Quantitative easing and inflation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Quantitative easing and inflation - Essay Example In the year 1694, the bank was established and on 1st March 1946 it became nationalised (Sayers, 1976). It gained its operational significance in the year1997 and from then the bank can independently work on the implementation of monetary policies (Bank of england, 2013). From the year 1993 the bank started to publish its inflation report on a quarterly basis. It contains a detailed economic analysis with the inflation projections for the upcoming months (Tennant, 2009). By depending on this analysis, the monetary policy committee of the bank take several decisions based on the interest rate (Bank of England, 2013). Quantitative Easing is a strategy in monetary policy that has been adopted by several governments and central banks to ease the effect of inflation. It helps to increase the money supply by purchasing securities from government or other securities from the market (Fukasawa, 2000, p.65). As the financial institutions got flooded with capital it helps to increase the money supply which will subsequently promote to increase the lending and liquidity. Quantitative easing is used by the central banks when the interest rates have already been minimized to near 0% levels and unable to produce the desired effect (Kimura & Small, 2004, p.45). In the following research the researcher will try to understand how the â€Å"Bank of England† is trying to minimise the inflation rate and if the Quantitative Easing program will cause higher inflation in future or not (Rochon & Rochon, 2012, p.69). Policy adopted by the Bank of England to minimise the inflation rate In the month of March of the year 2013 the inflation rate of United Kingdom has been rated as 2.80. For the purpose of national statistics inflation rate has been reported to the UK office. From the past history it has been found that from the year 1989 until 2013 the average inflation rate of United Kingdom is 2.81%. In the year 1991 it has its highest point at 8.50 and the lowest was in the year 2 000 rated 0.50 percentile. In this country the most important categories in the consumer price index are transport and housing, followed by water, electricity, gas and other fuels. The following chart shows the previous inflation rate in a bar chart format- The consumer price index grew by 2.8% in the current year. In spite of the large increase and decreases the CPI remain broadly flat. The central bank of UK introduced a monetary policy balloon which helps to set the interest rate to control the inflation. One needs to keep the balloon flying at a steady height of 200 meters. It is like the same as the bank’s monetary policy committee tries to make the inflation steady at 2%. The main objective of the bank’s monetary policy is to bring stability in the price, lower the inflation rate by supporting the objectives of the government for growth of the economy as well as employment. The targeted inflation rate is 2%. In the budget statement each year the Chancellor of the Exchequer announces the targeted inflation rate. The bank can change the interest rate; however in an extreme condition the government also can ask the central bank to change the inflation rate for a certain period. Depending on the consumer price index the inflation rate

The Mind-Body Problem, Freedom and Determinism Problem Essay

The Mind-Body Problem, Freedom and Determinism Problem - Essay Example The knowledge of our conscious states is usually connected to the perceptual experiences that we go through. Constant thoughts, thirst, hunger, feelings of sadness and anger, pains and itches and somatic sensations are among the inclusions of a conscious mental state (Kim 67). There have been different sets of ideas regarding the mind and the body. Many people have argued and different and separate thoughts and ideas of whether the mind and the body are the same thing or whether they are different and separate. We have been brought up with the idea that we have minds. We are taught in many different ways that we have both minds and bodies and they exist differently. Many people have accepted this fact despite the few people who argue against it. The small number has been increasing due to the several changes in beliefs that have sprouted recently that give evidence contrary to the popular belief. Self-understanding by humans is an important part of philosophy and science. This can be achieved by understanding the place of thought and feeling in the natural world. When trying to understand the natural world, one has to consider the relationship between mental and physical phenomena. There has been a lack of agreement on what really is the relationship between mental and physical phenomena in psychology and this is what is traditionally known as the mind body problem (Cooney 25). It is a philosophical problem that occurs in the fields of metaphysics and philosophy of mind. This problem usually arises because of the difference in the qualitative and substantial characteristics of the mental problem and the physical bodies which the mind depends on. This theory was realized by philosopher Descartes. Mental states have