Influence of Exports on Indian Economy Essay Example

Influence of Exports on Indian Economy Essay Exports have played an increasingly important role in India’s economic growth in the last two decades. Still Export instability and its impact on the domestic economies of developing countries like India has been of continuing interest. However, studies dealing with the impact of export instability on economic growth have yielded two fairly different views. The 1st view emphasizes the negative impact of export instability on growth. This is based on the variability in export earnings, uncertainty in this also has an impact on private investment decisions and adversely affects both the level of capital. Due to this close link of the government revenue with export revenue instability in the exports causes variability, which amounts to disruptions in public investment and infrastructure. The second view emphasizes that export instability does not inhibit the process of growth, in fact it may encourage the growth. Rise in income due to deviations of export revenues from their trend will leave consumption unchanged and savings will rise which is believed to raise the level of investment and rate of economic growth. EXPORTS IN INDIA: India has been described as an ‘import substituting country par excellence’. A balance of payments crisis in 1991 led to the initiation of an ongoing process of trade liberalization. These events corrected the in-built systemic bias against exports and they have led to a degree of correction of the price distortions in the Indian economy through the creation of a more open economy. We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Exports on Indian Economy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Exports on Indian Economy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Exports on Indian Economy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer More importantly, increased competition and the presence of firms from foreign markets has injected a greater degree of quality consciousness and customer orientation, which has been largely absent due to the lack of competitive pressures. In the past there were few foreign firms present in the protected domestic Indian market. These changes have reduced the tendency of Indian firms to seek and obtain protection from foreign imports. Policy reform has also reduced the effectiveness of attempts by Indian firms to hide behind high tariff barriers and it has challenged interests that have attempted to perpetuate inefficient production. In recent years, India’s percentage share in world exports has been increasing steadily, though at a slow pace. Further, India is building up new areas of strength in export markets by moving to computer software exports, exports of pharmaceuticals and engineering manufactures in addition to traditional export strengths in gems amp; jewellery amp; textiles. Post 1991, the gradual liberalization of the Indian economy characterized by policy reforms created a conducive environment for India’s exports to flourish and evolve into social and economic growth. Hence, the last two decades have witnessed India transform from a closed economy to a considerable player in the global market. Though India had previously experienced a negative growth in its exports, such a prolonged period of decline had not been witnessed in over two decades. It is evident that India’s export performance and economic growth are closely inter-linked. Over time, the export sector has grown to be a significant earner of foreign exchange and a major contributor to India’s national income. Further, the performance of this sector is highly dependent on domestic as well as global factors. As a consequence of this, domestic as well as international economic policies have a bearing on the overall export performance of India. India’s export performance : India’s international trade and reliance on domestic factors fueled growth during the fifties, exports played a smaller role, where India’s exports lost its world market share between 1951-1960 and 1961-70. Till the mid seventies, India’s policy was restrictive and focused on developing the domestic industry, while tightening control on foreign trade . Moreover, India’s exports also suffered because export incentives were only available to a limited number of manufacturing industries and selected agricultural exports. The table below reveals that the period between 1961 and 1970 had higher imports (as a share of GDP), compared to exports which may have contributed to a growing foreign exchange shortage. Additionally, high levels of inflation and budget deficits coupled with the India-Pakistan war severely affected foreign aid and led to a foreign exchange crisis, which resulted in the devaluation of the rupee in 1966. Export and Import growth (%) Following the oil-price shocks, the Indian rupee steadily appreciated by almost 20 percent between 1979 and 1986 and had an adverse impact on its export competitiveness. It is interesting to note that in the early eighties, when world exports grew at 2. 7 percent per year, Indian exports grew at a higher rate of over 6 percent. Nonetheless, India’s share in world merchandise exports fell to less than 1 percent from as much as 2. 1 percent in 1951. India’s export performance since 1991 has fluctuated. In 1997, for the first time after liberalization, India’s exports registered a negative growth of 2. 33 percent. The situation for India worsened when its competitor countries (ASEAN) devalued their currencies amidst the crisis, which reduced the competitiveness of India’s exports in the international market for textile and electronics commodities, where India directly competed with ASEAN exports in overseas markets. India’s imports also suffered and reduced by 2. 44 percent due to weak domestic demand, lower industrial activity and a lower unit value of imports. Export and Import share (%) in India’s GDP : Source: Author’s calculations based on World Development Indicators (WDI) and United Nations (UN) Comtrade database http://data. orldbank. org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators , http://comtrade. un. org/db In 2001-02, India faced another setback in its exports, at large, due to the semi-recession faced by the US; one of India’s biggest trading partners. The terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre caused a net loss of 0. 25 percent of US GDP and also had an impact on India’s exports, which grew only at 5 percent that year. The next major setback for India’s exports was the global crisis of 2008. The collapse of large investment banks around the world coupled with high oil prices and rising inflation led to a global recession. Even though the export sector plays a significant role in the domestic economy by contributing close to 25 percent to India’s GDP (in 2009), its contribution to world exports continues to remain minimal, at a mere 1. 5 percent of world exports in 2009. Between 1991 and 2009, India’s share in world exports rose from 0. 56 to 1. 52 percent. But overall, the economic reforms implemented in India did not have a significant impact on India’s position in the world export market, unlike the reforms implemented in countries like China, South Korea or Taiwan. Sectoral composition of Exports Merchandise exports comprise a major portion of India’s exports to the world. However, a decline in its share and a rise in the contribution of services is visible post 1996. India has experienced a rapid growth in its services sector in the last decade and this is likely to continue in the near future. A combination of demand and supply side factors has influenced the growth of services in India. Sectoral contribution of India’s total merchandise exports : Source: Author’s calculations based on United Nations (UN) Comtrade database http://comtrade. un. rg/db A comparison of India’s export composition with that of its competitors reveals a major point of difference. While for India, services has grown to be a major contributor to its world exports, some of its key competitors like China, Brazil and South Africa continue to earn close to 90 percent of their export revenue through merchandise exports alone. Therefore, the merchandise component plays a bigger role in the exports of other emerging economies, a fact which could explain why India’s share in world merchandise exports has remained low. India- Goods (merchandise) and Services share (%) in total exports Source: Author’s calculations based on UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) database http://unctadstat. unctad. org/ReportFolders/reportFolders. aspx? sCS_referer=amp;sCS_ChosenLang=en Government Initiatives Even though India’s manufacturing exports have resurged since 2001 and grown at a steady rate of over 25 percent between 2002 and 2008, the manufacturing sector has not performed as well. Where the share of manufacturing GDP has remained stagnant. In contrast, the services sector has performed well and contributed significantly towards India’s economic growth. Moreover, India’s performance in services exports has been stronger than most other emerging economies for which their manufacturing sector has been the main driver. A historical review of government initiatives reveals that the policies designed by the Indian government have been instrumental in shaping the development of international trade. As India has progressively moved towards becoming a more open economy, policies have evolved to support trade and increase the volume of exports. However, the average performance of the manufacturing sector has for long, been a cause of concern. In recent years, the Indian government has acknowledged the severity of this issue and taken an important policy initiative in 2011 by approving the New Manufacturing Policy. This policy is aimed at building the capacity of the sector, strengthening its contribution to the GDP as well as improving the international competitiveness of the manufacturing sector. The Indian economy, however, continued to be resistant towards imports and this was reflected in the existing tariff rates. Share of manufactured exports in world (manufacturing) exports: Source: Author’s calculations based on United Nations (UN) Comtrade database http://comtrade. n. org/db India’s key manufactured exports: Since manufactured goods constitute a majority of India’s merchandise exports, it is important to analyze the composition of manufactured exports to identify India’s key export commodities. The following figure shows the distribution of top manufactured goods exports. Source: Autho r’s calculations based on United Nations (UN) Comtrade database http://comtrade. un. org/db Overall, the figure depicts a structural shift in India manufactured exports, away from cotton and textile oriented exports and towards more technique and technology-based items such as pharmaceutical products (medicaments), elecommunication equipment’s etc. The export barriers in India have been hampering Indian exports to a great extent and most of such barriers have been announced by the European Union regarding certification requirements, application of pesticides, dumping of waste products. But the most significant export barrier faced by the Indian exporters is red tapism which is mostly accompanied by corruption. However, the government of India has considered plans to liberate the Indian exporters from the cumbersome paper works and simplify the required procedures. Indian Government keeps swinging on the products that are banned from being exported from India . Frequent ban on export of food grains and other farm commodities should soon be addressed by the commerce department. The move will help India restore some global credibility as it has often faced flak for its banning. Indian Government has banned 58 products from being exported from India. Flip-flop on exports of onions, sugar and cotton in particular has been criticized at the international forum such as  WTO  and G-20, creating fears of India being branded as an unreliable supplier. CONCLUSION: Growth of an economy is directly related to exports. If exports increase at a faster pace as compared to imports, nothing can stop an economy from being a developing one. On the other hand, the instability in exports can adversely affect the process of economic development. It is clear that the export performance of an industry is shaped by a number of factors, including global and partner country economic conditions, costs, market structure, domestic regulations and policy incentives. India’s export performance is equally likely to be affected by macroeconomic variables such as inflation, world demand (or GDP), tariff and non-tariff barriers and also exchange rates. In particular, an RBI report suggested that fluctuation in the value of the rupee affected Indian industries asymmetrically. While labor-intensive sectors such as cotton and leather experienced a fall in export growth (due to an appreciated rupee between 2006 and 2007), high import-intensive sectors like engineering were expected to perform better during the same period, due to lower import costs. Rest apart Government olicies do play a vital role in this sector. Government needs to plan the development, look into other influencing factors and accordingly regulate the EXIM ( Export-Import ) policies to better growth.

