Saturday, November 9, 2019
The Wrong Side of Attraction
ââ¬Å"Love Can Be Deceivingâ⬠, most people would say, but Tommy Shooter did not believe so. A General in the United States Marines in his mid-30ââ¬â¢s, Tommy was muscular, quick-tempered, highly trained sniper. One day Tommy led his troops to Afghanistan in search of terrorists when they were ambushed. Tommy was shot in the leg during this and, the medics quickly carried him and his other injured soldiers to the chopper where they were air lifted to the military hospital in Paris, France. Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctors took Tommy to a room for emergency surgery. Dr. Schollââ¬â¢s Ph. D. , calls for his top nurse to come and assist him. Walking into the room with her candy stripe nurses uniform, was a mid-20s Italian brunette woman with hazel green eyes and a smile to brighten any manââ¬â¢s day. Smitten with love at first sight, Tommy tried repeatedly to gain Blairââ¬â¢s attention. Blair growing up in a wealthy family was very independent and did not want to have to live on her familyââ¬â¢s fortune. Blair wanted to work and make her own money. Her dream was to become a Certified Nurse in a big city. She found her dream job in Paris miles away from her family back in Italy. Blair saw Tommy as a cocky general, who always tried to sweet talk her. Every morning when Blair entered his room, the first thing she dreaded to hear from Tommy was ââ¬Å"Hello Nurseâ⬠!!!!!! Tommy wore the biggest smile after yelling this to her. After a while, she began to enjoy hearing him say that to her. ââ¬Å"At least I know he has great tasteâ⬠, Blair would always say. Tommy was held in the hospital for a month before being released, but every morning he would come to Blair with his ââ¬Å"Hello Nurseâ⬠and twelve dozen roses, before leaving he always told Blair that she would be his wife. Blair found his persistence very attractive, so she decided to give him a chance; they were married under the Eiffel Tower, and they settled in and off base fancy townhouse flat near every tourist attraction and venue in the heart of Paris, France. They love their new home, marriage, and romantic Paris atmosphere. One day Blair opens her mailbox to find a ââ¬Å"FREE Two Person Admissionâ⬠to The Number One Magic Show in Paris, France. The night of June Fourteenth two-thousand seven, Tommy received a call that would change everything for Blair and him. He was to be deployed back to Afghanistan. Tommy was not surprised, but he did not know how to tell Blair, since it was the night before their one year anniversary. Upon departure, Tommy says to Blair that he is in love with her and that he would love for her to enjoy herself at the show even though he will not be there, but he will come back home to her soon. After Tommyââ¬â¢s departure, Blair decides to pick up her tears and to enjoy the Paris scenery. Leaving her townhouse flat, Blair sits to an outside restaurant and helps herself to a meal. As the night falls, Blair decides to attend the magic show. ââ¬Å"I will write Tommy as soon as I get home to tell him about my dayâ⬠. Blair says sipping her martini. ââ¬Å"Hello my name is Johnny Chan and this is my friend Natasha McBain. There before her stood a good-looking low-musculared Asian man. ââ¬Å"Hi my name is Blair Shooter, I am a LPN at the Paris Military Hospital, what about you guysâ⬠, Blair says with a smile. ââ¬Å"I have recently opened a Computer Technicianââ¬â¢s Store and if you need your computer or laptop fixed, donââ¬â¢t hesitate to let me know. FREE of Charge first visit,â⬠Johnny says sipping his beer. ââ¬Å"Hello my name is Natasha McBain she wore dark-blonde hair as if painted by an artist, curvaceous , and in her early thirties. Iââ¬â¢m a supermodel in every top magazine, and itââ¬â¢s so nice to meet you. â⬠Blair did not really like Natasha but enjoyed her and Johnnyââ¬â¢s company. Suddenly, the lights dims, ââ¬Å"Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Michael Dunn and I am your magician for tonight prepare to be amazed!!!! â⬠Blair was very amazed not at the show, but with her love of magic and mystery Blair saw most of the tricks. The disappearing act, cutting the box in half, and the pulling the rabbit out of the hat trick, but Blairââ¬â¢s attention was on Michael himself. This white debonair magician, ââ¬Å"Looks like heââ¬â¢s in his mid-twentiesâ⬠, Blair says to herself. ââ¬Å"And for my last trick ladies and gentlemen, I will need one volunteer, How about you missâ⬠, Michael says smiling at Blair. ââ¬Å"Why not, I love magicâ⬠Blair says. ââ¬Å"Great I am going to hypnotize you with your consent or courseâ⬠, Michael says. ââ¬Å"Of course,â⬠Blair says before falling asleep. The crowd clasp and Blair becomes awakened, blinded by the spotlight Blair smiles confusingly and sits back in her seat. Sheââ¬â¢s was puzzled without any recollection of the trick or anything. After the show, Blair could only think of Michael, he approached her before she went out of the theatre. ââ¬Å"I know you feel this connection between usâ⬠, Blair looked into Michaelââ¬â¢s eyes. ââ¬Å"Yesâ⬠she says. That night, Blair slepted in Michaelââ¬â¢s arms, as if she was with her true love. ââ¬Å" Be Careful Who You Fall Forâ⬠ââ¬Å"It has been two years, and I am ready to see my wife. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) will not hold me down, my wifeââ¬â¢s love can heal meâ⬠, Tommy says to himself. Departing the plane he notices that Blair is not there to greet him, puzzled he catches a cab to his townhouse flat. ââ¬Å"Honey, Iââ¬â¢m here!!! Tommy yells to find her not there. ââ¬Å"I wonder where she could be Tommy thought to himself. Two months pass and Blair finally enters their townhouse flat. ââ¬Å"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!!? â⬠Tommy yells. Nonchalantly Blair says ââ¬Å"Oh with friends, and when did you get here umm Tommy, yeah thatââ¬â¢s right, as if forgetting his name. ââ¬Å"Friends for two months!!! Tommy snarled ââ¬Å"Yesâ⬠Blair smiled. ââ¬Å"I am not going to argue with you umm Tommy Iââ¬â¢m going out we will talk laterâ⬠Blair says slamming the door behind her. Suspicious Tommy follows his wife to a Magic Theatre, walking closer Tommy hears his wife involved with another man. Love can be deceiving,â⬠Tommy says leaving the theatre he gets into his car and grabs his pistol thinking to