Is Wal Mart Good For America Essay

The growth and dominance of Wal-Mart over the years has indeed turned it into an economy all its own. There is no single corporation in the world that has as much impact as Wal-Mart has, save perhaps for oil corporations, on any single domestic or even international economy. The volume of sales which Wal-Mart generates is enough to keep the rest of the world happily employed and is also enough to keep the consumerist population of the United States happy in their spending habits. Every single commodity manufacturer who is interested in surviving must be able to gain the good graces of Wal-Mart. The impact of Wal-Mart is such that it â€Å"has life-or-death decision over [almost] all the consumer goods industries that exist in the United States (Gereffi 2006). † This virtually unbridled power of the life or death of consumer goods industries, however, presents the question of whether or not Wal-Mart is indeed good for America. While it certainly does create jobs and sustains the consumer goods industries of America, it also has the same power of taking such benefits away and perhaps leaving the American economy in a far worse off situation than it is at the present. Wal-Mart has become so powerful that any shift in its purchasing and production policies will certainly result in some imbalance on a certain economy in the world. An example of the power of Wal-Mart is the fact that because of the immense volume of sales that Wal-Mart generates it is able to dictate where goods are to be manufactured in the world despite the fact that it is not a producer but simply a retail-chain. For a retail chain to be able to dictate to suppliers where they are to produce their items in order to be able to sell to Wal-Mart at a lower cost means that the retail chain has either a huge stake in the ownership of the supplier or buys so much from the supplier that it is able to dictate the price that it is willing to buy at and by doing so dictate where such goods are to be produced. In determining whether or not Wal-Mart is good for America, the basic economic principles of any market must be analyzed. Every market is governed by two basic forces, supply and demand. Wal-Mart is able to control both these forces because of the immense size that it has. It controls supply by deciding what items it chooses to retail. It also decides the demand for the item by pricing competitively. In its early years, Wal-Mart provided jobs for most Americans because a majority of the goods supplied were produced in the United States. With globalization and the theory of a flat world, other countries have become more competitive industrially and have now taken those production jobs that were previously held by Americans. The outsourcing of consumer goods industries to other countries can be theorized to have been created by the Wal-Mart demand for cheaper products from their suppliers. The problem with this scenario is that it creates unemployment for Americans who are the main buyers from Wal-Mart. In order to counteract this scenario, Wal-Mart must then reduce prices lower to meet the increasing lower income bracket of unemployed Americans who have lost their jobs because of the global production tilt to other countries. As this trend continues, it may be theorized that Wal-Mart will eventually strangle itself by driving the prices of goods down too much without protecting its major market which is the United States. The status of Wal-Mart, therefore, as either a boon or a bane for the American economy solely depends on whether or not it is willing to protect its major market which is the United States. Wal-Mart not only determines which consumer goods industries are to survive but also which economies are to benefit.