The Tragic and Shocking Assassination of JFK

The Tragic and Shocking Assassination of JFK On November 22, 1963, the youth and idealism of America in the 1960s faltered as its young President, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Two days later, Oswald was shot and killed by Jack Ruby during a prisoner transfer. After researching all the available evidence about Kennedy’s assassination, the Warren Commission officially ruled in 1964 that Oswald acted alone; a point still greatly contested by conspiracy theorists worldwide. Plans for the Texas Tour John F. Kennedy was elected to the presidency in 1960. A member of an illustrious political family from Massachusetts, the World War II  naval veteran Kennedy and his young wife, Jacqueline (â€Å"Jackie†), charmed their way into the hearts of America. The couple and their beautiful young children, three-year-old Caroline and infant John Jr., quickly became favorites of every media outlet across the United States. Despite a somewhat turbulent three years in office, by 1963 Kennedy was still popular and thinking about running for a second term. Although he had not officially announced his decision to run again, Kennedy planned a tour that resembled the beginnings of another campaign. Since Kennedy and his advisers were aware that Texas was a state where a win would provide crucial electoral votes, plans were made for Kennedy and Jackie to visit the state that falls, with stops planned for San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas, and Austin. It would be Jackie’s first major foray back into public life after the loss of her infant son, Patrick, in August. Arrival in Texas The Kennedy’s left Washington, D.C. on November 21, 1963. Their first stop that day was in San Antonio, where they were met by a welcoming committee led by Vice President and Texan Lyndon B. Johnson. After attending the dedication of a new aerospace medical center at the Brooks Air Force Base, the President and his wife continued on to Houston where he delivered an address to a Latin American organization and attended a dinner for Congressman Albert Thomas. That night, they stayed in Fort Worth. The Fateful Day in Dallas Begins The following morning, after addressing the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, President Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy boarded a plane for a brief flight to Dallas. Their stay in Fort Worth was not without incident; several of Kennedys Secret Service entourage were spotted drinking in two establishments during his stay there. No immediate action was taken against the offenders but the issue would arise later in the Warren Commission investigation of Kennedy’s stay in Texas. The Kennedys arrived in Dallas just before noon on November 22 with approximately 30 members of the Secret Service accompanying them. The plane landed at Love Field, which would later serve as the site of Johnson’s swearing-in ceremony. They were met there by a convertible 1961 Lincoln Continental limousine that was to take them on a ten-mile parade route within the city of Dallas, ending at the Trade Mart, where Kennedy was scheduled to deliver a luncheon address. The car was driven by Secret Service agent William Greer. Texas Governor John Connally and his wife also accompanied the Kennedys in the vehicle. The Assassination Thousands of people lined the parade route hoping for a glance at President Kennedy and his beautiful wife. Just before 12:30 p.m., the presidential motorcade turned right from Main Street onto Houston Street and entered Dealey Plaza. The presidential limousine then turned left onto Elm Street. After passing the Texas School Book Depository, which was situated at the corner of Houston and Elm, shots suddenly rang out. One shot hit President Kennedy’s throat and he reached up with both hands toward the injury. Then another shot struck President Kennedy’s head, blowing off a part of his skull. Jackie Kennedy leapt from her seat and started scrambling for the back of the car. Governor Connally was also struck in the back and chest (he would survive his wounds). As the assassination scene was unfolding, Secret Service agent Clint Hill jumped from the car following the presidential limousine and ran up to the Kennedys’ car. He then jumped onto the back of the Lincoln Continental in an attempt to shield the Kennedys from the would-be assassin. He arrived too late. Hill, however, was able to help Jackie Kennedy. Hill pushed Jackie back into her seat and stayed with her the rest of the day. Jackie then cradled Kennedy’s head in her lap all the way to the hospital. The President Is Dead As the driver of the limousine realized what had occurred, he immediately left the parade route and sped toward Parkland Memorial Hospital. They arrived at the hospital within five minutes of the shooting. Kennedy was placed on a stretcher and wheeled into trauma room 1. It is believed that Kennedy was still alive when he arrived at the hospital, but barely. Connally was taken to trauma room 2. Doctors made every attempt to save Kennedy but it was quickly determined that his wounds were too severe. Catholic priest Father Oscar L. Huber administered last rites and then chief neurologist Dr. William Kemp Clark pronounced Kennedy dead at 1 p.m. An announcement was made at 1:30 p.m. that President Kennedy had died from his wounds. The entire nation came to a standstill. Parishioners flocked to churches where they prayed and school children were sent home to mourn with their families. Even 50 years later, nearly every American who was alive that day can remember where they were when they heard the announcement that Kennedy was dead. The President’s body was transported to Love Field via a 1964 Cadillac hearse supplied by Dallas’ O’Neill funeral home. The funeral home also supplied the casket that was used to transport Kennedy’s body. When the casket arrived at the airport, the President was loaded onto Air Force One for transport back to Washington, D.C. Johnson’s Swearing In At 2:30 p.m., just prior to Air Force One leaving for Washington, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson took the oath of office in the conference room of the plane. Jackie Kennedy, still wearing her blood-splattered pink dress, stood at his side as U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Hughes administered the oath. During this ceremony, Johnson officially became the 36th President of the United States. This inauguration would be historical for many reasons, including the fact that it was the first time the oath of office was administered by a woman and the only time it occurred on an airplane. It was also notable for the fact that there was not a Bible readily available for Johnson to utilize during the swearing in, so instead a Roman Catholic missal was utilized. (Kennedy had kept the missal on Air Force One.) Lee Harvey Oswald Although the Dallas police closed down the Texas School Book Depository