The Bush Doctrine and the Iraq War: Neoconservatives vs. Realists – Review

I intend to review â€Å"The Bush Doctrine and the Iraq War: Neoconservatives vs. Realists† by Brian C. Schmidt and Michael C. Williams. The reason for choosing this article for review is simply because of its relevance today throughout the Middle East and how the American foreign policy is drastically changing the dynamics of the world. Schmidt and Williams use the elements of the neoconservative Bush Doctrine to show the direct contrast between realists and neoconservatives. The authors use the Bush Doctrine as an anchor to demonstrate realists’ anti-war views as the Bush Doctrine â€Å"provided the key rationale for the Iraq War. This is the main theme of the paper and the authors express this throughout the paper in a fascinating, enthralling fashion. The previously supported neoconservative project has been fatally wounded through its invasion of Iraq. The Bush Doctrine does in fact â€Å"represent an abrupt and unprecedented shift in American foreign policy. â⠂¬  The United States of America had been the most influential nation in the entire world (â€Å"land of opportunity†), with its huge military force and dominate economic position, but with this doctrine came a wave of unexpected anti-Americanism.Schmidt and Williams make reference to Morgenthau and his struggles to â€Å"to convince American foreign policy officials of the dangers of conceptualizing the national interest in universalistic moral terms. † I agree with his mind-set that the Iraqi invasion was â€Å"national-suicide† and bruised the image of America worldwide. His vision that spreading democracy would result in disaster may have been pessimistic but was completely accurate. American realists were right from the offset; they believed that it was â€Å"unnecessary and counterproductive to invade Iraq. † And in hindsight they were extremely correct.However they failed to â€Å"steer America away from the road to war. † If all the eviden ce was weak, vague, and â€Å"baseless† , why did realists fail to persuade the public that the invasion would prove to be disastrous? This is what Schmidt and Williams set out to solve. One of the most chilling yet accurate quotes of the article is: â€Å"their wisdom only taking flight at dusk—when most of the damage has already been done. † It was important to publish these ideas to demonstrate how gullible the American public (and even Congress) were in following the Bush administration to war and to ensure that this aggressive strategy is never repeated.It was also important to publish this article to illustrate the future implications of the Iraqi war on the U. S foreign policy. Schmidt and Williams use different methods throughout the article to reach their conclusions. They state and evaluate the arguments that realists adopted in order to defer America from invading Iraq. They also demonstrate the tactics used by neoconservatives to undermine and defeat realists in the lead up to the war in Iraq. The authors engage in these different methods to reach conclusions as to why realism ultimately failed in the Iraqi debate.The subjects in this article are visibly neoconservatives and realists. It is clear from this article that neoconservatives and realists share a very different outlook. One of the most accurate yet sombre quotes is: â€Å"As Mearsheimer sees it, realism quickly unravels the neoconservatives' faulty logic and explains the current reality of the Iraq situation. † This statement oppresses me as it was too late to materialize and fight against the decision to invade Iraq. The authors draw on John Ikenberry and his belief that terrorists â€Å"â€Å"cannot be deterred because they are either willing to die for their cause or able to escape retaliation. This is a brilliant quote used by Schmidt and Williams in this article as it shows the apparent ruthlessness of these ‘terrorists’. They use elements o f the Bush Doctrine to demonstrate the tactics used by neoconservatives to persuade the American public towards supporting the invasion of Iraq. Drawing on these elements is a very intriguing technique and draws the reader in. The authors point out from the offset that the Bush Doctrines goal was for the United States â€Å"to preserve its hegemonic position for the indefinite future. † This is a brash statement demonstrates neoconservative’s belief in a unipolar America.By referring to the Bush Doctrine in this article the authors demonstrate the idealistic notions of neoconservatives and their belief that America â€Å"leadership as a prerequisite for an orderly and peaceful world. † The authors use a brilliant quote to depict the neoconservatives ultimately naive and unipolar view that ‘one-size fits all’: â€Å"American hegemony is the only reliable defence against a breakdown of peace and international order. † The authors cleverly repro duce a metaphor used by Mearsheimer: â€Å"Wilsonism with teeth† which brilliantly depicts neoconservatives’ absolute belief in unilateralism and America being the sole superpower.It captured my attention as a reader drawing me in to the article. Schmidt and Williams make reference to Walt’s argument: â€Å"how can other states be comfortable and secure when U. S. decisions affect all of their interests, and when the United States is strong enough to act pretty much as it wishes? † This is a brilliant rhetoric question which draws the reader in. Through the use of rhetoric question the author’s emphasis their point that the United States do in fact pose a huge threat to the rest of the world. The authors use impeccable language to express their point that neoconservative and realist views are in direct contrast.Alliteration (‘p’ repetition) is used in the following sentence which, in my opinion as a reader, draws the audience in becaus e of its dramatic and memorable effect: â€Å"Rather than a prescription for peace, as most realists maintain, neoconservatives view balance-of power politics as both unnecessary and a hindrance to achieving American national interests, while America's preeminent position in the world obviates the need for traditional balance-of-power diplomacy. † Schmidt and Williams state that realism â€Å"lacks any view beyond narrowly strategic material calculation, narrowly pragmatic judgment, or pluralist competition. I agree with this statement, realists to carry a very pessimistic, strategic view. This is not suitable in modern politics due to globalization. In my opinion the major weakness of the article is that Schmidt and Williams fail to give a solid resolution to the problem and how to restore America’s image abroad and how to improve the future of the US foreign policy. In the conclusion Schmidt and Williams ask the all-important question: â€Å"can realism make its an alytic positions politically powerful? † In my opinion the answer is yes but only if realists develop their ideas to suit the modern world today.Traditional realism has most definitely surpassed, however, following the full failure of the Bush administration, realists will be called upon in order to guide the American foreign policy and restore its pride and glory that took centuries to build. In my essay I reviewed the article â€Å"The Bush Doctrine and the Iraq War: Neoconservatives vs. Realists† by Brian C. Schmidt and Michael C. Williams. I decided to illustrate the main theme at the start of my essay and explained why I thought it was important that these ideas were published.I followed by explaining the author’s methodology and described the basic results from their research. I proceeded by declaring the articles strengths and weaknesses, particularly focusing on the writing skills used by Schmidt and Williams. Finally, I reviewed the conclusion. I found t his article particularly interesting and thought provoking. I have always been exposed to the heroic attributes of America because of the propaganda media broadcasted; however, Brian C. Schmidt and Michael C. Williams illustrate a quite unbiased view of the nation and the possible future implications of the U. S foreign policy.

Elements of Democracy and Constitutionalism Essay

The 16th president of the United States of America explained it succinctly. Democracy, that is. Democracy is a government system adopted by many nations. It is perhaps one of the oldest forms of political rule, one that transcends over time.. Democracy and constitution are just two of the numerous theories that origin in Greece, one of the oldest cradles of civilization. Democracy takes its root from the Greek word which means rule by the people (Johnston, 1987). It is different from other types of government system such as dictatorship or totalitarian (1987). Democracy occurs when people choose its government, or those who will lead them. Democracy dates back to prehistoric times. Some anthropologists, for instance, have unearthed democracy in tribes (1987). It is called â€Å"primitive democracy† wherein a tribal council rules a certain tribe (1987). The council is usually composed of families and clans (1987). The Iroquois Confederacy, which ruled some parts of the United States, is another example of democratic institution (1987). It is even said that the Confederacy contributed to the creation of the US constitution (Cook, 2000). Democracy has several political, economic and social characteristics. One of its vital political characteristic is that men are equal before the law, meaning everyone is entitled to equal right, to participate in all political decisions (Johnston, 1987). Each has the right to vote or choose. During the Athenian government, adult male citizens convened to address public issues. As democracy continued to become popular, especially in Europe and America, the right to vote was adopted, but was limited to male land owners (1987). It was only during the 20th century, wherein women in nations practicing democracy were given the right to suffrage (1987). Another prominent element in democracy is freedom of expression. This pertains to the liberty to express one’s self through speech, press and assembly (Johnston, 1987). Through freedom of expression, views on certain issues would be addressed. The English, French, and American revolutions were geared towards achieving freedom of expression (1987). Basic to democracy is the idea of majority rule. In a democratic nation, a consensus should be achieved. While the majority is generally followed, minority rights are also taken in consideration (Johnston, 1987). The minority’s purpose is not to contest the majority but to give alternatives (1987). Furthermore, one economic characteristic of a democracy is to have equality not just in political areas but in economic as well. Democratic nations have labor unions to address the welfare of the workers (Johnston, 1987). Some countries like the United States passed laws on regulating employment-related issues such as wages and Social Security (1987). Likewise, democracy affects the social distinctions of a nation. Democracy curtails differences on sex, wealth, birth, race and religion (Johnston, 1987). The 14th Amendment to the United States, for example, states that a citizen must be granted all rights (1987). In Greece where the term democracy derived, democracy arose when the middle class comprising merchants, started to gain power (Johnston, 1987). It used to be that tribal systems were dominant in Greece (Rabb, 1987). The period, which was known as â€Å"Age of Kings† had mini-monarchies in Greece (1987). However, by 1000 BC to 500 BC, people started to rethink about the government. By this time, the idea of popular government had started to crop up (1987). A popular government is defined as a government wherein people should not be under the control of others (1987). This popular government concept is the precursor of what is not democracy. Athens was the place where the Greeks first experience democracy (1987). As stated earlier, Athenian democracy practiced voting, although was limited to citizens and men only (1987). It was also during this time that Socrates, the great Greek philosopher, was sentenced to death (1987). When Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered Greece, the popularity of democracy faded. During the Roman period, the Roman tribune was tasked to stand in for the people or the plebian (Johnston, 1987). The plebian comprised the lower class. It was the Romans who idealized that citizens should be equal before the law (1987). In 16th century, the growth of European trade proved to be a platform for democracy to expand (Johnston, 1987). Throughout Europe, the rising middle class started demanding for recognizing their rights (1987). In England, for instance, free enterprise capitalism developed (1987). In France, advocating on democracy was prohibited especially since the country had absolute monarchy as its type of government (Johnston, 1987). However, some French writers and philosophers started propagating the idea of democracy (1987). Voltaire wrote on the freedom of speech; Baron de Montesquieu drafted a model of a government structure wherein the executive, legislative, and judicial branches are of equal power; and Jean Jacques Rousseau advocated on an equal society (1987). These are just examples of ancient democratic practices. Another Ancient Greek political idea is the constitution. The great Greek philosopher Aristotle used the term constitution to pertain to government forms- either good or bad (Safra, 20002). According to Aristotle, monarchy and aristocracy are good constitution whereas tyranny, oligarchy and democracy are bad constitution (2002). A constitutional government has several elements-procedural stability, accountability, representation, division of power, openness and disclosure (Safra, 2002). Procedural stability means that basic laws of the government must not be changed randomly (Safra, 2002). The government must provide it citizens the laws so that its citizens would know the consequences (2002). Accountability pertains to the government’s responsibility to its citizens (Safra, 2002). It is executed through processes such as elections, fiscal accounting, and referendum (2002). Representation states that the people who have been elected should serve as representatives of their constituents (Safra, 2002). Elections ensure that citizens are well represented by those elected. Constitutionalism allows division of power [of legislature, executive, and judiciary] to ensure check and balance in the government (Safra, 2002). Since democracy sits in constitutionalism, there should exists openness and disclosure in the government. Citizens cannot participate in a constitutional government if they are not privy to the workings. It is therefore necessary to have openness and disclosure in the government, to have access to pertinent documents. Constitutional government has been practiced by several countries. Former colonies of Great Britain in Asia and the Caribbean such as India and Nigeria had adopted constitutional form of government (Safra, 2002). European countries such as France, Germany and Italy have likewise adopted this form of government. In France, for example, its previous government had been absolute monarchy. The constitution of the Third Republic was established in 1870 (Safra, 2002). It was followed for roughly 70 years until the German invasion (2002). In the constitution of the Fourth Republic, the average cabinet life became shorter because the government had to deal with the Algerian independence movement (2002). The constitution of the Fifth Republic provides power to the president to abolish the Parliament (2002). The U. S. constitution, on the other hand, copied most of its phrases from the British constitutional vocabulary (Safra, 2002). The English constitution was the effect of custom rather than a premeditated consultation. Parliament was the product of the Curia Regis or the King’s Council (2002). The US constitution was amended for its own use. The constitution states that the US government has three branches – executive, judicial and legislative. It was signed on September 17, 1787 (Constitution of the United States, 2000). The US constitution serves as the foundation of the US government. It is divided into three parts- the preamble, articles and amendments (2000).

