Stress in R.C. Sherriffs Journeys End Essay -- Journeys End Essays

World war I broke out in 1914 and lasted until 1918 when the armistice was signed. Throughout this period great destruction was suffered across the world and in particular in 1918 when the German army was preparing a massive attack against the allies. 'Journey's End' was written by R.C.Sherriff in 1928. It is set in the British trenches a few days before the expected attack and Sherriff re-creates the moments leading up to it. This drama is based upon Sherriff's real-life experiences as he himself was a captain of the East-Surrey regiment and played a part in the First World War. Sherriff's understanding of the relationships between men and the morale of soldiers living in the confines of the trenches are portrayed through the characters features in the play. Sherriff's purpose when writing the play may have been to celebrate the ten year anniversary as there were floods of memoirs, poems and reminiscences coming out around this time, however he may have more importantly wanted to ensure that war doesn't break out again by illustrating the pain and hopelessness he endured at was to convince his audience. 'Journey's End' gives the reader/audience a clear insight into the reality of life at war and explores the harsh conditions experienced by the men/officers at the front line. Despite Sherriff's ability to re-create the soldiers lives, staging the play is a main difficulty in which many things would need to be considered before-hand such as the audience he is targeting, sound, lighting and props. It is vital that what happens on stage is realistic to the audience so that their interpretations of trench conditions is genuine. He would also need to make things realistic as he may well find that ex s... ...ers died when the trench collapsed including Raleigh however we are still unsure about what happened to Stanhope, Hibbert or trotter. The death of Raleigh's character symbolises the appalling waste of lives during World War 1 but it also has an intense moving effect on the audience. We had warmed to him at the beginning of the play because of his eagerness and excitement however he never realised the full extent of war until the raid. I think that Sherriff's message was to show people the effects of war on soldier's minds. Stanhope's character was a prime example of this as he was psychologically damaged by the effects of war. I also feel that Sherriff had a hidden message of wanting to convey the full scale horror of war, both physically and mentally. A small disagreement between two countries or two opposing sides can result in a massive loss of life.

Legalization of Marijuana :: Argumentative, Marijuana Legalization

The legalization of marijuana has been questionable for many many years now, but the government just seems to always decline. I feel that marijuana should be legalized. There are many reasons for and against legalization, but the arguments for it outweigh the arguments against it. I believe marijuana should be legalized for three main reasons. Legalization will bring in much needed tax dollars, it will free up prisons and their resources, and it will save the U.S tons of money. If marijuana is legalized, it can be taxed by the federal government, like alcohol and cigarettes are now. If this is done, not only will the government save millions of dollars on searching for marijuana, the government will make billions of dollars off the sale of marijuana which can be used for drug education programs to help educate the youth of America. In the United States, all levels of government (federal, state, and local authorities) participate in the "War on Drugs." We currently spend billions of dollars every year to chase peaceful people who happen to like to get high. These people get locked up in prison and the taxpayers have to foot the bill. We have to pay for food, housing, health care, attorney fees, court costs, and other expenses to lock these people up. This is extremely expensive! If you must know, it costs taxpayers like you and me $42,000 a year to keep just one criminal in jail. That's more than twice the amount citizens spend on sending their children to school. Taxpayers only spend a dissapointing $13,000 a year for public schooling. We could save billions of dollars every year as a nation if we stop wasting money locking people up for having marijuana. In addition, if marijuana were legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important causes. According to The Report of the Task Force on Cannabis Regulation to the Center for the Study of Drug Policy, "marijuana is one of the largest tax-exempt industries in the country today." 10-15 billion dollars a year could be made simply by legalizing cannabis. Hemp, the nonpsychoactive version of the plant, has many, many uses but is outlawed by the U.S. government. Hemp is an incredibly strong fiber that can be used for ropes, clothes and

NAFTA

Introduction Since the idea of a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) first entered the broader public consciousness in the early 1990s, there has been a remarkable reorientation within business, academic, and political circles in an effort to consider and better understand the nature of the North American relationship. The 1988 free trade agreement between Canada and the United States evoked intense debate and soul searching within Canada and comparatively little interest among Americans; but that situation changed as the horizons broadened to include Mexico and likely extension into other countries of Latin America, beginning with Chile. (Aggrawal, 363-372) By the early 1990s, Americans, along with Mexicans and Canadians, had fully entered into the dialogue. Remarkably, although perhaps not surprisingly, the nature of the issues raised, anxieties expressed, and ambitions to be realized through a closer trilateral relationship articulated within one country have resonated in the others. Although the alliances of foes and advocates have varied in the three countries, there have also been remarkable similarities. Canadians and Mexicans have tended to be more directly engaged in a debate over models of development and