How Law Is Passed in Maldives Essay

How law is passed in Maldives. In Maldives laws are made in People’s MaJlis. It’s the supreme authority for law- making by the Article 70 of the constitution. Article 70. â€Å"(a) The legislative authority of the Maldives shall be vested in the People’s Mall’s. † In the Maldives there are 2 types of legislation considered by Parliament. These are: 1- Government Bills (Bills that are introduced by the Government) 2- Private Member Bills (Bills that are introduced by the Members whether individual or from a political party ) Government Bills Government Bills symbolize government policy and a Minister presents them. The bulk of Parliament’s stage is taken up with these types of bills. As the present government does not hold such a large parliamentary majority, it is almost uncertain that all Government Bills will be passed into law (though some may be passed along the way). Private Member Bills Individual Member of Parliaments (MPs) from any political party (or a peer) can introduce a Private Members Bill. These hardly have any chance of becoming law as too much of Parliament’s time is occupied up with Government bills. As a consequence of this, Parliament gets little chance to discuss Private Members Bills, et alone vote on them. Each legislative year, the Cabinet has to decide on what it needs to do regarding lawmaking that year. As such it has to arrange what it needs – though it has to be cautious of assurances made to the public at large. A lawmaking session does not last for one calendar year. With extended adjournments, Parliament actually sits for a lot less than twelve months. Lawmaking in Parliament is driven by what is said in the President Speech that usually opens Assembly in February. The government to introduce whatever form of legislation it needs, a possibly difficult process takes lace before the bill becomes law. The first process is one of origination. This is actually deciding what is going to be contained in that bill. Both ministers and civil servants are responsible for actually drafting the government bill. First the bills are sent to the parliament secretariat for getting scheduled to parliament agenda. The secretariat then will do a primary legal review regarding the text; purpose and the content are in accordance with the constitution and laid down parliament rules. After the preliminary review the secretariat will schedule the bill in the parliament agenda ith the approval of the Speaker. Then the bill will be introduced by the sponsored member and he shall explain the need and the contents of the bill. This stage is called â€Å"first reading† of the bill. Then members of the parliament discuss the bill and then vote on it. The First Reading is the first time that a bill goes before the MaJlis itself. The First Reading is, really nothing actually happens other than the fact a bill goes before Assembly. Then the bill goes for a Second Reading. By the time of the Reading that MPs have the chance for a wide-ranging discussion on a bill’s advantages or otherwise. Usually, though not exclusively, a parliamentary day is given over to a Second Reading, which usually corresponds to about three hours of discussion. Usually, a government minister opens a Second Reading. The debate in the MaJlis is controlled by either the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker. From the Second Reading, the bill moves onto to the Committee Stage. The Committee Stage is the most thorough scrutiny of the bill. This scrutiny is done by a Standing Committee that is made up of 12 to 25 MPs. The Committee evaluates and supports each clause ofa bill. It does not discuss the overall purpose of a bill. Each member of a Standing Committee is allowed to propose an amendment to clauses in the bill. The whole committee stage is meant to be a thorough examination of a bill and it is the longest part of the process. Once it has ended, the process moves on to the Report Stage. Report Stage can last from 30 minutes to several days. From here, the bill returns for its Third Reading. The Third Reading is the final part of the debate regarding the bill within the MaJlis. MPs discuss the overall content of the amended bill. After the third reading, the Speaker opens the floor to take vote for the bill. Then he MPs give their vote through electronic machines fixed infront of MPs Table. Then if MPs vote represents the majority of that session the bill will be passed and will be sent to the President for scrutinizing the Assent. And if it is doesnot get the majority it will be disqualified to become a law. Finally when the President receives the bill he has the discretion to give Assent in the first time. So, if he gives the Assent it will be published on the gazette and it will become a law. But, if he does not give Assent he shall sent the bill to MaJlis for review. Then again that bill is scheduled and MPs ebate on the reservations of the President, and if they still need to pass the law as it is, they shall pass that bill with big majority and sent to President for Assent. Then the President must give Assent and shall publish the new law in Gazzette. An act usually has a date or dates in its text as to when it will be implemented (or when parts of it will be implemented if it is a multi-layered act). Some acts have a Commencement Order in them to activate it, or parts of it. The implementation of that act means that it is part of the law of the land from that date. [ 1 ]. Constitution of Maldives 2008. page 48.

Disaster Preparedness Essay

Name: Rivera, Rosalynd L. Prof. Tiongson Student No.: 2012- 78908 August 8, 2013 National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan: Disaster Preparedness According to the Word Disaster Report of 2012, The Philippines ranks third of the most disaster-prone countries. Because it is situated on a geologically unstable region and is surrounded by many subduction zones that may cause earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, typhoon and tsunamis, it is impossible to stop natural disasters from hitting our country; all we can do is to manage risks. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan is established to become the basis of programs and proposals to help make the communities be disaster resilient and has four areas of responsibility that are interlinked, supporting each other. One of these key priorities of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan is disaster preparedness. It aims to increase the level of awareness of the communities to the threats and impacts of all hazards and risks, to equip the community with necessary skills to cope with the negative effects and to increase capacity of institutions. One of the main goals of disaster preparedness is to increase the level of awareness of the communities to the threats and impacts of all hazards and risks. This is due to some Filipino’s lack of knowledge about the geographical situation of the country and that probably, only a few knows the reasons why the Philippines gets hit by natural disasters very often. Some families may live in a geologically unstable location or near a water body that might be hit by natural hazards any time, but how do they know? Unless somebody is going to disseminate information regarding the threats and risks, Filipinos will continue to know nothing about how can these affect their lives. When the people’s level of awareness is increased, they  will be more prepared; they will know how to reduce the risks and how to react during calamities. The Philippine Information Agency together with its implementing partners, AFP, CHED, DEPED, DOH, PAGASA, and PHIVOLCS develops and implements Information, Education and Communication campaigns and programs both locally and nationwide. For example, the Bagyo,Lindol, Tsunami, and Baha or the BLTB Project of DOST-PAGASA, a part of PAGASA’s greater campaign against natural disasters which aims to â€Å"do away with the technical side of natural hazards and instead provide the public with clearer, more simplified explanations so they will have a stronger grasp of these calamities and be better prepared† was launched on July 23, 2013 partly in an animated audio-visual presentation. This way, people will easily understand these calamities thus letting them be more prepared when disasters strike. To help strengthen the disaster preparedness of the society, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan also aims to equip the communities with necessary skills and capability to cope with the impacts of the disaster. This serves as the second step towards the effective disaster preparedness because information dissemination is not enough. Filipinos need to be trained for them to know what proper measures are to be undertaken before, during and after a calamity. Through the coordination of Department of Interior and Local Government, the Office of Civil Defense and other government agencies like the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Philippine National Police, various activities and programs such as, trainings and simulation exercises in disaster preparedness and response, integration of DRRM and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) to school curricula and establishment of DRRM trainin g institutes to conduct education, training, research and publication programs were developed and implemented to accomplish the target outputs. For example, in eastern Visayas, the principles of disaster preparedness are now fully included in the curriculum of secondary and tertiary levels and in addition, other approaches like the preparation of modules in disaster preparedness used in Alternative Learning System (ALS) and the expansion of the focus of the  Citizen Army training (CAT) for high school seniors on civic work, community service and law enforcement training are also undertaken. As a part of this program, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, releases guides on earthquake preparedness to reduce the impacts. Lastly, the disaster preparedness program of the DRRMP also identified the increase of capacity of institutions as one of its priorities. The support of government and non-government sectors are necessary to equip the community with essential skills to cope with the effects of a disaster so that people will have emotional stability, too. The Department of Interior and Local Government through the help of other government agencies leads actions such as: accreditation of Non-Government Organizations, development of local DRRM plan, administration of risk assessments, contingency planning, knowledge management and training activities, inventory of resources, stockpiling and prepositioning of resources and establishment of DRRM Operations Center to ensure self-reliant and operational DRRM councils and fully-functioning, adequately staffed and financially capable local DRRM offices. In the present, the local government collaborates with NGOs for better implementation of disaster manageme nt and preparedness programs, these organizations engage more in advocacy and legal support for populations facing increased risk because of development projects and environmental destruction. In conclusion, the disaster preparedness priority area of the NDRRMP offers strategic actions that help people to improve their awareness and understanding through information dissemination, contingency planning, and conduct of drills and development of natural disaster management plans. However, to ensure these services and operations, the other three key priority areas must be properly handled too because they work as a whole. Revisions on the NDRRMP are to be made depending on the observations of concerned sectors to achieve the goals in the most effective way. The Philippines have very good established disaster preparedness plans and in fact, it is considered as one of the well-prepared countries when it comes to natural disasters. The goals and activities presented above are very important because not only properties but lives will be destroyed if people  will neglect disaster preparedness and it also show that both authorities and the community must actively participate for t hese plans to work and for the people to attain better security.

