The Causes of the Cold War - Post-Revisionist :: American America History

Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signified, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold but not clothed." There was never a war that this idea can be more correct applied to than the Cold War. According to noted author and Cold War historian Walter Lippman, the Cold War can be defined as a state of tension between states, which behave with great distrust and hostility towards each other, but do not resort to violence. The Cold War encompasses a period from the end of the Second World War (WWII), in 1945, to the fall of the Soviet Union, in 1989. It also encompassed the Korean and Vietnam Wars and other armed conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, that, essentially, were not wars for people but instead for territories and ideologies. "Nevertheless, like its predecessors, the Cold War has been a worldwide power contest in which one expanding power has threatened to make itself predominant, and in which other powers have banded together in a defensive coalition to frustrate it---as was the case before 1815, as was the case in 1914-1918 as was the case from 1939-1945" (Halle 9). From this power contest, the Cold War erupted. In April 1945, Russian forces that had been triumphant at Stalingrad had pushed the German forces back into Germany and American and British forces that had been victorious in their invasion of Normandy did the same; they met at the Elbe River in central Germany (Lukacs 17). Europe was separated into two independent halves, one Russian occupied and the other American; from this division, the Cold War emerged. "When a power vacuum separates great powers, as one did the United States and the Soviet Union at the end of World War II, they are unlikely to fill it without bumping up against and bruising each other" (Gaddis). This 'bumping' and 'bruising' caused the tensions and hostilities that surfaced in the years following WWII. There are three doctrines examining the origins of the Cold War: Orthodox, the belief that "the intransigence of Leninist ideology, the sinister dynamics of a totalitarian society, and the madness of Stalin" (McCauley 88) caused the Cold War; Revisionist, the id ea that "American policy offered the Russians no real choice...either acquiesce to American proposals or be confronted with American power or hostility" (McCauley 90) and thus, America caused the war; and the

The Impact of Tourism on Benidorm

Map of Benidorm Before the tourist hype Benidorm was a small fishing village, with a relatively small population – whose main income was obtained through fishing the local coast, the Costa del Sol – but quickly became Spain's biggest holiday resort for people from foreign countries, and at its peak, it was attracting four million tourists each year.Benidorm in the 1960’s Between 1930 and 1970 it became one of the most visited tourist destinations. The fact that it’s in one of the most southern regions of Spain and is faces the sun is one of the many reasons so many people were drawn to Benidorm. Another reason it became so popular is the fact that it is only a 2-3 hour flight from most places in Europe and it’s cheap and affordable for most families. For the majority of the local people tourism is their income in one way or another, with 85% of income being from tourism. Benidorm is the most affluent area of Spain due to tourism. There is loads of work for the local people and most are flexible due to their nature. There is also a sense of globalisation as people get to get a taste of a different culture for example eating in foreign food restaurants. Overcrowding in Benidorm There is however some major negative impacts of tourism in Benidorm, for example it is overcrowded, the population has increased from 700,000 to 110,000,00. A lot of the negative impacts effect the local environment such as hardly any of the beach is natural and is constantly having to be replenished due to erosion mainly due to humans. There is also too much rubbish to deal with and roads are congestion due to too many cars and too little busses. Local people who aren’t that wealthy may also struggle to fins houses as house prices have increased due to the high demand for second homes, people are also reliant on tourism and there is a loss of independence. Over the last few years Benidorm has been trying to shake of the â€Å"lager lout† reputation it became to develop mainly due to amount of British tourist go there just to party and become disorderly. Tourism officials decided they did not want that label and wanted to make it more family friendly and are determined to shake the bad reputation they have developed due to the amount of drunken people. There are plans to build more 4-5 star hotels to regain the tourist they had started to lose due to their bad reputation