within minutes of the shooting, a suspect was not immediately located. Approximately 45 minutes later, at 1:15 p.m., a report was received that a Dallas patrolman, J.D. Tippit, had been shot. Police were suspicious that the shooter might be the same in both incidents and quickly closed in on the reported suspect who had taken refuge in the Texas Theater. At 1:50 p.m., police surrounded Lee Harvey Oswald; Oswald pulled a gun on them, but the police successfully arrested him. Oswald was a former Marine who was identified as having ties to both communist Russia and Cuba. At one point, Oswald traveled to Russia with hopes of establishing himself there; however, the Russian government believed him to be unstable and sent him back. Oswald had then attempted to go to Cuba but failed to get a visa through the Mexican government. In October 1963, he returned to Dallas and procured a job at the Texas School Book Depository through a friend of his wife, Marina. With his job at the book depository, Oswald had access to the eastern-most sixth floor window where he is believed to have created his sniper’s nest. After shooting Kennedy, he hid the Italian-made rifle that was identified as the murder weapon in a stack of boxes where it was later discovered by police. Oswald was then seen in the depository’s second-floor lunchroom approximately a minute and a half after the shooting. By the time police sealed off the building shortly after the assassination, Oswald had already exited the building. Oswald was captured in the theater, arrested, and charged with the murders of President John F. Kennedy and patrolman J.D. Tippit. Jack Ruby On Sunday morning, November 24, 1963 (just two days after JFK’s assassination), Oswald was in the process of being moved from the Dallas Police Headquarters to the county jail. At 11:21 a.m., as Oswald was being led through the basement of police headquarters for the transfer, Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald in front of live television news cameras. Ruby’s initial reasons for shooting Oswald were because he was distraught over Kennedy’s death and he wanted to spare Jackie Kennedy the difficulty of enduring Oswald’s trial. Ruby was convicted of killing Oswald in March 1964 and given the death sentence; however, he died of lung cancer in 1967 before an upcoming re-trial could occur. Kennedy’s Arrival in Washington D.C. After Air Force One landed at Andrews Air Force Base just outside of Washington D.C. on the evening of November 22, 1963, Kennedy’s body was taken via automobile to the Bethesda Naval Hospital for an autopsy. The autopsy found two wounds to the head and one to the neck. In 1978, the published findings of the congressional House Select Committee on Assassinations revealed that JFK’s brain had gone missing at some point during the autopsy. After the autopsy was completed, Kennedy’s body, still at the Bethesda Hospital, was prepared for burial by a local funeral home, which also replaced the original casket that had been damaged during transfer. Kennedy’s body was then transported to the East Room of the White House, where it remained until the following day. At Jackie’s request, Kennedy’s body was accompanied by two Catholic priests during this time. An honor guard was also stationed with the late President. On Sunday afternoon, November 24, 1963, Kennedy’s flag-draped casket was loaded onto a caisson, or gun wagon, for transfer to the Capitol rotunda. The caisson was pulled by six grey horses and had previously been used to carry the body of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was followed by a riderless black horse with reversed boots placed into the stirrups to symbolize the fallen President. The Funeral The first Democrat to lie in state at the Capitol, Kennedy’s body remained there for 21 hours. Nearly 250,000 mourners came to pay their final respects; some waited up to ten hours in line to do so, despite the cold temperatures in Washington that November. The viewing was supposed to end at 9 p.m.; however, a decision was made to leave the Capitol open overnight to accommodate the throngs of people who arrived at the Capitol. On Monday, November 25, Kennedy’s coffin was taken from the Capitol to St. Matthew’s Cathedral, where dignitaries from over 100 countries attended Kennedy’s state funeral. Millions of Americans stopped their daily routines to watch the funeral on television. After the service concluded, the coffin began its final procession from the church to Arlington Cemetery. Black Jack, a riderless horse with polished boots turned backward in its stirrups, followed the caisson. The horse represented a warrior fallen in battle or a leader who would lead his people no longer. Jackie had her two little children with her and as they exited the church, three-year-old John Jr. stopped for a moment and raised his hand to his forehead in a childish salute. It was one of the most heart-wrenching images of the day. Kennedy’s remains were then buried at Arlington Cemetery, after which Jackie and the President’s brothers, Robert and Edward, lit an eternal flame. The Warren Commission With Lee Harvey Oswald dead, there remained many unanswered questions about the reasons for and the circumstances surrounding John F. Kennedy’s assassination. To answer these questions, President Lyndon Johnson issued Executive Order No. 11130, which established an investigatory commission that was officially called the â€Å"President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy.† The commission was led by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Earl Warren; as a result, it is commonly referred to as the Warren Commission. For the remainder of 1963 and most of 1964, the Warren Commission intensively researched all that had been discovered about JFK’s assassination and Oswald’s assassination. They carefully examined every aspect of the case, visited Dallas to examine the scene, requested further investigations if facts seemed uncertain, and poured over the transcripts of literally thousands of interviews. Plus, the Commission conducted a series of hearings where they heard testimony themselves. After nearly a year of investigating, the Commission notified President Johnson of their findings on September 24, 1964. The Commission issued these findings in a report that ran 888 pages. The Warren Commission found: Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin and conspirator in the death of President John F. Kennedy.A single bullet caused non-fatal wounds to both Kennedy and Connelly. A second bullet caused Kennedy’s fatal head wound.Jack Ruby acted alone in his assassination of Oswald and did not conspire with anyone to commit this act. The final report was highly controversial and has been questioned by conspiracy theorists through the years. It was briefly revisited by the House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1976, which ultimately upheld the major findings of the Warren Commission.