Simon from Lord of the Flies

In all humans, there is some form of evil. This theme is expressed throughout the novel of Lord of the Flies. The only character to realize this is Simon. In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, nature resembles the unfortunate events to come and the character, Simon, foreshadows these events. When Simon is introduced in the beginning of the story, he is fainting. Physical weakness becomes a hallmark of his character, from passing out to throwing up, to hallucinations and bloody noses.Although he might lack a strong physical appearance, he shows others he is intelligent by the large words he uses throughout the book. Simon is the main character who tries to hold on to civilization. He has a conversation with Ralph in the beginning of the book claiming that they will get rescued. This is the beginning of Simon starting to foreshadow events. Throughout the novel multiple instances occur where a kid will say that they will get rescued. Littluns are usually the ones that whi ne about they are hungry and thirsty and wanting to know when they are going to get rescued.Eventually they do get rescued but Simon is killed accidentally and never gets to leave the island. Simon is also the boys’ last hope of retaining civilization. Throughout the book the boys lose civilization and become savages. Simon, Ralph, and piggy try to maintain their selves and help others remain civilized. To me it seemed that Jack left Ralph’s Group and created his own group because he accepted savagery and didn’t want be part of civilization anymore. Eventually this change turns for the worst of the group and actually kills Simon.Simon is a nature boy. He is constantly in a clearing in the woods watching the stars and being alone. At one time that he goes to the clearing he encounters the â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, which begins to talk to him (143). This is one of his hallucinations, but he believes it to be real. The Lord of the Flies tells him that he wan ts to have fun with him soon, and he better tell Ralph and Piggy that the beast isn’t real and isn’t an actual object, but is actually the boys instead.The Lord of the Flies tells Simon this because it is actually Simon indirectly foreshadowing an event to happen that the beast inside them will kill themselves. After Simon’s talk to the Lord of the Flies he faints because of the humidity. Once he wakes up a storm forms in the distance and clouds begin to cover the sky. The weather is mimicking Simon’s actions to happen. Simon begins to travel to tell the boys that the beast isn’t real; meanwhile the boys are chanting and dancing around a fire.In all of the excitement Simon is mistaken as a beast and is jabbed with spears and eventually killed. While he is in the process of being murdered, a storm is raging with lightening and thunder booming in the background. In multiple instances, Simon is foreshadowing events. He has talks about his death before it happens and predicts that they will be rescued. The weather also foreshadowed events that happened such as a storm happening at the same time a death happened: two tragic, dark events. These corresponding events display Simon as a nature boy, one with the island.

NIGER MILITARY COUP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

NIGER MILITARY COUP - Essay Example This paper will critically discuss military coups as way of seizing power, using the Niger’s case as an example. Niger Military Coup Military coups as earlier stated, have been considered especially in most of the African countries among them Niger, as the only way of getting corrupt leaders in the government to vacate their offices once diplomacy has failed (Onwumechili 17). This is due to the fact that these leaders in most cases interfere with their constitutions, with some using their powers to amend certain acts in order to prolong their terms. Some of them even refuse to vacate their offices after they are defeated in presidential elections, for example with the case of Ivory Coast. The president, despite having lost the election to his opponent Outtara, has continued to cling to power instead of handing over the presidency peacefully. As for now, diplomatic talks mediated by eminent persons are going on and there is a possibility of military action against him if the ta lks fail to produce viable results (Harwood 59). This is an example of how tensions start building up and when they accumulate, military action becomes unavoidable especially where such leaders have been described as the major cause of suffering for the citizens and an obstacle to development. In Niger for example, the former president, Mamadou Tandja had been in power for 10 years, which is the maximum period that a president is allowed to rule in the country, after which he is required to retire. However, towards the end of his second term, he brought about a constitutional reform, which was meant to give him the leeway to run for another term, and which did not go down well with majority of the citizens and legislators. He planned a national referendum to extend his term but according to sources, the opposition boycotted this process whereas the national assembly refused to grant his wishes. In return, Tandja dissolved the parliament as well as the constitutional court for ruling against his intentions. Interestingly, he went ahead to conduct the referendum in which the opposition did not participate and declared the results in favor of his bid for a third term (Africa Research Bulletin 205). This is a sign of a leader who was bent to interfere with all organs of government regardless of the principle of separation of powers between the executive, legislature and the judiciary, which are supposed to function independently without one influencing the other. In this aspect, the president can be termed as an authoritarian, who, with the current growth of democracies around the world, should not be allowed to hold executive powers. The action prompted the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to sanction the country by excluding it from the organization’s trading activities (Africa Research Bulletin 207). Such an action against a country means that the level of foreign income earned from exports to member countries goes down hence the rise o f poverty levels among citizens. In addition, despite the country being rich in minerals such as Uranium, citizens have continued to suffer abject poverty while his council of ministers and close family members and friends continued to enrich themselves with tax payer’s money. As a result of such corruption and nepotism through out his rule, Niger’s economy has continued to deteriorate and the effect is that

Report on the Religious Life of Planet Earth Essay - 8

Report on the Religious Life of Planet Earth - Essay Example My research report about the religious dimensions led me to know the essence of religion, which was evoking of specific response over various aspects of life, taken to be pure as designed by traditional practices of religious bodies (Fisher, 2011). My criteria to examine the religiosity of the people on earth was philosophical related to the causal purpose of the universe; peoples’ adherence to religious rituals and moral code of conduct, as propounded by the leading religions. Starting from Christianity, I examined the people believing in this religion on the parameter of cause behind the creation of the cosmos. Christians believed that there is one supreme power governing the affairs of the universe. Human beings are the final product of the creator to live on the planet with love and justice. They believe that the purpose of their existence is to love and serve God (Christianity Human Nature, 2012). My next stoppage to research and analyze the preaching of Islam revealed about the followers of Islam, the Muslims who adhere to five pillars of Islam, called the â€Å"pillars of faith†, which are critical religious rituals. These are observing disciplined routine of confessing to the faith, strictly adhering to the ritual of prayer, paying the alms tax, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and Pilgrimage to Mecca. True Muslims are only those who follow the routine first four rituals and accomplish once in their life time a visit to the holy city of Mecca, their fifth ritual. This is a religious pilgrimage held in the last month of the Islamic year. While playing the ritual of donning a white sheet, they show their allegiance to the almighty by projecting that they have covered their wealth, culture, and class, as belonging to various corners of the planet to attain a feeling of equality and unity (Denny, 1987). The religion of Hinduism was the third parameter to decide whether the believers in the Hindu philosophy of

Corporate Governance & Corporate Social Responsiblity Research Paper

Corporate Governance & Corporate Social Responsiblity - Research Paper Example The increasing incidents of scandals in financial organizations has facilitated the need for corporate to play a more active role in promoting good corporate governance and behavior. This paper investigates the roles that banks and institutional investors can play in promoting good corporate governance and behavior in Asian economies. Asian financial institutions, banks and institutional investors play important economic roles in the region. However, just like in other regions across the world have indicated, poor governance of the institutions do not only cause a decline in profitability, but also could destabilize monetary system if the problem becomes widespread (OECD, 2003, p13). Therefore, it is important for the financial institutions to ensure implementation and enforcement of sound corporate governance behavior. Before investigating the role that financial institutions in Asia can play in promoting good corporate governance behavior, it is important to examine the normative f ramework in these organizations in the region. Alayannis, et al (2003) noted that families own majority of businesses and organizations in Asia and hence relations with stakeholders is mostly informal. In addition, the region has a wide economic and legal diversity but countries such as China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Hong Kong have similar legal structures governing business operations. According to Johnson and Mitton (2003, p51) over 65% of all listed companies in Asia are private and are managed and run by families. The companies have been in existence for several decades and their success is almost fully attributed to the collective efforts of their owners. These business owners have a tendency of forming extensive interconnected networks of subsidiaries and sister companies, which include partially owned and publicly listed companies. Allen and Douglas (2000) argued that investing in the subsidiaries enables investors to put their investments under their chosen management team. In addition investing in the subsidiaries gives the investors an opportunity to put their money in potentially profitable ventures. However, this mode of investment leads to unfair treatment of investors who do not belong to the family that owns the enterprise. Due to the nature of the business proprietorship, the organizations have strong informal relationships between the stakeholders, who are mainly family members or close friends. In China, the state maintains a strong grip on the ownership of financial organizations and some elements of socialist laws are common especially on the firms’ relations with stakeholders (Klapper and Love 2002). To promote good corporate governance behavior in China, Hong Kong and other Asian countries with similar business and legal framework, banks and other institutional investors should enforce credible laws and regulations. Similarly, judicial systems should enhance their expertise and increase capability to arbitrate conflicts perta ining to corporate governance with fairness and efficiency (Holder, et al 2009). Senior management and board of directors of banks and institutions should play a more proactive role in promoting good corporate governance and behavior in Asian countries. In particular, Gregory (2002, p49) argues that â€Å"

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Research Paper Example However, as the industry grew the early manufacturers could not keep pace with the technology that advanced in so many directions all at the same time. Vertical integration in the industry became difficult as there were too many technologies and manufacturing intricacies. As a result specialist companies emerged that mass-produced specialized components and supply it to several computer manufacturers. This form of outsourcing worked cheaper for computer manufacturers and many such as IBM, Sony, HP and Compaq abandoned the vertical integration model. They preferred to concentrate on efficient assembly and marketing their own brand computers instead of developing and R&D base and investing in it. Dell, however, preferred to continue with the shorter-value chain model by selling directly to customers, avoiding the intermediary commissions and costs associated with distribution through independent retailers. Gradually, companies such as HP even started outsourcing the assembly to contrac tors, while focusing on product design and marketing. All the vendors tried to minimize the amount of finished goods in dealer inventories and shorten the time it took to replenish dealer stocks. Dell stuck to its own business model of Built-to-Order (BOT). Dell’s supply chain efficiency had eroded between 2003 and 2006 when it peaked at five days on inventory supply. They found it difficult to get cooperation from other organizations and bureaucracy started prevailing within the organization. There was misalignment between its procurement and supply chain activities, and with its assembly line. Dell wanted to partner only with reputed suppliers rather than have 20 suppliers all supplying to all computers manufactures. They stuck to one or two suppliers and maintained long-term partnership with them. They however, brought down their inventory turn cycle from 32 days in 1995 to 7 days in 1998, and to four

