Life Goals Essay

Thomas Carlyle once said, â€Å"Go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will see farther. † I strongly believe that if one plans on achieving his aspirations, setting goals is a very important step. Having goals not only gives you a clear focus on things,but it also helps you to organize your plans by allowing you to give yourself time limits and boundaries. That is why I try to set goals for myself routinely, whether it is just for one day, or for the rest of my life. One goal that I work hard at daily is to do well in high school.I try to involve myself in any activity that I can, both academically and socially, so that I can graduate with honors. The reason I do this is because I plan on going to college, and I would like to be able to get accepted into any school that I apply to. Going to college alone would be a major achievement for my family and I, because I will be the first person in my family to attend college. Another goal I have is to get a college deg ree in Criminal Justice. I plan to take my four years of college and get into the police enforcement.I plan to get good grades throughout my college career. I think I'm going to stay in the Portland area when I’m applying for a job as a police officer. I plan to achieve this by not giving up. The first thing my mom tells me is to set my mind to something, never give up and it may take time but you will get there. My goals are very important to reach because without them, my life goals will not come true. Immediately after I graduate, I want to start my career as police officer/investigator.You must have an accredited four-year college or university degree to get into FBI. By age 25, after gaining some experience as a policeman, I would like to make a career switch to become an FBI agent. This is because being an FBI agent has been a dream of mine since I was younger. And to be good at what I do, I need some familiarity in that line of work, among other things. After becoming settled into my second career, I would like to begin a family. By this time, I plan on already being married to my current girlfriend, and have my first child.I will also be ready to buy my first car, and then, my first home. My intentions are to live in Oregon. Before I turn fifty, one of my major goals is to start a private investigator business. My children will be put through college and out of my house, and my wife and I will be on our way to retirement, after we sell our business. By then, I plan on being very stable, if not rich. Either way, I will be able to donate money and give back to my community what they have given to me.I also plan on adopting or fostering children after my own kids move out. I see my goals as tangible, and they are well within my reach if I stretch my arms to touch them. I work hard for these things not only to make a good life for myself, but to make a wonderful life for my future children. Setting goals for myself prevents me from becoming sidetrac ked, and it allows me to push harder and further for my aspirations. If I maintain my focus, nothing will ever defer my dreams.

Remote environment- PESTEL Essay

Industry environment-five forces Internal environment- strategic driver (industry/market, product/service, customer, channel, competitive advantage), operational driver, (cost, revenue, growth), people and organizational driver (structure, skill, capability), SWOP analysis and GAP analysis Product/market development Strategic development Vision: SEC aims to act as an agency that was high functioning, agile and intelligent, and committed to investor protection and market integrity, which is really critical to the success of economy. Mission: Restoring SEC’s vigour and credibility within the financial regulatory community as an agency and assessing what went wrong and to ensure it did not happen again. Value: vigor, credibility, high functioning, agile, intelligent, commitment, integrity. Goal: Financial Customer Internal process Learning and growth Mary set up three strategic themes to pursue, the operational levers, people and organization levers that assisted in achieving those options. Strategic option (industry/market, product/service, customer, channel, competitive advantage) (a) Assessing what needed to be done within the organization (1) SEC invested funds to restructure SEC’s largest division, get staff trained and qualified, recruit analysts etc. (2) Schapior recruited analysts and people who understood trading, market structure, corporate governance and a whole range of skill sets that would be important for the future. (3)she restructure the SEC’s largest division-â€Å"to make this regulator more responsive, more agile and clever and capable of seeing around corner to figure out where the next problems were before they hit us in the face†. (3)Schapiro leveraged the SEC talent by bringing in new constructive leadership. (4) Staffs were sent to qualify as certified fraud examiner; a whole layer of management was removed and was reassigned to the front line. (5) Specialized units was set up to focus on areas of concern such as  corrupt foreign practices, insider trading, market manipulations and structured product.(5) New technology was introduced to make the strategy work. (b) Shifting the agency’s focus back to protecting the investor Chairman Schapiro’s vision is to restore SEC’s vigour and credibility within the financial regulatory community. It is critical for the success of economy to have an agency that was high functioning, agile and intelligent, and committed to investor protection and market integrity. Chairman Schapiro also incorporated it into the SEC’s operations. (1) She put devices â€Å"investor-focused agenda† in place to ensure â€Å"a Madoff† could never happen again to the agency. (2) She encouraged everyone to think and come up with an idea of â€Å"how does it help investors† (3) Hedge funds were registered for the first time. Rules were also set for over-the-counter derivatives and asset back securities. (4) She addressed the importance of understanding the risk and having transparency that is sufficient to understand the risks. Then build the structure to ensure there is compliance with all of the rules. (5), whistleblower program was set up, which was about coordinating all tips into one central database to be able to track movement and detect securities violation, also, US Congress offer people a monetary reward if they provided information about ongoing securities law violations that led to a successful enforcement action (6) She addressed the importance of leverage, as SEC did not have adequate resources to do the job. (c) Acknowledging its mistakes Visible crises can be enormously helpful in catching people’s attention and pushing up urgency levels. Admissions of significant failures at the SEC extend back over many years and cover multiple areas of SEC operations, the credibility of the SEC as a financial regulator has never been lower. The SEC failed to discover a $50 billion Ponzi scheme at Madoff Investment Securities, despite having received allegations of wrongdoing for over a decade, suggests fundamental weaknesses in its core enforcement Change management (chapter 6) In the context of strategy, it is the realization of the strategic plan. Change management is designed to ensure the effective transition of an organization and its people from the current to future states, and is about  effectively leading and managing individuals, teams and organization to successfully adopt the changes needed to achieve required or desired business results. Kotter’s eight-step can be used to transform SEC successfully. 1, establishing a sense of urgency As initiators of the strategy, there is a need to establish a sense of urgency. Visible crises can be enormously helpful in catching people’s attention and pushing up urgency levels. Admissions of significant failures at the SEC extend back over many years and cover multiple areas of SEC operations, the credibility of the SEC as a financial regulator has never been lower. The SEC failed to discover a $50 billion Ponzi scheme at Madoff Investment Securities, despite having received allegations of wrongdoing for over a decade, suggests fundamental weaknesses in its core enforcement 2, forming a powerful guiding coalition It is critical to create a guiding coalition to build urgency and momentum for the change, it is crucial to identify key people from different areas of the organization who would be willing and able to manage the change. It is important to get this group operating as a team early in the process. (a) Mary set up new senior team, which consisted of analysts and people who understood trading, market structure, corporate governance and a whole range of skill sets. (b) Thousands of staffs were grouped into specialized units to focus on areas of concern such as corrupt foreign practices, insider trading, market manipulation and structured product etc 3, creating a vision and strategy Creating a clear and concise vision helps the organization to have a clear picture of the future so that it can align, concentrate and coordinate the efforts of everyone to achieve the final goal. Chairman Schapiro’s vision is to restore SEC’s vigour and credibility within the financial regulatory community. It is critical for the success of economy to have an agency that was high functioning, agile and intelligent, and committed to investor protection and market integrity. Chairman Schapiro also incorporated it into the SEC’s operations. 4, communicating the visions The vision needs to be communicated properly, regularly and impressively using every vehicle possible. Chairman Schapiro has engaged in significant public speaking in which she has regularly and repeatedly informed and reminded the SEC staff and various elements of the public about the SEC’s recommitment to investor protection and the linkage of that vision to structural and operational changes at the SEC. 5, empowering others to act and eliminating obstacles The organization should empower the change managers to make changes to its structure and processes so that these align with the change vision, facilitating the readiness for change and removing any obstacles for change. Many of the structural and operational reforms implemented by Chairman Schapiro appear to be designed to empower SEC staff members for action that carries forward the change vision of the SEC. The restructuring of the Division of Enforcement was geared to clear structural barricades to effective enforcement efforts. The decision to retain staff with â€Å"non-traditional skills† and the implementation of new staff training are examples of efforts to remedy skill deficits. Human resources and information systems have been or are being improved in response to deficiencies identified in the SEC 6, planning for and crating short-term wins Because the organizational change process is slow and constituents can be impatient, it is important for a change leader to accomplish certain limited objectives in the short term. During her tenure, the agency’s work force brought about a record number of enforcement actions and achieved significant regulatory reform to protect investors. 7, consolidating improvements and producing still more change Kotter suggests analyzing the change implementation and improving it where appropriate through continuous improvement and new programs. Although a rapid, consistent pace of change at the SEC was sustained, Chairman Schapiro as well as other SEC change leaders, needed to maintain the change momentum by continuing to introduce reforms on a regular basis. Until changed practices attain a new equilibrium and have been driven into the culture, they can be very  fragile.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ To reach that equilibrium, in addition to engaging in more and continuous change, the SEC should bring in additional change agents, continue to foster leadership from its senior managers, recruit and nurture project management and leadership from lower ranks in the hierarchy, and identify and decrease or eliminate unnecessary internal structural and operational interconnections that often make change efforts more complex. 8, institutionalizing new approaches It is fundamental to make sure the change has been implemented and embedded clearly in behaviors, shared values and the daily operations of the organization. Accordingly, it was of importance to understand the applicable behavioural norms and shared values of the SEC Because the core vision of investor protection should not be entirely inconsistent with the SEC’s culture, these and other change leaders at the SEC should be able to â€Å"graft the new practices onto the old roots while killing off the inconsistent pieces.† The important thing will be for the SEC’s change leaders to continue to remember the organization’s heritage and link it to the organization’s new and ongoing operations. Why change is hard Transformational leadership Where a change in the mind-set of the organization is required or where the shared beliefs, values, and culture of an organization need to be completed transformed. Key phases of transformational leaderships A need for change is identified and communicated Transformation starts when a need for change is felt. Once the need to transform is identified, it must be communicated to people in the organization.Visible crises can be enormously helpful in catching people’s attention and pushing up urgency levels. Admissions of significant failures at the SEC extend back over many years and cover multiple areas of SEC operations, the credibility of the SEC as a financial regulator has never been lower. The SEC failed to discover a $50 billion Ponzi scheme at Madoff Investment Securities, despite having received allegations of wrongdoing for  over a decade, suggests fundamental weaknesses in its core enforcement. Chairman Schapiro also communicated the need of change to people in organization and pulic.Chairman Schapiro has engaged in significant public speaking in which she has regularly and repeatedly informed and reminded the SEC staff and various elements of the public about the SEC’s recommitment to investor protection and th e linkage of that vision to structural and operational changes at the SEC. -The leader provides an alternative vision for future, which is idealistic yet based in reality as so to encourage people to commit to implementing it. Chairman Schapiro’s vision is to restore SEC’s vigour and credibility within the financial regulatory community. It is critical for the success of economy to have an agency that was high functioning, agile and intelligent, and committed to investor protection and market integrity. Chairman Schapiro also incorporated it into the SEC’s operations. -After implemented, the transformation embeds the change into the organization and makes it permanent. If the change is not reinforce continually over the implementation period, it often slowly unwinds. Although a rapid, consistent pace of change at the SEC was sustained, Chairman Schapiro as well as other SEC change leaders, needed to maintain the change momentum by continuing to introduce reforms on a regular basis. Until changed practices attain a new equilibrium and have been driven into the culture, they can be very fragile.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ To reach that equilibrium, in addition to engaging in more and continuous change, the SEC shouldbring in additional change agents, continue to foster leadership from its senior managers, recruit and nurture project management and leadership from lower ranks in the hierarchy, and identify and decrease or eliminate unnecessary internal structural and operational interconnections that often make change efforts more complex.

