Decade of Corporate Greed Essay

Ascended in the 1980’s he reinvented Republican policies that favored deregulation and the growth of business in America. These Ideas markedly opposed the views of the governmental interventionist policies of the 1960’s and 70’s with these ideas Reagan hoped to decrease government Involvement and heavy taxes. With these tax cuts Reagan’s thinking was that many new businesses would spawn and that it would have a trickledown effect by not only empowering businesses to grow and hire more people which in the end would benefit all from those on top in the corporate world all the way down to the lowest person in the company in which everyone benefits. This was welcome news not only to the Republicans but also the â€Å"lunch bucket democrats† who were working class democrats who predecessor Jimmy Carter of whom they thought they were ignored by. As a result of this many government services were slashed and created ideas of the government being the problem. With this many republicans encouraged individuals to do good for themselves for the government would not do this for them. With this encouragement of business growth and economic prosperity for as many people as possible individualism became a way of life in the 1980’s. The acquisition of wealth and indicators of it really helped to drive this decade in the 1980’s where it seemed most important to acquire as much â€Å"material† goods as possible. These ideas were also shown in the pop culture world as the artist Madonna made a hit song in the 80’s called â€Å"material girl† a song of the times basically about greed and gaining as material things as you possibly could with no shame of this greed. Also Gordon Gekko the fictional business tycoon in the film â€Å"Wall Street† stands up at board meeting to stress and states â€Å"Greed is good†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Greed will not only fix this malfunctioning corporation called Teldar paper, but also the other malfunctioning corporation called the U. S. of A. † There were even excesses being taken in sports, as Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds had greed of singles, doubles and stolen bases, also greed in gambling cost him his spot in Major League Baseball. It was also in this decade baseball experienced â€Å"free agency† destroying loyalties and players selling themselves to the highest bidder as player contracts doubled from just the decade before. Once these Republican policies had trickled down to popular culture it almost seemed to validate this style of politics, it seemed as if the Republicans ascendance to power had spawned this culture and decade of greed that was so actively embraced by the American public. With this these politicians simply stated that they were just acting in accordance to what the public’s wishes were. With this success that Reagan had in the 80’s America had once again began to reassert itself on the world stage after a challenging decade of struggling in the 1970’s. Reagan is thought to be responsible also for the victory in the cold war that had lasted for decades before his term. The new thinking in the 80’s was not that this was greed but more of what the Republicans called prosperity and success. Some of the negatives of these changes were Reagan deregulated everything which in effect destroyed competition and this created oligopolies. Some examples of these are in the airline industry he deregulated the industry causing every airline in the country, except 2 to become bankrupt, as the deregulation in the broadcast industry resulted in just a few major players like Disney and Clear Channel dominating the playing field. As for under the Reagan administration money in politics became more strong then ever and that still holds true today in the world of politics for it seems like we no longer have elections, we more like have auctions for where it seems the candidate who has the most money to spend on getting their name out is usually the one who wins in these political battles, especially for the Presidency. What this does now and back then in the 80’s where it started is a corporation who might want certain laws or tax breaks passed to better help their needs funds that candidate to get elected and then in turn expects them favors to be returned when that candidate is elected. This new concentration of wealth created a whole new class of millionaires, however on the downside for every millionaire there were several hundred homeless people. With this came more negativity that came with the corporate greed of the 80’s. For these people who became homeless and poor due to these millionaires greed were blamed for dragging down the economy by Republican politicians and their mouthpieces in the media, while the truth we found out later is that indeed it was these rich people who were ripping us off and actually were responsible for dragging down the economy. Going as far to blaming the poor the city of Los Angeles installed a fingerprint system to guard against welfare fraud that cost the city and hardworking tax payers 30 million dollars, and for all of this it caught one cheater. While at the same time â€Å"White collar† crime was rising and costing us more than street crime cost, also doing more damage and arguably causing more deaths. Reagan also had a deregulation of the savings and loans industry which was a total debacle and ended up costing Americans 500 billion dollars which is part of the still current banking problem that is going on today. Unfortunately Reagan also began the practice of sending American manufacturing jobs overseas, another move that made the rich even more rich and greedy and made the poor have even less than they did before. Despite all these negatives it can be argued that Ronald Reagan was the most important and influential President of the last 60 years, loved by the Republicans and loathed by the liberals. Reagan turned half a century of political and economic orthodoxy and turned it on its head. It can be argued that he turned those who were Roosevelt democrats. So whether you loved or hated Reagan there is no doubt that administration and the greed of 80’s is still alive today. My though would be if your rich, you like the corporate greed and excessiveness that took place in the 80’s, however if you are poor you are wondering why this turned out like it did.

