Example English Sentences of the Verb Beat

A good writer should march to the beat of a different drum, except marching to that beat represents a cliche, something all writers should avoid. In the preceding sentence, beat wore the trappings of a noun, but, like many words, its versatile enough to perform additional duties as a verb or adjective. We will concern ourselves with examples of beat as a verb in all of its tenses, including in the active, passive, conditional, and modal forms. All Forms of Beat Base Form beat / Past Simple beat / Past Participle beaten / Gerund beating Present Simple I often beat my friends at chess. Present Simple Passive Jack is usually beaten by Mary in poker. Present Continuous Johnson is beating Anderson in the boxing match. Present Continuous Passive Anderson is being beaten by Johnson in the boxing match. Present Perfect Peter has beaten me at least fifty times at chess. Present Perfect Passive Ive have been beaten at chess at least fifty times by Peter. Present Perfect Continuous None Past Simple Jennifer beat me last week. Past Simple Passive I was beaten by Jennifer last week. Past Continuous I was beating Peter in that game when you walked in the door. Past Continuous Passive Peter was being beaten when you walked in the door. Past Perfect Tom had beaten Jane at least ten times before Jane finally won a match. Past Perfect Passive Jane had been beaten by Tom at least time times before she finally won a match. Past Perfect Continuous None Future (will) I will beat you the next time we play. Future (will) Passive She will be beaten in the next match. Future (going to) Look! Jack is going to beat Mark. Future (going to) Passive Look! Mark is going to be beaten by Mark. Future Continuous This time next week, Ill be beating you in our rematch. Future Perfect By the time you read this, he will have been beaten by his opponent. Future Possibility I think  she might beat Ralph in the next game. Real Conditional If she continues like this, she will beat her opponent. Unreal Conditional If she played better, she would beat Jack. Past Unreal Conditional If Peter had concentrated more, he would have beaten his opponent. Present Modal He should beat Mark. Past Modal They must have beaten their opponents. They are so much better at chess! Quiz: Conjugate With Beat Use the verb to beat to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct. Jennifer _____ me last week.Tom _____ Jane at least ten times before Jane finally won a match.Johnson ______ Anderson in the boxing match.If Peter had concentrated more, he _____ his opponent.Look! Mark _____ by Mark.Peter _____ me at least fifty times at chess.Jack _____ usually _____ by Mary in poker.I often _____ my friends at chess.By the time you read this, he ______ by his opponent. Quiz Answers beathad beatenis beatingwould have beatenis going to be beaten  has beatenis beatenbeatwill have been beaten

The Cold War And The Soviet Union - 980 Words

The December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, combined with Adolf Hitler’s declaring war on the United States, propelled America into World War II from 1939-1945. After War World II, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as world powers, and the competition for the restructuring of Europe and the world was on. In the race for economic expansion, Americans loyalty and patriotism was tested influencing an urge to conform. However, the following events such as The Cold War, Containment, Domino Theory, Containments failure, Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Fall of Communism all contributed to the United States emerging as a world leader and a dominant economic power in the second half of the 20th century. The Cold War The United States and the USSR conflicting ideologies, policies, control of nuclear weapons, and economic strategies resulted in the Cold War. The Cold War 1945-1990, was a rivalry between the USSR and the USA, the USSR the Communist Party supported Marxism, a economic and political system were ownership of private property should be terminated in an effort to eliminate social class. The USA believed in Capitalism, and economic system based on private owned industries were the production of goods and services are used for profit. The USSR viewed Americas rebuilding efforts in Europe as a means to dominate and expand on its capitalist market, which will eventually destroy the soviet system. In turn, the UnitedShow MoreRelatedThe Cold War And The Soviet Union973 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cold War was a state of economic, diplomatic, and ideological discord among nations without armed conflict. The Cold War was between the United States and the USSR because these were the two major pow ers after WWII. Basically, the Cold War was a series of proxy wars that had taken place back in time involving surrounding countries. One of the main causes for Cold War was that the Soviet Union was spreading communism and the United States didn’t like that so they were trying to contain communismRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union1233 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War is unique among war’s to be not a war between states, but a war between ideologies. The United States and other allies defend social democracy capitalism, as the pinnacle of freedom and equality; and the Soviet Union though communism was the pinnacle of equality. These ideologies manifested themselves through the superpowers, which caused the conflict between them. Both the United States, and the Soviet Union are to blame for the outbreak of the Cold War. The United State’s missionRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union1697 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cold War, in fact didn’t tak e place in the winter season, but was just as dangerously cold and unwelcoming, as it focused on two contrasting powers: the U.S. and the Soviet Union. After World War 2, the Cold War influenced capitalist U.S. and communist Soviet Union to engage in disagreements causing many disputes having to use military, economic and humanitarian aid. With different goals, the contrasting powers prove through the Marshall Plan, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and SALT that communismRead MoreThe Cold War And Soviet Union840 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many theories and opinions of how the cold war started. Some believe that the cold war was the result of the belligerence of Joseph Stalin and the insecurity it caused in the United States and the West. Others believe the primary responsibility for the cold war derives from the hardline policies of the United States. (Viewpoints Article: the Soviet Union Start the Cold War) I believe The Cold War was triggered by the theory of two superpower countrie s in a race for dominance in the worldRead MoreCold War And The Soviet Union859 Words   |  4 PagesAMS2270 Cold War This essay will discuss about cold war, including the background, beginning, progress and ending. As we know, cold war is a struggle between U.S. with NATO and Soviet Union with WTO from 1947 to 1991. It is a significant event in history, and it influence the almost all of world, it directly lead to the radical change of eastern Europe and the breakup of the USSR. In 1946 February, George.F.Kennan wrote a â€Å"Long Telegram†, it clearly said the strategy of containing Soviets and itRead MoreThe Cold War On The Soviet Union1230 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War’s effect on the Soviet Union Shortly after the World War 2 ended, the United States and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies entered the cold war with the Soviet Union. Germany was divided in half and later, the Berlin Wall was constructed as a physical boundary between the Soviet controlled East Germany and NATO controlled West Germany. This standoff continued until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. The cold war had a huge influence on the world stage, but also had a majorRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union1391 Words   |  6 Pageswake of World War II as the decades-long force of Germany’s reign came to its conclusion, an extensive repositioning of authority among the world’s top powers began. The war wielded devastating consequences for most countries involved and effectively diminished the dominance Britain and France once employed across the globe. Out of this devastation rose the two new dominating forces of the world who were triumphant in the aftermath of the war: the U nited States and the Soviet Union. The United StatesRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union Essay965 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cold War was a period in world history marked with increased tensions primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union. Both countries desired to expand their ideologies across the globe, the U.S. urging capitalism and democratic elections and the Soviets promoting communism. After the allies had obtained victory in World War II, the Yalta Conference was held. Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, wanted to expand his sphere of influence into Eastern Europe and demanded thatRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union1343 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract: As one of the most important events in 20th century, the Cold War had a very deep influence for the human-being civilization and it changed the world structure . The United States and the Soviet Union ,the two poles, became enemies from friends after the World War II. They adopt hostile attitude towards each other and criticized the the opponents’ social systems. To find out who provoked the Cold War, the US, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdoms ,Roosevelt, Truman ,Stalin, and ChurchillRead MoreThe Soviet Union Of The Cold War1745 Words   |  7 Pages During the era of the Cold War, starting in 1947 and definitively ending in 1991, the United States and the Soviet Union faced off in conflicts with each other through smaller states. The United States and Soviet Union faced off to see who could spread their ideology the most in Europe. The Soviet Union used force and supported coups to spread communism while the United States installed democratic governments as a way to counter communism in Eastern Europe. These small conflicts that the two superpowers

Criticism of Philosophers Free Essays

There are many great philosophers who have had many great ideas over the centuries. These philosophers have had their ideas passed down to many people through the centuries, decades, and years. Fredric Nietzsche, Rene Decartes, and Socrates are philosophers that many philosophy students study. We will write a custom essay sample on Criticism of Philosophers or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, not everybody likes or agrees with these philosophers philosophies. The purpose of this paper is to provide information about the three philosophers’ lives, work, and philosophies. Also, in this paper there will be criticism of each of the philosophers. Let’s begin with a discussion of Socrates. Socrates was a Greek philosopher who taught another Greek philosopher named Plato. Even though Socrates is thought to be a great Greek philosopher, we have none of his writings. Therefore, many Greek scholars are not sure whether what is on the page is what Socrates taught Plato or Plato’s own thoughts. Socrates’ background is interesting, but now let’s talk about some of Socrates’ philosophical views. Derek Johnston claims that Socrates thought that there was much good in the world; however he believed that virtue was the ultimate good. Johnston goes on to claim that Socrates firmly believed that no outside source could deprive people of virtue (Johnston, 2006, 11). In short, Socrates was mostly concerned with the branch of philosophy called ethics. Socrates also firmly believed that the quest for knowledge was the most important thing and by obtaining knowledge about things is the only way people become truly virtuous. Johnston also claims that Socrates was also attempting to find the true meaning of ethical words such as â€Å"true†, â€Å"good†, and â€Å"beautiful† using the question and answer method of inquiry. He also held firm that Socrates’ main belief was that knowledge equals virtue which can and is obtained through reason. In fact, Socrates held strongly that any opinion that someone had that wasn’t based on reason should be discarded (Johnston, 2006, 11). Rene Descartes’’ philosophy seemed to be based on doubt and certainty. Decartes began to build his philosophical stance by doubting everything that could be doubted. But, even Decartes believed that there were things that couldn’t be called into question. The things that Decartes believed couldn’t be called into question were his existence and the existence of God. Decartes believed that his existence couldn’t be doubted because he was sitting down thinking about whether or not he existed, among other things. Therefore, he believed that if he doubted things then, he must exist. In other words, Decartes believed he thought therefore he was. He more famously put it as;† I think therefore I am. † The Latin for this saying is Cogito Ergo Sum (Johnston, 2006, 76). This argument is sometimes simply known as Cogito. Decartes also was a rationalist. Rationalists believe that there are things that have to be true and that there are things that have to be false. He also believed in the existence of God. His argument for the existence of God basically says that imperfect beings, which are humans, depend on their existence both beginning and continuing upon a perfect being which is God. In addition, according to Johnston, Decartes believed that minds are separate things from bodies (Johnston, 2006, 77). Both Socrates and Friedrich Nietzsche had a philosophical view that was based on ethics. Nietzsche was big on morality. He wished to locate a materialistic basis for his moral principles. At the beginning of his ethics, he believed that both good and evil were simply ways of illustrating that some actions were good for society and other actions were bad and didn’t benefit society. But, later he thought of good and evil in absolute teams (Johnston, 2006, 142). Nietzsche attacks philosophy from an ethical standpoint; however, he promoted only two sets of ethical values. One ethical value was pride in oneself and ruthlessness and philosophy, music, and poetry. Nietzsche thought there were some good ethical qualities that human beings could achieve however; he believed that all human beings could strive to get the good moral qualities but only a few exceptional human beings could actually get those good moral qualities. According to Johnston, Nietzsche’s noble man will have a cruel will and will sacrifice his fellow men. In addition, his noble man will be both disciplined and cunning in war (Johnston, 2006, 145). Nietzsche’s greatest philosophical view is called the Will to Power. Nietzsche’s Will to Power is the ultimate source of both what is and what will be for human beings. Strong people will be able to get the will to power and weaker people will not be able to get the will to power. According to Johnston, Nietzsche’s will to power allows people’s current moral judgments and values which are the moral judgments and values of society to be washed away forever. Then, and only, then can a new set of pure moral values and judgments emerge (Johnston, 2006, 147). In addition, a hero for Nietzsche is a man who rises above and beyond his fellow humans by the strength and will of his own powers be them physical or mental or both. His hero will never be sorry for his superiority; in fact he should relish and rejoice in it. Compare and Contrast It may seem as if because Socrates, Rene Decartes, and Fredric Nietzsche were born and lived at different times and in different centuries that none of these three philosophers’ philosophical views would have similarities to them. However, there are similarities to these three philosophers’ philosophies. Rest assured that there are differences in these three philosophers’ philosophies, but first let’s focus on the similarities of these three philosophers philosophical viewpoints. Both Socrates and Fredric Nietzsche subscribe to the school of philosophy called ethics. In fact, according to Johnston, Socrates view of life centered mostly on ethics and ethical concerns (Johnston, 2006, 11). Also, both Socrates and Nietzsche tried to find the real meaning of ethical terms such as good, trust, bad, and beautiful by means of asking questions and getting answers. In fact, Socrates used the question and answer method to inquire into many moral definitions and many moral issues such as justice. Nowhere is this question and answer method of philosophical inquiry more apparent than in Plato’s dialogue called The Republic. In Plato’s dialogue The Republic through Socrates Plato explored both the definition of justice and the concept of justice itself. Plato also talked about what philosophy is and the many types of government that is used to run a state. Plato even talked about what he believed was the best form of government. Both Socrates and Nietzsche believed that there was one thing that would make people virtuous. Socrates believed that possessing knowledge and Nietzsche believed that having the strength of will was the ultimate virtue. In addition, both Socrates and Nietzsche also believed that few people will ever achieve either virtue. These are the only similarities between the three philosophers Descartes, Socrates, and Nietzsche. These three philosophers had more differences between them than similarities. Let’s look at thee differences between them now. How to cite Criticism of Philosophers, Papers

