History of Europe 1815-1914 Essay Example for Free

History of Europe 1815-1914 Essay Nationalism is a relatively recent phenomenon, considering the grand sweep of history. Although its roots can be found among the ancient Hebrews and Greeks, Niccolo Machiavelli’s book, The Prince, was the beginning of modern day nationalism, and was â€Å"important in the preparation of nationalism. † (Kohn, 1955, p. 9) Machiavelli believed that the state must be preserved and defended at any cost, and longed for Italian unification, which was to come centuries later. John Milton of 17th century Great Britain is considered to be the architect of modern day nationalism. Milton regarded nationalism as â€Å"the affirmation of individual freedom from authority, the self-assertion of personality in face of its own government or church,† and the freedom to â€Å"utter and to argue freely according to conscience. † (Kohn, 1955, p. 16-17) According to historian John Hall, at the core of liberalism is the quest to answer the question, â€Å"What is the nature of a good life? † (Hall, 1988, p. 9) Immanuel Kant, the German philosopher, was concerned with the categories of the human mind. His philosophy is often called critical philosophy. He believed human reasoning to be the ultimate authority on morality, and that a person should be free to reason. As hall puts it, Kant’s â€Å"defense of the basic liberal aim of considering individuals to be of moral worth remains high-powered and absolutely central to liberalism. † (Hall, 1988, p. 19) John Stuart Mill is considered to be â€Å"the most important single theorist of liberalism. † (Hall, 1988, p. 24) He believed in a person’s right to freedom, as did Kant, and defended individual liberty. Mill wrote in his work, On Liberty, â€Å"the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. † (Hall, 1988, p. 25) Mill was considered to be a radical in his time for he supported women’s equality, including the right to vote, education and birth control. Although Mill never became a socialist, he studied pre-Marxist socialist works. Karl Marx’s brand of socialism divided industrialized society into two classes: proletariat and bourgeoisie. The proletariats being the working class, and the bourgeoisie being the rich, ruling class. He criticized capitalism and considered it to be oppressive. He viewed freedom as the â€Å"extent of humankinds domination over nature and the degree of rational, conscious control over social relations. † (Walicki, 1995, p. 12) Marx was the â€Å"prophet of communism† and he thought that his utopian view of society would â€Å"restore the unity of humankind, reconciling human individual existence with human species essence. † (Walicki, 1995, p. 12) Friedrich Engels was a contemporary of Marx, and co-wrote works with him, including the Communist Manifesto. Both Engels and Marx co-founded communism. He believed that the evils in industrialized society were due to private property, and only through a class struggle which led to a communist society could there be equality. The Problem of Bismarck Otto von Bismarck was appointed as Prime Minister of Prussia by Emperor William I in 1862. Not incredibly popular when appointed, people underestimated the power-hungry man. Prior to Bismarck’s appointment, William wanted to reform the Prussian military. The parliament agreed to reform but did not want to yield control of the budget to William for a long period of time. When Bismarck came on the scene he managed to collect additional taxes needed, and used them toward military reform without the consent or approval of the parliament. Unlike Bismarck, Louis-Napoleon of France, the great nephew of Napoleon I, started his political career with great support, but ended up being deposed. He was elected president of France in 1848 with a victory of 74. 2%. He was able to gain such a huge victory by being able to â€Å"appear as all things to all men. † (Price, 2003) However, resistance grew to his domination of government in 1851. He started a coup in December 1851 with little resistance in Paris, but more in rural areas, but he was able to crush that resistance. An election was held after the coup to decide whether or not people wanted him to have the authority necessary to create a constitution, and the result was an overwhelming yes, due to his â€Å"immense popularity. † (Price, 2003) Napoleon created the Second Empire, with himself the Emperor. In 1868 Bismarck pushed for Leopold, prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, to take the throne of Spain after the Spanish Revolution of 1868. Napoleon was alarmed at the prospect of Leopold taking the Spanish throne and threatened war. Leopold’s candidacy for the throne was withdrawn, but Napoleon wanted a letter of apology from Bismarck. Bismarck published the demands of Napoleon and Prussia’s rejection in the Ems Dispatch because he knew it would likely lead to war, and thought that a war with France would cause southern German states to help fight a Prussian war, leading to the unification of Germany. War did break out in 1870, and lasted until 1871. France was defeated by Prussia under Bismarck’s leadership. Politics Economy During the 19th century Great Britain experienced a tremendous amount of economic growth, which began with the cotton industry. â€Å"Between 1815 and 1851 occurred the most rapid economic development of domestic resources in the whole of British economic history. † (Smellie, 1962, p. 140) By 1860 half of the world’s coal and manufactured goods were supplied by Britain. By 1870 British international trade was greater than the French, German and Italian combined. Several major political developments occurred in Britain during the 1830s. The Reform Bill, enacted in 1832, lessened the amount of land a man had to own to be eligible to vote. It increased eligible voters by more than 200,000. However, eligible voters still only amounted to 20%. As a reaction to the French Revolution, the Six Acts Law was passed by Parliament in 1819. It severely limited