Asian Economic Growth Essays - Liberal Democracies,

Asian Economic Growth In his book Asia?s Miracle Economies, Jon Woronoff examines the dramatically quick economic growth of five Asian countries. The five countries examined are Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Through his study the author demonstrates that there was no miracle involved in these countries growth. They applied specific strategies that were adapted to their local environment. Some of these strategies worked some didn?t. The author says that by examining these nations, one may be able to repeat there success. The book is divided into three parts. In "Part One: Places" the author tells where these countries started from. Some were poorer than average. Some had little natural resources. The people of these countries had different outlooks on the world thus different behavioral tendencies. Part I is divided into five chapters each examining a countries. Woronoff begins Chapter 1 "Japan?s Two Miracles," by discussing Japan?s first industrial revolution. In 1853 when Commodore Perry opened Japan?s ports to foreigners, Japan was feudal society. It was not very evolved nor very modern. Agriculture was good but not enough for the growing population. Japan wanted to learn from the West. Japan sent many students to Europe and the United States. Soon Japan began industrializing. Groups called zaibatsu formed. These zaibatsu dominated industry and commerce. They manipulated politics to suit their own needs. Japan soon began concentrating own building a War Machine. After the Russo-Japanese War, the country went into a recession. But after the First World War, Imperial Japan began growing up until the end of the WWII. The war left Japan resouceless and heavily overpopulated. The victorious Allies gave or rather imposed democratization onto Japan. The zaibatsu were disbanded. Japan was left weak. The United States provided much financial support. Japan?s economy then began growing very fast. The Japanese protected themselves by implementing quotas and then non-tariff barriers. Companies such as Sony, Honda, and YKK improved production methods. Businessmen and bureaucrats worked together. Many firms formed keiretsu. Keiretsu was a sort of lateral conglomeration of banks and companies loyal to each other. The author concluded that the 1980?s, Japan?s economy had surpassed those of France and Britain and rivaled the United States? economy. The Japanese could now purchase many luxury consumer goods, but at what price. Their obsession with production as their prewar obsession with military might had its drawbacks. Lack of urban planning has led to urban congestion with subsufficient pluming and sewage. Their economic success came at the cost of living conditions, human relations and natural beauty. The author begins Chapter 2 "Taiwan, Industrial Island" with a brief history of Taiwan. Taiwan, the island of Formosa was once a Dutch trading center. Then it became a part of the Chinese province of Fukien in 1683. With this Chinese began immigrating. In 1895, Formosa was ceded to Japan. The Japanese realized the agricultural potential of the island. They built roads, railways and harbors. After the Second World War, the island?s economy which had been based on exporting food and raw material to Japan was now greatly weakened. In 1949 when the Kumintang moved to the island , so came over one million refugees, fleeing from the communist mainland. The first priority of the new Republic of China was its military. Aid came from the U.S. in 1953 in the form of the Mutual Security Treaty. Taiwan attempted many things to help its economy. These implementations made matters worse. The Nineteen Point Program of Economic and Financial Reform enabled local businessmen to act more efficiently and purposely. Despite many factors against it the Republic of China has been able to steadily grow economically and is likely to continue to survive into the future. In chapter 3 "Korea Man-Made Miracle" the author explores the history of Korea. Korea has long had a history of Chinese domination. But as China became more an more under western spheres of influence, Korea began to be dominated by Russia and Japan. Soon after Japan took control. Japan used Korea as mercantilist colony. Japan did build roads and develop the economy. After the war, Korea was left in bad shape. The country was divided into a U.S. zone and a USSR zone. The zone formed two separate nations. North Korea had all of the industry and the South had all of the agriculture. Soon the North invaded the South. The U.S. came the aid of the South, driving the communists back north. The United States provided financial assistance for reconstruction in 1954. Economic progress was slow coming. In 1961, General Park takes charge. He was a military man.

