Modern Day versus Civil War Racism in America :: Race

Today racism still exists, but not to the extent that it did during Civil War times. There is still the same amount if not more racism today even though it is very subtle in how it is displayed and also, due to laws that protect US citizens from it. Racism can be displayed through the media, marriage, and even at public schools. Usually television commercials are used to bring the good out of different products and the people that consume or sell the product, but sometimes the commercial will bring out the good in the product, but bring out the bad in the person. One example of this kind of advertisement would be a McDonald’s commercial that aired not too long ago. The setting was in a McDonald’s restaurant with two young, blank males. Each talking about how great a chicken dish was off the 1.00 Menu, but at the same time some foul language was being bleeped out. This helps contribute to some people’s beliefs that all black men do not care about the use of their language in public. Although, the use of foul language from rap music may trigger this, but how racist can this get? The media will also show racism in everyday situations. During a 20/20 episode that aired lately there were different situations that helped bring out the racism in everyday, white Americans. The first situations were about a group of young, white, teenage boys that stated to vandalize a car in this parking lot. During this several bystanders took a look and kept on walking by and only some people called the police. The second scenario was another group of teenage boys, but this time they were black. The setting was in the same parking lot, but there was not vandalism going on these young boys were just sleeping in the car. Again several white bystanders walked by and almost all of them called the police on the sleeping boys. These young men were just taking a nap in their car, not causing any problems. The third and last scenario was the same black boys, but this time they were vandalizing a car and every single one of the bystanders called the police like the world was goi ng to end if they did not. This shows the racism when it comes to the difference between white and black men in certain situations.

College vs High School Essay

A major part in someone’s life is going away to college and can be a frightening time for some people. Some say that college and high school are very common; I have found them to be very different in many ways. I enjoy college more than I did high school. I have more control over my education in college. I noticed that freedom, the amount of work, and responsibilities have changed since I’ve been in college. The freedom of a high school student is unfortunately limited. The curfew of a high school student is usually set during the weekends. By law a child under the age of eighteen has to be in the house by midnight. For example, my mother would set me a curfew and if I did not obey it, I would be grounded and not be able to do anything for a couple of weeks. I believe a high school student does not have any freedom because they live with their parents’ and have to follow the guidelines that were made. A college student has a ton of freedom. Most college students do not live at home with their parents so they are able to do whatever they want, whenever they want. They have the choice to decide if they want to attend class that day or not. Unlike high school students, college students do not have classes for eight hours a day consecutively. They are able to decide what they are going to do with the rest of their time off for the day. The amount of work in high school was not as much as there is in college. For example, a high school student is tested bi-weekly. Therefore there are plenty of grades that make it easier to have a better grade in that class. I believe high school was easier and more lenient due to the fact the teachers were more personal with their students. For example if I needed help with a math assignment I could go to my teacher after school each day if I needed it. In college a student would go to their academic support center, email the teacher or ask a friend. In high school you were told what classes you had to take and only got to choose a couple classes that you wanted. In college you can choose to take any class you want as long as it doesn’t interfere with your prerequisites or the class is not full. Now that I have been able to choose the classes I have wanted I found that I am much more interested in them. In high school I would always dread going to that one math class or social studies class because the subject didn’t interest me. The hardest thing so far about college is trying to manage my time. Now that I have more freedom I also have more bills. Finding time to work, go to school, do homework/study, and trying to find time to hang out with friends has become more and more difficult in the past few months since I have started college. In high school you would go to school go home and do home work for a hour or two and leave the house for the rest of the night. If you ever needed money your parents would just hand it to you and now if you need money from your parents it can take a week to get to you. Although college has been a huge change to my life and I have had a couple rocky parts on the way I have found it to be an exciting new experience.