strategies of dealing with their common neighbor than have Americans. The NAFTA Debate The NAFTA agreement touched on such a wide range of issues and areas, including financial services, foreign investment, the auto sector, textiles, agriculture, labor, and the environment in the side agreements that it should not have been surprising that it evoked strong sentiments among a variety of interest groups in the United States and Mexico, although the Mexican public debate was significantly muted by the more closed nature of the political system. In the United States, the opponents of NAFTA were strange bedfellows: organized and unorganized labor, environmentalists, consumer groups, the protectionist left, and the populist right of Ross Perot, variously denouncing the agreement as a big-business plot to take advantage of low Mexican wages and lax Mexican government enforcement of environmental standards and labor laws. (Andrea, 54-69) On the protagonist side, the administration and its supporters, which included arch-conservative Rush Limbaugh and corporate scion Lee Iacocca, contended that NAFTA would expand American markets, improve environmental and labor issues along the U.S.-Mexican border, and sufficiently improve economic and labor conditions in Mexico to result in a significant reduction in Mexican immigration pressure on the United States. (Peter, 44-56) The Impact of NAFTA Given the limitations of time and space, I will touch on a select range of areas in considering the impact of NAFTA to date: industry, labor, immigration, and the environment.   As with other issues, continuity here is more striking than any significant departure from the past. At the time of the conclusion of NAFTA, Mexico was, and remains, the third largest trading partner of the United States after Canada and Japan, although its economy was only five percent the size of the combined American and Canadian economies. In 1992, the United States was the source of approximately seventy percent of Mexican imports and the market for seventy-six percent of its exports. As the result of GATT and general tariff reduction in Mexico, Mexican tariffs on U.S. imported goods by 1992 averaged ten percent in contrast to the one hundred percent that prevailed in 1981. (Gallagher, 43-51) NAFTA will have no effect on the number of jobs in the United States NAFTA will have neither a significant negative nor positive impact on the environment It will produce a small overall gain in U.S. real income The real wages of skilled workers may decline slightly For the United States, NAFTA is more a foreign policy than an economic issue. NAFTA provided for the phasing out of tariffs on apparel and textiles over ten years, with some items to have duty-free access to Mexico immediately. All tariffs on autos and auto parts are to be eliminated over ten years; in agriculture, Mexico and the United States are to phase out fifty-seven percent of trade barriers immediately, ninety-four percent after ten years and one hundred percent after fifteen years. U.S. and Canadian investors are guaranteed national treatment with the right to seek binding arbitration in international tribunals, although the agreement excludes in this respect the Mexican energy and railway industries, U.S. airline and radio communications, and Canadian cultural industries. (Gilmore, 102-118) In the oil sector, PEMEX is to retain its monopoly over most of the industry, but non-Mexicans will be able to invest in petrochemicals, electricity generation, and coal mines; procurement contracts for PEMEX and Mexico's state electricity commission are also to be opened to foreigners; foreign banks and securities brokers are to have unrestricted access to Mexico by the end of the decade, although there are some restrictions on the sale of policies by U.S. insurers. (Andrea, 54-69) The agreement also provides for an elimination of most of Mexico's tariff barriers on telecommunications equipment. Basic voice services remain protected but foreign investors are to have access to value-added telephone services. As a response to the significant political opposition to the original agreement in the United States, there are two side agreements for environmental and labor standards. The former is especially weak, providing for each nation to apply its own environmental standards provided they are established on a scientific basis and with the stipulation that lowering of standards in order to attract foreign investment would be â€Å"inappropriate.† (Aggrawal, 363-372) The two commissions established to deal with environmental and labor matters have the power to impose fines and remove trade privileges as a last resort when environmental standards or legislation pertaining to health and labor safety, minimum wages, or child labor are deemed to have been violated. Such fines would be levied on the governments not the private sector violators. (Francesco, 90-97) Labor. In 2005, Perot contended that the job losses to the United States as a result of NAFTA would be as high as 5.9 million. As The Economist suggested at the time, such a result was not feasible. For there to be a shift of even 2 million-and this is not to suggest that such a loss would be insignificant-Mexico would need a bilateral trade surplus of $100 billion, equal to one-third of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 1973. Gary Hufbauer and Jeffrey Schott of the Washington Institute for International Economics estimated, on the contrary, that NAFTA would generate a net increase of 171,000 jobs in the United States and that combined U.S. and Mexican GDP would ultimately increase by $15 billion a year. Yet another study, this one by the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, predicted that the net loss of U.S. jobs to Mexico would be 490,000. (Andrea, 54-69) Such wildly diverse predictions and analyses, even if one discounts Perot's, suggest the inexact nature of economic forecasting as well as its ideological biases. Yet one also has to keep in mind that differences of 200,000 are not considered significant, since seasonally adjusted statistics employment numbers shift up and down by that magnitude on a month-to-month basis. There