Dell vs. Hp Performance & Finanical Analysis

Financial Analysis Common-Size Analysis Common-Size Income Statement Analysis The common-size income statement for Dell shows a relatively flat history for cost of goods sold compared to sales from 82. 27% in 2006 to 82. 49% in 2010. Dell’s five year average for cost of goods sold to sales was 82. 23%, which is bit higher than HP cost of goods sold to sales five year average of 75. 96%. This in turn gives HP higher gross revenue than Dell most likely through means of obtaining raw materials and goods at lower costs, giving HP greater ability for an increased profit margin.This increased profit margin can allow for HP to offer more discounts then Dell may be able to afford, or increase spending in areas of investment for the company. Another area of interest within the common size income statement is related to selling, general and administrative to sales. Overall through the years 2006 to 2010, Dell saw an increase in this area growing from 9. 05% in 2006 to 12. 22% in 2010. M eanwhile, HP experienced the exact opposite effect, with this category declining from 12. 29% in 2006 to 9. 99% in 2010. According to Dell’s annual report, the major increase was due to the acquisition of Perot Systems.It also appears that over the last five years, Dell’s strategy of products directly to customers has been adopted by many competitors, allowing the competitors to decrease some of their overhead and commissions paid to retailers, all the while increasing sales. In the same time span as competitors partially adopted the strategy that made Dell prominent, Dell began to place more products in retail stores to compete directly on the front lines with its competition, as mentioned in their Management’s Discussion and Financial Analysis meetings.This approach FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP has caused a good percentage of the sales revenue to go to retailers and distributors, thus straining the ability to maximize net income for the present. Research, development and engineering for Dell as a percentage to sales were 0. 82% in 2006 and slightly grew to 1. 18% in 2010. HP research, development and engineering to sales is roughly 3 times the amount that Dell dedicated; however, HP has drawdown their research, development and engineering to sales from 3. 92% in 2006 to 2. 35% in 2010.The five year average in this category for Dell was 0. 99% and HP was 3. 04%. Even with HP’s much higher research, development and engineering to sales percentage than Dell, HP has a higher operating expense, but since their cost of goods sold to sales is lower, it gives HP the edge in producing a higher operating income than Dell. Overall net income to sales decreased for Dell throughout 2006 to 2010, with a major decrease happening in 2010 and overall having a five year average of 4. 51%. In 2006 the net income to sales was 6. 46%, then in 2009 it dropped to 4. 6%, but in 2010 was when the major drop happened, resulting in net income being jus t 2. 71%. The main contributor to the drop in net income to sales was from operating expenses, with one component being the increase in research, development and engineering, but the primary increase coming from the selling, general and administrative category. Increased operating expenses are reflective of Dell’s push of broadly branching out into the retail market. HP’s net income to sales remained flat during the same time span, with a five year average of 6. 88%.The basically net zero increase in net income can be attributed to the economic downturn, and its rippling effect on customers. Common-Size Balance Sheet Analysis The common-size balance sheet of Dell reflects a current assets to total assets five year average of 74. 91% and shows a short term liabilities to total liabilities and shareholders’ equity five year average of 63. 72% covering years 2006 to 2010. Dell’s current assets and current liabilities both decreased from 2006 to 2010, but the ir current liabilities decreased at a faster rate than their current assets did.The gap between the two in 2006 was roughly 7% and had increased to 16% by 2010, providing plenty of opportunity to grow and develop the company further in their plans. HP common size balance sheet represents a different story. Their a current assets to total assets five year average was 49. 45% and short term liabilities to total liabilities and shareholders’ equity five year average was 42. 37% across years 2006 to 2010. Both accounts FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 7 decreased slightly over the years, and by 2010, HP had a gap of current assets to current liabilities of only 4%.Potential investors will focus on this close margin because HP may start to become too heavily leveraged, which could hinder their ability to expand. It could also pose the problem of decreasing the percentage amount that HP reinvests back into the company, due to using assets to pay off short term liabilities. Within Dell’s current assets, short term investments to total assets decreased from 8. 67% in 2006 to 1. 11% in 2010. Many of these short term investments had matured and were sold. The additional cash on hand helped decrease accounts payable, which decreased from 42. 4% in 2006 to 33. 80% in 2010. Reducing its liabilities strengthens Dell financial health, yet further liquidity and asset utilization ratio test should be conducted to determine if their more solid financial standing is long term or simple a one year over year change. Dell’s inventory to total assets remained mainly the same over the five year span with 2. 53% in 2006 and 3. 12% in 2010. This is a reflection Dell’s strategy of keeping on hand inventory levels low and only producing the amount able to quickly sell. HP inventory to total assets changed substantially from 9. 5% in 2006 to 5. 19% in 2010. The drop in inventory percentage to total assets is a representation of HP improved strategy to minimize holding periods by taking delivery of inventory and manufacturing immediately prior to sale or distribution of product to customers. It is also reflective of the aggressive discounting that HP conducted as a result of the economic downturn. Dell’s long term debt to total liabilities and shareholders’ equity increased substantially from 2. 69% in 2006 to 10. 15% in 2010 with average long term debt of 4. 71%.The major increased indicates that the company was dependant on long term debt to finance its acquisition of Perot Systems in 2010. HP long term debt to total liabilities and shareholders’ equity followed the same path by increasing from 3. 04% in 2006 to 12. 26% in 2010. This increased in total debt is explained in their annual report as being spending on acquisitions and share repurchases. Debt to equity ratios are needed to be further evaluated to determine the risk factor for this increased level of liabilities. Comparative Analysis Comparative Income Sta tement AnalysisDell’s net revenue sharply declined from 2008 to 2010, going from 6. 47% to (13. 42%), as a result of the economic downturn, as individual customers put off luxury purchases such as computers and commercial customers put off bulk computer orders for a later to be determined FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 8 date. On average, the net revenue growth was 1. 86% while cost of goods sold was 2. 05%. Cost of goods sold increased faster than sales, lowering its potential gross profit. Even though selling, general, and administrative was reduced substantially from 2008 level of 26. 3% down to (8. 97%) in 2010, its growth rate averaged 9. 45%, which outpaced net revenue on average. The drop in selling general and administrative was due to decreases in compensation, advertising expenses and improved controls during the downturn. The growth rate of cost of goods coupled with the economic downturn, found Dell with a (31. 91%) operating income for year 2010. A large decre ase in the market yield of over 200 basis points from 2009 was the cause for the (210. 45%) for investments and other income n 2010. Net income average was (10. 8%) over years 2006 to 2010, with major causes for this being lower sales due to economic downturn, decreases in investments, increases in tax liabilities and higher cost of a hedging program. Much like with Dell, the economic fallout had its effects on HP. Their net revenue severely decreased from 13. 50% in 2008 to (3. 22%) in 2009. The dollar depreciation to the euro played a large part in this drop for its European sales. However, unlike Dell, HP rebounded in 2010, increasing sales up to 10. 02%, which can be attributed mostly in part to HP’s acquisition of EDS. HP’s annual cost of goods averaged 7. 4%, which was lower than their net revenue average of 7. 96%. This led to a more favorable net income on average, indicating HP’s ability to better control its operating income through successful marketin g or more effective investment approaches over the years. Comparative Balance Sheet Analysis Dell’s five year average total current assets growth rate was 7. 75%, which was higher by a slim margin over average total current liabilities of 7. 27%. The relationship was consistent with the common size analysis giving support to Dell’s capability to cover short term liabilities with current assets.However, caution should be raised and solvency ratios further investigated as Dell’s current assets dipped below its current liabilities in 2010 by a comparison of 20. 32% to 27. 60%. Its competitor HP current liabilities growth rate average is out pacing its current assets growth by almost double with rates of 10. 88% to 4. 68%, respectively. This should bring caution to HP to get control of its short term liabilities growth rate, but not be too alarming, considering that by its common-size comparison, the company presently has enough current assets to pay for its short t erm liabilities.FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 9 Dell’s accounts receivable rate of growth was 11. 90% on average, growing faster than the company’s average sales rate, 1. 86%. This relates to the increase in the collection period in days also increasing over this five year span. The category of property, plant and equipment grew for Dell at an annual rate of 6. 12%, with the majority of this growth happening in years 2006-2008. Plant, property and equipment declined in years 2009-2010, (14. 66%) and (4. 2%) respectively, which coincides with the company’s declining sales growth over these same years. On average, Dell’s total liabilities grew 11. 36% annually, compared to its total liabilities and shareholders’ equity growth rate average of 8. 21%. This highlights the company’s candidacy for potentially becoming a long-term solvency risk. Financial Ratio Analysis Liquidity Current Ratio and Acid Test Ratio Average current ratio for Dell w as 1. 19 and the acid test ratio was 1. 14. These averages are better in comparison to HP’s current ratio of 1. 17 and acid test ratio of 1. 0, which tells that Dell has more current assets to cover its short term liabilities and makes Dell a safer and more financially strong company. HP had a risky year in 2008 when its current ratio fell below 1. 00, ending at 0. 98, but shouldn’t be focused on too much considering that their net revenue in sales averages 7. 96% growth rate and is averaging a 39. 33% net income growth rate. Collection Period Dell’s ability to collect customers payments on accounts receivable is stronger than HP’s, with Dell taking 32. 04 days on average compared to HP’s 49. 74 days.While both companies collection period was longer than the normal business benchmark of 30 days, Dell was much more successful in collection from its customers and thus reduced the liability for risky accounts receivable. The shorter period for collect ion also enables Dell to pay for its inventory and not have to expose them to greater amounts of short term debt through increased working capital financing. Days to Sell Inventory Dell inventory holding period was much shorter than HP, with Dell having days to sell inventory ratio of 6. 70 on average and HP having an average ratio of 32. 2. Dell operates in a FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 10 slightly leaner production manner than HP and is able to quickly move inventory through its distribution networks. The quicker a company is able to sell its inventories, the quicker the clock begins to receive payment to be able to pay back money owed on inventories acquired and sold, and not have to increase your working capital financing. Capital Structure and Solvency Debts to Equity Ratios Dell’s five year average of total debt to equity was 5. 23, compared to HP lower average ratio of 1. 5. This shows that Dell had more debt (creditors) financing than equity (shareholders) finan cing. Long term debt for to equity on average for Dell was 0. 29 and HP was 0. 22. While many feel that debt from creditors is more harmful because of the interest paid on the principle borrowed, the advantage here is that once the creditor is paid back, they are gone and off the payroll. Whereas equity financing involves more shareholders owning parts of the company, which reduces the dividend payout per shareholder as well as waters down earnings per share.Dells approach to being more heavily financed through debt than equity may be in an attempt to keep earnings per share at an increased level. Return on Investment Return on Assets and Return on Common Equity An important ratio is the return on assets ratio for its ability to measure earnings per dollar from its assets. The five year average for return on assets of Dell was 13. 06% while HP’s was 9. 07%. This higher percentage for Dell reflects a more efficient use of its assets and higher earnings from products sold per c ompany asset.Both companies have strong return on assets that goes to show the loyal base of customers each brand name of the two companies has. Return on common equity is another important profitability ratio. This ratio measures the earnings success of its capital investments through common shareholders. The return on equity for Dell averaged 81. 46% while HP averaged 23. 91. An observation of this profitability measure shows that Dell is possibly much more attractive for potential investors for its ability to effectively manage and use funds generated through shareholders equity.Operating Performance Profit Margin Ratios Dell’s gross profit margin average of 17. 77% was lower than HP’s average of 24. 04% HP controls a larger portion of the computer market as represented through this ratio. Dell also FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 11 posted lower operating profit margins and pretax profit margin compared to HP. Dell’s higher selling, general and administrat ive expenses are cause for lower operating and pretax profit margins, partly due to new retail and certain global distribution relationships.As expected from the precursors above, net income was also lower for Dell when compared to HP. Dell needs to encroach more forcefully into HP’s large market share to positively influence its sales. Operating expense components should be addressed as well to find cost savings measures to increase operation income in order to ultimately increase its net income. Asset Utilization Cash Turnover The measure of how efficient a company utilizes its cash and cash equivalents to create sales revenue is depicted with the cash turnover ratio. In respect to this ratio, Dell averaged 5. 0, while HP averaged 7. 09. This showed that HP used its cash and cash equivalents more efficiently to build revenue. On the other hand, it shows that HP used its cash and cash equivalents while Dell refrained from using its cash and cash equivalents, as evident in th e common size analysis, showing that Dell retained on average 31. 77% of cash and cash equivalents to assets while HP averaged 12. 41%. Inventory Turnover Inventory turnover represents how fast companies turn their inventories into sales revenue. Dell had a much slower inventory turnover on average, 58. 8, than HP’s 11. 86. Over the past five years more companies have became better at the Dell model of sales direct to customers which has overall effected Dell’s sales as evident in the comparative analysis showing on average Dell grew sales by 1. 86% while HP grew at 7. 96%. Also, HP has become more efficient in their inventory distribution cycle and the amount of inventories held in relation to total assets, dropping from 9. 45% in 2006 to 5. 19 by 2010. Dell’s turnover ratio was directly affected by its increase in inventory to total assets growing from 2. 53% in 2006 to 3. 2 % by 2010. The increase in Dell’s inventories to total assets percentage couple d with declining sales growth over the past five years was a cause for their much higher inventory turnover rate. Total Assets Turnover Total assets turnover measures how efficiently a company utilizes total assets to create sales revenue. On average, Dell’s ability to generate more profit from its assets was roughly FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF DELL AND HP 12 double that of HP, being 2. 15 to 1. 07 respectively. This shows that for overall assets held, Dell had a better record of generating sales.Market Measures Price to Earnings Ratio and Earnings Yield The price to earnings for Dell on average was 16. 35, lower than HP’s 18. 52. From this statistical ratio, HP is able to show that its investors have higher expectations of their company performance by being committed to paying a higher price per share to own HP stock over the past five year time span. However, with Dell showing better results when it came to liquidation and return on investment, they are able to portray to potential investors that they are the better buy at a lower price per share when compared to HP.Earnings yield represents the amount of earnings generated for every dollar invested. Here, Dell has a better showing on average with 7. 02% compared to HP’s 6. 25%. This ratio can be another point of persuasion that Dell is the better buy for it being properly priced when talking of earnings yield over the years 2006 to 2010. Summary of Financial Performance and Suggestions for Improvement Both Dell and HP have the financial statistics showing why they are strong competitors in an ever evolving industry.In an industry that attracts potential customers by offering the latest, fastest and greatest products, Dell needs an increase their amount of research, development, and engineering to sales percentage. Dell can no longer rely on just offering cheaper products because offering the newest technology and quality of product has moved to the forefront of consumers’ minds. It wou ld be wise for Dell to focus on precise areas where they have a strong competency and not try to be all things to everyone. One area they may rethink of pushing into is their expanded exposure into retail stores.Considering that Dell is fairly new to the retailing segment, their ties to the retailing market are not as strong as many of its competitors who have long withstanding relationships with retailers. These long withstanding relationships with retailers give companies like HP an advantage over new comers to retail stores, such as Dell, and possible over the next year or so, Dell should rethink this new part of their strategy. At the moment, the amount of increased funds used on selling, general and administrative has not equally translated into higher sales revenue.

