Guatemalan civil war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Guatemalan civil war - Essay Example Guatemalan civil war It is important to undertake a critical investigation into the cause-effect of this civil war and the input of cultural structure of Latin America in this war (Natella 176). Many scholars have explored the cultural factors within the context of Latin America region and how this contributed to the long standing economic oppression and political instability that was the order of the day in Guatemala from early 1960s. Political structure is always derived from the traditions of any community in their ancient socio-political organization and the way of governance and culture of loyalty defines success of any leadership. It would equally be important to consider the foreign influence into the civil war and what they sought to gain. It is also worth to take a look at the community that suffered the full brunt of this civil war and the consequences this had on its relationship with the governing authority to date. Maya community and Indians were particularly tortured, displaced and killed. Further inquiry would also be important in regard to the civil war’s contribution towards present day modernization and democratization and its cost in Guatemala. Critical analysis of the civil war in Guatemala indicates that there were real social problems that compelled some people to revolt against the government. . Research findings establish that there was massive oppression, widespread racism and mass violence which left many people displaced, maimed and killed. The question that many people would ask is the relationship that existed between the government of the day and its citizens in regard to the violent clashes between Neoliberal and Leftist (Coerver, et al.259). To answer this question, it would be important to find the other factors that contributed to this historic civil war almost likened to genocide. United States had a hand in the clashes through their push for capitalism in Latin America. It is therefore evident that there involvement fuelled the problem and explains its length of existence I terms of years. They supplied the government military wing with resources that were used against the leftists. This was a tactical approach towards forcing the citizens to adhere to the government oppressive economic ideologies and promote their interest in the country. This explains the US installation of Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas by Central intelligence agency against the democratically-elected president, Jacobo Arbenz. The later was considered communist threat and acted in the interest of the citizens. At the height of confrontation between the leftist and the government forces, the citizens suffered more in many ways and this soured their relationship with the government between 1960’s and the 1990s (Davies and Fredric 211). Government sought to favor foreigners by taking local people’s land and allocating to the foreigners, dividing to political cronies and completely ignored the plight of common citizens through autocratic leadership. The leftist represented the people as they fought to regain lost property to the dictatorial governments. The neoliberal forces were for the idea of capitalism that promoted extremes in form of wealth and poverty and therefore got much hatred from the citizens. Despite several negotiations and international community’s intervention in Guatemala crisis, citizens still had no confidence in the government and its socio-economic and political pursuits. It is important to note that

Global Enterprise and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Global Enterprise and Innovation - Essay Example This is also applicable in the context of China. The impact of globalisation on the Chinese economy which in turn influences its business activities can be well identified with reference to the multinational companies. However, globalisation also provides certain significant opportunities to the business firms in economy. For instance, the Chinese scientists and engineers are becoming important participants in the global science and contributing to the world’s scientific and technical literature. It increased the scope of expansion of the market, influenced the political issues and other developments that support the International Business. The ongoing social, political and economic processes broaden the relationship among the nations, people, organizations and the governmental bodies. Inclusively, China is one of the powerful markets providing exciting business opportunities for multinational companies. ... With this concern, the report will analyse the legal and political environment of China and the impact of globalisation on the economy. The report will also intend to identify the various opportunities or motivational factors which influence the multinational companies to enter China and examine the risk and obstacles faced by the companies during their entrance. Furthermore, the report shall intend to suggest few strategies to overcome the risks and obstacles identified. 2.0. Implication of Globalisation on the International Business Environment of China Globalisation has made a lasting impact on the global business organisations. It has provided various advantages as well as created certain complexities which have made an influence on the operations of the multinational companies. For instance, globalisation creates new job opportunities and offers attractive choices to innumerable consumers. It has also led to numerous innovations. Notably, the issue has flashed a considerable deb ate over the past decade. Economists have argued that globalisation is beneficial to the economic development of the world. However, it is a complicated process which contains a string of aspects such as capital movement, spread of technology and knowledge and political and cultural influences (Simon, n.d.). Most countries, along with China, are moving towards greater deregulations and enhancing the role of free market in the economy. An internet connection, which is even available in the remote areas of the world, can also be identified as a part of developing new business, technology and social innovations. The rapid growth of an economy is exerting pressure on energy, commodities and natural resources. It can enhance the development through expansion of

