Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Classical Criminology vs. Biological Determinism Essay

Old style Criminology versus Organic Determinism - Essay Example People in his hypothesis are accepted to be libertine, acting regarding their own personal circumstance, they are balanced and are skilled to consider the strategy that is truly to their greatest advantage. In 'On Crimes and Punishments', Beccaria remains that in just society disciplines should be relative to the level of wrongdoing, they should infer the wrongdoing in the psyche of watches, to reinforce the association in the individuals' brain between the wrongdoing and the discipline. [Beccaria, p. 13-15] Beccaria's Classical Criminology asserts that individuals by their temperament are 'egotistical and seek after their personal circumstance; they need to maintain a strategic distance from torment and increment their joy's [Ellis, L. and Walsh, A., p. 17-18] Also they are 'objective, equipped for ascertaining what is truly to their greatest advantage, and in this manner can be viewed as free' [Beccaria, p.7-8] Natural determinism, showed up during the 1920s, remains that 'natural factors, for example, a life form's individual qualities totally decide how a framework carries on or changes after some time'. [Gibson, M., p.34] Considering certain human conduct, for instance, submitting murder, organic determinism take a gander at 'intrinsic components, for example, hereditary cosmetics', overlooking non-natural variables, for example, social traditions and desires, training, and physical condition. With respect to the human instinct, Lombroso feels that 'all human conduct is natural and can't be changed or modified'. The hypothesis of natural determinism guarantees that 'people - their appearance, conduct, and even long haul destiny - are completely controlled by qualities' [Ellis, L. and Walsh, A., p.36]. Natural determinists prevent that impacts from securing ecological factors on a quality, and a solitary change can have expansive consequences for the phenotype. Lombroso likewise expresses that everything in an individual natural. As indicated by his hypothesis, the lawbreakers can't be changed - they were 'brought into the world that way', that propose a sort of barrier for the crook. [Lombroso, C., p.17] Moreover, natural determinism divorces human activity from human obligation, where the fault for activities is put on the qualities only; it additionally invalidates through and through freedom totally, in light of the fact that all conduct is supposed to be constrained by the qualities. In view of the hypothesis of the social contact, Beccaria recommends that 'if individuals lived without government, their inclinations would strife and their lives be that of ceaseless war. There would be no protected and henceforth little satisfaction'. [Beccaria, C., p.117-119] So that, he keeps on imagining that 'along these lines, individuals consent to surrender a portion of their opportunity for their general security and bliss' - they make vows not to do a few exercises, yet do others. These guarantees he calls 'laws', and remains that 'laws are the terms under which free and confined men meet up in the public eye, so as to appreciate what stays in security and quiet' [Beccaria, C., p.39]. Beccaria says that individuals' conduct should be constrained by the legislature with the assistance of laws, while organic determinism expect that human conduct is represented by the qualities, and 'the earth here isn't at immensely significant in the assurance of appearance, conduct, and usefulness'. [Ellis, L. and Walsh, A., p. 76] With respect to the administration, Classical Criminology (Caesar Beccaria, specifically) sees it as the 'whole' of the individual guarantees - so that, individuals have made the legislature so as to guard their common guarantees by laws and

Saturday, August 22, 2020

landscapes essay :: essays research papers

Bring Home Essay           The world we live in today is continually changing, regardless of whether it be innovation or the land. As these progressions occur, society must adjust to them. Numerous things start to change therefore and society creatures to transform into something totally extraordinary. One of the most ignored changes that happens is that of the earth and scene. The scene is one of the most significant pieces of our society’s culture and greatly affects how we live. It appears that these days, numerous people are exploiting the land and nothing valuing it for everything that it is worth. The facts confirm that not every person is going to take a gander at the earth and scene similarly, anyway that is no reason to disregard it. Of course, a totally different contention can begin from that, as various people will have various perspectives on what slighting the land. Numerous positive things have originated from exploiting the land, and furthermore, there have been many negative things to come subsequently. Everything relies upon what you look like at it. One thing is without a doubt however, regardless of what the case is, the land and condition we live in has an immense influence in every one of our regular day to day existences.      Our scene is continually changing, since the Big Bang Theory to introduce day. There are a wide range of components which can a tremendous effect on the forming of the land. There are numerous cataclysmic events, for example, floods, storms, quakes, tropical storms, and even fierce blazes. They can change the substance of the scene and they can change the state of the scene. At that point there is additionally the human factor. Numerous tremendous organizations and organizations are continually exploiting, or as Denis Wood alludes to as in â€Å"The Spell of the Land,† the assaulting of the land. It is an uncommon sight to being driving these days and not see some kind of building being assembled or a future sight of some sort of business. There is nothing that should be possible when taking a gander at the cataclysmic event factor, however with respect to the human factor, there are steps that individuals can do to forestall the â€Å"raping† of the land . Once more, similar to I addressed in the presentation, not all utilization of the land by organizations is a negative thing. scenes exposition :: articles look into papers Bring Home Essay           The world we live in today is continually changing, regardless of whether it be innovation or the land. As these progressions occur, society must adjust to them. Numerous things start to change thus and society creatures to transform into something totally unique. One of the most disregarded changes that happens is that of nature and scene. The scene is one of the most significant pieces of our society’s culture and greatly affects how we live. It appears that these days, numerous people are exploiting the land and nothing valuing it for everything that it is worth. The facts confirm that not every person is going to take a gander at nature and scene similarly, anyway that is no reason to affront it. On the other hand, a totally different contention can begin from that, as various people will have various perspectives on what slighting the land. Numerous positive things have originated from exploiting the land, and furthermore, there have been man y negative things to come accordingly. Everything relies upon what you look like at it. One thing is without a doubt however, regardless of what the case is, the land and condition we live in has a colossal impact in every one of our regular daily existences.      Our scene is continually changing, since the Big Bang Theory to introduce day. There are various elements which can a colossal effect on the molding of the land. There are numerous cataclysmic events, for example, floods, tropical storms, seismic tremors, typhoons, and even rapidly spreading fires. They can change the substance of the scene and they can change the state of the scene. At that point there is likewise the human factor. Numerous colossal organizations and organizations are continually exploiting, or as Denis Wood alludes to as in â€Å"The Spell of the Land,† the assaulting of the land. It is an uncommon sight to being driving these days and not see some sort of building being manufactured or a future sight of some kind of business. There is nothing that should be possible when taking a gander at the cataclysmic event factor, however with respect to the human factor, there are steps that individuals can do to forestall the â€Å"raping† of th e land. Once more, similar to I addressed in the presentation, not all utilization of the land by organizations is a negative thing.

Friday, August 21, 2020

The Room(s) Where It Happens

The Room(s) Where It Happens You’ve done it. You’ve hit submit. Now what? You might imagine that your application goes spiraling into a dark, anonymous vortex, and after 2.5 months of chewing, a faceless algorithm spits out a decision. Or you might wonder who on the other side reviews your application. I sometimes ask students to imagine who reads their applications and to tell me what they think the selection committee looks like. Their answers typically include: “old,” “male,” or “crusty.” Their answers sometimes include “cold-hearted,” “robotic,” or “judgmental.” Not only do they think that we admissions officers won’t understand them, but also that we won’t like them. That we are there to judge them and find flaws in them. The truth is, we are all in this profession because we like students. We want to serve and advocate for students. We might be crusty, but I’d say we are warm and open. And we are definitely cheesy. Based on those descriptors, we might actually be pizza. And there are several places where you can read about how our process works, but I’ll share a little bit about how our process feels and looks through my eyes: First, we spend an enormous amount of time reading alone. My amazing, very human, non-pizza colleagues and I read every single part of your application. We synthesize the different voices in your application and try to immerse ourselves in your world. Many of us read at home 5-6 days of the week throughout November and January. My desk is actually less than a foot from my bed. I sit on a yoga ball chair to reduce back pain. I read on an external monitor and recently started wearing computer glasses to prevent eye strain. This job, I’m realizing as I write this, has really accelerated the aging process for me. In addition, as a slightly extroverted person, reading applications all day, everyday in physical isolation for weeks on end can be excruciating. I miss talking to my colleagues, and I’m a notorious waffler, often in need of a second opinion. When I’m really desperate for human interaction, I sometimes take a brisk walk to the drugstore and purposefully avoid the self-chec kout lane. I know, I really live life on the edge.  Actual footage of the inside of my brain during reading season Then, we spend just as much (or more) time reading applications and making decisions together. We run multiple committees simultaneously and hold several iterations of committee. We set ground rules that apply equally to our treatment of your application and to our treatment of one another, rooted in respect, kindness, and trust. We take over the bigger individual offices and pull in extra furniture to ensure everyone has a seat at the table. Some of us roll in the chairs from our cubicles to maximize our comfort during the long days and weeks, and the end of a round of committee precipitates a flurry of chairs rolling between offices. A typical day of committee involves spending 8-9 hours evaluating applications in the same room with the same people. Moving at a Non-Stop01 For those of you who caught the iHamilton/i references in the blog title, this is actually my most-played song from the soundtrack. For more emHamilton /emcontent on the blogs, see /spana href=https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/the-story-of-tonight/ target=_blank rel=noopenerthis post/a by Afeefah!  pace, the experience can be grueling. Personally, I love this part of our process. I love imagining the ~20,000! possible communities we might bring together. I love poring over applications with my coworkers, reconstructing your individual contexts and stories. I love hearing the perspectives my colleagues bring to the table ways of seeing that might be unlike my own. I love how through discussion and consensus, we try to develop a collective understanding of living our mission and applying our values. I even love how we use moments of confusion or disagreement to grow together. It’s a very human process. One of my favorite memories of our selection process is from February 2015. There had been a snowstorm earlier that day, and many of my colleagues had battled the weather and tough commutes to get to work for committee. I was sitting in Dean Stu Schmill’s office, which has a huge window overlooking Killian Court and the Boston skyline across the Charles River. (You can catch glimpses of Stu’s office in some of our past Pi Day videos. This one even features the gray, plastic eyesore of a committee table we had hauled into his office.) It was nearing 5PM, and it had been a long day. We still had cases to review, when a hush suddenly fell over campus. We looked up from our computers and out the window. The sky had turned lavender and gold and the loveliest I had ever seen it. Stu excitedly stood up from the committee table. “Is everyone else seeing this?!” He exclaimed. He rushed out of his office into the other offices, telling everyone to stop committee and to watch this incre dible sunset. Together, we hurried to Killian Court to catch this moment before it passed. Our view of the Boston Skyline from Killian Court on February 5, 2015 All of this to say, humans some introverted, some extroverted, often a little geeky read your applications. And like MIT itself, our admissions process is collaborative. We’re not traditionally regionalized, and by the time a student is admitted, they have been seen by nearly all of the admissions officers and have gone through multiple rounds of committee and various checks and balances. At the end of the process, we each feel a sense of pride in the entire class, not just one section of it, because we have admitted the class together. And now, if youll excuse me, I have to get back to reading! :) For those of you who caught the Hamilton references in the blog title, this is actually my most-played song from the soundtrack. For more Hamilton  content on the blogs, see  this post  by Afeefah! back to text ?

