Abortion Persuasive Essay Essay

Despite abortion being a highly controversial and divisive public policy issue, medical abortion is a highly feasible and healthy alternative to other, illicit abortion procedures and the availability of medical abortion should, consequently, be maximized rather than restricted. The reality is that for most women who are seeking ways to end their pregnancy a legal and safe medical abortion is just one of several options that such women are willing to go through. Without a viable and safe option for women seeking ways to end their pregnancy, many more women will engage in risky pregnancy ending behaviors, such as self-induced, non-medical, and illegal abortions. Minimizing the access to abortion services has been a policy goal of conservatives for some time, while the left has sought to increase access to medical abortion services. This debate is framed by several Supreme Court rulings, most notably the Casey v. Carhart case which affirmed women’s right to abortion, limiting th e restrictions that states can put on abortion clinics but leaving ambiguous exactly what restrictions are allowed. While states and local municipalities are not allowed to outlaw abortion clinics, they still enact and enforce severe restrictions on abortion clinics and abortion services. This creates a de facto ban on abortion in many states, particularly red states. The problem addressed in this project is the potential for severe costs of severely limiting the availability of and access to abortion services for mother seeking to end their pregnancies. Relying heavily on recent empirical studies on the health outcomes of mothers after abortions, this project begins by examining the safety, both physical and psychological, of abortions for mothers. Next, this project examines the legal issues that frame the public policy abortion debate, with a particular focus on the Casey v. Carhart case. Finally, this project presents recent findings from various organizations on the prevalence of abortions around the world and, in particular, the United States. The most important finding presented here is that abortion rates tend to remain steady regardless of whether there are several restrictions on abortions, which suggests that women who seek abortions are willing to engage in illegal and unsafe abortion procedures when no legal options are available. Because of this fact and other findings presented below, legal abortion services should be made widely available to populations across the United States. While most public policy debates on abortion focus on the  distinction between persons and non-persons, as well as the point in which a fetus is considered a person, there is considerable debate over the health outcomes of women who go through abortions. Much of the research relevant to the abortion issue focuses on the physical health outcomes of women. Creinin and Danielsson investigate recent evidence on the physical health outcomes in women after they go through abortions. This article discusses many studies concerning medically induced abortion that occur very early in pregnancies. The researchers draw conclusions about trends found in the studies and the empirical data produced by such studies. The researchers here find that medical abortions are becoming safer (121). That is, while at one point medical abortions were potential quite dangerous for women, today, evidence suggests that they are quite safe for the physical health of the women. In fact, the rate of incident is lower than most invasive procedures, the research suggests, which supports the notion that legal medical abortions are substantially safer than other ways that women seek to end their pregnancies. Only studies on legal abortions were featured in this review. While there is no empirical evidence on the safety of illegal abortions performed on women, it would seem that they are unlikely to be nearly as safe as legal medical abortions. The physical health of a woman after receiving an abortion is, of course, a very important factor in determining whether medical abortion practices area safe. However, with much more attention being paid to mental health of individuals and the importance of mental health in living a healthy and meaningful life, it is important to examine research findings on the specific mental health effects of abortion on women. In a systematic review of literature on the long-term mental health outcomes of women Charles et al. analyzes, compares, and discovers tends in the data from more than twenty studies on the long-term mental health outcomes of women who have medical and legal abortions (442). This literature review focuses very heavily on the long-term psychological health of such women and assesses the quality of the findings from each study, on a scale that extends from very poor to excellent in quality. Charles et al. effectively scan the relevant literature from 2000 to 2008 on the menta l health outcomes of women after medical abortions to find the most relevant findings. This literature review finds that most higher quality studies found almost no significant differences in the mental health outcomes of  women who have had abortions performed and those who have not. Additionally, while the studies that were much poorer in quality than the aforementioned studies more than half of the time produced findings that suggested that women who have had an abortion in their life times have significantly worse mental health outcomes. Thus, there may be two sorts of data being presented in public policy debate on abortion: data that suggests that women do not suffer negative long-term mental health consequences of abortion and data that suggests otherwise. The objective Charles et al. literature review, however, strongly supports the latter findings, suggesting that, in fact, there is support against the notion that medical abortions lead to long-term negative mental health outcomes in women. While the systematic literature review of the available data on the psychological health of women after abortions is highly useful in any attempts to determine the risks associated with legal abortions, there is a need for the presentation of much more recent research findings on this issue. Munk-Olsen et al. report the results of a study on the risks of mental disorders and threats to psychological health in women who have gone through induced abortions during their first trimesters. The results of this study are very recent and help to shed light on exactly how safe medical abortions have become. Also, the findings presented in this study have been compared to the results of other studies performed at a similar time to this study, making for more meaningful and significant results. The results of this study indicate that there is no significant difference between the prevalence of mental disorders in women who have had at least one abortion and those who have not (336). Additionally, the results of this study showed that the participants who had gone through abortions were not in significantly different mental health conditions than the participants who had not gone through abortions (336). The findings form this study lend strong support for the notion that access to abortion clinics should be maximized. One notable problem in public policy debates it the availability of data on the frequency of abortions, both legal and illegal, performed in the United States. Jones et al. presents findings about the frequency of abortions in the United States, as well as the availability of abortion services across the United States. The researchers found that in general access to legal abortion services was quite low, despite the Supreme Court ruling that women have a constitutional  right to an abortion (11). However, the authors note that all of the available data for the report did not include any data on unreported abortions, which, presumably, mostly includes illegal abortions. There is a problem emerging in regard to the availability of data on legal abortions and illegal abortions. The problem is that there is a wealth of data available on the prevalence and health outcomes of legal abortions, while there is virtually no meaningful data on illegal abortions. This is, of course, due to the fact of the illegality of such abortions. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to measure the potential harms committed in illegal abortions when not enough data is available. Additionally, comparing legal to illegal abortions and their respective maternal health outcomes is quite challenging given the differences in the availability of data. Even so, there are several assumptions that can help draw sound conclusions based on these research findings. One assumption is that legal abortion procedures tend to be safer than illegal abortion procedures. The rationale behind this assumption is that there is a greater likelihood that legal abortion procedures are performed by trained medical professionals who are qualified for such procedures. For illegal abortion procedures, neither the proper training nor the proper credentials are required. Additionally, illegal abortion procedures include self-initiated abort procedures, which are, of course, not performed by medical professionals. Another sound assumption is that as the availability of and access to legal medical abortion procedures decreases, the number of illegal and unsafe abortion procedures increases. This is because many women choose to have abortions whether legal or illegal. Easy access to a safe and legal abortion clinic is likely more preferable for most women seeking abortions. Thus, when such women do not have access to a safe and legal abortion clinic, many will still choose to have an abortion, but under much less safe conditions. Pazol et al. present a report on the prevalence of abortions in the United States. This report features a number of surveillance summaries on abortions performed. The data used to construct such summaries is provided by the Center for Disease Control. The data is compiled and then analyzed, leading to a number of summative statistics concerning the rates of abortion in the United States. The number of reported abortions is among the leading statistic in this report, as is the abortion rate by age groups and several historical data  trends. This report indicates that the number of performed abortions in the United States increased from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s (Pazol et al. 27). However, more recently, the data suggest that reported abortion numbers have fallen, as have abortion rates in the United States. The report finds that access to abortion in many parts of the country has decreased, which may help to explain why the number of reported abortions has decreased (Pazol et al. 29). The findings from this study do not include findings of unreported or ille gal abortions. Nevertheless, the findings from this study are consistent with previous findings and follow the path that the legal framework for abortion and abortion restriction policies appears to have taken with recent Supreme Court rulings. Once of the most important Supreme Court cases concerning state restrictions on abortion is the Casey v. Carhart case. The law professor Reva Siegel wrote a law review article on the Casey v. Carhart case. The ruling by the Supreme Court in this case is that states are not allowed to severely restrict women’s access to abortion services (Siegel 1724). Doing so is a violation of women’s right to an abortion, according to the Court. This ruling affirms prior rulings that have stated that states may not prohibit abortion and may not make it so difficult for a woman to get an abortion that the states have de facto banned abortion (Siegel 1729). Despite this very important ruling from the Supreme Court, states are, in