Relationship between charity, duty, and morality

The author of the article is trying to define the moral responsibility of every individual in society with regard to giving relief and alleviating suffering. He uses the case of refugees in Bengal, India. The refugees are experiencing an emergency that has gone unnoticed by many individuals. The relief they have received is not enough to alleviate their suffering.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Relationship between charity, duty, and morality specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The author’s argument is that it is necessary for the society to change its way of responding to the problems of needy people. The thesis of the article states that it is everyone’s moral responsibility to prevent suffering and offer assistance without sacrificing anything of equal moral importance. The author starts by stating that it is wrong for people to die from lack of basic human needs including food and shelter, as well as medical services. Singer talks of the importance of morality in society and uses the case of refugees in Bengal to present his ideas and arguments. He argues that people have a moral responsibility to prevent bad occurrences. Morality does not choose the type of person to help or their geographical location. In addition, distance should not be a hindrance. He argues that the geographical location of needy people should not be a reason to deny relief to the needy. The problem of distance has been overcome by globalization. Singer explores the issue of numbers and obligation, and their relationship to morality. According to him, it is immoral for anyone to refuse to help because other people are not doing it. It is an individual obligation to help and not a communal obligation. Singer argues that individuals should offer as much help as they can without causing suffering to themselves or their families. It is important for people to offer help as long as they do not expose themsel ves to suffering. He demonstrates the effect of communal perception on people’s willingness to help. Many people give relief because others do it. However, if others fail to do it, they also refrain from giving relief. This way of looking at moral responsibility is flawed. Singer talks about distance and moral obligation with regard to offering assistance to the needy. According to him, it is morally right to offer assistance only if it does not involve any immoral act. The author argues that there is a thin line between duty and charity. According to Singer, it is everyone’s duty to prevent unfavorable events from happening. He finds it necessary to redefine charity and duty. For example, he argues it is everyone’s duty to prevent unfavorable events.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Offering assistance should not be optional but a moral obligation. He adds that i t is important to develop a universal moral code that defines the moral duties of people in society. Offering help and preventing bad things from happening regardless of culture or geographical location should be a universal moral responsibility. He cites reasons why people fail to give relief. Many people consider relief as a responsibility of the ruling government. In addition, many people consider it as a way of postponing a problem instead of finding a lasting solution. However, he argues that these reasons should not stop people from giving relief. Singer says that people should focus their energies on helping to alleviate suffering so that such problems are not experienced in future. This essay on Relationship between charity, duty, and morality was written and submitted by user Brylee Espinoza to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Frances Economy Five Key Macroeconomic Variables

Frances Economy Five Key Macroeconomic Variables Introduction France is one of the largest and most advanced economies in the world. The country achieved its success through diversification of its economy and prudent management of the public sector finances. Unlike other developed countries, agriculture contributes significantly to economic development in France. The output from the agricultural sector comes from livestock and cash crops.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on France’s Economy: Five Key Macroeconomic Variables specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The leading industries in the country include chemicals, automobiles, electronics, machinery, and textiles. The main minerals produced in the country include iron, bauxite, and coal. Nearly 75% of the country’s electricity is generated though nuclear energy. The government has since reduced its participation in the economy by privatizing most of its firms. This paper focuses on the economy of F rance by analyzing five of its key macroeconomic variables. These include unemployment rate, real interest rate, gross domestic product (GDP), inflation rate, and the current account balance. Additionally, policy recommendations will be suggested to help