Practices in Supply Chain Collaboration †Free Samples to Samples

Question: Discuss about the Practices in Supply Chain Collaboration. Answer: Introduction Woolworths Limited is one of the leading companies in Australia. The company is specialized in selling groceries but also deals in selling magazines, stationery, and DVDs. Woolworths supermarkets is a focus center in this report. Supermarket includes vegetables, meat, fruit, packaged foods, etc. The company was founded in the year 1924, by F.W. Woolworth. The company operates 1000 stores across Australia that consists of 963 supermarket stores. The company provides rewards and loyalty bonus to the customers if they buy a product from the company's stores. The facility of the discount on the product is also available according to the regions. The competitors of the company in Australia include Coles, Aldi, etc. Woolworths serves around 18 million customers every week and they give value to each and every one (Woolworths Group, 2017). The report talks about the industry analysis of Woolworths Company. This includes the market analysis as well that consist of the primary segment and target of the company. The paper throws light on the evaluation of the threats and opportunities of the company considering the Australian market. The analysis shows the condition of the market of the company. Industry market of Woolworths includes the target customers of the company. The market gets influenced by the customer preference. Woolworths supermarket is leading market this only reason company is able to earn profit out of it. Further is a discussion of the current trends of industry analysis. Growth and profitability are must for each and every company. The growth in the sales of the company rises 3.1% in the second quarter as compared to Coles; the growth posted by the Coles is 0.9%. The company said that their strategy for the growth of the supermarket is successful. Company registered growth in the sales of food division by 12.1%. Hence, there is an increase in the profit by 17.6% (Chung, 2017). The growth of the company can be determined by the shares that company is holding in the grocery market. The above image clearly shows the grocery market share in Australia 2016-2017. Woolworths is holding the highest number of market share which is approximately 33.6%. Coles stands in the second position. The business of Woolworth's supermarket is increasing day by day. This clearly shows the growth of the company and also the amount of Profit Company is earning (Fin24, 2016). Macro environment The macro environment includes the external environment factors that affect the working of the Woolworth Company. The pestle analysis is one of the tools that can be used by the company to analyze the external factors (Kew, Stredwick, 2017). P- Political: - Woolworth got the advantage of the political close relationship between the Australia and New Zealand. This is the reason due to which company was able to establish trading cooperation between two companies, comprises of the single economy. Shareholders (domestic and foreign) of the company are also secure because of the economic stability among the countries (Adamkasi, 2016). Though, political disturbance can reduce the investors due to an enhancement of the risk factor (Bodie, Kane, Marcus, 2014). E- Economic: - The company operates in an economically sound country. Australia consists of relatively high living standard as compared to the other countries. According to the international monetary fund, GDP per capita of buying power stands at a 10th position. Though, a company faced a decline in sales at the time of recession. Apart from this company might face a problem of unemployment. This may create an impact on the working of the company. S- Social: - Woolworth believes in delivering the customer delight by fulfilling the demand of the customers. The company identifies the changes in the customer preference according to trends. The company has kept relatively low prices of the product after considering the affordability of the customers (Fernie, Fernie, Moore, 2015). T- Technological: - Company is using information communication technology to bring innovation in the products. This innovation will enhance the efficiency of company's service and satisfy the demand of the customers. The company maintains a team of SOA (software oriented architecture) that monitors the business activity. Recently the company introduced Visa's pay Wave that helps in reducing the time of customers that they usually spent at check out queues. This is due to the adoption of the latest technology. L- Legal: - In the retail sector each company needs to manage the food licensing requirement. If in case, the company wants to open retail outlets then company need to fulfill the legal formalities. These regulations can impact the working of the company. The quality of the food that the company is providing should be managed according to the country's regulations. E- Environmental: - Company should always follow the environment-friendly business activities. They took part in the activities which reduce the harm to the environment. Woolworths has been participating its resources that help in minimizing the carbon footprint of the company. This will also reduce the waste of the natural resources. Investors and customers are aware of the environmental impacts so they like to invest in the company that takes care of the environmental factors. Market segment Woolworths Company target different market segments. The markets which are targeted by the company include a demographic segment, behavioral segment, and psychographic segment (Culley, Graham, Kay, Norberry, Wilson, 2017). Demographic segmentation: - The economic condition of the Australia is favorable for the growth of the supermarket. The country comes under the developed country and standard of living of the people is quite high. The demographic segment also includes people of different age group, family size etc. Woolworth's supermarket targets all the age group people. Psychographic segmentation: - This segment consists of the traits, values, and lifestyles of consumers. Generally, the company target people having the high-income slab. The purchasing power of the consumer in Australia is relatively high. Behavioural segmentation: - The customers of the company spend a lot on shopping. Woolworths supermarket consists of all the required products of the consumers. The knowledge of the consumer defines the buying power of the consumer. Primary and secondary target market Each and every organization maintains some primary as well as a secondary target market. The primary target market is the segment where the company believes that they will be to give their best chance (Gitman, Juchau, Flanagan, 2015). Woolworth also has a primary target market that includes customers having high-income slabs. The company aims at social development and concentration on the environmental needs of the customer. That is the reason the product is offered to the limited range of the people. Though, supermarket products are available for all age group people. The living standard or lifestyle of the Australians is quite high as compared to the other countries. More than 76% of the people like to buy products from the supermarket. This shows the living standard of the Australians. The product is available for both the genders. So it undoubtedly shows that the company can effortlessly earn a profit after targeting the primary market. On the other hand, a secondary target market is a market which is second most important for the company. The people who buy the product according to their preference are second most important customers (Albuquerque, Cassel, Phalippou, Schroth, 2017). The users of the particular product only generate a sale for one product. Hence, company focus on this market on the secondary basis. The attitude of the customer towards a product of the Woolworth comes under the behavior of the customer for that product. Ultimately company decided whenever customer preference is for a single product then it comes on the secondary market. The level of involvement primary segment in Woolworth Company plays an important role. This involvement can affect the decision making of the company. Woolworth supermarket is popular in Australia. The demographic segment includes the people of different age group have different preferences. This makes the company introduce a new product that can attract customers. Considering the people who cant cook company decided to provide ready-to-heat meals which provide convenience to the customers. The company also provide the facility of ready-to-cook food products. The company is increasing the range of the meals this is because of the change in the lifestyle of the customers (Battersby, Peyton, 2014). The demand for the products is continuously increasing which makes the company from decision considering the customer lifestyle. The level of involvement of customers is continuously increasing. Some primary segment customers were not able to visit supermarket every time. To enhance the convenience of the customer company took a decision to provide the products online. The company took a step to invest the amount in multi-channel (Arli, Dylke, Burgess, Campus, Soldo, 2013). The company offered new click and collect locations to customers within Australia. The sales of the company get affected because of the price of the products. Company target high-income slabs people. Reason being the prices of the product provided by the customer is relatively high. Comparing the pricing strategy with the competitors it's quite high (Pollard, Landrigan, Ellies, Kerr, Lester, Goodchild, 2013). Woolworths tries to understand the range of the price customer wants or the affordability of the customers. This affected the company to bring higher quality and better prices. New stores and refurbishments The company is said that they are trying to manage the balance between new stores and existing store refurbishments. At the time of the refurbishment company will take help of the local customers for the designs. The company wants to design according to the preference of the local customers. Customers made the strategy to open the store outlet where they can find the huge number of the potential customers. Considering the primary segment company took the decision for new outlets (Australian food news, 2015). The above given are the few points which show that the primary segment influences the decisions of the company. These decisions enhance the growth and fulfill the demand of the customers. This helps in enhancing the customer loyalty towards the brand. The competition of the Woolworth supermarket in Australia is continuously increasing. The current competitor of the Woolworths Company is Coles. As per the data, Woolworth is 42% expensive than Coles. The keep same or similar prices of the product across the world but on the other hand, Coles Company changes the prices according to the regions. The company also claims that they ensure that their customers provide a great quality product at the excellent prices. Strength and weakness of the company show the internal analysis of the company. As Coles is the biggest competitor of the Woolworth so below are the strength and weakness of both the companies. Woolworth has a direct connection with the suppliers which helps the company for smooth operations (Murray, 2014). Strength The company is well-known brand and oldest brand in Australia. That consists of a large number of outlets. The company has a strong commitment to sustainability and environment. They also take care of the CSR programs that help the brand in creating a good market in Australia (Grigg, 2015). Weakness The company provide a product at relatively high cost and avoid offering a discount to the customers. The company doesn't have an international presence. Strengths The company provides attractive pricing strategy to their customers along with the promotional offers. The promotional strategy of the company made the brand popular within the country and outside the country. This is the initial step to expand the business internationally. Weakness Coles company is not able to fulfill the social responsibility and not able to fulfill CSR. That leads to the negative image of the brand in Australia. The company operates on low margin as compared to the competitors such as Woolworth. The above description shows the strength and weakness of the company as well Competitors Company. Woolworth strength is a weakness of Coles and Coles strength is a weakness of Woolworth or vice versa. The competition among both the companies is neck to neck. It is also said by the company that they are making 3-year strategies that will help the companies in enhancing the trust of the customer. The strategies formed by the company focuses on the lowering the cost of the products and improving the customer satisfaction. Positioning The positioning of the Woolworth supermarket in Australia market is relatively high than its competitors. The position of the company can easily be measured by analysing the amounts spent by the Australian on the supermarkets (Heffernan, 2016). The above image throws light on the amount spent by the grocery buyers on supermarkets. Australian spends $32.6 billion at Woolworths which is comparatively more than other supermarkets. This clearly shows the popularity of the brand and the position of the company. The company stands on 1st position in Australia. On the other hand, the amount spent by the grocery buyer on Coles was $29.8 billion. This was possible because of the involvement of the primary segment of the company. Company sales, profit, position, etc. rely on the involvement of the primary segment (Richards, Devin, 2016). The brand plays an important role for a company to lead in the market. The position of the brand is directly related to the brand value of the company.Positioning map It is a map that categories the company on the basis of the quality and prices. The map helps in understanding the position of the company. The price and quality of the products play an important role for the company. Positioning Map of Woolworths Supermarket The above image is a positioning map that shows the position of the Woolworths Company. The company lies in the quality and high price. On the other hand, the competitive company Coles lies under the category of the medium quality with medium prices. This shows that the company Woolworth believes in delivering quality services to their customers. Maintaining a stable positioning in the market is a must for the company. Conclusion The report talks about the analysis of the company Woolworths. Company supermarket is a focused market in the report. The analysis and evaluation throw light on the market condition of the company. It also shows the opportunities and threats of the company that can help a company in taking the right step. The competition among Woolworth and Coles is continuously increasing. The company needs to take care of the strategies they are implementing. Woolworth needs to improve the weakness of the company to gain the competitive advantage in the market. The company makes strategies related to the market penetration which enhance the number of customers. A company can also offer the attractive offers on the occasions or lean season which enhances the demand of the customers. It also makes the international customers aware about the brand. The company should try to work on the pricing strategy. So that company will be able to offer the affordable price range to the middle-income group range as well. This will help the company in acquiring the middle-class people attention. This will also enhance the brand value of the company. Later on, the company should try to expand the business not only domestic but international as well. References Fin24. (2016). Woolworths continues to show strong growth. Viewed on 28th August 2017 https://www.fin24.com/Companies/Retail/woolworths-continues-to-show-strong-growth-20160211 Woolworths Group. (2017). Strategy and objectives. Viewed on 28th August 2017 https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/about-us/our-approach/strategy-and-objectives Adamkasi. (2016). PESTLE-PESTLE Analysis of Woolworths. Viewed on 28th August 2017 https://freepestelanalysis.com/pestle-pestel-analysis-of-woolworths/ Sampson, A., (2017). Amazon Freshs bold promise to Australians. The Weekly Times. Viewed on 28th August 2017 https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/amazon-freshs-bold-promise-to-australians/news-story/1c4bbfb35e727aaa79d052fa7b4ef74f Roy Morgan. (2015). Supermarket weep: Woolies share continues to fall and Coles and Aldi split the proceeds. Viewed on 28th August 2017 https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7021-woolworths-coles-aldi-iga-supermarket-market-shares-australia-september-2016--201610241542 Kew, J., Stredwick, J. (2017). Business environment: managing in a strategic context. Kogan Page Publishers. Fernie, J., Fernie, S., Moore, C. (2015). Principles of retailing. Routledge. Culley, B., Graham, J., Kay, G., Norberry, J., Wilson, S. (2017). Digital Marketing Plan: Naked Wines Australia. Newcastle Business School Student Journal, 1(1), 68-89. Gitman, L. J., Juchau, R., Flanagan, J. (2015). Principles of managerial finance. Pearson Higher Education AU. Richards, C., Devin, B. (2016). Powerful supermarkets push the cost of food waste onto suppliers, charities. The Conversation, (29). Murray, P. A. (2014). The nature and sources of competitive advantage. Grigg, S. (2015). SpinachA global expedition to understand the prevalence of Damping off and practical management techniques. Bodie, Z., Kane, A., Marcus, A. J. (2014). Investments, 10e. McGraw-Hill Education. Albuquerque, R., Cassel, J., Phalippou, L., Schroth, E. (2017). Liquidity Provision on the Secondary Market for Private Equity Fund Stakes. Arli, V., Dylke, S., Burgess, R., Campus, R., Soldo, E. (2013). Woolworths Australia and Walmart US: Best practices in supply chain collaboration. Journal of Economics, Business Accountancy Ventura, 16(1). Pollard, C. M., Landrigan, T., Ellies, P., Kerr, D. A., Lester, M., Goodchild, S. (2013). Geographic factors as determinants of food security: a Western Australian food pricing and quality study. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition. Battersby, J., Peyton, S. (2014, June). The geography of supermarkets in Cape Town: Supermarket expansion and food access. In Urban Forum (Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 153-164). Springer Netherlands. Australian food news. (2015 May 6th). Woolworths announces new strategies to win over grocery shoppers, AFN reveals full detail. Australian Food News. Viewed on 28th August 2017 https://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2015/05/06/woolworths-announces-new-strategies-to-win-over-grocery-shoppers-afn-reveals-full-detail.html Heffernan, M., (2016 November 7th). Woolworths, Coles, Aldi: which is cheapest for branded products?. The Sydney Morning Herald. Viewed on 28th August 2017 https://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/woolworths-coles-aldi-which-is-cheapest-for-branded-products-20161101-gsf9ov.html Chung, F., (2017 February 22nd). Woolworths swings back to profit in first half. News.com.au. Viewed on 28th August 2017 https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/woolworths-swings-back-to-profit-in-first-half/news-story/4252590e969c0f6f9f9221b2595e26ae

