Economic Growth And Standard Of Living Essay Example for Free

Economic Growth And Standard Of Living Essay To understand any topic it is always important to take note of the key words. In this case I am going to first pin point the key words. Economy in a lay man’s language is the management of finances or care in the use of resources. Others may say it is a system of producing and managing resources. This then puts everyone in light that economic growth as the increment of management and use of resources like finances, wealth and so on. Standard of living can measured by types of living styles that is quality (living in high standards and able to afford especially the basic needs) or of no quality that is (poor quality most especially not being able to afford the basics in life and probably living below the poverty line) (Elkington J. , 1974); Economic growth is seen on both extremes by different individuals that is the best or worst and the sides of it depending on how it has affected their standards of living. The way it affects the standards of living in the present and how it affected in the past is very different from the way it will be tomorrow. Its further expansion today has also affected different individuals differently. Others have seen it to have caused more harm than good while others see it to have caused more than more good than harm and this second group appears to be the majority hence increasing the gap between these two groups of people (The World Business Council for sustainable). Nevertheless economic growth to a larger extent is seen as a valuable vehicle for raising standards of living in aspects like social life, political aspects and even psychological aspects. Since time immemorial, everyone valued a high standard of living and every member of the family and society worked toward achieving more and more resources so as to live a better life. Men, women and children for instance did farming and cultivated food crops for home consumption. This was in the past before the innovation of cash economy. In that era, the three fundamental processes used in economic growth were identification, cooperation and imitation Aragon-Correa and Sharma S. , 2003 and Dunphy D, Griffiths A, and Benn S. , 2000). Today or presently it is true that further economic expansion has been seen. This is why the world today bases on the mechanism of â€Å"survival for the fittest†. This mechanism is mainly trying to see that everyone actively participates towards economic growth and hence improving their standards of living. So people have just deliberately decided to be lazy and they are the same people complaining of economic growth as unnecessary. They have given others the opportunity to even grow richer as they (the lazy ones) become poorer. It is important to note that as the world economy grows, the standard of living also grows. It does not remain stagnant hence the capacity of manpower in the society should also increase so as to match the economic growth and avoid lagging behind. It is done in this manner, and then the difficulty of economic growth affecting the standards of living presently will not be felt (World Economic Forum). It is seen clearly that as world’s life proceeds, very many aspects change. For instance, the population of South Africa in early 1930’s cannot match or be the same as the population today. Today’s population has definitely outgrown the one of 1930’s hence the economic growth will remain a valuable vehicle for raising and not degrading the standards of living if we check into issues like education, population control, employment especially skilled manpower in professional fields, etc. good example here is population control. In the past population was not as big and huge as today hence the issue of poor standard of living was not intensely felt. Today the population has double even tripled in specific places. This then has led to shortage of land, food, employment, schools hence giving the first priorities to the rich who can scramble. This then has led to high illiteracy, creation of slums, high crime rates. So if population standards are controlled by example introducing and sensitizing people on the issue of using contraceptives, keeping people in schools especially women who can go up to high institutions of learning hence making them concentrate in books and by the time they think of marriage, they are old enough not to give birth to too many children as compared to when they are out of school making them marry early and bearing many children. The issue of education, population control will improve both the economic growth and standards of living in the long run (World Economic Forum). Another very crucial thing is and that we in the world today cannot do without is the fact that of the machineries invention and innovation. This was not in the past, but today it has actually improved our majority standards of living. It is a fact that even the poor man at least can afford some kind of machinery for instance he or she may not afford a television set but may afford a small radio of about three dollars. This is because it is extremely important to listen to and know what is going on in the world through that small radio an issue that was not there in the past though people at that time were still comfortable because these machineries were not there. This hence is seen that economic growth is vats and can accommodate everyone. This means that despite the economic growth, there are still some cheap commodities that can be afforded by the low level people so as to enjoy their lives. The economic growth is also seen to incorporate the non professional activities for example engaging in vegetable sales, shoe shining, house helps and so on. Not everyone has a professional duty like teaching; nursing, etc yet even the non professional people must live and enjoy their lives. By doing their non-professional duties, they also actively participate in economic growth. For instance, a person doing the shoe shine job will have to buy the shoe polish hence contributing to the economic growth of the shoe polish company. On the other side of the economic growth, which is also to a lesser extent, I see its further expansions to be unnecessary and especially when its undesirable effects are considered from a true – cost perspective rather than form a true – benefit perspective (World Economic Forum). As I have discussed in the previous paragraphs, everyone cannot be the same in terms of gifts and talents, in brain, strength, authority and understanding. There must be both low and high level people. This also applies in the standard of living which is determined by the economic growth. For sure it is true that it affects people differently. In the real world, today, this economic growth has made the rich richer and the poor poorer. This hence has made the poor group to look at economic growth as an enemy. This is mainly because the poor have not been given a chance to enjoy the changes that come with economic growth. For instance, most of the poor people are not computer literates hence when employment opportunities come up, the first requirement is computer literacy which completely excludes them from the race even when one had the potential of doing that job. These computer courses are mainly provided in the schools of the rich (International Chamber of Commerce, Business charter for sustainable Development, 1990). Economic growth has been accompanied by a lot of bureaucracy. The rich people have taken the top levels and the poor people the low levels. It becomes very difficult for the one at the bottom to reach the one at the top. Before one reaches to the top from the bottom he or she must have used a lot of time, some little finances so as to get favours fro above. Those favours mainly may not be there because the ones at the top always are interested in doing things that favour and benefit them especially when it comes to finances thus rendering the poor back to or get stuck in poor living standards (World commission for Environment and development, 1987). When it comes to distribution of resources, it is clearly seen that some regions in countries are not considered or given priorities. This then instead of improving their standards of living through economic growth, they continue to deteriorate. A good example is usually when the politicians especially the presidents in the third world countries who give priorities to their regions of origin neglecting the other regions. This is even worse when a certain region has got no representative in the government hence making them curse the economic growth (World Economic Forum). In summary, I have discussed that economic growth is for raising the living standards to a larger extent in that †¢ It helps improve the capacity of manpower thus encouraging participation to improve the living standards Because everyone wants to olive in a good standard population will be controlled and hence more savings for more economic growth. †¢ Education is seen as an important factor leading to both economic growth and standard of living though in the long run †¢ Employment opportunities which leads to earnings and savings hence considering both the economic growth and living standards as valuable †¢ Economic growth being vats tha t is accommodating both the rich and the poor through machinery. An example is if one cannot afford a television then he r she can buy a radio which he or she can afford to listen to hence seen as improved his or her standards of living. †¢ it has too much bureaucracy making low level people not reach the top people †¢ Top people are seen as selfish and just for issues that benefit them especially finances. †¢ Poor people not given a chance to enjoy changes that come with economic growth for example computer literacy which is mainly taught in schools for the rich. In conclusion, economic growth is important to our living standards but can be disastrous especially when others are deprived of it. This ends up creating gaps between people hence leading to other social problems. There is a low level of economic growth rate. Economists’ researchers have maintained that in order for economy to realize good standard of living 10% increase in her economy is necessary, she must invest 10 % of her national income. Reduce consumption, increase investments or savings at same time reduce the family size children or they end up in vicious cycle of poverty. There is a lot of pressure in terms of provision of social services in un developed world. This leads to difficulty in distributing resources equally. It is also costly because of the large numbers thus social service provision becomes inadequate. It is seen to be affecting the nature of social services for example leading to poor housing and low quality of education.

