During the Industrial - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1486 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/04/16 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Industrial Revolution Essay Did you like this example? During the Industrial, the world and future were changed but at what cost. The quote, â€Å"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times (Dickens 1)†, represents the revolution for its ups and downs. The Industrial Revolution was a very good step forward in history but also includes many bad aspects. It was a great time because many businesses figured out how to use different machines and strategies to make production faster and different. But, because of this, they learned how to make more products for less, therefore, they also made many cheaper products. Many of the machines helped business and production but there were also a large number of other inventions that made everyday life easier. The Industrial Revolution was a time where many new, life-changing inventions were invented and old ones were innovated. Alexander Graham Bell was one person that has changed the whole world. He invented the first telephone in 1876 and since then it has been changed into a whole new idea but it all started with his idea. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "During the Industrial" essay for you Create order There were hundreds of people who tried to claim Bell’s invention and there were multiple lawsuits filed against him but none were ever successful (â€Å"Alexander Graham Bell†). His idea was so sought after by many people because everyone knew that this would become the most useful way to communicate. Bell started a telephone company and it was perfect because his invention immediately became a high-demand item. The telephone became so popular, so quick, that 100,000 people had telephones within 10 years of it becoming available to the people (â€Å"Alexander Graham Bell†). The phone because so popular because everyone wanted to communicate the easiest way possible, and so they did that by getting a telephone. Trains were another big invention that changed the world. They made transportation for the whole country completly different. In 1801 Richard Trevithick made a carrige to 70 men and 10 tons of iorn using steam. Then in 1804, he invented the the never-invented locomotive that works on rail roads (Model of Richard†). By him inventing the steam locomotive, with the help frome some othere peoples ideas, he made transportation easier for people and good during the industrial revolution and today. The locomotive could pull a 25-ton train and would normally have a speed of around 5 miles per hour. But the locomotive could reach abut 16 miles per hour if it was not pulling a 25-ton train (Model of Richard†). Throughout the Industrial Revolution, mass production became more popular led to more efficient production, cheaper prices, and faster transportation which was a large step in history. This helps us today because we still use that same core idea with some slight adjustments of how mass production was back then versus today. Henry Ford made the decision that his company would only produce Model Tees from 1908 and so on. Ford took the essence of the best features of his cars. The consumers that were buying his cars would not understand how simplified production is when they only manufacturer one model. This production worked efficiently and Fords company agreed that if they charged less for the cars then they would not be financially functional, so they worked to make the cars good quality. The Model T was a very popular car show Ford was correct with his idea. Many different Praises came from many different sources including praise from the US Board of Tax Appeals said it was a good car (DiBacco 126 and 127). Ford understood that making many, cheap cars needed updated production methods and that is why he became so successful. Ford was one of the few companies that took part in mass production many other companies would still manufacture cars in a workshop with a small group of people (Nardo United States 62 and 63). The Model-T was the cheapest car that you could buy and was the best value. Because its price was so low, this car had such high demand. The great price and great value cause this to be a very popular and sought after product for most people (DiBacco 127). Mass production was still a fairly New Concept to many manufacturers, but Ford took much success out of mass production. Within one year Ford sold almost 800,000 Model T’s, and half of the cars in the US were Model T’s. This continued on for many years after with a similar success rate. In a little over 10 years, 15 million Model Ts were sold, and he changed the auto industry forever (Nardo United States 63). By Ford changing what car he sold, the design, the price, and how it was produced, he made transportation easier. Also, many other people also started using his general idea which was very impactful. Although mass production was a positive aspect of the Industrial Revolution, child labor was one part of the process that was extremely unacceptable. As the revolution started, child labor became a main factor for sweatshops. It became normal and excepted by people almost everywhere. And there were few to no laws regarding, or preventing child labor (Woog 24). In sweatshops, children would perform a wide variety of tasks, something so simple and others being as complex as adults jobs. their jobs would include sorting buttons, running errands, and threading needles if they worked at it Shirtwaist Factory. Children were hired in the sweatshops for many reasons. Children would not have to be paid as much as adult workers and also their small hands and enthusiastic energy would make the jobs much easier than if they were adults (Woog 24). Some of the children were physically abused which gave them some other physical