Oil in the middle east Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Oil in the middle east - Research Proposal Example What is a good measure of oil dependency? What will the Middle East in general do as oil begins to run out? In particular, what will Kuwaits response be? First, I want to identify the likely date of peak oil. Peak oil is defined as the point where oil production is maximized. Peak oil does not mean that oil has run out, but it does mean that all subsequent attempts to get it will be more and more expensive, raising the price of oil ever and ever higher. Second, I want to determine the economic mix of the Middle East in terms of imports and exports, as well as look at the history of the Middle East to determine what has historically made it so oil-dependent. Marcus Noland and Howard Pack. "The East Asian Industrial Policy Experience: Implications for the Middle East" Industrial Policy in the Middle East and North Africa. Ed. Ahmed Gala. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2008.

The British government in the Second World War Essay Example for Free

The British government in the Second World War Essay However, many children had bad experiences of evacuation, and this would strongly suggest that evacuation was a failure. Source B is a description of evacuation from a teacher in 1988. It says how children were too afraid to talk and how the mothers were pressed against the iron bars calling Good-bye darling. This shows how scary evacuation was for so many children; as well as their mothers; many of them had no clue as to where they were going. As this is an interview with a teacher, it is likely to be an accurate and reliable, it also reflects the experiences of many evacuees. Source C is an account from childrens novel; it outlines the problems of communication between foster parents and their children evacuees. Oh, Im sorry, how silly of me, why should we have slippers? Many foster parents were surprised at how poor their children were and had to pay out for their requirements. Source E is from a Mass Observation Survey, it is an interview with a farther, he outlines the reasons why many parents think that there children will be better staying at home in the city. Where his children would be sent, in the shires, there is nothing for them; they were starving before the war. He also thinks that if he does die, at least friends and family can look after his children. This is very likely to be a reliable source, as it is from a mass ordinance survey, where the father would have no reason to lie. It shows how the government had failed to persuade people that evacuation is the safest place for their children. A womans institute report on evacuees in 1940 tells us how the uncleanness of children would have decreased morale within foster parents, this is another example of how disgusted many foster parents were at the condition of their child Some of the children were literally sewn in their ragged clothes. This is a very reliable source, again with no reason to lie, it reflects my own knowledge that the town children who came to stay with foster parents proved to the British public that slum conditions still existed in Britain. In an interview with Michael Caine, we hear how Caine was beat and locked in the cupboard after his brother Clarence had been found wetting the bed. This is an example of how the Government had failed to protect the welfare of the children who were evacuated into the country, some were abused sexually, but these were few in numbers. This was not a common experience, but the fact that it happened is very worrying that that the Government had failed to stop such events happening. An account from an evacuee tells us how he was evacuated from Gateshead, which was not bombed throughout the war to Dudley in the Midlands, which was bombed during his stay. This is an example of total failure with evacuation. Not only had the government unnecessarily sent children away from towns which were not bombed, which would decrease morale within the community as many families would wish to stay together during the war. Also, the children had been sent to an area which had been bombed, and had been unnecessarily evacuated from a safe area to an area where their lives were in danger. Though this is uncommon with experiences of evacuees, it could easily have been avoided. By 1944 the evacuation scheme had all but stopped, and not even the panic caused by Hitlers flying bombs and rockets could get it started. This is where the Government had failed to keep up the morale of the country and persuade people that evacuation was the best and safest option for their children and people no longer cared about the possible consequences. The evacuation process was efficient and with a quick response to war. With little notice, children were packed up with only one suitcase and sent to the railway station to catch a train that they did not know the destination of their journey. On arrival, they were lined up and picked out like slaves. Though many experienced a new life style, in the countryside learning new skills that they would never be taught in the city and they became more healthy and clean with their foster parents. Forced integration of people from very different backgrounds exposed the real divide present in the country. Evacuation was certainly the safest option for the children, and the majority experienced a happy new life, where they became healthier, however, no one was without their problems. Mothers, children and foster parents alike were not informed about what was involved in fostering children, in some cases the children were abused or made to labour on farms, in these cases the government had failed the children. Many however, were happy with evacuation but no one was un scared by the horrors of war.

