Nordstrom's Success Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nordstrom's Success - Term Paper Example They have knowledgeable sales clerks and sales people who pay more attention to customers (Lamb, et. al, 2011). Nordstrom’s level of service is known to be high full service. Sales people are taught to always try to understand their customers. They should try to make their customers have the best shopping experience at any time they visit the store. Nordstrom is therefore at the full service continuum level since its employees would do whatever is possible to make their customers happy. Nordstrom aims at giving the best experience to its customers, whether they are shopping on- line, in their stores or through a mail order catalogue. A good example of a business that is on the other end of the continuum is Target. Although they have good customer service, it cannot be compared to that at Nordstrom. Customers will just be greeted at the door when going into the store and not much assistance will be given to them. Their sales people with focus on making sales rather than assisting customers fully. Target does not depend on high quality customer service. The store will just ensure that products are well displayed on the shelves and that the store processes are running smoothly. The self-service model is more important at target store since customers will just walk around the store and look for whatever they wish to buy by themselves. Nordstrom has knowledgeable sales people who provide quality services to their customers because they know that each customer would love to get a unique shopping experience. The highly trained employees will create personal interactions with each customer and this will ensure that their needs and wants are satisfied. Nordstrom also uses selective distribution as a method of retailing. The departments now manage inventories at its stores and website as one big entity. When a customer is shopping online and the product is

The Unredeemed Captive Essay Example for Free

The Unredeemed Captive Essay Some are born literary genius, some achieve literary genius, and some have literary success thrust upon them. As for John Demos in his book, ‘The Unredeemed Captive’ seems to be the blend of the last two categories. Through this book,   Demos takes you to the 18th Century, to explain the tension-ridden and violence-prone confrontation   between three communities (segments of a society).They are the puritan settlers of New England, the Roman-Catholic French of New France (currently parts of Canada) and the Native Americans.   It was a peculiar type of confrontation fought for several types’ self-interests. The conflicts, where religion, culture, race and territorial interests are involved. The story takes savage turns and the reading seriously affects the emotions of the readers! The contents of writing are a mixture of fact and fiction. The book has great historical significance. The mentioned communities then did not believe in peaceful negotiations to settle the ‘border disputes.’ They fought for territorial gains and the borders continued to shift and relocate. The mini-Hitlers were out to establish their moral and racial superiority. The animal tendencies in them surfaced forth and they did not hesitate to capture (kidnap) young girls belonging to the enemy camp, as war trophies, eventually for their sexual gratification.   John Demos is a Yale History Professor. His primary intentions and efforts in this book are to provide an objective analysis of the encounters between the mentioned ‘groups’. He has drawn upon the experiences of one family to achieve the objective in view. It is the John Williams family. Williams is a puritan minister. The family was captured in 1704 in their Massachusetts home by a group of Frenchmen and Native Americans. They were marched off to Canada. Of the seven members of the family his wife died en-route, Williams and four children were released later, his daughter Eunice became a convert (forced conversion?) to Catholicism to marry a Native American. Desperate attempts were made by the family for the return of Eunice to Massachusetts, but she came for short visits only to return back, till her death at the age of 95.   The stunning and heart-rending part of the story is that of Eunice. Remember, she was only 7 when she was captured—what values did her captors defend by torturing the mind of an innocent girl child? Religious principles? Cultural traditions? Racial superiority? Human values? Such persons deserve to be the offspring of the Satan. She was converted to Catholicism and married off at the age of 16, for which the perpetrators of such a crime can face severe punishment in the present times. Probably that was the age when male/female married as per the social customs prevailing then. Well, she spent the rest of her life, but what might be the thought-currents circling and torturing her mind within? Her 88 years of silent suffering is difficult for the printed pages to capture, the most sensitive and imaginative writer will not be able to probe the inner layers of her mind. If someone is able to do proper research on this mind, it can as well reveal the history of the century to which she belonged in the correct perspective.   Her life is a great example of the bitter fruits of cross-cultural bloody encounters. It is the saga of the perpetrators of the torture and those who were tortured. That God and destiny were often quoted to justify the cruel happenings shows the macabre and sadistic mind-set of the groups involved in those conflicts. It was an open exhibition of animal tendencies, by the two-legged devils   The Unredeemed Captive is a systematically researched history by John Demos. To sieve through the 300 year old data (the later 1600s) and make out a factual, historically relevant story is a skilled job. Demos has done justice to his job as the Professor of History. He knows the essentials of the history, the requirements of a research student of history. The research pages do make a slow reading, and that is no fault of the author. The narratives sections are quite fascinating. Basically, this book is written by a history man for the history people   In the present times also, people live dangerously in the border areas of a country, especially when the neighbors are unfriendly. This is the situation when civilization has made advancement and there are international laws for protection. Guess, what would have been the conditions 300 years ago, when might was right and jungle laws prevailed? John Demos describes well, with authority and proof, the dangers of living on the American frontiers in the early days of settling America, when the borders shifted constantly.   A tough subject has been chosen for the book and the area covered is vast.   One can not expect the book to make a good reading from page 1 to page 336. The first five chapters are very exciting; the flying start is the highlight of the book. The story and the incidents related to the family of John Williams are interesting and touching. The rest of the book is about facts, customs and traditions. One needs to make efforts to sustain the interest as for this portion of the book. But overall, the book is no drag.   Finally, the important points of the book: The clash of cultures of the diverse communities is well depicted. Through the personal tragedy of a family, the political story of an era has been told. The doomed role of the religion is described well. Eunice’s rejection of her own family is a mysterious psychological drama. But Demos shows the balanced approach in writing this part of the story, and does not blame exclusively any party involved in the conflicts.    References Cited: Demos, John, Book: The Unredeemed Captive. Publisher: Vintage; Reprint edition (March 28, 1995) ISBN-10: 0679759611 ISBN-13: 978-0679759614

