Personal Financial Advisors Essay Example for Free

Personal Financial Advisors Essay I want to live the good life. By that I mean a life of wealth, privilege, loving family relationships, and warm friendships. At the end of my life I will be satisfied if my spouse and children are still by my side and if I have a close circle of friends. I intend to earn a lot of money and I intend to give generously to charity. To achieve this, I need time and money. I intend to marry and have three children. My spouse and I, who are still passionately in love with each other, are building an art collection. Both sets of grandparents live no more than an hour away. We visit frequently and the kids adore them. I own my own hedge fund and earn $25 million a year. My spouse owns a business—maybe an art gallery or a professional practice. We live in a spacious penthouse apartment, probably in New York. We have floor to ceiling windows, views in every direction, a clean, sleek, modern decor, with lots of space for entertaining, which we do frequently. The kids each have their own bedrooms and share a playroom. We have a live-in nanny for the kids, a live-in cook, and help with the cleaning. We have a beach house, probably in South Hampton. We go there most weekends by helicopter. We all have busy lives so the quality time we spend together on the weekends is incredibly important to us. We take exotic vacations two times a year as a family—usually involving some kind of adventure travel pertaining to my love for scuba diving and for studying the ecology of coral reefs. Once a year my spouse and I go some place romantic on vacation together. Each year I take a vacation with one of the kids, just the two of us. The kids go to great schools with small classes and a progressive curriculum that lets them follow their own interests: there is no teaching for the exams in this school. The kids are learning to ride, and to play tennis, squash, and polo. I play these sports regularly. I have a lot of physical energy so I run or bike each day. I also work out every day in the gym in our apartment. I have given up smoking. My spouse and I are active in charity work. We are each on the board of a prestigious charity and when we go to their annual fundraising events we get our pictures in the gossip columns. We give 10% of our income to charity each year. I am a member of the Explorer’s Club because I have contributed something important to the scientific study of coral reefs. I spent a year studying the coral reefs in the Similan Islands in Thailand before starting my career. While there, I also studied Vipassna meditation, which I still practice. I am confident and gregarious. I don’t sweat the small stuff. I plan for the future and I work my plan, but I am flexible enough to enjoy surprising opportunities when they come along. 2. Career goals My long-term career goal is to own my own hedge fund and earn at least $25 million a year. The top hedge fund owners can earn considerably more than this (Story B1). To achieve this I need three things: proven skill at investing (or the skill to hire someone with skill at investing), connections to the kind of wealthy investors who put their money in hedge funds, and the ability to convince potential clients to trust me with their money. 3. A Strategic Plan for My Future I have four major goals: to stop smoking, to learn more about coral reefs, to start a hedge fund, and to find the right spouse and start a family. I can quit smoking this year. I have decided to join a smoking cessation program at a local hospital this summer. I have consulted with my doctor and he thinks this is a good option for me. I am determined to succeed. I don’t know how long, or if, I will, as a devoted amateur, ever be able to make a scientific discovery significant to earn me admittance into the Explorer’s Club, but I intend to proceed as though this is possible (Explorer’s Club). So far, my experience with scuba diving and studying coral reefs has only been as a tourist and an avid reader. I would very much like to participate in a real scientific research expedition. One of the world’s leading organizations for research into the ecology of coral reefs is the ARC Center for Excellence in Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia (ARC Center of Excellence). My plan is to contact the scientists at the Center to learn what kind of opportunities there are for amateurs to participate in research projects. I am also considering participating in a research expedition, sponsored by the Earthwatch Institute, to Thailand’s coral reefs in December 2009 (Earthwatch Institute). I have another motive for doing this, which is that I can imagine meeting my future spouse on such an excursion. I would like to meet someone with whom I have interests in common. I think it will take me ten years to get the experience and contacts I need to start a hedge fund. I would like to apprentice myself to a leading hedge fund operator such as James Simons of Renaissance Technologies, John Paulson, or John Arnold of Centaurus Energy (Story B2). I am pursuing an education in finance. I have also been studying investment methods and I seem to have an affinity for technical analysis. I am managing a fictional portfolio as if it were real—tracking trades and so forth—and I am doing reasonably well. I am planning to join the Marketing Technicans Association and to earn the CMT credential. This involves a course of self-study and passing three challenging exams (Marketing Technican’s Association). Preparing for all three tests is said to take a total of 400 hours of study (Marketing Technician’s Association). I also intend to be active in the association—to meet others in the field and hopefully to network my way into a job in finance. As everyone knows, this is not an ideal time to be looking for a job in finance. The sector has cut 400,000 jobs in the past two years (Bowley Story). I plan on being persistent. To start a hedge fund, I will need clients. To find them, I need to go where rich people and people who manage portfolios for large institutions go. I plan to be active in fundraising for our alumna association. I play squash and tennis. I plan to learn to play polo, an expensive sport. I also plan to be active in several charitable organizations. I hope this networking will put me in touch with the