Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Managing Multicultural Teams

Key Issues Cultural differences affect teamwork and the damage often precedes intervention. Proper knowledge is needed in managing these differences, or more damage occurs. Communication plays an integral part in cultural differences. Direct communication can be perceived by some as clear communication, but for others it may be embarrassing. Indirect communication, in turn, can result in miscommunication. Accent and fluency differences can be barriers to effective teamwork, unless team members choose and put effort in learning and using the preferred language of the team. Authority and hierarchy are also regarded highly by some cultures, while others do not. This may become offensive for cultures who regard the chain of command as important. Decision-making style is another factor. Some cultures decide fast, while others drag on. There are four strategies that can be used for managing multicultural differences in the workplace: adaptation, structural intervention, managerial intervention, and exit. Adaptation works when team members are open about the differences and chooses to work around them. Structural intervention is used when team members are resistant to acknowledging and working around their differences. In many cases, this may require sub-grouping. Managerial intervention may be necessary when the managers are needed to be involved so that one culture’s management may resolve the conflict with the other culture’s management, avoiding embarrassment and conflict on not following hierarchies. Exit is a last option, and it may be voluntary or management-requested. It does not help with the difference, but it allows the team to move again with new people. There is no one fool-proof strategy; its use is dependent on the case in hand. When the management discusses multicultural differences with team members beforehand, the team will be able to pull through the job with less problems. When team members are open about the differences and works with them, involvement of the higher management becomes unnecessary and the project becomes easier. Analysis Multicultural teams are essential for many companies, especially those engaging in international deals, but it is an investment that needs careful understanding and management. There are many issues that may arise within teams composed of people from differing beliefs and practices, and communication is only one of these issues. Perceptions on different corporate items such as hierarchy and decision making equally affects the performance of a team and its members. Oftentimes, managers will have to take a stand and face the problem. There are four strategies in which the issue of multicultural team conflicts may be resolved, and the most appropriate strategy depends on the difference that needs to be addressed. Also, the strategy to be used is dependent on how well the team members are willing to participate in solving the problem within the team. In hindsight, problems can be pre-empted by managers when the issue of multicultural difference is discussed beforehand, before the team starts working together. This way, the members will have a foreknowledge of why their members from the other culture is working the way they do. Members should also be cooperative, willing to cope with and understand the differences. This can be solicited by he manager, but it should also be automatic among the team. When culturally-different team members are cooperative and understanding, it is possible for them to co-exist and work their way to the accomplishment of their given tasks.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER FOURTEEN FORWARD!

