Society Does Not Define Me free essay sample

In movies everywhere we look we see societys version of perfect girls, which forces girls everywhere to believe thats how youre supposed to look. Because of society I grew up thinking that skinny was beautiful, but it turns out that wasnt true. During middle school I was bullied for various things, which made me think I wasnt beautiful. With this mindset I did whatever I could to fit societys standards of beautiful.I tried diets and when I couldnt see results fast enough I moved on to eating disorders. In health class I learned how dangerous eating disorders actually were and learned society didnt approve of them. I thought, What the hell can I do to be perfect? As I continued suffering from eating disorders thought I was becoming more beautiful. Even though thought was still beautiful others didnt, was still being bullied on how I look. We will write a custom essay sample on Society Does Not Define Me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page What am I doing wrong? I asked myself everyday.I became more and more unhappy with how I looked. When I looked In the mirror I would point out a new flaw, one that didnt line up to what society craved. I thought being beautiful was a good thing, and I thought it would make me feel good about yeses but I was wrong. I tried makeup to cover up all the flaws I had, it never worked I Just looked like a clown. I was adopted and had epilepsy. It made me different; different was not accepted in the eyes of society. No matter what I did I was never satisfied with myself.After a battle between me and society I realized I am different for a reason and no matter what society thinks I am beautiful. I believe that society needs to change how they view perfect. They make It very difficult for people to live a happy day-to-day life. Girls are always worrying about how they look; they can never seem to be happy with themselves. In order for society to become more helpful Instead of harmful they need to stop saying skinny Is beautiful and that you should love yourself no matter what.Society puts a strain on girls self image, they view themselves as fat and ugly even if they arent. They strive to be perfect, but in reality nobody is. Since society isnt changing quickly enough, I decided I was the one who needed to change. I thought about what made me happy and I started not to care what others thought of me. By skirmish In magazines, on T V, in movies everywhere we look we see society version of isnt beautiful. With this mindset I did whatever I could to fit society standards of were and learned society didnt approve of them.I thought, What the hell can I do to be perfect? As I continued suffering from eating disorders I thought I was becoming more beautiful. Even though I thought I was still beautiful others didnt, I was still became more and more unhappy with how I looked. When I looked in the mirror I I believe that society needs to change how they view perfect.

Wind Power Process, Advantages and Disadvantages

Wind Power Process, Advantages and Disadvantages Introduction Wind power is a form of renewable natural energy which is generated from wind. Wind has emerged as one of the widely used sources of energy in the modern world, owing to its nature as a virtually inexhaustible source of energy. Wind power simply involves the process of converting wind energy into mechanical or electrical energy using wind turbines.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Wind Power: Process, Advantages and Disadvantages specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Even though the use of wind power has been there for many centuries, it has never gained much popularity across the world compared with other sources of energy such as hydropower and solar energy, which are widely used to generate electricity. This, however, appears to have changed in the current world where the capacity for wind power generation is observed to have risen to as much as 50 percent in a year. As it would be observed, there are some obstacles that have restricted increased use of this reliable source of energy in most parts of the world. One common obstacle here is that wind farms are not just located anywhere, but in regions where large masses of moving air are present. In this regard, some of the most strategic location points of wind farms would be along coastlines or on large tracts of land where there is constant supply of wind. In most cases, it would not be easy for people to devote these strategic areas to wind farms while there are other useful ways of utilizing them. How Wind Power Works Wind power involves the use of turbines, the modern equivalent of windmills, to convert wind energy into a more useful form of energy. The wind exerts force on the turbine blades causing it to propel. This pressure puts the turbine’s shaft into motion, thus causing it to spin at a speed of between 10 and 20 revolutions in a minute. The kinetic energy of the moving air is then turned into mechanical pow er by the rotor shaft. The amount of energy generated from a wind turbine normally depends on a number of factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, the speed of wind, air density, and the overall area covered by the turbine blades. For effective performance, wind turbines require a minimum wind speed of about 12-14 km/h and a maximum of 90 km/h. Strong winds of about 50-60 km/h are enough to generate wind power at full capacity. However, wind turbines must be stopped on levels where wind the speed exceeds 90 km/h to avoid damage.Advertising Looking for research paper on management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conversion of Mechanical Power to Electrical Energy Mechanical energy can further be processed into electrical energy using electric generators that are connected to the turbine’s shaft. According to Joselin and others (2007), wind turbines operate just like windmills in almost all aspec ts. The process begins with the wind blowing on the blades of the rotor causing it to spin into revolutions. These revolutions play a significant role in converting the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy. The strength of the revolutions and the direction from which the wind is blowing are then detected by sensors within the turbine’s shaft. The rotor then turns towards the wind direction from where it automatically controls the operations of the turbine. The rotor is usually connected to a generator by the shaft and a gearbox. The generator would spin every time the rotor propels producing mechanical energy. This energy is then converted into electric energy by the generator using an inbuilt electromagnetic field. As the process continues, the electrical energy is carried to a substation using cables, where it is combined to generate a high voltage. The final product of wind power is then transmitted through power lines into transformers. Here, the voltage is r egulated into usable levels, before it is finally released for human consumption. Advantages of Wind Energy The use of wind power as a source of energy is associated with many benefits compared to other sources of energy. Following is a summary of some of the most common advantages of wind energy. Wind Energy is Free, Pure and Renewable One main advantage of wind energy over all the other forms of energy is that it is free, clean and renewable. This pure source of energy comes freely and can be acquired efficiently from just anywhere, since wind is widely distributed everywhere. Wind energy can be generated again and again, provided there is plenty and steady supply of moving air or wind. This has the meaning that, no matter how much wind energy is consumed every time, people will always access the same supply of wind energy in the future. More importantly, unlike conventional power plants that are known to emit a variety of air polluting substances, wind power is a clean, non-pollu ting source of energy.