The presupposition of the democratic sort of regime is freedom Essay

The presupposition of the democratic sort of regime is freedom (1317a40) - Essay Example Therefore, what is wrong with the principle that allows one to live in the custom that they desire? Indeed, this idea seems to constitute intuitively of the true definition of freedom and it does in a sense. This is because what everyone wants, on top of all else, is to be happy. Thus, every want is aimed indirectly or directly at attaining the ultimate good. What we can ascertain from this is that, in the deepest sense, what individual wants is to live a life of virtue because a virtuous life is a happy one. Aristotle starts out in Politics by discussing the origins of the city of Polisor. He seems to be clearly fascinated by this form of life that is not so old, and the possibilities that the city offers for human excellence (Aristotle et al 41). Aristotle sees it as being emergent from various natural communities such as villages and families, as well as from the relationships that are present between master and slave, parents and children, and between husband and wife. The manner in which these relationships are ordered and the communities that they are found in calls for an appropriate set of rules. Aristotle makes an argument against people who claim that every rule is the same, insisting on fundamental differences between political rules, mastery of slaves, and household management. This can be taken to indicate the basic freedom sense in Aristotle’s Politics. ... This life lets them engage with other people who are not servants or members of their family, although they are also free. Citizens can participate in the molding of their individual futures, as well as the wellbeing and futures of their community in this life. When the city and the city’s constitution fail, then freedom is lost. Despotic rule can be considered as importation of slave domestic management mode to cities that are inhabited by nominally free people. Tyranny is explained as a form of politics that has serious flaws because of its perversions to the tyrant’s sole interests (Aristotle et al 97). Aristotle considers the two manifestations freedom as democratic freedom and as it happens in the best city possible. Aristotle devotes a lot of time in his considerations of the different types of democracy. He views democracy for its weaknesses and strengths. However, he contends that democracy is driven by freedom (Aristotle et al 101). The fact that persons learn to be governed, and how to govern, is a strong feature of democracy. Using a constitution that has its prime grounded in freedom ensures that elections are done on a majority vote basis since everyone is equal. Aristotle is quick to acknowledge that the majority will often achieve judgment that is better than would be if a few people on their own made it. A more radical form of democracy, which is not sans precedence, is whereby offices are given through lots. However, this position on democracy is not uncontested. Aristotle recognizes three human life conditions that lead to justice claims, which are virtue, wealth, and freedom. It is here that we see the differences that exist between aristocrats,

Dissertation- Introduction and theoretical background Essay

Dissertation- Introduction and theoretical background - Essay Example a 228-home tower block, an exemplary innovation which satisfies the Energy Efficient Building requirements; also exhibiting values of sustainability like ensuring the well being of its inhabitants, signifying usability and appropriation of space (BNPParibas, 2012). High-rise tower blocks were made possible as living systems with the advent of the elevator (Princeton, 2012). A Tower Block or a High-Rise is a tall multi-story building or structure used for residential or official purposes, occasionally also referred to as an MDU, Multi Dwelling Unit (Princeton, 2012). They offer not only accommodation but also consist of offices, shops and other community based needs. Tower blocks are becoming a distinguished accommodation solution in the highly populated cities around the world, as they provide technical and economical advantages in urban settings with high density population (Price & Myers, 2012). High-rise towers provide dwelling for more people than solitary homes, while occupying less space and can specially be resourceful in communities with single unit families/couples. High rise tower blocks have been a part of urban high population solution for a long time. Its traces are found through history; in major cities like ancient Rome along with other large cities of the empire; to the Roman Egypt which consisted of up to seven stories buildings; to the Arabian Egypt which had buildings to house hundreds of people in number (Princeton, 2012). The concept of the tower block has been evolving with the ages as people evolve as a society. Where there are those who advocate the residential high rise tower blocks as a solution to the dense cities of the modern times; others tend to view it as an unsuitable solution for the modern city with no pedestrian presence, density, and movement, thus bearing no resemblance with the concept of a traditional city (Pagliardini, Porta & Salingaros, 2008). Traditional cities are known for their hustle and bustle, and the

Ryn Air Industry Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Ryn Air Industry - Case Study Example Following on from this I looked t the externl environment tht ffects Rynir, to get brief ide of the possible opportunities nd threts. Incresed Trde-union Pressure: with the cuisition of Buzz irline in 2003, Rynir hs undergone some mjor chnges in the mngement structure s well s in its stff polici. From 400 till 600 employess were dismismissed due to the Rynir's policy to dispose of the redundnd stff. Rynir mngement rgued tht the productivity of Buzz t 3,000 pssengers per employee ws uncceptble compred with 10,000 pssengers per employee t Rynir. Rynir ws ccused by trde unions of telling stff to "ccept the cuts or else ". EU Expnsion: Before the cquisition, Rynir ws the biggest user of Stnsted, occupying 45% of lnding slots while esyjet/Go hd 26% nd Buzz hd 12%.xiv The merger thus sfegurded Rynir's position t Stnsted. Moreover, it gve Rynir UK ir Operting Certificte, which llowed the compny to fly from Britin to destintions outside the EU. Big lep towrds "open skies": The US hd signed open bilterl greements with Europen countries individully, dels which were seen s big lep towrd "open-skies". ll crriers in the two countries concerned were given unlimited rights to operte trnstlntic routes between ny two destintions, with no frequency, cpcity or triff control. In ddition, unlimited Fifth Freedom rights were grnted, which llowed irlines to crry trffic between two foreign countries vi connections in their home country. Deprecition of US dollrs: this fctor served negtively for the compny s Ryrfir is Europen bsed compny nd the deprecition of dollr ment receiving fewer dollrs per n irline ticket which ment less profits. Cncelled Flight Compenstion: Rynir did not provide compenstion or ccommodtion in cses of overnight dely or flight cncelltion, regrdless of the cuse of problem. Reimbursement of Delyed Pssengers: With no interline check-in service (whereby pssengers check-in for connecting segments offered by other irlines), customers who chose to connect flights did so t their own risk. Rynir would not ccept responsibility for missed flights even if they were due to the dely of incoming Rynir flights. Socil High-speed Trins: In 1996 Richrd Brnson's Virgin Group purchsed EuroBelgin irlines, chrter irline bsed in Brussels (Ntionl irport), nd trnsformed it into the first low-cost crrier in continentl Europe. lthough its continentl loction initilly provided the compny with distinctive niche, by 2002 mnging director Neil Burrows did not expect this distinction to lst long: "There re more thn enough [LCCs] in the UK. They must expnd into Europend Virgin Express is lredy there."vii With the irport lmost hlf-empty fter the demise of Sben, operting on the minlnd hd its drwbcks: Virgin Express fced more competition for