Muhannad - Arabia, in 600CE Essay Example for Free

Muhannad Arabia, in 600CE Essay In Arabia, in 600CE, two large tribes called the Quaraish and the Hanifs inhabited a sacred city known as Makkah. The most important tribe in Makkah at this time were the Quaraish. The Quaraish consisted of merchants who had control over the Kabah (an ancient temple) and Makkahs water supply. This tribe organised protection for the merchants who travelled through Makkah. The Quaraish made profit out of the traders who passed through Makkah and the provisions given to pilgrims who came there to see and worship the idols. The Hanifs were the other major tribe who inhabited Makkah. They consisted of moral tribesmen who despised the Quaraishs selfishness and greed for money. This group of people were very holy and believed that there must only be one God. They believed that this one Supreme Power created everyone and everything and the worship of idols was an insult to him. They detested peoples devotion to icons of different Gods such as Al-Lat (the life-force). The Hanifs were sacred people who prayed regularly and often sought solitude to worship God. They believed that this one God had sent prophets such as Moses to Earth to try and purify peoples hearts and bring them closer to God. MUHAMMADS EARLY LIFE Muhammad was grandson of Abd-al-Muttalib. Abd-al-Muttalib was a member of the Hanif, and a man famous for his devotion to God and for his visions. His son, Abdullah, married a woman called Aminah, who was soon pregnant with his child when Abdullah suddenly died. The child that was born was named Muhammad. When Muhammad was born he was given to a Bedouin woman called Halimah as all Quaraish children at that time were. This was done so that children would be brought up away from the disease and impurities in the air in the city. At the age of six Muhammad was returned to Aminah who proceeded to die later that year. Luckily Muhammads devoted grandfather, Abd-al-Muttalib, took him in and cared for him until he died two years after that. Now Muhammad was passed onto his uncle, Abu Talib, who was a wealthy merchant. Living under the care of his uncle, Muhammad became a loyal and hard-working shepherd. LEGENDS Many legends have been created about Muhammad and his life. These legends were created to make Muhammad look greater and more powerful than he was. During his lifetime, Muhammad disapproved of all these myths about him and denied all of them. One of the legends about Muhammad was that he had his heart removed from his body by two angels. They then weighed his heart against other men but even with the whole communitys hearts weighed against his, his still weighed the most. Muhammad insisted that he did not and could not perform miracles; he was just a devoted follower of God. MUHAMMADS PERSONALITY Muhammad grew up to be a thoughtful young man who was kind and decisive. He continuously impressed the merchants that he worked with including Khadijah, a wealthy widow who employed Muhammad to supervise her caravan trade. When Muhammad was just 25 years old, Khadijah asked him to marry her; he accepted. Despite Khadijah being 15 years older than Muhammad, she became the love of his life until her death 25 years later. During her lifetime, Khadijah stood by Muhammad all the way and supported him in every possible means. When she died she left Muhammad with four daughters, Zainab, Ruqaiyyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah. Muhammads two sons, Qasim and Abdullah, unfortunately both died in infancy. Zaid ibn Haritha, the slave boy of the household, was devoted to Muhammad. When Zaids father found him after years of searching, he offered to buy him back. Muhammad left the choice of what to do up to Zaid himself, and he decided to stay with Muhammad. Muhammad was so touched by Zaid ibn Harithas decision to stay with him that Muhammad immediately released him and adopted him as his own son. Ali, son of Muhammads uncle, Abu Talib, was another child in the household. Muhammad chose to look after Ali when Abu Talib fell under hard times. THE NIGHT OF POWER In the year 610CE, Muhammad was once again meditating during Ramadan when an event happened which changed his life forever. Muhammad was 40 years old at the time and was praying alone in a cave on Mount Hira when he suddenly heard a voice calling his name and commanding him to proclaim or recite. Unfortunately Muhammad was illiterate and could not read the scroll of silk which he saw ahead of him. Suddenly the angel Jibril appeared to him. This was the same angel who had appeared to prophet Ibrahim and to Mary and Jesus in times past. Now Jibril was near to Muhammad and he ordered him to read the writing on the scroll. Muhammad told the angel that he could not read the writing for he was unlettered, but the angel ordered him again and again to read the scroll and Muhammad began to feel the tension building up within him. Suddenly he felt something seize him, it gripped him so tightly that he could not breathe and he thought he would die. But suddenly Muhammad knew in his heart what the words said, and he whispered them hoarsely: Proclaim! In the name of your Lord and Sustainer who created Man from a clot of congealed blood, speak these words aloud! Your lord is the Most Generous One He who has taught the Pen, Who reveals directly Things beyond human knowledge. Muhammad had been chosen as a messenger of God because he was