Uncertain boundaries in Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1736 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/05/18 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Huckleberry Finn Essay Mark Twain Essay Did you like this example? Mark Twain`s novel â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† offers the readers an in depth description about the people that lived along the Mississippi river. The action is set in the XIX century in a Southern antebellum society that is hypocrite when it comes to morality and where things like racism, lies or deception happen daily; that is the reason why the novel is regarded by many literary critics as a satire of the American society. The novel is a sequel to one of Mark Twain’s previous works â€Å"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer†, hence Tom is making an appearance in this books as well.. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Uncertain boundaries in Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" essay for you Create order My main goal when writing this essay is to analyse some of the main themes presented in the book, namely imposture and identity and also distinguish between what is considered fiction and what is reality. As Susan Gillman said â€Å"Imposture and identity, fiction and reality are the real dilemmas of Twain`s America.† (Gillman, page 5) But most importantly, I will try to portray the main character, Huckleberry Finn as this book is also a coming of age story about how he matures and learns how to protect himself and the ones in need and how to distinguish between what society taught him that is good and between what is the actual right thing to do. The story is being told from his perspective. Huckleberry Finn is a thirteen years old boy who made his first appearance is â€Å"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer†. He is a poor orphan boy who is more accustomed to sleeping on the streets or in empty barrels and who is almost never sufficiently fed. He wears cast-off adult clothes and would spend most of his days doing what he wanted. He did not have to go to school or church like other children he did not have any sort of responsibility and that is why he was sort of envied by them because they â€Å"wished they dared to be like him†. (Twain, page 53) He is the son of the town`s drunkard, Pap Finn who is anything but a good father to his son: Yes, hes got a father, but you cant never find him these days. He used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard, but he haint been seen in these parts for a year or more. (Twain, page 9) He constantly abuses and beats him. Given also the fact that his mother is dead is easy to understand why Huck has no clear idea about what a true family is. And this is why his relationship with Miss Watson and Widow Douglas seems a bit strange. At the beginning of the novel, Huckleberry gives the readers a little summary of the events that led him to where he is now. After a series of adventures he and his best friend Tom Sawyer found a pretty big sum of money hid by robbers, which they split between them. Huck is being left with six thousand dollars and is adopted by the widow Douglas and her sister Mary Watson. And this is where the beginning of the action in the novel actually starts. Huckleberry lives with the two sisters who are genuinely kind and want to help get grow up nicely and be an educated boy. But after he has lived all of his life more on the streets he actually feels constrained. They want him to wear nice clothes, to go to school and learn well, to stop smoking often threatening that is he does not obey the rules of the society and those of God he will be punished and go to hell. So, Huck has a long list of rules he has to follow such as: â€Å"Dont put your feet up there, Huckleberry†; and â€Å"Dont scrunch up like that, Huckleberry—set up straight†; and pretty soon she would say, â€Å"Dont gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry—why dont you try to behave?† (Twain, page 4) All of this was a lot for him to bear, so when the pressure on him was too much he would run away and sleep on the streets. But Widow Douglas cared for him as if he was her own son so she always managed to convince him to come back. Just when Huck was getting used to his new life his father comes back to town and kidnaps him. One day he decides to finally escape and fakes his death. Huckleberry`s desire for freedom is most prominent in this part of the novel. He has had enough of people trying to shape his life and wants a life of his own. On an island he meets Jim, a slave that run away from Miss Watson because she wanted to sell him and that would have meant for him to be separated from his family and go to South where slave’s lives was much worse. He asks Huckleberry to help him and this is the major point where his real dilemmas start to show up. As Harold Bloom and Leslie A. Fiedler said â€Å"The moral crisis of the book is created by the constant disjunction in the mind of Huckleberry Finn between what he thinks he ought to do, and what he is aware that he must do†. (Bloom and Fiedler 25-39) He doesn`t know if he should help Jim or return him to Miss Watson. He doesn`t know in the first place if it is a good idea to help Jim, or if he is being disloyal to Miss Watson since Jim is her „property†. Miss Watson`s action portray perfectly the hypocrisy of the society. She is always talking about following God`s words, yet she`s a slave owner. In the end Huck listens to his reason and takes the right decision to save him.†-I said I wouldn`t and I`ll stick to it. Honest injun I will. People would call me a low down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum- but that don`t make no difference. I ain`t agoing to tell, and I ain`t agoing back there anyways. So now, le`s know all about it.† (Twain, page 38) What leads Huck to question the morality of the society he lives in is not only the fact that this society failed to protect him from all the abuse he suffered, hence he saw himself as an outcast. So, this society is not only corrupted, but also deeply hypocrite and abusive. Huck tells lots of lies in the book, but most of the time he either does it to protect himself or the others like that one time when he lied some slave hunters in order to protect Jim. But still, it is interesting to see that Huck finds comfort in lying, as if telling the truth would attract something negative. One thing that should be taken into consideration is that Huck`s lies are lots of time related to having a family, hence we can conclude that a part of him wants to have a normal life and a loving family. „I says to myself, I reckon a body that ups and tells the truth when he is in a tight place is taking considerable many resks, though I ain’t had no experience, and can’t say for certain; but it looks so to me, anyway; and yet here’s a case where I’m blest if it don’t look to me like the truth is better and actuly safer than a lie.† (Twain, page 157) Another character who lies for a good cause is Jim. Knowing that the shot man in the cabin was Huckleberry`s father, he chooses to lie and tell him that it is a person they do not know. His motivation is that Huck would most probably suffer even if he did not get on well with Pap Finn. The King and the Duke are two otherwise unnamed con artists whom Huck and Jim encounter on their trip. They pose as the long-lost Duke of Bridgewater and the long-dead Louis XVII of France; Huck quickly comes to recognize them for what they are, but pretends to accept their claims to avoid conflict. Their lies opposed to those of Huck because they life in order to deceive naà ¯ve people and steal their money. In fact Huckleberry and Jim first encounter them while they are being chased by an angry group of people whom they tricked. Moreover, when the Duck and the King first meet they actually try to con each other, but when they realise it they end up becoming a team: â€Å"Old man†, said the young one, â€Å"I reckon we might double-team it together; what do you think?† (Twain, page 105) On its surface, the subject of the novel is just a story about a boy and a runaway slave floating down the Mississippi River trying to escape from an oppressive system. However, we can sense that both Huck and Jim share a deep desire for freedom, from the oppression they’re constantly subjected to. Both Jim the slave and Huck, the orphan are prototypes for two categories of people who in the course of history of America have always suffered. There is an interesting thing regarding what is fiction in the novel. For. Huck`s character was based on one of Mark Twain`s childhood friends named Tom Blankenship, whose father, Woodson Blankenship, was a poor alcoholic and abusive man and most likely the model for Huck`s dad, Pap Finn. â€Å"In Huckleberry Finn I have drawn Tom Blankenship exactly as he was,† he wrote in his Autobiography. â€Å"He was ignorant, unwashed, insufficiently fed; but he had as good a heart as ever any boy had. In the end Huckleberry decides he had enough of people to „sivilize† him and wants to become the master of his own destiny so he refuses to either come back to Miss Watson or to live with uncle Silas, but prefers to travel to a territory unknown to him, fully aware that this is dangerous, but he had matured enough and he learnt a lot of valuable lessons about life, friendship and honour and he gained experience that will help him protect himself so he does not need others to it for him anymore. Huckleberry Finn`s desire for freedom was too strong and no social norm could keep him away from it.

India s Health Issues Of India - 1259 Words

India is a country in South Asia, and has astonishing assortment of faiths, dialects, and values that are exceptional and incomparable. Traditionally assorted and intricate, with rustic, and agricultural population, India has become a major manufacturing country that has experienced positive progress. Despite the manufacturing success, India still faces major health issues. Some of the country’s primary health problems are malaria, malnutrition/over nutrition, and cardiovascular disease. These health concerns come from poor sanitation and fresh water in different locations in India, without the proper sanitation and preventive measures there will always be health issues among the country’s people. Before we get into our topics, let’s touch briefly on the overall healthcare of India. The Indian healthcare structure contains public and private hospitals (Parikh Monhandas, 2008). All major cities have private hospitals that provide exceptional patient care. Low-inc ome parts of India struggle to obtain the necessary healthcare and insurance. These families face challenges with affordability, accessibility, and value of treatment if seen by a local hospital. Without the proper preventions heath issues will ascend, and lead to high morbidity rates, eventually becoming an epidemic making it harder to regulate. Development, socio-economic growth, urbanization, shifting age construction, and lifestyles have positioned India where it is dealing with a rising problem withShow MoreRelatedSolutions and strategy to overcome challenges in development of India990 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Issues and Challenges in Development of India India as a Nation faces most of the issues this modern world has faced. It has the issues of the developed nations like the USA and other European countries and at the same time problems faced by the developing and underdeveloped countries in Africa and Asian continent. 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Impact Of ICT On Travel Agency Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Impact Of ICT On Travel Agency. Answer: Usage and value of information and communication technology on travel agency: Synopsis: The continuous evolution of the field of ICT or information and communication technology has a considerable effect on the service industry of travel agency. The huge public usage of the Internet has generated various conditions that are game changers. This has been both in detrimental and beneficial ways for the current travel agency. Due to this, various travel agencies of this century have needed to make substantial adaptations for remaining relevant and solvent. Critique: According to Law, Buhalis and Cobanoglu (2014) the computers have been the essential part of todays business of travel agency due to their broad adoption. Due to this the information age has brought notable new benefits. The information could be stored faster than previously. It can be argued that the organization of data helps the agencies for running more effectively restricting the productivity losses because of input time and the other monotonous tasks. The enhanced communication technology has highly broadened the methods where the travel agency could communicate with the customers along with the customers and the partner services and business connections. Law et al., (2015) stated that the internet connections with high speed have been allowing the text, voice and video communications almost instantly around the globe. This has been done many times at considerably lesser cost than the conventional methods like the long-distance telephony could offer. This has been allowing the coordination and booking that could have taken about few hours or days processed almost immediately highly decreasing the lost productivity and the wait times. Another important effect on the travel agency is the growth of online booking. The customers seeking to book any trip do not need to visit the agency. They could go online to various companies for booking an entire trip. Besides the pressure from the companies and the third parties selling products over their individual websites, the business of travel has not expired or in danger to die as researched by Krcher (2013). Various agencies have been changing their focus over online services from the conventional services like hotel bookings and airlines. This is done while maintaining few physical stores where the business has been sufficient for doing. Since the travel agencies have been primarily the information brokerages connecting clients with the services, the commissions have been the essential basis of the income of the agency (Benckendorff, Sheldon Fesenmaier, 2014). It seems as though various agencies witnessed sharp decline of income from the in-person sales. Reflection: It is evident from the above studies that though the adopting of new technologies have subjected travel industry to rising pains, the industry has been still sound. The main focus of most of the agencies is directed towards online sales permitting customers the scope for booking their trips. This has been without any constraints of office hours or the head-ache regarding own schedules. The conventional travel agency would see more evolution as the technology advances. However, as long as the demand about packaged travel exists, there should be space for travel agencies in both online and offline. References: Benckendorff, P. J., Sheldon, P. J., Fesenmaier, D. R. (2014).Tourism information technology. Cabi. Krcher, K. (2013).Reinventing the Package Holiday Business: New information and communication technologies. Springer-Verlag. Law, R., Buhalis, D., Cobanoglu, C. (2014). Progress on information and communication technologies in hospitality and tourism.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,26(5), 727-750. Law, R., Leung, R., Lo, A., Leung, D., Fong, L. H. N. (2015). Distribution channel in hospitality and tourism: Revisiting disintermediation from the perspectives of hotels and travel agencies.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,27(3), 431-452.