National Integration Essay Example

National Integration Paper National Integration: A myth or reality The integrity of any nation invariably depends on the integrity of its citizens. After all, it is the individuals who constitute society or a nation. Society or nation minus individuals is nothing. The individual is a reality; whereas the society is a myth. The society exists because of individuals. Therefore, the integration of a nation is only a mere manifestation of the integrity of the individual. The more one is integrated and undivided, the more the society is integrated and undivided. So the individual is the pillar on whom the whole edifice of a nation stands. It is in this sense the national integration is more a myth than a reality, more a dream than a fact, more a conceived concept by demagogues than an existing reality. India is under severe strain. She is passing through many a crisis. The crisis of India is the crisis of her citizens. It is the crisis of the inner and not the outer. India is a land of unity in diversity says Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Since the ancient times people belonging to different communities, religions and cultural groups have been living in this abode of sages and gods in perfect harmony. India was one country, strong and united during the reigns of Ashoka and Akbar. We will write a custom essay sample on National Integration specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on National Integration specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on National Integration specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Though there was not much of political unity, there was cultural and emotional unity in the country. Outwardly, India was politically united during the British regime, but the clever British rulers practiced the theory of divide and rule. They created disunity among the people belonging to different communities and provinces. They promoted fissiparous and separatist tendencies among people and sowed the seeds of communal dissensions and animosity between Hindus and Muslims, which flourished in the form of the partition of India and the blood-bath on the heels of partition in 1947. Thus, it is also a lesson of our history that fissiparous forces have time and again raised their bead to disrupt our unity and to weaken our strength. When India attained independence, the leaders were immediately faced with the stupendous task of modernizing the economy and of welding the people into one integrated nation, First of all, Sardar Patel wisely integrated almost 560 princely States into the Indian Union, Being fully aware of the diverse elements m the country, the Government took adequate measures to promote national integration. The Constitution made India a secular state, guaranteeing equal status and respect to all religions, and the freedom to practice and propagate them. Unaccountability was abolished acid special provision were made to uplift the scheduled castes and tribes. Safeguards were allowed for linguistic and communal minorities. But while considerable progress was made in forty one year of independence, fissiparous forces, though held in check, repeatedly raised their ugly head in one form or the other. There are certain any-national elements inside the country and some hostile neighbors who are jealously at work to see that India is disintegrated into small states. Certain foreign powers are also jealous of Indias achievements and are out to weaken it. The main obstacles in the way of national integration are : communalism, racialism, provincialism, linguism and casteism etc. Passions have lime and again been inflamed in the name of language leading to riots between different language groups in a state. Regionalism and separatism threatens fragmentation of the country as in Assam, Arunachal, Punjab and now Gorkhaland in West Bengal. Untouchability and caste prejudices are still the bane of the Indian social life and atrocities on Harijans still continue to be reported. Communalism, the legacy of the British rule, still persists in India. Communal riots are still taking place in different parts of the country. The fanatics in each community simply refuse to see reason. This has led to the growth of various sena which further vitiate the communal atmosphere and create communal tension. The advent of terrorism, a comparatively recent phenomenon, has posed a potent danger to the concept of national integration and to the security and stability of human life. These terrorists are the greatest enemies of the nation. They indulge in the most inhuman and gruesome activities like mass massacre that puts humanity itself to shame. Among the other factors leading to disintegration are defective educational system, lop-sided role of political parties and the great economic factor. One disastrous effect of foreign rule was the cultural denudation of the educated youth by means of westernized education which presented colored and distorted versions of our history and culture. Political parties in this country give first priority to their political ambitions at the cost of love for the country. They do not hesitate to exploit communal, regional and other parochial passions; the temptations of power are too strong for some politicians and parties. But one of the greatest cause of disintegration is the great economic factor—the ever widening gulf between the rich and the poor. So long as this gap lasts, all talks of national integration will sound hollow. How is national integration to be accomplished. The first and the foremost step is to eradicate terrorism from the soil of India. The Central Government must check obscurantism, regionalism and separatism with an iron hand. The Government should never yield to regional pressures, particularly when they are in the form of violence and intimidation. Linguistic fanaticism should be suppressed, but there is need of a common national language to inculcate a sense of unity. A nation which has no language of its own is no nation it can never achieve integration in any real sense. Fissiparous tendencies cannot be checked by force and the compulsions of law. They have to be eradicated by persuasion and education. The battle of national integration is to be waged in the minds of men. All media of mass communications, such as newspapers, radio and television must be utilized for a drive for promoting national unity. Then, our educational system must be so reconstructed as to emphasize the composite nature of our culture and to instill in the minds of the youth legitimate pride in our social heritage. Promotion of national integration should be made an integral part of our educational programme. There should be a positive change in the attitude of the majority community towards the minorities so that the latter join the main stream of the nation. Indian nationalism must fight the pernicious caste system tooth and nail. Students of minority communities should be offered equal opportunities for all jobs and services. Political parties have a significant role to play in shaping the national outlook. They need greater discipline and restraint in India than those in other countries. They must learn to subordinate other political ambitions, to the imperative need, of bringing various people together and they must train people to think in national terms. Finally, there can never be sense or unity of fellow feeling in a country where there are huge inequalities in the distribution of national income and wealth. The best way to achieve national integration, to mobilize all our resources for rapid development and to archive stability is to make Nehrujis concept of Democratic Socialism a reality. For the national integration, it is essential that people should give up communal and sectarian outlook. They should reconsider themselves as Indians first and Indians last. Emotional and psychological integration is vital to national integration. National integration depends on the Indianization of the educated masses, eliminating parochial loyalties, establishing social justice and reconstructing the educational system to give it a truly national bias.

