A Comparison of Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian Societies Essay Example for Free

A Comparison of Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian Societies Essay In spite of the fact that Egypt and Mesopotamia were both early rural social orders based upon the water gave by the significant streams which supported them, they showed significant contrasts as a result of the diverse physical conditions in which they created. In this paper I will initially concentrate on what I consider to be the significant parts of these distinctions in condition and afterward investigate the outcomes of these distinctions in their strict convictions, political association and business rehearses. A significant contrast in physical condition between these old social orders was the occasional stream streams on which they depended for cultivating. The Nile which upheld early Egyptian progress was portrayed by unsurprising and yearly flooding in the late-summer. These floods happened after yields were gathered. This example was a result of the standard pre-fall rainstorm downpours which fell at its headwaters. The Nile likewise had a huge spreading delta zone that offered ascend to normal water system trenches that would flood the territories between them with rich supplements for the following planting year. The Tigris and Euphrates waterways which upheld the Mesopotamian culture would normally flood in the pre-summer exactly when yields would mature, frequently with lamentable outcomes on harvests. This example was an aftereffect of these waters starting from winter snow liquefy in the Anatolian mountains (presently in present day Turkey) where these streams began. These floods in some cases made the streams change their course suddenly cutting off fields from water. Another essential physical distinction adding to social contrasts was the relative separation in which antiquated Egypt created contrasted with Mesopotamia. As indicated by our course book ‘Egypt’s normal confinement and material independence encouraged a novel culture that for significant stretches of time had moderately little to do with other civilizations’. Conversely, Mesopotamia was available to movement or attack and was reliant on imported assets. Likewise a wide range of ethnic people groups added to the development of Mesopotamian culture. The strict convictions of Egypt and Mesopotamia were impacted by numerous components. The streams, each day objects, and the convictions of the individuals. In Egypt rather than Mesopotamia the Pharaoh was viewed as a divine being notwithstanding being the preeminent ruler. He was the primary divine force of their religion. In Egypt individuals lauded their divine beings for the yearly flooding of the Nile. Anyway in Mesopotamia the individuals were scared of their divine beings on the grounds that ‘the divine beings could adjust the landscape’ discretionarily. Consequently they gave their divine beings blessings in order to appease them. In both of the human advancements religion was polytheistic, I. e. , having numerous divine beings. The political association of Egypt depended on the focal authority of the Pharaoh. Since he was the typified type of a divine being, he was the law. He picked where the legislative center would be found, such a Thebes, Memphis, and so on. Albeit littler urban communities existed in old Egypt most of Egyptians seemed to live in little cultivating towns. Interestingly, Mesopotamia was worked around various free city states encompassed by cultivating towns. Huge numbers of these urban communities rivaled one another or even warred with one another to turn into a predominant focus of intensity. No uniform reason for law or equity existed in this decentralized condition until Hammurabi prevailing with regards to turning into the principal ruler of Babylon and set up the Babylonian Empire with command over the entirety of Mesopotamia. He made a law code of which may duplicates were made. These recorded tablets were sent to the various families of Mesopotamia and turned into a reason for a uniform lawful framework, including characterization of the individuals living under his territory The business exercises in Mesopotamia were very broad because of the necessity to create exchanging connections between the distinctive city states and different areas to acquire required assets. This brought about the advancement of a dealer class in the urban focuses dissimilar to the circumstance in Egypt. Exchange depended on trading instead of cash. Products exchanged included wood, metals, and stone in return for fleece, fabric, grain, and vegetable oil. These practices required the advancement of the abilities required for procuring, moving, and ensuring significant items. As indicated by our reading material, autonomous shippers and vendor organizations had increased extensive impact in Mesopotamian culture continuously 2000 BC.

IENG377 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IENG377 - Essay Example empower an added substance procedure to happen, which ensures that the powder structures are worked to shape a bigger strong thing, which is in agreement to the inclinations of the client (McGrew 1). The water fly cutters will utilize super high weight water streams during the time spent cutting the material for the imprinting in an ideal way. Such guarantees that the cutting procedure is successful and clean. In any case, in building up the items, the organization needs to distinguish a one of a kind item, which isn't been created by different organizations. Such will make a serious quality for the organization as far as selling the items in the market. In addition, the completing of the organization item will be one of a kind to make brand of the item and character of the organization in the market of these items. The 3D printers will empower the organization to make molds of various sizes and structures. Such incorporates models of structures and figures, in light of customer necessities. For instance, the printers will make the sections, basic individuals from a structure, furniture and models. These items will be intricate than what different organizations are making in the market. The stream water fly cutters will help in the slicing procedure of these items to guarantee that they are inside the size necessity for the printing procedure. The printing will happen in the accompanying materials, ABS, PVC, PLA, Polyethylene and Polypropylene. Such printing happens for 1mm course if there should be an occurrence of the enormous items to 0.35mm fineness dependent on the determination and the necessities of the client. An average model item for the organization is mechanical prosthetic, which is attractive in the field of medication. Another model is small scale PCs, which will rival different or ganizations, which are making PCs, for example, Samsung, HP, Acer and Dell among others. The assembling procedure of these items will concentrate on using significant level of innovation so as to make progress in the serious market condition. Different organizations are making

Olaudah Equiano :: essays research papers

Olaudah Equiano      Olaudah Equiano was an African American that fell into servitude. He was constrained like numerous other African Americans during the seventeenth and eighteenth century. In the short tale about Olaudah Equiano, it tells about his life and what he experienced being a slave. The Narrative has some comparable things that we went over in class. I will examine a couple of subjects about Equiano and different slaves.      First, there was a ton of exchanging or dealing going on with the white slave proprietors. They would utilize their slaves as a material thing and not consider them an individual. They thought of them like an item or cash. The exchange included the Americans, the Africans, lastly the West Indies. America for the most part exchanged rum for slaves, Africa exchanged there own kin (which would become captives to whomever claimed them) for sugar and molasses with the West Indies. The West Indies would exchange rum, molasses, or sugar to America for slaves. This made a “Triangular Trade.'; It was the most mainstream and clever strategy to get slaves, rum, or whatever other thing that a specific nation needed. It worked out for everyone exchanging aside from the slaves. Equiano was exchanged for such things in the Narrative. The main individual to “own'; Equiano was a Quaker named Robert King. He did the majority of his business in the West Indies. Equian o was in the end exchanged for sugar stick and had to go on a slave transport. The conditions were ghastly.      Equiano was shipped on a slave transport called the “Zong.'; The British Republic possessed the Zong. Equiano, just as different slaves were full under the freight zone. There was such huge numbers of slaves that they could scarcely relax. They were constantly ravenous in light of the little measure of nourishment and the enormous measure of slaves. Ailment spread all through the boat making numerous slaves bite the dust. They would likewise bite the dust of appetite and getting beaten such a great amount by the white team installed. Equiano needed to make due in these conditions for extensive stretches of time.      Equiano was from Nigeria and lived in an incredible town called Essako. The British abducted him in 1756. He was seized with his sister and hauled away from that point home. A ton of the whites would simply go into towns and begin taking African Americans to be their slaves or to exchange them for products.

Different Aspects of Love Presented in William...

