my research for this paper very well:† The pros and cons of Turkey EX. membership could span many pages.Against: Turkey is culturally very different; its ere capita GNP is a quarter the ELI average and Turkey could easily swallow up all the EX. development funds; EH legislation would cause very much internal resentment – as many could see It as conflicting with their religious laws; the country still has human rights Issues and hasn't recognized the genocide where over a million Armenian died. For: if Turkey could join the EH and all the issues above are resolved we would have a fantastically dynamic economy in Europe that may be able to help us balance off against the upcoming industrial super powers of China and India.Turkey would become more wealthy, secular, tolerant and open. The outcome is in the toss of a coin. † 1 The economic performance is one of the most important access criterion for Turkey even as the Copenhagen criter ia must not be fulfilled in total. In fact Turkey has as many inhabitants as Germany but has only one sixth of the German economic power The strongest argument is always, that an admission could open new markets In the east.From this point of view there are existing a couple of numbers that point out clearly, that a Turkish EH admission may not be affordable for the European Union: * Only the yearly agricultural subventions, which should generate same wealth in total cost of 16 to 28 billion Euros, which is approximately 15% of the EH- budget These amounts may not be financed, with regards to the bad financial situation of the other member states. As a consequence of this many of the existing areas already supported, would lose their benefits, which would lead to an unacceptable situation.Of course one must add, that these numbers are pure speculation and nobody can predict the exact numbers. Moreover after an accession of Turkey the EX. would gain lots of unpleasant neighbors, the central conflict regions of our planet full of unbelievable, unpredictable potentials of extremists. Thousands of miles of borders should be guarded to hold all the people that want to come from Asia, the Arabian peninsula, or maybe from Africa over Turkey to Europe. It is probably needless to say that this action also causes high costs.In addition Turkey as the biggest country in the European Union would have the same rank within the European institutions as Germany, Great Britain and France. That is to say the poorest country plays a dominant political role. On the other hand Turkey has 72 million inhabitants (it would be the most populated country of the EX. in 15 years), which means, that a very large nonuser-market would be developed. A number of investors would raise capital and cheap manpower which would result in a gain of economic productivity and prevent the migration of Turkish workers.In addition Turkey is a very important connection between the Caspian and Middle easter n energy sources and Europe. Several pipelines offer the EX. alternative energy routes, what will decrease the dependence from Russia. Nevertheless several articles have shown it is very unpredictable if the EX. would gain profit of a Turkey admission. Another interesting point with regards to the Turkish admission is the fear of the efferent religious settings ruling in Turkey, which causes different reactions in the ELI. 99% of the Turkish population is Muslim. 15 million Muslims are already living in the ELI. Millions of them live in Germany. Turkey would be the first Muslim-majority country to Join the European Union, although Albania, Bosnia and Herringbone and Spooks are also Muslim-majority, and have been recognized as potential candidate countries. Supporters of Turkey see the possible development of a European-Turkish- Islamic culture as a chance to split off Islam as a religious conviction from a political nomination system. They also argument, that we now have the unique chance to unite these cultures which is also a chance to show the people, that the impossible is possible.I don ‘t think that the Turkish membership is really necessary to demonstrate multiculturalism to the inside and cooperation willingness to countries of other cultural circles to the outside. Opponents of a Turkish accession argue that Turkey is in the Arabian world not as popular as one suspects, because the Arabs see Turkey still as colonial power. So Turkey is no bridge between the east and the west. In the EX. is the principle of free movement of goods and free movement of persons, which would also be applied on Turkey as an EX. member.This causes another fear in certain European countries. As I already mentioned 15 million Muslims are living in the ELI, from which the majority was not able to integrate very well. As a consequence important point for EX. citizens is also, that Turkey doses ‘t belong to Europe. With regards to Istanbul there is only a very small p art of turkey that belongs to Europe. The big cultural difference is a result of the fact that Turkey has never noticed the Jewish-Christian ethics, the renaissance or the Enlightenment, as a European never noticed the culture of harems.If the EX. accepts non-European countries it would also have to take in consideration the accession of other countries like Israel, Ukraine, Russia and White Russia. As a consequence of this it would be much more difficult to create a European identity, which is even in the actual situation a big problem. â€Å"l think that Turkey should be allowed into the EX. because of its long-standing historical goal of being integrated with the modern word as well as her historical ties with European countries.

Based on Tesco Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Based on Tesco - Assignment Example A motivated workforce results in increased performance, thus an improvement of the firm’s profitability. Therefore, Tesco may motivate its staff by way of providing monetary rewards, non-financial rewards, training, and development. Training is of increasing significance of firms seeking to gain competitive advantage amongst the competitors. Various schools of thought have come to a conclusion that training and development is a human resource practice that may considerably influence the success of a company. Tesco’s growth could be improved by use of on the job-training, mentorship programs, coaching programs, use online marketing tools, and evaluating the effectiveness of the training and development programs. The other element that can affect the performance of a firm is reward. The provision of financial and non-financial rewards impact positively on the firm’s performance, financial gain, and employee motivation, and job satisfaction. Both the monetary incent ives and non-monetary benefits, such as work-life balance, flexible working hours, rewards and recognition, leave, and vacation time not only motivate employees, but also staff turnover. As a result, there is proportionate correlation between rewards, training, learning, and development, with firm performance and growth. The universal competition and rapid changes put emphasis on the significance of human capital within a firm. An organisation’s success depends on the performance of the employees. Employees are considered as essential resources in the growth and development of the firm. In this regard, the success and growth of an organisation in any industry is reliant on its human resources. Even though there are numerous factors that play a major role, a firm needs to have effective employees in order to stay competitive and financially solvent. Motivation and satisfaction are viewed as the core element in the development of human capital in any