Longfellows The Rainy Day

Longfellow's 'The Rainy Day' Children across New England are familiar with the works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, whose Paul Reveres Ride has been recited at many a grade school pageant. Longfellow, born in Maine in 1807, became an epic poet of sorts for American history, writing about the American Revolution in the way bards of old wrote about conquests across Europe. The Life of Longfellow Longfellow the second-oldest in a family of eight children, was a teacher at Bowdoin College in Maine, and later at Harvard University. Longfellows first wife Mary died in 1831 following a miscarriage, while they were traveling in Europe. The couple had been married for only four years. He did not write for several years following her death, but she inspired his poem Footsteps of Angels. In 1843, after years of trying to win her over for nearly a decade, Longfellow married his second wife Frances. The two had six children together. During their courtship, Longfellow often walked from his home in Cambridge, crossing the Charles River, to Frances family home in Boston. The bridge he crossed during those walks is now officially known as the Longfellow Bridge. But his second marriage ended in tragedy as well; in 1861 Frances died of burns she suffered after her dress caught fire. Longfellow was himself burned trying to save her  and grew his famous beard to cover the scars left behind on his face. He died in 1882, a month after people around the country celebrated his 75th birthday. Body of Work Longfellows best-known works include epic poems such as The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline, and poetry collections such as Tales of a Wayside Inn. He also wrote well-known ballad-style poems such as The Wreck of the Hesperus, and Endymion. He was the first American writer to translate Dantes Divine Comedy.  Longfellows admirers included President Abraham Lincoln, and fellow writers Charles Dickens and Walt Whitman. Analysis of The Rainy Day This 1842 poem has the famous line Into each life some rain must fall, meaning that everyone will experience difficulty and heartache at some point. The day is a metaphor for life. Written after the death of his first wife and before he married his second wife, The Rainy Day has been interpreted as a deeply personal look into Longfellows psyche and state of mind. Here is the complete text of Henry Wadsworth Longfellows The Rainy Day. The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;It rains, and the wind is never weary;The vine still clings to the moldering wall,But at every gust the dead leaves fall,And the day is dark and dreary.My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;It rains, and the wind is never weary;My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past,But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blastAnd the days are dark and dreary.Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;Thy fate is the common fate of all,Into each life some rain must fall,Some days must be dark and dreary.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle - Essay Example Healthy lifestyle is directly related to longevity. However maintaining a healthy lifestyle means that besides evading the excessive use of certain drinks, one must keep an active and regular activity. Exercising contributes to the maintenance of normal weight. Physical activity benefits to your health by reducing the risk of hearth disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis (World Health Organization report, 1998). In addition regular exercising improves the posture, strengthens the muscles and bones and provides you with better mental health. The statistics from the American Cancer Society report (2009) show that in 2006 23% of the U.S. population suffered from cancer and eventually died. Smoking is the single greatest preventable factor of premature death. 20% of the deaths in the U.S. were related to smoking. The data indicates also that there are 430 thousand premature deaths caused by smoking (American Cancer Society report, 2009). People who quit smoking might enjoy a considerable more healthy life after that.

Who are you Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Who are you - Essay Example The Canoe restaurant has to a great extent complied with the laid down regulations on food handling and storage. Referring to the Los Angeles county regulations, to evade food contamination, all frozen food should be prepared in a frozen state or refrigerated at a temperature of less than 38 degrees. From the assessment findings, it was noted that, staffs in the restaurant were reluctant in complying with the directives. The temperature in the kitchen was at 73 degrees which was far beyond the stipulated temperature. the kitchen staffs were extremely clean and had spotless and bright uniforms as required for by the Los Angeles county regulations. According to the existing regulations, potentially harmful foods such as fish, beef, and raw pottery ought to be prepared with sanitized and cleaned equipment. However, the inspection confirmed that, the kitchen staffs failed to act in accordance with the existing regulations. During the investigation, it was noted that, the chief assistant used one instrument to chop different meat without cleaning or sterilizing it. To ensure adequate hygiene in foo d preparation, the Los Angeles county regulations emphasizes on the significance of wearing a clean uniform, gloves, and hair nets. After investigation, it was observed that, the chef and its assistant wore gloves but they lacked a hair net. On the other hand, the restaurants did not comply with the regulations which define how foods should be handled when preparing them. At around one, the investigator noted a less frozen turkey on the counter. All foodstuffs are required by the law to be well wrapped and stored in a clean dry. During the investigation, the freezers and refrigerators were all well organized and spotlessly clean as required for in the regulations. The foods in the refrigerator were stored in sealed containers. However, it was impossible to recognize the stored food since the wrapped foods were neither dated nor labeled as specified by the

