Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Shelley hints that theyll accept the creature but there is a contrast here and they dont. The creature says who could describe their horror and consternation on beholding me? This makes the reader feel very sympathetic because it shows no one will accept him as a normal human and because hes ugly, he is perceived as being an evil person. This is also a language point which also adds to the sympathy the reader has for the creature. It is a rhetorical question which shows that the creature is disappointed about the way he looks. Towards the end of chapter 16, juxtaposition is used also, to make the reader feel very sad about the creatures looks. When he enters the barn after he has committed the murder, and sees the beautiful girl lying there, a major contrast is used to emphasise the ugliness of the creature. Juxtaposition makes the reader feel very sympathetic as the reader already knows that the creature is ugly but when he is put next to this beautiful woman it makes him look even uglier and the woman look even more beautiful. The creature says blooming in the loveliness of youth and health. This shows he knows the woman is beautiful and this makes him feel even more upset and troubled, as does the reader. Mary Shelley uses a 1st person narrative to make the reader understand his emotions and feelings more. The creature says I wept without precisely understanding it. If this was written in 3rd person narrative, the creatures feeling wouldnt be as effective and wouldnt make the reader feel as sympathetic as it does in 1st person and Mary Shelley wanted to reader too feel very emotional for the creature. Another language technique Shelley uses is Pathos. This is the Greek word for suffering. This is a good word to describe what happens to the creature as he is very troubled and suffers a great deal throughout the novel. He says my limbs failed me and I sank to the ground and I dared to be happy. This evokes the readers sympathy for the creature as you have to have major problems if you are scared to be happy and it reminds the reader of how the creature has been constructed from many different body parts. He carries this horrific body around, tragically. Frankenstein is a gothic fiction novel although it sometimes deviates from normal gothic fiction rules. In normal gothic novels, where there is a monster, the monster is born evil and it is nature that makes the creature evil but in Frankenstein, Nurture makes the creature evil. When the creature was brought to life, he was a kind and affectionate character but the way he is treated (nurture) changes him to an evil character. This makes the reader feel very sorry for the creature as when he was kind and benevolent, he was treated very unfairly and stereotyped because of his looks and the villagers and Victor dont realise that it is them who have changed the creature and he wasnt just born evil. The novel Frankenstein is a very sympathetic book. Mary Shelley constantly evokes the readers sympathy for the creature by using many different language techniques. The novel is also effective in conveying key themes such as isolation and nurture and how people can change, according to their surroundings. Overall, this is a very effective novel in generating sympathy for the creature. Scott Thompson 11BE Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Monday, August 5, 2019

Conflict Between Western And Islamic Civilizations

Conflict Between Western And Islamic Civilizations Introduction Historically, the conflict between western and Islamic civilizations persisted and 9/11 has widened the gap between western civilization and Islamic world, although the gap could have been closed due to multiculturalism that emerged in the late 20th century. The terror attacks on 9/11 caused severe casualties not only to the US but also to the relationships between average Americans and Arab Americans as well as they have changed the attitude of Americans to the Islamic world at large. Today, Americans tends to associate Arab Americans and the Arab world with terrorism and radical Islamism, which has nothing in common with the real situation in the Arab American community and the Arab world. Hence, the terror attacks on 9/11 have changed relationships between Americans and representatives of the Arab world both in and outside the US and this change has widen the gap between American culture and Arab/Islamic culture. In fact, the terror attacks on 9/11 gave new direction in the develo pment of Orientalism, which is now grounded on the juxtaposition of West and East and, as Said Edward states, shapes the cultural apparatus of Orientalism as a concept associated with aggression, activity, judgment, will-to-truth, and knowledge. Orientalism in the post-9/11 America is the view on Arab Americans and Arab world as hostile, aggressive, and uncontrollable. The relationship between West and East was traditionally the subject to heat debates between philosophers, sociologists, politicians, and other specialists, dealing with relationships between the two civilizations. In this regard, the contemporary relationships between West and East is one of the primary concerns of Said Edward, who develops the concept of Orientalism, which he believes to be a key to understanding of the East, Islamic world and the relationship between West and East. At this point, the question of ethnical prejudice and stereotypes has always been one of the most sharp in contemporary world. The Arabians focused severe mistreatment and misunderstanding. Historically, the conflict between western and Islamic civilizations persisted and 9/11 has widen the gap between western civilization and Islamic world, although the gap could have been closed due to multiculturalism that emerged in the late 20th century. The terror attacks on 9/11 caused severe casualties not only to the US but also to the relationships between average Americans and Arab Americans as well as they have changed the attitude of Americans to the Islamic world at large. Today, Americans tends to associate Arab Americans and the Arab world with terrorism and radical Islamism, which has nothing in common with the real situation in the Arab American community and the Arab world. Hence, the terror attacks on 9/11 have changed relationships between Americans and representatives of the Arab world both in and outside the US and this change has widen the gap between American culture and Arab/Islamic culture. In fact, the terror attacks on 9/11 gave new direction in the development of Orientalism, which is now grounded on the juxtaposition of West and East and, as Said Edward states, shapes the cultural apparatus of Orientalism as a concept associated with aggression, activity, judgment, will-to-truth, and knowledge. Orientalim in the post-9/11 America is the view on Arab Americans and Ara b world as hostile, aggressive, and uncontrollable. Edward Said was the one who deeply investigated this issue and tried to reveal what was the reason of this false perception and why do Western nations could not perceive the Arabian nation in different way. His outstanding work Orientalism, which was released in far 1978 perfectly explains and investigates the relations between the East and the West, as well the history of these prejudice formation. The author called Orientalism, the political doctrine, which mistreat, misunderstand, misinterpret and oppress the Orient (or the East), which is traditionally was referred to as weaker than the West: My contention is that Orientalism is fundamentally a political doctrine willed over the Orient because the Orient was weaker than the West, which elided the Orients difference with its weaknessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As a cultural apparatus Orientalism is all aggression, activity, judgment, will-to-truth, and knowledge (Said Edward, p. 204). The author investigated in detail the relations between th e Eastern and the Western nations, which