problems. in the US and Britain, even if there was a small problem, there were very intense consequences for the workers. For example, some workers would get their head shoved in a bucket of water if they fell asleep. they would fall asleep because they were forced to work for long periods of time (Nardo Workers 61). In industrialized nations, the United States and Britain, the abuse is like long work days, fatigue, accidents, and punishments were not something that was hidden. These abuses would continue to occur even when people would want to stop them (Nardo Workers 64). This treatment seems very extreme, and it, but this was very normal during the industrial revolution. This is why this time period was the worst of times from some perspectives. This harsh treatment was not only occurring towards children. It would happen to adults too. These adults were most likely new immigrants that came into the country and just wanted to make some money for their family. The â€Å"With Drops of Blood† campaign was written about the history of industrial workers of the world. It says how since June 1905 people have been trying to stop the growth of industrial workers that are treated horribly and not paid enough. The campaign lists what the I.W.W. members have gone through such as murder, imprisonment, starvation, they have been beaten, deported, kidnapped and so on (Haywood). This continues on to list some more in-depth mistreatment experiences. People were murdered and so they wrote â€Å"Samuel Chinn was so brutally beaten at the county jail at Spokane, Washington, that he died from the injuries† or â€Å"Anna Lopeza, a textile worker, was shot and killed, and two other Fellow Workers were murdered during the strike at Lawerence, Massachusetts.†(Haywood) This campaign shows how so many workers were killed and treated horribly. The I.W.W. was trying to stop this abuse with this campaign because it was not so dreadful that people were letting this happen. The fact that workking conditions were very horrible and there were long, draining hours is not ideal but the dicipline oof the workers definely intensified. I would not matter if they would work in a textile factory or a small sweatshot, they would still be worked more than they ever should have (Hopkins 52). If someone was to work in one of the mines during the Revolution, you would work the day shit most likley everyday. The day shit would last 12 hours and you would have some time to eat your dinner. There was not a night shift for the miners and they would leave a bit earlier on saturdays, but those were the only reaonable parts of working a a miner (Hopkins 59). In conclusion, many aspects of todays world were created and invented but at a large cost. The suffering of all of the children and workers that made America as advanced is it is today is something that we cannot change take back, but it something that we are grateful for. This is why the quote, â€Å"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times (Dickens 1)†, is one that describes this period of time so perfectly. Our country might go though another Industrial Revolution but if we do, lets hope that we do not have to torture so many people to advance our country.

Persuasive Essay On The Armenian Genocide - 949 Words

What would happen if the world shared a single religion, culture and ethnic background? It would not be nearly as diverse and complex which is one of the many things that gives the sense that people set their own standards and values for themselves. That should be a right that no one should be able to take away. The Armenian Genocide was a genocide as defined by the UN Resolution 260 A III, in which Armenians were killed and tortured in whole or in part, by intentionally inflicting life-threatening conditions that would bring about their ethnic destruction in whole or in part, and by forcing them to migrate their children from one group to another. I. The killing and torturing of Armenians in part or whole defines the UN Resolution 260 A†¦show more content†¦2. â€Å"The bodies, some of which had been mutilated, were left for vultures or wild animals to pick apart. Even in death, dignity and respect were denied† (Whitehorn, â€Å"Victims†). 3. â€Å"The great massacres of 1894–1896, followed by others in 1909–1912, constituted a profound shock to the Armenian community, which was stripped of its land, ancestry, and culture† (â€Å"Armenian Genocide†). C. Many Armenians had to witness family, friends, and loved ones suffer as they were exterminated. 1. This was a testimony of Deli Sarkas, a man who lost his mother, father, and brother to the Armenian Genocide, â€Å"I stepped into a totally empty shell. Where once it had been full of life, now there was absolutely nothing. I opened my mouth to call out for my mother and father and my brothers, hoping that by saying their names out loud I could conjure them up from the dead. But 1 was mute... (Rowe). 2. â€Å"Ungor stresses a continuous policy of Turkification beginning with the expulsion of the Greeks, the Armenian Genocide, and massacres of Syriac communities and, in the mid-1920s and 1930s, by the killings, deportations, and mass deaths of hundreds of thousands of Kurds† (Chorbajian). 3. â€Å"In 1906 Boghos Nubar, heir to his fathers title and family fortune, took the lead, along with a group of wealthy Armenians in Egypt, to found the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) in Cairo, Egypt. Growing out of the concern for the tens of thousands of Armenians made destitute by the massive lossShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesPHILADELPHIA Temple University Press 1601 North Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 www.temple.edu/tempress Copyright  © 2010 by Temple University All rights reserved Published 2010 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Essays on twentieth century history / edited by Michael Peter Adas for the American Historical Association. p. cm.—(Critical perspectives on the past) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-4399-0269-1 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4399-0270-7