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Essay on Graham Greenes The Power and the Glory - 1520 Words

Graham Greenes The Power and the Glory In Graham Greenes The Power and the Glory, setting is essential in understanding the spiritual conquest of the main character. The story takes place in post-revolution Mexico of the nineteen-thirties, where Catholicism has been banned. The government has shut down all of the churches and established anti-Catholic laws, jealous of the rising power of the church, and nervous of the corrupt ways in which the church has been dealing with sin. The main character, a nameless whiskey priest, hopelessly roams the desolate plains of southern Mexico, on the run from the law, as the only priest left who has not denounced his fatherhood. The surrounding communities in southern Mexico refuse to†¦show more content†¦p. 42 Everybody the priest encounters will not harbour him because of fear of the law. These barren lands symbolize the priests feeling of worthlesness and rejection from God, and the feeling of inevitable sin and the impossibility of martyrdom. I dont know how to repent. That was true: he had lost the faculty. He couldnt say to himself that he wished his sin had never existed, because the sin seemed to him now so unimportant and he loved the fruit of it... our sins have so much beauty. (p. 128,130) The priest continues to create damage as several innocent members of passing communities are executed by the police for not being able to provide adequate information on the priests course of action. The priests developing knowledge of the damage he is creating adds guilt to his anxiety, and he continues to question God about the meaning behind his situation. It infuriated him to think that there were still people in the state who believed in a loving and merciful God. There are mystics who are said to have experienced God directly. He was a mystic, too, and what he had experienced was vacancy- a complete certainty in the existence of a dying, cooling world, of human beings who had evolved from animals for no pupose at all. p. 24 AsShow MoreRelatedThe Illusion of Escape Illustrated in Graham Greenes The Power and the Glory1127 Words   |  5 PagesPlato, the great philosopher, once said, â€Å"No one can escape his destiny† (â€Å"Destiny Quotes†). No matter how hard a person might try to escape a boundary, be it real or of the mind, they cannot evade the inevitable. In author Graham Greene’s novel, The Power and the Glory, the efforts to escape mentally, geographically, and physically are shown to make an impact on an individual’s life. Greene implies that though the rewards of escape can be seen as an attainable goal, the efforts are futile, almostRead MoreGraham Greene The life of Graham Greene began on October 2, 1904 in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, in1700 Words   |  7 PagesGraham Greene The life of Graham Greene began on October 2, 1904 in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, in England where he was born into a family of six (â€Å"Graham Greene: An Inventory of His Collection at the Harry Ransom Center†). His full name was Henry Graham Greene (â€Å"Graham Greene (British Author)†).He was the fourth oldest in the family. As a child, suffered from bullying and dislike for school. (â€Å"Graham Greene Biography†)His father was in charge of the school that he attended which could have hadRead MoreThe Power and Glory by Graham Greene Essay1924 Words   |  8 PagesGraham Greenes Deceptive Life Seen in Graham Greene’s Deceptive Life Seen in: The Power and the Glory â€Å"What he had experienced was a vacancy– a complete certainty in the existence of a dying, cooling world, of human beings who had evolved from animals for no purpose at all. He knew.† (Greene- Power 24-25) Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory, confuses readers tends to mislead them about the ideas he is trying to get across. Greene was a man, who some say, incorporated deceptionRead MoreThe Power And The Glory Essay2468 Words   |  10 Pages The Power and the Glory is considered Greene’s most renowned novel. â€Å"The Power and the Glory is a most remarkable novel, and Mr. Greene proves by it that he is the first novelist of his generation† (WALPOLE, spiritual conflict in the Power and the Glory. It is based on actual events in Mexico in 1926, when the revolutionary government of President Plutarco Elias Calles attempts to eradicate Roman Catholicism entirely. The worst persecution occurs in the state of Tabasco, where Governor Tomas CanabalRead MoreThe Power And The Glory888 Words   |  4 Pages Composition 20 April 2017 The Power and the Glory Throughout the 1900s there was high tension between the church and Mexico because the government did not highly favor religion. More specifically, Catholicism. Graham Greene’s â€Å"The Power and the Glory† is a novel based in the mid-1940s and captures the life of a priest on the run. A mysterious whiskey priest turns Mexico upside down as priests and the Roman Catholic during this time were despised. Graham Greene’s powerful novel is not only a storyRead MoreLiterary Analysis: The End of the Affair and The Power and the Glory1877 Words   |  8 PagesGraham Greene was an author who had the good fortune not only to be critically acclaimed but also to be popular through his writings, despite the inescapable Catholic motif of some of his most enduring novels. The notion of good and evil, and the interplay between them in his narratives is central to his concept of what he believes his adopted religion to stand for. However, his musings on morality and what acts of goodness humans are capable of in their lives are not straightforward repetitionsRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart And The Power1370 Words   |  6 PagesThings Fall Apart and The Power and the Glory Reading Response Chinua Achebe’s world-renowned work, Things Fall Apart, centers around a Nigerian tribe which becomes the subject of conversion to Christianity via missionaries. During the course of this novel, we follow the central character, Okonkwo, through times of stability and times of change in his homeland to arrive at the cathartic ending of his suicide. Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory, however, centers around an unnamed whiskey priestRead MoreThe Power and the Glory by Graham Greene1775 Words   |  8 PagesThe Power and the Glory by Graham Greene Book report by Allen Rabinovich It is the story-tellers task to elicit sympathy and a measure of understanding for those who lie outside the boundaries of State Approval. I. One day I gave The Power and the Glory to... a native of Mexico who had lived through the worst persecutions... She confessed that your descriptions were so vivid, your priest so real, that she found herself praying for him at Mass. I understand how she felt. Last year, on a tripRead MoreExistentialism and the Power and the Glory824 Words   |  3 Pagesnever expect to have, leading many to frustration and confusion. Graham Greene plants The Power and the Glory firmly in reality, and while we still may find his character’s experiences outside of likelihood in context of our own, they remain realistic. They doubt God for good reason, and for the same reason they believe. Their inner struggles are complex and anchored with honesty. The easy path is not taken here. The Power and the Glory is set in revolutionary Mexico, in a time of persecution and politicalRead MoreMental Illness And Its Influence On His Writing Style2053 Words   |  9 PagesThroughout Greene’s life, many of his life experiences helped shape and influence his writing style. During his childhood, he attended Berkhamsted School, where he was bullied by his classmates. The harassment had caused Greene to feel vulnerable, as he attempted to commit suicide a numerous amount of times but failed as the attempts were disorganized and botched. The happiest moment of his childhood, was when he visited his uncle, where he was introduced to books as he discovered he could ‘read’