Classical Analysis

Alyssa Huskinson COMS 100B, Fall 2012 8 October 2012 Classical Analysis In an Absolut World Absolut vodka is based on 500 years of tradition originating in Sweden. Under the original name â€Å"Absolut rent branvin,† which means â€Å"absolutely pure vodka,† Absolut was introduced in the United States in 1979 and since has become one of the world’s most famous spirits. The advertisement campaign, In an Absolut World, was just another successful entry in the company’s advertising history, and Absolut advertising continues to be recognized as pure genius (cite).The purpose of the In an Absolut World campaign was to convey the idea that Absolut is indeed in a world of its own. The campaign challenges customary view points by presenting a refreshing optimistic perspective of everyday life, in a world of its own. One specific artifact, called the â€Å"taxi† piece, illustrates a few people leaving a bar and having to navigate the aisles of persuasion by choosing which cab to take home (since, in this particular world there is a sea of taxis from which to choose).The question to be answered remains: what if everything in the â€Å"real† world was a little more â€Å"Absolut† and perfect? The message presented across the various examples within the campaign remains constant, as to reveal a work of art, for the audience to explore and communicate within the world of Absolut. Kenneth Burke (year) defined the rhetorical function of language as â€Å"a symbolic means of inducing cooperation in beings that by nature respond to symbols† (p. #).If this campaign sparks any response in beings, then according to Burke, in an Absolut/absolute world, the power of language is identification. This campaign visually indentifies the language of the text as being luminescent, while asking a question about what would happen if everything in the real world could be perfect. The allure of Absolut vodka captivates the audience by con veying a unique invitation to be a part of the Absolut World. With the inception of the Internet and increased availability, advertisements have the opportunity to influence society in a tremendous way.In these advertisements, â€Å"Drinkers are invited to imbibe ‘in an Absolut World,’ a fanciful, even surreal, place where common sense prevails and just deserts are always on the menu,† (Elliot, 2007, p. #). The advertisements in the campaign were created to show the view of Absolut’s World, so that the consumer has the opportunity to respond and react. [You’ve given us a somewhat abrupt transition from campaign-level (general) to artifact-level (specific)†¦try to ease me into it a bit more gently.I think a new paragraph is in order as well. ] The basis of the content in the artifact being analyzed here represents an example of the perfect world as Absolut sees it; in this example, a parking lot is full of taxis lined up and ready to go, and the patrons of the bar have multiple options for transportation home (none of which include driving themselves). The scene in this artifact takes place at night, under the glow of the street lights, which capture the mystic notion of the evening lifestyle.The taxis here are symbols for transportation, but they also portray the message of the Absolut World. [This last statement is quite powerful, but I don’t feel as if you developed it enough to leave it alone yet. What do you mean that they portray the message? Here’s what I THINK you’re saying: the taxis are how we know that we are viewing an idealized world, not the real world. In an idealized world, no one who enjoyed Absolut would have to worry about how she/he would get home safely, because the taxis would be there.The taxis deliver to real viewers and the fictional people in the artifact. ] This powerful campaign provides a framework for the culture of Absolut to establish a different viewpoint about the worl d in which people live; not only does this campaign function on multiple business levels, but it also speaks to consumers on a personal level by capturing pure emotions. This artifact depicts the desire for the perfect life. If taxis were always available, then would there be less drinking and driving? Could the Absolut world be the answer to drinking and driving?Given the opportunity, would people still take taxis home from the bar or use a designated driver, or is this notion of â€Å"absolute safety† real only In an Absolut world? According to the Center for Disease and Control (year), U. S. drivers got behind the wheel after drinking too much about 112 million times in 2010; of those 112 million, 4 out of 5 men were responsible (81%) for that statistic. [I think you should mention here that one way to ensure a complete end of drinking and driving would be to end drinking; however, such a solution would be ighly negative to Absolut’s bottom line, which is why a perf ect world according to Absolut still has drinking in it. The fact that they would ignore one solution to the social problem (drinking and driving) while advocating a second solution calls their credibility (ETHOS) into question, which also damages the effectiveness of the artifact. Don’t forget to connect to your method! ] Given the description, then, doing things differently can lead to extraordinary growth. Absolut’s message promotes a different impression of the brand.To establish this kind of message, it can be anticipated that it is useful to recall the past and to make guesses at the future (Stoner & Perkins, 2005). The In an Absolut World campaign comes