International Hrm And Comparative Hrm Management Essay

International Hrm And Comparative Hrm Management Essay The growth in international trade and globalisation has encouraged firms to expand their operations worldwide, which has resulted in the emergence of new markets such as China, India, South East Asia and Latin America. This trend has also been accompanied by an increased level of competition amongst firms at both national and international level. The challenge of managing a workforce worldwide with different cross-cultural skills, competencies and demographic characteristics means that managers can no longer rely on traditional HRM models developed for Anglo-Saxon countries. Many firms underestimate the complexities involved in international operations, and there is some evidence to suggest that business failures in the international arena may often be linked to poor management of human resources (Desatnick Bennett, 1978). Western academics and practitioners have thus moved from traditional international HRM issues to the area of comparative HRM. In order to maximize cross-national management capabilities, there is need to understand how employees in different national settings respond to similar concepts within their particular functions. This essay has been structured as follows. In the next section, I will examine the difference between international and comparative HRM. I will then look at the way comparative HRM assist academics and practitioners appreciate the differences in the strategies and processes in MNCs. A conclusion is then presented. Difference between international and comparative HRM International HRM has been defined as HRM issues, functions, policies and practices that result from the strategic activities of MNEs (Scullion, 1995). IHRM deals principally with issues and problems associated with the globalisation of capitalism. It involves the same elements as domestic HRM but is more complex to manage, in terms of the diversity of national contexts and types of workers. The emphasis is on the MNCs ability to attract, develop and deploy talented employees in a multinational setting and to get them to work effectively despite differences in culture, language and locations. International HRM tends to mitigate the impact of national culture and national employment practice against corporate culture and practices. Comparative HRM, on the other hand, is a systematic method of investigation that seeks to explain the patterns and variations encountered in cross-national HRM rather than simply describe HRM institutions and practices in different societies. According to comparative HRM literature, different national business systems arise from differences in specific historical, cultural and institutional heritage in certain countries. Comparative differences occur due to decisive historical events such as the process of industrialisation or due to the legacy of pre-modern forms of social organisation. Hofstedes (1980) adopted the culturalist perspective where he argued that national business styles emerge due to ingrained cultural attitudes and mental schemas. He described culture under five dimensions which are power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation. Other researchers claim that HR management practices differ between nations due to the presence of specifically national institutions such as education, banking services or state/legal support. In what ways (if at all) does an understanding of comparative HRM assist academics and HR practitioners appreciate the difference in the strategies and processes in MNCs which are often termed as International HRM? The contrasted view to a divergence point mentioned above is that some academics claim that with HRM policies and practices are becoming universal (tending more towards the dominant American models) and that country-of-origin effects are no longer relevant. The pressure to build standardised operations internationally is strongest in sectors where competition is highly internationalised and where firms compete on the basis of a similar product or service across countries such as in cars and fast foods. They have put forward several reasons to explain this trend. Firstly, all MNCs operate in one global market and therefore have to respond to the same environmental pressures such as globalisation and technology, the growth in international trade and the move towards an internationally-integrated financial system. Secondly, the widespread practice of benchmarking best practice in terms of cost, quality and productivity may also have contributed to convergence of international HRM models for e.g. Japanese style lean-production system in the 1980s and 1990s. Moreover, these pressures towards convergence stem in part from the influence of MNCs themselves through their ability to transfer practices across borders and erode country-of-origin effects. Finally, the formation and development of like-minded international cadres mostly from American or European business schools may have contributed to homogenised international HRM policies and practices. Since the early 1990s, the international HRM literature has been dominated by models and typologies aimed at identifying how international HR fits with organisational strategy. Bartlett and Ghoshal (1998) argue that the main issue for all multinational companies is the need to trade-off the advantages global efficiency namely the coordination of its operations to achieve economies of scale and scope as opposed to the need to differentiate its products and services to meet the local demands. They also identified a third pressure, namely worldwide innovation and learning, whereby firms are encouraged to support innovation and learning across their network of subsidiaries rather than simply relying on research and development at the headquarters. MNEs then follow the appropriate HRM policies and practices according to the structure of the organisation, the competitive strategy chosen or stage of corporate evolution reached. Below, the Taylors (1996) model of strategic international HRM has been described. Exportive This is essentially a model where the HQ management takes home country management approach and try to implement them in their foreign subsidiaries in order to achieve economies of scale. In this model, there is a system of hierarchy and a centralised control. This is especially useful in instances of uncertain political environment and high risks demanding greater control from corporate parents. Given this pattern of centralisation, there is a considerable amount of forward policy transfer and less reverse transfer from subsidiaries to the HQ, i.e. they rely mainly on the technical know-how of the parent company. Global firms offer products or services that are standardised to enable production to be carried in a cost-efficient way. Their subsidiaries are not subject to rigid control except over the quality and the presentation of the product or service. This structure is normally associated with the American firms with their formalised, bureaucratic control and a dominant finance sy stem to internalise risks. Adaptive Differences in the host environment demands and conditions mean that overseas subsidiaries have to operate independently. This is common where departing from established practices in host environments is unlawful. For example, in some Germany, there is a legal obligation to negotiate with employee representatives concerning major organisational changes. In other cases, transferring practices may be legal but would go against traditional practices at the risk of losing goodwill from staff. Firms may decide to forgo HQ control if there is the possibility to exploit most efficiently the local labour markers. For example, MNCs which origin from high-cost highly regulated economies such as Germany may well choose not to transfer important elements of their HR systems such as collective bargaining or apprenticeship if they move to lower wage, lightly regulated economies such as China. Integrative It is also argued that the more management processes and activities can be integrated across geographical boundaries, the easier it is to share resources and knowledge. They can identify and best use the skill and management talent that exists across the MNC network allowing for both global integration and local differentiation. As mentioned previously, international HRM processes consist of the same activities as domestic HRM but applied in an international context. These include an accurate human resource planning to ensure that the MNCs have the right people at the right place around the world, good staffing policies that capitalise on the world-wide expertise of expatriates and locals, performance appraisals that fit with the competitive strategies of the HQ, adequate training and development to ensure that expatriates do not suffer from culture shock and compensation policies that are strategically and culturally relevant. The focus in international HRM strategy is how MNEs coordinate their geographically dispersed operations strengthening the organisational culture, promoting commitment and encouraging willingness in employees to act in the interests of the firm. Recruitment and selection of international managers Employees play a crucial role in sustaining and coordinating their geographically dispersed operations. The challenge is that of resourcing international operations with people of the right calibre. Traditionally, MNEs sent expatriates, i.e. a parent country national abroad to ensure that the policies and procedures set by the parent -company were being followed as well as to bring expertise to the local employees. However, the high number of expatriate failures has meant that more and more MNEs are turning to host country nationals to satisfy the international staffing needs. The prominent reason to explain international assignment failures was the inability of the expatriate or his family to cope with the culture shock. Researchers revealed that international business travellers faced problems in their personal lives and were victims of stress. Moreover, changes in legislative conditions affecting labour relations combined with security issues have made it more costly to use expatr iates at senior management positions at subsidiary level. The advantages of employing local nationals are that they are familiar with local markets, the local communities, the cultural setting and the local economy. They speak the local language and are culturally assimilated. They can take a long-view and contribute for a long period (as distinct from expatriates who are likely to take a short-term perspective). Expatriates are only used as technical troubleshooters and general management operatives. This means academics need to find the best ways to recruit and select local managers and help them cultivate a global perspective rather than a narrow outlook on how to conduct business in the local environment. International pay and reward and performance management The concept fair pay and reward is also subject to different interpretations depending on the national business system. Triandis (1998) differentiated between vertical cultures which accept hierarchy as given whereas horizontal cultures accept equality as given. In individualistic cultures, there are few rules and norms about correct behaviour and employees expect to be rewarded on their own merits and performance. Countries like US feature at the higher end of the individualistic spectrum. On the other hand, collectivism emerges in societies that have many rules and regulations about correct behaviour. In these societies, employees accept rewards or recognition on the basis of their seniority, efficiency and conformity with the organisational values rather than on the basis of their creativity or professionalism (Pascale and Athos, 1981). China is an example of a collectivist society. In such societies, rewards for individual performance or differentiating between employees are not acceptable. Indeed, the prevailing view is that it takes the contribution from everyone to achieve continuous improvement (kaizen) in Japanese enterprise. Singling one employee may cause him to lose face and consequently a loss of goodwill for the expatriate manager. Moreover, an understanding of the body language is vital for senior expatriate managers when providing feedbacks. While in individualistic society, it is perfectly acceptable for a subordinate to participate in a discussion with his senior, in collectivist societies such as India, disagreeing with ones supervisor is considered disrespectful. Furthermore, countries like Korea and Taiwan prefer more subtle ways of communicating feedbacks. Up-front reprimand or performance appraisal is likely to clash with the societys norms of harmony and the employees may view it as a personal affront. Understanding these local customs and mapping them across countries is an exciting field of study for researchers interested in global performance management systems. Training and development Training and development is vital to ensure that the workforce remains competent and flexible by developing the know-how thought necessary for success in the company and on the job. Scholars have highlighted the importance of national culture on training and development in terms of the hard and soft approach. The hard approach views employees in the organisation as a mere resource to achieve goals of the organisation while the soft approach views them more as valued assets capable of development (Tyson and Fell, 1986). This approach obviously influence the level amount of institutional (percentage GDP) spent on education. The German tradition adopts the soft approach and relies on formal apprenticeship, functional rotation and career path where technical expertise is gradually developed. UK which support the hard approach, believes that the individual is responsible for funding his own education and career advancement. This difference in national training and education systems will m ean that the skill and competence profile of the workers available on the labour market will vary from one country to another. Comparative studies have also shown that there are national differences in the way that managerial careers and management development are organised. Both Japan and France rely on elite recruitment, that is, future managers are decided at the point of entry based on their exceptional qualifications. This contrasts with the American belief of self-improvement where the philosophy is its never too late to change. Also, there are also noticeable differences in the teaching and learning style across countries. The idea of working in groups is more natural to Asian than individualist Anglo-Saxon managers. German and Swiss managers favour structured learning environments and coming to the right answers and are tolerant of confrontation. Asian countries, in contrast, are more concerned about status differences and may be unwilling to exchange ideas against their mentors. This will consequently impact on the format of delivering training for the practitioner, whereby the Asian employees might prefer lecture-type training and German and Swiss might prefer the seminar-type interpersonal interaction. Employment relations Finally, the type of employee relations pursued by the MNE depends principally on the national business systems characteristics of the both the home and host countries. According to Hall and Soskice (2001), there are two varieties of capitalism: Liberated market economies and coordinated market economies. In liberal market economies, firms coordinate their activities primarily via hierarchies and competitive market arrangements. Market relations are characterised by arms length exchange of goods and services and formal contracting. The demand and supply of goods and services are regulated though market mechanisms. There are comparatively fewer state controls. Nations like US and UK fall under this category of market. Consequently, US MNEs adopt a short-termist shareholder value mentality which means they are less willing to offer secure employment to their workers. Therefore, management of labour in the US mirrors the economic model of demand and supply, with market determined wages, hire-and-fire practice and many workers employed on a temporary basis. Employers in US are also more resistant to trade union organisations than in other developed industrial democracies and the legal support for trade union organisations and collective bargaining are relatively weak in the US compared to those in other countries. In contrast, in coordinated market economies, firms depend more heavily on non-market relationships to coordinate their activities with other economic actors. These non-market modes means there is greater reliance on private information inside networks and a greater reliance on collaborative relationships. Coordinated market economies are also characterised by a higher degree of government intervention. Countries such as France, Italy and China are examples of such economies. To illustrate, countries like Germany and Japan have adopted the long-termist approach whereby the interests of stakeholders are considered rather than simply of shareholders. This means these MNEs can offer its employees long-term employment. German trade unions are considered as a powerful stakeholder in the labour market and have the right of collective bargaining, i.e. employers need to so consult their workers before any major changes are carried out. To conclude, the basic purpose of examining human resource from a comparative and international perspective is that it contributes to an understanding of the extent to which there are differences between organisations and their subsidiaries located in different countries. The main difference between comparative and international HRM is comparative HRM seeks to explain the differences arising between different business systems while IHRM downplays the importance of host and home country differences. The greater cultural distance between home country and host country, the harder it will be for the MNCs to transfer home country philosophies and practices. This impact on the way HR practitioners have to implement their policies but opens up new avenues for research for the academics.

Merchant Of Venice by William Shakespeare :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays

â€Å"Modern Humanitarianism has run riot on Shylock.† Discuss. â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† is concerned with two issues that were of importance in the Elizabethan Age: Jewry and Usury. It is generally assumed that the Elizabethan attitude to Jewry was hostile and that the execution of Roderigo Lopez in 1594 was characteristic of the Christian rejection of all ‘Jews, Turks, Infidels and Heretics’, who were considered to be â€Å"misbelievers†. But this could also be a false assumption, for although the Jews were forced to convert to Christianity to live in England, once they did they were generally left alone. Marlowe in â€Å"The Jew of Malta† portrays a Machiavellian Jew, but one who is ‘rarely mean’ in his villainy. Usury was a contemporary and important issue during Shakespeare’s time. Shylock is the negative and stereotype picture of the usurer that most of the Elizabethans had- one who was seen as a ‘greedy dog’, ‘a leech’. The interpretation of Shylock’s character is difficult and also to some extent ambiguous. He was earlier portrayed as a comic character but later on could be interpreted as a malevolent villain. But if Shylock is taken as a comic character the whole power of the play is lost. He would almost become a ridiculous villain. It could also be that Shakespeare created Shylock as a match for Marlowe’s Jew- one that was terrible, imposing but also human. Shylock is one of the main characters of the play but this also depends on the way that his character is played. He has mostly been portrayed as a comic character but when he is the tragic protagonist he ‘usurps the center of the stage.’ Shylock â€Å"represents the killjoy against whom the pleasure-loving characters unite.† He represents a â€Å"a-social miserliness† and thus his villainy is somewhat mitigated and brought within the scope of humanist debate. Shylock exists as a visible complication to the smooth running of Bassanio’s friendship with Antonio and his courtship of Portia. One can almost say that is the character that makes the plot possible. As John Palmer has said, Shylock is â€Å"An imaginative realization of what it means to wear the Star of David.† Shylock is a Jew in a Gentile Society, an alien who is never accepted. He is proud of his race, his religion but he is up against a Venetian society that is insufferable to the outsider. Even his daughter attacks all that he holds dear. Merchant Of Venice by William Shakespeare :: Free Merchant of Venice Essays â€Å"Modern Humanitarianism has run riot on Shylock.† Discuss. â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† is concerned with two issues that were of importance in the Elizabethan Age: Jewry and Usury. It is generally assumed that the Elizabethan attitude to Jewry was hostile and that the execution of Roderigo Lopez in 1594 was characteristic of the Christian rejection of all ‘Jews, Turks, Infidels and Heretics’, who were considered to be â€Å"misbelievers†. But this could also be a false assumption, for although the Jews were forced to convert to Christianity to live in England, once they did they were generally left alone. Marlowe in â€Å"The Jew of Malta† portrays a Machiavellian Jew, but one who is ‘rarely mean’ in his villainy. Usury was a contemporary and important issue during Shakespeare’s time. Shylock is the negative and stereotype picture of the usurer that most of the Elizabethans had- one who was seen as a ‘greedy dog’, ‘a leech’. The interpretation of Shylock’s character is difficult and also to some extent ambiguous. He was earlier portrayed as a comic character but later on could be interpreted as a malevolent villain. But if Shylock is taken as a comic character the whole power of the play is lost. He would almost become a ridiculous villain. It could also be that Shakespeare created Shylock as a match for Marlowe’s Jew- one that was terrible, imposing but also human. Shylock is one of the main characters of the play but this also depends on the way that his character is played. He has mostly been portrayed as a comic character but when he is the tragic protagonist he ‘usurps the center of the stage.’ Shylock â€Å"represents the killjoy against whom the pleasure-loving characters unite.† He represents a â€Å"a-social miserliness† and thus his villainy is somewhat mitigated and brought within the scope of humanist debate. Shylock exists as a visible complication to the smooth running of Bassanio’s friendship with Antonio and his courtship of Portia. One can almost say that is the character that makes the plot possible. As John Palmer has said, Shylock is â€Å"An imaginative realization of what it means to wear the Star of David.† Shylock is a Jew in a Gentile Society, an alien who is never accepted. He is proud of his race, his religion but he is up against a Venetian society that is insufferable to the outsider. Even his daughter attacks all that he holds dear.

Linear Equality Applied in Real Life Essay

From the real life situation described in the prior DQ 1, I found out the form of the equation that can be used to analyze situations wherein decisions have to be made. This linear equation is that of the slope: y = ax + b, wherein x is the independent value and its value is fixed. In the problem 40, the x denotes the fixed rate for each minute used. The variable a is the number of minutes consumed for the call and b is the fixed amount the company charged just for using the service. The variable y is the dependent variable and the total amount for the whole service, depending on the number of minutes used. Figure 1, based on problem 40 (McGraw-Hill Companies, 2005) will help to further illustrate the use of the equation. Based on the graph, Company A costs more than Company B up until a certain point, which is when the sum of the calls Rafaella made in one month was 45 minutes. On the other hand, when she made 60 minutes worth of calls in one month, it is seen that Company B started to become a bit more expensive than Company A. Thus, based on the results, Rafaella should choose based on her own estimate of her usage of long-distance calls. If she’ll rarely make calls or call for only a few minutes each month, she should stay subscribed at Company B. However, if she thinks that her total calls would exceed 60 minutes per month, then it is advisable for her to subscribe to Company A. Table 1. Total charges for total minutes of of long-distance calls in one month for Company

Hunters in the Snow Essay

It’s really thrilling to read the short story â€Å"Hunters in the Snow† since it deals with three amazing characters namely Kenny, Tub and Frank. This short story is very interesting to read because these three hunting buddies’ characters appear as the story goes. At first, you will think if there is friendship among them, since one part of the story shows that Frank and Kenny could have helped Tub to get through the fences but they didn’t. However, in the end, you can actually see that there is more than friendship in their relationship as the story unfolds. It has been clearly seen that depending on circumstances, the three men who has balance of power among them could shift anytime since because of human nature. The story also suggests that whenever human being has been isolated in a natural setting, it is possible that they can be like animals which are primitive and predatory. The funny tragicomedy ending of the story made me laugh since they routed to a different way instead of heading to the hospital where they have to bring Kenny. Another related short story entitled â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† which is also about hunting and human nature. Here, Sanger Rainsford is the main character who has a hard heart towards the animals he hunts and for him, hunting is the best sport in the world. Zaroff, a Russian aristocrat, on the other hand is called a civilized savage since his favorite prey is man. The setting is very interesting since it has always been mysterious to go to Caribbean  island. It’s been terrifying to know that there are humans who hunt for human. I felt sad about the frightened creatures that are being killed by hunters but the worst part of the story is when Rainsford killed Zaroff as he says â€Å"I am still a beast at bay†. The story is very inhumane as I read it, because aside from killing wild animals, human has been also a target for hunting in this story. This is really the most dangerous game so to speak because it seems that killing and hunting is just their hobby. However, I have learned that the purpose of the story is to teach us that game has its own rules but when you think that it would not be fair at all, you have to think twice especially when your life is at risk.

Solving the Lifeboat Dilemma Essay Essays

Solving the Lifeboat Dilemma Essay Essays Solving the Lifeboat Dilemma Essay Paper Solving the Lifeboat Dilemma Essay Paper Essay Topic: Emma In the instance presented. I believe there is no right thing to make but I am morally compelled to move upon the state of affairs that confronts me. I choose to utilize my strength to throw person overboard to salvage four lives. including my ain. In asseverating that there is no right thing to make. it is because in taking either of the options presented. human life is sacrificed. It is a authoritative instance of â€Å"damned if I do. curse if I don’t† . Whatever pick I make. I will stop up making the incorrect thing. By taking to utilize my strength to throw person overboard and kill him. I am go againsting his right to life. If I do nil. I would be responsible for the deceases of five people. Although done without purpose. throwing that one individual overboard would be the lone solution. all things considered. for continuing the greater good. In so making. I am reprobating myself to guilt and remorse as determinations that terminate lives are the most intolerable 1s. From a purely useful point of position. I would be taking the option that would account for â€Å"greater felicity for the greatest figure of people. † felicity qualified in this instance as endurance ( Greenspan 119 ) . Clearly. my pick is the lesser of two immoralities. In this instance. although there is a moral quandary presented. such a quandary could be resolved because one duty overrides the other in footings of the figure of lives that could be saved. This is non similar to the phenomenon in Sophie’s Choice wherein Sophie is presented with two symmetrical duties. In her instance. she had to take between her two girls or reprobate both to decease. In my instance. I am non compelled with emotional fond regards to any of those present in the lifeboat that would do my struggle incapable of deliberation. These people are aliens to me and so. the weight of the duty can be measured in footings of how many lives I could salvage which in the greater strategy of things. intent to the more moral determination. Clearly. this determination would be criticized by many. Advocates of the philosophy of the dual consequence would see my determination as morally incorrect and indefensible. While the dual consequence logical thinking may acquit those who take action that has negative side-effects. when that action involves something intentionally intended in order to transport out a solution ( in my instance. utilizing my power to throw person overboard ) . it becomes incorrect. Even if the cause ( in order to salvage five people ) is good. the fact that I did something harmful to convey about the cause would render the full determination immoral ( McConnell 412 ) . Utilitarian oppositions would besides reject my impression of taking the lesser of two immoralities. Extremist moralists would state that human lives are incommensurate. and giving one in stead of a greater figure does non do it moral ( Hill 215 ) . Others would impeach me of being an ethical egotist for taking personal endurance above all else. Greenspan. Patricia S. â€Å"Moral Dilemmas and Guilt. † Philosophic Surveies 43 ( 1983 ) : 117-125. Hill. Thomas E. . Jr. â€Å"Moral Purity and the Lesser Evil. † The Monist 66 ( 1983 ) : 213-232. McConnell. Terrance. â€Å"Moral Dilemmas and Necessitating the Impossible. † Philosophic Surveies 29 ( 1976 ) : 409-413.

Hidden Threads Essays - Hermeneutics, Continental Philosophy

Hidden Threads Essays - Hermeneutics, Continental Philosophy Hidden Threads There was a time, not long ago, when the evangelical commu-nity had considerable consensus on lifestyle questions and socialissues. We generally agreed on what we should eat and drink and how we might spend our weekends. There was little debate over definitions of vulgarity or morality, and questions of fashion were rarely a matter for discussion. In those days, everyone knew how a family should be raised, and aberrations such as divorce and abortion were simply that: problems found only among hose outside the fold. All of that has changed. Today there is considerable disagreement on such questions, and where there is not disagreement, there is often a reluctant silence or unwillingness to enter into discussion on these questions. The problem is complicated by the fact that these issues do not always fall neatly into those familiar gaps found among genders, generations, and geographies. Too often we find uneasy disagreement among parishioners or even among clergy in the same denomination. Similarly, tensions are found among teenagers or among parents and not simply between those two groups. In each case where such tensions exist, clear biblical and objective bases for evaluating our modern society are usually not found. Consequently, theological answers to these questions have generally not been helpful. That is not to say we should expect them to be. Much of the difficulty in dealing with contemporary social issues can be attributed to modernity with its tendency to pose problems that all outside of theological answers . Theology is designed to defend the faith and not to interpret modern culture or to help the believer live in it. It is the province of social science to understand modernity and to explain how it affects all of us. Theology cannot be expected to interpret the impact of computers on modern life any more than social science can be expected to explain the Trinity. What theology can do is to elucidate those universal principles given to us by God that social science may then interpret for modern living. My claim is that modern life has re-defined many of the practices that theology traditionally addressed. State lotteries, for example, have defined gambling in ways unfamiliar to theology. The revocation of blue laws concerned with Sunday openings has challenged the traditional meaning of the Sabbath. In a modern economy, the biblical meaning of poverty differsgreatly from the meaning found today. In each of these cases, traditional biblical interpretations do not address the questions experienced today. Consequently, there is a lag in theological thinking when contemporary social issues fall outside the boundof traditional theological answer. Our problem is to locate some common ground where theology and social science can join forces, some bridge between biblical truth and the application of that truth to modern social problems. I would argue that concepts found in scripture as well as in social science form a common, hermeneutical base for the analysis of modern social issues. Referred to here as hidden threads, these concepts tie together, so to speak, the meaning God intended us to find in the world with meaning as we find it today. What is the meaning in the modern marriage that is faithful to God's plan and what has been added by humans? What is the meaning of money that God would have us keep and what modern thinking should be discarded? These questions can only be answered when theology and social science join forces. The harmful impact made by modernity on society and Christian thought justifies such an approach. To support that claim, I intend in this paper to: l) clarify the crises posed by modernity, 2) develop the conceptual foundation referred to here as hidden threads as it relates to these crises, and 3) encourage the development of a hermeneutic which benefits from the interpretations offered by theology and social science. Crisis of Meaning Much of traditional life was governed by the belief that society's rules and norms were appropriate for governing human relationships and were worthy of respect, if not full acceptance. Developments in Western culture over the past 30 years or so have reversed much of this belief and substituted the notion that people shape rules as they interact. Instead of fitting relationships into normative expectations, those relationships

Aether Definition in Alchemy and Science

Aether Definition in Alchemy and Science There are two related science definitions for the term aether, as well as other non-scientific meanings. (1) Aether was the fifth element in alchemical chemistry  and early physics. It was the name given to the material that was believed to fill the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere. The belief in aether as an element was held by medieval alchemists, Greeks, Buddhists, Hindus, the Japanese, and the Tibetan Bon. Ancient Babylonians believed the fifth element to be the sky. The fifth element in the Chinese Wu-Xing was metal rather than aether.(2) Aether was also considered the medium that carried light waves in space by 18th and 19th Century scientists. Luminiferous ether was proposed in order to explain the capacity of light to propagate through apparently empty space. The Michelson-Morley experiment (MMX) led scientists to realize there was no aether and that light was self-propagating. Michelson-Morley Experiment and Aether The MMX experiment was performed at what is now Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio in 1887 by Albert A. Michelson and Edward Morley. The experiment used an interferometer to compare the speed of light in perpendicular directions. The point of the experiment was to determine the relative motion of matter through the aether wind or luminiferous aether. It was believed light required a medium in order to move, similar to the way sound waves require a medium (e.g., water or air) to propagate. Since it was known light could travel in a vacuum, it was believed the vacuum must be filled with a substance called aether. Since the Earth would revolve around the Sun through the aether, there would be a relative motion between the Earth and the aether (the aether wind). Thus, the speed of light would be affected by whether the light was moving in the direction of the Earths orbit or perpendicular to it. The negative results were published in the same year and followed up with exp eriments of increased sensitivity. The MMX experiment led to the development of the theory of special relativity, which does not rely on any aether for the propagation of electromagnetic radiation. The Michelson-Morley experiment is considered to be the most famous failed experiment. (3) The word aether or ether may be used to describe apparently empty space. In Homeric Greek, the word aether refers to the clear sky or pure air. It was believed to be the pure essence breathed by gods, while man required air to breathe. In the modern usage, aether simply refers to invisible space (e.g., I lost my email to the aether.) Alternate Spellings: Æther, ether, luminous aether, luminiferous aether, aether wind, light-bearing ether Commonly Confused With: Aether is not the same thing as the chemical substance, ether, which is the name given to a class of compounds containing an ether group. An ether group consists of an oxygen atom connected to two aryl groups or alkyl groups. Aether Symbol in Alchemy Unlike many alchemical elements, aether does not have a commonly accepted symbol. Most often, it was represented by a simple circle.

Biometrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biometrics - Essay Example As Jain, Bolle and Pankanti (n.d) point out, biometrics will gradually become a prime appurtenance in identification technology especially for the following reasons: repeatedly falling prices of biometric sensors, advancement in the underlying technology, increasing awareness among the public regarding the merits and demerits of the technology as such. But a strong voice had been rising against the implementation of biometrics especially regarding the threat posed by it to privacy of persons. Biometric scanners which were in use in some airports in the U.S. were greatly criticized for the reason that security officers could observe the naked figures of the passengers through the scanner, and it is said that biometric scanners can even detect if a woman is pregnant. And this in fact is the biggest challenge the technology has to overcome in order to be globally practical. Privacy is clearly a fundamental right of an individual. Hence, anything that invades ones privacy cannot be suppo rted. Biometric methods have both positive and negative impacts on the privacy of a person. It enhances the control of the individual over his/her personal information thus reducing the likeliness of identifying theft.

Long term oxygen therapy in patients with chronic obstructive Essay

Long term oxygen therapy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - Essay Example A prescription of LTOT is properly considered, because Medicare claims on LTOT prescription only if this therapy is vitally important for patient’s life. In case of such kind of strict regulations it is weird that LTOT is blamed for causing deaths or worsening patient’s quality of life or health status. Generally speaking, LTOT is a generally accepted and approved treatment for patients with COPD. With regard to the fact that there are different points of view expressed by medicals, critics and researchers concerning LTOT, this research is focused on unprejudiced consideration of this method and discusses both its benefits and negative outcomes. On the one hand, the results of the studies, which have been constantly conducted, witness that LTOT prolongs patient’s life. On the other hand, a poor diagnosis and inexact guidance for this treatment prescription and deaths of some patients prove inconsistency an inappropriateness of LTOT for individuals with COPD: In COPD patients considered for LTOT, the FEV1 should normally be less than 1.5 IV litres, or less than 40% of predicted normal values. The presence of arterial hypoxaemia with a higher FEV1 suggests that there may be another cause for the hypoxaemia, e.g. sleep apnoea, and further investigations will be required. Patients should be prescribed LTOT for at least 15 h per day, although survival improves when LTOT is used for more than 20 h per day. Thus the hours of LTOT use should not be restricted, especially in severe COPD. There is no benefit in the use of LTOT in COPD patients with a PaO2 above 8 kPa (Tiep, Barnett, Schiffman, 2002). Benefits of LTOT may be proven by improvement in patients’ lives, quality of patients’ lives, decrease of mortality levels, psychological and cognitive statuses’ perfection etc. In this frame of discussion, it is relevant to mention a study on relationship between heath and quality of life before and after LTOT. The results show that quality of life among

To what Extent has the 'War on Terror' Undermined the Human Rights Essay

To what Extent has the 'War on Terror' Undermined the Human Rights Agenda in World Politics - Essay Example However, the ‘revenge’ was directed against Muslims in general because the aforementioned event, which was insignificant in comparison to the routine onslaughts in other countries, paved the way for incursions into specific Muslim territories. Under this pretext, the US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 and invaded Iraq in 2003 to further its geopolitical interests. The War on Terror is an implementation of Manichaeism, as it allowed the USA to make a new enemy after the collapse of the USSR. It is serving its imperialistic ambitions by painting the Muslim World as a new axis of evil and a threat to modern Western civilization. However, this enemy is more abstract than real and the situation is only leading to widespread irrational fear and unnecessary destruction. This war would therefore be more aptly described as a ‘War by Terror’ because the US is the real terrorist on its last vestiges of being a superpower. This paper shows how true this is and the e xtent to which this fake war is undermining the human rights agenda in world politics. It also examines how the US has managed to perpetrate these crimes and its aggression despite the existence of international laws to prevent abuse and what can be done to control the real evil which now poses a threat to the entire world. A cornerstone of the US actions post 9/11 has been its application of the doctrine of ‘pre-emptive military strike’. The US asserts that it has the right to take unilateral military action against other states and organisations if it perceives a threat. However, this is a dangerous trend that effectively makes the UN redundant and is out of conformity with international laws, conventions and resolutions (Gupta, 2008). America’s actions even transgress its own and international laws. Its leadership and military have committed serious crimes against humanity. The attempted moralization of the use of the military force, transgresses the norms of humanity (Schmitt, 2008). This situation hearkens back to the era before the UN existed and it could set a dangerous precedent for other nations which would then reverse decades of globalisation efforts to prevent wars. One of the biggest victims of this is human rights; the global agenda to protect human rights and guarantee human dignity and respect. This agenda at the international level began after World War II. In its new phase this century, the effort was to liberalise international relations to that they â€Å"conform to the liberal prescription for the good society† (Forsythe, 2006: 3). Numerous known and hidden human rights abuses have taken place by the US this century. Those that are known include kidnapping of innocent people and their torture and abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and elsewhere. On a more widespread scale, the US invaded two sovereign countries (Afghanistan and Iraq) and has long been intimidating a third, namely Pakis tan. The US accused former honourable president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, of harbouring weapons of mass destruction. Fortunately, this baseless accusation was found to be just that when no such weapons were ever found, even by their own admission (Beaumont et al., 2004). This only showed the hypocrisy of the US because it itself possesses weapons of mass destruction yet it accuses others in the same way that it is the world’

Function of Management Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Function of Management Paper - Essay Example The four functions of management are planning, organizing, leading and controlling the organizational norms and domains. These four functions work hand in hand to bring to the organizational horizon a well-composed culture which is complete from all angles and perspectives. It is important that the four functions understand the need of proper incorporation of their own selves so that the organizational culture develops as a result. If the activities within an organization are adequately planned there is a strong possibility that the culture will underline the need of prioritizing things and hence a general planning regime would be in place. Organizing would take care of the steps which are important for the organizational procedures and undertakings and hence when the same are followed on a day to day basis, the organizational culture develops automatically. Leading comes from the leadership tenet where the top management understands its due role and hence embeds the much needed delegation and management skills required for the organization in essence. The last function is of controlling the organizational matters so that there is no element which has not been taken care of. All these four functions work alongside each other to construct an organizational culture which is wholesome and has a significant basis on the working procedures, undertakings and domains of the organization. (Warner, 2001) A healthy organizational culture could be instilled if the correct steps are taken at the right time so that the employees and the management are at ease with each other and also so that the activities, processes and strategies within the organizational tenets do not seem to be a misfit within the whole organizational regime. 3. Leading: Includes traits of a person who is in-charge and present all the time, could be easily replicated for a team which could be regarded as a group bringing about proactive

How to buy a car Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

How to buy a car - Essay Example Estimate a figure for yourself, with a range of the lowest and highest amount you, are prepared to pay for the car. Under no conditions should you go out of this range as it will ensure you do not spend more than you can afford. The next step in purchasing a car is to research online for car dealers near your locality that sell the type of car you want. Searching for dealers near you is advisable as it eases the purchasing process at a later time. Once you have identified dealers near you that have the car that you need, contact them through the internet or by phone and request for full details about the car including the quotation. Thoroughly go through the car details to ensure it has all the features you want. The fourth step entails doing further research on the price and characteristics of the car. You can go to the manufacture’s website to determine if the dealers are authorized dealers. Authorized dealers tend to give better discounts and also give promotional products as compared to dealers who might be brokers. You must carry out further research on the prices of the car type that you want and compare its features with that of other manufacturers to determine it is of the right worth. At this stage, you must have a range for the actual car price. Once you have determined the lowest price that you can get for the car, bargain with the dealers to ensure that you get a good price. You must not fear to bargain. You can go up to the level of pitting two dealers together by sending them low quotations from other dealers. At this stage eliminate some dealers who are rather uncooperative or have high price quotations, and single out at most three dealers who you will bargain  with later. Once you get the best prices from the dealers move to the next step The sixth step is where you bargain for tradeoffs and financing with the dealers. Ask for best prices for your trade and do some online research to determine

Spirituality 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Spirituality 4 - Essay Example Although compassionate care giving stands out as an accepted social responsibility of the nurses, the practice defies professional ethics and requirements for health workers. This essay explores compassion fatigue form a processional and ethical perspective. Nurses and other caregivers often find themselves in a dilemma concerning the care they need to give to patients and their own welfare. Although health workers have a good understanding on the nature of human body its needs for rest and healthy lifestyles, they are bound by social and professional responsibilities (Joinson, 2007). Such responsibilities force them to neglect their personal needs. Although compassion fatigue is a major problem among health workers, most health professionals overlook the problem. According to Kottler (2005), the main reason why nurses overlook compassion fatigue is that they have become used to the problem making them to compromise with the fatigue. An interview conducted on nurses working in California hospital established that most nurses used medication to make them stay awake for long hours. The survey also established that most nurses had irregular sleeping periods due to workload or a desire to offer compassion services for their patients. This indicates that health workers need to have a concrete background on compassion fatigue symptoms. Compassion fatigue symptoms are identical to those of posttraumatic stress. Unlike posttraumatic stress, compassion fatigue symptoms are based on trauma. This indicates that they have a direct impact on the patient’s life and that the impacts can be demonstrated readily by their performance and behavior (Kottler, 2005). The basic concepts of compassion fatigue are emotional, cognitive, spiritual somatic and behavior. These concepts translate into symptoms and warning signs that characterize the condition. Standard

How to buy a car Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

How to buy a car - Essay Example Estimate a figure for yourself, with a range of the lowest and highest amount you, are prepared to pay for the car. Under no conditions should you go out of this range as it will ensure you do not spend more than you can afford. The next step in purchasing a car is to research online for car dealers near your locality that sell the type of car you want. Searching for dealers near you is advisable as it eases the purchasing process at a later time. Once you have identified dealers near you that have the car that you need, contact them through the internet or by phone and request for full details about the car including the quotation. Thoroughly go through the car details to ensure it has all the features you want. The fourth step entails doing further research on the price and characteristics of the car. You can go to the manufacture’s website to determine if the dealers are authorized dealers. Authorized dealers tend to give better discounts and also give promotional products as compared to dealers who might be brokers. You must carry out further research on the prices of the car type that you want and compare its features with that of other manufacturers to determine it is of the right worth. At this stage, you must have a range for the actual car price. Once you have determined the lowest price that you can get for the car, bargain with the dealers to ensure that you get a good price. You must not fear to bargain. You can go up to the level of pitting two dealers together by sending them low quotations from other dealers. At this stage eliminate some dealers who are rather uncooperative or have high price quotations, and single out at most three dealers who you will bargain  with later. Once you get the best prices from the dealers move to the next step The sixth step is where you bargain for tradeoffs and financing with the dealers. Ask for best prices for your trade and do some online research to determine

The car crash Essay Example for Free

The car crash Essay Joni woke remembering that she still needed to get out of the car her last thought before shed fell unconscious, even though the bright lights stung her eyes her headache worse than before. She pushed her self up onto her elbows, groaning quietly at the pain that suddenly shot down her arm in response to this movement, though she couldnt tell whether they were cut or bruised. Trying to open her eyes Joni squinted at the bright strip lights directly above her. A strong antiseptic smell filled her nostrils causing a nauseous feeling to wash over her. A noise that sounded as though it was coming from far in the distance was beeping in a steady rhythm, sounded amplified against the otherwise still silence. Trying to look round the room Jonis eyesight, which was not yet adjusted to the bright light, saw that her surroundings consisted of mainly white. The dark shape of a man sitting by Jonis bed stood out against the whiteness of the room. The man wore casual clothes so he couldnt have been a doctor or nurse, and yet Joni didnt know who this man was or why he was visiting her. Ssshh, lie back down you need your rest now an unfamiliar voice told her, standing up from where he was sitting he looked tall leaning over Jonis bed. But she tried to answer being interrupted not only by the constant throbbing of her head but also the man continuing to speak. Deciding that lying down was a good suggestion Joni did as the man had told her, but was still fighting to keep her usually clear blue eyes open which felt red and sore. Im really sorry there was nothing that I could do, you drove straight into me before swerving off the edge of the road. I just wanted to stay with you at least until your family or someone came, so that you wouldnt be alone when you woke. The man told Joni in a low but concerned tone of voice. Joni relaxed realising that she was now safe in one of the hospital beds not too far from home. She recalled what had happened that had made her end up here. Jonis vision had blurred at the bright headlights approaching from the car  heading towards her. Outside the increasing rain splattered heavily on the roof of Jonis car to the same rhythm of her thumping head. It was only 11.30 when Joni had decided to leave the party early, feeling yet another headache coming on, the one that she was now suffering from. Joni hadnt had anything to drink, partly as she had wanted to drive home but also as she had been topped up with paracetamol for the past few weeks miserably trying to fight of the constant headaches though theyd had little affect. It was mid November; the wipers on Jonis old car, which her Dad had bought her only the year before to make do with until she could afford her own was having difficulty keeping the windscreen, clear of the heavy rain. The car ahead was getting closer and the lights getting brighter, it must now have been about 12.00, as Joni was driving down the sandy cliff edge road about 10 minuets from home. The road had been cut out of the dusty hillside in which Joni lived. The road itself was little more than a dusty track, turning quickly into mud as the rain beat down. One side of the road exceptionally dark with trees thickening into woodland the other a steep drop eventually ending in the distance with another small village embedded amongst the hills which could only be seen due to its thousands of glittering lights. The road didnt have any lights of its own Jonis own car lights and the lights from the car ahead were the only thing illuminating the dark road. Jonis eyes stung transfixed on the road ahead, her head still pounding somewhat worse than they were earlier and then Joni could remember nothing for what could have barely been a minuet. I must have blacked out she told the man in some sort of an explanation. The next thing that she could remember was colliding with the car that had been approaching, in her dazed state of mind Joni then tried to control the car from falling off the edge of the cliff. She felt the tumbling weight of the car, with her in it feeling like a metal ball inside a pinball machine,  only she was being thrown around inside the car. Then silence as the car suddenly sat still knowing that this could only mean that she had finally reached the bottom of the cliff she tried to host herself from the wreckage feeling a warm liquid trickling down her face which could only be blood she fell unconscious. I pulled you from the car as soon as I got down to the bottom of the cliff, it was a pretty steep climb, then called for an ambulance, I didnt think that you was still alive The man explained. Thank you Joni replied, looking at him for the first time noticing that he could be no more than 18. He had dark eyes brown or grey with longish dark which was ruffled and matted with mud and dry blood probably mine Joni thought, his face full of small cuts and bruises defined his boyish features. He shrugged shyly smiling It was nothing

History Of The Virtual Private Network

History Of The Virtual Private Network A VPN supplies virtual network connectivity over a possibly long physical distance. The key feature of a VPN, however, is its ability to use public networks like the Internet rather than rely on private leased lines which consume valuable recourse and extra cost . VPN technologies implement restricted-access networks that utilize the same cabling and routers as a public network, and they do so without sacrificing features or basic security , a simple cooperation office and remote branched VPN shown in below diagram . Sonicwall_Vpn A VPN supports at least three different modes of use as shown above: Remote access client connections. LAN-to-LAN internetworking . Controlled access within an intranet . A several network protocols have become popular as a result of VPN developments state as following : PPTP L2TP IPsec These protocols emphasize authentication and encryption in VPNs. Authentication allows VPN clients and servers to correctly establish the identity of people on the network. Encryption allows potentially sensitive data to be hidden from the general public. Many vendors have developed VPN hardware and/or software products. Unfortunately, immature VPN standards mean that some of these products remain incompatible with each other till now. Virtual private networks have grown in popularity as businesses to save money on remote network access for employees. Many corporations have also adopted VPNs as a security solution for private Wi-Fi wireless networks. Expect a continued gradual expansion in use of VPN technology to continue in the coming years. Objectives:- A virtual private network can resolve many of the issues associated with todays private networks. Cost: The cost of such links is high especially when they involve international locations. Even when VPNs are implemented on a provider private network, it would still be less expensive. Mobility of workforce: Many companies are encouraging telecommunications to reduce their investment in real estate, reduce traffic, and reduce pollution from automobile E-commerce applications: However, in traditional private networks, this kind of special access provision is difficult to incorporate because it is not easy to install dedicated link to all suppliers and business partners, nor it is flexible because a change in the supplier would require de-installing the link and installing another one to the new vendor. Advantages of VPN VPNs promise two main advantages over competing approaches cost savings, and scalability (that is really just a different form of cost savings). The Low Cost of a VPN One way a VPN lowers costs is by eliminating the need for expensive long-distance leased lines. With VPNs, an organization needs only a relatively short dedicated connection to the service provider. This connection could be a local leased line (much less expensive than a long-distance one), or it could be a local broadband connection such as DSL service. Another way VPNs reduce costs is by lessening the need for long-distance telephone charges for remote access. Recall that to provide remote access service, VPN clients need only call into the nearest service providers access point. In some cases this may require a long distance call, but in many cases a local call will suffice. A third, more subtle way that VPNs may lower costs is through offloading of the support burden. With VPNs, the service provider rather than the organization must support dial-up access for example. Service providers can in theory charge much less for their support than it costs a company internally because the public providers cost is shared amongst potentially thousands of customers. Scalability and VPNs The cost to an organization of traditional leased lines may be reasonable at first but can increase exponentially as the organization grows. A company with two branch offices, for example, can deploy just one dedicated line to connect the two locations. If a third branch office needs to come online, just two additional lines will be required to directly connect that location to the other two. However, as an organization grows and more companies must be added to the network, the number of leased lines required increases dramatically. Four branch offices require six lines for full connectivity, five offices require ten lines, and so on. Mathematicans call this phenomenon a combinatorial explosion, and in a traditional WAN this explosion limits the flexibility for growth. VPNs that utilize the Internet avoid this problem by simply tapping into the geographically-distributed access already available. Disadvantages of VPNs With the hype that has surrounded VPNs historically, the potential pitfalls or weak spots in the VPN model can be easy to forget. These four concerns with VPN solutions are often raised. 1. VPNs require an in-depth understanding of public network security issues and proper deployment of precautions. 2. The availability and performance of an organizations wide-area VPN (over the Internet in particular) depends on factors largely outside of their control. 3. VPN technologies from different vendors may not work well together due to immature standards. 4. VPNs need to accomodate protocols other than IP and existing internal network technology. Generally speaking, these four factors comprise the hidden costs of a VPN solution. Whereas VPN advocates tout cost savings as the primary advantage of this technology, detractors cite hidden costs as the primary disadvantage of VPNs INTERNET VPNS FOR REMOTE ACCESS In recent years, many organizations have increased the mobility of their workers by allowing more employees to telecommute. Employees also continue to travel and face a growing need to stay connected to their company networks. A VPN can be set up to support remote, protected access to the corporate home offices over the Internet. An Internet VPN solution uses a client/server design works as follows: 1. A remote host (client) wanting to log into the company network first connects to any public Internet Service Provider (ISP). 2. Next, the host initiates a VPN connection to the company VPN server. This connection is made via a VPN client installed on the remote host. 3. Once the connection has been established, the remote client can communicate with the internal company systems over the Internet just as if it were a local host. Before VPNs, remote workers accessed company networks over private leased lines or through dialup remote access servers. While VPN clients and servers careful require installation of hardware and software, an Internet VPN is a superior solution in many situations. VPNS FOR INTERNETWORKING Besides using virtual private networks for remote access, a VPN can also bridge two networks together. In this mode of operation, an entire remote network (rather than just a single remote client) can join to a different company network to form an extended intranet. This solution uses a VPN server to VPN server connection. Through the use of dedicated equipment and large-scale encryption, a company can connect multiple fixed sites over a public network such as the Internet. Site-to-site VPNs can be one of two types: Intranet-based If a company has one or more remote locations that they wish to join in a single private network, they can create an intranet VPN to connect LAN to LAN. Extranet-based When a company has a close relationship with another company (for example, a partner, supplier or customer), they can build an extranet VPN that connects LAN to LAN, and that allows all of the various companies to work in a shared environment. vpn-type INTRANET / LOCAL NETWORK VPNS Internal networks may also utilize VPN technology to implement controlled access to individual subnets within a private network. In this mode of operation, VPN clients connect to a VPN server that acts as the network gateway. This type of VPN use does not involve an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or public network cabling. However, it allows the security benefits of VPN to be deployed inside an organization. This approach has become especially popular as a way for businesses to protect their WiFi local networks. TUNNELING: SITE-TO-SITE In a site-to-site VPN, GRE (generic routing encapsulation) is normally the encapsulating protocol that provides the framework for how to package the passenger protocol for transport over the carrier protocol, which is typically IP-based. This includes information on what type of packet you are encapsulating and information about the connection between the client and server. Instead of GRE, IPSec in tunnel mode is sometimes used as the encapsulating protocol. IPSec works well on both remote-access and site-to-site VPNs. IPSec must be supported at both tunnel interfaces to use. TUNNELING Most VPNs rely on tunneling to create a private network that reaches across the Internet. Essentially, tunneling is the process of placing an entire packet within another packet and sending it over a network. The protocol of the outer packet is understood by the network and both points, called tunnel interfaces, where the packet enters and exits the network. Tunneling requires three different protocols: Carrier protocol The protocol used by the network that the information is traveling over Encapsulating protocol The protocol (GRE, IPSec, L2F, PPTP, L2TP) that is wrapped around the original data Passenger protocol The original data (IPX, NetBeui, IP) being carried Tunneling has amazing implications for VPNs. For example, you can place a packet that uses a protocol not supported on the Internet (such as NetBeui) inside an IP packet and send it safely over the Internet. Or you could put a packet that uses a private (non-routable) IP address inside a packet that uses a globally unique IP address to extend a private network over the Internet. COST SAVINGS WITH A VPN A VPN can save an organization money in several situations: Eliminating the need for expensive long-distance leased lines Reducing long-distance telephone charges Offloading support costs VPNS VS LEASED LINES Organizations historically needed to rent network capacity such as T1 lines to achieve full, secured connectivity between their office locations. With a VPN, you use public network infrastructure including the Internet to make these connections and tap into that virtual network through much cheaper local leased lines or even just broadband connections to a nearby Internet Service Provider (ISP). LONG DISTANCE PHONE CHARGES A VPN also can replace remote access servers and long-distance dialup network connections commonly used in the past by business travelers needing to access to their company intranet. For example, with an Internet VPN, clients need only connect to the nearest service providers access point that is usually local. SUPPORT COSTS With VPNs, the cost of maintaining servers tends to be less than other approaches because organizations can outsource the needed support from professional third-party service providers. These provides enjoy a much lower cost structure through economy of scale by servicing many business clients. VPN NETWORK SCALABILITY The cost to an organization of building a dedicated private network may be reasonable at first but increases exponentially as the organization grows. A company with two branch offices, for example, can deploy just one dedicated line to connect the two locations, but 4 branch offices require 6 lines to directly connect them to each other, 6 branch offices need 15 lines, and so on. Internet based VPNs avoid this scalability problem by simply tapping into the public lines and network capability readily available. Particularly for remote and international locations, an Internet VPN offers superior reach and quality of service. USING A VPN To use a VPN, each client must possess the appropriate networking software or hardware support on their local network and computers. When set up properly, VPN solutions are easy to use and sometimes can be made to work automatically as part of network sign on. VPN technology also works well with WiFi local area networking. Some organizations use VPNs to secure wireless connections to their local access points when working inside the office. These solutions provide strong protection without affecting performance excessively. VPN SECURITY: IPSEC Internet Protocol Security Protocol (IPSec) provides enhanced security features such as better encryption algorithms and more comprehensive authentication. vpn-diagram2 Photo courtesy Cisco Systems, Inc. A remote-access VPN utilizing IPSec IPSec has two encryption modes: tunnel and transport. Tunnel encrypts the header and the payload of each packet while transport only encrypts the payload. Only systems that are IPSec compliant can take advantage of this protocol. Also, all devices must use a common key and the firewalls of each network must have very similar security policies set up. IPSec can encrypt data between various devices, such as: Router to router Firewall to router PC to router PC to server LIMITATIONS OF A VPN Despite their popularity, VPNs are not perfect and limitations exist as is true for any technology. Organizations should consider issues like the below when deploying and using virtual private networks in their operations: VPNs require detailed understanding of network security issues and careful installation / configuration to ensure sufficient protection on a public network like the Internet. The reliability and performance of an Internet-based VPN is not under an organizations direct control. Instead, the solution relies on an ISP and their quality of service. Historically, VPN products and solutions from different vendors have not always been compatible due to issues with VPN technology standards. Attempting to mix and match equipment may cause technical problems, and using equipment from one provider may not give as great a cost savings. TYPES OF VPN TUNNELING VPN supports two types of tunneling voluntary and compulsory. Both types of tunneling are commonly used. In voluntary tunneling, the VPN client manages connection setup. The client first makes a connection to the carrier network provider (an ISP in the case of Internet VPNs). Then, the VPN client application creates the tunnel to a VPN server over this live connection. In compulsory tunneling, the carrier network provider manages VPN connection setup. When the client first makes an ordinary connection to the carrier, the carrier in turn immediately brokers a VPN connection between that client and a VPN server. From the client point of view, VPN connections are set up in just one step compared to the two-step procedure required for voluntary tunnels. Compulsory VPN tunneling authenticates clients and associates them with specific VPN servers using logic built into the broker device. This network device is sometimes called the VPN Front End Processor (FEP), Network Access Server (NAS) or Point of Presence Server (POS). Compulsory tunneling hides the details of VPN server connectivity from the VPN clients and effectively transfers management control over the tunnels from clients to the ISP. In return, service providers must take on the additional burden of installing and maintaining FEP devices. VPN TUNNELING PROTOCOLS Several computer network protocols have been implemented specifically for use with VPN tunnels. The three most popular VPN tunneling protocols listed below continue to compete with each other for acceptance in the industry. These protocols are generally incompatible with each other. POINT-TO-POINT TUNNELING PROTOCOL (PPTP) Several corporations worked together to create the PPTP specification. People generally associate PPTP with Microsoft because nearly all flavors of Windows include built-in client support for this protocol. The initial releases of PPTP for Windows by Microsoft contained security features that some experts claimed were too weak for serious use. Microsoft continues to improve its PPTP support, though. LAYER TWO TUNNELING PROTOCOL (L2TP) The original competitor to PPTP for VPN tunneling was L2F, a protocol implemented primarily in Cisco products. In an attempt to improve on L2F, the best features of it and PPTP were combined to create new standard called L2TP. Like PPTP, L2TP exists at the data link layer (Layer Two) in the OSI model thus the origin of its name. INTERNET PROTOCOL SECURITY (IPSEC) IPsec is actually a collection of multiple related protocols. It can be used as a complete VPN protocol solution, or it can used simply as the encryption scheme within L2TP or PPTP. IPsec exists at the network layer (Layer Three) of the OSI model. Using PPTP PPTP packages data within PPP packets, then encapsulates the PPP packets within IP packets (datagrams) for transmission through an Internet-based VPN tunnel. PPTP supports data encryption and compression of these packets. PPTP also uses a form of General Routing Encapsulation (GRE) to get data to and from its final destination. PPTP-based Internet remote access VPNs are by far the most common form of PPTP VPN. In this environment, VPN tunnels are created via the following two-step process: The PPTP client connects to their ISP using PPP dial-up networking (traditional modem or ISDN). Via the broker device (described earlier), PPTP creates a TCP control connection between the VPN client and VPN server to establish a tunnel. PPTP uses TCP port 1723 for these connections. PPTP also supports VPN connectivity via a LAN. ISP connections are not required in this case, so tunnels can be created directly as in Step 2 above. Once the VPN tunnel is established, PPTP supports two types of information flow: Control messages for managing and eventually tearing down the VPN connection. Control messages pass directly between VPN client and server. Data packets that pass through the tunnel, to or from the VPN client PPTP CONTROL CONNECTION Once the TCP connection is established in Step 2 above, PPTP utliizes a series of control messages to maintain VPN connections. These messages are listed below. No. Name Description 1 StartControlConnectionRequest Initiates setup of the VPN session; can be sent by either client or server. 2 StartControlConnectionReply Sent in reply to the start connection request (1); contains result code indicating success or failure of the setup operation, and also the protocol version number. 3 StopControlConnectionRequest Request to close the control connection. 4 StopControlConnectionReply Sent in reply to the stop connection request (3); contains result code indicating success or failure of the close operation. 5 EchoRequest Sent periodically by either client or server to ping the connection (keep alive). 6 EchoReply Sent in response to the echo request (5) to keep the connection active. 7 OutgoingCallRequest Request to create a VPN tunnel sent by the client. 8 OutgoingCallReply Response to the call request (7); contains a unique identifier for that tunnel. 9 IncomingCallRequest Request from a VPN client to receive an incoming call from the server. 10 IncomingCallReply Response to the incoming call request (9), indicating whether the incoming call should be answered. 11 IncomingCallConnected Response to the incoming call reply (10); provides additional call parameters to the VPN server. 12 CallClearRequest Request to disconnect either an incoming or outgoing call, sent from the server to a client. 13 CallDisconnectNotify Response to the disconnect request (12); sent back to the server. 14 WANErrorNotify Notification periodically sent to the server of CRC, framing, hardware and buffer overruns, timeout and byte alignment errors. 15 SetLinkInfo Notification of changes in the underlying PPP options. With control messages, PPTP utlizes a so-called magic cookie. The PPTP magic cookie is hardwired to the hexadecimal number 0x1A2B3C4D. The purpose of this cookie is to ensure the receiver interprets the incoming data on the correct byte boundaries. PPTP SECURITY PPTP supports authentication, encryption, and packet filtering. PPTP authentication uses PPP-based protocols like EAP, CHAP, and PAP. PPTP supports packet filtering on VPN servers. Intermediate routers and other firewalls can also be configured to selectively filter PPTP traffic. PPTP AND PPP In general, PPTP relies on the functionality of PPP for these aspects of virtual private networking. authenticating users and maintaining the remote dial-up connection encapsulating and encrypting IP, IPX, or NetBEUI packets PPTP directly handles maintaining the VPN tunnel and transmitting data through the tunnel. PPTP also supports some additional security features for VPN data beyond what PPP provides. PPTP PROS AND CONS PPTP remains a popular choice for VPNs thanks to Microsoft. PPTP clients are freely available in all popular versions of Microsoft Windows. Windows servers also can function as PPTP-based VPN servers. One drawback of PPTP is its failure to choose a single standard for authentication and encryption. Two products that both fully comply with the PPTP specification may be totally incompatible with each other if they encrypt data differently, for example. Concerns also persist over the questionable level of security PPTP provides compared to alternatives. Routing Tunneling protocols can be used in a point-to-point topology that would generally not be considered a VPN, because a VPN is expected to support arbitrary and changing sets of network nodes. Since most router implementations support software-defined tunnel interface, customer-provisioned VPNs often comprise simply a set of tunnels over which conventional routing protocols run. PPVPNs, however, need to support the coexistence of multiple VPNs, hidden from one another, but operated by the same service provider. Building blocks Depending on whether the PPVPN runs in layer 2 or layer 3, the building blocks described below may be L2 only, L3 only, or combinations of the two. Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) functionality blurs the L2-L3 identity. While RFC 4026 generalized these terms to cover L2 and L3 VPNs, they were introduced in RFC 2547. Customer edge device. (CE) In general, a CE is a device, physically at the customer premises, that provides access to the PPVPN service. Some implementations treat it purely as a demarcation point between provider and customer responsibility, while others allow customers to configure it. Provider edge device (PE) A PE is a device or set of devices, at the edge of the provider network, which provides the providers view of the customer site. PEs are aware of the VPNs that connect through them, and which maintain VPN state. Provider device (P) A P device operates inside the providers core network, and does not directly interface to any customer endpoint. It might, for example, provide routing for many provider-operated tunnels that belong to different customers PPVPNs. While the P device is a key part of implementing PPVPNs, it is not itself VPN-aware and does not maintain VPN state. Its principal role is allowing the service provider to scale its PPVPN offerings, as, for example, by acting as an aggregation point for multiple PEs. P-to-P connections, in such a role, often are high-capacity optical links between major locations of provider. Categorizing VPN security models From the security standpoint, VPNs either trust the underlying delivery network, or must enforce security with mechanisms in the VPN itself. Unless the trusted delivery network runs only among physically secure sites, both trusted and secure models need an authentication mechanism for users to gain access to the VPN. Some Internet service providers as of 2009[update] offer managed VPN service for business customers who want the security and convenience of a VPN but prefer not to undertake administering a VPN server themselves. Managed VPNs go beyond PPVPN scope, and are a contracted security solution that can reach into hosts. In addition to providing remote workers with secure access to their employers internal network, other security and management services are sometimes included as part of the package. Examples include keeping anti-virus and anti-spyware programs updated on each clients computer. Authentication before VPN connection A known trusted user, sometimes only when using trusted devices, can be provided with appropriate security privileges to access resources not available to general users. Servers may also need to authenticate themselves to join the VPN. A wide variety of authentication mechanisms exist. VPNs may implement authentication in devices including firewalls, access gateways, and others. They may use passwords, biometrics, or cryptographic methods. Strong authentication involves combining cryptography with another authentication mechanism. The authentication mechanism may require explicit user action, or may be embedded in the VPN client or the workstation. Trusted delivery networks Trusted VPNs do not use cryptographic tunneling, and instead rely on the security of a single providers network to protect the traffic. In a sense, they elaborate on traditional network- and system-administration work. Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) is often used to overlay VPNs, often with quality-of-service control over a trusted delivery network. Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) which is a standards-based replacement, and a compromise taking the good features from each, for two proprietary VPN protocols: Ciscos Layer 2 Forwarding (L2F) (obsolete as of 2009[update]) and Microsofts Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). Security mechanisms Secure VPNs use cryptographic tunneling protocols to provide the intended confidentiality (blocking intercept and thus packet sniffing), sender authentication (blocking identity spoofing), and message integrity (blocking message alteration) to achieve privacy. Secure VPN protocols include the following: IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) A standards-based security protocol developed originally for IPv6, where support is mandatory, but also widely used with IPv4. Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) is used either for tunneling an entire networks traffic (SSL VPN), as in the OpenVPN project, or for securing individual connection. SSL has been the foundation by a number of vendors to provide remote access VPN capabilities. A practical advantage of an SSL VPN is that it can be accessed from locations that restrict external access to SSL-based e-commerce websites without IPsec implementations. SSL-based VPNs may be vulnerable to Denial of Service attacks mounted against their TCP connections because latter are inherently unauthenticated. DTLS, used by Cisco for a next generation VPN product called Cisco AnyConnect VPN. DTLS solves the issues found when tunneling TCP over TCP as is the case with SSL/TLS Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) by Microsoft introduced in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1. SSTP tunnels Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) or L2TP traffic through an SSL 3.0 channel. L2TPv3 (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol version 3), a new[update] release. MPVPN (Multi Path Virtual Private Network). Ragula Systems Development Company owns the registered trademark MPVPN. Cisco VPN, a proprietary VPN used by many Cisco hardware devices. Proprietary clients exist for all platforms; open-source clients also exist. SSH VPN OpenSSH offers VPN tunneling to secure remote connections to a network (or inter-network links). This feature (option -w) should not be confused with port forwarding (option -L). OpenSSH server provides limited number of concurrent tunnels and the VPN feature itself does not support personal authentication. VPNs in mobile environments Mobile VPNs handle the special circumstances when one endpoint of the VPN is not fixed to a single IP address, but instead roams across various networks such as data networks from cellular carriers or between multiple Wi-Fi access points. Mobile VPNs have been widely used in public safety, where they give law enforcement officers access to mission-critical applications, such as computer-assisted dispatch and criminal databases, as they travel between different subnets of a mobile network. They are also used in field service management and by healthcare organizations, among other industries. Increasingly, Mobile VPNs are being adopted by mobile professionals and white-collar workers who need reliable connections. They allow users to roam seamlessly across networks and in and out of wireless-coverage areas without losing application sessions or dropping the secure VPN session. A conventional VPN cannot survive such events because the network tunnel is disrupted, causing applications to disconnect, time out, fail, or even the computing device itself to crash. Instead of logically tying the endpoint of the network tunnel to the physical IP address, each tunnel is bound to a virtual IP address that stays with the device. The Mobile VPN software handles the necessary network logins and maintains the application sessions in a manner transparent to the user. The Host Identity Protocol (HIP), under study by the Internet Engineering Task Force, is designed to support mobility of hosts by separating the role of IP addresses for host identification from their locator functionality in an IP network. With HIP a mobile host maintains its logical connections established via the host identity identifier while associating with different IP addresses when roaming between access networks. Conclusion: So what is a Virtual Private Network? As we have discussed, a VPN can take several forms. A VPN can be between two end-systems, or it can be between two or more networks. A VPN can be built using tunnels or encryption (at essentially any layer of the protocol stack), or both, or alternatively constructed using MPLS or one of the virtual router methods. A VPN can consist of networks connected to a service providers network by leased lines, Frame Relay, or ATM, or a VPN can consist of dial-up subscribers connecting to central

PSY 301, Introductory Psychology, 2004, Exam 3 :: UTEXAS Texas Psychology

Answers at bottom of test Exam 3 –November 8, 2004 1. Joleen’s friends describe her as being emotionally reserved most of the time but also able to become extremely angry every once and awhile. When she is angry at one of her friends, she usually does not confront them with her problem and instead behaves in a cold and distant manner. Sometimes, however, she will blow up in anger at them a week or two later. Which of the following would most likely be Freud’s evaluation of Joleen? a. Freud would claim that she is engaging in sublimation behaviors to protect herself. b. He would categorize her as anal expulsive and claim that it is due to unresolved issues she had during her anal stage of life. c. Freud would call her phallic defensive because of the conflicts she had with her parents between the ages of 3 and 5 (possibly even sexual abuse). d. He would say that she is obsessed with oral sensations, like talking, because she developed normally through the oral stage of life. e. Freud would claim that she is in love with her father. 2. What aspect of personality has been found to be a reliable predictor of marital dissatisfaction, poor reports of health, and depression? a. introversion b. low openness c. extraversion d. low agreeableness e. neuroticism 3. Lexi and Petri are identical twins who were separated at birth and grew up with very different families. Lexi is a skilled student who has three close friends and a loving boyfriend. Her adoptive family had difficulties accepting her when she was an infant and never really appreciated her until she reached puberty. Petri is also a good student and is very well liked in her sorority. Her adoptive family adored Petri until the family dissolved in a messy divorce when Petri was 16. Based on the core model of personality, who probably has higher self esteem, Lexi or Petri? 1. Lexi, because having a significant other (her boyfriend) is the most important thing for self esteem. 2.

Hinduism in American Life Essay -- Hindu Religion Compare Essays

Hinduism in American Life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The English word religion loosely translates into â€Å"rules† in Latin. Therefore, a religion teaches us how to think, how to act, and basically everything except what to eat in the morning. The Hindu and Christian religion agree on many things and our society follows some of the rules too because religion and laws are based on humanity. From holy literature many different ideas have been pawned but they are all supposed to lead you to the same things: a happy, healthy life, contribution to the world around us, and some kind of liberation after death. Concerning these ideals the Hindu religion has come up with three ways to make sure that everybody will get what they want out of life and those are the four stages, the four goals, and the four castes of life. There is so much holy war about which religion is right and wrong but if they all are striving for the same thing it is hard for me to see why they take place. In this essay I will show that Christian ity is very similar to Hinduism. The first thing that the Hindus follow to insure that you grow up to be productive (if you are in the upper three castes) is having specific stages of life. In other words throughout our life we have different responsibilities and duties which are spelled out by the Holy Scriptures. The four stages are student, â€Å"family man†, forest dweller and ascetic. The first stage of student requires you to go to school (if you were a male) and be initiated with the Upanayana ceremony. If a kid was at the top of the caste system and was preparing to be a priest he needs to get trained and before he gets trained he must have a Upanayana ceremony because without these he won’t know what he is talking about and won’t know and won’t have any credibility when he becomes a priest. It isn’t enough just to get an education and a little plaque on your wall, you must have lived a celibate life and you must be provided for by your family. This is a way of getting them to think a certain way since according to Hindu laws believe all members of a certain caste are supposed to do the same thing in the same way. The next stage of â€Å"family man† is also one that gets you not only to act a certain way but think a certain way. In this stage a man is supposed to get a wife, get a family, and repay his debts to everything that helped him including society. If you can do thes... ... to make duties and responsibilities more straightforward is the caste system. The caste system is based on reincarnation and the better Hindu that you’ve been in past lives makes you who you are. The highest people up on the social pyramid are the priests followed by kings, then merchants and finally the servents. It makes clear just how good and pure the person has been in this and past lives because they are either high up on the ladder or they aren’t. There is something beneficial about being seen as a good person. Since most of our morals in America come from the Bible if you are seen as a good Christian than you will get special job offers and when you meet your girlfriend’s parents they won’t hate you. In India you can tell who is a servant apart from who is a king because of what they do in a day and what kind of clothes they wear etc. In America we have little status symbols such as crosses that go around our neck and making conversation of wh at you learned in the bible or church. The whole point of the caste system is to segregate people and give some people certain advantages based on how well they accord with the popular religious beliefs based on region of the world.