The Straight-Edge and the Scene

Straight-Edge and the Scene For some youth it’s all about the scene. What is the scene? The scene is a general reference to the music venues in which these youth participate. The straight-edge subculture is one that many may not be familiar with. Why is this? Probably because the straight-edge lifestyle is one of the few countercultures in which the youth that is involved tries to steer clear of drugs and overindulgence. It is closely related to the hardcore/punk music scene. The straight-edge lifestyle refers to people who are involved with the hardcore/punk lifestyle but they refrain from drinking alcohol, using drugs, smoking cigarettes, and promiscuous sex. This subculture was created as a social movement against authority, drug abuse, and any type of overindulgence associated with punk rock (Kirchner, 2009). Background: the 1970’s to the Present Individuals who are straight edge take a pledge to live a drug, promiscuous, alcohol, and cruelty free lifestyle. Sometimes, this even extends into vegetarianism and veganism and Hare Krishna, a belief based on Hindu scripture (Kirchner, 2009). The basic philosophy of the straight-edge lifestyle centers around self control and regaining as much of one’s personal control over their lives as possible, by getting rid of the negative influences (Kirchner, 2009). Straight-edger’s, a common nickname, usually are involved with the environment, animal rights and pride their counterculture on keeping their focus on higher learning and a positive outlook (Wood, 2006). The straight-edge subculture emerged in the late 1970’s (Wood, 2006). The term straight-edge was coined by musician Ian MacKaye in a song called â€Å"Straight Edge† which he wrote for his band, Minor Threat. Their music was fast and powerful with angry and thoughtful lyrics, which is how straight-edge seemed to be viewed as at first. With further understanding, it was found that the straight-edge lifestyle was the opposite. In the 1970’s only a slew of prominent artists rejected drugs and alcohol and influenced the straight-edge ideology (Wood, 2006). After the term straight-edge was thrown out into the music community, many people picked up on it and many other bands for decades to come centered their music and lifestyle on the straight-edge, drug free lifestyle. Minor Threat was the first band to use the term straight edge and adopt the letter X as a representation of being straight-edge and living the lifestyle. The X symbol was believed to originate from the use of the letter on people who were underage (under 21) to symbolize that they were too young to drink at the shows and became the symbol for straight-edge by being used on album covers, as body art, and other paraphernalia (Kirchner, 2009). In the 1980’s the influence of music on the straight-edge seemed to be at an all-time high. Many bands seemed to be using the straight-edge lifestyle as a stepping stone and inspiration for their songs. During the mid-1980’s many of the vegetarianism and veganism ideas stemmed out and gripped straight-edge community members (Cogan, 2008). This propelled a trend towards animal rights and vegetarianism that would reach its peak in the 1990’s. Straight-edger’s want to be directly involved with both the music community in which they support, by either playing in a band or writing a webzine or article for the music and their regular community by helping with any aspect of it. Straight-edger’s use this subculture to move away from the stigma of destruction that hardcore and punk music seems to have veiled over the industry. Militant straight-edger’s were first identified in the early 1990’s. These individuals were characterized by less tolerance for those who were not straight-edge, more outspokenness, and more willingness to resort to violence in order to promote clean living and fight against homosexuality and abortion (Woods, 2006). This willingness to resort to violence led to some parts of the United States paying close attention to the straight-edge subculture and the subculture being treated as a gang by law officials. However, â€Å"a study done in 2006 suggests that a small minority of individuals who identify with the straight-edge subculture are violent. † (Woods, 2006: 38). In the 2000’s the straight-edge movement has become less violent and more about promoting a positive lifestyle. Straight-edge has moved out into different genres of music instead of staying specific to the punk/metal scene. The decline of aggressive behavior has been linked to the lack of a well known band leading the straight-edge movement (Irwin, 1999). The amount of tolerance from people who are straight-edge to non-straight edge participants has grown as well (Irwin, 1999). Deviant Theories Applied: Straight-Edge and Theories First, we have to ask why the straight-edge subculture is deviant. The straight-edge culture embraces moral inclination in a positive way. This subculture does not fit the â€Å"norms† of society. By abstaining from substances, sex, and other negative things, it makes this subculture stick out. If, in society, something about a group or person sticks out, they become deviant, which is departing from anything that is socially accepted or â€Å"usual† (Clinard, Meier, 2011). In the early 1990’s violence that was related to the straight-edge movement was high. Some militant actors used violence against random people and other straight-edge members who were drinking, smoking, or doing drugs in order to try and spread their substance free message. This violence was brought on because of their direct relation with the straight-edge culture. Functionalism can be used to describe this time period for the straight-edge activists. Functionalism describes how different social occurrences uphold and disturb social stability. It also claims that society needs crime to be functional and for various other reasons such as attaining group unity, innovation, and setting and preserving moral limitations. The straight-edge subculture has many moral limitations. They have a strict set of requirements that they have to follow in order to be considered straight-edge. The violence that took place by the straight-edge subculture was due to the fact that many who committed the violence, to random people or other straight-edge members, was for the preservation of their morals. Any type of substance abuse, promiscuity, and meat eating is an implicit sin for members of the straight-edge community. The disregard of these rules by both participants and non-participants in the straight-edge subculture alike were reason for some members in this group to become violent (Woods, 2006). Militant straight-edger’s used violence to try and force a straight-edge lifestyle onto others because they viewed, and for those who still use violence today, still view their lifestyle as the most morally right. The straight-edge lifestyle also indirectly calls for unity by forcing its members to follow the straight-edge lifestyle’s specific guidelines, such as not drinking. When members conflict with this or associate themselves with people who drink, smoke, or indulge in anything morally incorrect violence usually followed. In this subculture the deviance mainly applies to the push against abusing drugs, alcohol, and overindulging in any way. Why do individuals in the straight-edge community take this approach? The social learning theory may be able to explain this. The social learning theory asks how people become deviant and whether it is learned (Clinard, Meier, 2011). With this particular subculture it can be said that the majority of the straight-edge lifestyle is learned from music and peers. Many individuals who are involved in the straight-edge lifestyle found out about this lifestyle from the music scene or their friends. Others, driven to take part in the music scene, joined and others who wanted to be a part of a positive influence on their society because of music joined the straight-edge subculture (Woods, 2006). Many members of the straight-edge community became a part of it because it represented a break away from the increasing sexuality of rock music and the sexual revolution. The sexual revolution offered youth freedom and an alternative to the dating script and the straight-edge counterculture did the same (Kirchner, 2009). The straight-edge understanding embodied freedom as well. The freedoms between the two are quite different as one gave the freedom to indulge in one’s inclinations while the latter gives the freedom to make an intentional habit out of their choices to refrain from overindulgence. In society, sexual behavior is socially learned. What is acceptable and unacceptable sexually is made clear through social informative (Clinard, Meier, 2011). The straight-edge subculture tries to take sexuality back into a time where hooking-up was not the social norm. Being sexually promiscuous is frowned upon in society as well as in the straight-edge subculture. In society heterosexual deviance is an ongoing topic. The straight-edge society wants to be known for exactly the opposite of this. In society, sexual deviance is generally negative. Sometimes, women are objectified and men are a number of different things, which is why the straight-edge community rejects these ideas in order to show society that they have exerted control over their life by abstaining and â€Å"saving† their bodies (Woods, 2006). In the straight-edge society, the double tandard holds true as well because a lot of the time men who proclaim to be straight-edge may be being promiscuous at the time but can still claim the straight-edge lifestyle. A woman doing the same would no longer be looked at as straight-edge (Woods, 2006). Conclusion The straight-edge counterculture is one most interesting, yet unheard of subcultures. The reason why this subculture is so fascina ting is because of the values it represents. Although this group is vague and there are fewer members than before, the preservation of values is one of the many reasons to continue and study this fascinating unconventional group. Overindulgence is something that is common in this day and age. Drug addictions, sexual promiscuity, alcohol abuse, and other substance abuse are not shocking to hear about. These are daily occurrences that the straight-edge culture is trying to remove from their lives. From the 1970’s until now this culture has been constantly changing and rearranging itself to match the attitudes and music of the time. The straight-edge counterculture has been excellent in integrating modern ideas in with more traditional values, all while supporting the music scene. References Clinard, Marshall B. and Robert F. Meier. 2011. Sociology of Deviant Behavior. Belmont, California: Wadsworth. Cogan, Brain. 2008. The Encyclopedia of Punk. New York: Sterling. Kirchner, Michael. 2009. Edge: Perspectives on Drug Free Culture. DVD. California: Halo 8. Irwin, Darrell D. 1999. â€Å"The Straight-Edge Subculture: Examining the Youths’ the Drug Free Way. † Journal of Drug Issues. 20(2): 365 – 380. Wood, Robert T. 2006. Straightedge Youth: Complexity and Contradictions of Subculture. New York: Syracuse University Press.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Seventeen