many ways, still allowed to severely restrict access to abortion clinics to the point where most women seeking abortion in a state will be more likely to choose to either not have an abortion or have an illegal abortion. This is because the Supreme Court ruled that states, themselves, must be challenged on a case-by-case basis before the exact laws that restrict abortion can be deemed unconstitutional (Siegel 1736). In other words, though the Supreme Court struck down state legislation that put severe limitations on legal abortion clinics, states still have so many other limitations that have not been explicitly stricken down and, thus, can still be used by the states to effectively ban abortion. Even though the Court has stricken down several specific forms of limitations for legal abortion clinics, states have still continued to come up with new ways to limit abortion clinic practices that the Court has yet to strike down (Siegel 1732). The current state of the law concerning abortion and state policy abortion restrictions is such that states are allowed to  substantially restrict access to safe and legal abortion procedures. Another legal scholar, Mary Anne Warren, agrees that the current legal status of abortion is such that states are largely free to severely limit access to safe and legal abortion procedures, despite Supreme Court rulings that would seem to suggest otherwise (142). Warren argues that not only is the current legal status of abortion in the United States an uncertain one and one that need further clarification from the Supreme Court, but also that the Court has expressed the strong moral obligation to allow women to have abortions, yet has not done nearly enough to make this assertion hold among the states (145). Warren presents findings from several different studies and literature on the various effects of abortion, the established rates of reported abortion, and the availability of abortion clinics. The findings presented by Warren show that there is a strong contradiction in what the Supreme Court claims is the established rights of women to have an abortion and the actual state of affairs. One of the biggest issues, Warren states, with the current state of affairs for abortion is that the access to abortion differs radically by state. In some states, abortion clinics are easy to find, while in others, they are virtually non-existent due to severe limitations and restrictions imposed by the state (141). Although it is typical for states to differ substantially on many public policy issues, for several Supreme Court decisions to come down and expressly prohibit states from imposing such abortion limitations, it is a clear contradiction by the Court. From many perspectives, then, the current legal situation of abortion and abortion restrictions by the states in the United States in one that allows the states far too much leeway in how far they can restrict access to abortion. Research from 2013 suggests that more than twenty million unsafe abortions happen every year worldwide annually. However, less than two percent of these abortions occur in developed countries. Additionally, far fewer occur in the United States (Sedgh et al. 27). This finding would appear to suggest that the number of unsafe abortions is relatively low in the United States compared to the rest of the world. However, the United States has a low tolerance for abortions, compared to many of the other states included in these research findings. Moreover, the United States has a rate of maternal  fatalities for legal abortions that is less than 1 out of 10,000, with almost all of such fatalities occurring past 16 weeks after conception (World Health Organization 16). Recent research findings have confirmed the assumptions that certain clinical practices and mandates for abortion procedures lead to very safe abortions (World Health Organization 30). This finding provides substantial support in favor of keeping the availability of legal and safe abortion options available to women who are determined to get an abortion. Research findings from 2013 also suggest that â€Å"where legislation allows abortion under broad indications, the incidence of and complications from unsafe abortion are typically lower where abortion is legally more restricted† (World Health Organization 17). Furthermore, the World Health Organization reports that â€Å"where abortion is legally more restricted or available on request, a woman’s likelihood of having an unintended pregnancy and seeking induced abortion is about the same† (17). Additionally, research findings from World Health Organization reports indicate that illegal abortion practices tend to be much less safe than legal abortion practices (23). The World Health Organization findings strongly suggest that women who seek abortion services are likely to engage in some form of abortion services even when such services are unsafe or illegal. These findings are not only applicable to the world, in general, but also apply to the United States specifically. The report by the World Health Organization on the rates of abortion in countries that impose strict abortion laws and those that have not shows that when countries tighten their restrictions on abortion the actual rates of abortion tend not to decrease substantially, meaning that women who seek abortions are still having abortions performed, even when such abortions are illegal and unsafe (22). These findings support the notion that the levels of restrictions on abortions in the United States should be decreased and the availability of and access to abortion services for women should be maximized, not minimized. The evidence presented here strongly suggests that women will be better off if abortion services are made widely available. Current restrictions on abortion services, particularly through state legislative actions, are making it much more difficult for women to find abortion clinics. Many abortion clinics have closed in many states, particularly red states. The political divide on this issue is leading to states polarizing,  with many states having a very high level of abortion clinic availability and many other states having a very low level of abortion clinic availability and access. However, the Supreme Court has already ruled on this issue. It is unconstitutional for any state to outright ban abortion or make it so difficult for a woman to receive an abortion that abortion is de facto banned, meaning that for all intends and purposes abortion is banned by the state. The states that are severely limiting women’s access to safe and legal abortion procedures are not only violating the Constitutional as interpreted by the Supreme Court, but are also harming women. The fact that women will continue to seek abortion procedures, even when no safe and legal abortion procedures are available means that women are willing to cause significant bodily risk to themselves to have an abortion. With this in mind, restricting access to abort ion is creating many more risky situations than was ever intended. It should be realized that further restricting safe and legal abortion procedures in any particular state is simply hurting the women who may be seeking abortions at some point in those states. Evidence presented earlier showed that legal abortion procedures are very safe now, which means that women who seek abortions can have access to safe abortion procedures, but only if the abortion procedures in the given state are low. In states with high abortion restrictions, many women will be denied access to safe abortion procedures, despite such procedures being protected by the Constitution. By not acting to bring down the restrictions on abortions that are harming women by putting them in risky situations and continuing to tighten such restrictions, policy makers are acting irresponsibility. The topic of abortion in public policy debates is typically highly controversial and divisive. Even so, the findings presented here show that because medical abortion is a highly feasible and healthy alternative to illegal and unhealthy abortion procedures. Thus, the availability of and access to legal medical abortion procedures should be increased. As shown above, research suggests that most women who seek means end their pregnancies tend to find ways to have abortions, legal otherwise. After all, a legal and safe medical abortion is just one of several options, many of which are unsafe. Without a viable and safe option for women seeking ways to end their pregnancy, many more women will engage in risky pregnancy ending behaviors, such as self-induced, non-medical, and illegal abortions. Minimizing the access to  abortion services has been a policy goal of the right, while the left seeks to increase access to medical abortion services. The ensuing public policy debate is framed by the Casey v. Carhart case which affirmed women’s right to abortion, limiting the restrictions that states can put on abortion clinics but leaving ambiguous exactly what restrictions are allowed. While states and local municipalities are not allowed to outlaw abortion clinics, they still enact and enforce severe restrictions on abortion clinics and abortion services. This creates a de facto ban on abortion in many states, particularly red states. This project has addressed the problem of the possibility of extreme unsafe risks to women seeking abortion services when access has been severely limited by state and local policies. This project presents recent empirical studies on the health outcomes of mothers after abortions, examining the safety, both physical and psychological, of abortions for mothers. It also presented the legal issues that frame the public policy abortion debate, with a particular focus on the Casey v. Carhart case, before turning to recent findings the prevalence of abortions in the United States. Abortion rates tend to remain steady regardless of whether there are several restrictions on abortions, which suggests that women who seek abortions are willing to engage in illegal and unsafe abortion procedures when no legal options are available. This crucial finding is well supported in by research and strongly supports the concl usion of this project: legal abortion services should be made widely available to populations across the United States. Works Cited Charles, Vignetta E., et al. â€Å"Abortion and long-term mental health outcomes: a systematic review of the evidence.† Contraception 78.6 (2008): 436-450. Creinin, Mitchell D., and Kristina Gemzell Danielsson. â€Å"Medical abortion in early pregnancy.† Management of Unintended and Abnormal Pregnancy: Comprehensive Abortion Care (2009): 111-134. Githens, Marianne, and Dorothy McBride Stetson, eds. Abortion politics: public policy in cross-cultural perspective. Routledge, 2013. Jones, Rachel K., et al. â€Å"Abortion in the United States: incidence and access to services, 2005.† Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 40.1 (2008): 6-16. Munk-Olsen, Trine, et al. â€Å"Induced first-trimester abortion and risk of mental disorder.† New England Journal of Medicine 364.4 (2011): 332-339. Pazol, Karen, et al. â€Å"Abortion surveillance–United States, 2009.† MMWR Surveillance Summit 61.8 (2012): 1-44. Rohlinger, Deana A. Abortion Politics, Mass Media, and Social Movements in America. Cambridge University Press, 2014. Sedgh, Gilda, et al. â€Å"Induced abortion: estimated rates and trends worldwide.† The Lancet 37.5 (2007): 1338-1345. Siegel, Reva. â€Å"Dignity and the politics of protection: abortion restrictions under Casey/Carhart.† Yale Law Journal 117 (2008): 1694-1802. Warren, Mary Anne. â€Å"On the moral and legal status of abortion.† (2009). World Health Organization. â€Å"Unsafe abortion: global and regional estimates of incidence of unsafe abortion and associated mortality in 2008.† (2011).