from a credible company; the new campaign started after the successful 25 year run of another campaign, â€Å"Absolut _______† (which included memorable pieces such as â€Å"_____† and â€Å"_____†) (cite). [It’s another point about ethos, as far as I see it. Absolut built on the credi bility it had from the â€Å"Absolut ______† campaign to convince the audience to accept the â€Å"Absolut World† concept. Cicero’s canon of invention proves to be a useful lens with which to view and understand the artifact; given that the purpose of the piece is persuasion, the rhetor uses pathos and logos to enhance the article (in addition to the previously mentioned ethos that is also used). The need for a sober driver in any given situation is a logical argument. As indicated by the artifact’s warning to â€Å"Enjoy with Absolut Responsibility,† the company knows that drinking and driving leads to X deaths in the United States annually (cite).Absolut’s advocacy for a world where drinking and driving never mix is a suggestion based upon sound logic, and Absolut hopes the audience will respond favorably to that logic. Also, the artifact maintains a call of action to join the Absolut World—and in this perfect world, the creators as k their consumers to maintain the illusion. According to the New Scientist article, persuasion is a key element of all human interaction, from politics to marketing to everyday dealings with friends, family and colleagues. Persuasion is a basic form of social interaction,† says Eric Knowles (year), or a way in which people â€Å"build consensus and a common purpose† (p. #). Therefore, Absolut needs those who view the artifact to be persuaded not just to buy Absolut vodka, but also to believe in Absolut’s version of the world, in an attempt to bring that â€Å"Absolut† world to reality. Such lofty goals require expert use of ethos, pathos, and logos. According to Kenyon and Hutchinson (2007), Absolut advertisements include various socio-cultural references.The artifact simultaneously requests the responsibility of viewers in the real world, and celebrates the responsibility of the participants in the Absolut world. [Again, a really elegant point, but the ex planation that followed, the part you wrote (and I deleted), did not help make that great point concrete. Instead, you should point to pathos. The people in the Absolut world are presented as smart, responsible, and fun (you would include examples from the text to make that point†¦they are smiling and safe†¦whatever).The viewer in the real world wants to be seen as smart, responsible, and fun. Absolut creates here a feeling of wanting to be included and celebrated, which once again draws the audience closer to the brand. ] Absolut vodka has managed to maintain (and grow) the brand’s credibility, the emotions of the audience, and the logic of the message; therefore, the â€Å"In an Absolut World† taxi artifact is a successful example that builds a world of its own.This campaign and this artifact specifically make the viewer excited about the perfect world, while accepting and participating in the real world. Thus, the artifact has two results: the viewer feels positive about Absolut and may choose Absolut over another vodka brand, and the viewer might choose to embrace the Absolut world and the Absolut responsibility of avoiding drinking and driving. Would it really be so bad if the Absolut World intertwined with reality?Life is not designed to be easy, but if in fact it was the perfect, then imagine how different society would be. [Alyssa, you have lovely ideas†¦you just need to work on making the ideas full and complete, and then making sure your organization is seamless and smooth. ] +168/200. Works Cited Burke, G. K. (1932) â€Å"Towards a Better Life: Being a Series Epistles or Declamations, a Novel,† Harcourt, Brace and Company Ltd. CDC Features – Drinking and Driving: A Threat to Everyone. (n. d. ). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Retrieved October 5, 2012, from http://www. cdc. gov/Features/VitalSigns/DrinkingAndDriving Eight ways to get exactly what you want – life – 07 May 2008 â€⠀œ New Scientist. (n. d. ). Science news and science jobs from New Scientist – New Scientist. Retrieved October 5, 2012, from http://www. newscientist. com/article/mg19826551. 400-eight-ways-to-get-exactly-what-you-want. html Elliot, S. (2007, April 27) â€Å"In an ‘Absolut World,’ a Vodka Could Use the Same Ads for More Than 25 Years,† The New York Times. Retrieved Oct. 3, 2012. www. nytimes. com. Kenyon, J.A. , & Hutchinson, L. P. (2007) â€Å"Exploring rhetoric: alcohol and Absolut Vodka advertisements,† British Food Journal, Vol. 109 Iss: 8, pp. 594 – 607. Retrieved Oct. 3, 2012. www. emeraldinsight. com. Stoner, R. M. , & Perkins, J. S. (2005). â€Å"Making Sense of Messages: A Critical Apprenticeship in Rhetorical Criticism,† California State University pearsonhighered. com/educator/academic/product/0,3110,0205564518,00. html The official ABSOLUT website. (n. d. ). The official ABSOLUT website. Retrieved October 5, 2012, from htt p://www. absolut. com

On issue of reconstruction of Iraq after war Essay

