Role of prejudice in wars in Iraq

Abstract The essay covers the role of prejudice in wars in Iraq. It defines prejudice and explains its role and effects. Other forms or factors of prejudice such as racism and discrimination are explained. The main causes of prejudice are explained and how they can be used to resolve and be used for the benefit of fighting discrimination and stereotyping. Ways in which citizens can assist to promote peace and helping the eradication of prejudice are suggested.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Role of prejudice in wars in Iraq specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Role of prejudice in wars in Iraq Prejudice is negative attitude and feelings towards a certain group, which include discrimination of people due to their race, actions, beliefs and/or feelings. Prejudice is commonly used with discrimination and stereotyping since they have the same meaning, and go hand in hand. Prejudice in psychology is the science that affects the social mind. They are used to disintegrate people instead of bringing them together as one. It breaks relationships which may exists between individuals or groups even if the relationship is negative like in the cases of military patriotism (Plous, 2003). War has been commonly used to dehumanize groups of people with the intention of killing or casualties. The Iraq war is the most popular in describing prejudice. The U.S invaded Iraq because it is claimed that Muslims from Iraq, who are popularly known to carry out terrorism (jihad) bombed the Twin Towers on the 911 incident. The terrorists retaliated by bombing U.S, thus the cycle of war continues. This creates a gap between the two as the Muslims see themselves different from us and we also see ourselves different from them, thus creating a gap between the humans. Prejudice has played many roles, the main one being loss of human life, which is generated via war. Those participating in these wars are encouraged by bei ng honored and valued, this being the reason as to why war and prejudice never end. Many lie about what war is and its’ consequences by sugar coating it and in some instances, lie of their involvement. Those responsible end up being awarded medals or excuses are given, which leave them free without trial or punishment. It clearly portrays racism, sexism, heterosexism and exploitation of indigenous people, animals and the environment at large as some of the major effects that bring about human conflict and enmity. Racism has led to increased prejudice, which is the main cause of ethnic conflicts and wars in the Middle East and Africa whereas in other states, it has led to debates and controversies on race, racism, nationalism and multiculturalism. Advertising Looking for term paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A good example is the genocides which took place in the 1990’s with Rwanda (Africa) b eing the worst affected leaving millions wounded, homeless and many dead. Other genocides have occurred in Bosnia and Kosovo. These events have led to researches on the issues of prejudice and racism. Theories have emerged especially on psychological theories which adversely contribute to our knowledge on this disturbing social issue, and offer assistance on how the acquired knowledge maybe put into practice in understanding and resolving intergroup oppression and conflicts. Social researches have been brought forward arguing that prejudice and racism manifest themselves at different levels which include institutional, individual’s, intergroup or even interpersonal (Plous, 2003). To understand prejudice in relation to psychology, it may be related to discrimination or one having negative attitudes towards someone else basically because he or she belongs to a certain group. With Iraq, U.S discriminated it since it belonged to the Al Qaeda group, which was a terrorist group an d was attacking it and killing many innocent Americans. In the U.S – Iraq war, American soldiers were seen on the media and internet laughing and torturing Iraqi prisoners, while another terrorist group, still in Iraq, showed the video of an Iraqi slaughtering an American civilian. Others had photos showing an Iraq mob killing four American military then hanging them on March 31st. These murders and tortures clearly show a sign of hatred, enmity and inhumanity among the humans. If mobs and groups of terrorists can carry out the same, one is left to wonder what effect or impact trained military personnel could have like that of the U.S especially on their mortal enemy. This becomes really hard for the human activists such as the Red Cross, United Nations and Africa Union to promote peace and eliminate prejudice. Reason for this is that many leaders such as the religious, military and political leaders tolerate this kind of behaviors without bring the culprits into justice. The U.S being the leading in music and film making exercise prejudice by discriminating the Muslim race, in that, they feed civilians with discrimination information in form of movies and music. We expect the military to behave in an extra ordinary manner forgetting that they are also humans who are subject to hatred and discrimination waves against the Iraqis and the Muslim in general as the public is. Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Role of prejudice in wars in Iraq specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some military leaders have made anti- Muslim speeches to the public and on live broadcasts while in uniform and no form of confrontation or warning was done. He went ahead and authorized for both sexual and physical abuse of the Iraqi prisoners. Prejudice is mainly promoted by hate speeches from popular leaders, government actions and the media (Clow and Esses, 2007). The three lead to the widespread of preju dice across the world which results into wars and conflicts between countries, groups or even individuals. Government actions such as interrogations, police detention without trials, profiling at subways and airports, police raids among others are some of the effects causing mainly the Muslims and black\brown colored people feeling insecure and discriminated as they are the main suspects in crimes and terrorist actions. The media behaves irresponsible through talks, shows as well as news as the government can control any information that would expose it to the public but any other act related to a black colored or Muslim related story is very quick to publish and expose it. In the previous years Fight against prejudice took another turn when groups and factions forbid any public expression that would lead or encourage prejudice and discrimination of whatsoever manner. For example, some editorialists accompanied by protestors confronted the president of Rutgers University asking h im to step down for discriminating the blacks and calling them â€Å"the disadvantaged and without genetic, hereditary background†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Others like Ralph Reed called for a press conference to urge people to denounce the habit of name calling especially with regards to race and color. Citizens can assist in promoting peace and fight against prejudice in many ways, although eliminating prejudice totally will not be possible since everyone has their own motives and as long as freedom for expression remains, hate speeches and other kinds of prejudice will prevail. Advertising Looking for term paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, some people believe and will express it out publicly that homosexuality is a disease and disgrace to the society, which is a form of discrimination. This is a form of promoting peace and fighting prejudice as the school policies do not tolerate such speeches (Brochu, and Esses, 2009). An effective way of promoting peace is via the media. Using the internet, radio, television, computers and printing can be very effective to make humans understand the need and importance of peace. Media if not controlled and well monitored may lead to war as was the case with the Iraq war in 1993. This is due to the civilians being misinformed due to the unverified information and misrepresentation of statements. Some withhold or release de-sensationalizing information which does not promote peace especially in times of war or near war, thus, steering up war and conflicts. Education in schools mainly junior, high school and colleges should be used to teach students about peace since they interact mostly with others from different backgrounds and of different races. Dialogue should be used and allowed as everyone has a right to express themselves as long as it does not promote prejudice in any way. The government and leaders should strictly forbid and contain prejudice by laying out strict and just policies, rules and repercussions and making them known to all (Esses., et al, 2008). Symposiums and conferences should be encouraged and all races should be encouraged and everyone’s view should be addressed equally without favoring anyone and discriminating the others. Respect for others’ religion should be addressed and adhered to promptly. Another thing to note is that revenge always accelerates war rather than peace. Dr King advocated for peace and called it â€Å"not the absence of violence, but the presence of justice,† (Zucchino, 2004). On elections day, we should strive to elect leaders who know the meaning of peace and are willing to go a n extra mile to achieve it and ensure that justice is served to those who seek it. Others may perceive peace inform of justice as those who do wrong by encouraging war or murder to be taken for trial and prosecuted. Also to understand the roots of evil like war, terrorism, murder and any other form of inhuman act (Berreby, 2005). The law should be closely followed as it calls on us to follow the procedures laid in order to protect innocent lives, apprehend calmly rather than to use force and destroy property and lives. Citizens can decide to reject the U.S strategies used by the government and advocate for those that respond to terrorism in a positive and polite way by using the necessary resources to prosecute international criminals. During debates the root causes of prejudice and any other source of conflicts that is likely to stir up war or hatred should be addressed and not only the symptoms and effects. Together as one, we should recognize and appreciate the other parties ar e taking. This way United States is able to respond effectively and receive assistance from the international body if we are able to identify our role in promoting peace and fighting terrorism. Challenge the elected leaders to dialogue with Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders in order to formulate solutions and work together to encourage peace and spread it globally. Ask leaders to change from engaging in wars through bombing Iraq to aiding the starving Muslims who majority are homeless and dying. Increasing the amount of multilateral organizations which are not based on the fact that one is with us or against us, but those that serve all equally without discrimination. Finally, activists and unions can foster the understanding of various cultures and advocate for reconciliation and peace among the inter cultural community (Reynolds, 2005). In conclusion, prejudice and discrimination cannot be completely eradicated but can be controlled or used to the advantage of promoting peace and rec onciliation among the human race. The main perpetrators of prejudice are the government actions which can decide whether or not the war will stop or will continue. Media which has the most effect as can be manipulated to steer up war by the government or other popular individuals and hate speeches on live broadcast by prominent leaders such as the military, religious and political leaders. Peace is inevitable since if war erupts only innocent lives are sacrificed and many become displaced but by promoting peace, love and unity irrespective of color or background, a lot can be achieved with the use of those resources being diverted elsewhere like in invention or assisting catastrophic hit areas or even venturing to the out a space. These actions will not be effective in a year or two or even five years time but will be a gradual process which the following generations will benefit from and the world will be a conducive environment to live in without fear. References Berreby, D. (2 005). Us and Them: Understanding your Tribal Mind. New York: Little Brown and Company Brochu, P. Esses, V. (2009). Weight prejudice and medical policy: Support for an ambiguously discriminatory policy is influenced by prejudice-coloured glasses. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 9, 117-133. Clow, K. Esses, V. (2007). Expectancy effects in social stereotyping: Automatic and controlled processing in the Neely paradigm. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 39, 161-173. Esses, V. Veenvliet, S., Hodson, G., Mihic, L. (2008). Justice, morality, and the dehumanization of refugees. Social Justice Research, 21, 4-25. Plous, S. (2003). Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination. New York: McGraw-Hill. Reynolds, N. (2005). Basrah, Baghdad, and Beyond: U.S. Marine Corps in the Second Iraq War. Naval Institute Press, Maryland. Zucchino, D. (2004). Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. This term paper on Role of prejudice in wars in Iraq was written and submitted by user Jonathan Johnson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Apocalypse Now essays