International Finance and Financial Crisis Case Study

International Finance and Financial Crisis - Case Study Example They should oversee if the sources of funds have an undisrupted flow and if they are able to pay their creditors. Having a clear understanding, the company should try to maximise the cash positions. In 2008, Woolworths had net cash flow of 39.2 millions in comparison to 27.1 millions in 2007. In due contrast to it, the company had 2.2 millions of net cash flow in 2003. So, it can be said Woolworths took required measures to have the increased cash flow during the time of crisis. Identify and aggressively minimise operational risks - The companies, amidst financial crisis, should try to identify and reduce all sorts of avoidable day-to-day risks. During crisis, it is desirable that the companies follow the basics. The operations generated over 61.7 millions in 2008, a drastic increase over the previous year. Conduct rigorous scenario planning - During crisis the companies should also take a proper stock of the economic scenario. They should strategise on the basis of the GDP growth, currency depreciations, etc. Woolworths Group scrapped the idea of paying interim dividend in 2008 considering the net loss it has incurred and the global meltdown. Review business performance and prepare for divestitures - The c... They should strategise on the basis of the GDP growth, currency depreciations, etc. Woolworths Group scrapped the idea of paying interim dividend in 2008 considering the net loss it has incurred and the global meltdown. Review business performance and prepare for divestitures - The company, to sustain and survive the crisis, should continuously review its performance and take necessary steps, as and when required. Also, the company should prepare itself for necessary divestments to increase the cash inflow. As the cash inflow was great for Woolworths, so we can say that the company took regular assessments of its business performance. Maintain the confidence of key stakeholders - Any company that wants to stay floated for long term, knows the value of its stakeholders. Relationship with shareholders, suppliers and customers if once lost can not be regained. The revenue has increased in 2008 compared to 2007 for Woolworths Plc and also there are no bank overdrafts in the year. Dividend Policies, Capital Structure and the Shareholders' Wealth Share-holders are the true owners of any company. And the dividend is the earning of the owner because of his stock holding on the basis of the company's profit. Apart from the capital yield (which a share-holder might earn, if he sale away the share), earning of dividend is the reason of purchasing shares by the shareholder. If a company earns profit from its professional and operational activities, the management can either retain the profit or future investments (called retained profit or retained earning) under the head of 'reserve and surplus' in the balance sheet or the management of the company can distribute the profit among its