Health Care Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health Care Ethics - Essay Example Relativism has taken root in the current world society in the sense that an individual is free to commit a wrong deed and easily get away with it. This is as long as he or she can justify his/her actions (Hinderer, chap. 4). A typical example of this scenario is social tolerance towards acts that were strongly condemned in the past. Incidences of social tolerance include homosexuality, the lenient judicial system, pornography, adultery and even fornication. Ethical relativism on the other hand refutes the existence of moral absolutes. It dictates neither morally wrong nor morally right deeds do exist. This theory finds it easier to link the right and wrong deeds to social norms. According to Hinderer (Chapter 4), relativism does not qualify as a basis of professional practice and as an ethical theory. Ethical relativism undermines the influence of morality as a unifying factor in the society. Ethical relativism does not hold the account of an absolute right or wrong. A right or a wro ng can only be established by use of logic, observation, preferences, emotions, experiences and relevant rules. Most cultures if not all perceive vices such as cheating, lying, murder and stealing as evils of the society thus wrong. Whenever an individual goes against such laws then he or she is punished. Moral absolutes such as the Ten Commandments (Christianity) have no changed since (Hinderer, chap. 4). It is interesting to note that none of them depends on social norms yet they are still true. This is to say that laid down rules and doctrines of the various religions find fault in ethical relativism. This theory has also been faulted because considers the right, wrong and the truth as relative. It does not make sense to conclude that certain things are right on the basis of a school of thought by a group of people. A typical example of this scenario was the slave trade where by as much as it was acceptable in the past, the world today does not entertain it. In general, relativis m does not provide for absolute ethics. Ethical relativism on the other hand undermines the existence of God according to the various religious systems in the world (Wear, Bono and McEvoy, 10). It should also be understood that this theory is faulted simply because ethical standards and norms keep changing with time. Relativism becomes false on the basis of an individual’s affiliation to a particular religious system. Personally, it is false since it does not recognize absolute ethical values. On the contrary it is true that many people accept this theory simply because it is not as strict as long as an individual or a group of people can justify a deed, then it is right. This theory offers a comfort zone that is relatively free of condemnation thus an ever increasing following. According to Hinderer (chap. 5), speciesism can be defined as a discriminative gesture by human beings against other species. It can also be defined as the act of putting human beings under privileges and advantages as opposed to animals. As a result, different species have different rights and values. Peter Singer’s arguments, with respect to whether our treatment of animals is speciesist or not, is valid. The fact that animals too share similar moral status with human means that they should be treated right without discrimination. Cruelty spans from factory farming all the way to laboratory tests carried out using animals.

Difficulties in cross cultural communication Case Study

Difficulties in cross cultural communication - Case Study Example 2001). As such, this paper is mainly concerned with analysing a case study that is related to difficulties experienced in a situation that deals with cross cultural communication. The paper starts by analysing the case and this will be followed by problem identification and presentation. The main part of the paper will analyse the measures that can be implemented in order to deal with the problem in an amicable way that is not likely to create more problems. A summary of the major points discussed will be drawn at the end of the paper. Case analysis Leary is the manager of a thriving financial company, Merrill Lynch, and she uses people oriented strategies to manage the company. She prefers to engage the employees in their work so as to try to get the best out of them. She also closely monitors the performance of the employees so as to be in a position to effectively manage them so that the goals of the organization can be achieved. There are about 45 financial consultants who carry out the work in the company. Of notable concern is the fact that the company has an employee, Ted Chung whose primary origin is Taiwan. Chung is specifically meant to target Taiwanese people since this segment is comprised of affluent people who can bring meaningful business to the company. Indeed, Chung brought a whopping account worth $6 million, one of the highest in the history of the company. Chung states that he has to use the Taiwanese tradition in order to attract these targeted people and there is no other financial consultant with the exquisite skills to perform this particular task. Problem identification For quite some time, Leary has noticed certain behaviour in Chung which she thinks is a cause for concern. For instance, Chung is a self centred person and he does not like to interact with others. He does not want to share his things with others and he is also short tempered. All these factors worry Leary. The other problem is that Chung has requested a private office b ut regardless of the fact that he brought one of the largest accounts to the company and he is performing well, he is still too junior to get a private office. Of the 45 financial consultants, only eight have private offices. Therefore, the problem in this case is twofold: if Leary gives in and try to appease Chung, this is likely to attract the wrath of other senior financial consultants who can also demand the same favour. This will certainly impact on the morale of other employees as well as their performance. It can also be seen that the problem is culture based. By virtue of being Taiwanese, Chung thinks that he deserves special treatment since he is dealing with a niche group of customers that has potential to bring a lot of business to the company. As such, a holistic approach ought to be taken when dealing with this case since it can negatively affect the whole organization if care is not taken. Measures that can be taken to resolve the problem identified According to Korac- Kakabadse et al (2001), the difficulties that arise in cross-cultural face-to-face encounters may be addressed with a better understanding of communication styles utilised by different cultures. In this case, it is imperative for Leary to understand the culture of Chung before taking a decisive step. People who come from different cultural backgrounds have different communication skills and this fact impacts on the way they interact with others. It can be noted that Chung is a sort of withdrawn person but this may not be his fault as may be thought by other people within the company. A closer reading of the case study shows that

Everett Rogers model Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Everett Rogers model - Article Example Rogers states that a successful behavior trait taking hold for successful companies is to develop business models to assess a strategy. These models provide change models expanding on issues such as "what", that provide a picture of the company now of analysis; and "which", that suggest alternative action paths for the company to take. Both of these models provide information to build a more complete picture of events within the business and options for future development. Managers should make use of these models and many don't. Those that do are more likely to be successful and have the ability to minimize risk of failure. Rogers also states that business managers who do are far more likely to survive. For planners and non-planners there is not a single universal technique that can be applied in all situations. Use of strategic planning models can be a very important behavior trait for successful companies. Companies that do not use strategic planning models usually don't because the model does not offer what the customer wants. It may be inadequate because of its analysis of the relationship between company resources and markets. These result in advice about overall investment decisions rather than about the specifics of how to manage the alternatives in the market/business relationship can be shortsighted, since there are always alternatives in order to gain the maximum competitive advantage. Since change is so an important aspect of business continuity, many models don't necessarily provide assiduous suggestions for what type of change should be considered."An example of modeling one such model in use by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) subdivides their profit centers into four main subdivisions. This breakdown does help in planning for strategic investment matters but it does not assist the planner in identifying a single product development proposal to investigate further from a number of alternatives. The matrix system comprises the following: 1) Stars, which are products generally with negative cash flow 2) Question marks, which are products with generally negative cash flows but with low relative market share in growing markets 3) Dogs, which are products unlikely to be generating substantial positive cash flows due to the fact that they are in slowly growing markets with low relative market shares 4) Cash cows, that are products that generating cash which have high relative market shares and are established in slowly growing markets." (Boston Consulting Group). BCG model like the previous statement in the above paragraph does not define the product enough and does not crea te opportunities to explore alternatives in which to improve profitability or market share.As The Boston Consulting Firm notes, "the growth concept is divided into five separate levels one being dominant, strong, favorable, tenable and weak and relates this to the stages of market development. The stages are embryonic, growing, mature, and aging, which produce a series of strategic guidelines for company development. The market growth concept provides valuable guidance about broad policies, replacing the concept of market attractiveness in the GE matrix with stages of market growth. A PLC (product life cycle) are frameworks for planning. It suggests that specific changes in product policy should

A response to the reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

A response to the reading - Essay Example As the story starts, the reader cannot discern the intention of the author and one might take offence with the language that sounds discriminatory to one of the races in the world. However, the author’s intention is to highlight the issue of self-preservation in the world and draw attention to a race’s view of another race. While doing this, the author managers to use humor in a distinctive way that makes the reader enthusiastic. All along, the author uses themes and leaves the reader with questions regarding their worldview on both diminutive and abstract aspects of life. Through the interior lives of the characters in the story, the author manages to illustrate the differences between world viewpoints that were dominant in a culture and their fundamental difference with the lives of those affected. Concisely, the author successfully illustrates the meaning of being human in an audacious and prudent approach. In this case, the story delivers a mix of the interaction of past mistakes, successes, new beginnings, and the regrets that individuals live by as the innermost being defines their