What is Web 2.0

WHAT IS WEB 2.0? I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve been a little behind the curve when it comes to the whole dotcom thing. I wasn’t the first on the facebook bandwagon, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the concept of digg and others like it. But with the emergence of more and more blogs, wikis, and social networks, it’s impossible to escape this new Web 2.0 society. But what, exactly, is Web 2.0? Some argue that it’s a marketing buzzword coined by the industry while others disagree. Tim O’Reilly, founder of O’Reilly Media and the man attributed with coining the term Web 2.0, describes it as â€Å"the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and the attempt to understand the rules for success on that platform.† In layman’s terms, Web 2.0 encourages users to collaborate creatively and share everything from ideas to information. It’s not actually that the technology of the web has changed; rather we are learning to use it in a more social and mutually beneficial way. That’s why blogs run rampant on the web, and if you’re not involved in some sort of online social network, you obviously live in the Stone Age. Terms like search engine optimizing, tagging, wikis, and the like are important to know in order to grasp a full understanding of the new and improved World Wide Web. Familiarizing yourself with these terms will help you use the web to your full advantage whether your goal is to generate more hits to your website or simply blog your heart out. For a full explanation of Tim O’Reilly’s take on Web 2.0, click here.

Internet regulation, Government Intervention of the Internet

Internet regulation, Government Intervention of the Internet During the past decade, our society has become based solely on the ability to move large amounts of information across large distances quickly. Computerization has influenced everyone's life. The natural evolution of computers and this need for ultra-fast communications has caused a global network of interconnected computers to develop. This global net allows a person to send E-mail across the world in mere fractions of a second, and enables even the common person to access information world-wide. With advances such as software that allows users with a sound card to use the Internet as a carrier for long distance voice calls and video conferencing, this network is key to the future of the knowledge society. At present, this net is the epitome of the first amendment: free speech. It is a place where people can speaktheir mind without being reprimanded for what they say, or how they choose to say it.American Civil Liberties UnionThe key to the world-wide success of the Internet is its protection of free speech, not only in America, but in other countries where free speech is not protected by a constitution. To be found on the Internet is a huge collection of obscene graphics, Anarchists' cookbooks and countless other things that offend some people. With over 30 million Internet users in the U.S. alone (only 3 million of which surf the net from home), everything is bound to offend someone. The newest wave of laws floating through law making bodies around the world threatens to stifle this area of spontaneity. Recently, Congress has been considering passing laws that will make it a crime punishable by jail to send 'vulgar' language over the net, and to export encryption software. No matter how small, any attempt at government intervention in the Internet will stifle the greatest communication innovation of...

Working Bibliography Essay Example

Working Bibliography Essay Example Working Bibliography Essay Working Bibliography Essay Bering, Jesse. Intoxicating Studies: The Effects of Alcohol on Social Behavior. Scientific American 10 Apr. 2009. 28 July 2009 scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=intoxicating-studies. DeWit, David J., et al. Age at First Alcohol Use: A Risk Factor for the Development of Alcohol Disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry 157 ( May 2000 ) : 745-750. Hawkins, David, et al. Exploring the Effects of Age of Alcohol Use Initiation and Psychological Risk Factors on Subsequent Alcohol Misuse. J STud Alcohol 58 1997 May): 280-290. Perlez, J. Teenage drink and the responsibility in social life: Attributing change in the society. Longman publishers,   2003. (2) 22-27. Ramathi, R. Drinking Age of 21: Understanding the rationale behind teenage drinking. Pretoria: Longhorn publishers. 2003, 2: 75-77. Streeter, Ruth. The Debate on Lowering the Drinking Age. CBS News. (22 Feb. 2009). 28 July 2009 cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/19/60minutes/main4813571.shtml. West Virginia University. Short-term Effects of Alcohol. www.hsc.wvu.edu. West Virginia University. 28 July 2009 hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/alcohol/home-fr.htm Worman, Howard J. Alcoholic Liver Disease. www.cumc.columbia.edu. 1998. Columbia University Medical Center. 28 July 2009 cumc.columbia.edu/dept/gi/alcohol.html Annotations Streeter, Ruth. The Debate on Lowering the Drinking Age. CBS News. (22 Feb. 2009). 28 July 2009 cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/19/60minutes/main4813571.shtml. This source is credible and is available to many. It is discussing an issue that has already caused a lot of debate in the public arena. The paper quotes experts who believe that the drinking age should be lowered to 18 years as the age limit of 21.   This experts include John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont, who started a movement entitled –Choose Responsibility, to lowering the age back to 1 8. 2. Ramathi, R. Drinking Age of 21: Understanding the rationale behind teenage drinking. Pretoria: Longhorn publishers. 2003, 2: 75-77. The source is credible as the writer deals with the drinking age of 21. The 18-year-old mind already developed to the level of an adult thus they would tend to keep in mind the pro’s and con’s of alcohol as they tend to know the consequences of defying all the rules and regulations thus if legalized harm is not bound to happen as many deaths usually caused through drunk riving or injuries caused by violence may tend not to occur as they are well aware of the consequences. Thesis Legal Drinking Age Should be lowered to 18

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

Management - Essay Example The way in which this change was planned and implemented resembled the approaches to organizational change set out by Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy in their book, Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience. The first step was the initiation and the planning stage where the change was considered important as well as setting out of various goals and identifying the necessary resources that will help in meeting the set out goals. The second stage was the momentum stage where the resources were directed together with the use of the experienced individuals in the organization who directed the change. The new values were developed together with attitudes and conduct of various stakeholders through internalization. This stage also involved education of the members of staff to integrate the new changes in the system, while other major changes involved the reshuffling of jobs and duties to enable the smooth running of the organization. The final stage in the change process entailed the sta bilizing of the change through the change in the organization’s culture and norms. ... The leaders were able to deal with various complexities that arose in the process of bringing change. These leaders incorporated the help of other stakeholders in formulating policies and clear visions and through this commitment were obtained. Every stakeholder was involved through co-creation, delegation and empowerment and the leaders were able to express their trust in the abilities of their employees and dealt with them with compassion and laid emphasis on the need for continued learning in order to improve the understanding of the new system thus creating efficiency (Hughes, Ginnett & Curphy, 2009). The change process within the institution coincided with Kotter’s eight step process for implementing change within an organization. The institution was able to ascertain a sense of urgency that required the initiation of change. The leaders realized that the introduction of ICT in the organization would improve the efficiency and the overall output thus there was urgency in implementing change thus this prompted the leaders to identify individuals with the right skills in the ICT sector to help in effecting the change needed. The leaders were able to develop the vision together with the strategy that would help the stakeholders in committing themselves towards the achievement of the specified goal. A new channel through which information would be passed to the right people was created and various barriers were eliminated through the empowerment process as well as rewarding people who contributed to the change. This strategy of rewarding people acted as the motivating factor and prompted people to work harder. As the rewarding of people took