One year after the war on Iraq was launched; the promise of improved human rights for Iraqi citizens remain far from realized, concludes a new report by Amnesty International. Twelve months on from the invasion of Iraq by the US-led coalition, the Iraqi people still suffer from serious human rights violations. The past year has seen scores of unarmed people killed due to excessive or unnecessary use of lethal force by Coalition forces during public demonstrations, at check points and in house raids. Thousands of people have been detained, often under harsh conditions, and subjected to prolonged and often unacknowledged detention. Many have been tortured or ill-treated and some have died in custody. Violence is endemic, whether in the form of attacks by armed groups or abuses by the occupying forces. Millions of people have suffered the consequences of destroyed or looted infrastructure, mass unemployment and uncertainty about their future. There is little or no confidence that all those responsible for human rights abuses, both past and present, will be brought to justice. After a year of war, lawlessness, spiralling violence and economic hardship, Iraqis face an uncertain future. For the next year to be better than the last, the occupying forces, Iraqi political and religious leaders and the international community must make a real commitment to protecting and promoting human rights in Iraq. A year after the war began Iraqi civilians are still being killed every day. Over 10,000 Iraqi civilians are estimated to have been killed since 18 March 2003 as a direct result of the military intervention in Iraq, either during the war or during the subsequent occupation. The figure is an estimate as the authorities are unwilling or unable to catalogue killings. Scores of civilians have been killed apparently as a result of excessive use of force by US troops, or have been shot dead in disputed circumstances. No US soldier has been prosecuted for illegally killing an Iraqi civilian. Iraqi courts, because of an order issued by the US-led authority in Baghdad in June 2003, are forbidden from hearing cases against US soldiers or any other foreign troops or foreign officials in Iraq. In effect, US soldiers are operating with total impunity. Iraqi civilians have also faced danger in the form of attacks, apparently carried out by armed groups that have been a growing feature of life in Iraq since the occupation began. The attacks have targeted the US military, Iraqi security personnel, Iraqi-controlled police stations, religious leaders and buildings, media workers, non-governmental organizations and UN agencies. They have resulted in the deaths of at least hundreds of civilians. To the extent that these bombings are part of a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population of Iraq in furtherance of an organization’s policy, they would constitute crimes against humanity. The lack of law and order continues to be a major concern in many areas of Iraq. Ensuring justice is fundamental for the countless victims of human rights violations in Iraq. Iraqis have suffered decades of grave violations by their government as well as abuses committed during the course of several conflicts, including the recent war and its aftermath. Fundamental changes to Iraq’s legal, judicial and penal systems are needed. Human rights must be at the centre of all efforts to rebuild and reconstruct Iraq. A failure to fully protect human rights in the process of change would be a betrayal of the Iraqi people, who have suffered so much in the past. CURRENT RECONSTRUCTION MOVEMENT The hopes to American and British plans of reconstruction of Iraq have cast serious doubts whether it will serve the rights of the Iraqis or the economic ends of US and UK. George Bush and company having a clear idea of the destruction they will unleash on the Iraqi people is beyond doubt. However, that does not deter them from following this disastrous course of action. The US government is prepared to spend around $12bn on attacking Iraq. So far it has only offered $65 million to provide them with the basics of life. This $65 million is expected to last less than 6 months but that is all right according to the calculations of the Bush administration. By then, the world media would have moved on to some new crisis, just as Afghanistan is now relegated to the inner most pages of newspapers. This $65 million should help contain the misery of the Iraqi people within some parameters for the brief period of time that they expect the world to pay attention to Iraq. The real â€Å"reconstruction† of Iraq has the US and UK, along with their cronies, salivating. In the name of reconstruction they will receive lucrative contracts for their respective private sectors. In the case of Iraq, the oil company Halliburton, which incidentally was headed by US Vice President Dick Cheney between 1995-2000, has already been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to clean up the Iraqi oilfields after the devastation of war, especially if a retreating Iraqi army puts them to fire. Other American and British oil companies are likely to exert complete control of Iraqi oilfields. Since the market for oil is relatively price-inelastic, and does not lend itself well to brand differentiation, control of supplies is everything in this industry. The prizes don’t come any bigger than the Iraqi oilfields. Other equally substantial payoffs await these companies in the future. For instance, apart from the immediate profits and control of natural resources, first mover advantages in these markets are bound to be enormous. As Steven Schooner, a George Washington University law professor maintains â€Å"the most sophisticated firms that come in first, and establish good will with the locals obviously will reap huge benefits down the road. These are going to become brand names in Iraq.

