Article Review II Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review II - Article Example The second topic is the negative impacts that result from implementation and expansion of Medicaid. The third issues covered in the article high are requirements that are needed for individuals to qualify for the insurance. People with a low income can access federal tax credits thereby subsidizing private health insurance. However, those living below the poverty line will not benefit from the health insurance, Medicaid or other tax credits. The instances of unfairness resulting from the policy have been experienced in a number of states. For instance, The Kansas Medicaid program offers no coverage for adults without children (Robert). The intended audiences for this article are the general public, administration, public and private health care providers as well as all stakeholders in health care. The author has involved the audience in a though provoking way. There could be bias in the article as the author is a Republican and this article may be interpreted as a criticism of the Democrat administration. Although the public might blame President Obama for the current woes in health care, the Republicans are the ones responsible for fighting against the expansion of Medicaid (Health Policy Briefs). In the health care law approved in 2010, Congressional Democrats were determined to expand Medicaid in all states. The administration has been urging people who are in need of health insurance to register on the government website to receive information of the available insurance options. The student should be evaluate the current care policies and establish whether they are effective and fair to all members of society (Virginia Gray, David and Jennifer 135). This article is important since it has the relevant information concerning the roles of various government agencies in health care. It provides explanation on the negative impacts of states’ refusal to develop Medicaid. The article spells out the states that are likely to be marginalized by this policy.