Different Aspects of Love Presented in William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream Lysander + Hermia = True love? Sexual Attraction (Lust) ------------------------------------------------------- Titania + Oberon = Love or hate (Married) Helena + Demetrius = One sided (Unrequited) Hippolyta + Theseus = Stable Love (Mutual love and respect) Titania + Bottom = Unrequited and magical (fake) Egeus + Hermia = Family - Father and daughter Titania + Boy = Family - Mother and son Introduction ------------ A remarkable aspect of A midsummer nights dream is that it contains a play within a play. Two themes present in many of Shakespeares plays, the struggle of men†¦show more content†¦William Shakespeare made all of the characters interact their lives to be based on each other. At first everything was confusing, and the characters were faced with many different problems. In the end, however they were still able to persevere and win their true love, the love they were searching for in the first place. Theseus is the Athenian duke and, plans to marry the Amazonian Queen Hippolyta four days after the opening of the play. Theseus seems to represent a rather unpleasant model of forced love. By the time Theseus reappears at the end of the play, however, he and Hippolyta seem genuinely and mutually happy together, and he presides over a magically resolved triple wedding in which everyone gains their hearts desire. Hippolyta is the Amazonian Queen and, is set to marry Theseus. Hippolyta is not heavily involved in the play but does sound impatient to get married to Theseus. Titania is the Queen of the fairies and is a delicate creature, fond of elegant song and dance and provides a train of equally lovely spirits. When she first appears in the play, she is angry at her husband, Oberon, who is continually demanding that she give him one of her attendants, an Indian Boy whose mother had been one of her worshippers and has past away. Titania says, Set your heart at rest: the fairy land buys not the child of me. His mother was aShow MoreRelated William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay1591 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there are endless images of water and the moon. Both images lend themselves to a feeling of femininity and calm. In classical mythology, the image of water is often linked with Aphrodite, goddess of passion and love. Born of the foam of the sea, Aphrodite was revered as an unfaithful wife to her husband Hephaestus (Grant 36). This may have a direct coloration to the unfaithful nature of theRead More A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay: Aspects of Love755 Words   |  4 PagesLove in William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream  Ã‚  Ã‚      Love is a very inaccurate word,   as it can be used in many different ways.   It can be used to describe an object which one particularly likes,   or to describe ones feelings towards a person.   However it does not rest at just these two points.   Love for someone can be in a material sense (sexual),   or in a more moral sense for example.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some of the various aspects of love are mentioned In William Shakespeares,   MidsummerRead MoreManipulating The Supernatural : William Shakespeare s Othello And A Midsummer Night s Dream883 Words   |  4 Pagesgenerate more recognition for his plays. Throughout Shakespeare s plays, Othello and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, he appeals to the audience by relating to their human nature. 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In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare manipulates nature imagery to portray control of nature among the fairies and reflect humanity’s quest for control in the realm of love, revealing a world thatRead MoreThe Theme Of Social Class And Order1928 Words   |  8 PagesThe Underlying Theme of Social Class and Order In literature, themes are carefully interwoven with other aspects of the story and are slowly unraveled as the plot advances to reveal to bigger picture. Authors use themes as a method to connect with their audience on a personal and relatable level. Each individual interprets the theme in their own manner depending on the past experiences they have had. Similarly, each author brings a sense of individuality and authenticity to their works, impactingRead MoreLa Story and Shakespeare1546 Words   |  7 Pagescredited with being a variation on A Midsummer Nights Dream. This is a more subtle lifting of the works. The similarities are limited to the device of the confused lovers, and the possible use of magic in order to bring the lovers to their correct partner. The similarities would probably have gone unnoticed were it not for the production notes that came as a supplement on the DVD, wherein Steve Martin bluntly says that he took the idea from A Midsummer Night‘s Dream. But a s previously stated, the themeRead MoreA Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare Essay2727 Words   |  11 PagesA Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare The Course Of True Love Never Did Run Smoothà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Explain how Shakespeare demonstrates this concept of love in the play. Shakespeare often used his plays to explore different feelings and emotions. He has written tragic plays, humorous plays and romances. Shakespeare often uses love as a theme within his plays, this is shown in plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth NightRead MoreDreams in A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay example2241 Words   |  9 Pagesonce said, â€Å"The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake, when you dont know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened.† But, what actually is a dream and what do dreams really have to do with one’s everyday life? In essence, a dream is a series of mental images and emotions occurring during slumber. Dreams can also deal with one’s personalRead More Shakespeares World Essay3144 Words   |  13 Pages Shakespeares World nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Almost every nation on earth reads, studies and performs the works of William Shakespeare. No writer of any country, nor any age, has ever enjoyed such universal popularity. Neither has any writer been so praised. As William Hazlitt observed, quot;The most striking peculiarity of Shakespeares mind was its generic quality, its power of communication with all other minds.quot; It is perhaps this quality that has earned Shakespeare the supremeRead More William Faulkners Use of Shakespeare Essay5388 Words   |  22 PagesWilliam Faulkners Use of Shakespeare Throughout his career William Faulkner acknowledged the influence of many writers upon his work--Twain, Dreiser, Anderson, Keats, Dickens, Conrad, Balzac, Bergson, and Cervantes, to name only a few--but the one writer that he consistently mentioned as a constant and continuing influence was William Shakespeare. Though Faulkner’s claim as a fledgling writer in 1921 that â€Å"[he] could write a play like Hamlet if [he] wanted to† (FAB 330) may be dismissed as

Annotated Bibliography On Gsm Systems - 795 Words

5. GSM MODULE A. Introduction This is a plug and play GSM Modem with a simple to serial interface. It is use for sending SMS, Calling (Answer and decline calls), and other GSM operations that are controlled by simple AT commands from micro controllers and computers. Highly popular SIM300 module is used for all operations. It comes with a standard RS232 interface for easy interface of modem to micro controllers and computers. The modem consists of external circuitry like the power regulation, external antenna, SIM Holder, etc.. needed for experimenting with the SIM300 module. B. Features †¢ Uses most popular SIM300 GSM module . †¢ Provided with Standard serial RS-232 interface for easy connection with computers and other devices . †¢ Provided with Serial TTL interface for easy and direct interface to microcontrollers. †¢ Power on/off control, RING and Network LEDs for easy debugging. †¢ On-board 3V Lithium Battery holder with appropriate circuitry for providing backup for the modules’ internal RTC. †¢ Used for GSM based Voice communications, Data/Fax, SMS,GPRS and TCP/IP stack . †¢ For controlling Standard AT commands can be used . †¢ Provided with On-board wire antenna for better reception. †¢ External antenna can also be added through an SMA connector. †¢ Adjustable serial baud rate from 1200 to 115200 bps and 9600 bps by default is allowed. †¢ Less power consumption of 0.25A during normal operations and around 1A during transmission. Operating Voltage: 7 – 15VShow MoreRelatedManaging and Organizing for Innovation in Service Firms a Literature Review with Annotated Bibliography30787 Words   |  124 Pagesfirms A literature review with annotated bibliography annika schilling andreas Werr stockholm school of economics Title: Managing and Organizing for Innovation in Service Firms. A literature review with annotated bibliography Author: Annika Schilling Andreas Werr - Stockholm School of Economics Series: VINNOVA Report VR 2009:06 ISBN: 978-91-85959-47-1 ISSN: 1650-3104 Published: Februari 2009 Publisher: VINNOVA - Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems / Verket fà ¶r Innovationssystem