THE INTERROGATION DIDN'T go so well. Oh, sure, we made plenty of threats and used the stakes as torture devices, but not much came of it. Dimitri was still scary when dealing with Sonya, but after his breakdown with Donovan, he was careful not to fall into that berserk rage again. This was healthier for him in the long run but not so good for scaring up answers out of Sonya. It didn't help matters that we didn't exactly have a concrete question to ask her. We mostly had a series to throw at her. Did she know about another Dragomir? Was she related to the mother? Where were the mother and child? Things also went bad when Sonya realized we needed her too much to kill her, no matter how much silver stake torture we did. We'd been at it for over an hour and were getting exhausted. At least, I was. I leaned against a wall near Sonya, and though I had my stake out and ready, I was relying on the wall a bit more than I liked to admit to keep me upright. None of us had spoken in a while. Even Sonya had given up on her snarling threats. She simply waited and stayed watchful, undoubtedly planning for escape, probably figuring we'd tire before she did. That silence was scarier than all the threats in the world. I was used to Strigoi using words to intimidate me. I'd never expected the power simply being quiet and staring menacingly could have. â€Å"What happened to your head, Rose?' asked Dimitri, suddenly catching a glimpse of it. I'd been tuning out a little and realized he was talking to me. â€Å"Huh?' I brushed aside hair that had been obscuring part of my forehead. My fingers came away sticky with blood, triggering vague memories of crashing into the table. I shrugged, ignoring the dizziness I'd been feeling. â€Å"I'm fine.' Dimitri gave Sydney the quickest of glances. â€Å"Go lay her down and clean it up. Don't let her sleep until we can figure out if it's a concussion.' â€Å"No, I can't,' I argued. â€Å"I can't leave you alone with her †¦' â€Å"I'm fine,' he said. â€Å"Rest up so that you can help me later. You're no good to me if you're just going to fall over.' I still protested, but when Sydney gently took my arm, my stumbling gave me away. She led me to the house's one bedroom, much to my dismay. There was something creepy about knowing I was in a Strigoi's bed–even if it was covered with a blue-and- white floral quilt. â€Å"Man,' I said, lying back against the pillow once Sydney had cleaned my forehead. Despite my earlier denial, it felt great to rest. â€Å"I can't get used to the weirdness of a Strigoi living in a place so †¦ normal. How are you holding up?' â€Å"Better than you guys,' said Sydney. She wrapped her arms around herself and eyed the room uncomfortably. â€Å"Being around Strigoi is starting to make you guys seem not so bad.' â€Å"Well, at least some good's come out of this,' I remarked. Despite her joke, I knew she had to be terrified. I started to close my eyes and was jolted awake when Sydney poked my arm. â€Å"No sleep,' she chastised. â€Å"Stay up and talk to me.' â€Å"It's not a concussion,' I muttered. â€Å"But I suppose we can go over plans to get Sonya to talk.' Sydney sat at the foot of the bed and grimaced. â€Å"No offense? But I don't think she's going to crack.' â€Å"She will once she's gone a few days without blood.' Sydney blanched. â€Å"A few days?' â€Å"Well, whatever it takes to–‘ A spike of emotion flitted through the bond, and I froze. Sydney jumped up, her eyes darting around as though a group of Strigoi might have burst into the room. â€Å"What's wrong?' she exclaimed. â€Å"I have to go to Lissa.' â€Å"You're not supposed to sleep–‘ â€Å"It's not sleeping,' I said bluntly. And with that, I jumped away from Sonya's bedroom and into Lissa's perspective. She was riding in a van with five other people whom I immediately recognized as other royal nominees. It was an eight-person van and also included a guardian driver with another in the passenger seat who was looking back at Lissa and her companions. â€Å"Each of you will be dropped off in a separate location on the outskirts of a forest and given a map and compass. The ultimate goal is for you to reach the destination on the map and wait out the daylight until we come for you.' Lissa and the other nominees exchanged glances and then, almost as one, peered out the van's windows. It was almost noon, and the sunlight was pouring down. â€Å"Waiting out the daylight' was not going to be pleasant but didn't sound impossible. Idly, she scratched at a small bandage on her arm and quickly stopped herself. I read from her thoughts what it was: a tiny, barely noticeable dot tattooed into her skin. It was actually similar to Sydney's: blood and earth, mixed with compulsion. Compulsion might be taboo among Moroi, but this was a special situation. The spell in the tattoo prevented the candidates from revealing the monarch tests to others not involved with the process. This was the first test. â€Å"What kind of terrain are you sending us to?' demanded Marcus Lazar. â€Å"We're not all in the same physical shape. It's not fair when some of us have an advantage.' His eyes were on Lissa as he spoke. â€Å"There is a lot of walking,' said the guardian, face serious. â€Å"But it's nothing that any candidate–of any age–shouldn't be able to handle. And, to be honest, part of the requirements for a king or queen is a certain amount of stamina. Age brings wisdom, but a monarch needs to be healthy. Not an athlete by any means,' added the guardian quickly, seeing Marcus start to open his mouth. â€Å"But it's no good for the Moroi to have a sickly monarch elected who dies within a year. Harsh, but true. And you also need to be able to endure uncomfortable situations. If you can't handle a day in the sun, you can't handle a Council meeting.' I think he intended that as a joke, but it was hard to tell since he didn't smile. â€Å"It's not a race, though. Take your time getting to the end if you need it. Marked along the map are spots where certain items are hidden–items that'll make this more bearable, if you can decipher the clues.' â€Å"Can we use our magic?' asked Ariana Szelsky. She wasn't young either, but she looked tough and ready to accept a challenge of endurance. â€Å"Yes, you can,' said the guardian solemnly. â€Å"Are we in danger out there?' asked another candidate, Ronald Ozera. â€Å"Aside from the sun?' â€Å"That,' said the guardian mysteriously, â€Å"is something you'll need to learn for yourselves. But, if at any time you want out †¦' He produced a bag of cell phones and distributed them. Maps and compasses followed. â€Å"Call the programmed number, and we'll come for you.' Nobody had to ask about the hidden message behind that. Calling the number would get you out of the long day of endurance. It would also mean you'd failed the test and were out of the running for the throne. Lissa glanced at her phone, half-surprised there was even a signal. They'd left Court about an hour ago and were well into the countryside. A line of trees made Lissa think they were nearing their destination. So. A test of physical endurance. It wasn't quite what she'd expected. The trials a monarch went through had long been shrouded in mystery, gaining an almost mystical reputation. This one was pretty practical, and Lissa could understand the reasoning, even if Marcus didn't. It truly wasn't an athletic competition, and the guardian had a point in saying that the future monarch should possess a certain level of fitness. Glancing at the back of her map, which listed the clues, Lissa realized this would also test their reasoning skills. All very basic stuff–but essential to ruling a nation. The van dropped them off one by one at different starting points. With each departing candidate, Lissa's anxiety grew. There's nothing to worry about, she thought. I've just got to sit through a sunny day. She was the next to last person dropped off, with only Ariana remaining behind. Ariana patted Lissa's arm as the van door opened. â€Å"Good luck, dear.' Lissa gave her a quick smile. These tests might all be a ruse on Lissa's part, but Ariana was the real deal, and Lissa prayed the older woman could get through this successfully. Left alone as the van drove away, unease spread through Lissa. The simple endurance test suddenly seemed much more daunting and difficult. She was on her own, something that didn't happen very often. I'd been there for most of her life, and even when I'd left, she'd had friends around her. But now? It was just her, the map, and the cell phone. And the cell phone was her enemy. She walked to the edge of the forest and studied her map. A drawing of a large oak tree marked the beginning, with directions to go northwest. Scanning the trees, Lissa saw three maples, a fir, and–an oak. Heading toward it, she couldn't help a smile. If anyone else had botanical landmarks and didn't know their plants and trees, they could lose candidacy right there. The compass was a classic one. No digital GPS convenience here. Lissa had never used a compass like this, and the protective part of me wished I could jump in and help. I should have known better, though. Lissa was smart and easily figured it out. Heading northwest, she stepped into the woods. While there was no clear path, the forest's floor wasn't too covered with overgrowth or obstacles. The nice part about being in the forest was that the trees blocked out some of the sun. It still wasn't an ideal Moroi condition, but it beat being dropped in a desert. Birds sang, and the scenery was lush and green. Keeping an eye out for the next landmark, Lissa tried to relax and pretend she was simply on a pleasant hike. Yet †¦ it was difficult to do that with so much on her mind. Abe and our other friends were now in charge of working and asking questions about the murder. All of them were asleep right now–it was the middle of the Moroi night–but Lissa didn't know when she'd return and couldn't help resenting this test for taking up her time. No, wasting her time. She'd finally accepted the logic behind her friends' nomination–but she still didn't like it. She wanted to actively help them. Her churning thoughts almost led her right past her next landmark: a tree that had fallen ages ago. Moss covered it, and much of the wood was rotten. A star on the map marked it as a place with a clue. She flipped over the map and read: I grow and I shrink. I run and I crawl. Follow my voice, though I have none at all. I never do leave here, but I travel around– I float through the sky and I creep through the ground. I keep my cache in a vault although I have no wealth, Seek out my decay to safeguard your health. Um. My mind went blank right about then, but Lissa's spun. She read it over and over again, examining the individual words and how each line played off the other. I never do leave here. That was the starting point, she decided. Something permanent. She looked around, considered the trees, then dismissed them. They could always be cut and removed. Careful not to stray too far from the fallen tree, she circled the area searching for more. Everything was theoretically transient. What stayed? Follow my voice. She came to a halt and closed her eyes, absorbing the sounds around her. Mostly birds. The occasional rustle of leaves. And– She opened her eyes and walked briskly to her right. The sound she'd heard grew louder, bubbling and trickling. There. A small creek ran through the woods, hardly noticeable. Indeed, it seemed too tiny for the streambed carved out around it. â€Å"But I bet you grow when it rains,' she murmured, uncaring that she was speaking to a stream. She looked back down at the clue, and I felt her clever mind rapidly piece it all together. The stream was permanent–but traveled. It changed size. It had a voice. It ran in deep parts, crawled when there were obstacles. And when it evaporated, it floated in the air. She frowned, still puzzling the riddle aloud. â€Å"But you don't decay.' Lissa studied the area once more, uneasily thinking decay could apply to any plant life. Her gaze moved past a large maple tree and then jerked back. At its base grew a clump of brown and white mushrooms, several wilting and turning black. She hurried over and knelt down, and