The Admired Character Traits Of Ancient Greece English Literature Essay

The Admired Character Traits Of Ancient Greece English Literature Essay In the epic poem The Odyssey, a courageous hero, Odysseus, displayed many admirable traits, even though at times his actions brought pain and suffering to others he loved. These faults may have inflicted a substantial amount of desolation and agony to particular individuals, but these transgressions were inadvertent and failed to mutilate the true image of the protagonist during his many journeys. Odysseus is depicted as a dedicated warrior because his prominence and allure resulted in his depiction as a god-like figure among men and a worthy king amongst his people. Odysseus physical dominance earned himself respect and his intelligence and exceptional nature was admired by all of his followers. His dictating role in the Trojan War placed a large emphasis his strength as a fighter and as a human being. Odysseus demonstrated his intellectual abilities when devising strategic plans of attack, such as the penetration of Troy with the infamous Trojan horse. Nestor, Menelaus, Achilles, a nd Agamemnon, spoke highly of their comrade in response to his service. For all of the Achaeans who strove at Troy it was Odysseus who strove the hardest and achieved the most. Odysseus actions were known throughout the land, no more so than in his own country, Ithaca. Even though Odysseus was absent for more than a decade, many citizens were still loyal and hopeful of his return. A vital characteristic trait that was admirable in ancient Greece was physical strength due to their environment and dedication to succeeding in war situations. While accounting what happened after three of his men ate the flower of the Lotus Eaters, Odysseus recalls, I drove them, all three wailing, to the ships, ties them down under their rowing benches, and called the rest: All hands aboard; come, clear the beach and no one taste the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home' (985). To drag three grown men, who were also very strong and equally fit, onto a ship against their will and tie them up creates the image of a great physical challenge for Odysseus for the reader. The story states, All three wailing, translates that they were fighting against Odysseus, which extends his challenge to a more demanding stage. Next, Odysseus exemplifies his brute physical strength during his plan to disable a Cyclops by ramming a monstrous spear into the eye of the Cyclops. Now by the gods, I drove a big hand spike deep in the embers, charring it again, and cheered my men along with battle talk to keep their courage up: no quitting now. The pike of olive, green though it had been, reddened and glowed as if about to catch. I drew it from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclops as more than natural force nerved them; straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye, and leaned on it turning it as a shipwright turns a drill in planking, having men below to swing the two-handled strap that spins it in the groove (992). An event in which Odysseus easily exemplifies his physical strength occurred in the claiming of Penelope because and arrow would have to pass through a series of targets using the bow that Odysseus had left behind when he went to war. Shockingly, none of the suitors could string the bow, but the Odysseus could string the bow with a negligible amount of effort. When the suitors failed to pull the bow to shoot the arrow through the targets, Odysseus genuinely pulled the bow to its fullest length then drove the arrow perfectly through the targets. In conclusion, Odysseus defies the limits of strength which boosts his probability in completing challenges quickly and more precisely than other heroes. Mental quickness and the abilities to fight through mental challenges is a major characteristic trait that places a fine line between Odysseus and other heroes of ancient Greece. When Odysseus and his crew were trapped in the cave of the Cyclops, Odysseus tricked the Cyclops into becoming drunk so the Cyclops would go into a state of dizziness to increase the probability of defeating the Cyclops. Odysseus purposely offered the Cyclops some of the sweet wine of maron in which was stronger than other wines because it was not diluted with water. When the Cyclops was drunk, he asked Odysseus his name, but he lied and said his name was Nohbdy which was a high intelligence decision on his part. He didnt know how to escape at first after this, but he and his men ended up heaving up a pointed stick and plunged it into its eye, which is where the name Nohbdy came into play because other Cyclops were ready to spring into action when they heard the cries, but the Cyclops yelled out that Nohbdy was attacking me. The Cyclops was blinded and opened the cave door, and Odysseus and his crew returned to the ship. On the way away from the island, Odysseus called back that if anyone ever asked who blinded him, he should reply, Tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes son, whose homes on Ithaca. Secondly, the sirens were evil spirits that were half woman and half bird that led sailors to their death with their song. To prevent this, he blocked up the ears of his men with beeswax, but he had himself tied to the mast of the ship so that he could hear their song. He forewarned his men that if he used sign language to be released, they should bind him tighter. After that, during the crews encounters with Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus is wise in not informing them of the future events that is yet to come because he deserved full participation and effort from his crew instead of panic. When Scylla made her strike, Odysseus positioned the boat to where only six of his crew would be whisked by the arms of the sea monster instead of endangering all of his crew. Then Scylla made her strike, whisking six of my best men from the ship. I happened to glance aft at ship and oarsmen and caught sight of their arms and legs, dangling high overhead. Voices came down to e in anguish, calling my name for the last time (1010). A final explication of Odysseys mental abilities was when Odysseus returned home, he found that his wife had many suitors who wished to marry his wife and claim his possessions because they believed