the country to revitalize its economy. The analysis will focus on the period between 1980 and 2012. Background France is among the leading producers of automobiles, aircrafts, cosmetics, and luxury goods. It also has highly advanced insurance, telecoms, power generation, and tourism industries. The country’s labor force has the largest number of graduates, especially, in science disciples per one thousand workers in the Euro-zone. Following the end of the Second World War, the country experienced a rapid economic growth due to its massive investment in agriculture. During this period, nearly 40% of the population was employed in the agricultural sector. The country’s GDP expanded at an average rate of 4.1% between 1945 and 1975. Rapid economic growth was maintained through several four-year development plans. These plans had economic development targets that were set by the government, but were mainly achieved by the private sector. From 1945 to 1986, the government focused on implementing policies of nationalization, as well as, intensive intervention in the economy. From 1981, Mitterrand’s regime focused on nationalizing major firms in key industries such as insurance, banking, and pharmaceuticals. Following the failure of the nationalization strategy, the country embarked on large-scale privatization of its firms in the 1990s.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nonetheless, the government still holds a large proportion of shares in the countries major companies such as France Telecom and Renault. In the 1990s, the country’s economy maintained moderate grow th through investments in modern technologies such as the internet and the expansion of infrastructure. The formation of the European Union and the Euro-zone contributed to the country’s economic growth by providing a ready market for its exports. However, the economic crisis in Europe and the global economic downturn, which began in 2007, have led to severe reduction in the country’s growth rate. In 2009, the country’s â€Å"real GDP contracted by 2.6%, whereas unemployment rate increased from 7.4% to 10%†. Additionally, the country’s budget deficit as a percentage of GDP increased from 3.4% in 2008 to 7.5% in 2009. Public debt also increased from 68% to 89% of the GDP in the same period. Despite the efforts made by the government in the last five years, the country has not been able to achieve a growth rate above 2% or to reduce its unemployment rate below 10% (IMF, 2013). Overview of the Main Macroeconomic Variables France’s real interest rate, unemployment rate, GDP, current account balance, and inflation rate have greatly evolved in the last thirty years. Unemployment rate refers to the â€Å"percentage of the total labor force that is unemployed, but willing to work and actively seeking employment†. Figure 1, illustrates the fluctuation of unemployment in France in the last thirty years. According to figure 1, the country’s unemployment rate rose steadily from 8.07% in 1982 to 10.5% in1988. On average, the unemployment rate during this period was 9.56%. Following the implementation of expansionary fiscal policy that led to a 4.67% GDP growth in 1988, the unemployment rate reduced to 8.98% in 1990 (IMF, 2013). However, this recovery was short lived since the unemployment rate rose to 11.68% in 1994. From 1994 to 1999, the country’s average unemployment rate was 11.21%. The country maintained a less than 10% unemployment rate from 2000 to 2008. However, the 2008/2009 global economic downturn le d to an increase in unemployment rate above 10%.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on France’s Economy: Five Key Macroeconomic Variables specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the successes of the French economy has been its ability to maintain low inflation rate. Figure 2 indicates that the country’s inflation rate has been falling from 1982 to 2012. The inflation rate reduced from 11.98% in 1982 to 0.67% in 1998 (IMF, 2013). However, it rose to 1.92% in 2012. The country’s real interest rate has also been falling steadily in the last twenty years as shown in figure 3. Concisely it reduced from 2.4% in 1993 to 0.12% in 2012 (World Bank, 2013). Figure 4 indicates that France’s current account balance has been very volatile in the last thirty years. The country’s current account was in deficit between 1982 and 1990. However, it recovered steadily after 1992, thereby reaching a surplus of 3.15% of GDP by 1999 (IMF, 2013). From 2000, the current account has been declining steadily, thereby reaching a deficit of -1.75% of GDP in 2012. Since 1982, the country’s highest GDP growth was 4.67% in 1988, whereas the lowest growth was -3.15 in 2009. Table 1 presents the data used to generate figure 1 to 4. Macroeconomic Analysis France experienced a high unemployment rate (above 10%) between 1985 and 1988; 1993 and 1999; and 2011 and 2012. The high unemployment rate during these periods is mainly attributed to the conditions in the country’s labor market. France has one of the highest payroll