himself. ââ¬Å"I am confused, broken-hearted and in rageâ⬠¦I will kill him, and herâ⬠ââ¬Å"NO!!.. â⬠ââ¬Å"I need a drinkâ⬠, Tommy says getting back into his car he drives to the bar near his home. At the bar, drowning in liquior, Tommy is approached by this gorgeous, dark blonde-haired, blue eyes, curvaceous woman. ââ¬Å"Hi do you need a friend my name is Natasha McBain, I noticed that you seem in need of someone to talk to as well as I doâ⬠. ââ¬Å"Thatââ¬â¢s fineâ⬠, Michael says gathering his attention back to his drink. Tommy and Natasha confide in one another over the night, Natasha tells Tommy of her on again off again friend/lover Johnny Chan, and Tommy confides to Natasha by telling her of his wifeââ¬â¢s betrayal, his marriage, and uncertain future. ââ¬Å"I will fight for my marriage!! â⬠, Tommy says in a drunken bluster. As the time passes they comforted each other physically and emotionally, and the next morning Natasha was gone. Without any sign from Blair, Tommy grabs his rifle and sets out to her lovers place. Seven oââ¬â¢ clock that morning, Tommy wakes to hear Blairââ¬â¢s laughter. Posted above the roof-top across the street from Blair and her lovers place, Tommy quickly wiped his eyes and perched himself across the ledge with his rifle assembled and aimed. As Tommy looks in the scope to pull the trigger on Michael, Blair jumps into the shot hugging and kissing Michael. Tommy heart drops ââ¬Å"this was a waste of my time, maybe I should just let her be with himâ⬠, Tommy says packing up his gun. ââ¬Å"NONSENSEâ⬠a voice in the shadows says. ââ¬Å"Who is that? Who is thereâ⬠, Tommy says frightened. ââ¬Å"Pardon me sir, I would love to offer you a deal in your dilemma,â⬠says the stranger. That man you tried killing. I can give you all of the power you can ever imagine, all you have to do is succeed in eliminating him. Heââ¬â¢s cheating with your wife and thatââ¬â¢s not right, I will give you a more powerful life.. a better lifeâ⬠¦his lifeâ⬠, says the stranger . ââ¬Å" Who are you and how do you know what I am going through? â⬠Tommy yells. ââ¬Å"My apologiesâ⬠, the stranger says, my name is Steven Clay appearing from the shadows there stood a very big intimidating, white male with long straight black hair, and piercing wicked green eyes, which made Tommyââ¬â¢s hair stand on the back of his neck and he begin to sweat. That man you tried to kill, his name is Michael Dunn, he is an imposter, he is not a true sorcererâ⬠, says Steven. That night at his little Magic Show, he hypnotized your wife and she fell in love with him. â⬠ââ¬Å"I will not allow him to trick anyone into falling in love with them, that is against the rules and he knows that. â⬠ââ¬Å"A master of the arts, my mentor, and my teacher,â⬠says Steven, BUT when it comes to women he is a fool always that is when a true sorcerer is truly weak and vulnerable,â⬠Steven says smiling at Tommy. What do you want me to do? â⬠Tommy says looking at Steven. ââ¬Å"The deal is for you to come her again in the morning and shoot him again I will give you a special bullet. When Michael Dunn is dead I will know, then and ONLY then will I make you immortal. â⬠ââ¬Å"BUT if you FAIL AGAIN. I will take your life, body, and soul, you see I am a shape shifter, and a soul reaper ALWAYS looking for damned souls, your life will become my and a part of me for all eternity,â⬠ââ¬Å"SO DO YOU AGREE? â⬠Steven says whose eyes were turning red. Yes I agree ââ¬Å" replies Tommy, ââ¬Å"Great, I will know when the job is doneâ⬠, Steven says before vanishing. It is 2:00 a. m. , fueled with drunken rage, Tommy has not been sleep, ââ¬Å"I canââ¬â¢t sleep, today is the day that Blairââ¬â¢s lover dies,â⬠Tommy says. With his bottle of Jack Daniels in hand and his rifle in his car, Tommy drives to the Magic Theatre, and falls asleep on the roof-top across the street from his wife and her lovers place. It is now 7:00 a. m. , Tom my wakes to hear Blairââ¬â¢s laughter, he then again props himself along the ledge with his rifle assembled and aimed. Tommy sets his scope and waits for Blair to leave, ââ¬Å"See you later Amoreâ⬠, Blair says ââ¬Å"Okayâ⬠says Michael with a look of disgust as he walks back into the Magic Theatre. Ready to aim, Tommy fires his rifle and the bullet shoots out the barrel like lighting, ââ¬Å"BOWâ⬠. Michael turns and blocks the bullet with his supernatural powers, when he seesââ¬â¢ Tommy on the roof-top across the street from his building. Michael throws the bullet back toward Tommy knocking his rifle off of the ledge and onto the sidewalk. ââ¬Å"Foolâ⬠Michael says as he walks back into the Magic Theatre. Failing miserably, Tommy rushes home to gather his things to escapes Stevenââ¬â¢s raft. Barreling into his townhouse flat, Tommy begins packing his things to go back to the United States. ââ¬Å"I have to get away from the liers, cheaters, and most importantly I must keep my soul,â⬠Tommy says laughing nervously. Suddenly Steven appears in a puff of black smoke, ââ¬Å"YOU HAVE FAILED, I WILL SUCCEED WITHOUT YOU!!! â⬠Without a word Steven steals Tommyââ¬â¢s soul, and has the power to now shape shift into Tommy and back to himself. Steven now pleased with enough power to conquer Michael, along with Tommyââ¬â¢s body. The next morning, Steven walks up to Michael and grabs his chest looking into Michaelââ¬â¢s eyes, Steven says ââ¬Å"You will NEVER Be MEâ⬠showing his true face. ââ¬Å"STEVEN!!! â⬠Michael says before falling dead. Gaining all of Michaels power and stealing his soul, Steven decides to continue roaming the Earth for eternity searching for new souls to take. Meanwhile, Blair reading the morning paper, seeââ¬â¢s that her lover Michael has died, she immediately breaks down and goes mentally, physically, and emotionally insane. Her wealthy family finds her homeless in downtown Paris. We have searched all over for youâ⬠, Blairââ¬â¢s mother says as tears roll down her cheeks, ââ¬Å"our daughter has become delusional,â⬠Blairââ¬â¢s father says. ââ¬Å"Sheââ¬â¢s has all these crazy fantasies of magic spells, of disappearing shape shifting men. â⬠ââ¬Å"And all she keeps repeating and the end of all of this nonsense is PIERCING WICKED GREEN EYES, PIE RCING WICKED GREEN EYES, PIERCING WICKED GREEN EYESâ⬠, before fainting Blairââ¬â¢s father adds. ââ¬Å"We will just have to admit her, she has gone insane my daughter always believed in that magic nonsenseâ⬠as he walks away. Blairââ¬â¢s mother kisses her good-bye and they transport her to The Paris Asylum, for the Mentally Insane. It is now Sunday morning, and Natasha McBain wakes up with hope of true love in her eyes. As she begins her day, she walks out of her penthouse suit onto the sidewalk and she says to herself, ââ¬Å" Today will be the day that I will FINALLY tell Johnny Chan how I truly feel,â⬠says Natasha sipping her coffee. ââ¬Å"This time without magic or tricks,â⬠her eyes changing from blue to red as she puts on her shades.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