that was when she saw it: a small hole dug into the earth nearby. Leaning closer, she saw a flash of color: a purple drawstring bag. Triumphantly, Lissa pulled it out and stood up. The bag was made of canvas and had long strings that would allow it to hang over her shoulder as she walked. She opened the bag and peered inside. There, tucked inside the fluffy and fuzzy lining, was the best thing of all: a bottle of water. Until now, Lissa hadn't realized how hot and dehydrated she'd grown–or how wearying the sun was. The candidates had been told to wear sturdy shoes and practical clothing but hadn't been allowed any other supplies. Finding this bottle was priceless. Sitting on the log, she took a break, careful to conserve her water. While the map indicated a few more clues and â€Å"rewards,' she knew she couldn't necessarily count on any more helpful bags. So, after several minutes' rest, she put away the water and slung the little tote over her shoulder. The map directed her due west, so that was the way she went. The heat beat on her as she continued her walk, forcing her to take a few more (conservative) water breaks. She kept reminding herself it wasn't a race and that she should take it easy. After a few more clues, she discovered the map wasn't quite to scale, so it wasn't always obvious how long each leg of the hike was. Nonetheless, she was delighted to successfully solve each clue, though the rewards became more and more baffling. One of them was a bunch of sticks sitting on a rock, something she would have sworn was a mistake, but someone civilized had clearly tied the bundle together. She added that into her bag, along with a neatly folded green plastic tarp. By now, sweat was pouring off her, and rolling up the sleeves of her button-down cotton shirt did little to help. She took more frequent breaks. Sunburn became a serious concern, so it was a huge relief when her next clue led to a bottle of sunscreen. After a couple hours of battling the intense summer heat, Lissa became so hot and tired that she no longer had the mental energy to be annoyed about missing out on whatever was happening at Court. All that mattered was getting to the end of this test. The map showed two more clues, which she took as a promising sign. She would reach the end soon and then could simply wait for someone to get her. A flash of realization hit her. The tarp. The tarp was a sun block, she decided. She could use it at the end. This cheered her up, as did the next prize: more water and a floppy, wide-brimmed hat that helped keep the sunlight from her face. Unfortunately, after that, what appeared to be a short leg of the trip turned out to be twice as long as she expected. By the time she finally reached the next clue, she was more interested in taking a water break than digging out whatever else the guardians had left her. My heart went out to her. I wished so, so badly that I could help. That was my job, to protect her. She shouldn't be alone. Or should she? Was that also part of the test? In a world where royals were almost always surrounded by guardians, this solitude had to be a total shock. Moroi were hardy and had excellent senses, but they weren't built for extreme heat and challenging terrain. I could have probably jogged the course easily. Admittedly, I wasn't sure I would have had Lissa's deductive skills in figuring out the clues. Lissa's last reward was flint and steel, not that she had any idea what they were. I recognized them instantly as the tools of a fire-making kit but couldn't for the world figure out why she'd need to build a fire on a day like this. With a shrug, she added the items to her bag and kept going. And that's when things started to get cold. Really cold. She didn't entirely process it at first, mainly because the sun was still shining so brilliantly. Her brain said what she felt was impossible, but her goose bumps and chattering teeth said otherwise. She rolled her sleeves back down and quickened her pace, wishing that the sudden cold had at least come with cloud cover. Walking faster and exerting herself more helped heat her body. Until it began to rain. It started off as a mist, then changed to drizzle, and finally turned into a steady curtain of water. Her hair and clothing became soaked, making the cold temperature that much worse. Yet †¦ the sun still shone, its light an annoyance to her sensitive skin but offering no warmth in compensation. Magic, she realized. This weather is magical. It was part of the test. Somehow, Moroi air and water magic users had united to defy the hot, sunny weather. That was why she had a tarp–to block the sun and the rain. She considered getting it out now and wearing it like a cloak but quickly decided to wait until she reached the endpoint. She had no idea how far away that really was, though. Twenty feet? Twenty miles? The chill of the rain crept over her, seeping under her skin. It was miserable. The cell phone in the bag was her ticket out. It was barely late afternoon. She had a long time to wait before this test ended. All she had to do was make one call †¦ one call, and she'd be out of this mess and back to working on what she should be at Court. No. A kernel of determination flared up within her. This challenge was no longer about the Moroi throne or Tatiana's murder. It was a test she would take on for herself. She'd led a soft and sheltered life, letting others protect her. She would endure this on her own–and she would pass. This determination took her to the map's end, a clearing ringed in trees. Two of the trees were small and close enough together that Lissa thought she might be able to drape the tarp into some sort of reasonable shelter. With cold, fumbling fingers, she managed to get it out of the bag and unfold it to its full size–which was fortunately much larger than she'd suspected. Her mood began to lift as she worked with the tarp and figured out how to create a small canopy. She crawled inside once it was complete, glad to be out of the falling rain. But that didn't change the fact that she was wet. Or that the ground was also wet– and muddy. The tarp also didn't protect her against the cold. She felt a flash of bitterness, recalling the guardians saying magic was allowed in this test. She hadn't thought magic would be useful at the time, but now, she could certainly see the perks of being a water user to control the rain and keep it off her. Or, better yet: being a fire user. She wished Christian was with her. She would have welcomed the warmth of both his magic and his embrace. For this kind of situation, spirit seriously sucked–unless, perhaps, she got hypothermia and needed to try to heal herself (which never worked as well as it did on other people). No, she decided. There could be no question: water and fire users had the advantage in this test. That's when it hit her. Fire! Lissa straightened up from where she'd been huddled. She hadn't recognized the iron and flint for what they were, but now, vague recollections of fire-making were coming back to her. She'd never been taught those skills directly but was pretty sure striking the stones together would make a spark–if she only had dry wood. Everything out there was soaked†¦ . Except for the bundle of sticks in her bag. Laughing out loud, she untied the sticks and set them in a place shielded from the rain. After arranging them in what seemed like a campfire-friendly pattern, she tried to figure out what to do with the steel and flint. In movies, she thought she'd seen people just hit them to make sparks fly. So, that's what she did. Nothing happened. She tried three more times, and her earlier excitement gave way to spirit-darkened frustration. I pulled some of that from her, needing her to stay focused. On the fourth try, a spark flew off and faded away–but it was what she needed to understand the principle. Before long she could easily make sparks, but they did nothing when they landed on the wood. Up and down: her mood was a rollercoaster of hope and disappointment. Don't give up, I wanted to say as I drew off more negativity. Don't give up. I also wanted to give her a lesson on kindling, but that was pushing my limits. Watching her, I was beginning to realize how much I underestimated Lissa's intelligence. I knew she was brilliant, but I always imagined her being helpless in these situations. She wasn't. She could reason things out. That tiny spark couldn't penetrate the wood of the sticks. She needed a bigger flame. She needed something the sparks could ignite. But what? Surely nothing in this waterlogged forest. Her eyes fell on the map poking out of her bag. She hesitated only a moment before ripping and shredding the paper into a pile on top of the twigs. Supposedly, she'd reached the end of the hike and didn't need the map. Supposedly. But it was too late now, and Lissa pushed forward with her plan. First, she pulled out some of the bag's fluffy lining, adding the bits of fuzz to the paper. Then she took up the flint and steel again. A spark jumped out and immediately caught a piece of the paper. It flared orange before fading out, leaving a wisp of smoke. She tried again, leaning forward to gently blow on the paper when the spark landed. A tiny flame appeared, caught a neighboring shred, and then faded. Steeling herself up, Lissa tried a final time. â€Å"Come on, come on,' she muttered, as though she might compel a fire into existence. This time, the spark caught and held, turning into a small flame, then a larger flame that soon consumed her kindling. I prayed it would take to the wood, or else she was out of luck. Brighter and larger the flame grew, eating the last of the paper and fuzz †¦ and then spreading along the sticks. Lissa blew softly to keep it going, and before long, the campfire was in full blaze. The fire couldn't change the piercing cold, but as far as she was concerned, she had the warmth of the entire sun in her hands. She smiled, and a sense of pride that she hadn't felt in a while spread within her. Finally able to relax, she glanced out at the rainy forest and caught the faintest flashes of color in the distance. Channeling spirit, she used her magic to intensify her ability to see auras. Sure enough–hidden far, far out among the trees, she could see two auras filled with strong, steady colors. Their owners stood still, staying quiet and covered. Lissa's smile grew. Guardians. Or maybe the air and water users controlling the weather. None of the candidates were alone out here. Ronald Ozera had had no need to worry–but then, he wouldn't know that. Only she did. Maybe spirit wasn't so useless out here after all. The rain began to lighten, and the fire's warmth continued to soothe her. She couldn't read the time from the sky, but somehow, she knew she would have no problem waiting out the day and– â€Å"Rose?' A voice summoned me out of Lissa's wilderness survival. â€Å"Rose, wake up or †¦ whatever.' I blinked, focusing on Sydney's face, which was a few inches from mine. â€Å"What?' I demanded. â€Å"Why are you bothering me?' She flinched and jerked away, momentarily speechless. Pulling away Lissa's darkness while joined with her hadn't affected me at the time, but now, conscious in my own body, I felt anger and irritation flood me. It's not you, it's not Sydney, I told myself. It's spirit. Calm down. I took a deep breath, refusing to let spirit master me. I was stronger than it was. I hoped. As I fought to push those feelings down, I looked around and remembered I was in Sonya Karp's bedroom. All my problems came rushing back. There was a bound Strigoi in the other room, one we were barely keeping constrained and who didn't seem like she would give us answers anytime soon. I looked back at Sydney, who still seemed afraid of me. â€Å"I'm sorry †¦ I didn't mean to snap at you. I was just startled.' She hesitated a few moments and then nodded, accepting my apology. As the fear faded from her face, I could see that something else was bothering her. â€Å"What's wrong?' I asked. As long as we were alive and Sonya was still trapped, things couldn't be that bad, right? Sydney stepped back and crossed her arms. â€Å"Victor Dashkov and his brother are here.'

