Social Justice – Short Essay

In all multicultural classrooms there are concerns of social Justice for all students. One of the concerns is that all students get a high quality education no matter what their social standing in the world. I low income and poverty stricken areas it is a concern that students will not receive as good of an education as would a student who attends a school in a wealthier area. This is a concern because the low income schools may not receive as much funding.Low funding in turn can lead to students being taught with out of date material and technology. Another social Justice once in the classroom is for disabled or special needs students. It was common up until the quite recently to send all students with physical and mental disabilities to special education classes. Special education classes separate the special needs students from their nondurable peers and there was hardly ever any colonization between the two. There are many students with disabilities that can learn in a regular or inclusive classroom.Students with disabilities are often treated differently and this affects the quality of their education. I believe all students should be taught with the best material and technologies available. No matter their race, gender, religion ability, each student deserves a high quality education. I think we as a community must make sure that this is possible even If it means higher taxes or more fundraising. We need to put our children's future first before all things.Schools districts also need to test disabled students to place them In the proper learning environment. This would allow all students to get the best possible education for their learning curve. I personally plan to teach In a low Income school district so that I can do my part to help give those students a high quality education. I know I will not be paid as much In this district but In the end I am not going Into teaching to fill my bank account but to fill young minds with the skills and Information to make them future leaders.I plan to utilize every resource available to get better material and technologies for the classroom. There are businesses will donate resources to schools and teachers they feel deserve them. I will work my hardest to show them that my school and I deserve them. I will also make sure all my students know that I think they are all equal and that no student Is better than another. I feel that In the ND Just as all men should be treated equally, all students should be treated equally.Social Justice – Short Essay By miasmas community must make sure that this is possible even if it means higher taxes or districts also need to test disabled students to place them in the proper learning their learning curve. I personally plan to teach in a low income school district so that be paid as much in this district but in the end I am not going into teaching to fill my bank account but to fill young minds with the skills and information to make them think they ar e all equal and that no student is better than another. I feel that in the

