The Current Situation Between Gaza and Israel free essay sample

There has not been a moment of peace in former Palestine since the United Nations proclaimed the land as the State of the Jewish people in 1948, which changed the name of the land to Israel. In the Gaza strip, just above Egypt, there are constant fire attacks from both Hamas into Israel, and in defense, from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) into Gaza. Since Hamas took over Gaza in June of 2007, Israel began a blockade preventing food, gas and medical supplies from entering the Gaza strip with the intention of forcing those living in Gaza to stop firing missiles within the Israeli border (Israel Hasbara Committee). With recent events currently occurring in this region; the breakdown of the border between Gaza and Egypt, and the Palestinian â€Å"human chain,† a large number of newspapers victimize the Palestinians. Though many international newspapers seems to hold a biased against Israel and the countries recent decisions in dealing with Gaza, such as such as the Palestine Times and the Economist, several international newspapers such as The Hindu Times of India, The People’s daily of China and The Jerusalem Post go a step further to explain Israel’s actions. When Hamas, a radical Islamist group with the main goal of eliminating the State of Israel, took over the Gaza strip last summer in June 2007, Egypt began a blockade against this Palestinian region. After Hamas leaders captured Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit, Israel followed Egypt and began a blockade upon Gaza, as well (Human Rights Watch). The Israeli blockade denied the Palestinians from purchasing â€Å"food, fuel and medicine† and later in October of 2007 reduced the fuel supply to the Gaza strip (Human Rights Watch). Since the blockade thousands of missiles and attacks from the Gaza territory have landed into large cities in Israel, including the city of Sderot. After being attacked for numerous months, which resulted in 82 wounded Israeli civilians, Israel placed a total blockade on January 17, 2008 (Human Rights Watch). On January 18, Israel closed off all its boarders between Gaza and warned that the boarders would not be opened until rocket bombs, 16 that day, stopped entering into Israel (Mcarthy, Roy). On January 23, Gaza helped Palestinians break part of the wall in Rafah, allowing many Palestinians to enter Egypt where they could purchase necessities. On January 23, Israel eased the blockade upon Gaza, providing them with fuel and electricity. After attempts to seal the boarder on January 25, Palestinians bulldozed the wall down again. Meanwhile, 20,000 Palestinians, 30,000 less than expected, formed a â€Å"Human Chain† along the border between Gaza and Egypt, with encouragement from Hamas. What was supposed to be a peaceful protest, did not go as planned; missiles were still fired into Israel, and young Palestinians threw rocks across the border (al-Mughrabi, Nidal). Rumors of the Palestinians breaking across Israel’s border resulted in the IDF taking causation and standing at the border. First we will analyze the Palestine Times, which seems to only include strong propaganda against Israel. The newspaper is completely biased against Israel and attempts to victimize the Palestinians. Nearly every headline of the newspaper has a subject relating to the current situation between Gaza and Israel. One can feel the strong despise toward Israel, embedded within each article, since every article writes negatively about the State. One article in Particular, â€Å"Gaza Blockade Backlash,† describes Israel as failing to bring upon peace. These articles in the Palestine Times focus mainly on Israel’s reactions but fail to discuss all the bombings, attacks and missiles fired into Israel from Gaza. The article â€Å"Abbas halts peace talks with Israel as violence spreads† posted in the International Herald Tribune of France is biased against Israel. Though the author, Isabel Kershner, describes incidences that have occurred on both sides of the border, her choice of words undermine the bombs that fall into Israel. â€Å"Militants in Gaza responded by firing huge barrages of rockets at Sderot . . . † Here Kershner describes the situation as though Gaza’s bombing in Sderot was a form of defense, failing to mention that bombs in Sderot from Gaza have been landing in Israel on a daily basis for months. She continues about the bombing â€Å". . . killing an Israeli civilian, the first such fatality in months. Though only one Israeli civilian has lost his/her life in past couple of months, Kershner fails to mention that though not as many Israeli civilian lives have been lost, Israeli citizens are still being bombed by the Palestinians and therefore live in constant fear. Another biased newspaper is the Economist, a newspaper from England, which completely victimizes the Palestinians among the current situation. This newspaper has the intention of swaying readers against Israel, especially in the article â€Å"What Comes after Catastrophe? At the top of an article is a picture of a young Palestinian boy next to some lit candles. The article paints the picture that the Palestinians are poor and helpless and though most Palestinians in Gaza are destitute, one may wonder why Hamas, the ruler of Gaza, does not do anything to help its economy. The helpless, innocent Palestinian front continues with a story of a Palestinian man who is â€Å"whimpering in pain† and who is denied entrance into Israel due to the closing of the boarders. The article emphasizes that the man and his sister, who is accompanying him, are forced to pay a costly fee for a taxi to get to the mans â€Å"scheduled chemotherapy appointment in an Israeli hospital† and creates an image for readers to sympathize for them. Though the article does do some explaining as to why