Unforgettable Review Essay Example

Unforgettable Review Paper Essay on Unforgettable I do not know why this book chosen from a large number of others. Maybe the cover has drawn attention, or the authors name seemed familiar, or the name lured romantic Having read, I was surprised to find that it will be about the corpse and funeral business, and the word unforgettable has found a grim sense. But it does not scare the contrary, the book appealed to me more and more The beauty of style, elegant manners, arose the love between two people, serving the dead. And the idea that before all the chasm in the earth, people spend a day or three among the loved ones, covered with flowers, given in order of expert hands make-up artist, came to my taste, not so sad after the death, if it is taken by professionals. Unforgettable Miss X, the Y Mrs unforgettable, unforgettable Mr. Z you will be well on Eden Cemetery where so quiet, only the trees rustle but sometimes disturb the lovers who love to walk between sculptures and flowers comprehended all the details of the funeral business where very fine play on the love of family: the greater the love, the more money you can put in your pocket - Burying or burning burn, I think We will write a custom essay sample on Unforgettable Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Unforgettable Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Unforgettable Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I have pictures, which show the urn different styles -.. The best suit us And in the book aperture tsya secret, not without a subtle irony, which Evelyn Waugh has masterfully why the British are valuable writers We, anglichashek, special position here, says Sir Ambrose -. You know, Barlow These people, maybe. laugh at us a little about how we talk, how to dress, over our monocles maybe they think we are too prim and kept apart, but God knows, they respect us and your word to them, a guarantee of quality.. These people will not be in vain to pay, so here you will find only the color of the English nation. I sometimes feel something like ambassador Barlow. I mean responsibility, and it more or less bears here every Englishman. Of course, we can not all be right at the top, but we in senior roles. You will never meet an Englishman at the lowermost except in England, of course. And here it is understood because of the tone that we set. There are positions for which the Englishman simply will not go. And the main character, Dennis Barlow, did not wait for a decent offer, Hollywood does not favor the poets, they it is not really needed, even if they are awarded the attention she Queen, and goes to work in a funeral agency wetlands in a better world for pets. But is this agency goes though in any comparison with the rustling fuller, which is engaged in the most lush and luxurious funeral, which you can only dream - The most expensive cost sites on the Lake Island. They cost about a thousand dollars. There are Valentines Nest area, the center of which is very, very beautiful marble copy of the famous statue of Rodins The Kiss. There we have paired areas of seven hundred and fifty dollars a pair. Your Unforgettable married -?. No What did he do -? He was a writer . And then it will suit the Poets Corner. There have been a lot the most prominent figures of literature some of their own person, and some more in the order of early preparations rustling share Dennis In. meets his love a girl in a white robe with a wild-eyed, she works grimorshey and very satisfied with the work and soon she will receive a marriage proposal from the Honorable Mr. Dzhoyboya, its chief Oh, unforgettable After reading.! this book, I am still in awe and want to read something else by this author. Although for those who do not like gloomy . Attiyah and cynical humor, probably, it will not work I will answer any question to read or not to read? Evelyn Waugh? Unforgettable? I love It is strange that this book is still left without a review For Serserkov and other:. I am not a relative of the author and do not know him, he died before I was birthday, unfortunately.

Free Essays on Ender

Enders GAME Ender†¦. As many young children are is infatuated with games. Games that take him beyond there programming and almost beyond his mental capabilities. Enders life is almost devoted to the games. They seem to be his only friends at times, and his worst enemies at others they train him to be strategic and ruthless and perform at his top military level. Ender throughout the book has very many encounters with games, for instance towards the beginning of the book when he ruthlessly kills the giant by gouging out its eyes, or later on in the book when he kills the snake bye smashing it into the ground†¦ Of course after he commits these acts even though they are in games he always punishes himself by saying that he is not like peter that he is not a blood thirsty child. The games in a way torment him to insanity. In parts through the book he is focusing almost his entire life on beating 1 simple little game. He does this because he knows he is the best and will not be defeated by a computer. Something created by a human. Most likely less intelligent than he is. The human race human race is dependent on a boy, of 6 years who plays computer games as if they are reality†¦. But really is this what the world needs? At the end of the book when Ender beats the â€Å"computer† And finds out that it was really a bugger planet do you honestly believe that someone of the heart of Ender wiggen would have killed off almost an entire race? In the games he can be ruthless.. But still consider himself a bad person. But in life if he were to do something of that magnitude nothing that anyone could say we be any different to him he would always be a bad person in his mind. Often times the games play him. He cannot help but to play the game it is like he is transformed into the game as if it is his real life and he cannot escape it. Enders life is a game†¦ As you know games are more than just created by man. Everywhere around you, you can find... Free Essays on Ender Free Essays on Ender Enders GAME Ender†¦. As many young children are is infatuated with games. Games that take him beyond there programming and almost beyond his mental capabilities. Enders life is almost devoted to the games. They seem to be his only friends at times, and his worst enemies at others they train him to be strategic and ruthless and perform at his top military level. Ender throughout the book has very many encounters with games, for instance towards the beginning of the book when he ruthlessly kills the giant by gouging out its eyes, or later on in the book when he kills the snake bye smashing it into the ground†¦ Of course after he commits these acts even though they are in games he always punishes himself by saying that he is not like peter that he is not a blood thirsty child. The games in a way torment him to insanity. In parts through the book he is focusing almost his entire life on beating 1 simple little game. He does this because he knows he is the best and will not be defeated by a computer. Something created by a human. Most likely less intelligent than he is. The human race human race is dependent on a boy, of 6 years who plays computer games as if they are reality†¦. But really is this what the world needs? At the end of the book when Ender beats the â€Å"computer† And finds out that it was really a bugger planet do you honestly believe that someone of the heart of Ender wiggen would have killed off almost an entire race? In the games he can be ruthless.. But still consider himself a bad person. But in life if he were to do something of that magnitude nothing that anyone could say we be any different to him he would always be a bad person in his mind. Often times the games play him. He cannot help but to play the game it is like he is transformed into the game as if it is his real life and he cannot escape it. Enders life is a game†¦ As you know games are more than just created by man. Everywhere around you, you can find...