Apocalypse Now essays I have always enjoyed movies. But at some point I started to think of movies as more than just entertainment. I began to view them as a movie critic would, rather than just a casual viewer. Because of this perspective, I think of "Apocalypse Now" as one of the best American made movies I have ever seen. As a student of and an active participant in the late twentieth century media age, I feel justified in making this statement. In my lifetime of observation of American media, including fourteen months of intense movie watching in conjunction with my employment at a local video store, I have had an opportunity to observe a broad sampling of the films, and feel more than qualified to make this statement. By referring to "Apocalypse Now" as one of the best American movies, I do not want to diminish my praise for the movie, but rather, acknowledge the fact that my knowledge of foreign movies is limited. I first saw Francis Ford Coppula's "Apocalypse Now" in a high school literature class after reading Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, the story from which the movie was derived. After viewing the movie the first time, it was clear to me that "Apocalypse Now" was something special, not only superior to the mindless drivel that permeates much of what is produced by Hollywood, but also better than many of the movies that have come to be regarded as classics. Now you are probably thinking, "How does an eighteen year old college freshman decide how one movie deserve such recognition? How does he judge the quality of movies?" To me, a good movie presents a well constructed plot combined with skilled cinematography. A great movie incorporates a message into the attributes of a good movie. An excellent movie goes further by adding deeper levels of meaning. When I watch a movie which I judge to be excellent, I feel that it can be viewed from many angles and appear seamless from each direction. I see an excellent movie as being like a well made ...