The Heart Of Darkness :: Essays Papers

The Heart Of Darkness The novel, Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is literally about Marlow’s journey into the Belgian Congo, but symbolically about the discovery of his heart and soul during his journey, only to find that it is consumed by darkness. He realizes that the man he admired and respected most, is really demonic and that he may be just like him. He is able to come to this realization however, before it takes the best of him. The main character of the story, Marlow, is a thirty-two year old English seaman who has been traveling all his life. All he really wants is to find some shred of goodness in the European domination of Africa. He finds his thoughts completely consumed by one man named Kurtz. Kurtz is a man in charge of the most successful ivory business in the Congo. He is the focus in the novel, in that he is the one whom the other characters react to. Marlow’s thoughts are so consumed by Kurtz, that he is built up to be much more of a man than he truly is. In turn, Marlow is setting himself up for a let down. He says at one point, â€Å"I seemed to see Kurtz for the first time...the lone white man turning his back suddenly on the headquarters, on relief, on thoughts of home...towards his empty and desolate station†(P.32). When Marlow reaches Kurtz’s station, he begins to become disillusioned. He begins to hear about, and even see, the acts that Kurtz is committing, and becomes afraid of him. He sees in Kurtz, what he could become, and wants nothing to do with it. He does not want people to know he has any type of relationship with him, and says in response to the Russian, â€Å"I suppose that it had not occurred to him that Mr. Kurtz was no idol of mine.† (P.59). It is at this point that he begins to discover the darkness in his heart. Towards the end of the story, right before Kurtz dies, Marlow looks at Kurtz, and says â€Å"I saw on that ivory face the expression of somber pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror-of an intense and hopeless despair.† (P.118), and then Kurtz screams, â€Å"The horror, the horror.† (P.118) and he dies. He is referring to what he sees inside himself. This is just what Marlow was afraid he was becoming, he looked deep inside himself, and saw Kurtz.

Illustrate The Causes if Inflation And Deflation Essay

With the aid of diagrams, illustrate the causes if inflation and deflation, and by comparing their economic effects consider how both can effect the corporate sector This essay will aim to cover the causes of inflation and deflation and see how their economic effects influence the corporate sector. By first defining any key terms, then looking at the causes of inflation and deflation, looking at their different effects on the economy and in turn analysing how those effects shape the corporate sector. Before this can be done the terms ‘inflation’, ‘deflation’ and ‘corporate sector’ must first be defined. ‘Inflation is a rise in the average price of goods over time’. (Begg, D., Fischer, S. and Dorndusch, R., 2000, p462) and ‘The most usual measure is that of retail prices’ (Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M., 2001, P533) (this information being gathered from the retail price index [RPI]) and ‘A rise in inflation means a faster increase in prices†¦fall in inflation means a lower rise in prices’ (Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M., 2001, p533). To illustrate the importance of inflation ‘The COS (Central Statistical Office) says it gets more queries from the public about the RPI than any other statistic, a refection of the influence inflation has on every ones life.’ (Vaitilingam, R., 1994, p132). Now deflation must be defined. ‘Deflation is the mirror image on inflation’ (McAleese, D., 2004, p285) and is defined by the Collins English dictionary as ‘reduction in economic activity resulting in lower output and investment’ (Anon, 1998, p140). Corporate means ‘relating to a business corporation’ (Oxford University Press, 2006) so the corporate sector is all profit making businesses. This report will now examine the main causes of inflation. There are two main types of inflation: demand pull and cost push. ‘Demand pull inflation occurs when a rise in aggregate demand leads to an increase in overall prices’ (Begg, D. and Ward, D., 2004, p237). Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M., (2001, p537) represented this graphically stating ‘The AD curve shirts to the right and continue to do so. Firms will respond to a rise in aggregate demand partly by raising prices and partly by increasing output (a move up the AS curve)’ and this is illustrated in the following diagram: This new, higher level of demand my happen for many reasons Atkinson, B. and Miller, R., (1998, p378) tell us that ‘The high level of demand may originate from consumers, from firms, from overseas or from the government’. The other main cause of inflation is cost push inflation. ‘Cost push inflation occurs when a reduction in supply leads to an increase in overall prices’ (Begg, D. and Ward, D., 2004, p237) or ‘when costs of production rise independently from the level of demand’ (Atkinson, B. and Miller, R., 1998, p378). This can be denoted graphically as: Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M., (2001, p357) describe this graph as ‘Cost-push inflation is associated with continuing rises in cost and hence continually leftward (upward) shifts in the AS curve. If the firm face a rise in cost, they will respond partly in raising prices and passing the costs onto the consumer and partly by cutting back on production (there is a movement along the AD curve)’ Monetarists believe that inflation is caused solely by the supply of money in circulation. ‘The monetarist view of inflation, encapsulated in Milton Friedman’s dictum, inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon†¦Inflation occurs when the growth of the money supply persistently exceeds the growth of real output’ (McAleese, D., 2004, p281). This can also be shown graphically as: McAleese, D., (2004, p281) goes on to say that ‘A rise in money supply from M0 to M1 shifts the AD curve outwards from AD (M0) to AD (M1). The eventual equilibrium will move from E0 to E1 and prices will rise from P0 to P1†¦In the short run†¦the AS curve may be positively sloped†¦In that event a rise in money stock will cause higher prices, but will also lead to more output†¦In the longer term, pay levels will ‘catch up’ on inflation and, over time†¦ The economy then approximates more and more closely to the vertical AS.’ This theory is backed by much evidence including this from the US Department of Commerce As deflation is the opposite inflation it can be caused by the same factors. McAleese, D. (2004, p285) stated ‘†¦it can be caused by supply or demand shocks. Supply shocks include†¦sustained productivity improvements and technological innovation that lowers prices of inputs and outputs†¦Demand shocks can arise for several reasons: a collapse in the stock market or property prices, a sustained strengthening of the exchange rate, wars†¦that undermined business confidence.’ ‘From a monetary perspective deflation is caused by a reduction in the velocity of money and/or the amount of money supply per person.’ (Wikipedia contributors, 2006). Kai, V., L. (2004) showed this graphically as Know we how inflation and deflation is caused we must examine their effects on the economy as a whole and their effects on the corporate sector. Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M., (2001, p534) believe that ‘If you could accurately predict inflation and adjust incomes and prices to meet it then it would not be problem’. And Griffiths, A. and Wall, S., (2004, p463) reinforce this by stating if we have ‘an economy in which inflation is proceeding at a steady and perfectly foreseen rate, and in which all possible adjustments for the existence of inflation have been made†¦the main cost of inflation would arise from the fact that interest is not normally paid on currency in circulation’, so individuals would make more trips to the bank in order to collect interest on their money. ‘These extra trips to the bank are often called ‘shoe-leather’ costs of inflation.’ (Griffiths, A. and Wall, S., 2004, p463) The other cost of anticipated inflation is ‘menu’ costs. Menu costs are costs from having to update catalogues, menus, vending machines, etc (Atkinson, B. and Miller, R., 1998, p384). These costs are very minute so would not greatly effect the corporate sector as a whole. Businesses such as restuants, catalouge based comapies and those who produce vending machines would incounter minor expenses. This forseen inflation econany can be represented graphically as: But normally high inflation is not accurately predicted so other economic costs arise. There are four main, other, expenses: redistribution, uncertainty, balance of payments and resources. This report will now look at these factors in turn. Firstly high inflation ‘redistributes wealth to those with assets (e.g. property) †¦ and away from those with savings that pay rates of interest below the rate of inflation and hence who’s value is eroded by inflation’ (Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M., 2001, p534). This may include people on fixed pensions. Atkinson, B. and Miller, R., (1998 p384) show redistribution also effects ‘creditors , those who are owed money, will also suffer, since when they are paid back, the value of money will be worth less, while debtors, those who owe money, will benefit.’ So ‘Firms can also borrow more for investment as real value of debt decreases’ (Atkinson, B. and Miller, R., 1998, p386). This will be a benefit to firms to wishing to borrow money but bad for those who offer long term credit options on their products. Secondly ‘inflation tends to cause uncertainty and firms may be reluctant to plan ahead and take long term decisions regarding investment as they are unable to predict future costs and revenues.’ (Atkinson, B. and Miller, R., 1998, p384) ‘This will reduce the rate of economic growth.’ (Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M., 2001, p534). So the corporate sector will suffer from poor planning and low investment. Furthermore ‘inflation is likely to worsen the balance of payments†¦its exports will become relatively less competitive in the world markets. At the same time imports will become relatively cheaper than home produces goods. Thus exports will fall and imports will rise. As a result the balance of payments will deteriorate and/or the exchange rate will fall.’ (Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M., 2001, p534). This will, therefore, affect companies who rely on the global economy. They will face difficulties to exporting products and selling them abroad. They will also face increased competition from imports so may even struggle to sell their products to the home market. Finally ‘extra resources are likely to be used to cope with the effects of inflation. Accountants and other financial experts may have to be employed by companies to help cope with the uncertainties caused by inflation.’ This will then increase a firm’s costs. ‘With higher costs, firms are less able to make profit. Some firms exit the market and, as a result, aggregate supply is less†¦with national output falling and inflation increasing.’ (Begg, D. and Ward, D., 2004, p238) firms are forced to pass on increasing costs onto the consumer which may result in reduced sales. This could result in being fatal to a firm in a high inflationary economy. So the economy as a whole will suffer from high inflation, firms will find new obstacles in the way of maximising profits and the individual in the economy will each face new difficulties as a result. Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M., (2001, p536) report ‘The costs of inflation are likely to be relatively mild if kept to the single figure’ problems arise if inflation turns into hyperinflation (where inflation accelerates out of control) and go onto say ‘If inflation develops into â€Å"hyperinflation†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Firms constantly raise prices in attempt to cover their rocketing costs. Workers demand huge pay increase in an attempt to stay ahead of the rocketing cost of living. Thus prices and wages chase each other in an ever rising inflationary spiral’. Even though the effects of hyperinflation, and even inflation, can be devastating to an economy and the corporate sector, most economist fear deflation more. This section will now examine the effects of deflation on the economy and businesses. McAleese, D., (2004, p286) reported ‘In assessing the economic effects of deflation the problem stems less from the shock itself than from the sequence of events that follow and magnify its initial impact. Price declines become self reinforcing’. This means if deflation is affecting an economy, consumers will expect prices to fall as they have been. This will mean they will postpone buying a certain product now as they believe that in the future it will be cheaper ‘or as they become more concerned about their future economic security, particularly if unemployment is rising. The prolonged economic slowdown in Japan has raised concerns about future income prospects among its aging labour force, which may well be one reason for its deflation of the last few years’ (Brooks, D. H. and Quisingp P., F., 2002). This all means demand will fall. ‘Weakening consumer demand passes into investment. Investors’ begin to loose nerve. Sales forecasts are cut back. The appetite for risk weakens. Faced with declining sales, corporate debt that once looked rock solid now looks less secure†¦ firms cut back on the number of employees†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (McAleese, D., 2004, p286). So not only does the corporate sector suffer from declining sales, they are forced to reduce their prices even more. They have reduced investment opportunities as capital becomes extremely hard to raise. ‘Deflation has opposing influences on creditors and debtors†¦ Consequently, the real value of debt and debt servicing rises. There is thus a potential benefit for creditors†¦By itself; this redistribution of real net wealth is not necessarily negative for the economy as a whole.’ (Brooks, D. H. and Quisingp P., F., 2002). For firms with a high level of debt this means decreased security as the cost of their debt is increasing. This will also have negative implications on investment as another route of raising capital becomes increasingly more difficult to peruse. Firms that offer credit options will benefit as the real value of they owed increases. The effects of deflation are seen more server in today’s economy as McAleese, D., (2004, p286) believes ‘In an open world economy, there is an added fear that deflationary impulses in a large economy could be transmitted across countries through trade and investment linkages.’ Inflation and deflation both affect the corporate sector in various ways. ‘Constantly low inflation should bring increased stability. Businesses seeking to invest millions of pounds over many years will be assured by increases price stability. Predictions regarding costs and revenues are much easier to make and firms face less uncertainty when assessing investment risk.’ (Begg, D. and Ward, D., 2004, p286) and low inflation ‘is likely to increase the turnover and profit levels of a firm’. Workers may also feel happier with pay increase therefore more productive ‘under the illusion they are better off even though their real wage has not increased.’ So in conclusion low inflation can be beneficial to the corporate sector but higher inflation can have many negative affects but ‘It is generally better to have mild inflation than deflation. Deflation†¦can create a potentially dangerous situation, as occurred during the depression of the 19 30’s.’ (Atkinson, B. and Miller, R., 1998, p386). Biblography Anon, 1998, Collins Gem – English dictionary (Nineteenth Edition), HarperCollins Publishing, Glasgow Atkinson, B. and Miller, R., 1998, Business economics, Pearson Education Limited, Essex Begg, D., Fischer, S. and Dorndusch, R., 2000, Economics (Sixth Edition), McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, Berkshire. Begg, D. and Ward, D., 2004, Economics for business, McGraw-Hill Education, Berkshire Brooks, D. H. and Quisingp P., F., 2002, Dangers of Deflation, [online], Available from: http://adb.org/Documents/EDRC/Policy_Briefs/PB012.pdf [access 8th March 2006] Griffiths, A. and Wall, S., 2004, Applied economics (Tenth Edition), Pearson Education, London Kai, V., W., 2004, The Causes and Effects of Deflation in Macao, [online], Available from: http://www.amcm.gov.mo/publication/quarterly/Jul2004/causes_en.pdf [access 8th March 2006] McAleese, D., 2004, Economics for business – competition, macro-stability and globalisation, (3rd Edition), Prentice Hall Europe, London Oxford University Press, 2006, Corporate, [online], Available from: http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/corporate?view=uk [Accessed 8th March 2006] Parkin, Powell and Matthews, 2005, Economics (Sixth Edition), Pearson Education Limited, Essex Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M., 2001, Economics for business (Second Edition), Prentice Hall, London Vaitilingam, R., 1994, The financial times guide to using economics and economic indicators, Pitman Publishing, London Wikipedia contributors, 2006, Deflation (economics), [online]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deflation_(economics)&oldid=42742256 [accessed 8th March, 2006] Wikipedia contributors, 2006, Inflation [online] Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation [Accessed 22nd February 2006]

An Analysis of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Essay

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a short story written by F. Scott Fitzgeraldon May 1922. It was later adapted into a movie in 2008. The story is one of its kinds as it is about a person named Benjamin Button who is born with a body of a dying man in his 80s. As the story progress, Benjamin finds out that his physical states are becoming better as he grow. The story mainly focuses on Benjamin’s life particularly on his relationships where he has to go through a lot of conflicts of life. In the resolution, it ends with Benjamin who is also a baby, breathing on his last breath. There are a lot of symbols depicted in the story particularly in the 3 hour movie version which contains symbolisms such as the hummingbird, the clock in New Orlean’s Train Station, the 7 lightning strikes, and Lake Portchartrain. The first symbol is the hummingbird. The bird symbolizes two things which are Benjamin’s life and concept of eternity. Looking at the nature of the bird, it is extremely small in size and in fact, it is the smallest bird in the world. They are very petite and fragile that a single squeeze by a human can instantly kills it. The bird is rarely found because they do not fly in groups. Plus, this is the only kind of bird that has the ability to fly backwards. To relate on the story, the hummingbird appears itself two times; at the sea where Captain Mike Clark dies during the war and outside the Hospital window during the Hurricane Katrina when Daisy is on her deathbed. What makes it ironic is the fact that hummingbirds would not possibly survive in those kinds of events because they are physically weak. The bird cannot fly for too long nor handle rough winds. But they are different in the story. This is why the hummingbird symbolizes Benjamin’s life. Although he is born wit h a body of a dying man, brittle bones, wrinkled skin and even the doctor Queenie called for says that he will die very soon, it never happens. Benjamin keeps on growing strong and moves forward. Moreover, the hummingbird’s ability to fly backwards describes the way Benjamin’s life