taxes in the world. The country charges 43% payroll tax, which is higher than the rate in nearly all developed countries. For instance, the United States of America charges 5%, whereas the UK charges 11%. The high payroll tax has contributed significantly to the reduction of the competitiveness of French companies. In order to maintain their competiveness, most Fr ench companies have resorted to outsourcing non-core business activities from low wage countries. In particular, most companies, especially, in the manufacturing sector have relocated their production plants to countries such as China and India, which have cheap labor. This strategy has led to exportation of jobs as companies reduce their workers in order to lower operating costs. For instance, Peugeot, one of the leading automobiles manufacturers in the country, dismissed 8,000 workers in 2012 in order to reduce its labor costs. From 2000, the government focused on implementing several reforms in order to boost employment in the private sector. The reforms included a reduction of payroll taxes for employees earning the minimum wage, as well as, allowing tax breaks for firms that employ young people or trainees.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These reforms partly contributed to the slight reduction of unemployment between 2000 and 2003. Nonetheless, these reforms did not achieve much since unemployment rate began to increase from 2004. Protection of employee rights is another problem that leads to high unemployment rate in France. The labor unions in France have a lot of influence in the labor market. They always participate in the negotiation of salaries and working conditions in most industries. Consequently, French workers benefit from job security and guaranteed salary levels. Providing these benefits has been a great challenge to small businesses due to their limited financial resources. Consequently, they are reluctant to create new jobs for fear of the penalties associated with dismissing workers or paying low wages. Low qualification is the major cause of unemployment among the youth. Due to the high competition in the job market, most employers prefer to hire experienced workers rather than fresh graduates from collages. Fresh graduates (youth) are expensive to employers since they have to be trained before they adapt to the work environment. Finally, the high employment rate in 2012 is attributed to dismal economic growth that began in 2007. Figure 1 shows that unemployment has been increasing as GDP growth reduces from 2007. The low economic growth has led to reduced profits, thereby limiting the ability of firms to create new jobs or to sustain existing ones. According to figure 2, France’s inflation rate was highest in 1982. This is partly attributed to the 1978-1979 oil shock that led to a sharp increase in prices of goods. The increase in oil prices in late 1970s led to an increase in the cost of production, thereby causing a general rise in the prices of goods. As the economy recovered from the oil shock, inflation began to reduce, reaching a low of 2.5% in 1986. Following the expansion of GDP by 4.67% in 1988, the inflation rate rose to 3.5% in 1989 (IMF, 2013). An increase in economic growth is normally accompanied by increased expenditure in the private and the public sector, thereby increasing inflationary pressure. Since 1990, France has maintained an inflation rate below 3%. This low rate of inflation is mainly attributed to slow economic growth and slack in the economy. According to figure 2, inflation tends to be falling when GDP growth is reducing. The logic behind this trend is that slow economic growth lead to low GDP per capita. The resulting reduction in purchasing power leads to a fall in the demand for goods and services. Consequently, firms reduce their prices in order to remain competitive. This reduction in prices leads to low inflation rate. In 2009, the GDP contracted by -3.1%, thereby causing a near deflation situation (0.09% inflation rate). The reduction in real interest rate in the last three decades was caused by intense regulation of the banking sector. Concisely, banking-sector regulations did not permit the increase of nomina l interest rates to compensate for the loss of currency value due to inflation. Consequently, real interest rates reduced as inflation increased. Even though the government liberalized the banking sector in late 1990s, the real interest rates did not rise. This is because France’s central bank lowered its lending rate in order to spur economic growth. Current account balance refers to a country’s net import of goods and services, as well as, net transfer payment and earnings from sources such as rent. In the last three decades, France’s current account has been in deficit except for the period between 1992 and 2004. The deficit that occurred before 1992 was due to the high labor costs that led to outsourcing by most French companies. Concisely, most companies relocated their production plants to overseas economies with cheap