a character which is qualitative in nature. This character is usually known as qualia. When one is aware of his or her conscious state, then the only thing in question is oneself. A distinct and unique feature about our consciousness is that we have k nowledge of them which means that when we are conscious, we know we are and we know how we are but we do not infer this knowledge (Dretske 56). Intention is another feature of the mental that is important. It makes the mind directed at something. Desires and beliefs are also an important part of the mental state. These are referred to as propositional attitudes because we can express them. Some mental states usually seem to lack intentions, such as when someone is in a state of anxiety or euphoria. Intentions are usually directed by our desires and beliefs. Physical theory usually changes with time. This means that the current physical theory may go through several changes and revisions. The mind body problem, however, does not change with the changes in the physical theory. The mind body problem has the response of the basic constituents of things that have mental properties. Physical phenomena have three different impressions. The first one is that the position will be classified as a version of physicalism. The second interpretation does not give the option of mental phenomena being reduced to physical phenomena. The third interpretation is that physical phenomenon is exemplified by our current physics. Although theories have been propounded whether the mind is part of the body or separate, its existence cannot be ignored. This can be exemplified by the common language usages such as â€Å"What’s on your mind?,† â€Å"

The mysterious goings on surrounding Dr Jekyll and the evil Mr Hyde Essay Example for Free

The mysterious goings on surrounding Dr Jekyll and the evil Mr Hyde Essay Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is set in Victorian times, where the well-respected lawyer Utterson investigates the mysterious goings on surrounding his good friend Dr Jekyll and the evil Mr Hyde. The book was written in 1886 and therefore contains many theories around in Victorian times such as physiognomy. This is when people believed physical appearance could define a criminal type character. This is evident throughout the book due to the description of Hyde and also of more civilised characters. The idea of original sin is perhaps watered down in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by introducing the idea of drugs to bring out evil characteristics in one person. The setting of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is set in Victorian London. Stevenson uses clear descriptions of misty nights and a night under the face of the fogged city moon, which give an impression of evil and mystery to the story long before it has truly begun. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is at one point mentioned as very cool and a little damp, and full of premature twilight. This is a first hand example of the split personality coming through, the darkness showing through too early, damp, a total opposite to the respectable setting of Victorian London. Many people in Victorian times believed in the theory of physiognomy, however, Golding also makes some symbolic use of appearances. In Lord of the Flies Jack and Ralph first met when the conch is blown. Jack leading the choir is described as tall, thin and bony: his hair was red His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness this gives the idea that Jack looks evil. His red hair and black overalls can be associated with the colour of the devil and the colour of death / destructions. The use of physiognomy in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is very obvious, especially in the descriptions of Hyde. Many different characters give across description of Hyde as a little man who was stumping along and to further demonstrate Hyde as an evil character, he is often described using reference to animals, as in the line Hyde shrank back with a hissing intake of breath. Although often Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde seems to be a light-hearted tale of mystery and intrigue, Stevenson takes great pains to show that the evil Mr. Hyde is very deadly. There is certainly nothing comical about the trampling of the little girl on the street corner. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde does not use much biblical reference, although very much like Adam Eve who ate the forbidden fruit to gain knowledge, Lanyons desire for knowledge used his hardship resulting in his death, that I must die and yet I shall die incredulous. Stevenson also did not introduce much allegory although the themes portrayed in the novel can be related to modern times. The obvious parallel to issues nowadays is the use of drugs. Stevenson uses the drugs to all Dr Jekyll to change into Mr Hyde, and his dependency on Hyde may be compared to a drug addiction. The line I could stop whenever I want is used in Jekylls defence but in reality (like many addicts) they are not in control. The elements of symbolism in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde also seem to be much smaller than in Lord of the Flies. The