Is The Death Penalty Immoral - 1622 Words

Is the death penalty immoral? In the United States, if a human being commits a capital crime, they can receive the punishment of execution administered by that state in which they performed that crime. When someone commits a capital crime, the jury can issue a guilty verdict that is punishable by death through lethal injection or electrocution. The death penalty is viewed as an extremely controversial topic that is debated daily among individuals. Determining fair punishment for committing a crime causes one to question their ethical and moral beliefs on the treatment of a human who takes another humans’ life. When comparing whether or not the death penalty is immoral or not we must consider both sides of the argument. Death penalty sentences have so much controversy simply because a victim has already lost their life and the defendant is being faced with losing his or her life. Those opposed to the death penalty make various claims to support their views such as executing an innocent person, rehabilitation of the defendant, racial bias, and utilization of alternatives to the death penalty. For instance, the ACLU states the following: It [capital punishment] is immoral in principle, and unfair and discriminatory in practice . . . No one deserves to die. When the government metes out vengeance disguised as justice, it becomes complicit with killers in devaluing human life and human dignity. In a civilized society, we reject the principle of literally doing to criminalsShow MoreRelatedThe Death Penalty Is Immoral1521 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Dead Men Walking†, advocates strongly for the abolition of the death penalty. The non-fiction work is based on her experience being the spiritual advi sor of Sonnier and other inmates on death row. Prejean believes that if people know the truth about executions, they will oppose them. In her essay â€Å"Memoirs of a Dead Man Walking†, she openly opposes the death penalty. There are four reasons for her to oppose death penalty is immoral as. Firstly, it is a torture. Secondly,, it does not work out asRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Morally Immoral1030 Words   |  5 PagesPresident Obama was quoted in 2006 saying, â€Å"If an offender has committed murder, he must die. In this case, no possible substitute can satisfy justice. For there is no parallel between death and even the most miserable life, so that there is no equality of crime and retribution unless the perpetrator is judicially put to death (Audacity of Hope 2006). As the leader of the free world and the President of our great nation, his values empower our society to believe in the same thing. The strength and influenceRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Immoral And Viol ates Human Rights915 Words   |  4 PagesPunishment by death for people convicted of certain crimes also known as the death penalty is unethical. There are currently 31 states including New Hampshire, in the U.S. with the death penalty and 19 states without. The death penalty is immoral and violates human rights. In some parts of the United States we have a biased criminal justice system which can lead to false an unlawful sentence to death. The death penalty also has irreversible outcomes if proven innocent, it doesn’t lower crime ratesRead More The Death Penalty Is Archaic and Immoral Essays559 Words   |  3 Pages The death penalty is simply a modernized version of the Holy Bible’s â€Å"an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot†. Some argue that death is a necessary retribution for murderous cases - but is it effective morally? Revenge only glorifies violence, which is most definitely not the message the world s trives to display. The death penalty is a negative form of punishment and insinuates a harsh reflection of society economically, politically, and socially. Read More Death Penalty: Ineffective, Inhumane, and Immoral Essays1228 Words   |  5 PagesThe death penalty is the pivot of much controversy within our society and government. Most people deem it a touchy subject, rarely making it a hot topic amongst general conversations. The issue usually raises many a blood pressure and may even have the tendency to end life-long friendships. The country is split on the issue and does not seem to find the desire to come to a compromise. While this is not true, this does not quiet the voices of people arguing for capital punishment. The issue of deathRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Death Penalty931 Words   |  4 PagesArgument Essay: Death Penalty The American Justice System has been using the death penalty, also known as capital punishment, as a way to serve a prisoners sentence usually due to the crime of murder. The death penalty in the American Justice System has been used for many years now. Although in 18 states the death penalty has already been abolished, there are still 32 states where it is still legal. The death penalty should not be legal in the American Justice System, because it is immoral, unjust, andRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty1331 Words   |  6 PagesThe death penalty has always been an issue or debate in the United States, typically being asked if it should be illegal or not. As of right now there are thirty-one states, including Ohio in which I live, that still use the death penalty as it is illegal in the rest. There are many supporters of it, there is also a huge amount of opposition. There are things included in both sides that can make the argument harder to be one-sided but I believ e that the death penalty should be legal throughout theRead MoreDeath Penalty Argumentative Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesThe death penalty, or capital punishment, is the execution of an offender that is sentenced to death by a court of law for a criminal offense.   This type of punishment for inmates is involved in controversy over whether or not it is an acceptable form of punishment for criminals and also whether or not it is immoral.   There are many arguments for both sides of the debate, each making valid points and pointing out the flaws of the opposing position. Many religions are either for or against capitalRead MoreThe Death Penalty Should Be Endorsed: An Opinion Essay649 Words   |  3 PagesThe Death Penalty: The debate regarding the death penalty is an issue that has continued to attract huge controversies in the past few years. Consequently, public opinion about the death penalty has relatively changed in the recent years though this concept has less support unlike mid-1990s. The main reason for the minimal support of the death penalty originates from the fact that its proponents cite similar reasons to those provided by its supporters two decades ago. The major factors that haveRead MoreIs life in prison without parole better than the death penalty?812 Words   |  4 Pagesin prison without parole better than the death penalty? This is it, this is the last time you will ever see daylight again. The dim light of the outside world seems to be overtaken by shadows. You squeeze your eyes shut, and then everything goes dark.  That is the death penalty. What exactly is the death penalty? In the dictionary, it is defined as, the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offense. What the death penalty itself serves is retribution and revenge