BUSINESS ETHICS ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BUSINESS ETHICS ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example ny name, Kenneth Lay was made the Chief Executive Officer and he wanted to expand Enron’s market share as well as the type of markets Enron was in since he had a very different vision for the new shape of the company (Welch, 2005). Houston Natural Gas had previously been in the business of making their money from junk bonds which were also used in the formation of Enron. At the same time, Kenneth Lay wanted to become the biggest player in the energy sector through successful trade earnings from futures contracts (NPR, 2006). To his advantage, Spectrum 7, an oil-well concern welcomed a partnership with Enron a year after its creation. Spectrum 7 was headed by George W. Bush, son of the then-Vice President George H. W. Bush. With falling gas prices in the mid 1980’s, Enron and other gas firms vigorously lobbied for deregulation to get benefits for themselves (Thomas, 2002). It has been known for many years that ethically dubious political connections can help a business but such situations often come to light if the business is unsuccessful (Medawar, 1976). The deregulation action came into effect when buyers switched to the fuel oil as the cheaper alternative. Fluctuating gas prices allowed Enron to start marketing gas futures; securing gas prices at a later date promised to their stakeholders. Similarly, the company lobbied once again for electricity just before selling electric power futures contracts (NPR, 2006). From then on, Enron was aggressive in expanding its services in other sectors such as the water utility sector by creating a company named Azurix which partly collapsed on the NYSE in 1999 and finally shut down operations in 2001 (Thomas, 2002). Concurrently, Jeffery Skilling who had been hired in 1990 to lead the financial side of Enron’s operation became a major personality of the energy trading businesses and became the president and COO for Enron. He built wealth reserves for the company by trading in thirty different industries and was

Comparison-Contrast essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison-Contrast - Essay Example For instance, she says that success is not the only way to make one happy saying that it is better for her children to be moderately successful, but very happy, rather than be high achievers haunted by the misery of being overly controlled. Amy Chua is a Chinese author, but working at the Yale school of law. Her works have served to highlight several aspects that define the Chinese parenting model. From her opinion, Chinese children are more likely to register success in their endeavors compared to the western children. This is because of the different models adopted during parenting. Chua highlights her experience of motherhood and parenting an effort to depict a typical Chinese mother. It emerges that Chinese mothers are very strict and employ different strategies that can propel the children to success. The convictions of these mothers are based on the fact that young children do not have an interest in working hard. The notion of working hard must be inculcated in them as they grow older. This is the reason why Chua highlights that Chinese mothers are more likely to override the passions and preferences of their children. Notably, Chua reveals that Chinese children do not have an opportunity to decide what is best for them, but rather parents make all the critical decisions surrounding the lives of their children. In one of Chua’s article that has caused a controversy about parenting between the western models and the Chinese model, Chua describes the parenting model adopted by the Chinese mothers. The article is titled, ‘Why Chinese Mothers are Superior’. This article highlights that parents have the responsibility of imparting their children with the required skills and competences. Chinese mothers demand that their children should be above average students. Therefore, they spend time and effort molding their children to become remarkable individuals in the society. However, the strategies for achieving this differ from

Should and United and States and government and supply and health and Essay

Should and United and States and government and supply and health and care and all and citizens and their and families - Essay Example The health of citizens in any given country is vital to the growth and development of that country. In order to guarantee that the government does not enlarge its budget deficit by treating preventable diseases as well as maintain the productivity of its citizens, it is necessary that the United States Federal government provide health care to citizens who cannot afford their own. Lange writes that the portrayal of Obama healthcare reform as a foray into socialism is ironical at best since programs such as Medicare and Medicaid consume eight percent of the national budget, which is the same amount in socialist European countries. The only difference is that their medical programs cater for every citizen, not just the seniors. He quotes Reid who points out in his book ‘The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care’ on the need to pattern American health care reform after that employed by other developed nations. Reid states that close to 18,000 Americans die every year, since they lack access to the basic medical treatment that would otherwise save their lives, based on statistics from the Institute of Medicine. Despite some people having access to healthcare, approximately 200,000 lose their lives owing to preventable medical errors as well as preventable hospital infections. Proquest.umi.com cites the Medicaid report stating that the death of people who earn a salary of less than 10,000 dollars is three times more than that of people with an income of 30,000 dollars. Overall, lack of a proper healthcare is seventy times more dangerous to American citizens each year compared to the September 11 attacks. Reid further points out the fact that other wealthy nations around the world have been able to provide accessible health care to their citizens at a more affordable rate than the US. He explains a set of health care models that exist in these nations.