Jee Bezos leadership style Essay

Jeff Bezos was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and from an early age he showed his mechanical attitude developing intense and varied scientific interests. This is why his parents send him in a special program for gifted children where Jeff could nature his love about gadgets (Byers, 2006,). When his family moved to Florida, he discovered his ‘great passion’, computers so he left his studies on Physics and got a degree on Computer science and electrical engineering (Sherman, 2001) After his studies, Jeff Bezos started to work for Bankers Trust and at the age of 26 he became the youngest Vice President for the company (Byers, 2006).When he noticed in 1994 that internet usage was increasing by 2300% a year (Hamalainen & Saarinen, 2007) he started to plan his next step, Amazon. He started Amazon in 1995 with 3 micro stations in his garage (Robinson, 2009) by selling books and today Amazon.com is one of the most preferable internet retail platform where customers can find Dvd’s, CD’s, MP3 downloads, Books and toys. According to Economist (2000) Amazon.com is the most visited internet retail platform in USA and one on top 3 in Germany, UK, France and Japan. THE IMPACT OF AMAZON.COM Amazon.com is today the largest electronic retail on world (Financial Times, December, 2011) and according to J. Bezos (Wired Magazine, December, 2011) Amazon is a cultural pioneer who lives to disrupt even its business. It is now recognized by 55% of conscious population and it is part of our today’s culture (Spector, 2002, p20). The company spends almost 40% of their incomes on brand building (Margolis, 1999) and that’s why Amazon.com is a trustable  and a well-known brand name (Economist, 2000, Marketing, 1999). 70,000 people works today for Amazon and the company turns over 48 billion a year (The Telegraph, October, 2012). Amazon.com launched in November of 2007 Kindle E-book reader (Clark D., Goodwin S., Samuelson) and as Bezos puts it â€Å"Millions of people owns now Kindles† (Information Week, 2010). According to Gonsalves (Information Week, 2010) Amazon sells 6 Kindles titles for every 10 hard books and this strategic move increased profits up to 71%. Jeff Bezos vision about Amazon.com is to be the most customer-centric company in the world (Mellali-Johnson, 2000) and according to them the success key of the company is†¦ innovation-innovation & innovation. J.BEZOS APPROACH TO LEADING AMAZON AND HIS KEY FACTORS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HIS PERFORMANCE. He was named â€Å"Man of the year 1999† (Time Magazine, 1999) and â€Å"Business person of the year† (Fortune Magazine, 2012). Jeff Bezos is a visionary entrepreneur leader (Dyer, Gregersen, Christensen, December, 2009). According to Moment (2004) the essential traits of an effective entrepreneur is to be singular focus, self-driven, ambitious, achievement oriented, imaginative, independent and versatile. According to Quittner (1991) â€Å"Bezos, naturally enough is unmoved by the nay saying†. He asserts some instinctive characterics from other leaders that makes him resist. Can he be described as a â€Å"Great Man/ Great leader†? As Huczyonki and Buchanan puts it (2007, p699) â€Å"Great man are born leaders and emerge to take power regardless regardless of social, organizational or historical context† Other researches on trait theories tried to specify the traits of a great leader ()and found hundreds on them but according to Kilpatrick and Locke  (1991) these are the typical leadership traits: drive to archive, motivation to lead, self-confidence, ability to withstand setbacks , honesty and integrity, standing firm, cognitive ability, knowledge of business, emotional resilient. When Bezos decided to quit from the Wall Street Job, he had a strong feeling that his new business plan for an internet based retail platform would be his chance to move his ideas one step further (Academy of achievement interview, 2001). According to Stogdill (1948, 1974) a great man is confident and he has a strong ego. A great man also has traits as honesty and integrity (Kilpatrick and Locke, 1991) and Jeff Bezos believe that one of the principal key of a leader is the courage â€Å"to tell the hard truth† (Butcher, Martin, Knaebel, M. Butcher, April, 2006) His collaborators and people that spend lots of time working with him subscribes Bezos as â€Å"immensely likable man† (Eskenazi, 2005) signs that shows us his very good social skills and they are surprised by his brainpower and the way that he inspires and lead his subordinates (NY Times, 2005) (signs of his intelligence and his motivation to lead) EXAMINE THE STYLE, APPROACH AND CONTENT OF THE LEADERSHIP DEMONSTRATED BY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES Daft (2009) subscribes Bezos as a strong charismatic and also a visionary entrepreneur leader (Dyer, Gregersen, Christensen, December, 2009). According to Sclooser and Todorovic (2006) there are communalities between entrepreneurs and charismatic leaders. Subordinates usually are attracted from the way that an entrepreneur charismatic leader shows his great passion on achieving goals, take risks, add value in the organization and how they control the business (Schlooser and Todorovic, 2006). According to Daft (2009) in organization like Amazon where growth increases and the leader (Bezos) provides his major goal for continued growth they are exited and  fully committed. Bezos has also a great ability to adapt to change and he believes that doing only things that you know they works you cannot explore other things and lose lots of opportunities (The business journals, May, 2008) Amazon.com motto is â€Å"Work hard, have fun and write history†. According to Adair (1979) in order to increase the effectiveness of the group, leaders (managers) must find ways to cover three basic needs of their subordinates, Task needs (work hard), individual needs (have fun) and Team maintance needs (write history). This approach is called Action-Centred Leadership and is part of Functional Approach where attention is focused on the content of leadership and how the group of the subordinates is affected from the leaders behaviour. Bezos is also an situational leader, when Amazon had 2,9 million dollars in loses he changed his strategy from â€Å"getting Amazon bigger and faster† to â€Å"look inside the house†(New York Times, 2005). Situational approach (Hessey and Blanchard, 1979) focuses in the situation where characterics of an effective leadership are depending on the situation. Furthermore Bezos is a transformational leader. Researchers in leadership argue that visionary and charisma are some of the characterics of a transformational leader (Mullins, 2010). A transformational leader inspires and gives vision about the next day of the organization and knows how to connect the archivements of subordinate with the organization goal (Kark andShamir, 2002). Shares are distributed for bonuses to the subordinates in order to motivate Amazon subordinates to see the big picture and to feel their participation to the organization goal. EVALUATE WHETHER JEFF BEZOS COULD HAVE BEEN AS EFFECTIVE IN A DIFFERENT CONTEXT OR ORGANIZATION, GIVING A CREDIBLE ARGUMENT FOR THIS SUPPORTED BY REFERENCED THEORY Jeff Bezos has showed he can lead Amazon.com through change via his ability  to make it the most costumer centric company in the world (Sherman, 2001). His visionary entrepreneur leadership style (Dyer, Gregersen, Christensen, December, 2009) allows the ability to fits in change (The business journals, May, 2008). His transformational leadership style (Burns, 1978) also indicates his charismatic way on leading his organization in different situations. Also, Jeff Bezos and Amazon made their move launching the new Kindle Fire HD tablets (Spencer, 2012). Kindle Fire Hd is now one of the most hi tech tablet gadgets in the world and Apple’s IPad finally found a real competitor. According to Spencer (2012) Bezos and Amazon are planning another big surprise for their competitors: The new Kindle phone. These shows us that Bezos remains a real leader when the context of the company changes. Jeffrey Bezos is an entrepreneur and like the others entrepreneurs he is known by starting his own business so it is unknown his ability to lead an established organization. It can be said that he could feel not comfortable leading companies that are out of his ‘area’ (computing & internet) but he also founded †Blue Origin† a human spaceflight company (Boyle, 2006). According to these transferable skills and his traits (charisma, creativity, energy-drive, strong ego, honesty and integrity, social sills) he could lead different context companies in different situations. CONCLUSION We have discovered that Jeff Bezos is a strong visionary and charismatic entrepreneur leader with traits of a great man. He is also a situational and transformational leader with a great ability to inspire his suborders who really admires his brainpower and his way of doing the right things. He can adapt to change and his transferable skills make him able to lead different organization by his own way. Kark R, Shamir B (2002) The dual effect of transformational leadership: Priming relational and collective selves and further effects on followers. In: Avolio BJ, Yammarino FJ (eds) _Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead_. Amsterdam: JAI Press,67-91.a

Research Paper Challenge and Change in Society Essay

Research Paper Challenge and Change in Society - Essay Example In the period of 1946-1950 UNICEF spent $112 million to provide "articles of clothing to five million children in twelve countries, vaccinated eight million against tuberculosis, rebuilt milk processing and distribution facilities, and [. . .] provided a daily supplementary meal to millions of children" (Haberman, 1972). Though the initial mandate of the program was for immediate and emergency aid, the organization has expanded to provide a wide range of diverse and long-term projects. The purpose of the United Nation's mandate is stated in UNICEF's mission statement which says it is to, "advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential" (About UNICEF: Who we are, n.d.). UNICEF has moved beyond emergency relief and into the areas of pro-active medical and educational needs. Its long-term and rapid response efforts are designed to help disadvantaged children that are the victims of poverty, violence, exploitation, and war. Many of their programs are gender specific as they fight for equal rights for girls and women. One of the goals of UNICEF is to promote girls' "full participation in the political, social, and economic development of their communities (About UNICEF: Who we are, n.d.). The numerous programs implemented by UNICEF have at their core the goal of improving the lives of children everywhere in the world. The motivation behind UNICEF lies in their belief in the principle that all children have civil and human rights that need protected. The Convention on the Human Rights of Children (CRC) is a widely ratified treaty that provides the protection of "civil rights and freedoms, family environment, basic health and welfare, education, leisure and cultural activitiesand special protection measures" (Why we do it: Children have rights, n.d.). UNICEF is driven by a philosophy that children not only deserve the basic protection of human rights, but the best way to change the world is to improve the condition of the children which will be tomorrow's adults. In their efforts to raise the standard of living for children UNICEF has programs that are implemented in 190 countries including most of the industrialized world. As an example of their international efforts is the recently launched program to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in eight countries in Western and Southern Africa and India (UNICEF, UNITAID, 2007). The PMTCT initiative works in partnership with UNITAID, a World Health Organization (WHO) effort whose mission is to provide "long-term, sustainable and predictable funding to increase access and reduce prices of quality drugs and diagnostics for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries" (What is UNITAID, 2007). In the United States the United State's Fund for UNICEF has raised over $1.6 billion to "promote the survival, protection, and development of all children worldwide through fundraising, advocacy, and education (United States Fund for UNICEF, 2008). Because the United States is a leading voice in the United Nations UNICEF has looked to the American citizens for support and advocacy. The activities of UNICEF in the United States have not been without controversy. During the Cold War standoff between

Educational Excellence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Educational Excellence - Essay Example The area of improvement encompasses mathematics. The data was compared between those who were born in 1983 and those born in 1997. When 20 students of the 4th grade born in 1983 were examined for proficiency in reading and writing, only 6 were found to be proficient while 20 students born in 1997, when examined for similar proficiency 7 students were found to be proficient in reading. The area showed less improvement (US Department of Education: A Nation Accountable). When 1983 born 4th class students were observed for proficiency in mathematics, only 4 were found to be proficient. Students born in 1997, when examined for proficiency in mathematics 8 out of 20 were found to be proficient in mathematics. Indicating that proficiency in mathematics increased two-fold. On close observation it is observed that 20 children born in 1983, entered school in 1988, of these 20, 14 graduates on time in 2001, of these 14, 10 started college but by 2007 only 5 could earn their degrees (US Department of Education: A Nation Accountable). California has shown very poor improvement when compared to other states of United States. According to 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), California stands seventh lowest in 8th grade mathematics when compared with other states of USA. When their competitive spirit was calculated, California was at the bottom quarter. The students of 8th grade when compared for their reading skills they were the third lowest and just above the Hawaii and Columbia. The Californian students were poor in science they stand second lowest and just above the Mississippi. Indicating the education excellence could not meet the perfection in California (States vs. Countries in Math). According to the NY Times, Massachusetts shows maximum of 51% of mathematics proficiency, as compared to California which has 24 percent of proficiency in mathematics when students from eighth-grade were compared between various states and different

Bioremediation Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Bioremediation Questions - Essay Example In Situ bioremediation skill developing as a less expensive, more effectual option to the average pump-and-treat techniques applied to clean up aquifers and soils polluted with organic chemicals (e.g., chlorinated solvents), however, has since developed in dimension, to tackle explosives, inorganic, as well as toxic metals (e.g., Chromium).   ISB has the prospective to offer advantages like destruction of the pollutant(s), lesser risk to site workers, as well as lower equipment/operating expenses (Singh, Ajay, and Owen, 20). Oil remediation is the procedure employed to clean up oil spills. However, Oil spills threaten the fitness of beings plus are harmful to the surroundings and might be remedied in a diversity of means. The risk level plus the exact oil remediation applied depend on the dimension of the spill, the oil, the location of the spill as well as the climate where the spill takes place. The most favored technique of oil remediation, particularly in the water, is to leave it alone as well as allow it naturally disintegrates (Alexander 35). Moreover, when there is no threat of leaks influences marine wildlife or coastal areas, the wind, ocean currents, sun, as well as waves will efficiently break up as well as evaporate most types of oil. The lighter the oil the simpler it will break down as expected. Having the oil with booms as well as gathering it with skimmer gear is another technique of oil remediation for a leak in the water, apart from for the high seas. Moreover, Booms might be made of a broad array of materials plus come in a huge diversity of forms (Singh, Ajay, and Owen 25). Depending on the dimension of the leak, they might be positioned in deep water, float consistently with the water line or sit above the water line up to one meter. When the oil is contained, it is sucks out plus positioned in nearby vessels. In several cases, it