Marketing intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marketing intelligence - Essay Example More and more consumers are shifting their buying patterns and are aligning them with the ethical consumption which caters for the requirements of environment. (Joergens, 2006) As consumers are becoming more ethical in nature, they expect the firms which they deal with to act ethically, too. Showing concern for environment and protecting it are also important ethical issues. (Bezencon and Blili, 2010) New and renewed concern for the environment is translating itself into unique consumer buying decisions. There is a growing trend where consumers also tend to prefer to do their weddings in a manner which supports the environment. The overall market of green weddings is on the rise, as people are showing more concern for the environment and are willing to act as eco-friendly stakeholders. (Grant, 2008) The existing location Manor house and its overall proximity with the nature can really prepare it to cater to the needs of customers who need green weddings. However, in order to know whe ther consumers will be willing to do business with us and utilize our green wedding facilities, it is important to perform a system marketing research and review to understand the trends. ... In order to particularly cater to the needs of customers looking for eco-friendly places to perform their weddings, it is critical to develop cross-selling opportunities so that consumers can get a complete shopping experience. (Askegaard and Bengtsson, 2005) In order to understand the dynamics of the market and to understand consumers’ buying behavior, it is important to perform a market research. In order to develop a comprehensive marketing plan, it is important to perform external and internal analysis of the environment in which this proposed business will operate. External Analysis Political Environment Political environment in UK is stable, with government being supportive of establishing free enterprises. Laws are being made in a manner which is supportive of the firms, with little or no interference from state into the affairs of the firms. There may be no risks of political destabilization which can actually result into significant threats and risks for business. Eco nomic Environment The economy of the UK is experiencing economic downturn and is not experiencing the required level of economic growth. Low economic growth and the depressed future outlook, therefore, are adversely affecting the consumer confidence. Low consumer confidence may result into low consumer buying activity and hence can reduce the demand for new services and products. Consumers prefer to save rather than spend, causing suppression in consumer spending and demand. Social Factors As discussed above, trends are suggesting that society as a whole prefers to conserve the environment and give more credibility to the firms which enhance the environment and protect it. Consumers are becoming more aware of

Why Did the United States Enter World War One Essay Example for Free

Why Did the United States Enter World War One Essay The industrial era had many effects, not the least of which was plunging the world into world war. One must consider the relationship between eras and events as a student of history. The industrial era created a perceived need in America for raw materials and markets for goods. The United States was not alone in this desire for expansion. All the industrial nations were in open competition to develop vast empires that would provide them with the fuel to run the factories of industrialism. This imperialist competition led to tension and the creation of vast armies. The willingness to use these armies was known as militarism. In order to feel safe (there was a pretty fair degree of paranoia as you can imagine) nations began to sign secret treaties formingalliances and Europe was divided into an armed camp. Tension was high, the subjugation (taking over) of other nations led to feelings of nationalism that would eventually light the spark that would explode Europe into the flames of conflict. The causes of World War One as discussed above can be summarized by the following acronym as a mnemonic device: A- Alliance: European nations signed secret treaties that created a system of alliances pitting nation versus nation. N Nationalism: There were intense feelings of nationalism on the part of subjugated nationalities. These feelings would eventually lead to rash acts. I Imperialism: Competition to develop vast empires caused tension and conflict. M Militarism: Nations built huge armies to defend themselves and help to gain these empires. It was a natural feeling for them to want to use these militaries. A Anarchy: There was no international organization to help them deal with their problems. L Leadership: It was poor. Just look at the system they set upquite poor indeed. These were the conditions facing Europe as a crisis emerged in the Balkans. The Archduke of Austria Hungary, a traditional power, was touring the nation of Serbia. Meanwhile Bosnian nationalists desiring freedom from Serbia plotted to assassinate the Archduke. Gabriel Principe, a member of the Black Hand, the aforementioned Bosnian nationalist group, shot and killed Franz Ferdinand on June 28th 1914. Austria Hungary blamed the Serbian government for the assassination of the  Archduke and issued an ultimatum (demands). The Serbians agreed to all but two of the demands, one of which was the placement of Austro Hungarian troops within Serbia. The Serbians appealed to Russia for support and Russia as the protector of the Slavs agreed to support Serbia. Meanwhile the Austro Hungarians still wanting revenge and fearing Russia secured the support of their traditional ally, Germany. In a famous decision Germany issued what has become know as Carte Blanche, of blank check, to Austria Hungary. This unqualified military support from Germany made Austria Hungary rather confident that Russia would not attack. At this point the Austro Hungarians declared war on Serbia. In response to the declaration of war Russia mobilized her military forces. Perhaps it was a bit of saber rattling, perhaps not. Regardless Germany demanded Russia demobilize its army. When Russia refused Germany attacked Russia. The effect of the war on the Russian front were devastating. The Russians were ill prepared for war and lost millions of men. In the end the Czars refusal to exit the war cost him his throne as the Bolsheviks (Communists) revolted in 1917 overthrowing Czar Nicholas II. When the Russians were attacked by Germany, France was obligated to declare war on Germany as a result of a treaty she had signed with Russia. The Germans attacked France by marching through Belgium. The Belgians who did not give Germany permission to do this now were in a state of war with Germany as well. The most important byproduct of this was the fact that England had a treaty with Belgium! Now England was obligated to declare war on Germany as well. Italy, which had a treaty with Germany switched sides so that she might gain territory from Austria Hungary (A gamble that more or less worked) and the Ottoman Empire entered the war on behalf to the Austro Hungarians (they wanted to gain territory from the Russians and gain control in the Balkan region). Now most of Europe was engulfed in war. In the end the Triple Entente (England, France and Russia later to be joined by Italy, the United States and Japan) defeated the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria Hungary and the Ottoman Empire). The conflict which was long and bloody was marked by trench warfare and the use of chemical weapons. It was fought mostly in French territory. At the conclusion of  hostilities Germany was still in French territory but it was relatively clear that the combined industrial might of the Triple Entente would prevail. In actuality the influence of the United States is questionable. Germany hoped to negotiate a favorable treaty but as we shall see this was not to be the case. The Treaty of Versailles was signed ending the war and blaming Germany for the entire conflict. This blame and the consequent punishment set the stage for years of resentment and another world war, something American President Woodrow Wilson had hoped to avoid. So, what did all this have to do with America and why did we enter World War One? Most Americans favored staying out of the conflict and President Wilson publicly and formally stated that the United States would follow a policy of neutrality. In three short years, however, the United States would find itself in the middle of what later became known as the first World War. As the war in Europe raged on America sympathies were clearly on the side of the allies. American propaganda posters urged citizens to buy war bonds and support the allies. The Kaiser and Germans were painted as the aggressors in the war. True or not Americans came to see Germany as vicious and blood thirsty. The poster below was used by the US Army in 1917 to recruit soldiers. Notice how the Germans are pictured? This is a clear example of anti German propaganda. When the war began England enforced a naval blockade of Germany in the hopes of cutting off supplies. Germany responded by unleashing the U Boats. U Boats were submarines capable of staying submerged for long periods of time. They would sneak up upon their victims, often at night, an torpedo them. The Germans did not limit their attacks to military vessels. Any ship sailing in the war zone was considered an enemy. This became known as unrestricted submarine warfare. On May 7th 1915 the British cruise ship Lusitania was sunk off the coast of England. Over 1,198 passengers including 128 Americans were killed. America was furious at the brutality and demanded a stop to this type of attack. In 1916, after the sinking of the passenger liner Sussex, Germany agreed to end unrestricted submarine warfare in the Sussex pledge. The Sussex pledge only put off the inevitable American entry into the war. America shared acultural bond with England and France. Woodrow Wilson began to actively campaign for Americans to support the allies. Besides being culturally similar England and France  were our trade partners. From 1914 to 1916 trade with the Allies grew from 825 million dollars to 3.2 billion dollars. If the Allies were to lose the war our trade would be threatened. American increasingly saw Germany as the enemy. Germany was a dictatorship fighting against the great democracies of the world and America as a democratic nation felt an obligation to support them. As America became increasingly less neutral, the British government intercepted a message from the German ambassador Zimmerman to the Mexican government. This message termed the Zimmerman Note asked Mexico to attack the United States if war broke out between the U.S. and Germany. The note was turned over to American government a short time later and eventually published in the newspapers. Americans were outraged. Then the Kaiser announced that Germany was going to re initiate the practice of unrestricted submarine warfare violating the Sussex Pledge. Wilson had campaigned for office promising to protect freedom of the seas and now it seemed he had little choice. He had to ask Congress to declare war. Many Americans still wanted to stay out of Europes war and there was much debate in Congress. Wilson closed his speech to Congress by saying it is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war But the right is more precious then peace and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried in our hearts. On April 6, 1917, by a vote of 82 to 6 in the Senate and 373 to 50 in the House of Representatives, the United States of America declared war on Germany. Wilson strongly believed that the American system would save the world, meaning: 1. American economic goods 2. Americas democratic political structure 3. Americas blend of morality and Christianity Wilson stated: When properly directed, there are no people in the world not fitted for self-government. Note the caveat, when properly directed. Wilson saw the U.S. as the rightful and natural director. He was determined to provide that direction in a framework where morality, democracy and economics were closely related. Wilson believed that other nations of the world had to look to the U.S. as an example, at the same time America was dependent on the rest of the world, mostly for economic markets. The world market must act as the new frontier for the American system. Wilson was determined to direct the affairs of other nations so that they could eventually achieve self-government, as long as this government was based on the American model, and he was even more willing to intervene in other countries than Roosevelt. For instance, he sent U.S. troops to Mexico to intervene in their civil war (1913-1917). When World War I broke out in Europe in 1914, Wilson tried to keep the U.S. neutral, but Germany repeatedly violated Americas neutral status. When America finally entered the war in 1917 it was because, as Wilson stated, The world must be made safe for democracy.