Saurer: the China Challenge

The text talks about the enterprise Saurer, its history and strategy to face to the challenge of Asians competitors and at same time take advantage of the opportunities in that market. In December 2003, the management team of Saurer Twisting Systems was having difficulties with the choice of the functioning of their business. It appears a really strong competitor: Asia (specially China) who starts to hoard a big part of the market. There's a recession in the market and Volkmann (one of the brands of Saurer) realized that the sales of machines for making staple yarn for apparel are declining.Volkmann achieve to take the market segment of European and Japaneses competitors but now China competitors (specially Rifa who is the major competitor) have invested in research and development upgrading their process and lowering their costs. So now, Saurer has to face a big challenge: to produce a machine with a lower cost and good quality targeted at Asians consumers. This machine would have a lower margin in comparison with the others and for its lower costs could replace the existing high end machines. The management team would have to take some really hard decisions about: positioning, pricing, naming the product and sales strategy.And there's still the question about how the Chinese competitors would react with the launch of the new product Saurer was founded in 1853 by Franz Saurer, at the beginning it was a small foundry and engineering workshop, 15 years later it begins building embroidery machines and starts diversification with a variety of industries. Saurer acquires some enterprises like: Hamel, Volkmann, Allma, Schlafhorst, Melco and Zinser. Most of the acquisitions were in textile machinery and based in Germany. With the acquisition of Barmag and Neumag in 1999, Saurer leads the production of machines for producing and finishing chemical fibers.The enterprise creates Saurer Textile Solutions (STS), comprised by nine textile strategic business units. Its miss ion was â€Å"to be the undebated market leader for full service solutions in textile engineering and set continuously new benchmarks for efficient production. † In 2002, began the project Tempus, that pretends to change the processes and the corporate culture with the objective of satisfy more effectively the client needs and at the same time make lower the costs. In 2003, complete the program to outsource parts manufacturing (In Czech Republic and China), which allows a better capacity of adaptation at the needs of the market.But, even with all the achievements gotten by Saurer with these proyects, the CEO of the enterprise, Henry Fisher considers that there's still a lot of things that the enterprise must do in order to become a customer focused and responsive to customer needs company and he believed there's still opportunities to be a better company. Now the author proceed to describe the textile industry (that has 4 major value-added steps: fiber, yarns, fabrics and app arel and made up textile articles) and textile machinery industry (where STS is the largest manufacturer of textile machinery).He talks about the growing of the industry (by 2% to 3% per year) and the most important productors (Asia, specially China). Next, the author recall the strategic importance of China in the industry, that importance is principally because: China is a big source of textile raw materials. China has a large domestic market China has a growing position in textile exports. China's labors costs are really low Chinese infrastructure, labor market and productivity are better than in other countries. Additionally, in 2003 more than 70% of textile manufacturing investments were being made in Asia with about a half of those in China.For these reasons, success in China becomes a really important issue for Saurer, the enterprise's sales depends on Asian markets, specially China. The predecessor companies of Saurer were participants in Chinese market, Barmag was cooperati ng with some Chinese companies, establishing Joint ventures in Beijing, Shanghai and Wuxi. But, these partners in JV started to develop their own products using the knowledge received from Barmag, giving parts with low quality and destroying the image of Barmag products, there was a conflict of interests.In 2001 after the problems with their partners, Barmag liquidate the Shanghai JV and established the Barmag Textile Machinery in Suzhou. Then, Saurer decided to established a direct presence in the Chinese market, finding a really strong competition in that market. In 2003, Saurer has a good participation in the Chinese market, in 2005 planned to build a major new facility in Suzhou that would allow it to consolidate in one location much of its procurement activities. Now the author proceed to talk about one of the brands of Saurer: Volkmann.Volkmann was founded in 1904 by Volkmann Brothers in Krefeld, Germany. At