Thursday, May 14, 2020

American Civil War - American Civil War Eastern Theater 1863 to 1865

Previous: War in the West, 1863-1865 Page | Civil War 101 Grant Comes East In March 1864, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Ulysses S. Grant to lieutenant general and gave him command of all Union armies. Grant elected to turn over operational control of the western armies to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman and shifted his headquarters east to travel with Maj. Gen. George G. Meades Army of the Potomac. Leaving Sherman with orders to press the Confederate Army of Tennessee and take Atlanta, Grant sought to engage General Robert E. Lee in a decisive battle to destroy the Army of Northern Virginia. In Grants mind, this was the key to ending the war, with the capture of Richmond of secondary importance. These initiatives were to be supported by smaller campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley, southern Alabama, and western Virginia. The Overland Campaign Begins the Battle of Wilderness In early May 1864, Grant began moving south with 101,000 men. Lee, whose army numbered 60,000, moved to intercept and met Grant in a dense forest known as the Wilderness. Adjacent to the 1863 Chancellorsville battlefield, the Wilderness soon became a nightmare as the soldiers fought through the dense, burning woods. While Union attacks initially drove the Confederates back, they were blunted and forced to withdrawal by the late arrival of Lt. Gen. James Longstreets corps. Assaulting the Union lines, Longstreet recovered the territory that had been lost, but was severely wounded in the fighting. After three days of the fighting, the battle had turned into a stalemate with Grant having lost 18,400 men and Lee 11,400. While Grants army had suffered more casualties, they comprised a lesser proportion of his army than Lees. As the Grants goal was to destroy Lees army, this was an acceptable outcome. On May 8, Grant ordered the army to disengage, but rather than withdrawal towards Washington, Grant ordered them to continue moving south. Battle of Spotsylvania Court House Marching southeast from the Wilderness, Grant headed for Spotsylvania Court House. Anticipating this move, Lee dispatched Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson with Longstreets corps to occupy the town. Beating the Union troops to Spotsylvania, the Confederates constructed an elaborate set of earthworks in the rough shape of an inverted horseshoe with a salient at the northern point known as the Mule Shoe. On May 10, Col. Emory Upton led a twelve regiment, spearhead attack against the Mule Shoe which broke the Confederate line. His assault went unsupported and his men were forced to withdrawal. Despite the failure, Uptons tactics were successful and were later replicated during World War I. Uptons attack alerted Lee to the weakness of the Mule Shoe section of his lines. To reinforce this area, he ordered a second line built across the salients base. Grant, realizing how close Upton had been to succeeding ordered a massive assault on the Mule Shoe for May 10. Led by Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancocks II Corps, the attack overwhelmed the Mule Shoe, capturing over 4,000 prisoners. With his army about to be split in two, Lee led Lt. Gen. Richard Ewells Second Corps into the fray. In a full day and nights fighting, they were able to retake the salient. On the 13th, Lee withdrew his men to the new line. Unable to break through, Grant responded as he did after Wilderness and continued moving his men south. North Anna Lee raced south with his army to assume a strong, fortified position along the North Anna River, always keeping his army between the Grant and Richmond. Approaching the North Anna, Grant realized that he would need to split his army to attack Lees fortifications. Unwilling to do so, he moved around Lees right flank and marched for the crossroads of Cold Harbor. Battle of Cold Harbor The first Union troops arrived at Cold Harbor on May 31 and began skirmishing with the Confederates. Over the next two days the scope of the fighting grew as the main bodies of the armies arrived on the field. Facing the Confederates over a seven mile line, Grant planned a massive assault for dawn on June 3. Firing from behind fortifications, the Confederates butchered the soldiers of the II, XVIII, and IX Corps as they attacked. In the three days of fighting, Grants army suffered over 12,000 casualties as opposed to only 2,500 for Lee. The victory at Cold Harbor was to be the last for the Army of Northern Virginia and haunted Grant for years. After the war he commented in his memoirs, I have always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was ever made...no advantage whatever was gained to compensate for the heavy loss we sustained. The Siege of Petersburg Begins After pausing for nine days at Cold Harbor, Grant stole a march on Lee and crossed the James River. His objective was to take the strategic city of Petersburg, which would cut the supply lines to Richmond and Lees army. After hearing that Grant crossed the river, Lee rushed south. As the lead elements of the Union army approached, they were prevented from entering by Confederate forces under Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard. Between June 15-18, Union forces launched a series of attacks, but Grants subordinates failed to push home their assaults and only forced Beauregards men to retire to citys inner fortifications. With the full arrival of both armies, trench warfare ensued, with the two sides facing off in a precursor to World War I. In late June, Grant began a series of battles to extend the Union line west around the south side of the city, with the goal of severing the railroads one by one and overextending Lees smaller force. On July 30, in an effort to break the siege, he authorized the detonation of a mine under the center of the Lees lines. While the blast took the Confederates by surprise, they quickly rallied and beat back the mishandled follow-up assault. Previous: War in the West, 1863-1865 Page | Civil War 101 Previous: War in the West, 1863-1865 Page Civil War 101 Campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley In conjunction with his Overland Campaign, Grant ordered Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel to move southwest up the Shenandoah Valley to destroy the rail and supply center of Lynchburg. Sigel began his advance but was defeated at New Market on May 15, and replaced by Maj. Gen. David Hunter. Pressing on, Hunter won a victory at the Battle of Piedmont on June 5-6. Concerned about the threat posed to his supply lines and hoping to force Grant to divert forces from Petersburg, Lee dispatched Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early with 15,000 men to the Valley. Monocacy Washington After halting Hunter at Lynchburg on June 17-18, Early swept unopposed down the Valley. Entering Maryland, he turned east to menace Washington. As he moved towards the capital, he defeated a small Union force under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace at Monocacy on July 9. Though a defeat, Monocacy delayed Earlys advance allowing Washington to be reinforced. On July 11 and 12, Early attacked the Washington defenses at Fort Stevens with no success. On the 12th, Lincoln viewed part of the battle from the fort becoming the only sitting president to be under fire. Following his attack on Washington, Early withdrew to the Valley, burning Chambersburg, PA along the way. Sheridan in the Valley To deal with the Early, Grant dispatched his cavalry commander, Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan with an army of 40,000 men. Advancing against Early, Sheridan won victories at Winchester (September 19) and Fishers Hill (September 21-22) inflicting heavy casualties. The decisive battle of the campaign came at Cedar Creek on October 19. Launching a surprise attack at dawn, Earlys men drove the Union troops from their camps. Sheridan, who was away at a meeting in Winchester, raced back to his army and rallied the men. Counterattacking, they broke Earlys disorganized lines, routing the Confederates and forcing them to flee the field. The battle effectively ended the fighting in the Valley as both sides rejoined their larger commands at Petersburg. Election of 1864 As military operations continued, President Lincoln stood for reelection. Partnering with War Democrat Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, Lincoln ran on the National Union (Republican) ticket under the slogan Dont Change Horses in the Middle of a Stream. Facing him was his old nemesis Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan who was nominated on a peace platform by the Democrats. Following Shermans capture of Atlanta and Farraguts triumph at Mobile Bay, Lincolns reelection was all but assured. His victory was a clear signal to the Confederacy that there would be no political settlement and that war would be prosecuted to end. In the election, Lincoln won 212 electoral votes to McClellans 21. Battle of Fort Stedman In January 1865, President Jefferson Davis appointed Lee to command of all Confederate armies. With the western armies decimated, this move came too late for Lee to effectively coordinate a defense of the remaining Confederate territory. The situation worsened that month when Union troops captured Fort Fisher, effectively closing the Confederacys last major port, Wilmington, NC. At Petersburg, Grant kept pressing his lines west, forcing Lee to further stretch his army. By mid-March, Lee began to consider abandoning the city and making an effort to link up with Confederate forces in North Carolina. Prior to pulling out, Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon suggested a daring attack on the Union lines with the goal of destroying their supply base at City Point and forcing Grant to shorten his lines. Gordon launched his attack on March 25 and overran Fort Stedman in the Union lines. Despite early success, his breakthrough was quickly contained and his men driven back to their own lines. Battle of Five Forks Sensing Lee was weak, Grant ordered Sheridan to attempt a move around the Confederate right flank to the west of Petersburg. To counter this move, Lee dispatched 9,200 men under Maj. Gen. George Pickett to defend the vital crossroads of Five Forks and the Southside Railroad, with orders to hold them at all hazards. On March 31, Sheridans force encountered Picketts lines and moved to attack. After some initial confusion, Sheridans men routed the Confederates, inflicting 2,950 casualties. Pickett, who was away at a shad bake when the fighting started, was relieved of his command by Lee. The Fall of Petersburg The following morning, Lee informed President Davis that Richmond and Petersburg would have to be evacuated. Later that day, Grant launched a series of massive assaults all along the Confederate lines. Breaking through in numerous places, Union forces forced the Confederates to surrender the city and flee west. With Lees army in retreat, Union troops entered Richmond on April 3, finally achieving one of their principle war goals. The next day, President Lincoln arrived to visit the fallen capital. The Road to Appomattox After occupying Petersburg, Grant began chasing Lee across Virginia with Sheridans men in the lead. Moving west and harried by Union cavalry, Lee hoped to re-supply his army before heading south to link up with forces under Gen. Joseph Johnston in North Carolina. On April 6, Sheridan was able to cut off approximately 8,000 Confederates under Lt. Gen. Richard Ewell at Saylers Creek. After some fighting the Confederates, including eight generals, surrendered. Lee, with fewer than 30,000 hungry men, hoped to reach supply trains that were waiting at Appomattox Station. This plan was dashed when Union cavalry under Maj. Gen. George A. Custer arrived in the town and burned the trains. Previous: War in the West, 1863-1865 Page Civil War 101 Previous: War in the West, 1863-1865 Page | Civil War 101 Meeting at Appomattox Court House While most of Lees officers favored surrender, others did not fearing that it would lead to the end of the war. Lee also sought to prevent his army from melting away to fight on as guerrillas, a move that he felt would have long term harm for the country. At 8:00 AM Lee rode out with three of his aides to make contact with Grant. Several hours of correspondence ensued which led to a cease fire and a formal request from Lee to discuss surrender terms. The home of Wilmer McLean, whose house in Manassas had served as Beauregards headquarters during the First Battle of Bull Run, was selected to host the negotiations. Lee arrived first, wearing his finest dress uniform and awaited Grant. The Union commander, who had been suffering a bad headache, arrived late, wearing a worn privates uniform with only his shoulder straps denoting his rank. Overcome by the emotion of the meeting, Grant had difficulty getting to the point, preferring to discuss his previous meeting with Lee during the Mexican-American War. Lee steering the conversation back to the surrender and Grant laid out his terms. Grants Terms of Surrender Grants terms: I propose to receive the surrender of the Army of N. Va. on the following terms, to wit: Rolls of all the officers and men to be made in duplicate. One copy to be given to an officer designated by me, the other to be retained by such officer or officers as you may designate. The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up arms against the Government of the United States until properly exchanged, and each company or regimental commander sign a like parole for the men of their commands. The arms, artillery and public property to be parked and stacked, and turned over to the officer appointed by me to receive them. This will not embrace the side-arms of the officers, nor their private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and man will be allowed to return to their homes, not to be disturbed by United States authority so long as they observe their paroles and the laws in force where they may reside. In addition, Grant also offered to allow the Confederates to take home their horses and mules for use in the spring planting. Lee accepted Grants generous terms and the meeting ended. As Grant rode away from the McLean house, the Union troops began to cheer. Hearing them, Grant immediately ordered it stopped, stating he did not want his men exalting over their recently defeated foe. End of the War The celebration of Lees surrender was muted by the assassination of President Lincoln on April 14 at Fords Theater in Washington. As some of Lees officers had feared, their surrender was the first of many. On April 26, Sherman accepted Johnstons surrender near Durham, NC, and the other remaining Confederate armies capitulated one by one over the next six weeks. After four years of fighting, the Civil War was finally over. Previous: War in the West, 1863-1865 Page | Civil War 101