Israel closed the borders, out of defense â€Å"for a rain of Palestinian rockets on Israel,† the Economist harshly explains that many lives have not been taken from these attacks. The Economist fails to emphasize the large effect bombings can have on people, weather lives are lost or not. The Economist then seems to glorify Hamas’s leadership, disregarding that it is a terrorist group, by stating that â€Å"it has improved internal security, restored some state services and taken bold initiatives. † Even more shocking is that the Economist blames the lack of peace along the border on Israel claiming that Israel is focusing on a â€Å"new war. How could Israel agree to peace with the Palestinians when hundreds of missiles are being dropped into its territory from Gaza? Though the Economist from England fails to recognize Israel’s strive for peace, an article from The Hindu, a newspaper from India, does not. The article, titled, â€Å"Peace with Palestinians not certain in 2008: Olmert,† explains that though Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert wants peace, he is skeptical that the Palestinians will seize their attacks on Israel in the near future. The article also quotes Olmert who explains that Israel is ‘absolutely determined to make a giant step forward . . . to conclude once and for all this historic conflict between the Palestinian people and the people of Israel. ’ An article from Al Jazeera, a newspaper from Mecca, Saudi Arabia seems to be unbiased toward Israel, though the article does seem to use the victimizing technique with an image. Like the Economist, at the top of the article is a picture of two crying Palestinian boys both holding candles in their hands. Underneath is a caption explaining that Israel’s reduction in fuel has lead to blackouts. Regardless, the article makes claims about Israel that it’s reduction in oil to Gaza is â€Å"collective punishment† but uses a quote from Israel’s deputy defense minister, Matan Vilnai, to explain the situation, that Israel’s reduction in fuel to Gaza is Israel’s attempts to make Gaza less dependent on Israel. The article emphasizes that the reduction in fuel is a very small amount, less than 1%. The article uses a lot of other quotes from Israel justifying the reasoning behind Israel’s actions, including one quote from Shlomo Dror, a spokesman for Israeli Defense minister Ehud Barak. Barak explains Israel limitation of fuel to Gaza is so Hamas will think twice about using the fuel to produce more bombs to throw in Israeli territories. Both the Times of India and People Daily Online of China explain the situation unbiasedly. On February 25, both newspapers released an article about the Palestinians plan of creating a human chain and the measures Israel took to defend itself. Both articles explain that Israel’s increase in soldiers along the border was simply a form of defense, in protecting Israeli citizens, if the Palestinians in Gaza tried to break down the wall on the border. Both articles include Israel’s kind warning that if anything happens to the Palestinians Hamas is responsible. Finally we analyze an article from Israel, the Jerusalem Post and find that unlike the Palestine Times, this Israeli newspaper is not biased toward itself. Though the newspaper does have an opinions archive in which people can post their own opinions which may be biased, most articles fairly portray the situation. Authors of â€Å"Gaza Human Chain a Few Links Short,† Shelly Paz and Rebecca Anna Stoil, mention a positive thing that Hamas did that no other newspapers included, â€Å"some 2,000 hard-liners marched to a point several kilometers away from the Erez Crossing, but Hamas police blocked the main road leading to Erez and called on the protesters to obey the law. Paz and Stoil explain that after hearing rumors that the Palestinians would form a â€Å"human chain† and possibly cross across the Israeli border, the Israeli Defense Force practiced scenarios for the situation but hoped not to use them. They quoted IDF deputy spokesman Colonel Ze’ev Sharoni who spoke on behalf of the IDF, We are prepared for any scenario, but we hope it wont develop into anything beyond a simple demonstration. From all the sources I have read from research, I feel that the articles that are written with a biased against Israel, fail to justly explain the whole truth. These newspapers such as the Palestine Times and the Economist fail to provide the complete truth to their readers, creating propaganda. These articles fail to explain that the missiles being fired into Israel threaten the security of the Israeli people. Until the missiles stop entering Israel from Gaza, Israel will no longer have to defend itself from Gaza and the blockade will be taken away. With Gaza firing missiles into Israel on a daily basis peace will just be prolonged. Some countries and organizations view the blockade on Gaza as a humanitarian issue, but non have analyzed the real question; why should Israel support a region that has rulers who are terrorists fighting against it’s existence? In my opinion, it is not Israel’s responsibility to provide for the Palestinians, the responsibility should be solely upon Hamas, Gaza’s ruler. I agree with the Israeli General Council, Jacob Dayan, who spoke at the UCI campus on Thursday Feburary 28. Dayan mentioned that Israel still provided enough fuel to Gaza for hospitals and schools to have proper electricity, but Hamas chose to use the limited fuel to produce more bombs to launch into Israel. From this assignment I have learned that newspapers from China, India and Israel are unbiased towards this situation and I will look to these newspapers to receive information on the current situation among Israel and Gaza. As long as the Palestinians in Gaza continue firing bombs into Israeli territory, there will not be peace between Gaza and Israel.

