Islamic accounting & Financial reporting assignment

Islamic accounting & Financial reporting - Assignment Example However, it has a number of similarities that can be identified. The main difference between these two is can be seen in the focus each of the two standards. For instance, the ijarah contracts as standardized by the AAOFI are geared towards making it possible for the firm to be able to report its income in such a way that it shows the honesty of its operations, especially with regard to the principles outlines in the Quran. The IFRS standards on the other hand focus on the economic aspect of any business transaction between the firm and the customer. This means that minor differences will arise while trying to compare the two statements of accounts prepared by either of the standards. However, this does not lead to a full dichotomy of the two standards but only leads to some minor differences that can be reconciles when preparing he books of accounts. As has been discussed, ijarah is a form of banking arrangement that allows banks and individuals to gain some form of profit after giving a loan to another individual. Instead of the lender charging an interest, they enter into an agreement with the lessee. The agreement is made in a way that allows the lender to gain some profit by the end of the transaction. Basically, ijarah based contracts have two phases (Ismal, 2013). For instance, when a person goes to the banks to take a car loan in a Sharia compliant bank, the bank will finance the purchase of the car and instead of requiring the customer to pay interest, the bank will hire out the car to the customer. The first phase of the contract, there will be an agreement with regard to how long the lease period will last (Karim, 2010). Once the period of the lease is over and the cusromern has aid al the lease charges, the first contract ends the second contract, or the second phase of the ijarah kicks in. This second part of the ija rah is the sale of the car. The value of the car is priced by calculating the residual value of the

Renewable Sources Of Energy Essay Example for Free

Renewable Sources Of Energy Essay During the 1970s, energy conservation was a popular idea—the energy â€Å"crisis† forced governments to encourage the public to use energy wisely, to become less wasteful and to think about energy consumption. Government programs emerged, research into alternative energy sources was financed and individuals tried to make a difference. This will look at the advantages of renewable energies rather than what has been submitted so far. Introduction The utilization of renewable energy is no longer new to man because a century ago, wood already supplied more than 90 percent of man’s energy needs. However, because of the convenience and low prices of fossil fuels, the use of wood no longer became popular. The consumption from these sources summed up to . 8 quads (quadrillion Btu) in 2007, or about 7 percent of the total energy utilized nationwide. Somehow though, with the immediate crisis over, (even though longer term crises, such as global warming, were becoming more apparent) all that changed in the 1980s. Government spending on alternative energy was slowly eroded, conservation programs started to drop out of sight and, at the same time, spending on massive oil development projects continued to grow. As the 1970s â€Å"crisis† showed, energy consumption is directly related to perceived energy availability and relatively low costs. As long as people believe that they have an endless supply, and as long as they ignore the environment when counting the cost of that energy supply, people are living (albeit comfortably) under a delusion—a delusion that is the direct cause of major environment degradation. Energy Options It is said that more than half of the renewable energy goes to producing electricity. The next one that is used after this is the production of heat and steam that originated for industrial purposes. Therefore, there are also some kinds of renewable fuels that are also used in transportation. When renewable energy is used, the consequence is a reduction on the demand for fossil fuels. It is a fact that unlike the fossil fuels, the non-biomass forms of renewable sources such as geothermal, wind, solar and hydropower do not directly emit greenhouse gases. The production and use of renewable fuels has increasingly been more of use in the past years because of the higher prices for oil and natural gas. There are also several incentives from the State and Federal Government such as the Energy Policy Acts of 2002 and 2005. Thus, the use of the renewable fuels is likely to grow in the next few years, even as people rely on the non-renewable fuels in order to meet most of the energy needs. Renewable energy At present, only a small proportion of the worlds energy needs come from alternative and renewable energy sources. These exist in many forms including Solar Thermal, Photovoltaics, Wind, Hydro, Tidal/Wave and Bioenergy (including Biomass, Biogas and Biofuels). As with fossil fuels the suns energy is the ultimate source of these energies. The dominant presence of non-renewable forms of energy generation, production, and promotion are very disappointing. With the increasing depletion of our non-renewable resources, as well as the growing human population, our levels of consumption, and the pollution that accompanies our increased industrialization, the continuing expansion of our fossil-fuel based economy will ultimately lead us to self destruction (Brown). Utilities and independent power producers are researching ways to expand the use of renewable resources. The two most important benefits of renewable resources are their long-term availability and non-association with global climate change and minimal atmospheric impact (PSC, n. p. ). Energy from the weather is free from nature. If we are able to harness it in increasing quantities to help contribute to the worlds energy needs we can help the environment. One major advantage with the use of renewable energy is sustainable and thus, will never run out. Even more importantly, renewable energy produces little or no waste products such as carbon dioxide or other chemical pollutants. Renewable energy projects can also bring economic benefits to many regional areas, as most projects are located away from large urban centers and suburbs of the capital cities. These economic benefits may be from the increased use of local services as well as tourism (Solarschools. net, n. p. ). The advantages of renewable resources include: Low or no fuel cost (except for some biomass); short lead-times for planning and construction; small, modular plant sizes; reduced environmental effects compared to fossil fuels; non-depletable resource base; potentially more job intensive; favorable public opinion; and distributed generation potential. The implementation of technology to utilize these renewable resources efficiently and their consumption will accomplish three goals critical to human societies achieving sustainability. First, their use will result in the reduction of polluting emissions into the atmosphere, thus improving air quality and limiting the greenhouse effect. Furthermore, the increased use of renewable resources will lessen the overall amount of environmental degradation attributed to the use of nonrenewable resources. Lastly, the use of potential energy sources aids in achieving a sustainable lifestyle because of their long-term usability. Their use adopts a philosophy of utilizing the resources sustained within natural systems rather than consuming those that take thousands of lifetimes to regenerate (Armstrong). The primary long-term benefit of renewable technologies is that once a renewable project has been constructed, and fully depredated, it becomes a permanent and low cost component of a country’s energy system. In effect, the construction of a renewable energy project provides future generations a low cost, energy facility that produces power with little or no environmental degradation (Armstrong). Africa today continues to perform consistently and positively in terms of its economic growth rates. There are reports that the energy supply is now hampering the overall growth prospects of the continent. But what is positive here is the fact that Africa possesses vast renewable and non-renewable energy resources that are unexploited. Evidence of this is the fact that only 7 percent of hydroelectricity and less than 1 percent of the potentials in geothermal energy has been exploited. Thus, the energy challenge can be given solutions because of the available renewable energy resources in Africa. Some questions that need to be addressed along these lines are on the emerging renewable energy market in Africa as well as the effectivity of cost on the renewable energy technologies. It is said that this renewable energy will already be able to meet at least half of Southern Africa’s energy needs at a lower cost than the current ‘business as usual,’ Thus, this will be an combination of coal-based supply options. ’ (Socioligo’s Africa). According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States will bury or burn the following materials in the following years: 11. 4 million tons of newsprint, 16. 2 million tons of corrugated cardboard, 10. 8 million tons of glass packaging, 8. 2 million tons of plastic packaging, and 1. 5 million tons of aluminum packaging. If those 48. 1 million tons were recycled instead, the equivalent of 10. 1 billion gallons of gasoline would be saved. That is enough gasoline to power 15. 4 million cars for one year (at 18 mpg and 12,000 miles driven per year). Additionally, the use of recycled materials results in the reduction of water use, water pollution, air pollution, and energy consumption. The federal and state governments can have significant influence on the attractiveness of renewable resources by providing tax advantages for owners of renewable systems (U. S. Environmental Protection Agency). Another company has taken the issue on renewable fuel more seriously. Google has announced that it is poised to develop electricity from the renewable energy sources that will be cheaper than the one that comes from coal. This move known as REC, will focus initially on advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, enhanced geothermal systems and other potential breakthrough technologies (Google’s Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal, 2007). This will examine the enhanced geothermal systems and other areas. In fact Google is already reaching out to more researches on renewable energy. If Google can do this, then other industries can also follow. For instance, it is worth considering the solar thermal technology which already gives a way by which renewable energy can be cost-competitive (Google’s Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal, 2007). Conclusion Energy efficiency, using renewable resources and finding alternative fuels should be the prime agenda of the government, and not the destruction of wilderness for short-term economic gain. This project would provide the long-term solution for the nation’s oil dependence and its economic deficit from oil imports. This would also mitigate countless other environmental problems brought about by the country’s excessive oil use. Money to be spent on extracting a few months worth of oil would be much more beneficial in funding the development of using renewable resources such as hydrogen and biomass. Recommendations The use of renewable resources must be pursued and developed because in doing so, we are helping to create a sustainable environment that will benefit us now and in the future. Using proper management, renewable resources can last indefinitely. It is worthwhile to mention that the state and government incentives evolve from non-renewables to renewable and thus have become economically comparable in terms of price to the current conventional energy sources. APPENDIX I The Role of Renewable Energy Consumption in the Nations Energy Supply, 2007 Source: http://www. eia. doe. gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/renewable. html REFERENCES Armstrong, J. Renewable Energy. The Renewable Energy Policy Manual. OAS. Retrieved Jan. 31, 2009 at: http://www. oas. org/usde/publications/Unit/oea79e/ch05. htm Brown, T. Renewable Resources for the 21st Century†. Retrieved Jan. 31, 2009 at: http://www. arch. wsu. edu/gg/rr-tb. html Google’s Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal. (2007). http://www. rushprnews. com/2007/11/27/googles-goal-renewable-energy-cheaper-than-coal/ Renewable Energy Resources. Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Retrieved Jan. 31, 2009 http://psc. wi. gov/consumer/electric/cnstrenv/renewabl. pdf#search=advantages%20renewable%20resources Renewable Energy. Retrieved January 31, 2009 at: http://www. eia. doe. gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/renewable. html Socioligo’s Africa. Retrieved January 31, 2009 at: http://sociolingo. wordpress. com/category/environment/african-environment/african-power-generation/african-renewable-energy/ Solarschools. net. Advantages and Disadvantages of Renewable Energy. Grassroots Marketing Alliance. 2003. Retrieved Jan. 31, 2009 at: http://www. solarschools. net/ed_resources/renewablecompare. aspx The Living Environment. Retrieved Jan. 31, 2009 at: http://www. project2061. org/publications/sfaa/online/chap5. htm U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Renewable Resources. Retrieved Jan. 31, 2009 at: http://www. commerce. state. il. us/com/recycling/pdf/06_5naturalresources. pdf#search=advantages%20renewable%20resources