Discourse: Ellen Lupton’s Deconstructivist Theory Essay

Key concepts from Ellen Lupton’s A Post-Mortem on Deconstruction? * Deconstruction is part of a broader field of criticism known as â€Å"post-structuralism,† whose theorist have included Jacques Derrida, Roland Barthes, Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, among others. Each of these writers has looked at modes of representation – from alphabetic writing to photojournalism – as culturally powerful technologies that transform and construct â€Å"reality†. The phrase â€Å"deconstruction† quickly became a cliche in design journalism, where it usually has described a style featuring fragmented shapes, extreme angles, and aggressively asymmetrical arrangements. This collection of formal devices was easily transferred from architecture to graphic design, where it named existing tendencies and catalyzed new ones. The labels â€Å"deconstructivism,† â€Å"deconstructionism,† and just plain â€Å"decon† have served to blanket the differences between a broad range of design practices and an equally broad range of theoretical ideas. Rather than viewing it as a style, you can view deconstructivism as a process – an act of questioning. In Derrida’s original theory, deconstruction asks a question: how does representation inhabit reality? How does the external appearance of a thing get inside its internal essence? How does the surface get under the skin? For example, the Western tradition has tended to value the internal mind as the sacred source of soul and intellect, while denouncing the body as an earthly, mechanical shell. Countering this view is the understanding that the conditions of bodily experience temper the way we think and act. A parallel question for graphic design is this: how does visual from get inside the â€Å"content† of writing? How has typography refused to be a passive, transparent vessel for written texts, developing as a system with its own structures and devices? * The Western philosophical tradition has denigrated writing as an inferior, dead copy of the living, spoken word, when we speak, we draw on our inner consciousness, but when we write, our words are inert and abstract. The written word loses its connection to our inner selves. Language is set adrift. * It has recently become unfashionable to compare language and design. In the fields of architecture and products, the paradigm of language is losing its luster as a theoretical model – we no longer think of buildings, tea pots, for fax machines as â€Å"communication† cultural messages, in the manner of post-Modern classicism or product semantics. For the design fields, â€Å"deconstruction† has been reduced to the name of a historical period rather than an ongoing way of approaching design. Derrida made a similar point in 1994, saying that deconstruction will never be over, because it describes a way of thinking about language that has always existed. For graphic design, deconstruction isn’t dead, either, because it’s not a style or movement, but a way of asking questions through our work. Critical form-making will always be part of design practice, whatever theoret ical tools one might use to identify it. Apollinaire’s Il Pleut is a perfect example of the juxtaposition of language and design – of typography and content. Like the other structural games calligrammes are often referred to, Il Pleut uses typography as an active picture rather than a passive frame, demonstrating only the beginning of the possibilities available for manipulating type to reflect language. Often graphic design can reveal cultural myths by using familiar symbols and styles in new ways, and Apollinaire does exactly that in this futurist, poetic, and exciting way. Marinetti, another Futurist-classified poet, was a master in deconstruction — letting the words themselves build imagery both literally and figuratively; the letterforms and sentences themselves becoming the building blocks of his compositions. This 1913 work by Marinetti, Words of Liberty, is a perfect example of the theory of metalanguage, proposed by Roland Barthes. In his work, Elements of Semiology, he advanced the concept of the metalanguage — a systematized way of talking about concepts like meaning and grammar beyond the constraints of a traditional (first-order) language; in a metalanguage, symbols replace words and phrases. Insofar as one metalanguage is required for one explanation of first-order language, another may be required, so metalanguages may actually replace first-order languages. Barthes exposes how this structuralist system is regressive; orders of language rely upon a metalanguage by which it is explained, and therefore deconstruction itself is in danger of becoming a metalanguage, thus exposing all languages and discourse to scrutiny. A work of design can be called â€Å"deconstruction† when it exposes and transforms the established rules of writing, interrupting the sacred â€Å"inside† of content with the profane â€Å"outside† of form. Weingart is the perfect example of this, using not only letterforms themselves but also nonobjective elements within his composition to distort the typographic content. Yet, the link between language and typography is so close that typography is, essentially, the frontier between languages and objects; languages and images. Typography turns language into a visible, tangible artifact, and in the process transforms it irrevocably. While researching the link between the â€Å"inside† and â€Å"outside† form of content, George Orwell seemed to hold very similar views in his The Politics of English Language, speaking not of the link between typography and language but instead the written and spoken versions of English itself. Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble; and what trouble does this necessarily include? Protecting one’s writing from staleness of imagery, and of course lack of precision. Both are marked by vague writing or perhaps, in some cases, sheer incompetence of modern English prose, as well as the use of dying metaphors. He concludes for us that verbal false limbs and pretentious diction are the downfall for our mangled language, and we, the ambitious struggling writers of the world, can unite against its seemingly inevitable destruction. But let us look closer at Orwell’s reasoning for a moment; that if thought corrupts language than surely language can also corrupt thought. Although written nearly 60 years before our time, he shares this ideal with a modern behemoth of writing – Stephen King. King has already imparted a great secret to us about the nature of writing – that ideas come from nowhere, and that vocabulary is one of the first steps toward a novel which actually functions as it should. One should not begin writing from the abstract, trying to dictate with impressive words or alliterative sentences; one should have an idea in mind and then set about trying to convey that idea to an audience. Vague writing only begets vague understanding, which is not the vehicle in which your novel should be riding. I personally feel that this is a powerful parallel to language and typography — that the designer should have in mind what exactly they are trying to communicate before beginning their design, instead of taking text copy and moving it around, trying to design without a firm message at hand. This eventually will end in a vague, incomprehensible and garbled communication, one which has no place in today’s world; unless of course you happen to be a self-proclaimed Dada-ist.

Health Information Management (HIM) Departmental Layout Project Assignment

Health Information Management (HIM) Departmental Layout Project - Assignment Example ient’s records department so the records and the offices will have to be adequately accommodated in a design that will not be cramped or that would render some areas hard to access. The main considerations are not just aesthetics but rather functionality and ease of access. The design guidelines for the project are to ensure a well developed space with the required offices and other partition areas in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible in consideration of the whole hospital unit’s visual unity. The spaces have to consider lighting and ventilation as much as possible especially for the office areas and other partitioned spaces that will be occupied by people. The design must ensure that the work flow moves smoothly with no interruptions and in the most efficient manner to ensure speed and quality of work (Alexi et al 2005). The design guideline should ensure at all times that the work travels in a straight line and the locations are properly founded. It should also ensure that the isles carry the load to their best advantage, and eliminate any waiting by the workers which should all have adequate working space and not be cramped. The tools must be at their proper places, and each individual should also be at their best

Political Environment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Political Environment - Case Study Example A good political environment such as political stability is conducive to business because it meant that business can operate unhampered. Its factories can work without disruption and its employees can go to work any issue, therefore, the business can operate smoothly when there is a political stability. A bad political environment such as political instability, on the other hand, is a bad macroeconomic environment for business. We can take the recent issue about Egypt’s coup’d etat where the military took over the government and the people protesting it. News of military crackdowns is everywhere and conflict happens every day. This is bad for business because it cannot operate smoothly. Moreso when it is in the Middle East where the majority of the oil in the world is produced. In the case of political instability in Egypt, oil prices rose up above the $100 because Egypt controls the Suez Canal where most oil cargo passes through such as what is reported in the article â€Å"Oil prices rise above $100 post-Egyptian military's coup d'etat† (Business Standard, 2013). This uncertainty that oil may not reach their destination or may be entangled in the conflict sends anxiety in the market that its price shot up. And this price hike in oil has ripple negative effect in business in general and for us consumers because all industry is dependent on power which needs oil. When the input of the price of oil shots up, the price of the products and services will naturally increase making everything expensive.

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Short essays - Essay Example The group has independent variable, which is tested against observed changes. Control group separates the group from the experiment; independent variable in this group has no effect over results. 1. The position the author take in this article is the characteristic of Tom DeLay. The article illustrates that the un-Texan politician is usually mean. This implies that he has some weaknesses as a politician in the Texas polls. 2. The author illustrates that Tom DeLay, the former Congressman and also Texan Republican, uses unique political tactics in Texas. He is a well intentioned politician, who has agreeable political weaknesses. For instance, he is genuinely feared and hated in Washington. 3. The rhetorical devices used in this article aims at conveying a meaning, with the purpose of persuading opinion. The author illustrates that Tom DeLay is hated and feared by other Washington politicians, because he is mean and has foolish behaviors. 1. The premise employed by the author illustrates commitment to political doctrines. Political debates continuously happen, because void political opinions. If a political belief is proved to be true, individuals must be intolerant to the other beliefs. 2. The article concludes that the political positions generate rewards through fixing social problems. Individuals who have different opinions are instrumental in determining the rightness of a given political issue. In the illustration, the presumed cause is the previous incarnation, while presumed effect is blue eyes. This example illustrates an example that is not easily tested. This is because previous incarnation details are vague and void. There is an appropriate way of testing the blue eyes situation. This is through a laboratory experiment (Born,

What are the major advantages and disadvantages of the four principles Essay

What are the major advantages and disadvantages of the four principles approach to health care ethics - Essay Example In the 1970s, theologian James Childress and philosopher Tom Beauchamp came up with the ‘four principles’ approach (Beauchamp 1994, p.35). They enrolled the four principles, which they believed could be considered over each other when making an ethical decision on matters pertaining to medicine. There has been a substantial evolution of the Principles of Biomedical Ethics since the first version of its kind of theory and the requirements of particular circumstances. Principlism has specifically changed into a realistic approach for ethical decision-making focusing on ethical principles of justice, autonomy, non-maleficence and beneficence. Principlism is usually attained from, and is consistent with many theological approaches, social and even ethical advances towards ethical decision-making. The advancement, which is pluralist in nature, is quite necessary when one has to make an ethical verdict in a society or institution because clusters of pluralist fields by descrip tion can concur with neither certain ethical theories nor their explanations. The adequate state rather is that majority of people and communities would concur that there exists an extensive concurrence on the common values of justice, non-maleficence, beneficence and autonomy. Justice The principle of justice means allotting the benefits and saddles of a particular verdict fairly. It demands for proper allotment of benefits, risks and expenses evenly. In the present era, communities are enlightened co-operations that are principled by ethical and legal features of justice that give meaning to the support requisites. Individuals in a community get fair treatment if they receive due and just treatment. The phrase ‘distributive justice’ brings out the meaning of impartial,... Center of discussion in this paper is Principlism, also known as the ‘four principles’ approach refers to a set of moral codes and principles that are employed by decision makers to arrive at decisions in any particular profession. The four principles related to the way of conduct in health. The principles include beneficence, justice, Non-maleficence and autonomy, which is the acknowledgement of a person’s right to make judgments and hold views based on personal beliefs and views. Each principle defines different affairs of concern in health. The principles have their basing in morality required in health. The preference over the four kinds of ethical principles as the structure for ethical decisions making in medical ethics originates partly from proficient background and responsibilities. The virtues and requirements of health professionals have constantly been edged by professional pledges to issue medical care and ensure protection of patients from system fai lure, harm or ailment. Although Beauchamp and Childress’s ethics try to set up on this structure, they considerably move away from it as they try to encompass parts of ethics that have been deserted traditionally in principles of health care, mainly via the ethics of respect for justice and independence. The four principles are required to issue a complete structure for biomedical ethics, but the common structure is only theoretical and is on standby until it gets advanced specification.