Business Model Enabling Value Creation

Question: Discuss about the Business Model Enabling Value Creation. Answer: Introduction Globalization and competition in global business has led to business adopting various strategies and developing a business model for them. The scope of business model allows structure for businesses as well as entrepreneurs to develop a framework for handling tasks(Zott C. A., 2011). There are vast number of research and study conducted in the area of business model that can deliver a business values on the basis of structure and governance. Business model for businesses enables development of a structure which can be applied on managers and leaders which they can implement in order to deliver greater values to customers as well. An interconnected framework of structures and governance allows competing within the industry as well. It incorporates conceptualization for the future sustainability of businesses. A business model allows devoted resources of the organization to meet the strategic goals and objectives. Thus, the strategic goals acts as a key driving force behind formation o f the business model and in defining its structure. Designing for a business model integrates operations, sourcing, strategies, structures for utilization of commercial opportunities allowing for extraordinary growth for firms. A business model allows creating framework which further incorporates a firms capturing of economic, social as well as cultural values for its business. A business model helps solve dynamic and static problems for businesses and to undertake innovation as a key system. Thus, the scope of this current essay evaluates the scope of business model, ways that it can solve static and dynamic challenges in business and the way it can perform as a system itself. For the purpose of evaluation Kodamas (2009), Zott and Amits (2010) work has been taken tinto account. Analysis According to Schloderer Mezias, (2016), there are many arguments of many scholars regarding the business model concept, basically business model helps an organisation to build their business structure successfully. There are two kinds of elements of a business model, such as business system or the profit model. These two elements can be helpful to make the proper business model. However, the business system builds the business or organisation structure and the profit model takes care of the profitability of the business as well. The profit model also helps organisation to make competitive strategies to compete with the rivals companies. So that business model always has the focus to build the business or firm structure in a proper way (Zanella et al. 2016). Conceptualized business models have the involvement in understanding the proper business models. As business models help organizations to enhance the market value of the company with competitive advantage, hence this conceptualized model helps organizations to make the concepts understand with the help of composition concepts Gassmann et al. 2016). As per early discussion, there are two elements of the business model so that one element can be understood as the profit model or system so that the profit model helps the business model to understand and calculate the each and every terms of the business. The scope of this current article, it can be seen that there is a difference between business model and the business system. And the business system is more focused on the real-time business process and structure, and this system plays twins roles in the business process at first it helps the organisation to calculate the strategies and diagrams mathematically. However the business model is the actual business system, therefore it can be said that the business system is a part of business model. According to Christensen, Bartman Van Bever, (2016), on the other hand, the business system helps the organisation to understand their partner in a proper way, as this system works on the understanding the outcome and procurement sources of a particular organisation. In this way the business systems helps the company to understand their actual partner who can be helpful to understand the partners who help the business to make their outcomes in a good manner. As sighted by the scholar Sauer et al. (2016), basically this system helps the company to understand their internally and externally outsources, therefore in this way they can make new innovative products after gathering the information about their outcomes and competitive advantage. On the other hand, this system also helps to keep control over the activities of trading partners so that in this process they can make a strategy wiry their partners to make innovative products. Figure 1: Business Model Framework Source: (Alexander, 2010) In this framework it can be clearly seen that the business model works in the organisation in many ways to develop the performance of that particular company. As per early discussion it works as a system as well so that the framework is based on that early discussion in the essay. In this essay it has been focused on the Zott and Amit's (2010), article, and where is a description about the business model in a proper way. This article focused on the business model innovation, basically business model innovation helps organizations to develop or choose new technologies in their business process. According to Massa, Tucci Afuah, (2016), along with this the BIM also provides new ideas to the company that can attract people towards the company. This article has the intention to develop the proper idea about BIM and business model as well. The authors have the argument on the exact capabilities of the business model. BIM increase the innovative designs and developing new products or serv ices(Anderson, 2016). Apart from this business model also develops the relationship of the organisation with their customers. As stated by Bitsch et al. (2017), the model increases the profitability of the organisation as well. The reason behind choosing this article is to understand the efficiency of the BIM and business model. In the below part there has given the framework of BIM that is related to this article. On the other hand this essay also based on the information about Itami and Nishino (2010) article as well. Figure 