Theory of Forms Essay Example for Free

Theory of Forms Essay Definition. What is Philosophy? There are a number of definitions of philosophy given by many thinkers and they vary according to their interests and orientations. Generally, philosophy is regarded as perhaps the most obstruse and abstract of all subjects that seems apart from ordinary life. Although quiet a number of people may think of it as a being remote from every normal interest, it may be inferred that all of us have some philosophical views, whether we are aware of it or not. Most often, the term appears vague for it has been a part of our conversations. Origin. The word â€Å"philosophy† is derived from the Greek â€Å"philia† meaning â€Å"love† and â€Å"sophia† meaning â€Å"wisdom† or â€Å"knowledge†. The literal definition of philosophy, therefore, is â€Å"love of wisdom†. In current popular usage, many different ideas are involved in the manner we use the term. In some cases, philosophy refers to an attitude toward certain activities. For instance, during election, we often hear some people say, we are voting for a certain candidate because we favour for his philosophy of government. In classes in philosophy, the most common question the teacher asks is what the philosophy of student is. The popular conception of philosophy, in spite of many ways we may use the term, is a complex intellectual undertaking. Regardless of the various ideas of the role of philosophy in one’s life, its importance cannot be overemphasized. Parent Science. Philosophy may be considered as the â€Å"parent science†, in that it has given birth to natural, physical, and social sciences. These disciplines continue to provide philosophy with an abundance of contemporary issues, questions, that are seemingly difficult to answer. Philosophy is both independent fro other disciplines and embedded in their foundations and on-going activities. Philosophy as a science. Philosophy has been defined as a science because it deals with the study of the processes governing thought and conduct. It investigates the principles and laws that regulate the universe and underlie all knowledge, which satisfies the requisites of scientific state of knowing. Science has been defined as a body of systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, and experiments carried out in order to determine the nature of principles of what is being studied. Its main concern is the discovery of truth. The difference between the two fields of knowledge lies in the scope and nature of their interest and their approach. While specific sciences deal particularly with restricted field, e. g. , chemistry, philosophy deals with all aspects of man’s experiences. The interest of science is limited to the physical world, while the concern of philosophy issues on justice, conscience, reason, the soul and the Supernatural Being. The science approach to any investigation is establishing and systematizing facts, principles, and methods through experiments and hypotheses, while the approach of philosophy in its object of study is encompassing. Science tends to eliminate the persona factor and values in the quest for objectivity, while philosophy is interested in human experiences, personal values and purposes. Science is primarily concerned with the nature of things as they are, while philosophy is interested not only in the real aspects but alos in their worth and meaning. The aim of science is to observe nature and to control processes, while philosophy criticizes, evaluates and integrates the various dimensions of human experience. Philosophy as a science carefully examines and criticizes the premises and conclusions of all sciences-physical, natural, and social. Some propositions have been made by the sciences which, when examined carefully, may be found too impossible to attain or to prove. Philosophy synthesizes and compares the assumptions and conclusions of the difficult findings of the different sciences when they appear to be contradictory. Philosophy harmonizes and brings the sciences together to complement and support one another. THREE MAJOR FIELDS OF PHILOSOPHY The three major fields of philosophy are: (1) epistemology, (2) metaphysics, and (3) axiology. Epistemology. Epistemology deals with the study of origin, structures, methods, nature, limit and veracity (truth, reliability, validity) of human knowledge. It also includes logic and a variety of linguistic concerns and the philosophy of science. The word â€Å"epistemology† is derived from the Greek word â€Å"episteme† which means â€Å"knowledge† and â€Å"logos† which means â€Å"the study of†. Epistemology as a theory of knowledge asks fundamental questions about knowledge in all its forms and applications of how it is formulated and expressed and communicated. It also looks into the role of sense experience and how knowledge is acquired. Metaphysics. Metaphysics deals with questions of reality-its nature, meaning and existence. The word â€Å"metaphysics† is derived from the Greek word â€Å"meta† which â€Å"beyond† and â€Å"physikon† which means â€Å"nature† from which is derived the word physics, the science whish deals with matter, energy, force, natural laws and processes. Metaphysics is also concerned about the nature mind, self and consciousness, the nature of religion, such as the existence of God, the destiny of the universe, and the immortality of the soul. Aside from the nature of reality and the universe, metaphysics examines time, space, cause and chance. Axiology. Axiology deals into the study of values. It analyzes the origin, types and characteristics, criteria and knowledge of values. It includes values of human conduct, the nature and justification of social structures and political systems and the nature of art and its meaning in human experience. THE BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY Philosophy has several branches which resulted from man’s philosophical speculations. Each branch endeavours to provide us with useful insights into certain realities. The following are the fundamental philosophical fields of study: 1. Ethics or moral philosophy. This is the philosophical study of the morality of human acts, the search for an understanding of the good life and the ultimate basis of what is good or bad. 2. Metaphysics or ontology. This is the philosophical quest for what reality is in the final analysis. It is the study of beings in general. 3. Theology/Theodicy. This is the philosophical inquiry into the existence of God. His nature and his relations to man and the rest of creation. 4. Philosophy of man. This is the philosophical search for a deeper understanding of what man is and what it means to be fully human. 5. Cosmology. This is the philosophical search for a deeper understanding of the material universe. 6. Political philosophy. This is the philosophical search for knowledge of the ultimate foundation of the state, its ideal form and its basic power. 7. Aesthetics. This is the search for a deeper understanding and knowledge of beauty. 8. Epistemology. This is the philosophical search for answers to the fundamental questions concerning the conditions of knowledge, its extent and limitations. deeper understanding 9. Logic. This is the philosophical science and art of correct inferential thinking and setting forth its conditions. 10. Psychology. This is the science that deals with the science of mind, mental state and processes. The philosophical concept â€Å"psychology† came from the Greek words â€Å"psyche† which means â€Å"soul†, â€Å"mind†, and â€Å"spirit†, and â€Å"logos† which means â€Å"the study of†. To the Greeks, psychology is the study of the soul. Part 2. THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE. THALES Thales was the first known philosopher, scientist and mathematician although his occupation was that of an engineer. He is believed to have been the teacher of Anaximander (611 BC 545 BC) and he was the first natural philosopher in the Milesian School. Thales first went to Egypt and thence introduced this study [geometry] into Greece. He discovered many propositions himself, and instructed his successors in the principles underlying many others, his method of attacking problems had greater generality in some cases and was more in the nature of simple inspection and observation in other cases. Certainly Thales was a figure of enormous prestige, being the only philosopher before Socrates to be among the Seven Sages. Plutarch, writing of these Seven Sages, says that: Thales was apparently the only one of these whose wisdom stepped, in speculation, beyond the limits of practical utility, the rest acquired the reputation of wisdom in politics. It is reported that Thales predicted an eclipse of the Sun in 585 BC. The cycle of about 19 years for eclipses of the Moon was well known at this time but the cycle for eclipses of the Sun was harder to spot since eclipses were visible at different places on Earth. Thaless prediction of the 585 BC eclipse was probably a guess based on the knowledge that an eclipse around that time was possible. The claims that Thales used the Babylonian saros, a cycle of length 18 years 10 days 8 hours, to predict the eclipse has been shown by Neugebauer to be highly unlikely since Neugebauer shows that the saros was an invention of Halley. Neugebauer wrote: there exists no cycle for solar eclipses visible at a given place: all modern cycles concern the earth as a whole. No Babylonian theory for predicting a solar eclipse existed at 600 BC, as one can see from the very unsatisfactory situation 400 years later, nor did the Babylonians ever develop any theory which took the influence of geographical latitude into account. ANAXIMANDER Anaximander (610 – c. 546 BC) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who lived in Miletus, a city of Ionia; Milet in modern Turkey. He belonged to the Milesian school and learned the teachings of his master Thales. He succeeded Thales and became the second master of that school where he counted Anaximenes and arguably, Pythagoras amongst his pupils. Anaximander was one of the earliest Greek thinkers at the start of the Axial Age, the period from approximately 700 BC to 200 BC, during which similarly revolutionary thinking appeared in China, India, Iran, the Near East, and Ancient Greece. He was an early proponent of science and tried to observe and explain different aspects of the universe, with a particular interest in its origins, claiming that nature is ruled by laws, just like human societies, and anything that disturbs the balance of nature does not last long. Like many thinkers of his time, Anaximanders contributions to philosophy relate to many disciplines. In astronomy, he tried to describe the mechanics of celestial bodies in relation to the Earth. In physics, his postulation that the indefinite (or apeiron) was the source of all things led Greek philosophy to a new level of conceptual abstraction. His knowledge of geometry allowed him to introduce the gnomon in Greece. He created a map of the world that contributed greatly to the advancement of geography. He was also involved in the politics of Miletus and was sent as a leader to one of its colonies. Anaximander claimed that an indefinite (apeiron) principle gives rise to all natural phenomena. Anaximanders theories were influenced by the Greek mythical tradition, and by some ideas of Thales – the father of philosophy – as well as by observations made by older civilizations in the East (especially by the Babylonian astrologists). All these were elaborated rationally. The basic elements of nature (water, air, fire, earth) which the first Greek philosophers believed that constituted the universe represent in fact the primordial forces of previous thought. Their collision produced what the mythical tradition had called cosmic harmony. ANAXIMENES While his predecessors Thales and Anaximander proposed that the arche, the underlying material of the world, were water and the ambiguous substance apeiron, respectively, Anaximenes asserted that air was this primary substance of which all other things are made. While the choice of air may seem arbitrary, he based his conclusion on naturally observable phenomena in the process of rarefaction and condensation. When air condenses it becomes visible, as mist and then rain and other forms of precipitation, and as the condensed air cools Anaximenes supposed that it went on to form earth and ultimately stones. In contrast, water evaporates into air which ignites and produces flame when further rarefied. While other philosophers also recognized such transitions in states of matter, Anaximenes was the first to associate the quality pairs hot/dry and cold/wet with the density of a single material and add a quantitative dimension to the Milesian monistic system. The Origin of the Cosmos. Having concluded that everything in the world is composed of air, Anaximenes then used his theory to devise a scheme explaining the origins and nature of the earth as well as of the surrounding celestial bodies. Air felted to create the flat disk of the earth, which he said was table-like and behaved like a leaf floating on air. In keeping with the prevailing view of celestial bodies as balls of fire in the sky, Anaximenes proposed that the earth let out an exhalation of air that rarefied, ignited and became the stars. While the sun is similarly described as being aflame, it is not composed of rarefied air like the stars but rather of earth like the moon; its burning comes not from its composition but rather from its rapid motion. The moon and sun are likewise considered to be flat and floating on streams of air, and when the sun sets it does not pass under the earth but is merely obscured by higher parts of the earth as it circles around and becomes more distant; the motion of the sun and the other celestial bodies around the earth is likened by Anaximenes to the way that a cap may be turned around the head. PYTAGORAS (The Mathematical Basis of All Things) Across a span of water from Miletus, located in the Aegean Sea, was the small island of Samos, which was the birthplace of a truly extraordinary and wise man, Pythagoras. From the various scraps of information we have about him and those who were his followers, an incomplete but still fascinating picture of his new philosophic reflections emerges. Apparently dissatisfied with conditions not only on Samos but generally in Ionia during the tyrannical rule of the rich Polycrates, Pythagoras migrated to southern Italy and settled there in the prosperous Greek city of Crotone, where his active philosophic life is usually dated from 525 to 500 B. C. We are told by Aristotle that â€Å"the Pythagoreans devoted themselves to mathematics, they were the first to advance this study, and having been brought up in it they thought its principles were the principles of all things. . . In contrast to the Miletians, the Pythagoreans that things consist of numbers. Although, it is quite strange to say that everything consists of numbers, the strangeness, as well as the difficulty, of this doctrine is greatly overcome when we consider why Pythagoras became interested in numbers and what his conception of numbers was. Pythagoras became interested in Mathematics for what appear to be religious reasons. His originality could be said to consist in his conviction that the study of mathematics is the best purifier of the soul. He is, therefore, referred to as the founder of both of religious sect and the same time a school of mathematics. What gave rise to the Pythagorean sect was people’s yearning for a deeply spiritual religion that could provide the means for purifying the soul and for guaranteeing its immortality. Part 3. THE PROCESS OF THE UNIVERSE HERACLITUS Nature identified with fire. The Universality of change. The logos and Human Nature. Substance that holds everything is fire. Logos or universal reason. Fire is the process of change that which is fed into it becomes something else. Fire is not a random movement but God’s universal reason, the fire that is the unity holding everything together PARMENIDES Goddess. Logical method. What is, is and what is not, is not. A poem that reveals to him the plain truth and the deceptive beliefs of human beings A method that depends entirely on thought and not at all on experiment and observation only that can be which can be thought for. Thought exists for the sake of what is. Therefore, change is the confusion of appearance with reality and therefore change is simply an illusion. EMPEDOCLES Four elements. Love and strife. Earth, fire, air and water were considered as equally original. Love and strife, attraction and repulsion are two different forces at work in nature . Love binds things together and strife separate them. ANAXAGORAS Invisible particles that are the building blocks of nature. A miniscule particles that carry the blue print of everything else that distinguished the mind from matter. Matter is continuum, infinitely divisible and that, however, much it may be divided, each part will contain elements of everything else. Mind the cause of all things. Mind is the principle that gives matter its order. THE ATOMISTS Believed that everything in nature was made of tiny invisible particles or units called atoms Part 4. THE CONCEPT OF TRUTH KNOWLEDGE SOPHISTS’ CONCEPT OF KNOWLEDGE THE SOPHISTS The term sophist (sophistes) derives from the Greek words for wisdom (sophia) and wise (sophos). The term sophia could be used to describe disingenuous cleverness long before the rise of the sophistic movement. In the fifth century B. C. E. the term sophistes was still broadly applied to ‘wise men’, including poets such as Homer and Hesiod, the Seven Sages, the Ionian ‘physicists’ and a variety of seers and prophets. The narrower use of the term to refer to professional teachers of virtue or excellence (arete) became prevalent in the second half of the fifth century B. C. E. , although this should not be taken to imply the presence of a clear distinction between philosophers, such as Socrates, and sophists, such as Protagoras, Gorgias and Prodicus. This much is evident from Aristophanes’ play The Clouds (423 B. C. E.), in which Socrates is depicted as a sophist and Prodicus praised for his wisdom. 