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Theme Of Manipulation In Othello - 1210 Words

The play, Othello, written by William Shakespeare is full of betrayal, death, and manipulation. It is a tragic play which follows the theme Shakespeare carries throughout most of his plays. Othello is a play about love and death and everything in between. Eric Iliff summarizes, â€Å"Othello is essentially a play about human nature and its ability to turn against itself, and a man whose inability to obtain self-awareness drives him towards an evil act that destroys not only his earthly salvation, but his eternal salvation as well† (Iliff, 3). The characters of Othello bring about manipulation, evil, jealously and rage. This is shown throughout the play, mainly via Iago. The characters within the play, including Othello, Iago, and Desdemona†¦show more content†¦Othello is manipulated into believing that Desdemona is cheating on him, with little physical evidence to back the claim. He only relies on the words of Iago and the actions of Iago to build his opinion on the s ituation and come to the decision that Desdemona was an adulteress. Though, Othello is considered a weak character he is crucial in the development of the other characters and of the play itself. Iago is cunning, cruel and manipulative. He is considerably the strongest character within the play, with his ability to manipulate and control those around him. He is considered the antagonist character of the play, Othello. Iago’s manipulation could stem from the hatred of the characters of the story, mainly the women of the story. He believes women are inferior to men and that they should be considered almost slaves to the household. Hatred toward women could be derived from the suspicion that his own wife, Emilia, cheated on him. He uses his own agenda for the downfall of the other characters without remorse for his actions. Iago uses his intellect to control the scene and situation for how he sees fit. Jennifer Putnam explains, â€Å"He is clever in his diction to avoid confrontation that can easily erupt† (Putnam, 2). Iago’s expertise is saying the right thing to the right people for them to believe exactly what he wants them to believe. This isShow MoreRe latedTheme Of Manipulation In Othello826 Words   |  4 PagesIn Shakespeares play, Othello, jealousy and manipulation is a common recurring theme. This is apparent with the characters that resonate jealousy and/or manipulation. Bianca, a Cyprian courtesan is one example of these characters. With a total of fifteen lines, Bianca is indeed a minor part of the plot, however, her role in the play holds a certain significance that makes her one of the most impactful characters in the play. Bianca is introduced in the play with an encounter with Cassio, the manRead MoreTheme Of Manipulation In Othello939 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play Othello by William Shakespeare, revenge and manipulation plays a major role. The manipulator is Iago and the fool is Roderigo. Throughout the play Iago takes advantage of many people but Roderigo is the most used. This essay will describe explain manipulation, persuasion, and deception between alliances. Read MoreTheme Of Manipulation In Othello713 Words   |  3 PagesManipulation is the controlling by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to ones own advantage. In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago uses manipulation to procure what he wants. The story of Othello is about a man named Othello, who married a the virtuous Desdemona. Othello and Desdemona are madly in love and have already overcame many obstacles to be together, much to the dismay of Roderigo. A man who longed for Desdemona, and consistently chased after her. He was overlookedRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1599 Words   |  7 Pages William Shakespeare’s 16th century play Othello is a duplicitous and fraudulent tale set alternatingly between Venice in act 1, and the island of Cyprus thereafter. The play follows the scandalous marriage between protagonist Othello, a Christian moore and the general of the army of Venice, and Desdemona, a respected and intelligent woman who also happens to be the daughter of the Venetian Senator Brabantio. Shakespeare undoubtedly positions the marriage to be viewed as heroic and noble, despiteRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello - Appearance And Reality1279 Words   |  6 Pagesthe play Othello by William Shakespeare, the theme of appearance and reality is central. The relationship between Othello, the protagonist, and Iago, the antagonist, is deceitful, malicious, and troublesome. Iago’s envy of others drives him to destroy the lives of multiple characters by pretending to be their ally. By trusting Iago, Othello s confidence is broken because he realizes he coul d no longer distinguish reality from lies. At the beginning of the play the protagonist, Othello, is introduceRead MoreAnalytical Essay Othello1047 Words   |  5 Pagesrecurring themes throughout his works, particularly those of love, death, and betrayal. All these themes are present in Othello. Most dominant, however, are manipulation and jealousy. Jealousy runs the characters’ lives in Othello from the beginning of the play, when Roderigo is jealous of Othello because he wishes to be with Desdemona, and to the end of the play, when Othello is furious with jealousy because he believes Cassio and Desdemona have been engaging in an affair, but manipulation the prominentRead MoreTheme Of Jealousy In Othello962 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare often has common themes throughout all of his poems which include love, death, and betrayal. When talking about Othello, all of these major themes are presented. Although, the major theme is jealousy. Throughout the play, jealousy is shown in each character in some way and dri ves the decisions that they make. The beginning starts with Rodrigo being covetous of Othello for being with Desdemona, and at the end where Othello is envious because he believes Desdemona is having an affair withRead More Racism in William Shakespeares Othello Essay1059 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeares Othello The play, Othello, is certainly, in part, the tragedy of racism. Examples of racism are common throughout the dialog. This racism is directed toward Othello, a brave soldier from Africa and currently supreme commander of the Venetian army. Nearly every character uses a racial slur to insult Othello at one point in the play. Even Emilia sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. The character that most commonly makes racist remarks in Othello is IagoRead MoreIts Complicated: Shakespeares Othello1450 Words   |  6 Pagestheir fault. In the Shakespearean play Othello, Iago is seen as a ruthless, power hungry man who wants to see Othello burn. Othello on the other hand appears to be a wise general who only has one weakness in particular: Desdemona. He is flat out head over heels for her which Iago uses to his advantage through the green eyed monster itself: jealousy. Jealousy is one of the main themes within the play, and plays a very important role in the tragic outcome where Othello kills Desdemona and everything unravelsRead MoreManipulation andf the Dramatic Irony of Othello by Shakespeare655 Words   |  3 PagesThe play Othello was written in the 1600’s; there were many themes to pull out while reading it. One that stood out to me the most was manipulation. There are many tactics available to get what you want and make people your puppets. Playing with their emotions and mind, by being charming, and putting on an act pretending to be interested in what’s best for them. In Othello by Shakespeare, we see how easy it is to skillfully influence gullible people using similes and dramatic irony. This play started

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Ramification Of Jordan Essay Example For Students

Ramification Of Jordan Essay Trustworthy Computing Continues to Build Momentum The third year of Microsofts long-term commitment saw progress in technology investments, industry leadership and customer guidance. REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 13, 2005 Scott Charney wants people to think of using their computer in the same way they think of using their telephone. Scott Charney, vice president, Trustworthy Computing, Microsoft Corp. Not that Charney, vice president of Trustworthy Computing at Microsoft, is trying to advocate voice over other communication choices. Rather, he points out that people will walk up to almost any telephone, pick up the receiver and take for granted that they will get a dial tone. Even though the phone system occasionally fails, people are still confident that they will get a dial tone, their call will be completed, and their conversation will be secure and private. Charney wants people to think about computers in the same way. And that is why Microsoft is full steam ahead on its Trustworthy Computing initiative, which marks three years of progress on January 15. Launched by an internal memo from Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates in 2002, Trustworthy Computing is a long-term effort to create and deliver secure, private, and reliable computing experiences for everyone. Charney says Microsoft made significant progress in Trustworthy Computings third year, progress reflected in its technology investments, industry leadership and customer guidance. Even so, he says, Microsoft recognizes there is a long way to go. Remember that the telephone evolved over several decades to reach todays level of trust; party lines were hardly secure or private, he says. Computers have reached global ubiquity in only 20 years, but the industry is still maturing, and reliability, security and privacy the things that create trust are still improving. People recognize the value of computing, but many people still wonder if something bad will happen when they are using their personal computer. Trust in computing is critical if technology is to deliver on its promise. Microsofts leadership will hopefully help the industry generate that trust sooner rather than later.Technology Investment and InnovationTrustworthy OnlineMicrosoft offers numerous sites with information, tips and guidance for users, both corporate and consumer, in support of its Trustworthy Computing initiative. These include:Trustworthy Computing: Complete details about this long-term initiative. Security and Privacy Customer Assistance: More detailed information on how to deal with common security and privacy problems. Security and Privacy reference materials: Microsoft Press publishes an extensive selection of books on computer security, privacy and safety issues. Security Guidance Center: Major resource for IT professionals and developers. Security home page: An extensive resource for home and small business users. Security at Home: Home users of all expertise levels will find help and information on topics including viruses, spam, Spyware, security in laptops and mobile devices, and more. Start at Protect Your PC. Strategies for Reducing Security Risks: How to address the computer security issues that impact the bottom line. MSN Security: User-friendly help to protect yourself online. Includes tips on privacy and e-mail protections, and ways to keep your kids safe on the Web. GetNetWise: Ways to help families stay one click ahead of Web bad guys. End the Spam Epidemic: Information from the Microsoft Safety and Technology Strategy team about its work with customers, partners, and governments worldwide to address online safety issues like spam and phishing. Technology advances in the third year of Trustworthy Computing came both in products and processes at Microsoft. For example, several groups across the company collaborated with Microsofts Safety, Technology and Strategy Group to integrate anti-spam and anti-phishing technology into Hotmail, MSN, Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. New error-reporting technology in Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Office XP automatically captures details about product or service failures and offers users the opportunity to report those details to Microsoft to help advance product improvements. Information rights management technology in both Office 2003 and Windows Server 2003 addresses information protection concerns regarding e-mail, spreadsheets and Office documents. .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba , .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba .postImageUrl , .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba , .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba:hover , .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba:visited , .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba:active { border:0!important; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba:active , .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf3b0343cf0b474847a63144e6a5120ba:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Matthew HensonDevelopment of Microsoft products that are either used in an enterprise, are routinely connected to the Internet or are used to process sensitive or personal information is now guided by the Security Development Lifecycle (SDL). The SDL is a formalized process that incorporates security checkpoints and milestones at every stage of a products lifecycle, from