The American Experiment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The American Experiment - Essay Example Jurists make their deliberations under the cloak of secrecy hence it is very difficult to make out what happens in their discussion chambers. Legal policymakers have for a long time relied on untested intuitions on juries to make important decisions about both the scope and conduct of jury trials. However, empirical research on the functioning of the jury is gradually replacing this initial reliance on intuition, speculation, and anecdotes. There is a lot of information on the cognitive processing at trial as well as dynamics of jury deliberations. In their research study, Zeisel and Kalven try to explain why and how members of the jury make their decisions (Murphy, Pritchett, Epstein & Knight, 2006). The authors refer to the whole jury system as an experiment but unfortunately with the conduct of serious human affairs. They describe how the Judiciary picks members of the Jury as one of the factors that make it an experiment. The authors state that the random choice of the Jurists and then the abrupt dismissal at the end of a trial makes it all the more experimental. They argue that most of the Jurists are not usually well versed with law terminologies and despite the Judge’s warnings; most of them often make their decision way early in the pre-trial phase. Zeisel and Kalven further state that the confidence in the jury system shows that the emotional and social aspects of the Jurists’ human nature were implicit in the formulation of this democratic ideal (Murphy, Pritchett, Epstein & Knight, 2006). According to their research, Jurists use two main phenomena when making their decisions, that is the punished-enough theory and decisions that have race as their basis. On the punished-enough theory, the authors argue that most Jurists make their decisions basing on their emotions rather than logic and the legal instructions that the Judge reads out to them at the beginning of a trial. They further use actual court records

Transformational leadership and manageent syle in nursing Essay

Transformational leadership and manageent syle in nursing - Essay Example The kind of work she does from asking patients how they are doing, and whether they have what they need here; to directing other staff members making sure all hospital work gets done on time and efficiently. She also makes sure along with getting work done is that all staff members get time off and they get to go out too and do not just get stuck with work all the time. This extra care from the nurse manager ensures that they are motivated and happy with whatever work they are doing and they hence do everything in a better way than normally expected. Hence, apart from ensuring that everything gets done on time this nurse also makes sure that everyone gets time off and vacations on time too. This shows how caring she is towards hers staff members and the people she has under her for leading and motivating. We call this inspirational of transformational leadership. Transformational leaders identify and formulate a vision for their followers and sub-ordinates to follow. They create an idea of a future environment and vision. They visualize how things will eventually be if they work and try to achieve success. In the case of the nurse manager, she devises a vision as to how the other nurses should provide to the hospital and the patients. Secondly, all transformational leaders provide a suitable ideal for the workplace and for the people working there. The nurse manager being a transformational leader also sets an example by adhering to activities and rules that are typical of efficient hospital nurse management. Promote the importance and willingness to accept of goals of the entire group of people the transformational leader is leading. The nurse manager also does this through setting goals first and then making sure there is cooperation and understanding in between each group member and all nurses that is so that there is harmony amongst them. This harmony makes sure that all members change their individual goals into collective goals and achieve common group goals henceforth. Uphold expectations pertaining to high formulated levels of performance and making sure that the entire group meets these expectations criteria. The nurse manager gives confidence to the entire staff that they can get this particular task done for example making sure that the hygienic conditions in the hospital are met etc. Catering to individual support. This is done to make sure that the members of the group/team feel worthy and

Managing Internationally across Business Systems Assignment

Managing Internationally across Business Systems - Assignment Example In this context, ACR engages a sort of a specific as well as a discrete financial transaction. It is regarded as a contract that is related to expected capabilities of mankind that enhances the trading activities between the involved parties at every possible occasion. The contract possesses certain vital rules that are quite normative in nature as well as settlements amid the involved parties that assist them to make a particular economic transaction successful. On the other hand, OCR signifies the engagement of contracts economically on the basis of trading of services and goods. In OCR, the transactions of activities between two parties take place without any initial settlements of conditions in order to perform trade. It has been apparently observed that transactional dependence is quite lower in the case of ACR owing to the reason that both buyer and sellers are competing with one another in trading activities by taking into concern certain major aspects that include economies o f scale and cost of transaction among others. The terms as well as the conditions of the contracts within the circumstance of ACR are written and substantive in nature and takes place with varieties of procedures such as bidding and negotiation (Sako, 1992). In case of OCR, the buyers are observed to provide securities to limited suppliers. Moreover, the bidding process might not take place in OCR due to higher transactional dependence between the buyers and the sellers. The suppliers within the background of OCR tend to begin necessary activities based on oral communication with the parties prior to the attainment of the written orders (Sako, 1992). 1. Advantages and Disadvantages With regard to determine the advantages as well as the disadvantages of the particular sub-contracting system relating to the case of Tombow, it can be stated that the pencil company typically follows the sub-contracting system of ACR (Harvard Business School, 1993). Advantages The advantages of the parti cular sub-contracting system i.e. ACR relating to the case of Tombow can be identified in the form of outsourcing of products that can be considered as a chief determinant for the company. One of the significant advantages of ACR that can be recognized in the case is that it facilitated the company towards reducing manufacturing costs and made the company to pay much more emphasize upon minimizing the expenditures related to marketing as well as sales promotion and product development among others. These facets ultimately made Tombow to sell quality products in the business markets at a cheaper rate. Moreover, development in various products of the company and avoiding delays in delivery periods can also be considered the other decisive advantages of the sub-contracting system i.e. ACR in the case of Tombow. In relation to outsourcing of products, the risk of competition also gets reduced as the suppliers depend largely upon the business as well as the export markets of a company su ch as Tombow due to the effect of the

