Fpi Assignment Essay

Summary The report is regarding to the knowledge of analyzing the accounting data of a listed company, using the various accounting information that provided to identify and examine the competitiveness and efficiency of the listed company. Besides, in order to examine the reliability of the data provided, analysis of the balance sheet and income statement is required. The financial information can be obtained from the annual reports of Harbour-Link Group Berhad. In addition, the report is required to include the top-down approach which consists of Economic analysis, Industry analysis and Fundamental analysis to analyze the listed company in the point of view for investors. Table of Content 1. Introduction 1. Objectives 2. Analysis of the statement of financial position, the statement of financial performance and cash flow statement. 1. Financial Analysis ratio: Asset efficiency ratio Capital Structure ratio Liquidity Ratio Profitability Ratio Share Price 3. Economic Analysis 4. Industry Analysis . Conclusion 6. Findings 7. References Introduction In this report, Harbour-Link Group Berhad is chosen among the listed companies. Harbour-Link Group Berhad is an investment holding company which provides shipping, forwarding and transportation, plant and machinery hiring, and engineering contract services primarily in Malaysia and Singapore. Harbour-Link Group Berhad was founded in the year of 1975 and it is based in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia. It was officially listed on Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad in the year of 2004. Today, Harbour-Link Group’s success lies in its strong foundation of expertise in the industry and its ability to established the company as a reputable brand-name within the shipping, sea freight forwarding and transportation industries. Objectives 1. To identify the sources of funds, Balance Sheet and profit or loss of the Harbour-Link Group Berhad. 2. To analyze accounting data of Harbour-Link Group Berhad to examine its financial performance using Financial Performance Indicators (ratio analysis) 3. To analyze the economy status, competitors within the same industries and evaluate the operating efficiencies of the listed company. 4. To examine the competitiveness and efficiency of the listed company by using the various accounting information provided. Financial Analysis Financial analysis ratios are used to examine the financial performance of a company in which it will be reflected in the ratios calculated. (Giles et al, 1994, p. 371) Asset efficiency Ratios Asset turnover ratio From the data calculated, the asset turnover ratio for the financial year of 2008, 2009 and 2010 are 109. 9%, 92. 12% and 79. 65%. This indicates that the Harbour-Link Group Berhad is not doing well in the sales of the products or services because the asset turnover ratio is decreasing from year to year. Debtor turnover (in days) Debtor turnover is the debtor collection period of a company. Harbour-Link Group Berhad had a debtor turnover of 73 days in the year of 2008. In the year of 2009, the debtor t urnover is 77 days. However, its debtor turnover is decreased to 71 days. This reflects that the possibility of default risk for the debtors is decreasing. In fact, this is a good thing in a company. Inventory Turnover Inventory turnover measures how many times the company can sell through its inventory for each year. In the year of 2008, Harbour-Link Group has an inventory turnover of 163 times. The turnover increased to 212 times in the financial year of 2009 but the inventory turnover decreased to 127 times in the year of 2010. This reflects that the company can sell better in the year of 2009 but it dropped tremendously in the year of 2010. Capital structure Ratio Debt to equity ratio The debt to equity ratio of Harbour-link Group Berhad is decreasing from the year of 2008 to 2010 by 2%. This is caused by the reducing of total liabilities and the increasing of the total equity. Time interest earned The times-interest-earned ratio allows a lender to evaluate the company’s ability to meet its debt obligation. It is a ratio of the earning before interest and tax over the interest expenses. The time interest earned has a slightly increased from the year of 2008 to year 2009 but it has a greater decrease in ratio amount from the year of 2009 to year 2010. This means that in the year of 2010, Harbour-Link Group Berhad have lesser earnings are available to meet the interest payments and this makes the company to be more vulnerable to the increases in the interest rates. Liquidity Ratios Liquidity ratio is the ratio that is used to examine the liquidity of a company. It includes: Current Ratio Current ratio is the ratio of current assets to current liabilities. Harbour-link Group Berhad has it current ratio decreasing from the year of 2008 to 2010. Its current ratios are 1. 90, 1. 76 and 1. 57 respectively. The ratio is decreased by 14% and 19%. The data is calculated as shown in the findings. Liquid Ratio Liquid ratio is the ratio of (current assets-inventory) to (current liabilities-bank overdraft). Harbour-Link Group Berhad has borrowings so there is bank overdraft existed and that’s why it is classifies as a debt financing organization. The company has a higher liquid ratio of 2. 34 in the year of 2010 compared to the year of 2008 and 2009 which is 1. 88 and 1. 75 respectively. The liquid ratio of the 3 financial years exceeded 1 and this indicates that the current assets are greater than the current liabilities. Higher liquid ratio reflects better performance of the company. Net working Capital Net working capital is the difference between current assets and the current liabilities. In the three financial years, Harbour-Link Group Berhad has the highest net working capital of RM 51. 4 million in the year of 2008. The figure of net working capital for Harbour-link Group Berhad decreased in the year of 2009 and 2010 by 0. 43% and 12. 32% respectively. This shows that there is a drastic drop in the net working capital of year 2010. Profitability Ratios EBIT to total funds ratio EBIT to total funds ratio of Harbour-Link Group Berhad is decreasing in the range of 22% from the financial year of 2008 to 2009 and 21. 4% from the financial year of 2009 to 2010. The total funds consist of shareholders’ funds and borrowings. According to the annual report, Harbour-Link Group Berhad is practicing debt-financing to raise funds because there is borrowing existed. Return on Equity (ROE) Harbour-link Group shows a decrease in net income from year 2008 to 2010. This situation leads to the decrease in the return on equity (ROE) of 5%. In the financial year of 2010, it has the ROE of 0. 08 which indicates that for every RM1 of the capital that the shareholder invested into, they will get 8% of return. Return on Assets The return on assets measures the productivity of assets in terms of the level of profits each dollar of assets generates. (Karen D. H, 2004, p. 131) The return on assets of the Harbour-Link Group Berhad is decreasing from the financial year of 2008 to 2010. It decreased from 8% of year 2008 to 7% in the year of 2009 and then 5% in the year of 2010. This implies that the productivity of the company’s assets is not doing well in terms of profits that the assets generated. Net Profit Margin The net profit margin is the ratio of net profit after tax to the total revenues. In the financial year of 2008 and 2009, Harbour-Link Group Berhad has the net profit margin figure of 8%. It indicates that the company has a net income of RM0. 08 for each RM1 of sales. However, the net profit margin for the year of 2010 decreased by 2% which is only 6% in the financial year. This shows that for every RM1 of sales made by the company in year 2010, the net income is only RM0. 6 which is RM0. 02 lower than the previous year. Share Price Price to Earnings Ratio (P/E) Price to Earning ratio is calculated by using the share price of the year 2010 over the earnings per share. The market price of Harbour-Link Group Berhad was amounted to RM 0. 72 in the year of 2010. From the annual report of the financial year of 2010, the earning per share is R M 0. 11. By using the formulae, the price to earning per share of 2010 is calculated as shown in the table with a figure of RM 6. 825. Current Economic Analysis Roots of Global financial crisis Global financial crisis are usually caused by bad regulation of the banking sectors, failure of fiscal and monetary policy implemented and so forth. In the year of 2008, Financial crisis began with the declared of bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. which is the fourth largest investment bank in United States. It was a severe ongoing world financial problem that began in U. S in the year of 2008. This recession has entirely hitting on the fragile global economy with the tremendous devastation in countries all around the world. The U. S government was trying to point the finger of the financial crisis to the rating agencies, who knew about the great risk that was coming but kept giving high reliability ratings to companies that did not deserve them and thus investors invested in the wrong companies. The cause of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc was the accumulation of debt and the increasing of loan defaults. Why it evolved into a world crisis The news on bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Company led to the drastic fall in the share price all over the world. The company had billions of dollars losses incurred in the mortgage market of United States. (BBC NEWS, 16th Sept 2008) In Lehman Brothers’ case and the other investment banks, the problem was provoked by 2 major factors which are the very high level of leverage ratio and the dependence on short-term debt financing. Commercial banks cannot leverage their equity more than 15 to 1 as they are regulated but for Lehman Brothers Company, it had a leverage ratio of more than 30 to 1. According to the table 1, Lehman Brothers had only $3. 30 of equity for every $100 of loans. With this ratio, it makes the company to be insolvent. Conversely, the instability arose from the leverage problem was aggravated by the strong reliance on the short term debt. Based on table 1(Lehman Brothers Liabilities and shareholder’s equity), at the beginning of the crisis, the company financed greater than 50% of the assets. Reliance on short term debt financing is profitable indeed when it comes to a low interest rate market environment. However, when the company faced rumors of the insolvency problem, the short term lenders will start to have doubt on the company’s performance and therefore, they will start to withdraw their funds from the company for self interest protection. This scenario will lead to a shortage of liquidity for the borrower and thus the company tends to default. After the crisis began, Lehman Brothers did try to decrease its leverage and reduce its dependence on the short term borrowing but it was too late for them to amend the situation and therefore, bankruptcy occurred. The bankruptcy of Lehman’s brother forced the reassessment of risk in the market by looking at the price of the credit default trades. Impact on Malaysia and world economies The crisis started in the year of 2008 had a great hit on Malaysia and world economies. It causes the gas price had a drastic drop, decreasing of the value of real estates, the increasing of unemployment rate, Federal debt crisis and inflation. There is a global explosion in commodities price. The price of crude oil was remaining at high levels for few years till the end of 2008, the crude oil price dropped from the peak in July 2008 of US$145 to US$30. 