Did all Americans benefit from the boom in the 1920’s? Essay

The USA had massive industries and had lots of natural recourses. The post First World War boom started for a number of different reasons particularly the rise of new industries and new methods of industrialisation. It led the world in new technologies. It developed technology such as automobiles, telephones, and electrical appliances. America sold to Europe as well as to a domestic market and therefore national wealth grew. Henry Ford’s car plants employed many workers to assemble the cars, and many more were employed in supply industries such as steel, leather, glass and rubber. In addition there were thousands of people working in road construction for the cars to run on. Because of general prosperity many people could now buy products on credit or borrow money from the banks easily. Many of the Americans believed that they had a right to prosper; they wanted to have a nice house, a job and lots of food. People believed that the best way of life was to spend as much money as possible. The First World War also contributed to the boom, other countries who had borrowed money started to pay some of the money they owed with interest. Europe imported goods from America to help build up their own economies. The older industries such as coal, leather and textiles didn’t do to well. Coal had competition from oil and electricity which was being used at a bigger rate than coal. Leather and textiles didn’t have much competition from other countries but there was competition from man made materials. Also there was competition from the Southern States were the labourers were paid less for longer hours. The growth of industry made it worse for the ordinary people because they weren’t needed to do they’re jobs anymore because their jobs were taken over by machines which could do the work in half the time. 32% percent of America’s income went richest 5% of the population, 10% percent of the income was shared out between the poorest 42% of the people. The unemployed people included many of the poor whites but there was a bigger majority of unemployed blacks and Hispanic immigrants. Approximately 42% of Americans now lived below the poverty line and they didn’t even have enough money to buy food, clothing, housing, heating or any of the bare necessities for their families. Even though many of these people could not afford to buy products, the amount of goods had doubled. The farming industries were hit quite badly too. There was competition between the efficient Canadian farmers in the north who were importing wheat at much cheaper prices so America rather brought from them. America had also put tariffs onto exports and therefore Europe weren’t importing as much produce as they used to. There were many rural banks that went bankrupt because farmers weren’t getting enough money back to pay the banks. Another factor was that the population in America was falling and therefore there was less demand for the produce and there was tons of wheat that no one wanted. The farmers were producing enough food for exporting and for the country but there weren’t enough people to eat all of the food. There was enough food for the farmers and fourteen other families. At this time many Because of the introduction of technology and machinery less labourers were needed and in the 1920’s six million rural Americans were unemployed. These people didn’t have the right expertise to be employed in the cities. Three quarters of a million blacks were also unemployed when they lost their jobs on the farms. In conclusion, we can see that the boom did not bring prosperity to all. Rather, while the urban population, in particular those involved in the new industries as well as the middle classes generally certainly benefited during the ‘boom years’, the rural population particularly in the grain belt suffered as a result of over production and shrinking markets.

A summary of wal-mart chapter

Wal-Mart, the largest corporate organization in the world and the largest employer in the private sector in the United States, is a success story in the corporate world.The history of Wal-Mart dates back to the year 1962. Initially, it was a single store which was the initiative of one Sam Walton who has since died. It has weathered the storm of competition and has now grown in size to a worldwide corporation. Walton had at the time of starting Wal-Mart opened 20 stores which were competing against 250 from Kmart.Walton was dynamic in operating the organization. He made sure that he maintained the principles of marketing and those of customer satisfaction, a factor that made Wal-Mart become the single biggest retailer worldwide.International sales have been increasing at an impressive average of 13 percent, which is a dream for any company or any corporation anywhere in the world, no matter how large it is. In the year 2000, Wal-Mart realized an increase of 46 percent in internationa l sales which translates to 16.8 percent of all the corporate sales combined.This corporation however has its shortcomings in the way it relates with its employees and the obligations to its corporate responsibilities. On the part of human resource, Wal-Mart gives its employees lows benefits even though they add great value to the corporation, and health benefits have been lost. Wal-Mart does not consider the values of the grassroots community but rather of more importance to it is profit together with economic growth.Wal-Mart’s contribution to the local communities is enormous given that it employs many people. When it opens a new outlet, it employs people from the surrounding local community and in this way it improves the living conditions of the people from these communities.Given the current rate of unemployment and job losses, Wal-Mart has taken the lead role in solving this problem and has helped many people who otherwise would not have been in any form of gainful empl oyment to at least get something to do for the sustenance of their lives and those of their dependants.  But there is the negative side to this employment issue. Wal-Mart has for all the years been an insensitive employer. Besides poor pay, the working hours are inconsistent and this is a great inconvenience to the workers. Long working hours and unpredictable working schedule characterizes the experiences the employees of Wal-Mart have to go through.This retail outlet giant has made it a rule that its employees should not join any labor organization or union of any kind.Several attempts by the workers’ representatives to force Wal-Mart allow them to join labor organizations have all come cropper. Court cases have been ruled in favor of the employer to the detriment of the employee, and this seems not to bother the management of Wal-Mart.Wal-Mart has adopted capitalist as its politico-economic approach. This therefore means that in any venture, it is guided not necessarily by the interests of the general society or more specifically those of the local communities, but rather by what gains they stand to get from them in terns of profits from the investment.This is capitalism per excellence and this approach has made Wal-Mart to have an edge over its competitors, who seem to favor a combination of both reasonable profits and good conditions for the workers.Wal-Mart is not a good neighbor. It thrives on capitalizing on the weaknesses of and inability of its competitors. Five years after Wal-Mart enters into a new market, all the existing retail businesses start recording losses and others close shop.This leaves Wal-Mart to monopolize the market and therefore the customers have no alternative but to consume what is on offer at the Wal-Mart outlets. This amounts to monoculture as it thrives on cultural homogenization.It manages to draw away attention from a local competitor by selling its commodities at very low prices, in fact at prices below the actual p rice making it impossible for any other business, however strong and committed it may be, to lose out and leaving Wal-Mart to dominate the market.This homogenization is actually due in part to confusion. While its intention on the one hand is to ensure that it has an upper hand in the market share, it also genuinely thinks that this is good corporate practice (Jacques et al pp 7-10).

HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

HR - Essay Example Values are a core element of culture (Hofstede, 2001, p. 10). Values can be personal, social political, religious and professional, as well as scientific and characteristic of a particular academic discipline(Becher & Trowler, 2001; Van Hout, 1996, Smart et al., 2000). According to Kleijnen et. al 2009, there are four models of organisational values: HR, OS, RG and IP. These four organisational values are moderately experienced in practice. The mean scores of the current values are closely clustered near the neutral level. There are, however, clear differences as to the desirability of the four values. Organisational values not only vary per department but also per discipline. However, in the current study it was not possible to investigate reliably the differences between disciplines or sectors because of the low numbers of departments for some of the disciplines According to Robbins (2011), there are two separate sets of values. One set is called terminal values and this includes a comfortable life, an exciting life, wisdom and pleasure. This set refers to desirable end-states. These are the goals a person would like to achieve during his or her lifetime. The other set, which is called instrumental values, refers to preferable modes of behaviour while achieving the terminal values. It includes ambitious, broad-minded, cheerful, clean, helpful and polite. Values strongly influence a person’s attitude, behaviour and perception. It is important to consider also the value ranking of executives and union members and their activities. An executive needs terminal values, for example self-respect, family security, freedom, a sense of accomplishment and happiness. In the instrumental set an executive needs honesty, responsibility, capability, ambition and independence. Union members have as terminal needs family security, freedom, happiness, self-respect and mature love. The last is important because it is a prerequisite for need equality, a world

Virtue Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Virtue Ethics - Essay Example s of character make one a good man?† According to Christianity, morality is divine command; the fact of applying reason in identifying what’s moral and what isn’t. Jesus was on different occasions asked if there was a particular right way of doing things, like the proper method of worship, or what to do to gain eternal life. In His responses to all such questions, Jesus said there were no specific ways of doing things right; that there were not set of rules or laws. Renaissance came up with moral law, which is what determined the right or wrong thing to do. Many later day philosophers, such as Anscombe (1958), have disagreed with the renaissance view, insisting there shouldn’t be any law because, in any case, there can’t be a law without a lawgiver. Virtues are defined by Aristotle as character traits manifested in habitual action. He says no virtue exists in the extremes. Rather, virtue comes in between the two extremes. For instance, courage comes in between cowardice and foolhardiness. In both Christianity and philosophy, virtue ethics is not dictated by any set of laws. In both cases, virtue ethics is not in what one does or their action, but rather lies in their