What are the key opportunities for the hotel sector to engage with Essay

What are the key opportunities for the hotel sector to engage with management consultants - Essay Example For making its business operation effective and efficient these hospitality companies hire management consultants for its different departments of its hotel business. Management consultant in hotel companies acts as a counsellor. The consultants provide expertise opinion about hotel operations, management and other professional activities. They provide guidance in various business matters for the development of the company. They analyze all the data hotel and builds strategies according to the situations. The management consultants make effective decisions in maximum utilization of the available resources of the company. High quality of consultancy services improves the business productivity and operations of hotels. They focus on various problems of the company and create a road map for achieving success by solving those problems. To expand and to gain competitive advantage a hotel can tap into several opportunity areas which can provide it strategic advantage. Although the hotels c an identify the opportunity areas in which it can develop itself, it will require the help of a management consultant to actually help it achieve its goal. The management consultant can help the hotel group by providing expert help in a particular area of concern. So the hotel industry in particular may have to hire several management consultants with each of them having expertise in a particular key area. For example for accessing opportunities in the technological area the hotel may seek the help of a technical consultant and for helping in human resource area the hotel may hire a consultant in the human resource field. In this report various key opportunities that the hotel industry can focus on and use the services of management consultants are elaborated. Some of these opportunities involve human capital, expansion in newer market segments, improving the service quality, technology, sustainability, online business etc. The hotel may hire the

Discussion about the strengths of Israeli society circa 1960 with Essay

Discussion about the strengths of Israeli society circa 1960 with regards to the book, The House on Garibaldi Street. The whole prompt will follow - Essay Example Revenge as an act, occupies one’s time, effort and emotions in finding ways and means to get even and may impede development. Yet, revenge has given man a momentary justice for an injustice committed without knowing that such short-lived contentment cannot actually assuage the initial pain. In tribal societies revenge approaches warfare that supposedly do not seemingly concern developed societies whose laws evolved from the balance of justice with humanitarianism. Israeli society after the Holocaust was more concerned with the role of retribution than allowing the old wounds to heal and patch up wartime atrocities. Many Jews and other victims of the Holocaust all over the world were dedicated in finding the Nazi war criminals. In Harel’s personal account, Eichmann’s settlement in Buenos Aires with his family gave his identity away as a Jewish worker identified him after his daughter got romantically involved with Eichmann’s oldest son. The Israeli’s and equally one of the worlds’ recognized elite military started the conspicuous manhunt for Eichmann under the Argentinean name of Ricardo Klement. In a covert operation, the Mossad was able to smuggle Eichmann out of Argentina (who has no diplomatic extradition treaties with Israel) into Jerusalem to stand trial for the Holocaust. Right after his capture, the Israeli government denied any direct involvement, claiming that Eichmann was taken by Jewish volunteers. When Eichmann’s trial started in 1961, the world saw a mock trial that has prejudged the alleged acts of the captive. Eichmann’s insistenc e that he â€Å"was only following orders†, the same defense used by the Nuremberg Trials fell on deaf ears and Israeli society was out for Eichmann’s blood and gore. Understandably, the military rules of obedience were what every military officer would do. If one were to look into the fate of General Erwin Rommel whose better conscience

Difference of treatment between American Slaves and British Slaves Research Paper

Difference of treatment between American Slaves and British Slaves (British Slaves in the Caribbean) - Research Paper Example Slavery is considered to be illegal in many countries around the globe yet it is functioning with an estimate of 29.8 million slaves. This research is intended to look at the comparison among the slavery of America and British. The trend of slavery can be traced back since the beginning in both the countries, therefore, the trends have been different diverse in both the countries. At some point they have been extremely rigid and at times it have proven to be beneficial in the case of vegetation. The essential thing is that despite all the differences slavery has marked out the impacts in their culture even today. By the 1833 Parliament eventually eliminated slavery in the British Caribbean and the Cape. The slave trade was believed to be ceased in 1807; yet, it took another 26 years to influence the restraint of the imprisoned. Out of 16 million 10 million Africans sustained the journey to the New world, approximately one-third grounded in Brazil and among 60-70 percent ended up eith er in Brazil or the sugar colonies of the Caribbean (Higman 1995, 397)1. Among all of this merely 6 percent landed in United States. However, by 1860, round about two thirds of all New World slaves resided in the American South. Since a very long time it was broadly believed that southern slavery was unsympathetic and unkind as compared to the slavery in Latin America, where the church of Catholic emphasized had the right to get married, to request for leniency from an unsympathetic master and to buy their own sovereignty. Spanish and Portuguese colonists were considered to be comparatively less contaminated by ethnic prejudice than Latin American and North American slavery was considered to be fewer subject to the demands of an aggressive capitalist economy. In reality, nor the Church neither the courts endowed security to Latin American slaves. Right to use to sovereignty was larger in Latin America, however, in most of the cases masters untied, old age, smashed or merely unnecess ary slaves in order to free themselves from the economic burden. Death rates amid slaves in the Caribbean were comparatively higher than that of South, and the trend of suicide were more common. Unusual the slaves in the South, the West Indian slaves were anticipated to make their own food whenever they had spare time and to take care for the elderly and the unwell. The biggest divergence amid slavery within Latin America and the South is based upon demographic. The population trend of slaves in Brazil and the West Indies consisted of fewer proportions of female’s slaves, a comparatively less birth rate and an elevated proportion of the immigrants from Africa. In a prominent distinction, southern slaves comprised of a fair ratio of sex, an increased birth rate and a principally American national populace (Lewis 2003, 299)1. The slave rate in the United States was mostly different in the capability of the population to raise its number by the process of natural reproduction. I n the Brazil, Caribbean and Dutch Guiana, the death rate of the slave was elevated and the rate of birth rate of the slaves was low to such an extent that they themselves could not resist their populace devoid of imports from. The approximate number of children born in the beginning of 19th century of southern slave woman was about 9.2 as compared to others (Hagadorn 1851, 31)2. As in the Caribbean out of