Ethical Examination of the Mortgage Meltdown

Ethical Examination of the Mortgage Meltdown The subprime mortgage crisis, commonly referred to as the mortgage meltdown, unveiled itself after a sharp increase in home foreclosures beginning in 2006, which unfolded seemingly out of control by 2007. American spending declined, the housing market plunged, foreclosures continued to climb and the stock market was shaken. The subprime crisis and resulting foreclosures prompted discord among consumers, lenders and legislators all bound to one another by a web of complex financial engineering. The event represents a turning point in the world economy and our culture as fundamental societal changes are needed to rebuild the relationship between the U.S. government, Wall Street institutions, and the average American. Unethical decisions from various parties have altered the way future business will be conducted as the current economic and political policies were unable to confront the crisis before it unraveled. This paper is focused on investigating the unfavorable effects of the curr ent financial system structure established on unbreakable bonds of linkage among American communities and financial institutions. Initially, many financial experts including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) believed the crisis would be limited within the arena of mortgage lenders who had accumulated these subprime loans. But as time progressed there was an evident spread into the prime commercial and residential real estate markets as well as an impact on consumer credit. In an April 2008 Global Financial Stability Report, the IMF criticized the excessive risk-taking and weak underwriting undertaken by under-capitalized institutions and recommended measures including ratings systems reform and a change in compensation schemes for managers of financial institutions (Smith, 2009, p. 2). According to the IMF, there was a collective failure by financial institutions for not properly managing risk. The New York Times columnist Michiko Kakutani (2010) would add there were flawed mathematical models that most financial executives did not really understand themselves (Kakutani, p. 1). Essentially, Wall Street firm s turned subprime mortgages into exotic, toxic financial products by making a fortune laundering and reselling, and they were enabled in doing so by the very ratings agencies that were supposed to police risk (Kakutani, p.1). Even as the quality of the underlying loans appeared sketchy, few could have expected how the severity of the subprime fallout would threaten the U.S. economy to the degree it has so far. The idea behind subprime loans is borrowers who do not meet the credit requirements for prime mortgage loans are required to pay higher interest rates and fees than prime mortgage loans. Since a significant portion of new home ownership expansion stems from buyers with a lower income compared to historical norms, the initial down payment is relatively low. This creates more risk for lenders and requires higher interest rates attached to the monthly mortgage payment. The difference between the social and economic impact of historical home ownership compared to the subprime situation is the earlier loans created real ownership and wealth, which could be passed along to future generations. The illusion of wealth in subprime lending has led to instability within families and communities as many low-income borrowers were enticed by the ease of becoming a first-time homeowner (Muolo, 2008, p. 277-303). Its important to consider how subprime borrowers came from lower income families. Due to lower savings, they are unable to pay the typical 20% down payment on a house, thus requiring near 100% financing. This new form of lending allowed families who had previously been excluded from home-owning to participate in affordable housing programs. It was even referred to as creative financing. The common question at hand is identifying who is to blame for allowing the capital market economy to create irresponsible home ownership. Much of the subprime homes never yielded real wealth as outright ownership of the home was highly unlikely. Subprime lending to low-income people illustrates how leaders in power are able to raise awareness to followers that home ownership is a moral obligation. The leaders have demonstrated their ability to raise followers consciousness about what is and ought to be important to them (Ciulla, 2003, p. 220). The idea of home ownership even became a political agenda to make people feel like they deserve a new home. Comparisons could be made that our government was almost behaving as a Jim Jones leader. Jim Jones appealed generally to impoverished and minority individuals who felt oppressed and besieged by a hostile world. Similarly, the government allowed subprime lending to target individuals who were historically turned away. ETHICAL ANALYSIS OF MARKET CONDITIONS Understanding the ethical behaviors of the subprime fallout is rather challenging as many dynamics stem from the individual as well as from a societal level. First of all, a new research paper conducted by three respected Irish economists point to a common factor of irrational exuberance among the real estate bubbles experienced in America and Ireland. In both countries, buyers and lenders convinced themselves that real estate prices, although sky-high by historical standards, would continue to rise (Krugman, 2010, p. 2). Consequently, this prevalent belief cannot be explicitly linked to an individual as society collectively accepted these trends. Additionally, the common social viewpoint that rising incomes would continue to accommodate the rising price of homes is not any individuals responsibility. Perhaps, the forecasting models used by economic experts were excessively optimistic, but this does not make them morally irresponsible. Robert Shiller (2008) argues the housing bubble that created the subprime crisis ultimately grew as big as it did because we as a society do not understand, or know how to deal with, speculative bubbles (p. 3). It is difficult to affix an ethical verdict to something as uncontained as the market. However, a slice of moral accountability should be ascribed to key leaders who have control in shaping the market. There was a form of regulatory imprudence as the people charged with keeping banks safe didnt do their job (Krugman, 2010, p. 2). While many regulators looked the other way, the bigger issue is the ideology based on free-market fundamentalism where deregulation was thought to strengthen the financial system. The Federal Reserve chairman, Alan Greenspan, was criticized for maintaining low interest rates that further provoked subprime lending. Due to many stakeholders in the subprime story, blame has been placed on many factors such as a growing dishonesty among mortgage lenders, increasing greed among securitizers, hedge funds, and rating agencies (Shiller, 2008, p. 4). But, we can identify that Greenspan had direct control over key monetary policies such as interest rates, with foreseeable impacts. Justifying whether poor judgment was made in these decisions illustrates a moral question of his accountability. Many others question how well the government addressed regulation policies and the freedom given to banking institutions to issue reckless lending. It is also logical to believe the government essentially allowed an over inflation of homes in the