In instruction box Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

In instruction box - Essay Example The threats are the elements that could lead the business to trouble. It is important to conduct a SWOT analysis as it may later inform the business planning steps that are directed to the realization of business objectives (Armstrong, 1996). Every serious business should conduct and implement a SWOT analysis every so often to evaluate its position in the market. This paper will involve a SWOT analysis of Nike Company and will go further to analyse what businesses need to do to gain a stronger market position. About Nike Company Nike Incorporated is a multinational business that designs, develops and markets apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment. The American company has its headquarters in the Portland metropolitan area of Oregon. Nike as the company is popularly referred to is among the fortune 500 companies and boasts of being a leading producer of apparel, sports equipment and athletic shoes in the world (Nike Inc., 2013). Established in 1964 under the name of Blue Ribbon Sports, the corporation has several brands to its name, the main ones being Nike, Nike Skateboarding, Nike Golf, and Nike Pro. The organization has a number of subsidiaries including Converse and Hurley International, operates a number of retail stores, and sponsors several high profile sports teams and athletes from different nations across the globe. Nike SWOT Analysis Strengths Nike Inc. enjoys several strengths to its advantage. The company has been in existence since 1964 which may translate to a lot of experience in its field. The Nike brand has become a global brand over the years and enjoys strong brand equity. Given that the brand is linked with many famous athletes and favorite sports teams, it enjoys a huge amount of endorsements from its beneficiaries and by extension, the support of the masses spread across the world (Marketing Teacher, 2013). It is a fact that the establishment of manufacturing plants, buildings and other immovable assets cost huge capital investments and ties an organization’s finances. While many organizations have their capital tied to such assets as buildings and factories, this is not the case with Nike Inc. The corporation also does not have its capital tied to workers engaged in the production of its products. This being the case, the business thrives on a lean workforce and therefore operates on a lean budget. Furthermore, relying on the facilities of other organizations to manufacture its products gives Nike the opportunity to produce its products at the lowest possible costs without compromising on quality (Marketing Teacher, 2013). This arrangement affords Nike huge profit margins especially considering that it thrives on a lean workforce and budget. The organization has a robust research and development team that work toward coming up with high quality innovative products. The organization is one that produces branded clothing - a field in which there is little to innovate about (Tech Analysis Blogger, 2013). W hile this is the case, the company has managed to come up with innovative products that meet the needs of various demographics. The company also has a high score with regard to its environmental record. The Clean Air-Cool Planet, the company among the top companies that are climate friendly. Weaknesses One of the weaknesses that

International Conflict Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International Conflict Analysis - Essay Example However, since the war ended in 2002, there have been several positive developments like conducting elections and involving the youth. Of course, one has to keep ones’ fingers crossed as earlier attempts at peacemaking have usually resulted in breakdown given the greed and grievance of the warlords and the presence of thousands of brainwashed soldiers ready to do their bidding. The role of the international community is also discussed and some criticism expressed for the way in which their non-intervention caused avoidable suffering and casualties. Given the interplay of the resource argument (the so-called conflict diamonds) with that of a failed state where a â€Å"free for all† was the norm rather than the exception, the peace that the citizens of Sierra Leone are experiencing now is indeed welcome from all aspects. Finally, the conflict in Sierra Leone is also notable for the way in which the post cold war illusions about durable peace and establishment of a new wor ld order were disabused. The end of the cold war produced diametric reactions from intellectuals and foreign policy experts. Whereas writers like Francis Fukuyama were quick to predict the â€Å"End of History† and proclaim that the democratization of the nations of the world would give us the meaning that we have always sought, other writers like Samuel Huntington warned of a coming â€Å"Clash of the Civilizations† where who you were mattered more than what you were or which side you were on (Huntington, 1996, 14). The former is the â€Å"new war† hypothesis that posits the view of how conflicts in the last two decades are about economic reasons and identity whereas the latter is the â€Å"old war† theory about the cold war which was essentially an ideological battle. However, there are many who see the so-called new wars as a continuance of those fought earlier just that the international order does not have the

Greek and Roman Cultures Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Greek and Roman Cultures - Assignment Example Moreover, a large component of the Roman civilization emerged from the Greeks (Sayre, 2013). People from both the Greek and Roman civilizations are individuals of the two most renowned early cultures. While the Greek and Roman civilizations made tremendous progress in social organizations, politics, art, and literature, their political organization, geographical terrain, and way of life differed considerably. The Romans largely succeeded in establishing an amalgamated territory while the Greeks considerably succeeded in activities that involved artistic elements. In addition, the Greek and Roman cultures shared a large amount of closeness with one another. It cannot be denied that the Greeks had a tremendous influence on the Roman culture despite both of them developing into a highly distinct culture (Sayre, 2013). This paper will be a comparison between the Greek and Roman cultures and will address components, for example, government, art and architecture, economics and trade activities, religious and philosophical beliefs, and geographical terrain. Their arts are visible in the pottery made by the Dorian Greeks. This form of decoration is, in particular, geometric and is neatly arranged into regions on areas of each pot. These features are also evident in architecture. Additionally, human figures were utilized in decorating motifs. Several works were incorporated in temples, for example, the statues of Zeus at the temple of Zeus and Athena at Parthenon. The domestic architecture utilized walls of wooden frames full of fibrous materials and roofs were covered with leaves. They also built temples (Willis, 2000). They largely pursued visual art. The majority of their styles of painting draw inspiration from Etruscan. Numerous homes were beautified using Greek artists backdrops.  

Issues of drugs use in public schools Research Paper

Issues of drugs use in public schools - Research Paper Example The second sub-question is the rules and regulation that might be needed to guide the processing of identifying drug users among teachers and students. The other sub-question is how the effectiveness of a drug identificationtechnique chosen could be improved. Analysis in this researchis based on these sub-questions. The research concludes that none of the drug identification techniques is sufficient; it therefore recommends use of other drug identification techniques before deciding to undertake drug testing among teachers and students in public schools. CHAPTER 1: Introduction Context of the problem Drug use in public schools has been identified as a key issue affecting education in this country. Principals and other education administrators have found students in their schools using or in possession of illegal drugs like marijuana (Samaha, 2012). Moreover, there are teachers and other school employees who have been foundusing drugs by the school administrators while in their line o f duty. Therefore, the issue of drug use is a problem that affects the whole public schools fraternity. In the past, students were tested for drug use only when participating in athletics or when undertaking major co-curricular activities (Dempsey, 2011). This proved to be ineffective since the majority of drug users turned to be the idle students who did not engage in any form of sports or co-curricular activities. Furthermore, drug users tended to avoid sports and co-curricular activities to avoid being tested for drug use. However, recently a random drug test routinehas been introduced in the majority of public schools in this country. According to Leonard (2011), this approach of testing drug use has been providing great promises both as a preventive tool for drug use and as a means of reducing the costs of drug use in the society.However, teachers and other members of the public schoolfraternityare not included in this drug testing process. Drug use in public schools has severa l negative effects. Gasper (2009) identifies the issue as one of the major causes of students dropping out of schools. This is because of the fact that it could make the students feel unfit for the learning environment provided in public schools. It is also related to social problems like lack of discipline in schools, premarital sex, and spread of STIs (Ryan & Cooper, 2008). This indicates that if allowed to increase, it would result to increase in these identified social problems. Drug testing is one way of identifying drug users in public schools. As a policy, it requires that the test results be kept in confidential files and be released to educationpersonnel only when needed (Alexander & Alexander, 2011). However, very few school administrators meet what this policy requires. This results in violations of people’s privacy and victimization of students in public schools.Such outcomes have motivated human rights advocates to propose that drug education should be employed i nstead of drug testing. According to Wilson and Kolander (2011), drug education encompasses all activities aimed at teaching and communicating issues related to drug use to people in order to assist them in avoiding such harm. This might eliminate the negative effects of drug testing and yet achieve the required results in terms of

How to Succeed in College Essay Example for Free

How to Succeed in College Essay Hints on How to Succeed in College Classes The Key to Success: Study Time The single most important key to success in any college course is to spend enough time studying. A rule of thumb is that you should expect to study about 2 to 3 hours per week outside of class for each unit of credit. For example, a student taking 15 credit hours should expect to spend 30 to 45 hours each week studying outside of class. Combined with time in class, this works out to a total of 45 to 60 hours spent on academic work†not much more than the time a typical Job requires, and you get to hoose your own hours. Of course, if you are working while you attend school, you will need to budget your time carefully. As a rough guideline, your study time might be divided as shown in the table below. If you find that you are spending fewer hours than these guidelines suggest, you can probably improve your grade by studying longer. If you are spending more hours than these guidelines suggest, you may be studying inefficiently; in that case, you should talk to your instructor about how to study more effectively. If Your Course Is: Time for Reading the Assigned Text (per week) Time for Homework Assignments (per week) Time for Review and Test Preparation (average per week) Total Study Time (per 3 credits 2 to 4 hours 2 to 3 hours 2 hours 6 to 9 hours 4 credits 3 hours 8 to 12 hours 5 credits 3 to 5 hours 3 to 6 hours 4 hours 10 to 15 hours General Strategies for Studying 0 Budget your time effectively. Studying 1 or 2 hours each day is more effective, and far less painful, than studying all night before homework is due or before exams. 0 Engage your brain. Learning is an active process, not a passive experience. Whether you are reading, listening to a lecture, or working on assignments, always make sure hat your mind is actively engaged. If you find your mind drifting or falling asleep, make a conscious effort to revive yourself, or take a break if necessary. 0 Dont miss class, and come prepared. Listening to lectures and participating in class activities and discussions is much more effective than reading someone elses notes or watching a video later. Active participation will help you retain what you are learning. Also, be sure to complete any assigned reading before the class in which it will be discussed. This is crucial, since class sessions are designed to help reinforce key deas from the reading. 0 Use your textbook effectively. For a science book, for example: Begin by identifying the learning goals of an assigned chapter, and get an overview of key concepts by studying the illustrations and reading their captions. Next, read the chapter twice: On the first pass, read only the narrative, skipping any optional or boxed features; on the second pass, include the boxed features, and make notes on the pages to remind yourself of ideas you may want to review later. After you complete the reading, check your understanding by trying some of the end- f-chapter problems or any on-line quizzes or tutorials that may be available. 0 Start your homework early. The more time you allow yourself, the easier it is to get help if you need it. If a concept gives you trouble, first try additional reading or studying beyond what has been assigned. If you still having trouble, ask for help: You surely can find friends, peers, or teachers who will be glad to help you learn. 0 Working together with friends can be valuable in helping you understand difficult concepts. However, be sure that you learn with your friends and do not become dependent on 0 Dont try to multitask. A large body of research shows that human beings simply are not good at multitasking: When we attempt it, we do more poorly at all of the individual tasks. And in case you think you are an exception, the same research found that those people who believed they were best at multitasking were actually the worst! So when it is time to study, turn off your electronic devices, find a quiet spot, and give your work a focused effort of concentration. 02013, Jeffrey Bennett (www. effreybennett. com). Permission granted to photocopy as a two-sided handout for college classes. How to Succeed in College Classes, Page 2 Preparing for Exams 0 Rework problems and other assignments; try additional questions to be sure you understand the concepts. Study your performance on assignments, quizzes, or exams from earlier in the term. 0 Study your notes from classes, and reread relevant sections in you r textbook. Pay attention to what your instructor expects you to know for an exam. 0 Study individually before Joining a study group with friends. Study groups are effective only if every individual comes prepared to contribute. 0 Dont stay up too late before an exam. Dont eat a big meal within an hour of the xam (thinking is more difficult when blood is being diverted to the digestive system). 0 Try to relax before and during the exam. If you have studied effectively, you are capable of doing well. Staying relaxed will help you think clearly. Presenting Homework and Writing Assignments All work that you turn in should be of collegiate quality: neat and easy to read, well organized, and demonstrating mastery of the subject matter. Future employers and teachers will expect this quality of work. Moreover, although submitting homework of collegiate quality requires extra effort, it serves two important purposes directly related to learning: 1. . The effort you expend in clearly explaining your work solidifies your learning. In particular, research has shown that writing and speaking trigger different areas of your brain. By writing something down†even when you think you already understand it†your learning is reinforced by involving other areas of your brain. By making your work clear and self-contained (that is, making it a document that you can read without referring to the questions in the text), you will have a much more useful study guide when you review for a quiz or exam. The following guidelines will help ensure that your assignments meet the standards f collegiate quality: 0 Always use proper grammar, proper sentence and paragraph writing should be fully self-contained. A good test is to imagine that a friend is reading your work and to ask yourself whether the friend would understand exactly what you are trying to say.