civil liberties, including freedom of the press and the right to public meeting. Other laws were passed which outlawed political rallies, and made it illegal to form labor organizations. The economic development of France was much slower than Britain’s. It took longer to industrialize because the French population did not increase as fast as the rest of Europe. The slow population growth was caused by peasants limiting their family size due to the small plots they farmed. A recession in the 1860s occurred because agriculture and industry could not keep up with global competition. From 1815 to 1870 France went through a series of regime changes. In 1815 Napoleon I was defeated and France was invaded by foreign troops. Restoration of the Bourbon monarchy was forced upon the French people, and Louis XVIII was installed as king. After Louis died in 1824 Charles X became king. Moderate royalists and liberals won seats in elections, and in 1829 Charles appointed Jules de Polignac as chief minister, which alienated both moderates and liberals. After the elections in 1830 Charles signed the July Ordinances into law which dismissed the newly elected Chamber of Deputies, causing another revolution where Charles was driven from the throne, and the July Monarchy installed, named after the month when Louis Philippe, of the house of Orleans, was installed. Louis-Philippe was also driven from the throne in 1848, and the Second Republic was created. An April 1848 election allowed all eligible males to vote. Workers in Paris, however, did not like the results of the election and revolted. The revolts were brutally put down in what came to be called the June Days of 1848. Louis Napoleon won the presidential elections of 1848, as previously mentioned, later declaring himself emperor. War Unity During the 19th century unification occurred in both Germany and Italy. In Germany Bismarck managed to unite Germany through war with France in 1870, asking Germans not to fight â€Å"for Prussian expansion but for the sake of the fatherland. † (Bridge, 1980, p. 3) He succeeded in uniting Germany, but at a price Germans did not realize. â€Å"Bismarcks sensational success in unifying the country blinded most of his countrymen to the political retardation he had imposed upon them. †(Feuchtwanger, 2001, p. 14) He managed to force an authoritarian system on all of Germany. In Italy the Risorgimento, the term for Italian resistance to Austrian rule and the growing desire for unification, began with Giuseppe Mazzini. Exiled to France in 1831, he created the organization called Giovane Italia (Young Italy) in order to help spread Italian nationalism. Giuseppe Garibaldi was inspired by Mazzini, and in 1860 he landed in Sicily in order to stir up a revolt against the Sicilian king. He managed to gather Sicilian peasants to fight, and they were able to defeat the king. He then set himself up as the dictator of Sicily, and headed to the southern mainland with his Sicilian peasants. He also gained the support of peasants there, and then headed north, where he defeated King Francis of Naples. He was met with resistance by the forces of Victor Emmanuel, king of Sardinia. He decided to hand over his conquests to Victor Emmanuel. Garibaldi was an exact opposite of Bismarck. He fought for unification of his country by gathering the support of the people, while Bismarck united his country by embroiling them in wars. Bismarck imposed authoritarianism on the German people. Garibaldi put his political ambitions aside for the good of his country. â€Å"He could have established himself as dictator of southern Italy but believed national unity to be more important than personal ambition. † (Farmer, 2006)

Strategic Company Overview of Wimm-Bill-Dann

Strategic Company Overview of Wimm-Bill-Dann The objectives of a business are to achieve growth, become profitable and to satisfy the customers needs. Many businesses have not optimally achieved this but Wimm-Bill-Dann has utilized their strategies in achieving a significant growth and this has been through mergers and acquisitions. Company overview Wimm-Bill-Dann is a Russian company that deals with dairy products, nectars, fruit juices and baby food. It is a market leader across the Russian territory with its bestsellers, J-7 juice and agusha baby food. Its market extends from Russia, former soviet republics and 10 other countries all with more than 280 million consumers. Wimm-Bill-Dann has 37 plants in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and central Asia. The company mission is ensuring that families live a healthy life by enjoying the companys nutritious products each day throughout their entire lifespan. The company has several committees whose aim is to ensure that the companys objectives are achieved. These committees include audit committee, investment and strategic planning committee and personnel and compensation committee. The audit committees goals and objectives are to assist the board of directors in carrying their responsibility in matters concerning preparation of financial statements, ensuring that there is an effective internal control, ensuring liaising and working with internal auditors and keeping with the requirements of legislative and normative acts. The audit committee may meet once per quarter fiscal year. The investment and strategic planning committee assists the directors in approving and carrying out its responsibility concerning mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning and investment programs. The committee meets not less than once in each quarter of a fiscal year. The personnel and compensation committee assist in the selection of the board of directors and help in the formulation and implementing of uniform personnel policy in all of its branches, personnel appraisal, training policy, dismissal of employees, remuneration and compensation policy and corporate ethics. The company is committed to the principles of transparency and corporate governance that is excellent. The