also seems to be a general consensus among economists, including the Chicago school, that open markets and deregulation lead to social and economic dislocation. The left and the right simply and fundamentally differ over what one does to correct that dislocation. (Peter, 44-56) Advocates of NAFTA countered critics on the issue of differential wage scales with the argument that firms would not relocate simply because Mexican wages are eight times lower than those for U.S. workers. If one considers that wages comprise only fifteen percent of production costs, that the cost of relocation, including potentially increased transportation costs, training of a new labor force and the lower level of productivity among Mexican workers, and fringe benefits including housing allowances and Christmas bonuses normally equal to one month's wages, the wage differential is significantly reduced as a factor determining capital location. As well, as productivity increases in Mexico, wages will also rise, which will also occur in the higher technology areas of employment, as for instance in the highly productive Ford plant in Hermosillo, Baja California. (Francesco, 90-97) Further, and perhaps most significantly, it could be argued that under the provisions of the maquiladora operations that had been in place for three decades, there had been more than ample opportunity to test the thesis that employment and investment would be diverted to Mexico. U.S. organized labor could identify only 96,000 pre-NAFTA jobs that had shifted to Mexico in the previous decade, and several of the firms involved-Smith Corona typewriters and Zenith televisions- would have either moved to Southeast Asia or gone out of business if they had not shifted operations to Mexico. In one of the sectors where Mexico enjoyed a clear comparative advantage over the United States-beet sugar production-Clinton acceded to pressures from U.S. interests to include a protective provision in NAFTA. (Gallagher, 43-51) In another sector-apparel manufacturing- where Mexico also enjoys considerable comparative advantage, it is anticipated that although there will certainly be short-term and possibly significant job losses to Mexico; in the long term, improved economic conditions in Mexico, rising wages, and increased consumer spending capacity will level the playing field between the two countries. The data on job losses and job creation tied to NAFTA are not very favorable to date. U.S. Department of Labor statistics suggest that the job loss in the United States has been slight. (Gilmore, 102-118) In the twenty months following the implementation of the agreement, 68,482 workers had applied for a special NAFTA program of federal retraining assistance while losing their jobs; 38,148 had been accepted under the plan, which requires proof that the job loss is trade-related although not necessarily specifically caused by NAFTA. Those applying for assistance represented some 457 firms located in forty-six states, including Allied Signal, Sara Lee, Smith Corona, Averred Battery, Zenith, and Proctor and Gamble, all of which had belonged to a pro-NAFTA lobby. (Andrea, 54-69) Department as well as American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) officials agreed that in northern California in particular the impact seemed to have been especially light. Only one firm, Plantronics, a designer and manufacturer of telephone headsets, had by 1995 laid off 60 of 300 workers at its Santa Cruz plant and moved their positions to Mexico. The marginal NAFTA impact on industries such as Plantronics appears to be linked to the fact the region's high-tech; white-collar industries are less susceptible to low-wage Mexican competition than other industries elsewhere in the United States. Nonetheless, this perception of a failure of NAFTA to increase U.S. exports and export-related jobs led the anti-NAFTA consumer advocacy group Public Citizen to claim without hard evidence 300,000 NAFTA-related job losses. This argument received support from Congressional critics of NAFTA. (Francesco, 90-97) Ohio Democratic Representative Marcy Kaptur, for instance, joined with others to form a bipartisan House group with plans to introduce a NAFTA Benchmarks Bill to suspend NAFTA and set quantifiable limits on the trade deficit, job losses, and currency rates that would trigger an automatic suspension of the trade agreement. Certainly, Mexico has increased its exports to the United States as well as its proportional share of U.S. imports; but, this would have occurred without NAFTA with the Mexican peso devaluation in the same way that a low Canadian dollar continues to stimulate Canadian exports. Immigration. It may be inappropriate to attempt at this early stage to examine what has been happening with Mexican migration pressures on the U.S. border during the two years NAFTA has been in effect, since the crisis in the Mexican economy has greatly exacerbated the problem. Nonetheless, it is useful to examine, briefly, the patterns in this area. Pro-NAFTA groups were adamant that an improved Mexican economy was the only long-term solution to high levels of Mexican migration-legal or illegal-to the United States, and I see no basis to reject that analysis. The fact remains that in the relatively short period since NAFTA was implemented there has been no easing of pressure on border points in the southwest. Nonetheless, I would stress that it is impossible to attribute this situation to NAFTA per se, at the same time that in the short term at least NAFTA has not in itself significantly alleviated the migration problem. That is a long-term issue, driven by cultural, economic, and political considerations, which will only be corrected if a relative degree of equilibrium is achieved on both sides of the border. (Gallagher, 43-51) At present, that is not even a fantasy let alone a realistic economic goal, and even if the economic situation were corrected, such issues as family reunification with the large indigenous Mexican-American population in the southwestern United States will work to encourage ongoing migration into the area. Environmental Issues. Environmental protection was a critical factor in obtaining