Fedex and UPS Essay Example for Free

Fedex and UPS Essay 1. Accounting Treatments Capital Lease -Lessee Initially, the lessee recognizes the asset under his property, plant and equipment. The amount that should be debited is the Lower of asset’s fair value and present value of minimum lease payments. The present value is determined by discounting minimum lease payments using interest rates implicit in the lease. Also, initial direct cost that the lessee incurs in relation to the lease is added to the cost of recognized asset. On the credit side of the entry should be lease liabilities, which is in fact, some kind of a loan. The lease liabilities should be split into current and noncurrent liabilities as some payments are made within 12 months while others are made after 12 month of the reporting date. Subsequently, there are two things we must take care of. First, we must depreciate the lease asset over the economic life, not over the lease term because that doesn’t necessarily need to be the same. The entry is to debit depreciation expense in profit or loss and credit the accumulated depreciation account. Secondly, we need to allocate the lease liability or minimum lease payments paid to the lessor into two parts; reduction of lease liability and finance charge or interest. IAS 17 requires the finance charge to be allocated so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest (interest rate implicit in the lease) on the remaining balance sheet liability. (Refer to appendix A for journal entries Capital lease-Lessor The lessor is a finance provider, and therefore records lease receivables as the debit side of the entry. The lease receivable is the net investment in the lease, which is the total of minimum lease payments and unguaranteed residual value. Total of these two figures is gross investment in the lease and we need to discount it to present value using discount rate implicit in the lease and all this must be equal to fair value of the asset plus initial direct cost. The credit side to this entry is simply cash given out by the lessor. Subsequently, we have to split minimum lease payments received from the lessee between reduction of finance lease receivable and finance income similar to what the lessee would do. (Finance income should reflect a constant periodic rate of return on the lessor’s net  investment in the lease.) (Refer to appendix A for journal entries) Operating Lease-Lessee In an operating lease, the lessee does not recognize any asset. The lease payments are recognized as rent expense in profit or loss on a straight-line basis. The journal entries would include a debit to rent expense and credit to cash or accounts payable. (Refer to appendix A for journal entries) Operating -lessor Lease payments received from the lessee are recognized as revenue in profit or loss on a straight-line basis. The lessor keeps the asset on his financial statement and depreciates it in line with its fixed asset accounting policy. (Refer to appendix A for journal entries) Advantages of Operating Lease In an operating lease, the lessee is considered to be renting the equipment and thus the lease payment is recorded as rental expense. No assets or liabilities are recorded on the balance sheet (Off-balance sheet financing). This is beneficial for companies because it will result in a lower asset base, therefore creating a higher ROA. Operating lease will also display more desirable solvency ratios such as lower debt to equity. This off balance sheet method of recording will also produce better debt covenant ratios for the company to show its debt lenders. Moreover, some companies associate management bonuses to certain ratios such as return on capital, which would be more optimal looking if recorded under operating lease. Another major benefit of operating leases is the potential tax benefits. An operating lease may allow the company to deduct payments as operating expenses during the period in which they are paid. If the company purchases equipment, they may be able to deduct the in terest, as well as the cost of the depreciation. 2. Under current Financial Accounting Standards Board regulations, what business arrangements might FedEx have made in order to account for leases as operating leases rather than capital leases? An operating lease is usually coined as anything that is not classified as a finance lease.  Factors that an operating lease may include are: 1. If a lease does not significantly transfer all the risks and rewards, associated with ownership of an asset the lease 2. If the ownership of the asset is more likely to go back to lessor at the end of the term 3. The lessee does not have the option to buy the asset at a cost significantly below the fair value of the asset → ie. a bargain price. The term of the lease is not a major part of the economic life of the lease item. IAS 17 does not explicitly say how much is a major portion however ASPE states that 75% and above is a major portion. 5. If there is little or no risk to the lessee; all major risks are borne by the lessor. An example wo uld be cancellation costs. 6. The leased asset is of common nature; not specialized and can only be used by the lessee. 7. The present value of the total amount of minimum lease payments do not equal or is close to the fair value of the asset leased. Other Additional Criteria can be: 8. Whether fluctuation in fair value at the end of the lease accrue to the lessor 9. If the lessee does not have the option to extend the lease for a secondary period at a â€Å"below the market† price Arrangements FedEx would have to make to disclose the operating lease would include disclosures about: the outstanding payments left for non-cancellable operating leases for the time periods: within one year within two to five years after more than five years the total future minimum sublease income for non-cancellable subleases the lease and sublease payments recognised in income for the period the contingent rent recognised as an expense  the general description of significant leasing arrangements, including contingent rent provisions, renewal or purchase options, and restrictions imposed on dividends, borrowings, or further leasing For operating leases, IAS 17 states that the total lease payments should be incurred as an expense and would appear on the income statement regularly with the amount on a straight-line basis over the entire lease term. Any enticements that the lessee may have received from the lessor to enter into the lease arrangement, must also be divided on a straight line basis to offset the  rental expense. 4. Lease Capitalization on Financial Variable and Ratios Unrecorded Lease Liability and Debt-to-Equity Ratio Based on the ratios and calculations performed there are many incentives for companies to report leases as operating leases rather than capitalize them. It can be concluded that the impact of lease capitalization on the financial statements is far greater for FedEx than UPS, however both companies are reaping benefits from reporting leases as operating leases. Capitalizing leases requires that leases are recorded as assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. The Unrecorded Lease Liability is 98.41% of existing liabilities for FedEx and 8.27% for UPS. Thus, by not capitalizing leases, firms are able to decrease their liabilities and present a more lower debt/equity ratio.The Debt/Equity ratio gives stakeholders an indication of the capital structure of the firm. The ratio for FedEx moves from 0.97 to 2.70, which indicates a more leveraged capital structure. UPS ratio moves from 0.87 to 1.28. The capitalization of leases would not a llow FedEx to maintain a debt-equity ratio below 1, which would change shareholder’s view on the financial flexibility of the firm. If FedEx wishes to maintain a relatively low debt-to-equity ratio on their financial statements it would be unfavourable to capitalize leases. Return on Asset The Return on Assets (ROA) is another key ratio that is affected when leases are capitalized due to the increase in assets that the company owns. When leases are capitalized there is a decrease in ROA for both FedEx and UPS by 1.69% and 0.32%, respectively. This is a relatively significant drop in efficiency and further motivates firms to record leases as operating leases. Interest Coverage Ratio The interest coverage ratio informs stakeholders of a company’s ability to pay back their interest. There is a significant drop of 17.26 in FedEx’s interest-coverage ratio and a drop of 9.2 in UPS’s interest coverage ratio. This means that a certain amount of profit is attributed to the fact that leases are not capitalized. In conclusion, it is clear from the variables and the ratios analyzed why companies prefer to record leases as operating leases rather than capitalize them. Operating leases are kept off the balance sheet and their main impact on the income statement is rent expense since the risks of ownership are not assumed. On the other hand, when leases are capitalized, the present value of payments including interest expense,  is treated as a liability on the balance sheet. These two accounting methods result in ratios to be more favourable for the firm when leases are recorded as operating leases rather than financial leases. 5. New Exposure Draft: A Contract-Based Approach Development of Contract-Based Approach Leasing is a critical activity in business as it is a means of gaining access to assets, obtaining finance and reducing an entity’s exposure to the risks of asset ownership. Some key advantages of leasing assets rather than purchasing assets are 100% financing, flexibility and the tax advantages. Therefore it is crucial that leases are appropriately accounted for and nature and duration of the lease agreement is considered. Current models require lessees and lessors to account for leases as either finance leases or operating leases. A recurring criticism of this approach is that lessees are not required to recognize assets and liabilities arising from operating leases. We can see the benefits of this in the financial statements and ratios of FedEx and UPS, as discussed above. In our opinion capitalizing leases provides stakeholders of a less aggressive view of a company’s financial statements. The contract based approach ensures th at companies recognise the right to use an asset along with the contractual liability on its balance sheet. Recognition and Measurement (Lessee) IASB and FASB are proposing a new approach to lease accounting that ensures entities record assets and liabilities arising from a lease. With this new approach, a lessee would recognize assets and liabilities for leases with a maximum possible term of more than 12 months. Under this contract-based approach, the asset is taken on by the lessee as the right to use to asset and not the asset itself. This a key difference between the contract-based approach and finance leases. When the lease is acquired, the lessee would recognise a lease liability. This would refer to the obligation of the lessee to make recurring lease payments. Additionally, the lessee would recognize a right-of-use asset representing a lessee’s right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. The right-of-use asset would include the initial measurement of the lease liability, any lease payments made at or before commencement date and any initial direct costs incurred by the lessee. The proposal further categorizes the leases into Type A and Type B leases. Type A Lease Recognition Leased assets other  than property (such as equipment and vehicles) would be classified as a Type A lease. However, if the following two conditions are met, the lease would be classified as a Type B: if the lease term is an insignificant portion of the asset’s economic life and if the present value of the lease payments is insignificant relative to their fair value. Initial measurements for a Type A lease would include a right-of-use asset and a lease liability. The lease liability would be measured at the present value of the lease payments, measured at the rate charged by the lessor. If that rate cannot be immediately determined, the lessee uses the incremental borrowing rate. Subsequent measurements would recognize interest expense and the amortization of the right-of-use asset separately on the income statement and balance sheet. This would be accounted for separately from the amortization of the asset. Type B Lease Recognition Leased assets of property (such as land or a building) would be classified as Type B leases. Initial measurements would be parallel to the initial measurements of Type A assets. However, subsequent measurements would recognize a single lease cost. This cost would be a measurement of the interest expense as well as the amortization of the asset. This combined figure would be calculated on a straight-line basis. Effect on Existing Operating Lease Existing operating leases must be appropriately treated based on the a ccounting standards for leases. Leases that were previously reported as operating leases by lessees should be recognised using the new approach at the beginning of the earliest comparative period. The lessee should recognize the lease liability, which is the present value of the remaining lease payments. For Type A leases, a right-of-use asset is measured as a proportion of the lease liability. The proportion is based on the remaining lease term at the time of the earliest comparative period. Additionally, the right-of-use asset recorded should be adjusted for any previously recognised prepaid or accrued lease payments. On the other hand, for Type B leases, a right-of-use asset is measured at an amount that equals the lease liability. The asset is then adjusted for previously recognised prepaid or accrued lease payments.