Advertising Is a Wasteful Expenditure or an Investment

There has been a constant debate about â€Å"advertising† that whether it is a useful or wasteful expenditure of resources. Advertising plays a crucial role in today’s world where there are so many brands vying for the customer’s attention. If not advertising, how else would you as a consumer know what all there is you could choose from? Though a useful tool, it must be well utilized to create an impact. Many a times, we as consumers remember the setting of the ad but forget the brand that was being advertised†¦this is definitely a pitfall and must be looked into.For an ad to have a real impact, it must be able to create brand retention. Advertising is the main source of â€Å"Customer Education† in marketing. Its main advantage to the customer is that we become aware of the products in the market and have a competitive advantage in buying the products and services. Its main advantage to the seller is in the manner of informing the prospective custome rs of the values of the products and capturing them.In older days, ads were on papers and pamphlets and billboards. In this electronic era, it has captured the TV and the internet. Therefore advertising is not a waste of resources. But as companies make their advertising expenditure on customer then it would be a bit problematic condition for customers as companies just look for their profits and if the advertising agency is not good then the whole budget goes waste.So i think company should be effective to make an ad as for this era advertising is an important aspect for all types of businesses. But company should not make the ads on the costs of customer’s money as they don’t give customer a big return but they have a huge returns and companies absorb bloods of poor customers. So i think that should be stop or minimized as in India rich are becoming more richer and poor becoming more poorer

Dream vacation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dream vacation - Essay Example Whenever I would get a chance to visit Italy I won't miss a single museum. However my family is planning to visit my aunt in Italy in the next summer vacations, if so, I would plan every single hour of my vacations to enjoy the utmost. Churches and national shrines hold significance, as they are the primary concern for tourist attraction. The works of famous sculptors and painters like Leonardo Di Vinci, Michelangelo and Filippo Brunelleschi can be found in Tuscany, one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the world. (VacationIdea, 2006) I have often heard about the great Tower of Pisa, which is famous for its five degrees tiltness amazing most of the tourists. My curiosity lead me to investigate the reason of being tilted and then I got to know that it was just a coincidence that the tower got tilted as one side of the ground was soft and so the tower leaned one side. That coincidence became the center of attraction for majority of the tourists around the world. The most exotic art and architecture to which I would prefer to visit Rome is the Roman Colosseum built in 80 A.D for gladiator fights. I am quite inspired by such fights and wish if I had to be among one of them, what had been the consequences. Visiting Fontana Di Trevi is my heart most desire which I would fulfill in the next summer vacations. ... The reason for this is nothing particular except for the nature and greenery that island possesses. Another greener place to explore is the Cinque Terre, a place for hiking in the Northwest of Rome, enriched with botanicals of lemon orchards; I wonder I would be lost in the beauty of Rome. Rome also possesses one of my interests, a museum renowned for keeping the latest stylish and the most antique cars, Galleria Ferrari. This museum tells us all about the Romans history, people, importance of cars in Roman history and the modern Roman approach. Ranging from the sports car to modern luxury car this museum enjoys an auditorium, ground floor and first floor for the visitors all around the world. I wonder about the prices of the cars, must be expensive enough to deem to buy. Roman Forum is also a historical place to visit, as it used to be the main center of preaching religion of ancient Romans. The Forum consists of other monumental places like the Temple of Saturn, the House of the Vestals, Arch of Septimus Severus and Faustina and the Arch of Titus. After Rome, the first place to visit in Paris in my hit list is Eiffel Tower. This antique and valuable identity of Paris, well known for being the tallest building in the world serves as the main source of tourist attraction. According to my knowledge the tower comprises of three huge floors, whenever I think of spending vacations in Paris I assume myself being on the top of the floor where to enjoy the scenic view of observing the whole Paris would be like a dream turning to reality. What knowledge I have come across, tells that Paris "The City of Lights" is renowned for its monumental buildings. After Eiffel Tower comes the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe and its