the beginning, the enterprise produces machinery for the local silk a nd velvet industry. After II World War starts building machinery for the manufacture of yarns. In 1954, Volkmann developed the â€Å"two-for-one† twisting machine that was more productive and cost effective that the existent machines, this gives to the company an advantage over its competitors. Volkmann grow becoming a really good mid-sized enterprise, but there’s the need of been part of a bigger enterprise in order to grow even more.In 1990 there's a merger with Saurer, but the brand Volkmann as the Allma's were retained. In 1994 Volkmann introduces a new machine called the CompactTwister, created to satisfy the needs of the customers in the new emerging textile markets. The enterprise wanted to get a biggest segment of the Asian market, so they created the project â€Å"Dragon† that consists in create a plant in Suzhou, China in 1997 in order to produce a machine with same characteristics as the one produced in Germany but with a lower cost and price, the pla n was, to export the machine to other markets in the Far East overtime.This project has their risks, specially the quality of the final product, because it would work with some parts produced in china, what could give a low quality. As a result of this project, twisting systems was the first Saurer business unit to establish its own manufacturing operation in China. It starts producing in may 1998 and the price of these machines were 15% lower that the German-Built Machine. The product was good sold, and the degree of the CompactTwister's success were pleasant surprises for Saurer management.One of the challenges that Volkmann has to face was to understand the Asian customers needs, totally different to the occidental customer’s. They look for the lower cost local manufacturer. Given the low labor costs and the ease of replacing workers, most Chinese companies had little interest in machine ergonomics and automation. But now the old attitudes were starting to change as more C hinese managers began to appreciate the efficiency of the machines and the quality of the products they produced, that will enable them to increase revenue.Also there's a difference between occidental and oriental's about after-sales service and support. , in China, there was little interest in preventative maintenance or annual contracts. The attitude was to repair the machine when it broke down and only to replace a part when it failed. The result of these attitudes was that Saurer's after-sales spare parts and service in China were only about one third level achieved in Western countries. This is a lost opportunity to the enterprise to gets close to the customer and discover news opportunities of business by discovering new needs.In China, Volkmann, has 2 major competitors: Muratec (Japan) and Savio (Italy). Also, the domestic Chinese competitors had become important in the textile machinery market. They had a dominant position and don't respect the intellectual property of weste rn and Japanese manufacturers (for example, the CompactTwister was really imitated). By 2003 there were 3 major Chinese competitors with another 10-15 local companies in the market. Rifa Textile Machines was the largest of the three.Founded in 1993, by the 2003 it had 5 subsidiary companies producing different types of textile machines, this enterprise has good coverage all over China. The second one is Taitan, is smaller tan Rifa but its strategy is similar. Wanli is the third competitor. The panorama in India is similar to what happen in China, the strongest local competitor is Veejay Lakshmi, that captured about 70% market share in the Indian market and is exporting its machines to other countries. In Pakistan, Muratec had the dominant market but Rifa is gaining some participation.Volkmann's participation in both countries is low. In order to response to the local Chinese Challenge, Volkmann make a project to create a new twisting machine that would meet the needs of many lower-e nd customers making cotton and cotton blend yarns with medium and fine yarn counts. This machine should have a good performance and productivity and at same time be cheaper than the others. Now the question is, Should or not Volkmann launch that new low-end machine, what would be the consequences for the image of the company to produce a machine not as good as the others but cheaper than then?Is there a big market for that kind of product? How would the competitor to react if the company launch this product? If Volkmann decide to launch the new machine would be necessary to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy; The major issues that needed to be addressed was the exact value proposition that would be communicated to the target customers, the pricing of the new product, the branding and naming of the product and the sales and marketing communications strategy.