Needs assessment and learner analysis Assignment

Needs assessment and learner analysis - Assignment Example Beverly observes that vaccines do not guarantee the success of preventing a disease (2012). Some vaccines are known to fail, therefore making the patient vulnerable to an attack. On this note, the effectiveness of the performance of a vaccine depends on many factors. Stratton (2004) denotes that the nature of a disease is a factor that may affect the effectiveness of a vaccine. For instance tuberculosis has the capability of resisting any form of a vaccine. Stratton (2004) and Beverly (2012) observe that the strain of the vaccine and the timetable of the vaccination program can influence the success or failure of a vaccination program. Some vaccines work better for a particular strain of disease, and other fail to work. It is also important to follow the timetable of the vaccination program, or else the vaccine might fail to work. Another factor is the genetic nature of an individual, and whether he has the capability of generating anti-bodies which will react with the vaccine to prevent a disease (Beverly 2012 and Stratton 2004). Stratton further denotes that the age of an individual plays a greater role in the efficiency of an immunization (2004). For instance, it is useless to immunize adults against polio, because the vaccine will not work. After conducting a needs assessment on the efficiency of early immunization, this paper is therefore a report on the findings, and a learner analysis of the vaccination program. The main audiences of the analysis are parents who serve in the military. The military provides immunization for their officers through the military immunization agency (Lemon, 2002). Lemon further asserts that the agency has the mandate of ensuring that military officers and their children are immunized against diseases that are a threat to their lives (2002). However, it is important to ensure early immunization of their children, since age is a factor in the

The Effects of Global Warming Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Effects of Global Warming - Research Paper Example From this paper it is clear that  global warming is likely to cause an increase in temperatures, which results in flooding along the coast. Researchers show that the sea level has risen by around four to eight inches in the 20th century alone. The increase in sea level results from the expansion of sea water. Also, experts feel that global warming will result in a massive increase in vector-borne diseases. Pathogens reproduce very fast when in warm temperatures. Some of the most significant diseases include rodents and mosquitoes.This study highlights that  the consequences of global warming result in a lot of damages to the environment and will likely lead to adverse outcomes for the future generations. Some of the outcomes include deadly heat waves, rising of the sea level and flooding, droughts and wildfires. Also, global warming will result in an increase in diseases such as malaria. Moreover, the ecology of the earth will become imbalanced because of the melting ice and moun tain glaciers.  Global warming plays a huge role in the change of the planet’s ecology. Most of the causes of global warming are human activities. For example, production activities and energy production activities result in a release of gases into the atmosphere that traps the planet’s heat before it gets fully radiated. Therefore, it is important to conduct a study of the causes of global warming and the likely solutions to the problems that result from the phenomenon.

Movie Project (about Hang Over 3 movie) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Movie Project (about Hang Over 3 movie) - Essay Example However the Wolfpack team is abducted by a drug lord who later holds Doug as a security for the other friends to search for Chow who had disappeared with Marshall’s gold (IMDb np). The interpersonal concepts of communication revealed throughout the film are: failure and mending of relationships; tension relief mechanisms through humor. Also the theory of communication privacy management is used to explain the concept of interpersonal communication (Berger 415-447). This will be the pivotal concepts that this paper will focus on and analyze; then a description of their application in the film will be done and evaluation of their effectiveness or ineffectiveness in the plot of the movie; and analysis of the immediate and future application of these concepts in relationships. Relationship deterioration is the mainly apparent seen concept in the movie Hangover 3. According to Joseph DeVito (2008) his explanation of deterioration is â€Å"the stage (in a relationship) that sees the weakening of bonds between the parties and that represents the downside of the relationship progression,† (DeVito 212). This is clearly revealed in the introduction scenes of the movie. Alan purchases a giraffe and later inadvertently kills it in a bridge, which causes a vehicle jam. This news doesn’t concur well with his father who has always termed him as an irresponsible person. It may be seen that these two have not been having good relations from the past as his father reacts furiously. This scene simply shows us there is a breakdown of communication or simply relationship deterioration. This concept of deterioration of relationships is perfectly incorporated in the movie. As seen from the above scene its applicability is good and it follows the same trend in the rest of the movie. We not only see the bad relationship between Alan and his father, but also its severe consequences. The

Physical Fitness Test Essay Example for Free

Physical Fitness Test Essay Research Strategy and Design The researchers will be using the descriptive strategy to study the facts derived from the research. The researchers will be using the descriptive strategy in order to ascertain prevailing conditions and to give qualitative and quantitative description. This strategy is intended to answer questions about the current state of the problem the researchers are studying and the individuals involve. The researchers will also be describing each factor that contributes to physical deficiency of cadets. The researcher’s concern is not the relationship between these factors and the cadets but of the description and elaboration of these factors. On the other hand, the researchers will be using the survey research design to give a qualitative and quantitative description of the problem. The survey research design will be a fact finding study with accurate and adequate interpretation, (Calderon and Gonzales, 2007). This would help the researchers to gather data needed in the study in order to have a precise data for the researcher’s analysis. This will also provide a clear and accurate picture of the individual being studied. Population and Locale of the Study The total population of the study will be cadets of the Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines (CCAFP) composed of firstclass, secondclass, thirdclass and fourthclass cadets. The place of the study will be at the Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Military Academy, Fort del Pilar, Baguio City. The researchers will use the stratified random sampling in order to determine the number of respondents since the population totaled to 875 cadets. This method will yield the manageable sample that will be studied and be taken respondents. The researchers will use this sampling technique because the participants are randomly selected from the different classes in the CCAFP. The researchers will be using the Slovin’s Formula as statistical tool in getting the total sample of the respondents. Slovin’s Formula: n= ( N / (1 + Ne? ) ) in which: n= the size of the sample N= the size of the population e= the margin of error Computation: n= ( N / (1 + Ne? ) ) ( 875 / 1 + (875 ? 0. 10? ) ) = 89. 74 or 90 cadets There would be a total of 90 cadets that are needed to accomplish the study. The researchers will get 23 respondents for the firstclass and seconclass cadets and 22 respondents for the thirdclass and fourthclass cadets. Statistical Treatment of Data Statistical treatment gives meaning and interpretation to data (Calderon and Gonzales, 2007). Without it, the data gathered cannot be associated to give answers to the pr oblems posed in the research study. In order to arrive at precise analysis and interpretation of the results, the proponents will be utilizing different tools in treating the data. In the study, the researchers will be making use of the weighted mean to determine the extent of the factors that contribute to the deficiency of the cadets in Physical Fitness Test. In the second part of the questionnaire and 1st and 2nd specific statement of the problem, the weighted mean will be calculated using the following formula: ?fx X = ______ ?f Where: X = weighted arithmetic mean ?fx = sum of all products of f and x; where f is the frequency and x is the weight of each option ? f = sum of all subjects The obtained answer will be rounded off to the nearest whole number and whatever value obtained corresponds to the characteristic given by the scale. The profile of the respondents will be treated using percentage distribution. The researchers will then be able to assess the respondents or the population in general. In order to find a ignificant difference in the responses from the different age, class, Body Mass Index (BMI) and sex, the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is employed. This statistical tool will test the hypothesis that there is a significant difference in the: 1. Responses of the cadets belonging to an age bracket. 2. Responses of the cadets belonging to different class. 3. Responses of the cadets having different Body Mass Index (BMI). 4. Responses of the cadets having different sex. The formula for the Analysis of Variance will be given by: F = MS MSe Where : MS = Mean square MSe = Mean square error

Comparing the Electoral and Party Systems of China and Russia Essay Example for Free