The impact of Tax avoidance on the UK economy

Question: Describe about the Taxation PhD research topic in tax avoidance and then write the proposal. Answer: Background A number of direct and indirect tax liabilities upon individuals and corporations attribute developed countries. In contrast to this, developing countries encounter various political, administration and social difficulties while establishing a sound public finance system. As a result, these countries become vulnerable to huge tax avoidance and evasion activities by individuals and corporations. This has become one of the major reasons of differences between developed and developing countries in relation with mobilization of ones own resources. Although tax revenues of most countries amounts much of the gross national income, it cannot be assume that this is because of an enhancement in taxation system of such countries. According to various studies, the increment of tax revenues in countries is mostly due to natural resource taxes like income from royalty and production sharing etc. Considering the taxation policies of UK, it can be seen that the UK tax law is very complex but with d ays passing by, these complexities have also significantly increased, leading to an increase in business compliance cost too (Gammie, 2008). This is the main reason why tax avoidance has increased. Furthermore, taxation policies of various countries characterized by those tax structures that do not align with international standards by low level of compliances and absence of proper tax policy management. However, it has been observed that many developing countries portray a trend towards prevalence of indirect taxes and many even rely upon such indirect taxes like VAT (Value-Added Tax) with indirect taxes amounting to more than two-third of total revenue from taxes. Tax avoidance and evasion are such phenomenas that exist from the origination of taxation itself. Whenever and wherever authorities levy taxes, the corporations and individuals find ways to avoid it. Though this problem exists from a very long time, it becomes more disturbing in this era of globalization as it diversifie s the extent of opportunities to avoid taxes while significantly minimizing chances of being caught (Bair, 2005). Hence, tax avoidance, as a matter of fact is highly subjective in nature and distinguishing between tax evasion and avoidance has no significance taking into consideration the circumstances prevailing in the current scenario. Hence, avoidance of tax is a prime factor that has created loopholes in the taxation policies and developed a gap between what is collected in revenue by the authorities and what they forecast why it must be collected. Statement of the problem The prosperity of any country rests on the resources that are available and present. Tax revenues assume a place of special importance because it is the backbone of the economy. The tax gap of UK is estimate to be around 122 billion a year that has increased since 2010. This can be cited due to tax avoidance and evasion that rests on collectibles. Tax avoidance, as well as evasion are antisocial in nature and degrade the government hence, hindering the overall progress of the economy. This has seen immense debate and various reforms program has been structured to eliminate the problem. Tax avoidance and evasion has reduced the revenue for the government and the regulations must be tightening to check the process. Aims and objectives The research here aims at evaluation of tax avoidance and the negative impact it have on the economy as a whole. Encountering such tax avoidance has become very necessary and with the help of this assignment, a particular research topic in tax avoidance selected together with its proposals, so that the cause of avoidance can be identified and precisely dealt with. Further, the aim of this is to stress upon the issue tax avoidance is an ethical issue and fuels global inequality. To ensure a correct presentation both the method that is qualitative, as well as quantitative used in this research. The following questions structured to ensure the objective of the study: Why and in what manner do the individuals, as well as multinationals avoid taxes in UK What are the impact of tax avoidance and tax evasion on the economy? What are the reasons for tax avoidance How the process of tax avoidance and evasion is controlled and defeated? Methodology Research Design In this scenario, a design that is non-experimental in nature is use to collect, as well as evaluate data. A standard questionnaire will be structure to extract information from various officials, consultants, and taxpayers. A qualitative, as well as quantitative research utilized to shed light on the behavior of the taxpayers. Moreover, the opinions and views of the tax consultants will be use to comment on the avoidance and evasion process. The questionnaire will be prepared in a manner that will stress on the critical part and enhances the prospect of the research. Moreover, researches carried out by scholars will be referring to gather relevant information. Quantitative method A research is formal and systematic in nature where numbers are use to provide relevant information. This method helps to provide relevant information on variables that examines the links between variables and ascertain the cause and effect of such issues. The quantitative part of this research includes the questionnaires administration to provide relevant findings on the influence of tax evasion on the economy. Qualitative method This research aims at studying of the natural settings that aims to predict and clear the terms. This research aims to penetrate to the greater value that describes the topic. It takes concern of the interpretative approach and provides strong priority to the data contribution. The view of the respondent based on the beliefs utilized to come to a decision that will have a strong bearing on tax evasion and avoidance. Research Population The population of the research work will contain of the tax consultants and taxpayers. The research conducted at the filing centers and offices. Moreover, taxpayer from various organizations will be included. The entire population of UK cannot be studied, as the population size is huge. Sampling technique is utilized because cost is less, collection of data is fast, and the data set is less. This leads to homogeneity and enhances the accuracy, as well as the quality of data. The sample size of 60 will be random in nature and taken into assumption that all are well verse with the knowledge of tax. Data Gathering process This research work includes the following question to gather data: There were two sections. Section A comprises of four question that attempts to gather relevant information about the respondents, as well as the organization. The first question of section B strives the respondent category while the other 19 aims to extract basic information relating to tax avoidance. Methods of tax avoidance The utilization of legal loopholes or legal privileges that is providing to a citizen or company by their government called tax avoidance. It is the legal right of a person given by the government in order to minimize the tax burden and level of tax evasion but it takes place usually in contrast to the purpose of tax laws. For example, strategic planning where arrangement of financial affairs take place in such a way so that tax liabilities can be minimized like taking benefits from tax credits or employing tax deductions (Baldacchino Mertram, 2009). Other methods employed by companies and individuals of United Kingdom are: Tax avoidance through change of country and DTAA In order to minimize tax burden, individuals constantly travel to different countries or shifts permanently to countries having lower or no taxation policies. Such a country is referring as tax havens. However, in the current scenario, countries like UK have realized the significant loss of revenue through such method and as a result; they are taxing companies and individuals on every income earned by them throughout the whole world. A policy where companies and individuals are tax by the country of their origin and country of their residence called double taxation. Countries like UK have initiated taxes on earned income or income realized within the country irrespective of