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Wind Power: Process, Advantages and Disadvantages specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Wind plants don’t emit air pollution or green gases, and it is this non-polluting nature that makes them environment-friendly (Jaramillo, Borja Huacuz, 2004). Cost of Production As it would be observed, the production cost of wind energy has dropped steadily in the last one or so decades. The only bigger costs which investors in the energy sector are likely to incur as far as wind power is concerned would be through site preparation, machinery, and installation. Moreover, wind turbines consume a small piece of land which means that the remaining space can be utilized for other useful purposes in life. When combined with other energy alternatives, wind energy can generate adequate energy supply for both domestic and commercial use in the society. Creation of Jobs R anging from the installation of wind turbines to the maintenance of wind farms, wind energy offers many job opportunities for the people. However, a wide range of these opportunities are available for those people who live on hilly areas and around coastal areas where most wind farms are located. Reduction of Fossil Fuel Consumption Wind is a reliable source of energy which can serve as an alternative for petroleum and gas products, among other nonrenewable sources of energy thus helping to control air pollution. More importantly, effective and efficient use of wind energy can reduce human dependence on fossil fuels, and this helps to minimize the potential effects of global warming. Variety of Wind Turbines Wind turbines are produced in a range of types and sizes. What this means is that, many people and businesses can acquire them easily and use them to generate their own mechanical or electric energy without having to incur a lot of expenses (Chen, Guerrero Blaabjerg, 2009). Eco nomical benefits Wind energy resources are usually put up in remote areas where wind is plenty. In that case, they serve as steady and significant revenue generators to rural land owners and the communities inhabiting those economically disadvantaged regions.Advertising Looking for research paper on management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, land owners can supplement revenues on land use by other streams obtained through land leasing agreements between them and energy companies. Also, wind farms do play a key role in increasing the tax base for the rural communities. Preservation of Natural Resources Effective use of wind power by communities helps to preserve natural resources and non-renewable sources of energy. For instance, every time we use wind energy as an alternative source of energy, we end up saving a significant amount of coal, which is nonrenewable. In this regard, manufacture of many wind farms across the world would play a significant role in eliminating burning of coal to produce energy. This will not only help to preserve resources, but it will also be an effective way of minimizing air pollution caused by many nonrenewable energy resources. Disadvantages of Wind Power There is a range of disadvantages of wind power and below is a summary of some of the common ones as they are observed from va rious regions across the world, where the idea of wind power has been implemented. Wind Unreliability Factor As it would be observed, the strength of wind is never constant, and therefore cannot be relied upon to generate steady mechanical and electric energy for human and industry consumption. Moreover, the nature of wind will tend to vary with seasons and weather patterns, and this would have the meaning that people will have to go without power sometimes, especially when there are no strong winds to drive the turbines. Environmental Concerns The fact that wind power plants have no pollution effects to the air does not mean that they are 100 percent environment friendly. As a matter of fact, there are some concerns over the aesthetic impacts of wind turbines, the noise produced by rotating rotor blades, and birds being killed by the revolving rotors of the turbines. There have been constant claims from the wildlife department that wind turbines have affected the lifestyles of migr atory birds. More importantly, they have also contributed to high bird mortality in some regions. There have also been claims that, apart from slashing birds to death with the rotors, wind turbines can also cause explosion of bats’ lungs, thus leading to instant deaths of these nocturnal birds. According to Pedersen and Waye (2004), there is also a possibility of high rates of sound and air pollution as wind turbines during the assembling of the turbines. Even though some of these concerns have been resolved using modern technological developments, there are still many environment issues associated with the generation of wind energy in most regions. Supply and Transport Issues Wind is known to be intermittent. This means that, moving air would not be available all the time to generate the required levels of electricity for human consumption. This is actually one of the major challenges associated with wind as a source of energy. Moreover, wind energy cannot be stored for futu re use, and this brings many complications to people who rely on it as their main source of energy. Another common challenge here is that, not all types of winds can be used to meet the average electricity demands. On a further note, perfect wind sites are usually found in remote regions far from urban centers where the demands for electricity are very high. Another possible supply issue linked with wind energy is that, development of wind resources is likely to compete with other land uses which may be more valuable compared with the idea of power generation. Levels of Production/ Energy Density Generally, wind turbines generate less electric energy compared to hydro power stations and other alternative energy sources that are driven by fossil fuels. In this regard, multiple wind turbines will be required in a single wind farm in order to generate a reasonable amount of energy that would bring a significant impact to the communities. Petitions and Protests on