Literacy narrative in context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literacy narrative in context - Essay Example In his narrative text, Baca recalls that â€Å"From the time I was seven; teachers had been punishing me for not knowing my lessons† (Baca, 3). Nevertheless, that limitation did not stop him from becoming a high caliber writer, despite Baca’s recollection that â€Å"Ashamed of not understanding and fearful of asking questions, I dropped out of school in the ninth grade† p4. Therefore, my essay, â€Å"Growing Up and How I Did It† can be written better, through the extensive application of personal experiences, explained into details to form a complete life narration that can then comprise a narrative. Jimmy Baca’s text presents the elaborate way through which personal experiences and the components of a person’s life can be transformed into an inspiring and motivational content, which then can be applied by others to gain insights on how to make accomplishments in life, even without having sufficient resources at an individual’s disposal (Baca, 4). However, it is the text, â€Å"A Rationale of Textual Criticism† by Tanselle, which introduces new insights on how constructive criticism can be applied to make a written work of literature better, through applying either the positive or the negative approach to improve a written piece of work (Tanselle 20). Therefore, through the application of positive criticism, my essay c an be improved into an interesting story, considering that my writing experiences are unique in the sense that I learnt writing early while still in the kindergarten, which is not a requirement for children in this class. Through positive criticism as discussed by Tanselle, the early writing desire can be a basis of developing a narrative that revolves around many other unique or extraordinary experiences and characteristics, which then can form a basis of a motivational and inspiring text, like the one developed through Jimmy Baca’s personal life experiences, but only when combined with further constructive imagination (Tanselle, 33).. Tanselle has reduced this whole concept by stating that â€Å"those most emphatic in holding that the meaning of literature emerges from a knowledge of its historical context†¦are in fact hindering their progress toward their goal† p34. Writers are destined to fail in developing some influential piece of written literature, â€Å" if they do not recognize that artifacts may be less reliable witnesses to the past than their own imaginative reconstructions† (Tanselle 34). Additionally, negative criticism can also be applied to improve my essay and develop it into a reasonable and inspiring narrative text, considering the much resources and opportunities I have at my disposal, yet there is nothing to show for it. Through placing the wasted opportunities into perspective, such as the time wasted during my childhood playing tag with my friends and the access to valuable resources that I have heard in the course of my school life for sharpening my writing skills, the experiences can be drawn to form a narrative that advises others against misusing or underutilizing the valuable resources at their disposal. This would then form an impressive narrative, which will change the notion that I do not have adequate writing skills, as portrayed in my essay, â€Å"Growing Up and How I Did It†. Tanselle rightly p uts it that â€Å"the act of reading or listening to receive a message from the past entails the effort to discover, through the text (or texts) one is presented with†, p18. This is an indication that through the application of sufficient effort towards discovering the content of the past, there is the

OPERATING DEPARTMENT PRACTICE Personal Statement

OPERATING DEPARTMENT PRACTICE - Personal Statement Example This did not however give me the satisfaction I thought it would give me. That is when I reconsidered the career line I had taken by reflecting on what I really like doing. It came out clear that I have all along had great interest in Operating Department Practice, and I decided it was not too late to have a career change and do something that my heart really loves. I also love Operating Department Practice because it encourages teamwork since work is done using a multi-disciplinary team approach to achieve a common goal. The large perioperative team provides channels for constant learning and career development; therefore, one is always equipped with current information and practices. Another advantage of this line of career is that responsibility and pay depends upon further specialist skills and experience. That way, a person is encouraged to develop him/herself continuously and reward is directly proportional to hard work. One is also exposed to a wide range of other specialists such as transplant teams, special pediatric specialists, and perioperative nurses. There are also numerous opportunities for training, research, and education. Given a chance to pursue this course in your institution, I believe I will come out a competent professional in this field. I look forward into joining your

Credit Card Companies targeting College Students on Campuses Essay

Credit Card Companies targeting College Students on Campuses - Essay Example Moreover, almost a third of the 76% of current college students have been offered free gifts in order to sign up for the credit cards. Consequently, this has led to nearly a dozen of states restricting credit card marketing to students within campuses. Despite such moves, credit companies have persistently remained aggressive in signing up students within campuses for credit cards (Chu). This is despite the common view credit companies should not target college students on their campuses while marketing credit cards. Arguments against Marketing of Credit Cards to Students within Campuses Marketing of credit cards to students within campuses is against provisions of Federal Law on credit cards for college students. According to Chu, Federal Law on credit card categorically outlines that no bank or financial lending institution should give credit card to students and young adults of below 21 years who have no steady income or cosigner. This federal law prohibition provides a framework within which credit cards should be given that is, to persons above 21 years with a steady income. Unfortunately, most undergraduates after finishing school end up with enormous credit, which may eventually lead to bankruptcy and at the verge of financial crisis. Based on statistics obtained by the US Public Interest Research Group, graduating college students leave school with approximately $ 4,000 in debts (Uspirg.org). The US Public Interest Research Group goes ahead to establish that 56% of undergraduates obtain their first credit cards at the age of 18 years, which is a period when someone cannot make informed decisions (Uspirg.org). What’s more, by the time such a student is graduating, he or she will be in possession of four or more credit cards. Credit companies have been forced to enter into unethical business practices in order to entice and persuade college students to sign up for credit cards. College students are vulnerable to cheap offers such as T-shirts, pizzas, and other free gifts. Financial institution clearly understands the vulnerability of college students, which they unethically capitalize on to convince them to sign up for credit cards (Chu). Convincing and enticing of college students do not only include gifts but also dwell in short-lived offers such as lower interest rates and other deceptive marketing practices. For instance, in 2007 the state attorney charged Citi Bank and its marketing counterpart, Elite Marketing with application of deceptive marketing practices to entice students in order to sign up for credit cards. Taking ad vantage of consumer’s situation and vulnerability is an unethical practice that may only end up ruining and organization. The credit companies responsible for marketing of credit cards to students should be prohibited from taking advantage of college students’ vulnerability to cheap offers. College students other than being vulnerable to cheap offers are new, inexperienced, and uninformed adequately regarding credit cards and in the market place. In this regard, marketing credit cards with only advantages will make students accept such offers without understanding how it works and demerits (Dickler). As a result, many of them end up incurring hefty sums of debts, which trails back to their parents. Placing more burdens to parents in addition to their normal responsibilities of paying tuition fee and caring for students is unfair and uncalled for especially in the contemporary business world where living standards have incrementally increased. Statistics by US Public In terest Research Group clearly indicates that 61% of students fully depend on their parents for fee and all other educational costs, with 40% and 38%

Bismarck in the year 1894 Essay Example for Free

Bismarck in the year 1894 Essay Source: Bismarck. Des eisernen Kanzlers Leben in annà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½hernd 200 seltenen Bildern nebst einer Einfà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½hrung. Herausgegeben von Walter Stein. Im Jahre des 100. Geburtstags Bismarcks und des groà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½en Krieges 1915. Hermann Montanus, Verlagsbuchhandlung Siegen und Leipzig 1) How did the Germans get the Empire they wanted by 1890? Germany appeared as an Empire after the Franco-Prussian war in 1871. Otto Van Bismarck, Prussian Chancellor since 1862, knew that to unify an Empire, several aspects had to be organized. He became German Chancellor in 1871 and set up a constitution on the same year. With this, powers were separated into three different branches: The Kaiser, The Chancellor and the two Chambers. He also sought to control opposition. The Church was controlled with the May Laws (Falk) and the Kulturkampf. For socialists he passed the enabling law (1878) to control them, and several insurances to favour them. Bismarck also believed that an Empire ought to have colonies for industrial development. In 1789, he had to bring tariffs so as to raise money for his foreign policy. By passing the constitution, Bismarck was successful in separating the powers. The most powerful one was the Kaiser. The first Kaiser was William I (former King of Prussia). He was the maximum authority in Germany. He had full control of the army and navy and decided whether the country was at war or made peace treaties with other countries. He also appointed all the Ministers in the Empire. This was helpful for Bismarck since he was appointed Chief Minister (Chancellor) of the German Empire. He was very influential with the Kaiser, he controlled him. As he could do as he liked, it later allowed him to dominate the German Empire. The German parliament consisted of two Chambers: The Bundesrat and the Reichstag. The first one mentioned, was conformed of 58 delegates appointed by States representatives. As 14 votes were needed to reject measures and 17 delegates were Prussian, this house was controlled by her. The Reichstag was elected by the universal manhood suffrage. It was a much more democratic system than the Bundersrat and represented citizens. However, it was controlled by the Bundersrat. This house was also controlled by Prussian superiority, since half of its members were Prussian. Controlling the opposition was certainly something that Bismarck intended to do. Bismarck followed a centripetal (centralizing) policy. He thought that people had to work in things related to the Empire. On the other hand, the Catholic Church followed a centrifugal (going away from the centre) policy. The Church looked for foreign countries, so Bismarck decided to attack it. Bismarck supported the German Catholic teachers who didnt agree (Old Catholics) with the idea of Papal Infallibity (1870). The Church intended to promote actions of the New Catholics, who followed the new doctrine. To solve this problem, Bismarck organized a campaign by the State against the Church known as the Kulturkampf. He was supported by the National Liberals while the Church was supported by the Centre Party. This campaign separated state and church affairs: Jesuits were expelled from Germany; German schools controlled by State inspectors, in 1874 Marriage had to take place before government-appointed officials. In May 1873-74-75, Falk, the Minister of Church Affairs, introduced the May (Falk) laws. This brought several changes as regards the Church: the Church was forbidden to excommunicate old priests publicly, before starting priestly studies, people had to study at a state university and pass an examination, the state now accepted or neglected teaching posts to clergymen, Catholic educative establishments had to accept inspections by state officials and all religious orders were dissolved. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) set up in 1869 owned by 1877, 12 seats in the Reichstag. In 1878, when the attempts of killing the Kaiser took place, Bismarck decided to blame the Socialists. To obtain control of them, he passed the Enabling Law (1878). This Law, allowed the government to declare a state emergency if necessary. It also forbade Socialist publications. Over 1500 Socialists were arrested in 1878. However, Bismarck realized he could not cope with the Socialists. He gave several insurances to them since his intention was to get popular support. Workers were insuranced against sickness (1883), against accidents at work (1884) and were given old age pensions (Jubilacià ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½n) in 1889. By 1879, Bismarck realized that he needed money badly for his foreign policy. He intended to have a better equipped army, a Civil service needed to run the Empire and for the social welfare. He knew that if he asked the Reichstag to impose new taxes, he would give the Chamber more power than what he wanted to give. He then decided to apply a system of protective tariffs which would help him to obtain money. Bismarck knew that Germany needed colonies to enhance its industrial development, in spite of possibly annoying Britain that could harm Germany in the future with the loss of Alsace and Lorraine. By promoting colonial expansions, Germany could obtain raw materials, markets for German goods and a living space (Lebensraum) for the growing population. In 1882, Bismarck intended to acquire colonies by forming a Colonial Union. Finally, in 1884, the major Powers agreed on a division of Africa. Germany obtained: South West Africa, Togoland and the Cameroons (1885), the naval base of Holigoland (1890) and obtained German East Africa with an agreement with Britain on the same year. Germany could be an Empire by 1890 due to Bismarcks achievements. He succeeded in organizing the empire by separating powers. He could control opposition since as he could dominate the Kaiser he could do as he pleased. He passed laws for the Socialists and the Church that allowed Germany to be a unified Empire. His intention was organizing Germany since he knew that for an Empire to be unified, it first had to be organized. His goal was finally achieved but he was forced to resign in 1890.