Marjane Satrapis Persepolis Essay -- Marjane Satrapis Persepolis

In the 1970's a great power struggle began in Iran, leading to a profusion of civil unrest and mass emigration. In 1941 Iranian monarch Reza Shah, was removed from power by the United States and replaced by his son, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who Westernized the highly conservative and religious nation. He continued implementing the Westernized laws set by his father, which were known to "discouraged democratic political expression in the public sphere" and condemned Islamic fundamentalism (Khosrokhavar 3). The largely conservative citizens of Iran protested the alterations in multiple movements in response to the westernization, financial failures, and perceived belief that the Shah was being controlled by Western powers for control over Iran's vast oil supply. January of 1979, the Shah went into exile in Egypt and the devoted Muslim leader Ayatollah Khomeini assumed power, reinstalling the strict, Islamic law; "The Constitution allows all laws to be revised [...] by an Assembly of Expert, which is dominated by conservative clergymen" (Khatami 122) . In 1980, Iraqi troops invaded Iran in hopes of capturing the oil- rich country amidst the Revolutionary turmoil, further contributing to Iranian emigration to European countries. The Iran Iraq War continued until 1988. The mass exodus resulted in the "forced dispersal, immigration, displacement and establishment of reconfigured transnational communities", now known as the Iranian diaspora (Agnew 19).Such abrupt uprooting of a citizen's identity and physical connection to their homeland leads to a conflicting sense of identity and belonging in individuals who are involved in the sudden transition. As a member of the Iranian diaspora, Marjane Satrapi endured many h... ...2010. N. pag. Print.Parsa, Misagh. Social Origins of the Iranian Revolution. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1989. Print. Safizadeh, Fereydoun, Persis M. Karim, and Mohammad M. Khorrami. A World Between: Poems, Short Stories, and Essays by Iranian Americans. New York: George Braziller, 1999. Print. Satrapi, Marjane. "On Writing Persepolis.†." Pantheon Graphic Novels 1 (2005). Satrapi, Marjane, and Marjane Satrapi. The Complete Persepolis. New York: Pantheon, 2007. Print. Salehi, M. M. Insurgency through Culture and Religion: The Islamic Revolution of Iran. New York: Praeger, 1988. Print. Diaz 13 Shavarini, Mitra K. Desert Roots: Journey of an Iranian Immigrant Family. El Paso, TX: LFB Scholarly Pub., 2012. Print. Talebi, Shahla, and SuÌ„daÌ„bah ArdavaÌ„n. Ghosts of Revolution: Rekindled Memories of Imprisonment in Iran. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP, 2011. Print.

Abenaki Indians As Environment :: Free Essay Writer

Many people are under a false impression that early Native Americans are the original environmentalists. This is an impression that many people share. The Abenaki tribes that resided in Maine from 3700 BP were not by our traditional definition, environmentalists. In fact they were far from ecologically sound. This paper is meant not to criticize the Native Americans of the age, but to clarify their roles in the environment. To better understand this subject some background is needed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Abenaki People of the Northeast led a non-permanent exististance based mostly on the seasonal flux in the region. The area of land now referred to as Maine especially. Maine has always had abrupt seasons and the Abenaki used these seasons to their advantage. Their culture is one of direct appropriation with nature. This meaning that they were a culture in which nothing was permanent. Their survival depended on mobility. The Abenaki did not utilize storage as we do now, or even as the early Europeans of the time did. For each of the four seasons they stayed in areas where they would successfully survive. For instance, the summer months were spent on the coastal regions fishing and foraging while in the winter they pulled back into the interior forests for protection and hunting. However, they did return to the same part of the forests, coasts and waterfalls where their former camps had been.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the Abenaki culture bent to the seasons, they dramatically shaped their surrounding environments. The Abenaki tribes would change the location of the campsites every ten to fifteen years due to a variety of reasons. The southern Abenaki tribes who performed some sort of agriculture would experience severe soil exhaustion after a decade of farming that particular piece of land. The Abenaki required enormous amounts of wood for campfires, smoking meat, building homes and cooking to name but a small few. Pest infestation was also another reason that the Abenaki would move the camp. Fleas and vermin would become extremely bothersome after time had gone by and they had become accustomed to environments. They practiced a form of clearcutting known today as anthropogenic fire, anthro meaning “human'; and pogenic meaning “induced';. They would purposely ignite massive forest fires around their encampment for a variety of reasons. These areas would bur n underbrush and smaller trees but not ignite the foliage of the huge trees. This burning was good for some forms of agriculture.

The AIDS Epidemic

Ever since the initial description of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1(HIV-1) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2(HIV-2) in the early 1980s, these two viruses have been repeatedly confirmed to be the causative agents behind Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).HIV-1 is the most predominant cause of AIDS in the world today and developing countries in Asia, South America and Sub-Saharan Africa bear the brunt of the AIDS epidemic (Hoffman et al 2007).  AIDS is a condition that is caused by immune system deficiency. It is a syndrome since it encompasses a pattern characterized by different symptoms presenting with varied manifestations. As an acquired condition or disease, infection is transmitted from person to person via specific transmission routes.These modes of transmission sets it apart from the numerous immune system diseases which are mainly genetic related or caused by anti-cancer as well as immune suppressing therapies.The first instances of AIDS infection can be traced to between 1979-1980 where HIV infections presented as a new disease that had never existed in medical practice or terminology (Chandramouli & Hubley 1995).AIDS among African AmericansIn 1981, Los Angeles doctors noticed a new disease. They were baffled that young men who were apparently healthy began developing pneumonia like disease caused by a microorganism that had never been detected before.It was strange because it was known that pneumocystis only caused disease among those with a compromised immune system. In New York, doctors began recording a new disease among young men. They identified the disease as being Kaposi's sarcoma because it damaged the immune system.One strange fact was that all the men infected were homosexuals, many of whom had contracted other sexually transmission infections like syphilis and gonorrhea. They reached a conclusion that the new disease must also be sexually transmitted (Chandramouli & Hubley 1995).The same symptoms were also found to be p revalent among the intravenous drug users and hemophiliacs. Since many of the drug users shared needles, researchers concluded that the disease was also transmitted through body fluids like blood.Since AIDS was mainly concentrated among gays and drug users who were mainly blacks a misconception arose due to the inherent discrimination and the disease was not tackled as it should have been.The result was a rapid spread of AIDS among the black community. The underlying socioeconomic and political factors helped to further fuel the AIDS epidemic among African Americans.Currently, African Americans are still disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. While blacks constitute only 13% of the entire US populace, 49% of AIDS cases are found among blacks. It has also been established that AIDS is the leading cause of mortality among Black women in the age bracket 24-34.Among men in the age group 33-44, AIDS is the second leading cause of death (http://www.hhs.gov/). Among African Americans, st atistics show that more than 36% of all AIDS cases are attributable to homosexual/bisexual activity and approximately 38% are attributable to intravenous drug injections.Infections due to heterosexual contact account for approximately 12% of infections. This puts black Americans at a much higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, mainly due to same-sex sexual behavior, than other racial categories like Hispanics and Whites.The magnitude of the AIDS scourge among Black Americans is also due to a history of discrimination and neglect in instituting measures aimed at promoting a deviance from bisexual activity and other measures of prevention among the black community.The misperception that AIDS was only concentrated among blacks buttressed with the risk factors has served to worsen the AIDS scenario to this day (Levine et al 1997).The Origin of AIDSEver since the AIDS epidemic became a reality, several theories and evidences have been put forward to try and explain the origins of the AIDS epidemic. Just like any controversy, various fronts of argument have made it almost impossible to clearly confirm the exact origin of the virus.However, there is evidence that the retrovirus incriminated in causing AIDS has been in the environment even before AIDS as a disease became its worldwide spread.The current debates on the origins of the AIDS epidemic is not limited to the biological factors but has also been complicated by various political, social and economic theories that not only attempt to provide an explanation on the nature of the spread; as in among African Americans, but also provide scientific evidence to the extent that the virus was a product of genetic engineering.Initially, as the virus spread among the African American community, the disease and its etiologic agent remained largely unknown to the medical community. It has also not been resolved whether the virus originated from American soil or from African soil.The first pandemic is believed to have its orig in in America but the second epidemic causes by the HIV-2 have its center in West Africa. At the same time it is also believed that HIV-1 began to spread via three distinct routes; two routes have been traced to North America, while third route has been traced to Central Africa. It is uncertain whether the American and the African routes possess any relation whatsoever.The origin of the AIDS virus is attributed to an assertion made at a Congressional Hearing in 1969. It was predicted that the US military was in the process of developing a super germ for its use in the biowarfare program. The development of the new germ was to be made possible by the advancement in genetic engineering.The super germ would also have the capacity to wipe out massive human populations. Its mode of transmission would make ineffective any human intervention ton prevent its spread. The Department of Defense spokesperson is on record for having said that, â€Å"Within the next five to ten years, it would b e possible to produce a new infective microorganism which could differ in certain important respects from any known disease causing organisms.Most important of these is that it might be refractory to the immunological and therapeutic processes upon which we depend to maintain our relative freedom from infectious disease†(Testimony given before the Sub-Committee of the House Committee on Appropriations, Department of Defense Appropriations for 1970, Washington, 1969) (Cantwell 1992, p 137).This initial assertion was later on buttressed by J. Clemmesen; a Copenhagen epidemiologist in 1973 when lecturing cancer researchers. He presented a visualization of a situation in which a virus could naturally or be scientifically being induced to mutate to produce a very contagious variant capable of causing an epidemic and thwarting any chances of vaccination.A decade after the Congressional hearing, the predictions seemed to have become a reality with the coming of the AIDS epidemic spre ading throughout the world despite interventions to prevent its spread.By 1985, four years after the first case of AIDS had been reported by doctors in excess of 130 countries had confirmed AIDS within their borders. This position of the origin conclusively shows that AIDS originated from the military laboratories (Cantwell 1992).