What Did It Mean to Be Modern in Early 20th Century East Asia?

What did it mean to be modern in early twentieth century East Asia? In the early 20th century, East Asia went through a process of modernisation to cope with the challenges brought by the Western powers. This process of modernisation was characterised by numerous features, ranging from military, political, economic, industrial and technological reforms to changes in the legal, administration, diplomatic as well as education and women. There were long term socio-political and cultural impacts which shaped the modern East Asia in the early 20th century.While modernisation was in no way equivalent to Westernisation, many in the early 20th century saw the West as a model for modernisation. Modernisation in East Asia was thus more often than not taken as a process of learning from or even imitating the West. This essay will argue that Japan, Korea and China shared similar themes in the path towards modernity even though they developed in different ways. One of the most important steps tow ards modernisation for all 3 regions of East Asia was the reform (increasing levels of freedom) for women.In the early 20th century Japan, Korea and China underwent economic and industrial development taking the first steps towards modernisation. However, the significant difference lay in the fact that Korea underwent this process of industrial and economic modernisation under Japanese colonial rule therefore one may argue that the significance of their development was much greater. Japanese corporations took advantage of international technological and managerial innovations often called the â€Å"second industrial revolution†. Japan’s electrical technology became second to none.Electric street cars appeared in Tokyo in 1904, several years after they had appeared in Seoul. Of Japanese households, 85% had electricity in 1935, compared to 68% in the United States. Techniques of mass production required both standardised equipment and scientific management or Taylorism, an American theory of rational labour practice that Japan adapted to make the work force more efficient. A dual structure characterised Japan’s modern economy. Therefore, for Japan modernisation meant a rise in industrial advances and production thus a booming economy.Scholars’ views of Korea’s colonial period generally divide into two broad categories. The first takes a negative view of Japan but the second fits the colonial experience into major trends that lasted to the end of the 20th century. This included abolishing inherited social status as a barrier to advancement; liberating women from male domination; introducing modern mass media and popular culture; creating a modern economy through heavy investment in railroads, bridges and harbours; establishing a modern financial sector in the 1920s; and industrialising the peninsula in the 1930s.A small middle class of businessmen and shopkeepers arose and half million farmers were converted to factory workers a nd miners. In retrospect, the most important economic contribution was Japan’s use of state-led industrialisation involving planning and controls of all kinds in the process of late industrialisation to catch up to the advanced economies of western imperialists. Colonial economic policy aimed at expanding agricultural production by investment in reclamation, irrigation, chemical fertiliser and the introduction of new seeds to grow rice for export to Japan.Some people benefited more than others out of the economic boom in Korea from 1910-1925. This economic boom saw a rise in the price of rice. Korean landlords most of whom were Yangban (landed or unlanded aristocracy), fared far better than sharecroppers and Japan succeeded in winning tangban landlords compliance to colonial rule by granting them noble titles and guaranteeing their private property rights. As a result landlords took little part in the development of active nationalist resistance to Japanese rule.Taking this i nto consideration it is not unreasonable to suggests that while Japanese colonial rule brought about tyranny, exploitation of the Korean economy, its reduction of the mass of the population to bare subsistence and its attempt to obliterate Korean culture without granting equal citizenship rights it also encouraged developmentalism thus a profound increase in economic development. World War One gave China’s businesses and industries a chance to flourish.Britain, France, Germany and Russia were preoccupied with what was happening in Europe and no longer had spare goods to export. Imports from the West thus dropped dramatically, giving Chinese manufacturers a chance to sell more profitably. At the same time, the demand for products from China increased dramatically, giving Chinese manufacturers a chance to sell more profitably. At the same time, the demand for products from china increased helping china’s export industries. The number of Chinese textile mills increased fr om 22 in 1911 to 109 in 1921.Tonnage of coal produced grew from 13 to 20 million tons between 1913 and 1919. Modern banking took off: between 1912 and 1923, the number of modern banks increased from 7 to 31. Telephone and electric companies were formed not only in major cities but also in county seats and even in market towns. New fortunes were made. For instance, the Rong brothers from a family of merchants in Wuxi built a flour mill in 1901 and another in 1913. As opportunities opened up, they built eight new factories between 1914 and 1920 expanding into textiles.Therefore, like Japan and Korea, modernisation for China also meant an increase in industrialisation and economic production which brought the first steps towards modernity in the early 20th century. In Japan the path towards modernisation also meant the adoption of constitutional government and an imperial democracy. After the Meiji restoration in 1868, it provided for a form of constitutional monarchy, in which the emp eror of Japan was an active ruler and wielded considerable political power over foreign policy and diplomacy which was shared with an elected Diet.The Diet primarily dictated domestic policy matters. After the Meiji restoration, which restored direct political power to the emperor, Japan underwent a period of political and social reform and modernisation aimed at strengthening Japan to the level of the nations of the Western world. The immediate consequence of the constitution was the opening of the first parliamentary government in Asia. In the early 20th century the struggle for democracy engaged academic theorists, journalists, feminists, outcasts and working men and women who expressed themselves in riots and in efforts to organised unions.For Japanese intellectuals liberalism meant representative government, constitutionalism, and rule by law. It meant individual rights and freedom from undue governmental interference in the individual’s life. It distinguished between th e naturalness of society and the artifice of the state. Intellectuals who professed liberal views jeopardised their careers. For example, Yoshino Sakuzo had to resign his position at Tokyo University because he had argued that people are the basis of the state and the aim of the state is to promote their well-being.The public interest had to in their view, supersede private, partial interests of oligarchs, bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen. Minobe Tatsukichi argued that according to the constitution, the Diet, in particular the lower house was the organ that represented the people. Therefore, it is clear that in Japan modernisation not only meant an improvement in industrial production and economic strength, but more significantly it meant the expression by the people for democracy and new liberal ideas imported from the West.A new modern culture was emerging in East Asia along with education which was emphasised significantly in Korea in the early 20th century. Radio broadca sting began in 1927 under the Japanese Korean broadcasting company and Korean language programs expanded from a third to half of airtime and in 1933 the first all Korean station was allowed. It devoted many programs to Korean history, science, the arts, international affairs, translations of western plays, popular songs with a distinct Korean flavour and standardisation of Korean grammar. In Japan the great Kanto earthquake of 1923 ushered in modern Japanese culture.Modern culture incorporated a second wave of westernisation driven not by national goals but by individual inclinations. After the earthquake, there emerged theatres, galleries, exhibition halls, and rooftop arcades and in 1927 the first subway in Asia connected corporate headquarters in Ginza with movie houses and cafes in Asakysa. The new middle class consumed a modern culture removed from politics. Mass literacy spurred the development of mass media. Self-help books and magazines taught the rudiments of popular scienc e, how to be modern, how to succeed in business and how to create the perfect home environment.Cinemas showed films from abroad alongside domestically produced animated cartoons and historical dramas. This modern mass culture promoted a privatising world of leisure and self-expression. In China the new culture movement took the lead in rejecting traditional values. For example, articles were written that promoted the importance of rejection of Confucianism so that China could attain equality and human rights. Leaders of the movement proposed ending use of the classical literary language because it was a â€Å"dead language† according to Hu Shi.By 1919 New youth written entirely in vernacular Chinese was joined by many other periodicals aimed at young people aspiring for new china. Magazines were filled with articles on western ideas including socialism anarchism, democracy, liberalism Darwinism pragmatism and science. All the major political and intellectual revolutionaries o f the early 20th century spoke out on the need to change the ways of thinking about women and their social roles. Early in the century the key issues were foot binding and women’s education. Anti-foot binding campaigns depicted the ustom as standing in the way of modernisation by crippling a large part of the population. As women gained access to modern education they began to participate in politics. Schools for women were becoming more common in this period. In 1907 the Qing government mandated the opening of schools for girls. By 1910 there were over 40000 girls’ schools in the country, with 1. 6 million students and by 1919 this had increased. Schools offered much more than literacy; they offered a respectable way for girls to interact with unrelated people.After 1920 opportunities for higher education also rapidly expanded leading to a growing number of women working as teachers, nurses and civil servants in the larger cities. At the end of World War One the treat y of Versailles ceded former German holdings in China to Japan instead of returning the territories to China even though China had sent troops to fight with the Allies in Europe. Such unfair treatment sparked a widespread intellectual uprising known as the May 4th movement. Focussing on the need for national strength and modernisation this movement also encompassed widespread cultural and literary innovation.These cultural products also saw new representations of women as two distinct archetypes: the New Woman and the Modern Girl. The new emphasis on women in the early 20th century and the public movements taking place (May 4th) show that to China modernisation meant a more Western liberal approach than ever before. To conclude one may argue that to be modern in East Asia in the early 20th century meant different things to Japan, Korea and China. However, similarities were greatly emphasised. For Japan there developed a robust parliamentary democracy supported by an electorate that encompassed the entire male population.The industrialised economy and modern bureaucracy fostered the growth of a well-educated middle class. Overall modern Japan contained conflicting visions of what it meant to be Japanese. For Korea Japanese colonial rule had both positive and negative effects. It established models for successful enterprises and by breaking down hereditary status barriers it opened opportunities to people previously blocked from upward mobility. By introducing modern education it introduced some Koreans to science, foreign languages and social science and enabled the birth of modern mass culture.In short Japanese colonialism produced wealth and poverty, acceptance and animosity, revolutionary potential and conservative reaction. For China modernisation meant the end of the two thousand years of monarchical government, the importance of nationalism and the emergence of political parties. Through the spread of modern schools and new publications a large proportion of the population knew of western countries and ideas. Radically new ideas such as individualism and democracy were being widely discussed and advocated. However, overall of most importance to the whole of East Asia was the similar way in which women were revolutionised.In Japan, Korea and China one may argue that the process of modernisation had the greatest impact on women and that one of the biggest aspects of adopting a more modern western culture in early 20th century East Asia, was the freedom for women to play more public roles in society. Bibliography 1. Edwin Arnold, Asia’s first parliament: Sir Edwin Arnold describes the step in Japan, New York Times 26 January 1891 2. Ebrey, Walthall and Palais, East Asia: a cultural, social and political history second edition 2009 3. Sarah E Stevens, Figuring modernity: the new woman and the modern girl in republican China volume 15 number 3 2003

The aim of this experiment was to investigate whether or not certain foods contained the different food groups

Abstract – The aim of this experiment was to investigate whether or not certain foods contained the different food groups. If it turned black that meant it had starch, if it turned red that meant it had glucose, if it turned purple it meant it had protein and if it turned clear/transparent it had fat. The equipment used was vegetable oil, pallet, pipette, starch, glucose, albumin, iodine solution, and Benedict’s solution and copper sulphate solution. The method was simple, mixing each type of food with the food group to see if it would change colour and if it contained this food group, for example if iodine was added to starch and its colour changed it will have contained iodine in it. Introduction – All the processes of life require energy, and this energy comes from food groups. Carbohydrates provide energy for movement and this is made up of carbon, hydrogen and sugar. It is found in cereals and pasta. Proteins are used to assist growth and repair for the body it is made up of amino acids and is found in meat and fish. Fats are used to provide a concentrated source of energy and to insulate the body in cold temperatures. Saturated fats are obtained from animals such as meat; however polyunsaturated fat comes from vegetables. Vitamins are necessary in small amounts for growth however different vitamins have different functions; vitamin A is required to give good vision and it is from vegetables such as carrots. Vitamin B releases energy from food and it is obtained from milk and bread. Vitamin C gives healthy skin and this is from oranges and other fruits. Vitamin D helps to absorb calcium and this comes from margarine and oily fish. The digestive system has two main functions, one of them is to convert food into nutrients in what the body requires, the other functions is to remove any waste which may be in the body. Method – Starch test: First collect the food sample (liquid) and add a few drops of iodine solution (yellow/brown) and then check if the colour changes from yellow/brown to blue black ink then it will contain starch. Fat test: We collected the food sample and we put it on a piece of paper and if it went through it contains fat. Protein test: After we collected the food samples which were liquid in a test tube and added 5 drops of copper sulphate and 5 drops of sodium hydroxide and if the colour changes from blue to purple then the food sample does contain protein. Sugar : First collect the food samples in a test tube and add a few drops of benedicts solution. Then place the test tube in a boiling water bath. If the colour changes from blue to green and then to orange to red the sample contains sugar. The colour changes depending on the concentration of the sample. (P6) The body requires all the nutrients to remain healthy however different people will need a different variety and portion size compared to others, for example athletes will need a high diet in carbohydrates and meat because they need it to release energy and strengthen their bones more than an office worker would need it, however an office worker will need a lot of vitamin A because it spends its time on the computer working and this can damage their eyes. If a person ate too much of the food groups then that person will have become over nourished and if that isn’t worked off then the body will become fatter and overweight, too much fatty foods and oils cause this. However if a person ate too less of the food groups then that person will become under nourished which means that the body will become skinny and underweight. This is caused due to a lack of diet. If a person ate too less of vitamin A then the eyes will have problems seeing at night however if it was too less vitamin C then the mouth will become affected and it will develop scurvy. The body has different enzymes which digest the different food groups – Protease is the enzyme which attains to the breakdown of protein, Lipase is the enzyme which attains to the breakdown of fat and amylase is the enzyme which attains to the breakdown of starch. Method – Mixing each of the food groups into the different test such as iodine test to see if it has this substance in it. Other enzymes such as Maltase digests maltose to glucose, Lactase digests lactose to glucose and galactose, Sucrose digests sucrose to glucose and fructose.