Comparing the Electoral and Party Systems of China and Russia Essay The collapse of the international socialist network changed the world at the turn of the century. The failure of the many socialist regimes ended the confrontation between East and West and provided an opportunity to restructure the international order. The individual states of East Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, China and the former Soviet Union took differing paths and chose differing restructuring strategies, which themselves led to different courses of transformation. The former hard-line socialist regimes of Russia and China had to face the challenges brought by the new world order specifically on altering its political structures. This paper would compare the government and politics of China and Russia focusing on the electoral laws and their impacts on the party system. Moreover, this would try to recommend some possible measures to ensure the development of democracy for both countries and to address some of their problems. Russia is a vast country with an imperial and authoritarian past. By area, Russia is the largest country in the world, almost twice the size of the United States. The population includes numerous minorities, with 36 national groups containing more than 100,000 people, Russia’s rulers have in the past been autocratic empire builders, basing their imperial expansion on control of the serf society and a rural community. Russia’s experience in communism represented a culmination of a authoritarianism. The Union Soviet Socialist Republics encompassing 15 European and Asian Republics, formed the former Russian Empire. The politics of Russia take place in a framework of a federal presidential republic. According to the Constitution of Russia, the President of Russia is head of state, and of a multi-party system with executive power exercised by the government, headed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President by the parliaments approbation. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, while the President and the government issue numerous legally binding by-laws. Although Russia has traditionally been ruled by absolute monarchs and dictators, it currently has a democratic system of government. Since gaining its independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991, Russia has faced serious challenges in its efforts to forge a political system to follow nearly seventy-five years of Soviet rule. With a new constitution and a new parliament representing diverse parties and factions, Russias political structure subsequently showed signs of stabilization. As the transition period extended into the mid-1990s, the power of the national government continued to wane as Russias regions gained political and economic concessions from Moscow. Although the struggle between executive and legislative branches was partially resolved by the new constitution, the two branches continued to represent fundamentally opposing visions of Russias future. One of the world’s oldest civilization consisting states and cultures dating back thousands of years ago is China. It is a cultural region, ancient civilization, and nation in East Asia. The deadlock of the last Chinese Civil War has resulted in two political entities using the name China: the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), administering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau; and the Republic of China (ROC), administering Taiwan and its surrounding islands. It has the worlds longest continuously used written language system, and the source of some of the worlds great inventions including paper, compass, gunpowder, and printing. The Peoples Republic of China is working within the framework of a single-party socialist republic. The will of Chinese citizens is expressed through the legislative bodies of the Peoples Congress system. Peoples Congress members at the county level are elected by voters. These county level Peoples Congresses have the responsibility of oversight of local government, and elect members to the Provincial Peoples Congress. The provincial Peoples Congress in turn elects members to the National Peoples Congress that meets each year in March in Beijing. Current political concerns in China include lessening the growing gap between rich and poor, and fighting corruption within the government leadership. The support that the Communist Party of China has among the Chinese population in general is unclear because national elections are mostly CPC dominated, as there are no opposition political parties and independent candidates elected into office are too scattered and disorganized to challenge CPC rule. According to Hague and Harrop, â€Å"Party systems are the interaction between the significant political parties. In a democracy, parties respond to each other’s initiatives in a competitive interplay. The party system also reflects legal regulation applying to all parties. In China, a dominant party system is in place wherein one party is a constant component of the executive, governing either alone or in coalition. The dominant party system was more common in the twentieth century than it is today and China is one rare example. The dominant party of the PRC is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The leadership of the CCP is enshrined in the PRC Constitution. State power within the PRC is exercised through the CCP, the Central Peoples Government and their provincial and local counterparts. Under the dual leadership system, each local bureau or office is under the theoretically co-equal authority of the local leader and the leader of the corresponding office, bureau or ministry at the next higher level. The ruling Communist Party committee at each level plays a large role in the selection of appropriate candidates for election to the local congress and to the next higher level. China is a country that accepts involvement from multiple political parties. Apart from the CPC, the ruling party, there are eight political parties. They are China Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang, China Democratic League, China Democratic National Construction Association, China Association for the Promotion of Democracy, Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, China Zhi Gong Dang, Jiusan Society, and the Taiwan Democratic Self-government League. Most of them were founded during the anti-Japanese war and the national liberation war. They support the political leadership of the CPC, which has become their historical choice during the long years of cooperation with the CPC and through common struggles. Although there are other political parties present in China, these parties are not opposition parties, but parties participating in the discussion and administration of State affairs. Moreover, these parties serve to endorse CCP’s policies. Meanwhile, Russia is working on a multi-party system wherein the legislature comprises several minority parties, resulting in coalitions or minority government by the leading party. The multi-party system in Russia resulted to the rise of not just one political party unlike the case of China. Although, United Russia occupies the majority seats of the Duma, the seats obtained by the Russian Communist Party, as well as other parties, are significant in producing checks and balances to the Russian Assembly. Electoral systems were made to answer the question of how to convert votes into seats. In elections to the legislature, the main questions is whether an electoral system ensures that the seats obtained by a party are directly proportional to the votes received (Hague and Harrop 146). In China, the people do not directly elect delegates for the National People’s Congress (NPC). China practices democratic centralism wherein direct democracy is only practiced at the local levels and the elected delegates in the local people’s congresses in turn elect their representative at the NPC. Delegates for the local people’s congresses are elected using the first-past-the-post system (FPTP). FPTP is a type of non-proportional system wherein parties are not rewarded in proportion to the share of the votes obtained. Specifically, FPTP takes the plurality form of non-proportional representation where a candidate only needs a plurality of votes to win a seat and a majority of votes is not required. In Russia, seats in the Duma were formerly elected half by proportional representation (with at least 5% of the vote to qualify for seats) and half by single member districts. However, President Putin passed a decree that all seats are to be elected by proportional representation (with at least 7% of the vote to qualify for seats) to take effect in the December 2007 elections. Particularly, Russia is adapting the list system to confer delegates for the Duma. The list system is the most common method of proportional representation in which parties submit a list of their candidates and then the votes they obtain determines the percent of seats they get. In proportional representation, the goal is to represent parties rather than territories. For China, the adoption of the list system is recommended to develop a genuine opposition party. For many decades now, the rule of the CCP did not face any significant challenger in China. There have also been secessionist movements due to some ethnic and cultural cleavages such as the Tibetans who are lobbying from independence from China. The adoption of the list system would allow the voice of the minority to be heard in the NPC thus ensuring the democratic rights of the people. It will also make China less prone to violence, just like what happened in the Tiananmen Massacre were students on protest were open fired by Chinese military, since grievances can be acknowledge in government institutions such as the NPC. It is necessary to abolish democratic centralism since government processes are easily manipulated by local bureaucrats to advance their own selfish gains. Political reform in China is a matter of opening the ‘nominally open’ elections to other political parties. For Russia, the current electoral system is well on its way to democratize the Russian political system. However, the recent decree of Putin would make it difficult for smaller parties to obtain a seat in the Duma. Seven percent is such a high threshold and may cause the marginalization of the smaller parties and the domination of the more established ones. A lower threshold is hereby recommended and that Putin’s decree for the December 2007 elections should be repealed because it is a hindrance for the continuous democratization of Russia. These formerly hard-line socialist regimes have adopted measures to cope up with the new international order. However, not both were able to give way to democratization due to the electoral and party systems that they adapted.