28 per barrel in December 2008. (Forbes, 2008) According to the findings in table 2, the unemployment rate of Malaysia increased by 3. 13% from the year of 2008 to 2009 and 12. 12% from the year of 2009 to 2010. Malaysian future economic At first, Malaysia was aiming to have 9% of average annual Growth Domestic Product (GDP) until 2020. Suddenly, according to the Economic Planning Unit, the government noted that the number is absurd then they changed and told that Malaysia was capable to achieve 5. 4% of Growth Domestic Product (GDP) annually over the next 10 years to achieve the objective of becoming a high income economy by 2020, which is the vision 2020 (East Asia Forum, 2009). These seem that Malaysia’s economic future is uncertainty. It keeps changing. Besides, Malaysia’s government has a close relationship with its private businesses. Because of the relationship with some business groups have ostensibly led to the emergence of political cronies with unlimited access to public resources. Not only the relationship that mention above but also the experience of neighbouring Indonesia shows that it is a dangerous trend that could negatively affect economic development in the future. In this matter, changes in political leadership led to unstable political environment. Although it does not directly effect on Malaysia, it threatens he influx of refugees caused damage regional stability and social stability. Malaysia’s maritime economy can be defined as the production and manner of use of the range of goods and services that are linked to the maritime sector (Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, 1997). It covers the activities that are resource based, including fisheries, oil and gas, marine biotechnology and those that are service base d such as shipping ports, shipbuilding and repair and the myriad range of ancillary maritime services (Maritime Institute of Malaysia,2005). Malaysia’s main concern is the future of marine economy of the future of Malaysian trade, because the country’s foreign and domestic trade, or even almost totally dependent on sea transport facilities. From this we can know that it will have a very bright prospect in maritime economy. If Malaysia is to achieve the goals of industrialization, productivity-driven growth and enhancing competitiveness will depend on how the maritime sector is managed. The maritime sector has a main role to play in enhancing productivity-driven growth. An important element that will affect efforts to sustain international competitiveness is productivity. But, for longer term, Malaysia will need to maintain its international competitiveness, since there is rising competition from other emerging markets for Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and for the transfer of modern technologies. Environmental issues are also important for Malaysia in the longer term as deforestation and global climate change may destabilize the country’s agriculture, which still plays an important role in the national economy. What is the most important is the political will effect a change to system-centred thinking in planning the future of the economy. So, a stable political environment is very important to Malaysia. If the political environment of Malaysia is good, it will have a bright future of economy. Solutions to the Global Financial Crisis or crises in general. Banks and financial institutions can cause a downswing of an economy because of their ignorance of the business cycle. Besides, bankers are greedy with the fat bonuses that they will gain if they get the highest market shares results. When the economy is doing well, they expect that there will be no recession problem is going to occur and therefore they will give loans to their customers without considering their customers’ affordability to repay the loans. Once their customers cannot afford to repay the loans, recession will occurs. To overcome these crisis problems, several steps can be used. Government and bankers often intervene to smooth the peaks and valleys of the economic cycle. There are two objectives that the government and bankers can do to prevent serious downswing of an economy. 1) Speedy intervention to prevent a self-perpetuating downward spiral, which means protecting depositors at minimal long term cost to the taxpayer. For example, the Federal reserve may restrict the money supply in good times to slow the expansion phase of the economic cycle, or deficit spend and cut interest rates to ease the recessionary phase of an economic cycle. 2) Ensure so far as possible that future booms are less exaggerated. This has implications for the form of any rescue package, and for the system of financial oversight that is put in place. The growth of consumer credits will increase the consumption of the consumer. The increase in the consumption will increase the aggregate demand of the country whereby AD equals to C + I + G + (X-M). Mc Taggart et al, 2007 p. 766). When the AD is increasing, it means that GDP is also increasing. This shows that the consumer credits provided will also be increased and therefore people will keep on borrowing money from the banks for consumption. This situation actually can amplify the business cycle and extend the upswing of the economy. Industry analysis The domestic and the world economy were in a downturn in the year of 2009. All the industry was affected and they are making an effort to maintain their previous performance and growth momentum. In the year of 2009, Harbour-Link Group Berhad suffered revenue declined by 5. 9% to RM 327. 6 million. The revenue decreased again by 5. 76% to RM 308. 7 million compare to the previous year due to lower selling prices and softer consumer demand. One of the Company competitors, Swee Joo Berhad was also suffered by achieved a turnover of RM 346. 7 million which is 9. 9% lower than the previous financial period. The lower turnover was also impacted by the recovery state for the economy. Swee Joo Berhad has a reduce in current ratio from 0. 648 to 0. 278 which seems to be lower than that of the Harbour-Link Group Berhad and therefore Harbour-link seems to have a better current ratio. Swee Joo Berhad has a negative figure for its Earnings before interest and tax of -11. 32 million and -176. 82 million in the year of 2009 and 2010. This is a huge loss for the company. It shows that Harbour-Link has a better performance than its major competitor, Swee Joo Berhad. Although the economy showed signs of recovery, but most of the economists hold that the sustained global recovery is still vague. This situation greatly influenced the consumers spending behavior. According to the Edge, Harbour-Link Unit obtained the secured contracts of RM75. 2 to supply gantry cranes for the Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd. The contracts were expected to be done in the year of 2012 and it’s also expected to escalate the future revenue and earnings positively for Harbour-Link Group Berhad. (The Edge, 11 April 2011) There are several ways for the companies to perform better during this hard period. However, the suppliers are also important causes which will affect the company performance. Although Harbour-Link Group Berhad suffered lower revenue during the year, however, it obtained quite a number of big projects with a favorable amount of contracts worth which is believed to boost the revenues for the future of the company itself. This scenario will assist Harbour-Link Group Berhad to create a stronger visibility and allow it to be well positioned for the economic recovery. Findings [pic] Table 1 shows Lehman Brothers Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity Source: Lehman Annual Reports |Year |Unemployment Rate |Percentage Change | |2006 |3. 60 | | |2007 |3. 50 |-2. 78% | |2008 |3. 20 |-8. 7% | |2009 |3. 30 |3. 13% | |2010 |3. 50 |12. 12% | Table 2 shows the unemployment rate in Malaysia Source: CIA World Factbook Conclusion In conclusion, although the Harbour-Link Group Berhad has a downturn in its overall performances in the financial year of 2009 and 2010 as the results shown in the findings, but it has a better performance than its main competitor, Swee Joo Berhad in the shipping industries. The Harbour-Link Group Berhad is overall well organized in its financial statements as shown in the annual reports and it can be categorized as a profitable and successful listed company in Malaysia. On the perspective of investors, Harbour-link is counted as a good investment company and therefore investors are advised to consider Harbour-link Group Berhad as one of their investment company because the company has a good expectation to have a huge increase in its future economic benefits. The future economy of Malaysia is expected to have a good return and therefore this ensure that Harbour-Link Group Berhad is a wise investment for the future benefits. References Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, 1997, The Maritime Economy of Malaysia, Pelanduk Publication BBC News, 16 September 2008, http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/business/7615931. stm Bursa Malaysia 2010- Equities, Bursa Malaysia Berhad, viewed on 26 April 2011 http://www. bursamalaysia. com/website/bm/market_information/prices/ East Asia Forum, Malaysia’s Economic Future, view on 1 May 2011, http://www. eastasiaforum. org/2009/11/24/malaysias-economic-future/ Encyclopedia of the Nations, Malaysia- Future Trends, viewed on 2 May 2011, http://www. nationsencyclopedia. com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Malaysia-FUTURE-TRENDS. html Forbes 2008- Crude Oil Prices 1861 – 2009, Forbes. com 2010, viewed on28 April 2011, http://www. forbes. com/2008/05/13/oil-prices-1861-today-real-vs-nominal_flash2. html Giles, R & Capel, J 1994, Finance and accounting, 3rd Edition, MacMillan, London Harbour-Link Group Berhad 2011, harbour. com. my; Total Logistics &EPCC Provider N. V 2009&2010, Harbour-Link Group Berhad, viewed on 22 April 2011, http://www. harbour. om. my/ Karen D. Halpern, 2004, Understanding Finance: Money, Capital and investments, Pearson, New Jersey. Maritime Institute of Malaysia, Malaysia and Port Competitiveness, 2005 Mc Taggart et al, 2007, Macroeconomics, 5th Edition, Pearson, Australia The Edge Financial Daily, 11 April 2011 viewed on 24 April 2011. http://www. theedgemalaysia. com/ The Star Online 2011- Market watch, Star Publ ications (M) Berhad, viewed on 24 April 2011, http://biz. thestar. com. my/marketwatch/charts/l. asp? code=2062~HARBOUR&p1=0. 99&p2=0. 985&p3=0. 99&p4=0. 985&p5=0. 99&p6=0&p7=0. 00&p8=915&p9=0. 532