An Analysis and Evaluation of Rep.Tammy Baldwin's Respect for Marriage Research Paper

An Analysis and Evaluation of Rep.Tammy Baldwin's Respect for Marriage Act - Research Paper Example If arguing from a utilitarian standpoint, I will be able to prove that the Baldwin’s decision to push for the Respect for Marriage Act is in fact a morally good decision. I will be able to do this despite rebuttals from the critics of utilitarianism and the proponents of Kantian ethics. The issue of same-sex marriage has always been a moral issue in the United States, as well as in the rest of the world. In the United States, despite the American Psychiatric Association declaring in 1973 that homosexuality is not a disease (â€Å"Facts about Homosexuality,† UCDavis), religious and conservative groups in the country have maintained their stance on homosexuality despite the fact that European countries like the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as neighboring Canada, have instituted same-sex marriages (Robinson). Despite the fact that the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia have already begun issuing m arriage licenses to same-sex couples, 37 states are still under the Defense of Marriage Act (â€Å"Same-Sex Marriage,† NCSL). This means that the majority of the states, as well as the federal government, still do not recognize the sanctity and legality of same-sex marriages even in those states that allow such kind of marital union. This is where Wisconsin Representative Tammy Baldwin comes in and her Respect for Marriage Act. This bill, which is sponsored by 108 members of the Congress (â€Å"Openly-Gay,† NPR.org), is, according to Baldwin, the answer to the â€Å"unconstitutional† and â€Å"un-American† Defense of Marriage Act (â€Å"Openly-Gay,† NPR.org). The Respect for Marriage Act, if enacted, will repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and will restore the rights of same-sex marriage couples to receive the benefits of marriage as prescribed by federal law. Another purpose of the bill is for same-sex marriages in the states that institute them t o be recognized by the federal government as well as the other states that do not institute such a type of marriage (â€Å"Respect for Marriage Act,† HRC.org; â€Å"Political Positions†). In fact, the bill was re-introduced in Congress on March 16, 2011 (â€Å"Respect for Marriage Act,† HRC.org). Representative Baldwin, who is one of the staunch defenders of the bill and one of the six representatives who reintroduced it in Congress (â€Å"Respect for Marriage Act,† Okeq.org), pushes for the approval of the bill with determination and conviction perhaps due to the fact that she herself is openly gay (â€Å"Openly-Gay,† NPR.org). The fact that Baldwin is homosexual herself may somehow account for her purely altruistic motives in pushing for the bill, whereas the heterosexual congressmen who cosponsor the bill may somehow do it only for hidden political agendas. Baldwin, however, may actually be motivated to do it purely for the sake of all her gay f ellows. With around 9 million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, adults in the United States who are ready to benefit from the institution of the act (â€Å"New Research,† The Williams Institute), the question now is whether this decision of Representative Baldwin is morally good or not. Based, however, on a recent Pew poll survey, 45% support same-sex marriage and 46% oppose it (â€Å"Respecting,† LA Times). This data is hopefully representative of the currently 310.5 million Americans (Schlesinger, USNews).

There are no children here Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

There are no children here - Essay Example Of the two boys, Lafayette assumes the responsibility of his family’s protection and care of his mother. The project is under the control of gangs that are a source of constant threat to the family. The gangs are drug sellers and from time to time, keep involving the residents of the project in their heinous crime. The gangs also possess weapons and have made a lot of children in the neighborhood sell the drugs. Because of the gangs, children living in the project are insecure. Even if they manage to escape the hold of gangs, their future otherwise is also quite vague. The story is an excellent picture of the hidden truths of the lower class families in America. The reader is told how children in America as young and immature as thirteen years of age get involved in the business of drug dealing and violence. The story offers several points to inculcate robust understanding of the life of urban youth in America in the reader’s mind. The story covers many aspects of the s ocial attitude and activities of juveniles and explains the underlying reasons of their involvement in the domestic violence. The author has nicely conveyed the way urban youth in America is deprived of the innocence of childhood before the right age. The sort of life that prevails in the project makes the children rough and violent as the time passes. With the passage of time, their personal security becomes more important for them than to see whether the acts they involve themselves in are ethically justified or not. The story also tells that these deprived children can not be underestimated despite all of their sorrows and failures. This is evident from the fact that Pharaoh shows considerable growth and excellence in his studies, when he is provided with a chance. The author has also pointed towards a harsh reality pertaining to the injustice in America. People in authority that are allotted funds for the improvement of the conditions of the housing project use the funds for per sonal gains, and do not do their job. Much of the mess in the project can be attributed to the insincerity and carelessness of the personnel representative of the Chicago Housing Authority. Children of the project suffer because of lack of parental care and nonexistence of role models in their life. To conclude, the story sufficiently explains the effects of greed of the people in authority over the society. Alex Kotlowitz has revealed a unique side of American culture that is conventionally portrayed as very advanced culture with a well cultivated system of justice. This is true that children do require parental care at least for the period when they have not reached adulthood. Lack of parental care exposes a child to innumerable social threats. Also, children who are not able to enjoy their childhood completely mature before the right age. Hence, they become susceptible to falling prey to various odds of the society. In order to grow children into responsible citizens as adults, i t is imperative that they are offered adequate nurturing and grooming when they are in their learning and growing stage. Without the care and supervision of the adults, and with all the insecurity in the neighborhood of gangsters, future of innocent children can not be deemed secure, and they may end up becoming criminals. The author has made use of reliable sources to make his argument that adds to the validity of information, and

Medical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Medical - Essay Example Hormones are like chemical messengers and they need to be present in the right amounts in order to effectively carry out their designated functions. Any upset in hormonal levels can result in symptoms. There are several tests which can be performed in order to diagnose abnormalities in hormonal functions. Firstly, in order to diagnose whether your blood sugar levels are within normal limits and whether your body is producing the right amounts of hormones needed to effectively utilize and store the sugars that we consume, there are a number of diagnostic tests. The first one is the fasting blood sugar. For this test you have to fast overnight (i.e. eat or drink nothing, except water, for about 8-12 hours) and give a blood sample. The level of sugar in your blood sample is compared against a reference range and if it is greater than 126 mg/dl on more than one occasion, it is diagnostic of diabetes (Encyclop?dia Britannica, 2011), which is an impairment in the body’s capacity to effectively utilize and store sugars. Another confirmatory test for diabetes is the glucose tolerance test, whereby you will be made to give two blood samples. To prepare for the test you have to eat a normal balanced diet for upto three days preceding the tests. Then, like for the fasting blood sugar test, you have to fast overnight, for duration of about 8 hours and the first blood sample is collected. After that you will be made to drink a liquid containing 75 grams of glucose and a second blood sample is taken 2 hours later (Encyclop?dia Britannica, 2011). The blood sugar values obtained are compared against normal standards and if the value of the blood sugar levels obtained 2 hours after the glucose drink exceeds 200 mg/dl, it is diagnostic of diabetes (Becker, 2001). One of the most important gland in our body is the pituitary gland, which releases various hormones required to stimulate all the other glands in our body to secrete their respective hormones. The pituitary gland in turn is stimulated by hormones secreted by the hypothalamus which is an important region in our brains. These together form the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Inorder to evaluate the normal functioning of hypothalamic pituitary axis, the insulin tolerance test is carried out. The night prior to this test, you will be asked to fast, i.e. not eat or drink anything except water. The morning when the test is performed, you will be first injected with insulin, which is a substance which will lower your blood sugar. Our body’s normal response to low blood sugar levels is to secrete two hormones growth hormone (GH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which in turn stimulates the secretion of another hormone called cortisol (National Institutes of Health (NIH), 2011). After the insulin injections timed blood samples will be taken and the levels of GH and cortisol will be checked and compared against the normal reference ranges to see whether the normal secretion of these substa nces in your body is present or not (National Institutes of Health (NIH), 2011). In order to evaluate the functioning of the thyroid gland, which is an important gland located in our neck, there are several tests. A complete panel of tests to assess proper functioning of the thyroid gland is termed as the thyroid function test. This panel includes levels of different form of thyroid hormones such as T3 and T4 which are different circulating forms of thyroid hormone in our bloodstream (American Thyroid Association, 2005). Moreover, this

Public Administration- Program Development Coursework

Public Administration- Program Development - Coursework Example purpose of the introduction of the Department of Human Resources in the company is to ensure that there is workforce diversity across all departments as the purpose of the department is always to ensure that all the matters regarding the employees as a company’s assets are taken care of. In this project that the introduction of the department is proposed, it is very important to ensure that the success or the level to which the initiative is effective is examined or evaluated. In this chapter, we are going to analyze the changes that are apparent in the introduction following the introduction of the department. This is going to be done by having the trend analysis of the average level of workforce diversity within the organization. This table shows an hypothetical trend analysis of the average level of workforce diversity for the company before and after the introduction or implementation of the department of human resources. In this hypothetical example, we find that the trend in the data shows that the workforce diversity ‘s level with the organization saw an increase from slightly to moderately during the two different periods of transition on average. However, the post data shows that the introduction of the Department of Human Resources greatly accelerated the rate of the increase to which the organization was becoming more diversity racially or ethnically. On top of reviewing the overall workforce diversity level for the organization, trend analysis can be done for individual departments. This analysis will help in examining the level or extend to which the individual departments have succeeded in hiring more qualified minority candidates and also the level to which they have been in rise in the overall workforce diversity level within their structures. In addition, the comparative trend analysis can be done to examine the performance across the departments. This can always be done both at micro and macro levels. The departments that have been chosen

Surface Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Surface Analysis - Assignment Example Using a combination of electrostatic and magnetic fields which distinguishes the ions on the mass to charge ratio, these secondary ions are drawn into a mass spectrometer. By varying the strength of the magnetic field one can assess ions of different mass to charge ratios. (ii) It is capable of finding out the extent of impurity concentration present in a specimen and represents the same as a function of depth. The sensitivity of this instrument is in the range of 1 ppb (-10^13 at/cm^3). auger electrons from the material on collision. These auger electrons have specific kinetic energies which depend on the electrons emitted. This method therefore creates element maps capable of identifying chemical composition. Some of the applications of AES include This advanced technique uses x rays in dislodging electrons from specimens and these have distinct kinetic energies depending on the nature of emitted electrons. It is particularly useful in providing information regarding the type of bonds that exist between electrons. This is because any change in binding energy is reflected in the XPS spectrum chart which shows crests and troughs. The crests obviously reflect the high chemical boding energy that existed and the troughs vice versa. Its applications include This essentially consists of a tip mounted on a cantilever. The specimen is placed below this cantilever and dragged back and forth. The laser which is focussed on the cantilever bounces off the surface onto the photodiodes. As the cantilever tip moves up and down due the surface irregularities of the specimen, the surface of the sample is plotted showing irregularities. Uniform movement of the sample is achieved by using a piezoelectric crystal which generates a voltage on applying a pressure. This helps in plotting out the surface profile.  