Alexander - Movie Historical Accuracy

Alexander Movie Historical Accuracy Essay Alexander the Great Who is Alexander and why is he so great? Born in Pella in 356 BC (Central Macedonia, Greece) Alexander was one of the most successful military commanders in history, winning his first battle at the age of 16. By the age of 20 he was the king of his homeland Macedonia succeeding his father Philip II after he was assassinated. By 25 Alexander had conquered the known world (from Greece, Egypt to Pakistan). British Historian Tom Holland described him as ‘the ultimate conqueror’ The Film The film is based on Alexander the Great, the military commander and King of Macedonia, and his life experiences, hardships and triumphs. Directed by Oliver Stone, the cast included Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer and Jared Leto and was shot in locations such as England, Morocco and Thailand. Overall the historical action film received poor ratings. 16% from Rotten Tomatoes, 2/4 from Roger Ebert, 5.5/10 from IMDb and 39% from Metacritic. Bucephalus Alexander commemorated his conquests by naming over 70 military forts Alexandria, after himself and 1 Bucephala for his horse Bucephalus. Bucephalus originally was strong and untameable by even King Phillips best riders however a 13 year old Alexander tames the stallion, realising the horse is afraid of its own shadow he turns it towards the sun. Bucephalus served Alexander in numerous battles but died due to fatal injuries at the Battle of the Hydaspes (June 326 BC). The film captures the taming and death of Bucephalus perfectly according to historical accounts in 344 BC. Ptolemy The film begins with Ptolemy as he narrates Alexanders story, reciting his memories to a scribe in Alexandria, Egypt. Ptolemy (367 BC – c. 283 BC) actually fought alongside Alexander in his conquests as a Macedonian general and became ruler of Egypt in 323 BC. In the film Ptolemy refers to the hero as â€Å"Alexander the Great,† however history shows that the â€Å"Great† was not added until much later, in Roman times. Alexanders Parents Stone recreated the scarred right eye of Alexanders father, Philip II as he lost his eye to a Greek arrow during the siege of Methone in 354B.C. Alexanders mother Olympias convinced Alexander that Phillip was not his father and that he was the son of Zeus himself, when one night in the form of a snake he impregnated her. Angelina Jolie’s portrayal is very historically similar to Olympias, who was the fourth of Philips seven wives and was believed to kill Philip or hire someone to kill him in 336 BC. Battle Scene Alexander had to fight the battle of Granicus, Siege of Tyre, Issus and Gaugamela to eventually beat King Darius however the film only has 1 battle which is actually an amalgamation of two battles fought between the them (Gaugamela and Issus). The Macedonian military equipment seen in the battle was accurately reproduced due to the director’s historical consultant Fiona Greenland, an oxford graduate. However in the film, Alexander wore a lions-head helmet. According to Plutarch, Alexander wore a burnished iron helmet molded for him by the Greek craftsman Theophilus. Stone apparently decided to fashion a battle helmet based on later representation of Alexander as Heracles. Additionally there is an outstanding representation of the Macedonian infantry phalanx wielding their 17ft long spears. Before the Battle Before the battle, Alexander says to the Macedonians â€Å"for the glory of Greece.† Ancient sources however write that Alexander didn’t fight for Greece but for Macedonia. Three ancient historians detailed Alexander’s speech to the army before the battle and each one of them made a clear distinction between Greeks, Macedonians, Thracians and Illyrians as four distinct civilizations that made Alexanders army. This created confusion throughout Oliver Stone’s film whether the people from Macedon differed from other Greeks. Ironically the film synopsis indicates a distinction between Macedonians and Greeks. It reads: â€Å"Alexander led his virtually invincible Greek and Macedonian troops.† http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html http://www.biography.com/people/alexander-the-great-9180468 http://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-the-Great http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/alexander_the_great.shtml http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/alexander-the-great http://www.ancient.eu/Alexander_the_Great/ http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/alexanderdeath.htm http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/472665667520/secret-life-of-alexander-the-great https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy_I_Soter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Alexander_the_Great https://www.archaeological.org/pdfs/papers/AIA_Alexander_Review.pdf http://www.boxofficemojo.com/features/?id=1601 http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AlexanderOliverStone.html http://www.moviemistakes.com/film4636/corrections https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_(2004_film) https://prezi.com/i_s3bsfd388w/was-the-movie-alexander-the-great-historically-accurate-and/ https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070520132655AAvGt9v http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346491/ Books: Jennifer Lawlwss Unlocking the past: Preliminary Studies in the Ancient World (1996) Jennifer Lawlwss Unlocking the past: 2nd Edition Toni Hurley Antiquity textbook Louise Chipley Slavicek Heroes and Villains: Alexander the Great (2005) Michael Wood In the footsteps of Alexander the Great (2001) Laura Foreman – The epic story of the warrior king Alexander the Conqueror Steven Pressfield The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great (2004) Paul Anthony Cartledge Alexander the Great (2004) Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprià ¨re Hammond The Genius of Alexander the Great (1997) Michael Alvear Alexander the Great: The Man Who Brought the World to Its Knees (2004)

California history Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

California history - Research Paper Example In addition, this region records the largest number of wild fires as compared to the other states in America. The climate of this region is mainly cool with rainy winters and hot summers. Moreover, it was the home of a great n umber of America’s natives and the indigenes communities. It had unique cultural and linguistic traits due to the inter existence of almost seventy different groups of Native Americans. In this regard, this essay will delve on the political organization of the Native Americans. The political organization of the Native Americans had unique attributes due the lifestyle of these people1. For instance, political organization of a society is the collective provision of guidance to a community or society in either a formal or an in formal way. The natives were mostly hunter-gatherers hence settled down in groupings that matched their way of life. Their political organizations were diverse in that they had further divisions according to tribe, chiefdoms, bands, and states. In essence, the band political form of the organization was a small group of closely related relatives from the household in a particular region who came together on different occasions but did not answer to any superior authority. Ideally, this form of governance was not complex since the number of those under the ruler ship was a manageable number. This system did not have a central political structure hence making this form of governance to be informal. Moreover, communities under the band2 form of had autonomous extended family groupings that formed the political set up. Bands were unable to compete for community resources since they were not complex in the execution of leadership. They had two clusters, one being the simple bands and complex bands. Simple bands were the smallest groupings, which were narrow to the level of the extended families. Ion the other hand, composite bands had larger families totaling to hundreds in numbers. Sequentially, this political for m was easier due to the constant moving of the families in these communities because of their hunter-gatherer state. On the contrary, this leadership was definitive in that it had Leaders who acquired positions of leadership by virtue of portraying leadership abilities. In addition, they became leaders through their ability to influence their societies to act in certain ways. They stayed in the position of leadership until the community no longer had confidence in them. In essence, the leaders in charge of bands were the peace chiefs. They had wisdom, kindness, and abilities in leading the community in to successful battles3. This oldest form of political organization4 was essential in the solving of community problems because the leader knew the ones in the dispute quite well. Therefore, the delivery of judgment was fair according to the community. Other forms of political organization came about due to intermarriages between communities. Secondly, the Native Americans had tribes, which were groups of independent people that occupied a specific region and shared a common language. In addition, the tribes had common cultural practices applied by certain unifying factors. Additionally, a tribe composed of different people from bands and villages integrated in to lineages and clans. This form of the organization was a temporal and formal because of the frequent attacks by other bordering communities. Remarkably, there was no central authority hence making it an inform way of ruler ship5.