Friday, April 3, 2020

Analysis of abortion as an ethical issue

Analysis of abortion as an ethical issue Introduction Human beings find themselves in a number of ethical dilemmas, during which it is difficult to make the right decision. Sometimes people find themselves making wrong decisions as a result of poor judgment, or even as a result of negligence.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Analysis of abortion as an ethical issue specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These kinds of dilemmas occur often in healthcare, in which medical practitioner may get a request from a patient which is ethically wrong. This paper analyses an abortion request by a patient as an ethical issue, and also outlines the pros and cons of abortion. Analysis of the issue facing Dr. Shelton The stated request by a patient for the doctor help to her in procuring an abortion just because she is expecting a girl is a great ethical dilemma. First of all, it is morally wrong for the pregnant lady to kill her fetus just because it is female. It is also m orally wrong for any doctor to help her procure an abortion on the basis of the child’s gender. Secondly, the doctor is bound by professional ethics not to use her medical knowledge to kill anyone (Ruddick 1). Some people may argue that the fetus cannot be regarded as a person, but it is true that she is indeed a person. Let us now have a look at the implications of whatever decision the doctor makes. Pros of abortions In the case under scrutiny in this paper, there are a limited number of benefits that could accrue after procuring an abortion. This is because the health of the abortion is normally recommended is ethically recommended if the health of the child and/or mother is compromised (Ladock 1). In this case, however, the mother wants to procure an abortion due to the fact that the fetus is female. Among the few benefits that may accrue to procuring an abortion in this case is the fact that the mother will not have to go through the financial stress of raising the femal e child after it is born. This is especially critical because the mother has clearly stated that she cannot afford to raise a girl. Another argument for abortion is the fact that the health of a fetus, especially during early months, is solely dependent on that of the mother, and thus regarding the two as separate entities can be erroneous (Lowen 1).Advertising Looking for term paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The cons of abortion If the doctor had decided to help the patient procure an abortion, the patient will possibly face a number of problems. First, abortion is associated with an increased risk of infection, which may lead to a condition known as sepsis, in which the patient’s bloodstream gets too many bacteria to an extent that it cannot function normally (Gordon 1). The patient will also become susceptible to miscarriages in the future due to the abortion. In some cases, the p atient may also die while procuring the abortion. Additionally, after an abortion, the person who has procured it may end up in depression, which may result in other psychological disorders. From this discussion, it is clear that the doctor was right to decline assisting the lady to procure an abortion. Conclusion From the discussion above, it is apparent that making the right decision in an ethical dilemma can be a daunting task. However, facts and implications of decisions can be considered by any shrewd person to arrive at the best decision. For this case, and considering the fact that the mother wants to abort due to the sex of the fetus, Dr. Shelton made the right decision. Gordon, Glenn. â€Å"Abortion: the pros, the cons, and the inbetweens†. 2011. Web. Ladock, Jason. â€Å"Pros and Cons of Abortion†. 2011. Web. Lowen, Linda. â€Å"10 Arguments For Abortion and 10 Arguments Against Abortion†. 2011. Web. Ruddick, William. â€Å"Medical Ethics†. 199 8 – 2011. Web.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Analysis of abortion as an ethical issue specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Suicide The Right to Die essays

Suicide The Right to Die essays The Right to Die, Physician-Assisted Suicide " I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect" The Hippocratic Oath Physician-Assisted suicide is one of the most controversial issues in our society today. During the 1990's, assisted suicide has become the subject of public debate and legislative action across the nation. Even the U.S Supreme Court has been involved in critical decisions involving the legalization of Physician-assisted suicide. These matters call into question the ethical standards and legal bases for all Doctors and Health Care Providers. The American Heritage Dictionary defines euthanasia as "the act of killing an individual for reasons considered to be merciful". Killing in this case is a physical action where one individual actively kills another. The word "euthanasia" comes from the Greek eu, "good" and thanatos, "death" or "good death". Doctor assisted-suicide can be considered auto-euthanasia. The Doctor provides the means for a patient to take their own life painlessly but does not actively or physically help that person die. Doctor assisted suicide is nothing new to society, dating back to the time Socrates 470-399 BC. With the interventions of Jack Kevorkian M.D., being played out in the media and in the courts, Doctor assisted suicide has become the focus of intense public and professional debate. Most of this attention is focused right here in Michigan because of Dr. Jack Kevorkian AKA, "Doctor Death". Doctor Kevorkian has assisted in over one hundred assisted suicides. There are many arguments for and against assisted suicide. Points for and against this practice encompass legal, ethical, religious and medical arguments. They are very complex and lengthy. Listed are just a few simplified issues from both sides of the debate. A person should have control over one's own body. This is a fundamental right, and individual...

Friday, February 21, 2020

Costco case study analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Costco analysis - Case Study Example Because of the low prices, the company covered all the operating expenses and got low operating profits. The method focused more on impressing the customers and increased membership fees and in the financial income, the membership fees were higher than the company’s net income. For the above reasons, the company may fail in the long run (Arthur, p. 195). The problem of pricing can only be solved as explained below. As the membership fees caters for the operating expenses, the company should maintain the prices. Since the goods and services are of high quality and underpriced, it may highly affect the company. To avoid the consequences, the company should use penetration-pricing model to solve the problem. In the model, goods are lowly priced and then are gradually increased to match the market value of the products. By using the penetration-pricing model, they will maintain sales, customers and most importantly increase organization profitability (Arthur,

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Contemporary Issues in Auditing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Contemporary Issues in Auditing - Assignment Example An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe our that our audit will provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. Our audit procedures will include test of of documentary evidence supporting the transactions recorded in the transactions, tests of physical existence of inventories, and direct confirmation of receivables and certain other assets and liabilities by correspondence with selected customers, creditors, legal counsel, and banks. At the conclusion of our audit, we request certain written representations from you about the financial statements and other related matters. Our fees for this audit will be based on the time spent by various members of our audit staff at our regular rates, pus direct direct expenses. We will notify you immediately if any circumstances we encounter that could significantly affect our initial audit fee estimate f In order to us to work as efficiently as possible, it is understood that your accounting staff will provide us with the prior year's trial balance on or before January 15, 2008, and also with the schedules and and account analysis described on the separate attachment. It is standard operating procedure tha... ..................... February 20, 2008 Delivery of audit report......................... March 5, 2008 Our fees for this audit will be based on the time spent by various members of our audit staff at our regular rates, pus direct direct expenses. We will notify you immediately if any circumstances we encounter that could significantly affect our initial audit fee estimate f8,000. In order to us to work as efficiently as possible, it is understood that your accounting staff will provide us with the prior year's trial balance on or before January 15, 2008, and also with the schedules and and account analysis described on the separate attachment. If these arrangements re in accordance with your understanding, please sign this letter in the space provided and return to a copy to us at your earliest convenience. Very truly yours,----------------------------------- Carter and Corbin Chartered Accountants Accepted by: ____________________ Date Ethical Part cover 15% - The information that should be passed to the new auditors- clearance from previous auditor To the Stockholders, Rentokill Initial London November 28, 2007 Dear sir/maa'am: It is standard operating procedure that a new external auditor must contact your company's former external auditor. Thus, please send us recommendation letter addressed to your prior

