Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Rage That Drives Achilles Essay - 785 Words

The Rage That Drives Achilles In Homer’s book the â€Å"Iliad† lays an epic conflict between a man and his inner self that ultimately leads to great loss on a wider scale and not just to himself. Achilles is a man with a superpower but has a severe problem when his ego is insulted. Achilles is driven by rage and anger and will do everything in his power to seek vengeance on anyone whom gets in the way of his pride whether it is friend or foe. One might argue whether Achilles is an epic hero but this answer lies within the reader. Achilles is one man who has the greatest fighting abilities as well as the greatest military prowess of any of the Achaean ranks. The only downfall for Achilles is that his inner force is driven by rage and†¦show more content†¦During the war, with Achilles absent and refusal to fight, the Achaean have a hard time keeping the Trojans at bay and with the gods involved on the Trojan’s side it is even harder for the Achaean army to with stand the Trojans. The gods give Diomedes supernatural powers and the ability to harm a god in hopes that he will even out the war and the absence of Achilles. Unfortunately this is not enough for the Achaean army to defeat the Trojans without Achilles and his men. Achilles rage towards Agamemnon is what the Achaean’s need to defeat the Trojans. The Achaeans try bribing Achilles for his return and to stand and fight with them but Achilles rage towards Agamemnon is so strong that he refuses. It is not until Patroclus, Achilles best friend, dresses in Achilles uniform and returns to battle. In doing so this brings upon Patroclus’ fate in the hands of Hector, which was stated by Homer that as soon as Patroclus is called to talk with Nector his doom is sealed. Patroclus’ death is the turning point for Achilles to rejoin the battle. He only does so to avenge his friend’s death by vowing to kill Hector. Achilles rage towards Agamemnon has been refocused onto avenging Patoclus’ death and he stops at nothing until he slays Hector. He goes onShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Iliad 1208 Words   |  5 PagesRobert Fagles Pride and Rage Warfare is, and always has been, the most appalling and yet most integral part of all human life. This is a truth that is displayed most ingeniously in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad. In this epic, both mortals and gods alike are engulfed with the desire to best their enemy, even though pride and rage are what cloud their vision and fuel their actions. These seemingly harmless flaws carry great weight and prove to be irremediable vices. Achilles and Agamemnon, two of theRead More Achilles: a Tragic Hero Essay example1166 Words   |  5 PagesAchilles as Tragic Hero In his classic work Poetics Aristotle provided a model of the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero is more admirable than the average person. This results in the tragic hero being admired by the audience. For the audience to accept a tragic ending as just, it is crucial that the tragic hero be responsible for their undoing. At the same time though, they must remain admired and respected. This is achieved by the tragic hero having a fatal flawRead MoreKleos in the Iliad Essay1074 Words   |  5 Pagesheard.’ Achieving kleos entails that your tale and ultimately you will live on forever. Kleos is essential to the Greeks and life would not be worth living without it. When a warrior or hero is advised to avoid risking their life in battle it almost drives them even further towards the deed. It is better to be killed in action rather than to live and be thought a coward. By our rational standards one would certainly not be thought a coward if they didnt rush into battle to almost certain death, theRead MoreOf Redemption In The Illiad In The Iliad1022 Words   |  5 PagesAchilles: Let the Redeemed Say So Some basic human needs are specific. Some needs are universal. One need, that is both specific and universal, is the need to be redeemed. Every human experiences this basic need (whether they know it or not). The tale of Achilles in Homer’s epic, The Iliad, is a masterful account of man’s redemption. Redemption is to be set free, and the word â€Å"redeem† means to essentially purchase or pay for something; freedom is bought with a price. Homer used the loss of Achilles’Read MoreJustice Is Not Rigid And Unchanging Like So Many People1297 Words   |  6 Pagesturning to their rage as a tool to help them justify their actions (Agamemnon 1555). The Iliad opens with â€Å"Rage-Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles† (Iliad i.1). It is Achilles’ rage that is called upon and drives his actions through the entire work. Achilles’ rage is to right a great wrong done to him, but it comes at a deadly cost. Patroclus begs to be se nt into battle to help the Greeks fight. He wants to â€Å"bring some light of victory to the Argives† by donning Achilles’ armor to boostRead MoreAchilles : A Tragic Hero1604 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Trojan War, but also the tale of the hero Achilles. In the Iliad, Achilles is a very complex hero who, known for his rage, determines both his own destiny and the fate of a nation and its people. Achilles may be remembered for his anger, but that doesn’t define who he is as a character. Achilles has both good reasons and good intentions as to why he