market. Their openhanded efforts in rescuing weakening financial institutions beginning in 2008 with Bear Stearns, then AIG, and many others may indicate a form of duty the government has to help make amends for allowing too many Americans to have a mortgage they are unable to afford. The American financial system is filled with firms that disdain the need for government regulation in good times but insist on being rescued by the government in bad times (Kakutani, 2010, p. 2). Nevertheless, prescribing all of the liability upon the government or Federal Reserve is too unbalanced. The complex nature of the economic conditions related to the subprime crisis is larger than what any single stakeholder could instigate. Helping to fuel new mortgages, brokers sought to attract home-buyers with no money down agreements. Some likely acted of the premises that housing values and real incomes would gradually keep climbing to create a win-win situation for both parties. Again, to assign a moral indiscretion to a specific mortgage broker supplied with the best available public information to guide potential buyers is unsupported. It is not appropriate to directly attribute their actions to the subprime meltdown. But, as we continue to analyze behaviors we will see how many individuals took advantage of the economic zeal that fueled the subprime crisis (Cohan, 2009, p. 92-108). Much of what has been discussed points to the common belief of increasing prosperity and as well as a general unsupported belief in maintaining such high growth. There is quite a fine line between having sustained optimism for a bright future and a greed-like attitude that tries to hide the reality of an eventual economic decline. Would it be acceptable to morally blame society as a whole for overlooking the apparent signs of danger? Not fully. Yet, as more players in the market are outlined in the following sections we will see how the rules of the game may have deliberately hurt others. ETHICAL ANALYSIS OF KEY PLAYERS To expand upon the market condition section previously discussed the moral responsibility in the transactional loan process is analyzed next. There is a duty for each party to have transparency and truthfulness when completing a deal. Ideally, the consumer is obligated to pay loans they agree upon with the broker. As government leaders portray the promise for all Americans to have prosperity, home ownership became a reality for the most economically impoverished people. We begin to see a fabrication of falsely portrayed subprime loan applications by consumers captivated by these lucrative opportunities to have a new house. It would seem morally wrong for a person to falsify information, as most people should only want to acquire a loan they can manage with financial responsibility. However, the self-interest of satisfying their desire overcame the normal way of managing finances. There also presents a moral hazard to the broker who works for commission by getting people to sign agree ments and has no financial liability afterwards. Is the broker seeking the best interests in protecting customers? We realize the lack of concern by many brokers who overlooked the details. Ironically, as many of the brokers did not fully consider the unethical transactions, they are now the ones out of a job (Andrews, 2009, p. 133-148.). Furthermore, the lenders or banks are presented with ethical considerations as to how well they scanned applicants before providing loans. Were loan requirements not strict enough on purpose? It would seem a bad business practice to grant loans knowing customers will have late or no payments towards the principal of the loan. As we have learned, the banks ended up selling the bad loans to investors. The analysis up to this point seems to be pointing toward the idea that owning a home is becoming a morally acceptable idea and a basic right for everyone. Envision subprime loans as being a prescription drug. When placed in the hands of a diagnosed person in need of the drug, it can bring about social good, but if given to a teenager, who has no need for it, the drug can lead to destruction. This illustration shows how subprime loans require proper structuring to provide the most good. ETHICAL ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND INVESTORS Containing the misfortunate subprime loans solely between the lender and consumer could have benefited and alleviated the crisis if the loans were able to be paid by the new homeowner. But, due to lenders not making any profit on the loans they are forced to sell bad mortgages by packaging them in the form of collateralized debt in hopes of selling to investors who believe the value of the mortgage assets will increase. Again, we are confronted with the moral issue of how transparent these debt packages are represented. Do investors deserve better warning of the extreme risk of buying mortgage debts? Who is ultimately ethically accountable for selling bad debt? Everyone seemed to be caught up in this euphoria where no one expected anything bad to happen. To break down some of the moral culprits of passing along bad loans, many financial agencies were persuading clients to invest in bad debt, while at the same time these organizations sold off the loans to avoid any further losses. The apparent misuse seems morally wrong as they knowingly caused harm to investors. The rating agencies are also tossed into the blame game. Wall Street firms knew how to game the system; they knew how to get the rating agencies (which were eager to collect big fees for their services) to ineptly rate dangerous bonds (Kakutani, 2010, p. 2). Who is to protecting the financial stability of the economy by inaccurately rating risky subprime loans? Too many people assumed continued economic growth and overlooked the likelihood of the bubble bursting (Mason, 2009, p. 81-90). Overall, much of the calamity of the mortgage meltdown is due to the collective failure of society in a business and government sense to foresee the collapse, making it difficult to assign re sponsibility. PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACTS The various examples presented have illustrated the psychology involved in the real estate bubble (Schiller, p. 4). From Paul Masons (2009) book we not only have witnessed capitalisms tendency to expand the power of the market to push for the maximum freedom (p. 171), but the tendency for a double movement as ascribed by the Hungarian philosopher Karl Polanyi. As free market expansion oftentimes reduces the relationships between families, nations, and social classes to a mere commercial level based on money, a counter-tendency arises to defend common human values and community. The dynamics of the economy will require a willingness of ordinary people to impose limits, standards and sustainability on capital (Mason, p. 172). The current form of our markets have possibilities for limitless growth, yet the often selfish and unequal society in which we live in has created repeated financial distress. PHILOSOPHICAL IMPLICATIONS As many people point to banks for significantly contributing to the economic downfall, understanding how philosophers approach the situation is important to further our awareness of the problem. The premise of Immanuel Kants categorical imperative is based on the morality of the act, not outcomes, meaning an act may be done for the right reasons, even if it has bad consequences (Ciulla, 2003, p. 