Monday, January 27, 2020

Rawls Principles Of Justice Philosophy Essay

Rawls Principles Of Justice Philosophy Essay What is justice. Merriam-Webster defines justice as the quality of being just, impartial, or fair; the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action; conformity to this principle or ideal. For our purposes, justice is also seen as a concept that is balanced between law and morality. John Rawls states that justice is the first virtue of social institutions. He states that justice is best understood by a grasp of the principles of justice which are expected to represent the moral basis political government. These principles indicate that humankind needs liberty and freedom to the extent that they do not harm others. He believes, correctly I agree, that justice is significant to human development and prosperity. Rawls states that the challenge of justice is to ensure a just distribution of primary goods that include powers and opportunities, rights and liberties, means of self-respect, income and wealth among others. He disputed the earlier predominant common source of injustice, the utilitarianism theory (which states that justice is best defined by that which provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people). The theory of utilitarianism completely ignores the moral worth of an individual. This theory does not take into consideration the minority aspect of the population. Rawls writes about one such example of this mistreatment of the minority in relation to how the Jewish people were treated by the Nazis in Germany. In respect to the mistreatment of minorities, Rawls writes that you cannot reimburse for the sufferings of the distressed by enhancing the hoys of the successful. Fairness, according to him, occurs when the society makes sure that every individual is treated equall y before the law and given a chance to succeed in a socially-moderated life. He developed a concept that he deemed the original position, which gives people a chance to decide on the principles of justice from a veil of ignorance. This original position is a hypothetical situation where no one has any advantage over another. I find the veil of ignorance very interesting. Behind this veil, all individuals are specified as rational, free and morally equal beings in society. They do not know anything of themselves, their natural abilities, or their set position in the society in which they live. They have no idea of their sex, race, nationality, or individual tastes. Would they choose differently if they werent aware of these things? Would their society be less judgmental? I firmly believe so. I believe they would make choices about their lives that would adopt a strategy that would maximize the prospects of the not-so-well off, and make society a better balanced society. According to Rawls, the people in the original position, behind said veil of ignorance, wou ld adopt principles that would monitor the assignment of rights and duties and regulating the distribution of social and economic advantages in the society. His difference principle allows inequalities in the distribution of goods when the states inequalities benefit the least well off members of the society. However, Michael Sandel, noted author of Justice: Whats the Right Thing to Do?, would state that the idea of the veil of ignorance is unachievable. He argues that we are entangled with our communities, our pasts, and our sense of the possible future. If we are ashamed of what our country does, or proud of it, we are tacitly admitting that we are claimed by moral ties that we have not chosen and implicated in the narratives that shape our identity as moral agents. Sandel also believes the just society can be better achieved through a more emotional, patriotic and even religious appeal, rather than through Rawlss abstract liberalism. Sandel thinks that Rawlss liberal theory of justice fails because the neutrality of values associated with it begins with the false assumption that citizens are unencumbered selves totally unbound by any history, civic loyalties, sociopolitical circumstances, aims and attachments. We are all undeniably entwined with our communities. Other than Sandel, another critic of Rawlss position is Susan Moller Okin, author of, Reason and Feeling in Thinking About Justice. One would think that Rawlss theory would support feminist thinkers who seek to overturn the injustices suffered by women. The original position being supposedly blind to gender and tradition, and so, it seems, are the principles of justice Rawls derives. However, Susan Okin has several arguments against Rawlss theories, or in favor of adjustments to his theories. One of her first problems is that Rawlss theory is limited to public justice the deliberators are meant to be heads of families not necessarily gendered but entails that justice does not apply within families. Thus sacrifices for domestic arrangements such as childbearing, childcare, and housework, traditionally made by women, are simply not considered. He simply assumes families are just institutions, which in my opinion is far from true. Rawls also stresses the role of proper moral developm ent, which he believes is to take place within families. Upbringing must be both loving and just. However, how can a proper upbringing take place if the women of the family are not placed on equal foundations with the men? Rawls underplays the role of emotion in rational decision-making. This is not to say that only women use emotions to make decisions, but that the idea that anybody could make any decision free from emotional influences is a characteristically male attribute. Nevertheless, Okin thinks that in the right hands, Rawlss original position, which is blind to gender and tradition, has the potential to provide a framework for critique of systems which are gender-biased. Its just that Rawls fails to do this. The general conception of this principle is that all primary goods, such as liberty and opportunity, self-respect, incomes, and wealth, are supposed to be distributed equally unless an unequal distribution of any or all of these primary goods are to the advantage of the least favored. The good is the satisfaction of rational desire thus making the goods different, but all people having a right to said goods. All individuals have equal right to the most general of basic liberties. Economic and social inequalities are to be set in a way that they are both rationally projected to be everyones advantage, and to be attached to positions that are open to all people in society. Rawls writes about three general principles of justice. The first said principle is the principle of greatest equal liberty. This principle states that each person has an equal right to the most basic liberty. It determines the basic rights that should be retained such as, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the political liberties to vote, run for office, own property, and to have freedom of speech. These have to be protected to guarantee the development and prosperity of others. The second of Rawlss principles is the principle of fair equality of wealth and opportunity. According to this principle, everyone should have the same opportunities to make wealth, work, or govern in a public office. The only difference being the knowledge and skills of the individual. He states that it is in everyones advantage if positions of authority are accessible for any person to lead the community. The third principle of Rawls indicates that any social and economic inequalities should be arranged so that they are to th e greatest benefit to the least advantaged individuals in society. It indicates that for any effective change to be considered as an improvement, it should affect the least privileged. This principle is often referred to as the difference principle. Another critic of Rawls is Robert Nozick, author of Anarchy, The State and Utopia, which was primarily written to refute the theories of John Rawls. Specifically, Nozick takes issue with Rawls conception of distributive justice as it pertains to economic inequalities. Rawls wrote that economic inequalities should only be permitted if they are to the benefit of society, and especially if they are to the benefit of its least advantaged members; this has come to be known as the difference principle. Nozick believed that no one had any business permitting economic inequalities at all. To Nozick, as long as economic inequalities arise from voluntary exchange, they cannot be unjust. Rawls saw the importance of liberty, but he also saw the tragedy of inequality, particularly as it pertains to extreme poverty. To Rawls, it is unconscionable that some should be born into a life of misery and poverty while others enjoy great wealth without lifting a finger. To Nozick, the unconscionable thing is that anyone should feel the justified in appropriating property that is rightly entitled to someone else. I believe that while Rawlss theory of justice is admirable, it does have some flaws and weaknesses. Rawlss theory is not a formula for deciding what is right and wrong, but a framework for proposing principles of justice. No one can really know what a specific set of people would actually decide if they didnt know what sort of people they would be, what sort of lives and what appetite for risk they would have. But that does not mean the thought experiment cannot be used as a test. Would people who knew they could turn out to be Jewish, in a context of historic embedded anti-Semitism, agree to principles which allowed public bodies to impose anti-Jewish quotas, purportedly as a way to avoiding the possible consequences of anti-Semitism? Unlikely.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Analysis of Centaur Abducting Woman with Fallen Lapith Man Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps the most interesting period in Greek sculpture is the Classical period. During this glorious period of unbelievable craftsmanship, numerous pieces celebrated the Greek’s infatuation with fable and war. The sculpture, nicely titled Centaur Abducting Lapith Woman and Fallen Lapith Man, is a wonderful symbol of the artistic period and image of war. Sculpted somewhere around 447-438 B.C., the sculpture was carved out of solid marble to produce a beautiful, and yet horrifying scene from a battle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This sculpture was most likely the artist’s attempt to capture the essence of some fable that had been passed down through the generations. Perhaps more likely, it could have been the artist’s own imagination that fathomed the macabre beauty of the rendered scene. The sculpture is done in high relief, carved out of a solid block of marble. The lines and curves of the sculpture give each character within it great definition. It almost appears though, from the way in which the centaur holds the woman, that he has no head. This adds to the already existing complexity of the sculpture. It is very similar to other sculptures of the Classical period in the way that it depicts a man at death’s doorstep, and a woman being abducted. It seems to be a reoccurring theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sculpture is done in a monochromatic brown hue. It depicts a valiant centaur with a Lapith woman slung over his shoulder. A Lapith...

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Country Factbook Between Seden and Denmark on Organic Food Industry Essay