that he was dead. She tricked them to keep them at bay because she did not want to marry any of the suitors. She threw a tournament, and Odysseus took part in it, but under disguise so as not to be noticed by the suitors. The contest was to see if they could wield Odysseus bow, and to shoot an arrow through the holes of 7 axes that had been lit on fire, and Odysseus won easily winning back the hand of Penelope. The Odyssey is a perfect portrayal of how Odysseus can succeed in using Brains over Braun. A vital characteristic trait that all of ancient Greeces heroes and gods possessed were bravery and perseverance and to conduct themselves accordingly no matter the intensity of the situation. Eurylochos considers Odysseuss perseverance to be exceptional because he still had the fortitude to tell his crew to sail on past a potentially safe island retreat for the night after enduring the horrors of Scylla and Charybdis. You are a hard man, Odysseus. Your force is greater; your limbs never wear out. You must be made all of iron, when you will not let your companions, worn with hard work and wanting sleep, set foot on this land, where if we did, on the sea girt island we could once more make ready a greedy dinner; but you force us to blunder along just as we are through the running night, driven from the island over the misty face of the water (12.279-285). At this time Charybdis sucked down the seas salt water, but I reached high in the air above me, to where the tall fig tree grew, an d caught hold of it and clung like a bat; there was no place where I could firmly brace my feet, or climb up it, for the roots of it were far from me, and the branches hung out far, big and long branches that overshadowed Charybdis. Inexorably I hung on, waiting for her to vomit the keel and mast back up again. I longed for them, and they came late; at the time when a man leaves the law court, for dinner, after judging the many disputes brought him by litigious young men; that was the time it took the timbers to appear from Charybdis (12.431-441). This quote proves that Odysseus has mental and physical perseverance and without his willpower, his physical perseverance would go to ruins. This next quote portrays Odysseuss determination and believing and hoping for the best. Of all creatures that breathe and walk on the earth there is nothing more helpless than a man is, of all that the earth fosters; for he thinks that he will never suffer misfortune in future days, while the gods gra nt him courage, and his knees have spring in them. But when the blessed gods bring sad days upon him, against his will he must suffer it with enduring spirit. For the mind in men upon earth goes according to the fortunes the Father of Gods and Men, day by day, bestows upon them (18.130-137). No matter what back luck got thrown towards Odysseus and his crew, there was nothing simpler than enduring the challenge and hoping for the best because they mastered the skill in perseverance, which ultimately results in surviving the pain of the challenge. Perseverance was the key to surviving in ancient Greece during the times of war and self-defense. In ancient Greece, a necessity to be able to live your live as you wish with overall satisfaction and peacefulness, is to simply treat the gods with respect which will save their life in near death situations. Since the gods acquire such super powers, immortality, and control over their followers with human weakness, it is this combination that causes so much torment and suffering. Examples of such human weakness in the story are when Athena takes pride in Odysseus, Calypso lusts after Odysseus, and Helios wants revenge on Odysseuss crew. When Odysseus was caught in a storm after leaving Calypsos Island, he is on the verge of death when Odysseus yells, What do you want me to learn? Poseidon responds, That without the gods, man is nothing. This summarizes the necessity of having respect for the gods in the Odyssey. Odysseus also offered any sacrifices to ask forgiveness for their mistakes and for good will. Then I addressed the blurred and breathless dead, vowing to slaughter my best heifer for them before she calved, at home in Ithaca, and burn the choice bits on the altar fire; as for Tiresias, I swore to sacrifice a black lamb, handsomest of all our flock. Thus to assuage the nations of the dead, I pledged these rites, then slashed the lamb and ewe, letting their blood stream into the well pit (1000.) Finally, Odysseus portrays respect for the gods by praying to them in times of struggle and hardships, such as when he prayed to Apollo to see his wife and son back home. These examples prove the dear respect ancient Greeks gave to the gods because they knew it aid them one day in the future. The next admirable trait in ancient Greece was self-control in which Odysseus exemplifies perfectly in many occasions during his journey. When Odysseuss crew devour the rich taste of the Lotus, he remains sober because the drug muddles ones memory so that he forgets about home, but Odysseus remains faithful to his goal of traveling home as soon as possible. But those who ate this honeyed, the Lotus, never cared to report, nor to return: they longed to stay forever, browsing on the native bloom, forgetful of their homeland. I drove them all, all three wailing, to the ships, tied them down under their rowing benches, and called the rest: All hands aboard; come, clear the beach and no one taste the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home (985). Secondly, Odysseus resisted the songs of the Sirens, but even though he was tied up, Odysseus could have used his superhuman strength to unleash himself to the trap of the pleasuring sounds. Near the end of the Odyssey, Odysseus resists the temptati on to fight back against Melanthios and Antinoos because he had learned from his mistakes and decides to bear the unjust blows of the suitors because he knows his revenge has to be plotted in a careful manner. Finally, Odysseus turns down the offer to see Penelope because the suitors may attack him and he wants Penelope alone to test her loyalty. Although Odysseus did not resist every temptation, the one he did resist resulted in his overall enlightenment. In conclusion, those urn to be a leader must first convey specific qualities if they are to excel in the world. First, when each second counts, the ability to quick, but assessed decisions is vital. Next, a true leader will set goals for his followers and push them to their max to achieve their goals, but also conveying his own abilities to his followers to portray a true example of determination. After that, knowledge and intelligence of how to use your abilities are vital in accomplishing the set goals. The final and most important trait of a leader is self-discipline and sacrifice. A leader must not only act appropriately in all situations, but also remain humble even if his followers act exactly opposite in regards of their goals. According to the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplifies all major traits of a leader that are most admired by ancient Greeks.