Play and Learning in Early Childhood (A comparative study between Dissertation

Play and Learning in Early Childhood (A comparative study between Scotland and Saudi Arabia) - Dissertation Example In order to accomplish these research objectives, the researcher selected primary and secondary data collection methods. Primary research was conducted in the form of interviews at Cranstonhill Nursery School, Glasgow involving two staffs. On the other hand, secondary data was collected through past research papers, academic journals and newspaper articles. Primary data revealed that early year education based on learning through playing activities is a good step to improve the cognitive abilities of children. Secondary data analysis also confirmed the fact as majority of academicians and researchers agreed that in spite of exposing children to direct education; it is important to make them a part of early year education offering good amount of exposure and learning experiences. On the basis of these findings, it was concluded that countries like Scotland and Saudi Arabia has been offering great attention to develop more numbers of early year education but lacks uniformity. ... the end based on acknowledgement- Ludwig Wittgenstein The purpose and importance of every research is enhanced by the cooperation and support of many people. The research starts with a general idea and thought that further becomes a complete work showcasing results and analysis pertaining to a particular subject. Results and analysis is dependent on the efforts and cooperation of many people. The researcher would like to express his deep gratitude towards his supervisor†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ for guiding him and supporting him the research process. His compassionate approach of offering guidance and support helped in conducting the research in a systematic and zealous manner. The researcher would also like to thank his professors for supporting and guiding him through their knowledge and skills that helped in gaining confidence and clear insights over the research topic. The University also helped in allowing the researcher to access the library and other internet sources that further helped in collecting valuable information and data pertaining to the research subject. The researcher feel blessed to be part of the University of†¦.. where class mates and faculties helped in developing critical insights over the research topic. The role of family is of great importance in initiating any activity and the researcher was guided and supported by his family in a positive manner that helped in achieving the goals and objectives of the research. The role of the family and friends proved to be more impactful in gaining mental toughness while the role and support of the supervisor and professors helped in developing cognitive abilities to deal with the research topic. Overall, the researcher would like to thank everybody who supported and guided him in the research process along with

Economics Incresing supermarkets chain profits by adopting different Essay

Economics Incresing supermarkets chain profits by adopting different pricing strategies in different markets - Essay Example This type of marketing strategy involves the introduction of market segmentation by the company, when the segments are introduced then the company is able to price different prices on the goods they sell in the market, higher income earners are charged higher prices while the low income earners example students pay less. Through price discrimination chain supply supermarkets are able to achieve higher profits from the same market. Premium pricing is another pricing strategy that is aimed at attracting high status conscious customers, a good is introduced in the market and its price is set at a higher level than other goods, the objective of these pricing strategy is to meet the needs of some consumers who believe that the high prices are a sign of quality, they believe that the high price on the product is as a result of high production costs which are incurred to make the product the best, for these reason they will buy the product at the high price. These customers also believe that purchasing such a product will be a symbol of self worth. Therefore the customer will buy the highly priced product because they are worth it. Penetration pricing is a pricing strategy aimed at increasing the quantity sold by a chain supply supermarket, this strategy involves lowering the prices of a product whose demand is highly elastic, this means that when the price is lowered then the demand for the product will highly increase. However this pricing strategy is applied when the price decrease will result into a high decline in costs as the sales volume increases. For this reason therefore the chain supply supermarket will reduce the price of a certain product leading to high decline in costs and therefore high levels of profits. Price skimming: Price skimming involves charging high prices on a product but then gradually lowering the prices over time, this strategy is mostly used by a chain supply company in order to recover sunk costs, the firm captures its customers surplus and hence high profits are attained in the process, however over time after the firm has gained it will lower prices gradually to the market price level. Promotional pricing: Promotional pricing involves giving a price cut on certain products for a short period of time, this is a strategy aimed at increasing the demand for a product and also attracting customers to take advantage of these offers, this strategy involves promotional discounts which aid in giving the chain supply supermarkets competitive advantage and increasing consumers turnout into their supermarkets and therefore increasing sales on the product and also other products. Price discounting: This is a strategy that is mostly used by chain supply supermarkets where they offer trade discounts, seasonal discounts and quantity discount, it is commonly used to attract more customers into the supermarket and also as a way to increase demand for its product through quantity discounts, this way the firm is able to maximise its profits by increasing its market area. Price lining: Price lining is a marketing strategy used by chain supply supermarkets and it involves product lining which aid in price lining, product lining involve offering products in the market that are related, a product line will may either have products of different sizes, types,

Financl analysis of dareen company Research Paper

Financl analysis of dareen company - Research Paper Example Comparison using ratios over two financial years of Dareen Merchandizing and with industry would provide considerable insight regarding Dareen Merchandizing business performance. 1- PROFIT MARGIN FORMULA = NET INCOME Â   Â   SALES Â   (McLaney, 2009) A- RATIO: Ratio DM 2011 Industry 2011 DM 2010 Industry 2010 PROFIT MARGIN =219,030/815000 26.87% 26.00% =136,990/645,000 21.24% 22.00% B- COMMENT ON COMPANY PERFORMANCE AND INDUSTRY TREND 2011- PM-Favorable over industry 2010- PM- Favorable over industry Profit margin in the year 2011 has increased as compared to year 2010. Main reason driving this increase appears to increase in prices as well as sales of the product. Income statement shows sales increased from AED 645,000 in year 2010 to AED 815,000 in year 2011. Increase in price is also clued from comparatively minimal increase in cost goods sold than increase in sales. Increase in sales can be attributed to heavy advertising expenditure incurred from AED 2200 in year 2010 to AED 25000 in 2011. ... C- RECOMMENDATION Increase in sales without similar increase in cost refers that firm has strong control over cost components. However, this increase in sales has a push from high advertising expenditure and hence, firm has room for improvement in this respect. Control over advertising expenses has additional capacity to improve this profitability ratio. Moreover, control over utilities expenses that have increased almost near to double, can also improve net income which will ultimately improve DM’s profitability and will take it ahead of industry profitability margin. Control over these would give some room to decrease price (for instance, seasonal discounts etc) which will further increase sales and would promote profitability positively. 2- INVENTORY TURNOVER FORMULA = SALES Â   Â   INVENTORY Â   (McLaney, 2009) A- RATIO: Ratio DM 2011 Industry 2011 DM 2010 Industry 2010 INVENTORY TURNOVER 815,000/170,700 10.00X 645,000/32,470 9.00X 4.77X 19.86X B- COMMENT ON COMPANY PER FORMANCE AND INDUSTRY TREND 2011- IO- Unfavorable over industry 2010- IO- Favorable over industry Inventory turnover ratio of DM doesn’t reflect some healthy picture. In the year 2010 DM had a very minimal inventory in reference to the amount of sales. In the following year of 2011, the amount of retained inventory increased to large extent. It reflects that in both years company had inefficient inventory management. In the former year it must be constantly involved in the buying inventory every few day i.e. every 18 day (360/19.86) which resulted extra exercise, cost and time which could have been invested in other productive exercise. In the year 2011, firm purchased sizeable inventory each time in

Cultural Scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Scenario - Essay Example â€Å"In the Chinese business world, however, it is also understood as the network of relationships among various parties that cooperate together and support one another† (Netfirms). The second mistake Karen made was that she did not talk to Tsang Yao and went over his head to file a complaint to the COO which made her look bad due to her ignorance of Chinese culture. If Kaken had talked to Yao first she could have mitigated the situation and gotten educated about the importance of Guanxi in China. The third mistake Karen made occurred upon being assigned to the Chinese office. At that moment she should have research Chinese culture and spend several weeks reading information from journal articles, professional databases, books, and the internet regarding Chinese culture. An excellent database that provides great information about countries is the CultureGrams database. China is the most populated place in world with a population of 1.33 billion inhabitants (CulureGrams, 2011) The assumption that Karen made was that Tsang Yao was discriminating against other candidates by hiring his family members and friends based on preferential treatment. Karen wanted to protect the best interest of the company since in the United States that type of mass hiring of family and friends could lead to a discrimination lawsuit. She assumed that Tsang Yao was taking advantage of his position to enrich his family. Karen thought that better candidates were being passed over and were not considered by Tsang Yao. Karen’s primary problem was her lack of communication with her colleagues. There was no reason to get the COO involved. Karen should have confronted Yao first prior to going up the power ladder. She was astonished when Daniel Young reprimanded her instead of taking correction action to ensure equal opportunity rights were protected. I believe in the value

Crime is Predominantly an Intra-Racial Event Essay Example for Free

Crime is Predominantly an Intra-Racial Event Essay Introduction: Society has this perception that it is other races why crime occurs. Some people blame these crimes on black-on-black crimes, or Hispanics-on-Hispanics crimes. Being that crime seems to be predominantly an intra-racial event involving victims and offenders of the same race; will this type of destruction ever come to an end? While interviewing two of my co-workers while we were on break in between our runs, it was very interesting to learn of their intakes on this particular topic. The first co-worker I talked to is Hispanic. His name is Steven. Steven agrees that crime in a way is predominantly an intra-racial event, involving victims and offenders of the same race. Steven relates Hispanic-on-Hispanic intra-racial crime because of economic gaps in society. Steven feels that Hispanics are always given such a hard time when it comes to getting jobs. Hispanics are always first asked if they have a green card and can they legally work here in the United States. Steven says this comes from his own experience in trying to get a job as a mechanic. He felt very offended because of the stereotypes that society put on people of his origin. Steven says that he may be Hispanic but he was born and raised here in the United States. His parents were in the military, where they were stationed in San Antonio, Texas. His parents are from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Steven feels that this intra-racial crime comes from Hispanics having a lack of work and education to support their families. Steven has witnessed his own people killing one another over fearing being deported back to their country. Hispanics cross the border so that they can raise their families in a better environment with better opportunities. The second co-worker I talked to is African-American. His name is Chuck.  Chuck’s outlook on intra-racial crime is very similar to Steven’s outlook. Chuck feels that intra-racial crimes are a choice. Chuck grew up watching black-on black crimes like gangs killing other gangs because of crossing into their territory. Chuck says that society plays a big part in why blacks act the way that they do. He believes that society puts out negative stereotypes about blacks and people run with it. Chuck says black-on-black crime comes from a number of things like kids killing kids with illegal guns found in their houses, drug deals gone bad, young black men fighting in the clubs over females or fighting in the streets over a senseless argument. Crime Is Predominantly an Intra-Racial Event 2 Both Steven and Chuck agree that no matter what the situation may be, these unfortunate intra-racial crimes should not even occur. They both feel that people need to get a better education and obtain some type of work skill which is positive. Conclusion Intra-racial crimes leave families in disarray. Black-on-black crimes can be avoided if they are yes, re-educated and taught a trade to learn a meaningful skill. These crimes can be cut down tremendously and the African-American race can begin rebuilding. Hispanic-on-Hispanic crimes could also be cut in half if those who are here in the United States legally or who have their green cards, could go to school and get and education and earn a degree to help better them. Hispanics could also go to a trading school and get the skills that they need to find decent work. This way, Hispanics do not have to be paid under the table and they can earn a decent paycheck to help in supporting their families. The victims in these intra-racial crimes are the ones who have been hurt and families destroyed. The offenders in these intra-racial crimes just make excuses why they did as they feel that they had to do. Many offenders have no remorse for their actions and to them, it is everyone else’s fault but their own.