1. Executive summary The organic food industry is suitable for business investments in both Sweden and Denmark due to several factors. First of all, efficient local intermediary firms and certain broader macro-level institutions facilitate business and provide location advantages. Moreover, studying the business/industry culture can be used to gain insights in the business environment of Sweden/Denmark in the field of organic food. However, the complex natures of harvesting organic goods make it impossible to indicate the best location for production, as this depends on the particular product being produced. As a result, demand and supply across Sweden and Denmark are met by means of a widespread retail sector, intra-industry trade and export. Only by making an estimation of sectorial breakdown and its counterparts an (somewhat) informed investment decision can be made. Either way, it is evident that organic food industry as a whole has gained popularity due to several reasons. One example is that CSR profiles of firms have become an customary element in the product purchasing decision in recent times. It can be said that recent developments in technological- (information technology revolution) and political nature (subsidies) have contributed to this trend, documents playing an important role in particular. Since culture consists of documents and culture is more available to document analysis today it has been our choice in our data collection method. In turn, for data analysis we have made use of coding, series of events and semiotics. It is these that have allowed us to assess macroeconomic performance of Sweden and Denmark as well as its historical developments, socio-cultural conditions and the nature of competitiveness in the organic industry field. Despite the fact that Sweden and Denmark share many similarities in each one of these areas there are some differences. However, these are considered to be subtle and highly context-dependent. Therefore, we would also not like to answer our research question, ‘’How and why do the organic industry conditions differ between Sweden and Denmark? ’’ in this section, but hope that you will find an answer what is best for you in the pages of the remainder of this report. Ultimately, we will provide major findings of comparisons and recommendations, based on our views and experience gained during our research. It might be possible to ‘’tweak’’ this information in such a way in making it applicable for your particular business scenario or business plan. 2. Introduction This section is meant to state the goal, relevance and purpose of our Factbook. Furthermore, it will give rise to our lead question, being ‘’How and why do the organic industry conditions differ between Sweden and Denmark? ’’ To boot, we hope to achieve appraisal and recognition for our deliverables from whom ultimately might use and/or buy our Factbook. Like the CIA Factbook, our focus is on the industry. However, it is important to note that we have tried to achieve more than the already existing Factbooks, as they are often too comprehensive or lacking in value. We have tried to overcome the first problem by linking theory to application and writing about it. In this, our main challenge has been to take into account all aspects that somehow matter for the bottom line, the profitability of an investment project. Yet, since profitability is a relative term it might be better to speak of opportunity costs. This terminology is crucial to understand for correct business decision making to take place and also forms the backbone for our final recommendations in our Factbook. Moreover, Pugel (2009) has showed that many industries incur rising, rather than constant, marginal opportunity costs. For instance, efforts to expand Denmark/Sweden organic wheat production would fairly quickly run into rising costs caused by limits on (1) how much more land could be drawn into wheat production and how suitable this additional land would be for wheat production, (2) the availability of additional workers willing and suitable to work on the farms, and/or (3) the availability of seeds, fertilizers, and other material inputs. As for the second problem, we focus mostly on institutionalism and culture as they are lacking in other country Factbooks. Examples of institutions that can facilitate business in Sweden and Denmark are efficient local intermediary firms and certain broader macro-level institutions, both being considered to be generally available location advantages (Verbeke 2010). Concerning culture, we are particularly interested in business/industry culture. This is based on logic that our analysis is mainly on the industry level. Furthermore, Hollensen (2008) has showed that business/industry culture of business behavior and ethics is similar across borders, i. e. expected to be the same for Sweden and Denmark. By learning about the industry culture the decision maker will be aware of important ‘rules of the game’ (Hollensen 2008). Concerning the purpose, this Factbook is meant to facilitate a document that will be considered important for decision makers, i. e. policy makers but especially business investors. From an investment perspective, several hierarchical modes (domestic-based sales representatives, mergers and acquisition, alliances, greenfield) are possible. However, retailer alliances and mergers and acquisition are most popular. To illustrate, in the case of Sweden retailer alliances control 90% of the food retail stores (http://www. snee. org/filer/papers/193. pdf). Furthermore, because the organic food market in Denmark and Sweden and Europe in general is rather fragmented, mergers provide benefits and interest to investors through economies of scale (http://www. nytimes. com/2011/05/24/business/global/24organic. html). Lastly, market growth, political support and complimentary resources in both Denmark and Sweden stimulate and attract business investors. These and other issues will be elaborated in the remainder of this report. All in all, we will provide the examiner with information of which we believe to be relevant for decision makers and can be used for deciding which company, or which industries of this company, to invest in. Hereby, we have tried to identify the major dimensions relevant to comparative country studies. These have been chosen carefully and matter for the organic food industry and a wide spectrum of business within this industry. In turn, these dimensions can be used to compare the countries Sweden and Denmark. Ultimately, the contents of this Factbook are meant to stay closely connected to the country set Sweden/Denmark and it’s organic food industry, yet still is general to the extent that it allows applying the information to a concrete business case. With the final product of our Factbook we hope to have provided the reader with a clear understanding of the conditional differences between Sweden and Denmark and as such an answer to our research question. Concerning the structure of the remainder of this paper, we will subsequently discuss: methods and frameworks, introduction to organic food sector, methods and frameworks, country comparison, major findings of comparison and recommendations and the bibliography. 3. Methods and frameworks 3. 1 Method for Factbook compilation As method for our Factbook compilation we have opted to first focus on the country and then on the region. It can be described as a region-based compilation (RBC) technique. For example, if you look at technology, technology is taking place in Eindhoven in The Netherlands and not in Delfzijl. If you are going to do something with energy then you end up in Delfzijl rather than in Eindhoven. However, making such a comparison for Sweden or Denmark in terms of organic food proves difficult. To explain, people that argue that organic food is simply being harvested on the most fertile agricultural land are likely to mix up terms. That is, fertility should be clearly set aside from productivity or even best land. Indeed, you can have a highly fertile area but deficient in its use do its limited crop sizes. Moreover, a certain area of agricultural land might be appropriate to harvest a particular organic product, but is less appropriate or least suitable for other organic products. Lastly, in general organic material levels go up as you go north. But productivity does not necessarily follow the same trend because the same shorter season and lower temperatures that helped build and maintain that organic material, limits growing seasons and crops growth. In order to prevent complexity we have decided to focus more on the retail sector of Sweden and Denmark than the production sector. The retail sector will include exports as over 70 percent of the exports of industrialized countries are shipped to other industrialized countries, and nearly half of total world trade is industrialized countries trading with each other (Pugel 2009). Sweden and Denmark are no exception, as they are known to have an established intra-industry trade relationship. Besides physical locations we also like to discuss official statistics as another compilation issue. The main issue is that official statistics often rely on incomplete information and therefore involve estimation. In our report we have made use of two types of estimation, sectorial breakdown and its counterparts. We have chosen to select these two types in order to facilitate the decision maker with a reflection opportunity of a wide variety of activities he/she might be interested in. Furthermore, in an attempt to ‘standardize’ statistics we will use figures of the Central Statistics Office (or a comparable source) as much as possible for both Denmark and Sweden. We believe it is advisable to use comparable or equal sources between the two countries as it strengthens the reliability of our research. Based on previous experience and narratives we believe the Central Statistics Office (also known as Central Statistics Bureau) is one of the most easily accessible and reliable sources to be found on the Internet. Furthermore, in order to prevent possible ambiguity we will use equal terminology for both countries as much as possible, including definitions of sectors and instrument categories. Moreover, we would like to briefly discuss the overall structure of the Factbook. First of all, the executive summary is meant to provide background information on the topic of organic food as an industry and can act as a quick-review guide of what the examiner is likely to expect in the report. In this, the executive summary contains several main ideas reflected in the report itself. Furthermore, the introduction discusses more distinct the Factbook and the underlying principles. Then, data collection and data analysis show arguments for the choices we have made in conducting our empirical research. As to the chapters that follow, these are simply a representation and a more in-depth analysis of what has been announced in the previous chapters and act as to share our findings in terms of describing legal, political, environmental, institutional and cultural dimensions. Lastly, we finalise our report by concluding with major findings of comparisons and recommendations. 3. 2 Prime theories and approaches There are different theories to be utilized for compiling this Factbook. One of the main drivers for organic farming is environmental reason, which are often associated with care for the environment. Moreover, it can be argued that the choice for buying ‘’organic’’ is also driven by social cultural reasoning, having this care for the environment being embedded as part of the culture. Indeed, this is mainly the case in the Western market where awareness towards environmental issues has risen in recent times. It is terms like corporate responsibility and sustainability that have become a part of the decision making process of Western consumers as to what to buy and to whom to buy it from. In this, environmental and socio-cultural values have become an important facet in the decision making process of the consumer in general, the organic food industry being no exemption. In an attempt to verify and examine these trends we will make use of theory of Schwartz (1999) combined with the theory of planned behaviour to determine if organic food consumption offers potential for business investment to take place. As we shall see later on, Schwartz his cultural values can be used to assess the main characteristics of the average Swedish and Danish inhabitant and how these assist in making inferences about core values, behaviour and its relation to the organic food industry. In order to find more specific similarities and differences we have made use of the framework as proposed by S. Ruiz de Maya et al. (2011), who offer us a theoretical approach to the organic food industry from the consumer side. It is this that provides us with socio-cultural factors and helping the investor to decide whether Sweden or Denmark is more ‘suitable’ to invest in, depending on a particular context. In addition, the PESTLE analysis will also be utilized in this report. It is important to note that we will not be focusing on the whole framework but on the political, social and legal factors provided. By examining the political factors we can determine how these influence the organic food industry. For instance, some administrations can be beneficial for the organic food industry. For instance, by stimulating farmers to dedicate more land for organic farming and usage of organic food in government institutions. However, in another term a different administration might not be so favourable to organic farming and food, which could lead to a different situation. For example, abolishing organic farming grants. As mentioned before, the social side of organic food consumption is important. Health and environmental issues have become more important for the general public. Furthermore, the investor should keep in mind that views concerning organic food can change. These factors can have an influence on the demand. Last aspect is the legal aspects. For example, determine the definition of organic food and who or how they uphold this standard. This factor is related to the political part of the PESTLE analysis. Legislation concerning organic food is important for the Factbook. There can be differences between Denmark and Sweden concerning organic food industry. 3. 