home and laboratory of Dr Jekyll are on opposite sides of the spectrum. His home is seen as respectable and upright. This is shown in the lines the hall, when they entered it, was brightly lighted up; the fire was built high. His laboratory in comparison is described to be rundown and filthy. Both Dr Jekylls home and laboratory are joined together, but look like very separate buildings. This represents the characters of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, who stemmed from the same person but have completely different appearances. The windows to Dr Jekylls laboratory are enclosed with iron bars. These bars mean Jekyll is literally and symbolically imprisoned. The iron bars literally enclose the windows and the Victorian community confine Dr Jekyll to only revealing his respectable side. Yet Stevensons story doesnt have a happy ending. Jekyll is able to admit that after a few months of experimenting with Hyde, eventually the little mans demands became increasingly extreme, seeking more and more power. Soon Jekyll has no control over Hyde, who appears by himself whenever Jekyll dozes off to sleep. He admits, I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated with my second and worse. Finally Hyde causes Jekyll to commit the ultimate act of self-destruction: suicide. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde contains both the 1st and 3rd person, which gives both an overview of events and more in-depth personal thoughts into the main story. The two types are narration are shown in the overall narration of the story which is in 3rd person, and in Lanyon and Jekylls letters, where the type of narration turns to 1st person, I saw what I saw, I heard what I heard. The use of two types of narration could be related to their being two characters who were at one time connected (Jekyll and Hyde). Both books have major relevance in contemporary times, and can be linked to recent events. Similar to Lord of the Flies and the actions of the boys, in the news lately stories have been published about young boys brutally murdering others. A prime example is the Jamie Bulgar case where two young boys murdered a two year old. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, can be related to scientific attempts, such as cloning and genetic engineering, as they have yet unknown consequences, just as Dr Jekyll did not understand how the drugs he took would affect him. Also hypocrisy is a part of contemporary life. Many people behave in one way in public but another elsewhere. This is also brought out in the novel as Dr Jekyll was forced by civilisation to act differently in public and this caused him to experiment with drugs, (therefore separating his two sides making it easy to act respectively at all times. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Lord of the flies have similar themes although written in two largely different times. They also relate closely to current themes suggesting that some ideas are consistent over time. The themes of good and evil and the relation to original sin are demonstrated within both novels suggesting that each individual has the opportunity to be both good and evil. This is best in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as the same person splits his personalities, which allows it to be both good and fully evil at different times. In Lord of the Flies this is shown in a different way, by using children as the main characters. In this way, it uses the readers preconception that children are innocent and are not born evil, but can become so.

Bowlbys Attachment Theory: Applications in Social Work

Bowlbys Attachment Theory: Applications in Social Work Describe and Evaluate Attachment Theory and Assess Its Value for Social Work. Attachment theory, pioneered by John Bowlby, holds that an individual’s emotional and interpersonal development throughout life can be understood, and is ultimately shaped by and rooted in, a system of attachment behaviours they form and internalize during a critical period in early life. According to Bowlby, attachment behavior in children arises out of an innate, instinctual need for security and stability. (Bowlby, 1969) Though a child can form multiple attachments, there is usually one primary figure they place at the top of their hierarchy. This is usually the child’s mother. But there is nothing intrinsic about the ‘maternal’ relationship per se that establishes its primacy over other attachment relationships. It is simply that mothers are often the most sensitive and responsive caregivers on a consistent basis over the longest period of time. There are important quantitative and qualitative distinctions Bowlby draws to properly describe the attachment relationship. The qualitative distinction has to do with the nature of caregiving. Children form attachments based upon the sensitivity and responsiveness of an adult’s reaction to attachment behaviours. Hence, an adult who feeds a child but who is at the same time insensitive or unresponsive will be a less likely candidate for attachment than an adult who does not feed them but remains sensitive and responsive in their interactions with the child. Even with the qualitative conditions met, the attachment