2: BIM Framework Source: (Zott C. a., 2008) In the first article Kodama (2009), there is a description about the creativity of the organisation and this creativity can be possible with the help of a business model. On the other hand, Zott and Amit (2010), said that the business model this the main part of a business process which works on the various path of a business. Itami and Nishino (2010), have said in the article this model increase the productivity and profitability of an organisation. There are the three arguments of three articles that can be seen to be analyzed. As there has been given three articles in the question but among those three articles I have found Zott and Amit's (2010), and Itami and Nishino (2010) articles helpful to understand the proper business model. As in those articles, there is a brief description of business innovation model, thus it helps me to understand the innovation process of a business model (DEspallier et al. 2017). As per this article, the business model is very efficient and without a proper business model, it is impossible for an organisation to increase their profit and adopt innovative products or services in their process. Recommendation and Conclusion After analyzing this essay it can be concluded that business model is the thing which provides a positive impact on the several parts of the organisation. In order to analyse proper business model, it can be seen that this model has many parts or ways such as BIM, profit model and so on. Thus to develop the structure of a company and to increase the profitability or on the other hand to make new partners of the company business model is always helpful. The partners of an organisation always find new opportunities for the company, so that the partners always can be helpful in a positive way for a company. Apart from this in this essay there has been chosen Zott and Amit's (2010), article to elaborate this model properly, there has been also given frameworks of this model as well. Organizations in order to expand and create more future scope for its businesses has to incorporate the concept of business models which allows them to establish competitive advantages easily. Though there ar e no stringent process that can help to form business model yet the structure and governance of an organization can guide for the same for creating business sustainability. Reference Lists Alexander, O. a. (2010). Business model generation. . Business Model Canvas, explanation and concept of the Business Model canvas, 89-107. Anderson, P. (2016). Nicolai J. Foss and Tina Saebi, eds.: Business Model Innovation: The Organizational Dimension.Administrative Science Quarterly,61(2), NP17-NP19. Bitsch, J., Brochstedt, S., Holm, A. H., Knudsen, A. (2017). The role of stakeholders in relation to the business model in the taxi industry.Proceedings of Pragmatic Constructivism,5(1), 3-17. Christensen, C. M., Bartman, T., Van Bever, D. (2016). The hard truth about business model innovation.MIT Sloan Management Review,58(1), 31. DEspallier, B., Goedecke, J., Hudon, M., Mersland, R. (2017). From NGOs to banks: Does institutional transformation alter the business model of microfinance institutions?.World Development,89, 19-33. Gassmann, O., Frankenberger, K., Sauer, R. (2016). Conclusion: Opening up a New Debate on BMI. InExploring the Field of Business Model Innovation(pp. 107-111). Springer International Publishing. Gaus, O., Raith, M. G. (2016). Commercial transferA business model innovation for the entrepreneurial university.Industry and Higher Education,30(3), 183-201. Massa, L., Tucci, C., Afuah, A. (2016). A critical assessment of business model research.Academy of Management Annals, annals-2014. Rayna, T., Striukova, L. (2016). From rapid prototyping to home fabrication: How 3D printing is changing business model innovation.Technological Forecasting and Social Change,102, 214-224. Sauer, R., Frankenberger, K., Lingens, B., Gassmann, O. (2016). Spin-offs as Core Vehicles for Business Model Innovation: An Attention-Based View. Schloderer, F., Mezias, S. (2016). Knowing Pains: Identity Based Market Control and the Creation of the Hollywood Studio Business Model. InAcademy of Management Proceedings(Vol. 2016, No. 1, p. 10713). Academy of Management. Zanella, P., Verona, G., Cillo, P., Priem, R. L. (2016). The Microfoundations of Customer Involvement in Business Model Ideation and Development. InAcademy of Management Proceedings(Vol. 2016, No. 1, p. 14130). Academy of Management. Zott, C. a. (2008). The fit between product market strategy and business model: implications for firm performance. Strategic management journal, 1-26. Zott, C. A. (2011). The business model: recent developments and future research. . Journal of management, 37(4), 1019-1042.

NIVEA and its marketing strategy

Consumer driven marketing strategy focuses on the needs of the customers. It can be advantageous to businesses by offering an edge over competition (Anderson, et al., 2004). As such, companies utilizing this strategy may focus their marketing efforts only on consumers who directly benefit from the product. Beiersdorf, the company that manufactures and sells NIVEA, utilized this strategy of marketing. Several elements of consumer driven marketing can be identified from the NIVEA case.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on NIVEA and its marketing strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Targeting a specific segment of the market is the first element. After conducting a market research, the company realized a gap in the market. Young girls between the age of 13 and 19 were in need of beauty products which would maintain their normal skin. They were not interested in using medicated products. In order to meet this need th e company came up the NIVEA VISAGE. This product line is only aimed at young women between the age of 13 and 19. Another element of consumer driven marketing evident in the NIVEA case is the focus on meeting the needs of customers (Clow Baack, 2007). As such, the company responded to the market gap by launching a range of products which target to satisfy the needs customers. With the launch of NIVEA VISAGE young, the company not only optimized its position in the market, but also created a solution to the skin problems