Strategic Management Case Analysis section on how to prepare a Research Paper

Strategic Management Case Analysis section on how to prepare a strategic case analysis. (IP 4) - Research Paper Example It has been subject to serious design level issues wherein product recalls were traced back to the to the faults in design and manufacturing processes of Toyota. This suggests that its operational weaknesses may be on the rise during the recent past. Ford as a part of automobile industry is facing stiff social challenge of improving its image. There is a general perception within the general public that car automakers are thriving on tax payers’ money. Overall market demand is emerging from US market. Ford’s primary demographics is in North American market besides it serves EU market also. Its overall product range serve both high end and low end market. In order to overcome the weakness of low consumer demand, Ford can enter into small car manufacturing. It needs to improve its R&D efforts to produce more cost effective vehicles which can serve the mass market at the global market (Nilsson-Witell, Antoni, & Dahlgaard, 2005). It needs to increase its R&D budget and engage into further improving its fuel efficient cars. In order to overcome it dependence on two markets, Toyota need to establish its manufacturing and distribution facilities in other emerging markets specially in India and other growing markets where demand for low cost fuel efficient cars can be enormous. It can expand into these markets through effective quality management. (Taddese & Osada, 2011) It needs to enter into market development process in a way which can ensure its presence in optimal market locations across the whole globe. Nilsson-Witell, L., Antoni, M., & Dahlgaard, J. (2005). Continuous improvement in product development: Improvement programs and quality principles". International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management,, 22(8),

Canadas Policy of First Nations Essay Example for Free

Canadas Policy of First Nations Essay Canada is a nation built upon legislation that not only believed there would be no future in society for its First Nation peoples, but specifically created colonial policies that would ensure that this future become reality through the process of assimilation. These policies were created without First Nation input in an in effort to destroy First Nation culture and were used to undermine First Nation treaty rights especially with regard to land distributions by way of the Indian Act. Following the second world war, however, a new outlook of human rights grew in society that highlighted discriminatory policies against First Nation peoples. After government sanctioned study called the Hawthorn report was released raising concerns about the overall health and welfare of First Nation people, the newly elected Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau issued his response to First Nations problems in his controversial 1969 White paper . Unfortunately, 1969 White paper proved to be not only a politically motivated policy objective benefiting the Federal government in the future, by relinquishing its responsibilities following treaties, and inevitably avoiding future law suits, but was yet another attempt to do away with the First Nation culture through assimilation into the dominant society. The signing of the treaties and the misconceptions by both parties entering into them, the First Nations bands and the Canadian government, has served as a platform for future politics problems still going on today. First Nation people understood treaties to mean allowing settlement by non-native people. [but] at the same time, native people would retain large tracts of land on which they would govern themselves [and where their] language and culture would flourish (Bird, Land and Macadam 5). The Canadian government, on the other hand, seen it by way of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which the British Crown recognized that any lands possessed by First Nations in what was British North America, would be reserved for them, unless or until they ceded that land to the Crown (Bird, Land and Macadam 6). This to the Canadian government, following treaties, gave them the right to act in a paternalistic fashion towards First Nation people, who needed assistance to assimilate into mainstream society. This way of thinking, led the Canadian government to establish the Indian Act in 1876 which would unleash a series of policies created to destroy First Nations culture and further the Canadian governments own agenda regarding expropriation of First Nation lands. Due to Indian Act policies, First Nations people endured many years of social problems within their communities, problems that became published in a government sanctioned study called the Hawthorn report.