Police Corruption Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Police Corruption - Research Paper Example There is a wide range of police jurisdictions and considerable costs are paid by the society in general as well as the police services as a result of such misconduct. Herman Goldstein defines it as â€Å"acts involving the misuse of authority by a police officer in a manner designed to produce personal gain for himself or others.† It is a larger systematic problem which is due to the lack of overall transparency, no check and balances, weak rule of law and insubstantial institutions. Police Corruption generally occurs at two levels: In the office i.e. behind the scenes or on the streets such as bribery or involvement with criminals. The backroom corruption activities involve irregular practices such as negligence in enforcing internal discipline, stopping of investigations, payments for transfers or appointments and contracting. All these unethical and mischievous acts involve very large transactions and are committed by officers having command authority (mid or senior-level o fficials) and access to the privileged information. Officers avail such opportunities in pairs or alone in the absence of supervisors or any higher authorities. The extent may vary from petty corruption to large scale criminal acts which are endowed by the extra ordinary powers given to the police officials. In the 1980s and 1990s, corruption cases occurred on a very large scale involving and later charging police officers for drug dealings, robberies, batteries and even murders etc. It can be observed that there are two major elements of police corruption namely misuse of authority/power and misuse of personal attainment. At each level, these elements are misused in one way or the other posing a great hindrance in the efficient and effective working of the police department. It can be said that police officials have been a part of encouraging and creating crime rather than deterring it. In this report the causes of police corruption will be discussed and ways such as increased sala ries, training, education incentives, health and insurance benefits and policies that focus on such issues will be identified to eliminate or reduce corruption. Types of Police Corruption: Some major forms of police corruption are discussed below: Gratuity: This refers to the illegal or inappropriate use of power by police officers in order to arrest, coerce, harass, intimidate or assault people. It is a serious crime because the society in general relies on police to safeguard their social security and rights. They are given power to use it for the right purpose and intention but wrongful use of this authority has resulted in many unjust incidents. Police brutality, sexual harassment, illicit use of weapons, fake encounters are the most common ways of misusing the authority. Brutality is a form of physical abuse which occurs when officers want to teach a lesson to any citizen or unnecessary force them for the intended action. Police officers also engage in crimes that has nothing t o do with their professional duty such as insurance of fraudulent activities. It is very difficult to get the accurate statistics of police misconduct and abusive behaviour as they normally don’t release any detailed information on disciplinary issues. Kickbacks: It is a secret payment made to the police officers in the form of contracts or transactions in order to change the course of action and support a wrongdoing/ illegal action. They are considered as fringe benefits of the job by the officers. The

I will upload the file Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

I will upload the file - Essay Example The orientation program will be conducted on all new employees upon arrival at the company. The orientation program covers a presentation on the company history, the mission statement, vision statement and goals. The program will also include a recruitment process, in which the employee learns about the scope of their new jobs, their personal responsibilities and rights. Another aspect of the orientation program is to familiarize the new employee with the organizational structure and the chain of command. The program will also include a visit to all the departments so that the employee can learn about their interdependence. After going through the orientation program, the employee is bound to be more comfortable working in the company. According to McDonald & Hite, training forms an integral part of any career development system since it lays the foundation for good performance within an organization (420). At Superior Roses, both new and current employees will undergo intensive training in their areas of specialization. As for the new employees, training will come right after the orientation process. As soon as the new employee settles in their specific department, then the department members under instruction from the departmental manager will guide the employee on how to go about their duties. For example, an employee joining the sales department will be trained on how to book customer orders, how to prepare order forms, and how to ensure proper shipment of flowers. The employee will also be trained on how to ensure proper coordination of activities in all departments to guarantee customer satisfaction. For those employees who have worked longer in the company, training will also be conducted to ensure that they keep up with variations in the industry. For example, the people within the production department, which basically deals with the production of flowers, will require frequent training on the effects of weather change on flower quality. Most

Analysis and consideration prior to developing operations in Research Paper

Analysis and consideration prior to developing operations in Australian wine industry - Research Paper Example The recommendations given will aid the company to settle and establish itself without many problems. In addition, the techniques used to do this study include evaluation of other wine companies, government’s policies, and other deterministic factors. Here, competitiveness refers to the forces that are likely to hamper productivity while attractiveness refers to profitability of a business venture by a company. The continent has good climatic conditions for growing vineyards, a rich cultural heritage of wine making and skilled work force. Moreover, most of the wines industries and vineyards are owned by families, with a few commercial plantation and firms. Australia produces three percent of the world’s wine, and is the second to Italy largest wine exporter country (Allen, 2003, p.43). Primarily, the wine industry in Australia is experiencing rapid growth and international recognition in the present days (Gibson, 2010, p.301). This nation has some of the world’s most proficient winemakers, mainly based in the southern region. The industry highly depends on the export especially to the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand. (Kym, 2004, p.264) The common regions of wine production are south and west Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, which have a wide range of grapes produced. Australia is largely a tropical region; however, some parts such as the south have warm temperate and cooler climates (Gibson, 2010, p.301). Wine production is done in the cooler region of the country. Needless, other regions without the conducive climate for vineyards growing have used methods like irrigation that facilitate production of grapes. The Shiraz type of grape is the most common as it grows even in the warmer parts of Australia, while other types of grapes like the chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon have adapted well to the climatic conditions. In addition, the landscape has a system

Sop for Mha Essay Example for Free

Sop for Mha Essay Wanting to become a manager for health care initiatives and institutions is very much a   product of my multi-cultural experience and the people’s desperate need for health care that   I was so very aware of growing up in my native Morocco. As a young Berber woman   raised in Casablanca, I was in an excellent position to appreciate the vast need in Africa for   improved health administration services, especially at fees that are accessible to the poor   majority, women in particular. As a cosmopolitan person who has also lived in France for 2 years and now the United   States, I find hope for my native Africa through international development organizations that   have developed missions dedicated to the improvement of health care administration in the   Third World, Africa in particular. I think that I am a natural for health care promotion on an   international level because of my high level of motivation, dedication to my studies, and my   multi-lingual ability. I speak and write French very well and I am also a strong speaker and   average writer in Arabic—in addition to English and the tongue of my native heritage,   Berber. My long term professional goal in life is to some day be able to harness my passion for a   more just and humane world to the practical skills that will enable me to make a significant   contribution, especially to the medically underserved members of our global human society. I look forward to working on an international level for a government agency or global non- profit organization dedicated to the promotion of health care in Africa. XXXX is my first   choice for study towards the MHA because I so deeply respect the ideals of the program   and appreciate the diversity of the XXXX campus, with one of the highest percentages of   international students of all U. S. institutions of higher learning. I look forward to a rigorous and in-depth exposure to a range of health-care issues, policy,   ethics, organizational behavior in public, private and nonprofit institutions and their   interactions. I feel strongly that XXXX is the best place to prepare myself to be a truly   creative and visionary health care administrator who is able to lead and inspire effectively,   operating upon the firm foundation that I will attain in your distinguished program.