What are the arguments for and against the state taking on responsibility for social welfare?

The different arguments for and against the state taking on responsibility for social welfare have been powerfully put across by people of opposing political persuasions in Britain over the last 60 years. In this essay, therefore, I intend to use Britain's welfare state to exemplify arguments for and against the state taking primary responsibility for social welfare. The welfare state in Britain was introduced in 1945 by the newly elected Labour government. Although this was the first comprehensive attempt at creating a functional welfare state it is important to note that it was not an entirely new policy. In fact, we can trace back to 1601 to find an early attempt at implementing a state welfare provision – the Poor Law. The theory behind this legislation was that the poor were to be categorized into the deserving (â€Å"the impotent poor†) and the undeserving (â€Å"the persistent idlers†). There were many obvious flaws in the methodology and logic in the implementation of the Poor Law but it must be recognised that this was an early attempt at providing a social welfare system. This demonstrates that for hundreds of years a case has been made for some measure of state social welfare provision. It is also vital not to underestimate the impact the studies carried out by social researchers such as Rowntree (1901) and Booth (1902) had on the forming and implementation of a social welfare provision in 1945. The Beveridge report (1942) pointed to the â€Å"chaotic† and â€Å"piecemeal† introduction of changes into the system and stated the need for a new and more comprehensive system to be installed. Beveridge's report was underpinned by the need to cure the â€Å"five giants†. Beveridge identified these â€Å"five giants† as: Idleness, Squalor, Ignorance, Want and Disease. He identified the need for a state commitment to securing full employment to combat idleness. He argued public housing must be available for all citizens to rent. To cure ignorance he suggested the need for a free education system for anyone up to the age of 15. He suggested the implementation of a national health service to help cure disease. Finally, Beveridge argued that National Insurance benefits should be handed out to all in need. The welfare state had to be introduced in a series of acts, notably the National Health Service Act (1946), the Education Act (1944), the Family Allowance Act (1945). At the time there was much reluctance towards carrying out all of the proposals. The arguments against this degree of state provision stemmed from concerns about cost and the fundamental principles of welfare (e. g. how decisions are made and who should be entitled to receive welfare). Because of the reluctance that grew from the fact that these arguments were never resolved. Beveridge's suggestions were never fully implemented but his ideas still clearly formed the inspiration for the future of welfare reform. One of the main criticisms of Beveridge's proposals and of the concept of a welfare state is that a number of important assumptions have to be made for it to function successfully. For example, within the report, Beveridge makes the assumption that married women would be full time housewives and that for most of their lives women would not be employed. Therefore, married women would only receive benefits through men, thus, creating a culture which encourages women's reliance on men. Because of this feminists have argued that the British welfare state relied on a â€Å"familial ideology† and treated women as second class citizens. This example of the role of women within the welfare state illustrates the point that any welfare system is not neutral that is based on ideological assumptions. These assumptions will influence the way that different members of the public will respond to state provision of welfare. Another example of these ideological assumptions would be the 17th century belief that only the â€Å"impotent poor† deserve state welfare. The economics of Britain's state welfare system have also come under a lot of criticism. These critics argue there are some fundamental flaws with the economic ideology underpinning the system. Firstly, for the welfare state to operate properly and fairly their must be nearly full employment in the country where it is based as, in theory, this will maximize tax revenue and minimize unemployment benefits. This system worked relatively effectively until the early 1970's. However, due to the relative decline of the UK economy, Britain suffered an economic crisis and unemployment started rising rapidly. Since then mass unemployment has been a serious problem within British society. Critics suggest that this is proof of how dependent a welfare state is on a prosperous economy. Basically this meant that the welfare state was reliant on capitalism – rather than contributing to the undermining or softening of its most brutal aspects . The New Right have made strong arguments against state welfare provision. The 1979 election brought into power a conservative government that had a new and radical approach to public expenditure and the welfare state as a whole. Probably the most notable change in policy brought in by the New Right was the end of the commitment to full employment that previous governments had encouraged. The New Right believed in a â€Å"natural level of employment†. They felt that this â€Å"natural level of employment† was being undermined by wages being too high due to the actions of trade unions. Therefore, they argued that the market would solve unemployment by creating downward pressure on wages. Because of this, the differential between wages and benefits was increased by creating downward pressure on benefit levels and therefore welfare expenditure. However, despite this right wing shift in political thinking, there was no major change in welfare expenditure until the late 1980's. The year 1988 was an