Policies for Genetically Modified Foods (GMF)

Policies for Genetically Modified Foods (GMF) Peter De Grassi 1. Background Genetically Modified Foods, or GMF, are a new and useful item for our world. They are labeled as a manipulation to a crops genetic make-up to change or enhance its characteristics. In the 1980s, a discovery was made to change ones DNA and this was called GMP or the genetic modification process. In 1983, the first plant, a tobacco plant, was modified to be resistant to anti-biotic and was a success. These crops were a huge success with many. In 2004, it was recorded that almost 8.5 million farmers around in 18 countries have started growing these crops. Soybeans, maize, cotton and canola take most of the market of genetically modified foods. Even though they are useful, they are sometimes harmful to those who digest them. Their have been cases where people were severely injured by these products. With theses problems many have made progress in making these food items more safe. Many protocols such as the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity or the Biodiversity protocol have helped with making genetically modified foods safer to consume. Some of the ways these protocols help with the problems is they regulate and ensure the safe passing of genetically modified foods around the world and also make sure people check these foods. People such as the FAO and the UN have also helped with this problem and have put in great efforts to neutralizing the problems of GMFs. II. UN Involvement One of the main participators in cleaning up some of the genetically modified foods problems is the United Nations. The UN has put efforts in making genetically modified foods more safe for people to grow and eat. The UN has created a protocol called the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity which is an international agreement that wants to create a more safe process of handling and giving living modified foods around the world. Also many people have wanted a protocol for helping with bulk shipments of genetically modified foods and living modified foods to create a more safe and easier way to ship these foods. With these protocols the UN believes it will keep a more secure market for genetically modified foods and less injuries will happen because of this. The UN has also created some International organizations to help with this dilemma. Some of these are the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the World Health Organizations (WHO) and the World Food Program (WFP). These organiza tions help around the world with the supplies they have and also with the members around the world. With the help of the UN and its organizations, they believe they can create a more protected market for people around the world. III. Country Policy Qatar has done as much as they can for the situation they have in their country. Qatar has created a labeling system which tells customers if an item is a genetically modified food or not. Qatar believes this will help its customer to chose natural foods or GMOs. Qatar has joined the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity and believes this will also help with the problems and effects of GMOs. They also created the Biodiversity protocol which promotes safety of international trading of GMOs and also the carrying of these items. With all these protocols Qatar believes this will stop fatal injuries and the death of some of its citizens. With the help of the UN with Qatar, Qatar believes they will create a safer environment for their citizens. They have created some possible solutions to stop this problem. First Qatar believes we should, make a treaty to ensure that there are no possible chemicals in these foods that could harm our people and have these countries check for those chemicals. Next we should also check for these chemicals in shipping items to make sure they didnt catch and diseases or bugs while being shipped. Check new modification towards food and have beta testing to ensure that are no side effects to these modifications to make sure they do not harm our people. With these solution this will guarantee the safety of our people. Work Cited Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. History of Genetically Modified Foods.History of Genetically Modified Foods. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. UN Announces New Measures to Boost Safety in Trade of Genetically Modified Organisms.UN News Center. UN, 27 Feb. 2004. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. UN Announces New Measures to Boost Safety in Trade of Genetically Modified Organisms.UN News Center. UN, 27 Feb. 2004. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. Peter De Grassi Who (adv) Qatar Laguna Hills High School 2014 Position Paper I. Background Organ trade, like genetically modified food, is a good thing but also a bad thing. Organ trade is defined as the trading of organs illegally between two people for money or profit. The number of donors increased from 196,000 to 382,000 in the span of 9 years across the globe. The ESKF cost around 32.5 billion dollars a year which 6.5% of the health care market. The first successful transplant was a kidney which happened in Boston in 1954. This transplant was from a healthy twin to his very sick brother who needed it badly. In organ trade, there are 3 categories of trafficking of organs and firsts without the persons knowledge. Secondly is when people are tricked into giving their organs to other people and do not get anything in return And lastly people give up their organs for money but dont get the money they were promised. With in these categories are many other ways of doing it but these are the main way. For the past years, many people have been stripped of their organs illegall y or stripped from dead bodies. With all these ways it hard to solve this with just one solution. We need many different aspects of help to close this problem in all different regions. Some will need to donate money or get volunteers and also we must make new laws to stop this problem. With these problems many have stepped up to help with it. The UN has done a big part and a whole bunch of IGOs have also. II. UN Involvement The UN has many ideas to stop this problem of organ trafficking and are willing to help countries with the problems. The UN has also got help from some of its IGOs such as the WHO and the COFS. These organization are willing to donate volunteers to help with the problem. They are many more local organization that are also helping. The Un first believe that we should make a protocol to suppress and further punish people who traffic these organs. With this it will keep offenders of this in jail and will almost like a scare tactic for others. Some more organizations are the CPDC and also the European Committee of Crime problems. These will help in solving the crime of this and also helping with the imprisonment of the offenders. The UN has helped exponentially with America and most of South America to stop this in their region. Their are willing to spread out after that to many other countries to help them with their problems III. Country Profile Qatar has worked with the coalition for Organ-failure system or COFS which is a non profit organization trying to stop the trafficking of organs. Qatar is also getting help form the World Health Organization or WHO which is providing volunteers for them. Qatar has also made some laws in organ donors to fill out more paper slips and more precaution in the surgeries. They have also made some special hospitals for organ donors to go to so they wont go to these cons who will take their organs. While Qatar has other problems, they are still putting in their best efforts on this dilemma. Some possible solutions for this problem is to make rehabilitation centers for people affected by their organs being trafficked or their organ being stolen. This will help bringing them back to health and also get them back on their feet. Another idea is to make specialized hospitals for organs donors where they will not be tricked into giving their organs away. They will also have secure areas for the organs to be shipped and to be held and kept clean and in good condition. Works Cited Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. Human Trafficking for Organ Removal: Evidence from Egypt by Debra Budiani-Saberi.Rights Work Initiative. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. The Human Trafficking Project: Organ Trafficking: A Fast-Expanding Black Market.The Human Trafficking Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. Trafficking for Organ Trade.Trafficking for Organ Trade. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.