Comparing and Contrasting Tragic Heroes †Oedipus and Prufrock Essay

Introduction: Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (1896 –1940) the Irish American novelist and short story writer of the twentieth century said â€Å"Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy†(as quoted in memorablequotations.com). Indeed more often than not, great tragedies of yore were always centered round the deeds or the misdeeds of a hero (usually a man of noble birth) his misfortunes and the cursed nature of his life, fated to suffer and fall from glory. The concepts of heroes and heroism have themselves undergone vast changes from Sophocles’ (496-406 B.C) times. Consequently, the idea of hero-based tragedy indeed, even the basic traits of heroism has undergone transformation. As against the noble-born, valorous hero of Sophocles and Aristotle (in The Poetics of 30 B. C.), the common man who struggles to make a decent living, and fulfill ordinary aspirations such as wanting to be loved, given affection, loyalty, friendship etc, in a mundane, mechanized, and mad-after-money world (bereft of human values) – his life has become the focus of the twentieth century tragedies. This essay, shall take two characters, Oedipus – the King (425 B.C), in the ancient drama of Sophocles, and J. Alfred Prufrock, in the twentieth century poet T.S. Eliot’s (1888 –1965) â€Å"Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock† (1915), and analyze their similarities and dissimilarities, with a brief definition of Tragic Hero as given by Sophocles, and the definition of a Tragic Hero in modern times. Definitions with illustrations of Tragic Heroes – Ancient and Twentieth Century: First, the idea of a tragic hero, in the ancient times shall be discussed.   Aristotle, who was a great Greek philosopher and thinker, stipulated a couple of traits as absolutely necessary for a tragic hero: he must be noble origin, or at least possess a noble spirit, and he must be the cause of his own suffering. Aristotle (384-322 B.C), quoting the character of Oedipus depicted by Sophocles, laid down certain rules that a tragic hero must possess: a leader who is filled with good and bad elements – Oedipus was of noble birth and had many noble characters like wanting redeem his kingdom from the plague, but he also was too proud etc; he is ignorant of his imminent fall, though the audience have prior knowledge of it – in case of Oedipus the audience had prior knowledge of his birth and identity, while he considers himself the son of Polybus, the king of Corinth; his inherent flaw or â€Å"hamartia† is the cause of his fall – his belief that he can over come the prophecy that he will kill his father; suffers isolation because of this – self-exile from Corinth; suffering is irreversible – the blinding he causes to himself later; undergoes punishment because of his own pride or â€Å"hubris† – Oedipus pursues the killer of King Laius, despite counsel against it; a misguided sense of heroism, wherein he is prepared to take on the guilt of the state or kingdom on himself – his belief that he can somehow overcome the prophecy of the oracle by leaving his parents; resulting in greater conflict with fate – Oedipus finally goes to Thebes and killed his own father, without knowing who the latter was, thereby fulfilling the oracle; a restoration of balance to the original state of social harmony through cleansing of pity and fear – Oedipus undertakes to go away in exile which was the punishment he had ordered for the killer of the previous king handing over the kingdom to Creon; which he called â€Å"catharsis† or â€Å"tragic satisfaction† (adapted from Allingham, 2002:1). Thus Oedipus exactly fits the role with of a tragic hero, as laid down by Aristotle. Coming to modern tragic hero of the twentieth century, as mentioned earlier, has come a long way from the stipulations of the ancients for tragic-heroism.   Daniel J. Boorstin (1914 –2004), an American writer, and the Librarian of Congress, talks of the heroes of the modern world as being â€Å"anonymous† and â€Å"the unsung hero: †¦ the honest cop, the hard worker at lonely, underpaid, unglamorous, unpublicized jobs† (as in memorablequotations.com). A modern tragic hero may described as someone who does not hold any of the ancient lofty ideals, rather as an ordinary man who is disillusioned with the ruthless world around him and is not able to come to terms with it and suffers thereby with a feeling of helplessness, and is unable to realize his full potential because of this. Typically, he is subjected to moods, driven by extreme happiness or plunged into extreme sorrow, very sophisticated, filled with doubts, lives in the crowded cities yet suffers desperately from isolation, smart yet sensitive, and often disillusioned to such an extent that he feels life itself has lost all meaning or relevance to him. Eliot’s Prufrock, typically suffers all these qualities. For example, he is always filled with self-doubt, â€Å"a deep phobia of life, turning into what one could perhaps best describe as complete biological defeatism† (Mirsky, undated). He seems to be the very best representation of so many negative attributes, like procrastination, indecision, doubts, frustration that reflects the impotent helplessness of the modern, urban man. The first few lines in the poem are from Dante’s Inferno, which is used as a prelude, to show that Prufrock, the protagonist is already doomed and is voicing out his thoughts because he is so sure that no-one is hearing them. The poem describes the innermost feelings, extremely tortured with a wanting, to disclose his love to his chosen woman, but prevented from self-doubt, and fear, phobia, â€Å"Do I dare / Disturb the universe?† (Eliot, lines 44-45), because he only knew too well the out come of such expression â€Å"That is not what I meant at all† (Eliot, line 97). The vivid description of the places, possibly his dwelling place, reflects the sordid state in which the typical twentieth century man lived, and the isolation he felt â€Å"of lonely men in shirt-sleeves† (Eliot, line 73). Eliot’s Prufrock, ultimately fails even to begin his proposal to his lady love, because he could not muster the courage to do it, with a premonition of failure overcoming him and, grows old, suffering life-long loneliness. In a sense this defeatism, is his flaw that proves to be the cause of his woes. He claims that he is not â€Å"Prince Hamlet† (Eliot, line 111), referring to the Shakespearean tragic hero, implying his lack of royal lineage, but the irony is that he is, in fact exactly like Hamlet, who by postponing his decision avenge his father’s death, by killing kill Claudius, leads to the death of many others, and finally his own. All this prove that, he does conform to the image of a twentieth century tragic-hero. Comparing and Contrasting, the two tragic heroes: One similarity between the two characters that strikes a literature student immediately is that, both Oedipus and Prufrock, actually are depicted as surviving long into old age, despite all their sadness and failures and disillusionment. Almost as if to chew cud, ruminate all that had gone by and to die a slow painful death of their miserable actions; misguided in Oedipus’ case, â€Å"Woe, woe, and woe again! / How through my soul there darts the sting of pain, / The memory of my crimes† (Sophocles, lines 1372-74) and inactions in the case of Prufrock, â€Å"I grow old† (Eliot, line 120). Both, ultimately realize their folly, or flaw, but are helpless to reverse the situation. In Prufrock’s case, he is entirely the cause of his own suffering, but still is impotent to change the situation. Both despise themselves for their helplessness. Thus, their sufferings seem amplified and add to the brooding quality of their tragic lives. Both are isolated and are despised by the world, in their thinking. Prufrock states that he doesn’t think that the mermaids will sing to him; Oedipus begs to be led away hurriedly, being the most polluted of all, and â€Å"Of all men most accursed† (Sophocles, line1396). Though the two characters share the above stated common traits and both are tragic heroes, there are quite a few dissimilarities too. The first difference is the form of portrayal of the tragic heroes. Oedipus is the hero of the dramatic form, and hence his character is more clear and open to study, presenting a fuller picture of all his characteristic traits and complex behavior. Prufrock, on the other hand is neither a king, nor of noble thinking, and he is the tragic hero in a poem. Implicitly, the shortage of space in a poem puts limitations on extensive character portrayal of the hero. Thus, the student is able to study only a portion of the character’s life-span of Prufrock, in contrast to the full life history of Oedipus. The other most striking contrast is that Oedipus is an ancient tragic hero – actively upholding the principles of high idealism, altruism, justice, and valor while being beleaguered by feelings of jealousy, treachery, disloyalty, dishonor, greed, lust for power etc, the modern,   tragic-hero is more of an anti-hero, and impotent. In the sense, he is so defeated by the power of the dull, uninspiring world around him, that he prefers to rather remain inactive, than to actively try to change his situation and be defeated. It is almost as if the uselessness of the attempts of the ancient tragic heroes have been embedded in the collective psyche of the modern tragic hero, and hence, he is already aware of the outcome, he doesn’t even want to attempt. Oedipus not being aware of his true identity, led him to wrongly believe that Polybus was his father, and thereafter his vow never to return to Corinth. But still he, as the mark of a true hero took an action of self-exile which ultimately led to fructify the designs of fate. Nevertheless, he was action-oriented and defeated. Whereas, the modern tragic hero in Prufrock, is so much a pessimist, that he remains defeated with inaction – by sheer preference. In fact, it is said that T.S. Eliot was reflecting on the dismal conditions of the world surrounding him, and this poem partially paved the way for his other later works like The Wasteland (1922). The differing time-periods of the two characters have resulted in the portrayal of the different societies in which these two heroes lived. For example, the people of the land of Thebes have been represented as the Chorus, and they are actively involved in the happenings of the state, the king and the welfare of the state, showing a healthy environment; whereas, the desolate depiction of the twentieth century environment, in Eliot’s poem is more dismal, and uninspiring. It seems the society as a common force had died out, or at least not visible. Conclusion: The tragic heroes Oedipus and Prufrock belong to totally different ages; consequently, present entirely different set of traits and ideals by which they are depicted. While both the heroes have some aspects common to all tragedies, they also display very contrasting traits which make their study, all the more interesting.   However, both are symbols of negative impact that afflict the state, ancient and the twentieth century.                  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   List of readings and works cited The sources on which this essay is based on are: Eliot, T.S.  (1888–1965).†The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† in Prufrock and Other Observations.  Ã‚  1917. On line edition Published May 1996 by Bartleby.com   Web address http://www.bartleby.com/198/1.html Accessed on June 12, 2006. Sophocles. Oedipus the King, translated by E. H. Plumptre. Vol. VIII, Part 5. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Website address and   http://www.bartleby.com/8/5/3.html Accessed on June 12, 2006. Other works cited and readings that have helped in gaining a better understanding towards writing this essay are: Allingham, V, Philip. 2002. â€Å"Aristotelian Tragedy and the Novels of Thomas Hardy† in The Victorian Web. Website: Accessed on June 12, 2006. McCoy, Kathleen., & Harlan, Judith. (1992). ENGLISH LITERATURE FROM 1785 (New   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   York: HarperCollins, 1992: 265-66) Web site address:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   < http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/english/English151W-03/prufrock.htm>   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accessed on June 12, 2006. memorablequotations.com (2005).   â€Å"Memorable Quotations: Heroes† website address Accessed on June 12, 2006. Mirsky, D.S. Undated.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"T. S. Eliot and The End of Bourgeois Poetry† trans. by Gunnar Jauch, Annelie Hultà ©n, and Arwin van Arum. Website address Accessed on June 12, 2006.            