Retail Project on Pizza Hut Essay Example for Free

Retail Project on Pizza Hut Essay Pizza Hut is one of the flagship brands of Yum! Restaurant Int. which also has KFC, Taco Bell, AW and Long John Silver’s under its umbrella. It is the world’s largest pizza chain with over 12,500 restaurants across 91 countries. Pizza Hut was started in 1958, by two brothers Frank and Dan Carney in Wichita, Kansas. They had the idea to open a pizza parlor. They borrowed $600 from their mother, and opened the very first Pizza Hut. In 1959, the first franchise unit opened in Topeka, Kansas. Almost ten years later, Pizza Hut was serving one million customers a week in their 310 locations. In 1970, Pizza Hut was put on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PIZ. In 1986, Pizza Hut introduced delivery service, something no other restaurant was doing. By the 1990s Pizza Hut sales had reached $4 billion worldwide. In 1998, Pizza Hut celebrated their 40th anniversary, and launched their famous campaign The Best Pizzas Under One Roof. In 1996, Pizza Hut sales in the United States were over $5 million. The first Indian outlet was opened in June 1996 in Bangalore. In India, Pizza Hut has 139 restaurants across 36 cities. Pizza Hut has been voted the â€Å"best family restaurant† for the second year running at the 2007 Tommy’s Parent Friendly Awards. Pizza Hut is known for quality, innovation and category leadership. 2 RETAIL ENVIRONMENT Out of all the existing pizza chains such as Dominos, Smokin Joe’s, Papa John’s, Pizza Corner, U. S Pizza, Pizza Hut has a dominating market share of 48% of the total market share. However, this forced competitors to look for new methods of increasing their customer bases. They all try to come up with some newer, bigger, better pizza for a low price. But Pizza Hut has always had the first mover advantage. Their marketing strategy in the past has always been to be the first. One of their main strategies, that they still follow today is the diversification of the products they offer. The market has become greatly competitive and the customer has become more discerning and adventurous. This however has not affected Pizza Huts comfortable reign over the Indian pizza industry and the ever increasing number of loyal customers who have made it possible for Pizza Hut to aggressively extend its presence. Pizza Hut is always adding something new to their menu, trying to reach new markets. For example, in 1992 the famous buffet was launched in Pizza Hut restaurants worldwide. They were trying to offer many different food items for customers who didnt necessarily want pizza. Another strategy they used in the past and are still using is the diversification of their pizzas. Pizza Hut is always trying to make a pizza into something slightly different so that customers will think it’s a whole new product. E. g., in 1983, Pizza Hut introduced Pan Pizza, which had a guarantee of being ready to eat in 5 minutes when dining at Pizza Hut restaurants. In 1993, they introduced the BigFoot, which was two square feet of pizza cut into 21 slices. In 1995, they introduced Stuffed Crust Pizza, where the crust would be filled with cheese. Currently, they are marketing The Big New Yorker, trying to bring the famous New York style pizza to the whole country. 3 POSITIONING Pizza Hut was among the first multinational brands to enter the food retail sector in India. When the first Pizza Hut restaurant opened in Bangalore the quick service industry was at a nascent stage and the pizza category was dominated by a sole regional player who had a marginal presence. Pizza Hut went on to play a significant role in pioneering and developing this category in India. Worldwide and in India, Pizza Hut has come to become synonymous with the best pizzas under one roof. This is because at Pizza Hut the belief is that every pizza has its own magic, thus making it a destination product – which everyone seeks. It is this belief that has ignited the passion to create, innovate and serve the finest product the industry has to offer, while setting standards for others to strive to replicate. Pizza Hut is committed to providing uncompromising product quality, offering customers the highest value for money and giving service that is warm, friendly and personal. A critical factor in Pizza Huts success has been its unique dining experience. Crewmembers at Pizza Hut strive each day to provide customer mania the kind of service that ensures that every visit of the customer is a memorable one. Pizza Huts constant endeavor to provide extra value – whether it is pizzas which are available to suit every price range, new promotions or the introduction of innovative product ranges that puts a Yum on every customers face has allowed it to increase its presence in India to the current 139 restaurants across 36 cities. 4 MARKETING STRATEGY Pizza Hut’s marketing strategy is very simple: â€Å"we want to satisfy our customer by offering them the best. † Pizza Hut has always valued customer service and satisfaction. In 1995, Pizza Hut began two customer satisfaction programs: a 1-800 number customer hotline, and a customer call-back program. These were implemented to make sure their customers were happy, and always wanted to return. Another big strength and even a competitive advantage is the fact that they have a full service restaurant as well as delivery services. Most of Pizza Huts competitors do not have restaurants. Because of the restaurant, Pizza Hut can market to different segments that other pizza chains cannot. For example, Pizza Hut can market to families much easier than Dominos or Little Caesars. Pizza Hut offers a sit-down, conversational type restaurant where families can take their children for birthday parties for example. Pizza Huts broad selection of products also makes it easier for them to market to different market segments. The other two strategies followed by Pizza Hut is C. H. A. M. P. S (Cleanliness, Hospitality, Accuracy, Maintenance, Product quality and Speed) and 3F’s (Fun, Friendly and Familiar). These two strategies have really helped Pizza hut to evolve out as a market leader with a competitive advantage. 5 PRODUCT ASSORTMENT Pizza Hut will offer a new product called The Extreme pizza. The Extreme is a twenty-inch pizza with twice as much cheese and toppings as Pizza Huts other pizzas. This new pizza will have many different competitive advantages. The first competitive advantage of The Extreme is that it is the largest pizza on the market. No other pizza restaurant offers a twenty-inch pizza. The second competitive advantage is that it has more cheese and toppings than any other pizza on the market. Another competitive advantage is the Pizza Hut brand name. Pizza Hut has built a brand name that means quality products and services. Since Pizza Hut will be introducing The Extreme, customers will automatically think this is a high quality product. The final competitive advantage is that this product will be the first pizza to target Americas youth. The Extreme pizza will target Generation X and Generation Y or people between the ages of 12 and 30. This market purchases a lot of pizza each year, but very few pizza restaurants actually target them. The Extreme will be introduced on Super Bowl Sunday, 2001. During the introduction stage of the product life cycle, Pizza Hut will try to establish a market for the product and persuade early adopters to buy. During the growth stage, Pizza Hut will try to build sales and develop a preference for the product. Pizza Hut will try to seek differentiation during the maturity stage. The Extreme is expected to begin to decline after one year on the market. 6 PRICE POSITIONING In the past, Pizza Hut has successfully used the high/low pricing strategy when setting the retail price of its products. The high/low retail pricing strategy allows Pizza Hut to charge a price that is above the competition, but also promote frequent sales to lower the price below them. The retail price of The Extreme pizza should be set at $9. 99, which is higher than Pizza Huts competitors. Several sales promotions and coupons will be used to lower the price below those competitors. Since both Pizza Hut and the beverage Mountain Dew are Pepsi subsidiaries, bundle pricing will be used. Customers can purchase The Extreme for $9. 99 and receive a two-liter bottle of Mountain Dew for free. Pizza Hut will be able to sell two products together at a single price to suggest a good value. The high/low pricing strategy has several advantages. First, this pricing strategy will help segment the market. Different groups of customers are willing to pay different prices for the same product. Pizza Hut can sell The Extreme to the customers who will pay the higher price to be the first to buy and also to the bargain hunters. The high/low pricing strategy will also create excitement. Customers will be able to try something new when they purchase The Extreme and this exciting experience may bring those customers back to purchase other products. Finally, this strategy will emphasize product and service quality. Pizza Hut sets a high initial price for its products to send a signal to customers that its products are quality and the service is excellent. 7 CUSTOMER PROFILE This target profile provides a comparison of Pizza Hut’s customers compared to: a) Total Population 14+ b) Total Purchased from Fast Food Places/Restaurants in the Last 4 Weeks. This target profile provides you with instant access to some of the worlds most insightful, robust consumer research, with unmatched accuracy, integrity and sheer power. Armed with a complete picture of your customers or your competitor’s customers, you are in the best position to fine tune you product strategy, focus your communication, and thereby optimize your marketing budget. Don’t rely on unconfirmed reports; buy this target profile to get all that data, over 400 variables, everything from attitudes and activities to media consumption. 8 CONSUMER PULL FACTORS †¢A critical factor in Pizza Huts success has been a menu that has constantly evolved and expanded to cater to the changing needs and specific preferences of customers in different parts of the world. In having understood the pulse of the customers in India, Pizza Hut has clearly established itself as a brand with an Indian heart. †¢Besides offering an extensive range of vegetarian pizzas, it was the first pizza chain to open a 100% vegetarian restaurant in India in Surat and later in Ahmedabad and Chowpatty, where it offers a Jain menu sans all root-based ingredients. †¢Over the years Pizza Hut has also developed and successfully introduced a range of products especially suited to the Indian palate. These products like Chicken Tikka, Spicy Korma, Spicy Paneer and the Masala and Tandoori pizzas have been a tremendous success. What has also given Pizza Hut a competitive edge is that in addition to an extensive range of internationally renowned pizzas like The Italian, the proprietary Pan Pizza and Stuffed Crust, in India the menu offers the option of a complete meal. It includes appetizers, a Salad Bar where the customers can make their own fresh salads, a range of soups, pastas and desserts. †¢Pizza Hut has a unique tradition. A bell hangs at each Pizza Hut restaurant, which is rung by customers who as they leave wish to thank the servers for yet another memorable visit. 9 COMPARISION 10 LONG TERM PROGNOSIS. With competition being so strong in this industry the threat of imitation products will surely be a problem to be dealt with. Pizza Hut will however have the first mover advantage with this product. With the entry of imitation products into the market, Pizza Hut will have to adjust its mixes to accommodate change. The promotions may have to be bigger and better than the competition, or the product may need to be altered to give it that little bit of an edge over the competition. For example stuffing the crust with cheese or giving a free topping with the purchase would help give Pizza Hut an edge over the competition. Pizza Hut is moving beyond big cities. While consolidating its presence in the metropolitans, this aggressive expansion will involve Pizza Hut entering smaller cities like Cochi, Nasik, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow and Madurai . It is strengthening its roots in the Indian market by tying up with local and popular brands such as Reliance Communication. Apart from this it is also developing local supply chain. Basically, Pizza Hut will need to remain flexible in the maturity stages of the product life cycle in an attempt to continue to be the market leader. Overall, this is a product that is not much unlike any of the other new pizzas that Pizza Hut has introduced. What makes this new product so exciting is the marketing plan that is directing the product at a new segment. We are taking a large pizza with a lot of toppings and marketing it as an Extreme Pizza to a generation of younger adults that are consumed by this marketing tool. This is what will make this a success. The mix of promotion and advertising we will be using will target a very profitable.

Observations of an Apple Essay Example for Free

Observations of an Apple Essay The assignment was to observe a fruit or vegetable for at least an hour. I thought it was crazy and pointless but not so ridiculous that I would not do it and earn a bad grade. Before I started, I read Samuel Scudder’s essay â€Å"Learning to See† where he talks about having to do a similar type of assignment but with a fish. He eventually became engrossed in the fish and so I became determined that I was going to try to find all I possibly could about my apple in the hour that I had. With this in mind, I chose an apple from my bowl of fruit and prepared for what I thought would be a tedious sixty minutes. I grabbed some paper and a pen, turned on some music, and began the observation process. I started just by writing everything I could see on the outside of the apple. The skin of the apple had many different shades of red as well as a yellow patch on one side. It was covered in dark red stripes that looked like quick paint strokes from a tiny paintbrush. Little white and yellow dots gave it the appearance of a speckled egg. I then noticed the apple’s shape as well as the lumps, dents, and scratches on its skin. It was slightly cold to the touch, as well as smooth and dry. I was tempted to go ahead and cut the apple open but I wanted to make sure I had written down all the small details that would normally go completely unnoticed. After I was sure I had noted as much as I could about the outside, I sliced the apple in half horizontally to observe the inside. When it is cut horizontally, the little pit where the seeds are kept is in the shape of a star and feels like thin cardboard. There were five seeds, all dark brown and shaped like a raindrop. The flesh was softer on its own without the protection of the skin and almost mushy. When I looked even closer, it seemed that the flesh of the apple was made up of tiny crystals that glistened in the light because of the juice and its cream coloring. The inside was even colder since it was wet. The sweet smell of the apple grew stronger and I finally gave in and took a bite. I wrote about the crunchiness, how crisp it was, how my teeth left their impression in the apple, how the skin ripped when it was bitten, and how  juicy it was. I decided to check the time at that point and was extremely surprised that I had only fifteen minutes left to finish up my notes. So I decided to get a little more creative with what I did to the apple. I began dissecting pieces of it, cutting little spots in half, finding the veins and what seemed to be roots of the apple. I even noticed how it stained the paper towel it sat on when I cut it. Soon I realized I had just a few minutes left and so to finish it all off, I decided to see what would happen when the apple, or what was left of it, would do when thrown hard against the pavement. I quickly ran outside and excitedly hurled the apple at the ground. I was pleased to watch it break apart and splatter all over the sidewalk and even into the snow. I walked back inside and was surprised at how excited and enthusiastic I had become by going through this sort of experiment. I did not expect that sort of reaction to come from me especially when my first thoughts had been that I would end up hating this assignment and giving up on it. I never would have believed someone if they had told me that I would one day spend an hour observing an apple, and in the end, find that I had actually enjoyed it.