experienced by young girls. The company got the right balance of market mix elements. It defined a gap within the market and came up with a product that fills it. Using an effective balance of place, promotion, price, and product, NIVEA VISAGE young made successful launch into the market. Marketing management orientation focuses on the techniques of developing, producing, and marketing goods to consumers (Hooley, et al., 2008). The orientations are used to support ca mpaigns for marketing. NIVEA assumed a marketing orientation that focuses on the production and marketing of the new product. With regards to market orientation, the company created a gap in the market and created a product that would fill this gap more efficiently than what its rivals offered. Another approach that the company could have used is the product oriented approach where the company could have first created a product that is perceived to be good and introduce it to the market without first developing a need within the market (Hooley, et al., 2008). The main difference between the two approaches lies on market research. Product orientation uses innovation in the production of a good and service. It is efficient for industries that rely on high product features to satisfy consumer demand. A market mix involves the four ‘p’, product, price, place, and promotion. With regards to product, the first step for an effective mix is to develop an understanding of the ma rket. The company relies on information from comprehensive market research to develop a product that specifically targets a segment of the market.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The information retrieved from the market research study is used to develop a product that suits the needs of consumers. The company conducts market research with direct involvement of consumers. For instance, it can use a focus group to engage with consumers, listen to them, gather data, and conduct testing for products before launching the products into the market. From the market research, the company was able to establish that young female consumers needed a beauty product that maintains their normal skin and not a medicated product. From this information, the company developed the NIVEA VISAGE young to meet their needs. Product offered by rival companies were also medicated and aimed at solving the teenage skin problem. This information gave the company an advantage over its rivals in the development of NIVEA VISAGE young. With regards to pricing, the company used a strategy that offered consumers a value for their money (Clow Baack, 2007). It realized that the product could only be bought by teenage girls or by mothers buying for their teenage daughters. The pricing was made to reflect product range, packaging, and formulation. Place may refer to the point of sale (Clow Baack, 2007). The concern is the distribution strategy that will ensure the product reaches the point of sale at the right time. The company has used a wide range of distribution channels to ensure that NIVEA VISAGE reaches all the places where it is supposed to be sold. This includes the use of major retail outlets and high street shops. The company knows, that the teenagers love to shopping in malls and high street shops. As a result, NIVEA VISAGE is shelved in all crowd pulling shopping malls and hig h street shops. Promotion entails the communication aspect of the product (Clow Baack, 2007). Customers need to be aware of the availability of the product in addition to being persuaded to buy the product. There is a wide range strategies used to promote a product. This includes the use of events such as product launch, direct mails, public relation, branding, and sales promotion. During the product launch, the company invited celebrity artistes with a huge teenage following. Associating the product with celebrity artiste is strategic in luring teenagers to buy the product.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on NIVEA and its marketing strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The NIVEA brand has a wide range of products that target various demographics of the market. For men, the product has a wide range of products to meet number of consumer needs for both boys and men. They include hand and body lotion, roll-on de odorant, spray deodorant, shaving foam, and lip care product. These are the NIVEA product that I have used as a man. I have personally experienced benefits from use of these products. The value compares the cost of purchase. The deodorants for instance have had a lot of benefits to me. In addition to the obvious benefit of hygiene, the products help to keep someone fresh for a prolonged period of time. This is beneficial because it reduces the need to constantly spray oneself after a few hours. At the same time, the sprays can last for a pretty long time and thus helping to save money. It is important for consumers to get a value for their money when they purchase any particular product or service. If purchase of a particular product helps to save money that could have been spent elsewhere, the product gives consumers a value for their money. For instance, if a lady was to spent money on several medicated products to address skin problems and she buys a single NIVEA skin product tha t solves this problem, the NIVEA product gives her a value for her money. A customer need is a basic requirement. Companies making products that fall under customer need do not have to push to sell the products (Anderson, et al., 2004). The only need for pushing may be resulting from the competitive nature of the market environment. Customer wants are drawn from customer needs. For instance, if students need to wear shoes, the shoes may require polishing. The polishing aspect is the want, and it is generated from the need to wear shoes. Customer demands are the things he or she desires. For instance, the need to live a luxurious life may be classified as a demand (Hooley, et al., 2008). References Anderson, E, Fornell, C Mazvancheryl, S 2004, ‘Customer Satisfaction and shareholder value’, Journal of Marketing, vol 2 no 1, pp. 172-185. Clow, K Baack, D 2007, Integrated Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing Communications, Pearson Education, Boston.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hooley, G, Peircy, N Nikolaud, B 2008, Marketing strategy and competitive positioning, Pearson Prentice Hall, United Kingdom. This essay on NIVEA and its marketing strategy was written and submitted by user Gibson A. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on The Lover Of The Russian Queen