Wind Farms Many people in the current world are not used to wind power. This, however, explains the many protests and petitions that are raised to confront any wind farm development plans raised in the modern world, especially in the developing countries, where people are less informed of the diverse benefits associated with this source energy. This strong opposition by environment conservationists and opponents of the wind power idea has been one of the many social issues that have continued to hinder the development of wind energy in most developing countries. Preservation of the Natural Form Large structures such as wind turbines usually don’t give a good picture of a place. As a matter of fact, many people, especially those who have the heart of preserving the environment, would tend to see these unsightly structures as spoilers of the landscape (Asif and Muneer, 2007). For these reasons, they would tend to remain adamant in ensuring that the natural beauty of the landscape is strictly retaine d for the benefits of humans and animals. Cost issues The initial cost for installation of wind turbines and maintenance of the entire wind farm is usually very high. This has continued to serve as a major obstacle in the development of wind power as a reliable alternative to fossil fuels and other sources of energy. National Security Study has revealed wind energy as a threat to national security. It has been observed that wind farm resources penetrate the RADAR coverage, thus confusing the system. This happens as the turbine blades rotate at very high speeds causing holes in the RADAR system. Even though there are ways to mitigate this problem, the damage can turn out being too heavy for the communities by the time it is identified and resolved. Relationship between Wind Power and the Environment Wind power is less pollutant to the environment compared to other renewable and non-renewable energy sources. The extraction, supply and processing of natural gas, coal and fossil fuels t o generate energy is likely to release pollutant substances to the atmosphere, thus bringing serious effects to living things and the environment. Unlike other sources of energy which are known to emit high levels of pollution to the environment, wind power is a pure energy source that can’t be associated with any form of pollution or nuclear waste, since it does not utilize fossil fuel. This, however, does not imply there are no negative environmental impacts that are associated with the generation of wind power. Even though wind is itself a pure source of energy, the process of converting the energy it generates to a useful form would require inclusion of energy which is in form of fossil fuel (Sahin, 2004). Moreover, the construction of wind farms requires removal of massive vegetation covers. One turbine, for instance, is said to require a clearance of about 3 to 5 acres of land. This means that vegetation on a wider area of land will have to be cleared to pave way for la rge scale wind farms. This massive deforestation is likely to bear serious long-term effects on the environment. A good example here is erosion of the soil, which may necessitate other more serious harms to the environment. Also, the constructions of wind farms at high altitudes to enable them gather more wind has come down with its own effects. As a result of this, many turbines have constantly failed owing to icing. This has often resulted to the application of de-icing substances on surfaces of the wind turbines as a way of combating the problem. The de-icing fluid is a compound of ethylene-glycol and propylene-glycol, both of which are toxic chemicals. According to Venkataraman and Elango (1998), the hazardous de-icing fluid is likely to contaminate the environment around the wind turbines, thus creating unfavorable conditions for humans, wildlife, and fish. The other common damage to the environment which may occur as a result of wind energy generation is the destruction of bat and bird populations as discussed in this paper. Based on observations from previous wind power reports, wind turbines practically have adverse impacts on wildlife and birds. Based on these observations, the generation of wind power is not 100 percent friendly to the environment, unlike what many people across the world would tend to presume. The Future of Wind Power Regardless of the numerous disadvantages and environmental impacts associated with wind power, it is still the most preferable alternative of nonrenewable sources of energy in the modern world where plans to adopt renewable sources of energy are rapidly taking shape (Hosansky, 2011). This is evident in countries such as China and the U.S., where the use of wind power is observed to be increasing at an overwhelming rate. Improvements on technological approaches and better generation ways have led to a steady decline of the overall cost of wind power over the last ten years. This, really, is another reason which is likel y to see the use of wind power across the world increase abundantly in the near future. Conclusion As it is observed in this report, wind energy, though a controversial matter when it comes to the extent by which it is friendly to the environment, is still one of the fastest-growing renewable sources of energy across the world. Wind power, just like any other source of energy, comprises of both benefits and disadvantages, all of which seem to have a significant impact on this renewable source of energy. Wind power is not hundred percent friendly to the environment as it is observed in this paper, where a number of arguments have been highlighted to support the claim. However, as a pure, renewable source of energy having minimal effects on the environment, wind power is the most appropriate source of energy that can be used to replace nonrenewable sources of energy such fossil fuel and coal, which are known to have immense impacts on the environment. References Asif, M., Muneer, T. (2007). Energy supply, its demand and security issues for developed and emerging economies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy  Reviews, 11(7), 138-141. Chen, Z., Guerrero, J., Blaabjerg, F. (2009). A review of the state of the art of power electronics for wind turbines. Power Electronics, 24(8), 185-187. Hosansky, D. (2011). Wind Power: Is wind energy good for the environment?  Researcher, 21(13), 281-312. Jaramillo, O., Borja, M., Huacuz, J. (2004). Using hydropower to complement wind energy: a hybrid system to provide firm power. Renewable Energy, 29(11), 188-190. Joselin H., Iniyan, S., Sreevalsan, E., Rajapandian, S. (2007). A review of wind energy technologies. Renewable Sustainable Energy Reviews, 11(6), 111- 114. Pedersen, E., Waye, K. (2004). Perception and annoyance due to wind turbine noise.  The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 17(116), 346-350. Sahin, A. (2004). Progress and recent trends in wind energy. Progress in Energy and  Combustion Science , 30(5), 50-54. Venkataraman, B and Elango, D. (1998). Renewable Energy Sources. Hindustan  College of Engineering, 17(5), 16-19.