Teaching Strategy in the Classroom - 2909 Words

Teaching Strategies Applied Effectively in the Classroom In a classroom, the teacher is the leader. As such, they must take into account which teaching methods would be best to develop their students learning abilities. During my observations at New Hyde Park Memorial High School, I was able to witness a wide array of teaching strategies. For this paper, I will choose specific methods, and discuss how certain teachers used them effectively within the classroom. First, I will discuss how the modeling process was used to enhance student’s abilities to learn. Modeling is a process of teaching through demonstration. Second, I will discuss how mapping, a learning strategy that helps students understand relationships between ideas, was†¦show more content†¦Mapping allows students to organize thoughts and concepts in new ways. Additionally, graphic organizers have been proven to improve learning outcomes in many students. There are many different kinds of graphic organizers that can be used. For the purpose of this paper I will d iscuss the Venn diagram I observed in Mr. Mechanic’s classroom, and network trees that I observed in Mr. Scott Colvin and Ms. Abbe Katz’s classrooms. A Venn Diagram consist of two large circles with separate topics and an intersecting middle area where the relations between ideas are written. In Mr. Mechanic’s tenth grade English class the circles focused on literary elements contained in two poems. In the middle section, Mr. Mechanic had the students discuss the literary elements that were found in both of these works. The use of this Venn diagram helped the students better understand each individual section, as well as recognize the way certain elements can be used in multiple ways. (Observe class notes 6, 8) Both Mr. Colvin, in his eleventh grade English class, and Ms. Katz, in her ninth grade advanced English class, utilized network trees. In Mr. Colvin’s class, it was used to help examine characteristics of leadership. The tree was organized with a b lock in the middle, marked â€Å"Leadership,† and four spawned off circles that focused on individual aspects of leadership. Mr. Colvin then had the students answer follow up questions which further allowed themShow MoreRelatedClassroom Management And Teaching Strategies Essay905 Words   |  4 Pages(Stage 1: online self-paced and Stage 2: online discussion) with the offline mode (Stage 3: face-to-face action learning). The modules in LeP are as follows: CM 1: Classroom Management and Teaching Strategies CM 2: Blended Learning in Hospitality School CM 3: Problem-based Learning in Hospitality School CM 4: Learning Outcomes CM 5: Teaching and Learning Theories CM 6: Assessment and Evaluation This e-training programme was registered under the Malaysian Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF). ItRead MoreClassroom Management And Teaching Strategies1172 Words   |  5 Pages(Stage 1: online self-paced and Stage 2: online discussion) with the offline mode (Stage 3: face-to-face action learning). The modules in LeP were as follows: CM 1: Classroom Management and Teaching Strategies CM 2: Blended Learning in Hospitality School CM 3: Problem-based Learning in Hospitality School CM 4: Learning Outcomes CM 5: Teaching and Learning Theories CM 6: Assessment and Evaluation This e-training programme was registered under the Malaysian Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF). ItRead MoreSchool Dynamics, Classroom Environments, And Teaching Strategies1418 Words   |  6 Pages My field experience was at Port Chester High School and Preston High School. During my observations, I was able to examine the many differences that exist in school dynamics, classroom environments, and teaching strategies Port Chester High School is a comprehensive high school that houses grades 9-12 with 1,319 students enrolled. About one-third of the students are current or former English Language Learners. The schools culture diversity is comprised of over 28 nations, 75 percent are HispanicRead MoreObstacles For Children At The Classroom : Bullies, Ineffective Teaching Strategies, Poor Classroom Management Essay1409 Words   |  6 PagesThere are numerous obstacles for children to hurdle in the classroom: bullies, ineffective teaching strategies, poor classroom management; however, the issue that concerns me the most is equity. I saw problems caused by lack of equity all throughout my childhood and I still see them now when I enter classrooms to observe. Personally, I struggled with the fact that I would never have the opportunity to travel the world like many of my peers were able to—my family simply couldn’t afford it. I feltRead MoreHow Students Learn And Effective Classroom Teac hing Strategies900 Words   |  4 PagesSC2 Demonstrate an understanding of how students learn and effective classroom teaching strategies and the capacity to work with colleagues to continually improve teaching and learning. At Mill Park Secondary College (Senior Campus), I have the opportunity to work with a group of Year 10 students on their financial mathematics. The class is made up of 14 boys and 11 girls. And here is a glimpse of their background. This is a low SES co-ed school with an ICSEA value of 984 (My School, 2015a), whichRead MoreTeaching Fluency- Implications for Repeated Readings as a Viable Strategy in Teaching Fluency in the Second Grade Classroom1716 Words   |  7 Pageseducation today. There are many opinions among educators and researchers on what fluency means, and how it should be addressed in a classroom setting. I researched four articles from respected journals, and in this paper I will attempt to define fluency and measurement tools. I will also discuss Repeated Reading as a viable strategy for teaching Fluency in the second grade classroom. I chose this particular topic, because I felt it would be most beneficial in influencing my