a devout man who worshipped the Lord. After Muhammad received this message he had to wait 2 years until he received another. This was Gods way of testing Muhammad and seeing whether he would be tempted to tell everyone about what he had seen. When Muhammad reached home after his shocking revelation, he told his wife, Khadijah, about what had happened. She went to her wise 100-year-old cousin, Waraqa ibn Nufal, for advice and after he was quite sure that Muhammads story was truthful, Khadijah became the first person to believe the message Muhammad revealed. The second person to believe Muhammads story was Ali, the next was Zaid and the next person to believe him was his close friend Abu Bakr. Two years later, Muhammad was still fearful and anxious about what the message might mean, when the angel Jibril appeared to him again. The angel said to him: O you wrapped arise and warn! Glorify God! Make your garments pure! Give up all uncleanness. Give, without expecting any return. For the sake of your Lord, endure with patience! Now that Muhammads time of waiting was over, he could go out and tell everyone about the messages he was receiving. THE REVELATIONS Most of the messages that Muhammad received from God after the Night of Power came to him in visions. They all shared the following similarities: Muhammad knew when they were about to happen. Each revelation was attended by dramatic phenomena, such as shaking or trances. Each one made the prophet feel close to death and that he was leaving his body and he might not re-enter it. At the end of each revelation Muhammad would appear as usual again and he would repeat what he had been taught. Sometimes Muhammad would lose consciousness during his visions. Sometimes he would receive the message instantly and sometimes Jibril appeared to Muhammad in the form of a man to transmit messages (not in visions). ABU TALIB AND KHADIJAH When Muhammad was 50 years old his uncle Abu Talib died. Abu Talib had looked after Muhammad all his life and had stuck by him even when many hated him. Muhammad had always been very close to his uncle who had protected him when he was vulnerable and his death made him depressed and very unhappy. At the end of this saddening year his beloved wife Khadijah also died at the age of 64. Although Muhammad was deeply upset by their deaths, he accepted that everyone dies eventually and he tried to carry on preaching in Gods name. THE NIGHT JOURNEY It was probably during this traumatic experience that Muhammad had an experience which changed his life forever. The Night Journey (or Laylat-ul-Miraj) was not recorded very accurately in the Quran and it is therefore hard to know exactly what happened in this event. When the prophet was asleep in his home in Makkah he was awoken by the angel Jibril. Muhammad then went with Jibril to Jerusalem riding on some kind of a Pegasus called Lightning. From Jerusalem, Jibril took Muhammad through the seven heavens and was shown paradise and hell. On his way through the heavens, Muhammad met and spoke to other prophets such as Isa and Musa. With Musa, Muhammad decided and set the number of times a day a Muslim should pray to God. It was finally fixed at 5 times a day although Muhammad originally thought 50 times was a sufficient amount. Eventually the prophet Muhammad travelled on with Jibril to the highest heaven of all: the throne of God. When he arrived here, neither Muhammad nor the angel could approach any closer and he experienced a sensation which he never again felt or could describe properly. All he could see was pure light and he was aware only of great peace as time stilled and thoughts and feelings disappeared. The experience soon ended though and Muhammad had to once again travel to Earth. To Muhammads astonishment, when he got home, he found that everything had remained exactly as he had left it. The place he had previously lain was still warm and the cup he had knocked over was still emptying. This experience brought great confidence and strength to Muhammad and it encouraged him to carry on with the knowledge that God was always with him. Muslims believe that this night was one of great importance, as it showed them what the ascension to Heaven would be like. It showed them that the soul abandons the weak and dishonest nature of the human body and you travel to a place where only pure bliss is possible. MUHAMMADS DEATH In 632CE, Muhammad fell ill with a fever and violent headaches. He was only 63 but he became weak and tired. He asked his wives if he could be moved into his youngest wife, Aishahs room. Even though he was feeble he still attempted to reach the praying place outside every day until his death. When he could not lead the prayers anymore, his good friend Abu Bakr took his place. On his last day on Earth, Muhammad, after leading the dawn prayer, lay in Aishahs arm and said, Lord grant me pardon. I have chosen the most exalted company, in paradise; then he died. Muhammad was buried where he died, in Aishahs room, and his tomb is still there even today. ISLAM The religion known as Islam was begun by Muhammad and it is still continued today. Since that day when Muhammad went on The Night Journey, Muslims have kept the number of times to pray each day at 5 times. All Muslims believe that God is responsible for every part of human life and he knows and sees all. Every Muslim tries to lead a peaceful life and pass the test set for all souls on Earth.