French Essays French Society

French Essays French Society ‘Les liaisons dangereuses’ and the position of women in eighteenth-century french society.   Abstract This research analyses in depth Les Liaison Dangereuses by Pierre Ambrose Choderlos de Laclos, paying a particular attention to the emancipatory subtext of the novel in regard to the position of women in eighteenth-century French society. The received results reveal that Laclos rises against the subordinate position of women and considers that it is crucial to provide women with freedom. However, the writer demonstrates that freedom without appropriate education and true morality can result in many negative consequences. Applying to different characters and different liaisons, Laclos reflects the conflicts between two opposite sexes that occur because of the wish of both males and females to occupy superior positions in French society. In this regard, some findings of this research are consistent with the results received in earlier studies and critical analyses on Laclos’ novel, while other findings oppose to them.   Ã‚   1 Statement of the problem Eighteenth-century France experienced rather complex gender tensions, as, on the one hand, the period of Enlightenment and the French Revolution gave rise to the ideas of liberty and equality between men and women, but, on the other hand, women were still associated with the position of a mother and a wife, restricting their participation in other spheres of social and political life. However, despite such stereotypic vision on females, some philosophers and writers of that era opposed to this perception of women, applying to a certain emancipatory subtext in their literary works. Pierre Ambrose Choderlos de Laclos belongs to such French writers; in his well-known novel Les Liaison Dangereuses he criticises education of women in eighteenth-century France and uncovers the inferior position of women in those times. Laclos is one of the first authors who manage to express his views on the failed social system that inspires the conflicts between two opposite sexes. 2 Introduction Pierre Ambrose Choderlos de Laclos (1741 – 1803), a general of Napoleon and the secretary of the Duc d’Orleans, was born in a rather noble family and devoted his life to a military career. However, at the age of forty, Laclos became a revolutionary and feminist writer, having written only two literary works that were both admired and criticised in his times. He met his future wife Marie-Soulange Duperrà © in 1783 and soon married her. Laclos became the member of the Club of the Jacobins in 1790 and was even imprisoned for his political activity. Pierre Choderlos de Laclos was greatly influenced by the works of Jean-Jacque Rousseau, especially by his epistolary novel Nouvelle Hà ©loise; and this influence is obvious in both of Laclos’ works L’Education des Femmes and Les Liaison Dangereuses. But it was the novel Les Liaison Dangereuses that brought popularity to Laclos, as well as social rejection, because this literary work appeared to be â€Å"a portra it of an age whose tragedy lies in the waste of its great gifts†1. The eighteenth century was the period of Libertinage in France, when some people rejected all social norms and struggled for free will. These libertines eliminated emotions and pointed at the necessity of intelligence. Libertinage was supported by the regent Philippe of Orleans who substituted religion and virtues for freedom and vice. However, this was also a period of female subordination, that’s why libertines were mainly males, because women, due to their poor education, were considered as unfit for any display of free will. They were regarded as inferior to men, because their intellectual abilities were reduced only to the domestic sphere. As a result, women were psychologically destroyed creatures that were controlled and manipulated by males in French patriarchal world. These females were deprived of any possibility to take part in political, military or cultural life of society. But Laclos destroys these stereotypes in his epistolary novel Les Liaison Dangereuses, demo nstrating that not only males, but females as well may be libertines. The writer is not satisfied with the treatment of women in his times; thus his motives in writing L’Education des Femmes and Les Liaison Dangereuses can be explained by Laclos’ wish to protect women from men by means of female independence. However, Laclos considers that female freedom is both good and dangerous, because society, in which a woman lives, is too false and preoccupied with wrong stereotypes. Although the writer points at the necessity of education for a woman, he believes that good education will help her in her private life rather than inspire a female to utilise her freedom for any other activity. The aim of this dissertation is to analyse the extent of the emancipatory subtext concerning the position of women in eighteenth-century French society in Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ novel Les Liaison Dangereuses. The research paper is divided into several sections. Chapter 1 reveals a statement of the problem that points at the problematic of the conducted analysis. Chapter 2 demonstrates a general overview of the issue, evaluating the social and political contexts and Laclos’ motivations for the utilisation of emancipatory elements in his literary works. Chapter 3 observes the opinions of various critics on Les Liaison Dangereuses. Chapter 4 points at the theoretical research methods that are applied for the research. Chapter 5 provides a profound investigation of the emancipatory subtext in Laclos’ novel, paying a particular attention to women and their roles in French society. Briefly observing Laclos’ essays L’Education des Femmes, this chapter further analyses female characters of Les Liaison Dangereuses and their relations with male characters, uncovering gender tensions of the eighteenth century and the negative results of social inequality. Chapter 6 conducts the summarisation of the received findings, and Chapter 7 reveals the limitations of the research and provides some suggestions for further analysis of Laclos’ novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚   3 Review of the literature Les Liaison Dangereuses has raised hot debates among various critics since the time of its publication. Earlier criticism regards this novel as one of the first feminist literary works, but as Suellen Diaconoff claims, â€Å"in the past ten or fifteen years the assessment of Choderlos de Laclos’ treatment of women has undergone significant revision†2. Some contemporary critics point at a misogynist context of the novel in addition to the emancipatory subtext, while other researchers consider that Les Liaison Dangereuses uncovers female weakness and male dominance. Such contradictory viewpoints reflect the ambiguous vision of women’s roles in Laclos’ narration, as the writer provides his female characters with the power to resist and the power to withdraw. According to Martin Turnell, Les Liaison Dangereuses â€Å"has been called the most impersonal novel in the French language and certainly the author is not to be found in it†3. The major criticism of the work in the eighteenth-nineteenth centuries regards its moral side; many critics considered Les Liaison Dangereuses to be a threat to readers, as the novel provided a new vision on the issue of virtue and was â€Å"morally dangerous or historically fanciful†4. Although Baudelaire praised Laclos’ epistolary novel, the spread of Romanticism depreciated this praising, regarding the work as a literary piece, where â€Å"reason and cold analysis triumph†5. However, by the middle of the nineteenth century the researchers began to take a particular interest in Les Liaison Dangereuses, analysing the writer’s realism and the characters’ psychology. In particular, Byrne points at a profound morality of the novel, claiming that the book provides â€Å"a ‘correct’ moral viewpoint which only a churl would find fault with†6. Other critics reveal pessimistic aspects in the described sentimentality of the eighteenth-century fiction, in particular, John Mullan considers that French novelists â€Å"were able to concede that habits of sociability were limited or exceptional, only just surviving in a world in which fellow-feeling was rare and malevolence prevailed†7. This is especially true in regard to Laclos who demonstrates these pessimistic aspects throughout the narration. Peter Conroy analyses a close connection between two males in Les Liaison Dangereuses, revealing that such bonding results in female d estruction, for instance, when Valmont provides Danceny with the letters to destroy Mme de Merteuil8. The researcher considers that male bonding reflects one of the crucial aspects of female oppression in French society. Thus, despite the novel’s criticism and rejection in the eighteenth century, Les Liaison Dangereuses is considered to be one of the most popular epistolary works. 4 Research methodology This dissertation applies to three theoretical research methods – a social constructionist approach, a discourse analytical approach and a feminist approach. With the help of these methods the paper investigates the discussed issue from various perspectives and provides valid explanation to the emancipatory subtext of Laclos’ novel Les Liaison Dangereuses. As an appropriate tool for investigation, the social constructionist approach regards people as the products of society that defines particular roles for them. In this regard, this approach is especially important for analysing the position of women in eighteenth-century French society and the reflection of this vision in a particular epistolary work. The discourse analytical approach provides an opportunity to discuss the emancipatory subtext of the novel in its close connection with social and political conditions of France. It allows to evaluate the consequences of the dominant position of males over females and to uncover the inequality of both genders before the French Revolution. The feminist approach reveals the impact of certain social stereotypes on the portrayal of females in French literature, exposing the negative consequences of these ideologies on women of the eighteenth century. This approach evaluates the roles and positions of women through the principal female characters of a literary work, simultaneously pointing at the differentiation between men and women.  