Barclays Bank Investment ARM

Question: Discuss about the Barclays Bank Investment ARM. Answer: Introduction: Hammerich and Lewis (2013) opined that corporate strategy allows the company in creating value across the business industry. Furthermore, corporate strategy also allows the company to incorporate competitive strategy based on RC lesson relates to business that can create unit and add value. This particular assignment firmly focuses on exploring the corporate strategy with a special case study of Bonuses and Gaming at Barclays Bank. The key aim of this assignment is to explore cultural web of Barclays Banks investment arm. Moreover, issues and problems that faced by the bank currently also explain here. The main aim of this study is to identify and explain the changes that can correct the current issues and problems for Barclays bank in future. Cultural Web Analysis of Barclays Banks Investment Arm Barclays Paradigm: Barclays was established around three hundred and twenty years ago. London Quakers founded this organization. The organization expanded into investment banking from traditional banking. Bob Diamonds, CEO of Barclays, sudden resign from his post made Rich Ricci, the owner of the Barclays investment banking, very sad (Johnson et al. 2013). In addition to that, another special employee of organization, Jerry del Missiers exit also shaken Rich. Despite of all this depressing occurrences, Rich knew that all these changes were directing to a bigger organizational change (Ali and Azmi 2014). A interest rate rigging outrage at Barclays makes the partition or contracting of its speculation keeping money arm more probable, given more prominent administrative and political interruption and the exit of the trio of venture financiers at the highest point of the bank. Organizational Structure: The organizational structure of Barclays promotes collaboration within a group but competition against the others. The basic power of the organizational culture is cantered to the management executives but the employees also gets to state what they feel (Mossop et al. 2013). Therefore, in some the power is decentralized. Rituals and Routines: The normal employees of the organizations very much keen in participating in the changes. The employees gets a handy bonus from the organization so they keep quiet about the issues that matters less (Williams and Conley 2015). Stories: As per the analysis done by Mike Trippitt, analyst at Oriel, the flight of Bob Diamond ought to disperse a significant part of the emotive issue connected with a correction of administration's methodology far from investment banking. The battleground between investment bankers and conventional bankers normally concerned pay and assets. The reward round in a investment bank is the most essential time of year. Miss the point and the business disentangles; pay an excessive amount of and benefit is shot to strips. In an all inclusive establishment, the retail and business brokers regularly, perhaps dependably, feel that excessively numerous of the speculation benefits are being paid to staff and definitely disdain the way that investment bankers rewards are greater than their own (Taibbi 2013). As far as it matters for them, the speculation brokers dependably expect that the administration needs to fabricate the investment side at little to no cost. Symbols: The business was at that point reshaping under weight as benefits have been crushed from holding more capital for their exercises, the euro zone emergency cuts incomes and shareholders need broker pay cut. English banks must discrete and "ring-fence" household retail managing an account from less secure territories (Model 2015). In present environment, the organization handled the exit of two major management executives and carrying on the innovation activities extensively. This proves that Barclays is capable of handling risky situations. Shareholder power: The shareholder pressures on Barclays could prompt to broader pressure on the bank to move its plan of action far from investment banking and change perceived disappointments in its business culture (Benniemaclean.com 2017). Control Systems: The investment bank's 3 billion pound benefit a year ago spoke to 53 percent of the Barclays add up to. Be that as it may, controllers have been uneasy (Johnson et al. 2013). It developed for the current week that Britain's money related controller cautioned the Barclays board in February that its way of life was excessively forceful and must change. Explanation of the Problems and Issues Facing the Bank Less Amount of Revenues than Other banks: Enhancing return to the equability initiates with the Barclays top line. The process of turning the dollars into bottom-line profits is associated with the quantity of capital Barclays brings relative to its assets. In terms of raw dollar items, the bank falls short than most of the banks. In addition to that, the percentage of the assets is also low (Tima 2013). The table 1 demonstrates the point, evaluating individual bank's straggling 12-month revenues with the complete assets as of 31st December 2015. The higher the resulting rate, the more noteworthy the bank's capacity to create income from its benefits. Barclays raises the back at only 2.34% (Jenkins 2017). Bank Revenue (TTM) (billion) Total Assets (billion) Revenue/Total Assets Barclays $38.80 $1,660 2.34% JPMorgan Chase $93.50 $2,352 3.98% HSBC $59.80 $2,410 2.48% Table 1: Compression of Banks (Source: Jenkins 2017) Bonus Culture: Bonus culture is another issue in the Barclays Investment Banking. Barclays was condemned for keeping on paying high rewards to staff even after the money related emergency of 20082009. BBC's