right people. Salesmanship is very important in the hedge fund business. Why should a potential client trust me with their money? I intend to build a reputation as an ethical, dependable, solid person. People will trust me because I will be trustworthy. This may sound obvious, but one thing that is sorely missing right now in the financial community is trust. Too many people have been too badly burned by the people they trusted to give them financial advice. Probably the goal that matters most to me is meeting a life partner. I hope I can do this in the next five years. I know how to meet people—that’s easy. But what I want to do is form strong, lasting relationships based on honestly knowing each other. The best way for me to do that is to be considerate and honest. In the past I have noticed in myself a tendency to play to the crowd. I will do what is necessary to get a laugh or to make someone like me, even if it means saying something about my thoughts, feelings, or opinions that isn’t really true. This is not going to work when it comes to finding a life partner. I need to be funny, considerate and honest at the same time. I am somewhat afraid of doing this. 4. A Strategic Plan â€Å"B† for My Future What if my plans don’t work out? I find this very hard to imagine. If I put myself in the right place, frequently enough, I know something good will happen, even if it isn’t exactly what I have in mind now. There are always options. I intend to follow my heart so I make the right choices. Suppose I can’t get a job in finance when I want to? I will probably consider going to work for one of the government regulatory agencies; they will probably be hiring. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is one possibility, especially since the CMT credential takes me part of the way towards the FINRA Registered Research Analyst credential (Marketing Technicians Association). This would open more doors. I am very ambitious, but if ten years pass and my dream of starting a hedge fund begins to look like an impossible goal, I will probably consider starting my own personal financial advisor practice. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is forecasting that demand for personal financial advisors will increase by 44% over the next seven years (Bureau of Labor Statistics). I am very interested in the idea of starting my own business, even if it can’t be a hedge fund. Right now, I can’t say what other kind of company I might start but it could be anything. I believe that I have to put myself in the way of opportunities. I will do this by becoming an avid watcher of the economy and an avid investigator of business conditions. I know what I am looking for: a product or service that is necessary and nonexistent. This is how the great fortunes are made. In a general sense, I am most interested in ways in which the internet can be used to deliver new services. Netflix is an inspiration. The question to ask is how could computing and networking be applied to get people this service. If you are talking about a service or product that can be delivered globally over the internet, so much the better. Amazon changed the way people shop for books. Fresh Direct has changed the way New Yorkers shop for groceries. Seamless Web has changed the way people order meals in from restaurants. I see the world as being endlessly full of possibilities. I know my dream is of extreme wealth and privilege. Maybe it is more of a fantasy than something that can be planned for. But I know all the steps I take in pursuing my dream—networking, CMT certification, building a reputation as trustworthy—will open opportunities for me. I can’t know what these opportunities are in advance. My plan â€Å"B† really is much more strategic than tactical. My plan â€Å"A† is tactical. But for plan â€Å"B† I intend to do things that I am really interested in, to take advantage of all opportunities to meet others with similar interests, especially those with a track record of achievement, and to continue studying and learning. There will be opportunities and I will have my eyes open so I can see them. The CMT isn’t the only certification I can pursue; it is just the one that interests me the most right now. The CFA Institute offers the CFA certification which is one of the most prestigious on Wall Street (CFA Institute). This is another course of self-study followed punctuated by three exams (CFA Institute). The more I try to make a plan for the future, the more convinced I become that preparation is the most important thing I can do. This is regarding my love life, my family life, my interest in coral reefs, and my career. If I study and if I seek out other people, I will discover opportunities. You can’t study for love, but you can understand yourself and what you desire. The more I learn about who I am and what I have to give to a life partner, the more likely I will be to find that special someone. I want intimacy, depth, and trust. I want to know and be known as much as possible. I don’t want secrets and I don’t want lies. I am convinced that the only way I will find a person who wants what I do, and with me, is if I give these things first. Works Cited ARC Centre of Excellence. Coral Reefs on Brink of Disaster, Scientists Urge Action Now. Science Daily. 22 October 2007. 28 April 2009 http://www. sciencedaily. com ¬ /releases/2007/10/071021225256. htm. Bowley, G. Story, S. â€Å"Crisis Altering Wall Street as Big Banks Lose Top Talent. The New York Times. 12 April 2009. 27 April 2009 http://www. nytimes. com/2009/04/12/business/12wall. html? partner=rss. Bureau of Labor Statistics. â€Å"Financial Analysts and Personal Financial Advisors. † Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition. 27 April 2009 http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos259. htm. CFA Institute. â€Å"What Is the CFA Program? † 28 April 2009 http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos259. htm. â€Å"Coral Reefs of Thailand. † Earthwatch Institute. 28 April 2009 http://www. earthwatch. org/exped/heiss. html. Explorer’s Club. 28 April 2009 http://www. explorers. org/. Marketing Technicians Association. â€Å"CMT Program. † 28 April 2009 http://www. mta. org/eweb/DynamicPage. aspx? webcode=CMTProgram. Story, Louise. March, 25, 2009. â€Å"Top Hedge Fund Managers Do Well in a Down Year. † New York Times, p. B1.