FORWARD! Janov Pelorat looked out at the dim landscape in the graying dawn with an odd mixture of regret and uncertainty. â€Å"We aren't staying long enough, Golan. It seems a pleasant and interesting world. I would like to learn more about it.† Trevize looked up from the computer with a wry smile. â€Å"You don't think I would like to? We had three proper meals on the planet – totally different and each excellent. I'd like more. And the only women we saw, we saw briefly – and some of them looked quite enticing, for – well, for what I've got in mind.† Pelorat wrinkled his nose slightly. â€Å"Oh, my dear chap. Those cowbells they call shoes, and all wrapped around in clashing colors, and whatever do they do to their eyelashes. Did you notice their eyelashes?† â€Å"You might just as well believe I noticed everything, Janov. What you object to is superficial. They can easily be persuaded to wash their faces and, at the proper time, off come the shoes and the colors.† Pelorat said, â€Å"I'll take your word for that, Janov. However, I was thinking more of investigating the matter of Earth further. ‘What we've been told about Earth, thus far, is so unsatisfactory, so contradictory – radiation according to one person, robots according to another.† â€Å"Death in either case.† â€Å"True,† said Pelorat reluctantly, â€Å"but it may be that one is true and not the other, or that both are true to some extent, or that neither is true. Surely, Janov, when you hear tales that simply shroud matters in thickening mists of doubt, surely you must feel the itch to explore, to find out.† â€Å"I do,† said Golan. â€Å"By every dwarf star in the Galaxy, I do. The problem at hand, however, is Gaia. Once that is straightened out, we can go to Earth, or come back here to Sayshell for a more extended stay. But first, Gaia.† Pelorat nodded, â€Å"The problem at hand! If we accept what Quintesetz told us, death is waiting for us on Gaia. Ought we to be going?† Trevize said, â€Å"I ask myself that. Are you afraid?† Pelorat hesitated as though he were probing his own feelings. Then he said in a quite simple and matter-of-fact manner. â€Å"Yes. Terribly!† Trevize sat back in his chair and swiveled to face the other. He said, just as quietly and matter-of-factly, â€Å"Janov, there's no reason for you to chance this. Say the word and I'll let you off on Sayshell with your personal belongings and with half our credits. I'll pick you up when I return and it will be on to Sirius Sector, if you wish, and Earth, if that's where it is. If I don't return, the Foundation people on Sayshell will see to it that you get back to Terminus. No hard feelings if you stay behind, old friend.† Pelorat's eyes blinked rapidly and his lips pressed together for a few moments. Then he said, rather huskily, â€Å"Old friend? We've known each other what? A week or so? Isn't it strange that I'm going to refuse to leave the ship? I am afraid, but I want to remain with you.† Trevize moved his hands in a gesture of uncertainty. â€Å"But why? I honestly don't ask it of you.† â€Å"I'm not sure why, but I ask it of myself. It's†¦ it's Golan, I have faith in you. It seems to me you always know what you're doing. I wanted to go to Trantor where probably – as I now see nothing would have happened. You insisted on Gaia and Gaia must somehow be a raw nerve in the Galaxy. Things seem to happen in connection with it. And if that's not enough, Golan, I watched you force Quintesetz to give you the information about Gaia. That was such a skillful bluff. I was lost in admiration.† â€Å"You have faith in me, then.† Pelorat said, â€Å"Yes, I do.† Trevize put his hand on the other's upper arm and seemed, for a moment, to be searching for words. Finally he said, â€Å"Janov, will you forgive me in advance if my judgment is wrong, and if you in one way or another meet with – whatever unpleasant may be awaiting us?† Pelorat said, â€Å"Oh, my dear fellow, why do you ask? I make the decision freely for my reasons, not yours. And, please – let us leave quickly. I don't trust my cowardice not to seize me by the throat and shame me for the rest of my life.† â€Å"As you say, Janov,† said Trevize. â€Å"We'll leave at the earliest moment the computer will permit. This time, we'll be moving gravitically – straight up – as soon as we can be assured the atmosphere above is clear of other ships. And as the surrounding atmosphere grows less and less dense, we'll put on more and more speed. Well within the hour, we'll be in open space.† â€Å"Good,† Pelorat said and pinched the tip off a plastic coffee container. The opened orifice almost at once began steaming. Pelorat put the nipple to his mouth and sipped, allowing just enough air to enter his mouth to cool the coffee to a bearable temperature. Trevize grinned. â€Å"You've learned how to use those things beautifully. You're a space veteran, Janov.† Pelorat stared at the plastic container for a moment and said, â€Å"Now that we have ships that can adjust a gravitational field at will, surely we can use ordinary containers, can't we?† â€Å"Of course, but you're not going to get space people to give up their space-centered apparatus. How is a space rat going to put distance between himself and surface worms if he uses an openmouthed cup? See those rings on the walls and ceilings? Those have been traditional in spacecraft for twenty thousand years and more, but they're absolutely useless in a gravitic ship. Yet they're there and I'll bet the entire ship to a cup of coffee that your space rat will pretend he's being squashed into asphyxiation on takeoff and will then sway back and forth from those rings as though he's under zero – gray when its gee-one-normal-grav, that is – on both occasions.† â€Å"You're joking.† â€Å"Well, maybe a little, but there's always social inertia to everything – even technological advance. Those useless wall rings are there and the cups they supply us have nipples.† Pelorat nodded thoughtfully and continued to sip at his coffee. Finally he said, â€Å"And when do we take off?† Trevize laughed heartily and said, â€Å"Got you. I began talking about wall rings and you never noticed that we were taking off right at that time. We're a mile high right now.† â€Å"You don't mean it.† â€Å"Look out.† Pelorat did and then said, â€Å"But I never felt a thing.† â€Å"You're not supposed to.† â€Å"Aren't we breaking the regulations? Surely we ought to have followed a radio beacon in an upward spiral, as we did in a downward spiral on landing?† â€Å"No reason to, Janov. No one will stop us. No one at all.† â€Å"Coming down, you said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That was different. They weren't anxious to see us arrive, but they're ecstatic to see us go.† â€Å"Why do you say that, Golan? The only person who talked to us about Gaia was Quintesetz and he begged us not to go.† â€Å"Don't you believe it, Janov. That was for form. He made sure we'd go to Gaia. – Janov, you admired the way I bluffed the information out of Quintesetz. I'm sorry, but I don't deserve the admiration. If I had done nothing at all, he would have offered the information. If I had tried to plug my ears, he would have shouted it at me.† â€Å"Why do you say that, Golan? That's crazy.† â€Å"Paranoid? Yes, I know.† Trevize turned to the computer and extended his sense intently. He said, â€Å"We're not being stopped. No ships in interfering distance, no warning messages of any kind.† Again he swiveled in the direction of Pelorat. He said, â€Å"Tell me, Janov, how did you find out about Gaia? You knew about Gaia while we were still on Terminus. You knew it was in the Sayshell Sector. You knew the name was, somehow, a form of Earth. Where did you hear all this?† Pelorat seemed to stiffen. He said, â€Å"If I were back in my office on Terminus, I might consult my files. I have not brought everything with me – certainly not the dates on which I first encountered this piece of data or that.† â€Å"Well, think about it,† said Trevize grimly. â€Å"Consider that the Sayshellians themselves are close-mouthed about the matter. They are so reluctant to talk about Gaia as it really is that they actually encourage a superstition that has the common people of the sector believing that no such planet exists in ordinary space. In fact, I can tell you something else. Watch this!† Trevize swung to the computer, his fingers sweeping across the direction hand-rests with the ease and grace of long practice. When he placed his hands on the manuals, he welcomed their warm touch and enclosure. He felt, as always, a bit of his will oozing outward. He said, â€Å"This is the computer's Galactic map, as it existed within its memory banks before we landed on Sayshell. I am going to show you that portion of the map that represents the night sky of Sayshell as we saw it this past night.† The room darkened and a representation of a night sky sprang out onto the screen. Pelorat said in a low voice, â€Å"As beautiful as we saw it on Sayshell.† â€Å"More beautiful,† said Trevize, impatiently. â€Å"There is no atmospheric interference of any kind, no clouds, no absorption at the horizon. But wait, let me make an adjustment† The view shifted steadily, giving the two the uncomfortable impression that it was they who were moving. Pelorat instinctively took hold of the arms of his chair to steady himself. â€Å"There!† said Trevize. â€Å"Do you recognize that?† â€Å"Of course. Those are the Five Sisters – the pentagon of stars that Quintesetz pointed out. It is unmistakable.† â€Å"Yes indeed. But where is Gaia?† Pelorat blinked. There was no dim star at the center. â€Å"It's not there,† he said. â€Å"That's right. It's not there. And that's because its location is not included in the data banks of the computer. Since it passes the bounds of likelihood that those data banks were deliberately made incomplete in this respect for our benefit, I conclude that to the Foundation Gaiactographers who designed those data banks – and who had tremendous quantities of information at their disposal – Gaia was unknown.† â€Å"Do you suppose if we had gone to Trantor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Pelorat. â€Å"I suspect we would have found no data on Gaia there, either. Its existence is kept a secret by the Sayshellians – and even more so, I suspect, by the Gaians themselves. You yourself said a few days ago it was not entirely uncommon that some worlds deliberately stayed out of sight to avoid taxation or outside interference.† â€Å"Usually,† said Pelorat, â€Å"when mapmakers and statisticians come across such a world, they are found to exist in thinly populated sections of the Galaxy. It's isolation that makes it possible for them to hide. Gaia is not isolated.† â€Å"That's right. That's another of the things that makes it unusual. So let's leave this map on the screen so that you and I might continue to ponder the ignorance of our Gaiactographers – and let me ask you again. – In view of this ignorance on the part of the most knowledgeable of people, how did you come to hear of Gaia?† â€Å"I have been gathering data on Earth myths, Earth legends, and Earth histories for over thirty years, my good Golan. Without my complete records, how could I possibly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We can begin somewhere, Janov. Did you learn about it in, say, the first fifteen years of your research or in the last fifteen?† â€Å"Oh! Well, if we're going to be that broad, it was later on.† â€Å"You can do better than that. Suppose I suggest that you learned of Gaia only in the last couple of years.† Trevize peered in Pelorat's direction, felt the absence of any ability to read an unseen expression in the dimness, and raised the light level of the room a bit. The glory of the representation of the night sky on the screen dimmed in proportion. Pelorat's expression was stony and revealed nothing. â€Å"Well?† said Trevize. â€Å"I'm thinking,† said Pelorat mildly. â€Å"You may be right. I wouldn't swear to it. When I wrote Jimbor of Ledbet University, I didn't mention Gaia, though in that case it would have been appropriate to do so, and that was in – let's see – in – and that was three years ago. I think you're right, Golan.† â€Å"And how did you come upon it?† asked Trevize. â€Å"In a communication? A book? A scientific paper? Some ancient song? How? – Come on!† Pelorat sat back and crossed his arms. He fell into deep thought and didn't move. Trevize said nothing and waited. Finally Pelorat said, â€Å"In a private communication. – But it's no use asking me from whom, my dear chap. I don't remember.† Trevize moved his hands over his sash. They felt clammy as he continued his efforts to elicit information without too clearly forcing words into the other's mouth. He said, â€Å"From a historian? From an expert in mythology? From a Gaiactographer?† â€Å"No use. I cannot match a name to the communication.† â€Å"Because, perhaps, there was none.† â€Å"Oh no. That scarcely seems possible.† â€Å"Why? Would you have rejected an anonymous communication?† â€Å"I suppose not.† â€Å"Did you ever receive any?† â€Å"Once in a long while. In recent years, I had become well known in certain academic circles as a collector of particular types of myths and legends and some of my correspondents were occasionally kind enough to forward material they had picked up from nonacademic sources. Sometimes these might not be attributed to anyone in particular.† Trevize said, â€Å"Yes, but did you ever receive anonymous information directly, and not by way of some academic correspondent?† â€Å"That sometimes happened – but very rarely.† â€Å"And can you be certain that this was not so in the case of Gaia?† â€Å"Such anonymous communications took place so rarely that I should think I would remember if it had happened in this case. Still, I can't say certainly that the information was not of anonymous origin. Mind, though, that's not to say that I did receive the information from an anonymous source.† â€Å"I realize that. But it remains a possibility, doesn't it?† Pelorat said, very reluctantly, â€Å"I suppose it does. But what's all this about?† â€Å"I'm not finished,† said Trevize peremptorily. â€Å"Where did you get the information from – anonymous or not? What world?† Pelorat shrugged. â€Å"Come now, I haven't the slightest idea.† â€Å"Could it possibly have been from Sayshell?† â€Å"I told you. I don't know.† â€Å"I'm suggesting you did get it from Sayshell.† â€Å"You can suggest all you wish, but that does not necessarily make it so.† â€Å"No? When Quintesetz pointed out the dim Star at the center of the Five Sisters, you knew at once it was Gaia. You said so later on to Quintesetz, identifying it before he did. Do you remember?† â€Å"Yes, of course.† â€Å"How was that possible? How did you recognize at once that the dim star was Gaia?† â€Å"Because in the material I had on Gaia, it was rarely referred to by that name. Euphemisms were common, many different ones. One of the euphemisms, several times repeated, was ‘the little Brother of the Five Sisters. ‘ Another was ‘the Pentagon's Center' and sometimes it was called ‘o Pentagon. ‘ When Quintesetz pointed out the Five Sisters and the central star, the allusions came irresistibly to mind.† â€Å"You never mentioned those allusions to me earlier.† â€Å"I didn't know what they meant and I didn't think it would have been important to discuss the matter with you, who were a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Pelorat hesitated. â€Å"A nonspecialist?† â€Å"You realize, I hope, that the pentagon of the Five Sisters is an entirely relative form.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Trevize laughed affectionately. â€Å"You surface worm. Do you think the sky has an objective shape of its own? That the stars are nailed in place? The pentagon has the shape it has from the surface of the worlds of the planetary system to which Sayshell Planet belongs – and from there only. From a planet circling any other star, the appearance of the Five Sisters is different. They are seen from a different angle, for one thing. For another, the five stars of the pentagon are at different distances from Sayshell and, seen from other angles, there could be no visible relationship among them at all. One or two stars might be in one half of the sky, the others in the other half. See here†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Trevize darkened the room again and leaned over the computer. â€Å"There are eighty-six populated planetary systems making up the Sayshell Union. Let us keep Gaia – or the spot where Gaia ought to be – in place† (as he said that, a small red circle appeared in the center of the pentagon of the Five Sisters) â€Å"and shift to the skies as seen from any of the other eighty-six worlds taken at random.† The sky shifted and Pelorat blinked. The small red circle remained at the center of the screen, but the Five Sisters had disappeared. There were bright stars in the neighborhood but no tight pentagon. Again the sky shifted, and again, and again. It went on shifting. The red circle remained in place always, but at no time did a small pentagon of equally bright stars appear. Sometimes what might be a distorted pentagon of stars – unequally bright – appeared, but nothing like the beautiful asterism Quintesetz had pointed out. â€Å"Had enough?† said Trevize. â€Å"I assure you, the Five Sisters can never be seen exactly as we have seen it from any populated world but the worlds of the Sayshell planetary system.† Pelorat said, â€Å"The Sayshellian view might have been exported to other planets. There were many proverbs in Imperial times – some of which linger into our own, in fact – that are Trantor-centered.† â€Å"With Sayshell as secretive about Gaia as we know it to be? And why should worlds outside the Sayshell Union be interested? Why would they care about a ‘little Brother of the Five Sisters' if there were nothing in the skies at which to point?† â€Å"Maybe you're right.† â€Å"Then don't you see that your original information must have come from Sayshell itself? Not just from somewhere in the Union, but precisely from the planetary system to which the capital world of the Union belongs.† Pelorat shook his head. â€Å"You make it sound as though it must, but it's not something I remember. I simply don't.† â€Å"Nevertheless, you do see the force of my argument, don't you?† â€Å"Yes, I do.† â€Å"Next. – When do you suppose the legend could have originated?† â€Å"Anytime. I should suppose it developed far back in the Imperial Era. It has the feel of an ancient†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You are wrong, Janov. The Five Sisters are moderately close to Sayshell Planet, which is why they're so bright. Four of them have high proper motions in consequence and no two are part of a family, so that they move in different directions. Watch what happens as I shift the map backward in time slowly.† Again the red circle that marked the site of Gaia remained in place, but the pentagon slowly fell apart, as four of the stars drifted in different directions and the fifth shifted slightly. â€Å"Look at that, Janov,† said Trevize. â€Å"Would you say that was a regular pentagon?† â€Å"Clearly lopsided,† said Pelorat. â€Å"And is Gaia at the center?† â€Å"No, it's well to the side.† â€Å"Very well. That is how the asterism looked one hundred and fifty years ago. One and a half centuries, that's all. – The material you received concerning ‘the Pentagon's Center' and so on made no real sense till this century anywhere, not even in Sayshell. The material you received had to originate in Sayshell and sometime in this century, perhaps in the last decade. And you got it, even though Sayshell is so close-mouthed about Gaia.† Trevize put the lights on, turned the star map off, and sat there staring sternly at Pelorat. Pelorat said, â€Å"I'm confused. What's this about?† â€Å"You tell me. Consider! Somehow I got the idea into my head that the Second Foundation still existed. I was giving a talk during my election campaign. I started a bit of emotional byplay designed to squeeze votes out of the undecided with a dramatic ‘If the Second Foundation still existed – † and later that day I thought to myself: What if it did still exist? I began reading history books and within a week, I was convinced. There was no real evidence, but I have always felt that I had the knack of snatching the right conclusion out of a welter of speculation. This time, though†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Trevize brooded a bit, then went on. â€Å"And look at what has happened since. Of all people, I chose Compor as my confidant and he betrayed me. Whereupon Mayor Branno had me arrested and sent into exile. Why into exile, rather than just having me imprisoned, or trying to threaten me into silence? And why in a very late-model ship which gives me extraordinary powers of Jumping through the Galaxy? And why, of all things, does she insist I take you and suggest that I help you search for Earth? â€Å"And why was I so certain that we should not go to Trantor? I was convinced you had a better target for our investigations and at once you come up with the mystery world of Gaia, concerning which, as it now turns out, you gained information under very puzzling circumstances. â€Å"We go to Sayshell – the first natural stop – and at once we encounter Compor, who gives us a circumstantial story about Earth and its death. He then assures us its location is in the Sirius Sector and urges us to go there.† Pelorat said, â€Å"There you are. You seem to be implying that all circumstances are forcing us toward Gaia, but, as you say, Compor tried to persuade us to go elsewhere.† â€Å"And in response, I was determined to continue on our original line of investigation out of my sheer distrust for the man. Don't you suppose that that was what he might have been counting on? He may have deliberately told us to go elsewhere just to keep us from doing so.† â€Å"That's mere romance,† muttered Pelorat. â€Å"Is it? Let's go on. We get in touch with Quintesetz simply because he was handy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Not at all,† said Pelorat. â€Å"I recognized his name.† â€Å"It seemed familiar to you. You had never read anything he had written – that you could recall. Why was it familiar to you? – In any case, it turned out he had read a paper of yours and was overwhelmed by it – and how likely was that? You yourself admit your work is not widely known. â€Å"What's more, the young lady leading us to him quite gratuitously mentions Gaia and goes on to tell us it is in hyperspace, as though to be sure we keep it in mind. When we ask Quintesetz about it, he behaves as though he doesn't want to talk about it, but he doesn't throw us out – even though I am rather rude to him. He takes us to his home instead and, on the way there, goes to the trouble of pointing out the Five Sisters. He even makes sure we note the dim star at the center. Why? Is not all this an extraordinary concatenation of coincidence?