important one in terms of implications for the welfare state as it represented a far more radical application of New Right thinking towards the welfare state. Firstly, the New Right introduced a shift from the previous system of universal provision towards a system based more upon selective provision. For example, some of the benefits that were previously available to everyone (universal) became only available to some via a â€Å"means test† (selective). This was a big move that completely contradicted the universal method employed by previous more left wing governments. Another change made by the New Right was the introduction of privatization and marketization. An example of this is the case of the sale of council houses. The public housing stock was privatized and sold off in an attempt to create a market for the council housing which had originally in Beveridge's thinking, been intended for public ownership and private rent. Another major shift made by the Conservative government was towards community care. There was a trend for mentally ill, elderly and disabled people to be moved from institutions to care in the community. However, what this basically meant was that rather than institutional care the responsibility was shifted onto the family. It is also very important to note that care in the community was considerably cheaper for the state to maintain than institutional care. The New Right also consciously made an effort to change the public's perception of welfare – shifting away from the view that the state is the only provider of welfare. The responsibility of the state was reduced through the encouragement of private provision and by emphasizing the importance of the charitable and voluntary sector. This is one of the central strands of the argument against state welfare provision. At this juncture it is important to consider the effect privatization has had on society and the welfare state. Since the New Right introduced new policy pertaining to welfare in 1979 there have been a number of examples of the UK government seeking to encourage private provision of welfare. People have been encouraged to take out private insurance plans for their welfare needs and the number of people covered by private health insurance rose from 2. million to 5. 2 million between 1976 and 1986 (Julian Le Grand, 1990). In the mid 1980's the Conservative government tried to shift sickness insurance and pension insurance into the private sector also. These plans, however, never came to fruition owing to major criticism and insurance companies expressing a reluctance to take up policies for all employees Hutton (1996) strongly criticizes the New Rights welfare expenditure policy. He argues against the belief that public expenditure should be reduced during troubled times for the economy. Hutton believes that the cuts are spurred by political ideology rather then by economic need. In Hutton's words â€Å"apart from Iceland, Britain runs the meanest, tightest, lowest-cost social security system in the world†. Hutton alleges that the twenty-first century will see a large rise in the amount of tax revenue available to fund welfare payments. The voluntary sector must also be discussed when considering arguments for and against the state taking on responsibility for the welfare state. Organizations such as Barnados, the Salvation Army and the NSPCC provide voluntary care. They serve a different role to statutory bodies set up by Parliament, but the views of these voluntary providers are respected and need to be taken into account as well. These organizations tend to have specialized expertise and experience in certain areas and the government can benefit from this knowledge. A major bonus of voluntary provision is that they are often very cost effective as unpaid volunteers are often used. It is estimated by Knapp (1989) that the total amount of public-sector support for voluntary provision between 1983 and 1986 was i3151 million. However, there are also inherent weaknesses in voluntary provision. The biggest and most blatant problem stems from the nature of voluntary work as it cannot be guaranteed. Critics also point to the fact that voluntary work may be unequally provided across the country. The service can therefore be inconsistent and the advice from the voluntary sector to government might differ depending on the region. It is also suggested that due to financial restrictions the voluntary sector will never be anything more than a secondary level service that relies on the state or private sector provision. Social security benefits are the most redistributive aspect of the welfare state as they distribute income to the poorest people in the country. A point in favour of a social welfare system, from a socialist or social democratic perspective, is that the social security benefits can be used to redistribute wealth to make society economically fairer by heavily taxing the rich and giving it to the poorest people in society. On the other hand, opponents see this as a Robin Hood aspect of state social welfare which demotivates both the richest and the poorest people in the country – encouraging idleness (one of the â€Å"five giants† beveridge was trying to eradicate) amongst the poor and encouraging the rich to leave the country. The New Right when in power, therefore, cut back on the redistributive aspects of welfare provision. The one-off grant system that was previously in effect was replaced in the 1986 and 1988 security acts and 16 to 18 year olds entitlement to income support was revoked. In current political debates the Conservative party, now in opposition frequently accuse the Labour party of redistributing wealth from the rich to the poor via â€Å"underhand† or â€Å"stealthy† methods. This is an indication that the argument about the extent to which the state should take responsibility for social welfare remains highly contested. Where you stand on this issue is fundamental to your political beliefs and how you will vote.