Comparing Odysseus and Norman essays

Comparing Odysseus and Norman essays By hero, we tend to mean a heightened man who, more than other men, possesses qualities of courage, loyalty, resourcefulness, charisma, above all, selflessness,(Zweig) is what Paul Zweig said in 1974. Mr. Zweig defined a hero as someone who has courage, loyalty, resourcefulness, charisma, and selflessness more than the average person. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus displays characteristics of a hero, especially his charisma. In Sphere by Michael Crichton, Norman has heroic attributes, especially with his resourcefulness by using objects on the ship in times of need. Both Odysseus and Norman are characters who strive for a set goal, and thus display definite heroic attitudes, while both handling themselves in different ways. First, Odysseus and Norman show distinct differences in the way they approach people. Norman is a shy person when he handles himself in front of his crewmates. While speaking with Beth, he expresses his view on the creature that is terrorizing them. Beth, realizing Normans passiveness, attacks his ideas. The other members of the crew notice Beths harshness, and some sided with the soft-spoken Norman. The attribute of being shy when he talks to people was not, in fact, a weakness, but a distinct strength. This strengthens his support because it makes people more comfortable with him as a regular person without major motives, although this is not always true. On the other hand, Odysseus is a person who people feel comfortable with because of the confidence in his voice. When he is in Phaecia, he speaks of all his adventures up to that point in his attempt to relate to the people that he is speaking to. In his charismatic story telling, he becomes very popular with most of the citizens. Due to the bonds people feel with him, he parts with many fine gifts, finally heading home. Odysseus and Norman use different persuasive techniques to be persuade people t ...

Competitive GSM companies in Kazakhstan Case Study

Competitive GSM companies in Kazakhstan - Case Study Example The path of technological development cannot be bended and today's human interactions predominantly rely on advanced networking options applied greatly in every corner of the globe. This culture and society research project analyzes the competition between GSM companies in Kazakhstan, particularly 'K'cell' and 'K-mobile'. The emphasis is placed on social problems, including poor quality of service, prices, and customer attitudes. The research question is whether there is true competition between GSM companies in Kazakhstan, especially between 'K'cell' and 'K-mobile'. The spotlight of the research is how competition affects people living in Kazakhstan. One of the most significant innovations in mobile communications and cell telephony is associated with the approval of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard in 1984 by the European Commission. As of 2006, GSM was actively applied by more than two billion people in over 212 countries.1 In actual fact, GSM standard assumes cellular network that connects mobile phones by searching nearby cells. In turn, mobile phones operators apply GSM to provide international roaming worldwide. Customers apparently benefit from GSM application since it enables them to receive high digital voice quality at relatively low cost for calls and text messages. Another attribute of GSM popularity is the SIM card. Subscriber Identity Module, which is a detachable smart card that stores user data. Mobile operators are changed at users' discretion by simple replacement of SIM cards (GSM Association, 2007). Kazakhstan's Telecom Market Kazakhstan's telecom market is booming. According to the new legislation adopted in 2004, the telecom sector was liberalized and that stop 'Kazakh telecom' monopoly. Rapid development of the mobile market led to the increase of mobile subscribers (from 260,000 in 2000 to more than 5 million in early 2006) (Totel, 2006). At present, two leading GSM providers operating in the Kazakh domestic market are "K'cell" (60%) and "K-mobile" (30%) with the remaining 5% covered by other mobile operators. 'K'cell' was founded on 30 September, 1998 and since then it is symbolized by 'K'cell' and "Active" trade mark. The company involves such shareholders as 'GSM Kazakhstan', "Kazakh telecom" JSC and the joint company representing three countries, Finland, Turkey and Sweden, "Fin Tur Holdings B.V." Furthermore, 'K'cell' is a national leader, consider the scope of provided services, to number of subscribers (approx. 3.3 m.), and actual amount of investments. To prove this, during 2002-2005 the company was awarded the status of a lead cellular operator in Kazakhstan (K'Cell, 2006). In addition, the company was warded the prize called "Choice of the Year in Kazakhstan" and therefore became lead cellular

Grafting Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Grafting - Term Paper Example Grafting of appropriate plants result in improved hardiness in plants, hardiness refers to the ability of a plant to endure harsh climatic conditions. Through successful grafting for example, the showy Western Australian plants currently can resist the heavy soils common in urban centers (Core, 2005). Grafting has succeeded developing appropriate plants that fit different ecological conditions prevalent in different parts of the world. As discussed earlier, grafting conjoins two unique plants together thus resulting in the development of a unique new species. The resultant species benefits from the productive features of both the stock and the scion. In most cases, the stock always provide effective adaptive features of the root to enable the new plant survive in particular conditions while the scion provides effective foliage and flowing features that improves the productivity of the resultant plants. Precocity is a unique ability introduced only through grafting. It refers to the process of inducing productivity in plants without necessarily undergoing the juvenile stage. Introducing a scion in a stock disrupts the growth patterns of the resulting plant. Among the major advantages of the disruptions is that most of the plants bypass juvenility a period of growth and maturity in the plants. By passing the stage, the plants immediately begin producing fruits. This increases the profitability of agribusiness by shortening the time that fruit plants take before becoming fruitful. Bypassing the stage of juvenility is fundamental in agribusiness owing go the length of the duration, juvenility may last up to nine years in different plants. Bypassing the stage safeguards the quality and productivity of the plants since the new plat is likely to perform better than the two parent plants while doing so within the shortest time possible.

Criminal Investigation - Cover Identity and Story Assignment

Criminal Investigation - Cover Identity and Story - Assignment Example There were people who sold drugs there and were involved in other criminal activities like stealing, terrorizing people, and so on. We formed a gang of our own and started enjoying activities such as troubling and terrorizing people, stealing things and snatching money from people. My mother was worried about my sisters and me. She enrolled me in a nearby school, but I always ran away from there to join my friends. I got arrested thrice till now. Once because of a street fight when I was sent to children’s jail, then because of stealing and hitting a woman in the juvenile jail and then once more to juvenile jail because of breaking in a house. Otherwise, I am the good player at doing certain activities for which, I get away without being arrested. Every time when I was arrested, I met with new friends who supported me in my life. I started living away from my mother and sisters when I turned fifteen. I do not know anything about them now, as I lead a self-reliant life now. I do not like to live with family or friends, as I like a lonely and independent life. However, I enjoy drinking and playing games with friends. Previously, I was in California and I ran from there because I had a clash with some people who tried to kill me. I need a place to live and want some work so that I can earn something for my survival. I can also live with someone who is ready to accommodate me and I can do the work that he assigns me to whatever nature it is. I can do all the works that a person can do. I can sell products legal or illegal as I have already sold drugs before in California. Nevertheless, you know that I have left the place now, so everything here is new for me and I want someone to help me. Part II: In two to three pages, explain how you chose this identity and how you will make it work. How does it fit your knowledge and experience? How will you remember your story and keep your statements/facts consistent? I chose the identity of a criminal with the help of Kozol’s book, â€Å"Fire in the Ashes: Twenty-five years among the poorest children in America."  Ã‚  