Panorama ascertained that in 201011 installments to shareholders had added up to 1.4 billion while installment of rewards for staff added up to 6 billion (Johnson et al. 2013). Martin Taylor met on the Panorama program, contended that, basically, shareholders were sponsoring the installment of rewards and that the extra levels were unjustified. Underperformance of BZW: Another issue in the Barclays was underperformance of BZW or Barclays de Zoete Wedd under overcrowded and competitive marketing. Martin Taylor proposed to board that BZW lacked scale in an increasingly global market and that Barclays should exit investment banking (Johnson et al. 2013). The board did not acknowledge the contention, trusting that Barclays expected to additionally build up its speculation saving money. They did, be that as it may, capitulate to financial specialist weight on the moderately low returns being created from BZW and chosen to discard its corporate back business, leaving an accentuation on exchanging, Bob jewel's region of mastery. Martin Taylor resigned in 1998. Changes Should Be Made to Correct the Cultural Problems at Barclays in The Future: Providing purposeful Leadership: Through providing a purposeful leadership, Barclays can model the culture from the top down. In addition, serving as good examples, pioneers have no less than three extra means through which they can cast a more drawn out shadow: correspondence, group elements and ability administration (Wood and Hooper 2014). It is the duty of the leader for managing the talent as per the new culture. The leaders must concern of the fact that the effort of reshaping the culture ought to be composed around groups as principal work units, with a change procedure centered at the group level. Numerous pioneers have encounter executing another technique and structure and are moderately skilled at doing as such (Ferraro and Brody 2015). In any case, few viably utilize the majority of the assets available to them to reshape the hidden culture so it adjusts to and bolsters the business' new concentration and structure. Genuinely Changing Individuals: It is essential for developing a new culture in Barclays that all the employees along with the leaders of the organization must embrace the change. It is not wise to force change on other people. Genuine and enduring individual change happens just when individuals capably encounter diverse methods for getting things done and prevail at them (Wood and Hooper 2014). In Barclays work on culture change with monetary administrations associations, we have found that the best approach to make an enduring impact on people about the estimation of the fancied individual changes is through experiential learning. For instance, banks seeking after a cross-offering procedure and far reaching client mind system require people who can work together crosswise over hierarchical limits. Developing Flexibility in Uniformity: Defining and endorsing different sub cultures within the Barclays several business areas will enhance the process of establishing new cultures (Ferraro and Brody 2015). Each of these zones is organized in an unexpected way, works contrastingly and faces diverse market flow. Likewise, innovation constitutes a half and half sub-culture it is particular, yet cuts crosswise over authoritative limits, empowering plans of action and interfacing the back, center and front workplaces. Conclusion: The Barclays Investment Arm has gone through many critical phases after appointing Bob Diamond as the Chief Executive Officer. The reactions of the employees of the organization after the resignation of CEO prove that the culture of Barclays was neither energetic nor suitable for the workers. The organizations put many efforts in recovering its image from the scams it has made. Re-shaping the brand image was one of the most significant factors of the organization in terms of getting hold in the market. It was not possible without a stable organization. Therefore, the organization took the decision of being stable while re-modeling brand image. References: Ali, M. and Azmi, C.W.N., 2014. Isl?mic Finance Benchmark: A Possible Solution Revisited.Journal of Islamic Business and Management Vol,4(2), p.116. Benniemaclean.com. (2017).Bennie Maclean : News. [online] Available at: https://benniemaclean.com/news.asp?ID=3440title=What%92s_really_going_on_at_Barclays%92_investment_bank._Two_charts [Accessed 12 Jan. 2017]. Ferraro, G. and Brody, E.K., 2015.Cultural Dimension of Global Business. Routledge. Hammerich, K. and Lewis, R.D., 2013.Fish Can't See Water: How National Culture Can Make Or Break Your Corporate Strategy. John Wiley Sons. Jenkins, J. (2017).The Biggest Problem With Barclays PLC Stock -- The Motley Fool. [online] The Motley Fool. Available at: https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/21/the-biggest-problem-with-barclays-plc-stock.aspx [Accessed 12 Jan. 2017]. Johnson, G., Whittington, R., Scholes, K., Angwin, D. and Regnzr, P., 2013.Exploring Strategy Text Cases. Pearson Higher Ed. Kohn-Wood, L.P. and Hooper, L.M., 2014. Cultural competency, culturally tailored care, and the primary care setting: Possible solutions to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in mental health care.Journal of Mental Health Counseling,36(2), p.173. Model, C.W., 2015. Cultural analysis and strategy formulation. Mossop, L., Dennick, R., Hammond, R. and Robbe, I., 2013. Analysing the hidden curriculum: use of a cultural web.Medical education,47(2), pp.134-143. Taibbi, M., 2013. Everything is rigged: The biggest price-fixing scandal ever.Rolling Stone. Tima, J., 2013.Information system service design and customer service delivery at Barclays Bank of Kenya(Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi). Williams, C.A. and Conley, J.M., 2015. The Social Reform of Banking. InResponsible Investment Banking(pp. 235-250). Springer International Publishing.