The Imperial Rapist and Lover-RASPUTIN Gregory Rasputin, who received practically little education, came from the rural Russia and achieved great recognition as a holy man in the highest circles of Russian society. Gregory Efimovich was born on January 10, 1869, in Prokovskoe, a small village in Siberia. As a young lad, Rasputin shocked his village by the fact he was developing into a rake, a man with a debauched, and endless, sexual appetite. It was soon thereafter that the debauched, lecherous peasant adopted the robes of a monk, developed his own self-gratifying doctrines, traveled the country as a â€Å"staretz† and sinned to his heart’s content. By the time he reached his early thirties, Rasputin had traveled to the Holy land and back. It was while in Kazan that the mysterious traveling monk made an impression among the local clergy. It was with the recommendations of these fooled priests that Rasputin headed to St. Petersburg for his first visit. While in the Russian capital, Rasputin’s presen ce attracted the attention of many of the country’s leading religious leaders. The staretz’ traveling tales, as well as the stories he told about his religious revival, seemed to capture the attention of the higher clergy of the Russian empire. The year was 1902.The Tsar’s death seemed imminent as his once strong body caved under the strain of his sickness. No one would have thought that Tsar Alexander III, a giant by most accounts, would be dead before his fiftieth year. And no one was more terrified by the events unfolding at the Imperial compound at Livadia, in the Crimea, as the young heir, Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich. At the time of his father’s death in late 1894, Nicholas was an inexperienced youth wholly unprepared for the great task destiny had placed on his shoulders. Nicholas himself was terribly aware of this and upon his father’s death, the new Tsar consoled himself by asking God to give him the guidance... Free Essays on The Lover Of The Russian Queen Free Essays on The Lover Of The Russian Queen The Imperial Rapist and Lover-RASPUTIN Gregory Rasputin, who received practically little education, came from the rural Russia and achieved great recognition as a holy man in the highest circles of Russian society. Gregory Efimovich was born on January 10, 1869, in Prokovskoe, a small village in Siberia. As a young lad, Rasputin shocked his village by the fact he was developing into a rake, a man with a debauched, and endless, sexual appetite. It was soon thereafter that the debauched, lecherous peasant adopted the robes of a monk, developed his own self-gratifying doctrines, traveled the country as a â€Å"staretz† and sinned to his heart’s content. By the time he reached his early thirties, Rasputin had traveled to the Holy land and back. It was while in Kazan that the mysterious traveling monk made an impression among the local clergy. It was with the recommendations of these fooled priests that Rasputin headed to St. Petersburg for his first visit. While in the Russian capital, Rasputin’s presen ce attracted the attention of many of the country’s leading religious leaders. The staretz’ traveling tales, as well as the stories he told about his religious revival, seemed to capture the attention of the higher clergy of the Russian empire. The year was 1902.The Tsar’s death seemed imminent as his once strong body caved under the strain of his sickness. No one would have thought that Tsar Alexander III, a giant by most accounts, would be dead before his fiftieth year. And no one was more terrified by the events unfolding at the Imperial compound at Livadia, in the Crimea, as the young heir, Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich. At the time of his father’s death in late 1894, Nicholas was an inexperienced youth wholly unprepared for the great task destiny had placed on his shoulders. Nicholas himself was terribly aware of this and upon his father’s death, the new Tsar consoled himself by asking God to give him the guidance...

Gross domestic product Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gross domestic product - Assignment Example In this case, the GDP acts as a clue in matters pertinent to financial wealth of the country through measuring standard of living in a given country. Consequently, every country develops interest in knowing about the GDP correlations to ensure a boost in the wellbeing. Some of these GDP correlations realized in every country are happy index, crime rate, corruption, income and if the country is developed or developing. it is intrinsic to gain the knowledge about how these factors affect the GDP in order to tailor projects that can restore a nation. Many studies have been carried out both having the aim of testing the hypothesis presented in the paper. Through carrying out a study on the GDP of different countries, the researchers give their prediction on whether the factors are likely to increase on reduce the GDP. Andrew E Clark and Claudia Senik presents study which shows that happiness index and income have impact on the GDP. The variables in play were income, happiness index and GDP. They confirm the availability of correlation between the factors and the former. In order to test their hypothesis, the authors verified the significant relationship between happiness index and income of a country. Evidently, they found that increase in happiness index insinuates that income is also likely to increase on the other hand. The authors assert that happiness of psychological importance to the citizens, especially in their endeavors of increasing their income (Clark and Claudia, 20). The study also showed that income has a significant relationship with GDP as can be shown by the correlation presented. The study concluded that the income affects the well-being in an indomitable way regardless of other factors. Clarifying the results, the study indicates that income improves a country’s ability to adapt. In a study carried out by the J.