Ronald Reagans Policy Towards The Soviet Union Research Paper

Ronald Reagans Policy Towards The Soviet Union - Research Paper Example Regarding the United States’ confrontation against the communist expansion, the Reagan Government’s role was of more of strategic than of ‘muscular’, an adjective that easily could characterize a major part of the US policy towards the USSR during the earlier US presidencies. Indeed military enforcement served as a part of Reagan’s Doctrine, but not the whole of it. Either being compelled by the contemporary socio-economic condition of the country or learning the best part of the lesson from the history of the United States’ military involvement in the Vietnam War and Korean War Reagan chose an effective strategic course of being diplomatic and tactical, meanwhile keeping the United States’ superior military image intact. Controversy about Reagan’s Leftist Trend Indeed the ‘simplistic’, ‘sectarian’, ‘dangerous’, and even ‘primitive’, as Anthony Lewis a columnist of The New York Times once called, Reagan also earned the title â€Å"the communist in disguise† because of his strategic approach to Communism (Schweizer, 1994, p. 47). D’Souza (2003) notes, â€Å"Reagan had a much more sophisticated understanding of communism than either the hawks or the doves†. ... Reagan was the President of the Screen Actors’ Guild and was commonly known as â€Å"Red Ronnie.† (p. 3). Necessarily his comprehensible knowledge of the nature of communism and the lessons learned from the United States’ involvement in the Cold War during his predecessors shaped the main line of policy towards the communist Soviet Union. That is, the main line of his policy towards the USSR was to confront, to contain, to roll back Soviet blocks and finally to let the â€Å"evil empire† under its own weight while saving and restoring the country’s military superiority intact. Necessarily such stance was reflected in Reagan’s policy towards the Soviet Union. Being resolute to reinstate the United States’ pride and superiority in the world, he decided that America should be more active and assertive in confronting Communism and in providing active support to the friendly governments. Reagan’s rhetoric and his government’s military expenditure policies were directed to support this goal. Yet ultimately his foreign policy towards the USSR –though seemed to be more belligerent than that of the two earlier presidents- was â€Å"considerably more cautious than his sometimes bellicose statements suggested† (Profiles of US Presidents, n.d.). Reagan’s Dual Approaches to Communism and Reagan Doctrine Reagan’s policy towards the Soviet Union can significantly be marked as a dual approach in the sense that on one hand Reagan’s administration chose to provide both overt and covert support to anti-communist communities and guerrilla movements in order to â€Å"roll back† â€Å"Soviet-backed communist governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America†.

Co-curricular Essay Example for Free

Co-curricular Essay Co-curricular is one of the activities being neglected in most schools in the past years. Our school being one of them had for long been emphasizing heavily in class work. By doing this, we could not realize our talents which are very basic in making us whole. Activity carried on 4th March last-term made each member of this school to change his or her mind. We witnessed how students have wonderful talents. Our school was among the top competing school in sports activities in this region. Sports has been one of the activity in school that that the administration has been overlooking. The school noted the need to change our strategies and came up with plans which will give students a chance to realize their talents. The school used to conduct classes from eight in the morning to four in the evening. After this, students moved to evening group discussions and thereafter they went back again to their classes for evening preps. These activities made us busy throughout the day before retiring to bed. The school has come up with a strategy that will ensure that students are trained both in class and in the co-curricular activities especially in sports. The School’s schedule is now flexible, as it will now allow students to get involved in these sports activities. Thanks to the students who participated in this event because due to their enthusiasm, passion and spirit in sports the administration made a sensible consideration and made sure that it has allocated time for these activities. I am grateful for this action as it will serve as an example to other learning institutions. Sincerely, References Cooperating School Districts. (2010). Programs and Services: Communications Crisis communication-Letters Assistance. Retrieved on 9 July 2010 from http://www. csd. org/vnews/display. v/ART/44abd0116f2d7

Visions of America Essay example -- Landscaping Painting Art Papers

Visions of America The importance of American landscape painting in the nineteenth century extended far beyond the borders of the art world. The nineteenth century in America was a paradoxical time in which great nationalism and â€Å"enormous self-confidence and optimism† merged with growing disunity (Wilmerding 54), and the glow of â€Å"progress† was inextricably tied to the destruction of the majestic landscape that was a source of American identity and pride. Landscape painters at this time were faced with the difficult task of reconciling these conflicting aspects of American culture and identity. Their paintings blend physical descriptions of the American land with cultural descriptions of the American national identity. American landscape painting was founded primarily by European artists like Thomas Birch, Francis Guy, William Groombridge and Joshua Shaw, who came to America to escape the â€Å"background of political turbulence† in Europe that was the result of the Napoleonic Wars (Wilmerding 40). The most famous and influential of this first group of painters was Thomas Cole. Although Cole’s influences included European artists like Turner, Poussin, Claude, and Salvator Rosa, he came to create a style of landscape painting that, despite its indebtedness to artists like these, was distinctly America in flavor. It was he who â€Å"particularly came to articulate a national consciousness through his paintings, which we now recognize as the beginning of America’s first major landscape style† (Wilmerding 40). With Cole, landscape painting took on a stature in America like that which history painting traditionally possessed in Europe. He was able to â€Å"transfer the heroic aims of history painters to the landscape category, where at ... ...g of the Nineteenth Century: Realism, Idealism and the American Experience. New York: Praeger Press, 1969. Novak, Barbara. Nature and Culture: American Landscape and Painting 1825-1875. New York: Oxford University Press, 1980. Novak, Barbara, ed. â€Å"On Divers Themes from Nature: A Selection of Texts.† The Natural Paradise: Painting in America 1800-1959. Ed. Kynaston McShine. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1976. 59-105. Rosenblum, Robert. â€Å"The Primal American Scene.† The Natural Paradise: Painting in America 1800-1959. Ed. Kynaston McShine. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1976. 13-37. Wilmerding, John. â€Å"Fire and Ice in American Art: Polarities from Luminism to Abstract Expressionism.† The Natural Paradise: Painting in America 1800-1959. Ed. Kynaston McShine. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1976. 38-56.