† Pelorat said, â€Å"If you list it like that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"List it any way you please,† said Trevize. â€Å"I don't believe in extraordinary concatenations of coincidence.† â€Å"What does all this mean, then? That we are being maneuvered to Gaia?† â€Å"By whom?† Trevize said, â€Å"Surely there can be no question about that. Who is capable of adjusting minds, of giving gentle nudges to this one or that, of managing to divert progress in this direction or that?† â€Å"You're going to tell me it's the Second Foundation.† â€Å"Well, what have we been told about Gaia? It is untouchable. Fleets that move against it are destroyed. People who reach it do not return. Even the Mule didn't dare move against it – and the Mule, in fact, was probably born there. Surely it seems that Gaia is the Second Foundation – and finding that, after all, is my ultimate goal. Pelorat shook his head. â€Å"But according to some historians, the Second Foundation stopped the Mule. How could he have been one of them?† â€Å"A renegade, I suppose.† â€Å"But why should we be so relentlessly maneuvered toward the Second Foundation by the Second Foundation?† Trevize's eyes were unfocused, his brow furrowed. He said, â€Å"Let's reason it out. It has always seemed important to the Second Foundation that as little information as possible about it should be available to the Galaxy. Ideally it wants its very existence to remain unknown. We know that much about them. For a hundred twenty years, the Second Foundation was thought to be extinct and that must have suited them right down to the Galactic core. Yet when I began to suspect that they did exist, they did nothing. Compor knew. They might have used him to shut me up one way or another – had me killed, even. Yet they did nothing.† Pelorat said, â€Å"They had you arrested, if you want to blame that on the Second Foundation. According to what you told me, that resulted in the people of Terminus not knowing about your views. The people of the Second Foundation accomplished that much without violence and they may be devotees of Salvor Hardin's remark that ‘Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.† â€Å"But keeping it from the people of Terminus accomplishes nothing. Mayor Branno knows my view and – at the very least – must wonder if I am correct. So now, you see, it is too late for them to harm us. If they had gotten rid of me to begin with, they would be in the clear. If they had left me alone altogether, they might have still remained in the clear, for they might have maneuvered Terminus into believing I was an eccentric, perhaps a madman. The prospective ruin of my political career might even have forced me into silence as soon as I saw what the announcement of my beliefs would mean. â€Å"And now it is too late for them to do anything. Mayor Branno was suspicious enough of the situation to send Compor after me and – having no faith in him either, being wiser than I was – she placed a hyper – relay on Compor's ship. In consequence, she knows we are on Sayshell. And last night, while you were sleeping, I had our computer place a message directly into the computer of the Foundation ambassador here on Sayshell, explaining that we were on our way to Gaia. I took the trouble of giving its co-ordinates, too. If the Second Foundation does anything to us now, I am certain that Branno will have the matter investigated – and the concentrated attention of the Foundation must surely be what they don't want.† â€Å"Would they care about attracting the Foundation's attention, if they are so powerful?† â€Å"Yes,† said Trevize forcefully. â€Å"They lie hidden because, in some ways, they must be weak and because the Foundation is technologically advanced perhaps beyond even what Seldon himself might have foreseen. The very quiet, even stealthy, way in which they've been maneuvering us to their world would seem to show their eager desire to do nothing that will attract attention. And if so, then they have already lost, at least in part – for they've attracted attention and I doubt they can do anything to reverse the situation.† Pelorat said, â€Å"But why do they go through all this? Why do they ruin themselves – if your analysis is correct – by angling for us across the Galaxy? What is it they want of us?† Trevize stared at Pelorat and flushed. â€Å"Janov,† he said, â€Å"I have a feeling about this. I have this gift of coming to a correct conclusion on the basis of almost nothing. There's a kind of sureness about me that tells me when I'm right – and I'm sure now. There's something I have that they want – and want enough to risk their very existence for. I don't know what it can be, but I've got to find out, because if I've got it and if it's that powerful, then I want to be able to use it for what I feel is right.† He shrugged slightly. â€Å"Do you still want to come along with me, old friend, now that you see how much a madman I am?† Pelorat said, â€Å"I told you I had faith in you. I still do.† And Trevize laughed with enormous relief. â€Å"Marvelous! Because another feeling I have is that you are, for some reason, also essential to this whole thing. In that case, Janov, we move on to Gaia, full speed. Forward!† Mayor Harla Branno looked distinctly older than her sixty-two years. She did not always look older, but she did now. She had been sufficiently wrapped up in thought to forget to avoid the mirror and had seen her image on her way into the map room. So she was aware of the haggardness of her appearance. She sighed. It drained the life out of one. Five years a Mayor and for twelve years before that the real power behind two figureheads. All of it had been quiet, all of it successful, all of it – draining. How would it have been, she wondered, if there had been strain – failure – disaster. Not so bad for her personally, she suddenly decided. Action would have been invigorating. It was the horrible knowledge that nothing but drift was possible that had worn her out. It was the Seldon Plan that was successful and it was the Second Foundation that made sure it would continue to be. She, as the strong hand at the helm of the Foundation (actually the First Foundation, but no one on Terminus ever thought of adding the adjective) merely rode the crest. History would say little or nothing about her. She merely sat at the controls of a spaceship, while the spaceship was maneuvered from without. Even Indbur III, who had presided over the Foundation's catastrophic fall to the Mule, had done something. He had, at least, collapsed. For Mayor Branno there would be nothing! Unless this Golan Trevize, this thoughtless Councilman, this lightning rod, made it possible. – She looked at the map thoughtfully. It was not the kind of structure produced by a modern computer. It was, rather, a three-dimensional cluster of lights that pictured the Galaxy holographically in midair. Though it could not be made to move, to turn, to expand, or to contract, one could move about it and see it from any angle. A large section of the Galaxy, perhaps a third of the whole (excluding the core, which was a â€Å"no-life's land†) turned red when she touched a contact. That was the Foundation Federation, the more than seven million inhabited worlds ruled by the Council and by herself – the seven million inhabited worlds who voted for and were represented in the House of Worlds, which debated matters of minor importance, and then voted on them, and never, by any chance, dealt with anything of major importance. Another contact and a faint pink jutted outward from the edges of the Federation, here and there. Spheres of influence! This was not Foundation territory, but the regions, though nominally independent, would never dream of resistance to any Foundation move. There was no question in her mind that no power in the Galaxy could oppose the Foundation (not even the Second Foundation, if one but knew where it was), that the Foundation could, at will, reach out its fleet of modern ships and simply set up the Second Empire. But only five centuries had passed since the beginning of the Plan. The Plan called for ten centuries before the Second Empire could be set up and the Second Foundation would make sure the Plan would hold. The Mayor shook her sad, gray head. If the Foundation acted now, it would somehow fail. Though its ships were irresistible, action now would fail. Unless Trevize, the lightning rod, drew the lightning of the Second Foundation – and the lightning could be traced back to its source. She looked about. Where was Kodell? This was no time for him to be late. It was as though her thought had called him, for he came striding in, smiling cheerfully, looking more grandfatherly than ever with his gray-white mustache and tanned complexion. Grandfatherly, but not old. To be sure, he was eight years younger than she was. How was it he showed no marks of strain? Did not fifteen years as Director of Security leave its scar? Kodell nodded slowly in the formal greeting that was necessary in initiating a discussion with the Mayor. It was a tradition that had existed since the bad days of the Indburs. Almost everything had changed, but etiquette least of all. He said, â€Å"Sorry I'm late, Mayor, but your arrest of Councilman Trevize is finally beginning to make its way through the anesthetized skin of the Council.† â€Å"Oh?† said the Mayor phlegmatically. â€Å"Are we in for a palace revolution?† â€Å"Not the least chance. We're in control. But there'll be noise.† â€Å"Let them make noise. It will make them feel better, and I – I shall stay out of the way. I can count, I suppose, on general public opinion?† â€Å"I think you can. Especially away from Terminus. No one outside Terminus cares what happens to a stray Councilman.† â€Å"I do.† â€Å"Ah? More news?† â€Å"Liono,† said the Mayor, â€Å"I want to know about Sayshell.† â€Å"I'm not a two-legged history book,† said Liono Kodell, smiling. â€Å"I don't want history. I want the truth. Why is Sayshell independent? – Look at it.† She pointed to the red of the Foundation on the holographic map and there, well into the inner spirals, was an in-pocketing of white. Branno said, â€Å"We've got it almost encapsulated – almost sucked in – yet it's white. Our map doesn't even show it as a loyal-ally-inpink.† Kodell shrugged. â€Å"It's not officially a loyal ally, but it never bothers us. It is neutral.† â€Å"All right. See this, then.† Another touch at the controls. The red sprang out distinctly further. It covered nearly half the Galaxy. â€Å"That,† said Mayor Branno, â€Å"was the Mule's realm at the time of his death. If you'll peer in among the red, you'll find the Sayshell Union, completely surrounded this time, but still white. it is the only enclave left free by the Mule.† â€Å"It was neutral then, too.† â€Å"The Mule had no great respect for neutrality.† â€Å"He seems to have had, in this case.† â€Å"Seems to have had. What has Sayshell got?† Kodell said, â€Å"Nothing! Believe me, Mayor, she is ours any time we want her.† â€Å"Is she? Yet somehow she isn't ours.† â€Å"There's no need to want her.† Branno sat back in her chair and, with a sweep of her arm over the controls, turned the Galaxy dark. â€Å"I think we now want her.† â€Å"Pardon, Mayor?† â€Å"Liono, I sent that foolish Councilman into space as a lightning rod. I felt that the Second Foundation would see him as a greater danger than he was and see the Foundation itself as the lesser danger. The lightning would strike him and reveal its origin to us.† â€Å"Yes, Mayor!† â€Å"My intention was that he go to the decayed ruins of Trantor to fumble through what – if anything – was left of its Library and search for the Earth. That's the world, you remember, that these wearisome mystics tell us was the site of origin of humanity, as though that matters, even in the unlikely case it is true. The Second Foundation couldn't possibly have believed that was really what he was after and they would have moved to find out what he was really looking for.† â€Å"But he didn't go to Trantor.† â€Å"No. Quite unexpectedly, he has gone to Sayshell. Why?† â€Å"I don't know. But please forgive an old bloodhound whose duty it is to suspect everything and tell me how you know he and this Pelorat have gone to Sayshell. I know that Compor reports it, but how far can we trust Compor?† â€Å"The hyper-relay tells us that Compor's ship has indeed landed on Sayshell Planet.† â€Å"Undoubtedly, but how do you know that Trevize and Pelorat have? Compor may have gone to Sayshell for his own reasons and may not know – or care – where the others are.† â€Å"The fact is, that our ambassador on Sayshell has informed us of the arrival of the ship on which we placed Trevize and Pelorat. I am not ready to believe the ship arrived at Sayshell without them. What is more, Compor reports having talked to them and, if he cannot be trusted, we have other reports placing them at Sayshell University, where they consulted with a historian of no particular note.† â€Å"None of this,† said Kodell mildly, â€Å"has reached me.† Branno sniffed. â€Å"Do not feel stepped on. I am dealing with this personally and the information has now reached you – with not much in the way of delay, either. The latest news – just received – is from the ambassador. Our lightning rod is moving on. He stayed on Sayshell Planet two days, then left. He is heading for another planetary system, he says, some ten parsecs away. He gave the name and the Galactic co-ordinates of his destination to the ambassador, who passed them on to us.† â€Å"Is there anything corroborative from Compor?† â€Å"Compor's message that Trevize and Pelorat have left Sayshell came even before the ambassador's message. Compor has not yet determined where Trevize is going. Presumably he will follow.† Kodell said, â€Å"We are missing the why's of the situation.† He popped a pastille into his mouth and sucked at it meditatively. â€Å"Why did Trevize go to Sayshell? Why did he leave?† â€Å"The question that intrigues me most is: Where? Where is Trevize going?† â€Å"You did say, Mayor, did you not, that he gave the name and coordinates of his destination to the ambassador. Are you implying that he lied to the ambassador? Or that the ambassador is lying to us?† â€Å"Even assuming everyone told the truth all round and that no one made any errors, there is a name that interests me. Trevize told the ambassador he was going to Gaia. That's G-A-I-A. Trevize was careful to spell it.† Kodell said, â€Å"Gaia? I never heard of it.† â€Å"Indeed? That's not strange.† Branno pointed to the spot in the air where the map had been. â€Å"Upon the map in this room, I can set up, at a moment's notice, every star – supposedly – around which there circles an inhabited world and many prominent stars with uninhabited systems. Over thirty million stars can be marked out – if I handle the controls properly – in single units, in pairs, in clusters. I can mark them out in any of five different colors, one at a time, or all together. What I cannot do is locate Gaia on the map. As far as the map is concerned, Gaia does not exist.† Kodell said, â€Å"For every star the map shows, there are ten thousand it doesn't show.† â€Å"Granted, but the stars it doesn't show lack inhabited planets and why would Trevize want to go to an uninhabited planet?† â€Å"Have you tried the Central Computer? It has all three hundred billion Galactic stars listed.† â€Å"I've been told it has, but does it? We know very well, you and I, that there are thousands of inhabited planets that have escaped listing on any of our maps – not only on the one in this room, but even on the Central Computer. Gaia is apparently one of them.† Kodell's voice remained calm, even coaxing. â€Å"Mayor, there may well be nothing at all to be concerned about. Trevize may be off on a wild goose chase or he may be lying to us and there is no star called Gaia – and no star at all at the co-ordinates he gave us. He is trying to throw us off his scent, now that he has met Compor and perhaps guesses he is being traced.† â€Å"How will this throw us off the scent? Compor will still follow. No, Liono, I have another possibility in mind, one with far greater potentiality for trouble. Listen to me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused and said, â€Å"This room is shielded, Liono. Understand that. We cannot be overheard by anyone, so please feel free to speak. And I will speak freely, as well. â€Å"This Gaia is located, if we accept the information, ten parsecs from Sayshell Planet and is therefore part of the Sayshell Union. The Sayshell Union is a well-explored portion of the Galaxy. All its star systems – inhabited or not inhabited – are recorded and the inhabited ones are known in detail. Gaia is the one exception. Inhabited or not, none have heard of it; it is present in no map. Add to this that the Sayshell Union maintains a peculiar state of independence with respect to the Foundation Federation, and did so even with respect to the Mule's former realm. It has been independent since the fall of the Galactic Empire.† â€Å"What of all this?† asked Kodell cautiously. â€Å"Surely the two points I have made must be connected. Sayshell incorporates a planetary system that is totally unknown and Sayshell is untouchable. The two cannot be independent. Whatever Gaia is, it protects itself. It sees to it that there is no knowledge of its existence outside its immediate surroundings and it protects those surroundings so that outsiders cannot take over.† â€Å"You are telling me, Mayor, that Gaia is the seat of the Second Foundation?† â€Å"I am telling you that Gaia deserves inspection.† â€Å"May I mention an odd point that might be difficult to explain by this theory?† â€Å"Please do.† â€Å"If Gaia is the Second Foundation and if, for centuries, it has protected itself physically against intruders, protecting all of the Sayshell Union as a broad, deep shield for itself, and if it has even prevented knowledge of itself leaking into the Galaxy – then why has all that protection suddenly vanished? Trevize and Pelorat leave Terminus and, even though you had advised them to go to Trantor, they go immediately and without hesitation to Sayshell and now to Gaia. What is more, you can think of Gaia and speculate on it. Why are you not somehow prevented from doing So?† Mayor Branno did not answer for a long time. Her head was bent and her gray hair gleamed dully in the light. Then she said, â€Å"Because I think Councilman Trevize has somehow upset things. He has done something – or is doing something – that is in some way endangering the Seldon Plan.† â€Å"That surely is impossible, Mayor.† â€Å"I suppose everything and everyone has its flaws. Even Hari Seldon was not perfect, surely. Somewhere the Plan has a flaw and Trevize has stumbled upon it, perhaps without even knowing that he has. We must know what is happening and we must be on the spot.† Finally Kodell looked grave. â€Å"Don't make decisions on your own, Mayor. We don't want to move without adequate consideration.† â€Å"Don't take me for an idiot, Liono. I'm not going to make war. I'm not going to land an expeditionary force on Gaia. I just want to be on the spot – or near it, if you prefer, Liono, find out for me – I hate talking to a war office that is as ridiculously hidebound as one is sure to be after one hundred and twenty years of peace, but you don't seem to mind – just how many warships are stationed close to Sayshell. Can we make their movements seem routine and not like a mobilization?† â€Å"In these piping times of peace, there are not many ships in the vicinity, I am sure. But I will find out.† â€Å"Even two or three will be sufficient, especially if one is of the Supernova class.† â€Å"What do you want to do with them?† â€Å"I want them to nudge as close to Sayshell as they can – without creating an incident – and I want them sufficiently close to each other to offer mutual support.† â€Å"What's all this intended for?† â€Å"Flexibility. I want to be able to strike if I have to.† â€Å"Against the Second Foundation? If Gaia can keep itself isolated and untouchable against the Mule, it can surely withstand a few ships now.† Branno said, with the gleam of battle in her eyes, â€Å"My friend, I told you that nothing and no one is perfect, not even Hari Seldon. In setting up his Plan, he could not help being a person of his times. He was a mathematician of the days of the dying Empire, when technology was moribund. It followed that he could not have made sufficient allowance in his Plan for technological advance. Gravities, for instance, is a whole new direction of advance he could not possibly have guessed at. And there are other advances, too. â€Å"Gaia might also have advanced.† â€Å"In isolation? Come. There are ten quadrillion human beings within the Foundation Federation, from among whom contributors to technological advance can step forward. A single isolated world can do nothing in comparison. Our ships will advance and I will be with them.† â€Å"Pardon me, Mayor. What was that?† â€Å"I will be going myself to the ships that will gather at the borders of Sayshell. I wish to see the situation for myself.† Kodell's mouth fell open for a moment. He swallowed and made a distinct noise as he did so. â€Å"Mayor, that is – not wise.† If ever a man clearly intended a stronger remark, Kodell did. â€Å"Wise or not,† said Branno violently, â€Å"I will do it. I am tired of Terminus and of its endless political battles, its infighting, its alliances and counteralliances, its betrayals and renewals. I've had seventeen years at the center of it and I want to do something else – anything else. Out there,† she waved her hand in a direction taken at random, â€Å"the whole history of the Galaxy may be changing and I want to take part in the process.† â€Å"You know nothing about such things, Mayor.† â€Å"Who does, Liono?† She rose stiffly to her feet. â€Å"As soon as you bring me the information I need on the ships and as soon as I can make arrangements for carrying on with the foolish business at home, I will go. – And, Liono, don't try to maneuver me out of this decision in any way or I'll wipe out our long friendship in a stroke and break you. I can still do that.† Kodell nodded. â€Å"I know you can, Mayor, but before you decide, may I ask you to reconsider the power of Seldon's Plan? What you intend may be suicide.† â€Å"I have no fears on that score, Liono. It was wrong with respect to the Mule, whom it could not anticipate – and a failure to anticipate at one time implies the possibility of failure at another.† Kodell sighed. â€Å"Well then, if you are really determined, I will support you to the best of my ability and with complete loyalty.† â€Å"Good. I warn you once again that you had better mean that remark with all your heart. And with that in mind, Liono, let us move on to Gaia. Forward!†