IBM’s Smarter Planet Essay

1.(a) Using Medtronic as an example, explain how a mission statement gives a strategic direction. (b) Create a mission statement for your own career. Answer: (a) A mission statement gives strategic direction by stating the â€Å"what† and â€Å"how† of a business in a clear, concise, meaningful, inspirational, statement that will continue to be relevant in the long-term. Medtronic’s mission statement identifies its customers, market, products and technology. They stated the business they are in and their specific goals. (b) It is my business to progressively coordinate strategic methods of empowerment and to do so with passion and commitment. 2.What competencies best describe (a) your college or university and (b) your favorite restaurant? Answer: (a) Wayne College to provides high quality, accessible credit and noncredit educational opportunities to the citizens of Wayne, Medina, and Holmes counties and surrounding areas, and partners with and resource for the communities and organizations it serves. (b) House of Hunan, Fairlawn, has quality Chinese, Thai, vegetarian, & sushi choices. Ambiance is reminiscent of old Chinatown and it is often full of patrons. Great chicken dishes, good dumplings, and very good quality beef. Service is good, food is fresh and satisfying, and the price is fair value. 3.Why does a product often start as a question mark and then move counterclockwise around the BCG’s growth-share matrix shown in Figure 2-4? Answer: When a product is introduced, it is usually a â€Å"question mark† because it is â€Å"new† and there is uncertainty about consumers’ acceptance of them. After a period of time, depending on the product category, the â€Å"not-so-new† product could be classified as a â€Å"star† if its growth rate is sizeable and had a significant share of the product category. If the growth rate in the product category falls substantially and there is great competition from competing brands, the product probably will fall in the â€Å"cash cow† category. If, however, the product isn’t supported with an effective marketing program, it could become a â€Å"dog.† 4.Select one strength, one weakness, one opportunity, and one threat from the SWOT analysis for Ben & Jerry’s shown in Figure 2-7. Suggest an action that a marketing manager there might take to address each factor. Answer: ~Strength: Recognized for its social mission, values and actions. This can be used to reinforce their â€Å"green† base consumers by constantly updating the â€Å"naturalness† of their ice cream according to current food trends. ~Weakness: B&J’s social responsibility actions could reduce focus. By focusing on the product, and constantly innovating flavors, more prospective customers (from all walks of life) could be gained. ~Opportunity: Increasing U.S. demand for 100-calorie novelties such as cones and bars. They could look into developing new products in the low-calorie, low-fat, low-carb, low-sugar spectrum of frozen desserts. ~Threat: Competes with General Mills and Nestle brands. Ben and Jerry’s can research which products and flavors are the most popular among the competing brands and use that as inspiration for new flavors in their own line. 5.What is the main result of each of the three phases of the strategic marketing process? (a) planning, (b) implementation, and (c) evaluation. Answer: (a) Planning phase. Results are formal marketing plans that identify specific objectives to be achieved by a particular time and the specific actions to achieve those objectives. (b) Implementation phase. Results are formal measurements of the results achieved, which can be compared with the plans established in the planning phase to determine if any deviations from plans occurred. (c) Evaluation phase. Results are new actions taken to exploit opportunities where deviations from plans are better than expected or corrective actions where deviations from plans are worse than expected. 6.The goal-setting step in the planning phase of the strategic marketing process sets quantified objectives for use in the evaluation phase. What does a manager do if measured results fail to meet objectives? Exceed objectives? Answer: If the marketing manager discovers a planning gap, which is a difference between the projection of the path to reach a new goal and the projection of the path of the results of a plan already in place for the marketing program, he or she can take the following actions: Failed Objectives: Correct a negative deviation by making minor or major changes to the existing marketing program of a product to better reflect future expectations in the marketing environment. Exceeded Objectives: Exploit a positive deviation by strengthening strategic partnerships and engage in a market development, or product development, strategy to maintain or enhance the firm’s position. 1.What is IBM’s â€Å"Smarter Planet† business strategy? How does this strategy relate to IBM’s mission and values? Answer: IBM’s â€Å"Smarter Planet† strategy is based on the company’s analysis that recognizes changes in the business environment and aims to create a global enterprise using connectivity. It includes the capability of telephones, computers, and other technology. This relates to IBM’s mission and values because they are a company that seeks out ways to keep their consumers happy and are looking for more ways to innovate by developing more advanced technologies. 2.Conduct a SWOT analysis for IBM’s Smarter Planet initiative. What are the relevant trends to consider for the next three to five years? Answer: ~Strengths: Well-known name, owns many new technologies and patents, market sector is well defined, high quality employees, satisfy customers’ wants and needs, and have a clear, concise mission statement. ~Weaknesses: With a big name like IBM, change may be difficult. Many of the products offered are not customizable. Lack of intercultural experience, narrow range of products offered, and most business products are geared towards large businesses. ~Opportunities: Offer new technologies and services locally and in developing countries. Smarter Planet involves new ways of thinking. ~Threats: potential securities risks. Demand for Smarter Planet solutions will depend on interest in change rather than just reaction to problems. In the next three to five years we are likely to see fewer trade barriers, the growth of developing economies, and increasing access to the internet. Growth markets such as China, India, Brazil, and Africa will be able to use IBM products. Customers will have a need for more custom-made technological solutions and cross-technology connectivity. Businesses will need analytics and optimization, cloud and smarter computing solutions and technology for the globally integrated enterprise. 3.How can IBM communicate its strategy to companies, cities, and governments? How is Watson a part of the communication strategy? Answer: The current CEO of IBM, Sam Palmisano, sent out a letter for their annual report, titled â€Å"Letter from the Chairman†. In this letter, he had a powerful statement about the Smarter Planet. According to him, Smarter Planet â€Å"is not a metaphor. It describes the infusion of intelligence into the way the world actually works, the way that almost anything-any person, any object, any process or any service, for any organization, large or small-can now become  digitally aware, networked, and intelligent.† Palmisano also met with some Wall Street financial advisors and held six-hour information sessions with investors to answer questions about their business strategy. IBM also used print and TV ads to campaign in more detail what Palmisano’s message was. These ads focused on the ability to improve the world now, with the help from IBM. The IBM website also supported the campaign with industry reports, video descriptions of the smarter planet concept, and stats a bout the improvements at smarter planet clients. Watson, which is an artificial intelligence program, was also part of the communication strategy. Watson was featured on the game show Jeopardy!, and competed against two different contestants, and won both times. By having Watson on TV, where millions of people could view it, this was one more way to provide a consistent and integrated message. 4.What are the benefits of the Smarter Planet initiative to (a) society and (b) IBM? Answer: (a) IBM’s Smarter Planet strategy benefits society by providing solutions for forward-thinking organizations that share a common outlook: they see change as an opportunity and they act on possibilities, not just react to problems. The retailers, who implemented smart systems to analyze buying behavior, merchandise assortment, and demand were able to cut supply chain costs by 30%, reduce inventory levels by 25%, and increase sales by 10%. The Memphis Police Department reduced crime by 28% by using IBM solutions to analyze its data. Banks are also using smart systems to track loans and manage risk, increasing efficiency and customer service. The solutions also help reduce costs, cut waste, improve efficiency, and increase productivity for companies, industries, and cities. (b) While there may be short-term costs involved in shifting IBM from commodity-based businesses to customizable businesses, IBM believes that the transformation will provide growth for the company and its employees, success for its customers, and improved value for its stockholders. 5.How should IBM measure the results of the Smarter Planet strategy? Answer: Since introducing the Smarter Planet strategy, IBM has collaborated with more than 600 organizations around the globe. In each case, there are different measures of the results of â€Å"smart† solutions. One of the important elements of Smarter Planet is you’re looking at the impact of investments on a whole system. You’re looking not just at internal operational improvements but at the effect on the company’s brand, at strategic advantages it brings and even at the impact on society.