Answer questions from articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer questions from articles - Essay Example Schor explains that these statistics underpin the need for the revival of the discourse that will call all individuals and households to reconsider their material requirements. In order for this right to be enforced, she suggests that governments should guarantee their citizens of employment, supply their basic needs, and consider using government income vouchers or transfers (Schor 7). A second element that Schor believes can help overcome the problems in American consumerism is an emphasis on quality of life rather than quantity of stuff. Schor states that it was in the 1970s that the indicators of the quality of the life of Americans stopped reflecting their incomes and the country’s Gross Domestic Product. She states that there is evidence suggesting that earning an income above the poverty line does not necessarily improve an individual’s well-being. She asserts that the lack of emphasis on well-being among the people above the poverty line is an indication of people’s concern with relative rather than absolute income. She states that an alternative explanation to the unlikely relationship between income and well-being could be the fact that increased output undermines factors yielding welfare (Schor 7). She observes that this is seen in the increase in work time, the decline in family leisure and time for one’s community. She offers that these two things exemplify the inverse relationship between growth and social capital. Growth and increased materialism affects a person’s appreciation of personal meaning, social commitment, community, religion, and family, all of which are alternative sets of values. She advises that the labor market should be restructured to allow workers more time to themselves and that companies that require their workers to work for excessive hours should be penalized. Schor believes that this will serve as an alternative indicator of GNP,

Financial analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Financial analysis - Case Study Example The report concludes with the summary of the EMI Group's financial performance in 2005. EMI Group PLC is a large company specializing on the music industry. The firm has a long history dating back to 1887. Since that time EMI Group has developed from a small recording enterprise into a major player of both music recording and music publishing markets. It is divided in to two divisions: EMI Music operates in the recording industry, while EMI Music Publishing is among the largest and the most successful music publishers. EMI Group operates directly in more than 50 countries with licensees in additional 20 and employs more than 6,600 people (EMI Group 2005a). EMI Music has about 6,000 employees worldwide, and EMI Music Publishing employs 630 staff. The strategy of the company is to deliver music - the main product of EMI Group - "in any form [including compact discs, tapes, and digital formats], at any time, and any place" (EMI Group 2005a). In line with this formula it is important to stress that EMI Group rapidly develops its departments focused on digital music sales. "By the middle of 2005 digital revenues accounted for just under 5 per cent EMI Group's total revenues, with that figure expected to reach 25 per cent in five years" (EMI Group 2005a). The catalogue of music published by EMI contains over 1.5 million titles of both classic and contemporary genres. The company offers songs of every genre to customers. Profit and Loss Account Profit and loss account of the company provides a record of all revenues and expenditures and totals the profit or loss over a given period of time (in our case the financial year ending March 31, 2005). To analyze the profit and loss account of EMI Group we will look into the following types of profit: gross profit (revenues from sales minus costs of goods sold), net profit (gross profit minus overheads), pre-tax profits (net profit plus one-off items), and profits after tax (pre-tax profits minus tax). The analysis of the profit and loss account is made in order to identify trends in sales, gross profit, expenses, stability of income, and growth in earnings per share. Group turnover for EMI Group is 1,942.8 m in 2005, while in 2004 it was 2,120.7 m (EMI Group Annual Report 2005b, p. 69). However these figures cannot give us enough information about the changes in profitability of the company. Cost of sales indicated in 2005 were 1,225.3 m in compare with 1,404.7 m in 2004 (EMI Group Annual Report 2005b, p. 69). Therefore, EMI Group sold fewer goods in 2005 than in 2004. The gross profit in 2005 was 717.5 m, while in 2004 it was 716 m. This gives us the notion that the profit from sales is slightly rising in compare to previous year. Analyzing the net or operating profits one can see that group net profit was 182.2 m in 2005 and 60.1 m in 2004 (EMI Group Annual Report 2005b, p. 69) - the net profit has risen significantly in 2005. Pre-tax profit aggregates 91.8 m, and profit after tax is 60.6 m in 2005, while it was a loss of 52.8 m and 72.5 m correspondingly in 2004. However absolute numbers can give us only partial information. Deeper analysis re quires examining relative figures, such as profit margin (pre-tax profit divided by sales). According to the information from FAME (2005) the average profit margin was 6.49 for EMI Group in the past ten years. In 2005 it was 4.73, while in 2004 profit margin was -2.50, and in 2003 it was 14.68. Thus

Inflation Rate Essay Example for Free

Inflation Rate Essay Inflation means a sustained increase in the aggregate or general price level in an economy. Inflation means there is an increase in the cost of living. What are the economic policies that lead to low inflation in an economy? 1. Monetary Policy In the UK and US, monetary policy is the most important tool for maintaining low inflation. In the UK, monetary policy is set by the MPC of the Bank of England. They are given an inflation target by the government. This inflation target is 2%+/-1 and the MPC use interest rates to try and achieve this target. The first step is for the MPC to try and predict future inflation. They look at various economic statistics and try to decide whether the economy is overheating. If inflation is forecast to increase above the target, the MPC will increase interest rates. Increased interest rates will help reduce the growth of Aggregate Demand in the economy. The slower growth will then lead to lower inflation. Higher interest rates reduce consumer spending because: * Increased interest rates increase the cost of borrowing, discouraging consumers from borrowing and spending. * Increased interest rates make it more attractive to save money * Increased interest rates reduce the disposable income of those with mortgages. * Higher interest rates increased the value of the exchange rate leading to lower exports and more imports. Base Rates and Inflation Base interest rates were increased in the late 1980s / 1990 to try and control the rise in inflation. 