95). So, how can a lending institute be judged as unethical for issuing loans to help customers purchase a home? The morality failure, based on this stance would not fall on the bank. But, consider Kants statement that all rational beings stand under the law that each of them should treat himself and all others never merely as a means but always at the same time as an end in himself (Ciulla, 2003, p. 107). If the bank fails to appropriately evaluate the clients ability to pay back debt, then they are treating the client as a means for their own financial benefit and are eventually leading the ir clients to an ethical failure. On the same token, the brokers who never bothered to properly perform background checks on their clients were also satisfying their own financial desires, rather than helping customers make sound financial choices. John Stuart Mills utilitarian approach emphasizes multiplying happiness, or making life better for the majority of stakeholders in an organization, a community, or a country (Ciulla, 2003, p. 143). Therefore, Mill would view the lending institutions as providing moral value to the individuals seeking to gain home ownership. The general economy and government polices were allowing and expanding housing programs, in which there was a collective agreement that having people buy homes was a good strategy for the country. We now realize the greatest good often looks different in the short term than in the long term. In retrospect, too much emphasis may have been placed on the present and not enough concern on potential consequences of too much lending. The multiplication of happiness for those involved in subprime lending only lasted until the foreclosures and collapse of the banking industry began. Just as Kant and Mills viewpoints speak of the moral behaviors among the parties involved, Ayn Rand offers insight by arguing that every man is an end in himself, he exists for his own sake, and the achievement of his own happiness is his highest moral purpose (Ciulla, 2003, p. 47). Her position seeks happiness proper to man and does not advise seeking happiness through fraudulent schemes as this approach will lead to frustration. She believes moralitys purpose isnt to command you to sacrifice your interests for the sake of others but rather to teach you the rational values and virtues happiness in fact requires. (Ghate, 2009, p. 3). In hopes of restoring society to the place we were before the collapse, Rand would not place the primary blame on the people, but the immoral system in which they had to act. There should be a reevaluation of what genuine self-interest consists of and whether the pursuit for happiness is moral. DEATH PLEDGE As mortgages have become a norm in the American society, there is an underlying meaning to the origin. The word mortgage comes from the Latin words, mort and gage. Mort means death, and gage means a pledge to forfeit something of value if a debt is not repaid. The basics of mortgages have remained the same; high value real estate which cannot be funded by most people results in borrowing money to buy property. Many people are enslaved to meet the death pledge they signed. Borrowers should be aware of what they are doing and realize it is not always justifiable to blame the banks, as they ultimately cannot force an individual to take on a mortgage obligation. (Marples, 2008, p. 2) There seems to be a moral dilemma confronting families who still owe more on their mortgages than what their home is worth. Should they sacrifice to pay their mortgage even though their homes value may not recover for several years? Or should they simply walk away (Merrel, 2009, p. 2)? If they made an agreement with a lender to pay the loan, then on the surface it would seem morally right to continue paying for the home. After understanding the significance of a death pledge, we could argue mortgages are not ethical documents, they are legal contracts (Merrel, 2009, p. 2). So, if a person decides to stop paying their mortgage, they simply pledge the ownership of the home back to the lender. Nevertheless, realize a mortgage contract entails a promise to pay and walking away from a promise in a way leads to a breach of ethics. It seems that determining whether it is morally justifiable in walking away has to be examined on a case to case basis. In respect to the people who lost their homes due to unemployment or other valid reasons, they have a right to be upset for how the careless decisions of others hurt their American Dream. It has turned into just that, a dream, as society allowed people to believe they deserve a home they cannot afford. John Rawls, a Harvard philosopher, offers insight to the economic and moral issues societies confront regarding distributive justice. He argues as self-interested rational beings governed by principles that oppose discrimination, everyone should have equal liberties and fair distribution. He speaks of inequalities among social class wealth as only being just if and only if they are part of a larger system on which they work out to the advantage of the most unfortunate representative man (Ciulla, 2003, p. 158). Why should we be making life better for those who are already well of with nice homes and do nothing for those who are already underprivileged? Perhaps, as in the case of subprim e lending, there was an outreach by leaders to provide equal opportunity to the least advantaged persons. In order to learn from the U.S. financial crisis, we have to enforce action by people who see it as their duty to protect the American people. We have to focus as much on the regulators as on the regulations (Krugman, 2010, p. 2). Financial consumers need protection from being taken advantage of or else we will have failed to learn from our recent history and can expect to repeat it again. References Andrews, E. (2009). Busted: Life Inside the Great Mortgage Meltdown. New York, NY: W.W. Norton Company, Inc. Ciulla, J, ed. (2003). The Ethics of Leadership. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Cohan, W. (2009). House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street. New York, NY: Doubleday Publishing Group. Ghate, O. (2009, June). The Economy Needs Ayn Rand. BusinessWeek. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2009/04/the_ economy_ nee_1.html Kakutani, M. (2010, March). Investors Who Foresaw the Meltdown. New York Times, March 15. Krugman, P. (2010, March). An Irish Mirror. New York Times, March 8. Marples, G. (2008, September). The History of Home Mortgages. TheHistoryOf. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from thehistoryof.net/history-of-home-mortgages.html Mason, P. (2009). Meltdown: The End of the Age of Greed. London: Verso. Merrel, S. (2009, September). A Thorny Dilemma: The Ethics of Mortgage Walkaways. SmartNestEgg. Retrieved February 27, 2010, from smartnestegg.com/blog/2009/9/4/a- thorny-dilemma-the-ethics-of-mortgage-walkaways.html Muolo, P., Padilla, M. (2008). Chain of Blame: How Wall Street Caused the Mortgage and Credit Crisis. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Shiller, R. (2008). The Subprime Solution: How Todays Global Financial Crisis Happened, and What to do About it. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Smith, V. (2009, April). IMF: Mortgage Crisis May Cost $945bn Worldwide. InfiniteUnkwown. Retrieved March 1, 2010, from infiniteunknown.net/2008/04/09/imf- mortgage-crisis-may-cost-945bn-worldwide