corporate governance strength include high level of shareholder arrangement transparency, commitment to the practice of good corporate governance and the statement of the corporate governance code, being open to the investors where high level of financial and operational transparency is maintained and the presence of an effective and efficient oversight mechanism for the internal and external audit process. Financial strategies The company has solid financial strategies which ensure that it maintains financial stability and growth as depicted by its results. One of the company strategies in raising finances to fund its ambitious objective of acquisitions is the placing of bonds. The recent placing of bonds by the company was on 15th march 2008 with Moscow inter-bank currency exchange and this attracted a large number of investors. This attraction of many investors shows the great trust investors have with the company. The company financial results show that it has been on the growth phase. The results are analysed quarterly from 3 months of 2007 to 3 months of 2008.This is shown in the table below. 3 Months of 2007 6months of 2007 9 months of 2007 Financial year 2007 3 months of 2008 Gross sales rose 40.1% year-on-year to US$542.8 million rose 40.5% year-on-year to US$1,142.8 million rose 40.4% year-on-year to US$1,758.3 million 38.4% growth to US$2,438.3 million rose 34.8% year-on-year to US$731.9 million Gross profit increased 53.3% with gross margins increasing to 32.0% from 29.3% increased 48.8% to US$377.8 million increased 43.4% to US$578.4 million increased 26.2% to US$219.5 million increased 26.2% to US$219.5 million Operating income income increased 73.1% to US$51.4 million rose 44.3% to US$108.4 million rose 30.2% to US$168.3 million rose 24.5% to US$214.0 million increased 23.2% to US$63.4 million net income increased 84.8% to US$32.1 million increased 40.8% to US$65.8 million rose 30.2% to US$168.3 million increased 29.0% to US$140.0 million EBTDA increased 58.8% to US$70.4 million, EBITDA margin1 increased to 13.0% from 11.4% increased 40.3% to US$147.2 million increased 30.9% to US$229.4 million increased 29.0% to US$90.7 million increased 29.0% to US$90.7 million Earning per Share grew to US$2.40 from US$1.50 grew to US$3.18 from US$2.17 increased 30.6% to US$41.9 million The company profit has been growing at a high rate and this shows that there is an increase in sales of the products of the company and hence the business has managed to achieve one of the objectives of becoming profitable. We also see that earning per share is on the increase and this proves that the capital base of the company is on an increasing trend and so the investors are reaping from their investment. Diversification and acquisition strategy of Wimm-Bill-Dann Diversification of products involves manufacture and the sale of different line of products. This is important in reducing risks in an organization as risks will be spread within different portfolios. In order to expand and get hold of its market, Wimm-Bill-Dann has effectively used the merger and acquisition strategy to expand its business. The company has different range of products from milk products, bottled water and different kind of juice which provide its customers with a wide choice of products to purchase. One of the greatest acquisitions by Wimm-Bill-Dann is the acquisition of 95% stake in Depsona ZAO which is a leading Tula based juice and concentrates plant worth 34 million USA dollars. After this acquisition, Wimm-Bill-Dann placed itself strategically as a major fruit juice and concentrate producer in central Russia. The acquisition has given Wimm-Bill-Dann a chance to access locally grown raw material hence minimizing production cost. Depsona products were under three brands which are Depsona, Fructopak and limbo. The factory is use to produce Wimm-Bill-Dann brands national brands and act as a distribution hub for them. On September 2006, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods announced 100% acquisition of charter capital of Surgut city Dairy plant of Russia which was the largest milk processing plant in the region. The acquisition has enabled Wimm-Bill-Damm to be a leading company and to expand its market of Ural and Siberia. This acquisition has enabled the company to reduce the expenditure on logistics since there is reduced need for transporting products within different regions. Wimm-Bill-Dann now produces under its own brand at Surgut dairy. On September 2003, Will-Bill-Dann food announced the acquisition of an additional 47.7% of the equity capital of Ufamolagroprom hence increasing its total shareholding to 97%. Ufamolagroprom is the largest plant for the processing and production of dairy products in the republic of Bashkortostan. Originally the plant had a capacity of production of 240 tons of processed milk but now it has a capacity of 600 tons. The plant produce is sold under well-known Russian brands such as happy milk man, doctor Bifi and wonder. The brands distinct and attractive packaging gives it an upper hand in the market. In October 2007, Wimm-Bill-Dann acquired Georgian foods ltd which is based in Tbilisi, Georgia. This is in the companys strategy of growing its business by purchase of high performing companies with strong brand portfolio and having a large market size. Georgia food is one of the largest dairy producers in Georgia. This will enable the company to serve local demand of Georgia and supply the products to the adjacent market of Armenia and Azerbaijan. In September 2003, Wimm-Bill-Dann acquired Essentuki water production and bottling facilities. The company acquired OOOHealing spring which produces Essentuki brand mineral water and OOOGeyser, owner of Essentuki water wells. The transaction was worth 4 million US dollars. This resulted in the manufacturing facility of Wimm-Bill-Dann to be 24. Through this acquisition, the company has been able to provide its customer with highest quality goods as per its strategy in ensuring that