Theory Of Civilization And The Caribbean History Essay

Theory Of Civilization And The Caribbean History Essay Oswald Spengler was a German historian and philosopher. He was born in 1880 in Blankenburg. His parents were Protestants. His father came from a family of mine engineers while his mothers family had a bias towards the arts. Spengler inherited both traits as was evident in his interest in both arts and sciences. He grew up in an emotionally reserved home, leading him to turn to books for solace (Spengler, Oswald). Spengler studied a wide range of subjects in school including Greek, Latin, mathematics, natural sciences, poetry, drama and music. He also studied a wide range of courses at the universities of Munich, Berlin, and Halle including history, philosophy, mathematics, natural science, literature, music, and fine art. His doctoral dissertation was on Heraclitus, the Greek Philosopher.(Spengler, Oswald) Spengler worked as a teacher in several schools around German. Scholars who have attempted to study this Germany Philosopher note that his life was relatively uneventful and punctuated by long spells of loneliness. He died in 1936(Spengler, Oswald) Oswald Spengler is best known for his controversial book The Decline of the West, published in 1918, coinciding with the collapse of German. This was the first of his two-volume work. It was subtitled Form and Actuality, while the second volume was subtitled Perspectives of World History. (Stimely, n. pag) The emergence of first volume of The Decline of the West was received with mixed reactions around Europe. The main critics of this book were professional scholars and historians who claimed that Spengler was an amateur, not a trained historian. In spite of this, the book was a great success. Spenglers approach to history was inspired by Goethe, a German writer and Nietzsche, a philosopher (Spengler, Oswald). His approach entailed taking a direct look at things as opposed to strictly scientifically. Spengler was of the view that science often masked the real meaning of things and that the so-called professional historians were victims of this kind of blindness. As a result, Spengler believed in his ability to not only unravel the mystery that is history but also to predetermine it. According to Spengler, history is not the study of a consistent progression of events, but a comparative study of cultures (Spengler, Oswald). He rejected the linear view of history in support of the cyclical, implying that history comprised of events and developments that generally repeated themselves in cycles. Spengler was strongly opposed to the traditional way of categorizing history in terms of ancient, medieval, and modern. Instead he majored on eight cultures, sometimes referred to as Spenglers cultures. These cultures are Egyptian, Indian, Babylonian, Chinese, Classical (Greek and Roman), Mexican, Arabian and Western. (Spengler, Oswald) Each one of these cultures has its own unique features. For example the Egyptian culture was symbolized by their preoccupation with religion, architecture, such as the pyramids and art. Each culture too, evolves through a cycle of stages more or less like a plant through the stages of youth, maturity and then death (decline). Each culture, according to Spengler goes through its stage of civilization which could be referred to as its declining phase. In other words, civilization, according to Spengler is what remains of a culture after its development phase fades. In his book, Spengler mainly centers on comparisons between the Classical and Western cul tures and civilizations. He noted that the civilization of the West since the late nineteenth century exhibited similar characteristics to ancient (Greek and Roman) civilization in its decline. He claims that in each of these cultures 1000 years of active life there existed a cycle of development and decline (Stimely, n. pag). In his book, Spengler described the then Western culture as doomed and headed for extinction just like all the other high cultures that had existed earlier. He faulted it as being based on the illusion that everything would always get better and better eternally, instead of understanding it as having a distinct and fixed life-span moving from birth to maturity and then onto death just like in a living organism. The West, according to him was in the heart of its civilization phase and its end was probably just decades away. During the civilization phase, in a high culture there exists severe social disorder, mass movements of people, persistent wars and unending crises. At the same time, emergence of great megalopolis is witnessed, causing the surrounding rural areas to be drained of their strength, brains and spirituality. The residents of these new urban centers soon grow into immoral and materialistic people. Soon the push for democracy and a free press set in following the desire to amass more wealth and money. This leads to conflicts and supremacy battles between the new culture and the original culture, marked by bloodshed and strangulation of democracy. Only blood is seen as strong enough to overturn the rule of money. Eventually, the cities start to depopulate, with the people going back to the countryside and re-inventing their old religious and artistic symbolisms. This results in the end of the culture and the civilization that came with it. According to Spengler these phases recur within a p eriod of time and at some point in future, these great cultures will experience phases similar to those that they went through years back. He predicted that there would be recurrence of such events as the world wars followed later by a nearly united Western civilization. Spenglers theories opened up inspiring and divergent social views in the western civilization. A number of scholars and analysts continue to ponder over whether or not Spenglers analyses are correct, in spite of some of his predictions having come true. Many critics viewed his work as outright pessimism, although he remained one of the most read authors in the early 20th century years. Even his critics acknowledge that his greatest strong point was the parallel comparisons he made between the classical and western cultures. His strength in the arts played to his advantage during his study and analysis of different cultures. He is considered by some to have paved the way for National Socialism (Spengler, Oswald). The history of the Caribbean dates back to around 4500 B.C. Before the voyage of Christopher Columbus to the Americas and the subsequent colonization, civilization in the Caribbean was clearly organized and operational. It is believed that the coming of the Europeans into the Caribbean introduced ethnocentric beliefs that ensured the collapse or disintegration of their civilization. With more and more European countries claiming territorial shares in the Caribbean, rivalries emerged among these European nations, making the Caribbean battleground for European wars for many years. In addition to the instability caused by these wars, diversification was introduced in the Caribbean region bringing in new religions, cultures, architectural designs among others. Caribbean civilization has evolved from an ethnically and racially plural society to a relatively inclusive society comprising almost entirely of migrants from Africa, Europe and Asia. These peoples share a common history of colonialism and slavery in a blend of great diversity, thus making it a one-of-a-kind civilization. In addition, the Caribbean has a unique physical environment that has further played to attract in more foreigners, thus further diversifying their culture. Despite their widely varied backgrounds, the people of the Caribbean managed to forge a unity that resulted in one culture characterized by shared political ideologies, a common language and corporation aimed at improving each others lives. Looking back at Spenglers theory of civilization, it can be argued that it fell short in addressing racial differences among different cultures as is the case in the Caribbean. Spengler preferred to look at race as a minor difference in the members of the same race. He viewed race as not being of significant implications on the unity or disunity among people of the same culture. In so doing, Spengler contradicts the science of biology and heredity. In the Caribbean case, the unique mixture of people from different racial backgrounds was a significant factor in the development of their civilization. Further, Spengler considers each culture and civilization as a closed and isolated unit, bound together only by a common strong idea or belief. Critics argue that such ideas cannot undergo organic evolution as purported by Spengler since they are a mere creation of the human mind, lacking any substance. If that were the case, the Caribbean civilization would have been long gone the way of the classical culture. By only studying a few cultures, Spengler was, according to critics, not better placed to generalize on the fate of all civilizations since he did not have accurate information. Finally, Spenglers theory claims that each of civilization came into being independently without borrowing from other cultures. The Classical cultures existed and became extinct in totality. On the other hand, the West viewed their modern civilization as a rebirth or continuation of the Classical civilization. The similarities in some of these cultures therefore clearly points to the fact that there exists an inter-relation between them that continues to survive the test of time. The Caribbean civilization borrows from a number of other cultures and civilizations from Europe, African and Asia shaping them into a single strong culture.

Are Prisons Effective? Essay -- Papers Criminal System Jail Prison Cri

Are Prisons Effective? Imprisonment; is it beneficial or non-beneficial? This argument is presented from the viewpoint of both sides of this issue. One group, "The Council on Crime in America", is pro-incarceration; while on the other side of this issue, " The National Criminal Justice Commission", is con-incarceration. Both sides have presented their viewpoints clearly and factually. Those who are for incarceration present their opinions in such a way as to sway the reader toward accepting what they say as the only answer to fight back against the growing crime rate. If the prisoners are locked up in prisons, then they cannot commit crimes. Moreover, they feel that the criminals can be rehabilitated behind bars. Also, they view imprisonment as a deterrent against future crimes. For example, if a law-breaker sees his friend imprisoned for a crime he committed, then the other party will be less willing to break the law and end up in prison as well. Furthermore, punishment itself would satisfy most of society when the criminal is imprisoned. Prison offers law-breakers a chance to receive drug treatment, educational benefits, and as stated before, a chance at rehabilitation. Also, incarceration costs less than leaving criminals out of prisons because the cost of housing inmates is less than the cost of their crimes incur. Plus, those in favor of imprisonment state that most inmates are repeat offenders that have probably committed many crimes that they have not even been caught committing. For example, some people feel that "low level drug dealers" should not be imprisoned, but these so called "low level drug dealers" usually can be credited with other crimes. Pro-incarceration feels that putting these crimi... ...obbers must be incarcerated, but the balance of non-violent criminals does not treat every criminal the same. More minorities and poor whites end up behind bars than those who can afford a high priced lawyer. Moreover, only the strong survive in prison while the weak or new prisoners are subject to rape, robbery and beatings. Thus, inmates must resort to survival tactics just to get by from day to day. This makes a non-violent offender worse than before he or she arrived at prison. Prisoners who have committed the same exact crimes do not always get the same time serve. Prisoners get humiliated besides being punished. When these prisoners are released, they must rebuild their self-esteem and families. Plus, if imprisonment was meant to be a deterrent against crime, why are there so many other criminals ready to take over for the criminal who is incarcerated.