The Hurt Locker Essays
The Hurt Locker Essays The Hurt Locker Essay The Hurt Locker Essay The media has struggled and been criticized for this question forever. Year after year films come out portraying what they believe war is actually like. Criticism that comes with these films is pretty extreme and the media gets bashed for certain scenes and some are even famous. War Veterans are the first to comment and obviously have opinions on what the film was depicting and what it left out. The media really cares about soldiers in war movies, and mainly how that soldier is affected from the abuse of war. Most of these films have a main character that is plagued by the effect war brings about and follows that character through some extreme plot. One of the more recent war films The Hurt Locker follows a main character and two other soldiers that go through daily struggles of war in Iraq. The low class, undeveloped, and perished background provides a true test for these men. The audience gets to know these few characters and the how they interact with one another and with themselves. Sergeant James is the main character and leader within this group and also the man who wears the bomb suit. The cover of the films DVD has War is a Drug printed on the bottom, which is directly portrayed to James. The film follows him not only in war, but also some parts of his home life. He seems not to belong in the regular life and right at home when at war. War films are riddled with stereotypical issues including race and class. Starting out this movie immediately stereotypes the affect that death has in war. A leader of a bomb squad is killed in action and a character in the movie Owen is extremely distraught by the event. This is the first stereotype the movie shows. Owen is very young and looked up to his sergeant and the fact that he was killed forced Owen to see a psychiatric doctor on a daily basis. He felt that if the correct action was taken during the attack that he could have saved his sergeant, and it will forever haunt him. The film allows the audience to relate to Owen and shows the effect of losing a fellow soldier can have on another. Sergeant James arrives the next day and immediately the film portrays him as the carefree, fearless American hero type when he is put into a bomb-threatening situation. He shows no essence of teamwork and leaves his team, Sandboxes and Owen, back at the HUM-V having no way to help. This is where the film shows the gung-ho, cowboy American soldier. Shortly after he diffuses the bomb, then acts as if nothing was wrong and laughs the situation off. For the first time the audience gets to see the main character, and can instantly decide what kind of character he is going to be. A little later in the movie James is in his bunk getting to know Sandboxes and Owen when they find a box that James has. In it are pieces from bombs that James has diffused over the years. He remarks that it is a box of the things that have almost killed him and once again laughs at himself. The film shows this soldier to be at home with what he does in war, while showing how
Monday, November 4, 2019
Strategic Management Real insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
Strategic Management Real insurance - Essay Example Insurance provision flourishes on records and the skill to strategise information from a range of diverse sources to issue course of actions and supervise. Consequently the rapidly growing division in the insurance business is the incorporation of wide-ranging business processes, for instance underwriting policies, executing policy controller services, and reporting argues into workflow structures. Sensitive industry antagonism, augmented customer hopes and requirements for larger effectiveness are chief drivers shoving the insurance business to reassess its tactics and to adjust its long-established in use processes. Insurance organisations, such as Real Insurance, should gather the advantages of modernised Web-based flow mechanisation, lessening expenses of operations and cutting decision making time. By employing online automation, Real can divest the vastness of this practice and enhance profits by giving end users direct access to their records online instantaneously and letting them to deal their own service requests, ask for an excerpt and even join and download a policy (Liang, 2000). Sharing and swap of confidential information between numerous public and corporations need by insurance industries. The test is how to achieve this harmlessly and cost effectively while promising customer trustworthiness and keeping high levels of customer satisfaction. Likewise it is essential to certify that only authorised staff can access restricted consumer statistics or supervise claim records in line with the Privacy laws. This process can be considered a great innovation by handing over not only information access but also operational transactions to the end user. The revolution will have the following impact on the insurance industry (Cockburn, 2001): Upgrading level of service to clients, Noteworthy cost reduction Versatile flexible, groups and products presented, Updated procedural effectiveness Better control of technology. 2. Outline of the analysis with reasons of the selections The link between Knowledge Management and Strategy (Zack, 1999) is the key to Web-based Insurance Structure of Real Insurance and will enable this organisation to find gap between knowledge and strategy (Refer figure 1). Figure 1: 2.1 Modernised form of Insurance The function of Internet and associated information technologies is to create and allocate insurance functionalities. In an advanced sense, it