actually caused such a treatment and made even the academic world of the West is confident about their superiority upon the East, which causes such relations. Personally Said was confident that Orientalism did not deal with misinterpretation: My whole point about this system is not that it is a misrepresentation of some Oriental essence in which I do not for a moment believe but that it operates as representations usually do, for a purpose, according to a tendency, in a specific historical, intellectual, and even economic setting (Said Edward, p. 273). Said is roughly against the spread of internationalized ideas of Orientalism spread and practiced by the Arab elite and having their roots in the UK and the United States. It would be important to note that the Arab nations has their own unique culture, which is actually in some parts is really in the confrontation with so called Orientalism imagery, created by the West. The author considers that this has not only negative impact on the relations between the nations, but on the nations themselves, in particular the Arab nation: The four elements I have described expansion, historical confrontation, sympathy, classification are the currents in eighteenth-century thought on whose presence the specific intellectual and institutional structures of modern Orientalism depend (Said Edward, p. 120). The oppression of the Eastern nations, Arab nation in particular started far earlier than the event 9/11 occurred and observing the present day situation from the different perspectives it would be essential to note that the splash of this confrontation was due the event of 9/11, which stressed the Arab and the Western world and sharpened the confrontation. Before 9/11 the relationships between West and East has deteriorated consistently because western countries, headed by the US, oppressed the Arab world. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the development of the international relations before 9/11 was characterized by the growing tension between the US and its allies, on the one hand, and Arab and Muslim countries, on the other. As the matter of fact, terror attacks on 9/11 were, to a significant extent, determined by the negligence in relation to cultural norms and traditions as well as the socioeconomic situation and political development of Eastern countries. In this respect, Said Edward stands on the ground that the relationship between West and East were misbalanced. On extrapolating this idea on the international relations before and after 9/11, it is possible to estimate that 9/11 was an attempt of the Eastern, Islamic world to shatter the hegemony of the West in socioeconomic, political and cultural developmen t of the world. In fact, Western countries headed by the US strived to domination in the Middle East as well as in other regions, which traditionally attached to Islamic norms and traditions. In fact, the international relations before and after 9/11 were characterized by the dominating view on the international relations as the juxtaposition between West and the rest of the world. In this regard, Said Edward argues that the basic paradigm of West versus the rest (the cold war opposition reformulated) remained untouched, and this is what has persisted, often insidiously and implicitly, in discussion since the terrible events of September 11 (Said Edward, 118). What is meant here is the fact that the West contrasts itself to the rest of the world and people living in the West failed to view the world as a heterogeneous entity. Instead, they were accustomed to view the world from the western standpoint and they neglected other, alternative views. To put it in simple words, westerners had little idea of the East and they did not attempt to understand the East. Instead, they preferred to juxtapose to the East, develop confrontation against the East, and challenge the East just because it was different and it was not like the West. In this regard, Said Edward denies views of other specialists, who internalize problems of international relations. To put it more precisely, he is very skeptical about the idea that terror attacks occurred because of the internal development of Western and Eastern civilizations, which developed their own ideology, values and so on and eventually ended up in a clash, whereas 9/11 was just the mere manifestation of this clash between civilizations. In this respect, Said Edwards rejects views of researchers, who have much time to spare for the internal dynamics and plurality of every civilization, or for the fact that the major contest in most modern cultures concerns the definition or interpretation of each culture, or for the unattractiv e possibility that a great deal of demagogy and downright ignorance is involved in presuming to speak for a whole religion or civilization. No, the West is the West, and Islam Islam. (Said Edward, 118). He stands on the ground that the lack of mutual understanding and desire from the part of the West to understand the East, namely Islam and Muslim world led to the ongoing confrontation and the 9/11 terror attacks. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that before 9/11 the Muslim world experienced really hard times. The question of Western superiority was razed again. It goes without saying that Edward Said as the son of his nation could not stay indifferent to such a mistreatment and raised a discussion, trying to put things on their appropriate but never suitable places as the representatives of Western culture often do: Even the normally sober British weekly The Economist, in its issue of September 22-28, cant resist reaching for the vast generalization, praising Huntington extravagantly for his cruel and sweeping, but nonetheless acute observations about Islam. Today, the journal says with unseemly solemnity, Huntington writes that the worlds billion or so Muslims are convinced of the superiority of their culture, and obsessed with the inferiority of their power. Did he canvas 100 Indonesians, 200 Moroccans, 500 Egyptians and fifty Bosnians? Even if he did, what sort of sample is t hat? Uncountable are the editorials in every American and European newspaper and magazine of note adding to this vocabulary of gigantism and apocalypse, each use of which is plainly designed not to edify but to inflame the readers indignant passion as a member of the West, and what we need to do (Said Edward, 2001). The typical example of prejudice existing in the western society against Muslims and Islamic world can be revealed easily in the works written by Said Edward: This is the problem with unedifying labels like Islam and the West: They mislead and confuse the mind, which is trying to make sense of a disorderly reality that wont be pigeonholed or strapped down as easily as all that. I remember interrupting a man who, after a lecture I had given at a West Bank university in 1994, rose from the audience and started to attack my ideas as Western, as opposed to the strict Islamic ones he espoused. Why are you wearing a suit and tie? was the first retort that came to mind. Theyre Western too. He sat down with an embarrassed smile on his face, but I recalled the incident when information on the September 11 terrorists started to come in: how they had mastered all the technical details required to inflict their homicidal evil on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the aircraft they had comm andeered. Where does one draw the line between Western technology and, as Berlusconi declared, Islams inability to be a part of modernity? (Said Edward, 2001). These social boundaries raise a number of issues and the intensive desire to overcome them could not really help. That is why it is not actually surprising that Edward Said devoted so huge attention to the national and ethnic identity and defeated the facts that are the roots and the same time illustrative examples of these prejudice. Within this short passage the author described typical situation, when