labor. Additionally, some companies outsourced their back office operations to foreign countries. This led to increased imports, thereby ca using the current account deficit. The deficit that occurred after 2004 is mainly attributed to France’s participation in the Euro-zone. In particular, the deficit has been caused by the monetary union in the Euro-zone. The use of a common currency means that France’s exchange rate in the Euro-zone is fixed. Consequently, its currency cannot depreciate relative to other Euro-zone countries such as Germany in order to boost exports and reduce imports. Figure 4 indicates that France’s current account has been worsening when its GDP is falling and vice versa. This implies that the reduction in productivity as indicated by a reduction in GDP limits the country’s ability to export. Arising GDP, on the other hand, implies increased productivity that increase the country’s ability to export, thereby improving the current account balance. According to figure 5, France has been able to achieve a rapid growth in its per capita GDP since 1800. Consequently, i t has been able to catch-up with other developed countries such Spain and Sweden (Gap-Minder, 2013). Nonetheless, figure 1to 4 shows that the country has not been able to maintain a rapid growth of its GDP in the last three decades. From 1982 to 2008, France’s average GDP growth was approximately 2%. Other advanced economies such as the USA grew by 3% over the same period. After 2008, France has not been able to achieve any growth above 1.6% (IMF, 2013). The factors that account for the poor performance include the following. To begin with, the economic model that spurred rapid growth after the Second World War lost its effectiveness from the 1970s to 1990s. This is because the country has been experiencing a sharp decline in returns on capital, labor productivity gains, and investments since 1970s. Low productivity among the working class has also contributed to the country’s poor economic growth. The number of hours dedicated to work per full-time employee has reduce d considerable in the last three decades. France’s investment efficiency has reduced substantially in the last four decades. Investment efficiency refers to the â€Å"variation in GDP in relation to net fixed capital formation†. The combined effect of low productivity gains and reduced investment efficiency led to a reduction in firm profits, thereby limiting growth. Consequently, firms focused on cost reduction and maintaining profitability rather than expanding their markets. The reduction in profits limited the firms’ ability to make new investments, thereby slowing job creation. The resulting increase in unemployment rate led to a reduction of wages. Consequently, aggregate demand fell, thereby discouraging economic growth in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the government introduced labor market reforms such as fixed-term contracts. These reforms enabled most firms to return to profitability. However, they did not succeed in enhancing domestic demand in order to pr omote economic growth. Even though investment rebound in late 1990s, France did not define a new economic model to sustain a rapid growth. Due to unfavorable labor market conditions and low profits, most French companies embarked on foreign direct investments in the 1990s. This strategy did not only lead to capital flight from the country, but also worsened its current account deficit and unemployment rate. France is yet to recover from the shocks of the Euro-zone crisis and the 2008/2009 economic downturn, which have reduced its economic growth in the last five years. Policy Recommendations The following suggestions can help France to return to rapid economic growth. To begin with, unemployment can be reduced through labor market reforms. These include wage compression that involves lowering the minimum wage rate and implementing a negative income tax. A lower minimum wage will encourage local firms to create new jobs, whereas a negative income tax will compensate employees for the income lost through the reduction of the minimum wage. The payroll tax should also be reduced in order to encourage local firms to create jobs by investing in France rather than relocating to other countries. The current account deficit can be corrected by increasing net exports outside the Euro-zone. This is because the depreciation of the Euro against other currencies will make France’s exports more competitive. The current account will improve as exports increase and imports reduce. The government can avoid deflation by loosening its monetary policy. The resulting increase in money supply will encourage investment and consumption, thereby preventing deflation. However, loosening monetary policy should be moderate in order to avoid high inflation. Finally, France should improve its economic growth by reforming its tax system. Concisely, it should raise taxes for the high-income earners and lower taxes for the low-income earners. This will ensure that the government has ade quate tax