The Differences Between Face-to-Face and Virtual Teams Essay -- Aberde

The Differences Between Face-to-Face and Virtual Teams What are the primary differences between face-to-face and virtual teams? Can the Aberdeen model be implemented in organizations that rely heavily on virtual teams? Why or why not? The main objective is to verify if face to face model can be implemented into a company that has already been using a virtual model. Teams can be made in different way and dealt in different ways. There are two important models now in days, a face to face and a virtual model. Virtual model teams are members that communicate and interact with each other by computer system, hardware, software and other communication links, in other words electronically. By using new technology they can research and achieve their goals. Each team member will have to have a groupware program to manage information. These systems will benefit the company and their employees like being able to work from anywhere at anytime and reduce expenses associated with traveling, parking, lodging, and the probability to reduce the lease of a building; they also can form an alliance with different organizations in the country or outside the country. Edward Prewitt reports that a research was made by two academics and consultants, they divide a group into two: one group is face to face team and the other is virtual team. The research states that virtual is becoming the best way to communicate with others if you have the right communication tools to do so. Members of ...

Mcdonalds vs Kentucky Fried Chicken Essay

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and McDonalds, which one do you prefer? Actually, they both serve delicious fast food. McDonalds focuses primarily on hamburgers and fried chicken but KFC does wraps, salads or sometimes pies and kebabs. they are hazards to health. In the Middle East they sell halal food. McDonalds and KFC have similar types of food, popularity and history. McDonalds and KFC both are global fast food chains but they have a really different history. Harland Sandors known as Colonel Sanders founded KFC. Ray Kroc created McDonalds However, McDonalds logo is smiling clown where’s KFC logo is the founder of KFC. McDonalds and KFC both serve fast food. McDonalds most common items are hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, fries, salads, and shakes they also serve breakfast items and children’s meals. however, KFC chicken are crunchy and it is delicious. The chicken comes in original and spicy flavor. McDonalds burgers it consist of the Big Mac, Chicken Burger, double Beef burger and others. Both KFC and McDonalds are international companies. they are worldwide and have their own market. As you can see McDonalds and KFC are obviously really popular Still McDonalds operate their businesses for 24 hours for local consumers. As KFC doesn’t yet KFC and McDonalds had been broadcasted through television, newspapers and magazines. However, McDonalds and KFC actually have many similarities like their polite attitude and their extremely fast food. Be it McDonalds or KFC, you will surely have a great meal. But they both are hazardous to health. The ministry of health had been experimenting both McDonalds and KFC and they discovered that they discovered that they have a lot of oil and fats in it, so people have been debating about it the fats and oil that are in both the restaurant. Besides I prefer McDonalds because there is more choice on the menu, and its better value than KFC. McDonalds is cheaper than KFC and McDonalds tastes much better than KFC and some people have other opinion about that.

Non-Hodgins Lymphoma with Case Study Example

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphocytes the white blood cells. The lymphocytes and lymph system are essential in our body’s immune protection. It is an abnormal growth rate of these cells. Since lymph is found throughout the body it is easily spread from one area to another. In 2008 there were over 66,000 new cases and just over 19,000 deaths from it (cancer. gov). It is categorized as slow growing or fast growing, as well as if it starts in the T-cells or the B-cells. Lymphomas from B cells are most common in the United States. The lymphoma can develop in any of the lymph tissues, and discovery of which kind of lymphoma determines the treatment options (cancer. org). Causes Although there are no definite causes to Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma there have cases where it has been linked to persons with another ailment. Autoimmune diseases like RA and SLE have been linked to NHL. Exposures to chemicals such as benzene and treatments in chemotherapy have been seen in trends to cause NHL. People who are immunocompromised like HIV patients and those that are on immunosuppressant from transplants are also at risk for Lymphomas. Also, people having excessive exposure to large amounts of radiation, like cancer treatments have an increased risk of developing this lymphoma. NHL is mostly seen in the older community so age is also a risk factor. Also chronic diseases may increase the chances of getting a lymphoma due to the increased risk of mutations from constantly producing new lymph cells. Some patients can be born with a disease that can lead to NHL due to a defect in their DNA. It is not likely that they can pass on the NHL to their offspring if they don’t have the underlying disease. Most often it develops independently. Discovery Lumps in the skin and lymph nodes can be discovered by the patient, their partner or doctor. Where the lump is located can also give extra symptoms. For instance, if it is found near the skin there would be a swelling in the surrounding tissue. If it’s in the abdomen it can cause severe pain and possible digestive problems. If the lymphoma is on the skin t can cause an itchy patch. If it is in the chest cavity it can cause trouble breathing. Case Study: Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Shannon Z is an active 58 yr old female. In her early twenties she had undergone chemotherapy and radiation for her treatment of breast cancer. When she noticed the lump in her neck she immediately went to see her doctor. The doctor ordered some blood tests and a biopsy of the lump. Her doctor wasn’t very concerned because fighting an infection can also cause enlarged nodes in the neck. She ordered the tests anyway because of the patient’s medical history. Along with the lump, she experienced drenching night sweats which are another symptom of NHL but she thought it was a side effect of menopause. Other signs to look for would be persistent fevers and a sudden loss of weight, usually 10 % body weight or more. An incisional biopsy is a surgical technique used to obtain a sample of the node for observation. This was used because the enlarged node was close to the skin surface. There are other biopsies available. Fine needle biopsies can also be used but often don’t provide enough sample to determine if its lymphoma or not but does not require surgery. Lumbar punctures look for lymphoma in the CNS. Bone marrow aspiration looks for the cancer inside the bone and bone marrow by removing pieces of the bone and/or marrow. Laboratory tests All samples must be diagnosed be a trained pathologist with experience in lymphomas. The most important test would be those differentiating if the patient has a cancer, then T cell lymphoma from the B cell lymphoma. If a concrete diagnosis can’t be made from looking at the cells then other methods must be used. Methods like Immunocytochemistry involve using fluorescent tags on the surface of the cells can differentiate the different lymphomas from each other and non cancerous diseases. Flow cytometry uses antibody tagging and laser beams to cause the cells to emit light if they have the antigen. This is important because different NHL’s have specific antigens. Discovery of the type of NHL helps determine the treatment route. Blood tests cannot determine a lymphoma but they do show significance of the rate of growth of the lymphoma. CT scans and MRIs provide the doctors with images of the size of the actual lymph nodes and how many growths there are through the body. Prognosis There are two staging systems for NHL. The most common is the Ann Arbor system. It uses 1-4 to stage the severity of the disease. Stage 1 has lymphoma in one area in the lymph system and one outside the system (organ). A lymphoma is considered stage 2 if it is found exclusively in 2 areas above or 2 areas below the diaphragm and organs in close proximity to lymph. Stage 3 occurs when it is found on both sides of the diaphragm and other organs near lymph. Stage 4 is when lymphoma reaches the bone marrow, CSF, or an organ not next to a lymph source. This system is used in conjunction with the International Prognosis Index. The IPI uses the age of the patient, stage of the cancer, patient everyday performance status, location of the tumors, and levels of LDH (increases as the lymphoma spreads) Good Prognostic FactorsPoor Prognostic Factors Age 60 or belowAge above 60 Stage I or IIStage III or IV No lymphoma outside of lymph nodes, or lymphoma in only 1 area outside of lymph nodesLymphoma present in more than 1 organ of the body outside of lymph nodes PS: Able to function normallyPS: Needs a lot of help with daily activities Serum LDH is normalSerum LDH is elevated (Chart provided from www. cancer. org) Treatment Chemotherapy is often used in conjunction with radiation for low levels, or with medications like Rituxan or Zavalin. Rituxan is an antibody that targets the cancerous cells. Zavalin is an antibody with a radioactive component. The antibody attaches itself and the radioactive isotope destroys the cell. These drugs are used for the more persistent lymphomas because chemo and radiation have been proven very effective against the lymphoma. Stem cell transplantation is also another option. Once diagnosed, patients are requested to have frequent physicals and blood tests to track the growth of the cancer. Resources http://www. oncologychannel. com/nonhodgkins/diagnosis. shtml http://www. cancer. org http://www. cancer. com http://www. mayoclinic. org

WATCH How working harder not smarter can jump start your start-up

WATCH How working harder not smarter can jump start your start-up Nationally acclaimed chocolatier and Forbes â€Å"30 under 30†Ã‚   entrepreneur Alex Clark sat down with Daily Fuel at her Bon Bon Bon production facility and described how one of her â€Å"awful tendencies† has actually played a prominent role in the success of her business. Listen to Alex describe how at times our perceived deficiencies can actually be our most beneficial attributes.

Give up willpower this year - Emphasis

Give up willpower this year Give up willpower this year At this time of year, our thoughts inevitably turn to fresh starts and making resolutions for better ways to live and work. If youve pledged to give up cake or make the gym your second home, youre certainly in good company. My friend Philippa is one of many who have declared this Dry January (which I confidently predict will be followed by Wet February – you heard it here first). Or maybe youve decided its your working habits that need to shape up, that this is the year you wont leave writing up reports, emails and proposals to the last minute anymore. Its an issue many of us struggle with, and some to a very dramatic extent. I recently read of a man who always left writing reports until the night before they were due. Well, he did that until he discovered that he could get up at 4am on the actual day he had to submit them and write them then. Clearly, thats no way to live. And definitely not a great route to writing great reports. Being unsure of where to begin your document can lead to a lot of wasted time and (if were honest) procrastination. Too often, we dont start to write until the fear of writing something imperfect gets displaced by the fear of not writing anything at all. Of course, lots of people put off starting that crucial document or critical email for much longer than they might like to admit. The fear factor The trouble is that willpower sometimes just wont cut it. If your brain perceives something to be a threat (the prospect of failure), it will do all it can to avoid that threat until a bigger one (the consequences of not writing anything at all) comes along. Believe me, your willpower is not much of a match for millions of years of evolution. The way to get round this is to trick your brain by still avoiding the threat while doing something that actually moves you closer to finishing. So if writing is the problem, dont write. Plan instead. The art of getting started Most painters sketch out the general outlines of their pictures before putting paint to canvas. This gets all the elements in the right place and then naturally leads them into the act of painting itself. When you take time to plan, you do the same thing with your writing. In fact, planning is doubly useful. Not only does it overcome procrastination, it separates your writing and thinking processes. And that separation will produce much better results. Too many people use the writing process to work out what they think. This is actually dangerous. First, its likely to result in quite a disordered document or email. Second, it fools you into believing that what youve written is logical. More likely is that what youve written is the record of what could be a jumbled thought process – a record that you then inflict on the reader. Map it out There are many ways to plan. Lists are better than nothing. Mind maps are much better, as they are non-linear: they allow you to make connections between ideas that may not have initially occurred to you. But, however you plan, try not to do it on-screen: this will make it difficult to get the necessary perspective. And let’s not forget, your computer is also where all the tempting distractions of the internet lurk. So, instead, use a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. (Yes, paper.) And switch off – or even step away from – your screen if it helps. Since you’re unlikely to beat evolution, you may as well work with it to get the results you want. As well as have the occasional lie-in. Image credit: alphaspirit / Shutterstock