1. Sophists a. Protagoras. Protagoras of Abdera (c. 490-420 B. C. E. ) was the most prominent member of the sophistic movement and Plato reports he was the first to charge fees using that title (Protagoras, 349a). Despite his animus towards the sophists, Plato depicts Protagoras as quite a sympathetic and dignified figure. From a philosophical perspective, Protagoras is most famous for his relativistic account of truth – in particular the claim that ‘man is the measure of all things’ – and his agnosticism concerning the Gods. Plato suggests that Protagoras sought to differ his educational offering from that of other sophists, such as Hippias, by concentrating upon instruction in arete in the sense of political virtue rather than specialised studies such as astronomy and mathematics (Protagoras, 318e). b. Gorgias. Gorgias of Leontini (c. 485 – c. 390 B. C. E. ) is generally considered as a member of the sophistic movement, despite his disavowal of the capacity to teach arete (Meno, 96c). The major focus of Gorgias was rhetoric and given the importance of persuasive speaking to the sophistic education, and his acceptance of fees, it is appropriate to consider him alongside other famous sophists for present purposes. c. Antiphon. The biographical details surrounding Antiphon the sophist (c. 470-411 B. C. ) are unclear – one unresolved issue is whether he should be identified with Antiphon of Rhamnus (a statesman and teacher of rhetoric who was a member of the oligarchy which held power in Athens briefly in 411 B. C. E. ). However, since the publication of fragments from his On Truth in the early twentieth century he has been regarded as a major representative of the sophistic movement. d. Hippias. The exact dates for Hippias of Elis are unknown, but scholars generally assume that he lived during the same period as Protagoras. Whereas Plato’s depictions of Protagoras – and to a lesser extent Gorgias – indicate a modicum of respect, he presents Hippias as a comic figure who is obsessed with money, pompous and confused. Hippias is best known for his polymathy (DK 86A14). His areas of expertise seem to have included astronomy, grammar, history, mathematics, music, poetry, prose, rhetoric, painting and sculpture. Like Gorgias and Prodicus, he served as an ambassador for his home city. His work as a historian, which included compiling lists of Olympic victors, was invaluable to Thucydides and subsequent historians as it allowed for a more precise dating of past events. In mathematics he is attributed with the discovery of a curve – the quadratrix – used to trisect an angle. e. Prodicus. Prodicus of Ceos, who lived during roughly the same period as Protagoras and Hippias, is best known for his subtle distinctions between the meanings of words. He is thought to have written a treatise titled On the Correctness of Names. Prodicus’ epideictic speech, The Choice of Heracles, was singled out for praise by Xenophon (Memorabilia, II. 1. 21-34) and in addition to his private teaching he seems to have served as an ambassador for Ceos (the birthplace of Simonides) on several occasions. f. Thrasymachus. Thrasymachus was a well-known rhetorician in Athens in the latter part of the fifth century B. C. E. , but our only surviving record of his views is contained in Plato’s Cleitophon and Book One of The Republic. He is depicted as brash and aggressive, with views on the nature of justice that will be examined in section 3a. 2. Major Themes of Sophistic Thought a. Nature and Convention. The distinction between physis (nature) and nomos (custom, law, convention) was a central theme in Greek thought in the second half of the fifth century B. C. E. and is especially important for understanding the work of the sophists. Before turning to sophistic considerations of these concepts and the distinction between them, it is worth sketching the meaning of the Greek terms. The term nomos refers to a wide range of normative concepts extending from customs and conventions to positive law. It would be misleading to regard the term as referring only to arbitrary human conventions, as Heraclitus’ appeal to the distinction between human nomoi and the one divine nomos (DK 22B2 and 114) makes clear. The dichotomy between physis and nomos seems to have been something of a commonplace of sophistic thought and was appealed to by Protagoras and Hippias among others. Perhaps the most instructive sophistic account of the distinction, however, is found in Antiphon’s fragment On Truth. b. Relativism. The primary source on sophistic relativism about knowledge and/or truth is Protagoras’ famous ‘man is the measure’ statement. Interpretation of Protagoras’ thesis has always been a matter of controversy. Caution is needed in particular against the temptation to read modern epistemological concerns into Protagoras’ account and sophistic teaching on the relativity of truth more generally. A human being is the measure of all things, of those things that are, that they are, and of those things that are not, that they are not. There is near scholarly consensus that Protagoras is referring here to each human being as the measure of what is rather than ‘humankind’ as such, although the Greek term for ‘human’ –hoanthropos– certainly does not rule out the second interpretation. Plato’s Theaetetus (152a), however, suggests the first reading and I will assume its correctness here. On this reading we can regard Protagoras as asserting that if the wind, for example, feels (or seems) cold to me and feels (or seems) warm to you, then the wind is cold for me and is warm for you. c. Language and Reality. Understandably given their educational program, the sophists placed great emphasis upon the power of speech (logos). Logos is a notoriously difficult term to translate and can refer to thought and that about which we speak and think as well as rational speech or language. The sophists were interested in particular with the role of human discourse in the shaping of reality. 3. The Distinction Between Philosophy and Sophistry The distinction between philosophy and sophistry is in itself a difficult philosophical problem. The terms ‘philosopher’ and ‘sophist’ were disputed in the fifth and fourth century B. C. E. , the subject of contention between rival schools of thought. Histories of philosophy tend to begin with the Ionian ‘physicist’ Thales, but the presocratics referred to the activity they were engaged in as historia (inquiry) rather than philosophia and although it may have some validity as a historical projection, the notion that philosophy begins with Thales derives from the mid nineteenth century. It was Plato who first clearly and consistently refers to the activity of philosophia and much of what he has to say is best understood in terms of an explicit or implicit contrast with the rival schools of the sophists and Isocrates (who also claimed the title philosophia for his rhetorical educational program). SOCRATES Socratic Method Socrates was not a â€Å"philosopher,† nor yet a â€Å"teacher,† but rather an â€Å"educator,† having for his functionSocrates to rouse, persuade and rebuke (Plato, Apology). Hence, in examining his life’s work it is proper to ask, not What was his philosophy? but What was his theory, and what was his practice of education? It is true that he was brought to his theory of education by the study of previous philosophies, and that his practice led to the Platonic revival; but to attribute to him philosophy, except in that loose sense in which philosophy is ascribed to one who, denying the existence of such a thing, can give an account of his disbelief, is misleading and even erroneous. Socrates theory of education had for its basis a profound and consistent skepticism; that is to say, he not only rejected the conflicting theories of the physicists, of whom â€Å"some conceived existence as a unity, others as a plurality; some affirmed perpetual motion, others perpetual rest; some declared becoming and perishing to be universal, others altogether denied such things, â€Å"but also condemned, as a futile attempt to transcend the limitations of human intelligence their, pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. † That it was in this way that Socrates was brought to regard â€Å"dialectic,† â€Å"question and answer,† as the only admissible method of education is no matter of mere conjecture. In the review of theories of knowledge which has come down to us in Plato’s Theaetetus mention is made of certain â€Å"incomplete Protagoreans,† who held that, while all opinions are equally true, one opinion is better than another, and that the â€Å"wise man† is one who by his arguments causes good opinions to take the place of bad ones, thus reforming the soul of the individual or the laws of a state by a process similar to that of the physician or the farmer; and these â€Å"incomplete Protagoreans† are identified with Socrates and the Socratics by their insistence upon the characteristically Socratic distinction between disputation and dialectic, as well as by other familiar traits of Socratic converse. In fact, this passage becomes intelligible and significant if it is supposed to refer to the historical Socrates; and by teaching us to regard him as an â€Å"incomplete Protagorean† it supplies the link which connects his philosophical skepticism with his dialectical theory of education. It is no doubt possible that Socrates was unaware of the closeness of his relationship to Protagoras; but the fact, once stated, hardly admits of question. Knowledge and action Socrates teaches that a man must know how to choose the mean and avoid the extremes on either side, as far as possible. In education, Socrates asks us to consider the effect of either an exclusive devotion to gymnastics or an exclusive devotion to music. It either produced a temper of hardness and ferocity, (or) the other of softness and effeminacy. Having both qualities, he believed, produces harmony; i. e. , beauty and goodness. He additionally stresses the importance of mathematics in education for the understanding of beauty and truth. PLATO Theory of forms The Problems theory was meant to solve: (1) The Ethical Problem: How can humans live a fulfilling, happy life in a contingent, changing world where every thing they attach themselves to can be taken away? (2) The Problem of Permanence and Change: How can the world appear to be both permanent and changing? The world we perceive through the senses seems to be always changing. The world that we perceive through the mind, using our concepts, seems to be permanent and unchanging. Which is most real and why does it appear both ways? The general structure of the solution: Plato splits up existence into two realms: the material realm and the transcendent realm of forms. Humans have access to the realm of forms through the mind, through reason, given Platos theory of the subdivisions of the human soul. This gives them access to an unchanging world, invulnerable to the pains and changes of the material world. By detaching ourselves from the material world and our bodies and developing our ability to concern ourselves with the forms, we find a value which is not open to change or disintegration. This solves the first, ethical, problem. Splitting existence up into two realms also solves the problem of permanence and change. We perceive a different world, with different objects, through our mind than we do through the senses. It is the material world, perceived through the senses, that is changing. It is the realm of forms, perceived through the mind, that is permanent and immutable. It is this world that is more real; the world of change is merely an imperfect image of this world. The Forms: A form is an abstract property or quality. Take any property of an object; separate it from that object and consider it by itself, and you are contemplating a form. For example, if you separate the roundness of a basketball from its color, its weight, etc. and consider just roundness by itself, you are thinking of the form of roundness. Plato held that this property existed apart from the basketball, in a different mode of existence than the basketball. The form is not just the idea of roundness you have in your mind. It exists independently of the basketball and independently of whether someone thinks of it. All round objects, not just this basketball, participate or copy this same form of roundness. In order to see exactly what a form is and how it differs from a material object, we need to look at the first two of the properties that characterize the forms. The forms are transcendent. This means that they do not exist in space and time. A material object, a basketball, exists at a particular place at a particular time. A form, roundness, does not exist at any place or time. The forms exist, or subsist, in a different way. This is especially important because it explains why the forms are unchanging. A form such as roundness will never change; it does not even exist in time. It is the same at all times or places in which it might be instantiated. A form does not exist in space in that it can be instantiated in many places at once and need not be instantiated anywhere in order for the form to exist. The form of roundness can be found in many particular spatial locations, and even if all round objects were destroyed, the property of roundness would still exist. The forms are also pure. This means that they are pure properties separated from all other properties. A material object, such as a basketball, has many properties: roundness, ballness, orangeness, elasticity, etc. These are all put together to make up this individual basketball. A form is just one of these properties, existing by itself apart from space and time. Roundness is just pure roundness, without any other properties mixed in. The forms differ from material objects, then, in that they are transcendent and pure, while material objects are complex conglomerations of properties located in space and time. The forms are causes in two closely related ways: (1) The forms are the causes of all our knowledge of all objects. The forms contribute all order and intelligibility to objects. Since we can only know something insofar as it has some order or form, the forms are the source of the intelligibility of all material objects. (2) The forms are also the cause of the existence of all objects.