congressional approval of the agreement in the U.S. Congress; yet one must recognize that it was and remains a side issue beside the main objectives of NAFTA, which are trade and investment liberalization. Hence, it is rather misleading to attempt to measure the success or failure of NAFTA in terms of the successes or failures of that side agreement. Nonetheless, what I believe has happened over the past several years is that analysts have begun to take a far more holistic approach to the understanding of international trade questions, much in the same way that analysts in strategic studies have gone far beyond their traditional weapon-counting approach to the discipline by taking into consideration a range of other factors that now are seen to threaten national security, including environmental degradation, poverty, and human migration. (Francesco, 90-97) Mexico's economic crisis has seriously undermined its capacity at the federal, state, and local levels to fund environmental clean-up and regulation of industries. Hence, although there has been notable new private investment in Mexican maquiladoras, there has been no significant investment in the infrastructure in the areas where those firms operate. There is little value in detailing here the level of environmental degradation that continues to characterize industrial Mexico. Such pollution is clearly not the direct result of NAFTA, but it is the result of a political and economic philosophy that attempts to separate trade matters from the quality of the environment in which we live and which places a premium on open markets, privatization, and deregulation. (Andrea, 54-69) There has admittedly been more attention to environment, labor standards, and culture in recent years than there was at the outset of the debate over the U.S.-Canada trade agreement, primarily because of the impact that labor and environmental groups have had on the political agenda in the United States; but it is questionable that the relatively weak institutions established to deal with environmental and labor issues will be radical in their approaches. In the longer term, all societies will pay a very high price indeed if those issues are not effectively addressed. Conclusion NAFTA has not simply failed to provide some of its promised benefits, but it has led instead to unemployment, environmental devastation, and serious health problems.   The few beneficiaries have been corporations who benefit from deregulation that reduces their costs and the free market that they largely control.   The North American Free Trade Agreement has proved a failure and at the very least must be revised in order to compensate for the damages that have occurred. As long as economic motives are behind any legislation, people and the environment will unfortunately always be expendable. To return to the main issue raised in this paper, the impact of NAFTA in its first two years the evidence remains preliminary. A combination of factors led to a dramatic increase in Mexican exports to the United States after NAFTA and a substantial shift in the favorable balance of trade away from the United States. As long as prices and the costs of production in Mexico remain low, proximity to the United States will likely serve to perpetuate that pattern. Mexican export opportunities will also provide continuing incentive for foreign investment in Mexican agriculture and manufacturing, as well as financial institutions. To date, the anticipated liberalization of investment in the extractive resource sector in Mexico has not been fully realized, especially in petroleum, and the continued significance and power of PEMEX in Mexican political culture suggests that any dramatic change in the petroleum investment environment is unlikely to come soon. At the same time, the decades of a highly protectionist Mexican economic policy are in the past, and there are no signs of a return to the import substitution model. In the United States, there is more volatility on the politics of trade and trade policy. Works Cited Aggrawal, R. and Kyaw, N.A. â€Å"Equity market integration in the NAFTA region: evidence from unit root and cointegration tests†, International Review of Financial Analysis 4, 2004: 363-372 Andrea Bjorklund et al. â€Å"Investment Disputes Under NAFTA (Ring-bound)† Kluwer Law International; Lslf edition, 2006: 54-69 Francesco Duina, â€Å"The Social Construction of Free Trade: The European Union, NAFTA, and Mercosur† Princeton University Press, 2005: 90-97 Gallagher, Kevin â€Å"Free Trade and the Environment: Mexico, NAFTA, and Beyond†. Stanford University Press, 2004: 43-51 Gilmore, C.G. and McManus, G.M. â€Å"The impact of NAFTA on the integration of the Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. equity markets†, Research in Global Strategic Management 10, 2004: 102-118 Peter Hakim â€Å"The Future of North American Integration: Beyond NAFTA†. University of British Columbia Press, 2005: 44-56

History, Genocide, Social Intolerance and Bigotry Essay

Lessons of history have been correctly utilized in a sense that the eventualities and circumstances in the past served as a learning experience for a better future. History served as a reminder on how to uphold the positive undertakings and set aside those which only causes strife. On the other hand, it can be used incorrectly in such a way that oppressed people may tend to see their gloomy past as a reason to revolt and take up arms. Moreover, utilizing history as a predictive instrument has observable limitations in a sense that the eventualities in the past does not necessarily manifests in the future, although it may influence it. On the contrary, history basically serves as a reference point to which critical judgment and better analysis of certain circumstances in the present and the future could be applied. In relation to that, observing the massive killings happening around the world, like acts of genocide could be defined as a deliberate attempt of any group to eliminate and annihilate a certain ethnic group in a belief that cleansing a whole group will also abolish oppression and conflict. According to Gregory Stanton of Genocide Watch, there are actually