Fake Brands Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fake Brands - Case Study Example As promulgated in different copyright laws in various countries, intellectual property rights ought to be observed. In terms of the right to produce and distribute certain products, only firms with patents have the right to do so (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010). Essentially, the aim of each business is to make profits and the interests of different businesses can only be protected by different copyright and intellectual property laws that are designed to protect the interests of individual companies. These laws help to prevent other unscrupulous people from reaping profits where they did not sow in the first place. The sale of counterfeit products is regarded as a form of high degree fraud and also classified as a serious offence. Luxury brands are in most cases the victims of counterfeit trade mainly as a result of the fact that they have premium prices that are beyond the reach of many people. In most cases, counterfeit trade is intentional but it has spiral impacts on the original producers of goods that are imitated. The companies will end up failing to realise their envisaged profits as a result of the fact that the consumers will prefer to buy affordable copycats at the expense of the producers of original brands. On the other hand, unsuspecting consumers can also be defrauded since they are hoodwinked into believing that they are buying original brands only to realise that they are fake when they have been delivered. Counterfeit trade is a problem of serious concern across the whole globe. According to The Gurdian (28 April, 2014), â€Å"A specialist police unit has shut down more than 2,500 websites selling counterfeit goods believed to be worth tens of millions of pounds.† This shows the extent to which this problem is a serious cause of concern in different parts of the globe. Trade of counterfeit goods is a bad product though some people may justify it

International Political Economy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Political Economy - Assignment Example The labor product in this case was alien from the producers themselves (Mandel and Marx 69-72). The introduction of capitalist system opened trade to global world with the employment of huge masses of people to work in industries. However capitalist still remains exploitation of the workers by the ruling class the wealth produced by the workers is of benefit to the ruling class. Working in industries has exposed workers to poor working conditions. With the increase in market competition the workers who are viewed as commodities are turned to work under strict rules. This has had an adverse effect to human beings who in turn are subjected to harmful chemicals in the industries, which may lead to contraction of diseases (Scott 71-75). It is impossible to prevent some circumstances in capitalist. The overgrowing use of machines enhances high productivity of goods which creates employment opportunities for workers to work in those industries. It will however be difficult to avoid the use of child labor to work within these industries. Huge gap of social inequalities has also continued to widen further. The exploitation of the workers has constantly resulted into wars and crises which has been difficult to prevent (Scott 81-82). The division between the owners of production and the workers meant there is likelihood of war eruption which in this case is inevitable as a result, impairing the development of a capitalist economy. With huge concentration on capital whereby small retail units had to pave way for the enlargement of wide markets agriculturalists had to suffer. It should however be noted that this system of capitalist makes it very difficult to control the economic crises. Transition to communism is related with the struggle of class. Whether it is a violent or peaceful transition, it cannot be achieved through reforms that are isolated.

Recommendation for reducing substance dependence disorder from Essay

Recommendation for reducing substance dependence disorder from alcoholism - Essay Example Last year, there were 500 new cases of substance abuse mental disorder related to excess regular alcohol consumption. In this report, I give an explanation on better solutions identified by the state welfare committee and present our findings after comparison of substance abuse mental disorder cases in the state. Together with the social welfare committee, we have considered the following solutions: - law enforcement on bar attendants and the owners who sell alcohol to drunken patrons and extending drinking time limits. - increase the punishment of drunkenness and violation of regulations, which controls the selling and alcohol drinking - Social workers to create forums to educate the public on dangers of excessive alcohol drinking. There has been a big increase of substance mental disorder cases over the past couple of years. Excessive drinking of alcohol has been one of the major causes. This increase is attributed to ignorance, violation of rules controlling sale and drinking of alcohol not having effective public sensitization programs on dangers of abusing alcohol and lineament punishment to the offenders. Substance abuse disorder statistics compared The following statistics represents the total cases of diagnosed substance abuse mental disorder in 2010 and 2012 the percentage of the diagnosed cases related to alcoholism (Newton 183). The enforcement of laws that govern alcohol sale and consumption is a major step. This can be enhanced by employing more officers and giving them relevant patrol facilities. This will deter the law breakers from going against the regulations that control alcohol sale and consumption.

Bluefield health plan Essay Example for Free

Bluefield health plan Essay Arc Electric employees were opting for their health insurance plan. Arc Electric had expanded their workforce due to which more employees were enrolling for Bluefield’s health insurance plan for the benefits. But when Bluefield released that the utilization of their physician services had tremendously increased in the last 6 months because of which their profits were being affected, they had to find out the cause for this. Soon they realized that the main cause for the increase in the utilization of their physician services was the increase in the number of new employees who were opting for the health insurance plan. Exhibit 1 clearly shows that the number of Arc Electric employees using Bluefield’s Health insurance plan has increased from 3912 in July, 2006 to 4137 in August, 2006. Thus, in only one month the increase has been of 225 people, which is comparatively quite high. Also, in 2006, the total cost incurred by Arc Electric for inpatient and outpatient hospital services were 203425 and 182440 in July and 212250 and 180700 in August, and for surgical services were 101250 and 103400 in July and August. Thus, the total cost incurred for hospital services and surgical services were 487115 and 496350 in July and August. While on the other hand the total cost incurred by Arc Electric for visits to physician’s office was only 337900 and 391450 in July and August. Therefore we can see that the difference is almost of 147215 and 104900 in July and August. As Bluefield’s contract with Arc Electric was about to expire the next month, they had to renegotiate the terms in their contract with Arc Electric and request for an increase in their premium rate in order to maintain their profit. They had realized that the main reason for their erosion of profits was the increasing number of Arc Electric employees who had opted for their health insurance plan. But, Bluefield were also aware of the fact that during renegotiations if they tried to increase the fixed premium which they charged every employee of Arc Electric per month, then they may refuse to do anymore business with them and sign a contract with some other health insurance company. This, Bluefield was not ready to risk. Thus, Bluefield wanted the staff members and directors to devise a renegotiating strategy which they could present before Arc Electric and maintain their contract with them while at the same time see to it that their profitability remains at par. After much consideration and results from various studies, including Exhibit 1, the employees of Bluefield realized that simply by increasing their copayment charges they will not be able to bring about a decrease in the number of physician visits since people do not actually like to visit the physicians but rather do it in order to remain healthy and fit. The only way they can reduce their costs is by paying less to their health care providers, like the physicians. Thus, they first needed to negotiate with the physicians and ask them to decrease the costs of services supplied by them. If they simply asked the physicians to lower their cost of service by around 10% or 25% they might do it with the fear that they may loose all of their patients and also be left out of Bluefield’s health insurance plan. But this may have certain negative effects as in return of a lower fee per visit the physicians may also lessen the quality of care that they give to their clients. This is the reason why Bluefield required a further analysis of physicians visit. Out of the $250 fixed premium that Bluefield charged each employee of Arc Electric every month, the total premium revenue was portioned out as 55% for the hospital and surgical services and 30% for the physician visits. Thus while $137. 5 went for the hospital and surgical services only $75 went in for the physician visits. Thus for every premium collected, the profitability of hospital and surgical services was almost $62. 5 more than the profitability of the physician services. Thus, when compared to physician’s services, hospital and surgical services have a profitability of almost 45% more than the former.