How to Write a Good College Application Essay

How to Write a Good College Application Essay How to Write a Good College Application Essay The first and the most important thing about writing a good college application essay is that it takes a lot of time. This essay will be one of the most important things you will write in your adolescent life but this is not a reason for panic. On a contrary, this is the moment where you will have to sit down and evaluate what you want and what is important for you in terms of your education and personal development. This will be an essay about yourself and your dreams; yes, it has to be smart, it has to be sharp, it has to attract attention and make you stand out but still, this is an essay about yourself and you are the one writing it. So keep it calm and take your time. How to write a good college application essay First, brainstorm on your essay, pick a couple of ideas, write drafts and take your time. Also, do not forget to think about your audience, what they will want to hear from you. Your essay has to be strong and have a clear point. In your essay tell a story, do not list all your accomplishments, stay honest and be an individual. Capture your audience’s attention by showing them who you really are. Choose a story or detail about yourself and write about your passions and what you want to become. Your grades are visible when you have applied for the university, they show that you are smart but apart from that, they do not tell anything about you. So take your time, concentrate, write and pre-write drafts after you have picked the topic for your college application essay. Keep it clear and use a strong tone by using active verbs. Useful tips for writing an essay for college application After you have written the final draft of your essay, revise it; make sure it is a strong one. One of the ways to do that is by removing introduction and conclusion. It’s great if the essay sounds strong, clear and convincing. Ask for a second opinion, preferably by a professional. A little bit of humor will be very helpful but you have to use it carefully. It could use clever witticism or well-placed metaphor but not, in any case, immature jokes about you or your future. The tone of your application essay is of extreme importance. Keep a balanced, modest and generous tone. In the essay, show your character. Try to sound like a good addition to the university campus. In order to achieve that, research the university you are applying to, its extracurricular activities, check out the university official website or ask friends or family members that have studied there for some inside information that can help you show that you will blend in there perfectly. Last but not least, your vocabulary, style, spelling and grammar matter a lot. Write in a simple but well organized manner free from spelling or grammar mistakes. Write with quality and keep your word count in mind. Seek help from a professional even if you are sure that your essay is perfect. Do not expect miracles from your essay. Try and do your best. The application essay is important but it is not all; if you do not have good academic records, even the most perfect essay in the world will not help. Your application is a combination of your academic records, extracurricular activities, tests and a lot of other factors. Once you realize that the essay is just an addition to all that, you will feel more secure, the pressure will fade away and the essay will be written easier than you expected. Once again, seek professional help when writing your college application essay and decide how much of it you will use. Keep it clear and honest and your application essay will surely be appre ciated.

Felicia Scott, Carethia Cury, and Fetal Abduction

Felicia Scott, Carethia Cury, and Fetal Abduction Carethia Curry, 17 and pregnant, had no reason to suspect that her new friend, who was also pregnant, had devised a cold-blooded plan to kill her and steal her unborn child from her womb. Felicia Scott and Frederic Polion In 1995, Felicia Scott of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was 29, the mother of two boys and living with her new boyfriend Frederic Polion. Scott was insecure in the relationship  and convinced that the only way to keep Polion happy was by the two of them having a baby together. In the fall of 1995, she announced to Polion, friends, and family that she was pregnant, but there was a problem that only a few in her family knew about. Scott could not get pregnant because, in 1994, she underwent a hysterectomy. An Instant Bond Around the same time that Scott announced her pregnancy, she befriended 17-year-old Carethia Curry who was also pregnant. A trust grew between the two women who spent a lot of time together shopping in childrens departments in stores, and sharing expectant mother stories as their due dates grew closer. On January 31, 1996, Curry, her mother Carolyn ONeal, and Scott spent the day together. After shopping, Currys  mother returned home and Curry, then nine months pregnant, accepted Scotts invitation to go eat pizza and then visit for a while at Scotts home. The Murder As planned, Scott and Curry went for pizza and then to Scotts apartment, but once inside, instead of enjoying a casual conversation, Scott pulled out a gun and shot her pregnant friend twice in the head. The bullets lodged in Currys head did not kill her instantly, but that did not stop Scott from taking a knife and cutting Curry down the entire length of her torso. Once she was cut open, Scott removed the fetus, then pushed the dying mothers body into a garbage can and taped it shut. Frederic Polion  Lends a Hand When Polion returned to the apartment Scott told him she had just given birth there and had put all the blood-soiled linens in the trash can. She asked him to get rid of it. He claims that he did as asked, going out of his way to a deep ravine right out of town to dispose of it. According to Polion, he never looked or questioned the weight of what was in the garbage can, but merely pushed it into the ravine. In the meantime,  Scott took the infant to a hospital in Birmingham and managed to get papers declaring that she was the mother. The Search for Carethia Carolyn ONeal began to worry when Curry failed to return home. At around 2 a.m. she called Scotts home and Polion answered the phone. She asked him where Curry was and he said that he did not know. At around 5 a.m., Scott called ONeal and told her that she had dropped Curry off at home at around 8:30 p.m, after having pizza. Suspecting that something was amiss, ONeal asked Scott directly, what had she done with her daughter. Scott avoided answering and instead began explaining that she had been in Birmingham having her baby and that she was sent home because she did not have insurance. ONeal did not believe her and she contacted the police to report that her daughter had been kidnapped by Scott and Polion. When ONeal learned that Scott had actually come home with the baby, she called the police and told them that she believed that Scott had her daughters baby. The next day the police questioned Scott about the whereabouts of Curry. Then they questioned her about her infant, and she quickly produced the paperwork that listed her name as the mother. For the time being, Scott was safe. More Lies In early February, Scott went to visit her father and made up another story about how she had ended up with the baby. She said the police had stopped a car that she and a friend were riding in and that she fainted. When she awoke, the friend and police were gone, but next to her on the seat was a baby. Her father did not believe the story and was about to ask her to leave when the police arrived and arrested Scott. Carethia  Curry is Found On March 14, 1996, Currys body was found at the bottom of the ravine. Evidence, including blood in Polions truck, convinced prosecutors that the murder was not something Scott accomplished alone. Scott and Polion were charged with kidnapping and murder. The Trials Polion stood by his original statement that he knew nothing of the murder. He was found guilty of kidnapping and was acquitted on the murder charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Scott blamed Polion for the murder, saying she only went along with it because she feared for her own life. She was found guilty of all charges and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Autopsy Report It was determined through an autopsy that Carethia  Curry lived approximately 12 hours after being shot, sliced opened, and her baby torn from her body. The Baby Carethias  baby girl miraculously survived the ordeal and was eventually returned to her natural father.

How To Distribute Your Content To Reach More People [E-Book]

How To Distribute Your Content To Reach More People [E-Book] As bloggers, you  can learn a thing or two from musicians. Musicians feel the need to share their art with the world. Just like you. To do that, musicians  record albums.  Then they tour  to promote their albums- they go from city to city to find their audience- ask distributors to sell their albums, and share their music online. In short, musicians  create great content and work hard to distribute  that content. The Complete Insiders Guide: How To Distribute Content To Reach Your Audience #contentdistributionAnd like musicians, this is why you should care about content distribution: You pour yourself into creating awesome content that people want to read. That time and energy you put into your content is hard to come by. You probably have an audience who  already knows and loves you, but there are others like them who just dont know about your newest creation. The best way to maximize your  time and content- and reach a broader audience  that cares about what you have to say- is to distribute your content. How Owned, Paid, And Earned Media Work Together For The Best  Content Distribution Heres a traditional way of thinking about content distribution with owned, paid, and earned media: And while you might lean toward one or another, all three together make a really effective  combination. A simple way to think about owned, paid, and earned content distribution  is a three-legged stool. Without even one of its legs, the stool would fall over.