The European Union As A Military Power Politics Essay

The European Union As A Military Power Politics Essay Matter of security in Europe and security of Europe has always been at stake. According to Hanspeter Neuhold security is the preservation or protection of essential values overtime, now and in the future He stresses that no total security is possible, but rather what matters is an effectiveness of protection of values. Systems established in Europe so far are serving to the aim of effectiveness for now and in the future  [2]  . Yet, varying conceptualization of EU as a power can be met in ongoing discussions among scholars and experts. Besides defining EU as a normative and civilian power, in conceptualization of the EUs role in the international arena certain experts also argue that the EU is a military power.  [3]  For instance Hedley Bull referring to the debate on civilian vs. military power dismissed the idea of civilian power, naming it as a contradiction in terms. He argues that the capabilities of powers in the international system are rather defined by their military resources. His vision of the Community is that to become more self-sufficient in defense and security, among other things, it needs to improve its conventional forces.  [4]  However, others believe that although the military capabilities of the EU are increasing, the role of the EU in the international arena can hardly be identified as a military power. The formulation of norms and objectives of a civilian power are accompanied by cooperation in the military area and a step-by-step strengthening of the military (defense) capabilities o f the EU.  [5]  Yet, whether and to what extent the Union will use its military capacities to defend and promote its civilian and normative objectives need to be discussed in the light of the provision of the respective framework and institutions. This paper attempts to add a point of view in the discussion of the definition EU as a military power. It has an aim to look at the development of the EUs military capabilities and their functional purpose in order to present authors standpoint on the issue at stake. The author believes that in order to define the presence of military power in EU one has to analyze the nature of its military capabilities and their applications. It is also believed that up-to-date conceptualization of the term military power has not been well developed by scholars of the field and hence suggests theoretical vagueness in the definition itself. First section of the paper will look at the origins of formation of the EUs military capabilities in order to define the original nature of the EU military capabilities. Second chapter scrutinizes the political path of development of CFSP in the light of formation of the EUs military forces. Going beyond analysis of historical and political developments, third section of the paper tries to define current features of the EU that largely influence the security and defense policies lead and accordingly the use of military forces by the EU. In the conclusion the author proposes a conditional response to the main questions of the paper is EU a military power? Section I Political path of development of European Defense Policy One of the websites providing the viewpoint of scholars and politicians on the EUs role in the world provided that the Union has been called an emerging superpower by many academics. Scholars and academics like T.R. Reid, Andrew Reding, Mark Leonard, Jeremy Rifkin, John McCormick, and some politicians like Romano Prodi and Tony Blair either believe that the EU is, or will become, a superpower in the 21st century. According to David Miliband, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, however, the EU is not and never will be a superpower according to David Miliband.  [6]  Lacking a unified foreign policy and with an inability to project military power worldwide, the EU lacks the substance of superpower, who by definition have first of all military reach and possess the capacity to arrive quickly anywhere with troops that can impose their governments will.  [7]   Theoretical conceptualization of the EUs role in the international arena offered by scholars proposes three main dimensions: EU as normative power, EU as civilian power and EU is military power. From the first glance of debates and argument suggested one can assume that EU is largely defined as a normative power the force that is able to promote transformation of norms in the international system. Second popular definition in the debates is EU as civilian power the power that has rather civilian means and economic weight in the international arena and may influence the course of development by this means. This way EU as a military power stands on the third place in row of these three definitions, though it should to be recognized that in the debate of recent years this third definition was placed more often in the centre of discussions. Hedley Bull, Franà §ois Duchà ªne, Kenneth Twitchett, Hanns Maull, Karen Smith and Ian Manners are some of prominent authors involved in this deb ate. Although the end of Cold War was defined by some scholars as the end of hard power politics in international arena and the end of militarization of the international relations, the reality was different. Militarization of the international relations did not stop after the Cold War and the conflicts emerged in post-Soviet world did not reduce in number. The US, Russia, China had the same level of military budget and increased involvement in conflict zones worldwide. First and second Gulf wars, War in Yugoslavia and brutal conflicts in Africa demanded the same level of military capabilities from the international community. So was the reality in terms of militarization in Europe. The continent, that became stronger and survived from self-destruction after the WW II thanks to the economic integration and strengthening of its potential as a civilian power, had another additional focus in its development in post-Cold War period. Since TEU and Maastricht the course of development of defens e and security policies became one of the main priorities. After the war in Yugoslavia that proved inability of Europe to respond to crisis in its territory, this dimension of the EUs potential building was further strengthened. And this is the reason why today scholars question the civilian nature of the EU and bring a notion on military power in the person of the EU. From the perspective of theories of international relations the notions of military power are often defined in the realist and neo-realist accounts that were explaining the world of power politics and post WW II realities. However, as Ian Manners mentioned, traditions of just war and humanitarian intervention may alter these theoretical foundations in the post-Cold War international system. The same way, the notions of military power may need amendments to their conventional frames. In the scope of understanding of EUs role in the international arena we would like to refer for the purpose of this paper to the notion of military power that is given by Ian Manners. He argues that normative power should be differentiated from military power by the extent to which conflict conciliation processes are at work, i.e. whether these are through military actions or through changing the structures of conflict. Empirically, these two approaches can be differentiated in terms of whether conflict i s resolved through longer-term conciliation of the parties (i.e. changing the norm of conflict), or through shorter-term intervention in the conflict (i.e. changing the conflict itself).  [8]  Hence, given the nature of emergence and currents of EU military capabilities, we assume that defining the military power of the EU in terms of application of is military forces in the conflict reconciliation processes is one of possible ways of looking at the EUs nature as a possible military power. For developing this understanding it is crucial to see how EUs military capabilities have been developed and to what end they are aimed to be applied. Today the political cooperation in the framework of the EU is reflected in Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), which covers two main fields of cooperation foreign policy and security. However, the history of political union in Europe brought to formation of CFSP is much broader. To understand the development of CFSP one can divide the path of European political cooperation into two stages: 1. Stage of initial Political Union: European Defense Community and European Political Community; 2. Stage of foundation of CFSP and its functional mechanism 1. Stage of initial Political Union: European Defense Community and European Political Community The history of political unification of the community goes back to 50th, when immediately after initiation of the integration process in the framework of ECCS the idea of establishment of European Defense Community (EDC) came to the agenda (1952). In 1952 the Treaty on EDC was concluded. According to number of authors, most interesting part of the EDC was the consent of states to create European army under the control of supranational organization, which meant reducing of sovereignty and independence of the Community members. According to the Treaty EDC were to be subdivided into homogeneous national units with Community status  [9]  . Nevertheless, the role of NATO in this consideration was not excluded and was thought to have key role in providing security and defense in the continent. Yet, the Treaty failed because of the French parliaments position in 1954. At the same time, this Treaty also entitled the Assembly of ECSC to investigate possibilities for European Political Com munity. Draft treaty for the foundation of European Political Community (EPC) was elaborated, with the invitation of Council of Ministers by Consultative Assembly, after the Luxemburg decision of September 10, 1952.  [10]  EPC, designed in the manner of todays European Union, provided the process of integration with quasi-constitutional basis  [11]  . Art.5 of the Draft Treaty embodying the Statute of the European Community with strict language set that existing institutions shall constitute a single legal entity.  [12]  Being a legal entity means possession of personality. This part of the Statute differentiated EPC from the EU which lacks the legal personality today.  [13]  The community to be established would deepen the process of integration and meant that the founding idea has been reached. Yet, formal achievement of the goal failed again, due to resistance of France. Nonetheless, since then the idea of political integration was reconsidered for several times. Although in 1960 reconsideration by Fouchet Plan was unsuccessful and had no vivid results, in 1970 as the consequence of the suggestions made by Davignon Committee the idea was revived in the form of the institutionalized procedure  [14]  . These suggestions promoted intensification of cooperation in one of the key fields of political integration, namely f oreign affairs. This was the beginning of next stage European Political Cooperation (EPC). Formalization of EPC was realized by signature of Single European Act in 1986 in Luxembourg, art. 30 of which obliges states to inform and consult each other on foreign policy matters.  [15]  This was the first serious step towards the formalization of the EPC. In general, the Single European Act made EPC part of the integration, resulting in revival of political integration in very soft manner and including it at later stages into the Treaty of Maastricht under the title of Common Foreign and Security Policy. This way political cooperation was broadened with security issues and hence majority of decisions were possible in this field as well. To sum up this brief account, we can conclude that that the ancestors of CFSP were EDC, EPC and political cooperation. Two draft Treaties, respectively, on EDC and EPC, contained the part of legal history of CFSP. In the field of legalization a breakthrough took place in July 1987 with Single European Act entering into force. One interesting point in this process is that EDC was talking about the army and putting the Treaty itself under the jurisdiction of ECJ. Yet, it could not be done 40 years later by CFSP. Section II CFSP ERRF a new phase towards political union or a path of being a military power? 2. Stage of foundation of CFSP and its functional mechanism Second phase started with making special emphasis on foreign policy development and closer cooperation in this field during the Maastricht Treaty negotiations. Consequently, in the Treaty of European Union (TEU) the CFSP was included as the second pillar of the EU. TEU called for member states to consult on any matter of foreign and security policy of general interest in order to determine a common approach and provided that Member states shall ensure, through the convergence of their actions, that the Union is able to assert its interests and values on the international scene.  [16]  Moreover, the Maastricht Treaty made provisions for using the Western European Union (WEU) as the military arm of the EUs new Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), and declared that the CFSP would include the eventual framing of a common defence policy, which might in time lead to a common defense (Article J.4.1).  [17]  However, after the inclusion of CFSP into the TEU for some time there was a period of silence and no actions in practice were taken, though Europe was witnessing conflicts in its territories and its neighborhood. The main message was that the CFSP was established to address the issues of security on the whole continent. Yet, in the period of silence the general goals set in Petersberg in 1992 were not much realized in practice. During the time from 1992 to 1998 the whole process was characterized with inaction. Then the central question of debates suggested that though the name given to it was common security and foreign policy, the issue causing problems was defense. But, in this light there was and still is an existing guarantor of defense in Europe NATO. Article 24 (ex article 11 of TEU) of the consolidated version of TEU addressing defense implications of CFSP mentions that CFSP shall include the progressive framing of defense policy, which might led to common defense.  [18]  . Yet the TEU in another paragraph provides that the policy of the Union in accordance with this Article shall not prejudice the specific character of the security and defense policy of certain Member States and shall respect the obligations of certain Member States, which see their common defense realized in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), under the North Atlantic Treaty and be compatible with the common security and defense policy established within that framework.  [19]  This paragraph of the TEU illustrates that the document recognizes and to the extent states priority of NATO over CFSP in providing defense and security in Europe. Nonetheless, it was believed that to defend Europe through CFSP required formation of military forces. At the same time, although (1) humanitarian and rescue tasks; (2) peacekeeping tasks; (3) tasks of combat forces in crisis management, including peacemaking were defined as the tasks for military troops by Petersberg Tasks  [20]  , TEU did not have a specific provision on formation of possible armed forces of the Union. Hence, the only instrument was summits of heads of states that could be concluded with decisive and concrete declaration on this matter and so provide steps forward in this direction. In the result of lengthy debates on granting Europe autonomy in the military and defense matters, in 1998 heads of states of Britain and France met in St-Malo. This summit can be outlined as one of those that played a decisive role in drawing the principles of future activities under Title V of TEU. As the result of the British-French Summit, well known St-Malo declaration was adopted. This declaration recognized .the capacity of autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces and stated that military forces should be supported by a strong and competitive European defense industry and technology.  [21]  But this proposed autonomy was rather restricted by the power of NATO. Declaration also provided: Europe can make its voice heard in world affairs, while acting in conformity with our respective obligations in NATO   [22]  This became another statement providing that NATO would have priority in maintaining security and leading defense policy in the continent. On the other hand, circumstantial factors have been significantly influencing the path of development of the EUs own military capabilities. Particularly the war in Yugoslavia became one of the key influencing factors. After the so called humanitarian intervention was realized in Yugoslavia by NATO forces, Europe, facing its own inability to take action for conflict prevention in its territory, started elaborations on possible implementation of Petersberg tasks and particularly principles of St-Malo Declaration. We may assume that in this elaborations NATO was perceived by the EU as a competitor, although its role in providing European security has been central for more then 50 years. Nonetheless, it was definitive that CSFP could not take the place of NATO in the matters on its competence. One of the first steps forward in this path was Cologne Summit in June of 1999. Cologne European Council in its Declaration on strengthening the common European policy on security and defense decided that to this end, the Union must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises.  [23]  Moreover, decision of the Summit gave a mandate to European Council to strengthen the CFSP. In its Declaration on strengthening the common European policy on security and defense, the Cologne European Council agreed to transfer from Western European Union (WEU) to the European Union (EU) the responsibility of decision-making and the capacity for action in the area of the Petersberg tasks.  [24]  Underlying the need for military forces, Cologne Declaration also identified main features of future activities as deployability, sustainability, interoperability, fle xibility and mobility  [25]  . Yet two aspects of the overall message of the Declaration were particularly significant for the issue of our discussion. Firstly, it did not necessarily specify military forces as a common army of the Union as it is conventionally understood. Secondly, it determined that the Atlantic Alliance remains as a foundation of the collective defense of its members, thus excluding determination of NATO as a foundation of collective defense of Europe. By this point the EU has shaped its attitude to NATO in terms of using its military capabilities, declaring that communities defense is not provided by NATO, which ensures rather defense of its members. Cologne in the result became one of the key EU council meetings that according to Bono Giovanno was an expression of desire of the EU to develop military and civilian capabilities to project its power regionally and globally, potentially autonomous from NATO  [26]  . Next important shaping Summit was the Helsinki Council of 10-11 December 1999. By its declaration the Helsinki Council agreed that the objective for the Union was to have an autonomous capacity to take decisions, and where NATO as a whole is not engaged to launch EU-led military operations in response to international crisis.  [27]  It introduced Political and Security Committee as an institution. Moreover, it created Military Committee as a supporting unit for Political and Security Council. Also it was in Helsinki that the post of High Representative for CFSP had been introduced. Furthermore, if in St-Malo and Cologne the intention of capable military forces were resolved with final documents, Helsinki meeting drew schema for the military forces including contingent, size and minimum period of sustainability naming it European Rapid Reaction Forces.  [28]  Generally, it was concluded that the formation of forces will need to be accomplished in 2003. This way, Cologne and He lsinki Conclusions laid first stones to the foundation of ESDP and to the formation of European Military Forces. Yet, although commitment on establishment of ERRF and ESDP was clearly made in the results of St-Malo, Cologne and Helsinki, the autonomy of the EU military capability could not be fully established. Already in one of the next meetings in Feira in June 2000 it was again declared that Council should establish a framework of cooperation with NATO. Feira Declaration mentioned that, Council has identified the principles on the basis which consultation and cooperation with NATO should be developed  [29]  . This was certainly connected to the fact that EU members had already military commitments as NATO members with the organization that is supposed to provide European defense. However, in general, the processes outlined above through the row of summits illustrate that EU was determined to take measures for implementation of Petersberg tasks and to form the autonomous military forces to respond to emergency and crisis situations in its territory and neighborhood. So, at later stages in the framework of Capabilities Commitment Conference (CCC) the EU identified details of functional mechanism of its military forces, where the clear picture of ERRF had been drawn. On 20-21 November at CCC in Brussels, states agreed to 100 000 persons and approximately 400 combat aircraft and 100 vessels, though the question was still whether this was a real army of the Union.  [30]   Interestingly enough answer to this question was given in European Council in Nice in December 2000. Declaration of this meeting declared that the European Union will be able to carry out the full range of Petersberg tasks which does not involve the establishment of European army.  [31]  Thus, it was announced that the EU military forces are not an army, but rather an ad hoc forces that are aimed to address concrete missions and respond to crisis situations. Firstly ad hoc forces were established and brought in action in 2003, when NATO forces were replaced by ERRF in Macedonia, which became the first military deployment of EU forces.  [32]   Further development in establishment of EU military forces was formation of Battle Groups based on the adopted headline goals 2010 in 2004. The decision taken created the EU Battle Groups whose duty was to provide rapid reaction in emergency situations within 5 days and to complete missions of at least 30 days with a maximum number of 1,500 men.  [33]  It is argued that the need is defined by Unions willingness to lead more than one crisis management operation simultaneously. In the result Battle Groups became an additional part of the EU military forces, but did not still transfer the EU military capabilities into EUs army. Nonetheless, following the establishment of ERRF and Battle groups the ESDP missions deployed after 2004 became illustration of the EUs ability to accommodate the goals defined in the TEU (under Petersberg Tasks) and take quick actions in response to emergency situation in the high military level. As former EU HR for the Common Security and Foreign Policy Javier Solana underlined in one of his remarks by above-mentioned actions the EU has proved the credibility of its military capability on the ground in Africa, in Congo and Chad and now is proving it everyday in the difficult waters off Somalia.  [34]   Thus, we can assume that, all in all crisis management operations, originally described as one of the areas covered by the Petersberg Tasks, have been identified in the result of dynamic and stable cooperation since 1998 as the area in which the EU military forces found their main occupation and effective usage. Originally described in Amsterdam Treaty in 1997, crisis management mandate was confirmed in the Treaty of Nice (2000), elaborated later in rather wider detail in the European Strategy Security (ESS) in 2003 and, finally, recognized in the Lisbon Treaty (2007).  [35]   Two general conclusions can be drawn based on the above outlined process of formation of the EUs military capabilities. Firstly, formation of EU CFSP and its own military forces (ERRF and Battle Groups) have been successful due to stable and structured cooperation intensified in 1998 that, at the same time, have had influence of certain circumstantial factors triggered by the realities of post-Cold War international system. Secondly, in the process of establishment of EU military capabilities NATO has still been viewed as a strong competitor that made the Union to form its own potential taking always into account the presence of already existing military alliance. This way, the process of formation of EUs military capabilities has been accompanied by certain institutional and political restrictions that have shaped the CFSP and its up-to-date functional mechanism (ESDP). Section III Purpose, unanimity and global dimension of the EU security policies If the above brought paragraphs demonstrate that in the result of stabile and structure cooperation the path towards strengthening political union ended in the direction of establishing own military forces of the Union, thus making the EU stronger in terms of common policy in security and defense dimensions, the question that occurs is whether this development sufficient for defining the EU as a military power. There is no doubt that the emergence of ERRF as a functional mechanism of EU common security and defense policy significantly extended the political competence of the EU as a Union of states. Yet it could not provide the EU with full capacity of being unitary actor in terms of its defense policy and military capacities. Several aspects deserve particular attention in developing further discussion about the role of military capabilities of the EU in the conceptualization of the Union as military power. Firstly, the purpose of established military forces, namely ERRF should be scrutinized in order to define the EUs competence as an actor both internal and external, as in theoretical terms military power is and instrument for internal and external policies. European Security Strategy identifies the general reason for establishment of ERRF and Battle groups. It declares: Our traditional concept of self- defense up to and including the Cold War was based on the threat of invasion. With the new threats, the first line of defense will often be abroad. The new threats are dynamic.  [36]  Furthermore, the field of application of ERRF and Battle Groups was defined in the framework of Petersberg Tasks that include humanitarian and rescue tasks, peacekeeping and combat forces in crisis management. Moreover, if we look at the overview of ESDP missions we can see that objectives of the military forces are formed on a case by case basis depending on an operations and missions abroad. For i nstance, the EU military missions (apart from civilian ESDP missions) have largely peace-enforcement and peacekeeping mandates and are used most of the time as an instrument of quick response to humanitarian emergencies. Majority of missions in Africa for instance aimed at peace building and peace enforcement by use of military capabilities of the EU. Secondly, the EU in becoming power and launching missions depends on member-states willingness and policy priorities. It has been not once mentioned by various authors that CFSP and defense policy has a distinctive feature in comparison to Unions policies in economic and social field that have greater unanimity. It is largely argued that another fact that, for now, impedes the effectiveness of the CFSP is the unwillingness of the me