SWOT Analysis Essay -- Business Analysis

Organizational performance is a result of business interaction with its internal and external environment (Houben, Lenie & Vanhoof, 1999). There are a variety of internal and external forces that either stimulate or compromise the organization's performance in achieving objectives or goals (Houben, et al., 1999). An analysis can identify and evaluate areas within or outside of the organizations to provide information for leadership. The analysis can be done by internal personnel or external experts. Experts are often used to identify, monitor, forecast and assess environment trends (Swayne, Duncan & Ginther, 2008). Often the SWOT analysis is used to review internal and external areas in the four components; strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. The SWOT analysis indicates that the strengths and weakness are internal. Strengths are the organizational competitive advantages and distinguishing competencies (Houben, et.al, 1999). Weaknesses hinder the progress of the organization in a certain direction (Houben, et.al, 1999). Weakness can be considered areas of opportunities. Data collections from employees and customer surveys along with financial information can indicate the strengths and weakness. Opportunities and threats are viewed more as external forces. Opportunities are investment or change which the organizations may consider. Threats could be competitors or other known factors which the organization should identify. This paper will review a SWOT analysis that was conducted by an external exporter on the healthcare organization, Kaiser Permanente. The external expert is Datamonitor and is familiar with nonprofit organizations. Datamonitor (2011) indicates â€Å"that Kaiser Permanente (KP) is one of the ... ...amonitor (2011). Kaiser Permanente.,Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. SWOT Analysis; Dec2011, p1-9, 9p DATAMONITOR (2010). Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. SWOT Analysis; Nov2010, p1-8, 8p Hardwick, P.l (2005). Want a better business? Invest in SWOTing . Mississippi Business Journal, 1/31/2005, Vol. 27 Issue 5, pA5-A5, 3/5p Houben, G. Lenie, K. Vanhoof, K. (1999). A knowledge-based SWOT-analysis system as an instrument for strategic planning in small and medium sized enterprises. Retrieved from. http://www.cuaed.unam.mx/puel_cursos/cursos/d_gcfe_m_dos/modulo/modulo_2/m2-10.pdf Weisman, S (2008). S.W.O.T. analysis is no longer the best approach to planning for success. Hudson Valley Business Journal, 10/27/2008, Vol. 19 Issue 43, p11-11, 1/3p Swayne, L. E., Duncan, W. J., & Ginter, P. M. (2008). Strategic

The Protagonist Victor in “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Sherman Alexie

Victor In the very first sentence of Sherman Alexie's â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona,† you can assume that the main character, Victor, is facing a hard life. Not only did he lose his job, he also lost his father to a heart attack the same day. The story tells the journey of Victor and an old friend, Thomas Builds-the-Fire, traveling to Phoenix to pick up his father's ashes, pickup truck, and money from his savings account. Victor did not have any money and neither did anyone else living on the reservation, â€Å"Who does have money on a reservation, except the cigarette and fireworks sales-people? (page 275) Victor has to turn to the tribal council for money, but they are also low on funds and can only give him one-hundred dollars. Thomas is considered the town’s outcast and he is the only one willing to help Victor. Victor goes on to say that he used to be friends with Thomas until they were about fifteen and then Victor turned his back on him bec ause everyone else thought he was weird. He also talks about their childhood and the memories they share and the fact that Thomas knew about Victor’s father wanting to leave before it ever happened. Once, when they were seven years old, when Victor’s father still lived with the family, Thomas closed his eyes and told Victor this story: â€Å"Your father’s heart is weak. He is afraid of his own family. He is afraid of you. † (page 275). Thomas ends up giving Victor the rest of the money he needs, but only if Victor allows Thomas to go along. The author never really gives any physical traits, but you know he is an Indian, does not have a lot of money, just lost his father, and lives on a reservation.The author does not specially tell you how old Victor is. There is no mention of any other family besides his mother, â€Å"†¦and the rest of his family didn’t have any use at all for him. † (page 275) Even though Victor’s father did no t play a big part in his life, â€Å"there still was a genetic pain, which was soon to be pain as real and immediate and a broken bone. † (page 275) Victor is a dynamic and round character because he slowly begins to change throughout the story. Victor is continuously complaining about Thomas or making fun of him.When they are on the plane and Thomas is talking to the gymnast, â€Å"Victor was ready to jump out of the plane. Thomas, that crazy Indian storyteller with ratty old braids and broken teeth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (page 278) I think that Victor is somewhat ashamed of his Native American background because he did not want to turn out like Thomas. Throughout the course of their trip, Victor begins to accept Thomas and understand him more. When Victor agrees to listen to just one of Thomas’ stories, â€Å"Just one time when I’m telling a story somewhere, why don’t you stop and listen?Thomas asked. Victor waved his arms to let Thomas know that the deal was good,† (page 282) the reader begins to see the new, more accepting Victor. The old Victor would be too afraid of what others were thinking about him to stop and listen to Thomas tell a story, but now he accepts who he is and also who his cousin Thomas is. â€Å"Victor was quiet for a long time. He searched his mind for memories of his father, found the good ones, found a few bad ones, added it all up, and smiled. This is another turning point in the story because this is where Victor finally accepts his relationship with his father and is at peace. â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† shows the true value of friendship. In the later part of their relationship, Victor was a really bad friend to Thomas, but Thomas has been there for Victor so many times throughout their childhood, and even now that they are adults. Although Thomas was not physically by Victor’s side, he was there the whole time waiting to come to Victor’s rescue.The story go es back and forth to show how Victor and Thomas were once friends. Thomas even made a deal with Victor’s father to watch over Victor, â€Å"But he said I had to watch out for you as part of the deal. † (page 279) Victor is in debt to Thomas and even gives him some of his father’s ashes. By the end of the story, Victor finally realized the true meaning of friendship with his own cousin Thomas, and that all those other guys that made fun of him for being friends with Thomas when they were children were not true friends.At the end of the story Victor realizes how hurtful he has been to Thomas when in reality; Thomas was the only one who stood by Victor’s side and in return â€Å"all Thomas had ever wanted from his whole life,† (page 282) was for someone to just stop and listen to him tell one of his stories. I think Victor became a man at the end of the story. He finally learned to accept Thomas, his relationship with his father, and his Native Americ an heritage.

Ho Chi Minh Puppeteer

Ho Chi Minh: Puppet or Leader? United States presidents from Harry Truman to Richard Nixon were wrong to think that Ho Chi Minh and his followers were â€Å"puppets† to the Soviet Union or Chinese Communist. Many policies the Presidents made throughout the war proved that they never tried to see Ho Chi Minh as anything else but communist and were convinced that they had to do everything and anything to stop him from gaining any control over the country of Vietnam.The Vietnam War, specifically the United States aid to France, agreements at the Geneva Conference, and the election of 1956, are prime examples of how far American Presidential Administrations went to exclude themselves from their own Constitution to give themselves a blank check and continuous, unnecessary escalation for war. When I look at Communism I view it as a dictatorship, someone more or less trying to control the people of the country they have control over by putting fear in the eyes of the citizens and not allowing them to live a peaceful, independent life.With that said, yes, Ho claimed to be a Communist but I truly feel that his sole goal was to conquer the independence of the country of Vietnam from forces trying to control it and give it back to his people, basically saying that Ho was a nationalist and communism was simply the most effective way to carry out his tasks. He followed the way of what the Trung Sisters wanted Vietnam to be and did everything in his power to give the â€Å"What it is to be Vietnamese† outlook to his people. The United States would view his ideology as only communism, arguing that nationalism was just a maneuver.United States involvement in Vietnam occurred within and because of the larger context of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Immediately after World War II, tensions between the United States and USSR escalated. Ho needed the help from the Soviet Union to follow out his goals for Vietnam. He obviously was not th eir puppet; the Soviet Union helped fund the war for the Vietminh with supplies and ammunition but half the time they made empty promises of what they would do to help.Truman feared that if Ho were to win the war, with his ties to the Soviet Union, he would establish a â€Å"puppet† state and the Soviets would ultimately control Vietnamese affairs. (New World Encyclopedia) The Vietminh were not very militarily effective in the beginning of the war and only really harassed the French troops. China gained control over the northern borders which allowed unlimited support in terms of weapons and supplies to the Vietminh which transformed itself into a conventional army between two armies equipped with modern weapons supplied by the United States and the Soviet Union. 