Indias Current Relations And Foreign Policy Politics Essay

Indias Current Relations And Foreign Policy Politics Essay Modern Indias foreign policy came in to being with the independence in 1947. Till then, the nation, as a satellite of the British Empire, was bound by the identity and postulates of foreign policy dictated by the erstwhile Empire. Thereafter, India charted a course of its own independent foreign policy. The same being a subject of vast scope and not particularly relevant to this thesis is not discussed here. It would be worthwhile in scheme of things to discuss the basic determinants which steer Indias policy in case of Middle East which is based on following five primary factors  [7]  :- (a) Reliance on Middle East gas and oil, which makes it binding on India to maintain cordial relations with most of the major suppliers, including Iran, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. However, India does not want to face any temporary cut-off in its supplies or an increased price hike. Also, it does not want to be dependent on Pakistan in this regard. (b) While being a secular democracy, India is also a major Muslim state, and relations with Iran, in particular, resonate in the northern Indian heartland, notably Uttar Pradesh. Also, India has a large group of Shia support groups. Thus, India has to balance between its foreign and economic policies on one hand, and domestic politics on the other. Indias preferred strategy is to avoid, at all costs, any stark choice between the loss of domestic political support and achieving some foreign policy goal. (c) India is hyper sensitive to criticism of its policies in Kashmir, and wants to keep the major Muslim nations from either intervening in Kashmir or supporting Pakistan. Thus, India conducts balance of power diplomacy, aimed at countering Pakistani influence in Middle East and to keep Kashmir away from any discussions. (d) India has initiated relations with Israel in field of technology, military benefits intelligence leading to increase in its influence in Washington. However, India has to carefully balance its equations with Israel and other Middle East nations. (e) India also does not want to run afoul of USs non-proliferation policies in the Middle East, even though strategically speaking India has reservations about us non-proliferation goals and tactics. Conventionally India was instrumental in building a theoretical case against NPT. The same arguments are now been used by Iran and North Korea for advancing their cases. 14. The major players in Middle East region presently are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Israel. The other smaller Gulf States like Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Yemen and few other states constitute the rest of Middle East region. Out of the said nations Iraq presently has ceased to be an important power in the region after the occupation by the UN forces backed mainly by US and NATO states. 15. India has traditionally pursued a pro-Arab policy towards Middle East nations and remained aligned against Israel until 1990s. This was basically aimed at countering Pakistans influence in the region and to secure access to Middle East petroleum resources. In the late 1960s and 1970s, India successfully developed mutually beneficial economic exchanges with a number of Middle East countries particularly Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other Persian states, thereby, improving bilateral relations with them. This strong relationship particularly with Iran and Iraq helped India weather the displeasure of Islamic nations during 1971 Indo-Pak war.  [8]  The relationship was further cemented by Indias anti Israeli stance during 1967 and 1973 Arab Israel conflict. The situation continued until 1978 and 1979 when the establishing of Islamic regime under Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan supporting the Marxist regime in Kabul complicated Indias relations wi th Middle East. This resulted in weakening of Iran as regional power and emergence of Pakistan as important player in balance of power in the region. The major powers like US, China and Arab world aligned themselves towards Pakistan to counter the rising Soviet influence in the region. For about a decade India did the act of fine balancing its stand and role in the region. However, in the 1990s India took a deviation from its staunch anti Israel stand and initiated relations with the Zionist state. This was dictated by practical economic and security considerations in the post Cold war era and the influence of Hindu nationalist sentiments. Thus, following the example of Soviet Union and China, India also established relations with Israel. Once again during the Persian Gulf War (1990-91) Indias Middle East policy had to face a new test. It had to decide between adhering to its traditional Non Alignment policy sympathetic to Iraq or favour the coalition of Arab and Western countries w hich would have been beneficial to Indias economic and security interests. After initial ambivalent approach India joined ranks with the later and supported the UN resolution authorising the use of force to expel Iraq from the Kuwaiti territory. The improvement of relations with most Middle East nations was pursued with renewed vigour by the Indian government in mid 1990s. The present relations of India with Middle East nations are discussed in subsequent paragraphs. 16. Saudi Arabia. Historically Indo- Saudi ties have been based on trade. In the old times it involved spices and in modern times it has become based on petroleum. Besides, the two nations also share cultural ties due to the large number of Muslim population in India and 1.6 million Indian work force in Saudi.  [9]  India and Saudi Arabia initially established diplomatic relations in 1952 and their relationship progressed smoothly in the 1950s but suffered during the Cold war era due to Indias inclination towards the Soviet block and Saudis traditionally close relations with Pakistan. Thereafter, Indias relations improved with Saudi Arabia in beginning of 1980s and increased cooperation was seen in economic, trade, science, technical and cultural fields. However, once again the relations felt the heat on account of different stands taken by both the nations during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The Saudi Arabia initially supported the mujahideens followed by the Taliban, w hereas, the India supported the cause of the Northern Alliance. The relations between the two once again saw improvement in 1990s leading to increased visits, exchanges and economic and scientific cooperation. This was followed by the signing of Delhi Declaration in 2006, a wide ranging agreement which includes in its ambit mutual agreement to strengthen and broaden economic ties, cooperating in combating international crime and ensuring the stability of the oil trade.  [10]  The relations between both the nations are grounded on the following defining factors:- (a) Economic. Although, based on energy exports the bilateral trade relationship between the two has grown significantly since mid 1990s. In FY 2007 India imported $ 12.4 billion of petroleum from Saudi Arabia (26% of Indias overall petro import). The non-oil bilateral trade also increased from $ 1.3 billion in FY-2002 to $ 3.5 billion in FY-2007. In addition India also received remittances worth $3 billion from the workers in Saudi Arabia. The predicted bilateral non-oil trade between the two nations is likely to cross $7 billion in FY-2010.  [11]   (b) Defence, Labour Relations and Education. India and Saudi Arabia are working towards an increased cooperation on defence and related technology. The sizable Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia is also an important contributor to the required workforce so vital to its economy. Another focus area between the two nations is education and efforts are being made to enable increased number of Saudi Arabia students to pursue Post Graduate and Doctoral studies, especially in technical institutions of India. 17. Iran. The relations between Iran and India trace back to 3500 years ago, however, in much of the twentieth century they have shared a unstable relationship. Diplomatic ties between the two commenced in 1950 but immediately faced the first roadblock when Iran joined the Baghdad Pact. Thereafter, the relations improved in 1960s but again received a setback when Iran aided Pakistan in 1965 conflict against India. Subsequent to 1971s decisive victory over Pakistan the relation between the two slates improved considerably and led to number of agreements including that on nuclear cooperation in 1974.  [12]  However, the establishment of theocratic Iran in 1979, subsequent to the Islamic Revolution once again upset the apple cart. The relationship between the two remained cold during the entire 1980s as Iran didnt show any inclination to improve the relationship and India remained wary that Iran will import Shiate terrorism to India. The relationship between the two improved in 1990 due to Indias desire to secure energy supplies and economic opportunities in Central Asia and the opposition of both the countries to the Taliban in Afghanistan. The rise of Sunni Islamist forces in Afghan theatre, especially Pakistan based Taliban proved a great unifying force leading to deterioration of Iran- Pakistan relations. The Indo-Iran relations picked up further momentum as India opened towards it due to its energy requirements subsequent to loss of Iraqi sources after 1991 Gulf war. The main foundations of relations between India and Iran are discussed below:- (a) Economics and Energy. India is worlds sixth largest consumer of energy and Iran is the fourth largest supplier, obviously, energy is the most important pillar between them.  [13]  Both the nations have held regular bilateral meetings focusing primarily on the energy supply issues including the proposal for a Liquefied Gas Pipeline from Iran to India through Pakistan and alternatively, through tanker. However, the said scheme has not been fructified due to US pressure on India and Pakistan against the deal and the Indian fear that it will provide Pakistan too much leverage over Indian energy supplies. However, the plan has proved resilient and not yet died down. Meanwhile certain other bottlenecks to the scheme have emerged inform of increased pricing by Iran. On its part India is keen to commence procurement of LNG by sea, which will require establishing LNG terminals at Iran to allow exports. This is not possible because it will require certain US components which will end u p violating the US sanctions against Iran. The present state of the said scheme is in limbo. (b) Defence Cooperation. Defense cooperation has been another important part of the Indo-Iranian relationship. In the 1990s, India assisted Iran with upgrading its Russian-built military equipment, including adapting batteries for its Kilo-class die ­sel submarines avionics upgrades for its MiG-29 fighters. Since 2000, India has conducted joint patrols or exer ­cises with the majority of the navies of the Indian Ocean littoral. The 2003 meeting between Khatami and Vajpayee on Indias Republic Day produced the Road Map to Strategic Cooperation, which presents goals for fulfill ­ing the cooperation envisioned in the New Delhi Declaration. A number of reports have mentioned more direct Indo-Iranian coopera ­tion in the realm of defense, such as Tehrans acquiescence to Iran-based Indian intelligence operations and even potential Indian military bases in Iran. Indias assistance in upgrading the Iranian port of Chahbahar has led many to infer that Indian warships would be based ther e in order to outflank Pakistans China-assisted Gwadar port, seemingly pitting rising power against rising power. 