Bilingual Education Blows Away the Competition :: Essays Papers

Bilingual Education Blows Away the Competition "It would be scary if bilingual education wasnt there, because I wouldnt be able to understand the teacher, and I wouldnt know what to do, and I would have problems," said one young supporter of bilingual education (Keifer 10). Education is the single most important tool for future greatness. It is necessary for success in all endeavors. Those who need more assistance in their learning still deserve to receive the best education possible. Just because they do not learn in the same way, does not mean that they can be neglected in this meaningful aspect of life. Language minority children are part of that category. They have trouble learning because they are Limited English Proficient (LEP). In Arizona, these children are most likely to come from a Mexican heritage since the state is so close to Mexico. For over a hundred years schools have been implementing a program that teaches LEP children in their native language first, then slowly transitioning them into learning in English. During their entire education the students are continually learning the English language. This long-term focus of learning English as well as learning standard subjects in the native language is geared so the students will not fall behind on their general studies. This method is highly regarded because it develops the childrens native language as well as English. They need this type of bilingual education to keep their communication skills within their culture. In the past there has been a large controversy surrounding the education of minority children. The quality of education in the bilingual education programs across the country is being questioned. The battle to eliminate bilingual education has succeeded in California. In 1998, the "English for the Children" initiative, led by Ron Unz, met strong opposition as well as strong agreement. The initiative called for only one year of "structured English immersion" for LEP students, followed by reclassification into an English-only classroom. This means that these young children will be thrust into an English-speaking classroom with only one year of English instruction. They will be left to "sink or swim" in these classes, a method which the Supreme Court found to violate their right to an equal education. This thoughtless initiative went on to win a victory in California at the expense of many children who will now find it even more difficult to survive in the education system.

How to Make College More Affordable Essay

Many of the protesters occupying Wall Street and other places say they are upset about the rising price of going to college. There is little dispute today that the number of students who have debt has increased, and that the amount of money they have borrowed has gone up (Billitteri). Many students incur large amounts of debt that will never pay dividends in higher wages or greater job satisfaction, and they graduate into a world with weak employment prospects. It’s a betrayal of the American social contract that says if you work hard and invest in yourself through education, you’ll be able to build a better life. The current system is badly in need of an overhaul, and this paper will present several ways to bring about this needed change. The seriousness of the current situation has worsened during the last few decades. Since 1982, the average cost of college tuition and fees has increased by 439 percent, while the typical family’s income has increased by a mere 147 percent (_Measuring_, 8). After adjustment for inflation, students are borrowing twice what they did a decade ago, and total higher-education debt has surpassed credit-card debt for the first time, rising to $1 trillion at the end of 2011 and continuing to climb (Cauchon). And it’s no wonder students are feeling the pinch, when one understands the diminishing role federal grants have in providing education dollars for today’s students. â€Å"Today a federal Pell Grant covers only about one-third of what it costs for a public four-year college in-state,† says Lauren Asher, president of The Institute for College Access and Success in California. â€Å"In the 1980s it covered about half; in the 1970s it covered more than 70 percent.† (Abramson). The reality is that for young people today, it is harder to educate one’s way into the middle class, and college costs are leaving many in this generation without the credentials they need to thrive in the 21st century economy. One  radical solution that recently has been proposed is that the federal government should completely cancel student loan debt to stimulate the economy (Caffentzis, 31). However, history has shown that in the case of tax rebate checks, people tend to spend any rebates to pay off other existing debt, or they simply save them. This does little to stimulate the economy, and one suspects that the same would happen with across-the-board loan forgiveness (_Harris_). However, there are several measures that can be taken to make college more affordable. Let’s start with the student loan and grant system. The government should increase the number of need-based Pell Grants awarded to students, but there should also be more grant money given to the students willing to chose a cheaper public college or start their academic career by attending community college. Most colleges would consequently want to keep their tuition costs low to remain attractive to prospective students. This goes hand in hand with the fact that administration costs at colleges could be cut. One reason tuition never seems to drop is that universities are not getting more efficient the way other industries are. Today, administrators and staffers safely outnumber full-time faculty members on campus. College administrations frequently tout the fiscal advantages of using part-time, â€Å"adjunct† faculty to teach courses. They fail, however, to apply the same logic to their own ranks. Unlike businesses, which cut losing operations, colleges simply hike their tuitions (Ginsberg). In addition, private student loans could require school certification, be abolished outright, or private loans could be required to offer the same interest rates and repayment options as federal student loans. There should also be an increase in the income limits for student loan deductibility, and changes in the repayment rules. Second, we could move the country’s tax rates back to 1950s levels. This would increase the tax burden on the wealthy, which would help to fund student grants. According to the Tax Policy Center (a joint venture of the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution), from 1950 to 1963 individuals paid 91% or 92% of their income above $200,000 to the federal government. The current rate is around 35%, where it has been for the last decade.  (â€Å"_Historical_†). Our current American business model is based upon short-term gains by building capital, and industry has successfully lobbied Washington for lower tax rates for years. However, this is arguably not sustainable in the long term because technology-based business ventures will be forced to shift back to more industrial ones if they don’t have a readily available educated workforce. Corporations that do not pay their share of taxes will eventually suffer the consequences as their ability to hire a tech-savvy, educated workforce diminishes. Third, we currently have a bankruptcy system that does not allow student loans to be discharged, and there is no statute of limitations on collections of student debt. The government can legally garnish money from a low-income student borrower’s Social Security benefits and Earned Income Tax Credit. Garnishing money from low-income students contradicts the stated U.S. policy goal of reducing poverty, and is therefore hypocritical. Most other kinds of debts can be discharged, but not student loans. Since the beginning of the federal student loan program in 1965, the freedom to change lenders in order to find better interest terms for a loan has also been denied (Caffentzis, 35). To single out education loans as the one type of debt that our system specifically prohibits from standard bankruptcy is wrong. Unless education debt can be forgiven through bankruptcy proceedings, as most other debt can, the system will never be fair to student borrowers. There’s no reason to treat student loan debt differently from other types of debt, other than as a gift to the banks. After all, how many other loans carry a guarantee from the federal government for payment and restrict the borrowers’ options in the way student loans do? Lastly, colleges need to use their resources more efficiently. This includes outsourcing resources such as food operations, IT services, building maintenance, student bookstores, and recreation centers. Collaborative purchasing could be used as well. Private companies like Wal-Mart already use their enormous purchasing power to negotiate low prices from suppliers. Colleges that band together to buy goods and services can often obtain lower prices on goods and services used, than if they buy separately. On the teaching front, more classes could be taught online. Not all instruction can  be offered effectively on-line, but large numbers of students can benefit from the savings by reduced commuting and room-and-board costs. In addition, libraries could be encouraged to digitize their holdings, and professors could be required to select textbooks that are also available in e-book format and are usually cheaper (â€Å"_25_†). We need to re-evaluate our country’s spending priorities, and recognize that global competiveness will be increasingly based around our ability as a nation to compete in a technologically advancing world. The current cost of higher education puts our future prosperity as a nation at risk. If our populace is not educated, we will not remain competitive in an increasingly global marketplace. Many other countries already provide free or heavily subsidized inexpensive university education. In order to be competitive in a global economy, the US must do the same. Works Cited Abramson, Larry. â€Å"Why Is College So Expensive?† _NPR.org_. National Public Radio, 25 Nov. 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. Billitteri, Thomas. â€Å"Student Debt,† _CQ Researcher_ 21 Oct. 2011: 877-900. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. Caffentzis, George. â€Å"The Student Loan Debt Abolition Movement in the United States.† _Reclamations Journal_ Aug/Sept. 2011: 31-41. Web 27 Nov. 2011. Cauchon, Dennis. â€Å"Student Loans Outstanding Will Exceed $1 Trillion This Year.† _USA Today_ 25 Oct. 2011: B1. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. Ginsberg, Benjamin. â€Å"Administrators Ate My Tuition.† _Washington Monthly_ Sept/Oct. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. _The Harris Poll ®_ September 10, 2008, â€Å"Rebate Checks: No Economic Stimulus† Web. 2 Dec. 2011. _Historical Top Tax Rate_. Chart. Tax Policy Center. 31 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. _Measuring Up 2008_. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education_._ Web. 26 Nov. 2011. _25 Ways to Reduce the Cost of College_. The Center for College Affordability and Productivity. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.