Mr.Nobody Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mr.Nobody - Essay Example Indeed, the room where two characters are sitting is bright and there are hardly any shadows. This is dramatically different from the most of contemporary rooms, where light comes from a single source. In addition to that, the lighting in the scene conveys the futuristic atmosphere where everything is much better in every aspect. There is no doubt that the scene was not shot in authentic setting, but on set. To be more specific, it is quite possible that the two actors were shot in from of the so called green screen. In other words, all the background that is visible, including some of the object in the middle ground, such as flying droid were generated by computers. This was done in order to enhance the atmosphere is future and emerge the viewers into the setting every further. Speaking of the props that the actors were using, one might mention several. Thus, at one point Dr. Feldheim asks Nemo Nobody to take a look at a newspaper. The latter features some movies images and surely does not exist in reality. It is quite obvious that he touches a special prop that was latter modified by a computer. In other words, there were really few real life props in the scene, probably only the chairs they were sitting on and the desk. Another point that should be mentioned is that the scene should be understood in the context of all the previously shown scenes: the main character keeps waiting up from one nightmare to another one. That is why the directors did their best to make sure that the audience understands that what the character experiences at the moment is the reality. However, at the end of the scene, Nemo Nobody screams that he needs to wake up. This shows the fundamental conflict of the movie. Finally, one should also point out the significance of make up in the scene. On the one hand, Dr. Feldheim had strange looking marks on his face: the latter cover his entire head and make it difficult to understand

Information system in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Information system in business - Essay Example This paper will also outline how this technology supports that business area and the benefits they bring both to that business area and the organization as a whole. Data can be defined as collection or gathering of unrefined facts representing events taking place in organizations or the physical environment prior to they have been structured and managed into a structure that people can identify and make use of it. In addition, data can contain text, numbers, images and videos. On the other hand, information is collection of data that have been changed into a structure that is important and functional to human beings (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005, p. 6; Norton, 2001, p. 4; Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 7). A system is a group of related elements that work together to carry out a job in order to achieve a goal. Any organization or business that makes use of information technology will have a computer-based information system encompassing software, hardware, data/information, actions, workers, and communications setups. These components work together to offer management with information for running the business (Hutchinson & Sawyer, 2000, p. 9.3). (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005, p. 620), explains information system as a collection of hardware, software, data, workers, and methods that work in collaboration to turn out functional and valuable information†. An information system helps out in every day, short-range, temporary, and long range activities of users. Various examples of users consist of store clerks, sales representatives, accountants, and supervisors, managers of construction projects, executives, and customers (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005, p. 620). According to (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005, p. 18), an information system collects, processes, stores, evaluates, and distributes information for a particular function. Similar to any other system, an information system consists of inputs (such as instructions and data)

Analysis of The Satisfactions of Housewifery and Motherhood In an Age Essay - 3

Analysis of The Satisfactions of Housewifery and Motherhood In an Age of Do-Your-Own-Thing Article - Essay Example Hekker’s suggestion that most mothers choose to work in order to maintain an affluent lifestyle is unfair because working mothers are motivated by economic necessity, and the need for self-fulfilment and self-sufficiency. Most working mothers are motivated by the economic necessity to juggle a job and motherhood. In these days of rising costs and financial stress, a single parent’s income is usually not sufficient to support a family. For a normal middle-class household, the mortgage on a home loan, utility bills, the cost of educating children and meeting medical and other miscellaneous expenses are considerable. The husband’s income is not always able to pay for all these expenditures. The economic situation has changed drastically since 1977 when Hekker wrote her op-ed. It is now no longer realistic for all women to live â€Å"very frugally, on their husbands’ paychecks.† The paycheck of today can support substantially less than what it was able to support a quarter-century ago. It is the necessity to contribute to the family income which compels the large majority of mothers to join the workforce. Most often, the deciding factor in such situations is the mother’s overwhelming concern for the children and her determination to provide them with a higher standard of living. If Hekker’s contention were true, then all working mothers would enjoy an affluent lifestyle. This is obviously not a ground reality. Many women work only to make ends meet in the family. A segment of working women, who are not primarily motivated by economic necessity, choose to work in order to fulfill a need to achieve their potential. These are women of talent, who choose to demonstrate their ability through a career. As artists, writers, scientists and hundreds of other choices, they work to express themselves and to grow to the fullest extent possible. It has to be admitted that the days of gender hierarchy are dead and the feminine ste reotype of a woman as a home-maker is outdated and false. Most women are not content to be â€Å"just someone's wife,† as Hekker says. When gender equality is acknowledged as a fact, the role of housewife and mother may not be sufficient to meet the woman’s need to explore her full potential as a human being. With the higher level of education attained by contemporary women, this search for meaningful employment is increased. These women are in pursuit of self-fulfilment and not an affluent lifestyle. The monetary gain which may accompany their professional accomplishments is only an added benefit but not the goal of their careers. The desire to be self-sufficient is another major motivating factor for working mothers. Many contemporary women, reared on the ideals of gender equality, are nor comfortable in a position of dependence on a man. To these women, a career is an assertion of independence and self-sufficiency. A need for security is also a part of this position .  

The Egyptian accounting profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Egyptian accounting profession - Essay Example Its reforms are a part of a larger economic reform, as Egypt underwent a planned economy system in the 1960’s, then liberalized in the 1970’s and underwent structural changes in 1991 (Rahman et al. 1). Still, the private sector is given more leeway in terms of compliance with IAS than the public (Rahman et al. 4). Moreover, compliance with disclosure rules is a major issue. High quality auditors and accountants are in excess demand. Quality of auditors and accountants is guaranteed by the Egyptian Society of Accountants and Auditors (Rahman et al. 5). However, there are a few qualified students due to economic inequalities in the country, and these mostly work for international companies, with only few remaining in the public sector (Rahman et al. 6). Thus, though the government tries to comply with IAS, the work force cannot catch up with the standards. As a result, many companies listed on capital markets fail to live up to standards set by the Egyptian government (Rahman et al. 8). The enforcement mechanisms are weak as well. The central bank is weak, as it cannot impose sanctions on non – compliers in the banking sector (Rahman et al. 9). The government does not ensure that the auditing reports are of high quality by being checked by a second auditor (Rahman et al. 9). Since top management controls the company instead of the shareholders, irregularities within a company are shoved under the rug (Rahman et al. 9). Though IAS is to be followed completely in Egypt under all of the regulations, the result is mistrust among investors and a weak legal system (Rahman et al. 12). Shahid expands on auditing and accounting standards by incorporating them into the wider corporate culture in Egypt and abroad. According to Shahid, lack of standards and accountability leads to financial problems in companies (5). As a result, Shahid believes codes of good corporate governance to be the key to success in Egypt, since they are â€Å"a comprehensive set of norms

Justice in Benito Cereno Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Justice in Benito Cereno - Essay Example At the end, the leader of the revolt, Babo, was caught and killed. The story creates such an atmosphere where identifying the role of justice is a difficult task. However, a thorough scrutiny reveals that real justice was not ultimately done in the story. The story reveals that the purpose of the revolt for the blacks was to gain freedom, not to torture the whites. For example, after capturing the ship, the first thing Negro Babo asked was â€Å"whether there were in those seas any Negro countries where they might be carried† (Melville 64). This gives the insight that the sole purpose for the blacks was to regain their freedom and go back to a black country where they would not be subjugated to slavery. In addition, it is the fear of losing freedom that made them kill their master Don Alexandro Aranda. Negro Babo informed Don Benito of the intention in advance and gave the reason â€Å"he and his companions could not otherwise be sure of their liberty† (Meville 65). Apparently, the blacks had no intention to enslave the whites and torture them but to ensure their own liberty. In addition, the blacks used the chance to teach the whites the lesson that subjugation, torture and death are equally painful for all humans. To illustrate, on killing Don Alexandro Aranda, the ship’s proper figure-head was replaced by his skeleton. Thereafter, every white in the ship was asked, â€Å"whether, from its whiteness, he should not think it a white’s† (Melville 66). There is evident sarcasm aiming at the mentality of the whites seeing everything done by whites as virtue and blacks as vice. In simple terms, one can say that the revolt by the blacks was an effort to regain their much-valued freedom from the clutches of the whites. The readiness of blacks to risk their lives for the air of freedom is evidenced from their claim â€Å"they would do and conform themselves to everything the deponent should require as to eating and drinking† (Melville 64). Thus, the