Nuclear Family: Pros and Cons Essay

This is known as a family which contains two parents and one child the nuclear family creates a stable environment so children raised in this family with the same parents during their growing years have a higher likelihood of having stability in their relationship and emotional bonding. Also this family provides a sense of consistency because when children grow up in a nuclear family, they get a sense consistency, especially when it also includes closeness with other members of the family such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. It also provides them with learning skills as children usually get far more extensive training in life skills living in a nuclear family. For instance, mothers usually teach their children relationship skills, like emotional response skills and how to have smooth relations with others, while fathers, in general, teach their children handiwork skills and sports skills, like fixing things around the house or hitting a baseball, as well as how to deal with the world outside. Lastly this sort of family upbringing allows physical and emotional support. The Nuclear family usually have more physical and emotional resources with which they can reinforce the whole. Through observing their parents and by following the examples set by them, children learn how to help in the building of the family. uclear family is a term used to define a family group consisting of a pair of adults and their children. This is in contrast to the smaller single-parent family, and to the larger extended family. Nuclear families typically center on a married couple, but not always;[1] the nuclear family may have any number of children. There are differences in definition among observers; some definitions allow only biological children that are full-blood siblings,[2] while others allow for a stepparent and any mix of dependent children including stepchildren and adopted children. [3][4] Families structures of a single married couple and their children were present in Western Europe and New England in the 17th century, influeced by church and theocratic governments. [5] With the emergence of proto-industrialization and early capitalism, the nuclear family became a financially viable social unit. The term nuclear family appeared in the early twentieth century, with the term nuclear itself appearing in the 1840s. [citation needed] Alternative definitions have evolved to include family units headed by same-sex parents,[1] and perhaps additional adult relatives who take on a cohabiting parental role. [7] The concept that a narrowly defined nuclear family is central to stability in modern society has been promoted by modern social conservatives in the United States, and has been challenged as historically and sociologically inadequate to describe the complexity of actual family relations.