own literacy instruction. FluencyRead MoreJe an Piaget‚Äà ´s theory of child development along with effective learning methods and teaching strategies used in secondary school classrooms with particular attention paid to science5758 Words   |  24 Pagesï » ¿Section A- Literature Review Jean Piaget’s theory of child development along with effective learning methods and teaching strategies used in secondary school classrooms with particular attention paid to science A child’s developing mind1,2,3 Without a doubt, Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was one of the most influential child psychologists. In his day he was at the forefront of research into child psychology and even today, his word is cited by many in the profession. The constructivist theory (seeRead MoreThe Benefits Of Responsive Teaching And Co-Teaching In Education905 Words   |  4 Pagesdisabilities in mainstream classrooms. These studies were instrumental in the usage of co-teaching and collaborative strategies as integrative parts of educational support services. They were delivery models for students both with and without special needs and acted as the foundation for responsive classrooms project both social and academic advantages (U.V.C.S.E., 2016). The two studies revealed a significant research study which showed that the use of the â€Å"Responsive Classroom approach encompassed withRead MoreEssay Developmentally Appropriate Teaching Strategies1204 Words   |  5 PagesAppropriate Teaching Strategies SOC 312 Children, Family Society September 2, 2013 Developmentally Appropriate Teaching Strategies Today’s classrooms are becoming more and more diverse with students that have disabilities and those that come from different cultures. It is important for educators to ensure that their teaching strategies are appropriate for all of the children in their classroom. When it comes to the classroom thereRead MoreEffective Teaching As An Effective Teacher1429 Words   |  6 PagesEffective teaching can be defined and understood in many ways. This profession has meaning and purpose and â€Å"can have an enriching effect on the daily lives of children and their lifelong educational and career aspirations (The Power of an Effective Teacher and Why We Should Assess It, 2011).† Personal qualities, teaching strategies, and classroom management, are all aspects vital to the means of being an effective teacher. Through developing fundamental key strategies like, being well prepared and

Marketing Analysis Marketing Communications - 2799 Words

Marketing Communications Adam Doty, Constance Bankston, Allix Eckermann, and Deidra Poltersdorf MKT/498 June 29, 2/15 Heather Teague Marketing Communications Marketing communications are a fundamental part in a creating and implementing a marketing plan to deliver product information, competitive advantage, retain the current customer base, gain new consumers, and reinforce relationships with stakeholders. Analyzing various marketing communication components in advertising, personal selling, public relations, and promotion will determine the most effective route to reach the target market and promote products. Advertising Advertising is one of if not the most important aspects of a marketing campaign. Horrible products with†¦show more content†¦Another way they can advertise is through product placement in movies and television shows. This isn t as direct as a commercial but can be just as powerful in some cases. Building an online presence in today’s society is a must if a company wants to succeed at an international level. With many people however using ad block while browsing the internet can one successfully get noticed. Instead of piggybacking on other videos and doing an advertisement in them, you go viral yourself. Once a video goes viral on the internet we are talking globally exposure at a level that was previously unthinkable. The ability for it to be shared and watched whenever makes the accessibility very desirable. Old Spice has proven it knows how to establish an online presence. While print is dying it is still a viable option for advertisement. However, the negative aspects outweigh the benefits in that it will be cost effective considering between the internet and television the majority of the target market is covered. Radio is in the same boat as well; more people have their own devices or ways of playing music instead of just listening to a station. Perhaps an advertising partnership with live streaming company like Twitch.tv where individuals or companies stream themselves playing games or djing. The target audience is

Modes Of Transportation Free Essays

Metro Manila is the metropolitan region which has the most populous metropolitan area in the Philippines and 11th most populous in the world. Based on 2010 national statistics it had a population of 11,855,975 populations that is 13% of national population (2010 Population and Housing Census: NCR). The rapid population growth corresponds to more economic needs and mobility for transport of goods, services and products. We will write a custom essay sample on Modes Of Transportation or any similar topic only for you Order Now The direct relationship between urban areas and its population must meet the standard for deficiency of road and highway length as well as modes of transportation in metropolitan area. Nowadays, transportation is accessible at it is. Different modes of transportation are well available for the passenger in provinces and more advantageously in metropolitan area. It is the prerogative of the passenger to choose what will be the mode that would bring him/her to their destination as fast as possible. Sometimes, comfort and convenience are sacrificed in order to meet the time in school, work, event, etc. Theoretical framework Figure shows the model of the study – the theoretical framework. The respondents, from the first year students of pharmacy, shall be exposed to three experimental conditions, to elicit their waiting behaviors. Economic – efficient mobility for good vehicles that comfortably good for passenger, local economic development like LRT and MRT that are functionally good, and operational efficiency that passengers are satisfied from their travel. Social- social equity (fairness), human safety and health affordability, community cohesion, and cultural preservation from the passenger, Environmental – air, noise and water reductions, climate change emissions resource conservation, open – diversity, and biodiversity protection. Statement of the Problem The study aimed to determine the behavior of Freshmen Students in Pharmacy of Centro Escolar University in considering different modes of transportation possible through certain place. Apart from that, the researches aimed to identify the following: 1. What is the attitude of the passenger towards selecting mode of transportation that suits their comfort and convenience? 