Abortion: Women Must Be Given A Choice Essay -- Freedom of Choice, Pro-

This is paper is about the issue of Abortion. I think the discussion of this issue is important because, I think women should have the choice whether to continue with a pregnancy or not. There are a lot of reasons why women have abortions. Here are a few reasons why, rape, or physically not able to carry the pregnancy to full term, or genetic defects. Abortion is a tough decision in its self, women should not have to deal with the worry of the being convicted or condemned because of her choice. There also have been studies done involving â€Å"unwanted children† they end up suffering from physical and psychological damage done by the parent. There is also the issue of the relationship between a husband and wife, especially if the woman was raped, the husband has a hard time dealing with the pregnancy itself and once the child is born the husband does not treat the child as if it was his. Then you have the psychological damage to the woman after being raped, itself. Some may argue that it is morally wrong to have an abortion and a crime. It is considered to be murder. A few years back, it was considered a crime for a woman to have an abortion. Since this was considered a crime many women would seek out â€Å"back alley† doctors to perform an abortion. These were done in unsanitary conditions, sometimes the â€Å"back alley† doctor would mess up the procedure and the woman would either die from this or be unable to conceive later in life. Some would even consider drinking a mixture that would induce a miscarriage, and would end up dying from the mixture. Some women would even cause injury to themselves to induce a miscarriage of the unwanted pregnancy, with metal and wooden objects. Then there is the argument of the church it is... ...rious physical defects. B. Women should have abortions when they want to terminate an unwanted pregnancy and the fetus has serious physical defects. A rule utilitarian would try to answer the same question, which rule will produce more total well-being? In conclusion, a choice needs to be available to prevent the birth of unwanted children, to avoid damage to the child as well as the well-being of women. Preservation of life seems to be a slogan for anti-abortionists. If we turn our backs on women now, it would bring more deaths and illegal and self-induced abortions. Anti-abortionists do not know what it is like to have to make the decision of having an abortion; they have not experienced the situation that some women had to go through. There are arguments on both sides and judgment against people needs to be stopped. Abortion should remain legal,

O-Fold Essay

1. As a part of the management team, how would you handle distribution and marketing of the O-Fold? Within the text I really liked the 2nd and 3rd option of distribution, which was going an online route or advertising I travel magazines. Although the adverting in magazines option is appealing when it comes down to it I don’t think it would reach as many people as online distribution. I would chose to create a website and distribute the O-Fold product through there. Creating a website would be extremely cost effective. I believe there are even some sites you can use for free, such as weebly.com. However, this option is risky because marketing would have to be very effective in order to generate the business he is looking for. Since the cost of a website is low, he should consider advertising in travel magazines. He probably would not need large ad space, which would help with the cost. If he could get a small section in the Sky Mall magazine on aircrafts with the link to his website, that could be a rewarding starting point. Another option is advertising on other large online retail sites, such as Amazon.com who now gives consumers an option to purchase provides from other retailers by providing a link to that product on their site. 2. At what points should Alex consider bringing on additional management? What positions should he fill and in what order? Defend your answer. I am a supporter of Alex’ crawl-walk-run strategy. I think initially he should partner with his brother and begin to make the product together and sell online through a website he creates. This way he can get an idea of how he can proceed with next steps and be able to create a business plan to present to Anger investors. Once he can seal the investment funds he should bring on a sales and marketing manager. This is one of the most important positions in a company. Alex needs to have someone with experience in sales and marketing, especially not having experience himself. He’s already contemplating different options in this area; someone who has worked in this department can give him real examples of the outcomes and weigh in on the best decision for O-Fold. Next, after he gets an investment, he should go with the outsourcing route. He already had a connection to hire a barn full of employees. He will need to hire a manager to oversee the production of these employees, and also a Human Resources Manager since he will have employees. He cannot manage everything himself so a good candidate for the productions manager would be his brother since he should have a good understanding by then of how to produce the items. 3. What are some pricing strategies you would consider utilizing in order to get the O-Fold to market? Do you agree with Alex’s pricing point? I would consider giving a special price to first time customers, or a discount when purchasing more then one O-Fold at the early stages of marketing. Alex will want to be competitive and the first thing that customers probably look for is good deals. If he creates a website and is directing people there through advertising he should try to close the sale with a discount. An option would be first time users get free shipping, or $5 off shipping. Customers buying more then one could receive $5 off their second purchase. I like the 123 percent market with the outsourcing options at $12.50 However, that would only be beneficial at wholesale, so he should price his products per item at $25, and offer the discount for the first 100 customers. He does not need to advertise the part about it only being for the first 100 customers but he should price out shipping costs for 100 people or costs of giving discounts and set a budget for it.

the use of fetal tissue in res essays

the use of fetal tissue in res essays The use of Fetal Tissue in Research and Transplants Fetal tissue research is done to provide information to society that will eventually lead to the prevention of some diseases and hopefully one day help to discover a cure to some incurable diseases. Right now researchers are doing fetal tissue research to obtain information in areas of fetal tissue transplantation, the development and production of new vaccines, and lastly information on various birth defects and how to prevent or cure them. Fetal tissue research has contributed to the nation's knowledge on various diseases, new vaccines, and a possible treatment to help cure some incurable diseases; however, many ethical and legal concerns arise. Each area of fetal research is done on three different types of fetuses: the live, nonviable aborted fetus, the fetus in utero, and the dead fetus. The first type of research done is on the live, nonviable, aborted fetus. This type of research is done to study the period of time in which a fetus can be kept alive after an abortion in order to obtain cells or organs for transplant (Levy 44). A second type of fetus that doctors experiment on is the fetus in utero. This type of research is done by amniocentesis. Amniocentesis is the insertion of a needle into the abdominal wall and into the amniotic sac where it withdraws amniotic fluid to be tested. This type of research provides no direct involvement with the fetus; however, it is dangerous because it has the possibility of puncturing a sensitive organ. The process of amniocentesis provides doctors and researchers with information that detects sex-linked diseases and genetic disorders. Another way experimenters conduct tests on the fetus in utero is to give the mother specific drugs or treatment and then observe the effects on the aborted fetus. This way of researching the fetus in utero does have direct involvement with the fetus (Levy 44). The third type of fetus u...