Why Nations Fail – Chapter 5 Summary

Levisalles Amaury Georg-August-Universitat Sommer Semester 2012 Gottingen WHY NATIONS FAIL D. ACEMOGLU & J. A. ROBINSON Seminar Paper CHAPTER 5 â€Å"I'VE SEEN THE FUTURE, AND IT WORKS†: GROWTH UNDER EXTRACTIVE INSTITUTIONS What Stalin, King Shyaam, the Neolithic Revolution, and the Maya city-states all had in common and how this explains why China's current economic growth cannot last.Resume of the Key Statements of the Chapter In this chapter, D. Acemoglu and J. A. Robinson explain how growth under extractive institutions is not sustainable in the long term and always leads to the collapse, in one way or another, of these institutions. The title of the chapter, â€Å"I've seen the future and it works†, is a quotation from the autobiography of Lincoln Steffens (1931). He was then speaking about the communist model that he had discovered on a diplomatic mission to Russia. The title of the chapter is of course ironic since it is well known that the Soviet System broke down in 1991.In this chapter the authors tackle different aspects of Extractive Institutions and explain throughout many concrete examples as to why the multiple facets of these institutions lead to the end of them. Extractive politi cal and economical institutions are â€Å"structured to extract resources from the many by the few† and â€Å"concentrate power in the hand of a few, who will then have incentives to maintain and develop these institutions† (page 430). Dictatorship is the best example of an extractive institution as in this case power is concentrated in the hands of very few, if not only the dictator himself.These types of institutions are mostly founded in authoritarianism and totalitarianism political systems (dictatorship being an authoritarianism type of system). The Soviet Model is the first system studied by Acemoglu and Robinson in this chapter. It is indeed one of the best examples in history to observe how growth evolves under extractive institutions and the problems that rise along this type of political and economical system. After coming to power via a massive purge of his opponents, Stalin decided to invest massively in the industry sector through huge government orders, e specially in the military and aeronautical sectors.In order to support all the needs of the workers, he implemented very high taxes on agricultural resources. However, the tax system in Russia at this time was very ineffective. He thus collectivized all the land to form state farms known as Kolkhoz. The incentives of farm workers were therefore much lowered since a large part of their harvests was taken away by the government. This led to a great famine during which six million Russians died (Davies and Wheatcroft, 2004).Even if the collectivization system was a total disaster, the growth in Russia still increased from 6% per year from 1928 to 1960, which at this time was a record. The growth happened through reallocation of labour and capital force. Indeed, the technology used at this 3 time in the country was really obsolete in comparison to Europe or the United States and only removing resources from agricultural to industrial work allowed Russia to benefit from very high growth for several years. However, rapid growth rate is one, if not the only possible achievement under Extractive Institutions.In fact, Russia's extreme growth slowed down from the 1960 and it had totally stopped by 1970. Unsustainable growth is explained by a lack of incentive for creative destruction, that means for technological change. For example, bonuses were given to companies meeting targets set by the government. Therefore, no one was eager to sacrifice resources to invest in future technologies since everyone wanted to reach targets. What is to be considered with the Soviet Model is that growth under Extractive Institutions is high but only in the very short term and that it is not sustainable at all.The lack of creative destruction and true economic incentives are the main factors responsible for it. The second part of the chapter is focused on how Institutional Innovations, e. g. centralization and political establishment, can accomplish some limited economic achievements, and how, in a certain situation, it led to the Neolithic Revolution. In 1620, a man named Shyaam provoked a political revolution and made himself king of the Bushong, an African people located near the river Kasai. On the other side of the river was another, the Lele.Contrary to the first one, they had no government and would live in villages without any real hierarchy (Douglas, 1962/1963 and Vansina, 1978). After his accession to power, King Shyaam implemented a pyramid of political institutions and with it, a tax and a legal system assured by a police and a â€Å"trial by jury† system. The king also decided to reorganize agriculture with the implementation of â€Å"an intensive mixed-farming cycle† (page 135). Thanks to all of this, the Bushong became much more prosperous than their neighbours and the situation is still the same today.Although King Shyaam was taking a large amount of resources from its people, since it was an Extractive Institution, they were still much richer than their nearby residents and were living in a secure state. As for the Natufians, they were considered as the first people to settle and established the bases for the Neolithic Revolution. Around 9600 BC came â€Å"The Long Summer† (Fagan, 2003), which allowed an expanding animal and vegetal population. Thanks to these abundant resources, the Natufians decided to settle down and later on, began farming. This change from a omadic to a sedentary life had been made possible by previous institutional changes.Even though the reasons are still unknown, it has been proved that a hierarchy had been established 4 among the Natufians. Since their group had a leader, they were able to settle and keep on having institutional innovations that were needed to live in a sedentary way. The important fact about the Bushong and the Natufians is that even with a limited amount of institutional innovation, a certain amount of economic prosperity can be reached. However this development is not very high but more importantly, it is not sustainable.The fourth and last society studied by Acemoglu and Robinson is the Maya and their City-States that existed about a thousand years ago. The goal of the authors here is to show us that as Extractive Institutions rise, some people take power and are envied by others. This situation can lead to the replacement of a leader by another but also to the end of a civilization, as it has been the case for the Maya. As the Natufians transitioned to Agriculture, so did the Maya. This agricultural emergence was made possible by the creation of Extractive Institutions.The Maya were in fact an extremely well hierarchically developed society. But since it was controlled by extractive institutions, it meant that a few people would be exploiting a large number and these inequalities always generate jealousy. The city-states were very prosperous and trade was very important at the time, however, lots of them would be at war against one anot her. And when it wasn't the cities that were at war, it would be the elites of a city that would fight each other for power. This situation of elite warfare was all the more the case when the king (k'uhul ajaw) of a city would die.At some point, in the city of Quirigua, when the last king died, the population simply deserted the city and the let it be invaded by the jungle. The main point to be remembered from the Mayan example is that when it is not the economic situation that kills extractive institutions, it is its political system. Because such a model makes lots of people envious, self-destruction by citizens from the same city or war between cities is ineluctable. We can therefore keep in mind that Extractive Institutions are able to achieve more or less high and rapid growth.However, this growth is unsustainable and sometimes very limited, mainly because of a lack of creative destruction and technological progress. This is mainly due to the resistance opposed by the Elite and the Government that fear these changes. Another feature of extractive institutions is that great inequalities among people arise since the state extracts much of the created wealth. Political instability is the last important aspect of these institutions as the position of elite is much envied by others. 