The structure of the legal profession in the United Kingdom Essay

The structure of the legal profession in the United Kingdom - Essay Example The essential difference between the two was that a barrister could represent a client in court, whereas a plain solicitor could not (Farley, 2001). A brief explanation of the reasons given for the division between the two types of lawyers will explain both the advantages and disadvantages of the fused system that has now been proposed and appears to be inevitable in the near future. The barrister was traditionally trained at one of the Inns of Court, and undertook both formal legal training and practical experience under the pupilage of a senior barrister. This system was meant to ensure that there was a relatively small but highly experienced group of trial advocates who would give the highest quality of representation to clients whose cases actually got to court, and who would also maintain a smoothly running court because they were specialists in that procedure (Hailsham, 1983). There were also other reasons given for having a separation between barristers and solicitors. These include the fact that having an independent barrister reviewing a cause for action enables the client to receive a fresh and independent opinions. The barrister system also enables smaller firms of solicitors to compete with larger firms as they all have access to the same independent barristers (who are legally barred from forming partnerships). A barrister can also act as a kind of check and balance on a solicitor during the trial, and if incompetence is seen may advise the client on a possible cause for action against the solicitor. The disadvantages of the barrister system are supposedly many, and these are starting to outweigh the perceived advantages throughout the British legal system. These include the fact that having more than one legal adviser leads to higher costs. It is also argued that as barristers depend upon solicitors for their work referrals, they are unlikely to criticize them. Thus the "checks and balances" idea is somewhat offset by the fact that a barrister is unlikely to bite the hand that feeds him/her. The over-specialization of barristers means that they may not have sufficient legal exposure outside of their fields and thus may not in fact give the best representation in cases that overlap several areas of the law (Clementi, 2004). As the government has suggested the legal system in Britain is widely regarded as "outdated, inflexible, over-complex and insufficiently accountable or transparent" (Clementi, 2004). The idea that the two major sections of the legal service system:- solicitor and barrister - should be fused together, is currently gaining steam within the United Kingdom. The main thrust for future developments is to be found within the very title of the government's latest policy issuance on the subject: The Future of Legal Services: Putting Consumers First (Crown, 2005). The government is careful not to suggest that those solicitors and barristers that currently work separately are in general offering bad services to their clients, stating that "the professional competence of lawyers is not in doubt . . . the caliber of many of our legal professionals is among the best in the world" (Crown, 2005). But the report goes on to say that "many consumers are finding that they are not receiving a good or fair deal." In response to this the government seeks to produce a legal system that is "efficient, effective and economic" and which will be a "transparent and accountable industry" (Crown,

Pros and Cons of Curtailing Immigration to North America Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons of Curtailing Immigration to North America Essay Debates on immigration and health care issues are regularly featured in the newspapers of the United States. The relationship that seems to exist between the current immigration policy and the state of the health care system in the country cannot merely be coincidental. Every year, the Border Patrol makes at least one million apprehensions of individuals that blatantly violate the immigration laws by crossing the United States borders unlawfully in order to work or to enjoy the benefits of free public services (â€Å"Illegal Immigration is a Crime†). No wonder, health care access has become a problem for countless legal citizens and residents of the U. S. to boot. There remain around 10 to 20 million illegal immigrants in the United States today. There are approximately 12 to 15 million jobs held by these people. So, illegal aliens represent around 8 percent of the U. S. work force. Between 4 to 6 million jobs held by illegal immigrants are serving the underground economy. The United States is foregoing around $35 billion each year in income tax collections because of such jobs. The country does not seem to be taking very strict action against undocumented immigrants and their means of earning a living because it â€Å"is simply hooked on cheap, illegal workers and deferring the costs of providing public services to these quasi-Americans (Justich and Ng 2). † What is most relevant to this discussion, however, is the fact that the United States is paying the consequences of being lenient toward illegal immigrants by suffering serious defects in its health care system. Illegal immigrants continue to add to the population requiring health care but ‘naturally. While the U. S. does not want to kick out all illegal immigrants because of their use to the U. S. economy, it also cannot afford health care for everybody. It is clear that immigrants have an effect on the health care system of the country, just as they have an effect on the U. S. economy. Therefore, it is correct to take stricter action against increasing flows of immigrants, both legal and illegal. Most of these people come to the United States with great hopes in a world-class system. At the same time, however, the United States believes that it cannot afford a health care system that includes illegal immigrants, when the legal residents and citizens of the country – the naturally born and the naturalized Americans – are complaining that they are finding health care too difficult to access because of high prices. High prices are, no doubt, led by high demand. Hence, it is obvious that immigrants are raising the demand of goods and services in the United States, thereby raising the prices. Only by checking the immigration policy and trying to control illegal immigration with stricter measures than before could the United States hope to achieve a balance in its health care needs, thereby making the health care system easily accessible to all. Legal immigrants have also benefited economies of North America, which is the reason why both the United States and Canada had opened their doors to huge numbers of