Commentary on John Keatss Poems Essay Example for Free

Commentary on John Keatss Poems Essay O golden-tongued Romance with serene lute! Fair plumed Syren! Queen of far away! Leave melodizing on this wintry day, Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute: Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute, Betwixt damnation and impassiond clay Must I burn through; once more humbly assay The bitter-sweet of this Shakespearian fruit. Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion, Begetters of our deep eternal theme, When through the old oak forest I am gone, Let me not wander in a barren dream, But when I am consumed in the fire, Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire. COMMENTARY : The poem under study was written in 1818 after the completion of John Keatss 4,000-line poem Endymion. We are facing a traditional and fixed form of poem as Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again is an Elizabethan sonnet  composed of fourteen lines which are divided up into three quatrains, that is four-line stanzas, and a final couplet -or two lines of verse. The rhyming pattern is abba, cddc, efef, gg as, notably Lute (l.1) rhymes with mute (l.4), far-away (l.2) with day (l.3) and dispute (l.5) with fruit (l.8). Moreover, the lines are iambic pentameters since they contain five iambic feet for instance : _ / _ / _ / _ / _ / O Gol/den-tongued /Romance, /with se/rene Lute! Like most of Keatss poems, this text deals with the speakers encounter with something which incites him to meditate and alters significantly his vision of life. It is the perusal of King Lear written by William Shakespeare in 1605 which affects him this time and this is not a first reading judging by the presence of Once Again in the title. Keats was a great admirer of Shakespeare. The theme of death, which is one of Keatss main concerns, is latent in the poem. This sonnets thought can be divided into four parts. Firstly, chivalric romances are praised and put aside. Secondly, the effects they provoke are contrasted with those engendered by the reading of King Lear. Thirdly, the speaker begs Shakespeare and heaven , his sources of inspiration, to help him. Finally, he compares himself to the Phoenix, which has the power to be immortal. To begin with, the first quatrain opens with the interjection O which is by definition used to express strong feelings. Indeed, the poem is charged with lyricism, the two exclamation marks contributing to it among other things. In this way, we are conscious from the beginning that the speaker s rereading of Shakespeares tragedy makes him profoundly react. Then, the term Romance refers to medieval romance, a form of narrative which developed in the 12th century and related tales of chivalry and courtly love. Its heroes were idealized and the plot often contained  miraculous or supernatural elements such as dragons or monsters fighting for the sake of the heroine. The adjective which qualifies this genre of literature, that is Golden-tongued, means that it is wonderfully narrated. Besides, it can be paralleled with the realms of gold Keats refers to in the same first line of the sonnet Upon First Looking into Chapmans Homer, the phrase being there a metaphor for books he highly values. Next, the lute is a stringed instrument, whose music acts as an enchantment on readers and leads them to sweet thoughts. This first line is basically an apostrophe since the speaker directly addresses Golden-tongued Romance thus personifying it. The Fair plumed Syren is praised as well, the poet considering her a royal person -a Queen- who melodiz[es] (l.3). She is also present in the romance in question. A siren, in Greek mythology, is one of the three sea nymphs, usually represented with the head of a woman and the body of a bird. They inhabited an island surrounded by dangerous rocks and sang so enchantingly that all who heard were drawn near or shipwrecked. The tune produced by the lute can be compared to the bewitching one sang by the siren which irresistibly attracts the poet to like this kind of literature. But, the lexical field of pleasure including serene Lute, Fair plumed Syren and melodizing among other things is contrasted with more negative phrases such as wintry day, Shut up and mute. This indicates that the poet is willing to wander from the sweet thoughts these readings generate, the Golden-tongued Romance being a synecdote for chivalric romances in general. Moreover, the personification process is extended on line 4 since Golden-tongued Romance is addressed as though it was endowed with life and speech. Indeed, thine () Pages are the books. Moreover, the siren is used as a metonymy for the narrative insofar as the poet combines the two on line 4, the predicates Shut up and be mute referring to the nymph. Finally, the adjective olden alludes to this literatures ancient existence. In short, this first quatrain deals with the poets liking for medieval romances insisting on their enchanting power. Nevertheless, the latter wishes to dismiss them from his mind. And prosopopeia is aimed at showing that he is deeply affected by his rereading of King Lear. The second stanza is going to contrast images of beauty with what Shakespeares tragedy displays. Next, the second quatrain begins with the poet bidding farewell to pleasant meditations. But, we should first and foremost put this sonnet back in its context. We can easily presume that it is autobiographic, thus that Keats reveals us his own worries. In 1818, he is aware that he has short time left to live due to the fatal illness he is suffering from, that is tuberculosis. Moreover, we have already realized that he is scared of death, particularly in his When I have fears that I may cease to be. In the second stanza, the lexical field of hell is present through fierce, damnation and burn through. And the predicate burn through must be taken both literally and figuratively. On the one hand, it hints at Keatss future death. On the other, it indicates his agitation facing antagonistic directions as he is torn between hellish visions and sweeter meditations, designated by damnation versus impassiond clay. So, damnation is a metaphor for the thoughts the reading of King Lear provokes while impassiond clay refers to those generated by chivalric romances. The word clay probably makes reference to the Bible as the sacred book states that God made the human body with this material. So, it symbolizes fecundity and regeneration in other words life. Thus, it is tempting to infer that romances allow the poet to escape from reality whereas King Lears tragic fate reminds him of his bad condition. The second part of the quatrain deals with the poets will to concentrate on  Shaksperean fruit in other words on King Lear itself. While the first stanza introduced his liking for romances, this one gradually leads us to the subject of the poem i.e. the feelings and thoughts the reading of the tragedy trigger. King Lear is quite a sad story as it deals among other things with consequences of the fatal mistake the eponymous character makes at retirement as he divides his kingdom between two of his daughters Goneril and Regan thinking that the youngest Cordelia is the one who loves him the least. Once he realizes that his trusted girls intend to drive him away, he leaves them. Cordelia, disowned, became Queen of France. She is informed of the situation and lands on her fathers old kingdom with an army to fight the other girls. The play ends in a disaster since Goneril, ashamed because unmasked by her husband, who had not known how wicked his wife was, suicides herself after having poisoned her sister Regan, out of a spirit of jealousy. And Cordelia, defeated by her sisters, is hung in prison. Lear dies last, his dear daughter in his arms. The adjective bitter-sweet (l.8) hints at both the pleasure the speaker takes rereading the story and aforementioned sad thoughts. The death of the characters actually reminds him he is to die soon. To summarize, literature acts as a catalyst on Keats since it makes him meditate. And between the images of beauty romances trigger and the unhappy thoughts King Lear provokes, he finally chooses to concentrate on Shakespeare. The reasons of this choice are going to be given in the third stanza. The third quatrain begins in the same way as the second, with an exclamation. Chief Poet! is a characteristic attributed to Shakespeare. In fact, the speaker aims at emphasizing his admiration for the playwright. Then, Albion is the name given by elders to Great Britain because of its white cliffs -in Latin albus means white. This is also where King Lear takes place. And a theme, in a work of literature is an idea that the writer develops or  repeats. If we take into account this definition, Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion, Begetters of our deep eternal theme! may mean that Shakespeare and Great Britain are the poets inexhaustible inspiration. Next, the speaker identifies with Lear on line 11. When the latter realizes that what Goneril and Regan really want is to chase him away, he leaves. It is a wild and stormy night and he wanders about the fields half mad with misery. So, lines 11 and 12 allude to that very episode in the tragedy. This is an instance of intertextuality. In addition, we can perceive the presence of heaven in this stanza. First, the phrase clouds of Albion reminds us of that biblical place which is usually imagined as being high up in the sky. And spirits walking on clouds are often pictured. Moreover, the fact that Great Britain is named Albion because of its white cliffs conveys the idea of a bridge between earth and heaven or life and death. Next, the old oak forest is highly symbolical. In many traditions, the oak is a sacred tree which is vested with privileges of heavens supreme divinity. It is also considered as an intermediary between earth where it puts its roots and the vault of the sky that it touches with its top. That is probably due to its majestic appearance and because it attracts lightning. So, the oak forest can be regarded as a sacred and secluded place, in other words as a kind of sanctuary in which the poet roams waiting for his impending death. Personification is also used as the subject of the predicate Let me not wander in a barren dream is not only Chief Poet but also clouds of Albion. Keatss fear to die is perceived in that line and begging the deceased playwright to save him is a way of highlighting his sacredness. Let us remind of Keatss admiration for Shakespeare. Therefore, the Elizabethan writer and heavens importance are dealt with. They are the source of the speakers inspiration and his saviour. The final couplet is about the poets yearning to be reincarnated. Lastly, the legend of the Phoenix is introduced. In ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology, it is a bird. When it felt its death approaching -every 500 or 1461 years-, it would build a nest of aromatic wood, set it on fire and was consumed by the flames. When it was burned, a new phoenix sprang forth from the pyre. In these two lines, the poet compares himself to the mythical bird endowing himself with the same powers as its own, that is those of resurrection and immortality. Indeed, he is tormented by his impending death and yearns to be immortal, what he achieves in a way since 175 years after his death, he is still much read, valued and studied in universities. To conclude, it is pensive introspection in the form of lyric poetry on a young mans impending death. We are made aware of Keatss visionary experience rereading King Lear. His liking for romances is highlighted nevertheless he chooses to concentrate on Shakespeares masterpiece as it makes him think about his worries. Indeed, literature acts as a catalyst for meditation. Finally, we focus on the poets fear of death and yearning for immortality.