moves, backwards. Furthermore, Captain Mike Clark has a hummingbird tattoo on his chest. When he was a kid, he dreams of becoming an artist but his father never supports him, saying that he must continue the father’s legacy of being a sail man. It is mentioned in the story where he tells Benjamin about the significance of hummingbird. The wings of a hummingbird look very  much like the symbol of eternity, ∞. Eternity is the idea of life that never ends. Benjamin knows that he is the only one of his kinds and sooner or later, his story will die along his death. Thus, in order to retain his story, he writes a diary and passes it to Daisy so that his daughter will have it. By doin g that, his life may end but his journeys will remain for eternity. Next is the clock in New Orleans built by Monsieur Gateau. He made the clock to tick anti-clockwise because he wants it to be a reminder for all to never forget about the fallen heroes of World War 1. Gateau’s only wish is to turn back time so that he can have his son back who died during the War. The movement of the clock has 2 symbolisms. One is the same symbol as the hummingbird’s ability to fly backwards. The clock is a symbol of Benjamin’s physical state in his life where his body starts from old to young. Another symbol for the clock is that it symbolizes fate’s dominance over life. For Gateau, he is afraid that life is moving by him. He could not accept the reality that his son is no more to be found. It pretty much kills him on the inside that results him to exile from the country. This goes the same towards Benjamin life, no one would wish themselves to be abnormal like him but the thing is, there is no control over it. People can only accept how things go and move on. Another example is Daisy’s car accident, she is capable, talented and has a bright future career in ballet but one accident changes all of it. It is very clear that every action people do, every hard work they put in, every words of prayer they say will eventually depends on one’s own absolute fate. This indicates that people do not have the power to control the future, they can only plan and organize it and leave the rest to fate. Plus, it also questions people whether they are using their time wisely or not because clock never stops ticking. To relate back on Gateau, his action of making the clock from turning how it is supposed to turn (clockwise) can be considered as an act of denial towards fate. The third symbolism found in this story is the lightning that strikes Mr Daws seven times. Mr Daws keeps on saying the same thing to Benjamin as he recalls how he got struck by lightning seven times. The symbolism that can be related to this is the number of lightning strikes Mr Daws get; seven.  This is a symbol of sin a, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony. A person can only be in the stage of integrity or despair if he is living in a retirement house, waiting for his death as referred to Erik Erikson’s Stages of Development because old people tend to review their life and reflect on what they have done. Mr Daws could most probably be in despair; regretting actions that he had done in the past. He once mentioned to Benjamin that he is blinded because of one of the lightning that struck him. But the truth is his eyes were never blinded. This shows that Mr Daws is not saying that lightning literally strikes him 7 seven times, but he is just reminiscing about his re grets in life. It shows how much pain and regret he is in that he would not mind it if lightning would ever strike him. Another symbol that has the same meaning as the lightning strikes is the lake Benjamin’s father usually goes to when he was a kid; Lake Portchartrain. Benjamin knows about the existence of this house when his father told him about it. Despite feeling hurt of being abandoned when he was a child by his own father, he brings his father to the lake. This is his way of showing that he forgives his father’s wrongdoings toward him. There at the lake, they do not do any talking, there is only silence as they watch the sunrise. There is a big difference between the ending of Mr Daws and Thomas Button. For Mr Daws, he leaves the world feeling regret while Thomas would surely feel his life as positively integrated because he finally gets to be with his only son, Benjamin whom he thought would never forgive him. In my opinion, the story is very heartwarming. It can open anyone’s heart just by reading or watching it because that was the feeling I felt when I finished watching the movie version. Not only it carries a lot of moral values, the issues depicted in it are very significant for someone to realize the importance of time management. The best moral value that I managed to get from this story is that we must be thankful for the life we have and the things we have today because all of these may never be the same tomorrow. As a conclusion, people must know their purpose of life so that they would not waste it like how it is depicted in this story.