Dickens’ skill Essay

Dickens’ skill is especially shown in his creation of Magwitch. Discuss the convict’s importance both as a key figure in Pip’s life and as a means of criticising society. Dickens uses his skill to make the reader believe that Magwitch is an evil person at the beginning of the novel. Dickens describes Magwitch as seen through a child’s eye, which is Pip. The first image of Magwitch is exaggerated because of a child’s imagination and terror. Dickens uses sounds and smells to remember people. For example Jaggers always smells of scented soap after court and when Magwitch is emotional there is a click in his throat. Although these are minor details we recognise people quicker. At the beginning of the novel we associate Magwitch with animal and beast like manners. This is because the first impression of Magwitch through the young Pip and then the hunt for Magwitch by the soldiers. In chapter 28 while Pip is travelling to Satis House he hears a conversation between two convicts who are being transported by coach under guard. Here the convicts are described as â€Å"a most disagreeable and degraded spectacle. † Dickens uses words like â€Å"growling † to covey the impression that these convicts are animal like. Dickens describes the convicts as, â€Å"Then they both laughed, and began cracking nuts, and spitting the shells about. † Dickens is making the point that if you treat some one like animals then they will act like animals. This shows how convicts were treated in society and Magwitch was also a convict. The ship that Magwitch boarded was ironically called Noah’s Ark. This is where animals boarded in biblical time. Magwitch’s true personality slowly shows through the novel. For example in chapter 5 Magwitch tells Joe that he stole his pie and file. Magwitch even apologises to Joe when he says, â€Å"Then I’m sorry to say, I’ve eat your pie. † Joe replies with a compassion answer saying,† we wouldn’t have let you starved to death for it†¦ would us Pip? † Then Magwitch throat clicks. Here I think that this shows the two real gentlemen of the story. Although their grammar is not the best one shows remorse and guilt and the other shows compassion. I am very surprised when Magwitch says he stole the file and pie. This is because firstly he did not do it he only said this to divert suspicion from Pip, a boy he never really knew. Secondly in Victoria time people could be hanged for stealing and this shows that Magwitch is a very selfless person. In the most influencing chapter of the novel, chapter 39 where Magwitch returns Pip life changes. Magwitch’s arrival has mixed feelings and mixed blessings. Here we find out that Magwitch is Pip benefactor and Pip feels revulsion and disgust, which is also shared by us the readers, that his â€Å"expectations have been paid for by a convict. This is when Pip realises that he never had any â€Å"Great Expectations†, that Estella and Satis House were never intended for him and Miss Havisham was never his benefactress. In the chapter we now see Magwitch through an adult’s eye where he does not seem violence or evil. Pip uses words like â€Å"I shuddered†, â€Å"abhorrence†, â€Å"dread† and â€Å"repugnance† in this chapter but soon later change. Dickens skill is shown through this book very well because although Magwitch is one of the most important characters he disappears for a long time in the book. Magwitch is a key character in the novel to unveiling all of the mysterious in it. There is a gradual uncovering a denouement by him in chapter 42 called â€Å"Compeyson. † We find out a lot about Magwitch’s heritage that he was born poor and that he had no family. Magwitch talks of his first memories as a young child he says, â€Å"I first become aware of myself†¦ A thieving turnips for my living. Someone had run away from me†¦ and he’d took the fire with him and left me very cold. † This shows how society has neglected orphans his first memories is of stealing and being betrayal. Magwitch talks about his trial where Compeyson got 7 years and Magwitch got 14 years. Compeyson got half the sentence because, â€Å"First of all what a gentleman Compeyson looked with his curly hair and black clothes and his white pocket handkerchief and what a common sort of wretch I (Magwitch) looked. † Magwitch said that he had given up all hope when he said, â€Å"I was hiding among the graves there envying them as was in them. † This definitely shows how poor people and convicts were treated that society did not look after them and that these people felt no sense of place or belonging n the world. Dickens uses this chapter to show the inadequacy in the legal system and also that there is a lot wrong with society. Magwitch was not legally married to Molly but only married â€Å"over the broomstick† this shows that there is no legal marriage or protection for the poor. I think that society is using Magwitch, as a scapegoat so that they can charge him for crimes he did not commit so they can feel better about their society thinking it is safer. Whereas the real criminals in the novel are free, for example Compeyson a forger, Orlick a murderer and Drummle a wife beater. Magwitch clearly has an impact in Pip life for good and bad reasons. If Pip had never met Magwitch he would still live at the forge with Joe and probably in the future married Biddy. So basically Magwitch seems to have ruined Pip’s life. Although Magwitch does more harm then good he does not do it intentionally whereas Miss Havisham did. I think Miss Havisham is, in a way, a victim because she was left at the altar on her wedding day and cuts herself off from society. Miss Havisham got her revenge on men, which was Pip through Estella but later regrets what she has done. Although Miss Havisham has ruined his life he can still forgive her. I think Pip forgives her because although Miss Havisham is eccentric he has learnt that there can be another side to a person. I think that Pip found this out when looking after Magwitch first he is repulsed and now he loves and pity him. Magwitch brings out the good qualities in Pip he is his moral educator. For example Pip looks after Magwitch but does not take any more money off him. Here Dickens is idealising Pip through Magwitch. At the beginning of the novel Pip was child but now Magwitch has become the child because he needs looking after. From the part of the novel when Pip is with Magwitch he grows morally. He learns that a gentleman is not just a good education, wealth and stature it is about self-sacrifice, loyalty and compassion. Pip even risks his life for Magwitch when there is a note saying someone has news on Magwitch. Pip goes straight away even with an injured arm and there he finds it to be a trap that it is Orlick who tries to kill him. He learns the great value of friendship and he buys Herbert branch of Clarrikers’ business. I think Pip does this because he feels guilty for getting Herbert into debt in the first place. Not only did Pip feels pity for Magwitch when he is dying so did Jaggers. For example Jaggers tries to push back Magwitch’s trial date back so he can die in peace but it fails. This is shown when it says, â€Å"Mr Jaggers caused an application to be made for the postponement of his trial. † Again Dickens makes a point about the legal system when he says, â€Å"The trial was very short and very clear. † Basically Dickens is criticising how he poor were judged in court; it was guilty until proven innocent for them. At Magwitch’s trial he is condemned to death and he says, â€Å"My Lord, I have received my sentence of Death from the Almighty, but I bow to yours. † Magwitch says this in the most elegance way and shows his courage in accepting his death sentence. By the time of his trial and death he has acquired a dignity which did not seem to be evident when he was the animal which â€Å"glared and growled† and frightened Pip half to death at the beginning of the novel.