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Professional solutions to the impact that the increasing concern of Research Paper
Professional solutions to the impact that the increasing concern of how alcohol consumption affects the rate of interpersonal vi - Research Paper Example Excessive consumption of alcohol in most cases pose a health risk for many individuals and each year several deaths related to alcohol consumption are reported (Smith 145). Understanding genes causing alcoholism is vital in finding lasting solutions to the problem of alcoholism, and scientists in Finland have been concentrating in gene therapies to identify these genes related to alcoholism. Individuals addicted to alcohol consumption have numerous gene constitutions that interact with environmental factors to influence them into drinking and result into the drinking problem. Gene therapy has helped in understanding gene vulnerability which is significant in finding curative measures in helping those individuals who are heavy consumers of alcohol. In addition, scientists have discovered and are still discovering various drugs that have the ability to suppress the alcohol genes in individuals. An example is that aldehyde dehydrogesnase has been discovered to help in neutralizing the G ABA gene which has been discovered influence addiction of alcohol in individuals. Scientists are also advocating for educational programs to help in solving the high rate of interpersonal violence caused by excessive alcohol consumption amongst individuals. ... Therefore, scientists are emphasizing on the need to sleep to help in solving the problem of loneliness and prevent consumption of alcohol in individuals who drink because they are lonely or need instant gratification from various issues affecting their lives (Hardie & Ben 54). Examples of these programs include off-time pubertal training which is used to predict physiological activity of individuals to interpersonal stress caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. In addition, the government and non-governmental organizations have introduced programs on drug and alcohol abuse to help alcohol addicts to recover and quit their drinking habit by pointing out the risk and involved and also offering counseling services for those who are affected and those who are already addicts. Scientists have also proposed educational programs within the country to help in solving the problem of underage drinking amongst teenagers and grown-ups within the country. This assist in solving the problem of interpersonal conflict amongst individuals. They are school strategies which are emphasizing on the adaptation of behavioral theory and useful information amongst individuals. In addition, they have actively involved the community and family to form strategies to prevent drinking amongst individuals and bring to an end interpersonal conflict associated with alcohol (Criminology and Criminal Justice: Theory Research Methods and Statistics 120). An example of these programs includes strengthening families program which was started to improve relationships in families and also social skills of individuals. Resistance skill programs have also been introduced to help in the prevention of interpersonal conflict associated
Thursday, October 31, 2019
When and why does credibility become an issue in criminal cases Essay
When and why does credibility become an issue in criminal cases - Essay Example Different people have different credibility and therefore the experts involved in the case will determine extend or the trustworthiness of a witness. The witness to be approved for credibility can be approached from different ways. One is that the person may be approached by an individual expert who will determine the trustworthiness of the person. The other one and the most effective one is whereby a group of experts approach a witness to determine the trustworthiness of his evidence. When the source of information is credible it becomes easy and firmer to make decisions. Some general characteristics of a credible person are unselfish, caring, fair, experienced, qualified and trustworthy. People who are charismatic become more than credible since they are extroverted, composed and also sociable. It is not always guaranteed that an expert will be competent with witness. If he becomes competent depending on the context then it will be quick and accurate to make fair decisions. There a re different aspects of life which require credibility. These vary from marketing to other things like criminal cases. In criminal cases credibility has become one such aspect which sees to it that there is fair judgment in all what happens in the process of the cases. One aspect which is very important to get from the witness is credibility. There are many things which may influence a personââ¬â¢s credibility and they vary from one person to another. Things that influence a personââ¬â¢s credibility Social influence This occurs when external factors intervene and change or control you. This may be in effect to your thoughts, feelings or actions which will be affected extrinsically by people. Social influence takes into consideration many forms like socialization, peer pressure, obedience, persuasion and even leadership. This is technically and widely discussed in social psychology. A person may be influenced socially due to the minority influence. This happens when the majorit y is influenced to accept the beliefs of the person in the case or the group. This mostly happens through informational social influence. When many people take a certain direction then it is psychological that you will be confronted to take the same direction. Many will always feel that the majority group is the right one and they will therefore act in favor of the majority leading to poor credibility (Garvev, 2003). Also when the group acting is perprating and consistent, then this may influence your credibility. The stronger the social influence then the more it will affect your personal credibility. Despite this you can take your own personal stand and believe by what you know, saw or were involved in rather than relying on what you hear from other people. You can also use your own understanding of a situation or a given scenario to extent your credibility. Therefore credibility should be effective when it is internalized rather than externalized (Foot, 1973). Personal stand Your personal stand plays a key role in determining your trustworthiness in a given scenario. You should have your own personal stand rather than the group or majority stand. This may be achieved by believing in what you know and doing thorough research. You ought to follow some rules like I know because I know. A personal stand if publicized may have a lot of impact on your credibility (Brain, 2011). Behavior One of the things that may make control of your credibility is behavior. Your behavior will be determined more by obedience. Human beings will always behave differently in