Biotechnology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Biotechnology - Essay Example Much debate has already taken place over this very debatable topic. The label of these foods is another very debatable topic; human beings need to be educated about these foods, it is also important to tell them about the pros and cons of consuming it. Companies would gleefully produce tons of genetically modified food but who would take the responsibility of distributing it and educating the consumers about it? These questions need to be answered sooner rather than later. â€Å"What is the level of detectability of GM food cross-contamination? Scientists agree that current technology is unable to detect minute quantities of contamination, so ensuring 0% contamination using existing methodologies is not guaranteed.† (Genetically Modified Food) Genetically modified food is the result of fine genetic engineering, human beings have come a long way and some of the recent developments that have been made are truly startling. Every coin is two sided and this particular case is no different, research goes to show that genetically modified foods have a better resistance against pests when compared to natural food. This means the losses incurred to farmers and other people who are involved in the same can easily be averted. Research also goes to show that genetically modified food is also resistant to herbicides which natural food can never be. These are some of its advantages but there are disadvantages too which must be considered to make its case even. Last year a laboratory study was published which showed that pollen from B.t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B.t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Although the Nature study was not conducted under natural field

Philosophy assignment one Essay Example for Free

Philosophy assignment one Essay Aristotle begins the study of politics with the household and its parts as the parts of the whole, the city, is composed. His discussion of the family gives three kinds of rule that is found in the household, master over slave, husband over wife and father over child. Aristotle provides an intellectual and rational means to the good life and the best society, or politics is autonomous and self-sufficient, that is, it is an activity independent of other spheres of human endeavor, and thus a sphere possessing knowledge and a technique independent of other forms of knowledge. To Aristotle community is based on reason. So, to Aristotle the polis and the logos are inextricably interwoven. The expansion or acquisition of property could be said to be internal dissension and internal strife, which deems salutary to the power and growth of Rome while laments the strife and factionalism that was a direct cause contributing to the fall of the republic. This stress on strife and conflict is significant in that is shows that the internal conflict over acquisition is transformed into an external conflict for acquisition. Aristotle’s view of society called the substantial form or the soul of the human body was conceived in such a way that the human being was seen to depend on the community for the satisfaction of its needs. Natural law forms the basis of all positive law, and whenever a positive legal stipulation contradicts this natural law, it loses its legal validity. It is possible to deduce objective natural law, valid for humanity as a whole, from teleological ethical basic principle. Aristotle defends politics by considering whether human beings are natural slaves and by repelling the economic view that all nature is the property of man. With property and money in Aristotle’s opinion, nature does require and permit property, but she does not require humans to acquire many possessions for the sake of their economic wellbeing. She may, however, require and permit the pursuit of another kind of wealth in virtually unlimited quantities. The tools, or wealth, that human beings use are secured by the art of moneymaking. But how human beings use wealth and therefore to some extent how much they use would seem to be determined by the household manager. So it is somewhat unclear whether moneymaking is properly the same as, a part of, or a subsidiary of household management. Both the household and the city are properly concerned with the perfect preservation of human beings and their rulers presumably acquire and use all things for that end. Nature has made all things for the use of human beings. We need as much of what moneymaking provides us as is necessary for life and for the good life secured in the household and the city. If the things that human beings can possess or use are of great variety, as indeed they seem to be and if it is the task of moneymaking to contemplate where useful things and property come from, then moneymaking must contemplate virtually all of visible nature and seek its cause or causes. However useful to economics and politics moneymaking may be, the study of nature or natural philosophy, to which moneymaking gives rise might return to its beginnings in economics. Human beings can use their skills to acquire nourishment and the store of things useful for life and the good life in various ways, nature seems to facilitate their consumption of her resources. Humans and other animals are said to be able to procure nourishment with ease and even according to their choice. Humans can combine various nourishments and the means of procuring them in order to live more pleasantly. Among the perfectly acceptable mans are robbery, the use of all inferior beings in nature, and even war against intransigent inferiors. These means are not contrary to nature and do not amount to expropriation from a hostile nature. Nature seems to sanction these means as necessary. When nature’s selfishness becomes all too apparent a second kind of acquisition comes into being. Nature’s failure to guarantee the self-sufficiency of each individual necessitates exchange. Although not by nature, exchange is according to nature, fir it serves her end of preservation. True moneymaking emerges reasonably from exchange or barter but becomes something different. Exchange, especially with foreigners is facilitated by the invention of money. Once its value has been agreed upon and signified by an impression on its face, money becomes the measure and standard for the value of the necessary things traded. Money and all other things come to be used to make more money and the generation of money from money, or interest, becomes comparable to natural genesis. Moneymaking and devotion to money, it appears, are as limitless as the natural human desires for life and pleasure. Money assumes central importance because it is thought to ensure satisfaction of the original desire for preservation carried to its logical conclusion, the desire for immortal happiness. Aristotle acknowledges that the culmination of moneymaking in usury is hated, but he himself does not condemn the unlimited form of moneymaking. He even teaches the art of trade, a form of moneymaking. He does, however, contend that it is an error to equate money with true wealth. Locke contends that there is a natural law derived from reason regulating the relations of individuals in the natural condition. The law of nature contains three distinct but interrelated commands. Locke claims that the power to execute the natural law is every mans, whereby each individual has the right to punish anyone who violates the natural law by threatening one’s self-preservation or harming another in their life, liberty or possessions. In regards to private property it involves both the explicit renunciation of property claims and implicit recognition of the equality of the private party to agreements. Locke may mean no more than that any explicit agreement with another regarding one matter includes implicit recognition of the property integrity of the various parties. Locke may intend a more expansive construction of the meaning of implicit recognition such that any explicit assertion of property integrity by one state produces an implicitly renunciation by that state of any property claim against any other. Locke assumes that every individual must have property of its own.