What is ERP?

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is software that potentially manages the various processes in business. Primarily, it works on a platform utilizing the various meanings of data within one database. Today, companies find that they have to creatively and conveniently respond to increasing globalization, critical changes in business trends, and the condition of the economy (Leyh, Gebhardt and Berton 913). Businesses need to be ready for changes in the government or society such as reducing financial compensation from both state and local governments. Therefore, organizations normally find that they have to come up with solutions that suit these conditions to enhance convenient administrative processes in business. Cloud-based ERP system Cloud-based computing gives the individuals who operate a database the access to software applications which are managed from the available computing resources like the memory through the use of the Internet. Since the introduction of this system, cloud computing has gained a massive reputation internationally. Over the past few years, several enterprises have adapted some of their resources into a cloud (Gunawan and Surendro 57). Notably, the trend is attached to the simplified accessibility to resources and easy facilitation of data sharing. In a significant number of enterprises, the management noted the system availed resources with the need of computing resources working directly in a specific system. The architecture of Cloud-Based EPR SystemCloud-based ERP system falls under the cloud software service. Typically, the average ERP involves installing the system in each terminal while the cloud-based type provides access to the resources without necessarily having the ERP installed on each computer (Gunawan and Surendro 60). Therefore, there is increased convenience on installation and ERP access although the integrity is maintained. An ERP system may also be regarded as the actualization of a blueprint availed by the framework of a business. In the case that the ERP transits to a cloud server, the architecture of the company similarly moves. As such, it is essential to provide configuration details about the technology architecture of an enterprise. Comparatively, the design needs to be defined by an enterprise as long as it uses a cloud computing model. Important to realize, this architecture should also depict better performance compared to the systems that do not entail the cloud-adaptin method. Consequently, to affirm that the ERP can migrate successfully, the blueprint proposed by the enterprise need to be critically evaluated as it is a fundamental need of the architecture. In comparison with the orthodox ERP, the cloud-based ERP comprises of a system where users can access resources through the Internet. However, the former relies on the availability of a Local Area Network (LAN) for the operation of the ERP in the enterprise. LAN connects computers from one organization within a single building by use of a network termed as an intranet. Multi-tenancy is a popular notion in software architecture mainly used in the cloud-based application. Significantly, it concerns a single set of applications used to manage the several users on one instance. The term implies that although the availed resources have a unique sole purpose, their design allows for them to remain mostly adjustable to satisfy the needs of the business. The potential to manage several users is achieved through sharing hardware and data storage. Despite the sharing of resources, the security of data needs to be upheld to avoid specific users from affecting others on the network. Therefore, there are four entities which have to be assessed. First, resource isolation is vital based on the fact that tenants make use of a similar infrastructure and code (Gunawan and Surendro 61). Second, the configuration aspects imply that data needs to have characteristics that are adaptable to suit various tenants. Third, the element of security calls for measurements to be put in place owing to the high risk sharing codes and data among tenants poses. Finally, the scalability concept appeals to the design and applicability of the software for to satiate conditions for reaching levels that can be measured. The most common approach for the multi-tenant concept is Separate Database. Arguably, it is one of the simplest models for isolating data as data for each user is kept separately. However, there is also a Shared Database approach where all tenants occupy similar database instances although they are all assigned an own schema. In this strategy, data from all users is kept in one database using a similar schema. The cloud-based ERP system allows its users to configure the service required from the host. This is necessary to fulfill individual needs and still upholding the integrity of data. The concept is entirely valid although the blueprint provided by an enterprise determines the architecture and necessary ERP modules. Such information is relevant for choosing the specific modules responsible for purchasing modules that contribute towards organizational development (Zhu and Dong 4765). The principal reason behind customization and identifying particular modules depends on the financial capability of companies. Importantly, the multi-tenancy concept allows the provider to avail specific packages in light os the needs of every tenant without having to alter the whole system software. Comparison to Recent Technological Developments While cloud computing is a significant step forward in business, many businesses have not yet adopted this technology. The ERP system focuses extensively on the infrastructure without considering the end-user. As such, it only enhances the reliability which is not as significant to businesses. The Blockchain industry is young although it is quite capable mainly since it offers solutions in the supply chain. The technology can implement logistics metrics concerning order deliveries. Unlike the cloud-based ERP system, blockchain overcomes the forth and back step issue. It empowers all members in a supply chain which fosters the development of all critical contributors within a system. A step forward in cloud-based ERP system implies two steps backward to the end user. The explanation relates to the reason why innovations are directed towards upgrading the interface and improving the performance. Companies Affected While many businesses are continually adopting the cloud-based ERP solutions, specific enterprises are employing the system given the minimal IT requirements it demands. Notably, this system is applicable for distribution, service, and nonprofit businesses. On that note, however, new startups and accomplished mid-sized companies stand a chance to benefit the most. Successful and established companies are likely to stick to the traditional technologies. Conclusion Cloud-based ERP system is one of the most successful software adopted by companies since the introduction. It allows users to access computing resources remotely although the Internet needs to be present. With a multi-tenant architecture, several users can operate a database in one instance without disruption. The enterprise specifications determine the nature of the system and the security of data needs to be sensitized. ?

Watching Erin Brockvich in Feminist viewpoint Essay

Watching Erin Brockvich in Feminist viewpoint - Essay Example The film Erin Brockovich is a moving, true story about a woman who overcomes hardships, including gender discrimination, to investigate a large corporate lawsuit. Her battle to present the case in the â€Å"man’s world† of a law firm is seen as an excellent step in the direction of feminism and empowered women. However, Erin Brockovich does not follow the guidelines of true feminism. In the film Brockovich displays an unfair advantage over her male counterparts that not only give her an upper-edge but also contradict the true meaning of feminism and gender equality. The best example in the film is Brockovich’s admittance into the county water board. The scene begins with Brockovich getting out of her car and walking toward the building. The shot cuts to the clerk inside who is frantically fixing his hair and straightening his clothes. He has an immediate attraction to Brockovich and her suggestive clothing. Brockovich enters the building, flashes a dazzling smile and begins to flirt and chat with the beaming clerk. She also makes a few comments that suggest she’s just a dumb girl who does not know or care at all about public records. Her hidden agenda is to gain access to public water records that might contain information on contaminated water. Ed Masry warned her that these records can be easily â€Å"lost† if the wrong people start asking for them. Her plan is to charm the clerk into letting her search the records alone. Most people would not be permitted full, unassisted access to a public records office.