29) The idea of communist domination in Southeast Asia was all the United States needed to support France in containing communism. Gaining help from USSR and China was all Ho could do to regain Vietnamese independenc e. He was looking for the bigger picture and if letters from him would have been answered then the thought process of him and a communist puppet would have never existed, nor would the assumption of the domino theory.It was completely and utterly wrong, immature, foolish, and rude for President Truman to ignore the many letters Ho Chi Minh sent to him in 1945. How as the president of the most powerful country in the world just get handed letters over and over and continuously set them aside and allowed them to go unnoticed. Ho Chi Minh wrote eight letters to President Truman reminding him of the self-determination promises of the Atlantic Charter. He even sent one to the United Nations. Zinn) Within one of the letters that Ho Chi Minh sent he offered a deep-water port in Cam Ranh Bay to be used as a military port, but still the letters were ignored. For years, Ho had tried to court the United States to support him against the French, including supplying the U. S. with military intel ligence about the Japanese during World War II. Whatever hopes Ho had for securing American assistance died in anticommunist paranoia. (20) The communism is not a disease; it’s not like if you kiss someone communist you therefore become communist.This unfortunately is the ridiculous theory that Eisenhower came up with about countries trickling from one communist country to surrounding countries, to next thing having the entire world plagued with communism. After the fall of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, Eisenhower gave a speech that would become a famous and important outline of United States Cold War policy. Eisenhower stated that the United States needed to contain the USSR at all locations for its neighbors to not become Communist. The theory was coined the domino theory.The Nationalist government of China fell to the Communist forces of Mao Zedong and this started to put the United States into deep paranoia and fear that Communists would take over the world and might even be plo tting secret operations in the United States. The U. S. policy makers began to see Vietnam as extremely important. If Vietnam was to be a united nation with Ho Chi Minh as its leader and become a communist country then in logic to the domino theory all of Indochina would fall and maybe even Southeast Asian countries to communism.I don’t believe that the small country of Vietnam, who was just trying to gain recognition as an independent country had that much power over its surrounding countries or even of the entire world. The popularity of Ho Chi Minh and the Vietminh in both Northern and Southern Vietnam had U. S. leaders in fear that the free elections promised at the Geneva Conference to occur in 1956, would result in a unified, Communist Vietnam. (SparkNotes Editors) After WWII, President Truman set up, what I think, was a fair plan to stop colonialism throughout the world.In his State of the Union speech in October 1945, he stated that he believed 1) in the eventual retu rn of sovereign rights and self-government to all peoples who have been deprived of them by force, 2) that all peoples who are prepared for self-government should be permitted to choose their own form of government by their own freely expressed choice, without interference from any foreign source, 3) the United States will refuse to recognize any government imposed upon any nation by the force of any foreign power. (Pamphlet No. , PILLARS OF PEACE) These are just some of the points within the twelve stated. Unfortunately, none of these points were actually followed by the President, himself, or the United States. These points were supposed to end colonialism throughout the world after World War II, but when France asked the United States for help to continue their control and reign over Indochina, President Truman went very willing. Fear of communism was in his eyes and with the help of the USSR to Vietnam he didn’t believe that there was any other way.In May 1950, President Truman announced his decision to supply $15 million in military assistance to Indochina, but realistically just to French troops, to fight the Vietminh. (29) In order for France to fight this war without it looking like it was to gain control over a colony that they have already been fighting for, they defined it as a fight against Communism instead of a colonial war. Ho hated the French for what they had done to his country, but also hated the elite Vietnamese who enriched themselves at the expense of the poor peasants.The Vietnamese people were broken under French rule both prior to WWII and after. Truman in one week sent an abundance of supplies to the French and continued to do so for the next four years. Throughout the aids exceeding number of ammunition, weapons, tanks and other supplies were sent to both the French and Vietminh from the US and USSR and China. This resulted in the battle of Dienbienphu. In 1954, the French planned on overtaking the outpost of Dienbienphu in th e mountains of northern Vietnam. Their idea was to take post in the center on these mountains and lure the Vietminh in.The Vietminh saw this strategy a mile away. They moved 40, 000 troops up into the mountains and conquered this territory. Even though there were more Vietnamese casualties than French, they had military brilliance and were more willing to a higher death toll then their enemies. (SparkNotes Editors) The victory over the French at Dienbienphu had demonstrated the triumph of Ho’s nationalism. (46) And the United States would later learn that no matter what is handed to the Vietminh they were going to fight to the death for the independence of their country.I believe and have also heard and even read that if the election of 1956 had been held that possibly eighty percent of the population would have voted for the Communist Ho Chi Minh as their leader rather than Chief of State Bao Dai. In April 1954, the world's powers had met at Geneva to discuss Vietnam. Many a rguments can be presented for the escalation of the war. One reason is the failure of the United States to adhere to provisions in the Final Declaration of the Geneva Conference on the Problem of Restoring Peace in Indo-China. In July 1954, it was decided to divide the country in two at the 17th parallel.Bao Dai was to lead the south and Ho Chi Minh the north. The meeting also decided that in 1956 there would be an election in both the north and south to decide who would rule the whole country. The election would be supervised by neutral countries. This election did not take place and the split had become permanent by 1956. Ho Chi Minh was very liked by a great majority of the people in both North and South Vietnam and Boa Dai was just a puppet to the United States to carry out their commands and also was controlled very much by the corrupt madman Ngo Dinh Diem. Simkin) The United States and Diem refused to allow the 1956 elections to happen. Diem stated that it would only be a mean ingful election on the condition that it was absolutely free. No communist was going to be democratically elected if the US had anything to say about it. All not allowing this election did was set the course of escalation to the war further in motion. I do not understand why we even needed to get involved. As Americans we believe in the right to vote and free election, that is exactly what Ho Chi Minh wanted but was denied by us, a democratic country. (rationalrevolution. et) The Vietnam was an unnecessary war because of the way America handled it. The countries or nations involved had nothing to with the United States and we were supposed to take a neutral role. When we didn’t stay neutral the USSR and China stepped in and also helped. In America’s eyes that was only to spread communism, but truthfully we were no better and had every opportunity to stop this war and not allow it to escalate as it did with our help. â€Å"Vietnamese history is the history of defense b y outsiders and resistance to occupation when outsiders were temporarily successful. †References: VietnamWar. et, â€Å"Educational, Entertainment, and Research Material Relevant to the Study of the Vietnam War† http://www. vietnamwar. net Simkin, John (BA, MA, MPhil) â€Å"Vietnam War† http://www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/vietnam. html SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on The Vietnam War (1945–1975). † SparkNotes. com. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. Pamphlet No. 4, PILLARS OF PEACE. â€Å"PRESIDENT TRUMAN'S NAVY DAY ADDRESS: An excerpt dealing with Four Military Tasks and the Fundamentals of Foreign Policy, October 27, 1945. † pages 136 and 137, Published by the Book Department, Army Information School, Carlisle Barracks, Pa. May 1946 http://www. ibiblio. org/pha/policy/post-war/451027a. html rationalrevolution. net, â€Å"The American involvement in Vietnam† http://rationalrevolution. net/war/american_involvement_in_v ietnam. htm, 2003 – 2007. Web. 20 Oct. 2007. Zinn, Howard. â€Å"The Impossible Victory: Vietnam excerpted from a People's History of the United States† http://www. thirdworldtraveler. com/Zinn/Vietnam_PeoplesHx. html New World Encyclopedia â€Å"Indochina_War_(1946-54)† Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Indochina_War_%281946-54%29. 2009. Web. 1 Dec. 2007