Film and Countless Alien Eggs Essay

I was in the middle school. I still remembered the feeling when I first watched this film. It was so scary that I couldn’t even breathe, and I once dreaded that these aliens would come to our planet and destroy our humanity. There is no doubt that this film is a masterpiece in the Sci-Fi/horror film history. The director Ridley Scott made an amazing film. The story mainly tells about a commercial towing spaceship, which carries seven crew members, and receives a beacon form a planet, so they decide to check it out. Three of crew member Dallas, Kane and Lambert discover a derelict spaceship which contains countless alien eggs; one of these attacks Kane and makes him unconscious. After Kane is brought to the ship, the strange thing happens. An alien bursts from Kane’s’ chest and kills all the crew members except Ridley. By her intelligence and braveness, she finally kills the alien and escape from the spaceship. Films about UFO and spaceships are extremely popular in the film industry especially in America, but in other countries it’s not popular at all. I think it is because schools in United States focus more on educating students’ imagination and creativity. People love to see films about future world and extraterrestrial life. As we know, our universe is extremely large; a lot of people believe that aliens do exist somewhere. Some rumor says they visited us and government knew it, but for some reason they didn’t want people to know. The more government wants to conceal the existence of alien, the more people want to know the truth. That’s why Sci-Fi movies can succeed in the box office so well. The Alien is one of the most successful Sci-Fi movies in the history. Some people think it also can be categorized as a horror movie too. There are so many scary moments in this film; some are really gross and disgusting. The effect of chest bursting of Kane is still amazing; even it was a movie that filmed 30 years ago. Director created a very scary creature, the alien. They have no gender, or you can say they are hermaphrodite. They have no womb and reproduce really fast, and their blood is made by strong acid, which can penetrate several floors of the giant spaceship. It makes them hard to kill, and the scariest thing is they use human body to reproduce. Once the baby alien ready to go from its host, they will burst out from their father/mother’s chest and instantly kill him/her. The alien grabs all the audience’s attention. Its giant body and gross drooling mouth creates the scary atmosphere, which make audience dread and anxiety. The success of Alien was quite closely linked to the background of America at that time. The Alien was born in the era of the Cold War. People were living under the tremendous pressure from the other countries. The feeling of the panic to the uncertainty just like an alien was hiding in the darkness, which was going to kill someone. By watching this film, audiences can release the pressure and forget the pain of real life. The Alien is an amazing film, which blends elements of Sci-Fi and horror to create a very horror and fantastic film. I would love to watch this movie again and recommend to all the people who like Sci-Fi and horror movies.

Big Picture Journal -Pshycology 200 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Big Picture Journal -Pshycology 200 - Essay Example Psychology entails the study of behavior and mind. Nursing, on the hand entails the care of the individual’s health. Psychology in nursing is very important because it enables the nurse to study and know the behavior of an individual and put appropriate measures in order to facilitate good health of the individual. During the development of the child and in most cases before the age of 1 year, majority of the babies are under the care of the nurse and other hospital staff members. This means that the nurse is responsible for the psychological care of the infant (Muller and Taylor, 1999). The class has helped me understand some concepts and theories in psychology. Although psychology and nursing are entirely different subjects, their interrelation at different levels is crucial for the understanding and care of an individual. At the end of my studies, I would love to focus my study of nursing in the child development and

Hume & Schumacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hume & Schumacher - Essay Example In this research, philosophy has come to play a very critical role in the understanding of human life. It finds its applicability from simple life questions such as the definition of terms to more complex debates about the ultimate purpose of life as well as what is real and what is vague. One of the greatest philosophers ever seen in history was David Hume (1711-1776). His essays and publications are now used by scholars both in Philosophy and other academic disciplines. The purpose of this paper is to examine his views and arguments from the viewpoint of another great philosopher, Schumacher, E.F (1911-1977). David Hume is regarded as one of the greatest philosophers to have ever lived. His essays, Moral, Political and Literary are recognized as a great contribution to the 18th Century Philosophy and the succeeding years. Similarly, several outstanding philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham have confessed being directly influenced by his works. Similarly, Charles Dar win attested to Hume as a central influence (Hume 34). Hume is honored for having written in probably every branch of Philosopher but more so in the area of human science. Some critics have referred to him as ‘our politics, religion and also our economy’. ... Regarding cause and effect, or causality, he believes that, as all humans do, that there is no event without a cause, and that this conception is inborn, not taught, or induced in to us. Referring to his predecessors, Hume questions what the relationship between cause and effect really means (Guyer 26). By giving real life examples, he concludes that our perception of connecting two events is not based on a close scrutiny but by the closeness of the two events. He states that it is impossible to experience the connection between the two events. We only experience the events themselves but not the actual causing. Therefore, this causal theory is a mere construct in our minds without any absolute foundation on experience. If his view is correct, many scientists, who consider themselves as searching for causes, would need to redefine themselves. Secondly, Hume debates the existence of the self. The ancient example of a ship tied to a harbor where families brought their children to play on the decks rouses a question. After many years of aging, several parts of the ship, and finally, every single chip of the ship are replaced, such that there is nothing left of the original ship. A question rises on the originality of that ship, on whether the sign on the ship should read, â€Å"This is the famous ship which fought many battles†, or â€Å"this is a replica of that ship†. One would conclude that it is the same ship since its identity has remained unchanged over the years. Similarly, Biology teaches that every molecule of the body is replaced after 7 years (Schumacher 19). Yet after those years, we still maintain our identity and even given the different experiences we go through, we

The Role of the Faith in social change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Role of the Faith in social change - Essay Example These problems are then addressed by faith. They believe that the problems in a society can be addressed by the implementation of religious values. They were of the view that the government is responsible for all the problems in the society and if these matters are addressed by a religious will the all the health issues, poverty issues, wealth distribution issues and welfare issues can be resolved by the religious teachings. Thus, it depicts that the faith can bring change in the society but the potential outcomes of involving faith in daily resolution of problems would be waging a war against the secular community in the society. The church cannot be utilized as a place where activities on social issues are carried out daily. Church is an important part of the society which promotes equality, justice, peace, hope and love among the people. A Church brings people on common grounds, through which they can work for the betterment of the society, keeping in mind that religious teachings can solve the problems (Stalling, 2010). The observers of the religious change believe that it is an ongoing process which is continually evolving along with globalization. The institutions of faith are developing themselves again so that the religious values do not clash with the secular values of the modern society. The national public religion in the society is often connected with the micro and macro level processes. This process helps in developing spirituality among the individuals, who seek religious guidance for the solution of their problems. The Americans are more focused towards the religion and concentrate primarily on the supernatural forces which can help in changing the course of problems which bring about social changes. They believe that deviating from the religious instructions is the main cause of the issues which they are facing in their daily lives (Stalling, 2010). Religion in Unites

Conslusions on the psychological Affects of same sex parents ont he Essay

Conslusions on the psychological Affects of same sex parents ont he psychological development of Children - Essay Example However, there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding the social responsibility of the laws and court systems on the development experienced by children in the aforementioned families and how these culturally discriminating forces affect the sense of security that is necessary for successful growth. Therefore, the purpose of the proposed study is to examine previously recorded research that can be associated and correlated to determine the affect of living in a household that is not universally accepted as legitimate. By studying the research of a variety of topics related to this issue, a conclusion will be made in regard to the impact this issue has on the psychological influence on children raised by same-sex parents. Findings from this research will help clarify the social responsibility that may or may not be neglected by the current legal system. Findings from this research will help clarify what steps may be recommended to governmental agencies and law ma kers that will ensure the security and safety of these children in order to provide a more stable and secure environment to promote a successful development within the family structure. The issue of familial rights within homosexual partnerships have raised sociological questions that have proponents for and against marriage between couples of the same sex. As families of non-traditional forms are being created and sustained, the issue of child development within a non-traditional structure becomes a relevant social issue. The study of children who are raised in families that are comprised of two same sex parents who are also life-partners can answer questions of the affect that a non-traditional parental pair can have on the psychology created by that environment. In order to study the psychological affect of two parents who maintain a homosexual relationship on a child who is raised by those parents, one must take into consideration

Analyze what Takaki means by the racialization of savagery. How did it Essay

Analyze what Takaki means by the racialization of savagery. How did it influence crosscultural relations between Europeans and Native Americans and transplan - Essay Example Takaki meant that racialization of savagery is how one defines the multi-cultural diversity confined in the country that time. It's the political correctness that seemed to hug the essence of scholars and literary greats that was. It is the greed and hope and the changing demographics we have only seen recently but happened to unfold throughout history shaping its people in the process. The very boundlessness of this ethnic and racial difference generated a need to impose interior borders. The idea of preserving racial homogeneity while becoming a multicultural society baffled the policymakers of the new nation. Thus, the introduction of trade opened the market for interaction, perspectives and views that helped fuel multiculturalism and its ensuing debates. Cohesiveness in a society and its norms were preserved to be later handed down to generations ahead. Cross-cultural relationships were formed and various frontiers we... Assumptions are born and labels are attached to the non-conforming to be "accepted" against the standards of that time. A need for others to confirm identity to what one is not has become rampant so long as acceptance followed. Typical European influence early on played a major part against Native Americans and several other fair-skinned or darker skinned peoples believing that black was heathen, foul, stained, dirty, vile, barbaric, and without god or laws, while white symbolized goodness, purity and innocence. Laws and trade and treaties were made to favor white people and punishments were harsher for black or darker skinned citizens. Being made to believe they were natural slaves, even then, multi-culturalism was prevalent but was ignored or subdued, and was set apart as minorities and lower-class citizens. The European assumption prevailed and the English-American identity was defined as black conscious and white favoring. The integration of historical studies to the current cultural and societal issues relate the origins and differences as well as views, patterns and themes that speak to each individual and subliminally suggest or influence his/her outward behavior towards an ethnic or socially different group or individual stems from the past. His acceptance of a people or not is dictated by a lot of factors that may or may not be the general idea accepted now but a reflection of how his race shaped his personality. Injustice, mainly evidenced through the early legal system, injustice in cultural and religious identity, and injustice in the most basic of human interaction, money. The book, and the author described the stark discrimination by the Anglo (white) race played against races that were