Legal Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legal Issue - Essay Example In turn, a disability is (A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; or (B) a record of such impairment; or (C) being regarded as having such an impairment.[5] The EEOC defines "a mental impairment" as "any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, Bi-Polar Disorder II, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities,"[6] for purposes of the ADA.[7] Thus, the question becomes whether this impairment substantially limits a major life activity.[8] Interacting with others is a major life activity under the ADA Interacting with others is indisputably an activity of central importance to daily life, and the EEOC has recognized it as a major life activity in its compliance manual.[9] Additionally, interacting with others is considered a major life activity under the Rehabilitation Act, and such recognition under the ADA would serve the legislative purpose of rectifying stereotypes about the mentally disabled.[10] Neither the Supreme Court nor the Second Circuit have addressed the issue of whether interacting with others is a major life activity.[11] The only circuit to have squarely addressed the issue has adopted it as a major life activity,[12] and no circuit has held that interacting with others is not a major life activity.[13] An Appellate Court has de novo review of a lower court's conclusion that the ability to interact with o thers is a major life activity.[14] In Toyota, the Supreme Court explained that "the term major life activity as used in the ADA, refers to those activities that are of central importance to daily life."[15] Because major life activity is not defined in the ADA, it should be construed according to its ordinary and natural meaning.[16] The plain meaning of the word "major" denotes an activity that is important and significant,[17] as well as basic. It is an "activity that the average person in the general population can perform with little or no difficulty."[18] Interact is defined by the dictionary to mean to "act upon one another."[19] Interacting with others is an important and significant function and "easily falls within the definition of 'major life activity.'"[20] - quoted properly referenced It is necessary for

Week 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 5 - Assignment Example such as there is no positive outcome of resolving the conflict, it is too trivial, disruption would prove to be very costly, etc mangers tend to use the avoiding style of conflict management (Schyns & Hansbrough, 2010). Hence, it is first important to understand why the manager is avoiding conflict before confronting them. With the exception of the above two cases, an employee must confront the manager if a conflict is being avoided. It is very important for an employee to trust and believe in his or her manager. It is only when an employee trusts the manger to act in the best interest of the employee that he or she can dedicate completely and work for the manager. In the absence, of this trust an employee will not only lose confidence but also be de-motivated. This will affect both the performance of the employee as well as the overall output of the team. This attitude of the manager to avoid conflicts can disrupt the dynamics of a group as employees do not feel recognised or rewarded with respect to the work they do in comparison with other employees. This can further escalate the conflicts in a group. Also, the feedback given by a conflict avoiding manager can be very diplomatic and does not serve the purpose of a feedback. Employees need to have a clear understanding of where they stand in the workplace and how they can improve. This cannot be accomplished with a diplomatic feedback. Therefore, it is important that an employee confronts a conflict avoiding

Strategic Leadership in a Changing World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Strategic Leadership in a Changing World - Essay Example News Corporation has been founded by Rupert Murdoch in the year 1979, and the company is headquartered at New York, NY, USA. The company operates in six business segments such as Cable Network Programming, Television, Direct Broadcast Satellite Television, Filmed Entertainment, Publishing and others (New York Times, 2013). Cable Network Programming division of News Corporation licenses and produces sports entertainment, business news, movies, general entertainment, etc. Filmed Entertainment division of the company offers animated and live-action motion pictures in the form of entertainment to customers. Television division of the company offers both network programming and broadcasting entertainment to customers (New York Times, 2013). Recently, News Corporation has acquired ESPN STAR Sports division through wholly owned subsidiary. According to the annual report published by News Corporation (2012), the company earns annual revenue of more than $30 billion from its global operations . Major entertainment divisions of the company include Fox Entertainment, National Geographic channel, Fox studios, etc. (News Corporation, 2012). The concept of strategic leadership in the form of competitive advantage was probably first identified by Porter (1985 and 1991). Porter (1985) has given the basic framework of ‘outside in’ approach which helps a firm to understand the particular market in terms of macro environmental (political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal) analysis and industry force analysis. Seminal research work of Michael Porter (1985) has given a 5 force framework which helps a firm to understand the business opportunity in particular market in terms buyer power, supplier power, threat of substitute, entry barrier and competitive rivalry. However, strategic leadership is more important from the competitive advantage perspective. In simple words, it can be said that companies can only achieve strategic leadership if it is able to achieve competitive advantage over other competitors. The question may arise that how a firm can achieve competitive advantage? Well, to answer this question, research scholars such as Barney (1986) has given the Resource Based View (RBV) model. According to Barney (1986), a firm should use its financial and non-financial resources which are valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable in order to archive competitive advantage. Adner and Zemsky (2006) and Kraatz and Zajac (2001) have also found that availability of resources and optimal usage of these resources develop capabilities for firms and using the developed capabilities can help a firm to achieve competitive advantage or better to say strategic leadership. An eminent author has epistemologically created link between performance, strategic leadership and competitive advantage in the following manner; â€Å"Sustainable competitive advantage is more probable in firms that achieve sustained superior performance.â₠¬  (Powell, 2001, p. 879) Discussion about strategic leadership is incomplete without the mentioning the concept of ‘Core Competency’ given by Prahalad and Hamel (1990). These eminent scholars’ duo has suggested that companies can achieve core competency by strategically using its capabilities backed by valuable resources. Optimizing resources and capabilities in particular business operation can help firms to

Religion and Military Mission Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Religion and Military Mission Planning - Essay Example â€Å"A mission-planning system may accommodate either deliberate (scheduled) or ad hoc (unscheduled) planning and may operate in either a benign or hostile environment† (Seares). Military missions are planned when there is a need to control certain factors that are influential upon a certain community/communities in the state or the state as a whole. Most of the times, military missions are planned for the confiscation of property or land when another party, force or country has unjustifiably occupied it. Religion is often neglected in the planning of military missions because there is no religious concern. Another reason why religion has been conventionally neglected in the planning of military missions is the fact that a vast majority of the military missions were unexpected. The military missions had to be planned in a great hurry with very limited resources. In addition to that, religion has been neglected in the planning process because there is no interlink between the two. Religion lays a code of ethics, whereas there is no consideration of ethics in war. War means bloodshed. In the past, war was inevitable for many countries when there were some that wanted to conquer others. The question was of basic survival, not of religion. So religion was neglected in the planning process. Although religion should be considered in every walk of life, yet there is little, if any, guidance provided by any religion regarding the planning process of a military mission. Some religions do emphasize upon a need to fight for the right, even if you have to get martyred for that, but there is little if any, guidance regarding how individuals should go about it. Planning requires strategic thinking and thoughtful decision making. It has no concern with religion, except for certain situations i.e. how do militants offer prayers in the

Pottery Statues of Ancient Chinese Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pottery Statues of Ancient Chinese Art - Essay Example There are various arts like painted potteries, folk arts, script, monuments, metal arts etc. Very expensive materials are used for the art works like granite, marble, lime stone, etc and even gold, silver and other precious materials are used. In early times they were not much aware about the materials used for arts and they used stone and rock for doing arts. These antique collections of ancient period are now placed in the museums. â€Å"The museum houses collections of various color-painted potteries of Neolithic Age and treasures of ancient grottoes. The design of these potteries is gorgeous and has the characteristic of the local culture.† (Gansu Provincial Museum). In museums there are varieties of wonderful art works which were done in the past. The Chinese culture hasn’t altered much from before and the people are still continuing with their traditional customs. The temples in China are considered as precious art wealth which signifies the prosperous culture of China. Chinese people have some beliefs with regard to their traditional arts. There are varieties of statues which symbolize different significances and faiths. Laughing Buddha is one among them which symbolizes health, prosperity, happiness, and so on and they believe that it brings all these goodness if it is placed somewhere and there are also other different kinds of laughing Buddha and each one has got some particular concept. The arts like Swastika, fengshui are some of the other Chinese artifacts which are used for good luck and to improve the life. Chinese people believe in such things; so most of them use these types of artifacts. The people from other countries prefer to use the Chinese arts mainly because of their quality and beauty. The ancient Chinese art is very gorgeous and superior which is totally different from other art works; so it has high demand. Not only the Chinese people buy this; people from every nation are now buying

Religion and Military Mission Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Religion and Military Mission Planning - Essay Example â€Å"A mission-planning system may accommodate either deliberate (scheduled) or ad hoc (unscheduled) planning and may operate in either a benign or hostile environment† (Seares). Military missions are planned when there is a need to control certain factors that are influential upon a certain community/communities in the state or the state as a whole. Most of the times, military missions are planned for the confiscation of property or land when another party, force or country has unjustifiably occupied it. Religion is often neglected in the planning of military missions because there is no religious concern. Another reason why religion has been conventionally neglected in the planning of military missions is the fact that a vast majority of the military missions were unexpected. The military missions had to be planned in a great hurry with very limited resources. In addition to that, religion has been neglected in the planning process because there is no interlink between the two. Religion lays a code of ethics, whereas there is no consideration of ethics in war. War means bloodshed. In the past, war was inevitable for many countries when there were some that wanted to conquer others. The question was of basic survival, not of religion. So religion was neglected in the planning process. Although religion should be considered in every walk of life, yet there is little, if any, guidance provided by any religion regarding the planning process of a military mission. Some religions do emphasize upon a need to fight for the right, even if you have to get martyred for that, but there is little if any, guidance regarding how individuals should go about it. Planning requires strategic thinking and thoughtful decision making. It has no concern with religion, except for certain situations i.e. how do militants offer prayers in the