Differentiate Between Investment Speculation And Gambling Finance Essay

Differentiate Between Investment Speculation And Gambling Finance Essay Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time.[1] In contrast putting money into something with an expectation of gain without thorough analysis, without security of principal, and without security of return is gambling. Putting money into something with an expectation of gain with thorough analysis, without security of principal, and without security of return is speculation This is the ups and downs of the market. When the market experiences big swings up and down, especially down, this can make a lot of folks sick. The sicker it makes you feel the more you should look at your portfolio and adjust it so you can handle the wild swings of the market. This could mean that you invest a higher percentage of your portfolio in bonds, which are a less risky type of investment. Inflation Risk The cost of living goes up. If you invest in something that returns 2% and inflation goes up 4% then youve lost 2% of the value in your investment. My parents and parents-in-law thought they would be able to live their retirement years with $100,000.00. Back then, 1930s thru 1940s, $100,000.00 made people feel they were rich forever. Opportunity Risk Opportunity Risk is when you decide to invest in one type of investment, youre also deciding not to invest in others. So if you commit money to a certain investment and it goes down in value, youre stuck in that investment and are not able to participate in another investment that might be more attractive. This is especially apparent when you purchase your own bonds for instance. You could be stuck in a 10-year bond and you want to get out because of high interest rates. You would then be forced to sell for a loss. Its much better to invest in bond funds because the fund manager has the ability to invest in many different types of bonds. Reinvestment Risk Reinvestment Risk has to do with timed investments like CDs and bonds that you purchase yourself. A mutual fund manager has the ability to diversify a portfolio of these types of investments by selecting from a larger basket of different types of CDs and bonds to reduce the risk. Concentration Risk Diversification, Diversification, Diversification. Dont concentrate your investment dollars in one type of investment. Read my article here on Diversification. Interest Rate Risk When the Fed messes around with the interest rates moving them up and down, the markets react. The value of bonds go up when interest rates go down. The value of bonds go down when interest rates go up. Keeping a well diversified portfolio will reduce the affects the Feds have on your portfolio. Credit Risk The Credit Crunch is what weve been in lately. The financial sector has taken a hit. The financial sector includes lenders like Countrywide Bank. On another note, Im watching that sector with everyone else because it just might be getting ripe to pick. Since I write about options at this site thats how Id play it if something comes up that looks interesting. Marketability Risk Having the ability to sell you investment(s). This pertains to a low interest in stocks, bonds or CDs that you may personally own. By low interest I mean not enough buyers. This is reduced immensely if you invest in a mutual fund. Currency Translation Risk The value of the dollar goes up and down in the international market depending on what country. This is one reason why its good to just have 10% of your portfolio in the international market. Timing Risk The market goes down and you feel uncomfortable about it so you sell one of your investments that you shouldnt sell bad timing. Difference between Investment , Speculation : The main difference between speculating and investing is the amount of of risk undertaken in the trade. Typically, high-risk trades that are almost akin to gambling fall under the umbrella of speculation, whereas lower-risk investments based on fundamentals and analysis fall into the category of investing. Investors seek to generate a satisfactory return on their capital by taking on an average or below-average amount of risk. On the other hand, speculators are seeking to make abnormally high returns from bets that can go one way or the other. It should be noted that speculation is not exactly like gambling because speculators do try to make an educated decision on the direction of the trade, but the risk inherent in the trade tends to be significantly above average. The term investment is used to suggest a commitment that is relatively free from certain risk of loss.It is restricted to situations promising dependable income , relatively stable value, a modest rate of return and a relatively little chance for spectacular capital appreciation. People who seek high income yields or large capital gains are therefore said to forsake investment for speculation. Speculation differs from investment with respect to the limit of the investor i.e the period for which a person is investing and the risk-return characteristics of the investment.An investor is always interested in a good and consistent rate of return for a long period of time. However , a speculator is less interested in earning very large returns , higher than the normal rate of return , in a short time. The word speculate comes from the latin word, speculate meaning to see ahead . Speculation is a reasoned anticipation of future conditions. A speculator tries to perceive investment values ahead of the general public. It attempts to organize the relevant knowledge as a support for judgements. Infact , everything we do in this world is a speculation. One must have the courage to make decisions when the conditions are unfavorable such as panic , despair or optimism. Most successful speculators operate on a single principle of buying in underpriced markets and selling out in overpriced markets. Thus speculation is a deliberate assumption of risks in ventures , which offer the hope of commensurate gains. These expected gains might be much larger than an investment would offer.The speculation are more interested in price gains than in income. Difference between Investment and Gambling: According to most dictionaries , gambling is an art of risk taking without the knowledge of the exact nature of risk. Many people speculate heavily on the strength of tips or gossip and plunge into situation , which they do not understand. This is gambling even though the commitment is of reasonable speculative quantity. Gambling is based on tips , rumours and it is an unplanned and non-scientific act. A gambler risks more than he/she can afford. It is considered to involve the shortest time period and highest risk. Typical examples of gambling are betting on horse riding , game of cards , lottery etc.Holding shares for the duration of a stock exchange fortnightly account might be termed as speculation . but to bet on the course of the stock market over the same period with a book maker is considered to be a gambling. Difference between Gambling and Speculation Gambling and Speculation are popular among those who want to make easy money. One cannot deny that money has been ruling the world today. People always thrive to profit, and the easier it is to earn money, the better. With that mindset comes the popularity of gambling and speculation. But what might we overlook is the fact that even if these two seems to have the same goal, there is difference between gambling and speculation. Gambling If you want cash within a snap, maybe gambling can help you with that. When one say gambling, it would usually connote casinos, lotteries and slot machines. And every time you gamble, there are only two things you can expect, it is either you win, or you lose. This has been popular because you only have to spend a small amount of money for stakes that are very high. For example, in lottery, the jackpot would amount to millions of dollars, but you can bet for just a couple of bucks. Speculation If one wants to increase his chances to profit one might try to speculate. Speculation is just like investment, you initially put in a capital expecting a profit in return. This is also defined as the act of placing funds on a financial vehicle with the intention of getting satisfactory returns over an amount of time. The stock market is a widely known rendezvous for speculators. The main points of difference are as follows: Gambling and speculation are vehicles to profit easily. The probability to succeed in either gambling or speculation is undetermined. The success of a speculator would be because of his skills and knowledge while the success of a gambler would be due to his luck. Gambling can be done without thinking while speculation needs in depth study. 5. Speculation needs a lot more hard work compared to gambling Q2 : What are Financial Markets with examples? What is the difference between Money Market and Capital Market? Explain in detail one money market instrument and one capital market instrument. Ans :A financial market is a market in which people and entities can trade financial securities, commodities, and other fungible items of value at low transaction costs and at prices that reflect supply and demand. Securities include stocks and bonds, and commodities include precious metals or agricultural goods. Structure of Financial Market FINANCIAL MARKET MONEY MARKET CAPITAL MARKET DERIVATIVES MARKET EQUITY MARKET LONG TERM DEBT MARKET FUTURES MARKET OPTIONS MARKET GOVT DEBT MARKET CORPORATE DEBT MARKET SECONDARY MARKET PRIMARY MARKET Types of financial markets: Within the financial sector, the term financial markets is often used to refer just to the markets that are used to raise finance: for long term finance, the Capital markets; for short term finance, the Money markets. Hence we can say that basically there are two types of markets: Capital Market Money Market Capital markets which consist of: Stock markets : which provide financing through the issuance of shares or common stock, and enable the subsequent trading thereof. Bond markets : which provide financing through the issuance of bonds, and enable the subsequent trading thereof. Commodity markets, which facilitate the trading of commodities. Capital markets are markets that trade equity (stocks) and debt (bonds) instruments having maturities more than a year. Due to their longer maturity , these instruments experience wider price fluctuations , higher credit and interest rate risks than the money market instruments. In contrast to money markets, capital markets are used for long term investments. They provide an alternative to investment in real assets such as real estate or gold. Money markets, which provide short term debt financing and investment. Money market consists of: Certificate of deposit Treasury Bills Commercial Papers etc The need for money market arises because of the immediate cash needs of individuals , corporation and govt do not necessarily coincide with their receipts of cash. The money market enables large sum of money to be transferred quickly and at a low cots from one economic unit ( business , govt , bank etc.) to another economic unit for relatively shorter period. Difference between Money Market and Capital Market: Money market is distinguished from capital market on the basis of the maturity period, credit instruments and the institutions: Maturity Period: The money market deals in the lending and borrowing of short-term finance (i.e., for one year or less), while the capital market deals in the lending and borrowing of long-term finance (i.e., for more than one year). Credit Instruments: The main credit instruments of the money market are call money, collateral loans, acceptances, bills of exchange. On the other hand, the main instruments used in the capital market are stocks, shares, debentures, bonds, securities of the government. Nature of Credit Instruments: The credit instruments dealt with in the capital market are more heterogeneous than those in money market. Some homogeneity of credit instruments is needed for the operation of financial markets. Too much diversity creates problems for the investors. Institutions: Important institutions operating in the money market are central banks, commercial banks, acceptance houses, nonbank financial institutions, bill brokers, etc. Important institutions of the capital market are stock exchanges, commercial banks and nonbank institutions, such as insurance companies, mortgage banks, building societies, etc. Purpose of Loan: The money market meets the short-term credit needs of business; it provides working capital to the industrialists. The capital market, on the other hand, caters the long-term credit needs of the industrialists and provides fixed capital to buy land, machinery, etc. Risk: The degree of risk is small in the money market. The risk is much greater in capital market. The maturity of one year or less gives little time for a default to occur, so the risk is minimised. Risk varies both in degree and nature throughout the capital market. Basic Role: The basic role of money market is that of liquidity adjustment. The basic role of capital market is that of putting capital to work, preferably to long-term, secure and productive employment. Relation with Central Bank: The money market is closely and directly linked with central bank of the country. The capital market feels central banks influence, but mainly indirectly and through the money market. Market Regulation: In the money market, commercial banks are closely regulated. In the capital market, the institutions are not much regulated. Explanation of Treasury Bills (Money market instrument): Treasury Bills (T-Bills): Treasury Bills, one of the safest money market instruments, are short term borrowing instruments of the Central Government of the Country issued through the Central Bank (RBI in India). They are zero risk instruments, and hence the returns are not so attractive. It is available both in primary market as well as secondary market. It is a promise to pay a said sum after a specified period. T-bills are short-term securities that mature in one year or less from their issue date. They are issued with three-month, six-month and one-year maturity periods. The Central Government issues T- Bills at a price less than their face value (par value). They are issued with a promise to pay full face value on maturity. So, when the T-Bills mature, the government pays the holder its face value. The difference between the purchase price and the maturity value is the interest income earned by the purchaser of the instrument. T-Bills are issued through a bidding process at auctions. The bid can be prepared either competitively or non-competitively. In the second type of bidding, return required is not specified and the one determined at the auction is received on maturity. Whereas, in case of competitive bidding, the return required on maturity is specified in the bid. In case the return specified is too high then the T-Bill might not be issued to the bidder. At present, the Government of India issues three types of treasury bills through auctions, namely, 91-day, 182-day and 364-day. There are no treasury bills issued by State Governments. Treasury bills are available for a minimum amount of Rs.25K and in its multiples. While 91-day T-bills are auctioned every week on Wednesdays, 182-day and 364- day T-bills are auctioned every alternate week on Wednesdays. The Reserve Bank of India issues a quarterly calendar of T-bill auctions which is available at the Banks website. It also announces the exact dates of auction, the amount to be auctioned and payment dates by issuing press releases prior to every auction. Payment by allottees at the auction is required to be made by debit to their/ custodians current account. T-bills auctions are held on the Negotiated Dealing System (NDS) and the members electronically submit their bids on the system. NDS is an electronic platform for facilitating dealing in Government Securities and Money Market Inst ruments. RBI issues these instruments to absorb liquidity from the market by contracting the money supply. In banking terms, this is called Reverse Repurchase (Reverse Repo). On the other hand, when RBI purchases back these instruments at a specified date mentioned at the time of transaction, liquidity is infused in the market. This is called Repo (Repurchase) transaction Debentures ( A Capital Market Instrument): A debenture is a document which either creates a debt or acknowledges it. Debenture issued by a company is in the form of a certificate acknowledging indebtedness. The debentures are issued under the Companys Common Seal. Debentures are one of a series issued to a number of lenders. The date of repayment is specified in the debentures. Debentures are issued against a charge on the assets of the Company. Debentures holders have no right to vote at the meetings of the companies. Kinds of Debentures: (a)Bearer Debentures: They are registered and are payable to the bearer. They are negotiable instruments and are transferable by delivery. (b) Registered Debentures: They are payable to the registered holder whose name appears both on the debentures and in the Register of Debenture Holders maintained by the company. Registered Debentures can be transferred but have to be registered again. Registered Debentures are not negotiable instruments. A registered debenture contains a commitment to pay the principal sum and interest. It also has a description of the charge and a statement that it is Issued subject to the conditions endorsed therein. (c) Secured Debentures: Debentures which create a change on the assets of the company which may be fixed or floating are known as secured Debentures. The term bonds and debentures(secured) are used interchangeably in common parlance. In USA, BOND is a long term contract which is secured, whereas a debentures is an unsecured one. (d) Unsecured or Naked Debentures: Debentures which are issued without any charge on assets are insecured or naked debentures. The holders are like unsecured creditors and may see the company for the recovery of debt. (e) Redeemable Debentures: Normally debentures are issued on the condition that they shall be redeemed after a certain period. They can however, be reissued after redemption. (f) Perpetual Debentures: When debentures are irredeemable they are called perpetual. Perpetual Debentures cannot be issued in India at present. (g) Convertible Debentures: If an option is given to convert debentures into equity shares at the stated rate of exchange after a specified period, they are called convertible debentures. Convertible Debentures have become very popular in India. On conversion the holders cease to be lenders and become owners. Q3: What is the difference between Real Assets and Financial Assets? Explain in detail three non- marketable securities: Ans: Investment instruments or assets or securities are broadly classified into two categories : Financial assets and Real Assets. Real assets determine the wealth of an economy , whereas financial assets are merely claims to income generated by real assets . They are represented by paper and can also be termed as paper assets. Real Assets: A real asset is a tangible asset like gold, oil, and real estate.It has intrinsic value due to its utility. Its value is derived by virtue of what it represents.Real Assets have low correlations to traditional stocks and bonds. Because commodities have low correlations to stocks and bonds, they can be a good choice to lower your overall portfolio risk while enhancing your potential for better long-term risk-adjusted returns. A real asset is a tangible asset like gold, oil, and real estate.It has intrinsic value due to its utility. Its value is derived by virtue of what it represents.The types of real assets are as follows: Gold Oil Goodwill Trade Marks Patents Copyrights etc. Why invest in Real Assets? Real Assets have low correlations to traditional stocks and bonds. Because commodities have low correlations to stocks and bonds, they can be a good choice to lower your overall portfolio risk while enhancing your potential for better long-term risk-adjusted returns. What are financial assets Financial assets include Cash, and those assets that can be converted to cash in a reasonably short period of time one year at most, but less time in many cases. We will study the following financial assets: Cash Cash Equivalents Short Term Investments Accounts Receivable Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash is just as the word suggests. It includes cash money including paper and coins, checks and money orders to be deposited, money deposited in bank accounts that can be accessed quickly. The term liquid refers to Cash, and the ease or difficulty of converting an asset into Cash.   Cash Equivalents are highly liquid short term investments that can be turned into Cash very quickly. These include US Treasury bills, money market accounts and high grade commercial paper. When corporations need to borrow money for a very short time, they often sell commercial paper. These come due within a few months at most, and pay a higher interest rate than other investments.   Short Term Investments Short Term Investments include stocks and bonds that the company intends to hold only for a short time, and then sell and convert back to Cash. We consider it a good practice to convert unneeded cash to an investment account, where it can earn interest, dividends or show capital gains. These are shown on the balance sheet at their current market value, even if that is higher than the price paid for the investments. This is one of the few times we increase a balance sheet item above its historic cost. Accounts Receivable Companies often sell to their customers on credit. The amount the customers owe is called Accounts Receivable (AR). We would record AR at the same time the sale is made, deducting any cash paid at the time of purchase, etc. When customers pay, we subtract the payment from their accounts receivable balance.   Most companies use an Accounts Receivable Subsidiary Ledger, which is similar to the General Ledger. The subsidiary ledger contains detailed information about each customers account purchases, payments, returns, adjustments, etc. Most companies send statements at the of each month, listing the monthly transactions and ending balance due from each customer.   Difference between Real Assets and Financial Assets: With the advancement of economy , the relative importance of financial assets tends to increase . Even though the real assets differ greatly from financial assets , two forma are complementary and not competitive. The difference between real assets and financial assets can be summarised as follows: Real Assets determine the wealth of a society or economy whereas financial assets do not represent societys wealth. Real Assets contribute directly to the productive capacity of the economy while the contribution of financial assets to the productive capacity is indirect because they facilitate the transfer of funds to enterprises with attractive investment opportunities. Real assets produce goods and services whereas financial assets define the allocation of income or wealth among investors. Real assets appear only on the asset side of the balance sheet , while financial assets appear on both sides of balance sheet. Investing in real assets carries more risks than investing in paper assets. Non- Marketable Securities: Some financial assets are said to be non-marketable because they are neither transferable nor negotiable . The investors actually own these assets and cannot buy and sell them in the secondary market. Types of non-marketable securities are as follows: Bank Deposits: The most popular non-marketable assets held by an investor include deposits with the banks and their saving schemes. There are various types of deposits with banks such as current accounts, saving accounts and fixed deposits . Deposits on current account do not earn any interest whereas bank deposits earn intereest.The interest rate on these deposits vary depending upon the maturity period. Since saving accounts are deposited at regular interval, they have a fixed rate of interest.However , fixed deposits are recurring deposits with varying maturity period.Hence, the rates also vary. Features: They are best known type of investments that offers a high degree of safety on both the principal and the return on that principal. Bank deposits are highly liquid and can be encashed anytime. Loans can be raised against bank deposits. Non-Negotiable Certificate Of Deposit: Commercial banks and other financial institution offer a variety of savings certificates known as certificate of deposits (CDs). These instruments are available for various maturities. As the maturity increases , the rate of interest offered also increases. However large deposits may command higher rates , holding maturity constant . The credit risk associated with large CDs depend directly on the credit worthiness of the financial institution that issue them. Since large CDs are not insured , a CD holder may lose principal if the financial institution fails. Money Market Deposit Account: Financial Institutions offer Money Market Deposit Accounts with no interest rate ceilings.The Money Market Deposit Accounts require a minimum deposit to open. They pay competitive money market rates of interest and are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) if the issued bank is insured. Withdrawals can be made , as many times as desired , in person or through automated teller machines (ATMs). There are no limitations on the number of deposits.

