Sino-American relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sino-American relations - Essay Example Given the importance of Sino-American relations, this paper examines important issues in the bilateral relations between the United States and China. To understand Sino-American relations, it is important to comprehend the parties' perception of each other. China has for long viewed the United States as its biggest foreign policy problem because, as the only global power in the post-Cold War and post-9/11 world, the latter more than any other country, has the ability to faciliate or hinder the fulfillment of vital Chinese foreign power objectives. These objectives range from coopting Taiwan into its territory, expanding economic prosperity and securing international recognition of China's status as a great power (Levine 91). While China's policy towards the United States is an area that engages the country's leaders and many of its citizens, the reverse is not true. Since the United States currently enjoys unipolarity, and will possibly continue to do so in the next few decades, the challenge for America is: how to preserve and promote American unipolarity (Zhang 686). Thus, while the United States is aware of the rising clout of the PRC, China is not on the top of Washington's foreign policy agenda (Levine 92-93), and probably only captures American attention insofar as it affects American hegemony. Taiwan and Japan In the shadow of this asymmetry in levels of interest, major conflicts of interest or real cooperation between the two giants unfold. Generally, such issues are connected with developments in Asia because it is in this region where the United States is most likely to come into contact with China (Wang [2]). A major worrisome security problem for China in Asia is the Republic of China ("ROC") on Taiwan. American interest in Taiwan is both historical and multi-faceted. For the first 30 years of the PRC's founding, the United States did not formally recognize the PRC. Rather, it recognized the ROC as the sole legitimate government of all China and maintained diplomatic relations with it. Although the United States transferred its recognition from Taipei to Beijing in the 1979's Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations ("Joint Communique") (Wikipedia, Sino-American relations), Taiwan's claims on American sympathies, which originated in Cold War anticommunism, have co ntinued to be reinvigorated by the transformation of the island into a vibrant plural democracy (Levine 101). Besides, American commercial, cultural and other unofficial contacts with Taiwan have continued since 1979 and indeed were acknowledged by Beijing in the Joint Communique. The United States is also a larger exporter of weaponry to Taiwan (Sino-American relations). In short, American interest in Taiwan is very much alive. To complicate matters, this interest is tied in with the United States' relations with Japan - one of its important allies in Asia. Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S.-Japanese securities alliances have strengthened instead of weakened. The relationship between the United States and Japan has grown stronger after 9/11 with Tokyo's dispatch of troops to support the occupation of Iraq and provision of substantial reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan and Iraq

Nuclear Terrorism Cons & Risks - United States Essay

Nuclear Terrorism Cons & Risks - United States - Essay Example In the eve of Nuclear Security Summit in April 2010, President Barrack Obama pronounced the prospect of nuclear terrorism as the biggest threat to US security in long term, medium term and short term (Michael, 2012). Equally, in the final report of 2011, the Commission reported the threat from terrorists armed with a weapon of mass destruction as the greatest danger faced by America. The Union of Concerned Scientists considers the development of nuclear items as the biggest long-term threat facing the US and International security nowadays. Fenopetov, et.al (2011) noted that the efforts by various countries of the post-soviet space and those extra-regional actors to form an inclusive, cooperative security structure that can deal with new postmodern threats have very little success. Nuclear pose both direct and indirect threats to US security. Direct threats to US security start from the proliferation, nuclear terrorism, unauthorized or inadvertent use and risk of accidents (Below, 2009). The US has several licensed nuclear power reactors that generate a certain percentage of the total energy consumed in the US. The location of several nuclear reactors is near large population centers. Many experts consider US nuclear reactors to be of high-value aim for a terrorist resolute to perpetrate large-scale death and destruction in the United States. A report commissioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) showed security vulnerability associated with the energy system. The report noted that the close location to population centers makes those centers prime candidates for strategic nuclear targeting or conventional bombing. Currently, nuclear proliferation is another pressing threat. Mostly those countries that have differences with the US and its allies are likely to acquire nuclear weapons. In pursuit of their ambitions, countries such as Iran and North Korea have violated the non-proliferation duties and defied the

Find three logical fallacies from the article Essay

Find three logical fallacies from the article - Essay Example The post hoc fallacy claims that ‘after this therefore because of this’. Two events simply following a sequential pattern is not sufficient to prove that the second event took place because of the first one. They are mere coincidences. It is necessary to conduct a controlled study that rules out all other factors that might influence the outcome to establish a casual connection between the events that took place in sequence. However, in the present case, this study does not take place. Straw man fallacy One fallacy that is evident in the article is straw man fallacy. In fact, Straw Man fallacy is the outcome when a person plainly ignores another person’s actual position, and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position. In the given article, Lott claims that there were many armed attacks in the US when there was ban on carrying guns, and he claims that they might be preventable if the law allowing the public to carry concealed gu ns was enacted. The point that the attacks were not prevented is replaced by Lott with the point that they could be prevented if people had guns. Thus, he justifies his claim that people should be allowed to carry guns.