Hot summer helps butterfly numbers critique Essay

Hot summer helps butterfly numbers critique - Essay Example Richard Fox the manager of the survey believes that during the summer a majority of the insects were in their early developmental stages and the perfect temperature conditions assisted in their survival and finally gave rise to a large number of adults. The article also confirms that the perfect weather conditions were responsible for attracting immigrant butterflies such as painted lady, clouded yellow, silver Y moth and the rare long-tailed blue. Participants in the survey were asked to look for 21 common butterfly species and the final results saw 15 of these species growing in numbers. 12 out of these 15 species showed a growth of over 50% while only 4 species – the ringlet, marbled white, meadow brown and six-spot burnet moth, showed decrease in their numbers. Mr. Fox inferred that the species which showed decreases in their numbers were ones which have just a single generation every year. Therefore, the number of these species represented the direct offsprings of their p arents who had been counted in the last year. However, he confirms that even though the parental numbers in the last count was large, there must have been decline in breeding success giving rise to lower number of off-springs. The article concludes with the fact that the weather cannot help increase numbers forever and that the number of butterflies in the U.K is gradually declining and the sole way of redressing this problem is to conserve the habitats and inhibit destruction of their range. The author of the article is absolutely accurate in drawing conclusions that butterflies are temperature dependent. Survivorship of butterflies depend on this since if the temperature is not high enough butterflies make the butterflies â€Å"more susceptible to predation during roosting and basking periods when they are unable to attain the body temperature needed for vigorous flight† ( Kingsolver,1985,p13). Hence a decrease in adult population would automatically decrease the population size. Another important role of temperature is its role in fecundity. A study conducted by Karlsson and Wiklund showed that lifelong fecundity of butterflies in relation to temperature was bell shaped where for open landscape butterflies fecundity was optimal at around 30 degrees (Karlsson & Wiklund,2005,p99).Studies also suggest that butterfly fecundity is controlled by temperature at two stages- egg maturation and female ovipositing (Berger et al,2008,p523). Therefore it is obvious, that since butterflies are temperature dependent, high numbers of emigration as observed because of the prevalent heat wave in the region which attracted butterflies from less suitable weather regions. The article also suggests a solution to the declination in the number of butterflies in the U.K. i.e. prohibiting habitat destruction. It is true that destruction of natural habitat has been the primary reason for decline of the butterfly population. Species richness of butterflies has decreased rapidly in places where habitat destruction is highest (Forister et al, 2010, p2088). Climate change has also been a major cause of habitat destruction since the changes in climatic conditions alters the vegetation of the habitats and destruction of the biotopes that the butterflies are accustomed to thereby hastening butterfly

Nickel and Dimed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nickel and Dimed - Essay Example There is a lot of harsh dialogue thrown around about welfare and welfare reform. But according to this author, the fault is not with the poor individuals themselves—it is with the system that is keeping them down and oppressed. In terms of specific challenges faced by those in poverty, poverty is sometimes a situation in which a population’s perceptions about what is healthy become different from the outside society’s, and then the outside society is brought down further in their estimation in whatever form it takes and they become more proud and insulated from it. The most important part to keep in mind is that people have moved from welfare into the workforce over the last few years, but many remain who face significant challenges in the system (perhaps the most challenges). Diet, housing, and healthcare are basic human needs. In terms of diet, poor people face obstacles because of a lack of education about nutrition, combined with an over-abundance of unhealthy and fast food places in poor socio-economic areas. Housing is a problem, with public housing opportunities existing, but within a sea of red tape and paperwork. The same description also works for healthcare; there are problems of opportunity and access. Improving a situation of poverty means working to change the system that keeps people within poverty. These poor people exposed by the author are not monsters; in fact, they have less, so that others can have more. They â€Å"neglect their own children so that the children of others will be cared for; they live in substandard housing so that other homes will be shiny and perfect; they endure privation so that inflation will be low and stock prices high† (Ehrenreich, 2001). Without a change in the overall system of the country, there can be little individual improvement. There are many obstacles against escaping poverty. There is also the issue of the conflation of poverty and lower