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Philosophical Paper on an essay about abortion
Philosophical Paper on an about abortion - Essay Example And being genetically human, a fetus has as much a right to life as a baby or an adult. Once conception is over, a woman does not have the right to eliminate the embryo, even if it is completely in her power, and its existence conditional on hers. Warren distinguishes between the moral and genetic states of being human, by stating five attributes of moral human existence. Using the above criteria, Warren comes to the conclusion that being human is not the preserve of homo-sapiens alone. It is quite possible that some other form of life could exist which has all the above characteristics without being a genetic human being. She gives the example of aliens from another planet, and also talks about highly developed robots/ humanoids of the future who could qualify as persons without being genetically human. On the other hand, a fetus, although genetically human, has no self-awareness or consciousness. A fetus is the extension of the body of its host (mother). Therefore, a fetus may be denied the right to life, and aborted. (Warren, 1996) By an extension of the same prem... She gives the example of aliens from another planet, and also talks about highly developed robots/ humanoids of the future who could qualify as persons without being genetically human. On the other hand, a fetus, although genetically human, has no self-awareness or consciousness. A fetus is the extension of the body of its host (mother). Therefore, a fetus may be denied the right to life, and aborted. (Warren, 1996) By an extension of the same premise, it could be argued that new born infants not being persons-not possessing the ability to reason or a self-concept-can be killed. This line of logical reasoning is dangerous as it gives the power of life and death over an infant to his/her mother/father/any other person with partially or fully developed ability to think, reason and emote. The danger arises from the fact that not all persons are altruistic or moral, and some may be ready to sacrifice the life of an infant for the sake of personal benefit. ("Why should I look after a baby, when it is so inconvenient It binds me down. I can't afford it.") There is also post-partum depression-a medical/emotional condition experienced by many new mothers-which makes it difficult for her to care for a child. It is to avoid the dangers of blurring the line between eliminating a fetus and eliminating a child that most pro-abortionists state that while it is okay to kill a fetus, it is definitely not okay to kill a child, even if the child is born monstrously malformed or grossly non-human-like. They would insist that all possible measures should be taken to keep such a baby alive. McKinley seeks to clear this impasse faced by pro-abortionists by differentiating between physical and social dependence. A fetus is completely physically dependant, sharing the very space occupied
Sunday, October 27, 2019
The Trends In Globalization
The Trends In Globalization Globalization is a process of connection between the people, companies and governments from different countries. It is a process of international trade, financial market and technological development in the world. It influences the environment, political principle, economy, personal perspective and values, and culture. Technological advances and mass transportation lead people to get closer, travel more frequently and increase international cooperation that gives more opportunities to investors and businesses to expand their global markets. Thomas Friedman described in the video that personal computers and internet are the important drive to globalization. Internet performs as a tool to connect people from different nations. The need for travel is decreasing because of growing use of real-time conferences and online tools on the Internet. Globalisation gives opportunities that more organisations expand their businesses in competitive market. They can spend less operating costs and produce the variety of products and services by using diversification of resources. It effectively reduces the cause of organizational risk and interest payments in different situations. Deregulation is a major factor to boost competition and maintain a free trade. When government and industry associations deregulate the particular rules, companies can find better providers and offer cheaper and better quality of products for customers. In addition, comparative advantage leads the economic growth and does a lot of trade together, so both countries can produce goods efficiently, increase profits and satisfy the demand of goods for numbers of people. Globalisation helps developing countries to develop their economy and improve their standard of living. International organisations set up companies and factories which create a lot of job opportunities for the poor in developing nations. Thomas Friedman said that companies go global for markets and labour. Now the change is that globalisation is led by individuals. Individuals can move to another countries as well as use Internet to receive and send information. Identifying Forces Driving Globalization (1079 words) According to the publication from United Nations ESCAP, globalisation is defined as the culture which influences economy and business in the world. It is the motive force which increases the cooperation and communication across different countries. Economists assume that globalisation leads to develop the global market. Historians see globalisation is dominated by global capitalism. Sociologists believe that global movement of people, goods, and ideas