Chanel’s Exhibition Compared to Vermibus Essay

Two exhibitions, both held during October 2012, will form the bases of this comparative essay. Chanel’s fashion photography exhibition entitled ‘The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited’ held at the Saatchi Gallery 12th October – 4th November 2012, and Vermibus’ display of appropriated adverts called ‘Unmasking Kate’ shown at the Moniker Arts Fair 11th -14th October 2012 will be used to explore the links each exhibition has to the themes of advertising and celebrity. ‘The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited’ is a celebration of the ‘timelessness’ (Saatchi, 2012) that is the Chanel jacket first introduced in 1953 (Armstrong, 2012), which Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director for Chanel, has revamped for the twenty-first century. ‘The Chanel jacket is a man’s jacket which has become a typical feminine piece†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Lagerfeld cited Making of- The Video, 2012), co-writer and photographer for the exhibition Lagerfeld, articulates the versatility of the garment, which is a key theme expressed throughout the show. The exhibition consists of 113 photographs of celebrities modelling (Saatchi, 2012) the jacket to which the entire exhibition is a tribute to (Saatchi, 2012). In contention with the notion of product and brand celebration the Spanish-born artist Vermibus presented his ‘Unmasking Kate’ series at the Moniker Arts Fair, ‘†¦now in its third year, the fair†¦[of] contemporary artists with urban roots†¦[is] an assembly united by a desire to rebel’ (Spence, 2012). Amongst the rebels is street artist and ex-branding photographer turned contemporary artist (lamono, 2012), Vermibus. The principle of his work is the appropriation of designer advertising posters found publically, as a statement against the image of our materialistic consumer driven society (Finucane, 2012). The title of Vermibus’ current series ‘Unmasking Kate’ refers to both his method of appropriating the posters and to his subject, namely the model Kate Moss. Vermibus argues that he uses Moss’s image ‘†¦because she has been the flagship of fashion for the last 20 years’ (Lamono, 2012) and is therefore an easily recognizable icon of modern fashion and consumer society ‘Kate Moss †¦had to construct thousands of masks to hide her fears†¦ [she] internalized those masks from the beginning and we bought them all†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(Lamono, 2012) Vermibus reveals his ideas about masks fueled by the advertising industry. He further uses Moss’ image to show, simultaneously, the vulnerability of the human subject and the medias exploitation of the notion of celebrity. This theme parallels the way Andy Warhol used Marilyn Monroe’s image after her death (Modern Masters: Andy Warhol, 2010). Likewise, the Chanel exhibition echoes some Warhol themes, yet using the celebrity image to celebration its brand and product originally from the 1950’s (Modern Masters: Andy Warhol, 2010). The exhibitions work on Warhol themes differently either to criticize or celebrate advertising and product branding (Modern Masters: Andy Warhol, 2010). The title of the exhibition ‘The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s classic revisited’ uses a play on the now clichà ©d notion of ‘the little black dress’ this seemingly playful reference to an item that Coco Chanel arguably made ubiquitous in 1926 (Fritz, 2012) as ‘a uniform for all women of taste’ (Crystal, 2007) carries the suggestion that the redesigning of the Chanel jacket has caused the garment to become as revolutionary and versatile as the little black dress and thus deserves the same universal appeal and fashionable credibility. This is further reflected in the exhibition’s promotional use of words such as ‘classic’ (Armstrong, 2012), ‘iconic’ (Saatchi, 2012) and ‘timeless’ (The Exhibition Opening – The Film, 2012), phrases often made in reference to the little black dress, conveying the item as an essential part of both a man and woman’s collection, in this way almost surp assing the success of the little black dress. Despite their difference, the most prominent connection between both exhibitions is the use of fashion photography. While Vermibus appropriates already publish photographic based adverts, Lagerfeld endeavours to create a series of fashion photographs, seemingly ready for an advertising campaigns (fig:1) sans the alluring taglines and buyer information. However, perhaps text is not necessary in conveying advertising messages: ‘As advertising has become so subject to the influence of photography that in some cases it is nothing other than fashion photography in its pure form.’ (Zahm, 2003 p.267) Lagerfeld’s photography could, therefore, be read as adverts for the Chanel jacket. This is illustrated in the use of a shallow depth of field added to the blank studio backdrop, uniform in all of Lagerfeld’s shots and reminiscent of many advertising campaigns. The technique seems to encourage the viewer to read the model as the main focus of the shot. The positioning of the models, strictly following the rule of thirds in all displayed images, seems actively styled to further accentuate the Chanel jacket as it is after all the subject of the photographic exhibition and perhaps the product to be endorsed. Looking at the images from this angle makes the work seems more sinister; putting the gallery viewer in the position of a consumer. Vermibus’ acquired advertising posters are often comparable in style and content to those featured in the Chanel exhibition. The Vermibus technique involves the systematic removal of layers of gloss and colour from the face of the models (fig:2) using solvents such as white spirit ‘in a unique painting counter-action’ (Open Walls Gallery, 2012) creating gestural, painterly brush marks reminiscent of Lucian Freud ‘s ‘naked’ series (fig:3). This method of working directly on to the photographic image creates an interesting juxtaposition between the flat, glossy, original photographic elements left untouched in the clothe and hair of the advert compared to the textured, painterly brush marks and colours crated by the solvents application on the glossy flesh of the models image (Finucane, 2012). This all helps to convert the adverts ‘†¦flawless and sanitized icons†¦into harrowing and contorted figures evocative of ‘Francis Bacon’s seminal works’ (Finucane, 2012) (fig:4). Through this treatment Vermibus is trying to uncover the essence of the figures by ‘dehumanizes those figures †¦ trying to find the aura of the individual, the personality that was lost†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(Moniker Art Fair, 2012) in the world of advertisement, which seems in direct contention with the image and brand driven concept of the Chanel exhibition. Nonetheless, a form of distortion is also evident in the instillation part of the Chanel exhibition (fig:5), large glass etched version of selected prints create intertextual connections to the work of pop artist Roy Lichtenstein (fig:6) namely in the use of the pixelated bendy dots and primary colours. Through pixelating the benday dots Lagerfeld seems to marry a nostalgic past of image reproduction with modern-day digital innovations. This mirrors the merging of past and present in fashion exhibition. The link to Pop Art is further contextualised as the original Chanel jacket would have debuted around the time that the pop art movement was emerging (Gersh-Nesic, 2012). Unlike many Pop artists and Lagerfeld’s work, Vermibus eradicates branding from his work. Then returns the adverts to their original places in the advertising shelters as ‘gifts for the passers-by’ (Moniker Art Fair, 2012 p.19). As he stats that ‘private companies have taken over these spaces and what I want to do is return them to the public’ (Lamono, 2012). Chanel’s exhibition in this way also stands in contrast to the notion that a luxury brand ‘buys its way into our public spaces [and it] must be passively accepted as a one-way information flow.’ – (Klein, 2002). This is an argument held and expressed within the work of Vermibus. Instead of following this traditional model of advertising which relies heavily and spend vast amounts of money on limited single-way communication advertising (Jackson, 2009), Chanel arguably used a credible gallery to advertise under the guise of culture enrichment; a ‘more interactive, experiential and customised communication’ (Jackson, 2009, p. 273). However, Anderson (2000) argues that shows like this ‘illustrates [the] approaches taken by those in the commercial sphere, who are completely unfettered by museological traditions’ (Anderson, 2000, p.386). However, the Saatchi gallery; was set up by Charles Saatchi like many ‘high net worth individuals who operate their collections like museums for the public’ (picassomio.com) thus needs not to uphold traditions of the museum and is not duty bound to provide advertisement-free exhibitions. This may seem like devious undercover advertising ‘†¦however visitors will construct their own coherence†¦.which may or may not comply with that of the curator†¦'(Hooper-Greenhill, 2000, p.7) thus the advertising undertones of the exhibition may be passively accepted or rejected by viewers. In this way Chanel opens the flow of communication, although, arguably ‘even the best fashion photography is still an industry in service of industry’ (Zahm, 2003, p.265). Therefore, in blurring the lines between free cultural experiences and marketing gimmicks Chanel is clearly attempting to increase their revenue, as Lagerfeld affirms ‘I am not a commercial person †¦ but the final complement is†¦when you buy [the product]’ (The World of Karl Lagerfeld, c.2010). The fact that Lagerfeld’s creative and corporate elements merge in the exhibition is sinisterly convenient ‘†¦it is undeniable that the motivations of designers to co-operate with curators in having their work displayed in museums are largely about prestige, self-promotion and profit’ (Anderson, 2000, p. 375) marring the impression of such exhibitions as nothing more than an oblique advertising campaign. The ‘anti-publicist’ (Lamono, 2012) Vermibus’ illustrates his distain for the advertising industry which Lagerfelds work seems to represent, ‘the brands goal is to remove the model’s identity†¦the model is not a person any more but an image whose only value is for selling’ (Finucane, J. 2012). Vermibus’ ideas are reminiscent of the Situationist International’s concepts of the spectacle (Debord, 1957-61) equally, Vermibus’ appropriated posters carry strong connections to their notion of detournement ‘reusing preexisting†¦elements in a new ensemble’ (Debord, 1957-61). Thus Vermibus’ symbolic use of white sprit on adverts, can act as an allegory for reestablishing identity from the spectacle. This notion of brands taking over ones identity is also suggested in the Chanel exhibition video ‘†¦and with each person’s personality the jacket lives through them †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Chloe Moretz cited in ‘The Exhibition Opening -The Film’ 2012) presenting the consumer product as a sort of symbiotic parasite using and replacing the identity of the wearer. This relates further to Williamson’s (1995) argument that ‘people are made to identify themselves with what they consume’ (Williamsons 1995 p.13). People become use brands and styles to project their identity through non-verbal communication thus: ‘Advertisements are selling us something else besides consumer goods†¦in providing us with a structure in which we and those goods are interchangeable, they are selling us ourselves.’ (Williamson, 1995 p13) This would explain why so many of the videos produced by Chanel surrounding the Black Jacket exhibition continuously stress the versatility of the jacket ‘†¦ You can do a lot with it†¦it suits everyone’ (Carine Roitfeld cited in Making of – The Video, 2012) conveying almost subliminally that people need to have this item that can fit their already established style; ‘the bohemian look, the Victorian look, the more kinda [sic] fun Kate Moss look†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Chloe Moretz cited in The Exhibition opening -the film’ 2012) further promoting its value and illustrating the ‘cannibalistic’ nature of fashion (Zahm, 2003 p. 266), which feed into the spectacle (Debord,1957-61) by assimilating and reproducing the same items and feeling of desire within society. The Chanel exhibitions use of celebrity images differs to that a Vermibus, as it seems to reflect the wider marketing idea that using celebrity endorsements is a ‘strong marketing plus†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Jackson, 2009 p191). Along side the photographers the behind the scenes film presents testimonials from celebrities ‘I consider it [the Chanel jacket] a prized possession. I feel very lucky’ (Sarah Jessica Parker cited in Making of- The Video, 2012) enticing the viewer to desire the item. Atkin (2010) contend that this is because humans are prehistorically ‘hardwired’ to want to glean information about how to become successful survivors by watching and copying the most successful in our society, i.e. the celebrities (Star Suckers, 2010). advertisers like Chanel are manipulating this evolutionary flaw to give ‘[a] product which initially has no meaning †¦.value by a person†¦who has a value to us†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Williamson, 1995, p.31). In contrast, celebrities are utilized by Vermibus to liberate the human being from the celebrity ‘mask’ evoking sympathy from the audience however, it is not clear how much the celebrity image entices the viewer’s prehistoric urge and interest in Vermibus’ work. In conclusion the two exhibitions on the surface have very different and opposing motivations. However, on inspection both deal with similar themes of fashion photography, advertising and celebrity in different ways. Although it falls beyond the scope of this essay compare every element of the exhibitions it has attempted to demonstrate that Lagerfeld’s approach has strong advertising undertone, while Vermibus’ work is anti-publicist in nature. Therefore, despite displaying work at arts fair, with the purpose of promoting and selling his work, the artist maintains his anti-establishment ethos ‘Being at [an art fair] is another way to attack from within’ (Lamono, 2012) which conveys the fundamental difference between the two exhibitions; they both exploit the image of celebrities to draw attention to their work but while Vermibus’ ideology remains paramount it would seem that for Lagerfeld the financial gain is the principal purpose of the exhibition. References: Anderson, F (2000) ‘Museum as Fashion Media’, in Bruzzi, S. and Gibson, C. (eds.) Fashion Cultures: Theories, Exploration and Analysis. London : Routledge pp. 371-389. Armstrong, L. (2012) ‘Chanel’s Little Black Jacket: How Chanel split the fashion atom’, Telegraph [Online] Available at: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG9602510/Chanels-Little-Black-Jacket-How-Chanel-split-the-fashion-atom.html (Accessed 3/12/2012 Crystal, (2007) Little Black Dress Quotes. Available at: http://no-white-marks.blogspot.com/2007/10/little-black-dress-quotes.html (Accessed: 3/12/2012) Debord, G. (1957-61) ‘Writings from the Situationist International’ in Harrison,C and Wood, P.J. (eds.) (2002) Art Theory 1900-2000. Oxford:Blackwell. pp.701-707 Finucane, J. (2012) New art New Ideas London: Moniker Arts Fair Fritz, M. (2012) A Short History of the Little Black Dress. [Online]. Available at: http://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/clothing/dresses-skirts/little-black-dress-00000000046948/index.html (Accessed: 29/11/12) Gersh-Nesic, B. (2012) About.com. Available at: http://arthistory.about.com/od/modernarthistory/a/Pop-Art-Art-History-101-Basics.htm (Accessed: 08/11/12) Hooper-Greenhill, E (2000) Museums and Interpretation of Visual Culture London: Routledge Jackson, T. and Shaw, D. (2009), Fashion Marketing Hampshire: Palgrave Klein, N. (2002) No Logos. New York:Picador Lamono (2012) Vermibus, Attack From Within [Online]. Available at: http://lamonomagazine.com/hunter/vermibus-ataque-desde-dentro/ (Accessed 28/11/2012) Making of – the video,’ 2012, by Chanel [online] available at: http://thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com/en_GB/makingof (Accessed 16/11/12) Modern Masters: Andy Warhol – Documentary – Artist, (2010) by Alastair Sooke, UK [Online] available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWU7I6fGpMI&feature=share&list=LLU15G_d3N4Dd14H85X-eCCg (Accessed: 08/11/12) Moniker Art Fair, (2012) Moniker Art Fair About. [Online] Available at: http://www.monikerartfair.com/2012/ (Accessed: 18/10/12) Open Walls Gallery (2012) Vermibus [Online] Available at: http://www.openwallsgallery.com/artist/vermibus (Accessed 15/11/12) Picassomio, General Art Articles[online]. Available at: http://www.picassomio.com/art-articles/what-is-the-difference-between-a-museum-and-a-gallery.html (Accessed: 28/11/12) Saatchi gallery (2012) The Little Black Jacket. [Online] Available at: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/current/the_little_black_jacket.php (Accessed: 15/11/12) Spence, R. (2012) ‘Go forth and multiply’, The Financial Times [Online] Avalible at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/0a062f4c-1486-11e2-8cf2-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2EEPdaatD (Accessed: 14/11/12) Star Suckers, (2010) by Chris Atkins UK [DVD] The Exhibition Opening – The Film, (2012) by Chanel [Online] Available at: http://thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com/en_GB/exhibition/london (Accessed: 16/11/12) The World of Karl Lagerfeld, (c. 2010) by Anjali Rao China [Online] Avalible at: http://youtu.be/m0ljhBgy0Hc (Accessed 20/11/12) Williamsons, J (1995) Decoding Advertisements: Ideology and Meaning in Advertising. London: Marion Boyars Zahm, O. (2003) ‘On the Marked Change in Fashion Photography’, in Welters, L. and Lillethon, A. (eds.) (2007) The Fashion Reader. Oxford: Berg, pp. 263-269.