America The Most Powerful Nation Media Essay

America The Most Powerful Nation Media Essay America is arguably, the most powerful nation on Earth, having one of the largest military forces and in addition to this, American culture saturates the market, almost drowning out cultural exports from other countries, both developed and developing, this cultural overshadowing of the rest of the globe allows America to, in effect be the power house of the entire World. There is not a major urban metropolis on the planet without a McDonalds or a Starbucks. This Globalisation has also helped to cement Americas position as the most powerful nation on Earth. Many authors have attempted to identify precisely why and how America achieved this fantastical global domination, including Ziauddin Sardar who lists The Ten Laws of American Mythology in his text, American Dream/Global Nightmare. Rather than examine every one of Sardars laws of American Mythology, I have instead decided to merely look at five examples and see if they support Sardar claims that every citizen in the world is a citizen of America. Sardars first law of American Mythology is that; Fear is Essential (Sardar, 2004, pp.21) and living in this modern age of terror, it is hard not to see that law applied across the Globe. Terrorists, so we are told, can strike anywhere, at anytime and can be absolutely anyone. This atmosphere of fear and distrust, very similar to that which was created under McCarthy in America in the Nineteen Fifties, or even ironically under Stalin in Communist Russia. Sardar states that; To live in America is to be beset by fear, anxiety and insecurity, to be surrounded by potential harm, enemies and evil intent. (Sardar, 2004, pp.21) This fear of terrorism and general atmosphere of fear is supported by the news media, who spend the entirety of their time either reporting on stupid n onsense, of absolutely zero interest or significance on anyones life, which is also an American influence, worship of the cult of celebrity, or alternatively forming a state of fear, creating folk devils and moral panics, much as they did with hoodies in the early years of the Twenty-First Century, or punks before that in the Nineteen Seventies. Sardars second law of Americana also supports the theory that everyone is a citizen of America; Escape is the reason for being (Sardar, 2004, pp.21) Sardar states that America was created for people; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in search of room to breathe, in search of a place to recreate themselves and shape a new lifestyle free from constraints. (Sardar, 2004, pp.21) This especially applies in the modern world where escapism seems to be virtually everyones ultimate goal, people can even have entire virtual lives on the internet, generally playing American made games. Even if someone decides to experience some escapism at a lower level, maybe some light reading or watching a film, chances are they are American made as well, and will almost undoubtedly portray an American bias, either in the spellings, or the pronunciations or possibly even just the cultural standards that everyone needs to reference in order to fully appreciate and enjoy a work of art. War is a necessity (Sardar, 2004, pp.25) America is probably the most pro war nation on the planet, having, in the last twenty years, sent troops into: Iraq , Somalia, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, The Philippines, Iraq again and most recently Libya. As Sardar states; Even before 9/11, [America] had waged war on over half the nations of the globe. [Americas] economy is a war economy. Its science and technology is deeply entrenched in the military machine. (Sardar, 2004, pp.25) Arguably most of the wars in Americas recent history, havent even been waged for ideological reasons, or for any necessary reason, but instead for money, and to further advance or merely enable the atmosphere of terror that Sardar identified in his first law. Sardars seventh and eighth laws, namely that; Cinema is the engine of empire and that; Celebrity is the common currency of empire (Sardar, 2004, pp.24) both support his theory; The [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] notion that America is the idea of nation, was formalised and made manifest in cinema. And this standardised, industrialised, manufactured product became Americas greatest export, the idea of Self it represented to the world, and through which it demonised, appropriated and brought other cultures within its own purview. (Sardar, 2004, pp.24) The dominance of America in the world of Cinema is staggering, as well as owning one of the worlds greatest movie-making and movie exporting locations, Hollywood. In the very early days of cinema almost all films were American made, and this legacy has not gone away, the film world is incredibly America-centric, and so of course the country itself profits greatly from this exportation of film. In addition to being the location of the movie capital of the world, American films are translated and shipped all over the world. As well as this, many big American films are simply remade by large foreign studios, such as Bollywood. However, this trend has begun to reverse in recent years, with the apparent lack of original thinking in Hollywood leading to an exceptional number of remakes of foreign films. It is impossible to speak about American films, without mentioning celebrities, the passengers for whom these vehicles are crafted. American celebrities, and celebrities in general all over the world, perform little basic function in the real world but are universally praised regardless of their talent or charisma, and there is no shortage of opportunities to applaud them, such as the Oscars, as Sardar states; They are collective ritual where obeisance is made to the engine of empire. The ritual performance of the Oscar ceremony is a demonstration of global power and domination that will provide headlines, column inches and immense economic rewards around the globe for the year to come. (Sardar, 2004, pp.24-25) There is little doubt that America has a massive effect on the rest of the world and on citizens of all nationalities, but especially upon Great Britain. America has dragged Britain into many ill-ventured Wars in the last two decades, including; Iraq, Afghanistan, and most recently Libya. How many of these military ventures would Great Britain have been involved in if not for America and the special relationship that exists between the two countries. There are many possible reasons for this to have occurred, not least of which, in my opinion, is due to fear on the part of British politicians and leaders, fear of America and the power that America can wield, after all fear is essential according to Sardar. However the War on Terror was not something that purely affected America, while the destruction of the World Trade Centre was undoubtedly a tragedy and spurred America into taking action against virtually the entire of the Middle East and a large portion on the rest of the world, there were also other terrorist attacks on major European capital cities, there was the bombing of the London Underground and the number 30 Bus on the Seventh of July 2005, and the bombing of the Cercanias in Madrid on the Eleventh of March 2004, but it was definitely America that led the charge against the perceived threat of terrorism. However America did nothing when there were terrorist attacks that did not affect or threaten them, such as the campaign by the Real Irish Republican Army; including the Banbridge bombing on the First of August 1998, and the Omagh bombing of the Fifteenth of the same month, even continuing their hands-off attitude towards world security when the Real IRA began their campaign against London in the year 2000. But maybe this carelessness on the part of America was for the best as their response to terrorism has been heavy handed at best, War on Terror has already become deeply embedded in laws, policies, and the practices of government agencies, But nearly eight years since the 9/11 attacks, US charities are still treated as a threat to security. Although, the change in administration in Washington gave hope that the US government would adopt more measured responses to the threat of terrorism, (Howell, 2009. Pp53) Another way in which America is slowly but surely wearing away any sense of individuality in any other country is Globalisation and the impact that America has on the rest of the world economically. The recent economic crisis that has plagued the entirety of the world, has its roots in America, on Wall Street, and the greed of American bankers sending the world economy into a meltdown. Much like the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed it, the economy of the entire world looks to Wall Street for its cues, economically, and when that collapses the entire world follows suit, not just in the United Kingdom, across the entirety of Europe national economies have collapsed completely and require bailing out. This is in contrast to the way in which America affected so many countries before the breakdown, with its material security; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the availability and expansion of material security and comfort enabled early American social patterns and culture to expand and solidify, to both delineate and spread an American national character. With growth, more people could participate in that distinctive culture more fully and could become more American (Fischer, 2010) This greed of America has other less deep effects, rather than the drastic nature of an economic meltdown, the desire for greater profits means that many American companies subcontract work abroad, where they have to pay workers less money for doing the same work; Most American computer firms now subcontract basic work to Bangalore, (Wes, 1996, pp.49) The ultimate result of this is that foreign workers have a loyalty to America for providing them work and allowing them to feed their families, and as they have to speak the language and think about America for the majority of their day. Inevitably American culture and sensibilities work their way into the daily life of these foreign workers. Americas globalisation is not only confined to high street outlets, as was mentioned in my introduction, but in actual fact goes much deeper than that. The majority of household brands consumed in England are American in origin, such as Mars, and every subsidy of that which comprises most of the chocolate eaten in the country and Coke and Pepsi which together produce the majority of all soft drinks. Even brands which ostensibly appear to be British are in fact American, such as the fact that ASDA is actually owned by Wal-Mart. Globalization as an economic phenomenon has been the dominant force for economic integration and the main driver of growth worldwide for many decades, although the speed of globalization- taken to include trade, finance, flows of information and technology, and offshoring- is unprecedented in modern economic history. The increased economic interconnections between countries are widely credited as one of the driving forces that significantly reduced poverty in China and Vietnam, enabled the poorer nations of Europe to ride the European Union train to higher incomes, and gave hope to some African countries. (Spence, M. 2010. Pp 4) However, as Spence states, Globalisation is not merely a one way system with America pushing its culture onto the rest of the world, there are many other cultures with a huge influence over the worldwide ethos, such as Japan and the huge influence Manga and Anime have over the fields of western animation and comic books, or the influence of J-Pop and J-Rock on music or the fashion sensibilities of Japans youth subcultures. It certainly appears that America has a far greater influence on other cultures than any other country, but I believe that this is simply because America is, comparatively, a newer country, having only existed independently for two-hundred and thirty-five years, and rather than gradually coming into being like most other countries, America came into being with a bang with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th 1776. Therefore, rather than gradually affecting neighbouring countries through occupation or the spread of changing languages, the use of foreign words in the English language is not seen as dominance of other cultures, American culture has had a much more sudden influence on the rest of the world. In regards to language, American words; sidewalk instead of pavement and American spellings of English words; color instead of colour for example have for the most part completely failed to influence the English language in any way. However there are many words in the English language which are actually foreign words in origin, for example French, abandon, abattoir and abbreviation, and German words such as, zeitgeist. However this may be due to historical concerns, the American language is essentially a slight variation on the English language which would explain why there has been little influence, and the fact that approximately thirty percent of the words in a standard English dictionary have a French origin is due to the Norman conquest in the 11th Century. Another reason for the dominance of American culture is the fact that, as a nation, America has entered the Empire building stage of their development during a time in which Empire building is strongly discouraged by the international community, all other countries that have had extensive Empires; Rome, Great Britain and Mongolia, greatly spread their culture around the Globe through sheer force and domination of the natives. Whereas America has to be more subtle in the ways in which American culture is spread, it is no longer acceptable to conquer a country and force the local populace to speak your language and follow your customs, so America has to make itself seem like the ideal, Sardar in fact refers to this with the title of his essay; American Dream/ Global Nightmare The American Dream in many ways, is the ultimate goal of every person on the globe, regardless of nationality or creed, to be allowed to support yourself and live how you want to live, but by naming it The America n Dream gives the impression that to be American is in itself the ultimate goal, this dream can only be achieved in America, The Land of the Free supposedly. However I do not believe that this submission to American cultural dominance is a necessity as Sardar claims it is, while it would undoubtedly be difficult to remove all American influences from your life, it would not be impossible. American culture is not as essential to life as oxygen or food or water, but the influence it has, both directly; such as the import of American brands and culture, like books and films, and also indirectly; such as the influences that American culture has had on books and films created in other countries, for example, as was mentioned earlier in this essay, the news media now reports either stupid nonsense of terrifying stories of horrific violence. This has come from an American influence, the cult of the celebrity is definitely American in origin, and possibly serves to fill the void left by the lack of a monarchy. In conclusion I believe that while America undoubtedly has a massive influence on the rest of the world and that the difference between American and non-American citizens is rapidly decreasing, but that doesnt mean that everyone is becoming an American citizen, it merely means that everyone is a citizen of the World. The increasing availability and dominance of technology means that communication across the world is now incredibly simple and the dominance of the internet means that practically anyone can interact with anyone else on the globe without actually having to meet them. In addition to this, Nietzsches Death of God, and the increasing redundancy of National Identity means that there is very little loyalty to either country or religion, only loyalty to ones self and ones family, this in itself is Americas greatest influence over the rest of the world. This combination of atheism and almost a self loathing of your country of origin, is what is causing many people to seem like American citizens, even when they are not. Americas worldwide domination is undoubtedly on the decline, the rising powers of India and China are threatening Americas hold over the culture of the world, in addition to this, Americas military imperialism is causing many people, both in America and throughout the World, to question the way in which the country is run, the torture committed at Guantanamo Bay and the suspension of civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism is causing America to be painted as the real villain of the World building on the image sketched out by the war in Vietnam and the Watergate scandal. The blind, heartfelt patriotism of Americans who willingly went to die on foreign soil in the Second World War for Uncle Sam and Moms Apple Pie is well and truly dead, modern Americans are much more likely to question their country and their place in the world as is exemplified by the work of modern artists; such as film directors and rappers.