Essay --

Family is known to be the foundation of society, but family can also be a source of anger, grief and duplicity and animosity; cohabitation and dating relationships can also be a source of grief. No one should live in fear of the person they love, however, when love becomes interwoven with violence, the dynamic of the relationship changes. The relationship atmosphere becomes less powerful, incapable of providing support and a nurturing environment as it becomes a vehicle for personal destruction and despair. Intimate partner violence was consider at one point to be a private matter, however, it is now a public concern. In fact, people involvement in a single case of IPV-physical, sexual and psychological abuse-includes mental health and legal professionals and community members (Witte, Schroeder and Lohr, 2006). Texas defines domestic violence as â€Å"an act by a member of a family or household against another member of the family or household that is intended to result in physical harm, bodily injury, assault or sexual assault or that is a threat the reasonably places the member in fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, assault or sexual assault, but does not included defensive measures to protect oneself† (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2013). Domestic violence (DV), also known as intimate partner violence (IPV), spousal abuse or battering, is a widespread problem across the medical, social, and public health arena Houry, Feldhaus, Perry, Abbott, Lowenstein, Al-Bataa-De-Montero, and Levine (2004). Health-related costs of physical assault, marital rape, stalking, and homicide by intimate partners exceed $5.8 billion yearly, which is nearly $4.1 billion of which goes to direct medical and mental health services (Fantuzz... ...clusion, domestic violence registry does not guarantee accountability because not all domestic violence cases are reported. Thus, abusers are not convicted, therefore, would not be included in the registry. Since not all domestic violence cases are reported or convicted, that would make the registry incomplete, thus providing a false sense of security if a spouse’s, boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s name is not on the list. However, HB 21 could be extended into jurisdiction database. This way it can protect victim by ensuring that survivor’s do not have to live in fear worrying that their partners’ will come after them. The database should not allow the offender to upgrade their information but the system should be in the way as a parole officer is to their parolee whereby, only the officers of the law can access the database to make changes in an offenders’ information.