foreigners in recent decades. Masci wrote about the United States in the year 2000: In the last 30 years the United States has absorbed the biggest wave of immigrants since the turn of the century, when millions arrived at Ellis Island in search of a better life. Today, more than 25 million Americans are foreign born – nearly 10 percent of the population. And that’s good for the economy, according to Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who says the pools of skilled and unskilled workers created by high levels of immigration have greatly contributed to the nation’s prosperity (Masci 571). Illegal immigrants, in particular, take up less-skilled jobs, and their wages are lower than those of native laborers. Natives must be rendered jobless if there are too many immigrants taking up their jobs. This is another reason why immigration must be curtailed. All the same, studies have shown that when the United States tightens border control, thereby making it more difficult than before for illegal immigrants to enter the nation, the economic growth of the nation turns into economic sluggishness. As an example, a drop in the number of illegal immigrants from Mexico in early 2001 coincided with the onset of a recession in March 2001 (Orrenius). Perhaps the current recession is also related to the nationwide debates on immigration in recent years and policy changes made through the debates. Now that the entire North America is facing a recession, it must be time to reconsider allowing greater numbers of immigrants into the United States and Canada. After all, immigrants bring their skills to North America as well (Messerli). Messerli describes other advantages of refusing to curtail immigration to North America thus: [Immigration] increases the diversity and expands the culture of the country. It improves the overall image of America internationally, as it is seen as an open, welcoming country; and immigrants who return home or maintain contact with family back home have a true image of America, not the one propagandized in much of the international media. Adding an additional group of cheap labor adds to the flexibility of business, leading to cheaper prices, better quality products, and higher profits. It gives struggling people all over the world an opportunity for a better life. This country was built on immigrants who sought opportunity, political religious freedom, etc (Messerli). However, curtailing immigration is necessary because immigration is also known to destroy diverse cultures. According to an article published by the Library of Congress: â€Å"When European settlers arrived on the North American continent at the end of the fifteenth century, they encountered diverse Native American cultures—as many as 900,000 inhabitants with over 300 different languages (â€Å"Destroying the Native American Cultures†). † It is known fact that the diverse cultures of the Native Americans were destroyed to a large extent, and most of their languages became extinct. Hence, other reasons for curtailing immigration must also be deliberated. Messler brings home the truth that immigrants could add to the population of drug dealers, terrorists and other kinds of criminals. Oak writes that immigrants are responsible for crowding. It is not surprising, therefore, that prisons in the United States are overcrowded. Oak also states that immigrants may bring diseases into North America, that is, diseases prevailing in their home countries. Moreover, curtailing immigration is important because home countries are hurt when their most intelligent workers are allowed into North America in increasing numbers (Messler). And, what if their foreign credentials are not recognized in North America? In Canada, even the most intelligent and qualified foreigners may have to take up low-skilled jobs because their foreign qualifications are not recognized (â€Å"Canada’s Immigration Problem†). Such people may have to settle for lower standards of living than before. What is more, even if their credentials are recognized, such people may have to behave as â€Å"functional illiterates† in Canada if they do not know English and/or French, simply because applications for immigration to Canada ask for only basic proficiency in these languages (â€Å"Canada’s Immigration Problem†). Then again, it is necessary to consider both the pros and cons of curtailing immigration to North America. The fact that immigrants boost economies is essential for policy makers to bear in mind. After all, North America values foreigners for the skills. Now that a worldwide recession has set in, it is even more important to allow increasing numbers of foreigners into both the United States and Canada. Research has already revealed that recessions may be connected to curtailing immigration. Increasing flows of immigrants add to the diversity of cultures in North America. However, it is also a fact that immigrants may destroy the culture of the natives, as it happened in the case of Native Americans. Furthermore, increasing flows of immigrants seem to have a relationship with health care problems facing the United States. Immigrants may bring in diseases from their home countries. If they are illegal immigrants, they may add to crime, too. Additionally, immigrants may take up low-paid jobs or bring their high skills to North America to replace native workers. During a period of recession, joblessness is a major problem. Thus, these issues surrounding immigration present a dilemma to policy makers that are presented with the question of whether to curtail immigration. Works Cited â€Å"Canada’s Immigration Problem. † Vive Le Canada. 5 Jul 2004. 10 Dec 2008. http://www. vivelecanada. ca/article/print/163651492. â€Å"Destroying the Native American Cultures. † The Library of Congress. 8 Apr 2003. 10 Dec 2008. http://memory. loc. gov/learn/features/immig/native_american. html. â€Å"Illegal Immigration is a Crime. † Fair US. 2006. 10 Dec 2008. http://www. fairus. org/site/PageServer? pagename=iic_immigrationissuecenters6ce3. Justich, Robert, and Betty Ng. â€Å"The Underground Labor Force is Rising to the Surface. † Bear Stearns Asset Management. 3 Jan 2005. 10 Dec 2008. http://www. bearstearns. com/bscportal/pdfs/underground. pdf. Masci, David. â€Å"Does the U. S. Admit Too Many Newcomers? † The CQ Researcher (14 Jul 2000) Vol. 10, No. 25, pp. 569-592. Messerli, Joe. â€Å"Should America Maintain/Increase the Level of Legal Immigration. † Balanced Politics. 8 Nov 2008. 10 Dec 2008. http://www. balancedpolitics. org/immigration. htm. Oak, Manali. â€Å"Pros and Cons of Immigration. † Buzzle. 2007. 10 Dec 2008. http://www. buzzle. com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-immigration. html. Orrenius, Pia M. â€Å"U. S. Immigration and Economic Growth: Putting Policy on Hold. † Southwest Economy (Nov-Dec 2004), Issue 6.