International Relations Essays Terrorism Definition Solutions

International Relations Essays Terrorism Definition Solutions Terrorism: An Exploration Of Its Definition, History, And Possible Solutions Terrorism upsets people. It does so deliberately. Thatis its point and that is why it has engrossed so much of ourattention in the early years of the 21st century. Townshend Ask any tenindividuals on the streets of London, Paris, Moscow, or New York for the topthree issues facing the world today and one common response is likely to be terrorism.Inquire further about how the same people would define terrorism, whenterrorism began, and how terrorism can be stopped and you will probably befaced with a myriad of answers, or maybe just looks of puzzlement. The range ofresponses (or lack thereof) from the public should not be surprising. Not evenexperts agree on responses to these seemingly fundamental questions on an issueof such importance to worldwide security, an issue that Thackrah suggests isone of the most intractable global problems at the start of the twenty-firstcentury. This essaybegins by surveying the vast array of definitions for the term terrorism,providing some insight into the reasons that terrorism is so difficult forexperts to define, and adopting a working definition for the term. Thehistorical roots of terrorism will then be explored and results of a review ofselected literature on possible solutions for dealing with terrorism will beintroduced. Finally, a conclusion discussing the results of the literaturereview will be presented. Terrorism Defined What is terrorism? The definitionassigned to the term very much depends on who you ask, although, as Hoffmanwrites, few words have so insidiously worked their way in to our everydayvocabulary.Oots writes that terrorism has been defined in different ways by variousscholars.Hoffman suggests that most individuals have vague notions of what the termmeans, but cannot offer precise, explanatory definitions. The TerrorismResearch Center claims that [t]errorism by nature is difficult to define.Townshend writes that both politicians and scholars have been hung up inattempting to define terrorism in a way that distinguishes it from othercriminal violence and even military action.Complicating attempts to define terrorism, the meaning and usage of the termhave changed over the years.Complications aside, most people would agree that terrorism is a subjectiveterm with negative connotations, a pejorative term, used to describe the actsof enemies or opponents. The term has moral connotations and can be used topersuade others to adopt a particular viewpoint. For instance, if an individualsympathises with the victims of terrorism, then the perpetrator is consideredto be a terrorist, but if an individual sympathises with the perpetrator, thenthe perpetrator is considered to be a freedom fighter or is referred to byequally positive characterisations.About this, the Terrorism Research Center writes: One mans terrorist isanother mans freedom fighter.Whittaker distinguishes between terrorists, guerrillas, and freedom fighters inwriting: the terrorist targets civilians; the guerrilla goes for militarypersonnel and facilities; and the freedom fighter conducts a campaign toliberate his people from dictatorial oppression, gross disarmament, or the gripof an occupying power. One author includedover one hundred definitions for the term terrorism.Another quoted over ninety definitions and descriptions.The definitions range from those that are quite simplistic to those that areequally comprehensive. The following definitions are illustrative of the broadrange of thought: Terrorism is violence for purposes of creating fear. Terrorism is politically and socially motivated violence. Terrorism is political violence in or against true democracies. Terrorism may be described as a strategy of violence designed toinspire terror within a particular segment of a given society. Terrorism is the most amoral of organised violence. Terrorism is a form of warfareused when full-scale militaryaction is not possible. Terrorism is a method of action by which an agent tends to produceterror in order to impose his domination. Terrorism is the systematic use of coercive intimidation,usually to service political ends. It is used to create a climate of fear. Terrorism is the threat or use of violence, often against thecivilian population, to achieve political or social ends, to intimidateopponents, or to publicise grievances. Terrorism is the use of coercive means aimed at populations inan effort to achieve political, religious, or other aims. Terrorism is politically motivated violence perpetrated againstnon-combatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usuallyintended to influence an audience. Whittakerexplores the complexity of defining terrorism by furnishing a comprehensivelist of terrorism criteria: The violence or threat of violence inherent in terrorism ispremeditated and politically motivated for the purpose of intimidating orcoercing a government or the public in general. The strategy of terrorism is to instil fear and insecurity. Sustained campaigns or sporadic incidents are applied byterrorists in conducting their unlawful activities. Calculated use of violence is applied against civilian,non-combatant targets. Acquiring, manipulating, and employing power is at the root ofterrorism. Revolutionary terrorism attempts to completely change the politicalsystem within a state; sub-revolutionary terrorism attempts to effect changewithout totally replacing the existing political system. Terrorism consists of carefully planned goals, means, targets,and access conducted in a clandestine manner. The goals of terrorism focus on political, social, ideological,or religious ends. This distinguishes terrorism from other criminal activity. Terrorism is conducted occasionally by individuals, but mostoften by sub-national groups. An important objective of terrorism is to obtain maximumpublicity. Increasingly, terrorist zones of action are extending beyondnational borders, becoming transnational in effect. The vast number of definitions proposed for the term terrorism might makeone wonder if there could ever be agreement around a common definition. Forwithout a common understanding about what terrorism is, how can it bechallenged and ultimately removed as a threat to modern civilisation? Despitethe many definitions for terrorism, there does seem to be an emerging consensuson the definition of the term, according to Jenkins.For instance, Enders and Sandler offer the following comprehensive definitionof terrorism: Terrorism isthe premeditated use or threat of use of extranormal violence or brutality bysubnational groups to obtain a political, religious, or ideological objectivethrough intimidation of a huge audience, usually not directly involved with thepolicy making that terrorists seek to influence. Enders and Sandlersdefinition will be used for the purpose of this essay not only because it is anexample of a current consensus description, but also because it containscriteria suggested by other definitions surveyed in the literature review -violence or threats of violence; intimidation of large civilian audiences; desireto influence; subnational terrorist groupings; and political, religious, orideological objectives. Historical Roots of Terrorism Colin Gray writes thatterrorism is as old as strategic history.The roots of terrorism can be traced back in time to ancient Greece, andterrorist acts have occurred throughout history since that time. The termterrorism, however, originated in the French Revolutions Reign of Terrorand was popularised at that time.Terrorism in this era carried a very positive connotation as it was undertakenin an effort to establish order during the anarchy that followed uprisings inFrance