Ultimate Toronto Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ultimate Toronto - Assignment Example The current option is one that is based on fees that are used to create the right alternatives for those that are a part of the club (Ivey, 2012). This is combined with expectations for pricing changes that can be used. The finances can become an opportunity by changing the budgetary needs and prices to incorporate into the organization for growth and to change the other areas of the company’s needs. The research and development is an opportunity of the company. Currently, there is not a lot of research and development within TUC. However, the social nature and the affiliations with others are leading to more opportunities and changes that are expected with TUC. Promotion opportunities, known pricing and the development in the area have all been looked into and can create new strategies and development in TUC if they are expanded on (Simanis, Hart, 2008). The purchasing in TUC is a weakness. The company has identified ways to promote and change prices. However, the purchasing is still going into the foundational expectations for promotion and development, such as flyers, prints and advertisements. The known strategy for promotions is not combining with the purchasing that is developed for the sustainability and growth of TUC. This is combined with the non – profit status, which limits how much can be purchased or used (Ivey, 2012). The operations offers opportunities if a strategy is developed. Currently, one individual is looking at the strategies and opportunities while combining a promotional team. All other situations are run by volunteers and those that are a part of the teams. The operations need to be reconsidered in terms of being a non – profit. It also needs to be reconsidered strategically with human assets that can contribute to the growth of TUC. The operations then become a weakness that can turn into an opportunity of altered (Loorbach, Bakel,

Euro Crisis Essay Example for Free

Euro Crisis Essay The ability of Euro zone countries (countries in Europe that use the common currency called the Euro) to borrow in a common currency poses free-rider problems because there may be an incentive to bailout countries that borrow excessively. How does the original design of the Euro attempt to address this incentive to over-borrow by some countries? The free rider problem refers to when someone is capturing the full benefit of an action while shifting the cost to others. The free-rider problem built into the euro lies into the fiscal structure, since the countries were fiscally undisciplined and also governments were gaining political gain running deficits supported by their euro partner nations. Over borrowing occurred due to the incentive of governments to borrow in a common currency; to address this issue the original design had to solutions. One was the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) which limited budget deficit to up to 3% of GDP and 60% of stock of public debt, aiming to ensure fiscal discipline; where if a member state was in an excessive deficit situation then the council could impose sanctions. The Second rule is a â€Å"no bailout† clause stating that community shall not be liable for the debt of governments (with some exceptions) The original design of the euro sought to address the over-borrowing. Why were the measures in the original Euro design insufficient in preventing the Euro sovereign debt problems? First it is important to point out that the sovereign debt crisis is significantly tied to the banking crisis and macroeconomic crisis through the entire euro area. The original measure was insufficient because in a way these measures actually worsen the crisis. The sovereign debt crisis can be divided in three phases: pre-crisis period, the financial and sovereign debt crisis and post-crisis recovery. The initial design affected the pre-crisis since in reality it increased fiscal risk due to the increased in the current account imbalances across the euro area and also the dispersion in credit boom, housing prices and sectorial debt levels. Then, during the crisis 2007-2008 the original design actually augmented the fiscal impact since the global financial shock had diverse impacts across the euro area and policies were focus on European Central Bank to address the financial shock, not accounting these policies prompted a worse euro sovereign debt crisis (Especially countries with macro-imbalances). Thirdly, the original measures slowed down the post-crisis recovery period because the stated estrictions of deficit and debt made the recovery stretched, along with the poor political management of countries’ institutions to solve factors involving the crisis. What are the new reforms to address sovereign debt concerns? What makes the new measures superior to the original ones? The new reforms to address the sovereign debt is compounded on a treaty called â€Å" Fiscal Compact Treaty† which requires new fiscal principles to be pose in each country (Jan 2013). These fiscal reforms are based on two principles: a void high public debt since it’s a threat to fiscal stability. Second, the fiscal balance has to be close to zero. The improvement is a structural budget balance less than 1% of GDP when debt is below 60%. Also the country that has higher public debt (off the limit) will have to correct the issue with a timeline. Though this reform is a little more efficient than the original, it still has major implementation problems since it requires adjustments on forecast errors for the structural budget balance. Also it’s difficult to accurately trust the ability of governments to identify and tackle down excessive imbalances.

Issues with Cameras and Privacy in Modern Day Technology

Issues with Cameras and Privacy in Modern Day Technology Scam Cams Nick Doran Introduction and Significance of Issue As a citizen, governmental laws have always played a major role in the way we conduct ourselves. Whether it’s when we vote or when we sit down in our car to travel, they always have a say or way to regulate us. When it comes to the motor vehicle, being a daily driver of suburban and urban areas are stressful enough. Within the last few years, the government has introduced a new X-factor causing many drivers anxiety and even possibly altering a driver’s ability to use their own intuition on being safe and respectful. This new x-factor can come in several forms of traffic violation cameras. The increasing number of cameras being put into effect raises concerns. Having a camera on every street corner leads to concerns about privacy and overreaching by the government in its ability to monitor the movements of people. Even worse, the accuracy and efficacy of these cameras can be called into question, meaning this invasion of privacy does not even have tangible benefits. Thes e cameras are truly an abuse of power by the government, and are an unethical used of technology in our society. A topic that people are very reluctant to realize is how quickly technology has advanced in the recent years. Of course the majority of our society is up to date with the latest version of the iPhone or the newest model of Dr. Dre Beats headphones, but not many people take a second and look around to realize that everything they do from the minute they wake up, to the minute they go to sleep is being monitored. Regardless if it’s the government monitoring them or a computer hacker sitting in his or her basement, your activity and whereabouts are being watched. With every installment of a traffic violation camera, another pair of virtual eyes is watching you. The most common cameras that are being used are Red Light Cameras and Speed Limit Enforcers. Currently, being used in smaller numbers are Bus Lane Cameras and Stop Sign Cameras. With so many flaws in this growing system of cameras, how can we possibly sit back and give away our right to privacy? True Purpose The true reasoning behind the outbreak of these cameras is pretty obvious, revenue. Both state and local government are defending these allegations by claiming that the cameras are for safety. According to the local government of Chicago â€Å"Red Light Camera Enforcement is designed to increase safety on Chicago streets. Cities across the country, and throughout the world, have been using the technology for many years.† (Red Light Camera Enforcement). While this defense seems nice on the surface, many studies have actually shown an increase in rear end collisions due to red light cameras. Drivers are becoming so indecisive and hesitant; the roads are becoming more dangerous. Many drivers are slamming on their breaks when the light turns from yellow to green out of fear of a camera flash following a fine, causing the car behind them to slam into the back of their car. It was found that in certain areas, the yellow light time was actually decreased, often below legal limit, in order to increase the amount of red light offenders. The increase in offenders clearly resulted in greater revenue to the government that issued the cameras. When the goal of increased safety is proven wrong and local governments such as Suffolk County, NY are â€Å"estimated $6.8 million a year† (Brown, J. 2014), it becomes evident that the dollar sign greatly out weights the cameras intended purpose of safety. In retrospect, an extra $6.8 million a year to the county may seem nice, a better plan should be put in place to raise these funds. This plan of traffic violation revenue seems more like a way of taking advantage of a poorly handled situation to get a quick fix of cash. Many individuals and organizations are fed up with these â€Å"scamras† (Werner, A 2012) and are leading successful oppositions of the use of cameras. â€Å"Brothers Michael and Paul Kubosh led a successful rebellion against red light cameras in Houston. The city took the cameras down more than a year ago. The brothers say the only reason cities install the cameras in is to make money. Its estimated that Houston earned $44 million during the four years the cameras were operating.† (Werner,A. 2012). There is no denying that the facts are in the numbers, these cameras are 100% appealing to anyone who rather focus on making money off others mistakes and than protecting us. Smile for the Camera Have you ever looked up on your way out of a grocery store and saw a flat screen television with multiple camera angles of you being displayed? Some may think well, the store has a right to know if someone’s stealing from them, while others may feel uneasy that they are being recorded in their pajama pants. Now think about all the other aspects of your life could have been learned from the time you woke up to the time you walked out of the grocery store by the government or any person or agency with hacking abilities. An outburst of use of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook on your smart phone early in the morning may suggest the time you woke up. The pictures you like and comment on suggest your interests. Software has the ability to turn your smartphone camera on and see through it from 100 miles away. Your neighbors’ security camera catches you walking out of your front door without locking it behind you. Now you get into your car, and every intersection from your home to the store has a camera on it. The cameras know: the route you choose to the store, the make, model, color, year and licenses plate of your car you’re in, if you’re in the car alone or with your kids, and if the camera takes high quality images, it may be able to recognize a wedding band on your finger that’s wrapped around your steering wheel determining if you are married or not. Don’t forget the security camera on the way out of the grocery store that recorded you forgetting to get milk. You may ask, what’s the big deal if the little old lady whole mails me my ticket gets to see pictures and a video of me in my car? The problem is anyone who wants those images badly enough, can get a hold of them. With most new red light camera systems, they are recording video 24/7, meaning all drivers (not just red light runners) are being recorded at all times. The video and still images are stored on privately owned computers servers without any verifiable audit trail of when the video is deleted. Meaning that it is unclear to what really happens to all this information. As a society, where do we draw the line to this invasion of our privacy by our governments? It’s Almost Always Accurate In today’s age we rely heavily on technology and it is safe to say, it doesn’t always work. Technology must be maintained, updated and sometimes restored. Sometimes it can even be defective from the start, â€Å"a setback occurred in 2003 when one vendor, who subsequently went out of business, was found to have provided equipment that was inaccurate. This led to negative publicity, suspension of camera use at three sites, and reimbursements of fines and demerit points to about 90,000 motorists.† (Delany, A. 2005) This is just one of many cases in which this system has failed right off the bat resulting in false accusations to a crime. Many of these cameras are recommended by manufactures, to have regular inspections by specialized technicians. A neglected system can result in similar outcomes as the one stated above. It seems that whatever department assigned to maintain these cameras, often does not. Resulting in thousands of issued tickets to many innocent citi zens that are invalid. Another case of this failed use of technology occurred in Chicago when their camera vendor, Redflex, was â€Å"fundamentally deficient, with little supervision such poor record-keeping that it is difficult to determine why the number of tickets issued spiked during period, as first reported by the Chicago Tribune.† Reflexes’ mishaps with â€Å"one detector at the intersection of Kimball, Lincoln and McCormick avenues was largely nonfunctional for years, meaning that the broken system â€Å"may have failed to have identify as many as 45,444 violations over a four-and-a-half-year period.†Ã¢â‚¬  With an uneducated society on this abuse of technology we quickly pull out are checkbooks to pay off these fines before a warrant is issued to the offender. We are forced to act out of fear rather than fighting for what is wrong and right. Psychology is Stronger then Law â€Å"Although many issues are raised in the numerous and constant debates on the revenue-raising aspects of speed enforcements, one key area of knowledge that can shed some light on it has yet to be highlighted, especially in the research literature. Do we really need to catch offenders to be effective? Can crashes be reduced simply by the presence of police enforcement without the need to issue tickets? Previous research has shown that even plywood replicas of police cars had an effect on driver behavior (Baker and Lawder, 1968) and simply giving a warning also had an effect on driver speed (Ennis, 1967). If the mere presence of police is sufficient to deter speeding, then there is no escape from the revenue-raising allegations† (Tay,R. 2010) The wrong approach is being taken to solve this safety problem. These cameras are not the answer. This plywood cop car study goes to show that the psychological presence of a police officer has a greater impact on how people drive. If a police officers presence if constantly know in a school zone, motorists will subconsciously become alert and be more aware of surroundings. A high majority of people throughout numerous studious have agreed that this would be the more effective method in accomplishing safer roadways for communities. Conclusion It is a hard point to miss that these Scamcams, are exactly that. Their intentions may seem great, but the way our government has chosen to implement them is just outright absurd. The notion that we are installing cameras on almost every major street corner is essentially giving another pair of eyes to whoever has the capability to use them. Whether it’s the national government monitoring, a college student with the self taught capability of hacking, or just your local government sticking you with a revenue boosting fine, you are being watched and there’s no ignoring that. We are allowing a problem to spiral out of control right in front of us. We are allowing our governments to encroach farther into our person space and privacy. Not too mention, they’re making a large sum of money off this program. Are their intentions still to make the streets a safer place or did the find a way to use this safety campaign as a cloak to scamming its people. Our National, State and local governments ethics have always been questioned but now with their scamcams, they have finally crossed the line. References Brown, J. (2014, April 23). Traffic cameras have one purpose: To bring in more money. Newsday. Retrieved from http://www.newsday.com/long-island/columnists/joye-brown/traffic-cameras-have-one-purpose-to-bring-in-more-money-1.7807020?pts=762136 Delany, A., Ward, H., Cameron, M., Williams, A. (2005). Controversies and Speed Cameras: Lessons Learnt Internationally. In Journal of Public Health Policy (4th ed., Vol. 26, pp. 404-415). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Journals. Hinz, G. (2014, October 14). City inspector general slams red-light camera program. Retrieved from http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20141010/BLOGS02/141019989/city-inspector-general-slams-red-light-camera-program Red Light Camera Enforcement. (2011, April 5). Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/cdot/supp_info/red-light_cameraenforcement.html Tay, R. (2010). Speed Cameras: Improving Safety or Raising Revenue? In Journal of Transport Economics and Policy (2nd ed., Vol. 44, pp. 247-257). London: University of Bath and The London School of Economics and Political Science. Werner, A. (2012, January 1). Safety or scam? Red light cameras under scrutiny. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/safety-or-scam-red-light-cameras-under-scrutiny/