the customer needs are satisfied. In 2006, Wimm-Bill-Dann announced the acquisition of Molka Company in Russias Irkutsk region, one of the largest companies that processes milk in eastern Siberia. The purchase of Molka allows Wimm-Bill-Dann to expand into the Siberian market. The companys presence in Irkutsk allows the company to reduce the expenditure incurred during the transportation of the products. Risk management strategy The company has several risks which it faces whilst in operation. Currency risk is one of the risks that the company faces as most of its sales are in Rubles, while bulk cost is in hard currency. Operational risks which occur when there is a disruption of raw material supply and increase in the price of raw milk. Competition risk is one of the biggest risk the company faces. The Russian economy is growing in two digit figure and due to this it has attracted the attention of both domestic and international competitors. International companies have offered the greatest challenge to the company because of their strong financial strength, they have well experienced, motivated and well learned human resource pool, strong management information system which include very modern management information system which is superior than those found in Wimm-Bill-Dann and marketing capability from these company that have a worldwide presence such as Coca-Cola company. There are several international companies which compete with WIMM-Bill-Dann, the top companies being Coca-Cola Company, Nestle and Danone. Coca cola is the largest soft drink company in the world. It owns four of the five world top brands which include Fanta, Coca-Cola, Sprite and Diet Coke. The company has worldwide recognition due to its high quality and uniformity in taste. It also has a very strong financial base and so it can easily expand to any territory in the world. Due to this, it has provided the greatest competition to soft drink segment of Wimm-Bill-Dann as most of the people have trust in its products. The company also has many franchise and high powered advertisements which are superior to wimm-bill-dann and hence offer a great competition. Nestle is the world largest food company in term of production and sales. It is also one of the largest bottled water makers, equipment for surgery and cosmetics. This company has a worldwide presence and its brands are highly respected around the world. The company has a strong financial background, good marketing strategies which provide it with a great opportunity to penetrate any market. This company has provided Wimm-Bill-Dann Company with big competition especially in the food manufacturing segment as it has penetrated Russian market Danone is one of the largest dairy food and water producers in the world. It is a world largest company producing cultured dairy products. This is the largest competitor to Wimm-Bill-Dann in the production of milk products as it has penetrated the Russian market. Human resource strategy The company has a well formulated human resources policy which ensures that the employees are highly motivated to ensure that they are productive. The company has formulated human resources strategy that is in line with those that directly deal with expanding through acquisition. The company has a policy which ensures that labour regulations are strictly followed and that all documents relating to labour law are maintained. The company ensures that the process of recruitment are fair and transparent in which there is no discrimination against sex ,age ,race or any prejudice against anyone. The company has a policy in which it ensures that employees are well compensated for their work and that they are offered good remuneration which will motivate them to perform well since people are an important entity in any organization. Staffing according to human resources strategy follows demand and supply of labour. The company has made several high level appointments recently. For example in Moscow may 12 2008,the company announced the appointment of Dmitry Ivanov as the chief financial officers who has 17 years of experience in financial field. Business strategy of Wimm-Bill-Dann The company has excellently utilized its business strategy in ensuring that it leads in the market in terms of business .Before merging, water business was run separately with its own finance and marketing departments, workforce and distribution network. Merging enabled the company to reduce the cost involved in administration, selling and distribution expenses. This will allow the company to enjoy the economies of scale in terms of transportation and distributorship. Also to reduce the overall cost, the dairy business was restructured so that all the transactions are directed from a central point where there is the overall management. In order to increase the output of milk, the company built a mega farm complex near St Petersberg. The farm has more than 1200 milking cows. Information system strategy The company has a modern information system strategy which ensures that work in the company is well organized and made easier. The company uses Oracle, a provider of enterprise software. This project covers all the key areas of the corporate activity which include marketing, finance, distribution, logistics and distribution at all of the companys enterprises in Russia. These processes assist in quick and effective management decision and ensure that they are successfully completed. New ERP system assists in the finance department especially in accounting reporting in both Russian standards and international standards. Marketing strategy The company has a well-developed market strategy which has enabled it to perform well in Russia. It has different brands and through this, it provides the consumer with a wide choice. Through vigorous advertisement, it has been able to capture the attention of many customers in Russia and other part of Russia. After acquisition of different companies, it has maintained the original brand names