Tourism Industry In Indonesia Politics Essay

Tourism Industry In Indonesia Politics Essay Unity in Diversity, is the national motto of Indonesia, is a term that strikes deep into the heart of this dynamic and attractive Southeast Asian nation. Few places offer such cultural variety and geographical complexity as Indonesia, and no two journeys here are ever alike. Location, Geography and Climate Indonesia is composed of seventeen thousand islands that stretch over five thousand miles along the equator. The Malay Peninsula and Indochina are situated to the north-west, and the continent of Australia lies due south. Northward lie the Philippines and Micronesia. The worlds largest archipelago, Indonesias constellation of islands straddles the divide between the Asian and Australian continental plates. As a result, the islands offer a stunning variety of topographies and ecologies Mist-shrouded volcanoes and mountains, unexplored rain forests, thousands of miles of beaches, and endless offshore reefs support a dazzling abundance of wildlife, making Indonesia an ideal destination for adventure and eco-travel. The great majority of the countrys constituent islands are of negligible size, but it does holdwholly or in partseveral islands that are enormous. These include Sumatra, Kalimantan (formerly Borneo, and shared with Malaysia), Sulawesi, and Java. The Indonesian state of Irian Jaya occupies the western half of New Guinea, which is the worlds second largest island (behind Greenland). The most populous of the Indonesian islands by far is Java, home to the sprawling capital city of Jakarta. Other notable islands include the exotic, popular resort island of Bali, Lombok, Catholic Flores, and Komodo, home of dragons. http://www.geographia.com/indonesia/indo2.jpg There are two discernible seasons in Indonesia: the dry season, which extends from June to October, and the rainy season, which lasts from November to March. Both are hot. The coastal regions, however, are often cool, and in the mountains the air is often chilly. Overview of the country Indonesia is one of the largest countries in south-east Asia, between the Indian ocean and the pacific ocean which contain mainly mountainous and covered with rain forests, swamps and consists over 13000 islands. Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. Jakarta, capital of Indonesia and the countrys largest commercial center. Indonesia declared its independence on 17th august 1945 from Japan but Netherlands agreed to transfer sovereignty in 1949. Susilo Bambang is the president and Muhammad Yusuf kalla is the vice-president of Indonesia. Bahasa is the official language in Indonesia which is modified form of Malay but the most widely spoken language is Javanese. 88% of Indonesians populations are Muslim. It has a very large trading environment, with several countries ranging in products from gas to textiles. 22% of its populations lived below poverty line. Flag of Indonesia:- http://8bahasa-indonesia-ccc.wikispaces.com/file/view/indonesia_flag.jpg/307489752/351227/indonesia_flag.jpg Demographic profile of Indonesia mhtml:file://H:FOLDER1GCRIndonesia%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia.mht!http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Indonesia_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg/250px-Indonesia_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg.png According to the 2010 national census, the population of Indonesia 237.6 million, with high population growth at 1.9%. 58% of the population lives on java, the worlds most populous island. Despite a fairly effective family planning program that has been in place since the 1960s, population is expected to grow to around 265 million by 2020 and 306 million by 2050. There are around 300 native ethnic group in Indonesia, and 742 different languages and dialects. Most of Indonesians are descended from Austronesia- speaking people whose languages can be traced to proto-Austronesia (PAN), which possibly originated in Taiwan. Another major grouping is Melanesians, who inhabit eastern Indonesia. The largest ethnic group is the Javanese, who comprise 42% of the population, and are politically and culturally dominant. The Sudanese, ethnic Malays, and Madurese are the largest non-Javanese groups. A sense of Indonesian nationhood exists alongside strong regional identities. Society is largely harmonious, although social, religious and ethnic tensions have triggered horrendous violence. Chinese Indonesians are an influential ethnic minority comprising 3-4% of the population. Much of the countrys privately owned commerce and wealth is Chinese-Indonesian-controlled, which has contributed to considerable resentment, and even anti-Chinese violence. The official national language is Indonesian, a form of Malay. It is based on the prestige dialect of Malay, that of the Johor-Riau Sultanate, which for centuries had been the lingua franca of the archipelago, standards of which are the official languages in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. Indonesian is universally taught in schools; consequently it is spoken by nearly every Indonesian. It is the language of business, politics, national media, education, and academia. It was promoted by Indonesian nationalists in the 1920s, and declared the official language under the name Bahasa Indonesia on the proclamation of independence in 1945. Most Indonesians speak at least one of the several hundred local languages and dialects, often as their first language. Of these, Javanese is the most widely spoken as the language of the largest ethnic group. On the other hand, Papua has over 270 indigenous Papuan and Austronesia languages, in a region of about 2.7 million people. While religious freedom is stipulated in the Indonesian constitution, the government officially recognizes only six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Although it is not an Islamic state, Indonesia is the worlds most populous Muslim-majority nation, with 86.1% of Indonesians being Muslim according to the 2000 census. On 21 May 2011 the Indonesian Sunni-Shia Council (MUHSIN) was established. The council aims to hold gatherings, dialogues and social activities. It was an answer to violence committed in the name of religion. The majority of Muslims in Indonesia are Sunni. 9% of the population was Christian, 3% Hindu, and 2% Buddhist or other. Most Indonesian Hindus are Balinese, and most Buddhists in modern-day Indonesia are ethnic Chinese. Though now minority religions, Hinduism and Buddhism remain defining influences in Indonesian culture. Islam was first adopted by Indonesians in northern Sumatra in the 13th century, through the influence of traders, and became the countrys dominant religion by the 16th century. Roman Catholicism was brought to Indonesia by early Portuguese colonialists and missionaries, and the Protestant denominations are largely a result of Dutch Calvinist and Lutheran missionary efforts during the countrys colonial period. A large proportion of Indonesians-such as the Javanese abangan, Balinese Hindus, and Dayak Christians-practice a less orthodox, syncretic form of their religion, which draws on local customs and beliefs. ECONOMIC OVERVIEW OF INDONESIA Indonesia has a mixed economy in which both the private sector and government play significant roles. The country is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and a member of the G-20 major economies. Indonesias estimated gross domestic product (nominal), as of 2010 was US$706.73 billion with estimated nominal per capita GDP was US$3,015, and per capita GDP PPP was US$4,394 (international dollars). June 2011: At World Economic Forum on East Asia, Indonesian president said Indonesia will be in the top ten countries with the strongest economy within the next decade. The Gross domestic product (GDP) is about $1 trillion and the debt ratio to the GDP is 26%.[ The industry sector is the economys largest and accounts for 46.4% of GDP (2010), this is followed by services (37.1%) and agriculture (16.5%). However, since 2010, the service sector has employed more people than other sectors, accounting for 48.9% of the total labor force; this has been followed by agriculture (38.3%) and industry (12 .8%).[ Agriculture, however, had been the countrys largest employer for centuries Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, grew an estimated 6.1% and 6.4% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The government made economic advances under the first administration of President YUDHOYONO (2004-09), introducing significant reforms in the financial sector, including tax and customs reforms, the use of Treasury bills, and capital market development and supervision. During the global financial crisis, Indonesia outperformed its regional neighbors and joined China and India as the only G20 members posting growth in 2009. The government has promoted fiscally conservative policies, resulting in a debt-to-GDP ratio of less than 25%, a small current account surplus, a fiscal deficit below 2%, and historically low rates of inflation. Fitch and Moodys upgraded Indonesias credit rating to investment grade in December 2011. Indonesia still struggles with poverty and unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, corruption, a complex regulatory environment, and unequal resource distribution among r egions. The government in 2012 faces the ongoing challenge of improving Indonesias insufficient infrastructure to remove impediments to economic growth, labor unrest over wages, and reducing its fuel subsidy program in the face of rising oil prices. GDP (official exchange rate): $832.9 billion (2011 est.) GDP real growth rate: 6.5% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 39 6.2% (2010 est.) 4.6% (2009 est.) GDP per capita (PPP): $4,700 (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 157 $4,400 (2010 est.) $4,200 (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars GDP composition by sector: Agriculture: 14.7% Industry: 47.2% Services: 38.1% (2011 est.) Industrial production growth rate: 4.1% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 78 CURRENCY c OVERVIEW OF INDUSTRIES, TRADE AND COMMERCE The industries in Indonesia are classified as follows: Agriculture: With 42.1% of the total labor force engaged in agriculture, Indonesia can be rightly considered an agrarian economy. The sector contributed 14.4% to the countrys GDP in 2009. In 2006, the country yielded food crops worth 213,529,700 million rupiahs, which was 35% more than the 2003 level. Rice and coffee remains the major producer of the country, making it the worlds fourth biggest producer of these products. Textile and Apparel: The textile and apparel manufacturing industry of Indonesia ranks 14th in the world. In 2008, the value added by textiles and clothing manufacturing dropped to 1.2%. Industry was hard hit by the global recession of the late 2000s. Around 155 textile production companies went bankrupt in 2009 due to an increase in the cost of production and enormous inflow of cheap stuff from China Mining: The fall in commodity prices in 2009, due to the global economic downturn, resulted in several major mining companies putting their investment plans on hold. However, the mining industry is expected to reach US$123 billion by 2014, with yearly growth of 10%-11% from 2010 onwards. Increase in international interest can be seen in the Indonesian coal sector, after the significant number of deals that took place in the last quarter of 2009. Tourism: Tourism is among the biggest economy boosters in Indonesia. This is apparent in the fact that 6.45 million visitors came to the country in 2009, despite of hotel bombings in Jakarta. Tourism contributes 3% to the GDP of the country. The tourism growth plan for 2010 aims at 7 million foreign tourists. However, this is much lower than that of its tiny neighbor Singapore, which was visited by 9.5 million people in 2009. Other Industries: Petroleum and natural gas, footwear, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, food, etc. ECONOMIC SECTORS On 25 January 2011, after talks by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyuno, India and Indonesia had signed business deals worth billions of dollars and set an ambitious target of doubling trade over the next five years. Tourism wise, Indonesia is one of only 14 countries in which tourist visas prior to entry are not required in India. Indian Nationals also are issued tourist visas on arrival in Indonesia. India also has further economic ties with Indonesia through its free trade agreement with ASEAN, of which Indonesia is a member. President of Indonesia Sukarno was the first chief guest at the annual Republic day parade of India. In the year 2011 too, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyuno was the chief guest for the same. In 1998, agriculture accounted for 19.5 percent of Indonesias total GDP, industry for 45.3 percent, and services for 35.2 percent, a quite different scenario than in decades past. For the first 20 years after independence in 1945, the agricultural sector contributed more than 50 percent of the nations GDP from independence. There was little development of industry, and production per capita was no more than it had been when Indonesia was a Dutch colony. From 1965-74 there were few major industrial projects due to the still weak economy and a strategy of import substitution, which created more jobs. In the early 1970s the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) raised oil prices, greatly increasing Indonesias export income. Indonesia used this windfall, as well as profits from high prices for tropical agricultural products in the 1970s, to build heavy industries, such as steel, and advanced technologies, such as aeronautics. By the 1980s this industrialization process allowed growing industries such as steel, aluminum, and cement production to reduce the dependence of the economy on agriculture. These industries, especially the high-tech ones, met with only mixed success, and none of them generated the significant employment required by such a populous country. Agriculture and natural resources were still important to the economy, and Indonesias economy was vulnerable to frequent changes in the prices of these commodities, as well as of oil and gas. Oil earnings dropped in 1982-83 from US$18.825 billion to US$14.744 billion and kept falling over the next 2 years. Non-oil exports grew but not enough to make up for the fall in earnings. As Indonesias balance of payments became negative, the World Bank pushed Indonesia to open its markets, and beginning in the mid-1980s the government initiated reforms to boost manufactured exports in order to strengthen the economy. These measures included a currency de-valuation to help make exports competitive, export incentives, the relaxation of rules on foreign investment and trade, and an end to some monopolies, such as plastics OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS AND TRADE AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL Indonesia carries exports and imports at an international level as well. Indonesia Exports: Commodities-Oil gas, Plywood, Textiles, Rubber, Electrical appliances, etc. Indonesia Imports: Commodities-Machinery and equipment, Chemicals, Fuels, Foodstuffs, etc. FDI rules in Indonesia allow 100% FDI investment in selected areas of business only. It limits foreign direct investment to 95%, with a minimum of 5% ownership by an Indonesian. It allows FDI investment with certain conditions that stipulates the sectors which are closed to FDI investment. Trade TRADE INVESTMENT COMPLEMENTARITIES India Indonesia bilateral trade is at least two millennia old. In the ancient past, the two nations used to trade in spices, timbers, minerals, precious stones, cotton silk. In present, trade ties have