Russias Economy During Yeltsin Era

Russias Economy During Yeltsin Era Analyse the principle problems facing the Russian economy at the end of the Yeltsin era. How have these problems been tackled? Abstract The following dissertation will analyse the principle problems facing the Russian economy at the end of the Yeltsin era. In many respects these principle problems facing the Russian economy stemmed from the economic and political disintegration of the Soviet Union combined with how effectively or ineffectively the Yeltsin administration had attempted to deal with those problems. As will be discussed the principle economic problems that faced the Russian Federation in 1992 were daunting, and therefore it is not surprising that some of these problems remained unsolved and were bequeathed to the incoming Putin government after Yeltsin’s surprise resignation at the end of 1999. Yeltsin had seemed to be Russia’s political saviour in August 1991 when he led the resistance to the attempted coup of Soviet hard-liners against Gorbachev. The failure of that coup inevitably accelerated the demise of the Soviet Union. However, the Russian economy would prove much harder to tackle t han desperate Soviet generals and KGB chiefs.[1] The principle problems of the Russian economy can be arguably traced back to the inefficiencies of the Soviet Union’s command economy and its massive military expenditure during the Cold War. These economic problems accelerated the demise of the Soviet Union itself and made it difficult to make the economic transition to capitalism without major economic implications.[2] The Soviet Union for all its economic faults had at least provided a basic standard of living, which meant that none of its people starved or were in severe economic distress. This was despite a stagnant economy, although its economic stability crumbled with remarkable speed. For much of the Yeltsin era the Russian economy could not match the basic living standards of the old Soviet Union for many of its citizens.[3] It could be argued that the transition to capitalism contributed to the worsening of the principle problems outlined below, and that ill thought out economic policies since have made it more difficult for those problems to be effectively tackled during and after the Yeltsin era. Among the main themes of this dissertation is that the Yeltsin government did not have a consistent set of economic and political policies to solve the principle problems of the Russian economy, which in turn hampered the effective tackling of those problems. The so called young reformers led by Yegor Gaider and Anatoly Chubais had the most thought out strategies for the Russian economy, yet they did not have a constant control over the government’s economic policy throughout the Yeltsin era.[4] Besides not all the economic strategies advocated by the young reformers proved to be effective once the Russian government put those strategies into practice. The ways in which all the principle problems of the Russian economy at the end of the Yeltsin era were all interconnected are arguably obvious and apparent. To a certain extent it will be argued that Boris Yeltsin himself did not help the Russian government to tackle the principle problems of the Russian economy. The link betwee n principle problems in the Russian economy and political ones plus social factors will be discussed when and where appropriate. This dissertation will seek to examine the reasons for the Russian economy taking over a decade to achieve real growth, despite following the policies that it was advised would promote stability, liberalised and privatised economy. This dissertation will attempt to analyse whether the economic transition achieved anything at all to justify an estimated 47 % decrease in living standards between 1991 and 2000. How many Russians believed that the detrimental effects of the principle problems of the Russian economy at the end of the Yeltsin era could have been averted or tackled earlier?[5] When Boris Yeltsin assumed the presidency of the Russian Federation it was still part of the Soviet Union and not even a sovereign state in its own right also it did not have control over economic policy. Yeltsin presided over the dismantling of Communist control in Russia, yet he found it very difficult to construct capitalism from virtually non-existent foundations as any form of capitalist economic activity had been illegal for much of the previous 75 years after the Communist Revolution.[6] By the time Yeltsin left his presidential office, the Russian Federation was a fully independent state that nominally, if not completely become a liberal democracy with a capitalist market economy. However, the dual Russian transitions to liberal democracy and capitalism from an authoritarian Communist State proved difficult and many have argued that those transitions remain incomplete. The incompleteness of the transition to capitalism and the political and economic make up of the Russian fed eration had a strong influence upon the principle problems facing the Russian economy at the end of the Yeltsin era. Russia had been used to authoritarian government with state controlled central planning for the economy so the process of liberalisation had been uneven and had unwelcome social and economic consequences across Russia. The legacy of misguided Soviet economic planning took much effort and a great deal of suffering for the poorest sections of the Russian society to break, it seemed to help a minority of Russians make their fortunes, whilst leaving the rest to fend for themselves. In Russia the correlation between political and economic weaknesses arguably helped to make the post-communist economic and democratic situation imperfect and even corrupt.[7] The move to bring capitalism to Russia in less than a decade was as revolutionary as Stalin’s attempts to achieve industrialisation during collectivisation, yet the opposite aims of privatising the economy. The aim of the Yeltsin government to bring capitalism was a sensible notion, yet the ways that it was implemented caused controversy as well as arguably increasing the impact of the principle problems that afflicted the Russian economy at the end of the Yeltsin era.[8] Decline and signs of recovery 1992 1998 The initial bout of economic shock therapy administered in 1992 brought about hyperinflation, the closure of many factories and enterprises, which led inevitably to mass unemployment. Gaider and the other young reformers in the Yeltsin government had to end state subsidies to factories and intoduce the lifting of price controls at one go rather than to introduce reforms gradually. It was harsh economic medicine for a country burdened with the consequences of communism’s profound economic and political failures, although Yeltsin did not have the political strength or motivation to carry out shock therapy as extensively as Gaider and the other ‘young reformers’ had originally intended. Through much of the 1990s the young reformers and the richest entrepreneurs known as the oligarchs competed for political influence and power, whilst contending to gain control of the Russian economy or a share of its greatest spoils. Neither the young reformers nor the oligarchs were popular with the majority of the Russian people, yet none of them particularly cared. They were not involved in popularity contests, they were arguing over power and riches. Sometimes they might do things that were good for the Russian economy, yet they were mainly interested in achieving their own agendas than serving the national interests of Russia.[9] The weakness of the Russian economy further weakened the position of the Russian government at the start of the Yeltsin era. These were political as well as economic weaknesses that still existed when Yeltsin left office. Yeltsin’s first term was undermined by political disputes with the Russian Supreme Soviet, which Yeltsin eventually closed down and replaced with a new parliament, the Duma. Yeltsin had to maintain his political position whilst attempting to prevent the Communists and nationalists making sufficient electoral gains to restrict his political room to manoeuvre. Yeltsin was able to maintain his hold on power, despite a strong challenge from the Communists after his re-election in 1996. Yeltsin’s second term in office highlighted his inability to find a Prime Minister that was politically reliable, could manage, or even reduce the weakness of the Russian economy and who did not want to assume the presidency as Yeltsin’s replacement before Yeltsin was due to leave office in June 2000. Yeltsin’s second term witnessed his problems with ill health worsen, which in turn meant that the Russian economy as well as the Russian government was not as effectively managed as they needed to be. When Yeltsin appointed the virtually unheard of Vladimir Putin as Prime Minister he believed that he had found a man that could fix the Russian economy and solve its political problems. Perhaps more importantly for Yeltsin and his family, Putin was unwilling to prosecute either him or his relatives for their links to the corruption and inefficiency of the Yeltsin era.[10] The Russian economy did show signs of revival towards the end of Yeltsin’s first presidential term, yet in many respects such a revival was more apparent than real. The vast majority of Russians were economically worse off than they had been before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Declining inflation and unemployment rates did not benefit most of them, especially those that lost their jobs, their savings, and all hope with the shock therapy of 1992 which resulted in inflation rates of around 2,000%. The new Russian economy seemed to benefit former Communist party officials; bureaucrats, factory, and state farm managers that managed to gain control of former state owned enterprises. The other main beneficiaries were the handful of entrepreneurs, subsequently known as the oligarchs that had become very wealthy through their links with Yeltsin. The Russian economy for the first time also had millions of shareholders eager to show their capitalist credentials. The Russian governm ent did not however, share in the beginning of the Russian economy during the middle of the 1990s, the strength and capabilities of the Yeltsin government to deal with economic problems was undermined by falling revenues. Government revenues had been reduced through the economic contraction of the early 1990s, higher spending on social security, lower global prices for Russian oil exports, plus extensive tax evasion. Not that anybody had to deliberately evade paying their taxes given the massive size of the tax arrears owed to the Russian government. The breakdown of the Soviet Union led to other problems such as lower exports to the other former Soviet republics and the inability of countries such as the Ukraine to pay for Russian gas and oil.[11] The table below that shows the annual changes in Russia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures between 1992 to 1999 amply demonstrates the disastrous state of the Russian economy throughout much of the Yeltsin era. [12] Stock market crash and Government weakness The perilous financial position of the Yeltsin government itself proved to undermine the revival of the Russian economy as it directly contributed to the collapse of the Russian stock market in 1998. The crash of 1998 ruined millions of small-scale shareholders in Russia and reduced the scale of foreign investment in the Russian economy. Russian investors were in effect made to suffer due to the ineptness of the Russian government in raising enough taxes to run the country and avoid bankruptcy.[13] Under Yeltsin the Russian State had lost out in terms of revenue and economic independence to the oligarchs, profits that should have lined the coffers of the Kremlin lined the pockets of Boris Berezovsky, Vladimir Potanin, and the other oligarchs. All of these factors combined to make the insolvency of the Russian State as principle problem of the Russian economy. Restoring the solvency of the government would increase its scope to solve the other principle problems of the Russian economy , as well as restore the political authority of the state.[14] When Vladimir Putin assumed power his government was faced not only with the task of restoring the solvency of the Russian state, he also had to restore the faith of Russians and foreigners that the government would not default on its loans. The crash of August 1998 had led to the Yeltsin government defaulting on $40 billion worth of foreign loans. The crisis in confidence also saw the rouble decline to a third of its pre-crash value.[15] The Russian economy was not helped by international bodies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or foreign governments most notably the United States by the amounts of capital as the Russian government would have liked.[16] As Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had already shown his commitment to restoring the solvency and the power of the Russian State. Putin’s strength of character plus his determination to succeed contributed to Yeltsin’s decision to resign and maximise Putin’s chances of retaining the presidency after the 2000 presidential election. Putin was elected president in 2000 and claimed the credit for Russia’s improving economy as well as apparent victory in the war against Chechen separatists. Putin put himself forward as the man capable of curing Russia’s profound economic, social, and political problems. If confidence alone was the sole key to solving the principle problems of the Russian economy at the end of the Yeltsin era, then Russia should have been a prosperous state the day Putin entered the Kremlin.[17] Principle Problems of the Russian Economy The first principle problem facing the Russian economy at the end of the Yeltsin era was the incomplete nature of the transition to a capitalist market economy. The support of Boris Yeltsin for the measures needed for a full transition to a market economy was not consistent throughout his time in office. The economic reforms introduced in 1992 hit the Russian economy harder than the similar reforms introduced in former Communist states such as Poland and Hungary. Russia had a larger economy, more state enterprises and factories plus a much longer period under communist control than any of the former communist states Central and Eastern Europe had. The Yeltsin government received plenty of advice as to whether to introduce economic liberalisation all at once or gradually, although at that point there was no hard evidence as to which approach would be the most successful in the long run. In the short run economic contraction was expected before the Russian economy would show signs of i mprovement and growth.