and packaging. This is important as it will maintain the old customer for the brands of the acquired company. Strategies that should be put to ensure that the company achieves further growth Marketing strategy Although the company has a solid marketing strategy but it has to put more effort in having access to the global market. It should put more effort in promotion of its products to other parts of the world that it has not accessed the market. It should explore potential market such as countries in Africa. The Company should borrow ideas from the strategies set by the Coca Cola Company. The company should also consider operating under franchise system in ensuring that its products are well distributed to the market. The company should increase the number and variety of products and through this, the company will provide its customer with a choice of products to choose from. The company should ensure that its branding and packaging are of high standard and should change with customers change in taste and fashion. The company should consider using marketing tools such as swot analysis in ensuring that it maintains its control of Russian market and as a mean to survive in an environment that has stiff competition. Information system strategy Although the company has an efficient management information system such as ERP accounting software, it should consider using more than one software when performing a given task. It should look for a way in which the systems are integrated. This is to ensure that efficiency is maintained and the work done is accurate. This will also ensure that fraud activities are minimized. Merger and acquisition strategy The company should maintain its strategy in merging and acquiring other companies. It should consider buying stakes in competing companies to reduce the effect of stiff competition from major multinational companies. For example it would be wise if they considered buying some stakes in the Coca Cola Company. Through this, it will borrow some ideas and skills concerning the businesses and hence improve on its performance. The company should acquire more companies in the markets in which it has not ventured. For example; it should buy companies in African countries such as those in South Africa. Human resources strategy It is people who make an organization to grow. To ensure that it has a rich pool of human resources, it should consider efficient training for workers to keep them updated on new skills so that the company can keep pace with other major multinational company in terms of human resources. The company should also increase the number of university fresh graduates who are undergoing management training. This is important in that it will gain new skills and different ideas from these graduates and this will assist the company in growth. Conclusion Will-Bill-Dann is a promising company with one of the best strategies. Its acquisition strategy has made the company to have good reputation and respect. Through its hardwork and well thought policies, the company is fast growing into one of the largest multinational companies. Through this, the company acts as a role model for other companies to emulate it.

Love in L.A. and ?M? is for Moon Among Other Things :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For Jake and Alfred, the male characters from Love in L.A. and â€Å"M† is for Moon Among Other Things, respectively, reality is far from their perception of the good life. Both men dream of living quite differently from the one they have been leading, yet neither deserve what they desire. Jake and Alfred are a true example of getting what one deserves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While the situations are very dissimilar, the dreams and desires are very common, stereotypical fantasies. Jake conjures up a perfect automobile in his mind, along with a sheik lifestyle to accompany it. Alfred shares secret, fictitious conversations with Marilyn Monroe in his head.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While wasting away in bumper-to-bumper traffic in Los Angeles, Jake seeps into his own little world, imagining all the joys of having the perfect car. Initially this is understandable as he needed â€Å"something better than this ‘58 Buick he drove.† (Gilb 628) But the fantasy goes beyond a newer, safer car with a better radio and heater. He also wanted to have â€Å"crushed velvet interior with electric controls,† which would require him to lead an entirely different lifestyle. (Gilb 628) What Jake wanted was to be wealthy, surrounded by loose women, and enjoy the freedom that money could buy. Rather than sitting in traffic on a daily basis, only to toil long hours at a useless job. Instead of working as an underpaid peon, he could revel in â€Å"exotic colognes, plush, dark nightclubs, maitais and daquiris, necklaced ladies in satin gowns, misty and sexy like in a tequila ad.† (Gilb 628)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alfred suffers from his own delusions as well. Understandably, he is tired, bored, and perhaps annoyed at the monotony of sleeping next to the same woman for so many years, for working the same old job just about as long, and also toiling through a gruesome daily commute. Just as Jake had formed his ultimate fantasy, so had Alfred is, â€Å"a Smooth-as-Silk Beauty as Fast as they Come.† (Stoppard 942) While the reference refers to an automobile advertisement, it can also be seen as his ideal dream of being close to Marilyn Monroe. Alfred is farther gone into his fictitious world than Jake, however.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The middle aged man took his desire to a near-insane level, developing entire conversations with her. After hearing of the actress’ untimely demise, Alfred explains to her spirit that â€Å"[she] shouldn’t have trusted them, they’re all rotten.† (Stoppard 944) He may be referencing the fans, the reporters, her employers, or her lovers, but whomever Alfred is speaking of is irrelevant.