not realized their true potential which can be attributed to the lack of imaginative. Planning as well as ignorance on the part of the business communities of the two countries. Now India and Indonesia are increasingly seen as emerging Asian economies. trade and investment complementary need to be comprehensively explored. As a result of the continued growth of Indias economic transaction with the ASEAN from 1970 onwards, the amount of trade grew in volume. By 1982 the ASEAN countries shared Indias export which had been 2.6 percent in 1970 had risen to 4.2 % .During the same period Indias total imports from the region had risen. PRESENT TRADE RELATIONS OF INDIA AND INDONESIA http://www.ecaii.org/images/stories/header.jpg Today, both the countries maintain cooperative and friendly relations. India and Indonesia are two of the few democracies in Asian region which can be projected as a real democracy. As fellow Asian democracies that share common values, it is natural for both countries to nurture and foster strategic alliance. Indonesia and India are member states of the G-20, the E7 (countries), the Non-aligned Movement, and the United Nations. With an expanding economy and increasingly favorable investment climate, Indonesia stands as a key economic entity in the ASEAN region. Its abundance of natural resources and a flourishing manufacturing sector have ensured a successful relationship with the booming Indian economy in areas of trade and investment. Though trade relations were formalized with the signing of a Trade Agreement in 1978, there was an absence of a forum for periodic talks between the two countries. The bilateral effort was revitalized with the first ever India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) held in Yogyakarta in September 2003. The meeting resulted in the formation of an India-Indonesia Expert Working group with the primary objective of enhancing and diversifying bilateral trade and investment relations. So far, the JCM has met thrice with the most recent meeting in 2007, producing a comprehensive Plan of Action in areas comprising trade, infrastructure, and investment. This underlines the increasing political support for the bilateral process which would provide the much-needed political impetus to deepen economic relations between the two countries. Indonesia is presently Indias second-largest export market in ASEAN (second only to Singapore). India mainly exports refined petroleum products, oil seeds, chemicals and iron and steel products to Indonesia. On the other hand, it is one of Indonesias largest buyers of crude oil and further, imports its mining, petroleum and paper products. In 2006, Indias exports increased by 33.77 per cent to US$1.407 billion from US$1.052 billion in 2005. Imports on the other hand grew by 17.18 per cent in 2006 to US$3.39 billion from US$2.878 billion the previous year. The two countries intend to work towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with an aim to boost bilateral trade to US$10 billion by 2010. In the area of investment, there are more than twenty major Indian manufacturing joint ventures in Indonesia. Majority of these investments were undertaken in the 1970s and 80s mainly in textiles, synthetic fiber and steel industries with India being among the top 5 investors in Indonesia up to 1985. Major Indian companies that established themselves in this phase included, the Lohia Group (Indorama Synthetics), Ispat Group (Indo Ispat), Aditya Birla Group (having four units in textiles and yarns) and Tolaram Group among others. The recent upturn in the Indonesian economy and the accompanying political change has encouraged a greater emphasis on investments in new industries. There has been a distinct shift from basic raw material industries to automobiles, infrastructure, energy, and services. TVS Motors of Chennai has invested US$45 million in a motorcycle plant near Jakarta while Bajaj Auto is converting traditional three wheelers into CNG-powered ones and launched its new two wheeler model Bajaj Pulsar in the Indonesian market in November 2006. Various private entities have also made investments in areas like coal mining, plantations for bio-fuels and extraction of minerals. Along with investments in new industries, new Indian players have started making an entry into the Indonesian market. Companies like the Tata Power Company Limited and Essar Steel Limited are looking to invest in energy and steel along with public sector giants such as the National Aluminum Company Limited (NALCO), National Thermal P ower Corporation (NTPC), and Rail India Technical and Economic Services Limited (RITES). On the other hand, Indonesian investment in India is rather low and ranks 36th in the FDI inflow to India. Though there has been increasing participation by Indonesian groups especially in West Bengal, the stringent regulatory climate in India is perceived as a primary deterrent for Indonesian companies looking to invest in a big way. Limited direct flights between the two countries and restrictive visa requirements by India have further proved to be a hindrance to greater Indonesian participation in India. Recently, the two countries have been at logger heads over differences pertaining to the India-ASEAN FTA. Indonesia has been pushing for greater access of its palm oil exports to India while India wants a reworking of the negative list put forward by Indonesia. Further, at a bilateral level, there are also issues pertaining to the Indian demand for the removal of non-tariff barriers on its exports of meat and processed foods. Though India is one of the largest exporters of halal bovine meat in the world, Indonesia continues to ban Indias bovine meat and milk products on the grounds that India is not free from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). Despite the mentioned issues between the two countries, there is optimism about the potential that exists for greater economic ties. With both countries facing daunting infrastructural and energy challenges, there is tremendous opportunity for investments on both sides. With opportunities and forum for cooperation in place, it is important that economic actors in both countries step up and work towards enhancing economic partnerships. Companies in both countries need to actualize potential synergies for their mutual benefit and ensure that attempts at cooperation are not restricted to inter-governmental meetings and commissions. PESTEL ANALYSIS of Indonesia considering the TOURISM INDUSTRY: Political analysis Indonesia is considered as Republic country. It declared its independence on 17th August 1945 from Japan so 17thAugust is the national holiday. Indonesia is legal rules and regulations are  based on Roman-Dutch law. Their  constitution has abrogated by Federal Constitution in 1949and Provisional Constitution abrogated in 1950 which restored on 5 July 1959. Political stability: In Indonesia after every five year election is being contested for president and vice president post by direct vote of the citizenry. Last time it was held on 8 July 2009 (next to  be held in July 2014) Susilo Bambang has elected as president and Muhammad Yusuf Kalla is the Vice-President. Similarly, Cabinet also appointed by the president. So for next 5 years there are more chances of stability of the government.   Indonesia is a republic with a presidential system. As a unitary state, power is concentrated in the central government. Following the resignation of President Suharto in 1998, Indonesian political and governmental structures have undergone major reforms. Four amendments to the 1945 Constitution of Indonesia have revamped the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The president of Indonesia is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, and the director of domestic governance, policy-making, and foreign affairs. The president appoints a council of ministers, who is not required to be elected members of the legislature. The 2004 presidential election was the first in which the people directly elected the president and vice president. The president may serve a maximum of two consecutive five-year terms. The highest representative body at national level is the Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR). Its main functions are supporting and amending the constitution, inaugurating the president, and formalizing broad outlines of state policy. It has the power to impeach the president. The MPR comprises two houses; the Peoples Representative Council (DPR), with 560 members, and the Regional Representative Council (DPD), with 132 members. The DPR passes legislation and monitors the executive branch; party-aligned members are elected for five-year terms by proportional representation. Reforms since 1998 have markedly increased the DPRs role in national governance. The DPD is a new chamber for matters of regional management. Most civil disputes appear before a State Court (Pengadilan Negeri); appeals are heard before the High Court (Pengadilan Tinggi). The Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung) is the countrys highest court, and hears final cessation appeals and conducts case reviews. Other courts include the Commercial Court, which handles bankruptcy and insolvency; a State Administrative Court (Pengadilan Tata Negara) to hear administrative law cases against the government; a Constitutional Court (Mahkamah Konstitusi) to hear disputes concerning legality of law, general elections, dissolution of political parties, and the scope of authority of state institutions; and a Religious Court (Pengadilan Agama) to deal with codified Sharia Law cases Political scenario will play a pivotal role in defining the flourishing of tourism in Indonesia. If there are less political conflicts then tourists all over the world will feel safe in travelling. Even after the starting of the business in Indonesia it becomes a duty to maintain the safety and health of the travelers especially those travelling through road and rail. . ECONOMIC ANALYSIS Indonesia has a mixed economy in which both the private sector and government play significant roles. The country is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and a member of the economies. Indonesias estimated gross domestic product (nominal), as of 2010 was US$706.73 billion with estimated nominal per capita GDP was US$3,015, and per capita GDP PPP was US$4,394 (international dollars).June 2011: At World Economic Forum on East Asia, Indonesian president said Indonesia will be in the top ten countries with the strongest economy within the next decade. The Gross domestic product (GDP) is about $1 trillion and the debt ratio to the GDP is 26%.[ The industry sector is the economys largest and accounts for 46.4% of GDP (2010), this is followed by services (37.1%) and agriculture (16.5%). However, since 2010, the service sector has employed more people than other sectors, accounting for 48.9% of the total labor force, this has been followed by agriculture (38.3%) and industry (12.8%).Agricul ture, however, had been the countrys largest employer for centuries. According to World Trade Organization data, Indonesia was the 27th biggest exporting country in the world in 2010, moving up three places from a year before. Indonesias main export markets (2009) are Japan (17.28%), Singapore (11.29%), the United States (10.81%), and China (7.62%). The major suppliers of imports to Indonesia are Singapore (24.96%), China (12.52%), and Japan (8.92%). In 2005, Indonesia ran a trade surplus with export revenues of US$83.64 billion and import expenditure of US$62.02 billion. The country has extensive natural resources, including crude oil, natural gas, tin, copper, and gold. Indonesias major imports include machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, and foodstuffs. And the countrys major export commodities include oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, rubber, and textiles. Prime lending rate: If we talk about their commercial Bank prime lending interest rate it is quiet decent which is 6.41% and their Central bank discount rate is 10.83%. (CIA, 2009)   Business or individual tax system: Tax system has various rules and categories for example on first 25,000,000 income rate of tax is 10% then on next 25,000,000 it is 15% and on next 50,000,000 it is 30%. In the same way Income Tax on interest from Indonesian banks is fixed at a final 15% for both companies and individuals SOCIO-CULTURAL ANALYSIS Indonesia has about 300 ethnic groups, each with cultural identities developed over centuries, and influenced by Indian, Arabic, Chinese, and European sources. Traditional Javanese and Balinese dances, for example, contain aspects of Hindu culture and mythology, as do wayang kulit (shadow puppet) performances. Textiles such as batik, ikat, ulos and songket are created across Indonesia in styles that vary by region. The most dominant influences on Indonesian architecture have traditionally been Indian; however, Chinese, Arab, and European architectural influences have been significant. Sports in Indonesia are generally male-orientated and spectator sports are often associated with illegal gambling. The most popular sports are badminton and football. Indonesian players have won the Thomas Cup (the world team championship of mens badminton) thirteen of the twenty-six times that it has been held since 1949, as well as numerous Olympic medals since the sport gained full Olympic status in 1992. Its women have won the Uber Cup, the female equivalent of the Thomas Cup, twice, in 1994 and 1996. Liga Indonesia is the countrys premier football club league. Traditional sports include sepak takraw, and bull racing in Madura. In areas with a history of tribal warfare, mock fighting contests are held, such as, caci in Flores, and pasola in Sumba. Pencak Silat is an Indonesian martial art. Indonesian cuisine varies by region and is based on Chinese, European, Middle Eastern, and Indian precedents. Rice is the main staple food and is served with side dishes of meat and vegetables. Spices (notably chili), coconut milk, fish and chicken are fundamental ingredients. Indonesian traditional music includes gamelan and keroncong. The Indonesian film industrys popularity peaked in the 1980s and dominated cinemas in Indonesia, although it declined significantly in the early 1990s. Between 2000 and 2005, the number of Indonesian films released each year has steadily increased. The oldest evidence of writing in Indonesia is a series of Sanskrit inscriptions dated to the 5th century. Important figures in modern Indonesian literature include: Dutch author Multatuli, who criticized treatment of the Indonesians under Dutch colonial rule; Sumatrans Muhammad Yamin and Hamka, who were influential pre-independence nationalist writers and politicians; and proletarian writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Indonesias most famous novelist. Many of Indonesias peoples have strongly rooted oral traditions, which help to define and preserve their cultural identities. Media freedom in Indonesia increased considerably after the end of President Suhartos rule, during which the now-defunct Ministry of Information monitored and controlled domestic media, and restricted foreign media. The TV market includes ten national commercial networks, and provincial networks that compete with public TVRI. Private radio stations carry their own news bulletins and foreign broadcasters supply programs. At a reported 25 million users in 2008, Internet usage was estimated at 12.5% in September 2009.More than 30 million cell phones are sold in Indonesia each year, and 27 percent of them are local brands. This has formed the lifestyle of the people in Indonesia. While starting a tourism business in Indonesia the attractions of the place need to be identified first. Tourists all over the world