Outline the Nature of Supermarkets Power on the High Street and Beyond Essay

Outline The Nature of Supermarkets Power On The High Street and Beyond. This essay is looking at the power of supermarkets and how they use this power. The word power is often used to â€Å"denote influence, control or domination† (Allen, 2009, p. 9) Supermarkets use this power over suppliers, workers, Councils, consumers and other shops and there are conflicting views as to whether this power is used for the good of everyone or at the expense of everyone other than the supermarkets themselves or as Dennis Wrong (1977) calls it Positive Sum Game- â€Å"where all parties involved benefit to some extent† or Zero Sum Game- â€Å"where supermarkets wield their power at the expense of others† (Allen, 2009, p. 70) Supermarkets due to their sheer size and buying power have a huge advantage over the small independent high street shops. They offer a massive choice of products at a low price because they are able to buy in large quantities at discounted prices, sometimes even below cost price. These out of town supermarkets have convenient parking and consumers are able to do all their shopping in one place, from food, clothing, electrical equipment, financial services, gas and electricity etc†¦ This all makes shopping in these retail parks easier and cheaper for the consumer and the smaller independent high street shops are unable to match these prices, choices and convenience and are therefore unable to compete against the giants. As we’ve seen a move towards more out-of-town, car-dependent stores with large-format retail dominating, its driven trade away from town centres which has clearly had an impact on the small shops that are there, and we see approximately fifty small shops, independent shops, closing every week† Helen Rimmer (Friends of the earth) (‘Evidence in the social sciences’, 2009 track 1) The big supermarkets have also introduced small high street Metro and Express stores to put further pressure on the independents and gain those consumers without cars and who are unable to get to the out of town retail park. According to Helen Rimmer (Friends of the Earth) â€Å"There’s been a study of the impact of Tesco Express which is the Tesco convenience store when they’ve moved into an area, that generally led to a decline, in the small shops locally, of about 30 to 40 per cent† (‘Evidence in the social sciences’, 2009 track 1) To keep their prices low, Supermarkets are putting huge pressures on suppliers both in the UK and globally, they are often dictating how much they will pay and even the size, shape and colour of fruit and vegetables. To meet these demands suppliers are being forced to cut their cost to the bare minimum and in many cases are operating at a loss, forcing the smaller suppliers out of business. There is massive wastage, as food is rejected if it doesn’t conform to the set cosmetic appearance that the supermarkets have imposed, often sacrificing taste and flavour for appearance. Farmers have been known to plough crops back into the land when they have been rejected or the supermarket wants to pay a ridiculously low price. The cost of this wastage is usually met by the supplier, as are the ‘buy one get one free’ (BOGOF) deals that the supermarkets offer to entice their customers. This cost cutting is passed onto their workers both in the UK and abroad. In the UK they are more often than not migrant agency workers who pick and sort the salad crops, who are paid very low wages, sometimes below the cost of living. â€Å"There is a high price to be paid for cheap goods and that cost is borne one-sidedly by the weakest and least powerful groups in the supply chain† (Allen, 2009, p. 3) Meanwhile abroad, cheap clothing is produced in sweatshops, with exploited workers enduring poor conditions, long hours and being paid an inadequate wage. â€Å"The true cost of the cheap jeans and trousers, as well as the bargain-priced shoes, which line Asda’s and Tesco’s aisles, War on Want claim, is the absence of a living wage for workers in their supply chain† (Allen, 2009, p. 85) However the fact that this work is being sourced in Asia means that the clothing industry in these countries is expanding rapidly and this means work that was not there previously. These jobs are in demand by the locals as it means a way out of poverty for them, â€Å"the last thing a country like this wants is for the big retailers to stop sourcing their labour from them. That, it is pointed out, would threaten the steadily rising living standards of the garment workers†. (Allen, 2009, p. 91) Supermarkets use their power over local government