3 Method for data collection and analysis. This section will discuss our chosen method for data collection and analysis. We will start by addressing the data collection technique, after which the data collection analysis approach will follow. First of all, it can be said that our study involves both qualitative research (a focus on text) and quantitative research (a focus on numbers). However, since institutionalism and culture are clearly more qualitative we have opted to focus on qualitative data collection techniques. In the end, we have made use of solely documents as a qualitative data collection technique. Although we would have liked to include interviews and fieldwork in our research, we experienced that it is difficult, if not impossible, for us to carry out these activities successfully. First, we could not find any suitable individuals or focus groups being knowledgeable about our subject. Second, we do not believe ourselves to be proficient enough in fieldwork as to ensure reliable and valid results. Moreover, the duration of the necessary fieldwork was also expected not to fit within the given timeframe set to create the Factbook. In either case, there are some advantages of using documents as opposed to interviews and fieldwork. For example, documents are relatively cheap and quick to access (Payne & Payne, 2004). It is usually much easier to obtain data from documents than from interviews or fieldwork. Also, if there are many documents on a subject, which we believe to hold true for our case, triangulation is possible to study developments over time. In terms of sources of data, our research is limited to secondary data only. Indeed, we did not make use of any unpublished data being gathered directly from people or organizations. Instead, we have made use of published books, webpages, newspaper articles and journal articles. Somewhat surprisingly, we found that these sources were able to provide us with sufficient empirical data for our research, especially with regard to culture related aspects. Concerning the latter, we would also like to refer to Altheide (1996), who said that documents are studied to understand culture. He has pointed out that a large part of culture consists of documents. Furthermore, he has showed that culture is more available to document analysis today because of the information technology revolution. (Altheide, 1996). Finally, in order to assess the quality of the documents used, we have made use of four criteria as proposed by Scott (1990): (1) authenticity, (2) credibility, (3) representativeness & (4) meaning. Concerning the method for data analysis, we have chosen to make use of several approaches for analyzing qualitative data. Probably the one being used the most is coding. We have chosen this approach primarily because it is one of the easiest ways to analyse qualitative data. In addition, it offers many advantages. For instance, it allows reducing the size of the data and is useful for retrieving, organizing, and speeding up the analysis (Miles & Humberman, 1994). Although this method has been used throughout the entire report, it has been particular helpful in our literature review on the organic food industry, as making use of buzzwords has helped in defining the scope of our research. Moreover, it was found helpful for the executive summary and the introduction, as these are more restricted in terms of length. Here coding has acted as an instrument to make distinctions between either ‘too detailed’ or ‘too general’ more easily. Another data analysis approach we have made use of is series of events. We have made use of this approach as we considered it to be helpful to compare relevant historical developments for our industry. Listing a series of events by chronological time periods and subsequently assigning events to categories has helped to identify similarities and differences over time. As such, it allows us to pinpoint more precisely when historical developments have been most evident and how it has changed the view of the industry. Due to its very nature this approach was utilized in the historical developments section of our report. Lastly, we have made use of semiotics, which is concerned with the meaning of signs and symbols. For business and management research, semiotics is most useful in marketing, management, consumer research and information systems. This is because in these segments, signs are very important. For example, form of brand names and logos are considered to be highly important. In our view semiotics also play an influential role in the organic food industry. Currently, there is some debate about the future growth of the organic food industry; it either being with brands or retailer private labels. It has been argued that large food retailers are taking advantage of the ‘organic’ brand without making any of the associated investment. While the industry has been built by certification agencies and pioneering brands, their presence in terms of logos and brands is diminishing in supermarkets and mainstream retailers (http://www. organicmonitor. com/r0811. htm). As such, investment scenario’s in the organic food industry are less clear-cut than in the past and require careful examination of conventions governing the use of signs and sign systems. In our report, semiotics has been found crucial to explain the socio-cultural and market/industry conditions more fully. 4. Introduction sector/industry In order to provide the examiner with an introduction of the organic food industry, general trends, definitions and boundaries will be discussed. To boot, the European organic food market has a total revenue of $24. 7 billion in 2010, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8. 9% between 2006 and 2010 based on research of DATAMONITOR (2010). The European organic food market grew by 6% in 2010 to reach a value of 24. 7 billion and it is predicted that in 2015 the European organic food market will be worth $36. 8 billion, an increase of 48. 8% since 2010. According to UNCTAD, organic agriculture is defined as a holistic production management whose primarily goal is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil, life, plants, animals and people. Moreover, According to Chen (2009) organic products are goods that respect the environment and that are manufactured without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics or gene manipulation. By viewing the production side, organic producers should combines best environmental practices, a high level of biodiversity, the preservation of natural resources and application of high-animal welfare standards, providing higher quality products to respond to a certain consumers’ demand. Nowadays, the concern of Western society on how products may be profoundly harmful to the environment has led to a higher demand for organic products, sustainable business activities and stricter regulations from national governments (Gurau and Ranchod, 2005). Due to this increasing concern and higher demand in European countries, it can be argued that the organic food industry is becoming a more interesting and challenging sector for investors to invest in. Furthermore, organic food industry generates revenue as the second largest market within Europe and is continuously growing. However, some boundaries as to this sector do exist. Three main boundaries we found to be of importance are price premiums, quality and availability and time factor. Of these three, price premium is expected to be the most important. This is due to the fact that organic food more often than not requires another form of processing and is more difficult to conserve. Moreover, the costs of quality control are also expected to be higher as no pesticides are used as to protect large crops. As such, it is rational that the price is more expensive than conventional food products. In effect, consumers with lack of knowledge will reconsider buying organic products because of this simple fact. Considering quality of the organic products, consumers believe that by charging a higher price this is equivalent to a higher quality. This view is based on the rationale of human beings, sometimes depicted in phrases such as ‘pay more, get more’. Whilst this ‘rule’ not always holds true, our (inner) convictions and background study has verified that this is in fact the case in the organic food industry. An example of the organic food retail sector is that high priced restaurants tend to favour organic (natural) ingredients. Based on the above, the organic products will meet consumers’ expectation by providing the products above the conventional product’s standards, with a price tag to match its difference in quality. The last constraint we would like to discuss is availability and time factor. The availability of organic products do not vary as much as that of conventional products. As organic products are often less well exposed, they are more difficult to find in stores. This is an important consideration and largely influences issues such as sales expectations, storage costs and risk of decay. Furthermore, in the following part we will discuss and analyse how the conditions of organic food provide the investor with a broader view of the organic food industry. In this, we will consider four conditions as factors being relevant for organic food: political-, cultural-, legal- and labor systems. 5. Country comparison 5. 1 Macro-economic indicators A country comparison on macro-economic indicators can be considered to be beneficial for decision makers as it gives them food for thought on the expected macroeconomic performance of that country, i. e. the behavior of a country’s output, jobs, and prices in the organic food industry in the face of changing world conditions. This judgment call about performance is basically what drives most macro-economic analysis. It can be used to assess issues such as how well a country’s economy is performing and how close it is to achieving broad desirable objectives, such as stability in average product prices (no inflation) and low unemployment (Pugel 2009). The most relevant macro-economic indicators for the organic food industry are considered to be economic indicators and financial indicators. Demographic indicators do not seem important to us as research has shown that gender or age does not have any significant effect on whether people decide to buy organic food or not (http://newhope360. com/organic-consumers-share-values-not-demographics). In order to ensure reliability we have chosen to attain all figures of these indicators from one source, namely De Grote Bosatlas (2002). Fig. 1 STATISTIEK EUROPA (part 1) Fig 2. STASTIEK EUROPA (PART 2) From figure 1 we can infer that Denmark had a higher agricultural contribution in terms of percentage towards the GDP. Moreover, Denmark has a substantial higher percentage of agricultural grounds (62. 4% versus 7. 9%) Furthermore, Denmark has a higher contribution to GDP per capita. Besides, inhabitants from Denmark are slightly wealthier than those in Sweden, when looking at GDP. Lastly, Denmarks development of the GDP in 1990-1999 has risen more than was the case for Sweden. Then, from figure 2, we can infer that Denmark has a stronger economy than Sweden, but only by a small margin. Furthermore, inflation rate for Denmark is lower, yet also again only by a small margin. Moreover, Denmark has more government spending in terms of percentage of GDP. Concerning education, Denmark spends more in terms of percentage of GDP. Besides, Denmark inhabitants generally enjoy a higher purchasing power than is the case for Swedish inhabitants. It also shows that more Danish people are working in both the agricultural and industrial sector than Sweden, these tend to work more in the service sector. Lastly, Denmark has a lower percentage of the work force being unemployed. From this preliminary analysis we can infer that in terms of economic indicators investments in Denmark are likely to require a higher yield on an investment than were the case of Sweden. This assumption is made based on the simple fact that as for many elements Denmark performs better than Sweden on compared elements. The same holds true in terms of financial indicators. Although the data may be easily said to be ‘outdated’, we believe this is not quite the case. That is, our analysis on historical development has not provide any conclusive evidence as to not believe that the relationship of these economical and financial figures to be that much different as they are today. Yet, since we do not know when the actual investment is to take place it is always advisable to check the results of a more recent research. Although we would have loved to use a more recent version of De Grote Bosatlas ourselves, we could not find ourselves in the position to get access to one during the course of this research. Luckily, we were able to find a recent figure for gross domestic expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP that verified our assumption. [pic] From the figure above it can be concluded that Denmark spends between 1. 01% and 2. 00% of its GDP on R&D activities. Sweden on the other hand spends a little more with 2. 01% and above. This corresponds with our financial records of the Grote Bosatlas, where government spending in Sweden was higher than that of Denmark in general. Furthermore, since the R&D expenditures on R&D as a percentage of GDP are larger than that of most other parts of the world, we expect no real problems for investors in this area. Background information as to why Sweden and Denmark support expenditures on the organic food industry is discussed extensively in both the chapters about socio-cultural conditions and market/industry conditions. 5. 2 Historical developments relevant for the industry. The issues with the environment have many different facets. These range; from deforestation, loss of biodiversity, pollution and many others (EBS 295, 2008). The attitude concerning these issues by the general public can change over time. Values change over time and this applies for the public perception of organic food as well. Likewise, one could say that the organic food industry is driven in a sense of improving and protecting the environment. In addition, consumers also attitude towards the environment also contribute in how they value organic food. Furthermore, not only concern for the environment but also growing awareness by the general public concerning their food and the production involved. These issues related to food production range from; health, food safety and animal welfare. (Sippo manual, 2011) The origins for organic farming in both countries are similar. In the same manner consumers started become more aware of the environment. Farmers also become more aware and began with organic farming. Both countries have had organic farming since early eighties in the general concept of the term organic farming. If we take into account the establishment of organizations concerning organic food then Denmark was a few years earlier with the founding of Danish Association of Organic Farmers in 1981. The Swedish counter part is called the Ecological Farmers Association, which was founded in 1985. Both organizations are private initiatives of organic farmers organizing themselves. (http://www. fao. org) Since the 1990’s the governments of both Denmark and Sweden have introduced various regulations concerning the organic food industry. These regulations include assigning certificates that label products as organic. In addition, the European Union also implemented regulations concerning the organic food industry. Likewise, the organizations that control and label organic foods also found their origins in late eighties early nineties. In Denmark the first organic food legislation was implemented in 1987. The government assigns the O logo to organic food. (www. fvm. dk). This state approved logo is only given to products that are conforming to the standards of â€Å"organic† as stated by Danish regulations. In addition, in Denmark only state approved farms may carry the â€Å"organic† label. In Sweden the organization that is tasked with the certification of organic food is called KRAV. Founded in 1985, this organization was formed from the Ecological Farmers Organization in order to standardize the various interpretations of the term â€Å"organic farming† and bring both farmers and food producers together. (Gunnar Rundgren, 2002) However, it should be noted that the KRAV organization is a non-governmental organization. While, it’s Danish counterpart is part of the Ministry of Agriculture. 5. 3 Socio-cultural conditions Cultural systems From the point of view of the investor, it is important to know the differences and similarities between the two countries Denmark and Sweden. In this section, we will focus on this in terms of cultural assessment. In order to describe the cultural systems of both Denmark and Sweden we have made use of five cultural dimensions as proposed by Schwartz (1999): harmony, egalitarianism, effective autonomy, mastery, and conservatism. It is these cultural dimensions that will help to describe each countries culture and detect any important similarities and differences. The cultural values focus in the article of Schwartz is on the national culture. The national culture being introduced for heterogeneous nations refers primarily to the value culture of the dominant, majority group. In this case, Schwartz tries to interpret the value priorities that characterize a society by aggregating the value priorities of individuals (e. g. Hofstede’s framework). It is depicted that individual value priorities are a product of both shared culture and unique personal experience. Moreover, Schwartz has placed his list of researched countries into different segments (clusters). Denmark and Sweden put in the first group (cluster), Finland and Italy in another, Spain as a third group and Germany, Greece and the United Kingdom in a fourth group.