Free Essays on A Smokers Injustice

A Smoker’s Injustice On March 30, 2003 a smoking ban will go into affect in restaurants, bars, and public places throughout NYC. A ban on public smoking lead by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an ex-smoker, has intentions of improving the health of employees by segregating smokers from about 13,000 bars and restaurants in New York City. The ban is a modernized version of unjust law as described by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In an attempt to save lives, Mayor Bloomberg is taking an addiction and marking it illegal and in doing so, he is segregating man from man, an idea which was thought to be thrown out the window after the 1960s. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. states in his â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† that an unjust law is â€Å"a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal.†(King Jr. 408) With the public smoking ban, Mayor Bloomberg is forcing smokers to either quit smoking or get up, go outside, smoke, and then come back to join their party. Mayor Bloomberg, an ex-smoker, would not be pleased if such a law was enforced during his smoking days, so why enforce it now and force current smokers out of the building. The mayor argues that the law will help preserve the health of employees who work at bars and restaurants. It is â€Å"designed to protect workers in the city's 13,000 bars and restaurants that have allowed smoking.†(Reuters, N.Y. Times) In a city where smoking and drinking go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly, smoking has become a symbol of the hardworking New Yorker who is just looking for a 15-minute break from the overwhelming stress of life. An employee at a bar has already thought about the fact that he/she will be working around second hand smoke, and if he/she still took the job after knowing that, then why should it bother the mayor? Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quotes St. Thomas Aquinas in ... Free Essays on A Smokers Injustice Free Essays on A Smokers Injustice A Smoker’s Injustice On March 30, 2003 a smoking ban will go into affect in restaurants, bars, and public places throughout NYC. A ban on public smoking lead by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an ex-smoker, has intentions of improving the health of employees by segregating smokers from about 13,000 bars and restaurants in New York City. The ban is a modernized version of unjust law as described by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In an attempt to save lives, Mayor Bloomberg is taking an addiction and marking it illegal and in doing so, he is segregating man from man, an idea which was thought to be thrown out the window after the 1960s. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. states in his â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† that an unjust law is â€Å"a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal.†(King Jr. 408) With the public smoking ban, Mayor Bloomberg is forcing smokers to either quit smoking or get up, go outside, smoke, and then come back to join their party. Mayor Bloomberg, an ex-smoker, would not be pleased if such a law was enforced during his smoking days, so why enforce it now and force current smokers out of the building. The mayor argues that the law will help preserve the health of employees who work at bars and restaurants. It is â€Å"designed to protect workers in the city's 13,000 bars and restaurants that have allowed smoking.†(Reuters, N.Y. Times) In a city where smoking and drinking go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly, smoking has become a symbol of the hardworking New Yorker who is just looking for a 15-minute break from the overwhelming stress of life. An employee at a bar has already thought about the fact that he/she will be working around second hand smoke, and if he/she still took the job after knowing that, then why should it bother the mayor? Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quotes St. Thomas Aquinas in ...