All About Dream

How does the power of the human imagination influence artists and designers in producing fantastic, dreamlike creation? Have you ever imagined you slept in an ‘over-sized’ shirt, as a bed you usually sleep on? Have you ever dreamt about dressing into a hot air balloon or have you ever thought that you saw a strange thing in the world which was a fish but had a human body? People always think these kinds of thoughts are over the top, but this is all about fantasy, our dreams and human imagination. Designers are able to create fascinating work; artists are able to construct gorgeous creations, because of the human imagination. In 1940 Dali summed up his aspiration to create objects, ‘I try to create fantastic things, magical things and things like a dream. The world needs more fantasy. Our civilization is too mechanical. ’ I will never forget his words, especially when he said, ‘We can make the fantastic real and then it is more real than that which actually exists. ’ I agree with him. I think the world needs more fantasy. People seem to forget how to dream and what dreams are. They are too sensible now. In my personal study, I would like to look at how the power of the human imagination influences artists and designers in their creations. I will first of all look at the surrealism movement which first appeared in Paris in 1924. In Oxford Intermediate Learner’s Dictionary, ‘surreal’ is an adjective which means images mixed together in a strange way like in a dream. In art, it is an expression of eccentric thoughts of the subconscious mind. Surrealist artists always create something which people think are nonsense, because their creation is influenced by their imagination and it is something that comes from dreams. There were lots of famous artists who came from the surrealism movement; Rene Magritte is one of the popular artists within this movement. Unlike other surrealist artists’ work, of rich and complex layers, Magritte’s works are straight forward and accessible. In â€Å"Magritte† written by Richard Calvocoressi, he described the way Magritte’s style was concentrated on the relation between the image of an object and object itself. I am totally in agreement with him. In addition, I have chosen to look at The Listening Room by Magritte. This is an example of the relation between the object and another object, by reducing the size of the room and enlarging the size of the apple. Magritte had tried to provoke a reaction from the audience. I found this picture especially interesting, because it clearly demonstrates how the artist uses his imagination and sub conscious to express his ideas. In 1956, Magritte wrote, ‘For me the conception of a picture is an idea of one thing or several things that can become visible through my painting. ’ I think Magritte means that his paintings are a means of expressing his ideas and his imagination. In The Listening Room which has a gigantic apple in its tiny room is one of the examples of Magritte’s variation of the objects scale. The apple is depicted realistically but the fact that it is so large within the room is very disconcerting. We cannot tell whether the apple is too big or the room is undersized. In his book Richard Calvocoressi has interpreted the painting as â€Å"a feeling of claustrophobia, of near panic,† this is generated by the sight of the objects, â€Å"behaving irrationally or adopting human characteristics. † I strongly agree with his idea that the painting makes you feel breathless in the room which makes the audience have a deep impression. In ‘VOGUE’ April 2006, there was an article with a surreal photograph which linked in the topic of ‘Small space, Big Idea’. The idea of the picture is basically same as ‘The listening room’. A model suffered in an unfitted room which is as big as she is. It seems that the model is a giant, otherwise is a model come to a draft house. When I first look at this picture, a feel of claustrophobia and uncomfortable were came into my mind. The picture had just gave a very deep impression to the audience. Magritte has written that, ‘The only thing that engages me is the mystery world. I think this means that he likes to challenge his audience with a sense of unusual and the strange. Calvocoressi went on to say ‘these ideas were in the nature of speculation on the world. ’ I think that by this he means that surrealist artists were challenging their audience to look at the world in a different ways, and try to introduce the world of fan tasy. Magritte is also successfully bringing surreal fantasy into our daily life. Just like Magritte, Salvador Dali is another famous surrealist. He had and enormous impact on twentieth-century painting. He based all his work on the human imagination and sub conscious. I found ‘Three Young Surrealistic Women Holding in Their Arms the Skins of An Orchestra' which is painted in 1936 is particularly interested me, because the image in the objects in the painting are strange and behaving in a strange way. In his seminal essay ‘The conquest of the Irrational'(1935), Dali has described his quest, ‘My whole ambition in painting manifest the images of concrete irrationality in terms of authoritative precision†¦images which for the moment can neither be explained nor reduced by logical systems or rational approaches. I think Dali means he is trying to show irrational images using a visual language. Therefore his fantasy world could actually come ‘alive'. This is another great example of Dali's variation of objects melting. It shows three shapely but mysteries women who are standing on a sandy place, holding fluid instruments which seem to be slide away from them. The colour of the piano is sandy colour which is confusing as to whether the piano is made of sand or not. The women are portrayed with heads of flowers, which adds a calming and serene effect to the painting. In Dalinian symbolism the heads of flowers represent the sexuality of the woman. In the background, we have a landscape of Catalonia, the rocky crags that line the Mediterranean Sea near Port Lligat and Cape Creus. Behind the woman who is holding the piano skin, there seem to be a reflection of the rocky crag, but because of the colour of the ground, we cannot tell whether there is the sea or not. It seem to me they are inside a very quiet place, which I believe is the colour effect, because the major colour of the picture is white, which represent innocence, purity and virginity. In 1938, Elsa Schiaparelli interprets images from three Dali’s painting of 1936, which are Necrophiliac Springtime, The Dream Place Its Hand On Man’s Shoulder and Three Young Surrealist Women Holding in Their Arms The Skins of An Orchestra. She create a real dress taking the idea out of those three painting. ‘The real dress (like the dream dress in the paintings) dissolves the boundary between clothing and body. ’ In Surreal Things by Glislaine Wood. The dress is like the garment wear in the painting Three Young Surrealist Women Holding in Their Arms The Skins of An Orchestra, Schiaparelli may use a flimsy fabric with a next to the skin cutting to bring the woman in the painting into the live. The pattern on the fabric designed by Salvador Dali, which is ‘printed with the illusion of torn animal skin’, suit in the painting, where the women are wearing a torn white dress. Another accompanying with the garment is the veil which ‘appliqued with fabric that adds a third dimension to the illusionary tears. The collection finale has featured a traditional wedding dress but twisted in the surreal way, which again synthesized human imagination as well as surrealist’s dream and bring it into the daily life. ‘Schiaparelli’s designs often lost their Surrealist references when the original model copied by department-store couture salons or by manufacturer who adapted them for the mass market. ’ B y Glislaine Wood. When surrealism’s designs faced the population, they often lose some of their colours. We are still in a realistic world; instead of a dreamland create by ourselves. We still need to be more realistic about the fashion we wear in our daily life. Although that is the fact, human imagination is affecting our daily life. In the way, I have chosen to look at Viktor & Rolf ‘s collection in Fall Winter 2005, because they had put their imagination into the real life, every garment in this collection are fantasy creation. They had been inspired everything by bed, and able to convert this idea to a wearable collection. Viktor & Rolf dreamed up a surreal idea, ‘Why not go to work in your bed? ‘(written by Sarah Mower in style. com). It had make me queries about this idea. Firstly, we will never go to work in our bed, also how can this dreamlike idea come to realistic; secondly, how can it link to their collection. As soon as I looked at the collection, my queries had all been answered. The first model had come down on runway with her hair spread over on a lace-edged cotton pillow as a ‘collar', with neatly folded over sheet as her coat. On my personal view, she looked like a sleeping beauty and dressed into a sleeping bed. In fact, ‘Viktor & Rolf don't allow surrealist antics to block the view of their increasingly accomplished way with smartly normal cloth'(written by Sarah Mower in style. om). After the sleeping beauties, they had a second part of the collection. The most eye catching garment was a white lacing edges with a great contribution of folded fronts. The garment has show the exaggeration a normal white shirt created by human imagination. The garment was a very simple design but after twisted by imagination of the design, it bec ame a dreamlike fantasy. The Viktor & Rolf Fall Winter 2005/06 collection had show a series of surrealistic ideas, the power of human imagination had influenced Viktor & Rolf's creation. By having simple daily object, bedspread needlework, the idea had been turned into a array of skirts, jackets and pant. The result is they had made up a dreamy night. ‘In many ways, Surrealism carried the seeds of its own commercialization. ’ By Glislaine Wood. Surrealism has influenced lots of craft work and design, especially fashion design. ‘Fashion design has long had a huge admiration for this movement and many of our leading designers will admit to be influenced by it. ’ By Alexandra Shulman. Surrealism had inspired lots of fashion designers’ works, especially for the haute couture. A sense of exaggeration needed to provoke the audience in haute couture fashion show. The Haute Couture in Christian Dior by John Galliano will be a great representation. John Galliano has a little reformation on 22nd of January, 2007 with glamorous, recreated the traditional Japanese art in his extraordinary style, transferred these ideas on to fabric and created a speechless fashion show for Christian Dior haute couture spring 2007. Everything about this collection is inspired, John Galliano said,† by Pinkerton's affair with Cio-Cio San, Madame Butterfly† With regard to this nspiration, every models in this collection has given a ‘fully painted, red lips and full Kabuki style make up' ( Camilla Morton, elle. com) The make up are obviously overstate, but the clothes do not make the audience be disappointed as well. The first exited model shown a bright pink formal jacket with an enlarged origami collar and pockets, decorated with beading and embroidery; the other m odel came to the stage with a big lily origami laid over on her shoulder, the fabric used for the lily look like a traditional Japanese origami paper. On my personal view, she looked like a flower fairy dance on the stage. The surprise will never ended in Galliano's creation. A bright green kimono-like jacket, with a exaggerated large gathered sleeve and very traditional Japanese pattern, underneath this gorgeous jacket, we have a sleeveless, long shaped yellow dress with the same pattern on the jacket. This garment was really stand out because of the colour. This collection ‘reconfirmed his unique talent to evoke beauty, sensitivity, narrative, and emotion in fashion show' (written by Sarah Mower in style. om) These garments to the population are over-the-top, but they are coming from human imagination, they are dreamlike creature, the most important point is they are not just a art pieces but wearable. Although the collection has a theme of Japanese costume, but it is different from the original. They are full of imagination and dreamlike creature, this make Sarah Mower in style. com think, ‘What psychological process did it take to lift John Galliano to the extraordinary place of brilliance he reached–or rediscovered–in his spring couture? From the stage set decorated with cherry blossoms, to the garments themselves, everything is surreal and has been exaggerated. The Japanese art of paper folding has been used in fabric and give the garment an extra decoration. Everything is like a dream in this fashion, something different and something new has explored by John Galliano. Using a culture as a theme does not mean changing something on the traditional clothing, but by research the art of culture and putting them into the design are always important. ‘The world needs more fantasy. Our civilization is too mechanical. ’ By Salvador Dali in 1940. I believed in what he had said, I thought our world is too reasonable and sensible. Those realist think the people have dream are having a airy-fairy mind. For those dreams which can not become true, the realist using their realistic mind thinks we are just a dreamer, no contribution, nonsense and desk studying. However they have never recognized how important dream and human imagination is, without those unrestrained and vigorous idea, we cannot progress and penetrate more. Nowadays the society is too realistic, we have so many rule to constraint ourselves, therefore we need dreams and imagination to break through those inappropriate rules. We can make the fantastic real and then it is more real than that which actually exists’ By Salvador Dali. This world should be a unconstraint world, people are realistic, because we live in a commercial world, everything is particulars in their own values. No one would like to pay more; this is how our society becomes self-concerned world . If we can imagine more, create more and pay more attention to the surrounding, and try to be less realistic than before, we can produce the real fantasy and it will be ‘more real than that which actually exists. ’

Girl Scouts Honor essays

Girl Scouts Honor essays Girl Scouts of the United States was founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, its membership started in Savannah, Georgia. Members of Girl Scouts rose from 18 to nearly four million today. Its known as the world's largest organization dedicated to helping all girls everywhere build character and gain skills for success in the real world. Girl scouts members develop strong values, leadership skills, social conscience, and confidence about their own potential and self-esteem that will serve them all their lives. The Purpose of Girl Scouting is to inspire girls with the highest principles of character, conduct, patriotism, and service that they may become happy and resourceful citizens. All girls from ages 5-17 can participate in the fun, friendship, and power of girls together through the Girl Scout experience, including community service projects, cultural exchanges, building sport skills, and environmental preservations. The Girl Scouts launched a program last year titled "For Every Girl, Everywhere," and performed major outreach among its membership, particularly in terms of trying to reach more Hispanic girls(Taylor. 2002, Advertising Age). The Hispanic market isn't the only minority audience on which the Girl Scouts see a need to make an effort. The Girl Scouts first worked to identify the common ground between the Girl scouts and Hispanics, and then create the "Cultural Awareness Training Program," which would lead to more successful recruiting(Taylor. 2002, Advertising Age). The volunteers are given various ideas on what kind of events they can hold, such as "Pedicure Night" which a local volunteer sponsored to create a comfortable atmosphere for the girls. In the United States there are approximately thirty Girl Scouts Beyond Bars programs, most of them limited to providing only one service: once-a-month visits to the prisons(Freedman. 2003, Texas Monthly).That's because every girl in this troop has or has ...