2. What is the mode of transportation that is easy to ride? 3. Why are freshmen Student of pharmacy are being late and absent in class? 4. How can they limit their late and absences? Hypothesis Amidst the growing number of population in the Philippines and blinding pollution it possess, students nowadays still resist to fight back these struggles they face as they go to school every school days. These troublesome concerns had been giving negative impacts to students. Due to this, alternative solutions are arising for a comfortable way of going to school. Options given to students are renting condominiums, owning a car or ride the hassle-free mode of transportation the environment offers. This study will show the adjustment of freshmen students of the School of Pharmacy of CEU when it comes to modes of transportation Significance of the Study The study will represent the behavior of freshmen Student of pharmacy in considering different modes of transportation possible through certain place. The considering factor will be enumerated and thoroughly discussed to inform possible modest and safest modes for a respondents that selected randomly. Data will also give volume of traffic occur daily to determine what specific day will have congested traffic that varies the choice of passenger and take into consideration the factors that provided by studies. The study is very essential into what mode of transportation will be convenient according to daily traffic state. At the end of the study, readers will understand why does majority of passenger’s took certain mode and why minority prevails choose other. Scope and Limitation Commuting is considered to be one of the daily tasks done especially by freshmen students of pharmacy. To commute or travel from one place to another varies by which mode of transportation is best, either by road or LRT/MRT, when reaching your destination. For this study, the data collection is limited to CEU students who travel by jeeps, bus, and taxi, LRT, MRT coming from different places within Metro Manila and nearby provinces to arrive in our campus. This will be in the form of survey questionnaire both in print and paper that will be handed out to students randomly to ensure that all the answers that will be collected from our respondents vary. Since the research is concerned with the different factors, which affects the various choices of transportation for commuters, this would mean that students who drives and rents condominiums, apartments and/or dormitories are excluded in our study. Psychological analysis through series of survey will provide different factor that commuter’s takes priority in choosing most convenient modes of transportation. The research will only be limited to a small portion of the schools’ population since this will only last for 2 days, the data that will be collected will represent the entire freshmen student of pharmacy of the school. How to cite Modes Of Transportation, Papers

Is it Americas role to intervene in Iraq Essay Example For Students

Is it Americas role to intervene in Iraq? Essay As Afghan opposition groups and U.S. armed forces continue their successes in the war against the Taliban and al Qaeda, the American debate has quickly turned to the question of where the fight against terrorism should go next. In numerous public statements, President Bush has talked about a wide-ranging campaign against global terrorism. He has not committed to military operations against any other countries or terrorist organizations, but he has made it clear that the broader struggle against terrorism will be a long-lasting effort that could include the use of military force in regions beyond Afghanistan. A strong case can be made that Iraqs leader, Saddam Hussein, is so threatening to his people, his neighbors, and U.S. interests that the United States should use military force, unilaterally if necessary, to overthrow him. Proponents of such an approach, however, often underestimate the costs and risks involved. Instead of mounting a U.S. attack on Iraq as part of the current cam paign, the Bush administration should take advantage of its success in Afghanistan to pressure allies and regional players to isolate Saddams regime and to reinforce deterrence in an unambiguous way. A new Bush Doctrine should announce that Baghdads support for terrorist networks, transfer of weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups or individuals who target the United States, or the harboring of such terrorists will be considered an act of war and lead immediately to an American military intervention to overthrow the regime. Targeting IraqThere are many potential targets for a possible post-Afghanistan phase of the warAbu Sayyaf guerrilla bases in the Philippines, for example, as well as terrorist headquarters and training camps in Somalia, Syria, and Lebanon. But none is more consequential or more prominent in the current policy debate than Saddam Husseins regime in Iraq. Numerous outside analysts and (more privately) some senior Bush administration officials are already making the case that the next phase in the war on terrorism should be an effort to overthrow the Iraqi regimeif necessary, with U.S. military force. On November 26, President Bush himself appeared to raise the ante on the Iraq debate, stating that Saddam would find out what was in store for him if he failed to heed international demands to allow inspectors into Iraq to look for weapons of mass destruction programs. While Bushs statement may have been nothing more than a reiteration of existing U.S. policy, it was interpreted by many as a conscious effort to remind the world of the dangers posed by Saddam and to begin to create a legal and political predicate to justify an eventual American attack against him. Many overthrow advocates argue that the United States should remove Saddam regardless of whether Iraq was involved in the September 11 terrorist attacks or not. Absent compelling evidence of significant Iraqi involvement with the al Qaeda network or the events of September 11, the likely costs and risks of a commitment of American military forces to a regime-change campaign in Iraq would outweigh the benefits. A U.S. overthrow campaign would entail a large-scale military operation that the United States would probably have to undertake essentially alone; the increased risk of triggering terrorist attacks