My dear friend

I hope you are enjoying your stay in the United States and that you are receiving a good education.   I have been giving a lot of thought recently to the problems of our kingdom and the possible alternatives to the rule of the House of Saud.   I have so few opportunities and liberties here that I feel that moderate Islamists may do a better job of governing our country than the princes.   Let me try to explain how I feel. Like many of our generation, I have had trouble finding work.   During the oil boom of the 1970's, employment was more secure and the government was able to grant extensive welfare benefits to citizens of the kingdom.   More recently, however, the economy has stagnated.   In 1998, for example, we had 27% unemployment! I feel that the economy is suffering due to our reliance on oil.   Despite the fabulous wealth it brings to the country, the oil industry can only employ a certain number of people.   Since oil is essentially the only thing that our country produces, it is the only sector that provides large-scale employment other than the government itself, which is dominated by the royal family and its network of friends and cronies. Despite all the wealth gained from oil, the royal family Has not invested the wealth into other sectors of society; instead, it has used the oil wealth to enrich itself, purchase vast quantities of weapons from the Americans, and buy loyalty from the population by providing free social services.   Despite all this wealth, however, our country has not given greater freedoms to its citizens. Our kingdom has always relied on an alliance between the al-Saud family and the radical Wahabi clerics.   One of the king’s central roles is the custodian of the two holy places (Mecca and Medina).   The clerics give the king legitimacy, and in return the kings lavishly fund the clerics’ mosques, schools, and charity organizations. I feel that this alliance is bad for our country.   Our country needs to be freer.   Both the royal family and the Wahabi clerics are opposed to greater freedoms for us, the average citizens.   Both groups benefit by denying power to other people.   I have come to feel that the Saudi-Wahabi alliance is bad for us as Saudi citizens, because it denies us basic freedoms.   It is also bad for the world as a whole, because it leads to terrorism. Many Wahabis have turned against the Saudi royal family, declaring that it is not sufficiently Islamic.   They feel that the government is too corrupt, too decadent, and too friendly with America.   Osama bin Laden is the most infamous Saudi who has taken this position.   Even though he attacked America, bin Laden’s primary enemy has always been the Saudi royal family, who he feels are bad Muslims who do not deserve to be the custodians of Mecca and Medina. The threat to the Saudis from its radical citizens became clear shortly after I was born.   This was a major turning point in the history of our country.   When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August of 1990, many feared that he would turn on Saudi Arabia next.   Osama bin Laden told King Fahd that he would battle Saddam Hussein’s forces with the fighters he had trained and fought with in Afghanistan during the 1980’s during the war with the Soviet Union. King Fahd rejected bin Laden’s offer, which probably wasn’t very realistic any way.   Instead, the king turned to the Americans for protection.   Huge American armies came to Saudi Arabia and used our country as a base from which to attack Iraq and liberate Kuwait.   Even though Saddam Hussein could no longer threaten Saudi Arabia, the decision to allow the American military into the kingdom infuriated many radical Islamists. I must say that, as a proud and independent man, I would like to defend my own country rather than have the Americans do it.   I don’t wish the Americans any harm, it’s just that I don’t want to rely on them and ideally I would like their military to leave our land.   Many people, however, feel much more strongly about this than I do, and they began attack the house of Saud for allowing Americans into Arabia. As my generation grew, we saw the government come under attack from radicals who wished to overthrow the regime.   Throughout the 1990’s these radicals, including al-Qaeda, attacked sights in Saudi Arabia that were associated with the government or the American military.   We now have a confrontation between the House of Saud and the radical Islamists, but I don’t feel that either group is able to govern our country effectively. Although I disapprove of the Saudi royal family, just as Osama bin Laden does, I also totally disapprove of bin Laden’s goals and tactics.   Basically I feel that the Saudis are far too conservative.   Bin Laden feels that they are not conservative enough!   The most amazing thing about the Saudis is that their allies, the Wahabis, are the people they have to fear most. For years, the royal princes funded Wahabi mosques and schools and charities around the world.   They knew that some of these groups used the money for terrorist activities, but there was a sort of unspoken agreement that the Islamist terrorists would not target Saudi Arabia itself.   I don’t know why our government ever trusted these people, but the terrorists broke the agreement and began to attack the royal family. So, my friend, our government has failed to diversify the economy beyond oil, it has failed to give more rights and liberties to its citizens, and it has used oil wealth to try to buy off radical groups, but this strategy has predictably backfired.   These are very serious grievances to have, wouldn’t you say? Perhaps an example of the royal family’s idea of â€Å"reform† will illustrate my grievances.   In 1992, King Fahd enacted the Basic Law of Government by decree.   The law spelled out the nature of the government.   The government was a hereditary monarchy, a model that was popular centuries ago in Europe.   The king would serve as head of state, head of the council of ministers, and commander in chief of the armed forces.   In addition, the king appoints all ministers as well as all members of a new body, the consultative council. Here are my problems with this attempt at reform.   Firstly, the Basic Law was enacted by decree of the king; the Saudi people had absolutely no role in devising this law.   Secondly, the law simply spelled out what was already known; the Saudi family, especially the king, has all the power in Saudi Arabia. The consultative council was supposed to represent a move towards greater representation, but I feel that it only illustrated the king’s arrogance.   Firstly, the council is appointed by the king, so we can assume it is made of up people who he knows will agree with him.   Secondly, the council â€Å"consults†; the king is in no way bound to follow its advice.   So not only is this council not representative of the Saudi people, it doesn’t even have any authority!   This is not the kind of reform we need; this is not reform at all. My friend, our country has no constitution, no bill of rights, no independent courts or media, and no direct representation for its citizens in government.   This is not the type of country I wish to live in.   Here is what I feel must be done. I do not have any illusions about how long and hard the transition to democracy can prove to be.   We have seen our neighbor, Iraq, torn apart by civil war and anarchy after its repressive government was thrown from power.   If the Saudi government disappeared overnight, I fear that our country could very well suffer from these same curses.   For this reason, a violent overthrow of the government would not be a good idea.   Iraq has shown us that dictatorship is preferable to anarchy, because at least dictators can prevent massive terrorist attacks. The answer does not lie in violent overthrow of the Saudis, and it also does not lie in radical Islamists.   We are all Muslims here, it is true.   Islam was born in Arabia.   The prophet lived and died here.   Mecca and Medina are here.   We are the very cradle of Islam.   However, we cannot allow radical Muslims to take power from the Saudis. I have simple desires, my friend.   Like most people on earth of every race and religion, I want simply to live my life in freedom and dignity and be able to provide for my loved ones.   We have seen that radical Islamists, even though they claim to share our religion, are merchants of death only; from everything I have seen, it seems clear that they are more interested in killing people, mostly fellow Muslims, than they are in governing. As much as I dislike the Saudis, I know deep down that radical Islamists would be worse.   They would likely be even more violent and repressive towards the people than the Saudis are.   The most radical Islamists wish to return Arabia to a 7th century state of â€Å"purity†.   They feel that this is the ideal environment for Muslims.   They wish to recreate a world before oil, a world before mass communication and entertainment, a world before America.   This is a very dark wish.   We should not be naà ¯ve about what radical Islamists would do to our country should they ever gain power. The solution, I feel, lies with moderate Islamists.   Islam must be the focus of any reform, because the mosque is the only power center of any substance other than the Saud family.   There is no independent civil society here because of all the restrictions on speech and political participation.   The mosque is the only place that people can freely gather and organize. As I said above, friend, we are Muslims, and any reform in our land must be Islamist to some degree; it is inevitable.   The important aspect then is to ensure that reform is directed through moderate clerics rather radical Islamists.   We need Muslim leaders to direct the push for reform, but not the Muslims who wish to turn back the clock by 13 centuries! My vision of a government of moderate Islamist clerics and scholars has many components.   Firstly, they would stop trying to buy off radical groups and start adopting a more moderate interpretation of Islam than the Wahabis.   This new government would recognize that when you give arms and funding to radical groups, these groups will inevitably turn on you. As we know, friend, our land is the heart of Islam, and any government we have will be responsible for maintaining the sacred places and providing for all the Muslims who make the yearly pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca.   We must also, however, understand that many Muslims look to Arabia for inspiration and Arabia therefore must be responsible with its influence and must not support radical and violent groups who kill in the name of our great religion. More moderate clerics are the best candidates to lead the new Arabia for many reasons.   They are educated and have experience with leadership and organization in the community.   Because of this experience, we can be confident that the clerics will be competent as stewards of the state.   Equally as important, they are respected by the society.   One of the many lessons we have learned from Iraq is that a new government must be made up of people with deep roots in the communities they represent. The first task of a more moderate government would be to write a constitution.   This is an extremely important step, as I’m sure you have learned by visiting the United States.   An Arabian constitution would be much different from the American one, of course, but the concept is the same.   Laws and rights must be enshrined by a binding document rather than being up to the whims of a king. An Arabian constitution might make more room for religion than the American one does, for example, or grant fewer individual rights to citizens, but it would serve a very important function.   It would represent a power greater than the king.   It would provide a list of things that the government cannot do.   These would include such elementary abuses as arrest without warrant or charge, torture, and suppression of media.   For the first time in Arabia, there would be a limit on the powers of the government. This may perhaps seem like a very limited step, but imagine what a large one it would be for our country!   Arabia today is ruled as the property of a single family; the country itself is named after the al-Sauds!   Can you imagine if the United States was called â€Å"Bush America†?   This is no way for a country to be run. I hope the friends you are making in America understand that Arabia will never be like America.   However, I believe that some American ideas, combined with moderate Arabian intellectuals, offers the best hope for our country.   Be well, friend. Sources Cleveland, William L.   A History of the Modern Middle East, second edition.   Boulder: Westview Press, 2000. Hiro, Dilip.   The Essential Middle East: A Comprehensive Guide. New York: Carol & Graff Publishers, 2003. Husain, Mir Zohair.   Global Islamic Politics, second edition. New York: Longman, 2003.      