2. Supply Side Policies Supply side policies aim to increase long term competitiveness and productivity. For example, privatisation and deregulation were hoped to make firms more productive. Therefore, in the long run supply side policies can help reduce inflationary pressures. However, supply side policies work very much in the long term. They cannot be used to reduce sudden increases in the inflation rate. 3. Fiscal Policy This is another demand side policy, similar in effect to Monetary Policy. Fiscal policy involves the government changing tax and spending levels in order to influence the level of Aggregate Demand. To reduce inflationary pressures the government can increase tax and reduce government spending. This will reduce AD. 4. Exchange Rate Policy In the late 1980s the UK joined the ERM, as a means to control inflation. It was felt that by keeping the value of the pound high, it would help reduce inflationary pressures. The policy did reduce inflation, but at the cost of a recession. To maintain the value of the  £ against the DM, the government had to increase interest rates to 15%. The UK no longer uses this as an inflationary policy. 5. Wage Control Wage growth is a key factor in determining inflation. If wages increase quickly it will cause high inflation. In the 1970s, there was a brief attempt at wage controls which tried to limit wage growth. However, it was effectively dropped because it was difficult to widely enforce. Main Cause of Inflation 1. Demand pull inflation If the economy is at or close to full employment then an increase in AD leads to an increase in the price level. As firms reach full capacity, they respond by putting up prices leading to inflation. AD can increase due to an increase in any of its components C+I+G+X-M The link between output and inflation suggests that there will be a similar link between inflation and unemployment, The Phillips curve initially showed a link between money wages and unemployment, it was then argued an increase in wages would lead to inflation 2. Cost Push Inflation If there is an increase in the costs of firms, then firms will pass this on to consumers. There will be a shift to the left in the AS. Cost push inflation can be caused by many factors 1. The Labour Market If trades unions can present a common front then they can bargain for higher wages, this will lead to wage inflation. 2. Import prices One third of all goods are imported in the UK. If there is a devaluation then import prices will become more expensive leading to an increase in inflation E.G. a German car costs DM 40,000. If the exchange rate is DM  £1:3DM then it will be priced at  £13,333. If the E.R falls to  £1: 2DM then it will be priced at  £20,000 3. Raw Material Prices, The best example is the price of oil, if the oil price increase by 20% then this will have a significant impact on most goods in the economy and this will lead to cost push inflation. E.g. in early 2008, there was a spike in the price of oil to over $150 causing a rise in inflation. 4. Profit Push Inflation When firms push up prices to get higher rates of inflation. 5. Declining productivity If firms become less productive and allow costs to rise, this invariably leads to higher prices. Source: http://www.economicshelp.org/index.html PHILIPPINES INFLATION RATE The inflation rate in Philippines was recorded at 2.90 percent in December of 2012. Inflation Rate in Philippines is reported by the The National Statistics Office (NSO). Historically, from 1958 until 2012, Philippines Inflation Rate averaged 9.1 Percent reaching an all time high of 62.8 Percent in September of 1984 and a record low of -2.1 Percent in January of 1959. In Philippines, the most important categories in the Consumer Price Index are: food and non-alcoholic beverages (39 percent of total weight); housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (22 percent) and transport (8 percent). The index also includes health (3 percent), education (3 percent), clothing and footwear (3 percent), communication (2 percent) and recreation and culture (2 percent). Alcoholic beverages, tobacco, furnishing, household equipment, restaurants and other goods and services account for the remaining 15 percent. This page includes a chart with historical data for Philippines Inflation Rate. Source: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/inflation-cpi causes Historically, a great deal of economic literature was concerned with the question of what causes inflation and what effect it has. There were different schools of thought as to the causes of inflation. Most can be divided into two broad areas: quality theories of inflation and quantity theories of inflation. The quality theory of inflation rests on the expectation of a seller accepting currency to be able to exchange that currency at a later time for goods that are desirable as a buyer. The quantity theory of inflation rests on the quantity equation of money, that relates the money supply, itsvelocity, and the nominal value of exchanges. Adam Smith and David Hume proposed a quantity theory of inflation for money, and a quality theory of inflation for production.[citation needed] Currently, the quantity theory of money is widely accepted as an accurate model of inflation in the long run. Consequently, there is now broad agreement among economists that in the long run, the inflation rate is essentially dependent on the growth rate of money supply relative to the growth of the economy. However, in the short and medium term inflation may be affected by supply and demand pressures in the economy, and influenced by the relative elasticity of wages, prices and interest rates.[29] The question of whether the short-term effects last long enough to be important is the central topic of debate between monetarist and Keynesian economists. In monetarism prices and wages adjust quickly enough to make other factors merely marginal behavior on a general trend-line. In the Keynesian view, prices and wages adjust at different rates, and these differences have enough effects on real output to be long term in the view of people in an economy. Keynesian economic theory proposes that changes in money supply do not directly affect prices, and that visible inflation is the result of pressures in the economy expressing themselves in prices. Monetarist view Monetarists believe the most significant factor influencing inflation or deflation is how fast the money supply grows or shrinks. They consider fiscal policy, or government spending and taxation, as ineffective in controlling inflation.] According to the famous monetarist economist Milton Friedman,Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon.[49] Some monetarists, however, will qualify this by making an exception for very short-term circumstances. Unemployment A connection between inflation and unemployment has been drawn since the emergence of large scale unemployment in the 19th century, and connections continue to be drawn today. In Marxian economics, the unemployed serve as a reserve army of labour, which restrain wage inflation. In the 20th century, similar concepts in Keynesian economics include the NAIRU (Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment) and the Phillips curve. Rational expectations theory For more details on this topic, see Rational expectations theory. Rational expectations theory holds that economic actors look rationally into the future when trying to maximize their well-being, and do not respond solely to immediate opportunity costs and pressures. In this view, while generally grounded in monetarism, future expectations and strategies are important for inflation as well. A core assertion of rational expectations theory is that actors will seek to head off central-bank decisions by acting in ways that fulfill predictions of higher inflation. This means that central banks must establish their credibility in fighting inflation, or economic actors will make bets that the central bank will expand the money supply rapidly enough to prevent recession, even at the expense of exacerbating inflation. Thus, if a central bank has a reputation as being soft on inflation, when it announces a new policy of fighting inflation with restrictive monetary growth economic agents will not believe that the policy will persist; their inflationary expectations will remain high, and so will inflation. On the other hand, if the central bank has a reputation of being tough on inflation, then such a policy announcement will be believed and inflationary expectations will come down rapidly, thus allowing inflation itself to come down rapidly with minimal economic disruption. Austrian view For more details on this topic, see The Austrian view of inflation and monetary inflation The Austrian School asserts that inflation is an increase in the money supply, rising prices are merely consequences and this semantic difference is important in defining inflation.