Moonrise Kingdom Review Outline Color Analysis Essay Example

Moonrise Kingdom Review Outline Color Analysis Essay Example Moonrise Kingdom Review Outline Color Analysis Paper Moonrise Kingdom Review Outline Color Analysis Paper Describe the main problem of the film What is the inciting incident? Act 2 Describe the action that takes place in Act II Act II is where all the action takes place Act 3 This is how the film resolves itself Do not spoil the ending for the audience! Directing/Film techniques (One paragraph) Describe and assess the miss en scene (camera angles, editing, lighting, set production, costumes, etc. ) Cinematography (color palette) Identify other notable successes/failures of the film for example, special effects, etc. Lace this in the context Of other films (ii compare and contrast to there films from the same genre/director/period) Conclusion (One paragraph) Justify your opinion of the film by ranking it alongside others that you may or may not have already mentioned Suggest to the reader that this may be a film to see/avoid How Color Affects the Viewer in Moonrise Kingdom For this assignment, you will choose three scenes from the slides located on our Google Classroom site (bit. Do/flam mability) and analyze West Andersens use of the color RED (including oranges and pinks). Consider what the color red symbolizes and then think about what you know about each character ND their mental state. Each response must be well-reasoned, grade-appropriate, and at least a paragraph in length. This is an exploration Of psyche consider what you know about the characters as you write your analysis. In total, this essay will have three paragraphs. Color in Moonrise Kingdom In the Huffing Post, Michelle Mandate wrote: Just as director West Anderson has an affinity for a certain type of female character, he also has a natural attraction to certain types of colors. Throughout Anderson s films, we have seen the director use a sis-influenced lour palette that has made his movies as recognizable as the movie stars in them. Whether its the yellow and blue hues in The Adrenaline Limited or the orange and brown shades in The Fantastic Mr.. Fox, you can instantly tell (even without seeing Bill Murals face) youre watching a West Anderson film when you see those bright, saturated colors pop on the screen. Andersens latest film Moonrise Kingdom is no exception to the Anderson color palette. The muted yellow-green and pale blue colors we see in the movie ring true to Anderson s color style.

23 Ideas for Science Experiments Using Plants

23 Ideas for Science Experiments Using Plants Plants are tremendously crucial to life on earth. They are the foundation of food chains in almost every ecosystem. Plants also play a significant role in the environment by influencing climate and producing life-giving oxygen. Plant project studies allow us to learn about plant biology and potential usage for plants in other fields such as medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. The following plant project ideas provide suggestions for topics that can be explored through experimentation. Plant Project Ideas Do magnetic fields affect plant growth?Do different colors of light affect the direction of plant growth?Do sounds (music, noise, etc.) affect plant growth?Do different colors of light affect the rate of photosynthesis?What are the effects of acid rain on plant growth?Do household detergents affect plant growth?Can plants conduct electricity? Does cigarette smoke affect plant growth?Does soil temperature affect root growth?Does caffeine affect plant growth?Does water salinity affect plant growth?Does artificial gravity affect seed germination?Does freezing affect seed germination?Does burned soil affect seed germination?Does seed size affect plant height?Does fruit size affect the number of seeds in the fruit?Do vitamins or fertilizers promote plant growth better?Do fertilizers extend plant life during a drought?Does leaf size affect plant transpiration rates?Can plant spices inhibit bacterial growth?Do different types of artificial light affect plant growth?Does soil pH affect plant growth? Do carnivorous plants prefer certain insects?