What Is NATO A Short Introduction

What Is NATO A Short Introduction SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re thinking about taking the AP U.S. History or AP World History exams, it’s important that you have a good understanding of the major events and organizations that have shaped the nation- and the world. One critical topic that you should know about is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. If you’ve watched the news (or listened in history class!), you’ve probably heard the term NATO mentioned quite a bit. But what is NATO, exactly? And why is NATO important? In this short but sweet guide, we’ll give you all the need-to-know information about NATO, like NATO’s definition, an overview of NATO history, and a look into how NATO works today. We’ll also give you a short list of additional resources that you can check out for evenmoreinformation. So let’s get started! What Is NATO: Definition and Overview So what is NATO, exactly? The general purpose of NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, starts with NATO’s definition: NATO a multi-national political and military alliance dedicated to the collective security and defense of its member nations. NATO operates on the belief that a strong international alliance is critical to maintaining peace. Beyond helping member nations with issues of security and stability, NATO also provides support to the United Nations help with international peacekeeping operations, including missions that combat terrorism, protect civilians, and promote world peace. Originally founded on April 4th, 1949 when its 12 founding members signed the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO is now comprised of 29 members from around the world and has political partnerships with 21 other nations. Together, all of the NATO countries work together to â€Å"guarantee the freedom and security† of its member nations through a combination of international diplomacy, conflict prevention, and- if necessary- military intervention. This picture was taken outside of NATO's second headquarters in Paris, France in the 1950s A Glimpse Into NATO History: NATO’s Formation To fully answer the question â€Å"What is NATO?†, it’s important to understand the historical and political context behind NATO’s formation. The End of World War II and the Rise of the American Superpower World War II was perhaps the most defining moment of the 20th century. The Second World War pitted the world’s greatest powers against one another through two opposing military alliances: the Axis and the Allies. The United States- along with France, Poland, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and 21 other nations- banded together to fight against the Axis powers and Hitler’s plan to create a new world order. The war, which started on September 1, 1939, would rage for six long and bloody years before its conclusion on September 2, 1945. Historians estimate that the war resulted in 85 million casualties, including the 6 million Jews who were killed during the Holocaust. The end of World War II caused the global political winds to shift overnight. Most of Europe, which was already struggling after World War I, ended World War II economically devastated. Not only was the population decimated, 70 percent of Europe’s industrial infrastructure had been destroyed during the conflict. This caused Europe’s economy- including the economies of the world’s biggest political empires- to collapse. As a result, the United States suddenly found itself positioned as one of the world’s leading economic and political superpowers for three major reasons. First, the country’s late entry into the theater limited World War II’s economic toll. In fact, quite the opposite happened. Because the United States supplied the Allied forces with food, weapons, and military equipment, World War II created a booming wartime economy for the States. The Second World War was such a boon to the American economy that it actually ended the Great Depression! Second, the United States saw almost no action on its own soil (with the exception of the Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941). That meant that America didn’t have to undertake the massive, and expensive, rebuilding effort of its Western European allies. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the United States bankrolled the reconstruction of Europe...for a profit, of course. American Corporations involved in the war effort saw ballooning profits because of the reconstruction efforts, which were bolstered by The 1946 Marshall Plan, which pledged an additional $13 billion dollars to Europe in aid. So while the United States was committed to helping their fellow Allied powers rebuild, it wasn’t afraid to build its own economy at the same time. The Soviet Union, the Cold War, and Communism But the United States wasn’t the only emerging world power after the Second World War. Despite fighting alongside one another during World War II, the alliance between the Soviet Union (or USSR) and the United States started to deteriorate during the post-war reconstruction period. As World War II began winding down, the communist Soviet Union- led by Joseph Stalin- began its own imperialist expansion. The Soviet Union had managed the eastern front of the World War II battle theater, and as the Red Army beat back Germany, set up its own occupation of formerly German-occupied states like Poland and Czechoslovakia. And rather than relinquish these nations at the close of the war, the Soviet Union maintained control and installed pro-communist regimes. The Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe, along with the USSR’s blockade of West Berlin in an attempt to gain political control of post-war Germany, convinced the United States that the Soviet Union had become a threat to democracy on par with the now-defeated Nazi Germany. Thus, the U.S. government adopted a policy of containment in order to halt the spread of communism into Western Europe. Additionally, the U.S. revealed the Truman Doctrine in 1947, which was a foreign policy that promised American aid to any democratic country that was threatened by outside totalitarian regimes. While the United States and its allies started to view the Soviet Union as an emerging communist threat, the Soviets had also soured on their alliance with the West. The USSR had suffered catastrophic casualties during World War II. The country had lost 11 million soldiers and suffered between 7 million and 20 million civilian casualties. The Soviet economy was also struggling. Beyond spending $125 billion on wartime efforts, the USSR’s economy had simultaneously shrunk by 20 percent between 1941 and 1945. The USSR had sacrificed both manpower and resources to defeat Nazi Germany, and it was sorely in need of financial assistance during post-war reconstruction. The United States was willing to offer the Soviets financial aid under The Marshall Plan, but the USSR wasn’t happy with the stipulations. First, the plan offered aid to Germany, which Russia disagreed with. The USSR, which now occupied Eastern Germany, wanted total control over whatever funds Germany received as part of The Marshall Plan. Second, The Marshall Plan required countries that accepted aid to adopt elements of democratic governance, including instituting principles of a free market economy. Stalin suspected- and rightly so- that The Marshall Plan was designed to weaken the USSR’s hold on the newly-acquired Eastern Bloc countries and, in turn, stymie communist expansion. As a consequence, Stalin required the Eastern Bloc nations, which were devastated by the war, to reject The Marshall Plan and instead instituted The Molotov Plan, which pledged to rebuild Eastern Europe. This tension led to both sides drawing a line in the sand. The Soviets and the United States positioned themselves on opposite sides of an ideological battle between communism and democracy, which marked the beginning of The Cold War. This is the NATO Authentication certificate that allsignatoriesreceivedafter signing the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949.Archive/U.S. Diplomacy Center Signing the North Atlantic Treaty The writing was on the wall: the Allied powers had defeated one totalitarian enemy only to suspect that another in the form of Soviet Russia was waiting on their doorstep. The United States feared the outbreak of another major war as tensions with the USSR escalated, and President Harry S. Truman believed that a strong political alliance was critical in containing the Soviet threat. As a result, Truman called for the formation of a defensive alliance of countries bordering the North Atlantic. The foundational idea behind this alliance was to serve as a deterrent against the USSR’s expansion into Western Europe. To do this, the signing nations agreed to a system of mutual defense. If one country was attacked by an outside power (like the USSR), it would be perceived as an attack against all of the alliance’s member nations. That would allow the United States to step in and help its democratic allies beat back a Soviet incursion, which in turn would prevent the encroachment of communism into Western Europe. This alliance was formalized with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington D.C. on April 4, 1949. These 12 originating countries, all of which were part of the Allied forces during World War II, created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. Master Sgt. Scott Wagers/Defense Department NATO’s Requirements for Membership In 1949, NATO limited its membership to 12 allied nations that shared a border with the Atlantic Ocean. But as the world became more connected politically and economically, NATO recognized the need to expand its membership. As of today, NATO membership is now open â€Å"any other European state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area.† As a result, NATO membership as more than doubled since the alliance’s inception and now includes 29 member nations. (You can find a complete list of member countries a little later in this article!) NATO has expanded over the past 70 years, but membership criteria remains strict. Admission into NATO is outlined in Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Here’s what it says: The Parties may, by unanimous agreement, invite any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area to accede to this Treaty. Any State so invited may become a Party to the Treaty by depositing its instrument of accession with the Government of the United States of America. The Government of the United States of America will inform each of the Parties of the deposit of each such instrument of accession. Article 10 puts three stipulations on aspiring member states. First, new members must agree to all the elements of the North Atlantic Treaty, including its commitment to democracy and collective defense. Second, only European states can become members. And third, in order to join an aspiring nation must meet all the criteria set forth by current member states, which is summarized in a Membership Action Plan (MAP). NATO’s Membership Action Plan The MAP is the backbone of NATO’s admissions process and while it’s customized to fit each potential country, the MAP also requires each applying nation to report on its progress in each of five areas each year (until admission is granted or denied). These five areas are: Democracy: Willingness to settle international, ethnic or external territorial disputes by peaceful means, commitment to the rule of law and human rights, and democratic control of armed forces Finances: Ability to contribute to the organization's defense and missions Cooperation: Devotion of sufficient resources to armed forces to be able to meet the commitments of membership Security: Security of sensitive information, and safeguards ensuring it Compatibility: Compatibility of domestic legislation with NATO cooperation In addition to these general areas, each member nation is allowed to present additional criteria member nations must meet to gain admission. That means that each MAP is tailor-fit to each applying country; no two membership plans are alike! When a country receives a MAP, NATO provides feedback and advice to petitioning countries and evaluates their progress after their annual presentation. Once a country has met all the admissions criteria outlined in its MAP, NATO gives it an invitation to begin accession talks. NATO is selective about countries it gives a MAP to; in fact, countries must be nominated for admission into NATO by a current member nation before a MAP is ever considered! As of 2019, two countries- Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia- have a Membership Action Plan in place. Beyond being selective, NATO’s admissions process is a long one. How long, exactly? The three countries most recently admitted into NATO (Albania, Croatia, and Montenegro) took seven to eight years to complete their Membership Action Plans! Colin Watts/Unsplash Funding NATO Since NATO is a collective, each member nation is expected to contribute to the alliance financially. There are two ways member nations do this: through indirect and direct contributions. Indirect Contributions These are the largest pool of contributions and come when member countries volunteer resources to help NATO enact a policy or support a mission. For example, an indirect contribution would be a country contributing troops, equipment, or supplies to support one of NATO’s crisis management missions. Additionally, the country- not NATO- bears the cost for this donation. (In other words, countries donate these things at their own expense!) Direct Contributions Unlike indirect contributions, direct contributions are made financially. In other words, these are liquid funds that are used to support projects that benefit all member nations collectively. Each member nation is required to meet some form of its funding requirements through direct contributions. This is because there are some missions, like diplomatic or aid endeavors, that are best handled through immediate spending. How Much Do Countries Donate? So, how much is each country expected to pay into the collective NATO pool? Well, that depends. NATO uses a cost-sharing formula that accounts for each nation’s Gross Domestic Product, or GDP. This is calculated by percentage. In 2014, in an effort to increase NATO’s defense efforts, the NAC agreed to require each country to donate two percent of their GDP to NATO’s operating budget through indirect and direct contributions. This helps keep things fair. If NATO set a specific dollar amount that each country had to meet, smaller countries might struggle to meet their financial obligations. This way, each country can contribute based on how their economy is performing, which helps keep the financial burden of NATO membership equal. European NATO member nations are in navy blue Current NATO Member Nations NATO was originally founded by twelve nations that shared borders with the Atlantic Ocean, NATO membership has grown to include 29 nations from all around the world. Here’s a list of every nation currently in NATO along with their entrance date. (We’ve bolded the names of the founding 12 nations for easy reference, too.) Albania (2009) Greece (1952) Poland (1999) Belgium (1949) Hungary (1999) Portugal (1949) Bulgaria (2004) Iceland (1949) Romania (2004) Canada (1949) Italy (1949) Slovakia (2004) Croatia (1949) Latvia (2004) Slovenia (2004) Czech Republic (1999) Lithuania (2004) Spain (1982) Denmark (1949) Luxembourg (1949) Turkey (1952) Estonia (2004) Montenegro (2017) The