The Green Divide: Class Conflict within Klingle Valley :: Green Ecology Environment Essays

The Green Divide: Class Conflict within Klingle Valley As a sign of our times, urban development has been occurring throughout the United States and the global arena at a rapid rate. In the course of this development, the green spaces of cities have been affected in a generally negative way. Overall, people have lost recreational sites for play and relaxation, which are crucial to a healthy society. Look at our nation’s capitol. Thanks to the great influx of businesses and firms entering the District, the green space has been slowly declining. Washingtonians are beginning to fear that one of America’s largest and most beautiful parks—Rock Creek Park—will fall victim to the urban development encouraged by the profit-seeking government. The government believes that urban development is the most effective way to produce the space of the city. However, some citizens feel that Rock Creek Park is a space that must be preserved for the society’s well being. For over a decade now, the fate of the closed portion of Klingle Road in Northwest Washington, D.C. has been debated. Those primarily living east of Rock Creek Park favor repaving the old road so that it can be used once again for vehicular traffic. Those primarily living west of the park favor continued closure of the road and preservation of the environment. On the surface, it appears to be only a geographical division and a conflict between green space and urban development; however, an overlooked ‘Green Divide’ between economic and racial classes seems to lie beneath the surface. Before I continue, it is crucial to understand several key terms. Green space can be defined as open space. It includes "trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, and other components" in a setting usually deemed a park, which may or may not have recreational facilities (Brewer 150). Along with green space, preservation and conservation should be defined. The two words are synonymous and mean the "planned management of natural resources" (Mish 170). "Planned management" allows for encroachment on green space, but in a controlled way. These terms are the primary components of the rhetoric of keeping Klingle Road closed. The propaganda, generated by the road closure advocates, continually uses the words green space and preservation. These terms are easily identifiable by the general public. Furthermore, upon hearing these terms, the general public usually leans toward the environmental side. Furthermore, advocates of continued road closure designate the following terminology upon the opponent.

Essay --

Genocides of the World: Armenia â€Å"Armed roundups began on the evening of April 24, 1915, as 300 Armenian political leaders, educators, writers, clergy and dignitaries in Constantinople (present day Istanbul) were taken from their homes, briefly jailed and tortured, then hanged or shot (United Human Rights Council).† That was the ending of some of the thousands upon thousands of lives lost during the Armenian genocide. Some say this genocide never was an actual genocide, but when that many people die I don’t know how it can’t be considered one. Some of the deaths where slow and dragged on until the victim’s body could no longer take it, while others where quick and easy. This is the Armenian Genocide. We decide our future, and we must not let anger get the best of us. The Ottoman Empire was angered by the Armenians, and now is responsible for the horrible attacks and murders towards the Armenian people. Now, all they can do is pretend it didn’t happen. At its peak, The Ottoman Empire consisted of most of Southeast Europe, North Africa, and almost all of the Middle East (United Human Ri...