to persuade them to allow the further development of new stores. This is done by a method called ‘Planning Gain’ in which they pay for civic facilities to be built i. e. : leisure centres and Doctors surgeries, in return for planning permission for a new store. These developments are Sometimes in run down, poor areas and the development of a new store can be interpreted as a good thing in helping the regeneration of the area, creating new jobs for the unemployed and encouraging new business into the area. Again there is controversy surrounding this, many believe it is for the good of the community and other believing it is â€Å"merely the latest in a series of opportunistic moves by them to get stores built at a time when planners and government frown upon out-of–town developments† (Allen, 2009, p. 4) The supermarkets are providing consumers with what they want. Cheap products in the current climate of recession are a necessity for many having to tighten their belts. The ease of having everything in one place makes it convenient to shop for those who have cars and can get to the out of town stores. â€Å"People like what supermarkets do and the efficiencies that come from the scale of their operations, the quality and choice that they’re able to offer, the prices that people find appealing are all reasons why people choose to shop in supermarkets. Richard Dodd (British retail consortium. )(‘Evidence in the social sciences’ 2009, track 1) There is no doubt that supermarkets are powerful and it is very often a zero-sum game for their suppliers, the supplier’s workforce, and the independent shops on the high street, when they wield this power against them. Town centres and the smaller independent shops are in decline, â€Å"12 per cent of town centre retail premises are now vacant compared with 4 per cent last autumn so that’s a threefold increase†. Richard Dodd (British Retail Consortium) (‘Evidence in the social sciences’ 2009, track 1) and many farmers are going out of business. The consumers however are getting what they want, but at what cost! In this consumer Society that we live in they are seduced by the choice and bargains and turn a blind eye to the lengths the supermarkets are prepared to go to give them this. The exploitation of the workers in the sweatshops of Asia, the bullying of the farmers to sell their milk, fruit and vegetables to them at the price they dictate and the small shops being put out of business. Yes supermarkets are powerful but at the end of the day it is the consumer who is enabling them to continue being so. â€Å"If customers like what a retailer is offering, they will choose that particular store or type of store and they’ll use it. If the retailer gets it wrong, the customers won’t show up and that retailer will very quickly go out of business. It is customers who have the power in all of this†. Richard Dodd (British retail consortium) (‘Evidence in the social sciences’ 2009, track 1)

Lies My Teacher Told Me Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lies My Teacher Told Me - Assignment Example The true celebration was not for founding America, but from massacring natives.The first impact was the plague. Diseases from European animals like cowpox becoming smallpox, chickenpox, and other diseases. This created a plague that killed the Anishinaabe. The second impact was the taking of land. Land and resources once available became unavailable due to the settlers fences, armies, and settlements. Finally, another impact was the loss of life and freedom. Natives were enslaved or massacred. The Wampanoag people allied with the pilgrims due to the weakening of the tribe due to the plaque. After losing so many tribe members, the Wampanoag leader wanted to have help from other native tribes. He was especially concerned about the Narragansetts in the west. However, the Wampanoag tribe was decimated by a fresh outbreak of smallpox. By the time the tribe recovered a little bit, the settlers had taken over the land and villages once inhabited by the natives. The main difference between the natives and European worldviews was regarding nature. The Europeans believed territories and lands were made to conquer. Europeans did not just believe the land was to conquer but to be exploited as well. Gold, timber, sugar, crops, and other things could be mined from the new land. The natives believed that they did not own the land. They took what was needed, but left the rest. Europeans wanted dominance over nature. That was what man was put on Earth for. The natives did not want dominance, but peace with nature. This was the main difference between the two peoples.