in 1789. It was considered to be an instrument of governance institutedto intimidate counter-revolutionaries, dissidents and subversives and wasassociated with the ideals of democracy and virtue. In fact, according toHoffman, the revolutionary leader Maximillien Robespierre claimed that virtue,without which terror is evil; terror, without which virtue is helpless andthat [t]error is nothing but justice, prompt, severe and inflexible; it is thereforean emanation of virtue. Terrorism at thestart of the twentieth century retained the revolutionary connotations it hadacquired during the French Revolution as it took aim on the Ottoman andHabsburg Empires. In the 1930s, the meaning of terrorism mutated to describeactivities of totalitarian governments and their leaders against theircitizenry in Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Stalinist Russia. For instance,in Germany and Italy, gangs of brown shirts or black shirts harassed andintimidated opponents, although leaders of these nations denied that thisoccurred. After World War II, the meaning of terrorism changed once again,returning to its revolutionary connotations where it remains today. Terrorist activitiesin the 1940s and 1950s primarily focused on revolts by indigenous nationalistgroups opposing colonial rule in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, resultingin independence for many countries. Although terrorism retained itsrevolutionary connotation in the 1960s and 1970s, the focus shifted fromanti-coloni alist to separatist goals. Today, terrorism involves broader, lessdistinct goals.The right-wing and left-wing terrorism that became widespread in recent times includedacts by diverse groups such as the Italian Red Brigades; the Irish RepublicanArmy; the Palestine Liberation Organisation; the Shining Path in Peru; theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka; the Weatherman in the UnitedStates; various militia organisations, also in the United States; radicalMuslims through Hamas and Al Quaeda; radical Sikhs in India; and the AumShinrikyo in Japan.Some governments, such as those in Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Syria, are also consideredto be involved in terrorism as sponsors of terrorist activities.Some people, such as American dissident Noam Chomsky, contend that thegovernment of the United States is engaged in terrorism, as exemplified by thetitle of Chomskys 2001 article entitled U.S.A Leading Terrorist State,which appeared in the Monthly Review. Terrorism associatedwith the French Revolution had two important characteristics in common withterrorism today. Firstly, terrorism was, and is today, organised, deliberate,and systematic. Secondly, the goals of terrorism then and now were and are tocreate a new, better society.But, terrorism today has changed in some very fundamental ways: (1) terroristorganisations have evolved into network forms and are less often organised inhierarchies; (2) the identities of transnational terrorist organisations areharder to identify because they claim responsibility for specific acts lessoften; (3) todays terrorist groups do not make demands as often as in the pastand their goals appear to be more hazy and vague; (4) motives have generallyshifted from those that are more politically-oriented to those that are morereligiously-oriented; (5) targets of terrorists are more dispersed around theglobe; and (6) terrorist violence, today, is more indiscriminate, involvingsignificant collateral damage to the public. With thishistorical foundation, particularly the description of the evolution ofterrorism into its current form, the focus now shifts to possible solutions todealing with the issue today. Possible Solutions to Terrorism To effectively meet thechallenges of terrorism, one should consider the history of terrorism, but mustalso look to the future. Kress and colleagues contend that terrorism isincreasing in geographical scope, numerical frequency, and intensity as wellas in ingenuity and subtlety. They suggest that these trends could welltranslate into more varied threats and more powerful tools and weapons, addingthat bombs will get smaller and more powerful, poisons and mind-blowing drugsmore insidious, psychological techniques for converting or brainwashing thevictims more effective, and psychological tortures more agonizing. Ian Lesser offers acomprehensive approach for meeting the challenges of terrorism. His approachconsists of a core strategy and supporting strategies aimed at targetingsecurity threats posed by terrorists within a context of global securitythreats from all sources. Lessers core strategy consists of four components:(1) reducing systemic causes of terrorism, (2) deterring terrorists and theirsponsors, (3) reducing risks associated with superterrorism, and (4)retaliating in instances where deterrence fails. In reducing system causes ofterrorism, Lesser is referring to the long-term goal of addressing issues thatgive rise to terrorism such as social and economic problems, unresolved ethnicand nationalist conflicts, frustrated political ambitions, and personalexperiences of individuals who may become future terrorists. In deterringterrorists and their sponsors, Lesser suggests taking massive and personalactions against terrorist leadership, although he concedes that this is becomingmore an d more difficult as terrorists and their sponsors become more diverseand diffuse. In reducing risks associated with superterrorism, Lesser callsfor eliminating weapons of mass destruction that terrorists could use ininflicting destruction and suffering. And, finally, in retaliating whendeterrence fails, Lesser suggests developing the means to retaliate quickly andspecifically to terrorist activities. One of Lessersstrategies supporting his core strategy is environmental shaping, whichinvolves exposing sponsors of terrorism to global scrutiny and isolation;shrinking the zones of chaos and terrorist sanctuary; includingcounterterrorism as an integral component of strategic alliances; limitingglobal exposure; and targeting terrorist networks and funding. His hedgingstrategy involves hardening key policies and strategies to limit risks ofterrorism, increasing ground and space-based surveillance of terroristresources, and preparing to mitigate the effects of terrorism to limit negativeeffects. Kress andassociates reiterate the first component of Lessers core strategy in offeringtheir proactive approach to dealing with terrorism; specifically, addressinggenuine political injustice and resolving supposed injustices.Chalk contends that a state response to terrorism must be limited,well-defined and controlled to avoid compromising the political and civiltraditions that are central to the liberal democratic way of life. He suggeststhat any liberal democratic response to terrorism has to rest on oneoverriding maxim: a commitment to uphold and maintain constitutional principlesof law and order. Conclusion The long history ofterrorism, dating as far back as ancient Greece, suggests that this phenomenon maynever be eliminated as a tactic by those people or groups without sufficient formallegal power to achieve their goals. However, this does not imply that terrorismcannot be engaged proactively and reactively. Logically, it seems that thefirst step should be to agree on a universally-accepted definition forterrorism because, without a consensus on the meaning of the term, effectivelyaddressing its causes and its effects may be difficult at best and impossibleat worst. With a consensusdefinition in hand, the comprehensive strategy for dealing with terrorismproposed by Lesser reduction in systemic causes, deterrence, superterrorismrisk reduction, and retaliation would appear to offer the most balanced,effective approach. Todays leaders should realise that offensive and