The natural law

The natural law The subject of the article is the natural law. The term used to describe the experience many people have when they maintain their presence. It is well known fact that the natural law is theory depicted by the existence of law whose substances are set by nature and has validity in every corner of the world. Now, the natural law is complex phenomenon but I am going to focus on basic ideas. First of all, we will consider the meaning, emergence, the origin of the natural law. Secondly, I will describe the reasons why there are so many differences among various cultures and whether different cultures evaluate the natural law with a distinct point of view or not. Finally, I will mention some thought of philosophers like Thomas Aquines, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke who have profound impact on natural law theories. It is obvious that the implementation of natural law has fluctuated variedly through the history. For the first time in the history, almost the entire world have different theories of natural law, varying from each other with respect to the legal norms. The natural law theory is apparently very complicated occasion. It was composed of two types of theories, moral and legal theory. The term natural law is not referred to the laws of the nature which science has tried to clasify. Natural law moral theory acquired from the disposition of the human beings and existen ce of the world. On the other hand; being the legal theory independent, the two theories congregate in term of some respects. Since the time immemorial, it is generally wondered that now human society and its civil institutions come into being. In order to overcome the curiosity, philosophers developed the idea of the natural law. The natural law was made use of comprehending the human behaviour in society. The doctrine of natural law trigger the individual rights in constitutional law. In an attempt to come into existence, these rights constituted according to the fundamental structure of government which eliminated the power of majority rule. Notwithstanding there are some significant questions that we should ask ourselves. Can these fundemental constitutional rights be guarenteed by the governments in an attempt to provide citizens free speech, education, medical care etc. ? It is suggested by Joel Feinberg that moral rights as opposed to legal rights explains that human rights a re a subset of moral rights and that natural rights are a subset of human rights. On the other hand John Lockes ideas formulate theory that natural law is moral law and natural rights are moral rights. It may sound as if the situation that one philosopher differs from the other. For instance, Locke characterizes these fundamental moral requirements as God- given individual rights and more basic than human law or government. However, Bentham believes that all law and rights are conventional. They are the product of agreements of social order of government. Bentham defended that there are no rights without law and there is no law without government. There can be only chaos and individual power. We can say that the natural law is known as to be opposed to the positive law which was revealed by human beings. Natural law started to maintain availability with the presence of human beings. Furthermore, thanks to intersection between natural law and natural rights in United States, the decl aration of independence and the constitution of United States took place. This is the glamorous manifestation that the natural law tradition has immense influence on the development of government and law in western civilization, although the issue of natural law is still extremely controversial subject. Like the differences between ideas and prevision of philosophers, there are many disagreements and discrepancy among various cultures and civilizations. The different cultures assess the situation with the challenging point of view. Natural law is generally identified as an ideal legal system which is known to correspond the social requirements in the best way and is not implemented not only particular time period but also every scope of the lifestyle. Custom traditions law are not documental. Even though these sentiments inhabit in social conscience. The custom which is assimilated as a social attitude among individuals of community should meet three requirements in an attempt to become a rule of law. These requirements are sustainability, general notion and enforcements carried out by the government. Consequently, natural law theory can be defined as its content is substantial intrisically arranged naturally, it is more important that everything and in valid, available and also eff ectual. Natural law theory is great matter in terms of both morality and philosophy of law. Beyond it has magnificent reputation with the influence on philosophers. The first and most significant notion of natural law was detected in antique Greek. Primarily natural law which is perceived by antiquity thinkers is the correspondence of behaviour of human beings to the natural rules. The manner of the human beings should be well matched and proper to the natural law as well as physical occasion to be compatible with the physical laws. The creator of the rationalism, Hugo Grotius who spent some of his time with Descartes thought that natural law is universal and its roots were based on human mind. The natural law originated from the social nature of humanity. Thanks to very nature of mind, human beings can discover the principle implemented on themselves. In history of the humanity, human mind sought to reveal the principle with observing the life, habits, customs of people. Thereupon the natural law theory wa brought up by some specific philosophers known as the pioneer of their period. In that era philosophers, in order to identify the natural law, reached the result that the smallest structure of the society is individuals when they attempted to identify the common life while abiding the analysis method. For instance, in physics the term atom was handled the substance of matter. Like that Philosophers perceived the social life as social physic area. Philosopher sought the way to find the solutions to this issue that how both todays sociability and futures sociability should be constituted. In order to comprehend the nature of disposition of human beings, philosophers rendered a verdict that human should have placed on the isolation. As a result, they reached a decision that the affection of mind concatenation is necessary for indiv iduals to lead a society that is harmonizingly peaceful. That is to say; social lifetime is not becoming together with individuals mechanically, it is just dwelling together by utilizing their mind without damaging and becoming harmful to each other. Although you may think that the cultural diversity contradict the idea of natural law, that is not the case exactly. First then, why do people from various corners of the world experience natural law with an amended structure of consideration. Think about this for a minute when you grow up in a particular set of surrondings naturally, you get used to the rules and guidelines that govern the behaviour of the people around you. In a sense, you become totally dependent on the rules of your social group. You tend not to question them, you just accept them without thinking. These rules are often not clearly articulated and therefore you are not aware of their impact. In other words, you are not necessarily conscious of them. Lets turn to the different situations of natural law. The natural law acquires a different character according to the different cultures and philosophers who have great impact on the cultures on some categories about natural law. Stoic Natural Law: The improvement process of natural law can be attributed to the group of Stoics. The development of natural law is concurrent with the enlargement of the empires and kingdoms in Greek world. Stoic natural law is different from the divine or natural source of law in an attempt to obtain rational, real, purposeful order for the universe. And according to belief of Stoics, prosperity and arrangement can only gained through natural law. Stoics believed that the facilities of virtue can enlarge the power and development. Stoics emphasized influently that the theories of individual worth, moral duty and universal brotherhood played a great role in subsequent legal theory. Christian Natural Law: According to the thought of Christian Augustine of Hippo, a life keeping on with the nature is no longer possible. The human beings should have sought the way to maintain the life with the help of divine law and favor of Jesus Christ. In contrast to the philosopher Gratian who reserved this by coinciding the natural law with divine law. Then at the last stage, Thomas Aquinas reconstituted the independent state not only divine law but also eternal law. He defended his idea but could not really comprehend the eternal law that the perfection of human reason can only achieved with the approaches of eternal law and supported by divine law. Thomas Aquinas also stated that all human beings can be judged by the dependance and the loyalty about the natural law. According to the Christian law, the unfair law is not evaluated as law. In other words the unfair law remains merely the appearance of law. Christian natural law theory adjusted that the natural law was not used just to implement the moral aspects of laws also to make decision about what the law should have said in the first place of the occasion. For this reason, in some circumstances events could be resulted in great tension. It is the most significant fact that Christian law focused on truthfullness of actions in the view of ethic rather than the result. The natural law purpose is to gain the goodness and it focused on the whether the things become real and formed the happiness and goodness or not. Islamic Natural Law: The presence of natural law was admited. The advocator of natural law Abu Mansur AlMaturidi dedicated that the human beings could very well be aware of the existence of God and their apprehension could differentiate the good and the evil with the help of the feature of perception. In addition in this point of view human beings should have taken notice of inaccurate behaviours like killing, drinking alcoholism, gambling which were referred to the evils. Classical Natural Law Theory: The theory pointed out that there is nondocumented relation betweeen natural law and morality. With respect to this observation, law can not be precisely clarified without the favor of moral argument. Thomas Aquinas contributed the composition of classical law theory. Aquinas set apart laws in four groups such as eternal, natural, human, divine law. Eternal law is a degree of God which performs all creation and nature occasions. Human law also is positive law made by human changes persistently. On the other side divine law is defined as any law that in the thought of believers originated directly from the will. It is frequently mentioned that the natural law is composed of eternal law which administrate the behaviour of human beings in order to provide them for possesing free will. Furthermore, Thomas Aquinas can be stated as being representative and pioneer of the classical theory. Thomas Aquinas asserted that it is compulsory to do good things and to avoid bad habits and evil. It is well worth emphasizing that in his view of what is good and evil is came out from nature and temperament of beings. Thomas Aquinas described natural law activity of human participation in the eternal law, in providence. As you know, life of all creators will terminate in the end as human beings are aroused to explore the world. The slice of lifetime is to differentiate the good and the evil and after that maintain life according to precepts. There is a formulatic statement with Aquinas; that Man is by nature a social or political animal(DERS KITABI). Along with this commitment, he does not denote that we have inclination to participate in social contracts. The nature can not be preferred or chosen. It is just given and individuals must adjust their first born place. Because of the fact that it is like ring of chair, the conformation of family have influence on the maintance of life and survival and also humanbeigs flourish the various social and political communities. Aquinas c onveying the impression of Aristoteles depicted the people who can discriminate between the awful, weird and good, pleasent things. In addition to, coming into being individual with nature, human beings go astray and deteoriate with nature. Besides this, people should know natural law even if they are alone. Aquinas characterized the knowledge of primitive and complicated. In his point of view, simple informations are based on just unique definition or descriptions. At the same time the latter, knowlegde of complex abide by affirmation or negation of one thing of another. Put another word; every first happening things is comprised of series of the others. There is s connection between phenomenons. Thomas have a tenet that There is a conception which is prior to and presupposed by all other conceptions and judgement that is prior to and presupposed by all other judgements. Also think about it for a moment what does Thomas mean saying that since knowledge is expressed by language this seems to come down to the assertion that there is a first word that everyone utters and first statement that would appear in everyon es babybook on the appropriate page .(INTERNET KAYNAK) However surely that is not the case. In my opinion, although the life of the human beings resemble each other regarding birth, death, a great quantity of occasions yield different consequences on anothers. Even though there is a common language either the perception of the language or utilizing and keeping it alive varies. To sum up, Aquinas characterizes the God as pure mind and so he thought that individuals dominate the mind, they comprise the model of God. Aquinas thought that the law is an ordinance of reasons directed to the God and also should make by one who has confidence of community and should be promulgated. Another advocater of natural law is Thomas Hobbes. In Hobbes point of view; he dedicated that justifying towards certainity is more difficult than defining oneself. He uttered that individuals are equal in terms of damaging themselves. Hence, in an attempt to secure oneself and maintain existence, people can reach an agreement to constitute a government which is legitimate and quarantee complicated and profound issues, dilemma by setting aside our hostilities. He admitted that there was no reasoning about what is good, bad, better, worse. Hobbes evaluated the world administrated by mechanic movements as an ordinary hole of matters. Lively substances such as animal, plant, human are the fragment of the entire world. As to Hobbes both physical and mental life time dependent of the constution of mechanical actions. Thats why neither spirit, angel nor God are available. They are merely product of imaginary or belong to argument of belief. What distinguishes Hobbes notion from the notions propounded by other natural law theorists is the different denotation is referred to reason. By the side of Hobbes, reasoning is caltulation by means of we draw consequences for the nature occasions in an attempt to express and denote our feelings and opinions. Owing to Hobbes, the law of nature indicates what is good or evil in realiton to given end otherwise the other theorists emphasised that individuals comprise a team about what is good or evil in theirselves. Moreover, the natural law states prominently what is convenient or inconvenient to the reachment of the end which is peaceful and symbolizes supreme utility. For this reason the basement of natural law prescribes the way people seeking peace, benefitions, goodness. Hobbes highlighted especially that it is possible to obtain a peace, provided the state is utilized like an effective bridge. In brief, owing to Hobbes natural law command everyone conveying their specific rigths in order to assure the ways for conserving peace. It is explicit judgement that this can come to the fruition by means of state. We accomplish the thoughts about him by making deduction from his words you would give up liberty to gain security. As a result; the objectives should be seeking the peace, defending ourselves, surrending our Liberties which can be defined as the absence of external impediments for peace. Another theorist about natural law is John Locke who stuck in humans mind despite the fact that he is known in an account generating the fundamentals of revolutions French, Amerikan and British. Owing to John Locke, people are connected each other with no principle of natural law. Natural law are rationalistic and the reason of existence of human beings. In his point of view; God has confered to all peopla fundamental rights about life, health, liberty and possessions. For this reason, he encumbered to the government for protecting rights. Since he anticipated that the state which should be respectful about personal ownership and secure privileges has responsibilities to the citizens,inhabitants. John Locke consistently confronted with the question why should we obey the law of nature?. He thought that reasoning is kind of advisory.In human reason and divine reason it is just admited that what the God looks like. As if Locke took the natural law granted in spite of the fact that God created us with reason in an attempt to pursue Gods will and all of cases are exprienced like in divine and human law. Should the need arise; all humankind drew ones first breath being equal, indepent and free. With the help of natural law, willpower of God can be found out and what can be suited to the rational world. It is not quite accurate that the natural law is command of mind. Since mind can not ascertain the natural law by constructioning, individuals can not generate any social group or unity without natural law. The other prof showing the presence of law is that individual who made mistake on purpose and act in a nasty particular behaviour, can not feel welfare about conscience. Neither virtue nor goodness and rewarding being possible is veracity. Very important feature of Lockes Second Treatise of Government as a work of political modeling is its concern with the question of why people need structures of governance, in particular laws as regulatory forces in communal life. Essentially, a political theory needs to not only study and model the structures and duties of government but also speculate about why we need such a construction and regulation in our lives. Locke examines this by first questioning what state all men are naturally in.1 Men in the state of nature are in a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man.2 That is, the essence of human nature is to be free from any restraints on ones actions. Such unrestrained freedom, however, makes everyone both judge and executioner of the law of nature3 which, in turn, is very likely to impose a threat to another persons freedom and right to live. If, for instance, people punish their offenders in their own judgment and without any regulations that limit such punitive actions, one of the most important principles of justice, that punishment should be consistent and should fit the crime, will be violated. Thus, in the absence of governing structures, mens self-interest and natural instinct to preserve themselves and their possessions will eventually spur the society to unjust practices, thereby disrupting the peace and order of the communal life. This argument about human nature and why it requires certain structures of governance becomes yet stronger with the idea of how men are naturally inclined to protect their own property and seize new property at the same time: The great and chief end, therefore, of mens putting themselves under government and known law, is the preservation of their property. To which in the state of nature there are many things wanting.1 Through his arguments, Locke devises a political theory by analyzing which political model is most likely to bring people out of their state ofcommunal life. This argument about human nature and why it requires certain structures of governance becomes yet stronger with the idea of how men are naturally inclined to protect their own property and seize new property at the same time: The great and chief end, therefore, of mens putting themselves under government and known law, is the preservation of their property. To which in the state of nature there are many things wanting.1 Through his arguments, Locke devises a political theory by analyzing which political model is most likely to bring people out of their state of nature, and looking back to the historical context of his work, does so on the basis of empirical evidence. Thus, Second Treatise on Government, as a work of political theory, creates a strong foundation for why people need a certain political model and laws that it lays the grounds for.