he was criticized by a so called pro-Western individual. Said Edward stands on the ground that representatives of the Islamic world face these prejudice from the very beginning till the end of their lives. The facts Edward Said uses for his research perfectly identify that the division on East and West is really lack of proved and well grounded pure facts. The only grounds for such an attitude and sharpening the destructive Orientalism are prejudice and stereotypes, which are actually nothing more than a myth. Taking into consideration the poll data it would be important to focus on the fact that the poll held Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University revealed that two thirds of the Americans consider that the government structures were well aware about the threat and had certain data, which could assist prevention of the terroristic acts but did not used this information. It goes without saying that two thirds of the Americans who support such point of view are potentially disregard Orientalism based prejudice and stereotypes dealing with the representative of the Arab nations, hence there is left one third, which would not stay indifferent. Edward Said was the one, who considered the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq to be illegal, as this act is not better than terrorist attack and may be even worse, as it violates the norms of international law dealing with sovereignty of the state: The suicide bombing phenomenon has appeared with all its hideous damage, none more lurid and ap ocalyptic of course than the events of September 11 2001 and their aftermath in the wars against Afghanistan and Iraq. As I write these lines, the illegal occupation of Iraq by Britain and the United States proceeds. Its aftermath is truly awful to contemplate. This is all part of what is supposed to be a clash of civilisations, unending, implacable, irremediable. Nevertheless, I think not. I wish I could say that general understanding of the Middle East, the Arabs and Islam in the US has improved, butalas, it really hasnt. For all kinds of reasons, the situation in Europe seems to be considerably better (Said Edward, p. 3). The fact is that the representatives of Western civilizations sometimes act even worse than terrorists. American and British Armies killed thousands of civilian Arabians, children, they violated the rights of people and were even condemned by the international society. Therefore, Said Edward is right, when he argues that the lack of understanding of the Islamic world provoked the confrontation, whereas the traditional opposition the West v. the rest of the world, could hardly lead to any other outcome but the bloody clash between the West and the East, which occurred on 9/11. In fact, Eastern, Islamic countries attempted to oppose to the growing pressure from the part of the US. Their vision of international relations differed consistently from the vision imposed on the world by the US. For instance, Islamic countries had a different view on the solution of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Eastern countries, such as Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan have chosen their own way of development, which was different from the western way of development. In such a way, Eastern countries have different position in international policies but the West, headed by the US, ignored the position of Eastern countries. At this point, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the US was and still is the only superpower in the world and Eastern countries could not oppose or resist to the US, even if they united their efforts. They could not confront the only superpower in the open struggle. Nevertheless, Eastern countries grew more and more dissatisfied with the global policies and international relations imposed on them by the US. Hence, the opposition to the West grew stronger and led to the emergence of terrorist movements, such as Al Qaeda, which was actually responsible for terror attacks on 9/11. To put it more precisely, as Said Edward argued, the Islamic world stayed to be the Islamic world with its traditions, norms and beliefs. Representatives of this world, which was different from the West, were ready to defend their views and beliefs by all possible means. The hegemony of the US as the only superpower gave them little options to choose the method of struggle and the terrorism be came the major and, probably, the most effective method of struggle of the East against the oppression and domination of the West. Al Qaeda had proved to be quite successful recruiting thousands of members worldwide. Remarkably, this terrorist organization focused on the most radicalized parts of the world, such as Afghanistan or Pakistan, as well as Iran and Indonesia where radical Islamist ideas were popular and still relevant. Al Qaeda had a solid ideological basis in these countries and could recruit new members easily, whereas the desperate socioeconomic position of the population in these countries increased the popularity of Al Qaeda. At the same time, the main reason for the popularity of Al Qaeda among the population of Eastern countries. To put it more precisely, they were ready to support the power, which they believed to stand for their traditions, culture, interests and needs. In such a context, Al Qaeda positioned itself as the organization that struggles for the value s of Islam and protects Muslims from the oppression from the part of the US and other non-Islamic countries of the world. In other words, Al Qaeda personified the power that challenged the US and stood for Muslims. Hence, many people supported and still support this organization. At this point, it is possible to refer to the experience of other terrorist organization, such as Hezbollah, which has gained the public support in Lebanon because, even though this organization used terror attacks as the main method of its struggle, this organization proved to be the only power capable to resist effectively to Israel. The same trend can be traced in regard to Al Qaeda, which positioned itself as the only power capable to resist to the hegemony of the US and which was eager to support the Islamic world and Muslims worldwide. After 9/11 the West viewed Al Qaeda as the major threat and terrorist organization, whereas the East viewed Al Qaeda as a powerful organization that challenged the West and attempted to preserve the traditional values of the East and protect interests of Muslims. However, such an effect of the terror attacks conducted by 9/11 because, as Said Edward said the West is the West, and Islam is Islam, i.e. each civilization views the terror attacks from its own standpoint and, therefore, the attitude of people in the West and in the East to 9/11 differs. In the end it would be essential to focus on the fact that the Arab nations have to face severe difficulties in their everyday life and the grounds for these difficulties are Orientalism based prejudice and stereotypes, which impact the everyday life as Western as well as Eastern society. Edward Said was the one who valued national and ethnic identity very high, but the same time he was the one who stressed that the national diversity could never became a reasonable ground for interracial misunderstanding and development of prejudice. He always stated on the fact of equality between the representatives of all the nations in the world. A number of people share the same ideas on Orientalism, which is based on the centuries developed prejudice and stereotypes. International relations revealed the hegemony of the US and western civilization. In such a situation, terror attacks on 9/11 became the only effective response to the oppression of Eastern countries by the US. Al Qaeda became a s ymbol of the struggle for independence and traditional values in the East, and the enemy number one in the West. In such a way, the West carries on its ideology of the opposition of the West vs. the rest of the world.