Chinese Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Chinese Culture - Research Paper Example If in case any individual in a group is having opinion mismatch with that of the group, then the individual is expected to suppress the thoughts without disturbing the group's activities. (Pratt, D. D.1991) Such a practice could also be viewed as forcing a common thought upon everybody. But this is their culture and they have been practicing it for quite long years. We have to say that they got used to it. Now, in the recent past a TV show called "Super girls" has been commenced and succeeded as well. It is a talent reality show which brings out the talents of an individual to the sight of everybody by giving them a suitable platform. Another interesting fact about this show is that, it is the public who judge the show. They vote for their favorite star of the show and thus the winner is selected. But it is been condemned by the commentators that the Super girls show is kindling the individualistic feeling amidst the collectivism practitioners. Many have started protesting against the show fearing that the show may disturb the Chinese culture. But on the other hand the public started enjoying the entertainment. They are glad to vote for their stars. (Ding, Y. 2008) China is a country which always value team success. Simply speaking, they follow collectivism. They give much importance to group thoughts than the individual opinion. This practice is strictly followed by them in the name of culture. Chinese people have not practiced direct election. But recently the situation has changed because of the Super Girl show in China. It is condemned by the analysts that this show has initiated amidst people individualism. Let us discuss whether the show is really spreading individualism among the Chinese youths. The Chinese culture -A History Change - has been the most prominent factor characterizing the world of today. Every second of our life is changed as discoveries and inventions galore the place we live on. This kind of transformation is not new to the least. It has been a constant factor; right from man finding fire to the scientific revolution, travelling from bullock-carts to modern cars, from eating anything to standardizing the meal we take, the world has almost seen everything. Each change in turn was diversified among several groups of people based on their idealistic values, the ethical principles they followed and their welfare corresponding to their geographical region. These diversified changes slowly developed as cultural behavior of that particular group. Then there came a point where all the diversifications attained saturation. In the end, instead of these changes governing the cultural behavior, it turned out the direct opposite way where cultural behavior dominates the changes. (Songhua, F, n. d) For now, the cycle has turned again. It's almost a revolutionizing act if a person does the direct opposite of what their culture intends them to do. Chinese culture gives the Chinese people their basic identity. They have certain core values which are exclusive and consistent, and these are fashioned by a tradition of four thousand years of history and maintained by the same language as well. Considered to be one of the oldest cultures, the Chinese culture has a vast and traditional history. Several groups of p

Chair Furniture Definition and Classification Essay

Chair Furniture Definition and Classification - Essay Example The fact that there are different types of chairs, however, does not mean that there are different primary uses to this particular object. With very few exceptions, the primary purpose of all types of chairs is for a human to sit in, as in the case of armchairs, or sit on, as with table chairs and stools. As regards exceptions, it need be noted that a few chairs have a primarily decorative purpose, as a direct consequence of their being classified as art objects or valuable antique purposes. Having clarified the stated, however, it is important to note that the aforementioned are not generally classified as chairs but are often, more precisely and accurately, referred to as antiques or at objects. Accordingly, it is important to emphasize that chairs are not, primarily, either antiques or pieces of art but objects which primarily serve a human-sitting purpose. Added to that, even though some types of chairs are referred to as table chairs, this does not mean that chairs are tables. I n other words, in defining the said objective from the negative perspective, one may affirm that chairs are not tables but can be placed around and under kitchen and dining tables.

Unit 8 Discussion Family & Domestic Violence Research Paper

Unit 8 Discussion Family & Domestic Violence - Research Paper Example Such laws simply increase the rates of the population that repeats the offensive practices. Such arrests do increase and escalate the probability of retaliation by the abusers having a history of violence, or to the unemployed victims with minimal losses during the arrest period. The policies fail to empower the survivors through discouraging them from police involvement. They results into ultimate increase in the number of women arrested, and sometimes cases of dual arrest, where the survivor and offender are taken to custody. The state will hence lay the blame game on the offender rather than victim. The laws are not well applicable, fails to implement the criminal justice law and discourage women from reporting any future violence act. Therefore, they fail to provide the ideal security to the victims undergoing through domestic violence. The specialized domestic violence courts response to domestic violence and other forms of sexual assault. Their core goal is to improve the safety of all the victims of domestic injustice and the sexually vulnerable people. They aim at enhancing accountability in the field of domestic violence, ensuring that there is justice and the rights of the victims are promoted. They do facilitate decision-making and conflict resolution in families. The courts do offer intensive domestic violence advantages. They ensure that the cases are coordinated well and ideal processes. They do promote a lot of confidence in the community since there is an accountability pattern. The court systems play the advocacy to the rights of the populations. The judges have an opportunity to deal with great different case of domestic violence. One shortcoming of the Court system is the violation of privacy of the parties involved. All the family conflicts are allayed in

Cons Of Abortion Essay Example for Free

Cons Of Abortion Essay Abortions should be illegalized unless there are special circumstances and appropriate reasoning. One reason is because many people have taken advantage of legal abortions and use it as a form of birth control. Another reason being that killing an unborn is morally wrong and that its considered murder. Third, almost all women experience both physical and psychological disabilities whether theyre minor or very serious. An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by loss or destruction of the fetus before birth. An abortion may be spontaneous or induced. The latter is an act with ethical and legal ramifications. Many women experience physical and psychological complications after they have had an abortion. This leads to complications in their behavior and therefore many consider the care of a psychiatric or physician. Statistics prove that the risks of Physical problems among women who have aborted at least once are high. Approximately 10% of women undergoing abortion will have to suffer immediate abortions and about 2% of them are life threatening. Death is a very serious issue for all women considering abortions. Legal abortion is reported as the fifth leading cause of maternal death . Statistics prove that women who have had an abortion are four times more likely to die in the following year than ones that have carried their pregnancies to term are. Abortion is also clearly linked to a dramatic increase in suicide risk. Between 7 to 30% of all women who have aborted have been reported to attempt suicide. In Canada a study of government funded medical programs showed that 41% of women had to receive psychological treatment after having an abortion. Putting death and suicide aside, there are many other problems that one may have to suffer from. Facing complications in labor and having handicapped newborns. Statistics show that women who have aborted once are two to three times more likely to having a pre term delivery Not only does induced abortions increase the risks of pre- term delivery but also increases the risks delayed delivery. Because abortion is associated with cervical and uterine damage, these are the leading causes of handicapped among newborns. The authors found that if a partner is present and not supportive, the miscarriage rate is more than  double and the abortion rate is four times greater than if he is present and supportive. The partner is absent the abortion rate is six times greater. In total out of 1428 women surveyed, after having aborted, women visited their family doctor 80% more for all reasons possible and 180% of them went for psychosocial reasons. Abortion is stressful and emotionally difficult for most women . As well as having physical problems, more women experience psychological damages. A survey stated that almost eight weeks after having an abortion, 31% of women had regretted the decision. 44% had complained of having nervous disorders, 36% had experienced a loss or disturbances of sleep. Many of these women carry repressed feelings which leads to drug and alcohol abuse. Elliot research institutes researcher found that women who have aborted their pregnancies are 4 times more likely to get involved with drugs and alcohol. During an interview of 30 women who had aborted, 60% had increased their use or alcohol. Almost 45% of all abortions performed today are repeat abortions. If abortions were illegalized, a large proportion of repeat abortions can be eliminated. Not as many women would have to go through stress and other physical and psychological disorders. Outlawing abortions can reduce many of these common problems among women. The three main that women who have aborted give are, having a baby can change my life, If I were to have this baby, it could ruin my career, or My partner and I are currently having problems in the relationship . When asked public opinion, these reasons are quite selfish. It seems as if when there is no where else to turn, the option of abortion will stand out. Knowing that abortions are permitted and available some take it as the easy ticket out. During the 1970s, Canada was reported to having one of the highest teenage fertility rates in the world. Among unmarried women, teens have held the highest rate of child bearing in Canada and the United States. As these pregnancy rates have increased, abortion rates had doubled. Between 1975 and  1980 abortion rates have doubled from 20 to 44 abortions per 1000 women who were between the ages of fifteen and nineteen. This shows that many teenagers have been using abortions as a method of contraception to lower their fertility rate. To those whom consider abortion a negative issue say that, easy abortion leads to increased promiscuity; Available abortions lead to reduced contraceptive use . If abortion remains legalized it silently and subconsciously encourage selfish and irresponsible behavior among young women who may consider it as a backup plan incase of pregnancy. Since the abortion law made by the Supreme Court in 1973, teenage abortions had risen very greatly in numbers. Abortion rates for adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 raised from 244,070 to 448,570. Thats an increase of 84%. For girls under the ages of 15, the rate increased to a total of 31% (11630 to 15240). In 1980s, there was a decrease in abortion rates. This was due to the fact that the changes in law decreased the number of abortion providers all over Canada. Due to this abortions had decreased by 26% in 1984, 24% in 1989 and 21% in 1991. Looking a little deeper into this, one may come to the consideration that many if not all pregnancies that have been aborted have been due to carelessness in sexual behavior. With the exception of rape, incest or physical harm on the women, the procedure of all abortions should be banned. Many argue that abortion is immoral and it is in the same category as killing an innocent, newborn baby. All life is present from the moment of conception. Fetuses almost look like newborn infants and possess characteristics, such as a genetic code, that are found in all human beings. Anti abortionists say that it is always prima facie seriously wrong to take a human life or is it always prima facie seriously wrong to end the life of a baby . Some say it doesnt make sense to give rights to a being that would never have psychological traits, but one may argue that new born babies dont have these traits either, but if they were to be killed after birth, one would get charged. Therefore the argument that a fetus does not  carry psychological traits is a poor one. Other issues which makes killing a fetus wrong is the loss of the victims future. This can be supported by the consideration that killing is one of the worst crimes. People who know that they are going to die believe, of course, that dying is a very bad thing. These people know that their premature death is bad because they will miss out on what the future may have had to hold for them . For people who are severely ill and wish to die will not have suffered a loss if the were killed because they know they will have to face a future of pain. Abortion may also be compared to animal rights. Our society has always put humans before animals. Our rights are obviously more important than those of animals are. A couple months ago, two men were arrested because they had slit open the bodies of rats and photographed it saying it was art . Those who perform abortions are killing a living fetus, which will grow up to, possess characteristics much more complex than that of a rat. How can those who perform abortions get away with it and not those who kill rats? Medical science leads to a pro-life perspective rather than a pro-choice perspective. These arguments against abortions are compelling. One being that at conception the embryo is genetically distinct from the mother . It is said that a developing human being is genetically different from its mother because, for one, it is genetically different form the sperm and egg that created it. The DNA of an embryo can be distinguished form the DNA of the sperm and egg that created it. There are other medical arguments supporting the right to life for a fetus. Major one is the definition between life and death. In the past life was defined by the heartbeat. A stopped heartbeat would be a clear indication of death. By the eighteenth day in the womb, a fetus has a heart. If heartbeats were used to define life than all abortions would be outlawed. In the new age, brainwave activity is used to define death. Fetuses develop ECG patterns in their brains at about 40 to 43 after conception. A flat ECG pattern clearly determines death. Using brain wave activity, at least a majority of abortions could be outlawed. A third issue concerning abortions is if the fetus feels pain. Yes a fetus does feel pain. Try poking an infant with a pin, it will immediately pull away and begin to cry. If you tried to do the same with a fetus, it will open its mouth and pull away. This also causes an increase in the heart rate of the human fetus. Many other medical arguments can be used to try and  outlaw abortions. A fetus has unique set of fingerprints, it to is growing and developing, it has the same human like features as we do, and many others. Abortion is a very controversial subject and there are many debates between the pro-lifers and pro-choices. The views of the pro-lifers are that abortion should become banned all over hospitals and clinics. Pro- choicer may not agree with this because they argue that if abortions become banned then women will have to get illegal abortions. This is not true because statistics proved that when abortions were banned in Canada the rate had drop. Women who did not need abortions for a real reason did not get them. This brought down abortion rates considerably. If the number of abortions was decreased this will also decrease problems of physical and psychological stress. In conclusion, there are other ways of dealing with the situation of an unwanted pregnancy. The most one may do is give up the baby for adoption. Bibliography 1. Abortion: Choice and Conflict Editor Oliver Trager 2. The Ethics of Abortion Robert M. Baird and Stuart E. Rosenbaum 3. Internet site www.religioustlerance.org/abo_supr.htm 4. Abortion a Positive Decision By Patricia Lunneborg 5. The Big Evasion By Anne Collins 6. Perspectives on abortion By Paul Sachdev 7. Abortion Policies in US and Canada Studies in Public Opinion Edited by Ted G. Jelen