The process of economic development and its effects in China in 1950s Research Proposal

The process of economic development and its effects in China in 1950s - Research Proposal Example e considerable damaged after the war, which became the reason that the food production reduced to approximately 30% lower than the peak level, which was achieved before the war. All these factors lead the Chinese economy in crises and the country had to face the hyperinflationary environment. The Chinese Govt aimed to restore the economy to its normal level within the time span of 3 years. In order to achieve the goal of economic recovery, the Govt started working with full devotion to recover all the losses. The recovery phase began with the reconstruction of the transportation system along with the recovery of other losses such as loss of communication system and invests on farming to recover the natural resources. The central bank of China, which is named as Peoples bank of China, was established in the year 1948 with the responsibility of maintaining the monetary control along with the regulation of all the financial institutions within the jurisdiction of China. During the estab lishment of Peoples Bank of China, the banking system was neither nationalized nor centralized. During the economic recovery phase of China, all the financial institutions were nationalized and centralized. The regulating authority of the banking system remained the Peoples Bank of China. In order to control the high inflation, which was generated due to the effects of the World War II, the Govt of China decided to synchronize the economic structure of China by centralizing the financial market of China (Mark 2013). The purpose of centralizing the banking system was that the monetary system could be unified. The Govt initiated the decisions to control the economy which includes monetary policy and extremely restricted credit facility. Another reason behind such restricted economic policies during the period of 1949 to 1952 was that the Govt had very restricted budget to recover the economy. In addition to this, during the same period Govt was compelled to also manage the

Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses Case Study

Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses - Case Study Example The company can do this by utilizing its strength of being one of its kind in the country and the strong ties with the government. However, it also needs to surpass the weaknesses mentioned above as well as the continuous threat of small market base. This report concludes with the recommendation that CFIB enhance its image through the addition of service which will enable its member to interact and help each other by the provision of an online platform. This is expected to attract new members, enhance revenue, and promotes customer satisfaction. The CFIB is a non-profit organization that represents independent companies nationwide from home-based to midsized businesses which employs hundreds of employees. CFIB offers several products besides support services which the companies can avail through annual memberships at reasonable fees. True to its commitment of representing the plight of its members, CFIB serves as the voice of these business organizations which currently numbers over 105,000. Since its establishment in 1971, CFIB has irrefutably accomplished massive victories against the government's unfair policies which has proven its loyalty to its members. Because of the ever-changing external environment, busines... What is notable in CFIB is its inability to recreate itself amidst the changes in its environment. Since its inception in 1971, CFIB strategies' remained almost unchanged. It should be credited for its aggressiveness in fighting for its members against unfair government regulations and its ability to bring about changes in some of the policies yet the conservative strategies that it utilizes in accomplishing these feats are irrefutably outdated making them unsuitable for today's business environment. CFIB failed to realize that its members' desires and need have evolved over the years. Some of the services such as sources and information that CFIB is offering can now be acquired and are readily available elsewhere. Previously, the major concerns of members are knowledge on issues such as taxation, banking and regulations. Yet, it is increasingly becoming apparent that members are now well-equipped with these information and are looking for something more. Thus, CFIB should recreate i tself in order to cope with these changes and serve the emerging needs of customers. In addition to this, there are some loopholes in the organization's operation. Because it is the nature of its objectives that CFIB is fighting for small businesses as a whole, it cannot fight for each member individually. Thus, CFIB services are not limited to its members but are extended to non-members as well. The point is, there are no incentives for nonmembers to join, as their rights are being fought for whether they became members or not. CFIB should answer this question convincingly: "Why would a small business join our organization" The incentives should be logical and it needs to give reasons that can

Health care marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Health care marketing - Essay Example The approach is the third step in which, the salesperson’s focus is the customers’ benefits. This is achieved using the FAB technique in which the product’s features are used. Presentation of the sales is the fourth step in which the presentation of sales is delivered after the grasp of the prospects interest. The presentation involves a persuasive explanation of the proposition of the business both visually and verbally. The trial close is the fifth step of the personal selling process. This step is also called the temperature question and is essentially a method of establishing the prospect’s behavior toward the product as well as its presentation. The sixth step is about the handling objections. They indicate the prospect’s interest and the salespeople should not see it with misgiving. In this step, the prospect requests additional information as a guide in the buying decision. This step helps the salesperson establish what the prospects have in their mind. The seventh step in the personal selling process is closing the sale which is essentially an understanding’s confirmation. If the salesperson really believes that the product’s purchase would benefit the prospect, his/her fear of closing the sale diminishes. The follow-up is the eighth step. The follow-up activities are meant to establish business relationships between the prospects and the salesperson in the long-term. The personal sales process is a crucial component of marketing because it enables the companies to collect data from the consumers so that they can modify the design of their product according to their needs and develop long-term relationship with the consumers by satisfying them with their products. This is absolutely beyond doubt that marketers’ efforts should not cause any harm to the society and they must make all conscious efforts to avoid doing any harm. These days, unfortunately, marketers do cause a lot of harm to the society. This is evident from the ads in which

Environmental Science DB3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Environmental Science DB3 - Essay Example It is also important to acknowledge the fact that energy cuts across all areas of our lives but very perishable. Therefore, there is need to use energy responsibly or reduce usage all together. According to Natural Resources Defense Council, there are several ways on how to reduce energy used at homes which include taking precautions like unplugging some of the appliances that are not commonly used in the house. For example, presence of an extra refrigerator requires that you unplug it from the main source of energy to save power. Unplugging electronics chargers when not in use or using power strips to switch off televisions and radios. It is also advisable to set your computers to sleep as well as hibernating mode just in case there not switched off (Consumer Reports 2006). Alternately, an individual can incorporate renewable sources such solar energy to heat bath water instead of using un-renewable energy. However, implementing these changes is accompanied by several challenges like cost and unavailability of required resources. In addition, some individuals live in remote areas, and due to lack of information, they may not have the knowledge or the potential to tap reso urces such as solar and wind energy. One of the most consumed forms of energy in many homes in USA is fuel which has been known to contributor to green house gas emission and noxious gases into the atmosphere (US Department of Energy, 2013). In attempts to avoid the use of fuel, electrical and hydrogen-powered vehicles have proven to be the best alternative. This is because they can cover many miles, are them cost effective, and do not emit noxious gases. Therefore, although such vehicles are very expensive, it is the best method to reduce fuel consumption. In conclusion it is clear that we can only reduce use of energy by first identify what, how energy is used in most homes and then utilizing the options that