change lifestyle and social values of everyone in the society. For the political scientist, they say that state sovereignty is eventually taken away by the globalization. There are some driving forces which accelerate the integration of regions and nations through economic development. Trade International trade had become the significant drive of globalization after the Second World War. Protectionism was introduced during this period. Government restricted the international trade in order to protect local farmers and businesses from external competition. It consisted of import tariffs, quotas, subsidies or tax reduction to local enterprises and state intervention until liberalization was emerged. World Trade Organization drives global economic integration and promotes world peace more deeply. World Trade Organization was established by the member states in 1995. The aim is to discuss trade agreements, settle trade disputes and comply with trade rules. It helps open the global free trade as well as protect all members in trade environment. GATT is a multilateral agreement which eliminates the trade barriers and reduces tariffs among member states. Capitalism was also introduced in Western world in 19th and 20th centuries. It is a current economic system which everyone can enter the market and provide goods and services. Through the selling process, they can either lose money or gain profits. Capital and assets are owned by entrepreneurs. Government has no right to control the flow of market. Finance The free market increases the frequency of international trade. Companies from developed countries offer resources and capital to developing countries in order to help them improve their poverty and boost their economy. It is also called foreign direct investment which means companies invest through buying a company, a merger or an acquisition of the company in another country. A lot of companies outsource the production. They cooperate with suppliers under the contract. Then suppliers hire labour to produce goods such as electronics, automobiles, textiles and garments in factories which avoid the high production costs, taxes, labor costs and utilities for companies. The risk of failure will be decreased in results of suppliers train labor equipped with specialized skills. Companies engage in new technology, goods and services. International production networks have emerged in the global market from the US since the 1960s. It was rapidly developed especially in East and Southeast Asia. Because of numerous multinational corporations faced high labor costs and import products increase while they had to provide cheap products against other competitors, MNCs has started to adopt outsourcing which forms global supply chains in Asia. They set up different regional offices and factories in a few of Asian countries. Developing countries in Asia rely on technologies from Japan, The US and EU countries for production. China, a global assembly centre, is the leading country in international production networks. And China exports the most in the world as well. In addition, ASEAN was created by countries in Southeast Asia since 1967. The aim is to increase the economic growth and achieve the free trade agreements with neighborhood countries. Recently, the economic crisis affects ASEAN that the foreign direct investment is decreasing in some Asian countries. According to ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan (The Jakarta Post, August 10, 2011, Global debt crisis to affect ASEAN, P.1), a lot of investors are from European Union, which comprises 22% of total foreign direct investments. ASEAN needs to keep their motivation and strengths. Communication It is impossible to open the international market without information technology, which has been rapidly improving the communication between people in the world. Internet and telecommunications are beneficial to the trade and financial industries. Companies enable to contact customers from different countries immediately and do transactions accurately. People can receive the knowledge and new ideas coming from other nations and also influence other people to make progress in different aspects. Using Internet is beneficial to companies that they can save time and cost. They also offer 24 hours services and online payment, reach their customers instantly and track products accurately. People can use mobile phone to make long-distance calls via the satellite technology and use Internet by accessing broadband data connection. Nowadays, these technologies are commonly used in businesses. Transport Transport is indispensable to boost the global market. Different means of transport can be used for delivering. In order to facilitate the development of logistics, people had invented large ships which contain very large capacities. It helps increase economic efficiency. Countries link closer by roads and highways. Compared to the earliest time, people went on an expedition and rode horses to other nations for trading. They can use cars and trucks to arrive different places now. Air freight has become the essential transport mode. It saves time and minimizes the damage and risk. For example, flowers, vegetables, meats, frozen food and some computer parts must export to other countries by plane. According to Boeing (Boeing, n.d. , World Air Cargo Forecast, P.1), air freight is widely used but it slowly grows due to the economic crisis and high fuel prices. People change to use more vehicles and ships which can reduce fuel costs. Using air transport influences by different factors such as exchange rates, air service agreements and other restrictions for the importing countries. However, ship transport is still the most major transport for delivering abroad. Since industrialization developed especially in Asia in the 1980s, using the ship transport has increased significantly. Boeing stated that it carried 8.8 billon tonnes while air freight had only 43 million tonnes in the world in 2011. The maritime transport is mostly used for bulk items such as oil and grains, and most dry products go for air transport. As shown, we see that these five driving forces have deeply affected the globalisation. Global trade boosts the development in finance, communication and transport. At the same time, they help the trade easier and