Analysing The Significance Of The Treaty Of Westphalia Politics Essay

Analysing The Significance Of The Treaty Of Westphalia Politics Essay The 350th anniversary of the Peace of Westphalia in 1998 was marked by a flurry of conferences and publications by historians, but it was largely ignored in the discipline of international relations (IR). This oversight is odd because in IR the end of the Thirty Years War is regarded as the beginning of the international system with which the discipline has traditionally dealt. Indeed, the international system has been named for the 1648 peace. Firstly, for some time now, this Westphalian system, along with the concept of sovereignty at its core, has been a subject of debate: Are the pillars of the Westphalian temple decaying? or Are we moving beyond Westphalia?  [1]   In this debate, Westphalia constitutes the taken-for-granted template against which current change should be judged.  [2]  We contend, however, that the discipline theorizes against the backdrop of a past that is largely imaginary. We show here that the accepted IR narrative about Westphalia is a myth. Then we cover the introduction, theoretical aspects of the Westphalia states, the arguments if the elites actually enjoy substantial autonomy in both domestic and foreign affairs of third world countries or not,( it effects) how it is misleading and then the conclusion. Introduction Westphalia is a term used in international relations, supposedly arising from the Treaties of Westphalia 1648 which ended the Thirty Years War. It is generally held to mean a system of states or international society comprising sovereign state entities possessing the monopoly of force within their mutually recognized territories. Relations between states are conducted by means of formal diplomatic ties between heads of state and governments, and international law consists of treaties made (and broken) by those sovereign entities.  [3]   The term implies a separation of the domestic and international spheres, such that states may not legitimately intervene in the domestic affairs of another, whether in the pursuit of self-interest or by appeal to a higher notion of sovereignty, be it religion, ideology, or other supranational ideal. In this sense the term differentiates the modern state system from earlier models, such as the Holy Roman Empire or the Ottoman Empire.  [4]  We define both domestic and foreign affairs because these are key words to understanding our question and why these two key words are important to third world countries and their elites as below: Domestic policy, also known as public policy, presents decisions, laws, and programs made by the government which are directly related to issues in the country.  [5]  It is a set of laws and regulations that a government establishes within a nations borders. It covers a wide range of areas, including business, education, energy, health care, law enforcement, money and taxes, natural resources, social welfare, and personal rights and freedoms.  [6]   Domestic policy decisions usually reflect a nations history and experience, its social and economic conditions, the needs and priorities of its people, and the nature of its government. Domestic policy is a frequent source of disagreement among people of different backgrounds and philosophies. People who hold conservative beliefs, for instance, will likely stress order, security, and traditional values in domestic policy. People who hold more liberal beliefs, on the other hand, will likely emphasize equality and government efforts to help the needy, and many broad domestic policy issues are similar for nearly all countries of the world. For example, all governments are expected to provide education, law and order, and other basic services for their citizens. However, the specific goals and objectives of domestic policy vary depending on each nations needs and capabilities. Most wealthy democracies, for instance, spend substantial sums of money on domestic programs. Many poorer countr ies have difficulty devoting resources to such essential areas as education and health care. A nations form of government largely determines how its domestic policy is formed and implemented. Under authoritarian governments, a ruling group may pursue its domestic policy goals without the input or consent of the people being governed. But in democratic societies, the will of the people has a much greater influence. However, a countrys foreign policy, also called the international relations policy, is strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals in international relations. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries. In the recent time, due to the deepening level of globalization and transnational activities, the states will also have to interact with non-state actors. The aforementioned interaction is evaluated and monitored in attempts to maximize benefits of multilateral international cooperation. Since the national interests are paramount, foreign policies are designed by the government through high-level decision making processes. National interests accomplishment can occur as a result of peaceful cooperation with other nations, or through exploitation. Usually, creating foreign policy is the job of the head of government and the foreign minister (or equivalent). In some countries the legislature also has consider able over sigh.  [7]   The Theoretical Approach to theWestphalia State System. Does a discussion of the Treaty of Westphalia, promulgated in 1648, rightfully fall under the parvenu of a social science journal? The question arises because of the rather uneasy relationship between historians and social scientists. If one were to search the various history departments across the United States, for example, some are organized under colleges of social science and others under humanities. This ambiguity stems from the belief that there are fundamental assumptions in the modern practice of history that are largely incompatible with the tenets of social science but historians are certainly not adverse to borrowing liberally from their theories and practices, and vice versa. (1) Nearly despite themselves, however, historians have much to offer current debates about the future of the modern state system and its alleged origins in the Treaty of Westphalia.  [8]   The Treaty of Westphalia is used by social scientists as the foundation of several theoretical schools. Both realist and neo-liberal theories of international relations use the Westphalia state system as one of their most fundamental assumptions (though, of course, with different intentions). (2) Theorists of nationalism also consider the settlement of some significance. By linking religious identity to state identity, they argue, Westphalia was part of a long-term process that led to the ideology of nationalism in the nineteenth century and the primary identification of most ordinary Europeans with their nation-states. (3) The term has been used so often that most introductory political science texts treat its use as axiomatic. (4) The historical origins and context of the term, on the other hand, are generally not deemed of sufficient import to convey.  [9]   Historians view Westphalia quite differently. The Treaty of Westphalia itself was not the only agreement concluded at the peace negotiations held in the town of Muenster in 1648. In addition, the Treaty of Muenster, recognizing the independence of the United Provinces of the Netherlands and ceding territory to France, and the Treaty of Osnabruck, granting Sweden its spoils of victory, also came out of what is more properly called the Settlement of Westphalia. Many of the precepts ascribed to Westphalia, such as state sovereignty and enforcement and regulation of international law, come from these two treaties rather than the Treaty of Westphalia itself. (5) The treaty ended the Thirty Years War, which had physically devastated much of the Holy Roman Empire, and marked the twilight of the power of the Holy Roman Emperor and the rise of powers such as France, the Netherlands, and, briefly, Sweden in the latter part à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [10]   Arguments that state elite of third world countries enjoy substantial autonomy in both domestic and foreign affairs are misleading are below: Land is one of the most fundamental components of agriculture, urban and industrial development. In sub-Sahara Africa just like the rest of the third world, ambitious land reforms have become commonplace over the past three decades as one government over the other have sought to free up land resources to meet national priorities. Whatever form it has taken, land reform often signifies only a single element in a large trend involving the expansion of the state at the expense of others, oftentimes competing of social authority.  [11]  State intervention in policy arena like land tenure is just one aspect of a large trend involving the wholesale expansion of the state in Africa. In past research, attempts have been made to connect this development to a coherent class or bureaucratic authoritarian strategy, with a primary focus on emergency of an autonomous. However, most evidence seems to confirm that the extension of the public sector has consisted of patchwork on initiatives desig ned primarily to satisfy the desperate interests of well placed individuals, called the state elites, their families and other favored groups. There has been little coordination, accounting, or planned use of resources and the state has been described as predatory rather than productive.  [12]  For example, the land question and Zimbabwes current crisis of governance appear to be intimately related. However, an extensive survey of the population in the mid-1990s ranked land access very low on the list of priorities when compared to employment creation.  [13]  Please show how the African elite are limited in implementing land policies that are their own by giving examples of Zimbabwe, where land reforms aimed at indigenous Zimbabweans also owning land was met with resistance and blackmail from UK etc. In south Africa big chunks of land still owned by white minority while the Black are crowded in Soweto slums. In Kenya the ahigh lands most fertile for commercial agric owned by the white settlers. In Uganda the land tenure system inherited from the British colonialists still pose a night mare, big chunks of land to the few royals (mailo akenda) 900,000 sq miles to the king and a few royals, the lost counties land of Banyoro being freely given to Buganda as reward for cooperation and punishment to Bunyoro etc. Collecting taxes, policing and administering justice are among the most basic functions of government and its elites. Historically, states were in large part formed around interactions between government agencies and subjects/citizens over these issues.  [14]  It is around the same issues that public officials have the greatest license to exercise coercion against citizens. There are powerful sensitivities about the character of the agencies that perform these functions, and strong reactions against any hint of commercialism in their governing principles. Tax-farmer, like mercenary, has long been a term of disparagement.  [15]  It is then no surprise that suspicion has attended the rapid spread of (semi-) autonomous revenue agencies (ARAs) in Latin America and in Anglophone Africa over the past two decades.  [16]   The task of collecting taxes has been taken from ministries of finance and given to revenue agencies that have some autonomy from central executive power and from rules governing public service recruitment, remuneration and procedures. In consequence, tax collectors, who are anyway often perceived as corrupt and privileged, generally have achieved very substantial increases in their formal salaries. Popular reaction has sometimes been adverse. President Museveni was probably speaking for many Ugandans when, in 2000, he described the Uganda Revenue Authority as a den of thieves.  [17]   However, in the eyes of a few academics and external observers, the introduction of revenue agencies has been seen as a step on the road to privatization of the revenue collection process. The establishment of an autonomous revenue authority, with staff paid at rates similar to those in comparable private sector jobs, does indeed seem to parallel the process of putting state agencies on a commercial footing as a prelude to privatization. In Anglophone Africa, and most third worlds, revenue raising will remain a core state function, controlled by the top political leadership. The creation of ARAs has improved relationships between tax authorities and larger corporate taxpayers, and increased, at least marginally, the capacity of governments to raise revenue.  [18]   Several African states have implemented democratic and liberal constitutional reforms during the last two decades. Regime change, the ending of decades of autocratic rule, and the emergence of independent courts are among the important changes produced by these reforms. Yet Africas constitutional moment has not received the scholarly attention it deserves. With the notable exception of South Africa, African nations continue to lie largely outside the mainstream of contemporary comparative constitutional discourse.  [19]  In Uganda for example, the first constitution of Uganda was abrogated in the year 1966 by state elites just after the independence of the country. In 1995 the Republic of Uganda promulgated a new constitution. The powers of the president which were initially limited are further increased by these amendments. The constitution of this African country declares Uganda as a Presidential Republic. A number of National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy are included in the constitution of Uganda. The constitution is the ultimate rulebook for all operations of the State and its various agencies. The president in directly answerable to the parliament that is indirectly responsible to the people.  [20]   Domestically, there are threats from the state, institutional bureaucrats and academics themselves to academic freedom and to the institutional autonomy of universities in most Third world countries especially in South Africa. The situation is more complex than is often perceived. The generally disappointing post-independence history of academic freedom and autonomy in Sub-Saharan Africa is drawn upon to illustrate the perils that may accompany too eager an embrace of the state by intellectuals in South Africa in confronting persisting racial inequities in institutions of higher learning.  [21]  We must say here that these are purely domestic policies enjoyed by state elites autonomously. A case study of Tsinghua University, one of Chinas most influential universities, which has special national significance and strong political ties to the state. Recalling three chapters in the past century of Tsinghuas history, gives an interpretive understanding of how the intertwined relationship between academia and officialdom has acted as a double-edged sword in shaping the Universitys autonomy. It shows an interesting interplay between the university and the state, revealing the mechanisms of the states control over the university, and the strategies adopted by the university to gain relative freedom. In the context of China, an individual university can contend with the states power to strive for its own autonomy.  [22]   To bring understanding closer, the intertwining of academia and officialdom is often perceived as a threat to university autonomy. In the modern Western university system, the concept of university autonomy emphasizes the power of a university or college to govern itself without outside controls.  [23]  Autonomy, along with academic freedom, is defined as intrinsic to the nature of the university, and a precondition if a university is to best fulfill its role and responsibilities toward society.  [24]  The intertwining of academia and officialdom, however, implies external political influence being brought to bear on education. A great deal of research has addressed diverse aspects of the relationship between academia and officialdom, including, for example, the use of the educational system as a channel for the socialization and circulation of elites. The development of school networks by political elites for recruitment purposes, the involvement of political forces in the a ppointment and promotion of professors, and the political alliance between the university leadership and government officials, including alumni in powerful governmental positions.  [25]  Hence this clearly shows that state elites enjoy autonomy of their domestic policy in Third World Countries. Poor leadership of state elites and bad knowledge generation are behind the illusion that African developmental challenges are exotic and difficult to resolve, an illusion exploited by paternalistic outsiders who talk about us as if we were infantile and incapable of the simplest tasks of self-government.   The default cry of Africas political, intellectual and business elite is to assert that when faced with the complexity of achieving social, economic and political transformation is to call for a continental government to rule all of Africa, a so-called United States of Africa.   It is the religion of the African intelligentsia, the rainbow-over-the-horizon promise of the politicians. Uganda, the third big East African partner, has been an autocracy since independence; the voices of Obote, Amin and Museveni have displaced the voice of the Ugandan people.   They purport to act in the name of the people, but no one can know what the policy leanings of the people are, because th ey have never had a chance to express their thoughts through politics. Something is broken in Africa, something that has been broken for a long time now, something we need to fix, something our elite are avoiding by misdirecting our attention to the daydream of a single continental government.   We will not get to our dream Africa by creating a continental platform for the relentless rent-seeking that hobbles us in our local and national communities.   