against American or allied targets; significant American casualties given the potential for intense urban combat and Iraqi use of chemical and biological agents; and the likely need for a long-term American military presence in Iraq to avoid regional destabilization. While these costs and risks are not so high as to rule out a possible overthrow policy under certain circumstances, they should be sobering to any advocate of sending U.S. troops to war to change the Iraqi regime. The central assumption behind this argument is that Saddamunlike the religiously motivated Taliban/al Qaeda networkis more interested in preserving his power, his regime, and his life than in carrying out acts of terror against American interests. If that assumption proves wrong and evidence emerges of Iraqi sponsorship of terrorism against the United States, the considerable costs of a U.S. intervention to overthrow Saddam would be worth payingwhether the rest of the international community was on board or not. The Challenge of Overthrowing Saddam HusseinEven short of any new Iraqi acts of aggression or terror, the removal of Saddam Hussein from power would be highly desirable, and the arguments that force should be used to remove him are not trivial. Saddam has shown great determination to produce weapons of mass destruction and has a track record of ruthless aggression against his own people and several of his neighbors, including Iran, Israel, and Kuwait. He has a proven desire for vengeanceas evidenced in the attempted assassination of forme r President George Bush in 1993 and the murder of two of his own sons-in-law after they briefly defected to Jordan in 1995. There is clear evidence that terrorists, even if not part of the al Qaeda network, have been trained in Iraq in the past. Although Saddam and al Qaeda are adversaries in many waysSaddam is a committed secularist, except where it suits him to pretend otherwise, and al Qaeda claims to be motivated by religionit is not implausible that they would join forces to attack the United States. The apparent meetings in Prague between an Iraqi intelligence official and hijacker Mohammed Atta in 2000 and 2001 suggest that at least a limited form of contact has already occurred. Even as policymakers contemplate the many potential benefits of removing Saddam from power, however, they should not overlook the likely costs, risks, and consequences of an attempt to do so. Air Power and Opposition Forces Alone Would Not Suffice. Despite the claims of many regime-change proponents, policymakers should be under no illusion that Saddam could be quickly overthrown by the application of U.S. airpower in support of a ready-made, armed opposition. While improvements in U.S. air capabilities since the Gulf Warincluding Global Positioning System (GPS)-guided bombs and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) coupled in near real-time to command centers and manned aircrafthave been significant, they would almost certainly not be enough to make possible victory by air power alone. Even GPS-guided bombs are generally not accurate enough to destroy armor, and Saddam would be sure to position much of his force (and weapons of mass destruction) in crowded cities, schoolyards, and hospitals, greatly complicating U.S. targeting options. The successful use of laser-guided bombs against stationary Iraqi tanks in the Kuwaiti desert in 1991known as tank-plinkingwould be difficult to replicate in the complex terrain and urban areas in cen tral Iraq. Iraqi opposition forces are deeply divided and have a history of infighting. Even if aggregated, the various Kurdish, Shia, and Sunni opposition forces have perhaps one-tenth the strength of Iraqi armed forces. They would be outnumbered more than two to one just by Saddams most dedicated fighters, his Special Republican Guard and Republican Guard forces, totaling about 100,000 personnel. Communication Systems EssayA Deterrable RegimeInstead of incurring these high costs and significant risks, the United States should follow a different coursea reinforced policy of deterrence articulated as a new Bush doctrine that would explicitly threaten regime change in response to Iraqi acts of terrorism or aggression. As threatening and dangerous as Saddam Hussein may be, the track record suggests that he can be dissuaded from undertaking actions that he believes would likely lead to his overthrow. During the Gulf War, Saddam refrained from using the weapons of mass destruction we now know he had, understanding (following explicit threats from U.S. Secretary of State James Baker and Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney) that to do so would almost surely lead to his downfall. He has used chemical weapons against Iran and against his Kurdish citizens, but never against a countrysuch as Israel or the United Statesthat could destroy him. He moved brigades southward towards Kuwait again in 1994, only to pull back once the Clinton administration mounted Operation Vigilant Warrior, a deployment of tens of thousands of troops. He interfered with the work of foreign weapons inspectors frequently, and ultimately expelled them, but never killed or harmed them. He brutally attacked Shia resistance forces in southern Iraq in 1991, after it became clear that the first Bush administration would not interfere to stop such operations, but generally avoided brutality against Kurds in the north on ce the United States made clear its commitment to their security. In 1996, he did direct an incursion into Kurdish parts of Iraqbut only after internecine warfare among Kurds and an explicit invitation to him to intervene by one of the Kurdish factions made it unlikely that the United States would be in a position to oppose him. Saddam has obviously also shown a proclivity for risk-taking, not least in his decision to invade Kuwait (and hold it until U.S. forces expelled him) and his attempted assassination of a former American president. But none of his aggressions, he rightly calculated, seemed likely to lead to his overthrow, with the possible exception of the assassination, had it been successful. That explains, perhaps, why Saddam appears not to have repeated the attempt. The evidence illustrates that Saddam Hussein is a ruthless and brutal dictator, but also that he is bent on self-preservation, and thus deterrable. Saddam might, of course, think he could support al Qaeda or a similar organization and not be caught doing so. But he also knows that the United States has a proven ability to track meetings between his agents and potential terrorists and that it can often trace the origins of biological agents based on their genetic