chooses to react in anger. The speaker only elaborates about how Achilles reacts in response to his rage to entertain listeners. Since the tale wasRead MoreThe Iliad Of Homer s Achilles888 Words   |  4 PagesIn The Iliad of Homer, Achilles goes through many trials and tribulations, making some harsh and careless choices. Sorrowfully, Achilles does not learn from these mistakes until it’s far too late. One of Achilles first prolonged lessons learned was that one should be less intense when it comes to one’s values. During the first couple books of The Iliad of Homer, honor is the most important thing to Achilles. Honor comes before all. Unfortunately, in book nineteen, Achilles beloved comrade and brother-in-armsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Achilles 1977 Words   |  8 PagesIn the last chapters of the poem, Achilles’ rage becomes all-consuming and takes him over. Rage dictates all of his actions, and whether it is his god-like or animal-like characteristics being attributed to his rage, Homer and the soldiers no longer speak about him as a mortal. Achilles may go on breathing after the death of Patroclus, but he is not truly alive again until he can quell his rage, because his rage comes at the price of his humanity. Who Achilles is before Patroclus is killed veryRead MoreMovie, Troy, By Wolfgang Petersen1273 Words   |  6 PagesFilm adaptations often do a less than adequate job of representing the book off of which they are based. Occasionally, a director with the correct vision and drive will produce a movie that leaves the audience screaming for more. One must take a step back and decide whether it is more important for a movie to be entertaining, or follow the plot of the book from which its story is taken. In the 2004 film Troy, by Wolfgang Petersen, the story, although interesting, fails to correctly follow the plotRead More Essay on Diomedes, the True Hero of Homer’s Iliad1552 Words   |  7 Pagespermitted to be blinded by rage or have mood swings. In The Iliad, two Greeks are presented to the reader as heroes. They are Achilles and Diomedes. Although they are both good contenders for the title of hero, Diomedes is by far the better of the two. Diomedes is one of the finest and bravest of the Greek warriors. He is respectful to all authority figures and has little or no pride. Always wise and reasonable, he may be the vision of the perfect nobleman. Both Achilles and Diomedes easily meet

Monday, December 16, 2019

Effect of Communication Barriers and Overcoming These Barriers Free Essays

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman for letting me speak. We will write a custom essay sample on Effect of Communication Barriers and Overcoming These Barriers or any similar topic only for you Order Now Let me introduce myself before we go to the topic. My name Mrs. Aida as a Public Speaking Trainer. Firstly, I want to explain to all of you what is communication? Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes it through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message. Communication is fruitful if and only if the messages sent by the sender is interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. If any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed. Due to such disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus the managers must locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them. There are several barriers that affects the flow of communication in an organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender to the reciever, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for managers to overcome these barriers. The main barriers of communication are summarized below. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen,† Firstly let me explain one of communication barriers is Perceptual and Language Differences. Perception is generally how each individual interprets the world around him. All generally want to receive messages which are significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. A same event may be taken differently by different individuals. For example : A person is on leave for a month due to personal reasons (family member being critical). The HR Manager might be in confusion whether to retain that employee or not, the immediate manager might think of replacement because his teams productivity is being hampered, the family members might take him as an emotional support. Secondly is Information Overload. Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective. The next barriers was Time Pressures:  Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines, the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i. e. , not completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective communication. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen,† Distraction/Noise:  Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with communication. Emotions:  Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is very bad. While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case the message is interpreted to be good and interesting). Complexity in Organizational Structure:  Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i. e. more the number of managerial levels), more is the chances of communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at low level just have knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas. Poor retention:  Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One cant always retain what is being told specially if he is not interested or not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown. So, how we as a manager to overcome these barriers of communicate? There are a lot of communication barriers faced these days by all. The message intended by the sender is not understood by the receiver in the same terms and sense and thus communication breakdown occurs. It is essential to deal and cope up with these communication barriers so as to ensure smooth and effective communication. As, in the previous section we have discussed the major barriers of communication. Let’s talk about  how to overcome these barriers of communication. Eliminating differences in perception:  The organization should ensure that it is recruiting right individuals on the job. It’s the responsibility of the interviewer to ensure that the interviewee has command over the written and spoken language. There should be proper Induction program so that the policies of the company are clear to all the employees. There should be proper trainings conducted for required employees (for eg: Voice and Accent training). Use of Simple Language:  Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized. Use of ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided. Reduction and elimination of noise levels:  Noise is the main communication barrier which must be overcome on priority basis. It is essential to identify the source of noise and then eliminate that source. Active Listening:  Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between â€Å"listening† and â€Å"hearing†. Active listening means hearing with proper understanding of the message that is heard. By asking questions the speaker can ensure whether his/her message is understood or not by the receiver in the same terms as intended by the speaker. Emotional State:  During communication one should make effective use of body language. He/she should not show their emotions while communication as the receiver might misinterpret the message being delivered. For example, if the conveyer of the message is in a bad mood then the receiver might think that the information being delivered is not good. Simple Organizational Structure:  The organizational structure should not be complex. The number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. There should be a ideal span of control within the organization. Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will be the communication. Avoid Information Overload:  The managers should know how to prioritize their work. They should not overload themselves with the work. They should spend quality time with their subordinates and should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively. Give Constructive Feedback:  Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents of the feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered constructively. Constructive feedback will lead to effective communication between the superior and subordinate. Proper Media Selection:  The managers should properly select the medium of communication. Simple messages should be conveyed orally, like: face to face interaction or meetings. Use of written means of communication should be encouraged for delivering complex messages. For significant messages reminders can be given by using written means of communication such as : Memos, Notices etc. Flexibility in meeting the targets:  For effective communication in an organization the managers should ensure that the individuals are meeting their targets timely without skipping the formal channels of communication. There should not be much pressure on employees to meet their targets. Conclusion Communication is a process of exchange of information between two or more people. Barriers that affect the process of communication can be reduced if the presenter and receiver of information to understand the role and duties of each in securing an effective communication process. By ensuring that the principles of communication clear, concise, accurate, complete and politely complied with, will allow this communication to achieve the desired goals. Hence all obstacles and weaknesses in achieving effective communication should be addressed and improved to enhance the importance of communication in everyday life. Overcome barriers to communication within the organization to ensure the free flow of information between sender and receiver and for effective communication among employees. Effective communication reduce error rates, reduce conflict and an understanding of and increase the profits of the organization. And we as managers must try their best to avoid communication barriers within the organization for effective business communication. How to cite Effect of Communication Barriers and Overcoming These Barriers, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Complexities Malaysian Corporate Tax System â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Complexities Malaysian Corporate Tax System? Answer: Introducation In compliance with the Section 4-15 of the Income tax Assessment Act 1997, the calculation of taxable income is carried out by subtracting allowable expenses from assessable income. Deduction could be claimed on the part of the taxpayer as laid out in section 8-1(1) of the ITAA 1997 for the expenses spent on gaining assessable income and conducting the overall business