Ã‚      5 Discussion 5.1. ‘L’Education des Femmes’ Before the publication of his epistolary novel Les Liaison Dangereuses, Laclos wrote three essays on female education that were compiled together under the name L’Education des Femmes. In the era of Enlightenment this issue became especially crucial in France and was of particular interest to Laclos. As Turnell puts it, Laclos â€Å"only discusses those feelings which interest other people as well as himself†9. In his essays Laclos depicts his own vision on the position of women in French society and the ways to improve their conditions. The ideas presented in L’Education des Femmes are implicitly reflected in Laclos’ novel, that’s why it is crucial to observe these essays for better understanding of the emancipatory subtext of Les Liaison Dangereuses. In the first essay the writer points at the fact that an advanced education won’t make the lives of women better, instead he claims that it is necessary to introduce social changes that will im prove a female position10. Laclos considers that women do not have enough freedom and are usually treated as slaves by males; they prefer to adhere to social standards rather than to oppose them. Although Laclos proclaims the necessity of freedom for women, he slightly transforms this viewpoint in the second and the third essays. In particular, he claims that a woman should be protected, but not liberated. Despite such ambiguous vision, L’Education des Femmes reveals the truth about the position of females in Laclos’ times and simultaneously uncovers the contradictions that emerged in France in that period. These contradictions were a direct result of the emerged liberty and the preservation of the older social stereotypes. On the one hand, Laclos rises against the limitation of female freedom, but, on the other hand, he doesn’t really reveal the ways to free a woman. Laclos reveals that in the struggle for dominance, men and women destroy each other: males treat females as their slaves, while women utilise their sexuality to prove their own superiority. As females are deprived of equality with men in social and political spheres, they start to manipulate males with the help of sex. According to Laclos, this constant sex war greatly depends on the ability of a woman to diversify sexual re lations. However, as Laclos demonstrates further, there is a danger that such manipulation will turn against women. Laclos implicitly shows that enslavement of women by men is inspired by this particular manipulation. As a woman starts to depend on her sexuality, she reduces herself to a position of a slave. Thus, though the writer criticises the dominance of French males over women in the eighteenth century, he doesn’t provide an actual proposal for changes that will improve female positions. The same approach is maintained by Laclos in his novel Les Liaison Dangereuses. 5.2. The emancipatory subtext of ‘Les Liaison Dangereuses’ In Les Liaison Dangereuses Pierre Choderlos de Laclos creates the characters that belong to the French aristocracy and that apply to cruelty and deceit to disgrace other people. Although this novel received unusual population after its publication in 1782, the writer was immediately criticised and rejected by the members of the upper class society. According to Turnell, â€Å"The Liaisons was read by everyone and discussed in all the salons, but the people who read him with most passion shut their doors in his face†11. Such attitude can be explained by the fact that Laclos reveals the truth about French aristocracy, the truth that people could no longer avoid. On the example of such characters as Cà ©cile de Volanges and Mme de Volanges the writer demonstrates the negative consequences of poor female education and the superior position of men over women. On the other hand, introducing such female characters as the Marquise de Merteuil and the Prà ©sidente de Tourvel, Laclos simultaneously implements the emancipatory subtext into his narration. Throughout the novel Mme de Merteuil tries to achieve a dominant position over other people, including the Vicomte de Valmont, her former lover. Discussing the relations between Mme de Merteuil and Valmont, Turnell claims that â€Å"they are both so determined to dominate, so impatient of any restraint, that Mme de Merteuil cannot make up her mind to return permanently to Valmont†12. It is this female character that involves Valmont into her intrigues and further induces his death. Mme de Merteuil’s wit and determination make her superior to men. Since the very beginning Mme de Merteu il makes constant attempts to manipulate Valmont. As a result, Laclos’ epistolary work dispels a prolonged illusion created by the majority of French novels that were primarily â€Å"a smoke-screen that concealed the exploits of the aristocracy from the rest of the world†13. Characterising his characters through their letters, the writer uncovers the inner degradation of aristocracy before the French Revolution. As Emile Dard puts it, â€Å"people recognised their portraits in them and the likeness was so good that they could not turn their horrified gaze from this new image of themselves†14. According to the discourse analytical approach, it is possible to evaluate people through their expressed ideas15, thus Laclos applies to the characters’ letters to uncover people’s essence and reveal his own vision on both males and females. According to Laclos, a French woman is greatly controlled by a social machine that allows men to take possession over women. As Turnell states, â€Å"The role of the female is to be ‘defeated’ by the predatory male†¦ Yet the defeated woman is not so much victim as an accomplice†16. In other words, as a woman marries a man and is defeated by him, she becomes a part of him, because â €Å"the engagement does not end in ‘victory’ for one party and ‘defeat’ for the other. It is a combination of the two, victory-and-defeat†17. However, in the case of Mme de Merteuil, the situation is quite different, because this female character is not â€Å"restrained by any inhibition, by any feeling of guilt or shame†18. Letter 81 reveals Mme de Merteuil’s personal explanation of her behaviour and actions. In particular, Mme de Merteuil points out that she greatly differs from other females of her social class, as she possesses strong principles that are not based on some established rules, but instead are created by her in the process of deep reflection. Even the first sexual intercourse of this character with her husband is regarded by her as the possibility to experience both pain and pleasure, to explore something new and utilise new experience for her own benefits. In this letter Mme de Merteuil puts herself in a superior position over others, even over politicians, and reveals that she is able to get pleasure from various things, not only from love. On the contrary, she eliminates love, because it p revents her from intrigues. As the feminist approach reveals, such behaviour of a woman is understandable, because under constant social oppression from the side of men, some females begin to act similar to men, acquiring male features and rejecting excessive emotionality19. In this regard, Laclos’ novel differs from the novels of the seventeenth century, as Turnell puts it, â€Å"there is no interior conflict in the minds of Laclos’ two principal characters because the elements of conflict – love as well as duty – have been removed†20. Instead, the writer introduces an exterior conflict between Mme de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, that is, the conflict between a male and female that uncovers the emancipatory subtext of the narration. Demonstrating the relations between two opposite sexes, Laclos reveals not the tensions between individuals, but the conflicts that emerge when old stereotypes collide with the attempts to oppose to this social system. Laclos divides his characters into two parties: on the one side, there are Mme de Volanges and Cà ©cile de Volanges with their traditional moral values, but, on the other side, there are Valmont and Mme de Merteuil who oppose to any conventions and involve other peop le into their intrigues. On the basis of this division Laclos reflects three kinds of relations. Mme de Merteuil and Valmont are engaged in the relations that are characteristic for the eighteenth century, that is, they eliminate any emotions, proving that sexual pleasure doesn’t depend on desires and feelings. The relations between the Chevalier de Dancery and Cà ©cile de Volanges are of different nature, they are based on sentimental emotions. The relations between Mme de Merteuil and Dancery, Valmont and Cà ©cile, Valmont and the Prà ©sidente reflect the wish of Valmont and Mme de Merteuil to take revenge on their enemies, but, on the other hand, they reflect their desire â€Å"to get at conventional morality†21. They involve such young and naà ¯ve girl as Cà ©cile into their intrigues, fully ignoring the feelings of this female. Cà ©cile who is regarded as a child by everyone around her feels uncertainty and fear, when she starts to interact with other members of society. She is a beautiful female, but she lacks both intellect and free will, and her princ iples reflect the social norms that existed in France in the eighteenth century. Thus, Cà ©cile de Volanges is a stereotypic female, a product of French society that regards her as a toy; such characters may be easily involved in any intrigues and be destroyed. As Cà ©cile claims to her friend, â€Å"What made me most uneasy was that I did not know what they thought about me. I think I heard two or three times the word ‘pretty’, but I very distinctly heard ‘awkward’22. According to the feminist approach, such behaviour of a woman is a direct result of female subjugation that develops weakness and excessive emotionality in her23. As a result of this constant subordination, Cà ©cile greatly depends on social opinion, but Mme de Merteuil doesn’t want to understand the weakness of Cà ©cile, instead she utilises this naivety for her own benefits. The same regards Mme de Volanges, a mother of Cecile; pretending to be her close friend, Mme de Merteuil assigns a certain role for Mme de Volanges. But, adhering to traditional morality, Mme de Volanges decides to tell the truth about Valmont to the Prà ©sidente, thus â€Å"play[ing] the Male game in leading the anti-Merteuil party†24. But Laclos reveals that new morality of Mme de Merteuil is based on evil and thus, results in many negative consequences. Substituting one morality for another, Mme de Merteuil wants to prove her freedom and her superiority over other people. However, in this sex battle Mme de Merteuil destroys herself. Although this female character manages to convey her emancipatory behaviour, Laclos shows that wrong upbringing and poor education of Mme de Merteuil deprive her of the possibility to utilise her intelligence for better things than revenge. On the other hand, the writer introduces such female characters as Mme de Rosamonde and the Prà ©sidente de Tourvel who embody true virtue in contrast to both traditional virtue and the virtue of Mme de Merteuil. As a result, Mme de Merteuil realises that these female characters, especially the Prà ©sidente, are dangerous for her. The Prà ©sidente is not only a sincere woman, but she also has a great impact on Valmont, making him â€Å"forget his famous principles†25. Mme de Merteuil understands that the Prà ©sidente is a threat to her relations with Valmont and her intrigues, thus she makes Valmont eliminate this female, simultaneously eliminating true virtue. Mme de Merteui l exceeds Valmont and other characters of the narration, because she possesses powerful intelligence and inexorability. She stresses on the fact that by the time she was fifteen, she had more talents than any politician; such viewpoint is â€Å"the measure of her powers and of her tragedy†26. Contrary to Mme de Merteuil, Valmont embodies a weakness, because he possesses sentimentality that brings him to destruction. The eighteenth-century was preoccupied with the principles of rationalism that rejected any display of sentimentality. Mme de Merteuil manages to get rid of this sentimental shortcoming, while Valmont preserves it, although he doesn’t want to admit this truth. As a result, Mme de Merteuil constantly criticises Valmont, considering that the opposite sex has no virtues and abilities. Mme de Merteuil is superior to Valmont, because she has an unusual gift for understanding inner worlds of other people, while Valmont’s ‘principles’ do not allow him to develop a deep insight of the world and people around him. Mme de Merteuil and Valmont are engaged in the struggle against each other, reflecting their desires to achieve dominance. In this struggle love and hatred coexist together, revealing the essence of relations between men and women i n eighteenth century France. When Mme de Merteuil involves Valmont into her intrigues and makes him establish relations with other women, she still wants to possess Valmont; she doesn’t want to admit that another female may substitute her. As Fellows and Razack puts it, â€Å"Women challenged about their domination by calling attention to their own subordination†¦ If a woman is subordinate herself, she cannot then be implicated in the subordination of others†27. However, this is not the case with Mme de Merteuil who rejects subordination of men over her, but is involved in subordination of both males and females. Comparing herself with Dalila, Mme de Merteuil reveals that as â€Å"for the man each conquest is a victory for his sex; for the woman it is equally a victory for hers, because in allowing herself to be seduced, she dominates the male and deprives him of his strength†28. Mme de Merteuil considers that in the process of seduction both sexes achieve victory, but males fail to rea lise that women change them into slaves. Such female viewpoint reflects the core of the emancipatory subtext of the novel, but simultaneously it uncovers the conflict between sexes. According to Jean Giraudoux, â€Å"the battle begins the moment that each sex regards the other as its accomplice†29. As Valmont starts to compare Mme de Merteuil with other females, with the whole female sex, she starts to experience hatred and anger towards her former lover, aggravating the tensions between them. Valmont’s death is the end of this sex battle, and, by killing Valmont, the representative of the male sex, Laclos reveals females’ superiority, proving that a woman may be more intelligent than a man. On the other hand, the writer reduces Mme de Merteuil’s victory by depriving this female character of all things that are valuable to her, especially appearance and reputation. Such failure can be explained by the fact that, despite her intelligence and power, Mme de Merteuil remains a weak woman because of her jealousy and wish to dominate over other members of society. This character doesn’t want to accept the victory of the opposite sex, because in this case she will be forced to admit her own weakness. But in her pursuit to prove her superior position, Mme de Merteuil destroys not only her lover, but she also ruins her own life. According to Turnell, â€Å"Laclos’ theme is the tragedy of the Rational Man, the man who was carefully conditioned through the removal of all moral scruples and the sense of guilt†30. This is true in regard to Mme de Merteuil who maintains the principles of rational thinking and eliminates any display of sentimentality from her relations with people in order to prove her own superiority over others. However, she masterfully utilises her own sexuality to manipulate men and make them act as she wishes. According to the social constructionist approach, such sexual behaviour of a woman is developed by society, in which she lives; it is not an inherent feature, but rather a direct consequence of social pressure31. Laclos doesn’t state that a female is unable to experience pleasure; on the contrary, the writer reveals female ability for sexual desires. He presents a woman as an active partner in sexual relations, but he also considers that sexuality may destroy a woma n, if she allows sexuality to take control over her life and interfere with love, as is just the case with Mme de Tourvel. As for Mme de Merteuil, her sexuality also destroys her, because she hopes to prove her superiority with the help of sex, but finally she appears to be trapped in self-delusion. Mme de Merteuil’s attempt to achieve an equal position with males is rather courageous and feminist, but she chooses a wrong approach for attaining her goal. This female character rises against individual people, failing to realise that it is the existing social system that should be transformed. Destroying some persons, Mme de Merteuil doesn’t eliminate the system that puts women into inferior positions. On the other hand, Laclos reveals that Mme de Merteuil is a true libertine. She fails to succeed at the end of the narration, but her way of life demonstrates the greatness of this female. She lives in patriarchal world, where women are prohibited any freedom, but she manages to overcome these stereotypes and act in accordance with her desires. Mme de Merteuil ignores morality of French society , creating her own morality and trying to eliminate all powerful emotions. She experiences pleasure when she demonstrates her superiority over others and she easily manipulates men with the help of her sexuality and intelligence. Such behaviour is unusual for a woman of the eighteenth century, but, creating such female character as Mme de Merteuil, Laclos wants to prove that in reality there is no difference between a man and a woman. In fact, Mme de Merteuil is similar to Valmont, and even superior to him, as the writer reveals in the denouement. Valmont might achieve success in politics or in any other field, but instead he is involved in intrigues. In his relations with women Valmont plays a role of a noble man, deceiving both Cà ©cile de Volanges, when he claims that â€Å"I detest everything that savours of deception: that, in brief, is my character†32, and the Prà ©sidente de Tourvel, when he asks her â€Å"who was ever more respectful and more submissive than I?†33 In his relations with the Prà ©sidente he seeks to subjugate her and destroy her true virtues. Valmont feels admiration for this female and he considers her as â€Å"the enemy worthy of me†34. But, similar to Mme de M erteuil, the Prà ©sidente de Tourvel appears superior to Valmont. His seduction of the Prà ©sidente de Tourvel gradually is transformed into love, because he is strongly affected by her kind heart. As Valmont claims, â€Å"I left her arms only to fall at her feet and swear eternal love; and to tell the whole truth, I meant what I said†35. Valmont falls in love for the first time, but Mme de Merteuil makes him destroy the Prà ©sidente de Tourvel. When Valmont makes an attempt to return her, Mme de Merteuil forbids him to do so, stating that â€Å"It would suit you very well to take the credit for breaking with her without loosing the pleasure of enjoying her†36. These words reveal the negative aspect of Libertinage; although Valmont rises against social morality, society continues to influence him and shape his behaviour. Maintaining the principles of Libertinage, he is not able to act against these principles, thus Valmont’s freedom appears to be a delusion, because he simply changes one rules for other norms. The same regards the principal female character of the novel Mme de Merteuil who is also trapped in her principles and new morality that finally bring her to destruction. Despite their close relations with each other, Mme de Merteuil prefers to destroy Valmont and his love to the Prà ©sidente de Tourvel, and Valmont destroys Mme de Merteuil as a revenge. In this regard, Laclos creates two powerful female characters in his novel Mme de Merteuil and the Prà ©sidente de Tourvel, through which he uncovers his emancipatory subtext; however, the writer, drawing a parallel between these women, reveals their differences. Mme de Merteuil is a woman who uses her sexuality and intelligence to transform men into â€Å"the toy of my caprices, or my fantasies†37, as she claims in Letter 81. Mme de Merteuil directs her principles and education towards the only purpose to â€Å"avenge my sex and to dominate yours†38. Love can’t bring happiness to this woman, as she deprives herself of any emotions. Mme de Merteuil mocks at those females â€Å"who cannot see their future enemy in their present lover†39, reducing the relations between a male and woman to a simple sex battle. As Mme de Merteuil considers herself superior to others, she doesn’t admit any equality between two opposite sexes, that’s why she clai ms that â€Å"no one should be further from my confidence than my husband†40. She doesn’t want to love a man, instead she wants to control him. Mme de Merteuil deprives herself of any passion and she believes that such ability to suppress powerful feelings makes her better than other women. But Laclos reveals that such viewpoint is wrong by contrasting Mme de Merteuil with the Prà ©sidente de Tourvel who possesses those virtues that Mme de Merteuil lacks. From the beginning of Valmont’s relations with the Prà ©sidente de Tourvel, she realises that this woman has something that allows her to attract men, and thus Mme de Merteuil tries to depreciate the virtues of the Prà ©sidente de Tourvel. Mme de Merteuil calls her â€Å"a poor creature†41 that is obsessed with her religion. However, Mme