Their Eyes Were Wathiching God Essay -- essays research papers

Their Eyes Were Watching God   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story about the life of Janie Crawford and the hardships and triumphs in her three marriages, though there were many more hardships. In this essay I will share with you the setting, some characters, incidents from the plot, the theme, and point of view.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This story begins in the 1930's when Janie returns to her home in Eatonville, Florida. She then begins to recount her life story to her closest friend, Phoeby. The story then shifts on to various cities in South Florida, primarily Eatonville and the Florida Everglades.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Janie Crawford, the main character, was a fair-skinned, black woman who was admired by many. She was married three times; her first marriage was at the age of sixteen which was arranged by her grandmother. Janie displayed a streak of her independence and identity when she left her first husband, and lived alone for months after her second died. Throughout her life Janie demonstrated a courageous personality as she traveled from marriage to marriage without thinking twice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tea Cake Woods, Janie's third husband, was a younger man in his thirties. He was a free-spirited, nomadic person, who's main source of income was derived from gambling. Tea Cake met his death when in a rabid rage, he was shot in self-defense by Janie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ...

Aristotle and Happiness of the Soul Essay -- Philosophy Religion Essay

One of Aristotle’s conclusions in the first book of Nicomachean Ethics is that â€Å"human good turns out to be the soul’s activity that expresses virtue†(EN 1.7.1098a17). This conclusion can be explicated with Aristotle’s definitions and reasonings concerning good, activity of soul, and excellence through virtue; all with respect to happiness. Aristotle opens his argument with the statement: â€Å"the good has been well described as that at which everything aims†(1.1.1094a2). This premise means that all actions aim at an end that is good. Moreover, through this definition of good, there are numerous goods corresponding to numerous actions. How can we know which good is the best, or highest good? Aristotle introduces a hierarchy of goods. In order to have an end there must be an activity, yet â€Å"the product (of the activity) is by nature better than the activity†(1.1.1094a6). Rather, each end in turn aims for something else: another end. It seems that this hierarchy would perpetuate into infinity, however Aristotle establishes that there is an action that has an absolute end, meaning that the end aims at nothing else. The action that produces the absolute end is pursued â€Å"because of itself;† thus this end will be the highest and best good (1.2.1094a18-22). Further, Aristotle parallels the highest good with happiness: â€Å"As far as its name goes, most people virtually agree [about what the good is] †¦ (and) call it happiness†(1.4.1095a17-19). In order for happiness to fit Aristotle’s definition of the good it must be â€Å"unconditionally complete† meaning â€Å"choiceworthy in itself†(1.7.1097a34) and â€Å"self-sufficient† meaning â€Å"lacking nothing†(1.7.1097b15). To be the highest good happiness will need to be the â€Å"mos... ...Aristotle’s conclusion relates human good, activity of soul and excellence. It is this expression of virtue through action that allows happiness to be obtained. Such dependence on virtue sets the scene for Aristotle to examine virtue more closely. He will elaborate on the two parts of reasoning well (virtue). The first part of reasoning well is having the right desires to aim oneself at the right good and not just the apparent good. The second part of reasoning well is knowing how to get to this proper desire. This will be further elaborated in book two where Aristotle will explore what it means to reason well and what is means to be virtuous. Work Cited Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by Terence Irwin. Hackett Publishing Company: Indianapolis. 1985. Note: In citations, [] indicate translators additions, while ( ) indicate my own additions.