the country of the firm has or individual is residence. Although this policy has been adopted by many countries, there are countries who neglect such treaties with other countries especially tax havens (Forbes, 2005). Manipulation of transfer price The act of pricing goods, services and intangibles when the same provided for consumption to a related party like subsidiary. This can either be market-based that is equal to what is charged in the markets for similar goods or it can also be non-market based. There can be both external and internal reasons for transfer pricing (Emmanuel Mehafdi, 1994). External reasons include tariffs and taxes while internal reason includes performance monitoring and motivating managers. Transfer pricing has become one of the main weapons used by UK companies and it depicts a manipulation idea that exists between the enterprises that are related to each other. In UK, transfer pricing takes place between related enterprises like parent companies and their subsidiaries or between same parent companies (Muchlinski, 1999). According to studies, transfer pricing in UK happen between parent companies and foreign affiliates. The manipulation of transfer pricing is mainly done to eliminate before tax profi t and increase after tax profit of MNE. It helps to transfer funds to such an entity that is lacking in liquidity. In the case of Valium and Librium in UK, the mechanism of transfer pricing was used when their prices were high. When a parent company namely Hoffman-La-Roche was established, prices were manipulated on specifically those transactions where products of Roche were ordered. Due to this, the prices of Valium were slashed by 26% and Librium by 40% respectively. Shell Holding Companies These can be found in such places where an enlarged network of tax is present and which provides a low rate of capital gain and dividend. This is one of the major methods adopted by companies of UK to avoid tax (Cooper, 1993). The holding company can be a shell company that is associated with other operations rather than real production or trading. Literature Analysis Although the matter of tax avoidance represents a huge problem for developing and developed countries like UK, data and literature related to this matter are very limited. This can be partly because the extent of tax avoidance is very hard to be predicting because phenomenas are difficult to observe and thus precise data is missing (Castells, 2000). Therefore, there are no empirical findings that portray a clearer picture on the size of this problem and importance of several kinds of tax avoidance as discussed above. However, government analysts who work with HMRC produce a tax gap of UK in line with protocols, principles, and values. These analysts to obtain annual estimates that are revised as soon as fresh data flashes use various analytical methods and range of external and internal data. The tax gap of UK is estimated to be around 122 billion a year that has increased since 2010. The amount of loss per year estimated that time was 95 billion with 25 billion of taxes owed at any particular time. In the current scenario, this annual loss estimated to increase to a total of 122 billion. This gap is very important because 122 billion in a year is just less than the annual budget for NHS. In other words, it is significant enough to cover total cost of education in UK with more than 20 billion still left over. This tax gap is the difference between tax amount that must be paid in UK and tax amount that is originally paid. It comprises of tax evasion and avoidance that is known to be owed but is paid late or never paid. Studies estimate that this avoidance of tax can cause cost of 19 billion in a year to UK and unpaid taxes can collectively result in loss of revenues upto 18billion in a year. Estimates on loss on revenue in developing countries due to profit shift can vary between US$34 billion and US$160 billion in a single year. According to GFI (Global Financial Integrity), developing countries can lose between US$858 billion to US$1.05 trillion in a year due to flow of illicit finance, that is money illegally transferred, utilized or earned. Furthermore, there are several renowned companies who have come under the observation of tax authorities taking into consideration their level of corporate tax (Moffett et. al, 2011). These companies are namely: Taking into consideration, the research conducted for the purpose of measurement of avoidance of tax, it was observe that very little Amazon was paying amount of tax for the year between 2009 and 2011. Amazon came under the observation of tax authorities because it had huge sales of 3.35 billion in the year 2011 but still the tax paid by it was only 1.8 million. Amazon UK employs staff of more than 15000 people and is highly recognized for its service to the Luxembourg Company. The UK unit of Google paid around 6 million to the treasury in the year 2011 but it had a turnover of 395 million that attracted the attention of authorities. Even in 2009, it had a tax rate of 2.5% on the non-US gains but most of these non-US sales of Google were billed in Ireland (Dharmapala Hines, 2009). For example, Google Ireland paid for various services provided by the staff of 1300 people in UK but most of the sales (3.2 billion) in UK was scattered through Ireland. In 2011, Starbucks obtained massive sales of 400 million in UK but it paid no corporation tax. According to the researches, Starbucks transferred some amount of its money to a Dutch sister company through payments in royalty and bought coffee beans from Switzerland. Furthermore, it paid high rates of interest to borrow from other parts of the business (Christian, 2013). According to the reports, Apple furnished an effective tax rate of around 2.5% on its non-US gains that is approximately 60% of the total gains. It also had its sales scattered through subsidiaries of Ireland. An investigation by a US Senate stated that the arrangements of tax made my apple do not reflect its business operations (Baldacchino Bertmen, 2009). This measurement portrays a clearer picture on the diversification of the problem not only in UK but also throughout the whole world. It must however be noted that underlying assumptions and estimates can vary widely and hence they are neither comparable nor reliable. Altogether, it must not be ignored that avoidance of tax has surely furnished a major problem that is slowly spreading and destroying every economy (Christian, 2013). Encountering such tax gap can never be possible but with political support, serious and authentic steps initiated to address the issues. Reasons for tax avoidance and ethical issues There are numerous reasons regarding tax avoidance and evasion. Understanding of these reasons is vital because it helps to develop effective proposals that can encounter such tax issues. These reasons can be divided into two parts. The first part consists of matters that can negatively affect taxpayers compliance with taxation policies while the second part consists of reasons for ineffective capacities of fiscal courts and tax administration in order to enforce tax policies (Murphy, 2008). Low level of compliance Low qualities of service in return for the taxes paid Citizens of not only UK but also every other country expect that some kind of benefit can be obtained in return for the taxes they have paid. Nevertheless, if the authorities fail to provide or provides insufficiently even the basic amenities to them, they will hesitate to pay taxes and tax avoidance or evasion may be the outcome (Gammie, 2008). Lack of accountability and transparency in use of public resources leads to distrust within the public with respect to government as well as the tax system. Thus, it also increases the willingness to avoid taxes (Murphy, 2008). Because of high corruption levels, corporations and individuals become uncertain whether the taxes paid by them are employed for financing public goods and services or not, thereby leading to tax avoidance (Blyar, 2005) Powerful fiscal courts are important to safeguard the rights of taxpayers but if the legal jurisdiction itself does not operate according to the law, citizens start fearing of discrimination, arbitrarin ess etc. Furthermore, lack of law minimizes the transparency level of public action and initiates distrust among people (Dalsgaard, 2005). Enforcement of weak tax laws Ineffectiveness in tax collection Many developing countries face complexities with regard to tax collection. Although with due passage of time, some progress made but still proper functioning of taxation policies pose an acute difficulty in these countries. Problems regarding ineffectiveness of tax collection also arise from the organizational system of tax administration and its association with finance ministry (Murphy, 2008). Inefficiency in prosecuting and detecting unfair tax practices An appropriate body of tax investigation is required for prosecuting and detecting cases of unfair tax practices. Lack of efficient abilities in administration of tax minimizes the probability of tax detection that again induces the decision of taxpayers, whether to avoid tax or not (Castells, 2011). Proposal or strategies to prevent tax avoidance Few strategies can be employed against the tax avoidance practice. The following proposals employed by every country. These include: Providing opportunities to taxpayers to declare what they owe In relation to the UK government, campaigns operated to tell people that they must inform HMRC of what they accurately owe atleast before they come under observation. So far, HMRC has raised 611 million from voluntary disclosures and around 395 million from huge number of follow-up operations (Murphy, 2012). Judicial approach HMRC has been taking strict legal actions against those who do not come forward and disclose their income. Enhanced allocation of resources is being done so that the speed and number of cases related to tax avoidance and evasion can be brought up before the civil and criminal courts. Even local task forces are being set up that purposes to deal with tax frauds using both civil and criminal powers (Murphy, 2012). With due passage of time, more people are prosecuted who avoid tax. Prevention of avoidance mainly by MNCs Few multinational companies like Google, Amazon etc have avoid paying taxes by shifting gains away from the place where business activities created such profits. This process is called BEPS (base erosion and profit shifting). International tax standards have not been altered since many years and it is high time to update such standards so that tax avoidance can be prevented Fuest et. al, 2007). Even more people must be recruited by HMRC to recognize risks associated with large businesses. Use of data and new technology Investment must be done in new data and innovative technologies so that avoidance risks and frauds can successfully be recognized (Avi, 1995). For example, UK had gained an extra 1.4 billion of tax after investing 45 million in these operations. Dealing with tax avoidance schemes Legislation must be design so that the scope for tax avoidance minimized. In UK, government has initiated a GAAR (General Anti-Abuse Rule) which purposes to prevent abusive and artificial tax avoidance schemes. New measures are framed so that tax advisers who sell aggressive and contrived tax avoidance schemes can be dealt (Avery, 1999). Even settlement opportunities introduced so that taxpayers can be encouraged to agree their tax position with the government. Other relevant proposals include investigation of the determinants of tax payments made by individual taxpayers by using micro data. Secondly, the availability of household data is less and this attempt can be benefitting for firms. For instance, various national databases can provide significant details on the operations of MNCs in developing countries (Fuest et. al, 2007). Recommendation After a deep analysis and research on tax avoidance in the form of interviews, literature review and other resources, it can be said that taxation is essential for the progress of the entire country. A careful evaluation projects that majority of the tax payers are well known to the system of tax. The presence of qualified tax consultants makes the work easier and hence, the tax evasion is high. Corporations, as well as individuals indulge in tax evasion to have less burden of debt. From the research, it can be said that a strong grasp of the regulators are needed and awareness should be done at the optimum level to ensure that the citizens are aware of the ill effects and do not indulge in any activity that harm the economy as a whole. Conclusion There remains no doubt that tax avoidance is widespread and it can provide several problems to those related with public finance issues. There are few evidences that aggressive retail marketing of tax avoidance goods have significantly increased in these years but as a matter of fact, avoidance activities are by their nature ad-hoc and opportunistic. Simply enhancing the price of avoidance by increased regulation or through effective containment cannot choke off demand (Christian, 2008). Even though the problems created by tax, avoidance and evasion are so wide, yet there remains very less data and literature concerning the topic. Furthermore, the strategies and proposals suggested through this assignment is relevant but is practiced by developed countries. Developing and underdeveloped countries lack reluctance to take such steps. Tax evasion is a big problem and indicates that the tax system has loopholes that are allowing such acts. It is a big issue and has led to severe problems (Adam Graham, 1999). Tax avoidance and tax evasion proves to be a major problem to the developed and developing countries and there is little data on such topic. However, it needs to be noted that the problem of tax avoidance and evasion is impossible to consider because of the lack of data. Until now, hardly any empirical findings provide a proper frame of various kinds of evasion and avoidance. The problem of tax evasion depends on the combination of certain factors (Aaronson, 2011). It is important to have a particular one-size fits all plan for considering the tax evasion and avoidance in the developing world. It is important that actions are needed at the national and international level and can be implemented when the measurements are done at the international level. References Aaronson, G 2011, GAAR Study: A study to consider whether a general anti-avoidance rule should be introduced into the UK tax system, Edinburgh Dublin Adam C Graham P 1999, Transfer Pricing: A UK Perspective, Butterworths London: Edinburgh Dublin. Avery J.J 1996, Tax law: rules or principles?, Fiscal Studies, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 63-89 Avi Y 1995, The International Implications of Tax-Reform, Tax Notes, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 913 Bair, J 2005, Global Capitalism and Commodity Chains: Looking Back, Going Forward. Competition and Change, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 153-180 Baldacchino, G. and Bertram, G 2009, The Beak of the Finch: Insights into the Economic Development of Small Economies The Round Table, The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs, vol. 98, no. 2, pp. 141-160 Castells, M 2000, The Rise of the Network Society, Oxford: John Wiley and Sons Ltd. Christian, A 2008, Death and taxes: The true toll of tax dodging. Oxford Press. Christian, A 2013, who pays the price? Hunger: the hidden cost of tax injustice, Mosby-Year Book. Cooper, G 1993, Themes and issues in tax simplification, Australian Tax Forum, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 417-460. Dalsgaard, T 2005, U.S. Tax Reform: An Overview of the Current Debate and Policy Options. IMF Working Paper, vol. 9, no. 2, pp.22-45 Dharmapala, D. Hines, J 2009, Which countries become tax havens?, Journal of Public Economics, vol. 93, no. 2, pp. 10581068 Emmanuel, C. R and Mehafdi, M 1994, Transfer Pricing, Academic Press Harcourt Brace and Company, Publishers. Forbes, S 2005, Flat Tax Revolution, Regnery Publishing. Fuest, C., Peichl, A. Schaefer, T. 2007, Is a Flat Tax Feasible in a Grown-up Welfare State?, IZA Discussion Paper, vol.7, no. 2, pp. 221-232 Gammie, M 2008, Tax simplification, Green Budget. Moffett, M. Stonehill, A. and Eiteman, D 2011, Fundamentals of Multinational Finance, Cambridge USA Muchlinski, P 1999, Multinational Enterprises and the Law, Cambridge USA. Murphy, R 2008, The Missing Billions: The UK Tax Gap, TUC. Murphy, R 2012, Why are they increasing the tax gap?, Public and Commercial Services Union, vol. 2,no. 1, pp. 10-22