10 Legal Case briefs Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

10 Legal briefs - Case Study Example 2. Procedural History: The case was first heard in a Chicago court, before being appealed in the Illinois appellate court and later the Illinois Supreme Court. The case was passed further to US Supreme Court for a final determination. 3. Facts: Terminiello, a suspended catholic priest made a speech that was injurious to the personality of certain racial groups in an auditorium if the state of Chicago. this caused a public disturbance which forced the police to arrest him and present him to court. 5. Reasoning: The reasoning applied under this case is that inflammatory speeches and fight words are against the provisions of the first amendment of the US constitution. Therefore, the law does not protect the right of speech which creates anger and dispute. Additionally, the provisions of the amendment are against any speech or words that cause public unrests and disputes. 6. Rule: The trial court ruled that Terminiello was guilty of a breach of peace, because his conduct entailed a breach of public peace and decorum. The both the Appellate and the Supreme courts of Illinois affirmed the ruling. The US Supreme Court ruled that the statute used to charge him was unconstitutional. 7. Holding: the Supreme Court held that the speech made by Terminiello was protected under the first amendment of the US constitution. It also held that the statute applied to convict him by the Chicago trial court was unconstitutional. 8. Dissent: Chief justice Vinson opposed the opinion, observing that the statute applied was suitable for punishing fight words. The same sentiments was echoed by justices Frankfurter and Jackson, who observed that reversing the ruling granted by the trial court and affirmed by both the appellate and the supreme courts of Illinois was a breach of balance of power of the state and the federal courts. 2. Procedural History: The case was first held in a California trial court. The appeal was presented to the

Summary On Current Mnagement Ariticle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary On Current Mnagement Ariticle - Essay Example The classical model of capacity expansion is an example and is applicable in cases of definite demand with constant growth rate. These models assume growth to have a geometric or stochastic trends but Karri’s timing ratio model assumes that demand has a linear but definite growth that allows for determination of optimal capacity expansion time. According to the model, early expansion of potentials leads to surplus potentials while late expansion leads to shortage of potentials. The model for capacity optimization identifies size and fixed costs of the proposed equipment, and unit fixed cost as significant factors. It shows that early project implementation is better under minimal fixed costs, relative to contribution margin. Some of the factors may again be insignificant in the model. With an assumption that an organization’s cost structure is an indicator of its expansion project, timing potentials of entities become comparable. In addition, range for investment timing widens if contribution margin is high and yet fixed costs remain minimal. Timing ratio, under the model, is inversely proportional to timing potential. Testing the model faced the challenge of contents of organizations’ income statements. While contributing margin is significant to determination of the time ratio, some organizations’ income statements do not offer items that are used in computation of the contribution ratio. The contribution margin can however be estimated and this facilitated testing of the timing ratio model. The model and its testing identify theoretical and empirical implications. Ability to compute timing ratio from contribution margin and operating income and difficulty in comparing timing ratios are the implications of the developed information (Karri n.p.). The article relates to the managerial accounting concept of value optimization through minimizing cost and

Marketing Plan for Masters Home Improvement Stores in Australia Assignment

Marketing Plan for Masters Home Improvement Stores in Australia - Assignment Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the microenvironmental factors comprise of all the elements that are closely linked with the company and has a positive or negative effect on the business operations of the company and hence ultimately has an impact on building relationships with customers and creating value. The various microenvironmental factors comprise of suppliers, marketing intermediaries, public, competitors, and customers. Amongst the above-stated factors two of which would create the major impact on the operations of Master’s Home Improvement are suppliers and competitors. The other factors can be easily managed by the company only when these two selected elements are effectively managed by the company. Suppliers play a very important part in retail business and in such home improvement business the availability of pre-packaged goods as it is offered by Master’s solely depends on the quality level maintained by the suppliers an d even on-time delivery from the suppliers so that the demand of the consumers are met without losing on any customer in such highly competitive market. Master’s also needs to develop very strong relationships with their suppliers and offer them good incentives so that they do not shift to their competitors as that would have a drastic impact on their business operations. In a market where competition is high bargaining power of suppliers is high due to the availability of more number of operations. The Master’s brand is owned by Woolworth limited and has faced a second mover advantage as well as a disadvantage in the retail business. The major competitors of the brand are Bunnings, Mitre 10, and Home Timber and Hardware. The competitors greatly have an impact on an organization such as if the competitors have set attractive prices with innovative product line then it can affect other players who have set higher prices as per the market demand. In the industry that Mas ter’s operates there are well-established players such as Bunnings which causes the company to constantly update its services so as to sustain in the market.