Tourism has often been criticised for damaging the environment and undermining local cultures

Environment and undermining local cultures. To what extent Is this true in Hong Kong? You should give both the advantages and disadvantages of Hong Kong's tourist industry but your essay should support one side only. Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. It has become a popular global leisure activity, which is of vital importance for many countries, due to large intake of money for businesses with their goods and services and the opportunities for employment in the service industries. This rapid expanding industry shows both positive and negative effects. Hong Kong is an attractive and vibrant city that worth tourists' travelling as we can see many tourists in some tourist spots every day, for instance, Central, Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and so on. However, tourism in Hong Kong has long been criticised for damaging the environment and undermining local cultures. First and foremost, tourism can promote job opportunities. A good example is the operation of the Hong Kong Disneyland. It attracts more fresh graduates and young adults to find jobs and work there, and hence increase employment rate of Hong Kong. Undeniably, under the background of rising job opportunities, tourism can stimulate economic growth. As more and more tourists around the globe visit Hong Kong, this increases foreign exchange earnings and boost sales of shops. To cater for tourists' needs, there will be improvement of facilities or infrastructure such as roads, buildings, airports and communication systems, which may be improved to meet growing demands. Although tourism can bring us benefits, its drawbacks cannot be disregarded. Tourism may damage traditional culture. Tourists visit to Hong Kong will focus more their attention on shopping than seeing some popular tourist spots related to traditional cultures. Although economic growth is stimulated, Hong Kong will soon become a consumer society. Tourism could cause pollution. The non-biodegradable rubbish left behind by many tourists often ends up being dumped into landfills, rivers and the sea. Furthermore, young people will grow up in a deteriorating environment and be affected by what they see tourists do and then follow their behaviours such as drunkenness, drug abuse and gambling. In some serious cases of crimes, the relationship between two countries may be worsen because of the records of criminals. In my view, tourism has often been criticised for damaging the environment and undermining local cultures. When you walk on the streets and beaches, you can see a lot of waste and litter on the ground, even though local citizens throw some of them on the floor. Moreover, the reason why tourism undermines local cultures is tourists enjoy material comfort more than spiritual satisfaction. They realize that there are lots of cheap goods in Hong Kong and then rush into the shops and buy whatever they can without consideration. This forms a consumer culture. When they find something they have bought is useless, they will throw them away immediately. This definitely damages the environment and becomes a vicious cycle as time goes by. To remedy the problem, the local government should implement some effective measures to make tourist industry more traditional and environmentally-friendly, for example, holding more traditional activities so as to attract tourists and let them know more about local culture. Education of tourists to be a responsible person in their home countries is extremely important. Although different countries have different rules and laws, ‘When in Rome, do as Roman do', tourists should strictly follow the rules when they are traveling to Hong Kong or even other places. If they do not obey the law, they would receive heavy penalty and even imprisonment, no matter they are tourists who visit Hong Kong.

Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News Essay

The nonfiction book of Bernard Richard Goldberg entitled â€Å"Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News† is phenomenal and controversial. Goldberg boldly and bravely mentioned celebrity news man and reporters who actively participate in the idea of media bias. His book generally states the slanted or one-sided nature of the news coverage. The book will give the readers ideas and evidences on how integrity, fairness, and balance disappeared from news reporting. Hence, this paper attempts to give the readers a glimpse about Goldberg’s perceptions of the how the news is being formulated nowadays. It intends to discuss some of the evidences backed up with Goldberg’s opinion about news formulation in America particularly in the CBS News. This paper also aims to provide personal feedback and evaluations about Goldberg’s charges of media bias and present ideas about journalism today. Veteran CBS reporter, Bernard Richard Goldberg in his book â€Å"Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News† exposed how media bias prevails in America’s media. The title itself gives the readers an idea about its content. The book clearly walks them through from the author’s experiences in the world of journalism. He delivered an array of criticisms against major broadcasting networks and news reporters. He mentioned his perceptions about his colleagues’ biases in presenting news. Goldberg showed how news organizations and his colleagues working as ‘journalists’ operate behind the cameras. Any reader will agree that the extreme bitterness of Goldberg towards his colleagues before was very evident and transparent in the book. The book presents facts and evidences about the idea of the media being leftist. Chapter 5 is a good example on how reporters used media for political persuasion. Goldberg supported this idea through evidence. In 1980, Goldberg started noticing that the homeless people in America showed on the news â€Å"didn’t look very much like the homeless people† (Goldberg 63). The ones he saw on the sidewalks at large were drug addicts or winos who mumbled crazy things, but the ones that journalists showed on television were different. â€Å"They looked as if they came from their neighborhood and mine. They looked like us† (Goldberg 63). The quantity of homeless people being depicted in the media will somehow tell the leader’s capability to lessen poverty. During that time, the elected president was Bill Clinton. Goldberg clearly said that media