The Silk Road Essays

The Silk Road Essays The Silk Road Essay The Silk Road Essay The Silk Road has been known for many purposes and ambitions including trades, diplomacy, scholarships, discoveries, religion missionaries, etc. K is a scholar in the from the Middle East who emerges in the 800s to explore the Silk Road to learn and record of the versatile of lives, cultures and religions during the Tang Dynasty of Central China. K begins the Journey in the autumn of 821. K reaches the prosperous city of Changan of Central China. It has been a long time since he has seen crowds of people like this. Small shops cover all the streets, there are also markets and small usinesses all surrounded the busy streets of rich city life of the Tang. K enters the scene of the lives of the courtesans in Changan. He pauses and enters a building with the characters: mfue Hong Lou written above the huge front doors. When he walks in, it is as if he has entered a world of flowers and bees with music, laughter, and the smell of perfume in the air that filled the whole atmosphere. Many of the clients seem like officials who immersed into their own world surrounded by the courtesans who they pick out to entertain them with musical skills, conversations, rinking songs and games. l The courtesans each has a name of a flower. K is soon appointed with a beautiful and young courtesan name Mel. Meis face is applied with thick makeup made of powders of white and yellow lead. She has thin plucked eyebrows and yan Zhi (red lip powders) applied. 2 She sings and plays the flute, they sing, dance, chat while drinking alcohol with dishes of the famous foods in Changan. K realizes that Mei is constantly chewing on cloves to avoid getting drunk. K hears about Meis story. He discovers the inner lives of courtesans. Meis past is filled with orrow and hardships. Mei discloses that she was sold by her poverished parents who were not able to afford supporting her so she was sold many times by her owners who forces her to do larbor. 3 Finally she was sold to be a courtesan. Aside from the hard labor and training, she despises courtesans and resisted, but in the end her pride loses to the reality of facing starvation. Mei mentions that the courtesan life is like a bird in the cage, with no more freedom of a concubine and even of lower status than any concubines. K spends a few days in mfue Hong Lou with Meis company. K slowly adapts and learns about Chinese culture and accumulates experiences if lifestyles living in Changan. Perhaps the most astonishing experience is K s encounter of sex manuals produced by Chinese authors. It seems in this era the restriction for women are lesser. 4 Furthermore, Daoism provided a way to explain that sex of necessary for health and long life. As a result the chastity of women is not viewed as serious compared to the later dynasties. Its the autumn of 821 when K leaves Changan and moves on along the Silk Road towards Uighur. Along the way, he encounters the caravan of Princess Taihe along he long Journey. Despite encountering her, K could only watch from afar. K describes seeing princess Taihe wearing a long narrow silk shawl revealing d? ©collet? ©, and with elegant Jade hair accessories on the high bun black and silky hair. 5 Although the view is tar away, the princess looks very pretty in the briet seconds that K was able to take a glimpse at her. K was never be able to forget that encounter until he sees the princess the second time when he reaches the city, Karabalghasun in the winter of the following year. A very different scenery is relefected into Ks eyes s he arrives at the city. The enclosed city with rectangular walls has erected tents on the flat roof of the palace, a structure that K has never seen before. Numerous tents are to be seen in the city. 6 K also comes to see the very different culture that begins with the unique style of clothing. Ministers wear long silk robe with high collar and has a pattern of round roundels. Their hair is held in high pointed accessory with a ribbon extended to the chin. Decorative belt and leather boots are indeed very delicate to match with the robe. The ministers present address the kaghan as the God of Moon and Sun. 7 Here K then learns about Princess Taihes life. The imperial rule Princess Taihe came here for a intermarriage for the political goals to maintain peace with the Uighur empire. However the practice of intermarriage is common in the previous times in Chinese history as well. Princess Taihe however is allowed to establish her own power in the Uighar court. It seems that in this culture women in government matter are not restricted like that of the Tang and women are subject to fewer restrictions than their Chinese counterparts. The cultural aspect of Tang is nvolved in great prosperity with many tributary regions as threats to be solved. Confucianism and Taoism dominate the politic policies and the imperial rules of China. As K travels to different parts of Central China, he observes and records many religions and sects that exist as well. During this time, K is aware of Buddhism largely spread during the Tang dynasty along with the enormous Western expansion. Buddhist concepts are much paired with the Indian ones. For example dharma, dodhi, and yoga are all rendered in the Chinese Taoism concept of dao The way. Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism form he central root of China. Buddhist temples are populated, there are also the abundance of traditions of going to temple to pray and learning the Buddhist teachings of the middle path, 4 Nobel truths and 8 fold path are the essentials of Buddhist darma. Buddhisms main idea is to provide a way to end sufferings and detach self from the cycles of hardships in the world for a mental state of peace. Political factors also affected the spread of Buddhism in Tang. As the influence of Chinese culture expands to the west, it brings Buddhism towards expansion as well. At the same time, Muslims also emerged during the Tang dynasty. As K encounters many Muslim settlers in lands of Tang China. They tell the story to K of how they came to China. In 757 when Tang emperor requested aid for An Lushan rebellion, Muslims helped restored tangs power. In reward they were given lands in Central China which marked the beginning of their dwelling and expansion in China. 9 K describes the Muslims to be self-governing with their own system of education, community, and economy that is connected by Silk Road of Muslim communities. Meanwhile Muslim communities are built up in Tang China, Muslims who adopted Chinese unwanted children mainly expanded the community furthermore. Ks dwelling with the community allows him to witness much intermarriage between Muslim settlers and Chinese women during this time. However Tang dynasty is still dominated wit n Buddhism. The expansion during the period along witn Ks Journey illustrates the expansion of Tang dynasty towards the west, incorporating with tributary regions of different cultures and tolerance to the religions that can be seen n the expansion of spread of Muslim communities which continues in later In the meanwhile, Ks Journey is to be continued throughout the Silk Roads Endnotes 1 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)147. 2 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)149. 3 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)147-148. 4 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)109. 5 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)106. Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)105. 7 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999) 105-107. 8 Richard Foltz, Religions of the Silk Road (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010) 37. 9 Richard Foltz, Religions of the Silk Road (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010) 87. Foltz, Richard. Religions of the Silk Road. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Whitfield, Susan. Life Along the Silk Road. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999.