Status Of Transition From Socialism Essay -- essays research papers f

Vietnam is a country whose economy is evolving. Its rapidly changing economy is facing significant alterations in the process of transition. Vietnam is moving away from its current economy, which is a non-market socialist one, towards a market economy with a socialist orientation. Vietnam is one of the poorest countries in the world with a Gross Domestic Product of only $300. High levels of population along with the proper training will allow Vietnam to effectively use its number one resource, people. Australia plays a key role in assisting Vietnam's economic growth and development through their aid programs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Economic reforms are changing Vietnam from an agricultural rich economy to a service industry one. Throughout the years, agriculture, as a percent of Gross national product, has decreased from year to year, while service and industrial are increasing. This steady decline is because of the changing situation with its economy. With this decrease, migration to cities and towns is usually normal, but not in this case, as Vietnam has stayed primarily rural. The main agricultural cash crops in Vietnam are rice, coffee, cashews, corn potatoes rubber, soybean and tea. Clothing, computers and electronics are a growing part of the economy as well. Tourism is the largest industry in the service sector.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Vietnam land sales are not permitted. This is because of the communist rule, and the ownership of all land by the state. During the current economic reform to a market system of economy, household farms have replace the once popular collective farms. Land rights are guaranteed to the families for twenty years on farmland and fifty years for forestland. Though the farmers can still not own land they do have the right to use it, rent it, inherit it, and well as claim it as collateral.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The changing economy has caused the industrial and service sectors to steadily expand. With this increase, many are being dominated by state owned industries. Along with the escalating change towards a market economy, competition within the private sector has also risen due to the fact that state owned enterprises are increasing as well. If these state owned enterprises were private then economic efficiency would be increased as well. This in turn would benefit the Vietnam economy and people. Th... ...ng money into such areas but has also instituted programs in order to help Vietnam be more self-sufficient. They are training people in international law and human rights, as well as funding for research in the area of public and international policy. Along with the teaching and funding Australia is also monitoring the programs to make sure they are effective and being used to there full potential.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vietnam is a country whose economy is going through changes and with the support of such countries such as Australia, Vietnam’s goal to move from its current economy, which is a non-market socialist one, towards a market economy with a socialist orientation is become closer to attain. The change of the economy and stable growth will help Vietnam raise it quality of living as well as open up doors to the country and its people. Bibliography The United Stated Library of Congress (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/vntoc.html) Gardener, L.C. et al. (1997) Vietnam: The Early Decisions. Austin: university of Texan Press. Karnow, Stanley (1983). Vietnam A History. New York: Penguin Books. Long, Robert Emmet (1986). Vietnam: The Early Decisions. New York: Wilson.

How Far Is Odysseus Motivated by Nostos?

â€Å"Odysseus is motivated only by his desire to return home (nostos). † How far do you agree with this view? In your answer you should: * Consider how Odysseus behaves on his journey home; * Include an analysis of his motives; * Support your answer with evidence from The Odyssey. On his journey home, Odysseus encounters many obstacles which he attempts to overcome swiftly so that he may arrive home as soon as possible; however, it can be argued that nostos is not his only motive throughout his journey, though it may be the most significant.In Book 5, Homer presents Odysseus for the first time, and we find him weeping for his â€Å"lost home† and discover that he has been doing so for the past seven years every day. This shows how much he longs for his nostos and that this is his main aim in life. However, despite his apparent pain and homesickness, he has not yet attempted to leave the island, nor does he hate Calypso for keeping him here, as he sleeps with her every night and shows no aversion to eating and talking with her.Of course, if he did try to escape he would die immediately, so his motive for not doing so is self-preservation rather than nostos; on the other hand, if he died he would never achieve his nostos, so perhaps his sole motive is nostos. Furthermore, he declines Calypso’s offer of immortality as he claims his â€Å"never-failing wish† is to achieve his nostos. In Book 9, Odysseus tells the Phaeacians that he and his men raided Ismarus when they left Troy.Odysseus’ motive for this could either be a desire for booty (in which case he wants kleos rather than nostos) or a desire for supplies (in which case he does want to achieve nostos, and so is preparing himself for the journey). Also, he is anxious to leave Ismarus as soon as possible which shows a desire for nostos; however, he allows his men to overrule this decision, which either shows that his motive is to please his men, or that his desire for nostos is not very strong at this point.If it is the former, his sole motive his not nostos. (Incidentally, when he drags two of his men away from the Lotus-eaters, his motive is to please his men as well as to be a good leader, not nostos, which shows that his sole motive is not nostos at this point). In Book 9, Odysseus explains how he tried to escape the Cyclops’ cave as he and his men were in â€Å"mortal peril†; thus, his motive was self-preservation and good leadership (as he wanted to save his men as well).Furthermore, the reason they were trapped in the cave in the first place was because Odysseus desired booty; though his men tried to urge him away, he wanted â€Å"gifts† and would not leave without them. In addition to this, he called out his true name to the Cyclops as he wanted kleos and thus provoked the Cyclops to curse him (which hindered his nostos). At this point in his journey, he was motivated more by kleos than by nostos. In Book 10, we find out tha t Odysseus stays with Aeolus for an entire month, thus fulfilling the laws of xenia by not rushing away, so piety seems to take precedence over nostos here.When he has left Aeolia, however, he is certainly anxious to reach Ithaca swiftly and even takes complete control of the â€Å"sheet of the ship† in his â€Å"anxiety†. He does not relax until they are finally in sight of Ithaca. Furthermore, when the winds blow him back to Aeolia, he does not attempt to linger once more but immediately requests Aeolus to assist him in reaching Ithaca as soon as possible and feels â€Å"deep distress† when the request his denied, showing how important nostos is to him.In Book 10, Odysseus also relates how he stayed with Circe for a year simply finding â€Å"pleasure in living† and enjoying himself. He does not feel any pressing need to return to Ithaca, and it is his men who finally remind him that they need to go home. This shows that he is not motivated solely by nos tos on his journey. On the other hand, when his men urge him to leave Circe’s island, he is quick to agree and they leave the next day, showing his eagerness to return home – however, despite nostos being the significant motive it is clear that it is not the sole motive at this point.In Book 12, Odysseus encounters the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis and the island of Thrinacie. Here it is very clear that his motive is not nostos; he listens to the Sirens rather than putting wax in his ears, motivated by kleos and curiosity; he attempts to kill Scylla rather than sailing swiftly past, again motivated by kleos; he easily gives in to his men and lands on Thrinacie despite knowing that their â€Å"deadliest peril† (and greatest obstacle to nostos) lies there, claiming his motive is that he cannot go against the majority vote.Although he does pray to the gods for a â€Å"way of escape† from Thrinacie, he can also be motivated by wanting supplies and self-preserv ation, so his sole motive is not nostos. On Scherie, Odysseus states that â€Å"All I seek now is my passage home†. The use of â€Å"all† shows that it is the only thing he wishes for and therefore his sole motive since he has left Calypso’s island. It can be argued, however, that it is only because Odysseus has achieved kleos (his name is known even in the heavens) and no longer has the responsibility of his men that his sole motive is now nostos.Also, he has now been away from home for twenty years, and is now truly homesick. Odysseus’ arrival in Ithaca is quite anti-climatic: although he is â€Å"overjoyed† and kisses the earth, Homer does not linger on the moment but relates how Athene and Odysseus proceed to make a plan. The killing of the Suitors is much more significant, as it is described in great detail and Books 14 – 23 concern mainly this matter.Then again, perhaps this is because Odysseus has not achieved his nostos simply by arr iving at Ithaca: he must regain his position as well, in which case the killing of the Suitors is far more significant. However, it can be argued that the killing of the Suitors is not solely motivated by nostos but also a desire for revenge, especially since Odysseus does not spare any of them and kills his disloyal servants as well, and would have killed the Suitors’ families if it had not been for Athene’s interference: it does not seem like the sole motive for all of this killing could have been nostos.In conclusion, Odysseus is motivated by many things throughout his journey, including kleos, revenge, curiosity, the desire to please his men, good leadership, leading a comfortable life and nostos. Before he lands on Calypso’s island, nostos is not the most significant; however, it becomes his sole motive for the rest of his journey. Once he lands in Ithaca, it can be argued that he is also motivated by revenge, but nostos is still a significant motive even i f it is not the sole motive.