stages that ultimately leads to genocide. The eight stages are as follows: Classification, or the stage wherein individuals start to cluster the people with the â€Å"us and them† method; Symbolization, where people practices labelling and name calling; Dehumanization, wherein certain groups perceive others not worthy to be considered human beings; Organization, or the establishment of a structured group like militias; Polarization, which divides the group apart because of the works of extremists; Preparation, or the drawing out of death lists and threats; Extermination, or the mass killings and ethnic cleansing stage; and Denial, wherein the perpetrators makes a lot of effort in covering up their inhumane acts and intimidates their witnesses (Stanton, 1996). Some acts of genocide is reported to have been institutionalized and sanctioned by the government like the Janjaweed militia of the Darfur crisis. These Janjaweed forces are believed to be supported by the government because it is through this powerful group that the oil from the Darfur region could be accessed since they threaten the people with acts of violence (Koerner, 2005). Having dominion over the oil industry in Darfur would allow economic growth and stability. For its political implication, the government continually supports the undertakings of the Janjaweeds because they continue to uphold the purpose of their creation which is to destroy the African tribes who were believed to be supporting insurgent groups against the government (Reeves, 2005). In line with that, a possible foundation of social intolerance resides in the people’s fear of the unknown wherein they are uncertain in accepting other people’s perspectives apart from theirs, fearing the implications it may have on them. Another basis of social intolerance and bigotry are the people’s lack of openness to communicate to other people and a feeling of superiority over individuals who are not â€Å"like† them or have similar ideologies. References Koerner, B. (2005). Who are the Janjaweed. Retrieved June 5, 2008, from http://www. slate. com/id/2104210/. Reeves, E. (2005). Genocide in Darfur-How the Horror Began. Retrieved June 5, 2008, from http://www. sudantribune. com/article. php3? id_article=11445. Stanton, G. (1996). The Eight Stages of Genocide. Retrieved June 5, 2008, from http://www. genocidewatch. org/8stages. htm.

Novel and Robinson

Religion: A Trivial Conundrum Religion in fiction, much like religion in politics, has grown to be considered taboo. Religious characters are often expected to be comedic and used only as experimental or secondary. Their only true attribute is that of piety, playing on old stereotypes to drive the characterization. In a world where being politically correct gets in the way of day-to-day talk, approaching controversial topics in any form of writing can be seen as potentially unprofitable, too risque. The competitive market of publishing doesn’t allow room for mistakes anymore and it’s easier to stay on the safe route than to stray on alternative, smaller – often more interesting – roads that may or may not lead to success. This makes literature that deals with the religious on a primary level all the more rare and exciting to read. Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead is one such example. Religion is indisputably in the forefront of this tale and, although it may not be the catalyst of the narrator’s writing, it is, without a doubt, one of Gilead’s main themes. The novel’s very format is even done in such a manner that its sole goal seems to emphasize the holy, the divine – religion, in particular, Christianity. The novel is written from the perspective of John Ames, an old Reverend, on his deathbed, writing his final words to his then seven-year-old son in the form of a letter. A writer his entire life, Ames uses his best tool as a measure to insure that his son know something of his life, even if Ames has passed away years before the son ever gets a chance to read the letter. The novel reads somewhat like a diary, a spiritual one at that. At every corner scriptures are referenced or Ames’ faith somehow fits into the narration. Robinson very easily transmits Ames’ constant remembrance of Christianity by plucking in allusions to God, the Church, or his work, not to mention the almost over-usage of the word â€Å"Christlike†. Religion very early on is dealt with as an important subject and as the book continues, it gains more and more time in the spotlight. While initially one could think that the novel would focus less with the nature of Christianity, since Ames even says that he does not with to persuade his son to follow his footsteps in the Ministry – even if he does point out some of its â€Å"advantages†[1] – as it roles forward, the focus drifts ever closer to God and how the world itself reminds Ames of the sacred. The narrator’s descriptive tendencies, in themselves are also a way Robinson finds to allude to the religious. They are Ames’ way of referencing God’s work, attempting to capture the magnificence that he sees in the world, and transmitting it to his son via words, much like God did to Moses. All that is beautiful, all that is right, it would there seem, is thanks to the Almighty. Robinson uses a very poetic tone in her writing of this novel, which helps connect the secular with the divine and emphasizes even more the novel’s religious nature. As Robinson herself said in an interview, â€Å"both poetry and theology push conventional definitions and explore perceptions that might be ignored or passed off as conventional, but when they are pressed yield much larger meanings, seem to be part of a much larger system of reality. † [2] A poetic diction, therefore, lends to the reader more easily identifying with the holy. It is easier to connect with the abstract when using a language that lends itself more readily to emotions and ideology rather than straightforward storytelling and facts. In this manner, the non sequitur tendencies of the novel also lend to the goal of lifting the reader to a theological level. Robinson also has Ames mention poets such as John Donne and George Hebert, stressing the importance of the lyrical. The