History And Overview Of Frances Beauty Industry Economics Essay

History And Overview Of Frances Beauty Industry Economics Essay France is ranked 16th in the Global Competitive Report up two places from last year and demonstrating a number of competitive strengths, such as an infrastructure that is ranked second in the world, a healthy workforce, a high quality of education, a sophisticated business culture and leadership in the area of technological innovation. On the other hand, as indicated in the Global Competitive Report, France suffers from high non wage labour costs and strict rules on hiring and firing and poor labour employer relations. There is also a govern GDP Per Capita, (US$), 2007..$41,511.2 GDP: (US$ billions), 20072,560.3 GDP (PPP) as share (%) of world total, 2007à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.3.17 Total Population: (millions), 200760.9 Median Age: 39 Land Area: Largest land area of all EU members Unemployment: 7% 2008 Current President Nicolas Sarkozy ment budget deficit which is above the EU threshold of 60% and national savings rates are low. (Global Competitive Report, 2008/09 p.19) Although France is currently in a good position in 16th place, the global economy is changing and new competitors are closing in. This paper will examine the challenges that France and their beauty industry are facing. France key facts: source: The Global Competitive Report 2008-09 Exhibit A Economic PerformanceFrances Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has aligned with the European average somewhat, although, as the graph below illustrates, France has fared better than the EU within the last year. Exhibit B This chart created on the Eurostat website, compares Frances Real GDP with the European Union (EU) average. Real gross domestic product (GDP) is a macroeconomic measure of the size of an economy adjusted for price changes (that is, adjusted for changes in the value of money: inflation or deflation.) source: Real gross domestic product. Web. ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_gross_domestic_product>. Legend:Blue = FranceGreen = EU (27 countries)source:http//epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do?tab=graphinit=1toolbox=typelanguage=enpcode=tsieb010plugin=0http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do Frances Gross Domestic Product per capita (PPP US$)The Human Development report and the Global Competitive Report demonstrate that Frances purchasing power parity (PPP) has declined since 1993 to 33,000 plus/minus. Human Development Report 2009 Exhibit C Human development index 2007 and its components GDP per capita (PPP US$) HDI Rank Country 2007 1 Norway 53,433 1 2 Australia 34,923 3 Iceland 35,742 4 Canada 35,812 5 Ireland 44,613 1 6 Netherlands 38,694 7 Sweden 36,712 8 France 33,674 9 Switzerland 40,658 10 Japan 33,632 11 Luxembourg 79,485 source: http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/91.html accessed March 29 2010 source: Global Competitive Report 2008/09Exhibit D Innovation MeasuresThe Global Competitive Report says Although less-advanced countries can still improve their productivity by adopting existing technologies or making incremental improvements in other areas, for countries that have reached the innovation stage of development, this is no longer sufficient to increase productivity. Firms in these countries must design and develop cutting-edge products and processes to maintain a competitive edge. (Global Competitive Report, 2008/2009, page 6) Exhibit D shows France in blue is ahead in the percentage of GDP for RD. This hides the fact that Germany one of Frances competitors which we will discuss later in the Cosmetic industry analysis, spends a considerable amount more than France. Although France in blue is ahead in the percentage of GDP they spend on RD another important aspect of innovation is patents. Exhibit E shows that Germany has double the amount of patents. Gross Domestic Expenditure on RDExhibit D France = Blue EU = Green Germany has double the amount of patents than France Exhibit E Analysing the date from the Global Competitiveness Report it is clear that France is suffering in the ranking for innovation and sophisticatio n as illustrated below. Exhibit F France is losing behind Germany who is winning currently in 4th place Exhibit F: Innovation and sophistication factors According to Porter, a nations competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade. Companies gain advantage against the worlds best competitors because of pressure and challenge. (Porter, On Competition, p.171, 2008) In Exhibit F France is holding steady in 14th position an explanation for their lack of improvement is shown in Exhibit G state of cluster development, where France is low and their rate of patent development is low compared to its competitors, for example, Germany, Japan and the U.S.A. source: Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009Exhibit G France P E S T Analysis POLITICAL LANDSCAPE Overview French political system can be described as semi-presidential form of democratic republic. France has improved considering the rule of law and accountability. France ranks in the 91.3 percentile on voice and accountability as of 2007, which is an improvement from 2002, when it was ranked in the 84.1 percentile. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. Page 3) However, France is still considered as a highly centralized country and the elite group is significantly involved in the state and corporate sectors. Moreover, corruption seems to be one of the main issues in French politics. Strengths Political stability can be considered one of Frances strengths. Elections are fair and transparent. Although initially the socialist parties were more popular and therefore winning the elections, lately the majority of the society has voted for pro-reform parties. Before the elections president Sarkozy made following promises: a reduction of unemployment, flexible labour laws, pension reform and tax changes. Frances approach to preventing terrorism is considered to be one of the most effective in Europe. However, it did not come free and the price was limiting civil liberties. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 14) Weaknesses Although the current French government is definitely pro-reform, the rest of French society seems to be opposed to the changes. For example, the government wants to simplify public administration and bureaucracy, promote the competition in the market as well as make minimum wages flexible. (www.lemonde.fr)(EWA I sort of know what you mean but can you include a couple of the changes that the government want to bring in. I understand that the citizens would be unwilling to accept any change that would lower wages but does the French government want to lower wages that would also go against what Porter says is the point of being competitive. The population is unwilling to adopt any measures that cause a decrease in wages. One of the reasons would be the decline in purchasing power of the French population. As already mentioned in exhibit B above France is already showing a decline in GDP (PPP US$) per capita. Improving the pension system and modernizing the labour market has been delay ed because of the unwillingness of French citizen to accept change. In general, the reforms are being delayed. Moreover, the liberalization process is also not as dynamic as hoped for, in effect, president Sarkozy is losing his popularity. In regional elections on 21st March the Socialist Party gained 54 % while UMP 35 % only. (Web. . Accessed March 15 2010). Opportunities Improving French foreign policy has been one of president Sarkozys main goals. So far he has been successful. France has returned to NATOs military command. It has helped US in isolating Iran because of its nuclear power. In general, France has been lately very active in international relationships. With no doubt improved foreign relations will help the economic relations with these countries. French National Assembly composition Source: Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 39. President Sarkozys administration has also finally improved French bureaucracy which now should be more transparent and efficient. Threats In France, the government has continued to play a prominent role in business compared to many other EU countries. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. Page 16) A concentration of elite citizens in power helps corruption practices and also help to influence government policies which in effect can block development. (Political Science: An Introduction, Michael G. Roskin, June 2005, P. 79) Moreover, since the government becomes more unpopular while trying to implement the reforms (can we get a list of the reforms then I can weave that into this paragraph pension system reform, health care system reform, public administration reform, reform of work conditions regulations un contrat unique, reform of public finances, tax system reform, corporation tax reform) there is a risk that it will become populist to gain power back. There have been a number of protests against reform measures. ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE Overview The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that France faced a 3 % fall in growth in 2009. The decrease of income and wages combined with rising unemployment will affect domestic consumption. Because of the opposition implementing Sarkozys reforms is not going smoothly. Frances credit rating might be affected. That will increase the cost of funding for future governments and business enterprises.(Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 14) Strengths President Sarkozys pro-reform approach affected in general review of public policy. This caused the improvement in public services and therefore reducing the public costs. French infrastructure is one of the best in Europe. There are over 10,000 km of well-maintained highways in France. That is better result than in Germany or UK. French railway network is also very well established. France is seen as global air transport hub with 27 airports. The world-class infrastructure network enables France to offer international investors excellent conditions for doing business and also drive the overall economic engine of the nation. ((Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 18) Weaknesses French external debt is above the EU limit of 60% and most probably will stay this way. Moreover, the share in exports in the Eurozone has fallen by 16% during 1999-2007. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 18) As the reasons for this situation can be named low level of industry specialization and poor price competitiveness of French industries. Moreover, Frances effective corporate tax burden is higher than EU average. Opportunities The privatization of telecommunications, electricity, gas, postal services, rail freights as well as the services sector has been in place for a while. The government has also introduced stimulus plan. The hope is that increased investment spending will stimulate domestic consumption. Threats The financial system in France is still significantly being regulated and administrated. What has helped French economy now to recover from global crisis, might create a problem in the future. Structural reforms in public enterprises, pensions and the constitution need to be completed now; otherwise France will lose the competition with countries with more liberalized systems like UK or Germany. SOCIAL LANDSCAPE Overview While social structure considered an aging population and relatively high unemployment rate seem to be main issues. As well as deficient educational system; (Global competitive report, Porter and Schwab, p.19) describes the education system as a whole is high/strength but the flexibility of the labour force is the problem as well as poor labour relations) this partly can be blamed for high unemployment rate. Unemployment rate was 10 % in January 2010. Web. Accessed March 15 2010. Monthly unemployment rates August 2008 January 2010: Strengths Taking into consideration social parameters in general France has been rather successful. For example, life expectancy at birth is in France 80 years; in terms of gender equality there is a positive social climate for women. France has one of the highest birth rate in Europe. Unlike in many other European countries although the rate is decreasing, France is still doing well. Frances birth rate of about 1.8 children per woman in 2006 makes it the only European country with the possibility of maintaining its current population. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. p. 22) Weaknesses An aging population and early retirement are serious issues on French social landscape. These issues have not been given enough attention by policy makers which now may cause big problem of additional government expenditure. Low labour participation is another issue as well as the fact that French workers work relatively low hours yearly. Source: Web. Accessed: March 15 2010 Another challenge is educational system which has not kept with changing industrial order. Opportunities New scheme Active Solidarity Revenue (RSA) has been introduced by French government. The aim is to prevent unemployment and poverty. The programme will persuade people to look for a job rather than living off social benefits. Threats Frances wage hikes have not seen an equal increase in productivity or increase in output. Thus, wage increases have become unrealistic. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 22) By continuing this policy while the wages are increased but the productivity is not increasing is a serious threat for economic growth. Moreover, France is losing competition on global market where products from emerging Asian countries are present. French government has passed new rules regarding immigrants who want to live in the country or acquiring French nationality. On one side it will help to stop illegal immigrants, however on the other side it will also put off well educated foreigners to work in France. TECHNOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE Overview RD situation in France is satisfying, although far from perfect. The level of public investment in RD is around 2 % of GDP while EUs aim is 3 %. Moreover, private sector funding is still not pleasing. Public involvement is declining and private sector funding still not increasing. This situation might cause problems in future. To improve this condition the Agency for Industrial Innovation has been established. Its main task is to support innovation in large companies. Web. Accessed March 15 2010 Strengths What can be considered as main strength is relatively large number of patents received by France. France ranks fourth in the world in terms of number of patents granted for its innovation. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 24) This situation is caused by the approach of successive French government to RD. Research and higher education are priorities of the current government. Large amount from yearly budget is dedicated to support these domains. Political commitment to RD is therefore high in France. Weaknesses Although RD is considered as an important issue by politicians Frances expenditure is at 2 % of GDP only. For comparison it is 2.68% in US and 3.18 % of GDP in Japan. Moreover, the spending on RD as a percentage of GDP by French government is declining. In addition, the input from private sector is still not rewarding. This situation will without any doubts influence future technological development of the country. Opportunities French national research and innovation policy aims to promote innovation, increase the participation of private sector, and improve the cooperation between public and private sector. The goal is to increase the spending on RD to 3 % of GDP and one third of this amount should come from private sector. Threats France lacks the coordination and one clear policy regarding RD sector. There are many research and knowledge institutes which objectives are overlapping each other. One united strategy is needed. Furthermore, there is lack of efficient communication between research institutes and private companies, therefore resources are not being used fully. Moreover, the lack of the connection between the producers and consumers of the technology can be observed. Public RD centres very often do help in application of new technology in industry. In effect, efforts and costs will be duplicated. Beauty products in France cluster analysis 1/ Description of the cluster, cluster size and performance The cosmetics and toiletries (CT) industry in France is estimated at 8 billion EUR in sales and can be divided into the following categories:       * Skincare, colour cosmetics:    37%       * Hair products :    23 %       * Perfumes :    20 %       * Toiletries:    19 %       * Other :    1 % Although in total export value, the CT industry in France shows growth of 6.5% between 1999 and 2005, in terms of global market share, France has declined from 31,6% to 28,5% during the same period. Despite this, France is still a dominant market leader with its export value sales double the amount of the second and third largest exporters Germany and USA with export value of just below 4 billion EUR respectively.Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.14 Frances beauty care industry has two specialised regional sub-clusters the PASS cluster (Parfum, Arà ´mes, Senteurs et Saveurs perfume, aromas, scents and flavours) in the Provence-Alpes-Cà ´tes dAzur region, and the Cosmetic Valley cluster (Sciences de la Beautà © et du bien à ªtre Science of beauty and well-being) based in the Centre and Normandy region.ClickPress, July 2008 [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] The beauty products cluster consists of just few large corporations and over 400 Small medium enterprises (SMEs) with 25 250 employees. There has been an estimation of 855 companies in the CT industry with less than 10 employees. Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.4 Major companies include LOreal which is the global market leader with annual sales of US $ 17.7 billion, followed by Japanese owned Shiseido (US $ 5.4 billion), LVMH (US $ 2.7 billion) and Yves Rocher (US $ 1.8 billion). Smaller companies include Chanel, Clarins, Pierre Fabre Dermo Cosmetique and Yves Saint Laurent. Beauty packaging, October/November 2005 [http://www.beautypackaging.com/articles/2005/10/top-20-global-beauty-companies.php] International groups in the cosmetics sector such Beiersdorf, Henkel, Coty Inc, Puig Group and Pacific Europe have a strong presence in France and benefit from a vibrant business environment that also serves as a test market. France also offers expertise in associated industries, such as bottle manufacturing and the production of aromas and scents. Invest in France agency press release at ClickPress [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] Institutions for collaboration The Cosmetic Valley and PASS regional sub-clusters support active cooperation between companies, research organisations, training institutions, laboratories, universities and suppliers. International investment into the industry is promoted and facilitated by the Invest in France Agency (IFA). ClickPress, July 2008 [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] Cluster Map 2/ History The reason behind the perception of France as the cradle of beauty and luxury goes back to the 16th century when it became the center of cosmetic industry starting with the manufacturing of parfumes. Although historically the first European parfume makers originated in Venice, the trade with parfumes developed strongly during the 17th century in France which is today recognised as the dominant parfume manufacturer. This is the result of the attention and support given to the industry by the King Louis XIV whose policies stimulated luxury trade. The use of parfumes spread among the aristocrats and the trade flourished with first parfume guild being established in 1729 in the Provence region. By the 18th century, the original parfume makers started selling other beauty products such as hair dyes, powders, rouges, soaps and white face paints. The industry started being commercialised after the French revolution in 1789 as manufacturers seeked ways to avoid the association with aristocracy. The guild system was abolished in 1791 and first cosmetic shops were opened in Paris, exports to neighbouring countries also started during this time. In the 19th century, French manufacturers developed chemical processes of replacing aromas obtained by natural means with beauty products based on scientific research. This has led to inventions of completely new scents that were not just à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡copying existing natural scents. Separate male and female fragrances were also introduced during this period. Increased demand led to need for larger production facilities. First parfume factory was built in 1840 in Parisian suburb La Villette by an entrepreneour L.T. Piver. Distribution channels were developed as prices of cosmetics became more accessible to the common man and manufacturers were by now producing branded products as well as private labels for department stores. During the late 19th century, an entrepreneur Francois Coty made a major impact on the cosmetic business. His achievements include setting up own salesforce (unheard of in the cosmetics business until than) and using designer bottles for parfumes (until than parfumes were sold in pharmacy-like simple bottles) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ to attract the eye as much as the nose. His aim was to keep the perception of cosmetic s  as a luxury that more people can afford and he succeeded in bringing cosmetics and parfumes to the masses. By the end of 19th century three quarters of French parfumes and beauty products were sold abroad thanks to the developed infractracture which made it easy to export products to Europe and the US. Typically sales were managed through local import agents. Some bigger manufactuterers such as Coty or Piver later established their own shops in other countries (Pivor in London, Coty in New York). In 1907 Eugene Schueller started new company Socià ©tà © Franà §aise de Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux selling hair dyes for hairdressers. The vision of the company was to doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡research and innovation in the interest of beauty. Later renamed as LOreal, the company had by 1950s over 100 researchers. Today LOreal is a leader in the beauty products industry. Geoffrey Jones, 2007, Imagining Beauty: The History of the Global Beauty Business, p.16 38 3/ Competition and trends According to the Global Insight Inc, the world cosmetics market grew between 2000 and 2006 in Europe and China but declined slightly in US and Japan (Exhibit 2). EU15 United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Luxemburg, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Italy EU 12 Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Cyprus EU 27 = sum of the above Exhibit 2 The forecasts show expected further growth especially in developing regions such as China and central eastern Europe (EU12). (Exhibit 3) Exhibit 3 France has kept its dominant position as the leading exporter of beauty products over many years selling double the amount than its closest competitors Germany and US. The growth in value is 6.5% between 1999 and 2005. This however is lower compared to EU average (8.3% growth) as well as compared with the rest of the major beauty exporters in world USA, China and Japan (8.1% growth). This means that on the global scale, France is losing market shares. (Exhibit 3) Exhibit 3 Revealed comparative advantage Global Insight Inc measured the Revealed comparative advantage of nations exporting beauty products and in its findings we see that France is positioned in the upper right quadrant (Cosmetic Industry RCA Analysis, Exhibit 4) the threatened industries. The graph shows us that France is by far the largest exporter, is well positioned but its position is weakening due to lesser growth compared to other countries. On the other hand, the only countries showing intensive growth are developing nations that started at a much weaker base. The market for French products has matured in the developed regions of western Europe and the US which have been traditionally the largest export countries for French products. As a conclusion, France will now have to be more aggressive in creating a strong position in the developing markets of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries + central and eastern Europe to regain its growth. This assumption is supported by the data from French customs which point to fast growing cosmetics sales to the emerging markets, while the EU plays a less important role in French exports (50% against 64%). Between 1998 and 2008, sales growth in emerging countries was two times faster than it is for all exports of cosmetics. The share of emerging countries in total sales of cosmetics rose from 14.9% in 1998 to 24.6% in 2008, with particularly strong sales in China and Russia. A trend confirmed by Jean-Paul Agon, the Managing Director of the LOreal Group, in an interview to the French newspaper Le Monde, dated November 6: In the ten coming years, our customers will mostly be Chinese, Indian, Brazilian or Indonesian. While the group LOreal already achieves 60% of its business outside Europe, this proportion is expected to rapidly rise to 90%, according to Jean-Paul Agon Sooner or later sales catch up on demography, he claims. Exhibit 4 Frances second largest competitor in Europe Germany shows a better performance in terms of growth and is slightly gaining market shares from 13% in 1999 to 14% in 2005. Although this might seem only a slight improvement, in terms of growth in absolute numbers, Germany has grown faster than European average and almost twice as fast as France (10.9% growth for Germany versus 6.5% for France). Compared to other three top exporters of cosmetics (France, US and UK), Germany is the only country growing in market shares. In 2007, German exports rose by 14.4% compared to previous year and summed up to EUR 964 million in the first half of 2007, with highest demand from France, the United Kingdom and Russia. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] The growth of German exports is driven by local SMEs which are strategically managed by IKW the German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association (Industrieverband Kà ¶rperpflege- und Waschmittel e. V.) whose mission is to help German SMEs to enter and conquer foreign markets. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] As a result of its strategic focus and investment, German SMEs have developed quality cosmetics for almost all segments. Etre Belle Cosmetic Vertrieb GmbH is an interesting illustration of those successful German SMEs. The company is now present in more than 35 countries. The brand has developed complete fragrance and skincare ranges segmented by skin types. German companies are also world leaders in some specific niches, such as organic and natural cosmetics which shows the most dynamic growth in western Europe and USA. (German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce, [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15 ]) Udo Frenzel, director of economic affairs at IKW, the German Cosmetics, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association, sums up the success behind Germany growth: The exports of the German cosmetics, toiletry and perfumery industry in the last ten years are a story of success based on the quality image of Made in Germany. There is nearly no country on the entire globe where not at least one German brand is available on the market. At present German exports of our industry are 68% higher than imports to Germany. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] Research and Development French companies sustain their comparative advantage by investing heavily into research and development which is a key requirement to stay competitive in the cosmetics industry. As the following table shows, Frances RD expenditure in 2001 was 2.5x higher than that of the second largest competitor Germany in 2004. (Exhibit 5) Data for other leading countries are unfortunately not available but the assumption is that France is a leading investor into RD worldwide. This is also supported by the fact that the French government actively supports research and has introduced a competitive RD tax-credit system, which reimburses 50% of RD costs in the first year. This provides incentives to non-French companies to set up research facilities in France. Companies that have done this include Pacific Chemical Corp. (South Korea), Takasago (Japan) or Hutchison Whampoa (Hong Kong).Invest in France agency press release at ClickPress [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml Exhibit 5 Productivity The most significant threat to the ongoing competitiveness of the industry in most EU countries but mostly relevant to France and Germany, is relatively low productivity combined with high unit labour costs which shows a wide gap between EU companies and the U.S. and Japan. Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.4 Although only average EU15 (refers to the first EU countries before entry of post-communist nations) data for productivity in the beauty products industry are available, given the size of the French market, the weighted average is likely to be similar to the actual data for France. Referring to the source above, the rest is an assumption, therefor