Analysis of Mittal’s Acquisition of Arcelor

Analysis of Mittal’s Acquisition of Arcelor 1.0 Executive Summary This examination of the merger of Arcelor and Mittal in the steel industry will examine the success and or shortcomings of this major deal that has created an industry leader that is considerably larger that its nearest competitor. In examination the merger, this study looks at the steel industry from the perspectives of historical underpinnings and ramifications, pricing, laws, monopolies, emerging markets, mature markets, new areas for exploration, as well as the resulting post merger effects of this union. To achieve the foregoing, this study has organised the foregoing into a comprehensive literature review that will delve into the indicated areas, following this with a findings and analysis section to equate the preceding. The organisational method has been selected to inform as well as guide one through the industry and the merger process to result in a clear understanding of the important and salient points that impacted the merger process, and its resultant effects on the industry. The conclusion brings forth the summary of all of the sections that preceded it to equate the results and potential areas for additional study owing to the newness of this union. The bold move by Mittal in acquiring a company if its same size and then moving forward as a unified new entity marks a new period in the steel industry worthy of examination as an history making event. 2.0 Introduction The purpose of this investigation is to delve into an understanding of the steel industry as the means to reach a determination as to the potential benefits and ramifications of the ArcelorMittal merger that is just about a year old. As such there is little in the way of case studies, and or historical data to equate the effect of the merger, this examination shall utilise historical as well as current information to understand the steel sector and thus draw deductions on the effectiveness of the merger in terms of competition, the industry and economic ramifications. The research question thus stems from the examination of the Mittal Steel and Arcelor merger, and how it developed, along with the advantages as well as disadvantages of the process in terms of the two companies. The Research Objective is to determine if the merger made ArcelorMittal a market leader in a highly competitive market, and the manner via which this was accomplished as well as if the foregoing brought about new opportunities, and or projects in terms of real ones, and or potentials for the future. The research hypothesis represents equating the impact of the Arcelor Mittal merger in terms of the industry dynamics in pricing, market positioning, competitive advantages, or other areas as uncovered by research to prove or disprove the basis for the merger as a sound proposition in the face of the preceding. To achieve the foregoing, this study shall look at the steel industry objectively through extensive research into its importance with regard to economics, trade, pricing within the industry, applicable laws, monopolies, the importance of emerging markets that might have weighed on the decision to seek a merger, the importance and or considerations of mature markets, and new locations of exploration and or supply. The approach to equating the foregoing was to conduct and extensive review of literature on the aforementioned points to provide a comprehensive view of the steel industry, where is has been, presently is, and is going. The preceding will provide a reference point to try to determine what the executives of Mittal saw in reaching the decision to attempt the Arcelor acquisition. That insight, their decision process to seek the acquisition of Arcelor, was based upon the company’s intimate knowledge and understanding of the steel sector, and a plan to capitalise on those developments based upon the projected future occurrences in the market. Donaldson and Lorsch (1983, p. 112) tell us that in strategic decision making executives must consider that: â€Å"Under certain circumstances, the firms real economic and financial constraints perpetuate stability in the financial goals system that is central to corporate strategy. The first such circumstance occurs when the composition and objectives of managements three primary constituencies remain constant over time. If the existing financial goals system truly represents a balanced response to each constituencys minimum acceptable requirements for continued participation in the enterprise, then external pressure for change is not likely to develop in the absence of some fundamental change in the constituencies themselves.† The decision to seek an acquisition as a means to growth represents a process that a company decided upon long before taking such an action. Wall and Wall (2000, p. 39) observe that â€Å"Companies that are using acquisitions as a strategic lever are rarely making only a single deal; acquisitions are ongoing and often overlapping, with several happening at once and more to come†. Mueller (2000, p. 57) states that most acquired companies were and are usually healthy strong firms in their own right that add some underlying competitive advantage in the face of market realities. He goes on to add that the rationales can be economies of scale, to obtain a more dominant market position, to gain access to markets, to stave off competition, to limit merger options of rival firms as well as a strategy for growth. Mueller (2003, p. 82) adds: â€Å"A company faced with a slow-growing or declining market has two choices for avoiding stagnation and decline: it can expand its share of this market, or diversify into new ones. Growth can be sustained indefinitely only through diversification. Thus, we expect the maturing company to resort to internal diversification by developing new products and/or external diversification through mergers. Even in a steady-state world, a company must (continually) diversify to sustain a growth rate above that of its company’s market.† Wall and Wall (20000, p. 39) add â€Å"†¦he most successful acquirers have developed a clear, logical, and replicable approach that they use to manage the entire process from initiation of the deal to the ongoing and longer-term development of the new organization post integration†. There is an integration process that accompanies every merger, where the rationales for preceding are thus put to the realities of the finalised merger process. This is where the decision to merge answers the questions, and or solves the issues that brought about the process in the first place. This study shall seek to equate the foregoing in the case of ArcelorMittal. 3.0 Literature Review This review of literature shall examine what has been written about the topical areas that are covered herein to gain a picture of the overall steel industry, the merger of ArcelorMittal, and the market factors inherent in the sector. The preceding shall seek to uncover the questions as posed the research objectives and find the answers to the research hypothesis 3.1 The Steel Industry Steel is the material that is the economic backbone of global economies, representing the prime material in building, infrastructure projects, refineries, vehicles, industrial as well as consumer goods. The recent emergence of new global players that have significantly increased their production and export capacities and thus has harkened a change in the international structuring of the industry whereby consolidation has become a critical component in competitiveness (D’Costa, 1999, pp. 11-12). China’s application and accession to the World Trade Organization has had major implications in terms of the global market as a result of the country’s modernisation programmes, cheap labour supply and interest in becoming a significant part of global production and export (ChinaDaily.com, 2007). The foregoing only adds to the rounds of consolidation in an industry where economies of scale in terms of raw materials as well as production are key foundational factors in a hi ghly competitive sector (Mangum et al, 1996, pp. 2-6). The above factors are important background aspects in the context of this study in that it is providing insight as to the status of the market. The aforementioned consolidation has been basically built upon the rounds of joint ventures that the industry seriously embarked upon during the mid 1980s in response to the need to tap emerging markets as well as areas of exploration for raw materials (Mangum et al, 1996, pp. 11-14). Steel, along with oil and uranium and a few other raw materials, represent concerted efforts and concerns by national governments and their important industry producers to ensure domestic strength in these sectors is maintained, owing to their importance in their economies (Visclosky, 1999). Restructuring within the steel industry is described by D’Costa (1999, p. 11) as â€Å"†¦an organizing concept to analyze capitalist development in general and reorganization of industrial capacity in particular†. He adds that (D’Costa, 1999, p. 11-12): â€Å"Restructuring also refers to the various ways by which a national industry adjusts to the capitalist imperatives of competition, profitability, market control, and national development (D’Costa 1989). More specifically, restructuring is viewed as a complex process by which the steel industry is evolving as a result of technological developments, corporate strategy, and government policies. With innovations and the diffusion of technology at the core of capitalist industrialization, restructuring of the steel industry globally can be conceptualised in terms of different national technological trajectories. By juxtaposing the factors that lead innovating countries like the US to fall behind technologically with the mechanisms by which late industrializing countries acquire technologies we can establish the uneven diffusion of technology and the process of restructuring.† The preceding represents an important understanding in this examination, as the traditional powers in the steel sector have been either challenged and or replaced by other companies / countries in the global sphere. Anwar (2006) presents an important summary overview of the steel industry that includes some of the foregoing factors, as well as providing additional insight areas: The increasing ramifications of industry volatility has been and is related to the levels of consolidation, the cyclical nature of the industry, along with the emergence of China as an important and critical player in the market. The importance of tapping into emerging growth markets has helped to fuel industry consolidation. China’s emergence as a consuming nation as well as producer  ¡, and its huge international market has caused a shifting in the strategic focus of the industry, and thus its companies. The heightened competition and cost variables of the industry help to explain the increased rounds of consolidation that in the interests of cost efficiencies utilises more supply chaining to set up production facilities in important developing countries, as well as close to natural steel resources. The consolidation as well as fragmentation of the global steel industry is amply illustrated in the following Chart: Chart 1 – Global Steel Industry (Anwar, 2006) The cyclical nature of the industry is caused by price significant drops due to the selling of steel at bargain prices as companies keep their production facilities running when industry sectors in certain countries are working off their own inventories (Matthews, 2007). It may sound illogical, but it is actually more cost effective to keep plants running as opposed to temporarily shutting them down and restarting again, even at the cost of dramatic price drops that occur in the process (Matthews, 2007). Consolidation has enabled important companies in the market to fend off competitors in their areas, and leverage their positions (Matthews, 2007). The rapid growth of China’s internal market, as well as upgrading of its steel production capabilities has significantly added to global tonnage output (Anwar, 2006). The heavy rounds of consolidation is in keeping with the regionalization of the international market as The North American Free Trade Agreement, that entails the United States, Canada and Mexico, competes with the European Union’s 25 countries, Mercosur that includes Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina, and of course China, whose domestic market and size provides a market that is larger than almost all of these combined (UC Atlas, 2006). The significance of the foregoing is that these trade blocs represent associations that have been formed by the attending governments to aid in the management as well as trade promotion activities for their regions, and countries within these blocs (UC Atlas, 2006). The foregoing dynamics of globalisation thus helps to explain the consolidation that has been and is taking place in the industry. Figure 1 – Regional Trade Blocs / European Union (Europa, 2008) Figure 2 – Regional Trade Blocs / NAFTA (UC Atlas, 2006) Figure 3 – Regional Trade Blocs / MERCOSUR (UC Atlas, 2006) 3.2 ArcelorMittal In 2006 Arcelor one of the world’s biggest steel producers as represented by turnover and output, was acquired by Mittal for $31.9 billion USD in a deal that ended over five months of a hard fought takeover battle (White, 2006). Born out of a prior merger of Spain’s Aceralia, France’s Usinor, and Arbed of Luxembourg in 2002 (Reed, 2006), the acquisition by Mittal of Arcelor that was formed out of the preceding triumvirate is a further example of industry consolidation. The company, that consisted of in excess of 94,000 people in excess of 60 countries, was