activities (Lavermicocca and McKerchar 2013). Hence, the following points are taken into consideration: According to Section 8-1, the amount spent for shifting machinery would be deducted only, in case; the same is utilised for making taxable income. For instance, the cases of Smith v Westinghouse Brake Company(1888) and Granite Supply Association Ltd vKitton(1905) state that the expenses spent for plant reallocation and other expenses would not be subtracted because of capital nature. Section 8-1 of ITAA 1997 depicts that the revaluation cost associated with an asset is not taken into account as deductible expenditure (Bell and Hindmoor 2014). Section 8-1 of ITAA 1997 denotes that an expense pertaining to lawful dealings is suffered to contrast the winding up of the firm, which would be treated as deductible expense. According to Section 8-1 of ITAA 1997, in case of experience of any solicitor expense, it would be treated as permissible deduction for making business income (Saad 2014). In case of any purchase in the context of an organisation, GST input credit is accepted only on keeping proper records of the documents associated with such transactions. According to GST Act 1999, any organisation operating for gaining business income possess the authority to take input credit for payments of GST include buying of assets or materials. As identified from the case study, Big Bank Limited has incurred $1,650,000 on advertising, which includes GST as well. At present, it intends to assure that such amount would be permitted as input credit or not as the expenses were including GST. In accordance with Chapter 2 of the Goods and Service Act 1999, a firm would be allowed to obtain input tax credit of GST on such expenditures that the firm incurs during normal course of business; however, these expenses need to include GST (Glover 2014). Application: Big Bank Limited has more than 50 branches in the nation and it is involved in providing finance-related services to the individuals. The main office of the organisation is situated in a 10-storied apartment. At present, it has brought forward home content and insurance policy in the market rather than giving only deposits and loans to the individuals over the years. In order to advertise, the organisation has kept a budget amount of $1,650,000. Out of this amount $550,000 is kept for home advertisement and insurance product; however, it only generates 2% of the overall bank revenues. The remaining balance is for advertising to promote the other services of the bank including GST (Isa 2014). Hence, it has been assessed that the organisation has spent $1,100,000 for promoting its services, which helps in generating majority of the generated revenues. The amount of $550,000 would be considered as capital expense, since the newly launched product has not made adequate contribution towards its profit generation (Kenny, Blissenden and Villios 2015). Conclusion: Based on the above discussion, the amount of $1,100,000 incurred on advertising the existing services would be allowed for taking input credit. On the contrary, the amount of $550,000 would not be limited to take input credit, since 2% of expense contributes towards the income generation of the firm. Calculation of Input Tax credit Particulars Amount ($) Amount ($) Total spending on advertisement and promotional activities 1,650,000.00 GST input credit 100% eligible for: 1,100,000.00 Portion of advertisement expenditures ineligible for input credit in respect of GST 550,000.00 100% GST input credit 100,000.00 Add: For 2% contribution in revenue 3,000.00 Amount of input credit allowed to the bank 103,000.00 The Subdivision 717A is concerned with rules associated with the offset of income tax. The computation is depicted as follows: Assessable income of Angelo inclusive of foreign incomes Particulars Amount Amount Gross total income without any deductions $ 68,000.00 Available deductions: Medical expenditures $ 5,000.00 Expenses for deriving employment expenses disallowed for deduction - Expenses incurred in UK for generating Rental income $ 500.00 Interests expenditures for generation of dividend income $ 140.00 Expenses for generation of interest income $ 60.00 Total amount of deductions $ 5,700.00 Net income after deductions $ 62,300.00 Income tax payable $ 11,794.18 Along with this, the following computation is depicted as follows: Assessable income of Angelo inclusive of foreign incomes Details ($) ($) Gross total income without any deductions 52,000.00 Available deductions: Medical expenditures 5,000.00 Expenses for deriving employment expenses disallowed for deduction - Expenses incurred in UK for generating Rental income - Interests expenditures for generation of dividend income - Expenses for generation of interest income - Total amount of deductions 5,000.00 Net income after deductions 47,000.00 Income tax payable 6,821.68 Assessable income of Angelo inclusive of foreign incomes Details ($) ($) Gross total income without any deductions 52,000.00 Available deductions: Medical expenditures 5,000.00 Expenses for deriving employment expenses disallowed for deduction - Expenses incurred in UK for generating Rental income - Interests expenditures for generation of dividend income - Expenses for generation of interest income - Total amount of deductions 5,000.00 Net income after deductions 47,000.00 Income tax payable 6,821.68 The offset associated with foreign tax is computed by