The Indian Armed Forces

The Indian Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces have long enjoyed the reputation of being one of the finest in the world. The armed forces render invaluable service to the country, in times of war as well as during peace, ensuring the security of the nation. They are also called to help restore law and order, ensure the safety of the people in times of internal strife, provide help and relief to victims of natural calamities also contribute to the building of vital infrastructure facilities like roads and bridges in remote and war torn areas. The Indian Armed Forces are facing an acute shortage of officers in all three services. The shortage of officers in the Army is around 11,500 and in the Navy, it is around 1507. Air Force is approx 1237 offrs short of its requirement  [1]  . Statement of Problem. Is there a need to enhance the social standing of Armed Forces personnel to continue to attract the right talent to serve the nation? Hypothesis Though the profession of arms is a calling not a career, lately, some decline in the status social standing of the combatants, particularly the officer cadre of the three services has been perceived. It has led to the present generation of youth preferring other professions, leading to a significant shortage of officers in all the three services. If not arrested, this trend can get aggravated and begin to compromise operational efficiency of our Armed Forces. Justification For the Study Though the subject of status of Armed Forces has been touched upon by a large number of eminent personalities, no writer has comprehensibly addressed the complete issue. The approach of all the writers was either towards financial aspirations or changing social environment or it was a fragmented effort, touching a large number of inter-related issues, eg promotional aspects social standing in civil society. Prominent writings on present day leadership challenges, change in socio economic environment, growing involvement of Armed Forces in IS duties, changes in the Warrant of Precedence etc along with practical approaches to meet the present day challenges have been drawn up by a large number of military minds, journalists, politicians eminent scholars. It is felt that there is a requirement of articulation of these works in a comprehensive manner to recommend an appropriate approach towards the issue. Scope. This paper aims to highlight the erosion in status in the Armed Forces starting from the time of Independence. The reasons for this erosion will be debated. The lack of intent and complete endeavor of defence and civil personnels will be brought to light. Finally some recommendations for making the Defence Services more attractive would be discussed. Methodology It is proposed to study the subject in the following parts:- (a) Part I. Status of Armed Forces Officers before Independence. (b) Part II. Post Independence era. (c) Part III. Pay commission effects. (d) Part IV. Warrant of Precedence Present Status. (e) Part VI. Intent and endeavor with Limitations Positives (f) Part VIII. Recommendations. Source of Data The study has been conducted based on books and columns written by eminent writers on the subject, official history and gazete notifications of GOI, newspaper articles and write ups from internet sites. A bibliography of sources is attached. PART I STATUS OF ARMED FORCES OFFICER BEFORE INDEPENDENCE Warrant of Precedence Before 1947 Status of the Commander-in-Chief. The Warrant of Precedence of British India kept the Armed Forces Officers on a very high pedestal. The Precedence in India was regulated till the independence by a Royal Warrant which was promulgated on the 6th of May 1871  [2]  . As per the Royal Warrant, the Army Chief, the erstwhile Commander-in-Chief was higher in rank to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court while Military Officers above rank of Major-General were higher than the Judge Advocate General of India also the Secretaries to the Government of India. Status of the Major-Generals. It is important to note that First Class Civilians of 28 years standing were equated with Major-Generals while in the present day it is with IAS of 14 years of service. Similarly Civilians of 20 years standing were equated with Colonels and included Commissioners of Divisions. Status of the Colonels Below. Inspector General of Police, then the highest post in any state were similarly equated with Chief Engineers were in the same league as the Colonels. The next grade comprised of the Third Class Civilians of 12 years standing who were equated with the Lieutenant-Colonels. These comprised of the Under-Secretaries to Government of India, Inspector-Generals of Jails etc. The next grade comprised of the Fourth Class Civilians of 8 years standing who were equated with the Majors and so on. The Comparison. It is evident from the above comparison, the high esteem of the officers of the Armed Forces which they enjoyed during the era. The Inspector General was responsible for the complete state but was considered equivalent to a Colonel of a Battalion with 20-25 officers. The same was required because the State machinery was generally static but the Armed Forces were considered to be working in a volatile environment requiring split second decision making which resulted in a situation of life death. There was no requirement felt of large number of officers in the police, where the job was to catch thieves and petty criminals. This task was found suitable for the lower staff in the police forces comprising one Darogah, one Jamadhar and a number of constables who were maintained at each district headquarters  [3]  . Later the same were controlled by the Deputy Superintendent, Inspectors, Head Constables and Constables. The Indian Armed Forces as the Preferred Occupation of Royals and Dynasties The Kashtriya Way of Life. Kashtriya meaning warrior formed one of the four varnas (social orders) in Hinduism. Kshatriyas constituted the military and ruling elite of the Vedic-Hindu social system outlined by the Vedas and the Laws of Manu  [4]  . A Kshatriya was a fighting man, he was bound by the holy scriptures to govern as a Dharma-Raja, with the main duties being protection of his subjects and livestock. The people looked upon Kshatriyans to protect them from all dangers. The great kings and generals on ancient and medieval India took pride in their Kshatriya lineage and took pride in being the kings and warriors in the army. The British Age. During the British Empire, most of the royals had to give up the rights to their land. Some of the royal dynasties even acted as British protectorates. In such times, only some of the dynasties could kept their own armies but the same was not possible with the smaller states. In time, it became a tradition of the royal princesses to either join the British Indian Army or to command their own troops in their small princely states. It was considered bounteous for these princes to command troops in the old Kshatriya ways, be it in the Indian army or the state troops. Serving the Army. Due to the above reasons, the British Indian Army was always associated with the rich royalty who served its ranks often rising to the officer cadre due to their competence and efficiency. Even after independence, the tradition continued. The Indian royalty found itself in the whos who of Indian army with few of them rising up to the highest ranks while serving the Army. Some of the prominent names among them are Colonel Sardar Bahadur Muzzaffar Jung Bahadur Thakur Girdhari Singh, O.B.E, O.B.I Brigadier Th. Harish Chandra Singh, V.S.M. of Kuchela royal family  [5]  ; Capt Amarinder Singh of Patiyala royal family  [6]  ; Brig Sukhjit Singh, MVC of Kapurthala royal family  [7]  ; Brigadier Bhawani Singh, MVC of Jaipur royal family  [8]  . The tradition of joining the Army gradually started to decline with time. The reasons can be attributable to a large number of facts to include the changing socio economics, the changing of family values and the perceived social standing of Armed Forces personnel in civil society. PART II POST INDEPENDENCE ERA START OF THE DECLINE Involvement of Mil in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Mayanmar in their pol affairs During the middle of 20th Century, most of the countries in Indian peninsula got their independence. Independent India found itself sandwiched between large numbers of politically unstable states in which the military frequently thrust itself in the political arena replacing the democratically elected political leaders. Large numbers of coups were accomplished by the military in the nearest neighborhood of India which fuelled mistrust for the Indian Generals in the political circle. The political class often found itself worried because of presence of influential leaders in the military. Military coups in Pakistan began in 1958 and number three successful attempts. There have also been numerous unsuccessful attempts since 1949. Since its independence in 1947, Pakistan has spent several decades under military rule (1958 1971, 1977 1988, 1999 2008)  [9]  . On the other hand, Bangladesh had military coups in 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1996 then in 2007. Bangladesh remained under military rule from 1975 1990 under two different military rulers  [10]  . Mayanmar had its share of military rule when democratic rule ended in 1962 when General Ne Win led a military coup dà ©tat  [11]  only after fourteen years of democracy. The reaction by the politicians to all of the above was obvious. Firstly the Defence Services were increasingly isolated from the process of decision making in defence matters. During the British era, India was perhaps the only country in the world which had a single Commander-in-Chief for all the three Services. In 1947, this arrangement was discarded and each Service came to have its own Commander-in-Chief, independent of each other. The nomenclature of the three Chiefs was changed in 1955 from Commanders-in-Chief to Chiefs of Staff. In this set up, the Chiefs of Staff are not part of the Ministry. They are not authorized to take any decision on behalf of the Government nor issue any Government orders. These functions are performed by civil officials in the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Service Chiefs continue to function as Commanders-in-Chief of their Service  [12]  . Each war increased the popularity of the Indian Army among the common masses and the status of the service chiefs was lowered after successive wars in the Official Warrant of Precedence due to the perceived threat of a possible coup by the Armed Forces. Such was the popularity of eminent military leaders like Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw after the 1971 Bangladesh libration that late Indira Ghandhi feared a massive military coup in 1977  [13]  . Mistrust of the Political class fuelled by Bureaucrats. The mistrust of politicians for the military generals was always exploited by the bureaucrats in every way to increase the rift between them. The incidents of armed rebellions coups in the neighboring countries the world over always added fuel to the fire. Gradually the military generals were sidelined by their political masters the bureaucrats made a place for themselves in between the political masters the military started making important decisions which made an impact on national security matters. Tradition History of Police Ranks The Police followed the following system of rank badges till about independence : (a) Superintendent of Police / Assistant Inspector General of Police. Three Stars (Upgraded to Crown on reaching the basic pay scale of Rs 950/-). (b) Deputy Inspector General of Police. Crown with one Star. (c) Inspector General of Police (highest police rank). Crown with Two Stars. In the late 1950s and early 60s, the police establishment went in for a major overhaul and upgradation of rank badges. This followed the introduction of additional ranks such as Selection Grade etc. To meet new ranks, rank badges were appropriately upwardly modified. Contrary to popular perception, the Ministry of Defence very vehemently protested the rank confusion created by junior police officers wearing senior military rank badges but the issue was sorted out in a high level meeting between MHA and MoD (the meeting is documented and minuted) where it was rather unusually concluded that there could be no confusion between police and military ranks since police rank badges are silver in colour whereas military ranks are made of brass, and it was also decided that rank badges would not reflect the actual status comparison of military and police officers. This later resulted in the rank of DIG (then established by pay and by the MHA as being between a Lt Col and a full Colonel) weari ng rank badges as worn by a Brigadier of the Army. So far so good. But this came to haunt the military years later when by forgetting the historical background of the issue; police officers started demanding status and pay equation by virtue of the rank badges worn. The skewed situation got adversely solidified when the 6th CPC commented about an established relativity between a Brig and a DIG in all probability based on the equality of brass carried on the shoulders by the two ranks  [14]  . PART III PAY COMMISSION EFFECTS Effect of Successive Pay Commissions The Post War Pay Committee of 1946. The first attempt at rationalisation of the remuneration structure was made by the Post War Committee in 1946. The mendate of the Committee was to produce pay scales exclusively to Indian conditions, to simplify the pay system and achieve maximum amount of harmony between the three Services. A decision was also taken by the Government that the future pays of the Armed Forces should be linked with civil pays. Based on these parameters and guided by the Post War Pay Code of the British Armed Forces, the Post War Committee recommended a remuneration system based on the following equations  [15]  :- (a) Service officers should broadly receive equal treatment with police officers. (b) A fully trained infantry soldier with three years service was equated with a semi-skilled worker who in turn was equated with an Able Seaman of the Navy and the juniormost Leading Aircraftman of the Air Force. Comparison of Officers. The closest comparator to Defence Services officers was identified as the Police as both wore a similar