Nationalist Movement Of The Belgian Congo

Nationalist Movement Of The Belgian Congo Belgian Congo represents todays Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The country got her first name, Belgian Congo, from her colonizer, Belgium, which was headed by Ling Leopold II. This event took place in November 15, 1908. Belgium Congo remained under the Belgians rule till June 30, 1960 when she gained her independence (Absolute Astronomy, par. 1).This paper is aimed at digging deeply into the events that took place in the Belgian Congo under Leopold IIs rule which eventually led to the formation of the Nationalist Movement of the Belgian Congo. Overview Belgiums control over Congo dates back to 1885 when King Leopold II used the help of Henry Morton Stanley who was an explorer to fulfill this interest. No other European monarch had expressed interest in Congo and this made Leopold II the first one. Among the things that attracted him to Congo included slave trade, rubber and minerals for which he made a gold mine. Congo remained under his control until 1908 when the Belgian government took over. Belgian remained powerful over Congo for 52 years until she got her independence in 1960. Patrice Lumumba made a great impact in Congos history as he headed Congos first nationalist party. When Congo gained her independence, Lumumba was appointed Prime Minister. In the same breath, two provinces which were rich in resources pulled out due to regional conflicts. Military struggles were rampant in Congo at the time and Joseph Mobutu who was an army chief betrayed Lumumba. Lumumba was seen as a threat and this led to his kidnap and eventual mur der in 1961. Those involved in his murder included foreign emissaries (Greenholt, par. 1). King Leopold IIs rule Leopold II ruled with an iron hand and he fought hard to control this very profitable nation. He was the sole executive chairman and shareholder of the Belgian Congo. He was making huge money from sales of copper, rubber among other minerals not forgetting that he had capitalized on the lucrative slave trade which was prominent in many parts of the world. Under Leopold IIs rule, the natives were subjected to brutal mistreatment. The natural resources were also plundered and thus benefited very few people. International scandals were also on the rise. In 1903, 122 Congolese natives were brutally murdered during a rubber collecting mission (Ankomah, par. 1). This event brought about unrest and Roger Casement of the British Consul filed a report that victimized white officials under Leopold II. This report was taken seriously and the perpetrators of this heinous crime were thoroughly punished upon arrest. The report filed by Roger Casement went ahead to pin point the leading causes of depopulation in Leopold IIs era. These he listed as indiscriminate war, tropical diseases, starvation and a reduced number of births. Some of these conditions were dehumanizing and this led to their exposure to the world. This was done by the United States and Europeans press. Leopolds rule came under much pressure from diplomats and the general public. This led to an end of his rule and Congo was now considered as a Belgiums colony (Ankomah). Life in Congo after Leopold IIs rule After king Leopolds rule hit a snag, the Belgium government took over power. This led to reformation of Leopolds shortcomings and the situation improved. This new government came with its recommendations which were geared at giving the Congolese natives a better life. On 18th October, 1908, a Colonial Charter was put in place and its Article 3 clearly stated that forced labor would no longer be exercised. This harmony brought about increased production in cotton and palm oil which increased the revenue. An education system was installed and the natives were even taught native languages like Swahili. Political administration was under the Belgian government where the King of Belgians remained the president. The Congolese natives were however not happy about this arrangement as racial segregation was rampant. The blacks could not mingle with the whites and they were not welcome in places where whites dominated. Only whites were allowed in the city centers and this pushed the blacks to the less glamorous reserves. This segregation also affected the employment sector where blacks were only given the low ranks. A curfew that restricted their movement was operational. They were not allowed out of their houses at particular times (Ankomah). Nationalist Movements of the Belgian Congo Nationalist movements were in place during Belgians rule but they looked down on them thus they went on unnoticed. Some religious and regional groups were opposed to these nationalist movements and formed their own. These movements pressurized Belgium to grant them independence as they were opposed to her rule. Belgian was not comfortable with this arrangement because she felt that this would evict her from her richest colony. A movement by the name ABAKO was formed in 1950 and this represented the ethno-religious groups (Breuilly 200). In 1956, the Nationalist Movement of the Belgian Congo was formed. It was otherwise known as the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC) headed by Patrice Lumumba. This partys main agenda was to turn Congo into a self government. It gained popularity among the Congolese natives and spread widely to six provinces. Due to internal pressures within the party, a splinter group led by Albert Kalonji departed. This party took the title Mouvement National Congolais Kalonji. This split however did not affect the Lumumbas party which was now referred to as Mouvement National Congolais Lumumba. It proved to be very influential in the politics of Belgian Congo. It was seen as a threat to the Belgian government because they could smell their downfall. March 1959 saw national-wide riots which were dubbed Leopoldville. This move further terrorized the Belgian government which saw to the legalization of the national movements which had been formed so far. This was a mighty revolution and the political parties formed an alliance (Absolute Astronomy, par.8). Factors that led to the rise of Nationalism Belgian saw Congo as a tribal country that was only kept together through their rule. Patrice Lumumba was a unifying leader and worked hard to change this perceived attitude of the Congolese citizens by Belgians. He sought to bring them together by sowing in them seeds of unity and harmony against the Belgians who were typical racialists. He was not afraid to speak his mind before the Belgians whenever he had a chance. He publicly talked about the abuse the Congolese natives got from the government in power. He talked about the hard labor they were subjected to, the beatings and the taunts they suffered in the hands of the Belgians. All this they got because of their skin color; they were black. He referred to them as mes freres du race meaning my brothers of race. This was supposed to signify the bond brought about by the stance they took against racial discrimination. Lumumbas calls for nationalism were not taken kindly by the Belgian government. The least they would have wanted was rebellion from the people who gave them the layout they needed for their exploits. This landed Lumumba jail terms every now and then but he was not about to give up. He and his co-fighters would be charged with sedition. The key Nationalist Movement of the Belgian Congo led by Lumumba aimed at ensuring that the Belgian government lived to their promise of granting Congo independence with no strings attached. The movement also planned to boycott all the elections organized by the Belgian government. This they would use as a leeway to gain control over police, the armed forces and the colonial apparatus which were already in place. Their plan had been well made and they saw themselves ridding Congo of the Belgian rule with time. They looked forward to end the dominance that Belgium had over Congo (Greenholt, par.2-4). The movement also looked at empowering the Congolese citizens by ensuring that they benefited from the countrys natural resources. This would raise their living standards and put them at par with other developed nations of the world. This movement was peace loving and saw this whole transition as peaceful. This did not thereby necessitate the formation of armed forces. Lumumba was a dedicated leader who was determined to empower his people. He was a passionate speaker and in one of his speeches he said the following; Mistakes have been made in Africa in the past, but we are ready to work with the powers which have been in Africa to create a powerful new bloc. If this effort fails, it will be through the fault of the West (Greenholt). This showed that his movement was more determined than ever to work out a clean deal with the colonizers not unless they were hard-hearted. Belgium honored her promise to grant Congo independence which came with so many strings attached. They saw Lumumba and his nationalist party as a threat to their plan and embarked on a war against him. This saw the Belgian bureaucrats vacate the offices with all records, files and telephones as they paved way for Lumumbas government. They were working hard literally to sabotage him (Revolutionary worker, par. 5). Impact of the Nationalist Movement of Belgian Congo to Congos politics The people of Congo had eagerly waited for this day when they would finally rid themselves of the colonialism demon which had chocked them for the longest time. These people had not known peace and hope did not exist in their vocabulary. They had been exploited and tormented by the Belgian colonialists. They had not lived to enjoy the fruits of their hard labor which benefited a few in the society. They worked tirelessly to fatten these colonialists bank accounts with proceeds from their rich heritage. They had someone to thank specially for this dream of freedom come true. This was none other than Patrice Lumumba. He takes much credit for the revolution that brought immense change in Congo (Revolutionary worker). Congos Independence Day was long awaited for and a Belgian King by the name Baudouin I had to show up in person to hand over the independence hat to the people of this nation. The independence ceremony took place in Leopoldville. Joseph Kasavubu was sworn in as the President and Patrice Lumumba as the Prime Minister. King Baudouin I came with the hopes that he would still be closely associated with this nation and somehow continue the exploits which his country, Belgium had enjoyed over the years (Revolutionary Worker). One Lumumba saw this coming and was not happy at all. This Prime Minister could not be hoodwinked just like that. It was with this spirit therefore that he addressed all the people who had assembled. He revisited the hardships and abuse that the Congolese natives had suffered under the Belgian governments rule. He went ahead to lay down his portfolio on the future and the hopes he had for his beloved people and country, Congo. This speech was a bitter pill for King Baudouin I to swallow and Lumumbas coalition partners were shocked. They had not seen this coming. This became Lumumbas most famous speech. In this speech he mourned the distress and the problems that they had to go through as the natives of Congo under the Belgian colonialism but celebrates that at least now the leadership of the country was under the natives (Revolutionary Worker). All that, my brothers, we have endured. But we, whom the vote of your elected representatives have given the right to direct our dear country, we who have suffered in our body and in our heart from colonial oppression, we tell you very loud, all that is henceforth ended. The Republic of the Congo has been proclaimed, and our country is now in the hands of its own children (Revolutionary Worker). This speech was so powerful and greatly moved the audience. The wounds they had suffered under the colonialists were now fresher than ever. The pain they felt was deep and they felt used. Their eyes were opened once more to the atrocities that had been committed to them in their own country by these selfish people. What they overlooked was that Belgian still had control over their country through the military. The Belgians had under their arms Congos police force and army safely tucked. The countrys wealth was still under Belgians mineral corporations. Her strategy was to ensure that the country was in the hands of imperialists who they would manipulate to ensure that their stakes remained productive for their own selfish gain (Revolutionary Worker). Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba was therefore a stumbling block to this move. This prompted the imperialist agents to assassinate him on 18th January 1961, soon after he was sworn in as Prime Minister at a tender age of 35. This was after he underwent a lot of injustices and mistreatment which included a house arrest, brutalization and torture in the hands of Colonel Mobutus men. Mobutu had been played a key role in ensuring that the Belgian government stakes were safeguarded. He was their informer and they manipulated him to gain their ground. He was their puppet (The Internationalist, par. 1). Lumumbas assassination came as a great shock to the people he fought for relentlessly. It also served as an eye opener to them that it would take shedding of blood to gain total liberation from the colonialists. The people of Congo had viewed him as their savior and in fact saw him as a black Christ who had sacrificed his life for the sake of his people. So many people were enraged at his death that numerous paintings were done depicting him as a great hero. One of such paintings was that of his portrait inside the map of Congo. Another painting shows him breaking off the chains off his arms and at the same time raising the flag of Congo (The Museum of Arts). A week before his assassination, Lumumba wrote a letter to his wife, Pauline Lumumba. This is what the letter dated January 1961 had; No brutality, mistreatment, or torture has ever forced me to ask for grace, for I prefer to die with my head high, my faith unshakable, and my confidence profound in the destiny of my country, rather than to live in submission and scorn of sacred principles. History will one day have its say, but it will not be the history that Brussels, Paris, Washington, or the United Nations will teach, but that which they will teach in the countries emancipated from colonialism and its puppets (Revolutionary Worker, par. 6). Conclusion The nationalist movements of Belgian Congo worked hard to redeem a people who had been oppressed. The Congolese people had been subjected to hard labor, slavery, racial discrimination, starvation, murders and all sorts of mistreatment. These movements enlightened the people of Congo on the evils of the colonialists. Their aim was to get their country back, their freedom and their dignity, all which they had lost to the Belgian government. There was a price to pay and they were not afraid. Patrice Lumumba paid with his life but the struggle did not end there. He had indeed fought a good fight that led to the liberation of his people from this dehumanizing rule initiated by King Leopold II. Were it not for the nationalist movements of Belgian Congo, these atrocities would have continued and independence would have been a far away dream for the Congolese people.