Conspiracy Theories Surrounding the Apollo 11 Landing

Conspiracy Theories Surrounding the Apollo 11 Landing Phillip Scott Apollo 11 Landing: Fact or Fiction? Did the United States successfully land on the moon on July 20, 1969? Were astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin the first humans to walk on the surface of the moon? There are groups of people who would have us believe NASA faked the Apollo 11 landing and its accompanying moonwalk. They claim NASA staged and recorded this event in a studio or desert location and much of their proof of this is in the photographs and videos NASA provided to the public. There are many reasons why they believe it was a hoax. Some believe it was technically impossible to land on the moon in 1969, so the United States staged the landing to win the race to the moon against the Soviet Union (Braeunig). Others believe it was a hoax designed just to irritate the Soviet Union (Runde). They derive most of their claims from the photographs that NASA made available to the public. These conspiracy claims are simply untrue and have been easily refuted and explained by those familiar with NASA’s space prog rams and the science of space. The late Bill Kaysing, a former document cataloger at Rocketdyne, is the person many would consider the father of the moon landing hoax (Braeunig). He and other advocates of this conspiracy theory based their claims on many things, but they primarily point at perceived anomalies in the Apollo 11 photographs (Braeunig) and the inability to view the landing site on the moons surface using telescopes (Than). Their claims are erroneous, misguided and foolish. There are many experts from NASA and the private sector who have proven beyond a doubt that their claims are false. For example, Mr. Kaysing claimed the shadows in the photographs are not parallel to each other, indicating multiple light sources must have been present when they took the photographs (Plait, Fox Television and the Apollo Moon Hoax). The response to this claim is simple. While the sun is the only natural light source on the moon, its light reflects off the moon’s surface, the lunar module, and even the astronaut’s white space suits, so it appears as multiple light sources were present. However, as Dr. Phil Plait explains â€Å"Each object casts one shadow, so there can only be one light source† (Plait, Fox Television and the Apollo Moon Hoax). This, as well as elevation differences on the moon’s surface, is why the shadows do not always appear parallel to each other (Braeunig). Mr. Kaysing also claimed the American flag looked as if it was flapping or waving in the wind and that would not be possible on the moon. On the Fox television show Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?, Kaysing stated â€Å"This must have been from an errant breeze on the set. A flag wouldnt wave in a vacuum† (qtd. in Plait, Fox Television and the Apollo Moon Hoax). According to Dr. Plait, â€Å"In a vacuum or not, when you whip around the vertical pole, the flag will ‘wave’, since it is attached at the top. The top will move first, then the cloth will follow along in a wave that moves down. This isnt air that is moving the flag, its the cloth itself† (Plait, Fox Television and the Apollo Moon Hoax). Another of the conspiracy claims is that stars should be visible in the dark sky of the images. However, the bright conditions on the moon’s surface and the subjects that the astronauts photographed required them to use fast exposure settings on their cameras (Than). This limited incoming light and prevented the recording of the stars on film. These hoax theorist should remember that the astronauts were photographing their activities on the surface of the moon, not trying to capture pictures of the stars from the surface of the moon (Braeunig). As for the claim that the landing site and the hardware purportedly left at the site should be visible using Earth-based telescopes, it is simply not possible. â€Å"No telescope on Earth or in space has that kind of resolving power† (Than). As Dr. Plait further explains, â€Å"Even with the biggest telescope on Earth, the smallest thing you can see on the surface of moon is something bigger than a house† (qtd. in Than). There are many technical reasons why this is so, but as Dr. Plait explains, â€Å"the ability for a telescope to resolve an object is, as you’d expect, directly related to the size of the mirror or lens† (Plait, Moon Hoax: Why Not Use Telescopes to Look at the Landers? Bad Astronomy). This makes it impossible to resolve something as small as the landing site or the equipment left there using Earth-based telescopes. Even with the Hubble Space Telescope, with its 94 inch aperture, â€Å"the smallest object that can be resolved by HST is abo ut 300 feet† (Braeunig). However, in 2009, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, orbiting at an altitude of 15 miles above the moon’s surface, captured some outstanding images of all the Apollo landing sites. The images of the Apollo 11 landing site show the equipment they left there and even the tracks the astronauts left as they walked from the lunar module to the location of the various equipment items and even to a nearby crater (SPACE.com Staff). Still, the conspiracy theorist refute all the proof offered and continue to believe this was all a hoax. These conspiracy theorist have many other claims that the Apollo 11 landing was a conspiracy and various experts have refuted and explained every one of them. However, these conspiracy theorist continue to believe the United States created this hoax to fool the world. The only proof that might change their beliefs would be for one of their â€Å"trusted agents† to travel to the moon to witness the site wher e Apollo 11 landed. There are many reasons for their conspiracy beliefs, but the questions they should ask themselves is: Why would the United States spend billions of dollars on a hoax then leave such sloppy evidence in the very images they provided to the public as proof it happened? If this were a hoax, how could so many people involved in such a conspiracy remain silent for so many years (Cain)? The facts are not debatable. There is no reason to doubt that on July 20 1969, the United States successfully landed Apollo 11 on the moon and that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin exited their lunar module and walked on the surface of the moon. Works Cited Braeunig, Robert A. The Moon Hoax Debate. The Moon Hoax Debate. n.d. Web. 11 February 2015. Cain, Fraser. How Do We Know the Moon Landing Isnt Fake?. 14 April 2014. Web. 11 February 2015. Plait, Phil. Fox Television and the Apollo Moon Hoax. 13 February 2001. Web. 17 February 2015. —. Moon Hoax: Why Not Use Telescopes to Look at the Landers? Bad Astronomy. 12 August 2008. Web. 12 February 2015. Runde, Michael. 11 Proofs That The Apollo Moon Landings Were NOT Fake.. Ed. N.P. 18 July 2014. Web. 11 February 2015. SPACE.com Staff. Apollo 11 Moon Landing Site Seen in Unprecedented Detail | Moon Photos | Space.com.. 13 March 2013. Web. 11 February 2015. Than, Ker. Photos: 8 Moon-Landing Hoax MythsBusted. National Geographic Society. 16 July 2009. Webpage. 11 February 2015.