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens :: Great Expectations Essays

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Coursework Question: In the extract where Pip, a boy from a very humble background meets Miss Havisham, a rich but eccentric lady dickens wants the reader to feel sympathetic towards Pip. How does he make us feel this way? In this assignment, I will analyse, discuss and comment on the techniques Charles Dickens (Dickens) uses as a writer to gain sympathy for the main character Pip. I will look closely at setting, language, characterisation, the opening and closing of the extract. I will also quote ideas and phrases from the text to help me analyse and explain. Pip, the main character, is a lonely orphaned child. He lives with his sister and her husband the blacksmith. We know that Pip’s family is poor because they live of a blacksmith wages, not very much. The novel is set in the Victorian era where social status played a major role in daily life; we see this in the novel. Pip’s sister brought him up by ‘hand’ and finds he is a burden on her. Dickens chose to make the main character, Pip, lonely and poor to gain our sympathy. This novel is written in the voice first person, as if it were Pip telling the story. Dickens wrote this novel from Pip’s point of view. Pip is telling us the story when he is much older, as if he were thinking back to when he was a child. The fact that Dickens chose to make Pip, the main character, the narrator instead of another character creates a bond between Pip and us, the readers. In this extract Pip is sent by Mr Pumblechook, a distant relative, to see Miss Havisham (Havisham). Mr Pumblechook is not of higher class, but mingles well with them. Mr Pumblechook believes Havisham will take to Pip like she took to Estella, which would secure Pip’s future. Although another reason is that Pips sister finds he is a burden on her and wouldn’t mind getting rid of him. Pip is warned to behave, as Havisham is of higher social class and his sister doesn’t want him to ruin his chances. When Pip enters Havisham’s house we have hope for Pip that Havisham will take to him like she did to Estella. Havisham, as she is of higher, lives in a more lavish house than Pip. Dickens uses the setting to gain sympathy and to keep us interested. Pip enters a large room, he very observant. For example he mentions, ‘pretty large room, well lighted with wax candles.’ The description creates a mental image in our minds of where he is, immediately we

Clockwork Orange :: essays papers

Clockwork Orange The freedom of choice and the rehabilitating form of corrections encase the realm of A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. It produces the question about man's free will and the ability to choose one's destiny, good or evil. "If he can only perform good or only perform evil, then he is a clockwork orange-meaning that he has the appearance of an organism lovely with colour and juice but is in fact only a clockwork toy to be wound up by God or the Devil or State". Burgess expresses the idea that man can not be completely good or evil and must have both in order to create a moral choice. The book deals upon reforming a criminal with only good morals and conditioning an automated response to "evil." Burgess enforces the idea of the medical model of corrections, in terms of rehabilitating an offender, which is up to the individual. That one should determine the cause and then find an exclusive treatment to resolve that individual's case, then apply it. This is the case with the character Alex, a juvenile delinquent introduced into prisonization then conditioned by governmental moral standards. This lack of personal moral choice imposed upon Alex creates conflicting situations in which he has no control over. This is apparent when trying to readjust into society. As conflicts arise within the spectrum of criminal justice the main focus is revolved around the corrections aspect of reforming the criminal element. Within the confines of the seventies Londoner. The character, Alex is created as the ultimate juvenile delinquent leading a small gang. Living within his own world the use of old Londoner language and attire reflect the non-conformity with society. Let loose within a large metropolitan, Alex is engulfed in the affairs of several criminal practices, from rape to aggravated assault. As a juvenile delinquent, Alex is finally caught and seen as an adult offender. Like all offenders he promotes his innocence and sets blame upon his companions. "Where are the others? Where are my stinking traitorous droogs? One of my cursed grahzny bratties chained me on the glazzies. Get them before they get away. It was their idea, brothers. They like forced me to do it". Betrayed by his cohorts Alex is beaten by local officials and confesses to all the crimes. As a point to retribution a sergeant states, "Violence makes violence" and proceeds to through Alex back into the cell.

Essay Invisible Hand Essay

The invisible hand is a metaphor coined by the economist Adam Smith. Once in â€Å"The Wealth of Nations† and other writings, Smith demonstrated that, in a free market, an individual pursuing his own self-interest tends to also promote the good of his community as a whole through a principle that he called â€Å"the invisible hand†. He argued that each individual maximizing revenue for himself maximizes the total revenue of society as a whole, as this is identical with the sum total of individual revenues. Smith used the term ‘invisible hand’ only three times, but the metaphor later gained widespread use Several new interpretations of Adam Smith’s invisible hand have recently been published in leading general-interest economic journals. These interpretations attempt to bring Smith forward in time, to make him more modern, and to fashion him in the image of the modern welfare theorist. Here we go back in time and find the source for both of Smith’s economic applications of the invisible hand in Richard Cantillon’s model of the isolated estate. With this connection established, we know what Smith read and dubbed the invisible hand. Introduction We now know a great deal about the intricacies and details of Adam Smith’s life and economics. Scholars have, for example, poured over his views on the organization of religion, his views of the corporation, and even his tenure as a tax collector, and have established definite conclusions. In contrast, Smith’s most famous concept—â€Å"the invisible hand†Ã¢â‚¬â€has in recent years been placed in an intellectual quagmire as a result of a surprising resurgence of interest in the meaning of the concept. Several new interpretations of the concept have been published in the leading general-interest economic journals, as well as those that specialize in the history of economic thought. This widespread effort to discover the â€Å"true† meaning of the invisible hand appears to have muddied the conceptual waters almost beyond recognition. There are now at least a dozen different versions of the invisible hand ranging from the more traditional interpretations to those which attach the phrase to such things as slavery and national defense. Smith’s invisible hand now suffers from multiple-conception disorder and the lack of an acceptable definition could render Smith’s concept scientifically useless. The opening quote from Khalil represents one of the few sensible modern interpretations of Smith (the process theorist) because it shows both how far modern interpreters have gone astray—painting Smith forward in time as a modern neoclassical welfare (end state) theorist, and why there is so much confusion—Smith’s three different uses of the phrase. To resolve the mystery of the meaning of the invisible hand, I would like to go backward in time and show that Smith discovered the general conceptual framework for the invisible hand in Richard Cantillon’s Essai sur la Nature du Commerce en General (hereafter, Essai). Cantillon’s model of the isolated estate represents a revolutionary breakthrough in economic theory and both of Smith’s economic applications of the invisible hand—which hitherto have been understood to be disconnected—can be found in it. This linkage between Smith and Cantillon permits us to describe the invisible hand as the processes that constitute price theory, competition, and distribution. First, however i will briefly describe the heated debate in the general-interest journals over the meaning of the invisible hand and then present the broader connections that scholars have made between Cantillon and Smith. Part I Understood as a metaphor Smith uses the metaphor in the context of an argument against protectionism and government regulation of markets, but it is based on very broad principles developed by Bernard Mandeville, Bishop Butler, Lord Shaftesbury, and Francis Hutcheson. In general, the term â€Å"invisible hand† can apply to any individual action that has unplanned, unintended consequences, particularly those which arise from actions not orchestrated by a central command and which have an observable, patterned effect on the community. Bernard Mandeville argued that private vices are actually public benefits. In â€Å"The Fable of the Bees† (1714), he laments that the â€Å"bees of social virtue are buzzing in Man’s bonnet†: that civilized man has stigmatized his private appetites and the result is the retardation of the common good. Bishop Butler argued that pursuing the public good was the best way of advancing one’s own good since the two were necessarily identical. Lord Shaftesbury turned the convergence of public and private good around, claiming that acting in accordance with one’s self-interest will produce socially beneficial results. An underlying unifying force that Shaftesbury called the â€Å"Will of Nature† maintains equilibrium, congruency, and harmony. This force, if it is to operate freely, requires the individual pursuit of rational self-interest, and the preservation and advancement of the self. Francis Hutcheson also accepted this convergence between public and private interest, but he attributed the mechanism, not to rational self-interest, but to personal intuition, which he called a â€Å"moral sense. † Smith developed his own version of this general principle in which six psychological motives combine in each individual to produce the common good. In â€Å"The Theory of Moral Sentiments†, vol. II, page 316, he says, â€Å"â€Å"By acting according to the dictates of our moral faculties, we necessarily pursue the most effective means for promoting the happiness of mankind. †Ã¢â‚¬  Contrary to common misconceptions, Smith did not assert that all self-interested labour necessarily benefits society, or that all public goods are produced through self-interested labour. His proposal is merely that in a free market, people â€Å"usually† tend to produce goods desired by their neighbours. The tragedy of the commons is an example where self-interest tends to bring an unwanted result. Moreover, a free market arguably provides numerous opportunities for maximizing one’s own profit at the expense (rather than for the benefit) of others. The tobacco industry is often cited as an example of this: the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products certainly brings a very good revenue, but the industry’s critics deny that the social benefits (the pleasures associated with smoking, the camaraderie, the feeling of doing something â€Å"cool†) can possibly outbalance the social costs. Part II Economists’ Interpretation of The Wealth of Nations quote The concept of the Invisible Hand is nearly always generalized beyond Smith’s original discussion of domestic versus foreign trade. Smith himself participated in such generalization, as is already evident in his allusion to â€Å"many other cases†, quoted above. Notice that the invisible hand is here considered a natural inclination, not yet a social mechanism as it was later classified by Leon Walras and Vilfredo Pareto. Many economists claim that the theory of the Invisible Hand states that if each consumer is allowed to choose freely what to buy and each producer is allowed to choose freely what to sell and how to produce it, the market will settle on a product distribution and prices that are beneficial to the all individual members of a community, and hence to the community as a whole. The reason for this is that greed will drive actors to beneficial behavior. Efficient methods of production will be adopted in order to maximize profits. Low prices will be charged in order to undercut competitors. Investors will invest in those industries that are most urgently needed to maximize returns, and withdraw capital from those that are less efficient in creating value. Students will be guided to prepare for the most needed (and therefore most remunerative) careers. And all these effects will take place dynamically and automatically. It also works as a balancing mechanism. For example, the inhabitants of a poor country will be willing to work very cheaply. Entrepreneurs can make great profits by building factories in poor countries. But since they increase the demand for labor, they will increase its price. And since the new producers will also become consumers, local businesses will have to hire more people in order to provide for them the things that they want to consume. As this process continues, the labor prices will eventually rise to the point at which there is no advantage for the foreign countries doing business in the formerly poor country. Overall, this mechanism will cause the local economy to function on its own. In The Wealth of Nations Smith provides a metaphor that illustrates the simplicity of the principle: It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our necessities but of their advantages. Nobody but a beggar chooses to depend chiefly upon the benevolence of their fellow-citizens. Part III Examples and arguments A very simple real world example of how the invisible hand is supposed to ork is the queue for a supermarket checkout. Each customer getting in line selfishly chooses to maximize his own interest, that is to checkout in the shortest time, regardless of the other customers. Their utility maximizing choice is to get in queue in the shortest line, this means that eventually customers queue up in lines all of the same length. Therefore even without the slightest direction and by following only their selfishness, the lines are all of the same length, which is clearly the most efficient disposition. (This examples also illustrates the ties between economics and game theory. Note that to reap these benefits, the market should at least exist — in the total absence of regulation, if people were allowed to cut the queue, the result of selfish pursuit of interests would be a crowded mess. Also, as this example also illustrates, economists have a particular understanding of efficiency. If a woman in the supermarket seeking to checkout is pregnant, carrying a crying child who is diabetic and who needs to eat dinner in the shortest amount of time possible, then it may be more efficient to allow her to jump the queue. Since Smith’s time, the principle of the invisible hand has been further incorporated into economic theory. Leon Walras developed a four equation general equilibrium model which concludes that individual self-interest operating in a competitive market place produces the unique conditions under which a society’s total utility is maximized. Vilfredo Pareto used an edgeworth box contact line to illustrate a similar social optimality. Ludwig von Mises, in Human Action, claims that Smith believed that the invisible hand was that of God. He did not mean this as a criticism, since he held that secular reasoning leads to similar conclusions. The invisible hand is traditionally understood as a concept in economics, but Robert Nozick argues in Anarchy, State and Utopia that substantively the same concept exists in a number of other areas of academic discourse under different names, notably Darwinian natural selection. In turn, Daniel Dennett has argued in Darwin’s Dangerous Idea that this represents a â€Å"universal acid† which may be applied to a number of seemingly disparate areas of philosophical enquiry (consciousness and free will in particular).