5 Description of the Original Researches used By The AuthorsIn this second part, we will have a look at the original papers that the authors used to write their book and discuss them. The first case of the chapter, the Soviet Model, is based on three main books and on numbers and a quotation coming from 4 others. We shall here examine mainly the three principal writings used by the authors in their book. The first important paper is written by Joseph S. Berliner and is entitled â€Å"The Innovation Decision in Soviet Industry†. In this book, J. Berliner explains the process of innovation under the Soviet Model and how decisions about it are being taken.He provides an explana tion of how the economy under the Communist System works but above all, he focuses on the features that are being taken into account to decide the innovations that are to be implemented. What is to be understood as innovation in the Soviet Union is â€Å"whenever any enterprise introduces a product or process that has never been employed before†. As D. Acemoglu and J. A. Robinson point out in their book, the innovation system is more than inefficient. Indeed, the soviet economy is based on â€Å"the production of established products by mean of established processes† and therefore, innovation is not very conceivable.The second text is from Gregory and Harrison and deals with how the economy worked and how it was planned under Stalin's dictatorship. Following the opening of the economic archives under Stalin's era, it has been found that the system was extremely centralized. Even if power was delegated, all the decision makers feared repression from their superior in ca se of a bad choice. In the end, Stalin was making an incredible amount of decisions and everything was controlled from the very top, making the system inaccurate.We also learn that the communist control over the market, that should have replaced the invisible hand in a market-friendly economy, was totally inefficient. The central planning as Acemoglu and Robinson mention wasn't able to introduce true incentives because the whole market was built on government command and this is not sustainable in the long term as we saw when the Soviet Union fell. The last document used is a review by Levy and Peart of all the theories that had been made about the Soviet economic growth and how everyone was more or less way too overconfident about it.Like Samuelson (1948-1980), some Americans economists had predicted that the Soviet Union's economy was to overpass the United State's one. Indeed, when we    6 take a look at the consumption of the two countries, their part of investment of the GNP and their growth at the time, we could think that the US economy should have been overtaken by the Soviet's in a few years. However, the Soviet GNP was at the beginning only 60% of America's. More importantly, the Soviet investments were focused essentially on the military and the aeronautical sector. Therefore, the communist economy was not diversified at all, that is to say, not sustainable.For the second part of the chapter, we will have a look over three of the texts used in the studied chapter. As we can read in an abstract of Vansina's study about the Kuba kingdom, it is impossible to know the exact reasons that led a man to unite the Kuba people under his leadership. But what is sure is that King Shyaam a-Mbul a Ngoong, Shyaam â€Å"the Great†, has left an incredible legacy to its people. By creating a political, economical and social life, he simply allowed the Bushong people, one of the Kuba tribe, to have a prosperous and secured life compared to the other tribes.Th e reason why it is the Bushong and not the Lele, the Pende or another people that has benefited from these innovations is however unknown since there is no writing about it and the only memories that subsist are through oral histories. As Acemoglu and Robinson have written, Shyaam has revolutionized the culture of its people through the implementation of an agricultural cycle based on cultivating different crops in the course of the year. He also brought to its people a developed government built on justice, merit and loyalty.It is therefore proved that the institutional innovations led to a great development of the Bushong over the years, even if it was limited because of the Belgian colonization at the end of the 19th century. The second paper is about â€Å"The Emergence of Agriculture† and how we know that agriculture was developed after settling and not before. In his paper, Bruce D. Smith explains that agriculture did not appear in one day but in more or less 2 000 year s. Indeed, through archaeological researches, it has been proved that the plants cultivated 8 000 years ago were selected and had already been sorted.As we read in Acemoglu and Robinson's book, the Natufians had first selected the good crops and had then cultivated them. But in order to select them, the Natufians had to be settled, which proves that agriculture came after settlement. And with the rise of agriculture came other sciences such as math, astronomy or engineering that allowed the farmers to establish a calendar or effective irrigation system. The third book, which also confirms Smith's work is entitled â€Å"Village on the Euphrates: From Foraging to Farming at Abu Hureyra†. In this book, the authors take the village of Abu Hureyra as an example.This village was inhabited by Natufians from 11 500 B. C to 7 000 B. C and on the    7 archaeological site, scientists have found prior evidence that agriculture came after sedentarisation. Indeed, in the part of the vill age dating from more than approximately 9 000 years ago, bones of local hunted animals such as Persian gazelles have been found along with crops of wild vegetations. On the contrary, in the part of the village that existed after 9 000 B. C, bones of domesticated animals and plants have been found. This confirms once more the fact that agriculture appeared after settlement.For the third and last part of the studied chapter, we will take a look at two of the books used. The first one, â€Å"Chronicle of the Maya King and Queens: Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya†, is a great description of the complex hierarchy that ruled the Mayan empire for several centuries. The book explains the story of all the different dynasties that existed throughout the Mayan empire and how the cities made alliances in order to create kingdoms and then fought between each other in order to control the largest possible part of the Mayan empire.As we read in Acemoglu and Robinson's work, the wars between the Maya city-states played a big role in the collapse of its empire. In the second text, â€Å"The Fall of the Ancient Maya†, the reasons for the collapse of the Mayan empire are more deeply studied. One of the trigger factors of it was the long-lasting droughts that would sometimes occur for several months and which would severely weaken the populations. Another reason is that the King, who also occupied the function of high priest at the time, was responsible for all the sacrifices that were supposed to bring rain, good harvest and prosperity to the city.But this wouldn't always work and as we read in the fifth chapter. In the city of Copan for example, the king was overthrown and later on, the city abandoned. One of the reasons that Copan's king wasn't able to provide enough food for all its inhabitants is that the population was growing over time and the farming surface was diminishing. This made it impossible for all the people of Copan to be fed. This sit uation was not only observed in Copan but all over the Mayan empire. However, what seems to be the main reason for the Mayan collapse is the constant warfare that would occur between cities and even among them.It was believed, at the time, that the sacrifices that kings had to do to bring rain, food and richness, had to be from royal blood. That means that cities were not only fighting against each other in order to enlarge their kingdoms but also to capture the elites from other cities and ransack them to take all the precious resources and offer them as sacrifices to the gods. Therefore, lots of cities would find themselves without any government and thereafter, the elites would fight against each other to take the throne and the cities would be abandoned in the end. 8Opposition to the Theories of Acemoglu and Robinson For this third part of the seminar paper, we will use reviews from several writers and newspapers about â€Å"Why Nations Fail†. The first one is a review by Francis Fukuyama about the book but more precisely about the notions of extractive institutions and conversely, inclusive institutions. In his article, Fukuyama explains why he disagrees with Acemoglu and Robinson's theory about the â€Å"more inclusive, more growth† phenomenon. He criticizes the fact that Acemoglu and Robinson do not give a precise definition of extractive and inclusive institutions.Since these two opposed government systems are not well defined, it allows the authors to give the benefit of growth to the inclusive institutions and on the contrary, to blame the extractive institutions for the absence of growth. He puts forward the argument that nowadays, each government is a mix of extractive and inclusive institutions and it is therefore extremely difficult to precisely attribute the wealth or the poorness of a country to one of the two types of politico-economic systems.He also disapproves of the fact that inclusive institutions are called so as soon as th e people are able to have a role in the political life of the country, even if very limited. He takes England in the late 17th Century, as an example. He explains that it is absurd to call it an inclusive state since only 10% of the population could vote at the time. For him, an inclusive institution should be defined as such, if it is like a modern day democracy, among many other things.He regrets that the Potosi Mita of the Conquistador's America, the Caribbean's Sugar Plantation, the Argentinean’s Ranchers and today's Communist China are all put in the same category. As a counter argument against â€Å"more inclusive, more growth†, he takes the example of India today, which is considered as the biggest democratic republic in the world. The problem in India, as Fukuyama writes, is that the inclusive institutions are too inclusive. The problem with it is that the government is unable to make any important decision about â€Å"major infrastructure projects because of all the lawsuits and the protests†.We therefore see that an excess of inclusion makes the inclusive state inaccurate, as is exactly the same case with an extractive institution. With the explanation of the Roman Empire System, Fukuyama shows us an example of a stable politico-economic institution and his disagreement with â€Å"Why Nations Fail† 9 concerning extractive institutions. The changeover from an oligarchy to a monarchy brought a political stability to the Roman Empire that enabled it to become one of the biggest nations that ever existed. Furthermore, this change allowed the citizens to take part in political life.Even though the Roman Empire ultimately collapsed, it was the wealthiest country in the world for more than two centuries. Fukuyama here is sceptical about the global model developed by Acemoglu and Robinson. He thus disagrees that Extractive Institutions are always a source