a major company in supplying the automotive, metal processing, construction, household appliance as well as general industry segments (wcbstv, 2006). Mittal Steel, which is based in Rotterdam, was the world’s largest steep producer in terms of volume prior to the merger, and still retains that title post merger, is a family controlled company by Chief Executive Officer Lakeshmi Mittal (ArcelorMittal, 2008a). The resulting company after the merger, ArcelorMittal, represents a concern that has â€Å"†¦ 310,000 employees in more than 60 countries† (ArcelorMittal, 2008b). The new company become the overall global leader in the automotive sector, construction industry, household appliance as well as packaging industries, along with becoming the leader player in technology as well as volume of steel produced (ArcelorMittal, 2008b). In terms of size, the new union creates a company that dwarfs the competition: Table 1 Largest Steel Companies (editgrid.com, 2007) Metal Bulletin’s top steelmakers of 2006 Millions of Tonnes Company Country 2006 2005 1Mittal Steel1 Netherlands 63.66 49.89 2Arcelor Luxembourg 54.32 46.65 3Nippon Steel Japan 33.7 32.91 4JFE Steel Japan 32.02 29.57 5Posco South Korea 31.2 31.42 6Shanghai BaosteelChina 22.53 22.73 7US Steel USA 21.25 19.26 8Nucor USA 20.31 18.45 9Tangshan China 19.06 16.08 10Corus UK 18.3 18.18 11Riva Italy 18.19 17.53 12Severstal Russia 17.6 15.16 13ThyssenKrupp Germany 16.8 16.55 14Evraz Russia 16.1 13.85 15Gerdau Group Brazil 15.57 13.7 16Anshan China 15 11.9 17Jiangsu ShagangChina 14.63 12.02 18Wuhan China 13.76 13.05 19Sumitomo Metal IndJapan 13.58 13.48 20Sail India 13.5 12.22 21Techint Argentina 12.83 11.42 22China Steel Corp Taiwan 12.48 11.65 23Magnitogorsk Russia 12.45 11.38 24Jinan China 11.24 10.43 25Maanshan China 10.91 9.65 26Laiwu China 10.79 10.34 27Shougang China 10.55 10.44 28Hunan Valin GroupChina 9.91 8.45 29Imidro Iran 9.79 9.41 30Ind Union/DonbassUkraine 9.52 8.55 The preceding Table has been utilised here to indicate that out of the top 30 steel companies globally, nine are located in China, with one in India and just three others coming from the European Union. The highlighted companies in colour have relevance in other sections of this study. The importance of the merger, as brought forth by the preceding discussion of the significance of regional trade blocs and national interests, is illustrated by the fact that at the time, then French President Jacques Chirac endorsed the union after the merger talks eased from being unfriendly to friendly in the face of certain guarantees concerning jobs as well as research operations (Noon, 2006). The new company represents 10% of the global market in steel and becomes a highly significant company for the European Union in the face of competition from and in China, as well as India, providing it with the resources and economies of scale to wrest deals from its rivals. 3.3 Pricing In terms of pricing, the steel industry is cyclical running through periods whereby supply exceeds demand, and then when demand exceeds supply. The recent trends has seen demand exceeding supply as steel prices have been inching upward since 2003 as China’s economy has begun to heat up, along with India taking steps to increase the demand in its economy for more products and production (domain-b.com, 2004). Table 2 – World Carbon Steel Transaction Prices (Steelonthenet.com, 2008) The preceding Table shows that upward movement that has and is making a new trend for the long embattled steel sector that had gone through heavy dumping in the 1990s as markets and the global recession dried up demand. But, that scenario seemingly looks like a thing of the long gone past, with China’s appetite just getting started, and India beginning its sit at the steel table. Prices are on the way up, as production capacity has remained relatively static with 1999 levels (DiCianni, 2007): Chart 2 – Steel Production Capacity (DiCianni, 2007) The upward trending in steel prices as a result of production capacity is reflected in the following Chart: Chart 3 – Steel Price Comparisons in Key Regions (DiCianni, 2007) The foregoing rise in steel prices is reflective of increased global demands as illustrated by the following: Table 3 – Global Steel Demand (DiCianni, 2007) The prognosis for increased prices is forecast by a broad consensus of industry analysts as caused by heightened production costs, and increased consumer demand as a result of growth markets (rediff news, 2007). Spot prices for ore are a prime contributor to the foregoing as prices have been on the increase since 2003: Chart 4 – Iron Ore Spot Prices (DiCianni, 2007) The preceding trend is highly different from the one facing the steel industry during the mid and late 1990s when too much capacity was the problem and steel prices dropped (Denoel et al, 2002). 3.4 Laws The rules governing trade laws is overseen by the World Trade Organization that also oversees the varied treaties its member nations make (WTO, 2008a). The principle tactic and the one that is subject to attention in terms of laws has been anti-dumping policies utilised by Japan as well as Russia and recently China in the early 1980s and 1990s to gain a footing in supplying steel when prices were depressed as a means to enter and secure contracts (WTO, 2008b). Dumping represents the selling of steel in foreign markets below what is charged in home markets in order to secure a foothold, and or longer term supply contracts to keep factories running (Scheurman, 1986). The anti-dumping provision has long been a measure whereby countries seek to prevent lower priced steel from competing with domestic producers and thus threatening their home markets (WTO, 2008b). An example of the foregoing is provided by Jones (2004, p. 23) in his book â€Å"Who’s Afraid of the WTO?†: â€Å"When steel imports from Japan and other countries surged in the United States in the wake of the crisis, however, it became a â€Å"trade problem, † and WTO rules prohibiting unilateral trade restraints as a stabilization tool by governments shifted blame over to the system of trade rules itself.† The laws on steel stem from this foundation, contained within World Trade Organization rules, thus it represents a confusing as well as under most circumstances self-servicing provision enacted frequently by the target country. The following provide illumination on the foregoing (Tarullo, 2002): â€Å"While not specifically proscribed by international agreements, dumping has been internationally identified as deserving of condemnation if it causes injury to an industry in the importing country. (2) U.S. law, since emulated by other countries, added to the definition sales below fully allocated cost of production, even where the price charged for the merchandise was the same as that in the importing country. Anti-dumping law generally provides for imposition of an additional import duty to equalize the price of the imported goods with the normal value, as calculated from foreign sales or from the cost of production. Most economists find the entire premise of anti-dumping law misguidedat least where there is no predatory intent or effectbecause it discourages some forms of price competition in some circumstances. Certain domestic interestsparticularly those in industries with high fixed costsare equally insistent that anti-dumping laws are necessary to protect them from forei gn producers suppressing prices by flooding domestic markets. The laws and regulations enacted by countries, which can be very complex, reinforce the suspicion of liberal traders that the laws are rigid, biased implementations of a misguided premise. Not surprisingly, disputes over imposition of dumping duties have been frequent. Exporting countries have often complained that, quite apart from the principle that dumping is bad, importing countries misuse their anti-dumping laws. The first code negotiated in the GATT to supplement the rules of the original GATT agreement was one that limited the use of anti-dumping measures. (3) New, more detailed agreements to limit national anti-dumping measures were included in both the Tokyo Round and Uruguay Round of trade negotiations. Meanwhile, use of anti-dumping measures had spread from the United States, European Union, and other industrialized countries to developing countries as well. (4) Thus, while international disagreements over dumping continue to pit some industrialized countries against Japan and many developing countries, the lines are not as clearly drawn as they were twenty years ago.† The fray over anti-dumping continues to dominate the steel sector, but the recent surge in demand is lessening such occurrences and companies scramble to ramp up production and meet increasing demand. This has been a significant tactic used in the market that could very well continue after the shakeout over which companies dominate in China as well as India settles in. 3.5 Monopolies Steel represents an important component in the health of national economies by virtue of the broad range of industries it supplies. Automotive, construction, appliances, equipment, industries machinery, pipes, plumbing and a host of other areas that underpin production are all industries that need steel. As such national interests step in, as indicated under regional trade blocks, whereby steel is akin to a national resource, in the securing of raw materials and finished output, thus the strengthening of company positions in the sector is a priority that regional and national governments seek and endorse, as evidenced by former French President Jacques Chirac’s positive comments on the Arcelor Mittal merger. From this stance, having too many producers, steel companies, weakens their position in the global market, and size enables them to introduce economies of scale in production and sales. Thus, monopolies simply are not a term that applies in this sector as a result of inten se global competition and national interests. In steel, bigger is better! Better for the steel company, national interests, domestic market supplies, and in terms of strength against their rivals. In the European Union, monopoly like status is not punishable as it is in the United States, as long as such does not harm the consumer or restrict competition (European Union, 2002). In the European Union a Monopoly is defined as (Europa, 2008): â€Å"Market situation with a single supplier (monopolist) who due to the absence of competition holds an extreme form of market power. It is tantamount to the existence of a dominant position. Under monopoly, output is normally lower and price higher than under competitive conditions. A monopolist may also be deemed to earn supra-normal profits (i.e. profits that exceed the normal remuneration of the capital). A similar situation on the demand side of the market, that is with a single buyer only, is called monopsony.† In other words, if the status of an extremely large company is not harming consumer markets and or increasing prices that are out of line with the normal costs of production, then, it is basically non actionable. The European Union’s actions against Microsoft were of a different nature in that Microsoft’s actions were restricting competition in the entire industry sector, and the company was convicted of unfair tactics (European Union, 2004). 3.6 Emerging Markets The merger of Arcelor and Mittal provided the new company with the size as well as clout to make a significant difference in emerging markets such as China due to its enhanced capabilities across all market and industry sectors (ArcelorMittal, 2008b). The foregoing increased size as well as capabilities also provides the new company with advantages in the high growth Indian market (ArcelorMittal, 2008b). The company announced immediately after its bid for Arcelor was accepted that the new plans call for boosting its presence in both the Chinese as well as Indian markets (EarthTimes, 2007). Lakshmi Mittal is of Indian decent, thus this new and larger company will provide him with increased presence in that market as a result of long standing contacts and the company’s enhanced capabilities (Forbes.com, 2007). As the world’s fifth richest person whose wealth is estimated as $32.0 billion that influence helps his aims in many areas (Forbes.com, 2007). Of particular interest is the discussion of the formation of a new regional trading block in Asia consisting of China, Japan, South Korea and India, a union that along with other countries would account for 20 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product, that would relegate the other major trading blocs and lesser players (Bergsten and Scollay (2001). The potential for such an arrangement has gained in strength since 2001, with increasing talks being held between China, South Korea and Japan (Asia Times, 2003). Increasing ties between China and India, as a result of the proposed cross border trade route would open up trading in the region and serve as the foundation for a new trading bloc (Hasan, 2006). The present trading Bloc, ASEAN, which was formed in 1967, consists of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, that represents a combined population of approximately 560 million (Association of Southeast Asian Nations, 2008). China, with its population of 1,321,851,888 (Rosenberg, 2007), along with India’s 1,027,015,247 people (indianchild.com, 2007), and Japan’s 127,288,419 (CIA World Factbook, 2007), would result in a combined trading bloc population of 2,476,155,554, or slightly more than one-third of the world’s total population of 6,602,224,175 (World Factbook, 2007a). That would dwar f the population counts of the European Union, 490,426,060 (World Factbook, 2007b), as well as NAFTA (446,078,489), with its U.S