18. Israel. Indo-Israeli ties remained at a low level throughout the cold war for both ideological and practical reasons. Indias large Muslim population was, of course, a factor. Furthermore, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indias prime minister until 1964 was a close friend of Egypts Nasser, who was an implacable foe of Israel. While India and Israel periodically cooperated on mutual interests, such as Israeli aid to India during the 1962 war with China or proposed plans to destroy the Pakistani reactor at Kahuta in the 1980s,  [14]  their public relationship often was acrimonious, especially after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, which put Indias allies in direct conflict with Israel. In fact, in 1975 India publicly supported and funded the Palestine Liberation Organization and voted for the UN resolution to equate Zionism with racism. The decline of the Soviet Union forced India to re-evaluate its foreign policy resulting in opening of the Indian economy and a desire to trade with high-tech state s, including Israel. The new approach to foreign policy, combined with the new initiatives to end the Arab-Israeli conflict in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War and the push by the opposition led to India initiating close ties with Israel and the two countries established full diplomatic relations in 1992. For nearly a decade afterward, commercial trade in arms and other goods thrived and ties were quietly strengthened. Indo-Israeli military exer ­cises and agreements in the fields of the environment, health, illicit traffic in drugs, visa waivers for diplomatic service personnel, and an educational cultural exchange program. In the same year, India and Israel issued the Delhi Statement on Friendship and Cooperation, in which they agreed to cooperate closely on counterterrorism and called on the international com ­munity to take decisive action against cross-border terrorism and money-laundering operations to finance terrorism. 19. Defense collaboration and arms sales with Israel picked up in January 1999 when the United States withdrew the sanctions that it had imposed on India in the wake of New Delhis 1998 nuclear test. In the late 1990s India purchased unmanned aerial vehicles, artillery, and radar systems from Israel. The emerging Indo-Israeli relationship was codified in 2001 with the creation of the Joint Defense Cooperation Group, which meets annually to solidify defense deals and military ties and coordi ­nate the security relationship. India has become Israels largest arms market, overtaking Russia in 2009. India has purchased a wide range of technically advanced equipment and weapons from Israel, including antimissile radar and electronic warfare components for the Indian navy and air force, for a total of more than $5 billion since 2002. 20. Indias Relations with The Small Gulf States. Indias ties with the geographically small but economically important Gulf states of Oman, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait have been historically good due to trade and migration and their current economic relationship is booming. Indias trade with the six Gulf Coopera ­tion Council states (excluding oil) totaled $86.9 billion in FY 2008-09, sur ­passing Indias trade with the European Union ($80.6 billion), the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries ($44.6 billion), and the United States ($40.6 billion).  [15]  Looking to the future, Indian leaders have expressed a desire to continue the rapid expansion of trade, attract Gulf investment for major infrastructure projects, and broaden their Gulf state relationships beyond economics. In a May 2008 speech in Abu Dhabi, Indias external affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee, called for a transformation of Indias relations with the Gulf states beyond that of a buyer-s eller relation ­ship to a more substantial and enduring partnership. With Indias thriv ­ing economic relationship with the Gulf, continuing demographic ties and nascent defense cooperation, such an evolution may already be under way.

Phoolan Devi: Perceptions Of Power :: essays research papers

Phoolan Devi: Perceptions of Power The purpose of this paper is to analyze and index gender and power as they factor into the life of one Dalit woman, Phoolan Devi. Particularly, I have chosen to examine the idea of whether or not she wielded real power. In an attempt to make it more useful to speak of this slippery thing called power, I would like to make some declarations and pose some questions about its' nature. Cynthia Emerson has suggested that power is ultimately based on dependency relationships (Emerson 1962). It is important to remember that almost all manifestations of power require a power holder and at least one other party that believes that the first holds power. I would like to stress the word "believes" in the previous sentence because I think it is one of the key ingredients in understanding relationships of power. I realize that in many instances the power of the first party may not be undone merely by the second party ceasing to accept it, and that the power of one individual over another may sometimes be physically or otherwise inescapable. Often, the belief follows the direct experience of power, but regardless of the order in which it is conceptualized, I feel the nature of power is inextricably founded in belief and perception. One of the most striking characteristics of Phoolan Devi is her refusal to accept her power-deficient positions in her relationships. From the time that she was a child, she seems to have refused to conform to her society's hierarchical indexing. She resisted attempts to categorize and fix her into typical gender, class, and matrimonial positions. This is not to say that her resistance was always successful, but I am trying to show a lack of willingness to conform and accept her positions in her power relations. Her belief that the status that had been prescribed to her was unjust and her reluctance to accept it are key factors that led to her gaining power and breaking from her power deficient relationships. Her belief in her upward mobility made it possible. This belief in her self and resistance towards accepting the power forced on her helped undermine that same power. This is the one factor that makes Phoolan so different from so many of her Indian sisters that are still living under the thumb of Manu's Code. Does Phoolan Devi possess real power? So far we have considered theoretical power in relationships, but what about physical manifestations of power? The first example that comes to mind is the fact that over two hundred