deducting the income tax payable amount under first alternative from the income tax payable amount under second alternative. Hence, the limit is $4,972.50 (11794.18-6821.68). It could be seen that the foreign tax offset amount is greater than the payment of foreign tax, Thus, the limit of foreign tax offset is $4,400. Statement showing Calculation of Income from Partnership Particulars Amount Amount Revenue from sporting goods sales $ 400,000.00 Interests incomes on bank deposits $ 10,000.00 Un-franked portion of dividend $ 8,400.00 Amount of Bad debts recovered $ 10,000.00 Incomes exempt - Income from capital gain $ 30,000.00 The amount of gross total income $ 458,400.00 Expenses eligible as deduction: Partners salaries $ 25,000.00 Fringe benefit tax $ 16,000.00 Interests on capital $ 2,000.00 Interests expenses on loan $ 4,000.00 Johnnys travelling expenses $ 3,000.00 Office building renewal fees $ 2,000.00 Documentation related expenses $ 700.00 Expenses on debt collection $ 500.00 Council rates $ 500.00 Salaries of employees $ 20,000.00 Cost of goods sold {(Opening stock + purchases) Closing stock} $ 34,000.00 Retail shop rent $ 20,000.00 Bad debt losses $ 30,000.00 Expenses related to business lunches - Pilferage $ 3,000.00 $ 160,700.00 Income of the partnership firm for the income year before setoff of loss $ 297,700.00 Less: Setting off loss incurred in the previous year $ 40,000.00 Net income of the partnership in the income year $ 257,700.00 References: Bell, S. and Hindmoor, A., 2014. The structural power of business and the power of ideas: The strange case of the Australian mining tax.New Political Economy,19(3), pp.470-486. Glover, J., 2014. Taxing trust income by" entitlement": The end of the road?.Australian Tax Review,43(2), pp.101-117. Isa, K., 2014. Tax complexities in the Malaysian corporate tax system: minimise to maximise.International Journal of Law and Management,56(1), pp.50-65. Kenny, P., Blissenden, M. and Villios, S., 2015.Australian Tax 2015. Lavermicocca, C. and McKerchar, M., 2013. The impact of managing tax risk on the tax compliance behaviour of large Australian companies.Austl. Tax F.,28, p.707. Saad, N., 2014. Tax knowledge, tax complexity and tax compliance: Taxpayers view.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,109, pp.1069-1075

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Mao and the Cultural Revolution Essay Example

Mao and the Cultural Revolution Paper China in the Cultural Revolution The historically unprecedented great peoples proletarian cultural revolution was a struggle for supremacy within the Chinese communist party which manifested into a wide scale social and political upheaval which brought china in 1966 to the brink of all out civil war. Although millions of people were murdered and tortured during its bloody course the cultural revolution is a chapter of china’s history rarely talked about, its just bad business to bring it up with someone who’s buying 26 percent of the world’s oil and 42% of all concrete produced globally. The Cultural Revolution was a period of vast upheaval and organized vandalism the likes of which had never occurred before, and through historical analysis it is reasonable to conclude that the great Cultural Revolution of 1966-67 was merely a means for Mao Zedong to purge the Chinese Communist Party and consolidate his own personal power. A period of calm and stable economic conservatism had settled over china after the upheaval and fervor of the great leap forward, and with its spectacular failure the moderates inside the CCP gained more power as Mao and his fiercely socialist policies lost considerable support. In this environment of political moderation and conservatism the ailing Mao felt capitalist and elitist ideology was infiltrating the party and the main goals of the 1949 revolution were being abandoned, and that to ensure the future of the communist party and china as a socialist state a reinvigoration of revolutionary spirit among the youths and children of china was necessary. It was from this small struggle to regain control over the party apparatus that a great public movement among students and the urban youth took hold all throughout china, and its destructive effects touched the lives of almost every Chinese person, from its epicenter in Beijing to the furthest provinces in Xiamen. For a little while, Mao disappeared from the centre of Chinese politics, and after his resignation as party secretary he retreated to his own devices to plan his next move against his growing enemies Deng Xiaoping and Zhou Enlai. We will write a custom essay sample on Mao and the Cultural Revolution specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mao and the Cultural Revolution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mao and the Cultural Revolution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer On August 8, 1966 Mao returned to Beijing in a flurry of energy and revolutionary spirit and published a manifesto of 16 points in which he outlined his intentions for the future of china. Coinciding with this move was a great call to all workers and students to rededicate themselves to unwavering class struggle and eliminate bourgeoisie and upper class thinking and ideals and focus on promoting the virtues of the agrarian proletariat. This opportunity to escape work and indulge in blind ideological hysteria proved very tempting for most Chinese students and by the 16th