Misconceptions of African Culture and Philosophy free essay sample

This paper is a critical analysis of the common misconceptions regarding the ancient African civilization. This paper argues that there are many misconceptions regarding Africa as a ?dark continent?. On the contrary, the author attempts to prove that there is sufficient evidence that shows Africa as the basis of ancient Greek philosophy. Contents Introduction European Thoughts on African Culture African Influence on European Culture The Destruction of African Culture Conclusion The European way of thinking about Africa is the conventional way of thinking. Before the surge of the study of African philosophy in the late 20th century, Africans were thought of as savages. Their civilization was believed to lack reason, logical, philosophy and any sort of noteworthy ancient culture. Many misconceptions about African culture can be attributed to the work of G.W.F. Hegel, a European historian. His analysis revolves around questioning the essence of history itself. He concretely argues that reason is the driving force in the universe. We will write a custom essay sample on Misconceptions of African Culture and Philosophy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page That is, without reason, nothing exists.

History of the Caste System in India

History of the Caste System in India The origins of the caste system in India and Nepal are not fully known, but castes seems to have originated more than two thousand years ago. Under this system, which is associated with Hinduism, people were categorized by their occupations. Although originally caste depended upon a persons work, it soon became hereditary. Each person was born into an unalterable social status. The four primary castes are Brahmin, the priests; Kshatriya, warriors and nobility; Vaisya, farmers, traders and artisans; and Shudra, tenant farmers, and servants. Some people were born outside of (and below) the caste system. They were called untouchables or Dalits- the crushed ones. Theology Behind the Castes Reincarnation is the process by which a soul is reborn into a new material form after each life; it is one of the central features of the Hindu cosmology. Souls can move not only among different levels of human society, but also into other animals. This belief is thought to be one of the primary reasons for the vegetarianism of many Hindus. Within a single lifetime, people in India historically had little social mobility. They had to strive for virtue during their present lives in order to attain a higher station their next time around. In this system, a particular souls new form depends upon the virtuousness of its previous behavior. Thus, a truly virtuous person from the Shudra caste could be rewarded with rebirth as a Brahmin in his or her next life. Daily Significance of Caste Practices associated with caste varied through time and across India, but all shared some common features. The three key areas of life historically dominated by caste were marriage, meals, and religious worship. Marriage across caste lines was strictly forbidden. Most people even married within their own sub-caste or jati. At mealtimes, anyone could accept food from the hands of a Brahmin, but a Brahmin would be polluted if he or she took certain types of food from a lower caste person. At the other extreme, if an untouchable dared to draw water from a public well, he or she polluted the water, and nobody else could use it. In religious worship, Brahmins, as the priestly class, presided over rituals and services including preparation for festivals and holidays, as well as marriages and funerals. The Kshatrya and Vaisya castes had full rights to worship, but in some places, Shudras (the servant caste) were not allowed to offer sacrifices to the gods. Untouchables were barred entirely from temples, and sometimes they were not even allowed to set foot on temple grounds. If the shadow of an untouchable touched a Brahmin, the Brahmin would be polluted, so untouchables had to lay face-down at a distance when a Brahmin passed. Thousands of Castes Although the early Vedic sources name four primary castes, in fact, there were thousands of castes, sub-castes, and communities within Indian society. These jati were the basis of both social status and occupation. Castes or sub-castes besides the four mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita include such groups as the Bhumihar or landowners, Kayastha or scribes, and the Rajput, a northern sector of the Kshatriya, or warrior, caste. Some castes arose from very specific occupations, such as the Garudi- snake charmers- or the Sonjhari, who collected gold from river beds. The Untouchables People who violated social norms could be punished by being made untouchables. This was not the lowest caste. The person deemed untouchable- and their descendants- were condemned and completely outside of the caste system. Untouchables were considered so impure that any contact with them by a caste member would contaminate the member. The polluted person would have to bathe and wash his or her clothing immediately.  The untouchables historically did work that no one else would do, like scavenging animal carcasses, leather-work, or killing rats and other pests.  Untouchables could not eat in the same room as caste members and could not be cremated when they died. Caste among Non-Hindus Curiously, non-Hindu populations in India sometimes organized themselves into castes as well. After the introduction of Islam on the subcontinent, for example, Muslims were divided into classes such as the Sayed, Sheikh, Mughal, Pathan, and Qureshi. These castes are drawn from several sources: The Mughal and Pathan are ethnic groups, roughly speaking, while the Qureshi name comes from the Prophet Muhammads clan in Mecca. Small numbers of Indians were Christian from around 50 CE onward. Christianity expanded in India after the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century. Many Christian Indians continued to observe caste distinctions, however. Origins of the Caste System Early written evidence about the caste system appears in the Vedas, Sanskrit-language texts that date from as early as 1500 BCE. The Vedas form the basis of Hindu scripture. The Rigveda, however, which dates from around 1700–1100 BCE, rarely mentions caste distinctions and is taken as evidence that social mobility was common in its time. The Bhagavad Gita, which dates from around 200 BCE–200 CE, emphasizes the importance of caste. In addition, the Laws of Manu or Manusmriti, from the same era, defines the rights and duties of the four different castes or varnas. Thus, it seems that the Hindu caste system began to solidify sometime between 1000 and 200 BCE. The Caste System During Classical Indian History The caste system was not absolute during much of Indian history. For example, the renowned Gupta Dynasty, which ruled from 320 to 550 CE, was from the Vaishya caste rather than the Kshatriya. Many later rulers also were from different castes, such as the Madurai Nayaks (who ruled from 1559 to 1739 CE) who were Balijas (traders). From the 12th century to the 18th century CE, much of India was ruled by Muslims. These rulers reduced the power of the Hindu priestly caste, the Brahmins. The traditional Hindu rulers and warriors, or Kshatriyas, nearly ceased to exist in north and central India. The Vaishya and Shudra castes also virtually melded together. Although the Muslim rulers faith had a strong impact on the Hindu upper castes in the centers of power, anti-Muslim feeling in rural areas actually strengthened the caste system. Hindu villagers reconfirmed their identity through caste affiliation. Nonetheless, during the six centuries of Islamic domination (roughly 1150–1750 CE), the caste system evolved considerably. For example, Brahmins began to rely on farming for their income, since the Muslim kings did not give rich gifts to Hindu temples. This farming practice was considered justified so long as Shudras did the actual physical labor. The British Raj and Caste When the British Raj began to take power in India in 1757, they exploited the caste system as a means of social control. The British allied themselves with the Brahmin caste, restoring some of its privileges, which had been repealed by the Muslim rulers. However, many Indian customs concerning the lower castes seemed discriminatory to the British, so these were outlawed. During the 1930s and 1940s, the British government made laws to protect the Scheduled castes, untouchables and low-caste people. A movement toward the abolition of untouchability took place within Indian society in the 19th and early 20th centuries as well. In 1928, the first temple welcomed untouchables (Dalits) to worship with its upper-caste members. Mohandas Gandhi advocated emancipation for the Dalits, too, coining the term harijan or Children of God to describe them. Caste Relations in Independent India The Republic of India became independent on August 15, 1947. Indias new government instituted laws to protect the Scheduled castes and tribes which included both the untouchables and groups living traditional lifestyles. These laws include quota systems that help to ensure access to education and to government posts. Because of these shifts, a persons caste has become somewhat more of a political category than a social or religious one in modern India. Sources: Ali, Syed. Collective and Elective Ethnicity: Caste among Urban Muslims in India, Sociological Forum, vol. 17, no. 4, December 2002, pp. 593-620.Chandra, Ramesh. Identity and Genesis of Caste System in India. Gyan Books, 2005.Ghurye, G.S. Caste and Race in India. Popular Prakashan, 1996.Perez, Rosa Maria. Kings and Untouchables: A Study of the Caste System in Western India. Orient Blackswan, 2004.Reddy, Deepa S. The Ethnicity of Caste, Anthropological Quarterly, vol. 78, no. 3, Summer 2005, pp. 543-584.

US GAAP IFRS Convergence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

US GAAP IFRS Convergence - Essay Example According to the research findings over the past 15 years, many accounting controversies and scandals have caused financial turmoil and resulted in the bankruptcy of several major firms. In response to these events, the IASB (International Accounting Standards Board) began developing the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) to provide transparency and comparability for investors across the world. Today, more than 113 countries have adopted the IFRS or are in the process of converging to the standard. While countries such as Canada adopted the IFRS as early as 2011, the United States has maintained that transition from the US GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) to the globally accepted IFRS will require more time. The US GAAP is the accounting standard followed by all companies registered in the United States. Doherty estimates that the US will not be able to adopt the IFRS completely before 2015. As a result, both the FASB (Federal Accounting Standards Board of the US) and the IASB have been working to achieve convergence between the two standards. However, this convergence exercise has been ongoing for several years as related agencies including the FASB, IASB, SEC and the general industry debate on the pros and cons of specific rules and regulations. The first step towards achieving convergence between the US GAAP and IFRS was initiated by the Norwalk Agreement in 2002, under which both governing bodies pledged their commitment towards the goal of convergence and agreed to realize it by the year 2008. The boards met once again in 2008 to discuss outstanding milestones and agreed to fulfill them by 2011. Both organizations planned to achieve this through joint projects that would help define and establish a set of principle-based standards (Nobes and Parker, 2010). Achieving these objectives, within the stipulated time period, has however not been possible, owing to a number of bottlenecks and shortcomings on the part of both the IASB and the FASB. For example, both parties realized during 2010 that they would be unable to resolve all outstanding issues by 2011 (Brands, 2011). In response, they decided to prioritize all such projects based on their relative importance. Despite ensuring quicker resolution of these urgent issues, many prioritized projects such as ‘Financial Instruments’ and ‘Revenue Recognition’ are yet to be resolved. As a result, other ‘low-priority’ projects like ‘Income Taxes’, ‘Financial Statement Presentation’ and ‘Liabilities’ are unlikely to be resolved in the near future (Bruce, 2010). Much of the delay can be attributed to the overwhelming and diverse nature of public feedback, received in the form of exposure drafts, which need to be thoroughly examined and analyzed to determine the most appropriate standard. The delay is further exacerbated, as the boards then have to prepare subsequent drafts after taking al l public feedback into consideration and re-expose them for further public scrutiny. Most recently, the FASB and IASB announced that they would re-expose their latest drafts on revenue and leases. Based on their expected date of publication and comments from interested parties, the effective date for both standards is unlikely to be set any earlier than 2015 (Jamal, 2010). Thus, it is evident that despite considerable planning it has been impossible to prevent unavoidable delays in the early adoption of a common accounting standard. Hail, Leuz and Wysocki (2010a) blame the IASB and the FASB for ignoring due diligence and instead focusing their efforts towards meeting the deadline. He criticizes both rule-setting bodies for setting highly optimistic targets instead of