Concepts of the Body, Medicine and Madness in Mary Shelley’s Frankenste

I intend to examine to what effect concepts of the body, medicine and madness are presented in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818). I shall perform close analysis to parts of the text referring to explorations in new technologies, advances in medical science, and there psychological impacts. I shall discuss social implications of the growth of man’s technological evolution during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Mary Shelley’s Gothic science-fiction novel Frankenstein (1818) was written and published between two major historical events. It followed The French Revolution (1789-1799) a period of radical social and political upheaval, and was written during The Industrial Revolution between the eighteenth and nineteenth century, a time of great socioeconomic and cultural effects. The French Revolution acted as ‘the single most crucial influence on British intellectual, philosophical, and political life in the nineteenth century.’ (David Cody, French Revolution: 2010). The Industrial Revolution marked ‘the transition from a world of artisan manufacture to a factory system.’ (Shirley Burchill et al. The Industrial Revolution: 2010). The advancements in machine based manufacturing brought social implications of anxiety. Frankenstein can be viewed as a reflection of the turmoil and change seen within society during the eighteenth and nineteenth century, thro ugh the explorations and growth in man’s technological evolution. Frankenstein is an epistolary novel, comprised of letters, journals and diary entries, allowing the reader a sense of verisimilitude – a sense that it might have actually occurred, enabling the author to change points of view when required to further the plot. The story follows a young grief stricken ... ....com. Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 2011. Available from www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/Prometheus, [accessed 12th January 2011]. Russell A. Potter, A Chronology of Frankenstein. Available from www.ric.edu/faculty/rpotter/Frank-chron.html, [accessed 12th January 2011]. Robert W. Anderson, Body Parts That Matter: Frankenstein, or The Modern Cyborg, 1999. Available from www.womenwriters.net/editorials/anderson1.htm, [accessed 12th January 2011]. Shirley Burchill, Nigel Hughes, Peter Price & Keith Woodall, The Open Door Website, The Industrial Revolution, 2010. Available from www.saburchill.com/history/.../001.html, [accessed 12th January 2011]. U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Frankenstein Penetrating the Secrets of Nature, 2010. Available from www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/frankenstein.html, [accessed 12th January 2011].

Congo :: essays research papers

The book Congo is about a group of people who go to the African Congo to return a gorilla to her homeland and to find type IIb blue diamonds. On their journey they discover the lost city of Zinj and a new species of killer gorillas, which they must overcome to survive. The story takes place in June of 1979. The three main characters are: Dr. Karen Ross, supervisor of Earth Resources Technology Services (ERTS), Dr. Peter Elliot, a primatologist who trained a gorilla named Amy to speak by the use of sign language, and Charles Munro, the guide who leads the expedition through the Congo. ERTS has already sent an expedition of eight into the Congo to retrieve type IIb blue diamonds. They are contacting them back at the base in Houston. The camera in the expedition’s camp turns on revealing a destroyed camp site: torn tents, supplies and clothing scattered everywhere, and dead bodies. As the camera moves around scanning the area a big gray object runs by the camera and destroys it. Every at ERTS is in shock. They replay the footage and freeze it on the big gray object. It looks like a gray gorilla, but gorillas don’t kill people. Karen Ross decides to take another expedition into the Congo to get the blue diamonds. Because of the bewilderment over this incident she contacts Dr. Elliot to find out what this gorilla is. She tells him that their going to the Congo and he wants to come and bring Amy, his gorilla. Amy has been experiencing bad dreams because of her past which is unknown to Dr. Ross. She begins finger painting which helps her sleep at ease because tries to banish the dreams onto paper. Elliot realizes she wants to go to the jungle because all the her paintings are of it. The expedition leaves quickly because there is a competing company that is also making its way to the Congo to get the blue diamonds, which are an amazing source of energy. The expedition is set to meet Charles Munro, the best guide there is, to guide them through the Congo. They discussed business matters and quickly headed to Nairobi. From Nairobi they took their final plane to go to the Congo. At that time a civil war had started in Africa and both sides were shooting everything, including the expedition’s plane. Every one had to take a parachute and jump out of the plane. This was a major delay in the time the expedition had to beat the competition to the diamond site. The expedition: Ross, Elliot, Munro, Amy, and some African men; have to