Should Race Be Used as a Form of Identity?

Should Race Be Used as a Form of Identity? Identity is based on being the same as some people and different  from others. The difference is usually equally weighted discuss with  reference to the category of race. Identity is one of the most heavily debated factors of modern social life. This is represented in the corpus of sociological research, by the importance placed upon its influence in the different ways in which individuals and societies conceptualise themselves and others. Identity, first and foremost, is based upon the notion of being the same as some people (to identify with some people), and to be different from others. This can and often is interpreted as identity having both a positive and a negative aspect, positive in identifying with a social group, and negative in being different (or opposing) another. This may not necessarily be the case however. In this paper I will investigate the use of race as an identity, as this has traditionally presented us with both the positive and negative model of identity, and in more recent times, a more positive model in both identity and difference. Identity, in its most basic sense, is formed from being ‘other’ than another particular person or group. This basic difference comes in many forms, from gender, to class, nationality, sexual orientation and race or ethnicity. Whilst these are the some of the more major identity groups, there are countless other ways in which people identify with each other, from a lifestyle guided by a certain musical taste to a radical political identification. Identity therefore remains a very important way in which people understand themselves and the world. Any one person will belong to a number of different identity groups however. A person might, for example, be a British national with an Asian ethnicity, and belong to a particular political group and economic class. Whether or not one particular facet of a person’s identity is more important than the others, is a matter that is fiercely debated. For some theorists such as Miller (1997:11), ‘nations are ethical communities. They are contour lines in the ethical landscape. The duties we owe to our fellow-nationals are different from, and more extensive than, the duties we owe to human beings as such’. Miller and others argue that nationality is the most important way in which people identify themselves, and as such it renders their responsibilities to co-nationals much greater than to others. Whilst Perry (2001:103-108) argues that gender is the most important identity group, and that feminism is in danger of being watered-down and destroyed by theories that place too much emphasis on the multi-faceted nature of an individual’s identity. For, she argues (2001:107), ‘Women of all ethnicities, sexual preferences, and even classes, will be disadvantaged by proposed changes in welfare regulation, means-tested custody, and the rolling back of abortion rights and affirmative action guidelines’. Marxi st theorists argue however that class is the most important factor in social identity, for the economic class you belong to will determine whether or not you have political control over you and your society’s future. Hence Marx’s (2001:8) famous opening line to his Communist Manifesto, ‘The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles’. For the purposes of this paper however, I am going to focus on the influence that race plays in identity formation, and its relationship with the other facets of identity. Race has long been debated in sociological circles, but precisely what race is or even whether it exists to any significant level has been placed in doubt by a number of theorists. Todorov (1999:64-70) argues that for a theory of races (or racialism) to exist, it needs to have five different presuppositions. Firstly the racialist must suppose that there are different races of people at all. Scientifically such a position is untenable, but, as Todorov argues, whether or not the man in the street thinks this way does not depend upon science. Secondly the racialist must suppose that people are not only racially separated by appearances, but that there are lines of division amongst cultures too, which are intimately linked with racial appearances. The third supposition is that the behaviour of an individual is profound ly affected by their race. Fourthly there is a hierarchy of values between differing races, and lastly that some political order should be in place to reflect all the previously mentioned factors. For Todorov racialist doctrine has not gone away but has merely changed its form, from discourses based on race to those of culturalism and nationalism. For Todorov then there are many different presuppositions that have to be in place before race itself as a significant identity can be considered. But, as he himself notes, there is an ideological form of racialism which is pure and simply racist and does not rely upon theoretical grounding or offer any form of justification. This is racist behaviour and attitude is the most common one in society, and this behaviour can only create and galvanise race or ethnic identity. This can take occur in both a positive and negative fashion, in that one group might define itself in a positive nature when under pressure from another, or one group might violently negate another and try to eradicate it. In such circumstances, the significance that race or ethnicity plays in identity is accentuated and becomes more important than other factors. Indeed, according to Assad (1993), minorities in modern states are faced with two stark choices; they can submit to complete assimilation or be despised as d ifferent. In such circumstances, the identity under threat comes to the fore of the life of the person in question. To submit to the majority is to lose your identity, but to keep it is to face hostility and conflict. Of course, the situation that Assad presents us with is somewhat extreme. But whereas in most circumstances the differences among people might be treated with equal weight, within the boundaries of a nation state trying to forge a unifying identity, racial and ethnic identity does become more important. Britain, for example, present us with a multicultural society that incorporates a whole range of people from different ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds. But this does not mean that racial discrimination and intimidation does not occur. As Solomos (2003) argues, the long history of racial discrimination in Britain has led to political activists in all the main political parties, whose aim and purpose is to fight for the rights of ethnic minorities. Such developments galvanise people around their ethnicity and form new identities with which people differentiate themselves against others. The Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies in the 1980s were interested in precisely this: A major concern of the group was the need to analyse the complex processes by which race is constructed as a social and political relation. They emphasised that the concept of race is not simply confined to a process of regulation operated by the state but that the meaning of race as a social construction is contested and fought over. In this sense they viewed race as an open political construction where the meaning of terms such as black are struggled over. Collective identities spoken through race, community and locality are, for all their spontaneity, powerful means to coordinate action and create solidarity (Solomos 2003:28). Race can therefore be theorised not as a natural category or regulation of the state, but as a political construction where identity can be formed in order to fight for social justice. This political use of race argues that racial divisions in society are a cause of major differences in quality of life, and therefore racial identity is of much more importance than other factors. Such division can however cause greater resentment amongst different social groups and put more emphasis on difference than on similarity. While positive discrimination by the dominant social group, in an attempt to redress the power balance between different segments of society, can often enflame racial tension. As Solomos (2003:192) argues, anti-racists are often depicted as doing more harm to race relations than extreme rightwing fanatics. This is because they highlight racial differences and polarise people between different racial identities. It could be argued however that anti-racists do not create rac ial tension, but merely highlight tension that is already there. In any case, the importance that race plays in everyday social life is clearly evident. Anwar (1998:99-100), for example, claims that racial discrimination against Asian people has been on the rise in recent years in Britain, and that in 1994 alone there were 170,000 instances of racially motivated crimes and threats, whilst an estimated 74 people have been killed by racist attacks between 1970 and 1989. Racial identity can motivate people not only to dislike and slander each other, but even to reach the extremes of violence and murder. With this in mind race is quite obviously, although without any ultimate justification, the deciding factor in a person’s identity in many social situations, overriding other factors such as gender, political affiliations or, very often, religion. Scott (2002) renders this assumption problematic however by researching the roots of racism from a Marxist perspective. Whilst race and racism clearly do have an important impact in social identity, this is for Scott a modern phenomenon with historically traceable roots. Scott argues that modern racism is intimately related with that of capitalism, and that whilst racism has always figured in societies in different forms, it is only with capitalism that it becomes a constant factor. Early slavery in the New World, for example, was largely made up from white slaves from England before the large influx from the West Indies and Africa. The English ruling classes had no qualms about exploiting the white working classes, but in the end the demand for labour at home rendered the practice of shipping white slaves over to the Americas as inefficient. Using Blackburn’s analysis of racism and capitalism, Scott (2002:167) argues that racism is linked to capitalist growth, national identi ty and the individualising of the populace. Its development was associated with several of those processes which have been held to define modernity: the growth of instrumental rationality, the rise of national sentiment and the nation-state, racialized perceptions of identity, the spread of market relations and wage labor, the development of administrative bureaucracies and modern tax systems, the growing sophistication of commerce and communication, the birth of consumer societies, the publication of newspapers and the beginnings of press advertising, â€Å"action at a distance† and an individualist sensibility (Blackburn in Scott (2002:167). A further Marxist analysis might consider the influence that alienated labour has on divisive notions of race (see Manson 2000:20). For Marx, man becomes alienated from his labour in a capitalist society, because he no longer has any control over the products of his labour. He therefore becomes reduced to an atomistic cog in a productive machine, alienated from his work and society. Pseudo-identities can then be formed and people coerced into assuming them to fill in the lack of meaning left by his lack of control over his social production. Furthermore, the crux of Marxist theory rests upon the notion that the ‘class which has the means of material production at its disposal, has control at the same time over the means of mental production, so that, generally speaking, the ideas of those who lack the means of mental production are subject to it’(Marx and Engels 1970:64). This means that it is the ruling economic class, which are the people who control the means of produ ction, that disseminate ideas and values throughout the rest of society. Notions of race are therefore inherently linked with the prevailing ideas of capitalist production and the values and ideas that this produces. Whilst the Marxist analysis does not refute the existence of racism, nor can it deny its powerful and destructive effects, it does suggest that the existence of racial discourse is the product of an underlying one, that of the capitalist economy. Whether this is correct or not, it does at least render problematic the notion that race is a distinct and unique form of identity. This also calls into question whether or not race really is more important than other forms of identity, or whether its existence is part of an underlying form of identity production.