Monday, July 29, 2019

The Growth of China as a Political and Economic Power Research Paper

The Growth of China as a Political and Economic Power - Research Paper Example Many members of global society believe that Communist doctrines are dangerous and a threat to the stability of society, asserting that Communism ensures growing power and influence of government as a dictatorial and oppressive social regime. However, Communism is based solidly on fundamental values related to Socialism ideology, which also ensures that the top priority for society and government is to ensure the well-being and enhanced lifestyle of all citizens under a system that ensures equitable allocation of resources to all members of society regardless of their class position (Lamb & Docherty, 2006). The aforementioned Communist dogma that drove Chinese economic, social and political ideology did ultimately serve as an oppression for adopting principles of globalization that were becoming underpinning strategies to most developed and Westernized nations. Capitalistic economies which promote free-market economic policy and private ownership of business was spreading rapidly across the world during the late 20th Century (Degen, 2008). This changed the dynamics of free trade between developed and developing nations, forcing China to adopt some of the principles of capitalistic ideology in order to remain competitive, improve national GDP, and develop strong political relationships with countries that would be contributing largely to improving the Chinese economy. The transition from Communist values to ideologies that are aligned with capitalism was the major, fundamental shift that made China, today, become such a potent economic and political power in the world in contemporary society.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Business Organization, International Business Law and intellectual Coursework