Sense of Lost Love :: essays papers

Sense of Lost Love Love bears all the happiness and all the pain; true satisfaction will come from loving another with all your heart. My mother always told me to remember that because that to her creates and embodies the genuine essence of life. Those words still echo through my head like ringing chime bells lost in the mist. She never hurt another soul, nobody as kind as she. Then she left me that night, no word of good bye or any wave, or hug. Nights after that I cry myself to sleep, the anguish so harsh, the wound etched so deep. I thought my heart could never feel the love that I felt for my mother. Days go by and I learn to cope with life without her loving presence, her words so sweet and wise. Her spirit never dwarfed by the agony that plagued her. I am sure she never wanted to leave me, yet another call beckoned her. My heart cracked and slowly died when she left, still so much distress in my heart. Then you came into my life; you brightened the darkest parts of my soul. You shared with me your love and your heart. You tended my broken heart and mended my empty soul. One child of glory you gave to me, a bundle of joy and tears. The happiest days of my life I spent with you, never believing that you would leave me like my mother. Now I see you there my love, my angel, my spirit, there you lay breathing heavily agonizing in so much pain. How could you even dare try to leave me? My heart starts the trek to pain again, the suffering and the torture will never abate. I know you must leave me, you think for Richard, our son. Think not of his pain for I will comfort him and help him through that torment.

A Time To Kill Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In A Time To Kill, by John Grisham, two drunken white men violently raped, beat, and nearly killed a 10-year-old black girl named Tonya Hailey. Her father, in a clouded rage, executed the two rapists with an M-16 on their way out of the courthouse. His vigilante form of justice was not well taken by many in prejudiced Ford County, Mississippi. On the other hand, he had lots of support from the black community and from any white person whom dared to step into his shoes. A young, thirty-something lawyer named Jack Brigance was hired as his defense. He personally hoped it would give him national recognition, but his outlook turned sour when an all-white jury was drawn to decide on the fate of this Negro man. As the case gained popularity, the KKK got involved, and everyone involved in the court case was put in severe danger through shootings, riots, bombings, and random acts of violence. The non-stop action this book has to offer would keep any reader on the edge of his seat through the last page of the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story begins with the horrific, detailed rape of Tonya Hailey. Besides being the most disgusting series of events in the entire book, the reader has no choice but to pray that the little girl will make it out alive. Through all of the beatings and tortures, she luckily survives, offering a sense of relief and finality. Shortly after, though, the action picks up again with the sheriff’s search for the rapists...

Campaign Funding Essay -- essays research papers

Campaign Funding What We Don’t Know About Campaign Finance Does Hurt Us. â€Å"No matter what your social issue, if you want to solve it get the money out of politics. Only then will lawmakers vote for their people rather than their pocketbooks.† Jack E. Lohman. Money corrupts politics, and when contributions are being made to candidates it is not in the best interest of the American people. Campaign Finance is out of control in today’s political races. Candidates are taking money from wherever and whoever they can get it. Soft money is flowing through elections without care or caution. People who make these contributions do not share the views of the average citizen, so politicians end up representing the wrong people. Money decides races, sometimes leaving the better man but lighter spender out of a position. Candidates make decisions based on what will help them financially that what is better for the people. Contributions by industry are made not in the interest of the people , sometimes hurting them in ways they don’t even know. No matter what the opposition may say campaign finance reform is needed urgently to keep our democracy as our founders intended it. People and corporations that make the largest donations to campaigns do not share views with the general population. Politicians will listen to those who give them money so that they can depend on that money being there again when it is time for reelection. Yet individual donors making a $200 dollar or more contribution make up only .33% of the population. This extremely small percentage of mostly wealthy individuals gain the power to influence politicians to their liking. The idea that these people should have power to affect government more than those with less money goes against the concept of equality for all, which is what made this country great. People who make large donations do not share the same views on most issues as the general population. Robert L. Borosage and Ruy Teixeira repo rt that while 53 percent of voters want stricter regulations on businesses and corporations, to give workers a fair salary and working conditions, 58 percent of campaign donors want to see less control over the businesses and corporations of America. Donors also want less government spending with lower taxes, while the majority of citizens want a larger, more powerful government. A very tiny part of our populat... ...r. After cuts from corporate welfare and wasteful government spending this would save taxpayers 495 to 995 dollars a year, not to mention price drops as a result of reduced corporate spending on political campaigns. This would put more money in the hands of the taxpayer to buy more products helping the economy. Most important, politicians would not be swayed by monetary interest offered to them for help in other areas. Donors not representing the public, money, not people and issues deciding races, politicians voting for campaign funds instead of the public, corporations risking the safety of people, these are all problems that could be fixed by reforming campaign finance. Campaign finance is an urgent problem that must be remedied soon or we will be facing a situation in government where the power lies in the hand of those who have money to donate to campaigns. If something is not done we will be heading straight into a corrupt and contemptible government whose only care is that of being reelected. Action must be taken now before it is too late and scandalous congressmen will only support scandalous policy. If our government is to be saved, we must have campaign finance reform.

The Odyssey, Analysis of Hubris, Ate, Nemesis

The Cycle That Continues Today Many people get off a plane and think that was a terrible trip because the security lines were long, the flight was delayed, and the food was terrible. Odysseus’ journey is guaranteed to be a hundred times harder. He spends ten years trying to get home after the Trojan War and has a series of mishaps along the way. Homer, who was a famous bard in Ancient Greece, tells Odysseus’ story in the epic poem, the Odyssey. Throughout the poem, many characters go through the cycle of Hubris, Ate, and Nemesis, causing hardships that never needed to happen, and their mistakes teach readers lessons.The cycle begins when a character is arrogant, acts upon it, and then gets punished based on their actions. Iros, a beggar, decides that he doesn’t want to share the space with Odysseus, who he thinks is a weak old beggar, but he pays in the end. The suitor, Antinoos, leads the pack of men taking over Odysseus’ castle; he dies for his disloyal actions toward the king. Finally, Odysseus’ plan to return to Ithaka is slowed by over eight years after he angers Poseidon’s son by being arrogant. Iros isn’t closely related to the suitors or Odysseus but he still goes through the cycle.Iros’ experience with the cycle results in a loss of food and shelter after he commits his Ate. Iros meets an old and weak beggar whom he thinks he is better than because he is much younger and looks stronger. Then, during his Ate, he challenges the beggar to a fight for the castle‘s Great Hall. In his Nemesis, the beggar, who is actually Odysseus, breaks his jaw in the first punch and then hurts his leg with just a quick kick. Readers can learn through Iros not to judge others by their looks or age. Before the fight, Iros encourages the suitors to pay attention and cheer him on.Iros tells Odysseus, â€Å"Clear-out grandfather or be hauled by the ankle bone. See them all giving me the wink? That means, ‘Go o n and drag him out! ’ I hate to do it. Up with you! Or would you like a fist fight† (Fitzgerald 335). When Iros commits his Ate, he angers Odysseus by insulting him. This shows that people should learn to share, and not take advantage of elders. The cycle continues throughout the story in Antinoos. During Odysseus’ absence, Antinoos thinks he can take over the castle and his wife; this causes him to lose his life.When Odysseus doesn’t return from the Trojan War, people begin to question if he is alive or not. Antinoos and the other suitors decide to take advantage of this opportunity by invading the castle. His Ate is committed when they drink Odysseus’ wine, slaughter his cattle, and mistreat Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, and the other servants. When Odysseus finally returns, still disguised as a beggar, Antinoos throws a chair at him. In the end, his nemesis is being the first suitor to die, since he is the leader of the pack.Readers can learn not to take advantage of others or take what has not been earned. Odysseus and his most trusted servants lock the suitors in the Great Hall, in order to try to kill them. Homer writes, â€Å"He drew the cruel head of an arrow for Antinoos just as the young man leaned to lift his beautiful cup†¦ Odysseus hit him under the chin and punched up the feather through his throat† (Fitzgerald 409). Antinoos’ Nemesis is death at the hand of Odysseus’ arrow, and it is revenge for taking over his castle. Although Odysseus causes the Nemesis of Iros and Antinoos, he experiences the cycle himself.Even though Odysseus is considered the hero of the poem, he still goes through the Hubris, Ate, and Nemesis cycle. In order to escape Polyphemos’ cave, where he is trapped, Odysseus blinds the Kyklopes. After escaping the cave, he boards the ship and with arrogance reveals his name and where he is from. In anger, the Kyklopes asks his dad, Poseidon, to punish Odysseus by making it almost impossible to return to Ithaka, Odysseus’ home, this is his Nemesis. The lesson the reader can learn is that boasting can get in the way of the ultimate goal. Bragging makes others even more mad, and they try to get revenge.Odysseus couldn’t just leave quietly. Polyphemos tells his dad everything he knows and how to punish him. He yells, â€Å"Oh hear me lord, blue girdler of the islands, if I am thine indeed, and thou art father: grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, never see his home again. Laertes son, I mean, who kept his hall on Ithaka. Should destiny intend that he shall see his roof again among his family in his fathers land, far be that day, and dark the years between. Let him lose all companions, and return under strange sail to biter days home† (Fitzgerald 161). Polyphemos determines Odysseus’ fate.It takes ten years for him to return home finally. All of his crew dies, and when he arrives, he finds that suitors have invaded h is castle. The lessons learned from Odysseus’ mistakes are important for people today, not only for people the past. Arrogance can’t always be controlled, and still today self-importance gets in the way of peoples life goals. The Odyssey’s exciting adventure teaches lessons about life and human nature. None of the characters are perfect, so this allows people to relate to their personalities and mistakes, keeping this poem popular.