Foundation Early childhood studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Foundation Early childhood studies - Essay Example ironment that emphasizes on morals and religion there is a high probability that those children will be well disciplined (Jones, Holmes & Powell, 2007). That notwithstanding the religious knowledge which was introduced to them at a tender age will enable them view the world from a religious perspective whereby everything has to be related to a supernatural god (Global Alliance for Advancing Hcd Programmes, 2010) In addition, child development does not entail only physical growth it is a multi-facet process that entails a lot of process ranging from cognitive development to the manner in which a child views things and reasons out (Fabian, & Mould, 2009). Human beings are social beings thus they will tend to imitate the behaviours of the people they interact with in their immediate environment (Derobertis, 1997). Children that are brought up in a surrounding whereby people are drunkard or possess any other undesirable trait will most likely grow up with the same trait (Taylor, & Woods, 2005). This basically because when the mind of a human being is young and developing the things that it was exposed to are prone to stick there forever unless that individual undergoes a total psychological dynamism in some point in life which may help to change the mind-set from previous habits (Meggitt, 2006). Human beings just like any other creatures undergo the process of physical development this is occasioned by repetitive differentiation of body cells leading to cell multiplication which in turn results to a living organism growing (Meggitt, (2006). According to the maturationist theory which was advanced by Arnold Gessel physical development in children is a purely biological process that occurs automatically to all children as long as they are kept health in an enabling environment (Fabian, & Mould, 2009). It goes on to state that the physical development process is predictable in the sense that by carefully analysing the progress in a child one is able to predict the

Modern Leadership Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Modern Leadership Principles - Essay Example These goals indeed lead the organization to the successful heights that it had every dreamt of achieving. In the process of accomplishing these tasks, there are many obstacles that need to be addressed. The environment, under which the organization puts forth its work, plays a critical role. These goals can be achieved by executing the tasks. For successful execution of these tasks, we need to have a guideline and organizations prefer to have these goals assigned as tasks to specific personnel. These personnel are the one's responsible to lead the team/group of people in successful completion of their duties. There are various definitions to describe the characteristic features of leadership. John Maxwell sums up his definition of leadership as "leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less. This moves beyond the position defining the leader, to looking at the ability of the leader to influence others - both those who would consider themselves followers, and those outside that circle. Indirectly, it also builds in leadership character, since without maintaining integrity and trustworthiness, the capability to influence will disappear (Teal.org, nd). An organization always looks forward to have experienced personnel as well as the personnel who exhibit leadership skills to take up important tasks to benefit the entire organization. Leadership quality is the most sort after characteristic that the organizations seek in the personnel. Leadership requires the personnel to guide the entire team/group to attain the goals. As an individual has their own point of view regarding the critical issues, it is very important to gain a certain level of understanding amongst various individuals. There might be various situations where in certain amount of conflicts arise due to individual point of view. Importance of leadership Leadership is a characteristic that has engulfed all the organizations in recent times. As there is a transfer of cultures, technology update and many more challenges coming up there are a huge number of tasks that need to be accomplished every moment at the right time. To accomplish these tasks at the right time, there has to be proper management as there are numerous tasks to be accomplished. These management issues are always achieved by a certain motive. This particular characteristic of the motive is known as Leadership (Justin Sturek, 2005). A quality that helps in executing the tasks and then achieving the assigned goals can be defined as Leadership. Leadership is a characteristic of knowing oneself, the capabilities and the potential of working things out when required to attain a particular state of action. It is about having a vision about the goals to be accomplished. The vision of accomplishing the tasks at a particular level of success is very essential to guide the team members in the right direction. Leadership also involves the primary feature of building trust among the colleagues. All these have to be attained by taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential. The quality of leadership in organizations can be defined in a different manner. It is usually defined as the characteristic