Government Providing for the Poor :: American America History

Government Providing for the Poor "In the Middle Ages men were united by custom and prescription into associations, ranks, guilds, and communities of various kinds. These ties endured as long as life lasted. Consequently, society was dependant, throughout all its details, on status, and the tie, or bond, was sentimental. In out modern state, and in the United States more than anywhere else, the social structure is based on contract, and status is of the least importance." This quote by William Graham Sumner in his 1883 speech "What Social Classes Owe to Each Other" illustrates my main focus of this week's proposed question, "Does American Government have an obligation to provide for the poor?" Sumner supports that the American Government does not have an obligation to provide for the poor because in America, all people have the opportunity to work hard and bring themselves out of poverty, where in Europe and their other native lands, people were trapped in a caste system in which they could not escape. In America, th ere was is a defined class system in which those living in the society were confined and hard work, followed by success, is a luxury offered in America. By living in a free state like America, Sumner says, its citizens live equally among one another in a society based on a contract, which allows the most leeway for individual developments and successes. Every man must fend for himself in this society that allows for personal establishment. Sumner also says, "It follows, however, that one man, in a free state, cannot claim help from, and cannot be charged to give help to, another." He directly says that it cannot be imposed upon the American Government that hard-working tax-paying citizens should have to financially assist the plight of the poor. The Populist Party Platform of 1892 says in its second declaration that "Wealth belongs to him that creates it...If any will not work, neither shall he eat." The Populist Party realized that men were fully entitled to their earned keep and s hould they not work, they should not be provided for by the government, especially not by collected tax money. Sumner goes on to say that those who rely on the support of the government become so dependent that welfare inevitably produces lazy citizens. He says, "The man who has nothing to raise himself above poverty finds that the social doctors flock about him, bringing the capital which they have collected from the other class, and promising him the aid of the State to give him what the other had to work for. Government Providing for the Poor :: American America History Government Providing for the Poor "In the Middle Ages men were united by custom and prescription into associations, ranks, guilds, and communities of various kinds. These ties endured as long as life lasted. Consequently, society was dependant, throughout all its details, on status, and the tie, or bond, was sentimental. In out modern state, and in the United States more than anywhere else, the social structure is based on contract, and status is of the least importance." This quote by William Graham Sumner in his 1883 speech "What Social Classes Owe to Each Other" illustrates my main focus of this week's proposed question, "Does American Government have an obligation to provide for the poor?" Sumner supports that the American Government does not have an obligation to provide for the poor because in America, all people have the opportunity to work hard and bring themselves out of poverty, where in Europe and their other native lands, people were trapped in a caste system in which they could not escape. In America, th ere was is a defined class system in which those living in the society were confined and hard work, followed by success, is a luxury offered in America. By living in a free state like America, Sumner says, its citizens live equally among one another in a society based on a contract, which allows the most leeway for individual developments and successes. Every man must fend for himself in this society that allows for personal establishment. Sumner also says, "It follows, however, that one man, in a free state, cannot claim help from, and cannot be charged to give help to, another." He directly says that it cannot be imposed upon the American Government that hard-working tax-paying citizens should have to financially assist the plight of the poor. The Populist Party Platform of 1892 says in its second declaration that "Wealth belongs to him that creates it...If any will not work, neither shall he eat." The Populist Party realized that men were fully entitled to their earned keep and s hould they not work, they should not be provided for by the government, especially not by collected tax money. Sumner goes on to say that those who rely on the support of the government become so dependent that welfare inevitably produces lazy citizens. He says, "The man who has nothing to raise himself above poverty finds that the social doctors flock about him, bringing the capital which they have collected from the other class, and promising him the aid of the State to give him what the other had to work for.