Toy Recall

Mattel is multinational toy company that has been beleaguered by problems involving massive toy recall. Indeed, the company has been announcing product recalls and providing details about them since 1998. In 2007, wooden toys were ordered recalled by the state Department of Consumer Protection because the toys were found to have high lead content. Moreover, the excessive amount of lead found in the toys was considered violations of the federal prohibition on the use of lead paint on children’s toys (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2007). Apparently, the toy was already sold in several stores. Thus, the Department of Consumer Protection instructed customers to return the purchased items to stores for a cash refund (Krechevsky, 2007). Mattel is taking a beating with the repeated product recalls of Chinese-made toys, due to excessive levels of magnet and lead content. The staggering number alone of the toys recalled, coupled with the frequency and short duration in between recalls, is sure to cause damage to the company’s credibility and financial performance (Microsoft, 2008). Reports would show that in the previous year, Mattel recalled 1.5 million Fisher-Price infant toys to be sold all over the world. A few weeks later, Mattel announced another recall order of 9 million toys, such as Polly Pocket dolls, â€Å"Cars† movie souvenir products, and Barbie dolls. Other popular toys that are included in the toy recall are Tanner play sets and action figures of Batman and One Piece Triple Slash Zolo Roronoa action figures. These toys, which were all manufactured in China, are feared for having lead-paint and small magnets that could be swallowed (Microsoft, 2008). Several injuries related to the recalled toys had been reported in the United States, which include the death of one child and the surgery of 19 children since 2003, as a result of the swallowing of little magnets found in the toys. Children who swallow more than one magnet are in danger of intestinal perforation, blockage, or infection caused by the magnet’s attachment to each other. Intestinal perforation requires surgery, and could be fatal (Microsoft, 2008). On the other hand, the high levels of lead content in China-made toys present a different risk. It is not necessarily dangerous for children’s toys to have lead paint. However, there is a limit to the lead content of toys because there should only be a maximum of 0.6 percent of lead that is accessible to users. Children who are exposed to more than 0.6 percent of lead could ingest the toxic substance (Microsoft, 2008). These frequent and massive toy recalls would create a huge dent on the company’s credibility among consumers, specifically parents. This would easily translate into huge losses in terms of profit. Thus, Mattel is trying very hard to convince parents not to lose trust in the company. The company is undertaking campaigns such as full page ads at popular newspapers like the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times, in order to convince parents that they should still be trusted to provide entertaining and safe toys for children (Microsoft, 2008). Officials of the company say that they started investigating as soon as they learned of potential problems with the toys in late July of the previous year. Bob Eckert, the chief executive of Mattel, declared in a press conference that the company is exerting effort to beef up its oversight and testing procedures in its production processes. Thus, they expect to recall more toys to protect the public. Testing in the high levels as the company is currently doing, it cannot be guaranteed that there would be no more recalls this year. In order to help consumers who may have concerns and questions about toy recalls, Mattel set up an online site where such concerns could be ventilated (Microsoft, 2008). The company’s response to the toy recalls is to counteract the damage done. Thus, they spent resources in printing huge and expensive ads in popular newspapers in order to reach out to their primary consumers, or the parents. They try to convince parents that their foremost priority is the safety of the consumers’ children, and the toy recalls are steps in the right direction towards protecting children. Mattel’s lack of objection, and instead, full cooperation and support for the toy recalls shows that the company is taking full responsibility for the situation, and that they are not shirking from their responsibility to the consumers. The company’s actions send a strong message that they know that something is wrong, but they are doing all that are necessary to address the problem. Moreover, the establishment of a hotline and a website that would provide relevant information to all concerned is a responsible initiative that shows how serious Mattel is in helping out consumers. In the given situation, Mattel could not have handled the situation in a better manner. An irresponsible manager would try to keep the controversy under wraps in order to avoid humiliation and damage to the company’s reputation. However, it is better to address the issue head-on in order for the company to maintain the customers’ trust and confidence. If I were an official for Mattel, I would put more vigor to the campaign and marketing of Mattel products. I would not stop at newspaper advertisements and appeal to the intellect of parents; rather, I would again tap into the interests of children so that they would want Mattel’s products. This way, parents would feel pressure from children to reconsider Mattel as a toy producer. Before Mattel took a definite course of action, it was possible that they considered to keep the controversy a secret. They could have taken a risk in not recalling products and simply hope that no injury would result. They could have chosen to be irresponsible. However, such alternative action would have resulted in more damage in the credibility of the company. If such act were discovered, it would make the company appear greedy and selfish, without regard for the health and safety of its consumers. Therefore, Mattel’s strategy of coming out in the open, supporting the recalls, and providing support to consumers, is the best strategy possible in the given circumstances. References Customer Expectations. The Business Information Revolution, 65-77. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   February 8, 2008, from jsessum.com/samples/WP-enterpulse.pdf Krechevsky, D. (2007). State recalls robot toy due to lead levels. American-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Republican Inc. Retrieved February 8, 2006 Mattel Inc. (2007). Product Recalls. Retrieved February 8, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://service.mattel.com/us/recall.asp Microsoft. (2008). Mattel issues new massive China toy recall. Retrieved February 8,    2008, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20254745/ U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. (2007). Fisher Price Recalls Go Diego Go   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boat Toys Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard. Retrieved February 8, 2008                                                   

Virus- – Malicious Software – Introduction

Introduction This assignment will explain about today’s most dangerous challenges for computer users, developers, professionals and all, one common step of assault on computer is ‘malicious computer program called Virus’. They have many different types; some of them can do very devastating effect on system and cost fortune as well. Most of the organisations have big challenges to block such a data effecting viruses. Estate agency business is the one of the organisation which is always a treat because of there confidential data-transferring between clients and staffs, so it’s effecting companies network performances and productivity.We will see some of them and understand how we can protect systems. About There have been well said about viruses from Microsoft (2006) â€Å"Computer viruses are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation. A virus might corrupt or delete data on your computer, use your e-mail program to spread itself to other computers, or even erase everything on your hard disk†. Computer viruses are some well written programs by programmers. They will upload on your computer or server without your information and execute without your knowledge.Some of them will corrupt or delete your important data as well as application files. An even more they will attack on your system files, networks. They will distribute your data form one computer to another. It’s depends on different kind of viruses and there own capability. History â€Å"There are times when people want to destroy computers. In a time of war, a country may want to hamstring their enemy by destroying their intelligence databases (Ludwig, 1996)†. According to Spamlaws (2010) ,There are plenty of malicious software ,which is effected on computers . ostly know as viruses, spywares, trojan hourses and worms, rootkits and many other dangerous program which effect on syst em . As per comparisen these are different to each other : Viruses : Comuter viruses make system halt or keep contatly shuting down and do damages to files so user have difficulties to access documents or any other applications. These type of virsues make such damages which can be seen. Spyware:These types of software is installed on computer without user’s knowladge. They will change computer settings, make computer functionality difficult to use. They will collect data from users computer and sendback to remote host.Capable to hack your password,financial information. Trojan hourse: According to Cicso(2010), it is harmful piece of software,after it is activated,it can irritating the user by popping up windows,changing desktops,damaging deleting files,staling data as well as activating and spreading viruses. Worms:Worms are damaging and irritating others network than host computer, it is dangarous to sending viruses to other computers without effecting host computer. Athors claim,(Ianelli,Kinder and Roylo,2007)â€Å"If attackers can get their malware downloaded on victims system,they can earn money by causing the system to run the pay-per-install software†.Causes to Estate Agency Bussiness : Unlikely other businesses Estate agency is always an attackers target because of ‘Confidential’ data transfering on Internet with its clients. By virus attack it can be posible to change in important documents or companies policy,as per McAfee (2000),In 2000 ‘ILOVEYOU’ virus had similarly damage to thousands of computer. Virus can make very devastating effect on Estate agencies e-mail system,which is always busy for transfering important application files (DOC,.EXL,PPT etc) between millions of computer,as per CERT (1999),In1999 ‘Melissa’ virus was so powerful that it forced Microsoft’s and other big organisation to switch off their Email systems. Similarly ‘Twitter worm’ has effected upto quarter of millions twitter accounts in Jan 2010. Suggetion for better use of computer systems in Estate agency : ? Manage and admin all data, email system and applications centralized. ? Keep backup regularly and easily. ? Add new clause in ‘Turms of use’ for fair use of data handling to all users. ? Install Anti-virus software that will update regularly to check all downloaded files and block new spywares.Show and prove more commitement to data security within organisation. ? Use more secure operating systems like UNIX, LINUX. ? Avoid downloading unsecured data software from third party web sites or unathorized CD, DVD or external memory stick’s. ? Provide technical support to staff about how to deal with such odd files or data. For example, never run executable files (. EXE) which comes with email attachments. ? It is an advantage to use malware analysis software with the email system. Conclusion : Investment into Companies IT infrastructure will help to block malicious software and improve security for online communication.It can be reduce cost on system maintenances and additional accessories like software, hardware. Staff can work more efficiently and more positively to produce better results. Customer’s as well more assured about data security with the organisation. They don’t be worried about confidentiality of sharing personal data with the company. Satisfied customers is the most important key factor to become a successful organisation.References used in this assignment : o CERT,1999, http://www. cert. org/advisories/CA-1999-04. html ( Last accessed 31/10/2010) o Cisco, 2010, What is the difference:Viruses,Worms,Trojans and Bots? http://www. cisco. om/web/about/security/intelligence/virus-worm-diffs. htm l( Last accessed 30/10/2010) o Ianelli,N. ,Kinder,R. and Roylo,C. (2007) The use of malware analysis in support of law enforcement (P. ) Carnegie mellon university o Ludwig, M. A. (1996) The little black book of computer viruse s (p. 11). Arizona: American eagle publication. o McAfee,2000, http://vil. nai. com/vil/content/v_98617. htm (Last accessed 30/10/2010) o Microsoft,2006, http://www. microsoft. com/uk/protect/computer/basics/virus. mspx ( Last accessed 30/10/2010). o Spamlaws ,2010, http://www. spamlaws. com/malware-types. html ( Last accessed 01/11/2010)