of October millions of Red Guards, as they were dubbed, flocked to mass rallies in Tiananmen Square, where Mao and Lin Biao made frequent appearances to over 11 million adoring youths. With this call to arms throughout all major institutions Mao enlisted the impressionable and easily led youth of china as his instrument for reimposing his will upon the nation and reshaping it. The revolutionary fervor and blind fanaticism of the red guards was matched by no other in Chinese society, and indoctrinated teenagers all over china rushed to do his bidding and destroy the 4 Olds, the 4 enemies of the continuing revolution as outlined by Mao, old culture, old thoughts, old customs and old habits. In a practical sense Mao had ordained the destruction of religious sites and relics as well as the torture and imprisonment of anyone seen to be an â€Å"enemy of the revolution†. It was in this way that the Cultural Revolution broadened from an internal communist party purge to a mass public movement in line with the self preserving aims of Mao. Giant posters in universities and schools encouraged students to join the struggle against all those who had diverted from the revolutionary path, and in July in a carefully orchestrated propaganda event Mao was seen swimming in the Yangtze River, a move which served to rally further support for the revolution. This specific event touched the hearts of many Chinese and led to serious momentum behind the revolution, in modern terms it is the equivalent of Queen Elizabeth swimming the English channel, and it is easy to see why this great symbolic gesture excited all of china and inspired loyalty and devotion among the Chinese for their appearingly strong and wise leader. Mao took the opportunity of revolution to finally dispose of his political enemies, and it was his newly formed and wildly devoted red guards he used to publicly ridicule and intimidate his opponents both in Beijing and the outer provinces. After a rally held specifically against them and their actions, Mao’s two main rivals Deng Xiaoping and Lui Shaoqui were both purged, Lui beaten and imprisoned in foul conditions until his death in 1973, and Deng sent to corrective labor in Jiangxi province after witnessing the crippling of his son Pufang at the hands of the Red guards. As the existing student movement was elevated to a mass national campaign, attacks on religious and historical institutions intensified and many churches and temples were looted and destroyed. From the centers of the movement, the universities and schools, red guards took control of towns and cities and were allowed free reign by the police and government to hold ‘great debates’ and rallies and persecute all those with which they didn’t agree. At this time Red guards were also encouraged to travel to Beijing with free transport and food provided by the government and many took the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Tiananmen Square to catch a glimpse of their beloved leader. By the end of 1966 Mao had a giant, easily manipulated, blindly devoted and violent army with which he consolidated his rule over the communist party with an iron fist, and at the same time elevated his personal following to almost cult status. In 1967 china Mao’s word was law, and involvement in some sort of revolutionary activity was the only way to avoid being purged. When analyzing this period of Chinese history many agree that the Cultural Revolution was carefully orchestrated by Mao Zedong himself and that the Red Guard movement grew out of prepared soil. Alongside great cruelty and egotistic mania Mao showed an astute grasp of mass psychology, he knew that the students were the most suggestible and easily manipulated group in Chinese society, and he appealed directly to them to create a vast political instrument with which he could forcefully impose his will upon the whole of china. The Cultural Revolution began to finally wind down in 1969, although many historians argue that it didn’t finally end until the arrest and subsequent execution of the â€Å"Gang of Four† in 1979. The effects of the Cultural Revolution directly or indirectly touched every facet of Chinese society, and the 10 years of organized vandalism and civil unrest brought the education system and economy to a grinding halt. Perhaps never before in human history has a political leader unleashed such massive forces against the system that he created, and it was the Cultural Revolution’s aim to ultimately alter the ideological nature and soul of the people which made its effects so chilling. From mid-1973 until Maos death in September 1976, Chinese politics shifted back and forth between Jiang Qing and those who supported her (notably Wang Hongwen, Zhang Chunqiao, and Yao Wenyuan, who with Jiang Qing were later dubbed the Gang of Four,) and the Zhou-Deng group. The former favored ideology, political mobilization, class struggle, anti intellectualism, egalitarianism, and xenophobia, while the latter promoted economic growth, stability, educational progress, and a pragmatic foreign policy. In recent years china has taken steps to rehabilitate the millions of Chinese displaced and formally recognized the full extent of the damage caused by the Cultural Revolution, although any expressions tracing blame back to the CCP are fiercely censored. By conducting unbiased historical analysis and with the benefit of hindsight it is reasonable to conclude that the cultural