Import And Export Of Pakistan Commerce Essay

Import And Export Of Pakistan Commerce Essay In todays world no matter how much progressive, successive or superpower a country is, no matter how much investment they made, how much modern technology theyre using in their country still theres not even a single a country who is self sufficient in all his needs without any import from the adjacent or neighboring countries. Who is not in a need to export anything from his country to the out world as he doesnt feel any necessity or required anything from the outer source? Hence every country is in need to import and export some of the things from other countries as thats the way to progress, development and success. These activities are the source of globalization and globalization results in welfare of well being along with fruitful results. Not even a single country is capable to produce or manufacture all the things/commodities by itself. So while producing things countries always look for the source/resources in which they are rich and are helpful in producing things with ease and that are advantageous for them. It produces things in which they are efficient and abundant and then either exchange them with other countries against things which they need or export them against cash and utilize that money as they want. The difference in level of production relatively the equipments that are used for this in different countries like production of things according to taste, requirements, technology factors etc have contributed majorly in import and export around the world and has greatly enhance basis of this activity. The countries are importing and exporting according to their needs and level of progress, development nature like countries that are much developed they export mostly good that are industrial and consumer goods and in exchange acquire primary sort of goods from them. On the other hand countries that are developing they export semi finished/unfinished goods, raw materials etc as they are industrialization base and in place of this import labor, finished goods, technology or services from the countries to run their industry. Now what is left at the end are the countries that have low income they are comparatively in a state of loss but it is a fact that a major contribution in the trade, import and export is by these low income countries that play their part in the economic development as well. On the example of low income countries is Pakistan. The promise and pitfalls of exporting While exporting every country faces and reap some of the advantages for which this activity was performed. Thus we can say that exporting promises some benefits to the exporting country but there are also some disadvantages against exporting activity that has to be faces by the country. Thus in short we can say that a country while doing this must has to keep certain things in consideration that if they are going to have some progress and a success in achieving their task then they also have to suffer some problems with this activity. For example if we take USA its market is very global and is very extensive for almost everything, but inspite of this hugeness it still doesnt facilitate few or more of the entrepreneurs. Who are these entrepreneurs? These are the minds who are interested in more growth. They are in search of place where their business can grow more, have more opportunity to growth and success and thus these minds prefer rest of the world as compared to USA. While doing business in import and export you need to go global obviously and thus this activity ensures some opportunities, benefits along with some drawbacks. Lets consider some of the following; In a country like Pakistan export is very much helpful as it increase the lifetime of a product or offerings by looking out for some new markets The dependence on certain markets that we have developed in some countries can be reduced by going global In a business faces situation of instability, impacts the fluctuations in its performance because of external factors like seasonal, environmental or political factors then its better to export things in new markets. This saves the face to loss moment. Gives an exposure, know-how about different things Going global is a source of fame, recognition and making relation that can be use in the hour of need. Enable them to be competitive, learn how to sustain stress situation and compete. Increase and polish growth potential. Aware us with different opportunities on international level that can be achieved. Similarly there are some pitfalls that we have to face while going globally; While going global and practicing export game one needs to have a very effective strategy which is not easy to plan in this aspect thus have to face failures and problems. Poor market analysis also cause huge problems while going global Ignorance of the difference in cultural is another pitfall thats been faced while exporting thus need to be keen in observing this difference Ignorance of host country language While exporting out things one needs to have a very strong and effective distribution chain. Managing the finance is another important factor that needs focus (John E. Cleek) Regulatory Bodies in Pakistan Some of the regulatory bodies for import and export in Pakistan are; TDAP (Trade Development Authority of Pakistan) EPB (Export Promotion Bureau) Improving Export Performance Exporters who are new they can improve their performance by using different techniques and avoiding pitfalls. There are certain ways in which export performance in Pakistan can be improved and are helpful for the exporters. Urge more investment in trade and try to make liberalized policy Try to control the shortfalls of accounts and reduce tax rate on exports. Built suitable tariffs for international trade. Resolve gas and power supply issues with firm policies Stabilized political environment An International Comparison One of the biggest problem in the way of successful exporting is the lack of knowledge about different countries we are going to deal and thats simply because of the reason that we have difference in our cultures, traditions, environments, requirements, time, language and are far apart from each other. We dont have much of the interaction with each other and lacks information about each other thats why most of the organizations in Pakistan seeks to have hesitation in export with other countries. This situation can simply be resolved by attaining information about other countries or countries we are going to deal with. Information Sources The Pakistani firms can increase their knowledge and awareness of export while doing business in various countries by gathering export information about them through various means. Like the organization of international trade centre (ITC) is a very useful source of providing information about export when were doing with different countries as it deals with exporters, the policy designers and institutions of trade support. To understand the foreign culture, trade aspects and other things organizations like this are very helpful to improve the export performance. Besides other organization include SECP, Chamber of Commerce along with some private organizations. Utilizing Export Management Companies This is another source