Theater Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Theater Art - Essay Example He has let himself in using a killing machine, i.e, a gun. The picture on the wall shows a painting of a forest where the trees cast long, dark shadows, in tune with the general atmosphere of threat radiated by the character in the frame. The frame of the painting is dark, the back of the door behind the hitman is dark and the overall lighting is focused upon the character, showing his progress into the dark room. The darkness could hide many secrets, the darkness associated with the character in every aspect from the clothes to his dark hair, are all suggestive of evil. . The painting of the forest and the darkness of the shadows appears to be only the external reflection of the evil raging inside the character. In this particular shot, as the killer enters the room, his stance and posture suggest his state of mental readiness for action. His glance veers towards the left, towards the wall and TV, as of seeking out in advance, anything or anyone that could be hiding there. The facia l expression and stance suggest a cold ruthlessness, an impression that is conveyed without the use of any overtly threatening signs or gestures, other than the large gun in his hand. The evil emanates from the character in a quietly menacing way.

The Vietnam War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Vietnam War - Essay Example The effects on the mental health of these soldiers has led to unemployment, drug addiction, divorce, suicide, and a range of mental illnesses. A key difference between the Vietnam War and previous wars was the intensity of the level of stress. War has always presented the combat veteran with a difficult situation in regards to stress. However, in World War II the soldier would engage in a battle that would last in terms of days. As the battle subsided, the front lines moved and combat ceased for a period of time. The battles lines were clearly marked and the enemy clearly defined. In Vietnam the soldiers faced a shadowy enemy with no front lines. They were in threat of losing their life 24 hours a day for every day they were in the country. There was no reprieve from the immediate threat of death. In past wars there were always cases of 'battle fatigue' or 'shell shock', but the Vietnam War redefined this as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) and its associated symptoms. While PTSD affects approximately 1 percent of the general population, it is as high as 15 percent among Vietnam veterans 35 years after the end of the war (Mollica et al. 2058-2059). PTSD in Vietnam veterans manifests itself through a variety of symptoms. These include social maladjustment, social phobia, guilt, difficulty controlling anger, joblessness, homelessness, and family strife (Frueh et al. 26). The Vietnam veteran is often faced with a lifetime of substance abuse, acute anxiety, and an inability to fit into a normal social setting. A problem that faced the returning Vietnam veteran was the negative attitude that society held for a veteran returning from an unpopular war. Army Captain Max Cleland, a soldier who lost both legs and was later elected a US Senator from Georgia explains, "To the devastating psychological effect of getting maimed, paralyzed, or in some way unable to reenter American life as you left it, is the added psychological weight that it may not have been worth it; that the war may have been a cruel hoax" (qtd. in Nicosia 159-160). This effect was even more magnified for the minority veterans who served in disproportionate numbers and came home to face the additional burden of racism. Limited opportunities for blacks after the war resulted in conflicting feelings about the brutality waged against the Vietnamese and resulted in rates of PTSD among black veterans that were significantly higher than among whites (Allen 55). The Vietnam veteran faced the difficulty of PTSD in a world that was unsym pathetic and ill-equipped to diagnose and treat the illnesses that the war had inflicted. The Veteran's Administration (VA) has been traditionally reluctant to recognize and adequately treat PTSD. The VA currently publishes estimates that indicate that as many as 30 percent of the Vietnam veterans suffer from PTSD, which is in excess of some other more conservative estimates ("How Common is PTSD"). However, the availability of resources has not been sufficient to meet the need. The American Psychiatric Association has reported that the reported cases of PTSD have risen by 42 percent in recent years, but funding has only been increased by 22 percent (Mulligan). The problem of under-treatment is also complicated by under self-reporting. Veterans may feel that if they