revenue without discouraging expenditure among the low-income earners. Reducing the budget deficit to 3% of the GDP will negate the need for austerity measures in future, thereby encouraging growth through public and private expenditure. Conclusion The aim of this paper was to analyze the French economy. In particular, it focused on the evolution of the economy’s GDP, unemployment rate, inflation rate, current account balance, and real interest rate in the last three decades. Results show that GDP growth has remained dismal in the last thirty years. The factors that account for the slow growth include high labor costs, lack of an effective growth model, and low investment efficiency. The current account has been deteriorating. Similarly, high unemployment has been a persistent problem. Nonetheless, the real interest rate and inflation have been declining. In light of these revelations, the government should take immediate measures to improve the economy. Appendix Fi gure 1: Unemployment rate Verses GDP growth Figure 2: Inflation rate Verses GDP growth Figure 3: Real Interest Rate Verses GDP Growth Figure 4: Current Account Balance Verses GDP Growth Figure 5: Gap-Minder Table 1: Data for figure 1 to 4 yeas GDP Inflation Unemployment CA Bal Interest rate 1982 2.418 11.978 8.069 -2.099 1983 1.227 9.46 8.421 -0.853 1984 1.499 7.674 9.771 -0.145 1985 1.614 5.831 10.23 -0.064 1986 2.252 2.539 10.363 0.31 1987 2.387 3.289 10.5 -0.484 1988 4.671 2.701 10.006 -0.465 1989 4.184 3.498 9.396 -0.46 1990 2.625 3.38 8.975 -0.791 1991 1.034 3.217 9.467 -0.495 1992 1.478 2.366 9.85 0.279 1993 -0.665 2.106 11.117 0.708 7.02 1994 2.248 1.661 11.683 0.596 6.69 1995 2.044 1.778 11.15 0.466 6.80 1996 1.067 2.084 11.583 1.231 5.23 1997 2.189 1.283 11.542 2.657 5.38 1998 3.377 0.667 11.067 2.621 5.46 1999 3.287 0.533 10.458 3.147 6.17 2000 3.686 1.716 9.083 1.452 5.05 2001 1.834 1.606 8.392 1.756 4.86 2002 0 .928 1.885 8.908 1.247 4.29 2003 0.901 2.141 8.892 0.723 4.51 2004 2.54 2.143 9.258 0.541 4.84 2005 1.826 1.751 9.283 -0.485 4.50 2006 2.468 1.669 9.242 -0.576 4.55 2007 2.289 1.49 8.375 -1.003 3.70 2008 -0.083 2.817 7.817 -1.744 4.6 2009 -3.146 0.099 9.5 -1.333 4.70 2010 1.664 1.493 9.729 -1.558 3.12 2011 1.693 2.141 9.633 -1.95 3.32 2012 0.122 1.924 10.138 -1.734 2.54 References Boyes, W., Melvin, M. (2010). Macroeconomics. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Couleaud, A., Delamarre, F. (2010). Frances national economic wealth declined in 2009 for the second year in a row. Paris, France: Banque de France. Gap-Minder. (2013). The wealth of nations. Web. IMF. (2013). Economic data. Retrieved from https://www.imf.org/external/index.htm Kabundi, A., Simone, F. (2011). France in the global economy: A stractural approximation dynamic factor model anlysis. Empirical Economics, 41(2), 311-342. Miotti, L., Sachwald, F. (2004). Growth in France from 1950-2030: The innovati on challange. Paris, France: IFRI. World Bank. (2013). World development indicators. Web.

Netflix Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Netflix - Case Study Example Before Netflix, Blockbuster had been a sole giant of the industry but its business was totally focusing the rental DVDs through retail outlet points. Those retail outlets carried few employees who can hardly recommend to the customers about the movies except the hit releases. Yet, the company was serving the whole United States as no other competitor had such resources to expand such bigger chain of DVD rental locations. What Blockbuster strived hard is to open so many DVD rental outlets such that the farthest retail outlet is around ten minutes drive in the urban areas of United States. The hit movies and recent releases were the ones that were the major occupiers of the shelves of the Blockbuster’s rental outlets as the demand for lesser-known movies had been very slow and uncertain. With the entry of Netflix in the rental DVD industry, Netflix adopted a first mover strategy such that rather opening rental DVD outlets, it started its operations by renting out the DVDs through internet based web portal. The company made an investment in its website such that the subscribers subscribed their accounts on Netflix’s website and then they can choose their preferred movies from a wide collection of movies held by Netflix. Those DVDs, which are selected by the subscribers, are sent to them via direct mail through US Postal Services. In around a day, those movies are shipped to their respective destinations at a cost of $4 per movie along with $2 cost of shipping and handling. The biggest advantage reaped by the customers was that now they can even have the access to the lesser-known movies, which ordinarily cannot be easily available at the rental DVD outlets. Another greater advantage that Netflix provided to its customers was the waiver of â€Å"late fees† which substantially boosted its business. Pricing was also an important aspect through which Netflix climbed quickly in terms of reaping the profits. Firstly, the

Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Islam - Essay Example These are the five most fundamental requirements every body has to fulfill in the capacity of being a Muslim. In order to express faith in Allah and Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.), or in other words, in order to be a Muslim, one has to say the Kalma. After saying the Kalma, one becomes a Muslim. As a Muslim, one is obliged to say Salaat five times a day. One is obliged to fast in the month of Ramadan, though one may fast off and on or on a regular basis in addition to Ramadan. One should give Zakat to people and perform Hajj if one has enough money or if one can make it anyway. Shi’as and Sunnis both have same beliefs. Both believe in the five pillars of Islam and have Quran as the Holy Book, though the two differ in their understanding of the way things happened in the Islamic history. The fundamental cause of division was the choice of the leader for the Muslim community after the last Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.). Sunnis believe that Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) had chosen Abu B akr as the leader whereas Shi’as argue that Ali should have been elected as the leader (BBC). Quran is the Holy Book written by Allah, the creator of universe and everything in it. Each and every word in Quran comes straight from Allah through Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.).

Unit 9ASSI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 9ASSI - Essay Example This journal article is important to this study since it discusses the demographic transformations that families go through, and how these in turn challenge parenthood and contact with the child. In this article, Wasoff discusses the application of the law to demystify these changing trends when determining the application of contact law. One of the cases that apply to Michelle and Tom’s situation is Jackson v. Tangreen, 199 Arizona 306 P 3d 100 (2000). In this case, the biological father of the child voluntarily withdrew his rights of contact after divorcing his wife, the child’s mother. This, the father did so that the new husband to the child’s mother could adopt the child. However, in an interesting twist, the biological father’s mother petitioned to maintain her visitation rights. The Court of Appeal ruled that the grandparent’s statute of visitation was constitutional. Even the US Supreme court later refused to review the case. Another case that applies to Michelle and Tom’s situation is Troxel ET vir v. Granville, 530 US 57, 2000, which was presided over in the US Supreme Court. In this case, the deceased biological father’s parents filed for visitation, citing the Washington Statute. Washington Statute granted petitions to visitation, whether the plaintiff is biologically related to the child or not, regardless. The mother of the child had agreed to the visitations, but objected the amount of time grandparents spent with the child, and thereby presenting the case to Washington trial court. At first, the trial court ruled in favor of the grandparents. Through the provisions of the Washington appellate system, the child’s mother made an appeal. Resultantly, the Washington Court of Appeal overturned the visitation order that had been issued by the trial court. The statutes that had been considered include the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process and the principles that exist in the

Literature Review of US Foreign Policy

Literature Review of US Foreign Policy Background America’s 1930s foreign policy was based on the realist school of thought. It emphasised international trade in order to achieve economic rejuvenation, whilst its security strategy demonstrated the practical restraints of Hans Morgenthau’s classical doctrine of realism through withdrawing its military’s international presence. Post-WW2 America’s role within the world hierarchy altered significantly as a direct result of internal structural and technological developments that led it to being a world superpower. American foreign policy encompassed both realism and liberal internationalism in its attempt to defeat communism. The 1970s signified a dramatic change in the foreign policy decision-making process; no longer were Presidents able to operate imperialistically making policy decisions without consulting Congress. Despite being internationally recognised as the victor of the Cold War, America lost its international footing somewhat. Political analyst Kenneth Waltz supports this assertion and argues in the article ‘Is Anybody Still a Realist?’ that foreign policy in a pre-9/11though post-Cold War era, aside from the widely accepted notion that States â€Å"at a minimum, seek their own preservation,† (Waltz, Kenneth. 