the female care product :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å" Why do you always complain about your cramps and your uncomfortability. Look at these people; they’re having a good time while on there period.† That’s what I told my girlfriend when looking at a recent tampon ad. It’s funny though, that this particular ad we were looking at, was talking about how they (the tampons) don’t hurt, how they helped conquer fear and also the race of people that it used.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When I first look at this ad I see two girls and a guy playing Frisbee. It seems like a fun atmosphere, so it caught my eye. In one picture they show a girl taking the Frisbee away from a guy and in the next she is taking it away from a girl. It’s a happy ad that shows two girls possibly on there period. Which in the case of the product being sold an underlying meaning of you can have fun and still be on your period could be inferred.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Sweet!!! (and I was almost a no-show ‘cause I thought using a tampon would hurt.) Obviously the advertisers are saying that these specific types of tampons are comfortable. It’s a smart move to make this the very first thing you see in the ad because this automatically assures the consumer that this product is not harmful in anyway. In a buyer’s eyes this will trigger a need to be safe. Most people nowadays are risk adverse and try to avoid all possible situations that compromise they’re safety. So by reiterating that this product is comfortable, the buyer already feels â€Å"protected† without even knowing it. Although you must consider this, everybody has a different body stature and what is comfortable to a â€Å"regular† sized woman or lady might not be comfortable to an overweight or smaller woman or lady.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The continuous pressure is to create ads more and more in the image of audience motives and desires.†(Marshall McLuhan, pg. 61 cc) The tampon advertisers must know this to be true being that they affiliate the need to dominate with the ad. â€Å"Playtex helped me conquer my fears, then Jill and I conquered the boys!† Being that this was stated in the ad, the main character of our advertisement had an enormous fear of using tampons, possibly because foreign objects in small places can be intruding and painful. But she was reassured by trying the product herself. Also some of her fears might have been odors, even though the captions do not mention deodorants or scents to the tampons.

Evolution of Medicare Essay

Abstract The article briefly describes about the Medicare and its benefits. The article also explains the loopholes in the Medicare policy and why it lacks certain vital aspects. Finally in the concluding remarks I have explained the gray areas where the Medicare needs some rectification and improvement to help serve its purpose. Evolution of Medicare According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, Medicare is stated as a health insurance program for people aged 65 years and above or people with disabilities but under 65 years of age and/or people suffering from end-stage renal disease such as permanent kidney failure. Diane Rowland stated that Medicaid originated based on companion legislation enacted in 1965 providing â€Å"federal matching grants to states to finance care.† According to Tricia Neuman, Medicare covers about 41 million people with 35 million elderly and 6 million disabled below 65 years of age. Medicare can be classified into following parts: Part A – Inpatient hospital care and limited skilled nursing care Part B – Physician services and other outpatient hospital services Part C – HMO’s and other private care (Combination of Part A and Part B) Part D – Outpatient prescription drug coverage.   The US Department of Health and Human Services stated that an individual is eligible for Medicare if S/he or spouse has been employed for a minimum of â€Å"10 years in a Medicare covered government employment† and is 65 years or above and a permanent resident cum citizen of the US. An individual below 65 years of age but suffering from a disability or end-stage renal disease would also qualify to avail of Medicare services. According to the National Medicare Commission some of the important points to be noted are as follows: Without reform Part A of trust fund is bound to become bankrupt in the year 2008. Medicare beneficiaries are already paying 30% of their health care costs from their pockets for items such as premiums, services and products not covered under Medicare. The Annual Medicare expenditure is expected to rise in the range of $2.2 trillion to $3 trillion by 2030. Consequently the Medicare spending would occupy a â€Å"larger part of the federal budget† and funding for other important programs like national defense, justice, health and safety and environmental protection will potentially get affected. According to Holly Sklar, besides being costly the US ranks 29th in World Health Organization healthy life expectancy rankings and sad to note that US is behind 36 other countries in child mortality of age less than five years. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) the United States topped with a 15% spending of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on health in 2003 in comparison to an average of 8.6% spending in 30 other OECD countries. Despite the fact that US tops among the OECD countries in spending from its GDP, some of the startling facts are that it has lesser number of physicians, nurses and hospital beds per person and fewer MRI and CT scanners than an average OECD nation. â€Å"Lack of health insurance is killing many more Americans than terrorism.† After a brief discussion about Medicare, it is clear that reforms need to take place on an immediate basis to avoid bankruptcy of Part A of trust fund and the steps seem to be moving in a right direction with regard to charging higher premiums to those with higher incomes, thus bringing in equality in treatments. A flaw rectified recently was in respect of outpatient drug benefit, but there needs to be some more improvement so as to provide long term care and also provide hearing aids, eyeglasses and dental care. References Medicare Eligibility Tool. The US Department of Health and Human Services. Page retrieved from: http://www.medicare.gov/MedicareEligibility/home.asp?dest=NAV%7CHome%7CGeneralEnrollment&version=default&browser=IE%7C7%7CWinXP&language=English Diane Rowland. Medicaid: The Basics (2005). Kaiser Commission on Medicaid. Powerpoint presentation available on: http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/medicaidbasics/medicaid.html Tricia Neuman. Medicare 101 (2005). The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Powerpoint presentation available on: http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/Medicare%20101/Medicare101.html National Medicare Commission. The Facts About Medicare. National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. Page retrieved from: http://medicare.commission.gov/medicare/factpage4.html Holly Sklar. Time for Health Care for All on Medicare’s 40th Anniversary (2005). Politics of Health. page retrieved from: http://politicsofhealth.org/main/time_for_health_care_for_all_on_medicare_s_40th_anniversary