poetic quality, additionally, is not presented in an overly romanticized fashion, but more as a part of Ames’ view of life. He speaks of the world as God’s masterpiece and, has small details such as, â€Å"smell[ing] the rain†[3] or â€Å"a bubble float[ing] past [a] window, fat and wobbly and ripening toward that dragonfly blue they turn just before they burst,†[4] take on holy connotations to the reader’s. The mortal and divine worlds seem to mesh in Ames’ head – perhaps the consequence of being so close to death. In fact, at times, Ames seems to speak as though he had already passed on, operating from a dead man’s point of view. For instance he says that â€Å"it is actually hard for [him] to remember how mortal [he] is those days. There are pains†¦but not so frequent or even so severe when they come that [he is] as alarmed by them as [he] should be. †[5] As a Reverend, Ames does not fear death, so he allows himself to be swept away with its beauty perhaps a little sooner than he should. His tone is therefore somewhat omniscient, which leads to his sounding rather obnoxious, although that may be a trait that one reserves the right to in old age. The father-son dynamic is also intrinsically important in Gilead. The whole point of Ames’ writing is to find a medium through which to communicate with his son. He aims, through storytelling and somewhat sporadic advice, to give his son some sort of a guide for life. Basically, Ames writes his son his very own, personal Bible. This may seem like a fairly conceited venture for a Reverend to undertake, and one can see from Ames’ voice that he is, even if he denies it, not the humblest of men. At many points throughout the novel, such as when referring to his wife and his grandfather as people God may like to spend time with,[6] Ames ends up comparing himself, to some extent, with Jesus Christ; essentially calling himself Godlike. Humble, he is not. He even reaches the point of informing the reader that in sheer quantity, he has written as much â€Å"Augustine and Calvin. [7] He does so in the calmest of tones, yet still with an undeniable desire to spark some awe in his son. Confusingly, however, he still believes that his life â€Å"does not compare with [his] grandfather’s. †[8] It would seem that a man of the Church would hold God to the highest of esteems, but his grandfather seems to beat out the old white man in the sky at times. Ames views his grandfather in an almost unrealistic idealized view. Even when he criticizes him, the tone is lighthearted and almost playful. At one point Ames goes as far as relating the thunder and lightning striking in the sky with God â€Å"tipping [His] hat to [John Ames’ grandfather]. As if to say, Glad to see you here in the stands Reverend. †[9] Yet, their relationships are hard to pinpoint and Ames’ reverence and faith in God is indisputable; which lends to a quite confusing reading of the book. All the major conflicts and drives in this book seem to regard the father-son relationship. From the desire that leads John Ames’ to write his letter, to the multiple stories about his own father and grandfather, even to Jack Boughton’s struggled relationship with his own dad. Ultimately, it seems that all the referencing to father-son relationships is Robinson’s way of emphasizing the father-son condition human beings have with God. He is the ultimate parent – the nurturer and the punisher, the constant in one’s life. All the various conflicts, â€Å"daddy issues,† and stories in the novel are therefore metaphors and allusions to the larger, more important questions human beings are faced with and their own tribulations and worries with dealing with the theological. Religion is a family affair in the Ames’ household. As John writes his letter, he is already the third consecutive generation of Reverends in his family. He speaks of religion as his vocation, deems himself to have been lucky to have had the Church in his path. The only â€Å"stray† of the Ames is John’s brother, who was initially raised to follow in his father’s footsteps. However, after the brother’s turn to atheism, John seems to take it upon himself to fill his unworn shoes. And now, years later, when John is close to departing this earth, he once again takes it upon himself to continue his family legacy; eternalize his family’s contributions to Christianity in the form of a letter to his son. To John, his family life is undoubtedly linked inherently with his religious one. For example, Ames says that â€Å"A man can know his father, or his son, and there might still be nothing between them but loyalty and love and mutual incomprehension. †[10] Right before this phrase, he speaks of how there are things that he preaches but nonetheless truly does not understand. He very smoothly transitions from religion to family, almost as if in his mind, there were not a clear distinction. This goes to aid the idea that all the familial conflicts in the novel are there as a tool for Robinson to constantly remind the reader of Christianity and its importance in one’s life. Ames writes his letter to his son as his way of carrying on his existence, eternalizing his memory, emphasizing religion’s importance. Ultimately, it does seem that religion is infused in the story not only as plot device and characterization but also with deeper intents from Robinson’s part to spread her faith. The father/son dynamic therefore serves much more as a subtle way of perpetuating the divine in the mundane world. It is much easier for a reader to relate with human emotions and domestic troubles than directly with the divine and celestial. Gilead’s story therefore, is only a means to an end – the glorification of Christianity. While writing this book, Robinson may have very well set out with the intention of spreading the Protestant or Christian word, diffusing is subtly through fiction into the American subconscious. But even if she does, she manages to do so in a peculiar and original manner. She follows the school of the Iowa’s Writer’s Workshop which goes very much against Post-Modernism and believes that a plain style is preferable to an overly decorated one. Nonetheless, Gilead does not have the sound or feel of an