of improving the export. In Pakistan institutions; like this who are working for the support and purpose of providing valuable information to export companies and their management skills playing their part in improvement. The exporters should gain advantage from their services, knowledge and skills. One of the very famous export management companies working in Pakistan is ITC that provides links and information related to policy formers, export management institutions. Exporting Strategy Exporting strategies are helpful to reduce the risks to export. By carefully manipulating and implementing these strategies they can prove beneficial for exporters. There are few guidelines, strategies and points that can be prove advantageous for the exporting businesses in Pakistan. In order to improve the export performance in Pakistan the skills development should be carefully observed. We are living in a era which exhibits rapid innovational techniques everyday in various fields of life, so expose new ideas and fulfill the demands of seekers in a effective and rapid way every day. To overcome the competitiveness in export skills in different aspects like labor, services, supply, quality etc should be improved. Pakistan has labor/human force that is young and energetic building their skills will obviously results in improved export performance. Try to reduce the cost of doing business especially when we are exporting. The high cost is usually because of two reasons, Unfavorable business environment Inadequacy of infrastructure Effective policies and strategies should be adopted and framed to overcome these problems. Provide a workable business environment that practices cooperation. Trade should be facilitated through trade supportive policies that urge the exporters to export more and more. As compared to other countries the export time taken by Pakistan is much more that shows the attitude of government policies, support and interest in this aspect. This area should be observed carefully and try to efficient the way of exporting by stating new policies. Export and Import Financing This term has to do a lot with import export as it exhibits the attitude when one businesses with someone who is stranger for him. He has to carry out export or import with him but is in a situation of total dis-trust. It creates lack of trust when doing import export. There are some financial devices used in Pakistan and internationally that has solved this matter and help to ensure the delivery of goods and payments while doing business across the border. It involves the following financing elements like letter of credit (LC), Bill of lading (BL), drafts. Lack of Trust Lack of trust is a huge hurdle in the way of import export. Firms doing business globally most of the time has to trust someone who is unseen and unknown. So it creates a level of lack of trust between both of them. One feels stress about the completion of his job by the other and other has a feeling about the receiving of payment against his services after completion of work that he may or may not receive his charges after accomplishing the task. Thus both the parties are in a state of confusion and this is because of lack of trust. In order to resolve this problem the concept of third party has been introduced and used here which is trusted by both the parties. The third party involved is bank. Letter of Credit Its a import export financing instrument that helps to carry out the international transaction with trust. It is issued by the bank on request of the importer that he will pay a particular amount of money sanctioned by the importer to the exporter on the delivery of the prescribed items or shipment under the conditions specified. This amount is paid to exporter on the presentation of specific legal documents that ensures that the party is eligible for this sum. Most of the time, this transaction is carried out by banks of importer and exporter on their behalf. In Pakistan majorly this instrument is used by the shipping lines to carry out their every day transactions. Like safemarine, Maersk, Rafey internationals etc Draft Draft is also known as bill of exchange. This financing instrument is used in international trade transaction to facilitate the payments with surety and trust. It its written by the exporter to other party importer that include the information to pay a particular amount of sum on a specific time. It can also be written to agent of exporter. It involves two parties Maker: the person or party who initiate the draft, it is usually exporter Drawee: the person or party to whom draft is send, it is usually importer There are two categories of drafts presented Sight Draft: it is payable on presentation to the drawee Time Draft: it is for a delay in payments Bill of Lading Its the third mode of financing import and export use. It is used by the common carrier for transporting merchandising issued by the exporter. It usually supports three purposes; it serves as a receipt, document of title and contract. Receipt show that the merchandise specified on the document has gained/received by the carrier, the term contract states that the carrier/transporter is oblige and bound to deliver services against the service charges, and the document of title is used to receive the payment/written promise before releasing the merchandise to the importer. Export Assistance The export assistance helps exporter to finance their export activities. Through this they are able to get finance help and also export credit insurance. Export assistance is provided by following bodies. Export-Import Bank The basic purpose of export-import banks is to make financially strong the exporters and importers to facilitate their export and import activities and strengthen the rate of exchange of commodities between countries. Recently the ministry of commerce in Pakistan, Islamabad has announced to establish an EXIM bank in the strategic trade policy framework to boost the exporters and make them competitive. According to director general trade policy Safdar Sohail it is the need of hour to establish such institution that support exports if we need Pakistan to boost its trade with international standards. Export Credit Insurance These are the institutions that have been known to serve the exports as collateral to meet their needs. It usually consists of those private commercial institutions who are working under the supervision of import-export banks to facilitate the exporters. If the importer defaults in his payment then it provides the credit insurance. Countertrade Countertrade is a bit different to trade in a meaning in terms of money, as it refers to the process of carry out trade in terms of good/services or commodities instead of money. We can say that when conventional means of payment are difficult like payment in the form of money is not possible or difficult then this way is structured to carry out international sale in terms of other commodities that are used against money. Types of countertrade There are few types of counter trade which are as follows Barter It is an old system of carrying out transactions when there was no money. Good used to be exchange against goods without involvement of cash. Here those goods are exchanges which have equal value. As it was an old technique it