Managerial Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Managerial Finance - Essay Example from the marriage of the managing director (then a saw mill owner) and a wealthy forestry owner from the north of England, in the phase of the current market situation a number reforms are about to be implemented base on the best option. This paper is therefore going to analyse the case thoroughly by looking at the main issues discussed in the case study in section 2 below; evaluating the management control system of Wooden Post Ltd as described in the case study in section 3 below; analyzing the case using agency and contingency theories in section 4; comparing and contrasting agency and contingency theory perspectives as well as looking at how the interpretation of the case differ from each theoretical perspective in section . This will require using certain financial analysis tool such as the Net Present Value and the Payback. The last section takes a decision and provides conclusion and recommendations The Wooden Post Ltd case study raises some important themes. The case first of all highlighted the issue of cultural change. The main idea in the area included improving on its transportation system, reducing cost in other to boost the organization competitive position. Agency control is also highlighted in the case through the introduction of a new director’s incentive scheme and a fall in growth potentials. Other problems raised in the case involve issues of corporate restructuring, contracting and outsourcing, employee’s redundancy. Under the present situation, management is now faced with the options of either merger and acquisition, joint venture or closure of some facilities. A couple of research has been carried out with the view to answer the two fundamental question as follows; (1) Does capital structure matters- can the total market value of a firm be increase or decrease by altering the mix of equity and debt? And, (2) if capital structure is relevant, what factors determine the optimal mix of equity and debt that would maximise the firm’s

Discuss the pros and cons of unions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discuss the pros and cons of unions - Essay Example This implies that if benefits are increased, then workers will increase productivity that translates into profits for the company. Unions are also important for negotiating for better facilities at the work place such as maintenance services, new tools or equipment (Phillips and Gully 443). The introduction of such facilities implies that workers are willing to increase productivity and quality. However, unions also pose challenges to organizations and workers. For instance, unions breed laziness and rudeness in situations where the management fails to act. This causes industrial riots or unrests, which reduces the productivity and earnings of an organization (Phillips and Gully 443). Another setback of unions is that they create social groups in the workplaces where workers spend more time gossiping instead of working. Organizations where social groups are prevalent tend to suffer from misuse of resources and low productivity. This arises because the workers are attached to social groups that subscribe to their preferences. It is also apparent that unions are not good if it leads to shifting of strategic plans to respond to workers’ demands (Phillips and Gully 443). This gives the rival firms a competitive advantage since they are capable of working towards the faulted plans of the

Four things you should do before you join the real world Essay

Four things you should do before you join the real world - Essay Example This step refers to talking to other people, listening what they have to say, and then repeating the process. Specifically, this is referring to the importance of continually investigating the types of professions other people are involve in and being inquisitive about discovering information. I performed this step by discussing career prospects with my classmates. In this way I asked where they work, where they plan on working, and if they have participated in any specific forms of internships. Through performing this step I learned a significant amount about the career goals of the people around me, as well as their strategies for pursuing these goals. Additionally I came to discover that a career fair would be held in my area of professional interest. The next step was being able to introduce myself. I recognize this did not merely entail saying hello to someone. Instead it requires me to introduce myself in a way that gives a strong impression and aids me in my quest for a job. For a period I considered what would make a good impression and then practiced these skills with classmates. Specifically I worked on maintaining eye contact and presenting a confident disposition. The next step was to network with my neighbors. While I regularly talk with my neighbors and classmates I have not always made a concerted effort to ‘network’ with them. With my increased focus on networking, however, I set about changing this. In these regards I made an effort to add all of my neighbors to my Facebook page. Additionally I started a LinkedIn page and added my neighbors. I came to recognize the importance of developing a professional presence through these networking efforts; subsequently I changed my Facebook profile and worked to find more professional pictures. The final step I participated in was to ‘make the most of informal interviews’. I got a good chance to practice this skill at the career fair for my major. During this

Current legislations, guidelines, policies and procedures for safeguarding the welfare of children and young people Essay Example for Free