thesis statement example - pros and cons of minimum wage uk The WritePass Journal

thesis statement example - pros and cons of minimum wage uk Introduction thesis statement example pros and cons of minimum wage uk ). The Low Pay Commission are continually identifying employers that are not paying their workers the minimum wage (937 cases in 2010/11). Additionally, data show that in April 2011, approximately 233,000 UK adults were paid less than the minimum wage (LPC, 2012). Not all individuals receiving less than the prescribed minimum wage (currently  £6.08 p/h for over 21s,  £4.98 for 18-21 year olds [HMRC, 2012]) are doing so against the minimum wage employment law. Exceptions include workers who have accommodation provided by their employer, apprentices and interns. One group particularly vulnerable to not receiving the national minimum wage is migrant workers. Research has shown that migrant workers have filled gaps in the UK labour market, however have also put downward pressure on wages at the bottom of the distribution, which have been prevented from falling further by the national minimum wage. The existence of a minimum wage to prevent wages falling further has positive implications for native workers, meaning they do not fall subject to lower wage rates. It also however, means that wages are unable to fall to a rate at which supply meets demand potentially leading to an increase in unemployment for those in unskilled jobs. The implication s of the minimum wage for unemployment are not constrained to the presence of migrant workers, and this will be discussed in more detail later on. As well as having an impact on the labour market, migrant workers have been shown to be examples of people in the country receiving less than the prescribed rate. Research by French and Mohrke (2006) found that some employers of migrant workers put various charges on their salaries, reducing wages below the minimum wage, and deducting accommodation fees that were in excess of the legal allowance. The exploitation of migrant workers was further highlighted by Moore and Watson (2009) who discovered that they were at risk from low wages, unclear payslips and unauthorised deductions from wages. It is therefore clear that the introduction of a national minimum wage in the UK has not provided everyone in the country with a wage above the prescribed rate, however the Government measures and implemented compliance enforcing techniques are further insuring that those entitled are receiving the minimum wage. There is considerable evidence to show a compression of the lower wage distribution and therefore improvement of wage inequality as a result of the introduction of a national minimum wage. Machin et al. (2003) investigated this effect in the care home industry, a low-wage heavy sector, finding that the minimum wage had a sizeable impact on wage dispersion. The inequality between those earning in the 10th percentile (the lowest paid workers) and the 50th percentile (mid pay-range) reduced from 21% to 9%. There was no change between wages in the 50th and 90th percentile (a 34% gap). This effect is replicated in the UK labour market, with Butcher, Dickens and Manning (2012) finding evidence that income inequality at the bottom of the wage distribution since the introduction of the minimum wage. These findings demonstrate a ‘greatness’ of the minimum wage in achieving the Government’s aim of protecting the lowest earners from low wages, and achieving a more equal wage distribution. Despite evidence of the desired effects on wage equality, the ‘greatness’ of the national minimum wage is something that has received debate since its introduction, with both scepticism and support for its effect on the UK labour market and economy. Economic theory would suggest that in certain economic conditions, such as a recession, a national minimum wage would inflict a negative impact on employment, with employers being unable to afford workers and these workers being unable to offer their services for a lower wage to escape unemployment. Additionally, there is some evidence to suggest that employers substitute their unskilled workers for increased use of technology (Bullock et al., 2001; Gilman, 2002) to maintain productivity. Despite this, investigations into the rate of unemployment have shown few effects of a wage floor on jobs (Petongolo Van Reenen, 2011). The LPC acknowledges the existence of a pay level that would ‘destroy’ large numbers of jobs and aims to ensure that the minimum wage does not rise to this level (Manning, 2012). The LPC does, however, highlight several issues that have arisen in the labour market as a result of the minimum wage, which may compensate for not cutting employment rates. These responses to increased labour costs include cutting overtime hours, decreasing annual leave entitlement and pensions, merging pay zones, and reducing working hours (LPC, 2011). Although keeping individuals employed, these compensatory measures may mean that workers are not actually receiving a gain from the introduction of a minimum wage. However, the LPC subsequently states that reduced hours have not affected weekly earnings. Another viewpoint is that the minimum wage actually encourages people into the workforce by providing increased incentive to work. For the voluntarily unemployed, it becomes more beneficial for them to enter into work instead of receiving unemployment benefits. This may explain why any effect of the minimum wage on employment levels in low-earners has been negligible (Manning, 2012). It is also important to consider the effects of having to pay a minimum wage on the employers. Some businesses have responded to the minimum wage by increasing their prices, or accepting a lower profit margin (LPC, 2011). This may have implications for demand for products, and lower profits will have implications for investment in technology, advancements and training, as well as business growth. Consequently, a slowing in business growth has implications for employment, living standards, and consumer confidence (Riley, 2006). Whilst employers may suffer with increased labour costs, the minimum wage has also been suggested to have an impact on the productivity of workers. Standard neo-classical models would suggest that when introducing a minimum wage, all workers producing an output (marginal product) below that of the wage rate would likely be dismissed, as the firm substitutes labour for capital. The productivity of the workforce would therefore rise, as the same level of output w ould be required from fewer labour inputs (Forth O’Mahoney, 2003). If this scenario holds true, it is evident again that unemployment would likely increase. Alternatively, as suggested by efficiency wage theory (Rebitzer Taylor, 1995), employees may increase their marginal product in response to increased motivation from higher wages. This may also occur as a result of further employer supervision of effort as employers seek to protect their increased investment. Additional hypotheses suggest that to avoid dismissal, workers seek to increase their skills and education and therefore the quality of their output (Cubitt Heap, 1999). This has positive implication for employment, as employers will not need to dismiss any workers and therefore output would rise equally with labour costs (Forth O’Mahoney, 2003). Opposing theories claim that rather than providing incentive to gain skills and remain in employment, the guarantee that all workers receive above a minimum amount will lead to lack of labour force skill development. It has been proposed that this occurs because young unskilled workers are enticed out of education and training and into the job market (Neumark Wascher, 2008) something that has been shown in other countries. The UK’s LPC are concerned that there not be an incentive for young people to leave training (Croucher White, 2011) and additionally have observed that the decision of young adults to stay in full-time education has been unaffected by wage rates (De Coulon et al., 2010). Whilst the improvement of pay inequality at the bottom end of the wage distribution cannot be disputed, raising the pay of low skilled workers may lead to the demand for companies to ensure the maintenance of pay differentials as higher-up workers insist on pay rises. In a case study, (Denvir Loukas, 2006) found that 56% of companies interviewed had changed their hourly pay rates for those earning above the minimum wage in order to maintain wage differentials. This puts further pressure on companies’ labour costs and pressure to maintain employment levels, prices and profits. Whilst the minimum wage is pulling the lower skilled workers out of poverty, it may seek to push the wages of those greater skilled and earning employees even higher, and thus furthering inequality at the between those earning in the middle and top percentiles. This is something noted by Manning (2011) who asserts that it is those earning in the middle part of the income distribution that are feeling the real squeeze in their incomes. Although the minimum wage serves to protect those at the lower end of the wage spectrum, those earning higher rates may also be pushed out of employment or forced to absorb the work of lower skilled workers as employers are forced to make redundancies. The introduction of a national minimum wage means that all workers meeting the criteria, regardless of location within the country, are entitled to receive the minimum rate or above. This has implications for those living in more expensive regions of the UK, where the minimum wage has greater ‘bite’, reaching further up the wage distributions in certain geographic regions than others (Stewart, 2002). This therefore means that the effect of the minimum wage and way that it works will differ in each geographical area. Some theorists argue for a regional variation in minimum wages (Smith, 2006), founded on the argument that employment and company efficiency in certain regions may be adversely affected by a minimum wage rate that is above the region’s productivity levels (Dolton et al., 2008). For example, whilst a higher minimum wage may be applicable in a highly competitive and productive capital city, this wage rate may not be sustained in a rural community with lo wer costs of living. It must also be appreciated however, that productivity, unemployment and employment rates have varied across regions from well before the inception of the minimum wage. Investigation by Dolton et al. (2008) elucidates the impact of regional variation on minimum wage effects, showing that areas where the minimum wage has a larger bite experienced larger declines in the 50th percentile- 5th percentile wage ratios than elsewhere. They additionally found that these areas were more susceptible to higher rates of unemployment in the first few years of the minimum wage introduction, which then reversed with these areas experiencing lower rates of unemployment in the years to follow. Additionally, the discrepancy between the minimum wage bite between geographical regions does not just have implications for the labour market as a whole, it also affects individual workers differently. Whilst the wage has been introduced to reduce poverty, increase living standards and inequality amongst the low skilled workers, it seems ironic that this may be a case more greatly than for others dependent on where they live. Consider the case of a set of twin brothers, who both work as toilet attendants. On the minimum wage, twin A, who lives in Northumbria has a purchasing power 10% greater than twin B, who lives in greater London, meaning that twin B has to work an eleven days to be able to purchase the same goods as twin A (Office for National Statistics, 2010). Disparity such as this has been recognised by the UK government, reflected in the introduction of the London Living Wage, whereby London address holder employees of Greater London Authority member companies (such as the NHS) benefit from an increased wage rate. Overall, the ‘greatness’ of the minimum wage can be seen in its assurance that no employees of working age will be subjected to low or unfair wage rates. The national minimum wage ensures that no members of the labour force need live in poverty, although the regional variations in such a statement have implications. The quality of life and fairness for individuals provided by the minimum wage is of great importance, and this is something that is emphasised by the UK government’s efforts to ensure compliance to the minimum wage jurisdiction. Despite benefit for many individuals, a national minimum wage presents many implications for countries’ labour markets and economies. The results of these implications can be controlled with an effective wage floor rate, and the issue of balance should be carefully considered and monitored by any regulatory body. References Bullock, A., Hughes, A., Wilkinson, F. (2001) The Impact of the National Minimum Wage on Small and Medium Sized Businesses in the Cleaning and Security Sectors, Cambridge: Centre for Business Research. Butcher, T., Dickens, R., Manning, A. (2012) â€Å"The Impact of the National Minimum Wage on the Wage Distribution†. Research Report for the Low Pay Commission. Croucher, R. Rizov, M. (2011) The Impact of the UK National Minimum Wage on Productivity by Low-paying Sectors and Firm-size Groups. Research Report for the Low Pay Commission. Cubitt, R. Heap, S. (1999) Minimum wage legislation, investment and human capital, Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 46, pp. 135-57. De Coulon, A., E. Meschi, E., Swaffield, J., Vignoles, A., Wadsworth, J. (2010) Minimum Wage and Staying-on Rates in Education for Teenagers. Research Report for the Low Pay Commission. Denvir, A. Loukas, G. (2006) The Impact of the National Minimum Wage: Pay Differentials and Workplace Change. Research Report for the Low Pay Commission. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (2011) National Minimum Wage Annual Report for 2010/11. London: Crown Copyright. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (2010) National Minimum Wage Compliance Strategy. London: Crown Copyright. Dickens, R., Manning, A (2004) Has the national minimum wage reduced UK wage inequality? Journal of the Royal Statistical Society A, 167, 613-626. diNardo, J., Fortin, N., Lemieux, T. (1996) Labour market institutions and the distribution of wages, 1973-1993: A semi-parametric approach. Economertrica, 64(5), pp. 1001-1045. Dolton, P., Rosazza-Bondibene, C. Wadsworth, J. (2008) The Geography of the National MW, Report for the Low Pay Commission. Gilman, M., Edwards, P., Ram, M. Arrowsmith, J. (2002) Pay determination in small firms in the UK: the case of the response to the National Minimum Wage, Industrial Relations Journal, 33(1), pp. 52- 67. HM Revenue and Customs (n.d) The National Minimum Wage [WWW] HM Revenue and Customs. Available from: hmrc.gov.uk/paye/payroll/day-to-day/nmw.htm [Accessed 01/08/2012]. Forth, J., O’Mahoney, M. (2003) The impact of the national minimum wage on labour productivity: An analysis using industry data. Research Report for the Low Pay Commission. French, S., Mohrke, J. (2006) â€Å"The Impact of ‘new arrivals’ upon the North Staffordshire labour market†. Research Report for the low Pay Commission. Lee, D. (1999) Wage inequality in the United States during the 1980s: Rising dispersion or falling minimum wage? Quarterly Journal of Economics, 114(3), pp. 977-1023. Low Pay Commission (2007) National Minimum Wage, Low Pay Commission Report. London: Crown Copyright. Low Pay Commission (2011) National Minimum Wage, Low Pay Commission Report. London: Crown Copyright. Low Pay Commission (2012) National Minimum Wage, Low Pay Commission Report. London: Crown Copyright. Machin, S., Manning, A., Rahman, L. (2003) Where Minimum Wage Bites Hard: The Introduction of the UK National Minimum Wage to a Low Wage Sector. Journal of the European Economic Association, 1(1), pp. 154-180. Manning, A. (2011) Wage inequality and job polarization show that it is time to be pursuing from the highest-earners to those with middle and lower incomes. [WWW] British Politics and Policy at LSE. Available from: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/38319/ (Accessed: 01/08/2012). Moore, S., Watson, M (2009) UNISON Migrant Workers Participation Project Evaluation Report. London: UNISON Communications Unit. Neumark, D. W. Wascher, (2008). Minimum Wages. Cambridge: MIT Press. Office for National Statistics (2010) UK Relative Regional Consumer Price levels for Goods and Services for 2010. Office for National Statistics. Petrongolo, B., Van Reenen, J. (2011) The level of youth unemployment is at a record high. Policy makers should focus on strengthening and refining welfare-to-work and education-to-work programmes and forget about caps on immigration or reductions in the minimum wage which would do nothing to help. [WWW]   British Politics and Policy at LSE. Available from: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/38022/. (Accessed: 01/08/2012). Rebitzer, J., Taylor, L. (1995). The consequences of minimum wage laws: Some new theoretical ideas. Journal of Public Economics, 56, pp. 245-255. Riley, J (2006) AS Macroeconomics/ International Economy [WWW] Tutor2u. Available from: http://tutor2u.net/economics/revision-notes/as-macro-economic-growth.html {Accessed: 01/08/2012}. Smith, D. (2006) Does Britain Have Regional Justice or Injustice in its Government Spending and Taxation?, Economic Research Council Digest, 37(1), pp. 9-26. Stewart M. (2002) Estimating the impact of the minimum wage using geographical wage variation, Oxford Bulletin of Economics Statistics, 64(5), pp. 583-606.