revolution was nothing more than a vast political and ideological purge which was aimed at eliminating every semblance of tradition, decency and intellectualism, in due course leaving only the divine chairman Mao and a clean slate upon which for him to propound his ideology and political agenda. The Red Guards were not only officially sanctioned but directed by the government, as police were ordered not to interfere in red guard activities and even give them information on ‘class enemies’. As John K Fairbank observed, â€Å"The idealistic youngsters who appeared to lead the Cultural Revolution were in fact nothing more than pawns in the power struggle within the CCP†. The cultural revolution was nothing more than a desperate purge by an ailing and meglomaniacal leader whose terrible effects are still felt today, and as I mentioned before, is a chapter of history the Chinese would rather forget ‘ Bibliography Lynch, M. 1998, The Peoples Republic of China Since 1949. 1st edition. London, Hodder and Stoughton. Dures, A. 1988. China since 1949. 1st edition. London, Batsford. Tsou, T. 1986. The Cultural Revolution and post-Mao reforms: a historical perspective. 2nd edition. US, University of Chicago Press. Chen, J. 1975. Inside the Cultural Revolution. 1st edition. University of California, Macmillan books ltd. Esmein, J. 1973. The Chinese Cultural Revolution (translated). La Revolution Culturelle Chinoise. California, Anchor Press. Wikipedia, Wikimedia foundation. 2007. Cultural Revolution (China). Accessed 3 nov 2007. Availble : http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution Galduroz, M. 2007 The Cultural Revolution. Available: http://library. thinkquest. org/26469/cultural-revolution/ Various, 2007. The People’s Republic of China: III . University of Maryland electronic resource. Available http://www-chaos. umd. edu/history/prc3. html Victorian, R. The Cultural Revolution Available: http://www. fortunecity. com/victorian/riley/787//China/Cultural/Cultural. html

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Meaning of Instrumental Variables (IV) in Econometrics

Meaning of Instrumental Variables (IV) in Econometrics In the fields of statistics and econometrics, the term instrumental variables  can refer to either of two definitions. Instrumental variables can refer to: An estimation technique (often abbreviated as IV)The exogenous variables used in the IV estimation technique As a method of estimation, instrumental variables (IV) are used in many economic applications often when a controlled experiment to test the existence of a causal relationship is not feasible and  some correlation between the original explanatory variables and the error term is suspected. When the explanatory variables correlate or show some form of dependence with the error terms in a regression relationship, instrumental variables can provide a consistent estimation. The theory of instrumental variables was first introduced by Philip G. Wright in his 1928 publication titled  The Tariff on Animal and Vegetable Oils but has since evolved in its applications in economics. When Instrumental Variables Are Used There are several circumstances under which explanatory variables show a correlation with the error terms and an instrumental variable may be used. First, the dependent variables may actually cause one of the explanatory variables (also known as the covariates). Or, relevant explanatory variables are simply omitted or overlooked in the model. It may even be that the explanatory variables suffered some error of measurement. The problem with any of these situations is that the traditional linear regression that might normally be employed in the analysis may produce inconsistent or biased estimates, which is where instrumental variables (IV) would then be used and the second definition of instrumental variables becomes more important. In addition to being the name of the method, instrumental variables are also the very variables used to obtain consistent  estimates using this method. They are exogenous, meaning that they exist outside of the explanatory equation, but as instrumental variables, they are correlated with the equations endogenous variables. Beyond this definition, there is one other primary requirement for using an instrumental variable in a linear model: the instrumental variable must not be correlated with the error term of the explanatory equation. That is to say that the instrumental variable cannot pose the same issue as the original variable for which it is attempting to resolve. Instrumental Variables in Econometrics Terms For a deeper understanding of instrumental variables, lets review an example.  Suppose one has a model: y Xb e Here y is a T x 1 vector of dependent variables, X is a T x k matrix of independent variables, b is a k x 1 vector of parameters to estimate, and e is a k x 1 vector of errors. OLS can be imagined, but suppose in the environment being modeled that the matrix of independent variables X may be correlated to the es. Then using a T x k matrix of independent variables Z, correlated to the Xs but uncorrelated to the es one can construct an IV estimator that will be consistent: bIV (ZX)-1Zy The two-stage least squares estimator is an important extension of this idea. In that discussion above, the exogenous variables Z are called instrumental variables and the instruments (ZZ)-1(ZX) are estimates of the part of X that is not correlated to the es.