United Kingdom (1949) France (1949) Netherlands (1949) The United States (1949) Germany (1955) Norway (1949) NATO's official flag NATO’s Purpose Today Although NATO was formed as a deterrent for the USSR’s expansion and the spread of communism, NATO didn’t disband when the USSR collapsed in 1991. Instead, NATO continues to fulfill the NATO definition of defending its members and supporting democracy to this day. In a 2010 Strategic Concept agreement, NATO states its three core tasks as collective defense, crisis management, and cooperative security. These three goals form the backbone of NATO and steer its decisions. In the next section, we’ll take a look at each of these three pillars more closely. Collective Defense First and foremost, NATO serves as a defensive alliance founded on upholding democratic values and principles. Its primary purpose is creating a network of collective defense, which means that member nations work together to ensure that all countries in the alliance are secure from outside threats. NATO does this by sharing knowledge, financial, and personnel resources with member nations. This includes sharing intelligence, but it also involves more practical tactics like bringing countries’ military technology up to date. While NATO’s first goal is to resolve international conflicts diplomatically, the alliance is also set up to use military force to defend allied nations when necessary. This aspect of collective defense (also known as NATO’s Article 5) and was the major reason NATO was founded in 1949. This principle states that if one nation is attacked by an outside force, the alliance will view it as an attack on every member nation. In other words, attacking one member of NATO means that all the countries in the alliance will respond. This allows bigger, more powerful countries in the alliance to protect its smaller NATO allies. In turn, smaller nations give NATO better tactical positioning in relationship to potentially adversarial global powers (like Russia and China). By essentially surrounding potential adversaries with allied nations, NATO disincentivises territorial expansion. Crisis Management Because NATO is committed to maintaining global peace by promoting security, the organization is also committed to responding to global crises before, during, and after they arise. This includes a mix of military and non-military tactics which are tailored to each crisis, which in turn dictates the scope and scale of NATO’s response. NATO is also positioned to help other political allies, like the United Nations, in their responses to global crises. Most recently, NATO implemented the UN’s resolution to protect civilians in Libya during its civil war. Finally, because crisis management supports NATO’s commitment to security, NATO helps its member nations and political allies train in crisis management techniques. This ensures that NATO can respond quickly with an international effort whenever an international crisis arises. Cooperative Security NATO’s last, and newest, core task is cooperative security. Introduced in 2010, this task focuses on creating an extended network of cooperation between member and non-member countries to tackle global problems quickly and efficiently. To do this, NATO focuses on strengthening its relationships with partner nations. These are countries who aren’t part of NATO but work with NATO to tackle security problems in their region and across the world. As of 2019, NATO works with 40 other nations in some capacity. The goal of these partnerships is to share information, knowledge, and other resources in order to create more stability and security across the globe. Additionally, NATO makes sure that all of its member nations have fairly equal military and technological capabilities. This also includes training: all member nations have access to NATO trainers to make sure countries have the knowledge and skills they need to respond to security threats. By making sure all member nations are capable partners, NATO as a whole becomes stronger. A meeting of the North Atlantic Council in 2010Wikimedia NATO’s Command Structure NATO nations are committed to working together as part of the alliance and work together on a daily basis. In terms of the alliance’s operational structure, NATO is split into two major categories: the NATO diplomatic delegations and the military representatives. Let’s take a closer look at both to see how NATO nations work together to make decisions and work together toward their common goals. NATO Diplomatic Delegations and the North Atlantic Council The diplomatic delegations represent the political arm of NATO. Each NATO member nation sends a delegation to represent their country to NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. These representatives attend around 6,000 meetings a year! The most important element of NATO’s political arm is the North Atlantic Council, or the NAC. This council oversees the political and military processes that affect the alliance. To this end, the NAC serves as the political decision-making body of NATO. In other words, any NATO decision- whether that’s an initiative, resolution, or military action- is voted on by the NAC. To keep representation equal, each member nation has one seat on the NAC, which meets once a week. And just like collective defense, the NAC operates through collective decision making. Unlike the U.S. legislature, where decisions are approved by majority vote, the NAC only implements policies that are â€Å"agreed upon on the basis of unanimity and common accord.† In other words, the NAC makes decisions through consensus, and those decisions represent the will of every member country on the council. The diplomatic branch of NATO has one other notable subcommittee called the Nuclear Planning Group (NPG). Like the NAC, every NATO member nation (with the exception of France, which decided not to participate) has representation within the committee whether they have nuclear capabilities or not. The group’s goal is to monitor nuclear forces around the globe while shaping NATO’s own nuclear policies in regards to arms control and nuclear proliferation. Thus, the NPG deals specifically with nuclear issues and reports to the NAC, who makes the final decision on anything the Nuclear Planning Group puts forward. The NATO Military Committee delivers remarks to the press Dominique A. Piniero/U.S. Department of Defense Military Representatives and the Military Committee Because NATO is a defense alliance, NATO has a military branch of operation, too. This branch is comprised of three operational groups: the Military Committee (MC), Allied Command Operations (ACO), and Allied Command Transformation (ACT). Let’s take a look at all three groups and their unique responsibilities. The Military Committee This committee advises the NAC on military policy and strategy and is charged with enacting all of NAC’s military-based decisions. Its main job is to oversee NATO’s military operations and translate the NAC’s decisions into military direction. Similar to the NAC, each nation has one representative that sits on the Military Committee. These seats are held by each member state’s Chief of Defense (or their proxy) and meet at least once a week to discuss ongoing operations and ongoing security concerns. Additionally, the Military Committee oversees the other two groups of the military branch: Allied Command Operations and Allied Command Transformation. Allied Command Operations NATO’s ACO is headquartered in Mons, Belgium at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), and it’s run by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The ACO is responsible for the planning and execution of all Alliance operations and reports to the Military Committee. So once the NAC decides to use military force for crisis management, the control of the operation is turned over to the ACO, which runs the operation from beginning to end. To do this, ACO has three overlapping operational levels: strategic, operational, and tactical. This allows ACO to run complete military operations, including the command of both NATO and joint military forces (which are military forces â€Å"donated† to NATO by member nations for use in NATO-sanctioned operations). But as the world changes, so has the ACO’s role in NATO. The newest responsibility of ACO was assigned by the North Atlantic Council in 2018. After their meeting in Brussels, the NAC decided to establish a Cyberspace Operations Centre dedicated to defending member nations against cyber attacks from outside forces, too. Allied Command Transformation NATO’s ACT is the second branch of military command in NATO and was formed in 2003 to help NATO address future threats. It is located in Norfolk, Virginia and is run by the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, or SACT. Like the ACO, the SACT reports to the Military Committee and is responsible for making sure that ACT and NATO are preparing for modern and future threats to the security of its member nations. Put another way, the goal of ACT is to plan for the future. Its job is to lay the groundwork for NATO’s military forces to adapt quickly to changing threats and prepare for security issues looming on the horizon. This includes reporting to the Military Committee and advising them on current tactics and future problems. Additionally,ACT is charged with bringing all member nations up to speed in terms of their military capabilities. Not only do they provide training to member nations’ military forces, they serve as a sort of lobby group to persuade member nations’ governments to invest in security and military preparedness, too. A Spanish F-18 takes off on aNATO bombing run during the Bosnian War Dixie Trawick/U.S. National Archives Key Moments in NATO History Ever since its founding in 1949, NATO has been a key actor in global political, military, and peacekeeping efforts. Here are some of the most pivotal moments in NATO’s seventy-year history. 1991: Collapse of the USSR In 1991, the USSR officially disbanded, granting each of its formerly-sovereign nations back their independence. This brought NATO’s original operating mission (and The Cold War) to an end; after all, NATO was originally created to stop the USSR and the spread of communism. Instead of disbanding, NATO nations decided to continue NATO’s mission of promoting peace, freedom, and collective security. 1995: The Bosnian War The Bosnian War began in 1992 with the breakup of Yugoslavia. As the situation deteriorated, the United Nations called for a no-fly zone to be set up over Bosnia and Herzegovina. NATO stepped in to manage the operation on behalf of the UN and took its first military action when NATO shot down four Bosnian Serb aircraft that were violating the no-fly zone. 1999: Kosovo Intervention The Kosovo War began in 1998, and soon after the fighting began, reports began to trickle in about the displacement of more than 250,000 Albanians. The United Nations responded with a resolution calling for a ceasefire. When the resolution failed to stop the conflict, NATO issued an â€Å"activation warning,† which meant NATO was prepared to use military force to mitigate the conflict. When peace talks deteriorated, NATO launched an air campaign that included bombing of key targets. NATO also played a key role in negotiating the end of the war and helping restore stability by stationing 30,000 troops in Kosovo. 2001: September 11th, 2001 The terrorist attacks that brought down the Twin Towers in New York were the first foreign attack on U.S. soil since the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II. The attacks led NATO to invoke Article 5- which states that an attack on one ally is an attack on all- within 24 hours. In doing so, â€Å"NATO members showed their solidarity toward the United States and condemned, in the strongest possible way, the terrorist attacks against the United States.† 2003: War in Afghanistan As a result of Article 5, NATO nations rallied to support the United States’ conflict in Afghanistan. NATO agreed to eight official actions/missions, which included the deployment of troops, military support, and supplies to the region. In 2003, NATO also agrees to take command of the ISAF, or International Security Assistance Force, in Afghanistan, which marks the first NATO crisis management mission outside of the North Atlantic region. 2011: Libya Intervention The Libyan Civil War begins when Libyan protests against their totalitarian government bubble over into a full-blown revolution. The United Nations called for a ceasefire and authorized military measures to protect Libyan civilians. NATO began enforcing the UN’s resolution in March 2011, which included creating a no-fly zone over the country and 9,500 air strikes. After the rebel’s victory, NATO agreed to provide training for the new Libyan government and consult on security issues. Mahendra Kumar/Unsplash Resources for Further Reading Want to learn even more about the Cold War and NATO history? We’ve found four super helpful resources just for you! NATO’s Official Website NATO’s official website offers a thorough overview of NATO’s history along with its current policies, operations, and strategic missions. This is a great place to start if you want up-to-the-minute news about NATO’s current actions and international positions. (Don’t forget to check out NATO’s official Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter accounts, too.) It also has a fantastic chart that explains NATO’s operating structure! The U.S. State Department’s NATO Overview The U.S State Department’s overview of America’s involvement with NATO offers a more U.S. centered view on NATO’s formation, including the signing of the North American Treaty. For a short NATO history overview with a more American focus, this is a good place to start! Defense of the West by Stanley Sloan If you’re wanting a more comprehensive, in-depth look at the history of NATO from its formation to modern day, Stanley Sloan’s book should be your first stop. Sloan, a Senior Fellow in the Scowcroft Center at the Atlantic Council of the United States, dives into NATO’s definition, founding principles, and continued role on the world stage. He also discusses NATO’s future, especially as its member nations face new and complicated challenges to their security. Understanding NATO in the 21st Century edited by Graeme P. Herd and John Kriendler If you really want to dig deeper into NATO’s role in the 21st century, look no further than Graeme P. Herd and John Kriendler’s book. This book compilesessays from many different academics and historians to give readers a better, more thorough sense of NATO’s current role in global politics and the current challenges facing the organization. This is definitely an academic book, but the essays offer interesting new insights into NATO’s evolving role on the global stage. What’s Next? NATO is just one pivotal part of modern history...and it’s just one topic you might find on an AP History exam. To get a better understanding of U.S. history, check out some of these books on our AP History Exam reading list. Of course, one of the best ways to learn more about U.S. history is to make sure you’re taking history classes. Most high schools offer a variety of history classes, so make sure you’re taking the right ones for you. AP exams aren’t the only specialized tests available for college-bound high school students hoping to earn some college credit. Did you know that the SAT offers subject exams, too? This article will teach you more about the SAT subject tests and help you decide whether you should take them.