The Importance Of The Press Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Importance of the Press   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The newspaper is a powerful medium. It is powerful because it has the ability to influence the way that people view the world, as well as their opinion of what they see. In peaceful times (or in times of oppression, for sometimes they can appear to be happening at the same moment) the press is usually one of the instruments used by the state in order to maintain the status quo. However, during times of political unrest it is often the press who becomes the major antagonist in the fight against the government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why is this so? Why does the press get so deeply involved in, not just the reporting of, but the instigating and propagating of political change? In order to properly answer this question there are several other key ideas and questions which must first be examined. To understand the nature of the press' involvement in political change, one must initially understand the nature of political change in its own right. In this vein, the first section of the paper is dedicated to this investigation. An examination of the motives behind revolution will be given in order to provide a framework for the second part of the paper, which will look at the involvement of the press during revolutionary times in more specific terms. The French revolution of 1789 will be used as a backdrop for this inquiry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different types of political movements, and accordingly there are many different reasons for these movements to occur. Value-oriented and norm-oriented movements deal with matters of social and political concern, but do so in the setting of the already existing political and social structures. Revolutionary movements seek to make fundamental changes to society in order to establish a completely new political and social order.1 The distinction being that the first aims to make subtle changes to society from within, while the latter's aim is to make drastic changes to society by getting rid of the principles that society was based on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Usually this will involve a change in political beliefs and values, or political ideology. In today's world there are numerous forms of political ideologies, but in essence they are all derived from two basic root ideologies; socialism and liberalism. Socialism is an ideology w... ... Prelude to Power, The Parisian radical Press: 1789-1791, Maryland: the Johns Hopkins University Press, 1976 The Influence of the Enlightenment on the French revolution, edited by William F. Church, Canada: D.C. Heath and Company, 1974 Darton, Robert and Daniel Roche, Revolution in Print: The Press in France 1775- 1800, USA: New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox & Tilden Foundations, 1989 Guy, James John, People, Politics & Government, Toronto: Maxwell Macmillan Canada Inc., 1990. Osler, Andrew. News, The Evolution of Journalism in Canada. Missisauga: Copp Clark Pitman Ltd., 1993. Popkin, Jeremy D. Revolutionary News, The Press in France 1789-1799. USA: Duke University Press, 1990. Footnotes 1James John Guy, People, Politics and Government, (Toronto, 1990), p. 103. 2 Ibid., p. 81 3 Gustave Le Bon, The Psychology of revolution, (USA, 1968), pp. 162-3 4Ibid., p. 28. 5Andrew M. Osler, News, The Evolution of Journalism in Canada, (Canada, 1993), p. 54. 6Jeremy D. Popkin, Revolutionary News The Press in France, 1789-1799, (USA, 1990), pp. 19-20. 7Ibid., p. 22-3. 8Ibid., p.25. 9Ibid., p. 26. 10Ibid., p.28. 11Ibid., p. 2. 12Ibid., p. 3. 13Ibid., p. 3. 14Osler, p. 54. t

Protecting American Jobs

Protecting American Jobs For the past two decades Americans have been getting laid off because their jobs are being transferred offshore. â€Å"Advances in technology and low-cost telecommunications now mean that a computer programmer, data entry specialist, or help-desk operator answering calls for a U. S. company can work as easily from India or the Philippines as from Iowa–and save parent companies some 30 percent to 70 percent in costs† (Otterman, 2004). This poses the question should the government protect American jobs by imposing stiff penalties on companies that transfer jobs offshore by outsourcing or manufacturing.No, stiffer taxes are not going to significantly effect the number of jobs that are being transferred off shore due to outsourcing. Instead the United States government needs to lower the average tax rate on multinational corporations and fix the loopholes that are currently being used to avoid paying these corporate taxes. For years American compani es have been scrutinized for outsourcing their jobs by off shoring. Even though this has been going on for the past twenty or more years it is being brought to light even more now since our country is in a recession.There are many reasons companies choose to outsource off shore. One of the main reasons is cost savings, many developing countries are more affordable for American companies to operate in because an employee that may cost $50 and hour in America might only cost about $5 an hour in a developing country. Companies are not just off shoring for cost benefits but also for the fact that many other countries have many educated and highly skilled workers who can perform jobs that are needed overseas. Business can also operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week by taking advantage of the offshore workers.When it is 6 p. m. in New York it is 6 a. m. in Singapore. Americans want that 24 hours a day 7 days a week customer service when they are having problems with things like their comput er. Outsourcing offshore also makes it a lot easier for companies to sell goods and services in a global market when they are producing them there and can reach their customers more quickly and effectively. Technological possibilities are another reason companies are choosing to offshore American jobs. Since many service jobs do not require face-to-face interaction they are able to erform these jobs from wherever is needed (Popwell, 2010). Many argue that the government should protect American jobs by imposing stiff penalties on companies that transfer jobs offshore by outsourcing or manufacturing. They claim off shoring has laid off thousands of American workers who will not be able to find other work unless they learn new skills. They also claim that off shoring is a major contributor to the United States 9 percent