Current Economic Climate essays

Current Economic Climate essays Facing the current economic climate in the US, the Federal Reserve, for the past twelve months, has dropped interest rates in an effort to encourage spending and stimulate the economy in general. After losses for the past quarters and the events of September 11th, the country has driven right into a recession. Since interest is the price of money, the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates so people and businesses have the incentive to spend money, therefore spurring the economy. The Federal Reserve took no action last time they met in January. For the past quarters, the Federal Reserve has constantly dropped interest rates in an effort to prevent the country from entering recession. As I mentioned earlier, dropping interest rates stimulates the economy by motivating spending from not only people, but also businesses. Through its fiscal policy, the government also attempts to guide the country away from a recession. President Bush introduced a tax cut last year to stimulate spending but it didnt prove very successful. September 11th dampened the economy the current recession. The Federal Reserve is in charge of maintaining a balance. They are interested in preventing inflation by raising interest rates or stimulate spending by lowering interest rates. As the article explains, Analysts believe the economy is slowly recovering and may get out of the current recession in the next few months. Jack Guynn, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta told Bloomberg News that the Federal Reserve will consider raising interest rates if inflation becomes a concern. Inflation is an increase in the general level of prices. As unemployment rates go down, Inflation increases as shown in the Phillips Curve. Analysts are looking at the lower jobless rate, which went from 5.8% in December to 5.6% in January. The rate of change was not that significant when considering that December has a higher amount of people looking for jobs because ...

Montage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Montage - Essay Example In Chantal Akerman’s film, two outstanding instances of assemblages are evident; the interview with Akerman’s mother, Natalia, and the inclusion of a hierarchy of images where a car accident or kiss is positioned high than washing up. Inclusion of Natalia’s interview revealed how much people were speaking about women, and this presented a perfect ground for the production of the film. The long static shots were meant to ensure that the audience is always conscious of the character’s position, and the position of women in the society (Akerman N.pg). Moreover, the "hierarchy of images" places a kiss high than the chores that were stereotypically believed to be women’s not accidentally but intentionally to show the position of women in the society. The director wanted to illustrate that women’s works originates from oppression and what comes out of oppression is motivating (Akerman N.pg). The oppression that women were subjected to create a sens e of bitterness and togetherness in them, a factor that eventually empowers them to start fighting for their own liberation as depicted by Jeanne’s mother, a prostitute, when she fatally stubs a client on the 3rd day with a pair of scissors. A seditious element of Daisies is evident in its treasonous duplication, profane citation of intertexts from both low and high cultures and dissolute textual association in the realm of performing feminity. Through ridicule and parody, the director defiles the symbols of male supremacies and reputation while rendering the outrageous extravagances of its protagonists as heroic by montaging images from low and high cultures (Katarina 43). While one might argue that Daisies condemns the capitalist ideology through inclusion of excess food and eating that depicts conspicuous consumption, it also pampers women’s avaricious nature. For instance,

Contemporary Theories of Political Economy Essay

Contemporary Theories of Political Economy - Essay Example The Second World War had a great impact on almost all the world economies as it led to greater spending and a need for more and more arms and ammunition. All of this led to the building of more and more industries, which made countries around the world tap and realise their industrial potential. The 1950s and 60s were a time when most economies began to understand the true power that they possessed in terms of both physical as well as mineral resources. This World War was termed as the age of anxiety – when people were running helter-skelter for their lives and wishing for their sons, husbands, and fathers to return from the war scene, as well as families growing and prospering in terms of consumer spending because of the incessant revelation of the need and desire for more and more things. Prior to the war, the country had thus been witnessing a boom in the economic sphere; this was because of the introduction of machines, tools and all kinds of equipments which were helping the primary, secondary as well as the tertiary sector of the economy to grow and develop. A number of changes were being brought into the economy as more and more women began working which helped labour and knowledge go hand in hand and get nurtured. Scientists began finding ways to implement their thoughts in terms of inventions and discoveries and with the help of machines, everything had become possible and people were beginning to realise that it was possible to achieve the American dream by just having access to some purchasing power and being able to spend money. However, it is only natural that every economic demand and supply structure can never remain a constant because the needs and wants of the people or the consumers change with time. Thus, the American economy too, began to witness a decline in the profits around the year 1968. Post the Second World War, profits related to industrialization began to see a close not only in America, but also in various parts of the world , because of the impact that the American economy had had on the various world economies. Various steps were taken in order to help the economy boost and find constancy in its establishment. For example, President Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ program helped to establish Keynesian economics within the American economy and stabilise it with respect to understand demand and supply of the consumers. However, since profits from industries and firms kept on decreasing, something had to be done in order to make changes and not let the economy decline to an extent that it would fall into a depression and not be able to recover from the depths of the same. In the year 1972 the then President, Richard Nixon, even took the dramatic step of pulling the American dollar off the Gold Standard; this was considered to be a very pragmatic step taken in order to move towards a fiat currency system which had been started in the 1910s. Back in the year 1933, President Roosev