relationship is still based upon their consistent application over an extended period of time. It is not enough to be responsive and sensitive as a caregiver in one instance or another. Healthy attachment relationships are formed with these qualitative conditions properly met over time. The primary attachment figure is usually the most consistent and continually present person who interacts with the child. Furthermore, this quantitative distinction appears to be the more significant of the two in forming attachment relationships because the lack of appropriate caregiver responsiveness has been shown not to sever or invalidate the attachment relationship, but to result in unhealthy and even pathological attachment behaviours. (Ainsworth, 1985) So the need for security and stability on the part of the infant results in attachment behaviours directed most commonly at a parent, usually the mother, who becomes their primary attachment figure. The nature of these behaviours is determined by how the primary attachment figure responds to them. Thus, the attachment relationship reflects the interaction between infant need and parental response. One of the most readily identifiable attachment behaviours is proximity seeking, where the child responds to distressful or frightening stimulus by seeking out their primary attachment figure. It is this security that the infant’s instinctual behaviour is designed to achieve. The role of this security is critical for the formation of a psychological stability that allows proper development to occur. Separation (or the threat of separation) from the caregiver, or inappropriate caregiver responses to attachment behaviour, can result in alarm and anxiety which arrest the development of the child as they seek to reestablish the security that allows them to naturally develop. Bowlby identifies the time period of six months to two years of age as a critical stage where most of the basic attachments, and after which, the fundamental internalizations of an ‘internal working model’ are formed. During this time infants and toddlers begin to display attachment behaviours that spawn relationships with caregivers which will form the basis for how they interact and relate to the rest of the world. Bowlby describes the ‘internal working model’, which develops after the ‘sensitivity period’, as a basis of understanding against which the child relates and responds to everything from the experience and analysis of emotions to the formation and understanding of human relationships and interactions. The ‘internal working model’ is not irrevocably fixed during the critical period, but it is most heavily and initially influenced there. Hence the developmental importance, and impact, of this period on the child is of huge significance to their healthy growth and future well-being. Whereas Bowlby’s model views attachments as the building blocks of an ‘internal working model’ that continues to develop throughout the child’s life, it does not delve deeply into the role of security created by attachment behaviours, and the various kinds of behaviour that can follow from various parental responses. Here, Mary Ainsworth’s addition to attachment theory is similarly pioneering. Ainsworth identifies the role of the primary attachment figure as a ‘secure base’ from which the child is free to explore. (Ainsworth et al., 1978) This exploration is a natural part of the child’s development and will occur uniquely according to the given factors present in the personality and makeup of each child. Such exploration occurs, however, under the conditions of healthy attachment. To identify different types of attachments, Ainsworth conducted an empirical study known as the ‘strange situation’ which yielded three initial classifications of attachment behaviour: secure, resistant, avoidant. Later studies following up on this work added a fourth: disorganized, usually resulting from abusive situations or mentally unsound parental response. Together, these four categories form the commonly accepted classifications of attachment behaviour within the child/caregiver relationship in attachment theory. In the strange situation study, a mother entered a room with her child. After they were left alone and the child began playing with toys a stranger entered the room and began talking with the mother, then approached the child with a toy. The mother left as the stranger engaged the child, then returned. The child was then left alone after which the stranger, then the mother successively returned. Finally, the stranger left and the mother and child were alone together in the room again. The study looked at how the children responded to the presence and absence of their mother and a stranger, in different variations, and how they explored the room and engaged the toys. Securely attached infants explored the room while remaining aware of their attachment figure’s location. They were alarmed by their mother’s departure from the room and comforted by her return. They were also more comfortable and willing to engage the stranger in the presence of their mother, and more comfortable with the stranger’s interaction with their mother absent than those not securely attached. Avoidant insecurely-attached