has two problems, One of the parties involved in trade end up to finance other if the goods that are traded are not exchanged simultaneously Commodities that are used may not have a re-sale value, they may be un-useable or unwanted. Counterpurchase Its a sort of transaction that includes two separate simultaneous transactions between the two parties that either involves cash or not Offset Here it involves an extensive arrangement in such a way that seller is needed to assist in or have to make arrangements for the marketing of the goods that produced by the purchasing country. Sometimes it also allow the purchasing country that they can produce a portion of the product in their own country Switch trading It occurs when the counterpurchase of a firm is buying by the third party and then sold them to some other firms that can use them effectively. It involves a change in the destination of goods exported with reference to their destined country Compensations or buybacks It involves the repayment in the form of goods/services that are produced by the technology or instruments provided by the seller of those goods. Pros and Cons of Countertrade Countertrade helps a firm to finance its export deal in the absence of other means It helps those countries who lack adequate foreign currency stock/reserves Attractive to huge multinational enterprises Benefits Helpful to make entry possible in difficult markets Source of companies increase sales Reduce currency exchange problems Enhance sales and reduce credit problems Disadvantages Costs increase Risky when involves commodities Time taking Conclusion The overall discussion simply narrated the importance of exports in Pakistan with imports. It shows the problems we are facing and government needs to have strong policies to overcome these issues if they want to attain a sustainable place in international business marketing. To grow our exports strong policies should be designed by the ministry of commerce and other trade supportive organizations. If trade provides benefits then it also brings some issues and problems it is up to the decision and abilities of the government what they want to have. Import and exports of a country plays a vital role in the economic development of a country thus this fields a hell lot of concentration.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

How Coal Is Formed :: Research Essays

How Coal Is Formed Coal is a very important fossil fuel. Without coal, steel would never have been invented and could have changed my life dramatically. The reason for this is because I am from Pittsburgh. At one point in time Pittsburgh was the leading producer of steel, and even had the nickname â€Å"The Steel City.† During the early 1900’s, steel factories were the main source of an income for people living in Pittsburgh. Working in these steel factories has been a part of my family’s past, since three generations of my family have been part of the steel industry. Therefore coal is somewhat a part of me and learning about what coal and how it is formed fascinates me. The first step in the formation of coal is the build up decomposed plant debris known as peat. Peat is a complex hydrocarbon that is the building block for coal. There are several factors that influence the formation of peat. The first two factors are â€Å"the evolutionary development of plant life† and the climate conditions. Conditions have to be warm enough to produce plants, and have a sufficient amount of moisture to allow plants to decompose and protect the peat. The last factor consists of the physical circumstances of the area, which include locations of bodies of water and â€Å"rates of subsidence or uplift† (Coal 2005). During a particular humid climate of the Carboniferous Period (360 to 286 million years ago), large tropical trees, ferns, and other plants constructed the great amount of areas that make up the coal beds of today (Peat 2005). The best conditions for coal to form are slow, constant subsidence, levees, beaches, and bars which give protection, and a limited supply of sediments that would stop peat formation (Coal 2005). With these conditions, the plant matter is able to build up. Bacterial decay through microorganisms begins to occur and peat is formed. Note that much of plant matter that lies on the surface of the Earth is never converted to peat because of organic decomposition and natural fires (Coal 2005). When this occurs closer to the surface and oxygen is available, an aerobic process occurs producing gaseous and liquid products.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Changing Policy on Medieval Heresy Essay -- essays research papers

Heresy, as defined by the medieval church, is 'an opinion chosen by human perception, found on the scriptures, contrary to the teachings of the church, publicly avowed and obstinately defended' (Moore ix). The word 'Heresy' originates from the Greek word, 'Hairesis', meaning 'choice' (George xi). During the Medieval time period, which stretched from the 700's to the 1400's, heresies became sought out as religious alternatives to the constraining Catholic Church (George 342, Roach 11). The common people began to become increasingly more educated (Roach 52). With this came the ability, the need, to question authority (Moore 3, Roach 59). Because of the Church's religious monopoly and the laity's demand for knowledge, heresy became a widespread practice across Europe during the Middle Ages, causing the Church to reconsider their methods of controlling the spread of heresy and devise new ways to appease the opposing heretical factions. The Roman Catholic Church, which had once been a unification of the churches of both the Byzantine Empire and the Western Empire, divided into the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Western Roman Catholic Church (Hamilton and Hamilton 4). The Eastern Orthodox Church, located in Constantinople, spoke out greatly against heresy: ?The Faith of the three hundreds and eighteen fathers assembled at Nicaea...shall not be set aside, but shall remain firm. And every heresy shall be anathematized? (Roach 10). The Church despised heresies and tried to abolish heresy using any method they could (Moore 8-10). Heresy?s spread through Europe was not appreciated by the Church, but it remained unquestioned by the larger part of the civilian population for a time because people began to make more choices in their lives... ...orced to reevaluate their means of suppressing the rising heresies and the heresies devised new ways to fit better into society (George xiv). Cited 1. George, Leonard. Crimes of Perception: an Encyclopedia of Heresies and Heretics. New York, Paragon House, 1995. 2. Hamilton, Janet and Bernard Hamilton. Christian Dualist Heresies in the Byzantine World c. 650-c. 1450. New York: Manchester University, 1998. 3. Lambert, Malcolm. Medieval Heresy: Popular Movements from Bogomil to Hus. New York: Homes & Meier, Inc, 1976. 4. Leff, Gordon. Heresy in the Later Middle Ages: The Relation of Heterodoxy to Dissent c. 1250-c. 1450. New York: Manchester University, 1969. 5. Moore, R.I. The Origins of European Dissent. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1985. 6. Roach, Andrew P. The Devil?s World: Heresy and Society 1100-1300. United Kingdom: Pearson Education, 2005.