Food Security Essay Example for Free

Food Security Essay As the effort to alleviate poverty and increase food security takes on new dimensions on the backdrop of increasing challenges, asset-based community development has become a key strategy. There has been a shift of focus to individual, communal and institutional asset and the capacity or potential they have in building the capacity of achieving locally defined development (Social Design, 2010). The asset-based community development strategy is based on the principle that including as many people as is possible in a development project increases the probability of the project remaining sustainable even after the experts implementing it leave it under the management of the community. The asset-based community development strategy begins by first acknowledging that the existent poverty and insufficiency in a community cannot be solved by the human, physical and intellectual assets at the disposal of the community (Social Design, 2010). It involves the mobilization of members of the community so that these assets, coupled with external investment, can be effectively utilized to improve the community’s capacity of meeting the developmental challenges that face it. In addition, there needs to be creation of awareness about alternative means of acquiring additional assets and resources. Secondly, asset-based community development should be viewed as complementary to developmental work already in progress within the community; and must be based on the traditions rooted within the community with regard to organization, community development and developmental planning (Social Design, 2010). It should be noted that not a single entity (government, the business community, civil society and the community itself) can bring meaningful development on its own, so the essence of asset-based community is to forge a working partnership between all the stakeholders to bring about improvement in sufficiency, democracy and respect to human rights (Social Design, 2010). The process must therefore be based on transparency and accountability, justice and participation. Having established this operational framework, attention is shifted on ways of mobilizing the community and the assets it has towards a clearly defined vision. The first step is mapping all the assets within the community and its local institutions (Social Design, 2010). Full mobilization in this context is only achieved after the community can address its agenda and challenges with an awareness of the resources that it has to counter the developmental challenges it faces. Second, elaborate plans should be put in place to build strong relationships within the community so that these resources can be aggregated and given a common focus towards progress. Strength and self-reliance are attributes bolstered when all members of the community are linked and actively involved in finding solutions to the challenges that face them (Social Design, 2010). The community realizes that it has a great potential than it had realized and there is a rejuvenation of hope, motivation and renewal. After relationships have been established, the assets owned within the community are mobilized towards economic development and for the purpose of sharing information. This includes the assets relegated due to lack of information on how to harness them or lack of the applicable technology. The community is then convened as a unit to participate in the development of a vision and the plan to achieve it. As said earlier, the assets and resources within poor communities are not sufficient. Asset-based development strategies need therefore to leverage outside resources to support them; and after all these steps have been taken, the community is on its way to self-sufficiency (Social Design, 2010). Sustainable livelihoods frameworks (SLF) Sustainable Livelihoods frameworks provide a basis for poverty analysis so that policies, programs and projects designed to reduce poverty can be specifically tailored to meet developmental challenges facing a community (Ludy Slater, 2008). Through SLFs, a coherent approach to the analysis of economic challenges can be performed, leading to the identification of suitable intervention and the timetable for these interventions. SLF implementation are founded on analyzing livelihoods, risks and vulnerabilities of individuals, households and the community so that key drivers of poverty and their remedies can be established (Ludy Slater, 2008). Sustainable livelihoods frameworks are centered on people and their capacity to mobilize the natural, human, social and financial assets at their disposal in response to opportunities and risks so that the quality of life can be improved. An emphasis is laid on strengths rather than weaknesses, and the strategy is to make targeted people have the awareness that they have the assets and the potential to utilize them in pursuit of livelihood goals (Ludy Slater, 2008). SLF implementation is multidimensional and aims at first identifying the constrictions standing in the way of individuals and households and analyzing the same to yield the opportunities that may arise therein; developing specific but diverse strategies to empower the people to pursue paths towards securing their livelihoods. SLFs focus on each target’s individual strategy for socio-economic development and therefore favor full participation and multidisciplinary approach at different levels (Ludy Slater, 2008). They thus are flexible to organizations planning specific interventions to poverty and allow focus to be on the elements within a society most likely to face developmental challenges. Entrepreneurial ideology in rural project Entrepreneurship has been identified as a very strategic intervention for accelerating development in rural areas. It creates employment, prevents rural unrest and leads to the creation of wealth at the local level reducing dependency especially for women and other marginalized people (FAO, 1997). There is acceptance that entrepreneurship in rural areas by itself cannot achieve development; so the emphasis of this ideology is the creation of an environment that makes entrepreneurship in rural areas a viable venture. The premise of the rural entrepreneurship ideology is that diversification from subsistence agriculture holds the key to economic development (FAO, 1997). Attention is therefore paid to alternatives like the promotion of tourism and other trades like carpentry, training, retailing and sports. The genesis of rural entrepreneurship is the creation of a supporting environment through policies that establish macro-economic stability, property rights and an international outlook (FAO, 1997). The necessary inputs to the entrepreneurship process like capital, infrastructure and management training can therefore be dispatched to the rural areas as a base for establishing a vibrant economy, consequently increasing sufficiency and reducing dependency. ? References Food and Agricultural Organization, FAO. (1997). â€Å"Rural development through entrepreneurship† Retrieved on 20/5/2010 from http://www. fao. org/docrep/W6882E/w6882e02. htm#P359_61606 Ludy, E. Slater, R. (2008). Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to understand and tackle poverty. Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Social Design. â€Å"Asset-Based Community Development† Retrieved on 19/05/2010 from http://www. socialdesign. org/assets/development. html