Modern Political Thoery and Liberalism Essay -- Political Science Argu

Modern Political Thoery and Liberalism The subject given for this paper was to â€Å"assess the alienation from liberalism found in modern and contemporary political theory.† To be honest, I don’t see a correlation with alienating liberalism and modern political thought through the time line of political theory in the 18th and19th century and through the 20th century. So, for this paper, I will prove the opposite. I will show, in my opinion, how the rise of liberalism has kept alive modern and contemporary political thought and action. I will begin with what I know of the beginning of liberal ideas and move through time showing how these liberal movements have been the basis for major changes in countries and that liberalism, in my opinion, has not been alienated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The French Revolution marks the beginning of liberalism where the community lashed out against French society. This is where status was legally stratified by birth. In consequence, French citizens persistently negotiated with one another and with the crown for better and more human rights. This is the marking of citizens wanting â€Å"natural rights† and lashing out against a political organization/government in order to achieve this. Webster’s Dictionary defines Liberal as â€Å"a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties.†(Webster) I think that the rebel of citizens in the French Revolution fits perfectly into this definition and marks the basis for the subject of political thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the and after Industrial Revolution, due to liberalism, the social structure of society changed considerably. Before the Revolution most people lived in small villages, working either as farmers or craftsmen. With industrialization everything changed. The new enclosure law had left many poor farmers bankrupt and unemployed and machines capable of huge outputs made small hand weavers redundant. As a result, there were many people who were forced to work at the new factories. This required them to move to towns and cities so that they could be close to their new jobs. It also meant that they made less money for working longer hours. Add to this the higher living expenses due to urbanization and one can easily see that many families' resources would be extremely ... ...ere many outcries for women’s rights through liberalism and this was the basis of Political thought in the late 19th century and early 20th century. This is another example of how liberalism was kept alive in modern Political Thought. There are many feats in liberalism that lead the topic of Modern Political Thought The effect of liberal thought and ideals such as anti-welfare, anti-government regulation of business, anti-minimum wage, anti-income tax, pro-free trade, etc, is the basis for modern Political Thought which leads the way in conversation and essays about Modern Political Thought through liberalism. In this paper I have shown a timeline of modern liberal thinking which translates into Modern Political Theory and thought. I have shown how, in my opinion, the rise of liberalism has kept alive modern and contemporary political thought and action. I began with the French Revolution and showed the timeline of liberal movements and liberal thought which in turn a basis for political thinking was. All of which shows the opposite of the â€Å"Alienation form liberalism mound in modern and contemporary theory and thinking.† Works Cited http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary