Economic Issues: Is the war in Iraq good for the economy Essay

As most of the issues concerning nowadays deals more on the economic impacts of the actions of the government, there have been a lot of debates arguing if whether it would be beneficial to the US the ongoing war in Iraq. In an economic view point, it is clear that funding war really requires a lot of money to spend in order to sustain it which in turn involves high opportunity costs on the part of the American people. Last year, around $1 trillion was the expected spending of our government to fund the said war in Iraq (Wolk 1) while there are sectors in the government that lacks enough budgets to continue its functions to serve the American people. Like for instance, the Congress decided to cut the fund allotted for education to around $12. 7 billion. Due to the war in Iraq, the government have incurred tremendous amount of budget deficit, and in order to solve the said problem on the finances of the government they sacrificed the welfare and pass the burden to the students. Moreover, taxes rate were increased by the government due to the need of more funds. It was found out that most of the tax collection of the government entirely goes to transfer payments like the war in Iraq. Moreover, the funds being used for schools came from property taxes; funds for roads and bridges came from gas taxes while user fees funds airports, sewer and water systems (â€Å"Where Do Your Taxes Go? † 2). The government also uses the funds generated from IMF to perform its designated functions. In short, the government charges us taxes in order to fund the war in Iraq and not to give us infrastructures and services that are in the first place role of the government to its citizen. Although at some point in time prices of stocks rise by the start of the war, but it does not guarantee that it would remain at that level. Moreover, it was the result of the expectations of the investors and not because of the direct cause of the war (Glassman 1). It is still up to the investors how they will view the war in Iraq- beneficial or detrimental to stock market. If they see that the war would boost the economy in the future, then, they would improved the stock market. But if the investors think that it would be risky to invest by the time the war began, then, war is detrimental to the financial institutions of the economy. Moreover, the US Central Bank said last November 6 that â€Å"geopolitical uncertainty† is the reason behind the economic turmoil like the cutting of the interest rate to 1. 5%. this only tell us that war in Iraq puts no good in the economy. Deaths might weaken the labor force of the economy and this result to lower productivity and growth of the market (Schifferes 1). Wage rate pressured to go up and could negatively affect the profitability of the companies in the market. Moreover, there are rumors in the market that Iraq will cut their supply of the oil in the international market as a result of the war (Miller 1). With this, there is a possibility that prices of oil products to rise which plays a vital role in the production of final goods in the market. It was said that the price of oil increased from $35 to $40 at the start of the war and this greatly affects the level of the productivity of the economy. Actually, there is really no problem on the military intervention of US to Iraq economic-political situation if it only involved a short period of time (Stiglitz 1). But the current situation seems to be not the case since until now the war continuous to occur in the desserts of Iraq which as we have said imposed uncertainties to the stock market, undervalued the welfare of its citizens and the reputation of the government to the foreign investors. Short run impacts of the war can still be handled by the market system itself; but in the long run, there is already a need for the collaboration of all the sectors of the economy to put back again the economy into its equilibrium condition.

Colonial History of the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Colonial History of the United States - Essay Example Each of the groups was very different from each other and came to settle here for a variety of reasons which included both religious and social aspects. They contributed ideas based on government, religion, family, gender and different occupations. Every colony had its own ‘distinct social, religious, political and economic structures’. During the period of Reconquista, both Spain and Portugal gained a lot of experience in conquests and as well as colonization. In addition to this, their skills at ship navigation served as tools to help them colonize the New World. During the 15th century, the leaders who ruled the European nations were the New Monarchs who strived hard to unify their nations. They created a strong and stable centralized government which made way for a burst of economic growth in Europe. This government brought about many good changes which included limiting the power created by the Feudal Aristocracy. Though a charter granted the rights of Englishmen to its subjects, yet they were not allowed to take an active part in their own government. A few years later, Sir Edwin Sandy brought about a radical change in the government by granting the colonists a share in its government which was ‘the first representative body in America’, (See Moreys "Genesis of a Written Constitution," Annals of American Academy, Vol. I p. 529 sq.) called the House of Burgesses. In society, gender differences were maintained. Both men and women worked alongside each other, but in their homes, women had to be subordinate to the authority exercised by their husbands following the patriarchal system of the family. The man was considered as the head of the family and he is the one who took all the major decisions where his family was concerned.  

Health Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Health Information Systems - Essay Example Located at the northern end of the Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, California, Stanford Hospital & Clinics has been serving the humanity since the beginning of the 20th Century when Cooper Medical College was adopted as Stanford University's School of Medicine. As of now, the hospital provides advanced patient care and treatment related to a number of complex disorders related to Cardiac, Cancer, Neurosciences, Surgery, Organ transplants etc. The quality services being provided include basic primary care to advanced treatment and procedures. Working in close association with the Stanford University School of Medicine the hospital services are not just limited to practitioners but the medical student community too gets to know the practical aspects of medical treatment. This helps them in building a strong foundation for becoming good medical professionals. The hospital has more than 1900 medical staff together with 85o Nursing staff to take care of the customers. Thanks to t he continuous emphasis on quality care, Stanford Hospital & Clinics has been ranked 16 amongst America's Best Hospitals in a study carried out by U.S. News & World Report in the year 2008. MS office applications have made a deep impact on the way we function in our offices or deal with official matters. Stanford Hospital & Clinics is certainly no exception. ... The official wings in the hospital are mainly divided in two groups; The HR or Personnel Department: This department is mainly entrusted with maintaining the records of the staff and recruitments. Different types of MS office applications are used in this department. For example MS Word is primarily used on all computers for writing memos, reports, press releases, circulars, notices, publicity materials etc. MS Excess is used to maintain the database of the medical and support staff. This is a very useful tool for maintain the seniority and service records of an individual working for the Hospital. While preparing records of monthly salaries and other remunerations, MS Excel is the best tool. Calculating the salaries, adding perks, deducting taxes etc. require lot of calculations. If done manually, such calculations prove very cumbersome for the clerical staff and there are more chances of mistakes. But with the help of MS Excel the process become quite easy and there are far less chances of error. It also results in saving lot of man-hours and results in better efficiency for the staff. At times, doctors or some of the public relation professionals need to go out and attend some conferences. Therefore, they are in need of some facts and figures about the Stanford Hospital. The MS PowerPoint helps in preparing slides for such presentation. Similarly, the Departmental Head can also prepare his/her lecture for the students on the MS PowerPoint. This way the process of communication becomes quite effective and interactive and the points are well taken by the intended audience. The Record Keeping of Patients: The process of record keeping is very crucial for the reputation of the hospital. Such record keeping not only helps in better care for the patient, but

Provide a political analysis of the Peace Treaty of Versailles and the Essay

Provide a political analysis of the Peace Treaty of Versailles and the contending agendas there. What did it accomplish How was - Essay Example The two aspects of Versailles that took into account financial (economic) clauses and territorial clauses turned out to be more of â€Å"horrendous failures by any standard one wishes to employ† (Feldman, cited in Boemeke, Feldman, and Glaser 441). Discussion Amongst the various provisions within the treaty, a major clause that turned controversial made it mandatory for Germany to assume all responsibilities for starting WWI (under Treaty of Trianon and Treaty of Saint- Germain-en- Laye, and articles 231–248 also referred to as War Guilt clauses). Besides this, there were provisions for disarmament, significant territorial  losses through surrender and heavy fines (reparations)  to the Triple Entente (France, the UK and Russia). At the time of treaty, in and around 1920, the reparations (as war damages) were held to be nearly ?32,000 million, an amount that was deemed extremely high and damaging for Germany economy (Keynes 70). In this context Keynes commented that â€Å"the policy of reducing Germany to servitude for a generation, of degrading the lives of millions of human beings and of depriving a whole nation of happiness should be abhorrent and detestable†(Keynes 107). ... rime Minister, during this time, Clemenceau  expressed the overall French sentiments regarding this issue by stating, â€Å"America is far away, protected by the ocean†¦ [the US and UK] are both sheltered; we are not† (cited in Keylor 34). Clemenceau wanted to develop a kind of buffer  using Rhineland that would protect France, however, the proposal was rejected, and instead Rhineland was made to give up on all sorts of military presence, despite the US not signing this part of the mandate. In this context Keynes claimed that â€Å"so far as possible, therefore, it was the policy of France to set the clock back and undo what, since 1870, the progress of Germany had accomplished. By loss of territory and other measures her population was to be curtailed; but chiefly the economic system, upon which the depended for her new strength, the vast fabric built upon iron, coal, and transport must be destroyed. If France could seize, even in part, what Germany was compelled to drop, the inequality of strength between the two rivals for European hegemony might be remedied for generations† (Keynes 34). Since France had suffered severe damages in WWI, it remained firm on its reparation claims from Germany, despite strong opposition from the US, and even attacked Ruhr for non-payment of fines by Germany. The UK, despite suffering very little in the war, more or less made similar demands like France, while the US was completely against meting out a harsh treatment to Germany and its allies through the Versailles treaty, and was more interested in rebuilding the socio-economic framework of war-torn Europe. The chief contents of the treaty that were enforced on Germany (leading to severe restrictions) comprised of Article 227 that charged German Emperor  Wilhelm II for crimes against

Metaphysics and Mysticism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Metaphysics and Mysticism - Term Paper Example Various sections would analyze both the positions and stances. All relevant detailed philosophies and theories would also be considered. The main stance of the paper is a defense of the mysticism argument, not a critic of it. Analysis of the Controversial Views regarding Correlation between Metaphysics and Mysticism Every man and woman that has the desire to understand and know beyond the accepted limitations of physical reality is attracted to the unknown, and by this attraction, be pushed to learn what many do not and wish not. Everything that exists, whether inanimate or not, is connected with an energy binding all things together; to understand this, is to understand the basic principles of Metaphysics. Metaphysics encircles everything that we can perceive through our five senses. Metaphysical belief pushes beyond what is taught in the church or in the Bible, even. It allows one to go outside and sit with the rest of everything that has been created without the hands of man, that is still pure, and be able to feel what it's like to be the grass and the soil. Metaphysics is a way of life to many, and it is taught without teachers. These pages will contain a very brief introduction and explanation of metaphysics and several of its branches of ideas and philosophies. Some scholars believe that Aristotle's "Metaphysics" is only the follow-up or sequel to his extremely well renowned "Physics"; Meaning that Aristotle did not pioneer the spirituality that is now an important part in today's Metaphysics. "All men by nature, desire to know. An indication of this is the delight in our senses; for even apart from their usefulness, they are loved for themselves; and above all others, the sense of sight (Aristotle, 1977)." The first line of Aristotle's "Metaphysics" immediately shows his recognition that the typical five senses perceived by every capable human, are used only in the idea that they are the only way to perceive. Aristotle also states that "All men desire t o know." (Aristotle, 1977), allowing the argument that his thoughts were going toward that of which we cannot know from the five senses that we are born aware of. The argument as to Aristotle's beliefs in the subject can go either way because of an extremely important factor. So one may interpret Aristotle's work as one wishes, it was still his ideas that laid down the essential framework to get the Metaphysical idea moving. Discussion In order for anybody to be able to understand the following ideas and theories, one should take time to put themselves in an open-minded and relaxed state. Once you have entered this state, you will be able to comprehend and understand to the fullest of your capabilities. Relaxation is the ultimate medium for learning, and by being in control of your stress, you can be relaxed whenever you feel the need to, allowing quicker learning and easier understanding. Now things are going to get a little complicated and may begin to get confusing. First of all, there are three divisions of the mind; the conscious, subconscious, and superconscious. (Furse, 1977) These three divisions of the mind control the way we perceive and interact with others, ourselves, and our environment in general. We use these states of consciousness, sometimes entirely unaware of it, for different purposes

US and Vietnam War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

US and Vietnam War - Essay Example The final contingent of the U.S. commitment departed Vietnam 60 days after the signing, but the level of violence between Vietnamese adversaries did not significantly decline; no peace came to Vietnam. In the United States, Watergate was changing from amber to red, and as his presidency unraveled in 1973, President Richard Nixon's secret commitments to South Vietnam's President Nguyen Van Thieu were rendered meaningless. Less than two years later, faced with funding a $722 million budget supplement, the U.S. Congress showed little interest in providing military equipment or financial support to America's longtime ally, South Vietnam. On April 30, 1975, South Vietnam ceased to exist. For most Americans, the last images of the war were of the dazed U.S. Ambassador Graham Martin carrying a folded American flag under his arm during the final evacuation from the U.S. Embassy; or perhaps the chaos surrounding the evacuation of U.S. personnel and Vietnamese families from the Embassy rooftop. No one seemed interested in such critical questions as the nature of the war, why the United States chose to fight the way it did, how North Vietnam had prevailed, the relationship of political objectives to military strategy, or the lessons that could be derived from the public diplomacy and secret negotiations that had characterized so much of the conflict. The dire situation would change as scholars gained access to a series of significant declassifications of primary source documents located in archival depositories in the United States, Vietnam, China, and Russia, and as principal architects of policy-the so-called "best and brightest"-began to reflect and write on their roles during the period. In 1995, former Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara broke his own long silence on the subject with the admission that "we were wrong, terribly wrong" (McNamara & Van De Mark 1995). Another principal architect of Vietnam policy, political scientist Henry Kissinger, has generated several books that address why the United States fought in Vietnam (Kissinger 1999). We approach our topic chronologically by examining 30 years of war from 1945 to 1975-beginning with the historic Vietnamese proclamation of independence and ending with the fall of South Vietnam in April 1975. We have identified what we believe are important components of this unfolding saga, and we begin from the intellectual premise that truly understanding why the United States fought in Vietnam requires that we comprehend the roots of the conflict (before it became America's war in Vietnam) from the perspective of countries other than the United States- specifically, Vietnam, China, and the Soviet Union. After all, it was the United States that chose to fight in Vietnam's war (Young 1991). Research The disciplines of history and political science have illuminated many important aspects of the war, including presidential personality and leadership, war powers, public opinion, the role of the media, advisory processes and interactions, political dissent, and congressional-executive relations. Political science has also contributed significant theoretical advances on

Internal combustion engine Essay Example for Free

Internal combustion engine Essay An electric car is a vehicle which is driven by electric engines. The engines use electrical energy which is usually stored in batteries. Electric car is a variation of electric vehicle (EV). EV speaks of any vehicles which are propelled by electric engines. â€Å"Electric car† is a general term for high-speed vehicles which are powered by electricity. In the United States, low-speed vehicles which are powered by electricity are known as neighbourhood electric vehicles (NEVs), and as electric motorised quadricycles in Europe. Electric cars which are powered by different energy sources are also referred to by different names: if they are powered by sunlight, they are called solar cars. If they are powered by gasoline generators, they are called hybrid cars. The term â€Å"electric car† is usually referring to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which are powered by on-board battery packs. Advantages of Electric Cars The first thing which comes to people’s mind when we talk about the advantages of electric cars is usually on pollution. Electric cars do not cause pollution related to internal combustion engines. The electricity used to recharge electric cars obviously has to come from somewhere, and most of the electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels. Yes, this causes pollution for sure, but there are also other methods to produce electricity. Hydropower and nuclear plants have helped in cutting the carbon emissions. Despite all the electricity production, the carbon emissions produced by electric cars is said to be half of what gas-powered cars produce. Another major advantage is you do not need gas anymore. In a year, an average American spends around $2,000 to $4,000 on gas only. Although electricity is not free, the fact that you do not have to pay so much for gas is relieving. The third advantage which needs to be stressed on is the batteries. Though you cannot drive many hundred miles with an electric car, you can still travel a rather long distance. An electric car can travel up to 100 miles on full battery. The distance it can provide is perfect for you to travel from your home to your workplace, and vice versa. Also the batteries recycle well. Almost 100 per cent of the batteries can be recycled; this helps preventing it from causing disposal problems. Electric cars are more efficient compared to gas-powered cars, in terms of energy and maintenance. Electric engines use 75 per cent of the energy from the batteries to run the wheels, while internal combustion engines only use about 20 per cent of the energy from fuel. Electrical engines also require less maintenance compared to internal combustion engines. You no longer need oil to lubricate the engine. The brakes would not wear off as quickly as gas-powered cars. You do not need belts in the engines, which will wear out due to overuse, in electric cars. Disadvantages of Electric Cars The major disadvantage of an electric car is the batteries. Electric car batteries are not cheap. They can cost around $5,000, and the better the batteries, the more expensive they are. Not only are they expensive, but you will also need to change them more than once, as the batteries have a limited lifetime. The time required for recharging the batteries is also very lengthy. To fully charge the batteries, you need 4 to 8 hours. This is a very serious disadvantage, as most people need to have their cars ready 24/7. With gas-powered cars, you just need a few minutes to fully refill the tank. Still on the batteries, another disadvantageous factor is their size and weight. Batteries used for electric cars need to be linked together into arrays, which form battery packs. Battery packs are bulky and heavy. They take up a significant amount of the vehicle space. Given the heavy weight, they battery packs can reduce the distance of how far the car can travel. Another disadvantage is the silence of electric cars. Yes, it can be soothing for some people, but it can also be dangerous for others. People usually listen to the sound of the revving engines when cars are coming up behind or beside them. When it is silent, they might not notice the cars and they can end up in an accident. Bibliography Bhat, N. (n. d. ). The Future: Our Planet in 2050 | Electric Cars. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from ThinkQuest: http://library. thinkquest. org/C008050/ecars4. html CarsDirect. (2012, January 27). Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from CarsDirect: http://www. carsdirect. com/green-cars/electric-cars-advantages-and-disadvantages Demuro, D. (n. d.). Electric Cars: Benefits and Disadvantages. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from AutoTrader: http://www. autotrader. com/research/article/car-tips/208155/electric-cars-benefits-and-disadvantages. jsp Enterprise Industry magazine. (2012, July 13). Automotive Industry. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from European Commissions Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry: http://ec. europa. eu/enterprise/sectors/automotive/index_en. htm Fix, L. (n. d. ). Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from Lauren Fix, The Car Coach, Automotive Expert: http://www.laurenfix. com/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-Electric-Cars Khan, A. (2012, November 25). Advantages and Disadvantages of an Electric Car! Retrieved November 06, 2013, from Tune Article: http://www. tunearticle. com/article-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-an-electric-car-. html Lampton, C. (2008, August 18). How Electric Car Batteries Work. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from HowStuffWorks: http://auto. howstuffworks. com/fuel-efficiency/vehicles/electric-car-battery. htm National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT. (1998, June 17). Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Retrieved November 05, 2013, from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): http://www. nhtsa. gov/cars/rules/rulings/lsv/lsv. html#lsv48 Pedrovsky. (2012, February 24). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Vehicles. Retrieved November 06, 2013, from HubPages: http://pedrovsky. hubpages. com/hub/The-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-electric-vehicles Zak, B. (2011, April 04). Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Cars. Retrieved November 06, 2013, from Goal for the Green: http://www. goalforthegreen. com/2011/04/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-electr.