We need to unleash the entrepreneurial energies, political and economic, of the varied peoples of Africa.   We cannot continue this way, not if we want to actualize all of our aspirations and our domestic policies. Industrialization by state elites in Third World Countries domestic policy is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from a pre-industrial society into an industrial one. It is a part of a wider modernization process, where social change and economic development are closely related with technological innovation, particularly with the development of large-scale energy and metallurgy production. It is the extensive organization of an economy for the purpose of manufacturing. Countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean in the late 20th century found that high levels of structural differentiation, functional specialization, and autonomy of economic systems from government were likely to contribute greatly to industrial-commercial growth and prosperity. Amongst other things, relatively open trading systems with zero or low duties on goods imports tended to stimulate industrial cost-efficiency and innovation across the bo ard. Free and flexible labor and other markets also helped raise general business-economic performance levels, as did rapid popular learning capabilities. Positive work ethics in populations at large combined with skills in quickly utilizing new technologies and scientific discoveries were likely to boost production and income levels and as the latter rose, markets for consumer goods and services of all kinds tended to expand and provide a further stimulus to industrial investment and economic growth. By the end of the century, East Asia was one of the most economically successful regions of the world with free market countries such as Hong Kong being widely seen as models for other, less developed countries around the world to emulate. A similar state-led developing programme was pursued in virtually all the Third World countries during the Cold War, including the socialist ones, but especially in Sub-Saharan Africa after the decolonization period. The primary scope of those projects was to achieve self-sufficiency through the local production of previously imported goods, the mechanization of agriculture and the spread of education and health care. However, all those experiences failed bitterly due to a lack of realism: most countries didnt have a pre-industrial bourgeoisie able to carry on a capitalistic development or even a stable and peaceful state. Those aborted experiences left huge debts toward western countries and fuelled public corruption. However, in this discussion, we still hold the view that the elites in third world countries do not enjoy their full state autonomy to make independent domestic policies and are misleading. Developed or powerful countries of the world like America, Britain, France among others who were at times colonial powers, continued to influence both the domestic and foreign policies of third world countries because they are poor, dependants, weak, underdeveloped among others. In this view, matters of trade, finance, investment, foreign aid among others have been shaped by developed countries making it worse for less developed countries in the face of the current globalization and the evil empires (Multinational) which are normally stronger than third world countries, international organizations, global institutions of the IMF, World Bank and the IMF. Globalization concerns have taken a far more positive path since the 1999 Seattle protests. Activists have begun to realize that it is the world governments who are the backbone of international organizations such as the G8, the World Bank, and the IMF and that efforts must be directed toward both the organizations and the member governments in order to achieve policy objectives. In July 2005, on the eve of an important G8 summit in Scotland, a massive music festival was organized to express public support for issues such as debt relief, aid for Africa and cooperation on cutting greenhouse emissions. Almost as if in response, the G8 heads of state announced important initiatives in these areas.  [26]   With respect to trade issues, many of the third world countries have created the greatest recent resistance to the global pressure to reduce trade barriers through World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements. The main problem relates to agricultural products. Many of these countries have experienced a severe downturn in their domestic agricultural acreage because local producers cannot compete with agricultural exports from major countries such as the United States. They have persuasively argued that it is not a fair playing field because in Europe, Japan and the United States, agriculture receives sizeable government subsidies. Third world countries cannot afford to similarly subsidize their own domestic agricultural industries.  [27]  The matter came into focus at the WTO summit in Cancun, Mexico in September 2003. Mid-level developing countries such as Brazil, South Africa, India and China objected to any progress on reducing tariff barriers in general until the agricultural pro blem was resolved and the talks collapsed. At the subsequent WTO summit in Geneva, Switzerland in July 2004, a breakthrough was reached. The deal, approved by all 147 members, will cut rich countries farm subsidies in return for developing countries opening markets for manufactured goods. The implementation of the agreement presents obvious internal political challenges in the developed countries.  [28]   In matters of loans, the World Bank is an organization affiliated with the United Nations for the purpose of making loans to developing countries which are guaranteed. The bank is self-sustaining and has maintained a profit on its lending activities. The bank is owned by the member nations which include virtually all nations with the exception of Cuba and North Korea. Voting on bank policy is based on capital subscription. Seven countries, United States, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Canada, Italy and France, have 45% of the voting power. The United States is a 17% shareholder. Many loans now issued by the World Bank involve structural adjustment conditions which generally require countries to devalue their currencies against the dollar; lift import and export restrictions; balance their budgets and not overspend; and remove price controls and state subsidies.  [29]   International Monetary Fund (IMF), The IMF is closely affiliated with the World Bank. It is also owned by virtually the same member nations as the World Bank and has a similar shareholder and voting arrangement based on the size of each members economy. The IMFs primary responsibility has been to maintain stable currency exchange rates between countries. The IMF also issues loans designed to help countries restructure their economies to increase exports and draw foreign investment. Countries that take out such structural adjustment loans give the IMF influence over their economic policies and foreign affairs as well.  [30]   Structural Adjustment Policies are economic policies which countries must follow in order to qualify for new World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans and help them make debt repayments on the older debts owed to commercial banks, governments and the World Bank. Although SAPs are designed for individual countries but have common guiding principles and features which include export-led growth; privatization and liberalization; and the efficiency of the free market.  [31]   SAPs generally require countries to devalue their currencies against the dollar; lift import and export restrictions; balance their budgets and not overspend; and remove price controls and state subsidies. However, anyone must remember that evaluation makes their goods cheaper for foreigners to buy and theoretically makes foreign imports more expensive. In principle it should make the country wary of buying expensive foreign equipment. In practice, however, the IMF actually disrupts this by rewarding the country with a large foreign currency loan that encourages it to purchase imports.  [32]   Balancing national budgets can be done by raising taxes, which the IMF frowns upon, or by cutting government spending, which it definitely recommends. As a result, SAPs often result in deep cuts in programmes like education, health and social care, and the removal of subsidies designed to control the price of basics such as food and milk. So SAPs hurt the poor most, because they depend heavily on these services and subsidies. SAPs encourage countries to focus on the production and export of primary commodities such as cocoa and coffee to earn foreign exchange. But these commodities have notoriously erratic prices subject to the whims of global markets which can depress prices just when countries have invested in these so-called cash crops.  [33]   The term Structural Adjustment Program has gained such a negative connotation that the World Bank and IMF launched a new initiative, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Initiative, and makes countries develop Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP). While the name has changed, with PRSPs, the World Bank is still forcing countries to adopt the same types of policies as SAPs. SAPs has caused a lot of protests and strikes around the world for example in December 1990 students at Makerere University protest cutting of stationery and travel allowances arising from a World Bank-imposed SAP. Police fire into a crowd of protesting students, killing two. Other countries are Sudan, Benin, Jamaica, Trinidad, Venezuela,Russia, Nigeria, Niger, Mexico, Jordan, Zaire, Zambia among others.  [34]   Globalization and Competitive Markets in Third World Countries. Nowadays, globalization is playing an important role in the worlds economy. There are many viewpoints involving the concept of globalization but a common one is that globalization is the integration of national markets through international trade an