uniform due to the fact that the Indian Police was manned by mostly retired British Army Officers in the past. This relativity had no other logic with regard to job content. The same continues till date, much to the detriment of the Service officers pay scales. In establishing this relativity, it was agreed that the end of the Maj scale should not exceed the end of the Senior Time Scale of the Police in which the SP was placed, thereby establishing a linkage between the two. The next link in the Police then was the DIG. The Service representatives sought a linkage of the DIG with the rank of Lt Col. However, DIG was finally placed between the service ranks of Lt Col and Col. One of the factors in establishing this linkage was that the three pillars of administration, namely the DIG of a Range, the Commissioner of a Division and the Commander of a Military Di strict (of the rank of Colonel) had near identical years of service, were of approximately the same age and required to socially interact with each other. The Raghuramaiah Committee Report. Consequent to the Second Pay Commissions Report in 1960, a Departmental Committee, headed by Shri Raghuramaiah, examined the pay and allowances of the Armed Forces. It stated that  [16]  :- The Service representatives felt that pay scales approximating to the scales prevalent on the civil side were preferable to the existing pay structure, but that a revision would be such a complex and lengthy process that it was not practicable at the present juncture. In view of these practical difficulties, we decided that the present pay structure might be retained until such time as the Government finds it convenient to carry out a detailed review. Initiation of Major Changes in Cadre Structure by IAS IPS. As the benefit of a review of their conditions of service and pay scales could not be done, the Armed Forces emerged into the post second Pay Commission scene with a arithmetical revision of their pay and allowances. At this stage the Civil Services, especially the IAS and IPS, initiated major changes in their cadre structure. A Selection Grade was introduced in the IPS, between the SP and DIG. This grade was equated to the service rank of Col and pressure was built up for revision of DIGs pay scale. By 1969, the DIG had overtaken the rank of Col, and started drawing relativity with the ranks of Commodore and Brigadier, thereby lowering the status and relativity of the Armed Service Officer vis a vis the Police. The Third Pay Commission. In early 1970, the Government while announcing the formation of the 3rd Pay Commission, for the first time, entrusted the task of reviewing the pay and allowances of the Armed Forces to a Pay Commission and not to a Departmental Committee. However, there was a major difference between the terms of reference as applicable to the Armed Forces and that of the civilians. In the case of the Armed Forces, the Commission was not asked to make recommendations on the conditions of service but take them as given. This difference was prominently highlighted by the Commission in their report. On the question of the presentation of the Services case, the Commission was of the view that the service personnel should have the liberty to represent their case directly before them like civilian employees. But this request to the Ministry of Defence was turned down on the grounds that the requirement of Armed Forces discipline would not permit such an approach. Thus the three S ervices could not explain their case directly to the Pay Commission. As a result, many of the anomalies injected by earlier Committees remained uncorrected  [17]  . Status of Officers. The main thrust of the services was to seek parity in pay scales with the IAS. The Third Pay Commission was of the view however that the officer cadre of the Armed Forces was an omnibus group of individuals of varying disciplines, status and job responsibilities. Whilst there would certainly be some categories, though difficult to identify, who could claim parity with the IAS, the 60,000 strong Armed Forces officer cadre could at best be compared with the Class I officers cadre which had a similar disparate composition. Parity with IAS was therefore not accepted and the existing relativities were retained  [18]  . Expert Cell. The Ministry of Defence now created an Expert Cell comprising the Chairmen of the three Services Pay Cells, a Joint Secretary and an Additional Financial Adviser. The Expert Cell was asked to scrutinise the Memorandum of each Service and give their own views to the Pay Commission. Unfortunately no agreement could be reached between the Service Members on the one side and the Ministry of Defence on the other. Eventually a report was submitted only by the Service Members. This resulted in the impact of their report being lost and the Third Pay Commission had to seek views of Ministry of Defence seperately. Compensation for X Factor. In the British Armed Forces Pay Structure, the X factor compensated for the uniqueness and distinct disadvantages of service life. Service Headquarters sought the extension of the X factor to the Indian Armed Forces. The Third Pay Commission examined the advantages and disadvantages of Service life, considered that the former outweighed the latter and concluded that there was no justification for the X factor. One of the advantages of naval life taken into consideration was the opportunity for naval personnel to visit distant foreign countries at Government expense  [19]  . Formulation of Rank Pay. The third pay commission also crafted a rank pay out of the existing pay for defence personals. This was to differentiate the pay from Captain to Brigadier in a running pay band. It was specified by the pay commission that the rank pay was part of basic pay for calculation of all emoluments for consideration of status. The successive pay commissions continued with the same. But in the sixth pay commission, when the rank pay was abolished, the pay of all service personals was calculated erroneously as rank pay was not taken into consideration. This created a major anomaly. Research of XLRI Jamshedpur for sixth pay Commission in Estimating cost of Benefits For Armed Forces to government Incongruous Deductions XLRI Jamshedpur was tasked by the sixth pay commission to estimate cost of benefits of all government servants including defence personals. In their estimate, mundane things like loans for housing, car computer, canteen facilities, medical care etc were taken into consideration to calculate the cost of living of defence personals. The picture thus pasted was a very rosy one. The problems faced by defence personals in form of frequent transfers, separation from family, lack of stable education for wards of defence personals were not taken into consideration. Comparison with IPS, PMF and Other gp A services The sixth pay commission compared the Brigadier rank of Defence forces with DIG of the IPS. This comparison was wrong because the DIG was placed between Lt Col Col in all previous comparisons. The DIG wore the insignia of Ashoka a Star till early 1970s but later it was changed to Ashoka three Stars. On being questioned, it was clarified by the MoH that police ranks wear Silver Stars which was different from the Brass Stars of the military hence no comparison was possible. The Commission also used the PMF for comparison with the Armed Forces forgetting that PMFs are not Group A services. A service is considered Group A service only if at least 80 % of its employees hold ranks equivalent to Jt Secy above. The same was utilized by the bureaucracy in creating a rift between the Armed Forces the CPMFs quoting the problems faced in empowerment of CPMFs whenever the injustice faced by the Armed Forces were highlighted. Delinking the rank pay from the basic pay caused a major setback to the pay parity of Armed Forces with the other Group A services. Certain ranks with a higher pay scale till fifth pay commission turned up with a lower grade pay after the Sixth Pay Commission. In a noteworthy judgment, the Supreme Court of India directed that Rank Pay forms part of Basic Pay. The same was prayed by the Govt of India to reconsider the same is still pending. Comparison with Defence Support Services It must also be brought to light that Defence Support Services like Defence account services, Ordinance Board Services etc which are primarily existing for supporting the Armed Forces now enjoy a better pay scale that what is enjoyed by the services they serve. Also the promotion rate is much faster with an officer making it to Jt Secy level in 16 yrs while a equivalent Maj Gen makes it after almost 32 yrs of service. The Govt Doctors also have a faster promotion rate due to the MACP scheme but the same could never be implemented for Armed Forces doctors due to the acute disparity they would cause. PART IV WARRANT OF PRECEDENCE PRESENT CONDITION Successive Lowering of Status The status of Armed Forces Officers was lowered after each war as it was perceived by the civil society that the image of Armed Forces Officers was augmenting the political as well as bureaucratic class found itself threatened by the same. Analysis Effects of 6th pay commission to Include Financial Effects The pay commission was near sighted in determining the grade pay of Armed Forces Officers but when faced with a large amount of criticism, it delinked grade pay from status clarified that grade pay was only for determining inter services seniority. This was a knee jerk reaction but the damage was done. The grade pay differences was not only to be used to determine the seniority for all practical purposes but also determined the amount of Entitlements Benefits for all personals. This caused a major Financial Loss to all personals including loss of Social Standing among peers. Misinterpretation of the Warrant by Vested Interests The Warrant of Precedence shows Jt Secy to the GOI to be equivalent to Maj Gen. The official warrant does not cover the lower ranks. This was taken as a guide map by vested interests in equating all civil posts of IG police similar posts with a Maj Gen. In view of the above, it must be stated that very few posts are equivalent to Jt Secy to the GOI posts like IG police of a state is not equivalent unless empanelled by the GOI. These minor rules are not known by a large number of people are being used by some persons for their advantage. The Economic Boom the Present IS Situation The boom in the economy added to the aspiration of all persons including that of the Armed Forces. The present IS situation also increased the commitments lead to further increase in difficulties faced by the Defence personal. The same was not adequately compensated by the successive pay commissions or the government thus causing a steady decline in their strata in the society. Status as Perceived by the Society In the present society where the visible factors of money power are taken as guidelines for deciding the Social Standing of a person, the persons of Armed Forces take a beating. This has caused a visible change in the social environment has also affected the intake of officers in the Armed Forces. This of status has even affected the parity which is perceived by the civil society which can be seen from various agencies intake of ex-servicemen. In a recent UCO bank intake, the post of Security Officer was open to Commissioned Officer in Army (Captain)/Navy (Lieutenant)/Air Force (Flight Lieutenant) and to Any officer in the rank of Inspector (Executive)/Inspector (GD) from Para-Military forces like BSF, CRPF, ITBP, CISF etc. Shortage of Officers in the Armed Forces The Armed Forced are facing a acute shortage of officers in all three services. The shortage of officers in the Army is around 11,500 and in the Navy, the shortage is around 1606. The numbers which are less in Air Force is around 1342. This shortage is causing serious hamper in the operational efficiency of the services the trend need to be arrested at the earliest. Noteworthy Judgment Rank Pay Judgment Maj Dhanapalan case are major judgments of Honorable Supreme Court of India stating rank pay forming part of basic pay for all intent purposes. The Supreme Court slamming the union for treating Armed Forces personnel like beggars in respect of emoluments and pension asking authorities to adopt a more humane approach towards those bravely defending the countrys borders. Treatment of Veterans by Civil and Military The agenda of One Rank One Pay is present in the election manifesto of most of the National parties but no party in power has done anything on the same except giving lip service. The ex-servicemen returning their medals to the President of India was a day of national shame but no concrete steps have yet been taken to meet the demands. PART V LACK OF INTENT AND ENDEAVOR CERTAIN POSITIVES Approach of Govt to Incl Politicians and Civil Bureaucrats The apathy towards Armed Forces was well observed when the Committee of Secretaries formed to look after the anomaly of Sixth Pay Commission was formed without a military member and established more anomalies in its verdict. The Group of Ministers formed after the same to look into possible anomalies has not given any verdict even after a year of its formation. When the veterans demanding One Rank One Pension marched toward the Rashtrapati Bhavan for returning their medals, the President who is the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces did not even feel it important to meet them and assigned a Joint Secretary to receive the medals in her behalf. Negating the Effects of AVC Commission AVC Commission lowered the intake service for the rank of Captain to two years and that of Major to six years. This was done to increase the satisfaction level of the officers of the three services. The same effect was reversed by the Sixth Pay Commission in which the grade pay of all ranks Captain onwards was lowered such that now the Major equaled the Captain of the pre-AVC Commission days. It must be noted here that the Major of post AVC Commission is not even authorized the Majors Accommodation he possesses in a military station but now being equal to a erstwhile Captain, is authorized only the Captains Accommodation. This may not be a area of concern in a pure military station, but causes major embarrassments in a mixed station where the status has declined substantially. Similar problems exist for all military ranks. The Working of Mil Machinery Before the