The Boy King’s Treasure

One of the most famous of all of the Egyptian kings or pharaohs in history is the boy king, Tutankhamen. Tutankhamen was not known for his accomplishments (even though he opened up religious tolerance which was absent during his father’s reign) or great building projects, but rather the artwork that came out of his burial chamber in the Valley of the Kings. His tomb is unique because most of the treasures and art was untouched and still intact. The treasure that was put in the tomb showed the wealth that would be buried with the pharaohs and kings, and how much wealth the ancient Egyptian culture has been lost to modern times due to tomb raiders. There are many symbols that show the religion of the ancient Egyptians within the tomb such as the hawk symbol for Horus. The detail that was also shown on the death mask, sculptures, and even the coffin is a true marvel of metal works. Tutankhamen was a king during the New Kingdom period of the 18th Dynasty. The death of both kings some two years later resulted in the accession of Tutankhaton, as Tutankhamun was then called, when he was about nine years old and married to Ankhesenpaaton, Meritaton’s younger sister. †[1] Tutankhaton was also known to have been disfigured and weak, but by the painting and statues of him you would never guess. Tutankhaton did not rule long over Egypt dying at the aged of nineteen. Tutankhaton unlike the kings of the past with the giant p yramids, he was buried with many other kings of his time in the Valley of the Kings. The Valley of the Kings is, â€Å"which is a rocky desert west of the Nile opposite Luxor,†[2] this took fewer resources and had more room for the kings to have their tombs put into. Figure 1. Egyptian, Thebes: Tomb of Tutankhamen: King Ay complete ritual of opening of mouth on King Tut represented as Osiris, Date 1580-1085 B. C, Luxor, Egypt, New Kingdom-Dynasty XVIII–1580-1085 BC The picture above was found inside of Tutankhamen’s tomb which shows Tutankhamen’s successor Ay, and Tutankhamen dressed as the god, Osiris. The idea of this is to show the religious aspect where the King hopes to be able to rise from the dead just like Osiris. The picture depicts also a ritual called the opening of the mouth. This was link to both birth and death on someone. Historians were able to connect that the opening of the mouth ritual through Tutankhamen’s tomb and the pyramid texts that the opening of the mouth ritual has been around since the Old Kingdom in Egypt. â€Å"Although flint pss-kfs are rare after the beginning of the First Dynasty, models of the implement, often made of other types of stone, are known from Old Kingdom tombs and continue to occur occasionally as late as the Eighteenth Dynasty. [3] This was a great discovery for the religious and belief system of ancient Egyptians. This picture also show that the Canon law which was used when Egyptians depicted people, which was used in the Old Kingdom was still in use during the New Kingdom during Tutankhamun. Showing that both the religious and art basics within Egypt has not changed much over the course of the hundreds of year that span from the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom. Figure 2. Egyptian, Funerary Mask of Tutankhamen, Date 1333-1323 BCE, Luxor, Egypt, New Kingdom, Eighteenth Dynasty The funerary mask that was found inside the tomb of Tutankhamun is one of the most famous pieces of art to have been discovered in the tomb. The funerary mask shows the amount of wealth the kings and pharaohs gathered over time. The materials that were used within the mask are made of solid gold and other semi-precious stones. The demotions of the funerary mask are, â€Å"height 54. 0 cm, width 39. 0 cm, depth 49. 0 cm. †[4] The shape of the mask is believed to be a pretty good depiction of what Tutankhamun looked like when he was alive. The rather narrow eyes, fleshy lips, and shape of the nose and chin all agree with the features visible on his mummy. †[5] This mask would have been buried on King Tutankhamun in the coffins for there were three coffins that were stacked inside one another (kind of like the Russian nesting dolls). All the coffins also had the almost identical mask piece as the funerary mask. The coffins were also made with extreme care and precision, whi ch includes both wood work and metal work. Figure 3. Egyptian, Statuette of Tutankhamen on Papyrus Boat as Harpooner: Front 3/4: from Tomb of Tutankhamen, Date 1350 B. C, Luxor, Egypt, New Kingdom-Dynasty XVIII–1580-1085 BC This piece of art has shown the amount of treasure that the kings gather being that it wooden figure gilded in gold. But the think that is that through scientific data there believe that Tutankhamen was a disfigured and weak person so to show him as a harpooner does not come to mind. This could be to show that the king was not weak to the outside and even to have the king to have a strong body in the afterlife. This piece of art also shows the â€Å"Egyptian sculptor’s ability to represent realistically the poise of the human body in the course of movement. †[6] The rest of the statuette was left out was a hippopotamus of Seth which was what Tutankhamen was harpooning. It was left out for a simple reason that it may be dangerous to the king in burial place of the king in the afterlife. â€Å"This gilded wooden figure represents Tutankhamun as Horus throwing a harpoon at one of Seth’s hippopotami. †[7] The perception that the king was the embodiment of Horus was still around from the beginning of the Kingdoms. Thanks to the discovery of the boy king’s tomb historian are able to see religious aspect of the ancient Egyptians and the wealth that has been lost through history. With the art work you can also see the masterful work of metal work that Egyptians mastered over a long time of metal working. Historians can also see that the times during Tutankhamun’s rule that the Egyptian were still using the canon of proportions as the Old and Middle Kingdoms periods. The tomb of Tutankhamun was a view of the past that was lost to historian and Egyptologist which helps to link the past with dates further back and to the future of the Egyptians.

Of Mice And Men And Social Characters Essay

In this essay I will examine three characters that can be considered as social misfits. I will talk about crooks, lennie and Curley’s wife as my three social characters. The reason that I have chosen these characters is because, Lennie is simple minded, crooks is black and Curley’s wife is a woman, these reasons will explain why each of these characters doesn’t fit into the environment. I will explain why Steinbeck has included the above characters in the novel. At last I will finish my essay by giving my conclusion. I have chosen crooks as a social misfit because he is the only black man on the ranch and back in the 1930’s, black people were treated differently to white people because of their skin colour. In my opinion crooks is a lonely person because again he is black, no one wants to talk to him or play card with him because he is black. â€Å"They play cards in there and I can’t play because I’m black!† Generally the level of the racism is so high. For instance, different characters have said a word â€Å"nigger† several times throughout the novel and this in my opinion is very racist towards black people. â€Å"If I say something, why it’s just a nigger talking†. Every one judges him by looking at his skin colour but he is possibly the most intelligent man on the ranch because he can read. â€Å"He had books too, California civil code for 1905†. With this knowledge he is discriminated and has to sleep alone behind the stables. Steinbeck has included crooks in this novel because he wanted to demonstrate how black people were treated differently. Not because white people don’t like black people’s personality, no; it’s just because of their skin colour. Crook is one of those fortunate black men who are very talented but he can’t fit into the environment because of his skin colour. I have chosen Lennie as one of my social misfit character because he in fact is mentally disabled. Lennie’s brain can only think about rabbits or mice, â€Å"don’t you think of nothing but rabbits.† He is very different to other characters because they can have serious conversations but Lennie can’t, but if he wants to talk to people he will either talk about tending rabbits or their dream of having a small farm, â€Å"the rabbits that we’re gonna get, and I get to tend them.† Lennie’s mind is just like a child because he only thinks about tending rabbits like a child would do, â€Å"I remember about tending rabbits George.† â€Å"Don’t you think of nothing but rabbits?† Steinbeck has include Lennie in this novel to show some of the Americans were narrow minded and most of them where uneducated. Curley’s wife can be considered as one of my social misfit characters because she is the only woman on the ranch. Steinbeck is trying to demonstrate about a woman back in 1930s, and how they were treated. You can see Curley’s wife was treated as a sexual object. For example, she is sometimes called a â€Å"tart† by the man or she couldn’t talk to any one except Curley, â€Å"you can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley .else he gets mad.† I personally feel sorry for Curley’s wife because she was not allowed to talk to any one except her husband and in my opinion she is a very lonely person. Curley’s wife and crooks are quite similar. No one wants to talk to crooks because he is black, no one wants to talk to Curley’s wife because she is a woman and in those day’s women’s and black people were treated differently so both of them were abused because of what they are. In my opinion Steinbeck has include Curley’s wife in the novel of mice and men because he wanted to demonstrate the position of the women and how they were treated. I think in 1930s there were fewer women in America than men’s in and those women’s were viewed as a sexual object by men’s. My conclusion is that every one of these three characters can be considered as a social misfit but in my opinion crooks is more likely not to be fit into the environment because he is black and in 1930s there were few black people in community in America. Crooks can’t have a conversation with people because he has a coloured skin that’s why he is very lonely. In my opinion it would have been boring if everyone on the ranch was white. By putting crooks in this novel everyone can see that black community weren’t in demand as white community.

Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid

Greece and Turkey -By 1946, Greece and Czechoslovakia were the only countries in Eastern Europe that weren’t Communist. -Even in Greece, the government, which was being supported by British soldiers, was having to fight a civil war against the Communists. In February 1947, the British told Truman they could no longer afford to keep their soldiers in Greece. President Truman stepped in. The USA paid for the British soldiers in Greece. Truman noted that Turkey too was in danger from Soviet aggression, so Congress voted to give aid to Turkey as well. -Part of the money was given in economic and humanitarian aid, but most was spent on military supplies and weapons. Truman Doctrine In the 1930s, America had kept out of Europe’s business. Now, on 12 March 1947, Truman told Americans that it was America’s DUTY to interfere. His policy towards the Soviet Union was one of ‘containment’ – he did not try to destroy the USSR, but he wanted to stop it grow ing any more. This was called the ‘Truman Doctrine’. Greece -After WWI Greece appeared to be ‘under threat' from Communism. -Britain was unable to support Greece (as it had done in the past). -In 1947 Greece was under attack from Communist rebels and asked the USA for help. Communism -Truman was concerned about the spread of Communism and was determined to take action. -He offered arms, supplies and money to Greece. -Communism in Greece was defeated by 1949 following a civil war. Doctrine Truman was determined that the USA would not live in isolation. -The Truman Doctrine aimed to contain Communism, but not push it back – known as Containment. -Offered assistance to â€Å"all free peoples† resisting â€Å"attempted subjugation†. Marshall Aid -Truman saw war ravaged Europe as a â€Å"breeding ground† for Communism. -He felt it was vital to encourage countries to become prosperous again – to recover from the war. -US Secretary of State, George Ma rshall, propsed Marshall Aid (also know as the Marshall Plan) Just being helpful? -Helping European countries to recover also meant creating a market for US exports. -Also (although not publicly admitted) it was a clear aim to prevent the spread of Communism. -Stalin saw this as America trying to buy support. Tension -Between 1947-51 12 billion dollars was given in aid! -Vital help for recovery. -However, Stalin refused Marshall Aid and banned Eastern European countries under the USSR's control from accepting it. -This created tension on both sides.