[50] Austrians stress that inflation affects prices in various degree, i.e. that prices rise more sharply in some sectors than in other sectors of the economy. The reason for the disparity is that excess money will be concentrated to certain sectors, such as housing, stocks or health care. Because of this disparity, Austrians argue that the aggregate price level can be very misleading when observing the effects of inflation. Austrian economists measure inflation by calculating the growth of new units of money that are available for immediate use in exchange, that have been created over time.[51][52][53] Critics of the Austrian view point out that their preferred alternative to fiat currency intended to prevent inflation, commodity-backed money, is likely to grow in supply at a different rate thaneconomic growth. Thus it has proven to be highly deflationary and destabilizing, including in instances where it has caused and prolonged depressions.[54] Real bills doctrine Main article: Real bills doctrine Within the context of a fixed specie basis for money, one important controversy was between the quantity theory of money and the real bills doctrine (RBD). Within this context, quantity theory applies to the level of fractional reserve accounting allowed against specie, generally gold, held by a bank. Currency and banking schools of economics argue the RBD, that banks should also be able to issue currency against bills of trading, which is real bills that they buy from merchants. This theory was important in the 19th century in debates between Banking and Currency schools of monetary soundness, and in the formation of the Federal Reserve. In the wake of the collapse of the international gold standard post 1913, and the move towards deficit financing of government, RBD has remained a minor topic, primarily of interest in limited contexts, such as currency boards. It is generally held in ill repute today, with Frederic Mishkin, a governor of theFederal Reserve going so far as to say it had been completely discredited. The debate between currency, or quantity theory, and banking schools in Britain during the 19th century prefigures current questions about the credibility of money in the present. In the 19th century the banking school had greater influence in policy in the United States and Great Britain, while the currency school had more influence on the continent, that is in non-British countries, particularly in the Latin Monetary Union and the earlier Scandinavia monetary union. Anti-classical or backing theory Another issue associated with classical political economy is the anti-classical hypothesis of money, or backing theory. The backing theory argues that the value of money is determined by the assets and liabilities of the issuing agency.[55] Unlike the Quantity Theory of classical political economy, the backing theory argues that issuing authorities can issue money without causing inflation so long as the money issuer has sufficient assets to cover redemptions. There are very few backing theorists, making quantity theory the dominant theory explaining inflation.[citation needed] - Controlling inflation A variety of methods and policies have been used to control inflation. Stimulating economic growth If economic growth matches the growth of the money supply, inflation should not occur when all else is equal.[56] A large variety of factors can affect the rate of both. For example, investment inmarket production, infrastructure, education, and preventative health care can all grow an economy in greater amounts than the investment spending.[57][58] Monetary policy The U.S. effective federal funds ratecharted over fifty years. Main article: Monetary policy Today the primary tool for controlling inflation is monetary policy. Most central banks are tasked with keeping their inter-bank lending rates at low levels, normally to a target rate around 2% to 3% per annum, and within a targeted low inflation range, somewhere from about 2% to 6% per annum. A low positive inflation is usually targeted, as deflationary conditions are seen as dangerous for the health of the economy. There are a number of methods that have been suggested to control inflation. Central banks such as the U.S. Federal Reserve can affect inflation to a significant extent through setting interest rates and through other operations. High interest rates and slow growth of the money supply are the traditional ways through which central banks fight or prevent inflation, though they have different approaches. For instance, some follow a symmetrical inflation target while others only control inflation when it rises above a target, whether express or implied. Monetarists emphasize keeping the growth rate of money steady, and using monetary policy to control inflation (increasing interest rates, slowing the rise in the money supply). Keynesians emphasize reducing aggregate demand during economic expansions and increasing demand during recessions to keep inflation stable. Control of aggregate demand can be achieved using both monetary policy and fiscal policy (increased taxation or reduced government spending to reduce demand). Fixed exchange rates Under a fixed exchange rate currency regime, a countrys currency is tied in value to another single currency or to a basket of other currencies (or sometimes to another measure of value, such as gold). A fixed exchange rate is usually used to stabilize the value of a currency, vis-a-vis the currency it is pegged to. It can also be used as a means to control inflation. However, as the value of the reference currency rises and falls, so does the currency pegged to it. This essentially means that the inflation rate in the fixed exchange rate country is determined by the inflation rate of the country the currency is pegged to. In addition, a fixed exchange rate prevents a government from using domestic monetary policy in order to achieve macroeconomic stability. Under the Bretton Woods agreement, most countries around the world had currencies that were fixed to the US dollar. This limited inflation in those countries, but also exposed them to the danger of speculative attacks. After the Bretton Woods agreement broke down in the early 1970s, countries gradually turned to floating exchange rates. However, in the later part of the 20th century, some countries reverted to a fixed exchange rate as part of an attempt to control inflation. This policy of using a fixed exchange rate to control inflation was used in many countries in South America in the later part of the 20th century (e.g. Argentina (1991–2002), Bolivia, Brazil, and Chile). Gold standard The gold standard is a monetary system in which a regions common media of exchange are paper notes that are normally freely convertible into pre-set, fixed quantities of gold. The standard specifies how the gold backing would be implemented, including the amount of specie per currency unit. The currency itself has no innate value, but is accepted by traders because it can be redeemed for the equivalent specie. A U.S. silver certificate, for example, could be redeemed for an actual piece of silver. The gold standard was partially abandoned via the international adoption of the Bretton Woods System. Under this system all other major currencies were tied at fixed rates to the dollar, which itself was tied to gold at the rate of $35 per ounce. The Bretton Woods system broke down in 1971, causing most countries to switch to fiat money – money backed only by the laws of the country. According to Lawrence H. White, an F. A. Hayek Professor of Economic History who values the Austrian tradition,[59] economies based on the gold standard rarely experience inflation above 2 percent annually.