1999: P.14), realism no longer played a leading role in foreign policy and national security decision-making. Roger Burbach and Jim Tarbell argue that US foreign policy and National Security Strategy since 9/11 has mirrored that of former powers on a colonisation mission. A key example used to demonstrate this was Bush’s desire to install a National Missile Defence (NMD) system in Europe. They ascertain that it was part of the regimes neoconservative, imperialistic agenda to impress upon the world American exceptionalism through attempting to colonise the globe by having a military capability world-wide under the notion of ‘national security.’ (Burbach, Roger Tarbell, Jim. 2004). The US government opposes such a claim maintaining that its actions are part of an assertive-realist security strategy seen previously within the Cold War era which confronts threats to America. They argue that like America’s proactive response to the attack on Pearl Harbour, the last time America had suffered such devastation on US soil, that 9/11 warranted a similarly aggressive response. Benjamin Frankel supports this and argues in ‘Realism: Restatements and Renewal,’ that it is neo-realism, not neo-conservatism which recognises â€Å"the ultimate concern of states is not for power but for security†¦states seek maximum security not maximum power.† (Waltz, Kenneth. 1988. in Frankel, Benjamin.1996: P.91). President Roosevelt’s description of the attack on Pearl Harbour as a â€Å"date which will live in infamy,† (Roosevelt, Franklin D.A Date which will live in infamy: FDR ask for a Declaration of War), have been echoed since 9/11. Bush proclaimed the â€Å"world has changed† (Cramer,Jane K. Thrall, A. Trevor. 2012: P.30) as a direct result of 9/11 and therefore had to adapt his leadership style and policies accordingly. Literature Review This dissertation has used many sources to gain valuable information such as facts, figures, diagrams and the opinion and analysis of distinguished politicians, historians and authors. US foreign policy is a broad and complex subject which can be approached from multiple angles. Due to the restrictive word limit, this thesis has confined itself within certain boundaries which specify what direction this thesis is going to approach the title. Through critically analysing these sources, it has been possible to develop a deeper understanding of the topics examined and have helped greatly in contextualising the arguments found within the background and contemporary research. This has played a crucial role in the final conclusion reached. These boundaries are that the time scale used will be between the 1930s to the end of the George W Bush presidency. This time frame has been selected because of the opposing military policies that were used and the economic, social and international implications that such directions were to have; one being isolationist and the other being expansive. Chapters two and three have also been divided in a two-part manner. Chapter two addresses the mentality behind the decision-making process as well as the actions taken in the years preceding Bush’s presidency. Chapter three examines the mentality and actions taken during Bush’s reign. These boundaries have been drawn up in such a wa y that allows for analysis of events in a chronological order. Additionally, the ‘mentality’ has been chosen because it allows for the thesis to address multiple arguments and through thorough analysis determine if the mentality behind the decision-process has been altered and if so, has this affected the actions taken. These boundaries provide a clear sense of structure which is augmented with the aid of the many sources examined. There are a select few sources which will now be addressed due to their crucial role in initiating key arguments and theories throughout the thesis. In his article ‘The Stability of a Unipolar World,’ William Wohlforth provides an important analysis regarding the impact of the structural and technological advancements experienced in the US. Wohlforth argues that it is’ because of â€Å"a decades-old policy of harnessing technology to the generation of military power†¦The US combination of quantitative and qualitative material advantages is unprecedented, and it translates into a unique geopolitical position.† (Wohlforth, William C. 1999: P.17-18). This thesis supports this assertion and uses it as a key argument throughout to provide explanation behind America’s actions and the mentality with which such actions were conducted with. This dissertation comprises a variety of theoretical debates, all attempting to provide clarity and reasoning behind America’s actions both pre and post 9/11. Richard Rose’s ‘The Postmodern President: The White House Meets the World’ is used to provide support and elaborate on this thesis’ suggestion that after 1991 the â€Å"United States has lost its former position of dominance in the international system.