gain more opportunities in businesses. Internet and telecommunications are modern technologies which allow connecting between suppliers, retailers and customers from different nations in results of the productivity and sales increase. Innovative technology and human skills improve gradually, so that people have better lives than the old times. Identifying Different Responses to Globalization (1043 words) According to the report from European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, globalisation is related to European integration. Economic integration has been growing in the European Union since the enlargement of EU and the single market was created. Now the EU has 27 member states, which expands the economic development and increases the cooperation between Western Europe and Eastern Europe. As a result, both eventually improve the poverty especially in Eastern Europe, increase GDP and create more business and job opportunities. Nevertheless, economic integration causes some companies lose places in the competitive market. This part will be analyzed responses of globalisation among member states, institutions and individuals. Eurobarometer has investigated public views over globalization in 15 member states between 2003 and 2006. In 2003, 63% of interviewees from member states said that they approved the development of globalization while 29% of them opposed it. In 2006, only 42% of people thought that the globalization had positive impact and 44% of those believed that it had negative one. It seemed the fact that perspectives over globalization were more negative. In addition, another survey showed that more people who thought globalization intervened in the market share and job opportunities for companies. The main concerns were some employers lost jobs to those from low-income European countries and had more mergers and acquisitions of local companies. For example, most of the people in Poland believed that globalisation led their country to open borders and encourage numbers of migrations. However, young people still worried about the high unemployment rate. Employer responses to globalisation Many private organisations have optimistic attitudes towards globalization. They think that policy measures help maintain the competitiveness such as tax reduction and labour law. Looking into a few of countries, employer organisations have different responses. The Confederation of British Industry says that domestic companies gain more profits via exporting to fast-growing countries. Reform and low-cost production are their long-term strategies for business. In the Netherlands, the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers says that a good business environment is necessary for globalisation including the balance of labour market and salaries. The division of labour is also essential which means production industry needs employees equipped with specialised skills and high value-added work needs professional workers who have more creative ideas. In Finland, the Confederation of Finnish Industries explains that the impact of globalization comes from the way that private enterprises and government react. Companies gain profits from enhancing their competitiveness in the foreign market, also they help increase the GDP of developing countries in results of growing the demand for their Finnish goods or services. The General Confederation of Italian Industry states that local companies rely on the international market. Government engages in encouraging them to develop exports and promote their products in overseas. Increasing the competitiveness needs government and private enterprises to conduct internal procedures rapidly, improve the infrastructure and minimize costs. Trade unions responses to globalization Trade unions agree that globalisation is the existence of process. They concern that it will worsen the social values and working conditions. Therefore, trade unions monitor based on social policies and communicate with European Works Councils. There are a few examples of different countries. Trade unions in Belgium insist that Europeanization is connected to globalisation. They promote the equality and solidarity. In 2007, they asked the government to conduct social and economic policies at European level. They also purposed to increase more professional jobs and continued expanding the market at global level. However, globalization has bad effects on privatization. In Germany, trade unions say that globalization brings the economic growth and employment opportunities. Some companies find the assistance from trade unions due to problems of relocation abroad. Regarding to similar situations, trade unions would look up the international labour guidelines and other agreements. They will also contact with European and global works councils. Government should set up RD while companies should improve the quality of products, strengthen the training for the staff and commit to innovation. In Austria, trade unions express that the large companies should build the head offices in its own country because the economic growth does not only involve in the relocation in target countries, effects of supplier industries and other services should be taken into account. For example, trade unions purposed the government to avoid the relocation abroad and have mergers and acquisitions by foreign enterprises. Institutional responses to globalization Government enforces policies to resolve impacts on globalisation including relocation and foreign companies take over the local ones. Both damage domestic market and cause further consequences. Government intervenes in the relocation appropriately in order to reduce serious effects which occur in the country. It encourages domestic companies to invest the production in its country such as using political pressure, subsidizing the cost of production and making mutual agreements. Government also creates good business environment for local companies including accelerating administrative procedures, offering tax reduction and boosting foreign countries to invest in its country. The backup support is important, particularly giving financial assistance to unemployed workers and providing job opportunities for them. There are some examples of government prevents the relocation abroad. In Sweden, Saab, an