Business Organization, International Business Law and intellectual Property Law - Coursework Example As per the quality and bravura of my garments, I would name my brand as Dress Fitsâ„ ¢. I would try to make my company’s attires highly impressive and a benchmark for the people in Western Region. I would initiate my business as a sole proprietorship, since I believe that in partnership things become confused a bit. Also, I have to share my ideas and in the end the profits with my partner and that is not acceptable for me. Though partnership gives me many benefits as well but I still prefer to go with the sole trading to avoid future ambiguities. As I stated earlier that the main advantage of doing business in Western Region is that people know the latest trends over there and it is easy to introduce new designs and concepts in that region as compared to any other part of the world. Besides being trendy and open hearted, there exists a diversified culture. Many people from all over the world are living in Western Region for good jobs and better life style. They would like t o wear something in their native style and I am thinking to offer all kinds of dresses that will satisfy needs of wide range of clientele. Therefore, I would get a chance to capture a massive market in that region. Another factor that would be in my favor is law and order. In Western Region, it has been observed since ages that people are truly strict in following rules as compared to any other part across the globe. Therefore, I would be doing my business in a region where I would find many opportunities to run my business as per business laws and earn a handsome amount of profit as well. The threats are also almost none in doing business in Western Region. Like every aspect of life has some pros and cons, similarly doing business in Western Region has some disadvantages too. If we closely observe then its advantages can be disadvantages as well if I would not handle them wisely. Since, I said earlier that people in that region are trendier as compared to other parts of the world t herefore I have to be really quick and intelligent while designing the get-ups so that none of my efforts would go wasted. I have to work extra hard to ensure that people would accept and appreciate my efforts in this field. Moreover, again the diversity factor can be a disadvantage too if managed inappropriately. Since, there are people from different parts; therefore with an advantage of a huge market, I have a disadvantage of distinct moods and cultures as well. I have to do a lot of homework to search out what is acceptable and unacceptable for all the people in that region. For my business, different Religions, Cultures, Tastes, Environment, and Beliefs of people can really be a disaster if I would not act sagaciously and swiftly. Besides all these disadvantages, I would still prefer to initiate my business in Western Region because I think that its plusses are more than its minuses. Moreover, I personally like the environment and climate of Western Region and therefore would f eel myself comfortable over there. In Western Region, everyone is so busy in their lives that hardly anyone interferes in anyone’s life. In my point of views such type of atmosphere is perfect for people like me who want to do their business with complete concentration and dedication. That is why no matter what, I would definitely want to target Western Region for doing my business there. As overall all the aspects of doing business are

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Role of Cardiac Nurses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Role of Cardiac Nurses - Assignment Example The term cardiac nursing is a broad term, and this encompasses care in different clinical areas. These areas may include areas of cardiac nursing in the cardiothoracic surgery, interventional cardiology, general medical cardiology, cardiac imaging and diagnostics, intensive and critical care units, pediatric cardiology and cardio-surgery, electrophysiology laboratory or pacemaker units, primary care, home care, and even community care. The care provided may need technological knowledge and expertise about the use of complicated instruments, implants, and procedures; ability to interpret data from sophisticated monitoring devices and investigations; capability to critically analyse biological manifestations about conditions, researching evidence from literature, and synthesize them to arrive at a medical decision and nursing care plan; dexterity to manage different critical and life-threatening cardiac situations in diverse environments; knowledge to intervene and educate patients to reduce cardiac risks; and ability to manage a care even in areas ranging from primary, home, and community settings. Research in these areas is diverse and voluminous. Therefore, identification of informative research in this area of practice is important, and to be able to extract useful findings, it would be legitimate to critically review the available relevant research. In this assignment, a critical literature review will be undertaken to that purpose so implications for clinical cardiac practice can be identified through evidence. The process of the literature search and findings from the review has been presented below. Literature Search To build a scientific basis of evidence, a comprehensive literature search was undertaken and then evaluated critically. For the purpose of the review of literature to support the rationale, need, and continuation of the project, this author conducted a literature search across databases. Those accessed for information included: CINHAL, Medline and Pubmed along with the Google Scholar internet search engine. Moreover MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL and Cochrane databases were searched to identify relevant literature on prevention of pressure ulcers. HighWire Press was also searched. The key words in the search included "cardiac nursing", "cardiac nurses", "role", "cardiovascular nursing", "intensive care nursing", "critical care nursing", "cardiac intervention nursing", "pacemaker units", "nursing," "clinical trials", "home cardiac nursing", "cardiac surgery nursing", "primary care cardiac nursing", "cardiac imaging nursing," "emergency cardiac nursing", "cardiac nursing education", and "cardiac patient education" published in the last 10 years. Inclusion criteria for each article reviewed were answers to the following questions: 1. Was the article a valid research article 2. Did the article's study include role of cardiac nursing in area of cardiac medicine practice and applied to nursing practice in that area 3. Was the article published within the past 10 years 4. Did the article have some identification with nursing practice and healthcare delivery related to cardiac care Each article must answer "yes" to all of

Business plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Business plan - Assignment Example This has been in practice by people regardless of their age ranging from their childhood which poses as great dange (Henry, 2013)r. Also from the time of industrialization in this world whereby machines replaced work done by human especially the practical and manual work, many people have engaged in business or work practices which they engage passively. Most people work in offices and spend all of their day sited. This makes their bodies to be more relaxed which is a great danger. Due to the above practices which have been caused by emanating factors in the environment such as technological developments in food and in how work is carried out, diseases have come into being which have killed and continue to kill people all over (Pinson, 2004). An example of a lifestyle disease is cancer which results from eating unhealthy food which comprises mostly of junk food and on the other hand not practicing at all. As per the above aspects of life, it is thus worth to come up with a fitness center which will tend to assist people to maintain a good living characterized with good health through training and proper dieting. This is a spelled out in the fitness centers vision, mission and the strategy of the organization (Bisoux, 2002). Good health fitness center is an entity whose main goal will be to create a fit and healthy society. Good training and proper dieting will be our main objective which we intend to teach the society in order to make the world a better place. Our agenda is to eliminate lifestyle diseases in the future through our committed staff of well-trained fitness guides who will be of help to the society through their advice on how to train and live well. Our goal is also to create branches throughout the nation In order to ease access of training facilities and services. Our vision is to be the best in weight management, group fitness, cardio and martial arts. Our mission is to be the best firm in

Friday, July 26, 2019

Health Care And Increasing In Taxes On Cigarettes Term Paper

Health Care And Increasing In Taxes On Cigarettes - Term Paper Example An increase in price of a cigarette pack with 10% would result in a decrease, in demand, by about 4%. With regard to cigarette taxation, there have been increases in tax by various governments as a way of controlling the consumption of cigarettes and in essence reducing demand. In order to understand the effects of tax increases on cigarette use, there is a need to know two things; the magnitude of results that the tax change will cause and the link between the consumption changes and price change (Taylor & Akila 94). Economists and researchers have been using estimates of price elasticity of demand, which refers to the change in percentage of consumption, consequently from a 1% increase in price, to evaluate the effects of change in prices of cigarette on cigarette consumption. Overall, the price elasticity for a cigarette is within the range of -0.14 to -1.23, but mostly it falls within the narrower range of -0.3 to -0.5. This implies that a change in price of tobacco will result i n a slight decrease in demand. In spite of the fact that higher cigarette taxes reduce sales or consumption, cigarette tax income increases because the loss in income as a result of lower sales is more and could be offset by the increased taxes (Cordes 440). Policy makers in the tobacco control department and tax revenue docket will always agree that, provided the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes is not more than -1, then total revenue from sales increases when price increase.... In spite of the fact that higher cigarette taxes reduce sales or consumption, cigarette tax income increases because the loss in income as a result of lower sales is more and could be offset by the increased taxes (Cordes 440). Policy makers in the tobacco control department and tax revenue docket will always agree that, provided the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes is not more than -1, then total revenue from sales increases when price increase. As evidenced in this study, the price elasticity of demand for a cigarette is less than one, meaning that in as much as tax will have an effect on the demand for cigarette consumption, it will also yield additional tax revenues. The passing into law of tobacco control policy with the increasing prices will eventually have significant results in reducing tobacco consumption, making cigarettes expensive to juveniles (Besanko et al 151). Do increases in cigarette taxes have any other effects? In response to the increased taxes on cigar ettes, some problems can be seen to be rising. They include theft, interstate smuggling and channeling. Channeling primarily describes the changes in ways people obtain a product they seek. Making one by rolling it is a good example. The most serious one of the three above is smuggling. Smuggling can be related to moving goods across international borders to avoid paying tariffs or duties for the product. There are commonly five characteristics of a product that are likely to be smuggled somewhere for a profit. They include the product tax differential; transaction cost; transportation cost; the effort required to obtain the product and the possibility of police or authority intervention. Cigarette thus makes the perfect product for smuggling. The product is not heavy and has large tax

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law - Case Study Example The advanced law of criminal harm is for the most part held in the Criminal Damage Act 1971, which reclassifies or makes a few offenses securing property rights. The Act gives an exhaustive structure coating only preparatory acts to the most genuine offenses of illegal conflagration and creating harm with expectation to imperil life. Accordingly, disciplines fluctuate from a settled punishment to life detainment, and the court may request installment of recompense to an exploited person (Barbara & Marston, 2009). Reflecting on the offence as per the prosecution of Adam Clewes, we learn that he has been involved in two counts involving breaking a window at Bargain Booze, High Street, Leigh, and possession of a knife. According to the report from the constable, during the time of arrest and arrest, no one else was present during the interview. Clewes accepted the first count regarding breaking of a window denied and suggested that it was by accident and the second count in regards to possession of a knife. From the case study involving the case of Adam Clewes and W.H. Smiths and Cheap Booze, there are two individuals counts that comes into the attention and that requires to be dealt with differently. In consideration of the England law the Criminal Damage Act 1971 (the Act) revoked the normal law and statutory offenses of arson. Just a couple of the offenses in opposition to the Malicious Damage Act 1861 remain. The Act is presently the essential wellspring of offenses of harm to property. The common law for the most part treated harm to an alternates belongings as a civil matter heading just to a right to harms in trespass or aggravation. In the eighteenth century, Blackstone expressed the privileges of individual property in ownership are at risk to two types of wounds: carrying away or hardship of that ownership; and the misuse or harm of the assets, while the ownership proceeds in the lawful manager." Blackstone unmistakably named these

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Information flows and financial management Essay - 2

Information flows and financial management - Essay Example This essay intends to give an implicit description on its operation and transacting. More importantly, the first two scenarios in the test-drive manual. The scenarios are, project code and transfer of funds. This introductory part intends to acquaint a first time user. It entails procedures followed and observations made when running the test drive through the two stated scenarios. Project code is a simple document that adds to the Kauli Financial system. The person who enter a document in this system is referred to us the author or initiator. On completion of selecting and accumulation of data, the system is able to route the eDoc automatically for online approval. Routing is only possible if its setting in the system is active. This process starts by clicking the â€Å"Main Menu† tab. On â€Å"Look up and Maintenance† tab click ‘Project Code’. The Look up screen appears. At this point, click â€Å"Create new† to create a new electronic document. The eDoc format appears with an assigned identity number on the top of the screen (Dan, 2011). In reference to the directive on the manual on how to find valid principal names by using several and different characters, it was unsuccessful (Dan, 2011).Tom Edwards is an alternative principal name in the project manager principal space. After the above steps, submission of the form for approval is done by clicking on the â€Å"submit† tab. The screen indicated the following details: The specified project manager principal name, the specified chart code and the specified organization code does not exist. However, using valid codes and principal name, the form’s submission succeeds. This technicality happens because of the rules guiding validation. These rules are unique in each institution (Dan, 2011). The question in this observation any first time user might ask is, â€Å"why the form was not successfully submitted?† Answering this