Case Study Lipton Ice Tea Marketing Essay

Case Study Lipton Ice Tea Marketing Essay Lipton Iced Tea is a beverage launched by Lipton in collaboration with Pepsico. Lipton is an established brand in the tea market while Pepsico has a prominent presence in the soft drink industry. Ever since the popularity of tea started to grow in the West, particularly in the United States of America, the tea market has evolved through various stages. In order to dominate the market, major tea producers like Lipton, Tetley and Nestea have kept on coming up with innovative varieties of tea. Lipton, which has the reputation of being the most innovative brand in terms of variety launched cold beverage, Lipton Iced Tea, thus adding a new dimension to the tea market. Lipton Iced Tea enjoys even more popularity after the recent researches stated the healthy benefits of consuming tea. Moreover, the iced tea was a good way of targeting those consumers who do not enjoy hotter beverages. Lipton faces a major competition from Nestle Nestea and Snapple. However, Lipton Iced Tea successfully managed to lead the market. Considering the threat from new and existing rivals, Lipton has kept is marketing strategy quite strong an aggressive. Besides positioning its product as the healthiest and the most refreshing drink available in the market, Liptons intelligent packaging and pricing strategy has significantly contributed to its success. Its low prices make Lipton more affordable as compared to its competitors and its packaging makes it instant and easy to use. While Lipton Iced Tea has an overall strong position in the market, however, its synthetic taste remains its weakness. Therefore, Lipton can further strengthen its position by enhancing the taste. On a macro level, Lipton enjoys a positive press, not only because of its efficient quality management system, but also due to its sustainable and environmental friendly production practices. Introduction Tea is a household icon in most parts around the world. Almost in every country that has tea consumers, when you think tea, the first name that hits our minds is Lipton. Lipton tea originates from the house of Lipton, currently a major subsidiary brand of Unilever. Lipton was founded by Thomas J. Lipton, an Irish man, who came to United States of America in the late eighteen hundreds. He started by a small grocery store and expanded it into a chain of stores around America. By the end of the nineteenth century, when demand of tea boomed in the Europe, the British tea brokers pressed Lipton to stock their tea in his stores. This gave Lipton an idea of coming up with his own brand of tea, and thus, Lipton Tea was born. Tea at that time was expensive and was considered a rich mans drink. Thomas Liptons idea was to come up with a more affordable brand so that even consumers from less strong economical background can enjoy tea. Lipton has continued to grow since then, which led it to go public in the early twentieth century. By late twentieth century, Lipton started operating as a subsidiary company of one of the world biggest corporate house, Unilever. Since its birth, Lipton has been on a road to continuous growth and expansion. This growth was not just in terms of exploring new markets, but also in terms of introducing a wide range of products. Today Lipton holds major market share both, in the United States of America and around the world. Ever since Lipton has stepped into the tea industry, tea has gone much beyond than a conventional household beverage. From time to time, Lipton is known to introduce new additions in the tea industry and one of the most innovative and popular addition is the Lipton Iced Tea. This product came into being after Lipton collaborated with PepsiCo., which is primarily a soft drink company. The Market As a tea brand, Lipton is the market leader both, in the United States of America and around the world. With a wide range of tea variety, Lipton serves people from all classes, social backgrounds, and regions. From students to grandparents, from China to the United States of America, Lipton is the key tea brand that serves almost all market segments. Focusing on Lipton Iced Tea in particular, Lipton has segmented its consumers according to lifestyle. In general, Lipton Iced Tea has two major targeted groups of consumers. The first group covers those people who lead a busy life style and are hunting for something instant. This group mainly includes, students, employees, working women and other similar consumers who live a hectic and busy life and are in need of an instant product to refresh them. Liptons idea of selling tea in ready to dip tea bags and instant sachets has been very successful among this segment. Tea in this kind of packaging proved not only affordable but also easy and quick to use. The second group of people comprises of the health conscious segment. Consumers from this particular segment may not necessarily lead as busy life as the first group, however, they are potential consumers because of the healthy benefits offered by the product. Ever since the researches have stated the medical advantages of tea consumption, Lipton has played on these reports in order to position its product successfully as healthy, energizer with immense health benefits. Since Lipton has always positioned its tea as a health beverage that provides antioxidants, its market share has continued to grow with the passage of time. Moreover, many people prefer Lipton to other brands due to its affordability, quality and user friendliness. In order to further diversify its clientele, Lipton has introduced further varieties of Iced Tea that includes, Diet Iced Tea and Flavored Iced Tea in Mixed Berry, Lemon, Raspberry and Peach flavors. Since Iced Tea is essentially a cold beverage, the integration of flavors with the beverage has made it popular in the younger groups as well. Since Lipton recognizes the fact that its potential consumers include people that are either health conscious or are have a busy routine or they opt for Lipton due to its affordability, it continues to develop products that are healthier, easier to use and are more inexpensive. Size and Growth of the Market In earlier days, coffee was a comparatively more popular beverage in the United States. However, in the recent past, the tea has gained much popularity, thus resulting in a phenomenal growth in the American tea market. The primary reason for this popularity, according to some survey reports, is the fact that tea is a healthier and more refreshing brew as compared to its counterparts such as coffee. Furthermore, the introduction of flavored tea and other tea varieties such as green tea and iced tea has broadened the consumer base. Another reason, besides the health factor, for the popularity of tea is the fact that it is instant and is readily available as a ready to drink brew. While initially, tea was known to be a drink of colder regions, however, the innovative introduction of iced tea has made the beverage popular among the inhabitants of warmer temperatures as well. According to market surveys, 85 percent of the total tea market in the United States of America is made up of iced tea. It is also said that iced tea sales has seen an average annual increment of 145 percent. Although the iced tea market is dominated by various top tier brands, however, Lipton holds the greatest market share of 32.6 percent, followed by Snapple with 26.5 percent share and Nestea with 10.8 percent share. Lipton leads the market not only in America, but also around the globe. Environmental Impact Lipton is known to have understood its Corporate Social Responsibility well. As an organization, it adheres to the concept of sustainability. The biggest evidence for this is the fact that Lipton grows its tea plantations in the Rainforest Alliance Certified estates. These estates are certified by the Rainforest Alliance organization, which is a non-profit entity, aiming to conserve the environment, managing farms efficiently and protecting the rights and welfare of the workers and their families associated with those farms. Moreover, Lipton has also switched to bottles that use 20 percent less plastic. This is another step towards an environmental friendly business activity. Competition The American tea industry is mainly dominated by Lipton, Snapple and Nestle. Focusing on the Lipton Iced Tea, in particular its major competitors remain Snapple and Nestea, a product of Nestle. While Lipton teamed up with PepsiCo to launch its iced tea, Nestle joined Coca Cola to get into competition. Just like Lipton and Nestle, PepsiCo and Coca Cola are into direct aggressive competition with each other. Therefore, the objective behind Nestlà ©s teaming with Coca Cola was to compete with the Lipton-PepsiCo partnership and to ensure a strong global distribution system. However, Nestea focused on a more packaging based marketing strategy and unlike Lipton, it failed to offer a variety of flavors to cater various tastes. Lipton, on the other hand, not only focused on offering variety, but also marketed its product and positioned it as an ideal healthy and ready to drink beverage. As a result, it did not only create brand loyalty for Lipton among conventional tea drinkers, but also su cceeded in capturing the consumers from the soda drinkers segment as well. This kept Lipton much ahead of Nestea as far as completion is concerned. The competition gap between Nestea and Lipton Iced Tea is filled in by Snapple iced tea, which is the second most popular brand after Lipton. Unlike Nestea, Snapple has an edge of offering a wide variety of flavors and initially, it did come up as a strong competitor for Lipton. However, the relatively smaller size of Snapple and its failure to position itself properly in the market resulted in the loss of major market share to Lipton. Although the weaknesses of its competitors have always kept Lipton ahead of them, however, the threat is always there and in order to maintain its position in the market, Lipton has to ensure constant innovation and improvement of its product. The Marketing Mix As mentioned earlier, despite of being a market leader, Lipton ice tea faces a constant competition from other dominant brands in the tea market. This prompts Lipton to maintain an aggressive marketing strategy to create