Military Ethics †Humanitarian Aid in Somalia Essay -- Somalian Histor

In August of 1992, President George Bush Sr. sent US soldiers into Somalia to provide humanitarian relief to those Somalis suffering from starvation. The major problems in Somalia started when President Mohammed Siad Barre was overthrown by a coalition of opposing clans. Although there were several opposing groups, the prominent one was led by Mohammed Farah Aidid. Following the overthrow of Barre, a massive power struggle ensued. These small scale civil wars led to the destruction of the agriculture in Somalia, which in turn led to the deprivation of food in large parts of the country. When the international community heard of this, large quantities of food were sent to ease Somali suffering. However, clan leaders like Aidid routinely hijacked food and exchanged it for weapons leaving thousands to starve to death. An estimated 300,000 Somalis died between 1991 and 1992 (Clancy 234-236). US soldiers were later sent into Somalia to capture Aidid, but when the operation got bloody, dis pleasing the American public, Clinton withdrew troops (Battersby 151). In The Morality of War, Brian Orend outlines ethical guidelines that should be followed in all three stages of war: jus ad bellum, jus in bello, and jus post bellum. Orend states that a nation can be moral going into war, but immoral coming out of one. Did the US act justly in all facets of the Somali conflict? The United States espoused all the guiding principles of jus ad bellum but right intent, upheld the principals of jus in bello, and clearly failed to uphold several aspects of jus post bellum during the armed humanitarian intervention in Somalia. Jus ad bellum is defined as â€Å"justice of war† and is recognized as the ethics leading up to war (Orend 31). Orend contends that an... ...ed to uphold to the standards of jus post bellum. It is evident when one looks at Somalia today. Somalia still lacks a strong central government and several thousands, if not millions, of Somalis are at risk of starvation due to drought. Again, the United States entered the conflict failing to adhere to all the principals of jus ad bellum, espousing the principles of jus in bello, and inadequately upholding those of jus post bellum. The US entered the war an unjust nation, and left the conflict in a rather unjust manner. As a result, Somalia faces hardship over two decades later with no signs of a hasty recovery. Even worse, with the problem lingering and the international debt crisis, few countries are willing to intervene in Africa to cut out a solution. How long will the world let Somali people starve and whose job is it to intervene if America is unwilling?

Essays --

Identity is defined as one’s personal characteristics or attributes and their membership of a social category. In today’s society it is important to note how social media impacts upon our individual identities. To begin with, we technically are not born with identity; it is a socially constructed attribute. Identity is a transient thing, which changes over time as we grow and mature. The self-concept, which is our own personal understanding of who we are, combines with self awareness to cultivate a cognitive representation of the self, called identity (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2010, p.118). In other words, who we are is controlled by internal and external factors that combine to make us who we become. Bring new media outlets into the equation, such as the internet, and media is now regarded as an "extension of everyday life and a tool of cultural change" (Singh, 2010). Thus, identity formation, as a social concept, is being transformed in new and even more global ways. When we talk about social media and identity, what comes to mind? We all know they have a pretty complicated relationship, but how exactly is social media related to identity? In exploring the connections between social media and identity, we have realised there has been a gradual but obvious transition within the social media- identity relation. Within this essay I am going to take a look at how the linkage between social media and identity has evolved over the course of my studies. Whether consciously aware of what is being displayed or not, media plays a substantial role in influencing consumption patterns and lifestyle. Researchers noted television's power to influence even people who are illiterate. Smith-Speck and Roy (2008) explained that even individua... ... by creating alternative personas –her different facebook profiles serving as a manifestation of the life she wished she could have had; media was a way out. The television series of this show â€Å"Catfish† shows us that there are many individuals out there like Angela, who create completely fabricated identities, for many different reasons. Whether it is malicious or a release for the person; It is an escape from reality in most cases. This alerts us to the dangers of social media, and makes us wary of meeting new people online, as all may not be what it seems. In a way, this creates a suspicious environment in the world of social media. If we don’t know the individuals we befriend on social media sites personally, how are we to know if they are real people or fictional characters produced out of the mind of someone else. In this way, a sense of identity is destroyed. Essays -- Identity is defined as one’s personal characteristics or attributes and their membership of a social category. In today’s society it is important to note how social media impacts upon our individual identities. To begin with, we technically are not born with identity; it is a socially constructed attribute. Identity is a transient thing, which changes over time as we grow and mature. The self-concept, which is our own personal understanding of who we are, combines with self awareness to cultivate a cognitive representation of the self, called identity (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2010, p.118). In other words, who we are is controlled by internal and external factors that combine to make us who we become. Bring new media outlets into the equation, such as the internet, and media is now regarded as an "extension of everyday life and a tool of cultural change" (Singh, 2010). Thus, identity formation, as a social concept, is being transformed in new and even more global ways. When we talk about social media and identity, what comes to mind? We all know they have a pretty complicated relationship, but how exactly is social media related to identity? In exploring the connections between social media and identity, we have realised there has been a gradual but obvious transition within the social media- identity relation. Within this essay I am going to take a look at how the linkage between social media and identity has evolved over the course of my studies. Whether consciously aware of what is being displayed or not, media plays a substantial role in influencing consumption patterns and lifestyle. Researchers noted television's power to influence even people who are illiterate. Smith-Speck and Roy (2008) explained that even individua... ... by creating alternative personas –her different facebook profiles serving as a manifestation of the life she wished she could have had; media was a way out. The television series of this show â€Å"Catfish† shows us that there are many individuals out there like Angela, who create completely fabricated identities, for many different reasons. Whether it is malicious or a release for the person; It is an escape from reality in most cases. This alerts us to the dangers of social media, and makes us wary of meeting new people online, as all may not be what it seems. In a way, this creates a suspicious environment in the world of social media. If we don’t know the individuals we befriend on social media sites personally, how are we to know if they are real people or fictional characters produced out of the mind of someone else. In this way, a sense of identity is destroyed.