Social security Essay Example

Social security Essay When the topic of social security comes within description, the following questions could be noted to have an impact on the issue: WHO pays for the benefits that go to people in need? What kind of burden is this placing on those who have to pay? In some lands the benefits, such as pensions for elderly people, are paid directly out of government funds. In the Soviet Union and China the entire amount is financed by the place where a person has worked, or by supplementary payments from the government. Generally, though, the term â€Å"social security’’ is attached to programs where both the worker and the employer pay into the arrangement. For example, the system in the United States requires that part of the salary of an employee be deducted from each paycheck. During 1975 this tax rate for social security alone was 5.85 percent, which included coverage for medical benefits. The employer was also required to pay 5.85 percent. Thus, a worker who paid this 5.85-percent tax on an income of $5,000 a year had $292.50 deducted from his paychecks. And his employer had to contribute another $292.50 of the company’s funds to the program. However, not all of a person’s income is taxed for social security. In 1975 this special tax was paid up to $14,100 of an employee’s annual income. Income beyond that was not taxed for this specific purpose. Over the decades, some people have come to regard these payments as an evergrowing burden. They feel that the tax, especially for low-income families, is really beginning to hurt. When social security was first introduced in the United States, the employee had to pay only 1 percent of his salary for this tax. The employer added another 1 percent. But in 1975 the rate was nearly six times as much. Not only has the tax rate jumped nearly sixfold, but the amount subject to the tax has risen dramatically too. At first, the maximum amount of income that could be taxed for social security was $3,000 a year. But that figure kept rising, reaching $14,100 a year in 1975. And late in 1975 the government announced that during 1976 the income taxable for social security would rise to $15,300. We will write a custom essay sample on Social security specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Social security specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Social security specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Thus there has been a double-barreled rise—in the percent of income contributed, and also on a larger amount of the income. How huge this kind of tax rise has become can be seen by making a comparison: 1 percent of the $3,000 at the start was only $30; but 5.85 percent of the $14,100 in 1975 was $824.85, and in 1976 it is scheduled to be $895.05. That represents a gigantic increase in the maximum deductions from one’s paychecks—about thirty times as large as when the program began. This is far greater than any cost-of-living increase in that same period due to inflation. A main reason why some regard this as a growing tax burden is that it is in addition to all the other taxes a person has to pay. And these, too, have been increasing over the years. City sales taxes, once nonexistent, have gone up significantly, now 6 to 8 percent in some places. There are state income taxes today where there were none years ago. Property taxes have also risen. And then there is the federal income tax. Now American workers are so heavily taxed that many of them pay more than one third of their income for these various taxes. Other countries have also seen similar increases in social security taxes. In West Germany, during 1975, the average monthly payment was 9 percent apiece from employee and employer alike on a maximum amount of 33,600 Deutsche Marks a year (about $13,400). If an employee earned less than 280 D.M. a month (about $120), then the employer was required to pay the entire 18 percent. For such reasons, economist Milton Friedman termed the last twenty years of social security â€Å"a crushing defeat for the average wage earner,† since it took such a growing portion of his meager savings. And for low-income workers, the tax represented a more significant burden, since it was greater than their federal income tax payments. Still, there is this to consider: In today’s industrial society, if workers had to pay directly for those in need, such as the pensions and medical payments that elderly members of their own families now get, could they afford it? Few would be able to. Thus, wit hout question, social security systems do take much of the burden of caring for those in need off the workers. The Need for Change Certainly, with the impending growth of population the proposed system of social security in the American region also increases. ALL people want financial security, regardless of how old they are. But especially when persons are advanced in years does the need for such security become more urgent. They are at the time in life when they have to work less, or even retire. But they still want to live in reasonable comfort and dignity. To assist the elderly, and others, many countries throughout the world have â€Å"social security† systems. These are usually plans for providing benefits such as pensions for elderly persons, income for the disabled or unemployed, and medical care for those who cannot afford it. One of the largest social security systems in the world is in the United States. Since that country is a main foundation of the Western world’s economy, what happens to its social and financial affairs is of great interest elsewhere. People throughout the world might expect that the United States, with all its wealth and resources, certainly would have an adequate system for taking care of needy persons. This would include reasonable security for the elderly who retire after a lifetime of hard work. Among the problems related to social security are two basic ones: (1)  How to pay the growing costs for the increasing number of persons eligible for benefits; (2)  The fact that the benefits by themselves do not provide reasonable security for many, particularly the elderly. Some economists say that the problems are not severe. But others say that they are genuinely â€Å"alarmed† at the growing difficulties. Indeed, a headline in a Detroit newspaper asked: â€Å"Social Security Now a Fraud?