Politics and Development in Asia

1. In what political respects is the developing world truly developing, and in what significant parts of it are not? Discuss and substantiate by giving examples (Focus: Asia)In understanding political developments in Asia, being the bulk of the world’s developing nations, I begin this paper by looking at the historical developments that have largely shaped and defined the Asian nations. More importantly I focus on the Southeast Asian region of the continent due to its diversity as well as the pervading regional cooperation that has directly affected, if not impacted other Asian countries during the years after World War II. Secondly I would draw three distinctions of how developing nations are truly developing with respects to three vital political areas, mainly: the functions of the government, the electoral process and the participation of civil society. These three aspects would focus on how developing nations in Asia have managed to progress politically after its democracy was established.Historical OverviewGeographically speaking the Asian continent spans 17 million square kilometers and is home to a population of over 4 billion people. In the past 60 or so years it has largely been host to over a dozen developing nations such as: the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and also to progressive developing or developed nations as well. This balance between developing and developed nations is attributed to the influences and a country’s experience under colonial rule. During this era, Europeans believed that Asians were largely backward both socially and economically and only served for the economic enhancement of its parent nation (Charskykh, 2005), more importantly the locals in these countries served the purpose of being the labor force of their colonial masters. It was through this labor and various instances of social, physical and mental discrimination that many of the Asian countries that had been colonized were f orced to revolt.This sense of nationalism, even at its most infantile  stages (as seen in Philippine society) had helped to consolidate and unify the different levels of society to enact political change that would help in the betterment of the country. Revolution being the catalyst for political change in Asia has helped foster the spread of independent governments, however it can also be said that revolution wasn’t the only catalyst for the development of early political change in the region.It was during the events that occurred after World War II—the Cold War—that further changed the political landscape of the Asian region, the age of multi-polarity in Richard Haas’ article on The Age of Non-polarity (2008) draws a distinction that countries were further developed wherein power of two sovereign nations (the United States and the USSR) helped numerous Asian countries as a means of spreading ideological and political attitudes among different countrie s. The age of non-polarity as well as the effects of the Cold War helped to consolidate and change the different Asian countries political institutions, structures and the very mechanisms, which are evident in today’s countries.Political DevelopmentIt can be said that countries in Asia, seeing from the events or circumstances that had shaped it historically, is seen as a progressive continent host to many of the world’s developing nations. In recent years, Asia has played a large role in defining East-West relations both politically and economically. With the growing influence and presence of China, the world has turned its eye on the eastern portion of the map and thus, this has helped to bring in numerous investments and interests to the region. However, despite this surge of regional interest, Asia still has many issues to tackle, such as the role of democracy and the democratization process that some countries are sorely lacking, this is part and parcel to the form ation of their government, its role and function that should help and aid the people. Secondly, the electoral process, which has served to gauge how democratized a country is to the point that it is willing to progress.More importantly, the electoral processes in a developing country is often observed and watched because of how it affects the people—being the  most basic right to political participation and representation—and by large its effects on a country’s relations with its Asian and global neighbors. Lastly the participation of civil society, in any democratized nation, civil society plays a key role in strengthening and forwarding the issues that are important to the people to the government. More than that, civil society has also played a role in disciplining the government through its â€Å"expose and oppose† tactics, tactics that have helped initiate change in the government through the passing of laws and reforms that would protect the basic rights of the citizens.Functions of the GovernmentAs mentioned earlier, Asian governments being a direct product of independence from the de-colonization process or a product of a bi-polar world order are currently experience what political scientists call the â€Å"third wave† of democracy. This third wave according to Samuel Huntington (1990) is essentially characterized by the loss of legitimacy of authoritarian regimes, a growth in economic output, changes in the Catholic Church; regional contingency factors; and external factors (notably the influence of the European Union and the US). Huntington’s Third Wave of democracy enabled many newly independent countries to establish themselves in their region, much in the same way the Philippines, India, Indonesia and Malaysia did after the Second World War and the subsequent years after. Moreover, because of the waves of democratization, these fledgling governments sought to establish their own national identity as well as strengthen its patrimony. Hence we see governments working to abolish and reform parts of their system from colonial influences or vestiges of it.Hence, governments in Asia are functioning however to use the standards of many Western nations, there are countries that are still in need of further development. Governments in this continent are developing in the sense that immediately after their independence they had begun instituting change, the passage of laws that would be favorable to its people and not to its foreign neighbors or former colonial masters. More importantly, it was the passing of their own constitution, which embodied their own ideals and aspirations.Besides that being a democratic country, governments have taken into effect the very thing that they weren’t able to have under colonial rule, their rights and privileges. Like any other democratic country, the government as well as its branches is tasked with the preservation of their constituent’s ba sic human, political and social rights. Moreover the governments of Asia during this third wave of democratization have largely distanced itself from the use of its military to coerce the people into action, as seen in the case of the political upheavals in Indonesia, Malaysia and even the Philippines that help restore civilian rule and enact legislation that places all decision-making processes of the military under civilian authority.Hence, the role of the government and its development in the political landscape of Asia is essentially characterized by the waves of democracy that had followed after numerous political and social upheavals that had happened in the region that had allowed for democracy to proper. Moreover, the political development of Asia is largely attributed to the national identity that had been formed prior to their independence as well as the belief that civilian authority should pervade in all aspects of the government structure.Electoral ProcessesThe electora l process of Asia and by large any democratic country for that matter has been part and parcel of strengthening the democratization of any country. More importantly the electoral processes is seen as the establishment and legitimizing of a government that would adhere to the standards of different political watchdogs, media and Western governments that have investments in a particular Asian country.Electoral process as a measure of political development in developing nations usually stems from the desire to fulfill some of the promises of democracy or change the democratic landscape to as fulfill the problem of diminished and failed expectations of democracy as embodied in Mark Warren’s article on democratic participation (p. 679, 2002), drawing from the  experiences from the Asian countries such as Thailand; democracy through its elections has failed to address the needs of its people. This has led to the disillusionment or disenfranchisement of voters that have led citize ns to become critical of their government.Elections in Southeast Asian countries strengthen the political participation of different levels of society by allowing greater sectoral participation as well as the existence of party-list systems that aim to bridge the gap between the government and civil society itself. More importantly elections are a way for allowing a wide-range of issues and platforms of dialogues to be tackled and addressed so as to initiate reform and change within a system that a citizen may no longer believe in. It is because of this most basic political aspect that citizens are duly empowered to create an environment that would allow them greater representation and for their issues to be heard because the electoral processes in any democratic country is an avenue for change.Civil SocietyThrough the efforts of electoral processes in developing nations, civil society also plays a larger role in the development of democracies in the continent. Civil society is the representation of the people to the government; they serve as the platforms of dialogues as well as the source of political lobbying and confrontation. Such as the case in Myanmar where various civil groups protested against government action levied by the military junta against Aung San Suu Kyi, in China the protestation of their freedom to express themselves freely has been an issue that had led to the pullout of some international companies that had censured their content.Besides these all too familiar modes of political confrontation, civil society also lobbies for issues that marginalize a certain group of people. They represent and voice out the concerns of societies that the government may have neglected to address. Secondly civil society also exposes and opposes those people in the establishment of their crimes. Governmental crimes that range from graft and corruption to other irregularities in the system that seek to create inequality or those that would benefit only a cert ain individual or group of people that would directly benefit from such  a malfeasance.Another aspect of civil society in Asia is that it is vibrant, in the sense that these groups are constantly vigilant of the government’s movements, procedures and every minute detail that would affect the people. One could say that the government cannot move without some group or party noticing it. Because of this vibrancy there is a wider range of perspectives and opinions that the government has to address to allow equality and participation of the people and the groups that represent their interests.ConclusionPolitically speaking, the developing nations in Asia are truly developing albeit at a slow pace, however these countries face numerous problems such as the prevalence of cacique democracy, patron-client relationships, the growing incidence of graft and corruption as well as the lack of accountability and transparency. Besides these institutional problems, Asian countries are quic k to act using means that would question the legitimacy of a government (i.e. People Power revolutions both in the Philippines and Indonesia).Thirdly, political developments in an Asian country has only helped to serve the elites of society by creating laws that would greatly benefit them or help them stay in power. And lastly there is the proliferation of political dynasties and the existence of bureaucratic powers that have limited the progression of democracy and equality in the government. 2. Are the main political trends experienced by the developing world in recent decades summed up best by increasing diversity or alternatively growing convergence? Discuss extensively (Focus: Asia).In today’s globalized world, political trends have been largely varied in different parts of the world, yet each of these trends have helped in the establishment of strong governments and a vibrant civil society. The growing political trend of today’s developing world is the use of med ia as a platform of dialogue and garnering a wider influence that spans not just local but international borders as well.Secondly, the sudden rise of terrorism and the increase of regional and global security at the onset of the 21st century, has made steady grounds in the discussion of what could  and should be done to address political upheaval brought about by the events of September 11, 2001 in the United States. Thirdly, the further strengthening of regional and international economic and political cooperation, with respects to China, Singapore and Japan as emerging economies of the 21st century and how this has affected Western influences in the continent.MediaAs mentioned earlier in my introduction, one of the prevailing political trends of the developing world is the use of media—in all its forms—to further the cause of both civilian and the government. In this highly globalized world, the media is at the forefront of providing information that would either h elp or discredit a politician or the government. In recent years, the prevalence of media in all aspects of society was seen through the formation of websites designed for greater interaction (Web 2.0) that allows ordinary people to post, comment or critique on issues that are miles apart.During the 2008 US elections, media helped to bolster the presence of candidates running for the presidency, using new technologies that allowed ordinary people’s opinions and questions to be heard and also to evaluate these candidates based on their answers. Hence, in Zaller’s paper titled â€Å"A Theory of Media Politics† (1999)â€Å"For politicians, the goal of media politics is to use mass communication to mobilize the public support they need to win elections and to get their programs enacted while in office. For journalists, the goal of media politics is to produce stories that attract big audiences and that emphasize the â€Å"Independent and Significant Voice of Journ alists.