Anna Freud, Founder of Child Psychoanalysis

Anna Freud, Founder of Child Psychoanalysis Anna Freud was the daughter of Sigmund Freud. While her father was a giant in the field of psychology, Anna Freud was an accomplished psychologist in her own right. She was the founder of child psychoanalysis and extended and further refined her father’s ideas about defense mechanisms. Fast Facts: Anna Freud Known For: Founding child psychoanalysis and work on ego’s defense mechanismsBorn: December 3, 1895 in Vienna, AustriaDied: October 9, 1982 in London, EnglandParents: Sigmund Freud and Martha BernaysKey Accomplishments: Chairman of the Vienna Psycho-Analytic Society (1925-1928); Honorary President of the International Psychoanalytical Association (1973-1982); Founder of the Hampstead Child Therapy Course and Clinic (1952, now known as the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families) Early Life Anna Freud was born in 1895 in Vienna, Austria. She was the youngest of six children born to Sigmund Freud and his wife, Martha Bernays. She did not have a good relationship with her mother and was distant from her five siblings, especially her sister Sophie, who she felt was a rival for her father’s attention. However, she was close to her father. Sigmund Freud, fourth from left, sits at an elegant dining table with the rest of his family, including his daughter Anna, far right. Corbis/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images Anna Freud graduated from Cottage Lyceum in 1912. While she didn’t go on to higher education, she claimed that she learned more at home from her father and his colleagues than she ever did at school. And, of course, Anna Freud had unparalleled access to information on psychoanalysis, which would eventually enable her to become an important voice in the field. Career In 1917, Anna Freud took a job as a primary school teacher. She also started to undergo psychoanalysis with her father- a practice that would be considered unusual today but was more common at the time. In 1923, Anna Freud started her own psychoanalytic practice focusing specifically on children. This was also the year that her father was diagnosed with cancer and Anna became his caretaker. Shortly afterwards, Anna Freud started teaching at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Training Institute. Then in 1927, she became the Secretary for the International Psychoanalytic Association, and in 1935, the director of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Training Institute. The following year she published her best-known work, The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense, which expanded on her father’s ideas about defenses and the ways the ego works to protect itself. In 1938, when the Nazi threat became too great, Anna and Sigmund Freud fled Vienna and settled in London. World War II started there in 1939. Sigmund Freud died a few weeks later. Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939) (second right) arrives in Paris after leaving Vienna en route to London, Paris, France, June 1938. He is accompanied by his daughter Anna (1895 - 1982) (left), wife of Prince George of Greece, Marie Bonaparte (1882 - 1962) (second left), and her son Prince Peter of Greece (1908 - 1980) (right). Pictorial Parade / Getty Images During her early years in England, Freud found herself in conflict with Melanie Klein, another psychoanalyst who was also formulating techniques to use with children. Freud and Klein differed on key points about child development, which led to their different approaches to analysis. In order to resolve the disagreement, they engaged in a series of â€Å"Controversial Discussions† that ended with the British Psychoanalytical Society forming training courses for both perspectives.   In 1941, Anna Freud opened The Hampstead War Nurseries with her friend Dorothy Burlingham. There, they cared for children who had been separated from their families due to the war and documented the children’s responses to the stress of being separated from their parents. After closing the nursery at the end of the war, Freud founded the Hampstead Child Therapy Course and Clinic in 1952. She was its director until her death in London in 1982.   Contributions to Psychology Freud was a pioneer of child psychoanalysis. She developed new techniques to help children, as she found they required different psychological treatments than adults.  She also pointed out that the symptom’s exhibited by children varied from those displayed by adults. She suggested this was a result of children’s developmental stages. In addition, her work on the ego’s defense mechanisms is still considered seminal. It was a major contribution to both ego psychology and adolescent psychology. Freud said repression, the unconscious suppression of impulses that could be problematic if they were acted upon, was the principle defense mechanism. She also detailed a number of other defense mechanisms, including denial, projection, and displacement. Key Works Freud, Anna. (1936). The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense.Freud, Anna. (1965). Normality and Pathology in Childhood: Assessments of Development.Freud, Anna. (1966-1980). The Writing of Anna Freud: 8 Volumes. Sources Cherry, Kendra. â€Å"Anna Freud Biography (1895-1982).† Verywell Mind, 11 November 2018. https://www.verywellmind.com/anna-freud-biography-1895-1982-2795536GoodTherapy. â€Å"Anna Freud (1895-1982).† 14 July 2015. https://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/anna-freud.htmlSandler, Anna Marie. Anna Freud. British Psychoanalytical Society, 2015. https://psychoanalysis.org.uk/our-authors-and-theorists/anna-freudSmirle, Corinne. Profile of Anna Freud. Psychologys Feminist Voices Multimedia Internet Archive, edited by In A. Rutherford. feministvoices.com/anna-freud/Sigmund Freud Museum. Vita Anna Freud. https://www.freud-museum.at/en/sigmund-and-anna-freud/vita-anna-freud.html  Sigmund Freud Museum. Biography Anna Freud. https://www.freud-museum.at/files/inhalte/dokumente/en/anna_freud_biopgraphy_eng_pdf.pdfThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. â€Å"Anna Freud: Austrian-British Psychoanalyst.† Encyclopaedia Britannica, 29 November 2018. https://www.britann ica.com/biography/Anna-Freud

Bill Gates before Microsoft

Bill Gates before Microsoft I selected Bill Gates because he is a very important person today, and I didn't know much about him other than he was the richest man in the world. I wanted to know how or why he became so successful. Also, I wanted to know why he is such a controversial person.Facts in BriefBirth: October 28th, 1955 in Seattle WashingtonParents: William H. and Mary GatesEducation: Lakeside, a private high school, and a major of Prelaw at HarvardChildhoodBill was the second of three children. His father was a lawyer. His mother was very active in business, education, public service, and was on the board of United Way. Growing up, school was very easy for him and he learned very quickly. Most people who knew him say that it was impossible to win an argument against him because he knew so much. Socially, he was an outcast; his interests were very different from others.Bill Gates at the World Economic Forum ,2007.SchoolBy 1970, he was sent to a private school in Seattle called Lakeside because he was gi fted. There he discovered computers and fell in love with them. His school bought computer time for a year, but he used it up in a week. He was addicted.He became good friends with Paul Allen, another computer whiz. Pretty soon, they became very good programmers. To learn more about computers, they would sometimes climb into trash bins of local computer companies to find programmers' old notes.Finally, he got a job working out computer bugs. Soon, Paul and he also organized a company called the Traf-o-data; it recorded traffic data for his town and it was very profitable. He also developed some programs for his school. One kept track of pay roll, and the other kept track of class scheduling; it also put...

Free Essays on Jazz Analysis Paper

â€Å"Dixie Jazz Band One-Step† and â€Å"Dippermouth Blues† are two recordings that are from the 1920s yet have remarkable differences between the two. The differences could stem from a variety of reasons such as differences in the ethnicity of the musicians and the artists that influenced the bands. â€Å"Dixie Jazz Band One-Step† was recorded in February 1917 by The Original Dixieland Jazz Band. The band features Nick LaRocca on cornet, Larry Shields on Clarinet, Eddie Edwards on trombone, Henry Ragas on piano, and Tony Spargo on drums. The band members were all anglo-saxon men who were from New Orleans but met in Chicago. The â€Å"Dixie Jazz Band One-Step† is a very fast and almost frantic song performed in a rag style. The drummer plays a boom-chick feel in many parts of the song but also plays the bass drum only on the down beats and uses wood blocks and cowbells for added percussion. The song was originally created by all the musicians improvising their individual parts and once it was written, the song was always played the same way. There are no long improvised solos in this piece. The instruments have very specific roles in this tune. The trombonist plays in the tailgate style, trying to make up for the lack of a bass player. The pianist franticly plays the chords to the song. The clarinet plays obbligato to the melody and handles the stop time fills while the cornet plays the actual melody. The song’s form is very repetitive and there is little difference between the repeats of sections. â€Å"Dippermouth Blues† is very different from â€Å"Dixie Jazz Band One-Step†. The instrument featured are the piano, trombone, trumpet, two cornets, bass, and drums. Two of the more obvious differences in the band are the woman piano player and all band members being of african-american descent. The most obvious differences in the songs are the form (this song is a 12 bar blues) and the time (this song is in 4/4). Some... Free Essays on Jazz Analysis Paper Free Essays on Jazz Analysis Paper â€Å"Dixie Jazz Band One-Step† and â€Å"Dippermouth Blues† are two recordings that are from the 1920s yet have remarkable differences between the two. The differences could stem from a variety of reasons such as differences in the ethnicity of the musicians and the artists that influenced the bands. â€Å"Dixie Jazz Band One-Step† was recorded in February 1917 by The Original Dixieland Jazz Band. The band features Nick LaRocca on cornet, Larry Shields on Clarinet, Eddie Edwards on trombone, Henry Ragas on piano, and Tony Spargo on drums. The band members were all anglo-saxon men who were from New Orleans but met in Chicago. The â€Å"Dixie Jazz Band One-Step† is a very fast and almost frantic song performed in a rag style. The drummer plays a boom-chick feel in many parts of the song but also plays the bass drum only on the down beats and uses wood blocks and cowbells for added percussion. The song was originally created by all the musicians improvising their individual parts and once it was written, the song was always played the same way. There are no long improvised solos in this piece. The instruments have very specific roles in this tune. The trombonist plays in the tailgate style, trying to make up for the lack of a bass player. The pianist franticly plays the chords to the song. The clarinet plays obbligato to the melody and handles the stop time fills while the cornet plays the actual melody. The song’s form is very repetitive and there is little difference between the repeats of sections. â€Å"Dippermouth Blues† is very different from â€Å"Dixie Jazz Band One-Step†. The instrument featured are the piano, trombone, trumpet, two cornets, bass, and drums. Two of the more obvious differences in the band are the woman piano player and all band members being of african-american descent. The most obvious differences in the songs are the form (this song is a 12 bar blues) and the time (this song is in 4/4). Some...