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

"Critique on Rupert Murdoch's tweet and being a muslim in Article

"Critique on Rupert Murdoch's tweet and being a muslim in the european society" - Article Example Terror attacks have traditionally been linked to Islamic extremism than any other religion in the world. Since the terror attack on 9/11 in U.S, most people across the world have developed islamaphobia with every subsequent terror attack such as the one directed to French Newspaper (Erlanger, & Bennhold, 2015). However, Islam has been on the receiving end of unwarranted criticism because terror attacks have always been orchestrated by a few extremist groups and not the entire Islam community. According to U.S Congress linking terrorism to Islam only fuels hatred and fear, which is a plus for the terrorists (2007). Therefore, Murdoch’s sentiments should be reviewed in this light. Indeed, Islamic leaders across the world have always condemned hundreds of terror attacks. Additionally, there are a number of terror attacks already organized and executed by non-Muslims. It can be argued that Murdoch’s tweet represents a mindset of many people across cultural settings. According to him, Islam needs to carry the cross whenever any terror orchestrated by Islamic extremism happens. Whereas Islamic leaders such as Olivier Roy have condemned terror attacks every time attacks happen (Erlanger, & Bennhold, 2015) , the entire Islamic community has not taken a strong and long lasting stand against terrorism. For instance, Islamic leaders have not been on the global forefront in funding anti-terror related organizations and campaigns. Most of the support Islam has given to anti-terrorism activities has mostly remained verbal (Frost, 2008). From Murdoch’s perspective, Islam has a more rigorous job to do when it comes to fighting terrorism. However, Murdoch has been highly criticized together with other people who share his ideology regarding Islam and terrorism. It is arguably impossible for the entire Islam community to fight

Monday, July 22, 2019

Assessor Award Essay Example for Free

Assessor Award Essay A1 Assessor Award BY fiffi20 7317 Vocational Assessors Award Underpinning Knowledge Requirements QI. The way how I identify and use different types of evidences when carrying out assessments are by reading through all the chosen units assessment reports to have a clear understanding of the criteria/elements which the candidate must meet. The different types of evidences which can be used are, Task Statements, Work Product/ Work Evidences, Observations, Supplementary Evidences, Questionnaires, Professional Discussions and also Witness Statements. Q2. When comparing different types of evidences, I make sure the work product overs either, the Skills and Techniques or the Performance Indicators depends on the NVQ course, this get done on both the mandatory unit as well as the unit the candidate is working on. This is done by me checking the evidence against the Assessment Report and referencing the elements which have been met. Q3. When it comes to me collecting evidence I normally get my candidates to print their evidences in black and white instead of colour to save the cost of their ink cartridge. If possible I would also ask them to print double sided to save paper. I always ask my candidates if they have created any sort of evidence prior to our eeting, that way I could see if the evidence is suitable for the task and if its meets any of the elements on the assessment report if so this saves a lot of time on the candidate behalf if not, I do set my candidates deadlines for them to meet, so that way then can complete to hand over evidences. Q4. If a candidate has completed evidences prior to the assessment process I would ask them to demonstrate how they started and completed the task. I would also have a Professional Discussion with them to cover certain Performance Indicators as well as getting a Witness Statement completed by a person high then he candidate, someone who can confirm that the candidate was able tackle this task. Depends on the unit, I would sometimes also give Questionnaires to them to cover their Knowledge and Understanding. Q5. To develop and agree assessment plans with the candidates I consider all Performance Indicators and Skills and Techniques for each chosen unit, I then advise them on the assessment methods which will be used to collect the evidence and also a date/time of completion is set and agreed by both the candidate and myself. Q6. To assess the performance of my candidate I observe them while they are ackling the work evidence and I also question them this could either be verbal or written. Through this method I can pin point their performance against specific parts of the standard. evelop their competency would be to give them extra training on specific areas which they lack knowledge in and also set them task where I could observe them on that particular training to see whether or not they understood to concept and learnt from the training. I would also question them to confirm they understanding. By doing this I can make sure the candidate will be able to meet the criteria/element. Q8. Diff erent candidate have different needs, some need more training and guidance than others. So when changing assessment procedures all aspect must be considered. For example I have a candidate who is a Personal Assistant for a Head Teacher in a school which I assess in. I show her the Action Plans and Assessment Reports and explain the criteria/element which she must meet, she is able to produce evidence instantly due to IT knowledge and Job role, this candidate need very little training in her Business and Administration course as long as I explain what is required from her and her work products/work evidences. However I then have a candidate who is a receptionist at a medical centre, this candidate has dyslexia and needs a huge amount of training and guidance, especially with her Task Statements. A lot more time must be spent with this candidate and the deadline of evidence must be slightly longer then others. Q9. When collecting evidences must ensure there are no confidentially information which relates to neither the company nor their clients/customers. The evidences must be created by the candidates so that way they are valid and fair. If the candidate does not create the evidence then it is hard to identify whether or not it is air. All evidences must be valid. I must check dates and check the assessment reports. I must speak to the Manager and advise them which type of evidence the candidate will be submitting. QIO. When completing work evidences, the evidence must follow the assessment standard of the CADCentre unit standard booklet. QI 1. To measure existing levels of competence I always question my candidates, this could either be verbal or written. I also get the candidate to perform the task so Im able to observe and Judge their competency level. Q12. To make a valid and reliable assessment of my candidates knowledge I ormally hold a professional discussion with them and also given them questionnaires to complete. Q13. To make a valid and reliable assessment of my candidates performance I get my candidate to produce work evidence to support there claim, to complete a Task Statement and I then type out the Observation which will backup the task which they completed and also to reference the criteria/elements which they successfully matched. collect the work evidence and the Task Statement from the candidate and then I would go through the assessment report and tick off the criteria/elements which they uccessfully met. This is done once IVe collect all evidences towards the relevant unit. This will show that the candidate was capable to meeting the required criteria/ elements. QI 5. To check that the evidence was created by the candidate I always ask them to demonstrate who they created the evidence and also I would take down the file path. The file path is added to the candidates work evidence as well as in my Observations. Q16. To make sure that supporting evidences supplied by other people are reliable I ask the Manager to write out a Witness Statement, I would also speak to the witness egarding the candidates unit, explaining the criteria/elements which they need to cover and will be assed on. The witness must have knowledge and experience in the area which I will assess to allow them to write up the statement otherwise it will not be valid. QI 7. I always tell the candidates that they can use evidences which they previously created towards the chosen unit. For instance an ITQ candidate might have already created a Powerpoint presentation a few weeks ago and as she/he Chose this particular unit, instead of getting them to re-create another resentation we would use the same as long as it met all the relevant criteria/ elements. This saves the candidate a lot of time and effort and fast tracks he collection of the evidence. Q18. The way how I give constructive feedback to my candidates is by after the completion ofa task I would sit down with them and go over the task again. My feedback sheet will state the unit number, the task which the candidate has completed, date of completion, a brief paragraph giving a positive feedback on the task, state any issues which the candidate might have had during the task and also I ention the next stage which they will be moving on to. Q19. The way how I involve my candidates in the planning of assessment , I sit with them and explain all the criteria/elements which they will need to meet, the date of completion must also be agreed by both parties. I would also Judge whether or not the candidate will need extra training times on certain criteria/element to allow them to meet them. Q20. To keep to the data protection act I must store all candidates details safe and secure. Candidate detail must not be shown nor shared with any other candidates or any one outside the CADCentre. Q21. I have a lot of patients and give a lot of my time to my candidates who I feel lack to take part in different in their assessment. Im constantly training them to regain their confidences and knowledge. I also advise them that they can email or call me regarding any questions which they might have. I also give them the option of training them through specific area. IVe noticed that more practice the candidate has the better their understanding is. Q22. I make sure that I treat all my candidates the same, all with the same respect regardless to age, gender, race or beliefs. I train all my candidates equally, however I o sometimes give extra time/training to those who are in need. Q23. To meet the needs to each of my candidate, I assess them on the second initial visit after the signup. I question them verbally to have a clear view of the competency and needs. From that I can Judge which candidate will need extra training. Q24. I always give a feedback to all my candidates after the completion ofa task or even a unit. Again in this I will verbal talk to them as well as write out a feedback sheet. Feedbacks are very important to candidates, they can see their progressions and also identify their weaknesses. Q25. I have always built a good friendly relationship with all my candidates, make them feel at ease to ask questions and get in contact with me at any time regarding any issues which they might have with the course/evidence. Q26. To monitor and review the progress of my candidates I always complete an eight week review which states and identifies how the candidate is progressing, whether its a slow progression or an up to date progress. Deadlines are always set with my candidates and some do meet them and some do go over the deadline. Q27. Candidates are always upgrading their positions within companies. I must ake sure that my knowledge and understand of the course, assessment reports and standards are ofa high level to allow me to assess the candidates. Knowledge in softwares are also very important, as a candidate might chose to complete their NVQ in a specific software such as Access. Access is a database software which not many people know how to use and not many companies use, so to be able to assess and train in Access my knowledge and understand must be high. Q28. To update my existing skills and experience I would take full advantage of any training/course opportunities which may arise. This will enhance my skills, nowledge and also experience. Q29. I would take in consideration any Internal Verifier feedbacks, I would also constantly look at the City and Guilds web site and also sign up for the Newsletters. Q30. To improve my personal development I would again take full advantage of any qualifications and criterias. Q31. To meet my candidates needs in a safe, fair, valid and reliable manner I would take in to account there needs and work in line with the relevant legislations. As I mentioned before I have a candidate who suffers from Dyslexia, with her I need to print the text in a larger font and explain each point to her fully for her to have fully nderstanding of what is required from her. Q32. To recognise and challenge unfair discrimination in assessments I would refer back to the procedure, CADCentre Handbook. Q33. I would liaise with the Internal Verifier and then External Verifier to get advice on meeting candidates special assessment requirements. Q34. To identify and plan for issues of confidentiality and data protection during the assessment process I would either collect the Work Product or if the data is confidential then I would only request the file path. The file path is needed in case he Internal Verifier or External Verifier wanted to go to the company and have a look and the evidence. Q35. The way how I would record, store and pass on assessment decisions to other people within an agreed system would be by recording it on assessment plans and completing a summary of achievement. Q36. I would say to identify and assess things that could influence my own competence, could be an ITQ unit such as (214). By observing another person I could learn new skills on a particular software. Q37. I would liaise with my manager and request training in either a particular course, scheme, FL, CPD and also PTTLS.