[18] However, the period of economic contraction was longer than many experts had predicted, although the sheer scale of the problems facing the Russian economy throughout the Yeltsin era were enormous. A healthy Boris Yeltsin, despite his lack of knowledge concerning capitalist economics, might have given the government more urgency in tackling those economic proms it could. However, during his second term as president Yeltsin suffered from the affects of heavy drinking and a severe heart condition. Given the prominence of presidential power in the Russian political system having an incapacitated president was detrimental to the tackling of Russia’s economic problems. Not only was Yeltsin frequently ill he would intervene in the government at some inopportune moments. Yeltsin had a tendency to appoint Prime Ministers and cabinets on a whim. If a Prime Minister proved incapable of tackling the country’s many social, economic, and political problem s they would be removed. Paradoxically if a Prime Minister was too successful in resolving those problems or appeared to be more popular than Yeltsin they were also removed from office.[19] A principle problem facing the Russian economy at the end of the Yeltsin era was that a proper banking system similar to those operating in more established capitalist economies had not been fully developed to aid the Russian economy’s transition in to a capitalist economy. There are various reasons why the lack of a fully developed banking system became a principle problem facing the Russian economy. The lack of such a properly developed and regulated system hindered and deterred foreign businesses from investing in the Russian economy, as potential investors could not be sure of where their money was going. The lack of foreign investment slowed down economic growth in the financial sector of the Russian economy. Growth in the financial sector was needed to compensate for the contractions in the industrial and agricultural sectors of the economy.[20] The lack of a properly regulated banking system also aided the money laundering of illegal profits from the organised crime gan gs that seemed to proliferate after the Soviet Union collapsed. Organised crime gangs had been able to take advantage of the Russian government’s struggle to maintain full political and economic control of Russia. The unregulated nature of the Russian banking system did not help stem the flow of financial capital out of the Russian economy during the Yeltsin era. The Yeltsin government seemed unable or unwilling to take effective measures to stop the flow of capital that was so detrimental to the Russian economy. If the Russian government had been able to attract as much investment into the Russian economy as there was capital exported away from it then the economy would have achieved greater stability and growth. However, the IMF made economic aid and loans to the Russian government conditional upon the Russians on improving the Russian banking system to international standards of performance and regulation. The Russian government could in return claim that Russia’s e conomic problems would have decreased if the Russians had received all the international aid and investments that had been promised in the early 1990s. Whilst aid was slow in coming forward the foreign debts owed by Russia from $97 billion in 1992 to a burdensome $152 billion by 1998. During the same period the amount of GDP the Russian government had to use to service its foreign debts doubled to 60%. That was money that the Russian government could have spent in more productive ways such as increasing spending on non-military research or tackling the social and economic problems that were reducing the performance of the Russian economy.[21] A principle problem facing the Russian economy at the end of the Yeltsin era was organised crime. Organised crime gangs, as previously noted, took advantage of the lack of political and economic control in Russia. The way in which the transition to a capital economy in Russia had been attempted had benefited organised crime gangs. Organised crime had existed in the Soviet Union due to the people wanting consumer goods as well as drugs that were not available through state enterprises. Under the Soviet economy system all private economic activity had been illegal. Organised crime gangs find post-Communist Russia an easy place to operate with little fear of being caught, rival gangs were more of a threat to each other than the Russian police were to them. If the gangs could not bribe the police they could frequently outfight them. The financial dire straits of the Russian government meant that there were not enough police or customs officials to deter, let alone catch organised crime g angs and their members. Poorly or infrequently paid police and customs officials had little motivation in stopping criminals, including those that resisted the temptation to take bribes.[22] Another principle problem facing the Russian economy at the end of the Yeltsin era was the informal economy in which employers paid in cash, whilst neither they or their workers paid taxes on their earnings or profits. However, the informal economy had in many respects helped to maintain the Soviet economy, despite its in efficiencies and stagnation. The economic reforms introduced at the start of the Yeltsin era offered chances and opportunities to organised crime gangs and individual entrepreneurs to make their fortunes. Previous experience of working in the informal economy did prove advantageous to many Russians wanting to make their fortunes or faced with the more mundane task of surviving.[23] The Russians have a long tradition of people who know the right people within the bureaucracy being able to further their own position. Corruption, bribery, and the calling in of favours could make all the difference between success and failure during the Yeltsin era. The informal economy grew due to the greater economic freedom and the unregulated nature of the Russian economy once market liberalisation had occurred. For many Russians being part of the informal economy was the only way to make ends meet. The Russian government had drastically reduced the number of state owned enterprises, whilst cutting subsidies to the newly privatised enterprises. Private enterprises in Russia would frequently not pay their workers for months to try to stay in business as they found it very difficult to survive against foreign competitors. Not being paid for months or only been paid in kind prompted workers further into the informal economy. Due to the lack of money available to the Russian government public sector employees were not always paid either. Desperation forced many Russians into holding two or three jobs to make ends meet. Without the informal economy the social and economic problems facing Russia could have been worse. [24] When private and public sector workers were paid, the high inflation at the beginning of the Yeltsin era meant that most Russians had to find extra sources of income or face economic ruin. It is difficult to have an accurate idea of the informal economy within framework of the Russian economy in terms of its share of GDP and its actual size. Statistics from the Russian government were even in the 1990s domestically or internationally known for their accuracy. Given the lack of resources available to the Russian police, customs officials, and bureaucrats it is not surprising that few people were caught for their involvement within the informal economy or that Russian officials could be bribed to turn a blind eye. During the Yeltsin era, the Russian government estimated that 25% of Russia’s GDP was generated by the informal economy. Other sources such as the IMF and the Russian press put the figure as high as 80%.[25] The harsh economic realities of life in Yeltsin’s Russia meant that corruption and unregulated economic activity increased dramatically. Organised crime gangs were able to gain from people’s misery and desperation in terms of increased levels of drug taking and prostitution. The collapse of Soviet authority and the difficulty of Russia and its neighbours had in securing their mutual borders had given the organised crime gangs the opportunity to expand their activities as well as their profits.[26] These increases in gang activities lead to higher levels of crime, as people had to resort to desperate measures to feed drug habits and gangs fought each other. Although the outbreaks of gang warfare witnessed in cities such as St Petersburg can mainly be regarded as a law and order issue, such events did have an economic impact during the Yeltsin era. Economic hardship, drug taking, and prostitution have heavily contributed to declining life expectancy rates. Many of the peo ple that should be the most economically active in Russia are either working informally and therefore not paying taxes or they have died prematurely. Drug taking and prostitution have increased the spread of AIDS so that Russia has one of the highest infection rates in the world. The demographic decline in Russia, if left unchecked could have major implications for the Russian economy as well as disastrous effects on its society. Organised crime may help many Russians survive from day to day, yet it makes some gang members very wealthy whilst depriving the Russian government of much needed revenue and leaving the cost of sorting out serious law and order as well as health problems. Organised gangs were also able to take advantage of the Russian governments wars in Chechnya during the Yeltsin era by selling drugs and weapons to both Russian troops and Chechen rebel fighters.[27] Overall the effect on the population of the Russian Federation was an average annual decrease in the popul ation of around 750,000 people throughout the entire 1999s.[28] At the end of the Yeltsin era another principle problem facing the Russian economy was the uncompetitiveness of many industries and businesses. Again the legacy of the economic system of the Soviet Union plays its part in the weaknesses of the Russian economy. The Soviet system had not produced words that Russian consumers or potential foreign consumers had wanted. Instead the Soviet economic planners had determined production levels and the types of goods produced. Once state subsidies were removed all factories and enterprises and the Russian economy was open to unrestricted foreign imports. Russian enterprises were forced to close, drastically cut their workforces, or not pay their workers for long periods. Some businesses resorted to not paying their taxes as part of their efforts to stay operative.[29] One of the leading oligarchs, Mikhail Khodorkovsky estimated that upwards of a million Russian enterprises should have been declared bankrupt. In 1996 the Yeltsin government state d that around 35% of Russian factories and businesses were on the verge of bankruptcy. The Russian government estimated that 80% of Russian factories and businesses were in financial dire straits.[30] The instability of the rouble and a lack of foreign currencies and investment also made it difficult for Russian enterprises to remain competitive. De-valuations of the rouble would briefly aid competitiveness, yet did not offer a long-term solution. Lack of foreign investment and profits made it more difficult for Russian factories to replace obsolete equipment or the latest training for their workers. The standard of education in Russia tended to be high, although there was a lack of people trained in Information Technology and more advanced industrial procedures, especially outside of the military research establishment.[31] The Yeltsin government and the young reformers had hoped that large-scale foreign investment would revive even the most outdated enterprises in the Russian econ omy. Although, not all of the potential foreign investors were put of by the lack of market regulation, the less than welcoming reception received from officials, Russian businesses, and the Russian public deterred many investors from investing in Russia.[32] The young reformers had hoped that their policies would only lead to a short-term contraction of the Russian economy, with a more competitive and modernised Russia emerging from shock therapy. They and Yeltsin were caught by surprise when the affect of shock therapy lasted throughout the Yeltsin era. A sharp contraction in the production levels of Russian heavy industries was expected and indeed occurred. However, the biggest falls in production witnessed during the Yeltsin era was in the production of consumer goods rather than in the more traditional heavy industries. Whilst production in those heavy industries of coal, steel, oil and gas declined by 45% during the 1990s that was not as bad as the decline in production of consumer goods. The move to a capitalist market economy had been anticipated to provide stimulation for increases in the production of Russian made consumer goods such as colour television sets, personal computers, and video recorders. Instead production of these consumer items declined dramatically, by 80% for television sets, 60% for personal computers, and 99% for video recorders. A section of the Russian economy that the government had believed would promote economic growth and provide jobs for those that lost their jobs in other sectors of the economy ceased to exist to any meaningful extent. There are two fairly straightforward explanations for the slump in the production of consumer goods. Those Russians that could afford television sets, personal computers, and video recorders brought more reliable and fashionable imported foreign brands. Through the liberalisation of the Russian economy and the efforts of the informal economy such goods became more widely available if not affordable throughout the Yeltsin era. For the poorest sections of Russian society that had their savings wiped out by inflation and their prospects diminished by unemployment or underemployment throughout the Yeltsin era there were little prospects of them buying the essentials to live let alone Russian or non-Russian consumer goods. The poor could not even afford the low quality and cheaper Russian made goods.[33] A principle problem of the Russian economy closely related to its uncompetitiveness was the increasing shortages of workers, skilled ones in particular. At the start of the Yeltsin era the severe contraction of the Russian economy meant that unemployment had increased. It was not only capital that left the Russian economy once the country moved to a market economic system. Some of the brightest and most capable people working in the Russian economy left the country for better pay and prospects abroad. Of course, not everybody was able to take the opportunity to earn his or her future in exile. In some respects the most harm done to the Russian economy was by the calibre of academics and technicians that left the country. The Yeltsin government could not do as much to halt the brain drain as it had to cut spending on higher education, health services and most notably on defence projects and research. Cuts in defence spending could be justified, as a war with the United States and its NATO allies seemed impossible. The shortage of skilled workers was worsened by the reduction in life expectancy, especially amongst men. The effects of lower life expectancy were mult