China-Iran Economic and Security Relationships and Its Impact on the Essay

China-Iran Economic and Security Relationships and Its Impact on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) - Essay Example has more than a quarter of the total world oil reserves, Iran has the fourth largest oil reserves and Iraq has huge oil deposits and is second to Saudi Arabia in terms of quantity. (10) On the other hand, DAB and Kuwait are also abundant in oil (9) and are considered as two of the leading oil producing countries in the world. What is more important around this region is that the cost of production of oil is usually low compared to the cost of production other oil producing countries. Several states in the region, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq, employs cheap labour thereby effectively reducing the cost of production even more. Since the cost of producing oil is much lower in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, these countries earn more income from their operations than most other oil producing countries. Furthermore, with low oil production cost, countries around the Gulf like Iraq and Saudi Arabia have more flexibility in the events where prices of oil in the world market dive. The instability of prices of oil in the world market makes it difficult for other oil producers to keep up with the fluctuations of prices. However, since oil is the primary source of energy all over the world and it is difficult to find alternative sources of fuel, consumers have to go through the ups and downs of prices. Every time there are disturbances in the Middle East and production of oil is affected, the prices will shoot up. For instance, if a crisis in Middle East causes a net deficit of four million barrels of oil a day – this estimate could double in just a short time.(6) This gap in the production and the consumption of oil could cause a huge imbalance in the supply and demand for oil. This means that when disturbances happen in the Gulf area, a series of economic events will be triggered as oil production in the area slow down. The United States understands the role that the oil producing countries are playing in the Gulf. It also sees the grave consequences of a slowdown in the

Poetry and science enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge Essay Example for Free

Poetry and science enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge Essay Before answering whether both poetry and science enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge, one must first understand what poetry and science are and what they do. Poetry is an artists way of abstractly conveying his or her ideas through writing so as to stimulate the emotional side of the readers. Science on the other hand, is an objective way of clearly stating facts so as to stimulate the formal or fact craving side of the readers. Poetry presents an object in order to convey a particular message or feeling, whilst science merely presents an object objectively and describes how it is, clearly, in every way possible. Therefore, it is clear that the purpose of these two approaches is quite different. Furthermore, the ways of knowing in poetry and science are somewhat different. Poetrys ways of knowing are mainly emotion and language, while sciences are mainly language and reason. However, although they have language in common, both of them utilize language in different ways and for different purposes. As is obvious from above, both approaches aim to expand two completely different parts of human knowledge. Poetry aims to expand the aesthetic while science the scientific. Therefore, they cannot be assessed on their ability to expand human knowledge based on the same criteria but rather, they should both be assessed based on individual criteria in their own specific areas of knowledge and then compared after being assessed. Assessing them based on the same criteria would much be like comparing a desert with a main course, which would be wrong since they both have different purposes and, although the dessert may not be good at achieving the purpose of the main dish, it could well be excellent at achieving the purposes of a dessert. Since poetry tries to touch the readers emotional side aesthetically it must be scrutinized as an art. The purpose of art is to aesthetically touch an emotion which all people supposedly have. Through techniques specific to each art, good artists are able to do this, and this in itself is an expansion of human knowledge in that it causes people to be aware of their emotions. Humans have to turn to poetry to interpret life for us, to console us, to sustain us. (Matthew Arnold, The Study of Poetry) The purpose of Shakespeares Macbeth is not to scientifically understand how ambition can conquer one, nor is it meant to be a historical recount of the real Macbeth. It is a poetic story which is written so as people can empathize with the main characters and view their own life in terms of conquering their faults and sustaining their good. Another purpose of poetry is to represent human nature. This can clearly be seen through any of Roberts Frosts poems such as Out, Out which explains, better than any scientific paper ever could, the ability of a child to care so much about his desire to work and help society, and the lack of care his family experiences when he dies. Poetry presents human characteristics, the human thought, the human inner self, all compact into one verse and it is so powerful because when read, one immediately connects with it, and it touches each persons emotions in a way. Also, it so vividly depicts the nature of humans that it is a powerful tool through which people can express themselves, and in which people can relate to. It expands our knowledge of human nature and the way humans behave and the power of emotions and their effect on us. In Shakespeares Macbeth when Lady Macbeth asks the evil spirits to unsex me [Lady Macbeth] here one feels the evil powers of ambition and its ability to overtake ones sane and rational thought. On the other hand sciences purpose is to clearly depict a situation or object. Science, in no way, should aim to touch the readers emotional side, but rather touch the readers rationality. Although some may argue that science does touch a readers side, it is not the main purpose of the writing, and is rather an effect of extreme love towards and passion for the subject. A scientific argument should not be ambiguous or differ from reader to reader, unlike poetry. There is no way for a scientific argument to be true to some people and false to others, for in science there is an absolute truth which the scientists are trying to attain. Although many may argue that poets are also aiming to achieve this absolute truth, it must be noted that each persons emotions are different and therefore there is no way to absolutely describe the way people think, react or behave. Biology, chemistry and physics have set laws and truths which, regardless of who or where you are, will be true. If the purp ose of poetry is, as we said, to depict human nature, then the purpose of science is to understand nature itself and how it works. When writing a piece the author must create a balance between ambiguity and precision and the language of a piece is directly dependant on the purpose of the piece. Poetry and science are completely opposite in the way that they try to balance ambiguity and precision. In poetry the ability to ambiguously use words is good since it allows one to think abstractly and allows different readers, with different mindsets, to interpret the piece in different ways. Therefore, in the case of poetry language, as a way of knowing, is created to be ambiguous so as to contribute to the knowledge and effect of the piece. On the other hand, in science ambiguity greatly impedes a work. It is not acceptable for a law or theory in science to be indirect and not addressing one specific point clearly.. Otherwise the law becomes obsolete, since if it is not understandable it has no purpose. There is no space in science for different interpretations of a law; the law has one purpose that it achieves and that purpose is set. It is not different for different people, or different nations, or different cultures. In the sense of multiple meanings, contrary to poetrys double entendres, scienctific writing cannot have any; the one meaning the author desires to portray must be directly stated so as to disallow ambiguity and interpretation. For example, water being comprised of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom is true independent if one is in the United States, Russia, or Australia. Also, it is true independent of ones age, race, background, nationality, religion, or any other factor which may change from person to person. However, poetry is quite the opposite. Poetry should be, and is, interpreted differently by different people. The meaning or truth behind poetry is fully dependant on all the factors listed above. An old person may have a completely different understanding of words in poems such as George Herberts The Pulley the double meaning of the word rest which can either mean the remainder or it can mean peace. The great difference between these two interpretations leaves the reader with the final choice to interpret the poem the way he/she wants and this is the intent of the poet. However, in science it is the intent of the scientist to clearly illustrate his/her point without any ambiguity as in science clarity is essential. In conclusion, it can be seen that poetry and science have completely different purposes and different means of attaining these purposes. Furthermore, each of these specific areas of knowledge means to expand different types of knowledge and pertain to different ways of knowing. However, one must realize that it is essential to have a balance between the scientific or factual knowledge, and the poetic/aesthetic knowledge or the emotional understanding of human nature. Therefore, in these terms science successfully expands its portion of human knowledge successfully expands its. Therefore, it can be concluded that each area of knowledge has equal success in expanding knowledge in its respective area. In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry its the exact opposite.(P A M Dirac) Do both the approaches suggested in the quotation enjoy equal success in expanding human knowledge?