defensivemilitary action, so typical of traditional warfare, is quite ineffective as asole method for dealing with modern forms of terrorism as demonstrated byfailures experienced by Israel in dealing with the Palestinian terroristproblem and the greater-than-expected difficulties experienced by the UnitedStates, the United Kingdom, and others in ridding the world of radical Islamicterrorists. These efforts may not only fail to ultimately deal effectively withpreventing terrorist activities, but may also produce more terrorists who are offendedby military actions. Alternatively, a holistic approach one which includesproactive prevention and reactive punishment measures such as the approachadvocated by Lesser should be employed. In any solution to theglobal problem of terrorism, the cautionary advice offered by Peter Chalkshould be considered; that is, political and civil liberties should not besacrificed in responding to the terrorist threat. For the very way of life thegovernments of free societies are trying to protect in their attempts to combatterrorism could be compromised by actions that are not limited, well-definedand controlled. Interestingly, this thought was eloquently proffered more thantwo centuries ago by American inventor, journalist, printer, andstatesman Benjamin Franklin in warning that [t]hose who would give upessential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neitherliberty nor safety. Therecommendation, then, is to deal with terrorism in a holistic, balanced mannerstressing proactive and reactive measures whilst preserving political and civilliberties. References Bassiouni,M. Terrorism, Law Enforcement and the Mass Media: Perspectives, Problems,Proposals, The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 72:1 (1981).Cited in Thackrah (2004). Bergesen, Albert J., and Han, Yi. New Directions forTerrorism Research. International Journal of Comparative Sociology46:1-2 (2005). Bite, V. InternationalTerrorism. Foreign Affairs Division, Library of Congress, Appendix of U.S.Congress, Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Washington, DC: GovernmentPrinting Office, 1975. Cited in Thackrah (2004). Chalk,Peter. The Response to Terrorism as a Threat to Liberal Democracy. TheAustralian Journal of Politics and History 44:3 (1998). Chomsky, N. U.S. ALeading Terrorist State. Monthly Review 53 (2001): 10-19. Cited inBergesen and Han (2005). Enders, W., and Sandler, T. Patterns of TransnationalTerrorism, 1970 1999: Alternative Time-Series Estimates. InternationalStudies Quarterly 46 (2002): 145-65. Cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). Fromkin, David. TheStrategy of Terrorism. In Contemporary Terrorism: Selected Readings,John D. Elliot and Leslie K. Gibson, eds. Gaithersburg, Maryland: InternationalAssociation of Chiefs of Police, 1978. Gray, ColinS. Modern Strategy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. Heyman, P.B. Terrorism and America: A Commonsense Strategy for a Democratic Society. Cambridge,Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1998. Cited in Thackrah (2004). Hoffman, Bruce. Inside Terrorism.New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. Jenkins, B. M. Terrorism and Beyond: A 21st CenturyPerspective. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 24 (2001): 321-27. Citedin Bergesen and Han. New Directions for Terrorism Research. InternationalJournal of Comparative Sociology 46:1-2 (2005). Kress,Bruce, Livingston, Marius H., and Wanek, Marie G. International Terrorism inthe Contemporary World. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1978. Lesser, Ian.Countering the New Terrorism: Implications for Strategy. In Countering theNew Terrorism, Hoffman et al., eds.Santa Monica, California: Rand,1999. Mallin, Jay. Terrorismas a Military Weapon. In Contemporary Terrorism: Selected Readings, JohnD. Elliot and Leslie K. Gibson, eds. Gaithersburg, Maryland: InternationalAssociation of Chiefs of Police, 1978. Cited in Oots (1986). Oots, Kent Layne. PoliticalOrganization Approach to Transnational Terrorism. New York: GreenwoodPress, 1986. Ruby, C. L. TheDefinition of Terrorism. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy 2(1)(2002): 9-14. Cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). TerrorismResearch Center, What is the Definition of Terrorism? (n.d.) Availablefrom: Charles Townshend, Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press, 2002).

Paper Reduction And Recycling In Saudi Arabia Environmental Sciences Essay

Paper Reduction And Recycling In Saudi Arabia Environmental Sciences Essay Environmental conservation and pollution reduction are among the imperative global concerns. As a result, global conventions have been held in which countries are required to follow certain environmental regulations. The most popular is the 3R concept: Reduce, re-use and recycle. All these practices are geared towards minimizing use, recovering and reducing energy costs. Moreover, this write up focused on two concepts: Reduction and recycling. It has been reported that in a world perspective, paper recycling has substantially improved since 1986. In Saudi Arabia Kingdom, there are legal frameworks which justify paper reduction and recycling. In addition, most of the recycling and reduction is done by the Saudi Paper Manufacturing Company (SPMC) and its subsidiaries. There have also been established programs for awareness creation such as Recycle Your City and the Green Jeddah kids program. In a nutshell, although Saudi Arabia is not a leading recycler and reducer in paper production, governmental and private efforts have been somewhat effective in the conservation of the Saudi environment through reduction and recycling. Outline Although this discourse is based on the 3R concept, only two of them shall be discussed. These include paper reduction and recycling in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To do this, general information on the subject matter shall be given. Secondly, since any policy has to operate in a legal framework, the regulations justifying environmental conservation through the two practices shall be outlined. Thirdly, the actual practice of reduction and recycling of paper as a mode of waste management shall be discussed. The final parts of the discussion shall focus on the summary, recommendations and conclusion. Definitions There have been global concerns for the reduction in levels of pollution as one of the ways of curbing global warming. The major ways internationally recommended for pollution reduction are reduction, re-use and recycling. This has been referred to as 3R concept. Recycling is a way of waste recovery which reduces costs for raw materials, energy and waste disposal. This is so because paper produced from virgin pulp has great environmental and economic consequences. It recovers some of the primary material and reduces the solid waste present. Before paper is recycled, it is separated into high and low grades such as letterheads and newsprint respectively (Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania). On the other hand, paper reduction is a category of activities geared towards reducing unnecessary bulk of paper. Some of the activities include the purchase of only needed qualities, reduction in the packaging paper (source reduction), limitation of computer print outs, reduction of the use of papers that are difficult to recycle, use of reusable envelopes for intra-office correspondence and encouraging employees to use the minimum amount of paper. In computer applications, a Microsoft Word page margins may be reduced from 1.25 inches to .075 inches thus saving up to 4.75 percent. According to Dhir, Limbachiya and Newlands (32), reduction is preferred to recycling. Documentation Saudi Arabia is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In 