children showed little response upon their mother’s departure or return while resistant insecurely-attached children displayed extreme distress upon their mother’s departure and resistance upon reunion, as if the need for the caregiver had been recognized but not accompanied by a feeling of security in accepting their comforting gestures, po ssibly due to inconsistent parental sensitivity and responsiveness to the child’s needs. Here it is clear that the consistency of parental availability and the manner of parental response are key in determining the foundational framework of how children react to their environment and interact with others. We see with Bowlby and Ainsworth the development of a model focused on the earliest stages of interpersonal and emotional development which not only identifies the correlative impact upon the well-being of children in later life, but provides a framework for understanding the causal factors involved in different types of identified behaviours. This is a particularly useful tool in the field of social work where myriad factors often complicate the view of how best to impact a child’s welfare. (Howe et al., 1999) Understanding the developmental aspects that inform healthy behaviour and growth is an important tool in confronting many of the challenges facing social workers today. This is evident in the first example of Howe et al.’s Attachment Theory, Child Maltreatment, and Family Support: A Practice and Assessment Model. His first example is of a woman, Melanie, who was raised by a demanding, abusive, and mentally-unsound mother, who was sexually abused by her father regularly (He died of a heart-attack the evening after he had intercourse with her at the age of fourteen), and who has three children. Her oldest son, Peter, age 7, has exhibited violent behaviour toward other children, demonstrated actions of theft, arson, cruelty toward animals, and has no friends. Her second son, age 3, is quiet and she is unsure about her ability to raise her infant daughter. Howe describes how â€Å"a developmental perspective based on people’s past and present socio-emotional experiences, particularly within close relationships, offers a powerful insight into human personality, styles of caregiving and the character of interpersonal life.† (Howe et al., 1999, p.3) It is this insight that enables an understanding of root causes amidst the fog of developmental complexity that plays into the challenges facing social workers. With attachment theory as a tool, sifting through the fog of factors that form a person’s makeup and identifying the appropriate solution is not an impossible task. Attachment theory provides grounds for a developmental understanding of individuals. As such it is a huge tool for social workers bound by increasing regulations and legalities. For children living in residential homes, the theory can enable an acute understanding of their development in unique situations, as well as create helpful guidelines for parents to foster healthy development of their children. It also enables a reliable assessment of whether or not a child may be in danger, whether parental practices are contributing to the continuing maladjustment of the child, and whether or not it is appropriate to leave them in their current care. Howe et al. also mention attachment theory can help foster parents â€Å"make sense of children who seem intent on rejecting the love offered by their new family.† (Howe et al., 1999, p.4) Understanding the developmental links between the growth of individuals (or lack thereof) and past attachment relationships is a tool useful to virtually every part of social work. In the face of such a powerful tool based on theory, however, there are always criticisms. Much like Bowlby’s criticism of the psychoanalytic theories that dominated the conversation prior to attachment theory (as being too preoccupied with children’s psychology in their world of fantasy), psychoanalytic criticisms of attachment theory stress its preoccupation with attachment realities as myopic. (Steele H, Steele M, 1998) (Cassidy, 1998) Other criticisms, such as Maureen Miner’s Back to the Basics in Attachment to God: Revisiting Theory in Light of Theology, points to the lack of attention to concepts of God during the development of the theories of attachment. There has been â€Å" little attention paid to ways in which God might be different from human attachment figures – most obviously, that God is not a physical being whose form and response to human beings can be observed.† (Miner, 2007) An anthropocentric treatment of God has resulted in a dismissal of theological realities for many people, particularly as it relates to reliance upon and attachments to God. The problem is compounded by the collective inability of individuals to include God in the empirical investigations of attachment theory. Add to this the fact that a majority of people in the world, and indeed many millions in Western countries, and we see the foundations for the explanatory power of attachment theory to begin to show cracks. Miner concludes, however, that the lack of empirical investigation does not preclude attachment theory from accounting for God. Rather, a â€Å"rigorous theological dialogue in the development of psychological theories of attachment to God† opens the door to possibilities of study between â€Å"theologians and psychologists as they investigate how secure (and insecure) attachment relationships with God might operate.