What is meant by a shock to aggregate supply How can economic policy Essay

What is meant by a shock to aggregate supply How can economic policy be implemented to counter such a shock - Essay Example The role of aggregate supply has been extensively examined in the literature. In this context, it has been found that ‘aggregate supply relationship typically links inflation surprises with fluctuations in the output gap, while potential output, defined as the flexible-price equilibrium output, is exogenous; based on such construct, micro-based interest rules respond exclusively to fluctuations in the inflation rates and the output gaps’ (Razin et al., 2005, 179). In accordance with the above view, aggregate supply can represent a particular relationship, this of output gaps and inflation rates. In fact, because aggregate supply refers to the balance between products/ services and the prices in a specific market, it is very likely that the turbulences of inflation rates (as a consequence of instability in the ‘balance’ described above) could be also considered as directly related with aggregate supply. The above views can be also supported by the fact that the differences in inflation rates in a specific market are thought to be closely related with the instability in aggregate supply (among other reasons) in the above market. Indeed, the study of Razin et al. (2005, 184) led to the assumption that ‘inflation is primarily affected by: (1) economic slack, (2) expectations, (3) supply shocks, and (4) the inflation persistence; thus, inflation depends on inflation expectations, the output gap, the (log) difference between the actual and flexible-price investment, and the (log) difference between the actual and flexible-price stock of capital’. Because of the influence of aggregate supply on the inflation rates, it could be expected that a radical change (extremely severe instability appeared unexpectedly) in aggregate supply could lead to severe financial consequences for the market involved. The above described unexpected changes in the relationship

Security organs in the United States of America Research Paper

Security organs in the United States of America - Research Paper Example The office would also coordinate interagency for national estimates.2 Following the passage of the National Security Act in 1947, several variations in the Executive were legislated. Among the establishments effected by the Act was independent Air Force, National Security Council (NSC), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and Secretary of Defense. The CIG was transformed into the Central Intelligence Agency, after the Act had officially permitted it to become an independent department.3 The functions of CIG were not altered by the Act. Even though, loosely defined, new additional duties were created for CIA. A plan to define CIA’s duties in specific terms would have lead to creation of tension following the full of unification of services of other security organs.4 CIA was therefore mandated to collecting information about foreign governments, corporations and individuals and also to advise public policy makers.5 On the other hand, the National Security Council was created by the National Security Act passed in 1947. It was amended in 1949 by the National Security Act Amendments. Through the part of the Reorganization Plan of 1949 the Council was transferred to the Executive office of the President.6 Therefore, the Council serves as the principle forum when it comes to the President’s consideration on matters of security and foreign policy. Apart from the president, other members of the Council are his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials.7 The major duties of NSC have been to appropriately advise and assist the President on matters pertaining to national security as well as foreign policies. Through NSC, the President is able to coordinate the policies among the government agencies that are concerned. Such agencies include the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Army, the Secretary of Navy, the Secretary Air Force and the chairperson of the National Security Resources Board (Borene, 2010 p. 35). The Joint Chiefs of Staff’ formation was as a result of the Arcadia Conference in which the United States and Great Britain agreed to establish the combined JCS to look into the war effort on behalf of the two countries. The composition of the combined JRC included senior members in the armed forces of the two countries. Through the passage of the National Security Act, the JCS was formally established and its functions redefined.8 Despite the Act’s provisions clearly preventing the Chiefs from commanding forces, the chiefs had consistently continued to exercise executive authority in originating contact with combat commanders. This uncertainty prompted the congress to amend the Act in 1953 to deter the chiefs from such contacts with field commanders.9 The JCS of the United States is currently constituted by a six member committee. The members are; a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and the chiefs from each of the four branches of the military. The chief of each military branch t hrough the assistance of the vice-chairperson serves as a manager of his military branch. Meetings of JCS are conducted by the chairperson. The main duty of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is to advise the President, the National Security Council and the Secretary of Defense on issues of military affairs.10 How the Structure of Various Security Organs Have Limited the US Action in Iraq and Afghanistan The Washington’

Health Care Reform Essay Example for Free

Health Care Reform Essay Health Care Reforms The affordable care act came in to effect on March 2010. It is a four years plan that will affect the delivery of care to the 250 million Americans. (Swanton, 2012). The Affordable Care Act includes numerous provisions to support millions of Americans to keep the Health care costs low, promote preventive care such as colonoscopies and mammogram, and other services readily available to promote prevention of the disease and hold insurance companies accountable for the safe delivery. (Hill, 2012). The health care reform act intended to make the health care more affordable for all and make health care more safe. There were several aspects of the health care system that the reform would impact such as the employer to provide health insurances to their employees, health coverage for adult children by the protected by the parents insurance. And the reimbursement to the hospitals based on the quality of service provided rather than the quantity of the service. Goals of the reform The health reform also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), of 2010 will have a profound influence on health care in the United States. A major goal of the Act is to improve access to affordable, quality health care. In the year 2007, the health care statistics showed that there was increase in the ineffective care provided to the patients which consumed vast majority of the health care funds (Hills, 2010). The insurance companies also dictate the care for the patients and denied care for those who had preexisting health conditions, or provided health care at a very high cost. There was a great need for the reform in the health care system. The three main goals of the PPACA are, (1) expand access to health insurance coverage, (2) improve affordability and sustainability for those who have health care insurance, and (3) control the rising costs of health care while improving quality (Cutler, 2010).Based on these goals, the health care providers, the insurance companies, the patients and the system itself will be affected. An important element in achieving this goal will be to learn from patients experiences and build the foundations for personalized care for the patients. (Hill, 2010). Cutler (2010) states, the initiative will require, â€Å"partnership among researchers, clinicians, policy makers and regulators, and patients to design an  integrated information network system that will be the basis for providing the right treatment for the right patient in the right place at the right time (p.45). Thus with health care reform goals is to provide high quality of personalized care to the patient. Reference Cutler, W. (2010). Thinking outside the pillbox—medication adherence as a priority for health care reform. New England Journal of Medicine, 362(17), 1553-1555. Orszag, P. (2010). Health care reform and cost control. New England Journal of Medicine, 363(7), 601-603. Hill, B. J. (2012). What is the meaning of health? Constitutional implications of defining medical necessity and essential health benefits under the affordable care act. American Journal of Law and Medicine, 38(2), 445-70. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1038820105?accountid=13931