Friday, November 22, 2019

About Helios - Greek God of the Sun

About Helios - Greek God of the Sun Definition: Helios is the Greek sun god and the sun itself. He is equated with the Roman Sol. Helios drives a chariot led by four fire-breathing horses across the sky each day. At night he is carried back to his starting place in a great divinely-wrought cup. In Mimnermus (fl. 37th Olympiad; Ionian Greek poet), Helios vehicle is a winged, golden bed. From his lofty traveling vehicle, Helios sees everything that happens during the day, so he acts as tale-bearer to the gods. Persephone Story Helios saw Hades abducting Persephone. Demeter didnt think to ask him about her missing daughter   but wandered the earth morosely for months until her friend, the witchcraft goddess Hekate suggested that Helios might have been an eye witness. Venus and Mars Caught in a Net Story Helios owed Hephaestus for the cup that carries him to his morning daily starting point, which the smithy god had made for him, so when he witnessed an event of importance to Hephaestus, he didnt keep it to himself. He hurried to reveal the affair between Hephaestus wife Aphrodite and Ares. Parentage and Family Although Hyperion may simply be part of Helios name, usually Helios parents are the Titans Hyperion and Theia; his sisters are Selene and Eos. Helios married the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, Perseis or Perse, by whom he had Aeetes, Circe, and Pasiphae. By the Oceanid Clymene, Helios had a son Phaethon and maybe Augeas, and 3 daughters, Aegiale, Aegle, and Aetheria. These 3 daughters and two Helios had by Neaera, Lampetie, and Phaethusa, were known as the Heliades. Sun God: Helios to Apollo Around the time of Euripides, the sun of Helios became identified with Apollo. Source: Oskar Seyffert (1894) A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities Go to Other Ancient / Classical History Glossary pages beginning with the letter a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | wxyz Pronunciation: hÄ“.lÄ“.os Also Known As: Hyperion Alternate Spellings: Helius

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Mass media and communication in International Management Essay

Mass media and communication in International Management - Essay Example Some amount of imagery is associated in a language and communication and complex thoughts are communicated. According to Whorf (2011), language tends to create real and imaginary plurals and conjures up mental patterns. When an image is created or presented, some associations tend to form in the mind and create patterns of objectification. Kramsch (1998) argues that language is the main method where social lives and relations are carried out. It is used for different communication contexts and people express facts, events, ideas that are communicated through words and images. These reflect the culture, attitude and beliefs of the authors and hence language is used to express cultural reality. Therefore, language is a system of signs with a cultural value that is symbolised by social appropriateness norms and social conventions. Language, culture and social norms help people to identify themselves as members of a social group where common ways of viewing the world are acquired. In lig ht of analysing the Ad by Jamie Oliver, these associations become relevant since he is attempting to use the language of cooking to sell products to people. According to Agar (1994), words can have words have multiple meanings and these are connotative or denotative. Denotation refers to the explicit meaning and translation of the word as mentioned in a dictionary.3. DESCRIPTION OF THE ADPlease refer to figure 1.1, where the celebrity cook Jamie Oliver is showing adding vegetables and cooking a dish of chicken. Prominent in the Ad is the ad copy with the words 'Chicken. Jamie Style' and these words are expected to have multiple implications for the audience. He is shown adding leafy vegetables to a large platter containing potatoes and chicken. Another similar dish filled with chicken pieces and potatoes is placed on the right side. In the background, a cupboard is shown and the top is filled with leafy vegetables, potatoes and