† (Miner, 2007) The impact of this criticism on social work is significant as it relates to individuals who may have attachment relationships with concepts of God. However, the explanatory power of attachments that do not involve such concepts do not appear in danger. Miner’s criticism is, in effect, a humbling check on the would-be comprehensive aspirations of attachment theories explanatory power in the field of social work. Taking this criticism into account is imperative in keeping the theory, and social work based upon it, honest. Another important point of concern is the cross-cultural application of attachment theory. In a pluralistic western society, the cross-cultural implications of factoring in attachment theory to social work are very real. While the general consensus is that attachment theory is fundamentally valid across cultures, those analyses suffer from a magnification of Miner’s criticism that a theological conversation is absent, particularly in countries and cultures far more religious and centered on concepts of the divine than the secular West. A great deal of research has been done in different cultures on attachment theory and attachment theorists Prior, Glaser and Kingsley find that: â€Å"Commencing with Ainsworth’s findings in Uganda and Baltimore, US, studies followed in many different cultures, all of which found attachment theory to be applicable across cultures.† (Prior et al., 2006, p.81) Ijzendoorn and Sagi state after exhaustive research: â€Å"the universal validity of attachment theory appears to be confirmed in cross-cultural research.† (Cassidy et al., 1999, p.730) The absence of a theological conversation in Miner’s criticism is focused on a Trinitarian conception of God from a Christian point of view. The UK’s significant Muslim populations only add to the relevance of this criticism. In fact, it can be argued that while Christians exhibit an institutionalized tolerance for secular institutions and concepts (Render unto Caesar†¦), no such allowances will be forthcoming among Muslims. Add to this the factors of discrimination and unequal opportunity that challenge Muslim populations in the West and you see a significant stumbling block for social workers in this kind of environment. It may indeed be unfair to subject Muslim’s to the analysis that they are ‘avoidant’ or ‘resistant’ insecurely attached. The possibilities of a theological conversation may be bleak as well. Interestingly enough, this does not negate attachment theories relevance or importance in social work. Rather, it serves as an important refinement for its use. For example, Susanne Bennet and Loretta Vitals Saks identify its application between students and field instructors in the field of social work. â€Å"A logical extension [of Bowlby’s original hypothesis] is that attachment theory and research can provide a lens for conceptualizing the field supervisor-student supervisee relationship. Specifically, knowledge of internal working models of attachment can increase understanding of the educational process and the dynamics of supervision.† (Bennet Saks, 2006) The idea of the ‘secure base’ forms the foundation of how supervisors ought to manage student growth and education as they explore social work and encounter challenges. Of course, the development of such a relationship would require empirical study, evaluation and development on its own, and the authors caution about the limits of attachment theory as an explanatory tool, but conclude that â€Å"With this warning in mind, attachment theory can enhance an understanding of the supervisory relationship, without the supervisor becoming a parent or therapist to the student, because all adults have internalized models of attachment that influence their relational style, regardless of context. The expectation is that, in an attachment-based approach to supervision, field instructors will find clarity regarding the ideal supervisory relationship and guidance when problems arise. Likewise, when students feel understood in a secure relationship, they will find that supervision of fers a safe environment for learning, facilitating their exploration and professional growth.† (Bennet Saks, 2006) Attachment theory does indeed strike at some fundamental truth at the heart of human development. The truth is, however, that the temptation to run away with it gives rise to the danger of reductionism. In a field as complex and important as social work, the application of theories with such powerful explanatory power is cautioned by careful use and consideration. The field of social work is also an important area of research into the application of attachment theory where attachment theorists themselves may find mutual benefit as well. As long as the disciplines continue independently, however, many interesting developments may be missed. A coordinated approach is not likely any time soon, but stands as a hopeful possibility for the future with incalculable benefits.