† The article suggested that it was. The first major problem, how to finance the program, is now coming into clearer focus. It is obvious that the present means of financing the benefits are becoming inadequate. To meet these particular changes, privatizing the social system’s basics is the most effective process viewed by America’s government. This is not to say that there are no good features of such programs by governments. Certainly any financial help to the elderly, ill, unemployed and incapacitated is valuable and appreciated. Why, it was not long ago when there was no assistance at all by government. Only within this century, indeed, within just the past few decades, have government payments for the elderly and others in need become widespread in most countries. However, many societies in times past were rural and lived off the land. Usually, families took care of their own elderly folks, and friends would help. But with the onset of the industrial age, workers left the farms by the millions and crowded into cities, where the factories were located. Especially was this the case in Europe and North America. In the cities families and relatives tended not to be as close as before. Friendships were more difficult to cultivate. So relatives and friends were not as likely, or able, to help to care for the needs of the elderly as when they all lived as closer-knit units in a rural society. But as the industrial labor force grew in strength, it was able to bargain for more benefits. Gradually governments were pressured to help. Among the first industrial nations to put into operation some sort of social security arrangement was Germany. Accident insurance was introduced there in 1883, and health insurance the next year. Compulsory social security assistance came in 1891. The need for government help became far more apparent after the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Then millions of people we re thrown out of work in all the industrial lands. For instance, the book Social Security in Canada says of that land: â€Å"The widespread unemployment during the depression of the 1930’s forced the development of a number of unemployment assistance measures.† In the United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law in 1935. At first, only retirement benefits were provided. Later, survivor benefits were added. Then the program was broadened to include disability and unemployment benefits. In 1975 more than thirty million individual Americans received regular monthly cash payments from the government for the old age, disability and survivors provisions of the act. More than ten million received unemployment benefits in the recent recession, and millions of others got help for medical bills, for dependent children and for other reasons. But in most lands the largest element in social security payments are those made to elderly retired people. Usually, the retirement age is about sixty-five, with reduced benefits if one chooses to collect earlier, for instance, in the United States, at the age of sixty-two. The Future The problems of social security, as the system is now arranged, are expected to increase greatly before long. Last year, in the United States, social security payments exceeded taxes collected for that purpose by about three billion dollars. This trend is picking up speed, as the number of elderly who are retiring increases. The amounts that will have to be paid out in the future to workers who are now contributing to social security are staggering. Some economists believe that those benefits never will be paid. The Wall Street Journal noted that these obligations now already contracted, without considering increases in payments to offset inflation, will amount to at least a ‘2.5 trillion (2,500 billion dollars) projected deficit in the Social Security System.’ It added: â€Å"As liberals like to argue, the nation owes this debt to itself, and it will be paid off by raising taxes in the future. Of course this is nonsense. Increasing future taxes by these magnitudes can only disintegrate the tax base.† What is wrong? For one thing, those who set up the social security program felt that an ever-growing population would supply an ever-larger number of young workers who would pay the taxes and take care of the elderly who were retiring. But that is not how things have worked out. Population trends in the United States are down, not up, as families are having fewer children. Thus the huge flood of new workers to pay taxes has not materialized. Instead, there is a growing tide of older retired people that must be supported by proportionately fewer workers. In Vital Speeches of the Day, corporation official William Cotter, who was part of a group appointed by the government to look into the problem, said this: â€Å"Since current retirees will now receive their benefits from current workers, the number of workers per retiree becomes an important calculation. â€Å"When the system was instituted, there were 7 workers providing taxes for each retiree receiving benefits. At the present time, there are just 3 workers for every retiree. And that ratio is declining. â€Å"Our task force, using Bureau of the Census population extrapolations, estimated that by the end of the century, there will be but 3 workers for every two retirees.