Raising Minimum Wage Essay

Corona English 1B 04/11/13 I want to start off by telling you a little bit about Ms. Criswell she works full time, with no benefits, and she hasn’t had a raise in three years. After taxes, she brings home $1,030 a month – enough, if she’s careful, to meet her expenses, with little wiggle room. â€Å"What I feel,† she says, â€Å"is anxiety. I felt it just this morning. It’s constantly in the back of my mind: ‘Am I going to have enough to pay the bills? ‘† She grows what food she can and buys items that can be stretched out to multiple meals. To live with the concern of whether or not she will be able to keep her home and feed herself shouldn’t be an issue for anyone. They are programs to help starving children in foreign countries then maybe the government should stop and look at whats happening in America. We cant say Ms. Criswell is lazy and doesn’t want to work, so how else can she bring home more income if she is limited to what is available. If minimum wage was to be increased, this would allow people to bring home more income and there are concerns and I will address them in the following. According to minimum-wage. rg, a full time minimum wage worker in California working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, will earn $64. 00 per day, $320. 00 per week, and $16,640. 00 per year. The national poverty line for a family unit consisting of two people is $14,570 per year. This doesn’t give much room for emergencies or health complications or even extra money to put away in a savings account, most fami lies live paycheck to paycheck. With rising gas prices and rent, theres no doubt that a bigger pay check can substancially lower the risk of going bank rupt or putting the health and well being of your child in danger. Cost of living has risen since the last time minimum wage was raised and therefore calls for a raise in the near future. I agree on raising minimum wage for a few reasons. Big corporations are making an enormous amount of money, they should be able to compensate their employees at a decent rate. In California, the minimum wage is considered $8. 00 an hour but is not limited to paying a new employee under 20 a minimum wage of $4. 25 for the first 90 days, or paying a full-time high school or college students working part time to be paid $6. 80 an hour. This is completely legal and it is to the discretion of the employer to determine the final wage. With companies are making thousands of dollars you would think they would be able to compensate their employees at a higher wage. If companies could increase an employee’s salary, that means the employee can take home a bigger check which can turn out to be a good thing. Now more money is coming in, the more they can spend on items that will in return create more jobs to supply the increase of demanded items. Now, I know â€Å"more money means more spending† may seem like a bad thing Cost of living is an issue when the ideal living situation isn’t customized to every family More money coming into the house hold can mean money spent on items and in favor create more jobs to meet the demand. Those who oppose an increase to the minimum wage, however, argue that the effects on employment rates would be exactly the opposite of those supporters expect. A higher minimum wage, would be too heavy a burden on employers. We can see this being an issue with small business owners and those employers, in turn, would be unable to hire as many people. I understand that small business will have an issue hiring more people if the minimum wage is raised but on the other hand raising minimum wage will motivate people to go out and provide for themselves thus lowering unemployment rates. If minimum wage is applied inconsistently then it does seem unfair to a person living in a different state with a much lower minimum wage, but we also have to give account to the cost of living in that particular state. Rent, food, bills, etc. , maybe be higher or depending on what state the person resides

Cardiac Arrest

Sudden cardiac death happens more these days. There are so many people alone in the United States who just stops breathing with no heart disease involved. So why did their heart stop? There are so many researchers out there trying to figure out the underlying cause of these people who this happen to. There can be other reason why a person’s heart can stop without having a cardiac disease. A person’s body may store minerals that control the arrhythmia of the heart to act a different way. An example would be like too much potassium stored in ones body can actually stop the heart. This usually will happen more frequent in patients who receive dialysis on a regular basis; they depend on that to excrete fluids from the kidneys. There could be other health issues that could cause your heart to beat differently or to cause other underlying issues to put your heart in more stress. Some of these health issues would be diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases and hypertension. These can be fatal to ones heart if not taken care of properly. In the article, â€Å"Sudden cardiac arrest without overt heart disease† it actually talks about an investigation on a survivor from cardiac arrest. In this investigation Dr. Modi and Dr. Krahn do some testing and get some family background information. First they found out that through this survivor their family history was not cardiac related at all. They ran a test called baseline electrolyte and metabolic testing to look at the cardiac electricity. This is to see if was related to the cardiac arrest. Coronary imaging was another test the doctors ran and didn’t show any abnormalities. Usually this type of test is to see if the patient has any coronary artery disease especially the ones with previous symptoms of shortness of breath or chest pain. Echocardiography is to detect congenital heart defects and checks for cardiomyopathy. This is usually performed in a cath lab and watched very closely. They look at all the ventricles of the heart as well. A stress test is used to see how well your heart does under stress. You are hooked up to ecg machine and it looks at your QT waves. This is a very popular test that is runned for patients with previous cardiac symptoms. There is also a more advanced imaging test they can run which is a MRI. This is more detailed when it comes to detecting things like an infection of the heart called myocarditis. The last test that was taken was a 12 lead EKG. This is a simple and fast test. This can see if a patient has tachycardia (fast heartbeat), Atrial fibrillation, Bradycardia (slow heartbeat), PVCs(Premature ventricular contractions) and other arrhythmia issues. Sometimes the EKG doesn’t catch it because it literally is a 5 second test. The other way is to wear a heart monitor that you can wear from 20-30 days. This is a sure way to find out if there is an issue. There has been an instance where a patient has a normal sinus rhythm at the doctors office and then wears a heart monitor will find something on it. It can be quite scary! Luckily they have medicine for lots of these cardiac issues. Medicines can vary from beta blockers to cholesterol pills to take on a daily basis. The beta blockers are simply to regulate blood pressure and heart rate; and cholesterol pills that help lowers it to keep from the arteries to get filled with plaque which can later cause a heart attack. Sometimes with these medications there are risks that can happen with all the side effects. Some people never have side effects and others do. The only way to help that is to typically have surgery or if it’s not bad enough just live your life. Unfortunately you can’t control everything but just be cautious. Finally with all the tests and medications out there to help diagnose why this person had a sudden cardiac arrest there is more testing that needs to be performed to get more answers. The doctors are considering doing genetic testing . They believe this might help with future cardiac arrests don’t to happen. Although there are many tests that were talked about like MRI, stress tests, EKG, Cath lab procedures and even medicines can’t control what might happen to anyone. With all this technology we can only do so much and protect only what we know. Hopefully with more research there will be a better outcome.