What About Here At Home? :: essays research papers

What About Here At Home?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With America at the heels of its President, it is now time to strike. Against terrorists, yes, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. It is time for the government to strike here at home. To reinsure safety to its citizens is the primary goal for the government right now - safety from foreign attacks, but also economic safety.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to do so, I am offering an idea so profound, so absurd, that many of you will not be able handle it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What the government should do right now is cut taxes. Tremendously. But wait a minute. We are entering a war and you want us to cut taxes? It is detrimental that right now we restore faith in investing. It is necessary in order for our economy to maintain, to ensure the survival of slumping businesses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Becoming clearer is the fact that we are beginning a long battle against terrorism. In other words, war has begun. One of the main reasons the U.S. economy was so gigantic from 1992-2000, was the absence of nuclear threat. Once the cold war ended, Americans had little fear of invasion. Simply put, Americans believed they would live longer. Therefore, personal discount rates declined, unleashing unlimited room for investment, and subsequently long term decline of interest rates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now, we again face fear of nuclear attack. While it is fine for the President to insist on our spending, investing, and carrying on lives in normality, it simply is not realistic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To retreat this fear we all have, words will not do justice, only actions. If taxes are cut, across the board, citizens will have more to save, and equally more to invest. As far as businesses go, a tax cut would allow not only for more production, but also for more research, and a larger paycheck for you and I.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A large tax cut would also allow for new businesses to start, something very unlikely at this time without. An example of this are oil and drilling companies. With much of our oil coming from Arab and Muslim states, the time has come to drift away from dependency. If we could isolate ourselves financially from Middle Eastern states, then we have less to lose by going to war with them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States certainly isn’t the only country whose major supply of oil comes from the Middle East.

Barn Burning Essay -- essays papers

Barn Burning â€Å"Barn Burning† by William Faulkner was written in the ebb of the 1930’s in a decade of social, economic, and cultural decline. This story offers insight into the past years for students to learn of the nation and the South. This story shows the racial segregation that took place in these times between the white landowners and white tenant farmers, the blacks and the whites, and the poor white trash class and the blacks. The Snopes’s family was in the social class of the poor, white tenant farmers. The father, Abner Snopes, had to struggle to provide for his family. In the family there were the mother and her sister, two daughters, and two sons. The older son, Flem, worked with Abner, and the younger son, Sarty, helped with the chores. Sarty, along with others, had trouble understanding his father’s way of life and his attitude towards society. Abner was a harsh man. His crusade as a sharecropper exploited his inner feelings of resentment towards the landowners. Having little or no patience with each new situation, he resorted to the only ...

Massey Coal

Massey Coal Case A person is morally responsible for an injury or a wrong if: 1. the person caused or helped caused it, or failed to prevent it when he or she could have and should have 2. the person did so knowing what he or she was doing 3. the person did so of his or her own free will Question 1 Massey Energy Company should be held morally responsible for the deaths of the 29 miners. The U. S. Mine Safety and Health Administration issued â€Å"too much† citations for the violations in the mines Massey Energy Company owned.The company always challenged several of the citations and corrected enough of the significant and substantial violations to allow its total violations to fall below the level needed to force its closure. This means in terms of safety, the company only make significant safety change in order for their mines not to be totally closed but not make a major safety changes in order to follow all the guidelines of MSHA and eliminate all possible endangerment in t he mines. Massey should be held morally responsible because of the lack of effort the company put in to improve the safety quality in their mines.Question 2 Don Blankenship should be held morally responsible for the deaths of the 29 miners. Don wrote a memo stating that managers should concentrate on producing coal and not waste time responding to requests to fix things. It was not clear what had ignited the explosion of April 5 but it was almost certain that is was caused by accumulations of methane and coal dust. If Don had enforced the managers to focused more on the safety of the mines and the miners so that they are up to MSHA safety standards rather than only to concentrate on producing coal, the April 5 incident could well be prevented.Don Blankenship lack of care for the miners and prioritizing profit over safety are enough reasons for him to be held morally responsible for the deaths of the 29 miners. Question 3 MSHA should somehow be held morally responsible for the deaths of the 29 miners. First of all, the company does not operate up to the standard when it comes to protecting the lives of the miners. The agency was understaffed and its inspectors were overworked. Also, the week before the mine explosion, half of the