† Obviously that will mean an impossible tax burden to bear. This is why some experts feel that the program is headed toward certain bankruptcy, or, at the very least, radical change. They say that since the system cannot pay for itself even now, there is no way it can do so when far heavier burdens are placed upon it in the future. Thus, a special investment bulletin from the American Institute for Economic Research declared: â€Å"That benefits for those entitled to receive them under the Social Security Act and numerous private pension plans are in jeopardy is readily apparent. â€Å"The old age pension aspect of Social Security has become a self-destruct mechanism tending to impoverish those who must pay Social Security taxes in the years ahead and to increase the risk that those entitled to benefits may not receive them.† Can the government come to the rescue? That is what some hope. But as The Wall Street Journal points out: â€Å"The federal government, believe it or not, is in the same boat.† The government of the United States, as is the case with many others, is having the same difficulty—expenses keep growing faster than income. The deficit in the government’s budget for fiscal 1975 was about $43 billion. The deficit for fiscal 1976 is expected to be about $70 billion. These are the largest deficits in peacetime history. And the national debt is approaching $600 billion. Since government debts are so huge already, any hope that the vast future payments of social security can be made by government funds is unrealistic, many economists feel. Conclusion Thus, Dr. Robert N. Butler, author of the book Why Survive?, stated: â€Å"In truth, it is easier to manage the problem of death than the problem of living as an old person† on a low pension in an expensive society. He noted that â€Å"some 30 per cent of the housing of older people had no inside flush toilets, some 40 per cent had no bath or shower with hot water, and some 54 per cent minimal heat in winter.† Obviously, then, for a large number of old people, â€Å"social security† provides very little real security. Unless one has other income, or is cared for by one’s family, he or she will be in a desperate condition although living in a relatively rich country. This is the particular reason why it has been an utmost concern for the American government to hold the issue of privatizing the social funds through investing them as stock shares in the international trade as the strongest way by which social security funds could be held strongly for future d evelopments.

Roman Gladiators vs. the Gladiator Movie

Roman Gladiators vs. the Gladiator Movie In May 2000,  Gladiator  opened in movie theaters. Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) is a successful general from the Battle of the Danube under Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), son of Marcus Aurelius, condemns Meridius to probable death by sending him into the gladiatorial arena. Commodus isnt merely sending to an uncertain death the general he perceives as a threat to his throne. The new emperor himself enters the arena to ensure Meridius permanent  end. If the plot seems a bit far-fetched, its not- at least in the most obvious way, because Commodus and probably another half dozen emperors did indeed set foot in the arena. Emperor Gladiators The adulation of the crowds has to be among the most compelling reasons to become a gladiator. At first, gladiators were slaves, criminals condemned to death, and war prisoners. In time, free men volunteered to become gladiators. Brooklyn Colleges Roger Dunkle says it has been estimated that by the end of the Republic, half the gladiators were volunteers. There were even women gladiators. That Emperor Septimius Severus banned female gladiators suggests that by the beginning of the third century A.D., there was a sizable number of such Amazons. Two of the mad emperors, Caligula and Commodus, appeared as gladiators in the arena. Seven other emperors who werent demented, including Titus and Hadrian, either trained as gladiators or fought in the arena. The Gladiator Was Honored but Unrespectable Anyone who became a gladiator was, by definition, infamis (whence: infamy), not respectable, and beneath the law. Barbara F. McManus says gladiators had to swear an oath (sacramentum gladiatorium): â€Å"I will endure to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten, and to be killed by the sword.†Ã‚  This consigned the gladiator to possible death, but also conferred honor, much like that of a soldier. Not only was there honor for a gladiator, but there were adoring crowds, and, sometimes there was wealth (victors were paid with a laurel, monetary payment, and donations from the crowd) and a life of leisure. Some gladiators may have fought no more than two or three times a year and may have won their freedom within very few years. Because of the financial incentive, free men and even aristocrats who, having squandered their inheritance had no other comfortable means of support, would voluntarily become gladiators. At the end of his service, a freed gladiator (as a token, he received a rudis), could teach other gladiators or a he could become a freelance bodyguard. The plot is familiar: In todays movies, the ex-boxer, having survived dozens of bloody KOs with only a few disfigurements, becomes a manager or trainer at a boxing