Friday, August 2, 2019

Organic Food †Is It Worth Its Price? Essay

Organic farming began in the late 1940’s in the United States, and in recent years it has seen a dramatic increase in popularity (Rubin 1). The sales of organic food have been increasing by about 20 percent a year over the past decade (Marcus 1). That is over ten times the rate of their conventional counterparts (Harris 1). There are 10 million consumers of organic food in the United States, yet organic food represents only one percent of the nation’s food supply. This year organic food sales are expected to rise to six billion dollars (Rubin 1). So what is organic food? Organic food is that which are grown without hormones, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers. Also, the soil in which organic food are grown must be â€Å"clean† for three years (Howe 4). Nearly 70 percent of the American public believes that the organic label on food products means they are safer to eat and better for the environment according to a survey by the National Center for Public Policy (Cummins 1). Organic farming does have its advantages: it conserves water and soil resources, recycles animal waste, releases fewer chemicals, improves soil fertility, promotes diversity of crops, and protects farm workers, livestock, and wildlife from potentially harmful pesticides (Rubin 4). But is organic food safer than conventional foods? Not only can organic food be contaminated with bacteria and pesticides, but also they are more expensive than conventional foods, yet do not offer a better nutritional value or significantly better taste. Sir John Krebs, a zoologist appointed to head the Food Standards Agency in the United Kingdom said that â€Å"people who bought organic food thinking it was safer or more nutritious were wasting their money† (Jones 1). Critics of organic farming claim that it is dangerous, environmentally damaging and, above all, incapable of feeding an overpopulated world because crop yields are lower than in conventional agriculture (Jones 2). If you are looking for health benefits from organic food, save your money. Organic food is not necessarily safer than conventional foods. Eileen White, owner of a health food store that sells organic products, says, â€Å"I can’t guarantee that organic food is safer than regular foods, but that is just a risk that some consumers are willing to take. † ABC’s â€Å"20-20† reported finding higher concentrations of bacteria on organic produce than on conventional produce (Tierney 1). Organic food can be contaminated with salmonella, Listeria, or E. coli. These microorganisms can cause illness and even death (Rubin 2). Also, since organic food is grown with manure, there is a greater risk of bacterial contamination. Animal waste is used as a fertilizer instead of synthetic chemicals on organic food, and this animal waste may contain dangerous bacteria (Tierney 1). Although the manure is composted to kill the bacteria, uncertified farmers may not always follow the proper procedure. Dean Cliver, a professor of food safety at the University of California at Davis, states: â€Å"We know that animals are shedding bacteria that can make people sick if the manure hasn’t been treated properly. Personally, if I knew something was grown with conventional chemical fertilizers, I would feel extra safe. But we don’t have any data to show that organic food is more or less safe† (Tierney 2). Many consumers buy organic food because they think that they are pesticide free, but this is not true. Organic farmers can use natural pesticides such as sulfur, copper, nicotine, and plant extracts (Rubin 2). Synthetic pesticides can also be found on organic food. Synthetic pesticides can be carried by wind, ground water, rain, or soil from other farms to organic farms and contaminate the organic food being grown there (Rubin 2). Eighty-nine to ninety percent of all pesticides drift from their point of application, which increases the risk of nearby areas being exposed (Howe 2). Also, synthetic pesticides used before may not have disappeared from the soil and therefore can contaminate organic crops (Rubin 2). Many people do not notice a significant difference in the taste of organic food and conventional foods. Some organic food taste very different as compared to conventional foods, like organic milk (White). Sue Gebo, author of â€Å"What’s Left to Eat? † explains: â€Å"studies do not show a significant taste difference between organic and conventional crops† (Rubin 3). U. S. News held a blind taste test to determine if organic food tasted better than conventional foods. Winter tomatoes, both organic and conventional, were equally tasteless. Conventional carrots and blueberry yogurt tasted better than their organic counterparts, but organic orange juice tasted better than conventional orange juice (Marcus 3). Agricultural Secretary Dan Glickman states that organic food is no more wholesome or nutritious than conventional foods (Marcus 1). Although organic food is almost completely free from synthetic chemicals found in synthetic foods, they are no richer in vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients. They are not less likely to make a person sick either (Marcus 2). The higher grocery price only buys a person peace of mind, not better nutrition. The cost of organic food can be 20 percent to 50 percent more than conventional foods due to limited supply, special handling, and required certification (Rubin 1). All organic food must be produced without synthetic pesticides and genetic engineering. The use of sewage sludge as fertilizer and irradiating food to preserve it will be banned also, as will hormones and antibiotics in organic meat and dairy products (Marcus 1). Not using these technologies makes organic farming more labor intensive, therefore making organic food more expensive. Organic food also has other disadvantages. One disadvantage is a short shelf life. Cereals, breads, nuts, seeds, and oils should be refrigerated. Also, meats cured without nitrates and nitrites should be frozen (Rubin 2). Organic farming also yields fewer crops because insects, weeds, and fungi often damage a larger portion of organic crops than conventionally grown crops (Howe 5). Finally, only about half of the states regulate organic food and little exists to stop organic farmers from labeling any food they wish as