of political and economical instability. In the end, we can say that even if Fukuyama disagrees with a certain number of Acemoglu and Robinson's arguments, they all agree on the fact that the key to success, and therefore growth, is a mix of inclusive and extractive politics and economics.The second article that we shall study here is written by Matthew Yglesias. In his review, Yglesias asks himself why it is that some of the biggest differences of income exist between countries in the third world and developed countries. He wonders why citizens from Ethiopia earn ten times less than ones from Colombia where as at the same time, citizens from Colombia earn only four times less than ones from Sweden. According to Yglesias, a â€Å"wellexecuted programme of growth under extractive institutions would solve some of the world's severe problems†.He explains, in a later article, that Communism is the key to explaining differences of wealth in countries that are governed by extractive institutions. It is for him the reason why East Germany was much poorer th an West Germany, China than Taiwan or even North Korea and South Korea. We can therefore say that Yglesias is not in disagreement with Acemoglu and Robinson's theories but thinks that the comparisons should not occur between extractive and inclusive institutions but between extractive institutions themselves.The last article we will see is a review by The Economist about the book â€Å"Why Nations Fail† and the question of the elites. According to Buttonwood, Extractive Elites exist within inclusive institutions. He says that the financial system is one of them. They are being criticized because they take a considerable amount of resources and therefore prevent these resources being allocated to others sectors in which innovations could be made. As banks are the institutions that lend money to entrepreneurs to create new businesses, they have the power of decision about the creation of start-ups, which is to say, new ideas and innovations.If banks would lend the money each ti me, they would be fully considered as inclusive institutions, however, this is not the case. The principal purpose of a bank is to be profitable    10 and make the most amount of money possible. Therefore, they don't want to lend money each time and are seen in this way as extractive institutions as they will only give the money to concrete and profitable businesses. Another problem of the inclusive institutions is the social policies applied by some countries; employees from the public sector prefer keeping their secure jobs rather than creating or joining a new business.These employees do not only want to be sure to keep their jobs but also want to continue enjoying the many advantages that civil servants are given. This, in a way, is a form of non-creative destruction, or at least, non-innovation. It is of course a perversity of the social aids created by governments of inclusive institutions. However, it is a form of resistance to creative destruction, which is a core feature of extractive institutions. The Public Sector is therefore, along with the financial Sector, a kind of extractive elite.However, the article in The Economist explains well that the extraction of the Elite among inclusive institutions is limited and cannot be regarded as totally extractive. 11 Personal Point Of View For the last part of this review of the fifth chapter of â€Å"Why Nations Fail†, I will give my thoughts about the points that have been discussed previously in the essay and that are tackled in the chapter. With the first example that Acemoglu and Robinson develop in this chapter, they show us how the lack of innovation is a main feature of Extractive Institutions' failure.This lack of innovation is mainly due to the resistance of the Elite and a Government that fears being overthrown by the people, as they will be willing to keep the profits of their innovations. On this point, I totally agree with the argument, however, as we have seen with the Soviet Model, th at for more than 30 years they have been able to extract the best of what was available. That is to say that without, or with only very few technological innovations, the Soviet Union has been able to maintain a 6% growth rate per year.This is somewhat incredible since America, at the same time, could not do better even though they were benefiting from technological change. I think that what is to be learned here is that in general, and even more in today’s world, we do not use what we have to its full capacity. By this I mean that as soon as we create a new tool or a new technology, we get rid of it before having used all of its facets. And the advantage, maybe the only one, of a totalitarianism state is that it obliges the people to work with what they have and therefore, use their tools to the optimum. I don't want to be taken for an extremist here.I am not at all in favour of a totalitarian or an authoritarian system; I just think that the best of every system should be t aken, as there is something good within each one. In this case, it is the optimum and full use of the present technologies before moving on to other things. As we see with the second example, a certain degree of institutional innovations may bring a certain degree of growth. With the institutional innovations come also economic, social and political improvements. I think that what is to be considered with King Shyaam is that with a certain degree of rigidity, growth is enabled.Therefore, I would say, following Yglesias' point of view, that with a certain degree of extraction, when well executed, a certain amount of growth and achievements could be reached. I think that even if in the long term, extractive institutions are not good and viable, it can be a good way to start or to re-launch an 12 economy. Even if this is very difficult to achieve, I think that having extractive institutions at the beginning and then moving on towards more inclusive ones might be very good for the econo my of a nation.As Fukuyama describes with the Roman Empire, the System was clearly extractive since the power was in the hands of the emperor. However, citizens had much more possibility to take part in the political life of their cites and they had true incentives to work since they could make their fortunes, but above all, they could keep these fortunes. They would have to pay taxes but the notion of private property was real and if someone was trying hard to succeed, he could do so.The result was that the Roman Empire stood for more than 200 years and is considered as one of the biggest that has ever existed. A certain degree of political extraction can therefore definitely be good for a nation's growth. We can see, today, that the political parties are more often trying to destroy the other parties' ideas than trying to cooperate with them and find the best compromises. It is here that a certain degree of extractive politics could be good and could help countries take big decisi ons more quickly.I would like to finish here with the case of China. Acemoglu and Robinson are convinced that China will inevitably collapse, just like the Soviet Union did. I think that this might not be the case for four reasons. My first point is the difference that exists between China and the former Soviet Union. On the other hqnd, we know much more about China than we knew about USSR. What I mean here is that we know that China has a considerable fortune and that they are not spending money that they don't have, which was the case with Soviet Union.There is a much stronger transparency with China's economy than there was with Stalin's government. My second argument is that the economical situation from today is not the same at all compared to that of the twentieth century. And we have seen that even with the global economic crisis that occurred in 2008, China has succeeded in maintaining a growth rate of more than 8% and an average growth of 10% over the past three decades, wh ich is much more than USSR even though USSR's GDP was bigger than China's today.My third point is that China is opening its economy more and more; it is gradually moving towards an inclusive economy. China is for technological change and creative destruction. Since approximately a decade, China has opened itself to foreign investments and Shanghai is now sometimes considered as the future â€Å"New York†. Even if this economical change is very limited and extremely controlled by the government (any foreign company that wishes to establish itself in China must create a joint venture with a Chinese company),    13 changes are happening.We cannot therefore say that China is against creative destruction; it is just that it is an authoritarian country and changes cannot happen in one day. My last point is about the political power in China and the liberty of the people. It is, I believe, the only reason that might someday put an end to the Chinese regime. Even if the people who disagree with the Chinese government are very badly treated, they are still much more considerate than before thanks to the international relations that China maintains with other countries.That is to say, China cares more than before about how other countries view it. However, the People's Republic of China is still extremely repressing its dissidents. The population in China is step by step, gaining some freedom even if they are still very oppressed by the regime. In the last few years, the situation with Chinese workers has evolved and their wages or working conditions have considerably changed, especially after the suicide wave that touched the country in 2010.In the end, I would conclude by saying that China, if it succeeds in following its transition little by little to a more inclusive economy and moreover to a more inclusive political system, even if not reaching the point of a democracy, might not collapse as lots of economists are predicting today.