Current legislations, guidelines, policies and procedures for safeguarding the welfare of children and young people Essay Identify the current legislations, guidelines, policies and procedures for safeguarding the welfare of children and young people including e-safety. Legislation covering child protection can be divided into two main categories : civil law and criminal law. The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 – This is an older piece of legislation of which some parts are still in forced today. It includes a list of offences against children, these are referred to as Schedule One offences. The Children Act 1989 –The current child protection system is based on the Children Act 1989. The introduction of this act was intended to be the most compressive and far reaching reform in child law in parliamentary history. The main aim of this law is to ensure that the welfare of a child is always considered as the most important factor when making any decisions about the upbringing of a child. The act also considers the thought and feelings of the child in a situation and bases decisions on whether the outcome would be better or worse for the child. It introduced the concept of parental responsibility. Two guidance documents are available to help professionals to identify children that may be at risks and the steps to take to help prevent this occurring. These documents are intended to be used with The Children Act 1989. The first is called, Guidance on interagency cooperation under the Children Act 1989, which was first published in 1991. The second which was published in 2000 was titled The Framework for the assessment of children in need and their families. Below are listed the variations of the policy throughout the UK. Safeguarding children: working together under the Children Act 2004 – This is the current guidance for Wales. The Children Order 1995 – Northern Ireland. The Children Act 1995 – Scotland. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 – This includes the right for a child to be protected from abuse, the right to express their views and have them listen to and the right to care and services for disabled children or children living away from home. The Human Rights Act 1998 – This protects the rights of all human beings, in the eyes of the law children are seen as human beings and therefore the Human Rights act covers their rights as well. The Education Act 2002 – This was introduced to ensure that a schools governing body and LEA make arrangements for the safeguarding and welfare of children. The Adoption and Children Act 2002 This expands on the Children Act 1989 by including domestic violence in the definition of harm. The Children Act 2004 – This new act didn’t replace or amend the Children Act 1989, instead it set out the process for integrating services to children. Further acts that followed the 2004 Children Act include – The Children and Adoption Act 2006, Children and Young Persons Act 2008, The Boarders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 and the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. Legislation to protect children from adults that pose a risk. The 1997 Sex Offenders Act – Requires sex offenders to have their names and addresses added to the sex offenders register. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 – This was introduced to update the legislation relating to offences against children. It included the offences of grooming, abuse of position of trust and trafficking. Further policies include – The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 and the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. E-Safety A School’s e-Safety Policy reflects the importance it places on the safe use of information systems and electronic communications. e-Safety encompasses not only Internet technologies but also electronic communications via mobile phones, games consoles and wireless technology. It highlights the need to educate children and young people about the benefits, risks and responsibilities of using information technology. * E-Safety concerns safeguarding children and young people in the digital world. * E-Safety emphasises learning to understand and use new technologies in a positive way. * E-Safety is less about restriction and more about education about the risks as well as the benefits so we can feel confident online. * E-Safety is concerned with supporting children and young people to develop safer online behaviours both in and out of school. The Internet is an unmanaged, open communications channel. The World Wide Web, email, blogs and social networks all transmit information using the Internet’s communication infrastructure internationally at low cost. Anyone can send messages, discuss ideas and publish material with little restriction. These features of the Internet make it an invaluable resource used by millions of people every day. Some of the material on the Internet is published for an adult audience and can include violent and adult content. Information on weapons, crime and racism may also be unsuitable for children and young people to access. Pupils need to develop critical skills to evaluate online material and learn that publishing personal information could compromise their security and that of others. Schools have a duty of care to enable pupils to use on-line systems safely. Schools need to protect themselves from legal challenge and ensure that staff work within the boundaries of professional behaviour. The law is catching up with Internet developments: for example it is an offence to store images showing child abuse and to use email, text or instant messaging (IM) to ‘groom’ children. Schools can help protect themselves by making it clear to pupils, staff and visitors that the use of school equipment for inappropriate reasons is â€Å"unauthorised† and ensure an Acceptable Use Policy is in place. E-Safety training is an essential element of staff induction and part of an on-going CPD programme. However, schools should be aware that a disclaimer is not sufficient to protect a school from a claim of personal injury and the school needs to ensure that all reasonable actions have been taken and measures put in place to protect users. Legally an educational institutions e-safety policy ties into multiple laws and legislation.