illustrated Bill Clinton as a perfect humanitarian. Homeless people have a better situation than before, or better yet, the problem of homelessness was solved. According to Goldberg, this was about not wanting to show certain Americans at all. Monumental stories of how Americans live their lives are not nearly monumental to some TV journalists. Goldberg criticized that journalists delighted so much on news and stories like Princess Diana, Fidel Castro’s communist dictatorship, and Jon Benet Ramsey but failed to focus on more important issues for American people that need to be addressed. The TV news influenced the viewers that the most important and significant story of contemporary times was Princess Di because it inspired and illuminated the people, but how about the more important realities which need to be solved? Goldberg presented wordy references of how media always ignore more relevant information. An example of the presented evidences was that â€Å"more and more mothers have opted for work outside of the house over taking care of their children at home and the results have been disastrous† (Goldberg 164). However, serious stories like this were not given serious coverage. The increasing number of sexual abuse in America, the increasing number of premarital sex of children below 15 years old, the effects of divorce and absence of American mothers at home were some of the important stories that were not accentuated in media. Identity politics, according to Goldberg, was very eminent. In his book, Goldberg gave an example: â€Å"During the Clinton impeachment trial in 1999, as the senators signed their names in the oath book swearing they would be fair and impartial, Jennings, who was anchoring ABC News’s live coverage, made sure his audience knew which senators were conservatives but uttered not a word about which ones were liberal† (Goldberg 57). This was a cold fact given which proves that conservatives and liberals in politics are treated in an obviously different manner by the news media. The book also informs the readers how media selects news and how they present it according to their own stand to attract attention. One prominent example is the way AIDS in the U. S. was depicted as an epidemic to â€Å"spark demand for massive government AIDS spending. † Since Goldberg has been in the news reporting field for a long time, readers can easily assume the credibility of the book. Most of the facts presented were even based on his personal experience in the business. His perceptions are backed up with statistics and evidences which will give the readers’ impression that he knows what he is talking about. His bravery to name names would make him gain heroic impression. Personally, however, I found weaknesses in the book. I agree with the idea that reporters mentioned by Goldberg tend to slant the news to cater to their own preference—the standard of most viewers or the pro government. However, I am skeptic about whether the presented evidences given by Goldberg are enough to coin them media biases. It may be safe to conclude that Goldberg’s colleagues provided some favorable information and concealed unfavorable information to the news viewers. Goldberg observed that reporters choose to cover certain events only, but did he not consider that events are infinite in number which means space and time are necessarily limited? Reporters make their judgments in choosing events to cover which they think are newsworthy. Personally, that is not enough to label them as bias in general. I strongly believe that there is media bias as Goldberg wanted to depict, but the presented evidences were not just enough. I wish he went beyond that. Another weakness I found in the book is that Goldberg used political and technical terms like liberal bias, liberal hate speech, and conservatives to name a few. He failed to define them according to its context. Defining those terms will give the readers an idea what he was talking about. It may be easy to conclude that his target readers are those people working in the same business. Thus, those ordinary people who seek the truth can just define those terms in their own context and reality. As a result, they may misinterpret the message. Goldberg also failed to mention what factors made the media elite to be bias in presenting and choosing news. Was it because of their educational background? What kind of orientation and realities do they have that affect their preferences in judging what is newsworthy? Was it because of laziness, or was it because they unintentionally conform to the standard of the majority? It is natural for a reader to assume that Goldberg can actually answer these questions since they became his colleagues. I wanted to commend Goldberg’s idea about the homeless story. I find it weak. The readers may ask themselves whether homelessness during Bill Clinton’s administration remained stagnant. If only Goldberg provided information on the succeeding 0% of homelessness during Clinton’s era, it might truly create a stronger impact. However, in reading the book based on Goldberg evidences, I came up with the conclusion that the media abused their power to give information according to their own preference and standard. The problem is that they are not aware of it. They think that what they are doing is right. His book is good though in suggesting the news they are feeding the public are filtered and manufactured either intentionally or unintentionally. News must be presented accurately and completely, then let the public judge its context. The problem with journalists is that they tend to go beyond their job. I do not want to think that men and women entered journalism because they want to make a difference. Although that is good, the problem is they may just report certain news motivated by their own idealism and preference. For example, highlighting inspiring stories that may, in their own idea, inspire people and make a difference. Media must be very careful in giving the right and accurate information. Viewers of news want accurate information. They dislike slanted information because it will be costly in time, money, and effort to seek the truth. Despite its weaknesses, the book has motivated me to go and seek beyond the box. It cannot be ignored that Goldberg presented facts in his charges and accusations. The book provides one assurance: one cannot expect perfect accuracy and balance of information even from competitive and â€Å"credible† media.