[60] However, historically, the U.S. saw inflation over 2% several times and a higher peak of inflation under the gold standard when compared to inflation after the gold standard.[61] Under a gold standard, the long term rate of inflation (or deflation) would be determined by the growth rate of the supply of gold relative to total output.[62] Critics argue that this will cause arbitrary fluctuations in the inflation rate, and that monetary policy would essentially be determined by gold mining.[63][64] Wage and price controls Another method attempted in the past have been wage and price controls (incomes policies). Wage and price controls have been successful in wartime environments in combination with rationing. However, their use in other contexts is far more mixed. Notable failures of their use include the 1972 imposition of wage and price controls by Richard Nixon. More successful examples include the Prices and Incomes Accord in Australia and the Wassenaar Agreement in the Netherlands. In general, wage and price controls are regarded as a temporary and exceptional measure, only effective when coupled with policies designed to reduce the underlying causes of inflation during the wage and price control regime, for example, winning the war being fought. They often have perverse effects, due to the distorted signals they send to the market. Artificially low prices often cause rationing and shortages and discourage future investment, resulting in yet further shortages. The usual economic analysis is that any product or service that is under-priced is overconsumed. For example, if the official price of bread is too low, there will be too little bread at official prices, and too little investment in bread making by the market to satisfy future needs, thereby exacerbating the problem in the long term. Temporary controls may complement a recession as a way to fight inflation: the controls make the recession more efficient as a way to fight inflation (reducing the need to increase unemployment), while the recession prevents the kinds of distortions that controls cause when demand is high. However, in general the advice of economists is not to impose price controls but to liberalize prices by assuming that the economy will adjust and abandon unprofitable economic activity. The lower activity will place fewer demands on whatever commodities were driving inflation, whether labor or resources, and inflation will fall with total economic output. This often produces a severe recession, as productive capacity is reallocated and is thus often very unpopular with the people whose livelihoods are destroyed (see creative destruction). Cost-of-living allowance The real purchasing-power of fixed payments is eroded by inflation unless they are inflation-adjusted to keep their real values constant. In many countries, employment contracts, pension benefits, and government entitlements (such as social security) are tied to a cost-of-living index, typically to the consumer price index.[65] A cost-of-living allowance (COLA) adjusts salaries based on changes in a cost-of-living index. Salaries are typically adjusted annually in low inflation economies. During hyperinflation they are adjusted more often.[65] They may also be tied to a cost-of-living index that varies by geographic location if the employee moves. Annual escalation clauses in employment contracts can specify retroactive or future percentage increases in worker pay which are not tied to any index. These negotiated increases in pay are colloquially referred to as cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) or cost-of-living increases because of their similarity to increases tied to externally determined indexes.

Comparing the Struggle in Dante’s Inferno and Book VI of The Aeneid Ess

The Infernal Struggle in Dante’s Inferno and Book VI of The Aeneid Does hell have its own history? For Dante, the structural and thematic history of ‘hell’ in the Inferno begins with the Roman epic tradition and its champion poet, Virgil. By drawing heavily from the characteristics of hell in Book VI of The Aeneid, Dante carries the epic tradition into the medieval world and affirms his indebtedness to Virgil’s poetry. Moreover, Virgil becomes a central character in the Inferno as he guides Dante, the pilgrim, who has no knowledge of hell, through his own historical model. Similarly, the protagonist of The Aeneid, Aeneas, lacks the foresight necessary to make the journey through hell on his own and thus places his trust in the mythological prophet, the Sybil. Because the Sybil and Virgil already have knowledge of the underworld, their characters in The Aeneid and the Inferno are associated with history, both literally through Virgil’s poetry and metaphorically through their enduring wisdom in eyes of the pilgrim and Aeneas . For Aeneas and the pilgrim, however, religious history evolves from an ancient world of paganism to medieval Christianity and these values are transposed onto hell itself--showing that its history changes over time. Furthermore, the living realities that the pilgrim and Aeneas take into the underworld prove unstable when juxtaposed with hell’s slippery and ever-changing ambience. In Book VI of The Aeneid, Aeneas enters an underworld filled with triple-hybrid beasts, sinners, heroes, and a transparent physical reality that foils his warriorlike instincts for conflict and resolution. Likewise, in Dante’s Inferno, the journeying pilgrim witnesses a horrific blurring of life and death, which in this case nega... ...f. Through the infernal struggle Aeneas and the pilgrim discover the limitations of their mortal realities, and ultimately come to an awareness of their existence as transcendent, spiritual beings against shifting religious, historical, and poetical climates. Works Cited Bailey, Cyril. Religion in Virgil. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1969. Clarke, Howard. ed. Virgil’s Aeneid. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State UP, 1989. Day-Lewis, C. ed. The Eclogues of Virgil. London: Jonathan Cape, 1963. Durling, Robert M. ed. The Inferno. New York: Oxford UP, 1996. Eco, Umberto. Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages. Trans. Hugh Bradin. New Haven: Yale UP, 1986. Jacoff, Rachel and Jeffrey T. Schnapp. The Poetry of Allusion: Virgil and Ovid in Dante’s Commedia. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1991. Virgil. The Aeneid. New York: Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc. 1965.

Democracy in the USA Essay

Text of the US Constitution does not contain the word â€Å"democracy†. The U.S. Constitution was not a perfect document. Originally it contained provisions that are can be recognized as ambiguous. â€Å"The US Founding Fathers† did not create democracy in the modern sense of the word, but the republic. They did not fully trust the wisdom of the American people and their ability to make sound decisions. For many years America was considered to be an ideal democratic country, however in recent years the situation has drastically changed. Among the most important challenges facing America today is the growing social inequality, discrimination on racial, ethnic or religious grounds, practice of indefinite detention of prisoners without charges, judicial bias, operating outside the law in prison, use of torture, the impact of government agencies on the trials, weak penitentiary system, infringement of freedom of speech, Internet censorship, legalized corruption, limiting of citizens’ voting rights, acts of intolerance based on race and ethnicity, the violation of the rights of children, extraterritorial application of the U.S. law, leading to human rights violations in other countries, kidnapping, tracking dissidents, disproportionate use of force against peaceful demonstrators, application of the death penalty to minors and the mentally ill, etc. At the same time, the international legal obligations of the United States, continues to be reduced to participation in only three of the nine core human rights treaties, providing control mechanisms. The USA has not yet ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1979, Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, 1990, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2006 and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, 2006. At the same time, Americans continue to wrongfully position themselves as an absolute authority and unquestioned leader in the field of democracy and human rights. They are engaged in mentoring, trying to teach others how to build their democracy and ensure human rights. Of ten they do this roughly, ignoring the basic international law principle of state sovereignty. Often their attempts to take care of human rights in other countries is bordering on outright interference in the internal affairs. At the same time, in the USA the situation with human rights remains very complicated. Fundamental political rights of Americans in today’s society, are not only exempt from the archaic elements, but they become even more vulnerable. Elections cause the most serious complaints. The U.S. president is still not elected by direct popular election, and by the Electoral College. Many rightly believe this system obsolete and undemocratic. With it, in particular, the voice of a resident of Delaware or North Dakota has mathematically much more weight than the voice of the voters in the larger states, such as California or New York. With this system, three times in the history of the U.S. the candidate with fewer votes than his opponent was elected the President (George W. Bush in 2000). And Gerald Ford has never been elected. At first, he was co-opted by the Republican National Committee instead of thieving Vice President Spiro Agnew, and then automatically took place of Richard Nixon who departed from his position because of the Watergate scandal. In general, the U.S. political system is based on the absolute monopoly of the two political parties which is far enough from the European-style multi-party democracy. More than 5.8 million Americans (2.5% of all potential voters) are deprived of voting rights because of a criminal record. This means that in general every 40th American citizen has no right to vote, among them every 13th African American (7.7% of total), and in some states, such as Kentucky, Virginia and Florida, more than 20 % of black Americans are deprived of voting rights. According to the Census Bureau, of the 75 million eligible citizens who did not use this right in the presidential election in 2008, 60 million were not able to do so due to lack of registration, which is associated with many cumbersome procedures. Currently only the states of Missouri, South Dakota and New Mexico, as well as the District of Columbia have laws that allow the access of international observers during the elections. In other regions, the issue of the activities of foreign observers is in the competence of local authorities. The implicit control over the population is being enhanced. The current U.S. law, in effect, allows the intelligence community to carry out a total censorship of all electronic communications of foreign and U.S. citizens without a warrant. It also requires telecommunications companies to assist the Government in gathering intelligence about foreign objects and to keep the information gathered in secret. Currently under consideration in Congress, the Cyber ​​Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act – CISPA, according to human rights activists, practically does not limit the possibility of the U.S. government to monitor web browsing of individuals. Freedom of speech is being limited. For attacks on journalists covering the action of the Occupy Wall Street movement, NGO â€Å"Reporters without Borders† in January 2012 lowered its rating of the U.S. in its annual global press freedom index for 27 items at once and put the U.S. on the 47th position (57th with the territories in which Washington exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction). According to an investigation of the Coalition of Independent Lawyers (Protest and Assembly Rights Project), only in New York from September 2011 to July 2012 at least 18 accredited reporters have been arrested. The site WikiLeaks was the subject of persecution by the U.S. administration in retaliation for the publication of the diplomatic dispatches. According to the latest Google report on the availability of services of the company, during the period from July to December 2011, the amount of requests for removal of content received by it from the U.S. government has increased by 103% compar ed to the previous reporting period. U.S. law enforcement agencies requested removal from YouTube video sharing hosting of 1.4 thousand videos that â€Å"contain insults.† 6.3 thousand queries required disclosure data of more than 12.2 thousand users of this company. 93% of these requirements were met. Quite specific topic is absolutely abhorrent practice of extrajudicial killings abroad. As part of the â€Å"war on terror† in Washington highly specific approaches have been developed, the application of which caused not only massive violation of many international legal norms, but also killing thousands of innocent people. Crimes against humanity committed by U.S. soldiers abroad often do not receive proper legal assessment of the national judicial system. Illegal abduction and detention of people remain in the arsenal of U.S. intelligence. In September 2006, President Bush acknowledged the existence of secret CIA prisons. As it became known later, in 2002-2003. secret services built about ten such detention facilities, including in foreign countries – Afghanistan, Iraq, Thailand, Morocco, Djibouti, Romania, Lithuania and Poland. In January 2012, a special prison at the naval base at Guantanamo Bay (Cuba) â€Å"celebrated† its 10th anniversary. U.S. President B arack Obama, despite his campaign promise, failed to close it because of counteraction of Congress. The practice of torture condemned by most countries of the world remains legalized in the United States. April 6, 2009 the Department of Justice published four memorandums, prepared in 2002-2005 by the lawyers of this agency. They thoroughly substantiated the legality of application of harsh interrogation techniques to prisoners of CIA prisons in terms of U.S. and international law. Along with other human rights violations in the United States numerous cases of police brutality have been recorded. Human rights activists note that the level of sexual crimes among American police is much higher than among the U.S. population as a whole. Mass practice in the United States have become systematic violations of human rights in detention. Business, which uses the prisoners’ labor flourishes in the USA. One in 10 prisoners in this country is contained in a commercial prison. The other fact demonstrating the low level of democracy in the USA are as follows: 1. In 33 U.S. states the death penalty is still permitted and applied; 2. Hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. are abused which results in some cases (in 2010 – 1.6 thousand) to a lethal outcome; 3. In the U.S., social and economic rights are seriously disrupted. In the country there are 12.8 million unemployed, 40 million people do not have health insurance, 14.5% of families are experiencing food shortages; 4. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the USA has one of the highest levels of income inequality; 5. One of the most rightless segments of the population of America are migrants, who make up at least half of all those employed in the agricultural sector of the country; This brief review shows that the issue of human rights, facing all of humanity, is acutely relevant for the modern United States. All claims of the United States to be the moral leader in this area require a lot of preliminary work to clear own American â€Å"Augean stables.† Works Cited Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Study on Targeted Killings, Human Rights Council, 9-11, U.N. Doc. A/HRC/14/24/Add.6 (May 28, 2010).