A Shot that Ricocheted through History Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å" A Shot That Ricocheted Through History†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Medgar Evers was a man who was not afraid to stand up for what he believed in. He believed that one-day blacks and whites would be able to associate with each other without racial interference. He would later die for what he believed and leave an example for all who was following in his path. The man believed to have shot him was tried three times and finally convicted in the third trial nearly thirty years after his death. Evers was seen as a martyr for all black to look up to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As civil rights began to gain attention of the United States, blacks decided they needed to change their approach from court cases to a more nonviolent approach. On August 28, 1963, the movement reached its strongest points. They made a march at Washington D. C., and wanted to federal civil rights legislation to give them equal rights. This is where Martin Luther King gave his famous â€Å"I Have A Dream† speech. King believed that most whites were basically decent and when faced by love would allow injustice and brutality to continue. (Jordan) The nonviolent approach would prove to be a better approach for them in later times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When blacks began charging their approach, they began preferring sit-ins. This all started at a public lunch counter at F. W. Woolsworth’s in Greensboro, North Carolina and began to spread to all public land counties across the south. As sit-ins became more common, they moved to other public places such as parks, movie theatres, swimming pools, libraries, lobbies, and many other segregated facilities. After several months of sit-ins, they began to become desegregated. Blacks also began a strong movement to get public schools desegregated as well. They finally succeeded with Ole Miss, when they accepted James Meredith into the school. President Kennedy also tried to help blacks by approaching the problem with caution. He did this by encouraging company with government contracts to hire black Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On July 2, 1925 in Decatur, Ms, a black man by the name of Medgar Wiley Evers was born. Until he joined the Army in 1943, he attended school in Decatur. He served Normandy and to Alcorn to pursue his college education in which he majored in business administration. While there, he participated in many school... ...egacy of Evers is everywhere present today. This peaceful man, who had constantly urged that violence is not the way ,but paid for his beliefs with his life, was a prominent voice of struggle for civil rights in Mississippi.† Many people, including his wife paid tribute to him into years past. His wife wrote a book called For Us, The Living, but the best is said to be, Mississippi, Black History Makers. Ten years after his death it was recorded that there had been one hundred and forty five black officials elected to office in Mississippi, and that there was a black student in each of the states private schools. In 1970, the Department of Health, Education, and welfare said that twenty-six percent of black people in the Mississippi public schools system with at least fifty percent white enrollment. In 1913, there were only twenty eight thousand blacks registered voters, and by 1971 there were two hundred and fifty thousand. Even in 1982, there were five hundred thousand. (J DP) Though the hard work and struggle of one man was ended with death, the changed be brought about are still evident today. This has only made Mississippi a better and more peaceful place to live for all races. A Shot that Ricocheted through History Essay -- essays research papers â€Å" A Shot That Ricocheted Through History†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Medgar Evers was a man who was not afraid to stand up for what he believed in. He believed that one-day blacks and whites would be able to associate with each other without racial interference. He would later die for what he believed and leave an example for all who was following in his path. The man believed to have shot him was tried three times and finally convicted in the third trial nearly thirty years after his death. Evers was seen as a martyr for all black to look up to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As civil rights began to gain attention of the United States, blacks decided they needed to change their approach from court cases to a more nonviolent approach. On August 28, 1963, the movement reached its strongest points. They made a march at Washington D. C., and wanted to federal civil rights legislation to give them equal rights. This is where Martin Luther King gave his famous â€Å"I Have A Dream† speech. King believed that most whites were basically decent and when faced by love would allow injustice and brutality to continue. (Jordan) The nonviolent approach would prove to be a better approach for them in later times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When blacks began charging their approach, they began preferring sit-ins. This all started at a public lunch counter at F. W. Woolsworth’s in Greensboro, North Carolina and began to spread to all public land counties across the south. As sit-ins became more common, they moved to other public places such as parks, movie theatres, swimming pools, libraries, lobbies, and many other segregated facilities. After several months of sit-ins, they began to become desegregated. Blacks also began a strong movement to get public schools desegregated as well. They finally succeeded with Ole Miss, when they accepted James Meredith into the school. President Kennedy also tried to help blacks by approaching the problem with caution. He did this by encouraging company with government contracts to hire black Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On July 2, 1925 in Decatur, Ms, a black man by the name of Medgar Wiley Evers was born. Until he joined the Army in 1943, he attended school in Decatur. He served Normandy and to Alcorn to pursue his college education in which he majored in business administration. While there, he participated in many school... ...egacy of Evers is everywhere present today. This peaceful man, who had constantly urged that violence is not the way ,but paid for his beliefs with his life, was a prominent voice of struggle for civil rights in Mississippi.† Many people, including his wife paid tribute to him into years past. His wife wrote a book called For Us, The Living, but the best is said to be, Mississippi, Black History Makers. Ten years after his death it was recorded that there had been one hundred and forty five black officials elected to office in Mississippi, and that there was a black student in each of the states private schools. In 1970, the Department of Health, Education, and welfare said that twenty-six percent of black people in the Mississippi public schools system with at least fifty percent white enrollment. In 1913, there were only twenty eight thousand blacks registered voters, and by 1971 there were two hundred and fifty thousand. Even in 1982, there were five hundred thousand. (J DP) Though the hard work and struggle of one man was ended with death, the changed be brought about are still evident today. This has only made Mississippi a better and more peaceful place to live for all races.

The first Olympic Games

The year is 776BC, and in Athens the first Olympic Games are about to start, the festivities have begun with a feast and sacrifices for the gods. The Olympic Spirit was a key part of their society. It was the one-time cultures from all of Greece could come together and celebrate, compete and enjoy. In the past few weeks we have been discussing the pros and cons of different issues and today it's the tur of Olympics. Approximately 2000 years later, what has changed, not much? But this Olympic spirit is ingrained within the Games, the international community spirit along with the best athletes coming together and competing in one of the most prestigious sporting competition in the world. I'd like to give you three reasons to explain why and Why the games will benefit Britain Firstly because of urban regeneration; this has been put at the heart of the London bid, and is a massive benefit to hosting the Olympic Games; there is the opportunity to redevelop areas that are dilapidated and have physical disorders. Although many locations in and around London will be used for Olympic Games the core location for most of the events will be the 500-acre Olympic Park in the Lower Lea Valley in East London, Which stretches over 5 boroughs: namely Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Camden, Greenwich and Stratford. 3 years ago Lower Lea Valley, was literally a dump site, with muggings at an all time high, knife crimes were going up and up. And you know why? Because no one cared about the place, it was considered to be a dirty, dangerous and dilapidated. And know gentlemen, due to the Olympic Committee's regeneration programme, the streets are clean, the alleys are well light The most important venue of the 2012 has been described as an architect's dream. Planned and already in building the 500 acre park promises an excellent site for sporting activities, with over 9 competition events, and is claimed to be the biggest sports site in Europe for nearly 150 years. Outside of the new Olympic Park, which will principally host indoor sports and track and athletic events, all of England will join in as hosts. However it is not just London that is going to benefit. Throughout the countries there will be facilities available. Already the Olympic Committee, has set up brilliant badminton centers in Birmingham, superb swimming pools in Swansea and even mountain biking in Manchester! However to gain the most from the Olympics we need to maximize the legacy effect. Currently the plan is to sell the Olympic stadium to West Ham Football Club, so that they can keep the sporting spirit alive. The legacy effect is in essence the only thing that will keep allow us to maintain the investment of hosting the Olympic Games. Britain, has the highest number of sports fans in the world, we have a pride in our sport, when we hear our national anthem at any event our hearts swell with pride. Recently in the last Commonwealth Games over a thousand British supporters flew out to India to support Team GB. We are proud to be British, Londoner, but the 2012 Olympics is not just about London. It's about team GB, it's about national pride, it's about an amazing, historical event taking place on our doorstep, it's about getting excited and involved, and it's about making sure that we maximise the legacy and the investment. As Lord Coe said â€Å"The Games will inspire the nation and give us the ability to showcase all that is great about Britain.†

Exploration of Irony and Surprise Essay

Irony and surprise are common literary devices authors use to communicate their ideas when writing literary works. Irony allows the writer to suggest an interpretation that is different from the literal meaning of the words used in the text. The element of surprise allows the writer to manipulate the reader’s expectations and take them somewhere completely different. In the short stories, A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flanney O’Connor and Happy Endings by Margaret Atwood, both authors use the element of irony and surprise to engage readers and to develop deeper levels of meaning in their text. In A Good Man is Hard to Find, O’connor uses several kinds of irony to communicate her message about the human condition. The foreshadowing of irony is established in the very beginning of the story when she gives us the reason for the grandmother getting dressed for the car ride. â€Å"In case of an accident anyone seeing the dead on the highway would know at once that she was lady. † The grandma is a character that is narrow-minded, ignorant, and critical of others but not of herself. She has the idea that the goodness of a person can be determined by their physical appearance and outward behavior. After the car crash,the Misfit makes an appearance and the grandmother recognizes the Misfit. His politeness, which is sincere but also done to put the family at ease, draws out the grandmother’s assessment of the Misfit: â€Å"Listen,† the grandmother almost screamed, â€Å"I know you’re a good man. You don’t look a bit like you have common blood. I know you must come from nice people! † At the beginning of the story, her opinion about the Misfit is quite the contrary but realizing the Misfit intends harm, she changes her opinion to save herself. The dramatic irony occurs towards the end of the story when the grandma who has been superficial till this point, is in her final moments alone with the Misfit and is able make sense of everything that has gone wrong in her life. She has an epiphany and feels sympathy for the Misfit as â€Å"one of [her] own children. † She is showing that she has found the ability to see others with compassion and kindness but this consciousness is immediately followed by three bullets to her chest. In Happy Ending by Margaret Atwood, we can trace the irony in the story’s title in relation to its content. In story A, we are given a perfect story of what an ideal marriage should be but the John and Mary still die and that is not a happy ending. Atwood challenges the reader to engage with all that happens in the middle because the journey is the interesting part In story A, John and Mary appear to be happy because they possess the ideal elements to a happy lifestyle: fabulous jobs, money, children, a large home, and personal luxuries. However, at the end of the story, they just die and the story comes to an end. As the stories progress, the characters’ lives become a bit more complicated, but they still always end up at story A, and they die in the end. At the end. By the end, all one can say is the fact of what has happened, not the â€Å"how† or the â€Å"why† of the situation. In story A, how do all these things make the couple happy. Why? They’re really not happy at all and have no actual story to tell. A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flanney O’Connor and Happy Endings by Margaret Atwood, both authors use the element of surprise to manipulate the reader’s expectation. In A Good Man Is Hard to Find, the contribution of surprise can be traced in the plot line. The story strings the reader along in believing it is about a comedic family vacation with funny situations that happen along the way. We reach a turning point when the family car crashes and encounters the Misfit, everyone dies of a tragic death that is caused by the grandma. In Happy Endings ,the title misleads the reader in assuming the story would have a happy ending but in fact every ending leads to death. A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flanney O’Connor and Happy Endings by Margaret Atwood, both authors use irony to reveal the less obvious truths about the human condition. Both authors use the element of surprise is use to take the readers down an unexpected path. Both of the short stories integrate the elements of irony and surprise seamlessly in their works. I personally enjoyed reading and analyzing A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flanney O’Connor more than the other one because it is a higher quality story with a richer plot line and character development. The story is crafted beautifully.