school. Some popular sports figures become sportscasters. occasionally, they become television or movie personalities or even politicians. Political Gladiator Fights An editor is a person who gives something forth into the public, like a public game. In the Republic, the Editores were politicians who, wishing to curry public favor, would put on fights between gladiators and animal shows. Today, municipalities build stadiums with tax dollars, a burden shared rather than being shouldered by a benefactor. The person with the status of the editor may be the owner of the sports team. Onto the floor of the amphitheater sand was poured to absorb blood. The word for sand in Latin is harena, from which our word arena comes. Sources depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/gladiatr/gladiatr.htm, Roger Dunkle on Gladiators www.ualberta.ca/~csmackay/CLASS_378/Gladiators.html, Blood Sport

Biology in Everyday Life

This Perspective from Penney Gilbert and colleagues from the USA and Sweden focuses on adult stem cells found in skeletal muscle, also known as satellite cells. They address the problem that, once extracted from muscle and placed into culture, satellite cells quickly lose their ability to self-renew, complicating studies into their biology. The development of new bioengineering approaches, such as hydrogel microwell arrays, could solve this problem. These approaches can accurately monitor the behavior of satellite cells and provide robust data sets, thanks to the number of different tests that can be carried out in parallel. To illustrate the usefulness of such tools, the authors show how stem cell division and self-renewal can be tracked in clonal assays using time-lapse microscopy. By increasing the stiffness of the hydrogel microwells in the assays, satellite cells can be maintained in culture for up to one week and successfully engraft back into mouse muscle. Stem cells hold the potential to become part of powerful medical treatments and therapies, but only if we understand how we are changing them by removing them from their niche. This Perspective pushes this issue to the fore and offers some suggestions as to how we can further improve stem cell culture http://the-scientist. com/2012/04/01/are-cancer-stem-cells-ready-for-prime-time/ Biology in Everyday Life This Perspective from Penney Gilbert and colleagues from the USA and Sweden focuses on adult stem cells found in skeletal muscle, also known as satellite cells. They address the problem that, once extracted from muscle and placed into culture, satellite cells quickly lose their ability to self-renew, complicating studies into their biology. The development of new bioengineering approaches, such as hydrogel microwell arrays, could solve this problem. These approaches can accurately monitor the behavior of satellite cells and provide robust data sets, thanks to the number of different tests that can be carried out in parallel. To illustrate the usefulness of such tools, the authors show how stem cell division and self-renewal can be tracked in clonal assays using time-lapse microscopy. By increasing the stiffness of the hydrogel microwells in the assays, satellite cells can be maintained in culture for up to one week and successfully engraft back into mouse muscle. Stem cells hold the potential to become part of powerful medical treatments and therapies, but only if we understand how we are changing them by removing them from their niche. This Perspective pushes this issue to the fore and offers some suggestions as to how we can further improve stem cell culture http://the-scientist. com/2012/04/01/are-cancer-stem-cells-ready-for-prime-time/

Creating a Health Promotion Program for Type II Diabetics Essay

Creating a Health Promotion Program for Type II Diabetics - Essay Example Of course, not all goals will be met for all clients, but it is important to have an optimal objective. The main overall goal of the program is for clients to retain long-term exercise habits. The effective disease management program approaches the problem of diabetes in terms of access, prevention, diagnosis, and prevalence. This is seen as a positive move forward. Goals and methods of the diabetes disease management program include reducing morbidity and mortality. Diabetes often leads the patient to die of a related condition and the patient needs to be educated about risk first and foremost. This group of authors state that, â€Å"The goal is to not only to provide clinical information about new therapy, but also information about the effect of the therapy on aspects of life that are valued by patients, or health related quality of life† (Curtis et al., 13). It is important for evidence based professionals to know their clients and to improve their quality of life, in ways that decrease the incidences of diabetes. The quality of life problems and priorities of people with type II diabetes are various. Patients who cannot control their diabetes or are unable to may develop complications from the disease that are very serious, such as the risk of blindness, renal failure, and even the amputation of lower limbs. â€Å"Adjunctive referral to a diabetes support group may be helpful for some patients when complications arise. Establishing group involvement may be difficult at the stage when serious complications set in, however, because healthier members sometimes have difficulty accepting patients with complications† (Diabetes, 2005). This presents a barrier to the disease management plan for a group format because some patients may see those diabetics with severe complications such as blindness as a reflection their own future with the disease, and react negatively, thus