â€Å"organic† (Howe 4). Recently, the safety of conventional foods has been questioned. The use of pesticides supplies higher crop yields, reduces the cost and labor of farming, and produces relatively unblemished, visually appealing produce (Howe 3). However, some scientists think that pesticide residues in conventional foods could, over many years, raise the risk of cancer and other illnesses. Hard evidence of this is scarce (Marcus 1). Pesticides are only dangerous if they are present in toxic amounts. Our food supply is safe because the Environmental Protection Agency controls the levels of pesticides used (Rubin 2). A panel of the National Research Council concluded in 1996 that tiny levels of chemicals in the food supply are â€Å"unlikely to pose an appreciable cancer risk† (Tierney 2). A similar report released in the same year by the National Academy of Sciences stated that pesticides pose little risk to humans because they are consumed at such low levels (Rubin 2). The health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables such as lower rates of cancer, stroke, and other diseases far outweigh any potential risks. Still, the thought of pesticides on fruits and vegetables may still concern some consumers, so here are some ways to reduce exposure to pesticides. One should choose foods that are free of dirt, cuts, insect holes, decay, and mold. Also, selecting produce that has thick skins, husks, or hulls (like bananas, melons, and citrus fruits) reduces exposure to pesticides because the skins are harder to permeate. Before eating fruits and vegetables, they should be scrubbed using a hard produce brush and washed under cold water. Cooking or baking foods will also reduce pesticide residues, as will canning, freezing, or drying foods. Finally, one should eat a varied diet to reduce exposure to any single pesticide (Rubin 3). It is foolish for one to believe that just because a product is natural it is better than conventional products. E. coli and other microorganisms are natural too. Organic food is not any safer than conventional foods. They still can contain bacteria and pesticides, and are no more nutritious or delicious than conventional foods. Yet people are still willing to spend nearly twice as much on organic food. If one wants to buy foods that are more environmentally friendly, then organic food would be a good choice; but if one is looking for immediate health benefits, save your money. An apple is an apple, whether it is organic or not, and people should not have to pay twice as much for peace of mind.

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Moral Education Essay

Moral education can be given better by parents at home, than by schoolmasters and professors in schools and colleges. Parents have numberless opportunities of guiding their children by pre ¬cept and example, opportunities denied to the teacher. Who generally meets his pupils in large classes, and seldom has the means of becoming intimately acquainted with their several char ¬acters and the faults, other than intellectual faults, to which each of them is particularly prone. The first point of importance to notice with regard to moral instruction is that, in the words of the proverb, example is better than precept. This is too often forgotten by parents, especially in the case of young children. Many parents are emphatic in incul-cating truthfulness, but, on very slight occasion think it advisable to escape the importunity or curiosity of children by deception, if not by actual falsehood. They fondly hope that the deceit will pass unnoticed; but children are keener observers than they are generally supposed to be, and very quick to detect any discrep ¬ancy between preaching and practice on the part of their elders. It is therefore imperative that parents in all cases should them ¬selves act up to the moral precepts that they inculcate upon their children. Another important point in the home training of children is careful selection of associates of their own age who will not teach them bad habits. For the same reason, especially in rich houses, great care must be taken that the servants do not exert an evil influence on their moral character. Bad servants teach a child to be deceitful and disobedient by secretly helping him to enjoy forbidden pleasures, which of course they warn him he must on no account mention to his parents. They may also render a child rude and overbearing by servile submission to his caprices and bad temper. If we now pass from home to school life, we see that the first great disadvantage that the school-master labours under is that it is very difficult for him to gain the affections of his pupils. A father can generally appeal to filial love as an inducement towards obeying the moral rules he prescribes. But a school-master ap ¬pears to boys in the position of a task-master, and is too often without reason regarded by them as their natural enemy, particu ¬larly by those whom he has to punish for idleness or other faults, that is, by the very boys who stand most in need of moral instruction. Even when a school-master has got over this hostile feeling, he finds that the large amount of daily teaching expected from him leaves him little leisure to give his pupils friendly advice in the intervals between lessons. It has been proposed in India that formal lessons in morality should be given in schools and colleges. But it is to be feared that lessons so delivered from the school-master’s desk or the professor’s chair would produce little more effect than is obtained by the writing of moral sentences in copy-books. In the great public schools of England the masters have opportunities of de ¬livering moral lessons under more favourable conditions, when they preach the weekly sermon on Sunday in the sacred precincts of the school chapel. The Indian teacher has no such opportunity of using his eloquence in guiding the members of his school towards moral enthusiasm. Yet he can do much by the power of personal example, and by creating in the minds of his pupils admiration for the great English writers, who in prose or verse give expression to the highest moral thoughts. In addition to this, all intellectual education is in proportion to its success a powerful deterrent from vice, as it enables us to see more clearly the evil effects that follow from disobedience to moral rules.