obsolete book. The voice is meant to be that of a man from the 1950’s and the novel could have very well been written in that decade, but there is still something quite refreshing and original about Robinson’s style. The tranquility with which she treats the theme of Religion – like it’s just a fact of life – makes so that the preaching really does just sound like fatherly advice. This novel potentially could get quite overbearing with religious undertones but the human-relationships-factor retains enough vitality and presence to overpower it. The metafictional, first person narrative, also brings about the question of reliability. Ames speaks with a certainty that only age brings, he admits ignorance at many points, but they only seem to emphasize his own self-awareness. At some points in the novel, the first-person voice even seems to mix with that of Robinson’s herself. â€Å"I believe I’ll make an experiment with candor here†[11] says John Ames, yet as a reader, I find that Robinson’s own voice resounds through this phrase. It would thus be logical to conclude that Ames’ view of the world, and his desire to spread Christianity onward would coincide with Robinson’s own desires. Even if with ulterior motives, it takes audacity to take a subject as controversial as religion and place it in the limelight of a novel. In an age of Post-Modernism (or is it Post-Post-Modernism? it is almost uplifting to find a piece of work that isn’t trying to take satire and irony to the next level. By strictly following an old-school agenda and format, Robinson manages to be more innovative that most other modern writers – almost in the way fashion repeats itself every few decades and old styles manage to be more cutting edge and modern than that which used to be the next-new-trend. People may criticize Robinson for infusing too much religion and personal agenda into her novel, but in the end, she is still one of the few that manage to do this without sounding overly or even overtly preachy and patronizing. This in itself is modern and forward thinking. Taboo subjects are usually those that are most interesting and worth discussing, so we can’t let public perceptions and social fears impede us of sharing our opinions – whatever they may be. ———————– [1] Marilynne Robinson. Gilead. New York: Picador, 2004. 23 [2] Interview with Missy Daniel. Marilynne Robinson. Religion and Ethics   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Newsweekly. PBS. 9 Oct. 2006 . [3] Robinson 35 [4] Robinson 9 [5] Robinson 75 [6] Robinson 30 [7] Robinson 19 [8] Robinson 39 [9] Robinson 46 [10] Robinson 7 [11] Robinson 7

British Airways Supply Chain

Operations and Supply Chain Management ESMT Case Study British Airways: A Journey in Procurement Transformation Q1  In the case what are the challenges faced by the procurement group in coming 2 years ahead? There are several challenges the procurement group faced between 2004 and 2006. First of all, keeping up with the success of the past years, especially the cost and performance improvements and also keeping investors happy (constant increase of share price since the beginning of 2003).Secondly, the procurement group was to face challenges when rationalizing the number of suppliers, building cross business conformity to develop a uniform sourcing process, reduce spending and leveraging it. The roll out of additional tools of Ariba’s spend management solution, which was supposed to cover all spend categories was another challenge. Since it in the beginning only consisted of a small group of suppliers extended over the coming month, which might lead to difficulties when trying to increase conformity with preferred suppliers. Those shall be decreased to 2000, which will make it easier to manage them and also to develop proper sourcing strategies. However integrating the different Ariba system tools represented another challenge, and was important to make sure that orders are based on the same agreed terms. Furthermore the procurement group planned to adjust catalogues. The challenges it faced here were to make ordering simpler, support transactions with preferred suppliers, decrease invoice mismatches, speed up approvals and advance requisition accuracy.In addition to this another future challenge was to rollout to overseas operations and subsidiaries. This would mean another reduction in employee headcount in other divisions and could lead again to resistance to change amongst employees. Therefore change management would be an essential tool to tackle this challenge, while the technical part of the roll out should not be a problem. Q2 What were the solutions proposed and how did they address the problems faced? Solutions proposed were to adapt to a generic sourcing process.Initially it consisted of five tollgates. Later it was reduced to three tollgates, because of heavy workload faced by the persons in charge (External Spend Group) during the review process, which would have compromised the high level of efficiency. It supported a more structured, transparent and responsible workflow, purchasing process and cost controlling. It addressed the until then very liberal management of buyers, who sometimes could authorized spending up to ? 1 million without approval by supervisors. Adapting to a new sourcing process also meant to restructure BA’s organizational purchasing process. In order to do so, additional software for transactional purchasing of services and products was introduced. Until then this process took place through very resource intensive methods. At the time the needed software was still about to develop and it took some time to find the right one. This new software from Ariba (Ariba Buyer) was supposed to fill the gap of efficiently (time and cost) purchasing in the procurement process, which existed in this area.It ran on an external Internet platform, which enabled BA to set up working solutions more quickly. With its ability to combine several management capabilities and to centrally manage the aspects of the procurement process the system addressed the problems originating through the earlier mentioned gap. Another problem faced by BA during the implementation of the procurement transformation program was the resistance to this new process and to use of the software in all areas.It was a constant issue since the search for procurement process software and at the same time ongoing job cuts of the â€Å"Future Size and Shape† initiative in the year 2000. Three years later BA started to tackle the problem by showing the advantages of Ariba Buyer, offering support (e. g. call centre for buyers) and training (â€Å"Learning Programme†). A very successful tool became the â€Å"Z-card†. It was a small enough card to be carried around everywhere and explained in pictures and simple language the steps of the new process and strategy. It also explained how this new development fit with the â€Å"Future Size and Shape† initiative. Q3  What indications are there that the changes worked? 