Revenue Recognition and Corporate Governance

Revenue Recognition and Corporate Governance Revenue recognition is one of the most important accounting concepts to organisations across the globe. Basically, there are two main ways in which an organisation can account for revenue as part of their financial accounts. A company can either use cash based accounting or accruals based accounting. Cash based accounting requires the company to recognise the revenue and to put the figure into their accounts at the point when the cash is received, regardless of how or when the money has been earned. On the other hand, with accruals based accounting the figures will feature in the accounts when the revenues are realised, or when the amount is earned, not necessarily when the cash actually enters the company[1]. Countries across the world deal with the issue of revenue recognition very differently and, as such, it is particularly difficult to compare international businesses. The way in which revenue is recognised will have an impact on the perceived financial health of an organisation and different approaches can make it extremely difficult for analysts and investors to make a fair comparison. In October 2002, the International Accounting Systems Board (â€Å"IASB†) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (â€Å"FASB†) began a joint project to deal with these differences. The original overall aim of the revenue recognition project was to establish a single coherent way of revenue recognition that can be used, globally. Fundamentally, this required the convergence of US GAAP and international standards. One of the main problems facing FASB and IASB is that the US does not have a general accounting standard relating to revenue recognition. Instead, different sectors and industries have developed their own ways of dealing with revenue recognition in line with their individual requirements[2]. As a result, there is no consistency. Moreover, revenue recognition in the US is seen as particularly complex and is based largely on the discretion of the individual finance teams. Originally, the project suggested that a fair value asset based approach should be followed. However, it is currently thought that it will not be possible to establish one universal approach. The basic concept of the fair value asset and liability approach is that when a company enters into a contract, it creates rights (assets) and obligations (liabilities). The difference between these assets and liabilities at any point in the contract is the revenue generated by this contract and should be the figures used at the point in which the accounts are drawn up. This started as a fair value approach to the difference in assets and liabilities, but has now shifted more towards the customer consideration approach to valuing the difference between assets and liabilities[3]. The FASB and IASB have since recognised that enforcing one standard on a global level will be impossible and have, since 2006, decided to take a more bottom-up approach by conducting an international study of how the above model would work and the way in which it would interact with the cultural differences across the globe[4]. It is this cultural difference and historical freedom that presents the greatest challenge to the success of the project. Without a detailed understanding of how the proposed models will work, practically, with reference to the various different families of transactions, it will be impossible for the project to reach any definitive conclusion. For this reason, gaining a greater understanding has now become the first and most important priority of the FASB and the IASB when conducting their study relating to revenue recognition. Corporate governance is absolutely vital in the administration and control of companies. Essentially, corporate governance refers to the principles, policies, customs, laws and any other factors that deal with the way in which a company is managed. It is key in the way that the relationship with the company directors and the stakeholders in the company interacts. As a general rule, strong corporate governance results in a good level of confidence in the company itself and the wider industry[5]. The aims of corporate governance are multiple but are mainly in relation to accountability of the key individuals within the organisation and, in particular, the way in which the company deals with the principal – agent problem[6]. It is also about establishing economic efficiency and ensuring the best and most appropriate use of available resources. As the way in which companies are run varies so dramatically from country to country, it is unsurprising that the way corporate governance is managed is equally diverse. In 2002, the United States took the approach of regulating the way in which corporate governance should work with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. This Act was drawn up as a rule based approach to corporate governance, following several accounting scandals which hit the headlines in the US, the most notable being the collapse of ENRON. As part of the legislation, eleven heads of rules were created and the Securities and Exchange Commission was required to make compliance a condition of admission to the exchange. The rules have been criticised as being highly prescriptive and not allowing for flexibility based on organisational differences[7]. Contrast this with the principles based approach taken in the UK and the US. Although both countries follow the Anglo-American approach, which is considered liberal and as giving priority to shareholders, the way they go about achieving this aim is substantially different. The UK takes a principle based approach with a ‘comply or explain’ policy[8]. This means that a list of principles and best practices has been developed in relation to corporate governance whereby public listed companies must either comply with this best practice or explain why it is not thought necessary in their particular circumstances. In the US, there are statutory rules with which all accompanies must comply. The UK government felt that it was not possible to create one set of rules that would capture the needs and issues of every type of company; for this reason, it has continued to favour this principle based approach. Divergences in the way that corporate governance is dealt with across the globe and even across sectors and industries is a natural part of the way business is conducted. All companies have their own issues and structures which require different approaches to control and accountability. The level of prescription that the US government has placed on corporate governance has resulted in a one size fits all approach which is simply impractical. Failure to allow a degree of flexibility and adaptability will result in a difficult to manage and ineffective system of corporate governance. Footnotes [1] Sondhi, Ashwinpaul C., Taub, Scott, Revenue Recognition Guide, Cch Inc, 2006 [2] Benston, George J., Bromwich, Michael, Litan, Robert E., Wagenhofer, Alfred ,Worldwide Financial Reporting: The Development and Future of Accounting Standards, Oxford University Press US, 2006 [3] Sondhi, Ashwinpaul C., Taub, Scott, Revenue Recognition Guide, Cch Inc, 2006 [4] Glover, Jonathan C., Ijiri, Yuji, Levine, Carolyn B., Jinghong Liang, Pierre, Separating Facts from Forecasts in Financial Statements, Accounting Horizons, Vol. 19, 2005 [5] Colley, J., Doyle, J., Logan, G., Stettinius, W., What is Corporate Governance ? McGraw-Hill, December 2004 [6] Clarke, Thomas (ed.), Theories of Corporate Governance: The Philosophical Foundations of Corporate Governance, London and New York: Routledge, 2004 [7] Monks, Robert A.G, Minow, Nell, Corporate Governance, Blackwell, 2004 [8] Arcot, Sridhar, Bruno, Valentina,d Faure-Grimaud, Antoine, Corporate Governance in the U.K.: is the comply-or-explain working?, FMG CG Working Paper 001, December 2005