Variola rex smallpox Essay -- Biology Medical Biomedical Smallpox

Variola rex (Smallpox) Smallpox is a virus that was first founded in ancient times. The virus?s proper name is Variola rex, and it has various different forms as well as various symptoms. Among these forms are typical smallpox, hemorrhagic smallpox, and malignant smallpox, all of which usually always cause death in their victims. Some of the typical symptoms of smallpox include red vesicles and pustules all over, bleeding from all orifices of the body, swelling in the face, throat, and eyes, difficulty eating and swallowing, delirium, malaise, deterioration of the bone marrow, lymph nodes and mucus membranes of the body, and a multitude of other secondary symptoms. Smallpox is typically diagnosed by ruling out the possibility of other viruses, which manifest themselves initially in a similar way, such as measles, and chicken pox. There is no known cure for smallpox once it has been contracted, and a majority of its victims die from it. Variola rex is considered to be one of the most contagious infectious diseases know to man. The virus is not bound to one particular race, culture, country, sex or age but can found at almost any location. Over the centuries Variola rex has been associated with a multitude of titles including, La Petite Verole, Blattern, Lesser Pox, and Plague. However, the virus that once possessed these various aliases is now most commonly known as Smallpox. Smallpox is typically diagnosed through the characteristic progression or particular physical as well as internal symptoms. The virus is divided into three groups depending upon initial symptoms, and progression of the infection. These groups include the most common and typical smallpox, which is divided into two, more rare forms of the disease includi... ...er reaches it victims. However to this day there is no known cure for smallpox and once contracted the chances of survival are slim. Works Cited Aufderheide, AC.The Cambridge encyclopedia of human paleopathology Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1998. p. 201-07 Gehlbach, Stephen H. American Plagues: Lessons from our Battles with Disease. New York: Mc Graw Hill Companies, 2005. 26-27. Hopkins, DR. The greatest killer: smallpox in history. Chicago: University of Chicago Press; 2002. p. 13- 317 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. "Smallpox." CNN. 12 Aug. 2005. 30 July 2006 http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00424.html McNeill, WH. Plagues and peoples: a natural history of infectious diseases. New York: Anchor Press/Doubleday ; 1976 Oldstone, MBA. Measles. Viruses, plagues, and history Oxford: Oxford university Press; 1989. p. 73-89

Should This Business Update To Windows 2000 From Windows 98 :: essays research papers

Should this business update to Windows 2000 from Windows 98 for its office PCs?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the business world today, computers and the software applications that run on them basically control an well-organized business. Every major company is equipped with a computer, or network that connects through different branches throughout the firm. To keep up with the fastest technology that dominates the market is to be a sensible buyer. A system can be outdated in a matter of two years time. Therefore, it is necessary for the business to update to Windows 2000 from Windows 98 for its office PCs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Windows 2000 is intended to the business world and others who are running large networks of computers. It has a lot of things going for it, but just because it has some advantages over Windows NT and Windows 98 doesn ¡Ã‚ ¦t mean everyone should try it. My purpose here is not to evaluate the software but to counsel caution before you undertake a major operating systems update. Even though Microsoft did a good job testing thousands of business applications, there are always rough spots in a transition. In fact, Microsoft has dedicated several Web pages to upgrade issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once if you then decide to update, do it when you can devote time to the changeover. If you have multiple machines, make the change in stages running the old operating system during the transition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, the first thing is to determine that Windows 2000 is compatible with your machines. According to Windows 2000 ¡Ã‚ ¦s description,  ¡Ã‚ §you need, at minimum, a PC with a 133-MHz Pentium-compatible CPU, 64 megabytes of RAM and one gigabyte of disk space. It is better with a faster CPU (300 MHz or better) and several gigabytes of disk space. A bit more memory would be nice too. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Therefore, some small businesses would like to upgrade Windows 2000 but they are bound by their hardware. Actually, we can say that Microsoft has done a good job of ensuring that most business applications will work with Windows 2000. But before you take the plunge, be sure all the programs you depend on are compatible with it. Major applications such as accounting, word processing and database software probably will be OK, but some specialized programs, games and multimedia applications may not be compatible.