2005, it was estimated that these countries registered an annual consumption of 3.5 million tones of paper and board (Oxford Business Group 187). In Saudi Arabia itself, the per capita paper and board consumption was 38.6 kg per year. So as to offset the demand, the Saudi Paper Manufacturing Company (SPMC) has always sought to apprehend sufficient market share and effectively compete with the other Gulf companies. However, since the resources such as water and fiber are scarce, the manufacturing companys plans have been centered on recycling and improvement of operational efficiency so as to reduce the quantity of imported pulp. The then CEO of SPMC, Mubarak Bin Abdullah Al Khater, once said that the paper recycling and reducing is the key to the sustenance of the industry since tress-cutting would be reduced. This was further affirmed by Lodha who asserted that recycling of paper would greatly conserve forests (318). Other benefits include energy saving, control of pollution, reduction of solid wastes and reduction in water consumption. According to Lodha, every 1.3 kg of waste paper produces 1 kg of recycled paper. On the contrary, every ton of conventional paper production sacrifices 17 trees. In a wider perspective, 35% of worlds commercial wood was reported to represent paper products; this was expected to hit 50% by 2000 (Lodha 318). Despite this knowledge, only a few world countries practice extensive recycling with South Korea, Mexico, Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal being the leaders. The question of environmental degradation resulting from paper production and other practices has legal foundations. First of all, Saudi Arabia is a signatory to agreements, treaties, conventions and protocols relating to environmental protection. Vincent wrote that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a signatory to the Montreal and the Kyoto Protocols which rate it as a non-Annex I state. Secondly, the country has enacted the Public Environmental Law through the Royal Decree No. M/34 of 2001. Table I shows some other tree-conservation-related enactments by the country. Worthy noting is the countrys regulatory framework for environmental rules which (framework) is responsible for conducting environmental studies and establishment of standards for paper production. In February 2008, the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) poll found out that Saudis were not aware that paper could be recycled. Following this poll, environmental activists launched a campaign dubbed Recycle Your City so as to raise the awareness of the subject matter (Lulwa Shalhoub, Arab News). The campaign was first to educate people and later to involve them in the recycling program. Some of the support systems were schools and organizations. Consequently, more school-based programs were initiated to create awareness and also to actually reduce and recycle. For instance, the Green Jeddah initiated the first recycling rally in Saudi Arabia by kids. In this awareness program, young kids aged between 3-6 years were engaged in a rally in which they were taught how to separate the recyclables from cans and plastics. The pupils were further emphasized the importance of writing on both sides of a paper so as to reduce their usage. Other programs such as dustbin audit were i nitiated. In this call, employees were required to separate the recyclables from non-recyclables and also identify which of the office papers were less required from the procurement perspective. It has been observed that the waste paper in form of magazines, cartons, books and newspapers accounts for 33% of the total waste in some countries. In Saudi Arabia, there are waste paper collection centers. The general process of paper recycling begins with waste paper collection, de-inking then the converting process. SPMC is highly committed to reliance on waste paper collection in its manufacturing technology as well as retaining the legal standards required. Recycling requires waste paper and water recycled through filtration processes. After this process, the de-inked pulp is used by Saudi Paper Manufacturing Company (SPMC) to produce tissues, towels and napkins of high quality. Paper use reduction in Saudi Arabia includes, among other things, exchanges and gifts of unwanted papers. In some instances, waste is bought to reduce it. Some of the subsidiary companies for SPMC are Saudi Recycling Company (SPRC), Saudi Paper Converting Company (SPCC), and Saudi Investment and Industr ial Development Company. Other subsidiaries, though not located in Saudi Arabia are Al Madar Paper Recycling, Al Madar Paper Trading and Al Madar Paper. All these companies have a common wider goal in the reduction and recycling of papers in the Kingdom. The holding company, SPMC does not only purpose to reduce and recycle paper but also to invest in Saudi. In other words, paper reduction and recycling in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an investment nucleus. While SPMC is the largest manufacturer of tissue paper in the Middle East, SRC is popular not only in the collection of waste paper but also in its processing for recycling. From the year 2005, SPCC has specialized in the production of high quality tissue by the brands such as Pure, City, Excellence and Zaman (Saudi Paper Manufacturing Co. ). Other companies or organizations that deal with waste paper management include the Saudi Aramco and the SAMSO. For example, the Saudi ARAMCO initiated and pursued a paper recycling program in 1993. This program was not limited to a certain region but was a nationwide campaign that geared towards corporate social responsibility. The other company is SAMSO which recycles over 50,000 kg of paper each year. This company also re-cycles non-paper materials such as aluminum and glass. Through paper recycling and reducing, 35-55% of energy is saved and pollution reduced by 95%. The solid waste is reduced by 130%, water saved by 58% and forests conserved by 100% (World Watch Institute Report). The Gulf Co-operation Council stipulates that all member countries should put waste paper recycling and reduction at the top of their national priorities. It could thus be assumed that Saudi Arabia prioritizes these practices not only as stipulated by international regulations but also by the regional economic body. Among the mostly recycled paper in Saudi Arabia are cartons. However, there is a poor implementation of either international, regional and country policies with regard to paper management in terms of waste. Source Summary and Evaluation Dhir, Limbachiya and Newlandss work is an acclaimed report of an international symposium concerned with municipal solid waste (MSL) as an environmental priority of 21st century. One of the considerations of the symposium was the promotion of paper reduction together with recycling by at a higher level. Evaluation of the symposium outcome against the Saudi case does not get full implementation. The legal foundations and rules that govern paper production were outlined so as to contextualize the industry in terms of law. Peter Vincents works was a general overview of the environment of Saudi Arabia Kingdom. It was important in the evaluation of the legal framework through which paper recycling and reduction exists- as opposed to the traditional destructive way of production. In addition, professional and advocacy organizations have done great contributions towards the description of ways of waste paper management. In this category lies the works of the Oxford Business Group, the Profes sional Recyclers of Pennsylvania and the World Watch Institute. Their views were mainly professional and based on research or experience. The international level of consensus also inspired this discussion to the extent that Saudi Arabia is said to have