Japanese fiction works are better than Western ones Essay

Q:What kind of Japanese fiction works? A:This presentation is mostly about comics and animation produced in Japan, but it covers also TV Shows and movies Topic: Japanese fiction General Purpose: To persuade Specific Purpose: To persuade you that Japanese fiction is better than western fiction regarding comics, animation, movies and TV shows Thesis statement: Although Western people see Japan as a calculating land with brutally efficient workers, they are in fact individualistic, expressive and sentimental if we can judge them from their works of fiction who surpass our own in various aspects Introduction: I. How other countries think of Japan II. Thesis statement III. Reminding the meaning of the terms manga and anime Body: I. First argument: Japan’s tendency to mix various influences from all over the world A.Japan borrows various foreign things and merges them with other elements B.Example regarding religion of Japan C.This tendency in regards to fiction II.Second Argument: How Japanese portray life, human relations, nature and the world in their fiction works A.Human nature is portrayed as it is B.Japan’s popular culture has a tight closeness to the ordinary, everyday lives of its audience C.Manga on any theme imaginable and toward any age range D.How human relations are portrayed III.Third Argument: Heroes’ fate after their struggle, death and the morality of the universe in Japanese fiction A.What defines a hero in Japan B.Death in japanese fiction C.View of the universe as amoral IV.Opposition/Refutation A1. Pornographic themes in manga and anime A2. Refutation B1. Japan’s cultural insularity robs it of relevance for other societies B2. Refutation Conclusion: I. Quote from Antonia Levi If someone will say that Japanese people are imaginative, sentimental, expressive and individualistic might earn him strange glances in most countries of the world. Many Westerners see Japan as a cold, calculating land of ant-like workers with brutal efficiency. Students are seen as oppressed slaves to their studies, pounded down like nails until their imaginations and individuality are crushed, or until they are driven to suicide. Japanese social culture is often seen as blanketed under stifling layers of politeness and formality, characterized by endless bowing. However, underneath all these there is the hidden Japanese soul. Almost all of the Japanese escape from reality through fiction works. These domestically created fiction works be it comics, animation, movies or TV shows enjoy great popularity not only in Japan but also in many countries of the world. Therefore, because these specific works are strikingly different from what we’re used to here in the Western world, it is inevitable to compare these two: the Western fiction works and the Japanese ones. Hello, everybody, my name is †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I will talk to you about Japanese fiction works and I will compare them to Western ones so as to enforce my opinion and persuade you of course, that Japanese fiction is better than Western fiction. Before starting, I want to make you acquainted with two terms. Manga, which is used to refer to the Japanese comics and anime, which refers to the Japanese animation. As a first argument, I have to inform you that Japan has the tendency to borrow various foreign things and to tinker with them, merging them with native or other elements so that they become something new and often quite distinct from the original. As an example, regarding religion, Taoism was the original religion of Japan but this didn’t stop Japanese people from accepting Buddhism as well, and even acquiring some aspects of other religions in addition, like Christianity. In works of fiction this tendency of the Japanese means new and non-static entertainment through mixing different influences from around the world without having to suffice only to the myths and the influences of their own country. For my second argument supporting Japanese fiction, I want to inform you about the way Japanese portray life, human relations, nature and the world in their fiction works. The world and human nature in Japan’s pop culture can be portrayed as they are, not as they should be. This allows Son Goku, Dragonball’s raised in the wild, central character, to be drawn naked, without the private parts-covering fig leaf that had to be added for American TV. It allows as well, the darker side of life to be portrayed. In an episode of Naniwa Kin Yudo, which is an anime TV series, the protagonist Haibara encourages the girlfriend of a customer, who cannot repay his loan, to work as a prostitute to cover her boyfriend’s debt. Scenes such as this can be disturbing but they are part of life and are neither denied nor hidden. Kazuhiko Torishima, editor of Japan’s best-selling comic magazine Shonen Jump states: â€Å"I feel sorry for U.S. kids, who live in an adult-filtered Disney world.† Moreover, Japan’s popular culture has a tight closeness to the ordinary, everyday lives of its audience. American comic artist Brian Stelfreeze has said: â€Å"Comics in the U.S. have become such a caricature. You have to have incredible people doing incredible things, but in Japan it seems like the most popular comics are the ones of normal people doing normal things.† Part of the normalcy is that the characters that populate Japan’s manga, anime and TV dramas display plenty of character flaws and weaknesses along with their strengths and good points. Furthermore, as Ian Reader, a scholar of Japanese religions and popular culture, has noted: â€Å"Manga are simply too fascinating, colorful and rich a literary medium to be left solely to children. In Japan one can find manga on any theme imaginable and toward any age range.† which is certainly not the case with American comic books. In addition, Timothy Craig which is an author, writes in his book entitled â€Å"Japan Pop!† that, human relations are a pervasive topic in Japanese pop culture, as one would expect from a society that places great importance on the group, harmony, and the smooth management of conflict. Human relations are also portrayed with a sophistication that does justice to the complexity of human affairs. Issues are many-sided, emotions are mixed, solutions are neither easy nor obvious, and outcomes are often ambiguous – not unlike real life. He continues by saying that, in Japanese fiction the human characters are more real. They  exhibit a fuller range of human emotions and are put into more realistic situations, sometimes with unpleasant outcomes, than allowed by Disney’s â€Å"perfectly preserved, stiflingly safe fairytale-based storylines.† For my last argument I will talk about heroes’ fate after their struggle, about death and the morality of the universe and therefore god, in Japanese fiction. We here in the Western world, are used to good being only good and be rewarded in the end and evil being only evil and be punished in most of the cases. This is not the case in Japanese culture. It’s not unknown in Japan for heroes to become villains and vice versa. Moreover, the Japanese hero is defined by motivation than in the West where heroism is more dependent on result. The ideal Japanese hero is not only self-sacrificing, but also unconcerned with personal gain or survival. The hero’s willingness to give his or her all to it is what counts. Winning doesn’t matter either. Losing and gaining nothing confirms the hero’s altruism and renders his or her sacrifice all the more tragic. Many characters also, meet meaningless, undeserved ends. And fans love that aspect, the fact that bad things , even death, can happen to any character at any time. It doesn’t matter how brave, how good, or even how popular they are. According to my opinion, this fact is absolutely in accordance to how our own world works. Death and bad things generally, can be around the corner for any person, no matter how kind or good-willed he or she is. According to a book by author Antonia Levi titled â€Å"Understanding Japanese Animation† that doesn’t happen on American TV where virtue is rewarded and evil is punished. That’s mainly because America is a Christian culture that believes that the universe is, or it should be, a moral place. The Japanese peoples’ take on this is that universe is amoral. Shinto as well, has no moral code at all! It simply celebrates life. Heroism and self-sacrifice may define a japanese character as a hero, but they will not save him or her. The universe simply doesn’t care. On the opposing side now and regarding manga and anime specifically, some of you may have noticed and may say that a lot of these works have pornographic themes. Wrong. According to the author of the book â€Å"Understanding Japanese Animation† these works are actually a very small portion of the total production of Japan in manga and anime that is disproportionately exported  to the Western world. Another opposition stated by quite a few people, expresses that Japan is a one-dimensional economic power marked by a cultural insularity that robs it of relevance for other societies. Wrong again. The success and presence of Japan’s cultural exports in countries apart from Asian ones such as U.S.A, Canada and most of the European countries is strong evidence that Japan’s culture does have relevance for other societies. To conclude, and quote author Antonia Levi, it’s not just that Japan’s pop culture deals with dilemmas in a more realistic fashion, or that it raises issues considered taboo in other countries. Its willingness to show death and other bad stuff restores a kind of tension, a genuine dramatic emotionality that Hollywood and TV seem to have forgotten about. Bibliography: Clements, Jonathan and Helen McCarthy. The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 Stone Bridge Press, 2001. Craig, Timothy. Japan Pop: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture East Gate, 2000. Levi, Antonia. Samurai from Outer Space: Understanding Japanese Animation Carus Publishing, 1998. Patten, Fred. Anime Stereotypes. Newtype, Issue Dec.2003 A.D.Vision Publications. For my third argument supporting my opinion, I will talk about the presence of female heroes in Japanese fiction. In the Western world apart from such exceptions as Wonder Woman, She-ra and Xena the role of superhero has traditionally been reserved for males, and targeted a predominantly male audience especially in comic books. This is not the case with Japanese  fiction. Japanese don’t neglect females be it on the starring roles of their fiction works or as a target group audience. In manga specifically, there exists a separate genre called shoujo manga with many sub-genres itself, which raises issues and has stories related and devoted to women. The presence of females as featured heroes in manga, animation and TV shows has been much stronger in Japan than in the western world. As the book â€Å"Japan Pop† specifically reports: â€Å"in Japan girl heroes are now as common and popular as boy heroes. The reasons for this are complex and, while hardly due to a greater feminist consciousness in Japanese society, are clearly linked to the increase in recent years of female artists.