brand loyalty and to ensure its leadership in the tea market. Liptons marketing mix is designed as follows: Product As a product, Lipton ice tea has a lot to offer as a unique selling point as compared to its rivals. The biggest edge that Lipton has is the recent research reports stating the medical benefits of consuming tea. Lipton has been successful in creating an image that Lipton Ice Tea is the healthiest beverage currently available on shelves. Apart from that, Lipton ensures constant and continuous innovation in the product and it keeps on coming up with newer and more improved flavors. To further increase its consumer base, Lipton introduced the diet and unsweetened range of ice tea, so that diabetic patients, who generally avoid tea, can also enjoy the beverage. Promotion Lipton Iced Tea is aggressively promoted using both, above the line and below the line promotional strategies. It generally uses print media and television for the promotion of its product. Liptons main promotional strategy is to position its product as the most refreshing, energizing and healthy beverage available in the market. Besides conventional advertising, Lipton also keeps on coming up with parallel promotional schemes. Its latest scheme involves buying two Lipton Ice Tea products and getting a chance to win a Convertible car. Placement In order to ensure a strong, efficient, massive, broad and uninterrupted distribution system, Lipton teamed up with PepsiCo, which already has a well-established distribution system around the globe for its soft drinks. Therefore, Lipton Iced Tea is distributed through PepsiCos distribution channels. Lipton Ice Tea is readily available in the market. It can be easily found in all retail outlets ranging from a small grocery store to a large hypermarket. Besides conventional retailing, it is sold via vending machines. Lipton has also maintained an online presence and its products can be ordered and purchases through the internet. Pricing Lipton believes in catering to mass market without ignoring the consumer segments with lesser purchasing power. For this reason, Lipton Iced Tea is available in a wide range of prices that starts as low as 41 cents. This makes Lipton the most affordable brand in the market and forces a large number of consumers to opt for Lipton. It also offers larger economy packs at a price of about US$ 34. This aggressive pricing strategy has a major contribution in keeping Liptons competitors at a lower position. Packaging Lipton has effectively and successfully used the color Yellow as Liptons personal color. It is as if thinking Yellow means thinking Lipton. Furthermore, Liptons packaging is an integral part of its marketing strategy. Lipton Iced Tea is available not only in cartons and in boxes, but it is also available in ready to drink bottles, ready to use tea bags as well as pocket sachets. This does not only make the product easy to use, but also instant and easy to carry. This instantaneousness and user friendliness makes the product popular in consumer segments of all age and social backgrounds, especially among the students and the employees. With time, Lipton keeps on bringing about changes in its packaging, thus improving the products quality and making it easier for consumers to use. SWOT Analysis Strengths Lipton is beyond doubt, the strongest tea brand in the market. Its biggest strength is its partnership with PepsiCo and its incorporation with Unilever. This makes Lipton a strong brand as association with both these firms ensures efficient distribution system as compared to its competitors. Another strong point that Lipton has is that press has always been in Liptons favor. This is due to recent researches portraying tea as a beverage with medical benefits combined with Liptons successful marketing strategy of projecting its product as medically fit for consumption. Other strong points on Liptons side include its affordable price, the user friendliness of the product and the variety of innovative flavors offered by the company. Weaknesses Although, a variety of flavors is available, some survey reports claim that Lipton Ice Tea needs to work on taste enhancement. Some consumers complain that they find it too synthetic and the taste, and in some cases, the after taste of the ice tea is awkward. A few consumers also complain that although they find the drink cool and refreshing, however, they find it tasteless at the same time. Opportunities Having a strong brand image combined with cost efficient production system, Lipton has the opportunity to weaken its competitors without getting into any price wars. By working a bit more on taste enhancement, it can take away the remaining market share that is held by its rivals. Threats Although so far Lipton had successfully fought back the competition, however, in order to maintain its position in the market it will have to make sure that it remains in the process of continuous innovation. Recommendations/ Conclusion Lipton Ice Tea is at present, one of the strongest brands in the brew market. However, it can further strengthen its position by improving its shelf presence and increasing its shelf life. Although some companies tend to ignore the importance of where there product is placed in a super market, however, in practicality, the way a product is displayed in a store has a great, and at times a direct impact on its revenues. Increasing shelf life would mean that the product would last for a longer time, which will result in consumers to prefer Lipton to its competitors products. As mentioned earlier, that some consumers have reported the weak taste of Lipton Ice Tea, it will have to work with its taste experts in order to develop the taste to suit consumer requirements. Failure to do so, might lead to a loss of potential market share to existing or new competitors. The fact that press has been constantly praising Liptons quality and researchers are seconding Liptons claim of offering a healthy beverage, can be utilized to increase its consumer base by pursuing informative advertising campaigns. Lastly, it has to ensure that it keeps on coming up with both new flavors and improved packaging so that it appeals more to the consumer and is able to maintain its image as an essential household product. It can have kids as its potential consumers by coming up with flavors that suit their taste such as chocolate and strawberry. Appendix Based on figures from online sources.

American History, 1865-1900 Essay -- United States History Historical

American History, 1865-1900   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The years after the civil war left one half of America, the north, satisfied and the other half, the south, mostly dissatisfied. Therefore the last third of the nineteenth century, 1865-1900, was a time period in which America was mending, repairing, improving, reshaping, and reconstructing its society, economy, culture, and policies. Basically it was changing everything it stood for. This continual change can be seen in the following events that took place during this time. These events are both causes and effects of why America is what it is today. These are some examples: the reconstruction of the south, the great movement towards the west, the agricultural revolution, the rise of industrialism, the completion of the transcontinental railroad, and America's growth to gaining world power. All of these are reasons and events that characterize America as being an ever-changing nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The south was in economic and social chaos after its defeat in the war. 1865-1877 was a time period of reconstructing the south, however, it left an everlasting impression that kept the south behind for years to come. The political apprehension the south felt was due to the fact that there was no more authority and the new states had to deal with the northern states. The question was how the newly reelected Lincoln was going to bring these states back to the Union.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His idea was known as the ten percent plan in which ten percent of a states qualified voter would take a loyalty oath to be readmitted into the Union. This would allow the south to get back into the main stream and find some solutions to its many problems. Unfortunately for Lincoln and unfortunately for America, Lincoln would be assainated only one month after the south surrendered. This presented America with one more hurdle to overcome, and that hurdle was to initially be jumped by the newly appointed President Johnson.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As President, Johnson decided to follow Lincolns plans by granting amnesty to almost all former confederates; establishing a Provisional government; and ratifying the thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery. However, Johnson was not the same man as Lincoln for he was quite unpopular, especially with Congress. As the south was in a transitional period, its politics were changing as well. First, the Reconstruction Act allowed blacks to v... ...ay to the rise of big business. Americas population was increasing, many citizens were employed and making money, and more eager to spend. Some of the businesses got too big and antitrust acts, such as the Sherman anti-trust act, were passed to control the powers of monopolies and their owners. Not only were there monopolistic companies in the corporate world, there were monopolies in the railroad business as well. The control of railroads became an issue in politics over the abuses and operations of the rail systems. Soon, the federal agencies Interstate Commerce Commission was formed as the first regulatory agency to control private businesses in the public?s interest. More and more control was placed upon Americas businesses and corporations and from this grew unions, as well as conflicts between management and labor, all of which exist today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America has grown to be the country it is today not by luck, but by the fact that it has struggled in trying to become an independent nation. Regardless of the hardships, turmoil, and chaos it has gone through, the events that occurred between the years 1865-1900 have caused America to be the independent nation that it is today.