ratified the Kyoto Protocol and the Montreal Protocol. All academic perspectives and business inputs have greatly influenced the development of the subject herein. Recommendations Both the manufacturing sector and the Saudi government should work together in the creation of more reduction-recycling programs across the country. Since it has been demonstrated that paper reduction produces better results than recycling, more emphasis should be accorded to the practice. Many benefits would accrue from recycling paper since its products are cheaper than the conventionally produced paper; this would improve Saudi economy. Waste paper recycling should be encouraged through financial incentives and stimulation. There should also be strict legislative practices which bar any Saudi from reckless pollution and wastage of paper. Saudi Korea should encourage recycling by formulating pragmatic policies which encourage recycling at the source. The awareness programs should not only involve school children but also be entrenched in the school curricula. This shall inculcate the conservation consciousness into the minds of student from early stages. In addition, student in the institutions of higher learning should be more involved since they are on the threshold of their careers. There is a need to carry out research on the actual effects of the conventional methods of paper from virgin pulp. It is only when consequences can be computed that the need to produce paper through reduction or recycling is intensified. Even more research should be carried out on the best practices for producing waste paper. The institutions of higher learning should thus stipulate capstone projects and research papers to students on conservation topics. There is also a need for the international community to initiate or implement follow up programs for all the international conventions, protocols and treaties agreed upon. Although these conventions are not governments, it is critical that their deliberations should not be in vain. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia should know and live up to its expectations towards the obligations at the international level. A birds view approach would make the kingdom more pursuant of paper reduction and recycling practices. Conclusion It has been demonstrated that principles of environmental conservation and pollution reduction emanate from global sources. Two basic practices thereof are paper reduction and recycling. This discussion has not only outlined but also illustrated how the practices are carried out in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. First and foremost, the concepts exist in a legally based framework in which different legislations have been enacted and treaties ratified. Further, it was demonstrated that the call is not only a governmental issue but has also been embraced by private organizations. In Saudi Arabia, companies and advocacy groups co-operate to manage waste. In addition, waste management is also an investment nucleus as demonstrated by the Saudi Paper Manufacturing Company and its subsidiaries. Indeed, the sources used were sufficient academic authorities in the delineation of the topic. It was thus recommended that among other things, the Saudi government should initiate more nationwide progr ams so as to reduce the amount of waste and the consequences thereafter. Moreover, the efforts by the government, non-governmental organizations and private companies have made substantial contribution in waste paper management.

Character Analysis of Emily Grierson in A Rose for Emily by William Fau

Emily Grierson, referred to as Miss Emily throughout the story, is the main character of 'A Rose for Emily,' written by William Faulkner. Emily is born to a proud, aristocratic family sometime during the Civil War; Miss Emily used to live with her father and servants, in a big decorated house. The Grierson Family considers themselves superior than other people of the town. According to Miss Emily's father none of the young boys were suitable for Miss Emily. Due to this attitude of Miss Emily's father, Miss Emily was not able to develop any real relationship with anyone else, but it was like her world revolved around her father. When her father passed away, it was a devastating loss for Miss Emily. The lines from the story 'She told them her father was not dead. She did that for three days,' (Charter 171) conveys the message that she tried to hold on to him, even after his death. Even though, this was a sad moment for Emily, but she was liberated from the control of her father. Instead of going on with her life, her life halted after death of her father. Miss Emily found love in a guy named Homer Barron, who came as a contractor for paving the sidewalks in town. Miss Emily was seen in buggy on Sunday afternoons with Homer Barron. The whole town thought they would get married. One could know this by the sentences in the story ?She will marry him,? ?She will persuade him yet,? (Charter 173). On the contrary side, Homer Barron, although ironically Emily's only love was t...

Driven to Distraction by Technology :: Pros and Cons of Technology

The past two decades have overwhelmed the human experience with technology, along with all its distractions. The direct relationship between the mind and the body’s ability to adjust from these distractions can be extremely difficult .Further research has shown that it has become an addiction for many. Technology has significantly improved our lives as a whole through experiences such as Global Positioning System (GPS), cell phones and social networking allowing us to communicate with different people around the world. These technologies make our daily lives easier and more efficient. However, this also discusses the effects of technology on various aspects of our everyday personal experiences both with each other and with the world around us. On the other hand technologies such as cell phones have become a problem in getting students to focus in class and distracting drivers and thus, resulting in vehicle accidents. Technology is beneficial, but can also become an inescapable distraction in our lives. It is important to view technology as having the ability to make our lives better or worse, yet also as having the ability to change our personal lives and behavioral patterns. The use of technology makes our daily tasks easier, such as a better sense of direction while driving via a GPS, safety features in our cars such as Auto Drive and Auto Park. These technologies have made driving an easier and enjoyable experience as well as reducing our chances of getting into accidents. The research presented in the following article â€Å"Driven to Distraction [in car technology]† provided surprising conclusions. Professor John D Lee from the University of Iowa states the following issue: â€Å"Technology is changing very quickly. Many of these things coming into the car were not designed to be used in it.†(Edwards 8). He proves that there are a lot of in car technologies in today’s society that can demand our full attention without us even knowing, and can lead to tremendous consequences that can become dangerous distractions on the road. Satellite navigation (GPS) makes our lives easier because it can give us the correct directions to a desir ed address. This is unlike the past where the navigationally challenged would consider it a nightmare to drive to a new location. Furthermore, there are many upsides that technology brings upon students by presenting new ways of learning where technology is being used in the classroom. Within the article â€Å"Cell phones in schools pros and cons† presented by Rujuta Borkar, the advantages of having a cellular phone device in school are through emergency contact, and having a cell phone for security purposes.