Overview of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Overview of the Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis was a period of extreme tension and conflict between the USA and Cuba and the USSR in October 1962; it was characterized by decisions made by both John F Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev. It was a 13 day event which started as a result of the USSR placing nuclear weapons in Cuba in an attempt to stop future harassment of Cuba following the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. The Cuban Missile Crisis was by far the closest that the USA and USSR came to using nuclear weapons in warfare, and it was only by tactile decision making in a crisis that disaster was averted. A crisis is characterised by threats to major values, time urgency, ambiguity or uncertainty and surprise or uniqueness, by these characteristics, the Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the biggest crisis of the 20th century. The crisis started when following a meeting between Fidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev, Khrushchev agreed to hold nuclear missiles in Cuba. This was in response to several threats on Cuba from the USA. The Bay of Pigs invasion, though a failure displayed the USAs negative intentions to the Cuban regime and therefore Castro argued that a nuclear deterrent was the only option for the long term safety of Cuba. This was also a part of the USSRs response to the presence of American Jupiter missiles in both Turkey and Italy, which were firmly in range of Moscow. Following Khrushchev granting Cuba missiles, construction of the missile launch facilities started in the summer of 1962.The deployment of the missiles only came to light following photos taken by a US Air Force U-2 Spy plane. The plane had taken photos which clearly showed both medium and intermediate range nuclear missile facilities. The photos were shown to President Kennedy on October 16th and he quickly organised a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss what options of response the US had (JFK library,1962). This is an example of decision making, where the decision made will have a large and irreversible impact. There were numerous decisions and options discussed from using diplomatic channels to pressure the Cubans to remove the weapons, launch a full scale invasion of Cuba, Air strikes or a blockage (Allison Zeilkow, 1999). While the US had the military capabilities to invade and overthrow Cuba, they feared the Soviet response. It is also important to consider the fact that it was an election year in the US, and JFK had already come under fire by Republicans for a seemingly weak line against Cuba and they did not want to appear weak or afraid of the combined threat of Cuba and the Soviets. This had led to President Kennedy stating before gaining the knowledge of weapons in Cuba that â€Å"if Cuba should possess a capacity to carry out offensive actions against the United States the Unite d States would act’ (Peters Wooley, 1962). This had in effect already forced his arm; he did not want to appear to back down from his promises. In the end the US decided to conduct a naval blockade against Cuba, one of the main reasons for this decision was it made the US appear strong, whilst not forcing the Soviets hand or seemingly overly aggressive. Another key aspect in this is the legal ramifications of a blockade. Under international law, a blockade of another nation is considered to be an act of war, however lawyers at the Justice and State Department found a loophole that avoided the US from issuing a potentially contentious declaration of war. Using the Rio treaty a resolution from the Organization of American states allowed the US from having to declare war upon Cuba, which the Soviets would have objected to (Allison and Zelikow, 1999). The ‘blockade’ was instead termed as a quarantine of offensive weapons. (May, 2012). President Kennedy formally announced the blockade on 22 October in which he stated ‘It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union’ (United Press,2010). The international response was overwhelming with the world realising that they had never been closer to the use of nuclear weapons, and if they were deployedby both the US and the Soviets, there would be worldwide destruction never seen before on such a scale. During this period it is reported not only was there a Cuban invasion force stationed and ready in Florida but also 145 intercontinental ballistic missiles ready to take off, and the fleet of b-52 bombers were on continuous airborne alert, the US it is clear was preparing for a full scale war on a scale not seen since the end of WW2 (Kamps, 2007). On October 24 Soviet ships that were headed for Cuba caused panic when they neared the line of US ships which were actively enforcing the Cuban blockade. However the Soviet ships stopped just short of the blockade, requiring no action from the US. If they had attempted to breach the blockade, it could have easily led to a military confrontation. A further escalation in the crisis was on October 27, when an American spy plane was shot down over Cuba. Despite this overwhelming pressure which seemed to give no sign of slowing down or de-escalating a way was found out of the crisis which avoided a military conflict between the US and Soviets. Throughout the crisis Kennedy and Khrushchev had been communicating and when the crisis was near breaking point, the US told the Brazilian government to pass on a message to Cuba that it would be unlikely that the US would invade Cuba if they removed the missiles (National Security Archive, 2011). What followed was a personal letter from Khrushchev written on 26th October which offered a way out of the stalemate, if the US declared they will not invade Cuba then the Soviets would leave and remove the missiles. However the next day Khrushchev sent another letter which stated they would remove the missile bases in Cuba only if the US removed missiles from both Turkey and Italy’s As the two offers differed President Kennedy said he would accept the first one, this would also be a lot more f avourable his popularity in the US. What followed were intense negotiations between both US and Soviet dignitaries in Washington. Eventually a deal was reached and the Soviets agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba and to take them back to Russia whilst Kennedy secretly agreed to dismantle weapons bases in both Italy and Turkey. The crisis was over. What the Cuban Missile Crisis is, is an example is of leadership and decision making in a crisis. It was a period of extreme tension, the wrong decision could lead to nuclear war, yet a clear headed and rational decision still had to be made. The decisions that President Kennedy made were made only after looking at the effects both on the world stage and also back in the US. It was a senate election year and President Kennedy couldn’t let any decision he made weakenhis position in the mind of the electorate. Yet he also had to way up the potential devastating impact if the crisis escalated because he wanted to appear strong against the Cuban and Soviet threat. Kennedy had already come under pressure from Republicans, for having a supposedly weak stance on Cuba, so reaching any form of compromise was unthinkable to the Cuban hawks in the Republicans. What this clearly shows is the sheer complexity of the arena that Kennedy had to make his decision in. He had to de-escalate the conflict, which required compromise on his part, whilst appearing strong and not to give in to the Soviet threat. That he managed to do that, and was considered by many at the time to have ‘won’ the crisis is remarkable. We can analyse several of the decisions made by Kennedy, how to respond to the threat and how to deal with the de-escalation of the crisis. When deciding how to respond to the crisis Kennedy and his advisors had to weigh up several key and important factors. As previously mentioned there were several ideas and options to choose from when responding to the initial discovery of missiles in this early stage in the crisis of mounting tension. If the US did nothing, as it was high unlikely that Cuba would use them unprovoked considering the Soviets knew they did not have the same firepower or amount of nuclear warheads as the US, then the crisis would potentially fade away without requiring a military response. However several Republicans had already been criticising Kennedy for being too lenient to Cuba, if it came public that Kennedy did nothing when a nuclear weapon was found 90 miles of the coast of Florida he would appear weak and his leadership credibility would be in tatters. The other extreme would be an escalation of the crisis, either an air-strike or full scale military invasion. While this would certainly win him support back home, it is highly unlikely that the Soviets would not also respond with force, thus starting war between the US and the Soviets. Also President Kennedys allies in the UK, France and in the wider international community would feel that the US went into war too quickly when there was a diplomatic route out of the crisis, thus it would cost him support from his allies. Therefore we can see that the blockade was a good strategic decision for Kennedy to take. It made the US appear strong, meeting the crisis head on, without looking brash and escalating the conflict. Further as previously mentioned there was a legal precedent for it. Thus it is clear this was a good decision to take under the circumstances and time pressure. Kennedy had analysed the impact his decision would have in the US, to the Soviets and Cuba as well as the wide r international community. The blockade made the US look strong but not overly aggressive and more importantly it placed the impetus on Khrushchev to make the next decision to escalate or de-escalate the crisis. Another example of good decision making in the Cuban missile crisis was Kennedy’s decision to accept the removal of missiles in Cuba public, whilst keeping the US withdrawal of missiles in Turkey and Italy secret. He accurately judged how far Khrushchev would stretch diplomatically and calculated that he could create an end to the crisis whilst appearing to have stood firm in the face of Soviet aggression and have forced Khrushchev back down from the US. This was a decision he took after weighing up the options and potential benefits and drawbacks. Kennedy therefore was able to make a clear decision despite threats to major values, large scale uncertainty and a lack of time to concretely analyse every potential outcome of a decision. What inevitably stopped this crisis from escalating into war while other similar crises have ended in warfare is the ability and will of both the Soviets and the US to compromise. In conclusion, we can see that due to decision making a crisis that could have easily ended up in nuclear warfare, ended up with a diplomatic solution. The only reason war was avoided was the rational decision making abilities of a few key players. President Kennedy had to de-escalate a crisis whilst still maintaning control of the situation. That he was able to do this and appear successful both on the world stage and back home is commendable and down to his ability to make clear and calculated desicions under pressure. The US enjoyed the press coverage of a victorious nation and in the senate election that followed the Democrats won three seats, so we can see this as a vote of confidence in the Democrats and Kennedy following the missile crisis. What becomes clear from studying the Cuban Missile Crisis is how important pursuing the correct strategy when attempting to de-escalate a crisis and the need for crisis managers to take rational decisions in face of extreme pressure. Here t he pressure or consequences could not have been greater, yet disaster was avoided by the actions and decision making abilities of crisis managers. References Allison, Graham; Zelikow, Philip. (1999). Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis. New York: Addison Wesley Longman. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. (1962). Off the Record Meeting on Cuba: The White House. Washington D.C. Kamps, Charles. (2007). The Cuban Missile Crisis. Air Space Power, (3), 88. May, Ernest. (2012, February 7). John F Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/coldwar/kennedy_cuban_missile_01.shtml#three National Security Archive. (2011). October 26, 1962 to November 15, 1962. The Cuban Missile Crisis.Author. Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John.(1962). John F Kennedy. 378-The Presidents News Conference. Santa Barbara, CA: The American Presidency Project. University of Californa. United Press International. (2010, April 22). Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 Year In Review. Retrieved from http://www.upi.com/Archives/Audio/Events-of-1962/Cuban-Missile-Crisis