content, particle size, chemical coating, or other attributes. Thus, while there is a chance his cooperation with terrorists could succeed in escaping detection, there is a better chance that the United States would be aware of his activities. Saddam would also be on notice that if his actions followed those of the Taliban, he would meet their fate. ConclusionThe United States should not now mount a large ground operation to overthrow Saddam Hussein, given the prospect that it could entail significant casualties, increase the risk of terror attacks against the United States, and require a long and costly occupation even after Saddam was gone. Anything short of a ground invasion, however, would run a high risk of failure. Despite his brutality, almost all available evidence suggests that Saddam Hussein can be deterred because he values his hold on power and his own life more than any ideological goal and more than revenge against the United States. Future acts by Saddam, or further evidence about his links with al Qaeda, could lead to a different assessment, and there should be little doubt that the American people would support a campaign to overthrow Saddam in such circumstances despite the likely casualties. At present, however, he appears to be contained every bit as well as the North Korean leadershipand much more tightly th an was the Soviet Union during the cold war. This is hardly a case for complacency, however. The United States needs to complement its containment policy by making it unmistakably clear to Saddam Hussein that renewed Iraqi aggression, support for terrorism against the United States or the transfer of weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups would lead to a concerted U.S. campaign to overthrow his regime. While the exact threshold for when an overthrow policy would be triggered might be hard to define precisely (indeed there could be some merit in a small measure of ambiguity for the sake of deterrence), certain triggers could be made very explicit: any transfer of weapons of mass destruction to al Qaeda or similar groups; direct complicity in the September 11 attacks or any such attacks in the future; involvement in the September-October 2001 anthrax attacks; or the harboring of groups that carry out terrorism against the United States. Bush could also make clear that a range of other Iraqi actions unrelated to terrorism significant progress toward the production or acquisition of a nuclear weapon; another attempted invasion of Kuwait; an attack on Israel; or the use of force against American troopswould also be considered redlines that would produce a policy of overthrow. To back up the new strategy, the United States should continue to keep adequate military forces available for the job on potentially short notice, develop concrete plans to work with opposition groups for a strategy of overthrow, and mount a diplomatic case with key allies to win their support should an invasion become necessary. At the same time, the Bush administration should accelerate efforts to persuade Russia and some of Iraqs neighbors to move forward with a new sanctions regime that would crack down on Iraqi smuggling, focus sanctions more specifically on the Baghdad leadership and weapons of mass destruction capabilities, and make civilian goods available for easier import into Iraq. Meaningful searches for Iraqs WMD capabilities would also be desirable, but only if they would be more effective than those of the late 1990s. Americas allies and the regional powers need to understand that if Iraq cannot be contained with sanctions and stronger nonproliferation efforts, Washington may ultimately have to use force to achieve that goal. The U.S. administration should make it clear to the rest of the world that it cares a lot more about the well-being and future of the Iraqi population than does Saddam Hussein, and it should hold out a vision of American support for a future Iraq under a different regime. Reinforced deterrence, more vigilant nonproliferation efforts, and smarter sanctions will not make the Persian Gulf region risk-free or immediately free the Iraqi people from a brutal dictatorship. But they will serve the core goal of helping to prevent future terrorist actions like those of September 11 at a reasonable military and strategic cost.

Lehman Brothers Subprime Crisis free essay sample

Introduction The global financial crisis that erupted in September 2008 has thrown economies around the world into a recession. The root cause were sown in the credit boom that peaked in mid-2007, followed by the meltdown of sub-prime mortgages and securitized products. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were both taken over by the government and on September 24, 2008, Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy after failing to find a buyer. The fall of Lehman Brothers rattled the global market and led to a great drop in the United States (U. S. ) stock market the day after the announcement. The sudden failure of Lehman Brothers is widely viewed as a watershed moment in the global financial crisis of 2007 – 2009. With over $639 billion in assets and $613 billion in liabilities, it is one of the largest bankruptcies in the history of U. S. (Mamudi, 2008). Lehman Brothers was founded in 1850 by three cotton brokers in Montgomery, Alabama. The firm moved to New York City after the Civil War and grew into one of Wall Street’s investment giants. We will write a custom essay sample on Lehman Brothers Subprime Crisis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lehman Brothers is a global financial services firm; the fourth largest investment bank in the U. S. Lehman Brothers’ clients is big institutions, not small individuals. It is an innovator in global finance, serving the financial needs of corporations, governments, municipalities, institutional clients and high-net-worth individuals worldwide. Lehman Brothers investment banking operations accounted for just 20 per cent of the company’s 2007 revenue while most of its net revenue comes from fixed income sales and trading; about 40 per cent. Some of the different fixed income investments that Lehman Brothers deals with include derivatives and swaps, mortgage-backed securities and futures (Callan, n. d. ). However, the investment management business still provides the stable earning base because of its fee-based structure. This term paper will further look into the how Lehman Brothers started off as an investment bank began getting entangled to the subprime mortgages and how it led to its bankruptcy. Lessons from the downfall of Lehman Brothers and the causes and consequences of the collapse will be highlighted in this paper. Subprime Mortgage Crisis The subprime mortgage market lends money to people who don’t meet the credit scoring for ordinary mortgages. For example, a FICO score less than 620 will disqualify the applications from loans at the prime rate. Since subprime borrowers mostly have poor credit history or low incomes, there is a greater possibility that the debts won’t be paid. Thus, making subprime mortgages risky for lenders. Therefore, to compensate the added risk, banks and other lenders charge higher interest rates on subprime mortgages. This made subprime lending very lucrative. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have led the mortgage industry in the 1990s promoting home ownership amongst lower income borrowers. The growth of subprime mortgage market can be attributed to a number of factors. The lower interest rates which resulted in home mortgage payments inexpensive led to a large number of demands for houses. Figure 1 show, a prolonged period of low interest rates which led to raise in house prices that was completely abnormal by historical standards. Banks searched for a method to meet the ever-increasing demand for mortgages and hence realized the perceived great profit opportunities in the real estate market. This prompted the innovation and design of new financial instruments and organizations such as securitized mortgage loans – mortgage backed securities (MBS), asset-backed securities (ABS) and collaterized debt obligations (CDOs) (Knutsen, 2011). As real estate prices rose in the early years of this decade and securitization provided more working capital for mortgage, lenders relaxed their underwriting criteria in order to issue more mortgages (Kirk, n. . ). During the refinancing boom from 2001 to 2003, interest rates fell, borrowing demand increased, mortgage lenders expanded their businesses, and new lenders entered the market (Krinsman, 2007). Figure 2 shows the significant increased in subprime lending from 2004 to 2006. With the U. S. housing boom well under way, Lehman Brothers acquired five mortgage lenders; including subprime lender BNC Mortgage. BNC is ranked as one of the nation’s top 100 mortgage lenders and the eighth largest wholesale subprime lender (Mortgage info, 2007). BNC Mortgage, as the subsidiary of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. ecame the biggest underwriter of U. S. bonds backed by mortgages. As securitization of mortgages increased, the investment banks urged the mortgage lending industry to increase their loan volumes. However, on August 22, 2007, Lehman Brothers decided to close down its subprime-lending unit; BNC Mortgage, causing about 1,200 employees to lose their jobs (Onaran, 2007). Figure 2: The downfall of Lehman Brothers Until 2007, Lehman Brothers has generated a significant portion of its revenue through the issuance of mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. Lehman Brothers had grown increasingly reliant on its fixed income trading and underwriting division which served as the primary engine for its strong growth throughout the first half of the decade as shown in Exhibit 1 (Stowell, 2010). When the collapse of the U. S. subprime mortgage industry started, it result in credit crisis and the mortgage default rates began to rise and the demand for these securities began to disappear. Lehman Brothers was left with billions of dollars of rapidly depreciating securities on its balance sheet, forcing it to take large write downs and write-offs (Callan, n. d). As the credit crisis reupted in August 2007 with the failure of two Bear Stearns hedge funds due to a lack of confidence in its subprime mortgage holdings, Lehman Brothers’ stock fell sharply. As Lehman Brothers is one of the major players in the subprime lending, it faced a huge difficulty when the housing bubble burst. Lehman Brothers underwrote a huge amount of MBSs, accumulating an $85 billion portfolio, four times its shareholders equity (Investopedia, 2011). House prices began to decline while short-term interest rates rose and borrowers found themselves unable to pay higher monthly payments by refinancing began to default. The decline in mortgage payments also reduces the value of mortgage-backed securities which erodes the net worth and financial health of banks. Lehman Brothers suffered huge losses accrued in lower-rated mortgage-backed securities throughout 2008 (Anderson Dash, 2008). Another cause of the downfall could be due to the extremely high level of leverage and short-term debt financing. Lehman Brothers significantly increased its leverage over the same timeframe, going from a debt-to-equity ratio of 23. 7 times in 2003 to 35. times in 2007 as shown in Figure 3 (Stowell, 2010). While commercial banks are regulated and cannot leverage their equity more than 15 to 1, Lehman Brothers had a leverage of more than 30 to 1. So, as the leverage increased, the ongoing erosion of the mortgage-backed security industry began to impact Lehman Brothers greatly. In turn, the instability created by the leverage problem was aggravated by Lehman Brothers’ large use of short-term debt which financed m ore than 50 per cent of the asset shown in Figure 4 (Zingales, 2008). After the beginning of the crisis, Lehman Brothers tried to reduce its leverage and reduce its reliance on short-term debt, but it was a little too late. Lehman Brothers, the 158-year-old investment bank finally announced the largest Chapter 11 filing in U. S. history, listing assets of $639 billion and liabilities of $768 billion in September 2008. However, before the filing of Chapter 11, Lehman Brothers was said to be using an â€Å"accounting gimmick† to make it appear as if it had off-loaded risky assets and reduced its balance sheet during the height of the financial crisis. This gimmick is known as a â€Å"Repo 105†. This allows Lehman Brothers to use the booking of repurchase agreements as sales rather than temporary transactions (Evanson, 2010). Exhibit 1:   Lehman Brothers’ Financial Performance Since 1999 Source: Stowell (2010) Figure 3: Increase in leverage among investment banks Figure 4: Lehman Brothers Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity Source: Lehman Annual Report Consequences and Lessons Lehman Brothers’ global footprint meant that thousands of financial market participants were directly impacted by its collapse. Numerous aftershocks were felt throughout the world resulting from numerous cross-border and cross-entity interdependencies. Lehman Brothers’ insolvency has resulted in more than 75 separate and distinct bankruptcy proceedings (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2009). Lehman Brothers’ collapse has forced the market to reassess risk. There are many lessons learnt from the collapse of Lehman Brothers is the internal management structure of the company. Advice from Darryl Steinberg, the managing director and senior tax counsel to Lehman Brothers is for in-house tax professionals to be involved with the firm’s business managers from the outset. He said â€Å"Assisting with the firms organisation and structural planning and providing tax-sensitive input in establishing best business practices at the same time as the creation of those business operations is imperative in the highly regulated business world of today† (Snowdon, Steinberg, ; Lippman, 2009). Global rating agencies were widely condemned as being asleep on the job or being compromised by a system where their revenue derived from the very firms they were assessing. Closer supervision was called by the European Commission to ensue the publication of high quality credit ratings in the future (Allen, 2009). Finally, from this event, all banks should learn that nothing can be taken for granted. When there is signal of warning that the company might be in financial danger, the bank must take heed. References Allen, C. (2009). Lesson learned: one year after Lehman. Global Investor, 15 – 19. Anderson, J. ; Dash, E. (2008, August 28). For Lehman, more cuts and anxiety. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2008/08/29/business/29wall. html? em Evanson, D. (2010, April 12). Lessons from the collapse of Lehman Brothers. TheStar Online. Retrieved from http://biz. thestar. com. my/news/story. asp? ile=/2010/4/12/business/6017192;sec=business Investopedia. (2011). Case study: the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Retrieved May 4, 2011, from http://www. investopedia. com/articles/economics/09/lehman-brothers-collapse. asp Kirk, E. (n. d. ). The â€Å"subprime mortgage crisis†: An overview of the crisis and potential exposure. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from www. rli-epg. com/articles/Subprime-Mortgage-Crisis. pdf Knutsen, S. (2011). Why did â€Å"it† happen again? The American subprime crisis compared with the Norwegian banking crisis 1987-92. Past, present and policy: 4th International Conference. Retrieved from www. epr. org/meets/wkcn/1/1730/papers/KnutsenFinal. pdf Krinsman, A. (2007). Subprime mortgage meltdown: How did it happen and how will it end? The Journal of Structured Finance, 13(2), 1 – 9. Mamudi, S. (2008, September 15). Lehman folds with record $613 billion debt. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www. marketwatch. com/story/lehman-folds-with-record-613-billion-debt? siteid=rss Mortgage Info. (2007). BNC Mortgage Inc. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://www. mortgage-info. us/lender_bnc_mortgage. htm Onaran, Y. (2007, August 22). Lehman Brothers shuts down subprime unit, fires 1,200. Bloomberg. Retrieved from http://www. bloomberg. com/apps/news? pid=newsarchive;sid=a87FPr78qX9w mp;amp;refer=news Snowdon, C. , Steinberg, D. , ; Lippman, M. (2009). Managing the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. International Tax Review, (49), 3 – 6. Stowell, D. (2010). Investment banking in 2008 (B): A brave new world. An Introduction to Investment Banks, Hedge Funds, and Private Equity, 403 – 417. Zingales, L. (2008). Causes and effects of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. Retrieved from http://www. scribd. com/doc/11096014/Causes-and-Effects-of-the-Lehman-Brothers-Bankruptcy

Free Essays on History Of Computer Industry

History of the Computer Industry in America America and the Computer Industry Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the U.S. and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the computer has changed nearly every aspect of people's lives for the better. The very earliest existence of the modern day computer's ancestor is the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wires on which beads ar e strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to "programming" rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed (Soma, 14). The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first "digital calculating machine". It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascal's father who was a tax collector (Soma, 32). In the early 1800Õs, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built in to his machine were operations that included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was programmed byand stored data oncards with holes punched in them, appropriately called "punch cards". His inventions were failures for the most part because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the ... Free Essays on History Of Computer Industry Free Essays on History Of Computer Industry History of the Computer Industry in America America and the Computer Industry Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. A machine that has done all this and more now exists in nearly every business in the U.S. and one out of every two households (Hall, 156). This incredible invention is the computer. The electronic computer has been around for over a half-century, but its ancestors have been around for 2000 years. However, only in the last 40 years has it changed the American society. From the first wooden abacus to the latest high-speed microprocessor, the computer has changed nearly every aspect of people's lives for the better. The very earliest existence of the modern day computer's ancestor is the abacus. These date back to almost 2000 years ago. It is simply a wooden rack holding parallel wires on which beads ar e strung. When these beads are moved along the wire according to "programming" rules that the user must memorize, all ordinary arithmetic operations can be performed (Soma, 14). The next innovation in computers took place in 1694 when Blaise Pascal invented the first "digital calculating machine". It could only add numbers and they had to be entered by turning dials. It was designed to help Pascal's father who was a tax collector (Soma, 32). In the early 1800Õs, a mathematics professor named Charles Babbage designed an automatic calculation machine. It was steam powered and could store up to 1000 50-digit numbers. Built in to his machine were operations that included everything a modern general-purpose computer would need. It was programmed byand stored data oncards with holes punched in them, appropriately called "punch cards". His inventions were failures for the most part because of the lack of precision machining techniques used at the time and the ...