† (Rose, Richard.1988:P.237). This was primarily because it could no longer justify having an expansive foreign and security policy to develop its sphere of influence through either hard or soft means as there was no longer an apparent enemy. Craig Snyder provides support for this assertion and further adds a theoretical argument in his book ‘Contemporary Security and Strategy’ that the influence of realism endured a significant decline during this period of relative peace in its use in international relations as well as national foreign policies. (Snyder, Craig A. 1999: P.65). No thesis which incorporates political theories and realism in particular, would be academically justifiable without the thoughts of world-wide acclaimed political analysts Kenneth Waltz and Hans Morgenthau being examined. Morgenthau’s work has been used when analysing the traits of classical realism to see how, if at all they relate to Bush’s actions. This thesis has paid particular attention to the work of Waltz, the founder of the concept of neo-realism, to argue that as opposed to the realist based expansive foreign policy agenda that existed during the Cold War era, States have since pursued neo-realist policies in which they aim to achieve: a sense of continuity in long-term goals, policies which are compatible with the ever-globalising international arena, clear objectives with simple directions to achieve them whilst maintaining a certain degree of flexibility to allow for adaptation to the fluid nature of the international stage. (Waltz, Kenneth.1999). Post-9/11, US foreign policy has often been interpreted as some of the most controversial around the globe. This is because they have been perceived as part of America’s apparent neoconservative agenda devoted to establishing an Imperial America. Roger Burbach and Jim Tarbell are two academics who support such a notion and argue in their ‘Imperial Overstretch: George W Bush the Hubris of Empire’ that the impact of 9/11 provided Bush’s regime with the fuel to pursue his extreme neo-conservative goal of creating a US Empire. The critical and negative wording of the title is such that even without reading any of the actual book, Bush is already portrayed as a leader who has been corrupted by the desire to create an empire. Therefore, in order to maintain academic legitimacy, this thesis recognised that Burbach and Tarbell are obviously biased against the Bush administration. This is not to say that their work should be dismissed, because it shouldn’t, but rather caution should be – and has been – applied when selecting what information to use from their book in this dissertation. Particular attention has been given to George C. Herring’s ‘From Colony to Superpower: US Foreign Relations since 1776.’ This is because this book provides a great insight into US foreign policy history and does so whilst exhibiting thorough analysis of events throughout this time. It has helped this writer significantly in developing a deeper understanding of events that have occurred and placing them in the relevant context. Articles, quotes, resolutions and speeches by Bush’s administration and even himself are all examined in this thesis. This is because they provide raw clarity and reasoning behind the decisions made post 9/11.As president of the world super-power, the American people looked to Bush to act and respond to this terrorist assault. In an address to the nation on 9/11th he stated that America â€Å"will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbour them.† (Bush, George W. quoted in Kean, Thomas H. 2004. P.326. The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.). Such a statement sets the rigid and uncompromising tone with which Bush was to significantly adjust his foreign and security policies to deal with the situation. Understanding the mentality behind Bush’s decisions is of vital importance to this thesis because if the mentality is proven to have affected the manner in which foreign policy was decided a nd implemented, and if this is different to the various American administrations, then this will playing a determining role in answering the dissertation question. It is for this reason that Bush and his teams’ speeches, articles and resolutions are analysed in great depth throughout this thesis.

Moral Issues and Decisions in George Orwells Shooting an Elephant Essa

Moral Issues and Decisions in Shooting an Elephant      Throughout "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell, he addresses his   internal battle with the issues of morality and immorality. He writes of several situations that show his immoral doings. When George Orwell signed up for a five-year position as a British officer in Burma he was unaware of the moral struggle that he was going to face. Likewise, he has an internal clash between his moral conscious and his immoral actions. Therefore, Orwell becomes a puppet to the will of the Burmese by abandoning his thoughts of moral righteousness. This conflicts with the moral issue of relying upon other's morals, rather than one's own conscience.    During Orwell's time in India he is exposed to several unethical situations. As an imperial officer, Orwell is often harassed, "I was an obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe"(Orwell 521). Therefore, Orwell's initial feelings are fear and rage toward the Burmese. He displays his hate in wanting " to drive a bayonet into the Buddhist priest's guts"(522). However, thou...