Animal Testing :: essays research papers fc

Animal testing is an issue in today's society that, whether anyone realizes it, does affect each of us. Such as transplants, vaccines, and medicine. Nearly each and every one of us today have received vaccine shots. We have all used medications. We have all heard of transplant technology. This above example I have used is farfetched. Brain transplants are not an everyday occurrence. They are not yet, at least. However, kidney and heart transplants are beginning to become a more and more common every day. Who knows what is possible with the proper research. Today there are a great deal of people who oppose animal testing in laboratory research. This is limiting our medical capabilities . Could we be holding ourselves back from medical breakthroughs such as a cure for cancer or AIDS? Animal testing is already controlled to a great extent. Many cats and dogs are killed annually by shelters and pounds. Animal testing is not as cruel as it is portrayed and is an essential to reaching medical breakthroughs. Special controls on laboratory animals have been in place since 1876. These have been revised in 1986. These laws are now more commonly known as the revised Animals Act of 1986. This law allows for scientist to perform testing while also safe guarding the animals. Prior to any testing a cost benefit analysis must be applied. In this analysis they review the potential research benefits with the potential for animal suffering. All registered facilities are also required to establish an Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) that reviews and approves procedures involving animals before they take place. This organization also inspects facilities semiannually for compliance with the AWA. At least one member of the committee must be a veterinarian. At least one member must be a "public" member, not affiliated with the institution, who represents the general community interest in the care and treatment of the animals. Research facilities must undergo many regulation to ensure animal safety. These regulations are being met on a monthly basis. (#2) There are approximately 56-100 million cats and 54 million dogs in the United States. It is estimated that 2,000 cats and 3,500 dogs are born every hour. There are an estimated 15 million dogs and cats that are put to death in pounds and shelters each year. These cats and dogs are put to their death for the lone reason that the pounds and shelters are overcrowded. Approximately 17-22 million animals are used in research laboratory's each year. That is just about 5 million more animals put to death in labs than are put to death in

Skyrim Review

Scrim Review Arthur Underworld Diver university So you're sitting at home bored for hours on end, and you want something to Just take your mind away from reality and into another world where you can do whatever you as you wish. Well it sounds like you want to play a video game. Actually, it sounds like you want to play Elder Scrolls V: Scrim. This is a review of the popular cross platform video game commonly referred to as Scrim. I give this game a 9. 75 out of 10 for its amazing graphics, fantastic attention to detail, smooth gamely. Underfed harasser development, and of course, fun story line. The game starts with the main character on the verge of getting executed when he is saved by none other then a giant fire-breathing dragon. You hear from other players that dragons are extinct in this world for centuries. Obviously not. You must decide quickly whether you will escape the burning town with the imperial guard, or with the leader of the rebellion who has recently murdered the ki ng and claims that government is oppressing the natural born peoples to Scrim.This decision is not an important one, but introduces oh to the tact throughout the game you will given choices. Some of which are not simple. Simple this or that choices are prominent, but some are as complicated as do nothing and your reputation will be hindered. You soon find out that you are the dragoon. You have the power of Theme, or voice. You can yell and basically effect the world around you by either doing damage or even become Invisible. The storyline Is complicated and involves twists and plots and quite a lot of dragon killing, and inevitably, dragons killing you.Probably the most annoying part of the game. Eating stuck in a dragon fight that can take some time to finish if your not inept in magic, and all the sudden here comes another dragon, and on a rare occasion, a third or fourth dragon. Leaving you with little ability to defend yourself against an onslaught of dragons that will most like ly leave you burnt too crisp on the side of some road, The Elder Scroll series is famous for their use of the guilds. The Dark Brotherhood, an assassins' guild, the Thieves' Guild, the Fighters' Guild, and the Mages guild are all, as expected, playable in this game.I played through all the guilds this time and am glad to report that there is nothing that leaves you wanting more afterward. Being able to sneak around and play a thief or an assassin, making money and getting rewards beyond compare from regular side quests. Becoming the leader of the Mages guild was particularly rewarding, with a room full of loot and Ingredients that always regret, allowing you to restock on potion Items from hard to find Ingredients in the same room. Character development is particularly exciting In this game. Previous role playing Ames allow stats Increases by overall experience and level ups.In Scrim you level up certain buffs such a health regeneration and a big enough armor rating you can actually level up things like armor by attacking a guard and sitting there and letting the guards attack you. In about an hour your armor rating will be at 99, and you sat back and read your homework the whole time. However with skills like conjuration and lock pick, it's a little harder to level up. Unless you start lock picking, or conjuring monsters early in the game you'll find yourself with a pathetically low level near the ND of the game and needing to make up so many skill levels to level up you main level.This will be very time consuming, especially with the skills I mentioned. The first thing you'll notice about the game, however, is its graphics. Scrim has no cut scenes such as this. All the graphics are designed on the same engine that runs game play. The good and the bad for this you ask? Well loading time can get annoying, but if you download the game to your console then load times are reduced by about half. Rendering graphics can also get glitch. Sometimes an object will appe ar and twitch back and forth stuck on an invisible wall or level.This rarely effects gamely however, so is easily overlooked. Aside from the graphics, the attention to detail in every level of the game is without compare. This is an open world game, which meaner you can travel to any section of the world at any time for any reason. The countryside is full of mountains covered in snow. The valleys are full flowers and plants, all of which are able to be harvested for ingredients to sell/trade or brew potions. Every item you see can be kicked up and sold or used.In the inventory menu you can look at every item specifically, turning it around and zooming in and out as you wish. Overall, the only problems I found with the game was with some glitches, which can be expected in any game of this magnitude. Those glitches are the only reason I didn't give this game a 10/10. This game has a storyline that draws in the player, allowing for expandable play through guilds. It has the best and mo st pleasing graphics yet to date, and a record making attention to detail. It's by far the best RPG Vive played.