Wiccan religion: The Goddess and Gods of the Wiccan Religion :: Essays Papers

Wiccan religion: The Goddess and Gods of the Wiccan Religion "Wicca is the most prevalent form of reconstructionist neo-paganism in the United States and is the pre-Christian spirituality of the Celtic peoples who resided in the British Isles and Brittany and on the western coast of France." Wicca is a religion based upon deep personal understanding of oneself and the multi-verse in which one resides. They work with the Gods and Goddess that call to us, and we develop relationships with them that help and support them in their evolution. Wicca is a spiritual path, a way of seeing the world and Divinity, and our relationship to it. They believe that Goddess is imminent in the world around us. Goddess permeates every living thing, and most of them define rocks, soil, water, air, fire, and the plant herself as living things. "The God of Wicca is the Horned God, the ancient God of Fertility: the God of the forest, flock, and field and also of the hunt." He is Lord of Life, and the Giver of Life, yet he is also Lord of Death and Resurrection. http://www.interlog.com/~spawn/gods.html Wicca is considered to be a radical faith in spite of significant numbers of goddess devotes who are extremely conservative in their lifestyles and the tenets they hold. The wiccan religion is not solely a women’s faith. While their are "women-only" groupings, and women-led, or women-predominant ones, there are just as many mixed gender groupings, in some of which men are dominant. There are also numerous solitaries, both women and men. In Wicca, practitioners notice the holy duality of the sexes in nature and in themselves, and worship the Divine as both God and the Goddess. Most modern Wiccans feel that while the God and Goddess are separate and equal, there are also two separate sides of the same coin: all in one. And all that they see, touch, feel, hear, or sense is Holy. The Goddess is known as "The Powerful Lady Mother" each of whom could appear in many, guises depending on the personal needs of the individual invoking them. The God is known as the "Horned God." The Horned God is the group soul of the hunted animal, invoked by the primitive shaman and the tribe. "The Goddess, whether Gentle Lady-Mother or thundering and Powerful Seductress has never really been broadly attached specifically to an animal form as much as the God was.