unemployment rate (United States Department of Labor, 2011).But they are only supporting their claims by the fact that they think companies are only off shoring for cos t incentives. Where as stated before there are many other reasons companies outsource offshore and many ways to make up for the job losses. Those who oppse the government protecting American jobs with stiff penalties for off shoring recognise that yes, cost savings is a big incentive for a company to outsource off shore, but there are also many more reasons that comapanies should opperate on a global scale that out weigh the loss of jobs in America. Thea Lee, policy director for the AFL-CIO, says much of the economic data supporting the link between overseas investment and domestic job growth fails to distinguish between foreign investment used to serve market demand for U. S. goods and services and foreign investment used to buy cheaper labor abroad† (Wolverson, 2011). So when looking at the total number of American jobs that have been outsourced off shore we also have to stop and think about how many of them were for market demand to better serve us and how many of them real ly were outsourced because it was cheaper.People also have to remember that companies have to try and find ways to make the both the consumer and the investors happy. Consumers want the best quality at the lowest price and the investors want to see a high profit, so to do that companies have to find the middle ground. Which means they have to find the best solution for everyone even if it means outsourcing jobs offshore because it more cost effective for the company. According to Jagdish N. Bhagwati, â€Å"employing workers at lower cost allows U.S. companies to be more efficient and productive, permitting them to create the same amount of goods with fewer resources. In turn, this lowers the price of the goods in the United States, strengthening U. S. companies and freeing workers for other tasks. The savings allows U. S. companies to stay afloat and expand in a highly competitive global market† (Otterman, 2004). Outsourcing is not always a bad, it is a change, and change is what pushes both our economy and our nation forward.Another good point that has been made is, the average global tax rate on multinational corporations is about 27 percent, compared to 39 percent in the United States (Wolverson, 2011). Given this information it would seem that instead of penalizing our multinational corporations for increasing international trade, maybe the United States government should focus more on bring in multinational corporations from other countries. This would not only create more jobs in the untied states to compensate for the ones that are being lost overseas but also stimulate more international trade. A 2008 OECD study found that foreign direct investment increases by 3. 7 percent for every one percentage point decrease in the corporate tax rate, and that, as cross-border capital flows increase, foreign direct investment is increasingly swayed by countries' tax rules† (Wolverson, 2011). We should be focusing on how to get more multinational corpo rations into the United States instead of focusing on how to hold back our multinational corporations. Along with lowering the average tax rate on multinational corporations the government should also fix the loopholes that exist.This way all multinational corporations will be taxed the same instead of some getting taxed the full 39 percent, while the others are using loopholes and hardly pay any taxes. Even in president Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address he called congress to simplify the system by getting rid of corporate loopholes so they can level the playing field and aid in the country’s competiveness and growth potential. To further support this, in an article from NationalJournal. com â€Å"many economists say that the corporate tax code is a mess and overdue for a clean-up.The code riddled with inefficiencies, creating perverse incentives for companies to invest overseas and waste money on elaborate tax-reduction strategies. Business supporters say a ove rhaul could eliminate the misguided incentives, lower tax rates, and attract more capital to the U. S. Some liberal critics also support reform, saying the current system is so tangled that it doesn't even do a good job of raising revenue† (Fernholz, 2011). Corporate tax breaks cost the federal government about $1. 1 trillion annually (Wolverson, 2011).If the government decided to really follow through with this corporate tax reform it could really help stimulate the economy and help to create new jobs help not only the 9 percent national unemployment rate go down but could also help create jobs for the people who lost their jobs due to off shoring. Overall the government should not be focusing on protecting American jobs that are being transferred offshore by outsourcing or manufacturing. Instead they should be working to close loopholes to even out the amount of taxes companies are paying.While also working to lower the average tax rate on multinational corporations to make outsourcing to the United States more desirable to multinational corporations in other countries. Word Count: 1419 Works Cited Fernholz, T. (2011, January 24). NationalJournal. com. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Obama Team Wants Business Buy-In on Corporate Tax Reform. Otterman, S. (2004, February 20). TRADE: Outsourcing Jobs. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Council on Foreign Relations: http://www. cfr. org/pakistan/trade-outsourcing-jobs/p7749 Popwell, N. (2010, October 27).Offshore Outsourcing: The Controversy Over Moving Jobs Overseas. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Ezine Articles: http://ezinearticles. com/? Offshore-Outsourcing:-The-Controversy-Over-Moving-Jobs-Overseas&id=5253123 United States Department of Labor. (2011, February 4). Economic News Release. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Bureau of Labor Statustics: http://www. bls. gov/news. release/empsit. nr0. htm Wolverson, R. (2011, February 11). Outsourcing Jobs and Taxes. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Cou ncil on Foreign Relations: http://www. cfr. org/united-states/outsourcing-jobs-taxes/p21777