Death of a Loved One Essay Example for Free

Death of a Loved One Essay Devastating occurrences have the ability to completely alter the ways in which you live your life. When these certain situations occur, you have two choices: You can let them destroy you, or you can let them strengthen you. My outlook on life was completely changed when my kind hearted grandmother passed away when I was just a child. I was struck with the realization that life can be taken away in an instant and I need to cherish every moment I have left I this world. In early November of 2006, I was sitting in my choir class listening to my teacher describe the scene a horrific car accident she witnessed the day before. As she was explaining the details of the accident, I was feeling little pangs of sorrow for the victims who were unable to walk away injury free. As we carried on with our class, I couldn’t help but think about how miserable their family and friends must be feeling at that exact moment, they didn’t even see it coming. I soon shook the thoughts from my head and made my way to my next class. While walking down the hallway, I feel my newly purchased flip phone vibrate in my purse and the text I receive from my mother was rather unsettling: Honey, I have some bad news. Â  I reply back asking her what she was talking about, and although I was a little nervous, I didn’t try to dwell on it too much. I only assumed that she wasn’t going to buy me a new pair of Buckle jeans that I was eyeing at the time, so I swallowed my disappointment, and carried on with my morning. Thoughts of not owning those beautiful pair jean were going through my head as my phone vibrates with another text that made me stop dead in my tracks: Grandma was in an accident today. She’s in the hospital with severe injuries and they think she has brain damage. A wave of emotions washed over me and my mind couldn’t stop racing. I always heard about this sort of thing happening to people I didn’t know, people I didn’t care about. Never in a million years did I imagine that my own grandmother would be put in this situation. For once in my life, I was completely speechless. Over the next couple weeks, my grandma’s progress was a roller coaster. Some days she was barely able to open her eyes and move her fingers, and other days she was motionless. One day the swelling in her brain would worsen and the next day it would decrease. There weren’t any clear answers explaining if she was going to be okay or not. We were all holding on dearly to a sense of hope that was keeping us together. Towards the last couple days of her life, my grandma’s progress seemed to have gotten better. The swelling in her brain had decreased a great amount and I was told that it was very possible that she would be able to recover. A wave of a relief washed over me and the grasp I had on hope tightened. I truly believed that she would recover and we would have our caring, loving grandma with us again. The thoughts of her recovery were clogging my mind and I completely forgot that even though there was indeed the possibility of her recovery, the possibility of her death was still apparent. On November 28th, I was woken up by my mother and father informing me that my grandma had passed away that morning. Initially, I didn’t feel any sort of emotion. I was stuck in a daze that I couldn’t get out of. Part of me even believed that this was all a dream, and that I was going to wake up with her smiling face still in this world. Throughout the day, the numb feeling went away, and was replaced with sadness and sorrow. I replayed every memory I had with her in my head while hot, salty tears ran down my cheeks. In that moment, I would have given anything to have her alive and well, baking Christmas cookies with me like we did every year. She didn’t deserve to die and we didn’t deserve to feel this pain. Deep down I knew she was in a better place, a place where she wouldn’t have to feel the pain she felt in this world before she passed. This thought alone helped me and many others get over the fact that we lost our dear grandma. They always say that you need to live your life the fullest; you never know when your time is up. My grandma was the perfect example of a barely 60 year old woman who’s last years of her life were cut short. She made sure that she lived every day to its full potential, and she cherished every moment. Ever since the morning that she died, I made a promise to myself to never let a day go by where I don’t appreciate and love the life I live. Although life is difficult, it is still so very beautiful.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Analysis of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty

Analysis of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 represented the time when the United States expanded to the West by buying an area previously owned by France for the price of 15 million dollars.[2] The purchase represented the major diplomatic success of a young nation and an opportunity to double its size and become a leading power. The area purchased would later become â€Å"the states of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, almost all of Oklahoma and Kansas, and large portions of what is now North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Colorado, and Louisiana.†[3] The treaty represented an interesting view of the relations between France and the US that promoted the sale of Louisiana by Napoleon Bonaparte. Additionally, the treaty also served to bring in a major political battlefield between the Federalists and Republicans concerning Article III of the treaty, raising the questions of whether the president can sign treaties and incorporate new people of a gained territory into th e union. This research paper will analyze the treaty and delve into the context behind the purchase of Louisiana by dividing it into three parts: the first part devoted to the relations between France and the US, the second to the provision of the treaty and the third to the consequences of the treaty on the constitution and its interpretation. The Relations between France and the USA Prior to the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, the relations between France and the United States of America in deep rift and experienced setbacks that led the two nations to be at war with each other unofficially. In the American side, it is known that the US received a great help in its war against Britain during the American Revolution, funding and weapons for the revolutionary warrior came directly from France. For instance, one of the major battles of the American Revolution in which America won was Yorktown, a battle that would not have been won without the help of the French navy.[4] This help did not come for free but was transformed into debt which the US agreed to pay to the kingdom of France. However, by 1792 France no longer was a monarchy but a republic exemplified by the execution of the last Bourbon king, Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette in 1793.[5] Acting on this political novelty, the US chose to neutralize its country regarding the English-French war by abrogating the Alliance Treaty of Mutual Support between the kingdom of France and the United States of America. Then the US canceled paying the debt that was owed to the kingdom of France and not to the newly formed republic.[6] These two policies angered France and thus induced the two countries to be under unofficial war that was called the Quasi-War. Under these circumstances the Americans were wary when the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso of 1800 retroceded the territory of Louisiana from Spain, under King Charles IV, to the republic of France. What made the Americans feel anxious upon hearing about the secret treaty, was the possibility that French might refuse American access to the Port of New Orleans, which is of utmost importance to the Americans as it is the only way planters in the Ohio valley area could transport their goods to the American cities in the Atlantic coast. Therefore, many voices in the US such as Alexander Hamilton were asking for a military action to seize the port o f New Orleans.[7] Because Thomas Jefferson occupied the post of the American ambassador in France from 1785 to 1789, he was intending to solve the issue peacefully with France. Jefferson found an opportunity to address his fears of the French presence in the Louisiana territory through playing two sides as he accepted to help France during the slave revolution in Santo Domingo[8] to stop trading with the leader of the rebellion of Toussaint LOuverture, or at least prevent the slaves from getting any goods and at the same time abandoning his promise in a diplomatic way without igniting any conflict between the two countries. Jefferson`s decision to help France during its struggle can be explained through the fear of the Southerners from a spillover of the slave revolt.[9] However, Jefferson changed his mind when a large French army was noticed in the vicinity of Santo Domingo. As it is stated by Thomas Fleming: When Pichon (a French diplomat in The US) sought help from Secretary of State Madison, he found himself answering difficult questions: Why was the French army so large? Shouldnt Paris have explained the first consuls plans before the expedition sailed? He also mentioned the report from Tobias Lear that part of the army was destined for Louisiana†¦He asked Madison to cooperate with France by allowing him to publish a letter announcing that trade with Santo Domingo was henceforth limited to ports controlled by France. He hoped Madison would publish a statement in support of this policy. Madisons answer was a masterpiece of evasion. He said it was very difficult to control the â€Å"national spirit† of a nation as commercially minded as the United States. The Southern states might support such an embargo because they feared the rebellious message LOuverture personified. But the Northern states, already rather hostile to the South, would violate it with impunity to sell their products to LOuvertures regime[10] Secretary of State James Madison found a clever of way of both keeping good relations with France and at the same time making sure that the revolt in Santo Domingo would eventually exhaust the French soldiers and prevent them from making their way to Louisiana. The United States of America at the beginning was not intending to buy the area of Louisiana, on the other hand the basic aim of Jefferson was to convince Napoleon Bonaparte to sell him the city of New Orleans. Jefferson was moved by the fear that foreign countries were intending to obtain the city hence, as the city serves to control the river of Mississippi, would jeopardize the right of America in the river. With Spain refusing to give access to Americans to use the river of Mississippi and access the port of New Orleans in 1798, due to a conflict between the US and Spain even though America signed the Pinckney Treaty, also known as San Lorenzo treaty, with Spain in 1795. Jefferson needed a way to let Americans gain access to the Mississippi River without being compelled to the desires of a foreign country. When Jefferson`s emissary, James Monroe, and Robert Livingston, proposed to Napoleon selling the city of New Orleans to the US, Bonaparte was ready to give not only the city b ut the whole area of Louisiana. The argument of Bonaparte was according to Thomas Fleming: I can hardly say I cede it to them,† Napoleon admitted. â€Å"For it is not yet in our possession. [But] If I leave the least time to our enemies, I will transmit only an empty title to those republicans whose friendship I seek. They ask for only one town of Louisiana [New Orleans]; but I consider the whole colony as completely lost, and it seems to me that in the hands of that growing power, it will be more useful to the policy and even the commerce of France than if I should try to keep it.[11] The readiness of Napoleon Bonaparte to not only sell New Orleans but also the whole territory of Louisiana surprised Jefferson and made him interested in buying the land. To his utmost astonishment, Robert Livingston was instructed by Thomas Jefferson to bargain a deal with Napoleon regarding the city of New Orleans and Florida with the price of 10 million dollars. At least, in case the deal was repudiated by Napoleon to at least obtain an agreement on the access to the port of New Orleans and the Mississippi river.[12] France`s Minister of the Treasury, Franà §ois Barbà ©-Marbois, played a pivotal role in convincing Bonaparte to sell the territory by pointing to its uselessness without the colony of Santo Domingo. Jefferson as well as Bonaparte were keen on signing the treaty as soon as possible, because Jefferson needed access to the land before any foreign country contesting the treaty, mainly Britain and Spain, would try to invade the territory. While Bonaparte was eager to ha ve money as soon as possible to finance his war adventures in Europe. Both Leaders were aware of the lack of legality in the Louisiana Purchase treaty due to Article III of the Treaty of San Ildefonso which states: His Catholic Majesty promises and undertakes on his part to retrocede to the French Republic, six months after the full and entire execution of the above conditions and provisions regarding His Royal Highness the Duke of Parma, the colony or province of Louisiana, with the same extent that it now has in the hands of Spain and that it had when France possessed it, and such as it ought to be according to the treaties subsequently concluded between Spain and other states.[13] The legal issue concerned the phrase that France will not cede the Louisiana territory to any foreign country. However, practicality won over legality and the legal issue was ignored, mainly due to the need of French empire for fund to cover its war expenses. As the United States could not summon the amount of 15 million dollars, Americans propose instead to sell their bonds to France and thanks to Baring and Company of London and Hope and Company of Amsterdam America was able issue 11.25 million dollars to cover its wars and empire building expenses.[14] The Provisions of the Treaty The Louisiana Purchase Treaty was signed on April 30, 1803. The treaty includes 10 articles and the audience was the Americana and French public. The treaty begin by mentioning that the misunderstanding, embedded in Article III and Article V of the Convention of 1800 between the French Republic and the United States of America regarding the US claims based on the Treaty of Friendship Between Spain and The United States in October 27, 1795, would be solved upon the signature of the treaty. The American delegated to Robert R. Livingston and James Monroe the task of signing the treaty with Francis Marbois Minister of the public treasury from the French side. Article I specified the right of France in the territory regardless of the provisions of Article III of St Ildefonso as France was the former owner of Louisiana territory before it was given to Spain. In Article I, France used the adjective â€Å"incontestable title†[15] to describe its ownership of the territory. Thus, Spain cannot compel France to not sell the land to any third party or dispute its title to the area. In addition, the treaty is seen as strong proof of his (Napoleon) friendship[16] to the United States. Therefore, the territory to be given to the US is the same one given to France by Spain as it was stipulated in the treaty of St Ildefonso with with all its rights and appurtenances.[17] Nevertheless, The Louisiana Purchase Treaty angered the Spaniards during its ratification by France and The US. First, because it violated Article III of the Treaty of San Ildefonso, and second, because Spain was not interested in seeing Louisiana under the hands of Americans as it will divert their attention to the silver mines in New Spain[18]. However, due to the military weakness of Spain, it eventually and reluctantly accepted the situation. Article II stipulates that all the islands and territories, unless they are private property, are going to be in the possession of the US. Article III postulates the right of the inhabitants of Louisiana Territory to be given full rights just like the US citizens, based on the US constitution the federal government will protect the rights of freedom, respect of their property and religion. The fear from the mistreatment of the Louisiana inhabitants, who were predominantly Catholic, was generated from the fact that since the US is predominantly Protestant the right of Catholics will be transgressed. Furthermore, there is also the issue of private property of the inhabitants of the territory once it will be transferred to the US, the concern that the US might usurp them of their rights. In order to make sure that the points agreed on by both the government of France and the US are respected, Article IV states that France will send a Commissary[19] to the area of Louisiana to make sure that the provision of the treaty are all done without any problem. Article V addresses the issue of the soldiers of both Spain and France that are already in the territory during the signature of the treaty. Upon signature of the treaty they will be under the command of the commissary appointed by Thomas Jefferson with the idea that they will be embarked to their countries in the period of three months. The purpose of lingering the stay of both Spanish and French soldiers was issued on the grounds of practicality, as the US did not know the whole region and the deployment of those soldiers will take time to prevent any conflict between the three militaries. Article VI addresses the right of Indians that live in the territory and asking the US to abide by the treaties signed between Spain and Indians. Although France describes its title to the Louisiana territory as â€Å"incontestable,†[20] it is worth mentioning that France did not literally sell the land of Louisiana to the US but instead sold its claims to it, as the area was already inhabited by Indians.[21] The French Foreign Minister, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, did not even know the exact boundaries of the territory it was just speculated that the area covers â€Å"from the Canadian border to the mouth of the Mississippi, and from the western bank of the great river to â€Å"the Shining Mountains,† the Indian name for the Rockies.†[22] Article VII stipulates that both France and Spain have the right to access the port of New Orleans without paying any duties other the one being paid by US citizens in the period of 12 years. At the same time, no other nation other than Spain and France would have the same privileges to the port of New Orleans. The bottom line was to not disturb the economic activities that were already in the territory by the treaty and to allow the people who did business in the area to adjust to the provisions of the treaty without losing their economic activities and protect their way of living. The period of 12 years will start after three months from the ratification of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty. Nonetheless, even after the period of 12 years, France will still be treated as the footing of the most favored nations[23] in New Orleans port according to the words of Article VIII. Besides the issue of US neutrality during France-England war, the major problem that prompted the Quasi-War, the question over the future of US debt towards France was addressed in the Louisiana Purchase Treaty under Article IX: The particular Convention Signed this day by the respective Ministers, having for its object to provide for the payment of debts due to the Citizens of the United States by the French Republic prior to the 30th Sept. 1800 is approved and to have its execution in the Same manner as if it had been inserted in this present treaty, and it Shall be ratified in the same form and in the Same time So that the one Shall not be ratified distinct from the other.[24] Article IX abides the US to continue paying its debt, prior to 1800, to France even though the regime in France has changed from a monarchy to a republic, thus solving a major issue as it was the reason behind the rift in the relations between the two countries after the French revolution took place in France. The agreement reached regarding the debt was of utmost importance to the French as they emphasized that the ratification of the treaty goes hand in hand with the ratification of the debt by making them two face of one coin. Article X, points to the fact that the treaty shall be ratified in the Space of Six months[25] after the signature of the treaty, while bearing in mind that the original treaty is the French version which is understandable as the French are the ones who were selling the land. The treaty was eventually signed by Robert Livingston, James Monroe and Barba Marbois, while the exact date of signature is April 30 in the French version it was written as the tenth of Floreal.[26] Regarding the English version of The Louisiana Purchase Treaty and apart from the difference in terms of French Republican Calendar, Article I included an excerpt from Article III of the Treaty of San Ildefonso in which the English verb â€Å"cede† was the equivalent of â€Å"rà ©trocà ©der† in the French version of the treaty.[27] The verb retrocede implies that the area of Louisiana was in prior possession of France whereby the verb â€Å"retrocede† means return back while the verb cede overlooks the fact that Louisiana was a French territory in the beginning, and instead deems it as a transfer of Spanish territory. In fact, the first settlers in Louisiana were the French, however due to the defeat of France and its allies (Spain) in the Seven Years War against England between 1756 and 1763. France decided to give the area to Spain under the Treaty of Paris in 1783 to compensate for the Spains loss of Florida.[28] The use of the word â€Å"cede† by Am ericans implies that Americans were not interested in allowing the French to one day come and ask for the territory again, they had with Spain. The Consequences of the Treaty on the US Constitution and its Interpretation Thomas Jefferson might have won the battle over the illegality of the treaty as it transgressed Article III of San Ildefonso Treaty. However a battle was awaiting him internally over the constitutionality of the treaty. The interpretation of constitution was a major issue that divided the two parties in congress. The Republicans were saying that anything that was not included in the constitution is unconstitutional while the Federalists wanted to broaden the constitution to give more influence to the central government. This line of reasoning changed with the Federalist resorting to a narrow and limitless interpretation of the constitution in contrast with the Republicans who were aiming for a broad interpretation of the constitution to allow the integration of Louisiana territory into the union. The origin of the sudden change of both parties has to do with the concern of New England that allowing the US to grow West would hurt its electoral power.[29] They were not against the inq uisition of Louisiana as a territory as they were also hoping to enlist Canada into the union but for political reasons the Louisiana Purchase was threatening to the Federalist Party. Ironically, it was the states of New England who paid for the Louisiana Purchase due to its high import duties compared to the South.[30] Jefferson was faced with a dilemma: he is republican who is strict to label any policy that is not described in the constitution as unconstitutional and simultaneously wanting to find a loophole for the treaty to be constitutional. Basically, Thomas Jefferson wanted to buy the Louisiana territory without the need to ferret the constitution for any provision that would make the purchase legal. President Jefferson faced two options either to search for a constitutional provision that would allow him to make the purchase or sign the treaty without the need of a backup from the constitution. In the end, President Thomas Jefferson opted for the latter choice under the advice of Attorney General Levi Lincoln by playing on words, which is instead of saying adding a new territory the USA, would say expand its territory that already existed.[31] In his eighth Congress speech, President Thomas Jefferson avoided talking about the constitutionality of the Purchase, and as there were more Republ icans than Federalists in the house the treaty was signed by the congress. Conversely, many Federalist congressmen opposed the treaty such as Gaylord Griswold who not only tackled the issue of constitutionality of the treaty but also asked for proof that the territory was under French rule and not the Spanish one. Federalists were trying to find any loophole about the treaty as they were afraid that America would be overwhelmed by Louisiana which would result in the loss of their political and economic power. Nevertheless, the Republicans consolidated their case with two arguments: first, if the constitution does not specify the right of the state to sign treaties then not only is The Louisiana Purchase Treaty illegal but also all the treaties that America signed in the past. Second, it is true that the US constitution never stated the expansion of America, yet the constitution cannot be confined to the instance when the constitution was drafted, as the Northwest and South expansion were not settled, thus the illegality of the treaty cannot be viewed from a narrow understanding of the constitution. Article III of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty stated: The inhabitants of the ceded territory shall be incorporated in the Union of the United States and admitted as soon as possible according to the principles of the federal Constitution to the enjoyment of all these rights, advantages and immunities of citizens of the United States, and in the mean time they shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property and the Religion which they profess. [32] The constitutional problem of the treaty rested in this Article as it talked about including new people into the Union. The problem of including the population of Louisiana into the Union was based on the fact that America, for the first time in its history, included an area that is diversified in terms of language (French), religion (Catholicism) and race (Creoles) in contrast with the Anglo-Saxon-protestant character of the US.[33] Under Article III of the treaty, the population of Louisiana had the â€Å"rights, advantages and immunities of citizens of the United States.†[34] However, Jefferson did not keep the promise of the Treaty of Louisiana Purchase to treat them like Americans. What is surprising is that Napoleon did not use this pretext to get Louisiana back as it is stated by Thomas Fleming: â€Å"no one seemed to give any thought to the way the legislation violated the treaty with France, which had guaranteed the inhabitants all the rights of U.S. citizens. The J effersonians were giving Napoleon a perfect pretext to declare the sale of Louisiana invalid whenever it suited him.†[35] The way the rulers were appointed by Jefferson in Louisiana raised the issue not only of the constitutionality of Article III but also the lack of submission to Article III in the first place. As it is stated by Thomas Fleming: In New Orleans†¦the new U.S. rulers were facing a hostile populace†¦It contained not a trace of democracy. Every official, from the governor to judges, was appointed by the president. There was no provision for trial by jury. Jefferson had decided that the French Creoles lacked the education and experience to participate in democracy.[36] Therefore, Article III faced two problems: was it constitutional? And was it fulfilled? Eventually, Thomas Jefferson would abide by the provision of Article III when the congress passed an act in March 2, 1805 that would allow the state of Louisiana to have an elective body of 25 members.[37] Conclusion The Louisiana Purchase treaty was a major treaty that allowed the US to double its size and become a strong power as well as empowering the central government. Jefferson was a pragmatic person who in spite of his strict definition of the constitution, thought it was for the best interest of the United States of America to seize the opportunity of acquiring a vast land. The constitution issue of the treaty paved the way for the Supreme Court under the chief justice John Marshal in 1828 to regard the powers of the president to sign treaties as a constitutional right, thus ending the issue of illegality of the treaty as both acquiring new territories is allowed in the constitution either by conquest or treaty.[38] In addition to solving the constitutional dilemma, the treaty was a major build-up for peaceful relations between France and the US or to be more accurate the return of the relations between the two countries to be normal in spite of the regime change in France. Bibliography