Youth, Crime, and Violence

Youth, Crime, and Violence Introduction Written by Rodrigo Bascunan and Christian Pearce, the book Enter the Babylon System: Unpacking Gun Culture from Samuel Colt to 50cent is a fiction book that attempts to give an insider view on the situation of gun culture in the American society. The violent gun culture in society has become one of the biggest talking points for leaders at different levels who are either supporting or opposing it.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Youth, Crime, and Violence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The book therefore explains why the gun culture has become a runaway problem by trying to link it to the popular hip-hop culture, which is believed to be a catalyst to the present-day gun violence culture in society. Therefore, the writers of this book give the perspectives of the issue from an insider point of view and hence their choice of the title Enter the Babylon System: Unpacking Gun Culture from Samuel Colt to 50cent. With this hint in mind, the paper therefore reviews the book in details based on the link between the authors’ career and content in an attempt to unveil their sole message that the issue of associating gun shootings with hip-hop is not always true. The Content of the Book and the Authors’ Career Rodrigo Bascunan and Christian Pearce who are the co-authors of the book under review are accomplished journalists and owners of Pound (the hip-hop music and culture magazine). Pound is rated the top most hip-hop culture and music magazine in Canada. Bascunan and Pearce (2007) therefore have an in-depth and authoritative opinion about the hip-hop world specifically how it operates and its relation with the gun violence culture. They therefore come out to paint an unknown picture about the hip-hop culture and its link with guns by dispelling beliefs that hip-hop escalates gun violence in society. The authors write this book from a Canadian perspective, which has embr aced hip-hop music and culture like the American society. The book is written as a defence for the hip-hop society, which has come under a lot of attack from old members of the society as well as those who do not appreciate the hip-hop culture.Advertising Looking for assessment on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, the authors are people who mix with hip-hop artistes daily thus having the experience of real situations as they happen on the ground. The writers have done the writing of this book in an honest way in that there are no denials to accusations about hip-hop culture and gun violence. They have put facts on the table for readers to judge for themselves. Review Based on Content only The book has been written in defence of the hip-hop culture due to the accusations pointed at it as being the cause of gun violence in society. It has based its story on facts about the gun culture by providing a history of the culture in the American society from the days of Samuel Colt who invented the colt pistol to artiste 50cent who glorified gun and violence in his music in the present society. The history in this case provides a comparative plane to judge the facts about gun culture and gun violence. From the authors’ perspective, it has shown that the problem with guns is a historical dilemma dating back to the 19th century. This information is compared to the history of hip-hop, which is too recent to conclude that the hip-hop culture is the cause of gun violence. The book therefore aims to exonerate hip-hop as the cause of the runaway gun madness. Recent times have been characterised by an escalation of mass shootings in school as well as in neighbourhoods thus leading to answers for the question of why the gun culture is getting out of hand. This situation has seen many people in society point a finger to the hip-hop culture as the cause without giving statistical figures to boost their accusations. In fact, as an industry and culture, hip-hop has embraced gun culture in a big way. Because of its visibility, it has come out as the main culprit in the eyes of society. As Bascunan and Pearce (2007) found, researchers could not give any figures that could conclusively pin down the culture as the main problem. Hip-hop is about expression, bragging, and glorification.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Youth, Crime, and Violence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One way of bragging and self-glorification is to be tough. The book strategically brings out guns as the best weapons for self-defence and elimination of perceived enemies. Just as the rest of the gangsters accomplish their missions, hip-hop has been sucked into the ideas of killing for one to be perceived as being tough thus bringing guns into hand. The writers therefore admit that hip-hop has had its role in this problem. Howe ver, their point of departure is that hip-hop is just part of the problem and not the main cause of the problem. The chapters in the book are short and easy to read because they have been presented in a very simple language. They give a blow-to-blow narration that captivates the reader of the book to reading it to the end. Bascunan and Pearce wrote the book on a basis of credible research that brought together data derived from different fields. The composition of the book includes stories of hip-hop artistes as reported in the media, the history of the gun, lyrics from hip-hop songs, interviews by hip-hop artistes, and society in general (Bascunan and Pearce 2007). The writers give the story a new bend by delving into the world of guns broadly. The book explores the manufacture and distribution of guns in society. In the end, it points out that a few who are known to governments and ones who escape without blame from society do the distribution of guns. The book therefore points to a direction where people do not look at. There are so many guns in society so far that seem to appear from nowhere. The society is bended on blaming proliferation of guns on the hip-hop culture though it does not look further to find out the true sources of guns. The two writers have endeavoured to gather credible information on matters to do with where guns are manufactured, the reason behind the manufacture, and their distribution process. Besides, they have also sought information on people who engage in this risky venture of gun production in an attempt to disapprove the claim that hip-hop fanatics have a connection with gun ownership and misuse.Advertising Looking for assessment on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The book paints the gun problem in society as an infectious problem that does not just affect the Canadian society but also the whole world. It goes ahead to show how guns are being used in society today by the military, police, and rebels in conflict areas as well as unlicensed criminals ruling the streets. The authors have made it simple for readers to understand guns by defining the difference in different guns. According to Bascunan and Pearce (2007), the Canadian society lays the blame on America for the proliferation of firearms into the Canadian society besides going ahead to show how the problem is home-grown as much as it has been influenced by the American hip-hop culture. The book names some of Canada’s own home-grown gun makers who are responsible for supplying guns to society. Though licensed gun owners acquire most guns legally, somehow, guns enter wrong hands in one way or the other. The authors name the National Rifle Association as one group that does not liv e to its intentions. They describe the group as people with borderline psychotic intentions due to their ultra campaigns to legalise guns into civilian hands regardless of the misuse of guns. Bascunan and Pearce have been very meticulous in defining most sources that inspire violence. They direct readers to video games as sources of inspiration that have created some of the worst mass shootings in society. Most video games that are on the market nowadays are based on war games involving virtual guns. A DVD or VCD player offers a variety of choices to make on the type of weapon to display. In most cases, the weapons used on the game are actually the same make of real weapons found in the market. Therefore, regardless of age, video games tend to expose society indiscriminately to information on a variety of weapons that can be found in the market. The authors tend to point this exposure as the source of most mass shootings in schools. White students who have no links to hip-hop mostly do it. Whereas shootings happen in neighbourhoods where they are said to be connected to hip-hop, there are more criminal elements to it than the cause being the hip-hop. The writers merge their views by providing real life stories of young men who were shot in the streets. Although the men were hip-hop artistes or fans, their murders were more to do with drugs and gang rivalry than to do with hip-hop. The authors concede that hip-hop culture has so much embraced the gun culture and violence that it is not easy to separate the two. The difference is only to be found in findings that indicate that only few hip-hop fans worldwide are involved with gun violence. The writers have therefore gained ground in their pursuit of exonerating hip-hop from all the blame in gun violence. This goal has been achieved by the authors’ effort to interview a whole host of stakeholders who may have a role to play in the whole issue in one way or the other. Conclusion Rodrigo Bascunan and Christi an Pearce have come out in their best way possible to defend the industry that earns them their daily bread. They have achieved their purpose in pointing to society the direction it should look at when trying to solve the gun problem issue. By being brutally honest and admitting that hip-hop has played its role in escalating gun violence culture, the authors have been able to capture readers’ trust through this strategy. The authors have done a comprehensive research on the gun problem around the world in a bid to present it as a universal problem that cannot be blamed on the hip-hop culture alone. Otherwise, the book is an informative piece of work. Reference Bascunan, R Pearce, C 2007, Enter the Babylon System: Unpacking Gun Culture from Samuel Colt to 50 Cent, Vintage Canada, Toronto.

Themes and Issues in the Modern Global Economy Research Paper

Themes and Issues in the Modern Global Economy - Research Paper Example As a result, the need to venture into areas where the cost of production is cheaper and easier to market to other areas arises. Despite these merits, the political, economic, social, technological and environmental issues have to be put into consideration and optimally explored to ensure maximum profitability. The country which offers better marketing mix attributes has many multinational companies knocking to invest their resources in order to maximize profitability. One such country is China. The products to be bought are electronics mainly television sets and computers. These two are quite crucial in the everyday life of an American and the rapid technological improvements are making them quite dynamic. This dynamism allows the company to tap into the different market potentials with different marketing mix strategies put into efficient use. International Business International business activities affect many spheres of people’s daily lives. Whether one looks at the product s, services and the impact of each of these, the results are obvious; internationalization of business is imminent. The act of globalization makes business much easier as different agreements and trading blocs allow for greater and easier access to products and services at reduced or subsidized prices. This reduces the cost of production and increases a company’s profitability. Business restrictions are lessened every day with competition spreading on a global scale. The use of currencies is also being harmonized in some trade blocs such as the European Union with political relations being strengthened amongst the principal economic powers. The better relations ensure peace and stability; hence better global economic prospects. This further leads to better trades and economic relations that lead to sound competition and proper utilization of resources. Imports and exports have thus been key determinants of how well a country is performing in terms of its GDP growth and the le vel of economic freedom.

Climate and Air Pollution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Climate and Air Pollution - Assignment Example The government should introduce tax incentives for companies that adopt the green energy (Dornbusch 62). There should steeper penalties for countries that pollute the environment like oil and gas exploration companies. The Government can open up its market for products produced organically and using green energy. The strategy will encourage companies to shift to green energy to access the market. The strategies will influence the economies differently. Green energy creates jobs encouraging employment of more people (McNamee 108). The trade incentive will encourage more good to be produced to meet the large market demand. Educating the public is crucial. Once people are educated on the importance of green energy, there will be inventions that are beneficial to the economy (Petersons 120). Once green energy is fully adopted effects of global warming will reduce and the money used to tackle disasters channeled