Lusitania Essay -- essays research papers

Lusitania It was 2:10 p.m. on May 7, 1915. Leslie Morton, a lookout on the Lusitania, screamed, "Torpedoes coming on the starboard side." Two explosions followed. Within 18 minutes the huge liner, once the largest ever built, sank to the bottom of the Celtic Sea. 1,195 out of the 1,959 people aboard died. Walther Schwieger, commander of the German submarine U- 20, who had fired a single torpedo 750 yards away from the ship, later called it the most horrible sight he had ever seen. The Lusitania entered service between Liverpool and New York on September 7, 1907. Funded by the British Admiralty, the Lusitania, built by the Cunard Steamship Company, was required to double as an auxiliary cruiser in case of war. This was a secret agreement between the Admiralty and Cunard. On May 12, 1913 she was put in drydock to be double plated and hydraulically riveted, as well as modified for the application of guns. War was declared on August 4, 1914, and the ship was sent again into drydock. There she was armed with 12 six-inch guns(Simpson 60). Britain wanted to ship war materials over the Atlantic, but there was an embargo of shipping munitions on passenger ships. America also tended to publish the cargo manifests so that the Allies as well as the Germans would know what is being shipped. Britain found a loophole in this. New cargo added at the last minute did not go on the original manifest, thus a supplementary manifest would be submitted 4 or 5 days later. Also, due to t...

China’s Olympic Torch Controversy

In a world where media are able to put a glaring spotlight on certain events, actions done by ordinary individuals gain greater attention from other people. The internet further amplifies the magnitude of these events because people from other countries can immediately know what is happening. This enables them to draw their own conclusions regarding the actions that were just covered. Such is the case of the controversy surrounding the on-going Olympic Torch relay. What was supposed to be a journey that could promote peace and understanding among different cultures has turned into a fiasco. Protesters have come in full force to disrupt this event. From Paris to London, the world has to come to witness several people trying to grab the Olympic Torch. The protesters targeted this event as a venue to ventilate their sentiments regarding China’s treatment of the unrest that had erupted in Tibet last month where China sent its paramilitary forces to crackdown on the Tibetan protesters (â€Å"China’s View of the Olympic Torch†. 09 April 2008. TIME Magazine online). This has led to protest calls from various sectors especially in Western countries. Some clamor by asking China to stop its heavy handed treatment of dissenters in Tibet while others like Hillary Clinton have asked their governments to boycott the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies as a strong disapproval of Beijing’s standing policy with regard to Tibet. This issue can be seen as part of a long standing question in international relations (â€Å"Clinton urges Bush to boycott Beijing Olympics†. 7 April 2008. Yahoo News). The question being, should individuals from other countries be involved in another country’s problems? To be able to generate an answer to this question, one must define the parameters for the terms individuals, involvement and problems. In the case of the individuals, there are two kinds that are pertinent to this discussion. These are the private citizens and the public officials. The ordinary citizens include those who try to disrupt the proceedings by attempting to wrest the Olympic torch and by displaying the Tibetan flag are examples of what are known as private citizens. Public officials refer to politicians in other countries that are expressing their dissent over the policies of other countries. Involvement is defined here as the actions done by the identified individuals. This may include cajoling, beseeching or pressuring officials through such acts disrupting the events or by issuing officials statements condemning the policies of the country in question. Problems, due to space constraints and timeliness, would be limited to issues on human rights. This issue is one of the most important points of contention between Western countries especially the United States and other nations such as China and Russia in recent years. This paper argues that involvement in issues such as human rights should be limited to the actions done by private citizens and that public officials should refrain from issuing official statements that criticizes the policies of other government’s with regard to human rights. Why is this so? If one is to look at the recent track record of the US government regarding the issue of human rights, one would find sufficient ammunition to fire back to the US side of the fence. The well-documented infamous cases of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prison camps highlight the abuses that are also taking place within the backyard of the United States. Theses cases have led some officials from both China and Russia to criticize the alleged double standards being practiced by the United States in its dealings with other countries. China and Russia often challenge the US claims made through official State Department reports regarding their respective human rights record (Cody A14). In a nutshell, they argued that before the US issues such official statements it should first see to it that its own house is in order. One could also consider the lack of efficacy of these official calls on these countries to reform. It had only infuriated them and their existing policies on human rights have not changed despite these repeated calls. Also, these official statements have contributed to making negotiations in other important areas such as security and trade even more difficult at best and highly contentious at worst. Now if one is to engage in involvement, one can argue that it would be best left in the hands of private citizens. This is warranted for several reasons. In an era where there have been numerous cases of human rights of abuses, there is a recognizable need to highlight this particular issue. The private citizens at this point are in the best position to do it for two reasons. One is that they are not burdened by the labels of hypocrisy and lacking in moral authority that have been attached to the US government in the aftermath of its prison camps fiasco. When an individual like Steven Spielberg protests by declaring himself unavailable to be a technical consultant for the Beijing Games he is not labeled as hypocrite and his message is delivered to the public. Two, private citizens who exhibit involvement; especially in the form of very dramatic forms of protests can get their much desired media mileage. They consequently derive public sympathy for their respective causes as well. One could cite the case of Olympic medalist Sebastian Coe who was manhandled by the paramilitary forces assigned by Beijing to protect the Olympic torch(â€Å"China’s View of the Olympic Torch†. April 2008. TIME Magazine online). The incident involving him generated substantial media attention on the protest against the Chinese government’s action on Tibet while not causing any direct problems among government officials. The protests done by ordinary citizens if carried by major news outfits can generate support from around the world wit hout exactly obliging their governments to issue officials statements that can adversely affect immediate and long-term relationships with countries whose policies are being questioned.

5 Things the Sat Does Not Measure or Predict