agency’s inspectors failed to attend required training courses and the agency neither kept track of their attendance nor did it sanction them.Not only that, but the company can’t shut down a mine unless the total violations of these coal mine companies are above the level needed to force its closure. Most of the coal mine companies challenged MSHA’s citations and corrected enough of the significant violations so they fall below the shut-down level. This is irresponsible on MSHA’s side. Thy should enforce a tighter and stricter rules when it comes to violations. MSHA should not just imposed fines on the company but they should be more stern when it comes to safety violations by the company.Also, waiting until there is too much violations by the company to close the mines will endanger the lives of the miners. When people lives are on stake, MSHA surely are not up to the standard of that task. Question 4 The miners had some idea of the risks of working in the Upper Big Branch mine however that is not enough for them to be held any responsibility for their own deaths. Don Blankenship had released a memo to the managers specifically stating to ignore wasting time responding to requests to fix things. Managers then would be afraid to object to Don Blankenship requests since they could get fired.During the congressional hearing, survivors and relatives of those who had died testified. Most of the testimony states that they are afraid to go to management and express their fears of the lack of safety in the mine. They are afraid management would look for ways to fire them. So afraid of being fired, miners should not be held responsible for their own deaths because of the lack of freedom they h ave to express their feelings. Question 5 There is a huge difference between mines without unions like the Massey mines and other mines that had unions.The huge difference is the safety regulations. A union would fought for better enforcement of safety regulations to protect the miners. According to the testimony of Gary Quarles, the huge difference is when MSHA inspector comes to the mines. When an MSHA inspector comes onto a Massey mine property, the code words go out â€Å"we’ve got a man on the property. † When the word goes pit all effort is made to correct any deficiencies or direct the inspector’s attention away from any deficiencies. Also when an MSHA inspector comes to a Massey mine, he/she is only accompanied by Massey people.No coal miner at the mine can point out areas of concern to the MSHA inspector. While in union mines, workers at the mine would accompany the MSHA inspectors during the inspections. Workers also have the right to refuse to work in unsafe conditions without fear of their job. Clearly, in mines without unions like Massey, the people are trying to deceive MSHA inspectors to that they would not get citations for different violations. Seeing the huge difference in enforcing safety regulations, all mines should be forced to have a union. Question 6The average salary for all jobs in the United States is $43,000 while miners in the Upper Big Branch mine were paid $60,000. Even though a work of a miner required no more than a high school education, the risk of their job is very high, probably the highest. Wages will fail to provide a level of compensation proportional to the risks of a job when markets do not register risks because the risks are not yet known. For example, the health risks involved in mining or using a certain mineral such as manganese may not be known until many years afterward. In this case, wages will not fully compensate for risks.Workers also might accept risks unknowingly because they do not ha ve adequate accept to information concerning those risks. Workers don’t have the money or the tool to collect information needed to assess the risks of the jobs they accept. Workers might accept known risks out of desperation because they lack the mobility to enter other less risky industries or because they lack information of the alternatives available to them. Massey is only paying $17,000 more than the average of all jobs in the United States. Knowing all the risks as a miner such as exposure to methane nd all other lethal gases and also the high rate of accidents in Upper Big Branch mine due to poor safety regulations, a wage of $60,000 surely does not cover the all the risks that the miners are exposed to. Only $17,000 more on the wage of the miners than the average wage of all the jobs in the U. S. is not an ethical approach by the company. There is a far more safer job even though they are lower in wages. But the $60,000 in wages is not worth it for the miners conside ring all the job risks Massey doesn’t account for. So, Massey was not handling job risk in an ethically appropriate manner. Question 7Massey Energy Company did not fulfill a lot of ethical obligations. The company violated the ethics of care. An ethic of care says they we should care for those dependent on and related to us. The miners are dependent of the managers and CEO of the company to enforce tighter and stricter safety regulations, however Massey failed to do so. The company violated the ethics of pollution control. Massey was faced with the problem of disposing millions of gallons of coal slurry the mines were producing. They did not control their pollution of coal slurry into the environment, thus violating the ethics of pollution control.Massey also violated different rights. Positive rights state that duties of other agents (Massey) to provide the holder of the right (the miners) with whatever he or she needs to freely pursue his or her interests. The miners intere st is to have a high quality safety regulations in the mines and Massey failed to provide this interest. Massey also failed the fairness of wages and the fairness of employee working conditions. The wage they are paying to the miners are not enough to cover all the job risks the miners are exposed to in the mine. Massey also failed to provide proper working condition in the Upper Big Branch.