Richard Neustadt

Richard Neustadt: Presidential Power and the Modern Presidency Writing in 1960, Richard Neustadt is an important political theorist focusing on the US Presidency. Neustadt’s work was a reaction to the â€Å"old institutionalism† represented by writers like Edwin Corwin. Neustadt takes a behaviorist approach to understanding presidential power, and argues that the real functional power of the US president arises from his â€Å"power to persuade†.Neustadt acknowledges that the formal power of the US president is spelled out in the US Constitution but he argues that these formal powers do not adequately describe the real functional power of the president. For Neustadt the key to presidential power is the president’s ability to persuade other important actors to carry out what he wants done.Neustadt views the presidency as at the apex of a pyramid of governing power that provides the president with unique leverage and vantage points to bargain with and persuad e others on implementing governing policy and direction. These other actors include cabinet officers and senior government bureaucrats, the congress, military leaders, leaders of state governments, party leaders, business leaders and even foreign leaders. Neustadt does not see the US government as one of â€Å"separated power† under the Constitution.Instead he claims that the Constitution actually â€Å"created a government of separated institutions sharing powers. â€Å" These separated institutions include the congress, federalism itself, the bill of rights and perhaps even the press as a fourth branch of government. Neustadt sees the formal powers of the president and congress as very intertwined such that neither can accomplish very much without the acquiescence of the other; and, that what one branch demands the other can resist.Neustadt notes, for example that Eisenhower claimed that the presidency was part of the legislative process, since he had the authority to vet o or sign bills, etc. But Neustadt notes that when a president tries to command rather than persuade, such as when Truman nationalized the steel mills or fired MacArthur, or when Eisenhower sent the troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce desegregation court orders, that there can be blowback that can neutralize presidential fiat and, ultimately, render presidential action inconclusive or effective.Neustadt sees relationships of mutual dependence between the various stakeholders and that the president depends upon the persons whom he would persuade. He notes a particular success story of persuasion when Truman worked with Republican senator Vandenberg to create the Marshall plan to rebuild Europe after WWII. That effort depended on mutual understanding, trust and a commitment to shared endeavor without which Vandenberg may have decided to wait for a Republican president to create a major new direction in US foreign policy.Neustadt sums up by arguing that for a president to have e ffective influence he must: (1) use the bargaining advantage that he has by virtue of his office to persuade other men that what he wants them to do is what their own responsibilities require of them (persuade them that his goals should be their own goals), 2) maintain a professional reputation in the minds of other men such that they respect his authority and ability, and (3) maintain his popular prestige such that those he bargains with believes that the public will view them favorably if they do what the president wants.In short, the president’s â€Å"power is the product of his vantage points in government, together with his reputation in the Washington community and his prestige outside. † Neustadt goes on to argue a presidents has to make proper choices and decisions, so as to preserve his reputation and prestige, or he will squander his ability to lead by losing his ability to persuade.

Curriculum designing guidelines Essay

Purpose The construction of experiences and outcomes that effectively provide progression in each curriculum area and convey the values, principles and purposes of A Curriculum for Excellence is central to the success of the program. In particular, it is important that you reflect relevant aspects of the four capacities in your work. If we can get this right these outcomes and experiences will have a significant, positive, impact on classroom practice and hence on the learning experience of all children and young people. It is an exciting prospect. Starting point In phase 1 each early review group should be asked to simplify and prioritise the curriculum (from age 3 to 15 in the first instance) retaining what currently works well and making changes where these were justified by research evidence. The output from phase 1 of the review process and the rationale for your curriculum area, research and other national and international comparators are your starting points. Your work will be based on the relevant parts of the Curriculum Frameworks: for Children 3 – 5, 5 – 14 guidelines, Standard Grade, and National Qualifications. It is important that experience and outcome statements you write at each Curriculum for Excellence level provide appropriate cognitive demand. The framework for outcomes The experiences and outcomes will sit within a framework of advice to teachers. Curriculum Area The eight curriculum areas are: Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Languages, Maths, Religious and Moral Education, Science, Social Studies and Technologies. Rationale The rationale provides an overview of the curriculum area states its main purposes and describes its contribution to the values and purposes. Subsets of the curriculum area Each curriculum area is subdivided either into fields of learning – or ‘subjects’ (e. g. Expressive Arts into art, drama, dance and music) or into aspects of learning in that area (e. g. Languages into listening and talking, reading and writing) Lines of development These identify learning tracks in each subset of the curriculum area. They are expressed in different ways in each area of the curriculum. For example within expressive arts they identify the skills to be developed: creating, presenting and evaluating in art, drama, dance and music; within science they describe broad areas of knowledge and understanding to be developed; biodiversity, being human and cells in Our Living World. Experiences and outcomes Within each line of development, experiences and outcomes describe the expected progression in learning for children and young people. Essential outcomes. Essential outcomes are a small number of high level statements, derived from the main purposes described in the rationale, that encapsulate what learning in that curriculum area provides for all children and young people. Taken together, the essential outcomes are intended to sum up the expectations for the broad general education of all young people. The focus of your work will be writing the experiences and outcomes for your curriculum area. It is likely that there will be interplay between what you produce and the ‘essential outcomes’ , which are the ones helping to shape and refine the other in an iterative manner. Outcomes should be written in the clearest possible English. Where possible these should be accessible to children and young people, but not at the expense of clarity. It is also important to try to write lively and engaging experiences and outcomes. Best Practices of Writing the Curriculum Ultimately the intention is to produce streamlined guidance for the entire curriculum in a single document. We also intend to make the outcomes available in electronic format to allow curriculum leaders and teachers to identify and blend outcomes from both within and beyond curriculum areas. Several stages will be required to achieve this.