1999-2004 In 2003, a rapid increase of strategic procurement processes showed that the implementation of the five tollgates had worked. Also the support services for buyers like the call centre turned out to be a success with over 100 calls per day. The change in procurement strategy and process had also a positive impact on the bottom-line. Procurement savings had steadily increased since the start of the change in 1999.In 2001/2002 the new development lead to savings of about ? 50 million. Just three years later in 2004/2005 it had increased by four times to ? 200 million of savings. With such a development the cost for Ariba Buyer was returned in just five months. Another indication that the changes worked showed rapid increase of orders trough the Ariba Buyer system in the second half of 2003. Several additional benefits indicated that the changes had worked. Such as more transparent spending, which shows a rise in orders processed via Ariba Buyer.This also reduced the amount of suppliers used until then by 63% in 2003. Another increase was recorded in contract compliance, where preferred suppliers started to become part of the daily business, not just reducing off contract spending and resulting in lower prices for goods and services purchased, but also reducing administrative efforts through fewer contracts. With better information on purchasing spend, it was possible to analyse which amount was spend for which supplier and product. This enabled the procurement group to start leveraging purchasing power and therefore save costs in different areas like in-flight catering in the US (15%), ground fuel at the London airports (22%) and crew accommodation in the US (17%). Also internally processing costs have been decreased, with a positive affect on error rates, transaction cost (decreased by 48%) and order-processing time, with most of the orders being transacted electronically. This gives employees more time to concentrate on value-add activities, leading to higher employee productivity. Since the workflow had been optimized less workforce was needed.Therefore BA was able to reduce headcount employed especially in procurement and safe additional costs. Q4  What could have been done differently? The procurement team should have been rigorous about the usage of Ariba Buyer right from the beginning at the implementation of the software. This could have been done by closely monitoring the usage of the software by buy ers, but also by making sure that employees actually know how to use it and what the purpose of the software is. This could have been easily achieved by training workforce and supporting the software right from the beginning as ell. The time taken until reinforcing measures (like in 2003 for tighter NDI controls) was too long. During this time buyers were too greatly empowered with too much freedom about their decision-making. Also the introduction of the tollgates came very late in the process and should have been already in place when the new software was launched. The people in charge should have also been proactive with promoting the procurement transformation programme right from the beginning amongst employees, by introducing the intentions and goals something like the â€Å"Z-card† right at the beginning.This would have decreased resistance against the change. Also one should have thought chosen a different time to introduce the â€Å"Future Size and Shape† initiative, which at the time was just another change and caused additional resistance. The start of this initiative right at the beginning of the procurement transformation programme would have been better. Or one should have waited until people have adjusted to the initial changes and then come up with this scheme.

Logical Fallacies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Logical Fallacies - Essay Example   Ã¢â‚¬Å"And our progress on the economy is a good chapter in our history. But now we turn the page and write a new chapter. And that's what I want to speak about tonight.†Ã‚   The use of two metaphors is evident here, good chapter in our history is a metaphor and turn the page and write a new chapter is another metaphor used by Gore.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"But my focus is on working families, people trying to make house payments and car payments, working overtime to save for college and do right by their kids Whether you're in a suburb, or an inner-city Whether you raise crops or drive hogs and cattle on a farm, drive a big rig on the Interstate, or drive e-commerce on the Internet Whether you're starting out to raise your own family, or getting ready to retire after a lifetime of hard work.†Ã‚   Rhetoric is clearly seen here, the word drive is repeated thrice and the same makes it rhetoric.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"To all the families who are struggling with things that money can't measure -- like trying to find a little more time to spend with your children, or protecting your children from entertainment that you think glorifies violence and indecency -- I want you to know: I believe we must challenge a culture with too much meanness, and not enough meaning. And as president, I will stand with you for a goal that we share: to give more power back to the parents, to choose what your own children are exposed to, so you can pass on your family's basic lessons of responsibility and decency."