† For citizens, the goal is to monitor politics and hold politicians accountable on the basis of minimal effort†.Another instance of the use of media to change or forward opinion and movement was during the elections in Iran that were heavily critical of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election to the presidency of Iran. His re-election served as a catalyst for media and the Internet to react and criticize what  the public perceived as the massive fraud and failure of elections that was happening. On Myanmar, during the events that led to the arrest of an American that had â€Å"trespassed† opposition leader’s Aung San Suu Kyi’s home led to a media storm that called for the violation of human rights of both the leader and the American.Thus, media as a political trend is vastly critical in denouncing governmental actions that it perceives as the limitation of political movement (freedom of speech and expression) as well the protection and adv ancement of issues that span borders. It is evident that through the Internet and other forms of media that political issues are now known globally, that one portion of the world can already actively participate in issues that are important to them.Security and TerrorismEven before the events of September 11, 2001 terrorism and security in the developing world, specifically the Southeast Asian region of the world, had been experiencing increasingly high levels of terrorist activities due in part to the movement of terrorist cells that had existed during the height of the Cold War and after the fall of Communism in 1991 led to the establishment of different Islamic terrorist groups in Central Asia then would later branch out to the different regions of Southeast Asia. According to Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco in his speech titled â€Å"Islamist Terrorism in Southeast Asia† (2003) he mentions that the movement of these splinter groups led to the formation of the Jemaah Islam iyah terrorist cell which has been operating in different parts of Southeast Asia such as Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines.The terrorist group has played a large part in redefining internal security in the region due to its attacks following the events of 9-11 such as the 2002 Bali Bombings and other campaigns of terror done by the JI in Indonesia,. More importantly, Yuchengco stressed on the growing problem that this groups are privately trained and funded by Middle-Eastern groups such as the Al Qaida network. This has led to a crackdown of terrorist and militant groups as well as the pressuring of the United States of respective SEA governments to crackdown on suspected militant groups, individuals and organizations (Vaughn, B., et al, 2009).Regional and International CooperationWith the bulk of developing nations concentrated in the Asian regions as well the various emerging economies in Asia, it is evident and imperative that one of the political trends in developing nati ons is the bolstering of regional and international cooperation both economically and politically.The bolstering of these two types of cooperation is vastly seen in the scope of Foreign Policy goals as both milieu and direct national goals. Milieu in the sense that these Asian nations are doing not for the self-interest of their country but rather â€Å"nations pursuing them are out not to defend or increase possessions they hold to the exclusion of others, but aim instead at shaping conditions beyond their national boundaries†. And secondly, direct national goals those that focus on national dependence, or national/collective security or the enhancement of trade relations and negations between two different nation-states (Wolfers, A., 1962).Regional and International cooperation has since become a trend due to the growing number of emerging and so-called â€Å"Tiger Economies† that have helped attract the interests of Western nations in the continent, this has helped to bring in foreign direct investments. More importantly the cooperation isn’t just focused primarily on nation-states economic agreements with one another but also the existence of international NGO’s aimed at developing different parts of developing countries. These NGO’s sole purpose is to help achieve sustainable development and provide livelihood and to help alleviate poverty and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor (Todaro, M., 2008).Increasing Divergence or Alternatively Growing ConvergenceFrom the effects of globalization it is evident that the through the political trends of the media, security and terrorism, and regional and international cooperation among developing and developed nation-states there is an alternatively growing convergence. Through the events following the end of the Cold War as well as numerous political upheavals in Asian and European countries that have led to countries being democratized, there is a convergence of political trends.Convergences in the sense that the factors  mentioned earlier have been able to establish significant changes in the internal political structures of a country, which have ultimately affected its relations with its neighboring countries. This convergence of political trends enables countries to share the same ideas and perspectives regarding key issues that would help or empower their country and other countries as well. Because of the strengthening of key issues, there are greater levels of cooperation and dialogue that helps in the advancement of relationships between nation-states.3. Identify and discuss the internal (domestic) and external factors that contributed to the democratization of a developing world. After identifying, discuss the comparative importance of both factors in the process of democratization. (Focus: 1 Asian country).PhilippinesThe Philippines has long been considered to be the bastion of democracy in the Asian continent, moreover it is also its old est democratic country. In nearly a century, the Philippines has progressed democratically internally through the following aspects: democratic transitions after Marcos’ regime, the existence of constitutional reforms. On the other hand the external factors that contributed to the democratization of the developing world are: the Philippines’ relations with former communist countries and its relationship with the Islamic countriesInternal FactorsInternally, the Philippines contributed to the democratization of the world by showing exactly how it transitioned democratically from an authoritarian regime to that of a democratic one. It was the events of People Power I and thereafter that showed how much progress the Philippines had made during its darkest days. The People Power revolution showed that when the government becomes a problem, as specified in some of the categories when a democratic government is no longer a democratic one when its people has lost its trust on the government, it destroys the community order and many more.These  distinctions helped to unify the people to action because of the belief that democracy should fulfill and meet the expectations of its people. In the context of Philippine society, Marcosian rule helped to create a vibrant civil society hence Clifton Sherrill (2006 p. 224) states, â€Å"the need for such groups is critical given the existing social order.Because the traditional elites dominate society, only through mass organization can the lower class establish an audible political view†, in this statement it was evident that political participation by the people were severely limited. In any democratic country, civil society allows for the people to voice out their concerns, that Mark Warren (2002 p. 681) states that when the government has failed to realize the promises it had set out to fill, the citizens become critical of their government, thus the establishment is seen as â€Å"incompetent, untrust worthy, and even corrupt†.More importantly civil society drawing their experiences from the Martial Law period has opted to stay on the streets, since civil society is composed of different groups each with varying opinions â€Å"these groups have consistently played a crucial role in mobilizing civil society to defend the democratic transition and to check authoritarian tendencies on the part of political elites† (Eaton, K., 2003, p. 487). Hence it can be concluded that from our experiences under Marcos’ rule we have managed to create a democracy that is more critical and observant of the movement of the government. It is able to discernAnother aspect of democratic transitions after Marcos’ rule are the constitutional reforms enacted, mainly the creation of a multi-party/party-list system and the safeguards embodied in the constitution against authoritarian tendencies. Firstly the 1987 Philippine constitution allowed and introduced provisions that were â €Å"designed to widen democratic space and allow for greater participation of other sectors in Philippine society† and more importantly the inception of the party-list law was to serve as the mechanism for proportional representation in the different marginalized sectors of society (Teehankee, n.d. p. 180; p. 182).Through the introduction of such a provision, this allowed for greater civic participation of the people, the allowing of different marginalized groups help to put key issues of concerns such as: development, rights and those that have minimal representation or who have no voice in society (i.e. the  unborn). On the other hand, the framers of the constitution also included specific portions in the constitution that would limit the powers of the president and the military. Some of the basic safeguards is the often cited principle of â€Å"checks and balances† but more than that, the constitution also implemented provisions such as the declaration of martial law with the concurrence of the congress, the creation of the Sandiganbayan to curtail graft and corruption within the government (De Leon, H., 2001).External FactorsExternally the Philippines has contributed to the democratization of developing countries by pursuing a foreign policy that is mutually beneficial to both parties. In this portion of the paper I will be discussing how the Philippines in a span of 50 years or so years has maintained diplomatic and democratic relations between Islamic countries and former Communist countries. These external relations done by the Philippines shows how democracy has helped the country establish important economic and political linkages with many of the world’s fledgling democracies and maintain cordial relations with international organizations with regards to its own internal conflicts. I begin by looking at the Philippines and its relation with the Islamic countries, then by looking at the Philippines and its relations with a commu nist country, particularly that of China.The Philippines and the Islamic countries relationship has long been a colorful one, it stems from the Philippines’ relations with other Islamic nations. A relationship that had relied heavily on global interdependency in the Middle East, due to the large supply of oil in the region, the need to expand the markets of the Philippines, and the growing number of OFW’s in the region (Wadi, J., 1998). It was because of these key factors that the Philippines has remained strong diplomatic relations with the other Islamic countries, this type of relationship was geared towards a mutual interdependence both financially and economically. However, the Philippines had also play a significant role with regards to its special relationship with the United States.This relationship with the US as well as their influence over the Philippines’ foreign policy had alienated other countries, particularly Pakistan after the creation of the Isr aeli state in  1948. It was only in 1973 during the Arab oil boycott that the Philippines â€Å"embarked on an unprecedented diplomatic offensive to recognize almost twenty countries in the Islamic world in the 70s†. This form of action helped to bolster the presence of the Middle East not just in the Asian continent but also help in the growth of their presence in the Southeast Asian region. The pursuit of mutual interdependence is largely seen as an effort to democratize relations between former colonial countries as well as to establish strong cultural and economical linkages that would help the Philippines in tackling many of its internal problems, notably the conflicts in Mindanao.The second aspect is the relationship of the Philippines with other communist countries notably the People’s Republic of China (PRC) during the 1970s when it was advocating for the implementation of the â€Å"One China Policy† in the UN. The relationship of the two countries are strongly linked with our earlier formal diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC) or Taiwan, during the height of the Cold War, the Philippines had maintained a decisively strong anti-communist stance and thus resolved to deal mostly with Taiwan, which at the time was the duly-recognized Chinese country.Our foreign relations with the ROC (due in part to the influence of Americans) were primarily focused on maintaining a strategic military advancement within the region as well as the curtailing of the spread of communism within the region. However, much in the same way that the 1973 Arab oil boycott affected the country, under the presidency of Marcos, the country began establishing more formal diplomatic relations with the PRC. A relationship that was to help the Philippines sustain growth by accepting oil shipments from them in exchange for the PRC to import Philippine products such as coconut oil, lumber sugar, copper ore, and other metals. Hence in the years that fol lowed, even after the fall of communism, the country’s relationship with China has been economically and culturally focused (Lim, B., 1998).Comparative ImportanceThe comparative importance of the two factors is seen in their reciprocation  towards one another. In the context of Philippine politics and society, internally we face numerous problems that hinder our growth and development, especially after numerous political and social upheavals that have constantly marred our progress and image towards other Asian nations. However, through the enactment of certain reforms internally, we are thereby creating a political landscape bereft of anomalies and other discrepancies that would otherwise hinder the maturation of the country’s political system.It was because of the events of Martial Law and the People Power Revolution during the early 70’s and the late 80’s that we have managed to transform the country into one that is highly critical of the actions of the government and yet allow it to function within the rule of the civilians as opposed to the rule of the military. More importantly, through the advancement of civic participation within the country, the Philippines is able to garner a wider perspective and opinion on the issues that it needs to tackle. By creating a strong society, the country is able to externally project itself as able to handle different and vital political relations that would be beneficial to the establishment of a stronger society both politically and economically.