automobile company, decided to relocate its production from Western Sweden to Germany. Government agreed on offering 10 million euros fund to Saab. Afterwards, the fund was used to develop RD research, which improved car technologies, convinced Saab successfully to locate the production in the country and prevented to cut the workforce. A lot of local and foreign companies left their businesses in Malta and relocated them in developing countries such as Bulgaria, Romania and China. It was hardly convince them to keep the production due to higher labor costs in its country. Government did not intervene in it instead of encouraging foreign investors started up the high value-added industries. However, Denim Services, a local clothing company, decided to relocate its production. Then the government helped search an investor for Denim Services but it was not successful, in turn 1,200 staff lost jobs. As shown, we understand that globalization influences the EUs economy in positive and negative ways. Some employers, trade unions and governments express their concerns and others welcome the foreign direct investments. Each stakeholder should reach when globalization has serious damage on its economic development. Current Trends in Globalization According to the report from World Trade Organisation, international trade began after Second World War. Then it grew slowly because of the inflation and high fuel prices. In order to rebuild the market, the US executed the program called The Marshall Plan. They offered $13 billion to help create economic integration and eliminate trade conflicts in Europe. According to Herman Van der Wee (Robin Hogg and Max R. Hall, 1986, Prosperity and Upheaval: The World Economy, P.44), It gave a new impetus to reconstruction in Western Europe and made a decisive contribution to the renewal of the transport system, the modernization of industrial and agricultural equipment, the resumption of normal production, the raising of productivity, and the facilitating of intra-European trade. Afterwards, the US appeared the currency crisis. In 1971, they halted the link between dollar and gold which was known as the Bretton Woods system. It helped stabilize the economy. The US also started adopting floatin g exchange system. Because of the developing countries faced high interest rates and a big hit in debts in the 1980s, the foreign direct investment had been introduced. International trade could be divided into three groups. The first group was West European countries were in favour of the liberalization of market and they obeyed GATT and capitalism. The second group was the Soviet Union, Eastern bloc and China advocated the trading system under communism which meant all companies were owned by the state. The last group was developing countries called for political independence from 1946 to 1962, but government still intervened in the market in order to protect local enterprises. As a result, the developing countries in last group enabled to expand more trades than the first two groups. Afterwards, East Asian countries abolished the third trading system because the economy had improved and international trade grew significantly. As the following table, it shows that the trade had a high growth at 8.2% between 1950 and 1973 after the end of Second World War due to the value of money rose. During this period, European integration increased the trade between different countries more frequently. The innovative technologies developed rapidly which increased opportunities to expand exports. Japan developed the ship industry successfully followed by Asian Newly Industrialized Economies grew in the economic development, namely Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, China, Thailand and Singapore and Malaysia. They mainly exported textiles, electronics and computer products. Then the trade in Japan went down and it was gradually replaced by NIEs and China. Nowadays China dominates the export market, mainly relies on the production of goods. The US started the international trade in the 1950s. They developed automobile industry together with Canada and signed mutual agreements in 1965. Unfortunately, the exchange rates were not stable for exports causing many companies lost profits. Exporting oil to Middle East also lost a lot of money. In 1993, they created North American Free Trade Agreement, but it failed to resolve the downfall of exports. However, Soviet Union, Western Europe, North America and Japan comprised with 70% of world trade while 80% of it was from NIEs in 1993. In industrial countries, the demand for agricultural products increased from 40% in 1955 to 60% in 2006. On the other hand, the need for fuels and mining products slightly decreased by 10% in 1955 and 2006. In the developing countries, clothing and textiles grew to about 68% and 55% respectively between 1983 and 2006. Office and telecom equipment was one of the major export products, which continued increasing to nearly 53%. On the contrary, the demand for automobile products remained at the bottom. Therefore, developing countries supply about two-thirds of clothing products to other countries while about one-half goes for textiles and office and telecom equipment. http://www.ehow.com/about_4780798_advantages-doing-business-online.html http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/who_we_are_e.htm http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/what_we_do_e.htm http://www.investorwords.com/2182/globalization.html http://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/10/globalization-developed-countries.asp#axzz2CVHQVb9c http://economics.about.com/od/globalizationtrade/l/aaglobalization.htm 18/11 http://www.ehow.com/about_5076380_deregulation.html 18/11 www.unescap.org/pdd/publications/regcoop/ch1.pdf 18/11 http://www.unescap.org/tid/publication/tipub2624-chap1.pdf 25/12 http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/08/10/global-debt-crisis-%E2%80%98-affect-asean%E2%80%99-sooner-or-later.html 25/12 http://www.boeing.com/commercial/cargo/wacf.pdf 25/12 http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2008/07/en/1/ef0807en.pdf 26/12 www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/anrep_e/wtr08-2b_e.pdf 26/12 www.books.google.nl/books?isbn=0520058194 29/12
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