Pro Merger And Anti Merger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Pro Merger And Anti Merger - Essay Example This draws the attention of media to the spate of marriages. The articles had shown a slew of divorces from trade to local to business press. The most recent ones are the AT&T’s announcement of its division into four entities – business, broadband, wireless and consumer and separation of British Telecom into retail and wholesale segments in its fixed line business in UK. It is difficult to identify the logic behind the changes in activity. In the world of mergers and acquisitions, the chaos still remains. The deeper analysis shows the consolidation of industries conforming to set of laws. The companies analysing the position of their industries on the consolidation curve and developing strategies according to that led them to win. The study conducted by A.T. Kearney shows that a distinct pattern is followed by the activity of consolidation. It makes progress in four phases with varying lengths. Mergers vary proportionally in reverse order to the extent of consolidation. Each consolidating industry passing through four different stages are opening, accumulation, focus and alliance. The time period from first stage to final stage stretches over 20 years approximately. An industry can increase its merger and acquisition from starting at low level of concentration till the saturation is reached. The activities of merger are also dependent on the movement of stock. The rising stocks provide considerable acquisition currency to the companies (Maire and Collerette, 2010, p.281). Massive deregulation in economic sectors and growing globalization also affect consolidations as the levels of stock market affect it. They drive stock prices and consolidation. Consolidation also boost stock prices because the top management is judged in terms of growth usually on its performance and also because the mergers open the access to international capital markets. Other than the phase specific development and cross industry patterns, there are other factors that accelerate industry consolidation like capital market pressures, globalization, advent of internet, technology infrastructure to support networking. More value can be achieved by the company which is demanded by the capital markets through acquisitions and mergers. The infrastructure of technology providing the facility of communicati on to companies outside their own walls influences the activity of consolidation. The communication via internet and potential of integration facilitates the management of complex enterprises. This makes more mergers and acquisitions possible. As companies strive to get bigger, market fragmentation is followed by consolidation waves. On reaching a certain degree of concentration, the mergers decline. The businesses focus on its core competencies at that time until it no longer look for merger and acquisition rather it choose alliances. Knowing the phases and patterns of the activity of merger and acquisition enable the knowledgeable players understanding the scene of merger in their industry, evaluating the

U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Essay

U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) - Essay Example For a new employer who currently has no international ventures, and would like to go international, there are several key factors that require their attention. Such factors include the availability of adequate financial resources, human and social capital. In additional, for a new employer to get focused internationally, there is the first need to go through the domestic market entry barriers and gather the opportunities that lead to higher purchasing power of consumers from the developed economies. The employer must also carry out market analysis to ensure that it has fully engaged the domestic market enough before moving to the international market. It goes without saying that one major factor that would push an employer to the international market would be the availability of adequate financial resources. Such resources will be necessary for the creation of new offices in the countries where the business would decide to venture in. There is also this aspect of hiring the human capital that would perform the various duties in the business. The financial resources, apart from aiding in acquiring offices, will also be necessary for setting up the operational structures and activities of the company in the new areas. The company will also have to invest in the social capital to be sure that its investment get enough market in the public sphere through good social relations. In deciding to pursue international business, the main determining factors include economic, environmental, market and competitive factors. The market forces will determine the receptivity of the customers to a global product. When the consumers are more receptive to the product, the business is set to go global. However, if the consumers are less receptive to the product, the business is not yet ready to go global and the best thing to do is to do enough marketing to increase its receptivity. Economic factors

Messaging to Prepare for future challenges Essay

Messaging to Prepare for future challenges - Essay Example †¢Comparison and contrast the ways that the leader used messaging (communication) to institute MyBlueprint and prepare HCL Technologies and Axon for the acquisition Although such an approach was deemed as somewhat radical, the fact of the matter is that it allowed for the end reviews, high end management, to gain a more informed and realistic model of action with regards to what changes and development was necessary in helping to firm to engage in a further level of profitability for each component part and individual sector. This was useful due to the fact that it allowed the middle management to derive and achieve a level of accountability and honesty with regards to the processes and goals that they were ultimately responsible for; rather than merely putting forward talking points that would likely deviate from the root goals and endeavors that the firm sought to effect. What was noticed was that although such a process was radical and engendered a degree of risk, it nonethel ess was highly useful in providing a degree of oversight that was instrumental in detailing and establishing a baseline of performance with regards to any and all upcoming changes that could seek to promote further responsibility and profitability within the firm. With regards to Axon and the strategy that was employed as a result of the merger, this too differentiated itself from the approach that so many firms mistakenly make with respect to the way in which such a business marriage takes place. As such, rather than seeking to bring Axon directly in line with the directives that HCL Technologies had previously been operating under, they CEO determined that the best way in which to maximize the potential that could exist between the two was to seek to leverage an understanding of the fact that Axon was acquired due to the fact that it had the potential to maximize the relationship that the two firms could sustain working in a symbiotic relationship. What is meant by this is that Ax on was not acquired so that the two could behave in an identical manner; rather, the CEO came to the understanding that the firms, although now part of a singular entity, must continue to exhibit the key strengths that they had prior to being organized under one banner. Moreover, the weaknesses that the two firms exhibited must be approached from the baseline of understanding that these should be worked to be minimized without reducing the effectiveness that had formerly been exhibited by either entity. In such a manner, a differentiated and unique plan of management and standardization, as well as oversight, was required to be initiated to ensure that the synergy could be maximized without diminishing the overall competence that they formerly brought to bear. †¢Analyze the effectiveness of the internal and external messaging (communication) With regards to the effectiveness of the internal and external messaging (communication) that was utilized as a function of making the afo rementioned goals a reality, the CEO opted first and foremost to review the process in its entirety among fellow stakeholders (upper and middle management) as a means of targeting any weaknesses within the model that had formerly

Market Failures in Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Market Failures in Microeconomics - Essay Example This is basically the study of interaction between the individual buyers and the sellers and the factors that cause them to make their buying or selling decisions. In an ideal world an equilibrium is achieved in the market, meaning only the amount of goods demanded is being supplied while fully utilizing all the available resources and the whole society benefits. It must be realized that in the real world a "perfect economy" never exists. Recognizing the truth that is not a perfect world, let's examine a few factors which usually end up disturbing the market equilibrium henceforth causing a market failure. A market failure is any condition in which the quantity of goods/services demanded by the consumer is not equal to the quantity supplied by the suppliers. This quantity can be less or more than the market demand. A few such factors which can cause a market failure are agents gaining market power, externalities and sometimes a market failure is caused due to the nature of goods/serv ices or their nature of exchange. These are the main three factors which break the equilibrium and cause a market failure. What does "an agent gaining market power" mean to an individual This term simply refers to the some individuals or firms having certain advantages over the others, which is the basis for the market equilibrium to break and therefore causing a market failure. ... ies such as selective price cutting, buyouts, and massive advertising to block entry and competition from even the most innovative new firms and existing rivals. Moreover, rent-seeking dominant firms have been known to persuade government to give them tax breaks, subsidies, and tariff protection that strengthens their market powers" (Brue, McConnell and R.R 256). For instance a firm maybe able to price their goods in such a way so that it is beneficial to them but hurting the competition. From the individuals' point of view, certain groups which require occupational licensing (such as doctors, pilots etc.) are favored. Only the licensed group can obtain high income levels, therefore these groups end up with the advantage of gaining market power, referring to buying power. The basic principle of any perfect society is equality. When a buyer or a seller disturbs the equality principle by gaining market power, this breaks the equilibrium and henceforth causes a market failure. Certain o utcomes, such as monopoly, can be very harmful to the consumers. If a firm is able to price their product in a such a way that benefits them, this can literally cause the competition to be driven out of business. Once there is no competition left, the firm is free to overcharge, harming the consumers. This situation can be prevented through government policies and regulations. One such example of prevention is The Competition Act of 1998 in UK, which prevents any anti-competition agreements between businesses. An other factors that can contribute to a market failure are externalities. An externality of an economic transaction is an impact on a participant that is not directly engaged in the transaction. In such circumstances, costs do not reflect the full value or gains in

The lottery Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The lottery - Research Paper Example They are to pick a paper from the black box and whoever picks the black marked paper is doomed to die. The story narrates that Mr. Hutchinson picked the marked paper so that out of all the villagers, each member of his family was to pick from the box to determine who will finally suffer the consequences of the tradition. Tessie Hutchinson, the wife, picked the marked paper and therefore was stoned to death. This may be very barbaric but â€Å"The Lottery† speaks more genuine concerns about tradition and how people treat it, than it looks to be in this retelling of the story. It also portrays literary elements such as point of view, setting, characters, plot and role of tradition in the story which will be discussed in detail in this paper. â€Å"The Lottery† is told by a third person narrator (Cencage) whose view of the characters is limited. The storyteller is not able to tell the thoughts of the characters but efficiently narrates the story by simply identifying the c haracters and describing them, their actions or their words and facial expressions. Cencage describes the manner of narration as â€Å"detached and objective† in recounting the events of the story. ... here the story was set, this day could be seen as a day when children would go out and play gleefully outside or it would be a wonderful day for families to go walking together or have a picnic in the park. According to Cencage, the 27th could a day when the solstice, the longest day of the year, occurs. It is said that traditionally, people sacrificed humans during the solstice and so the significance of this in the story cannot be easily dismissed as it soon eventually unfolds in the story that the winner of the lottery is going to be stoned to death. In an interview with the author, she was asked about how she came up with the story and she comments, â€Å"Perhaps the effort of that last 50 yards up the hill put an edge on the story. It was a warm morning and the hill was steep† (nothbennington.org). However, behind the setting are also characters which made the story come alive. The narrative presents most of the villagers as a group and they are not identified. There are many minor characters which have been mentioned and there are also major players. However, this paper will focus on one major character, Tessie Hutchinson, who unfortunately picked the doomed marked paper that led to her death. Mrs. Hutchinson is first seen in the story running from her home, still on her house clothes. Evidently, she has been doing her household chores and has hurried to the meeting to participate in the lottery that was about to take place. She is also presented as a happy and talkative person who easily speaks her mind and feelings. However, when she â€Å"wins the lottery and is stoned to death by her fellow villagers† (Cencage), Tessie finds the courage to rally herself against the fairness of the system and the tradition. Tessie is the symbol of the rise of feminism. In a