Assessment Two_Proposed Structure Essays - Articles, Free Essays

Assessment Two_Proposed Structure Essays - Articles, Free Essays Assessment Two - Structure and further Support Below is the proposed structure for the report. You may include additional sections and/or sub-sections if relevant Introduction (Break down the assessment task and give us an understanding that you understand what you are expected to address in this assessment. DO NOT start with definitions . You can probably start with something like "The purpose of this assessment task is to .(read your assessment brief and take help to write the initial few lines and then give us an idea about your main argument that you plan to develop and how you have structured your discussion - give idea of the main sections that will follow the introduction ) Leadership and Management (or work groups and teams ) Power and Politics (or conflict and negotiation ) Organizational Culture (also give an idea about what theory /theories would best explain or support the cultural context of the organization that you have chosen and best fits your main argument and why - DO NOT describe all organizational culture theories one after another) Brief overview of your chosen organization (this section may also fit just after your introduction) How leadership and management (or work groups and teams ) and power and politics (or conflict and negotiation) impact on organizational culture of the chosen organization - make application of theories ( you have had prior discussion of the theories in section 2, 3 and 4 ) in this section to make the link between your chosen paired topic and organizational culture. Remember, i n this section your aim will be to synthesize information from section 2, 3 and 4 to develop arguments and logical conclusions that help establish the links clearly among the chosen topics and the chosen organization culture. You should bring in examples f rom your chosen organization as evidence to support your arguments . Conclusion ( s tep back and think through what comes out of the overall discussion? What are the key points emerge ? W hat would you want the reader to remember ? ) Reference s (Harvard Referencing Format in alphabetical order) Please also note the following : Please take the given feedback for assessment one into consideration Follow Harvard Referencing throughout your work (in your in-text citations and your reference list) T he work should be critical and analytical. This is a level 7 qualification . It is not too late to make aware of yourself about the level seven expectations. Wider research and reading is mandatory Use only academic, professional sources which are RELIABLE and RELEVANT - journal articles, books, information from Government websites ( REFRAIN from using information from Blogs, commercial websites such as tutor2.com, UK Essays, businessballs.com etc ..) Get someone to proof read or peer mark your work Be aware of issues related to plagiarism and academic misconduct. You can upload your work to NILE site prior to the deadline and view your similarity report. The focus of assessment two is to discuss how the chosen topics impact on organizational culture of the case study organization . This must be kept in mind when writing up your report. Focus on your academic writing and also ask yourself Does the introduction say what I am planning to do in my assignment? Does my work reflect critical and analytical thinking in relation to linking the chosen topic with organizational culture ? Have I addressed the assessment task? Any deviations? Does the conclusion link to my discussion and introduction? Please refer to learning and development and library support web pages for further support and guidance.

Family Law Child Welfare Principle Parent Autonomy Essay

Family Law Child Welfare Principle Parent Autonomy - Essay Example UK has centuries’ long history of childcare legislation that began with the series of Poor Laws implemented from 16th to mid-20th century defining the powers and responsibilities of the children regarding childcare. These laws were followed by The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857, Children Act 1948 and The Children and Young Persons Act 19692. The most comprehensive, integrated and far reaching reforms to the child care law were introduced in 1989 as The Children Act 1989. This consensus legislation combines public and private law provisions under one umbrella and the current child protection system is also based upon this law. The Children Act 1989 guides all the court proceedings and decisions regarding the matter of child upbringing or his property administration. The Children Act 1989 has decided the paramount considerations for the welfare of the child by clarifying that the welfare of child is supposed to be the first priority while making an order3. The law asserts that w hile making a decision the court has to consider the wishes and feelings of the child and efforts should be made to preserve the home and family links of the child. The core concept of parental responsibility was also defined under thus law. It has been explains that the parental responsibilities are "the rights, duties, powers and responsibilities which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property† (section 3). Since all the statuary laws have to be interpreted by the courts this legislation also guides the court while deciding different types of cases about child care and custody. This law possesses crucial importance within the England family laws because it determines the boundaries and authorities of the parents while dealing with the matters involving their children. The court is also supposed to use these guidelines and principles while making the decisions of the cases of the child custody and care. These principles also clarified that the w elfare of child automatically prevails over the rights of all other family members including parents4. Though these principles have been regarded as milestone in the legislative history of childcare but it also raises the question about the balance between child welfare and the rights of other family members. It places certain responsibilities and duties upon the parents while the rights of the parents are not explicitly defined and explained. Prior to these laws and principles, the fathers were given the rights to make the decisions for their child rather than court5. The father was deemed as the natural guardian of the child eligible for making the decisions for his legitimate child unless any sign of danger or cruelty is exposed. However, the changes in the family laws and welfare principles changed the earlier approach and concerns towards the childcare. The interest of the child was introduced by Court of Chancery as justification to interfering with the rights of the father.6 After these decisions, a gradual change occurred within the welfare principles and by early 1890s the welfare of child evolved as a dominant matter. The legislations asset that the courts have to give importance to the wishes and feelings of the children as it is the core principle of child welfare. It raises the questi

Hilton Hotel Corporations Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hilton Hotel Corporations Strategies - Essay Example Hilton Hotel lays a major focus on the local growth in the lodging sector through expansion of operations into casinos and holiday ownership. In the year 2000, the hotel acquired Promus Hotel Company adding the statistical summation of their properties to 1700. The hotel as a brand management corporation devotes to offering excellent care of its guests accounting for more than 100 million room nights in America yearly. The corporation carters to the needs of both the customers and the owners accounting for approximately billions of dollars of real estate investments in its brands. The corporation earns more profits through other people’s monetary input into the corporation. The corporation has information technology (OnQ) intertwined with its brands. The company’s approximate cost of OnQ is 93 million dollars,40 dollars accounting for application development. The remaining portion of the 93 million estimate accounts for hardware and infrastructure realization. In 2007, the corporation registered 102 dollars growth through investment in OnQ. Maintenance of the OnQ infrastructure accounted for 60 million dollars annually. The corporation earned 750 million dollars through the cross-selling of the branded products. The corporation strives to satisfy the goal of each of its diversified brands. Through the Customer Really Matter (CRM) initiative, the corporation incorporates technology to enhance its relationship with the customers. The company established CRM in 2002, and it has ensured that its employees offer excellent and high-quality service to their clients. The high-quality service in terms of hospitality offered by the hotel employees ensures that it is sort after by a broader extension of clients. In the estimation of CRM’s performance involves calculations as an ROI for the most corporations’ project. An ROI value of the venture is the product of the total number of calls, increase conversion ratio and net revenue per call deducted by OnQ.